Nightline Full Broadcast — Tuesday, May 12, 2026

[0:04] This is Nightline. [0:06] Tonight, crimes that bind JonBenet Ramsey's father. [0:10] The mystery of the little girl found strangled in the basement of her house. [0:13] People want to know the answer. Why did this happen? Who did this? [0:18] Now bonding with another dad whose life was also rocked by an infamous crime, [0:23] revealed in the Netflix doc Unknown Number. [0:25] Owen loves me, and I will always be the girl he loves. [0:29] He will be with me while your lonely, ugly is alone. [0:33] His first interview since his daughter's story ended in a shocking twist no one saw coming. [0:39] My wife at the time, you know, said, I'll take care of it. [0:42] But really, it wasn't. It was just getting worse and worse and worse. [0:44] How the crimes against their daughters brought them together. [0:47] And what might be the key to finally solving JonBenet's murder? [0:51] They said, look, you guys have been fighting a war with bulls and arrows. [0:55] This is a nuclear weapon. Use it. [0:58] Plus, no doubt, exclusive. [1:00] The ABC News interview, the band's first in more than a decade. [1:05] This doesn't feel real. [1:06] The Gwen Stefani-led group with hits like Don't Speak. [1:10] At their first ever Vegas residency, at the Sphere, [1:16] we take you behind the scenes and down memory lane. [1:19] It's overwhelming for us, and Gwen's seeing it for the first time right now. [1:23] I'm just like, it's real. [1:24] How the band turned heartbreak into mega hits. [1:27] I think no one's talking about the real, like, the dirt, though. [1:33] What's the dirt? [1:34] From ABC News headquarters in New York, this is Nightline. [1:41] Thanks for joining us. [1:42] Tonight, two fathers whose lives were changed forever by crime. [1:46] JonBenet Ramsey's father and the dad whose teenage daughter was viciously cyberbullied by someone in her own family. [1:53] Their story told in a wildly popular documentary. [1:57] We learn how she feels about it now. [1:59] And both fathers, once at the center of a firestorm, now back in the headlines, [2:03] and embarking on a surprising journey together. [2:08] The mystery of the little girl found strangled in the basement of her house. [2:12] Jon Ramsey says the murder of his six-year-old daughter, JonBenet, [2:15] has haunted his family for nearly three decades. [2:18] A lot of people have empathized with our case. [2:24] They want to know what's going on, because there has not been a solution. [2:28] Ramsey is now joining forces with another father, [2:31] the pair both touched by crime in very different ways. [2:35] You always have it with you. [2:36] It brings back the memories, and you just, you don't want to feel that anymore. [2:39] Sean LeCari's teen daughter, Lauren, [2:41] the victim of a relentless and vicious cyberbullying campaign, [2:45] featured in Netflix's hit documentary, Unknown Number, The High School Catfish. [2:50] Hi, Lauren. [2:53] Ellen is breaking up with you, no longer likes you, and hasn't liked you for a while. [3:00] The culprit? [3:01] A twist nobody saw coming. [3:03] What was that like for you, to live in that scrutiny? [3:07] I just wanted to run and hide. [3:08] It was just like, it was bad. [3:12] Now, the two men coming together in a multi-city tour, sharing their stories. [3:17] It is intended, I think, to be kind of an up-close and personal discussion about some well-known crimes. [3:25] People want to know the answer. [3:28] Why did this happen? [3:29] Who did this? [3:34] 82-year-old John Ramsey is on a lifelong quest to find his daughter's killer. [3:39] There is a real sense that you're in it to try to clear your name, your family's name. [3:45] My real purpose is to keep pressure on the police, to say, I'm not going away, boys and girls, so you better do your job. [3:55] Police continue their investigation into the murder of six-year-old John Benet Ramsey. [4:00] John Benet would be 35 years old if she were alive today, her case so mystifying it's still baffling investigators. [4:08] His body was found the day after Christmas in her family's Boulder home. [4:12] How do you think the media coverage of your case affected the investigation and the aftermath? [4:20] Well, it supported the police objective to put pressure on Patsy and I. [4:27] In November 2024, after a wave of renewed public attention on the case, the Boulder police released a video. [4:34] It is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find John Benet Ramsey's killer. [4:41] Our commitment to that has never wavered. [4:44] Where does the case stand now with Boulder police? [4:47] Well, the new chief, I've met with him now four or five times and always been willing to sit down and talk, but he doesn't tell us much. [4:56] For Sean Licari, speaking publicly about his family's ordeal isn't easy. [5:01] Our interview is his first since the Netflix documentary, Unknown Number, became a hit last summer. [5:06] Owen loves me and I will always be the girl he loves. [5:11] He will be with me while your lonely, ugly ass is alone. [5:16] The saga began in 2021 in the small community of Beale City, Michigan. [5:21] At the age of 13, Sean's daughter Lauren and her then boyfriend began receiving vulgar and insulting anonymous texts. [5:28] By the next year, Lauren was bombarded daily, including some messages encouraging Lauren to take her own life. [5:34] My wife at the time, you know, said, I'll take care of it. [5:37] And I just let it go, thinking it'd go away. [5:39] But really, it wasn't. [5:40] It was just getting worse and worse and worse. [5:42] For 15 months, Lauren endured explicit texts, her family reporting them to law enforcement and school officials. [5:50] When the FBI finally stepped in, the texts were traced back to one jaw-dropping IP address. [5:57] The person behind it all, Sean's wife and Lauren's own mother, Kendra Licari. [6:03] What was that moment of discovery like for you? [6:11] I kind of lost the words, you know. [6:13] I would never do something like that, you know, to my own child. [6:17] It was just mind-blowing what happened. [6:20] Were there red flags to you? [6:21] I'll give her an A on it, you know. [6:23] She had everybody fooled, you know, and I lived with her, you know. [6:26] We were married for, you know, 20-plus years. [6:28] We had tens of thousands of text messages, whether they were messages that were just to her daughter or some of her daughter's friends. [6:35] And the digital footprint was just insane. [6:38] In many ways, this cost her a childhood. [6:41] Mm-hmm. 100%. [6:44] The moment the sheriff calmly confronts Kendra in their home, seen on body camera footage from the documentary. [6:50] If we come up with some stuff, that comes back to you. [6:54] What do you mean? [6:56] The message is coming and originating from you? [6:59] No. [7:01] He tells me that, unfortunately, it's your wife. [7:04] And I was just, I'm looking at him like, what? [7:07] Like, what do I say? [7:09] My brain's just going everywhere. [7:12] Like, is this really true? [7:13] Kendra pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor, serving nearly 16 months in prison, and ordered not to contact Lauren. [7:21] She was released in August 2024. [7:23] She would love to have her sit in a chair and question her mom why, but will we get the answer? [7:31] No. [7:32] She'll just, you know, make up her story, just like she had everybody else fooled. [7:35] And there's no face-to-face contact going on between? [7:38] No, no. [7:39] Nobody's talked on the phone and text messages. [7:41] My ex-wife, she can contact Lauren now. [7:46] It's been, you know, three years. [7:47] Her mom kind of says, you know, I'd like to see her, but Lauren changes the subject when she's not ready. [7:53] Today, Lauren is 18 and in college, hoping to become a dental hygienist. [7:58] Lauren and I are still there, and we're tough. [8:00] And it's just, how hard is it to start over at my age and to rebuild? [8:06] It's just... [8:07] It's a lot of sacrifice for a dad. [8:09] Yeah. [8:10] Yeah, I play a mom, I play dad, I work. [8:13] I just, I do it all. [8:17] Once the film came out, you know, I've been recognized at work. [8:19] There's so much support out there, you know, a great father, your daughter's amazing. [8:25] ABC News reached out to Kendra, but has not received a comment. [8:28] She explained her side in the Netflix doc. [8:31] When I go back, I am very disappointed in myself for allowing myself to get to where I got. [8:41] You know, I let my family down. [8:45] I sat across from Kendra, and she feels like she was trying to protect Lauren. [8:51] She said she was trying to protect her because when she was that age, some bad things happened to her, [8:57] and she didn't want bad things to happen to Lauren. [9:00] Alicia Sofios is the executive producer of Unknown Number. [9:05] Us on the outside don't accept that rationale because we see that she was the one bullying her daughter, [9:11] and she went to prison for it, and that's kind of the way she described it to me. [9:15] She apologized in court. [9:17] She said, I'm sorry to Lauren. [9:19] Do you buy that apology? [9:20] I don't really believe it. [9:23] Now Sean, John Ramsey, and other family members impacted by news-making crimes [9:28] will come together for the Crime Unfiltered tour in front of live audiences. [9:33] It's really important for people to understand these are real people. [9:37] I want people to sit at these shows and to hear the actual voices and to be able to ask questions. [9:45] Created by Nikki Jackson, a Purdue University criminal justice professor, along with Alicia. [9:50] I had this conversation with John, and he was talking about what happened to his daughter, [9:57] and it was the first time I really heard John the dad, the father, the heart. [10:05] Because when you do, I'm sure he's exhausted, he's tired, he's been fighting this for 30 years. [10:10] For John Ramsey, that fight for justice continues. [10:14] One last reason to hope, genetic genealogy. [10:18] Is there a part of you that thinks, what happens if they can't find the answer? [10:22] Well, I've told the police, this is our last weapon to find the killer. [10:29] If you employ it, and we come up empty-handed, I'll say, thank you. [10:34] You've done all you can do. [10:38] Our thanks to both fathers for that story. [10:41] And when we come back, the ABC exclusive interview with No Doubt, [10:44] as they embark on their first ever Vegas residency. [10:48] Gwen Stefani, back then, just a girl, [10:52] and dishes on all that band drama. [10:57] Like, crazy, like crazy stuff happened. [11:00] Welcome back to our exclusive, with No Doubt, [11:09] the 90s ska rockers led by singer Gwen Stefani, [11:12] known for their California vibes and for band drama. [11:16] That drama now seemingly part of the glue forever bonding them, [11:19] as they embark on their first Vegas residency. [11:22] Gwen becoming the first female headliner at the Sphere. [11:26] She and the band showed Nightline's Oshin Sing around their Sin City setup. [11:30] Feeling like their hit song, Hella Good, once again. [11:40] The multi-platinum rockers, still dancing. [11:47] This time at Las Vegas' one-of-a-kind immersive Sphere. [11:51] None of this is real, by the way. [11:53] This doesn't feel real. [11:54] It just doesn't... [11:55] You're asking questions and we're like... [11:57] It doesn't feel like... [11:58] I don't think it's hit y'all that you guys are back together. [12:00] Yeah. [12:01] It'll hit tomorrow night. [12:02] After nearly 14 years apart, [12:04] Gwen Stefani and her bandmates are part of a larger-than-life reunion. [12:08] You know, when we first decided to do this eight months ago, [12:11] Tom, Adrian, and I started getting together in Adrian's basement, [12:14] and we just started jamming. [12:17] We're almost playing as good as we used to. [12:18] Oh, look at that. [12:20] And you... [12:22] Look at that! [12:25] Underneath it all, they're now bringing their greatest hits [12:30] and a museum-grade collection of memorabilia to fans. [12:34] It's overwhelming for us that Gwen's seeing it for the first time right now. [12:38] I'm just like, is this... it's real? [12:41] Frontwoman Gwen Stefani, known today for her solo mega-hits. [12:45] Cause it ain't no Hollaback... [12:48] From Hollaback Girl... [12:49] And this shit bananas... [12:54] To No Doubt's ever-popular anthem, Just A Girl. [13:00] But before making it big as a musician, [13:03] she was just a girl in Anaheim, California. [13:07] Her brother starting the band in their garage in 1986, [13:10] with bassist Tony Canale, guitarist Tom Dumont, [13:13] and drummer Adrian Young. [13:23] The alt-rock band has gone on to sell over 33 million albums, [13:27] while winning two Grammys and touring the world four times over. [13:31] But it wasn't an easy road to get there. [13:34] We were on the outside looking in for years. [13:37] I mean, it took... [13:38] I think we were together for nine years before we had a song on the radio. [13:41] And you had an album out before then, too. [13:44] Two hours. [13:45] Uh, yeah. [13:45] And also, we weren't overly confident that we had a lane. [13:49] Especially in the early 90s on alternative radio. [13:52] You know, for me, it was a surprise that it took off like it did. [13:55] Oh, we made our own way. [13:57] Making their own way in music and in love. [14:01] I think no one's talking about the real, like, the dirt, though. [14:06] What's the dirt? [14:07] The dirt? You broke up with me. [14:08] Oh. [14:09] That's the tragic kingdom, right? [14:11] Hey, don't speak, man. [14:13] We were writing all these, like, fun, like, ska songs. [14:16] And then we started writing all of these, like, real heartbreaks. [14:20] Like, crazy, like, crazy stuff happened. [14:23] And that's when I think the songwriting really started to go to another, like, level. [14:29] Break up ballads like Don't Speak showcasing Gwen's heartbreak made into music. [14:35] You and me. [14:46] It was so innocent. [14:47] We didn't care, like, about what people would think. [14:50] We were just, we just were looking forward to the next, like, time we could find, like, [14:54] another 10 cents on the ground of our car after rehearsal to go to Del Taco. [14:58] Here you are using tragedy as this propeller for kind of what became your mainstream beginning. [15:04] The band was always the most important thing. [15:07] Even when we were broke, the band was the most important thing to all of us. [15:11] For, you know, better or worse. [15:14] I stayed in the band so I could hang out with Tony still, even though he broke up with me. [15:18] No, I'm kidding. [15:21] The soulful songwriter? [15:23] Unlocking a new level of meaning in their music. [15:26] When I discovered that I could write a song that just kind of channeled through me, [15:30] that really expressed exactly what I was feeling, [15:33] it was, like, this superpower that I just learned that I had. [15:36] We broke up, and I wrote this really mean song about him called Happy Now. [15:45] I'm, like, calling him up and, like, singing the lyrics over the phone, [15:49] and he's, like, that's really good. [15:55] Those songs skyrocketing the band to success. [15:59] Now more than 20 years later, the band is back together for their Sphere residency. [16:04] When we do get back on stage, it is undeniable there is a chemistry. [16:07] There's a real comfort, like, looking across the stage and seeing your friends for four decades. [16:12] Gwen, you're the first female artist to headline the Sphere. [16:16] Congratulations. [16:17] Thank you. I'm just a girl. I'm just a girl. [16:20] It's cool. I mean, honestly, I think that any human being to be able to headline the Sphere is just an honor. [16:27] You know, it's the future. [16:29] The immersive experience extending beyond the Sphere. [16:32] Where would the band, as they see for the first time, their memories now curated for adoring crowds? [16:38] It's been quite nostalgic. It takes you back to those places. [16:41] The garage where it all started? Recreated. [16:44] I've had this for, you know, 25 years. I had this custom made. [16:51] An early rehearsal ledger there, too. [16:53] You had to write your name and say, like, how much money you could pay that night for rehearsals. [16:58] And, like, mine, you can see on there is, like, $3 that I actually got from my dad. [17:02] All among the special no-doubt experience at the Venetian, presented by Vibe. [17:08] This is the prom photo right here. That is the actual photo. [17:11] The best part was that I was going to Cypress College at that point. [17:14] You were. [17:15] And I had to leave the prom to go home because by midnight. [17:20] Because my dad was like, no, you got to come home. [17:22] And I'm like, I graduated high school! [17:24] I'm in college. I haven't got curfew. [17:26] I can see every single person here! [17:28] And on opening night at the Sphere, no doubt, taking the stage to a sold-out crowd, 20,000 fans. [17:40] This residency at Sphere, does it feel like putting a bow on No Doubt? [17:48] Or does it feel like the next step for a band whose legacy is indomitable? [17:54] Oh, man, all of that. [17:56] It could be a bow? [17:57] Yes. [17:58] Or it could not? [17:59] It feels like a bow that might be untied. [18:01] I'd say age to perfection. Our thanks to Oshin. [18:09] And when we come back, caught on camera, Boomer the police dog's heart-pounding rescue. [18:14] Good boy, Boomer! [18:15] And finally, when an elderly man in Florida was, quote, missing and endangered, Boomer the bloodhound bounded into action. [18:29] It's tonight's nightlight. [18:31] The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office canine smelling a piece of 96-year-old Ray Cornett's clothing, then hitting the trail. [18:40] It wasn't long until Boomer dashed into a wooded area close by, sniffing all the way, and led deputies straight to Cornett, who was stuck under some brush. [18:50] Deputies helped him out of the woods and brought him home uninjured. [18:53] And all parties very grateful to Boomer the hero bloodhound. [18:58] Not all heroes wear capes. [19:02] That's Nightline. [19:03] You can watch all of our full episodes on Disney Plus and Hulu. [19:06] We'll see you right back here tomorrow, same time. [19:08] Thanks for staying up with us. [19:09] Good night, America.