From: jcs
On August 2, 2017, at approximately 5:15 p.m., 21-year-old Savannah Gold left her parents’ home in Jacksonville, Florida, to drive to her 5:30 p.m. waitressing shift at the Bonefish Grill on San Jose Boulevard [00:00:01]. She never arrived for her shift [00:00:20].
Initial Suspicions and Missing Person Report
About an hour and 15 minutes after Savannah left her house, her father received a text message from her phone number [00:00:32]. Savannah’s older brother received a similar text 43 seconds later [00:00:49]. Her family immediately recognized that something was amiss because the texts, which claimed she was running away with an unidentified man without packing clothes, were riddled with errors and unlike her usual writing style [00:01:00]. When they tried calling her phone minutes later, it was switched off [00:01:21]. After confirming she hadn’t shown up for work, they called the police and filed a missing-persons report [00:01:24].
Discovery of Evidence
Less than two hours after Savannah was reported missing, her car was found unlocked and abandoned in the Bonefish Grill parking lot [00:01:34]. Only her phone was missing; her wallet, ID, and other valuables were untouched [00:01:40].
Investigators reviewed the parking lot surveillance tapes, uncovering what would become the primary piece of evidence for the case [00:01:47]. While most of the footage remains undisclosed, a detailed description has been released [00:01:52]:
- Savannah parked her car and exited it at 5:31 p.m. [00:02:00].
- She walked to another vehicle and spoke with its occupant for 14 minutes through the driver’s side window [00:02:05].
- At 5:45 p.m., she entered the backseat of that vehicle [00:02:10].
- Fourteen seconds later, the car began to shake as if a struggle was happening inside [00:02:14].
- The rear door swung open and was forcefully shut three times, suggesting someone was trying to exit but could not [00:02:19]. This lasted for 49 seconds [00:02:28].
- The vehicle then stopped moving [00:02:30].
- A male figure exited and walked to Savannah’s car, which was 20 feet away [00:02:33].
- The surveillance footage was grainy, preventing clear identification, but the person had short brown hair and was about 5’11” [00:02:37].
- The unidentified person reached into Savannah’s car, took what police believed was her phone, and slashed the front tire with a knife [00:02:47].
- He returned to his vehicle and drove away at 6:04 p.m. [00:02:55].
- Savannah was never seen exiting the car [00:02:58].
Investigation Process and Suspect Identification
This surveillance footage was critical, and investigators needed to identify the man quickly [00:03:03]. They decided to keep the footage undisclosed to prevent a suspect from altering their alibi to fit the evidence, thereby retaining a significant advantage during interrogation [00:03:11].
Over the next two days, investigators briefly interviewed all Bonefish Grill staff, asking three main questions: “When was the last time you saw Savannah?”, “Do you know where she is?”, and “Is there anything you know that could help with our investigation?” [00:03:30].
Within 48 hours, they had three potential suspects whose names were run through the motor insurance database [00:03:44]. The third suspect, Leroy Dougherty, 28, was registered to a 2012 silver Chevy Malibu, an identical match to the vehicle seen on surveillance [00:03:58]. Dougherty was a manager and head chef at the Bonefish Grill [00:04:07]. In his initial interview, he told investigators he hadn’t seen Savannah in three weeks [00:04:11]. However, his co-workers revealed he had been in an on-and-off relationship with Savannah for the past eight months, which was against company policy [00:04:21]. Dougherty became the prime suspect in the kidnapping investigation [00:04:45].
Criminal Investigation and Interrogation Techniques
At around 5:15 p.m. on August 5th, police arrested Leroy Dougherty during his shift, telling him it was for an outstanding traffic warrant [00:04:52]. He was taken to the JSO Police Department and left alone in a room for 90 minutes [00:05:01]. This deliberate wait is a detective’s strategy to induce anxiety, especially if the suspect is guilty [00:05:20]. When Detective Rae Reeves, the same investigator who had questioned him about Savannah the day prior, entered the room, Dougherty would have realized his situation was far more serious [00:06:00].
Initial Questions and Suspect Behavior
The detective began the interrogation with an open-ended question about Savannah [00:08:46]. It is commonly believed that innocent people give short, concise answers, while those with something to hide tend to give lengthy, detailed responses, seeking approval or trying to appease the interrogator [00:08:52]. Dougherty provided a detailed and lengthy account of his relationship with Savannah, including her alleged drug use and his decision to distance himself [00:09:52].
Amending the Alibi
The detective then pressed Dougherty on his previous statement that he hadn’t seen Savannah in weeks [00:13:11]. Realizing investigators had some evidence, Dougherty was forced to amend his alibi, admitting he last saw her on Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot [00:13:39]. He claimed they had an argument because she was spreading rumors about their sexual relationship, which could jeopardize his job [00:14:07].
Fabrication and False Sense of Security
Dougherty further fabricated his story, claiming Savannah got out of his car and walked towards the main entrance, then got into an older model green Ford pickup that drove past [00:16:46]. This narrative was a “second lie,” locking him into an alibi that would lack credibility if challenged by the unknown evidence [00:17:18]. The detective, knowing this was false, continued to inquire about it, pretending to believe Dougherty [00:17:56]. This strategy aimed to lower Dougherty’s guard, diminish his anxiety, and increase his belief that he was fooling the detectives, setting him up for a surprise confrontation [00:18:12].
Confrontation with Surveillance Evidence
After a period of false reassurance, the detectives abruptly confronted Dougherty with the truth [00:19:29]. They stated, “She was in your car, she never got out of your car” [00:26:21]. The female detective emphasized, “Video cameras don’t lie, Lee” [00:27:12]. They used the surveillance footage to pressure him, asking, “How do you think I know this information, Lee? I wasn’t there but a video camera caught it, tell me what happened” [00:27:18].
They continued to appeal to his morality and highlight the family’s need for answers [00:29:00]. Despite the direct confrontation with the evidence, Dougherty initially maintained his fabricated story [00:29:50].
The Breakthrough and Confession
The investigators persisted, focusing on where he went with Savannah after leaving the parking lot, stating that the video showed her not getting out of his car [00:30:29]. This pressure eventually led to a breakthrough when Dougherty admitted, “We went to my house” [00:31:42]. This was a crucial amendment to his story, giving investigators a new platform to build on [00:31:46].
The released footage of the interrogation cuts off at a pivotal moment, but it is known that Leroy Dougherty admitted to killing Savannah Gold [00:33:12]. He stated he killed her by breaking her neck, then took her body back to his house where he burned it in a self-made fire pit before dumping her remains in a lake at the end of a secluded road [00:33:26]. Savannah’s body had injuries to over 75% of her body, and the medical examiner concluded it was a violent homicide, unable to pinpoint the exact cause of death [00:33:38]. Footage released moments after his confession shows Dougherty experiencing overwhelming emotional distress [00:34:00].
Aftermath
Leroy Dougherty was remanded into custody at Duval County Jail and denied bond [00:39:00]. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he pled not guilty, claiming Savannah’s killing was an act of self-defense [00:39:04]. He claimed he feared for his life after she slapped him multiple times, and when he grabbed her neck, he accidentally broke it, resulting in her death [00:39:21]. This claim is contrasted with his physical stature (5’11”, 163 lbs) compared to Savannah’s (5’0”, 91 lbs) [00:39:14]. His trial was expected to commence in the summer of 2020 [00:39:37].