View source for Louis Conradt (lost audiotape of assistant district attorney's final words and suicide; 2006)

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{{InfoboxLost 
|title=<center>Louis Conradt (audiotape)</center> 
|image=Louisconradt1.png
|imagecaption=Louis Conradt.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> 
}}
On 5th November 2006, a SWAT team entered the Terrell, Texas home of chief felony assistant district attorney Louis William "Bill" Conradt Jr., in response to search and arrest warrants imposed by the Murphy Police Department. This stemmed from Conradt being caught engaging in a sexually explicit online conversation with a 13-year-old male Perverted Justice decoy, as part of Dateline NBC hidden camera investigation series ''[[To Catch a Predator (partially found chatlogs, uncut interviews and police interrogations of Dateline NBC reality series; 2004-2007)|To Catch a Predator]]'''s Murphy, Texas sting. The attempted arrest ended disastrously when Conradt pulled out a Browning .380 pistol and shot himself in the head, which ended his life an hour later. It is known that '''an audiotape of Conradt's final words and subsequent suicide exists'''.

==Background==
Having grown up in Terrell, Texas, Louis Conradt ascended through the ranks of the Texas legal system, eventually becoming Kaufman County's district attorney.<ref name="esquire">[https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a3269/to-catch-a-predator/ ''Esquire'' providing a detailed account of Conradt's life and the botched arrest.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="case">[https://casetext.com/case/conradt-v-nbc-universal Conradt ex rel. Conradt v. NBC Universal, Inc. where claims on intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of civil rights were deemed to have merit.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="nytdeath">[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/us/prosecutor-kills-himself-in-texas-raid-over-child-sex.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on Conradt's suicide.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> Because of his almost-impenetrable knowledge of Texas law, he was universally credited as a formidable chief felony prosecutor, being deemed a tough opponent for any legal defence.<ref name="columbia">[https://archives.cjr.org/feature/the_shame_game.php ''Columbia Journalism Review'' documenting the botched arrest of Conradt and the controversial history of ''To Catch a Predator''.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/> After serving Kaufman County from 1980 to 2002, Conradt began campaigning for the role of the county's district judge, representing the Democratic Party.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> His opposition was Republican Howard Tygrett. Ultimately, despite an extensive county-wide campaign, Conradt was beaten by Tygrett, having received 7,899 votes (44.61% overall), compared to his opponent's 9,808 (55.39%).<ref>[https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist95_state.htm ''Texas Secretary of State'' providing the results of the 2002 General Election.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> The loss greatly affected Conradt, made worse by his campaign forcing him to resign as the county's district attorney beforehand.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> 

But after avoiding work for a year, and later fulfilling a fruitless role as a private defence lawyer, it appeared by 2006 that Conradt's career was back on track.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> He had become the chief felony assistant district attorney for Rockwall County.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="nytdeath"/> While a step down from his former Kaufman County position, it proved a positive move for he regained his passion as a prosecutor.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/> He also seemingly showed no hard feelings for Tygrett, as he publicly erected a sign backing his 2006 campaign.<ref name="esquire"/> Now aged 56, Conradt was still living in his childhood Terrell home, having acquired it and moved back in following the death of his father in 2000.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="nytdeath"/> Conradt notably never married, lived alone, and was described as a quiet and reserved individual by friends and relatives.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="nytdeath"/> Despite his career recovery, some friends suspected he never truly got over the loss from a psychological perspective.<ref name="esquire"/> This may have contributed to his actions in the days leading up to 5th November 2006.<ref name="esquire"/>

==The Murphy, Texas Sting==
On 22nd July 2006, online watchdog group Perverted Justice made contact with the Murphy Police Department.<ref name="esquire"/> Established as a foundation in 2003 by Xavier von Erck, Perverted Justice consisted of volunteers creating profiles of young male and female teenagers for popular social networking websites like AOL Instant Messenger and MySpace.<ref name="peej">[http://www.pjfi.org/?pg=about ''Perverted Justice Foundation Incorporated'' About Us page.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="nytpeej">[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/technology/13justice.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all ''The New York Times''' detailing the operations of Perverted Justice.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="rolling">[https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/to-catch-a-predator-the-new-american-witch-hunt-75418/ ''Rolling Stone'' summarising the typical operations of a ''To Catch a Predator'' sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> The motive was to attract online sexual predators who would initiate contact with the decoys.<ref name="peej"/><ref name="nytpeej"/><ref name="rolling"/> They would typically engage in sexually explicit conversations with them, with the intent of meeting in person for a sexual encounter.<ref name="nytpeej"/><ref name="rolling"/><ref name="peej"/> In its early years, Perverted Justice would expose these men on its website, which led to some individuals being convicted for attempted lewd acts on a person below the age of consent.<ref name="peej"/><ref name="nytpeej"/> But starting in 2004, Perverted Justice teamed up with Dateline NBC to create a series which would expose these men on national television.<ref name="nytpeej"/><ref name="rolling"/><ref name="peej"/> 

Hosted by Chris Hansen, ''To Catch a Predator'' ran from 2004 to 2007.<ref name="case"/><ref name="peej"/><ref name="rolling"/><ref name="nytpeej"/> It consisted of Hansen confronting the suspects about their graphic online conversations, in a sting house containing hidden cameras.<ref name="rolling"/><ref name="case"/> Hansen would later reveal to these unsuspecting men that they had walked into a Dateline NBC report and that the encounter had been recorded.<ref name="rolling"/><ref name="case"/> Beginning with the third sting, in Riverside, California, Perverted Justice began teaming up with local police departments, who began their own investigations that led to arrests - and often convictions of - numerous individuals following their interviews with Hansen.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060208034509/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11152602/#.TkLjAL-pRSw Archived ''MSNBC'' summarising the Riverside sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="case"/> Billy Myrick was Murphy's chief of police.<ref name="esquire"/> After learning about Perverted Justice's previous stings, he agreed to conduct an untelevised joint investigation.<ref name="esquire"/> This yielded a few arrests, most notably 61-year-old Dr. Ali Vagefi, an ophthalmologist in east Texas.<ref name="kltvali">[https://www.kltv.com/story/5208007/tyler-doctor-arrested-for-online-solicitation/ ''KLTV'' reporting on Dr. Vagefi's arrest.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="kltvali2">[https://www.kltv.com/story/5221068/internet-sting-leads-to-the-arrest-of-an-east-texas-doctor/ ''KLTV'' reporting on further details surrounding Dr. Vagefi's arrest.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="vagefi">[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=mikejardi ''Perverted Justice'' summarising the Dr. Vagefi case and providing a press release concerning his conviction and sentencing.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/> He was captured on 24th July and was later sentenced to five years in prison for attempted online solicitation of a 14-year-old girl.<ref name="vagefi"/><ref name="kltvali"/> Dr. Vagefi's Ford Expedition was seized during the sting; amazingly, Chief Myrick began driving it once it became Murphy property.<ref name="esquire"/> 

Myrick agreed to conduct a second sting, this time alongside Dateline NBC.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> The Murphy sting was the ninth conducted as part ''To Catch a Predator''.<ref name="case"/> Over four days in early November, 24 men were arrested.<ref name="tcap">As shown in the two Murphy ''To Catch a Predator'' episodes. Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="case"/> Unlike the previous stings, this investigation faced resistance from within the Texas legal system and from local residents.<ref name="abc20/20">''20/20'' investigation into the Murphy sting. Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/> Collin County district attorney John Roach felt Perverted Justice and Dateline NBC's involvement would negatively impact the sting's effectiveness and ruled himself out of its execution.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Some within the Murphy Police Department, including Detective Sam Love, believed the department would lack the necessary resources needed to resolve the sheer number of impending cases.<ref name="esquire"/> Elsewhere, local Murphy residents routinely protested the sting, disgusted with how the sting could result in various predators entering the town and possibly endangering children.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="columbia"/> During the operation, some residents took to protesting outside the sting house.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="abc20/20"/>

==Contact with Perverted Justice Decoys==
Still, the operation appeared to be successful.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="tcap"/> Some prominent individuals were caught; among them included Stanley Kendall, a 54-year-old mathematics teacher caught chatting explicitly with a 13-year-old boy, who was discovered in 2014 working as a substitute teacher for at least six schools.<ref>[https://wsbt.com/news/local/protocol-examined-after-subs-to-catch-a-predator-appearance-surfaces ''WSBT'' reporting on Stanley Kendall working as a substitute teacher despite being caught in the Murphy sting eight years prior] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="tcap"/> Another was oil drilling consultant Randall Wolford, who at age 52 solicited a 13-year-old girl.<ref name="wolford">[https://dairystatedegenerates.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-fingerless-oil-drilling-predator.html ''Dairy State Degenerates'' detailing Randall Wolford's Murphy arrest and his subsequent conviction in another sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="tcap"/> In April 2008, he was caught in a separate sting and was handed a 292-month prison sentence.<ref name="wolford"/> However, these men paled in comparison to another using the screen name inxs00.<ref name="chatlog">[http://perverted-justice.com/?archive=Inxs00 ''Perverted Justice'' providing Louis Conradt's chatlog.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/> Initially, it was assumed that inxs00 was a 19-year-old male college student, who had begun a graphic conversation with a 13-year-old male decoy named Luke starting on 24th October.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/> But following a phone conversation, it was revealed via shared personal information that the "student" was actually Conradt.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/> Conradt had attempted to mislead a seemingly unsuspecting underage boy by harnessing a false identity.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="chatlog"/> A similar tactic was utilised by Richard Burnham in the subsequent Ocean County, New Jersey sting, where the 42-year-old pretended to be two different individuals to lure in a 14-year-old girl.<ref>[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=stevetakespix%20/%20uconnbluenwhite%20/%20rickspics2006 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising Richard Burnham's conviction in the Ocean County sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref>

As with most chatlogs, the pair's discussion rapidly became more graphic.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/> Over the next few days, Conradt sent pornographic images of himself and those he obtained online.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/> He also explained what he planned if he and the boy met, and asked if he could take sexual images.<ref name="chatlog"/> The boy, chatting under noonezero93, agreed to this and confessed his love to inxs00.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/> What is perhaps less known is that Conradt contacted a second male decoy, under the screenname Fallouttboi93.<ref name="chatlog"/> This chat, while brief, was also initiated by Conradt for sexual motivations.<ref name="chatlog"/> From 4th November onwards, Conradt chatted exclusively with noonezero93, which was initially operated by Jay Alternative and later Don Pedro.<ref name="resolutions">[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?otherres=Inxs00 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising its decision to post Conradt's chatlog onto its website.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/> Conradt and the decoy had their first phone conversation later that day, which was handled by on-site decoy Dan Schrack, an actor who had also worked on the Petaluma and Long Beach stings.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="tcap"/> Their first contact was brief, engaging in small talk before chatting about the images they exchanged.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/> The second call lasted over nine minutes; aside from further grooming the decoy, Conradt requested directions to Luke's house and when suspicious neighbours might be out.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/>

The final phone conversation was to the point; Conradt promised the decoy he would arrive within an hour.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="esquire"/> However, plans to meet that day were scuppered when Conradt's sister Patricia made an unscheduled visit.<ref name="chatlog"/> Instead, the pair chatted into the evening, before switching from AOL to Yahoo! so that they could initiate a webcam call.<ref name="chatlog"/> Conradt stated he would phone Luke once more that evening.<ref name="chatlog"/> But after assuring the decoy he obtained his cellphone number, Conradt suddenly went radio silent.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/> Not even repeated attempted calls and a sob story by Luke the following day could entice Conradt to resume contact.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="chatlog"/> Additionally, Perverted Justice informed Murphy Police that Conradt had also deleted his MySpace account.<ref name="nbcupdate">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071130012126/https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20626117/page/2/ Archived ''MSNBC'' providing an update on the Conradt situation, included the revelation that he may have possessed child sexual abuse material.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/> For all intents and purposes, it appeared the assistant district attorney had soured on his illegal plans, and though it has never been proven, was covering up his tracks.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/>

==Attempted Arrest and Suicide==
In Texas, it is a felony to solicit a minor by computer, even if no in-person meeting occurred.<ref>[https://www.nedbarnett.com/practice-areas/child-sex-crimes/houston-tx-online-solicitation-of-a-minor/ ''The Law Offices of Ned Barnett'' summarising Section 33.021. of the Texas Penal Code, which makes online solicitation of minors a felony regardless of whether an in-person meeting occurs.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/> Thus, the Murphy Police planned to promptly arrest Conradt, especially to avoid crucial evidence being destroyed.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="case"/> Dateline NBC and Perverted Justice also remained motivated, as Conradt was the most prominent individual who ever featured in one of their stings.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/> Thus, on the morning of 5th November, ten Dateline crew members, including Hansen, travelled to Conradt's Terrell residence to confront him at his doorstep.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="columbia"/> Previously, some encounters had occurred outside the sting houses. For instance, the Long Beach sting saw Hansen confront 48-year-old Frank Sierras at a local park, as Sierras had previously been caught by Perverted Justice in 2004 and refused to visit the decoy at her home.<ref name="sierras">[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=pitbulldavid2001%20/%20caliguy4u_2005 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising the Frank Sierras case and how his 2006 bust occurred in a local park.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref>[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?archive=pitbulldavid2001%20/%20caliguy4u_2005 ''Perverted Justice'' providing Frank Sierras' 2004 and 2006 chatlogs.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> That confrontation and arrest occurred in a public area.<ref name="sierras"/> What made the Conradt encounter controversial was that cameramen were situated at the residence when filming on private property requires the permission of its owner, in this case, Conradt.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> 

Meanwhile, Detective Walter Weiss was tasked to hastily complete the arrest and search warrants, the latter to ensure Conradt's electronic devices could be recovered.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="columbia"/> The arrest warrant was completed at around 11 a.m., but it would take until 2:20 p.m. for the subsequent search warrant to be signed.<ref name="esquire"/> This delayed the police response, who originally aimed to carry out the arrest that morning.<ref name="esquire"/> But once completed, Myrick, Lieutenant Adana Barber, and Detective Snow Robertson swiftly drove to Terrell, alongside the Chief of Terrell Police Todd Miller, a local sergeant, and a local patrol officer.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/> The plan was to arrest Conradt at his home, with Dateline filming it.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Dateline informed Myrick that somebody was likely still residing in the home, as an issue of ''The Dallas Morning News'' strangely went missing outside Conradt's front door without anyone noticing.<ref name="esquire"/> The first arrest attempt began with the Terrell sergeant's vain efforts to gain entry.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> All they heard in response was the barking of Conradt's Miniature Schnauzer, Lukas.<ref name="esquire"/> 

A Terrell SWAT team led by Ken McKeown was then contacted, as forced entry was deemed mandatory.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Meanwhile, Robertson peered through a window and discovered a laptop on an armchair.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> He planned his own intervention if he discovered Conradt utilising it.<ref name="esquire"/> Most Dateline and police resources were now solely focused on the Conradt bust.<ref name="tcap"/> Because of this, Dateline missed out on interviewing other men who arrived at the sting house that same day.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="esquire"/> These men, including Edward Hollingsworth V and John Baker, were lured to the front door so that Murphy officers could easily arrest them.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="esquire"/> Interestingly, this sparked a minor controversy of its own.<ref name="esquire"/> As the normal sting proceedings drew to a close, one predator yet to show up was reportedly travelling in a black Ford F-150.<ref name="esquire"/> Thus, when an F-150 approached the house, Murphy officers quickly dragged the driver out and put him in handcuffs.<ref name="esquire"/> They failed to realise until later that the man was actually Detective Jimmy Patterson, whom Dateline hired as protection against potentially violent suspects.<ref name="esquire"/> Patterson was released once matters calmed down.<ref name="esquire"/>

The same did not apply to the Conradt situation.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="nytdeath"/> Lining in formation, the SWAT team forced their way into the back of the house.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Despite yelling their presence, the SWAT initially found no trace of Conradt.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> A decision was made to split the team in two; one would investigate the living room, while the other went down the hallway.<ref name="esquire"/> The hallway team soon encountered Conradt on the other side.<ref name="esquire"/> The attorney, who was wielding a Browning .380, calmly informed them he would not hurt anyone.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/> He suddenly directed the .380 at his head and fired it.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="columbia"/> The SWAT team attempted to ensure Conradt's blood continued circulating properly while radioing Barber to inform her of the situation.<ref name="esquire"/> After Barber assessed the scene, she would explain to Hansen the chain of events.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="esquire"/> Conradt was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he passed away an hour later.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="nytdeath"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> 

NBC later received death scene photographs and an audiotape that consisted of Conradt's last words.<ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/> A common misconception, even stated during a court case, was that Dateline themselves captured gunshot audio.<ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/> In reality, all the cameras captured was Lukas' barking, with Hansen himself stating in the episode that nothing of interest was captured during the Conradt confrontation.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="columbia"/> Most have probably confused the SWAT team breaking entry as being the supposed gunshot.<ref name="darkest">[https://youtu.be/cy18E9o2L_k?t=988 ''Nick Crowley'''s "The Darkest Moments in TV History 2" summarising the Conradt suicide.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="tcap"/> As part of the investigation, all three of Conradt's computers, his mobile phone and CDs were seized.<ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/> Additionally, a book titled "Investigation and Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse" was found, indicating Conradt had full knowledge of the legal situation surrounding online solicitation of minors.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> Post-sting, a police officer allegedly bragged "That'll make good TV" to a Dateline producer.<ref name="guardiansue">[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/25/usnews.broadcasting ''The Guardian'' reporting on a $105 million lawsuit being filed in the wake of Conradt's death, and an unfair dismissal lawsuit filed by Bartel.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="case"/>

==Aftermath==
Conradt's suicide and the Murphy sting overall attracted extensive media attention and condemnation.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="columbia"/> The Murphy City Council called a town meeting, where some residents alleged that the investigation had prompted pursuits, aggressive police takedowns and even items being thrown into their gardens.<ref name="columbia"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Among those who spoke was Conradt's sister Patricia; she heavily criticised the police, Dateline, and Perverted Justice for their actions, stating they did it to "line the pockets of an out-of-control group and a TV show pressed for ratings and a deadline."<ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> She also refused to consider her brother's death as a suicide, stating in a later interview that the three parties were directly responsible for his passing.<ref name="columbia"/><ref name="tcap"/> 

On 25th July 2007, it was reported that Patricia had sued NBC Universal for $105 million, alleging that Dateline had failed to guarantee the safety of Louis despite its major influence on the arrest, thus being liable on wrongful death grounds.<ref name="guardiansue"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/> NBC filed for the case to be dismissed, having argued that it did not violate the Fourth Amendment nor had any responsibility to prevent Conradt from committing suicide.<ref name="reuterscase">[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nbc-lawsuit-idUSN2647721720080226 ''Reuters'' reporting on the Conradt lawsuit being approved by Judge Chin.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="case"/><ref name="guardiansue"/> Judge Denny Chin ultimately dismissed most claims but deemed that a reasonable jury could uphold the intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil rights violation claims.<ref name="case"/><ref name="reuterscase"/> NBC defended itself in the case, but an agreement was settled on 24th June 2008, the details of which have never been publicly released.<ref name="lalawsuit">[https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/show-tracker/story/2008-06-24/nbc-resolves-lawsuit-over-to-catch-a-predator-suicide ''The Los Angeles Times'' reporting on the Conradt lawsuit being resolved.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="endnypost">[https://nypost.com/2008/06/26/predator-killed-off/ ''New York Post'' reporting on the resolved Conradt lawsuit and the end of ''To Catch a Predator''.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="reuterscase"/> Additionally, NBC was also sued by former Dateline producer Marsha Bartel, who alleged she was terminated from her role because she raised ethical concerns surrounding the handling of ''To Catch a Predator''.<ref name="guardiansue"/><ref name="esquire"/> Ultimately, this lawsuit proved unsuccessful.<ref name="bartel">[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-11-02-0711010739-story.html ''Chicago Tribune'' reporting on Bartel losing her case.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref>

In February 2007, NBC aired both episodes of the Murphy sting.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> It enabled Hansen to provide a detailed narration from the perspective of Dateline, Murphy Police, and Perverted Justice.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="case"/> He explained how Perverted Justice was able to determine inxs00 was Conradt, reiterating that Louis had deleted his MySpace account.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/> It also allowed Myrick to defend himself from allegations that he emphasised the reality show over the actual legal side, particularly by Ray Sumrow, the Rockwall County district attorney and Conradt's employer.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="columbia"/> Myrick claimed he took the arrest procedure seriously and that it was reviewed by both Murphy and Terrell Police Departments beforehand.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/><ref name="esquire"/> 

While ''To Catch a Predator'' suffered a dented reputation, Conradt's suicide did not immediately cause its cancellation.<ref name="endnypost"/><ref name="lalawsuit"/> Instead, three more stings were held in Flagler Beach, Florida;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070309122144/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17491919/ Archived ''MSNBC'' summarising the Flagler Beach sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> Ocean County, New Jersey;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070906121718/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19838639/#.TkMH-7-pRSw Archived ''MSNBC'' summarising the Ocean County sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> and Bowling Green, Kentucky.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090706071122/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22423433/ns/dateline_nbc-to_catch_a_predator/#.TkMNbr-pRSw Archived ''MSNBC'' summarising the Bowling Green sting.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="lalawsuit"/><ref name="endnypost"/> However, the Conradt aftermath and the show's general controversial nature had severely strained its relationship with advertisers.<ref name="bartel"/> By June 2008, it was reported that no new stings were being planned as NBC News executives believed they had become "too highly charged", with some insiders revealing the general consensus was that the show had become stale.<ref name="endnypost"/><ref name="lalawsuit"/> ''New York Post'' raised speculation that the successful Conradt lawsuit also played a role in ''To Catch a Predator'''s end.<ref name="endnypost"/> Hansen, who expressed no regrets nor responsibility over Conradt's death during interviews, and stated police were entirely involved with the arrest, would not conduct another investigation with Dateline, though restarted his confrontation of predators in 2015 with ''[[Hansen vs. Predator (partially lost chatlogs, uncut interviews and police interrogations; 2015)|Hansen vs. Predator]]''.<ref name="dallashansen">[https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/chris-hansen-defends-the-infamous-murphy-to-catch-a-predator-sting-of-2006-13982904 ''Dallas Observer'' reporting on Hansen defending the Murphy sting in 2022.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/123138/chris-hansen-back-catching-predators ''New Republic'' reporting on Hansen launching ''Hansen Vs. Predator''.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="columbia"/> He and other Dateline personnel also insisted that Conradt was ignorant of the media's presence in the sting, despite other sources claiming their presence was obvious and likely influenced the assistant attorney's actions.<ref name="columbia"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/>

==20/20 and Esquire Investigations==
In September 2007, ABC newsmagazine program ''20/20'' and the magazine ''Esquire'' released their investigations into Conradt's suicide.<ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="esquire"/> ''20/20'' explored allegations on how ''To Catch a Predator'' overshadowed the actual criminal cases.<ref name="variety20/20">[http://web.archive.org/web/20071106011209/https://variety.com/article/VR1117970297.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 Archived ''Variety'' reporting on ABC's ''20/20'' investigation.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="abc20/20"/> It interviewed former Murphy detectives Weiss and Sam Love, who participated in the operation but quit in disgust over its handling.<ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="esquire"/> Weiss and Love alleged they received continual instructions from Dateline on handling the interrogations, including ordering suspects not to cover their faces.<ref name="abc20/20"/> Any requests from Dateline were quickly dealt with, but the cases themselves became recklessly handled.<ref name="abc20/20"/> Love accused Hansen of making the suggestion Conradt be confronted at his home, something that was strongly denied by Hansen and Myrick.<ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="dallashansen"/> 

Chief Myrick, who was also interviewed by ''20/20'', denied Dateline had control over the investigations.<ref name="abc20/20"/> He also insisted that NBC had no input on the Conradt situation and was observing from afar, despite unaired footage showing Hansen providing him Conradt's phone number.<ref name="abc20/20"/> Myrick also disapproved of ''20/20'''s investigation tactics in an interview with ''The Dallas Morning News''.<ref name="variety20/20"/> Meanwhile, Collin County district attorney John Roach heavily criticised the sting on practical, professional and ethical grounds, and stated he was unable to affirm whether he ever received the full transcripts, as Murphy Police only partially read the chatlogs themselves and were forced to depend on Perverted Justice's word.<ref name="abc20/20"/> 

On 11th September, NBC responded to the claims, summarising them as "seriously flawed".<ref name="20/20response">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071122205631/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20724657/ Archived ''MSNBC'' responding to ''20/20'''s claims.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> It reiterated that Hansen had no influence on the arrest procedure, he was only reporting on it in the footage shown and that the police themselves made the decision to call Conradt.<ref name="20/20response"/> It also accused ABC of harnessing footage out of context, stating protests and the town hall meeting occurred following the sting's conclusion.<ref name="20/20response"/><ref name="columbia"/> Most Murphy residents, it claimed, were supportive of the operation and future stings.<ref name="20/20response"/> Finally, it rebuked Roach's concerns regarding the evidence's validity, citing the Dr. Vagefi sting among other successful Perverted Justice operations in Texas, including with Murphy Police.<ref name="20/20response"/><ref name="vagefi"/> 

A detailed ''Esquire'' report published in September 2007 also questioned various aspects of the investigation.<ref name="esquire"/> It noted a key motivation for the swift arrest of Conradt was that he was allegedly deleting evidence, including his MySpace account.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="tcap"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/> However, when it requested a saved version, Von Erck provided a web link to a page untouched since August.<ref name="esquire"/> Von Erck supposedly later claimed Conradt had multiple profiles, but did not provide evidence of him wiping any of them.<ref name="esquire"/> Weiss stated he had no knowledge of Conradt's deleted MySpace page but was still instructed at night to complete arrest and search warrants for the following morning.<ref name="esquire"/> The hastily written search warrant contained critical errors, where it stated that it would be issued to "The ''City of Euless'' Police Department in ''Tarrant County'', Texas", on ''30th July''.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="case"/> Furthermore, the Judges who signed the warrants, Cathy Haden and Mark Rusch, were not informed Dateline was involved in the sting.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> They were aghast upon learning this and stated they would never have signed the warrants had they been informed beforehand.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="case"/> These issues likely would made the warrants be declared void, thwarting any case against Conradt had the arrest circumstances been different.<ref name="case"/><ref name="columbia"/> 

Flaws with evidence was a common theme for the Murphy sting.<ref name="refuse">[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19486893 ''NBC News'' reporting on most Murphy cases were dropped due to flaws concerning evidence.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/> Put simply, Colin County prosecutor Doris Berry's review of evidence indicated almost all cases were unlawful.<ref name="esquire"/> Only a few suspects resided in Murphy or other Colin County areas; for cases to be pursued in Colin County, the perpetrator and/or decoy needed to have lived in the region, but no evidence existed supporting this.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/> Additionally, Berry found a critical legal flaw with every arrest bar Conradt's: Not once was an arrest warrant filed.<ref name="esquire"/> Thus, for the subsequent warrantless arrests to be lawful in Texas, there needed to be crucial evidence of crimes occurring.<ref>[https://texascriminaldefensegroup.com/warrantless-arrests/criminal-attorney/ ''Texas Criminal Defense Group'' explaining the circumstances required for a lawful warrantless arrest in Texas.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="esquire"/> But because Murphy Police had mainly relied on Perverted Justice's own investigations, with Myrick even admitting his officers only partially read the chatlogs, the cases' validity became questionable at best.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="guardiansue"/> Roach, upon reviewing the evidence himself, reluctantly made the decision not to pursue any cases.<ref name="refuse"/><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="guardiansue"/> He summarised that Perverted Justice and Dateline had overstepped the boundaries by assuming control of law enforcement operations, compromising the evidence as police relied on "amateurs" for it.<ref name="refuse"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="esquire"/><ref name="guardiansue"/>

Thus, regardless of Conradt's fate, it is almost improbable that the majority of cases would have resulted in convictions.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="refuse"/> In the end, only one individual, 27-year-old Asif Khokhar, was convicted, being sentenced to two years imprisonment and lifetime registered sex offender status as Harris County remained interested in pursuing cases against any of its residents.<ref name="khokhar">[http://perverted-justice.com/?con=daggers_of_passion ''Perverted Justice'' summarising the Asif Khokhar case, the only Murphy arrest that resulted in a conviction.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> Nevertheless, Chief Myrick remained "proud" of the operation, while Murphy Police and NBC continued defending the Conradt arrest. One aspect cited as justification came when investigators allegedly found child sexual abuse material on Conradt's computers, mobile phone, and CDs.<ref name="abuse">[https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Child-porn-found-in-house-of-prosecutor-caught-in-8613787.php ''My Plainview'' reporting on child sexual abuse imagery allegedly being recovered from Conradt's devices.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="nbcupdate"/> The state report could not fully confirm this, though stated the unidentified male individuals depicted in the imagery might have been underage at the time.<ref name="abuse"/> Accounts differed greatly on the allegations' validity; attorney Buck Wood, who was also Patricia's husband, stated the investigators informed him they could not confirm the images were illegal and that prosecution would have been improbable under the circumstances.<ref name="abuse"/> ''Esquire'' also claimed a search on one computer found no illegal content.<ref name="esquire"/> Regardless, analysis of Conradt's laptop confirmed he indeed initiated the chat.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abuse"/><ref name="nbcupdate"/>

==Release of Chatlog and Phone Calls==
Meanwhile, Perverted Justice defended itself on multiple fronts.<ref name="peejdefence">[https://web.archive.org/web/20181001193532/http://www.pjfi.org/?opinions=26 Archived ''Perverted Justice Foundation Incorporated'' providing its final defence of the Murphy sting in April 2008.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="khokhar"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="resolutions"/> It heavily criticised Roach's decision to drop the cases, citing that its investigation helped convict Khokhar, revoke Kendall's teaching licence, and resulted in numerous suspects confessing their intentions during police interrogations.<ref name="peejdefence"/><ref name="khokhar"/><ref name="tcap"/> It also accused Roach of repeated lies; it demanded that the cases be presented to a grand jury for scrutiny, as this would help verify the evidence's validity.<ref name="peejdefence"/><ref name="khokhar"/> Roach reportedly stated he would do so in a ''Law.com'' article, but Perverted Justice claimed he reneged on the agreement.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061206132901/http://www.law.com:80/jsp/article.jsp?id=1163449247938 Archived ''Law.com'' reporting on Roach claiming he would allow the cases to be presented to a grand jury.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="peejdefence"/> Additionally, it cited its recent conviction of Jose Antonio Guevara, which occurred in Colin County at the same time Roach insisted prosecutions on Perverted Justice cases were impossible.<ref>[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=jagjen2003 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising the Jose Antonio Guevara case.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="peejdefence"/> It labelled Roach and his office "inept and incompetent" for dropping the cases.<ref name="abc20/20"/> Similarly, the organisation accused Sumrow of attacking them to avoid attention on public servant thefts for which he was arrested and later sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in June 2008.<ref>[https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Former-Texas-DA-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-8472214.php ''My Plainview'' reporting on Sumrow's imprisonment for public servant thefts.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref name="peejdefence"/> Von Erck later dismissed the ''Esquire'' article as fictional and that it failed to properly assess the case's facts.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629061621/https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5048069.html Archived ''Chron'' reporting on Von Erck dismissing ''Esquire'''s article as fictional.] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref>

On 20th February 2007, after intense internal discussion, Perverted Justice publicly released Conradt's chatlog and three phone calls.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="resolutions"/> It did so under "Other Resolutions",<ref name="resolutions"/> where chatlogs are posted on suspects who passed away before their trials, which also included Charles Harding and Ernest Timmons of the Riverside and Ocean County stings respectively.<ref>[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?otherres=Hardchuck1 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising Charles Harding under "Other Resolutions".] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref><ref>[http://www.perverted-justice.com/?otherres=joketer34 ''Perverted Justice'' summarising Ernest Timmons under "Other Resolutions".] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> The chatlog remains active on the website, while the phone calls have since been uploaded to YouTube.<ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="resolutions"/> The organisation summarised that it never wanted Conradt to commit suicide, as it sought prosecutions for individuals caught in its stings.<ref name="resolutions"/><ref name="peejdefence"/><ref name="esquire"/> Decoy operators Jay Alternative and Don Pedro believed Conradt was a dangerous individual and serial groomer, and that he would almost certainly have been prosecuted had the arrest gone to plan.<ref name="resolutions"/> As part of its final statement in April 2008, Perverted Justice cited the chatlog, calls, and alleged child sexual abuse material Conradt possessed as justification for the attorney's arrest.<ref name="peejdefence"/><ref name="abuse"/>  

Ultimately, the Conradt situation impacted multiple people and organisations beyond the assistant attorney and his relatives.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="peejdefence"/><ref name="case"/> Aside from Love and Weiss' resignations, with the latter later stating he was "ashamed" to be involved in the sting, Murphy city manager Craig Sherwood also had his contract bought out by the city council.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="refuse"/> It was revealed he had approved the sting without consulting the mayor or council beforehand.<ref name="refuse"/> While it was never confirmed whether Conradt's suicide caused the show's cancellation, speculation persists that it was a contributing factor.<ref name="endnypost"/><ref name="darkest"/> The fallout also impacted the reputations of Perverted Justice, Chief Myrick, the Murphy Police Department, and NBC, with the latter facing a costly lawsuit from Conradt's immediate family.<ref name="esquire"/><ref name="columbia"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="case"/> Considering the extensive reputational and legal damage it caused, Conradt's botched arrest has since been considered among the darkest and most controversial moments of television history.<ref name="darkest"/>    

==Availability==
Since the Murphy sting's airing on NBC, most media relating to the Conradt bust has been publicly released.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="esquire"/> This includes the segment, unaired footage that appeared in court and later was used in ''20/20'''s programme, the chatlog and phone calls, and death scene photos that were later published in ''Esquire''.<ref name="tcap"/><ref name="chatlog"/><ref name="case"/><ref name="abc20/20"/><ref name="esquire"/> However, as detailed in the lawsuit, an audiotape of Conradt's final words and presumably the fatal gunshot was recorded by police, and later obtained by Dateline NBC.<ref name="case"/> But whereas the death scene photos NBC acquired were circulated, the audiotape has not.<ref name="case"/><ref name="esquire"/> It is not even precisely clear what Conradt said in his last moments, as eyewitnesses had slightly different accounts.<ref name="esquire"/> However, common consensus indicates he likely said "I'm not going to hurt anyone!".<ref>[https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/65-Im-not-going-to-hurt-anyone-Louis-Conradts-last-words-Podcast/B09Y5DZ1S5 ''Predators I've Caught'' podcast on Conradt, which deemed Conradt's final words were "I'm not going to hurt anyone!".] Retrieved 20th Oct '23</ref> As the case itself proved a legally and reputationally damaging affair, it is highly unlikely the audiotape will ever leak to the public from any involved parties. 

==Gallery==
===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =yJEqq2LUiTU
  |description1 =''To Catch a Predator'''s Louis Conradt segment, also containing a Fox News report on the suicide.
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =w-UsVOZq_E8
  |description2 =Chris Hansen discussing Louis Conradt in a May 2022 ''Law&Crime Network'' podcast.
  |service3     =youtube
  |id3          =6L5lF8VHPI8
  |description3 =KING TAZER documentary on Louis Conradt and its possible connection to ''To Catch a Predator'''s cancellation.
}} 
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =lgWGP7ww8Is
  |description1 =First phone call between Louis Conradt and the decoy.
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =EWMnGT6Bjgo
  |description2 =Second phone call between Louis Conradt and the decoy.
  |service3     =youtube
  |id3          =LXP2W2-krPQ
  |description3 =Third phone call between Louis Conradt and the decoy.
}}
{{Video|perrow  =2
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =tOgsPglrFdc
  |description1 =''20/20'' investigation (part 1).
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =ET43wwyqteM
  |description2 =''20/20'' investigation (part 2).
}}  

==See Also==
*[[Hansen vs. Predator (partially lost chatlogs, uncut interviews and police interrogations; 2015)]]
*[[To Catch a Predator (partially found chatlogs, uncut interviews and police interrogations of Dateline NBC reality series; 2004-2007)]]

==References== 
{{reflist}} 

[[Category:NSFL]]
[[Category:NSFW]]
[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]
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