Episode 276
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Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. Listen, I don't know what to do. If I tell you this, well, I don't want to go to prison. Hello and welcome. This is Season 11, Episode 276 of Sword and Scale, a show that reveals that the worst monsters are real. ♪

Thank you.

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You ever take a road trip for a couple days or maybe even weeks? I have. Those days were fun, gotta admit. Trading in the brand new sports car for an SUV so I could pack my dog Ollie with all of my worldly possessions and head north from South Florida. One of the best things I've ever done in my life, to be quite honest. One of the most rewarding, enjoyable times of my life.

And things happen on trips like that. You run into delays like traffic jams, detours, bad weather. I got stuck in a hurricane and had some shenanigans happen in a men's bathroom in northern Florida. And no, it's not what you're thinking. But the point is that all kinds of things happen. Sometimes you lose your wallet or your keys or you lock yourself out of your car or

And pretty soon the trip you're on isn't even close to the one you've imagined in your head, in your cabeza. Sure, you've met some cool people and even eaten at the dingy diner at the corner of nowhere. Food was fucking great. But you missed out on a few really important things, too. Because life just threw a few curveballs your way. And everybody knows. Everybody that's been on this earth for more than three seconds knows.

That shit happens. But it usually ends up okay in the end. Usually. In a quaint South Carolinian town in the early 60s, the love story of a married couple named Carol and Reggie unfolded like a fairy tale. Their tale began during high school when they were just 15 and started dating. The classmates soon became the ideal couple, inseparable and deeply in love.

Nothing like that high school love. It's life or death for some. Graduation in 1962 was supposed to mark the beginning of their married life, but Reggie's call to military service disrupted their plans. Somewhere in the midst of this, they took different roads and went their separate ways. Carol, resilient and determined, found security in a job in the nearby Air Force Base.

and briefly explored another marriage before eventually marrying a man named Richard. Unfortunately, Richard's struggles with alcoholism cast a dark shadow over their relationship. A domineering and abusive figure, he harbored an intense desire to keep Carol within his grasp. Any hint of independence from her would trigger merciless beatings. Regrettably, their young daughter saw a lot of the explosive scenes.

Her father's anger and chaos seemed to dominate their family home. Carol mustered every fiber of strength she had and filed for divorce in 1987. The late 90s brought another cruel twist of Carol's life with a diagnosis of liver cancer. Her courageous battle left her a survivor, but one with a lifetime of daily medication and regular checkups. What a

consistent horror cancer is. To accommodate her medical needs, she took a job at a call center answering phones for the local cable company, where she could continue to work in a way that wasn't physically demanding. Reggie also had his share of life's challenges, including a marriage that eventually ended and a number of health problems of his own. Years passed for both Carol and Reggie.

until a fateful day in 2000. Carol, working at the call center, received a call from a familiar voice. Her body trembled at the sound because it was Reggie. He had no idea he was speaking to Carol, but she recognized the voice belonging to the love of her life. This mere phone call triggered a reconnection with her high school sweetheart after 38 years of separation. Can you even imagine?

Their reunion was sweet and profound, leading to daily meetings, moving in together within weeks, and exchanging vows in just a couple of months. I mean, it's not like they didn't have years to think about what they were missing. Rhonda, Carol's daughter, vividly remembered her mother's happiness that day, and how the couple's love story came back to life despite their challenging medical histories. They found solace in each other,

creating a life filled with happiness and love and comfort. They settled into Reggie's home in Charleston, partly to be near an ill friend who also needed their help. Carol's daughter felt like she truly had a father and a loving family. Carol and Reggie's love story, marked by tragedy and triumph, continued as they took each day as it came with gratitude for the love they had finally found in each other.

This is Reggie's brother talking about both him and his sister-in-law, Carol. I would like to tell you about my brother and his wife, Carol. Reggie and Carol were the most innocent, kind-hearted, and wonderful members of my family. They were good neighbors, they were kind, and they were trustworthy. They helped those that were in need, and they had to give the hospitality. Reggie would give you the shirt off his back if you knew you needed it.

They were givers. They were contributors to society. We were raised in a large family. Reggie was the life of the family. He was a party of family reunions. He was always funny. Telling jokes and keeping people happy was his trademark. He would always insist on paying bills at a restaurant, and he had a habit of showing up at your door unannounced with goodies and cheers. He was a wonderful brother.

Reggie had a rough growing up in a house of 11 brothers and sisters. He was the seventh child of the Sumner family. He was the baby. Our father was killed in a motorcycle accident when Reggie was just six weeks old. At 32, my mother was a widow with seven children. She remarried and had four more children. Mr. Clark, our stepdad, passed away in 1953.

And as the older brothers and sisters were moving out, getting married, or joining the military, Reggie stepped up to the plate and became the father-like figure and helped raise the younger siblings. He's been such a good leader. He always set the wonderful example for everyone. He was so loved by his siblings. Reggie was retired from CSX Railroad, and although he and Carol were in poor health, they loved each other.

They love staying together. In love and relationships, many people, myself included, run through several partners trying to find the right one. It's not easy. I think that's pretty obvious. You make a lot of mistakes along the way. Often circumstances, timing, or personal growth lead people to just settle. Life has a habit of moving on and sometimes even getting in the way.

So sometimes it's just easier to find comfort, stability, and companionship in marriages that didn't start up or end up like Reggie or Carol's. Unlike fairy tales, it's a rare couple who meet and marry in high school without divorcing just a few years later. But rare and extraordinary love stories like theirs do exist. I happen to know firsthand. And yes, I know how lucky I am.

Two people who have been through it, marriage and divorce, and then rediscovered each other after decades. They become even more extraordinary when they stay together until their golden years of retirement. Finally, they get to spend quality time with their loved ones, free from all the immaturity and the bullshit that goes with any relationship at any point. When you've worked on yourself through trial and error for decades,

and you finally meet someone else that has done the same thing, it's kind of magical. This is how Carol and Reggie felt about each other. Like, their love was the rarest in the world, and they were the luckiest people on earth. Reggie and Carol dated in high school, and many years later, they connected and got married.

They lived in Charleston, and by this time, we lived in Jacksonville. Carol was an easygoing person and a good cook. She kept Reggie well fed and enjoyed the good food and the good cook. She was the first time I visited them when they lived in Ladsen, South Carolina. I spent a couple nights with them on that trip. There again, Reggie became the neighborhood big brother, dad, and friend. Reggie and Carol were only married a few years.

A few years with Reggie already seemed like a blissful lifetime compared to what Carol had to put up with in her longest second marriage to Richard. Being married to this tyrant made meeting Reggie all the sweeter. One afternoon, back in the past, when Carol was at home with just her daughter Rhonda, Richard, who was now her ex, had decided to carry out a bit of a nefarious plan. You see,

Richard was depressed and he didn't want to live anymore. So, you know, if he wasn't gonna be on this earth anymore, then neither would his wife, Carol. So that afternoon he entered the home, started an argument, and shot Carol multiple times in front of their 10-year-old daughter. Gunshots shattered the tranquility of their home and the vicinity. Neighbors knew something bad was happening, so they called police immediately.

Emergency responders rushed Carol to the hospital where her life hung in the balance. Miraculously, she emerged from this whole ordeal, but her right eye bore the scars of the tragic incident. For the next year, 10-year-old Rhonda was compelled to act as her mother's nurse, pulling her back from the brink of death. After the trauma of her abusive marriage and nearly losing her life,

Carol had strong doubts about getting involved with anyone ever again. That is, until she reunited with Reggie, who brought a ray of light into her life. It was like finding a favorite blanket tucked away in the closet. One that you thought you had accidentally thrown away. They already knew and trusted each other. They already knew who they were. They had known for decades. Yet, as the years unfolded,

An unforeseen tragedy loomed. Little did they know that their love story would face yet another poignant chapter. A chapter that would include burying their love forever. Say goodbye to dinner stress. With Pantry Plenty, meal planning is a breeze and grocery shopping is automated. Sign up today and simplify your life.

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In rural South Carolina during the 1960s, Carol and Reggie's teenage love was abruptly interrupted when Reggie answered the call of military service, leading them on separate paths. Carol faced some pretty tough years, previously living through an abusive marriage to Richard, who mercilessly shot her numerous times in front of their 10-year-old daughter before ending his own life. Such a horrible thing to experience.

Such a selfish prick you have to be to do that to someone you claim to love. Carol's next challenge would be battling liver cancer in the late 1990s. As life's winding path unfolded, Reggie too faced challenges, including the end of a marriage. Remarkably, fate intervened in 2000, reuniting Carol and Reggie after 38 years.

They picked up right where they left off and were the happiest they'd ever been. But fate was about to force the loving couple into a dark detour.

The couple were now living in Jacksonville, Florida, where they relocated to be near some of Reggie's family, while Carol's daughter remained in South Carolina. Yes, I am in Charleston, South Carolina, and I need someone to go to my mother's home to see if she is alive, if she's there. I can't reach her. She has a health problem? Yes, she's got liver cancer, and her husband is a severe diabetic. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Rhonda had just embarked on a lengthy mission to locate her mom and stepdad. The long journey continued.

That was just beginning. At that point,

She was told she couldn't file a missing persons report over the phone and that she would need to call the Jacksonville police to make arrangements. May I help you? Well, I need to file a missing persons report, and I'm out of town. Can I do it over the phone? Okay, ma'am, who's missing? I'm sorry? Ma'am, who is missing? My mother and her husband. Okay, and...

Why you said they're missing them? What's going on? Nobody has heard or seen them or heard from them since Friday. They are in very poor health. And Officer Nelson spent several hours last night over at their home, and he said that it was just, you know, it looked like they had just up and left, but they left the dog there. And the dog is inside, and something...

Something's wrong. She hasn't called me in over a week. And nobody, the last time they were seen or heard from was Friday.

And Officer Nelson told me I needed to file a missing persons report, but I'm in Charleston, South Carolina. Okay. Is there anybody here that can file a report for them here in Jacksonville? No. Does anyone here have a key to their residence? Yes, I do. I mean, here in Jacksonville? No. The door was unlocked. Officer Nelson was in their house. The door was unlocked. He was inside their house? Yes.

Exactly. That's what Rhonda wanted to know. Why wasn't a report filed? They were both disabled, hadn't responded to calls for days, and left the dog alone. Again, she was passed on to another dispatcher when she asked for Officer Nelson.

the officer who actually entered the home and saw that her parents were gone. Hello, ma'am? Yes. This is Ms. Branson? Yes. Okay, did you talk to the officer yesterday? Yes, ma'am. I talked to him numerous times last night. He went to the house, and he said the door was unlocked, and the dog was still inside. He's got a little dog, and he stayed there several hours trying to...

He found her address book and he called the sister-in-law to find out if anybody had hurt someone. And the last time anybody had seen or heard from them was Friday. And they are in very, she's being treated for liver cancer and he's a diabetic. But he went into the house. Yes, he was in the house.

Because I'm sure he made a report, but I don't know if it's a missing person report. Let me check. He said he did not file a missing person report, and that's what I'm calling to do now. Okay, and where are you at? I'm in Charleston, South Carolina, trying to get down there. Are you driving now? What do you mean by trying? No, I'm trying to make a racehorse to get there.

My God. Don't ever lose your disabled parents in another state, I guess. Mm-hmm.

Okay, I'm thinking.

And they're not, are they, they're not calling a hospice or anything like that? No, I've called every, I've called probably nine hospitals in that area and tried to see if they had admitted or treated and nobody, nobody had them in their system. Officer Nelson was able to retrieve information about if an ambulance had transported them and that came up negative.

You know what I mean? The ambulance did not visit the house. Right. There's not the sense that they are just... And my mother and I are very close. We talk every single day, every day. And I've not heard from her since Monday.

Right. Right.

The house was unlocked, the car was missing, and who said that the house right next door, either yesterday or the day before, had been burglarized. And with me being a state and a half away, I'm very near. So did he make contact with the neighbors? He said he did, but I don't... The last time... He said the neighbors saw a light on Friday. That's what I'm saying. The last time they were heard or seen was on Friday.

Foul play was becoming obvious. You don't need a little badge for that. The neighbors just had their house broken into. Poor Rhonda knew something was really wrong, but found herself answering 20 questions with each operator she reached. But the next question just seemed silly. She wanted to know if they had maybe just gotten in the car and gone on vacation. No, absolutely not. Not without calling me.

What's your last name, Ms. Branson? Give that just a second. Did you get the joke yet?

Eh? Maybe you don't belong here then. - Would I also file a mistake, the car missing? - Yeah, so if you have the, do you have the tag number and all that? - Officer Nelson retrieved it from South Carolina records or whatever, but I don't know it. - That can be added on later.

But if somebody took them and, you know, dumped them somewhere and they got the car, I mean, we might find the car before we find them. Right, I see what you're saying, but I don't have any way to... He didn't make a note in the record? No, I don't see it. Any idea when he'll be back on duty? Seven o'clock tonight. We've all been there, right? Stuck in a chat message loop or automated phone tree or...

Pushed through from one person to the next. You all have Comcast, right? All for a simple question. But this was about her missing parents, not about her cable bill. Every passing second could be a crucial second. Rhonda was desperately trying to make arrangements for her children so she could make the seven-hour drive to Jacksonville, Florida.

She asked for any officer to call her as soon as possible and what the address of the police department was so she could go there herself. But then she was directed to go straight to the house of her parents. The next call you hear is the one Rhonda made once she reached Jacksonville. - Yes, I need to have an officer out. Please, I need to file a missing persons report. - What's the address, ma'am? - 2015.

I live in Charleston, South Carolina, and I just came into town and I was told to call when I got here. And I'm here and I need an officer here so I can file the report.

Every time she spoke with a new 911 operator, she was asked the same repetitive questions, leaving her caught in a whirlwind of frustration when all she wanted to do was locate her parents as quickly as possible.

What we're trying to do is, we have your call in the system already. It seems like somebody said, "Oh, we had you set up to have an officer to come talk to you." We're trying to figure out your parents. Have you reported both of them missing? Your mother and her husband? Yeah. Okay. How long have they been missing? Since Friday. Since Friday. Were they in the car?

Yes, as far as I don't know, I live in Charleston, South Carolina and I... Okay, they don't have any other relatives here? No. Okay, and you're in Jacksonville now? I'm at their house. Okay, you're at their house now? Yes. Okay, what's your mother's name? Carol Sumner. Okay, how old is she?

She is 62. 62, white or black female? White. White female. What's the husband's name? James Reginald Sumner. How old is he? 9-18-43 is his birthday. What kind of car were they last seen driving? Blue Lincoln Town Car. Blue Lincoln Town Car. Do you know the tag number on it?

Yeah, ma'am, is an officer going to come out? Yes, ma'am, but I still need to put this information out so we BOLO. Can we please listen? Ms. Branson, you may be upset, but we are doing our job, and this is what we have to do. Because if they're missing that long and they're probably lost, we could have put a BOLO out. If anybody's been somewhere else in the city, they can notify the officer that's on the way.

So that's why I'm getting this. I don't know the tag number. You don't know the tag number. Go ahead. Officer Nelson was able to retrieve the tag number from South Carolina. I didn't get it from him. He knows. He got it. Interesting that one of the reasons her parents had been missing for so long was that no one in the system was communicating with each other. Every call she made to 911 or the police was like starting all over again.

Entering a new ticket in your customer support system. Ah, the efficiency of government. And then this lady gets an attitude with her, on top of everything. By this time, Rhonda was exhausted. Wouldn't you be? Yeah, I called one hour ago. A police officer just came out to the house like a volley. Missing persons reported. 2015 Reed Avenue. Okay.

2015 reed avenue yeah i'm gonna see what's going on now what if folks come out there to you or what if folks call you back over the phone no there's something zero one five yes two zero five zero no 2015 two zero one five i came in i can't i called from the driveway the second i drove in hold on just a second let me get this supervisor okay okay thank you

What Rhonda didn't know was that her parents' kindness and generosity had backfired on them, as happens to good people from time to time, especially in the world we live in today.

It's always someone trying to take advantage of you in one way or another. Just look around. Just look at those plus prices, am I right? Remember that the neighbor's home had just been robbed. That was now becoming the assumption with Carol and Reggie. Their disappearance was, in fact, tied to a burglary, but not by the same burglars who entered the neighbor's home. Weird. The couple had very recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida to be near relatives and also

one of Reggie's closest friends who was dying of cancer. This man was divorced because he'd been in prison. His daughter Tiffany was living with her mom at the time. Tiffany was a good student, a cheerleader, and a band member. But she also had a lot of demands at home, like basically raising her younger brother. By the 10th grade, she had tired of all of this and was starting to hang with the wrong drug-using crowd.

When she discovered that her dad was ill and no one was around to help him, it was a win-win situation. She would go stay with him and she would escape her demanding life. Within that time, she met the Sumners, Carol and Reggie. They could see that she had a kind heart and a helpful mindset. After all, she was supporting her dad in this time of need. Despite having serious health conditions of their own,

They had also been helping out their friend Tiffany's dad in his struggles. The Sumners, in their extreme generosity, knew that Tiffany needed a car. So they sold her their extra vehicle. Not only did they give her a sweet deal, but they also let her make payments on the car with no interest. During their conversations, the Sumners made the ultimate mistake of discussing their finances with the girl they thought they could trust.

The one that was doing drugs. Tiffany returned to her South Carolina home after her father died months later, but she remembered that the Sumners extended an open invitation to their home anytime she'd like to come and stay. She took them up on this directly after making the wrongest of wrong turns in her entire life, hooking up with Michael Jackson at Myrtle Beach.

And while hooking up with Michael Jackson was always a bad idea, this is not the same Michael Jackson you're thinking of. Apparently it's a pretty common name. This one didn't have a glittery glove and a couple of weird dance moves and also an affinity for children. This one was a little different, starting with the fact that he was white. And this particular Michael Jackson was even shadier than the one you already know and love. Because when he robbed her,

He stole her heart. The girl was feeling me, but I wasn't feeling her. It wasn't like that. I don't want to be in the same room with you. How long you been hanging out with her? Man, I met that girl. Yeah, I met this girl, man. South Carolina, I met this girl, man. I robbed the girl, man. That's how I met her, man. I didn't even rob her, man. It was just like, yeah, I robbed her. But it wasn't like robbing her, you know what I'm saying? She had a little black box, had coke in it, weed in it, and a bunch of money in it. She said, I'm going to pick the box up and walk off. You know what I'm saying? But...

I was in her room. She didn't, you know, let me in her room. So technically, I stole it. But I mean, you know, whatever is whatever. And I mean, you're not going to call, hey, this man just stole my dope. You know what I'm saying? You ain't going to call and say no shit like that. I gave the coke away, gave the weed away, kept like 800. And I kept 800. But I messed up because she had my cell phone number because me and her chilled earlier that day. And then she called me like, bring my box back. And I'm just click. I ain't talking to that girl. I ain't even answering the phone. Texting me.

I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm just, man, you don't even know me. When was that, though? I mean, how long have you known Tiffany? Since May. Since May? And like I said, that shit started in a week later. She calls me, hey, I just want to talk to you. I talked to her, and then... So this was Tiffany's dope you stole? It was Tiffany's box? It was. Yeah, it had coke in it. She thought she was a little drug dealer, man. She had a little about half ounce of coke. It was all Tiffany's? Yeah. Yeah, it was like half ounce of coke, some hydro weed, and the cash. I gave, like I said...

You can check my record. I got no drug problem, no drug record, no nothing. I was never in the drug. Everybody keep asking me, man, y'all must been on crack or something, man. I ain't never been in the drug, man. But no, I gave it up, went and kept the money, and that was it. And then, like I said, a week later, man. You're hanging with her. I know, that shit's crazy, isn't it? I mean, it's ironic as hell, but... And then, like I said, man, when the whole thing started this, man, like I said, man, Tiffany knew these people, man. She knew they had money.

True, Tiffany was making poor choices even before Michael Jackson came along. But her infatuation with this stereotypical bad boy intensified matters. Things escalated fast. Whether she really wanted to take the money or was just trying to impress Michael, the result was the same. How do you get from that to let's go get their money? Because when somebody comes up to me and says, look...

There's over $100,000 at stake. You know what I'm saying? There's over $100,000. Supposedly they sold a townhouse for like $90,000-something and this, this, and this. And I'm just sitting there listening to this shit. And at first in my mind, it's like, yeah, yeah, whatever. But then again, at the same time, you ain't just going to steal somebody's credit card and jack them $90,000. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if I can pick it up a phone and say, hey, are you credit card company going to call and say, are you meaning to take this money off? You know what I'm saying? That's common sense. So it's like...

Nah, nah, nah, nah. I can do this perfect. You know what I'm saying? They know me. They trust me. This, this, and this. Hey, look, I'll do the credit card. Y'all get the card, I'm down with whatever. You know what I'm saying? I'll do the rest. I got my computer. I'll do the rest. Y'all get the card. Don't matter. I'll go to the ATM. I'll show my face. I mean, come on. That's bold. You know what I'm saying? That's fucking bold. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, y'all do whatever. I'll do the rest. I mean, man, that's another thing. A murder? I'm not going to show my face.

By the time Michael and Tiffany put the Sumner's money into their own hands, the couple was indeed dead. But Michael and Tiffany weren't the only ones who benefited.

Two other players were in the mix: Bruce Nixon and Alan Wade. Alan Wade was 18 years old and living with his mom, who was doing the best she could to keep him out of trouble. Here, she talks about a call she received from middle school when he was just a preteen. He never got over me leaving his dad. He never got over his dad leaving him.

A separate phone call resulted in even more dire consequences. I drove out there immediately and...

I talked to one of the counselors or a teacher or somebody, and the police were there. They were chasing him through the neighborhood because he had left the school grounds. And when they finally found him, they Baker Acted him. The Baker Act is a law that allows parents or authorities to place children in psychiatric facilities if they present harm to themselves or others. Coming from South Florida, I know all about the Baker Act.

I know he thinks I didn't love him. I tried. I mean, I love him. He doesn't understand that I depended on him to be the strong one, and that was wrong of me. I threatened to kick him out, never dreaming that he would go. I was thinking, OK, I threatened to kick him out. He's going to say, I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry. I'll behave. I'll behave. I did not want him to leave.

But he did. Alan's dad wasn't in the picture. And now his mom had cancer. Because she had to have chemotherapy and radiation. And my heart goes out to all of you who are listening right now and have cancer. Some of you are in the audience right now listening to this. Carol, I'm thinking about you. The other Carol. Shout out. Stay healthy. Anyway, yeah, cancer's a bitch. But because she had to go through all this shit, the chemotherapy, the radiation, the

Just endless hospital visits. Alan left and was taken in by a friend of his mother until she was able to be stronger and take care of him. He was only 15 at the time. Unfortunately, this woman who took care of Alan when he was 15, she wasn't financially capable of taking care of him. So she asked for compensation.

Alan's mom didn't want to pay for someone to take care of her son. According to her, she took him back because she didn't know what else to do. He was her baby. A year later, he met 23-year-old jobless Michael Jackson and started constantly hanging out with him, eventually moving into an apartment with Michael. Michael seemed to be an intelligent person.

kind of guy, friendly when I first met him, just talkative and just kind of on the showy side, you know, like he had a big personality. He was very confident. And I thought, well, you know, he's a little cocky, but, you know, he's a boy. It was in the parking lot. This is after I had learned about Michael's real personality. I, um,

I was driving through the parking lot coming home and I saw him sitting there on the back of a car. And I said, "Michael, do you know where Alan's at?" And he proceeded to tell me that that was none of my business. He was taking care of Alan and I just leave Alan alone. He's my concern now. And I said, "Is that a stolen car you're sitting on?" And he got right up in my face in the window and threatened me that you just stay out of my business and just go on if you don't want anything to happen to Alan.

Alan's mom knew immediately that Michael was bad news. Moms know these sort of things, instinctually. So she started apartment hunting for her and Alan and managed to find a two-bedroom place that she could barely afford. When they moved in, she begged Alan not to tell Michael where they were living. And I had told him, I said, I don't want Michael to know where I'm at because I was afraid of Michael because of...

He threatened me and I was afraid if I got in the middle of something he would harm Alan. And Michael came to my apartment and I just exploded on him. I just went off on this boy. And he sat there and looked me stone-faced in the eye the whole time I was yelling at him with this stupid smirk on his face. He had no regard for my feelings, for Alan's feelings, for anybody.

And he finally just, when I finally stopped, he got up and just said, I don't care what you think. And he walked away. There was one more character in this gang of robbers. It was 18-year-old Bruce Dixon. Bruce was a follower, an NPC, if you will. Someone with his own set of troubles and empty family life.

Bruce and Alan were longtime friends, and in fact, he would later state that he viewed Alan's mom as his own. But Bruce was about to be a young dad and was stressed over not being able to provide a life for his child until he was introduced to Michael Jackson and Tiffany. Michael and Tiffany were in Jacksonville partying together when the group met each other. Tiffany would be heading back to South Carolina, but the couple wanted one more night in Florida.

The four came up with a plan to rob the Sumners. And it would start with Tiffany and Michael spending a night or two with them. She still needed to sign papers for the car title, and this would be a way to introduce them to her boyfriend. And of course, get a first-hand view of the home, the one they intended to rob. On the evening of July 8th, Michael Jackson convinced Bruce, who just turned 18...

to canvas the Sumner neighborhood for four shovels, one for each of the robbers. They all took part in digging a four-by-six-foot hole in the woods nearby and then returned to the Sumner home to collect. Their accounts differed from one another in an effort to save their own lives, but the bare truth was that the Sumners were thrown into that hole. One by one, the teens and young adults were interviewed,

But not one confessed. I was awake with everything that was going on. What happened when you left the house? Yeah, you said you were in the car waiting and they called you to come around. That's when I followed him out to the spot where everyone was and

- Who was on the lap? - Alan and Bruce. - Alan and Bruce. - And Mike or David or Wai was in the car, you were driving and he was in the passenger seat. - So where's Reggie and Carol at that point? - They were in the trunk. - Both of them in the trunk? Do you know if they were alive at that time? - No, and it said when, no one else in that spot, I seen behind. - How'd you know behind?

Let's be very clear here. Carol and Reggie were alive in the trunk of that car. Their mouths were duct taped and they were embracing each other, crying, wondering how a girl they treated like their own daughter could have done this to them. I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself

in that situation. - What about when we left the house, who was driving? - Ellen. - Ellen and Bruce was in what part of the car? - Out in the... - At any time were you in that car? - Mm-mm. - In the Lincoln? - Mm-mm. - Mike was in the car at different points. - Not in the Lincoln. - Not in the Lincoln? - Mm-mm. - Well, when they got rid of the body, they ought to drive back out. So Mike would have been in the Lincoln. - Yeah. - It was down on the bridge.

back from where they were because they drove back out right but did they drive back walking out first and then they come out with the car because mike i guess had to leave them get away or whatever i don't exactly know how that happened but mike came walking out first and then they came out with the car at any point today talk about purpose ready or tell i'm trying to say nothing like that in front of me when did you first hear them talk about

- When you left Summer's house, said Mike was with you. - Yeah. - Alan's driving Bruce's best to see, and they're in the woods. Can you follow on them? - Mm-hmm.

You guys talking on the phone back and forth at that point? Well, Mike was. Mike was talking to them. I mean, I was just, you know, saying stuff, just kind of like, I don't know, in my old little world behind them, you know what I'm saying? What are you thinking at this point? When you get all this stuff and you've got thunders in the trunk of the car in front of you? I mean, I was kind of freaking out in my, you know what I'm saying, not trying to be...

Tiffany was a liar and she knew exactly how to manipulate others.

The scheme began with the exploitation of two elderly souls, kind friends, who had stood by her father's side during his darkest hours. Despite dealing with their own serious problems, they were happy to give a helping hand simply because they were happy and wanted to give back. Their altruism reached beyond their own relatives, extending directly to Tiffany's father,

and Tiffany herself. Yet, beneath the pretense of Tiffany's gratitude lurked a treacherous plot that she had masterfully orchestrated. She understood the horrible beginning and the inevitable conclusion. Next, Michael was brought to the station after waiting his turn in jail. Michael, the oldest, may or may not have been the sharpest of the four, but he sure thought he was.

He thought he was so smart, in fact, that he believed he'd be able to wiggle out of previous incriminating statements and somehow

bargain himself out of life in prison. Plain and simple, bluntly, what do I got to do? What do I got to say? I don't care what I got to write, say, do, point this, this, and this. My biggest thing, man, is I'm trying to push this thing a little bit faster. If I got to do this, this, and this, then I'm trying to go home. Probably, you know, start by telling the truth. You already said that. Show some sort of remorse about what happened. So there ain't no way to, like, get a lesser charge. You know what I'm saying? Like...

What do you want, like petty theft or something? No, no, no, because I already know y'all got all of us on the same indictment. That right there is pushing for conspiracy. You know what I'm saying? All of us. Tell me something about Alan, Bruce, or Tiffany that you think we don't know. I don't know what y'all don't know. Well, start at the beginning then. Murder, armed robbery, kidnapping. My biggest thing, how do y'all charge me? That sounds really good and all, except for, I think you told us something about, you tell us something about the graves. Graves? Or the whole...

Yeah. No problem with that. The hole. What about the hole? He told us they were pre-dug.

You told us that the hole was pre-dug. You told us it was to scare them, and then you told us you held the flashlight while they shoved the dirt onto it. No, I don't even remember saying I had a shit that night. You told the truth that night. You hoped that would be enough to get you out of there that night because you didn't have direct involvement in your mind in dealing with any of this, okay? No. But there ain't no damn way. You got dropped off somewhere else, and you were not even there. You were smoking with somebody else, okay?

While everybody else just disappeared, took care of all this stuff that you had no idea about. No, everybody disappeared. Tiffany was there. Tiffany was there with me and Jacob. It is physically impossible to dig that hole, for two people to dig that hole in that amount of time span. It's not going to happen. It can't happen. You'd have had to have had a backhoe. Yeah. Yeah.

Because we had to have a backhoe. To get him out. You can't even say that because, I mean, I don't know what the hole looked like. I didn't see Marines, man, digging six by six, man, in 20 minutes. I mean, just because mentally. You know what I'm saying? Are you, Tiffany, Allen, or Bruce Marines?

Michael was shameless, trying every angle he could think of to escape or minimize charges.

Next, he attempted the old quid pro quo. Remember that? Quid pro quo? We all learned what that meant at the same time, I think. I give you something, you give me something back. You know, politics. He began telling the detectives that he knew the whereabouts of another criminal they were after. And he would tell them his secret. Ooh. I know where to do that right now.

I don't know anything about that. No, I mean, if y'all can look it up, I mean, it'll come back accurate. He's been in the most water for a minute now. I mean, not only that, it's just, I'm trying to figure out something, man, where I can get a bond, something. I can tell you right now. I ain't trying to go nowhere. I mean... I'm going to be straight up with you, okay? Because we haven't, we've been pretty much straight up from the get-go. You ain't getting a bond, okay? It ain't going to happen. I'm not going to get a bond. Okay. Because this is a capital murder, okay? Okay.

And the capital murder offense has no bond in the state of Florida. You're not getting out. Okay? There's no opportunity whatsoever. I mean, you could tell me right now where Hoffa's buried, who helps, you know, whoever, shoot Kennedy. It's not going to matter. You're not going to get out. Okay? Finally, after hours of arguing his case, Michael gave the detectives some linear information, but he still blamed everyone but himself. So anyway...

It's already been laid out. Tiffany going to go in the house. She going to be like, look, I'm going to go in there. I'm going to get them all comfortable, relaxed. They going to feel normal. I'm in here. There ain't going to be no worries. Next thing you know, y'all going to come up. Bam, bam, bam, bam. Can I use the telephone? Come on, use the telephone. And then let me get that. You know what I'm saying? Next thing I know, I'm just, you know what I'm saying? While Tiffany's in the house?

What do you mean? No, this was the plan, though. This ain't what happened. This was the plan. Okay. I'm just sitting there like, damn, that's just not going to work. You know what I'm saying? And you're right. In my mind, I'm sitting there thinking, I'm about to get paid off for this shit. You know what I'm saying? These fools are going to be dumbasses, and I'm going to get some money out of the deal. You know what I'm saying? Sure. Might as well go for it. You know what I'm saying? I'd be a fool not to. I mean, I'm damn near clean. I'm not putting my hands on nothing. But then again, I'm sitting there thinking...

I still don't know why I just walked up to the ATM machine. Oh, yeah, I know. No, actually, I don't. Get it for the money. Nah, but still, at the same time, why am I going to walk up, face showing? You know what I'm saying? I still run that in my head. That's why I said, man, it was like some of this shit was retarded, man. Okay. So y'all got a plan. So, okay, yeah, okay. How did y'all act on the plan? No, I'm going to tell you that now. The night of the plan is supposed to unfold.

You just heard him say that the other three in the group dropped him off at the park and he wasn't anywhere near the house. He was claiming that he was basically just given the ATM card after the Sumner's were robbed and killed for some reason. Yeah, that really makes sense. Sure.

Does anybody buy this shit? Let me explain something to you, okay? By law in Florida, if, and this is really far-fetched if, because we've talked in pretty good detail about what happened and everything else in the past, okay?

And if nothing else happened other than what you told us, that you were there and you said Alan and Bruce did all this stuff, but you were there and you had knowledge of it, you can be charged with everything. You're just as guilty as they are. And what if I wasn't there? What if I just, you know, knew about it? That's the thing. What if I actually was not there? I just kind of knew about it when I was saying that I was there and I'm telling you this, this and that. So, you know what I'm saying? I'm hoping I can go home right there.

That sounds really good and all except for I think you told us something about tell us something about the graves. Graves? Or the hole. Yeah. What's the problem with that? The hole. What about the hole? You told us they were pre-dug.

You told us that the hole was pre-dug. You told us it was to scare them, and then you told us you held the flashlight while they shoved the dirt onto it. No, I don't even remember. I said I'm out of shit that night. You told the truth that night. You hoped that would be enough to get you out of there that night because you didn't have direct involvement in your mind in dealing with any of this, okay? But there ain't no damn way. You got dropped off somewhere else, and you were not even there. You were smoking with somebody else.

While everybody else just disappeared, took care of all this stuff that you had no idea about. No, everybody disappeared. Tiffany was there. Tiffany was there with me and Jacob. It is physically impossible to dig that hole, for two people to dig that hole in that amount of time span. It's not going to happen. During the interview with Michael, he had already said some things that placed him at the hole. For instance, saying that Carol and Reggie managed to get the duct tape off their mouths and hands while they were in the trunk

Like admitting that he heard them praying together and confessing their love to each other. And like coldly telling how Carol was moaning when they put her in the hole. She was moaning because she and Reggie were buried alive. They died by inhaling the dirt from their early grave. Support over 43,000 Chandler students with no increase to your tax rate with the CUSD bond.

The bond is accountable to voters, and a yes vote does not increase your tax rate, but does increase security and choice for these students. Vote yes for Chandler students. Paid for by Yes for Chandler students with 0% of contributions from out-of-state contributors. Not paid for by any candidate or candidates committee.

Four years. That's how long it took Democrats to ruin our economy and plunge our southern border into anarchy. Who helped them hurt us? Ruben Gallego. Washington could have cut taxes for Arizona families, but Ruben blocked the bill. And his fellow Democrats gave a bigger break to the millionaire class in California and New York. They played favorites and cost us billions. And Ruben wasn't done yet.

We'll be right back.

Carrie and the Republicans will secure the border, support our families, and never turn their backs on us. Carrie Lake for Senate. I'm Carrie Lake, candidate for U.S. Senate, and I approve this message. Paid for by Carrie Lake for Senate and the NRSC.

Looking to earn extra cash from home while making a difference in Arizona? Arizona Engagement Alliance is paying people $250 or more to talk to their friends and family about getting out the vote on November 5th. It's remote and flexible on your schedule. Sign up for a quick online training at azengage.org and you're ready to make money and a difference. Earn $250 or more just by chatting with people you already know.

This isn't just a gig. It's your chance to make sure voices in Arizona are heard. Sign up at azengage.org today. Paid for by Organizing Empowerment Project. After 38 years, the Sumners rekindled their high school romance. Carol had already suffered in an abusive marriage that ended in her husband shooting her in the face and then killing himself. And currently, Carol and Reggie both had significant health issues that they were struggling with. Yet,

They were living their dream, a life together in sunny Florida. When their good friend fell ill, they nursed him in his dying days and rewarded his daughter for her help with their altruism and ultimately their lives. On July 8th, 2005, Tiffany and three male acquaintances robbed the Sumners when two of them entered the home and bound them with tape.

while they pointed a realistic looking toy gun at them. Carol and Reggie both pleaded, saying they would give the intruders all the money they had. Michael and Tiffany waited in a car outside because Michael had given the order that he didn't want the Sumners to see his or Tiffany's face. According to Michael, he was going to inject them with a lethal dose of medicine and wait until they died to bury them. But that is not...

what happened. The couple was alive when the dirt was piled on top of them. Think for just a second of the horror of that. The sounds you would hear and then silence and darkness. By the time Michael's last interview occurred, it was too late for him. Tiffany and Alan weren't saying where the bodies were, but Bruce Nixon was.

Bruce was terrified. Just tell us where they're at, okay? Let's just tell us where they're at. If you want to stop after that, tell us. I can't. You're old enough to make that decision for yourself, Bruce. I know. I can't do that for you, man. I'm telling you, I'm not allowed to make that decision for you, okay? You want me to be straight up? That's straight up. I've got to be straight up with you, too. We need to know where those bodies are.

If you don't want to tell us anything else, tell us where those bodies are. I wouldn't tell y'all. I'm just... Bruce, look at me. I wouldn't want to tell y'all. Bruce, Bruce. I'm looking at this. When I walk in here, I saw this. It's killing you, man. I know it is, but... Hey, if you don't like...

We can't change what's happening.

I didn't kill him. That's what we need. We asked you to be honest about the accused. I'll prove the truth. You tell me lies, I can't prove lies. You promised me you'd be here by my side the whole time. I go through it. I will. You promised you'd write it on the paper and tell me. I'll tell you right now to your face. I'll walk you through this whole thing. This whole thing? Yes.

- I'm right here with you man. It breaks my heart to be in here that you're going through all this, but I'll be right here. If nobody would be right here with you, I'll be here. All right? Can you draw better or can you tell us? I know you're kind of upset. - Yeah, all right. Okay, hold on, just give me a second. - Okay, take your time. - I'll tell you, but this is what happened. - Okay.

All right. Alan told me that we were going to rob some people at home with some money and stuff. Did he know these people? They all knew. They were in the house and stuff. Okay. Go ahead. Then I needed money because I ain't got a family. I had nobody. I had nobody. I had nobody.

So I told him I'd help him and we went to the house. We were never planning on going up there. And we were going to go up to the house and I was going to go up to the house and we were just going to tell them for money and stuff and get their A-team cars.

What's that? Whatever his name is, Michael or something, I don't know his name.

And then...

Where we all at, Bruce?

I'll be there the whole time. Those moments in the interview were particularly emotional. Not just because young Bruce Nixon was terrified and heading for a death sentence or lifetime in prison, but because the detective had a son the same age as Bruce. When he saw the boy trembling and crying, he moved his chair a little closer, threw his arms around him, and held him for what seemed like a very, very long time.

During a 2007 week-long trial, Tiffany Cole received a guilty verdict for first-degree murder. The jury's vote, 9-3, recommended the death penalty after seeing incriminating evidence such as photographs capturing Tiffany and the two co-defendants reveling in a limousine, toasting with champagne and clutching wads of cash. The Sumner's cash.

Five months later, a judge issued dual death sentences for the murders, accompanied by a life sentence for the kidnappings. Alan Wade and Michael Jackson also received death sentences. But Bruce Nixon, because he cooperated with law enforcement, because he talked and he was guilty and he had something to offer, he got off with a little less, put it that way. Bruce had taken law enforcement to the locations where the bodies were buried and testified against the others.

He answered a guilty plea for second-degree murder, earning him a 45-year prison sentence instead of life. But fate would intervene 10 years later.

It was Tiffany Cole who was the familiar face that Carol and Reggie Sumner invited into their home in July of 2005. She and two other friends used that friendship to plan their crime, asking for a place to stay during a long trip. News 4 Jax brought updates to the community every step of the way.

A neighbor tells family that she remembers seeing a strange car come and go from the Sumner's house. And family says that they think that Carol and Reggie probably were just being nice, allowing the group to stay overnight so they didn't have to make the trip to and from Charleston all in one day.

The Sumner's bodies were found days later in a shallow grave in Charlton County, Georgia. They had been buried alive. Evidence technicians showing the shovels and crime scene photos at trial. The three were convicted in separate trials. Tiffany Cole always pleaded to have her life spared. At her sentencing hearing, Cole begged for a life sentence so she could help others.

Ultimately, that hearing ended in tears for Cole. She was sentenced to death in a 9-3 decision, something that's now unconstitutional after a Supreme Court ruling last year that found death penalty decisions need to be unanimous. Now, Cole will get a new sentencing hearing, and it's likely the two others who were convicted in the murders of the Sumners will also get new hearings because their death sentences were also not unanimous.

At the resentencing, Alan Wade was given life due to mitigating circumstances newly introduced. But Michael Jackson was again sentenced to death with a unanimous vote. At the end of the road, as we all eventually will turn back and look behind us, we'll be able to finally see how some of the winding and narrow detours changed

came back together on a straight wide highway to our destination. We can make sense of the map sometimes. Carol and Reggie experienced some treacherous turns, but they found each other through it all. They, in a way, were both the luckiest people on earth and the unluckiest. That's how life is. That's how fate works in unpredictable ways.

Yet the same fate that reunited these lovers for a second chance also brought with it tormented figures from their past with their own darkness and their own unresolved issues. Fate was about to step in yet again and claim the lives of the killers as well. But yet another turn at the last second occurred and their lives were spared. None of it really makes any sense.

Sometimes life doesn't make any sense. Carol and Reggie may have met a dead end, so to speak, but at least they were able to go out knowing they tried to do some good in the world. They tried. And life's ultimate surprise was allowing them one final embrace with each other in their last moments on Earth.

That does it for another one. Thank you so much for joining us. If you like the show, Sword and Scale television is available for you right now. There's seven episodes available and many more coming soon. We're going to start doing two a month pretty soon. So great time to sign up. Swordandscale.com. Stay safe. ♪♪♪

so

Four years. That's how long it took Democrats to ruin our economy and plunge our southern border into anarchy. Who helped them hurt us? Ruben Gallego. Washington could have cut taxes for Arizona families, but Ruben blocked the bill. And his fellow Democrats gave a bigger break to the millionaire class in California and New York. They played favorites and cost us billions. And Ruben wasn't done yet.

Democrats could have secured the border. Instead, they invited an invasion and used our tax dollars to pay for it. Ruben Gallego even backed the law to let them vote in our elections. Don't give Gallego and the Democrats another four years to hurt us. Give your support to a real Arizona leader, Carrie Lake.

Carrie and the Republicans will secure the border, support our families, and never turn their backs on us. Carrie Lake for Senate. I'm Carrie Lake, candidate for U.S. Senate, and I approve this message. Paid for by Carrie Lake for Senate and the NRSC.

Looking to earn extra cash from home while making a difference in Arizona? Arizona Engagement Alliance is paying people $250 or more to talk to their friends and family about getting out the vote on November 5th. It's remote and flexible on your schedule. Sign up for a quick online training at azengage.org and you're ready to make money and a difference. Earn $250 or more just by chatting with people you already know.

This isn't just a gig. It's your chance to make sure voices in Arizona are heard. Sign up at azengage.org today. Made for by Organizing Empowerment Project.