dietrich family, good luck and god bless. the court is in recess. >> i really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he took away from us. in how is the world different now without nikki in it? what did she leave behind? >> she left behind three beautiful children. they will grow without having a mother. i feel like she's still there. she's still here with us. i'm constantly reminded of her. i feel like she is still here with us. hello, i'm andrea canning, monica peck: she was so alive. to hear that news and realizing that it's amber, how could that be?

her life was just beginning. andrea canning: amber made friends for life. there was just no trying with our friendship. it just was. >> eaamber made friends for lif >> there was no trying with her friendship. it just was. >> that h life didn't last long >> i'm on the floor, face down, and she has a plastic bag wrapped around her head. >> most people that rob a store don't kill anybody. >> my whole world just died right there. >> for months, the murder stayed cold. >> didn't have witnesses, didn't have video. >> we go down and talk to the detective. we wouldn't let it go. >> then, a break. another victim. >> he would duct tape me. duct tape my mouth. >> she knew his secret, would she risk revealing it? >> something is going to happen tonight. >> a killer ready to run, face to face with the one person who

might be able to stop him. >> he just reached over the glove compartment and he pulled out the gun. i said please don't kill me. i wanted to get out of there alive. >> >> hello and welcome to dateline. amber belkin was loa force to reckon with. a petite young woman whose big dreams and omdrive made her see unstoppable. then, she was found murdered. was amber the victim of a robbery gone bad or was this brutal crime personal? three people knew the truth. two of lethem would risk their lives to reveal it. here's keith morrison with, everything she knew. >> it was a monday morning in january., 2007. 9:08 a.m. a young woman in san antonio

texted her boyfriend. i love you. that's all it said. i love you. nothing more. downtown, the alamo had just opened its doors. a few tourists began boarding little boats to gaze at remnants of texas history along urban stretches of the san antonio river. several miles away in the farther reaches of the modern city, the manager of a video game store began his daily ritual. his name was mariano rivera. >> the managers typically get there ivat 9:00 in the morning. grab the money, take it with you, and go to the bank. >> similar process in the sister store. same company, not far away. that one managed by the woman who sent the text to her boyfriend. except this was strange. as the morning slipped by, her store remained closed. mariano got a call from the district manager. >> can you go over there and maybe you can see something? see what's going on.

>> he did. he saw ata white car in the parking lot. looked like the young woman's car. he peered into the store window. nobody there. >> and i thought, man, this is strange. where is she? i kept calling. nothing. >> her name was amber belkin. tiny, just 5'2", 100 pounds. but energetic, ambitious, and very much in charge. >> she was a fire cracker. that's the easiest way to put it. >> matt is in texas politics nowadays. back then he worked in amber belkin's store. >> she would let you know what she wanted. she was one of the kindest souls ever, that i ever met. it depended on what side you met her on. >> she loved her job. >> she did. >> monica peck and ashley were amber's best friends. >> was she cut out to be a manager? >> oh yeah. she was fierce. but she was still friendly. she loved all her employees.

she loved all of her customers. >> she was only 25. she was a store manager. so it was a very good sense of, she's doing it. she's making something of her life. she had goals. she had ambitions. she wanted to go back to school. she wanted all of it. >> no the that she set out to work in a game store. she wanted to be a veterinarian. >> she was just so loving. we couldn't pass a turtle on the road. >> she would find random animals on the side of the road. >> like her little dog, buddy. amber's parents, lee and randy. >> she actually ran for buddy across the expressway and the hair was all matted up. looked like dreadlocks. >> she said, i can't put it back out on the road. it will get killed. >> i opened the door and let it in. >> amber was their only child. they doted on her, from the day

she was born. and she was good in return. >> she helped anybody that needed it. they didn't even have to ask. >> she was going to make sure that keyou were protected. >> atbut now, where was amber? why was e her store not open? why didn't she answer the phone? early afternoon, still no sign of amber. so again, the district manager called mariano. >> something is just strange. >> sent him back for a second look. so again, mariano looked in through the big front window, but this time he saw someone. amber's assistant manager, brandon, just standing there behind the counter. >> i knock on the door and so he lets me in and i said, brandon, he said have you seen amber? he said no, but something is strange. it looks like there was some kind of struggle or something happened. things got knocked over. my first thought was, where is amber? he said he didn't know. of course, right away, i'm thinking, what is going on with

this guy? clearly sees there's something wrong, he must recognize her car. that's her car outside, you see it. you see there's things on the floor. why haven't you reacted right away and call someone or check the rest of the store. >> but he hadn't. so, mariano ran to the back office. the only other room in the store. not a moment he'll ever forget. not for the rest of his life. >> and when i run to the back. amber is on the floor, face down, and she has a plastic bag wrapped around her head. and instantly, i knew what happened. >> one mystery solved. amber was no longer missing. but a much bigger mystery remained. coming up. >> most people who rob a store don't kill anybody. >> maybe the robbery was just a cover for murder. >> he had the classic motive. >> it does seem personal. >> when "dateline" continues.

and you know i didn't. it makes my running shoe look like new! it's amazing. it's so good. it makes it look like i have magical powers. magic eraser and sheets make cleaning look easy.

sorry, party is cancelled. waiting on the cable internet guy. ♪ first, i had cable. ♪ ♪ but those cords weren't me. ♪ ♪ so he switched to t-mobile. ♪ ♪ home internet, with 5g. ♪ ♪ what a feeling! ♪ ♪ i have wi-fi now! ♪ ♪ i need home internet from t-mobile to fulfil my ♪ ♪ li-i-i-i-iiiiiiiiiiife! ♪ get home internet from t-mobile now. just $50 bucks a month. eggs make all our family moments better. especially when they're eggland's best. taste so fresh and amazing. deliciously superior nutrition, too. for us, it's eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best.

you can make money the hard way as a bullfighter as or a human cannonball.... or save money the easy way, with xfinity mobile. existing customers can get a free line of our most popular unlimited plan for a year! not only will you save hundreds but you'll also be joining millions who have connected to america's most reliable 5g network. sure is a lot safer than becoming a stuntman for money. get a free line of unlimited intro for a year when you buy one unlimited line. visit xfinitymobile.com today to learn more. i'm jack black. get tickets right now for kung fu panda.

you don't have time for a drum solo. get tickets! [ screaming ] get tickets! skadoosh. get tickets! keith morrison: there are some things, which once seen, can never be unseen, amber belken sprawled in death there reare some things whi once seen, can never be unseen. amber belkin sprawled in death in the back office of a video game store. her head wrapped in a plastic bag. mariano rivera dialed 911. his mind horrified confusion.

he stared at brandon beale. >> i was angry. i was upset. you know, and then i'm looking at brandon like, i don't understand. how did this happen? and you know, i don't want to blame anybody, but your first thought is, who was around? who can you look at and say maybe he has something to do with it. >> it has to be a shocking thing to discover. >> it's hard to describe. you have a million emotions running through and you don't know what to make of them. >> the police came, took one look, and called raymond roberts. then a detective with the san antonio police department. >> it looks like a robbery gone bad, store is in disarray. the clerk is found in the back office, she's dead. try to get some information, are there any witnesses? no, sir. you're telling me to hold the scene down and get the crime scene detectives out there. >> the news indistinct, unconfirmed, spread throughout the texas afternoon. someone is dead in amber's store. most people didn't know who,

including amber's father, as he headed over there. >> i jumped in my truck and i called a friend of mine who is a defense attorney and i said, i need you to call anybody that you can to see what you can find out. and i was just about there and he called me and he said, how far are you from there? >> and that's when he realized it wasn't that amber found someone dead. >> they found her. >> and my knees just buckled and i just -- my whole world just died right there. >> that's a pretty dreadful feeling. >> it's the worst feeling in the world, because you totally realize no one can fix this. nobody can bring her back. >> not for them.

not for her friends. >> everything just stopped. disbelief. disbelief. your earth shatters. >> i sat on the curb and cried. everything around me was just a blur. >> inside the store, detective roberts had a look around. >> there's a bunch of dvd games on the ground. where the cash register was at the front, the till is open. the drawer is open. change laying around. more dvds on the ground in the back. >> like somebody came in, ransacked it. >> ransacked the place and took off, yeah. >> he went around to the back alley. was this an escape route? >> either had their car out here in the alley, picked up the boxes and took off. >> wouldn't think robbing a game store would be worth killing someone in the process.

>> normally during a robberies, there's just robbery, no murder. >> this was certainly a robbery, given the mess and the empty safe. >> we checked the bank. there was no deposit made for that morning. there was $1900 stolen. three or four big video games, play stations, and ps3, and dvd games. all that was taken. >> the haul totaled just under $6,000. maybe the store surveillance cameras could tell the detective who took it. except -- >> there's no surveillance video in the store. there's none in the strip center that the store is located in. there's no video. there was video at the starbucks next door, but it only showed the front door. that's it. you don't see anything. >> who would know that? who would know it was the video game company's only store in san antonio not equipped with cameras? the answer was obvious, thought the detective, an employee would know. just like an employee would

know amber hadn't taken the cash to the bank yet. then mariano told the detective about encountering brandon and he couldn't understand why brandon didn't look for amber until he, mariano, arrived. >> his first thought, i think there might have been a robbery. let me make sure the robbers aren't in here, also, let me see where amber is. >> just what the detective was thinking. he talked to amber's coworkers. they said she had issues with brandon. >> they had never learned to work together yet and when you have a guy like that who is not really the same type of attitude or mentality that the rest of us were, it causes some problems. >> did she trust him? >> you know, i don't know. i think some instances, no. >> even amber's parents said they knew she was dissatisfied with brandon. >> because she had written him up. >> she prepared a negative work

review. >> she was going to turn it in that day. >> it's just his last chance, mom, she said i can't allow him to continue to make these mistakes. >> so, motive? opportunity? behavior that didn't seem innocent? >> i mean, he had the classic motive. he didn't want her to write him up. >> yeah. >> didn't want to get fired. seemed like a personal crime. >> most people that go in and rob a store, they don't have the intentions to kill anybody. putting a plastic bag on her head, squeezing it tight, takes four or five minutes probably. takes a commitment. >> yeah, no kidding. >> know she is struggling. she's not just laying there. that takes awhile. that takes -- it does seem personal. >> they had brandon in the backside of a patrol car. detective went to talk to him. >> he tells me a story and it's just not making any sense.

>> so he had brandon taken downtown and questioned by a colleague known for her special interviewing skills. >> she's a real good detective. she has a way with getting stuff out of people. about an hour later, i'm at the scene. she calls me back, yeah, something is up with this guy. >> coming up. amber's parents were convinced it was brandon. >> everything pointed to him. >> would that explain what amber's mom saw at the funeral? >> he put one of the game stop tag holders that had their id on it. he put one of those in her casket. >> when dateline continues. >> when dateline continues. what can you do with sensitive skin? cetaphil moisturizing lotion hydrates for a full 48 hours.

because a lot can happen in 48 hours. dermatologist-recommended cetaphil. we do skin. you do you. feeling ughh from a backed up gut? miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go... ...free your gut. and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try new mirafiber gummies. (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.

[gum stretches] dang it. [tires pop] dang it. that's some bad luck brian. and i think i'm late on my car insurance. good thing the general gives you a break when you need it. yeah, with flexible payment options to keep you covered. so today is your lucky... oh! [crash] ...day. meteor! [screams] dangit. for a great low rate, go with the general.

keith morrison: it was four days after that awful morning in the video game store. it was four days after that awful morning in the video game store. amber belkin's funeral was huge, as if she had been adopted by the community around her. >> over 600 people. the ones that couldn't get into the chapel waited in the lobby and in the parking lot. >> was that a comfort? >> a very big comfort. she touched that many lives. >> they loved amber. they said, we love amber. >> asamber's parents watched, they could not stop seeing in their heads another scene. the one in the back room of the video game store.

the way she was killed. >> that told me it was personal. >> she had to be so frightened. and when she tried to pick up the phone, i know it was to call us. and he yanked the phone out of the wall. >> was it brandon beale? by the day of the funeral, they were sure. >> we definitely thought brandon did it. >> everything pointed to him. >> then, as mourners filed by to pay their respects, suddenly, there he was at the funeral. in front of them. brandon beale. >> did you think, my god, her killer has come to the funeral? >> oh, he came and shook my hand and i got up and my knees just fell weak and i just fell. >> then, said amber's mother, she was sure she saw brandon walk right up to the casket and put something into it. >> he put one of the game stop tag holders that had their id

on it. he put one of those in her casket and i got that thing out of there as fast as i could and put it in a tissue and put it in my purse, because i thought, that's the last thing i want buried with my daughter. >> was that id potential evidence, she wondered? was brandon trying to bury evidence with amber's body? >> so mom was automatically thinking, it has to be brandon. >> a week after the murder, detective roberts questioned brandon on video tape. >> going back over everybody we talked to, trying to figure this thing out. >> brandon repeated the story he had been telling from the start. he was nowhere near the store that morning. >> got up, let my dog out. watched sports center. and then at 9:45, i left to go help my fiance's parents move. >> he didn't get to the store,

he said, until after 2:00 p.m., for afternoon shift. and when he got there, insisted it was still closed. so he panicked. was he supposed to open that morning? >> i'm about to put my stuff in, so i can check the computer. >> he looks around and sees the dvds on the floor. the cashier drawer open. he sees all this and thought, hmm, he starts going about to open the store. >> he thought hmm? >> yeah, he's not looking for amber. >> brandon told detective roberts he had no idea amber was in the store. no idea amber intended to submit a negative work review about him that very day. didn't notice her car in the parking lot, he said. didn't think the obvious mess in the store meant they had been robbed. >> you saw the disarray. >> yeah. >> if an employee saw that disarray. >> normal person would go in and start looking, something is up. >> something is wrong here. >> so roberts got a search

warrant for brandon's house and car. maybe they would find some of the stolen dvds and game consoles there. they did not. but there had to be something. for weeks, the detective looked for evidence on brandon beale. >> randy and mom called me 24/7. every day. two or three times a day. brandon, brandon, brandon. >> detectives questioned his fiance. her parents. they scoured his phone records. >> we did everything we could to try to get some kind of evidence on brandon and there was none there. there was none there, because he didn't do it. >> that alibi about helping his fiance's parents checked out. and his phone records revealed he was miles from the store when amber was murdered. finally, brandon beale was cleared. >> did you at some point think, i'm going to be charged with murder? >> yes, i did. >> the memory still fresh.

>> i had nightmares of going to jail, you know, it was hard for me to sleep. >> that terrible day. >> my whole thought process was, i have to get this store open, because i think i screwed up. >> why didn't he notice they had been robbed? >> some stores are messier than others. >> maybe that meant whoever was on the night before didn't put things away. >> that was my thought process. totally opposite of, hey, there's somebody dead here. >> brandon was 23 then. and terrified. >> i'm just thinking, you know, they are trying to put this on this young black man, you know? >> when they questioned his fiance, now wife. >> they were trying to convince her that i did it. they would say things to her, how can you sleep with a murder, you know he did it. you are possibly next. >> when they searched his house. >> it seemed like a scene out of a movie. going through drawers, throwing our clothes. they left my house array. >> even when he was finally cleared, he said no one told

him, nor he was told amber written him up. he agreed they hadn't seen eye to eye on some things. and until we spoke with him, he said, he had no idea amber's mother believed she saw him put something into amber's coffin. >> did you walk over to the casket and put in a lanyard or something? >> no. no. that was my very first funeral. i didn't even get that close to the casket. >> but brandon is a father now, two kids. so, he told us, he thinks of amber's parents and understands. >> i couldn't imagine, you know, losing one of my children. >> if brandon beale didn't kill amber belkin, then who did? coming up. >> i'm sitting at the office, and phone rings. >> a caller reluctant to give his name, but gives up someone else's. >> i know who killed this girl.

>> when dateline continues. shingles doesn't care. shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. ahhh, there's nothing like a day out with friends. that's nice, but shingles doesn't care! 99% of adults 50 years or older already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can reactivate at any time. a perfect day for a family outing! guess what? 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. shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today.

at oofos, we don't make footwear. we make shock absorbers. fatigue fighters. mobility maximizers. this is the science of active recovery. revolutionary oofoam technology absorbs impact and reduces pressure. it's the foundation of every pair of oofos, and the key to recovering faster. this is not a shoe. this is oofos active recovery. activate your recovery with oofos. 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.

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 our 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. with comcast business, reliability isn't just possible. it's happening. get started for $49 a month. plus, ask how to get up to a $800 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today!

on friday, he hit pennsylvania, telling voters quote, we have the strongest economy in the world right now. next week, biden will visit michigan and wisconsin. and passengers were evacuated safely from a united airlines plane that tilted and rolled on to the grass after landing in houston. initial reports indicate the plane may have been going too fast when it took a turn on the tarmac. now back to dateline. i'm andrea canning. brandon beale believed he was going welcome back to dateline. i'm andrea canning. brandon beale believed he was going to be charged with the murder of game store manager, amber belkin., but detectives verified his alibi and phone

records placed him miles from the crime scene. police initially play out a hunch that the culprit must have had a gamestore connection. now, a call from an anonymous tipster was about to breathe new life into that theory. here is keith morrison with, everything she knew. >> brandon beale did not kill his boss, amber belkin, which meant the detective had a big problem. >> we had everything going against us. didn't have witnesses. didn't have video. didn't have dna. didn't have fingerprints. didn't have nothing. >> he went public then, had to. >> we held a big news conference with the parents, mom and dad. pleading for help. crime stoppers put up a lot of money. nothing. i was hoping, you know, money talks. >> $100,000 reward. >> it's a lot of money. nothing. >> we put fliers up all over san antonio. >> we wouldn't let it go.

>> but as months went by without a single solid lead, detective roberts zhang through frustration and into a kind of despair. >> my girl. >> she resembled my daughter. same build, same color of hair. amber's favorite book, if you give a mouse a cookie, i read that to my daughter a million times. you know, you do this for an extended period of time. you try to distance yourself from it. >> you got it. >> the worst mistake is getting too close to it. >> yeah. >> close to the family, mentally, physically, for the detective. we do that every case, you're no good. you're burnt out. >> and then, about seven months after amber's murder. >> i'm sitting at the office.

the phone rings. >> the caller claimed to know something. >> what's your name? i don't want to tell you my name. just call me joe. so i know who killed this girl. i said okay, who? a guy named geovany. i said what makes you think this guy did it? he asked me if i wanted to do a robbery with him, you know, before. i said oh, okay. >> fascinating. >> he used to both work for eb games. i said why did he want to do this robbery? he said there were no cameras. both of them did work for eb games. so i'm thinking, finally got a break. >> the detective asked joe to come in for a talk. joe told him that at first, he didn't think giovanni's request was serious. >> you don't think your best friend wants to actually go do something. >> after he heard about amber,

it all clicked. giovanni must have killed her, but how much stock could he put in with this guy, joe? who was this giovanni anyway? the detective checked for priors. there wasn't much. >> had a record as a juvenile. fingerprints that we lifted from the crime scene. there's hardly any that are legible. >> and none was a match. >> now you're stuck as an investigator. you have this one witness, and you want to tie the suspect to the scene, but there's nothing to tie him. there's nothing. i have nothing to hit him on. >> but worth a try. he brought giovanni in for an interview. >> it will do damage to my stomach. >> of course, he denies it. >> i'm real comfortable thinking you are responsible for this murder. >> that's crazy, sir. >> was it crazy? no way to prove, really. and then a couple days later, detective roberts brought the tipster, joe, back in. this time joe poured it all

out, said giovanni actually told him straight out that he killed someone. >> i was in shock when he told me that. i was like, wow, i was scared, too, because i was in a car alone with him, i freaked out, what is he going to do to me? >> that was huge. if joe was telling the truth. but, just one guy's accusation, no idea how credible it might be. wasn't much to go on. still, all they had, so -- >> i saw an arrest warrant and a search warrant. bring it to the magistrate. she reads it. says it's about time. this was in the news, this was a high profile case. rich white girl dies at work. people went crazy. shouldn't have mattered, but people went crazy. they want justice. go get the search warrant signed. go get the arrest warrant signed. it's my birthday. >> oh my. >> man, it's the best birthday present ever. >> he got a call from his

sergeant. >> he says says ray bob, don't say anything. i want you to do what i'm telling you to do. >> giovanni would not be arrested afterall. just not enough evidence. the prosecutor had made it clear he didn't want to try him and fail in court. but, the detective still had a warrant for giovanni's dna. so he went to his house, unannounced. >> he opens the door. i said got a warrant for you. didn't say search warrant, didn't say arrest warrant. and he sinks. he turned back to his wife and said, i'm going with them. he was defeated. head down, shoulders zhang down. he put his hands behind his back. >> like he was ready to be handcuffed. he thought he was going to go to jail. >> that's a tale. >> giovanni gave them a dna

sample. >> i had somebody else take him back home. i called my friends at s.w.a.t. i said, keep an eye on this guy. >> sure enough, just hours later, he got a call. >> s.w.a.t. calls me and says, he's loading everything. he's moving. >> they pulled giovanni over, asked him, where was he headed? >> i'm getting out of here. >> giovanni was going to loredo, texas, along the mexican border. nothing ray bob could do about it. the case went pretty much nowhere after that. for many months. until there was a woman. she was terrified. and did she have a story to tell. >> coming up. a young mother locked in with a killer. >> he just reached over the glove compartment and he pulled out the gun. i said please don't kill me. >> when dateline continues. you want what's best for them.

♪you are the one i want!♪ ♪ohh, ohh, ohh!♪ so ask your vet about nexgard® plus. it's one-and-done monthly protection from fleas and ticks. plus heartworm disease, roundworms, and hookworms... all in a delicious, beef-flavoured, soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. from the maker of #1 vet-recommended heartgard plus. nexgard® plus. the one you want for one-and-done protection. the best moments deserve the best eggs. especially when they're eggland's best. taste so deliciously fresh. with better nutrition, too. we love our eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best. ♪ you need t-mobile... ♪ ♪ home internet with 5g. ♪ wait! t-mobile has home internet? ♪ what a feeling! ♪ ♪ to have t-mobile now! ♪

po, you need to bring peace to the valley. ♪ wh[ choking ]g! ♪ the chameleon is nothing like anyone you've ever faced.

she is capable of mimicking any shape. awesome. i mean it's disturbing, but it's awesome. welcome back. their case was getting colder by the week, when out of the blue, investigators got a break. welcome back. their case was getting colder by the week. when out of the blue, investigators got a break. a tipster told police that his friend, giovanni rivera, killed amber belkin while robs the store. detectives believe the story, but didn't have enough evidence to make an arrest. now, someone else close to giovanni was about to step forward and her chilling tale would blow the case wide open.

here is keith morrison with everything she knew. >> detective ray bob roberts roared down the highway to loredo. he just gotten a call from the police there. giovanni's wife wanted to talk. her name was veronica. and what a story she told. >> i made a dumb choice. i was really young. i got pregnant really young. >> still in high school? >> yup. >> she tried to resist him. when she was pregnant. >> our family would insist we get married, and i listened to everyone except my own feelings. >> once they were married, she said, he demanded sex whenever he wanted it. >> whenever he would touch me, i would feel sick and i would tell him to stop. there were times when he would get angry or frustrated and then he would force himself on

me. >> and, right beside sleeping children and their one small bedroom. >> he would duct tape me, duct tape my mouth, duct tape, you know, my wrists to the leg of a chair and just to keep me quiet. i was very afraid. again, i was young. >> much too afraid to tell. >> while detectives search for more clues in amber's death. >> one day inin late 2007, as she watched tv, she saw the news of amber's murder. >> i said look at this. wow, isn't that crazy? and he just looked and he just said, wow, he mirrored my reaction to it. wow, i can't believe it. i never thought for one second, like he acted normal that whole time. >> that is until after the police knocked at their door in the fall of 2007. after joe reported giovanni. after detective roberts got

that search warrant for giovanni's dna. >> we were asleep and it was early in the morning and then we heard a pounding at the door. and you know, that woke us up. that woke me up. we're like, what's that? and he got up first and he went to go check. >> then he returned and told her, it's the police. >> they think i killed someone. i was like, did you? >> what's it like to hear that? >> i was shocked and mortified. he says, because i did kill someone. and that's all he said. i killed someone. who? why? and i'm assuming maybe he had an altercation with someone, maybe a friend or some guy down the street. i don't know. >> giovanni only said -- >> we're going to move to loredo, let's go. >> the next day. a very rapid move. unprepared. just fast. >> veronica was beside herself. paralyzed by fear. >> how do i tell somebody?

do i tell a family member? what do i do? i just stay quiet. i was so afraid to say something. >> and then one night she worked up the courage to ask him a question. >> i said, did this have anything to do with what i saw on the news that day? he said yes. i did that. that was me. >> what was that like to hear? >> i started crying, sobbing, like oh my god. i go, why? why did you do that? he said, we needed the money. >> she begged him, turn yourself in. instead, he went to his mother. >> she would cry to him, no, please don't go. you don't want to leave your children. they are never going to see you again. i'm trying to do it as peacefully as i can, without making him angry toward me. >> around dinner time, veronica

told him, she had enough. the marriage was over. >> then he said, you know what? let's go for a drive. let's go get the kids something to eat. >> instead, he drove her to a secluded area. >> dirt all around, empty. and no people, no one in sight. that's when he pushed the autolock. >> the car lock. >> the car lock, it locked all the doors. that's when i was like, okay. something is going to happen tonight. something is going to happen. because we were in the middle of nowhere. how am i going to get out of this? and i look over and he just reached over the glove compartment and he pulled out a gun. i said please don't kill me. he said, don't worry, just do what i say. >> get into the backseat, he ordered. he followed her. >> and then he raped me back

there. and i started crying. i started praying. i wanted to get out of there alive. >> but it wasn't veronica who would die. it was giovanni. he pulled her out of the car, take the gun, he said, shoot me. >> i said, i can't do that. he's like, yes, you're going to do it, because if you don't do it, i'm going to come after you. and i'm going to come after the children. i'm going to come after your family. and whoever you end up with, i'm going to come after him, too. so you need to end my life tonight. joe, i can't do this, i can't kill you. i cannot be like you. i can't do this. >> she tried to reason with him, she said, told him, if she killed him and went to prison, their children would have no parents. >> just said anything i could say to get him out of this mentality. >> and it worked. he drove home. told her what she had to do. >> he had me lay down next to

him, made sure i was right there. i was awake all night because i was afraid he would do something while i was asleep or to the children. the next morning, he said, i'm just going to disappear. >> he drove veronica and the kids to her mother's house, and he took off. >> what did it feel like to walk away from him? >> i'm almost there. it's almost over. i run in there and i said, i need to make a phone call. and i need to tell the police what happened. >> and she did. >> they said, why did you take so long? i was so afraid. but i'm here now and i'm telling you everything i know. everything that he told me. >> but now, he was truly gone. >> a man hunt goes into overdrive and stretches across the border. coming up. >> we're in a jail. a cold, stinky, loud jail. >> confronting a killer,

healing a wound. >> they were grateful that i said something. that i did the right thing. >> when dateline continues. and who doesn't love a good throwback? ( ♪♪ ) ( ♪♪ ) emergen-c crystals. we're traveling all across america, talking to people about their hearts. wh-who wants to talk about their heart! [honking] how's the heart? how's your heart? how's your heart? - it's good. - is it? aah, i don't know. it's okay. - it's okay! - yeah. - good. - you sure? i think so. how do you know? it doesn't come with a manual, and you like ooh, i got the 20,000-day checkup, right? let me show you something. put two fingers right on those pads.

look at that! that's your heart! that is pretty awesome. with kardiamobile, you can take a medical-grade ekg in just 30 seconds, from anywhere. kardiamobile 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 this costs? probably in the hundreds. $79. oh wow! that could be cheaper than a tank of gas. checking your heart anytime, anywhere has never been easier. don't wait. get kardiamobile today for just $79 at kardia.com or amazon. 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. looking for a smarter way to mop? try the swiffer powermop- an all-in-one cleaning tool... with a 360-degree swivel head that goes places

a regular mop just can't. now save $8 on powermop. ♪everything i do that's for my health is an accomplishment.♪ ♪concerns of getting screened faded away♪ ♪to my astonishment.♪ ♪my doc gave me a script i got it done without a delay.♪ ♪i screened with cologuard and did it my way.♪ cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45 plus at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard. ♪i did it my way!♪

whoa, how did you defeat them? ask your provider for cologuard. with a little kung fu strength and by connecting my devices to the most powerful force of all. skadoosh. hah, huh? cool right? amazing. harness the power of xfinity internet and stay connected to the things you love. ah, they'll be like this for hours. hello dad, hello dad, hello da. uh-oh. good bunnies. ahh! welcome back. veronica rivera had gone to police with a horrific tale. her husband, geovany, confessed to her welcome back. veronica rivera had gone to police with a horrific tale. her husband, giovanni, confessed to her that he killed amber belkin. he raped her, then begged her

to kill him. she couldn't do it and now, giovanni was on the run. here's keith morrison with the conclusion of, everything she knew. >> the day veronica called police was the beginning of the end for giovanni rivera. >> i'm drafting an arrest warrant. >> not that easy. all they knew was, the gun is somewhere. probably mexico. but it was a full six weeks before they tracked him down. surprised him at a relative's house, sure enough, in mexico. as he played one of the video games he stole from amber's store. detective roberts finally got his suspect exactly where he wanted him. >> we're in a jail. a cold, stinky, loud jail. >> i'm detective roberts from the san antonio police department. >> all this background noise, read giovanni his rights, and he starts talking. >> i've had this guilt for a

long time. i've been wanting to turn myself in, but i was putting the needs of others before me. >> put the needs of others before me? really? he says, i need money, he begins. there's no video. he drives there and he tells me i had tape and a knife. what's the tape for? tie them up. >> he claimed he didn't know it was tiny amber belkin running the store that day. >> in my heart, i think he knew. >> giovanni worked for the game store company, knew who managed the stores, and he knew amber. >> if he was going to pick somebody to rob, why wouldn't he pick this 5'2", 100 pound young woman? >> instead of brandon, who is big guy. instead of all these -- he knew. >> when he got there, said giovanni. >> she recognized me, and when

i was in there, i asked for the money. i tried to explain to her. i'm having some problems. and she said, just take the money. >> but then, he claims she reached for the phone, so he took her down. taped her wrists with duct tape. like he had often done to his wife. >> that's when she panicked and she wanted to scream. i covered her mouth and i said, please don't scream. don't scream like that. now i'm saying, i can't do this. everything i gained, my family. i already hit the point of no return. >> he put a bag on her head, he said, he squeezed it tight. around her neck. he held it there. >> and when she stopped moving, i heard her gurgling. i didn't hear her screaming. i stopped and i said, okay, i turn around and i untied her.

i heard her gasp, but she didn't respond anymore. that's when i left. i already had the money and i put the stuff that i wanted in the pickup so i could sell. i left out the back door. >> giovanni's story would not be tested in court. he took a plea deal. murder. life in prison with parole possible the year 2038. at the sentencing, the belkins confronted the killing of their only child. >> was it helpful? >> it is. it is -- >> no. >> not for you? >> he sat back on the constable's desk tapping his foot, just looking around. >> like, you're wasting my time. it would have been beneficial if i had heard him say, i am

really sorry. i am so sorry mr. and ms. belkin. amber didn't deserve to die. i'm so sorry. >> what did he say? >> nothing. >> but the belkin's did get an apology from someone else. giovanni's now ex-wife, veronica. >> hi. >> they met for the very first time when we shot this story. >> i've blamed myself for not saying something sooner. for waiting too long. and i always felt like they had some anger towards me. >> but blame her, no. they knew she was a victim, too. in fact, giovanni pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting veronica. >> they were really nice. they were grateful that i said something. that i did the right thing. >> we don't have any ill feelings at all. she is a wonderful girl.

>> they are broken, still, and always will be. and they cling now to amber's best friends, ashley and monica. >> our adopted daughters, which are amber's friends through thick and thin. >> they have each named daughters after amber. and they hang on to memories, like gold. >> it's like you have to put it in a box, and just keep it there for safekeeping. that's what you have. you hold on to. >> it hurts. it hurts. life will never be what it was with her. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning, thank you for watching. good morning, let's get to the