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tv   Dateline NBC  NBC  January 22, 2016 8:00pm-10:00pm MST

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coen que encontro a >>e kn >> we kn that he could not ve committed this crime. n cannot be in two pces atthsame time. >> a high-ofile trial. a spee verdict. >> i wastunned so whyshis case gting an almostnprecedented second look? >> this doesn't ha, riht >> it's incdiy rare. >> and is anyone prepared for this? dishsay,i bombsel >> shed. >> from tales of aret love -- >> she revealed that shend et d had an intimate retinship.>> -- to a tell-tale ue, hidden on a rdrive. i a smokingun. >>t'sinally time for the truth.>> thas a scary mont >> it was a horrible moment. >>'m les h and thi "datelin"
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>> reporter: they were so sure themselves as they campaigned for hisreedom. "hloved heroouch for at," they said."andnyway, he was with us, ey said. "he ould never have done tho dadfu readful things,"hey said. here on that frigid night in the hou on sumac dre, when the n side stopped feelinghe cold,ing el. the husnd retd fm he ler wasis ironclad alibid called 911 9:40, decemb7t >>hat tlocaon of your ergy? [ crying ] kay. eed u to take a couple dp breaths so i can see what's ing on. >> iusgot home from fr's house and -- and fe --y wife. >> rerthe hystal. a rl eonmoho ard had come to believe. but w, eson -s ?
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>> h namis bet >>betsy? >> yes. >>porte betsy faria. an crying you can hear i rusbussell. >> my g no. >> russl -- she dyou think that se's ond lp riht now? >> thnkhe'de >>okay. >> oh, my god. shs gone. >>rt: betsy ria was dead a gonat2.and yet? earldeath for betsy, as you will hear, was not a surpri that had been preordaed y. no, iwas how it happened, why happen, and a that's happenince in a small town ne st. louis, missouri. was russell faria innocent, as his ie andily army of supports sted? guiltys sin, asoth the stendetsy famy we s sue?
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fresh vestation realed startlg new allegations of sex, secrets, and lies, and asishing recored memories. as yu'll see tonight, the search for justice is a windg road, full of jarring potholes unexpected detrs >> reporter: bufirst you need to know about betsy faria. e was one of ur gis in h family. mary rodgers nd jie swaney were older sisters.>>etsy was the most tgoing and theost social. >> reporter: kinda grario, right? julie: gregarious is a great word forer. vy vcorfu vy sannvidual. yocld'tell r . she idhat she wanted to do. and she started deejaying at the age o-- i think she wa18, ybe en younger than tha reporter: wow. >>nd se could start up a party. >> shwas in her elent when sheas out tre she could get anydy on the
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to not. [ laught ] >> reporter: be was a single moer of two daughters, ah and mariah, when she met russ, and he seemed just about perfect for her. for her. funny,utgng, big het, said ru's cousin, mary anderson. >> he's a happy person. he w a jokester. >> reporter: yeah. ou -- never seen him without m laughing. >> rerter: and, said russ, s was the perfect woman for him. >> enurd me to go back to sool and get my degree, which led toa betr job, more money, tngs like that. >>hich probably ouldt have donead s not come alon >> rporterwhen russ met betsy, her daughters were very young, riah still a ti girl. >> we ally created a big bond, younow. and -- and lea, you know, nded with me as well >> reporter: betsy an russ got marriein january 2000. and, like my couples, they had good tis,nd tn less good mes. for morethan aear, they actually ved apt. >>e argued a lot. you know, it's always darkest re t dn, they s
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hishe'dfound a church that meant a lot to her maybe he'd like to come. >> the first week we went there they wstarting a series on marriage. [ laughter ] an oen >> reporter: and that, said russ, is when their marriage got better again ou know, weinda re-fell in love with one another. >> reporter: but life will have orot. tsy found out had breast cancer christmaof 2009, she told us that shehought she had it and it was diagnod in january 2010. at's whn she had her mastectomy. >> we wt through a lot of -- lotta crying, lotta heaache, you know, and just lotta hard time. and we kept praying. e just amazedhee millnof people th she knows. she wainlved in tennis. e ju contied playing
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througchemo. >rerter:nd maybe tt helher at it. in t o, bey's dor told er t ccer in remission so she and ssecided to elebrate. they organized a caribbean cruise, invited their friends and family to come along. a then -- >> s thinks"i'm free a clear." and then this bomgets dropped on her. >> repter: the cancer was backhad spreado her liver. >> it was operable. it was too far in her liverhat they coun't take it out reportr: she had, withk, the to fivears, perhaps ls. sohat did russ and betsy do? they went on that cruise anyway. took their whole gang with them. bet got to sw witthe dolphins -- a dam she'd had for years. >> just seeing how hpy she was made me happy. >> she toldverybodhis was a second hoymn for them. she saidt was the best thing that happene they had the best sex that they
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on this cruise. >> reporter: buth a few wes later,etsy was dead. it certainly wasn't the cancer that lled her. howid betsy die? the answer to that wn't clear at all. her husband, who cald 911, had one ea. mwife killed herse! >> reporter: but investigators had another- >> it's it's tyl someon o' gonommit icto d it theshdone it. d that's wncns us.. and that's what erns us.'ve seen st erything, so we know how to cover almost anytng. en "turkerks." [turkey] gble. [butchi'm uter] m sorr(b) coved march fourth,201 talko farmers. wve seen almost everything,
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's fingeckin' go.,, >> i j >> i jt got horom a friend's house and-- and my wife my wife. be all e ents which ha rtlupeedur story, ss faria hysteral ca 9ig f dembn whic he utted fouri wor at were going toece very important ined >> my killed herself. my weillerself. >> orussell, i need you calm down, honey. ok? i needou to calm down and take a couple deep breaths. we're going get somebody on the way the, ok? >> there s the town of tro about an hour from souis.
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a night out with friendso find hiwife, betsyde on the living r living roooor. and,e sa it loike she'd commitd suicide. hat-- wt did she do? do you kn? >> she's got a knife in her and shsled her arms. >> now, much later, russ told us something clicked when he saw well, she had talke aut it years before and actually tried once or twice. >> and whenoue in, what do you -- i saw slashes on her arms, you know, and was the first thing that justegred in m mind >> early next rng, bet's mother, janet meye got a knock on the door. officers standinthere n he doorstep. >> one of them just looked right at me a said, "betsy's de." ani said,ellhow ul she bede? shs here lasnight. > officers al went to betsssier julie hse. heyd it wassiic ooked ave her thisk like,
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>> think is, by the time police offered thatcide suggtion ttsy's family,hey already knew, t deatof bet faria was no suicide. even psible. firstnders could ll right away- and medal examin's office found betsy's body had been pierced many, ties- inclung wounds most likely inflicted ter e was already dead. ly surpring then, that police mighbe casting around for suspects or, that rushe husband, e man who supposedly discovered the body -- had some explaining to do. but that nght, at the sheriff's depart, getthi focus was not an asy ing. >> oh god. it sucks. no. but i think you're the only onthat can help us with this righ. i don't know what to do.
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they thought it might be russ. o was incredibly etional.was he acting? was tis florid grieactually real? whatver it was, russ seemed to story. etsy? >> lookedlikehe killed herself.>>utide really not know about all those other stab wound andomething else -- bet's was cold and stf wh those firstonders arrived, rigor mortis had al thwading. base tt,t aretsy had eedeor n russalle1. so detectives zeroed in on betsy and rusmonts. >>tell mout your night. >> rs said bsy had a chemo pointment thaafternoon plnned o toer m hse afterwar, and tn ru would drive her home. or aast, thawas the arrangement. but, hen he called bets sometime after 5. >> i asked her if she needed a ride on my way home she
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gonna bring her home. and i said, kay." and she said she had somethin to talk to me abt. i saidwe is it good or ?" a bad?" and she ys, "well it's good. don't worry." d i said, "okay, well i'll see you at home latan love you." ath was theast timei talked to her. >> after that, sairuss,e ran me errands, and then, at six ahe alst always did tuesday evenings, he arr at a friend's house, where a small groupathered for what they called their 'game night.' >> we go over there on tuesday nights and uually we play s. >> but that ptilar nighty friendhad gotten a couple of movies, and we decidedo tcst >> heefat:0 h sai stpecouplof andwiesa local arby's drive-trough, then drove the 30 mites bak h he in tr,hi would have put him e abut 9:40pm.
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unloed front or, all unsuspectingnd the-- >> i was taking my jacket off and clig for bsy. and then seen her the on the oor. >> will u ever fort what that was like, cong into the hoe and seeing tt? >> i see it everyime i close my ey >> i fell dowthere by her and i looked and sa on her and then i saw anife in k. >> anth, said russ, is all he s- so it lked to him like she'd done it herse, deliberately. >> and if this s back that it's t a suicide,you don' have any idea who may ve haed betsy? >> no, >>o, everody loved betsy. she was a positive sl. she always brought smiles to people. and he made me smile all the me. she made mso pud. it n pil for soone that's goinmm suicide to do it by the way that sh do it. and thats -- that's what coer .
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ialso ma russ the prime suspect. >> coming up -- russ and betsy's lationship. they'd recently enjed that rontic crue, but frienof betsy's tells police this between them rlly weren't that sunny -- >> he'd start playing this ga of putng a pillow overer ce "ts iswhat is going to eel like when you die" tn act like he was kidding. >>hen "dine" continues.en "daline" continues. y have your glasses fimaally, whenhere's the lenscrafters accufit system.
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russ f found s wife dead the police tk hiin a long nht of queson and a polygraph test e follong afternoon. though, sid russ, when he saw the machne -- >> hontly, i dot even kw if the thig was on or not. >> porter: butfter it? th to him hiledt miserably, so hst ha done it, ty said. time fohim to confess. >> the ft of the matr is y stabbedsy. >> no, >>o,id not. wasn't even er russ, you we ere. no, i found her kehat when i c when i came he. russd it aga again,buinvestigto didn' buy it muche rfor is th we hng oths wo pampp. she w the frienwho drove herhome from her mother's that evening.
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insurance industry and shhadlot of tings to saybout russ inuding what soued li a big, fat motive. money. >> he kes commts about how mu mony 'll have after she's gone and he's t life insu insurance rk. she surance. >> reporte pam hupp told investigators e'd been with betsy the day she die and that tsy told her about a propol she was gog to make tous-- thathe two of themove into her relativs house, whe th rented out eihome in troy. theyall save my at way d she be closer to nds ander chtreatmts.but m laimed bsy concer about how ru w ret tth idea. >> she goesk well, ll telhim, but m teliyou right no hs into getery ang." why? wh > sai, "he's d moving. he is stayingn his house and at'st." >> so she had already approached him with the idea? she was going to approach him - >> okay. >-- when he came ho > reporter: cod at have set russ off? investigators askedimbout that. >> she never mentioat to
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l, at was the news th she waed share with you en you got home. aceo hear it. was wen youold me >> reporter: investigators didn't believe ecially when they heard the bombshl am laion th, a sg game m id ru plad with betsy. >> he start pla this game ofputtg a pillow over he facesewhat it would feel like. i don't know if she said, "this hat it gogo feel like wn you e, wer. kiddin >> uh-huh. she was very upset. >> did she sound scared? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: so they took tha accusation to russ, too. >> i nvethat.>> would her friends tell the police that you hon that, and that s scared? >> shehad no reason tbe scared of m she's never beencared of me. >> reporter: but it wasn'tust the pam hupp story thamade
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oh, no.though betsyasled in her iving room, crime scene a light swtcin the bedroom. d on a pair of russ's close >> thfact of the mas, it's aloppymece there's blood onour clothes, idnce,n your bedro >> i didn't even go m bedroom. coros thhe horrifying fa that betsy ha been stabbed over and over again, many, many times. your wife was stabbed over 25 tims,uss. >> oh, my god. no. >> over 25 times. they're still counng. >> oh, my god. >> a burglar doesn't do that, russ. a stng doesn't do t somebody who loves that pern does that. mebody who gs into a blind rage does tha >> ro >> reprter: there w only one optio saidhe iestigators. russs going to he to me clean and confess. >> there's o one else thas any kind of motive, monetor
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know. i n't know. and i saysyou know, can confess to methi iidn't do. and i can't give you details for mething that i wa't present for." >> there wasever a focus on anybdy else. >> rorter: it was theay afterhemurdethat rs's cousin mary heard that betsy was dead, and that russ was being queioned. and that didn't make sense to her. she'd seen betsand russ jt a few days earlier. eryt everything smefine t >> was laughinand hap. e was evenaving him spot on the couch. she's like, "here, babe, you can sit next to ." >> reporter: mary was so se rwould not, could not, have killed betsy,he set outo defend him any way she could. but by the time investigators released russ, 48 hours after he was first but in for questning, the storyas a over the local media. > and bothis ce has really been taking a t ofurns today. >> thatas hard. i mean, they shod my pture on the news and -- >> reporter: they said you were
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>> yh. that's that's what aeared. and - while i was watchin' it, my family in tned it off. they said, "you don't need to watch that." >> reporter:ome fends began to wonder if they'd ever really known russ at l. his fams jokester humor and pranks di't seem so funnyow more like immature, crude, boorish. these chuh fries, sondra and marty mcclanan, had st a lot of te withetsy and ss. >>an peoplwod describe m a p. just the thinghe w s. t repectful. and heould dhat to everybod but he's doi it to his wife, o. >> oh, you know, "yowouldn't undeta. it doesn't matter -- you're not smart enough." you n't, like, say thatn front of aroup of people to ur spouse. >> reporter: betsy's moher --though she said she en close, very cse, to ss -- also remembered a few things that now stk out like a sore thumb. >> hld aiend of mine's husndhat ife got to a fight with somebod, he would fight to kill. reporter: and bey's sists? they weren't aware russ ev physically hurt tsy, ey
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about it, there was re in that man. >> ithink he had a lotf built-up anger. >> reporterthas the time, said mary, wn russ csed e of the daught boyfriends wi a baseball bat. >> who cseter a rid with a basebalbat? >> reporter: who tolabout this? >>he girls. >> i think they were verycared by it. >> rorter: so when ofcers to te family aut all those ounds? >>he said th, i didn have any doubt in my mi. i never thoht of -- it could be abody se butuse ey told me at >> report: at's what th vetitorsenking, too. butherwereplentyf people in town who thought the ea hat uss faria kiedis wife as utter gwash. and they said they could prove it coming up -- what sounds like a slam-dunk alibirom russ's "game night" buddies. >> we knew that he could not hae committed thiri. eporter: ie? >>'s impossible.
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>> repor >> porter: in the days after betsy faria died, her husband russ w, without a doubt suspect. but wle police accused hm of murder -- >> all of the evidence points to you. >> report: and betsy fa painted russ as an angry man, others in russ faria's world didn't beve a worof it. >> they were very hpy. d ty we planning a tripo florida and it wasoing to be in march ande waslike, "well, if that's what you wanna dou plan it. we'lle it happ ath, cusin mary saw russ's grief up cse. >> h was heartbren. an kept saying how bad it rt bau he lost hibetsy. thatwas thost heart-enchinthing toee. >> reporr:hey ha wake fo bey. and russ --
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to her all by himself, just him the casket. and he fell to the grou. he was a broken man. >> it wahard,t s very hard, but it aseally nice to sehow many people that she touched and that came. >> repter: and as for tt storpam upp was telling about ru putting a pillow ov betss cesaying that's what ath feels li >> uld russ have done such a thng? >> n now, would russ pull aover over her head and fart undeneath and say sometng like that? yes, he would. [ laughter ] >> 'cause he wasa jokeer? >>hat he wdos. but would h put plow ov her face and do t solutely not. >> they were a hay couple. >> reporter: one of betss many goodriends was russ's , n hamann. she id russ was the st pers she'd suspect oilling betsy, especially given how upset he was about her terinal cancer. >> the w that hepoken about losing betsy. u know how much he led her and how he didn't know whether
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he was takig it really badly. to hear any of that. >> they kept on asking me, you been russ?" >> repter: but, course, st o what you heard was just opinioruss'sefenders had something much stroner in their c. an alibi. remember th"game nigh ss said hended between 6:00 and 9:00pm theht betsy was murred. this is michael corbin, the host ofgame night." a few of his frnds had been comi by tuesday nights r years. >> essentially, it's a waer we can all get tethe be socble andot really spen y mey. >> rept: tt ica tsdanight,e sa, rus the othersatched moes togethe together. andone left at 9:00 p.m. as usl. then eary the next day mike and his rriend, angie, got a surpris e were up havg our morning coffee. got a knock on the dr,hich is instantly odd, about 6:00 maybe a lile before.
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us a whole lot of questions aut at happened last night. "wasssell here st night? s he drinking anything? s he acting san?" ththing ithe pe dn't tell them anythg bend thethat something had happened to betsy, said mike. th just asked a lot o questions about their game night the ght bere hen, thr ds later, the another early morning knock at e door. >> they tongie in e car, me in anoth vehle wittwo investitors and they questioned us separately, or interrogated us. i'll put it that way. >> pter: the two otherst house that nit were so picd up and question separately. th all said the very same thin russ arrived ound 6:00, they tched movies. >> and we we all withieight feet of each other the whole night. >> did he act the same as usual? > oh yeah. >> and y -- >> yeah you know -- he ded off at one poin know that. didn't knythg ird of this. >> repoer: nor wait simply
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russ opedoras just aer 15pm.more viosnd reip when he stoed to buy cigarettes, do od, a couple iced teas on e way to game night befo 6:00 p.ruscell pin thseas,and al ening --m 6:00 to - near mike'eand the receipt frs trip to the arby's drive-thru was me-stape:09pm. the drive back to russ's house would take, what wh th stop at arby's, about 35, 40 minutes, puing hihome just about the timee alled 911. >> oncweheard the timeline, we knew that he could not have committed this ime. > impossib? >> it's impossible. n ct be in two places at the sa time. i know how youwifdied. >> re >reporrbudectives n rsuaded persuaded. not at l.afterll, thed pam hupp's story and what they id w russ's fled polygraphnd her bld h sliers. and it wasn't long after bet
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was rested for e rder of hiwif comi up -- some sainvtigators y have blown it by focusing only s, because it's someby el wh tayou frobetsy's $15000 life insurance policy! got the money? >> sheot thney. >>reporte when date continues.continues. nivea in-sr body ln. first ... theny it to myet skin. moistizes with no icky feel. icklrinse off. and i'm readto go.
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we >> ruell -- she -- do yo ththathe's beyond hp t now? >> thk shs dead.>>epte the sta sd it soundesuiciously hysterical, like an act.
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her like howls of guilt. >> yeah, "oh my go oh my god, oh my god, oh mgod it like, "oh, wt did i do? what did i do?" >> well, heoved her,idn't he? >> uh-h.has whatses es- thes crimes pason. >> reporter:that sn't cious enoughidstate, there was o ru's clearly bogus suggestion tha bsy killed herself. an obvio liethey argued. after all, ashey poted out, thmedical exiner discovered she had ctualy been stabbed re than 50 times. meers ofetsy's faly, incluing hedaughtrs, stifiethat russ had mper. e friend who ove betsy home that night, pam hupp, to the jury what shtold poce, ssentily that russ was a bad guy. thysical evidee,aid th state also proved that russ commit the murde th bet's b on s ipers d her blood on t bedroom light stch. ev though she was killed i
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prutor russ men was undn , owing he h withhebe kli r. as the procur put it to the jurors. "he violates her one more time." and aforuss's alibi, th ecutor said it only made hismovements that even me suspicious. oked like he went t of h way to appr in front of eras at multiple gas stions when he cod have boht everythi at one place. and s alibi witness? sounded susouy rehears, said the state. betsy's motr didn't ink ch ofm either whenhey testified. >> they all were saying the exact same thing and thexact same monotone, da, da, da, da, da. it was believab. >> reporter: d that was in essethe state'se agnst russ faria. towhich defense aorney joel schwartzaid,re y kding? >> in mypini, an innoct man got arged with muer. and the st ofwbd from there. >> reporter: for one thing, sa e surveillance tas, the
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an alibi as rtight as y he veseen. but what stood out stark and ear to him, said schwatz, was that there were also some very curious unanswed questions. like, for example -- qustions about pam hupp, who had bad- moutd ruo the police and the jury. m, sa schwartz,ad tbe one of one of the last ople, if nt the last,o see betsy aliv. that would have been just after 7pm. withinhe window of time betsy is thtoave died. and when schwartz t police reports and lisned to pam's inrvie consistencies sod out to him, anyway example? one repo indicated bet's mom said pam ld her she didn't go into betsy's hou when he droppe her off that evening. bu -->> stold theli ty ifferent s s said she weninse for to minutes. >> seems like maybe more betwe ten 20 minutes? >> could be, yea >>kay. >> iy sn'tayin tention. i rying tgeout of the
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anotr one? pam said when she left the house, betsy was sitting on the uch but in another interew, which was videaped, she said somethi difrent. >>she may have still be on thcouch, but today it mak sense thashe lked me to the door. >> report: and thener the phone records beginni at 7:21, bey did not answer phone cals, idine from daughter whichust a time elier, sheadmised tonsr. so, was she deady then? six minutes ter -- >>t 7:27, there's a call from hp'neo betsy's cellphone.>> reporter: that one also went unanswered but here's wt pam told the police about that 7:27 p.m. call. >> i called betsy to tell her i s home. >> home? no possible, said schwartz. pam lived a half hour drive away.
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based on the cell tower triangulation? >> the cell ter triangulation showed that she had not gotten more than the ve most, about three miles frothe house. athe very least,he was still at the house. >> reporter: but the biggest question, to schrt s about iurance. itseemd y d tottney chwatz tt ju fouda before the murder someone, soezedsoez supposedlbetsy, mad p the bicf ts's0, dollar li insurance policy. >> andgot the money? >> she got the money. >> reporter: pam told investigators she onef betsy'est friends and betsy wand to get the money to "make sue her daughters wh they need." >>,would yoy benefryfeolicie d make surey kids gethen they need it. and i said, "welluld." >> rerter: but t make this important change, they went to a loc library and had a young liarot narny inranceomnyemee witnssey's signaturon the
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the whole thing seemed very fishy tschwartz. >> i belve that betsy was conned in so way, shape or form in rm into signi ts poli wit believi it wld ever actualbe sento the insurance mpany, whi is wh she never ld anybody including her owmother and her own sisters, who she s very clwith. >> reporter: but the lead detective toldhe insurance company pam was n a suspect check. >> the husband ways does it , f course, this is the guy o did it. judgment and their inveigion. it's the only explanation in eyeso explain at i conr to be horribly defient investati. >> porter: much later, tht samelead detective was eparing pam to testify russ trial and warned her the defense wod certainly bring up the issue. >> oe of the concerns that i have is-- again, like i said, the defense rsing doubtit
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um, you t this money given to you. >>eporter: after all, said the detective, padid enefit fro betsy's death to thtune of $150,000. >> they're going to suggest that u m have something to do with the planning or th conspiracy to commit that murder becaus of your finanal windfa. >> reporter: and not only th -- >> what you're original lling investigators is that she wanted you to do this to try to take care of -- make sure th kis are taken care of because they're afraid russ -she's afraid russ and the kids will blow thrugh it. hower, you now have this ne and have not turned af this mon over tohe family or the kids. >> that's correct. >> that's a huge problem. >> rporter: to make ilook likeess of a prlem, he said, she should set up a trust for betss daugers -- and soon. it he obviously, if that trust is going to set up for the girls - >> it will -- >>-- before the trial. >> and i told y that athe first phone call. >> sure. >> reporter: then the detective eparedam for the key question hexpected the defense to ask. >> did you have anything to do
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>> that's exactly what's going to basked of you >> reporter: in open court, but tse theresence of that jury, attorney schwarttoldhe judge that, indeed, he did intento ask m hupp abt all those thingwhn she took the and. but the judge said no. he could noasabt of that because, said tudge, was there no direct connection between pam and the rder. >> in the 25ears i've been practing la i've never -- a witnesifies, you can cross-examin the witns. at's a sitene of law. eir as, their intt, the fact that thee the last persn with the victim. the fact at they just recently were given the vicim's insuncunder who knows what prens. going in tse thfact at ty lied aut here they we whethey called the victim after beinin the house. and i cldn't geinto any of that. i've never seen anything like
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agnst russell faria? wasnuiteinished. the algation still to come. rushad helpers as he set about killin hife. >> co >> coming -- prosecors det mi-bgling plot, hahed, they say,by russ's game night pals. but what will turthink? ias nervous. the rest of my life is on the line. dependinon the 12 pele.g t 12 ople. see .see me don't stare ate.see . see me. see meknow that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm t contious. see to know that i won't stop. until i find what rks. discovosentyx, a differt kind of medicine te rias ovenri o fi cle oralmo clear skin. out 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months.ile the majoty w % clearae. do notse if you are allergic to sent.
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>> repor >> repter:uss faria's defense attorney, precluded from preseing anevidence tthe jury aut pupp' consistencies andurance windfall, madhis last, best se -- that his client wasn cent man. was russ wasn'eten to be ieving wh he ma that 1 call,aid joel schrtz. heas grievin >> it soued like man who wife was dead and heas grieving tremendouy. hover, he s doing h best to answer the estions when asked in ord to he the 911 operoand to help th
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reporterand rustold the po he tht it suic bause th's what itd ln he ntthe house and found her ther >her wrist waslit deeply and the knife was in her neck. although there was6 ds oswee the only two the naked eye. h shi, her pants coved ery oer stab wound, and those tho weret sible to see hink the person calling this in as a scis not somebody who committ the crime, but somebodwho had no idea. reporter: what's more, said scartz, many of etsy we clely not rest t wil sbbi y'd e a cre ion -- ratr,they pered tohave been metdil ad liberately made aetsyas dead, to make ilook lika crime of ion passion. >> there's no other explanation r e ck of blood and there'no heexplanation fthe deep cut oher ist that's post-mortem. >> reporter: and the blood evidene onuss slipps? >> there was no imprint of a e in the bloo nor was there any otprt anywre on the leoeading back to
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>> reporter: so how would the ood getn the shoes? > somebodatmpd to s this. reporter: dipd it in the ood? >> dppedit in the blooand hid th ba in e clset. >> repoeras for the prution accusiothat had sexith betsy befoe killing her -- >> without tng too gphic, there were eight sperll found ins her during the psy theext y. >reporter: totally consiste wi what russ told the police, saidchwartz. >> we were intiteunday night. >> reporter: that is, intimacy two days before theurder. and besid all of that, sai the defense, given russ's alibi, there is simply no way he could have committed the crime. but the state wa't qui finished with its case against russ faria. closing argument the jury, prosecutor leah key proposed a completheory of how the crime occurred, a tory for which she d not present eviden at the rial. and it was big. russ alibi, e told the jury,
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prece intention of hiding a murder, and that russ'same ght friends were in deep, coonspirors who helped russ hatch the murder pl, waited fore ght night to carry out, then ed about it on the stand. an accution me corbin wasn't inrt thear. but ter? >> i thought it was beyond the pale. i mean, we're innocent people. there is absolutely nevdence that we did anng wrontha night the ever will be because it dn't didn't happen. >> reporter: and despite at the proseor aued, neither ke corn nor any ofhe others he evr been charged witconscy, nor havehe been connected inny way to tsmurder. so, cording to the pecutor how did russo it? whout getting a single drop of blooon the clothese wore all that evening, and that night when he talked to detectives afterward? here's howsaid the precutor
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first, knowing what he intend to do, rs ran errands so at he wou appe ifrnt of ose sureillae meras. th oveo s friend's hou andedff his cphone so it d nghe a evenig. thene drove the half hour hom strippenaked, had sex with betsy, stabbed her more an 50 times, showered, put on his slpers, began to step in thblood but caughhimself and stped,ook thosslipers of se pot, sd prsecutor askerut he kchen gewelhiche uso ean upd fiy ht hi lothesk on. mnwhile, to complete his alibi, one the game ig buddes droves's pne back hs hoe, picng up an ar's ript for him on th y. only then, said the prosecutor, d russ call 911 as hetoss his bloody slippers into closet. and what d russ think of all that?? >> i thought e was making up
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ople, you know, that ias with all evening. i don'know anybody that would lie for anybodyhen it comes a crime ke tha you know. i wouldn, not for myest riend,ot for my mom. >> reporter:he more important question, of course,as wh the jurorswould thi. theyiberadour and a half hours before rrinat a verdict. >> reporter: tell me about going backp intthe courtroom and seeing them come in. >> i was nervous. e rest of my lifes on the . an, u k ddi o se2 op, shong an- andryg h it all tethe y kw. >> reprterhead done evething hco tpe innocent. butas h mi up -- >> couldn't really read wh thewe thinking up until they oke.>> repter: the jury delivers
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the opposit of over. in next hour -- newwitnesses, new evidence and a neact of t nightf e murder. >> she rembereseng car parked in andd position down the seet. andherwere two guys in there. >> report: but first, a judge'salmost unheard-of ruling. >> it's credibly rare, having haened only three ti previously in the state of missori -- >> reporter: ever? ever. >> reporter: when dateline contues.nateline continues.g a little cleaning i see. sparklpaper towels are great wiping up prints wiout wiping out your savings. just rht for cleing up...jelly..at... .rrigetor or.. ..nd look at this... security camerle. , why don't you tellhe homeowners how great sparkle works? sparkl
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des despite an alibi corroborated by several friends, russ faria stands charged in the murder of his wife betsy. 's about to hear the jury's cision, but the b moment
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this case. someone is about to do some digginghatll uover a fres piecef evidee. evidencthat will trigger an almo unprecedentedwist, but will it lead to t truth? agai, keith morris.>porter:re's quite possibl room, nspacs thick withension as a courtroom. when a jury, itsntsis dden behind masks of discretion, preres to announce its verdict. ru faria stood and search their faces. but -- >> i couldn't really read what they're thinkin you kno up until thpoke. >> report: tsy's fami ared. and listed. >> and en youeard it? rie >> hge reef reporter: rief beuse the erct was guilty. guilty first-degree murder. russ faria struggled to maintain his mposure. it was devastating. but i was trying my st to hold it tgether 'cuse my family' behind me the, you know,nd i
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>> the worst part of it was looking at russ's fac he was in shock. he couldn't beliet, and i haven't lost sleep ia long time overomethingn this businand it slee report russ'attorney was convinced that terrible injtice had just occurred. but betsy's family? d not ree. >> they wanted blame soebody andheolice were telling them that it was me. >> reporter: which was exact righ sa betsy's mother, all t morconvinced that juice had een neoe matterhat of any of russ' supporters might tell hr. >> if soeby re to come to u with evidence-,strong evidencat it wast rus buit was se other person, is th something th yououlaccep >> i woustilfeelit's rs, 10. >> reporter: a month after his tri, just before christmas 2013, russ faria was sentenc
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and sat in his cell, able to do much of anything, except hink. >> i can't igineever bng mad enough to do anything like that tanybody, let alone my wife whoi loved. i've ner stopped lovin wife. i'mnn of this. i did nokill her. >> what's it take to get used to the idea of bein here? >> a lot of prayer. a lot of faith. >> faithn what? >> fai i god. faith iny attorne reporter:hat, of course, w joel schwartz, who told us, thenthatfom, the case was not over. far from it. >> i know that russ didn kill betsy. and if russ didn't, en aur should hear all thetn. >> reporterso swartz submitted the usal paperwork. and then he to was ford to wait. for how long? whknew nev kn. e rnse is truthfully how ong is a piece of string? it just
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shut and we get this thing back c soon this dsot dervee rison. >> rorter: and schwartz got busy. ornine flowethe money. remember betsy' insurance payout toam hupp? pam told tectives the money was for betsy'saughters. and in fact -- mrs. hupp had funded a trust in the namethe kids approxately fivdays poroth cmencent of trial. >> rerterbut isn't this interesting? >> abo 10 days after the trial d concluded, the trust was defundedover 99.7% of what had been plac in there. >> wait a minut she funded the trust so that dug the trial ould look liksgiven all th ey the hat's ely cor. >> reporter: then in july 20, m was questioned by lawyers pseing bet'sauts, who areinerver th suran money, d at tim pasa that the meyas never iended r ts's daughters. betsy wanted her to have the
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>> did she mentin toou that shwant she wanted the money to be used for dauters? >> absolutely not. >> she never said anything like that? >> absotely notno. >> did she tell you that she wanted you toet the money a to hd it for the benefit of her daughteruntil they were older? >> absolutely not. >> i never dobted that that was her motiv the fstlace. so nothing surprised me.er, that in anof itself is mething that theourtfals needed about. re: the tions key ince om the stats tnesa li n dion te l ormaappe, schwartz filed a request for a scialeari to reconsidernd peraps w ou the guilty rdict based on what pam said about and did with the insurance money. > we thought the likelihood of success was verymall.
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be an innocent n sitting in ison. i was wling toake any sho >> reer: and what do yo ow? in fruary 2015, s motion was apoved. he wou get s hearing. >> it's incredibly rare having only happened three tim prevusly in the state of miri -- >> ever? >> ever. >> repter: a few months ter, a week fore that special hearing, prosutor leah askey met with pam hupp. their conversation was record. >> so what e our cnc of making the judge believe us? >> reporter: askereplied tha shwas conde. >> i feel ortable the law is on our side asar as next week goes. i feel real comfort wit that. and the tth of the matr is, while i don't wanto have another tr um-- we got a good case. you kn? and i'm, i'a better laer tod tn i wathree years
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>> repo report: anm hu agre wn askey suggestethat el schwz's bruid ego was the ason for the special arinand it was waste of her time and taxyer money. >> so i'd be happy to take him on again. i mean-- i'm-- not that i-- i've also got anotr 000 cases that need my attention. d when i spnd all my me-- >> keep redoing them -- >> right. just because somebody got their, you know, feelings hur becausehey lo. >> schwartz isn'used to losin. right. and stht's rely what it about in my opinion - that's whatt's abt o it's g a disic t axpars and citens re. >> reporter: was she right a week later, on a june mornin in 2015, a jud wld dide. rt feelings or stice? oming up -- aewss
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ver has been this eressiv this is e uit of perfection. yearan year and half after ss faria as coned omurder, they bro they brokeeleven.
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decision by 1:30pm. but -- >> at:30, no judge. i started to get a little neous because he'd had plenty of time. and to write otion granted" doesn't take very long.however if you're going to write aial, that's gonna go tohe couroappeal it uld take quite a while. so at 1:45 i started to get a lo nervous. finally about 2:00, i tked to one of thsherfs. and i tout, "we're gonna le this thing." my confidenc had fed. i asked what was gng on, if he kn. and the sheriff told me at there was arinter problem. >> a printer problem. >> so at tt int spirits were lifteani ought, "oka we still may win this." anthe judame out moment lar. >> iidn't kn what he was gonna say untihe said it, you . and it just -- very ervous tie. but whene handed dows decision, it was lik finally, mething good in my favor. >> reporter: his guilty conviction was orturned! russ fariwould get a new trial.
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you jt felt like y h a huge victory. you know, the onlyhing we ever ted was, aair chance, farial >> reporter:russ would remai in jl aiting trial, though uness someone culd come up with bond money. mary s determd to make that happen. >> we were supposed to come u with $50,000 plus property. >> plus property as llateral. >> to guarantee the -- >> correct. >>hat's not so easy to do. >> no, not at all. and i didn't know if we could do it. >> reporter: but mary had been fighting for her cousince thay he w charg and- >> we got lucky. somebody i know set me up with a bondsmathat knew the story, didn't believe an innocent man should be sittinghere. and he worked with me. >> repoer: mary put up her home acollatal. >> i'm that positie in his innocence and that he's not going anywhere. >> reporterand less than two weeksfter the hearing, may, lativ relatives d friend all piled into a bus pvided by a generous supporter and shoed up
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russ, w'd been behind bars for ree and a half years, had no ia what was about to hapn. e ook on his face was priless iwas it was veremional -- you just -- you almost feel like u ca breathe. >> i love you. >> who'd you rst? >> my motr. that was credib andettinto hugnd kiss much as you want. just bewith all thpeople you love at theame time. >> reorr: rusmoved in th his mom and rumed -- much as he could -- the life he'd msed behid bars. li game night with hisld friends, outin wh fily independence day, conrt fishing, ball games. life wasweet on the outside. buall thwhile, e cloud tedoward him. the econd trial, the real possibility he'd be convicted aga and sent righback to prison.
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deiteheis he as looking foa to a netrl. >> want a fair trialheay tht it should've been. so that people can rewheir faitin the justicsystem. >> repter: except perhaps he di't know what the ecution was fin was finding out about him. a whole new investigati was opened. deteives dug uand w matial t prosecutor declined to comment neevidence nytng else. so we learned what we could from some of t state's n witneses like tsy'song-ti friend, rita wolf >> we et freshman year in high school and becme friends immediately and have bn friends ever since. ourriendsp never ly opped excepfor a couple years when i went away to collegeshe had movo orida and hen we reconnected after that. >> it's rare to have ah ol frid you a able to kind of ronnect witand
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picup where we lt off. >rep >> reporterbetsy confid in her, said rita especialy about her ncer. >> sheam to my house once and i didn't een know shwas upset ate mont. we lked t a few things and then she just broke dn bag. and she's li, "i'm gonna kill mysel." but then there would be days where you woul never even know she hance we'd play tennis out of t bluend i'd say, "areou feeling good?" and she'like, feeeat today. and her pernality had changed for the moment. doou remember hoyou found out that she was dead? >> i was feeding both ofy babies, they were in their high chairs, and my oldest son said, "theretsy. and i t and i turned and looked and i had my tv mut, anbetsy's face was on thev. that's how i founou>> whais tlike? >> i cried. i called my hnd iediately and said, "u're not gonna believe this, but betsy'gone betsy's dea" fo mnute i thoug, h crap, did she really kill herself?" >> reporter: b only for a nute. and of course when e learned betsy heestabbed many times, knew it was rder.
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ieving rita sought out betsy's family. i d ask specifilly,"do you guys think russ did this?" and they said, "oh god, n" at that moment they did not think russ did it. >> b changed >> y kow, mypinion is that the more theroseons office shared information th their family -- >> uh-huh -- >>the mo they believed, h my god, he did this. a th wouhare wh me one of e sisters would text me antell me, "you'llever believe this." and then we would talk and so as time went on, i stard believing it. >> reporter: rita told prosecutor askey she knew, intimately, abo one of the key piec of evidence- life insurance.
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betsy nto signing over, to her, a $1,00policy, bu knew acwhatsy want tdo hat insuran, at dnt look good for russ. she asked if m husband and i ulbeneciaries one of her iuran picie. >> why woshe do that? > well, whhe told me was athe reallfelt russ uld blow the money onoyand fuand would not s ion the girls and heing the gls start a life. s ws real, real concerned outhe girls geing the oney to have for certaithings in ther life. >> a dt thinke was respsiblengh tentrus hiwith it. >> yeah. "i think russ wpiss it aw iwhat she told me. swe sadow my dining room table and we wro out a mocked up version ofrt. >> reporter: so it sounded a lot like what pam hupp had said that did t trust russ with her life insurance money but she did trst a friend. >> you greed to do it? >> no. did not agree to do it. i td bsy i felt that beu head so ny loving sists i would have donet -- i would have put onef her sisrs on there.
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a fnd to tcharge of her money maybe she ent neher d paupp d ri's sto mn had a tivto ki bet and how about ? mp --the e'rime tne inhe t trhad w evinceoo. which you uld onlyall explosive. secrets untnow. for sons which willerhaps beobvious.serets, psecutor to rita, that would bw e case wideopen. >> i told her, "i really hope, if you thk he sidt, at y have ole lo evidence thayou had t fi time anshe sid thedid. >> did she y, "i have a bombshell. i have someing really big --" >> she did -- he d. >> port: coming up . fo othe b dratic cim abobes peonal life --life -->>e just snt a whole lot of ime togeter andsb would be.
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50. you you could call this woman the witness for the prosecution. m hupp. whose vidence s so centl russ faria murder ial pam nttalk toetectives soon after russ releas from il. ld them aect sotng very surising indeed. she revealefothe first time that she a bet had had imateelationsp.>> robert patrick has been watching the russ faria case justs we hheepr fort. louis psttch. and he,oowa taken aback by pam's sto of anffair with betsy. >> they became closeies when they worked together at a -- at an insurance company and as- as rs and tsy rnshiind ofetiored, patookd ofsurrogate role a as partner. >> i knew everythi about every member of her faly, abt
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>> h's pam tling detectives. her. >> okay. >> so relatip started pret sn fastf -i was a huge idte of hersi don't tell oth people' business. i don't n' car-- >>t. >> autt stf. so she knew thcould lk to about anytnnd it uldn go anyther. >> right. >> th - had a secial bo that way. >> iwasn intimate initlly, buafter the cancer diagnosis, pa thought that theleast that she could do for her friend w sort of gi iths timacy th bet wte >>an, we spent a whole lot time tog, you know nd did. i plawh ausbandould be. it'hone relatonip th two women whoeallyren
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i don'tnow how to expln that. it not -- attrac n,ove everything abthem. cawait till "magic mike x comes out,ut shes the same wa it's not like she was a lesbian or anything. it wasn't like tha it was such an evolution of emotional trma for her. >>ecause russ, accordingto pamhadomabusive. t whene found ou what bey was up t >>hat d russ think ou is rlationip, accdio pa >> acrng to m, even before theyonsummedt, he s suspiciouof tir reliosh. d apptlye anbetsy ha gumboand should kd ter tiohiwitham irs'. ad she talke thme.d bothim. and thateredim? beca wasn'ju -- lltr side one t ll, he t it s sex. at that time, it wasn't even x. he thght that part of it bec she likx, bth notru well -- and you'r sut rht
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bothehims m ain, -- >> no have ced ou tha >> the emtion part. >if we ent and baed i the closetonce week or te- >p. >> heould ve careds. i agr a hund t with at. >>ndhe aot of pe likeat there no threat. >> right i was very threateningo him bau -- >> you --ou were changing hi whole -- >> oh, i was changing his life. >> his whole dynac. ye. >>hey, pold t iveonond her, and setng tlyglp >>usd me up against the walland he wasll red-faced kif like a gritted teeth >>h, he'sik talk about th far awafrom my fa ye, he was right there.i cfeelpit, h ande sa, "y --" somei to that effect, er cah togetheagn, i'y you utth bacard." >> just a few weeks por to her being killed? >> yes.>> and, said pam, on theig betsy w murdered, she wa gog to tell russ she s leaving him, intended to file
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sswould be furious, said pam, but neitheof themnderstd how furiou >> i d gltlis. i'leaving her with is [ble] coming home i know he' coming he. she knows 's comome. we bth know there going toe a ghing going o and i left herre. >> right. >>ni felt guilty, but i didnt wa to be ere. >>hen almost foumonths later jut a few weeks e trial, pam told detectives she started recallingome vague images i her head from the night of the murder -- and so - on her own she went to the scene of the cri. and, standing theroutside the faria house, she told those detectives, an old mory rned ther. a crucia a crl mory. >> s back te ria's old hse antook pictures. and ki of loed down the street in difrents and she said tt she rememed seeing ssha nht.
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of parkedn an odd position downthe street. a therwere two guy in ther>> and you think yocognizeone f ose n. >> i doy >>nd whoo youhink you believe -- o do you believe person was? >> i believe it was rus >> a there was anotheruy w was inof bigger orulkier the ssenger seat. when she ove by,hey appeared to be ducking down,s if, you kn, perhaps theyost soth on e floo d o point, e pasnger ne. well, this is a fairly coted return mory. >> iean, it is and it' ntially huge gift tthe prosecutor le, h, 've got ssian the e at a time when it would sort of fit in with allf the edence. he oromeo else sneaks kills herd sh'sot time cold sf bye ems ives absolly nd an eyetne who said she saw i. >> right. >> and >> and then thesecutor revealed shd uncovered wh she said was candal. ss had a girlfriend,
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murder. a gifrie -- who it seemed - was havi his baby. here's anher motive for ru toill his wife because he nto be th his pregnant girlfriend. >> but the k pce of neidundiscovered until now, was a letter foundn betsy's laptop, a letter that spelled out her fears aut s. ws the overbl ing gun -- >> thprosecutocalled it betsy's basically dying declaration. talked about tsy having a llow puover her ce, feeling thtened by russ, talk abouthe insunce.re's this really d guy who's movated by all thse things, to do meto do me hm. >> it was the letter in which betsy asked pam to acct her life insurance ney and usit to help bey's daughters. it ended with a line that, looking back, could be considered prophecy. >> she says if anything happens to me, give this to the police.
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condent -- russ faria was out toe nvteofrder, second time. >> cinup- etz has rydiffre te, aring at prosecuts neevence will only help russ. >> theieon lies cued toast inur vie e r defenr fens. mr. on, comeer wanto see u. staed wsingle ec. and the newaborn. thenwenected md mopeop until it bame clear that thenetwors t a fad orlury but a bac human necessity. and so, at&tuilt a network, justor you. e that connects your family and friends... your businesses, devices... mobile enterinment, connectedcars, and coecd homes. gro as u ow.
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yoneed a theeople yoyou stl ev an nrkisnvenand reinveed ery work for you hoand where you need it. is iyour network. the netwk at&t. fe thepark of emotionghup everyh of you. el wm inde.
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feel glade. joh,,,,,,,,,,,,, h new h newri earber 2015, s fari he be gnght back to in for eest of h lif >> a lot of buttflies,
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state was goingto present new evidence against him. >> wanted to over. >> reporterseurity r th trial was very tight no cell phonesr recordg devic were owed in the couruse. d at thentranceo the urtroom,s were icted poled wands toheckor contraband, or mal in people's poets. but resentments fest. hereatmen to some pple, didn't seemqual >> bet's side, they could t line. they didn't get pd down.they did u a wan ey diseh thpuram huppot o in a employe' doo >> rorter:his was a very polarized room, this courtr it was lie the -- y. >> repoer: -- two sides didn't wat mucho do with each other, right? >> not at all. it was tense. >> rorter: prosecutor leaaskey present the cas aginas a cme of ssio e rev all the d
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abusive and ntrollin bi, andon. >>re gy. 's mean to his kids. mean to hiog. he's mean to his we. there's blood in spot maybe there was cleanup in other spots. rter: a thethe was all thatewevidence. andne ext tidbid for thfirst ti d onef the trl >> aheriff's deputy said, "i remembr at i did see some watinheub." rorter: meang? >> ll, that would fit with the prosution theory that russ had killed her and cleaned up. >> rerter: so, what d defense attorneys nathan snson and joel schwartz think about this amped up evidence against russ? not much, apparently. that la b, for example -- taterps in the thub, with s legaon thatus killd tsythen cleaned up in the tub this ficer coming up with thvid lf fthed allegemebe somn
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ubg.thre was never a reporon t and f idon't believe it. y a nvenien recollecon tye later. >>eer: at about pahu'storouseet timate,relationship with betsy? >> i n't believe it. nor d anybody else who kws etsy. and frankly the people we ske w knew pam hup nod boht i it just was a -- an excuseor betsy to have given her e mone> port: no, ie defense, the state's caseidn' make any re sense now than it d t fir time. >> was still basedn no evidence.>> reporter: bheildest thing o ing of all,aid defense attorney schwartz,as the tale e s -- tol p hp. am's orm it's caed super cha. she cd to spwi the dettives, the stories became moroutlandi
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otte howe the lies upoli continue to, at least iour viw,nhce our den, nuber one, and show that te basof the theory had noing -- had no stability whsoer. >> reporter: but unle she w tellingheruth? >>t's simpled er ansrs thashe s telli theruth, because the tings that werstat by miss hupp e 18degrees differt fm ings that had bestated by her preousl >>epter: were ey well yes. bain011, pam said s'd only metusa wimes. heee nice gh. just n khim hat well. saw - thet m was ater 40th birthday paty he had for her. eportebut ne 2015, sh id she knewll too well, saw hp closend personal ust ore the mder, when sh imed ss threatened to bury hein thbackya.
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g kill yes. >> repoer: in july 2014, en pam was questioned by lawyers representing bsy'saughters, she denied any intimate relationsh with betsy. >>e re not g affai e wasn intiat rnship. >>porter: whetist wi a laterin 2015, aslihhe vintite indeed. >> i repaced wt husband would be. reporter: curious. also in the 2014 cil deposition pam said she had a od mory. >> you he any meory oblems. hupp >> no. . reportbut 2015, when he told detectis that she suen recalled seeing russ tside his house the night betsy was murded, she blamed her not remeberinghat before
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kehead injurhree aes in a ro repteut just as astoss her nstci, sd th denys, whe thtoy out seei rs atig actuallye from - e of the ctes. you c hear it for yourself. >> what we believe may have happened is th you were present, that rwas there whn you d tsy got ther and that por to you leaving, somehow oanher russ k t you werehere, eiy a phe cort the shee esencof yca twalkd in and saw yoerand at -- what rta mivating factor for you to leavewas him coming io e hou. at is wt we have discusd amgsourselves. >>eporter: t detective ked pam straight out -- > part of thatt, d it is in ctdid you see russ that night -- >> no. >> reporter:ou heard right she sad no.
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e said yes. wo you thatrs >> i beeve it was rus the police in -- in fo to enhance hupp's sto as wellas bolster theicase, suggested a theory to ms hupp thshe m haveeen ruar at the hou that gh >> port: whicshe adopd. >> i mean, it's so braz to be doing it on recordin that everyone can hear . >> reporter: pam's inconsiencies, sa t defensewerrampant.>> anit wast eve she ldell a story and th week a month later, tell dierentory. thetories sould tell in a singterviewou be nconsistent. >> reporter: then, remember e state'allegation that uss was having an affair when betsy was murdere, and that the wan was possibly pant wi his by at the ti? a littlefackght have been a od ide while the womadid have a afair with russ, it w way
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had ru's baby ile he wasn in, tt sily wast ue, as s herself mitted repor:hat happ whe she pn thstand? >>thwoman sdt e always sai "yes,e d afair. that affa endedyearnd a halbere betied. d baby. tnowhm re." >> rer: surprise! waone comi di'tsomeone. coming up from deep inside a compute vestigators arebo to retrieve a critical piece of evidence. >>t is smoking gun. reporter: t the dee makes a risky move. >> i was going to either be goat or the hero.>> when "dateine"onties.n "datlinecontinue e thing needo predictable is to flake free. bee have used head and shoulders for 20 yea. ed regularly, it removes up to 100% of akes keeping you protected ery week, every month, every ar
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>> report >> rerter: it was a lttle like watchg a tennis match f observers russ faria'murder retrial. the prosecution serd, hd, >> e co ver un partde and he dfense responde kind. >> every time her people went up, joel would come back and he uld jt shoot 'em down.
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success cross-examing the prosecutor's witnesses. liforxam rita wo, whoas cald by the prosecutn, but -- >> theef i talked to them as well. h-. >> and i really felte life insurance pece helped them mo than it helthe prosecution because of w got it. pof, whgo. cod 50,0 be a mote for murder? as pam herself told dectives - and moneis makes cazy,razy this. >>epo: t the big surprise? athe first tr an offic testifieth speci test had poibly detected blo i the en.e'ttos to prove it but, he told cour the pictur d not turn out. so jur wouldave to take his word for it. >> the ofir testifd that noing developed. all f the photogphs we plylacknessau th camera malfiod. reporter: schwartzidn't beeve it. >> i'dbe insting forhe last o and a half years on
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i didn't buy it. >> rorter: andinally, just re the secori his spion wnfir the phot dituwe alllo >>ot a hat ot note of whdidn dep. >> wow. >> reporter: those pictures, said swartz, did not support thfir's ttiny abo the results of thatpecial te. test. >> and they didn't show what he wanted them to show, which is why we didn't see 'em in firstri. >> rep: fact, lat sting d no ood at a i thkitchen. >>oused a very sg word abt estimony >> perjury?>>eah. >>t's a stng w's a g allen.'s not anccurate allegaion,ugh.>> but you'reng about a police or? es, i am.>> reporter: when we called the officer, he strenuously rejected that allegation. he was ner chargedith perjy
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schwartzof dling in smoke an mirros.in any case, the defense still d a big problem, that comput document. the one ass to pam found on betsy's ltop,ut never sent. in which she asked pam to be beficry of r life insurance, anthen eress a ki of fear authat russ might d might d her.clearlysaid the state, that was betsy's n, very onal, dying aration. >> when you got it, wt did you tnk? >> i would sainitial reaion was, t was, ttroug. >> reporter: was, caus it appeared to backup pam hupp's version of events. in ft, pam td detectives abou the documt soon after e murder. >> i would like to see mae if you guys can find that letter she was going to send me. >> reporter: but whether they loked for it or not, they didn't find it. not then. trial, when a cyber crimes inestigat finally cracked
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turned erto ten. it is a okg gun, bt' t a smokn at lds to russi had always said that this lett would turn up, only because ms. hupp was so nsistent that this letter was there. >> reporter: but, this w curis. the was something different about this pticuladocument ernt fromnyther doment in betsy computer. >> once we lood at the letter and hadcomputer expert analyze , it turnshat it would be very diicul if not impossible, r bey to have writth the wait came up her computer. >> why would you say that? >> it was the only document in that computer that said author unown, the oone. >>reporter: meaning the documet most likely had been compod on aifferent computer altogethr, then transfer to betsy's laptop, said th defse, without bes owledg >>rshuknt comr in, ere on comte it was, he eire o the lette as ll when it was creed.
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>reporterbecause, said hwartz, he docent was load ontotsy's laptop the day before pam w namedhe beneficia of betsy's life surance policy anju days berehede >> it's likely at person delibered cooy twhat th werinto detsy and why ld dit, knowing whesslde a thee. >> wic if you're righ means atty carulplne murr? iink you llow t as well ashe money, and that information should be cefully as well as thorou at. >> repoer: pahupp, whose story was the bkbone of the st's case against rusfaria, was nocalledo testify. buankso r police tewsthe to pald were frt and cte in e trl, along with revelations likeow she kept e life insurance money, and was th lastersonno to have seenetsy alive >> theudge allowed to go into those things. >> reporter: inhe end, it
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russ fria's fate. el swartz had aeady rolled thdice, and elected tal by judge alone. tolate to go >> bench tril, a tal a judge e and not jury. why heen namwod yodo that wht caisky >> fnkly, it waa gut instinct. i was going to either be the goat or the hero. >> reporr: he find out soon enug. >announoming up.... the judge announces his ruling. >> that's a scary moment. it w>>t was aoreomen after four lonyearsru fariafinally learns his fate.ally learns his fate.t chicken recipe. en, i found it! in the lasplace i ever expted... ...nhville s new nashville hot chicken. crispy, ha pred chicn
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d schools are cled. mpbell's soups go grt with coldd a nice red. made for real,eal life (bke) at far urke) at farrs, we've seen alstverything, soe know how to cor almost anything. ev atag pool party (par music)
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talk to farmers. we know a t or two because we've seen a thing or two.
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ti me friday, thifth d of the fariaetrial, when the judg the sole pern ci e verdi, ed his delibas. >> i was just kind of milling ar osthcooo withily d friends and they erall tryingo keep mspirits up. >> reporter: then, three citing hours later. >thege wainready to come backn. and you're thki, i' gonnabeick. i reached ov to his sister and she had the same exact feeling. so we wersitting there holding each ots nds thinkioh, can'to this again. wh happe? what if? what if he els the same way
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what do we do then?an'to roh t and hkst, a he tart taing. that'scary moment. >> as aorrible moment. >> i'm ust snding there and i'mure i was holding my breath, y kw, and just anding as strait as d and foused in the judge. iseemelike an eternity. >> hekeeps talking and y're thinkingll, w i'm litt usedcawher he going wi t rort: anth final, hee it was, thor. d sayknon t of mdein thfi degreeind you not guilty on the count of armed crinal actioni find you not guilty it just,like avy we liedff shoulrs. >> al busdp in and you felt the floocome out from under your feet. you'rehinkg,id we hear ight? is it rea isrealg me? eperwas. ss faria was a freand
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to see the tears ofoy and to see the defee attorns cry. i was happy for rsnd his family because he sat in prison longnoughepter: the was a big cebration, of course. tnu' the p who'd sck with m, whoorked so hard to win his freedom. but of course, not eryby was lebting fa dli to be inrvwe clethe verdi, qu, shking and heartbreak. hupp alsclined o qut. oncegain denied s was involved in any way with betsy's any crime in connecti wh this case. a case prosecor leah askey considers clos. she ld datelinehe still believes russ killed tsy. in fact, askey gave us a writte statement, there was probable cau to belveheefendant committed cmitt the cme.
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his ilt, a judge wanot. , in fact, in open cot, thjud said, the investigation into t facts and theoes of this case by law enfocement is rath disturbing d,frkly, raised more qstiontn ers. rrented lot of people that i fel innocen ani lieved no more than russ. >> reporter: a feeks aft friends frien for game night. together again, fogood now >> i goultra-marine scout. reporter: russ's game night ddievowed at the secod ial just athey had at the firs one that ru was with them whensy was murdere. this was the ali the prosecutor wouldn't believe. in ft, one of the friends revealed here that officers leaon him, unpleantly. >>id yofeel thrtened by m? >> absolutely. >> reporter: beforthe send ial. >> trying to get yoto flip on russ?
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you to look at this. and en he opens up thbook and shows me the phot of the crime sene nd, yoknow, she's laying there. i sa, i do wanna see e. i said i n't nde blooand guts stuff. and at's when thecome in with -- ying to offer me immunity. i'm like, immunity for what? why uld i nd immunity? in't do anhig. we all didn't do athin >> lcome home! reporr: but now this stangest of cases was finally over, and russ faria could contemplate me kinof life again. thghor now, not with his step-daughters, who testified agai him.heirawsu ain p hp ov the urce mon contin>> the oly thi th'm plng on doin movin forrd, younow.i couldwel on tasan miserablefor the stf li l on what happen tme and ll omy we's ath an
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nd i'll be miserae ve or caoo to look fwa a makmy own fure. >> wh would she thin all othis? >> she'be very disappointed in a lot of people.>> repoe,eaning, ofcsy et me your han still wearour we -- wedding ri. >> ah. i stillar betsy. i think about her every day. i'llbe dinsomething and it'll ingp memory and, oh, betsy u betsy ud to le this." she's still alive in my heart. t's alfor istion of "datene." we'll see you ainuny at
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nbc "nightly news." carlee weather carlee wer tease and: we're tracking chaes in manitou springs th will fix the parking obm. new togh w ci leaders plato make it a more conveencommute. llevyonendhas for ining us forews 5 at 10. b quk and i'm lisa lyden.. here's aive look "right now" in philadelphia and washington d.c... where the snow's fng... and isorecasted to get much worse!! somereasould see 2 t3 et of new snow fore the weekends out. weathewarnings stret from mississippi new york. heres' brian mooar with th latest. === a vil wht at thihoe .. and the u.s. capitol was shroudedn a cloud
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the nation's c .
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