Examined: The Backfire Effect

In January 1981, Verna Johnson-Roehler and her young son, Doug, drowned while boating thirty miles off the coast of Malibu. Verna’s husband, Fred Roehler, was the sole survivor and only witness. 

Initially, the deaths were ruled accidental. But a phone call from a Malibu neighbor changed everything. Was Fred a monster, masquerading as the perfect Malibu dad? Or was an innocent man convicted by his gossiping neighbors?

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Since Lost Hills debuted, two sources have come forward with new information about Anthony Rauda: a new, alleged victim and his half-sister.

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On the night that Tristan Beaudette was killed while camping with his daughters, the campground at Malibu Creek State Park was full of families. Just across the access road from Beaudette’s tent, Stacey Sebourn was in a tent with her eight-year-old daughter and her daughter’s best friend. Sebourn provides a harrowing first-hand account of her experience.

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Two hikers who stumbled on Rauda’s camp before the Beaudette murder lament a missed opportunity to stop the crime before it happened.

Sgt. Wright and Lt. Royal file whistleblower lawsuits against the sheriff’s department, and Sgt. Wright shares damaging information.

Erica Wu prepares to move, and, after nearly three years, scatters some of Tristan Beaudette’s ashes.

With Anthony Rauda in custody, will peace return to Malibu?

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As the judge questions Anthony Rauda’s competency to stand trial, the prosecutor lays out her case. There’s still no weapon for the first five shootings, and no clear motive.

But a look at Rauda’s writing reveals a secret connection to the crime.

And a close examination of a photograph taken by a citizen investigator at Rauda’s camp gives rise to a stunning discovery: potentially critical evidence that law enforcement overlooked. 

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Lost Hills Station is embroiled in scandal. But the new captain is determined to set the story straight.

He says there were major errors in the investigation, and points a finger at two respected Lost Hills detectives: Sgt. Tui Wright and Lt. James Royal.

Ian Kincaid, a shooting victim, describes overhearing a private conversation at Lost Hills Station.

As her relationship with Sheriff Villanueva deepens, Cece Woods feels her power in Malibu grow. 

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Who is Anthony Rauda?

He’s more than a drifter. He’s an aspiring musician and a writer, with a long history of mental-health struggles and an extensive criminal record. He's a committed survivalist, attempting to live completely off the grid and without assistance. He’s been arrested repeatedly with antique firearms and gunpowder.

And he hates the Lost Hills cops.

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The cops went from saying that they couldn’t connect the crimes to saying that one person, Anthony Rauda, had done them all. Is that even possible?

When officials at California State Parks refuse to answer questions, a hiker in Malibu Creek State Park reveals the location of Rauda’s camp.

And Jimmy Rogers, victim of Near MIss #1, describes being awakened just before dawn by an explosion . . . aimed at his head. He says the cops told him vital information about the so-called missing shotgun.

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Three months after his arrest, Anthony Rauda is charged with the murder of Tristan Beaudette, all the other shootings, as well as a series of strange burglaries involving junk food from commercial buildings around the periphery of the park. He pleads not guilty.

Erica Wu, Tristan Beaudette’s widow, opens up about her husband, and files a $90 million dollar lawsuit against the county, the state parks system, and the sheriff’s department for failing to warn the public about the danger in the park.

In an election upset, Alex Villanueva, Cece Woods’s candidate, becomes the new sheriff of LA County, and Cece hopes he’ll bring change to Lost Hills.

Meanwhile, new information emerges about the cops involved in the Rauda investigation.

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A devastating fire rips through Malibu, burning Anthony Rauda’s campsite, Malibu Creek State Park, and any evidence the cops might have missed. Rauda appears in court, and a tentative link is established between him and the murder. Meanwhile, Cece Woods, a popular Malibu blogger, casts doubt on the case against Rauda as she crusades against the Lost Hills station — why didn’t the authorities warn the public before someone died? She smells a coverup.

Footage of the Henry Stern Town Hall meeting provided by KBUU-FM Malibu.

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