1 00:00:01,021 --> 00:00:04,021 - ♪ 2 00:00:06,021 --> 00:00:09,021 - ♪ 3 00:00:10,021 --> 00:00:11,021 - FEMALE REPORTER: Becki Dillard was found dead. 4 00:00:11,021 --> 00:00:15,021 Authorities say this is near where Becki's body was found. 5 00:00:15,021 --> 00:00:17,021 They say she was near her car, 6 00:00:17,021 --> 00:00:18,021 but her injuries were not consistent 7 00:00:18,021 --> 00:00:21,021 with that of a car crash. 8 00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:22,021 - WARREN: The vehicle was still running, 9 00:00:22,021 --> 00:00:24,021 the young lady was laying in the roadway 10 00:00:25,021 --> 00:00:27,021 with a gunshot wound to her head. 11 00:00:27,021 --> 00:00:27,021 - DEBBIE: When Justin drank, 12 00:00:28,021 --> 00:00:30,021 he became a totally different person. 13 00:00:30,021 --> 00:00:32,021 He became angry. 14 00:00:32,021 --> 00:00:35,021 - JUSTIN: Every day, I've gone over what happened, 15 00:00:35,021 --> 00:00:37,021 if I could do anything different. 16 00:00:37,021 --> 00:00:39,021 - RIZWAN: A lot of cases turn on just luck. 17 00:00:39,021 --> 00:00:43,021 And that's what happened in this case. 18 00:00:43,021 --> 00:00:44,021 - CLINTON: Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. 19 00:00:45,021 --> 00:00:48,021 How far behind was I from the killer? 20 00:00:48,021 --> 00:00:49,021 - MALE NARRATOR: Five unique perspectives, 21 00:00:49,021 --> 00:00:53,021 five points of view, one murder. 22 00:00:54,021 --> 00:00:55,021 - JUSTIN: I'm Becki Dillard's husband. 23 00:00:55,021 --> 00:00:56,021 - DEBBIE: I am Becki's mother. - CLINTON: I was 24 00:00:57,021 --> 00:00:58,021 the first responding trooper to the murder of Becki Dillard. 25 00:00:58,021 --> 00:00:59,021 - WARREN: I'm a criminal investigator. 26 00:00:59,021 --> 00:01:00,021 - RIZWAN: I was the prosecuting attorney. 27 00:01:00,021 --> 00:01:04,021 - ♪♪ 28 00:01:08,021 --> 00:01:11,021 - ♪ 29 00:01:11,021 --> 00:01:15,021 - My name is Justin Dillard. 30 00:01:15,021 --> 00:01:17,021 I'm Becki Dillard's husband. 31 00:01:18,021 --> 00:01:20,021 Becki was like a little bumblebee. 32 00:01:20,021 --> 00:01:22,021 She's ADHD, running around, touching everybody, 33 00:01:22,021 --> 00:01:25,021 making everybody's life happy. 34 00:01:25,021 --> 00:01:29,021 Like a little fairy, just as sweet as she could be. 35 00:01:29,021 --> 00:01:32,021 I loved that she could walk in a room, 36 00:01:32,021 --> 00:01:34,021 and it could be a bad day in that room, 37 00:01:34,021 --> 00:01:36,021 and she'd just turn it all around. 38 00:01:36,021 --> 00:01:39,021 "I'm here, here I am. Smile now, it's okay." 39 00:01:39,021 --> 00:01:42,021 We were doing pretty good, 40 00:01:42,021 --> 00:01:44,021 at that happily ever after fairytale, 41 00:01:44,021 --> 00:01:47,021 kind of what we wanted. 42 00:01:47,021 --> 00:01:51,021 Here--here we are, married down the road and kids. 43 00:01:51,021 --> 00:01:54,021 This is my best friend, my--my wife, 44 00:01:54,021 --> 00:01:55,021 mother of my kids. 45 00:01:55,021 --> 00:01:56,021 Uh, we were supposed to be together, 46 00:01:56,021 --> 00:02:00,021 arguing, bickering over her cooking 20 years from now. 47 00:02:03,021 --> 00:02:08,021 My life literally changed. 48 00:02:08,021 --> 00:02:11,021 All--all--it changed completely in one day. 49 00:02:11,021 --> 00:02:16,021 I have never felt the pain that I felt. 50 00:02:16,021 --> 00:02:18,021 I wouldn't wish this on anybody. 51 00:02:26,021 --> 00:02:27,021 It was Friday the 13th. 52 00:02:28,021 --> 00:02:29,021 I remember thinking, 53 00:02:29,021 --> 00:02:32,021 "Oh, Lord, here we go, what's gonna happen today?" 54 00:02:34,021 --> 00:02:37,021 Becki got home and changed 55 00:02:37,021 --> 00:02:40,021 and was getting ready to go to her sister's party. 56 00:02:40,021 --> 00:02:43,021 It was Sarah's 21st birthday party. 57 00:02:43,021 --> 00:02:44,021 She was already late. 58 00:02:44,021 --> 00:02:46,021 She had to get gas, she had to go back to Walmart, 59 00:02:46,021 --> 00:02:48,021 she was gonna pick something up for Sarah. 60 00:02:48,021 --> 00:02:49,021 I really didn't want to go. 61 00:02:50,021 --> 00:02:52,021 I...changed my mind two or three times 62 00:02:52,021 --> 00:02:53,021 and finally I decided, "You know what? 63 00:02:53,021 --> 00:02:55,021 I'll just-- I'll just stay home." 64 00:02:58,021 --> 00:03:00,021 Well, at 9:30 that night, 65 00:03:00,021 --> 00:03:04,021 her brother had called and said, "Where's Becki?" 66 00:03:04,021 --> 00:03:07,021 "She should be there pretty soon, she left at 9." 67 00:03:07,021 --> 00:03:11,021 Ten o'clock came around and she still wasn't there. 68 00:03:11,021 --> 00:03:13,021 I talked to Sarah that time. 69 00:03:14,021 --> 00:03:16,021 And Sarah said, "Well, she should be here by now." 70 00:03:16,021 --> 00:03:18,021 And I said, "Well, yeah, she--she shou-- 71 00:03:18,021 --> 00:03:21,021 she should be there." And she still wasn't. 72 00:03:24,021 --> 00:03:26,021 By the third phone call, I was worried. 73 00:03:27,021 --> 00:03:29,021 And I thought, "Okay. Something ain't right." 74 00:03:30,021 --> 00:03:34,021 At that point, I knew it was not good. 75 00:03:36,021 --> 00:03:38,021 So like, "Okay, we need to go find out where she's at." 76 00:03:39,021 --> 00:03:41,021 So I call my friend, Lindsey, 77 00:03:41,021 --> 00:03:44,021 that was also her friend as well. 78 00:03:44,021 --> 00:03:47,021 I said, "Lindsey, come up here and get me." 79 00:03:47,021 --> 00:03:48,021 So, Lindsey says, "I'm on my way." 80 00:03:48,021 --> 00:03:51,021 And she comes and gets me and we tried to track her down, 81 00:03:51,021 --> 00:03:53,021 and we went where she was supposed to be going. 82 00:03:53,021 --> 00:03:57,021 We actually went to the gas station she was going to. 83 00:03:59,021 --> 00:04:03,021 We went the way she was going and... 84 00:04:03,021 --> 00:04:05,021 she wasn't on the side of the road. 85 00:04:05,021 --> 00:04:06,021 Nobody knows where she's at. 86 00:04:06,021 --> 00:04:09,021 And that's-- that's not like her. 87 00:04:10,021 --> 00:04:11,021 We always knew where everybody else was. 88 00:04:14,021 --> 00:04:16,021 We get to the party, and there's some police 89 00:04:16,021 --> 00:04:18,021 that wanna talk to me. 90 00:04:18,021 --> 00:04:20,021 They tell me that I need to come with them. 91 00:04:24,021 --> 00:04:27,021 I didn't think it had anything to do with Becki. 92 00:04:27,021 --> 00:04:32,021 My world was perfect, and... she's not supposed to be hurt, 93 00:04:32,021 --> 00:04:35,021 she's not supposed to be harmed, that never crossed my mind. 94 00:04:40,021 --> 00:04:44,021 When Becki and I met, we hit it off right off the bat. 95 00:04:47,021 --> 00:04:49,021 We became really close, really good friends. 96 00:04:49,021 --> 00:04:51,021 Becki was the new-- was the new girl. 97 00:04:51,021 --> 00:04:53,021 And you know, when somebody's new, 98 00:04:53,021 --> 00:04:55,021 everybody wants to find out about them, what they're doing, 99 00:04:55,021 --> 00:04:57,021 who they are, what's going on, and-- 100 00:04:57,021 --> 00:05:00,021 I had a small little crush on her. 101 00:05:00,021 --> 00:05:02,021 Our interests were very similar. 102 00:05:02,021 --> 00:05:05,021 She was into fashion and clothes, and hair 103 00:05:05,021 --> 00:05:09,021 and appearance--and I know that sounds vain--but... 104 00:05:09,021 --> 00:05:11,021 back then we were-- we were still in high school. 105 00:05:11,021 --> 00:05:12,021 We'd call each other and be like, 106 00:05:12,021 --> 00:05:14,021 "Well, what are you gonna wear? I'm gonna wear this." 107 00:05:14,021 --> 00:05:18,021 We were always inseparable, but we were for real together. 108 00:05:18,021 --> 00:05:23,021 We graduated high school in May and, by mid-June, 109 00:05:23,021 --> 00:05:26,021 she moved in with me and my mom. 110 00:05:29,021 --> 00:05:34,021 - ♪ 111 00:05:34,021 --> 00:05:36,021 - JUSTIN: I got to the police station. 112 00:05:38,021 --> 00:05:40,021 I sat there, and it seemed like I sat there 113 00:05:41,021 --> 00:05:44,021 forever and ever and ever before anybody even came in, 114 00:05:44,021 --> 00:05:48,021 and--and then this man came in. 115 00:05:49,021 --> 00:05:51,021 They wouldn't tell me anything. 116 00:05:52,021 --> 00:05:53,021 They wanted me to answer all these questions, 117 00:05:53,021 --> 00:05:55,021 but they would not answer any of mine. 118 00:05:56,021 --> 00:05:57,021 And finally, this older gentleman said, 119 00:05:57,021 --> 00:06:00,021 "Well, we found Becki without a pulse." 120 00:06:03,021 --> 00:06:06,021 I'll never forget the pain, the sickness. 121 00:06:09,021 --> 00:06:11,021 It is not something you can describe. 122 00:06:12,021 --> 00:06:16,021 When someone tells you your whole world is not alive, 123 00:06:16,021 --> 00:06:18,021 is gone, is dead, is over. 124 00:06:20,021 --> 00:06:21,021 That blunt. 125 00:06:21,021 --> 00:06:24,021 You don't just do that to somebody. 126 00:06:25,021 --> 00:06:28,021 They questioned me for-- it seemed like hours. 127 00:06:28,021 --> 00:06:30,021 They asked me questions like, 128 00:06:30,021 --> 00:06:33,021 "Do you have weapons? Do you have guns? 129 00:06:33,021 --> 00:06:35,021 "Is there anybody that would harm her? 130 00:06:35,021 --> 00:06:37,021 Would you harm her?" 131 00:06:37,021 --> 00:06:39,021 I watch enough TV to know that they come after 132 00:06:39,021 --> 00:06:44,021 the--the husband or the spouse in--in--in these situations. 133 00:06:44,021 --> 00:06:48,021 I thought, "Well, surely, they're gonna come after me." 134 00:06:51,021 --> 00:06:56,021 - ♪ 135 00:06:56,021 --> 00:06:57,021 - I'm Clinton Howell, 136 00:06:58,021 --> 00:06:59,021 I was the first responding trooper 137 00:06:59,021 --> 00:07:01,021 to the murder of Becki Dillard. 138 00:07:06,021 --> 00:07:08,021 I was north of West Plains on 63 Highway 139 00:07:08,021 --> 00:07:10,021 working some traffic that night. 140 00:07:11,021 --> 00:07:13,021 And Troup called me and informed me 141 00:07:13,021 --> 00:07:17,021 of a motor vehicle crash with injuries on FF Highway, 142 00:07:17,021 --> 00:07:18,021 in the southern part of Howell County. 143 00:07:19,021 --> 00:07:21,021 While I was in route, then I was advised that 144 00:07:21,021 --> 00:07:24,021 there may be a fatality involved. 145 00:07:24,021 --> 00:07:27,021 - [siren blaring] 146 00:07:30,021 --> 00:07:34,021 - I come around the corner, and there was a vehicle 147 00:07:34,021 --> 00:07:36,021 sitting on the left-hand side of the road in the grass 148 00:07:36,021 --> 00:07:38,021 still running. 149 00:07:38,021 --> 00:07:40,021 And I could see a-- a young lady laying 150 00:07:40,021 --> 00:07:41,021 near the center line all crumpled up, 151 00:07:41,021 --> 00:07:43,021 and there was a few people standing around. 152 00:07:46,021 --> 00:07:51,021 I jumped out of my car real quick... 153 00:07:51,021 --> 00:07:53,021 and went right to her right off the bat. 154 00:07:55,021 --> 00:07:58,021 I noticed blood on her scalp. 155 00:07:59,021 --> 00:08:04,021 Assessed her real quick, and she was already gone. 156 00:08:04,021 --> 00:08:05,021 There was nothing I could do for her at that point. 157 00:08:07,021 --> 00:08:10,021 This young lady was still very warm, 158 00:08:10,021 --> 00:08:13,021 it wasn't like she'd been laying there very long. 159 00:08:13,021 --> 00:08:15,021 It was an odd scenario because the vehicle didn't have 160 00:08:15,021 --> 00:08:18,021 any damage on it when I rolled up. 161 00:08:18,021 --> 00:08:20,021 And it was upright, sitting off in the grass 162 00:08:20,021 --> 00:08:22,021 like it had been pulled up there. 163 00:08:24,021 --> 00:08:29,021 So, my gut instinct was already going--going wild. 164 00:08:31,021 --> 00:08:33,021 Started looking around. 165 00:08:33,021 --> 00:08:37,021 Located a couple shell casings in the road near her body. 166 00:08:37,021 --> 00:08:40,021 They shined in my patrol car headlights. 167 00:08:43,021 --> 00:08:45,021 Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. 168 00:08:45,021 --> 00:08:48,021 Is there somebody out just 20 feet off the road 169 00:08:48,021 --> 00:08:49,021 in the brush? 170 00:08:50,021 --> 00:08:51,021 Because there's no lighting out there, 171 00:08:51,021 --> 00:08:53,021 and the only way the scene is lit up is 172 00:08:53,021 --> 00:08:54,021 with my patrol car headlights. 173 00:08:56,021 --> 00:08:59,021 I knew that I needed some help real quick. 174 00:08:59,021 --> 00:09:02,021 I immediately keyed up and-- and told Troup to get 175 00:09:02,021 --> 00:09:05,021 DDCC investigators in route. 176 00:09:07,021 --> 00:09:09,021 And as I'm waiting for my investigators 177 00:09:10,021 --> 00:09:11,021 and a backup to show up, 178 00:09:11,021 --> 00:09:13,021 and I'm telling everybody to stay put and not move 179 00:09:13,021 --> 00:09:18,021 because they're actively part of a crime scene. 180 00:09:18,021 --> 00:09:20,021 One of them could be the shooter. 181 00:09:20,021 --> 00:09:22,021 So, I visited with each one of them individually 182 00:09:23,021 --> 00:09:26,021 to try to assess them and their story, 183 00:09:26,021 --> 00:09:28,021 why they were there. 184 00:09:29,021 --> 00:09:32,021 There was no flags from anybody I talked to. 185 00:09:35,021 --> 00:09:40,021 I moved over to her vehicle, making sure not to touch it. 186 00:09:40,021 --> 00:09:44,021 Looked in it through the glass. 187 00:09:44,021 --> 00:09:45,021 I could shine my flashlight in there; 188 00:09:45,021 --> 00:09:47,021 I could see that the heater was on, 189 00:09:48,021 --> 00:09:49,021 and it was sitting there idling. 190 00:09:49,021 --> 00:09:51,021 Her purse was still there in the vehicle, 191 00:09:51,021 --> 00:09:52,021 it didn't appear to be disturbed. 192 00:09:52,021 --> 00:09:56,021 It was like, in the same spot where she had set it, 193 00:09:56,021 --> 00:09:57,021 over in the passenger side. 194 00:09:58,021 --> 00:10:00,021 When people break in and steal vehicles, 195 00:10:00,021 --> 00:10:03,021 of course they usually dump them or scatter stuff. 196 00:10:03,021 --> 00:10:05,021 Robbery was not a motive with this victim. 197 00:10:09,021 --> 00:10:11,021 When entry was made into the vehicle, 198 00:10:11,021 --> 00:10:14,021 it was made by Warren Wiedemann, our DDCC investigator. 199 00:10:17,021 --> 00:10:18,021 He looked in her purse; 200 00:10:18,021 --> 00:10:20,021 of course there was a driver's license. 201 00:10:20,021 --> 00:10:24,021 It was easy to make positive identification right there. 202 00:10:24,021 --> 00:10:28,021 Her name was Becki Dillard, from the West Plains area. 203 00:10:30,021 --> 00:10:31,021 The early assumption is that she was traveling 204 00:10:32,021 --> 00:10:34,021 to an undisclosed location-- we didn't know-- 205 00:10:34,021 --> 00:10:37,021 and for some reason she got flagged down 206 00:10:37,021 --> 00:10:40,021 and she exited her vehicle to get out and talk to them, 207 00:10:40,021 --> 00:10:43,021 and they shot her right there in the middle of the road. 208 00:10:44,021 --> 00:10:46,021 She would not stop in the middle of the night 209 00:10:46,021 --> 00:10:48,021 for a stranger, in the middle of nowhere 210 00:10:48,021 --> 00:10:50,021 on this old back road. 211 00:10:52,021 --> 00:10:54,021 It was blatantly obvious it was somebody that she knew 212 00:10:54,021 --> 00:10:57,021 and she felt comfortable with. 213 00:10:57,021 --> 00:10:59,021 Everything was intact, none of her clothing was ripped. 214 00:10:59,021 --> 00:11:02,021 There was no signs of no struggle, ah, 215 00:11:02,021 --> 00:11:08,021 so, all the obvious indicators are it was a hit. 216 00:11:08,021 --> 00:11:11,021 And it was our job to find out why... 217 00:11:11,021 --> 00:11:13,021 and get that person. 218 00:11:15,021 --> 00:11:16,021 If there's a fatality involved, 219 00:11:16,021 --> 00:11:19,021 then I have to notify next of kin and contact family, 220 00:11:19,021 --> 00:11:21,021 and we never do that by the phone. 221 00:11:21,021 --> 00:11:22,021 We always do it in person. 222 00:11:24,021 --> 00:11:27,021 Throughout our conversations with some of our local contacts 223 00:11:27,021 --> 00:11:28,021 and people, we were able to determine that Becki 224 00:11:28,021 --> 00:11:31,021 had a husband and his name was Justin Dillard. 225 00:11:33,021 --> 00:11:35,021 Of course, we don't rule out anybody at that early stage. 226 00:11:35,021 --> 00:11:37,021 Everybody is a suspect at that point. 227 00:11:37,021 --> 00:11:41,021 And we needed to interview him. 228 00:11:41,021 --> 00:11:45,021 We developed information that Becki's husband was at a party 229 00:11:46,021 --> 00:11:48,021 on a county road west of West Plains. 230 00:11:48,021 --> 00:11:50,021 So, me and a deputy rolled on to that location. 231 00:11:58,021 --> 00:12:01,021 - ♪ 232 00:12:01,021 --> 00:12:03,021 - CLINTON: We tell him that we have, you know, 233 00:12:03,021 --> 00:12:04,021 some bad news for him. 234 00:12:05,021 --> 00:12:06,021 Uh, he's distraught. 235 00:12:07,021 --> 00:12:08,021 Very, very, very dramatic. 236 00:12:09,021 --> 00:12:12,021 Some initial observations that made some flags go off 237 00:12:12,021 --> 00:12:16,021 from--from a--just an investigation standpoint. 238 00:12:16,021 --> 00:12:18,021 He's a young male married to a beautiful young woman 239 00:12:19,021 --> 00:12:21,021 with two beautiful kids, 240 00:12:21,021 --> 00:12:24,021 and he's wearing, uh, pink cowboy boots, 241 00:12:24,021 --> 00:12:26,021 a pink shirt, and has makeup on. 242 00:12:26,021 --> 00:12:30,021 And that may not be a flag in a metro area, 243 00:12:30,021 --> 00:12:35,021 but in rural Howell County, that's a huge flag. 244 00:12:37,021 --> 00:12:39,021 We had to figure out, was there, you know, 245 00:12:39,021 --> 00:12:41,021 extra marital affairs going on? 246 00:12:41,021 --> 00:12:43,021 Was there domestic violence? 247 00:12:43,021 --> 00:12:46,021 We placed him in a patrol car, 248 00:12:47,021 --> 00:12:48,021 headed towards the sheriff's office as quickly 249 00:12:48,021 --> 00:12:50,021 and safely as possible. 250 00:12:52,021 --> 00:12:55,021 At that point, it was time for me to step back out. 251 00:12:55,021 --> 00:12:57,021 When I left the sheriff's office that night, 252 00:12:57,021 --> 00:12:59,021 he was one of the suspects, definitely, in my mind. 253 00:12:59,021 --> 00:13:02,021 I just couldn't-- couldn't shake it. 254 00:13:06,021 --> 00:13:10,021 - ♪ 255 00:13:10,021 --> 00:13:11,021 - I am Debbie Talbert, Becki's mother. 256 00:13:18,021 --> 00:13:21,021 Around 2 o'clock that night, the phone rang. 257 00:13:21,021 --> 00:13:23,021 I got up and answer it. 258 00:13:25,021 --> 00:13:29,021 And it was Becki's father, Benny. 259 00:13:29,021 --> 00:13:33,021 He was crying, which is unusual for Benny, 260 00:13:33,021 --> 00:13:38,021 and he said, "Something has happened to Becki, 261 00:13:38,021 --> 00:13:40,021 and you need to come to the police station right now." 262 00:13:40,021 --> 00:13:44,021 - ♪ 263 00:13:44,021 --> 00:13:46,021 - DEBBIE: We got there to the police station. 264 00:13:48,021 --> 00:13:52,021 Charlie, who was Sarah's husband at the time, 265 00:13:52,021 --> 00:13:54,021 grabbed me and sat me down... 266 00:13:57,021 --> 00:13:59,021 and told me that Becki was gone. 267 00:14:02,021 --> 00:14:05,021 Before I even had a chance to racket that particular time, 268 00:14:05,021 --> 00:14:08,021 Justin comes running in the room, 269 00:14:08,021 --> 00:14:10,021 and grabs me by the head 270 00:14:10,021 --> 00:14:12,021 and said, "Oh, my God, oh, my God, Becki's dead," 271 00:14:12,021 --> 00:14:14,021 and started crying. 272 00:14:15,021 --> 00:14:19,021 I immediately, instead of crying, got angry, 273 00:14:19,021 --> 00:14:23,021 because I knew that he had done something. 274 00:14:28,021 --> 00:14:30,021 I wasn't surprised when Becki told me 275 00:14:30,021 --> 00:14:31,021 that she was seeing Justin. 276 00:14:34,021 --> 00:14:36,021 I thought he was a little feminine then, 277 00:14:36,021 --> 00:14:38,021 but he seemed to be a really nice boy, 278 00:14:38,021 --> 00:14:40,021 and they hit it off pretty good. 279 00:14:41,021 --> 00:14:42,021 Justin would listen to Becki, 280 00:14:43,021 --> 00:14:46,021 and he knew exactly what to say to her. 281 00:14:46,021 --> 00:14:51,021 He was a more softer person, more gentle. 282 00:14:51,021 --> 00:14:52,021 When Becki found out she was pregnant, 283 00:14:52,021 --> 00:14:54,021 she had a good support system on both sides. 284 00:14:56,021 --> 00:14:59,021 Both Becki and Justin wanted to go to cosmetology school. 285 00:14:59,021 --> 00:15:01,021 Justin's mom, Debra, took care of Koby 286 00:15:01,021 --> 00:15:04,021 while they went to school, 287 00:15:04,021 --> 00:15:06,021 and they were getting along really good, 288 00:15:06,021 --> 00:15:09,021 living in Debra's house. 289 00:15:16,021 --> 00:15:20,021 - ♪ 290 00:15:20,021 --> 00:15:21,021 - DEBBIE: When they were going to school, 291 00:15:21,021 --> 00:15:25,021 Justin started to drink a little bit more. 292 00:15:27,021 --> 00:15:29,021 I don't exactly know why. 293 00:15:29,021 --> 00:15:34,021 Maybe he was more scared of actually raising Koby 294 00:15:34,021 --> 00:15:38,021 and providing for Koby as a father. 295 00:15:40,021 --> 00:15:43,021 He was falling down on his duties as a provider 296 00:15:43,021 --> 00:15:45,021 for the family. 297 00:15:47,021 --> 00:15:50,021 And a lot of times he missed school because he overdrank 298 00:15:50,021 --> 00:15:52,021 the night before. 299 00:15:53,021 --> 00:15:56,021 It was causing a rift in their relationship. 300 00:15:57,021 --> 00:15:59,021 She didn't want to live in that house forever. 301 00:15:59,021 --> 00:16:02,021 She wanted her own house just like every person does. 302 00:16:04,021 --> 00:16:07,021 Becki was hoping that once they had saved up enough money, 303 00:16:07,021 --> 00:16:10,021 they could get a place of their own 304 00:16:10,021 --> 00:16:14,021 and they could actually make a go of being a happy family. 305 00:16:16,021 --> 00:16:20,021 Well, after Koby was about three and a half years old, 306 00:16:20,021 --> 00:16:22,021 Becki became pregnant again. 307 00:16:23,021 --> 00:16:25,021 She had asked Justin to stop drinking 308 00:16:25,021 --> 00:16:27,021 because she wanted to have another child. 309 00:16:28,021 --> 00:16:31,021 So, he did for a while, 310 00:16:31,021 --> 00:16:34,021 and then after she became pregnant again... 311 00:16:35,021 --> 00:16:38,021 he started drinking again. 312 00:16:39,021 --> 00:16:42,021 When Justin drank, he became a totally different person. 313 00:16:42,021 --> 00:16:45,021 He became angry at everything and everyone. 314 00:16:47,021 --> 00:16:51,021 I begged her to please come and stay with us, 315 00:16:51,021 --> 00:16:52,021 but she wouldn't do it. 316 00:16:53,021 --> 00:16:56,021 Becki did have some hope that they would be able 317 00:16:56,021 --> 00:16:58,021 to be together and make a happy family, 318 00:16:58,021 --> 00:17:01,021 but in my heart, I didn't see that happening. 319 00:17:04,021 --> 00:17:08,021 So, she started taking some of her check and hiding it. 320 00:17:11,021 --> 00:17:14,021 So that she would have some money eventually 321 00:17:14,021 --> 00:17:19,021 to get an apartment or a down payment on a home. 322 00:17:19,021 --> 00:17:25,021 She was trying to move out of the house with Justin 323 00:17:25,021 --> 00:17:28,021 and get out from underneath the chaos 324 00:17:28,021 --> 00:17:30,021 that was in the Dillard home. 325 00:17:33,021 --> 00:17:37,021 - ♪ 326 00:17:37,021 --> 00:17:38,021 - DEBBIE: Whenever someone is murdered, 327 00:17:38,021 --> 00:17:41,021 you usually look to the spouse first. 328 00:17:43,021 --> 00:17:44,021 On that particular night, 329 00:17:44,021 --> 00:17:47,021 Justin did show up at-- at Sarah's party 330 00:17:47,021 --> 00:17:50,021 at a particular time, and he was yelling, 331 00:17:50,021 --> 00:17:54,021 and crying out, "Where's Becki? Where's Becki?" 332 00:17:54,021 --> 00:17:56,021 And they didn't know what was going on. 333 00:17:57,021 --> 00:18:01,021 He was crying, "Oh, she's in a ditch somewhere dead." 334 00:18:05,021 --> 00:18:08,021 My whole family knew that Justin was involved 335 00:18:08,021 --> 00:18:10,021 in some way. 336 00:18:10,021 --> 00:18:12,021 They just had to prove it. 337 00:18:19,021 --> 00:18:20,021 - ♪ 338 00:18:20,021 --> 00:18:23,021 - DEBBIE: Whoever was in the truck following Becki 339 00:18:23,021 --> 00:18:25,021 had stopped her on the highway. 340 00:18:26,021 --> 00:18:29,021 There was a vehicle that came from the opposite direction. 341 00:18:31,021 --> 00:18:35,021 And they saw both vehicles stopped there. 342 00:18:49,021 --> 00:18:53,021 - DEBBIE: It was a big break in the case for the detectives 343 00:18:54,021 --> 00:18:58,021 because had not someone remembered seeing that truck 344 00:18:58,021 --> 00:19:00,021 on the road, they probably never would have 345 00:19:00,021 --> 00:19:03,021 been pointed in the right direction. 346 00:19:08,021 --> 00:19:11,021 - ♪ 347 00:19:11,021 --> 00:19:12,021 - My name is Warren Wiedemann 348 00:19:12,021 --> 00:19:14,021 with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. 349 00:19:14,021 --> 00:19:15,021 I'm a criminal investigator, 350 00:19:15,021 --> 00:19:18,021 and I assisted in the investigation 351 00:19:18,021 --> 00:19:20,021 in the homicide of Becki Dillard. 352 00:19:22,021 --> 00:19:25,021 - ♪ 353 00:19:25,021 --> 00:19:26,021 - WARREN: When I advised Justin of his Miranda Rights, 354 00:19:27,021 --> 00:19:30,021 he became extremely emotional, 355 00:19:30,021 --> 00:19:33,021 to the point of almost being hysterical. 356 00:19:34,021 --> 00:19:38,021 It was obvious that he was under the influence of something. 357 00:19:38,021 --> 00:19:40,021 We weren't really getting a whole lot out of him. 358 00:19:40,021 --> 00:19:42,021 He was leaning forward and just rocking 359 00:19:42,021 --> 00:19:45,021 side to side and crying. 360 00:19:45,021 --> 00:19:47,021 He just didn't seem that concerned to help us. 361 00:19:47,021 --> 00:19:49,021 He was more worried about his own emotions 362 00:19:49,021 --> 00:19:53,021 than he was trying to figure out what happened to his wife. 363 00:19:53,021 --> 00:19:54,021 We didn't have enough to take him into custody, 364 00:19:54,021 --> 00:19:57,021 but we still felt it was very possible that he was involved 365 00:19:57,021 --> 00:19:59,021 in, uh, this death. 366 00:20:15,021 --> 00:20:17,021 - WARREN: Lieutenant Gary Lamb and I began to interview 367 00:20:18,021 --> 00:20:19,021 numerous people that had been at the party. 368 00:20:22,021 --> 00:20:25,021 Dean Ellis's name came up quite a bit. 369 00:20:25,021 --> 00:20:28,021 We find out that Dean Ellis was actually Justin's father, 370 00:20:28,021 --> 00:20:31,021 who had had nothing to do with Justin for about 15 years. 371 00:20:32,021 --> 00:20:34,021 And, uh, it was my understanding that Dean Ellis was having 372 00:20:34,021 --> 00:20:38,021 some heart problems and had decided he wanted to basically 373 00:20:38,021 --> 00:20:40,021 reconnect with his family and get to know his son. 374 00:20:40,021 --> 00:20:42,021 So, Dean Ellis, just a short time before this, 375 00:20:42,021 --> 00:20:46,021 had actually moved back into Debra Dillard's residence 376 00:20:46,021 --> 00:20:48,021 with Debra Dillard and her current boyfriend, 377 00:20:48,021 --> 00:20:52,021 and Becki Dillard and her husband, Justin. 378 00:20:52,021 --> 00:20:55,021 So it's a little unusual having your father living 379 00:20:55,021 --> 00:20:58,021 with your mother and your mother's boyfriend 380 00:20:58,021 --> 00:20:59,021 all in the same residence. 381 00:21:01,021 --> 00:21:04,021 We'd gone back to the residence to photograph vehicles, 382 00:21:04,021 --> 00:21:08,021 to check for any firearms and--and other weapons 383 00:21:08,021 --> 00:21:10,021 at the residence. 384 00:21:10,021 --> 00:21:12,021 And then when Dean was there, uh, as he came out, you know, 385 00:21:12,021 --> 00:21:14,021 I asked if he'd be willing to talk to me. 386 00:21:18,021 --> 00:21:19,021 He was--older man, did not seem very healthy, 387 00:21:20,021 --> 00:21:23,021 did not get around real well. 388 00:21:23,021 --> 00:21:24,021 It just did not appear that he was involved, 389 00:21:24,021 --> 00:21:28,021 he didn't have the--the ability to leave the residence. 390 00:21:28,021 --> 00:21:31,021 He was--was pretty open with discussing, you know, 391 00:21:31,021 --> 00:21:32,021 the coming and goings at the house, 392 00:21:32,021 --> 00:21:34,021 of--of Becki getting home from work, 393 00:21:34,021 --> 00:21:36,021 of Debra Dillard going to run errands, 394 00:21:36,021 --> 00:21:38,021 about what time people got home. 395 00:21:38,021 --> 00:21:39,021 It did stand out to me when he told me 396 00:21:39,021 --> 00:21:42,021 that Billy Eastep had been sleeping all evening 397 00:21:42,021 --> 00:21:44,021 through all of this. 398 00:21:44,021 --> 00:21:46,021 Billy Eastep's name had come up during the investigation, 399 00:21:46,021 --> 00:21:49,021 that was Debra Dillard's boyfriend and lived with her. 400 00:21:51,021 --> 00:21:52,021 I specifically asked him, 401 00:21:52,021 --> 00:21:54,021 "How do you know that he was sleeping?" 402 00:21:54,021 --> 00:21:55,021 And that's when he pointed out that-- 403 00:21:55,021 --> 00:21:58,021 that that's what Debra Dillard had told him to tell us. 404 00:21:59,021 --> 00:22:02,021 Now it seemed unusual that Debra Dillard is providing 405 00:22:02,021 --> 00:22:04,021 alibis for Billy Eastep. 406 00:22:05,021 --> 00:22:07,021 That was definitely a red flag. 407 00:22:12,021 --> 00:22:13,021 Our initial interview with Billy, 408 00:22:14,021 --> 00:22:15,021 basically we were just trying to kind of go through 409 00:22:15,021 --> 00:22:17,021 the timeline of the previous day. 410 00:22:20,021 --> 00:22:21,021 It seemed like he was trying to distance himself 411 00:22:21,021 --> 00:22:26,021 from everything and just say he was asleep and knew nothing. 412 00:22:28,021 --> 00:22:32,021 Uh, I felt like he was holding information back. 413 00:22:33,021 --> 00:22:36,021 Between Debra Dillard, Justin Dillard, 414 00:22:36,021 --> 00:22:40,021 and Billy Eastep, we're really narrowing it down, 415 00:22:40,021 --> 00:22:42,021 but we're not sure if it's all of them, one of them. 416 00:22:42,021 --> 00:22:45,021 So, we're still looking for more physical evidence. 417 00:22:49,021 --> 00:22:53,021 About five days later, uh, a witness comes forward, 418 00:22:53,021 --> 00:22:55,021 and that was a big turning point in this investigation. 419 00:22:56,021 --> 00:22:57,021 And that was Tyler Bean. 420 00:22:59,021 --> 00:23:02,021 Tyler Bean was driving on Highway FF that night 421 00:23:02,021 --> 00:23:03,021 with his girlfriend. 422 00:23:04,021 --> 00:23:07,021 There was a vehicle sitting facing northbound 423 00:23:08,021 --> 00:23:10,021 with the headlights on, and when he went by, 424 00:23:11,021 --> 00:23:13,021 Tyler described that as this black Ford Explorer, 425 00:23:13,021 --> 00:23:16,021 and he said behind it was a--a Chevrolet pickup. 426 00:23:41,021 --> 00:23:44,021 - WARREN: That was absolutely a huge moment. 427 00:23:44,021 --> 00:23:46,021 Not only that somebody had drove by and saw this, 428 00:23:46,021 --> 00:23:49,021 but somebody who knew vehicles well 429 00:23:49,021 --> 00:23:51,021 and could not only just say that he saw two vehicles, 430 00:23:51,021 --> 00:23:55,021 he described them and was able to pick those vehicles out. 431 00:23:55,021 --> 00:23:58,021 He actually looked at photo lineups of vehicles 432 00:23:58,021 --> 00:24:01,021 and picked out the vehicle that Becki Dillard was driving, 433 00:24:01,021 --> 00:24:03,021 and Billy Eastep's truck. 434 00:24:03,021 --> 00:24:06,021 We absolutely wanted to bring back Billy for an interview, 435 00:24:06,021 --> 00:24:08,021 and basically either confirm through a polygraph 436 00:24:08,021 --> 00:24:12,021 that he was the one that did this, or to help clear him. 437 00:24:15,021 --> 00:24:18,021 The questions would be very direct of whether 438 00:24:18,021 --> 00:24:20,021 he caused the death of Becki Dillard. 439 00:24:22,021 --> 00:24:24,021 Or whether he knew for sure who did cause that death. 440 00:24:28,021 --> 00:24:29,021 Billy Eastep showed deceptions 441 00:24:29,021 --> 00:24:32,021 indicated during that examination. 442 00:24:34,021 --> 00:24:37,021 But, uh, in the post-test interview interrogation, 443 00:24:37,021 --> 00:24:40,021 he did not admit to having shot Becki 444 00:24:40,021 --> 00:24:42,021 or even being present when she was shot. 445 00:24:43,021 --> 00:24:46,021 He stuck to his story and continued to deny it 446 00:24:46,021 --> 00:24:48,021 until eventually he wanted to leave, 447 00:24:48,021 --> 00:24:50,021 and so he was allowed to leave. 448 00:24:50,021 --> 00:24:52,021 We didn't have enough at that point to charge him. 449 00:24:56,021 --> 00:24:58,021 His girlfriend, Debra Dillard, is requested, 450 00:24:58,021 --> 00:25:01,021 and she voluntarily comes to the highway patrol headquarters. 451 00:25:05,021 --> 00:25:08,021 She is driven there by Billy Eastep, 452 00:25:08,021 --> 00:25:10,021 in his vehicle with the white door. 453 00:25:13,021 --> 00:25:16,021 Debra Dillard comes in for her polygraph. 454 00:25:18,021 --> 00:25:21,021 And she also fails. 455 00:25:21,021 --> 00:25:22,021 After somebody fails a polygraph examination, 456 00:25:22,021 --> 00:25:27,021 in the post-test interrogation, it's a very direct accusation. 457 00:25:27,021 --> 00:25:29,021 Because now you know that they either did it, 458 00:25:29,021 --> 00:25:32,021 or they know for sure who did it. 459 00:25:32,021 --> 00:25:34,021 And so you--you go after them. 460 00:25:35,021 --> 00:25:37,021 During the interrogation, she admits that 461 00:25:37,021 --> 00:25:41,021 she has lied to us and that she knows 462 00:25:41,021 --> 00:25:44,021 who killed Becki Dillard. 463 00:25:44,021 --> 00:25:46,021 And she's saying that Billy Eastep is the one 464 00:25:46,021 --> 00:25:48,021 that did it. 465 00:25:48,021 --> 00:25:50,021 She said he threw the gun into a lake, 466 00:25:50,021 --> 00:25:52,021 and that the gun is gone. 467 00:25:53,021 --> 00:25:56,021 So of course, with Billy Eastep also being present, 468 00:25:56,021 --> 00:25:59,021 officers immediately got a hold of him, 469 00:25:59,021 --> 00:26:00,021 began to talk to him also. 470 00:26:02,021 --> 00:26:04,021 They're letting him know that she is telling the truth, 471 00:26:04,021 --> 00:26:07,021 and she is blaming him and that he's the one that did it. 472 00:26:07,021 --> 00:26:10,021 And at that point, he admits that he was there 473 00:26:10,021 --> 00:26:12,021 and he has lied to us. 474 00:26:12,021 --> 00:26:14,021 But he says that Debra Dillard was the one 475 00:26:14,021 --> 00:26:15,021 that pulled the trigger. 476 00:26:19,021 --> 00:26:20,021 - ♪ 477 00:26:20,021 --> 00:26:21,021 - My name is Rizwan Ahad 478 00:26:21,021 --> 00:26:24,021 and I was the prosecuting attorney in this case. 479 00:26:27,021 --> 00:26:30,021 I received a phone call from law enforcement officers 480 00:26:30,021 --> 00:26:33,021 that they had asked Billy Eastep to come 481 00:26:33,021 --> 00:26:36,021 to the Highway Patrol to discuss his, uh, involvement. 482 00:26:39,021 --> 00:26:41,021 When I arrived, he'd been speaking to law enforcement 483 00:26:41,021 --> 00:26:44,021 for probably about 30, 45 minutes. 484 00:26:45,021 --> 00:26:47,021 When Billy Eastep was confronted with Debra Dillard's statement, 485 00:26:47,021 --> 00:26:50,021 I just remember the-- the surprised look on his face. 486 00:26:50,021 --> 00:26:53,021 Almost like he knew he'd been caught. 487 00:26:56,021 --> 00:26:57,021 At the time that Billy Eastep was arrested, 488 00:26:57,021 --> 00:27:01,021 we knew that Debra had knowledge of, uh, the murder, 489 00:27:02,021 --> 00:27:04,021 but we didn't know her involvement. 490 00:27:04,021 --> 00:27:07,021 When he made that statement, 491 00:27:07,021 --> 00:27:10,021 that he was present at the shooting, 492 00:27:10,021 --> 00:27:14,021 in my mind, Debra became a stronger person of interest. 493 00:27:18,021 --> 00:27:21,021 During the investigation, we determined that Debra Dillard 494 00:27:21,021 --> 00:27:24,021 and Becki Dillard had a tumultuous relationship, uh, 495 00:27:24,021 --> 00:27:26,021 that there was--there was a lot of animosity 496 00:27:26,021 --> 00:27:28,021 between the two of them. 497 00:27:30,021 --> 00:27:32,021 There were a lot of disagreements, uh, 498 00:27:32,021 --> 00:27:35,021 mostly over Justin, but there were other things. 499 00:27:36,021 --> 00:27:38,021 We learned that, uh, Becki may have been 500 00:27:38,021 --> 00:27:40,021 thinking about leaving Justin, 501 00:27:40,021 --> 00:27:42,021 and Debra was very concerned that 502 00:27:42,021 --> 00:27:44,021 if Becki were to take the children, 503 00:27:44,021 --> 00:27:47,021 that she may not have any more contact with them. 504 00:27:56,021 --> 00:27:57,021 Billy Eastep, in his explanation, 505 00:27:57,021 --> 00:28:01,021 he stated to us that Debra Dillard and Becki 506 00:28:02,021 --> 00:28:03,021 had an argument. 507 00:28:03,021 --> 00:28:06,021 That Becki was wanting to go to the party 508 00:28:06,021 --> 00:28:09,021 and that Debra wanted her to stay so that Justin 509 00:28:09,021 --> 00:28:11,021 could get ready and go with them. 510 00:28:13,021 --> 00:28:15,021 But Becki had left. 511 00:28:17,021 --> 00:28:18,021 According to Billy Eastep, 512 00:28:18,021 --> 00:28:21,021 he didn't know exactly what was going on. 513 00:28:21,021 --> 00:28:23,021 Debra told him to get into the vehicle 514 00:28:23,021 --> 00:28:25,021 and they followed her. 515 00:28:30,021 --> 00:28:33,021 They caught up to her, at which point Billy says 516 00:28:34,021 --> 00:28:37,021 Debra Dillard started flashing her lights. 517 00:28:37,021 --> 00:28:39,021 Becki pulled over. 518 00:29:01,021 --> 00:29:02,021 - [muffled gunshot] 519 00:29:02,021 --> 00:29:05,021 - At that point, Becki went down. 520 00:29:09,021 --> 00:29:11,021 And Billy saw Debra walk up to Becki 521 00:29:11,021 --> 00:29:12,021 and shoot her a second time. 522 00:29:15,021 --> 00:29:17,021 - [muffled gunshot] 523 00:29:30,021 --> 00:29:31,021 - RIZWAN: It would have been enough to charge her, 524 00:29:31,021 --> 00:29:34,021 but it wouldn't have been enough, I believe, 525 00:29:34,021 --> 00:29:38,021 at that point to take her to trial and convict her. 526 00:29:38,021 --> 00:29:41,021 We found more evidence later on. 527 00:29:47,021 --> 00:29:50,021 What happened was, the longer Billy stayed in jail, 528 00:29:50,021 --> 00:29:54,021 the more, uh, Debra was becoming a little more guilt-ridden. 529 00:29:54,021 --> 00:29:57,021 She started, uh, discussing with individuals that Billy 530 00:29:57,021 --> 00:29:59,021 was being railroaded, that he had nothing to do with it. 531 00:30:02,021 --> 00:30:04,021 We received information that Debra Dillard 532 00:30:04,021 --> 00:30:07,021 had written a several-page letter. 533 00:30:07,021 --> 00:30:11,021 Law enforcement officers then went to Debra Dillard's house, 534 00:30:11,021 --> 00:30:15,021 where they discovered she was laying in bed with a gun 535 00:30:15,021 --> 00:30:16,021 next to her, 536 00:30:16,021 --> 00:30:19,021 and this, uh, letter that she had written. 537 00:30:19,021 --> 00:30:22,021 She's confessed in that letter that she was the one who shot 538 00:30:22,021 --> 00:30:25,021 Becki Dillard that night on that highway. 539 00:30:26,021 --> 00:30:30,021 According to the officers, she was very distraught. 540 00:30:30,021 --> 00:30:35,021 They stated to me she looked suicidal at that point. 541 00:30:35,021 --> 00:30:38,021 The Sheriff himself, I believe, removed the gun from her. 542 00:30:38,021 --> 00:30:39,021 It was loaded. 543 00:30:55,021 --> 00:30:58,021 - She said that she cared about Billy so much that she figured 544 00:30:58,021 --> 00:31:01,021 that she was going to write this letter 545 00:31:01,021 --> 00:31:03,021 admitting to this, uh, and then killing herself 546 00:31:03,021 --> 00:31:05,021 so that Billy could be released. 547 00:31:09,021 --> 00:31:13,021 She then said that she decided that she wasn't going to do it, 548 00:31:13,021 --> 00:31:14,021 but it was too late, because she had already 549 00:31:15,021 --> 00:31:16,021 sent out these letters. 550 00:31:28,021 --> 00:31:31,021 - At that point, we weren't 100% sure she was confessing 551 00:31:31,021 --> 00:31:34,021 to the crime or she was trying to get Billy out of it. 552 00:31:38,021 --> 00:31:41,021 - We only have one shot to convict a person, 553 00:31:41,021 --> 00:31:43,021 otherwise double jeopardy attaches 554 00:31:43,021 --> 00:31:45,021 and we would not be able to try her again. 555 00:31:52,021 --> 00:31:54,021 - RIZWAN: A lot of cases turn on just luck, 556 00:31:54,021 --> 00:31:56,021 uh, and that's what happened in this case. 557 00:31:57,021 --> 00:31:59,021 Now, West Plains is a pretty small town, 558 00:31:59,021 --> 00:32:03,021 and one day the sheriff of Howell County, 559 00:32:03,021 --> 00:32:05,021 uh, Mike Shannon, happened to be, uh, 560 00:32:05,021 --> 00:32:07,021 getting a cup of coffee at the convenience store. 561 00:32:09,021 --> 00:32:11,021 The cashier made a statement to him that Debra Dillard 562 00:32:11,021 --> 00:32:15,021 had once stated to her that, uh, 563 00:32:15,021 --> 00:32:18,021 she was going to kill Becki Dillard, 564 00:32:18,021 --> 00:32:20,021 but that she received a reprieve 565 00:32:20,021 --> 00:32:22,021 because she was pregnant with a child, 566 00:32:22,021 --> 00:32:25,021 and that she was gonna wait a year. 567 00:32:25,021 --> 00:32:28,021 And oddly enough, almost to the day a year later, 568 00:32:29,021 --> 00:32:31,021 Becki Dillard was murdered. 569 00:32:32,021 --> 00:32:33,021 When we received that information, uh, 570 00:32:33,021 --> 00:32:37,021 we felt like we had enough evidence to charge Debra Dillard 571 00:32:37,021 --> 00:32:39,021 with the murder of Becki Dillard. 572 00:32:44,021 --> 00:32:48,021 - ♪ 573 00:32:48,021 --> 00:32:50,021 - CLINTON: I've dealt with other scenarios with in-laws 574 00:32:50,021 --> 00:32:52,021 and family members and everything, but never-- 575 00:32:52,021 --> 00:32:55,021 nothing so violent, so cold-blooded. 576 00:32:55,021 --> 00:32:57,021 They're just acting like a concerned grandparent 577 00:32:57,021 --> 00:32:59,021 and her boyfriend, and the whole time, 578 00:32:59,021 --> 00:33:01,021 they're the ones that done it. 579 00:33:04,021 --> 00:33:06,021 - JUSTIN: Every day for ten years, 580 00:33:06,021 --> 00:33:11,021 I have gone over what happened. 581 00:33:11,021 --> 00:33:16,021 I don't feel that my mother had anything to do with it 582 00:33:16,021 --> 00:33:20,021 the way that everybody is saying she did. 583 00:33:24,021 --> 00:33:25,021 - RIZWAN: Our, um, theory behind the case 584 00:33:26,021 --> 00:33:29,021 was that Debra Dillard just wanted Becki 585 00:33:29,021 --> 00:33:31,021 out of the way. 586 00:33:32,021 --> 00:33:35,021 She was making Justin's life miserable, 587 00:33:35,021 --> 00:33:38,021 that Debra had had enough. 588 00:33:38,021 --> 00:33:39,021 - WARREN: She wanted those children, 589 00:33:39,021 --> 00:33:42,021 and the only way that she saw she was gonna keep them 590 00:33:42,021 --> 00:33:44,021 is by getting rid of Becki. 591 00:33:44,021 --> 00:33:47,021 Because Justin, there's no way that he would ever get custody 592 00:33:47,021 --> 00:33:48,021 with his alcohol problems. 593 00:33:48,021 --> 00:33:50,021 - CLINTON: Becki's gonna get the babies, 594 00:33:50,021 --> 00:33:53,021 she's gonna get child support, 595 00:33:53,021 --> 00:33:55,021 and then she's gonna go on with her life. 596 00:33:56,021 --> 00:33:59,021 - DEBBIE: Debra knew that once those children left, 597 00:33:59,021 --> 00:34:02,021 that Becki's mom and the rest of her family 598 00:34:02,021 --> 00:34:05,021 was not gonna let those children go back. 599 00:34:05,021 --> 00:34:07,021 - RIZWAN: We believed that was the motivation 600 00:34:07,021 --> 00:34:08,021 that pushed her over the edge. 601 00:34:09,021 --> 00:34:13,021 That night Becki had, uh, angered Justin, 602 00:34:13,021 --> 00:34:17,021 and we believed Debra had just had enough, 603 00:34:17,021 --> 00:34:20,021 and that she was going to cure the problem. 604 00:34:31,021 --> 00:34:32,021 - DEBBIE: When I walked into the courtroom, 605 00:34:32,021 --> 00:34:34,021 Debra Dillard looked at me, 606 00:34:34,021 --> 00:34:37,021 but I tried to ignore her as much as possible. 607 00:34:37,021 --> 00:34:41,021 I saw the hatred in her eyes. 608 00:34:41,021 --> 00:34:43,021 - WARREN: Deb Dillard felt like she could control things, 609 00:34:43,021 --> 00:34:45,021 like she could make this happen, 610 00:34:45,021 --> 00:34:48,021 and that she could get away with it. 611 00:34:48,021 --> 00:34:51,021 - RIZWAN: The defense focused on Billy Eastep, 612 00:34:51,021 --> 00:34:55,021 stating that Billy was actually the one that did it. 613 00:34:55,021 --> 00:34:57,021 - DEBBIE: She had to put the blame on someone, 614 00:34:57,021 --> 00:35:00,021 so she chose Billy to put him as a scapegoat. 615 00:35:02,021 --> 00:35:03,021 - JUSTIN: He had knew that she had extra money 616 00:35:03,021 --> 00:35:05,021 because it was Christmas. 617 00:35:05,021 --> 00:35:09,021 He robbed her, and so she wouldn't tell on him, 618 00:35:09,021 --> 00:35:10,021 he killed her, and played it off like 619 00:35:10,021 --> 00:35:14,021 nothing had ever even happened. 620 00:35:14,021 --> 00:35:17,021 - RIZWAN: We believed we had enough evidence to prove 621 00:35:17,021 --> 00:35:20,021 Debra Dillard guilty beyond a reasonable doubt without him, 622 00:35:20,021 --> 00:35:22,021 uh, but we wanted him to testify. 623 00:35:25,021 --> 00:35:27,021 We found out when we arrived for trial 624 00:35:27,021 --> 00:35:30,021 is that somebody had hit Billy Eastep, 625 00:35:30,021 --> 00:35:33,021 had given him a black eye, and at that point, 626 00:35:33,021 --> 00:35:35,021 Billy refused to testify. 627 00:35:35,021 --> 00:35:37,021 Debra Dillard also took the stand, 628 00:35:37,021 --> 00:35:39,021 and she testified on her own behalf, um, 629 00:35:39,021 --> 00:35:41,021 and she explained that she and Becki had 630 00:35:41,021 --> 00:35:43,021 a wonderful relationship, 631 00:35:43,021 --> 00:35:45,021 that she was a great daughter-in-law. 632 00:35:52,021 --> 00:35:55,021 - JUSTIN: She wanted me to be with Becki. 633 00:35:55,021 --> 00:35:56,021 She liked Becki. 634 00:35:56,021 --> 00:35:59,021 She still will--will say "my daughter" 635 00:35:59,021 --> 00:36:00,021 when she talks about Becki. 636 00:36:03,021 --> 00:36:06,021 - RIZWAN: The entire focus of her cross-examination 637 00:36:06,021 --> 00:36:07,021 was the letter that she had written. 638 00:36:07,021 --> 00:36:11,021 I went, uh, line by line with her on that, 639 00:36:11,021 --> 00:36:15,021 and actually gave her the opportunity to explain it away, 640 00:36:15,021 --> 00:36:17,021 and she tried, and it was obvious to me 641 00:36:17,021 --> 00:36:21,021 that she was not being truthful. 642 00:36:21,021 --> 00:36:22,021 - Her brother testified against her, 643 00:36:22,021 --> 00:36:27,021 and actually told the whole court that she had conspired 644 00:36:27,021 --> 00:36:29,021 to do this a year before, 645 00:36:29,021 --> 00:36:31,021 when she found out Becki was pregnant. 646 00:36:31,021 --> 00:36:33,021 That she was going to be the one that murdered Becki 647 00:36:34,021 --> 00:36:36,021 because she was bad for her son. 648 00:36:38,021 --> 00:36:39,021 - JUSTIN: If she was gonna kill somebody, 649 00:36:39,021 --> 00:36:41,021 it wouldn't be her children. 650 00:36:41,021 --> 00:36:43,021 It wouldn't be me, it wouldn't be Becki, 651 00:36:43,021 --> 00:36:45,021 it wouldn't be our kids. 652 00:36:45,021 --> 00:36:47,021 It would be somebody that hurt us. 653 00:36:49,021 --> 00:36:51,021 My mother confessed because, if she didn't, 654 00:36:51,021 --> 00:36:55,021 she was afraid that they would come after me and the kids. 655 00:37:06,021 --> 00:37:07,021 - RIZWAN: Whenever a case goes to the jury, 656 00:37:08,021 --> 00:37:10,021 I'm always concerned. 657 00:37:10,021 --> 00:37:12,021 Did they believe the witnesses? 658 00:37:12,021 --> 00:37:15,021 Did they believe Debra's version? 659 00:37:15,021 --> 00:37:17,021 Every prosecutor has that concern, uh, 660 00:37:17,021 --> 00:37:18,021 because, of course, we have to prove a case 661 00:37:18,021 --> 00:37:20,021 beyond a reasonable doubt. 662 00:37:23,021 --> 00:37:24,021 The jury found her guilty. 663 00:37:26,021 --> 00:37:30,021 She broke down, I mean, she basically fell apart. 664 00:37:30,021 --> 00:37:33,021 - DEBBIE: Not until the jury came back and said, "Guilty," 665 00:37:33,021 --> 00:37:35,021 did she show any kind of emotion. 666 00:37:35,021 --> 00:37:37,021 That just tells me she was guilty 667 00:37:37,021 --> 00:37:39,021 with no remorse whatsoever. 668 00:37:46,021 --> 00:37:48,021 - JUSTIN: She didn't kill anybody. 669 00:37:48,021 --> 00:37:49,021 She wasn't there. 670 00:37:50,021 --> 00:37:52,021 She couldn't have been there. 671 00:37:52,021 --> 00:37:53,021 Whoever killed Becki, 672 00:37:53,021 --> 00:37:56,021 I don't think we will ever know why. 673 00:37:56,021 --> 00:37:59,021 - RIZWAN: In a first-degree murder case in Missouri, 674 00:37:59,021 --> 00:38:01,021 the only sentence in this case would've been 675 00:38:01,021 --> 00:38:04,021 life without parole. 676 00:38:04,021 --> 00:38:08,021 So, when the verdict came down, and the sentencing came down, 677 00:38:09,021 --> 00:38:12,021 I just felt like justice had been served. 678 00:38:12,021 --> 00:38:13,021 - WARREN: We were never able to prove that Justin Dillard 679 00:38:13,021 --> 00:38:16,021 had anything to do with Becki's death. 680 00:38:16,021 --> 00:38:20,021 There is suspicion, but even today, 681 00:38:20,021 --> 00:38:21,021 I couldn't tell you for sure who pulled the trigger. 682 00:38:24,021 --> 00:38:26,021 - JUSTIN: Becki's family has done a very good job 683 00:38:26,021 --> 00:38:27,021 of making me look bad. 684 00:38:27,021 --> 00:38:30,021 I feel like I have been victimized, very much so. 685 00:38:30,021 --> 00:38:32,021 I lost my house, my kids, my wife, my mom. 686 00:38:35,021 --> 00:38:38,021 Ten years and it still hurts just as much. 687 00:38:40,021 --> 00:38:44,021 It's never gonna go away, ever. 688 00:38:44,021 --> 00:38:48,021 - DEBBIE: Whatever Justin did, Debra told him to do. 689 00:38:48,021 --> 00:38:52,021 Whatever Billy did, Debra was in control of that. 690 00:38:54,021 --> 00:38:57,021 She was the more dominant one in that home. 691 00:38:57,021 --> 00:38:59,021 And there was only one person in that home 692 00:38:59,021 --> 00:39:03,021 that wanted to defy her, and that was Becki. 693 00:39:06,021 --> 00:39:10,021 - WARREN: The wolf followed Becki to that roadside spot 694 00:39:10,021 --> 00:39:11,021 where she was killed. 695 00:39:11,021 --> 00:39:15,021 And so, we--we work hard for every victim. 696 00:39:15,021 --> 00:39:17,021 But it's especially difficult when you see somebody that 697 00:39:17,021 --> 00:39:22,021 isn't doing the wrong thing, and bad things come find them. 698 00:39:24,021 --> 00:39:26,021 - JUSTIN: My best friend, my wife, 699 00:39:26,021 --> 00:39:30,021 my--my everything is in the ground. 700 00:39:32,021 --> 00:39:33,021 I pray every day that Heaven's real, 701 00:39:34,021 --> 00:39:36,021 because that's where she's at. 702 00:39:36,021 --> 00:39:40,021 And I know that all I have to do is keep praying 703 00:39:40,021 --> 00:39:42,021 and I'll see her again. 704 00:39:48,021 --> 00:40:01,021 - ♪ 705 00:40:03,021 --> 00:40:06,021 ♪♪