ever come. >> one murder, so many victims. that's all for therks addition of "dateline," i'm craig melvin. thanks for watching. i'm craig melvin. >> i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dayli dday datd "dateline." i don't know what it is about my mom that has captured the heart of so many people. there's just something to her that people connect with. >> she was the real estate broker who sealed the deal. >> her customers love her. >> hands down the most genuine person you ever met. >> she headed to a house that day and never made it

home. >> i'm texting her, i'm calling her. >> oh, gosh, what's happened here? >> something's wrong. >> was she in danger? was someone behind this? ? . >> i haven't hurt. please don't call the police. if you call the police, it could be bad. >> you can hear how scared she was. >> suddenly an all-out manhunt. >> this is like a movie, this chase and this kidnapping. >> oh, yeah. >> could anybody reach her in time? >> i had to be strong for everybody. i had to be. >> emotions were everywhere. >> i know she pleaded. i know she pleaded. >> did you find her? is she alive? >> welcome to "dateline." beverly carter was well known in little rock, arkansas. she was a beloved mother, wife and a successful real estate broker with a long list of clients. then she vanished. like all too many missing persons cases, police knew it was a race against time to find

her before it was too late. here's andrea canning with "the client." >> beverly carter was making a name for herself in little rock, arkansas. >> her face was in the paper every week. >> she had a billboard on one of the busiest interstates with her face on it. >> as a top selling realtor, beverly carter had become somewhat of a local celebrity. with her smile, he put house hunters at ease, trusted to find the perfect home like she often did. >> beverly was awesome at it. nobody could do it lake beverly could. >> but there was a down side to celebrity. >> this realtor had a target on her back. >> she did and she didn't know it. >> for beverly, being a realtor was more than closing the deal. was see in the perfect job for her personality? >> yes.

>> her son and his wife were amazed at how much they loved her. >> one of her clients, she went to their wedding and to their baby shower. she just sold them a house. >> she a beautiful smile. >> she had a smile that would fill the room. >> she was hands down the most genuine persony ever met. >> chad, her youngest son, said it was like his mom glowed. >> i think that's what stood out was that confidence. she was naturally beautiful. >> it was that natural beauty that caught the eye of her husband, carl. they met when they were just kids. >> she was 16. i was 19. >> where did you meet her? >> splendora, texas. she was working at a little hamburg are joint named the bionic burger. wow, i didn't know i would get me a wife when i got me a

hack burger -- a hamburger. >> you just knew? >> yeah. >> a wedding soon followed at city hall. she loved me, and i loved her. >> their young love led to three children, all boys and later six grandchildren. they had their share of marital problems, including money issues and infidelity, but they worked them out. so when their 20th anniversary rolled around, they decided to renew their vows and throw their big party. >> i asked her, i said, would you marry me again if i asked you to? she said, well, yeah. i says, okay. >> you know, they wanted to renew their love, show everybody. >> and it was a way for her to get her dream wedding. gosh. >> a few years after that, she got her real estate license and her best friends, stacy, brenda and denise say it didn't take long for beverly to build a loyal clientele.

>> did she sell a lot of property? >> she was the top listing in 2013. she did over $12 million, which in central arkansas is very well. >> what was it that made her good at closing the deal. >> she had that magic about her. >> she had the bubbly personality that it made you fall in love with the house. >> the women worked together in the same office, though they often said it felt more like play than work. >> we would laugh about anything. you know how it is when you get with your girlfriends, you talk about things you find funny, we would tell stories. she had this huge, goofy laugh you could hear all the way down the hall. >> and as realtors, they looked out for each other. their office even came one a secret code, a text that signalled there was trouble. >> so red folder was the code? >> you would say "do you have the red folder on 123 main street?" >> the code they hoped they would never have to use.

as her 50th birthday approached, beverly was determined to get in shape. she started running, working her way to up 5k races. >> the reason she started running was the medals. she had this fascination with medals. >> she lost nearly 60 pounds and gave herself a present, cosmetic surgery. >> she'd have the tummy tuck but she'd also have implants because she had a lift. and it was kind of a joke because when they put the implants in, they were a little bit larger than she wanted them to me. we had some big laughs about that. she's going to have them reduced because they hadn't fallen and they were sitting up here. >> but she did look good. >> she looked fabulous. >> and being a real estate agent, she felt it was important to look her best. on an unseasonably warm day, beverly was easing back into work. she was going to show a house

near her home. the potential buyers were offering cash. >> she really didn't want to go, she was tired. she wanted to get a fast close. if it's a fast close, you can get a closing quicker. >> everyday run of the mill showing? >> yeah. >> beverly left the office and headed off to show the property to a young couple. she told her husband she'd be home for dinner. but you didn't hear from her? >> no. >> carl started to worry. ride over. >> if she was over there, her car would be there. i went over and didn't see her car. >> beverly was not in the house, so this is panic time for you. >> right. i thought it was weird. because beverly wouldn't leave unless she was in her car. >> did you call the police? >> yes. >> that call set off a frantic search for beverly carter. where was she?

coming up, what had happened to beverly? >> all of a sudden, beverly texted me. >> and all of a sudden our phone started lighting up. >> she said, i'm sorry, my phone has been dead. >> some simple miscommunication? the mystery was just beginning. >> i still can feel the same pain. >> when when "dateline" continues. teline" continues. ♪ protect your pets from fleas and ticks with frontline plus for dogs and frontline plus for cats. its two killer ingredients work fast and keep working all month long preventing new flea infestations on your pet. frontline plus. the number 1 name in flea and tick protection. ♪

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carl carter was worried about his wife beverly. she had promised to be home for dinner after not showing this house not too far away. it was dark now, she wasn't answering her foam. at the property for sale, her car was in the driveway, but there was no sign of her. carl says he called the police, then his son. >> he says, you know, it's almost 9:00. he said, son, i haven't heard from your mom. have you heard from her? i'm texting her, i'm calling her and i can't -- i can't get any response. and my first thought was, dad, this is just the nature of the business. >> to reassure his dad and himself, carl jr. and his wife, kim, drove over to beverly's office hoping she'd be there. >> there was no one there. i mean, the place is completely black. and about that time dad had let me know that he had made it to the property where mom told him she was going and her car was

there but she wasn't. >> carl jr. figured there must be an explanation, as did beverly's friend stacy and brenda. being real estate agent themselves, she thought maybe she had gone with the potential buyers to show them other houses. >> we went to the two vacant houses that were her listings and went and checked the locked boxes to see if anyone had read them and nobody had opened them. >> beverly's friend couldn't sleep so she checked her phone. >> there's an e-mail from brenda and i can still see the words that said "it is with a very heavy heart that i let you know we can't find beverly, she went to show a house and she is missing." i still can read that and feel that same pain. >> police and beverly's family gathered at the property trying to figure out where she was. >> how was your dad handling everything? >> he was hard to read. he would sneak away from time to time trying to collect his thoughts. >> and then at 1:00.

bam, bam, bam, three texts. i hollered at the officer, come here, beverly texted me. >> it gave everyone hope. >> i was like, her phone had died, she got it charged, it's good. >> brenda and stacy got texts of their own. >> our phones started beeping at the same time with texts. >> it was such an eerie feeling. >> what was he saying to you two? >> she said, i'm sorry, my phone has been dead and it's back on. >> it sounded promising but a little off. concerned best friendsa used that safety technique the office came up with and texted beverly with the special code. i said "can you tell me if you left the red folder on my desk?" if she was in trouble, she would know. there was no response.

>> the one i got was, "i'm out having drinks with friends." i was like, we're right here. >> the ones on her husband's phone were just as deflating. having drinks now. carl jr. knew his mom would never go out and not tell anyone. >> i can't even tell you, to go from she's okay, this is all over, till the second we saw the screen and saw what the texts said, we knew someone had her phone. >> totally flipped me out. she'd been took. >> the patrol division who'd responded to the call decided they needed backup. the detective rushed over to the property. beverly hadn't been missing that long. why were you called so quickly? >> the division showed up and started speaking with the husband and determined some of the factors in the case were odd. >> not only was beverly's car parked in the driveway, her purse was locked inside. did you have just a grim feeling right out of the gate that this

woman did not disappear voluntarily? >> i was hopeful but i did have a feeling, yes. >> the detective searched the vacant house. it was pitch black. the electricity was off. >> i got down on the floor and with my flashlight when it's dark you can shine a light at a specific angle, you could see disturbances in dust. it just looked like somebody had walked through there. >> no signs of a struggle inside but he did discover a clue outside the front door. >> there was a tire track in the grass. looked look somebody had pulled up into the front door or backed into a back door. >> the neighbor across the street had seen something? >> yes, she looked out the window and saw a vehicle pulled into the driveway and later looked outside and saw a skinny white male with short hair outside of the house with the vehicle backed to the door. >> the detective found more in the back of beverly's car.

>> i found a notebook that she kept with realtor information on it that showed a listing on that house. >> was there anything in that notebook that provided anything, clues? >> attached to the listing was an e-mail address and phone number. >> did you call it right away? >> i did not call it right away. >> he did not pick up the phone for a good reason. the detective had a theory. >> i felt that beverly, wherever she was, she was being held against her will. >> if this was a kidnapping he knew they had to tread lightly with any suspects. like the couple at the house. if they were involved, the last thing he wanted to do was tip them off. and the detective said there was someone else he had his eye on. >> coming up -- >> they were asking questions like all right, yuz the husband, and you completely contaminated our crime scene. why did you do that? >> i knew that i was a suspect. >> when "dateline" continues. c. it's kind of unfair that safe drivers have to

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as the sun rose the next morning, there was still no sign of beverly carter. her family and friends were searching. >> we had beautiful eight-by-ten color flyers. >> she had new headshots done. >> we had hundreds. >> and hundreds searched search parties all over the area. >> her family, her office family

cameet. by that afternoon we had the search set up, and everybody had an assignment. >> many realtors felt this was personal. one of their own had gone missing on the job, and agents were on alert. in rent years there had been -- in recent years there had been a rise in crimes against real estate brokers across the country. brutal assaults and even murder. >> how often did you talk about safety? >> we head talked about it. a lot of times if someone called us and asked us to go show a house, out of instinct you'd jump up and go. >> beverly said she'd been in contact with the client for the few days. >> she wanted to make sure the wife was going to be there also. i think it made her more comfortable that the wife would be with him. the wife got on the telephone and told her, yes, she would be there.

>> her friends pointed out the neighborhood where she was showing the house she knew well. she of the very comfortable in this area? >> yes. that was her stomping ground. >> she had sold several houses on that street. she was very familiar with the area. >> her pastor lived on that street. >> and that street was now a crime scene. news stations helped get the word out. >> an arkansas real estate agent remains missing this evening. >> did that become the lead story? >> every newscast. all kinds of feedback from viewers. the biggest story on line, the biggest story on facebook. viewers here immediately latched on to it. >> shannon miller covered the story for nbc affiliate kark. she said finding beverly became a local obsession. >> people came out in droves, looking for her, wondering where she had gone. to not come home from work after doing something you do every day left a huge mystery. what happened to her? >> beverly's husband, carl, even

made a televised plea. >> i just would like to have my wife back. >> crazy people out in the world. >> but not everybody was buying the distraught husband story. >> people were saying, oh, the husband must have had something to do with it, must have hired somebody. we all watch a lot of "dateline." >> carl jr., so worried about his mom, now feared his dad could become a suspect. >> they were asking questions like, okay, you're the husband and you just went into this home to search for her, you've gone up in the attic. your fingerprints are everywhere. you just completely contaminated our crime scene, why did you do that? and so you could just see their wheels turning. it was like, oh, no. >> he was right to worry. detective allison brought carl sr. in for questioning. did you put carl in an interview room? >> yes. >> and treated him like this is

someone we need to tack seriously? >> yes. >> any time you do an interview like that, it's best to do it in that setting. you're in an interview room, and i'm giving an interview. it plays on their emotions. >> did you ever consider the possibility that carl could have paid somebody to do this? >> yeah, i thought about it. >> did you know why you were considered somebody that they needed to talk to? >> once i got in there and they started questioning me, then i knew that i was a suspect. >> as detective allison continued to question carl, he discovered some skeletons. they were having financial issues? >> yeah. >> how much money did beverly carter have in her checking account? >> i don't know exact dollar amount but it want much. >> $126? >> that sounds about right. >> was there a life insurance policy? >> yes, several thousand dollars. $100,000. >> $100,000? >> yes. i don't remember the exact dollar amount. >> the detective learned about other issues he found disturbing. >> he said, well, did you have any kind of affair? >> i said, yes, i had one.

>> something else that was troubling. years before carl says he got violent with beverly when he tried to stop her from driving drunk. >> i even hit her one time. that's when she got out of the truck and said i'm not going to ride with you. i said stay here then. i just drove off, just straight into a ditch. >> did you regret it? >> oh, yeah. like i felt like poo-cocky as far as that goes. i really need to roll in it. >> so did you worry did it a little bit? >> no, i didn't worry about a thing. i wanted to find beverly. one thing -- i wanted to find beverly. i hit her and that was it. just one time in 34 years, one slap upside the head isn't bad. >> and he said beverly never held it against him.

>> she forgave me right then. she knew i wasn't me. >> the detective wasn't ready to cross carl off his list. he had other work to do. the emails and phone foebs in her book were -- phone numbers in her book were fake. her sell currecell phone had ee before she went missing. >> what had happened inside that house? a new lead morphs into an all-out manhunt. >> a guy jumps out a second story window. >> this is like a movie. the chase and kidnapping. >> oh, yeah. >> when when "dateline" continues. yeah. >> when when "dateline" continues. what bad back? advil is... relief that's fast. strength that lasts. you'll ask... what pain? with advil liqui-gels.

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i'm dara brown with the top stories. deadly weather in the south. several tornadoes spotted in texas and mississippi. two children were killed in

angelina county when a tree fell on the car they were in. president trump denying on twitter that he offered any pardons to anyone at homeland security after a report claimed that trump said he would pardon an official if he was jailed for following orders to stop migrants from entering the u.s. now back to "dateline." welcome back. i'm craig melvin. the hours ahad turned into days since friends had seen beverly carter. it was old-fashioned detective work that gave police their first big clue. once again, here's andrea canning with "the client." >> detectives searched computer and phone record and data was pouring in. they were hoping it would lead to the missing real estate agent. beverly carter's cell carrier turned over everything on her phone. and there was one thing that

caught investigators' attention. these blurry and dark pictures she took of the house she was trying to sell. not exactly showcase material. when her daughter-in-law had a chance to see them -- >> you have a theory about why they're badly taken photos. >> you can just tell that it was like quick, just quick. >> like she knew -- >> i knew she knew something was wrong. >> she believed beverly was scared of those potential buyers and was rushing to finish showing the house. it was all bad news. beverly carter had now been missing for three days. >> i've never felt that kind of loss of control. you feel utterly hopeless. >> and helpless. you can't do anything. >> yeah, yeah. >> what they didn't know was that detectives were about to crack this case wide open. the team that had discovered the buyers' contact information was fake kept investigating. >> and they were able to start taking the e-mail address and phone numbers and sending out search warrants and obtaining subscriber information to that e-mail and phone number.

>> did names pop up? >> yes. >> their real names, aaron lewis and his wife, crystal lowrie. police raced over to put the couple's house under surveillance. >> this was a very delicate operation. >> yes. we were working with the expectation with the hope that she was still alive. >> detective allison said he wasn't sure if the couple was even involved. they wanted to see what he looked like. remember the eyewitness had seen a skinny man with short brown hair the night beverly disappeared. they hadn't been there long when a man matching that description walked out the door, but they didn't approach him. >> were you hoping he would lead to you beverly? >> yes. we felt if we made contact too early, if he was the one we were looking for, everything is shot. >> louis got into his car and that's when the detective says the plan fell apart.

>> he saw us sitting there. that's when he started speeding off. >> he knew you were following him? >> yeah, yeah. he went around a 90-degree corner and was out of the vehicle before the time we saw him. >> louis was injured. police photographed him and rushed him to the hospital. >> we're not allowed to go back with them while they're getting certain treatment. so the detective is sitting out waiting for the treatment. when they take aaron back to get an mri or whatever they're doing, he decide to leave the hospital. >> aaron doesn't come back. >> he doesn't come back. >> aaron louis bolted from the hospital. what seemed the closest link to beverly carter slipped through their fingers. police launched a citywide manhunt. was that one of the first things you did was get his photo out to the news media? >> yes. >> and her life is at stake? >> yes. >> reporter shannon miller cuts in with breaking news.

>> authorities are searching for a man wanted for kidnapping beverly carter, a realtor -- >> was the whole city glued to their tv sets as the hunt for beverly was on? >> absolutely. so many people knew this picture, knew this face. >> and everyone was on the lookout. ben boy yet and conan waters, managers at a mortgage company who knew beverly from real estate deals were discussing the case in their office. >> as we're standing in front of this window with the window open, ben louis walks in front of this window. >> they immediately called 911. >> 911. >> i'm sitting over here. they're looking for a guy here that was involved in the realtor being kidnapped and this guy looks like him and he is nervous and he's out here at a bus stop. >> conan went out to the bus stop to conform it really was louis. >> i approached him. he was a little standoffish. i made quick conversation about

the bus routes, which put him at ease. and i went inside and told my colleagues, absolutely that is louis without a doubt. >> they saw louis ducking inside a sandwich shop. he's caught on a security camera. and when louis left -- >> someone from a distance outside made a comment "i think that's him" and that spooked him. >> louis took off toward this apartment complex. >> maybe five people chasing him. i think we were in different areas. i think we were confident where he was. luckily as soon as we turned the corner, we saw the police coming in. >> when the police get there, aaron takes off running into an apartment and jumps out of a second story window before he's taken into custody. >> this is like a movie, this chase and kidnapping. did it feel like that? >> oh, yeah. still does. >> the cops finally had a suspect. and what he revealed would send detectives on a hair-raising ride to find the missing real estate agent.

coming up, a haunting recording. >> i just want to let you know i'm okay. i haven't been hurt. >> could beverly still be alive? >> i had hoped. it's what keeps you going. >> when "dateline extra" continues. ♪ ♪ show your gut some love. ♪ only activia has billions of our live and active probiotics. a delicious way to enjoy probiotics every day. with 20 years of devotion to gut health. activia. like no other.

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custody. his name was aaron louis. he was an unemployed truck driver who had been convicted of petty crimes in several states. to beverly's son carl jr., he didn't look like a kidnapper. >> he just looks like a regular guy. so it was like what did this punk want with my mom? like it didn't make sense. i almost was like are we sure we have the right guy? >> detectives believed they did. but the roller coaster ride for beverly carter's family and friends was far from over. >> i can remember the feeling when he was captured, we were just all like, yes, where is she? come on, where are you? we're ready to find you. >> as investigators focused on aaron louis, they backed off on beverly's husband as a suspect. now detective allison was keeping carl in the loop. >> he said we got him. i said, well, where's beverly? he said we're still questioning him. we're going to find out. we're going to keep on till we find her. >> then did you have a little burst of hope? >> just a little bit of hope.

that's all i had. >> really your biggest task was to find out where beverly was? >> that was my biggest task and concern at that time. >> did louis know where beverly was? if he did, would he tell the detective? what was his story? where was beverly? >> he said that he kidnapped beverly and it was because of money. he said he found her on the internet, searched her out, saw that she was a broker and felt like she had money. >> louis described in detail what he claimed happened. he said when he contacted beverly, she didn't feel comfortable meeting just him. so he got his wife, crystal on the phone and told her she was going, too. >> aaron shows up goes in and makes some excuse as to why crystal couldn't come. and aaron said he had beverly take photos with her phone. >> that explains why the photos

he had seen were dark and blizzardy. louis said he'd asked beverly to send pictures to crystal because she couldn't be there. >> he said when they got to the top of the stairs, he pulled out a flashlight taser and said she was about to have a bad day. see it asked, what are you talking about? he said, you're being kidnapped. >> she must have absolutely terrified. >> no doubt. no doubt. >> louis then claimed he had an accomplice and he wasn't talking about his wife who had set up the meeting with beverly. it was someone else. >> he said if anything happened to beverly, trevor done it. >> who's trevor? >> trevor is a guy that aaron lived with for a short period of time. >> did this give you hope there was an accomplice here and mean he did have beverly? >> i had hope we were going to find beverly alive. you have to. that's what keeps you going. >> louis said the last time he saw beverly, he was with trevor and offered evidence she might still be alive. louis played a recording from

his phone and it was chilling. >> carl, it's beverly. i just want to let you know i'm okay. i haven't been hurt. just do what he says and please don't call the police. if you call the police, it could be bad. i just want to let you know, i love you very much. >> it was encouraging but it only proved beverly was alive at the time of the recording. the detective told louis he needed more. >> that's when he finally says i'll take you to the last place that she was. >> so this is a big moment now. >> yup. >> in this whole case. this is it. >> yup. that's when we load him up and he start going to cabot, arkansas. >> beverly's family prayed this nightmare was about to end. >> did you know that aaron louis was saying your mom was alive? >> yes. we knew that after they had him and they were interrogating him. >> there was a big boost of energy. when he was telling us, it was so uplifting.

he was like we're about to get her back. it's great. >> is everybody sit big the phone, waiting for the call, we got her? >> mm-hmm. pacing. >> louis led detective allison on a nail biting road trip 30 miles out of town, the last place he claimed to see beverly alive. a shed on the side of the road. what are you thinking as you're approaching the shed? there's a really good chance she could be here or you're not so sure? >> i'm hoping like hell she's there. we go in and she had never been in there. >> that's such a letdown. >> tell me about it. it was bad. it was bad. >> but louis wasn't done. he had a captive audience and he knew it. he took the police to a new location, a house about 35 miles away. >> and he says, well, this is where i initially took her after i abducted her. as soon as we walked in, there was nothing. >> another letdown. >> another letdown.

>> are you feel like this guy is taking us on a wild goose chase? >> yup. i was so mad that i couldn't drive him back. i had to ride back with another detective. >> there's a woman's life that could be at stake, he's messing with the police. >> playing games. playing games. >> while louis was leading detectives on this wild goose chase, another cop had tracked down this trevor, the man louis claimed was his accomplice. >> we figured out he was in the military here in little rock, assigned to the little rock air force base. we did make contact with him. interviewed him. >> they interrogated trevor for several hours, then let him go. >> he wasn't even in town. >> he had an ironclad alibi? >> absolutely. we confirmed with the military's office of special investigation he was on base that day. >> lie after lie. there was no accomplice.

neither location turned up anything. police were running out of options. then detective allison thought of one more possibility, a cement plant called argo's where louis had previously worked. i point blank asked him if beverly was at argo's. at that point he looked up and had this stupid look on his face and i figured that's where she was at. police rushed to hope to find beverly alive. coming up, another game from aaron louis. >> i was so mad about how dare you try to tarnish our sweet beverly's reputation. >> and at last, an answer for her family. >> this is where we found beverly. >> when "dateline" continues. >> when "dateline" continues from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase sensimist relieves all your worst symptoms, including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. and all from a gentle mist you can barely feel.

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it's hard. that's probably the hardest part of it. >> he said, we found beverly. i said, well, was she alive? and, no, i'm sorry, but she wasn't. >> we had worked so hard, i mean, to find her. we just really tried to do right and it wasn't enough. >> i know she pleaded. i know she pleaded for her life and to be sent -- come back to us, and for her grandbabies. and i just have to know that god was there comforting her. >> aaron lewis was charged with murder and kidnapping. and his wife charged as his accomplice. they pleaded not guilty, but his words to reporter shannon miller outside the sheriff's office didn't sound like those of an innocent man. >> why beverly? why beverly? >> she was a rich broker. >> it was just as chilling in person as it was on tv.

and then he gets into the car and you're going, what did he just say? two weeks later, shannon interviewed lewis in jail and he told a vastly different story from the one he told detectives. >> was he willing to cop to anything? >> no. >> i didn't kill her. i didn't murder her. and anything thatnt. >> then he tried to say beverly played a role in her own death. he says she willingly met him at the house for a sexual hookup. >> she didn't want to go home. >> in your opinion, how far-fetched was this new story about the sexual encounter? >> well, it was 100% made up so it was completely far fetched. >> district attorney john johnson was assigned the case. he believed it was a kidnapping gone wrong.

but he needed help proving it in court. he turned to crystal lowry. >> i knew we would need to flip crystal and it was important for her to testify. >> he made a deal with crystal. she agreed to testify against her hurried and plead guilty for murder and kidnapping in exchange for a reduced sentence of 30 years. >> it's good for the jury to be able to hear, you know, the back story of what went on and the why of what went on. >> aaron lewis went on trial. the prosecution's star witness, crystal lowry, took the stand and told the jury all the grisly details. she claimed it was all about money, not sex. >> she said, he came up with the idea of kidnapping someone, but she went so far as to suggest real estate agents. >> she testified she was in class at nursing school when lewis abducted beverly. >> she got a text from aaron lewis saying, look at this, or something like that, and it was

a picture of miss carter bound in the trunk of the car. she said when she got home, he had brought miss carter back to the house. >> she told the jury when she got home, beverly was locked in their bathroom. and what she said next, showed how little thought went into this plan. lewis had forgotten beverly's purse with her atm card at the property, so he went back to get it. crystal says when he got close to the house, cops were everywhere. one even pulled him over. >> this particular officer just stopped a car that was coming in to say, hey, have you seen -- just ask questions and put the person on alert. >> the officer couldn't have known aaron lewis was the man they were looking for. >> miss carter was still alive. and he just didn't know it. >> when lewis returned home, crystal told the jury, that's when the couple ran out of options. >> she was in the bathroom with crystal's medication so she knew crystal's name. >> beverly had seen too much.

they agreed, she had to die. >> aaron took miss carter from their house and put her in the back of the car and drove her out to it the cement plant. >> that's when prosecutors believe lewis did something horrific. he wrapped beverly's face in duct tape and let her suffocate. >> he came home and told crystal that she was dead. >> and then the heart of the prosecution's case -- that recording of beverly pleading to her husband. they played it for the jury. >> do what i says and don't call the police. if you call the police, it could be bad. >> prosecutors same it was a kidnap and not a hookup. how quoo the defense explain that tape? attorney bill james chose to ignore it. >> i was unable to coupme up wi any plausible explanation for that recording that helped us.

>> was this one of your biggest obje obstacles then? led juries in a different way. >> you said this case was about secret lives. what did you mean? >> in order for our defense to r doing something other people didn't know about. >> here's where lewis' story got even stranger. he was no longer implying he had sex with beverly. he claims he was out of the house at the time? >> that's what he said, yes. >> lewis said the tryst was between beverly and crystal. he said beverly accidentally died during rough sex. >> she died while with his wife and that he was only just protecting his wife and trying to cover up for her. >> to further bolster this story, james suggested to the jury that beverly had been prone to poor judgment. he point you had on it that she was broke but driving a

brand-new cadillac and getting expensive plastic surgery. >> i'm just saying, she made some bad decisions. maybe she nad another one. >> finally, aaron lewis took the stand and told the jury the story about the alleged rendezvous with beverly and his wife. during cross-examination, prosecutors pounced. they questioned him about every detail, including that one piece of evidence that seemed to contradict his entire story. beverly's voice on that tape, telling her husband she'd been kidnapped. >> what he ultimately told the jury was that he had -- he had done it himself. he synthesized her voice and created this tape. >> you'll forgive me if that sounds maybe a little silly. >> you'll forgive you if i remind you i didn't say it happened. i'm just telling you what the evidence was. >> to beverly's friends and family, only preposterous, it was painful to listen to. >> we've been victimized over

and over again by him. i was angry not only that he was able to do it but he continued to hurt my mom. >> i was so mad because i thought, how dare you tarnish our sweet beverly's reputation. >> the verdict was back in less than an hour. >> we hear footsteps is running. the verdict's in. what? it was very quick. >> good sign. >> great sign. >> yes. >> aaron lewis was found guilty on all counts and given two life sentences. >> i felt relief, instantly relief that we got him. >> and beverly's family is working to make sure this doesn't happen to someone else's family. they started the beverly carter foundation. her son travels the country training real estate agents about safety. >> it's a blessing for me because i get to not only raise awareness, talk about safety, best practices, but then also

use that as an opportunity for me to kind of slide in some great stories about my mom and kind of keep her alive. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. good morning. i'm phillip mena. it's 6:00 in the east, 3:00 in the west. here's what's happening. new deadline. sanctuary city. the president finding resistance to his idea inside the white house. why his legal team isn't ready to give the green light just yet. document drop. robert mueller's full report could go public as early as tomorrow and some democrats are bracing for a few surprises. first, developing this hour, the white house and the president defending a nt