that's all for this edition of dateline extra. thank you for watching. >> they said, "this is c-4 explosive. we're gonna strap it to you. >> terror. >> a guy is driving to the bank right now and he has a bomb strapped to his chest. >> robbery! >> they said to me, "we want $4.2 million in cash." >> families taken hostage. told to commit a crime, or else! >> they're going to keep the son and wife while he goes in and robs the bank. >> striking again. >> she looks up, and here's a guy with an assault rifle. >> and again. >> for every minute that he was late his wife, was going to lose a finger. >> a high-stakes stalemate. >> the bank employee refuses to open the vault. >> a high-speed car chase. >> he's just hit a third

vehicle. >> how did the gunmen know everything about their victims? their secret weapon could turn everyone into a potential target. >> they would find people on social media. be careful what you put out for the world to see. it's a mouse-click away. >> reporter: it's a beautiful september day in the western mountains of the north carolina. a beautiful stretch of interstate north carolina state highway patrol is running radar. >> and you see a ford edge blow right by. >> it started off as a routine

traffic stop. but it was anything but routine. >> all of a sudden, you see the suv pull over to the shoulder. you see the passenger's side door open briefly and, then, shut and, then, take off again. >> you hear the sirens. you hear the unmistakable roar of the engine. you see the vehicle swerve into the big truck, takes off its driver's side mirror, goes flying off. and you see his ominous brake lights go on. and, then, you see him ram the side. >> he's hitting vehicles. he's just hit a third vehicle. stop. >> reporter: our story begins in 2015 with 46-year old matt yussman, a chief financial officer of a credit union in central connecticut. >> i've been playing hockey for 30-something years. play every week, sometimes twice a week, all summer long, all

winter long. >> reporter: money management pays his bills, but hockey fuels his passion. he's the goalie for a team called the "trash pandas." >> so your league plays on sunday night. how'd you'd do that night? >> we won our game. which was a good thing but it was a late night game. >> reporter: matt's glow from a nice victory that february night ended after he headed home. he pulled up to the garage of his bristol, connecticut, house around midnight. he didn't know two men were watching. >> i would just open the garage door, get out, take all my-- equipment out. because i'm a goalie, i have a large bag. >> reporter: matt's 70 year old mother valerie, a retired nurse, was inside the home they shared watching the academy awards. matt moved his mom into the house after his dad, her husband of 40 years passed away. >> it was the night of the oscars. and they didn't finish till it was just about midnight or a few minutes after. and it was right after that when i heard the garage door open. >> as i'm walking back to the car to pull it in, i see

somebody coming running down my driveway yelling, get on the ground!" and i see he's pointing a gun at me. tells me to kneel on the garage floor as i'm kneeling there, he walks up behind me and sticks the gun right behind the back of my ear, presses it against my head, and says, "lie face-first on the ground." >> you heard him. he'd arrived home. >> yes. yes. and i was waiting for him to come into the house. and he wasn't comin' in. >> as i'm being zip-tied, i look up and i see another guy running down the driveway. >> reporter: matt says the gunmen were covered head to toe in multi-layers of heavy clothing and ski masks. based on matt's recollection, we created these images of those men. >> could you have made out their faces? >> aw, no. there was -- they had no distinguishing things that i could see. >> did you -- >> everything was -- >> even know what race they were? >> everything was covered. >> reporter: the only features he could make out, one was a tall slender guy, the other heavy-set. >> i got up to go out to the garage. and when i went out there, i saw matt laying face down in the

garage. and there were two masked gunmen over him, holding guns on him. one of the gunmen swung around with his gun and pointed it at me and said, "come down into the garage here." he said, "kneel beside your son." >> so this is all going bad very quickly. >> yeah, this is going bad very quickly. >> and i went down and i knelt beside my son. and i said, "please don't hurt us. please don't hurt us." i said, "we will do whatever you want." >> reporter: mother and son quickly realized they were the victims of a home invasion. neighbors couldn't see what was happening because their ranch home is set far back from the road on an isolated cul-de-sac. >> i guess you're thinking this is gonna play out, hopefully, in the garage. >> that was -- >> and we'll get past this thing. >> that -- that was my whole thing was, "you know what? take what you need. leave me. go." and i thought this was going to be the end of it. >> but it moves into the house. >> but it moves into the house. >> reporter: inside, matt was led to a couch. >> they immediately put a small knit hat over my head and duct

taped the hat to my head so i couldn't see anything. >> reporter: why didn't they just grab some valuables and leave? he could never have guessed what their villainous plan for him really was. coming up -- >> this was much more than just a home invasion. the gunmen say they have a problem. and matt yussman is the solution. >> they said we owe some very bad people a lot of money, and you're gonna get it for us. >> how much money? >> $4.2 million in cash. >> and that was nothing compared to what matt heard next. >> they said, "this is c-4 explosive. we're gonna make an explosive device and we're gonna strap it to you. and matt's mom was in danger, too. >> we're going to put a bomb under your bed. if you deviate from the man, we are going to detonate both of your bombs. >> when dateline continues. tinus fight for piggyback rides

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>> reporter: two armed, masked men were holding matt yussman and his mother hostage in their connecticut home. matt's mom was brought into her bedroom where they turned up the volume on her tv. she says she was instructed to lie down on the bed and stay there. she then was left alone. but she could hear something alarming going on in the other room. that's where matt was seated on a couch. his hands zip-tied. his eyes covered with a blindflold. >> i tried to listen to what they were saying to matthew. they were putting on some headphones on him. i heard them say that. >> and they'd put earphones on. and i'm just getting static and static. and i don't know what's going on. and all of a sudden i get a voice that sounds very synthesized, electronic. and the very first thing they said to me was, "this is not a robbery. this is not a typical home invasion." >> reporter: by using a device like this, the kidnappers could disguise their voices. "this is not--"

>> yeah, that -- >> reporter: "about a home invasion." >> this -- that just gave me the creeps there. 'cause that sounds very similar to what they did. >> reporter: then they outlined their complex big plan explaining why mom and son were being held captive. >> we're looking for a large sum of money. we owe some very bad people a lot of money. and you're gonna get it for us. >> reporter: how much money? >> it was very specific. they said to me, "we want $4.2 million in cash." >> reporter: and there was something else that was unusually specific. the kidnappers knew intimate details about matt's life. >> they knew where i work, what i did, that i had my mother in the house. >> reporter: matt, the c-f-o of achieve financial credit union was told the next morning. he would go to one of his branches and take $4.2 million dollars out of the vault. matt told them a credit union would never have that much money on hand. still, he could get them something. >> this is where i lie for the first time. and i'm like, "i can get you guys a million dollars."

and they said, "oooh, a million dollars." >> reporter: hours passed, matt says he sat on that couch, tied up and blindfolded, wondering what was going to happen next. >> it had to be around 3:00 in the morning, i think. they get me up. and they say, "you know what? we're goin' for a ride." that was the second time i got really scared. because now i'm, like, "they're taking me away from the house." >> reporter: that's a line outta the bad movies, "we're--" >> yeah. >> reporter: "gonna take you for a ride." >> right. right. >> reporter: right? the gunmen next went into his mom's room, carrying rolls of heavy-duty duct tape. they told her she was going to stay behind. >> and they s -- wrapped my feet with duct tape to the bottom of my bed. and they said, "just a precaution." so that i wouldn't go any place while they went away. and i said, "i will stay wherever you put me." i didn't dare try to get out of the bindings. >> reporter: matt says he found himself in the back seat of one of the two vehicles he owns.

>> they had actually put a pillow in the backseat of the car, don't know why. but they told me to stick my face into the pillow and not to move. we then proceed out my driveway. we drove for maybe 15 minutes. we parked. and i heard gravely or just cracking snow like we'd gone off side of the road. and i was, like, "wow, what's gonna happen here? are they taking me out in the woods? they're gonna shoo -- put -- put a bullet in my head. >> reporter: one of them got out of the suv. matt says he heard another car start up. suddenly there was movement in his vehicle. and they were back on the road. he was relieved to eventually find himself back home. then according to matt, the kidnappers asked him an odd question. >> set me on the couch and asked me if i wanted to take a shower. >> reporter: shower? >> a shower. >> reporter: after all of this? >> and after all that, i said, "sure, i'll take a shower." >> reporter: a shower after

terrorizing him for three hours? how strange. what was going on? and then matt's story took another bizzare turn. he says he was led into the kitchen where something was waiting for him on a table. >> they said, "do you know what this is?" and i said, "no." and they said, "this is c-4 explosive. we're gonna make an explosive device. and we're gonna strap it to you. because we don't trust you, that you're gonna do what you're told." >> reporter: c-4, a plastic explosive used by the military and terrorists. it can be molded like clay into any shape and detonated remotely. hearing what was happening in the other room, matt's mom began to cry. >> and then i could hear them unwrapping duct tape, lots and lots. i could hear that unwrapping. and that must've been when they were strapping it around him. and i began to cry harder and really panic because as you're laying there and i'm thinkin', "they're puttin' a bomb on him. >> reporter: matt was left

alone, a bomb tightly wrapped around his waist. his anxiety was building as each minute seemed the last before eternity. it was just before daylight. matt's mom says one of the men came back into her room and said something unexpected. >> one fella came in and said to me, "i don't want you to get alarmed. but we're gonna be usin' the vacuum." and i thought, "what, vacuum?" >> reporter: your vacuum cleaner. >> they come in and they -- i could hear them vacuuming out in my living room. and then they came in the bedroom and were vacuuming all around the bed and things. >> reporter: six hours into their ordeal, the sun was soon to rise. the two assailants told matt his workday was beginning. and he'd soon be leaving to rob his own credit union. and to insure his cooperation, they advised him they were leaving an "insurance policy" in his mom's bedroom. >> they said, "we're not taking

any chances. we're gonna put a bomb under her bed. and if you deviate from the plan, we're gonna detonate both of your bombs. >> reporter: matt says that plan included the threat to detonate his or his mom's bomb by cell phone at any time they wanted. at 10:00 a.m., they would text him the location of where to drop off the money. and to make sure he stayed on time, they also attached a timer to his bomb that would automatically explode at 11:00 a.m. that was less than three hours away. >> and then at some point, they came over to me and said, "it's time." they bring me to my car. at this point, they take the blindfold off me. they cut the zip-ties off me. >> reporter: so, "rob the bank." >> "rob the bank." we'll meet you at the drop off place. >> reporter: coming up -- >> i did exactly what they told me. i call my boss. i said, "this is my life. don't play with it." "don't call the police." but his boss does.

as i turn the corner around to the front of the branch, i see all the police cars. that's when pure panic sets in. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. racing, raise your steins to the king of speed. could another come aroundot, the corner. or could it play out differently? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98% of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding.

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you must be steven's phone. know who's on your network and control who shouldn't be with xfinity xfi. simple. easy. awesome. >> it was 8:30 a.m.. eight and half hours since the start of connecticut executive matt yussman's nightmare.

he was on his way to one of the branch offices of his credit union. claiming kidnappers had strapped a plastic explosive to his belly, and rigged another device beneath his mother's bed back home where she lay bound. >> i'm driving to the credit union. and now, for the first time, i start to think of, "wow. how's this gonna play out? what's gonna happen?" >> reporter: wait a second. are -- are you meant to drive yourself? is that what you're saying? >> yes. they actually wanted me to drive my own car. >> reporter: how are they gonna control you? >> and that's -- i figure they were just gonna follow me around and watch me the whole time. >> two bombs, he said, that could be detonated by the touch of a cellphone, and oh, by the way, a timer on his device that would go off at the stroke of 11:00 a.m. >> i call my boss. and i said, "my mother and i have -- are victims of a home invasion. i'm currently sitting in my car right now strapped to an explosive device. and i'm coming to the credit union to empty the vault. you need to evacuate the branch." >> reporter: are you using any code words or any -- >> nope. >> reporter: -- signs? >> this is real.

i said, "this is my life. don't play with it." >> reporter: and, don't notify the police. >> and i said, "don't call the police." >> reporter: matt's boss ignored his plea of no cops. >> 911, what's your emergency? >> i just received a call a few minutes ago from one of our vp's. and he's instructing me to vacate our new britain branch because they're going to come and rob it. >> that 911 call eventually ended up here, police headquarters in new britain, connecticut, where the credit union was located. >> i was a brand new sergeant. we had just gotten done with roll call in the morning. the phone rang at the main desk at the police department. there's a bank robbery going on and a guy is driving to the bank right now and he has a bomb strapped to his chest. >> reporter: this is not your usual monday morning, sergeant. >> you know we're tryin' to figure out if it was a joke or not. >> it was no joke. sergeant david mocarsky was one of the first out the door. >> reporter: what do you know at that point, sergeant? >> so, the only thing that we knew is they gave us a plate on

the car. it was a red car. >> the sergeant had matt's license plate number and the model of the red car he was driving. >> i get to the credit union. and i don't see anything. there's no cars, no -- and i'm, like, "fantastic." >> as i turn the corner around to the front of the branch, that's when pure panic sets in. >> now i see all the police cars. >> the kidnappers told matt not to call the police. and there they were. curtains. he now had two hours and 15 minutes until that bomb would explode. matt eased into a parking spot. >> i roll down my window. and they're all screaming, "get outta the car! get outta the car!" >> he gets out of the car. we get out of our cars. and there was like, a good 15 seconds of silence. >> you know him looking at us looking at him.

and trying to figure out what was going on. >> mocarsky's partner drew his gun aiming straight at matt. >> and i said, "i'm wearing an explosive device." and they're, like, "show us." so, i lift up my shirt, show them what i was wearing. >> we're like, holy cow, i can't believe this is real. >> reporter: you were persuaded something was there. >> oh, 100%. >> because it was a frigid nine-degrees out that february morning, the sergeant told matt to get back in his car. then he and his partner protectively stayed about 100 feet away. jim wardwell was, at that time, new britain's chief of police. overseeing a force of 165 officers for the 73,000 people who live in this central connecticut city. word of this extraordinary crime immediately ran up the ranks. and the chief, along with his top command staff, rushed to the credit union. >> reporter: what do you do to secure the area? >> oh, immediate response. pretty much all available personnel were sent to the area. we cleared buildings in the area. we put schools in lock down.

>> they closed off the surrounding streets and shut down a nearby major thoroughfare. s.w.a.t. teams and heavy equipment rolled in. and the state's bomb squad was called to get the device off of matt. >> shutting down an interstate is not a small decision. calling in other agencies to assist is not a small decision. and all those decisions had to be made. and they were made very, very quickly. >> back at the credit union parking lot, sgt. mocarsky, a member of the crisis negotiation team, became the point man to communicate with matt. the sergeant yelled his cell number to yussman and they started to talk over the phone. >> reporter: so, what's the demeanor of this man who says he got a bomb on him? >> even keeled. you know, he was very calm for the situation. >> at least for now, members of the state police bomb squad meanwhile were scrambling, travelling in from different parts of the state. but precious time was melting away. then at 10:00 a.m., the kidnappers started texting. they wanted their money.

one hour to go until the bomb was supposed to explode. p. coming up -- >> i say to the police, i'm, like, "what do you want me to tell them?" >> matt needed answers. and he didn't have much time to get them. >> your mind starts to think about weird things like, "am i gonna know it when it goes off? what are you gonna feel?" >> when dateline continues. whes i think dentists will want to recommend sensodyne rapid relief. sensodyne rapid relief builds a layer fast on the tooth's surface over those sensitive areas, which means patients are going to get fast relief from their sensitivity. sensodyne rapid relief is clinically proven to work in 3 days. i think dentists will want to recommend this product because it's going to help their patients and that's what we are trying to do is help patients. [ soft piano music playing ] mm, uh, what do you do for fun? -not this. ♪

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hi there. the hour's top stories. president trump says he wants to meet the whistleblower who brought to light the call. in a tweet the president calls the unidentified person his accuser. and saudi crown prince says in a tv interview that he takes full responsibility for the murder of the ysaudi journalist, but denis allegations that he ordered it.

now back to "dateline." >> reporter: it was now close to 10:00 a.m., almost 90 minutes since matt first drove into the parking lot of the credit union. >> so i'm just sittin' in the car and you are strapped to explosive device. >> reporter: an explosive device due to go off in about an hour. >> and i'm, like, "are my employees watching this?" i'm, like, "i don't want anyone to see me blow up." i'm, like, "this is not what i wanted to be doing." so, that next hour was just awful. >> reporter: the pressure was becoming unbearable. >> now i'm starting to cry. >> and you're waiting for the bomb squad. >> and i'm waiting for the bomb squad. >> reporter: as the state police bomb squad headed to the scene from different parts of connecticut. sargent david mocarsky was talking to matt by cell phone from his car. >> my big thing was just tryin' to keep him calm and keep him talking. and, you know -- assuring him

that we had help on the way. and -- you know, we were gonna get through it. >> he is my one and only contact my only person that i'm talking to. he tried to keep me from losing it. >> reporter: terrified as he was, matt was still able to tell the police about his mom's dire situation. nine miles from the credit union parking lot, the yussman house in bristol, connecticut, was eerily quiet. matt's mom was convinced the kidnappers were gone. but to where she didn't know. but she decided to work herself free from her bed. >> it took me a while to get out -- because they had wrapped that duct tape around and around. >> reporter: she had no idea that the authorities were descending on her home in force. >> as i got myself out of the restraints i could see right out into our driveway. and when i looked out there, it was full of police. when i opened the door to holler out one of the policeman with a big rifle pointed right at me, and he said, "walk up to the driveway."

>> reporter: matt's mom was unharmed, at least physically. motionally, she was alarmed as she talked to the police. >> and they said, "lift up your shirt." and i thought, "what are they doing?" apparently they thought maybe i had a bomb on myself. so i lifted up my shirt. and -- they -- checked me out and, "okay." and they put me in a police car. >> reporter: back in the credit union parking lot, matt was told his mom was okay. he was not. precious minutes were ticking by. >> meanwhile you've been told that there is a timer -- >> right. in the -- >> -- on this belt. >> -- meantime, i -- i've been told -- >> --which is gonna kaboom at 11:00 -- >> kaboom at 11:00. and the original plan was that i would be done at 10:00. >> reporter: the kidnappers told matt they would text him at 10:00 a.m. with an address where he was to drop off the million dollars taken from his credit union. the text, they said, would be sent from his mother's cell phone, which they'd taken from her. >> i mean, right at 10 o'clock i get the first text.

"are you done yet?" >> from the home invaders. >> from the criminals there. and i say to the police, i'm, like, "what do you want me to tell 'em?" >> i talked to matt and we go, "listen, we're gonna -- we're gonna roll with it. we're gonna -- tell them that you're still working hard to -- to get the money that they need. what -- what we need to do is just buy a little bit of time." >> reporter: matt texted "it is more money than i anticipated, moving as fast as i can." the kidnappers texted back: "that is good." >> in fact, he hasn't made it into the bank at all. >> oh, he never made it into the bank. >> he doesn't have any money. >> no. zero. >> and this is all, keep 'em talking, keep 'em on the line. >> yes. >> reporter: at 10:24 a.m., 36 minutes before the device on matt was due to explode the kidnappers texted again with an address where the money was to be dropped: a nearby cemetery. matt should leave the money at the flagpole. >> reporter: at the same time cops were able to trace where the texts were coming from -- near that cemetery. they raced over, but found no one.

>> whoever was in that specific area was no longer in the area. this is -- we probably missed them by minutes. >> reporter: and that only upped the ante for matt. tick tock. >> now it's 10:35. and i'm, like, "oh, crap." i'm, like, "i don't see the bomb squad." and i'm, like, "where's the bomb squad?" >> reporter: it was 25 minutes before the device would detonate and thoughts terrible ones raced through matt's mind. he recalled the shocking story of the pizza delivery guy in erie, pennsylvania who said he was kidnapped had a bomb locked around his neck. >> i knew that he was forced to try to rob a bank, that it didn't go well, that he was actually killed during all this. matt thought about the end of his life. >> now your mind starts to play the tricks and you start to think about weird things like, "am i gonna know it when it goes off? do you hear the noise first? do you see a flash first? what are you gonna feel? >> reporter: for matt, the excruciating wait continued as the clock counted down to 11:00 a.m.

>> i'm just sitting there. there are no more texts from the criminals. they've stopped. they expect me to be at that drop-off point. we're getting closer. it's 10:45. it's 10:50. i am now in full panic mode. >> reporter: tick. tock. >> it's just like the movies. the guy's wearin' the big suit. and he, you know, like, walks up to me and they're examining it. and it didn't look good. >> we saw multiple wires running through the -- tape. and around that organic material. >> reporter: when dateline continues. i knew that hpv could lead to certain cancers. i knew her risk for hpv increases as she gets older. i knew there was a vaccine available that could help protect her before she could be exposed to hpv. i knew. so i talked to my child's doctor. now that you know that hpv can lead to certain cancers,

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can i trouble you for another marshmallow? >> reporter: as federal, state and local officers secured the area with armor. matt yussman was in a panic. the improvised device duct-taped to his waist was set to go off at 11:00 am, just minutes away. >> i start asking, like, "where's the bomb squad? it's getting closer to 11:00. this thing is supposed to go off. >> reporter: the bomb squad was now on the scene. >> that was the first and only time i responded to an incident with an indivudal that had a device actually attached to their body. >> reporter: connecticut state police trooper mike avery now retired, was on the bomb squad. avery's team assembled a bomb robot, thinking they could use it to inspect the device and maybe defuse it from a safe

distance. the bomb squad didn't know what it had walked into. >> we didn't know if this individual was a suspect or a victim. >> reporter: unbeknownst to matt, four police sniper teams were getting into position around his car targeting him. >> he has an explosive device on him and if he doesn't follow our instructions, and in the event if he rushed outta that perimeter towards us or towards other law enforcement personnel, deadly force would have to be utilized. >> reporter: getting the sniper teams in place, deploying the robot and figuring out a safe approach all ate up more of the clock. it was just two minutes to 11. >> i sat there and watched that clock. 'cause i had my cell phone there, and it went, you know, 10:58, 10:59. and i'm thinkin' this is it. >> absolutely. he's looking at his watch. you know, i'm looking at my phone and it's clickin' closer to 11:00. >> to be honest, i didn't pray.

i didn't know what to do. i just sat there and counted it down and waited. and when that phone hit 11:00, my heart stopped and i just sat there. >> reporter: there was no explosion. >> and i looked around and nothing happened. >> after 11:00 passed, there was definitely a sigh of relief by everybody there. you know, the last thing we wanted for anything to happen to matt. >> and i'm, like, "why -- why am i not dead?" finally, it was about 11:05 or so, 11:06, somewhere in there, where i said, "well, maybe they lied to me. maybe there is no timer." >> reporter: no one, except the kidnappers, knew what was wrapped around matt. after about ten minutes, the bomb squad ordered matt out of his car. >> we could see that there was something attached to his torso but we could not get a good visual on it. >> reporter: avery and his partner abandoned their bomb-robot plan, because they could get a better sense of device with the naked eye, from the safety of an armored vehicle.

>> at that time he slowly lifted his shirt up and exposed the device to us. and it was completely wrapped around his body with, like, a heavy-duty gorilla tape and you could not see anything else other than the large mass in front of his torso. >> reporter: then avery made his move, volunteering to remove the device by himself. he suited up and approached matt. this photo was taken at that moment. it had been 11 hours since matt and his mother said they were first kidnapped. now here he was, on his knees without a coat. it was nine degrees out. >> and it's just like the movies. the guy's wearin' the big suit. and he, you know, like, walks up to me and they're examining it. >> reporter: the cops decided to x-ray matt's torso right there in the lot. using a portable x-ray machine, it took just one minute to create an image. >> we saw multiple wires running through the tape and around that organic material. at that point we couldn't

determine, "is it actual c-4 or some type of explosive? or is it just a chunk of clay to simulate a hoax device?" >> they're looking at it and coming up with a plan of what they're gonna do. finally, the guy says, you know -- "we're gonna take this off ya." >> so i went down with a couple cutting tools, had him remain on his knees facing away from me, lifted his shirt up and slowly started cuttin' the tape up his back. >> reporter: as if matt hadn't already gone through enough this day, another sticky problem came up. >> he was extremely hairy, this was gorilla tape, and it was wrapped around his entire torso. so while removing it, we were causing quite a bit of pain because it was removing all the hair from his torso. >> we've finally get the bomb off me. and it goes down to my feet. and he goes, "kick it away and then run with me and go behind the truck." well, i go to kick the bomb away

and it gets stuck to my shoe and i start to run and i start dragging the bomb with me. and the bomb squad guy starts screamin' at me, "you're draggin' the bomb! you're draggin' the bomb!" and i'm, like, "oh my god! oh my god!" and -- >> and i'm sorry i'm laughing, but this is a funny thing. >> stuck on your shoe like a -- >> it's -- >> piece a toilet paper, just-- >> yes, exactly. and at the time, i wasn't laughing. but god, if -- looking back now, that was one of the more comical moments of the whole ordeal. >> reporter: avery says it didn't happen quite like that. he thinks matt's memory may be affected by his emotional trauma. >> we did not tell him to run and it was not stuck to him. >> reporter: but at last, matt's ordeal was over. or so he thought. >> as i get to the first s.w.a.t. guy, i gr -- tap him on the shoulder and i feel, like, "thank you." and they immediately grab both my hands and put me in handcuffs and throw my hands behind my back. and i'm, like, "i don't understand why they're -- what's going on here." >> reporter: coming up -- >> they're, like, we're doing this for your own safety." and i'm, like, "my own safety? you're the ones with the guns."

>> reporter: but police had their reasons to be suspicious. especially after what they heard about matt from his relatives. >> one of the first things they mentioned was that you're a big gambler. >> investigators turn up the heat and matt starts to sweat. >> i know i'm in trouble. i know i'm meeting an attorney and this is not going to go well for me. >> when dateline continues. whe. when pain happens, aleve it. all day strong. i was on the fence about changing from a manual to an electric toothbrush. but my hygienist said going electric could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand accepted by the ada

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five million kids now using e-cigarettes. the fda said juul ignored the law with misleading health claims. now juul is pushing prop c, to overturn san francisco's e-cigarette protections. say no to juul, no to big tobacco, no to prop c. >> reporter: matt yussman was finally free of the device that had been taped to him -- but was shocked to find himself now confined in handcuffs. the local station "nbc connecticut" caught the moment he was led into an ambulance. >> and i'm, like, "what are you doin'?" i'm, like, "i'm the victim. i -- are you arresting me?" and they're, like, "no, we're doin' this for your own safety."

and i'm, like, "my own safety? you're the ones with the guns." and they're, like "we're gonna take you to the hospital." >> reporter: at the hospital, investigators had matt checked out. they took these photos: matt's waist red and raw from where the bomb tech pulled off that duct tape. and they took pictures of the device itself. it turned out that after the massive bomb scare, the multi-agency security operation, and all the white-knuckled fear. the supposed bomb was a fake. nothing more than modeling clay with wires running through it that connected to nothing. there was no timer counting down to 11:00 a.m. >> reporter: and there wasn't any kind of explosive device beneath the bed of matt's mom valerie. so matt and valerie would have some explaining to do. >> why don't you start at the top for us. >> okay. >> reporter: by now, at bristol police station, detectives were questioning valerie and were learning some strange details about the kidnappers' mo. >> what'd they use to bind your hands? >> they didn't. they left my hands free. >> and your feet were just tied together and to the bed? >> yeah. >> but your hands were free? >> but my hands were free, yeah. >> reporter: why would real kidnappers leave her hands free?

and another weird detail: according to valerie, the kidnappers behaved like gentlemen. >> they were trying not to hurt me or do anything that was bad. after he taped my feet to the bed he kind of hugged me and he said, "don't worry. we're not here to hurt you. he brought me in a can of soda. i had cookies on the counter and stuff. he brought 'em in so i wouldn't be hungry. i mean, you know, he was being very nice to me. >> reporter: investigators took valerie's clothes as evidence, as she offered more strange details: the criminals cleaned her home. >> he said, i'm gonna vacuum the floors." and i almost wanted to say to him, "oh, you do housekeeping, too, you know, as a side?" i -- i thought that was funny. >> reporter: she said they even called her "ma'am." >> val, what is goin' on? these guys that are calling you ma'am -- >> and i thought -- yes. >> -- and givin' you cookies and juice and -- >> yeah, i thought it was not-- >> and now they're vacuuming your house -- >> yeah. i thought -- >> but they're still terrorizing you -- >> yeah. i thought this was bizarre.

>> matthew, how you doin'? >> good. >> reporter: investigators would hear more bizarre details when they brought matt to new britain police headquarters. >> we have a ton of questions for you. >> reporter: what was up with that night-time shower he took while the kidnappers were in his home? >> did you find that odd? >> yes, i did actually. i don't know why they would -- >> it was their idea? >> yeah. >> reporter: as for that strange night-time drive the kidnappers took matt on, he didn't have a convincing explanation. >> do you know which way you went? >> they kept making turns. >> reporter: and why did kidnappers speak to matt using a digitally-altered voice? >> you know, like when they do it on tv and they change some guy's voice and somethin', like, very similar to that. >> definitely not a human voice. >> definitely not human. yep. >> reporter: former new britain police chief jim wardwell was getting reports on what was being said in those interview rooms. >> i can see how your guys are concerned about what it is you have here. you know, it's-- he's talkin' about these kind of wacko, unorthodox kidnapper, home invaders, who do strange things.

>> the investigators were not ruling out any possibility. mr. -- mr. yussman -- was telling -- a version of events that -- by a lot of accounts, would make people pause and say, "really?" >> reporter: so much of matt's story didn't add up. as he sat in the police interview room, the atmosphere turned chilly. the detective's questions suddenly had sharp edges. >> financially, there-- there's no issues? >> yeah, i'm -- >> as -- as far as it goes for you. >> well, yeah. >> reporter: what matt didn't know was, that morning, right after his credit union boss called the police. >> is strapped to a bomb. >> reporter: investigators started to dig into his life reached out to people he knew well. found out stuff. officer:

police: a guy with possible money problems; kidnappers who were friendly to his mom; who then let him drive himself to rob his own credit union with a bomb that turned out to be a fake. and no trace of any criminals themselves. they figured he had to be somehow involved. >> there's just too many things. you -- you have the ability and the access to do it. okay? so that's why i think maybe you're an unwilling participant in this thing. that somebody leveraged you or -- or forced you into this. >> reporter: and if the kidnappers did in fact diguise their faces and voices, that didn't help matt. >> there's only one reason they do that, and that's -- and that's that they know you. okay? >> reporter: had matt had gotten himself tangled in a scheme to get rich that had spun out of control? >> this is your opportunity to put it all on the table. and if there's somethin' else -- if there's somethin' else goin' on, we can help you. if someone's trying -- >> i don't -- i have -- >> -- to lever you -- >> -- been. >> playing hardball with you. >> i can say unequivocably that i have nothing indirectly,

directly to do with this. >> reporter: but as detectives pressed matt to fess up, his answers didn't satisfy them. >> i'm just gonna put the cards on the table, 'cause i don't -- >> uh-huh. >> -- have any time to play games really with you. it's -- it's the implication that you're somehow involved in this. not as a victim. okay? by that we mean that it's some sort of inside job. >> reporter: investigators seemed so convinced matt wasn't being straight with them, they wondered if his mom was somehow part of the scheme. >> have you lied to us at all while you've been in here -- >> no, no. >> you haven't told us any -- untruths -- >> not that i know of -- >> --in order to protect matthew or anyone else -- >> no, no. >> if there is -- somethin' else goin' on -- >> i am not -- >> -- i mean -- if there's somethin' else goin' on, now's the time to talk -- >> i understand. >> reporter: police were undeterred. they took matt's dna. >> open wide, it's gonna be a little uncomfortable. >> reporter: then they asked him to sit for a polygraph warning him.

>> it's gonna be bad for you if you fail the polygraph. >> i don't see any reason why i would fail a polygraph. >> reporter: oh, it would turn out be to be bad, very bad for matt. the bomb turned out to be a fake. >> certainly we're considering all possibilities, whether or not he was coerced. >> could your guys determine if the story was true or not? >> could not. >> there is no corroborating evidence other than his mom. >> no evidence to support matt's story. investigators searched his house and car, but found nothing. what's more, matt did take a polygraph test and failed parts of it.

results indicated he wasn't telling the truth. >> i know i'm in trouble. i know that i'm needing an attorney and that this is not going to go well for me. >> matt was right. in the following days, authorities got search warrants for his mom, collected computers and phones and started digging into his finances. matt was placed on paid leave from his job. >> what no one knew is this unbelievable tail was only on chapter one. while matt tried to save his reputation, investigators in another part of the country were about to uncover a whole series of similar crimes, crimes that span three states, involving high speed chases and even more victims. this is where the story takes a

turn south, to tennessee. it was april 28th, 2015, two months after the connecticut home invasion. an assistant u.s. attorney happened to be in the middle of the smokey national mountains park when he got an urgent message. >> please call the fbi when you get cell reception. >> that within was david lewun. as he was pulling out of his garage, he noticed a garbage can was knocked over. >> he puts his car in park, goes to fix the garbage can, at which time he is accosted by two masked men wearing dark clothing, ski masks, guns drawn. >> lewun was assigned to help the fbi from that first day. he knew nothing about the connecticut case, but the

descriptions of the two suspects for similar. >> the first guy with the gun had a big sun burst tattoo on his neck. and then another person came through who appeared to be a black male with a black bandanna and sunglasses but a black bald head, again the guns drawn. >> the assailants forced him back into his house. his wife and teenage son with your inside. all three were handcuffed and placed in the living room. mark was given a three-page note that contained chilling details on what was going to happen. he was going to rob his own credit union. >> coming up -- >> he is empty the fault of $3.4 million. >> and later a high stakes

stalemate. >> and a high speed car chase. >> he just hit a third vehicle. >> i was like, what is going to happen next? what are these guys doing? >> and then the doors open and here come two guys. >> when "dateline" continues. nus ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ at progressive park! insurance themed fun ♪ children: yeah! announcer: ride the totally realistic traffic jam. ♪ beep, beep, beep, beep children: traffic jam! announcer: and the world's first never bump bumper cars.

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returning to our story an executive says he was ordered to rob his own credit union. the bomb was fake. was his story fake too? but it was about to be déjà vu all over again. more kidnappings. >> they're going to kill me, kill my child. >> he is to empty the vault of any and all gold boule yawn. >> a dramatic road side arrest.

and a history is solved. but first some dots would need connecting. er 800 miles it, unsuspecting it officers had no idea they were dealing with a connected story. two armed assailants were holding mark's's sup and wife hostage in their home and had ordered him to rob the credit union he ran. assistbent u.s. attorney was helping with the fbi investigation. >> he was to empty the vault of $3.4 million as well as any and all gold boule yawn. >> he had less than 45 minutes to get the cash and go.

>> for every minute he was late, his wife was going to lose a finger. and when she ran out of fingers, their adult daughter, brittany, who lived in texas at the time. they have people watching brittany in texas. >> reporter: they had eyes on the daughter? >> and they were going to chop her up and mail there family if if mr. ziegler failed to comply. >> reporter: how do they have so much knowledge about the family? >> we don't know. >> reporter: but they're getting the facts right. >> they're good eting the facts right. >> reporter: and the lead investigator for the fbi. >> the tall, slender guy, white male went outside. a few minutes late arwhite female comes in through the back door. a female. >> reporter: so now you have three assailants. >> three. the white female comes in and says something about he told me

to come in and get milk for the baby. >> for the baby? so one othem is an infant. is this a gang or what do you think is going on? >> obviously we're dealing with with a crew. >> reporter: he arrived at his bank and went to the vault and started puting money in and slipped one of the oemployees this note. >> my ceo sent me a note that says home invasion call police. he has bags of money and walked into the vault. >> reporter: he filled the bags with over $200,000 in cash and headed towards the parking lot exit where an arriving police officer stopped him. the criminals were listening to everything in a cell phone in ziegler's pocket. >> he's tell itting them through the phone the police are here, they're approaching me. what to you want me to do?

and what he heard through the phone was two words. abort, abort and the phone went dead. >> reporter: in the mean it is him to kidnappers blind folded his wife and son and loaded them into the family's suv. they drove to a parking lot and dummed the vehicle with his wie and son still inside. eventually the two free themselves and found someone to call police. so the family got out alive and the bank robbers got no money? >> but they escaped. >> reporter: they provided a decan tailed it description of the suspects which they used to create this sketch of a it black male and this of the female suspect who came in looking for milk. and did they get lucky? >> we found nothing. it was clean. >> reporter: finger prints? fiberers? >> no fingerprints, no dna. nothing was left behind. >> and there would be a next

one. coming up a young couple and their baby barricadebed hind locked doors. >> the pry bar is now being used on the master bedroom door. >> reporter: and an intense stand off. >> yes. the bank empliee retuesday ooze epien the vault. she says they're going to kill me, they're geitting to kill my child. geitting to kill my child. with advil, you have power over pain, so the whole world looks different.

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connecticut, july twechbt 15. for months he remaped under a heavy cloud of suspicion. he told investigators it must be the same guy whose kidnapped him and his mother. >> i found it odd that another credit union executive was forced to rob his credit union. there's no way this is a coincidence.

they told me it was just can coincidence copy cat doing this. >> matt had been allowed to return to his job but the fbi had taken over his case from the local police and there were serious doubts about his innocence. >> i was told there wasn't 95% chance i was guilty, there was a 100% chance i was guilty and i said i'm in trouble. >> in tennessee that same month it would be another family'ses turn to be traumatized. a young up canal was begiping their day, the haurtensons. >> he and abigail were just in this cute little love phase. they had a new babeby and they were very happy. >> jaime corbed the story for the knoxville news center. >> she remembers having this gooey grin on her face and she leaves the baby with tanner and she goes thousand stairs. she's going to take a quick jog

and frankly she said she might come back and get flirty with her husband. so she gets downb to the bottom of the steps,ope tnz the it door and boom. >> as soon as she opened the garage she saw two masked men, ski masks, dark clothing with guns. she immediately slams the door shut. >> using a crow bar, one the assail pts ripped open the it door. >> he's now in the kitchen of the house. >> abigail ran upstairs. she's trying to warn her husband. >> they then chase her upthe stairs. she runs down the hallway to the master bedroom. she slams the master bedroom it door shut. >> then her husband locked the door. >> they immediately hear that door frame starting to crack because the it pry bar is now being used on the master bedroom door. >> where she's huddling with her

husband and child. >> there's only one place left to go. they go to the master bathroom. >> they go to the farthest point they could get away and tanner's trying to hold the door and the baby's crying. just chaos. >> that's the it last doorway? >> yes. >> the two invaders force themselves to the bathroom and one drew a gun and issued a refrain the other tamallies heard. you're going to rob your bank today for us. >> reporter: taner worked at a local bank as a loan officer. he was handcuffd and eventually they were blind folded. they loaded the entire it family in the harris's car including the five-month old son. they knew where taner worked and drove there with the family. >> they're going to keep son and the wife while he goes in and robs the bank. >> this is a child in arms? a baby. does this make it a special

case? >> you're it definitely ramping up when you're talking about a defenseless infant. >> tanner went there to the vault and loaded a black bag with cash and went to the bank's parking lot where the kidnappers were holding his family. >> you see it the arstop and the the passenger side door open and you see harris hand over a very large bag and a very brief struggle. >> he it manded they let his wife and child go before it he would turn it over it the cash. >> at had point bag is yanked, car speeds out of the parkish lot and an image of a husband and fath iter left in the parking lot by himself watching the car speed away. >> two armed despuroddos with had family some. >> yes. >> reporter: they took off in a get away car. they had escaped once again. but this time they netted

$195,000 for their efts. you believe you have two middle aged white males? not three? not a woman. >> no woman, no black male, no tattoo reported. >> reporter: how is this playing as story? >> i can't say people were universally frightened i think the greater harm initially was people were suspicious of these families. that's when i heard i have cop friends who were significances. we as jurnlss were suspicious. really they idcan. the you but then they let you go? and it just sounded unbelievable. >> reporter: unbelievable maybe but it would happen again. this time in northern tennessee. three month thafrz harris case, a young mother was struggling to get her toddler son secured in his car. >> he wants candy for breakfast and he's throwing a fit. so she's try tooling strap him

anyway when all the sudden she feels movement. >> reporter: she did canvent time to think. in an instant they were under attack. >> she looks up and hear as guy with assault rifle pointed at her. >> reporter: two male attackers force her into the car with her son. they headed here. this red cant union where she worked as a $9 an hour teller. >> the people knew where he worked. they knew how to get to her bank without being told. >> reporter: he investigated brook's case and says she was instructed to go inside and get $350,000 or elsz. >> she's been told by these two guys that police are called if she doesn't do deas she's instructed, there's go it would go be a shootout with she and her child in the middle of it. >> a frantic brook screamed she needed the vault open and bags load would money because her

three-year-old son was being held hostage outside . >> she finds her boss in the bank and says two men have carson with guns. i need it get into the vault. her boss refuses to open the vault. >> reporter: who of us can be judgmental in that kind of circumstance but. mass gunman have her child outside the door. >> her response was singular. she pointed at her and said you just can killed us. >> reporter: the credit union security cameras captured the excruciating moments. brook was desperately running around looking for help. >> she runs out of the bank, opens the it passenger side back door of her car, throws the bag in there, drapes herself over carson. begs them not to shoot her and tell its them to drive because had cops are being called as they speed. >> surprisingly the criminals

eventually let both of them go leaving them in her car while they took off in another vehicle. they didn't get any money. two bizarre robbery stories had the rumorer mill buzzing about inside jobs. but now there were three. peopling were wondering who would be next. fbi investigators were frustrated. they had no solid leads. they already released sketches on the attack of the ziegler family, hoping that might advance the it case. no one would suspect the next break would be when this man took his wife's car for a drieb on the it highway. >> once he hit me i knew at this point these guy wurz running. sglarks high-speed car chase reveal as subtle clue and a sharp-eyed investigator takes notice. >> it struck me they had discipline, purpose.

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hi there. house intelligence committee chairman adam schiff says he's reached apagreement with the ukrain whistleblowerer to testify before the committee. now it's a matter of security clearance for the whistleblowerer's attorney. saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman takes full responsibility for the it death of journalist jamal khashoggi while maintaining he did not order the killing. he hopes any evidence would be brought forth publicly. now back to "dateline." it was surreal. it was like you're not going to believe what happened. >> this is adam ruso.

back inb september 20b 15 more than a month before brook lion's ordeal, adam was an assistant rets raunt manageer on his way to a job interview. driving west on i 40 in north carolina on a car he bauer ooed from his fiance. >> a 2005 ford focus. >> reporter: a little caer. >> yeah, little car. gets you where you need go. >> reporter: if you tried telling adam, he was on his way to becoming perhaps the most crucial player that befudled a group of investigators he would have thought you crazy but that's exactly what was going to happen. >>b i looked. in my rearview mirror and i could see a couple of cop cars. i thought that guy must have been going too quick and he's getting pulled over. >> this is the dash cam video from one the police cars. it's that same dramatic

high-speed chase footage we showed you at the beginning oour story. >> i look back and they were still following this guy and that's when i kind of knew something was off. why is this guy not pulling overb? >> instead the driver pulled up to the little red car in the right-hand lane. >> and there the sudden the black suv is on my tail. he's making a swerving gesture like swipes in this type of motion. i remember putting two hands on the wheel. he hit me. >> adam, freeze frame that moment. what the heck is going on? >> i knew at this point these guys were running, obviously. you're not going to just hit me and keep going with two cops on you unless something's going on. >> adam then watched in horror

as the black suv hit another car with such force. >> he just hate third vehicle. >> reporter: it spun out of ocontrol and crashed into the barrier. >> i was like what's about to it happen next? am i about to be caught in the middle of the shootout? >> and the doors open and here come two guys, right? >> he saw the it driver and passenger leap out of the car carrying black bags. >> two guys start sprinting across the concrete barrier like an olympic track runer and sprinting through the wooded area. >> i-40. >> north carolina troopers decided not to give the men chase until reinforcements arrived. >> i was like babe, you don't believe what just happened? sounds like movie scene. >> reporter: and that should have been it.

a crazy tale to tell the it grandkids. but that's when it took a left turn the to the twilight zone. his fiance called her dad, adam o'hare. >> she said basically you're not going to believe what happened with adam and i thought there's a problem inroute to his job interview. my future son in law messed opjob interview. >> because you're not only adam's perspective father in law. >> i'm a special age ntd in the fbi. >> and his years of experience told him some things he heard were rather strange. like the way the driver tried to ram adam's car from behind. he recognized that as a police tactic called a pit maneuver. >> it's a police intervention technique. a trained technique. >> to end the hot pursuit and

get away? >> to get the engine to shut down and get ahold of the driver and make your arrest. if you're a criminal, you can wreak havoc on the pursuing law enforcement officials. >> and there was something unusual about the way those men fled. >> i had no clue why they felt it so important to grab the bags or would choose to cross an oncancoming interstate to make that get away didn't make any sense. >> it confounded the north carolina troopers and authorities never did find the two men. agent o'hare didn't think much more about it until a little more than a month later when he was assigned to help in a case, theb brook lionens case. >> a woman at gunpoint abducted, totold to hold up her own bank. >> it was very well organized. >> reporter: and that jogged his memory backing to the high-f speed car chase on i 40.

he thought a similar sophistication. >> it struck me they had can discipline, purpose. >> reporter: bothing involved two suspects and black bags. >> i thought it's not a guarantee that they're one in the same but i wasn't aware of anyone else that would fit the bill. >> so your gut is telling you something is going on here. >> there was instinct that led me to believe the two could be connected. >> what started as a hunch was about to break this case wide open. coming up. an abandoned gps with a road map of a crime spree. leading to anotherer high-speed chase with a slightly different ending. >> get on the ground. >> says i'm not involved. i'm hitchhiking. just trying to get a ride. just trying to get a ride. 90% of women

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a sophisticated bank robbing crew was on the loose and already terrorized at least three unsuspecting tamallies. >> i would considerer these two some of othe most dangerous criminals to walk in east tennessee. >> tip its were coming in and investigators chased down every lead but turned up nothing. by late october 2015 all the fbi was left with was that hunch agent o'hare had that a bizarre highway chase miles away in north carolina had something to do with the tennessee bank robbers. he shared his inkling. >> i remember him it tell itting me not for nothing but this

happened. it might be something. it might not. at this point it was really the only last remaping stone we needed to turn to see if there was something to it. >> so they took a close look at what happened in north carolina. they learned the whole crazy car chase start would a routine traffic stop for speeding. and they wanted to take a look that dash camvideo of the suspect's fleeing the crash. >> you had two white males, one tall and athletic and one a little bit thicker and stockier. and the black bags stuck out because both the zieglers and harasses described the it individuals that they had black bags. >> your first pass through. >> i knew we had bad guys. i thought we may have something here, enough to continue investigation. at this point i can did not know if it was our bank robbers or wasn't. >> turn itted out they went

through the banged up suv and found a gps can device. so it could be a gold mine of information. tell me where you've been >> yes. >> reporter: one of the locations marked was a credit union near knoxville. >> it looked that this was set up that they were casing the bank and looking for escape routes and away from the bank. i talked to jeff and said it may not be our bank robbers but they're somebody's bank robers. >> reporter: a beautiful north carolina tourist destination near the smokey mountains. they reached out to the property manager. >> the fbi basically stated that they just had some concerns and needed to know who was staying in the home. >> melissa told the agents about five months earlier she received an inquiry.

two men, a writer named ron bradford and his assistant were looking for a place to stay while they work on their book. they were in the market for something secluded with a garage. >> we looked at a couple of homes and they chose one. >> reporter: the men were staying in a home aptly named southern comfort. it was a month to month rental and they paid in cash. >> these guys treated me with most respect. they were very kind. on an occasion they brought me a potted plant and a thank you card for being such hospitable rental company i guess. >> they hardly seemed like gun wielding kidnappers. he ran down the name of that authorer, ron bradford. >> no, the name did not check out. >> reporter: the clincher came when thee talked to the property

manageer about the car. i asked if she had ever seen ron in a black lexuss suv. i know there was one that was burned. a black suv, a lexus earlier in the summer but she hadn't seen them with it in several months. at this point i was convinceded this was our bank robbery crew, yes. >> it was time for a good old-fashioned staelkout. did you see them coming? >> we saw it them coming and going. we were not able to identify who they were but were able to see them. >> and they were not alone. >> the surveillance was able taasser tain there was a female at the cabin. >> remember the ziegler home invasion there was that woman that caasked for milk for her baby. could this be here? ait thorts waited patiently for

an opportunity to take the suspects down. two weeks after they started surveillance they finally got their chance. assistant u.s. attorney. >> the day before thanksgiving. law enforcement sees them get into a nissan path finder. tlrs can decision was made to stop the vehicle. >> it was another high speed chase, sirens blaring. the suv weaved around traffic. then suddenly slowed down. >> we see the suv pull over. we see the passenger side door open. we see a person get out of the vehicle holding a black bag and the suv takes off. >> get down now. put your hands up. >> one down, one to go. but the man on the ground, well, he wasn't behaving like a criminal caught in the act. he was behaving like a victim. >> immediately says i'm not

involved. i dont know who these guys are. i'm hitchhiking trying to get a ride. >> did the cops get the wrong guy? there was stale man on the loose down the highway. coming up. there's more than one way to catch a crook. >> driver jumps out and takes off on foot. red pick up pins him under the rear wheel. runs him over? >> runs him over. >> you can't make this stuff up. >> his fist is oepiened up and there's a crumpled piece of paper. crumpled piece of paper. w...that keep us active every day.... like you, your cells get hungry. feed them... ...with centrum® multigummies.

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- the tech industry is supposed in invention and progress. but only 11% of its executives are women, and the quit rate is twice as high for them. here's a hack: make sure there's bandwidth for everyone. the more you know. north carolina state troopers were back on the tale of the suv. but as the suv fled the driver made a serious error. he can cut off a red pick up truck. >> right. the red pick up truck didn't like that.

>> road rage exploded. the driver of the red pick up took off in hot pursuit of the suv, leap frogging the state troopers. >> the police are now following the red pick up truck who's following the it nissan path finder. >> road rage, why tid you cut me off? >> right. >> the suv left the interstate, drove to a construction site and right into it a ditch. >> driver jumps out and takes off on foot. red pick up truck pins him under the rear wheel. >> runs him over? >> runs him over. >> you can't make this stuff up. >> they take the driver into can custody. >> the driver of the suv was banged up with broken collar bone, broken ribs and burns. both he and the passenger were taken to jail. but who were they?

they learned the drierb was bryan wigtam with convictions for armed robbery. >> gave the impression he was the guy that given the chance would kill you and think nothing of it. >> reporter: agent nocera tried to get answers. >> right away says he's not going to rat. >> the passenger who claimed to be a hitchhikerer says his name was michael. he was initially charged with felony possession of a stolen car. here he ranted about his arrest. >> and bragged to the guard he was a big deal executive. investigators learned he in fact founded a company and was

profiled in the "wall street journal" in 2014. his can company was called prisoner assistance and managed finances for prisoners in prison. >> he has multiple felony convictions to include attempted murder oaffpolice officer, robbery, theft of property, and most importantly a federal conviction of conspiracy to commit bank robbery. >> what did you make of his business? >> he was actually stealing from that business. part of the reason the banks were being robbed was to repay money from too inmates he was stealing from. >> he wasn't a random hitchhiker as he originally told police. they with were in cuhootsz and had a long history together. they'd met in the late '90s at a prison in pennsylvania and des haved a plan to escape. both were sent to the super max

prison in oco. now again in custody he paszed about while calling his sisterer asking desperately that she bail him out. desperately that she bl him out. then fbi agent arrived to interview him. what did you see? >> he was extremely arrogant. he is the smartest person in the room no matter what room he was in. proud he was graduate of super max. he was proud of his credentials at being a criminal. >> by now they were sure they had the right guys. in part because of something that happened when he was arrested. >> he's white knuckling something in his hands, clenched fist. his fist is opened up and there's a crumpled piece of paper. >> the feds took a look at it.

it had details, name numbers that sent a chill down their spines. >> three names hand written, bank executives in greenville and spartanburg, south carolina. their titles, bank locations. >> prosecutor believes these were the nex it victims. so with a search warrant in hand fbi agents spent thanksgiving day and black friday in the smokey mountains at a house called southern comfort. there they found evidence of a sophisticated criminal enterprise. and evidence that would finally reveal who that mystery woman was. the woman who wanted milk for her baby. so who is this? coming up. the answerer and a warning. >> be careful what you put out for the world to see. the minute you post or send, you have no guarantee who's going to be able to access that.

baby pictures out there. >> when s out there. >> whe

. it was thanksgiving day 2015 but there was no family gathering inside. just fbi agents and a prosecutor. they were searching for evidence to tie them to the string of bank robberies in eastern tennessee. >> when we originally walked in the amount of evidence and items that were in the house was staggering. >> including weapons, electronic dedevices, cameras, fake tattoos and massive amounts of photos. among them this picture. plus anb inadvertent selfie. his face seen in a car side

mirror as they cased a bank. whr the agents told brian wigtam what they had, >> he laid out the entire scheme, his role. >> tawas a chill canning criminal enterprise that included learning every detail about their intend itted victim's lives. step by step they gathered intelligence. first they identified the bank. >> go to social media page and hopefully get names and picture oz the people they felt were the targets. >> then they stocked the employees on liep. >> on linkedin, on facebook. >> victims would rise and fall depending on the quality and quantity of social media evidence they put out for the world to see. >> for example in the harris ace, they saw picture oz of the couple's new born baby on facebook. >> they were planning on doing

that one earlier but they noticed ms. harris had just given birth and they pushed the date back. >> reporter: and noted the ziegler's had apadult daughter living in texas. once their victims were pucked out, the spying turned up close and personal. wigtamhiding in their yards documenting their every move. >> commando style. go canpro cameras would be set up around their house and he would put himself up in a tree sometimes right next to the place settings of the families with the children in the backyard and watch quietly, making notes of when lights go off and when they geing to the kitchen table, when they go out to get the paper. >> the duo would then take all the information they gathered. surveillance photos, maps and compile it into a victim packt.

they found over a it dozen of the packets in a black brief case in the house. we have numerous packages that have names, addresses, grands chldn are. >> i'm seeing spartd spartanburg, north carolina. clayton, georgia. future victims which included some of the names and addresses that bananti clutched in his hand. >> we found some othohouses, locations, people. >> they weren't just the future targets. they found one of a target they knew very well. brook lions. what's the quality of surveillance? >> these targeting packs they have are of a quality i could use for a hit. >> or execute a search warrant. >> they learned why they never

found anical evidence. ian made sure not to leave a trace behind. >> he even shaved his body to eliminate as much dna as possible. >> while he was in a tree all night doing surveillance he brought a jug with him. >> he relieves himself in the jugs so he doesn't break surveillance and doesn't leave any dna behind. >> now the feds still didn't know how many others were involved. who was the african american man and the woman the zieglers dedescribed. was there anyone else involve snd >> three, four, five, six? ary with looking for two? what are the races, the genders we're looking for? >> brian wigtamgave them the answerer. >> that's the white female from the ziegler robby in april of 2015. >> the one that said the baby needs milk? >> yes.

>> remember they released a sketch of her to the public. it was eerily close. >> he had a fake tattoo on his neck. walked outside, put that mask on and came inside acted like a female looking for milk for a baby. >> as for the african-american man, he was a mask as well. pretty good mask. >> roughly $1500 a piece to purchase these masks. >> they were sewing in itceptions and red herrings. >> the gender switch and racial switch. >> because they're go doing report that to the police and the police will then be looking for a black man, a woman with long brown hair. >> and it worked. he also told the ajts that they didn't strike just in tennessee. >> he laid out a crime spree up and downb the eastern sea board

that with gan in the summer of 2014. s. >> he told them about a heist the two of them pulled off ape small pennsylvania town and sure enough there was a tall slender man and a heavy set guy. they held the tellers at gunpoint and made off with $1,560.00. >> we learn that bank robbery was still unsolved. >> then he told them about another job. in kkic can. that's when the fbi finally can connected theten itten it cases to matthew. and the poor victim had been regarded as a suspect and lived under the stigma of that until wigtam gave up the target >> yes. they striking out the same as we were down here. >> ocourse matt guszman was still very much under suspicion. in fact he just appeared before

a grand jury. >> was it very obvious they were going to recommend an indictment. >> that was november. then december 1st, his boss said the fbi was coming to his office. and i tell him i'm not going to allow him to arrest me in front of all my staff. >> reporter: the meeting was about an arrest but it wasn't matt was? . >> they said we have overwhelming evidence that connects them to your case. you are now no longer a suspect. you are now completely exonerated. >> matt and his mom had been telling the truth all along. >> the overwhelming emotion. i actually cried in the office because all the emotion came up and had been bottling up for nine months because i was trying to show that i was truly innocent. >> and as he learned more about the kidnapperer's mo, some of

the strange dededetails about his story made sense. remember how his mom said the kidnapperers used her vacuum to clean up. that's because they didn't want to leave evidence behind and he learned they found him on the credit union website and found his picture and learn where he lived on facebook. you were surveilled. >> to this day i still can't handle i had people surveilling me and i didn't notice. had i just paid more attention, would i have stopped this? >> and convicted on 23 counts. he's now serving four consecutive life sentences plus 155 years. but still maintains his innocence. brian wigtam was sentenced to 30 years. >> be careful what you put out for the world to see. the minute you hit post or send you have no guarantee who's going to be able to access that

at some point. you're talking about where you run in your neighborhood and how long. it's all out there. they mind it all. >> as for matt gusman he's still upset at how he was treated by the fbi and local authorities. former police chief. he would have liked to take a swing at you guys? >> and rightly so. had been through so much. for any of us to haved a tootd his anguish is regretful. a and a good man and a curages man. >> and while the men behind this crime will be behind bars for the years and years inb the future, allf otheir victims are deeply traumatized. >> they were never be able really, i think, to really rest easy in their own home. >> your life can never be the same.

it never will be no matter how much i put on that face and tell everybody i'm fine, i'll never be the same after this. it it . i'm craig. >> and i'm nattily morales. >> and this is "dateline." i really want pop tool not be afraid. i'm here. i'm an actor on "dateline" tell itting you my darkest secrets because i want to help someone and it's okay to talk about it. >> an actress finds real-life drama with when her sister, ann, her husband disappears. leslie's life had seemed perfect. she mentioned going underground?