r the south bay. we have a pair the air night tonight due to the smoke pollution making an for interesting moon rise. >> sounds good. "nbc nightly news" coming up next and more news here at 6:00. we'll see you then. on this sunday night, sea of blue. thousands turn out for a fallen officer who embodied a dream in a city where politics are still clashing. lone survivor. the remarkable story of the girl that walked away from a plane crash. how did she do it when everything else went so terribly wrong. hacking nightmare. how a cyber attacker hijacked this young woman's computer to capture her most personal moments. how she fought back. and close encounters as record numbers of whales converge on california. we're out on the water trying to learn what is driving them from the deep and so close to shore.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. an assassin shot that killed two police officers in new york last week also hurt others. evidenced today in new york by the turnout of thousands of police officers from every corner of this country who came to pay their respects at the funeral for nypd police officer wenjian liu. they formed an ocean of blue, who was killed for no other reason than he was a cop. and in the ranks, disdain for a mayor who believes doesn't entirely sit with them. but that could not overcome the profound grief for liu's young wife. we have more from anne thompson. >> reporter: good evening, lester.

while paying final respects to wenjian liu, who in death was moved to detective, the officers did the same gesture they made of his partner last month, once again exposing a deep rift with no signs of being bridged. ♪ >> reporter: in brooklyn today, the many stages of grief over the murder of new york police detective wenjian liu. anger from members of the nypd, hundreds of officers outside turn their backs on mayor bill de blasio as he eulogized liu. inside of the funeral home, despair. [ speaking native language ] >> reporter: from liu's chinese-speaking father who lost his only child and

heartbreak from his wife of just two months. >> a caring son, a loving husband, and a loyal friend. you are an amazing man. even though you left us early. >> reporter: in the streets, residents wiped away tears, and veteran police officers choked on their words. >> it's difficult. in my heart to hear her talk about her husband. >> reporter: those in blue from new mexico, west virginia and california, dan burnal is an immigrant. he was born in mexico. >> you may be of different cultures but the same family? >> yes. we're all blue. >> reporter: security was extremely tight. police on routes the bomb squad in the street. a cold, sad day brightened momentarily by small acts of kindness. >> i can't say no to that. thank you. >> reporter: the manager of butchie's cakes

handing out cakes to the visiting policemen. and a promise by the fbi director to honor liu's life. >> our obligation is to try to make something good come of tragedy so that evil is not allowed to hold the field. ♪ >> reporter: a 32-year-old man killed as his life was beginning. today he was saluted by his fellow public servants and those he swore to protect. speaker an speaker noted what a good son liu was. he would call his father after he got off duty and tell him he safe and that he could stop worrying. a call he made after every shift by one. >> thank you. in kentucky, federal plane officials arrived at the scene where four members of a family was killed while a 7-year-old girl was able to walk away. and they provided first insight into how she might have survived. gabe guiterrez is on the scene for us tonight. gabe? >> reporter: lester, good evening.

the cold wooded area where this plane crashed is vast b. 1,400 acres. and tonight the crash's sole survivor is safe with other family members and she may end up helping investigators figure out what went wrong. just after dawn today, ntsb officials arrived, combing through the plane for the first time, searching for the cause of the horrific crash and clues that helped 7-year-old sailor gutzler survive. >> she is one remarkable young lady. >> reporter: her parents, 9-year-old sister and 14-year-old cousin were killed after flying home from a vacation in florida. relatives say marty gutzler, a pilot for 30 years, had taught his kids survival skills. sailor trying to use a fiery wing to light a branch in the woods. the brave attempt didn't work but she managed to escape anyway. >> when we are exposed to a life-threatening situation, we

go into the fight-or-flight mode. what's happening is hormones are released and that causes a cascade of changes in or body that really help us gear up to fight this severe life threatening situation. >> reporter: this cell phone video from a first responder shows the path she took. >> she had to crawl over treetops briar patches, weeds and dark ditches. and she had to do it in the dark and without moonlight. she couldn't see house light and she took the best route she could have took and she did this in socked feet, in shorts. >> reporter: sheriff kent murphy of the -- was the first to spot the downed plane upside down. >> some people don't believe in miracles and they think it is luck, but to me it is a miracle. >> reporter: sailor is in the second grade. a dancer, her family said. her sister piper was such a good soccer player she played on the

boys team. sierra also loved to dance. "the she was my best friend." in the hometown of illinois, somber services. >> i hope the guardian angels stay with them, the whole family. >> reporter: tonight federal investigators have moved the debris for closer inspection and one thing they will try to confirm is where sailor was sitting on the plane. first responders believe she may have been in the back row on the passenger side, although it's not clear how only she survived. the official cause of the crash has not yet been determined. the ntsb plans to issue the initial report into the crash in about ten days. lester? >> gabe guiterrez. thank you. >> parts of the south recovering from wild weather over the last 24 hours. here of the scene in southern georgia after high winds, possibly a tornado, destroyed a store and a mobile home. two people were injured. elsewhere a church steeple was blown down while the service was going on. similar scenes in central mississippi where several

tornados touched down late yesterday causing extensive damage. to the north in omaha, nebraska, snow and frigid temperatures early today. a sign of what's to come for much of the country this week. for more on all of it let's turn to weather channel's kim cunningham. good evening. >> good evening, lelter. yes, we're going to see really cold air. the coldest of the season coming through. the first one is what caused the severe weather over the weekend. today we've had over 30 records of severe weather across the southeast, including two tornado reports. and check out the temperatures. we're seeing arctic air come southward, but it's going to be after this clipper, this front, this system moves through that we'll see the cold air come in behind it. plus, we'll see snow. and this will come through quickly. so make sure you are ready for this. 5-8 inches of snow in des moines. pittsburgh as well. new york could see this. the swath of snow in this

fast-moving system may catch you off guard. and then the next shot comes in, the coldest air of the season, making its way south. temperatures in chicago on wednesday, we'll fight to get above zero degrees and that may be early in the morning and temperatures drop in the day. so lester, really cold air even into atlanta. the coldest we've seen this season. >> kim, thanks very much. eight days since the crash of the airasia flight to singapore. three dozen bodies have been recovered but many are still missing as the search continues in challenging conditions. katy tur has the latest. >> reporter: at the search zone today, bad weather and rough seas once again. divers hoping to get a visual on the shadow believed to be the fuselage on the sea floor were forced to surface because of the strong currents and poor visibility under water. the head of operations said our priority now is to dive in the

area where we found the objects which we suspect are part of the plane. and in jakarta, optimism that the black boxes would be collected tomorrow. right now five ships are searching for data reporters using specialized acoustic equipment to listen for pings. despite the lack of concrete information, they believe weather did trigger the crash. this as more bodyies were recovered and identified. this is the second largest church in surabaya. they alone lost 41 members of their congregation. ♪ >> reporter: on sunday empty seats and prayers for the lost. >> everyone who grieves and is going through traumatic times, we do need to be with them and hold their hands. let them know we are there and provide real support. >> reporter: so far nine have been identified and the funerals have already begun. still a week after the crash, so many others have not been

recovered. as their families wait and grieve. katy tur, nbc news, surabaya, indonesia. the boston marathon bombing trial begins tomorrow starting with jury selection. the defendant dzokhar tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted. the judges called in a huge group of potential jurors. our justice correspondent pete williams is at the courthouse in boston tonight. hello, pete. >> reporter: lester, good evening. beginning tomorrow some of the 3000 people who have been put on notice as potential jurors will begin arriving here at the federal courthouse in boston and it may take a while to select a jury made up of people who have an open mind about the facts and about the death penalty. the trial begins almost two years since the attacks near the finish line at the boston marathon. an act of terrorism that killed three people and injured 260 others. two separate bombs in pressure cookers concealed in

backpacks. the first bomb went off at 2:449 near the finish line. and seconds later another one went off near boylston street. starting tomorrow dzhokhar tsarnaev will go on trial, charged with that attack and murdering an m.i.t. officer. his older brother also accused in the crimes was killed in a shootout four days after the bombings. the government will seek the death penalty if the younger tsarnaev is convicted so the law requires selecting a death-eligible jury. getting one -- 12 jurors and six alternates -- requires a lot of questions to weed out those in favor or against capital punishment. >> we try to produce a jury that can fairly and impartially render a verdict and give a punishment that considers all options, including the death penalty and life without parole.

>> reporter: the city pulled together after the bombings, a spirit that became known as boston strong to aid the victims and refuse to be defeated. last year's marathon drew a one of one million people to watch, twice the usual number. now, marty walsh, boston's mayor since last year, said most people in the city just want the bombing trial to be over. >> people just feel that they know what happened on that day and i think a lot of people are already saying let's just move this thing beyond so the families can have some peace. >> reporter: but that will take a while. and despite two requests from defense lawyers to move the trial somewhere else, it will take place in boston in a courthouse just two miles from the scene of the bombings. jury selection itself may take a few weeks, and the entire trial may last four months or more. lester? >> pete williams in boston. thank you. when "nbc nightly news" continues, when hackers infiltrate your home computer. a young woman speaks out about her nightmare.

and later, if you are looking for a parking place, we have the best deal you'll ever find.

computer hacking on a big scale has been very much in the news lately, especially the attack on sony pictures. but hacking doesn't just happen to large organizations, individuals can be targeted as well. and the way one hacker pursued a teenage girl is a warning for every parent. here is kate snow. >> reporter: cassidy wolf was at a high point in her young life. >> california. >> reporter: she was a teen beauty pageant winner and dancer and college student and popular on social media. >> i had a laptop i would keep in my room 24/7.

>> reporter: in march, 2013 facebook sent her a notice that someone had tried to change her password and a message from a stranger. >> i'm hacking all of your accounts. i have all your personal information, and at the bottom there was two photos of me changing in my room. >> reporter: you must have thought who could have taken these photos. >> i was so confused. honestly it took a few seconds. okay, that was taken in my room. >> reporter: a hacker sent a link to malicious software that she had clicked on giving him access to her laptop, including the webcam he had been watching her for months and now he was threatening extortion. threatening to publish photos if she didn't do what he said. cassidy went to the fbi, but many young victims don't. >> many times victims don't want to step forward because they have to reveal that they were, in essence, sexually assaulted. >> reporter: do you think this crime is being underreported?

>> i think this is grossly underreported right now. >> reporter: and this cybersecurity expert says it is surprisingly easy for someone to take over or slave a computer. there are online forums where hackers instruct each other. >> there is a lot of conversation on how do i do it? i've got a hundred, how can i sell it? how can i do something better? what else can i do? >> reporter: the fbi suspected a friend of hers, jared abraham, her high school classmate. he pleaded guilty to three counts of ex-portion and one count of unauthorized computer access and last month in march he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. if something like this happens to some other girl out there getting an e-mail saying i have photos of you, what does she do? >> please talk to somebody. that is my biggest advice, is to tell somebody. to tell somebody who can help you. >> reporter: cassidy now speaks publicly about her case hoping awareness will keep it from happening to too many others.

kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> kate will have more of the story on a special new year's edition of "dateline" called "starting over," immediately following this program. >> tonight, close encounters you don't want to miss.

stuart scott has died. he was familiar to sports fan as the long-time anchor of "sportscenter" and sports energy on espn. he helped reinvent the language of sports, and punctuating his word as boo-yah. he would use the expression as cool as the other side of a pillow. he was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago but didn't let it slow him down. he recently reflected on his illness. >> when you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. you beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the -- the manner in which you live.

>> in a statement president obama said "scott entertained us and inspired with us courage and love." stuart scott was 49 years old. another story to tell you about tonight. this past year has been like no other in southern california where record numbers of whales have been converging along the coast. it is providing a spectacular view for whale watchers. hallie jackson is one of those getting a close encounter. >> reporter: it is a once in a lifetime sight that's becoming rather routine -- whales spotted off the california coast. more of them and more variety than ever before. >> it's majestic to me to witness it. it's mind-blowing. >> reporter: short finned pilot whales seen for just the second nightmare two decades. a pot of more than 50 sperm whales almost unprecedented here. from predator killer whales to the gray whale prey, including one so close to shore, swimmers could touch it. and now a record-breaking december, close to 400 gray

whales seen last month on the way to baja. the most in 31 years. there is one of the gray whales right there, and you can see how close it is to land. researchers say that is one of the reason why we may have more sightings this year, because the migratory pattern is closer to shores. and that is not the only reason why researchers and tourists are seeing more. >> look. >> it could have something to do with their home back up north where they spend the summer feeding. >> we've had an increase in the population of gray whales and the reason i believe that is because we're seeing so many calves. >> reporter: more mothers and newborns like this pair swimming close to the shoreline. >> we have the chance to see it. our children will have the chance to see it. it is amazing to see these wonderful animals. >> reporter: a breathtaking sight. more common now, but ordinary -- never. hallie jackson, nbc news, dana point, california. up next, perhaps the best deal on parking you'll ever find.

finally tonight, if you have ever tried to park your car in a big city, you know finding a space can be challenging and expensive. not so in one small city west of chicago. just make sure you have small

change on hand. >> reporter: downtown sycamore, illinois, may be the last place you can get something for a penny. 12 minutes of parking. need more time? a nickel gets you an hour. a dime, two hours. the rates haven't changed in more than # 60 years. since harry truman was president. but watch out, if your meter runs out, in 2008, the fine quadrupled. to $1. for out-of-towners it can be an eye opener. >> a penny? that is a great bargain. >> reporter: for residents it is part of the charm of small-town life. there's not much you can get with a penny now. >> no. but you keep them in your car so you can use it right here. >> reporter: and then there is the sycamore version of validated parking. >> some of the merchants keep little fish bowls of pennies on

the counter to reimburse. >> reporter: sim more takes in more than $75,000 a year in parking fees and fines but that is all they want, just enough to cover costs. sycamore officials don't know of any other place with penny meters. giovanni is one half of the city parking enforcement department and all of the maintenance department. his biggest challenge -- keeping the more than 300 mechanical meters ticking. they date from the 1950s and parts aren't available so he takes them from spares. >> if there are to spares left, we are out of luck, if you will. >> reporter: if the mechanical meters die city leaders said rates won't change -- even with electronic meters. >> alive and well. >> reporter: the city where parking costs only a pretty penny. john yang, sycamore, illinois. >> that is it for "nbc nightly news," i'm lester holt. brian williams will be here tomorrow.

reporting from new york, for all of us here at nbc news, good night. nbc bay area news starts now. >> right now at 6:00 frustrated tenants in the south bay say they have been living without hot water for an entire week. when the3 good evening. i'm peggy bunker. terry mcsweeney is off tonight. how does a cold shower sound on this pretty cold night? that's what dozens of people in san jose are dealing with. they're coping with their fifth straight day without any hot water. marianne favro joins us live in san jose with how this happen and also marianne how residents are dealing with it. >> reporter: well peggy, a huge tree fell here on parkmore avenue on tuesday afternoon.