What occurred leading up to and after Scott Dell's death,
it's difficult to believe.
More horrific than Hollywood could ever recreate.
Our life is a gift
that's been given to us to enjoy, not to waste.
Like a neophyte angel floating in the air.
There was months of deliberation
and planning went into Scott's death.
Life doesn't last long.
It's very unusual how committed
the killer was to finishing the act.
I don't feel so good.
Let go. Let go my love.
You think about it, it's so evil.
It left its mark in ways that I won't forget.
- Sync and corrections by ByDem - - www.addic7ed.com -
In 1997, my wife and I had just moved
to Killaloe.
I believe the population sign said 700.
Great people. A wonderful place to live.
But I think every community has skeletons in its closet.
Ken, there's a woman here wants to speak with you.
Nancy Fillmore. You got a minute?
I was about to head home.
She says she wants you. "The new guy."
That was my first introduction to Nancy Fillmore.
All right. Send her in.
That first meeting,
Nancy Fillmore made an extraordinary allegation.
Not one that I'd heard before in my career.
How can I help you, Ms. Fillmore?
You're new here, right?
Yeah.
Good. Then she won't have turned you already.
What's this about?
I'd like to report baby fraud.
There's this woman in town.
Cherrylle Dell.
She says that she gave birth to a baby, but she's lying.
How do you know this?
She's my ex. I lived with her.
Cherrylle tried to kidnap a baby from
a hospital in Ottawa last year.
But she couldn't find the right one.
I'm sorry, I don't follow.
It needed to be a black child.
She was pretending that the father was Jamaican.
So there was no actual kidnapping?
No. But she filed a police report
saying that she gave birth to a baby girl named "Bijoula",
and that Bijoula was missing.
But Bijoula doesn't exist?
That's right. It's all just a scam
to collect the tax benefits.
Listen. I need your help.
She's dangerous and a liar.
She needs to be stopped.
A false child. It was a very unusual report.
It's the only time in my career that I've encountered
a report of that nature.
Uh, Bijoula Dell. Reported missing by her mother,
Cherrylle Dell.
"Sure-Elle".
Sure-Elle.
Cherrylle worked with Child Find Ontario
to put out a missing person's bulletin about Bijoula.
Is it possible Cherrylle lied about all this?
The abduction, the baby?
We only take on cases from parents who submit
proof of lawful custody. Cherrylle was no different.
She presented us with this letter. It means
that she's Bijoula's guardian. And it is signed by a judge.
But how does that prove the baby existed?
Is there a birth certificate?
No, a birth certificate takes about a month.
Her baby was only a day old when she went missing,
so the court had to act quickly, and so did we.
Poor little sweetheart.
Doesn't get any more real than that.
As an investigator, it's important not
to jump to conclusions, but looking at Baby Bijoula's photo,
Nancy's allegations were difficult to believe.
At the same time, we were receiving complaints
from Cherrylle Dell who wanted to file
harassment complaints against Nancy Fillmore.
Ever since I dumped her, she's been trying to make my life
a living hell. She kicks a dent in my truck.
She tries to burn down my house. Thank God I caught it in time!
Why do you think Ms. Fillmore is doing all these things?
We went out for a couple of years,
and I broke up with her and she just couldn't accept it.
Had she ever exhibited this kind of behavior before?
No! She was a godsend.
My ex-husband, Scott, was sick with cancer
and Nancy was our nanny.
She stayed on and helped with the kids after he died.
Why don't you... come in?
Yeah.
I certainly had the feeling that Cherrylle Dell
was a complex individual.
She struck me as someone that had ulterior motives
beyond just reporting harassment-related
occurrences against Nancy Filmore.
Oh. My poor Scott.
Handsome man.
Once. He'd shriveled to 130 pounds
when the cancer took him. It was so hard to see him go like that.
So you and Nancy started up after Scott passed?
A few months before actually. Scott and I had been separated
for a couple of years, but we stayed close.
Scott was the love of my life.
We had three beautiful kids together.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about him.
Oh, Megan! Hi, honey.
Why don't you come, get a snack,
go upstairs and do your homework? OK?
I'm just talking to a police detective.
Is this about Bijoula?
No, sweetie. It's about Nancy again.
She certainly seemed to be someone
that was less than forthright.
She left me feeling intuitively that she was not
giving me all of the facts.
I found these.
She used my grandfather's social insurance number
to get these credit cards.
I'm sure she found them in one of these old drawers.
Please.
Can you please make her stop.
We really just want to be left alone.
I'll see what I can do.
There was a lot of acrimony
between Cherrylle and Nancy at that time.
Neither woman had any use for the other.
Who was telling us the truth?
- Detective? - I met with Cherrylle.
You didn't tell her that I came to see you, did you?
No. But she wants to file charges against you for harassment.
She says you damaged her truck, set a fire,
credit card fraud.
And if any of it's real, I gotta lay charges.
But what about Bijoula?
Bijoula checks out. She's got a custody ruling on record.
What's going on here, Nancy? Is this about the breakup?
- No! Of course not! - If it is, we can get you some help.
Someone to talk to. Trying to get back at her
is only going to make things worse for you.
Cherrylle killed her husband.
And I can prove it.
Nancy Fillmore told us that Cherrylle Dell
had first falsely reported
the abduction of an infant that she referred to as Bajoula...
Cherrylle killed her husband.
I can prove it.
And then she told us that she killed
her ex-husband, Scott Dell.
It was difficult to believe,
but we had to get to the bottom of it.
Scott Dell didn't die of cancer.
It was suicide.
There's a note and everything.
Ethylene glycol poisoning.
Antifreeze. Hell of a way to go.
Why would Cherrylle lie?
I wasn't trying to lie to you, Detective. I just...
I find it hard to talk about Scott. OK?
About his suicide. It's really hard for me to accept.
When his cancer came back, he was depressed;
he was tired of the treatments, tired of the pain.
Megan. Tell the detective what your father used to say
that he'd do if his cancer ever came back.
Go on.
Drink antifreeze.
It's OK, honey.
It's OK.
Why are you asking about Scott?
My report was about Nancy.
Wait. Unless you think that Nancy had
something to do with Scott's death.
What makes you say that?
I told you how jealous she was.
Detective, this is my boyfriend, Chris Mikle.
You need to do something about her. She's a psycho.
Who was telling us the truth?
Fillmore, Cherrylle...
It was a very unusual conversation.
I didn't know what to think.
I needed to speak with the original investigator
in Scott's death.
Oh, I remember Dell.
Really gossipy case. Lots of conspiracy theories flying around.
She thought it was cancer and wanted him cremated.
The family thought he'd been poisoned, they wanted an autopsy.
They both got what they wanted. But in the end,
it was textbook suicide. Open and shut.
Do you mind walking me through it?
Once a cop, always a cop!
OK, uh... Scott Dell.
Here. Forty-seven years old.
Spent the night alone
in the cabin with a notepad and a bottle of white wine
laced with antifreeze. Here.
Look at the residue in that glass.
Oh yeah.
So he spends the night drinking antifreeze
and writing a suicide note.
Then he stumbles his way upstairs, collapses, and dies.
Any possibility of foul play?
No one drinks that kind of antifreeze
without noticing the colour or the taste.
It's a terrible way to go.
Total organ failure. The whole body collapses.
Who found the body?
Uh, here. Gay Doherty.
A friend. She was baby-sitting his kids.
When he didn't come to pick them up, she went over.
Here's the note we found.
When I looked at the suicide note,
there was some illogical part sentences in the...
in the note that could be interpreted
a number of different ways.
"The truth is simple but seldom ever seen.
"If truth is purity, can it ever exist in such an impure world?
If it can't, what does that mean?"
He was probably already feeling the effects
of the antifreeze.
The antifreeze was found in the house?
Actually no. We never found it.
Look, he was alone, it was Christmas time.
He'd been jobless for three years.
His wife had left him, he had throat cancer.
So he killed himself. I...
I don't even blame the guy.
The initial death investigation
did not uncover evidence of foul play. But I believed
it was obvious that we had to investigate it further.
Appreciate your help with this, Frank.
That's it? You're throwing me out?
Nobody knows this case like you do.
Goodbye Sir. Oh uh,
a word of advice.
Don't let it get out that you're looking into this.
People around here, they like to talk.
And that's the last thing you need in a place like Killaloe.
Go bowling, Frank.
Cherrylle had said that Scott was depressed
and took his own life, but several
of the comments that are in that note like
"I feel like holding you close to me."
And "I feel like making love to you."
I didn't interpret that to be a suicide note.
There was no dark disclosures about him
wanting to die. In fact, he's talking about the opposite.
I was certainly curious as to what the Dell family
was thinking on that one.
Why did you ask for the autopsy?
I wanted to learn the truth
about how my son died.
Cherrylle said it was cancer and he wanted to be cremated,
but I knew she was lying.
When I heard he was poisoned,
I was shocked they ruled it as a suicide.
He loved his kids too much for that.
You think he was murdered?
Cherrylle cheated on my son
with so many people.
I put nothing past her.
Cheated with who?
All kinds.
Nancy, for one.
Gay Doherty for another.
But why would she want
to kill him?
To get the farm and the kids.
But the courts gave Scott full custody.
And he owned the farm.
Yes. But
he put her name back on the deed for the farm.
And then Cherrylle got everything.
You could sense her loss.
But she's telling us that for Scott to be labelled
as someone that died as a result of cancer
or suicide? She knew that wasn't the truth.
She believed Scott was very committed to his family.
He was very committed to his children. But he was found
deceased in one of his children's bedrooms.
It makes no sense.
I was probably supposed to die,
but my life was spared.
I don't know why.
Our life is a gift...
that's been given to us to enjoy, not to waste.
Life doesn't last long.
Like a neophyte angel floating in the air.
The cause of death was changed
from cancer to poisoning four months after Scott's death.
Why the delay?
Initially, we didn't see the need for an autopsy.
Or even blood tests, for that matter.
The wife said he was battling aggressive throat cancer
and that's what killed him. It was Christmas;
we wanted to get out of there, so that was that.
But then the family insisted.
Over Cherrylle's strenuous objections.
She wanted the body cremated as soon as possible.
Called me dozens of times for me to release the body
to the funeral home. And good thing I didn't,
or we would have uh, never found out what killed him.
Did he really have cancer?
Not when he died. It was in full remission.
His oncologist said he still suffered the side-effects
of chemo and radiation, but he was on the path to recovery.
- What kind of side effects? - For chemo?
You name it. Fatigue, hair loss,
weakened immune system.
How about loss of taste?
It's certainly possible. With throat cancer,
it's often the first thing to go.
Scott had no taste buds. Not able to taste.
Our initial investigators would not have known that.
I went to interview Gay Doherty.
She had found Scott's body.
Who is it?
Detective Ken Leppert. OPP.
Can I see your badge?
Gay Doherty was involved in a long-term
intimate relationship with Cherrylle.
But also was close with Scott leading up to his death.
She was obviously a critical witness.
I know what you're thinking. How can Scott
be friends with the woman his wife is having an affair with?
Well, it was hard at first.
But he saw that we both wanted the same thing.
What's that?
For Cherrylle to be happy.
He loved her more than anything.
The night before his death, Cherrylle was on the phone
for hours. He told her his cancer had come back.
How do you know that?
Cherrylle told me. So when I found him,
I just figured he'd finally had enough.
It was awful. Him lying there crumpled in a ball.
Lifeless. I did everything I could to revive him,
but I knew it was too late.
I still have nightmares.
Do you think he killed himself?
She was confused;
she didn't know what she wanted to tell me.
And, as an investigator, it serves us well
to think dirty so you're always uh, somewhat speculative.
What are you worried about?
I'm terrified of Cherrylle.
She wants to kill me.
And I think she already tried.
I have no proof. But
I'm sure she burned my house down. She tried to get me, too.
I got out, but my house was destroyed.
That's when I left town.
And I've been gone ever since.
How do you know it was Cherrylle?
On my front step, there was a note
and it was signed by her girlfriend at the time.
Nancy Fillmore.
Gay was afraid of Nancy
and concerned for her safety.
I had a lot of questions to ask Nancy Fillmore.
You heard about Gay Doherty's fire last summer?
Sure. Gay's been gone ever since.
You think it was an accident?
No way. I think Cherrylle set it.
She had it in for Gay all summer.
Just like she does for me now.
It was clear that Nancy Fillmore was not
telling us the truth.
I didn't see a car out front.
I don't have one.
Then why do you have anti-freeze in your house?
First it was Scott died from cancer.
Did he really have cancer?
Not when he died. It was in full remission.
He didn't have cancer.
Then that it was Scott had committed suicide.
I was shocked they ruled it as a suicide.
But this was no suicide.
We had to reopen the suspicious death investigation.
Did you buy the wine that Scott Dell drank?
What about the anti-freeze?
Yeah.
But Cherrylle put it in the wine.
I tried to stop her. But...
she said she would blame me for everything.
Tell the police.
I should have tried harder, I know,
but I was afraid of Cherrylle and what she would do to me.
You could tell that the guilt was playing
with her conscience. She was very quick to tell us
that she was present when the lethal concoction was mixed.
She was present when it was turned over to Scott.
I believed her.
Why else would she put herself in such legal
jeopardy? There's nothing more serious in the criminal code
than first-degree murder and she just came in and admitted to it!
But at the same time, Nancy Fillmore said
she did not act alone.
So arrest wasn't an option in this case.
It was absolutely essential that we find something more concrete.
How am I supposed to know it was Cherrylle
that poisoned the wine?
She was researching it.
She even called a poison control center to look into it.
We needed to corroborate what Nancy was telling us.
So I spent several days searching poison control center
phone calls that were received in that period of time.
Poison Center, how can I help you?
Hi, I think my brother accidentally drank
some antifreeze. He weighs about 130 pounds.
He shriveled to 130 pounds when the cancer took him.
Should we be worried?
Get him to a hospital immediately.
I'm calling area hospitals right now
to tell them you're on the way.
How much antifreeze is lethal?
About one and a half ounces. Do you need an ambulance?
Nancy Fillmore was telling us the truth.
Cherrylle planned to kill Scott Dell.
It became clear to us that we needed
to move this investigation out of town.
It is a small community. We did not want Cherrylle
to know that she was under investigation.
So we relocated about twenty minutes from Killaloe.
Family Services just sent us copies of their files.
As went day by day, step by step,
everywhere we turned, we continued to corroborate
everything that Nancy told us.
And we gathered more evidence of Cherrylle's lying.
She was a chronic liar, Cherrylle.
Cherrylle's being sued for eight-thousand-dollars'
worth of fraudulent credit card purchases.
She also filed an insurance claim with $132,000
for stolen farm equipment after Scott died.
There's a lot here, but it still isn't proof that she killed him.
We need to connect the dots.
Let's bring in Nancy again.
- Who is the baby? - Who knows?
Cherrylle stole the picture off the wall
in her gynecologist's office.
And then she lied about it to everybody.
Even her own kids.
What about the insurance claims on the farm?
Was anything actually stolen?
Yeah, by Cherrylle. Some of it, at least.
The rest she just made up for the insurance.
I can show you, but not while Cherrylle and Chris are there.
I think they know I'm talking with the police.
What makes you say that?
She has her way of finding these things out.
Almost like a sixth sense.
Nancy was afraid of Cherrylle Dell
manipulating and directing Chris and others to cause her harm.
Nancy, I think it would be a good idea if you left the area
for a little while. I can arrange that.
No. Cherrylle has my furniture, my bicycle,
and she owes me money.
I think your life is worth a lot more than some furniture.
It's all I have.
You'll get it all back once Cherrylle is behind bars.
No. I'll get my things back and then I'll leave.
We were anxious for Nancy to be safe.
As long as she remained in Killaloe,
something could happen.
Hey, Nancy, I thought we were friends.
Wait! Why are you arresting him? He didn't do anything!
Get back inside!
Get back inside or I'll arrest you too!
Me? This is because of Nancy!
She's just trying to get back at me for breaking up with her.
Please! She's trying to ruin my life.
Chris Mikle was arrested
for criminal harassment.
We did not have sufficient evidence
to arrest Cherrylle Dell for any involvement in that case,
but she was certainly a threat to Nancy.
Nancy. Please, you've got to leave town.
We can set everything up for you.
No. I just got my court order.
I'm going to pick up my stuff tomorrow.
You're being foolish.
Cherrylle was very upset when we arrested Chris.
This could push her over the edge.
Good,
cause she doesn't scare me.
I need to prove to her that
she doesn't have any power over me.
I need to prove it to myself, too.
We were concerned for Nancy's wellbeing.
She had played an integral role in Scott's murder.
She had a lot to offer us.
We wanted to move her from Killaloe,
but she declined to do so.
Where are my end tables?
What end tables?
You know what I'm talking about,
the ones with the marble top.
Screw you.
Hey, that's my bike! Hey!
Nancy. Hey! It's not on the list.
You got what you came for. It's time to go.
Get the hell off my property.
I can't thank you enough for all your help.
You've been very kind to me. Even though I don't deserve it.
You're the prime witness in the case against Cherrylle.
I need you to lay low for a while. She's dangerous, Nancy.
We could not have made Nancy Fillmore leave
the community of Killaloe at that point.
We had no lawful authority to do so
and we had no lawful authority to arrest Cherrylle Dell
for any criminal offenses at that point either.
Leppert.
Ken, there's a fire.
At Nancy Fillmore's apartment. We don't know where she is.
I'll never forget receiving that phone call
and feeling remorse that we had not done more to protect Nancy.
I was consumed by responsibility and regret.
As strong as we want to be and sometimes
lull ourselves into believing that we are,
these traumatic incidents are very difficult
to compartmentalize.
Evacuate the building, let's go!
As investigators, it's paramount that we keep an open mind,
but in this circumstance, Cherrylle was a strong person
of interest immediately.
The post mortem examination for Nancy, that was difficult.
We're investigators, but we're always people first.
Cause of death is carbon monoxide poisoning
from smoke inhalation.
Did she have any other injuries?
Was she restrained in any way?
Hey, I just spoke with the Fire Marshal.
- They're ruling it accidental. - Accidental?
There were no signs of foul play.
The place wasn't locked down.
They're saying the fire was caused by lit candles
that had fallen over while she was passed out.
She did have high levels of alcohol in her blood.
That's probably why she couldn't get out in time.
I'm sorry, this is no accident.
The circumstances around Nancy's death
from the very earliest stages were too strong for us
to not consider suspicious.
But of course, we can't rule it a homicide
until we have evidence to support that.
Cherrylle Dell had significant motivation for Nancy to die,
but she was not in Killaloe on the night of the fire.
It made no sense.
Stop blaming yourself for what happened.
You gave her the option. It was her choice to stay.
At least we have her confession.
It won't be enough.
Everyone told us that Nancy died as a result
of an accidental fire. But as much as it's important
to keep an open mind and not have tunnel vision,
in this case, it was so important that we play the devil's advocate.
We received a call asking to speak to a detective.
Kim Mysell who was the manager of the community resource center
where Nancy used to work had some very interesting
things to say about the fire that killed Nancy.
One of our young volunteers has been bragging that he set
the fire at Nancy's.
What's his name?
Brent Crawford.
He does odd jobs at the center. He's sixteen.
Did he know Nancy?
Oh yes, and Cherrylle too.
Hey! That's my bike! Hey!
I heard he'd go down to Cherrylle's
and drink and smoke dope. God knows what else.
That woman is old enough to be his mother.
All his friends say that he snuck into Nancy's apartment,
found her asleep and knocked over candles to start the fire.
Do they know where he is?
Hitchhiking out west to find work.
Headed for Brighton, British Columbia.
So he's somewhere between here and B.C.
I wanna find this kid.
The various witness statements that suggested
that Brent Crawford may be involved in Nancy's death
were not enough for us to go and arrest him.
I wanted clear and convincing evidence
of what happened to Nancy Fillmore.
We needed something more concrete.
Where you heading?
About as far west as I can get.
You're in luck. That's exactly where I'm going.
The name's Bill.
Brent.
What, are you running away from your parents or something?
I've been living on my own for a couple of years now.
My parents don't give a shit.
Yeah, I hear you, brother.
My parents kicked me out when I was fifteen.
Forces you to grow up fast.
I had to do pretty much anything to survive.
Story of my life.
Mind if we pick something up to eat?
No problem with me.
I'm buying.
How about a job? Would you take one of those?
Depends what kind of job.
If you got any experience,
I know a couple guys who might need some help.
Not the kind of help you put in an ad though,
if you know what I mean.
I hit a couple of convenience stores
a few months back.
Anything else?
I mean, these guys are hard to impress.
They gotta know they'll be able to trust you.
I killed someone.
This lady.
Got away with it, too.
It was easy.
I uh, picked the lock and walked into her house,
saw her passed out on the floor.
Noticed all these candles she had lit on the table.
So I knocked them all over. Burned that bitch alive.
She have a name?
Nancy Fillmore.
You know, Brent, you had us stumped.
We were thinking only a mastermind could have pulled off
something like that arson without leaving a trace.
The only thing we want you to tell us is why.
Brent Crawford's confession to
a OPP undercover operator was recorded.
I killed someone.
She have a name?
Nancy Fillmore.
Cherrylle paid me...
$750.00.
Said she didn't want Nancy talking to police
about what happened to her husband.
Did you have anything to do with her husband's death?
No! No man, I didn't even know Cherrylle then.
I only did Nancy.
Brent Crawford was arrested
for the first-degree murder of Nancy Fillmore.
Brent was a troubled youth.
Cherrylle had manipulated him like everyone else.
We needed to drill down further.
You can take these.
This is harassment. You idiots aren't going to find anything.
Nancy probably killed my husband.
And I definitely had nothing to do
with that fire that killed her.
Withdrawal for $750.
You know Brent Crawford?
Funny. He knows you.
Ken?
Neophyte angel...
Did you write this?
This matches Scott's suicide note.
We had two notes that, when
you put them together, told us how
Cherrylle had asked Scott to take that bottle of wine
back to the farmhouse and to call her.
It was incredibly compelling.
Of course I'm gonna be thinking about you and me.
I'm listening to the music that we used to listen to.
Are you drinking that wine I gave you?
During that conversation,
he's scribbling down what she was saying,
raising his hopes that they would reconcile.
You know you were probably supposed to die
from that cancer, but you didn't. Do you know why?
I was probably supposed to die,
but my life was spared. I don't know why.
It's because we're supposed to be together again.
If you think about it, it's so evil what she's doing.
I think about you and me together. Lying on a beach.
I do too, my love.
You need to visualize it happening.
I'm writing it down. I hope you are too.
You used this the night he died.
While the two of you were on the phone for hours.
You had him write this stuff down, didn't you?
I just had a vision of you...
like a neophyte angel floating in the air.
I'll be that angel watching over you.
I don't feel so good.
Let go. Let go, my love.
There's nothing you're holding onto now that's going to help you.
It's so evil.
She's listening to him die on the other end of the phone.
You weren't worried about him. You were making sure the poison
was taking effect.
And while his body was shutting down,
you were giving him permission to die.
I can't talk anymore.
Good night, sweetheart.
You were married twenty years.
You had three kids. He loved you.
Scott Dell was a good man.
We arrested Cherrylle Dell
for the first-degree murder of Scott Dell.
She was a manipulator. She was a fraudster. She was a murderer.
Mom made me lie to you. She always made me lie.
Cherrylle's daughter was remarkably well-adjusted
considering the trauma that she had lived through.
She had the courage to come forward and tell the truth
at the murder trial for her father.
Cherrylle Dell was found guilty
of the first-degree murder of her husband, Scott Dell.
He died in his home in Killaloe after drinking wine
which Dell had laced with antifreeze.
His mother and sisters were in court for this morning's sentence.
But the police were devoted.
How do you feel about the judge's comments?
The way he analyzed the evidence?
Absolutely great. Because it made it so clear-cut
that she had done it, you know?
We were pleased with that, weren't we?
I remember sitting in court in Ottawa
when the verdict was read out.
And Maya reached over and squeezed my hand.
And started to cry.
I can see the tears coming down her face and she reached over
and grabbed my hand. And that's all she said.
She didn't say anything. That was it.
She didn't need to say anything.
Scott Dell was a person that loved his family
and loved his life.
We can't bring back Scott. We can't right the wrong.
All we can do is find the truth and I think we were able
to do that in this case.
I know we were able to do that in this case.
- Sync and corrections by ByDem - - www.addic7ed.com -