it now, and hopefully just one woman would have the courage to stand up and say, i'm being abused. i'm living in fear. i'm living with secrets and i need to stand up and be bold. months and months. there's a lot of ways to kill someone but i never seen anything like this. >> a devastating mystery illness. >> she was in a lot of pain. excruciaing pain. >> she was like a zombie.

>> what happened to this young mom. >> someone said could this be a poison. >> this is used by russian kj b agents. >> who would think of this. >> you need to search those phones. >> this is being done to her on purpose. she's in danger. >> this evil came into our lives. how could this be? >> welcome to "dateline" brigita loved to run and was hard-wired to go the extra mile in everything 14e did and suddenly her health collapsed. doctors were baffled as her symptoms multiplied and grew more alarming. then this confounding mystery took a sinister turn.

someone wanted her dead and launched a full proof plan but could the fbi stop it in time? here's the blue mystery. >> from the moment the ambulance arrived in the san diego emergency room in march 2016, the situation was frightening and desperate. triage nurse took one look at the woman on the gurney and new something was terribly, terribly wrong. >> she was losing her vision and couldn't feel her feet and hands. she couldn't even see the water that i was giving her. >> the patient's name was brigita uto she had just turned 28 yet she seemed to be near death. >> at that point, i mean, she was very, very sick. >> oh, she was probably the sickest patient in the er at the time. i told my co-worker that's she might code on me. >> whatever was killing her wasn't evident.

there were no bruises no wounds, no obvious signs of infection, yet when the doctor examined her. >> she was critically ill, very ill. >> so began an unusual detective story. first the doctors had to unravel a medical mystery and soon enough real detectives would be on the case too. but at that moment -- >> -- we saw someone who was almost april almost apathetic, was hard to get her history. >> looking for clues the doctor dove into her medical records that were extensive. she had suffering for months, naushia fatigue and extrushiating pain. her sister said her it illness would come on suddenly. >> she was all of a sudden violently sick, had to call out from work, just sick for days.

>> various doctors came up with theory from fibroid to cancer. >> there was one doctor that actually told her that oh, you just have really bad menstrual cramps, she felt her ove -- overies were about to fall out of her body and she called me crying, i don't know what to do, and i'm frustrated because no one could tell us what's wrong with her. >> she wondered if stress could be making her sick. she had a toddler to chase around and husband in the navy and new job teaching special ed. it was thrilling but overwhelming. then she was put on medication for depression but got sick again. >> she kept going to the doctors and kept feeling worse and worse and worse and she started losing a lot of weight. >> her mom also nam olga felt

helpless as her daughter's illness progressed. >> i guess she was getting tired of going to the doctors and then finding nothing. she says, mom, i give up. i'm not going to go to the doctors any more. i said no, you can't, you have to go back. you can't give up. she was not even walking normally any more. >> just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, a disturbing new symptom. >> i went next door to see her and she -- we ended up on her kitchen floor and she was crying to me. and she said she had pulled out a chunk of her hair like just in the shower it came out. >> her beautiful dark brown locks started falling out by the fistful. >> when you're seeing her lose her hair she thought it was her

most beautiful trait how concerned were you? >> we were very concerned. on march 5th she called me in the morning and said mom, i need to go to the hospital. she goes i can hardly breathe. >> >> she lived in the country in a house right next to her parents yet that morning couldn't really see her way to their place and the pain in her legs was so bad she could barely get into her mother's suv. >> i tried to help her by raising the leg but even a touch was painful. she screamd. >> her mom raced her to the naval hospital in san diego. >> she said just drop me close as you can to the entrance i still remember, i saw her walking, and she walk like, you know the walking dead. >> like a zombie.

>> like a zombie. it was horrible. >> but the navy doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong either. her husband took her back to the family doctor who called an ambulance when he saw how sick she was. now at kaiser hospital she was the mystery patient. >> one of the emergency physicians saw her and said it's not right and our team was called. >> the doctor has board certification in medical toxic olg a rare thing in the er. but his expertise would prove critical. >> as a toxicologyist i'm more in the detective role. >> what was causing her hair to fall out not to mention the severe pain, vision loss and weakness. >> doctors first said it could be lupus. >> she had this chronic

withering slow course. so auto immune is on the list can't just make you lose your hair it's chemo that makes you lose the hair. >> the doctor knew he had to solve the mystery fast, she was fading and the clock was ticking. >> when i saw her and knew she was dieing she was in a lot of excruciating pain. i remember being in the hospital room, and she's like, i want to be close to my sister and she put herself through insane amount of pain just to turn her body so she could look at me. >> how close was she to dieing. >> i watch my sister almost die. i knew she was gone. >> a family's anguish deepens and the race to unravel is this mystery shifts into over drive. >> coming up. >> your daughter is getting weaker and weaker and losing her

vision. >> she was losing everything. >> were her husband and young snon danger too. >> i have a child in the equation. i have a spouse. let's make sure the child is safe and haven't been exposed. >> when "dateline" continues. make it a pataday with the drop that's right for you. now without a prescription. everywhere. nexgard is the flea and tick protection that's #1 with vets. it even prevents the infection that causes lyme disease.

your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. plus, its delicious beef flavor is #1 with dogs. ask your vet about nexgard. these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch.

don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. alright, guys, no insurance talk on beach day. -i'm down. -yes, please. [ chuckles ] don't get me wrong, i love my rv, but insuring it is such a hassle. same with my boat. the insurance bills are through the roof. -[ sighs ] -be cool. i wish i could group my insurance stuff. -[ coughs ] bundle. -the house, the car, the rv. like a cluster. an insurance cluster. -woosah. -[ chuckles ] -i doubt that exists. -it's a bundle! it's a bundle, and it saves you money! hi. i'm flo from progressive, and i couldn't help but overhear... super fun beach day, everybody.

a. a. ♪♪ here at kaiser permanente hospital in san diego brigita was so weak she couldn't even

conjure up the energy to care what was happening for her, doctors have a term for patients in this apathetic state. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> you lost your hair and can't walk and you're wasting away. you are so sick, you don't have the insight to go i'm really sick. it's almost like, it's fine. >> that told you right there she was as sick as she could get and possibly was near death. >> i think so, yeah. >> dr. jeff lapoint didn't know for sure what was making brigita sick but symptoms indicated may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and realized she might not be the only one. >> let's observe the children and that they haven't been exposed. >> he had her husband and son admitted to a separate hospital for testing and for safety sake

banned all visitors from her hospital room, even immediately family. >> there was a time you didn't know what was happening with your sister. did you think this is. she might be gone already and nobody's telling us. oh. >> oh, yeah. i was like a walking zombie just going through the motions and hoping she's okay. knowing if they hadn't called me to tell me she's gone it's because she's still here. >> olga is two year younger and they've always been close. >> we shared a bedroom when we were little and every night was like a sleep over. we were literally there for each other throughout our childhood, teenage years, adult life, she was my go-to person. >> their dad worked at u.s. customs at the border and grew up in rural san diego county. >> it is a safe, idyllic

upbringing for your daughters. >> it's safe, every place has its dangers, over the years we had a rattlesnake or someone stole a pick up truck, there's dangers, but that goes with everywhere. you can't protect them from everything. >> from their dad their learned caution and from their mom the importance of faith. >> i put them in a catholic school and they teach you moral values of life. >> she would beg to go during the week. >> during the week, yes. >> a little girl who begged to go to church grew into an accomplished young woman who ran cross country and excel in school. >> did she put a lot of pressure on herself then? >> oh, yes, she's always been that way. even in kindergarten they would get a lot of homework and if she made a mistake she wouldn't want her page to show she had erased

something. she would start all over. >> near the end of the senior year in high school she met a young man who was a runner like she was, a grade behind her but ambitious and determined to go to the naval academy inan april police. >> when did you n april police. >> when did yo annapolis. >> when you did you first hear about race. >> i was 16 years old. i remember her telling me when she met this guy, i was like okay i didn't think much of it because my sister didn't date much. >> as alga got to know him better she thought he was the guy she needed. >> she was all very like stuck to the rules. he took her to the adventurous part of her life. >> kind of got her out of her shell. >> oh, definitely got her out of her shell. i saw a different side of her when she was with him. >> race made it to the naval academy like he wanted but

suffered a hernia that never healed properly and eventually he had to with draw without graduating. he did join the navy though. then in 2014 brigita and race married and soon she was pregnant with their son. everyone was thrilled when the baby came. >> we were all excited really. we'd sit there like when we were little and had a little doll and would hold my nephew and take turns. i'd take care of him when she was sleeping or trying to rest. watching her learn and experience being a mom for the first time is how she wanted to be. it was beautiful. >> then, just before her son turned two brigita got sick and could soon barely pick up her child. >> she was getting weaker and weaker and losing her vision. >> she was losing zblefrg

everything. >> now in the hospital the doctor developed a chilling suspicion what was wrong with brigita. >> we were like, oh, my god. >> coming up, a rare diagnosis. >> highly toxic. >> growing danger at the hospital. and sudden alert at the fbi. >> we were notified immediately, it's something we were very concerned about. >> when "dateline" continues. es a lot of people think dealing with copd is a walk in the park. if i have something to help me breathe better, everything will be fun and nice. but i still have bad days flare-ups (coughs), which can permanently damage my lungs. my lungs need protection against flare-ups.

so it's time to get real. because in the real world our lungs deserves the real protection of breztri. breztri gives you better breathing symptom improvement, and flare-up protection. it's the first and only copd medicine proven to reduce flare-ups by 52% breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. for real protection ask your doctor about breztri.

- [announcer] we're thrive cosmetics, we create high performance, cruelty free, 100% vegan formulas and we love that you love our products. like our award winning liquid lash extensions mascara. plus, with every product you purchase we donate to help a woman thrive. join our movement today at thrivecosmetics.com.

like any good detective dr. jeff lapoint was keeping his mind open, letting the clues lead him to a theory about what might be killing brigita. >> i got to figure out what's wrong and get the treatment startd. >> most of her systems could cod symptom costs have been caused by toxic chemicals but to the doctor one particular symptom stood out, sudden hair loss. >> that's the tall tale sign, loss of hair and can't walking because the feet hurt so bad, thalliu m was discovered late 1800's and quickly began being used

medically early 1900's as debilitator agent, if you had lies would take thallium. >> it also was an ingredients in rat poison. >> it was outlawed in 1970's. it's really good at killing things at the end of the day. >> highly toxic. >> highly topic. >> you had never treated everyone else for thallium poisoning. >> no, no. >> this was your first case in dpront of your eyes. >> yeah. >> yet there was no quick way to confirm his suspension. hospitals rarely see patients with thallium poisoning. >> you have to send these things away so i'm looking at two to three days away. >> days he knew brigita might not have. >> we have a scary situation where i have a test that's

infrequently ordered that i need now that is a send out, right. and it's scary. it's serious. it's infrequently done. and it's exotic. >> you're in a race against time when it comes to saving her life. >> gentleman i'm >> gentleman i'm . >> yeah, i'm trying to advocate to a lot of people, trying to get someone on the phone and say this one's going to die, soon as we got the test wanted to get the antedote it's called prussian blue. >> you can see it in this paint in vincent van gogh's starry night. wasn't until 1965 scientists discovered it could be used to speed up elimination of certain poisons such as thallium. while you can't buy it in any

art shop, it's nearly impossible to find. >> we started to call pharmacies around the town and got in touch with the cdc and found a confidential storage in los angeles. >> it is hard to get because it's also an antedote for radiation poisoning and u.s. has it stock piled in case of an attack. >> in this case the patient was in san diego and we were order fd the prussian order. >> his is if folk

the request for antedote for thallium dote for thallium what you're thinking when you get the call, uh-oh what's happening in san diego. >> right that's something we're very concerned about in the united states. >> all this just as president trump was days away from a trip to san diego to talk about the border wall. >> you triggered all kinds of alarm bells. >> i triggered all kinds of alarm bells, yes. >> coming up. >> when you're seeing this. >> we're like oh, my gosh. >> a deadly substance in brigita's system, but how? >> i said i think i have an intentional poisoning. >> when "dateline" continues. ra. when you have rancho shocks

and an integrated dual exhaust. when you have all that, the last thing you'll need... is a road. the chevy silverado trail boss. ready to off-road, right from the factory. feel the cool rush of claritin cool mint chewables. powerful 24-hour, non-drowsy, allergy relief plus an immediate cooling sensation for your throat. feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. - [announcer] we're thrive cosmetics, we create high performance, cruelty free, 100% vegan formulas and we love that you love our products. like our award winning liquid lash extensions mascara. plus, with every product you purchase we donate to help a woman thrive. join our movement today at thrivecosmetics.com.

as we continue to return to classrooms... parents like me want to make sure we're doing it safely. especially in the underserved communities hardest hit by covid. trust me, no one wants to get back to classroom learning more than teachers like me.

using common sense safety measures like masks, physical distancing, and proper ventilation. safety is why we're prioritizing vaccinations for educators. because together, we all have a responsibility to do our part. and together, we will get through this, safely. police in los angeles cleared out a homeless camp at

echo park, the area was barricades and residents given 24 hours to remove their belongings and those who wouldn't leave were arrested. two teens were rescued after two hours in the air, rides closed for investigation. now back to "dateline." welcome back to "dateline" i'm natal morales. brigita was clinging to life in the icu and her doctor had a hunch she was poisoned and wanting to get the antedote raised alarms with the fbi and now about to solve one piece of the mystery and send the case in the chilling new direction. returning now to the prussian blue mystery.

>> brigita's mom couldn't visit her daughter in the hospital. no visitors were allowed so she wait and she prayed. that's all she could do. 30 miles away at kaiser hospital dr. lapoint was waiting too. three days had passed since he sent out brigita's samples as she was in pain the whole time, finally, the lab results came back and just as suspected it was thallium, a lot of it. brigita's husband and young son seemed to be clear of the toxic metal but she was in serious danger. >> her levels were off the charts. >> yeah they were really high. >> more than 1,000 times the acceptable level. >> wow. that's unbelievable. >> a hospital staffer had driven through the night to get hold of prussian blue pills. the doctor started brigita on them immediately. but with so much thallium in

brigita's system dr. lapoint worried prussian blue wouldn't be enough to save her. he also put her on dialysis to filter her blood. it was a slow process when special agent arrived to question her brigita was still desperately ill. >> how would you describe her condition at that point in time? >> very serious, she struggled with answering simple questions. >> sick as she was he knew couldn't wait. >> she looked very bad and it was concerning at that point, we didn't know if she was going to make it. >> he needed to figure out quickly how she'd been exposed to thallium. brigita did her best to help. >> she brought up several points she thought she could have been exposed to thallium. she received holistic medical treatments in mexico. >> or maybe she said she could have been exposed at the school where she worked, it was an old army base, there might be traces

of old rat poison there. >> some old school structures were used in world war ii and that's the time they use the thallium based dentisticed. >> the investigators followed leads, the holistic treatment, nothing there. he talked to the school. >> i talked to others who worked in the same area she worked. there were rumors the previous year teachers were out sick a lot. it turned out to be in no way shape, or form involved with this. >> meanwhile hazmat searched her house and found no thallium. they considered another possibility. >> we had to explore the fact in some cases a person may try to poison themselves if struggling with depression or crying out for attention. >> she had been depressed when she first started to get sick

but everyone who knew herle said said no way she was suicidal. >> i know my sister more than anybody. she'd never do this to herself and she always wanted to be a mother, she always wanted to have a family. she wouldn't throw it away like that. >> as they eliminated all of the other possibilities, the detectives along with dr. lapoint came to a sinister conclusion. >> i'm proceeding like this is intentional poisoning until proven otherwise. >> why would someone choose thallium. >> because it looks like a medical mystery, like someone having a slow decline and withering away and dieing that you would associate with chronic illness. >> the next step to solving the mystery was figuring out how brigita was poisoned. dr. lapoint did his own detective work. >> you see these really bright

spots all throughout. >> these little white flakes. >> yeah. >> the little white flakes are thallium in brigita's digestic tract. >> in the context of what we're seeing, oh, my gosh. >> if it's in her gut what's it tell you how she was getting it. >> yeah, food, right. >> somebody's feeding it to her. >> yeah she's eating it. someone's giving it to her. >> it is what the doctor feared when he took the unusual precaution that left brigita's family in the dark. >> i cleared everyone out of the room. everyone was bringing gifts and food. everything out. everyone out. a lot of people who are poisoned come to the hospital and get worse if someone is poisoning them. i want all of the variables off the table. >> so far dr. lapoint had done a lot of things right but he knew against thallium that might not be enough. >> in a lot of these cases people don't recover. people can't feel their legs again or never it if grow their

hair back. >> even if brigita survived there was no tell forget her life would ever be the same. coming up. who could be behind this? >> your circle is narrowing. you're looking at her family. at her sister. and of course her husband. >> absolutely. >> when "dateline" continues. ♪let's make lots of money♪ ♪you've got the brawn♪ ♪i've got the brains♪ ♪let's make lots of♪ ♪uh uh uh♪ ♪oohhh there's a lot of opportunities♪ with allstate, drivers who switched saved over $700. saving is easy when you're in good hands. allstate click or call to switch today. these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within

with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. mom: look at you. no braces, if your financial situation has changed, all the internet you can handle. i wasn't so lucky. vo: invis is not your parent's braces vo: invis is predictable... less painful, more comfortable.

invisalign. ♪ ♪ it's like a flavor festival on an almond. zest fest. -zest fest. blue diamond almonds, super flavor all on a superfood. the #1 name in flea and tick protection frontline® plus kills fleas, ticks, and chewing lice, and its fast-acting, waterproof formula protects for a full 30 days. with frontline plus, and new frontline shield

for dogs with tick and mosquito repellency... you and your pet can go everywhere. ♪♪ ♪♪ no matter how you define it. frontline®. here. there. everywhere. ♪♪ i'm a verizon engineer, part of the team that built 5g right. the only one from america's most reliable network. we designed our 5g to make the things you do every day, better. with 5g nationwide, millions of people can now work, listen, and stream in verizon 5g quality. and in parts of many cities where people can use massive capacity, we have ultra wideband. the fastest 5g in the world. this is the 5g that's built for you. this is 5g built right. only from verizon.

doctor was determined someone was trying to commit the perfect murder by feeding bits of thallium to his patient brigita ut so. for hours and days, the doctor and team fought to save her life. she consumed more than enough thallium to kill her and yet -- >> -- i don't know why i'm here. i don't know why i'm still alive. and that's scary. >> meet brigita, she's still with us. >> did you feel like you were dieing? >> i -- i did. i did, but i was too afraid to admit it to myself. >> what kept you alive in that time? >> my son. wanting to see my son. >> as the antedote took effect brigita, in essence woke up, found herself in a hospital bed

with only wisp of hair on her head but couldn't walk or really see. and doctors couldn't really tell her what to expect. >> they pretty much were very open about not knowing what was going to happen. >> but then, one day, her cellphone came into focus. days later she caught sight of something else. >> i was really excited because i could see the tv, like, what brand the tv was across the room. >> small victories. >> right. at first my goal was to be able to walk with my walker to the door. of my room. and then after that it became walk to the nurse's station. and then come back. and sometimes they would have to wheel me in. >> while brigita continued to make a slow physical recovery in the hospital she also had to face the hard truth that someone had plotted against

her. >> we asked her is there anyone that has an agenda against you or anything. she vehemently stated no, i don't think there's anyone in my life that would attempt to poison me. >> agent gill now intentional poisoning was usually personal. >> statistically, historically speaking when you have a poisoning it's either a family member or close friend. >> sitting alone in her hospital room brigita found herself terrified at the thought of doctors lifting their ban on visitors. >> did you start to become more fearful as you started to realize this was intentional poisoning? >> yeah, i started getting fearful, i started thinking about what would happen when i got out of the hospital if i got out of the hospital and who would i have to protect myself from. >> i imagine at this point your

circle is narrowing as to who could have done this. you're looking at her family, at her sister and of course you're looking at her husband. >> absolutely. >> they talked to everyone, including brigita's husband race uto. >> he was a very friendly and cooperative individual throughout the entire investigation. >> was he at all concerned about his wife? >> when we first talked to him in the hospital he did have some tears and he kept saying i just wish i could do something to help her. >> he said the right things to detectives but special agent gill learned quickly that something about race uto seemed off. >> some of the medical staff seemed concerned about mr. uto's behavior at the time. it came out that he wasn't acting as a concerned husband should be acting, asking the wrong kind of questions and

unconcerned about what was happening to her. >> suspicious as detectives were, brigita couldn't go there. >> at this point are you suspecting your husband at all? >> no. anybody who had suggested that idea had started, why would you think that, that my husband would do something like that. like, i don't know. he's the one that brought me here. how's that make any sense. >> it was true, race was the one who took brigita to the doctors that day she was transferred to the hospital. to brigita that was an act of an innocent man. she also remembered how race cared for her as she fell ill. >> as you were getting more and more sick, did he show that he was concerned by bringing you food? was that part of his way of taking care of you? >> that was -- that was his way of taking care of me. when i started staying home he'd bring me breakfast sandwiches in bed. he would make sure that i had food. >> and you're thinking, wow,

he's showing a side. he's taking care of me. >> yeah, he's taking care of me. he really loves me, he really care s about what happens at that point. >> but brigita also told the detectives something else about her husband, it turned out race had a very strange hobby, collecting the types of plant seeds that are used to make poisons. >> when you hear this, are alarm bells going off? >> absolutely. this isn't a normal amateur hobby to have. so obviously it was very concerning for us. >> 16 days into brigita's stay at the hospital, detectives had enough evidence to get a search warrant for the uto home. race was there to greet them. >> he was wearing these dark sun glasses, no reason for anyone to wear sun glasses especially in your residents. >> he was filth edge e

seemingly candid. >> we asked if we search your phone is there anything that would be of concern to us. he said no, not at all. by the way i recently erased all search history of all my electronic devices. >> that made the detectives even more suspicious and they took the electronics and scour the house, the garage, and then got to his car. >> where the hole for the spare tire we find an odd mix of materials, cannister of acetone, packets of exotic seeds. >> still barred from visiting, brigita's family was at home. sister olga called the detectives over. earlier that day her mother had seen race toss out a black trash bag. >> i was like, okay, i'll go get it. >> she's great junior agent, she went dumpster diving. >> what did you find in that black bag?

>> some more serious things, we found receipts for some exotic seeds he ordered. we saw some of the crude filtering mechanisms that he had. we found solutions in which to purify and refine some of the poisons. >> agent gill says they found evidence race had tried to grind up caster beans to make the poison ricen and found rosery beads like these that make another deadly poison and seeds like this from something called the suicide tree often india and on race's electronic vices they found two books criminal poisoning and the criminal's handbook. as bad as it looked one thing they didn't find, thallium. not a trace of it. without that detectives felt there wasn't enough evidence to make an arrest. at the end of the search race

uto remained a free man but detective new he needed to warn brigita. >> so i went to the hospital and we had a very long talk and i showed her some of the stuff we found and basically laid it out for her that if you get out you need to not go back to your husband. >> coming up, a pivotal polygraph begins. >> regarding poisoning, do youence a trungfully. >> yes. >> were you involve in poisoning your wife? >> will investigators get the proof they made. >> and haunting, terrifying moment. >> he had made a breakfast sandwich for me and my son climbed up and wanted piece. >> when "dateline" continues.

(announcer) carvana's had a lot of firsts. 100% online car buying. car vending machines. and now, putting you in control of your financing. at carvana, get personalized terms, browse for cars that fit your budget, then customize your down payment and monthly payment. and these aren't made-up numbers. it's what you'll really pay, right down to the penny. whether you're shopping or just looking. it only takes a few seconds, and it won't affect your credit score. finally! a totally different way to finance your ride. only from carvana. the new way to buy a car.

- [announcer] we're thrive cosmetics, we create high performance, cruelty free, 100% vegan formulas and we love that you love our products. like our award winning liquid lash extensions mascara. plus, with every product you purchase we donate to help a woman thrive. join our movement today at thrivecosmetics.com.

welcome back. race uto was the prime suspect in the poisoning of his wife, brigita, a search of his car and a discarded trash bag turned up materials used to make highly toxic substances, yet investigators couldn't tie race to the thallium that nearly killed his wife. soon, a stunning twist, not one, but two jaw-dropping discoveries that would blow this case wide open. now the conclusion of the prussian blue history. >> by now the doctors and nurses

and law enforcement all believed they had to protect brigita from her husband. even if brigita still couldn't wrap her mind around it. >> i finally had gotten to the point where i told investigators, fine, continue the investigation but i need proof. >> so did law enforcement. they kept digging and learned race uto had a secret life. there was a girlfriend who thought his wife was dead. >> he had taken his son with them on so many of the dates that the son was actually calling her mom. mr. uto painted this picture like he was a former navy seal and specifically mentioned wanting to work for the fbi in the poisons department. >> kind of like what you do. >> that's very ironic. >> then they found another girlfriend. >> he specifically told that girlfriend that he wanted his wife to get hit by a bus and for her to die so he could get sole

custody. >> investigators decided it was time to confront race and asked him to take a polygraph. >> he's a person who seems to have gone through life by talking himself out of situations. >> it started off easy. almost a casual chat. >> and what are your hobbies, what you do when you're not working, you spend time with your son. >> spend time with him and when i could surf. >> then he got more serious. the sensors were strapped on. >> all right, we're going to get startd. >> his demeanor during the first half was confident. i think he thought he had it beat. >> pause rise ris . >> paul risen was a prosecutor on the case. >> it was like, i got this, we're getting through this, we're good. >> please remain still. test is about to begin. >> are the lights on in this room. >> yes. >> were you involve in poisoning

your wife. >> no. >> did you poison your wife? >> no. >> please remain still. test is not done. >> nine times the investigator asked the same questions, every time race uto assured him he did not poison his wife. and he seemed sure he passed. >> testing went on and the polygrapher eventually stopped and let him take a break and come back in. >> got a seat in the regular chair. >> sweet. >> confranted him and said i don't believe anything you're saying. >> so not only did you fail the test you failed miserably. >> that's when he confessed. >> then and there. >> right after the polygraph. >> the details how he tried to kill his wife began tumbling out. >> when did you start this. >> i can't remember it's a blur. >> he said the first time he fed

thallium to brigita it was in a sandwich. >> in an egg and cheese sandwich. >> and second time, what did you do? >> just through it in with a soup. >> race told law enforcement he doled out the poison based on brigita's weight, starting with one gram of thallium in late summer 2017. >> you thought that based off her weight and what you read one gram would kill her the first two times? >> like a lethal level. >> brigita got sick but she obviously didn't die. so he upped it. the last time. he upped it up to five grams. he thought that was going to do it. >> it should have been a lethal dose but race didn't factor in his wife's will to live. >> all of the doctors, the nurses, the detectives, say that it's your quiet strength that allowed you to pull through. you believe that too? >> um -- yeah. i struggle with that a little

bit. >> don't be humble. >> thank you. i mean, i would hope so. i would hope that i have that to give to my son. but i think it's all the work that they did together that has helped me be here now. >> you are going to be arrested today. >> police arrested race immediately after his confession. >> you have anything in your pockets? >> eight months later race uto pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder. he's serving 21 years to life. >> my parents saw him as their son at one point. i saw him as a brother. and he took advantage of us wanting to be open and caring with him. >> it was upsetting and i couldn't believe it. how could this be? right under our nose he was doing all this to our daughter and i thank god that they're right next door. because i think if they had been

living some place else she would have died. i'm sure of it. >> so then you start going back in your head and replaying all of the time he's brought you food, made you food, was there an instance that stands out in your mind? >> he had made a breakfast sandwich and taken it to the bedroom for me. and my son climbed up and wanted a piece. and immediately his reaction is no. don't give him any of it. i think about that all the time. >> a moment that could have easily gone a different way. it haunts her. >> emotionally, how are you doing? >> it's rough. it's still hard to stop and think about what happened, the amount of deception. i can't really trust people. and what i've discovered is trusting myself is difficult too.

>> before they were married brigita told race that as a catholic she believed marriage was forever. >> how do you feel about divorce now? >> yeah. i love the idea. ha ha. >> this strong woman who once couldn't walk is now running again. >> it's been hard when at first i couldn't even walk without a walker. so it's been a very slow, slow progress. >> is this your therapy though? >> yeah. yeah. i remember being in the hospital and finding everything out and being so angry that i couldn't get up to go for a run. ha ha. >> right now though brigita's focus is on embracing life. and all its thrills. >> i've gone sky diving.

i mean, i've done different things. >> you're living life to the fullest now. >> absolutely. ♪ >> that's all for this edition of "dateline", "dateline." i'm natalie morales. thank you for watching. i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline." >> he said, "christy's been murdered." she was taken so soon and so violently. i couldn't stop shaking. >> a young teacher, leaving for school. murdered, before she could get out the door. >> this was a horrific scene. >> it was a nightmare scene. she had christmas presents she was taking to her students that day. >> i was petrified. i just thought who? why? >> we looked at suspect after suspect after suspect.