Who Killed the Prosecutor?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Ed Jagels (0:16)

He was an extraordinary guy.

Erin Moriarty (0:18)

Steve Tauzer was a prosecutor with a heart.

Janet Crosby (0:21)

He was really brilliant.

SPEAKER_5 (0:23)

He had like a mandate to become a savior in the world almost.

Erin Moriarty (0:27)

His vicious murder stunned law enforcement and the whole community.

Laura Lopez (0:31)

Whoever committed this crime had something personal against Mr. Tauzer.

Erin Moriarty (0:36)

Investigators suspected revenge, an enemy he'd made fighting crime.

John Solis (0:41)

Possibly a madman that was full of hate.

Erin Moriarty (0:44)

But that's not where the evidence would lead them.

Dave Drewliner (0:47)

The DNA indicates to us quite clearly.

Erin Moriarty (0:50)

Erin Moriarty asks a difficult question. Was the prosecutor hiding a secret?

Chris Hillis (0:55)

He was completely obsessed with my son.

Erin Moriarty (1:00)

Was Steve Tauzer just trying to save a life, and in the end, it cost him his own?

Ed Jagels (1:06)

He was convinced there was no one he couldn't save.

Erin Moriarty (1:10)

A 48 Hours mystery. Who killed the prosecutor?

SPEAKER_10 (1:28)

911, what's your emergency? Uh, I have to report somebody may be dead, may be a homicide.

Erin Moriarty (1:35)

The convoys on the phone that Sunday afternoon...

SPEAKER_10 (1:38)

I just see a man laying there on a harp.

Erin Moriarty (1:41)

gave no hint of what Bakersfield, California, investigators were about to encounter.

SPEAKER_12 (1:48)

In Bakersfield, a veteran prosecutor has been found murdered.

SPEAKER_13 (1:54)

September the 15th, 2002, Assistant District Attorney Steve Tauzer was found dead in his garage...

Erin Moriarty (2:01)

Sheriff Carl Sparks, as well as the entire legal community, was stunned by the murder of Steve Tauzer, the Kern County Assistant District Attorney, for almost 20 years.

SPEAKER_13 (2:14)

Steve had a lot of friends in this community, and I count myself as one of those friends.

John Solis (2:19)

Mr. Stephen Tauzer was a very influential individual.

Erin Moriarty (2:24)

When Homicide Detective John Solis arrived on the scene, this is the point of entry. He knew this was no ordinary investigation.

John Solis (2:34)

What we found once we made entry inside the garage was Stephen Tauzer's body, and he was lying face down.

Erin Moriarty (2:42)

Steve Tauzer had been stabbed repeatedly in the head.

John Solis (2:48)

Whoever killed Mr. Tauzer was possibly a mad man who was full of hate.

Ed Jagels (2:57)

Well, of course, I was shocked and very saddened. He was an extraordinary guy.

Erin Moriarty (3:03)

District Attorney Ed Jagels was both Tauzer's boss and a long-time friend.

Ed Jagels (3:08)

He was always loaning or giving money to family members and other people. He was interested in salvaging people. He was just that kind of guy.

SPEAKER_14 (3:19)

In a way, he was more like an uncle, and we looked up to him and just thought he was the greatest.

Erin Moriarty (3:27)

Growing up in Northern California, Steve Tauzer was the oldest of 14 children, a role model for his sisters.

SPEAKER_14 (3:36)

He liked to play with my kids.

Erin Moriarty (3:38)

Tauzer, a lifelong bachelor, was Uncle Steve to over 25 nieces and nephews.

SPEAKER_14 (3:45)

It's been really hard on the kids. After Steve died, he was a big part of the whole ranch up here.

SPEAKER_5 (3:53)

He had like this mandate to become a saviour in the world almost, to do something really good and helpful to people.

Erin Moriarty (4:01)

That's why he became the prosecutor known for his big heart.

Janet Crosby (4:05)

Tauzer was as much an everyman as he was really brilliant.

Erin Moriarty (4:11)

Janet Crosby was Steve Tauzer's assistant for six years.

Janet Crosby (4:15)

Every time before he went off to handle a huge case, you'd have to make sure he tucked in his shirt and we'd straighten his collar. He was just a regular guy, but he was completely brilliant. The brutality of his murder is just, it's just unthinkable to me.

Erin Moriarty (4:30)

In the years Tauzer was with the DA's office, he made many friends and dangerous enemies, criminals he had helped put away.

Laura Lopez (4:39)

We investigated different avenues, including drug dealers, drug users.

Erin Moriarty (4:45)

Detective Laura Lopez worked the case with John Solis.

Laura Lopez (4:50)

However this crime was committed and whoever committed it was very, very forceful and very, very angry.

Erin Moriarty (4:56)

How many weapons?

John Solis (4:57)

There were three knives that were found.

Erin Moriarty (5:01)

Was there any sign of forced entry?

John Solis (5:03)

No, no forced entry that we found.