comparable. yes, the steelers did pass for more yards, 49ers actually had more first downs. mindy bach now with more. >> reporter: the 49ers are taking the same approach after their 20-point loss to the steelers as they did after their season opening win against the vikings. >> i said it last week, i'll say it this week, we have to do a lot of work off keep it going and continue to keep it going. in a 16-game season, we're not going to overreact when there is a w or a loss. >> a loss is a loss, the good thing about it, we have a game next week. we can come out, get better and improve. it's a long season. it's a long season. you know, we always talk about after a win don't get too high after a loss don't get too low. >> the biggest problem for the 49ers came on third down. the steelers offense converted six of its ten third down foss

244 yards, and colin kaepernick was sacked three times. >> the numbers are not good, i can only speak for myself, today was not a good day for me. a little edgy, especially on harrison. not what we wanted to have. >> last week we did great on third down. we always are on third down. that is one of the big emphasisemphasis -- they keep the drive going, that is the only way you can play. >> the steelers had more time to prepare for this game. and it seemed to pay off in stopping the' run game. carlos hyde said pittsburgh did a good job of keeping a player on the back side to take away the cut side that he exploited. but in other aspects, the players i spoke with today said it is more of a matter of the

mistakes they made, rather than what the steelers did. so carlos hyde, 168 in week one against the vikings who are not as good as the steelers, 43 in week two. growing pains or was the defense just that much better? >> well, the defense was better, no doubt about that. they came in, they were fired up. they played at a higher level than the 49ers were playing. they looked a bit sluggish to me. the defense was ready for them. they are ready on the back side. they do the things they have to do to take away the running game. and they were putting that hat on, carlos hyde. and i think that that -- look, i mean, they were just all over them. every time you see them get the ball they were just right there and hitting them and putting that hat on. >> and i mean, he gave pittsburgh defense credit. do you give him much credit for that or was the young man just

off. >> as carlos hyde goes, so does colin kaepernick. you look on the other side of the ball, deangelo had 20 carries. it's about game flow and when you shut down the run early and they make the san francisco one dimensional, he is a two dimensional quarterback, he has to have that good running game. they took away the run. >> the 49ers are not built to come back, if they were down early they're in a world of hurt. what about the secondary, because they seemed like they were exploited a little. >> know what, when you look at deangelo, we look at the receivers, antonio brown and heyward-bey, two guys who were track runners. big ben had five, six seconds up there. up front they didn't put the pressure on him. go deep down field, ricky, they had no answer. vertical game, no one was able

to keep up with the receivers. >> it was a track meet out there. you have to stop them and hit them right there. here is reid. i mean, he is a very good safety but he is supposed to be over the top on that. lost sight of the ball and the player. you can't do that. >> and if you give ben roethlisberger time he has a great arm up in the pocket. rick, you pointed out on the post-game show he doesn't turn around. if he has any time and you don't get him down you're going to be in a lot of trouble. >> it's hard to take him down because he is a big man. >> he is, about 240 pounds for a quarterback. >> all right, we'll take a break. when we come back how about the oakland raiders? this was a team nobody knew what to expect. they will get their first win in the jack del rio era. after the silver and black upset the ravens. you have to hear it. stay tuned. this is xfinity sports night

. welcome back to xfinity sports sunday. let's check in on the raiders and the ravens. because this was a very, very good football game. one you had to check out which we will do right now. derek carr starting the game after exiting in the second quarter last week but he would play very well. raiders first drive of the game, amare cooper, later -- that -- okay. but two plays later -- carr says coup coop, i got you. not giving up. >> great recognition by derek carr and the young receiver. look here, they're playing cover, no safety, all of a sudden the safety tries to go back, runs the seven yards.

that is a great move, too late. >> great double move, carr fired up. now we go to the second quarter. carr against does not seem affected. rolls out, hits michael crabtree. hard to get used to him as a raider. he is a raider now, went down, 37-yard completion. next play, carr finds andre holmes for 27 yards. puts the raiders on the one yard line. so you give it to your fullback. if neil was playing he would have gotten it. he is not. >> that is a great play. putting his head down, getting there. that was brave by carr, single safety. you saw the reid option. >> tied at 20 at the half. derek carr doing some things we didn't know he could do. >> looked like colin kaepernick got a little russell wilson. great blocking, able to get out. >> we knew he could do this. our great touchdown to crabtree.

29 yards and crabtree was wide open. confusion by the raiders. >> no question, two safeties deep, corner falls down, carr is able to move, send the play without the pocket, a nice play. >> now in the fourth quarter ravens down a touchdown. lorenzo taliofaro, steve smith wide open. incomplete. did not have both feet in. baltimore settle for a field goal. they take the lead. under two minutes to play. raiders down three. driving down the field on third and three, this is huge because carr connect with murray. and that is a first down, they needed to move. they did. later carr to crabtree. michael crabtree knows how to get both feet in. he did. >> nice play there. >> and then first and 10, carr finds seth roberts in the end

zone. jack del rio gets his first win. afterwards this was the locker room scene. >> that is determination, that is grit, that is emptying your bucket, i saw so many cases of guys emptying their bucket, way to go. [ cheers and applause ] >> for your first win, man, this is yours. appreciate it. >> that is how you fight, bro, that is how you do it, against that team? that's a great job. hey, guess what, let's get ready for the next one. this is what we do, this should not be a big surprise. this is what we do. i love y'all, man. >> lot of good feelings in the locker room. with the report brought to you by your local toyota dealer,

let's go places. the ravens with more yards. but the -- raiders were better with efficiency. time of possession, very close. first down, very close. more reaction starting with your winning coach jack one more time. >> the head coach and the quarterback are tied, only two guys in the organization that are tied directly to wins and losses. and to see our quarterback, our young quarterback take our football team down there at the end, that was special. that was special. so really proud of the men in that room. we've worked hard. this is the first of many moments like that. going to be a lot of fun. >> we're heading the right way. we just have to keep doing it. we have to keep coming to work every day and busting our tails at practice. and make sure we're getting extra throws in. you know, but also make sure we just continue to believe in each other. after last week, it's probably

easy for a guy to say man, here we go again. but we didn't. because it's not like that way anymore. it's a new team, it's a new coach. i think coach del rio and his staff have done a great job. >> is the culture changing? >> i love this young fresno state guy, he is from my alma mater. you see leadership skills and ability. he had a to quit and so did a lot of teams, right with four minutes left he throws an interception. then what does he do? with two minutes left he became a raider. this is what the raiders fans wanted to see. could he slide back with adversity? he showed you, the 15-yard come. a great job on michael crabtree. then, able to spread it down the middle of the field. this is a big-time performance by a young quarterback. this is a shootout. this team could have any way. >> going in the right direction, their first win under their new

head coach. >> all right, we'll take a break when we come back on the xfinity sports sunday, with retirement just around the corner. tim hudson turns back the clock to keep the giants' hopes alive. and speaking of the champs, looks like the warriors are ready to break the bank to ensure that they will have another championship run. this is xfinity sports sunday.

welcome back. the giants are not done, but they're in the neighborhood of done. and they were hosting arizona today, a team that had held them scoreless at at&t park for 30 straight innings. ouch, diamondbacks and giants. and krukow talking about a

disease which he suffers from, educating people on it. and a final start to the career. a good one. six innings of shutout balls. in the sixth inning, no score, one on. angel pagan scores on first, the first giants run on the series, first giants run against arizona. two batters later. buster posey, 3-run shot. his 19th. giants win 5-1. so they're not eliminated just yet, trailing the dodgers, nine games behind the cubs for the second wild card spot. lock up, green, move on to harrison barnes. the warriors have offered the forward an initial $4 million contract extension. the $16 million annual was not

accepted but it does appear to be a good starting point in talks that could last until october 31. that is the deadline for rookie extensions. the warriors are trying to prevent barnes from reaching restricted free agency in july 2016. and cards cruise to another victory, while johnny manziel is electric.

. first quarter, aaron rogers, escaping pressure, finding james jones. 7-0, packers. in the third here comes seattle, russell wilson connecting with doug baldwin. and the seahawks take the lead. then in the, packers are down one. rogers rolling left. rolling, rolling, rolling and finding rogers, richard rogers,

packs are going to win, 27-17. 49ers' next opponent, the cardinals taking on chicago. carson palmer, brown, cardinals up by seven. in the second game tied at 14 now, palmer connects with larry fitzgerald. palmer through four touchdowns on the day, three to fitzgerald. cardinals win, 48-23. the browns host the titan, first quarter johnny manziel, going deep, travis benjamin, a 60-yard hook-up. 7-0, browns. johnny manziel flu to his left, again throws deep to benjamin. this time it's 50 yards. browns win it 28-14. time for draft kings, kingings of the week, brought to you by draft kings. win huge draft prizes, all

right. ben roethlisberger, really good, got to 30 points, deangelo williams, effective. got you 26, and larry fitzgerald always good fantasy performer got you 29. >> an old man. >> still getting it done on the fantasy team. all right, ricky, the niners now have to play the arizona cardinals. combined -- they're 2 and 0, but the teams they beat have not won a game. what are you looking for? what is the key for them rebounding against arizona on the road. >> they need to get him back on track. that is very important for the whole offense to function the way they need to at a high level. they need carlos hyde to run the football. but then also i want to see on the other side of the ball if the secondary can bounce back from getting lit up the way they did. >> eric reid, didn't have a great game. i would bet he bounces back. it was not one of his better

games. raiders will play at the browns. >> it's simple. they can't let johnny manziel get out of the pocket and they have to establish thing game. you're going into a hostile environment. don't let johnny get out of pocket, win the turnover battle, simple. >> down 50 and 60 yards. >> he made some plays. looked pretty good. >> so you need to get some pressure on him. >> i like this lineup. i like have this tailback and fullback. >> i like that. i don't even know -- i like that. >> i'm dave feldman, we thank you for watching xfinity sports. enjoy your week and we'll see you here next week. same channel, same time. thanks. >> you're the man, dave! .

were looking for. >> a plastic garbage bag. >> reporter: what was in the garbage bag? >> it turned out to be beer cans. garbage. >> reporter: the navy search had fizzled out. detectives were back at square one, and they amy already ruled out one of the people closest to lynne. what about ed o'dell? do you have to suspect the fiance?

>> not at all. he was in tennessee at the time all of this occurred. we have the phone records. >> reporter: so after months, detectives were no closer to solving the case. they had no dna, no forensics, no blood spatter, nothing to help them. and despite their suspicions about clifford friend, law enforcement couldn't say definitively what happened to his ex-wife, lynne. >> we didn't have the body, and we didn't have any eyewitnesses. >> reporter: back in 1994, katherine fernandez-rundel had been the miami-dade state attorney for two years when the case came into her office. she was determined lynne friend's name would not end up in some cold case file. >> this was not the easiest case. >> reporter: couldn't say if she was dead. she might have metaphorically taken the midnight train to georgia. nobody knew. >> that's correct. we didn't know she was missing. we believed it. we had a little boy. we weren't sure what he was

going to say, we didn't have access to him. really what you had was very little. so you had to really build it, you had to stay tenacious. >> reporter: tenacious indeed. because clifford friend actually had an alibi. [ sirens ] >> reporter: one he wasn't proud of perhaps, but it explained what he was doing that night and why there were two men in a boat. coming up, an undercover sting that didn't quite go as planned. >> he said, "oh, i took the recording device and dropped it in her diaper."

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>> reporter: months had passed, and with no success in finding lynne's body, police appeal to the public for help. they put together a crime stoppers re-enactment video that aired on local tv showing two men dumping a bag in the ocean, then trying to evade customs agents. a reward was offered, but the tip line stayed mostly silent. neither clifford friend nor alan gold would tell police directly what they were doing on the boat that night. customs agent tim stellhorn thought he knew when he ran a background check and found clifford's priors. >> through the investigative findings, we learned that clifford friend did have a criminal history. part of that criminal history was in drug smuggling. >> reporter: while the other man, alan gold, had no history

of drug arrests, was clifford friend, a known smuggler, dumping drugs into the ocean that night? his torney said clifford friend was committing a crime that night, but it wasn't murder. >> they were running drug deals together. >> reporter: attorney peter heller says that's what was in the bag clifford dumped. drugs. you're saying he was dirty. he had a dirty history -- >> he did, and they knew that. >> reporter: clifford also owned a pawn shop in the miami area. according to his lawyer, clifford's drug-running career ended when lynne disappeared. he wanted to turn his life around. he had a little boy to take care of. >> husband and wife -- >> reporter: and he would take care of christian with his new bride. a year and a half after lynne disappeared, clifford and janet married. alan gold, with the waist-length braid, was there, too. the investigators never really go away. you're putting together your new life with this man, and yet you've got to deal with all that stuff. >> after the first couple of years, the first two years, it

really disappeared. >> reporter: as the case receded from the public eye, clifford and janet friend focused on raising young christian. does he remember his mother? >> i never wanted him to forget who his mother was. so i always made sure that he had pictures of his mother in his room, and he was allowed to ask any question that he ever wanted. >> reporter: you had become the only mom he knew in his life. you are mom. >> i am mom, and he calls me mom. he understands i am not his biological mother. >> reporter: what kind of dad was cliff to christian? >> he was a great dad. they went and played ball together. they went fishing together. they went on travels together. cliff is a phenomenal father. >> reporter: meanwhile up in tennessee, lynne's one-time fiance, ed o'dell, had moved on with his life, too.

married now with children. the dwindling friends of lynne thought they would never see an end to the case of the missing woman. there was one person in particular who didn't like to see the dusty jacket of unsolved cases in his files. in 2001, one of miami's prosecutors, michael von zamft took over the case. along with assistant state attorney, marie monto. what did you think the biggest problem was? >> i had no body, no witnesses. his nothing to indicate she was actually dead. >> i think that especially now in 2014, juries with -- have high expectations. >> reporter: the "csi" speech that so many prosecutions give in jury selection -- >> they expect physical evidence. they want to see a body. >> reporter: the two re-examined the 16-year-old file and took a fresh look at a lead from back then that had never panned out. an acquaintance of clifford's, someone named robert missey, told police about a disturbing conversation he had with the

ex-husband not long before lynne went missing. he said it happened over breakfast at this ihop. >> clifford told them, well, she's never leaving the state with my child. she's going for a boat ride, and she's never coming back. >> reporter: this is dynamite for an investigator. >> it was great. we managed to convince missey that he should become our ally. >> reporter: in other words, a snitch. missey, a convicted felon on probation at the time, agreed to meet clifford with a wire weeks later. there was something worrying the pawnbroker about their earlier breakfast meeting. >> my biggest concern is the conversation that we had at on, hop. i want to make sure -- >> oh, no. >> i had no conversations. >> okay. >> ever. >> and that to us gave us confirmation that there had been an actual conversation at the ihop. and there was probably a discussion about the disposing of lynne friend. >> reporter: missey turned out to be a hapless, technologically

challenged informant. at another meeting, missey wanted to make sure clifford didn't discover his concealed wire, so he used his own baby as cover. >> we asked him, what was wrong with the baby? we couldn't hear, the baby was screaming. he said, oh, i took the recording device, and i dropped it in her diaper. >> reporter: you're kidding. >> the reason she was screaming is because those things get kind of hot. and we were just all appalled that he had done that. >> reporter: investigators did believe the initial ihop story, but after missey was called out in a lie on something else, he was quietly retired from the investigation. now 18 years after lynne friend went missing, prosecutor von zamft decided to tell the ihop story to a grand jury absent missey himself. >> we used that as part of the basis for the indictment. >> reporter: marginal evidence maybe, but nonetheless a good prosecutorial strategy. the grand jury indicted. >> you clifford friend? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: in 2012, prosecutors charged clifford

friend with first-degree murder. his attorney was flabbergasted that prosecutors would dare to build a circumstantial case with no body, mind you, on the expected star witness testimony of a very shaky informant. >> our investigators had done tremendous amount of work on robert missey. we had boxes of files of dirt on robert missey. >> reporter: but what the defense didn't know was that prosecutors were putting up a straw man. missey wouldn't be their star witness at all. >> we were never going to use him at trial. our whole intent was to use him and have the defense running around looking for him and everything they could find on him. >> reporter: and while the defense did just that, spinning its wheels, prosecutors were quietly working on reeling in another prize -- another better witness. one clifford friend could only hope he'd never see again. coming up, the other person

on the boat th

- you can collect rainwater to shower with, but there are easier ways to go green. like taking shorter showers, which conserves water and lowers your bill. you'll sing long ballads in the rain and short ditties in the shower. ♪ the more you know >> reporter: 20 years after lynn friend's disappearance, clifford friend, looking more jowly banker than killer, was on trial for his ex-wife's murder. the motive, prosecutors say, was sitting directly behind him.

the son, christian, now 25. clifford, the prosecutors theorized, killed lynne to stop her from taking the boy out of state to nashville where she was to remarry. for the last 20 years, christian had always been in that place, right behind his father, never questioning his innocence. in court, it showed the jury his continuing support of his father even as he was about to hear until now untold family stories. >> the truth, the whole truth -- >> reporter: among the first witnesses was ed o'dell, lynne's one-time fiance. o'dell described his last call with lynne. her call waiting beeped, and she put him on hold. she said it was her ex-husband, clifford, on the other line asking her to come to his house and pick up some money he owed. >> when you hung up with her, that was the last time you ever spoke to her? >> that is correct. >> what did you do when you didn't hear from her? >> i tried to call her and did not get through.

and -- >> did you call her -- >> excuse me a minute. >> mr. o'dell, would you like to take a break? >> no, i would like to get finished. >> all right, sir. >> reporter: to prove clifford killed lynne to stop her from taking their son away, prosecutors called her divorce attorney. he testified that one week before her disappearance, clifford went ballistic in a family law court when a judge approved the boy's move to nashville. >> he was angrily yelling at his lawyer that nobody -- nobody will take christian away from me. >> reporter: but these outbursts were at best purely circumstantial evidence. the prosecution would need a lot more than that. remember, lynne's body had never been found. however, the night his ex disappeared, clifford and his pal, alan gold, were spotted in a speedboat dumping a bag

overboard. the state believed lynne's remains were in that bag. alan gold had kept his mouth shut all these years. >> the key was finding a way to force alan gold to cooperate. >> reporter: prosecute michael von zamft made the other man in the boat an offer he couldn't refuse. he was subpoenaed to testify and given a grant of immunity with it. if he didn't testify, the hammer would come down hard. >> then i'll have the judge order you to testify, and then i'll let you sit in jail until the trial's over. >> reporter: at age 68, gold didn't like the prospect of years in jail. he chose the door marked "cooperation." stetson in hand, alan gold limped into court with a certain bravado. he passed by his former friend, clifford, moments away from telling his version of that fateful night 20 years before. he testified that when he went to clifford's house, the son, christian, who was supposed to be spending the weekend with his father, wasn't there. it turned out, clifford had dropped the boy off at a

babysitter's. gold said he right away noticed a large canvas bag on the floor. >> when he pointed to the bag or told you about the bag, who did he tell you was in the bag? >> lynne. >> reporter: gold says clifford told him he and lynne had argued, and then things got out of control. >> the next thing he knew, it was over. he had lost it. he knocked her down and choked her out. >> what did you take that to mean? >> it means that she was in the bag. she wasn't coming back, and that was of the end of lynne. >> reporter: clifford said he'd need the 30-foot go-fast boat they owned together. it was docked behind gold's condo on miami beach. >> he wanted to use the boat, take her out, pretty deep water, and dump her. >> when he told you that, did you immediately turn and run out the door? >> no. >> reporter: gold said, "go figure." he decided to help his buddy out of a jam because of his son, christian.

>> i basically didn't want to see the kid fatherless, and i figured it was the lesser of the evil. i figured it was just a tragic accident that happened, and why make it worse. >> reporter: first gold said they got rid of lynne's car. at the house, the two picked up the bag with lynne's body. >> did you as you tried to lift this bag say anything to clifford about why did it weigh so much? >> i did. >> what did he tell you? >> it's weighted. >> reporter: once on the boat, gold says clifford weighted it down even more. >> he disengaged the anchor from the anchor line and stuffed that in, as well. >> reporter: customs agents who stopped them confirmed the boat anchor was missing. they also found cement blocks and rope. gold recalled the moment out at sea when he gave clifford a heads up that customs was following. >> he said, we have to dump the bag. he jumped in the back, grabbed hold of the side of the bag.

i grabbed the other, and it went over the side. [ sirens ] >> reporter: after a short chase with armed federal agents, goal said they had no choice now surrender. >> i peed my pants. other than that -- he basically wanted to know what went overboard. i told him that a towel blew over. >> basically you lied? >> oh, yeah. i don't really want to tell anybody i just got done dumping a body in the atlantic. >> reporter: gold was asked why now, 20 years later, did he finally stop covering for his pal clifford? >> you had basically told me if i refused to answer that you would put me in jail. >> certainly you're not here out of the goodness of your heart. >> no. >> were there any other considerations that kept you from coming forward? >> i made a commitment to the guy 20 years ago. i didn't see any reason to break it. >> you broke it. >> only because you put me in a box, and i don't have any choice. >> reporter: a compelling witness for sure, but was he

credible? >> he's a character. he is despicable, but he's believable. >> reporter: prosecutors had one more witness to go. a jailhouse snitch named andre scarsia flores. the judge ordered us not to show his face. flores testified that one night he and clifford were watching a spanish tv soap opera when they were in the same jail. ironically, the plot was about a drug dealer who killed his wife by throwing her off a boat. [ splash ] >> do you remember in english what he said to you? >> wow. remind me of what i did. it's like deja vu. >> reporter: more damning testimony, or was it? >> you were absolutely certain you were watching that show? >> reporter: the defense was doing his homework and was ready to pounce. coming up, the judge explodes at the prosecution -- >> you put on a jailhouse snitch, and you didn't check any

further into his credibility? i don't want a response to that. >> and a son defends the man accused of killing his mother. >> i know that he loves me too much to hurt me by taking my mother from me.

>> reporter: the defense was behind on points after alan gold, the state's star witness, spun a hypnotic story about helping his buddy, clifford friend, dump his ex-wife's body in the ocean. but one person wasn't convinced. christian friend, the boy who lost his mother at the age of 5, listened to two weeks of damning evidence that his father killed her. >> every night he came home feeling more and more confident that his father was innocent. >> reporter: was innocent, not going the other way? not getting shaky about -- >> oh, he wasn't shaky at all. >> reporter: did you have any moments where you wavered, janet? >> never. >> reporter: say, maybe i've been married to a stranger, maybe there's things i don't know about this? >> absolutely not.

>> reporter: and the reason you stayed with him so four square behind him is what? >> we had a great relationship. >> reporter: while his son and wife still believed in him, how would the defense get the jury to buy its case? an excellent place to start was the jailhouse snitch. he told the damaging story about him and clifford watching a soap opera together about an ocean-going wife-murdering drug dealer. clifford allegedly blurted out something like, "that's what i did." >> the prosecution when she told me, she says, "peter, you can't make this up." i said, "yes, you can." it turned out he did. >> reporter: during cross-examination, attorney peter heller caught the snitch in a lie that sent the whole trial reeling. private investigators working for the defense uncovered evidence the state didn't know about. it turned out clifford never did watch that spanish language tv program with the snitch. >> the problem with the story was i immediately pulled our phone records. and cliff and i were on the telephone when this episode was

aired. >> reporter: the snitch's story unraveled, to the prosecution's great humiliation and unhappiness. after that oops, the judge ripped into the state. >> seriously. you put on a jailhouse snitch, and you didn't check any further to his credibility? i don't want a response to that. >> you want an answer -- i made a mistake. i made a mistake. said, "sometimes when it's too good to be true, it probably is." >> reporter: the judge called in puzzled jurors and told him to disregard the snitch's testimony. >> he's under investigation for perjury -- >> reporter: here was the point of the defense's newly energized argument -- jurors, if the state would put on a big, fat liar like the jailhouse snitch, what did that say about alan gold, the star witness? prosecutors were concerned. >> that was the key, to say if they put on one liar, they'd put on the other. >> reporter: the defense tried to prove that like the snitch

gold was a liar also. and that the reason he decided to tell prosecutors what they wanted to hear was that he was afraid of being charged with murder, too. >> no statute of limitations on first-degree murder is, there -- >> i didn't whack the broad, so i didn't care. >> is that what it was, whack the broad? is that what she is? >> i watch "the sopranos" a lot. >> reporter: it didn't take much prodding to show the court how little respect gold had for the entire proceeding. >> you find this whole thing comical? >> absolutely. >> why is that, sir? >> took 20 years to get here. >> so that's -- it's funny? >> your sense of humor is different than mine. >> reporter: the judge limited the defense from offering its drug-smuggling alibi, and the suggestion that it was drugs, not lynne's body, in the bag clifford dumped. still, the defense was able to shoehorn in the thought that gold and clifford were on a drug run that night. >> isn't this true that you needed to meet him to get drugs, isn't that true? [ bleep ] >> reporter: with no

body found, no dna and no physical evidence in clifford friend's house to prove lynne was murdered there, gold admitted he couldn't with absolute certainty say that lynne's body was in that bag. >> could you tell from your own sense that there was a body in there, yes or no? >> it wasn't april fools. there was a body. >> you didn't look in there? >> no, no. >> reporter: with the state and defense resting their cases, closing arguments boiled down to one thing -- would jurors believe alan gold. >> you know, alan gold was about as unrepentant a sinner as you're ever going to see. the state put him on because he knew things that only he would know. >> you cannot believe what alan gold says. he has an agenda. he fabricated because of his agenda to save his own life. >> reporter: the 20-year-old murder case was now in the hands of the jury. jurors deliberated late into the evening. around 9:30, they announced a

verdict. >> christian and i were together holding hands. i had told him no matter what happened, we would hold our heads high. >> we, the jury, find the defendant, clifford bret friend, murder -- >> reporter: second-degree murder. the jury apparently believed gold's story but not that the crime was premeditated. at sentencing a few weeks later, lynne's long-ago fiance, ed o'dell, spoke directly to christian, reminding him of what he missed in life. >> you will not be able to understand lynne's love for you until you have your own child. when you will know a love that you never knew possible before. >> reporter: christian, who'd sat silently throughout the trial, finally spoke. and he was still four square behind his father. >> i'm not going to go into the

frustration i feel in hearing that i missed out on growing up with my mother. i'm not going to go into how frustrating it is to hear how i've become a good person in spite of my father because he is the best person i know. i've been asked why i never questioned my dad about any of this many times by many people. and i never felt the need to. he raised me and taught me right from wrong. you've heard it said many times that my dad loved me too much to let me go. but i know that he loves me too much to hurt me by taking my mother from me. >> reporter: in court, judge teresa pooler had the final word. >> you treated lynne friend with unspeakable -- sir, look at me. with unspeakable cruelty. your actions left your 5-year-old child to grow up without knowing his mother. the manner in which you disposed of her body, sir, was despicable. by so cavalierly dumping her in the ocean. clifford bret friend, for these

reasons i'm sentencing you to life in prison. >> reporter: 20 years ago, state attorney katherine fernandez-rundel vowed that lynne friend's story would not end up in some cold case file. now she says there is justice both for the young mother and for her son, even though he disagrees with the outcome of the case. >> ultimately it is about a boy. isn't it? >> it's all about the boy. >> tug-of-war between the two parents. >> i would beg to say i don't think a father who would deprive a boy of the love of a mother really loves the boy. he loved himself more, it seems to me. >> reporter: markers. out west there's the great open sky. in south florida, the ocean. always the ocean. the vast churning tropical waters. for the aging friends, still remembering it is lynn's marker, too. after a violent death, the place where they prayed she might

finally rest in peace. that's all for now. i'm lester holt. thanks for joining us. right nowe nbc bay area news starts now. >> right now at 11:00, new numbers from the valley fire. more destruction reported. more lives changed. today many people returned for the first time. plus it is a story right outside your door. sizzling heat across the bay area. we'll let you know when relief is headed our way. good evening to you. thank you for joining us at 11:00. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. our top stories tonight, the late summer heat that is facing the bay area and hurting firefighting efforts. heat records broken. >> that's for sure. let's take you live outside now. taking a look at san francisco on the left. on your right, this is how