5 Chilling Courtroom 'Confessions'

I am a homicidal maniac. >> John asked me that if I believed his. daughter was in grave danger, would I be. willing to kill Christina Parcel for. $5,000? >> Have you decided in your mind what. you're going to have to do? >> I have. >> And what was that? >> That I'm going to have to. dismember my dad. to be able to move him out of the. [music] house. We're going to break down. courtroom confessions that stay with us.

even years down the road. Those times. when people said [music] things you not. only couldn't believe, but that. seriously impacted their cases in major. ways. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by. Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. I want to talk about courtroom. confessions. [music] Okay, those times. that you cannot believe what someone. just said on the stand. That can change. everything in a case. They don't happen. very often. So, we figured, you know. what? Let's put together a compilation.

of some of those moments. Now, I'm going. to start with someone who to this day, I. don't care how many years go by, I still. have to mention because of how chilling. and disturbing his admissions were. Scott Nelson, >> I am a homicidal maniac. He lit a. firecracker. He He lit a bomb. >> Let's go back to June 2019 in Orlando, Florida. That's where a then 55-year-old. ex-con named Scott Nelson was on trial. for the murder of 56-year-old local.

nanny, wife, mother, and grandmother. Jennifer Fulford. Now, authorities claim. that Nelson burglarized a family's home. back in 2017, kidnapped her. She was the. family's nanny, the house manager. They. say he stole her car, her bank card, took money out, and then killed her so. she wouldn't be a witness. It was. savage. Her body was found in a wooded. area bound with duct tape wrapped. completely around her head. She had stab. wounds to her back and chest and at.

least two struck her heart. Brutal. crime. And if that description wasn't. terrible enough, Nelson gets on the. stand at his murder trial. He does not. deny committing this crime. No, rather. he admits it. >> Who killed Jennifer Fulford? >> I did. >> Did she appear to you to be terrified? asked to answer. >> I'll roll the injection. >> I mean, I'm I'm sure she I'm sure she.

wasn't happy. >> Okay. >> I mean, how were you. >> screaming? >> No. >> Begging you not to kill her? [clears throat]. >> No. >> You Well, you've had a knife this whole. time, right? That knife we saw, that. green and black knife. How how are you. supposed to carry someone and carry a. knife at the same time? Or how are you. supposed to I mean. >> was it in your pocket?

>> I think I left it in the vehicle. and then I had to go back and get it. I. guess should I have dropped her off in. front of OPD? >> Just the matterof fact way of admitting. this is something else. Now, he would. say he doesn't remember the stabbing, and he brought her out onto the field, not with the intent to kill her, but. just to leave her. But he admitted he. killed her. Now, Nelson, who had. previously spent years behind bars for a. bank robbery, claimed that he did all of. this because he was left with no choice. He claimed his probation officer, Julio.

Dominguez, ruined his life, a life that. he says has been riddled with pain and. agony after being locked up for so long. behind bars. Well, sir, I'll be very. frank with you. Um, Jennifer Lynn. Fulford would be alive today had it not. been for Julio Dominguez. I was employed. in Winter Park for a painting company by. a alleged Christian family who took it. in their interest because I was such a.

dedicated hard worker allowed me to live. at their employment as well. Prior to. that, I had been homeless after being. released from federal custody, thrown to. the street, homeless with no money. He. made it a point to create a situation. with my employer/landlord, which is one of the same, and he got me. thrown on the street after months of. suffering on the streets of Orlando.

>> So, what he did was notify your employer. that you were on federal probation. No, actually, um, M. Berdick, what he did. was. I satisfied the courts and the probation. officers. criteria. I told them that I was in. prison and I named the felony and they. were happy with that, the family that. satisfied the court. He took it upon. himself to, as he called it, a third.

party perspective. And he went to the. owner and he used vulgar language and. said, "What are you blank crazy for. letting this man live here and you're. going to let him work here? Get him out. of here." And that got me thrown on the. street. being thrown on the street again. for what the third or was it the fourth. time by the government, be it state or. federal and you know once you kick a dog.

enough times they tend to bite back and. really they just don't care anymore. >> You don't know Reed Burman, right? >> Never met the man. >> And you don't know or didn't know. Jennifer Fulford? >> No, I don't. There was nothing that. either one of them ever did to you that. would have. resulted in you taking some sort of. revenge on them for, you know, some. moral cause. >> I believe the term is collateral damage.

>> Jennifer Fulford, an innocent woman who. was caught up in this guy's life, was. just collateral damage. his rationale, his thinking, playing like he's the. victim. Okay, it's difficult to process. And in a case where the jury would have. to decide life in prison or the death. penalty, he had some final words for. them, too. >> Mr. Nelson, do you want to be sentenced. to death? >> Yes. >> I'm going to object. That's an improper. question. >> Yeah. So, Scott Nelson was convicted of.

the murder of Jennifer Filford. And. despite his request to be put to death, jury didn't want to give it to him. Nope. Jury came back. unanimous. decision. He was sentenced to life in. prison. Okay, next up, Zachary Hughes, February 2025. You have this Giuliard. trained, highly skilled piano player. He's on trial for the murder of. Christina Parcell out in South Carolina. She was a single mom, Vette. It's. another grizzly stabbing. Christina was. found with more than 30 stab wounds and.

bizarrely rose petals were scattered. around the home. So during his trial, Hughes gets on the stand. You know what. he does? He admits it. He admits he. killed Christina, but says he did it. because he was convinced that she was. allegedly sexually abusing her daughter. These were claims, by the way, that were. unfounded. >> At the end of September, beginning of. October. 2021, did you conclude. [snorts].

that you had to rescue There was no. other way. >> Yes, I did. >> And these are claims that he said were. told to him by his friend John Melo, Christina's ex. >> in May of 2021. What, if anything, did John ask you to. do for him? given [clears throat] the extremely. grave nature of John's concerns for his.

daughter um. especially while she was in the custody. of her mother Christina Parcel. and um potentially being exposed to her. mother's boyfriend Brad Post who John. believed was a pedophile and is a. pedophile. >> Objection. sustain. I instruct you to totally disregard the. last um comments made by Mr. Defender.

>> Yeah. And Zach would just um could you. just tell this jury what. uh John asked you to do? >> Yes. Given his concerns, John asked me. that if I believed his daughter. was in grave danger, would I be willing. to kill Christina Parcell for $5,000?

>> What did you say when he asked you that? >> I was shocked and insulted by the. request and I gave him an immediate and. unequivocal no. So he offered you $5,000. if you would kill Christina Pel and you. said no. >> That's correct. >> At some point did he revisit that. subject?

>> Yes. >> Did he make you another offer? >> Yes, he did. How long after the first. offer did he make the second offer? [snorts]. >> I'm not certain, but I would say maybe. two or three weeks later. >> Tell this jury about that. >> He was becoming increasingly more. worried and distressed about the safety. of his daughter. Um, I was as well. The.

more I learned about this situation and. everything and a lot more than what I've. told you, I was also. >> sustained. >> Yes. >> Um, what was the second offer? >> The second offer, he asked me again, if. I became convinced that his daughter was. in danger, would I be willing to kill. Christina Parcell for $10,000? But what did what did you or how did you.

respond to that offering? >> I told him, John, there's no amount of. money that would ever tempt me to do. something like this. And I told him I. was insulted that he even thought that. would be something I would consider. So. I told him I would never do something. like this for money. I told him the only way I would ever. consider taking action like this is if I. was absolutely convinced that his. daughter was not only in danger, but.

that the only way to rescue her from. that danger would be to take Christina. Parcel's wife. >> And during his testimony, what he says. turns this courtroom into a chaotic. mess. Did you take another step to try. to. act. on your concerns? >> Yes. >> And did you take that step the end of. September or beginning of October?

>> Yes. I made a phone call to child. protective services. and I told them that I was a neighbor. So, I told him that I had seen. being verbally and physically abused by. her mother. And again, I made that up. That's not true. But I said it because I wanted to give. an opportunity. to have FaceTime in person with an agent.

from DSS away from her mother. where she could tell them that her. mother was sexually abusing her. Yes, your honor. >> You are to disregard. >> I had gotten [clears throat] this offer. to go on this cruise ship and I would. have been leaving the country for a long. time. Essentially, it was now or never. I had an opportunity to save her from a.

danger that I knew she was in and that I. knew was not going to cease. and. [snorts] I just couldn't go on with my. life and leave her to drown. >> Did you take. Christina Parcel's life on October the. 13th? >> Yes, because I believed it was absolutely. necessary to save.

and I was right. Jason, your honor, is sustained. >> And he even went into detail about what. he said he did. >> I brought a knife [clears throat]. and I brought a a box um. that uh was made to look like a gift. wrapped box and a bunch of roses that I. had bought the day before. I had come to. the point where rationally I knew that.

the only way was going to be saved from. what she was enduring was for me to take. this route. My plan had been to try to. knock her unconscious because I didn't. want to cause her or anyone any. [clears throat] pain. That wasn't my. intention. I just wanted to say and to make sure. that no one else who was a bystander. would be involved in this or could be. endangered in any way.

So I tried while she was holding the. roses to strike her on the head and. knock her unconscious. It didn't knock. her unconscious and it. I hardly struck her at all to be honest. So I tried again and the same thing. happened. I just couldn't bring myself. to strike her. And at this point, she realized that I. was hesitating. Um, and.

she began to try to. move herself and to get away and to. fight back. I don't remember how many. times I struck her. I just remember that. when it finished, we were on the ground. and I stopped striking her when she. stopped struggling. I looked in a mirror. uh before I left to make sure everything. was in order and I saw that she had. scratched my face. in the struggle.

And of course, I realized that um this. could leave DNA. So, I used the paint thinner to try to. clean her hands. As soon as I left the. house, I felt the most enormous wave of relief. wash over me because I knew from that. moment on, be safe,

would be safe from the sexual abuse that. her mother was perpetrating on her. And. there is proof to that that the state is. hiding from you. >> Instruct him to be quiet. >> Okay. >> It's tough to think about, right? It's. tough to understand. Well, you know what. happens? So, not only did a jury convict. Zachary Hughes of murder and other. charges, and he was sentenced to life in. prison. But because of this testimony, hours later, the Greenville Sheriff's. Office obtained warrants charging John. Melo with accessory before the fact and.

solicitation. It was literally out of a. movie or a TV show. points the finger, someone else gets arrested. It's crazy. Hugh's legal team, by the way, is. fighting to get him a new trial. So, I. got to tell you, this story may be far. from over. But let's go to the next one. I can't talk about chilling courtroom. confessions or admissions without. talking about another defendant on trial. for murder, also out of Florida, James. Scander. Back in 2018, the then. 49-year-old James Scanderino was charged. with the first-degree murder of his.

father, 74year-old James Scandino, Senior, a former judge. His remains were. found in suitcases and garbage bags that. had apparently been thrown on a golf. course days after his son reported him. missing. Now, the evidence, which. included surveillance footage, showed. that not only was the younger Scanderito. the last one with his father, but. investigators were able to track him to. the golf course. also really didn't help. him that this son was to receive. approximately $800,000 as the sole. beneficiary of his father's financial.

accounts. Now, you might be saying open. and shut case, right? Well, this son, this defendant took the stand. He said. he didn't kill his father. No, he says. they were partying together. They were. doing cocaine. Left for a second, came. back, found his dad unresponsive. Says. he panicked. He was buzzed. He was. drunk. He was high on coke. He was. paranoid. Thought if he called police, he'd get in a lot of trouble for the. drugs. So, what does he decide to do? Well, he claims he tried to use a dolly. to move his father's body into the bed.

>> You have to kind of lift it up to turn. it. And that's when, you know, problems. occurred in terms of him starting to. fall off the dolly, you know, me banging. it into the walls. It was it I couldn't. I couldn't move it. I couldn't I. couldn't balance him on the dolly and. work it around the tight corner of the. um of the hallway. Uh and I ended up.

just kind of falling and dropping, you. know, the dolly with him on it. Um and. just kind of breaking down and and and. crying at that point. And you have to. hear it from James Scander himself as to. what he decided to do next. It is. disturbing. >> Have you decided in your mind what. you're going to have to do? >> I have. >> And what was that?

that I'm going to have to. dismember my dad. to be able to move him out of the house. >> Do you leave him on the do dolly taped. to the dolly in the garage? >> Yes. >> Okay. And do you do that when you are. dismembering? >> Yes. >> Okay. So you have heard the medical.

examiner talk about the fact that the. body is cut from essentially back to. front. >> Yes. >> Okay. Does his body remain on the dolly. while you are studied? Yeah, because I I roll the dolly uh over. um when I am um doing the um. uh dismembering of the um.

extremities. >> and so you are cutting those portions. that are hanging off of the doll. >> Yes. >> Okay. How did you sort of create or step. up to do that? I mean, is your dad just. praying there in the open? >> Um, there's a there's a space in front of. the uh, of course, you've seen it all many times. in front of the refrigerator.

Uh, when you come out of the garage on. the left side, if you're looking on the. left side of the garage, there's a space. there. So, I had laid a um clear tarp. down. Um, the dolly was on top of the cart, on. top of the tarp, and then I had another. tarp that went over uh over the top of. uh of the dolly and and the and the uh. plastic tarp that was underneath the. dolly. >> And so when you are actually cutting,

you're using what? >> A saw, >> an electric saw or a hammer saw? No, it's a handsaw. >> Okay. A handsaw that was at the house. >> Yes, it was hanging up in the garage. >> As you dismember a portion of his body, what do you do with that portion? >> I uh. I take a a garbage bag and I kind of.

cover let's the the the part the part. that is is being um dismembered. Um, so when. the. the the arm, let's say, is finally. dismembered. It's it's kind of falls. into the the garbage bag. >> And with those garbage bags. individually, what did you do with them?

Um. when I uh. ended up eventually ended up putting. them all into um three suitcases. >> Suitcases that were at the house. already? >> Yes. >> Okay. How long did it take you to do. that? >> It seemed like I was doing it all night. I mean, I know Dr. Mote said it was. easy. Um.

and and. maybe it's not, you know, physically. strenuous. Um but, you know, it wasn't I would. it was not something that I uh it was a. quick it it was a long time. >> Just taking a step back, this guy is not. only freely admitting to chopping up a. human body, but the body of his elder. father. Okay, think about that and you.

might be saying, "Well, of course he was. convicted, right? Open and shut case.". You would be wrong. The jury actually. acquitted him of the murder of his. father. They did convict him of abuse of. a corpse, but acquitted of murder. Now, I remember covering this trial, saying. that story, that specificity, that. detail, how he described it, the way he. described it, the what appeared to be. the disgust in his face, the pauses. It. seems the jury felt there was no way. someone could make that up. They felt he.

was telling the truth, right? But he. wasn't off the hook. I mean, James. Scander was sentenced to 15 years in. prison. Any confession that leads to. justice is a good thing. But sometimes. it hits harder when it's a cold case, when you don't have an answer or a. suspect for years, and then when it. comes out, that admission takes things. to a whole other level. brings me to the. Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Huerman, the 62-year-old Long Island architect.

who plead guilty in connection with the. murders of seven women, Melissa. Bartholomew, Valerie Mack, Jessica. Taylor, Megan Waterman, Amberlin. Castello, Marine Brainer Barnes, and. Sandra Castillia. He also admitted to. killing an eighth victim, Karen Vata, though he was never charged in. connection with her death. But we're. talking about a timeline of deaths from. 1993 to 2010. these bodies found along. Gilgo Beach and for years, no suspects. There were a lot of theories and Hurman. wouldn't be arrested until 2023. Key.

pieces of evidence, cell phone data, credit card information, online. searches, DNA from a discarded pizza. crust. That was a key one because. prosecutors claimed that a cheek swab. from Herman matched DNA that was found. on a pizza crust that was thrown out. near his office in New York City. And. that DNA from the pizza crust was. consistent with a DNA profile taken from. a hair follicle found on a burlap. covering or material used to tie up. Waterman's body. Now, even though at. first he plead not guilty, looked like.

he was going to take this to trial to. fight the charges, he did in the end. ultimately plead guilty to the murders. So when it came time for him to address. the court at his sentencing on June. 17th, 2026, just got to say kind of. surreal to hear him say this. >> Mr. Herman, is there anything you wish. to say before I pronounce sentence? >> No. >> There are no. >> stand up.

>> There are no words I can say. I'm. responsible for what was said in this. room today. The words I would say have no meaning. and I'm going to there. at this. >> speak up. >> You heard that speak up at the end. Think about him confessing admitting to. all of this after so many years. He was. sentenced to life in prison without the.

possibility of parole. And just one more. footnote to that. Herman, as part of his. deal, he has agreed to work with the. FBI's behavioral analysis unit where. seemingly FBI profilers will get more. insight into his crimes, his thought. process, perhaps fill in some of the. blanks that investigators have had for. so many years. So, we'll stay tuned if. any information should come from that. I. want to close things out with just an. unbelievable series of admissions at a. trial. It is about Robert Durst, the.

infamous real estate scion who went to. trial for the 2000 murder of his best. friend Susan Berman. She was shot in the. head in her Los Angeles home. And it. took over 20 years for Durst to go to. trial for her killing. And the then at. the time 78-year-old was infirmed. He. was sick. He was confined to a. wheelchair by the time he went to trial. Now, prosecutors claim he killed Susan. to keep her quiet about what she knew. about the disappearance of Durst's wife, Kathy McCormack Durst, who disappeared.

in 1982. We'll have more on that in a. minute, but back to the admissions in. court because that's the theme here. When I say admissions, let's just start. with his attorney, okay, Dick Darren, admitting in his opening statement to. the jury what Durst had denied for so. long. What do I mean? So, first I want. you to listen to what Durst had to say. in an interview with a prosecutor years. before the trial. >> You agree you did not just find Susan's. body and somebody else killed her.

>> I did not find Susan's body. >> But then at his criminal trial, his own. attorney, Dick Darren says this. >> Bob Durst did not kill Susan Burman and. he doesn't know who did. He did find her body. shortly after someone had shot her in. the back of the head. He was coming to visit her. for the Christmas holidays. >> That's how the trial starts. Durst found.

Susan's body. He was there. Saw her. dead. What? And then there's the. cadaavver note. So someone sent police a. note alerting them to a body at Susan's. house. The infamous cadaavver note. Right. This is what Durst previously. said. >> You didn't write the write the cadaabver. notes. I did write the. >> Whoever wrote that note had to be. involved in Susan's death. >> Okay, >> makes sense, right? He didn't write it. doesn't know who did it. Yeah, whoever. wrote it probably killed her or was part.

of it because how else would they know. that a dead body was in her house? How. else would they know that she was dead? Well, then there's this admission from. trial. When Bob showed up and found her. [clears throat] dead, he panic. He wrote the anonymous letter. so her body would be found and he ran. >> Oh my gosh. Do you know how shocking. that was at the time? And this narrative. was backed up by Durst himself when he.

took the stand. >> Rob, >> did you kill Susan Burma? No. >> Do you know who did? >> No, I do not. >> I shouted a couple of times. and I quickly ran to the bedroom where. she was. Her eyes were closed. I reached all down. I squatted over her.

Reached down. grabbed her by her upper arms. and lifted her up. >> Now, how how high did you lift her? >> 6 in. >> Was she cold to the touch? Was she warm. to the touch? Could you tell? >> I put my hand over her face. I might. have left that out to see if she was. breathing. See if I could feel breath and it felt.

cold. Then I grabbed her by her arms and with. her up her head just hung down. and I could see that her hair was in. some kind of wig. >> What was going through your mind? What. did you think? >> What was going through my mind that she. had fallen backward. She had fainted or. something. falling down. and [gasps] hit her head.

I also thought maybe. somebody hit her in the back of the. head. I did not imagine. at that time that she had been shot. >> So. what what did you next observe? >> Wanted to go check the bathroom. The bathroom. I wanted to check the other bathroom. Somebody had done this to Suma. Maybe he.

was still here and walked out the front. door, shutting it behind me, [clears throat]. got in my car, did a Uturn, I would go to a room. and dial 911. >> Did you do that?

I got to a pay phone around where sunset. just before getting to sunset. I picked up the phone. dialed 911. Then a lady's voice asked for my name. I decided I did not want to give them my. name. I was thinking of giving them a phony.

name. Then I was aware that my voice. is very recognizable. and even without a name. It would [clears throat] be me. who would the reporting. I decided that instead of calling 911, I would send the police a letter telling.

them that Susan was dead in her house. >> Now, this episode is called shocking. admissions confessions. Right. I still. cannot believe what Dur said because I. want you to listen to what happened when. Durst was questioned by prosecutor John. Leuen, who knew this case backwards and. forwards. >> Did you kill Susan Burman? No, >> but if you had, you would lie about it. Correct. >> Correct. >> How many instances of perjury do you.

think you have committed during your. testimony in this trial? >> Mr. Durst, [snorts]. you have stated previously that for the. most part you tell the truth and I think. you said that as an example, you have. only lied about a couple of things. Is. that correct? >> I thought we were talking about the. gallon trial. >> No, I'm now I'm talking about your trial. here.

>> I lied about several things. >> And when you say several things, Mr. Durst, uh, would you agree that several. is more likely many? >> I would say five. >> Crazy, right? and he caught Durst in. these traps with his own narrative. >> So now you're saying that the killer was. actually in the house when you were. there. >> I believe the killer was either still in.

the house or in the yard when I arrived. >> Mr. Durst, haven't you testified that. Susan's body was cold? >> I did not testify that Susan body was. cold. over. she was breathing.

Seems like a shield breath hanging so. cold. >> Well, what do you have to say about that? Her breath fell her face felt cold. >> Her She's dead. What do you mean her breath felt? Was. she breathing on you when you got there? >> No, she was not breathing. >> So, how can her breath be cold when. she's dead? She's a stiff.

>> I never said I knew what Kathy was. >> Stop. Mr. Dur, why did you say you never. said you knew where Kathy was buried? How do you know Kathy's buried at all? >> Seems like a logical step. >> Okay, so as you can imagine, Robert. Durst was convicted of Susan Burman's. murder and he was sentenced to life in. prison. By the way, New York authorities. then announced in October of 2021 that.

after all these years, he was now. charged with the murder of his wife. Kathy. problem with that trial never. happened because only a few months later. in January of 2022, Robert Durst died in. prison of natural causes. Well, there. you go. Shocking confessions in court. And as I say so many times, I am sure. this will not be [music] the last time. we see these. Thanks so much for joining. us here on Sidebar. Everybody, please. like and subscribe. I'm Jesse Weber. [music] Speak to you next time.