Who Were the Masked Men Seen Before Nick Cordova Was Killed?

Hi Crime Junkies, I'm your host Ashley. Flowers. >> And I'm Britt. And today's story begins. on a Wednesday evening [music] in May. 2020. It's just before 5:30 p.m. and Alicia. Cordova is doing her dishes in her. kitchen when her 5-year-old daughter. Capri comes running in from the hallway. saying something's wrong with dad. She. hands mom her iPod touch saying that her. and her brother were FaceTiming with. their dad, 40-year-old Nick Cordova, but. then all of a sudden they heard a bang. and their dad stopped responding. What.

Alicia saw and heard on that call has. haunted her every day for the six years. that she's been fighting to get her. husband justice. And despite a mounting. pile of circumstantial evidence that. she's collected pointing to who might be. responsible for his murder, no arrest or. charges have ever been made in this. case. Now it [music] feels like the only. way that this case will ever be solved. is if we turn up the pressure on Gilbert. [music] Police Department. So let's go, Crime Junkies.

This is the story of Nick Cordova. May 27th, 2020, 17 hours 30 minutes 36. seconds. It's at Gilbert Air and Air. >> 911, what's your emergency? This is. Scott Air. >> Yes, there's someone I'm on FaceTime. with my husband. My kids are FaceTiming. Someone came in and started like beating. him. I think they have an address here. Address.

He He's at Gilbert Air and Gilbert Air. and Gilbert Air. I don't I can't even. look at the address right now. I'm. freaking out. Is he at work? Yes, he's at work. His address is 511. West Guadalupe Road number 13. Okay, 511 West Guadalupe Road? Yes. Nick! Is he still there? I I can hear things moving around but I. don't hear see anyone. Daphne, can you. please get out of the room, please, babe. Nick! And you're calling Scottsdale? I'm calling from Scottsdale. We are.

FaceTiming, my kids are FaceTiming him, and then I just heard screaming. I. thought it was a joke, and uh someone. Somebody came in. Okay, this is your husband's work, and. is Gilbert there? >> Yes, my husband's work, Gilbert Air. It's It's just him and his manager that. work there, but someone came in, and I. think they're just like beating him. I'm pretty sure I saw a gun. I still have him on FaceTime, but I. can't see anything. Babe. >> Okay, are you hearing anything? I just hear moaning. I don't know if. it's him or the manager or someone.

>> got I've got help on the way, okay? >> Hurry, hurry, hurry. Hurry, hurry, hurry. >> Okay. The cops are coming, babe. How many people did you see in there? I didn't see anyone. I just saw like the. the phone like wrestling around, and. then I'm pretty sure I saw a black. glove or gun above. I didn't hear any shots or anything. though. I just I could hear him saying, "What like" yelling, screaming. Someone. was hitting him. Okay. My kids had the freaking phone, and they.

saw it. Okay. All right. Who's there? Who is that? I'm on the phone. I have. police on the phone. Who is that? It's a. Who's there? Pick up the phone. David who? Dave. Dave, pick up the phone. Got it. What is going on? Where's my husband? I. have the police on the phone. You don't know who that is? >> Nick?

Do you know who this gentleman is? He's He's not there? Someone came in. Is he okay? WHAT'S GOING ON? DAVE. Tell me what's. happening. Who is the guy you're talking. to? >> coworker's there, his partner. Oh my. gosh, is he okay? Dave. Is that his coworker? Dave, tell me what's going on. Is he. okay? Ma'am, who is Dave? No. Can you please answer my questions?

Dave is Dave's partner. Dave's partner. who just came into the building. I don't. know. Okay, I need you to tell me what is. happening. I've got officers on the way. >> know. He just said, "OH MY GOD." HE. GRABBED THE PHONE AND JUST SAID, "Oh my. god.". Dave. Is he okay? IS HE BREATHING? DAVE, ANSWER ME. DAVE, IS HE OKAY? Is he okay?

Dave, what's going on? At this point, Alicia can't take all of. this unraveling through a screen. So, keeping the FaceTime going, she tells. her kids to get their shoes on and. rushes them into the car to drive to. Nick's office herself. During the. 20-minute ride over as she is hauling. down the freeway, Alicia is calling her. mom and then Nick's mom who calls Nick's. sister [music] and Nick's nephew, everyone she can think of who needs to. know that something is wrong. When she.

finally gets to the offices of Gilbert. Air, the HVAC company that Nick owned. with his partner Dave Sweetman, she. parks her car behind some bushes, kind. of like away from the building because. >> [music]. >> at this point she is thinking that Nick. might be hurt and she doesn't want her. kids to see that if he comes out beat up. or bleeding or something. [music] So, she gives them her phone to play on, tells them to stay in the car, that. their dad is strong, he's going to be. fine, [music] and then she beelines it. for the building. And that's when she.

sees the crime scene tape and what looks. to her like a million police officers. everywhere. And her first thought is to look around. for ambulances. Like if Nick was. attacked, they should be taking him to. the hospital, but there isn't any. ambulance in [music] sight. And that's. when Alicia starts running. She runs. right through the yellow tape yelling, "Where is my husband? What happened?". And officers are trying to hold her. back, but no one is answering her. questions. She said she felt like she.

was standing there for 20 minutes just. repeating, "What the. happened?" And after what feels like a. lifetime, finally, an officer pulls her. aside and delivers one line that will. change the trajectory of her life. forever. "I'm sorry to tell you, your husband's. dead." And that's when Alicia just loses. it. She just falls to her knees crying. uncontrollably. and all while trying to make sure that. her kids can't see her do it. Now,

officers write in their reports that. [music] Alicia is inconsolable and in. disbelief of the situation, but even in. her state, she has the wherewithal to. ask one question. "Where is Dave?". Is Dave still alive? >> No, yeah, he is, but the way that they. encountered Dave, and honestly, the. whole scene is really bizarre. So, according to the police file, when a. Gilbert police officer arrived, the. first thing he saw as he walked up to.

the front door was someone like peeking. through the blinds of the office window. And as the officer got closer with his. weapon at the ready, he heard a man. saying through the window, like, "I'm. Dave. I'm Dave." So, the officer ordered. Dave to open the door and come out, but. instead, Dave barely opens it, hands the. officer a bloody gun by the barrel, and. said, quote, [music]. "I'm his partner. That's my gun. I'm. sorry. Oh my god." Now, the officer put.

the gun on the ground outside and then. tried to open the front door to walk in, but it [music] wouldn't budge. >> Is Dave blocking them from coming in? No, Dave's not blocking them. Nick. actually was. He He His body was lying. on the floor on his side with a pool of. blood around him, completely. unresponsive. And he had blood all over. his face, and it looked like there was a. bullet hole in his left cheek. Now, I. don't know what protocol is when you. need to get inside a crime scene and. something at the scene itself is.

preventing that. Personally, I don't. know, I might have tried to find another. entrance. >> Yeah. This officer though decided to just push. through the door until Nick's body moved. enough for him to squeeze through. And once he's in, he saw a clear sign. there of a struggle. So, just to give you a picture, when you. enter the front door of the office, you. walk into this little lobby space, and. it has like a reception desk. [music]. From there, if you go through the first. doorway on the left, you can get to the. office space where Nick and Dave's.

[music] desks were. Now, Nick's desk, when you walk through that entryway, it. was the first one beyond the doorway, and Dave's was about 12 ft away near the. far wall. Now, according to the police. report, Nick's desk had been pushed out. of place, which they can tell from like. the indents that were in the carpet. >> [music]. >> And there are just these things strewn. all over the floor, like Nick's monitor, there's money, business cards, this. black electrical box, a bag of what the. report looks like contraband. They find a human [music] tooth, a. potato with a hole gouged out of one.

side, and I've seen people online. actually take to assuming that maybe. that potato was like used as a silencer, but that is not stated anywhere in the. police report. But there are multiple. bullet holes around the room. So, there. is one above the light switch, there's. another in the lobby desk, and then the. window frame behind Nick's desk has one. as well. Now, I mentioned money, there. is some money by Dave's desk, too. Though his desk itself appears, quote, not to have been disrupted by the.

struggle. But the bottom right drawer is. open, and inside of it is an empty. handgun case and an empty magazine. So, I hate to repeat her question, but I'm. going to ask exactly what Alicia asked. Where is Dave? Well, while one officer. was getting his bearings, Dave was. {quote} acting hysterical and pacing. back and forth. So, I mean right then. and there another officer actually. detained him and put him in cuffs. And. it's in that moment that Dave spoke up. again. And he said {quote}.

"I'm his partner. Two guys came in here. Two guys came in here. They left. They. ran." {end quote} So, Dave's in cuffs. Is he being arrested? No, the officer. specifically informed Dave that he was. not under arrest. He was just being. detained for questioning. [music]. And right there at the scene, Dave is. Mirandized. And he gives kind of this. hasty interview. And he says basically. he was at his desk when two Hispanic men. wearing green shirts and [music] face. masks came into the building trying to. sell Nick Freon. Which [music] Do you.

know what Freon is? Yeah, it's used in. like older air conditioning units, right? I yes. I did not know what Freon. was. I had to look it up. But you're. totally right. So, it's something that. could be common like or at least could. be common to sell in an HVAC world, right? But what I found out was Gilbert. Air definitely didn't buy Freon like. that. But Dave said that for some reason it. looked like Nick knew these guys. >> Knew these guys in masks? Well, when I. say masks, I thought the same thing, but. these were COVID masks, not like ski. masks. So, like. >> happening like May 2020, right?

>> Exactly. So, I think you can kind of see. a face where you could recognize. someone. Anyway, Dave says that the men. said something to Nick and then there. was some kind of commotion and then they. turned to Dave and started pointing. their guns at him. So, Dave says he gave. them his wallet and gave them the money. in his pocket, {quote} everything he. had, and then the men hit him in the. back of the head with what Dave thought. was one of their guns, and then they. fled the scene. Wait, so when was Nick. shot then? Well, Dave says he doesn't know. Says.

that he never even heard a gunshot. >> Did they. >> knock him unconscious? He He doesn't. know. He's just like He's just basically. saying he doesn't remember much after he. got hit in the head. Now, aside from. Dave, there was no one else in the. office at the time of the shooting. The office manager who worked there, Lynn, she gets to the scene once she gets word. about everything that's going on. And. she tells police that when she left work. that day at around 5:00, only Nick and. Dave were inside. But, she knows what. Alicia and Dave all know.

That there are several surveillance. cameras inside the building, which Dave. says should have recorded everything. So, while Gilbert PD sends an analyst to. the scene to review that footage, an. officer escorts Dave to a patrol car so. they can do a more formal interview with. him down at the station. But, right. about then comes the first sign that. something might be off. Because remember. how Dave said that he gave the intruders. his wallet and his money and his pockets. and. >> Yeah, he said that he gave them.

everything he had, right? >> Exactly. Well, imagine this officer's surprise. when he's patting Dave down and finds. more than a thousand dollars cash in his. front left pocket. Some cases fade from headlines. Some. never made it there to begin with. >> [music]. >> I'm Ashley Flowers and on my podcast, The Deck, I tell you the stories of cold. cases featured on playing cards.

distributed in prisons [music] designed. to spark new leads and bring long. overdue justice. Because these stories. deserve to be heard, and the loved ones. of these victims still deserve answers. Are you ready to be dealt in? Listen. [music] to The Deck now, wherever you. get your podcasts. When Dave is confronted with the fact. that his story is already crumbling, he. clarifies to the officer, "No, they. didn't take all my money. I only gave. the suspects the money in my front right.

pocket.". >> But that's not what everything I have. means. >> not. And how much cash is this guy. keeping in like. all the pockets of his pants? I think. that would have been a great follow-up. question to ask, but I don't see that. being asked in the records that I have. So, Dave gets driven down to the station. and just after 7:00 p.m., that's when. he's interviewed. And his story now is. this. It was a robbery gone wrong. Dave. says that he was getting ready to leave.

work when the crime [music] took place. So, he says he sees Nick on the phone as. he's walking towards the exit, waves, gives him a fist bump as bros are known. to do. >> Naturally. But then when Dave got to the. front door, he realized that he had like. forgotten a bill on his desk or. something. So, he turned around and then. just as he started looking for this. thing on his desk, he heard the front. door chime. And then he looked up and. saw the two men. One of them, he says, approached Nick with what looked like a. box of Freon and then the yelling and. fighting started. [music].

David looked up from his desk, saw one. of the men coming toward him with a gun. pointed at him, and then Dave says that. the man told him to get on the ground. and give him his money, which Dave did. Kind of. He kind of. And then the man. hits Dave on the head, which he says. might have knocked him unconscious. because then he really doesn't remember. anything after that. And listen, officers do find that Dave has a cut on. his right hand and and on the right side. of his head. So, then Dave had to have. been unconscious when Nick was shot.

Well, except his story keeps going. And now he. says that he heard Nick in a struggle. and then he also heard a loud bang, but. that he didn't see anything because all. of his focus was on the guy that was. robbing [music] him. And he says he really came to again when. he heard Alicia yelling for Nick through. the FaceTime call. He could see and hear Alicia, but he. wasn't sure if she could see or hear. him. So, holding the phone, Dave walked. out to the lobby where he found Nick.

shot and bleeding. He says he put the. phone down to check Nick for signs of. life, but got nothing. And that's when. he says he went back to his desk [music]. to get his handgun and check for. suspects in the rest of the building. And when he got back to the lobby, that's when first responders arrived and. he handed them his now bloody gun. through the crack of the door. Now, Dave. says he didn't notice anything. distinguishable about the suspects who. robbed him, other than the fact that. one's gun was {quote} big and black and.

it made him follow the suspects orders. And what's Dave's gun look like? It's a. 9 mm SIG SAUER that he says he got a. month ago as a result [music] of this. child custody issue he was having with. the woman who. I guess he had previously had an affair. with this woman. They had a child. We. tried reaching out to her. She declined. to speak with us because the custody. battle that he {quote} got this gun for. was actually still ongoing. >> Like now, like 6 years later? Yes, still. in in the custody battle 6 years later.

Now, Dave says that he always kept his. gun in that desk drawer and he has never. fired it, not even today. But that day. in the office, he had chambered a round. while he was checking the place for. suspects. Okay. So, you mentioned it before, I have to bring. it up. Just give it to me. What's on the surveillance videos? Because like. they should be able to tell us if his. story is like lines up with that, right? >> One would think because there are.

surveillance cameras basically all over. this building. The lobby's got one, the. warehouse, even the outside. The one. place that doesn't have a camera is the. office space where according to Dave the. struggle took place. Why? I don't know. We asked Alicia, Nick's wife, and she said she had no. idea. But even she thought it was kind. of odd that's the one place that didn't. [music] have a camera. But listen, the. cameras that do exist might be able to. confirm some things. Officers at the. crime scene start reviewing the tapes.

like within hours of being called to the. scene. And they mostly do corroborate. Dave's story. Two suspects entered the. building. One was holding a box of. Freon, but they're actually on this. footage able to see that the box was. empty. [music] It had some kind of panel. cut out of it and they were using it to. conceal the gun when they first came in. And they see that there is some kind of. commotion and yelling that can be heard. off camera, presumably in the office. And then Nick is seen running out of the.

office into the lobby toward the front. door, and that's where he ends up. getting shot. Can you see the shooter? You can. Because he shoots Nick in the. lobby right in view of the cameras. Officers also note that right after the. shooting, they can hear Dave saying, "Help me." off camera. Now the outdoor. camera then shows these two suspects. like leaving, driving away from the. scene right at 5:31 p.m. And they are in. a red and silver Ford F-150. It has no.

front license plate, of course. And I. asked like what year it was. It looks. like it was like pre-2003. So a little bit older for the time. And. there is faded paint [music] on the roof. of it. I just don't know the exact year, but this is like an older. older model. So, based on these videos, Dave was telling. the truth. Yeah, at this point. investigators write in the file that. after seeing the surveillance footage, they no longer suspect Dave in the. homicide. [music] However, quote, "His.

involvement remains unclear.". End quote. >> Meaning. what? They did not elaborate. I mean, I'm assuming they don't believe that he. shot the gun, but maybe they are not. eliminating the possibility that he was. involved in some other [music] way. Which like. makes sense, right? Like why else would. you lie about the money in your pocket? Like there's just like that's weird, right? Yes. I have left something out. So, there is. another red flag, too. When Alicia was.

first told that her husband was dead, she didn't just ask, "Where's Dave?". Her full sentence to police was, "Where's Dave? He probably had something. to do with this.". When she was able to be interviewed that. day on the scene, she elaborated on why. that was her first thought. And when our. reporter Nicole Kagan spoke to Alicia. this year, she gave us the full. backstory. So, everything I'm about to.

say comes directly from her and from. police documents. She said that a few. years before all of this, back [music]. in 2017, Nick's passion was personal. training, but he had been doing HVAC. work for a while and decided around that. time that he wanted to be his own boss, like run his own company. So, it felt like perfect timing when. that year this guy named Frank, [music]. who Nick used to go riding like in the. dunes with, told him that he owned half. of this successful company called. Gilbert Air, but he was burnt out and he.

was looking to sell his share for. actually super cheap. Hm, super. successful, but super cheap. Feels like a red flag to me. And well, there was a red flag that Frank was. pretty upfront about. He told Nick that. he had a co-owner who was basically like. the money guy while he ran the business, but this co-owner, Dave Sweetman, was a. quote shady POS, and so that's why Frank. wanted to get out. Shady how? He didn't.

really specify, but if you look up. Dave's records, you'll see charges for. assault, disorderly conduct, a bunch of. driving infractions, fraud, and. trespassing among other things. Now, Alicia and Nick didn't know these. specifics, but regardless, Nick was the. kind of guy who. loved rising to a challenge. It's. something that was like instilled in him. from childhood, being raised by a single. mom who had him when she was just 16. Nick's grandma and grandpa actually. helped raise him, and when his mom later. had two other children with men who were.

not the most present, Nick sort of took. on the father figure role to raise them. So, Nick chose to see this as a golden. opportunity. He got another one of his. friends to buy in, too, so they would. each own 25% of the company, while Dave. Sweetman would keep the remaining 50. But less than a week before the deal was. going to be signed, Nick's friend. dropped out. Said that he just got this. weird feeling. >> A weird feeling about Dave? No, not what.

he said. Just a weird feeling that he. was worried about the business not. succeeding, and he didn't think that he. could make a big leap like that. It's a. It's a big deal. >> Mhm. But this wasn't for Nick, and he. wasn't going to let this be a deal. breaker. Remember, the guy liked a. challenge. So, he just decided to do it. on his own. Alicia, though, she was more. wary. >> [music]. >> of Dave. But Nick managed to convince. her that everything was going to be. okay, great, even. He was over the moon. to have something that was his, and.

seeing how excited he was, how could. Alicia not support him? So, the deal was. done, and Nick took an ownership stake. in 2018. And at first, everything did seem good. Alicia said that Nick very much kept his. like business and personal lives. separate. For 2018 and 2019, she barely. even met Dave, only ever was around him. like three times. Things seemed to be. going smoothly. But then, about 6 months. before Nick would be killed, things.

started unraveling. Out of nowhere, Nick. came home one night and told Alicia, "I. know it sounds crazy, >> [music]. >> but I'm telling you, I feel like. someone's been watching me." Which at. the time, Alicia said that she just kind. of brushed off because like it it just. sounded so absurd. And she just tried to. comfort Nick, reassure him that like. everything was fine. But then Alicia. tells police that 3 months after that, in March of 2020, Nick told her that. Dave took $30,000 out of their company.

account, which he had never done before. And when Nick asked him about it, Dave. said that he had this debt that he had. to pay, but he would replace it before. payroll was due. And that's when Nick. told Alicia, like, "I think I need to. get out of this business with [music]. this guy. I don't know what I got myself. into." And he told her that he thought. Dave was doing something possibly. illegal with the other companies that he. owned. And like he's like, "I don't know. what's happening, but like I don't want. any part of whatever it is.". >> [music]. >> Now, Alicia said Nick's stress level.

went through the roof at this point, but. it only got worse come April. When Dave. not only doesn't pay back the money that. he already took, but he takes out. another $15,000 from the company. Then. in May, Nick told Alicia again, "I just. can't shake [music] this feeling that. somebody is watching me." And then what. he said next came out as a joke, but. there's nothing funny about it now. She. told police that he was worried Dave. would quote, "Hire a hit man to take him.

out so Dave could collect the insurance. money." End quote. What insurance money? Alicia had the same question when Nick. said that. [music] Like, "What do you. mean insurance money?". >> Yeah. And that is when Nick first told. her that at some point Dave told him. that to protect the business, like for. each of them, Dave and Nick should take. out life insurance policies against each. other. >> And is that something that Dave had when. the previous owner, that Frank guy, was.

there? No, but not for a lack of trying. According to the police file, Dave. repeatedly tried to get this Frank guy. to do the same [music] thing, but Frank. refused, telling Dave that he wanted to. be worth more alive than dead. Good. advice. >> Especially when you have a shifty. business partner. Now, hearing about. this policy. at the time, I mean, it really shook. Alicia because she said Nick was not a. warrior. He never seemed to get stressed. about anything. But after he told her. that he was just like tossing and.

turning in bed the whole night. So, by. the time Memorial Day weekend came. around, Nick was in dire need of a. reset. So, the Cordova family decided that they. were going to take a camping trip. together. According to Alicia, when they. got back on Monday night, she and the. kids begged Nick to just take the next. day off so they could just like keep. this family time going. I imagine that. it probably felt like this great. reprieve, right? And he did, which made. Wednesday Nick's first day back [music].

in the office after that long weekend. And that is the day that he would be. killed. So, what did the office manager have to say. about Dave? I mean, she's there on the. scene by the time they're hearing this. from Alicia, right? >> They talked to her on the scene when she. arrives, too, and Lynn is her name, and. she told police that her and Dave didn't. get along, but she did say something. strange. She said that like recently he. had been acting strange. Like he started. coming into the office more frequently. and being more like friendly to her, though he would mostly just ask about.

money. Lynn said that he seemed, quote. unquote, obsessed with money, and she. would hear him yelling at Nick about it. And here's the really interesting thing. that she added when she was talking to. police. So, the day before the shooting, that would have been Tuesday, May 26th. This is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. weekend. Now, Nick was supposed to be in. the office that day, but as we know, he. makes this last-minute decision to stay. home with his family. But apparently, that whole day, Dave.

kept asking Lynn over and over, like, "Where's Nick? When's Nick going to get. in? When's he getting back?" And she. just said that Dave kept like pacing. back and forth and leaving the office. for like short periods of time. And she. tells police that when Dave came in to. work the day of the shooting, he was. quieter than usual, and he wasn't joking. around like he usually did. And at one. point in the day, he and Nick closed the. door to their office, and it sounded. like they were having an argument. But. Lynn was listening to the radio, so she.

couldn't hear exactly what it was that. they were saying. Now, I have to. mention, officers weren't just asking. Lynn about Dave. They also asked her. about Alicia and Nick's relationship. And Lynn says that she wished her and. her husband had a relationship like. theirs. She said that Nick was giving. and kind, and she didn't know a single. person who didn't [music] like him. And this is a common theme, by the way. Another employee says that everybody. loved Nick, and he never saw him get. angry or even like raise his voice once.

at [music] work. And by the way, if it. wasn't already clear what kind of guy. Nick was, Alicia said that she and at. least 50 other people stayed at the. crime scene that whole first night. refusing to leave until Nick was brought. out. They waited in the parking lot. until the sun came up. And that whole. time, Alicia was still asking officers. where Dave was and telling them that she. believed he was responsible for Nick's. death. But once they reviewed the. surveillance footage, they told her that.

he wasn't the one who killed Nick, that. he was released, and that there was. nothing they could do. What do you mean there's nothing you can. do? I mean, no one's proven to me that. he wasn't involved. Just because there. are two other guys can't mean. he's cleared. I mean, they're only hours. in at this point. Plus, Alicia literally. told them Nick was worried about Dave. hiring a hit man. These are the exact. reasons that Alicia is frustrated. She. doesn't understand why nothing more can. be done and why no one seems to be.

giving her like an adequate explanation. So, over the course of like 12 hours or. so, she pleads with them, throwing out. everything she knows about the insurance. stuff and suggesting a hit for hire. until around 6:00 a.m. when Nick is. finally wheeled out of the office in a. body bag. Officers give Alicia his keys and his. wallet, which by the way, his wallet. still has money in it, but they tell her. that they have to take his wedding ring.

to test for DNA. Why just his wedding. ring? >> I was just going to say, we asked. Alicia, she doesn't know why. I'm. assuming that they collected maybe. things that they thought would be the. most likely to have like a salient DNA. on it and maybe it was clear like the. wallet wasn't touched or something. I. don't really know. Which would make the. robbery theory even harder to buy. >> 100%. So, Nick is taken [music] away and. regardless of what the police were. telling Alicia about Dave and the. surveillance video,

I mean, at that point she's terrified. So, she immediately goes to the. Scottsdale police station to file a. restraining order against Dave. But, since Dave hadn't actually been. charged with any wrongdoing at that. point, she's told that like she doesn't. really have any grounds for that. However, hearing the circumstances of. her husband's death and you know, hearing why she's scared, detectives do. tell her that actually keeping a line. open with Dave might be helpful. Maybe. Dave will communicate with her, say. something to her that changes things or.

conflicts with his original story. And. listen, this guy's instincts, whoever. told her this, like they weren't far off. because three days later, Dave does. reach out to her. Not to talk about the. case, but to ask if he can help with. funeral arrangements. But Alicia is in. no place to try and like use this and. play detective right now. Like she can't. even stomach the guy. Especially not. offering to help with the funeral of her. husband who she is like suspicious he. may have had killed. So, Alicia. declines. And in fact, she tells Dave,

"It honestly be best if you don't attend. the funeral at all." At this point, Alicia and her children are staying. [music] with her cousin. And then after. that, with Nick's cousins. Then after. that, Nick's cousins and friends like. take turns sleeping on her couch with a. gun at the ready. Because Alicia is. still terrified of someone coming after. her and her children. She doesn't know. when she'll ever feel safe again, but. she definitely doesn't right in the. aftermath when whoever was behind Nick's. murder is just out there. So, what are.

Gilbert police doing to find those men. on the video footage? Well, starting on. the morning that Nick's body was removed. from the building, they did begin like. canvassing the neighborhood. But it. seems like the only real lead that they. get is like figuring out that it was. that red and silver truck. So, they. spend over a week searching not only for. the truck itself, which was again like I. said this older two-toned red and silver. extended cab Ford F-150, but they are also going to all of the.

surrounding businesses looking for. witnesses or additional surveillance. cameras that may have captured the. people or the truck. And they actually. did end up hitting Payless at the AM PM. about 2 minutes down the road from the. office. Not only does the convenience. store have surveillance footage of the. truck in question, they also have. surveillance footage of one of the men. who was inside of it.

On June 12th, just over 2 weeks after. [music] the shooting, Gilbert PD. releases the footage from the AM PM to. the public to see if anyone can identify. the mystery man who they say was in the. passenger seat of this vehicle that. they're looking for in connection to. this case. >> Wait, when is the footage from? So, the. footage that they get is from the day of. the shooting. Actually, just literal. minutes after the shooting based on the. timestamps. And listen, I got to say this is close.

to if not the clearest image of a. suspect's face I have ever seen from. surveillance footage in a case. Like. anyone who knows this guy would be able. to recognize him instantaneously, which. makes it so wild to me that they're not. putting it out to the public until June. 12th. But, in the footage, here is what we. see. So, this truck in question pulls up. to a pump at the gas station literally 2. minutes after the shooting.

Then, there is a guy who police describe. as about 5 ft 8 with a heavy set build, wearing a dark colored t-shirt, blue. jeans, and dark colored boots that gets. out of the truck and walks through the. gas station parking lot up to the door. of the AM/PM, and then enters the store. at 5:33 p.m. He goes to the counter. where we get this direct shot of his. face from a camera that must be like. over the counter somewhere. Now, he. talks briefly with the clerk, and then. he goes out, fills his tank before the.

truck pulls out at 5:36, and all we know is that it drives. northbound. >> I mean, do we know what he said to the. clerk? Nothing important. Um the they. talked to the clerk and they said that. this guy was like a. non-conversationalist, just like you. know, 10 bucks on pump seven kind of. guy. And he, of course, paid cash, and. they're like, "Listen, I probably at. this point couldn't even pick the guy. out of a lineup." So, is this a third guy, or did the shooters. change clothes cuz they weren't wearing. those like bright green shirts in the. video from the business?

>> No, you're right. They they don't think, at least from I can tell, they don't. think this is a third man. They think. whoever this is took off the mask and. either removed the bright green shirt or. like switched outfits or whatever. But. this is the guy that they're looking. for, or one of them. Now, Alicia, Lynn, and other employees. at Gilbert Air all are shown this gas. station footage, but no one recognizes. this guy. Not even Dave? He tells Alicia. that he didn't know him either. If tips. come in from the public about who this.

man is, Alicia is never told about it. And I can't tell you about it because. that info about the surveillance. footage, that is the last piece of. information that comes validated from. the police file. Everything else in the. file [music]. is redacted. Like we're talking over 200. pages of just blacked out everything. I mean, do they give Alicia any updates? Well, early on in the investigation, Alicia said that there was one Gilbert. like PD detective who she met with every. couple of weeks who seemed really.

invested in the case. He gave her a full. case update around the one year mark. through this like PowerPoint. presentation, and she felt hopeful. Like. maybe the wait would be worth it, and. all of the months of waiting and fear. were going to like lead to something. because this guy promises her that. arrests are going to be made. But then, in a story that has become all too. familiar, two weeks after that meeting, she basically gets a call notifying her.

that that guy's off the case. The new detective says that the original. guy got moved down to patrol, and when. she asks if like that happened. willingly, the new detective was. basically like, "Yeah, you know, like. sometimes being a detective can just. take a toll on people, and it's not. uncommon for people to have to take a. break.". But Alicia has always suspected that the. demotion was because maybe that first. guy, that that one detective who showed. her the PowerPoint, maybe that guy told. her too much. Or worse, maybe he screwed.

something up with Nick's case. Now, we. did reach out to Gilbert PD for comment, and they said that they are still. actively investigating, but cannot. disclose [music] further information at. this time. So, wait, did did they look into Dave. Moore and like all all the insurance. stuff? Like, did he get a payout when. Nick died? So, as far as I can tell from the file, police did a follow-up interview with. Dave Sweetman and even his girlfriend, Susan, and that was in August of 2020. I.

have no idea what came of that. As for the insurance stuff, that would go on for years. It started. though, just 5 days after the shooting. That is when Dave texted Alicia this. string of messages about signing some. documents for the claim. And Alicia, who lost her husband 5 days. ago. >> in in front of Dave. Yeah, who is. worried that he was killed for insurance. money, was like, "No." Maybe like, not.

now. >> "How about you let me bury my husband. first and then I'll figure all of this. out.". But Dave comes back to her and he's. like, "Okay, but like, just so you know, you should be getting around like. $500,000.". Now, Alicia, she didn't know anything. about these policies, but in her mind, she's thinking like, "Okay, like the. policy pays out to the business. Nick. owned half of the business, so it must. have been a million-dollar policy, right? Split 50/50. Makes sense." But,

just to confirm, she decided to go. checking through Nick's emails. >> [music]. >> And that's when she found out that there. was another policy. And both policies. together would pay out not $1 million, but $8 million. >> What? So, Alicia refuses to sign the. documents, which according to her does. not sit well with Dave. He goes off on. her about how she's like making this so. difficult and that it's really Nick's.

fault for not having mapped everything. out for her. And that's when Alicia had. had enough. She gets a lawyer of her own. and decides to push back. Now they find an agreement that Nick. signed when he bought into the business, which stated that in the event of a. death everything would be split 50/50. [music]. So like 6 months after the shooting, Alicia's lawyer is like, "Okay, listen. Now that we have this, you can sign the. documents and then we can file this. claim. Done and done, right?". Wrong.

As soon as they filed, they get a call. from the insurance company that's. confused. Because they say, quote, "We already got your signed documents.". >> Mhm. What do you mean they already got her. signed documents? Alicia has no idea. what they're talking about. She's like, "This is the first time I've ever. [music] signed anything. If you have. signed documents, somebody forged my. signature.". And the company's first question is, "Well, do you know of anybody that would. want to do that?". I mean, I have some thoughts.

>> Alicia can think of only one person. Dave not so sweetman, which is what she. has taken to calling him by that point. [music]. >> So what does this mean for Alicia? Can. she Can she still get her half of the. money? Well, so what what ends up. happening is she files a police report. claiming that Dave forged her signature, but weeks later she's told that there's. not enough evidence to charge him. And. even though she has that document. stating that she's meant to get half of. the insurance payouts, there are loads.

of other documents with stipulations. that her lawyers and Dave's lawyers like. just cannot seem to get on the same page. about. So after three more years of. legal back and forth in 2024, Alicia and. Dave finally get everything settled out. of court and each receives an. undisclosed payout. So, while all of that was going on, was Gilbert Air still like in business. and operating?

>> Gilbert Air ran out of money like nine. months after Nick's death and they had. to end up closing. Even though there was. supposedly an $8 million payout to the. business when Nick died. Yeah, I don't. know what Dave did with the money that. he got or like if it got tied up at some. point. But for some reason it doesn't. seem like it was used to keep that. business operational. The one that Nick. and now his family owned half of. Instead, Alicia says that you know, when. it after Gilbert Air closes down, Dave. took the client list and started a new.

business called Arizona Family Air that. the Cordovas have no stake in and he. continues to run it out of his house. Continues like like to this day? >> To this very day. We called the company for comment, but. as of this recording, we have not heard. back. Dave and his girlfriend Susan didn't. respond to us either. Though Dave did. tell Fox 10 Phoenix back in 2024 that. Nick's case was {quote} the most. traumatic ordeal he's experienced. {end. quote}. Over the years, Nick's case starts.

cycling through different detectives. Alicia continues trying to meet with. whoever is on the case every few months, but it's just so hard for her to believe. them when she keeps hearing the same. thing. We're rechecking things. We're. relooking through evidence. But each. time nothing happens. To this day, she's still never been. given a copy of his autopsy and we. couldn't obtain it through public. records requests either. Authorities. have also never released any kind of. results related to firearms or firearm.

testing. Like, I don't know what kind of. gun was used in the shooting still. And. I don't know if they ever confirmed. Dave's story that the gun he handed over. to them had never been and. I was. >> to say, if they haven't released what. kind of gun was used on Nick, they don't. know that it was like we don't know that. it wasn't. >> Right. According to the police file, I. know they got some lab results back. [music] in July of 2020. Now, what items. were tested and where? Can't tell you. That is all redacted and they have never. shared that information with Alicia.

The only unredacted part says that the. only DNA profiles on the physical. evidence collected belongs to either. Nick. or Dave. But the thing to remember is without. context, that could mean nothing. They. both worked in that office. So, if items. were tested that are like regularly used. by both of them, like that doesn't mean. anything. Yeah, and even without someone. else's DNA, like. I keep thinking about the guy on the. surveillance footage. Like, how have.

they not identified him? >> I know. I know. Alicia cannot help but. wonder. Like the only thing she can think of, I. should say, is like every She thinks. like every time this case is handed to. someone else, maybe things are like. slipping through the cracks. >> of telephone. Yeah, and like she told us. that there have been specific case. details that she's mentioned while like. speaking with detectives and they've. been like, "Oh, we didn't know that.". Which is like not the thing you want to. hear from the guy in charge of solving. your husband's case. And listen, people. all over the internet have been quick to. call out Gilbert PD for all sorts of.

things, alleging corruption and dirty. police work. Just look up the Gilbert. Goons case if you want to get an idea. There is no proof of anything like that. that we know of. But I can say that the. department is extremely protective of. their public records. And this is not. the first case of theirs that we've even. covered. I mean, you know, a couple of. months ago we released an episode on the. 2022 shooting of Rachel Hansen. And her. family expressed the same frustrations. that Alicia has with Gilbert PD.

>> [music]. >> And what's more, in February of 2026, this article came out in the Arizona. Republic by Marisa Dominguez saying that. the Arizona Attorney General's office is. reviewing claims that the town of. Gilbert may have illegally destroyed or. withheld police records, which is an. allegation that could have huge. implications for unresolved cases in the. community. like Nick's. >> Yeah. Now, as of this recording, the Attorney. General's review has not confirmed any.

illegal destruction tied specifically to. any of these cases. And Gilbert PD has. denied all allegations of destroying or. withholding records. But trust that we will be following this. very closely. But this experience that she and others. have had with Gilbert PD is one of the. many reasons that Alicia began asking. the department if she could see the. surveillance footage from Gilbert Air. herself. They say no to her a couple of times, but Alicia was not playing around. She.

put in a formal records request, hired a. lawyer, and in an absolutely shocking. turn of events, the PD actually agreed. to let her see it. So, in March of 2025, she went into the. station with Nick's mom, [music] and. together they sit down and watch this. video. And Alicia notices a number of. things on the footage police have that. were not included in the report. She. told us that right before the shooting, when Dave was getting ready to leave the.

office, he went to the front door and. like peeked through the blinds. And you can see the red and silver truck. pulling up on the outdoor camera as he. does this. And then he walks back into. the office. And Alicia is literally like. in the police department. I mean, can. you imagine? She's like viewing this. footage, and she's like, "Guys, pause. the tape." That's like the way she says. And she's like, "Isn't that enough right. there? Why would he be peeking through. the blinds unless he was like expecting.

somebody?". >> Yeah, and his story is that he went back. into the office because he forgot. something, right? >> That's what he told police, which like. whatever, maybe. But like, tell me, how. many times have you like peeked out of. the blinds before you leave the office. at night? >> Only if I was waiting for someone. >> Yeah. And as Alicia continues watching, she sees the two men arrive in their. bright colored shirts, masks, and she. sees that they have gloves on. >> Which explains the lack of suspect DNA. at the scene. >> Yes, and she says that they're wearing.

these like big construction hats, too. Now, she says one guy is tall and. slender, the other is a like chubbier. >> And I'm assuming that's the one that's. caught on the tape. That's my. >> guess, yeah. And then, of course, everything happening in the office we. know is off camera, but guess what? She. says there's audio. Alicia says that she. can hear Nick on the phone with her. kids, and then all of a sudden, you can. hear a commotion and Nick just yelling. for help. And what about Dave? She says.

she doesn't hear Dave saying anything. And then all of a sudden, like Nick. comes into view, he's like running. through the lobby, and she says that he. was really close to the door when the. suspect comes up behind him and just. execution-style shoots him once in the. back of the head, causing him to fall to. the ground. And that was it. I can't. believe she had to watch that. >> I can't believe they let her watch that. Because like to her, I mean, not only is it like traumatic, but like it just confirms everything.

that she's been feeling. >> this just makes her more suspicious of. Dave, who to this day still has not been. charged or even named publicly as a. person of interest or a suspect in this. case. >> Which I. how? I mean, from the jump, the PD ruled him. out as the shooter from the surveillance. footage, and according to Alicia, they. never had been able to find a paper. trail between him and the two suspects. Okay, but what's the cash situation. though? Like, where did the $45,000. go that he took out from the company. before all this happened? Like, can we.

trace where that went or where every. penny of the insurance payout went? Like, you're not writing checks to hit. men, right? >> Right. This is like I would be looking. for missing money. Also, I don't. understand how they can say that like, oh, like we can't find a paper trail. between the two suspects when it's like, you don't know who the two suspects are. Like, Right. The paper trail could lead. you to them. Like, >> Yeah. To me, in order to rule out a. connection definitively, you would have. to dig deep into this man, right? Like, do a financial audit almost.

>> forensic accountants for a reason. Not. like you have to do more than one. follow-up interview, which is like I see. a follow-up interview. Again, lots of. redacted stuff in the file, and I don't. know what are in those pages. There are. over 200 of them, remember? But even 200 pages, it doesn't feel like. enough if they were to have investigated. Dave or even his like past financial. crimes. I forgot about those. Like, he. had a a history of like scammy [ __ ]. Like, fraud and stuff. Like, yes, please.

dig into those. >> Yes, someone's past can tell you a lot. about them, which is why we felt it. necessary to look into Dave's past to. tell this story. >> Always go a layer deeper. And listen, what our reporter Nicole found sent us. headfirst down a rabbit hole that we. could have never seen coming. You see, it turns out nearly 7 years before Nick. was shot, someone else close to Dave. died under mysterious circumstances.

Now, this wasn't mentioned in the police. report or online news coverage of Nick's. case at all. In fact, there is no media. coverage of this other case at all. And. that other case. is the death of Laura Sweetman, Dave's wife. What? What we found needs an entire. episode of its own. So, Crime Junkies, come back next Monday. to hear Laura Sweetman's story. Or, you. can listen to it right now if you're in.

the fan club. And if you're not a member. of the Crime Junkie fan club, now is the. perfect time because now through April. 14th, you can join the Crime Junkie fan. club for free. So, check out the link in. our show notes to get your first month. on us. Listen, make no mistake, Alicia isn't. going away. She feels like it's up to. her to keep Nick's story alive, and she. does every press interview she can. She. posts on TikTok. She continues meeting. with the police department, and she'll. keep it all going until the people who.

killed Nick are finally behind bars. So, if you have any information about. the 2020 death of Nicholas Nick Cordova. in Gilbert, Arizona, you can reach out. to the Gilbert Police Department at. 480-503-6500. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can reach out to Silent Witness at. 480-948-6377. The posted reward for information is now. up to $20,000. And as always, you can. reach out to us by emailing [music].

tips@audiochuck.com. You can find all the source material for. this episode on our website. crimejunkie.com. [music]. And you can follow us on Instagram. @crimejunkiepodcast. We'll be back next week [music] with. Laura Sweetman's story, but don't. forget, you can listen right now by. joining the Crime Junkie fan club. Link's in the show notes.