1 00:00:16,750 --> 00:00:17,350 >>> TONIGHT ON "DATELINE" -- 2 00:00:17,350 --> 00:00:19,486 >> TO BE BETRAYED LIKE THAT? FEELS LIKE SOMEBODY STABBING YOU 3 00:00:19,486 --> 00:00:21,654 THROUGH THE HEART AND STABBING YOU IN THE BACK AT THE SAME 4 00:00:21,654 --> 00:00:26,393 TIME >> MY BROTHER'S KILLERS WILL PAY 5 00:00:26,393 --> 00:00:28,495 FOR THIS >> OH, MY GOD, HELP ME, PLEASE 6 00:00:28,495 --> 00:00:32,198 >> WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF HER BOYFRIEND 7 00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:34,834 AND WE WALKED UPSTAIRS AND HE'S LYING ON THE GROUND. 8 00:00:34,834 --> 00:00:37,504 AND HE'S ALL BLEEDING. >> SHE WAS SUCH A MESS 9 00:00:37,504 --> 00:00:39,606 SHE FALLS AGAINST THE DOOR, SCREAMING. 10 00:00:39,606 --> 00:00:42,242 >> YOU SEE IT AND YOU FEEL SORRY FOR THESE GIRLS. 11 00:00:42,242 --> 00:00:44,911 THEY'RE ALL TRAUMATIZED. >> I RAN DOWN THE STREET 12 00:00:44,911 --> 00:00:47,213 YELLING, "RICKY. I WAS JUST LIKE, "OH, MY GOD." 13 00:00:47,213 --> 00:00:48,548 >> DID YOU SHOOT YOURSELF? >> NO. 14 00:00:48,548 --> 00:00:50,250 >> WHO DID IT? >> WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO DID THIS, 15 00:00:50,250 --> 00:00:52,752 YOU KNOW >> IS THIS A ROBBERY 16 00:00:52,752 --> 00:00:54,921 DID HE OWE ANYBODY MONEY I THINK THEY WERE AT A LOSS. 17 00:00:54,921 --> 00:00:57,524 >> FINGERS WERE POINTED EVERYWHERE AT EVERYBODY. 18 00:00:57,524 --> 00:00:59,626 >> I STARTED PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER, LIKE, "OH, MY GOSH, 19 00:00:59,626 --> 00:01:02,462 THE BOY THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE. >> THEY STARTED INVESTIGATING 20 00:01:02,462 --> 00:01:03,296 THE GIRLS. >> Reporter: WHAT WERE THEY 21 00:01:03,296 --> 00:01:04,931 DOING, THOSE GIRLS DO YOU KNOW? 22 00:01:04,931 --> 00:01:06,499 >> THE ONLY THING I KNEW THEY WERE DOING THAT NIGHT WAS TRYING 23 00:01:06,499 --> 00:01:09,135 TO HIDE OUT. >> WE ALL MADE OUR CHOICES 24 00:01:09,135 --> 00:01:12,839 WE ALL DID WHAT WE DID >> IF IT'S SOMEBODY IN OUR 25 00:01:12,839 --> 00:01:14,941 CIRCLE, SOMETHING'S WRONG. >> RUTHLESS. 26 00:01:14,941 --> 00:01:18,111 IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A GOOD PERFORMANCE. 27 00:01:18,111 --> 00:01:21,281 >> TEENAGERS TANGLED UP IN A MURDER MYSTERY 28 00:01:21,281 --> 00:01:33,960 WHO WAS BEHIND IT? I'M LESTER HOLT, AND THIS IS 29 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:49,242 "DATELINE. HERE'S KEITH MORRISON WITH 30 00:01:49,242 --> 00:01:50,844 "KILLING TIME. >> Reporter: WHERE IS THE LINE 31 00:01:50,844 --> 00:01:52,946 BEYOND WHICH REDEMPTION IS NOT POSSIBLE 32 00:01:52,946 --> 00:01:56,850 DOES IT EVEN EXIST OR DOES IT MOVE? 33 00:01:56,850 --> 00:01:58,752 DOES IT SHIFT AS TIME GOES BY? >> SHE IS THE MASTER MANIPULATOR 34 00:01:58,752 --> 00:02:00,320 OF THIS WHOLE CASE SHE WANTED MY BROTHER TO SPOIL 35 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,057 HER. >> Reporter: THIS IS A STORY 36 00:02:04,057 --> 00:02:08,728 ABOUT A MURDER AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT UGLY 37 00:02:08,728 --> 00:02:12,866 STUPIDITY, CALCULATING EVIL, AND MAYBE OFFICIAL ABSOLUTION. 38 00:02:12,866 --> 00:02:14,534 >> IT'S NOT FAIR >> Reporter: HOW OFTEN DO YOU 39 00:02:14,534 --> 00:02:18,772 THINK ABOUT IT >> EVERY DAY, PRETTY MUCH. 40 00:02:18,772 --> 00:02:20,874 >> Reporter: OF COURSE SHE DOES. SHEALYNN COWLES HAS STRUGGLED 41 00:02:20,874 --> 00:02:22,976 WITH IT MORE THAN HALF HER LIFE, HAS SUFFERED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF 42 00:02:22,976 --> 00:02:27,981 LOSS AND THE QUESTION THAT HAS TORMENTED HER. 43 00:02:27,981 --> 00:02:38,825 WAS THERE SOMETHING SHE COULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE DONE 44 00:02:38,825 --> 00:02:44,097 IT WAS A SCORCHING DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST 45 00:02:44,097 --> 00:02:47,834 THE YEAR WAS 1997. SHEALYNN'S BIG BROTHER 46 00:02:47,834 --> 00:02:51,504 RICKY COWLES HAD GONE TO WORK EARLY AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE 47 00:02:51,504 --> 00:02:54,140 UP IN THE HIGH DESERT, NORTHEAST OF L.A., WHERE THEIR FAMILY'S 48 00:02:54,140 --> 00:02:59,112 ELECTRIC COMPANY HELPED MAINTAIN THE POWER GRID 49 00:02:59,112 --> 00:03:01,514 RICKY HOPED TO KNOCK OFF EARLY TOO, FINALLY SPEND SOME MUCH 50 00:03:01,514 --> 00:03:07,520 NEEDED TIME ALONE WITH HIS LIVE-IN GIRLFRIEND, 51 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,757 AMY PREASMYER. BUT PLANS DON'T ALWAYS GO JUST 52 00:03:10,757 --> 00:03:14,661 THE WAY YOU'D EXPECT HERE ARE SHEALYNN AND RICKY'S 53 00:03:14,661 --> 00:03:16,796 PARENTS, DEBBIE AND RICK SR. DIDN'T YOU GUYS DO TWO -- TWO 54 00:03:16,796 --> 00:03:19,632 JOBS THAT DAY, ONE AT EDWARDS AND THEN ONE OVER AT THE 55 00:03:19,632 --> 00:03:22,068 FAIRGROUND >> WE VOLUNTEERED A LOT OF OUR 56 00:03:22,068 --> 00:03:25,271 TIME WITH FAIRGROUNDS, DOING THEIR HOOKING UP, THEIR 57 00:03:25,271 --> 00:03:27,374 INSTALLATIONS AND STUFF. >> WE HAD TO WAIT TILL DARK TO 58 00:03:27,374 --> 00:03:30,510 MAKE SURE THE LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON AUTOMATICALLY 59 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:32,645 >> Reporter: WHICH WOULDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL A LITTLE BEFORE 60 00:03:32,645 --> 00:03:36,850 8:00 THAT NIGHT. RICKY WOULD BE LATE. 61 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:40,086 ACROSS TOWN, HIS GIRLFRIEND AMY PREASMYER WAS WAITING 62 00:03:40,086 --> 00:03:43,189 IMPATIENTLY. RICKY HAD PROMISED THEY COULD 63 00:03:43,189 --> 00:03:47,927 SPEND THE EVENING TOGETHER ALONE. 64 00:03:47,927 --> 00:03:50,330 AND AMY HAD PREPARED, EVEN DROPPED BY THE McDONALD'S WHERE 65 00:03:50,330 --> 00:03:51,631 SHEALYNN WORKED TO TELL HER. >> AMY SAID, "DON'T COME BY 66 00:03:51,631 --> 00:03:54,768 TONIGHT BECAUSE ME AND YOUR BROTHER ARE GOING TO TRY TO TALK 67 00:03:54,768 --> 00:03:57,971 THINGS OUT AND STUFF." >> Reporter: BUT NOW RICKY WAS 68 00:03:57,971 --> 00:04:00,874 LATE AND AMY WANTED SOMEONE TO HANG OUT WITH. 69 00:04:00,874 --> 00:04:05,478 SO SHE CALLED UP HER PAL SARA CHAPIN AND THEY DROVE 70 00:04:05,478 --> 00:04:07,480 AROUND, KILLING TIME >> TWO DIFFERENT CARS, AMY'S 71 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,150 VEHICLE AND MY VEHICLE THERE WAS JUST A BUNCH OF 72 00:04:10,150 --> 00:04:13,853 CHASING AROUND WE FINALLY ENDED UP IN THE SAME 73 00:04:13,853 --> 00:04:16,489 COMPLEX THAT AMY AND RICKY HAD LIVED ON, AT SOMEBODY'S HOUSE 74 00:04:16,489 --> 00:04:18,558 RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. >> Reporter: AMY USED THE PHONE 75 00:04:18,558 --> 00:04:21,728 THERE TO SEE IF RICKY WAS HOME YET. 76 00:04:21,728 --> 00:04:23,930 HE WASN'T. >> AFTER THAT, SHE SAID, "WELL, 77 00:04:23,930 --> 00:04:27,534 I'M HUNGRY." SO WE WENT TO BURGER KING. 78 00:04:27,534 --> 00:04:30,403 >> Reporter: BACK AT THE FAIRGROUNDS, THE SUN FINALLY SET 79 00:04:30,403 --> 00:04:33,306 AND THE COWLES, FATHER AND SON, FINISHED THEIR WORK. 80 00:04:33,306 --> 00:04:35,975 AND THEN RICKY BOLTED AND QUICKLY STOPPED BACK AT HIS 81 00:04:35,975 --> 00:04:38,945 PARENTS' HOUSE TO PICK UP HIS CAR. 82 00:04:38,945 --> 00:04:40,213 >> AND I SAID, "STAY AND LET'S HAVE DINNER. 83 00:04:40,213 --> 00:04:41,848 AND HE GOES, "NO, I GOT TO GO. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE HOME RIGHT 84 00:04:41,848 --> 00:04:44,184 NOW, YOU KNOW, AND I GOT TO LEAVE. 85 00:04:44,184 --> 00:04:47,087 BYE, MOM I LOVE YOU 86 00:04:47,087 --> 00:04:50,690 SEE YOU LATER. >> Reporter: JUST BEFORE 10:00, 87 00:04:50,690 --> 00:04:52,792 AMY, WITH SARA IN TOW, HEADED HOME TO SEE IF RICKY WAS FINALLY 88 00:04:52,792 --> 00:04:56,296 THERE. BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED, WAS HE 89 00:04:56,296 --> 00:04:58,098 HOME OR NOT? RICKY ALWAYS LOCKED THE DOOR 90 00:04:58,098 --> 00:05:01,801 BEHIND HIM WHEN HE GOT IN. ALWAYS 91 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:05,438 BUT WHEN THE GIRLS TRIED THE DOOR, IT WAS OPEN. 92 00:05:05,438 --> 00:05:07,607 >> WE BOTH HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM 93 00:05:07,607 --> 00:05:10,777 I LET HER GO FIRST AND SHE SAID, "WELL, WHY DON'T 94 00:05:10,777 --> 00:05:13,413 YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND SEE IF RICKY'S UP THERE?" 95 00:05:13,413 --> 00:05:16,583 >> Reporter: SARA HEADED UPSTAIRS 96 00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:18,651 >> SO I TOOK ABOUT TWO STEPS UP, AND I SMELLED SOMETHIN' 97 00:05:18,651 --> 00:05:21,054 HORRIBLE >> Reporter: SMELLED WHAT? 98 00:05:21,054 --> 00:05:23,923 WHAT WAS IT? >> IT WAS JUST A ROTTEN SMELL. 99 00:05:23,923 --> 00:05:27,060 "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT I'M NOT GOIN' UP THERE." 100 00:05:27,060 --> 00:05:29,729 SHE SAID, "OH, DON'T BE A BABY." AND SHE SHOVED ME ASIDE, AND SHE 101 00:05:29,729 --> 00:05:31,865 GOES POUNDING UP THE STAIRS. SHE TURNS ON THE LIGHT IN THE 102 00:05:31,865 --> 00:05:36,102 BEDROOM. SHE STANDS THERE FOR A SECOND. 103 00:05:36,102 --> 00:05:38,738 AND THEN SHE LOOKS DOWN AND FALLS AGAINST THE DOOR 104 00:05:38,738 --> 00:05:41,908 SCREAMING, AND I GO RUNNING UP THE STAIRS 105 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:44,544 >> Reporter: SOMEONE WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR, A TWISTED, BLOODY 106 00:05:44,544 --> 00:05:48,915 MESS, BADLY INJURED, BUT STILL ALIVE. 107 00:05:48,915 --> 00:05:51,985 IT WAS RICKY >> 911, WHAT'S YOUR EMERGENCY? 108 00:05:51,985 --> 00:05:56,189 >> OH, MY GOD, HELP ME, PLEASE >> SHE DIALED 911. 109 00:05:56,189 --> 00:05:59,359 AND SHE WAS SUCH A MESS. >> WE CAME HOME, AND HE'S, LIKE, 110 00:05:59,359 --> 00:06:03,063 BLEEDING EVERYWHERE. >> MA'AM, MA'AM, I CAN'T -- I 111 00:06:03,063 --> 00:06:04,664 CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. >> AND I GRABBED THE PHONE FROM 112 00:06:04,664 --> 00:06:07,367 HER. AND I'M LIKE, "HELLO?" 113 00:06:07,367 --> 00:06:09,369 >> WHAT'S GOING ON [ CRYING ] 114 00:06:09,369 --> 00:06:11,471 CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING? 115 00:06:11,471 --> 00:06:13,573 >> WE JUST GOT BACK INTO THE APARTMENT, AND WE'VE BEEN 116 00:06:13,573 --> 00:06:16,242 CALLING ALL NIGHT LONG, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AHOLD 117 00:06:16,242 --> 00:06:18,378 OF HER BOYFRIEND AND WE WALKED UPSTAIRS, AND HE'S 118 00:06:18,378 --> 00:06:22,615 LYING ON THE GROUND. AND HE'S ALL BLEEDING. 119 00:06:22,615 --> 00:06:24,718 >> HE'S BLEEDING >> HE'S NOT MOVING OR ANYTHING 120 00:06:24,718 --> 00:06:26,286 WE JUST TURNED ON THE LIGHT. AND WE SAW HIM AND WE CAME 121 00:06:26,286 --> 00:06:28,388 DOWNSTAIRS >> OKAY. 122 00:06:28,388 --> 00:06:31,057 >> AND CALLED YOU. >> OKAY, HOLD ON 123 00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:32,592 I'M SENDING -- I'M TRANSFERRING YOU TO PARAMEDICS. 124 00:06:32,592 --> 00:06:34,694 OKAY >> Reporter: BY THEN, ANOTHER 125 00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:37,897 CLOSE FRIEND HAD ARRIVED -- JENNIFER KELLOGG 126 00:06:37,897 --> 00:06:40,467 >> AND JENNIFER KEPT SAYING, "I WANT TO SEE RICKY. 127 00:06:40,467 --> 00:06:44,170 AND I'M LIKE, "WHY YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THIS." 128 00:06:44,170 --> 00:06:46,940 >> Reporter: SARA TRIED TO KEEP EVERYBODY CALM AND AS FAR AWAY 129 00:06:46,940 --> 00:06:50,510 FROM THE BLOODY SCENE UPSTAIRS AS POSSIBLE. 130 00:06:50,510 --> 00:06:53,179 >> NO, GET DOWNSTAIRS NOW. AMY, YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THIS, 131 00:06:53,179 --> 00:06:56,082 HONEY. I CAN'T EVEN STAND TO LOOK AT 132 00:06:56,082 --> 00:06:59,519 IT GET DOWNSTAIRS 133 00:06:59,519 --> 00:07:02,689 >> OKAY, HOW'S HE DOIN' NOW? >> HE'S TWITCHING AND CONVULSING 134 00:07:02,689 --> 00:07:05,358 A LITTLE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING WENT THROUGH HIS HEAD. 135 00:07:05,358 --> 00:07:09,229 >> Reporter: PARAMEDICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOWED UP QUICKLY. 136 00:07:09,229 --> 00:07:13,767 >> AND THEY CARRIED HIM DOWNSTAIRS ON HIS BED SHEET AND 137 00:07:13,767 --> 00:07:17,570 WORKED ON HIM IN THE LIVING ROOM 138 00:07:17,570 --> 00:07:20,073 >> Reporter: A SHERIFF'S CAMERA WAS ROLLING AS THEY TRIED TO 139 00:07:20,073 --> 00:07:23,243 FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAD HAPPENED TO 21-YEAR-OLD 140 00:07:23,243 --> 00:07:27,047 RICKY COWLES >> RIGHT BEHIND HIS LEFT EAR 141 00:07:27,047 --> 00:07:28,214 >> THEY CAME IN THE HOUSE. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE 142 00:07:28,214 --> 00:07:30,583 SHOVING ALL OF US INTO THE KITCHEN. 143 00:07:30,583 --> 00:07:32,919 >> Reporter: AMAZINGLY RICKY COULD TALK 144 00:07:32,919 --> 00:07:34,387 >> DID YOU SHOOT YOURSELF? >> NO. 145 00:07:34,387 --> 00:07:38,091 >> WHO DID IT? >> MY NECK HURTS A LOT 146 00:07:38,091 --> 00:07:41,261 >> WHO DID IT? >> MY NECK 147 00:07:41,261 --> 00:07:44,964 >> Reporter: IT WAS A SCENE OUT OF HELL, PARAMEDICS TRYING TO 148 00:07:44,964 --> 00:07:49,436 KEEP RICKY ALIVE, THE BEST FRIENDS STRUGGLING WITH HYSTERIA 149 00:07:49,436 --> 00:07:51,805 AS THEY TALKED TO THE POLICE >> DOES IT LOOK RANSACKED OR 150 00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:53,907 ANYTHING >> NO. 151 00:07:53,907 --> 00:07:57,243 >> Reporter: A DEPUTY ASKED THE GIRLS TO CALL RICKY'S PARENTS. 152 00:07:57,243 --> 00:07:58,445 >> THEY SAID, "WELL, ONE OF YOU IS GONNA HAVE TO CALL THEM." 153 00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:00,780 AMY COULDN'T TALK. SO THEY HANDED THE PHONE TO ME 154 00:08:00,780 --> 00:08:06,019 >> AND I SAID, "SOMETHING'S HAPPENED TO RICKY. 155 00:08:06,019 --> 00:08:10,323 YOU NEED TO COME DOWN HERE." >> Reporter: SEVEN MILES AWAY, 156 00:08:10,323 --> 00:08:12,926 IT NEVER TOOK SO LONG. >> THE POLICE WERE THERE, 157 00:08:12,926 --> 00:08:16,096 AMBULANCES, ALL THIS STUFF AND I RAN DOWN THE STREET 158 00:08:16,096 --> 00:08:19,799 YELLING, "RICKY. I JUST WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOD." 159 00:08:19,799 --> 00:08:24,037 WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY HAD ALREADY BROUGHT HIM DOWNSTAIRS, 160 00:08:24,037 --> 00:08:28,208 AND HE WAS LAYING THERE. AND I JUST LOOKED AT HIM, AND 161 00:08:28,208 --> 00:08:29,909 I'M JUST -- OH, GOD. >> Reporter: THE PARAMEDICS SAID 162 00:08:29,909 --> 00:08:33,480 THEY'D TAKE HIM TO LOCAL HOSPITAL IN AN AMBULANCE 163 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:38,585 RICKY'S PARENTS BEGGED THEM TO FLY THEIR SON TO AN L.A. TRAUMA 164 00:08:38,585 --> 00:08:45,625 CENTER, AND FAST >> MY DAD WAS SAYING, UM, YOU 165 00:08:45,625 --> 00:08:48,294 KNOW -- HE WAS SAYING, "WE CAN'T -- HE'S NOT GOING TO MAKE 166 00:08:48,294 --> 00:08:49,863 IT IF WE HAVE TO TRANSMIT HIM TO THE HOSPITAL 167 00:08:49,863 --> 00:08:55,168 SO WE NEED TO GET A HELICOPTER HERE RIGHT NOW." 168 00:08:55,168 --> 00:09:05,679 >> Reporter: THEY GOT ONE AND RICK SR. RODE WITH HIS SON RICK 169 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:07,380 >> HE COULDN'T REALLY SPEAK. HE COULDN'T SAY WHAT HAPPENED OR 170 00:09:07,380 --> 00:09:09,783 ANYTHING >> Reporter: BUT HE SQUEEZED HIS 171 00:09:09,783 --> 00:09:12,552 DAD'S HAND, AND SO HIS DAD KEPT TALKING. 172 00:09:12,552 --> 00:09:15,188 AT THE HOSPITAL, THEY STAYED BY HIS BED AS THE DOCTORS WORKED, 173 00:09:15,188 --> 00:09:19,426 AND THEY PRAYED HE'D SURVIVE AND THEY WAITED, AND WAITED, AND 174 00:09:19,426 --> 00:09:23,029 WAITED >> I DON'T EVEN THINK OUR FAMILY 175 00:09:23,029 --> 00:09:27,233 EVEN ATE ANYTHING FOR THOSE DAYS WE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL. 176 00:09:27,233 --> 00:09:31,471 YOU ARE JUST IN SHOCK AND YOU'RE JUST TRYING -- TRYING TO FIGURE 177 00:09:31,471 --> 00:09:36,743 OUT IF THE DOCTORS, YOU KNOW, CAN -- CAN HELP HIM. 178 00:09:36,743 --> 00:09:58,531 >> Reporter: HELP HIM AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM IN THAT 179 00:09:58,531 --> 00:10:00,734 >> Reporter: FROM THE HELICOPTER, RICKY COWLES -- 180 00:10:00,734 --> 00:10:03,770 BARELY CLINGING TO LIFE -- WAS RUSHED INTO THE O.R. 181 00:10:03,770 --> 00:10:04,938 >> BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, HE WAS ALREADY IN SURGERY 182 00:10:04,938 --> 00:10:07,574 >> Reporter: THE FIRST OF TWO SURGERIES. 183 00:10:07,574 --> 00:10:12,345 THE COWLES HELD A VIGIL AT THE HOSPITAL 184 00:10:12,345 --> 00:10:13,913 RICKY'S GIRLFRIEND AMY WAS THERE TOO. 185 00:10:13,913 --> 00:10:16,049 GEORGIA AND LARRY ARE AMY'S PARENTS. 186 00:10:16,049 --> 00:10:17,017 DID YOU FOLKS GO TO THE HOSPITAL 187 00:10:17,017 --> 00:10:18,585 >> I DID I WAS THE ONE WHO -- 188 00:10:18,585 --> 00:10:20,720 >> SHE DID >> -- WENT INSIDE. 189 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:25,058 LARRY STAYED OUTSIDE AND I WENT INSIDE BECAUSE THEY HAD SAID 190 00:10:25,058 --> 00:10:27,627 THAT AMY WAS HYSTERICAL. >> Reporter: SHEALYNN WAS VERY 191 00:10:27,627 --> 00:10:30,230 UPSET, TOO DID YOU GET TO SEE HIM 192 00:10:30,230 --> 00:10:31,898 >> THAT WAS HARD >> Reporter: HE WAS SUFFERING. 193 00:10:31,898 --> 00:10:34,467 HE'D BEEN SHOT THROUGH THE FOREHEAD 194 00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:37,404 AND HIS SKULL HAD BEEN SMASHED BY SOME BLUNT OBJECT 195 00:10:37,404 --> 00:10:41,341 THE DOCTORS FOUGHT FOR DAYS TO SAVE HIS LIFE. 196 00:10:41,341 --> 00:10:43,977 >> WHEN SOMEONE HAS SUCH A BAD BRAIN INJURY, THE PRESSURE IN 197 00:10:43,977 --> 00:10:47,614 YOUR BRAIN, YOU GO THROUGH SO MUCH 198 00:10:47,614 --> 00:10:53,420 THE SURGERIES HE WENT THROUGH, JUST TRYING TO GET HIM MAYBE TO 199 00:10:53,420 --> 00:10:55,522 KNOW WE'RE THERE, YOU KNOW >> THEY TOLD US TO GO INTO HIS 200 00:10:55,522 --> 00:10:57,657 ROOM AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT STUFF. 201 00:10:57,657 --> 00:11:01,895 ABOUT THE PAST AND ABOUT HOW MUCH WE LOVED HIM, AND SING THE 202 00:11:01,895 --> 00:11:07,701 SONGS THAT HE LIKED AND ALL THAT TO TRY TO MAYBE JOG HIM A LITTLE 203 00:11:07,701 --> 00:11:09,803 BIT, BUT - >> Reporter: STILL HE HUNG ON, 204 00:11:09,803 --> 00:11:12,472 AS HIS FAMILY TRIED TO UNDERSTAND, WHO COULD HAVE DONE 205 00:11:12,472 --> 00:11:15,108 THIS TO HIM? AND WHY? 206 00:11:15,108 --> 00:11:19,312 RICKY DIDN'T HAVE AN ENEMY IN THE WORLD. 207 00:11:19,312 --> 00:11:22,082 >> HI RICKAROO >> Reporter: RICKY HAD GROWN UP 208 00:11:22,082 --> 00:11:24,617 IN COLORADO UNTIL THE COWLES MOVED TO CALIFORNIA WHEN HE WAS 209 00:11:24,617 --> 00:11:28,455 IN HIGH SCHOOL THE COWLES HAD ALWAYS BEEN SO 210 00:11:28,455 --> 00:11:30,390 CLOSE. BUT THEN AMY CAME ALONG. 211 00:11:30,390 --> 00:11:35,662 AT FIRST, IT ALL SEEMED VERY SWEET. 212 00:11:35,662 --> 00:11:40,967 INNOCENT, IF A LITTLE NAIVE. AT LEAST AS SARA CHAPIN SAW IT 213 00:11:40,967 --> 00:11:44,137 BACK THEN, EARLY 1997. WHEN SHE AND JENNIFER KELLOGG 214 00:11:44,137 --> 00:11:46,773 AND AMY PREASMYER, HER HIGH SCHOOL BUDDIES, WERE UP FOR 215 00:11:46,773 --> 00:11:49,442 ANYTHING HIGH SCHOOL IN LANCASTER, 216 00:11:49,442 --> 00:11:53,613 CALIFORNIA, WHAT'S THAT LIKE >> JUST LIKE ANY HIGH SCHOOL 217 00:11:53,613 --> 00:11:57,350 ANYWHERE IN AMERICA. A BUNCH OF TEENAGERS RUNNING 218 00:11:57,350 --> 00:11:59,819 CRAZY. [ LAUGHTER ] 219 00:11:59,819 --> 00:12:01,054 >> GOOD EVENING MY NAME IS SARA CHAPIN. 220 00:12:01,054 --> 00:12:04,724 >> Reporter: BACK THEN, SARA CHAPIN WAS A LOCAL BEAUTY 221 00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:06,326 PAGEANT QUEEN. YOU WERE A PRETTY POPULAR KID IN 222 00:12:06,326 --> 00:12:08,428 HIGH SCHOOL. >> I WAS -- WASN'T REALLY 223 00:12:08,428 --> 00:12:11,064 POPULAR. BUT I WAS A CHEERLEADER. 224 00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:14,734 >> Reporter: WHICH HELPS >> YES 225 00:12:14,734 --> 00:12:17,904 >> Reporter: HER FRIEND AMY PREASMYER, 16 AT THE TIME, 226 00:12:17,904 --> 00:12:20,540 WAS POPULAR TOO. >> AMY WAS MORE OF THE GOOFY, 227 00:12:20,540 --> 00:12:25,311 FUN ONE. SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO OUT 228 00:12:25,311 --> 00:12:28,715 DANCING OR SHE ACTUALLY GOT ME INTO CHURCH AGAIN. 229 00:12:28,715 --> 00:12:30,583 >> Reporter: SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT 230 00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:32,786 THINGS SHE GOT YOU INTO CHURCH BUT SHE 231 00:12:32,786 --> 00:12:34,320 WAS THE FUN ONE? I -- 232 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,991 >> SHE WAS FUN I MEAN FUN LIKE INNOCENT FUN, IN 233 00:12:37,991 --> 00:12:41,161 THE BEGINNING. >> Reporter: THEIR FRIEND 234 00:12:41,161 --> 00:12:43,630 JENNIFER KELLOGG WAS 17 THEN WASN'T QUITE AS INNOCENT MAYBE 235 00:12:43,630 --> 00:12:45,331 SHE WAS THE ONE YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU ABOUT 236 00:12:45,331 --> 00:12:49,102 >> YES [ LAUGHTER ] 237 00:12:49,102 --> 00:12:52,739 >> JENNIFER WAS THE WILD CHILD SHE WAS IN -- ON THE DANCE TEAM 238 00:12:52,739 --> 00:12:56,443 IN HIGH SCHOOL AND SHE ALWAYS -- SHE WAS THE 239 00:12:56,443 --> 00:13:00,513 BOLDER ONE OF ANY OF US. AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU 240 00:13:00,513 --> 00:13:02,549 IF YOU NEEDED HER. AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU GOT IN 241 00:13:02,549 --> 00:13:05,952 TROUBLE, SHE HELPED YOU GET IN TROUBLE. 242 00:13:05,952 --> 00:13:08,054 >> Reporter: JUST AFTER NEW YEARS 1997, AMY'S PARENTS WENT 243 00:13:08,054 --> 00:13:10,724 OUT OF TOWN. AND, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT 244 00:13:10,724 --> 00:13:14,928 HAPPENED NEXT. THE BESTIES THREW A HOUSE PARTY. 245 00:13:14,928 --> 00:13:18,498 >> AND SO AMY SAID "LET'S JUST INVITE SOME PEOPLE OVER. 246 00:13:18,498 --> 00:13:20,233 HAVE A GOOD TIME." >> Reporter: HERE THEY WERE THAT 247 00:13:20,233 --> 00:13:22,836 NIGHT. THERE WAS A LITTLE DRINKING, 248 00:13:22,836 --> 00:13:27,073 LITTLE SMOKING, AND SOME GENERAL ROWDINESS. 249 00:13:27,073 --> 00:13:29,876 SHEALYNN COWLES WAS THERE TOO. 16 AT THE TIME 250 00:13:29,876 --> 00:13:33,947 SHE REMEMBERS AMY FROM BACK THEN 251 00:13:33,947 --> 00:13:37,650 WHAT WAS SHE LIKE? >> UM, SHE WAS A PARTY GIRL, YOU 252 00:13:37,650 --> 00:13:39,285 KNOW >> Reporter: ONE OF THE PEOPLE 253 00:13:39,285 --> 00:13:42,622 AT THAT PARTY WAS ALMOST A GROWN UP 254 00:13:42,622 --> 00:13:47,193 THAT WAS RICKY, THEN 20. SHEALYNN'S BIG BROTHER 255 00:13:47,193 --> 00:13:49,863 BY THEN HE WAS DONE WITH SCHOOL AND WORKING FULL TIME AT HIS 256 00:13:49,863 --> 00:13:52,832 FAMILY'S ELECTRICITY BUSINESS. AND THOUGH HE STILL LIVED AT 257 00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:57,771 HOME, HE WAS MATURE FOR HIS YEARS. 258 00:13:57,771 --> 00:13:59,873 BUT...THAT PART OF IT DIDN'T MATTER A BIT TO THE GIRLS AT THE 259 00:13:59,873 --> 00:14:02,075 HOUSE PARTY. TO THEM, HE WAS TALL AND GOOD 260 00:14:02,075 --> 00:14:06,179 LOOKING. WHAT ELSE MATTERED 261 00:14:06,179 --> 00:14:08,314 >> AMY AND ONE OF OUR OTHER FRIENDS WERE KIND OF FIGHTIN' 262 00:14:08,314 --> 00:14:09,883 OVER HIM THEY BOTH HAD A LITTLE THING FOR 263 00:14:09,883 --> 00:14:13,586 HIM. AND I GUESS AMY WON. 264 00:14:13,586 --> 00:14:15,689 >> Reporter: BUT RIGHT AWAY, BOOM, SHE WAS -- SHE WANTED HIM, 265 00:14:15,689 --> 00:14:18,391 HUH? >> WELL, WHEN YOU'RE A TEENAGE 266 00:14:18,391 --> 00:14:20,493 GIRL AND YOU SEE A CUTE GUY, OF COURSE EVERYTHING FALLS INTO 267 00:14:20,493 --> 00:14:22,062 PLACE. >> Reporter: HOW DID IT 268 00:14:22,062 --> 00:14:26,266 PROGRESS >> IT PROGRESSED PRETTY QUICKLY. 269 00:14:26,266 --> 00:14:29,569 THEY GOT TOGETHER AND EVERYTHING JUST STARTED GOING REALLY FAST 270 00:14:29,569 --> 00:14:33,173 >> Reporter: THEY WERE TOGETHER FROM THAT VERY FIRST NIGHT 271 00:14:33,173 --> 00:14:37,911 IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO RICKY THAT AMY WAS STILL IN HIGH 272 00:14:37,911 --> 00:14:40,146 SCHOOL, JUST 16 YEARS OLD. >> I REMEMBER HE TOOK HER TO HER 273 00:14:40,146 --> 00:14:42,115 PROM >> Reporter: HE TOOK HER AWAY ON 274 00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:44,751 TRIPS. BOUGHT HER LOTS OF GIFTS 275 00:14:44,751 --> 00:14:49,122 SHEALYNN SAID RICKY EVEN HELPED OUT AMY'S FRIENDS. 276 00:14:49,122 --> 00:14:51,658 >> ANYTHING THOSE GIRLS NEEDED, WHEN MY BROTHER WENT TO THE MALL 277 00:14:51,658 --> 00:14:55,962 WITH HER, THEY WENT TOO. HE GAVE THEM MONEY 278 00:14:55,962 --> 00:14:57,163 HE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR HER >> Reporter: BUT RICKY'S MOTHER 279 00:14:57,163 --> 00:15:00,100 DEBBIE WASN'T SO ENAMORED WITH YOUNG AMY. 280 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:04,504 IT WAS JUST A FEELING. BUT IT WAS A STRONG FEELING. 281 00:15:04,504 --> 00:15:06,039 >> I TOLD HIM, "JUNIOR, YOU GOT TO JUST FIND A NEW GIRLFRIEND. 282 00:15:06,039 --> 00:15:08,441 SHE'S TOO YOUNG FOR YOU. SHE'S 16 283 00:15:08,441 --> 00:15:12,245 >> Reporter: YOUNG LOVE. SO INTOXICATING. 284 00:15:12,245 --> 00:15:16,449 SO BLIND RICKY COWLES JUST COULDN'T SEE 285 00:15:16,449 --> 00:15:36,903 WHAT HIS MOTHER SAW. >> Reporter: THE SPARK THAT WAS 286 00:15:36,903 --> 00:15:40,240 LIT WHEN AMY MET RICKY BACK AT THE AT THE START OF 1997 WAS 287 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,310 WHITE HOT BY SPRINGTIME. COLD WATER FROM RICKY'S PARENTS 288 00:15:44,310 --> 00:15:47,847 HAD NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER EVEN THOUGH THEY CERTAINLY 289 00:15:47,847 --> 00:15:51,751 TRIED. SHE WAS ONLY 16, THEY KEPT 290 00:15:51,751 --> 00:15:54,354 SAYING, AS IF TO A BRICK WALL. >> WE WARNED HIM 291 00:15:54,354 --> 00:15:56,990 SHE COULD CHARGE YOU WITH RAPE >> Reporter: YEAH. 292 00:15:56,990 --> 00:16:00,694 >> THINK ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW. "SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT. 293 00:16:00,694 --> 00:16:02,796 I MEAN, WE HAD MANY, MANY CONVERSATIONS. 294 00:16:02,796 --> 00:16:07,033 >> Reporter: IT DIDN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE 295 00:16:07,033 --> 00:16:09,669 IT WAS TRUE LOVE IN MARCH OF 1997, AFTER THREE 296 00:16:09,669 --> 00:16:14,407 MONTHS OF BLISS, RICKY TURNED 21 297 00:16:14,407 --> 00:16:18,812 HIS PARENTS HAD PLANNED A CELEBRATION IN LAS VEGAS AND AMY 298 00:16:18,812 --> 00:16:21,281 WASN'T ABOUT TO MISS A PARTY >> SHE ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO DO 299 00:16:21,281 --> 00:16:25,518 WHATEVER SHE WANTED. EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 16, SHE 300 00:16:25,518 --> 00:16:30,523 HAD TO GO. SO HE WAS OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS, 301 00:16:30,523 --> 00:16:31,858 21, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE DID. 302 00:16:31,858 --> 00:16:33,960 I NEVER SAW HER THE WHOLE TIME I DON'T THINK -- I DON'T 303 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,130 REMEMBER SEEING HER, DO YOU? >> NO. 304 00:16:37,130 --> 00:16:39,766 >> BUT SHE WAS THERE >> Reporter: DEBBIE AND RICK 305 00:16:39,766 --> 00:16:42,402 SENIOR WERE CONVINCED THIS RELATIONSHIP WASN'T GOING TO END 306 00:16:42,402 --> 00:16:45,572 WELL SO DEBBIE CALLED AMY'S PARENTS 307 00:16:45,572 --> 00:16:49,275 LOOKING FOR ALLIES THEY WERE ANYTHING BUT 308 00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:50,810 >> HER PARENTS DIDN'T CARE THEY LET HER DO WHATEVER SHE 309 00:16:50,810 --> 00:16:52,379 WANTED SHE, YOU KNOW, WAS DOING 310 00:16:52,379 --> 00:16:55,081 WHATEVER SHE WANTED WHENEVER SHE WANTED 311 00:16:55,081 --> 00:16:58,885 THEY HAD NO CONTROL OVER HER >> Reporter: IT'S A WHOLE 312 00:16:58,885 --> 00:17:00,820 DIFFERENT KIND OF PARENTING STYLE AND TWO FAMILIES 313 00:17:00,820 --> 00:17:03,023 >> OH YEAH >> Reporter: AMY'S PARENTS, 314 00:17:03,023 --> 00:17:05,625 GEORGIA AND LARRY PREASMYER, TOLD US THEY HAD A VERY 315 00:17:05,625 --> 00:17:07,727 DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE RELATIONSHIP -- AND FOR A GOOD 316 00:17:07,727 --> 00:17:10,530 REASON >> I WAS 17 WHEN I MET LARRY 317 00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:12,665 AND -- >> >> Reporter: HOW OLD WERE 318 00:17:12,665 --> 00:17:14,768 YOU, LARRY >> 24. 319 00:17:14,768 --> 00:17:17,270 [ LAUGHTER ] >> 24. 320 00:17:17,270 --> 00:17:18,838 >> SO THERE WAS SIX YEARS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN - 321 00:17:18,838 --> 00:17:20,407 >> Reporter: AND THAT WORKED OUT. 322 00:17:20,407 --> 00:17:23,043 SO THE AGE DIFFERENCE DIDN'T WORRY THEM 323 00:17:23,043 --> 00:17:26,212 AND THEY LIKED RICKY HE WAS GOOD TO THEIR DAUGHTER. 324 00:17:26,212 --> 00:17:29,382 ANYWAY, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO MUCH ABOUT IT 325 00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:32,052 SHE HAD MADE UP HER MIND >> SHE ALWAYS PUSHED 326 00:17:32,052 --> 00:17:33,653 >> YEAH. >> SO -- 327 00:17:33,653 --> 00:17:35,755 >> Reporter: AMY PUSHED THE ENVELOPE 328 00:17:35,755 --> 00:17:38,391 >> ALWAYS. >> Reporter: THERE WAS NO 329 00:17:38,391 --> 00:17:40,493 STOPPING AMY >> WHAT WE TOLD HIM -- HE LIVED 330 00:17:40,493 --> 00:17:42,629 IN THIS LITTLE HOUSE THAT WE HAD IN OUR PROPERTY AT THAT TIME 331 00:17:42,629 --> 00:17:45,098 AND WE SAID, SHE'S NOT STAYING WE WILL NOT HAVE HER STAY HERE, 332 00:17:45,098 --> 00:17:46,866 GAVE HER ALL THESE RULES AND ALL THAT 333 00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:52,105 IT DIDN'T MATTER SHE STILL CAME AROUND. 334 00:17:52,105 --> 00:17:55,275 >> Reporter: FINALLY RICKY'S PARENTS SAID THAT IS ENOUGH. 335 00:17:55,275 --> 00:17:58,945 >> I SAID WE CAN'T HAVE HER DOING THIS ANYMORE 336 00:17:58,945 --> 00:18:02,115 YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T RIGHT >> Reporter: SO DID RICKY TELL 337 00:18:02,115 --> 00:18:06,319 AMY TO STAY AWAY NO, HE DID NOT 338 00:18:06,319 --> 00:18:10,557 INSTEAD HE MOVED OUT, RENTED HIS OWN PLACE. 339 00:18:10,557 --> 00:18:19,499 LATER DEBBIE WONDERED IF THAT HAD BEEN AMY'S PLAN ALL ALONG. 340 00:18:19,499 --> 00:18:21,101 WITHIN A WEEK AMY WAS LIVING THERE, TOO 341 00:18:21,101 --> 00:18:22,669 HER PARENTS SAY THAT DIDN'T MAKE THEM HAPPY BUT THEY HAD NO 342 00:18:22,669 --> 00:18:25,038 CHOICE >> WE DID NOT WANT HER TO MOVE 343 00:18:25,038 --> 00:18:26,373 OUT. BUT AMY -- 344 00:18:26,373 --> 00:18:28,875 >> Reporter: DIDN'T WANT THEM TO MOVE IN TOGETHER 345 00:18:28,875 --> 00:18:31,611 >> NO. BUT AMY SAID, "TOO BAD." 346 00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:33,713 YOU KNOW, "WE'RE -- I'M LEAVING. I'M GOING TO GO AND I'M GOING TO 347 00:18:33,713 --> 00:18:35,315 MOVE IN WITH RICKY." AND RICKY PROMISED, HE SAYS, 348 00:18:35,315 --> 00:18:37,050 "GEORGIA, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS. 349 00:18:37,050 --> 00:18:40,253 HE SAYS, "BUT I -- I SWEAR, I'LL TAKE CARE OF HER 350 00:18:40,253 --> 00:18:42,155 I LOVE HER." >> Reporter: SO THE HAPPY COUPLE 351 00:18:42,155 --> 00:18:48,061 SET UP HOUSE BUT THEN AMY'S TWO BEST FRIENDS 352 00:18:48,061 --> 00:18:50,397 MOVED IN, SARA AND JENNIFER. >> HER FRIENDS DON'T WANT TO 353 00:18:50,397 --> 00:18:52,232 LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS ANYMORE EITHER 354 00:18:52,232 --> 00:18:53,833 SO THEY WERE LIKE -- YOU KNOW, SHE WANTED TO MOVE HER FRIENDS 355 00:18:53,833 --> 00:18:56,403 IN SO THAT'S WHAT SHE DID 356 00:18:56,403 --> 00:18:58,938 >> Reporter: MAKE THAT THE CONSTANT PARTY HOUSE 357 00:18:58,938 --> 00:19:00,306 >> YEAH. >> Reporter: IT WAS SUMMER BY 358 00:19:00,306 --> 00:19:03,309 THEN NO SCHOOL. 359 00:19:03,309 --> 00:19:06,312 AMY'S MOTHER THOUGHT AMY JUST WANTED HER FRIENDS AROUND TO 360 00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:08,581 KEEP HER FROM BEING LONELY >> RICKY WORKED LONG HOURS AND 361 00:19:08,581 --> 00:19:11,217 SHE DIDN'T LIKE TO BE AT HOME ALONE. 362 00:19:11,217 --> 00:19:14,387 AMY WAS THE TYPE OF CHILD THAT ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO 363 00:19:14,387 --> 00:19:17,424 PLAY WITH AND ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, NEEDED PEOPLE TO BE WITH HER 364 00:19:17,424 --> 00:19:21,294 >> Reporter: BUT AMY WAS NOW A TEENAGER 365 00:19:21,294 --> 00:19:24,464 LIVING UNPARENTED WITH TWO BEST FRIENDS. 366 00:19:24,464 --> 00:19:27,634 ONE OF WHOM WAS A NOTORIOUS WILD CHILD. 367 00:19:27,634 --> 00:19:30,804 JENNIFER WAS THE TROUBLE MAKER >> SHE WAS BRINGING HER PARTY 368 00:19:30,804 --> 00:19:35,575 FRIENDS OVER SHE WAS IN AND OUT AT ALL HOURS 369 00:19:35,575 --> 00:19:39,813 OF THE NIGHT >> WITH JENNIFER CAME DRUGS. 370 00:19:39,813 --> 00:19:41,915 >> Reporter: WAS SHE DEALING WAS SHE USING AND SELLING? 371 00:19:41,915 --> 00:19:43,516 >> AT THE TIME, YES. >> Reporter: WHAT WAS IT 372 00:19:43,516 --> 00:19:46,653 DO YOU KNOW? >> I KNOW SHE WAS AT LEAST 373 00:19:46,653 --> 00:19:51,958 HELPING TO DEAL POT. BUT SHE HERSELF WAS ON 374 00:19:51,958 --> 00:19:53,526 METHAMPHETAMINES >> Reporter: THAT'S HOW SARA 375 00:19:53,526 --> 00:19:56,162 REMEMBERED IT. WHICH WAS NOT EXACTLY WHAT RICKY 376 00:19:56,162 --> 00:19:59,399 HAD IN MIND WHEN AMY MOVED IN WITH HIM 377 00:19:59,399 --> 00:20:02,635 BUT THEN, A LOT OF THINGS WERE NOT EXACTLY WHAT EITHER ONE OF 378 00:20:02,635 --> 00:20:04,137 THEM HAD IN MIND >> Reporter: WHAT DID THEY FIGHT 379 00:20:04,137 --> 00:20:06,006 ABOUT? >> THEY FOUGHT LIKE ANY OTHER 380 00:20:06,006 --> 00:20:09,376 COUPLE WOULD FIGHT ABOUT STUPID THINGS. 381 00:20:09,376 --> 00:20:13,113 ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE HOUSE NOT BEING CLEANED OR SPENDING 382 00:20:13,113 --> 00:20:17,317 TOO MUCH TIME WITH HER FRIENDS NOT BEING HOME ENOUGH. 383 00:20:17,317 --> 00:20:21,888 >> Reporter: AND PRETTY SOON HE GREW TIRED OF AMY'S FRIENDS AND 384 00:20:21,888 --> 00:20:23,623 ALL THAT CAME WITH THEM. >> RICKY DECIDED THAT HE WAS 385 00:20:23,623 --> 00:20:27,293 DONE THAT HE NEEDED THEM GONE 386 00:20:27,293 --> 00:20:29,963 >> Reporter: AMY HERSELF WAS TORN 387 00:20:29,963 --> 00:20:32,966 THIS LOVE THING WAS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN SHE'D 388 00:20:32,966 --> 00:20:35,802 BARGAINED FOR. >> I KNOW THAT AMY HAD SAID HE 389 00:20:35,802 --> 00:20:38,138 WAS UPSET THAT THEY WERE THERE AND THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO 390 00:20:38,138 --> 00:20:40,573 BREAK HER FRIENDSHIPS. >> Reporter: EVENTUALLY AMY TOLD 391 00:20:40,573 --> 00:20:43,176 SARA AND JENNIFER THEY HAD TO GO 392 00:20:43,176 --> 00:20:46,880 >> AMY HAD ORIGINALLY COME TO ME 393 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,549 AND SAID THAT RICKY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO LEAVE. 394 00:20:49,549 --> 00:20:52,686 AND THEN AFTER THAT, RICKY APPROACHED ME AND HE SAID, "YOU 395 00:20:52,686 --> 00:20:54,988 DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG I'M FINE WITH YOU. 396 00:20:54,988 --> 00:20:56,890 I JUST WANTED JENNIFER OUT OF THE HOUSE. 397 00:20:56,890 --> 00:20:59,392 >> Reporter: HE DIDN'T WANT JENNIFER AROUND? 398 00:20:59,392 --> 00:21:00,593 >> HE DID NOT WANT JENNIFER AROUND 399 00:21:00,593 --> 00:21:02,796 AND HE HAD ASKED HER NUMEROUS TIMES TO MOVE ALL HER STUFF OUT. 400 00:21:02,796 --> 00:21:05,465 AND SHE -- >> Reporter: SHE HADN'T DONE IT? 401 00:21:05,465 --> 00:21:08,535 >> SHE HAD TAKEN LITTLE BITS HERE AND THERE 402 00:21:08,535 --> 00:21:10,103 BUT THE GUEST BEDROOM STILL HAD HER STUFF IN IT. 403 00:21:10,103 --> 00:21:12,839 >> Reporter: JENNIFER WAS ONE OF THOSE GIFTS THAT KEPT ON GIVING, 404 00:21:12,839 --> 00:21:16,309 HUH? >> YES 405 00:21:16,309 --> 00:21:20,146 >> Reporter: SARA TOOK HER THINGS HOME ANYWAY, BUT STILL 406 00:21:20,146 --> 00:21:24,918 HUNG AROUND WITH AMY AND THE YOUNG COUPLE 407 00:21:24,918 --> 00:21:32,325 THEIR ROMANCE ONCE BURNED SO FAST AND AND SO HOT, NOW SEEMED 408 00:21:32,325 --> 00:21:34,928 TO BE COOLING RAPIDLY. AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT DEBBIE 409 00:21:34,928 --> 00:21:38,598 HOPED. BUT THEN RICKY TOLD HER THERE 410 00:21:38,598 --> 00:21:40,734 WAS SOMETHING ELSE, AND SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT 411 00:21:40,734 --> 00:21:44,404 IT >> HE WAS SMART. 412 00:21:44,404 --> 00:21:49,109 HE WAS GOOD LOOKING. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GET IN A 413 00:21:49,109 --> 00:21:51,845 SITUATION? >> Reporter: QUITE A SITUATION 414 00:21:51,845 --> 00:22:15,301 NOW WHAT WOULD RICKY DO? 1997, RICKY COWLES WAS UP BEFORE 415 00:22:15,301 --> 00:22:18,471 THE SUN EVERY WORK DAY HE AND HIS DAD HAD A BIG PROJECT 416 00:22:18,471 --> 00:22:22,676 AT THE BASE. >> WE HAD ABOUT 60 POLES TO PUT 417 00:22:22,676 --> 00:22:25,845 IN, PLUS THE CABLE TO PUT UP >> Reporter: IT WAS HOT, ALWAYS. 418 00:22:25,845 --> 00:22:29,516 BUT RICKY WAS GOOD WITH ALL THAT 419 00:22:29,516 --> 00:22:31,151 HE LIKED THE JOB IT'S HARD WORK TOO 420 00:22:31,151 --> 00:22:32,719 >> IT'S HARD WORK. >> Reporter: DANGEROUS WORK. 421 00:22:32,719 --> 00:22:35,822 >> YEAH. HE LOVED IT. 422 00:22:35,822 --> 00:22:38,992 HE WORKED WITH HIS DAD SINCE HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD, EVERY SUMMER 423 00:22:38,992 --> 00:22:41,661 >> Reporter: AT THE END OF EVERY DAY, HE'D DROP OFF HIS WORK 424 00:22:41,661 --> 00:22:43,863 TRUCK AT HIS PARENT'S HOUSE. AND BEFORE HEADING HOME, HE'D 425 00:22:43,863 --> 00:22:48,535 SPEND A LITTLE TIME WITH HIS MOTHER 426 00:22:48,535 --> 00:22:52,105 DEBBIE TOLD US WAY BACK, FIRST TIME WE MET, THAT ONE OF THOSE 427 00:22:52,105 --> 00:22:55,842 EVENINGS RICKY CAME TO HER ALL SERIOUS AND SAID HE HAD NEWS 428 00:22:55,842 --> 00:22:59,612 SOMETHING BIG. SOMETHING DIFFICULT. 429 00:22:59,612 --> 00:23:02,248 >> HE WAS REALLY SERIOUS, AND I'M THINKING SOME REALLY BAD 430 00:23:02,248 --> 00:23:04,884 THING, YOU KNOW. AND HE TELLS ME, "WELL, AMY'S 431 00:23:04,884 --> 00:23:07,821 PREGNANT." AND I SAID, "NO, NO. 432 00:23:07,821 --> 00:23:11,758 >> Reporter: IT WAS JUST WHAT DEBBIE HAD FEARED. 433 00:23:11,758 --> 00:23:14,361 EVEN AMY'S MORE PERMISSIVE PARENTS WERE THROWN BY IT. 434 00:23:14,361 --> 00:23:16,963 >> I WAS DISAPPOINTED, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. 435 00:23:16,963 --> 00:23:22,268 BECAUSE MY KIDS KNEW ABOUT CONTRACEPTIVES 436 00:23:22,268 --> 00:23:24,404 THEY KNEW THAT IF THEY WANTED -- IF THEY THOUGHT AT ALL THAT THEY 437 00:23:24,404 --> 00:23:29,075 WERE GOING TO BE SEXUALLY ACTIVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE 438 00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:32,345 RAISED NOT TO, TO BE ABSTINENT UNTIL THEY WERE MARRIED. 439 00:23:32,345 --> 00:23:35,715 >> Reporter: AMY'S FRIEND SARA WAS CONCERNED TOO, BUT FOR QUITE 440 00:23:35,715 --> 00:23:38,618 DIFFERENT REASONS. >> IT SHOCKED ME THE MOST THAT, 441 00:23:38,618 --> 00:23:43,890 NUMBER ONE, SHE WAS 16 AND SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY OUTGOING 442 00:23:43,890 --> 00:23:47,093 AND LIKED HAVING HER INDEPENDENCE AS NOT -- YOU KNOW, 443 00:23:47,093 --> 00:23:49,229 NOT BEING A MOM. A PARTY GIRL BECOMING PREGNANT, 444 00:23:49,229 --> 00:23:50,764 IT'S KIND OF HARD 'CAUSE EVERYTHING STOPS 445 00:23:50,764 --> 00:23:53,400 >> Reporter: YEAH. >> ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE 16 446 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,303 YOU'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. YOU'RE NOT GROWN UP YET. 447 00:23:57,303 --> 00:23:59,739 >> Reporter: BUT RICKY SAID HE WAS READY. 448 00:23:59,739 --> 00:24:03,677 HE'D WELCOME THE BABY AND ALL THAT CAME WITH THAT. 449 00:24:03,677 --> 00:24:05,612 RICKY WAS HAPPY? >> RICKY REALLY WAS LOOKING 450 00:24:05,612 --> 00:24:09,849 FORWARD TO BEING A DADDY >> Reporter: 'CAUSE YOU KNOW A 451 00:24:09,849 --> 00:24:11,951 LOT OF GUYS, 20 OR 21 YEARS OLD, WHO JUST MET A GIRL AND GOT HER 452 00:24:11,951 --> 00:24:14,587 PREGNANT RIGHT AWAY WOULD NOT BE REACTING THAT WAY. 453 00:24:14,587 --> 00:24:16,723 >> NO. BUT RICKY WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT 454 00:24:16,723 --> 00:24:19,359 FROM EVERYBODY HE SEEMED MORE GROWN UP IN THAT 455 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,062 ASPECT HE HAD HAD A LOT OF FUN IN HIS 456 00:24:22,062 --> 00:24:24,097 YOUNGER YEARS. >> Reporter: HE'D ALREADY DONE 457 00:24:24,097 --> 00:24:26,733 HIS -- >> HE'D ALREADY GOT IT DONE AND 458 00:24:26,733 --> 00:24:31,438 OVER WITH. >> Reporter: BUT HE WAS WORRIED, 459 00:24:31,438 --> 00:24:35,108 IF NOT ABOUT THE BABY. IT WAS AMY, HE TOLD HIS PARENTS. 460 00:24:35,108 --> 00:24:39,379 HE COULD SEE NOW SHE MIGHT NOT BE QUITE RIGHT FOR HIM 461 00:24:39,379 --> 00:24:41,548 >> HE GOES, "I JUST NEED A WAY TO TELL AMY THAT I WANT TO BE -- 462 00:24:41,548 --> 00:24:44,684 TAKE CARE OF THE BABY. BUT WE CAN'T BE WHAT SHE WANTS 463 00:24:44,684 --> 00:24:47,554 US TO BE I NEED A WAY TO TELL HER." 464 00:24:47,554 --> 00:24:49,422 AND I SAID, "WELL, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. 465 00:24:49,422 --> 00:24:51,091 >> Reporter: "WE CAN'T BE WHAT SHE WANTS US TO BE"? 466 00:24:51,091 --> 00:24:52,692 >> SHE WANTED TO BE WITH HIM AND -- 467 00:24:52,692 --> 00:24:55,228 >> Reporter: SHE WANTED TO BE MARRIED. 468 00:24:55,228 --> 00:24:57,330 HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. BUT NOW YOU HAVE THIS BIG 469 00:24:57,330 --> 00:24:58,932 PROBLEM. JUST THE PROBLEM YOU'RE WORRIED 470 00:24:58,932 --> 00:25:02,068 ABOUT ALL ALONG. >> UH-HUH. 471 00:25:02,068 --> 00:25:04,671 >> Reporter: AND THEN IT TURNED OUT RICKY WASN'T THE ONLY ONE 472 00:25:04,671 --> 00:25:08,908 WHOSE PASSIONS WERE COOLING. AMY TOLD SARA ALL ABOUT IT 473 00:25:08,908 --> 00:25:14,714 WHAT ONCE SEEMED PERFECT JUST WASN'T ANYMORE 474 00:25:14,714 --> 00:25:16,850 >> THERE WAS A POINT WHERE SHE HAD TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS NOT 475 00:25:16,850 --> 00:25:19,486 VERY HAPPY AND THAT THEY'D BEEN FIGHTING A LOT 476 00:25:19,486 --> 00:25:22,155 SHE JUST BROKE DOWN AND CRIED AND SAID, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO 477 00:25:22,155 --> 00:25:26,393 DO." >> Reporter: THE SECOND WEEKEND 478 00:25:26,393 --> 00:25:29,062 OF AUGUST 1997, RICKY AND HIS PARENTS HEADED TO LAKE HAVASU, 479 00:25:29,062 --> 00:25:33,733 WHERE THEY HAD A BOAT. RICKY INVITED AMY TO COME TOO, 480 00:25:33,733 --> 00:25:35,902 BUT SHE SAID NO. >> AMY COULDN'T BE ON THE BOAT 481 00:25:35,902 --> 00:25:37,937 'CAUSE SHE WAS SO FAR PREGNANT THAT - 482 00:25:37,937 --> 00:25:40,607 >> Reporter: SHE WAS SHOWING BY THIS STAGE 483 00:25:40,607 --> 00:25:42,575 >> SHE -- YEAH SHE WAS SHOWING. 484 00:25:42,575 --> 00:25:44,310 >> AND SHE COULDN'T GO ON THE BOAT 485 00:25:44,310 --> 00:25:47,480 IT JUST WASN'T GOOD TO BE JOSTLED AROUND LIKE THAT 486 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,183 SO SHE SAID SHE WOULD STAY HOME. >> Reporter: MEANING NO AMY, 487 00:25:50,183 --> 00:25:53,319 WHICH DIDN'T KEEP RICKY FROM HAVING FUN 488 00:25:53,319 --> 00:25:55,455 >> WE WENT GAMBLING. HE WON $1,000, HAD A GREAT 489 00:25:55,455 --> 00:25:58,091 WEEKEND. WE WENT ON THE BOAT. 490 00:25:58,091 --> 00:26:01,261 >> Reporter: DID AMY SIT HOME ALONE? 491 00:26:01,261 --> 00:26:03,897 NO WHAT HAPPENED THAT WEEKEND WHILE 492 00:26:03,897 --> 00:26:06,733 HE WAS AWAY? >> SHE HAD CALLED ONE OF HER 493 00:26:06,733 --> 00:26:09,736 EX-BOYFRIENDS TO COME DOWN FROM COVINA 494 00:26:09,736 --> 00:26:12,339 >> Reporter: I MEAN, WAS SHE STILL PLAYING THE FIELD OR WHAT? 495 00:26:12,339 --> 00:26:15,508 >> I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WANTED HIM TO COME DOWN. 496 00:26:15,508 --> 00:26:18,645 AND WE ALL JUST JOKED AROUND IT WAS JUST LIKE OLD TIMES, BUT 497 00:26:18,645 --> 00:26:22,515 AMY'S NOW PREGNANT AND LIVES WITH HER FIANCE. 498 00:26:22,515 --> 00:26:23,683 >> Reporter: WOULD HE HAVE BEEN HAPPY ABOUT THAT SITUATION 499 00:26:23,683 --> 00:26:25,785 >> NO. >> Reporter: DID SHE TELL HIM 500 00:26:25,785 --> 00:26:27,654 ABOUT IT >> NOPE. 501 00:26:27,654 --> 00:26:30,123 >> Reporter: NO. >> NOBODY WOULD BE HAPPY WITH 502 00:26:30,123 --> 00:26:32,892 THAT - >> Reporter: CAN'T IMAGINE 503 00:26:32,892 --> 00:26:35,562 >> -- IN ANY RELATIONSHIP. >> Reporter: WOULD RICKY HAVE 504 00:26:35,562 --> 00:26:39,265 BEEN HAPPY WITH ANY OF IT? JENNIFER SHOWED UP, ALONG WITH A 505 00:26:39,265 --> 00:26:42,969 FRIEND, A PARTY BOY. SHE WAS HANDING OUT ACID TO 506 00:26:42,969 --> 00:26:46,139 ANYONE WHO WANTED IT SHEALYNN HAD SKIPPED THE LAKE 507 00:26:46,139 --> 00:26:50,343 HAVASU TRIP, SO SHE POPPED IN TOO. 508 00:26:50,343 --> 00:26:52,979 BUT DESPITE ALL THAT, WHEN RICKY RETURNED FROM HIS WEEKEND AWAY, 509 00:26:52,979 --> 00:26:56,116 IT LOOKED LIKE EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. 510 00:26:56,116 --> 00:26:59,319 SO MAYBE TIME APART WAS JUST WHAT THEY NEEDED 511 00:26:59,319 --> 00:27:02,489 >> THE DAY RICKY CAME BACK, I WENT OVER THERE. 512 00:27:02,489 --> 00:27:06,726 AND I SAT ON THE PORCH WITH HIM. AND WE HAD A BEER AND CIGARETTE. 513 00:27:06,726 --> 00:27:09,929 AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, "I REALLY NEEDED THIS TRIP 514 00:27:09,929 --> 00:27:12,032 I'M SO EXCITED FOR OUR LIFE NOW. AND I'VE JUST THOUGHT ABOUT 515 00:27:12,032 --> 00:27:15,168 EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING'S JUST GONNA BE FINE 516 00:27:15,168 --> 00:27:18,371 WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT WORK." >> Reporter: AMY HAD A CHANGE OF 517 00:27:18,371 --> 00:27:21,041 HEART TOO. >> SHE SAID, "I'M GONNA MAKE 518 00:27:21,041 --> 00:27:23,109 THIS WORK. IT'S WORTH MAKING WORK 519 00:27:23,109 --> 00:27:26,346 I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO GROW UP WITH HER DADDY HERE. 520 00:27:26,346 --> 00:27:28,948 >> Reporter: AMY AND RICKY DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO SPEND 521 00:27:28,948 --> 00:27:32,585 TIME TOGETHER, ALONE, IF THEY WANTED THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO 522 00:27:32,585 --> 00:27:35,755 WORK AND THAT WAS THE PLAN THE NIGHT 523 00:27:35,755 --> 00:27:39,459 RICKY HAD TO WORK LATE HOOKING UP LIGHTS AT THE FAIRGROUNDS 524 00:27:39,459 --> 00:27:45,298 THE NIGHT AMY CAME HOME TO FIND HIM WRITHING ON THE FLOOR IN A 525 00:27:45,298 --> 00:27:47,967 POOL OF BLOOD, A GUNSHOT TO HIS HEAD, AND ONE SMALL PIECE OF 526 00:27:47,967 --> 00:27:50,637 EVIDENCE >> WE FOUND A SHELL CASING 527 00:27:50,637 --> 00:28:10,190 >> Reporter: WHO WOULD SHOOT >> Reporter: RICKY COWLES WAS IN 528 00:28:10,190 --> 00:28:13,660 AND OUT OF SURGERIES DO YOU THINK HE KNEW THAT YOU 529 00:28:13,660 --> 00:28:15,428 WERE THERE >> YEAH, I THINK HE KNEW WE WERE 530 00:28:15,428 --> 00:28:19,132 THERE WITH HIM YEAH, I DO 531 00:28:19,132 --> 00:28:21,234 >> Reporter: UNTIL FINALLY IT WAS CLEAR -- THERE WAS NO SAVING 532 00:28:21,234 --> 00:28:23,903 HIM. HE WAS COMATOSE NOW. 533 00:28:23,903 --> 00:28:27,073 ONLY THE MACHINES KEPT HIM ALIVE. 534 00:28:27,073 --> 00:28:30,710 HIS FAMILY WENT TO HIS BEDSIDE TO SAY THEIR GOOD-BYES 535 00:28:30,710 --> 00:28:33,413 >> RICK AND I WOULD NOT LET ANYBODY IN TO SEE RICKY BUT OUR 536 00:28:33,413 --> 00:28:37,117 FAMILY THAT'S IT. 537 00:28:37,117 --> 00:28:40,320 BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO DISTURB HIM IN ANY WAY OR SAY 538 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:45,058 ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE HIM NOT WAKE UP AT ALL 539 00:28:45,058 --> 00:28:50,864 BUT FINALLY, WHEN THEY TOLD US THAT HE WAS NOT WITH US ANYMORE, 540 00:28:50,864 --> 00:28:56,670 AMY SAID, "CAN I GO IN AND TALK TO HIM?" 541 00:28:56,670 --> 00:29:00,407 >> Reporter: SHE WAS BESIDE HERSELF, AMY WAS 542 00:29:00,407 --> 00:29:05,111 JUST HAD TO TALK TO HIM. >> SHE GOES IN AND TELLS HIM, 543 00:29:05,111 --> 00:29:07,280 "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?" YOU KNOW, "YOU PROMISE YOU'D BUY 544 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,315 ME A CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY," AND ALL THIS 545 00:29:09,315 --> 00:29:11,384 AND I JUST - >> Reporter: "PROMISE YOU'D BUY 546 00:29:11,384 --> 00:29:13,019 ME A CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY." >> I LOST IT 547 00:29:13,019 --> 00:29:15,121 I JUST STARTED CRYING. I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE SHE 548 00:29:15,121 --> 00:29:18,291 SAID THAT. >> Reporter: ESPECIALLY WHEN 549 00:29:18,291 --> 00:29:22,028 RICKY'S LOVED ONES, MOM, DAD, SISTER, WERE SAYING THEIR LAST 550 00:29:22,028 --> 00:29:28,368 GOOD-BYES. AT 11:35 ON THE MORNING OF 551 00:29:28,368 --> 00:29:32,539 AUGUST 14th, THEY LET RICKY GO HIS HEART, KIDNEYS, LIVER WERE 552 00:29:32,539 --> 00:29:35,275 DONATED TO PEOPLE IN NEED. >> FIVE PEOPLE LIVED BECAUSE OF 553 00:29:35,275 --> 00:29:37,410 HIM. >> Reporter: FOR RICKY'S FAMILY, 554 00:29:37,410 --> 00:29:42,615 TIME HAD BEEN STANDING STILL AT THE HOSPITAL 555 00:29:42,615 --> 00:29:45,719 BUT OUTSIDE, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAD BEEN BUSY TRYING TO FIGURE WHO 556 00:29:45,719 --> 00:29:49,422 ATTACKED RICKY IT WAS A MURDER CASE NOW 557 00:29:49,422 --> 00:29:51,524 >> WE FOUND A SHELL CASING >> 25 AUTO I BELIEVE 558 00:29:51,524 --> 00:29:55,228 >> OKAY. >> Reporter: THERE WASN'T MUCH 559 00:29:55,228 --> 00:29:57,864 EVIDENCE IN RICKY'S CONDO. JUST THAT SHELL CASING, NO 560 00:29:57,864 --> 00:30:02,669 FINGERPRINTS, NO USEFUL DNA. NOTHING MISSING FROM THE PLACE 561 00:30:02,669 --> 00:30:04,904 AND POLICE WEREN'T FINDING OUT ANYTHING ABOUT RICKY COWLES THAT 562 00:30:04,904 --> 00:30:07,941 WOULD MAKE HIM AN OBVIOUS MURDER TARGET 563 00:30:07,941 --> 00:30:11,678 RICKY DIDN'T SEEM TO LEAD THE KIND OF LIFE WHICH WOULD LEAD TO 564 00:30:11,678 --> 00:30:13,747 HIS BEING, YOU KNOW, KILLED BY A GANG OR SOMETHING. 565 00:30:13,747 --> 00:30:15,882 DID HE >> NO. 566 00:30:15,882 --> 00:30:19,085 HE WAS A HARD-WORKING KID WITH HIS FATHER 567 00:30:19,085 --> 00:30:20,620 >> Reporter: RETIRED LOS ANGELES SHERIFF'S DETECTIVE 568 00:30:20,620 --> 00:30:23,256 LARRY BRANDENBURG. >> RICKY WASN'T INVOLVED IN 569 00:30:23,256 --> 00:30:25,892 CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. HE DRANK A LITTLE BEER AND MAYBE 570 00:30:25,892 --> 00:30:28,528 SMOKED A LITTLE POT, BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF IT. 571 00:30:28,528 --> 00:30:32,732 >> Reporter: THE DETECTIVES WERE STUMPED. 572 00:30:32,732 --> 00:30:36,536 BUT AT AMY'S HIGH SCHOOL AND AROUND TOWN, EVERYONE SEEMED TO 573 00:30:36,536 --> 00:30:39,572 BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE GIRLS WHO WERE ALWAYS AT RICKY'S 574 00:30:39,572 --> 00:30:42,275 APARTMENT. >> FROM THE BEGINNING, IT WAS 575 00:30:42,275 --> 00:30:44,411 FINGER POINTING HERE AND HERE AND HERE 576 00:30:44,411 --> 00:30:46,513 "WELL, JENNIFER'S INVOLVED, OR SHEALYNN'S INVOLVED. 577 00:30:46,513 --> 00:30:48,181 SHE WAS PISSED AT HER BROTHER. OR AMY WAS INVOLVED OR SOMEBODY 578 00:30:48,181 --> 00:30:50,850 ELSE WAS INVOLVED. OR IT WAS THIS 579 00:30:50,850 --> 00:30:52,852 OR IT WAS A HOME INVASION. IT JUST -- FINGERS WERE POINTED 580 00:30:52,852 --> 00:30:55,989 EVERYWHERE AT EVERYBODY. >> Reporter: BY -- 581 00:30:55,989 --> 00:30:58,625 >> EVERYBODY ELSE. >> Reporter: RUMORS WERE FLYING 582 00:30:58,625 --> 00:31:01,428 WHERE SHEALYNN WENT TO SCHOOL TOO. 583 00:31:01,428 --> 00:31:03,396 >> I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, SO EVERYONE WAS SAYING A LOT OF 584 00:31:03,396 --> 00:31:05,165 THINGS, ANYWAY YOU KNOW, WHO THEY THOUGHT DID 585 00:31:05,165 --> 00:31:07,100 IT AND EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: WHO DID PEOPLE 586 00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:08,702 SUSPECT? >> THE MAIN PERSON THAT I ALWAYS 587 00:31:08,702 --> 00:31:11,871 HEARD WAS, UH, JENNIFER KELLOGG'S BROTHER 588 00:31:11,871 --> 00:31:15,542 >> Reporter: THAT WOULD BE BRIAN KELLOGG. 589 00:31:15,542 --> 00:31:19,212 A YOUNG MAN WITH A REPUTATION. NOT A GOOD ONE 590 00:31:19,212 --> 00:31:23,450 HE'D BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW BEFORE AND WOULD BE AGAIN. 591 00:31:23,450 --> 00:31:26,619 BUT IF INVESTIGATORS DID LOOK AT HIM, THEY GOT NOWHERE. 592 00:31:26,619 --> 00:31:31,324 LOTS OF RUMORS BUT MAYBE THAT'S ALL THEY WERE 593 00:31:31,324 --> 00:31:34,994 AND AS MONTHS PASSED WITH NO ARREST, A KILLER STILL OUT 594 00:31:34,994 --> 00:31:38,198 THERE, THE TRIUMVIRATE OF HAPPY-GO-LUCKY BEST FRIENDS 595 00:31:38,198 --> 00:31:41,868 FRAYED PRETTY SOON AMY WASN'T TALKING 596 00:31:41,868 --> 00:31:45,572 TO JENNIFER, AND JENNIFER WASN'T TALKING TO SARA. 597 00:31:45,572 --> 00:31:47,741 THEY HAD BEEN INSEPARABLE. AND THEN, SUDDENLY, THEY 598 00:31:47,741 --> 00:31:49,843 COULDN'T BE FAR ENOUGH APART FROM EACH OTHER. 599 00:31:49,843 --> 00:31:53,013 >> THEY COULDN'T BE FAR ENOUGH APART FROM EACH OTHER. 600 00:31:53,013 --> 00:31:56,716 >> Reporter: OR SO SHE HEARD RICKY'S PARENTS WEREN'T IN TOUCH 601 00:31:56,716 --> 00:32:01,654 WITH ANY OF THEM UNTIL THERE WAS SOMETHING DEBBIE 602 00:32:01,654 --> 00:32:05,725 WANTED FROM AMY, SO SHE MADE A PHONE CALL AND SHE ASKED TO 603 00:32:05,725 --> 00:32:09,396 MEET >> AMY, SHE HAD HIS PICTURE 604 00:32:09,396 --> 00:32:12,065 TAKEN, PROFESSIONALLY TAKEN, AND SHE HAD THE PICTURE BLOWN UP 605 00:32:12,065 --> 00:32:14,668 INTO, LIKE, A 18 BY 20 AND FRAMED 606 00:32:14,668 --> 00:32:17,270 >> Reporter: DEBBIE MET UP WITH AMY AND HER MOTHER 607 00:32:17,270 --> 00:32:20,440 >> I GAVE 'EM THE MONEY FOR THE PICTURE. 608 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,076 AND I SAID, "WELL, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? 609 00:32:23,076 --> 00:32:24,744 WHAT -- WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY? 610 00:32:24,744 --> 00:32:26,813 ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE AN ABORTION 611 00:32:26,813 --> 00:32:29,482 I MEAN, RICKY'S NOT HERE ANYMORE. 612 00:32:29,482 --> 00:32:31,685 I JUST DIDN'T KNOW." AND HER MOTHER BLEW UP AND SAID, 613 00:32:31,685 --> 00:32:34,788 "OUR FAMILY DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ABORTION." 614 00:32:34,788 --> 00:32:37,891 DIDN'T GIVE ME A CHANCE TO SAY WE DON'T EITHER. 615 00:32:37,891 --> 00:32:42,962 BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HER ENOUGH TO KNOW IF SHE WOULD OR NOT 616 00:32:42,962 --> 00:32:44,798 >> Reporter: THAT WAS THE LAST RICKY'S FAMILY HEARD FROM AMY. 617 00:32:44,798 --> 00:32:46,900 SO SHE JUST DISAPPEARED OUT OF YOUR LIFE? 618 00:32:46,900 --> 00:32:49,536 >> YEAH. >> Reporter: WITH AMY WENT THEIR 619 00:32:49,536 --> 00:32:53,773 GRANDCHILD >> COME JANUARY, A FRIEND WAS AT 620 00:32:53,773 --> 00:32:57,444 THE HOSPITAL, AND SHE CALLED ME. SHE SAID, "I THINK YOUR BABY'S 621 00:32:57,444 --> 00:33:02,716 GOING TO BE BORN TODAY HER NAME'S ON THE BOARD, AND 622 00:33:02,716 --> 00:33:05,919 SHE'S IN THE MATERNITY WARD. I RESOLVED MYSELF TO THIS IS MY 623 00:33:05,919 --> 00:33:08,888 FIRST GRANDCHILD, BUT I'M NEVER GOING TO SEE IT. 624 00:33:08,888 --> 00:33:12,258 >> Reporter: THE BIRTH OF A BABY IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MOMENT OF 625 00:33:12,258 --> 00:33:15,962 UNBRIDLED JOY. BUT DEBBIE AND RICK COWLES JUST 626 00:33:15,962 --> 00:33:19,632 FELT LOSS. AND AMY'S FAMILY 627 00:33:19,632 --> 00:33:21,868 THEY HAD A DIFFERENT EMOTION -- FEAR 628 00:33:21,868 --> 00:33:24,604 THERE WAS STILL A KILLER ON THE LOOSE. 629 00:33:24,604 --> 00:33:46,626 >> I'M AT THE HOSPITAL GUARDING >> Reporter: FIVE MONTHS AFTER 630 00:33:46,626 --> 00:33:48,228 RICKY COWLES BREATHED HIS LAST BREATH, AND THEY PULLED THE PLUG 631 00:33:48,228 --> 00:33:52,999 AND LET HIM SLIP AWAY, HIS DAUGHTER WAS BORN. 632 00:33:52,999 --> 00:33:57,203 AMY'S BEST FRIEND SARA WAS THERE. 633 00:33:57,203 --> 00:34:01,474 WHAT WAS THAT LIKE >> IT WAS JUST AMAZING BECAUSE 634 00:34:01,474 --> 00:34:04,077 ONE LIFE HAD BEEN TAKEN AND ANOTHER LIFE WAS COMING BACK 635 00:34:04,077 --> 00:34:09,149 INTO THE WORLD AND SHE LOOKED JUST LIKE HIM 636 00:34:09,149 --> 00:34:12,786 IT JUST KIND OF MADE MY HEART MELT THAT AT LEAST WE'LL SEE HIM 637 00:34:12,786 --> 00:34:15,755 AGAIN IN HER FACE. >> Reporter: AMY'S PARENTS, 638 00:34:15,755 --> 00:34:19,592 GEORGIA AND LARRY, EMBRACED BEING GRANDPARENTS 639 00:34:19,592 --> 00:34:24,164 >> SHE BECAME OUR LIFE THEN. >> IT WAS THE LITTLE ONE 640 00:34:24,164 --> 00:34:25,765 >> TO JUST LOVE HER AND NURTURE HER AND BE THE BEST THAT -- 641 00:34:25,765 --> 00:34:27,801 GRANDPARENTS THAT WE COULD BE FOR HER. 642 00:34:27,801 --> 00:34:30,537 >> Reporter: AND AMY NEEDED THEM 643 00:34:30,537 --> 00:34:32,572 SHE WAS STILL FRIGHTENED, THEY SAID 644 00:34:32,572 --> 00:34:37,310 SCARED AT THE HOSPITAL, SCARED WHEN SHE WENT TO GIVE BIRTH. 645 00:34:37,310 --> 00:34:40,980 NOT REALLY A SURPRISE. SOMEBODY KILLED RICKY, AND THAT 646 00:34:40,980 --> 00:34:44,150 PERSON WAS STILL UNKNOWN AND OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. 647 00:34:44,150 --> 00:34:48,154 >> I'M AT THE HOSPITAL GUARDING THE DOOR 648 00:34:48,154 --> 00:34:49,456 BECAUSE I STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING 649 00:34:49,456 --> 00:34:51,091 >> Reporter: SURE. OR WHO HAS DONE THIS THING 650 00:34:51,091 --> 00:34:53,660 >> EXACTLY >> RIGHT 651 00:34:53,660 --> 00:34:55,762 >> AND SHE'S STILL AFRAID OF THAT SOMEBODY IS, YOU KNOW, 652 00:34:55,762 --> 00:34:57,864 GONNA COME AFTER HER AND NOW SHE'S AFRAID THAT 653 00:34:57,864 --> 00:35:00,500 SOMEBODY'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, COME AFTER HER LITTLE GIRL. 654 00:35:00,500 --> 00:35:03,136 >> Reporter: RICKY'S PARENTS WEREN'T INVITED TO MEET THEIR 655 00:35:03,136 --> 00:35:06,306 NEW GRANDDAUGHTER. ANYWAY, RICK SR. AND DEBBIE WERE 656 00:35:06,306 --> 00:35:10,543 FULLY OCCUPIED, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO KILLED THEIR SON 657 00:35:10,543 --> 00:35:14,781 >> I WAS ON A MISSION. WE HAD ONE MISSION 658 00:35:14,781 --> 00:35:18,184 WHEN WE LOST HIM, THAT LAST TIME WE SPOKE WITH HIM, WE SAID WE 659 00:35:18,184 --> 00:35:21,087 WILL NOT HAVE ONE DAY THAT WE DO NOT TRY TO SEEK AND FIND THE 660 00:35:21,087 --> 00:35:23,757 TRUTH. >> Reporter: THEY PAID FOR 661 00:35:23,757 --> 00:35:27,794 BILLBOARDS, ONE OF THEM RIGHT NEAR RICKY'S OLD CONDO ASKING 662 00:35:27,794 --> 00:35:31,164 FOR HELP AND THEY MADE FLYERS ANNOUNCING 663 00:35:31,164 --> 00:35:35,368 A REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO RICKY'S KILLER. 664 00:35:35,368 --> 00:35:37,470 SHEALYNN WENT ALL OVER TOWN, DELIVERING THOSE FLYERS DOOR TO 665 00:35:37,470 --> 00:35:40,640 DOOR >> WE JUST PASSED ALL THE FLYERS 666 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,243 AND WE'RE JUST HOPING FOR THE BEST 667 00:35:43,243 --> 00:35:47,480 >> Reporter: AND THEN ONE DAY, SHEALYNN AND HER FLYERS SHOWED 668 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,650 UP AT AMY'S PARENT'S DOOR. AND LARRY PREASMYER INVITED HER 669 00:35:50,650 --> 00:35:54,320 IN TO MEET HER NIECE FOR THE FIRST TIME 670 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,856 THAT BROKE THE ICE >> I JUST CALLED MY MOM 671 00:35:56,856 --> 00:35:59,626 INSTANTLY AND JUST TOLD HER, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M HOLDING YOUR 672 00:35:59,626 --> 00:36:11,571 LITTLE GRANDBABY SHE WAS JUST PRECIOUS. 673 00:36:11,571 --> 00:36:14,040 >> Reporter: AND SO DEBBIE AND RICK WENT TO THE PREASMYERS' 674 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,076 HOUSE AND THEY SAW THE BABY. AND JUST LIKE THAT, THEY FOUND A 675 00:36:16,076 --> 00:36:18,678 WAY TO CO-EXIST. >> THE FIRST TIME WE BOTH HELD 676 00:36:18,678 --> 00:36:20,814 HER, WE COULDN'T EVEN TALK WE JUST CRIED THE WHOLE TIME 677 00:36:20,814 --> 00:36:22,582 BECAUSE SHE LOOKED LIKE RICKY AND SHE WAS SO SWEET, SO 678 00:36:22,582 --> 00:36:26,052 PRECIOUS SO THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF 679 00:36:26,052 --> 00:36:31,891 HAVING A FAMILY AGAIN. WE STARTED OVER AGAIN. 680 00:36:31,891 --> 00:36:35,095 >> Reporter: FROM THEN ON THE BABY SPENT TIME WITH GRANDMA 681 00:36:35,095 --> 00:36:38,798 DEBBIE AND GRANDPA RICK. FOR RICKY'S FAMILY, THERE WAS 682 00:36:38,798 --> 00:36:40,934 JOY AGAIN. THOUGH THEY COULD HARDLY PUT 683 00:36:40,934 --> 00:36:44,604 ASIDE THEIR LOSS ANYWAY, IT WAS THE BABY'S LOSS, 684 00:36:44,604 --> 00:36:47,240 TOO. >> Reporter: I'M WONDERING IF 685 00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:48,942 YOU CONTEMPLATE SOMETIMES WHAT -- WHAT, UH, HE -- HE MIGHT 686 00:36:48,942 --> 00:36:50,977 HAVE DONE FOR HIS DAUGHTER, FOR THIS FAMILY. 687 00:36:50,977 --> 00:36:53,079 >> HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST FATHER TO HIS DAUGHTER, TAKEN 688 00:36:53,079 --> 00:36:55,682 BEST CARE OF HER SHE WOULD HAVE WENT WITHOUT 689 00:36:55,682 --> 00:36:59,686 NOTHING. AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN HER THE 690 00:36:59,686 --> 00:37:02,022 MOST LOVE EVER AND SHE MISSED OUT ON THAT 691 00:37:02,022 --> 00:37:04,624 >> Reporter: SPRING ARRIVED. IT WAS EIGHT MONTHS SINCE RICKY 692 00:37:04,624 --> 00:37:06,760 DIED BY THEN AMY HAD FINISHED HIGH 693 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,928 SCHOOL AND SHEALYNN AND HER FAMILY WERE 694 00:37:08,928 --> 00:37:11,531 STILL LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS. 695 00:37:11,531 --> 00:37:14,701 >> I DIDN'T REALLY GO ANYWHERE FOR THE FIRST YEAR 696 00:37:14,701 --> 00:37:16,836 >> Reporter: YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. >> WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO DID THIS 697 00:37:16,836 --> 00:37:18,405 YOU KNOW >> Reporter: AND THEN COPS 698 00:37:18,405 --> 00:37:21,574 INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY ARRESTED A GUY 699 00:37:21,574 --> 00:37:25,311 SMALL TIME CROOK AND MAYBE THE GUY WAS HOPING FOR 700 00:37:25,311 --> 00:37:27,947 SOME KIND OF BREAK HE TOLD THOSE COPS HE MIGHT KNOW 701 00:37:27,947 --> 00:37:32,686 SOMETHING ABOUT THE MURDER OF RICKY COWLES 702 00:37:32,686 --> 00:37:40,060 AND HE MENTIONED A NAME. SOMEBODY WHO WASN'T EVEN ON THE 703 00:37:40,060 --> 00:37:42,429 COPS RADAR THE DETECTIVE CALLED AND ASKED 704 00:37:42,429 --> 00:37:43,763 YOU TO LOOK IN THE YEARBOOK? >> YES 705 00:37:43,763 --> 00:37:46,633 >> I SAID, "OH, MY GOSH, IT WAS THE BOY THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE. 706 00:37:46,633 --> 00:37:48,535 >> Reporter: IT WAS ONE OF THE PARTY BOYS WHO SHOWED UP AT 707 00:37:48,535 --> 00:37:51,504 RICKY'S CONDO THE WEEKEND RICKY WAS AWAY IN HAVASU 708 00:37:51,504 --> 00:38:15,028 JUST A KID, REALLY WHO LIVED RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. 709 00:38:15,028 --> 00:38:17,897 LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA HAD GIVEN DETECTIVES A NAME. 710 00:38:17,897 --> 00:38:23,203 JUST MAYBE THE GUY WHO KILLED RICKY COWLES 711 00:38:23,203 --> 00:38:25,939 THAT NAME WAS BILLY HOFFMANN HE WAS 19-YEARS-OLD AND LIVED 712 00:38:25,939 --> 00:38:29,476 RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM RICKY'S CONDO. 713 00:38:29,476 --> 00:38:33,179 BUT WAS HE IN HIDING HE WAS NOT 714 00:38:33,179 --> 00:38:35,281 IN FACT, BILLY HOFFMAN COULDN'T KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT ABOUT THE 715 00:38:35,281 --> 00:38:37,751 MURDER HE SAID IT RIGHT OUT 716 00:38:37,751 --> 00:38:41,755 IT WAS HIM HE KILLED RICKY. 717 00:38:41,755 --> 00:38:45,625 >> HE WAS PROUD OF IT. HE ACTUALLY TOLD PEOPLE. 718 00:38:45,625 --> 00:38:48,495 >> Reporter: THOUGH IT WOULD BE MANY MONTHS BEFORE POLICE HEARD 719 00:38:48,495 --> 00:38:50,630 ABOUT IT, RETIRED LOS ANGELES SHERIFF'S DETECTIVE, TOM HARRIS, 720 00:38:50,630 --> 00:38:53,800 SAID BILLY HOFFMANN STARTED BRAGGING RIGHT AWAY. 721 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,970 >> THERE WAS A GIRL THAT HE WOULD CARPOOL WITH, FOR 722 00:38:56,970 --> 00:39:01,207 INSTANCE, TO GO TO WORK AT KMART, AND SHE PICKED HIM UP, 723 00:39:01,207 --> 00:39:04,377 AND HE TOLD HER THAT HE DID THIS LAST NIGHT 724 00:39:04,377 --> 00:39:06,012 AND HE SAID, "YOU SAW THOSE HELICOPTERS THAT WERE OVER 725 00:39:06,012 --> 00:39:08,848 THERE? HE GOES, "THAT WAS ME. 726 00:39:08,848 --> 00:39:12,786 HE SAYS, "I DID THAT." >> Reporter: SHE WAS SKEPTICAL 727 00:39:12,786 --> 00:39:16,456 SO, WHEN THEY CARPOOLED HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE SHOWED 728 00:39:16,456 --> 00:39:19,092 HER PROOF, A HAMMER HE SAID HE USED IN THE MURDER 729 00:39:19,092 --> 00:39:22,095 HE ACTUALLY GAVE HER THE HAMMER AND SAID, "GET RID OF THIS FOR 730 00:39:22,095 --> 00:39:26,032 ME." WHICH SHE DID. 731 00:39:26,032 --> 00:39:33,873 BUT WHEN POLICE TOOK BILLY IN FOR QUESTIONING, HE SAID NO. 732 00:39:33,873 --> 00:39:36,042 HE DIDN'T DO IT. SO HE DENIED IT TO THE 733 00:39:36,042 --> 00:39:38,144 AUTHORITIES, BUT HE HAD -- >> TO THE AUTHORITIES. 734 00:39:38,144 --> 00:39:40,747 >> Reporter: -- ALREADY TOLD WHAT, NUMBER -- SEVERAL PEOPLE 735 00:39:40,747 --> 00:39:42,882 >> SEVERAL PEOPLE. HE WOULD TELL PEOPLE THAT -- 736 00:39:42,882 --> 00:39:44,451 THAT HE DID THIS I MEAN, WHICH OBVIOUSLY, WAS HIS 737 00:39:44,451 --> 00:39:46,119 DEMISE >> Reporter: BILLY HOFFMANN 738 00:39:46,119 --> 00:39:48,388 DIDN'T HAVE A RECORD HE DIDN'T KNOW THE VICTIM. 739 00:39:48,388 --> 00:39:52,425 HE DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING SO WHY WOULD HE DO IT? 740 00:39:52,425 --> 00:39:55,528 WHAT WAS HIS MOTIVE WITH THIS MURDER 741 00:39:55,528 --> 00:39:58,365 >> IT WAS TO GET HIM FAME IN HIS LITTLE DRUG BUSINESS, HIS LITTLE 742 00:39:58,365 --> 00:40:01,334 DRUG WORLD >> Reporter: MURDER, JUST FOR 743 00:40:01,334 --> 00:40:04,504 STREET CRED? IT WAS A PAPER-THIN MOTIVE 744 00:40:04,504 --> 00:40:11,111 BUT WITH ALL THAT BLABBING ABOUT IT, BILLY HAD TALKED HIMSELF 745 00:40:11,111 --> 00:40:14,014 INTO BEING A SUSPECT SO THEY ARRESTED HIM 746 00:40:14,014 --> 00:40:15,281 AFTER THE ARREST, THE DETECTIVE CALLED AND ASKED YOU TO LOOK IN 747 00:40:15,281 --> 00:40:17,183 THE YEARBOOK >> UH-HUH. 748 00:40:17,183 --> 00:40:19,519 >> Reporter: UH, LOOK UP WILLIAM HOFFMANN 749 00:40:19,519 --> 00:40:29,896 DO YOU REMEMBER THIS >> YES 750 00:40:29,896 --> 00:40:31,965 AND WHEN I SAW, I KNEW THAT I HAD MET HIM. 751 00:40:31,965 --> 00:40:34,067 >> Reporter: BILLY >> YES 752 00:40:34,067 --> 00:40:35,669 >> Reporter: IT HIT HER LIKE A SLAP 753 00:40:35,669 --> 00:40:38,872 SHE'D SEEN HIM THAT WEEKEND WHEN RICKY WAS AWAY AT THE LAKE, THE 754 00:40:38,872 --> 00:40:40,440 WEEKEND BEFORE HE WAS KILLED THE WEEKEND JENNIFER AND AMY HAD 755 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,242 FRIENDS COMING AND GOING, BILLY WAS THERE. 756 00:40:42,242 --> 00:40:44,144 >> THAT BROKE MY HEART TO KNOW HE WAS IN THE SAME HOUSE THAT I 757 00:40:44,144 --> 00:40:45,745 WAS AT >> Reporter: AND THOUGH THE 758 00:40:45,745 --> 00:40:48,415 COWLES WERE RELIEVED SOMEONE HAD FINALLY BEEN ARRESTED FOR 759 00:40:48,415 --> 00:40:52,118 KILLING RICKY, THEY FELT THERE HAD TO BE MORE INVOLVED THAN 760 00:40:52,118 --> 00:40:54,220 JUST THIS KID BILLY. >> RICKY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW BILLY, 761 00:40:54,220 --> 00:40:58,425 AND BILLY DIDN'T KNOW RICKY. >> Reporter: BUT THEY HAD 762 00:40:58,425 --> 00:41:02,095 SOMEONE IN COMMON, AND THAT SOMEONE WAS JENNIFER KELLOGG 763 00:41:02,095 --> 00:41:06,366 DETECTIVES FOUND THIS PHOTO OF JENNIFER AND BILLY SMOKING POT 764 00:41:06,366 --> 00:41:11,071 TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE MURDER, CONFIRMING THEY KNEW EACH OTHER. 765 00:41:11,071 --> 00:41:14,774 AND JENNIFER, SHE ALREADY HAD A REPUTATION 766 00:41:14,774 --> 00:41:17,944 >> YEAH, JENNIFER, SHE JUST LIKED BEING A GANGSTER 767 00:41:17,944 --> 00:41:20,580 SHE WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE, "YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING 768 00:41:20,580 --> 00:41:23,216 DONE, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT." YOU KNOW, SHE WAS KNOWN AS A 769 00:41:23,216 --> 00:41:25,985 GIRL THAT WOULD BEAT ANYBODY UP OR, YOU KNOW, SHE'S A SCARY 770 00:41:25,985 --> 00:41:28,488 GIRL >> Reporter: SO RICKY'S FAMILY 771 00:41:28,488 --> 00:41:33,226 TRIED TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT JENNIFER AND AMY GOT UP TO THE 772 00:41:33,226 --> 00:41:36,930 DAY RICKY WAS ATTACKED DID ANY OF THEIR BEHAVIORS SEEM 773 00:41:36,930 --> 00:41:40,100 DIFFERENT WITH HINDSIGHT LIKE WHEN JENNIFER AND AMY 774 00:41:40,100 --> 00:41:44,304 STOPPED BY TO SEE SHEALYNN AT WORK A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE 775 00:41:44,304 --> 00:41:47,507 MURDER, AMY TOLD SHEALYNN SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED FINE AT 776 00:41:47,507 --> 00:41:49,542 THE TIME BUT NOW? 777 00:41:49,542 --> 00:41:51,678 >> "DON'T COME BY TONIGHT, BECAUSE ME AND YOUR BROTHER ARE 778 00:41:51,678 --> 00:41:53,813 GOING TO TRY TO TALK THINGS OUT AND STUFF. 779 00:41:53,813 --> 00:41:58,718 AND I THOUGHT, OH, OKAY, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY NEED TO TALK 780 00:41:58,718 --> 00:42:01,721 >> Reporter: SO, STAY AWAY AND THEN RICKY'S DAD, RICK 781 00:42:01,721 --> 00:42:09,696 SENIOR, REMEMBERED HOW OFTEN AMY CALLED RICKY AT WORK THAT DAY TO 782 00:42:09,696 --> 00:42:12,132 REMIND HIM BE HOME BY 9:00 >> RICK, THAT DAY SHE KEPT 783 00:42:12,132 --> 00:42:14,200 BUGGING HIM TO MAKE SURE WHAT TIME HE WAS GOING TO GET HOME. 784 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:15,335 >> Reporter: SO, TRYING TO MAKE HIM HURRY UP AND GO HOME 785 00:42:15,335 --> 00:42:18,672 >> YEP >> Reporter: AND DEBBIE? 786 00:42:18,672 --> 00:42:21,841 REMEMBERED WHEN OUT OF THE BLUE, A FEW DAYS BEFORE HE DIED, RICKY 787 00:42:21,841 --> 00:42:26,479 TOLD HER AMY WANTED HIM TO GET LIFE INSURANCE 788 00:42:26,479 --> 00:42:27,614 >> I -- I AGREED WITH IT I SAID WHEN THE BABY GETS HERE, 789 00:42:27,614 --> 00:42:29,182 I WILL -- I WILL GET THE INSURANCE. 790 00:42:29,182 --> 00:42:31,317 AND HE GOES, "WELL, SHE'S BUGGING ME ABOUT IT. 791 00:42:31,317 --> 00:42:34,487 I SAID, "JUST TELL HER THAT I DID IT 792 00:42:34,487 --> 00:42:36,756 THAT IT'S TAKEN CARE OF. >> Reporter: BUT WHAT DID ALL 793 00:42:36,756 --> 00:42:38,758 THAT MEAN? TO DEBBIE, IT MEANT AMY AND 794 00:42:38,758 --> 00:42:42,429 JENNIFER SEEMED GUILTY OF SOMETHING. 795 00:42:42,429 --> 00:42:45,632 THE WAY THEY ACTED DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE OTHERWISE. 796 00:42:45,632 --> 00:42:49,302 BUT TO THE INVESTIGATORS, THE COWLES' SUSPICIONS, THOUGH 797 00:42:49,302 --> 00:42:53,506 INTERESTING, WEREN'T ENOUGH. ANYWAY, THEY HAD BILLY WHO 798 00:42:53,506 --> 00:42:57,477 QUICKLY WENT ON TRIAL. WITNESSES PUT THE GUN IN HIS 799 00:42:57,477 --> 00:42:59,846 HAND, AND THE HAMMER, AND TALKED ABOUT HIS BRAGGING 800 00:42:59,846 --> 00:43:05,652 EVEN JENNIFER TESTIFIED ABOUT THAT 801 00:43:05,652 --> 00:43:08,254 AND THEN WHEN IT WAS AMY'S TURN? DEBBIE WATCHED IN SHOCK AS AMY 802 00:43:08,254 --> 00:43:11,458 TOLD STORIES THAT DIDN'T LINE UP WITH REALITY 803 00:43:11,458 --> 00:43:14,594 SUCH AS THAT SHE AND JENNIFER HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN CLOSE 804 00:43:14,594 --> 00:43:17,230 FRIENDS, AND THAT IT WAS SHEALYNN WHO BROUGHT JENNIFER 805 00:43:17,230 --> 00:43:20,400 AROUND AMY ALSO SAID BILLY WAS NEVER AT 806 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:23,103 RICKY'S CONDO, EVEN THOUGH SHEALYNN HAD SEEN HIM THERE. 807 00:43:23,103 --> 00:43:25,705 >> FIRST OF ALL, WHY WOULD AMY LIE? 808 00:43:25,705 --> 00:43:28,341 >> Reporter: BILLY TOOK THE STAND IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, AND 809 00:43:28,341 --> 00:43:32,078 SAID THE BURGLAR FRAMED HIM TO GET A DEAL 810 00:43:32,078 --> 00:43:36,249 HE DIDN'T KILL RICKY THEN THE JURY GOT THE CASE 811 00:43:36,249 --> 00:43:39,386 AND FOUR HOURS LATER, THE COWLES WERE TOLD HURRY BACK TO COURT 812 00:43:39,386 --> 00:43:42,555 FOR THE VERDICT. >> WE HAD CERTAIN DAYS WE HAD 813 00:43:42,555 --> 00:43:45,892 THE BABY IN THE AFTERNOON, AND THE JURY CAME IN, SO WE HAD TO 814 00:43:45,892 --> 00:44:03,610 TAKE HER WITH US >> Reporter: THE COWLES WERE 815 00:44:03,610 --> 00:44:06,379 RELIEVED BILLY HOFFMAN MEAN WAS 816 00:44:06,379 --> 00:44:07,847 CONVICTED. BUT THEN SAID DEBBIE, SHE HEARD 817 00:44:07,847 --> 00:44:10,050 FROM AMY, WHO WAS ANGRY THAT THEY HAD BROUGHT THE BABY TO 818 00:44:10,050 --> 00:44:11,651 COURT. >> SHE SAID, "YOU'RE NOT GOING 819 00:44:11,651 --> 00:44:13,720 TO SEE THE BABY ANYMORE. I'M JUST GOING TO CUT IT OFF 820 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:15,288 RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE HER. 821 00:44:15,288 --> 00:44:17,791 AND I SAID, "WELL, THAT BREAKS MY HEART." 822 00:44:17,791 --> 00:44:19,492 >> Reporter: AND THAT'S WHEN DEBBIE PUT AMY ON NOTICE 823 00:44:19,492 --> 00:44:21,094 IT WAS JUST HER OPINION, MIND YOU, BUT SHE WAS PRETTY SURE SHE 824 00:44:21,094 --> 00:44:22,796 WAS RIGHT. BILLY HOFFMANN WOULD NOT BE THE 825 00:44:22,796 --> 00:44:24,798 ONLY ONE GOING TO PRISON FOR RICKY COWLES' MURDER 826 00:44:24,798 --> 00:44:26,332 >> YOU KNOW, AMY, ALL THAT DOES IS JUST GIVE ME MORE TIME EVERY 827 00:44:26,332 --> 00:44:28,601 DAY TO TRY TO FIND EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS MURDER, 828 00:44:28,601 --> 00:44:31,071 BECAUSE BILLY DIDN'T DO IT BY HIMSELF. 829 00:44:31,071 --> 00:44:32,672 >> Reporter: IT WAS AN EMPTY THREAT, REALLY 830 00:44:32,672 --> 00:44:34,240 EVEN DEBBIE KNEW THERE WASN'T ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROVE IT. 831 00:44:34,240 --> 00:44:35,909 YET ANYWAY AND THEN ONE DAY, YEARS LATER, 832 00:44:35,909 --> 00:44:39,546 IN 2002, DEBBIE WENT TO THE MAILBOX. 833 00:44:39,546 --> 00:45:00,500 THERE WAS A LETTER THAT WOULD >> Reporter: BILLY HOFFMANN HAD 834 00:45:00,500 --> 00:45:04,738 BEEN CONVICTED FOR RICKY COWLE'S MURDER, AND AMY AND JENNIFER 835 00:45:04,738 --> 00:45:08,441 WERE STILL UNDER SUSPICION, BUT THE CASE DIDN'T SEEM TO GO 836 00:45:08,441 --> 00:45:26,926 ANYWHERE AFTER THAT AND YEARS WENT BY. 837 00:45:26,926 --> 00:45:28,595 RICKY'S PARENTS DID GET TO SEE THE BABY, AMY DIDN'T STICK WITH 838 00:45:28,595 --> 00:45:31,064 HER THREAT TO KEEP HER AWAY. BILLY HOFFMANN, OF COURSE, WAS 839 00:45:31,064 --> 00:45:32,432 IN PRISON. HE WAS FEW YEARS INTO HIS 840 00:45:32,432 --> 00:45:35,335 SENTENCE, WHEN HE DECIDED TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE COWLES 841 00:45:35,335 --> 00:45:36,870 DEBBIE QUITE UNPREPARED SAW IT FIRST. 842 00:45:36,870 --> 00:45:38,505 WHAT WAS THAT LIKE, GETTING THAT LETTER 843 00:45:38,505 --> 00:45:40,573 >> SURREAL I WAS AT HOME BY MYSELF WHEN I 844 00:45:40,573 --> 00:45:43,743 GOT IT, ACTUALLY >> Reporter: SHE OPENED IT, 845 00:45:43,743 --> 00:45:47,447 HEART RACING, AND SAW THAT IT WAS A CONFESSION FOR HIS PART IN 846 00:45:47,447 --> 00:45:51,651 THE MURDER HIS PART 847 00:45:51,651 --> 00:45:54,187 WHEN THEIR SHOCK SUBSIDED, RICK AND DEBBIE KNEW WHAT THEY HAD TO 848 00:45:54,187 --> 00:45:56,423 DO >> AND WE TOOK IT TO THE 849 00:45:56,423 --> 00:46:00,560 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. >> Reporter: MANNA FROM HEAVEN 850 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:02,662 BILLY HOFFMANN'S LETTER WAS ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDED TO 851 00:46:02,662 --> 00:46:06,032 RE-ENERGIZE A DORMANT INVESTIGATION. 852 00:46:06,032 --> 00:46:07,400 >> WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME THE BEGINNING, HOW THAT THING 853 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:10,070 HAPPENED - >> Reporter: SO DETECTIVES WENT 854 00:46:10,070 --> 00:46:12,706 TO THE PRISON, TO TALK TO BILLY. >> NOW, THE REASON I AM HERE IS 855 00:46:12,706 --> 00:46:15,342 BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE WAS MORE THAN YOURSELF INVOLVED IN THE 856 00:46:15,342 --> 00:46:18,111 CRIME, IS THAT CORRECT >> YES 857 00:46:18,111 --> 00:46:22,716 >> Reporter: AND NOW HE HAS TALKED TO US, TOO. 858 00:46:22,716 --> 00:46:27,821 BILLY HOFFMANN WAS 21 WHEN THEY SENT HIM AWAY FOR LIFE 859 00:46:27,821 --> 00:46:30,657 LWOP, THEY CALL IT LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. 860 00:46:30,657 --> 00:46:34,527 >> THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO THOUGHT THAT I'D EVER HAVE A 861 00:46:34,527 --> 00:46:38,698 HOPE OF GOING HOME YOU KNOW, WHAT I DID WAS A H -- 862 00:46:38,698 --> 00:46:41,134 UNFORGIVABLE >> Reporter: AND MONTH AFTER 863 00:46:41,134 --> 00:46:46,439 MONTH, HE SAT INSIDE THAT CELL, WITH REALLY NO HOPE OF EVER 864 00:46:46,439 --> 00:47:00,720 CHANGING HIS FATE. UNTIL, FINALLY, IT DAWNED ON 865 00:47:00,720 --> 00:47:02,856 HIM, THERE WAS ONE THING HE COULD CHANGE -- HIMSELF. 866 00:47:02,856 --> 00:47:06,426 >> Reporter: YOU GOT TO KNOW A CHAPLAIN IN THERE? 867 00:47:06,426 --> 00:47:08,561 >> YEAH. SEVERAL OVER THE YEARS 868 00:47:08,561 --> 00:47:10,263 THAT PLAYED A ROLE AND IS HELPING SEE ME, SEE THINGS 869 00:47:10,263 --> 00:47:12,432 DIFFERENTLY, SHOWING MY VALUE AS -- AS A HUMAN, AS A CHILD OF 870 00:47:12,432 --> 00:47:14,467 GOD, SEEING OTHERS AS, YOU KNOW, PRECIOUS 871 00:47:14,467 --> 00:47:16,603 >> Reporter: ONCE HE GRASPED THAT IDEA HE FELT COMPELLED TO 872 00:47:16,603 --> 00:47:30,850 SEND THAT LETTER AND HE DID TRY TO UNDERSTAND 873 00:47:30,850 --> 00:47:33,219 WHAT MADE HIM BEHAVE THE WAY HE DID BACK IN THAT SUMMER OF '97 874 00:47:33,219 --> 00:47:35,055 IT'S A STORY THAT'S HARD TO HEAR, EVEN HARDER TO COMPREHEND. 875 00:47:35,055 --> 00:47:37,157 HE WAS 19 THEN, VERY INSECURE, HE TOLD US AND WAS TRYING TO 876 00:47:37,157 --> 00:47:39,292 LOOK COOL. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT 877 00:47:39,292 --> 00:47:42,228 THE -- FOR WANT OF A BETTER WORD, LIFESTYLE OF THAT GROUP 878 00:47:42,228 --> 00:47:46,166 WAS THAT SUMMER. >> A PARTY LIFESTYLE IN THAT WE 879 00:47:46,166 --> 00:47:50,537 JUST LIVED IN THE MOMENT OUR WHOLE LIFE REVOLVED AROUND 880 00:47:50,537 --> 00:47:54,107 THAT -- THE -- THE HAVING FUN SUPPOSEDLY, IN QUOTES -- DRUGS 881 00:47:54,107 --> 00:47:58,778 >> Reporter: AND HE GOT THE IDEA THAT IF HE COULD BECOME A TOUGH 882 00:47:58,778 --> 00:48:02,515 GUY, HE'D HAVE IT MADE IN THAT CROWD. 883 00:48:02,515 --> 00:48:04,617 >> I WANTED TO BE THE PERSON I LISTENED TO IN THE MUSIC, THE 884 00:48:04,617 --> 00:48:07,287 RAP MUSIC I WAS LISTENING TO AT THE TIME 885 00:48:07,287 --> 00:48:09,389 KILLING SOMEBODY WAS NOT, LIKE, THIS HORRIBLE THOUGHT, WHICH IT 886 00:48:09,389 --> 00:48:12,025 SHOULDA BEEN THE PEOPLE IN MY CIRCLE I WAS 887 00:48:12,025 --> 00:48:15,195 IN -- IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY THAT'S RUMORED TO HAVE BEEN A 888 00:48:15,195 --> 00:48:18,031 MURDERER, THAT PERSON WAS, LIKE, FEARED AND, LIKE, "OH, THAT'S 889 00:48:18,031 --> 00:48:21,534 THE GUY. >> Reporter: BILLY HAD NEVER 890 00:48:21,534 --> 00:48:24,204 COMMITTED A VIOLENT ACT IN HIS LIFE, BUT TO BE KNOWN AS A 891 00:48:24,204 --> 00:48:31,378 KILLER TO BE FEARED 892 00:48:31,378 --> 00:48:33,179 HE LIKED THAT IDEA AND THEN AN OPPORTUNITY 893 00:48:33,179 --> 00:48:36,349 PRESENTED ITSELF HIS FRIEND JENNIFER CAME TO HIM 894 00:48:36,349 --> 00:48:42,055 WITH A TERRIBLE REQUEST, A TERRIBLE BUT SOMEHOW EXCITING 895 00:48:42,055 --> 00:48:42,922 REQUEST. >> SHE ASKED ME IF I WOULD KILL 896 00:48:42,922 --> 00:48:44,224 SOMEBODY >> Reporter: YOU DIDN'T 897 00:48:44,224 --> 00:48:47,427 HESITATE YOU SAID YES 898 00:48:47,427 --> 00:48:50,597 >> I DID SAY YES >> Reporter: IT WAS THAT EASY. 899 00:48:50,597 --> 00:48:56,903 >> I CAN'T SAY I REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONSEQUENCES OF 900 00:48:56,903 --> 00:48:58,972 DOING IT >> Reporter: JENNIFER AND AMY 901 00:48:58,972 --> 00:49:01,675 LATER TOLD HIM THE PERSON THEY WANTED DEAD WAS AMY'S BOYFRIEND, 902 00:49:01,675 --> 00:49:04,778 RICKY. WHAT WERE THOSE WOMEN THINKING, 903 00:49:04,778 --> 00:49:06,379 JENNIFER AND AMY I MEAN, WHAT -- WHAT -- DID THEY 904 00:49:06,379 --> 00:49:09,015 REALLY WANT HIM KILLED THEY REALLY WANTED HIM DEAD? 905 00:49:09,015 --> 00:49:12,218 >> THEY DID. I -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE 906 00:49:12,218 --> 00:49:25,398 THINKING OR WHY THAT WAS A SOLUTION TO WHATEVER THEY FELT 907 00:49:25,398 --> 00:49:27,534 THE PROBLEM WAS. BUT I THINK IT'S HARDER TO 908 00:49:27,534 --> 00:49:29,102 EXPLAIN THAT THAN MY OWN ACTIONS. 909 00:49:29,102 --> 00:49:30,704 >> Reporter: SHE DIDN'T SAY WHY SHE WANTED HIM KILLED? 910 00:49:30,704 --> 00:49:32,839 >> NO. >> Reporter: JUST THAT SHE 911 00:49:32,839 --> 00:49:34,374 WANTED HIM KILLED? >> YES 912 00:49:34,374 --> 00:49:35,909 >> Reporter: DIDN'T YA THINK TO ASK? 913 00:49:35,909 --> 00:49:40,113 >> I DIDN'T. I -- I KNOW. 914 00:49:40,113 --> 00:49:42,949 I KNOW HOW IT SOUNDS I KNOW IT -- IT DIDN'T COME UP 915 00:49:42,949 --> 00:49:44,351 >> Reporter: WHATEVER THE REASON, BILLY DIDN'T CARE. 916 00:49:44,351 --> 00:49:47,053 HE HAD A PURPOSE NOW SO THE GIRLS LAID IT ALL OUT FOR 917 00:49:47,053 --> 00:49:49,789 HIM. AMY BROUGHT HIM A PHOTO SO HE'D 918 00:49:49,789 --> 00:49:52,292 RECOGNIZE RICKY. >> I WAS GIVEN A PICTURE 919 00:49:52,292 --> 00:49:54,961 >> Reporter: THEY BROUGHT HIM TO THE CONDO. 920 00:49:54,961 --> 00:49:58,465 >> I WAS GIVEN, LIKE, A TOUR OF THE HOUSE, SHOWIN' THE LAYOUT, 921 00:49:58,465 --> 00:50:00,233 PLANNED WHERE I WOULD WAIT >> Reporter: THEY TOLD HIM TO 922 00:50:00,233 --> 00:50:02,369 HIDE BEHIND THE BEDROOM DOOR THEY SAID, "BE PREPARED, HE'LL 923 00:50:02,369 --> 00:50:06,673 FIGHT BACK BRING MORE THAN JUST A GUN." 924 00:50:06,673 --> 00:50:13,380 >> IN THE END, I TOOK A HAMMER I HAD A KNIFE WITH ME AS WELL. 925 00:50:13,380 --> 00:50:14,614 >> Reporter: SO ON THE APPOINTED DATE, BILLY DUTIFULLY RETURNED 926 00:50:14,614 --> 00:50:19,219 TO THE CONDO >> I REMEMBER FEELING ANXIOUS 927 00:50:19,219 --> 00:50:23,423 AND JUST WAITING AND KIND OF GOING THROUGH WHAT I 928 00:50:23,423 --> 00:50:25,091 WOULD DO IN MY MIND. >> Reporter: THEN IT WAS TAKING 929 00:50:25,091 --> 00:50:28,661 TOO LONG BILLY GOT RESTLESS 930 00:50:28,661 --> 00:50:30,964 REMEMBER RICKY WAS MUCH LATER THAN USUAL BECAUSE HE'D GONE TO 931 00:50:30,964 --> 00:50:34,601 THE HELP HIS DAD AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. 932 00:50:34,601 --> 00:50:35,635 >> AND SO AT SOME POINT I JUST SAID, "I'M LEAVING." 933 00:50:35,635 --> 00:50:38,238 >> Reporter: IT WASN'T A SENSE -- 934 00:50:38,238 --> 00:50:39,773 >> AND - >> Reporter: -- OF, "I DON'T 935 00:50:39,773 --> 00:50:41,341 WANNA DO THIS, I'M HAVING SOME SORT OF" - 936 00:50:41,341 --> 00:50:43,076 >> NO. >> Reporter: "MORAL CRISIS." 937 00:50:43,076 --> 00:50:45,011 NO >> NO. 938 00:50:45,011 --> 00:50:47,113 I WISH >> Reporter: BILLY HEADED OUT 939 00:50:47,113 --> 00:50:48,715 THE FRONT DOOR BUT DIDN'T GET VERY FAR 940 00:50:48,715 --> 00:50:51,651 THE GIRLS WERE ON HIM RIGHT AWAY 941 00:50:51,651 --> 00:50:53,019 >> AS I CROSSED THAT INTERSECTION, AMY AND JENNIFER 942 00:50:53,019 --> 00:50:55,088 PULLED UP. THEY'RE, LIKE, "WHERE ARE YOU 943 00:50:55,088 --> 00:50:57,724 GOING? HE'S ALMOST HOME 944 00:50:57,724 --> 00:51:02,295 JUST GO BACK." AND I DID. 945 00:51:02,295 --> 00:51:04,597 >> Reporter: SO APPARENTLY WITHOUT ANY MORAL QUALMS AT ALL, 946 00:51:04,597 --> 00:51:07,767 BILLY HOFFMANN WENT RIGHT BACK INSIDE AND UP THE STAIRS TO HIS 947 00:51:07,767 --> 00:51:13,573 HIDING PLACE AND IT WASN'T TOO LONG BEFORE 948 00:51:13,573 --> 00:51:15,675 RICKY CAME HOME AND HEADED UPSTAIRS, TOO. 949 00:51:15,675 --> 00:51:18,845 NO IDEA THERE WAS A MAN WAITING THERE TO KILL HIM. 950 00:51:18,845 --> 00:51:23,083 >> HE CAME IN AND I STRUCK HIM WITH THE HAMMER. 951 00:51:23,083 --> 00:51:27,253 HE TURNED AROUND AND YELLED AT ME 952 00:51:27,253 --> 00:51:31,458 AND I PULLED THE GUN AND FIRED AND I SHOT HIM 953 00:51:31,458 --> 00:51:34,627 I'M SO SORRY TO SAY IT, BUT AT THE -- THE TIME, I WAS WORRIED 954 00:51:34,627 --> 00:51:37,297 THAT I HADN'T KILLED HIM I WAS AFRAID TO SHOOT HIM AGAIN 955 00:51:37,297 --> 00:51:39,432 BECAUSE OF THE SOUND OF THE GUNSHOT. 956 00:51:39,432 --> 00:51:44,170 AND SO I STRUCK HIM AGAIN WITH THE HAMMER 957 00:51:44,170 --> 00:51:46,272 >> Reporter: AND IT WAS OVER >> SO THEN WHAT'D YOU DO 958 00:51:46,272 --> 00:51:49,009 RUN AWAY >> YEAH, I DIDN'T RUN. 959 00:51:49,009 --> 00:51:52,679 I -- I LEFT THE HOUSE AND WALKED HOME 960 00:51:52,679 --> 00:51:56,850 >> Reporter: HE WALKED LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED 961 00:51:56,850 --> 00:52:02,122 WHEN HE GOT HOME, HE SENT A CODE TO JENNIFER KELLOGG'S PAGER, 962 00:52:02,122 --> 00:52:06,860 THAT MEANT IT WAS DONE THEN AMY GRABBED SARA AND SAID, 963 00:52:06,860 --> 00:52:10,296 "LET'S GO SEE IF RICKY'S HOME. SARA WHO DIDN'T KNOW THE HORROR 964 00:52:10,296 --> 00:52:13,166 SHE WAS BEING DRAGGED INTO OF COURSE, BILLY HOFFMANN'S 965 00:52:13,166 --> 00:52:15,268 MISGUIDED ASPIRATIONS TO BE A BIG MAN DIDN'T TURN OUT THE WAY 966 00:52:15,268 --> 00:52:21,307 HE WANTED. ALL HIS BRAGGING BROUGHT ON THE 967 00:52:21,307 --> 00:52:23,743 COPS >> THEY SURROUNDED THE HOUSE, A 968 00:52:23,743 --> 00:52:27,947 BUNCH A COP CARS >> I FEEL LIKE -- LIKE I 969 00:52:27,947 --> 00:52:31,685 REMEMBER BEING EXCITED LIKE, "ALL THIS IS FOR ME? 970 00:52:31,685 --> 00:52:36,423 >> Reporter: HARD TO UNDERSTAND? OF COURSE IT IS. 971 00:52:36,423 --> 00:52:39,092 >> THERE'S NO RATIONALE TO IT. AND ALL I CAN SAY, IT'S HOW I 972 00:52:39,092 --> 00:52:43,797 THOUGHT. IT'S HOW I PERCEIVED THINGS. 973 00:52:43,797 --> 00:52:54,908 AND IT'S -- IT'S CRAZY AND WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO GO BACK 974 00:52:54,908 --> 00:52:57,010 WITH THE MIND I HAVE NOW. >> Reporter: IF IT SEEMS LIKE 975 00:52:57,010 --> 00:52:59,145 THE OBVIOUS NEXT STEPS WOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTING AMY AND 976 00:52:59,145 --> 00:53:01,214 JENNIFER, YOU'D BE WRONG AFTER DETECTIVES HEARD BILLY'S 977 00:53:01,214 --> 00:53:10,724 STORY THEY CONCLUDED IT WASN'T ENOUGH. 978 00:53:10,724 --> 00:53:12,258 THEY NEEDED MORE THAN THE WORD OF A CONVICTED KILLER. 979 00:53:12,258 --> 00:53:14,060 THEY NEEDED CORROBORATION. THEY NEEDED TO LOOK BACK AT AMY. 980 00:53:14,060 --> 00:53:16,329 WOULD ANYONE REMEMBER SOMETHING, ANYTHING, INVESTIGATORS COULD 981 00:53:16,329 --> 00:53:33,980 USE? YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WAS TOO 982 00:53:33,980 --> 00:53:38,251 >> Reporter: IN THE CASE OF THE MURDER OF RICKY COWLES, JUSTICE 983 00:53:38,251 --> 00:53:41,454 GROUND VERY, VERY SLOW IN SPITE OF BILLY HOFFMANN'S 984 00:53:41,454 --> 00:53:45,158 STORY, THE STORY OF THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO, FOR A MOMENT IN TIME, 985 00:53:45,158 --> 00:53:48,828 HE SAID WERE HIS PUPPET MASTERS. YEARS TICKED BY. 986 00:53:48,828 --> 00:53:52,499 AMY GOT ENGAGED TO A GUY WHO WORKED IN HIS FAMILY'S 987 00:53:52,499 --> 00:53:57,437 CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS. JENNIFER WAS BEING JENNIFER. 988 00:53:57,437 --> 00:54:00,440 SHE DID NOT BECOME A CHOIR GIRL. MEANWHILE RICKY'S SISTER 989 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:05,578 SHEALYNN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, BECAME A HAIRDRESSER, 990 00:54:05,578 --> 00:54:12,619 AND SOON REALIZED PEOPLE GETTING THEIR HAIR DONE LIKE TO TALK 991 00:54:12,619 --> 00:54:14,721 >> I ACTUALLY DID AMY'S HAIR FOR A WHILE, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE 992 00:54:14,721 --> 00:54:16,423 OUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, MAYBE SOMEONE WILL SAY SOMETHING, YOU 993 00:54:16,423 --> 00:54:18,391 KNOW, IN HER -- IN HER FRIENDS' GROUP OR SOMETHING 994 00:54:18,391 --> 00:54:20,460 YOU KNOW, I DID ALL HER FRIEND'S HAIR AND EVERYTHING. 995 00:54:20,460 --> 00:54:21,594 >> Reporter: SO YOU WERE -- YOU'RE A SPY 996 00:54:21,594 --> 00:54:24,698 >> MM-HMM. >> Reporter: YOU WERE BEING VERY 997 00:54:24,698 --> 00:54:26,433 SNEAKY >> YEAH. 998 00:54:26,433 --> 00:54:27,834 WELL, I HAD A NIECE THAT I HAD TO PROTECT 999 00:54:27,834 --> 00:54:29,469 >> Reporter: AND YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING TO 1000 00:54:29,469 --> 00:54:32,072 EACH OTHER >> YUP 1001 00:54:32,072 --> 00:54:34,207 >> Reporter: BUT FOR ALL HER EAVESDROPPING, SHEALYNN DID NOT 1002 00:54:34,207 --> 00:54:38,445 HEAR ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP MAKE A CASE AGAINST AMY. 1003 00:54:38,445 --> 00:54:42,682 AND HER PARENTS FOCUSED ON THEIR GRANDCHILD, TRIED NOT TO THINK 1004 00:54:42,682 --> 00:54:46,152 ABOUT AMY, THE WOMAN WHO DROPPED THAT LITTLE GIRL OFF, THE WOMAN 1005 00:54:46,152 --> 00:54:50,090 THEY BELIEVED CONSPIRED TO KILL THEIR SON. 1006 00:54:50,090 --> 00:54:51,658 >> SHE WOULD BRING US THE BABY WE'D TAKE THE BABY ON VACATIONS. 1007 00:54:51,658 --> 00:55:04,304 WE HAD HER EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY 1008 00:55:04,304 --> 00:55:05,505 WE'D HAVE HER WEEKENDS, BUT SHE -- IT WAS -- WE NEVER TALKED 1009 00:55:05,505 --> 00:55:06,639 ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THE BABY. >> Reporter: THEY HELD THEIR 1010 00:55:06,639 --> 00:55:08,174 TONGUES ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. THE BABY WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT 1011 00:55:08,174 --> 00:55:09,542 THING. >> SHE SUPERSEDED ALL THAT 1012 00:55:09,542 --> 00:55:11,144 BECAUSE I WANTED HER TO HAVE A HAPPY LIFE 1013 00:55:11,144 --> 00:55:13,780 >> Reporter: IN THE BACKGROUND A CASE WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER 1014 00:55:13,780 --> 00:55:16,950 AGAINST AMY AND JENNIFER AND JENNIFER SOMEHOW GOT WIND OF 1015 00:55:16,950 --> 00:55:20,687 IT >> SHE ACTUALLY CAME TO MY HOUSE 1016 00:55:20,687 --> 00:55:21,755 BECAUSE MY SON WAS DATING HER SISTER 1017 00:55:21,755 --> 00:55:23,857 >> Reporter: OH, MY. >> HER SISTER ASKED ME IF SHE 1018 00:55:23,857 --> 00:55:25,925 COULD COME OVER. SHE WANTED TO TALK TO ME 1019 00:55:25,925 --> 00:55:29,095 SHE MIGHT HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON A MURDER CASE 1020 00:55:29,095 --> 00:55:34,934 >> Reporter: RICKY COWLES' MURDER CASE. 1021 00:55:34,934 --> 00:55:37,203 >> SHE WAS FISHING TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH IT 1022 00:55:37,203 --> 00:55:38,638 >> Reporter: I MEAN, I WONDER IF SHE'S JUST TRYING TO PLANT SOME 1023 00:55:38,638 --> 00:55:40,140 INFORMATION TO THROW PEOPLE OFF THE SCENT. 1024 00:55:40,140 --> 00:55:43,309 >> IT COULD BE SHE'S PRETTY SOPHISTICATED 1025 00:55:43,309 --> 00:55:45,445 WHEN IT COMES TO THE POLICE AND HOW THEY WORK AND OPERATE, SHE 1026 00:55:45,445 --> 00:55:50,717 WAS PRETTY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HOW WE DO THINGS 1027 00:55:50,717 --> 00:55:52,285 >> Reporter: NEEDLESS TO SAY, BRANDENBURG WAS A SEASONED 1028 00:55:52,285 --> 00:55:54,988 HOMICIDE DETECTIVE AND JENNIFER DIDN'T CATCH ANY FISH. 1029 00:55:54,988 --> 00:55:59,125 IF ANYTHING, IT ALL SEEMED VERY SUSPICIOUS 1030 00:55:59,125 --> 00:56:01,294 BUT THERE WERE ISSUES. WHEN JENNIFER TESTIFIED AT 1031 00:56:01,294 --> 00:56:03,930 BILLY'S TRIAL, SHE HAD ASKED FOR IMMUNITY -- 1032 00:56:03,930 --> 00:56:08,201 AND GOT IT WHICH MEANT -- 1033 00:56:08,201 --> 00:56:12,305 >> YOU CAN'T USE ANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT SHE MADE OR ANY 1034 00:56:12,305 --> 00:56:17,210 LEADS DERIVED FROM THOSE OR ANYTHING TO BUILD A CASE ON HER 1035 00:56:17,210 --> 00:56:19,279 LATER TO PROSECUTE HER WE LOST ALL THOSE. 1036 00:56:19,279 --> 00:56:21,381 SO WE HAD TO BUILD A CASE INDEPENDENT OF ANY OF HER 1037 00:56:21,381 --> 00:56:24,551 TESTIMONY OR ANYTHING THAT SHE WAS ASKED BACK THEN. 1038 00:56:24,551 --> 00:56:28,254 >> Reporter: BUT AMY DIDN'T HAVE ANY SUCH DEAL. 1039 00:56:28,254 --> 00:56:31,958 AND THEY KNEW AMY HAD LIED WHEN SHE TESTIFIED AT BILLY'S TRIAL 1040 00:56:31,958 --> 00:56:35,695 SHE HAD TOLD THE JURY BILLY HOFFMANN WAS NEVER IN THE 1041 00:56:35,695 --> 00:56:39,366 CONDO. BUT SHEALYNN HAD SEEN HIM THERE 1042 00:56:39,366 --> 00:56:43,069 WITH HER OWN EYES. AND THEY COULD SEE AMY DID NOT 1043 00:56:43,069 --> 00:56:46,206 EXACTLY MOURN FOR HER MURDERED BOYFRIEND, THE FATHER OF HER 1044 00:56:46,206 --> 00:56:50,944 BABY >> AMY'S ACTIONS AFTER RICKY'S 1045 00:56:50,944 --> 00:56:55,682 DEATH REALLY WENT TO SHOW HER LACK OF CONCERN. 1046 00:56:55,682 --> 00:57:00,653 >> Reporter: FOR INSTANCE, TEN DAYS AFTER THE MURDER, THE 1047 00:57:00,653 --> 00:57:08,828 ANTELOPE VALLEY FAIR OPENED. AND AMY WAS THERE, FLIRTING. 1048 00:57:08,828 --> 00:57:11,031 >> SHE DID COME TO THE FAIR AND WAS HANGING OUT WITH A GROUP OF 1049 00:57:11,031 --> 00:57:12,065 COWBOYS AND WAS LAUGHING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME 1050 00:57:12,065 --> 00:57:13,600 >> Reporter: YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WAS TOO STRANGE? 1051 00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:16,236 >> I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE, BUT I WASN'T GONNA HARASS HER ABOUT 1052 00:57:16,236 --> 00:57:21,341 IT BECAUSE I FIGURED SHE WAS 1053 00:57:21,341 --> 00:57:28,415 ALREADY GOING THROUGH ENOUGH >> Reporter: AND THERE WAS AMY'S 1054 00:57:28,415 --> 00:57:30,550 BEHAVIOR THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER, PESTERING RICKY TO COME 1055 00:57:30,550 --> 00:57:32,118 HOME FOR THEIR ALONE TIME AND THEN MAKING SURE SHE WASN'T 1056 00:57:32,118 --> 00:57:35,855 HOME AND WHEN SHE FINALLY DID GO BACK 1057 00:57:35,855 --> 00:57:37,057 THERE, BRINGING A WITNESS WHO COULD SAY SHE WAS WITH AMY ALL 1058 00:57:37,057 --> 00:57:38,458 NIGHT. THEY USED YOU. 1059 00:57:38,458 --> 00:57:41,628 >> MH-HMM. >> Reporter: YOU WERE THEIR 1060 00:57:41,628 --> 00:57:44,264 USEFUL FOOL, THE PERSON WHO WAS TO DISCOVER THE BODY 1061 00:57:44,264 --> 00:57:49,502 THE PERSON - >> AND BE THE ALIBI. 1062 00:57:49,502 --> 00:57:52,672 AND BE USED AND SCARRED FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. 1063 00:57:52,672 --> 00:57:55,342 >> Reporter: AS FOR JENNIFER, IN ADDITION TO WHAT BILLY TOLD 1064 00:57:55,342 --> 00:57:58,144 THEM, THEY KNEW THAT SHE AND BILLY WERE CONNECTED 1065 00:57:58,144 --> 00:58:01,181 THEY KNEW SHE AND AMY WERE CONNECTED, AND THEY KNEW SHE AND 1066 00:58:01,181 --> 00:58:06,453 AMY BOTH HAD GONE TOGETHER TO TELL SHEALYNN TO STAY AWAY THAT 1067 00:58:06,453 --> 00:58:09,589 NIGHT. FINALLY, THREE YEARS AFTER BILLY 1068 00:58:09,589 --> 00:58:14,327 SENT HIS LETTER, DETECTIVES HAD GATHERED ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO 1069 00:58:14,327 --> 00:58:17,530 INDICT BOTH AMY AND JENNIFER DEBBIE AND RICK, WHO DESPERATELY 1070 00:58:17,530 --> 00:58:19,632 WANTED THEM ARRESTED, KNEW THEY NEEDED TO PROTECT THEIR 1071 00:58:19,632 --> 00:58:26,506 GRANDDAUGHTER WHEN THE MOMENT CAME 1072 00:58:26,506 --> 00:58:28,108 >> ALL WE EVER TOLD 'EM WAS, "IF IT COMES TO THE POINT WHERE 1073 00:58:28,108 --> 00:58:30,543 YOU'RE GONNA ARREST AMY, PLEASE LET US KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T WANT 1074 00:58:30,543 --> 00:58:31,745 THAT IN HER LITTLE BRAIN THE REST OF HER LIFE THAT HER 1075 00:58:31,745 --> 00:58:36,182 MOTHER'S TAKEN AWAY BY THE POLICE." 1076 00:58:36,182 --> 00:58:36,916 >> Reporter: IT WAS MARCH OF 2005 1077 00:58:36,916 --> 00:58:38,752 >> AND WE WERE GONNA HAVE HER THE WHOLE WEEK FOR EASTER BREAK. 1078 00:58:38,752 --> 00:58:41,855 AND THEY ARRESTED HER DURING THAT WEEK. 1079 00:58:41,855 --> 00:58:45,258 >> Reporter: WITH THAT, THE COWLES WENT TO FAMILY COURT. 1080 00:58:45,258 --> 00:58:47,660 >> WE HAD HAD AN ATTORNEY. WE CALLED HER AND SAID, "WE NEED 1081 00:58:47,660 --> 00:58:49,763 TO GO TOMORROW AND GET CUSTODY OF THIS LITTLE GIRL 'CAUSE HER 1082 00:58:49,763 --> 00:58:52,932 MOM'S IN JAIL. >> Reporter: THAT WAS THE FIRST 1083 00:58:52,932 --> 00:58:56,803 SALVO IN A WAR BETWEEN TWO SETS OF GRANDPARENTS THAT WOULD LAST 1084 00:58:56,803 --> 00:58:58,204 FOR YEARS. >> THERE WAS STILL SO MUCH 1085 00:58:58,204 --> 00:59:00,807 TURMOIL BETWEEN OUR FAMILIES THAT WE COULDN'T AGREE ON 1086 00:59:00,807 --> 00:59:05,011 ANYTHING AT ALL. THEY BLAMED US FOR EVERYTHING. 1087 00:59:05,011 --> 00:59:07,614 >> Reporter: THEY BLAMED YOU >> THEY BLAMED US FOR IT, THAT 1088 00:59:07,614 --> 00:59:10,784 IF WE HADN'T BEEN PERSISTENT - >> Reporter: THAT AMY WOULDN'T 1089 00:59:10,784 --> 00:59:14,487 HAVE BEEN ARRESTED THE PREASMYERS, WHO STAND BEHIND 1090 00:59:14,487 --> 00:59:24,030 THEIR DAUGHTER, TOLD US HER ARREST WAS A SHOCK 1091 00:59:24,030 --> 00:59:26,132 WAS THERE SOME EXPECTATION THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN 1092 00:59:26,132 --> 00:59:28,435 >> NO. NONE AT ALL. 1093 00:59:28,435 --> 00:59:29,336 >> Reporter: COMPLETE SURPRISE >> OH, YEAH. 1094 00:59:29,336 --> 00:59:30,837 >> Reporter: IN FACT, AMY WAS TO BE MARRIED IN TWO WEEKS. 1095 00:59:30,837 --> 00:59:32,505 >> WE PLANNED THIS WEDDING AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS 1096 00:59:32,505 --> 00:59:35,075 READY TO GO. AND -- 1097 00:59:35,075 --> 00:59:37,844 >> THEY CAME AND ARRESTED HER. >> Reporter: THEN THEY WERE HIT 1098 00:59:37,844 --> 00:59:42,482 WITH THE CUSTODY HEARING >> WE GOT THAT SURPRISE TOO. 1099 00:59:42,482 --> 00:59:44,050 SEE, ALL THESE SURPRISES HIT US AT ONE SHOT. 1100 00:59:44,050 --> 00:59:46,119 AND WE'RE GOING, "WHAT -- WHAT'S THIS 1101 00:59:46,119 --> 00:59:48,221 WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THIS? 1102 00:59:48,221 --> 00:59:51,624 >> Reporter: THE FAMILY COURT JUDGE GAVE THE COWLES TEMPORARY 1103 00:59:51,624 --> 00:59:53,560 CUSTODY AND AMY AND JENNIFER WENT TO JAIL 1104 00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:58,331 BUT THEN BILLY HOFFMANN STARTED TO GET COLD FEET, WORRIED HE'D 1105 00:59:58,331 --> 01:00:01,167 BE SEEN AS A SNITCH. >> TESTIFYING AGAINST SOMEBODY, 1106 01:00:01,167 --> 01:00:04,671 LIKE, THAT'S A DEATH SENTENCE. >> Reporter: BILLY HOFFMANN WAS 1107 01:00:04,671 --> 01:00:07,340 SUPPOSED TO BE THE STAR WITNESS, THE CENTERPIECE OF THE TRIAL 1108 01:00:07,340 --> 01:00:35,001 EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TO SHORE HIM >> Reporter: AMY PREASMYER AND 1109 01:00:35,001 --> 01:00:37,003 JENNIFER KELLOGG WERE BEHIND BARS 1110 01:00:37,003 --> 01:00:38,405 HEARINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR TRIAL WERE SCHEDULED 1111 01:00:38,405 --> 01:00:40,006 THE MACHINERY OF JUSTICE WAS HUMMING ALONG. 1112 01:00:40,006 --> 01:00:42,108 AND THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED -- THE PROBLEM. 1113 01:00:42,108 --> 01:00:45,812 A BIG ONE. BILLY HOFFMANN, CONTRITE, 1114 01:00:45,812 --> 01:00:50,050 COOPERATIVE BILLY, WAS SUDDENLY REFUSING TO TESTIFY. 1115 01:00:50,050 --> 01:00:54,287 FOR ONE THING, BILLY FELT IGNORED BY THE DETECTIVES 1116 01:00:54,287 --> 01:00:57,957 HANDLING THE CASE. HE WAS ALSO HYPER AWARE THAT 1117 01:00:57,957 --> 01:01:04,064 PRISONERS WHO TESTIFY TAKE A RISK, SOMETIMES A BIG ONE. 1118 01:01:04,064 --> 01:01:05,899 SO THAT'S WHEN LARRY BRANDENBURG WAS BROUGHT IN 1119 01:01:05,899 --> 01:01:08,068 >> BILLY FELT DISRESPECTED BY THE DETECTIVES BECAUSE NO ONE 1120 01:01:08,068 --> 01:01:12,739 HAD COME TO THE PRISON TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT HIS TESTIMONY 1121 01:01:12,739 --> 01:01:20,113 HE WAS PUTTING A LOT ON THE LINE TO DO THAT, BEING IN PRISON. 1122 01:01:20,113 --> 01:01:22,182 >> Reporter: YEAH, SURE. BUT DETECTIVE LARRY BRANDENBURG 1123 01:01:22,182 --> 01:01:23,783 WAS WELL AWARE THAT WITHOUT BILLY, THE CASE AGAINST AMY AND 1124 01:01:23,783 --> 01:01:25,885 JENNIFER COULD FALL APART. WHICH IS WHY THE DETECTIVE WENT 1125 01:01:25,885 --> 01:01:30,690 ABOUT BECOMING BILLY'S BEST FRIEND 1126 01:01:30,690 --> 01:01:34,394 >> AND THEN OVER THE NEXT PERIOD OF A YEAR OR TWO, WHATEVER IT 1127 01:01:34,394 --> 01:01:38,098 WAS BEFORE WE WENT TO TRIAL, KIND OF DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP 1128 01:01:38,098 --> 01:01:42,135 WITH BILLY, KEEPING IN CONTACT, VISITING HIM 1129 01:01:42,135 --> 01:01:43,837 JUST TRY TO KEEP HIM ON BOARD THAT TESTIFYING WAS THE RIGHT 1130 01:01:43,837 --> 01:01:47,007 THING FOR HIM TO DO. >> Reporter: INVESTIGATORS ALSO 1131 01:01:47,007 --> 01:02:03,857 KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON THE GIRLS AS THEY AWAITED TRIAL AT THE LOCAL 1132 01:02:03,857 --> 01:02:06,092 JAIL YOU PUT AMY AND JENNIFER 1133 01:02:06,092 --> 01:02:07,660 TOGETHER IN A -- IN A CELL FOR A TIME 1134 01:02:07,660 --> 01:02:09,229 >> THEY WERE IN OUR COUNTY JAIL, I THINK, FOR GOING ON A YEAR OR 1135 01:02:09,229 --> 01:02:10,830 SO WE HAD THEM COMPLETELY SEPARATED 1136 01:02:10,830 --> 01:02:12,932 LET'S MAKE A RUSE. WELL, THEY GOT TO BRING THEM 1137 01:02:12,932 --> 01:02:14,534 DOWN TO IRC FOR ADDITIONAL FINGERPRINTING OR WHATEVER 1138 01:02:14,534 --> 01:02:16,169 AND WE PUT THEM IN A CELL THAT WAS WIRED UP, AND JENNIFER 1139 01:02:16,169 --> 01:02:19,305 DIDN'T SAY HARDLY A WORD SHE WAS PRETTY STREET SMART. 1140 01:02:19,305 --> 01:02:33,420 BUT AMY COULDN'T HELP HERSELF. SHE JUST COULDN'T HELP HERSELF 1141 01:02:33,420 --> 01:02:35,655 >> Reporter: IT'S HARD TO HEAR, BUT THAT'S AMY TALKING ABOUT 1142 01:02:35,655 --> 01:02:38,324 PUTTING A HIT ON BILLY >> ALL I GOTTA SAY IS IF BILLY 1143 01:02:38,324 --> 01:02:46,800 DOESN'T TESTIFY, THEY DON'T HAVE A -- CASE AGAINST ME 1144 01:02:46,800 --> 01:02:48,301 PRETTY MUCH KNOW THAT IF HOFFMANN TESTIFIES, HE'S GONNA 1145 01:02:48,301 --> 01:02:50,904 CROSS ALL MY - PEOPLE'S PATHS ONE DAY OR 1146 01:02:50,904 --> 01:02:52,472 ANOTHER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE PC'D UP FOREVER, BITCH 1147 01:02:52,472 --> 01:02:54,574 >> SHE CALLED HIM A BUNCH OF THINGS I CAN'T REPEAT HERE 1148 01:02:54,574 --> 01:02:57,744 >> THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY TO YOU -- 1149 01:02:57,744 --> 01:03:00,947 AND YOU'RE ALREADY SITTING IN THERE FOR -- LIFE BECAUSE YOU 1150 01:03:00,947 --> 01:03:06,753 TESTIFIED AGAINST YOURSELF SO IF YOU DON'T TESTIFY, THEY 1151 01:03:06,753 --> 01:03:09,255 DON'T HAVE - NOTHING. 1152 01:03:09,255 --> 01:03:11,057 NOT A -- THING >> "HE CAN'T STAY IN PROTECTIVE 1153 01:03:11,057 --> 01:03:13,626 CUSTODY FOREVER. MY PEOPLE WILL GET TO HIM. 1154 01:03:13,626 --> 01:03:16,796 >> Reporter: BUT IF AMY ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE, THEY NEVER DID GET 1155 01:03:16,796 --> 01:03:22,736 TO BILLY AND IN JUNE OF 2007, NEARLY 1156 01:03:22,736 --> 01:03:25,238 10 YEARS AFTER RICKY WAS KILLED, AMY WENT ON TRIAL FOR MURDER 1157 01:03:25,238 --> 01:03:32,112 BY THEN, BILLY HAD COME AROUND AND WAS READY TO TESTIFY 1158 01:03:32,112 --> 01:03:34,848 >> MY RESPONSIBILITY DIDN'T END WITH CONFESSING WHAT I'D DONE. 1159 01:03:34,848 --> 01:03:36,850 >> Reporter: BILLY WAS THE STATE'S MAIN WITNESS AGAINST 1160 01:03:36,850 --> 01:03:40,086 AMY. >> I DO BELIEVE PEOPLE NEED TO 1161 01:03:40,086 --> 01:03:42,655 BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DO. 1162 01:03:42,655 --> 01:03:45,358 BUT AT THE SAME TIME, BEING IN PRISON AND UNDERSTANDING, LIKE, 1163 01:03:45,358 --> 01:03:49,562 YEAH, THAT WASN'T EASY BUT WE ALL MADE OUR CHOICES. 1164 01:03:49,562 --> 01:03:51,698 WE ALL DID WHAT WE DID >> Reporter: WERE THE COWLES 1165 01:03:51,698 --> 01:03:55,402 THERE WHEN YOU TESTIFIED >> YEAH. 1166 01:03:55,402 --> 01:03:59,105 ONE OF THE HARD THINGS ABOUT TESTIFYING, AND ANYTIME I SHARE 1167 01:03:59,105 --> 01:04:02,242 THESE, LIKE, HAVE TO RECOUNT WHAT I DID, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT 1168 01:04:02,242 --> 01:04:14,354 THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY'RE 1169 01:04:14,354 --> 01:04:15,955 GONNA BE HEARING IT AS WELL I WAS -- FELT LIKE I WAS 1170 01:04:15,955 --> 01:04:17,524 VICTIMIZING THEM AGAIN, MAKING THEM HEAR IT AGAIN 1171 01:04:17,524 --> 01:04:20,160 AND THAT'S ALWAYS HARD >> Reporter: THE PROSECUTION PUT 1172 01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:22,796 ON WITNESSES WHO COULD CORROBORATE HIS STORY, LIKE THE 1173 01:04:22,796 --> 01:04:24,431 WOMAN HE CARPOOLED WITH TO WORK. BILLY BRAGGED TO HER ON THE 1174 01:04:24,431 --> 01:04:27,534 MORNING AFTER THE MURDER ABOUT KILLING SOMEONE. 1175 01:04:27,534 --> 01:04:30,236 WHEN SHE ASKED HIM WHY, HE SAID HE DID IT FOR THE GIRLFRIEND OF 1176 01:04:30,236 --> 01:04:33,940 THE VICTIM AN OLD FRIEND OF BILLY'S 1177 01:04:33,940 --> 01:04:38,144 TESTIFIED HE SAW AMY AND JENNIFER AT BILLY'S APARTMENT 1178 01:04:38,144 --> 01:04:42,849 BEFORE THE MURDER, AND SAW THAT PICTURE OF RICKY THE GIRLS GAVE 1179 01:04:42,849 --> 01:04:46,086 BILLY, SO HE COULD RECOGNIZE HIM. 1180 01:04:46,086 --> 01:04:50,256 SHEALYNN TOLD THE JURY ABOUT MEETING BILLY AT RICKY'S CONDO 1181 01:04:50,256 --> 01:04:55,528 WHEN RICKY WAS CONVENIENTLY AWAY AT LAKE HAVASU WITH HIS PARENTS. 1182 01:04:55,528 --> 01:04:59,199 AND SARA TESTIFIED ABOUT THAT NIGHT, HOW AMY USED HER AS AN 1183 01:04:59,199 --> 01:05:02,902 ALIBI BY DRIVING AROUND WITH HER AS THE MURDER WAS HAPPENING AND 1184 01:05:02,902 --> 01:05:08,141 THEN SENT HER UPSTAIRS TO FIND RICKY IN THE BEDROOM, DYING. 1185 01:05:08,141 --> 01:05:17,617 WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO TESTIFY AGAINST, PARTICULARLY, AMY 1186 01:05:17,617 --> 01:05:26,626 >> IT WAS SCARY. BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SOMEBODY 1187 01:05:26,626 --> 01:05:30,196 WHO USED TO BE THIS -- THIS HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, OUTGOING PERSON. 1188 01:05:30,196 --> 01:05:31,398 SO, YOU KNOW, SWEET AND -- AND INNOCENT 1189 01:05:31,398 --> 01:05:33,500 AND NOW I'M LOOKING AT SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN IN JAIL, WHO'S 1190 01:05:33,500 --> 01:05:35,068 HARDENED UP, AND NO REMORSE ON THE FACE 1191 01:05:35,068 --> 01:05:37,170 >> Reporter: AS FOR AMY'S DEFENSE? 1192 01:05:37,170 --> 01:05:40,840 >> THE IDEA THAT THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED BECAUSE AMY ASK BILLY 1193 01:05:40,840 --> 01:05:47,614 TO KILL RICKY REALLY MAKES NO SENSE.E BILL 1194 01:05:47,614 --> 01:05:48,682 TO KILL RICKY REALLY MAKES NO SED 1195 01:05:48,682 --> 01:05:51,251 BILLY TO KILL RICKY REALLY MAKES NO 1196 01:05:51,251 --> 01:05:56,156 SENSE.TO KILL RICKY REALLY MAKES NO 1197 01:05:56,156 --> 01:05:59,292 SESENSE. >> Reporter: HER ATTORNEY, 1198 01:05:59,292 --> 01:06:00,326 ANGELYN GATES, ARGUED THE CHARGES AGAINST AMY WERE 1199 01:06:00,326 --> 01:06:01,928 COMPLETELY WITHOUT MERIT >> AMY WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT 1200 01:06:01,928 --> 01:06:03,563 THE TIME, AND PREGNANT I MEAN, THERE WAS NO MONEY 1201 01:06:03,563 --> 01:06:05,065 INVOLVED >> Reporter: REMEMBER DEBBIE'S 1202 01:06:05,065 --> 01:06:06,666 STORY ABOUT AMY PESTERING RICKY FOR LIFE INSURANCE 1203 01:06:06,666 --> 01:06:08,835 >> I THOUGHT, "DID I KILL MY OWN SON? 1204 01:06:08,835 --> 01:06:11,037 BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT THAT POLICY WAS IN FORCE 1205 01:06:11,037 --> 01:06:12,505 >> Reporter: RICKY NEVER DID BUY THE INSURANCE. 1206 01:06:12,505 --> 01:06:15,175 THE JUDGE RULED THE STORY WAS HEARSAY ANYWAY 1207 01:06:15,175 --> 01:06:17,410 SO THE JURY NEVER HEARD IT >> THERE WAS NO ACTUAL REASON 1208 01:06:17,410 --> 01:06:19,879 FOR IT SO IT JUST REALLY -- IT JUST 1209 01:06:19,879 --> 01:06:22,515 SEEMED WITHOUT MOTIVE. >> Reporter: AND ACCORDING TO 1210 01:06:22,515 --> 01:06:25,652 GATES, THE STAR WITNESS IN THIS CASE, RICKY'S KILLER, 1211 01:06:25,652 --> 01:06:27,921 BILLY HOFFMANN, WAS INCONSISTENT, NOT TO BE 1212 01:06:27,921 --> 01:06:30,957 BELIEVED >> THE PROBLEM WITH 1213 01:06:30,957 --> 01:06:36,162 BILLY HOFFMANN'S CREDIBILITY IS THAT, IN THE VERY BEGINNING, HE 1214 01:06:36,162 --> 01:06:38,298 DENIED BEING THE PERSON WHO MURDERED RICKY COWLES, AND HE 1215 01:06:38,298 --> 01:06:43,136 MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH HIS TRIAL, 1216 01:06:43,136 --> 01:06:45,205 ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIS APPELLATE RIGHTS 1217 01:06:45,205 --> 01:06:47,273 >> Reporter: GATES ALSO HAD AN EXPLANATION FOR AMY'S SO-CALLED 1218 01:06:47,273 --> 01:06:51,544 THREATS ABOUT TAKING BILLY'S LIFE IF HE TESTIFIED 1219 01:06:51,544 --> 01:06:57,317 >> ALL I'VE GOTTA SAY IS THAT IF BILLY DOESN'T TESTIFY -- 1220 01:06:57,317 --> 01:06:59,419 >> SHE KNOWS SHE'S FACING LIFE WITHOUT A POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE 1221 01:06:59,419 --> 01:07:03,656 CASE SHE HAS A DAUGHTER NOW WHO'S 1222 01:07:03,656 --> 01:07:07,894 GONNA BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER AND THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD SAY 1223 01:07:07,894 --> 01:07:17,904 ALL KINDS OF THINGS, HATEFUL, THREATENING, BITTER, NASTY, 1224 01:07:17,904 --> 01:07:20,407 ANGRY THINGS FOR BEING PUT IN THAT POSITION, SHOULD NOT BE 1225 01:07:20,407 --> 01:07:22,075 SURPRISING TO ANYBODY. >> Reporter: A MENTAL HEALTH 1226 01:07:22,075 --> 01:07:24,878 PROFESSIONAL ALSO TESTIFIED THAT AMY HAD AN ANXIETY DISORDER THAT 1227 01:07:24,878 --> 01:07:26,846 CAME FROM FINDING HER BOYFRIEND DYING ON THE FLOOR 1228 01:07:26,846 --> 01:07:31,317 >> SO THE JURY GOT TO HEAR THAT AMY AT THE TIME WAS SHOWING 1229 01:07:31,317 --> 01:07:34,821 SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMA, WHICH LOGICALLY, YOU WOULD THINK THAT 1230 01:07:34,821 --> 01:07:40,593 A PERSON WHO WAS MATURE ENOUGH, CUNNING ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH TO 1231 01:07:40,593 --> 01:07:45,365 ACTUALLY ASK SOMEONE TO GO KILL THEIR FIANCE WOULDN'T THEN HAVE 1232 01:07:45,365 --> 01:07:47,967 HAD THAT REACTION. >> Reporter: DESPITE THE 1233 01:07:47,967 --> 01:07:49,602 DEFENSE'S ARGUMENTS, WHEN THE JURY GOT THE CASE, THE 1234 01:07:49,602 --> 01:07:52,205 PROSECUTORS AND THE INVESTIGATORS WERE PRETTY 1235 01:07:52,205 --> 01:07:56,910 CONFIDENT. AT FIRST, THAT IS. 1236 01:07:56,910 --> 01:08:02,215 >> WE FELT GOOD UNTIL I THINK THEY WERE OUT 11 OR 13 DAYS. 1237 01:08:02,215 --> 01:08:04,818 AND NOW WE'RE IN A PANIC >>> COMING UP THIS SUNDAY ON 1238 01:08:04,818 --> 01:08:06,753 "DATELINE" - >> THEY FOUND SARAH'S CAR ON THE 1239 01:08:06,753 --> 01:08:09,322 BRIDGE >> NOBODY COULD FIND HER AND HER 1240 01:08:09,322 --> 01:08:12,559 PHONE WAS OFF. >> YOU HAVE TO START WORKING 1241 01:08:12,559 --> 01:08:14,894 WORST CASE SCENARIOS >> THIS IS THINGS YOU SEE ON TV, 1242 01:08:14,894 --> 01:08:20,700 NOT THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO YOU. >> I LOOKED AT HER RIGHT IN THE 1243 01:08:20,700 --> 01:08:24,904 FACE, JUST LIKE I'M LOOKIN' AT YOU RIGHT NOW. 1244 01:08:24,904 --> 01:08:26,539 THAT GIRL'S ALIVE. >> SARAH'S WHOLE DEAL WAS MY 1245 01:08:26,539 --> 01:08:28,575 THING. >> WE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT WE 1246 01:08:28,575 --> 01:08:30,710 WERE HEARING >> HE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD 1247 01:08:30,710 --> 01:08:32,812 STUDIED HER MOVEMENTS. >> EVIL. 1248 01:08:32,812 --> 01:08:52,866 PURE EVIL. >> Reporter: DAY AFTER DAY, 1249 01:08:52,866 --> 01:08:58,638 AMY PREASMYER, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER, WAITED FOR THE JURY. 1250 01:08:58,638 --> 01:09:03,476 >> THE LONGER THE JURY DELIBERATES, THE BETTER IT 1251 01:09:03,476 --> 01:09:06,079 USUALLY IS FOR THE DEFENDANT AND EVERY DAY, RICKY'S PARENTS 1252 01:09:06,079 --> 01:09:08,715 LEFT FOR THE COURTHOUSE, KNOWING IT COULD BE THE LAST DAY THEY'D 1253 01:09:08,715 --> 01:09:13,019 SPEND WITH THEIR BELOVED GRANDDAUGHTER. 1254 01:09:13,019 --> 01:09:16,122 >> Reporter: THAT WOULD CERTAINLY ADD TO THE TENSION OF 1255 01:09:16,122 --> 01:09:18,191 THOSE DAYS. BECAUSE YOU KNEW YOU WERE FACING 1256 01:09:18,191 --> 01:09:20,460 MORE THAN JUST THE VERDICT - >> AND THE DAY THE VERDICT CAME 1257 01:09:20,460 --> 01:09:22,796 IN, SHE WAS AT OUR HOUSE HERE WITH OUR DAUGHTERS BEING 1258 01:09:22,796 --> 01:09:26,132 BABYSAT. >> Reporter: THE STAKES? 1259 01:09:26,132 --> 01:09:29,836 IF THE JURY VOTED NOT GUILTY DEBBIE BELIEVED AMY WOULD TAKE 1260 01:09:29,836 --> 01:09:35,075 THEIR GRANDCHILD AWAY AND THEY MIGHT NEVER SEE HER AGAIN. 1261 01:09:35,075 --> 01:09:36,876 NOW THEY ASSEMBLED IN THE COURTROOM AND THE CLERK READ THE 1262 01:09:36,876 --> 01:09:43,216 VERDICT. GUILTY 1263 01:09:43,216 --> 01:09:45,118 WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HEAR THAT? >> JUST -- 1264 01:09:45,118 --> 01:09:47,754 >> FINALLY - >> -- QUIET CRYING, JUST EVERY 1265 01:09:47,754 --> 01:09:49,322 EMOTION. YOU WANT TO SCREAM BUT YOU 1266 01:09:49,322 --> 01:09:53,560 CAN'T, SO WE JUST QUIETLY CRIED TO OURSELVES 1267 01:09:53,560 --> 01:09:56,730 >> Reporter: LIKE BILLY, AMY GOT LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF 1268 01:09:56,730 --> 01:10:00,934 PAROLE. JENNIFER NEVER TO WENT TO TRIAL. 1269 01:10:00,934 --> 01:10:05,105 >> WE JUST THOUGHT THAT DEBBIE COWLES COULDN'T TAKE ANOTHER ONE 1270 01:10:05,105 --> 01:10:09,376 PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY SO. 1271 01:10:09,376 --> 01:10:12,012 WE CONFERRED WITH RICK, AND I THINK DEBBIE DIDN'T AGREE WITH 1272 01:10:12,012 --> 01:10:15,215 IT, BUT I THINK IT WAS THE BEST THING FOR HER THAT JENNIFER WAS 1273 01:10:15,215 --> 01:10:18,385 ALLOWED TO PLEAD >> Reporter: PLEADED GUILTY TO 1274 01:10:18,385 --> 01:10:21,521 VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND SOLICITATION TO COMMIT MURDER IN 1275 01:10:21,521 --> 01:10:26,326 EXCHANGE FOR A SENTENCE OF 17 YEARS 1276 01:10:26,326 --> 01:10:29,496 THE COWLES HOPED THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF PEACE ONCE THE 1277 01:10:29,496 --> 01:10:32,665 GIRLS WERE LOCKED UP BUT MURDER DOESN'T WORK LIKE 1278 01:10:32,665 --> 01:10:35,602 THAT >> BEING A VICTIM RUINS 1279 01:10:35,602 --> 01:10:38,972 EVERYTHING EVERYONE AROUND YOU. 1280 01:10:38,972 --> 01:10:43,376 MY POOR SON DIED AND EVERYONE AROUND HIM WAS AFFECTED BY IT. 1281 01:10:43,376 --> 01:10:46,913 >> Reporter: THEY WATCHED THEIR DAUGHTER SHEALYNN SUFFER 1282 01:10:46,913 --> 01:10:52,152 >> SHE WAS 16 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. 1283 01:10:52,152 --> 01:10:55,288 HER AND RICKY WERE BEST FRIENDS. >> Reporter: SHEALYNN THOUGHT 1284 01:10:55,288 --> 01:10:58,491 ABOUT THE DAY OF THE MURDER WHEN AMY STOPPED BY THE MCDONALD'S 1285 01:10:58,491 --> 01:11:02,696 TOLD HER SHE WANTED TO TALK TO RICKY ALONE THAT NIGHT 1286 01:11:02,696 --> 01:11:05,832 SHE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THOSE PARTIES WHEN SHE'D COZIED UP TO 1287 01:11:05,832 --> 01:11:09,069 THE GIRLS. THOUGHT ABOUT HOW SHE FAILED TO 1288 01:11:09,069 --> 01:11:12,739 PROTECT HER BROTHER FROM GIRLS SHE THOUGHT WERE HER FRIENDS 1289 01:11:12,739 --> 01:11:15,375 >> IT'S A HORRIBLE FEELING TO KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, I 1290 01:11:15,375 --> 01:11:19,079 COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING OR KNOWN IN MY MIND, YOU KNOW, 1291 01:11:19,079 --> 01:11:21,181 THEY'RE GOING TO HURT RICKY. >> THE GUILT, I -- I DON'T EVEN 1292 01:11:21,181 --> 01:11:23,583 KNOW I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM THAT KIND OF 1293 01:11:23,583 --> 01:11:26,453 GUILT THAT SHE'S HAD >> Reporter: YEAH. 1294 01:11:26,453 --> 01:11:29,222 >> SHE DOESN'T HAVE IT BECAUSE WE THINK SHE DID ANYTHING WRONG. 1295 01:11:29,222 --> 01:11:33,827 >> Reporter: YEAH, OF COURSE NOT. 1296 01:11:33,827 --> 01:11:37,263 BUT EMOTIONS ARE TRICKY. SO IN 2018 WHEN THEY GOT THE 1297 01:11:37,263 --> 01:11:50,176 CHANCE TO TALK TO BILLY HOFFMANN IN PRISON AND ASK HIM ANYTHING 1298 01:11:50,176 --> 01:11:51,845 THEY WANTED, THEY TOOK IT, HOPING IT WOULD HELP SHEALYNN 1299 01:11:51,845 --> 01:11:54,914 FEEL BETTER. >> I NEEDED TO HEAR OUT OF HIS 1300 01:11:54,914 --> 01:11:56,649 MOUTH ABOUT THE GIRLS, AMY, WHAT SHE DID, AND JENNIFER. 1301 01:11:56,649 --> 01:11:58,618 AND I WANTED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. 1302 01:11:58,618 --> 01:12:00,220 SO THEY'LL ALWAYS BE LIES WITH THOSE GIRLS. 1303 01:12:00,220 --> 01:12:03,923 SO HOPEFULLY HE'S TELLING US THE TRUTH. 1304 01:12:03,923 --> 01:12:06,559 >> Reporter: BUT IT WAS HARD - >> SHEA AND I HAD BOTH CRIED 1305 01:12:06,559 --> 01:12:08,661 ABOUT THINKING WE -- I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN STAND TO SEE HIM, 1306 01:12:08,661 --> 01:12:10,764 CAN WE DO THIS >> Reporter: THEY WERE USHERED 1307 01:12:10,764 --> 01:12:15,502 IN TO A ROOM, SURROUNDED BY GUARDS 1308 01:12:15,502 --> 01:12:22,842 AND THEN BILLY CAME IN >> HE LOOKED A LOT DIFFERENT 1309 01:12:22,842 --> 01:12:24,944 >> Reporter: SO YOU WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM? 1310 01:12:24,944 --> 01:12:27,981 >> UM, I WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED HIM BECAUSE I SEE HIS FACE IN 1311 01:12:27,981 --> 01:12:33,720 MY -- MY MIND EVERY DAY. >> HE'S THE ONE THAT KILLED MY 1312 01:12:33,720 --> 01:12:41,261 BROTHER. HE'S THE ONE THAT KILLE BROTHER. 1313 01:12:41,261 --> 01:12:44,998 >> Reporter: BILLY WAS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE MEETING TOO. 1314 01:12:44,998 --> 01:12:47,100 >> IT WAS SCARY. I HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE 1315 01:12:47,100 --> 01:12:49,235 I'VE HURT SO HAR -- SO IRREVERSIBLY 1316 01:12:49,235 --> 01:12:53,206 >> Reporter: WERE THEY ANGRY AT YOU IN THAT MEETING OR UPSET 1317 01:12:53,206 --> 01:12:55,108 WITH YOU >> AT POINTS I THINK 1318 01:12:55,108 --> 01:12:57,143 I REMEMBER RICKY'S SISTER, SHEALYNN, ASKING, LIKE, WHY I 1319 01:12:57,143 --> 01:13:00,313 DID IT DID SOMEONE MAKE ME DO IT? 1320 01:13:00,313 --> 01:13:04,551 DID I DO IT BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID, OR DID I JUST DO IT 1321 01:13:04,551 --> 01:13:06,186 BECAUSE I WANTED TO? WHEN SHE WAS ASKING THAT, LIKE, 1322 01:13:06,186 --> 01:13:08,088 SHE WAS HURT, SHE WAS ANGRY. YOU KNOW, I MURDERED HER 1323 01:13:08,088 --> 01:13:09,823 BROTHER, AND THERE WAS NO REASON WHY I DID IT BESIDES I WANTED 1324 01:13:09,823 --> 01:13:11,458 TO >> Reporter: DID IT FEEL LIKE 1325 01:13:11,458 --> 01:13:12,926 THE TRUTH, LIKE, IT CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH? 1326 01:13:12,926 --> 01:13:15,095 >> IT DID. YES. 1327 01:13:15,095 --> 01:13:19,299 >> Reporter: REASON, LOGIC, SOME SENSE THEY CAN HANG ONTO, PEOPLE 1328 01:13:19,299 --> 01:13:22,469 CRAVE THOSE THINGS CERTAINLY THE COWLES DID 1329 01:13:22,469 --> 01:13:27,774 BUT IT WASN'T TO BE HAD. BILLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT 1330 01:13:27,774 --> 01:13:36,716 HIMSELF. >> I -- I REALLY KNEW NOTHING 1331 01:13:36,716 --> 01:13:39,886 ABOUT HIM. I KNEW HE WAS AMY'S BOYFRIEND, 1332 01:13:39,886 --> 01:13:42,522 BUT I NEVER WAS GIVEN A MOTIVE >> Reporter: AT THE END OF THEIR 1333 01:13:42,522 --> 01:13:44,657 TIME TOGETHER, DEBBIE HANDED BILLY A HAND-SEWN CROSS. 1334 01:13:44,657 --> 01:13:47,761 >> AND HE SAID HE, YOU KNOW, IT'S -- HE CRIED 1335 01:13:47,761 --> 01:13:50,397 HE LOVED THE -- LOVED THE GIFT IT WASN'T ACTUALLY A GIFT, BUT 1336 01:13:50,397 --> 01:13:52,532 IT WAS MY TELLING HIM, HOPEFULLY, THAT WHEN YOU LOOKED 1337 01:13:52,532 --> 01:13:55,669 AT THE CROSS IN YOUR BIBLE THAT YOU READ EVERY DAY, YOU'LL THINK 1338 01:13:55,669 --> 01:13:57,737 ABOUT WHAT YOU DID >> Reporter: DID THAT -- DID 1339 01:13:57,737 --> 01:13:59,406 THAT CONVERSATION HELP SHEALYNN, WHO I KNOW WAS FEELING A LOT OF 1340 01:13:59,406 --> 01:14:01,508 GUILT? >> OH, 100%. 1341 01:14:01,508 --> 01:14:04,678 HUNDRED PERCENT. YEAH 1342 01:14:04,678 --> 01:14:06,813 >> I FELT A LOT BETTER, KIND OF CLOSURE THEN - 1343 01:14:06,813 --> 01:14:09,382 >> Reporter: AND THEY LEFT FEELING A WEIGHT HAD BEEN LIFTED 1344 01:14:09,382 --> 01:14:11,518 A LITTLE. THINGS WERE CLEARER NOW. 1345 01:14:11,518 --> 01:14:16,289 EVEN IF THERE WAS NO RATIONAL ANSWER 1346 01:14:16,289 --> 01:14:22,062 AND BILLY HIMSELF WENT BACK TO HIS CELL TO RESUME THE LIFE HE'D 1347 01:14:22,062 --> 01:14:25,799 MADE FOR HIMSELF IN PRISON TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE 1348 01:14:25,799 --> 01:14:28,935 AND FAR FAR AWAY FROM THAT PRISON CELL, TIMES WERE 1349 01:14:28,935 --> 01:14:35,108 CHANGING TIMES AND ATTITUDES AND SCIENCE 1350 01:14:35,108 --> 01:14:38,578 AND SUPREME COURT RULINGS. WHICH IS WHY, ONE DAY, THE 1351 01:14:38,578 --> 01:14:42,649 COWLES GOT A PHONE CALL, QUITE OUT OF THE BLUE. 1352 01:14:42,649 --> 01:14:46,886 >> WE WERE ACTUALLY IN SHOCK WHEN LARRY BRANDENBURG CALLED US 1353 01:14:46,886 --> 01:14:48,822 UP ON OUR 48th ANNIVERSARY >> Reporter: IT WAS ON YOUR 1354 01:14:48,822 --> 01:14:51,157 ANNIVERSARY YOU GOT THAT CALL? >> YES 1355 01:14:51,157 --> 01:14:52,826 >> Reporter: OH. >> WELL, HE SAYS, YOU BETTER SIT 1356 01:14:52,826 --> 01:15:10,877 DOWN I NEED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS 1357 01:15:10,877 --> 01:15:15,148 >> Reporter: WHEN BILLY HOFFMANN WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON 1358 01:15:15,148 --> 01:15:19,919 WITHOUT PAROLE FOR THE MURDER OF RICKY COWLES BACK IN 1999, HE 1359 01:15:19,919 --> 01:15:24,124 UNDERSTOOD THE TERMS VERY WELL >> ANY LIFE SENTENCE WAS A DEATH 1360 01:15:24,124 --> 01:15:28,361 SENTENCE >> Reporter: THE '90s WERE A 1361 01:15:28,361 --> 01:15:33,767 TOUGH-ON-CRIME, THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT ERA IN CALIFORNIA 1362 01:15:33,767 --> 01:15:37,837 BUT WHILE BILLY ADJUSTED TO A LIFE BEHIND BARS, THE WORLD 1363 01:15:37,837 --> 01:15:41,074 OUTSIDE HIS CELL WAS CHANGING. IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT AND 1364 01:15:41,074 --> 01:15:44,177 COURTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE WAS NEW THINKING ABOUT JUVENILE 1365 01:15:44,177 --> 01:15:48,481 JUSTICE, ROOTED IN SCIENCE, EVIDENCE ABOUT THE TEENAGE BRAIN 1366 01:15:48,481 --> 01:15:51,084 AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. >> THE FRONTAL LOBE ISN'T FULLY 1367 01:15:51,084 --> 01:15:55,255 DEVELOPED UNTIL ABOUT AGE 26 IN -- IN MOST PEOPLE. 1368 01:15:55,255 --> 01:15:58,425 >> Reporter: HEIDI RUMMEL IS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 1369 01:15:58,425 --> 01:16:05,231 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW, WHERE SHE DIRECTS THE 1370 01:16:05,231 --> 01:16:06,833 POST-CONVICTION JUSTICE PROJECT. >> CHILDREN FUNDAMENTALLY THINK 1371 01:16:06,833 --> 01:16:08,401 AND ACT DIFFERENTLY FROM ADULTS. IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM 1372 01:16:08,401 --> 01:16:11,571 KNOWING RIGHT AND WRONG. IT'S HAVING LESS CAPACITY TO 1373 01:16:11,571 --> 01:16:15,809 UNDERSTAND RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES, ACTING RECKLESSLY, 1374 01:16:15,809 --> 01:16:20,080 ACTING IMPULSIVELY, BEING VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO PEER PRESSURE 1375 01:16:20,080 --> 01:16:23,717 >> Reporter: AND, POLITICALLY, THE PENDULUM SWUNG 1376 01:16:23,717 --> 01:16:27,954 PRISONERS IN CALIFORNIA QUICKLY LEARNED THAT, FOR YOUNG 1377 01:16:27,954 --> 01:16:35,662 OFFENDERS, LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE, OR LWOP, DIDN'T MEAN LWOP 1378 01:16:35,662 --> 01:16:36,763 ANYMORE, IF YOU QUALIFIED. >> IT FELT LIKE A LONG SHOT. 1379 01:16:36,763 --> 01:16:38,064 BUT I KNEW I WAS A DIFFERENT PERSON 1380 01:16:38,064 --> 01:16:41,634 I KNEW I -- I'M NOT THE SAME PERSON I WAS 1381 01:16:41,634 --> 01:16:45,872 SO, YEAH, I APPLIED. >> Reporter: IT WAS 2018 WHEN HE 1382 01:16:45,872 --> 01:16:49,075 APPLIED FOR COMMUTATION -- ASKED THE GOVERNOR TO CHANGE HIS 1383 01:16:49,075 --> 01:16:52,212 SENTENCE AND ALLOW HIM AT LEAST THE CHANCE TO MAKE HIS CASE 1384 01:16:52,212 --> 01:16:55,181 BEFORE A PAROLE BOARD. >> I WOULD HOPE THAT IT WAS JUST 1385 01:16:55,181 --> 01:17:03,857 EVIDENT THAT I'M NOT THE PERSON I WAS WHEN I WAS 19, THAT I 1386 01:17:03,857 --> 01:17:08,061 EXPERIENCED REMORSE, THAT I LIVE REMORSE. 1387 01:17:08,061 --> 01:17:12,832 >> Reporter: FOR MONTHS, HE WAITED FOR AN ANSWER, NO IDEA 1388 01:17:12,832 --> 01:17:15,368 WHAT IT MIGHT BE AND THEN THEY TOLD HIM, YES, 1389 01:17:15,368 --> 01:17:25,245 HE'D GET A HEARING HE COULD MAKE HIS CASE 1390 01:17:25,245 --> 01:17:26,579 BUT AT THAT HEARING, SOMETHING WAS MISSING. 1391 01:17:26,579 --> 01:17:28,682 >> Reporter: WERE THE COWLES THERE? 1392 01:17:28,682 --> 01:17:30,684 >> THEY WERE NOT >> Reporter: WAS DETECTIVE 1393 01:17:30,684 --> 01:17:31,951 BRANDENBURG OR THE OTHER DETECTIVES YOU WORKED WITH, WERE 1394 01:17:31,951 --> 01:17:35,155 THEY THERE >> NO. 1395 01:17:35,155 --> 01:17:44,497 >> Reporter: WHAT ABOUT THE PROSECUTOR WHO TRIED YOU 1396 01:17:44,497 --> 01:17:46,132 WAS HE THERE >> NOT THE ONE THAT TRIED ME 1397 01:17:46,132 --> 01:17:48,368 THEY HAD A DISTRICT -- DISTRICT ATTORNEY THERE 1398 01:17:48,368 --> 01:17:49,936 >> Reporter: IN OTHER WORDS, NONE OF THE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED 1399 01:17:49,936 --> 01:17:54,074 WITH YOUR ACTUAL CASE WERE IN THAT PAROLE HEARING? 1400 01:17:54,074 --> 01:17:55,642 >> NO. >> Reporter: DID THAT SEEM 1401 01:17:55,642 --> 01:18:02,015 STRANGE TO YOU AT THE TIME >> IT DID. 1402 01:18:02,015 --> 01:18:04,617 >> Reporter: SO DID THE COWLES INTENTIONALLY STAY AWAY? 1403 01:18:04,617 --> 01:18:07,787 NOT AT ALL THOUGH VICTIM'S FAMILIES HAVE 1404 01:18:07,787 --> 01:18:18,865 THE RIGHT TO SPEAK UP AT PAROLE HEARINGS, NO ONE TOLD THE COWLES 1405 01:18:18,865 --> 01:18:20,433 ANYTHING ABOUT IT, NOR WERE THEY TOLD THAT THE BOARD DECIDED IN 1406 01:18:20,433 --> 01:18:22,535 BILLY'S FAVOR. AND IN JANUARY, 2020, BILLY WAS 1407 01:18:22,535 --> 01:18:24,871 RELEASED FROM PRISON ON PAROLE >> THE COWLES WERE IN THE DARK 1408 01:18:24,871 --> 01:18:26,840 UNTIL THEY GOT THAT CALL >> Reporter: IT WAS ON YOUR 1409 01:18:26,840 --> 01:18:28,341 ANNIVERSARY YOU GOT THAT CALL? >> YES 1410 01:18:28,341 --> 01:18:30,944 >> Reporter: WOW IT WAS DETECTIVE BRANDENBURG ON 1411 01:18:30,944 --> 01:18:33,213 THE LINE, HE'D JUST HEARD FROM BILLY HIMSELF. 1412 01:18:33,213 --> 01:18:34,681 >> WELL, HE SAYS, "YOU BETTER SIT DOWN 1413 01:18:34,681 --> 01:18:40,487 I NEED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS GO GET DEB." 1414 01:18:40,487 --> 01:18:42,622 AND THEN HE TOLD US TO BILL, HE'D BEEN LET OUT ALMOST A YEAR 1415 01:18:42,622 --> 01:18:49,462 BEFORE THAT, AND HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT 'TIL, I THINK, THAT 1416 01:18:49,462 --> 01:18:51,598 DAY. >> WE CRIED AND CRIED IN EVERY 1417 01:18:51,598 --> 01:18:54,267 EMOTION IN ONE MINUTE. >> Reporter: THERE WILL BE LOTS 1418 01:18:54,267 --> 01:18:56,870 OF PEOPLE WHO WILL LOOK AT THE TELEVISION SCREEN AND WILL SAY, 1419 01:18:56,870 --> 01:18:59,072 "THAT GUY KILLED SOMEBODY. HE WAS CONVICTED BY A JURY 1420 01:18:59,072 --> 01:19:09,015 HE WAS SENT AWAY FOR LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE 1421 01:19:09,015 --> 01:19:11,251 AND THAT'S WHAT THEY MEANT, LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR WHAT HE DID 1422 01:19:11,251 --> 01:19:12,819 WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING OUT HERE FREE, TALKING TO THIS GUY?" 1423 01:19:12,819 --> 01:19:14,821 >> I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I -- AND APPRECIATE THAT 1424 01:19:14,821 --> 01:19:17,457 >> I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THAT A TIME OR TWO, ACTUALLY. 1425 01:19:17,457 --> 01:19:20,627 >> NO ONE TO MY FACE NO ONE SAID THAT TO ME DIRECTLY. 1426 01:19:20,627 --> 01:19:22,662 BUT I'VE SAID IT TO MYSELF, JUST IN TRYING TO EMPATHIZE WITH HOW 1427 01:19:22,662 --> 01:19:24,330 OTHERS WOULD FEEL, A THOUSAND TIMES. 1428 01:19:24,330 --> 01:19:28,034 >> Reporter: BILLY'S EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR IN PRISON, HIS WORK TO 1429 01:19:28,034 --> 01:19:32,772 IMPROVE HIMSELF, HIS EMBRACE OF RELIGION, DID NOT -- COULD NEVER 1430 01:19:32,772 --> 01:19:44,851 ERASE WHAT HE DID TO THEIR SON, SAID THE COWLES. 1431 01:19:44,851 --> 01:19:47,654 THE IDEA THAT HE WOULD GET A DO OVER DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH YOU 1432 01:19:47,654 --> 01:19:48,054 AT ALL >> NO. 1433 01:19:48,054 --> 01:19:50,123 >> SO, YOU'RE GOOD IN PRISON, BUT YOU'RE A COLD-BLOODED 1434 01:19:50,123 --> 01:19:55,929 KILLER HE COMMITTED A HEINOUS CRIME, 1435 01:19:55,929 --> 01:19:58,064 AND HE EXECUTED OUR SON. >> Reporter: BILLY KNOWS HOW 1436 01:19:58,064 --> 01:20:00,033 FORTUNATE HE IS. HE'S GETTING TO DO THE THINGS, 1437 01:20:00,033 --> 01:20:09,642 TO LIVE THE LIFE, HE DENIED HIS VICTIM 1438 01:20:09,642 --> 01:20:11,311 HE'S MARRIED NOW, TO A WOMAN WHO BEGAN WRITING TO HIM IN PRISON 1439 01:20:11,311 --> 01:20:13,580 AND HE'S FOUND WORK IN THE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS DIVISION OF 1440 01:20:13,580 --> 01:20:15,982 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE END OF 1441 01:20:15,982 --> 01:20:19,152 OUR STORY, BUT FOR THIS -- NO SURPRISE, REALLY. 1442 01:20:19,152 --> 01:20:23,390 AMY PREASMYER WANTS OUT, TOO >> IF THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY 1443 01:20:23,390 --> 01:20:27,327 COMMITTED THE MURDER IS NOT IN JAIL ANYMORE, OR PRISON, THEN 1444 01:20:27,327 --> 01:20:30,730 WHY SHOULD AMY BE? AMY WAS JUST 16 WHEN SHE 1445 01:20:30,730 --> 01:20:34,434 CONSPIRED TO KILL RICKY. NOW, BY LAW IN CALIFORNIA, 1446 01:20:34,434 --> 01:20:37,303 CRIMINALS WHO WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 26 AT THE TIME OF THEIR 1447 01:20:37,303 --> 01:20:43,943 OFFENSE, MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PAROLE HEARING 1448 01:20:43,943 --> 01:20:46,046 AND THAT INCLUDES AMY. >> SO, WE'RE HAVING TO GO BACK 1449 01:20:46,046 --> 01:20:49,215 TO COURT AGAIN AND GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING AGAIN. 1450 01:20:49,215 --> 01:20:55,055 AND IT'S JUST -- I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TWO PEOPLE CAN TAKE 1451 01:20:55,055 --> 01:20:57,123 >> Reporter: AS FOR JENNIFER, SHE WAS RELEASED ON PAROLE IN 1452 01:20:57,123 --> 01:21:01,294 2019 BUT NOT FOR LONG 1453 01:21:01,294 --> 01:21:04,064 SHE WENT BACK TO PRISON, CONVICTED ON A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1454 01:21:04,064 --> 01:21:09,836 CHARGE SHE'S OUT NOW. 1455 01:21:09,836 --> 01:21:12,505 BUT THE THOUGHT OF AMY GETTING OUT IS UNTHINKABLE FOR THE 1456 01:21:12,505 --> 01:21:14,074 COWLES >> I DO NOT THINK SHE WILL GET 1457 01:21:14,074 --> 01:21:17,711 OUT. NOPE 1458 01:21:17,711 --> 01:21:21,414 MY WHOLE HEART, SHE IS THE MASTER MANIPULATOR OF THIS WHOLE 1459 01:21:21,414 --> 01:21:23,516 CASE >> Reporter: HMM 1460 01:21:23,516 --> 01:21:25,085 >> I HOPE THE JUDGE -- I HOPE THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM -- I CAN'T 1461 01:21:25,085 --> 01:21:28,221 EVEN REALLY TALK ABOUT, I'M SO UPSET. 1462 01:21:28,221 --> 01:21:31,458 I HOPE THEY DO THE RIGHT THING >> Reporter: AMY IS A FAR CRY 1463 01:21:31,458 --> 01:21:36,196 FROM MODEL PRISONER. SHE WAS CONVICTED FOR DRUG 1464 01:21:36,196 --> 01:21:40,433 POSSESSION IN PRISON IN 2016 STILL, THE COWLES ARE DETERMINED 1465 01:21:40,433 --> 01:21:43,103 TO ATTEND ANY AND EVERY HEARING, TO ATTEMPT TO BLOCK AMY'S 1466 01:21:43,103 --> 01:21:46,973 RELEASE, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT. 1467 01:21:46,973 --> 01:21:49,409 >> IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE COURT FROM WHERE WE LIVE 1468 01:21:49,409 --> 01:21:55,248 IT'S NOT THE DRIVE IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TO 1469 01:21:55,248 --> 01:21:58,885 RELIVE EVERYTHING. WHO WANTS TO RELIVE THE DEATH OF 1470 01:21:58,885 --> 01:22:04,157 THEIR CHILD A HUNDRED TIMES? ONCE IS ENOUGH 1471 01:22:04,157 --> 01:22:07,327 >> Reporter: THE COWLES DID ARRANGE, END OF 2022, TO TALK TO 1472 01:22:07,327 --> 01:22:13,700 AMY VIA VIDEO CHAT THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHY -- WHY 1473 01:22:13,700 --> 01:22:17,937 DID SHE WANT THEIR SON DEAD. HER ANSWER, UTTERLY BANAL, WAS 1474 01:22:17,937 --> 01:22:23,309 BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN FIGHTING STILL, MEETING HER, EVEN ON A 1475 01:22:23,309 --> 01:22:29,082 SCREEN, HELPED SOMEHOW AS THEY DEAL, EVEN NOW, DAY BY 1476 01:22:29,082 --> 01:22:33,253 DAY, WITH THE LOSS OF THAT YOUNG MAN, WHO LOVED SO MUCH AND DIED 1477 01:22:33,253 --> 01:22:36,956 TOO SOON HOW DO YOU FEEL, RICK, WHEN YOU 1478 01:22:36,956 --> 01:22:45,398 GO PAST THOSE PLACES, AND YOU SEE THE PLACES HE WORKED ON? 1479 01:22:45,398 --> 01:22:49,636 >> MAKES ME CRY. >> Reporter: THERE IS A MEMORIAL 1480 01:22:49,636 --> 01:22:52,739 FOR RICKY, AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, RIGHT BESIDE THE 1481 01:22:52,739 --> 01:22:55,909 SUBSTATION WHERE HE AND HIS DAD WORKED TOGETHER FOR THE LAST 1482 01:22:55,909 --> 01:23:00,146 TIME >> WE LOVE YOU 1483 01:23:00,146 --> 01:23:08,588 WE LOVED HIM HE WAS A GREAT GUY, DIDN'T 1484 01:23:08,588 --> 01:23:11,291 DESERVE THIS >>> THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION 1485 01:23:11,291 --> 01:23:13,827 OF "DATELINE." WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SUNDAY AT 1486 01:23:13,827 --> 01:23:16,062 7:00, 6:00 CENTRAL AND, OF COURSE, I'LL SEE YOU 1487 01:23:16,062 --> 01:23:20,200 EACH WEEKNIGHT FOR "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS." 1488 01:23:20,200 --> 01:23:20,200 NEWS." 1489 01:23:20,200 --> 01:23:20,200 I'M LESTER HOLT.