1 of 1

Jay investigated and wrote this piece for ABC News, Prime Time Live. He also commissioned and helped design the musical score for this twisted and bizarre tale.

The city's top prosecutor made this extraordinary claim about one of the town's top students and athletes: "He is pure evil".

Gary Hirte, a high school senior and the town's first eagle scout in 20 years, was prosecuted for the gruesome murder of a harmless man who lived alone, impoverished and humbled by his mental disability.

Hirte had straight A's and a scholarship in hand to play football at a good college.

But something unknown and very dark pushed Gary Hirte to commit a murder most foul.

He claimed it happened in a moment of insanity but the jury didn't see it that way.