Murder On The Cape

21:40Worthington jacket matters. Zero two W. Zero zero zero six. Long rise. But lost to Krista's friend. And Tony thinks he knows why.

21:54Well, being a suspect, it definitely cost me custody more than anything else. It's custody of my daughter.

22:04By 2005, Jackett was getting used to another reality. We'll just kind of live with the fact that the perception of my being a suspect is going to stay. But then, on April 7th, investigators caught a stunning break. The crime lab had a hit. We have a brief statement to make. A match for DNA found outside and inside Krista's body.

22:31Erin Moriarty:It just was a bombshell, a huge bombshell, because we were just, like, electrified. Couldn't believe that they had come up with a match. Suddenly, a match, a suspect, and an arrest, all announced to the world by D.A. Michael O 'Keefe, three and a half years after the crime. Last night at approximately 7.15 p.m., detectives from the Massachusetts State Police arrested Christopher A. McGowan for the 2002 murder of Krista A. Worthington. Which had a lot of people in town asking, Christopher who? Who would have figured it would have been the garbage man? That's right. Christopher McGowan had been Krista Worthington's garbage man.

23:14Truro was astonished and relieved. It seemed like a done deal. The results were... They were in the quadrillions. So you're talking about as absolute as one could be. Well, you know, pretty much. Police picked up a docile McOwen at his rooming house, lying on the bed, watching cartoons. Marijuana and an open bottle of prescription painkillers were on the table nearby. Incredibly, he'd been right under their noses from the start. Did you kill Krista? Interviewed twice, both times he had denied knowing Krista Worthington. He'd given police his DNA voluntarily more than a year earlier. The laboratory could not get you results.

24:00As quickly as we would have liked them. Well, a year. Right, right. When detectives took him in for questioning, McCowan waived his right to a lawyer. They say he again denied knowing Krista. And then he's presented with what I would suggest is a relatively strong piece of evidence that he's lying. DNA. Correct. Police say that's when his story changed. He admits that, yes, he went there on Friday night. Yes, he had sex with her. And yes, he beat her. but he doesn't want to bring himself to admit that he killed her. So he blames the worst part of it on someone else. The somebody else was McCowan's friend Jeremy Frazier who'd been with him the night of the murder.

25:00But Frazier's DNA wasn't found anywhere on Krista's body. Was there an operating assumption that the last person who'd had sex with Krista Worthington had killed her? Yes. From the beginning? Yes. And you believe that to be the case? Yes. Christopher McCowan's interview at the police barracks lasted about six hours, and for whatever reason, he declined to have it recorded. So the only record of this crucial interview is a report some 20 pages long that the detectives wrote from their notes about a week later. In it, McCowan is sometimes confused and comes up with at least half a dozen different versions of what really happened the night police say Krista Worthington died.

25:44Chris McCowan didn't commit this crime, and the police know it. Attorney Bob George took McCowan's case after the police interrogation and says they jumped to conclusions from the start, noting that the DA's website listed this murder as solved almost from the moment of McCowan's arrest. A person of Chris McCowan's race, class, and limited capacities was an easy target. An especially easy target, he says, because Christopher McCowan literally wasn't smart enough to defend himself. This is a person with a 76 to a 78 IQ on his best day, meaning on a day where he's not using drugs and alcohol, not under pressure.

26:29Under pressure and under the influence. He was using Percocet that day. He was using marijuana that day. George says his client was putty in the hands of the police. This is a false confession, and I don't accept it. I don't know how much of it is actually coming from Chris McCown's mouth or how much of it is coming from the police investigation. I don't know. As for the DNA, the linchpin of the prosecution's case, the significance of that, George says, is all in how you look at this crime. The court's now in session. Please be seated. And the police, he's about to tell the jury, are looking at it all wrong.

27:12The forensics in the case could very well set Chris McCowan free. That person who killed Crystal Worthington was white. They had footprints that were unidentified. They had palm prints that were unidentified. and they had unknown male DNA from three individuals under her fingernails.

27:42Steamer here. Give me the dirt. Work is stressful. My life is a disaster. Help me. The first is mental clutter. The second is physical clutter. One requires meditating. The other requires Stanley Steamer. Start with what you can control. Then go outside. It's cheaper than a spa. No appointment required. Book your deep clean now at stanleysteamer.com. For years, Gone South has been a podcast about crime in the American South. But for our new season, we're widening the lens. Through deeply reported narrative-driven stories, We're digging into the myths, scandals, and power structures that still shape the South, and in a lot of ways, the country itself.

28:28Follow and listen to Gone South Season 5, an Odyssey podcast, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Tires matter. They're the only part of your vehicle that touches the road. Tread confidently with new tires from Tire Rack. Whether you're looking for expert recommendations or know exactly what you want, Tire Rack makes it easy. Fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection, and convenient installation options. Go to TireRack.com to see tire test results, tire ratings, and consumer reviews, and be sure to check out all the special offers. TireRack.com, the way tire buying should be.

29:13Down the Cape today, the infamous Krista Worthington murder case has gone from a whodunit to a courtroom drama. All right, Commonwealth of Massachusetts versus Christopher and McCowan. Prosecutors go into Christopher McCowan's trial confident that the jury will accept their simple theory of Krista Worthington's murder. That he went to this location for the purpose of having sex with this person, that that was denied to him, and in a rage, he raped her and killed her.

29:49The case against Krista's alleged killer, District Attorney Michael O 'Keefe concedes, depends on two vital pieces of evidence. The DNA and the statement together were the two major pillars of the case. First, the DNA. We performed DNA analysis on 23 samples. The state's expert says it proves beyond doubt that McGowan had sex with Krista Worthington. Christopher McGowan matched the major profile in the mixture. Then, the statement. Can you tell us your name for the record, please? My name is Christopher Mason. With Krista's father and other family members looking on.

30:27Erin Moriarty:I'm employed as a trooper with the Massachusetts State Police. Trooper Christopher Mason tells the court that although McCowan didn't actually confess, he did admit to police that he beat Krista and watched her die. Mr. McCowan stated, I never meant for that lady to get killed. It's a nightmare after nightmare, and not a day goes by that I don't think about it. He went up there looking for sex. Krista Worthington confronted him, and it got very ugly. In the prosecution scenario, McGowan was drinking heavily that night. He joined friends at a local club. They were videotaped by an onlooker while taking part in a rap contest.

31:06This person wanted the company of a woman after partying and drinking all night. So O 'Keefe continues, at around 1.30 a.m., McGowan drove to Krista's house in Truro, where he killed her. And he was alone. He was alone. And he didn't have any prior relationship with her. Other than his familiarity with who she was, where she lived, and the fact that she lived alone. That is where McCowan's attorney, Bob George, insists prosecutors have it all wrong. Now, when they found the DNA for 39 months, You will hear, they were looking to speak to Krista's last lover. He wants to convince the jury there is reasonable doubt about everything in this case.

31:59Suddenly, Krista's last lover was a rapist. For starters, George claims his client and Krista may have been involved. Chris McCowan could have reasonably had a consensual sexual relationship with Krista Worthington, and anyone who doesn't believe it is someone who just refuses to accept it. And that's the defense's explanation for the damning DNA evidence that Krista Worthington voluntarily had sex with McGowan probably that Thursday, his day for picking up the trash, and that later someone else came along and killed her. You don't have McCown's fingerprints at that scene. You don't have McCown's hair at that scene.

32:39You got McCown's DNA at that scene. Yeah, consensual sexual episode on Thursday. But George says getting the jury to believe that could be a problem. because his client is being tried in lily white Cape Cod. If you had the same body of evidence and Johnny Whitebread was home for the holidays and was from some affluent family under Cape, the same body of evidence he wouldn't have been charged. But miles away in New York, Krista Worthington's former boyfriend, Steve Radlauer, says race has nothing at all to do with his doubts. Let's hear about that consensual relationship. How long had that been going on?

33:17I saw Krista two weeks before she was murdered, roughly. It wasn't going on then because we would have heard about it. That would have been her top story. Top of the Krista news would have been, I'm having an affair with my local trash man. You won't believe it. Top story. Back in court, the defense also must deal with its other big problem, that statement. And when he walked into that police station on April 14, 2005, the police had to get a statement out of him. So they intimidated him, George argues, in a six-hour interrogation, much as they'd done with other suspects like Tim Arnold. And when you told them that you did not kill Krista Worthington, what was said to you?

34:02Oh, yes, I had. It was like getting worked over, you know. Like physically getting beaten up. Another one-time suspect, Keith Amato, described a similar experience. The trooper Maughan slammed his hand down on the table and said, this is a murder investigation, and if we so choose, we will turn your life inside out. They did exactly the same thing to them that they did to McCowan, except that they were smart enough. And they had the wherewithal and the background to know when to say, stop, cut it out. I'm not doing this anymore. I want a lawyer. As far as IQs go, what's the score for someone who's mentally retarded?

34:41George's witness, forensic psychologist Eric Brown, claims that with an IQ of about 76, Christopher McGowan simply couldn't understand the police's questions. He's 69, he's mentally retarded? Yes. And he's 76 on his best day? Yes. Rubbish, says the prosecution. McGowan seemed smart enough when Brown gave him an intelligence test. For relativity, he indicated Einstein. And for Gandhi, he wrote Spiritual Lita of India. And for Koran, he wrote Muslim Bible. That's correct. And he was clever enough, the state argues, to concoct a story blaming someone else. His friend, Jeremy Frazier, who appeared uncomfortable the moment he took the stand.

35:29Did you drive up to Crystal Worthington's house with Christopher McCowan? No, I didn't. Did you have anything at all to do with her death? No, I didn't. But Bob George wants the jury to believe Frazier could have. What were you drinking? A couple beers at the party. Did you tell the police it was like six Coronas? I don't recall. Certainly, Frazier and McCowan were together that night. The videotaped rap contest shows Frazier listening to music with McCowan nearby. But Frazier supplied an alibi. He later was seen at another party, then slept at a friend's house. and his DNA doesn't show up anywhere at the crime scene.

36:11He was a convenient patsy for the defendant to blame. He had nothing to do with this murder. No. Bob George also argues that police bungled the whole investigation. There were fibers, hairs, DNA that never made it to a lab and a crime scene contaminated by careless EMTs. They had all kinds of evidence at that scene that was either mishandled, ignored, or thrown away. Christopher McOwen never testifies, betting that his attorney has created enough doubt in this case to set him free. It's based on an assumption, a false assumption, that a Vassar-educated, wealthy heiress could not possibly have had consensual sex what a black, uneducated, troubled garbage mean.

37:12Your little one grew three inches overnight. Adorable. Also, expensive. Sell their pint-sized pieces on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees. Because somewhere, a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow. And he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth spurt budget secured. Start selling on Depop, where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. LinkedIn is pretty amazing at helping you grow your small business. We cannot make your email response time faster.

37:50We can help you sell, market, and hire in one place. We cannot help you find and space for your three desk drinks. Why do you have three? And while we can't help you find the perfect volume for your presentation video, LinkedIn can help you find the perfect audience for your business. Grow your small business on LinkedIn. Learn more at linkedin.com slash small business.

38:17While the jury in the Krista Worthington murder trial deliberates. There's always that question as to what's the truth, What is in the trial? The case is still being tried in the court of public opinion. Who have been following the trial? And everyone in town's got an opinion. I think the preponderance of evidence indicates that he's guilty. I think he deserves every bit of a reasonable doubt if it's there. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy gets off. Days go by, the clock ticks on without a verdict. It's always good when they're out a long time. Christopher McCowan's lawyer, Bob George, is taking an optimistic view, insisting that time and the evidence are on his side.

39:02If you can't trust what you find at the crime scene because the scene has been corrupted, if you can't trust the statement because it's unreliable, and if the DNA doesn't mean anything because the defendant could have been involved in a consensual relationship with the victim, then what happened? For five agonizing days, the jury, including two African Americans, debates that very question. They said they were hopelessly deadlocked. Then on day six, a shocker, the judge announces he is throwing one juror off the panel. A white woman whose boyfriend was arrested in an unrelated crime. In a phone call with him, she was taped criticizing the police.

39:47and there's concern about bias. You are to be discharged from this jury. Word began circulating around 11.30 this morning that this jury had finally come to a verdict. Those now in session, please be seated. Two days after a new juror is seated, the log jam breaks. What say you, Mr. Foreman? Christopher McCowan learns his fate. We, the jurors, may not speak to return the following verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. He was devastated by the verdict. Anyone with eyes could see that he was terribly hurt by what happened.

40:31Hours later, before he's sentenced, he addresses the court for the first time. This case here is a very horrendous case. I feel sorry for the building's family, her daughter, and her.

40:47And they're meant for this. They never take place. But he still claims he had nothing to do with Crystal Worthington's death. But, Your Honor, all I can say is that I'm an innocent man in this case. And that's all I got to say. The court doesn't buy it. The court in nearby sends you to be in prison at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction for and during the term of your natural life without the possibility of parole. I typed number 05-109-02. The jury having filed you guilty in an aggravated rape. Hey, Chris. Did I want him not guilty? Of course I wanted him not guilty. You know, my belief in McCowan's innocence is what drove me.

41:38I believed he was innocent and still believe he's innocent, and won't believe he's not guilty until the day I die. You want me to stand at the podium? Even after the verdict, Bob George refuses to give up. He's a little suspicious about what really happened to get that juror removed. You've got a juror receiving phone calls on her cell phone from someone who's incarcerated in a deliberating deadlocked jury in a major murder case from the jail. You don't have to be all over Wendell Holmes to figure out there's something strange about that. We'll find out what happened.

42:09Erin Moriarty:I think there's a lot of conspiracy theory types that, you know, will never be satisfied. Eric Williams, who's covered the case from day one, says while replacing the juror confused things, in the end, he has confidence in the jury's decision. There was enough evidence, it seemed, to push them to unanimously agree. And I think for most Cape Codders, that's good enough.

42:39Well, this case changed my life. It's radically. It's not something that you ever imagine you're going to have to deal with. Kind of like being in a dark tunnel. I wonder if you'll ever see light again.

42:55Are you glad that this is finally all over? Now officially cleared as a suspect in Krista's murder, Tony Jackett is relieved at the verdict. The jury deliberated and carefully looked at all the evidence. Although, remarkably, he isn't sure the jury got it right. I felt there was reasonable doubt all over the place. I think about the trial. I think about what it did to me, and I think about her. Tim Arnold, too, is happy it's finally over, but to this day, he is haunted by what happened. Sometimes the weight of events forces you to look back, whether you want to or not. Just something that's always there.

43:43These happen to be a few snapshots I took of Ava and Krista when they were here, only a couple of weeks before she was killed. Ava lives still with her legal guardians, and by all accounts, she is doing well. One pretty little girl. Yeah, she was really sweet. When you look at this today, what goes through your mind? Well, you know, I mean, basically I think she was really happy. She was a great person. We miss her a lot. Ava never will remember those happy times, but Krista's friends are determined that one day she will know how much her mother loved her. How would you want to tell her about the past?

44:27A little bit at a time. Yeah, that's good. Ava won't have her.

44:35That's the enduring tragedy, the whole thing.

44:43Christopher McEwen's defense continues to explore legal options. He has filed four motions for a new trial since his conviction. All have been denied.

45:00John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette. I didn't think I could love someone like this until you. From executive producer Ryan Murphy. It's not a question of if I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No, it does! It's if I'm cut out to be Mrs. JFK Jr. FX's love story, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette. Watch now on FX Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Ready to advance your future in criminal justice or investigations? at the University of New Haven's Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, our online graduate programs are built for working professionals.

45:37Study criminal justice, forensic investigative genetic genealogy, or specialized investigations programs in areas like digital forensics, financial crimes, and cyber intelligence. Learn more at newhaven.edu slash grad.