hello. dara brown, msnbc world headquarters with breaking news. after nine years, o.j. simpson is a free man. he was released from a northern nevada prison about an hour and a half ago. this is video of his release. this is a picture of him just before a picture of him before his release. we have no word on where he is headed. the nfl haul i have famer won parole after serving nine years a 33-year sentence for robbery. joe fryer is following this breaking story and joins us from las vegas. what can you tell us about why he was released in the middle of the night? >> well, what we can tell you is all along the department of corrections has been concerned about safety with his release. why is that? if he followed the typical pattern of someone convicted of a crime, typically that person would be brought to another prison in southern nevada near las vegas, high desert state

prison, transferred from there to the parole and probation office and sign paperwork, meet parole officer, be released to friends and family, but there would be a huge media scrum shall perhaps members of the public who would see him, the car he pulled in. when he leaves, that could create what would have been a dangerous situation in the minds of soom in law enforcement community and state officials because perhaps there would be a number of people following o.j. simpson, giving chase and they're afraid that was a safety issue. they're citing safety reasons for why the unconventional release. why is it unconventional? >> he was released from love lock, nevada. it's a good hour and a half drive from reno, 6 1/2 drive, 7 hours from las vegas. so typically, they do not like to release prisoners in love lock because there's no place for them to go, no rail line or airports nearby or anything like that to try and get around. from the beginning, since july, we've been told it's unlikely he

would be released from love lock. the second reason it's unconventional is they did this on a weekend. typically when someone is released in this situation, they have to go to the parole office. it's clearly open on weekdays during business hours. combine those two things, clearly the department of corrections is trying to create a situation to get him out without creating a big scrum following him around. also, perhaps in some way protect his privacy which at some level is what the department of parole is supposed to do. it's not public information for obvious reasons. we know he's going to have to probably stay in nevada at least for a few days. he has to hand over paperwork to the department of corrections in florida, which is we are wants to live. that paperwork has to be approved. sort of an interstate system for someone who wants to live in another state. as of late friday, the department of correction this is

florida said they had not received that paperwork yet. it could happen quickly. it's possible it could have happened over the course of this weekend as we're learning the typical normal rules aren't being followed in this situation. at some point we expect him to move to florida. he wants to live in florida, he has friends there, likely people to stay with along with two of his children. when that's going to happen at this point, we don't know. at least for now, this moment, he cannot leave nevada under the conditions of his parole until that documentation is taken care of. dara. >> under these circumstances as you mentioned, it seems pretty well-orchestrated already that things might be in place for o.j. simpson to be out on his own and obviously checking in with parole but moving on. what are the chances they've taken care of this quietly and we won't be seeing him in public for a while? >> it's certainly a possibility.

obviously, they're clearly trying to keep him out of the public eye. whether florida officials -- we sort of taken them at their word. up until friday they said they had not received any paperwork about that. right now, we have to sort of trust that that's the situation. you know, the attorney, malcolm laverne, here in vegas for o.j. simpson told us on saturday that, to the best of his knowledge o.j. still wasn't 100% committed to a wha his plans are going to be in florida. he said it's possible that o.j. simpson hadn't completed the plans and laverne didn't know about it. he thought that wasn't terribly likely. they still have to work out a few more details what he's going to do in florida. again, it's also possible it has been worked out and o.j. simpson will very soon be on his way to florida. we don't know at this point because there's been so much sort of secretiveness and tight

lippedness because of the high interest. >> joe, we know this was very quiet, letting him out in the middle of the night what kind of media circus were they trying to avoid? has everybody been sitting around waiting for this to happen? >> media is starting to arrive. everyone was under the impression this was likely going to happen on monday based on some of the things the department of corrections said. to be fair, the department of corrections said all along, we can throw out the traditional playbook and that's what happened here. i was in love lock friday morning. i was the only media person out there. you can't get close to love lock. it's a very long road to get to the prison and you can't be on that road because that's prison property. we were standing a good distance away. so had o.j. simpson been released during that period of time, bottom line is, even if a bunch of media were standing there, they may not have known because they would have no clue

what car he was in. there's constantly cars coming and going, whether it's shift changes. we were told all along the department of corrections might use a shift change when there's more cars coming and going to try and get o.j. simpson out. whether that was necessary? probably not. because they released him overnight. even a huge group of media had been standing outside of love lock, it's unlikely anyone would have known it was him going by. if you followed the normal traditional pattern, coming to high he is derts, the state prison just outside of las vegas, probably the media wouldn't have seen him leaving high desert. it's a long road leading in and out. there's a lot of traffic. it's a popular prison. there's also other corrections facilities on that same road. there's a lot of traffic. the issue really would have been the parole office because we know the office is only open monday through friday during

normal business hours. that's where a lot of media was going to set up live trucks and camer cameras, things like that. that's the likely situation where o.j. simpson would have been spotted. and from there, where does he go? suddenly, he could be followed by a lot of people. dara. >> joe, if you could hold on one second. i want to bring in john burris. if you could tell us your take on this. o.j. being released in the middle of the night and also what is the future look like for o.j. simpson? >> okay. first off, his release and the manner in which he was released is not surprising. i think it's undoubtedly something the parole board wanted to ensure the least amount of attention possible on that particular -- that's really not surprising that it happened this way. in terms of the future, i think o.j.'s future is bright as a person's future can be. employment opportunities, money making opportunities will be

there. he will be able to move to florida if that's what he wants. that can happen at any point in time. and he will be on parole there. very common for interstate transfers to occur. even though he's out of nevada, he could be on parole and administered by the florida department much corrections. the important thing is that he obviously can be rearrested and sent back to prison if he engages in any kind of misconduct. although, i don't think it's trivial misconduct that can take place. the department much corrections has and can return people for relatively minor offenses. given his stature and who he has been, unless it's significant, some type of crime that involves moral turpitude, there it's theft or any kind of violence, of course, will send him back to custody. he'll be on supervised parole

and do pretty much as he pleases and live where he wants unless he follows the conditions much parole. i don't anticipate that being a real problem for him. he's a person that can get along when he has to be. he has a lot of charm. so i anticipate parole being a thoroughly easy thing for him, just like being in prison has been for him. i think that he knows how to play the game, get along with people and knows at that now that he's free, i don't think he'll jeopardize that if as he tries to readjust his private life. >> what kind of restrictions on his parole? >> the restriction that is have are pretty normal. obviously, supposed to stay away from drugs and that, illegal conduct. certain kind of owe if you're a felon, stay away from anybody else who has a felony conviction, has been on parole. you're not supposed to converse with people of unsavory

character. also, really has to lead a crime-free existence, beyond that, you're probably pretty much free. you can't leave the country without permission do that, can't leave the state without permission. there's travel restrictions on him. for the most part, the restrictions are limited and he will be given permission to do a lot of things given that they're lawful and he requests permission to do it. that's a huge issue. requesting permission to do it. it will be granted. you know, given his lifestyle, he's a rich and famous person. if he stays within the confines of leading a decent life in that sense, he'll be fine. >> you say he's a rich and famous person. there's also a civil lawsuit pending against him. is he going to be able to pay that civil lawsuit now that he's out? >> he certainly will -- if he earns money now, which

obviously, he thinks he will be able to do, any money that's earned certainly will be subject to confiscation by the gold man -- judgment. the money that he has, continues to receive under his pension, that money is still protected. he will be able to earn money. that money, though, for the most part can be subject to any kind of gathering, being taken by the goldmans. i understand that nicole's family, the children, their lawyer is not seeking to recover any of the judgment. certainly the goldman family will be. that's an issue he has to work through, that he has to mindful of. i think he's subject to that. he may very well want to do that given the kind of person he is. he likes the limelight and likes being out with a lot -- going to get a lot of attention now. he may decide that the public attention that you get and the

money that you make from his status as a -- where he stands in prison, may be worse. the fact that the money will be he -- can be taken from him and even worse participating in the money making adventures. given the kind of person that he has always been, he likes the public attention, i think he'll prefer to that have than not, so -- >> mr. burris, thank you for joining us and joe fryer thank you for joining us from nbc news. again, o.j. simpson is free after being behind bars for nine yeefrmts he was released from a northern nevada prison about half an hour ago. stay with us. we'll be following the developments of o.j. simpson's release. witness katy perry.

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witness katy perry... aaaaaaw look at that dog! katy perry: with music videos and behind the scenes footage, xfinity lets you witness all things me. josh mankiewicz: it was friday, january 29, 2010, it was friday, january 29, 2010, and it was business as usual in the service department at this albuquerque saab dealership located on the west side of town. that is, until detective mark wilson and three of his colleagues from the cold case team showed up. >> have someplace we could sit down and talk, would you? chat with you just a bit. >> they were there to speak with 25-year-old mechanic michael sheffield, allen snyder's son, mike snyder's stepson. >> he didn't seem to be surprised that the police showed up at his work.

he said sure, we have a break room to talk in. we went there and conducted an interview there. >> he works in violent crimes. deal with homicides. we're going to ask you questions, all right? that we already know the answers to. you need to -- ever since you were about 17 years old. how you answer the questions and your honesty here is really going to change your life from this moment on. detective wilson here has been investigating the disappearance of your stepfather. >> why don't you tell me right now what you know that happened to your step dad. michael snyder. >> michael snyder who helped raise you. >> at first, michael tells the same story that ellen, his mom has told since the day mike snyder first disappeared. >> we have an apartment -- >> michael, remember what i told

you. >> that's what your mother -- think about when you're 17 years old and what you woke up to one day. pretty sure that's what you want your statement to be to the district attorney. we're not going to find his body up there. >> michael. it's time to come clean. >> i am. >> [ inaudible ] >> as far as i'm concerned, he left us. he left my sister and i. i was 17. she had -- [ inaudible ] >> he said, well as far as i know he ran off with a guy and left my mother and sister and i behind. denied that he knew anything. >> he's still telling the same story he's been telling for six, seven years. >> we have information, all right, that you assisted your

mom in burying your stepfather in this backyard. >> no? >> do you think we're here by chance? do you think we're making this up? >> i don't know where you got your information. but -- [ inaudible ] terrible crime. >> repeatedly, the detective tells michael that it's time for him to confess. >> i need you to be honest with us and i need you to right here on this picture show us where you buried the guy. >> i didn't bury a body. >> how long did it take him to come off that story. >> after we told him that we had information that he knew where the body was and went a little further and told him, we heard him talking about it, he came forward after we showed him that we had evidence. >> tell us what happened. exactly what you did with the

body. >>. [ inaudible ] >> the detectives had broken him and the story same spilling out after eight years of lies. it was early morning, january 2002, michael said, when he woke up to the sound of gunshots. and he called 9-1-1. >> my mother -- [ inaudible ] >> he must have hung up just in time. because there's no record of a 911 call from the snyder home that day. [ inaudible [ inaudible ] [ inaudible ] >> no. >> a few days later in a second interview, michael told police this. >> mom tells me what had happened. >> what did she tell you? >> she told me she shot him in defense. she was scared.

told me she shouldn't have done it. sorry. but could you help me with us. i was scared at the time. i didn't know what to do. >> so he says he reluctantly helped his mother wrap mike snyder's dead body in a waterproof tarp, place it in a hole in the backyard and put some construction waste on top of it. >> what's going through your mind at this time? >> i don't want to get caught. i don't want to go to jail. what am i doing? >> michael told detectives about the breakdown he had at mr. snyder's funeral, the one the snyder family thought so peculiar. >> i couldn't handle it. i had a breakdown then. so we leave. the family is staring at me. she's outside talking to me. and she says is this my fault? is this what happened? and i don't remember saying anything back. but now it was about that. >> i had the feeling that he was

glad to finally get it off his chest. he broke down somewhat. i can only imagine what it would be like keeping that type of a secret. >> the detectives showed michael photographs of the snyder's property as it looked in 2002 and had michael circle where he believed his stepfather's body was buried. >> did michael believe that he was on the hook legally for his part in this? >> i think he probably knew that he was. he knew that he was an accomplice in the case. >> a few miles away, michael's mom, ellen snyder, was ending her workday. >> when i came out from work, his girlfriend came by. she was sitting in her car next to my car. she says, you need to get in the ca car. >> she told ellen michael had called, the police showed up at his work and they knew the secret. >> i called my mom and said i need to come over.

she's like, are you okay? i said no. with that, ellen's mother phoned an old acquaintance of hers, a defense attorney named penny adrian. >> her mom calls me up, said i think we have a problem. there was apparently something very wrong. >> the next morning ellen went to meet with adrian. by then, the story was breaking. >> breaking news. albuquerque police have an active crime scene investigation going on. >> police tell us a confidential source told them the remains of snyder are buried underneath the garage of this home on -- >> she just sat really stiff in front of me. she said have you heard about them digging for a body in the northeast heights? and i said, well, you couldn't not hear about it. it was on all of the television stations and all over the newspaper. and she said, well, my ex-husband is buried there because i shot him.

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josh mankiewicz: north albuquerque acres is known for its large subdivisions north albuquerque acres is known for its large subdivisions in the foothills of the mountains. not for crime scene vehicles. and news helicopters flying overhead. in february 2010, this was the scene in front of the home where ellen and mike snyder once lived. >> out in the street, it was a zoo. >> reporters like jeff proctor were staked out for three days while men with jackhammers and backhoes began tearing up the garage floor. >> breaking news right now. >> if you lived in albuquerque, you would have had to wear ear plugs not to hear about it. >> we just spoke to the police chief and he told us that the police is here looking for the remains of michael snyder. >> a long time friend of ellen's

was at work when the news broke. >> i couldn't believe it. >> you really believe that he had left her and he was in phoenix. >> yeah. >> police began cutting through the concrete of what was now a six-car garage. the job of finding mike snyder's remains proved difficult. the garage floor was a solid foot of steel reinforced concrete. >> police will resume digging tomorrow. >> the excavation went on for two more days. finally, on the third day, searchers uncovered a waterproof tarp. inside, were the remains of mike snyder. >> they had been seen, mike was in phoenix, mike this, mike that and all along mike wasn't in phoenix. >> mike's family, the finality was devastating. >> to not know for eight years and somewhat hold on to hope and to have that hope finally pulled out from under you was very

difficult for all of us. >> ellen snyder sat in defense attorney penny adrian's office knowing an arrest was imminent. >> they had found the body. and she wanted to get it over with. she said we can't go on like this. >> so adrian informed the police that ellen snyder was ready to turn herself in. >> that following friday i met with the police detectives at her office and gave them a full statement. >> before we ask you any questions, these are the miranda constitutional rights, okay? >> she gave police a 2 1/2 hour confession and her version of events is quite a story. >> woke me up. i was 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. we were arguing. pushing back and forth. i told him that i know aut you and dave simmons. i know that you're gay.

>> ellen recently had grown more courageous in her dealings with mike. on this night, she confronted her husband over what she says was a secret gay affair. >> i'm yelling at him and he's yelling at me. i said i'm going to tell everybody. i'm going to tell everybody about you. and he's telling me you will never tell anybody about you, you are not going to tell anything. there is nothing to tell. he's denying it. he's screaming at me. i have never seen him so angry ever. >> she says she ran to the bedroom and got the gun from the closet. the gun that her colleague frank had loaned her. >> i said i have a gun. he's laughing at me telling me i'm a coward. that i'm never ever going to tell anybody >> he's like taunting you? >> he's taunting me. >> saying you don't have the courage to shoot me? >> calling me, you know, a [ bleep ]. telling me what a rotten person i am. screaming at me.

>> and in that moment of fear, ellen says, she pulled the trigger. not once, not twice, but repeatedly. >> i have never been so afraid in my life. >> he turned around and ran away from you. >> he did. >> and you kept shooting. >> i did. i turned, grabbed and kept shooting. >> how far did he get? >> ten feet. >> then what happened? >> then he fell down. >> elizabeth, mike and allen's 6-year-old daughter was fast asleep in the bedroom. she didn't wake up. but ellen's son michael, 17, was in his bedroom and he did. >> he was calling 911. i told him to hang up, michael. >> and he hung up? >> and he hung up. i sat down on the step waiting for the police to come. >> but the police never did show. >> i covered him up. i told michael to get ready for school. i told him i shot mike. you need to just go to school.

>> how was michael doing at this point? >> i thought he was doing okay. >> evidently, michael was not okay. he skipped school that day. he told his friend patrick about the horror he had gone through. >> did you talk to him about this? or from the first minute that this happened, did this sort of become the thing you're not talking about? >> right. we never talked about it. >> once you said to him, i shot mike, go to school. >> we didn't talk about it. >> later with michael and elizabeth at school, ellen planned to move the body into the garage. but there was a problem. >> trying to get him situated to where i could get him, a board under him to move him into the garage. >> you couldn't do it alone. >> i couldn't do it alone. >> so you asked your son? >> so i asked my son.

yep. >> you asked michael to help you move the body? >> yes. he didn't want to. i asked him please. he said okay. >> 17-year-old michael reluctantly agreed. >> were you aware that you were asking him to essentially help you commit a crime? >> i wasn't in the frame of mind to believe that. >> at the time you were willing to do that instead of the other option, which is call the cops and face the music? >> yes. at that point, i was just solving the problem. >> so the tears and the regret that i'm seeing now, you weren't feeling that then? >> no. never cried. >> because at the time ellen says she was on autopilot and needed to dispose of a body. and how did she do that? in the want ads she found a guy with a backhoe who came out to

the house and dug a hole. >> did you tell the guy why you were doing this? >> he didn't ask. >> ellen and her son michael wrapped snyder's body in a tarp and put plastic bags on his hands. and then in the dark of night, they moved him on to a dolly and into the hole. >> your son helping you this time or not? >> yeah. i asked him to help throw some dirt on top of him. he said okay. >> they filled the hole with leftover construction waste so the body couldn't be seen. the next day ellen went back to the paper, found a different guy who had a bobcat and hired him to fill in the hole. >> you buried the body. >> i buried the body. >> then she came up with her story. >> you got better at telling that story as time went on. >> as time went on, it became a bigger and bigger story. >> it was the end of her 2 1/2 hour statement to police, and

ellen snyder wanted to get one last thing on the record. >> is there anything else you want to say before we go ahead and turn off the recorders? >> i want to say that i'm not a horrible killer. >> with that, ellen snyder was charged with first degree murder and held on $1 million bail. >> albuquerque police announced they've arrested the ex-wife of an albuquerque man who vanished eight years ago. >> an 8-year-old cover-up was over. but another storyline was just beginning. did mike snyder have it coming? wassel en guilty of anything? and what could be proven after so many years? >> announcer: coming up, a startling police discovery. it appeared to me that michael snyder was laying in his bed when he was shot.

>> something more startling still. >> she can walk away from this. >> she might have committed first degree murder and gotten away with it. >> announcer: when "dateline" continues. when i started taking the chantix that urge just slowly diminished and it was a great and empowering feeling. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin reactions which can be life-threatening. stop chantix and get help right away if you have any of these. tell your healthcare provider if you've had depression or other mental health problems. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. the most common side effect is nausea. i don't even think about cigarettes anymore.

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cause it's liquid. woohoo! you'll ask, what pain? new advil liqui-gels minis. hello. i'm dara brown with breaking news. o.j. simpson has been released from prison. he left a prison in northern nevada a couple of hours ago. this is a picture of him just before his release and there is no word on where he's heading but a prison spokesperson says simpson was released in the middle of the night to avoid media attention and any possible incident. the nfl hall of famer won pennsylvania rop pennsylvania roll after serving nine years of a sentence. o.j. simpson released from prison. now back to "dateline." you thought he was going to kill you even though you had the gun?

>> yeah. i did. i have never seen such anger. ever. i shot him because i was afraid. >> there are some things ellen snyder admits. she admits that she shot and killed her husband mike snyder in the early morning hours of january 2002. she admits that she buried his body and then lied about his disappearance for years. but she does not admit to being guilty of murder. you don't think of yourself as a murderer? >> no. i don't. i was saving my own life. it came down that night to me or him. >> she says it's a case of survival. but ask detective mark wilson and he calls it something else. >> i believe this is an evil woman who planned this from the beginning. >> maybe she did fear for her life. there are people who saw her with bruises. >> sure. and it's a possibility. possibility there was a bruise.

there could have been something she set up to look like that, to go along with her story. it was getting closer to the time when she was going to kill him. >> even if it was an act of self-defense that caused ellen snyder to shoot her husband, why hadn't she called the police? >> usually when abused women kill their abusers, they call the police and they're sitting there with the gun when the police drive up. >> okay. >> they don't try to evade responsibility. they add hit what they did and say i didn't have any choice pretty much what you're saying to me now. but they don't bury the body and tell a series of pretty good lies over a long period of time. that's pretty unusual. >> okay. >> which suggests to some people that there's more to the story than you're telling. >> they didn't live through what we lived through. they weren't there that night.

>> ellen snyder now sitting in jail, detective wilson was trying to determine if the shooting happened the way ellen now said it did. because, after all, how believable wassel en? >> we tried to gather information six, seven years later, we don't have the actual crime scene. at that time they would have seen bloodstreams from where he first got shot to where the body was laying, to where the bullet projectiles had stopped. >> ellen claimed that mike woke her up yelling and they fought in the family room where mike slept. >> i'm in the middle of the family room and he is about as far as you and i facing me. >> what happened? >> he comes steps forward and i start shooting. >> using some creative detective work, wilson had an idea. he remembered something that michael, ellen's son had mentioned in his interview with police.

something about a stereo speaker. >> apparently not all of the bullets hit the body. one of them went through a speaker, like the bottom of a speaker. i still have that speaker. >> the detective went back to the house with michael, asked him to show where the speaker was positioned on the floor and where it was in relation to where mike slept. and detective wilson came to this hypothesis. >> it appeared to me that michael snyder was laying in his bed when he was shot. >> not up and advancing on ellen to do her harm? >> exactly. and the office of the medical investigator reported that the projectiles came up through the victim's body from down stomach area up into the shoulder area. >> almost as if the person was lying flat and the shooter was standing at his feet. >> yes. my estimation was that the body

was on the mattress when he was being fired at. he may have gotten up and started running if it didn't kill him right away. >> there was something else the detective uncovered that seemed more sinister than a woman in fear for her life. it seemed ellen snyder had actually made a pretty penny off mike's death. >> announcer: "dateline" returns after the break. y head & shoulds instant relief. it cools on contact, and also keeps you 100% flake free. try head & shoulders instant relief. for cooling relief in a snap.

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josh mankiewicz: just months after she shot her husband just months after she shot her husband and filed for divorce, ellen was awarded the couple's home and the cash in their joint account. and remember those tax returns that had been filed in mike's name after he disappeared? turns out it was ellen who filed them in order to get a refund. she also cashed out mike's $60,000401(k) and she continued to collect the disability checks that mike had been getting because of his multiple sclerosis. >> you kept cashing those checks for a year? >> those checks were deposited into my account, yes. >> totaling about how much money? >> about 4 grand a month. >> that must have helped. >> it did. >> so the argument could be made that you made some money out of

this? >> are you implying that it was -- that's because of that, that it a occurred? is that what you're implying? >> i'm not implying it. i'm saying you made money out of the death of your husband. >> i did not make substantial money out of the death of my husband, no. >> it was now the job of prosecutor to put together a case for the jury to hear. >> covering up the crime, it would be our best evidence in terms of trying to convince a jury that her intent at the time of the killing was something along the lines of a premeditated murder. >> the prosecution found itself in a rather unusual predicament. eight years had passed since the shooting. and in that time, the statute of limitations had run out on any charge other than first degree murder. that meant, in order to get any conviction at all, prosecutors would have to prove to a jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, that ellen snyder planned mike snyder's murder and with no

crime scene and little in the way of forensics, that was going to be hard to prove. >> so in her view, it was self-defense. but maybe she was guilty of manslaughter or second degree murder. but you couldn't prosecute you for either of those offenses? >> that's correct. the statute of limitations in new mexico, a state case like this prohibited us from going forward on the lesser types of offenses. >> ellen snyder's defense attorney, penny adrian, knew a first degree murder conviction could mean a life sentence for ellen but felt the prosecution would have a tough time making their case. >> the premeditation would be hard to prove. but even harder would be to prove that she did not act in self-defense given all the things that were going on with mike. >> adrian says ellen acted after years of emotional and physical abuse. >> this guy was treating her horribly. >> that's right. and had been for a long, long

time. >> she couldn't leave him? >> no. no. and that's what the cycle of abuse is all about. there's an identification lasol dependency, there's a demeaning factor. those things all go together until the abuser has turned the abused into someone who thinks that he or she, because it happens both ways, is a worthless person. >> would ellen snyder spend the rest of her life behind bars? or had she committed the perfect murder? >> is it possible she's going to walk? >> i mean, it's certainly possible in this case. >> she could walk away from this? >> she might have committed first degree murder and gotten away with it. >> announcer: "dateline" returns after the break.

josh mankiewicz: mike snyder's side of the family had spent many years waiting. mike snyder's side of the family had spent many years waiting. they had waited for on mike to calm after he deposisappeared. he never did. they waited for the police to call when it investigators first said they would look for him. that didn't happen either. an finally years later with ellen snyder sitting in jail, facing a murder charge for killing mike, they waited for justice. mike's sister, terry. >> how could you look at us the family in the face and tell us that you have no idea where mike is at on or you just spoke to mike and mike is doing just fine? >> thus giving all of you hope. >> thus giving all of us hope. it's beyond me how any one person can do that. it's unimaginable. >> finally, ellen snyder would pay the price for the murder of mike snyder. and the coverup inthat followed. at least that's what mike's side

of the family fully expected. but there was that problem. with the statute of limitations expired on anything less than first gl-degree murder, there w the chance ellen could be found not guilty. mike's family was willing to on risk that. >> we felt that strongly that it was premeditated and that was a gamble we were willing to take. >> but when it comes to murder, the prostitute tore isn't willing to gamble. >> maybe she gets convicted of fit-degree murder and that would have been justice. but with an all or nothing where you're trying to on convince beyond a reasonable doubt 12 jurors -- >> you didn't want to roll the dice. >> that is a huge risk to roll the do dice and not have somebody held accountable at all. >> and it was a risk for ellen, too. she knew going to trial could mean a possible life sentence. one month before the case was set for trial, prosecutors offered ellen a plea deal.

which she accepted. ultimately ellen snyder agreed to waive the statute of limitations restrictions and plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter admitting that she shot her husband. she also pled guilty to tampering with evidence for the burying and concealment of mike's body. >> falsely filed tax returns -- >> and to one count of tax fraud for filing mike's tax's returns after his death. in all, the maximum sentence possible was not life in prison but just 11 years. mike's side of the family was devastated. >> so whether she's sentenced to four years, five years, six years, seven years, eight years, 11 years, she's still gotten away with it. >> she's definitely getting away with murder. nothing will be long enough for us. >> in july 2011, family and friends of both ellen and mike gathered in the district

courthouse for ellen's sentencing. ellen's son michael was there in support of his mom. just as he had been on the day she shot her husband. michael was still a minor when the killing happened, and so in exchange for his cooperation, he was given immunity and faced no charges. as we sit here, you're about to go into that courtroom and a judge is going to pronounce sentence. >> yep. >> are you ready for what is coming? >> how do you say you're ready for that? i know that it has to happen. and i know it has to happen for this to be over. so i don't know that i can say yes, i'm ready, but it's going to happen. >> the prosecution asked the judge to give ellen snyder the

maximum sentence evof 11 years. >> she could have been looking at 339 years. >> her defense attorney asked for leniency. >> she does ask, your honor, that the court sentence her to five years in prison which will allow her to at least be at her daughter's graduation from college. >> the judge addressed ellen directly, focusing on that construction waste she buried on top of her husband's body. >> it was reported that you unceremoniously threw trash in the same hole that mr. snyder had a been placed. >> and with that ellen was given the maximum sentence of 11 years behind bars. >> hopefully once you are released, you can get things together. and go forward in life. >> and she hopes to. when we spoke with her, she said

she worried most about her children. her then 16-year-old daughter elizabeth was a high school junior. she was only six when her father disappeared from her life. >> you told lying to her. what did she say? >> she was most concerned about losing her mom. she's been to see me every week. she is such a remarkable young woman. she loves me. >> but ellen says the greatest regret of her life was putting her son michael in the middle of a coverup. >> you said that you always looked out for him and he always looked out for you. >> i didn't do such a good job. >> you didn't. >> he's such a remarkable man. >> i know you wish you'd shielded him from that. >> yep. >> i get the feeling you have way more regret about that than about what happened. >> absolutely.

the shooting happened for a reason. the shooting happened. there was too much to give michael. >> no on one b one but ellen sn ever know exactly what happened inside the walls of that dream home in the early morning hours of january 2002. that will forever remain a mystery. but one thing is clear, ellen snyder is something of an expert on how to live a life of secrets and lies. one thing we know for sure is that you are pretty good at telling a lie. >> okay. >> and the truth is, if you hadn't fired the wrong person, i think you'd still be telling that lie today. >> you're right. i can't dispute that. >> you have some sense of regret now?

>> absolutely. i'm sorry that it ever happened. i'm sorry for mike, i'm sorry for my family, i'm sorry for his family. good morning. i'm dara brown. it's 6:00 a.m. in the east. here is what is happening. out of prison, o.j. simpson released from a nevada prison after serving nine years. where he is heading next and the restrictions he'll face. who is getting help? the latest on the recovery on puerto rico and whether the aid is reaching those who need it the most. presidential visit, what will happen when president trump sees the destruction for himself in two dies. especially after his twitter attack on the san juan mayor. surprise