Transcript

Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder

From True Crime News · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 39 min · 6,373 words · 167 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder", an episode of True Crime News published December 13, 2025 (39 min, about 6,373 words). It mentions 19 people, works and ideas, including Lester Ralph Jones, Paige Bergfeld, Chris Hansen, Grand Junction, Models Inc..

What this episode is about

The case centers around Paige Bergfeld, a seemingly typical soccer mom who led a secret life as an escort. Her mysterious disappearance raises questions about her hidden activities and the potential involvement of her ex-husbands, with the investigation revealing a complex web of clues that ultimately connect her double life to her fate.

Key takeaways

  • Behind every soccer mom lies a secret life, reminding us that the perfect façade can mask darker realities.
  • Paige’s entrepreneurial spirit clashed with a tumultuous marriage, showcasing how desperation can drive people to risky choices.
  • A 911 call reveals a dangerous domestic situation, illustrating that threats often escalate beyond mere words.
  • Wealth and appearances can blind us; a caviar life may be sprinkled with deadly risks hidden behind closed doors.
  • In relationships, transformations often unveil dual personalities; the ‘good’ spouse can mask tragic potential when stress rises.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Chris Hansen, Paige Bergfeld, Crime Watch Daily, Rob Dixon
  2. – 10:00: Grand Junction, Ron Ber, Paige Bergfeld, Rob Dixon
  3. – 15:00: Paige Bergfeld, Grand Junction, Rob Dixon, Models Inc.
  4. – 20:00: Lester Ralph Jones, Models Inc., Paige Bergfeld, Grand Junction
  5. – 25:00: Lester Ralph Jones, Paige Bergfeld, Pampered Chef, Wal-Mart
  6. – 30:00: Lester Ralph Jones, Dan Rubenstein, Frank Bergfeld
  7. – 35:00: New York, New York, Karina Vetrone, Chris Hansen, Chanel Lewis
  8. – 39:19: Chris Hansen, Crime Watch Daily, Chanel Lewis

Notable quotes from "Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder"

  • I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York, soccer mom by day, sexy escort by night.
    about Chris Hansen · at
  • The two arranged to meet halfway at a rest stop in the town of Eagle. On the day she was last seen, Paige Bergfeld left her million-doll home here to meet with one of her ex-husbands. Sadly, the young mother would never be seen again.
    about Grand Junction · at
  • In addition to her work as a dance teacher, representing Pampered Chef, and pushing nursing slings, Paige Bergfeld was selling sex, operating a secret escort business called Models, Inc.
    about Paige Bergfeld · at
  • That it was purchased 2 days earlier on June 26th at a local Walmart by the man in this surveillance video. Detectives finally managed to find Jim, whose real name is Lester…
    about Lester Ralph Jones · at
  • For prosecutor Dan Rubenstein, the crime scene paints a gruesome yet incomplete picture.
    about Dan Rubenstein · at
  • And when the closing came, I thought there was no doubt that Lester Ralph Jones murdered my daughter.
    about Frank Bergfeld · at
  • What strikes me out of all these pictures is her incredible zest for life.
    about Phil Vetrone · at
  • This is a very good day for justice in New York City. Yesterday evening, Chanel Lewis, a 20-year-old male who resides in East New York, Brooklyn, was taken into custody in connection with the August 2nd, 2016 murder of Karina Petrono.
    about Chanel Lewis · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Lester Ralph Jones — Person · Primary suspect/defendant (later convicted) · 13 mentions · first at
    Identified via prepaid phone and circumstantial evidence; interrogated, linked to the torched car and scent evidence; ultimately convicted of felony murder.
  • Paige Bergfeld — Person · Primary case subject (missing/murder victim) · 10 mentions · first at
    Central figure of the first story: a Grand Junction mother living a double life whose disappearance and later-identified remains drive the investigation narrative.
  • Chris Hansen — Person · Host / on-camera reporter · 6 mentions · first at
    Introduces and narrates both segments (Paige Bergfeld case and Karina Vetrano case) and conducts doorstep interviews with Chanel Lewis’s parents.
  • Karina Vetrone — Person · Victim (second story; name variant in transcript) · 3 mentions · first at
    Queens jogger whose assault and murder anchors the second segment; discussed through evidence (DNA), timeline, and family impact. (Commonly spelled Karina Vetrano.)
    Under arrest for the sexual assault and brutal murder of Queen's jogger Karina Vetron.
  • Chanel Lewis — Person · Accused suspect (second story) · 3 mentions · first at
    Arrested and charged in the murder of jogger Karina Vetrano; discussed via police statements, DNA evidence, and interviews with his parents.
  • Rob Dixon — Person · Referenced person (ex-husband; early investigative focus) · 5 mentions · first at
    Paige’s second husband; described as volatile with prior domestic-violence allegations; investigated then largely cleared by alibi (in Philadelphia).
    Police quickly confirmed that Dixon was in Philadelphia during the time of her disappearance. So, what and who was Paige so afraid of? Police begin looking more closely at Paige's phone records.
  • Ron Ber — Person · Referenced person (ex-husband; last confirmed contact) · 3 mentions · first at
    Paige’s first husband/high school sweetheart; met her the day she disappeared and made the initial missing-person call; later eliminated as suspect.
    She had quietly begun a romance with her first husband, Ron Ber, a high school sweetheart she briefly married after graduation.
  • Frank Bergfeld — Person · Family member / interviewee (victim’s father) · 1 mention · first at
    Provides emotional and investigative perspective; pushes early framing that it’s a crime; later reacts to conviction and trial outcome.
  • Dan Rubenstein — Person · Referenced expert (prosecutor / DA) · 3 mentions · first at
    Explains investigative/prosecutorial theory, evidentiary challenges without a body, and rationale for retrying after a hung jury.
  • Phil Vetrone — Person · Family member / interviewee (victim’s father; name variant in transcript) · 1 mention · first at
    Karina’s father; speaks about her life, the day of the murder, and the burden of finding her. (Commonly: Phil Vetrano.)
  • Barbara Campbell — Person · Referenced witness (friend of victim) · 1 mention · first at
    Paige’s close friend; provides pre-disappearance statement that Paige feared something bad would happen, supporting threat narrative.
    Think that sort of volatility led a lot of people to think that he was part of this. The last time Paige's close friend, Barbara Campbell, saw her, Paige confided that she had an ominous feeling.

Companies & orgs

  • Pampered Chef — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at
    One of the businesses Paige Bergfeld was involved in, contributing to her double life.
    She started out by setting up this little series of dance studios for kids that she called it brain dance. Then she went into Pamper Chef and was taking trips for awards. So…
  • District Attorney's Office — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    The legal body involved in the investigation and prosecution of the Paige Bergfeld case.
    For prosecutor Dan Rubenstein, the crime scene paints a gruesome yet incomplete picture.
  • Wal-Mart — Company · Incidental · 2 mentions · first at
    The store where Lester Jones purchased a prepaid track phone used in the case.
    Evening of June 28th. But all these calls were made from a prepaid track phone. Police trace the number and find that it was purchased 2 days earlier on June 26th at a local…

Products & tech

  • Models Inc. — Product · Business focus · 4 mentions · first at
    Paige Bergfeld's secret escort business, which played a key role in the investigation of her disappearance.
    In addition to her work as a dance teacher, representing Pampered Chef, and pushing nursing slings, Paige Bergfeld was selling sex, operating a secret escort business called Models, Inc.

Places & events

  • Grand Junction — Place · Setting · 7 mentions · first at
    The town where Paige Bergfeld lived and where her disappearance occurred.
  • New York, New York — Place · Setting · 6 mentions · first at
    The location where Crime Watch Daily is broadcasted from and where another crime story is covered.
    I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York, soccer mom by day, sexy escort by night.
  • Colorado — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    The state where Grand Junction is located and where the Paige Bergfeld case took place.
    In addition to her work as a dance teacher, representing Pampered Chef, and pushing nursing slings, Paige Bergfeld was selling sex, operating a secret escort business called Models, Inc.

Media & podcasts

  • Crime Watch Daily — Media · Broadcast · 5 mentions · first at
    The media platform covering the Paige Bergfeld case and other crime stories.
    I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York, soccer mom by day, sexy escort by night.

Full transcript with timestamps

I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York, soccer mom by day, sexy escort by night. A mother of three mysteriously goes missing.

She would never have not come home. As detectives probe her two ex-husbands. My husband and I were in a fight.

Her torch car turns up along with a trail of scattered clues. Does her secret life hold the key to her murder?

I wouldn't kill anybody over sex. Plus, he's the man accused of pure evil. Under arrest for the sexual assault and brutal murder of Queen's jogger Karina Vetron.

Anything you want to say, why don't you do it? Today, I confront Chanel Lewis's parents about the crime that rocked New York. It's Chris Hansen.

Get the hell out of my face. Right now, Andrea is sir with Crime Watch Daily. Jason Matt with Crime Watch Daily.

This I'm Elizabeth. I'm here with Crime Watch. I'm Michelle from Crime Watch Daily. Anna Garcia from Crime Watch is Crime Watch Daily. Stay off my property.

We'll find you again. We always do. Welcome to Crime Watch Daily. I'm Chris Hansen. First up today, how well do you know your neighbor? If they were doing something illegal behind closed doors, would you know? Everyone who knew Paige Bergfeld thought they had her figured out. A soccer mom with three kids. But as our Nerissa Knight found out, Paige had another side. One that would put her in danger.

She raised kids by day. Paige was a soccer mom. And pedled fantasies by night. Hello. You've reached Models Inc.

But this loving mother's double life caught up to her, leading to a shocking disappearance.

Hey, Mom. You are really, really mean. You said it would be my words or our basket.

She would never have not come home. A bounty of suspects. I didn't kill anybody over sex.

And a mystery that would take nearly a decade to unravel. We were still stuck with the reality that we didn't have a body. Paige Bergfeld, a 34year-old mother of three young children, was living the picture perfect life.

Paige was one of those people that just exuded happiness. When she showed up, you knew she was going to show up with a smile because she just had that in her all the time.

Paige was always very big about having her family on display. She would just be radiant when her kids were out playing and the most so when it was her brother and his family. That was even the highest degree of radiancy.

She loved family. Oh yeah. Yeah. Then her kids were were everything. Her husband Rob Dixon came from a wealthy family and settling in Grand Junction, Colorado, Paige enjoyed a caviar life in a corn dog town. He was wealthy. So they bought the house in Grand Junction and then added to it. So,

but according to District Attorney Dan Rubenstein, Paradise was not without its troubles.

They had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship. He would get angry. He would yell loudly. He would make uh, you know, threats or statements that would cause people to be very concerned. As the couple's finances grew more strained, Paige's father, Frank, was concerned for his daughter's safety.

Dixon is a person that's kind of two personalities. We think of him as good Rob and bad Rob. Um, and at the first part, it was 100% good Rob. And, uh, I think as his financial situation deteriorated, we saw a lot more of bad Rob. She had told me she was very concerned about something bad happening.

In October of 2004, Paige made a distressing 911 call. 911, where's your emergency?

Um, my husband and I were in a fight. He wanted the children to stay with him. And he said that I would come home and find them all murdered.

What's your name, ma'am? Paige Dixon. The situation was diffused by police and no charges were filed against Rob. But a year later, Paige placed a second call claiming physical abuse.

After the second incident, I set up a bank account. It was getaway money. I wanted her to be able to pick up and leave with the kids if she needed to. After eight years of marriage, Paige and Dixon divorced. But now she faced the burden of maintaining that luxurious lifestyle on her own.

Paige was enormously entrepreneurial. She started out by setting up this little series of dance studios for kids that she called it brain dance. Then she went into Pamper Chef and was taking trips for awards. So she looked like she was doing well there. She had another business where she was selling these slings for nursing mothers. So, she was cobbling together things.

She was one of those people that could juggle an incredibly full life and yet still be there with her children.

She had a pretty nice house, I think 4,000 plus square foot house, and her three kids slept in her bed with her every night. That's really who she was. She had quietly begun a romance with her first husband, Ron Ber, a high school sweetheart she briefly married after graduation.

He was the first big love. Ron and Paige kept in touch and uh started rekindling their relationship.

Berler lived 250 m away in Denver, so the two arranged to meet halfway at a rest stop in the town of Eagle. On the day she was last seen, Paige Bergfeld left her million-doll home here to meet with one of her ex-husbands. Sadly, the young mother would never be seen again. Thursday, June 28th, Paige and Bler enjoy a picnic lunch before she begins the 2-hour drive back to Grand Junction around 700 p.m. By 11:00 that night, she still wasn't home and her young kids were growing distraught. You can hear the worry on this voicemail.

Hi, Mom. Hi. Oh my god. Even her first ex, Ron Bler, was growing distressed. When Paige still wasn't home the next morning, he makes a call to the Grand Junction Police.

Dispatch, this is Clint. Um, yes. I need you to talk to about um missing person emergency.

We really have very little sense of exactly what happened. What we do know is that her kids were expecting her home. They ultimately reported her missing on that Saturday morning after leaving countless messages for her. Um, her first husband, Ron Beagler, was leaving messages for her.

Mom, you are really, really mean. You said you would be back before dark and you haven't even been back yet. We're really happy to please call back quickly. Frank gets a call he can still remember as if it were yesterday.

And he said, "Are you Paige Bergfeld's dad?" And I said, "Yes, I am." And then he said, "Did you know she's missing?" This was Saturday morning about 10:30 on June 30th. And I said, "If she didn't come home even a night, you're dealing with a crime. This isn't a missing person's matter. This is a crime.

Page is 7:20 on Saturday. Give me a call on my cell phone to stand by. She would never have not come home.

There was nothing ever in her life that would cause her to just pack up and leave her kids at home. They meant so much to her.

We never assume that's going to happen and we never assume it's going to be me.

Police investigation 101. start looking at those closest to Paige. Everyone's a suspect and ex-husbands immediately are right up there.

Detectives seek out Ron Bler in Denver. Paige's last known contact and the same man who made the initial missing person's call.

Well, he was the last one to see her, which made him a person to talk to. Phone records indicate he and Paige called each other on the drive home with Bller's phone peing cell towers in Denver, 250 m away. The last call was made by Paige at approximately 900 p.m. saying that she was pulling into Grand Junction.

And that was the last phone call she ever made. Her first ex is quickly eliminated. So cops turned their attention to Rob Dixon, Paige's second husband, who was now living in Philadelphia.

A lot of people thought that Rob was the most likely suspect just because their breakup was was not the most amicable.

What was their breakup like? Uh there was a misdemeanor domestic violence case reported. You know, I think that sort of volatility led a lot of people to think that he was part of this. The last time Paige's close friend, Barbara Campbell, saw her, Paige confided that she had an ominous feeling.

She was really upset with something and she was worried because she felt that something bad was about to happen.

Detectives want to speak with Paige's ex, but have no idea that this case is about to be blown wide open. Up next. Hi, I'm at the corner of 23 and Logos and there is a car on fire in the parking lot.

Cops find Paige's car and you won't believe what else. Are you saying that I killed her? Is that what you're telling me?

Yes. Now, back to our investigation into the Paige Bergfeld case. The soccer mom of three is missing. And as police investigate where she might be, they discover that Paige was also living a dangerous double life. Here's Nerissa Knight.

Paige Bergfeld, a mother of three young children, is missing. Police want to speak with her embattled ex-husband, Rob Dixon, a man accused of domestic violence before their divorce.

You know, a lot of the leads that we got were were related to him just because their breakup was was not the most amicable.

But Dixon was also one of those making distress calls to Paige's phone. Paige, if you get this, please, please call somebody. Please come home. Please tell us that you're all right. Everybody's worried about you. Everybody's looking for you. Please, Paige, let us know that you're okay.

Police quickly confirmed that Dixon was in Philadelphia during the time of her disappearance. So, what and who was Paige so afraid of? Police begin looking more closely at Paige's phone records and make a shocking discovery, one that will turn this case upside down. In addition to her work as a dance teacher, representing Pampered Chef, and pushing nursing slings, Paige Bergfeld was selling sex, operating a secret escort business called Models, Inc.

Hello. You've reached Models, Inc., Colorado's premier gentleman service. stunning news to friends and family.

He said almost as an aside, "Did you know she was operating an adult business?" To which my response was, "I'm not sure what that means, but no, I didn't know."

Investigators wrestle with the reality of what could be a very large number of suspects or maybe even more secrets. Given that she was living a double life, both as a pimper chef saleswoman and as an escort, how do we even know she's dead? Because she could have just disappeared.

But then on Sunday, July 1st, 3 days after Paige went missing, that theory goes up in smoke.

Hi, I'm at the corner of 23 and Logos, and there is a car on fire in the parking lot.

Paige's car is found torched. When did you realize that you may not have her anymore?

I would say that when I saw the car and seeing it burnt, you knew you knew we were in a bad spot.

While any physical evidence appears to be destroyed, detectives do make some interesting discoveries. For instance, the driver's seat is all the way back, even though Paige is only 5'4. When an investigator of similar height sits in the seat, her feet can't even reach the pedals. They also found Paige's day planner in the trunk, which somehow wasn't burned. However, the last four days of entries are torn out. Was someone else driving Paige's car? Someone much taller? And did they remove any evidence of their name from Paige's records?

Unwilling to give up hope, the community of Grand Junction rallies around the Bergfeld family for a massive search.

And we probably had 150 people that first day, a day that was over a 100°. And people were there who none of whom I knew. I didn't live in the community. And it was an overwhelming display of uh just community spirit and people who care for one another. The search hits per along Highway 50 just south of town. A veritable trail of breadcrumbs with Paige's fingerprints all over it. 100 volunteers out searching found a 15-mi stretch of Paige's personal items strewn along Highway 50 here just south of Grand Junction.

It's very difficult to know what to make of the strewn items. They also weren't the type of items that Paige would throw out unless she really needed to. They were blank checks on her business account. They were her kids' medical cards.

Was Paige kidnapped and trying to tell searchers where to find her? Tracking dogs were brought in and alerted to Paige's scent, but the trail ended at a riverbank with no sign of Paige. Investigators needed a break, and they were about to get it.

One of the first things we did was look at the phone calls she had made the day she went missing. The last call Paige made was to her first husband, Ron Bler, at approximately 900 p.m., but she also received several calls from potential clients of Models, Inc.

Yeah, this motel 6 room 237. I was just checking to see if you had somebody coming out or not. Thank you.

Another one of those calls to Paige or Carrie as she was known at night was from a man named Jim who called while she was visiting Bler.

Hello. Yeah, this is Jim just calling to see if uh Carrie was available tonight.

Turns out Jim called Paige three times the day she went missing and twice the evening of June 28th. But all these calls were made from a prepaid track phone. Police trace the number and find that it was purchased 2 days earlier on June 26th at a local Walmart by the man in this surveillance video. Detectives finally managed to find Jim, whose real name is Lester Jones. And get this, he works across the street from where Paige's car was found burning.

That track phone in its entire history only had five phone calls to or from it. And the first phone calls were placed from it to Paige's models inc phone, and the last one was back from the models inc phone to uh to that track phone. And after that, the track phone went dead. and never made another phone call again.

A little digging reveals that Jones was convicted of firstdegree sexual assault and kidnapping back in 99. He's also a big man, 6'5, the kind of man who might drive with a car seat pushed all the way back. Up next,

have a seat. Detectives put the screws to Lester Jones. Does it make you nervous that we may think you did something? No, it should.

Now, back to our investigation into the Paige Bergfeld case. Here's Nerissa Knight.

Chris Paige Bergfeld was a soccer mom with a huge secret. And investigators wanted to know, was that secret big enough to get her killed. A week after Paige Bergfeld goes missing, the search for suspects has narrowed down to this man, Lester Ralph Jones, a man convicted of sexual assault against and the kidnapping of his ex-wife.

And told her he was going to take her out to a lake, uh, kill her and bury her where nobody would ever find her.

Have a seat. Officers are anxious to have a little chat with Mr. Jones. Does it bother you at all that somebody's missing and you know that somebody to be involved in this service and you know you use the service?

Yes, that should. Her car is found a stones throw away from where you work. Does that bother you?

Doesn't bother you at all. Okay. Her car is found torched a stones throw away from where you work. That doesn't bother you?

No. Does it make you nervous that we may think you did something? No, it should.

What Lester doesn't know is that cops are at this very minute searching his workplace and talking to his wife. Seems she was out of town the night Paige went missing

on the week of June 28th. Uh Lester Jones was um first out of town on the weekend prior to with his wife in California and then he came back to Grand Junction and she went on to Georgia.

And how about three nights after Paige's disappearance when her car was found burning.

What'd you do the rest of Sunday? I don't know. I mean, we we hung around. That's that's it.

Okay. Actually, that's not it. All right. Um, I have investigators out talking to your wife. Okay.

Okay. Um, what did you do Sunday evening? Less went to bed. Incorrect. Okay. Um, Les, I need to be able to tell this family, these little kids, where mom is. Good, bad, or indifferent, they need closure. Would you not agree they need some closure?

I would. Yes. Okay. Jones finally confessed that he left the house Sunday night between 9 and 10 p.m. The same time Paige's car was reported on fire to take care of a task at work.

Why'd you leave the house Sunday night? To shut the shop lights off. How long were you gone?

Minimal time to come down and go right back. Why would I? The search of his workplace, a local RV shop, reveals more startling evidence.

Well, at Lester Jones workplace, he had a whole host of items, uh, such as handwritten notes about other escorts, what their bra sizes were, what type of sex they would have, if they would have sex at all. He also had the track phone packaging uh for the track phone that was used to call Paige. He had um bras that happened to be the same bra size as Paige.

Other suspicious items include a stash of Viagra, two male wigs, and a food scale from Pampered Chef, Paige's employer.

There was also a gas can uh that was found at his work workspace that his uh boss said was out of place, that shouldn't have been there. And that space is located about 500 yards from where that car was found burning.

Yet during a second interrogation, Jones continues to deny any wrongdoing. I never met Paige.

He even denies that he's the man in this surveillance video buying the track phone.

I know for a fact you were meeting Models Incorporated. She called and set an appointment with that track phone.

No, sir. Yes. Explain to me why the track phone is in your trash at your workspace.

I have no clue why it's in there. How did that get there? I don't know. First, he denied being at the Walmart at all. Then he said he was there to buy a soda. Ultimately, when shown the picture, he said he was there buying a monster cable.

How did your picture get on the video at the very same time the track phone is being ordered?

I can't tell you that. I was in Walmart and I bought a monster cable. I bought a monster cable. Even though the receipt comes back to a check,

I did not buy. Even though the clerk remembers you and I did not buy a track phone.

So video's lying, clerk's lying, receipts lying. The seeming nail in the coffin. Track dogs are taken to Paige's car and alert to the scent of Lester Jones in the front seat.

Did you guys go for a ride? Did you go up Highway 50? No. Did she put those stuff out?

How did you get up on Highway 50? I I didn't I haven't been anywhere with this lady.

So much evidence yet no definitive proof that Lester Jones was responsible for Paige Bergfeld's disappearance.

Now, everybody who knew her knew that she was a very devoted mother and knew that there is no way she would ever leave her kids. But convincing 12 people beyond a reasonable doubt um at a jury trial that she's deceased and that we have the right person was just too much of a challenge.

Up next, cops have to kick Lester Jones loose. Then police unearth the final piece in the puzzling disappearance of Paige Bergfeld.

Now to the conclusion of our allnew investigation into the double life of Paige Bergfeld. Demure, single mother by day, high-priced escort by night. And when the 34 year old mom of three disappears, cops wonder if one of her clients may have taken things too far. Here's Nerissa Knight.

This 34year-old mother and part-time escort went missing in 2007. Nearly 5 years later, there was still no arrest in her disappearance. Although police had a strong belief that Lester Ralph Jones was their man.

I didn't touch Paige. I did not kill her. I have not hurt her. They had suspicious items at Jones's workplace. They had Paige's torch sedan across the street from his job. They had surveillance footage and phone records that showed Jones was the last one to contact Paige on a prepaid phone that no longer exists. Yet, there was one key piece of evidence that left this convicted felon free.

Certainly, you can't bring this to a conclusion, a trial, what have you. Uh, the absence of the body certainly uh muddies that water.

In the spring of 2012, that muddy water finally gave up its secret. A hiker was exploring a dry creek bed 60 miles south of where searchers had found a trail of clues laid out like breadcrumbs. Paige's personal items such as checkbooks and clothing scattered along Highway 50.

A hiker in the Wells Gulch area just happened by a human skull. And when they unearthed it, it had duct tape that was sort of around the jawline area and around the the back of the head. A team of forensic examiners soon find more bones strewn across a mile stretch of the creek. And they quickly determine that they do indeed belong to Paige Bergfeld. Even after all this time, it's a devastating blow.

I would tell you without a doubt, uh, a piece of me, I mean, in terms of my emotions, a piece of me is missing. Part of my life is gone. There was no possibility of having her in my life again.

For prosecutor Dan Rubenstein, the crime scene paints a gruesome yet incomplete picture.

The reality is we don't know exactly how Paige died. What we do know is that she was kidnapped. And we know that because of the items that were strewn down Highway 50 and we know that because of the duct tape. uh you don't duct tape a person who's already deceased and ultimately through a mountain of circumstantial evidence were able to determine that Lester Jones was the only person who could have done it.

After years of not knowing, Paige's family was finally able to look at her accused killer in the eyes at his trial. But the jury was about to surprise everyone. In September of 2016, Jones catches another break. Believe it or not, it looks as if he may walk free again. It's a hung jury 9 to3 in favor of guilt. But the dogged DA wasn't about to let this case go.

I think a lot of DAs with a less spunken backbone would have said, you know, well, why don't we wait and see if some new evidence comes in and duct the case.

What made you so passionate about this? every life matters. And it bothered me the idea that people might think that because Paige uh had this double life that she didn't deserve justice.

Please rise for our jury. In November of 2016, Rubenstein takes another shot. His first witness, Paige's daughter, Jess. Now 18, she was the child who left tearful please on her mother's voicemail 9 years earlier.

Hey, Mom. You are really, really mean. You said you would be back before dark and you haven't even been back yet.

When was the last time you saw your mom? The last time I saw my mother was on June 28th, uh, before she went to work, she said that she would be back around dinner time. My mom was a very kind lady. She she did everything for her kids. We even we all slept in her bed in her bedroom cuz we just all love to be around her.

That was one of the low moments of the trial. Jones's wife, a reluctant witness, gives key testimony about the night Paige's car was found on fire.

Did he leave at any point Sunday evening? Yes, he did. Did he tell you why he was leaving?

He uh had to turn off the lights. He thought he had maybe left them on at the shop where he worked.

Was it suspicious for you when he left that evening? Yes. Can you explain to the jury why that was suspicious to you?

I had suspected him of um other women and I thought he was going to meet someone else. Another damning tidbit came from a recorded phone call between police and Lester Jones regarding his impounded vehicles. One of the big surprises that came out of of this investigation was a phone call that went from u then Sergeant Art Smith who was trying to return his vehicles uh to Mr. Jones. And he placed a simple phone call and what Art was trying to figure out was how do I get these vehicles to you? If you need us to bring one to you or come and pick one of you up, we can do that for you.

I don't think so, Mr. Jones. I'm not following you. You asked me where I would bury a body.

I'm sorry. You asked me where I could bury a body. When did I ask you that? The jury had a question at one point during their deliberations and the question was, "Can we hear that phone call again?"

And when the closing came, I I thought there was no doubt that Lester Ralph Jones murdered my daughter.

And I've been informed by the baiff that our jury has reached a verdict. After five weeks, the moment Frank Bergfeld has been waiting nine and a half years for.

Jury verdict, count number one, charge of murder in the first degree felony murder. We, the jury, find the defendant, Lester Ralph Jones, guilty of count one, murder in the first degree.

The sentencing is just as satisfying. Life in prison. It was unbelievable. ation that he was really going to take the blame for this [snorts] and that we had an answer. I'd say this is a life that God put on the earth that he absolutely wasted and frankly it would have been better if uh they had skipped his name when uh God decided who to place on earth. He has contributed nothing and all he is is a burden on society. It really was, you know, a a case that took many, many years to put together.

The highlight of being around Paige was seeing how radiant she would be around her children. When I'm around her children, I feel this elation, but then it's like checked because I realize she isn't here to appreciate it. Jones continues to maintain his innocence and his lawyers have promised to appeal the conviction.

Up next, anything you want to say, why don't you do it? Inside the mind of an accused madman. Was he an angry young man? An

all new interview with the father of the suspect arrested in the death of New York City jogger Karina Vrono. How did his DNA get on her fingernails, her phone, and her neck? the disturbing message he reportedly had for all the girls in his high school and why detectives think he picked Metrono. That's next. All right, now let's get to a story still dominating headlines here in New York. An arrest in the death of jogger Karina Vrono.

Why would you do this? Anything you have to say? Is this the face of evil? Anything you want to say, why would you do it? Did this 20-year-old man commit one of the most savage and senseless crimes New York has ever seen?

The assault and murder for which he's been arrested beyond brutal. And now it's Chris Hansen.

Crime Watch Daily is on the ground searching for answers from the people who should know the accused killer best, his own parents. I know he's been accused of this crime and I wanted to get some perspective from his family.

These are the last haunting images of Karina Vrono captured on a security camera just minutes before she was murdered on a remote jogging trail. Crime Watch Daily was the first to bring you this exclusive video of that fateful August 2nd, a day Karina's father, Phil, will never forget. What strikes me out of all these pictures is her incredible zest for life.

There was so much in her and she achieved so much and she would have achieved so much more. The the sky was the limit.

Karina, described by friends and family as the life of the party, was found dead along this jogging trail near JFK airport. She had been dragged into the tall weeds and strangled. Left face down. Karina's dad usually ran with her, but he was nursing a back injury that terrible day.

Does that haunt you a little bit? Of course it does. Shortly after the shocking murder, New York Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce sat down with me for his first national interview to discuss the case.

Give me a sense for the injuries Karina suffered. Facial injuries. Uh, she also had bruising on her body.

What does that tell you? She fought not to go into those at the time. boys told me they had a DNA profile of the killer based on samples found on Karina's back, under her fingernails, and on her cell phone. And yet, it doesn't hit on any database.

No. It was a lack of answers Karina's father, Phil, found nearly unbearable, especially considering his role in the case.

You found your daughter. I did with the help of the PD. As a parent, Mhm. I have a hard time even getting my arms around that.

I think as a parent, you would rather you find your child than someone else. It's the last act of protection you can give your child.

After the murder, police did release this sketch of a man in a wool cap who was in the location around the time Karina was killed. But still nothing. This is going to be seen around the country. What message do you have for people?

We're looking for a break. We need a break in a case. Now, finally, that break has come.

This is a very good day for justice in New York City. Yesterday evening, Chanel Lewis, a 20-year-old male who resides in East New York, Brooklyn, was taken into custody in connection with the August 2nd, 2016 murder of Karina Petrono. As it turns out, when police were going back through their files, they uncovered a 911 call from 3 months before the murder. Reports of the same man, Chanel Lewis, lurking suspiciously near the area Karina was killed. In fact, the original 911 call came from one of the investigators working the case, who after remembering the incident, helped track Lewis down to his mother's house and bring him in for questioning.

We spoke to him um that night, that was Thursday night. Uh, he freely gave a buckle swab of his DNA to us. Within two days, we had a hit. You got to remember, Karina helped us identify this person. She had the DNA under her nails. She had touched DNA on her on her back, and there was more DNA on a cell phone.

But even without the DNA match, it seems police had enough to make an arrest. Lewis was interviewed by detectives and made detailed, incriminating statements and admissions. Charges are now pending. But do police really have the right man? The suspect's sister says, "No, telling reporters, I think Hops framed him because he's a black person. They couldn't find anyone else to pin this on, so they pinned it on my brother." But police remain resolute, saying Lewis told them in a videotape confession that he was out walking and in a quote bad mood when he came across Karina and snapped.

We don't believe he knew her at all. It appears to be a chance encounter. But we wanted to understand how a young man with no previous criminal history could have suddenly done what he's accused of.

Who is it? It's Chris Hansen. Who is Chris Hansen? I'm a a reporter for Crime Watch Daily. It's a television show and I'm looking for Chanel's mom.

What do you want? Well, I would like to talk to you about your son. Right away, Chanel's mom made it clear she had little to say about her son anyway.

I do not want to speak to you. I wish you would get the hell off of the man property.

I know this is a difficult time. I can only imagine. I'm going to speak to you.

But you see what I'm getting at. I think it's important to know both sides of the story.

All right. Thank you for your time. There would be no statement from the mom with whom he lived most recently. So then we went looking for the father and before long

Hi Richard. Hello. I'm Chris Hansen with Crime Watch Daily. It's a television show and we're working on a story on Chanel and I wanted to

talk to you. What do you say about him? I just want to ask you. I don't know. I mean, I know he's been accused of this crime and I wanted to get some perspective from his family and we came to talk to you to hear what you had to say.

Don't spell me in a while. Okay. To our surprise, Chanel's dad invited us inside. But as our cameras got into position, what he had to say stood in stark contrast to the crime for which Chanel has been accused.

I disguise him as a a wonderful young man. Wonderful in what way? Wonderful. Just just a good guy. Just a good guy.

But reports say otherwise. Police sources say that 5 years earlier when Chanel was just 15, he allegedly said he wanted to bring a knife to school to quote stab all the girls. Why would he lash out?

When you said lash out, what do you mean? Attack Karina Vano. Why would he do that?

Why would he do that? I don't think he would have. You don't think he did? I don't think he did it.

But how did his DNA get on her fingernails, her phone, and her neck? Oh, that what?

He had no answer to that other than to stick by his son. Do you think your son is capable of murder?

Sir, I don't see how he would have. Was your son mentally disturbed? I am not answering any further.

And that's where Chanel's father cut the interview. As for Karina's parents at Lewis's arraignment, Karina's mother didn't hold back, shouting, "He's a demon. He's a demon. He can burn in hell. Now your nightmare begins." For now, Chanel Lewis has been charged with seconddegree murder, is being held without bail, and according to police, faces 25 years to life behind bars.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder"?

Chris Hansen (Host), Nerissa Knight (Guest), Dan Rubenstein (Guest), Lester Jones (Guest), Frank Bergfeld (Guest), Rob Dixon (Guest), Phil Vetrano (Guest).

What is "Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder" about?

The case centers around Paige Bergfeld, a seemingly typical soccer mom who led a secret life as an escort. Her mysterious disappearance raises questions about her hidden activities and the potential involvement of her ex-husbands, with the investigation revealing a complex web of clues that ultimately connect her double life to her fate.

What is mentioned in this True Crime News episode?

19 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Lester Ralph Jones, Paige Bergfeld, Chris Hansen, Grand Junction, Models Inc., Karina Vetrone. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Mom's secret double life as an escort revealed after brutal murder"?

The episode runs 39 min; the transcript is about 6,373 words in 167 timestamped sections.

More from True Crime News

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.