a programming note for tomorrow. you can see the full interview with vice president harris on the second anniversary of the reversal of roe v. wade tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. eastern on msnbc. that is tomorrow on morning joe at 6:00 a.m. eastern. that will do it for me. thanks for watching. i will be back next saturday and sunday. follow us on x, tiktok and threads. and catch clips of the show on u youtube for free. don't go anywhere for free. don't go anywhere hello, i'm craig melvin, and this is "dateline.": ma. ok. we are-- robin owens: oh, god. oh, god. . hello, i'm greg melvin and this is "dateline."

ma'am, hold on, hold on, ma'am. >> i just heard she is gone. >> she was a bright young mom to be. >> she was beautiful, confident, strong. >> it was her smile that got me. >> moving on from a messy divorce, jumping into a new romance. no one could believe it when they found her. >> they are saying it was a homicide. >> then the police found something else. recordings. recordings. >> everyin it started with a little flirtation in the office and bloomed into a full-blown romance. hello. and welcome to "dateline." it started with a little

flirtation in the office and bloomed into a full blown romance. problem was, brittany eldridge was married to another man. then, she found out she was pregnant and it was weeks before her due date that tragedy struck. investigators quickly hone in on the two men in brittany's life. but >> imagine all of your phone conversations being recorded for prosperity. how would you feel. what secrets would it will? >> this story begins here in a suburban office. like any office in america, when workers here talk on their desk phones, every word was captured. >> she always looked like she is about to kill somebody. >> and, oh, the stories they

told. unfiltered and internet. with details about office remanses >> romances. >> he was so hot. >> maybe clues about a murder. >> this was a real whodunit. norman clark loves sports. his mother says he was a top athlete and a good son, too. >> he was a loving, hard worker, caring person. >> as a boy, norman had dreams of playing in the nba. studied sports management in college. by his mid-20s he was working here vanderbilt mortgage and finance. 23-year-oldbrittany started there >> she was beautiful but the smile got me >> brittany's big brother said she embraced life with a contagious enthusiasm.

>> she liked to cheer lead and she liked to play soccer. she was a girlie girl and a tom boy at the same time. really big about living in the moment at vanderbilt mortgage. they were collectors making sure people kept up with their house payments >> what was it about her that you formed a relationship. >> she helped me out a lot. that is when we started, you know, talking more and more about different things other than work >> what do you think she liked about you >>. >> i think she liked that i listened. that i care about what she had to say. it was just strikely friends and then it developed more, probably eight months later. >> reporter: it developed a lot more. they became lovers and that is when things got complicated. norman was single but brittany was married. her head was a man named terry

eldridge. >> what did she tell you about the mar -- marriage. >> she was happy but she wanted children and he did not. >> they did not spend a lot of time. she worked during the day, he worked at night, they did not see each other a lot. >> a married woman having an affair with a co-worker. not the script for a fairy tail fairy tale. >> never went out in public but maybe one time. >> reporter: if colleagues could of heard their interoffice phone calls they would of discovered suggestive flirty banter. >> i can use your big manly muscles. >> we all could [ laughter ] >> reporter: more than a year after their affair started, they were still keeping things quiet. then, in february, 2011 their

secret affair became not so secret. brittany's husband found out and not long after she moved out and a divorce was in the works. >> did things start to get too serious and real? >> actually, i don't know. she did not come to me and tell me they were getting a divorce. she just told me they were moving out and found out we had been having an affair. >> not long after moving out brittany delivered unexpected news to her mother, robip. she was pregnant and the father was her coworker >> when brittany cold you she was having a child with norman what did you think? >> i was shocked at first. surprised. didn't know how to feel >> was it a mistake or a blessing to have a baby >> it was a blessing to her. so i just went into shock. just happy for her and you are just there to support her. >> reporter: norman says the

baby was not planned but brittany was still his best friend and he took it in stride. >> i was happy for her. i knew she wanted to have a baby. but, at the time she was still married. >> this is starting to get messy. got a baby, she is now divorcing her husband who found out about you. >> it was not messy it was kovment indicated. >> reporter: this would not be norman's first experience with parenthood. a year earlier he had a beep girl with a nashville woman he had been seeing. norman helped to support his daughter and was ready to do the same for brittany. >> what is it like for you being a father >> best thing in the world. i became a better man, person. >> had you always wanted more kids? >> yes. >> brittany was excited about becoming a mother and thrilled to learn she was having a boy. >> she picked out a name for the baby. >> she did.

what was the name? >> zeke. azekiele. >> reporter: brittany decided to keep working. two weeks from her due date. it is a day her friend and co- worker will never forget. brittany was late for work. >> she should have been there at 8:30. i was one of the only people that knew anything about norman. i went over to his desk and i said can you get in touch with brittany's mom. >> so i called her and asked her if she heard from brittany. she said she had not. she will check on her. >> was your first thought she went into labor? >> it was. it was everyone's, she went to labor and went to the hospital having the baby. >> robin went to brittany's apartment to be sure her daughter was okay. but, when she called norman, it was not happy news about a new

baby. >> it was frightening phone call. she was very upset. she was crying. and i will never forget how she sounded on the phone. >> robin was frantic. her world was about to be turned upside down. >> robin is about to make a disturbing discovery inside her daughter's apartment. coming up. >> oh, my gosh. >> what? ma'am? what? >> i ran out of the apartment because i was scared. the 911 operatorred go back in there. >> oh, god, please. >> okay. hold on. ma'am, ma'am, ma'am, hold on, honey. hold on. >> all at once, just in a flash your life just changed. >> when date line continues jus >> when date line continues -- when "dateline" continues -- when "dateline" continues

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if you love to save, check out the wise buys sales event going on right now at america's best — get two pairs of progressives for just $129.95. offer includes a comprehensive eye exam. book an exam online today. andrea canning: robin owens will never comprehensive eye exam. forget the day she learned her pregnant daughter, brittany, did not show up for work. it was unusual for her, because she always showed up, . robin owens will never forget the day she learned her pregnant daughter did not show up for work. >> it is unusual for her because she always showed up, even if she did not feel good. she would be there. i just knew something was wrong. her fear became a terrifying reality the moment she stepped into her daughter's unlocked apartment. >> the whole place was just a mess. i don't see her anywhere. i am calling out for her. i am scared to death. >> reporter: without taking another step she called 911. >> i've got an emergency

>> what is it? >> my daughter, her work just called me and i came over to her apartment and it looks like it's been trashed. >> i ran out of the apartment because i was scared and the 911 operator she said, you know, go, go back in there and see if you can find her. >>ed in the front door, seen here in this police video, robin saw brittany's new tv lying on the floor. >> oh, my gosh. >> what, ma'am, what? >> next to the living room couch, the scattered contents of her purse. then, robin heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. >> ma'am? >> talk to me? >> i had been everywhere but in the bedroom, dinot want to go in there. and i get to the doorway of the bedroom and i just got a glimpse of her and i just knew

she was gone. >> she's naked. >> where? >> what room? >> in her bedroom. >> okay. oh, god, please, send someone. >> oh, god, oh, god. >> hold on, hold on, honey, hold on. >> i ran straight out of the apartment and by this time the ambulance and police and fire department and all the emergency crews were coming. robin was in shock the pain more than she can bear. police cruiser dash camera saw an officer trying to console her. >> why, why did it happen, why? >> the worst horror a mother could have to witness >> it is. you would not think that happened in a million years and all of that in a flash, it changed. >> strangled and stabbed in the throat.

the police found her on the floor partially covered . she was just 25, and her unborn son, zeke was gone, too >> you must be thinking who did this. >> i am thinking how in the world could somebody murder a young ahead that is eight 1/2 months pregnant? how could somebody be so cruel? i am thinking why? that is a question never answered is why? >> were you the one who broke the news to jeffrey? >> yes. >> that must have been extremely difficult >> it was very hard. >> jeffrey, brittany's older brother was at the gym >> when i got back to my locker i had 40 missed calls or something. she said somebody killed your sister. [crying] >> did you immediately ask who did this? >> i never thought about it. >> reporter: all he could think about is brittany was gone. kid sister who always filled him with pride.

she often talked about becoming a mom, now, that dream would never be realized. in its place would be a murder investigation. >> it was a very closed off scene. crime scene tape around. >> reporter: when reporter jamie sutterfield from the sentinal heard about a body being found she went straight to the scene. >> are police talking to you or telling you anything? >> no, no, major crimes folks came later as did the crime scene folks.. >> what the investigators found was a ransacked apartment, suggesting a burglary interrupted and turned violent. in fact, there had been a series of burglaries in the area in recent days. there were things to speculate about in the early moments but nothing concrete to report. >> other than just hunches and all of that we did not have anything to go on >> did you have an open mind as to the scenarios of what might

of happened? who could of done this? >> i did not focus on any one person. i just wanted to know who did it and why. >> i never, i never had a specific person in mind that could of done it. i did not have a clue. >> there were not many clues but there were so many questions. and in this case, there would be no easy answers. coming up. >> my family's out there >> i understand. >> i can't, i'm sitting here. >> i can not even grieve >> father to be from grief to disbelief when "dateline" continues from grief to disbelief when "dateline" continues (man) now that i got a huge storage and battery upgrade... i'm officially done switching. (vo) new and existing customers get iphone 15 on us when they trade in any iphone. verizon

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andrea canning: when norman clark heard about brittany eldridge's murder, he left work and rushed to the scene. . when norman clark heard about brittany's murder he left work and rushed to the scene. >> what is going through your mind? >> it is not real, it was not real. this was not going on. this was not happening >> when i got there, there were police officers there. so, i pulled up to her apartment. i parked right in front and jumped out of the car and i was headed into the apartment. >> here is norman at that exact moment. captured on a police dash camera. >> my baby, my baby. >> what did you say to that police officer? >> i told him that was my baby in there. i needed to get in there. i was thinking the baby could still be born. that was going through my mind

the whole time. >> norman says officers blocked him from entering the apartment and in a matter of minutes they had him in the back of the car. >> i'm in trouble? >> no. >> just update me. because i'm really confused. >> the police were asking questions and so was norman. >> you are telling me this is normal? >> yes, sir, this is protocol, sir. >> why for me? >> you're the boyfriend. >> and i sat there for awhile. for about an hour i was in the back of the car >> did you wonder why you were sitting in the back of the car for so long? i understood they wanted to ask me questions i did not understand why i was sitting in the back of a police car and being treated like that. >> how were you being treated? >> i felt treated unfairly. i was answering questions, they rushed to justment on who i was for showing up there. >> we have to talk to the people that know her to figure

out what is going on. >> that was my baby, man >> my family's out there. >> i can't -- i'm sitting in the back of a police car. i can not grieve i am so worry about what is going on. >> i am devastated this happened to my friend and my child. >> are you thinking maybe i should get a lawyer? >> no, ma'am. >> no. >> why not? >> there was no reason to have a lawyer. i was innocent and answering every question that they wanted to know >> detective his more questions for norman downtown at police headquarters. >> you have the right to consent with a lawyer and have a lawyer present with you while being questioned. >> he did not ask for a lawyer >> i want to make sure you are willing to talk to me. >> he said he had nothing to hide and tried to be helpful. he told the detectives haddie had plans to see brittany the night she was killed but ended up going straight home after work and spent the night with a friend. he gave the police his phone to search his car and when they wanted dna from him? >> i'd like to get a saliva

sample from you. >> he let them take a sample immediately. that night, detectives drove norman to his house to collect the clothes he wore the night before. then back to headquarters for another round of questioning. it had been a very long day. norman felt he cooperated every step of the way. but by now he reached the end of his rope. >> i'll give you anything you want. >> we appreciate that, we appreciate your cooperation. >> they spent hours but after the second interview he was released. norman was relieved there but there would be tough days ahead. [singing] t there would be tough days ahead. [singing] . . >> reporter: he attended a memorial vigil for brittany. >> how are you received at those vigils? >> with open arms from the whole family. you know, they knew i just lost two people that i loved also.

>> brittany's family buried her a few days later. still, not knowing who is responsible or whoafn would want to harm her. of course, there was -- or who would want to harm her. there was a man they needed to look at. terry, her exhead, she was only 22 when they got married, 17 years different >> they just really wanted to get to have a family and settle down, you know. he was just out driving a truck all of the time. she just felt it was not right for me and more like it used to be. >> reporter: the final straw is when terry found out brittany was having an affair with her coworker and was pregnant with his baby. given that basket of facts the police investigating brittany's murder knew it was time for a talk with her ex-husband. coming up, investigators

uncover secrets from brittany's life. >> everything changed. it, like instantly. >> and, from someone else's. >> how many women were you seeing at the time? >> maybe 15-20. >> when "dateline" continues ti >> maybe 15-20. >> when "dateline" continues add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. tell your doctor right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. nexgard® plus helps you protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, and more... all in one delicious, monthly, soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. nexgard® plus: the one you want for one-and-done protection. [♪♪] your skin is ever-changing, take care of it

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. news update, much of the country is expected to start the day still baking under the heatwave that began last week. record temperatures possible in 15 states with dangerous heat targeting the plains and southeast. comes as parts of iowa and south dakota were struck by historical flooding. 87-year-old man was killed after his vehicle rolled down an embankment created by a washed out roadway. for now, back to "dateline." welcome back to "dateline."

brittany eldrid gerks hadge had been found dead in her apartment. he gave his dna but did not share everything. a secret. now, it was time to talk to the other man in brittany's life, her ex-husband. reporter new this one was a no-brainer. husband who discovered his wife was having another man's baby was someone that the detectived needed to investigate >> -- detectives needed to investigate. >> the ex-husband is always your first suspect. their divorce had not been pleasant. it was a little bit ugly >> so, detectives questioned brittany's ex-husband. terry was looked at by the police. they did take a dna sample. >> it did cross my mind. you have to think about all of

the different possibilities. could this person have done this, would they have done this? what would the reason? when the results of the dna test came back it did not match samples from the crime scene. the police found out that he was nowhere near brittany's apartment at the time of the murder. his alibi was airtight. >> he really ended up not being much of a player in the case once they ruled him out. >> he was cleared of any wrongdoing. norman clark was questioned and released. too. if the police had any leads they were holding them close. >> i was curious why they were being so particularly tight lipped about it. i think my primary concern was that this is just a case that was going to get shelved. >> reporter: that is what brittany's family feared the most, too. that she and the baby she was carrying would be forgotten. >> we are her voice. we have to keep her memory

alive. >> a full year passed. then two. no arrests. investigators were still working the case. in part, they heard from someone with inside information. someone unexpected. the victim herself. >> remember, brittany's employer recorded every call that she made on company phones. it was done for quality control. now the investigators could listen to their conversations and those calls explained a lot about her relationship with norman clark. >> how are things going with you in >>um, well, very odd with norman. >> reporter: her conversations with friends made it clear the oddness began the day she told him she was pregnant. >> he was emailing me like normal and as soon as i told

him, everything changed. it, like, instantly. >> wussy. >> yeah, i mean, it is weird. >> reporter: andrea, a close work friended brittany gave her an earful about norman >> she had hopes he would respond and, you know, to her pregnancy in a positive way. and that would somehow bring them together. but that was not the response she got. >> i can't take the wishy-washy like bi-polarrism. i don't know if on a daily basis he is thinking about this, i mean, how can you not? >> he is a guy, that is why not. >> brittany was still in love with norman and pregnant with his child. she seemed desperate to figure out her future as a mother and how norman to fit in her life. he was not acting like he was ready for a compliment. >> what up.

how you doing. >> i'm great. >> they had access to all of norman's work calls, too. they were very revealing. >> i wanted to ask you, you ever get with a . >> i banged that out last week >> dureally? >> yeah. >> yeah, yeah, that was only my second time seeing her >> congratulations, dude. >> oh, thank you, thank you. >> you're wild, man, you're wild, dude. >> norman, it turns out, was in other relationships at the same time he was with brittany. when we sat down with him norman said he loves sex and women, lots of women. >> how many women were you seeing at the time >> maybe 15-20 >> norman, that is a lot of women >> i was single and i am a very friendly person. they knew i was not locking for a relationship. so, friends with benefits. >> how do you even meet that many ladies. >> through work.

>> were you sleeping with multiple co-workers >> yes. >> did it get messy? >> no, ma'am >> it seemed odd that all of these women were okay with you sleeping with all of these other women. i would not be okay with that but maybe i am old fashioned. >> with different women that i met they accepted what it was, i was honest up front. this is what i am looking for. >> 15-20 different woman at the same time. hard to believe brittany would be okay with that. and norman did not fit the image of a playboy. to save money he was living in his parent's basement but barely staying ahead of debt collectors. >> you are still due for september, october and november. >> for the payment? >> yeah. >> investigators might of simply written him off as a low- budget, but for this. >> three days before brittany was murdered, after months of ignoring her, norman showed an interest in her.

and their baby. >> i am trying to figure out this text norman sent me last night. he said i will be back sunday stay pregnant till then, promise. she said what do you think that means? i said, i have no idea and she said well, i guess he wants to be part of this baby's life >> well, he doesn't get a trophy for that >> no. [ laughter ] >> why the sudden interest? what was norman thinking? investigators believed an entry from brittany's diary provided a hint. she wrote she planned to take norman to court to get child support. >> she knew he had a child with someone else and that he did participate there. so, why wouldn't he here? >> reporter: she says the night before the murder she was on the phone with brittany who was texting with norman at the same time. >> she says he wants to meet monday after work and i said

tell him no. but brittany said yes. norman insists he blew off their date and did not go to her apartment on monday the night she was murdered. her family did not believe him. they grown suspicious of norman and wondered why the police had not moved in on him. >> how frustrated were you that he was walking around? >> very frustrated. i called the lead investigator if you don't come get him i will get him myself. >> were you being serious? >> dead serious. >> the case was moving forward despite the frustration, almost 2-1/2 years after brittany was killed prosecutors presented their evidence to a grand jury. they charged norman clark with the murders of both brittany and their unborn son. clark was arrested on may 14th, 2014. he pleaded not guilty. >> when you are arrested for something you did not do, no

evidence that you should have been arrested that is when i got scared. >> norman clark had reason to be scared. if convicted he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. coming up. >> they have taken a good young man and they destroyed his life. >> norman clark on trial. and on the stand. >> i thought he was my boyfriend >> girlfriends. many, many, many girlfriends. but where was the evidence? >> he gave dna, hair samples they all came back negative >> when "dateline" continues c >> when "dateline" continues of the things you love. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision and can help you go up to 4 months between treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness,

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because breathing should be beautiful, andrea canning: in august 2015, nearly four years after brittany eldridge's death, norman clark, a man who'd never . in august of 2015, nearly four years after brittany's death, norman clark, a plan who never been in trouble with the law went on trial for murder in a knoxville, tennessee courtroom. >> how nervous were you going into trial? your life is on the line, your future. >> i was extremely nervous and scared to death. the prosecution told the jury norman clark strangled and stabbed brittany because he did not want her to have his baby. >> he believed it was the baby that was the target. that this baby was going to ruin norman's life. and, so, he killed brittany more to kill the baby. she was collateral damage.

>> the prosecutor painted an ugly portrait of clark. a man having trouble paying his bills, a playboy trying to juggle relationships with more than a dozen women. >> can you describe the jury the nature of your relationship with him? >> i thought he was my boyfriend. i loved him with all my heart. >> the jury heard all about norman clark's sex life as several of his lovers took the stand. >> at some point did your friendship with him become intimate? >> yes, ma'am. >> i don't mean to bear issue but did he have a particular way of referring to a part of your anatomy? >> yes, ma'am. >> in what way? what would he is a? >> ownership. it was his. >> he must have been stretched so thin to be attentive to 15 different women. >> that is one of the reasons that he said he was just broke. now, here is this baby and

brittany is saying i am going to take you to court. >> reporter: next, the prosecution established a time line to place clark at brittany's apartment at the time she was killed. here she is leaving work at -- his cell phone pinged near her apartment. >> remember, clark's alibi was that he was at a friend's house the night of the murder. that friend, was actually one of his many girlfriends, clark was at her house that night but her testimony seemed to shredd his alibi. >> the it is that he comes into your bedroom without calling you, without any notice, and he recognized the time as. >> around 10:30. >> the prosecutor said if clark

was at brittany's at 8:30 and arrived at leanne's two hours later that gave him plenty of time to commit murder, stage the crime and clean himself up. after presenting a circumstantial case. >> the state's case as all theory. no physical evidence, no oinses, no proof clark was a killer. >> he gave dna. a statement, he gave hair samples they all came back negative. >> the woman clark said he spent the night with. the question was, when did he get to her house? >> you have no idea when you saw him at 10:35 as to what time he arrives. >> you were asleep with your television on? >> correct. >> the defense drove home the

point since she was sleeping the testimony about when clark arrived was meaningless. clark arrived much earlier and watched monday night football. alone before getting into bed. >> the defense argued there was no way that clark committed a violent murder. cleaned himself up and the crime scene, staged a burglary and made it across town all in less than an hour. >> clark's cell phone signal placed him near the apartment the night she was killed. countered with her own expert. >> the fbi agent testified against each other all over the country >> it feels like it is one of the scenarios where the experts cancel each other out. >> exactly. >> it was to pin the killing on

clark. claiming investigators overlooked the most obvious explanation for the crime. the killer was a burglar that was caught in the act. >> there were break ins in a close proximity and 10 of the 12 involved flat screen tvs. also, there was a break in at that same complex four days before the homicide of brittany. so, very powerful. >> why not take the tvs? >> we don't know. maybe the person got startled. could not do this. that is law enforcement's job. not mine. >> the defense said there was powerful evidence to support the theory that would prove clark's innocence and physical evidence. and on his body and in the bedroom.

male contributor not from clark. >> 12:34, focused on clark. >> reporter: as the trial drew to a close the defense attorney told the jurors to focus on the evidence not clark's womanizing. >> there is a guy up stair that does that, in a different court. >> clark did not take the stand. he says the state did not prove its case. the prosecutors said that you had the means, you had the opportunity, and you had the motive to kill brittany. >> and i feel all of that is wrong. definitely far from the motive. it does not make sense. an opportunity it is pretty much impossible. so . >> it is not impossible. >> to me it seems impossible to get it done in that short span. >> you are the boyfriend >> first suspect. >> the motive from law enforcement's perspective was very clear. you did not want to be in a relationship. you did not want this baby. you wanted it to go away so you

can continue your lifestyle. >> i don't understand how hay can say that, if you know my lifestyle, you know i love children, i take care of my own child and i wanted more children. >> there is the other side of your lifestyle, too, you are sleeping with 15 different women. >> right. which has nothing to do with the murder. >> reporter: during the trial, norman clark's mother was supporting her son. as the jury started the deliberations she was anxious and bitter. >> they have taken a good, young man and they destroyed his life. >> brittany's brother, jeffrey was certain the jury would return with the verdict he wanted >> i thought 100% we got this. no doubt whatsoever that they were going to come back and return a guilty verdict. >> but nobody on the outside knows what happens in a jury room. after deliberations for six hours this jury gave up. they came close but could not reach a unanimous verdict.

the vote was 11-not guilty, only 1 guilty. >> at this point i am going to declare a mistrial. >> they come back hopelessly deadlocked. it is 11-1 acquittal >> devastated. devastated. >> norman clark was held in jail for 15 months since his arrest. he was released after his mistrial but was still an accused murder >> do you feel like you have a cloud hanging over your head? >> oh, yes, ma'am, a huge dark cloud.. >> that cloud would remain. prosecutors decided they would try him again, same charges, same evidence, same prosecutor. would it lead to a different outcome? coming up. trial number 2. >> norman clark is a killer. >> you can distort my character and try to but you will still not prove i was guilty. >> when "dateline" continues i >> when "dateline" continues and often out of the picture.,

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with 60 years of clinical experience, it's the number one doctor recommended brand for ear ringing. and now i'm finally free. take back control with lipo flavonoid. craig melvin: welcome back. did norman clark kill his lover, brittany eldridge, and their unborn son? . welcome back. did norman clark kill his lover, brittany eldridge and their unborn son? after an 8-day trial that question left the jury deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial. prosecutors were determined to see norman behind bars. it was time for trial number

two. here with the conclusion of deadly circumstances. >> reporter: norman clark's second trial began in september 2017, it had been six long years since brittany had been killed. trial 2 playing out like trial 1 but one big change. clark had a new court appointed lawyer. >> what was your strategy and was it going to be different? >> it did not differ. i was saying look at the evidence. to me when i looked at it, it looked like a burglary interrupted and went bad. prosecutor had been on the case from the very start. >> when baby zeke was born, clark was going to be exposed for what he was. the birth of this baby threatened his way of life and that his solution to that program was murder. >> she was very infattic that norman clark was not only guilty but kind of a sleazy

human being. >> did you worry that the jury would just not like norman? >> absolutely. >> because of his lifestyle? >> yes, that was a big worry, i addressed that from the beginning and all of the way through. >> what i want you to pay attention to is the evidence. >> after six days of testimony, it all seemed to come down to norman clark and what kind of man he is. >> you can't convict somebody of murder because you don't like the fact that he a number of sexual partners. >> these murders were personal, strangulation is a personal type of killing, it is a killing that shows control and a desire to control the victim. norman clark is a killer. he killed brittany eldridge he killed his baby. >> reporter: the same arguments led to a mistrial before. incredibly when this jury got the case it came down to a lone hold out. the majority wanted to convict. he spoke to two jurors about

their deliberations. >> the person who voted not guilty who was not going to change their mind, what was the issue? >> we asked and, the response that was made is that i am the smartest person in the room. >> they are all ganging up on me >> it became a hostile room and we decided to call it. >> after four long days hopelessly deadlocked. another hung jury. >> you just wake up and wonder why is this happening? why? [crying] why is my baby sister not here? and, and why, why can people, why can't the people on the jury not see what i can see? >> our family can't keep going through these trials coming out with the same verdict. we can't do it. >> the family may not have to do it again. after six years and who trials,

prosecutors said that was it. they decided to dismiss the charges against norman clark. >> all they were worried about is trying to show the jury that i had a lot of women, i loved sex, and, that i had billed to pay. >> that is it. destroy my character or try to but you were not going to prove i was guilty. >>. whefn even when they dismissed the case they knew they had the right man and would try to find the evidence. >> did you kill brittany? >> what do you say to people that is a it adds. >> what do i say to them? i don't say anything to them. i don't like ignorance in my life. you are ignorant. that is sad, i will pray for you. >> brittany's family prays, too, for justice. and closure, and how to make

peace with a loss they will never understand. >> over six years i have not focused on anything else but for getting justice. there is no closing the book. me and my sister grew updoing everything together. how do you say good-bye to someone like that. >> she and i had a special bond. there are still times that i will think, i need to tell brittany about this. or, you know, you can't call her, you can not email her, you can not text her. all you can do now is go to her grave. that is not good enough. it is never going to be good enough. never going to be good enough. that is all for this edition of "dateline." thank you for watching this edi "dateline." thank you for watching hello, i'm craig melvin and this is dateline. >> i see her laying there