tonight on "20/20," two different hours, two different women but both with murder on their minds. murder for hire, that is. >> nobody's going to be able to point a finger at me. like 5,000% sure. >> how do you explain what we have all seen and heard on those videotapes? >> but first, a new jersey soccer mom who wants the other woman wiped off the face of the earth. >> i wouldn't care if she was in a horrible, horrible car accident. >> okay. >> and oer soon becomes a head. >> jennifer is dead. >> no way. >> no way is right. but she's having to play dead and talking only to "20/20." >> at that moment, did you sense you were very close to being dead? >> absolutely, yeah. >> right here tonight, we're on the trail of a real life murder

for hire. every step of it followed in real time. >> if she wasn't going to have him, you weren't going to have him, either. >> the plotting caught on surveillance tapes. >> don't think i'm a bad person. >> okay. >> if something happened and one of the kids get killed, oh well. i'm sorry. >> every sick twist of her mind. once her rival finds out, is she still in danger? >> every day, i live in fear because of her. >> tonight, she's caught in the act. she says to you, she feels like she's living a lifetime movie? >> yes. >> now she's living on "20/20." >> good evening. tonight, a sort of double feature. women who want to kill. >> unfortunately, there are more than one of them, and tonight, they've been caught in the act. first came howard and nicole. then came howard and jennifer. in this love triangle, two's company, three's a crime. >> jennifer is dead. >> no way. >> jennifer is dead.

>> it's like a made for tv movie. >> why can't you love me? >> the strange but true love story of nicole faccenda, ruthless romantic. set in a soprano-land of big hair and broken hearts. >> you want a sandwich? >> no, i'm all right. >> the garden state, where smokestacks grow. where the surprisingly irresistible charm of howard, a chauffeur, drove one woman over the edge. >> i want to go piss on her grave. >> and as you're about to see, it could get another one killed. a 42-year-old suburban soccer mom is about to settle the score by hiring a hitman. it all starts right here. keep your eye on that white car pulling into a supermarket parking lot. and out comes our leading lady looking for trouble. >> how you doing? >> hi, how are you? >> have a seat. >> i'm here to go shopping, to go get flowers. i have this big event, you know. i'm so busy today. i have all of ten minutes. >> okay. >> she says she's there to buy flowers. roses, maybe, with some very sharp thorns. nicole, hoping her problem can vanish, like magic. >> so what can get done?

you can just make her disappear? you could -- what could get done? >> when you say disappear, like, you want her out of this [ bleep ] state, or -- >> nicole says she and howie had it all. fancy casinos, fine dining, first class vacations -- an easy life, she says, at her expense, until howie's secret words collided. the 54-year-old falling for a younger woman, jennifer, just 33. nicole and howie have a son but howie and jennifer would have two sons. >> she's just a [ bleep ] who's been involved. i think she's like 30 years old. she's got two kids. we have this hatred thing because we're both fighting over this complete loser. we both have kids with this loser. so he bounces back and forth. te [ bleep ]. >> you hear nicole say she wants howard to suffer, but it's jennifer she wants gone. >> i would do it myself, but i'm -- i don't want to be -- have my hands on anything. >> so here in the parking lot, in broad daylight, as shoppers push their carts right on by,

there is one shopper in the market for murder. >> i need somebody who can just get something done, then leave and disappear. they have a big fat envelope in their pocket and then my problem's done. >> when howie walks out on nicole, at first, she follows the time-honored tradition of jilted lovers the world over. she turns to facebook. posting family pictures and a furious rant about howie's secret life with two families. but among those who see the post, one of howie's relatives. a guy we'll call "sonny." they start chatting online and on the phone, chatting about murder. and then, in this new jersey parking lot, it gets real. nicole meeting sonny for the first time in person. >> 20 years, he does everything for me. >> sonny introducing his friend to her, the hitman. let's call him "jose." >> just tell him the >> so, you're saying you could go break her legs or -- >> exactly.

>> anything that i need done, you can do. >> exactly. from the littlest thing to the worst thing. >> to the worst thing. >> nicole and the hitman talking in a code so clever, they're fooling themselves. >> okay. scott said you had a problem with somebody and i'm here to take care of your problem, but what is it you want me to do with your problem? >> okay. i don't know. fix my problem, i guess. >> how do i fix your problem? you tell me what you want me to do and i can see to it that it gets taken care of, but -- >> how is it going to get taken care of? >> how do you want me to do it? that's why i'm here. >> so what can you do? >> and just look at this. incredible. that man hired as a hitman, who we're calling jose, allows us to get in a car with him, too. as long as we agree not to reveal his face or identity. we're interviewing the man she hired. so, as we drive this new jersey highway, do you think any of these other drivers on the highway have any idea you're a hitman? >> no, not at all. >> a lot of people are going to ask, why would she ask a relative of the ex-boyfriend to help her find a hitman? >> i don't know. maybe she was just desperate. i mean, she didn't know too

many, i guess, bad people in her life that are actually committing crimes. to hire someone for murder, it's a real serious thing. you don't -- you know, just based on looking at her, you didn't really think that she was capable of doing it. >> so what brings nicole to this moment? >> she was just frustrated. she was angered at the fact that he was leaving her. and she wanted to get even. >> she wanted to get even because this whole time he's had another girlfriend? not only another girlfriend -- another family. >> yes. >> and she wants to take that other woman out now? >> yes. >> but she wants the boyfriend to live. >> she wants him to live because she wants him to grieve. she wants to see him suffer. >> she wants to watch him suffer? >> yes. >> so you're sitting here in the a&p parking lot. >> yes. >> and she's told you she's going to do some shopping? >> i guess she wanted to make it seem like she was shopping, if anyone questioned her, what she was doing here at the time. >> so she's doing a little shopping and then she comes out to meet with the hitman? >> yes. >> because that's what most people have on their grocery list. >> she did. >> back in that porki inparking that prospective hitman, worried about the man of the house,

howie. >> howie's in the house. >> who? the dude she's with now? >> uh-huh. >> what's he about? >> nothing. >> but is he armed? does he have a gun or some [ bleep ]? >> no, nothing, nothing. he's got a big mouth. that's it. >> he's not the only one with a big mouth. listen here as nicole realizes she should worry about her own. >> i just want to make sure you're not like an undercover or a federal agent. >> okay. >> and like all of a sudden, cars are all over. if i get arrested, i'm -- i'll lose my job. >> and you're about to hear something else. nicole fearing she's a star in the making. >> and i know i've watched one too many lifetimes. i'm in a horrible, horrible -- >> lifetime? >> i've watched too many lifetime movies. >> this is about tv now? >> nicole's story eventually will attract plenty of agents, but not hollywood ones.emat alongi. >> there are a lot of times, you know, people will say that they wish somebody was dead. but actually going through with it and wanting them dead is -- a totally different animal. >> i'm totally, totally legit. i'm not [ bleep ] you at all. >> i believe you.

>> you didn't make a wasted trip, i promise you that. >> nicole presses ahead, sharing her own fantasies for jennifer. >> i've played every scenario through my head a million times. do i want the car to go off the highway? do i want someone to just come up and take her out? do i want me to go into the house with my silencer and take them all out? like, i go to sleep every night thinking -- >> the hitman is about to give the fine print on the murder contract. no refunds. no returns. >> you've got to be serious about this, you know what i mean? because once it's done, it's done. there's no turning back. you understand that. >> but nicole, in that shopping center, is about to ask for a price check. >> and what is pricing? hurt is what? >> it depends. what kind of hurt? do you want hospital hurt? do you want [ bleep ] coma hurt? you want me to beat this [ bleep ] -- i mean, really? >> okay, but what's pricing? >> if you want her dead, it's going to be five up front and five at the end once it's comple give me ten. >> federal agent angela mullins.

so, the whole time, there are shoppers in the parking lot and there's a murder being planned. >> she's plotting to kill someone. >> murder for hire in america. >> on your lunch break. >> but the deal is not done. because nicole wants to think it over. >> so what do you think? how long do you think you're going to need to think about it? tonight? tomorrow? >> i need a couple of days to think. >> all right. >> thank you very much. >> theingi ends with a handshake. as they drive off, jose and sonny celebrating with a fist bump. like it's money in the bank. but not so fast. because in this supermarket murder plot, nicole is not the only shopper with a secret. that parking lot is crawling with federal agents from the atf and they are hanging on every word. >> we had a good eyeball on her. we had multiple cameras pointing from outside the vehicle. and we also had some covert cameras placed within the vehicle, which provided both video and audio. >> so she has no idea that as she's talking to >> when we come back -- guess who's in the drivers seat now? nicole's close-up is coming

sooner than she imagines. so, she says to you, she feels like she's living a lifetime movie? >> yes. >> now she's living a "20/20." ♪ ♪ so polite, you're busy still saying please ♪ ♪ you feel your dreams are dying ♪ ♪ hold tight ♪ the world is gonna pull through ♪ ♪ don't give up ♪ ♪ you've got the music in y♪u sfx: [cell phone dialing] no. no, no, no, no, no. cancel. cancel. please. aaagh! being in the know is a good thing. that's why discover will alert you if your social security number is found on any one of thousands of risky sites. withwhat sore back?sk... what bum knee? advil is relief that's fast

strength that lasts you'll ask... what pain? with advil why lenscrafters? personalized service is why. clarifye, no other eye exam is more precise is why. and because style? your style is why. lenscrafters is why. book an eye exam today. ancestrydna can open you to a world of new cultures to explore. with two times more detail than any other dna test... you can connect more deeply to the places of your past. and be inspired to learn about the people and traditions that make you, you. sar your dna s our site's lowest price ever. hundred roads named "park" in the u.s. it's america's most popular street name. but allstate agents know that's where the similarity stops.

if you're on park street in reno, nevada, the high winds of the washoe zephyr could damage your siding. and that's very different than living on park ave in sheboygan, wisconsin, where ice dams could cause water damage. but no matter what park you live on, one of 10,000 local allstate agents knows yours. now that you know the truth, are you in good hands? we're in this together. the trials and the triumphs. it's a journey. and petsmart is with you every step of the way.

now, more of "20/20's" "caught in the act." >> a sunny afternoon, a new jersey supermarket, and at the top of one shopper's list, the murder of the other woman, jennifer, who she says stole the love of her life, howie. >> anything that i need done,

you can do? >> exactly, from the littlest thing -- to the worst thing. >> to the worst thing. >> so, which is it for you? >> nicole faccenda says she's shopping for flowers, but what does she really have in mind? a bouquet, or bullets for a romantic rival? so far, she is cautious and careful with her words. >> you know what i want. i'm not saying it. i'm not saying it. >> she doesn't want to say it, but she has the perfect outfit in mind. >> the day i'm dressed in black at the funeral, i'm handing you an envelope. >> nicole is clearly nervous. at first, suspecting her new partners will skip the dirty work and do a double cross. take the money and run. or worse, pull out a badge and slap on the cuffs, an undercover sting. just like she's seen before on tv.hing so many lifetime movies. >> that's all right. >> if only nicole had followed her own intuition, because that

hitman we're calling jose? he's got a gun all right, but he also has a badge. he's working undercover with the atf. he's not a stone cold killer, he's a cop. you're actually a good guy in all this? >> yes. >> and so is sonny. in fact, he's a long-time confidential informant for the feds. but nicole doesn't know that. all she knows is that he's supposedly the black sheep relative of her ex-boyfriend howie. so she's thinking of the darkest person in her life. the person who might know a hitman out there. >> yes. >> and it just so happens to be what, a distant relative of the ex-boyfriend? >> yes. >> and little does she know, he's an informant. >> correct, she did not know at all. >> as for jose, he's a seasoned officer, but as a hitman, he's is is his first case working undercover on a murder for hire. 18 years a top, is this your first time playing the role of a hitman? >> yes, it is. >> this is your rookie run as a killer. >> yes, it is my first time.

>> are you at all nervous? >> it wasn't nervous with her. i was just more concerned about saying the wrong thing to mess up the case. >> so what you're most nervous about is not being a hitman. you're nervous you might mess up the case. >> yeah. >> but even while he's in that car, jose gets some help. watch as he looks down at his phone. >> going to do something to you, so, you want to do something to her in return? >> he's reading a text message from the other agents in the parking lot. >> so, the undercover and i were communicating via text messaging. >> agent mike alongi listening from a nearby car now texting his tips. >> we're able to point out things to the undercover in live time. and we were able to go back and forth, say this or do this, just to kind of help him along. >> and listen to how jose explains those text messages to the suburban soccer mom sitting right beside him. he tells her it's just a friend texting about going out for a beer. >> asking to go out for beer. >> and then the moment in that surveillance video that struck us, when it seems nicole is onto the undercover hitman. >> and i know i've watched one too many lifetimes. i'm in a horrible, horrible --

>> lifetime? >> i've watched too many lifetime movies. >> this is about tv now? >> so, she says to you, she feels like she's living a lifetime movie. >> yes. >> now she's living a "20/20." jose is part of an elite squad of undercover hitmen working for the atf all across this country. you're armed with disguises today, but you're also armed, right? are you armed at all times? can you show me? previously, those undercover federal agents agreed to sit down with us as a group for the first time ever to prepare for the "20/20" exclusive. they spent hours getting not so much disguised as refitted with new faces. that's jose right there, covered in a sort of goo. before he gets a brand new appearance. the artists make a mold, and from there, they fill new feature s for his face. the same agent who would sit in that car with that scorned lover. >> the less you know about me, the better it is. >> how do you find a hitman? i mean, you're not in the yellow pages. you're not on craigslist. >> they'll actually try to reach

out to the person they feel knows somebody that has something to do with the criminal element. >> or it happens when you're doing other undercover cases. working a group, or a gang, and they reach out and say, hey, you know, i have this problem, do you know anybody who would kill this guy? so it's a great opportunity for us to step in and say, well, yes we do. >> what's the darkest thing someone has asked you to do? >> had a daughter that wanted to kill her dad. >> the guy wanted me to kill his wife. he said she might be with her mother. if she's there, just kill her, too. >> he was referring to the mother-in-law? >> he said, if that [ bleep ] is there, just kill her, too. >> two for the price of one? >> more or less. which i thought about raising the price, but -- >> she said, i could blow up the house, kill everybody, as long as she could get her dog out. >> so get the dog out. kill everybody else. >> kill everybody else. >> and what are people looking for, i mean, what do they want in a good hitman? >> just like you'd go to find a plumber to come to your house and fix a pipe, they're looking for an expert to take care of their problem. >> do you find them unpredictable, dangerous? >> i think they're the most violent people on the planet. >> you do?

>> absolutely. >> and in many cases, the clock is ticking. >> the clock is definitely ticking. the person that's hiring the hitman might change their mind and say, you know what, i'll just do it myself, and then they just go and kill somebody. >> does it make you think, what am i doing? >> you know, i didn't sign up for the boy scouts. i signed up to be an atf agent, to go after the most violent people out here. >> what's going through your mind when the person across from you wants someone killed? >> you just wanted to yell at her, what's wrong with you? what are you doing? >> when someone's being so evil next to you, it's like, how can you even conceive of something like this? you have to sit there with your poker face, okay, if this is what you want done, this is what i'm going to do. >> he would keep that poker face and so would his partner, because two nights later. another parking lot, another criminal conversation. this time nicole meeting with the hitman's sidekick, sonny. >> tell me what you want, though. >> i want this problem gone. you know what i want. >> we're right here in the parking lot also. >> those atf agents are listening again. you're out here listening in the car. >> yes. >> now we're actually sitting in pretty much the exact spot.

and we set up our surveillance vehicle just on the other side of this curb. so we were literally about ten feet away, in a blacked out vehicle that she was not able to see in. >> so this is where you're listening to her. >> yes. >> the informant's got a live wire? >> yeah. >> and for the first time, she's not holding back about what she wants done to this woman. >> not at all. >> no more talking in code. nicole lowers her guard and spells out exactly what she wants. >> see, i, like, would think that either she disappears and she's just never found, like these people are never found. >> okay. >> like, that would be one good thing. i wouldn't care if she was in a horrib horrible, horrible, horrible car accident. >> okay. >> and mangled up and -- >> okay. >> you know, i don't care. like, gone. i want to go piss on her grave. i want to go to her funeral and spit in the casket. >> so you want to see her dead, is that what you want? >> i will be happiest when this wod an aed what do nd, i tns p m. so, she says, get rid of the

woman, but keep the boyfriend alive? >> yeah, she said, just injure him, you know, shoot him in the foot or something. >> and what's the thought behind that? >> so that she could still potentially be with this man, after all this, she'll swoop in. you know, she'll get the satisfaction that he's hurt, and his despair. but then with the victim out of the picture, she can have him. >> and you're thinking the whole time -- >> she's crazy. she's maniacal. just cold. it's unreal. it's -- life is stranger than fiction, and this is why. and we were listening to it live. >> right out here in this parking lot. >> right here. >> one man, two women. it seems nicole figures it's just a subtraction problem. one murder to make the math work. but perhaps darkest of all, listen to nicole, a mother herself. when asked what to do if the other woman's children get in the way, two innocent young boys, the children of the man nicole says is the love of her life. >> okay, let me tell you. and don't think i'm a bad person -- >> okay. >> but if something happened and one of the kids got killed, oh

well, i'm sorry. when we come back -- >> listen to me, listen to me clearly. jennifer is dead. >> no way. >> jennifer is dead. >> the double cross. the details they share with her, that the other woman has been killed, are greatly exaggerated. in fact, you're about to meet the other woman who is very much alive. when we come back, the intended victim, stunned by news of the murder plot, but not who was behind it. >> i knew right away, if anything happens to me, it's nicole. >> and later, the hit is about to hit the fan. >> i can't believe you did this to me. don't show up here. that's not cool. >> when "caught in the act" continues.

and something amazing happens. that's our inspiration for fancy feast medleys. wild salmon primavera. tastes amazing. also in pate. fancy feast medleys. i'm and i'm an emt.erer when i get a migraine at work, it's debilitating. if i call out with a migraine, that's one less ambulance to serve a community. i just don't want to let these people down. excedrin migraine. relief that works as hard as you do. broke my personal record. aflac!? no-good break. gooood break. i'm so sorry we can't make your barbecue. i'm just sick about it. aflac!?

different kind of sick. if how am i gonna pay my rent? l these bills? oh, aflac! and they pay you cash in just one day. see how aflac helps cover everyday expenses at aflac.com.

designed to save you money. wireless network even when you've got serious binging to do. wherever your phone takes you, your wireless bill is about to cost a whole lot less. use less data with a network that has the most wifi hotspots where you need them and the best 4g lte everywhere else. saving you hundreds of dollars a year. and ask how you get xfinity mobile included with your internet. plus, get $300 back when you buy a new smartphone. xfinity mobile. it's simple. easy. awesome. click, call or visit a store today.

"caught in the act

continues." >> the morning she is scheduled to die, jennifer schwab is actually on her way to work. up before dawn, out on a dark and lonely road. something frightening coming from behind. a car, following her. and here for the first time, she's coming forward to tell her story. tell me about the morning you left. were you going to work? >> i was, yes. every time i left my house, i would check outside to see if there was any unfamiliar vehicles. now, one morning i looked across the street and there was a blac. they followed me. >> so you're wondering who it is behind you? >> yes. i was on the phone with my mother, and i said to her, "mom, let me call you back, i'm getting pulled over." i got pulled over. >> so, the lights go on. >> the lights go on. >> and you're thinking, "i ran a red light." >> i'm thinking i'm speeding, i'm being caught on the phone, i didn't know what. >> they're behind you. >> how do you tell someone that there's been a threat against

your life? we wanted to reassure her that we were there to protect her. >> the atf officer places his badge against my window and says to me, "are you jennifer?" and i said, "yes." and he says to me, "jennifer, there's been a hit for you life." >> i remember clearly saying it, flat-out told her there'd been a threat against your life and you know, we were there to protect you. >> and immediately i said to him, "nicole faccenda." >> and i think that stunned the two of us, because, you know, i didn't know that she knew of such a threat against her, but obviously it was something that diel to jennifer's mind that nicole was someone that was looking to harm her. >> so you knew right away. >> i knew right away. i even had said toy -- m pele i my family, if anything happens to me, it's nicole. so i knew. >> she says she had always been wary of nicole, and knew she could be trouble. but could you ever have imagined this?

>> ah, i thought maybe it would just be a flat tire or, you know, a broken window at the house. i never thought that she would go to the extent as she did, as to try to find somebody to murder me and my family. >> jennifer says nicole never really had a chance with the man in the middle, howie. howie's double life, the two-timing, the cheating, all in nicole's head, according to jennifer, who says howie was always hers. what drives someone to do that? >> jealousy and anger. >> she wanted him. >> she wanted him. she wanted him from the time that i met him. but dforget, howie and nicole have a child together, a son, 11 years old. and at one point, when howie and jennifer break up, howie moved back in with nicole. >> there was a lot of pressure in our relationship. and nicole made it easy for him, manipulated him by saying that she would help him financially

and, you know, that she could do things for him that i could not do. and that hurts. that hurts to know that because of money and greed, you know, he left and went to live downstairs in her basement. >> and for those of you who might be thinking howie is a two-timer, jennifer says he's not. >> the double life that people said he lived is not the double life he lived. >> but she wanted you wiped off the earth. >> yes. >> and when you hear it from her own mouth -- >> don't think i'm a bad person. >> okay. >> but if something happened, one of the kids get killed, oh well. i'm sorry. >> how did you react? >> hurt. anger. i can't fathom how somebody, a mother, nicole being a mother herself, would want to do to myself, my family and my children. >> jennifer never saw the surveillance tape of that murder plot unfolding in that supermarket parking lot until she saw those tapes played right here on "20/20."

>> i will be happiest when this woman is dead and buried and six feet under. >> she said she'll be happiest when this woman is buried and six feet under. >> it makes you so angry to hear those words. i led my life, i raised my kids. i didn't do anything to deserve this at all. >> does it sound like something out of a -- >> a, quote, "lifetime movie?" absolutely. it does. nicole never got the best of me. i'm too strong for that. and that's what i really think made her go to this extent of trying to murder me. >> the agents take jennifer into protective custody. her first instinct, to check on her two young sons. >> i want to make sure that my family was safe. >> but she's not allowed, because now, it is the agents who want jennifer to disappear. part of their own plan. taking her phone, cutting her off from the rest of the world. >> y you couldn't make any phone calls? >> i could not make any phone

calls, no. >> because they told you this plot is unraveling right now. >> correct. yes. >> and we need you. >> yes. >> because what those agents are going to need is for jennifer to play dead. >> we needed to kind of close her off and really simulate what it was that we were trying to effect. >> there's always a threat, which is why we still had to bring her into our protective custody and keep her pretty much dark from her family and her friends that day, so that we can go ahead with the rest of the story, that the murder had been committed. when we come back, you'll see the moment nicole's murder plot backfires. wait until you see the look on her face when the hitman comes her face when the hitman comes calling. when your blanket's freshness fades before the binge-watching begins... that's when you know, it's half-washed. next time, add downy fabric conditioner. downy conditions fibers with a long-lasting fresh scent. so your blanket will stay fresh through next week's finale.

downy and it's done. ♪ introducing the two for $5 mix and match deal from mcdonald's. mix your choice of two favorites with the new two for $5 mix and match deal. ♪ named 'park' in the u.s. ninety-six hundred roads it's america's most popular street name. but no matter what park you live on, one of 10,000 local allstate agents knows yours. now that you know the truth, are you in good hands? with target school blist assist.l ♪ come on! just find your school, find your grade, order your list, and pick it up at target the same day. back to school, won and done. ♪ ♪ it's time to unswaddle and set your baby free. with our moving baby system. huggies little movers are made to move. and they're our #1 trusted diaper.

if you have moderate to thsevere rheumatoid arthritis, month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. humira can help stop the clock. prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. help stop the clock on further irreversible joint damage. talk to your rheumatologist. right here.

right now. humira.

we continue with more of "20/20." >> it's almost curtains for nicole faccenda's murder for hire drama. her plot to kill her ex-boyfriend's new lover fatally flawed, and about to

flop. >> how you doing? >> hi, how are you in. >> have a seat. >> the hitman hired by the new jersey soccer mom is a cop. his sidekick is a snitch. the atf is watching every move, building their murder for hire case. the would-be victim, jennifer, now part of the case, getting ready to play dead. but nicole knows none of this. she thinks everything is running according to plan. nicole, so eager now. she doubles the fee -- putting a $20,000 price on jennifer's head. and look at this. the photo she texted to sonny and jose, making sure they kill the right woman. and then she texts the picture of the girlfriend. >> yeah, it doesn't get any more serious than that. >> right here, for the first time, we hear phone calls that follow those parking lot meetings. sometimes nicole, the soccer mom, calling from the sidelines, a few feet away from where her child is playing. >> i'm at a soccer game, and my sister is here, too, with her kids, so, whn she walks over, i supposedly dead, how will they

prove it to nicole? >> when she's finished and gone, how are you -- how can i show you that she's gone? >> i don't know. you got to figure that out. i have no idea. >> picture? >> no idea. >> picture. that's the only way. i can get him to give you a picture of her [ bleep ] dead, finished. >> you figure out how to give me proof. you know, the only thing is, the only proof i have is, when i go to the funeral, i'm going to be happy as [ bleep ]. >> their solution, a gruesome souvenir. a photo of her dead. but nicole has a better idea. >> i don't want a picture. we're going to get busted with a picture. i don't want any pictures. >> i'm going to go to the funeral. >> she doesn't want a picture? >> she wants to go to the funeral. >> she wants to go to the funeral. >> she wtiowinwhat she de d kii sick. >> so, seeing the casket, she thinks, is better proof than any picture? >> absolutely. >> at the end of the rainbow, when it's all done and finished, you'll pay him the rest, correct? >> at the end of the rainbow, you know, we'll figure it out. absolutely.

>> when you see a bullet in her head, from a picture, finished, will you have the money ready for him? bottom line. >> um -- yeah, i will. when it's done. >> nicole is now one step away from closing the deal. she'll make a down payment, the balance due after jennifer is dead. murder on layaway. they set up another meet at a local restaurant. but she has no idea those atf agents will be there, too. you're right here at the olive garden. people are having dinner, and you're waiting for her to show up with the cash. >> right. >> and you're waiting and you're waiting and she's not here. >> exactly. >> and no sign of her. >> no sign of her. >> concerns racing through their heads. has she changed her mind? does she now want out of that lifetime movie? or worse -- has she taken o suddenly, she's calling sonny. >> hey, where are you? >> and where has she been all this time? at her son's soccer game. and she's now pulling up right next door. and where is she?

>> she's over at the exxon. >> over here. she's now just a few hundred feet away. >> okay, he's moving. he's going to go now. >> the agents scramble, their wires, their cameras out of position. >> listen, he's going to have to walk over to the exxon station. >> they see nicole hand sonny a thick envelope. and what's inside? >> her down payment. cash. >> how much cash? >> she did $2,000. >> so, basically, it's a down payment on murder. >> it's a down payment on murder. >> once this money was received, we knew at any point that we could, in fact, arrest her. >> the agents have heard enough, but still no arrest. nicole allowed to drive off. they want more evidence for an airtight case as the murder for hire plot now enters its final hours. >> the next call i'm going to do to you is when she's gone. she's 86. dead. finito. that's it. once you're dead, you're dead. you follow where i'm going with this? >> yeah. >> nicole at work at that new jersey hotel, getting the phone

call she says she'd been waiting for. the hit on the other woman. sonny, the hitman's helper, is on the line, calling to say the job is done. >> listen to me, listen to me clearly. [ bleep ] just called me. he did what you said to do. jennifer is dead. >> no way. >> jennifer is dead. he shot her. he said he shot her in the head. he has proof to bring you, whatever. he's done. she's dead. >> sonny tells nicole the hitman made the murder look like a botched robbery. >> you said to get rid of somebody. he shot her. made it look like a robbery. he wants his [ bleep ] money. he's going to go to your hotel and get it from you. >> i don't care, he can come here. it's not here, and i don't have anything here. >> nicole doesn't seem to believe it. >> he did what you said to do. he killed her. he wants the [ bleep ] money. >> okay, you got to calm down. you have to calm the hell down first of all. >> atf agent mike alongi and his team still tracking the case, watching and listening to it all. >> she didn't believe the murder hadn't been completed.

because she was making phone calls and actually watching on television to see if a murder had been committed. >> nicole will see if she can fit paying off the hitman into her busy schedule. >> i'm at work since before 10:00. i have to go to two more appointments. i can't even be bothered in these two appointments. i will call you when i'm done with these two appointments. i got a 12:00 and a 1:00, and then i will call you after that. >> nicole, at work, not knowing she's enjoying her final moments of freedom. the atf agents send in sonny, the informant, still playing the part of the killer's helper to see what nicole will do, what she'll say. >> i can't believe you did this to me. don't show up here. that's not cool. i don't believe either one of you at this point. i don't believe either one of you. >> but nicole's day is about to get much worse. >> yes. she's a catering manager. >> and she has no idea that you're about to move in. >> no, no clue. >> so you come around the front here and you walk right into the restaurant? >> yeah, we walked right into

the doubletree. >> and you ask for her? >> we asked for her at the front reception desk. >> and she comes out? >> and she comes out and she was just questioning and looked surprised and startled. >> and what do you tell her? >> we tell her that she's being placed under arrest. >> so, you cuff her, you haul her out of these doors here? >> yes. >> and what was she saying in the car? >> she was like, "i can't believe this is happening." and she was starting to get teary. and she was like, "why, why, why?" >> she actually had some tears in the car? >> oh yeah. >> in the back seat? >> yes. >> nicole, not a killer after all. just a grim weeper. were those tears for the girlfriend she tried to have killed? >> no, they were for herself. >> you'll remember our hitmen who are, in fact, undercover federal agents. when you're in that courtroom, and you see the person that you caught, and they look at you, what do you read in their eyes? >> they hate you. >> hatred. >> that person trusted you with everything and suddenly, they find out that you have betrayed them. >> i enjoy that part. that's the part where they know they've been had.

you did your job. it's the only time you can come out and just be like, yeah, i got you. >> nicole eventually pleading guilty and getting ten years in federal prison. and from that prison in west virginia, she is reaching out to "20/20," sending an e-mail saying, "i thank god every day that no one got hurt from my careless actions. i would like to apologize to the victim and her family. i am not, and have never been, a violent person. i was a woman destroyed by emotions and i am paying for it dearly." and nicole also accuses the feds of baiting her. "i was at an emotional low point in my life and they took advantage of that," she says. but that hitman, reminding us in that supermarket parking lot, he gave her several outs. you. >> you got to be serious about this. once you're done, the back. when we come back, the reason jennifer is afraid it will never be done. why she fears nicole, even from behind bars, is still a threat. because you think she's still determined. >> yes.

absolutely. >> and an emotional moment in that supermarket parking lot where the plot began. you'll see who jennifer is about to meet. i just switched to geico and got more. more? got a company i can trust. that's a heck of a lot more. over 75 years of great savings and service. you can't argue with more. why would ya? geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. t mmeat er semble a fivpl getheabefore it flies the coop. kfc, it's finger lickin' good. you wouldn't accept an incomplete job from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase sensimist relieves all your worst symptoms,

including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. and all from a gentle mist you can barely feel. flonase sensimist. but one blows them all out of the water. hydro boost from neutrogena®. with hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells so it bounces back. neutrogena® i'm missing out on our family outings because i can't find a bladder leakage product that fits. everything was too loose. but depend® fit-flex feels tailored to me. introducing more sizes for better comfort. new depend® fit-flex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit. new depend® fit-flex underwear isee that right there? boyou can't say that.ki. i can't tell people to try my bowls? no. check out my bowls? nope.

what about my billboard? (sighs) what? try my teriyaki bowls.

now available comwith steak or chicken,s. covered in our teriyaki sauce, plus steamed veggies and your choice of white or brown rice. i've got the bowls to serve something different! (sighs) what? try my teriyaki bowls.

we continue with more of "20/20." >> murder d relationship. the plot to kill jennifer, when learns it's her boyfriend'sfacc who wants her dead, that's a little hard to get past. you almost paid for this with your life, this guy's got to be some incredible guy. is howie like the best thing going? >> howie's a good guy. he's a good father.

he's very caring. you know, unfortunately, he got involved with nicole and it all came down to this. >> as it turns out, even from behind bars, nicole may have gotten some of what she wanted. howie and jennifer? they're on the rocks. so, you and howie are still together? >> we are working through things for our children, for us, for our families. >> so you can't say for sure whether there's a future or not? >> i'm not sure. when you finally said, you know, i'm not sure this is going to work? >> it was a lot of things. >> too many things have happened. >> yes. >> and now you feel like you can't erase it? >> i don't know. >> but one thing jennifer does not blame on howie is the murder plot. >> howie didn't do this. howie didn't tell nicole to hire somebody to kill his family. it was all her. and i can't hold howie accountable for that.

>> when our story originally ha aired, howie turned down our invitation for an interview, but he did tell us in a phone call at the time that he still loved jennifer immensely and wanted to stay with her forever, 100%, he told us. jennifer, meanwhile, was still looking over her shoulder. there's a moment when they're in the car and they're talking about the ways they can kill you. >> yes. >> and she says, "i don't care if she's in a horrible, horrible car accident." >> and mangled up and, i don't care, like, gone. >> do those words still play out in your mind? f throad, or somebody is going to come to my door with a silencer, as she said she wanted to. i'm scared every day. >> because you think she's still determined. >> yes. i do. >> and jennifer says she has cause for concern. nicole denies it, but agents say

even after she was arrested and in jail waiting for her trial, a cellmate informed them nicole was plotting another hit on jennifer. >> she even said at one point that she knew her life was over, and that now she was really determined to make sure that the victim didn't get to live. and she went as far as to make arrangements with her so the cellmate's husband himself could, in fact, commit the murder. >> and then our drive with the woman who was supposed to be killed. we reach the spot where that plot was hatched. the suburban new jersey supermarket. it was a day like this, and she's sitting here in the parking lot plotting your murder. >> coming here just makes me very emotional, upset. that this is where it all started, that my life was going to end. >> and you've driven past this stor imagination thinking there'd be a plot for your life here. >> no. >> and when you pulled in the parking lot?

>> just a lot of emotions. just the thought that two and half years ago, almost, that i could not be here, that my children would be motherless. and this is where it all started. >> and for that undercover killer, the hitman we call jose, the hits keep coming. you could be on a new case tomorrow. >> yes, i can. >> or today. >> or today. or after this. who knows? yeah, wherever the job takes me. >> and when you look back on that, that rookie case, are you relieved it's over? >> yeah, i'm glad it's over. i mean, she -- she got, honestly, what she deserved. >> ten years. >> ten years is a long time. but if she actually went through with the crime, you know, she could have gotten more. go toer >> do you think what could have happened if those two atf agents didn't pull you over that day? >> i owe them. i owe them my life.

>> so what would you say to them? they're standing right here. >> oh, my god. hi. >> what's going on? >> hi. thank you so much. i'm shaking right now. >> you doing okay? >> jennifer has had a lot of sr. prizes through this ordeal, but we had arranged one last one. a much happier surprise. atf agents mike alongi and angela mull lunns, right there in that parking lot. they're the ones who pulled her over that day and saved her. >> thank you so much, guys. oh, my god. i just -- i wouldn't be here without the two of you. and i remember that day like it was yesterday. oh, my god. >> well, we're just happy that we could help out. >> thank you. >> you're here. >> i am. >> so, as we stand here today, back in the supermarket porkipa lot, you're convinced these two saved your life? >> yes, definitely. definitely. >> we're so happy to hear that,

because, you know, most of the time, you -- you know, we take guns off the street and we go after criminals, but you know, to have someone standing right before you that, you know, lets you really feel like you did make a difference. >> the murder for hire plot with an unexpected ending. a world of hurt ending with a hug. >> we're just glad that we were there to -- to help you. >> thank you. thank you. i can't thank you guys enough, really. >> you being here is the best thing. the best thing for us. >> nicole remains in prison until july 2020, but since our first report here, howie and jennifer are no longer together. but don't go away, because we have another murder for hire for you. >> t a woman who seems to hire a hitman, or is she really just trying to get on a reality tv show? you be the judge. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm david muir. stay tuned. that story is coming up right after the break. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ metastatic breast cancer is relentless, but i'm relentless too. mbc doesn't take a day off, and neither will i. and i treat my mbc with new everyday verzenio- the only one of its kind that can be taken every day. in fact, verzenio is a cdk4 & 6 inhibitor for postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- mbc, approved, with hormonal therapy, as an everyday treatment for a relentless disease. verzenio + an ai is proven to help women have significantly more time without disease progression, and more than half of women saw their tumors shrink vs an ai.

diarrhea is common, may be severe, and may cause dehydration or infection. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. serious liver problems can occur. symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal. blood clots that can lead to death have also occurred. talk to your doctor right away if you notice pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain or rapid breathing or heart rate. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include nausea, infections, low red and white blood cells and platelets, decreased appetite, headache, abdominal pain, tiredness, vomiting, and hair thinning or loss. i'm relentless. and my doctor and i choose to treat my mbc with verzenio. be relentless. ask your doctor about everyday verzenio. dinner date...meeting his parents dinner date. why did i want a crest 3d bwhite smile?.

so i used crest. crest 3d white removes... ...95% of surface stains in just 3 days... ...for a whiter smile... that will win them over. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. with our largest variety of crab all year! like new crabfest combo. your one chance to have new jumbo snow crab with tender dungeness crab. or try crab lover's dream. but hurry in. 'cause crabfest will be gone in a snap.

is your husband michael? >> newly wed dal ya dippolito getting the worst news ever. >> i'm sorry to tell you, ma'am, he's been killed. >> no. >> there's wailing. hysteria. but are those tears as fake as the crime scene? staged by police, but filmed by cops literally, the tv show. >> the police say she wanted him dead. >> i didn't plot anything. >> that they have the proof, caught on hidden camera hiring a hitman. >> nobody's going to be able to point a finger at me. like 5,000% sure. >> she wasn't just 100% sure, she was 5,000% sure she wanted realitwas getng a r hulity tv. no reason that we can't do it. >> they wanted to submit that, post it on youtube to try to get

acting parts. >> so, the goal here was to be famous? >> she got what she wanted. >> work it, work it. >> the outrageous story made national headlines. >> one of the craziest. >> this story just got huger and huger. >> and tonight, she's telling her version to "20/20." >> how do you explain, we have all seen and heard on those video tapes? >> with three trials behind her -- >> trying to cope with everything -- >> get ready for a he said/she said scandal of sex, lies and videotape. >> three words to describe dalia? liar, liar, liar. >> is the real you the person in the tapes or the person sitting here today? >> who is the woman in the video? good evening, i'm david muir. >> i'm amy robach. and this is "20/20." palm beach, florida. mansions face the shoreline. pricey jewels fill the store windows. bentleys dot the boulevards.

but just down the road, the bling disappears as if a wave swept it away. >> if palm beach is high end, top chef, boynton beach is meat loaf. >> a tropical blend of strip malls side by side with palm trees, retirees and young folks just starting out. it's home to petite, soft spoken dalia dippolito. she is boynton beach's most unlikely and notorious celebrity. >> i didn't do anything. >> the wrong kind. >> mrs. dippolito? is your husband michael? >> her road to infamy began with this video. it looks like police telling dalia her husband of just six months was murdered. >> i'm sorry to tell you, ma'am, he's been killed. >> but watch closely, because nothing in this case is what it seems. >> try to calm down. >> turns out, police are duping dalia. that whole crime scene, it's fake. police claim dalia ordered a hit

on her husband and that they have hidden camera video to prove it. >> nobody's going to be able to point a finger at me. >> first comes love, then comes marriage, then murder? this story was on newscasts everywhere. >> dalia dippolito. >> caught on tape taking a contract out on her husband. >> the hitman turned out to be an undercover cop. >> police staged a fake murder scene. >> for six years, hounded by the press, but never saying a word. until now. walking on the sidewalk right now, this doesn't happen very often. >> no, this didn't happen at all this is the first time i've had a walk in a long time. >> your every move is monitored. >> she's under house arrest, accused of solicitation to commit murder, tethered to an ankle bracelet. >> this is what it looks like. >> she says she's on medication for what is unsurprising, depression and anxiety, and that faith gets her through each day. her favorite escape? listening to worship music.

her favorite band, hillsong. ♪ i touch the sky >> all the songs are just about people going through struggles. i feel like, you know, i'm casting away the negativity and just really bringing in light. >> what's been the hardest part? >> not knowing when it's over. not being able to leave. watching everybody around me being able to come and go as they want and i can't. i can't do that, and just try to be happy for them, as they're coming back and forth and stuff. >> her downfall began, she says, the day she met what she thought was her dream man. what was your initial >> charming. >> he was a workout fanatic and a self-employed marketer. and more than a decade older. but no matter, they had instant chemistry. what drew you to him? >> he was really engaging. i felt a really strong connection. >> we seemed to hit it off real

quick. >> what do you think michael saw in you? >> my personality. >> i guess we were active sexually, you know. that seemed to be on point. >> well, there was that and, of course, mike had a porschporsch. seemed to have plenty of money. and a nice new condo in this complex, renaissance commons. what better set up to start a new life? >> i would say that i was naive in that i just never would have imagined something as crazy as what happened would happen. you know, you never see that coming. >> indeed. who would've imagined that the dippolitos would be a duo on the tip of so many tongues? >> dalia dippolito. >> when people hear the name dalia dippolito, what do you think comes to mind? >> everything negative. all the headlines. the person they're describing -- it's definitely not me. >> when dalia sat down with us for her first television interview, she wanted to talk about a very different dalia. a girl with a normal upbringing who danced, played sorts. >> i had a really great

childhood. happ had a lot of friends. >> she went to catholic high school. then onto college. and soon after, got a real estate license. a career choice as natural in south florida as sunscreen at the beach, for someone with a personality like she describes. >> i didn't have a hard time getting along with people. >> surely didn't have trouble getting along with mike. the two lovebirds were so happy dating, it was only a small issue that he was, well, married to someone else. >> i was told that he was going through the divorce proceedings. >> would you have had a problem had that not been then case? if he just was a married guy who was looking for some fun on the side? >> absolutely. yes. >> mike had a past, but he says, so did dalia. mike says dalia wasn't just selling real estate, she was selling herself -- as an escort. >> well, i didn't meet her in church, that's obvious. needless to say, you know, i was married. i made a bad decision. i called an escort and she came.

>> okay, so, it may not have been exactly a fairy tale romance, but mike says he fell for her regardless. and just a few months later, he got divorced, and they wasted no time. five days later, they were married. why rush into the marriage? why say, okay, your divorce is final, let's run to the courthouse and get married? >> it clearly wasn't well thought out. >> but from all appearances, it was working out. by day, the newlyweds were exchanging love notes. >> we weren't, like, the party type or anything like that, so, i liked the homey type of environment. >> their nights, dalia says, often spent snuggling at home watching reality tv. shows like "cheaters" and "real housewives of new york." >> calm down. >> no, no, it's not right. >> you going to fight with me right now? >> did mike love it? did you love it? did you love it together? >> he liked the fact that people would be on these shows and essentially get paid to do nothing. it's just watching them at home or on their couch. >> back then, it was all innocent fun, she says, two people just dreaming together of being on tv.

>> he said, you know, if they could do it, if you're watching these people do it, there's no reason why, you know, we can't do it, we look better than those people and why not? >> but dalia says there was a dark eer side to mike. something he was hiding. something big. >> after months of being together, his probation officer showed up at our home. and i had no idea who it was. when he told me, he just completely downplayed everything. >> she says mike failed to mention he was a convicted felon. years ago, he'd been to prison for fraud, after scamming investors out of tens of thousands of dollars. probation until 2032. >> right. and that was something else i didn't know, either. i wouldn't have dated him if i would have known. >> that's just silly. that's lie. she's lying. >> mike says he was trying to live a very clean life to be sure he didn't violate his parole, which is why he got worried a couple of months into the marriage when strange things start happening. >> seven years, i guess, prior, i had no run-ins with the police.

i meet dalia, and then within six months, i'm probably pulled over, had my house searched and grabbed at every other area in palm beach probably eight times. >> the cops say there's a reason they keep pulling him over. they are getting anonymous tips that he's dealing drugs. >> and i'm like, well, how's this happening? >> strange things going on in his life and in dalia's, too. police say after just six months of marriage, she has other men in her life. men who are helping her with a secret plan -- to get mike's money, his condo and get him out of the way. >> hey, what's up? >> one of those men is in the front seat of this car. >> try getting your life straight after this. seriously. don't ever do this [ bleep ] again. you know? >> and they're not talking about the weather. >> killing somebody? come on. i mean, that's -- you now, no one is going to be able to point a finger at me. next, the honeymoon is over. >> i was a little surprised. it wasn't, like, you know, kill him nicely. it wasn't even, like, do it

nice, don't hurt him. >> dalia's alleged scheming is about to become a video sensation. >> i'm a lot tougher than what i look. i know you came here, and you're like, oh, what a cute little girl, whatever. but you know, i'm not -- >> i could just watch the video over and over. it just is one of those clips that never gets old. >> stay with us. why lenscrafters? personalized service is why. clarifye, no other eye exam is more precise is why. and because style?

your style is why. lenscrafters is why. book an eye exam today. tand, our adulte children are here. so, we save by using tide. which means we use less. three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. those are moms. anybody seen my pants? nothing cleans better. put those on dad! it's got to be tide. so what do you guys want? pistachio. chocolate chip. rocky road. i see what's going on here. everybody's got different taste. well, now verizon lets you mix and match your family unlimited plans so everybody gets the plan they want, without paying for things they don't. jet-setting moms can video-chat from europe. movie-obsessed teens can stream obscure cinema. it's like everyone gets their own flavor of unlimited. (chuckles) it's a metaphor. simile, not a metaphor. hm. well played. (vo) one family. different unlimited plans.

starting at $40 per line. switch now and get $300 off our best phones all on the network you deserve. falsethe falsies mascara real. from maybelline new york. corner-to-corner volume. no gaps. for false lash glam that challenges fake. never fake, always falsies. the falsies mascara. only from maybelline new york. but allstate actually helps you drive safely... with drivewise. it lets you know when you go too fast... ...and brake too hard. with feedback to help you drive safer. giving you the power to actually lower your cost. unfortunately, it can't do anything about that. now that you know the truth... are you in good hands?

now, more of "20/20's" "caught in the act." >> the boynton beach police department, a small building in a quiet south florida town. but what came out of here could hardly have been any bigger or louder. terri parker, investigative reporter for wpbf 25 news,

covered the story. >> so this guy mohammed walks into the boynton beach police station, and he says, i know a woman who is trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband. >> she asked if i knew someone who could kill her husband for her. >> the man, mohammed shehadi, was recorded as he talked to detectives about his one time lover, dalia dippolito. he tells police he's speaking out to save the man's life. >> are you scared for the guy? >> yes, because, she's really -- i mean, dead serious on getting this done. >> it's quite a story, if true, because while he can describe dalia -- >> she's maybe 5'6", 5'7", dark black hair. she's a good-looking girl. really good-looking girl, actually. >> he can't even tell cops her last name or her address. >> well, at the time, we didn't know what to believe. we weren't sure what we had. >> they had their reservations. they had to say, let's get some proof. >> to get proof, the cops make mohammed a confidential informant. he arranges to meet dalia at this gas station. cops are staked out as their mystery woman arrives.

>> and she actually stepped out of the car. we were surprised, because she didn't look like the type. >> she didn't look like a killer, but detective alex moreno says she's about to show her true colors. >> hey, what's up? >> she gets into mohammed's silver lexus. while you can't quite see them on the hidden camera cops had installed, you can sure hear them talking about a hitman. >> this guy is a professional. >> it's not [ bleep ]. >> one she gets in the car, she meets one the informant. we realized that this guy was credible. >> his mom is not going to get suspicious of you? or anything like that? >> why me? like do i know what [ bleep ] killing somebody is? nobody's going to be able to point a finger at me. >> she's just talking about it like she's ordering lunch. >> randy schultz is a columnist for the "sun sentina"" newspaper. >> you think, this is just so cold. not really acting like the typical newlywed, shall we say. >> mohammed tells dalia the hitman wants $1,200 to buy a

gun. she comes prepared. she has a wad of cash in her bag and counts it out. hands it over, and shortly afterward, gives him a photo of mike. >> wipe my [ bleep ] prints off those [ bleep ] pictures. really? you're going to give him something with my [ bleep ] fingerprints all over? >> at that moment, the detectives realized, ah, we've got her. this is real. she just handed him $1,200 and a picture of the husband she wants murdered. >> two days later, the talk turns to action in this cvs parking lot. she's not there to pick up a prescription. >> so, i came here. i pretty much park in this exact spot right here. >> this is widy jean, an undercover police officer. >> she parked one, two, the third space from here. >> police say dalia thinks she is meeting an actual hitman in his cherry red convertible. >> we're staying in here, right? >> all right, yeah, yeah. >> he makes his plan crystal clear. >> i'm going to tell you how i'm going to do it and xa exactly is going to be done. >> a burglary gone wrong that leaves mike dead. >> everybody wants in the

daytime, they're going to think he's at work, when he's not at work, he gets two in the head. >> the undercover detective, he really wants to nail dalia and make sure he's got it on tape and on camera that she is really going to pay him to kill her husband. and he says, "are you sure, dalia?" >> between now and when it's done, you know, you're not going to have an opportunity to change your mind, even if you change your mind. >> no, there's no -- it's determined already. i'm positive, like, 5,000% sure. >> there it is. the press would have a field day with this line. listen again. she's 5,000% sure. >> i'm positive, like, 5,000% sure, like, no, when i say i'm going to do something, i'm going to do it. >> she wasn't just 100% sure. she was 5,000% sure that she wanted her husband killed. >> i was a little shocked, because i didn't think she was going to be that hope. >> dalia never backs off. >> no, i'm not going to y, you know, i'm a lot tougher than what i look.

i know you came here, and you're like, "oh, what a cute little girl" or whatever, but you know what, i'm not. >> well, you are. you are absolutely beautiful. >> thank you. but i just need to make sure everything is going to get taken care of. >> the not so cute little girl agrees to a plan. she will leave the house early wednesday morning. >> i'll be at the house 6:30 wednesday morning. 6:00, you hit the gym. >> sure enough, she's at this gym around 6:00 a.m. wednesday, leaving mike dippolito home alone. in bed, still recovering from liposuction from two weeks before. >> at this point, the police have all the evidence they need. these are experienced officers. you know you have enough. you have a case. done. end of story. but not end of television show. >> television show? ♪ bad boys ♪ bad boys ♪ whatcha gonna do when they come for you ♪ >> that's right. turns out a reality show has come to boynton beach. >> got the video? >> yep. >> and the timing couldn't be better. they'll be able to film the last part of the police investigation. >> detectives are going to stage this fake crime scene. >> i hear a banging on the door.

>> the tv show cameras are rolling when police wake up mike. that's officer moreno at the door. >> your wife has hired a person to kill you. >> just -- >> take it easy, take a deep breath. >> sit down. >> i was totally in shock that this was going on. >> i was very surprised. i was like -- because then it hit me, like, this is -- this is a mess. >> they drive him away and transform the street to make it appear they're really investigating mike's murder. the tv show "cops" along with boynton beach police have cameras rolling when a detective calls dalia at the gym. >> we're at your residence, ma'am. >> is everything okay? >> can you come right back to your rez deposition, please? >> she's back in a flash. and now, watch carefully. you be the judge of what happens next. >> is your husband michael? i'm sorry to inform you your husband is dead. i'm sorry, she's been killed. >> no, no. >> try to calm down. >> we know the cops are acting -- >> i can't let you see him, ma'am. >> what abidal ya?

>> i need you to take her to the station. >> no -- >> in the midst of all those tremors and shaking of her body, there wasn't any real tears coming out of her eyes. >> the crying. the screaming. the bending over. meryl streep, wherever you are tonight, don't worry, you're safe. >> they hustle dalia off to this interrogation room for questioning. another recorded moment. >> are you sure you don't know anybody that would want to kill your husband? you wouldn't want to kill him, i hope? not at all. >> no. >> it's almost like something out of "law and order." >> there's no more games with you and i. now we're going to get down to serious business. >> i want to know if you know this guy. come here. >> they bring in officer widy jean, the supposed hitman from the car. >> get over here. you know who this guy is? >> no. >> you never seen him before? >> i've never seen him before. >> she just stared at him. she said she didn't know him.

>> and then, call it a resurrection. >> oh, my god. >> he's alive. >> police have another surprise for dalia dippolito. >> come here, please. come here. mike, come here! >> she sees her husband and he's alive. >> the show "cops" captures this moment, as well. >> come here, please. come here. >> i can't. >> why not? i didn't do anything. >> i heard you. >> mike, come here, please. >> what, you're alive? i love that moment. and i'm sure a jury will, too. >> you're going to jail today, for solicitation of murder. you're under arrest. >> i didn't do anything. >> did you hear what i just told you? >> you kept saying, "i didn't do anything." >> please, i didn't do anything. >> was that all you could think of to say? >> they were accusing me of trying to have my husband killed, and i didn't. >> didn't do anything? what about the hitman? what about all those tapes? dalia never answered questions about her version. how do you explain what we have all seen and heard on those

videotapes? for the first time, she will. stay with us. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

with féria extreme platinum haircolor by l'oréal. lighten up! lightens hair up to seven levels. féria is ammonia free with conditioning oil. never dull, never flat. live in color. live in féria extreme platinum by l'oréal paris. real cheese people are they're hot and cold. big and bold. but they would never make a sandwich with pasteurized process cheese food. sargento slices are 100% real, natural cheese. sargento, we're real cheese people. broke my personal record. aflac!? no-good break. gooood break. i'm so sorry we can't make your barbecue. i'm just sick about it.

aflac!? different kind of sick. if i can't work after surgery, how am i gonna pay my rent? all these bills? aflac! oh, aflac! and they pay you cash in just one day. see how aflac helps cover everyday expenses at aflac.com. ♪ let me give ♪yuh-huh. whoo! ♪ ♪ tell myself get up and dance! ♪ ♪ so i move my fee♪. ♪ i love all of me. ♪ 50 cent school supplies, all season long. ♪ whoo! ♪

we continue with more of "20/20." >> i didn't do anything. and i didn't plot anything. >> police say she thought she'd gotten away with it. >> not even a few hours after dalia dippolito was caught on camera, the story went viral. it's an unbelievable case.

>> raugt caught on camera tryin hire a hitman to kill her husband. >> bomb shell tonight. work it, work it, cry. problem. the hitman is a cop. >> i'll never forget it, because we just stood around the newsroom, what is this? >> i could just watch the video over and over. it just is one of those clips that never gets old. >> in an unusual move, the boynton beach police release the video of the fake crime scene on youtube the same day, and the public couldn't get enough. >> so, the story just got huger and huger, and it was like a reporter's dream come true. they got played and replayed over and over. >> fast forward two years, and cameras are all over dalia once again, this time, out in the open, as she final ly gets her day in court. charged with solicitation to commit murder, facing up to 30 years in prison. your trial. can you describe what that

experience was like for you? >> confusing. really difficult. >> you will see how determined she was to have mike dippolito, her husband, killed. >> prosecutor elizabeth parker tells the jury, don't be fooled by the petite, now demure looking defendant. dalia is a scheming, plotting would be murderer. >> she has no guilty, no remorse, no concern for the safety of others. really, really strong evidence. it's -- it's not often that you get the crime actually caught on tape. >> every morning, he's walking the dog at a certain time. >> but what was her motive? >> you know, here's a new bride, they've just been married. why? >> they say love is blind. >> the motive, according to parker, is simple. she wanted his money. she even convinced him to transfer the title to his quarter million dollar condo and into her name, and she wanted another man. a former boyfriend named mike stanley. he's in construction.

dalia's been texting with him, parker says, and the texts seem damning. boynton beach detective alex moreno reads their x-rated conversation on the stand. >> do you want my hot, tight body all over you? >> his monotone hardly matching the steamy words. >> love you so much. i'm so horny for you. some of the stuff was kind of cheesy, i mean, i had to read it up on the stand. it was not my best moment. baby, i love you. and i only want to [ bleep ] you. >> the evidence with mike stanley, huge motive why she wanted her husband out of the picture. 893 text messages between the two of them. she's shamel sexual power to get what she wants. >> and what she wanted, parker says, was to get her husband out of the way by planting drugs on him and calling the cops. that's why mike dippolito kept getting pulled over by police. >> she was trying to set him up to have his probation violated, to have him arrested. >> the sooner he gets jammed up, the sooner we can be in paradise

island, baby. >> there were text messages presented at your first trial. sexually graphic messages between you and a man named michael stanley. do you have any explanation about what happened? >> i didn't send those messages from my phone. mike sent those text messages. >> mike dippolito, her husband, sent them? dalia claims her husband was playing games with her former boyfriend. mike dippolito denies it. but parker says when dalia's plan to get her husband put into prison failed, she took it a step further. if she couldn't send him to the big house, she'd get rid of hum altogether. >> killing somebody, come on? nobody's going to be able to point a finger at me. >> bmng iwaner anyone's intention to harm anyone. >> it wasn't a murder plot, he says. >> it was a stunt. it was a hoax. >> it was a plot to get on television. a reality tv defense.

>> the plot seems to thicken, and thicken and then thicken again. >> i've seen a lot of wild and crazy defenses in my day. this is certainly one of the wildest and one of the craziest. >> reality tv has become a way to launch a center stage career. >> salnick tells the jury michael dippolito wasn't a victim. he was an accomplice. that dalia, mohammed and michael were working together to create some kind of videotape to try to land themselves as stars in reality tv. the website name says, "welcome to reality tv casting call.com. salnick presents a computer forensic expert who found that dalia had searched reality shows on her computer. >> the thing about reality tv is that anybody can do it. anybody can become famous. >> and a professor and expert in reality tv who explains how alluring it is to many people. >> if there's any way the defense is going to win here, i think she needs to take the stand. >> but she didn't. why didn't you testify?

>> it was a daily, yes, you're going to testify, no, you're not going to testify. >> did you want to testify? >> yes, i did. >> you regret not testifying? >> absolutely. >> judge, the defense is going to rest. >> still, as the jury goes to deliberate, dalia tells us her side was confident. >> i never had the impression or the understanding from my attorney that losing was a possibility. everything was always, you know what, we got this. >> wow. >> we have really good poker faces. >> niece jurors say they considered the trial a disaster for dalia. >> i'm really surprised to hear that she thought it was going well. >> in fact, it took just three hours to reach a verdict. >> has our jury reached a verdict? >> we all just said, well, she's guilty. >> yeah. >> it was just kind of unanimous. >> we find the defendant guilty of solicitation to commit first degree murder. >> as for the reality tv defense? >> and the defense didn't present anything, that really represented this was for a reality tv show. >> there was nothing.

>> for them, the tapes told all. >> and she said, i am 5,000% sure, and that's -- that did it for me. >> i ask you to have some mercy. >> at her sentencing, dalia's mother, brother and sister beg if judge for leniency. >> i need her here. >> why did you get so emotional? >> hearing my sister talk about how she's looked up to me and she wished i could go and watch her get ready for prom. it was really emotional, because i really value my family. >> your web of deception. >> the judge is unmoved. >> there is absolutely no moral justification for your conduct. it was pure evil. i'm sentencing you to 20 years in the department of cessi corrections. >> when he said 20, it was -- it was numb. >> but when we return, a courtroom bombshell. >> she's getting a new trial? >> exactly. >> were you surprised? >> a new trial with two new

lawyers and guess where she found them? on tv. >> mark . >> i want to pay you a lot of money to kill a lady. >> this episode has a plot twist that sounds familiar. is tv crime drama the key to the case? >> i'm not going to, all right? i'm on your side. >> stay with us. that to their patients. sensodyne rapid relief in my opinion is a game changer. it's going to let the dentist offer their patient sensitivity relief in 3 days. it has a formulation that lays down a barrier of protection against sensitivity. within 3 days, say over the course of a weekend you're going to start feeling significant results.

to say that it works in 3 days really is a big deal. ancestrydna can open you to a world of new cultures to explore. with two times more detail than any other dna test... you can connect more deeply to the places of your past. and be inspired to learn about the people and traditions that make you, you.

savor your dna story. only $59-- our site's lowest price ever. this is long distance with the best wifi experience, long-distance relationship. plus the most free shows to stream.

and with savings on wireless, this is a relationship with more money to spend on the important things. this is how xfinity makes life... simple. easy. awesome. xfinity delivers the fastest, most reliable internet learn more, or get started for $29.99 a month for 12 months. click, call or visit a store today.

"caught in the act" continues. >> they are newlyweds like none other. just six months after wedding vows with the justice of the peace, dalia had to face a different kind of justice. >> pure evil.

>> the result, 20 years in prison for solicitation to commit murder that seemed to be the end of this story. her husband mike even had some pity for the woman convicted of plotting his death. >> for a second, look, i felt a little bad for her. i mean, it's no fun. nobody wants to go to jail. i know that for sure. >> but then, dalia's hail mary prayer for an appeal was answered. >> in the last hours, the black widow, dalia dippolito, set to walk free? >> a florida judge ruled the jury wasn't selected properly and ordered a new trial. >> the appeals court tosses out the conviction. >> were you surprised? >> it was the first piece of good news throughout the whole process that i received. >> so, now dalia is anxiously awaiting a new trial. she is out uer house arrest at her mother's home. finally ready to talk to "20/20" about the charges against her. did you want your husband dead? >> no, absolutely not. >> did you hire a hitman to kill your husband? >> no. >> because it is a pretrial

interview, her newly hired high profile lawyers wouldn't let her talk about certain parts of the case, in particular, those seemingly damning videotapes. >> wipe my [ bleep ] prints off those [ bleep ] pictures. >> how do you explain what we have all seen and heard on those videotapes? >> i'd like to be able to explain that to you right now, but i can't, because the attorneys legally have told me that we're saving that for our day in court. >> how damaging are these tapes to your client? >> they are damaging, because people are formed opinions. >> her lawyers have an explanation for those tapes. >> our job in the second trial is to provide the proper context for the jury to see that this is not really what it looks like. >> he says you can't understand the tapes without understanding everything that came before. here's a plot twist no one saw coming -- he says it goes back to, of all things, another television show.

the tv show "burn notice." usa's long-running crime drama. on this episode, the plot is about hiring a hitman. >> i want to pay you a lot of money to kill a lady. >> and guess who had been an extra on the show? >> you appeared on the television show "burn notice"? >> yes. >> mohammed, dalia's one-time lover, part-time actor and the confidential actor for the boynton beach police. the lawyers say mohammed, dalia and mike wanted to mimic the video. >> they wanted so submit that, post it on youtube to try to get acting parts. that was the plan. >> so, the goal here was to be famous? >> i'm not sheer to tell you that what they did was smart. >> no, not so smart. but whatever it was, claypool says mohammed figured it would be even better if it was recorded on real undercover cameras planted by real cops. >> and you're sure everything is okay? >> how much sure do you want? you're planning a murder.

come on. >> mohammed is an actor in this video. >> nobody is going to be able to point a finger at me. >> more acting? >> right, exactly. that's all part of it. >> and believe it or not, he says they're not just acting. they've become real-life victims. >> dalia is a victim? >> i believe that, absolutely. >> claypool claims the real wrong doers in this story are the detectives themselves. how? >> this special edition of "cops" is filmed on location -- >> remember the tv show "cops?" they'd been planning to film with the boynton beach police for months when wmohammed walke in with his story. >> what the police department did, they found out, she's an attractive woman. in their minds, they're like, this is a perfect skit to get on tape. >> got the video? >> she just got in the car. >> he gets two in the head. >> i get in and out, catch two in the head. okay? >> this is where the explanation gets tricky. claypool claims mohammed realized his plan that sounded

so good for a fake youtube video were spinning 0 out of control in real life. he wanted out. but detectives threatened him to make him continue as a confidential informant. >> he wanted zero part of that. detective moreno was calling him ten times a day. dude, you got to do it. you got to call her. >> mohammed acknowledges he felt pressured by police in this deposition. >> why did you believe that you could get prosecuted for this if you didn't continue to work with them? >> because they told me i could. >> okay. >> why would the police put pressure on mohammed? claypool says they wanted to make sure nothing stopped the "cops" tv show from going forward. under all that pressure, claypool says w s mohammed frea out when she told him he didnsht want to meet with the hitman. >> dalia starts backing out. >> hey. we're staying in here, right? >> claypool claims she only kept up the act because mohammed threatened her with a gun. >> he threatened to hurt me and

hurt my family. >> did you believe he would? >> absolutely. >> so, she was threatened to act out a hoax on a videotape? i mean, do you understand how ridiculous that sounds to a lot of people watching this? >> no. that's not ridiculous. you've got a 6'2", 230-pound man with a gun. >> saying you will do this -- >> absolutely. >> youtube hoax or else? >> right. >> all right, so, that's how i'm going to do it. robbery went bad. >> all that leading to the famous 5,000% sure moment. >> i'm positive, like, 5,000% sure. >> 5,000% sure, not 100% sure, not 1,000% sure, but 5,000% sure. how do you explain that? >> i look at that video and i see somebody who is struggling with whether she's really sure. >> she's struggling -- >> what -- >> how is she struggling if she's 5,000% sure? >> well, you might find that humorous, but when i hear people say they're sure, i'm 110% sure.

she's trying to overcompensate. >> whether she's 10, 100, or 5,000% sure, her lawyers believe the case doesn't add up to anything. that she was framed by the police. so, are you saying that dalia was entrapped into soliciting a murder for hire? >> there's no question about it that the boynton beach police department was dead set on manufacturing a crime here. >> they filed a motion to dismiss the case, claiming police violated her constitutional rights. the police deny any wrongdoing in a skype interview. >> we're not in the business of producing television. we're in the business of saving lives. and we believe we did that in this case. we believe that the merits of the case, the evidence collected, will stand and we believe we have a solid case going forward. >> and what about when dalia was arrested? >> please, i didn't do anything. >> don't tell me you didn't do

anything. >> why didn't she just tell police her version of what happened? >> i've asked her that question, too. yeah, everybody, hey, this was just a youtube thing we were putting together. she was in a state of shock. >> i couldn't react. i just completely froze. i wanted to get out of there and i felt paralyzed. >> what do you say to people who say you're just denying the undeniable, that this is an open and shut case? >> that now, with the attorneys that i have, so much is coming to light, to where it would just be insane to not believe me. >> so, who to believe? is dalia the softspoken wholesome interview in our inpe interview, or the person in those tapes? who is the real you? >> the person sitting here. it was a tape, it was a show. >> you were acting in those tapes? >> yes. >> but you're telling the truth now? >> yes. >> why should we believe you?

>> because it's what happened. it's the truth. >> next. mike's final conversation with dalia. >> give me my house back and i'll help you. >> could they be in cahoots? >> that doesn't sound to me like it's coming from a person that thought his wife was going to have him shot twice in the head. >> stay with us. un-stop right there! i'm about to pop a cap of "mmm fresh" in that washer with unstopables in-wash scent boosters by downy. ah, it's so fresh. and it's going to last from wash to wear for up to 12 weeks. right, freshness for weeks! downy unstopables. for a fresh too feisty to quit. and now try downy unstopables with the original scent of tide

did someone say kfc has four ways to feed a family for only 20 bucks? original recipe, extra crispy, boneless, and tenders. silence chicken lovers! it's finger lickin' good! silence chicken lovers! with advil liqui-gels, what bad shoulder? what headache? advil is relief that's fast strength that lasts you'll ask... what pain? with advil liqui-gels sfx: [cell phone dialing] no. no, no, no, no, no. cancel. cancel. please. aaagh! being in the know is a good thing. that's why discover will alert you if your social security number is found on any one of thousands of risky sites.

it's a revolution in sleep. the new sleep number 360 smart bed, from $999... intelligently senses your movement and automatically adjusts on each side to keep you both comfortable. and snoring? how smart is that? smarter sleep. to help you lose your dad bod, train for that marathon, and wake up with the patience of a saint. and now, save up to $500 on select sleep number 360 smart beds. plus, no interest until january 2021. ends wednesday. with bold sauces,urger fresh ingredients... and starting at 6.99. you can only think one thing... how fast can i get to denny's? get a burger and fries from denny's starting at $6.99.

"caught in the act" continues. ♪ >> she's been called the black widow, a stone-cold murderer. and she knows it. >> do you care what people think of you? >> i know i'm supposed to say no, and that's probably the

right, healthy answer is no, but it's hard not to. >> dalia dippolito is facing a new trial and her life, her freedom and her reputation hang in the balance. >> i have -- i'm going through depression. i'm in intensive therapy now just trying to cope with everything that's happened. and the unknown, because it's hard. >> but if she's hoping for sympathy, there has been none. in fact, her image took another hit with the publication of the book "poison candy," written by the former prosecutor who convicted her, elizabeth parker. >> as if she had ice running through her veins. >> now the lawyer for mike dippolito. this is what she wrote about you. "she was poison candy. sweet, delicious, mouthwatering on the outside, but deadly within and designed to cripple the innocent." what's it like hearing those words? >> it's hurtful. when i found out that the book

was out, i -- i was suicidal. >> dalia says six years after those videos made her the poster woman for how not to hire a hitman, she is skill completely misunderstood. give me three words to describe yourself. who is dalia dippolito? >> understanding, sweet and compassionate. >> mike dippolito, now happy divorced from dalia, has his own set of choice words. >> three words to describe dalia? manipulative, con vooifing. i got more than three. malicious. >> liar, liar, liar. >> we asked him abidal ya's version about what happened, that he and mohammed were making a youtube video with her. >> absolutely not. that's a lie. that's such a lie. that's my reaction. >> he says he never even knew mohammed, no less planned a youtube video with him zblc. >> i never met him -- ever.

>> mike's last conversation with dalia was a phone call she made from jail the night she was arrested. >> mike, please, i need an attorney, can you please help me? it's not true. >> dalia, seriously, how do you explan what i saw and heard? >> dalia's lawyer seems to think mike offers a tit for tat that doesn't offer the smell test. >> you know what i'll do for you, seriously? >> what? >> sign my house back over to me. give me my house back. that's it. >> that's it what? >> i'll help you. >> that doesn't sound to me like it's coming from a person who thought his wife was going to have him shot twice in the head. >> as for the mysterious mohammed, what does he make of l t he declined to do an interview with us. he has denied working on a video with dalia and mike and ever threatening her. but claypool claims these phone records show otherwise.

500 calls between dalia and mohammed in the days leading up to dalia's arrest. >> she was baited, enticed and entrapped. >> at her new trial, dalia says there will be one radical change. you're prepared to take the witness stand? >> i am. >> and testify in your own defense? and to handle all that cross examination? >> i am. >> let me know when she's going, i'll be sitting in the back with popcorn. i'd love to see this. >> did you ever love mike dippolito? >> i married him because i loved him. >> and now? >> now, i wish i never would have met him. >> oh, i feel the same way. i wish -- i wish i would have made a left, not a right. trust me.

to most ...most people.like... but on the inside, i feel chronic, widespread pain. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real. fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief from fibromyalgia pain, and improves function. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or tell you iyou have theseepressnd or behavior, swell or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain i can do more. ask your doctor about lyrica.

if you're elligble, you could pay as little as $25 a month. ♪ introducing the two for $5 mix and match deal from mcdonald's. match your choice of two favorites with the new two for $5 mix and match deal. ♪ but allstate helps you. with drivewise. feedback that helps you drive safer. and that can lower your cost now that you know the truth... are you in good hands? another anti-wrinkle cream in no hurry to make anything happen. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair works in just one week. with the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce wrinkles. neutrogena®. we're in this together. the trials and the triumphs. it's a journey. and petsmart is with you

every step of the way. in the end, dalia's lawyers advised her not to take the stand in her 2016 retrial and the case ended in a hung jury.

last year, there was a third trial and she was convicted gen. >> and just days ago, state denied her appeal for a fourth trial, saying she has to serve out the rest of her 16-year sentence. that is "20/20" for tonight. i'm david muir. >> and i'm amy robach. for all of us here at abc news and "20/20," good night. ♪ ♪

♪ i put a spell on you ♪ yeah, because you're mine ♪ with chase atms serena can now grab cash on the go, all with the tap of her phone. ♪ stop the things you do no card? no problem. life, lived serena's way. chase, make more of what's yours.