Chapter 1: What triggered the investigation into Tom Perez Sr.'s disappearance?
Tonight on Dateline. They had gone into the house. There was an obvious smell of bleach. We discovered a lot of blood evidence. Maybe there was some foul play involved here.
We believed that something violent happened in the house and that Mr. Perez was the one that did it to his father.
Were you convinced that your friend had killed his dad? Yes. An officer indicated we have overwhelming evidence.
How would blood get in those spots?
Chapter 2: What evidence was found that suggested foul play?
I don't know. You think he's lying to you? Correct. You told him his dad was dead? Correct. You told him you had the body? Yes, correct. Thomas, that's not going to help anything. It was a really difficult thing to watch. We see you ripping at your clothes, ripping at your hair.
Chapter 3: How did the police's perception of Tom Jr. change during the investigation?
They think I murdered my father. This can't be real. This can't be right. This was the moment that you thought maybe he was going to crack. We just looked at each other, shocked. Couldn't believe it. Still can't. A father missing, a son under suspicion, and an ending that will make your jaw drop. I'm Lester Holt, and this is Dateline. Tonight, The Ruse.
Chapter 4: What unusual behavior did Tom Jr. exhibit during police questioning?
Hello, this is CSOP with Fontana Police.
Yes. It began in August 2018, Fontana, California. Sometimes he takes a dog for a walk, but... The man on the phone, Tom Perez Jr., was describing how his father, Tom Perez Sr., went out for a walk and didn't come back.
What happened was he went to the mailbox last night, normal, no big deal. He went there with the dog and the dog came back and he wasn't around.
Tom Jr. and his dad lived together here on this quiet street. Both were in real estate, though Tom Sr. was retired.
Chapter 5: What shocking evidence led to the police suspecting Tom Jr. of murder?
Carl Peraza has known both men for more than 20 years. How would you describe the younger Tom?
He's unique. He's extremely intelligent, very self-disciplined. Papa Tom, he's very quiet. He's very opposite from his son. I've known him for a long time. We would go to their house and, you know, have a little party, watch sports.
And now Tom was asking police if anyone had reported seeing his dad. He told the officer he had wandered off before.
Chapter 6: How did Tom Jr.'s confession evolve during the interrogation?
You didn't hear any weird noises or anything like that? No, no type of yelling, no type of struggle.
After speaking with Tom, community service officer Joanna Pina paid him a visit. She took immediate note of his appearance. His pants are unbuckled.
And he's just kind of like, not concerned, just standing here like, oh, hey. Tom told Pina he'd been awake all night, packing to move. I noticed there was a bunch of boxes, a lot of, it was the house was in disarray. I'm like, what are you doing?
And then as you get deeper inside, does this thing become more curious to you?
Chapter 7: What was the bombshell revelation that changed the course of the investigation?
Yes. And you left his wallet and his phone here and his keys?
Yes.
Yeah, because he just went to the mailbox.
The mailbox wasn't far, just a two-minute walk around the corner.
Did you go check to see if he actually picked up the mail?
Yeah, go for it.
We went to the mail. And this is the mailbox right here. The mailbox up here.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of police using deception in interrogations?
The mail's here. The mail that from the day before was still there.
Why he didn't get the mail, I don't know. Was he volunteering information or were you having to drag it out of him?
I was asking him, and he wasn't very clear on his answers.
It was very vague.
Peanut isn't a detective, but her gut told her this case needed one. More officers and detectives arrived. Can I kind of tell you where we're at?
Obviously we want to find your dad. So what I would like to do is I'd like for you to go back to the station with me so I can use all my resources and all that good stuff.
Yeah.
Let's go. Tom left with police as Sergeant Brian McClain took charge of a now growing investigation.
I noticed almost immediately when I started to go upstairs, there was an obvious smell of bleach. What was really telling to me was the shower curtain was missing. We discovered a lot of blood evidence. Blood evidence that you could see with the naked eye and blood evidence that you could see using a mixture of spray that can show trace evidence of blood that had been cleaned up.
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