1 00:00:01,957 --> 00:00:03,524 [Narrator] A self-made couple making plans 2 00:00:03,524 --> 00:00:05,439 for the next stage of their lives. 3 00:00:05,439 --> 00:00:08,138 They were getting ready to have a quiet retirement. 4 00:00:08,138 --> 00:00:10,183 They were such a beautiful couple. 5 00:00:10,183 --> 00:00:12,881 They would give you their shirt off their back. 6 00:00:12,881 --> 00:00:14,100 They had a lotta friends 7 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:16,276 and loved spending time with family. 8 00:00:16,276 --> 00:00:20,411 [Narrator] Gunned down execution-style in their own home. 9 00:00:21,368 --> 00:00:23,109 It just seemed to make no sense. 10 00:00:23,109 --> 00:00:26,982 Who would do that and what could possibly be the motive? 11 00:00:26,982 --> 00:00:28,462 [Narrator] While searching for the killer, 12 00:00:28,462 --> 00:00:32,249 investigators uncover a world of greed and deceit. 13 00:00:32,249 --> 00:00:34,294 We looked at desperation. 14 00:00:34,294 --> 00:00:36,253 She was desperate for money. 15 00:00:36,253 --> 00:00:38,733 He felt he had been treated badly, 16 00:00:38,733 --> 00:00:40,387 basically kicked to the curb. 17 00:00:40,387 --> 00:00:43,086 People were saying that he was very upset. 18 00:00:43,086 --> 00:00:44,739 It certainly is motive. 19 00:00:44,739 --> 00:00:47,177 [Narrator] A series of chilling discoveries... 20 00:00:47,177 --> 00:00:49,135 We learned that he was receiving 21 00:00:49,135 --> 00:00:51,006 hundreds of thousands of dollars. 22 00:00:51,006 --> 00:00:53,226 Everything he's told us is a lie. 23 00:00:53,226 --> 00:00:56,708 [Narrator] ...points to a killer no one ever imagined. 24 00:00:56,708 --> 00:00:58,144 People were shocked. 25 00:00:58,144 --> 00:01:00,755 It shows what a messed-up psyche he's got. 26 00:01:00,755 --> 00:01:05,456 It was unbelievable how somebody can be that cold-blooded. 27 00:01:14,813 --> 00:01:17,468 [Narrator] On the outskirts of La Crosse, Wisconsin 28 00:01:17,468 --> 00:01:19,513 lies the prestigious neighborhood 29 00:01:19,513 --> 00:01:20,862 of Barre Mills. 30 00:01:22,255 --> 00:01:25,215 In early spring of 2010, 31 00:01:25,215 --> 00:01:27,652 this quiet community is rocked 32 00:01:27,652 --> 00:01:29,654 by a disturbing 911 call. 33 00:01:58,944 --> 00:02:01,207 [Narrator] Police race to the scene. 34 00:02:02,426 --> 00:02:06,343 First-responding officers lead 40-year-old Eric Koula away 35 00:02:06,343 --> 00:02:08,258 from his deceased parents' home 36 00:02:08,258 --> 00:02:10,390 while detectives head inside. 37 00:02:14,264 --> 00:02:16,004 We could see that there was 38 00:02:16,004 --> 00:02:19,399 a male lying on the kitchen floor. 39 00:02:19,399 --> 00:02:23,490 There was a large pool of blood around his head. 40 00:02:23,490 --> 00:02:24,665 The blood was 41 00:02:24,665 --> 00:02:26,276 coagulated so it had been there a while. 42 00:02:26,276 --> 00:02:28,278 You know, it wasn't fresh blood. 43 00:02:28,278 --> 00:02:32,238 He was holding his car keys in one hand. 44 00:02:32,238 --> 00:02:33,848 He had his coat on, 45 00:02:33,848 --> 00:02:37,374 so it was clear that he had just walked in the door. 46 00:02:37,374 --> 00:02:40,768 He hadn't even set everything on the counter yet. 47 00:02:40,768 --> 00:02:43,336 As I viewed the male victim, 48 00:02:43,336 --> 00:02:46,034 the wound appeared to be a gunshot. 49 00:02:46,034 --> 00:02:48,863 It was near the temple of his head. 50 00:02:50,213 --> 00:02:53,694 Around the corner is like a hallway entryway 51 00:02:53,694 --> 00:02:55,566 with a computer desk, 52 00:02:55,566 --> 00:02:58,351 and the female victim was there. 53 00:02:58,351 --> 00:03:00,875 She was shot in the head also. 54 00:03:00,875 --> 00:03:03,051 Her hands were on the keyboard, 55 00:03:03,051 --> 00:03:07,055 and so you could see that she had been typing 56 00:03:07,055 --> 00:03:08,492 before she was shot. 57 00:03:08,492 --> 00:03:11,321 What she was typing didn't appear to be significant, 58 00:03:11,321 --> 00:03:14,585 but it made us believe that she had no idea 59 00:03:14,585 --> 00:03:18,632 that someone was behind her going to shoot her. 60 00:03:18,632 --> 00:03:21,244 It appeared that they ambushed them. 61 00:03:22,549 --> 00:03:24,247 [Narrator] The victims are identified 62 00:03:24,247 --> 00:03:27,293 as 68-year-old Dennis Koula and his wife, 63 00:03:27,293 --> 00:03:29,295 65-year-old Merna. 64 00:03:30,296 --> 00:03:32,559 As investigators examine the scene, 65 00:03:32,559 --> 00:03:35,475 they make note of other telling details. 66 00:03:35,475 --> 00:03:37,738 We didn't know if it was a single killer 67 00:03:37,738 --> 00:03:39,044 or more than one person, 68 00:03:39,044 --> 00:03:40,915 but you would expect more disturbance 69 00:03:40,915 --> 00:03:42,265 if there were more than one 70 00:03:42,265 --> 00:03:45,050 or that they would have overpowered the victims, 71 00:03:45,050 --> 00:03:46,965 and that didn't seem to have happened. 72 00:03:48,401 --> 00:03:51,578 With Merna sitting at the computer comfortably, 73 00:03:51,578 --> 00:03:55,669 that led us to wonder if she was the first to be killed, 74 00:03:55,669 --> 00:03:58,411 and her husband, Dennis, came home, 75 00:03:58,411 --> 00:04:00,674 and he was the second one shot. 76 00:04:02,154 --> 00:04:06,114 There was the smell of decomposition. 77 00:04:06,114 --> 00:04:07,594 At that point, 78 00:04:07,594 --> 00:04:10,597 we weren't sure how many days earlier they were killed. 79 00:04:10,597 --> 00:04:13,818 But we needed to get the information pretty quickly. 80 00:04:15,036 --> 00:04:17,517 [Narrator] Detectives find no sign of forced entry 81 00:04:17,517 --> 00:04:21,173 and no indication of any kind of struggle. 82 00:04:21,173 --> 00:04:23,001 The crime lab comes in. 83 00:04:23,001 --> 00:04:26,309 They collect fingerprints and DNA 84 00:04:26,309 --> 00:04:29,312 and the computer for analysis. 85 00:04:29,312 --> 00:04:33,316 We went upstairs and we noticed in the one bedroom, 86 00:04:33,316 --> 00:04:35,796 there was a dresser that was disturbed, 87 00:04:35,796 --> 00:04:39,452 and it appeared that it had been ransacked. 88 00:04:40,671 --> 00:04:44,805 What was unusual about it was the person started at the top 89 00:04:44,805 --> 00:04:47,504 and worked their way down the chest of drawers, 90 00:04:47,504 --> 00:04:49,070 but if you did it that way, 91 00:04:49,070 --> 00:04:53,466 you wouldn't be able to see what was in the drawer below it. 92 00:04:53,466 --> 00:04:55,076 This looked like someone was trying 93 00:04:55,076 --> 00:04:56,513 to make it look like a burglary, 94 00:04:56,513 --> 00:04:58,558 but nothing seemed to be missing. 95 00:04:58,558 --> 00:05:01,387 And there were many other valuables in the house, 96 00:05:01,387 --> 00:05:02,997 including Merna's purse, 97 00:05:02,997 --> 00:05:07,350 and Dennis' wallet was still in his back pocket. 98 00:05:07,350 --> 00:05:10,309 It looked like this was staged, quite frankly. 99 00:05:10,309 --> 00:05:12,224 [Narrator] While investigators continue searching 100 00:05:12,224 --> 00:05:16,576 for clues, they find what could be a key piece of evidence. 101 00:05:16,576 --> 00:05:20,885 The bedroom had a .22 rifle in the closet, 102 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,368 and there was also a box of .22 shells on a shelf 103 00:05:25,368 --> 00:05:28,458 that had been moved and partially opened. 104 00:05:28,458 --> 00:05:30,242 That was very possibly the gun 105 00:05:30,242 --> 00:05:32,505 that was used in the homicides. 106 00:05:33,811 --> 00:05:37,728 So the gun is sent to the crime lab for an analysis. 107 00:05:38,903 --> 00:05:41,862 [Narrator] As the crime scene investigation continues, 108 00:05:41,862 --> 00:05:44,299 news of the murders spreads quickly 109 00:05:44,299 --> 00:05:46,127 through the close-knit community. 110 00:05:46,127 --> 00:05:47,738 When I heard about it, 111 00:05:47,738 --> 00:05:50,044 I thought, "I can't believe this is happening." 112 00:05:50,044 --> 00:05:52,090 I was devastated. 113 00:05:52,090 --> 00:05:53,613 It hit me real hard. 114 00:05:53,613 --> 00:05:56,834 It was like, why would somebody kill them? 115 00:05:56,834 --> 00:05:58,096 Everybody loved 'em. 116 00:05:59,924 --> 00:06:01,839 [Narrator] Born and raised in Wisconsin, 117 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,842 Dennis and Merna Koula had been happily married 118 00:06:04,842 --> 00:06:06,452 for 42 years. 119 00:06:06,452 --> 00:06:08,236 Dennis and Merna had a lotta friends. 120 00:06:08,236 --> 00:06:09,629 They had deep roots here. 121 00:06:09,629 --> 00:06:11,588 They had children and grandchildren, 122 00:06:11,588 --> 00:06:13,503 and they were very popular. 123 00:06:14,721 --> 00:06:17,245 I didn't hear of anyone that had anything bad to say 124 00:06:17,245 --> 00:06:18,508 about either one of 'em. 125 00:06:18,508 --> 00:06:19,987 [Narrator] From humble beginnings, 126 00:06:19,987 --> 00:06:23,382 Dennis rose to become a successful businessman. 127 00:06:23,382 --> 00:06:26,124 Dennis had graduated as a pharmacist, 128 00:06:26,124 --> 00:06:30,433 and he had owned a number of pharmacies and businesses 129 00:06:30,433 --> 00:06:33,305 throughout the years in different locations. 130 00:06:33,305 --> 00:06:35,525 I worked with him for two years. 131 00:06:35,525 --> 00:06:38,266 As a boss, he was down-to-Earth, 132 00:06:38,266 --> 00:06:39,746 fantastic guy. 133 00:06:39,746 --> 00:06:42,140 If you needed something, he was there. 134 00:06:42,140 --> 00:06:44,055 He treated me like a daughter. 135 00:06:45,186 --> 00:06:49,103 [Narrator] Dennis was successful in life and in love. 136 00:06:49,103 --> 00:06:50,540 Him and his wife, 137 00:06:50,540 --> 00:06:52,977 they were always happy having a good time. 138 00:06:53,804 --> 00:06:56,328 Merna had a lot of energy. 139 00:06:56,328 --> 00:06:58,678 She was very sociable. 140 00:06:58,678 --> 00:07:00,941 Merna was very well educated, 141 00:07:00,941 --> 00:07:03,683 and she was presently teaching part-time 142 00:07:03,683 --> 00:07:06,643 on a substitute basis. 143 00:07:06,643 --> 00:07:08,383 They had a good marriage. 144 00:07:08,383 --> 00:07:09,994 They enjoyed life. 145 00:07:10,908 --> 00:07:12,779 [Narrator] The couple had two children: 146 00:07:12,779 --> 00:07:16,609 their son, Eric, and 37-year-old daughter Cindy. 147 00:07:16,609 --> 00:07:19,656 Both were married with families of their own. 148 00:07:19,656 --> 00:07:22,136 Their family seemed pretty tight. 149 00:07:22,136 --> 00:07:23,355 Dennis and Merna, 150 00:07:23,355 --> 00:07:24,748 they were involved with their kids 151 00:07:24,748 --> 00:07:27,577 and involved with their grandkids. 152 00:07:27,577 --> 00:07:30,580 These were parents who were very dedicated. 153 00:07:30,580 --> 00:07:33,278 They really wanted the best for their kids 154 00:07:33,278 --> 00:07:35,846 and loved spending time with family. 155 00:07:35,846 --> 00:07:37,717 Dennis and Merna were getting ready 156 00:07:37,717 --> 00:07:41,504 to have a quiet retirement and relaxing and enjoying life. 157 00:07:43,375 --> 00:07:45,159 [Narrator] Now, those dreams 158 00:07:45,159 --> 00:07:48,162 had been brutally snatched away. 159 00:07:48,162 --> 00:07:49,599 Both shot? 160 00:07:49,599 --> 00:07:51,818 I would've never, never in my life, 161 00:07:51,818 --> 00:07:54,517 expected something like this to happen. 162 00:07:54,517 --> 00:07:56,519 It just seemed to make no sense. 163 00:07:56,519 --> 00:07:59,434 We're trying to understand who would do that 164 00:07:59,434 --> 00:08:01,611 and what would be the motive. 165 00:08:01,611 --> 00:08:04,004 [Narrator] While police bring the Koulas' son, Eric, 166 00:08:04,004 --> 00:08:06,746 into the station to get more information, 167 00:08:06,746 --> 00:08:10,315 investigators go door to door looking for witnesses. 168 00:08:10,315 --> 00:08:14,406 We'd start canvassing to see if anyone saw anything, 169 00:08:14,406 --> 00:08:15,973 heard anything. 170 00:08:15,973 --> 00:08:20,325 Nobody in the neighborhood had seen anything suspicious. 171 00:08:20,325 --> 00:08:22,109 For them, it was just mostly shock. 172 00:08:22,109 --> 00:08:25,417 They couldn't believe that these two people had been killed. 173 00:08:25,417 --> 00:08:28,594 [Narrator] As detectives continue to search for a lead, 174 00:08:28,594 --> 00:08:30,727 they get their first break. 175 00:08:30,727 --> 00:08:33,294 One of the neighbors mentioned 176 00:08:33,294 --> 00:08:36,471 that he thought he knew the motive 177 00:08:36,471 --> 00:08:40,650 and why it happened and also the murderer. 178 00:08:40,650 --> 00:08:42,565 He was very concerned. 179 00:08:42,565 --> 00:08:46,046 He believed that his life was in danger. 180 00:08:46,786 --> 00:08:48,875 He felt that he may be next. 181 00:08:48,875 --> 00:08:51,704 This neighbor, Steve Burgess, was a banker, 182 00:08:51,704 --> 00:08:55,316 and he thought that he may have been the intended target 183 00:08:55,316 --> 00:08:56,666 of the homicide. 184 00:08:56,666 --> 00:08:59,669 His reasoning was he had got a threatening call 185 00:08:59,669 --> 00:09:03,368 multiple times from a person that threatened to kill him. 186 00:09:05,109 --> 00:09:08,416 [Narrator] Coming up, new evidence emerges. 187 00:09:08,416 --> 00:09:10,549 The day after the homicides, 188 00:09:10,549 --> 00:09:13,596 he cashed this $50,000 check and never told us. 189 00:09:13,596 --> 00:09:15,902 [Narrator] And family secrets come to light. 190 00:09:15,902 --> 00:09:19,906 There was some jealousy, maybe bad blood between the two. 191 00:09:19,906 --> 00:09:23,214 Dennis always complained that he was worthless 192 00:09:23,214 --> 00:09:24,998 and that he didn't want to work. 193 00:09:24,998 --> 00:09:27,740 She had apparently lit into Dennis in a rage. 194 00:09:27,740 --> 00:09:29,655 [Narrator] Until a disturbing clue 195 00:09:29,655 --> 00:09:31,352 reveals a twisted plan... 196 00:09:31,352 --> 00:09:34,704 Someone had put this threatening note in his mailbox. 197 00:09:34,704 --> 00:09:37,837 Now he believes that someone was out to get him. 198 00:09:37,837 --> 00:09:41,145 [Narrator] ...and exposes a cold-blooded betrayal 199 00:09:41,145 --> 00:09:42,668 nobody saw coming. 200 00:09:42,668 --> 00:09:44,409 I never thought they were the kind of person 201 00:09:44,409 --> 00:09:46,629 that would do something like that. 202 00:09:46,629 --> 00:09:49,196 It was extremely unexpected. 203 00:09:49,196 --> 00:09:50,633 It's just chilling. 204 00:09:57,727 --> 00:09:59,903 [Narrator] Grandparents Merna and Dennis Koula 205 00:09:59,903 --> 00:10:03,123 have been brutally executed in their own home. 206 00:10:03,123 --> 00:10:06,431 Now, one of their neighbors, banker Steve Burgess, 207 00:10:06,431 --> 00:10:10,653 tells investigators the killer could be coming after him. 208 00:10:10,653 --> 00:10:12,698 He was very concerned, 209 00:10:12,698 --> 00:10:17,224 and he believed that someone was out to get him, 210 00:10:17,224 --> 00:10:18,486 and he didn't know who, but, 211 00:10:18,486 --> 00:10:20,663 the homicides may have been intended 212 00:10:20,663 --> 00:10:22,665 for him and his family. 213 00:10:22,665 --> 00:10:24,275 [Narrator] Detectives ask Steve 214 00:10:24,275 --> 00:10:26,799 why someone would want him dead. 215 00:10:26,799 --> 00:10:28,932 So, at that time, the market crash, 216 00:10:28,932 --> 00:10:31,325 there was people with money issues. 217 00:10:31,325 --> 00:10:34,981 A lotta people came to him at the bank for loans, 218 00:10:34,981 --> 00:10:36,591 but they had no collateral, 219 00:10:36,591 --> 00:10:38,202 so people were very angry 220 00:10:38,202 --> 00:10:41,031 that Steve would not give them loans. 221 00:10:41,031 --> 00:10:45,339 The last threat was a couple of days earlier. 222 00:10:45,339 --> 00:10:47,690 It was a threat of violence. 223 00:10:47,690 --> 00:10:49,866 It certainly had to be taken serious. 224 00:10:50,867 --> 00:10:52,782 [Narrator] If Steve was the intended target, 225 00:10:52,782 --> 00:10:56,089 how did Dennis and Merna end up gunned down instead? 226 00:10:56,089 --> 00:10:59,136 What he explained was a Google Earth search 227 00:10:59,136 --> 00:11:02,530 on the Burgess' house showed the wrong address, 228 00:11:02,530 --> 00:11:05,533 showed Dennis and Merna's address instead of his, 229 00:11:05,533 --> 00:11:09,755 and he thought that the killer killed the wrong people. 230 00:11:09,755 --> 00:11:13,716 He felt that somebody had come to his house 231 00:11:13,716 --> 00:11:15,369 to follow through on the threat, 232 00:11:15,369 --> 00:11:18,895 but they ended up at Dennis and Merna's residence. 233 00:11:18,895 --> 00:11:22,550 It was a concern that this possibly could've been a mistake 234 00:11:22,550 --> 00:11:24,378 on behalf of the murderer, 235 00:11:24,378 --> 00:11:28,469 and the homicides were not intended for Dennis and Merna. 236 00:11:29,993 --> 00:11:31,908 [Narrator] Before investigators can pursue the lead, 237 00:11:31,908 --> 00:11:34,171 the autopsy results arrive. 238 00:11:34,171 --> 00:11:38,001 The autopsy report determined that they were both shot 239 00:11:38,001 --> 00:11:40,394 with a .22 caliber rifle. 240 00:11:40,394 --> 00:11:42,222 But it was inconclusive. 241 00:11:42,222 --> 00:11:44,094 There wasn't enough bullet fragment left 242 00:11:44,094 --> 00:11:47,880 to tell if it came from the gun that we found in the house. 243 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:49,577 No fingerprints were found, 244 00:11:49,577 --> 00:11:51,449 I mean, even from the victims, 245 00:11:51,449 --> 00:11:52,972 like the gun had been cleaned up. 246 00:11:52,972 --> 00:11:55,583 The autopsy report also confirmed 247 00:11:55,583 --> 00:11:57,803 that they had been deceased for a few days 248 00:11:57,803 --> 00:12:00,240 before the 911 call. 249 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,114 It was likely that they were killed on that Friday. 250 00:12:04,114 --> 00:12:06,594 [Narrator] The time of death sheds new light 251 00:12:06,594 --> 00:12:07,900 on the threatening phone call 252 00:12:07,900 --> 00:12:10,250 made to neighbor Steve Burgess. 253 00:12:10,250 --> 00:12:12,992 We saw that call had come in Sunday morning 254 00:12:12,992 --> 00:12:15,255 after the Koulas were murdered, 255 00:12:15,255 --> 00:12:19,564 so the timeline just, it didn't make any sense. 256 00:12:19,564 --> 00:12:20,783 We were able to determine 257 00:12:20,783 --> 00:12:22,915 that the threats against Steve Burgess 258 00:12:24,134 --> 00:12:28,094 had nothing to do with the deaths of Dennis and Merna. 259 00:12:28,094 --> 00:12:30,227 [Narrator] With their first lead a bust, 260 00:12:30,227 --> 00:12:33,665 detectives turn their attention closer to home. 261 00:12:33,665 --> 00:12:36,755 We knew Eric and his sister, Cindy, 262 00:12:36,755 --> 00:12:39,323 were very close to their parents. 263 00:12:40,672 --> 00:12:44,458 Eric did day trading and stuff like that, work on stocks. 264 00:12:44,458 --> 00:12:46,025 He was doing well. 265 00:12:46,025 --> 00:12:48,941 Dennis and Eric were pretty close. 266 00:12:48,941 --> 00:12:51,030 Some people would say like bread and butter. 267 00:12:51,030 --> 00:12:53,467 They'd have get-togethers all the time. 268 00:12:55,687 --> 00:12:58,559 Eric was the one that found the bodies. 269 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,171 We needed the conversation with Eric 270 00:13:01,171 --> 00:13:04,652 for information that he might be able to provide us. 271 00:13:04,652 --> 00:13:07,917 [Narrator] Hoping he can provide details about the crime, 272 00:13:07,917 --> 00:13:11,050 investigators interview Eric at the station. 273 00:13:11,050 --> 00:13:13,661 Eric was still extremely emotional 274 00:13:13,661 --> 00:13:15,576 over the death of his parents, 275 00:13:15,576 --> 00:13:19,102 but he said he wanted to be as helpful as he possibly could 276 00:13:19,102 --> 00:13:20,843 and would do whatever he could 277 00:13:20,843 --> 00:13:22,932 to try to find who was responsible. 278 00:13:22,932 --> 00:13:25,021 [Narrator] Detectives ask how he came to find 279 00:13:25,021 --> 00:13:26,892 his parents had been killed. 280 00:13:26,892 --> 00:13:28,285 He said the school called 281 00:13:28,285 --> 00:13:30,635 and said that Merna hadn't shown up for work. 282 00:13:30,635 --> 00:13:33,899 They'd called his parents and they didn't respond. 283 00:13:33,899 --> 00:13:37,337 So Eric tried calling and was unable to get an answer, 284 00:13:37,337 --> 00:13:39,209 so he called his sister 285 00:13:39,209 --> 00:13:42,299 and asked if she had any contact with them, 286 00:13:42,299 --> 00:13:43,735 and she had not. 287 00:13:43,735 --> 00:13:46,912 He became concerned and drove over to the house. 288 00:13:49,001 --> 00:13:50,350 Once he walked in the house, 289 00:13:50,350 --> 00:13:54,528 he observed his father lying on the kitchen floor 290 00:13:54,528 --> 00:13:56,791 and started searching for his mom 291 00:13:56,791 --> 00:14:00,621 and then also found her deceased. 292 00:14:00,621 --> 00:14:03,102 Eric said he was extremely close to his parents. 293 00:14:03,102 --> 00:14:06,279 His dad, you know, supported all of his endeavors. 294 00:14:06,279 --> 00:14:08,891 They were just the best of buddies. 295 00:14:08,891 --> 00:14:11,023 We asked Eric what was the last time 296 00:14:11,023 --> 00:14:12,503 he had seen his parents, 297 00:14:12,503 --> 00:14:16,246 and he said a few days before the homicides. 298 00:14:16,246 --> 00:14:19,205 He'd visited them like he did all the time. 299 00:14:19,205 --> 00:14:21,773 He said his dad was working on the deck, 300 00:14:21,773 --> 00:14:23,514 and his mom was doing laundry. 301 00:14:23,514 --> 00:14:25,995 There didn't seem to be anything unusual. 302 00:14:25,995 --> 00:14:28,780 [Narrator] Investigators ask Eric where he was 303 00:14:28,780 --> 00:14:30,477 on the day of the murders. 304 00:14:30,477 --> 00:14:33,785 He said that Friday was he and his wife's anniversary. 305 00:14:33,785 --> 00:14:35,352 He had worked 'til 2:00, 306 00:14:35,352 --> 00:14:37,876 then he helped his buddy, Mike, do some work in a bathroom. 307 00:14:37,876 --> 00:14:39,878 They were renovating a bathroom. 308 00:14:39,878 --> 00:14:42,054 Eric had told us that he had gone to two stores 309 00:14:42,054 --> 00:14:44,056 after leaving his buddy's house, 310 00:14:44,056 --> 00:14:48,365 looking for a specific plant that his wife liked, 311 00:14:48,365 --> 00:14:50,236 a hanging plant. 312 00:14:50,236 --> 00:14:54,197 [Narrator] Eric presents a receipt stamped at 6:15 PM. 313 00:14:54,197 --> 00:14:56,416 After he bought the plant, he went directly home, 314 00:14:56,416 --> 00:15:00,986 and they got ready to go out for the evening with friends 315 00:15:00,986 --> 00:15:03,467 to celebrate the anniversary. 316 00:15:04,511 --> 00:15:07,036 Eric said that he had tried over the weekend 317 00:15:07,036 --> 00:15:10,996 to contact his parents and wasn't able to do so. 318 00:15:10,996 --> 00:15:12,998 He was becoming concerned 319 00:15:12,998 --> 00:15:15,870 but just thought that they were busy. 320 00:15:15,870 --> 00:15:17,002 [Narrator] When asked who might've 321 00:15:17,002 --> 00:15:18,612 wanted to harm his parents, 322 00:15:18,612 --> 00:15:22,007 Eric says they were well-liked and had no enemies. 323 00:15:22,007 --> 00:15:24,618 It seemed really strange, really unusual. 324 00:15:24,618 --> 00:15:28,666 No reason for the victims to be killed, both victims killed. 325 00:15:30,015 --> 00:15:31,930 [Narrator] Before concluding Eric's interview, 326 00:15:31,930 --> 00:15:35,325 detectives get results back from the crime lab. 327 00:15:35,325 --> 00:15:39,198 The report came back indicating that the time of death, 328 00:15:39,198 --> 00:15:41,809 based on the computer analysis, 329 00:15:41,809 --> 00:15:45,509 was 5:41 on that Friday. 330 00:15:46,727 --> 00:15:48,860 Merna was using the computer, 331 00:15:48,860 --> 00:15:52,559 and the last keystroke was 5:41 PM, 332 00:15:52,559 --> 00:15:54,518 so that gave us a timestamp. 333 00:15:54,518 --> 00:15:55,998 That's huge. 334 00:15:58,130 --> 00:15:59,740 [Narrator] With the keystroke data, 335 00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:02,482 detectives verify Eric's alibi. 336 00:16:02,482 --> 00:16:06,182 We spoke to his friend, Mike, and Mike said, 337 00:16:06,182 --> 00:16:11,013 "Yes, Eric was here until about 5:30 when he left, 338 00:16:11,013 --> 00:16:12,971 and he was gonna go to the store." 339 00:16:12,971 --> 00:16:15,104 So he basically confirmed 340 00:16:15,104 --> 00:16:18,281 what Eric was telling us was correct. 341 00:16:18,281 --> 00:16:21,980 The receipt combined with what his friend, Mike, said, 342 00:16:21,980 --> 00:16:24,113 it appeared that there wasn't enough time 343 00:16:24,113 --> 00:16:26,115 for Eric to commit the crime. 344 00:16:26,115 --> 00:16:28,813 Also, it just seemed very unlikely 345 00:16:28,813 --> 00:16:32,860 that someone who loved his mother and father very much 346 00:16:32,860 --> 00:16:35,515 could be involved in something like this. 347 00:16:35,515 --> 00:16:38,170 [Narrator] Before Eric leaves the police station, 348 00:16:38,170 --> 00:16:40,346 he remembers crucial information 349 00:16:40,346 --> 00:16:43,175 that takes detectives by surprise. 350 00:16:43,175 --> 00:16:45,873 Eric had told us that his sister, Cindy, 351 00:16:45,873 --> 00:16:47,310 and her husband, Pat, 352 00:16:47,310 --> 00:16:51,183 were being financially supported by Dennis and Merna 353 00:16:51,183 --> 00:16:52,663 and their dad, Dennis, 354 00:16:52,663 --> 00:16:56,145 told Cindy they were getting cut off financially. 355 00:16:57,233 --> 00:17:01,019 The Friday morning of the homicides, 356 00:17:01,019 --> 00:17:03,804 Cindy had called Dennis. 357 00:17:03,804 --> 00:17:05,067 Dennis let her know 358 00:17:05,067 --> 00:17:07,678 that there was not gonna be any more money. 359 00:17:07,678 --> 00:17:09,767 She became very upset. 360 00:17:09,767 --> 00:17:12,161 [Narrator] Had there been an argument over money, 361 00:17:12,161 --> 00:17:13,945 leading Cindy to kill? 362 00:17:13,945 --> 00:17:16,078 That's extremely unexpected, 363 00:17:16,078 --> 00:17:17,557 but she did have motive, 364 00:17:17,557 --> 00:17:20,343 so we start looking at Cindy as a suspect. 365 00:17:29,569 --> 00:17:32,268 [Narrator] Police investigating the double homicide 366 00:17:32,268 --> 00:17:35,836 of Dennis and Merna Koula believe their daughter, Cindy, 367 00:17:35,836 --> 00:17:37,621 may have been angry with her father 368 00:17:37,621 --> 00:17:40,363 after he cut off financial support. 369 00:17:41,103 --> 00:17:43,235 The two had a tense conversation 370 00:17:43,235 --> 00:17:45,803 just hours before the murders. 371 00:17:45,803 --> 00:17:46,978 When we started talking 372 00:17:46,978 --> 00:17:49,111 to the circle of friends and family, 373 00:17:49,111 --> 00:17:51,809 we were told Dennis was more than generous. 374 00:17:51,809 --> 00:17:55,508 He gave tens of thousands to Cindy and her husband. 375 00:17:55,508 --> 00:17:58,250 Cindy relied on her parents. 376 00:17:58,250 --> 00:18:00,470 They needed this money to pay their bills. 377 00:18:00,470 --> 00:18:04,169 When Dennis had told Cindy that he was cutting her off, 378 00:18:04,169 --> 00:18:06,911 she didn't know how those bills were gonna get paid. 379 00:18:08,347 --> 00:18:10,219 [Narrator] Detectives learn the Koulas' children 380 00:18:10,219 --> 00:18:15,528 are set to inherit over $700,000 from their parents' death. 381 00:18:16,486 --> 00:18:17,748 While son Eric is known in the community 382 00:18:17,748 --> 00:18:19,532 as a successful businessman, 383 00:18:19,532 --> 00:18:22,100 Cindy's circumstances are different. 384 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:24,624 Cindy didn't have much money, if any, 385 00:18:24,624 --> 00:18:28,193 and she was constantly asking for money 386 00:18:28,193 --> 00:18:30,717 because they were not making ends meet. 387 00:18:31,892 --> 00:18:34,678 She was working a minimum-wage job or a little above that, 388 00:18:34,678 --> 00:18:37,898 and Pat, her husband, couldn't keep a job. 389 00:18:37,898 --> 00:18:39,596 Would quit or get fired. 390 00:18:40,553 --> 00:18:42,251 They were living paycheck-to-paycheck 391 00:18:42,251 --> 00:18:45,602 and Dennis's handout-to-handout. 392 00:18:45,602 --> 00:18:49,954 Me and Dennis would talk about Cindy at the pharmacy, 393 00:18:49,954 --> 00:18:52,391 and he kept telling me that he was sick and tired 394 00:18:52,391 --> 00:18:54,567 of supporting her every month, 395 00:18:54,567 --> 00:18:57,309 helping 'em out with their bills and stuff like that. 396 00:18:57,309 --> 00:19:01,487 That Friday morning, he was very upset and he said, 397 00:19:02,836 --> 00:19:05,491 "My daughter called me this morning crying on the phone 398 00:19:05,491 --> 00:19:07,319 because I told my daughter 399 00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:09,974 that I'm cutting her and her husband off." 400 00:19:11,062 --> 00:19:12,368 When she would get upset, 401 00:19:12,368 --> 00:19:16,328 she would get just extreme over-the-top emotions. 402 00:19:16,328 --> 00:19:20,376 Cindy hearing that the cash cow was being butchered 403 00:19:20,376 --> 00:19:25,076 would be a reason for her to now go off the rails, 404 00:19:25,076 --> 00:19:26,643 and that went from bad to worse. 405 00:19:27,426 --> 00:19:30,386 Cindy became a strong suspect. 406 00:19:30,386 --> 00:19:32,866 [Narrator] Police bring Cindy into the station 407 00:19:32,866 --> 00:19:33,867 for questioning. 408 00:19:35,042 --> 00:19:38,350 Cindy appeared broke-up over the deaths of her parents, 409 00:19:38,350 --> 00:19:41,310 but she really laid out the family dynamic. 410 00:19:41,310 --> 00:19:44,269 Her parents had considered her the black sheep 411 00:19:44,269 --> 00:19:45,836 of the family. 412 00:19:45,836 --> 00:19:50,275 She said that she didn't believe her parents cared about her 413 00:19:50,275 --> 00:19:51,885 like they cared about Eric, 414 00:19:51,885 --> 00:19:55,106 and she was upset with how they treated her. 415 00:19:55,106 --> 00:19:56,934 She told us, according to her parents, 416 00:19:56,934 --> 00:19:58,283 that Eric could do no wrong 417 00:19:58,283 --> 00:20:01,025 and that Cindy was a disappointment 418 00:20:01,025 --> 00:20:03,288 and continued to be a disappointment. 419 00:20:03,288 --> 00:20:05,377 But Cindy denied that she had anything to do 420 00:20:05,377 --> 00:20:06,770 with her parents' death, 421 00:20:06,770 --> 00:20:10,121 even though there was this friction between them. 422 00:20:10,121 --> 00:20:12,166 [Narrator] Investigators question Cindy 423 00:20:12,166 --> 00:20:14,125 about the argument with her father 424 00:20:14,125 --> 00:20:15,822 the morning of the murders. 425 00:20:15,822 --> 00:20:18,782 Cindy downplayed the conversation she had with her father. 426 00:20:18,782 --> 00:20:20,653 She said just that she was disappointed 427 00:20:20,653 --> 00:20:23,308 her father had said he wouldn't give her any money, 428 00:20:23,308 --> 00:20:25,876 but it wasn't a negative conversation. 429 00:20:25,876 --> 00:20:28,879 [Narrator] Detectives wonder if Cindy is more guilty 430 00:20:28,879 --> 00:20:30,489 than she's letting on. 431 00:20:30,489 --> 00:20:33,536 There was a lot of tension between Cindy and her parents. 432 00:20:33,536 --> 00:20:35,277 There was disapproval there. 433 00:20:35,277 --> 00:20:37,322 We looked at desperation. 434 00:20:37,322 --> 00:20:38,845 She was desperate for money. 435 00:20:38,845 --> 00:20:42,327 With the inheritance and given her bad feelings, 436 00:20:42,327 --> 00:20:45,156 all these things could lead to the fact 437 00:20:45,156 --> 00:20:46,505 that she may have been the one 438 00:20:46,505 --> 00:20:48,290 that took the lives of her parents. 439 00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:49,987 [Narrator] With suspicion swirling, 440 00:20:49,987 --> 00:20:54,426 police ask Cindy where she was when her parents were killed. 441 00:20:54,426 --> 00:20:56,863 On Friday, she was working 442 00:20:56,863 --> 00:21:00,302 and had left at 4:45. 443 00:21:00,302 --> 00:21:01,259 They have a time clock. 444 00:21:01,259 --> 00:21:02,826 She had punched out. 445 00:21:02,826 --> 00:21:07,874 After work, she had stopped at the store just after 5:30. 446 00:21:08,614 --> 00:21:10,181 She'd purchased beer and ice, 447 00:21:10,181 --> 00:21:14,620 and then her and Patrick had a barbecue with the neighbors. 448 00:21:14,620 --> 00:21:18,145 [Narrator] Police work to confirm Cindy's alibi. 449 00:21:18,145 --> 00:21:19,190 She was working. 450 00:21:19,190 --> 00:21:20,713 That was verified then. 451 00:21:20,713 --> 00:21:22,367 Cindy had stopped at a Kwik Trip, 452 00:21:22,367 --> 00:21:25,022 and the Kwik Trips all have video, 453 00:21:25,022 --> 00:21:28,025 so she was on camera at a Kwik Trip near her home 454 00:21:28,025 --> 00:21:29,505 at the time of the homicides, 455 00:21:29,505 --> 00:21:31,507 not anywhere near her parents. 456 00:21:31,507 --> 00:21:34,292 [Narrator] While Cindy is ruled out as the shooter, 457 00:21:34,292 --> 00:21:36,860 her husband, Patrick, comes into focus. 458 00:21:36,860 --> 00:21:40,124 Family and friends said that Patrick did not get along 459 00:21:40,124 --> 00:21:41,995 with Dennis and Merna, 460 00:21:41,995 --> 00:21:46,304 and Patrick stood to inherit a substantial amount of money 461 00:21:46,304 --> 00:21:48,306 along with Cindy. 462 00:21:48,306 --> 00:21:51,004 Dennis did not like her husband at all. 463 00:21:51,004 --> 00:21:54,834 He told me that Cindy's husband married Cindy for the money 464 00:21:54,834 --> 00:21:58,098 'cause he knew that Dennis and Merna had money. 465 00:21:58,098 --> 00:22:00,797 Dennis always complained that his son-in-law, Patrick, 466 00:22:00,797 --> 00:22:02,276 was worthless 467 00:22:02,276 --> 00:22:04,540 and that he didn't wanna work. 468 00:22:04,540 --> 00:22:07,194 He sits and plays with the video games, 469 00:22:07,194 --> 00:22:09,762 and he's too lazy to go find a job. 470 00:22:09,762 --> 00:22:11,634 [Narrator] Investigators dig deeper 471 00:22:11,634 --> 00:22:14,680 into Patrick's relationship with his in-laws. 472 00:22:15,464 --> 00:22:17,422 Talking to family and friends, 473 00:22:17,422 --> 00:22:20,643 we learned that Dennis and Merna were upset 474 00:22:20,643 --> 00:22:23,515 when Patrick and Cindy got married. 475 00:22:23,515 --> 00:22:26,866 They asked Cindy not to marry him. 476 00:22:26,866 --> 00:22:29,434 They felt that he lacked motivation, 477 00:22:29,434 --> 00:22:32,785 and they remained unhappy with him. 478 00:22:32,785 --> 00:22:35,135 I think the feeling was mutual. 479 00:22:35,135 --> 00:22:37,137 According to some reports, 480 00:22:37,137 --> 00:22:39,139 when there was alcohol involved, 481 00:22:39,139 --> 00:22:41,098 he had been a violent person. 482 00:22:41,098 --> 00:22:45,145 Apparently the Friday morning of the homicides, 483 00:22:45,145 --> 00:22:48,453 Cindy told Patrick that they were not gonna be getting 484 00:22:48,453 --> 00:22:50,063 any more money. 485 00:22:50,063 --> 00:22:51,587 People were saying that Patrick 486 00:22:51,587 --> 00:22:54,067 was even more angry than Cindy 487 00:22:54,067 --> 00:22:57,462 that they were being cut off financially. 488 00:22:58,202 --> 00:23:00,291 It was a large red flag. 489 00:23:00,291 --> 00:23:01,423 [Narrator] Detectives also 490 00:23:01,423 --> 00:23:03,337 learn Patrick had the capability 491 00:23:03,337 --> 00:23:05,949 to pull off an execution-style hit. 492 00:23:05,949 --> 00:23:08,908 Eric and other relatives were now pointing us 493 00:23:08,908 --> 00:23:09,996 toward Patrick, 494 00:23:09,996 --> 00:23:11,868 saying that he was a Marine 495 00:23:12,869 --> 00:23:15,219 and that he knew how to handle weapons. 496 00:23:16,612 --> 00:23:19,136 It certainly moves Patrick up to the top of the list, 497 00:23:19,136 --> 00:23:20,877 as far as suspects. 498 00:23:31,017 --> 00:23:32,062 [Narrator] Police hunting 499 00:23:32,062 --> 00:23:33,977 the killer of Dennis and Merna Koula 500 00:23:33,977 --> 00:23:36,545 believe their son-in-law, Patrick Cowell, 501 00:23:36,545 --> 00:23:38,503 has motive for murder. 502 00:23:39,504 --> 00:23:41,506 Patrick was a great interest to us 503 00:23:41,506 --> 00:23:45,989 because he did not get along with Dennis and Merna, 504 00:23:45,989 --> 00:23:49,253 and he stood to inherit a lot of money, 505 00:23:49,253 --> 00:23:51,603 so it certainly is motive, 506 00:23:51,603 --> 00:23:53,649 and Patrick was in the Marine Corps, 507 00:23:53,649 --> 00:23:57,653 so he would be an expert marksman. 508 00:23:57,653 --> 00:24:00,699 When I heard that the police are starting to question him, 509 00:24:00,699 --> 00:24:04,355 I thought maybe after Dennis mentioned cutting them off, 510 00:24:04,355 --> 00:24:08,054 that might've triggered his son-in-law to kill them both. 511 00:24:09,229 --> 00:24:10,579 [Narrator] At the police station, 512 00:24:10,579 --> 00:24:13,930 detectives confront Patrick about his relationship 513 00:24:13,930 --> 00:24:15,409 with his in-laws. 514 00:24:15,409 --> 00:24:18,804 Patrick said that he was not popular in that family, 515 00:24:18,804 --> 00:24:21,328 that he was not comfortable with them, 516 00:24:21,328 --> 00:24:23,287 they weren't comfortable with him. 517 00:24:23,287 --> 00:24:25,550 It was kind of a cold relationship. 518 00:24:25,550 --> 00:24:28,597 He knew from Cindy that they were being cut off 519 00:24:28,597 --> 00:24:30,468 from Dennis and Merna. 520 00:24:30,468 --> 00:24:31,948 He wasn't happy about it, 521 00:24:31,948 --> 00:24:34,559 but he denied having any involvement in the homicides. 522 00:24:35,734 --> 00:24:38,607 [Narrator] Investigators press Patrick about where he was 523 00:24:38,607 --> 00:24:40,652 at the time of the murders. 524 00:24:40,652 --> 00:24:44,003 He was without a job at the time, 525 00:24:44,003 --> 00:24:48,007 and basically he spent most of his day on the sofa 526 00:24:48,007 --> 00:24:49,922 with a XBOX. 527 00:24:49,922 --> 00:24:52,534 We asked if he had any guns in the house, 528 00:24:52,534 --> 00:24:54,884 and he agreed that he did. 529 00:24:54,884 --> 00:24:57,582 We asked if he would turn those over to us, 530 00:24:57,582 --> 00:24:59,366 and he said he would. 531 00:25:00,585 --> 00:25:01,804 [Narrator] As detectives wrap up 532 00:25:01,804 --> 00:25:03,327 their interview with Patrick, 533 00:25:03,327 --> 00:25:04,894 patrol officers are dispatched 534 00:25:04,894 --> 00:25:07,070 to collect the gun and gaming console, 535 00:25:07,070 --> 00:25:09,594 which are then sent on to the crime lab. 536 00:25:09,594 --> 00:25:11,204 The gun had been analyzed 537 00:25:11,204 --> 00:25:15,644 and, in fact, was eliminated as the weapon used 538 00:25:15,644 --> 00:25:17,297 to kill Dennis and Merna. 539 00:25:17,297 --> 00:25:20,866 Also, we were able to prove through the crime lab 540 00:25:20,866 --> 00:25:24,740 that he was on the XBOX at the time he said he was, 541 00:25:25,567 --> 00:25:28,221 and so that eliminated him 542 00:25:28,221 --> 00:25:30,006 because he was home at the time 543 00:25:30,006 --> 00:25:32,878 that Dennis and Merna were killed. 544 00:25:33,923 --> 00:25:35,185 [Narrator] With Patrick ruled out, 545 00:25:35,185 --> 00:25:38,405 police are left scrambling for new suspects. 546 00:25:38,405 --> 00:25:42,627 The unsolved homicides leave the community on edge. 547 00:25:42,627 --> 00:25:45,151 When a crime like this happens in a small town, 548 00:25:45,151 --> 00:25:46,675 like Barre Mills, 549 00:25:46,675 --> 00:25:49,068 there's a lot of pressure 550 00:25:49,068 --> 00:25:51,331 on law enforcement to get it solved. 551 00:25:51,331 --> 00:25:52,855 People want answers. 552 00:25:52,855 --> 00:25:54,639 These aren't strangers to them. 553 00:25:54,639 --> 00:25:56,641 These are people they know. 554 00:25:56,641 --> 00:25:58,295 People in that neighborhood were fearful. 555 00:25:58,295 --> 00:26:00,819 You know, the closer you are to something like that, 556 00:26:00,819 --> 00:26:02,821 the more concerned you are. 557 00:26:02,821 --> 00:26:04,475 We were kinda scared for our lives 558 00:26:04,475 --> 00:26:07,870 'cause we didn't know why something like this would happen. 559 00:26:07,870 --> 00:26:09,306 [Narrator] Looking for new leads, 560 00:26:09,306 --> 00:26:12,831 investigators dig into Dennis's business connections 561 00:26:12,831 --> 00:26:16,400 and the wealthy pharmacist's other ventures around town. 562 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,621 Dennis had a nephew, Nick Harring, 563 00:26:19,621 --> 00:26:22,928 who was promised a business from Dennis. 564 00:26:22,928 --> 00:26:25,322 They were gonna open a car dealership together 565 00:26:25,322 --> 00:26:26,758 and actually did. 566 00:26:26,758 --> 00:26:30,762 What we understood was that Nick was very familiar 567 00:26:30,762 --> 00:26:35,549 with running car dealerships and had done a good job. 568 00:26:35,549 --> 00:26:36,855 [Narrator] Business was good 569 00:26:36,855 --> 00:26:39,684 but then Dennis changed the deal. 570 00:26:39,684 --> 00:26:42,513 As the dealership was up and running, 571 00:26:42,513 --> 00:26:43,993 Dennis brought Eric, his son, 572 00:26:43,993 --> 00:26:46,604 in to start running it with Nick, 573 00:26:46,604 --> 00:26:48,562 and there was some jealousy, 574 00:26:48,562 --> 00:26:51,087 maybe bad blood between the two. 575 00:26:51,087 --> 00:26:53,916 Nick was complaining all the time, 576 00:26:53,916 --> 00:26:57,659 so Dennis had to go help out with the business. 577 00:26:57,659 --> 00:27:00,836 Dennis said they could not get along together, 578 00:27:00,836 --> 00:27:03,969 and he ended up buying Nick out. 579 00:27:03,969 --> 00:27:06,711 At that point, Nick was quite unhappy, 580 00:27:06,711 --> 00:27:09,192 and there was some falling out. 581 00:27:09,192 --> 00:27:12,586 [Narrator] Tension mounted until Dennis sold the business, 582 00:27:12,586 --> 00:27:14,371 leaving Nick resentful. 583 00:27:14,371 --> 00:27:17,766 Nick lost a pretty substantial amount of money, 584 00:27:17,766 --> 00:27:21,857 so he would certainly have reason to be upset. 585 00:27:21,857 --> 00:27:23,380 [Narrator] Could Nick have harbored 586 00:27:23,380 --> 00:27:25,817 a deadly desire for revenge? 587 00:27:25,817 --> 00:27:29,255 Police bring him into the station for questioning. 588 00:27:29,255 --> 00:27:31,083 We spoke to Nick Harring, 589 00:27:31,083 --> 00:27:34,783 and he admitted that the relationship had soured. 590 00:27:34,783 --> 00:27:36,828 Nick had said that Dennis had given him 591 00:27:36,828 --> 00:27:38,569 too low amount for the business 592 00:27:38,569 --> 00:27:41,615 and that he got cheated outta some profit. 593 00:27:41,615 --> 00:27:44,749 Nick felt that he had been treated badly, 594 00:27:44,749 --> 00:27:47,578 basically kicked to the curb by his uncle. 595 00:27:47,578 --> 00:27:49,145 [Narrator] Despite the bad blood, 596 00:27:49,145 --> 00:27:52,714 Nick insists he's not involved in the murders. 597 00:27:52,714 --> 00:27:55,238 Nick said that it was in the past, 598 00:27:55,238 --> 00:27:57,457 that he had started his own car dealership. 599 00:27:57,457 --> 00:28:01,940 He was successful and that, although it was upsetting, 600 00:28:01,940 --> 00:28:03,768 he wouldn't hold a grudge, 601 00:28:03,768 --> 00:28:06,815 and he had no reason to kill Dennis and Merna. 602 00:28:07,816 --> 00:28:11,254 Nick said that he had worked until about 5:30. 603 00:28:11,254 --> 00:28:14,605 Then he had picked up his girlfriend, 604 00:28:14,605 --> 00:28:17,042 and they'd gone out to the tavern. 605 00:28:18,217 --> 00:28:20,959 We were able to confirm that he was at work all day, 606 00:28:20,959 --> 00:28:24,833 and then the bartender where they were at could confirm 607 00:28:24,833 --> 00:28:27,749 that he and his girlfriend had spent the evening there, 608 00:28:27,749 --> 00:28:31,317 and so we were able to eliminate him. 609 00:28:31,317 --> 00:28:34,103 [Narrator] Having ruled out yet another suspect, 610 00:28:34,103 --> 00:28:38,847 the investigation into the Koula murders hits a road block. 611 00:28:38,847 --> 00:28:40,065 It was very disturbing 612 00:28:40,065 --> 00:28:42,764 because it just seemed to make no sense. 613 00:28:42,764 --> 00:28:46,724 Here's a couple that are retirement age, 614 00:28:46,724 --> 00:28:49,945 had long, successful careers. 615 00:28:49,945 --> 00:28:53,644 For someone to come in and just murder them, 616 00:28:53,644 --> 00:28:55,167 It's senseless, 617 00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:57,909 but we were still trying to understand who would do that 618 00:28:57,909 --> 00:28:59,955 and what would be the motive. 619 00:29:01,870 --> 00:29:03,523 [Narrator] One week after the murders, 620 00:29:03,523 --> 00:29:07,136 police receive news that jolts the investigation 621 00:29:07,136 --> 00:29:08,528 back to life. 622 00:29:08,528 --> 00:29:11,444 We get a call that a patrol car's being sent out 623 00:29:11,444 --> 00:29:12,837 to Eric Koula's residence 624 00:29:12,837 --> 00:29:16,406 for a suspicious item in the mailbox. 625 00:29:16,406 --> 00:29:19,235 Eric said that he had got a threatening letter. 626 00:29:19,975 --> 00:29:22,107 He was now extremely concerned 627 00:29:22,107 --> 00:29:24,022 that he was going to get killed. 628 00:29:31,508 --> 00:29:34,076 [Narrator] One week after Dennis and Merna Koula 629 00:29:34,076 --> 00:29:36,992 are ruthlessly gunned down in their own home, 630 00:29:36,992 --> 00:29:39,559 police learn their 40-year-old son, Eric, 631 00:29:39,559 --> 00:29:41,866 has received a threatening note. 632 00:29:41,866 --> 00:29:43,955 Could he be the next target? 633 00:29:43,955 --> 00:29:47,045 Someone had put this note in his mailbox. 634 00:29:47,045 --> 00:29:49,569 He was really, really concerned. 635 00:29:49,569 --> 00:29:52,398 This note said, "Fixed you." 636 00:29:53,617 --> 00:29:55,793 The message is kind of unusual, 637 00:29:55,793 --> 00:29:57,751 but Eric thought they'd killed his parents 638 00:29:57,751 --> 00:29:59,666 and were now gonna come after him. 639 00:29:59,666 --> 00:30:04,541 He had no idea who would've left it or where it came from. 640 00:30:04,541 --> 00:30:07,936 There was an envelope but it wasn't mailed. 641 00:30:07,936 --> 00:30:10,025 The handwriting looked like it was done 642 00:30:10,025 --> 00:30:12,549 by someone very young. 643 00:30:12,549 --> 00:30:13,898 It was so strange. 644 00:30:13,898 --> 00:30:15,900 It was probably written that way 645 00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:19,599 so a handwriting analysis couldn't be done. 646 00:30:20,818 --> 00:30:22,124 [Narrator] When it comes to Eric's safety, 647 00:30:22,124 --> 00:30:24,996 detectives don't take any chances. 648 00:30:24,996 --> 00:30:28,173 We have to try to figure out what was going on. 649 00:30:28,173 --> 00:30:31,611 We had an investigator and a camera to watch his property 650 00:30:31,611 --> 00:30:34,136 while we start canvassing Eric's neighborhood 651 00:30:34,136 --> 00:30:36,442 to see if anyone saw anything. 652 00:30:36,442 --> 00:30:38,401 [Narrator] But, with no witnesses, 653 00:30:38,401 --> 00:30:42,884 police are still left with no idea who placed the note. 654 00:30:42,884 --> 00:30:44,537 This is perplexing. 655 00:30:44,537 --> 00:30:48,802 We're trying to determine was this somebody local 656 00:30:48,802 --> 00:30:51,631 or was this someone from outta the area? 657 00:30:51,631 --> 00:30:53,895 We were very concerned. 658 00:30:53,895 --> 00:30:55,809 [Narrator] With this new potential threat, 659 00:30:55,809 --> 00:31:00,249 investigators cast a wider net to find the Koulas' killer, 660 00:31:00,249 --> 00:31:03,078 but when they scour Dennis and Merna's computers, 661 00:31:03,078 --> 00:31:04,949 phones, and finances, 662 00:31:04,949 --> 00:31:07,343 they're surprised at what they find. 663 00:31:07,343 --> 00:31:10,128 We subpoenaed Dennis and Merna's bank records 664 00:31:10,128 --> 00:31:12,957 and noticed that there's a check written and cashed 665 00:31:12,957 --> 00:31:16,482 on Dennis and Merna's account for $50,000. 666 00:31:17,527 --> 00:31:20,791 It's cashed on the day after the murder, 667 00:31:20,791 --> 00:31:23,359 and it's made out to Eric Koula 668 00:31:23,359 --> 00:31:27,363 and was deposited into Eric's bank account. 669 00:31:28,233 --> 00:31:30,279 It seemed really strange, 670 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:33,499 so you just found your parents dead, 671 00:31:33,499 --> 00:31:37,590 and the next day you go cash a check for $50K? 672 00:31:37,590 --> 00:31:39,157 It had to be looked at. 673 00:31:39,157 --> 00:31:41,072 [Narrator] Detectives reach out to Eric, 674 00:31:41,072 --> 00:31:43,118 hoping to learn more details. 675 00:31:43,118 --> 00:31:45,642 Eric's explanation is his dad gave it to him 676 00:31:45,642 --> 00:31:49,646 on the day that he had stopped over at his parents' house. 677 00:31:49,646 --> 00:31:50,995 That's very interesting 678 00:31:50,995 --> 00:31:53,998 because all the conversations we had with Eric, 679 00:31:53,998 --> 00:31:55,434 he never mentioned this, 680 00:31:55,434 --> 00:32:00,178 and suddenly we have a check for $50,000, 681 00:32:00,178 --> 00:32:02,137 and if everything was okay, 682 00:32:02,137 --> 00:32:04,095 why wouldn't he tell us about it? 683 00:32:05,053 --> 00:32:08,012 To have a check that was deposited 684 00:32:08,012 --> 00:32:12,364 the day after the murders by a family member, 685 00:32:12,364 --> 00:32:15,672 that set off alarms for investigators. 686 00:32:17,065 --> 00:32:19,850 After we find that check, 687 00:32:19,850 --> 00:32:23,723 we look for other checks. 688 00:32:23,723 --> 00:32:26,204 We used a forensic accountant 689 00:32:26,204 --> 00:32:29,599 to review Eric's finances 690 00:32:29,599 --> 00:32:32,602 because it was quite complicated with the day trading 691 00:32:32,602 --> 00:32:34,256 that he was involved in. 692 00:32:34,256 --> 00:32:36,388 When the accountant went through it with us 693 00:32:36,388 --> 00:32:39,000 and explained what we were looking at, 694 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,566 I think we almost fell off our chairs 695 00:32:40,566 --> 00:32:45,832 because we had no idea that this was what was going on. 696 00:32:47,269 --> 00:32:49,749 He told everybody that he was extremely successful 697 00:32:49,749 --> 00:32:51,012 with his day trading, 698 00:32:51,012 --> 00:32:53,188 but Eric was broke. 699 00:32:54,145 --> 00:32:55,625 He was day trading but it was a myth, 700 00:32:55,625 --> 00:32:57,366 as far as making profit. 701 00:32:57,366 --> 00:33:01,457 The person looking at his financials basically called BS. 702 00:33:02,501 --> 00:33:04,895 She told us, "This guy's worth nothing. 703 00:33:04,895 --> 00:33:08,159 He's worth about $2,000 total." 704 00:33:08,159 --> 00:33:10,161 He was blowing smoke. 705 00:33:11,467 --> 00:33:13,860 [Narrator] Then, police uncover more startling information 706 00:33:13,860 --> 00:33:16,341 about Eric's financial circumstances. 707 00:33:16,341 --> 00:33:20,128 We learn that Eric was also going to his parents 708 00:33:20,128 --> 00:33:22,739 and receiving large amounts of money. 709 00:33:22,739 --> 00:33:26,438 Through the years, it was hundreds of thousands of dollars. 710 00:33:26,438 --> 00:33:30,138 He led everybody to believe that he was doing so well, 711 00:33:30,138 --> 00:33:31,704 including his wife. 712 00:33:31,704 --> 00:33:34,316 Eric told her that he was making a lotta money. 713 00:33:34,316 --> 00:33:37,014 There was nothing to worry about, 714 00:33:37,014 --> 00:33:39,756 that he was just doing great. 715 00:33:39,756 --> 00:33:41,671 Despite everyone's impression 716 00:33:41,671 --> 00:33:43,890 that Eric was this successful day trader, 717 00:33:43,890 --> 00:33:48,373 his parents had been funding his and his family's lifestyle. 718 00:33:49,592 --> 00:33:53,074 If he was gonna have to admit that to family and friends, 719 00:33:53,074 --> 00:33:55,641 it was going to be devastating. 720 00:33:56,816 --> 00:33:58,905 [Narrator] Detectives learn when Dennis and Merna 721 00:33:58,905 --> 00:34:02,213 stopped financially supporting their daughter, Cindy, 722 00:34:02,213 --> 00:34:04,607 they also cut off Eric. 723 00:34:04,607 --> 00:34:08,915 We knew just shortly before Dennis and Merna were killed, 724 00:34:08,915 --> 00:34:12,093 Eric found out that he was no longer getting money 725 00:34:12,093 --> 00:34:13,920 from his parents. 726 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,967 [Narrator] The damning evidence continues to pile up 727 00:34:16,967 --> 00:34:18,229 against Eric. 728 00:34:18,229 --> 00:34:21,450 Dennis told me he was giving money to Eric, 729 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:24,801 but basically he was done giving to both kids. 730 00:34:25,976 --> 00:34:29,284 He says, "I need to tell them I'm done supporting them. 731 00:34:29,284 --> 00:34:32,287 It's about time I put my foot down and cut them off." 732 00:34:33,375 --> 00:34:35,116 [Narrator] As investigators start to discover 733 00:34:35,116 --> 00:34:37,335 that Eric is not what he seems, 734 00:34:37,335 --> 00:34:39,903 shocking results come back from the lab. 735 00:34:39,903 --> 00:34:43,211 The state crime lab did a handwriting analysis 736 00:34:43,211 --> 00:34:46,431 on that check for $50,000. 737 00:34:46,431 --> 00:34:50,870 It wasn't Dennis's signature on that check. 738 00:34:51,828 --> 00:34:55,005 We found out that it was Eric's handwriting 739 00:34:55,005 --> 00:34:58,443 and that he had forged his father's name on that check. 740 00:34:59,444 --> 00:35:01,272 Everything he's told us is a lie, 741 00:35:01,272 --> 00:35:04,928 so things are starting to really roll toward Eric. 742 00:35:06,147 --> 00:35:08,410 [Narrator] Police obtain a warrant to search Eric's home, 743 00:35:08,410 --> 00:35:11,674 hoping to find additional incriminating evidence. 744 00:35:11,674 --> 00:35:13,241 We're in the basement. 745 00:35:13,241 --> 00:35:14,720 Among other things 746 00:35:15,678 --> 00:35:19,029 was a box of envelopes in a desk drawer. 747 00:35:19,029 --> 00:35:22,293 The "fixed you" note had a security envelope, 748 00:35:22,293 --> 00:35:24,469 and every one of 'em has a different pattern 749 00:35:24,469 --> 00:35:26,341 for their security pattern. 750 00:35:26,341 --> 00:35:29,082 Lo and behold, those envelopes have the same pattern. 751 00:35:29,082 --> 00:35:33,086 We were able to determine that envelope in Eric's mailbox 752 00:35:33,086 --> 00:35:34,218 with the "fixed you" note came 753 00:35:34,218 --> 00:35:37,352 from the box of envelopes in his home. 754 00:35:37,352 --> 00:35:39,658 From his fire pit in his backyard, 755 00:35:39,658 --> 00:35:43,096 we found things that would be associated 756 00:35:43,096 --> 00:35:45,403 with making a "fixed you" note. 757 00:35:45,403 --> 00:35:47,405 A spring from a spiral notebook, 758 00:35:47,405 --> 00:35:50,234 the letter was written on spiral notebook paper. 759 00:35:50,234 --> 00:35:53,019 A barrel of a pen used to write the address, 760 00:35:53,019 --> 00:35:55,152 those types of things are in the fire, 761 00:35:55,152 --> 00:35:58,373 so that "fixed you" note came from his house. 762 00:35:59,156 --> 00:36:01,071 It didn't look good for Eric. 763 00:36:01,071 --> 00:36:02,290 [Narrator] In the search, 764 00:36:02,290 --> 00:36:05,554 detectives also discover a .22 caliber rifle, 765 00:36:05,554 --> 00:36:08,992 similar to what police believe was the murder weapon. 766 00:36:08,992 --> 00:36:12,300 The gun is sent to the ballistics lab for testing. 767 00:36:12,300 --> 00:36:14,519 With the lies and forgery, 768 00:36:14,519 --> 00:36:17,914 we were pretty confident that Eric was our guy. 769 00:36:17,914 --> 00:36:22,005 But, at that point, Eric had an alibi for the entire time 770 00:36:22,005 --> 00:36:23,833 that the homicides were occurring, 771 00:36:23,833 --> 00:36:27,619 so we're trying to figure out how he shot Dennis and Merna. 772 00:36:35,671 --> 00:36:38,456 [Narrator] Detectives investigating the double homicide 773 00:36:38,456 --> 00:36:42,460 of Dennis and Merna Koula suspect the couple's own son, 774 00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:44,854 40-year-old Eric is the killer, 775 00:36:44,854 --> 00:36:47,639 but they need hard evidence to lay charges. 776 00:36:47,639 --> 00:36:51,817 We went out and started re-interviewing witnesses 777 00:36:51,817 --> 00:36:55,038 and reviewing all the evidence that we had. 778 00:36:56,431 --> 00:36:58,171 [Narrator] As detectives try to learn more details 779 00:36:58,171 --> 00:37:00,304 about Eric's connection to the crime, 780 00:37:00,304 --> 00:37:02,480 the ballistics results come back. 781 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,440 Police wonder if the rifle found in Eric's home 782 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,442 will prove to be the murder weapon. 783 00:37:07,442 --> 00:37:11,663 Dennis and Merna were shot with a .22 caliber rifle, 784 00:37:11,663 --> 00:37:14,318 but Eric's gun wasn't the gun 785 00:37:14,318 --> 00:37:16,494 that was involved in the crime. 786 00:37:16,494 --> 00:37:19,845 [Narrator] Undeterred, detectives re-check Eric's alibi 787 00:37:19,845 --> 00:37:22,587 for when his parents were being murdered. 788 00:37:22,587 --> 00:37:24,197 The time of death based on 789 00:37:24,197 --> 00:37:28,811 the computer analysis was 5:41 790 00:37:28,811 --> 00:37:30,943 on that Friday. 791 00:37:30,943 --> 00:37:32,423 Prior to the homicide, 792 00:37:32,423 --> 00:37:35,513 Eric said that he'd helped his buddy, Mike, 793 00:37:35,513 --> 00:37:37,472 renovating a bathroom. 794 00:37:37,472 --> 00:37:38,864 When we originally talked to Mike, 795 00:37:38,864 --> 00:37:43,695 he said that Eric had left his house about 5:30, 796 00:37:43,695 --> 00:37:45,523 but when we re-interviewed him, 797 00:37:45,523 --> 00:37:49,353 he said it's very possible it could've been earlier. 798 00:37:49,353 --> 00:37:51,312 Once Mike's story changed, 799 00:37:51,312 --> 00:37:53,923 we really thought that we were heading 800 00:37:53,923 --> 00:37:55,664 in the right direction. 801 00:37:55,664 --> 00:37:58,144 [Narrator] Investigators take a closer look 802 00:37:58,144 --> 00:37:59,755 at Eric's timeline. 803 00:37:59,755 --> 00:38:02,105 Eric had told us that he had gone to two stores 804 00:38:02,105 --> 00:38:03,933 after leaving his buddy's house 805 00:38:03,933 --> 00:38:07,371 to get a specific plant for his wife. 806 00:38:07,371 --> 00:38:09,242 At the time of the homicide, 807 00:38:09,242 --> 00:38:11,244 he had stopped at the first store, 808 00:38:11,244 --> 00:38:12,637 and that store didn't have it, 809 00:38:12,637 --> 00:38:14,683 so he had to go to the other store, 810 00:38:14,683 --> 00:38:17,729 got the plant and produced a receipt. 811 00:38:17,729 --> 00:38:20,645 [Narrator] Eric's receipt is stamped 6:15 PM. 812 00:38:20,645 --> 00:38:23,300 The second store is located only 10 minutes 813 00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:24,867 from the Koulas' residence, 814 00:38:24,867 --> 00:38:29,393 but where was Eric at 5:41 when his parents were being shot? 815 00:38:29,393 --> 00:38:31,439 We checked with the garden center 816 00:38:31,439 --> 00:38:33,136 at the first one he went to, 817 00:38:33,136 --> 00:38:36,574 and they had plenty of those plants on the day and time 818 00:38:36,574 --> 00:38:39,055 that Eric said that they didn't have any. 819 00:38:39,055 --> 00:38:42,972 We also reviewed video footage, 820 00:38:42,972 --> 00:38:44,539 and he's not there, 821 00:38:44,539 --> 00:38:48,934 nor is his vehicle seen coming or leaving the parking lot, 822 00:38:48,934 --> 00:38:52,590 so there was a window of opportunity 823 00:38:52,590 --> 00:38:54,462 for Eric to commit the murders. 824 00:38:55,419 --> 00:38:57,421 He had no alibi for the time 825 00:38:57,421 --> 00:39:00,293 that the computer showed that Merna was shot. 826 00:39:00,293 --> 00:39:02,339 [Narrator] With Eric's alibi torn apart, 827 00:39:02,339 --> 00:39:05,429 detectives bring him in for another interview. 828 00:39:05,429 --> 00:39:07,213 They begin by confronting Eric 829 00:39:07,213 --> 00:39:10,086 about forging the $50,000 check. 830 00:39:10,086 --> 00:39:13,437 Eric explained that he had permission from his dad 831 00:39:13,437 --> 00:39:15,091 to write checks out to himself 832 00:39:15,091 --> 00:39:18,442 and that his dad had actually given him the check 833 00:39:18,442 --> 00:39:20,662 but just was too busy, 834 00:39:20,662 --> 00:39:22,664 so told him to sign it himself. 835 00:39:22,664 --> 00:39:24,883 He told us, "I write 'em all the time," 836 00:39:24,883 --> 00:39:28,017 and that that was commonplace for him to do that. 837 00:39:29,627 --> 00:39:32,325 It's a lie and a provable one. 838 00:39:32,325 --> 00:39:33,892 He's never written one. 839 00:39:33,892 --> 00:39:36,721 He couldn't produce a single check that he had ever written. 840 00:39:36,721 --> 00:39:39,463 He was confronted with the "fixed you" note 841 00:39:39,463 --> 00:39:41,509 and about the envelopes 842 00:39:41,509 --> 00:39:43,685 and that they did come from his house. 843 00:39:43,685 --> 00:39:47,515 With what we found and what we knew about his financials, 844 00:39:47,515 --> 00:39:50,518 all of those things together are great evidence. 845 00:39:51,736 --> 00:39:56,001 We just went down item after item after item after item, 846 00:39:56,001 --> 00:39:59,265 and Eric acted, in my opinion, desperate, 847 00:39:59,265 --> 00:40:01,180 and he wanted to leave. 848 00:40:01,180 --> 00:40:04,445 [Narrator] But Eric was no longer free to go. 849 00:40:04,445 --> 00:40:08,666 On July 29th, 2010, police charge Eric 850 00:40:08,666 --> 00:40:12,191 with the murder of his parents, Dennis and Merna Koula. 851 00:40:12,191 --> 00:40:16,761 What we believe started this whole crime in motion 852 00:40:16,761 --> 00:40:21,462 was the fact that Eric was being cut off financially. 853 00:40:21,462 --> 00:40:22,854 He was desperate. 854 00:40:22,854 --> 00:40:24,639 [Narrator] Detectives piece together 855 00:40:24,639 --> 00:40:27,032 how the double homicide unfolded. 856 00:40:27,032 --> 00:40:30,819 We believe he went to see his mom at their home, 857 00:40:30,819 --> 00:40:34,213 and Merna was sitting at the computer, 858 00:40:34,953 --> 00:40:38,217 and then Eric walked upstairs, 859 00:40:38,217 --> 00:40:41,525 got the gun that was located in the closet, 860 00:40:41,525 --> 00:40:43,919 came down and shot his mother, 861 00:40:44,963 --> 00:40:46,922 and then waited for his father to arrive. 862 00:40:48,140 --> 00:40:49,838 When Dennis came home, 863 00:40:53,319 --> 00:40:54,799 he was shot almost immediately 864 00:40:54,799 --> 00:40:57,715 within seconds after he walked through that door. 865 00:40:58,890 --> 00:41:01,284 [Narrator] After the murders, Eric wipes the gun clean 866 00:41:01,284 --> 00:41:02,938 and returns it to the closet. 867 00:41:02,938 --> 00:41:07,072 Eric then took a check and said to himself, 868 00:41:07,072 --> 00:41:11,120 "$50,000'll get me through until the will is settled." 869 00:41:11,947 --> 00:41:13,252 After he shot his parents, 870 00:41:13,252 --> 00:41:15,298 he went to a garden center, 871 00:41:15,298 --> 00:41:17,561 bought the plant for his alibi, 872 00:41:17,561 --> 00:41:19,737 and went home to celebrate 873 00:41:19,737 --> 00:41:22,697 their anniversary dinner that night. 874 00:41:22,697 --> 00:41:25,438 He's as cold-blooded as a murder-for-hire man. 875 00:41:25,438 --> 00:41:27,484 His parents did nothing but love him 876 00:41:27,484 --> 00:41:29,094 and take care of him his whole life. 877 00:41:29,094 --> 00:41:31,749 He's a narcissistic little son of a bitch 878 00:41:31,749 --> 00:41:36,275 and thought that his dad owed him a living. 879 00:41:38,016 --> 00:41:41,280 [Narrator] Eric Koula's arrest stuns the community. 880 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,761 Everyone thought that he was this golden child, 881 00:41:43,761 --> 00:41:45,807 that he had a great relationship with his parents, 882 00:41:45,807 --> 00:41:48,679 that he was this successful day trader. 883 00:41:48,679 --> 00:41:50,289 That he could have done this? 884 00:41:50,289 --> 00:41:52,074 People were shocked. 885 00:41:52,074 --> 00:41:55,033 I would've never expected Eric to do this. 886 00:41:56,644 --> 00:41:59,298 The way Dennis talked about him, 887 00:41:59,298 --> 00:42:01,953 always bragged about his son, 888 00:42:01,953 --> 00:42:05,348 and never thought he was the kind of person 889 00:42:05,348 --> 00:42:07,437 that would do something like that. 890 00:42:08,438 --> 00:42:10,440 [Narrator] In June 2012, 891 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:13,878 two years after Dennis and Merna Koula were killed, 892 00:42:13,878 --> 00:42:18,274 a jury finds their son, Eric, guilty of intentional murder. 893 00:42:18,274 --> 00:42:23,671 His sister, Cindy, during the sentencing hearing, 894 00:42:24,889 --> 00:42:27,979 was sobbing and she begged the judge in that courtroom 895 00:42:27,979 --> 00:42:30,895 to make sure justice was done that day. 896 00:42:30,895 --> 00:42:32,549 [Narrator] Eric Koula is sentenced 897 00:42:32,549 --> 00:42:34,812 to two consecutive life terms, 898 00:42:34,812 --> 00:42:37,249 plus six years for forgery. 899 00:42:37,249 --> 00:42:41,645 Many times, I've thought about how somebody could do that, 900 00:42:41,645 --> 00:42:46,824 and I just simply can't fathom it. 901 00:42:47,825 --> 00:42:49,653 I guess we all lose a bit of our innocence 902 00:42:49,653 --> 00:42:53,701 when this kind of thing happens. 903 00:42:55,093 --> 00:42:57,530 [Narrator] Merna and Dennis are still dearly missed 904 00:42:57,530 --> 00:42:59,707 by their family and friends. 905 00:42:59,707 --> 00:43:02,927 They were such a beautiful couple. 906 00:43:02,927 --> 00:43:05,974 They would give you their shirt off their back. 907 00:43:05,974 --> 00:43:08,890 I think of 'em very often, 908 00:43:09,934 --> 00:43:13,503 and my memory of Dennis is always a smiley face. 909 00:43:13,503 --> 00:43:14,983 I do miss him a lot. 910 00:43:15,810 --> 00:43:17,507 Sometimes I still think, 911 00:43:17,507 --> 00:43:21,076 "Boy, why did it have to be you?" 912 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:25,776 He'd still be living right now, 913 00:43:25,776 --> 00:43:28,692 happy life, probably retired, 914 00:43:28,692 --> 00:43:30,999 enjoying his grandkids, 915 00:43:30,999 --> 00:43:34,263 and Merna would probably still be dragging him on vacation.