[0:00]Someone was hit and bleeding profusely in the road. Oh my God, one of them is missing a hand. Identify yourself, come out with your hands up. The guy that is wanted, he's in the car with Shannon. He has her captive. He's tied up downstairs, bro. He's tied up. He says, "Don't turn around, or I'll blow your f***ing head off." How could people be so mean? He's a woodworker, they cut his hand off. After unleashing a brutal and deadly samurai sword attack on two random victims, a university student becomes the focus of a massive multi-state manhunt, but as investigators soon discover, his rampage of terror is far from over. Okay, where is he? Is he in here? You can't unsee what you saw. I know. The following report is based on official police records, and most of the footage has never been seen before until now. On the morning of May 22nd, 2020, a series of gruesome and frantic 911 calls begin coming in from residents of Mirtl Road in Willington, Connecticut. Get inside the f***ing house. This is 911. There's somebody beating up my neighbor with a bat. A dirt bike just came down, I don't know what happened, but I didn't see it, but someone's hit. Two people are hit really badly. Someone was hit and bleeding profusely in the road. And at the end of the Mirtl Road are two very hurt men, and then they got attacked by a guy on a motorcycle. This is an emergency. Okay, do you think they need an ambulance? Yes, you need two. He's threatening me and my family, and now he's about to drive away on a red motorcycle. Do we know who this person is? I have no idea. I just looked out my window and saw him. Okay. It's awful, I don't understand what happened. Oh, no, oh my God. Just stay on the phone, sir. One of 'em's missing a hand. Towel, get me the f***ing towel. My other neighbor is helping one of them putting a tourniquet around his arm. They're in really bad shape. The man behind this sudden and inexplicable attack has fled the scene, leaving only the vaguest clues behind for witnesses. He was a kid on a motorcycle, and he's probably on Route 320 now, I don't know where he went from there, he had a colored helmet on. Law enforcement arrives to find a bloody scene with two men lying in the road, 62-year-old Ted DeMers and 80-year-old John Franco. Their injuries suggest they were attacked with something less like a bat and more like a blade. They cut off some of the top of his head, do they need that with his hand? He's got a, it's just through and through, and both of his arms are amputated. It's like a nightmare. Oh my God. He helped the kid. What's that? He just helped this kid. The woman is Cindy DeMers, the wife of one of the victims. According to neighbors, the incident began when an unidentified young man asked her husband for some help with his motorcycle. Ted drove him on his ATV to the woodline, where his motorcycle had been left. The neighbors were next aware of Ted running back toward his house, screaming and being pursued by the mysterious stranger, who was wielding a long metal weapon. Clearly, he had some weaponry. We do not know what at the moment. They said a sword. State troopers locate a sword with red stains in the woods at the end of the road. Meanwhile, Cindy remains distraught over this apparently random attack. They're taking good care of him, okay? He doesn't look good. How could people be so mean? How could people do that to another person? He's a woodworker, they cut his hand off. As Ted and his attacker struggled in the road, 80-year-old neighbor John Franco shouted, "What the hell is going on out here?" The man in the helmet attacked him with the sword as well, leaving his hand partially severed and significant cuts to his head, neck, and shoulder, but there's no question that Ted DeMers got the worst of it. Our first grandbaby, Ted's gotta be okay! The details she gives the trooper are grim. He's got a huge gash on his left leg, that was also, we tried to wrap that and tighten it up, make a tourniquet out of it. Okay. I wrapped his right arm, that's been severed just below the elbow, and I wrapped his left hand that has his index finger missing.

[4:21]You can't unsee what you saw. I know. Oh my God. Cindy's emotions are laid bare as she tells her daughter-in-law what happened to her husband. Oh my God. It's terrible what happened to him. He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay. And big gashes, he cut his arm to here. He severed his arm off, he cut his finger off. He's got a big gash on his leg and a big gash on his head. What the hell happened? He was giving somebody a ride to get his motorcycle. But even in the midst of her shock, she must deliver the news again and again. Bruce, somebody attacked Ted, and they're lifestarring him to Harper's. Ted has been attacked in the end of our road. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. It's bad, it's bad, Bruce. They cut off his arm, they cut him up. Ted DeMers does not make it to the hospital. With several amputated fingers, a severed right hand, and a gaping head wound, he dies in transport. At the scene, the troopers need to know where their suspect is headed, and though they have very little to go on... Red motorcycle. It was a red and white helmet. It turns out to be enough. A witness calls police later that day to report finding a red Kawasaki Ninja abandoned in the woods, approximately four miles from the crime scene. They run the registration back to a 23-year-old University of Connecticut student by the name of Peter Manfredonia. He helped this kid to go get his motorcycle. Police still have no idea what brought this soon-to-be college senior to Mirtl Road. They speak to Peter's family, who tells them that he's undiagnosed bipolar and suffers from depression. They also mention his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Julia, noting that the relationship has, quote, "Soured to say the least." Whatever his motives, it's clear that Peter is not finished yet. There's a dead bolt. Look at that thing, maybe we could break this knob and just go in.

[7:00]Good. State police. Anybody in the house? You two up, I'll go down. Oh, who's up there? You're upstairs? Who's up there? State police. Downstairs. Identify yourself, come out with your hands up. Come out with your hands up. What was that? Put your hands up. Hands up. Who's in here? Who's in? Anybody else in here? Yeah, the guy you're looking for. That son of a b***h, he made a goddamn entrance in there. I've been here for two days. Okay, where is he? Where is he? He took my pickup, he stripped the f***ing house. He's gone. Is he in here? The guy's a wacko. Is he in here? He's not in here. Turn, where's the light? Where's the light? Right to your left, officer. Right here? No, around the corner, all the lights are up there. He's not in here. He's not in here. Where'd he go? I'm pretty sure. Clear this area. Down in the basement is 73-year-old Donald Hipsky, who says he's been held captive in his own house by the very man Connecticut Police are after, Peter Manfredonia. He's got the white pickup. That son of a b***h. He's not in here? If you're in here, put your hands up if you're in here. Put your hands up! Roger. If you're in here, come out. I don't know where he's going, but he's dangerous. Donald's warning will prove to be only too true. House is clear.

[8:38]We got some scary s**t right there, bro. So that motherf***er, he said he was here until this morning? Yeah, he's tied up downstairs, bro. He's tied up. I thought he was in the basement, the guy we were looking for, with him, I'm thinking 'cause I made a button turn. Yep. I'm thinking he was like right there, dude, but he's not, he left. He put the gun to the back of my head when I was sleeping. He says, "Don't turn around or I'll blow your f***ing head off." I said, "Oh boy, what a way to wake up in the morning." What time was that? It was maybe quarter after five. And that was today? No, that was Saturday morning. Where'd he get the handgun from in here? Has he had it? No, I had it, I sleep with it, especially with this joker running around. But I had it on the other bed, you know? Donald says that his attacker duct taped him to a chair and initially identified himself as Rick. When a news report about Peter Manfredonia's attack on Mirtl Road came on television, however, it was obvious that it was the same person. When Donald asked him why he did it, Peter said he hadn't slept for five days and, quote, "Just flipped." Peter held Donald captive for about 24 hours before fleeing with his truck and more than $1,000 in cash this morning. I heard you banging on the door, I was shouting. We couldn't hear you. No s**t. I am so happy to see you guys. Well, we're glad. Yeah, we're happy to see you. Yeah, we are actually ecstatic to see you standing upright, so. He seemed like a fairly decent guy, but he goes off the handle. You can't trust him. Right. You did capture him, he's under... No, he's still on the run. Really? Yeah. And, unfortunately, he's now more dangerous than ever. He took my goddamn Beretta, my f***ing handgun. Police know exactly where Peter abandoned Donald's truck and it so happens that their next horrifying 911 call comes from an apartment less than a mile away. 911, what's the address? Motherf***er! Hello, hello, 911, 911. Yes, yes. 911. 911. I need an ambulance here. I need everything, state police, everything, that motherf***er Peter Manfredonia stabbed my son! Where? Where are you? What town are you in? I'm in Derby, you gotta get here. Yes, just get here now. Sir, one of my other partners are already starting the ambulance.

[11:14]I'm just trying to get information from you. You gotta send everything you got, this is a crime scene, motherf***er! Listen, listen! No! Listen. Is the person that stabbed your son still there? No! What, sir, what is your name? No! The man says his son is 23-year-old Nick Eisele, a long time friend of Peter's. But beyond basic names and facts, he has nothing good to report. Is he awake? No, no, he's f***ing stabbed him hard, there's blood everywhere. Listen, I understand that, okay, we're gonna... They're here, I gotta get off the phone. Officers should be on scene. When police arrive, they find Nick's body. He hasn't been stabbed, he's been shot and he is deceased. Who they do not find is Nick's girlfriend Shannon, and Nick's father knows why. There was a black Volkswagen, Peter Manfredonia, the guy that is wanted, he's in the car with Shannon, he has her captive. Peter has not only killed again, he's taken another hostage. Shannon's fate remains unknown until 2:30 that afternoon when dispatchers get a 911 call from Knowlton Township, New Jersey, more than 100 miles away. Kyle is now on the line, female party Shannon said she was kidnapped from Connecticut and the guy that kidnapped her just left the truck stop in an Uber. The caller Kyle says he's an Instacart gig worker who was waiting for orders at the truck stop when a black Volkswagen Jetta pulled up beside him. A young woman named Shannon was at the wheel, but it was the man in the back seat who wanted his attention. The gentleman pulled into the truck stop. Yeah. And said he needed an Uber. Okay. And offered me money to call him an Uber, said he needed to get to work. So I called him an Uber. Okay. He just got into the Uber, but he's armed and I wanna make sure... What kind of weapon does he have? He has a little pistol, he fired three rounds into my boyfriend this morning. His name is Peter Manfredonia, he's wanted in Connecticut for murder. Spell his last name for me. M-A-N, as in Nancy, F-R-E-D, as in dog, O-N-I-A. Trust me, just Google him and you will know exactly who it is. It's fine, what's the first name again? Peter. Okay, do you know his date of birth or no? [redacted], I learned that from the Connecticut State Police post. Okay, and how do you know him? He showed up at my house this morning and shot my boyfriend. Okay, okay, but how do you know him? They were friends since elementary school. They went to Newtown together in Connecticut, we're from Connecticut. He put a gun to my head and made me drive him here. Shannon says that when she woke up that morning, she could hear Nick and Peter arguing in the living room. Nick told her to call 911, but Peter grabbed her phone away. A few seconds later, shots rang out. Peter then told her to get her keys before filling a duffle bag with around $2,000 worth of Nick's cash. I don't wanna kill you, he told her, and forced her to drive him to the interstate and beyond. No one knows that your boyfriend's been shot, right? I really hope my downstairs neighbor f***ing reacted to three gunshots. But if he didn't, then no. Oh my God, this isn't happening. This isn't happening, this isn't happening.

[14:28]Kyle gets back on the phone, concerned that he may have put an innocent Uber driver in mortal danger. Yeah, I'm really scared that he is gonna do something bad to the guy, but I didn't know what, 'cause I figured he had a gun on him or something. Kyle, who's able to follow Peter's Uber trip on his phone, gets an unsettling alert. Miss, miss? Yes. The Uber trip just ended, which it shouldn't have ended already, so I'm really concerned. He what? What did he do? The Uber trip, it ended, the trip ended. Where did it end? I don't know, it just says, "Thank you for riding." I'm scared that he did something to the guy. As it turns out, the driver is fine. Peter is seen on surveillance at a Walmart in nearby East Stroudsburg, getting out of the car and making his way behind the store on foot. Determined to get any information they can about this murderous suspect, the police bring Kyle in for an interview about what happened at the truck stop, starting with how Shannon managed to get away from Peter in the first place. Did she ever say to you why she thought she wasn't killed or anything like that? I can't believe he didn't kill me, or anything? She said that, um, I just finally told him, or she might have said it to me, I told him like, I can't keep driving anymore, like, I can't do this, like, you just need to call an Uber, and I can't take the pressure anymore, like, I don't want to keep driving. Shannon tells investigators that Peter entered a number of different destinations in her GPS at various times, including the Jersey Shore, Delaware and Nashville. She tried to drive erratically to attract police attention, but it was to no avail. When he agreed to finally let her go and pull into the truck stop, he had her park away from women and children in case he had to use his weapon. And then the Uber came up, um, and the guy, you know, handed me, he handed me a $100 bill, the Uber ride was like 60 bucks, so I'll give you a hundred. The first thing I noticed is that the money had blood on it, and then, within the time we were waiting for the Uber, I noticed that he also had blood on his hands. For the next three days, Peter remains free and on the run. But with the help of witness tips and surveillance videos, they track his last known whereabouts to a Pilot gas station in Hagerstown, Maryland. It's there that, on May 27th, five days after the brutal attack on Mirtl Road, police lay eyes on Peter Manfredonia for the first time and take him into custody without incident. Could I please get some food? Food? Yes. What kind? I can do the best I can. Anything. Okay. I'm starving. Okay, all right, no problem. The detectives hope to get some answers about one of the most bizarre and life-destroying crime sprees in recent memory. But Peter is first presented with an option. Your family has hired an attorney, okay? His name is Mike Dolan. He has contacted us and he's requested to talk to you first, okay? But it's up to you whether or not you wanna talk to him, so would you like to have a phone call with him?

[17:27]Yes, sir. Peter consults with his lawyer, but still agrees to sit down with the detectives, explaining that he's been living a rough life for the last few days. Walked until the blisters on my feet wouldn't let me walk anymore. You still have 'em, the blisters? Yeah. When you couldn't walk anymore, what happened? Uh, I decided to camp out for the night. I made a fire, really didn't get much sleep. Okay. Haven't gotten much sleep in the past couple of days. Peter's wilderness trek isn't precisely what investigators are interested in, but, for now, it's good to keep him talking. Did you ever take an Uber? Or some type of share, okay, or a share ride service? All right, how'd you get into an Uber?

[18:13]I got a new cell phone. Once the phone's activated, can you tell me what you did on the phone? Social media? I only downloaded the Uber app. Okay. Did you have it? I took pictures of my feet. Because of the blisters? Yeah. Throughout the interview, Peter is slow to answer, and when it comes to questions that get a little too close to something incriminating, he doesn't have much to say. Do you remember that at all? Remember that? Yeah. That... Mirtl Road in Willington. Uh...

[18:55]Very little. It's not something I've been thinking about. With answers about his actual crimes not forthcoming, the detectives switched to an incident from last year. Do you know what happened at UCONN in the dorm? The dorm? You must've been struggling with something. Yeah. Do you remember writing on the walls? Roughly 10 months ago, Peter's roommate called University of Connecticut Police when he found bizarre and disturbing writings all over the walls, one of which read, "Guns can be fun," in big letters. They spoke to Peter at the time, who explained he was upset over his breakup with his girlfriend, Julia. Were some of the writings on your wall, when that incident happened, was some of that because of what was personal to you? Yeah. Couldn't even tell you where my head was at for a period of that. Mm. You were just in like a bad way, like, just... Depressed, or? Yes, extremely. Most have been nearly my entire life. I mean, I couldn't help but notice, you know, that you made a reference to Adam Lanza, which I know it's a personal topic for all of us. You know, we all have some connection to what happened, but you grew up in Sandy Hook, okay?

[20:22]You went to Newtown High. I can imagine there's some personal connection there, like, was that something that bothered you? Yes. It was. Peter grew up down the street from the Lanza family. When Adam Lanza murdered 27 people, including 20 first-graders in 2012, Peter was in the 10th grade. On the walls of his off-campus apartment last year, he wrote, "We saw what happened when Adam snapped. We saw what happened when Thanos snapped. Now they see what happens when I snap." I was in a manic state and kind of anything, I couldn't even remember half the things that were on it. Would you compare that manic state that you were feeling then to maybe what you've been feeling the past few days? Is there any similarities there? Yes, I would say there are definitely similarities. Peter says that that period of darkness led to an era of renewal as he began training for triathlons and raising money for charities. I've just always been a big supporter of animals. My grandmother used to like take me fishing, and, like, when I was a kid, I'd just start like wailing every time that, like, we caught a fish and they put it in the cooler, and it just freaked me out. Peter's life improvements led him back to Julia earlier this month, but it was a short-lived rekindling. On May 18th, just four days before the attack on Mirtl Road, Julia sent him a series of text messages. "You're insane," she wrote, "I invite you over and you continue to f***ing go through my phone and go onto my accounts and act like you're some good guy. I don't want you in my life anymore, you f***ing psychopath." She later tells police that she caught Peter accessing her private nudes and sending them to himself.

[22:20]But whether this relationship crisis led Peter to commit these atrocities, the detectives don't know. When they get too close to Peter's crimes, he goes quiet. Do you want to tell us what happened in Willington? Uh, not without a lawyer. Do you remember going to Derby? Do you remember where you guys went? I need another question. Another question.

[22:58]I'm just trying to think if there's anything important that I should tell you guys. But soon, Peter has a question of his own. Can you guys track phones? Why? Just out of curiosity. Why would you ask me a question like that? Seems like an odd question to ask. I was just curious. Well, I'm curious about a couple things too. What do you think I'm curious about? How about this? I need another question. The detectives try once more to break Peter's reluctance to address his crimes. When we sit across from you, Peter, and we hear you say, "Another question," we know. I think that you wanna tell us, you know, I really believe that. You're a long way from home. You know, there's always a reason for it, but everyone's reasons are different. I mean, I've definitely been struggling with a lot of personal issues. It's the closest the detectives have gotten to any possible motivation for Peter's crime spree, an outburst of violence and aggression that Peter himself refuses to acknowledge. I mean, I think you know what we're getting at, and I would really like to know about the last, like, you know, five days or so of your life, and I understand if you have to protect your family, you know, I get that. Literally, I'd love to help you more. I totally understand, I get it, I get it. Police learn no more from Peter, and the real reasons behind his murders never come to light. According to Shannon, Peter told her on their long drive that the man on the ATV said something that triggered him. The other man, he said, "Just got in the way." As to why he was on Mirtl Road with a sword to begin with cannot be said for sure. What is known is that Peter's ex-girlfriend Julia lived only a few doors down from the attack. Were you told what the charges are in the warrant? Would I be able to go to the bathroom just to think for a minute? I would actually legitimately ask, I mean, I'm not trying, we're just making sure you know what you're charged with. The warrant, okay, is for murder, assault, home invasion, and kidnapping. Peter has no reaction, but despite his refusal to speak to his crimes today, he ultimately pled guilty to two counts of murder, for which he was sentenced to 55 years in prison each, one count of first degree assault, sentenced to 20 years, one count of home invasion, 25 years, and one count of first degree kidnapping, 25 years. All sentences will be served concurrently, giving Peter Manfredonia a practical sentence of 55 years in prison. He's currently serving his time at Garner Correctional, a high security state prison in Newtown, Connecticut.