>> where will you keep ben? >> always be in my heart, will never be forgotten, but we do have to go on. >> if he's looking down and watching you, what would he think about his daughter? >> i think he still loves me an think about his daughter? >> i think he still loves me, and that i'm doing much better than i was at my other house. >> you miss him? >> yeah, i miss him, a lot. >> you're a pretty strong kid, aren't you? >> yeah. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline" extra. i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline."

>> the night before, angela thought that she had heard somebody messing at the front door of the residence. she felt she was being watched. all the wounds that she had to her body. it was a very angry attack. >> reporter: a nursing student with three children, nobody was busier than angela. >> as soon as class was over, she was gone. >> back home? >> uh-huh. >> and that's where they found her. >> my girl ain't answering the phone. >> the officers could see a lot of blood. >> reporter: police thought her boyfriend's behavior seemed odd. >> he gets to the door and sees it kicked in and he doesn't go in. >> people thought there was something suspicious about that. >> reporter: but he had an alibi. >> did he try to point the finger at anybody else? >> he did. angela's ex-husband. >> reporter: the ex had an alibi, too. >> he came off as very calm and collected. >> reporter: and there was something else missing. >> we got a phone call. >> reporter: until someone found it. >> they asked me if i would be willing to come up there and

wear a wire. >> reporter: just one told frieold friend talking to another about a secret she was dying to share. >> i think she was almost proud of the whole thing. >> reporter: a case, where the biggest twist came, after the verdict. >> wow. >> that was my response. wow. >> hello and welcome to "dateline." working mom, angela wilder, dreamed of becoming a nurse and was burning the candle, at both ends, to make it come true. then, angela was murdered. investigators suspected the attack was personal, and just when they thought it was case closed, turns out, it was not. so, they set an elaborate trap, hoping to catch a killer. here is keith morrison with "prairie confidential." >> reporter: it was dark, on the great central plain. in the early hours, that friday

the 13th of november. the small night wind shivered along flat, deserted streets, and nipped the freezing, little teeth at the ruins of autumn in north dakota. was there a muffled cry the sound of a car making haste away? no one heard. not a thing. it's a modest place. modest, in a good way. and uncommonly friendly, comparatively speaking, of course. >> it's comfortable. it's a family community. >> reporter: north dakota nice may be an old-fashion phrase but it still fits. >> the people have been around a long time. still, greet each other on the street. >> reporter: as they did that chilly morning in november, 2015. when parents dropped off their kids at this elementary school. and where, later that morning, at minot state's department of nursing, professor diane scholl

wondered why one of her students hadn't shown up for an exam. >> before we all started taking the test, i said has anybody heard from angela? >> reporter: angela was this woman. >> my name is angela wilder. i am a student nurse with msu and i will be assessing your cardiovascular system today. >> she was just this sweet, little, southern girl. always yes, ma'am and no, ma'am. >> reporter: angela wilder was, in addition to a nursing student, a mother of three. who, just days before, had revealed to her professor that she was pregnant. >> did you have any advice for her? >> well, we talked about how stressful school is. and we talked about, you know, her not feeling well. and then, that's when i just told her, yes, she's expected to come to class. but if she couldn't, she needed to call and let me know. and we would just make other arrangements. >> reporter: but that morning, no call. no angela. was she ill?

class was over. before one of diane's students dropped a kind of bombshell. >> she said, well, i think it was angela's house when i drove to school. but there's police tape around it and a lot of people in hazmat suits. >> reporter: and, indeed, it was angela's house. this little place next to a lutheran church. across the street from that elementary school. it was angela's fiance, home from a night shift, who called 911. >> i just got home. my backdoor is kicked in. and my girl ain't answering the phone. my son's inside with her and everything. i'm about to go in and see what the [ bleep ]'s going on. >> okay. why don't you just wait for officers? i'll get them over there. >> reporter: so the fiance stayed outside. the officers went in. the house was neat, tidy. they found the 2-year-old, unharmed. they went down the hall. looked in the next bedroom. and there she was. very dead. >> i didn't know, at the time, exactly how many times she was

stabbed. but i knew that it was vicious. >> minot police detective sergeant dave goodman. >> how many did you find? how many stab wounds? >> somewhere near 40. >> and there was the fiance. and you've got a crime that looks like a crime of passion. what story did he tell about coming home? >> he reported that he had been at work all night. when he arrived home and found the backdoor to the residence kicked open, said that he was obviously concerned about that. >> if that was me, i think i would have rushed in there to see what was going on with my family. >> and i say that, too. of course, until you experience that, yourself, i guess, none of us know how we would react. >> yeah. >> reporter: still, goodman's detective instinct kicked in. so what if a 911 dispatcher told him to wait? would an innocent, worried parent really do that? it was suspicious. why did angela's fiance, chris, stay outside? and had he really been at work all night, as he said he was?

they took him downtown for the first of several interviews, where goodman and his partner, detective sergeant, sized him up. his name was chris jackson. >> how did he present? >> he was calm. he was crying. he was upset. he was mad. >> reporter: where was he that night? chris said angela drove him to work at walmart. dropped him off before 11:00 p.m. >> and i kiss her and i say i love you, sweetheart, drive safe. have a good night. >> reporter: angela was nervous, he said. afraid to be left alone. >> why did he say she was anxious during the night? >> the night before, she thought that she had heard somebody messing at the front door of the residence. she felt she was being watched. >> reporter: so, said chris, he called and he texted her, repeatedly. but after 2:00 a.m., he said, she didn't pick up when he called. >> and he figured she had fallen asleep. >> reporter: but, no, she wasn't

sleeping. but who killed her? and why? when chris first arrived at the police station, they let him make a phone call. it was obvious he had his own suspect in mind. >> richie's probably the [ bleep ] piece of [ bleep ] who did it. god, i hope they piece it to him. i [ bleep ] hope so. >> reporter: richie? who was he? >> a pregnant, young mom, dead. her toddler, nearby. and an investigation about to lead to even darker discoveries. coming up. >> her finger nails were broken off. >> detectives talk to richie. >> what happened to your face? >> where? right here? >> are they getting closer? or getting played? >> did he have an alibi? >> he said he did. >> when "dateline" continues. >> he said he did. >> when "dateline" continues here? nah. ♪ here? nope.

♪ here. ♪ when the middle of nowhere... is somewhere. the all-new chevy trailblazer. ♪ thewith acetaminophenctionzer. fights pain in two ways. advil targets pain at the source... ...while acetaminophen blocks pain signals. the future of pain relief is here. new advil dual action. ♪ but come ye back when su-- mom, dad. why's jamie here? it's sunday. sunday sing along.

and he helped us get a home and auto bundle. he's been our insurance guy for five years now. he makes us feel like we're worth protecting. [ gasps ] why didn't you tell us about these savings, flo? i've literally told you a thousand times. ♪ oh, danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling ♪ i'm just gonna... ♪ from glen to glen i'm just gonna... did you know that some aluminum- free deodorants only mask odor? secret aluminum free helps eliminate odor instead of just masking it. and is made with three times more odor fighters. with secret, odor is one less thing to worry about. secret.

that's very common to have a gum health concern as well. you know, i talk to dentists every day, and they're able to recommend sensodyne sensitivity & gum. it's really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product that can address two conditions.

the wind on the prairie is a fickle thing. like people sometimes are. is that why angela wilder's fiance, chris, was so angry? >> richie's probably the piece of [ bleep ] who did it. >> reporter: there was a history to this. long before that november morning in 2015, and far away from minot, north dakota. in alabama, angela met richie at church. they were the best of friends, as kids. and after angela had a baby as a teenager, it was richie who scooped her up, married her, adopted her little girl, and before long, they had a boy of their own. all, witnessed by angela's sister, crystal. >> she tend to date guys that were funny, that were gentle, that were intelligent. and really, richie was all those things. >> reporter: richie was in the air force. that's why they moved to minot. big air base there. and it's where angela pursued

her dream of becoming a nurse. >> she took classes whenever she could. she could have up to two jobs at a time, still taeattend her classes, and take care of her kids. >> why did richie and angela's lifelong bond rupture? who really knows? but theirs curdled into a corrosive, toxic anger. richie was court marshalled, convicted of domestic abuse, a divorce followed. and then, like the prairie wind, their affection shifted. richie remarried small-town north dakota girl, named cindy, who had moved to minot and become a kindergarten teacher. and soon, cindy and richie had a baby of their own. and angela got engaged to chris, and she had another baby, too. and these two new families, all, settled down again. or they might have, except for richie and angela's nasty custody battle. >> she said he's just fighting

me all the time. you know, and it's just been really hard with the kids. >> reporter: it was bad between those two. scary. >> i got a frantic phone call from her one morning. and i was like calm down. what's going on? she says it's richie. i just woke up. came out of my bedroom, went into my living room. and he's sitting on my couch and looked at me and said, see, i told you i can get to you if i wanted to. >> is that what happened here? an angry ex-husband's revenge? >> hello. hi. are you richie? >> reporter: a few hours after the murder, after talking to angela's fiance chris, detectives goodman and atice called richie in for a talk but he didn't seem to know what was going on. >> and i'll tell you angela's dead. >> oh, really? >> yeah. >> did he seem upset by what had happened? >> he didn't, no. >> did that strike you as odd? >> it did, yes. >> you'd want to have some reaction. it's the mother of his child. >> that's what we would expect. >> reporter: their questions got

tougher. >> did you kill her? >> no. >> no? >> no. i'm 100% truthful. >> did he have an alibi? >> he said he did. >> did you work last night? >> from 7:00 to 11:00, yes, ma'am. >> okay. where'd you go after you left work? >> straight home. >> can anybody tell us what time you got home? >> cindy. >> reporter: that is, his new wife, the kindergarten teacher. who confirmed that, when she woke up for the baby during the night, richie was beside her, in bed. >> he was home. >> if that's the truth, then that's fine. i mean, maybe he was home during those three times that you were up during the night. is that possible? sure. but what do you know about this? >> i don't know anything. >> reporter: so, maybe the detectives could get some evidence from the crime scene techs, who told them angela had tried to fight off her killer. >> her finger nails were broken off. it appeared that the assault actually occurred while she was

in bed and ended up on the floor, next to the bed. >> your dna's not going to show up anywhere on her? >> no, it's not possible. i wasn't even there. >> it would show up under her finger nails? >> no. >> reporter: but they couldn't help but see the scratch. >> what happened to your face? >> where? right here? >> you got a scratch on your face. >> he had the story that he had been wrestling with his younger son. and that he had got scratched. >> reporter: police, also, impounded two cars driven by richie and his wife. and, in one, a small spot of something dark brown on the inside of a door. >> visible to the naked eye, but not obvious that it was blood. but enough suspicion for them to go ahead and collect that. >> reporter: and when the lab called back a few weeks later with news. well, it was quite a moment. >> we were excited. we cooperauldn't believe it.

>> reporter: that spot in richie's vehicle? it was, indeed, blood. angela's blood. >> we ended up standing up during that conference call, and -- and hugging. we were so excited to get that news. >> reporter: but no arrest. not yet. not until more results came in on material found under angela's finger nails. >> about a week later, we heard back on the finger nail clippings, and that came back to richie. and we said, okay, let's go get him. >> reporter: and so, they did. >> we found him at a local gym in town. i said i have an arrest warrant for you, for the murder of angela. >> reporter: richie wilder jr. was charged with murder. he, soon, pleaded not guilty. >> we offered an interview to him. he didn't want to talk. and he went to jail. >> reporter: then, a couple of months later. >> richie, remember us? >> reporter: richie asked to see the detectives, again. because he was finally ready to

tell the truth and blow the whistle on his accomplice. wait. accomplice? >> coming up. >> off the bed and he kept just stabbing her. >> richie's story, and why he says he kept it secret. >> threatening my family. >> when "dateline" continues. te >> when "dateline" continues an . by digitally upgrading every one of our employees...physically. now, everybody at apartments.com can, and does, give one hundred and ten percent. [rapid typing and clicking] apartments-dot-com. the most popular place to find a place.

they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps.com print discounted postage for any letter

any package any time right from your computer all the services of the post office plus ups only cheaper get our special tv offer a 4-week trial plus postage and a digital scale go to stamps.com/tv and never go to the post office again.

he drug her off the bed and

kept just stabbing her. >> reporter: richie wilder jr. had a new story. a new and shocking story that put him ain his ex-wife angela' bedroom the night she was stabbed to death. but did he kill her? oh, no, richie said. so, who did? richie was finally ready to reveal the secret. to point the finger at the very man who first accused him. the killer was angela's fiance, chris. >> i was like what the [ bleep ] are you doing, man? >> reporter: but, to start from the beginning, richie said chris had discovered angela was cheating on him while he worked his night shift at walmart. he wanted to catch her in the act. prove she was an unfit mother. so they, chris and richie, would win custody of their respective kids. sounded good to richie. so, friday, november 13th, 2:15 a.m. >> richie told us that he picked chris up from walmart.

that he drove him to the house. they were supposed to catch her in the act of cheating on chris. >> when we opened the door, it looked like there was two people in the bed. you know? and, of course, when you pull back the cover, first thing i notice that wasn't a person. that was a body pillow. >> reporter: but maybe chris didn't understand that, said richie. because he went crazy and started stabbing her. >> i ran over there. and i touched her neck to feel her pulse, you know? because she was kind of like -- you know, like -- and as i went to touch her pulse. whenever she like leaned up and like scratched the mess out of my face. i grabbed her hands. she was just like i love you. >> that was why his face was scratched, said richie, and her dna was under her finger nails. anyway, he drove chris back to work, at walmart. >> the passenger seat. >> the same side of the car that

spot was found, angela's blood. >> one, he kept threatening my family. he was like you tell anybody, i'm going to kill your wife and your little -- your little one. >> reporter: it was quite a story. the only problem? walmart, where chris worked, has cameras everywhere. and it just so happened that detective goodman had spent most of the night before the interview with richie watching videos. videos that kept witness of every movement, every minute. if chris left the store to kill his wife, then goodman wouldn't find him on any video shot between 2:15 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. >> every five to ten minutes, we have him there, at the store. we have him in the entryway, sitting down eating his lunch during the time that richie's telling us he's stabbing angela. >> reporter: in fact, the only times chris briefly left the store, his scheduled breaks.

>> so he simply couldn't have taken part in such a game with richie. >> he couldn't have and we knew that. >> reporter: goodman held back as richie spun his tale. and then? >> chris did not leave walmart during those times. >> i know he did because i picked him up. >> i know he didn't because i watched him on video. >> reporter: and minutes later, richie wilder, his bluff called, simply folded. >> you can stop any time you want. >> i'll stop. >> okay. >> and so, when richie wilder's murder trial started a few months later, prosecutor kelly dylan was confident. >> i felt i had a very strong case. my strategy was to simply present the crime scene, present the physical evidence, and present richie's multiple stories about how this went down. >> reporter: straightforward enough. as richie listened, his wife cindy, dutifully seated near the

defendant table. the prosecutor called witnesses who told the jury about angela's blood in one of richie's cars. about dna linked to richie under angela's fingernails. about the changing, self-serving stories richie told. >> she like leaned up and like scratched the mess out of my face. i grabbed her hands. she was just like i love you. >> up to that point, i was thinking he might be able to convince a jury. but then, when he got to the point where angela sat up and said, richie, i love you. it was done. it was done for me. it's just such an incredible thing to throw into that story. it was just an example of richie needing to be the hero. >> what did he gain from killing her? or what did he think he would gain? >> control. he wouldn't have to deal with angela anymore. >> richie wilder is responsible for angela's murder, and only richie wilder.

>> reporter: richie's defense attorney countered that the murder weapon was never found. and suggested richie was, somehow, set up. >> i think there's reasonable doubt, here. and i ask that you find richie wilder not guilty. >> reporter: and the jury went out and returned, in less than an hour. >> i've had simple theft cases that have taken longer to decide than this case did. >> we, the jury, find the defendant, richie edward wilder jr., guilty of the crime of murder. >> reporter: guilty. richie's wife cindy, dissolved in tears in the courtroom. and then, again, later, in the hallway. >> he's -- he's a good man. he's a good husband. he would never do anything that would hurt his kids. none of it makes any sense to me, at all. i know that i was home that night. i got up on a couple occasions with my kids. when i got up, he was at home. >> reporter: sad.

still, so loyal. still, clinging to that long-demolished alibi. not so uncommon, really. for a spouse to refuse to accept an awful truth about her man. anyway, cindy was left to pick up the pieces. her sister, abby, moved to minot to help. >> i just felt like she needed me, as a sister. and she needed the support. i've been a single mom for years. i know how hard it is to do it on your own. so i felt like i was going to do what i could to help her, to bear that burden and to figure things out. >> reporter: and it helped. cindy went back to her teaching job. but even with abby there, she felt lonely. a certain kind of lonely. uh-oh. >> coming up. growing suspicions about cindy. >> did she drive him there? was she inside the house?

was she involved in this? >> and a secret revealed. >> wow. >> that was my response. wow. >> when "dateline" continues. e. wow. >> when "dateline" continues you're not welcome here! get out of my face! hpv can cause certain cancers when your child grows up. get in its way. hpv can affect males and females... and there's no way to predict who will or won't clear the virus. but you can help protect your child by taking a first step. the cdc recommends hpv vaccination at age 11 or 12 to help protect against certain cancers. hey cancer! not... my... child. don't wait... talk to your child's doctor about hpv vaccination today. hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey severe. the real honey you love... plus, the powerful cough relief you need.

mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey severe. strong relief for your severe symptoms. and now your co-pilot..lief still a father. but now a friend. still an electric car. just more electrifying. still a night out. but everything fits in. still hard work. just a little easier. still a legend. just more legendary. chevrolet. making life's journey, just better. robinwithout the commission fees. so, you can start investing today wherever you are - even hanging with your dog. so, what are you waiting for?

download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood. . . . to put on me about having hiv isn't gonna fit. that's for sure. my name is zach and i'm on biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment . . . . . . used for hiv in certain adults. it's not a cure but with one small . . . . . . pill, biktarvy fights hiv . . . . . . to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a build-up of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding . . . . . . or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv . . .

. . . keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. hello, i'm dara brown. here's what's happening. f the first time since early june, new york state reported more than 1,000 new covid-19 tests in one day. as the weather cools and students returned to school. a group of firefighters from connecticut and massachusetts were welcomed home today after assisting in the battle against the california wildfires. cal fire says that over 3.6 million acres have burned in the state, this year. now, back to "dateline." welcome back to "dateline." i'm natalie morales. it took less than an hour for a jury to find richie wilder guilty of murdering his ex-wife angela. even after the verdict, his

second wife, cindy, continued to stand by her man. insisting, to reporters, that he was no killer. but cindy was about to rekindle a connection with an old friend. and the story she'd tell him would come with a surprising, new twist. here, again, is keith morrison with "prairie confidential." >> reporter: murder can have so many innocent victims. like, the children. angela and richie's, forever, deprived of both parents now. >> i have the kids now. they've been with me for the past year, and they will continue to be with me. and they need to know that their dad is a good man. >> stepmother, cindy, the kindergarten teacher, said she was doing her best, in trying circumstances. raising, as step kids, the children of the woman her husband had just been convicted of murdering. she did get some help, mind you, from her sister, abby. >> i saw that she was

struggling, and needed some help, you know, trying to figure out the whole single parent thing. >> reporter: but, of course, abby had to wonder what happened that night. the night richie murdered angela. human nature, really. >> i had tried to ask her, a few times. you know, are -- are you sure he was home that night? >> reporter: same question that bothered those minot detectives. but cindy stuck to her story. >> he didn't leave the house that night. >> yes, he did, cindy. >> he did leave the house that night. >> no, he didn't. >> reporter: but as you can tell, they had their doubts about cindy. >> did she drive him there? was she inside the house? was she involved in this? >> reporter: but no way to know. >> we just did not have anything to go on. >> did you kind of put it out of your mind? >> we did. >> reporter: meanwhile, abby helped cindy with the kids and watched her sister grow even more sad. >> she did seem lonely. she wanted someone to talk to.

she wanted a companion. it seemed like she was just dealing with the realization that her husband wasn't coming home. >> reporter: wasn't necessarily romance she was looking for. just a man to talk to. like, the bartender, she'd once known at a minot watering hole called the original. his name was matt walters. he and cindy had met before her marriage to richie, in 2013. >> we'd hang out on slow nights and sit there and do shots together. and there was one night where we had a really good, in-depth conversation. ever since then, she felt this connection. that he that's how she always referred to it was this connection. >> did she trust you? feel safe with you? >> she seemed like it. >> they lost track of one another after cindy married richie. and cindy had a little girl. but after the murder, cindy found matt on facebook. >> she said something like i suppose you've heard. and i said heard what? and she -- she linked an article to richie being arrested.

>> did you feel a bit sorry for her? >> yeah, i felt really bad for her. >> reporter: matt and some friends took cindy out for a drink at, well, where else? and talked about, you guessed it, richie's arrest. >> did she have any comment about his guilt or innocence? >> she insisted that he was home, alone, with her all night. and he never left. and i think the only thing i ever said to her is if that's not true, and you testify to that in court, you could end up in prison. >> matt knew something, firsthand, about prison. he had done a little more than a year behind bars, himself, in his early 20s for burglary. before turning his life around and going to work as an electrician. >> you warned her. >> yeah. i let her know that prison isn't a place she wants to go to. >> reporter: anyway, matt was a shoulder to cry on. >> she is going through a really crappy time. >> reporter: and even after matt moved to denver, they chatted

online. and one day, cindy said something very disturbing. >> we were talking about how richie got caught and he is going to prison. and i said, well, a knife's kind of a stupid way to -- to do something like that. and she said, well, the knife was a backup. it was supposed to be a gun. >> wow. >> that was my response. wow. >> she wasn't the innocent bystander. >> she wasn't the innocent bystander, and the right thing is to let the proper people know. >> so matt did. he called the minot police. who, by then, had all but given up on the cindy angle. >> there was a phone call into the general department line. this individual gave his name and that he had information in regards to the angela homicide. >> what did you do? >> we arranged a time to place a call. and we -- we heard him out. >> he seemed very credible. he was somebody that had this

bad gut feeling, from conversations that he had with cindy, that there's more to this. >> reporter: so detectives took the next step. they enlisted him as a confidential informant and gave him a name. ci-17-001. >> what is it like to be a confidential informant? >> during the time, it was kind of cool. it was kind of like what you see on tv. >> reporter: the arrangements, however, were a little daunting. >> they came out and asked me if i would be willing to wear a wire. >> what was it like to hear that? >> i was kind of stunned and dumb found dumbfounded for a second. after a second of thought she was involved, the right thing was to go and help them. >> careful. you can never know, when you set a trap, exactly what you'll catch. >> test. test. test. i'm almost there. >> coming up. cindy stays silent until. >> all of a sudden, it happens.

>> we like had this thing like planned for like two [ bleep ] years. >> when date li"dateline" conti. "ds family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less. enjoy the go with charmin. here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection

and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. if your financial situation has changed, active, ambitious dailies delicious easy, fantastic lively and quick probiotics inside trust the taste vital vibe yummy yogurt zany or zen from a to z, your gut is where it all begins start with activia introducing the future of fitness. it's every class you can imagine, live. welcome back to the mirror. you've got this john. and on demand. it's boxing... cardio... yoga... and more. it's an interactive, goal crushing...whole family...whole body fitness machine. it's so cool! the future of fitness is

at home. the mirror. when you're through with powering through, it's time for theraflu hot liquid medicine. powerful relief so you can restore and recover. theraflu hot beats cold. honey, did you hear about these new geico savings? mom? you'll get an extra 15% on top of what geico could already save you. can i call you back? your father's been researching our geneology. we're vikings! there's never been a better time to save with geico. switch by october seventh for an extra 15% on car and motorcycle insurance. hey, we lost the wifi password. do you remember what that is?

what do you do when you suspect an old friend has helped commit an awful crime? you wear a wire for the cops? matt walters was willing. but how could he even arrange a way without arising suspicion to see cindy?

after all, he lived way off in denver. >> how did you organize the meeting with cindy? >> i told her i got laid off and was going to come back to minot to see some friends and i asked her if she wanted to hang out. she seemed to jump at the opportunity. >> but nervous? oh, yes. investigators set up a secret meeting at this hotel. >> there were four detectives sitting there and that's when it kind of hit me, like, holy -- holy cow, this is for real. >> how to do it without spooking her? the detectives had an idea. >> one of the options was to have a hotel room which we had audio and video wired. and we were going to be in the room next to it. >> but matt was engaged in a girl in denver. >> i said no, that's not going to happen. there's only one reason you go to a hotel room. i'm like, we're -- you know, not doing that. >> reporter: so, they considered hiding the wire on his body. matt didn't like that, either. >> cindy was very careful and paranoid. and i -- i just gathered that,

if they put a wire on me and we started talking about this stuff, there was a chance that she would want to search me. >> he felt that it was -- would be better to -- to just go for a ride or to go out and have his car wired. >> reporter: so police did just that. then, hid a trns mittansmitter trunk so detectives could follow and listen in. >> test. test. test. >> reporter: 9:30 p.m. matt picked up cindy at her house. they went to a bar where matt turned on a phone app to capture the conversation while they weren't in the car. >> well, i am going to get a beer. >> i wanted us to all be comfortable together. i hadn't seen her in years. >> he didn't push too hard. didn't probe. for now, he was just an old friend catching up till past midnight. then. >> i drove her home and -- and, you know, she didn't get out of my car, which is good. but it got to the point it

seemed like an hour in, where she wasn't saying anything. anything relevant. >> reporter: detectives goodman and matice parked no more than 30 feet away in the dark, were desperately trying to stay awake. >> at some point, we both were probably thinking, okay, we're on hour four. you know, we're sitting in this dark car. you are gatietting tired. you're getting exhausted. we've been listening for hours. >> there's nothing there. >> and then, all of a sudden, it happens. >> i said, well, i should probably get going. and her body language changed, and just the tone of the situation changed. it was pretty obvious that she was -- that she was angry. >> angry? >> she seemed angry. >> angry about what? >> i wasn't sure so i asked her. >> are you mad at your husband? >> no, like i'm proud of him. i'm just pissed that he got caught and that he got sloppy

and impatient and -- because we, like, had this thing like planned for like two [ bleep ] years. >> planned for two years? what? >> it was almost like the floodgates opened and she got it all off of her chest, at once. >> he came home that night and he said it got sloppy. she fought back. he had to do what he had to do. she put up a good fight. like, she did. she scratched his face. like -- and that's what got him, too. like, if it was me, i would have gone back and cut her [ bleep ] fingers off. i would have burned them. i would have lit the house on fire. >> what was it like to hear that? >> it was the hardest mental thing that i've ever had to do. to hold back that urge to tell her to shut the [ bleep ] up. that she's sickening. she's -- she's disgusting. >> he like went psycho on her because the hate and the anger

and the frustration and i totally would have done the same thing, too. >> it's like i said before, a knife is a stupid [ bleep ] way to kill somebody. >> well, he had a gun that was untraceable. but -- and every time he like took it, it kept, like, jamming. and i guess, that night, it was an old -- i helped him clean up. he left again to, like, dispose of the clothing and the weapon and everything. and i thought we were, like, in the clear. >> do you think you're a horrible person? or do you think it needed to be done? because now, you've said both. >> i totally believe that it needed to be done. >> needed to be done, she said. as if murder was, somehow, a winning solution to their long-running struggle over who got custody of the kids. and finally, remember how angela told her fiance, before the murder, that she was worried about being watched? angela was right to be worried. >> i helped him. like, i would -- like, when he worked nights, i would leave the house at like midnight. and like, sit outside her house in my vehicle. seeing who came to the house,

when her boyfriend left, where -- when -- yeah. we [ bleep ] had this planned out. and he [ bleep ] up because he didn't clean the car good enough. one [ bleep ] spot of blood in my car. >> when she said that, can you tell me what that was like? >> we were pretty excited. >> there were some high-fives in the car. >> all right. let's call it a [ bleep ] night. i'm beat. you're beat. we'll see each other again. right? >> it's up to you. >> maybe. >> reporter: exhausted. matt rendezvoused with detectives at the sleep inn. >> well, we got back to the hotel. and we went into the room. and i said to him, is it too soon to hug you? >> i was just so drained. so then, we called it a night. i went back to my friend's house that i was staying at. and i couldn't sleep for probably two or three hours. even though i was exhausted, it was -- it was all just so -- so surreal. it was a whirlwind of disbelief and -- and shock and -- and

disgust. and i kept having pretty graphic images of what angela went through during the murder. >> you didn't know angela, did you? >> i didn't. >> reporter: a few days later, the detectives went to the school where cindy was a substitute teacher. 3rd grade, that day. >> we met with her, privately, in an office at the school. i showed her that i had the restaurant warra arrest warrant for her being a part of the homicide with angela. >> how'd she take it? >> she really didn't respond. she didn't cry. she didn't make any statements. >> reporter: oh, but she would. such a surprise on the way. >> coming up. cindy says she was just bragging. >> a handful of things in that conversation are somewhat true. but, for the most part, it's false and extremely exaggerated. >> but will anyone believe her? >> that was kind of a shocker in the courtroom that day, in fact, wasn't it? >> when "dateline" continues. k t

qualify to sell on our site. if it's been in a reported accident, we won't sell it. and at our state-of-the-art facilities our ase certified mechanics roll up their sleeves and get to it. inspecting, dialing-in, and fine tuning every single car inside and out, bringing all of it up to our high standards. by the time we're done, our cars are beyond "certified." they're carvana certified. so whether you have it delivered or pick it up, we do it all so you can rest easy. with acetaminophenction fights pain in two ways. advil targets pain at the source... ...while acetaminophen blocks pain signals. the future of pain relief is here. new advil dual action.

that's very common to have a gum health concern as well. you know, i talk to dentists every day, and they're able to recommend sensodyne sensitivity & gum. it's really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product that can address two conditions. whatintroducing the new sleepld? one prnumber 360 smart bed. now temperature balancing, so you can sleep better together. save up to $1,000 on the new sleep number 360 smart bed and adjustable base. plus, 0% interest for 24 months & free delivery. ends monday. robinwithout the commission fees. so, you can start investing today wherever you are - even hanging with your dog. so, what are you waiting for? download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood.

the unfair money bail system. he, accused of rape. while he, accused of stealing $5. the stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. the senior citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. because the size of your wallet shouldn't determine whether or not you're in jail. vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail.

welcome back. cindy wilder did not hold back as she recounted the chilling details of angela's murder to her old friend, matt walters. she had no clue matt was recording the conversation as part of a sting operation. cindy was arrested and, now, headed to court to share a very different version of her story. but first, she talked to us.

here's keith morrison with the conclusion of "prairie confidential." >> reporter: cindy wilder was tiny, almost childlike in her jail jumpsuit. barely fi barely, 100 pounds. and yet, here she was, in court, answering to allegations of a very big crime, of huge hatreds, of lying to everyone, even those who loved her most. >> i felt betrayed because i had felt sorry for her. and as a sister, i wanted to help her. and then, to find out that it all felt like a big lie, and that i was betrayed and deceived. it -- it was terrible. >> reporter: no doubt. she did say what she said on those tapes with the confidential informant, matt walters. >> like if it was me, i would

have gone back and cut her fingers off, i would have burned them. i would have lit the house on fire. >> what did you think knowing there was a 2-year-old child in the house, at the time? >> i thought those are -- those are strong words. that's a lot of hate. >> reporter: but was it? or was it something else, altogether? a few days before that scene in court. >> hello? >> yes, hi. >> reporter: we interviewed cindy by phone from the ward county jail in minot. how would she, how could she, explain all those terrible things she said to matt on tape? her answer was, also, her legal defense. >> i was lonely. and i was trying to see if there could be any sort of relationship. >> yeah. >> and i was kind of trying to impress him. >> you were trying to impress him, did you say? >> yeah, because i know he has had a criminal history, too. so i thought, you know, that would kind of be like our connection. our, like, common thing. >> so you said i did all these

terrible things, when you didn't really do them? >> a handful of things in that conversation are somewhat true. but for the most part, it's false and extremely exaggerated. >> so, what would be true, out of that conversation? >> the fact that i knew about it, after it happened. >> okay. and you hid the fact that you knew about it. >> right. i didn't want to lose my kids. i didn't want to lose my job. >> reporter: would a jury believe cindy's explanation that she was merely trying to impress a man with a bunch of made-up, tough talk? certainly, the prosecutor didn't buy it. >> if you're trying to impress a boy, you make up a story about being a state champion gymnast or diver, not about being an accomplice to murder. >> reporter: in any case, no jury would have to decide. on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder, the prosecutor

offered a deal. cindy would spend 25 years in prison. then, get out to resume her life. and cindy turned it down. she had a strategy of her own. she would take an alford plea. that way, she believed the judge would impose a much lighter penalty. and in may, 2018, cindy's attorney appealed to judge stacey lauser for a lenient sentence. ten years. and now, it was the judge's turn. would she believe cindy's explanation? >> you were the one person who could have stopped this nightmare. you were the one person who could have intervened, who could have called law enforcement when richie wilder left your home. you were the one person who could have spared angela wilder's life. you chose not to do so. i am, hereby, remanding you to the north dakota department of

corrections and rehabilitation as to count one, conspiracy to commit murder, to a sentence of life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole. >> reporter: life without parole. that was kind of a shocker in the courtroom that day, in fact, wasn't it? >> it was a surprise. but i mean, it's certainly, in my mind, well-deserved. >> reporter: from cindy, not a flinch. from her sister? >> it almost feels like a death of someone in the family. everything changed. at least, before, there was some sort of a hope that, you know, even if it was a long period of time, there's still that hope that, you know, we can make memories again. and go on trips. and, you know, spend time together outside of prison walls. and that's gone. >> reporter: but for angela's

sister. >> she's a horrible person. she's exactly where she needs to be. and i am so thankful that the judge saw her for the individual that she is, the monster that she is. >> reporter: cindy wilder is now serving life. her attorney says she asked him not to file any appeals of her sentence. her husband richie is also doing life without parole. he did appeal but north dakota's highest court upheld his conviction. so our story ends with a family shattered. and matt walters doesn't regret his decision to wear a wire. but he struggles. doing the right thing was not easy. >> basically, i'm responsible for ending another person's life in all meaningful ways, which is fine. she deserves it. but it's still kind of a hard thing to deal with, to know you ended someone's life. >> like, you feel, somehow, it's on you? >> yeah. there's, like, a weight on me. >> reporter: and angela would surely be working as a nurse, by

now. would finally have achieved her lifelong ambition to care for people and make them well. >> she pops in my head, and i just think how sad because she would have been one heck of a nurse. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm natalie morales. thank you for watching. i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline." >> he was my superman. he was always my protector. >> my fiance, i think he's been killed. i think he's been shot. >> this is the man i'm supposed to marry. this was just not possible. >> she found him on the floor, the fiance who was the love of her life. >> i zeroed in on him,