Evil Prevails

0:13Speaker 1:It's a restless night in southern California. The telephone rings at the Baker household. In mister Baker's hand reaches for the receiver, greeted by a gravelly, hushed voice on the other end telling him that they have his son Ron. If mister Baker ever wants to see him again, he'd better hand over one hundred grand. Then the caller abruptly hangs up, and mister Baker consults his wife downplaying the call, he nonchalantly relays what was said and assures her that it was probably just a tasteless prank by one of Ron's friends. He was a popular kid and they had just spoken with him, confirming his well being. This demand seems absurd and almost childish. Yet the next day brings another ominous call, the same unsettling voice, but this time the caller threatens the entire families lives unless they're ransom is met. Welcome to Sword and Scale Nightmares, True Crime for Bedtime or Nightmare Beginnings Now. In nineteen ninety, the Bakers resided in California's San Fernando Valley, a region still haunted by the notoriety of serial killer Richard Ramirez and his recent reign of terror, equally etched in memory where

2:33Speaker 1:the gruesome Hollywood homicides associated with Charles Manson and his family, if you can call it that, who had resided at the nearby Spawn Ranch. Within this famous and infamous landscape, the Chatsworth Trained Tunnel beckons the curious, especially about what lies in the dark. The tunnel, ordinarily pitch black, is the home for some of the creepiest graffiti in the country. Cryptic symbols, ritualistic scrawlings, and even threatening words cover the tunnel's walls, hinting at an ongoing fascination with the mystical and metaphysical. Ron Baker was once such young man who thought outside the box when it came to religion. Born and raised a Methodist, his open minded parents were okay with Ron's spiritual experimentation. I mean, he was a good kid, after all, everyone knew it, so they weren't alarmed that he wore a pentacle around his neck. After all, he also wore a cross, so I guess it balances out. Ron, who was tall and slender, still styled his hair like glam rock bands of the mid to late eighties, big with lots of hairspray. He was a great student, don't get me wrong, and he had aspirations of becoming an astrophysicist.

4:05Speaker 1:So when it was time they head off to college, ron chose the prestigious UCLA. He soon found a mixture of students who were as eager as he was to discover what else was out there, both in their town and the universe. They dubbed themselves the Mystic Circle or the Bruins for Metaphysical Inquiry, whatever the fuck that means. The Chatsworth Tunnel was a well known hangout for locals as well as tourists. All who dared to go in there had one thing in common. They were brave enough and down for a challenge. To get to the historic train tunnel, they had to hike up rocky hills, and at the top, the supervised park area gave way to an eerie atmosphere in anticipation of what lay ahead inside.

4:59Speaker 1:A very occasional train still passed through, but this wasn't likely in the dark of night. It was typically still silent and scary. To add to the fright, the Mystic Circle group of friends would often go to drink, hold seances and learn about pagan beliefs all the fun stuff when you're a kid. Although Ron and his friends were not known to practice black magic or perform sacrificial rituals, other groups did. From time to time, visitors could find slaughtered dogs or cats and other indications of dark beliefs.

5:42Speaker 1:If those spray painted words about LSD Hell and the Devil weren't fear provoking enough, the pentagrams and leftover animal carcasses, would you know, scare the Bejesus out of Most normal people think blair witch vibes. But not Ron and his friends. They knew that some practitioners would twist the concepts of paganism, or at least the modern day religion, and that wasn't who they were or what they stood for. This weird self segregation happens and just about every belief system ever heard of. Protestants. By the way, where do you think their name comes from? Anyway? June twenty first was a significant day of the year for the pagan studying community because it was Summer Solstice. Unsurprisingly, Ron planned on getting together with his friends and doing just that, well, at least the partying part of it. The very next day, after the summer solstice was June twenty second, nineteen ninety.

6:51Speaker 1:On that morning, which followed the longest day of the year, a duo of hikers made their way up the rocky hillside, excited to see the sinister but popular local, equipped with backpacks containing flashlights, water bottles, tarot cards, and a jacket just in case got cold inside the tunnel, you know, like Mom always said, take your jacket. They climb closer and closer to the formidable black hole of an entrance. One turns to the other at this point, and with a dubious face, asks, are you sure you want to do this? The other answer is, in a cool fashion, come on, we've hiked all this way. They trek forward, and just as they enter, they stumble upon something far more frightening and something they absolutely were not prepared for.

7:46Speaker 1:A dead body is lying on the cool damp stones near the tracks. It's a mangled corpse whose attire features a necklace adorned with a pentagram pendant. Horrified, they become aware that what they're looking at is a cold, rigid body covered in puncture wounds. Old blood, but blood that is nevertheless still reddish, is covering his clothing and his once azure eyes are glazed over and affixed to the dimming blue sky. His mouth is open and blood trickles from its corners. But most shocking is the huge, gaping slash encircling his neck to such a degree that his head tilts to the side as if it's nearly unattached.

8:41Speaker 1:The hiker's faces turn gray as they run back down the hill, ignoring the stones, rocks, and small shrubs that could trip them into injury. When they reach the bottom of the hill, they breathlessly jog to the nearest park ranger station. Now they are completely out of breath and doubling over while attempting to describe what they just saw. The ranger pleads, slow down, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. They both gasp and make out the same words at the same time. It's a dead body up there. Shaking his head in disbelief, the ranger radios for help. Initially, the LAPD determined that the deceased might have been a transplant traveler who met an unfortunate fate in a collision with a passing train. So much blood, but on closer inspection it was clear this was no accident.

9:44Speaker 1:Who was this and what happened to him? This homicide was starting to look like some kind of twisted, ritualistic slaying. In nineteen ninety, a body was discovered the day after Summer Solstice by the Chatsworth Tunnel. The authorities were already concluding that this was an occult killing. It only made sense. The urgency to crack this case as swiftly as possible was palpable, as they were well aware of the looming fear among local Californians the grim reminder of the Manson family murders. Meanwhile, the Bakers now realize that ron may be missing. The two ransom demands from a stranger linger in their minds, and they realize they need to call the police, who have a body, and their fears are mounting.

11:26Speaker 1:On the other end of the line, the officer silently nods in affirmation as the Bakers provide an exact description of the deceased their son. Then comes a heartbreaking question, does Ronnie wear a pentagram and to cross? The response, filled with despair, is a somber yes and stunning disbelief. The devastated parents make their way to the morgue where ron has been registered as John Doe number one thirty five. There they confirm the chilling reality that the lifeless body before them is their beloved child. Soon after, a barrage of inquiries regarding the Mystic Circle, its beliefs, and its practices inundates mister and Missus Barker. They steadfastly maintain that Ron adhered to the Wicca faith, which vehemently opposes all forms of violence, including rituals that involve harm. They adamantly profess a belief in nonviolence, distancing themselves from any involvement in bloodshed. This stance leaves the detectives pondering whether the murder might have been perpetrated by another occult group or possibly by a stranger wandering through the Lack of evidence at the scene also suggested that Ron's murder may not

12:57Speaker 1:be connected to ritualistic sacrifice. The scene just didn't match up with any other of that nature. The police embark on the usual crime solving routine that involved talking with the last people who saw Ronnie. That would be his roommates Duncan and Nathan. The young men said that on the previous evening, ron told them that he was going to visit some of his Mystic Circle members, and they may head up to the tunnel. Duncan and Nathan in turn, we're going to grab some beers and go to an abandoned school building to talk about Nathan's girlfriend. The relationship was starting to get serious, but the girl was also starting to get on his nerves. They clearly remembered dropping Ron off at the bus stop that night, the night he went missing. Ron's funeral was exceptionally sad. A young man in his prime mutilated and left for dead in one of the most terrifying locations around. All of Ron's friends were shaken and visibly disturbed, including his roommates and especially Duncan. Duncan even presented Ron's eulogy, commemorating him as the lovable friend he was and the talented star he would have become. Ron's parents saw that Duncan was so

14:20Speaker 1:bereaved and now with the roommate situation broken up, they wondered if he wanted to move in with them for a while so they could all help each other through this hard time. He agreed, remembering the phone calls from the previous week. They can't help, but wonder if their decision not to involve the police earlier was a fatal mistake. With all the tourists and transient traffic in southern California, the caller and killer could be anyone, maybe even someone here illegally. They informed Duncan, now living in their home, about the harrowing phone calls. In the days that follow, his nerves are palpable and a paranoia creeps in. He makes a call to a close friend. The girl answers her phone at the same time that her answering machine picks up. For you, young people, an answering machine is kind of like voicemail, but it was actually a physical box initially with a cassette tape in it. I could explain what a cassette tape is to you, youngins, but I'm not going to look it up, google it, or ask chat GPT about it. Anyway. She answers the phone, and at the same time her answering machine starts recording.

15:42Speaker 1:It's Duncan gasping and stammering. She hears the tension in his voice as he confides that they are after him. Confused, she naturally asks who is after you, and he responds breathlessly, telling her about his newfound information. The ransom calls and he thinks he's next now that he's living in the Baker home. She hears his breathing pickup pace, followed by nefarious clunking noises. Duncan says the word no, but she doesn't know who he's talking to. Then click, and just like that, Duncan is gone for two years. The two years passed with no leads, no further information, and no real focus due to the sensationalist news coverage surrounding the occult. Finally, the cops circled back around to Duncan and Nathan, the last two to have seen Ron alive. Nathan was in jail for petty crimes, but Duncan seemed to have fallen off the radar poof gone disappeared. If he was kidnapped, there were no leads to follow, that is until they received a call from an officer in Utah, where they were holding him for using a fraudulent passport. Putting the pieces together, they had a dead body with a case gone cold. One of the last people to see that

17:17Speaker 1:person alive, the one that eventually turned into the body, and he's got a fake passport. I don't know about you, but it's kind of starting to add up. A polygraph was worth a shot, so they brought him in. While Nathan didn't completely fail the test, Duncan, on the other hand, gave answers that just about broke the needle. So he lawyered up and made a deal he would talk, but only with total immunity. Duncan admits that he was involved in Ron's killing, but maintains that Nathan was actually the creator of the plan and the one actually responsible for the murder. He says that he and Nathan are sitting in front of the TV one night watching the crime show Dragnet, and the plot is about kidnapping and ransom.

18:15Speaker 1:Nathan brags that he can do better than the characters on the show. He can get even more money and it'll be easy, he says. The pair convince Ron to go with them to the tunnels, where they're going to drink and meet up with girls, even though Ron doesn't drink. As the trio walks gingerly down the eerie tracks, their flashlights casting elongated shadows in the dank darkness, a sudden misstep sends Nathan tumbling. Duncan remembers that his lighthearted friend Ron takes a chance to lift the mood and interjects by chiding Nathan about his fall, but the reaction he triggers is a bit shocking. Nathan's demeanor abruptly transforms into that of fury, and in a chilling turn of events, he reveals a gleaming knife. Nathan's eyes widen and turn into black pools of nothingness. There's nothing behind that blackness.

19:19Speaker 1:There's no soul there, not anymore. Duncan in fact describes him as having the appearance of someone who doesn't have a soul. Nathan begins furiously puncturing Ron with sharp thrusts into his stomach, into his back, arms, and legs. Duncan's voice quivers as he remembers being so afraid of Nathan that he goes along with whatever he wants, which is to make the ransom call to the Baker's. This information was all revealed in what is known as a King for the Day deal given to him by the detective's desperately trying to solve the case. Duncan would be allowed to say as much as he wanted and nothing could be used against him. It's a pretty sweet deal, and nothing good ever comes without a hitch. Duncan must never ever talk about this case to anyone after telling his story, or he would risk going to trial for murder. So Duncan talks, but not really about himself. He lays it all on Nathan. He adds details to fill in some of the gaps, saying that after he made the call, went home and cleaned up. He and Nathan went to a party. The day after Ron's murder, Duncan phoned the Bakers again. Sadly they had no idea that their son

20:48Speaker 1:was already dead and that no amount of ransom money would ever bring him back. According to Duncan, he and Nathan were only joking about the ransom play, and he was shocked when Nathan went for Ron with the knife. What no one knew yet was that he was the one who directed Nathan to finish him off. Cut his throat, don't leave him alive. During the brutal stabbing, the cops already knew Ron had someone else's blood under his fingernails. He put up a hell of a fight. Sophisticated DNA analysis wasn't yet in full swing in the early nineties, but they could identify the blood type and hope for the best. Unbelievably, the blood discovered on Ron was the rarest kind, belonging to only four percent of the population.

21:46Speaker 1:Maybe positive. It wasn't Duncan's, so was it Nathan's. They needed two things, a confession from Nathan and a matching blood type. All the detectives could do was let Duncan go, and they didn't have anything else to arrest either one on. Given that everything Duncan laid out was secondhand, if Duncan wasn't going to admit more involvement, they'd have to use him as bait for trapping Nathan. Duncan complied, after all, this would work out well for him if he could pin everything on Nathan. With Nathan behind bars for a bank robbery, he was easy to track down. With the discovery of abe positive blood found on Ron and matching Nathan, they add fuel to their determination, But their strategy takes a turn as they engineer a phone call between Duncan and Nathan, the two former accomplices who maintain a chilling silence for two years. In this high stakes conversation, Duncan masterfully broaches the subject of that fateful night, specifically addressing Nathan's suspicious scratches. His words flow with persuasive eloquence, almost like a performance by a seasoned Hollywood actor, skillfully coaxing

23:15Speaker 1:Nathan to peel back the layers of secrecy and confess to being present at the tunnel on the night of the murder. As the phone time expires, the call concludes, but it doesn't end there. Nathan, swayed by Duncan's charisma and the emotional weight of their shared past, extends an invitation for a face to face visit at the jail, setting the stage for a potentially explosive encounter. What Nathan didn't know was that Duncan was wired. During the visit, Duncan came tantalizingly close, so close to coaxing Nathan into an criminating revelation, but this still wasn't enough. In the aftermath of that pivotal conversation, Duncan carried on with his life, while Ron's aspirations and astrophysics lay in the grave with his dead body. He returned to college, this time embarking on a journey into the realm of film studies, showcasing a flare for the dramatic arts. How appropriate on campus, he effortlessly won over the admiration of his peers, securing an unsuspecting girlfriend who was captivated by his charm, enthusiasm, and sharp intellect. It was bad enough that Duncan was living large. Still, the fact that he was the very

24:47Speaker 1:friend to deliver a heartfelt eulogy and ingratiate himself into the grieving family's life added a layer of boldness, sort of grossness, I guess you would say, to the whole situation. The authorities just couldn't overlook that it's psychopathic. The pursuit of justice was far from over, and the persistent detectives refused to relent. They urged Duncan to make yet another call to Nathan, and they record the call. Man, I just need to get a home in my life. You know you left blood in that tunnel and they're on my case. This is something you did to me and I'm not gonna go down for I don't know what I'm gonna say, Nathan. It sounds like you got this all tucked away and don't even think about it. That's when Nathan inadvertently releases the damning words that would help and snare him. It was a mistake. He says, those four words are the crucial puzzle piece that investigators have been looking for to apprehend the killer, but due to their prior arrangement, they have to drop off Duncan at the school and let him go on with his life.

26:11Speaker 1:Just as he exits the car, he unexpectedly extends an olive branch to detectives, remarking something along the lines of how under different circumstances they could have been friends, because they're really cool. Two years have eclipsed since Ron's life was tragically taken, and now the holiday season has arrived. It's always kind of a dark time for those that have lost loved ones around the holidays. I don't think I have to explain why Duncan makes a serious misstep by attempting to rob a sporting goods store, an endeavor that proves unsuccessful. He's swiftly arrested by the Salt Lake City Police, who are taken aback by his nice demeanor and his willingness to confess his role in the burglary openly.

27:42Speaker 1:But what surprises them even more is the unusual request he makes en route to the jail. As they pause at Duncan's residence to get his ID. He asks them to take care of his pet rat while he's gone, almost like he feared he'd be gone for a long time. And then Duncan does something that will level the scales of justice. He says he only did the burglary because someone was forcing him. He says they would rat him out about his involvement in the Ron Baker case. He just broke the agreement, the one keeping him out of jail like forever. Finally, the pair would be tried in open court for murder due to the ransom calls, the crime was most definitely premeditated. In nineteen ninety six, Nathan's trial and verdict came fast, but Duncan, the bright and cunning young man, he was turned down a plea deal, hoping to be acquitted. The defense insisted he was not the killer, he was coerced and his information was valuable in closing the case. But the jury, of mostly rational people, I would say, couldn't get over the fact that Duncan had told Nathan to finish him off. That little detail just stuck in their minds and affected their decision. Three

29:17Speaker 1:young college men with potentially bright futures ahead, one murdered mercilessly in a foe kidnapping gone wrong, and two would be sitting in prison serving out life sentences without parole, but one of them would make it out. In twenty nineteen, Governor Gavin Newsom took the seat as California's governor. Remember him, the one responsible for the state of California today, the one that keeps getting elected somehow. One of his first actions involved the forgiveness of convicts. Of course, he loves convicts, just fucking loves him, except he wouldn't really want him over for lunch or anything, you know, just wants them out freely walking around California all the time. Anyway, What of Gavin or Govin's first actions involved the forgiveness of convicts?

30:17Speaker 1:While in office, Newsome handed out a total of one hundred and forty four pardons, one hundred and twenty three commutations, and thirty six reprieves. One of these occurred in twenty twenty for a once clean cut young man named Duncan Martinez. Fair haired, blue eyed, Duncan was to serve the same sentence as Nathan Playlock, but because he was a model prisoner, he was released at the age of fifty two. After being given a deal that would have kept him out of prison altogether. Duncan just couldn't keep his smart mouth shut.

30:57Speaker 1:When he was arrested for burglary. A few years after killing Ron Baker, Duncan blabbed to an officer in Utah some details about the incident. All along. Duncan claimed that Nathan was the planner, executor, and general leader of the two. He professed to be afraid of Nathan, but few people knew that Nathan also accused Duncan of the same thing. According to Nathan, it was all Duncan's idea. While he admitted there was some truth to Duncan's version, he maintained that he stabbed Ron maybe twice. No big deal now.

31:40Speaker 1:Thanks to Governor Gavin Newsom's pardon, Duncan would live out his remaining years as a freeman, while Ron Baker's corpse lay dead in a tunnel, his promising life cut short. Nathan continues to serve out his sentence for openly admitting his role, at least in part and well because he missed his deadline to appeal. It may be a blessing that Ron's parents were deceased at the time of Duncan's release. Otherwise, they may have made a little bit of noise and affected the governor's poll ratings a bit. But his sister and her family are alive and well, and they're not happy.

32:26Speaker 1:Of course. Duncan, touted as an ideal prisoner who followed all the rules, was obviously far more cunning, magnetic, and charming than Nathan. It's obvious to many that he was the mastermind, besides that he was the first to snitch on his accomplice Nathan. In a recent interview, Duncan talks about earning a fine arts degree in film an a student no doubt. It turns out that Duncan was part of a drama therapy program in prison and was able to fulfill his lifelong dream acting. The shadows of that fateful night refuse to dissipate, casting a long and mournful veil over the Baker family's existence. At least one of Ron's murderers has re emerged into society, walking among us, almost as if he struck a deal with the devil himself and traded places with Ron. Soon, his minion Nathan may also join him thanks to you know, the devil, proving that we all live in a world where sometimes evil prevails. If you enjoyed the show, please consider joining plus at sore to ndscale dot com slash plus, But if you can't, consider leaving us a positive review on your preferred listening platform. Sweet dreams and goodnight,