thank you for hanging out with us tonight. i know it has been a long week and i appreciate spending it together. remember, you can watch the nightcap again on saturdays at 11:00 p.m. eastern here on msnbc and make sure to mark your calendars for saturday, september 7th. join me at msnbc live democracy 2024, a special live event in brooklyn. we will be talking about the most pressing issues of our time with msnbc host and special guests. scan the code on your screen for tickets and on that note, i wish you a very good night. from all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up late. i will see you at the end of monday. venus was my friend, my coworker. she was family. it just makes you sick thinking about it.

it's like, you want to know where she is, but at the same time, you do not want to know. >> this woman had gone out to get the mail and disappeared in her pajamas. >> the case was never closed. >> it was consuming all of us. >> the individual was wearing a baseball cap, hoodie with the hood pulled up and large, mirrored sunglasses. >>, gosh, did this really happen? >> i can't do this. >> there was a scream. a drop of blood came from her nose. >> it was like a game. he was part of this game. >> we were done with the games. it needed to stop. >> michigan snow blankets

fields and woodlands with silent beauty sometimes encasing ugly secrets hidden beneath never meant to be disturbed until finally they are revealed and all is made clear. >> i wanted to find her but then it was going to become so real to me that -- >> maybe you don't want to find her. >> right, right. >> it's both things, and away. >> yes. >> start with a mother of two who vanished as she stepped outside her door to pick up mail. >> she wasn't there and i was walking back into the house. there was limestone, gravel, all over the sidewalk. there were bare spots right down to the dirt in the driveway and it looked like a struggle had taken place. >> an awful confrontation that she herself had predicted. >> she had a conversation with my dad the day before the night it happened and she says, i

think he's going to come kill me. >> this is the night before? >> the night before. she just felt it. i don't know if you have an idea somehow if you know when your time is up. she said when i'm dead and gone, you remember this conversation. the next day she was gone. >> it was a mystery disappearance it would take two investigators years to unravel. >> it becomes personal. it's just how we do business. you don't leave those little pieces unturned. >> a fiendishly complicated crime kept the rumor mill churning for eight years. where was she, this victim of a murder scheme in which an xbox live gamer had detective seeing double. it is country out here, cornfields everywhere, two-lane roads and where a cheerful kid named venus was growing up with her family, the youngest child of larry and therese. venus, a goddess to her mom

even before she was born. >> i dreamed about this beautiful little girl with big, dark eyes and when she came out and i looked at her and said there is venus. i can even tell you how much i loved her. i can't even describe the love. >> but, was venus a little more trusting that she should've been? it was her naoveti that always troubled her parents. >> she came home one day and told her she had met this guy and that he had secretly confided in her that he was mafioso. later we found out he worked it mcdonald's and was just embarrassed to tell her that, but she believed him. >> in 2002, venus was 24 and ready to go out into the world, a soon-to-be college graduate with a degree in criminal justice. >> she wanted to be an officer of the law but then she found

out that she doesn't like guns, so that doesn't work. >> what did work and instantly, was her attraction to a guy named doug stewart. venus had a friend from work, jamie, who knew venus had a soft spot for guys in uniform in jamie's brother, doug, was a marine. >> we set up the first date. there were probably three or four of us couples. we went out to a movie. they hit it very well. >> so well the two had become inseparable. >> she was smart, she was articulate, she was beautiful. some people i guess would call it love at first sight and four days later, we were married. >> pretty fast. a lot of people would go on a second date before getting hitched. >> i think we made it to our second and that's about it. >> to say venus' parents were surprised by the turn of events was an understatement. >> she showed up and she was married and we were dumbfounded. >> all very sudden but dustin jasper, venus' older brother got along okay with his new brother-in-law. they both liked outdoorsy stuff.

>> we went hunting and fishing together and we had a pretty good relationship. >> it was a year after their quickie wedding that doug left the marines to keep his bride happy. >> i was looking at deployments and other things and she had this fear that something was going to happen to me so she wanted me to get out of the military in 2003. >> in 2003, venus and doug began civilian life together. they moved into this house in schoolcraft, michigan not far from where they both grew up. venus worked at a bank, and doug, at applebee's and pizza hut. a year later, a daughter came along and then in 2006, a second baby. >> venus hoped and prayed for two little girls. i hoped and prayed for two healthy babies and we both got our wish. she loved being a mom. that was like a number one priority. >> but, stay at home mom was

not in the picture for venus, not right away. they were too reliant on her check from the bank since she was the family's bigger breadwinner. so, you became mr. mom. >> absolutely. it was the best years of my life. >> when he kicked back, mr. mom and joined xbox. he would talk in real-time to other person -- first-person shooters far and wide. he spent so many hours wandering the virtual world, he stopped looking for work in the real one. the marriage began to crack. arguments led to time-outs, separations and shared custody arrangements. >> he was very immature, and venus just -- she wanted to be a mom. >> then venus had an idea for a fresh start. >> she wanted to move to williamsburg, virginia, miami, florida or houston, texas. >> why did she want to go to such far-flung places? >> she said well, florida there is disney world and houston,

there is seaworld and six flags in williamsburg, there is u.s. bush gardens. >> and newport news turned out to be the place? >> that was it. it put a smack dab in the middle of everything we wanted. she said if i want our kids to grow up don't you think we should give them excitement and fun every day? >> and you said? >> i can't argue with that. >> wow, this place is gorgeous. >> of the home videos from 2009 are to be believed, the move from michigan to virginia was working. dog had found a job as a truck driver, and how was an apartment on the ninth floor of this building. >> she wanted to live in a skyscraper. it had always been a dream of hers. >> of things were okay? >> they were better than okay. it was the best year of our

marriage, the best year of our life. >> but, doug and venus' problems ran deeper than anything in amusement park ride could paper over and before long they were screaming arguments again. a year after making the move, venus had had enough and bolted with the kids to her parents place in colon township, michigan. doug was left alone in virginia. two months later, april 26, 2010, a chilly monday morning started like any day and venus' parents house. her mom would have to work. her dad was sleeping, and venus and the kids were slowly getting up. then about 8:00 a.m., venus' dad, also a truck driver, was groggy from a late shift on the road. he was startled awake. >> i heard the girls being really loud out in the front room and i thought, why is it venus quieting them down? she knows i'm in here asleep. the girls were out in the front room jumping on the couch, watching tv. i asked him whether mom was and

they didn't know. i thought well, maybe she's downstairs. maybe she's putting a load of laundry in. she was not downstairs. >> venus was not in the house but her cell phone, keys and purse were. >> now, i'm scared. i'm outside looking for her. she was not there. >> he immediately called 911. >> she's just not there? is her vehicle missing or anything? >> no. >> venus, wearing nothing but her thin pajamas, had vanished. coming up -- >> left her purse, phone, all of her identification. >> where had she gone? the search for venus begins. >> i was frantic. i kept calling over and over, where is venus? >> signs of a struggle and signs of trouble. >> we might have a crime scene. i think the hair on the back of my neck stood up. >> when dateline continues. . >> when dateline continues.

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the moment i met him i knew he was my soulmate. don't mop harder, "soulmates." soulmate! [giggles] why do you need me? [laughs sarcastically] but then we switched to t-mobile 5g home internet. and now his attention is spent elsewhere. but i'm thinking of her the whole time. that's so much worse. why is that thing in bed with you? this is where it gets the best signal from the cell tower! i've tried everywhere else in the house! there's always a new excuse. well if we got xfinity you wouldn't have to mess around with the connection. therapy's tough, huh? -mmm. it's like a lot about me. [laughs] a home router should never be a home wrecker. oo this is a good book title. dani carlson: this woman had gone out

and disappeared in her pajamas. dennis murphy: the disappearance of venus stewart, the mother of two in april 2010, was the first big story that reporter dani carlson covered for nbc's affiliate in western michigan, wood tv. dani carlson: left her purse, left >> this woman had gone out and disappeared in her pajamas. >> the disappearance of venus stewart in april of 2010 was the first big story reporter danny carlsonone, covered for n affiliate in western michigan. >> left her purse, left her phone, left all of her identification. left anything. >> venus' father, larry mccomb, made the 911 call this -- that morning. >> her vehicle is here, kids are here and she is gone. >> larry also called his wife, therese, who was already at her restaurant job. her coworkers tried to calm her down. >> all they said she probably just went around the block in my looked at them and said get a grip. my daughter doesn't do that stuff and i said i'm out of here and they went out the door and i was shaking the whole way home. >> whenever a young adult goes

missing, please customarily ask the family to wait 24 to 48 hours for things to shake out but right away, the officer suspected this might not be someone who would taken hike of her own volition. >> i did not know exactly what we had after speaking with the mccombs and what i saw, i was like, we might have a crime scene here so that is why we cordoned it off and got additional units. >> venus' dad showed the trooper the patch of his driveway that was roughed up irtie on the ground and ink something else he had not spotted earlier. >> the top cover, piece of plastic wrapping with a barcode on it. i did not realize what it was or anything. i just told him that's out of place, and so he put a rock on it so the wind would not blow it away and they had people, i

guess crime scene specialists that gather evidence. >> crime scene techs were able to lift what they believed was a fingerprint of the plastic wrapper for a tarp sold at walmart but the officer was most troubled by what he heard from venus' parents. just a week prior, their daughter won custody of their two daughters. >> i think the hair on the back of my neck stood up after speaking to the mccombs. >> by this time, detective mike stott had been brought up to speed about the marriage on the rocks. >> there was a history between them so you certainly want to talk to this husband. >> definitely the first thing we wanted to do is find him. >> you knew he was living in virginia? >> yes. >> the day venus went missing, mike scott and venus' mother continually dialed doug's cell phone. riley, detective scott reached him that night. what did he say to you? >> that he had been in virginia

all day. >> you are in virginia receiving this call? >> yes about 20 minutes away from my apartment and he goes doug, your wife is missing in my first reaction is, as my wife pulling something and i said well, and by missing, but she just missing from the house of what's going on, fill me in. he says i can't do that at this time. where were you today? >> you give me a couple locations where he was to support that he was in virginia, one of those being at his lawyers office in newport news, virginia. >> and he said okay will can your lawyer verify? no, my lawyer wasn't there. when i wanted it was just the two secretaries. >> detective scott asked the local fbi to run down doug's

story and they did. two women on the staff confirmed it. they said they saw him come in that day. >> a bit shocking when they said we checked it out and he has an alibi. >> what were the investigators to do? parents were adamant in their belief that doug had come and snatched venus away. to corroborate that. they described the fights their daughter had had with doug but eyewitnesses were putting him in newport news, virginia, more than 700 miles away and there was surveillance camera video in his apartment building, garage and car to back up his story. how could doug be in two places at once? it was not possible, was it? coming up, a mysterious man by the lake. >> people saying i saw a funny looking guy over at the lake that day. >> and, had venus gone missing before? >> i came home. she was not there, my kids are not there. i didn't know what to do. >> when dateline continues. wh 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.

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dennis murphy: the year before venus stewart went missing, she'd found religion. her brother dustin was the devout one in the family, and he was thrilled when venus was baptized in 2009 at the age of thirty. in the first days after her disappearance, dustin would need his faith to believe

the year before venus stewart went missing, she had found religion. her brother, dustin, was the devout one in the family and he was thrilled when venus was baptized in 2009 at the age of 30. in the first days after her disappearance, dustin would need his faith to believe she would be found sunanda life but he also still had hope in his own theory that doug was holding her hostage. >> i figured it was another desperate attempt of his to try to get her back so she was not having contact with him and stephanie probably wanted to try to manipulate her and coax her into coming back to him. >> but, police feared the worst and begin looking for a body. they searched miles of rolling farm country, thick, wooded areas throughout western michigan. >> helicopters came up. >> yeah, the helicopters came out and they were searching. >> dogs. >> a lot of water around here.

>> that is all that is around us, is like. >> immediately after her disappearance, the detective mike scott had zeroed in on the obvious, the husband, but when fbi agents verified doug's story that he had been in virginia, scott had to start thinking bigger picture. >> a woman goes out the front door in her pajamas and is never seen again. someone would be rightly fearful to think is there someone on the list subducting people and you had been getting citizen calls. >> now, police are looking for this man. two witness -- witnesses spotted him and adam was like the night before stewart disappeared. >> right now with this case, we have so few clues to go on, we are not going to discount anything. >> police dredged that chilly like after reports of the soaking wet man by the water's edge. they were not around the clock

but found nothing. >> it was miserable conditions. i didn't hear anybody complain once. >> doug stewart was not involved in any of the searches. when detective scott reached him that monday night, april 26, he was in virginia and he remained there. he gave the reporter from one tv a telephone interview. >> know that the timeline has gone so far, i'm getting very worried and concerned. >> despite their marital battles, doug insisted he still cared about her. >> i don't know what is next. i just keep watching the news and pray and hope for the best. >> he was also still bitter about losing his kids in the custody showdown two weeks before, so his take on her disappearance was a unique one. he was not upset, he said, because he believed venus was a runaway mom. >> my theory? my wife bought another fast one. she ran off, could not handle the commitment of the situation she was in with the children by herself.

>> the way doug saw it, this was no different than the time two months earlier when venus had suddenly and surprisingly bolted with the kids. >> i came home and she wasn't there, the kids weren't there. my dog was not there. i did not know what to do. >> doug says he thought venus had disappeared that day, too. >> it started getting a little dark, i started getting worried. she did not respond to pick up the phone and i called the police and said hey, i'm very worried my wife is not home. this is not like her, i don't know what to do. >> newport news detective todd feiler since retired -- with the retired. >> doug tried to file a missing persons report. when police refused to look into it she decided to take off to michigan with the kids and the dog, effectively ending the marriage. >> police officers had informed him that she was not missing, we knew her whereabouts and she was not coming home. >> now, it was early may and her parents in michigan authorities were certain venus was really missing this time,

and in serious danger or worsened even though doug had an alibi, michigan police went down to newport news to talk to her. >> we just went down there to investigate the disappearance of venus stewart. >> shane krieger, detective with the michigan state police, rolled in with his own forensic team. they met up with the detective friend newport news. together, they all went to doug's apartment. >> we did not disclose to him at that time that we were from michigan. >> michigan police did not want doug to climb up or lawyer up so they met and let feiler do the talking. >> he did not see overly concerned about the disappearance. he felt like she had run away and this was some stunt she was pulling. >> feiler said he did not jump to any conclusions. >> i had not made a decision one way or the other whether she had run away or been abducted. >> with a search warrant in

hand, detective feiler and the michigan officers listened to doug's story, searched his apartment and seized his computers. >> he was very cooperative. he told us about all the computers that were in the house. >> the michigan cops who knew all about the bad blood between doug and venus were looking for any trace of her dead or alive. >> what were you expecting to do and hoping to find there? >> we know we wanted to search his apartment for her close because that was the last thing she was seen in. >> any signs of venus been around that apartment? >> nothing. >> but, investigators kept looking then they went outside to search doug's truck still hoping to find a sign of venus or any other helpful lead. the truck was a mess. the debris from a disordered life, but there amidst the french fries, plastic lid and bits of crumpled up paper was an unexpected clue. once it was analyzed, the investigation would shift into another gear.

>> when he called me, he says are you sitting down? >> a tiny piece of paper is about to provide a very big break. >> they were able to locate a receipt for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and hat. >> where was the receipt from? >> it was from a walmart. >> when dateline continues. alm >> when dateline continues. to really wander. yeah. yeah, i just hope it stays this way. once word gets out about these places they tend to -- -are you done? -aaand there it is. well, at least your vehicles are protected. let's hit the road. hey fam! i'm just at this beautiful lake that i just discovered. practicing gratitude, manifesting abundance. tide is busting laundry's biggest myth... that cold water can't clean. cold water, on those stains? ♪♪ cold water can't clean tough stains? i'd say that myth... is busted. it's got to be tide. upset stomach iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating iberogast

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nearly 1 million texans are still without power five days after hurricane beryl slammed into the gulf coast. the houston-based electric company, centerpoint, says they're working hard to restore services but customers are angry that they may not get electricity back until next week. a new mexico judge has thrown out the involuntary manslaughter case against actor alec baldwin, citing misconduct by the police and prosecutors. an emotional baldwin cried during the decision. he would've faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted. for now, back to dateline. 10 days into the

investigation, the search for venus stewart and whoever abducted her was no heating up in two states, michigan and virginia. in michigan, police were trying to develop the few clues they had found outside her parents' house. the fingerprint they had lifted at the scene was still waiting for analysis at the state crime lab and in the plastic wrapper for a tarp police believed to have been used in venus' abduction. police were running down his barcode, looking for where the tarp came from and who bought it. >> it had recently been purchased from walmart but we didn't know which walmart. >> the wrapping ends up at the murder scene? >> yes. >> venus' two daughters stayed with their grandparents in michigan while friends and family searched for the mother. venus' out married organize the

search groups and even when she was not out looking, she kept a shovel in her car so she could rush over to help dig anywhere, anytime. >> we look for anything that is out of place. if the ground has been dug up even a year ago, you're going to be able to tell. >> more than 700 miles southeast in newport news, virginia, investigators were also searching. after nothing had jumped out at them in doug's apartment, the special forensic unit begin combing through his truck. >> the truck looked like a sty. >> it had not been cleaned. >> scraps of paper, old french fries and crumbled up receipts. it looked like leftovers from a college road trip but all this dirt was about to become paydirt. one smudged receipt suddenly got the forensic team's attention. >> they were able to locate a receipt in there for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and hat. >> they could not believe their eyes or their luck. >> we thought they were joking because who believes that in their truck? but inevitably,

they were not kidding. they had the receipt. >> your biggest piece of evidence, this crumpled receipt. >> yes. >> an investigator on the forensic team immediately called distinctive -- detective scott back in michigan. >> in all the garbage there is the receipt, yes? >> yes. a hat, gloves, a shovel and a tarp. that is what we were looking for because the rapper found that the residence was for an 8 x 10 tart. >> for was the receipt from? >> it was from a walmart. >> specifically a walmart about two and half hours southeast of where venus disappeared. >> and that we would've found that purchase had we not had the receipt. >> the date on the receipt itself was smudged. we did not know what these items were purchased, so investigators began contacting

walmart stores to try to determine the date and we learned right away that those items were purchased the evening before venus stewart went missing. >> van wert ohio is not near michigan or newport news. >> it is in direct route between newport news and michigan. >> but, the feds had proof doug had been in virginia when venus disappeared, so how did the ohio receipt get there? detective scott and prosecutors john mcdonough and chuck harmon suspected someone else was involved, but if that was true, they had no idea how. that did not matter to john mcdonough, then the youngest elected prosecutor in michigan who was itching to arrest doug right now. >> i said all right, let's go. >> it didn't happen.

cooler heads prevailed. >> i had detective scott telling me calm down, let's get everything ready to go. >> the investigation was still missing key evidence, not least, a body. a major hope, maybe even a case buster for any would-be prosecution. >> you said let's go slow, nobody's going anywhere. >> right, i still thought there was more to be done to tie up any loose ends and put the case together better. >> mike scott, working his last case before retirement, knew the biggest loosened was discrediting doug's virginia alibi, so he asked the detective from newport news to keep digging. >> this case became a top priority for me. >> todd feiler, who had kept an open mind when he first interviewed doug in his apartment, was now skeptical. >> it's like the rest that receipt was not in some landfill between here and the state of michigan.

>> feiler went back to the law office where doug had been spotted the day venus disappeared. he had some follow up questions to ask, once the fbi had left off their list. >> the individual is wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie with the hood pulled up, and large mirrored aviation-type sunglasses. >> doug in disguise to visit his lawyer? downright strange. >> generally, people do not come in disguising their appearance unless they are up to something of questionable activity. >> when dateline continues. essential oils for up to 120 days of amazing fragrance per dual pack. now that's a breath of fresh air wick. what can you do with sensitive skin? ( ♪♪ ) cetaphil moisturizing lotion hydrates for a full 48 hours. because a lot can happen in 48 hours. cetaphil. we do skin. you do you. announcer what if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? now you can with smileactives, the teeth whitening breakthrough

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before dennis murphy: onee, month after venus went missing, her father, a truck driver, had a heart-breaking journey to make. by then, doug had moved out of the couple's newport news one month after venus went missing, her father, a truck driver, had a heartbreaking journey to make. by then, doug had moved out of the couple's newport news apartment and return to michigan, so larry mccomb headed south. >> the people that run the apartment complex where she lived called us and they said, there is all kind of stuff like the kids toys, pictures, would you be interested in those and they said i will send them to you. i said i'll come get them a i

went down and got all the girls' toys. i got all the pictures i could find. it was very painful. >> he found comfort, though, from venus' neighbors. >> i so for my daughter lived in everybody in the complex was so supportive and nobody liked doug and everybody loved venus and the girls. >> somewhere in the same weeks, venus is -- venus' grandfather gets a call. >> my dad calls and said venus is alive. he said somebody called in at first it sounds like venus and at the end of the phone call it did not sound like venus because all they would say is i'm sorry, ground -- grandpa. he couldn't get nothing out of them. >> during the phone call with venus' grandfather, the woman said i'm in illinois near a

relative's home but the foreign records did not support that. >> we did not believe that phone call came from venus stewart. we think that was somebody playing a sick joke on the family. >> do you think it was doug putting somebody up to it? >> i can't say but i suspected. >> back in michigan, there was a court proceeding taking place, but not the kind venus' family wanted. >> the hearing today is doug stewart works to get custody of his two young daughters. >> doug is still going ahead with this custody issue? >> he's dragging us into court trying to get the girls back and there was no way he was getting custody of those girls. >> doug's claim is that he was the father. he is around but the mother is not, so he should have custody of his children, not venus''s parents. hanging over the court was the strong suspicion by family and

protesters that doug was the reason his children were motherless. >> i asked him if he had murdered anybody lately. it was just something that popped out of my mouth. >> the judge scheduled another hearing for three weeks later but in the meantime, denied doug custody and even visitation rights with his young daughters. >> we feel really relieved. that's all i have to say. >> while the court was delaying the final decision on the children, detectives in michigan and virginia were stepping up their investigation. detective todd feiler now suspected doug's alibi was part of summers. with the walmart receipt in his truck saying ohio has area code 419 when doug had been telling everyone virginia. >> michigan state police told us doug had gone to his lawyer's office to make a payment on the pending child custody dispute. they stated that the fbi had gone out to the lawyer's office and confirmed that he had showed up and made a payment to them the morning that she

disappeared. >> but, detective feiler now had his own follow-ups for the secretaries and what he was beginning to think what like a pretty outlandish scheme. he had two theories. >> one, that the secretaries could've possibly had some sort of relationship with him and may have been lying to the fbi to cover his tracks. or, that somebody posing as doug had come to the law office and made a payment and it was not doug. >> the women described again the man they had seen that day but this time, in greater detail. >> the individual is wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie with the hood pulled up and large mirrored aviation -type sunglasses. generally, people don't come in with heads up and large glasses disguising their appearance unless they are up to something

of questionable activity. >> detective feiler asked them if they were possible -- positive it was doug stewart. >> neither one of them said they were 100% sure it was doug. >> is the now recalled it, even though the man in the pulled up hoodie and dark glasses made a payment as doug, he never looked them in the eye and there was no small talk, that he rushed off instead of waiting for his receipt. feiler called lee detective scott in michigan with his take. >> he said that's great. now we are one step closer to solving the case. >> are complicated, maybe even clever scheme was coming into sharper focus for investigators centering around doug stewart and some mystery man in virginia. back in michigan, detective krieger was checking doug's cell phone records, hoping to come up with some answers. >> the biggest part was three or four days prior to venus''s disappearance, there were between seven and 15 calls per day to and from doug from one particular number.

>> at a constant phone right but detectives also noticed a gap. the day before venus went missing, the cell phone was turned off, did not go back on until the next night. >> then all of a sudden the calls come back to and from this same number. the calls were traced back to ricky spencer. ricky was a college kid living with his parents. >> his dad has his own veterinary clinic. they are well-to-do. the mother and father are both extremely caring. he has siblings. >> it did not make sense. why would a college kid from delaware have anything to do with an older ex-military man for michigan and virginia? in mid-june, eight weeks since venus went missing, krieger and

his lieutenant, chuck christensen, decided to find out. they got in the car and headed east. what the man on all those phone logs hold the key to what happened to venus stewart? >> we have a guy who i believe is of interest. he's making a lot of calls to doug. he looks like doug and passed for doug. i did not want him to know we were coming. >> police pay a surprise visit to this mystery caller. and, he has a head-spinning surprise of his own. >> what was the business he said he needed to take care of? >> to go see his wife. >> did he say why? >> to hide her. >> when dateline continues. er. >> when dateline continues. formulations of 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. for all your skins, gold bond. sometimes your work shirt needs to be for more than just work.

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and doesn't spy on your searchs and duckduckgo lets you browsel but it blocks cookies and creepy ads that follow youa and other companies. and there's no catch. it's fre. we make money from ads, but they don't follow you aroud join the millions of people taking back their privacy by downloading duckduckgo on all your devices today. join dennis murphy: twoople takimonths in, here'svacy where things stood in the investigation into the disappearance of venus stewart. two months in, here's where things stood into the investigation of the

disappearance of venus stewart. she had gone out to the mailbox one morning in april 2010 and had not been seen again. investigators suspected her estranged husband, doug, was behind it. his one solid alibi that he had been elsewhere was now on shaky ground. copps theorized that he maybe had a stand-in in virginia so he could sneak off to michigan but could they prove it? to find out, detective shane krieger and chuck christensen drove to an upscale neighborhood in bear, delaware, the question a college kid named ricky spencer. >> we have a guy making a lot of calls to doug. he looks like doug. he could pass for doug. >> on june 21st, 2010, the detectives made an unannounced visit to this house where ricky lived with his parents. >> we did not want him to know we were coming.

>> ricky's sister and mother came to the door. >> i explained to them we needed to talk to ricky. we thought he might have some information to help us out on the case over in michigan. >> at the barracks in an interview room, the 2 cups appraised ricky. 20 years old, polite, clean- cut. >> how do you know doug stewart? >> through xbox live. >> he told the detectives they had been friends in the virtual world for a year and a half. then, they met face-to-face for the first time during ricky's a spring break from college, april 1st, 2010. ricky said he was invited by doug, a man 10 years his senior, to stay at his place in newport news. ricky was therefore a week. >> we went to busch gardens one time for like the day, and we were trying to go to the clubs, but i'm not 21 yet, so. >> you're not 21 yet? okay. >> we just played xbox. he was a chill guy but it was just awkward, you know? because he's like close to his

30s and i'm in my 20s. >> was the last time you saw him? >> my spring break. it might be in the beginning of april. >> okay. >> but, detective suspected that was not true. by then, they had stitched together a solid timeline of the ricky-doug communications based on cell phone logs. on april 25th the morning before venus disappeared, ricky's cell phone pinged in bear, delaware. >> the last call he made before shutting off his phone was to doug stewart. >> then, they both turned off his phones except brate ricky

briefly turned his back on. >>'s phone hit off the tower just north of doug's apartment later that morning. >> so he is not in delaware. he's in virginia. >> ricky told detectives he had recently learned from doug that something happened to his wife. >> is like ricky, she's missing. i was like what, dude? he was telling me like she does weird stuff, like weird stuff. >> was ricky still covering for both doug and himself? lieutenant christiansen tried to shake him up, taking a turn as the bad cop. >> i will be blunt, doug stewart abducted and killed his wife, okay? we also know that somebody went into a legal office down there in newport news, virginia to pay a legal bill for him. we also know that you were down in that apartment during that time. >> wait, for what? >> on the 25th of april. and the 26th. >> of april? no. i was only there on spring break. >> he was reluctant to admit the truth. >> but, he was starting to distance himself from doug bit

by bit. >> i saw some weird -- like they found like a receipt or something from a different state close to michigan. i was like what the -- and at that point, i was like, i'm not talking to this guy. this is weird. >> so, detective krieger put on his good cop happened -- hats. soothing, supportive, sympathetic. >> you probably thought i'm not going to get in trouble for this. you know what i'm saying? and i don't think you are involved in the planning of it. i think it was more him and you got caught up in something he realized after the fact. this is way over my head. you got a couple sisters, right? okay, what if this happened to your sister? are you close with them? what if somebody took your sister? you'd be upset, wouldn't you? this is what is going on with venus' family. there they're going on, we need

closure with this. you need to help us with this because you are part of this game now but not our main concern whatsoever. >> the detectives sensed ricky was ready to come clean. >> like shane said, if we we thought you were a main player in this, do you really think we would be dealing with you like this? absolutely not, so my first question to you is, did he tell you he was going to kill her before this happened? before you went down there? what did he say? >> he needed to take care of business up in michigan. >> finally, ricky started to unspool his story. a spellbinding thriller involving doubles and deception with doug stewart as its mastermind. >> what was the business he said he needed to take care of? >> to go see his wife. >> okay, did he say why? >> to hide her. to get rid of her.

>> lieutenant christiansen called detective scott back in michigan. they had broken it. >> he is our guy and mike's reaction was something to the effect of holy cow. >> mike scott, who had preached patience with the prosecutor before immediately dispatched officers to apprehend doug skirt. the stripper was part of the team that tailored him to this convenience store. >> we just walked in and said doug stewart, you're under arrest. he turned around and replaced the handcuffs on him. >> were you surprised? >> absolutely. >> doug until police from the beginning he thought venus skipped out on him and the kids. after his arrest, he said it again to detective scott. >> i got very upset. i told him i said i worked for you from day one. i don't know where my wife is. >> how did you learn doug had been arrested? >> state police had come to the

house the same day they told us venus was deceased. >> as said they arrested him for murder. >> i couldn't accept it. i didn't want to accept that he would do that to her. >> police had declared her dead even without finding her body, and prosecutors were preparing to file a first-degree murder charge, but as doug stewart got rey std trial for murder, venus' family trials were far from over. coming up -- >> douglas stewart caused the death of veena stewart. >> he was very good at presenting himself as the all- american guy. it was very bizarre. you're on trial for murdering your wife. none of this seemed to affect him one bit. >> when dateline continues. e b. >> when dateline continues.

dennis murphy: february 2011, a courtroom in centreville, michigan, in st. joseph county. judge paul stutesman: people of the state of michigan versus douglas stewart. dennis murphy: it had been nearly a year since venus

stewart disappeared in her pajamas, february, 2011, a courtroom in centerville, michigan and st. joseph county. >> the people of the state of michigan versus douglas stewart. >> it'd been nearly a year since veena stewart disappeared. her husband was now on trial for her murder, even though the body was never found. a fundamental fact of the defense's case, doug pleaded not guilty and said he was surprised events had him arrested. the prosecution was john mcdonough. seated at the defense table, doug stewart wearing casual sweaters and sweater vest. >> he was very good at presenting himself as kind of the all-american guy. it was very bizarre because we would go into chambers. he would talk out loud like he

was one of the guys. you're on trial for murdering your wife and none of this seemed to affect him one bit. >> as the prosecutor began his case, his opening witnesses focused on april 26, 2010, the day venus vanished. the state trooper first on the scene testified that he believed he was looking at the crime as soon as he talked to venus' parents. >> i pulled in the driveway and was met by a female who was hysterical and crying. >> what did you do next? >> she told me that he took her. he took her. >> early on, mcdonough wanted the jury to meet venus' parents, to see them as the stable, decent and loving people they were. venus was not some kind of wild child bad mother. >> was it odd that your daughter would've left her children alone? >> it was something that would not happen. >> after sketching out the last day that things might ever be normal for venus' parents, the prosecutor turned the clock back 24 hours and moved the scene from michigan to northwest ohio. april 25th had been a chilly night in ohio, and the man who

walked in the front door of the walmart was easy to remember, according to the walmart security officer. despite the weather, he was wearing a loud shirt and flowery hawaiian shorts. >> that is the customer entering right here. there he is right here. >> what is this a clip of? >> this is associate rebecca hill with the customer following her. >> jurors watched intently as the video showed doug marching through the aisles. at the defendant's table, the accused knew what was coming next, an inventory of the items he bought that night. he picked up a shovel, gloves, a tarp and a hat. >> can you tell what's in his hand? >> this appears to be a shovel, and the tarp in his left hand. >> the clerks at walmart had no trouble remembering the customer.

donna stiffler, cashier in the lawn and garden section, remembered approaching the customer, who looked like he was going to a luau. >> as said welcome to walmart. can i help you? and the first thing i think he asked for was lime. >> why would he ask for lime? >> you throw lime on anything that is decaying, it almost acts like baking soda wood to absorb odors. >> donna told the shopper they did not sell lime. she said he granted and kept on moving. minutes later, he was back at her register to check out. >> do you remember what he bought? >> a tarp, a shiny shovel, silver. duct tape and gloves. >> you see that person in the courtroom today? >> yes. >> could you point them out and describe what he is wearing? >> i'm so nervous. he is over there.

>> what is he wearing? >> a white vest. i remember his eyes more than anything else. >> you could tell that she was just terrified of this guy. my god, you know, i sold the sky these things that helped him kill his wife. >> and, there was something else that tripped doug up. a credit card. before he went to michigan, doug bought a throwaway cell phone call the tracfone that normally assures anonymity except, as you can see dug swiping here, he has just bought it with a credit card that created an electronic receipt revealing the phone's unique i.d. that made the phone and doug's movements easily traceable. >> he did not think we would find the tracfone's that he had. >> master criminals do not save receipts and buy on credit cards. >> krieger could follow the

path of the phone through gps technology just as though it were a personal cell phone. using the funds, how close can you get him to his wife's family? >> within five to 7 miles. >> but, by now, something else but him even closer, old- fashioned forensics. remember the smudge on the plastic tarp rapper found outside venus' parents house. it was doug stewart's fingerprint, placing him at the scene of venus' disappearance. prosecutors believed it was damning evidence. but, to close the deal, they would have to put on the stand the college kid impostor with a head spinning tale to tell. would it be too incredible to be believed? coming up -- >> this is where i want you to come in. i want you to be my alibi. >> ricky spencer lays it all out, a plan to murder. >> it was like a game. it was a part of this game. >> when dateline continues. ne in people 60 years and older. arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems

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john mcdonough: and the rest of the evidence that you hear-- dennis murphy: chief prosecutor john mcdonough called on his star witness who, in the course of two days, would tell one of the most mind-boggling stories ever heard in this st. joseph county, michigan courtroom. judge paul stutesman: please call your next witness the rest of the evidence that you here -- >> chief prosecutor john mcdonough called in his star witness, who over the course of two days, would tell one of the most mind-boggling stories ever heard in the courtroom. ricky, now 21, seemed like a young boy in a grown-up world. his dress shirt, not his

customary tea, ran big in the sleeves. >> how do you know mr. stewart? >> we met on xbox live. >> how often did you play xbox live with mr. stewart? >> anywhere from six to 10 hours on a daily basis. >> this was his life. some people might sit and read. he played xbox. >> even though he had never met him, ricky told the jury they felt a strong tie to the former marine. >> would you say he was your best friend? >> yes. he called us brothers from another mother. >> probably one of the very few people he had social contact with. >> doug and ricky met in person on april fools' day, 2010, nearly a month before venus disappeared. doug was living alone and had invited ricky down for spring break. surveillance camera footage showed ricky in virginia.

ricky testified that for the first three days, they went to the busch gardens amusement park, played xbox live, and drink. they hung out like frat brothers. on day four, the prosecution asserts that doug got down to business. >> he said hey ricky, i want to tell you something that's really important. let me finish before you interrupt me. >> ricky testified that doug began to vent on his estranged wife, venus. he said doug was portraying venus as an abusive, even dangerous mother to his two girls. that was not true, but ricky did not know that. doug then told ricky they needed to do something desperate. >> he told me he was going to go . i was shocked. i cannot believe what i was hearing. he said this is where i want you to come in, ricky. i want you to be my alibi, just pretend to be me and live in my apartment. >> ricky's immediate reaction was an emphatic no. i was like no, i don't want to hear anything about this. he didn't talk about it for the

rest of the day. >> but, doug kept at it over the next two days. despite everyone else's portrait of venus as mother of the year, doug pushed negative venus stuff on ricky, telling him how she smacked around their older daughter. >> how did that make you feel? >> i felt bad for him. he was saying like someone could be my alibi. i'm like no, dude. i can't do this. >> doug kept ratcheting up his stories of abuse concluding with the most graphic one. venus had tried to choke one of the girls. >> ricky, if i wasn't there at that moment she might've died. >> he again asked you to help him tell his wife. >> yes. >> what did you say? >> i said okay, dude. i will be your alibi. >> ricky caved and according to the prosecution, doug had a plan ready to go. he took his recruit to a nearby park for a crash course in how to get away with murder. >> yes we like if you are trying to kill someone and you

don't want any evidence, what do you use? i told him well, not a gun because it leaves evidence in his is right not a gun. this is not a good life. so what is it. doug said you choke somebody. >> and, right there in the park, doug demonstrated on ricky his military chokehold. >> he is me and hadlock two seconds. he puts me down. i'm like out of breath. he says like if you do that to somebody for 10 seconds they will pass out. you do it for over 30 seconds, they are no longer alive. >> doug coached ricky to be aware of surveillance cameras. to pull off this double vision raise, ricky would need to wear sunglasses, cap and a hoodie pulled up and over. ricky returned to delaware to

wait for doug's signal. it came on april 15th, 2010. doug drove up from virginia. ricky, from delaware, and they met at a gas station in bethesda, maryland outside the nation's capital where ricky said doug gave him the things he needed to turn into doug. his clothing, cell phones, keys to his car and apartment at a credit card. >> this is the parking space area for i met with doug stewart. >> where did you go? >> i drove to virginia. >> where did doug tell you he was going? >> to michigan. >> what was he going to do there? >> he did not say kill his wife, but he said take care of business up in michigan. but i knew what he meant. >> sure enough, surveillance camera pictures taken april 15th to show ricky easing into doug's life in newport news. he parked in doug's garage as instructed, and hung out in doug's apartment. >> this is between 10:00 and 11:00. there is a newspaper sticking out of my pocket. >> with doug's credit card, ricky had bought a cheeseburger and fries at wendy's.

>> why did he want you to use the credit card there? >> to make it look like he was in virginia. >> somewhere deep down, prosecutors wondered, did ricky, a little slow on the uptake, think that this was all pretend? >> don't look at the camera, keep your head down, where the sweatshirt. it was like a game. he was a part of this game. >> this was ricky's little mission. >> but the mission, or omission one, in game box speak, what a mess. doug had to hit the reset button. on his way to michigan, he had been pulled over by a state trooper in ohio who said he was weaving lanes. the traffic stop was irrefutable proof that he was not in virginia. >> i got a phone call from him that said the plan is often i was relieved to hear it. >> but, doug was not able to call it quits after one bump in the road. he kept on talking. >> he said he wants to do it

again. i told him i didn't want to. it was a one time deal. >> but then according to ricky, doug told ricky if he did not get on board with the original plan he was going to wipe out everyone, a massacre. >> he was talking about going there and killing anyone besides his kids. >> what did you do next? >> i told him i'll do it again. i'll be your alibi. >> there would be a mortal mission two. coming up -- >> a drop of blood came from her nose. >> a virtual world turned suddenly, violently real in the spellbound courtroom here's the most harrowing part of the story. >> he was going to go bury her. >> when dateline continues. er. >> 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

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john mcdonough: do you recognize the person in that photograph? dennis murphy: doug stewart was on trial for murder, but his sister jaime couldn't bring herself to be in the courtroom. jaime hess: i don't know what to believe if i did >> do you recognize the person in that photograph? >> doug stewart was on trial >> doug stewart was on trial but his sister could not herself to be in the courtroom. >> i don't know what to believe. that is the hard thing. you just don't know what to believe , and i really don't want to think that my brother did anything terrible. >> but, dustin jasper, the victim's brother, was there on both days grabbing a bench seat within good stare down range of the accused, doug stewart. but, understand, shame did not seem to figure into the boldest press story about doug that

ricky spencer was telling the jury, how after the first run to michigan was a bust, doug called ricky again. >> he said hey, dude. i killed her. i was like what? he says no, i'm just kidding. i told him that wasn't funny. >> he said he was kidding and you told him it wasn't funny? >> yes. >> ricky second day on the stand is the star witness, prosecutor mcdonough picked up his questioning with ricky's description of mission number two, the assault on venus stewart. it was deja vu all over again. this time, sunday, april 25th. >> i went down to virginia. he went back up to michigan. >> later that day, ricky said he made a call pretending to be dug under the weather. >> i said in a sick voice like

hey, bobby, this is me, doug. i can't get into work. he said all right. so doug did not have to come to work on monday. >> monday would be venus' last day alive, as ricky would explain in his chilling story of duplicity and death. it began, the prosecutor said, with doug in a field across from venus' parents house. >> he parked there with his truck. he was probably 500 yards from the house. >> ricky, i want you to leave anywhere from 8:00 to 8:15. nothing later. >> doug then snuck up close to the house, police said, hiding behind this woodpile. back in virginia, ricky was establishing the alibi. >> do you recognize that photograph? >> it is me leaving the apartment on the 26.

>> his next instructions were to wait for doug's call. >> what did he say? >> he said hey, dude, it's done. i was kind of shocked to hear that. he said he called venus' parents house in michigan and said he was the mailman and had a package for her and she came outside. >> just like that, ricky's virtual world had turned real. game over. he was displaying emotion on the stand for the first time. doug was showing nothing. >> he jumped out and he said that there was a scream. she only screamed once and that she tried putting up a fight but that he was able to get her in a headlock and a drop of blood came from her nose, and that was it. i asked him if it was worth it, and he said it was, to protect his kids and give them some type of future and he told me that -- he told me that he was

going to call me later, because he was going to go -- two -- to bury her. >> did you understand the consequences, ricky? >> i think when it was over, it finally hit him. this really was a homicide. someone actually died here. it's not on the xbox. it's not somebody blowing up, a cartoon figure. it was a real person. >> later, ricky continued in the supporting actor role. he went to doug's lawyers office stressed and hat, pretty, and sunglasses.

doug told him to make a payment to one particular secretary. >> he said that she's not all there in the head and just hand her the envelope, say who you are and tell her that you are in a hurry and tell them to mail you the receipt. >> did you do that? >> yes. >> later that day, ricky and doug drove to the meeting spot in maryland to exchange clothing, cell phones, keys and the credit card. they talked briefly. ricky invited doug to express the newfound fear. >> i was asking him hey, are you going to kill me? he said no. i said dude, because if you did, that would suck. he asked why did i ask that. and i says because i know what you did. >> that was the first thing that came to my mind. why in the heck didn't doug kill this kid? why did you leave this witness out there for somebody to find. >> the prosecutors fully expected their case with the jury would rise or fall on the shoulders of ricky spencer.

>> didn't get you've got to worry on cross examination if the defense is going to rattle his cage. >> that's always a worry. you probably could hold his own but we didn't know. >> honestly, his testimony was so bizarre. >> was this a true tale or a tall one? ricky spencer's story under scrutiny. >> what evidence do you have that venus stewart is dead? >> when dateline continues. dat coworker, and trusty copilot. for all your dog does for your family, give them cosequin a daily joint supplement that supports healthy joints and cartilage for dogs of all ages and sizes. it's the number one veterinarian recommended retail joint health brand. for your dog, your co-everything choose cosequin and other nutramax labora[audience laughing]ts. worried you'll laugh so hard you'll leak? well always discreet can hold your biggest gushes with up to zero leaks and odor. so you're not just dry. you're laugh until you cry dry.

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biden took his campaign to battleground michigan friday where he tore into project 2025, saying it would unleash a nightmare on the country. he also double down on his commitment to staying in the race despite some democratic lawmakers calling for him to withdraw. judge dismissed rudy giuliani's bankruptcy case, citing a lack of transparency. this paves the way for the two georgia election workers who were just -- defamed to begin collecting their judgment

against him. for now, back to dateline. >> if you think about anything in this case, i want you to think about the word guesswork. >> in its opening argument, the defense asked jurors to pay close attention to at the prosecution's case that had no victim's body and no eyewitnesses saw the defendant in michigan, much less killing his wife. >> i believe at the end of this case the prosecutor is going to ask you to guess. >> after ricky spencer's riveting testimony, anticipation was building. with the defense be able to rock the wild story from the so- called double? defense lawyers jeff and kymberly schroder, married and highly effective team, did not

only attack ricky's testimony. they were going after his testimony, too, and the deal he made with the prosecution. >> my defense, my story had to do with ricky evading life in prison, ricky being an accomplished liar. >> cross-examination strategy number one was to mussed up the clean-cut young man in which he projected from the stand. they started with the x-rated screen name, the technology pitch for himself when he played xbox live. >> ricky, your gamer tag is [ inaudible ] is it? >> ricky explained to the jury the overt and very explicit sexual connotations of his online name. the defense wanted the jury to look at ricky is an unsavory young man without a moral compass. >> if you believe his testimony, he decided to help commit murder rather than deciding to call the

authorities. >> of course, you don't want the jury to believe that story but there is a moral issue that hangs over the testimony. this guy could have thrown a wrench in the works and stopped it. he could've done the right thing but elected not to. >> if you believe his testimony and i think that is one of the reasons why his testimony is unbelievable. >> ricky had already admitted indirect testimony that he lied to his parents about what he was doing over spring break. >> did you want them to know you are going to visit mr. stewart? >> no. >> why? >> it seemed kind of strange going to hang out with somebody you played xbox live with that's a lot older than you. >> the defense took a mostly hands-off approach unchallenging ricky on all those very detailed recollections of his story. what he did which day in virginia, what he but with a credit card, which security cameras he played two. the defense stands was there is a lot of detail here but it's all a fantasy from a young man trying to save his own skin. after only 20 minutes of less than explosive cross- examination, they got him off the stand. >> quite honestly, his testimony was just so bizarre.

>> it's a strange story, isn't it? a story spun, said the defense, so ricky could cut a sweetheart deal with the prosecutor. in return for his testimony ricky would not be charged with conspiracy to commit murder but enter a plea to a lesser charge. >> i think he was coached many times to give the testimony and the way that he gave it. >> he was taught to become a good witness you think? >> i think so. i think he had to do a good job. you know, if he did not bring the case over the prosecutor, it's my belief he thought he would be facing those charges. >> the defense called no witnesses. doug stewart did not take the stand but he did sit down with dateline for an interview. >> if you're hearing everything that i've heard, everything i've seen, i still haven't seen anything showing you that my wife is hurt. she is harmed. >> so, what did he make of ricky spencer, his young xbox

buddy? >> i don't understand any of his testimony on the stand. he got locations right as far as he came down, he was on spring break. >> why does ricky come down? >> he mentioned to me he has spring break coming up from college and i'm coming down to busch gardens with some friends. april 1st i got a phone call and he goes well i'm almost there. i says almost where. almost to your apartment. he just showed up. >> now the guy is in your apartment and you are the host and he is the uninvited guest? >> i felt comfortable enough with him that i was like okay, i guess you can stay here. >> the story he would tell authorities and testify under oath to in the court is almost like us spy movie plot. none of that stuff is true? >> the whole idea of hurting my wife, none of that is true. >> in his closing statement, jeff schroeder hope to convince at least one juror there was no

evidence of a body. >> what evidence in this case do you have to demonstrate to you that veena stewart is dead? >> so, what about all those purchases at walmart? doug stewart seen walking the aisles and loud, floral shorts. they asked rhetorically, what a man about to commit a murder be so dumb as to call that kind of attention to himself? >> is he trying to hide things? is wearing hawaiian shorts. asking people where things are. does that sound like somebody's going to use it in a crime? >> and, he bought a shovel, the defense attorney noted. so what? >> what evidence have they shown you the shovel was used in the killing of veena stewart? they have not. >> schroeder summed it up for the jury. he claimed the prosecutor had an illusion of evidence is circumstantial case woven together with ricky spencer's tall tale.

the try to make you think they have a case but they don't. >> coming up. you believe she's alive? >> i've got to believe she is alive. >> a verdict on a whole new chapter in the mystery. >> he showed up to the door. he said that it was part of the case. >> the case was never closed. >> when dateline continues. >> when dateline continues. 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. what can you do with sensitive skin? ( ♪♪ ) cetaphil moisturizing lotion hydrates for a full 48 hours. because a lot can happen in 48 hours.

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dennis murphy: march 11, 2011, the jury had been deliberating. was doug stewart responsible for the murder of his wife venus? march 11th, 2011, the jury had been deliberating. was doug stewart responsible for the murder of his wife, venus? >> i dreamed about her a lot, thinking that she is still alive and that i'm hugging her and then i wake up. reality hits me. >> do you believe she's alive or not? >> i have got to believe she's alive. if she is not, i don't think i can handle it. i don't think my kids can handle it. >> if she was alive, it would be incredibly cruel, which is doing. >> i could never forgive her. >> the jury has indicated they've reached a verdict. >> the moment had arrived.

dennis' brother and mother knew a guilty verdict would be small consolation but they wanted to hear it anyway. a few feet away stood the accused. eyes blinking, face twitching. >> the clerk will read the verdict. >> the members of the jury find douglas harry stewart as to count one, guilty of first- degree premeditated murder. >> guilty. jurors clearly believe the star witness ricky spencer's story of been the alibi and the double but they also determined that doug's fingerprints found at the crime scene on the plastic wrapper was powerful evidence. >> it's a scheme, it's a conspiracy. only one other person knows what's going on and that is ricky. is he lucky to be alive, in your opinion? >> yes. he made the case for us. >> if doug had killed him? >> it would be very difficult to prove this case without ricky. >> outside the courtroom, the young prosecutor, john mcdonough, hugs venus' mother. >> i was so happy to be able to

reach out and say to her, you know, we got him. we promised her we would do it and we did it. >> my daughter is not here. that's all i could think about is venus is not here. >> sweater vest gone, shackled at the legs and hands, doug was not giving an inch. >> i'm innocent. i did not do these crimes. >>'s story rejected out of hand by a jury that needed only three hours to convict him was nothing if not consistent. dateline found that out in our interview the month after the verdict at the st. joseph county jail. >> why did you want to talk today? you didn't have to talk. >> the biggest issue i guess i wanted to talk today is just to -- at the end of this trial, i wanted to know what happened to my wife, where my wife is, if anything happened to my wife. i wanted answers and i didn't get them so i guess i would ask that the police department does

not fold this case closed, because even though they believe it is, it is not. >> you are saying you didn't do it and you don't know where she is? >> absolutely not. >> the judge saw it differently. >> i'm sentencing the defendant to life in the michigan department of corrections without the possibility of parole. >> doug stewart was sentenced to life without parole and ricky was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit manslaughter and was sentenced to one year in county jail. venus' family did not think that was enough. >> he could've saved my sister. he could've let the authorities know. they could've been waiting for him at my parents house and it would've been over. >> the killer was put away for life, but for to two detectives in michigan, the story of venus stewart would not be closed until they found her remains, but where to look? the search picked up again in this vast countryside of woods, fields, and farms.

two lawmen, driven. >> i mean, the case was never closed. the criminal part, yes, but because her body was never located, that is the missing piece to the case that we were never able to locate her. >> and, venus' family waiting and hoping for closure. >> it's not too late for doug to do the right thing. he could repent for his wrongdoing. tell us where my sisters body is. >> four years after the trial, lieutenant christiansen and detective peterson decided to call on doug in prison. maybe he would be willing to tell the more now. >> our first strategy when we went to the prison was to simply go and talk to him and see if anything had changed. that was back in 2015, and i know we both felt after our meeting that he was hostile. he was still hanging on to the fact that he had nothing to do with it.

he was still trying to cast blame. >> wrongfully accused, wrongfully convicted. he still holding onto that. >> so much so that when we walked out of the room we both had the conversation that i don't think it's ever going to give it up. >> doug was no help, so detectives decided to reinvestigate an old rumor that had buzzed through the community for years. it had to do with a bar owned by doug's sister, the same sister who had introduced doug and venus years ago. jamie had poured a new concrete floor in her bar right after venus had gone missing. >> i told her that there was a tip that venus had been buried and was underneath the concrete in her bar. she immediately knew what i was talking about. she was aware of those rumors that were in the community and she was really emotional about it because it always weighed on her mind, what if he could've actually done it. >> you remember that? were you expecting anyone? >> no. not really.

he showed up to the door. i knew he was there for doug. he wanted to go over the concrete. he said that it was part of the case. >> investigators had chased this leak before but now, they were armed with new technology, ground-penetrating radar that could see through concrete. >> these rumors have gone on for years. >> oh yes, his sister has been is buried on her barn. they were sure he was going to dig her up and move her and you know, it was hard. >> she knew full well there was nothing in that barn but compacted soil and sure enough, the reader revealed nothing. but, that did not mean jamie believes her brother was innocent. >> i had an old employer that i ran into grocery shopping and she goes, do you think he did it? and i just kind of -- you know, and she is like in your heart? do you think he did it? yes.

i do. >> a heart that was also heavy with guilt, the responsibility she felt for introducing her brother to venus back then. >> that just goes through your mind, you know. thinking geez, if i had never introduced them, this would've never happened. >> you thought of that? >> for years. >> the day detectives showed up at her doorstep it was as though she had been waiting all these years for just this kind of visit. she wanted to show the detectives some rumpled pages of writing. >> she mentioned to me that she had had this letter in her purse and you could tell it'd been there for seven years and it was to venus' mother, therese. >> never delivered? >> she said she could not get herself to deliver it. she was afraid of the rejection. >> now, by reaching out and making the first move, the convicted killer's sister would set into motion a sequence of events leading into the unraveling of the case.

>> i wanted her to have venus back. i wanted everyone to stop hurting. >> coming up, where was venus? after all these years, would they finally learn the truth? >> you want to know. you want to know where she is but at the same time, you do not want to know. >> when dateline continues. dat for switching your home insurance to allstate? tempting. but that's way too much of a hassle. actually, it's not. allstate can handle the switching for you. just call 'em. so, it's easy and i could save? and you get allstate. huh, like a cherry on top. oh, you brought your own. check allstate first and you could save hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. it takes healthy joints to be a copilot, and a trusty coworker. give your dog cosequin, a daily supplement for joint health support in dogs of all sizes. for your co-everything, c[birds chirping] for nourished, lightweight hair, the right ingredients make all the difference. ♪♪

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>> i told her how terrible we felt, what doug had done and that you know, venus is my friend. she was my coworker and she was family and basically, i wanted to be a family again missing out on the last eight years of these girls growing up and i missed that. i missed eight years. >> when detective peterson knocked on her door that they jamie asked him for help in reconnecting with therese. he set up a meeting in his office. >> does this begin with words or where he glances at one another? >> i was just a blubbering fool. i just sat there and cried. effusively and i was there to tell her i was sorry for what my brother had done and here she comes across the room and gives me a big hug and tells me she is sorry for what my brother did to our family. >> were you coming from

philosophically at that point? was this about forgiveness? >> she didn't do nothing to be forgiven for. >> the building of family bridges was too late for venus' dad, larry. cancer had taken him six months earlier but the two families, at odds for years, were not talking again, doing the best to reconnect and heal. doug, meanwhile, was sitting in his still still insisting he had done nothing wrong. >> he complains about being in there and how terrible it is but guess what, we are all out here living it. >> his sister had had enough and she told him so. >> i wanted her to have venus back. i wanted everyone to stop hurting and that is the approach that it took. it took going to doug and telling him we are done. we are exhausted. >> once he found out that we were talking and were friends, then the jig was sort of up because he lied to her, he lied to me. >> with his appeals exhausted and his family applying pressure to reveal for the remains were, detectives went back to cdot.

>> i did not sense the anger that was there from our prior meeting. we spoken hypotheticals about if you work with us, can you bring us to the location of where she is buried? >> a few months and a couple of visits later, doug, a lifelong gamer, was ready to play. he made demands for his cooperation. >> when we spoke to him, he had a specific list that he gave to us in terms of what he would like for consideration. >> so, i will take you to the body but i want this stuff on my list? >> hypothetically, i could take you to the body but i would like to have these items for me. >> on his list, doug wanted to teach in prison, joined the canine program and be permitted to attend his parents' funerals when their time came and one more request for his you -- unit

, a gaming console and not just any, he wanted no substitutes, and xbox. >> your kidding? that's where this whole thing started. >> yes, he specifically mentioned xbox because they were being used throughout the country. >> how much of that stuff was doable? >> at first, we both thought there probably was not a real good chance we would get all of that. i believe that first meeting we said hey, you know, if we can get 100% of this does that mean the deal is off and he said no. so i think that kind of was an eye-opener to us that he was serious about getting some things to make, i guess, his circumstances better in return. >> the michigan department of corrections said yes to most of his request. the next box for the unit was already in the works anyway. detectives went to see doug again.

>> i told him specifically, this is the time right now. if you want to do this you are going to do it. if you not going to do it, we are out. we're done. >> detectives say he took a long pause and then -- >> he started out by saying you know, i didn't kill her at home. that is kind of where the narration started, where he described getting to the house and calling her from the house that morning that when she came out is where he attacked her and began to put her in a choke hold. >> doug says he she passed out and he put her in the bed of his truck. he then drove her to a wooded clearing he remembered from his teenage years. there he said venus revived in the argued before he stabbed her. detectives were not sure they believe the data -- details of his story but were struck by the fact that he showed no remorse as he laid out the grisly details. >> i'm not sure there was a lot of feeling there.

there was a little bit of emotion right at the moment he describes where he took her life. >> next, doug needs to describe the site. >> so, a dirt road in the southern portion of kalamazoo county right at the entrance off of this dirt road to a soybean field, very wedded. >> so you've got him here in shackles and you are walking through the site? >> yes. >> how certain is he that this is where he disposed of the body? >> positive. no doubt in his mind. >> this police video shot in october, 2018, shows doug in shackles leading the detectives through the thick brush. without hesitation, he pointed to the place where they should dig to find his wife's remains. >> i walked right in through here and there were so many stumps and debris that this was the ultimate spot. >> then you started to dig? what is he doing the whole time you're digging because it takes you an hour or so. >> he is up here in the clearing there. we had him away

from it. i think you could tell he really didn't want to be near it , where it was actually taken place, but he knew that we had to keep him here just to confirm we were in the right spot until that point. >> and, it was the right spot. after about an hour and a half of digging and sifting, the years-long search was over. the remains were positively identified in detectives reached out to venus' mom and doug's sister has rediscovered friendship that led to this moment. >> you want to know. you want to know where she is. you want to know what he did, but at the same time, you do not want to know. >> i don't want to know the particulars. i never do. i would never want to know that. >> the family had a burial service for venus in december of 2018. the bond between the two families, once sundered, has

been growing stronger every day. >> had you describe the relationship? >> she's like my daughter. >> i agree, yeah. >> we can be a family. we enjoy each other's company. she loves the girls so much. >> and the kids have a joint family. that's the important thing. several cold winters later, the mystery of the missing venus stewart has finally been put to rest, but memories of a loving mother, daughter and friend will be kept alive by those who hold the story of venus close to their hearts. >> she was my best friend. i never went a day without talking to her. never. the girls missed out on a really good mom. >> is she alive in the memory? >> no, yeah. i talk about her all the time. >> we'll do. >> as for doug stewart, his decision to finally confess and give it up changes nothing in his sentence. he and his new xbox will be in prison for the remainder of his life. the remainder of his life. hello, i'm andrea canning, and this is "dateline."er. he's evil.