i'm katie porter and i approve this message. a family lives in fear-- darlin: what are you going to do if they come back? keith morrison (voiceover): --of a threat from strangers. daddy will protect us. deep in the woods, a family lives in fear. >> what're you gonna do if they come back, a threat from strangers. >> daddy will protect us.

daddy won't let anything bad happen to you. >> so when the strangers arrive, a father takes matters into his own hands. >> you hear crack, crack, crack. >> the terror, the bullets. this is like -- >> glasses exploding. >> the crime scene, caught on camera. >> anybody in the vehicle in bc are. hands >> it was bad, worse than anything i'd ever seen in my life. >> i cried for my dad. >> was this a murder? >> every day i think of that. >> all i could think of was my kids. what about my kids. >> it was in the dark that the fear began, in the dark, and it

grew. >> it terrorized our family, our friends. >> who was out there, in the dark? here, miles and miles in primeval woods. so far from safety. from civilized protection. >> they could just come, onto our property, and invade our lives. >> but on the summer night, deep in the california sierra, the terror came out of the dark. came after them. to take everything. the terrible, desperate chase. it's awful. and now the question, what really happened, out there in the dark? >> i still feel like i need to go help him. >> it looks so innocent now. closed up, quiet, empty. here in its place at the end of

100 yard dirt track, that sneaks off this lonely country road. deep in the sierra nevada but this was not how it was. or was ever meant to be. no. before it happened, before that summer night in july of 2011, this was, well let them tell you. it's awesome it's fine. >> mostly at winter we would do a snowball fight. and then we would come inside and eat and have some hot cocoa. >> these are the wand read children, darling is the eldest. then georgia, and little gregory. mostly they live in reno nevada. but this, at the end of a two hour drive into the woods. this was the place they lived. >> we'd go on hikes, and there's a lake that was very close. >> and we would fish.

>> we would fish and swim. it was pretty much awesome. >> here they discovered the world it was far more magical, than any city could ever be. it was their fathers cabin, really. chad walden reid. chad's grandparents built the cabin in the seventies. >> my children were definitely oh we love the place. -- they've all grown up. diapers all the way through going up there. >> mind you, this was truly remote. their only electricity came from a generator. there was no cell phone service, no phone at all. which was just fine for chad's wife, carrie. >> it was very enjoyable to be away from the phones and the traffic, you know, work. >> yeah. >> this is where chad taught his children how to exist in the natural world. how to catch a fish, swim in a mountain lake, feel safe in the

dark. >> he's an amazing father. he loves his children so much. he is my best buddy >> he's really funny, he's really loving, and he likes people to laugh a lot. >> the children saw the world and certainly their retreat here in the country as a safe place for them. just as it should be. and keeping it that way was chad's particular preoccupation. chad worried a lot about safety. about security. which may had come in part at least in his time in the military. he was he said an army ranger, one of the elite few. a lot of that, he seemed to carry a lot of baggage. >> there is just some things i rather not talk about. and things that i've tried to get over. i guess. >> carrie didn't pry, let him deal with it. it's between himself with the lord. he loves his country.

he fought for our freedom. it means a lot to him. >> and now, between the children and whatever was out there in the woods, were only their parents. the nearest sheriff's office worth almost an hour drive away. >> you had to be your own policeman. that was how you felt? >> yes. we have to protect ourselves. there was nobody else to protect us. and out here that was no worry. break-ins are not uncommon in the isolated cabins in the wilderness. and there's -- >> all the cabins have been broken in. numerous amount of times. >> one of the most recent ones, somebody just pretty much ransacked the whole place. >> there's something very invasive about that, invading a property that's yours, and take something of yours. >> it is. it's not just invasive, it robs you of security. >> security was why chad gave carrie a revolver. he taught her how to use it. and stocked the cabin with guns. including a favorite, his ar- 15. just like his military weapon. security and pleasure.

>> what is the attraction of those? >> i think it's just the fun and shooting them. it just -- you know -- being able to put a 30 round magazine, set up a target, and go out. >> chad planted signs at the end of his property out by the road. stern warnings to would be vandals and thieves. and he watched vigilantly. didn't rest easy. especially because one of those break-ins have been just that very year. >> and if he didn't fall asleep, it was very likely that every noise would wake you up. very easily. >> then the 4th of july weekend, 2011. the waldens were joined by some friends who set up a little campsite near the road. >> just enjoying each other's company, just hanging out. >> early on that saturday morning, chad was jolted awake.

all of a sudden i heard all this, yelling and commotion, and it sounded like somebody was fighting. and i looked out and they saw this spot light being shined all over the place. and i was, like what the heck is going on? and then i walked out, and as i'm looking down, this car goes speeding away. >> chad hopped in his truck, drove to the end of the driveway. >> and that's when i noticed one of the lights had been taken, the solar lights. one of several attached to the poll marking the edge of the property. a cheap item, but still. >> why would somebody want one of those? >> i don't know. >> when morning came, chad inspected his friends campsite near the bottom of the property. those footprints left by strangers around their trailer. >> they put us on edge. basically, high alert. >> the commotion, the stolen light, the footprints of people who have no business being there, the children picked up the anxiety.

>> i remember asking my dad, and mom, what are you going to do if they come back? and what would happen if somebody got hurt? >> to witness your children scared like that, and insecure, as a parent you--. and that's how i felt. as a father. as a person who's supposed to protect their family. and all i can do is offer words. honey, if they come back, that he will protect you, that he will take care of it. >> the promise, he intended to keep. >> coming up, what happens next would change all of their lives. i picked up the pistol, that was in my cup holder, and pointed out the window. >> when dateline continues. dat dog food in the fridge? it's not dog food. it's freshpet. real meat. real veggies. real weird.

he was bad luck anyway. freshpet, it's not dog food. it's food - food. emergen-c crystals pop and fizz when you throw them back. and who doesn't love a good throwback? ( ♪♪ ) ( ♪♪ ) emergen-c crystals. i'll be honest. by the end of the day, my floors...yeesh. but who has the time to clean? that's why i love my swiffer wetjet. it's a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. look at that! swiffer wetjet. why choose a sleep number smart bed? can it keep me warm when i'm cold? look at that! wait, no, i'm always hot. sleep number does that. can i make my side softer? i like my side firmer. sleep number does that.

can it help us sleep better and better? please? sleep number does that. 94 percent of smart sleepers report better sleep. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base.

saturday morning, july 4th weekend, 2011, chad wallin-reed and his family were on edge.

strangers had come very close, middle of the night, strangers who stole a solar light and may have been tramping >> saturday morning, july 4th weekend, 2011. chad wallen reed and his family were on edge. strangers had come very close, in the middle of the night, strangers who stole a solar light. leaving tracks around in their property. and suddenly the cabin felt more remote, the woods, less like home. and the children. >> they asked, what if they come back and come all the way up to the cabin? what if? >> and what did you say? >> daddy will protect us. that he won't let anything bad happen to you. that was, just scary. it was scary to me. >> then that afternoon, -- carrie looked out the window. and there was a jeep heading up along the driveway. driven by a young man she had not known. >> he sat there for a while. like he was looking around for something. i told the kids to stay down. out of sight, so they wouldn't

be seen. >> was he lost? looking for help? >> she took no chances, she reached for the gun, chad had taught her how to use. >> i have my revolver, and i was headed towards the door. >> and then, whoever it was, backed up and drove away. >> so what did that do to your level of anxiety that weekend? >> it was really high? >> that evening, still on edge, carrie and the kids watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch. chad left outside with his friends, will -- >> we were just sitting on the porch. you come back, relaxing. >> the story of what happened next, is both complex and as you see, disputed. which is why we had shot our own video to help us illustrate events. it was nine or 10 pm said chad, when his friends noticed the car. >> and then they said, he just shut off his headlights and pulled up around the driveway. >> what was going on?

the car the night before, the jeep that came out the driveway, that very afternoon. and now strangers were out there again. >> i picked up the ar that was sitting right there next to me, his ar-15 bushmaster, he fired a warning shot. and then i just remember seeing some guy running away. >> but would a warning be enough? these had to be the same man who came the night before. now here they were a second time. these guys were bad news. >> i said, i'm gonna try to catch up to these guys, go get them, go catch them, get their license plates or get their information, or something. because it was apparent that this was more than just, we're here to play a joke around with you. >> chad jumped in his car and chased them, barreled up the twisty muddy road up to 50 miles an hour. >> as it was coming up behind them, somebody leaned out the passenger side of the vehicle,

and was shining a really powerful spotlight, just blinding. and then the next thing you know, as i'm looking up, i see these three flashes, and then i hear crack crack crack. it was the sound of, you know, gunfire. >> the sound chad knew very well. even in the army, you remember. >> what did you do? >> i picked up the pistol that was in my cup holder chamber, and pointed out the window, and let off a few rounds. >> did you hit anything? >> not that i could tell, no. >> someone in the car ahead threw solar lights out the window. then waved something. >> like a piece of plastic, something shiny, flying out, hanging out the window. and we kept on proceeding. >> back in the cabin, carrie made tents on the couch. her three kids, sleeping beside her. >> i was just like, in my mind thinking, where are you? come home. >> you know is everything okay i hope everything is okay.

>> chad was still in hot pursuit. 7.6 miles they went careening up the widening country road until the car took a quick turn on to a remote road. chad right behind. >> we did some fish tails, they slid the car, and at one point we crash the door to start an open up, these guys are going to get out, they're going to come at me. >> the dirt road, empty, into a meadow. the car suddenly made a 180. >> and it looked like they were coming straight at you? >> they were looking like it was going to be an assault. >> right. >> where they going to shoot him? ram him? what? >> in the military, and in police, that's what we call an excavation tactic. until somebody either backs down or threats neutralize. the other car kept coming. chad grab the ar-15. >> and i just kept it out the window, and fired out.

>> what were they compared to? you they were coming this way? >> they were right beside me. >> right. >> right. >> how many shots? >> i don't recall, i just. >> let it go? >> right. >> chad watched his enemy side window blowup, glass rained down on the metal. the strangers car veered across the grass. and came to rest on the dirt road. >> i drove over to, and i was yelling at them, and i just remember this young voice, saying that i give a, i give a, like about. sorry. >> please don't kill me. >> it doesn't make you feel good to have somebody pleading and begging for their life. >> chad protective fury lesson for a moment. but then -- >> i remember him yelling.

i have a three month old daughter. and i also could think of is my kids. thinking, you're yelling at me about your daughter, and look what you just did. what about my kids? did you ever consider my kids? >> who were these men in the car? what did they want? here in the dark, miles from nowhere, what had just happened? and what was about to? >> coming up. back home, chad faces the reality of what's happened. >> i just remember this lost look on her face. and i was just saying i'm sorry. when dateline continues. late evening, the remote mountain remote mountain some mental health meds. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. #1-prescribed ingrezza is the only td treatment for adults that's always

one pill, once daily. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. people taking ingrezza can stay on most mental health meds. ingrezza can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have thoughts of suicide. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including angioedema, potential heart rhythm problems, and abnormal movements. report fevers, stiff muscles, or problems thinking as these may be life threatening. sleepiness is the most common side effect. it's nice. people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. ♪ ingrezza ♪

late evening, a remote mountain meadow in california's high sierra, his ar-15 at the ready, chad wallin-reed approached the car full of men he believed late evening, the remote

mountain meadow in california's, high sierra, his ar-15 at the ready. chad read, approach the car full of men he believed had been terrorizing. him jim and his wife, and his children. law he carried his rightful, just like the army trained him. >> i was at the ready. i kept thinking -- then he any moments i've seen his hands, and approach vehicle. >> this is the card chad shot at. as he checked out the inside, clearing it as they see in the military, he saw the driver had been hit. he was hunched over the steering wheel. and then when i got into the driver side of the vehicle, he was laid back. and his head was down. i didn't check for a pulse, or anything like that. but there was a bullet wound in his neck. >> was anyone else wounded? >> at that point in time i

didn't know. >> nor the chad know any of the men in the car. who they were, why they'd approached home. but once he saw they no longer posed a threat, he said, he told the man he do what he could to find help for. them >> i said i'm going to go call the sheriff. >> then he drove the seven and a half mile, back to his. cabin >> as you're driving back, as you know trying to figure out with the whole you've done. what was going in your heart, your mind, your soul. >> an assessment. >> yes? >> somebody is either dead or dying. something very serious is happening here. what steps do we go through? >> none of that drive was occupied with the, oh my god, what the hell have i done? >> no. no. >> when he pulled into the driveway. chad was greeted by his friends. they had seen him race off into the night. now, he told him what happened. >> i told them that i caught up to him. they shot at me. i shot back. and i think i killed one of them. and at first everybody was like, a, just laughing and stuff. and i said no, i think i killed one of them.

>> chad's wife carrie, up in the cabin with the kids, couldn't tell what chad was saying outside. >> it felt like much longer than it actually was to get out of the truck and to come inside the cabin. and then he came inside. >> and then she said, what happened? i took off after them, and i think i killed one of them. >> he was so upset. he looked as if he continued to talk, that he would not be able to maintain any composure whatsoever. >> and i just remember, just remember looking at me, i couldn't tell with the look was about. whether it was a relief from her or it was a who are you? i mean it was some kind of like accusation, i guess. and i just remember this lost look on her face, i've never seen in my entire life.

and i was just saying i'm sorry. i'm sorry. >> but, what should he do? chad wasn't exactly sure. he turned to his friend, jason. >> i was thinking, well maybe i could go back, and one of us >> but, what should he do? chad wasn't exactly sure. he turned to his friend, jason. >> i was thinking, well maybe i could go back, and one of us can go make a phone call, and one of us could go back and help. and eventually they were saying no going back would be a terrible idea. they said we need to go and call 9-1-1. >> remember, the cabin didn't have a telephone. so carrie got dressed and then she and chad and her friend, drove the winding road down the mountain towards the main highway. perhaps nine miles down, hunting for a spot with cell phone reception. >> we had to drive in clear

almost three quarters away down to where i normally get reception, and i called out, i got him through, and right as i was talking to the lady, the call dropped. and then i had to drive down a little bit further, we were able to make a call out there. >> hello how can i help you? >> yes i need to report a shooting. >> a shooting? >> yes. >> of course the dispatch was like, what's your address? >> well there's no address. >> where you? >> i am in plume's county. >> he was concerned he said. about getting help for the wounded. >> in my mind, was how are they going to find these individuals? how are they going to get there to help them? they're the middle of nowhere in a dirt road? >> this northern stretch of this year in nevada, there's an up and down rideau rivers, mountain deeps. difficult to forge, and far from any town. the few deputies on patrol, are scattered over a vast wilderness, and so it's not altogether surprising, that one of the first log responds to

check a 9-1-1 call, turned out to be a game warden. >> what is surprising is who was riding with him, a photographer of all people. one of the first to reach the scene of the shooting. and the images he captured >> it was bad. worse than anything you've seen in a movie i'll tell you that. >> coming up. >> the horrifying real life scenes, that first responders found. >> i just remember seeing his hand come out of the grass. >> when dateline continues. dates n and noticeably less itch with dupixent. because children 6 months and older with eczema have plenty of reasons to show off their skin. with dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, they can stay ahead of their eczema. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema

to help heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ♪♪ show off to the world. ask your child's eczema specialist about dupixent. did you know... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that can't retain moisture. new pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with first-of-its-kind melting pro-v pearls... locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage in one wash, without weigh down. guaranteed or your money back! for resilient, healthy-looking hair... if you know, you know it's pantene.

(michael) my tip is, the worst lies are the lies you tell yourself, like smoking isn't that dangerous. [announcer] you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. always dry scoop before you run. the hot dog diet got me shredded! the world is full of "health experts"... it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with b vitamins to help convert food into fuel. science that matters.

ble base. ends monday. i am just elated with the hours top stories. palestinians living in tent cities in southern gaza are bracing for yet another evacuee shipment. israel's prime minister says the military is planning a ground operation near the city

of rafah. more than 1 million refugees have already prevented their homes in the north and yet again to have no place to go. the five marines killed in a helicopter crash in california have been identified. all were in their twenties. the crew is on a routine training mission when a heavy storm hit the area, but the exact cause of that crash is still under investigation. now back to dateline. still under investigation. now back to dateline. is a solitary one, hours of driving ♪ tr♪ ♪ in the high sierra, the life of a game warden, is a solitary one. hours of driving along back country roads, alone. they see everything from bare poachers to pop farmers. in a spray that sometimes shoots back. that loan just to single attracted a reality show, which sent a photographer to the little town of quincy, here in lieu miss county. >> i've been in the quincy area for a couple of months. getting in all kinds of trouble with the california game wardens. >> it was the 4th of july weekend. late on a saturday night.

he had been taping with the game warden since daybreak. he's ready to pack it. in then an urgent call went out, over the radio. shots fired. >> all we really knew is, some bad stuff it happened, some people have been shooting at each other, we're speeding to get there, to perhaps break it up, perhaps stop, it perhaps save lives, you don't really know. >> they didn't know, that they were responding to the 9-1-1 call, from chad wallin-reed, after his arm confrontation with six men on a dark road running through a meadow. well racing to the scene, he in the warden met up with the sheriff's deputy. in over the radio came a new twist. two men possibly wounded, they found wandering through a campground. >> so we go to this campground ensure none, if we all hop out, and there's like two guys in the middle of this campground with blood on them. one of the sheriffs takes, and they cough up and take him

right there. in these guys are like look, our friends are hurt. and they give us directions to where the incident occurred. >> the metal that. is the dirt road where the shooting took place. such replace so remote without those directions they might never have found them. as they drove through the night, they listen to the chatter on the two-way. >> it was very chaotic. nobody knew exactly what was happening, nobody knew if there was multiple people shooting at each other. if it was two people shooting at each other. it's always conflicting reports coming over the radio. it's really scary. >> he and the word and we're now joined by a total of three deputies. the team convoy to the meadow. geared up for a possible shootout. they found a loan vehicle, its windows blown out. >> i want you to. standup. stand >> up he shot this footage of the encounter. which later became part of the official public record. >> right away there's two guys

coming towards with their hands up, one guys limping very bad. he was shot through the leg. they're both bloodying cut up. they both look really freaked out, >> then he saw something strange, poking out of the floor. >> i just remember seeing a hand come up out of the grass. >> put your hands up. >> and i was like whoa, we have a hand. he recorded everything, the warden, the deputies, arresting a wounded man. a hand poking out of the grass. and then the young man who is connected to that hand. his right calf shredded by a bullet. he tourniquet it's leg, the sheriffs in the warden's right away saw that he had it on too tight. and he had it on too low, it was very painful, they took it off, and he was bleeding a lot. >> this badly wounded man plus the others, made five. but there was one more. >> and there is another guy in the back, see who is i guess the driver. >> he was a lot worse off. he was talking, he was moving his mouth. i could hear sounds, i couldn't make any words out. it didn't look good.

>> the driver had been shot in the head. it was worse than anything you see in a movie. this was so violent. and so gory. what's happened here? sorting it out fell to detective steve bay and chris hendrickson. >> it is very confusing for all the officers responding. they were all under the impression that the suspects were in the meadow. in the car. and maybe armed, and officers treated them as such. >> adding to the confusion, the remote location, multiple occasions. >> two gentlemen at the campground. we have four gentlemen down at the potential crime scene. and then we have this man with another detective in another. stop officers, ambulances. helicopters coming, it's very chaotic. very chaotic that night. >> deputies led by sergeant pay met a few miles from the meadow. and they listen to his account of the chase. >> they started sign in the spotlight back at me. in the next thing i know, there's all these muzzle flashes. >> do you think they were firing on? yeah >> yes they were firing back at

me. >> but well sergeant i was talking to chad, some of the other detectives were out here in the middle looking for the weapon or weapons. those young must have fired a chad. they searched the car, they surged around the car, they looked all around the metro, they found nothing. but then, it's a big meadow, and those are very deep in very dark woods. some of those young men did run. they could've dumped a gun out there somewhere. but they did all run. remember the one shot in the leg. the one congressman documented with his hand stick you knopp, was found bleeding on the menu. he didn't bleed out. he survived. his name is justin lewis smith. and he's about to give his accounts of the july 4th weekend, on a dark and lonely road in the high sierra. coming up. confusion. terror, a very different story, both shots in the dark.

>> the next thing i know, glass is exploding. it's just complete chaos. when dateline continues. when dateline continues. s to fe. big show coming up, so we got ours and that blue bandage? never goes out of style. i prioritize my health... also, the line was short. didn't get a covid-19 shot in the fall? there's still time. book online or go to your local pharmacy.

i still love to surf, snowboard, book online or go to and, of course, skate. so, i take qunol magnesium to support my muscle and bone health. qunol's extra strength, high absorption magnesium helps me get the full benefits of magnesium. qunol, the brand i trust.

this is where it ended, in an ink black meadow in the high sierra, barely illuminated by a pair

of headlights. here is the actual video of the sheriff's deputies, guns drawn, approaching the car, preparing ended. in a black metro in the high sierra. shoo barely illuminated by a pair of headlights. here's the actual video of the sheriff's deputies guns, drawn approaching the, car preparing for a possible shootout with gunman. instead, they found shooting victims. three of them. severely wounded. >> somebody makes their way over towards the car, and says, let me see your hands. >> he can be seen in the footage here. shot in the right leg. bleeding profusely. the bill to use as a tourniquet placed just above his knee, possibly saved his life. >> at that point it's pretty obvious that it's my leg, i'm not sure how long went, by maybe an hour and a half. >> there were other victims, bloody in baffling seen. who were these people, how did they provoke a violent confrontation with army vet chad, read chad and his family said they were terrorized, but that was not the story, louis

had to tell. luis's version began an hours drive away in susanville california, population almost 80,000. home to two state prisons, to movie theaters, and on july 4th weekend 2011 restless young man inserted fund. it was lewis, of, course and his very best friend, a 20-year- old junior college student named rory mcguire. >> he was the center of attention wherever he went. >> all eyes were on cory, in fact, right from the start. that amazing shock of red hair surprising even his own mother, carole. his name was going to be cold and then he came out with a red hair, and had a look through and found, ronnie's red king in irish.

hence rory, colin, maguire. >> that red hair came with a personality to match. >> there is only one rory and everyone knew who it was. it is vivacious, creative, funny, he was the life of the party. >> entrepreneurial too, trying to start a mobile car washing business with a friend. >> worry at all the equipment, hid printed out business cards. he was passing out fliers, >> we would talk every day, almost every detail. laugh about little. things i always wanted a brother, and i felt like i kind of got that with rory. >> anyway that friday night, july 1st, rory in louis rejoined by for the young men, in search of a party they heard about. >> we were looking for a friend of ours, brother, who's having a gathering, up by the lake. >> girls up, there somebody said. so here's what they did. and once again, we prepared special video, this time to illustrate his story.

in which they all squeezed into rory's car, drove to the lake, but could not find the party. >> so, they got up to a little mischief up there by the lake. with the spotlight one of them brought, the kind that plugs into a cigarette later. >> we stopped at the top of the canyon, in where shining the lay down on the campsite. in a bunch of people came out yelling. they were mad, and everybody kind of got a kick out of that. >> then one of them remember some crazy warning signs, they saw by the warning by the roadside. when joe's buddies. they train the spotlight on him. >> and one of them says, warning you are entering the r0 sea. something to do with this red blooded christians, only. others will be deadly force. will be used. >> deadly force? red blooded christians only? were they kidding? seemed almost like a deer

>> one of them hopped out of the car. >> he grabs the solar lay, in ripped down one of the smaller of the two signs. he comes running back, and we took off from their. >> cheap light, maybe four or five. bucks still. >> why do you take the? similarly did he say? >> i think it was assumed it was just some sort of random act, a vandalism. that i guess young kids would do. >> and then the noisy car full of young men, rolled back, and they all went to bed. the following evening was saturday july 2nd. and sure enough there was a second chance. same lake, new party. >> so again, a bunch of young men piled into roy maguire's chrysler. >> and met up with two others, at the chevron gas station. where we bought, i think, a bottle of blueberry vodka, and a couple of 40 ounces of beer,

to take. with us >> king. >> and we got about halfway of the great, really approach the property. >> the wall room read property. suddenly, rory stop the car. and again, one of the group jumped out and stole two more solar lights. >> ten seconds past or so, and right as cesar was getting into the car. i heard, what's sounded like a gunshot. >> rory hit the gas. with somebody shooting at us? they asked the show they're. >> lewis a little freaked out, looked at the back window. >> i turned around, just to see, a truck behind. this >> i can pretty much tell that both men -- and right after that, i remember seeing a green laser traveling around in the car, with us. >> a green laser? a laser from a gun. >> we assumed, yes. >> it's like you can't believe. it they're not gonna shoot us. >> people don't shoot out

there. people >> know enough for this. >> and right after that, i heard, pop-up power, and then i heard -- >> you mean the car? >> yes. >> they tried blinding the shooter, didn't seem to help. >> meanwhile, this whole time we've been trying to call, 9-1- 1. and there's no service. and someone suggests that we waive my white t-shirt out the window. >> this way maybe he'll stop. >> exactly. >> we were trying every second, to have them to stop. >> but he just kept firing? >> well throughout the whole rest of this trip, there's flurries of shots being taken at us. >> desperate, now rushing along the road he did not know. >> rory suddenly took a wrong. turn >> so, we were on the dirt road, still taking fire at different points in time, and he still chasing us. eventually, what i hear rory says, this road just came to an abrupt stop. and so he's trying to flip around, >> trying to get away said lewis, get around the trunk,

get out of the meadow they were trapped in.. >> the next thing i know, glasses exploded. everywhere. hitting us in the head. >> was the car still moving at that point? >> yes. >> and it's just complete chaos. at that point, that was one, when i got shot, it felt like heat kind of came over my leg. >> when the car finally came to a stop. those who could, ran. >> i said come on rory let's go. and i looked up, and we had a space in his chest, and i'm pretty sure he said i can't. and right at that moment, i saw the laser light again. and at that point, the gunman approached. >> coming up. was the shooter coming to finish the job? >> he starts to circle around the car. the whole while he's pointing the gun at us. >> when dateline continues. s. >> when dateline continues.

cetaphil. we do skin. you do you. oh, here comes the bread guy. ugh, don't you ever get sick of bread? -how dare you? -come on. if you saved nearly $750 like this, imagine what we could splurge on. oh, like sourdough. no, the good stuff, like blueberries. -uh, and strawberries? -exactly. raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, elderberries, boysenberries... okay, we don't need to name all the berries. ...goji berries, halle berry. -i'm just kidding. -mm-hmm. but i love her. switch to progressive, and you could save hundreds, to spend on whatever you dream up. ♪ on your period, sudden gushes happen. say goodbye gush fears! thanks to always ultra thins... with rapiddry technology... that absorbs two times faster. hellooo clean and comfortable. always. fear no gush. rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. but i'm protected with arexvy. arexvy is a vaccine used to prevent lower

respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd, and certain other conditions. but i'm protected. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94% effective in those with these health conditions. arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. i chose arexvy. rsv? make it arexvy. not all christian mccaffrey's are the same. some are all-pro running backs. some aren't. i'm christian mccaffrey and i make tacos. just like not all internet providers are the same. don't settle for slow.

yikes. or unreliable. that's going to leave a mark. or weak. get real deal speed, reliability and power with xfinity. hey, you okay? i'm gonna pass out if that's alright. get the real deal, get xfinity. in a remote forest meadow, in the dark, a tiny green dot probed the interior of rory mcguire's

immobilized chrysler sebring. the laser sight was back, its green dot a roving bull's eye. a remote forest meadow, in the dark, the tiny green dot probe the interior of rory mcguire's immobilize chrysler. the laser site in the back. it's green dot or rolling bull's-eye. lewis might, crashed in the mobile in the backseat watched the green dot move across his body. waited for the gunman to finish him off. >> because it starts a circle around the car, the whole while he's pointing the gun at us. looking like a swat team, or something like that coming. when he comes up, he says, you want to shoot in my house, i've got kids, or something like that. >> we said we wouldn't shoot your, house we wouldn't do that. >> so the gunman points the gun right at me and says, look, we didn't shoot your house, please just call an ambulance. and he took off. >> suddenly, relief. some of the friends had run for cover during the shooting.

now they return to the car, but to what, they were alone in the dark. and their friend, the driver, rory, was clearly in bad shape. >> my friend has just been shot, and said i'm shot. we just assumed, we're gonna get back in the car, we're gonna get out of, here and we're gonna get help. >> somehow they managed to move rory to the back seat of the car. but when one of them turned the key >> the car wouldn't start. it just kept getting worse and worse. >> no car, no cell service, no idea exactly where they were, no idea where help might be, no idea if the wood survived the night. or if the gunman was going to come back. two of them volunteered to run out into the black nurse for help. see if they can find a cabin or a ranch house where they might find a working landline. question was, with their friends still be alive when and if they got back. >> so i decide it's time, should i call my -- >> when i pulled my pencilled out its other like someone

poured a ton of water on the ground, just flat. half was basically exploded, like numerous pieces. >> stuck in place, easy targets. if the government in return. >> we had feared that he was going to come back and finish the job. >> some of the young men decided the car was more of a target than refuge. and hit in the tall glass in the middle. i didn't feel comfortable staying at the car, and i don't blame them. >> now the two best friends, luis and rory, were trapped in the dark. luis laid down on the ground, propped his wounded like against the car, tried to keep talking to rory who is lying in the backseat. >> rory was shot in his head. he could barely talk, but when he did to this jumbled, it was horrible. you call out my name a lot. i told him, i guess naively,

that i feel your pain. he was able to reply, something, you have no idea. my whole leg had become numb from my knee down. then, shortly after that, my left leg started going numb. then the rest of my extremities until eventually it reached my limbs. then it got to the point where i was like, maybe i will die. >> just about then, illicit headlights appear in the distance. >> eventually someone makes their way over to the car and says -- >> let me see your hands. >> it was the sheriff's deputy and you can see in the video documenting the scene is when luis weekly stuck his hand up out of the grass. >> i laid on the ground for a while and somebody was holding on to my leg to stop the bleeding, so they were sticking my >> i can't feel my like it. all >> except for the. putting >> all i remember is that i got loaded into a paramedic.

and at this point it was major relief. >> rory was air lifted out to a hospital in reno, he was barely alive. no longer conscience. telling the story was not easy for lewis. >> sorry. >> it's okay. >> hissing zaidi was no hard to understand. but it didn't make sense was, how was account was different on some very key points from tad ruin read, the man who confronted him. for example, chad accused the young men of firing first. during the car chase. >> the next thing you know i was looking out, i can see these three flashes, and then i hear crack crack crack. >> but according to louis, that never happened. what's more he said, chad didn't seem worried they had a gun, when he approached their car. >> did he at any point say, are you armed? did you have a gun?

or throw your weapon away? anything like? that >> nothing like. that >> which is kind of confusing, seeing that he accused of shooting at his house. but he was pointing at the gun at us like we were armed. >> so he came up to the car and said, were you with one shooting at my house? >> yes. >> he didn't say shoot at me at the car? >> no. >> odd. remember, chad told the police that the young man shot at him during the chase. >> did he ever that night say why are you shooting at me in the car? or you shot at me in the car? anything like that? >> no nothing. nothing like. that >> did you have a gun? >> no. >> did anybody in the cardigan? >>. no >> did you own a gun? >> no. please we're looking for a gun, of course, you can't just take somebody's word for it. but neither could they, nor, we ignore one big discrepancy between between lewis's story, and chad's. remember, in his interview chat

said he told lewis and his friends when he left the meadow that he was going to get help. i said that i was going to go call the share. >> but that is not what's -- know he said he remembered quite clearly what's their assailant said. just before he got into his truck. >> he said, if i ever see any one of you, i'm going to kill you guys. >> coming up. >> police trying to figure out who was telling the truth about the confrontation. >> i took off after. them i was a leap. ranger they soon find chad's account is changing. >> it finally sunk in that he was gonna get caught in the story. >> when dateline continues. story. >> when dateline continues.

keith morrison (voiceover): there is, safe to say, no way on this earth a mother can be adequately prepared for the news carol starzer was about to receive. it was sunday morning, july 3. there is safe to say, no one on this earth, that a mother could be adequately prepared for the news carroll was bacabout to receive. it was sunday, morning july 3rd. she just got a message call back now. >> i knew something was wrong. i knew something was very

wrong, and i called back immediately, and i just couldn't believe it. >> come quickly they said. to the hospital., all we knew was he was in critical condition, and we needed to get there as soon as possible. and that's all they would tell us. >> so carroll, raced along the highway to reno, and her son rory. that same sunday morning, chad and carry's children woke up to the sound of strangers, rummaging through the cabin. >> they searched through our staff. they took all the guns. and i was crying, when i woke up. because i don't know who they were. >> it must of been terrifying. >> yes. >> and then the strangers told them their parents were explaining things to the police. and-- >> i knew my dad had it under control. he was very smart and thoughtful. >> in fact all night, chad had been in deep conversation with

detectives, from the county sheriff's office. >> i explained them when it happened >> going over again and again what happened at the cabin, on the road, in the meadow. to hear chad explain what was in his mind, when those men seem to be terrorizing his family. how he decided he had to do something to protect his kids. >> i was gonna get their license plate or something. and i took off after them. that's with the military trained me to do, you know, react. >> they train you to do that. react on foot. react on cars. those kids didn't stand a chance. i was a ranger. >> he told detectives steve pay, said how the man in the

car fired at him. and how it was self-defense. how he fired back. >> he talked about that was his training he received from the military, to continue to follow the, threat to neutralize the threat. he got into his zone. and he needed to neutralize the threat he felt. >> got into his zone. >> a zone. like-- >> a military term. >> yes. >> i served five years in the military. i killed people in the other side of this world. and i don't need to kill kids in my state. >> then the detective decided to take chat of a tour, to recreate the almost eight mile chase, and the shooting. on location. and on videotape. >> we drove, from his cabin, in my vehicle. and videotaping. and he took us right back here, to the meadow here. >> about here, in that stretch, is when i saw him shooting at me. >> right back in here is where i fired-- >> and we cut back in here, and it's when i fired. when he was cutting back this?

weigh >> in this corner? we hear >> yes. >> chad made it quite clear used a small pistol, three 80 caliber, to return fire during the chase. >> he told us he knew exactly where he shot from. so i'd get out and i'd mark that area so we could go back and search that area for casings. >> then the cops took chant down that dirt road, which led into the meadow. and there they can plainly see, the other officers had already marked several showcasing's in the meadow. and abruptly, chad story changed. >> i had spent many hours with him that night, questioning him, asking him if any other firearms and venues. demi continually said no. then at the very end of the interview, and the, drive that he finally did tell us that there is another gun used. >> that's when he saw on the ground as they all, did 2 to 3 caliber casings, the kind they would come from an ar-15 assault rifle. which chad finally admitted

that he used, here in the meadow. >> and prior to that, had you shot that and any other time? >> some, not that i recall. no. >> okay. >> but then, his story changed again, he admitted he fired the ar-15, just before he got to the meadow. >> how about behind? us when you shouted them coming off the dirt road. >> yes they take that. back that's when i shot the ar for the first-time. >> we moving when he. did that >> yes. or >> i think it finally sunk in that it was all gonna come back to him and he was gonna get caught in his story. >> coming up, rory mcguire's friends face tough questions from police. >> i pushed them. i say listen, if there was a gun, you need to tell us. >> when dateline continues. dates ♪♪ an all-in-one cleaning tool, with a 360-degree swivel head that goes places a regular mop just can't. ♪♪ mop smarter with the swiffer powermop. a perfect day for a family outing!

shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. what can you do with sensitive skin? ♪♪ cetaphil gentle skin cleanser does more than clean. it actually protects skin by keeping it hydrated. so you're always ready for the unexpected. cetaphil. we do skin. you do you. with the majority of my patients with sensitivity i see irritated gums and weak enamel. sensodyne sensitivity gum and enamel it relieves sensitivity helps restore gum health and rehardens enamel. i am a big advocate of recommending things that i know work.

why choose a sleep number smart bed? can i make my side softer? of recommending things i like my side firmer. sleep number does that. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base. ends monday.

is it possible to count on my internet like my customers count on me? it is with comcast business. keeping you up and running with 99.9% network reliability. and security that helps outsmart threats to your data. moaire dida twoo? your data, too. there's even round-the- clock customer support. so you can be there for your customers. hey billy, how you doin? with comcast business, reliability isn't just possible. thanks. it's happening. get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to a $1000 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today!

as rory mcguire clung to life in the hospital, detective steve faye had chad wallin-reed take him on a tour, as rory mcguire cling to llowli in the hospital, detective steve had chad mullen read take him on a tour, following the path of the car chase from the cabin. down the dirt road, into the meadow. in the hot pursuit ended. with a video camera rolling. chad recounted every detail. >> about here, in that stretch, is when i saw him shooting at me. >> problem was, his story kept shifting, at first the city only used a small pistol during the confrontation.

after driving through an area littered with 2:23 caliber shell casings, chad admitted he had also fired his ar-15 assault rifle. >> prior to that, had you shot that 223 at them in any other time? >> no, not that i recall. no. >> why the initial reluctance? well, perhaps because the ar- 15, which chad bought legally in nevada, was illegal in california. though, chad said he did not know that. and at any rate, now chant detailed how we use the rainfall again, when he saw worries car make a sudden u- turn. >> and i thought that they were going to get out and engage me. >> so perhaps still in self- defense mode--i grabbed the ar, and i swung it out the door and that's when i popped off the rounds of the ar. >> when they drove past you, going back this way, you are

shooting with the ar then? >> yes that's right. >> and so there was, chad story, but, as detective listened, something seemed off. >> just some odd the story, as it unfolded each times we talked, it kind of somewhat changed, and that morning detective pay heard from his colleague, who had spent his night talking to those young men. >> rory mcguire now in surgery was not able to talk. but the other five said detective henderson, he talked to them separately. told exactly the same story. how they stole the solar lights, were chased, tried to surrender. and then made a wrong turn. >> rory mcguire did not know this area that well, and the kids realized after they passed it, that they had missed this turn right here that goes down to antelope lake. >> why antelope lake? because, the men told detective henderson, there were cabins there.

people. safety. >> that's what they believe. they believe that they would just be a few minutes from safety. >> but the main thing those young men told detective henderson was, they did not shoot at chad green. in fact, they assured him, they did not have a gun. >> did you asked? some did you push them on that? >> oh i push them. i said listen, if there was a gun, you need to tell us. if you had a gun, and were shooting back, you would be in your right, as defending yourself. because you being shot at, and they would always say no, there was no gun, i guarantee you. >> we knew that morning detectives went out to the meadow, in discovered some fascinating evidence. for one thing, shards of broken glass, which clearly marked precisely where the car was, when chad blew out the windows. curious. it was not exactly where chad said it was. and, something else, worries car must have hit a rock during its rush through the meadow. just after it made the u turn

further out into the meadow. >> and it started joining the oil out of the car. clear as a giant magic marker, a brownish black trail, through the long grass of the meadow. interesting. >> now it was something like 12 hours since chad ran off to chase those men. he was exhausted >> in ben entirely cooperated with the cops? told him everything he knew. he was ready now to go home to his wife, and their three kids, so, what happened next, was something he did not expect. >> he was arrested for attempted murder. and also assault with a deadly weapon. >> as the fourth of july approached, chad was booked in the local jail. could any outcome be worse? well, yes it could. and was about to be. for everyone. coming up, grief and shock, as a mother finally finds out what

happened to her son. >> it's horrible. the nurse immediately, her face, she looked at me, and i knew. when dateline continues. dateli. paxlovid is an oral treatment for adults with mild-to-moderate covid-19 and a high-risk factor for it becoming severe. it does not prevent covid-19. my symptoms are mild now, but i'm not risking it. if it's covid, paxlovid. paxlovid must be taken within the first five days of symptoms, and helps stop the virus from multiplying in your body. taking paxlovid with certain medicines can lead to serious or life-threatening side effects or affect how it or other medicines work, including hormonal birth control. it's critical to tell your doctor about all the medicines you take because certain tests or changes in their dosage may be needed. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, hiv-1, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeed. don't take paxlovid if you're allergic to nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, or any of its ingredients. serious side effects can include allergic reactions,

some severe like anaphylaxis, and liver problems. these are not all the possible side effects so talk to your doctor. if it's covid, paxlovid. ask your doctor today. ♪oh what a good time we will have♪ ♪you... can make it happen...♪ ♪♪ try dietary supplements from voltaren for healthy joints. what is cirkul? cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul.com.

i've been using experian boost to help raise my credit scores. but experian boost is even better. because now, my monthly insurance payments could help boost my scores, too. it does it instantly, and it's free. so, get it through the experian app. ♪♪ ♪3, 4♪ ♪ the experian app.

♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ here's why people move to the high sierra-- to get away from the city, its constant pressures,

its regular explosions of violent crime. here's why people move to the high sierra, to get away from the city, its constant pressures, it's a regular explosion, and violent crimes. or at least that's how it was for the district attorney, david hollister. who moved to his new job in the county sea of quincy california. after years of prosecuting the worst that it had to offer. he came for the quiet. the family values. and now, here he was fielding calls from the local sheriffs are fuss about an extremely violent act. which the shooter himself freely admitted to. >> it was small enough where any type of homicide that occurred, i get called right away. >> so how much did you have to do with the decision to charge. >> everything. >> and from what the detectives told. him would have been seems pretty clear to be a hollister. >> he chased those boys 7. 6 miles. and he shot to kill. >> and so before sunday july 3rd was half gone, chad wallen

reed was booked and stripped searched, and locked up in the county jail. the charge, attempt of murder. >> what was that like? when they took him. >> it was very, pretty hard. for them to take my husband away. >> didn't expect it? >> no. i, as far as i've -- never expected us to be a part. in such a man. i never envisioned being -- away from my husband. >> back in the woods, in chads cabin, the detectives who arrested him, proud the property. still decorated in 4th of july lie. looking for evidence. >> there were -- on the gun rock. there was also a closet in the cabin that contained a large

amount of ammunition for various guns. shotguns. >> out on the edge of chant property out near the road. the detectives found an unusual no trespassing sign. you are entering the awra sea. the sign said. which means the republican chad. this is a restricted area, only red blooded patriotic christian americans are authorized for access, the use of deadly force is authorized, for those fun with noncompliance. the young men in the car thought it was some kind of joke. it doesn't seem that we now. at the very same time, still july 3rd, the driver of the shot of car roy maguire, was in the reno hospital, his mother carol, by his bedside in the icu. as he lead with a bullet in his. brain >> it's horrible. i don't know what's critical condition meant. so i really didn't know,

critical meant. probably not gonna make it. and the nurse it immediately, her face, she looked at me -- i knew. >> but it was weird, said carol. when she saw rory lying there, unconscious. >> and he actually looks perfect. i was very shocked. except for the plate, that the police over his head where the bullet went in. i just remember him looking like he was asleep. >> that's probably an image you can't get out of your head. >> every day i think of that. i think of that every single day. >> rory's father, carole's ex husband dave maguire, came to trial, not successfully, to hold back his soaring rage, a soldier did this? >> i put myself in that same scenario. and if i needed to, i would defend myself. but, once it's over it's my responsibility to render aid. this is not a battle zone. this is some hick town in

california. >> around the same time at the jail in quincy, an hour and a half away, chad placed a telephone call to his father. the call, of course, was recorded. >> i just got freaked out about my kids. and people screwing around. and i just got, i just lost it. just one in, went into a little bit of a zone. >> yeah. >> so, it got out of control. >> but as the hour stretched into the night into july, for chad begin to see more more clearly, that he was not to blame. those men shot at him. that he never set out to hurt anyone. >> i can honestly sit there and say, i don't get my vehicle, even say that i had the ar-15 say, i'm going to pick this weapon, and i'm gonna go down and kill these guys. heck no. no way. there ain't no way. >> in fact, thought chad, it was really he and his family

who were the victims here. >> if they had never shot at me. there'd be no reason for a gun. there would've been no reason for me to fire, to shoot, to use a firearm. you know my mindframe, these people are trying to kill me. >> carrie visited her husband in jail. to tell him that she was in his corner. and would always. be no matter what. >> do you wish that he had just stopped along the way and said, i'm done with this. just let them go, and come back. >> no. >> because he wouldn't have this problem now. >> i guess to a point. as far as the problem being that my husband is not a home. but we would still be in fear, of these people would come back to terrorize us more. he was protecting us. he was making sure that we were safe. >> and then, as the long holiday weekend wound down, he

got even worse. for all of them. >> rory maguire, died. >> he had image a couple of hours after we got there, and that was the end, he was gone, he was brain dead at that point. >> how do it used to feeling like that happening to you? >> i still feel like he is in the meadow. that's the car in the meadow, i still feel like i need to go help him. >> the chances for life river? >> forever. we'll never be the same. >> and a few hours later, the loving husband, doting father, army ranger, chad walden read, was now an accused -- >> murderer. they took me back down to the booking area, you're being charged with first degree murder. >> what does that feel like? >> well i can't describe. >> when you look at the word murder, and it describes

heinous, premeditated, malicious, a forethought. that's pretty grotesque. >> bail was set at 1 million dollars. money chad and his family did not have. but out there, out in the wider world, a new issue was emerging, called stand-your- ground. and also a certain attorney discovered, there was some tiny specks of evidence at the crime scene. that just might set chad free. >> coming up. the evidence chad's attorney says backs him up. we found three 80 casings, that were not from chats gun. when dateline continues. when dateline continues. ok is'. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms

after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling in ra and psa. relieve fatigue for some... and stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. abbvie could help you save. (whisper) air wick. how far would you go to control the fragrance in your home? there's an easier way. try air wick vibrant, with 2x more natural essential oils for up to 120 days of amazing fragrance per dual pack. now that's a breath of fresh air wick.

wanna know how i get this glow?! i get ready with new olay indulgent moisture body wash. it smells amazing and gives my skin over the top moisture! from dull to visibly glowing in 14 days! ♪♪ see the difference with olay. (ethan) i started smoking menthol cigarettes to be just like the cool guys in the ads. here's my tip. there's nothing cool about smoking and having a stroke. i guess they forgot to mention that in the ads. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now.

jessica layton with a look at the hours top stories. the white house is defending president joe biden after a special counsel's report characterized him as forgetful.

vice president kamala harris slammed the report as wrong and, quote, politically motivated. but a recent nbc nos poll finds 76% of voters are concerned about president biden's mental and physical health. former president donald trump has until monday to petition the supreme court over his immunity claim. and appeals court says trump is not immune from prosecution in the 2020 election interference case. and now, back to dateline. ce case. and now, back to dateline. for most of two years, often twice a week, kerri wallin-reed for most of two years, often twice a week, carrie wallen read read drove back and forth through the high sierra to visit her husband in the county lockdown.

not easy, any of it. >> horrible, it's just the worst, being without my husband and the children being without their father. it's just unimaginable. >> and the children? stay home and worry, mostly. >> sometimes i've been frightened. and cried for that. and when he sick, i cry hard because i don't know if he might die -- if he's sick -- or if he'll be okay. >> at the very same time, roy maguire's mother carol, cried for a son, a future, an expectation, gone forever. >> what do you think is the appropriate thing that should happen to this man? >> never step foot out of sight -- out of prison ever again. not be able to see, not have conjugal visits with his wife, not be able to see his children go through birthdays and marriages.

because now i am now cut short from all of that with my son. >> and a little quincy, stuck in a cell, chatted all the time in the world to think about what he did. >> starts this triple effect of if you never had a gun then none of this had never happen. but something this drabs me inside that says. they were wrong. they scared your family. >> chad found himself fuming about the first degree murder charge against him. felt that his alleged victims were the ones in the wrong. >> did they deserve to be stopped? absolutely. they don't deserve the right to do that. people >> fuming is possibly all chad might have done except a prominent defense attorney name, john alston, heard about chad's predicament. and right away he believed, to set him free. >> a sort of stand-your-ground idea? >> yeah. yeah. >> california doesn't have a stand-your-ground laws per se as some states do. but there is a state jury

instruction that's as a person under threat has a right to stand his or her ground and even pursue an assailant. chad wallon reid said, two attorney also, the justice is sort of person for whom that defense was intended. >> he's not a gang banger doesn't have a criminal record. he has a good clean military record. >> chad began looking forward to a trial. turned down the deal from the da. there's a story to be told. there's things that need to come out. i think that a trial will be a rather awakening. >> but first, they had to choose a jury. which would be a fight in quincy. a place imposed of gun owning country folk, and liberal big city transplants. >> there were a lot of letters to the editor of the local paper. and i think that they were pretty evenly divided between people saying that the state ought to reimburse chad the cost of ammunition.

and people saying, i moved up here from the bay area to get away from all of this. and people shouldn't have guns and they should not shoot guns. >> when the child began, olson seemed satisfied with the jury he got, could go either way. but. >> my desire is to want him out of that court. taken by the elbow, and lead him out of the courtroom. turn him over to his family. >> here is how wilson presented his standard ground defense, in his opening to the jury. >> he shot him because he was fired upon and he was in fear of his life. >> olson told the jury that he was a protective family man. doing what he felt he had to do as a father. after those menacing visitors to his house. >> after this friday, they were afraid, and i think that sets the tone for his state of mind. two sweet little girls. he wanted to show the jury the sweet little girls you wanted to protect. >> fair enough. >> some of the jury wept.

as 12 year old dara repeated the story she told us about the night the man came to their property. >> i remember asking my dad and mom what are you going to do if they come back. and what would happen if someone got hurt. >> what did they say? >> they said that everything is going to be okay. and that my dad is here to protect us. he can protect us. >> then, carrie, chad's devoted wife took the stand. determined to protect her husband. just as she believed he protected her that night. >> what was the effect of this is -- and your husband? >> it scared us. tremendously. >> and that's the reason chad chase those men said carrie, he was no monster. >> what was his manner of emotional state? >> distraught. >> did you ever see him in that manner before? >> no. >> was he crying?

>> he was. >> the whole case of course would boil down to whether chad was fired upon, and shot back in self-defense. also if the evidence backed chad up. >> i think we pretty will prove that there was a gun, in the victims car, and that they fired at chad. the young men in that car, not exactly boy scouts. >> the police asked these people if they had guns. >> and they said, no, we wouldn't carry guns. we would never carry guns. in one of them we have a facebook page, displaying both a gun in a knife. >> they must have been a gun that night, said olson, because on the root of the chase, investigators found three shell casings, casings that did not match any of chad's guns. >> the interesting thing is that they shot at me three, times and they found the three 80 casings, that we're together and were not from chad's gun. corresponding with the three

shots. >> and there was another truly stunning clue, collected on the night of the shootings, saild olsen. according to his forensic expert, there was gun residue inside the young man's car. and even on some of their hands. >> somebody shot out of that car. >> because of the gunshot residue in the car, the lack of bullet strikes on that side of the car, and the gunshot residue on the hand of the person who is riding shotgun if you will. >> then why did shed keep shooting at the car? after they made the u-turn? very good reason, said his attorney. >> if they turn around or were coming back out of there, those two cars of be on the same track, with a car coming right at him, and he's been fired on already, coming back towards, him he thinks they're firing on him again. >> chad declined to take the stand in his own defense. so the jury did not get to hear him say he did the right thing, did what he had to do, when he squeezed the trigger.

>> is it possible you are wrong? >> no. >> so, the case for self- defense in a jury would have to take seriously, and thus, prosecutor david hollister's big challenge, time to bring out a little ammunition. literal trail of evidence to the grass. >> a sticky, brownish black mess, that told a fascinating story. >> coming up, worries best friend, comes face to face with the man who shot him. >> when i looked at in my heart kind of jumped. >> when dateline continues. dat e , and show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent. the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor.

ask your eczema specialist about dupixent.

only sleep number smart beds let you each choose your individual firmness and comfort. ask your eczema specialist your sleep number setting. and actively cools and warms up to 13 degrees on either side. now save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed.

plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base ends monday. only at sleep number. what is cirkul? cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul.com.

the old plumas county courthouse, the old county courthouse, it's lovely in the autumn summer, has a pride of place here on main street in quincy california. inside, up on the top floor isn't overworked easy office, all too accustomed to the limited funding abilities of a small county. a fact of life david hollister had to consider very carefully, as he prepared to prosecute chad wallen read, for first degree murder. >> we better do this case, right we better do it once. because that's about our only shot at it. we have pretty much burned our budget, for trials for the year. the trouble was-- >> this was a difficult case from the start. >> the defendant was not just a family man, the father of these adorable children, he was as he told detectives, ex military, once an army ranger. you don't get to be one of

those, without good judgment. and real character. and on top of that, there is that wild card jury, people who need to be persuaded that chad showed bad judgment, and very poor character. >> ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the evidence will show the defendant was not in imminant danger when he fired those shots, he was mad that they were trying to get away. >> he was at the scene so to, speed prosecutor alistair showed the jury showed the video shot by the reality show cameramen, now part of public record. >> this was graphic stuff, right there in living color, the bloodied bodies of injured and apparently terrified young men, the officers trying to attend to their medical needs. >> how important was that video? >> it gave the cherry, a true understanding. of the horror that happened that night. we've got one man with his leg

propped up, in the tourniquet, there we have were maguire in the back seat with a horrible head injury, that is something i cannot capture in words. >> lewis, the man you met earlier, was a key witness for the, state remember that bullet from chance ar-15, shredded his like. he was luckily to keep the leg, and survived the night. >> did you see the defendant sitting over there in the courtroom? >> i only looked at him once or twice, my heart kind of jumped, and i knew it was him. >> lewis's been a nervous wreck since all of this happened. in court he was no less nervous as he told the jury about seeing a green laser gun sight, about the flurries of shots fired by the defendant, about the young men's efforts to end the car chase. >> first of all they fled, they fled as fast as they, could they throughout the solar lights, they threw a white t- shirt out the window. if you want to look at a

textbook definition for doing everything you can to say, no more were done, they did it. >> and yet said the prosecutor, chad kept right on shooting. >> he told the detectives, i think that might of been a white flag. i don't think there's any question those kids did everything they could to give up. >> but here's the thing, if the young men fired at first, as the defense went to a lot of trouble to prove, then maybe chad's reaction was reasonable. >> but did they fire a gun? did they even have one? >> remember those three non chad shell casings found on the road the defense made such a big fuss about. it could've been from the young men said the prosecutor, and how did he know? simple love speed versus gravity. >> you're telling me, these kids are fleeing at 50 miles per hour, you're telling me that they fired three shots, the casings are a foot and a half apart. at 50 miles per hour. that's outrageous, that's crazy. >> remember the forensic expert was clear there was gunshot residue, in the young man's car. and on some of their hands.

proving they must've fired the gun. must have. to which they were to reply, nonsense. that defense expert, must not have been pretty to all of the. evidence >> the gunshot residue was really not gunshot residue. it was elements that could make up gunshot residue. anytime a car is hit with that many high velocity rounds, from an ar-15, you're going to expect to see lead. >> expert versus expert, matter of opinion, how would a jury? know what's the state needed was something that would prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that chad was lying about would have been out there in the night. and, seemed like maybe they had just exactly that. remember chats insistent that the car came straight out in through the meadow, as it for a final showdown. >> and it looked like they were

coming straight at you. >> yes. >> looking like an assault? >>right? >>looking like they were attacking. >>right. >> it was just my frame of mind, was that these people were coming back to shoot at me. that's where my vehicle was out of the way, of their vehicle. and they were coming straight back at me, nose to nose. >> but, as the prosecutor told the jury, evidence found in the meadow that a very different story. the detectives took us there to show us. remember how the young man cracked open the oil then left a distinctive true. we can see the oil, that had to lay down by the car. using that trail of oil, the prosecutor had an animation created. which showed the car was not headed towards chats truck, but instead was headed around it, away from shed. and where detective henderson is standing, was about where they traveled pass. and then he started shooting at their car. >> how did they know where the car was when it was hit? by the shattered glass of its

windows some of it still here, marking the spot. and the glass told the story to, they said about the true intentions of chad. >> the shot placement was very well placed. it was head height, shooting at the windows of the vehicle. one went low into the rear passenger door. and -- but most of the shot placement was also high, mid height. >> in other words, chad was in shooting to disable the car, said the prosecutor. the evidence suggested he was shooting to kill the occupants. even as they were trying to get away. >> was the defendant in imminent fear of death or bodily injury so that immediately had to use deadly

force? unequivocally, the answer is no. >> so what attitude, in your mind, did he have when he took off after those kids? >> the last words he said before he got in the truck, was i'm going to get those center mitch is. and i think he meant it, the prosecutor felt confident. but in a town divided where there were guns and self protection. who could be sure what the jury could decide. this is exactly the kind of case that needs to hunter. >> absolutely. >> and that's a fear. >> in that case chad could walk. since little quincy couldn't force to try and again. and then just as the trial came to its end. a long sought bit of information finally leadto da hollister's mailbox. oh my. >> i was shocked. i don't think there was any other way to put it. >> coming up. it was something that we simply felt like we had to follow through on. >> the twist we know is all coming. >> it was very clear the defendant had something that we just alive.

>> when dateline continues. dates we're travelling all across america, talking to people about their hearts. ooh, take this exit. how's the heart? i feel like it's good. —you feel like it's good? how do you know when it's time to check in on your heart? how do you know? let me show you something. it looks like a credit card, but it is the kardiamobile card. that is a medical—grade ekg. want to see how it works? yeah. put both thumbs on there. that is your heart coming from the kardiamobile card. wow! with kardiamobile card, you can take a medical-grade ekg in just 30 seconds, from anywhere. kardiamobile card is proven to detect atrial fibrillation,

one of the leading causes of stroke. and it's the only personal ekg that's fda—cleared to detect normal heart rhythm, bradycardia and tachycardia. how much do you think that costs? probably $500. —$99. oh, really? you could carry that in your wallet. of course you could carry it in your wallet, right? yes, yes. kardiamobile card is just $89 during heart health month. don't wait. get kardiamobile card at kardia.com or amazon. [♪♪] looking for a moisturizer that does more than just moisturize? try olay regenerist for 10 benefits in every jar. olay visibly firms, lifts, and smooths wrinkles, by penetrating the skin, to boost regeneration at the surface cellular level. try olay. choose advil liqui-gels for faster, stronger and longer-lasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels because advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. so for faster pain relief, advil the pain away.

it's not often that a gift drops in a person's lap, manna it's not often that a gift drops in a person's lap. manna from heaven, exactly when it's most needed. which in this case just as the trial was wrapping up, was a carefully sealed official looking package. addressed to the coolest county da. candidly, i give credit to the detectives.

>> he asked them to track down chad wallen read's military records. just to confirm his background. >> it was something that we simply felt like we had to follow through on. >> remember, throughout chad's interview with police, he talked again and again about his army career. >> that's what the military trained me to do. you know. react. >> implied that what he did in that meadow, he had first done under enemy fire, overseas. >> and i served five years in the flipping military. i kill people on the other side of this world. i don't need to kill kids in my state. >> maybe even that he had been having some sort of flashback. >> i know i had been out for ten years. but you know, i was a, arranger. >> it took nine months, many of them have snarled in military red tape, but now here where the records. and what they revealed was nothing short of shocking. in here was confirmation that chad was in the army all right,

but that's about all what was true. >> he was not a ranger. he had not fulfilled his commitment. he had not served overseas. he had not been in combat overseas. he had not killed people on the other side of the world. he had not done any of those things. >> in fact, the army asked chad to lead. discharged him for forging sick leaf papers, and bringing a personal firearm into the barracks. and this was perhaps the worse, wearing a compact infantry badge in a ranger task, and others such badges. when all of those things, which the jury had been made to believe about chad's military service based on his own -- were all lies, it was very clear that the defendant had. lied about something you just don't lied about. >> sure.

and you just don't lie about that. >> absolutely. his talk about how i only fired three shots, i use the pistol. all these other lies added up. >> the liars at hollister who shot those young men out of anger. pure and simple. >> you don't get to chase the person down and kill him. that is not self-defense. >> but defense attorneys stuck to the heart of their case. it was, said john olson's partner and his closing argument, a clear case of self- defense. >> in his place again, a reasonable fear of intimate danger, or threat by the actions of the occupant, in the other vehicle. on the road when they were shooting at him. and then when they turned, in the meadow, and came back at him. >> self-defense? or murder? >> to wait for jury's decision is in kind of agony, for both sides. rory maguire's dad still struggling with an inexplicable anger. the justice system can't give him what i feel he has coming. no amount of jail time, will fix it. those sweet said innocent

little kids. >> -- like that he was funny -- and he's always loving, he protects us a lot, and -- >> okay. >> and the mission? >> yeah. >> that part is pretty obvious. >> yes. >> before the jury even got the case. chats wife keri told us she already knew what the outcome would be. you mean in your heart of hearts, do you think the jury would say not guilty? >> i know the lord has told me that chad will be home. >> but then any other thought? >> could i imagine him being away from us, no. no. it hurts. that, that thought hurt -- those words hurt my heart. >> surprising them when word chad told us what he said before the trial. >> are you going to be

acquitted? >> no. >> no? >> i'll ended up spending the rest of my life in prison. >> you believe that? >> absolutely. >> why? >> i think that, i don't -- my faith in the legal system has seriously been shaken. i think the majority of people have a negative opinion about me. >> of course, no one could know the way the jury would go, especially in a town divided like quincy. >> you're holding your breath the whole time. weather is your first trial, or 50. it they didn't have to hold their breath very long. less than a day. >> we the jury, find the defendant gregory chad wallom reed, guilty, of a penalty of mid murder of first degree -- >> guilty of first degree

murder. none of the cameras reach in the gallery, roy's mom began sobbing. two years of pent-up heartbreak. >> i know we could not had fix what had happened. but maybe we could give her a sense of justice. >> i'll never have a friend like that again, or somebody i consider brother. >> that's a sweet picture. >> lewis told us it's our duty to keep rory's memory alive. for himself, and for carroll. who is in his life now for good. >> i love carol, and she loves me back. there's always a place for me in her home. we can't stop talking about him. she is happy that i was a front row seat to rory's life, and i'm able to tell her about it. >> at a sentencing hearing, chad addressed rory's family. >> i know that there are more rules, and nothing that can give you relief from the pain that you experience every moment of every day. >> we had already asked carrie

which she would do without chad, if she had to. and now his sentence, 84 years to life. >> you know, -- there are -- god knows there are countless of families who are in prison who wait and wait and say, i can't wait anymore, and they have to go on with their lives and they kind of making you plan. do you ever think about that? >> no. >> not a chance? >> no. >> why is it so important to you? >> he is my husband. he's my soul mate. the love of my life. >> very little cabin, that piece of paradise was sold, to pay legal bills. >> we have fond memories. we do. and now there is no good memories to be had, but we can hold on to the ones that we have. and 7. 6 miles away, out there in the mountains, snow blanket in the meadow, hiding the only remnants of what had happened, a few shards of glass, and a little rock that marked the

spot where young man was so much potential was wasted. >> part of me feels that rory is fine. >> why do you see rose? fine >> he's not in the meadow. and he's not in the hospital bed. and he's not on that road trying to get away from the shooter. he's not afraid anymore. so he's fine. guilt still in me. it makes me sick how i could do something like that. hello, i'm craig melvin and this is dateline. >> i have a lot of guilt still in me. it makes me sick how i could do something like that. i am the responsible one. >> a working mom, new