[cheers and applause] this is "nightline." tonight, lovesick doc. a twisted love triangle, texas pathologist brutally murdered. his girlfriend speaking out. as her ex-boyfriend, a plastic surgeon is accused of hiring his killer many the victim's family trying to keep his memory alive. >> it's a challenge to make sure that my son knows what kind> ue rippon going on the road with the fab five of queer eye. one makeover at a time. >> so my question is, can you

show me how to blow dry my hair? >> helping people be their fiercest selves inside and out. and whoopee goldberg opening up about her near death experience. but first, the "nightline" five. "nightline" five. number (music throughout) or j ddlsax-yf an

alleged murder for hire scheme. the tangled web of love, suspicion and loss. here's ryan smith. >> i had always wanted, since i was a little kid, i'd see these older couples dancing, every step was perfect. >> reporter: rochelle was looking for the perfect partner in dance and in life. and she thought she'd found him. in lubbock, texas, he was newly single after his wife of 27 years left him for another man. >> when they got divorced, it was a shock to him. >> reporter: then in the summer of 2011, he met rochelle. >> she's blond, tall, gorgeous. she was stunning. i think that they were very much enjoying each other.

>> reporter: so he was smitten. >> he was. >> reporter: soon he took her to visit his grandchildren >> the tradition is you write your names on the locks, and you put it on the bridge. and you throw the key into seine river and it locks in the moment forever. >> reporter: but for michelle and joseph, forever would ontaronly be a matter of weeks. a landscaper discovered the doctor's body. he had been shot and stabbed. >>epte zkhocide witheded to the scene. >> there was artwork in the home, very expensive pieces of furniture, nothing was taken. we were dealing with something that was a hit, of sorts. that somebody had come to this house and, to kill this person

specifically. >> reporter: the children were devastated. their mother had been murdered two years before by the man she left their father for. he, then, committed suicide. and now their father violently killed too. the authorities immediately brought in rochelle for questioning. >> how would you describe your relationship with dr. sonnier? >> he's the love of my life. >> reporter: detectives wondered if someone out of rochelle's past could have done this out of jealousy. >> a couple of people. thomas, michael, plastic surgeon in amarillo. >> reporter: they had dated for about a year and a half. >> so he wanted you to see hem on the side basically. >> he wanted me to come back to him. i told him no. >> reporter: eager to question dr. dickson, the detective

drives two hours to amarillo, texas, secretly recording him. >> hi, i hate to come bugging you at all hours of the night. >> what's going on? >> well, we've had a homicide in lubbock, texas today. >> reporter: he tells him, the victim is rochelle's new boyfriend. >> i haven't talked to her in months and months. i'll be honest with you, i loved, loved, loved that woman. i really did. >> reporter: even after rochelle and dr. dickson broke up they stayed in touch, even planning a weekend get away which rochelle canceled. >> she said i'm in love with my dance partner. >> reporter: they both had airtight alibis for the night of the murder. >> there's something not right here, but that's all that i have. this is a huge whodunit. the case broke wide open with this tip. >> i think we have a crime that happened down here in lubbock. it's a homicide. i'm staying with this friend of mine who said he went down there

and shot a guy. >> what is your roommate as name? >> his name's dave shepard, s-h-e-p-a-r-d. >> reporter: shepard had a criminal record. >> i didn't have money. i was 17, working part time after school, and he borrowed money from me. >> reporter: he had n had no kn connection to dr. sonnier. but guess who he's best buddies with? dr. dickson. it was an unlikely bromance, a plastic surgeon and a con man. but the two bheirvef cigars and. >> he wanted to be mike. >> reporter: detectives started to believe that mike dickson found the perfect person to help him disrupt rochelle's new life. >> in the minds of investigators, dickson, they think, is a puppet master, and

shepard the puppet. >> reporter: six days after the murder, shepard and dickson are arrested. >> two suspects are in custody in connection with the murder of a lubbock physician. >> reporter: after spending three months in jail, shepard confessed, after prosecutors told him they would take the death penalty off the table. >> he's laying on the floor. >> reporter: he told police dickson asked him to follow rochelle and her new girlfriend to get pictures, which led to conversations with murder. >> i cannot believe that they did this. it makes me so angry. a lowlife scum and a piece of [ bleep ] doctor. >> it seemed like a slam dunk for prosecutors. they had the man who admitted to killing dr. joseph sonnier as a witness. >> i knew they had the right guys.

in my mind there was no other possibility. >> reporter: shepard pled gill doit murdgillty to the murder. enturder trl, a bombshell, shepard did a 180, saying his friend didn't put him up to the murder. >> theis is the kind of moment you typically see in a movie. that stuff doesn't typically happen in real courtrooms. >> reporter: after the about face on the witness stand, the jury was hung and dr. dickson released. >> i was devastated. i couldn't breathe. i couldn't think. >> reporter: do you think he was the biggest factor to getting that hung jury? >> absolutely, 100%. >> reporter: prosecutors didn't give up. in 2015 a second trial. >> amarillo doctor michael dickson is back on trial for capital murder. >> reporter: this time dr. dickson was convicted with the help of shepard's own daughter haley who testified that their

meyl askedhi hou r sdene rk for y d hwo'tell us about it. don't worry about it. >> the verdict is in. >> unanimous verdict. >> guilty of two charges. >> he said guilty, right? he said guilty? we've been waiting for that moment for over three years. >> reporter: dickson was sentenced to life in prison and was serving his time at the all red maximum security prison when the court of appeals overturned his conviction this past december on the premise that judge occasionally closed the courtroom when he shouldn't have. >> he's out of prison living in the amarillo area. >> reporter: prosecutors are fighting the ruling and he may be tried a third time.

his lawyers insist he never ordered a hit on dr. sonnier and that shepard acted alone. while he is free for now, david shepard is spending the rest of his life behind bars at this maximum security prison in west texas. >> i put myself in a bad position, and i've got no one to blame but myself. >> reporter: shepard claims dr. sonnier's death was an accident. >> things got out of hand. unintentionally. gun fired. >> reporter: did mike dickson ever ask you to kill -- >> no, absolutely not, absolutely not. >> reporter: when the police interrogated you, you said dickson was a part of this. >> right. >> reporter: why did you tell them that? >> i embellished. i thought that's what i had to do. >> reporter: what would you say to them right now if they were watching? >> i'd tell them i'm very sorry. i took your loved one. >> reporter: almost seven years after their father's death. >> i thank the lord f

moment we had. >> reporter: dr. sonnier's ildren what w.k in limbo, s wan >> it's heartbreaking, and it's also a challenge to make sure that my son knows what kind of man my father was. >> reporter: for "nightline," ryan smith in new york. >> our thanks to ryan. up next, special correspondent adam rippon with queer eye's fab five. e's fab five. er get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz, the first and only treatment of its kind offering people with moderate to severe psoriasis a chance at 100% clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of people quickly saw a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. don't use if you're allergic to taltz.

before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms, or received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. ready for a chance at 100% clear skin? ask your doctor about taltz. the follow up cat scan showed that it had gone to her liver. we needed a second opinion. that's when our journey began with cancer treatment centers of america. one of our questions was, how are we going to address my liver? so my doctor said i think we can do both surgeries together. i loved that. now my health is good. these people are saints. ha, they're saints. cancer treatment centers of america. appointments available now. with the most lobster dishes lobsterfesof the yearred lobster like lobster lover's dream and new ultimate lobsterfest surf and turf. so come lobsterfest today!

and now for a limited time, get ten percent off red lobster to go. steven could only imaginem 24hr to trenjoying a spicy taco.burn, now, his world explodes with flavor. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day all-night protection. can you imagine 24-hours without heartburn?

the fab five tonight become the spectacular six, as our special correspondent and olympic skater adam rippon learns how to save face in matters of style and the heart. >> i would not be able to focus because you are my very favorite. can we interview you about what it is like to be the icon that you are? >> yeah, we can go back and forth. i would so love that. >> reporter: this is the fab "queerye."cast offlixflix'sflixs they've strutted their way into our hearts and homes, transforming the lives of the people they've encountered along the the fab five to the spectacular six. my question is, can you show me

how to blow dry my hair? >> you're doing great, sweetie. >> reporter: on the show there's antony, the chef, tan. >> you can rotate that. >> reporter: a personal stylist. bobby. >> fingers crossed. >> reporter: the interior designer. caramo, the culture expert and jonathan. this beard is wearing you. the makeover guru. >> you are not ready. >> [ bleep ]! >> reporter: the captivating crew, uniting the world one makeover at a time. you guys have this undeniable chemistry. >> people always ask, what's behind the scenes? do you all get along? i don't think you can fake this. i am no actor. >> reporter: the emmy-award-winning show is now back for its third season. how do you think this group of gay men is changing america? >> every single one of usushr i

spotlight for a very positive way, and it makes me very proud. >> that is true, that is true. we work very hard. we do. >> we're inserting ourselves into the political conversation, that we are supporting young lgbt kids. >> when we come in, we're never pushed to sort of like force who we are. it just kind of comes up in an organic way. >> reporter: every episode features new characters who turn to the fab five for help. >> you are a strong, black, lesbian woman. >> thank you. >> we are intent to learn as the hero is. >> you can be five gay guys going into the home of a white, trump-supporting cop in georgia. are you going to change each other's political views per se? no, but when you humanize groups that you're not familiar with america, kansas i'm super excited to be in the car because i feel like in the

show this is when some pretty big moments happen. >> i love the c the most intimate conversations sometimes. especially for men, they're intimidated by one on one, direct eye contact and having those hard conversations. >> you guys are so amazing. >> you ride with us all the time. >> yes, i can. >> reporter: in kansas city, we caught up with jodi. >> she physically transforms but also emotionally transforms, and that is something that was really big for me. >> reporter: she's a penitentiary officer and a former hairdresser. you work with the whole fab five, do you have a defining moment? >> my time with caramo and the things that he pulled out of my soul that i didn't even realize the rut i was in and the revelation of it. >> reporter: jodi's brother died in a tragic accident 25 years ago. decades of heartbreak realized in one car ride. >> a lot of people have problems

with deflecting compliments. when do you think that started? >> i would say that was probably close to after my brother died. and then after he died, i felt like i was never going to heal from it. >> reporter: what did you tell jodi? >> i just wanted her to see what the rest of us are seeing and help her to realize that there was a moment thaw stoppt you st and understand why that moment happened and grow through it. look at her now. >> reporter: it's not just the people they help whose lives are transformed. the cast also deeply affected by the people they meet lean on each other when the cameras are off. >>ly >> i had to ugly cry for a moment. >> we all like the external attention and the spotlights coming right at us. whenever i get overwhelmed i always like leanthe relationships and friendships that i have with these guys. >> reporter: but don't worry, there's nothing that can hold

the fab five down for long. >> i got to meet michelle kwan in my face. i cried. i cried harder, i cried hardest. i laughed. then i cried again. >> reporter: a full gamut of emotions? >> a full gamut. >> reporter: do you have a favorite experience? >> to work with these idiots. we truly have such a laugh. we do. >> reporter: you're telling me that no, we can't hang out anymore. >> that is also true. >> reporter: you know, what america? you heard it first. he is one of the hmm hmm hmmest boys. he will not hang out with you for past ten hours. is that a thing? i think that's a thing. >> who needs brakes, you know what i mean? >> reporter: we all know what you mean? let's home there are no breaks anytime soon from these fabulous friends. caramo, i know when you look at me, you see a fully-formed human

being at the highest level. it's all smoke and mirrors, and i'm trying to work on my self-esteem. what is your advice. >> a daily affirmation. remind yourself that you are perfectly designed. that's it. >> reporter: we can never have enough reminders to love ourselves. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm adam rippon in kansas city, missouri. up next, whoopi goldberg opening up about a recent health scare. then i realized something was missing... me. my symptoms were keeping me from being there. so, i talked to my doctor and learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. 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. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. 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. with a range of sizes for all body types. depend® fit-flex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit. depend® fit-flex underwear seaonly abreva cany to help sget rid of it in... ...as little as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign. abreva starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. abreva acts on it. so you can too.

and because redfin.com is america's #1 brokerage site our agents get more eyes on your home so you sell for thousands more than the one next door. don't get stuck in the past. sell with a redfin agent.

and finally tonight, whoopi goldberg, talking candidly about how close she came to dying. after a long absence, whoopi goldberg opening up this morning on the view in a video to friends and fans. >> here's what happened. i had pneumonia and i was septic. and yes, i came very, very close to leaving the earth. good news, i didn't. >> the view co-host hoping to return to the show soon, spreading the news with her ik huge fans of mhis aut me.

we all know that's going to change when i get back but for now whoopi. full episodes of "nightline" are streaming on hulu. good night, america ht, america