1
00:00:16,123 --> 00:00:21,163
The plan was to move forward
to Alaska
2
00:00:22,163 --> 00:00:26,323
and just finish our lives up there.
3
00:00:26,963 --> 00:00:28,083
That was it.
4
00:00:32,523 --> 00:00:36,883
We always assumed we'd just be together
for the rest of our days.
5
00:00:52,643 --> 00:00:57,203
I didn't know what happened to Leslie.
6
00:01:08,123 --> 00:01:11,763
I thought, "Well, maybe she's okay,
maybe something…"
7
00:01:12,363 --> 00:01:15,043
"It wasn't as bad.
Maybe it was a bad dream."
8
00:01:17,963 --> 00:01:22,003
The nurse, she says,
"Well, honey, she's deceased."
9
00:01:22,643 --> 00:01:24,443
"She's been dead for a while."
10
00:01:28,843 --> 00:01:30,883
And then it all kind of sunk in.
11
00:02:32,243 --> 00:02:33,763
-Good to go?
-Yeah.
12
00:02:33,843 --> 00:02:34,923
Alrighty!
13
00:02:35,403 --> 00:02:36,283
I hear you.
14
00:02:38,443 --> 00:02:41,003
Oh, there you are!
15
00:02:41,483 --> 00:02:42,363
Uh…
16
00:02:54,283 --> 00:02:59,003
Well, the bullet had gone in
right here
17
00:02:59,843 --> 00:03:03,763
and came out around here.
18
00:03:03,843 --> 00:03:08,283
You can see a scar all the way across
where they had opened it up.
19
00:03:09,323 --> 00:03:13,043
But it looks really odd.
20
00:03:13,603 --> 00:03:17,563
And they said, "You'll probably never
be able to speak again."
21
00:03:32,523 --> 00:03:35,323
My name is Daniel John Paulsrud.
22
00:03:37,323 --> 00:03:40,523
I grew up in Neihart, Montana.
23
00:03:42,843 --> 00:03:48,003
It was a town of 35 people back then.
24
00:03:49,723 --> 00:03:52,443
Everybody knew everybody and their dogs.
25
00:03:55,843 --> 00:04:00,163
I fly fished from the age of five on up.
26
00:04:04,563 --> 00:04:08,043
Did a lot of camping and hunting.
A lot of hunting.
27
00:04:08,923 --> 00:04:10,763
I-- I loved it. It was great.
28
00:04:10,843 --> 00:04:13,563
We didn't have a whole lot of money,
but I didn't care.
29
00:04:30,123 --> 00:04:34,923
I was an infantryman,
in the Airborne Infantry.
30
00:04:35,843 --> 00:04:41,523
Uh… We ended up going to Desert Storm
and Kuwait Liberation as well.
31
00:04:43,523 --> 00:04:45,963
Yeah, it prepared me for a little bit…
32
00:04:47,443 --> 00:04:48,443
of life.
33
00:04:50,283 --> 00:04:55,043
It wasn't all, um, blood and guts. It was…
34
00:04:55,723 --> 00:05:00,643
I think the more horrific things that--
that I saw
35
00:05:00,723 --> 00:05:03,883
was the treatment of people.
36
00:05:05,083 --> 00:05:09,163
I've seen some women
that were beaten almost to death.
37
00:05:10,123 --> 00:05:11,203
Um…
38
00:05:11,683 --> 00:05:15,163
Kids that didn't have nothin' to eat,
you know.
39
00:05:17,523 --> 00:05:22,843
Going to combat
with people you've been with…
40
00:05:24,283 --> 00:05:27,883
I don't know how to describe it
other than a brotherhood.
41
00:05:30,683 --> 00:05:32,643
There's a trust. Yeah.
42
00:05:36,403 --> 00:05:39,283
Kept going until it was time to go home.
43
00:05:57,603 --> 00:06:01,083
I always wanted to be involved in artwork.
44
00:06:01,883 --> 00:06:06,683
So I ended up in Durango, Colorado
as a sculptor.
45
00:06:08,923 --> 00:06:13,283
And boy, that lasted
for about five years or so.
46
00:06:14,683 --> 00:06:17,123
I ended up moving back to Montana.
47
00:06:17,803 --> 00:06:20,483
You know, and then
that's where I met Leslie.
48
00:06:23,363 --> 00:06:25,203
She was very good-looking,
49
00:06:25,283 --> 00:06:29,483
and, uh, her personality was, uh…
50
00:06:29,563 --> 00:06:31,163
wasn't so standoffish.
51
00:06:31,243 --> 00:06:32,243
It was more…
52
00:06:32,923 --> 00:06:35,003
more of a friendly type of person.
53
00:06:40,603 --> 00:06:42,803
She had never been the outdoors type,
54
00:06:44,043 --> 00:06:46,043
and I introduced her to that.
55
00:06:48,123 --> 00:06:51,203
And she took to it. She really enjoyed it.
56
00:06:54,043 --> 00:06:57,163
And started hunting…
57
00:07:00,163 --> 00:07:01,323
She was spot on.
58
00:07:02,483 --> 00:07:04,403
She was very safety-conscious.
59
00:07:05,803 --> 00:07:09,123
Uh, she wouldn't shoot
unless she was absolutely sure.
60
00:07:11,523 --> 00:07:12,483
She was great.
61
00:07:29,963 --> 00:07:31,243
Oh, there was
62
00:07:32,043 --> 00:07:33,963
nothing but love at that time.
63
00:07:37,683 --> 00:07:43,003
She has one son and three daughters
from her ex-husband.
64
00:07:45,643 --> 00:07:49,243
Leslie, she had a--
a style of raising her kids
65
00:07:49,323 --> 00:07:54,003
without discipline or…
or consequences.
66
00:07:54,603 --> 00:07:56,723
If we ever had an argument,
67
00:07:57,363 --> 00:08:00,443
it was about her children, usually.
68
00:08:05,603 --> 00:08:10,883
Her oldest daughter liked to take her
to the bars all the time and…
69
00:08:12,603 --> 00:08:14,403
She didn't like me a whole lot
70
00:08:14,483 --> 00:08:20,603
because Leslie was spending her time
with me instead of out with her.
71
00:08:22,003 --> 00:08:25,563
Uh, the youngest, Kailee,
was always with us.
72
00:08:26,923 --> 00:08:29,883
She's a good kid. She, uh…
She is very smart.
73
00:08:47,083 --> 00:08:50,043
So Leslie went ahead, and then I--
I followed.
74
00:08:52,443 --> 00:08:54,763
Did as much moving as I could.
75
00:08:56,243 --> 00:09:00,723
Then right before
we were almost done moved in
76
00:09:00,803 --> 00:09:03,083
is when all this happened. Yeah.
77
00:09:14,603 --> 00:09:19,243
We were hunting that day
right out of, uh, Fort Benton.
78
00:09:22,003 --> 00:09:25,083
But yeah, it was just after daybreak,
I think we went out.
79
00:09:26,683 --> 00:09:29,843
I think she'd gotten several phone calls
from the kids,
80
00:09:29,923 --> 00:09:32,603
and like, "Well, we better just go home."
81
00:09:34,843 --> 00:09:37,123
Started making plans for dinner.
82
00:09:38,323 --> 00:09:40,643
She got a phone call from her oldest
83
00:09:41,483 --> 00:09:43,963
and immediately started arguing.
84
00:09:50,683 --> 00:09:53,643
So I went to the apartment
we were fixing up…
85
00:09:56,763 --> 00:09:59,843
and unloaded the tools and put the--
86
00:09:59,923 --> 00:10:02,443
the guns in the…
87
00:10:02,523 --> 00:10:03,643
in the apartment.
88
00:10:06,563 --> 00:10:09,923
I always unload the guns
before I bring them in.
89
00:10:10,003 --> 00:10:13,123
I just assumed that day I did.
90
00:10:15,883 --> 00:10:20,283
Oh, couldn't have been
an hour and a half later or so,
91
00:10:20,363 --> 00:10:22,323
she came in
92
00:10:23,203 --> 00:10:25,043
and she brought beer.
93
00:10:26,763 --> 00:10:31,803
We sat down
and started enjoying the evening.
94
00:10:32,563 --> 00:10:35,843
I had the pistol on the table.
95
00:10:36,763 --> 00:10:39,203
It was a .357 Magnum.
96
00:10:40,443 --> 00:10:43,483
I carried it, uh…
for hunting season, of course.
97
00:10:43,563 --> 00:10:48,883
You know, if you wound an animal,
you can dispatch them quick and easy
98
00:10:48,963 --> 00:10:51,723
without them suffering and whatnot, but…
99
00:10:52,843 --> 00:10:55,723
And as I was playing with the pistol,
100
00:10:57,803 --> 00:10:58,643
I cocked it.
101
00:10:58,723 --> 00:10:59,603
Mm…
102
00:11:00,083 --> 00:11:02,523
Let it down, cocked it, and let it down.
103
00:11:03,283 --> 00:11:05,963
She had come back from the refrigerator.
104
00:11:07,043 --> 00:11:08,883
I was sitting down.
105
00:11:08,963 --> 00:11:11,923
I cocked it and was playing with it,
106
00:11:12,003 --> 00:11:13,323
and it went off.
107
00:11:19,483 --> 00:11:24,403
She immediately fell back into the chair
and down on the floor, so…
108
00:11:26,123 --> 00:11:28,123
I knew it hit her.
109
00:11:37,043 --> 00:11:39,723
And it was so fast.
110
00:11:39,803 --> 00:11:42,323
It died… She died so fast.
111
00:11:44,683 --> 00:11:45,523
And it was…
112
00:11:45,603 --> 00:11:48,803
All I could say was "I love you"
and "I'm sorry," and…
113
00:11:50,163 --> 00:11:53,283
There was nothing
that could be done at that point.
114
00:11:57,683 --> 00:12:03,523
I sat back in the chair and thought,
"Well, I'll just have to shoot…
115
00:12:03,603 --> 00:12:07,323
shoot myself in the head
and be done with it."
116
00:12:09,203 --> 00:12:11,043
And I tried.
117
00:12:12,003 --> 00:12:15,683
I couldn't at first, and so I…
118
00:12:16,723 --> 00:12:22,723
I went to the refrigerator
and got a vodka we had in there.
119
00:12:23,643 --> 00:12:25,563
I just drank it
120
00:12:25,643 --> 00:12:28,643
and I was able to pull the trigger.
121
00:12:31,243 --> 00:12:34,563
Well, I guess I don't remember
a whole lot after that.
122
00:12:57,883 --> 00:13:02,923
Because I shot myself, it was assumed
after that, that it was deliberate.
123
00:13:06,483 --> 00:13:10,683
I was convicted of deliberate homicide
124
00:13:11,283 --> 00:13:15,443
and given life without parole,
plus ten years.
125
00:13:26,363 --> 00:13:31,083
I never got the chance to,
to tell the kids,
126
00:13:31,163 --> 00:13:33,603
"Hey, this was not deliberate."
127
00:13:35,163 --> 00:13:37,683
"This was a horrific accident."
128
00:13:38,563 --> 00:13:43,283
And I'll never lose the guilt and the pain
129
00:13:43,363 --> 00:13:46,723
that goes with losing her,
130
00:13:47,403 --> 00:13:50,083
and especially being my fault.
131
00:13:54,483 --> 00:13:58,323
Well, I… I lost my future.
132
00:13:58,403 --> 00:14:00,963
I lost her kids' future and…
133
00:14:04,083 --> 00:14:06,163
…I lost the rest of my life
134
00:14:07,243 --> 00:14:08,203
that day.
135
00:14:10,763 --> 00:14:14,203
I think of Leslie all the time.
All the time.
136
00:14:41,123 --> 00:14:44,883
My wife and I were sitting down to
Thanksgiving dinner when I got the call.
137
00:14:51,643 --> 00:14:55,323
The, um, call was to an intoxicated
or an injured person.
138
00:15:07,683 --> 00:15:09,123
When I arrived on scene,
139
00:15:11,203 --> 00:15:16,123
there was a person on all fours, um,
against the curb, partly in the roadway.
140
00:15:20,003 --> 00:15:23,363
My initial thought was that
he had tripped and fallen off the curb
141
00:15:23,443 --> 00:15:24,803
and had hit his face.
142
00:15:24,883 --> 00:15:26,123
He was vomiting.
143
00:15:26,203 --> 00:15:29,483
But when I shined my light onto him,
I could see that it wasn't vomit.
144
00:15:29,563 --> 00:15:33,523
It was in fact blood that was,
you know, squirting out of his mouth.
145
00:15:38,483 --> 00:15:40,603
I ask him if he had fallen.
146
00:15:40,683 --> 00:15:43,923
He made a guttural noise
and shook his head no
147
00:15:44,003 --> 00:15:47,203
and pantomimed the, you know,
putting a…
148
00:15:47,283 --> 00:15:49,123
doing this under his chin,
149
00:15:49,203 --> 00:15:51,603
which I assume meant
that he had been shot.
150
00:15:51,683 --> 00:15:53,963
And I ask him if someone had shot him,
151
00:15:54,043 --> 00:15:57,883
and he again made a guttural sound
and shook his head no.
152
00:15:59,763 --> 00:16:01,683
I ask him if anyone was with him,
153
00:16:01,763 --> 00:16:04,443
and he nodded his head yes
and made a guttural sound
154
00:16:04,523 --> 00:16:07,323
and pointed around behind him
with his hand.
155
00:16:09,763 --> 00:16:12,363
Behind him,
I could see these pools of blood.
156
00:16:13,723 --> 00:16:16,163
The blood trail
led back to the apartment.
157
00:16:18,843 --> 00:16:22,923
And when I looked in the apartment,
I saw someone laying on the floor.
158
00:16:24,523 --> 00:16:27,563
And immediately I recognized Leslie
when I saw her.
159
00:16:30,523 --> 00:16:33,483
In a small community, you know everybody.
160
00:16:34,203 --> 00:16:36,403
Uh, and everybody gets to know you.
161
00:16:40,123 --> 00:16:44,283
She was laying on her back, and her hands
were in the pockets of her jacket.
162
00:16:47,003 --> 00:16:48,483
She had been shot,
163
00:16:49,083 --> 00:16:52,883
and laying on the floor, um,
not too far from her
164
00:16:52,963 --> 00:16:56,283
was a Ruger GP100 .357 revolver.
165
00:16:58,683 --> 00:17:03,643
This particular style of firearm would be
166
00:17:04,803 --> 00:17:09,803
an extremely rare event
if it was accidentally discharged.
167
00:17:09,883 --> 00:17:15,003
Um, it takes a substantial amount of force
to squeeze the trigger on one of them.
168
00:17:17,243 --> 00:17:20,923
You know, Leslie had her hands
in her pockets, and he shot her.
169
00:17:21,683 --> 00:17:22,683
Who-- Who does that?
170
00:17:25,883 --> 00:17:28,203
To my mind, there's no way
171
00:17:28,283 --> 00:17:31,123
that this could ever be misconstrued
as an accident.
172
00:17:50,043 --> 00:17:51,843
Dan and I really hit it off.
173
00:17:52,843 --> 00:17:54,963
He was always good fun to be around.
174
00:17:56,883 --> 00:18:00,283
He liked making people laugh
and being upbeat,
175
00:18:00,363 --> 00:18:02,123
and he was a great artist.
176
00:18:05,003 --> 00:18:06,403
My name is LJ Planer.
177
00:18:07,363 --> 00:18:09,643
I met Dan Paulsrud in the military.
178
00:18:13,443 --> 00:18:15,523
Uh, he sent this to me in 2018.
179
00:18:16,523 --> 00:18:19,123
It says, "Paulsrud and Planer,
Desert Storm."
180
00:18:19,803 --> 00:18:22,443
He, uh… He writes like such a girl.
181
00:18:22,523 --> 00:18:24,283
He's got girly handwriting.
182
00:18:24,363 --> 00:18:27,163
We used to tease him all the time.
I did anyhow.
183
00:18:29,243 --> 00:18:30,363
"Forever family."
184
00:18:39,603 --> 00:18:41,443
We were M60 machine gunners.
185
00:18:43,283 --> 00:18:45,363
And Dan and I got close.
186
00:18:48,403 --> 00:18:51,043
There was one particular time
where on a mission,
187
00:18:51,123 --> 00:18:54,883
our platoon sergeant
came running down the line,
188
00:18:54,963 --> 00:18:57,683
saying there's a bunch of tanks
coming right at us
189
00:18:57,763 --> 00:19:00,923
and there's no way
that we're gonna be able to stop them.
190
00:19:02,763 --> 00:19:04,523
I said, "All right, buddy."
191
00:19:05,803 --> 00:19:07,403
"This is probably going to be it."
192
00:19:08,163 --> 00:19:09,523
"You want to fight or hide?"
193
00:19:11,723 --> 00:19:15,483
And he said, "If you're gonna fight,
I'll fight with you."
194
00:19:17,963 --> 00:19:19,003
Well,
195
00:19:20,283 --> 00:19:21,763
that attack never came,
196
00:19:21,843 --> 00:19:24,643
but I knew that I had somebody beside me
197
00:19:25,763 --> 00:19:28,083
that was willing to fight to the death.
198
00:19:33,643 --> 00:19:37,003
We both wanted to leave the military
and go hunt and fish.
199
00:19:39,403 --> 00:19:43,203
Every time we talked, it was always about
when we are going to get together,
200
00:19:43,283 --> 00:19:47,523
and I was still in the military,
and so it's hard to plan things.
201
00:19:47,603 --> 00:19:49,363
So it never happened.
202
00:19:51,563 --> 00:19:56,843
I got a phone call
from another friend of ours that said,
203
00:19:57,363 --> 00:19:59,923
"Did you hear what happened to Paulsrud?"
204
00:20:00,003 --> 00:20:01,203
And I was like, "No."
205
00:20:01,283 --> 00:20:03,883
And he said,
"Dude, you gotta check the news."
206
00:20:03,963 --> 00:20:04,803
Uh…
207
00:20:04,883 --> 00:20:07,123
"He killed his fiancée
and tried to kill himself."
208
00:20:09,323 --> 00:20:11,043
And I said, "There's no way."
209
00:20:11,803 --> 00:20:14,203
"There's no way.
It's gotta be somebody else."
210
00:20:15,843 --> 00:20:17,923
I just didn't understand.
211
00:20:18,003 --> 00:20:20,003
I didn't… didn't understand.
212
00:20:30,203 --> 00:20:35,203
I was angry that he could let something
like that happen.
213
00:20:35,723 --> 00:20:37,163
He grew up around guns.
214
00:20:37,683 --> 00:20:40,603
We…
We handled them all the time.
215
00:20:41,683 --> 00:20:43,123
How-- How could that happen?
216
00:20:45,403 --> 00:20:47,243
He told me it was an accident.
217
00:20:48,243 --> 00:20:49,163
I don't know.
218
00:20:50,843 --> 00:20:54,483
The Dan I knew,
I can't believe that he could ever
219
00:20:55,443 --> 00:20:56,923
of killed her on purpose.
220
00:20:59,523 --> 00:21:02,643
I told him, you know,
"I'm sorry for not being there."
221
00:21:03,283 --> 00:21:04,243
Uh…
222
00:21:04,323 --> 00:21:06,243
"It's not my place to judge you."
223
00:21:06,883 --> 00:21:08,523
"It's, uh…"
224
00:21:10,403 --> 00:21:12,963
"It's my place to be your brother
and support you."
225
00:21:18,603 --> 00:21:19,763
He's responsible.
226
00:21:20,243 --> 00:21:22,323
Um, he understands that.
227
00:21:24,923 --> 00:21:26,043
Dan took a life.
228
00:21:26,923 --> 00:21:29,523
That gun didn't kill her by itself.
He pulled the trigger.
229
00:21:33,003 --> 00:21:37,403
How can you try somebody
in that severe of a case
230
00:21:37,483 --> 00:21:40,123
and give him life plus 10 years
231
00:21:40,803 --> 00:21:45,283
when he doesn't even have the opportunity
to tell his story or his side?
232
00:21:45,363 --> 00:21:49,323
Can't speak, has a traumatic brain injury
with a gunshot wound to the head,
233
00:21:49,403 --> 00:21:54,443
and is medicated to the point
where he is incoherent.
234
00:22:23,083 --> 00:22:24,203
She was always fun,
235
00:22:25,163 --> 00:22:26,083
always smiling,
236
00:22:27,443 --> 00:22:28,563
up for a good time.
237
00:22:33,123 --> 00:22:35,363
When she was bowling with her friends,
238
00:22:35,883 --> 00:22:37,243
they were the party girls.
239
00:22:38,243 --> 00:22:41,643
And I've since joined the party girls,
which is terrible.
240
00:22:51,043 --> 00:22:53,443
What I have
are some photographs of Leslie.
241
00:22:54,603 --> 00:22:56,443
There's my favorite one.
242
00:22:57,003 --> 00:22:59,283
That's one of the times
Leslie had short hair.
243
00:23:00,443 --> 00:23:01,563
But always a smile.
244
00:23:02,283 --> 00:23:03,403
Always a smile.
245
00:23:04,563 --> 00:23:07,083
And these two are with her,
bowling friends,
246
00:23:08,003 --> 00:23:10,003
in the middle, having a good time.
247
00:23:11,123 --> 00:23:13,123
Some crazy bar somewhere.
248
00:23:14,883 --> 00:23:16,483
My name is Susan Yager.
249
00:23:17,203 --> 00:23:18,723
And Leslie is my sister.
250
00:23:19,723 --> 00:23:22,443
Is, was, always will be.
251
00:23:32,963 --> 00:23:35,443
Leslie came to our house when she was two.
252
00:23:36,843 --> 00:23:38,043
She was adopted.
253
00:23:39,243 --> 00:23:42,443
Darling little girl
with a thick head of copper curls.
254
00:23:44,643 --> 00:23:48,323
Her father had killed her mother
in the backyard.
255
00:23:50,043 --> 00:23:53,243
Shot her mother and then shot himself.
256
00:23:54,883 --> 00:23:55,843
She saw it.
257
00:24:00,963 --> 00:24:03,483
So, she came to our house.
258
00:24:06,163 --> 00:24:10,363
She had a lot of friends
and just happy all the time.
259
00:24:11,043 --> 00:24:12,283
That was who she was.
260
00:24:14,523 --> 00:24:17,883
She did basketball and track
in high school,
261
00:24:17,963 --> 00:24:19,483
and then swim team in the summer.
262
00:24:19,563 --> 00:24:22,323
So she had a good, good bringing-up life.
263
00:24:32,603 --> 00:24:36,123
She graduated, she got married,
and she turned 18
264
00:24:37,123 --> 00:24:38,203
all within a week.
265
00:25:00,643 --> 00:25:02,283
Any other boyfriend she had
266
00:25:02,923 --> 00:25:04,923
would be introduced to her friends,
267
00:25:05,003 --> 00:25:08,003
and everybody going out together,
and everybody having a good time.
268
00:25:08,483 --> 00:25:10,603
And this one didn't happen that way.
269
00:25:12,803 --> 00:25:14,843
It was no kind of a love story.
270
00:25:17,643 --> 00:25:19,203
She moved out several times.
271
00:25:22,323 --> 00:25:24,843
Why would you leave
if it were a perfect relationship?
272
00:25:26,483 --> 00:25:30,683
I knew that he had threatened her,
that he held a knife to her,
273
00:25:32,003 --> 00:25:35,363
that he had a gun across his lap
as she moved out.
274
00:25:39,003 --> 00:25:42,203
He said, "I'll take you out
and shoot myself."
275
00:25:44,163 --> 00:25:47,283
"But you're going to end up
the same way your parents did."
276
00:25:48,603 --> 00:25:52,763
I would say to her, "Are you kidding me?
Why are you even listening to that crap?"
277
00:25:54,523 --> 00:25:57,083
But somehow, he had a pull on her.
278
00:25:57,163 --> 00:25:58,643
Some sort of pull.
279
00:26:10,563 --> 00:26:11,923
She was pissed
280
00:26:13,243 --> 00:26:15,363
and said that Dan had decided
281
00:26:15,843 --> 00:26:18,563
Thanksgiving was with his parents
on Saturday.
282
00:26:19,883 --> 00:26:22,723
And she said, "I'm just done
with this whole mess."
283
00:26:22,803 --> 00:26:25,363
She said, "I'm done
with him deciding everything,
284
00:26:25,443 --> 00:26:27,683
and telling us what to do,
285
00:26:27,763 --> 00:26:31,043
and deciding what my family and I
are doing."
286
00:26:35,723 --> 00:26:38,803
She said, "I'm going back
to tell him just to get out."
287
00:26:38,883 --> 00:26:42,323
"We're done. He needs to leave."
288
00:26:42,403 --> 00:26:44,843
I said, "Stay here. Have dinner with us."
289
00:26:45,363 --> 00:26:48,363
"Nope. I'll go back over
to the apartment."
290
00:26:50,643 --> 00:26:51,483
"Okay."
291
00:26:53,443 --> 00:26:54,283
That was it.
292
00:27:08,803 --> 00:27:11,323
We all miss her
because she shouldn't be gone.
293
00:27:11,803 --> 00:27:15,123
If anybody should be gone,
it should be him.
294
00:27:17,043 --> 00:27:18,603
No, she shouldn't be gone.
295
00:27:36,963 --> 00:27:37,803
Mom!
296
00:27:37,883 --> 00:27:40,203
-I'm here! See?
-Catch!
297
00:27:40,283 --> 00:27:42,003
I'll catch you. I'm right here.
298
00:27:42,083 --> 00:27:44,323
I'm right here. I promise.
299
00:27:44,403 --> 00:27:47,403
One, two, three!
300
00:27:49,723 --> 00:27:51,483
There you go. See?
301
00:27:52,243 --> 00:27:57,403
A lot of things, I see more clearly
now that I'm a mom myself.
302
00:28:01,283 --> 00:28:06,923
Never in a million years would I choose
or let someone come into my kids' lives
303
00:28:07,003 --> 00:28:10,643
and treat them
the way that Dan treated me.
304
00:28:21,163 --> 00:28:22,923
I am Kailee Davidson,
305
00:28:23,003 --> 00:28:25,843
and I am Leslie Davidson's
youngest daughter.
306
00:28:28,043 --> 00:28:29,363
I adored my mom.
307
00:28:30,403 --> 00:28:32,763
Every single night,
she would tuck me in bed and say,
308
00:28:32,843 --> 00:28:37,283
"I'm going to do this, tuck you into bed,
kiss you good night until the day I die."
309
00:28:39,963 --> 00:28:41,763
My parents got a divorce
310
00:28:41,843 --> 00:28:44,403
when, I think,
I was like six or seven years old.
311
00:28:45,523 --> 00:28:49,643
They got along, um, just fine
even though they were divorced.
312
00:29:00,203 --> 00:29:01,403
I was ten years old.
313
00:29:03,123 --> 00:29:06,323
The time from when my dad passed away
314
00:29:07,403 --> 00:29:10,923
to moving in with Dan
was maybe a month.
315
00:29:11,763 --> 00:29:12,763
Maybe a month.
316
00:29:14,483 --> 00:29:16,843
My mom was in-- you know, infatuated.
317
00:29:17,883 --> 00:29:20,003
And I remember thinking, "But why?"
318
00:29:20,523 --> 00:29:24,443
Like, he was just the--
a very heavyset guy.
319
00:29:24,523 --> 00:29:26,923
Didn't-- I don't think he had a job then.
320
00:29:30,363 --> 00:29:32,643
It was okay for a little bit.
321
00:29:34,123 --> 00:29:37,203
And then, I would say a couple months in,
322
00:29:37,283 --> 00:29:39,123
things started to change.
323
00:29:48,923 --> 00:29:51,003
My mom turned her back to him,
324
00:29:51,083 --> 00:29:53,243
and she was walking down the hallway.
325
00:29:53,323 --> 00:29:57,283
And then he just came up right behind her
and pushed her down, like so hard.
326
00:29:57,363 --> 00:29:59,843
And she flew.
I was sitting on my bed, and she just…
327
00:29:59,923 --> 00:30:02,243
her whole body just flew down the hallway.
328
00:30:03,523 --> 00:30:07,643
There was other times when she would have
scratches and bruises all over her.
329
00:30:07,723 --> 00:30:09,363
And I'd be like, "Is that from him?"
330
00:30:09,443 --> 00:30:11,243
And she would say, "No, no, no."
331
00:30:11,323 --> 00:30:12,443
But I knew.
332
00:30:13,883 --> 00:30:15,123
And that happened a lot.
333
00:30:33,003 --> 00:30:36,403
You know, he took a lot of satisfaction
334
00:30:37,523 --> 00:30:40,363
in the amount of power he had over my mom.
335
00:30:42,363 --> 00:30:46,643
He emotionally and mentally abused her
and took advantage of her,
336
00:30:46,723 --> 00:30:49,203
knowing that she would give him
another chance.
337
00:30:50,763 --> 00:30:53,123
And it was just this never-ending cycle.
338
00:31:08,803 --> 00:31:11,963
It's important to every case
when there are things that are wrong
339
00:31:12,043 --> 00:31:15,683
that need to be set right.
We're here to set things right.
340
00:31:20,163 --> 00:31:22,083
My name is Mark Hilyard.
341
00:31:23,123 --> 00:31:26,843
I was the, uh, criminal investigator
for the state of Montana on this case.
342
00:31:30,043 --> 00:31:33,003
I think it was an argument
that escalated to the point
343
00:31:33,083 --> 00:31:35,523
where he took that opportunity
to shoot her,
344
00:31:36,003 --> 00:31:37,003
to kill her.
345
00:31:56,283 --> 00:31:58,763
One of the agents found
inside one of the pockets
346
00:31:58,843 --> 00:32:00,963
a napkin that had been written on.
347
00:32:02,203 --> 00:32:03,363
And that note read,
348
00:32:04,163 --> 00:32:05,163
"For the record,
349
00:32:06,083 --> 00:32:08,683
Leslie has thought about suicide
for some time now."
350
00:32:08,763 --> 00:32:11,643
"She has asked me to end her life
several times."
351
00:32:11,723 --> 00:32:14,283
"She has also asked me
to be abusive to her
352
00:32:14,363 --> 00:32:17,363
so she could call the police
for her own personal vengeance."
353
00:32:18,203 --> 00:32:20,683
"I feel horrible
for striking back at her."
354
00:32:21,203 --> 00:32:23,283
"I have been pushed to that point."
355
00:32:23,363 --> 00:32:28,443
"Never once have I done this in my life,
and I never will again."
356
00:32:29,963 --> 00:32:33,563
So right there,
he admits that, uh, he struck her.
357
00:32:35,043 --> 00:32:39,243
And he's also trying
to formulate the alibi
358
00:32:39,323 --> 00:32:41,643
that she wanted him to shoot her.
359
00:32:43,283 --> 00:32:47,483
What bothers me about this
is, uh, he had time to write this.
360
00:32:48,523 --> 00:32:51,963
So after the shooting,
he went out to his vehicle,
361
00:32:53,083 --> 00:32:56,603
'cause I found napkins in the vehicle
that matched this exactly,
362
00:32:56,683 --> 00:32:59,123
and a pen that he wrote this,
this note on.
363
00:32:59,643 --> 00:33:00,483
Uh…
364
00:33:00,563 --> 00:33:05,403
And he brought it back inside
and wrote that note while she lay there.
365
00:33:06,003 --> 00:33:07,763
He could've got help
during that time.
366
00:33:30,683 --> 00:33:33,323
Yeah, it's been a long time
since I've seen this.
367
00:33:33,803 --> 00:33:35,003
My name's Mark.
368
00:33:35,083 --> 00:33:38,723
What we're gonna do is
we're going to get a piece of paper,
369
00:33:38,803 --> 00:33:40,923
a notepad,
and have you write 'em down.
370
00:33:41,003 --> 00:33:43,123
I'd never had anything like this before
371
00:33:43,203 --> 00:33:47,883
where I had to have the suspect
write everything out to me.
372
00:33:48,563 --> 00:33:50,843
So, it was very unusual.
373
00:34:13,563 --> 00:34:15,283
I have the statement right here.
374
00:34:18,003 --> 00:34:20,123
"Went out hunting that day to go hunting."
375
00:34:20,603 --> 00:34:22,483
You know, "Had a wonderful day."
376
00:34:23,323 --> 00:34:25,043
"Leslie put away the rifles."
377
00:34:25,723 --> 00:34:27,283
"I grabbed the .357."
378
00:34:27,763 --> 00:34:31,243
"Now, I don't know what happened next
as far as the gun going off
379
00:34:32,003 --> 00:34:35,323
because I couldn't believe
what had just happened."
380
00:34:39,203 --> 00:34:40,243
I think he's a liar.
381
00:34:40,723 --> 00:34:44,323
I, I-- You know, I mean,
a liar can't remember all his lies.
382
00:35:00,123 --> 00:35:02,563
I kept telling my mom
to leave him.
383
00:35:04,363 --> 00:35:08,323
If anybody could have gotten
through to her, it would have been me,
384
00:35:08,403 --> 00:35:10,723
and he knew that, and that terrified him.
385
00:35:13,243 --> 00:35:16,443
My name is Amanda Davidson.
Um, Leslie was my mother.
386
00:35:19,363 --> 00:35:21,803
I was the last one
to speak to her that day.
387
00:35:21,883 --> 00:35:25,723
And my sister and my grandmother
388
00:35:25,803 --> 00:35:28,163
had come up from Fort Benton
389
00:35:28,243 --> 00:35:32,083
to meet me and my brother
at Golden Corral in Great Falls.
390
00:35:34,763 --> 00:35:37,123
My mother was supposed to meet us there.
391
00:35:38,203 --> 00:35:41,003
And I get a phone call from her
392
00:35:41,723 --> 00:35:43,843
saying that her and Dan are fighting.
393
00:35:43,923 --> 00:35:45,923
The phone went dead,
and she called me back.
394
00:35:46,003 --> 00:35:48,963
And I'm like, "Did Dan just hit you?"
And she's like, "Yes."
395
00:35:50,283 --> 00:35:53,043
I'm like, "Mom, I'm coming to get you."
396
00:35:53,563 --> 00:35:56,483
She's like, "No, you don't need to.
You're fine."
397
00:35:57,363 --> 00:35:59,963
She goes, "I'm leaving.
I'll be, I'll be up there."
398
00:36:00,043 --> 00:36:00,923
And…
399
00:36:02,603 --> 00:36:05,963
I said, "I love you," and the last thing
she said to me is, "I love you more."
400
00:36:09,443 --> 00:36:12,483
We went ahead and ate.
Um, I Hadn't heard from her.
401
00:36:13,563 --> 00:36:15,083
And I had to work that night.
402
00:36:15,563 --> 00:36:18,043
My sister kept--
Kailee kept calling me and calling me.
403
00:36:18,123 --> 00:36:21,163
I'm like, "Oh my God, come on.
I just saw you." You know?
404
00:36:22,483 --> 00:36:25,483
And, uh, finally, I picked up.
I'm like, "What?!"
405
00:36:26,123 --> 00:36:31,443
And John Turner, the sheriff at the time,
was on the phone,
406
00:36:31,523 --> 00:36:34,603
and I could hear my sister just howling.
407
00:36:36,603 --> 00:36:39,403
And he's like, "We found your mom's body."
408
00:36:41,203 --> 00:36:42,443
And I collapsed.
409
00:36:44,923 --> 00:36:48,283
So, I went into shock mode.
410
00:36:49,243 --> 00:36:50,323
So I went to work.
411
00:36:50,923 --> 00:36:54,883
Um… And then it came up
on the ten o'clock news.
412
00:36:55,963 --> 00:36:58,243
You kind of got to know
that's when it's real.
413
00:37:09,923 --> 00:37:14,403
So this is the letter
that I've held on, um, from Dan,
414
00:37:14,483 --> 00:37:15,603
for many, many years.
415
00:37:16,883 --> 00:37:20,123
It's a reminder
of what kind of a coward he is
416
00:37:20,643 --> 00:37:21,883
and who he will blame.
417
00:37:21,963 --> 00:37:23,163
Anybody but himself.
418
00:37:26,443 --> 00:37:29,443
It says, "Amanda, it is difficult
to put into words
419
00:37:29,523 --> 00:37:32,923
everything I need to say to you
without fear of provoking
420
00:37:33,003 --> 00:37:36,163
that hate and disdain
so common in your character."
421
00:37:36,803 --> 00:37:40,243
"All I have ever known of you
is hostility, alcoholism,
422
00:37:40,323 --> 00:37:42,043
and your trouble with the law."
423
00:37:42,523 --> 00:37:45,723
"But none of these things you've done
to me or the rest of your family
424
00:37:45,803 --> 00:37:49,043
should reflect you deserving
to lose your mother the way you did."
425
00:37:51,443 --> 00:37:55,003
As you can see in what I've read to you,
there's nothing but hatred.
426
00:37:56,283 --> 00:37:58,403
This letter didn't surprise me,
him blaming me,
427
00:37:58,483 --> 00:37:59,923
because I knew who he was.
428
00:38:01,403 --> 00:38:03,603
I knew what kind of a monster he was.
429
00:38:23,083 --> 00:38:25,963
And as I was playing
with the pistol,
430
00:38:27,043 --> 00:38:31,163
I cocked it and let it down, cocked it,
431
00:38:31,243 --> 00:38:32,643
and it went off.
432
00:38:35,403 --> 00:38:38,003
And she was gone,
433
00:38:39,043 --> 00:38:41,203
almost immediately it seemed like.
434
00:38:43,123 --> 00:38:45,363
Yeah, I don't believe that
one bit.
435
00:38:45,883 --> 00:38:47,763
That's the first time I've heard his…
436
00:38:48,923 --> 00:38:50,203
"explan--" See? I'm shaking
437
00:38:50,283 --> 00:38:53,243
That's the first time
I've heard his explanation, and it--
438
00:38:53,323 --> 00:38:54,523
It makes me irate.
439
00:38:59,203 --> 00:39:02,563
She died with her hands in her coat.
440
00:39:03,163 --> 00:39:05,723
She was leaving. Her car was running.
441
00:39:06,523 --> 00:39:10,043
Knowing my mother, she was leaving him,
and I think it was for good.
442
00:39:11,803 --> 00:39:13,683
This has been a good release for me
443
00:39:13,763 --> 00:39:16,843
because I will never think about this man
ever again.
444
00:39:17,883 --> 00:39:19,403
As far as I'm concerned,
445
00:39:20,363 --> 00:39:21,603
Dan can burn in hell.
446
00:39:47,203 --> 00:39:49,243
We were hunting that day.
447
00:39:49,323 --> 00:39:52,163
Yeah, it was just after daybreak
I think we went out.
448
00:39:52,763 --> 00:39:55,563
I think she'd gotten several phone calls
from the kids,
449
00:39:55,643 --> 00:39:58,243
and like, "Well, we better just go home."
450
00:39:58,843 --> 00:40:01,083
Started making plans for dinner.
451
00:40:01,683 --> 00:40:03,963
She got a phone call from her oldest
452
00:40:04,563 --> 00:40:07,203
and immediately started arguing
453
00:40:07,283 --> 00:40:09,723
'cause she had been at the bar and…
454
00:40:10,203 --> 00:40:13,563
"All right. Just come over whenever
and tell me--"
455
00:40:21,043 --> 00:40:23,443
That whole entire thing is a lie.
456
00:40:24,643 --> 00:40:26,123
They didn't go hunting.
457
00:40:26,723 --> 00:40:30,643
I mean, I-- I saw my mom that morning.
She picked me up that morning.
458
00:40:32,203 --> 00:40:35,643
The plan was to have
a Thanksgiving dinner with all of us.
459
00:40:37,083 --> 00:40:38,083
My sister,
460
00:40:38,923 --> 00:40:40,843
she wasn't out at the bar.
461
00:40:41,403 --> 00:40:43,643
She was not arguing with my mom.
462
00:40:45,563 --> 00:40:49,123
I was sitting across from her at the table
when my mom called her
463
00:40:49,203 --> 00:40:52,003
and said that Dan punched her in the face.
464
00:40:52,723 --> 00:40:53,923
And to act
465
00:40:55,923 --> 00:40:57,803
like they were this happy couple
466
00:40:57,883 --> 00:41:00,763
and that they weren't fighting
that entire day,
467
00:41:02,163 --> 00:41:03,843
it's not an accident.
468
00:41:07,123 --> 00:41:09,083
It happened behind closed doors.
469
00:41:09,603 --> 00:41:11,403
You don't want anyone to know.
470
00:41:13,163 --> 00:41:16,683
I was the only person
who saw how he treated my mom
471
00:41:16,763 --> 00:41:18,723
for two and a half, three years.
472
00:41:21,643 --> 00:41:23,643
I… I witnessed it.
473
00:41:24,483 --> 00:41:26,243
I grew up with it.
474
00:41:26,323 --> 00:41:27,523
That was my normal.
475
00:41:28,123 --> 00:41:29,603
And I know the truth.
476
00:41:59,963 --> 00:42:02,363
Leslie is the love of my life.
477
00:42:05,203 --> 00:42:06,643
I miss her a lot.
478
00:42:09,603 --> 00:42:14,403
I have to drudge forward with her in mind
479
00:42:15,803 --> 00:42:19,723
without being stuck in that pit
480
00:42:19,803 --> 00:42:24,283
of grief and shame
481
00:42:25,603 --> 00:42:27,203
for causing that.
482
00:42:31,123 --> 00:42:34,203
I do believe we would still be together
483
00:42:34,683 --> 00:42:37,963
had she not been hit,
484
00:42:38,043 --> 00:42:41,763
or if she had survived, or any of that.
485
00:42:41,843 --> 00:42:44,283
Yes, I think we'd still be together.
486
00:42:48,563 --> 00:42:51,443
"Leslie has thought about suicide
for some time now."
487
00:42:52,443 --> 00:42:55,003
"She has asked me
to end her life several times."
488
00:42:56,283 --> 00:42:58,723
"I feel horrible
for striking back at her."
489
00:42:58,803 --> 00:43:01,203
"I have been pushed to that point."
490
00:43:01,963 --> 00:43:04,603
"Never once have I done this in my life,
491
00:43:04,683 --> 00:43:06,883
and I never will again."
492
00:43:09,203 --> 00:43:13,563
That sounds like something
that was written right when…
493
00:43:13,643 --> 00:43:15,803
before I pulled the trigger, I'll bet.
494
00:43:16,283 --> 00:43:19,123
And I had vodka by then.
495
00:43:20,723 --> 00:43:24,523
I'm trying to think
what I was thinking at the time and…
496
00:43:25,883 --> 00:43:28,483
I'm drawing a… a blank.
497
00:43:29,163 --> 00:43:32,283
It sounds as though
you killed her deliberately.
498
00:43:32,363 --> 00:43:34,083
Oh, ma'am. No, no, no.
499
00:43:35,243 --> 00:43:36,083
No.
500
00:43:36,163 --> 00:43:37,003
Um…
501
00:43:37,763 --> 00:43:42,843
I wonder if it was more for closure,
but I wouldn't…
502
00:43:42,923 --> 00:43:46,723
I wouldn't say I killed her deliberately
and then wrote that, no.
503
00:43:49,243 --> 00:43:51,443
You killed our mother
in cold blood.
504
00:43:52,003 --> 00:43:55,403
She died with her hands in her coat.
505
00:43:55,883 --> 00:43:58,403
She was leaving. Her car was running.
506
00:43:59,563 --> 00:44:03,123
Knowing my mother, she was leaving him,
and I think it was for good.
507
00:44:04,923 --> 00:44:07,003
I don't think the car was running.
508
00:44:08,043 --> 00:44:10,523
That doesn't sound right to me, but…
509
00:44:10,603 --> 00:44:11,443
I wish--
510
00:44:11,523 --> 00:44:14,323
I wish I could've talked
during the trial.
511
00:44:15,803 --> 00:44:19,003
It seems to escalate
every time with her, but…
512
00:44:20,203 --> 00:44:22,963
I never really got along with Amanda.
513
00:44:24,043 --> 00:44:26,803
I wish I could help her to move on.
514
00:44:29,923 --> 00:44:31,443
They didn't go hunting.
515
00:44:31,923 --> 00:44:35,883
I mean, I-- I saw my mom that morning.
She picked me up that morning.
516
00:44:35,963 --> 00:44:39,243
The plan was to have a Thanksgiving dinner
with all of us.
517
00:44:40,163 --> 00:44:43,123
My sister, she wasn't out at the bar.
518
00:44:44,163 --> 00:44:47,563
I was sitting across from her at the table
when my mom called her
519
00:44:48,043 --> 00:44:50,523
and said that Dan punched her in the face.
520
00:44:51,523 --> 00:44:52,763
And to act
521
00:44:52,843 --> 00:44:55,043
like they were this happy couple
522
00:44:55,123 --> 00:44:58,043
and that they weren't fighting
that entire day…
523
00:45:00,243 --> 00:45:01,483
That's too bad.
524
00:45:04,123 --> 00:45:06,723
No, we weren't fighting that entire day.
525
00:45:06,803 --> 00:45:08,963
We did go hunting that day.
526
00:45:11,083 --> 00:45:14,043
I feel like she's being influenced
527
00:45:14,123 --> 00:45:16,283
as far as what she is
528
00:45:17,963 --> 00:45:19,123
told to say.
529
00:45:25,203 --> 00:45:28,003
It's not nearly as, uh, horrific
530
00:45:28,483 --> 00:45:31,483
as what some have explained.
531
00:45:36,483 --> 00:45:38,283
It was not intentional,
532
00:45:39,763 --> 00:45:41,003
and that's the truth.