Mystery in Room 813

Speaker 1 This time of year can be tough. The holidays are near, and you're supposed to feel joyful, but for many, this season can bring stress around food, weight, and body image.

Speaker 1 And in all the talk around weight loss medications, it can feel overwhelming to know what's best for you. HERS makes it easier by providing access to weight loss treatment plans for every budget.

Speaker 1 They connect you with a real medical provider who will work with you to determine the best treatment options for for you.

Speaker 1 If prescribed, you get medication as part of a doctor-developed program with ongoing care, adjustments, and 24-7 online support. HERS says there are no hidden fees and no membership fees.

Speaker 1 Visit forhers.com slash 48 hours to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. That's FORHERS.com slash 48Hours.
For HERS.com slash 48Hours. Weight loss by HERS is not available everywhere.

Speaker 1 Compounded products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. Prescription required.
See website for full details, important safety information, and restrictions.

Speaker 1 Actual price depends on product and plan purchased. If you ever worry about how safe your home really is, you need to hear about Simply Safe's early access Black Friday sale.

Speaker 1 Old school security systems typically only react after someone breaks in, but Simply Safe is different.

Speaker 1 SimplySafe's Active Guard Outdoor Protection uses AI-powered cameras that detect threats outside your home and alert real security agents.

Speaker 1 Those agents take action while the intruder is still outside, talking to them through the camera, triggering a siren or spotlight, and letting them know police are on the way.

Speaker 1 That's how you stop a crime before it starts. There are no long-term contracts or hidden fees, plus a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Simply Safe's been named best home security system by U.S.

Speaker 1 News and World Report five years running. Don't miss out on Simply Safe's biggest sale of the year, 60% off.

Speaker 1 Right now, our listeners can save 60% off a SimplySafe home security system at simply safe.com/slash 48 hours. That's simply safe.com/slash 48 hours.
There's no safe like Simply Safe.

Speaker 3 It happened in the middle of the night in November 1996

Speaker 3 at a Sheraton hotel just east of Los Angeles.

Speaker 3 A woman went over a balcony and met her death.

Speaker 4 If she screamed, no one heard her. If it was murder, there were no witnesses.

Speaker 3 If it was an accident or suicide, the circumstances sure seemed strange.

Speaker 5 When I first got on the scene, I knew that this was going to be a complex case.

Speaker 3 The young woman's death would be homicide detective Ray Rodriguez's last case in a long 33-year career.

Speaker 3 It was just after 8 a.m. the morning of November 13th, 1996.

Speaker 5 A call came into the desk there that

Speaker 5 There was an apparent suicide at the Industry Hill Sheraton, that

Speaker 5 a woman had jumped from a hotel room balcony and that she was deceased.

Speaker 3 The woman lay in a pool of blood 104 feet down from the balcony of her hotel room. That morning, another guest at the hotel saw the body from his balcony and called police.

Speaker 3 I don't mean to get in detail, but

Speaker 3 how did it appear to you? What did it look like had happened?

Speaker 5 The body appeared like

Speaker 5 a lot of trauma. There was a lot of trauma.
The only only thing that I've ever seen close to that is like when someone has been hit by a train.

Speaker 5 The body was naked, except for a little camisol top that was on the body. That was kind of concerning to me right then and there at the initial time that I first saw the body.
Why?

Speaker 5 It's only been like once or twice that I've ever encountered a naked suicide.

Speaker 3 And so the investigation began. Officers located the room, identified the victim as 27-year-old Sandra Oreana, a single woman from Houston, Texas.
And then the officers waited for backup.

Speaker 5 Deputy Gonzalez comes outside the room and closes the door to secure it until homicide detectives can arrive so nobody will disturb anything.

Speaker 5 Once that happens, he's outside, and then 815's door opens, and out comes Robert.

Speaker 3 Robert Lee Salazar was 33 years old, an executive also from Houston, a married man with two children. Salazar comes out the door.
The investigator says, do you know this woman in the room?

Speaker 3 And does he react to it in any way? Yes, yes. Salazar told police that Sandra Oriana worked for him.
In fact, they were traveling together.

Speaker 5 The officer tells him he's been investigating an accident. He doesn't tell him that Sandra is dead.

Speaker 3 And what does Salazar do?

Speaker 5 That's when he collapses and starts crying and collapses in the hallway.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar told the deputy he did more than just work with Sandra Oriana on this business trip.

Speaker 3 He said they'd been out the night before to dinner and they had been drinking a lot.

Speaker 5 Denique tells Gonzalez that she was very, very drunk and that when they got up to the room around midnight,

Speaker 5 he let her in the room, put her in the room, closed the door, and then he left. And that was it.
And that was the last he's seen of her.

Speaker 3 But as it turns out, that's the first version of his story.

Speaker 5 Correct. It's the first story that comes from Robert.

Speaker 3 But the police were suspicious. He doesn't know that the investigators have found a pair of men's underwear in that room.
Correct.

Speaker 5 He hasn't been told anything of what they saw or what they find.

Speaker 3 And now it's your turn to talk to him.

Speaker 5 Correct.

Speaker 3 And when you begin to question him, what does he say?

Speaker 5 Ask him, you know, hey, Robert, you know, sure none of your items are in the room? No, no personal items are in the room. Now I'm thinking the story that he gave Deputy Gonzalez was a bunch of bull.

Speaker 3 Now Detective Rodriguez was rapidly becoming convinced this wasn't a suicide.

Speaker 5 At that time I started focusing on this as a murder.

Speaker 3 He went back to Sandra's room looking for more clues.

Speaker 5 So we end up finding a shoe, a male shoe. It's wrapped up in the bedding at the foot of the bed.
So I know now that I have a men's underwear and I know that I have a men's shoe, left shoe.

Speaker 3 Then he moved next door to Salazar's room.

Speaker 5 I find a men's black underwear, the same size, the same brand, the same style as the white underwear that's in the other room, and there's one right black shoe.

Speaker 3 The physical evidence shows he was in the room with her.

Speaker 5 Correct. So now it's time to go back to talk to Robert.
The recorder was on the bed like this, and I was talking to Robert like this.

Speaker 3 On the audio tape of the meeting, Salazar began to change his story.

Speaker 5 You want to tell us what happened, Robert? Because it doesn't match up. Did you have sex with her?

Speaker 3 Yes, I did.

Speaker 6 And I'm married, and that's why I didn't want to say it.

Speaker 6 I swear, that was it.

Speaker 5 How did she come about being where she ended up? I don't know.

Speaker 4 I don't know.

Speaker 3 So in the second version, he still doesn't see her fall.

Speaker 3 He leaves her behind in the room and what happens after that, he doesn't know.

Speaker 5 Now we continue to press him even more.

Speaker 5 I want to know

Speaker 5 the whole truth about what happened. You know, if you had sex with her, if it was rough sex, if something happened, if you strangled her, or any of these things.

Speaker 6 Swear to God, no. Swear to God, no.

Speaker 3 At this point, because he's changed his story once, do you suspect that he killed her or do you still not know?

Speaker 5 No, I'm now leaning that this guy's hiding something and something else happened on that balcony and this woman went over

Speaker 5 not wanting to go over.

Speaker 3 Does he then change his story again?

Speaker 5 Then we're going to get the true story, supposedly. What really happened, Robert?

Speaker 6 You were making out

Speaker 5 on the balcony yeah you guys were making out on the balcony

Speaker 6 rubbing on her she was rubbing on me she turned around to bend over the balcony and i was that way and then all of a sudden she

Speaker 6 she

Speaker 6 she grabbed the balcony and pushed herself up to

Speaker 4 to to turn over

Speaker 6 And when she did that, she just went over.

Speaker 3 Let's go inside. You've been in this room many times.

Speaker 5 Yeah, quite a few times. It's completely different now than it was on that night.

Speaker 3 Based on your investigation, what do you believe happened in this room that night?

Speaker 5 I believe that Robert Salazar made sexual advances on Tassandra. I think that she was on the bed and then that she pretty much passed out on the bed.

Speaker 5 I think that he started to make sexual advance on her, and I think that she woke up. She was startled by it.
And I think that she fought him.

Speaker 3 That mark on his face, you believe, is a result of her struggling with him?

Speaker 5 I think she clawed at him and got him.

Speaker 3 The first policeman to talk to Salazar that morning noticed this mark on his face. After she hit him or gouged him with a fingernail,

Speaker 3 you think he hit her back? Yes, I do.

Speaker 5 And knocked her out? I think that's it. I think that finally Salazar, I don't know if I can't account for his reasonings, but that was the option that was elected.
Out on the balcony.

Speaker 5 Out on the the balcony and over the balcony.

Speaker 3 Salazar never called anyone to report that Sandra Oriana had gone off that balcony up there and landed here, 104 feet below, a fall no one could have survived.

Speaker 3 He did, however, make two other phone calls, two chilling phone calls that, according to Detective Rodriguez, made him look even more guilty.

Speaker 3 Come on, family. We're waiting on you.
Come on, we gotta go. Let's go.
Hurry up. It's after seven.
Bye-bye.

Speaker 3 Before the police arrived, Robert Salazar twice called Sandra's room, leaving messages on the hotel voicemail to a woman he knew was dead. Hello.
Wake up. We gotta go.

Speaker 5 Come on. But when I hear those two tapes, how does anybody call a dead woman and tells her to wake up?

Speaker 5 And not once.

Speaker 3 Twice.

Speaker 3 Ray Rodriguez arrested Robert Salazar and took him to jail. Open and shut case.

Speaker 3 Well, not exactly.

Speaker 3 It would take six years and many twists and turns before the sex on the balcony case would finally get to trial.

Speaker 8 Cold mornings, holiday hustle.

Speaker 7 You just want your wardrobe to be simple, sharp pieces that feel good and that you'll actually wear. That's where Quince comes in.

Speaker 7 This season, Quince can make gifting so easy with $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters that feel like a treat every day and wool coats that are stylish, durable, and made to last.

Speaker 7 Their denim, classic fit, all-day comfort, and way more affordable than you'd expect. Quince says they partner directly with ethical factories and top artisans, eliminating middlemen.

Speaker 7 And it's not just clothes. Quince has thoughtful gifts for the home, bath, kitchen, and travel.
Grab a few favorites for yourself and a few to wrap for friends.

Speaker 7 Give and get timeless holiday staples that last this season with Quince. Go to quince.com slash 48 hours for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.
Now available in Canada too.

Speaker 7 That's quince.com slash 48 hours. Free shipping and 365 day returns.
Quince.com slash 48 hours.

Speaker 1 You know, one of the things that always used to stress me out, even when I was trying to be mindful about my money, was the little financial headaches, overdraft fees, when the timing of a bill and a paycheck didn't quite match up, or feeling like I just couldn't get ahead no matter how much I tried to save.

Speaker 1 If this sounds familiar to you, you might want to hear about QIIME. They understand that every single dollar counts.

Speaker 1 With QIIME, when you set up direct deposit, you get access to features designed to actually help you breathe a little easier.

Speaker 1 You can get paid up to two days early, and with qualifying direct deposits, you're eligible for free overdraft coverage, up to $200 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals.

Speaker 1 Plus, there are no monthly or maintenance fees and you can access over 47,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide. QIIME users often say that the biggest game changer has been seeing their paycheck arrive early.

Speaker 1 We all know how much that little buffer can make such a difference in staying grounded and avoiding stress. My younger self could have benefited from this.

Speaker 1 Work on your financial goals through Chime today. Open an account in two minutes at chime.com/slash 48 hours.
That's chime.com/slash 48 hours. Chime feels like progress.

Speaker 9 Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card provided by the Bank Corp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA.
Members FDIC.

Speaker 9 Spot me eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Timing depends on submission of payment file.

Speaker 9 Fees apply at out of network ATMs, bank ranking, and number of ATMs according to US News and World Report 2023. Chime checking account required.

Speaker 10 It's comforting to be out here, but it's hard for me to be out here. I don't like to see it.
I'd always

Speaker 10 just talk about what's going on in my life.

Speaker 4 Catherine!

Speaker 10 And I guess just stressing how much she's missed and how much nothing's the same without her here.

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana's untimely death is more than just a tragedy for her sister Catherine.

Speaker 10 I don't like to see the tombstone. I don't like to see her name.
It's just, it's too much.

Speaker 3 Her mother, her father, and her aunt Olga also grieve. We love her.
We miss her a lot.

Speaker 3 And every time we come and see us, it's so painful as the first time.

Speaker 11 I miss her very much.

Speaker 11 It's hard, very hard.

Speaker 3 For this close-knit family, the circumstances that led to Sandra's death while on a business trip with her boss, Robert Salazar, simply made no sense.

Speaker 10 When I had heard that she had fallen off a balcony and then they were questioning him, I

Speaker 10 felt, I mean, I felt like he was responsible for something. Something had happened.

Speaker 12 Fanny, can you look here?

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana was young and single, a college graduate who had begun a career at what she thought was a dynamic and growing company.

Speaker 10 She was just a woman who was full of life. Me giving you a kiss, you giving me a kiss.

Speaker 10 She was funny.

Speaker 10 Gross. Okay, close up and Sandy.
Had a lot of friends, loved her family.

Speaker 10 And just somebody you wanted to hang out with.

Speaker 3 She had a boyfriend who was working and living in Hong Kong. I like to feel that she's with me.
I like to feel that she's around somehow. They were considering a future together.

Speaker 3 She was going to Hong Kong to talk about getting married?

Speaker 10 She was going to Hong Kong, right, to visit him, to

Speaker 10 basically just go there, maybe stay and live.

Speaker 3 Sandra was four years older than her sister Catherine.

Speaker 10 She was my height. I mean a lot of people said we looked alike.

Speaker 3 Sandy.

Speaker 10 A lot of people would look at me and see Sandy.

Speaker 3 Because they were so close, Sandra's death hit hard.

Speaker 10 I was upset. I was mad.
I was angry. I couldn't believe he would do that.

Speaker 3 Catherine says she was especially upset because her sister had been complaining about Robert Salazar's unwanted sexual advances.

Speaker 3 After Sandra's death, Catherine had no doubt it was murder and that Robert Salazar was the one who killed her.

Speaker 10 I was scared. I was sad for my sister.
I was trying to put myself in her position.

Speaker 10 Just the fear that she must have felt in her room alone and him coming onto her and him trying to rape her. I mean, I think

Speaker 10 I keep thinking about that and how she must have been so scared.

Speaker 12 She worked in that one there, right by where the light is at.

Speaker 3 Sandra's aunt Olga, just a few years older and also very close, said Sandra told her that Salazar often made suggestive comments to her at work.

Speaker 12 He mentioned, you know, about, you know, the way she was dressed sometimes, you know, you have nice legs or, you know, you look nice.

Speaker 12 You know, all the things that went around.

Speaker 12 And she was going to look for another job.

Speaker 3 Catherine agrees.

Speaker 10 She told me on several occasions he'd made passes at her.

Speaker 3 In your sister's mind, this was harassment?

Speaker 10 Yeah, she did feel it was harassment. She, well, he made a pass at her.

Speaker 10 He grabbed her once at work.

Speaker 3 Grabbed her how?

Speaker 10 He grabbed her ass. He grabbed her butt.

Speaker 3 So when the arrangements for the trip to California were made, they say Sandra wasn't happy. What did she say to you when she found out that Salazar was coming on this trip too?

Speaker 10 She was upset that he was going. She felt that it was just another

Speaker 10 instance when he's trying to make a situation happen or looking for an opportunity to be alone with her.

Speaker 3 Because of that history, Catherine Oriana reacted strongly when she heard Robert Salazar's version of events that night.

Speaker 10 I didn't believe his story. He was already saying that they were having sex on a balcony.
And from that minute, I knew it was wrong. I knew he was lying.

Speaker 3 We put it bluntly here, is she the kind of woman who would have sex with somebody hanging off a balcony of a hotel?

Speaker 10 No, no. She was afraid of heights.
She didn't even like balconies. And it's just, it's ridiculous to think that she would, you know, his story is that she would got up to go

Speaker 10 open up the window and grab some air in the nude or something. And it's just, that's not her.
That's out of character. She would never have done that.

Speaker 3 Did you tell the police detectives? what your sister had told you about Salazar?

Speaker 10 Yes, I did.

Speaker 3 Catherine told Detective Ray Rodriguez.

Speaker 5 I've worked homicide for nine years.

Speaker 5 I've seen a lot of victims' family endure.

Speaker 5 And just like all those other victims, the Oriana family has endured a lot.

Speaker 3 Rodriguez says talking to Sandra's family reinforced his doubts about Salazar's story.

Speaker 5 From what I've learned about Sandra Oriana during this investigation,

Speaker 5 I don't believe that she would ever have been in a position of being out on a balcony stripped down to a little camisole.

Speaker 10 It's important for us to clear my sister's name and that she would never have participated in something like that.

Speaker 3 But instead of clearing her name, Sandra's family was shocked when

Speaker 3 just two days after he was taken into custody, Salazar was released and no charges were filed.

Speaker 6 I lied because I didn't want my wife to know. I didn't want to lose my job.
And I didn't want to be blamed for murder robert salazar went home

Speaker 3 but he wasn't home free

Speaker 5 to me there's so many things pointing to guilt

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana had died falling off this balcony

Speaker 3 And Robert Salazar had been arrested the next afternoon. But the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Robert Salazar for murder, and so he was let go.

Speaker 5 You know, I knew that it was going to be a long road.

Speaker 3 For Detective Ray Rodriguez, that was just a reason to work harder. You wanted to solve this case, though.

Speaker 5 Oh, I think the case is solved.

Speaker 3 You wanted to see Salazar in court.

Speaker 5 Definitely. Definitely, I wanted to see Salazar in court.

Speaker 3 Salazar had admitted to police he'd been with Sandra Oriana in her hotel room and that she had fallen to her death while they were fooling around on the balcony.

Speaker 3 But after being held for 48 hours, he was released. When Robert Salazar was released, how did you feel?

Speaker 5 The job was just beginning.

Speaker 3 Then, two months later, the Los Angeles County Coroner ruled Sandra Oriana's death was a homicide. Sandra's family just couldn't understand why Robert Salazar wasn't in jail or at at least on trial.

Speaker 3 What did you think when the authorities decided not to charge him?

Speaker 10 It was unbelievable.

Speaker 10 We couldn't believe it. Basically, we asked questions.
We didn't understand why they were letting him go.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar was let go back in 1996 because prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction.

Speaker 3 But something else was influencing the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office at that time. The DA had just lost one high-profile murder case, O.J.

Speaker 3 Simpson, and didn't want to risk losing another, the so-called sex on the balcony case. We all have speculated that the fact that the O.J.

Speaker 3 verdict had come in just a year before that and had really impacted the district attorney's office at that time. Deputy District Attorney Bob Fultz remembers those uneasy days.

Speaker 3 So what happens is a lot of people do. They get really, really cautious and they start writing things down and they tell the police to go out and investigate some more.

Speaker 3 And that's how these cases kind of get shifted off to the side. Ray Rodriguez wasn't going to allow this case to get shifted to the side.

Speaker 3 In fact, just a few days after Salazar was released, the detective was actually gathering bits of his suspect for evidence.

Speaker 5 Actually, I went to Houston to get a warrant for Robert Salazar so I could get his blood and hair and DNA for DNA comparisons to the blood that we had found at the scene.

Speaker 3 And then, to understand the physics of the fall or the push,

Speaker 3 detectives made a fire hose dummy and in a highly publicized move

Speaker 3 dropped it a number of times from the hotel balcony

Speaker 5 they also consulted hollywood stuntmen and biomechanical engineers their conclusion that some force had to be applied beyond the railing to allow that body to go from where he said that she went over to where she landed way over here on the left, a good 13 feet beyond.

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana's body was found directly below the left end of her eighth floor balcony and just a couple of feet from the facade of the hotel.

Speaker 5 I don't like going out on that balcony at all.

Speaker 3 What do you believe happened down here?

Speaker 5 I believe that he brought her out here,

Speaker 5 carried her over here, put her here, dumped on the rail, and applied force from the right to the left. That's why she ends up over there.

Speaker 3 The lack of fingerprints or any disturbances on the rail that would support Robert Salazar's version of events was just more proof for Rodriguez.

Speaker 5 The rail was completely covered with dust, and there was only two spots of disturbances, and it was what you did when you first walked out.

Speaker 5 You came out here, and you just instinctively put your hands on the railing, and you looked over.

Speaker 3 But even with the mounting evidence, months, then years passed with no action by the district attorney. Still, Rodriguez couldn't drop the case.

Speaker 5 There was something about this case that kept it ever present.

Speaker 10 So many memories.

Speaker 3 And the Oriana family wouldn't drop the case either. They filed a wrongful death suit against Salazar.

Speaker 10 We felt that we would take this avenue and try to see, you know, if he could be found guilty in a civil court, then maybe the criminal courts would take notice and find merit in it.

Speaker 3 So you're pursuing him in civil court, but you really would like the DA to change his mind and pursue him in criminal court.

Speaker 10 Right, exactly.

Speaker 3 The civil case was dropped after a dramatic development here in Los Angeles. The district attorney was voted out of office, and a new DA was sworn in.

Speaker 3 And Detective Rodriguez, who had never let go of the case, seized the moment.

Speaker 3 You're hoping they're going to see it with a fresh pair of eyes, and that's because you believe that you can make this case. Yes.
You've got the evidence. Yes.
Motive.

Speaker 5 Oh, motive, yes.

Speaker 3 You got the guy. Yes.
You just want to see it in the system.

Speaker 5 Correct.

Speaker 3 The new DA said, go ahead. And so, four and a half years after Sandra Ariana had fallen to her death, Robert Salazar's nightmare came back.

Speaker 3 What was the first thought that went through your mind when you heard that after all this time, you were going to end up in court on trial for your life?

Speaker 6 The first thought that went through my mind, I was going to get blamed for something I didn't do.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar tells his side of the story.

Speaker 8 In football, value isn't just about making flashy plays. It's about consistency, durability, showing up, week after week, season after season.
That's Toyota, the brand built for the long game.

Speaker 8 Award-winning quality, legendary reliability, and a lineup of vehicles that hold their value against the toughest competition. Every play, every drive.

Speaker 8 It's no wonder Toyota was named the best resale value brand for 2025 according to KellyBlueBooksKBB.com for the fifth year in a row.

Speaker 8 And why Toyota is proud to be the official automotive partner of the NFL. Because like every great team, Toyotas are built to go the distance.

Speaker 8 For great deals and reliable vehicles you can count on, visit buyatoyota.com. That's buyatoyota.com.
Vehicles projected resale value is specific to the 2025 model year.

Speaker 8 For more information, visit KellyBlueBooksKBB.com. Toyota, let's go places.

Speaker 13 Hey there, we're Corinne Bian and Sabrina Deanna Roga here to introduce our newest podcast, Crimes of a Crime House Original.

Speaker 14 Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, from Crimes of the Paranormal, Unsolved Murders, and more.

Speaker 14 Our first season is Crimes of Infamy: the true crime stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains.

Speaker 13 Listen to and follow Crimes of, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 15 Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Make it something they'll actually use and love. Primely Pure's limited edition bundles are ready to wrap, toxin-free and intentionally crafted.

Speaker 15 From tallow body butters and natural deodorant to cozy, festive seasonal scents, these products are made exclusively for the most wonderful time of year. Skip the stress of last-minute shopping.

Speaker 15 These small batch beyond sustainable skincare sets make gifting easy and intentional. Give more than a gift.
Give a ritual that nurtures skin, body, and mind beyond the season.

Speaker 15 Get a head start on the season with Primely Pure and bring warmth, wellness, and nostalgic joy into your home with non-toxic rituals everyone will love.

Speaker 5 To me, when she went over the railing,

Speaker 5 She deserved a 911 call if there was any chance of her being alive.

Speaker 5 Robert Salazar was full of deception and deceit right from the beginning.

Speaker 3 In March of 2001, Ray Rodriguez finally made the arrest he'd been waiting to make for four years.

Speaker 5 We filed a formal complaint, got the arrest warrant, and went to Houston and arrested Robert Salazar.

Speaker 5 We were out of Houston that same day on an airplane coming back to Los Angeles.

Speaker 6 The first thought that went through my mind was that I was going to get blamed for something I didn't do.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar had never spoken about the events that took place in that hotel on that balcony in November of 1996 until he spoke with us.

Speaker 6 Every morning I wake up and I pray.

Speaker 6 I pray for Sandy. I pray for her family.
I pray for my family.

Speaker 6 It was a horrible accident.

Speaker 3 In an exclusive interview while out on bail, he agreed to sit down with 48 Hours, his wife Beth looking on, to explain the events that have come back to haunt him and why he should not be found guilty of the murder of Sandra Oriana.

Speaker 6 Yeah, I did some things wrong. I was with another woman.

Speaker 6 I was in a room I shouldn't have been in.

Speaker 6 I was with an employee, but I didn't cause her to fall off that balcony.

Speaker 3 Then he was general manager at Skillmaster, a personnel agency in booming Houston, Texas.

Speaker 6 I was responsible for operations and I was responsible for safety and health.

Speaker 3 People worked for you?

Speaker 16 Yes.

Speaker 6 I had a staff of probably about 30 people.

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana worked directly for him. He was her boss.
What did she do for the company?

Speaker 6 She handled all the workers' comp claims.

Speaker 3 She was good at her work?

Speaker 6 She was good at her work.

Speaker 3 What kind of relationship did you have with Sandy at work?

Speaker 6 It was just an employee-employee relationship.

Speaker 3 Salazar denies the accusations that he harassed Sandra. Were you attracted to her?

Speaker 6 I wasn't attracted to her. I mean, I was a married man.
I'd just gotten recently gotten married and recently had a baby.

Speaker 3 But on November 12th, 1996, he and Sandra Oriana were on the road together in Los Angeles.

Speaker 6 We were purchasing this company in California. They had several offices.
We needed to come and clean up their workers' comp.

Speaker 3 The night began at a nearby restaurant, a business dinner, but it also happened to be Sandra's 27th birthday. By your account, you've had four drinks over dinner.
Correct.

Speaker 6 We also had some champagne when we checked in.

Speaker 3 So how would you describe your mental acuity at that point?

Speaker 6 Well, I was feeling... I was...

Speaker 3 A little buzzed? Well, yeah. How drunk was she at that time?

Speaker 6 She was intoxicated. I mean, she had several drinks, just like me.
I was intoxicated. I had several drinks.
I mean, we were not,

Speaker 6 let's just say we shouldn't be driving.

Speaker 3 They weren't. A business colleague who had been with them at dinner drove them back to their hotel and dropped them off.

Speaker 6 I walked in and you could hear the band playing in the bar. Sandy said, Let's go down there and take a look at it.

Speaker 3 Why didn't you just go to your rooms and call it a night?

Speaker 6 I wish I had done that a million times in my mind. Why didn't I just go to my room?

Speaker 3 But Salazar didn't go to his room. After ordering a few more drinks, he says things started to get complicated.

Speaker 6 Started hugging, started laughing, started having a good time.

Speaker 6 Started kissing.

Speaker 5 They were kissing and...

Speaker 3 William Boone was also a guest in the hotel that night. He says he saw the couple together twice.

Speaker 5 Hands around his neck, and he with her hand, his hands on her waist. Both times

Speaker 5 they looked happy to be in each other's company.

Speaker 3 Did your feelings for her change in that moment?

Speaker 6 We're talking about two adult people who were intoxicated and doing things they weren't supposed to be doing.

Speaker 3 And they didn't stop there.

Speaker 3 So now you're on on the eighth floor. What did you do?

Speaker 6 We walked to our rooms.

Speaker 3 Which were right next to one another. This was Robert Salazar's room, room 815.
This was Sandra Oriana's room, 813.

Speaker 3 He says they would end up going in there because she was the sexual aggressor that night.

Speaker 6 She opens the door and pulls me in.

Speaker 3 So she took you by the hand and pulled you in the room?

Speaker 4 Yes, sir.

Speaker 3 I need to hear your version of events, what happened.

Speaker 4 Okay.

Speaker 3 Now you're in the...

Speaker 6 I want to take a break just for a second. That's fine.
I want to talk to my wife.

Speaker 3 After a brief consultation with perhaps his most critical judge, Robert Salazar resumed his story.

Speaker 6 We're becoming intimate with each other for play,

Speaker 6 and

Speaker 6 we do that for a few minutes, and then she says it's hot, and she gets up and goes out to the balcony.

Speaker 6 And I get up and I follow her.

Speaker 3 Salazar says the time was just after midnight. So now the two of you are on this balcony.

Speaker 4 Yes.

Speaker 3 What happens?

Speaker 6 We get out on the balcony. She's facing outside.
I come out in behind her and she

Speaker 6 says, hold on.

Speaker 6 And she lifts her leg and turns around, puts it on the railing, and lifts herself up. As she lifts herself up, she falls over.

Speaker 5 She falls over.

Speaker 3 Did you watch her fall? Yes.

Speaker 6 I was right there between like me and you.

Speaker 3 Did you see her hit the ground?

Speaker 6 No, I heard her hit the ground.

Speaker 3 Sandra Oriana had fallen 104 feet to her death.

Speaker 3 When she went over the railing, what was the first thought that went through your mind?

Speaker 6 Oh my God. I have to get out of here.

Speaker 6 And I grabbed all my clothes and I ran to my room.

Speaker 3 Did you call 911? No. Did you report this to anybody?

Speaker 6 No.

Speaker 3 Why didn't you?

Speaker 6 If I call, I'm drunk, they may not believe me, and I'm going to go to jail for something I didn't do.

Speaker 6 If I call,

Speaker 6 my wife's going to find out.

Speaker 6 There goes my family. If I call, my job's going to find out.

Speaker 6 There goes my my job. And I made a horrible, horrible decision.
And I did nothing.

Speaker 3 Detective Rodriguez thinks not making that call shows Robert Salazar's guilt. Maybe he's just guilty of having incredible bad judgment that he doesn't call when it happens.
And it is an accident.

Speaker 3 Isn't that possible?

Speaker 5 I don't think it's just the bad judgment. I think you have a calculated story.
I think you have calculated deceit. You have calculated lies.

Speaker 3 Rodriguez believes Robert Salazar murdered Sandra Oriana, that he lied about it six years ago, and he's still lying today.

Speaker 5 There's no doubt in my mind that Sandra Oriana did not go over that balcony on her own.

Speaker 5 Did you kill Sandra? No.

Speaker 3 Swear to God,

Speaker 6 God is my witness, I didn't kill her.

Speaker 3 Did you, in any way, help her over that balcony that night?

Speaker 6 No.

Speaker 6 No.

Speaker 10 You murdered her.

Speaker 11 I did not murder her, guys.

Speaker 4 But witness, I did not murder her.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar on trial for the murder of Sandra Oriana.

Speaker 2 Living with a condition that affects your body temperature is exhausting, especially when it comes to sleep.

Speaker 2 The perfectly snug, smart topper can help you and your sleep partner sleep at your perfect temperature all night long. It's easy to use and is a sleep game changer.
Wake up feeling like you again.

Speaker 2 Shop our biggest sale of the year now and save up to $330.

Speaker 2 Just use code Black Friday. Visit perfectly snug.com to order a good night's sleep today.
FSA HSA payment options available.

Speaker 17 Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families.

Speaker 17 With Greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance, and keep an eye on your kids' spending with real-time notifications.

Speaker 17 Kids learn to earn, save, and spend wisely, and parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money with guardrails in place.

Speaker 17 Try Greenlight Risk-Free Today at greenlight.com/slash Odyssey.

Speaker 3 Attorneys will try to prove that Salazar had motive for killing Oriana.

Speaker 3 People of State of California versus Robert Lee Salazar, case number KA051534. Mr.
Salazar is present in the caught custody.

Speaker 3 Nearly six six years after Sandra Oreana plunged off this balcony to her death, Robert Salazar went on trial for her murder.

Speaker 10 Yes, John.

Speaker 3 For Ray Rodriguez and the Oreana family, this was their last best hope for justice.

Speaker 10 I'm finally glad that this case is going to be inside a courtroom and that a jury can hear this. I mean, that's what we wanted all along.
We just wanted a jury to see that, to hear the case.

Speaker 6 Do people wish to make an opening statement at this time?

Speaker 3 Yes, John, we do. If convicted, Robert Salazar would face a sentence of 25 years to life.
That's what they see. But was there enough evidence to convince a jury? He's the only witness.

Speaker 3 We have no one there to say exactly what happens. From the eighth floor up here, prosecutor Bob Fultz admits making the case against Salazar was a challenge.

Speaker 3 Turning this way would pull her body into the room, not over the railing. In those kind of cases where it's built on circumstantial evidence, they're always extremely difficult.

Speaker 3 And he asked the deputy, what's going on? But folks also believe the series of lies told by the defendant exposed a significant truth. And Mr.
Herrera says, where's Sandra? Robert goes, I don't know.

Speaker 3 People only lie about what really happened when they have something to hide. And in this case, it was clear that he had a lot to hide.

Speaker 3 The prosecution theory is that Robert Salazar carefully orchestrated his move on Sandra Oriana that night. First, he got her drunk.
Then he got her into this room.

Speaker 3 But when he tried to have sex with her, she fought back, scratched his face. That's when Robert Salazar became angry and retaliated.
So do you believe he rendered her unconscious at that point?

Speaker 3 I do. I do.
Either by choking her or hitting her? Right. And then what happened? And then he simply decided to make it look like a suicide by taking her out and putting her over the rail.

Speaker 3 The evidence is going to show that she fell as a consequence of being a 0.22 blood alcohol and being sitting on the edge of the balcony.

Speaker 3 Defense Attorney Mike Coughlin said both Sandra Oriana and Robert Salazar were drunk that night and that her own reckless actions led to her death.

Speaker 3 She lost her balance and fell accidentally before he was able to grab her or do anything to stop her fall.

Speaker 3 Were there any other homicide investigators already on scene? Yes. For the prosecution, the main witnesses were the investigators.
I do.

Speaker 3 Detective Rodriguez came out of retirement to assist Bob Fultz in the prosecution and to testify against Robert Salazar.

Speaker 5 I said, you know, Robert, the stories that you told Deputy Gonzalez doesn't match the physical evidence. You said that none of your items were in the room.
Your underwear is in the room.

Speaker 3 Rodriguez told the jury about finding Salazar's underwear and shoes

Speaker 3 and how he confronted Salazar.

Speaker 5 And if you're willing to tell me the truth, I'll take a tape statement from you as to the truth.

Speaker 3 The jury was played the tape.

Speaker 6 She grabbed the balcony and pushed herself up. And when she did that, she just went over.

Speaker 3 At some point in the day. Then Detective Rodriguez told the court how the day ended.

Speaker 5 I arrested Robert Salazar, charged him with murder, and he was held in jail for 48 hours pending his arraignment in court.

Speaker 3 There were large numbers of severely displaced rib fractures on both sides of the chest, primarily.

Speaker 3 The county coroner, fingerprint experts, and other experts testifying for the prosecution painted the picture of a violent crime.

Speaker 3 The affection that Sandra was showing for Robert continued at that time. The defense said the fall was an accident and that Sandra Orellana wasn't fighting Robert Salazar at all.

Speaker 3 Clearly, they were standing a few inches apart at most. William Boone, the businessman, told his story.

Speaker 3 Did they appear happy and contented or angry and upset?

Speaker 5 Happy and contented.

Speaker 10 These are the bed sheets.

Speaker 3 And Heidi Robbins, a county criminologist who testified about the physical evidence, seemed to help make the defense case under cross-examination.

Speaker 3 You examined these articles of clothing, I assume?

Speaker 11 Yes.

Speaker 3 Were any of them torn or damaged in any way?

Speaker 12 No.

Speaker 3 Did any of those articles of clothing appear to you as though they might have been removed from the person wearing them without her permission or consent?

Speaker 12 No.

Speaker 3 I'm a biomechanical engineer. Using sophisticated computer graphics, Dr.

Speaker 3 Carly Ward made the argument that because Sandra's body ended up so close to the hotel, she couldn't have been pushed or thrown. If she had, she would have landed farther out on the terrace.

Speaker 18 She wasn't impelled in any way away from the balcony. She turned around.

Speaker 3 But undoubtedly, the star witness was the defendant himself, Robert Lee Salazar. Had you done anything to contribute to her fall on that balcony? No, sir.
He answered questions,

Speaker 3 sometimes emotionally,

Speaker 3 sometimes not. I don't think we were thinking thinking like that.
Observers in the court remarked how easily Salazar seemed to be able to shift emotional gears. Come on, family.
We're waiting on you.

Speaker 3 Come on, we gotta go. Let's go.
And when the court was played, those phone calls Salazar made to Sandra's room hours after she died. Hurry up.
It's after seven. Bye-bye.

Speaker 3 Salazar didn't seem to have a very good explanation.

Speaker 6 I made a

Speaker 6 A bad decision. I made an awful decision that I'll have to live with the rest of my life.
But

Speaker 6 I know it's it's not a good answer, but it's the truth.

Speaker 3 Prosecutor Fultz challenged Salazar at every turn.

Speaker 4 I wish she was alive more than anybody in this room.

Speaker 3 Well, you're praying that she's alive now because you murdered her.

Speaker 11 I did not murder her.

Speaker 4 As God is my witness, I did not murder her.

Speaker 3 And you don't want to pay for that act.

Speaker 4 Mr. Fultz.

Speaker 11 As God is my witness, I did not murder her.

Speaker 3 That man is guilty of murder. The closing arguments from both sides were very direct.

Speaker 3 There is only one conclusion here, and that is that Robert Salazar murdered Sandra Oriana. I'm asking you not to destroy the life of Robert Salazar.
I'm asking you to find Robert Salazar not guilty.

Speaker 10 I hope the jury finds him guilty.

Speaker 10 I hope they will prosecute him to the maximum penalty.

Speaker 6 There is really no winner or loser in this case. Her family is going to hurt.
My family's going to hurt. It's the worst thing in the world.
I'm nervous, but I have faith in God.

Speaker 10 Texas businessman accused of pushing.

Speaker 3 It took the jury nine hours, over two days, to reach its verdict.

Speaker 3 Clerk would read the verdicts, please.

Speaker 10 We, the jury, in the above-intelligent action, find the defendant, Robert Lee Salazar, not guilty of the crime of second-degree murder. In violation of the...

Speaker 3 For Robert Salazar, there was happiness mixed with sorrow.

Speaker 6 It was just a tragic accident, and

Speaker 6 we're real sorry about what happened.

Speaker 3 Even Beth Salazar, who had never spoken before, gave her reaction.

Speaker 18 It wasn't joy because this was a tragedy.

Speaker 3 One juror summed up the difficulty of the case.

Speaker 18 And while we didn't believe some of Robert's testimony, we do believe that it was a tragic accident. And it's been a very difficult few weeks for us.

Speaker 3 Robert Salazar has found a new job in sales.

Speaker 3 The Oriana family was left with nothing but pain.

Speaker 10 It's been a long six years, and to culminate in this, it's devastating. Our family will always maintain that he was responsible for her death.

Speaker 3 And for Ray Rodriguez, it was a bitter end to a long battle.

Speaker 5 I still think that he did it.

Speaker 3 You think he got away with murder?

Speaker 5 Yes.

Speaker 5 And that's our system.

Speaker 8 Here for the Lowe's early Black Friday deals?

Speaker 19 You're right on time for some of our biggest savings. We're talking up to 50% off select major appliances, plus up to an extra 25% off when you bundle select major appliances.

Speaker 19 Holiday lights going up soon? Select ladders are up to 50% off right now. Get Black Friday prices without the Black Friday crowds.
Lowe's, we help. You save.
Valent through 1119.

Speaker 19 Selection varies by location. Select locations only.
While supplies last. See Lowe's.com for more details.

Speaker 16 Now streaming on Paramount Plus. Dearest Eva, I think about you all the time.

Speaker 3 Once I find you and your daughter, then I will kill you both.

Speaker 20 Those words and those threats were absolute psychological terrorism.

Speaker 16 Surviving 12 years of terror. You be prepared for my arrival.

Speaker 15 Oh my god, he found our house and he was coming.

Speaker 16 My nightmare stalker: the Eva LaRue story, now streaming on Paramount Plus.