cannot make it to a full week without shedding a tear. on that note, i wish you a very good night and from all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up late with us. i'll see you next week. a tough assistant da. gunned down near the courthouse. but it wasn't over! the dead man's boss and his wife were next. >> everyone in there had a mission. >> did you start to think there was a list? >> oh sure. i don't think there was any doubt in our mind that this was a psychopath we were dealing with. a serial killer. >> someone had declared war on law enforcement and their families. >> i have no kids! my husband. i can't keep putting them at risk. >> my wife had two guns out. that's it. when she knows it's me coming through the door, you're ready

to use it. >> a trail that stretches from coast to coast. >> is this some anti government militia? i had no idea what we were dealing with? >> before leading investigators back home. >> was he living a double life? >> i think he was. >> you're making him sound like hannibal lecter. >> it was just wild! >> the moral center of every american city in town. the place we go to settle differences. , resolve disputes, find justice. it's the place where the story usually ends, but not this time. not in rural kaufman texas,

where life is leisurely, and no one's a stranger. >> oh my god, someone just shot someone in there on the ground. >> i was just bam, bam, bam. >> this time it's where the story begins. >> a story that quickly got too big for this texas town. like a prairie fire, spread across the nation. >> we had some new information this morning on the man hunt for a killer, who gunned down -- >> in the brazen murder -- this tale, the hunters became the hunted. >> that's what's so scary. it's not just me anymore. my husband, my family. >> my wife had two guns out. unless it's me coming through the, door be ready to use it. >> shannon a bear never

expected to be in danger when she started the career she always wanted, practicing law. why did you want to be a lawyer? >> oh my gosh. in second grade, a judge came to my class and i fell in love with that, and i wanted to be a judge or a lawyer. >> her dream came true. by 2008, shannon had passed the bar exam, and got her first job as a prosecutor with the kaufman county district attorney's office. on the second floor of the courthouse in the center of town. >> i love to the office, the people around me were so knowledgeable. they were almost all from dallas. >> one of those lawyers from dallas was mark cassie, an experienced prosecutor. a guy who lived his job. did you learn anything? >> oh god. of course. we will go to mark for almost everything. >> that's because mark had prosecuted some of the worst criminals in texas. >> he was tenacious, he was an intellectual, and he was very quick on his feet. >> marcus busch is a lawyer with the department of justice.

back in the 80s, he and mark were young guns, working in the organized crime section of the dallas da's office. >> mark was not afraid of taking on a fight. some of the defendants, and some of the cases, were very bad people. mark had the personality to stand in the breach, prosecute the worst of the worst. >> what did mark move out of dallas? >> he wanted a place we had some room, so he bought a house, -- had the barn out there. he just loved being around animals. >> besides animals, and wide open spaces, mark had another passion, flying. back in 1995, he almost killed him. >> mark did have a bad accident. >> mark had a terrible accident. >> a five flank murmuration of world war ii's and, 50 years ago this month. mark was part of this aerial armada of vintage planes, when something went terribly wrong. >> we believe the engine had failed, and he made a forced landing, ran off the end of the

runway. he survived but he had very severe brain injury. >> did he decide to fly again, at any point? >> he did. >> why do you think you want to fly again? he almost died. >> it's like being thrown from a horse. he wanted to be the person he was before. >> and he did it? >> he did. but it took a long time. >> mark's colleagues in the da's office admired his strength to fight through adversity. they also got a kick out of his weakness, his love for sugary snacks. he had a sweet tooth. he would eat people stuff. -- every monday, and we will get donuts for them, and he would always get their first. >> in 2011, mark and shannon got a new boss, that seemed to fill right in with their office family. the newly elected district attorney, mike mclelland. >> my name is michael clung, the criminal district warning for kaufman county. >> mike stepdaughter, christina foreman, says he loved the job. >> i think he really did

embrace the role as a leader, he enjoyed the people who worked with. he would talk about, you know, this person to this, and i was really proud of them. >> everything was new to him. he came in and took it over. >> was he tough? >> i wouldn't say he was tough on us at all. the greatest thing about him, he let us do will we do best. >> mike quickly formed a bond with mark cassie, the experienced prosecutor. >> mark was his best friend in the office. they were very close. >> mike's wife, cynthia, fit right in the office to. she was almost like a dead mother. she worked with a nurse, but found time to bake cakes and cookies for the staff. cynthia was also an avid quilter, who loved making gifts for husbands coworkers, including shannon, and then raising two young children. >> she would bring fabrics in and show me. she quilted it for me. it was stunning, it was very beautiful. >> that's how it was. a happy, humming office, in a

quiet small town. >> until january 31st, 2013, just before 9 am. at that moment, the calm, serene morning had the lives of everyone in the da's office would be shattered. >> i heard what i thought to be gunshots. >> police officer, jason, was a few blocks from the courthouse. he and his partner were investigating a burglary, when something big caught his attention. >> it was a slow and methodical five shots it. bam, bam, bam, bam, pam. it was a little pause, i guess you say, and then three more shots after that. >> shannon was inside the courthouse when she heard the sound of sirens. >> that's not unusual, because there's a police station a block away, there's a hospital a few blocks on the street. >> that siren was jason's task needs squad car. >> i was calling him a partner.

those are gunshots, we need to go. we packed up real quick and hopped in the car. >> the car camera was rolling, as he and his partner drove toward the gunshots. >> about halfway over -- a man had been shot, and give us a location. >> we've got a gentleman on grove street and madison that just got shot. >> that's just a block from the courthouse. shannon noticed that her secretary was looking out the window at some commotion on the street. >> my secretary turned around and she was crying. initially, i wanted to comfort. i couldn't imagine she was crying about. when she turned from the window, she said, it's mark. >> mark cassie, her friend and colleague. >> my natural instinct was that he had been hit by a car. she said no, he was shot. >> who is it? >> oh my god, it's mark hasse-y! >> coming up, get you another

breath, mark. the ems is almost here. the ambulance is coming. >> a dedicated prosecutor shot right outside of the courthouse. stunning onlookers and police. >> it's nothing that you could prepare for. >> who would even attempt such a brazen attack? >> did that tell you that these two knew each other? >> it seemed very personal to me. >> when dateline continues. continues ng so“hashtag common sense” can't keep up. this is going to get tens and tens of views. ♪ ♪ ( car crashing ) ♪ ♪ but if you don't have the right auto insurance coverage, you could be left to pay for this... yourself. call a local agent or 1-888-allstate for a quote today.

here's candice... who works from home, and then works from home. but she can handle pickup, even when her bladder makes a little drop-off. because candice has poise, poise under pressure and poise in her pants. a beloved prosecutor. it takes poise.

mark hasse had just been shot outside of the courthouse in kaufman, texas during the morning rush. officer jason was one of the first on the scene. >> when i pulled up, i saw a man. he was laying here in the street. >> you're seeing the dramatic images from officer's taxes on board camera. >> one of the women over him look like he was doing cpr.

>> that woman had seen that shooting from the car, saw them fully, and try to help mark. now fast new is taking over. going on instinct and adrenaline. >> in most cases, when you pull up. it's nothing you can prepare for. >> he knew right away that it was that. he'll >> you looked at me and then he stopped breathing. and that's when i started doing cpr. >> they go that i keep reading for me. >> i had him take seven breaths, i do remember that. >> as he is camera kept going, his body mike picked up the audio for him to just keep getting going a little longer. >> ems is almost here, the ambulance is coming! >> i try my best to tell him, you're doing good! you're doing good! keep breathing! the ambulance is coming! >> officers fast knee had been at the scene for five agonizing minutes when the ambulance

rolled up. >> anybody know anything about him? >> he's one of the da prosecutors. >> while -- she was getting updates on mark. >> i don't know how many minutes passed by when a prosecutor came into the courtroom saying how bad it was. >> about an hour earlier, shannon had walked from the parking lot to the courthouse. that is the same route her friend and colleague, mark, was walking when he got shot. now, too afraid to go anywhere, she stayed inside praying for him. >> we are now just waiting to hear if he is going to live. >> but that news travels fast! >> it did not take very long for his trial partner to waken to the room and shake their head crying. that's when we knew he was gone. >> i can only imagine how horrible a moment that is. >> it is horrible. it will be in my brain forever. i will never ever forget that. >> there is not a day that goes by, that i do not go by here and think back to that day. and exactly what happened.

and exactly what i saw. >> mark hasse was dead at 57. gunned down on his way to work, a block from the courthouse. >> people in kaufman are shocked by the deadly attack out in the open on the town square. >> i just never in 1 million years would've expected one of our prosecutors, much less somebody i knew personally, to be laying on the ground dead. >> with one of their own down, lieutenants joly stewart from the county department swiftly joined the law enforcement jumping on the case. >> we did not have time to grieve about it, we did not have time to talk about our feelings. it was time to go to work! >> lieutenant stewart and others canvassed the area. but solid information was hard to come by. witnesses said the shooter hopped into the passenger side of the getaway cars it sped away. so there had to be at least two people involved. they also said the car was

silver, or was a gray, or tan? a four door. maybe a ford taurus. but with no license plate. >> we were just going around and looking for the car. >> i don't think i've ever noticed how many silver, or a light colored ford or sedans there are. >> and even though the killer had brazenly attacked during the morning rush, witnesses say that he had covered up. >> one of the witnesses described him as wearing a hoodie. that was black and covered their face. another person who saw them from a distance said, you know, all black. dark clothing. >> but there was something more! a witness in the garage right across the street heard the victims last words. >> mark said, no! no! i'm sorry! >> and that was after a bit of a kind of shouting match. >> did that tell you that these two knew each other? >> that seemed very personal to me.

>> no weapon was found at the scene. and no shell casings either. >> to that tell you anything? that there were no shell casings? >> yes. it told us it was going to have to be a revolver. >> that's because revolvers keep bullet cases inside the gun after firing. >> i can only imagine how terrified he must of been in those final moments. >> mark was doing when he did every day. just going to work. >> now his federal prosecutors feel like he died for that work. and they could be next! no one felt safe. >> all of us were scared. we didn't know if there was a bunch of people waiting trying to shoot us. >> the courthouse was locked down in the morning, then closed during the day. prosecutors and office staff were given extra security. >> as we were walking to our cars, they were carrying huge rifles and guns. >> when did it start to sink in for you that this could be me? you walked into work with mark. your offices right there. >> i think that was the immediate fair. it could've been any of us.

>> we lost a really good man. >> district attorney mike, stood tall when he addressed the media about his killing of the good friends. >> i hope the people that did this are watching. because, we are very confident that we are going to find you. we are going to pull you out of whatever hole you are in. we are going to bring you back. so the people of kaufman county can prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. >> mike stepdaughter, christine, march his take no prisoner's press conference with pride. >> that's not an unusual thing for him. he really, truly, felt deeply about something. he was going to make a stand for it. he was going to make a stand for his beliefs. and really try to do the right thing. >> but bringing this killer, or killers, to justice would take

a lot more than tough talk. this was just -- this was more than a crime scene that terrorize the people who protected us. now, no one was safe! coming up. that investigation would also present an overwhelming challenge. thanks to a suspect list, including the hundred of defendants mark had put away. >> i started with his crime cases. and the murder cases that have been prosecuted, people were starting to roll out. >> anyone in particular stick in your head? >> when dateline continues! n dateline continues your home... for romance. your home for big savings. [ laughs ] hey, mom, have you seen m-- ew. because when you bundle home and auto with progressive, your home is a savings paradise. bundles progressive. your home for savings. i mean, we really did love him!

it was devastating when he was gone. >> monday morning, four days after the murder of mark hasse, fellow prosecutor shannon returned to work with a heavy heart. >> of course it was a hard monday at our weekly meeting without mike. his -- our whole houses was devastated. i mean, his door was closed! >> security remained tight in and around the courthouse. the people inside took on a bunker mentality. >> folks are trying to deal with what happened. nobody has ever done this before. this is new territory for everybody. >> his colleagues were terrified, and many wanted to carry guns for protection.

district attorney mike, made it easier for everyone to get concealed handgun licenses. >> we can take -- for free. and we could have our license if we needed it. >> did you get a gun? >> no. >> did you think about? it >> yeah. >> it's the kind of thing people do when they're scared and panicked. the justice system under attack. the murder brought an all-star army of law enforcement to the case. the sheriff's training center was turned into a command post. it was soon buzzing with local police, texas rangers, and federal agents from the atf and the fbi. >> it was interesting about this case. because you had federal, state, law enforcement all working together as a team. >> advising this team, toby and bill. veteran, high-profile attorneys from dallas. who were quickly named special prosecutors. >> once you get over the initial shock and disbelief that the prosecutor, and somebody you know has been murdered.

your professional trainer kicks and. and that's where toby and i stepped up and volunteer to help in that role. >> the crime seemed to be wet every fears, a revenge hit for putting away a bad guy. that struck a chord that reverberated from kaufman to dallas. throughout texas, and beyond! >> i think every judge, every defense attorney, every prosecutor has that in the back of their mind. >> does it send a chill for everyone when one of your own is killed like that? >> it does. whoever did this obviously crossed a line. and it starts making you think, what you do for a living, and your family members, and their personal safety. >> the initial theories where as numerous as the hundreds of cases that mark had prosecuted. the first place to look was right in kaufman county. where mike was a prosecutor for three years. >> the big questions that we had is who has he prosecuted recently? >> sheriff's investigator julie

stewart was involved from day one. >> is there something recent that he has prosecuted that has got somebody upset? so we started delving into his case load. >> investigators had started looking into every case he had prosecuted. they were robberies, drug prosecutions. even a theft that involved an elected official that stole office equipment. they did not immediately find anything that looked into a suspect. >> u.s. marshals pulled in anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant. nothing there either. so the task force widened the scope for the investigation beyond kaufman. >> we don't have a lot of violent crimes in kaufman. especially murders. so we naturally thought it was somebody from dallas. >> dallas, the big city less than 30 miles. but seemingly, a lifestyle away. remember, back in the 19 80s. mark and fellow prosecutor, marcus busch, had wrapped up some tough custom mayors.

>> i thought it was the murder cases that we had prosecuted. they were having -- >> someone had discouraged, got out of prison, and just wanted him. it was just a personal vendetta against mark. >> even though investigators were convinced he was murdered because of his job as a prosecutor, they did not stop there. >> you stop to interview friends, families, associates. >> mark was -- a, he was not married, and no children. those extensive checks into his background came up empty. >> they're just was not anything there. he loved his mother who lived in dallas. he spent a lot of time taking care of her, taking her to dinner. >> all of the checks into mark's personal and professional life or not panning out. frustration was setting in. his cases get hard to solve after the first 48 hours. two days in, mark's murder had reached that cross road. and investigators were searching desperately for a break.

>> investigators tell us tonight, there is simply no promising leads in this case right now. this murder -- >> any assistance that anyone can give us and finding the people that did this, will be greatly appreciated. >> da had a particularly tough time. he had an office to run while mourning a good friend. >> how hard was it for mark to come back to the office after the shooting? >> with mark store clothes, and his buddy gone, it was very difficult for mike. he talked a lot about the case. >> and the case was about to get a lot bigger with another brazen murder! only this one crossed another line. a very sacred line. coming up! another member of law enforcement gunned down! >> ahead of the department of corrections was shot here at his front door! >> had mark's killer struck again? when dateline continues! dateline continues! every year we try

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what's happening. a massive evacuation plan for the eastern city of mariupol, led by the red cross. was soiled after russian forces did not guarantee safe passage and denied the aid to the estimated 100,000 civilians in the city. the team is expected to try again, saturday. and amazon workers in new york city voted to unionize on friday. it is the first successful effort of its kind in the u.s. facility. the victory came in spite of heavy anti union lobbying by amazon. now back to dateline! ♪ ♪ ♪ >> marshall afternoon in kaufman county, where hundreds of people did attended our memorial service for mark kathy. >> he was constantly asking for more of my wife's cookies. she makes cookies for the office about once a month, and

he would run out in about 12 minutes. >> mark's longtime friend, marcus busch, also memorialized him. >> this world is a better place because of mark. and so are we. the world lost a good man. someone who was resolute, always near the difference between right and wrong, and would fight for that. >> now, special prosecutors toby and bill, along with a multi agency task force were fighting for mark. searching for his killer, but not coming up with easy answers. because he was so close to his friend, an employee, da mark had to bow out of the investigation. he and his coworkers were doing what they could, opening their files to investigators. >> anyway anybody can think of -- >> mark's personal background checks have gone nowhere. so the workforce started to look at his professional differences. from 30 years ago, to the week before.

but it was slow going. >> how do you sift out, well, it couldn't be this person. maybe this person. >> first of all, you see if they're still locked up. you see where they are. their whereabouts. you see if there's anything unusual or specific about a case that would give someone cause to have a grudge. >> four weeks into the investigation, a tip came into the county crime stoppers tip line that look like a big break. >> a tipster said they had been in a bar, in a small town in kaufman. and overheard two white males talking about the hasse killing. in taking responsibility for it. >> the tip lacked the kind of detail that investigators needed to follow up. and using the crime stopper system, the tipster remained an ominous. if this is going to be the game-changer, investigators within a lot more information. or a little bit more luck. >> you're still hoping for the big break, and maybe a lucky traffic stop. or someone who knows about this murder's gonna pick up the phone and call him, that would

be the magic phone call. >> there was something that might lead them to the killer. the way mark had been murdered. the killer had been lying in wait. mark was shot at point blank range. execution style. all of this lead investigators to think that this could be an organized crime hit. >> rumors are sweeping the town! top of mexican drug cartels, and prison games. >> we're open to every avenue. >> nbc's channel five in dallas covered the case from the beginning. and reporter, ken, was there for it all. >> mexican drug cartels were suspected immediately because of the fact that has he had been involved in drug cases over the years. >> and investigators also suspected another group. less publicly known, but very dangerous. the aryan brotherhood of texas. a prison gang of rights supremacists. >> why was the aryan brotherhood of potential group that had done this? >> there had been some threats

that have come out about that time, from them, that said they would want to get even with people in law enforcement. >> get even? even three months before the murder, federal officials announced that 34 of the alleged gang members had been indicted for racketeering. they thought, among others, that the -- ford's role in the investigations. >> a lot of people were trying to put two and two together. >> it's one thing if it is one individual who went after mark. it's another thing if it is the aryan brotherhood. >> oh yeah. >> prosecutors, not just in kaufman, but across the strait were terrified. we were all targets. >> and then, seven weeks after the murder, another salts on law enforcement. it looked like it was open season on the criminal justice system! >> the colorado head of the department of corrections was shot here at his front door on tuesday night. >> the man's name was tom closet men's. the highly regarded head of the

prison system. and like mark cassie, a public servant. >> with more than 20,000 inmates in the system, tom clemens may have had a lot of enemies. >> it was another bold attack. this time, in the front door. instead of outside of the courthouse. evidence pointed to a former inmate named evan. he was a member of a white supremacist gang in colorado. similar to the aryan brotherhood. now, he was on the run from colorado authorities. armed, and dangerous. two days after the murder, a sheriff's deputy in texas would find out just how dangerous. at that violent attack caught on a dashboard camera. the deputies stopped this car because the license plate did not match the vehicle. he had no idea the driver was evan. as you are about to see, evil had no hesitation about using his gun again! the unsuspecting death city,

scott in the face, would survive. he was quickly changed down by law enforcement. and died in an explosive shoot out in wise county, texas. >> this is cell phone video of the shoot out in wise county. >> the attention of the murders is this. why is county is just 100 miles from kaufman. could evan have killed another public servant in texas? seven weeks earlier? >> the fbi is now as -- investigating this case. they want to see if he is connected to mark hasse's murder. >> two officials guntown in two states. someone seemed to be targeting law enforcement at point blank range! coming up! as the investigation grows more urgent, sudden concerns about da mark and his wife cynthia. >> i tried mom, he didn't answer. i tried mike, didn't answer. >> i said okay i'll go on over

there. >> and then concern becomes alarm. >> at that point, something is really wrong with him! >> when dateline continues. n dateline continues

the shooting of colorado's prison chief at his home, allegedly by a white supremacist, had given texas investigators and fresh angle in the murder of mark hasse-y. >> it is another strange attack

on law enforcement, in a small town. >> nbc five ken says the suspected murder ending up in texas was especially intriguing to investigators. >> it made people wonder if perhaps there could be some connection with the hasse murder. >> they did tests on suspect evans weapon. his bullet was identical to what killed the prison chief back in colorado. but then they found out that it was not the weapon that killed mark cassie. and what is more -- >> he was deemed to have not been kaufman at the time that cassie was killed. so -- >> so it weeks in, the cassie case was going nowhere. >> we were leading with the investigation. >> the command post was shut down, leaving just a small group to work full-time on the case. >> suddenly, we kind of trickled back to our daily duties.

>> the passage of time was allowing shannon to get her equilibrium back. >> i would just, was not checking out of my windows constantly. or worrying about pulling out my garage, if someone was waiting there. you just start letting your guard down again, life will take over. >> same thing for hard-nosed da, mike mclelland. according to his stepdaughter christina. >> did things to start getting back to normal? >> yes more sense of normal. it was still kind of add a sense of, we haven't found anything, we haven't solve this yet. but life moves on. >> for the mclelland's, moving on was spending time with family. it was something mike enjoyed since marrying cynthia when christina was just ten years old. >> he would give great big bear hugs. and even when i was older, wrapped me, picked me up. never mind i'm 22! >> did you feel lucky you got him as a stepdad? >> i do. our personalities are just

quite similar. >> you're both straight shooters? >> yes. our filters are quite off sometimes. >> mike relied on the support of his wife cynthia. who was also is doing what she loved. quilting, entertaining, cooking. >> you know, she's the old school cook that does not use packages. she creates everything from scratch. >> was he -- >> clearly, he enjoyed the food very much! >> we made them a good match? >> you know it's really funny. she would point out what he was doing, but he is the conservative. and she is very liberal. so i think it was just a lot of balance. they balanced each other very nicely. >> cynthia also wanted her daughter to find love. and was not shy about playing matchmaker with a guy she thought was a good fit. >> she looked at him and said do you believe in arranged marriages? which i had to later apologize for because that is a weird thing to say. >> it's embarrassing!

>> it's very weird! >> at the end of march, easter weekend, they were looking forward to a big hammer dinner. cynthia was making it for friends. the perfect time to relax, and not dwell on the tragedy of mark's murder. at least for a little while. >> was there any fear that we need to be on high alert? >> at that point i do not think so. >> christina spoke to her mom and stepdad on that friday night. >> mom is making easter baskets, and mark was griping about would she was doing. -- and she was making a huge mess. just the normalcy of mike, cynthia! you need to sit down and take a break! because you're getting tired! and we're just getting at! it >> day the next morning, saturday, the sun goes over the mclelland house. it was cynthia's data prep. >> she had sent me a text about the menu we're gonna have free easter. >> leah phillips, and her

husband, close friends were excited about joining them for dinner. >> she was making our family all easter brackets. and then she would make clues, and hide the easter baskets. >> while that's elaborate! >> it's very elaborate. >> leah, who was supposed to drop off some vegetables for cynthia, texted her. >> and she never answered me back. >> did you think that was odd that she did not answer you? back >> the only thing i can think of as maybe she did go to work? where she couldn't answer the phone or text me back. >> leah called mike's phone, and the house phone, no response. and she was not the only one. christina was also trying to call her mom and stepdad. >> i tried mom, and she did not answer. i tried mike, he did not answer. >> by now it was late afternoon. so leah took things into our own hands. >> so i said, okay, i will go on over there. >> she did go over! and nothing would ever be the same again! >> coming up! >> the door just eat open.

like in slow motion. >> inside the mclelland house! a heart stopping discovery! >> i screamed, and then my knees buckled and i hit the ground and started crying! >> when dateline continues. line continues or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. and that means long-lasting clearer skin... and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. hide my skin? not me. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. when you help heal

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easter, leah phillips had not been able to reach her good friends, cynthia and mike mclelland. leah had some groceries to drop off for cynthia, so she decided to drive over. she thought something was odd when she pulled into the driveway. >> the newspaper was still in the yard. and cynthia's car was there. >> so very subtle clues? >> just subtle. but i'm still thinking that maybe they went to the movie with someone. >> leah called her son, c.j., and told her what she'd seen. >> i said, you just stay where you are at. to not go inside that house. >> it was c.j.'s cops sense

kicking in. he is a dallas police officer. >> the feeling was, something is not right. it is just not right! >> a few minutes later, c.j. drove up. along with his that. >> we went to the door, and c.j. knocked on the door. let yelled for mike. three or four times. and there was no answer. >> they were messing with the key, and they were all standing behind me. i just reach down to see if the door was open. and, yeah, it was unlocked. and i will never forget how the door opened up. >> the door just opened. like in slow motion. >> i took a couple steps in, and then, that's when mom hit the ground. and started crying. >> and i screamed! c.j. stop! the shell casings. my knees buckled, i hit the ground, i started crying. because there is not supposed to be shell casings inside somebody's door. >> i looked down and, sure

enough. there were two shell casings. right inside that front door. at that point, something is really low wrong now! something that happened! so i took a couple more steps inside and i see cynthia laying there. >> cynthia mclaren learned was dead. her body was lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor. c.j. turned his mother away from the scene, and took her to the car. meanwhile, the data gone farther into the house. and found the bullet ridden body of mike mclelland. >> when your husband and son come back out of the house. >> there is no blood left in the face. they are white. >> district attorney mike mclelland, and his wife cynthia, had been shot to death! >> you never expect you have to see somebody like that. that you knew. that you loved. that was so close. and, i think that was the most,

and it still is, obviously, that it is so difficult. >> because she had not been able to reach her parents, christina decided to drive to the house as well. her mom's friend leah, met her with the news that she was dreading. >> i just had the feeling that they were done. and i said both of them? and she said yes. >> and then it occurred to me, oh my god this is gonna hit the news! and my grandmother watches the news every day. and somebody needs to stop her before she turns on the tv! >> mark's high profile! >> he was. and i did not want someone else to tell her that this had happened. >> looking at the scene, c.j.'s police training told him that the killer, or killers, were long gone. he knew what he had to do. >> there was no reason to go back into that house. we close the door, we did not call 9-1-1, there was no need

for paramedics to go in there. >> they called the kaufman county sheriff. >> the things that were in that house were very important. they needed to be preserved until the right people showed up. and they did. they showed up. >> i was at my house, and we just finished -- about 30 kids in the backyard. >> at 8 pm, prosecutor toby got a call from his partner. >> he said hey the columns were found murdered. and the sheriff wants us out there. and it scared me to death. when i left the house, bill came to pick me up and my wife had two guns out. and i said, unless you know it's me coming through the door, be ready to use it! >> the prosecutors race to the scene. >> it was surreal, i mean, the front yards lit up. and it's got the yellow crime scene tape. and there is lots of tariffs officers, and texas rangers behind their. >> then sheriff, david, standing on the line.

>> sheriff burns, legendary guy, former texas ranger. he was visibly shaken up. and if he's shaken up, that scare the hell out of me. and all of enforcement is out there. they were quiet. and they were dealing with something they've never seen before. >> apart from the obvious to people a dead, what else was shaking them up so badly? >> the big question was, who is next? because everybody's assumption of who is standing out at the crime scene said it could've been one of us. >> cynthia's murder escalated the danger. not just for law enforcement, but now for their families. >> this man had crossed the line and it got into murdering family members, so i know my thoughts and prayers are with my wife and children back in dallas. >> it seems that the murders were connected, and everyone was terrified that the killings may not be over. >> did you start to think that there was a list? >> oh sure. there was going to be another

victim if this person was not found. >> saturday night, shannon was shopping for easter dinner. when she was surprised by a phone call by her office. >> and i thought, my goodness who is out there on saturday, easter weekend. i'm not gonna answer right now. >> but her phone kept ringing, it was another prosecutor from her office. >> and i knew then at that point, something is going on. and i answered, and she proceeded to tell me that the mclelland's were found in the house shot. >> must of been the biggest bombshell of your life? >> biggest. it's so hard to imagine anybody that you know being killed. i mean, i was frantic. it was terrifying! >> her colleague told her to watch her back. >> we do not know who's next. we do not know who's next tonight. just get home and be safe. watch out! >> are you feeling world targets? now >> we all felt that! >> including the people she loved most in the world. >> i think that was what was so

scary. it's not just me anymore, i have no kids! my husband, my family, and, i mean, i cannot keep putting them at risk. mike, cynthia, we were all in danger. >> as deputies began around the rob watch on her house, something kept nagging her about the murders. >> there's no way that she open that door to anyone, it's someone we know, or someone like a police officer. it's so concerning. even a police officer. >> so that someone can be posing as a police officer? >> right! >> and everyone was wondering how the killers got into mclelland's front door. mike like his entire staff was still vigilant after the chief prosecutor was gunned down. the da kept his own guns near the front door, but never got the chance to use them. >> is it like all bets are off when they're going after family

members? >> even though you don't condone, it you almost understand for someone to go after prosecutor for what they do for a living. but to go after the family, is not a line we thought we'd see crossed. >> coming up! just who could pick off law enforcement like this? >> it was just a straight-up whodunnit. >> we're hoping against hope there is going to be a magic clue in that crime scene, or that house, that will answer this riddle for us. >> when dateline continues! when dateline continues

the murders in kaufman, texas, were bold. first, prosecutor mark hasse gunned down in a public square in broad daylight. two months later, district attorney mike mcclelland and his wife cynthia killed before dawn in their home. investigators hoped this latest crime scene would provide more leads than the hasse killing did. they already knew they had shell casings. would there be other clues inside the house to help catch the killer?

>> it was a straight up whodunit. we didn't know. >> texas ranger eric casper was part of the team who entered the home. >> the front door was not kicked in. the door was unlocked. shell casings are 223 caliber. >> that told them the killer used an ar-15 or mr-type semi-automatic like this one. >> it started when the door opened. mr. mcclelland and mrs. mcclelland were retreating, trying to get away from the gunfire. >> cynthia's body was clearly in the middle of the living room. she was trying to get dressed. there were shell casings next to mike's body, indicating the killer had finished him off at close range. >> the suspect was standing right on top of him, over him, shooting him. >> to investigators, it looked

like a carefully planned operation. an ambush like the hasse murder. >> did the scene speak to you at all? >> i felt like whoever went in there had a mission, and they did it quickly and did it efficiently and they were out. >> later, records from the home security company would confirm stewart's observation. the killer entered the house at 6:40 a.m. and was gone just two minutes later. 20 shots fired in 120 seconds. >> that was a pretty brutal way to go. >> lieutenant stewart couldn't help but be affected by the sight of cynthia shot in the head at close range. >> just looking at her there on the scene, she was targeted, you know. that -- i mean, she didn't have a dog in this fight. >> investigators talked to neighbors.

surely someone had heard the shots. assault rifles aren't quiet. >> the weapon used in this murder, you should have been able to hear it outside no problem. >> no one heard or saw anything. by the end of easter weekend, special prosecutor bill wirskye said they had nothing. >> we were just trying to figure out what to do next, and we're hoping against hope there's going to be a magic clue in that crime scene or in that house that will answer this riddle for us. >> they were looking for that clue, and all of a sudden it drove by. coming up, a mysterious tip arrives. but after so many false leads, is this one legit? >> would anyone other than the killer have known that? >> no. >> when "dateline" continues.

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and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information. what should have been a slow easter news day in dallas, now had a lead story that didn't involve chocolate bunnies or egg hunts. >> we're following some breaking news right now in kaufman

county, where county district attorney mike mcclelland and his wife cynthia have been found shot to death. >> the news touched off a firestorm of public concern. tips started flooding into the reopened kaufman county sheriff's command post. some tips still cited the aryan brotherhood of texas. special prosecutor bill wirskye -- >> with the added media attention after the mcclellands were murdered, we got hundreds of tips a day. >> it was like drinking out of a fire hose during this whole thing. >> lt. jolie stewart of the sheriff's department was right in the middle of it. hundreds of investigators from multiple agencies had swooped in. >> this was all hands on deck. >> uh-huh. >> this became the number one case in the bureau at that time. >> fbi special agents michael hillman and laurie gibbs were coordinating teams from the task force, each team looking into different aspects of the case. >> you have to look at everything. >> so you decided to just divvy it up. everyone could focus on their individual tasks. >> exactly.

>> right, and some of these teams had 25, 30 people on them. and there was a team that looked at all of the victims and what they may have in common. >> they believed the killing of d.a. mike mcclelland was linked with the shooting of prosecutor mark hasse back in january. but it was all one big collective hunch, until a tip came through that would confirm the connection. >> through the crime stoppers web-based tip line, we get a tip that claims credit for the mark hasse murders. >> the electronic message came in easter sunday night. it began, "do we have your full attention now?" "we" suggests more than one person. did you think maybe it's a group? >> in my thought i thought is it -- how big is this group? what is this group? is this some sort of anti-government militia group? is this white supremist? i -- i had no idea what we were dealing with. >> law enforcement wrote back, "you have our attention." >> and we wanted him to tell us what he wanted. >> while they waited anxiously for an answer, computer experts tried to trace the tip back to the source. no luck.

that's because the system is set up to protect the anonymity of all tipsters. when a message comes in, the sender is identified only by a unique number. after 12 hours of nail-biting, there was finally a response that told investigators this person was the real deal. mark hasse was killed with .38-caliber ammunition fired from a .357 five-shot revolver. would anyone other than the killer have known that? >> no. this person knew way more than anybody would have. >> the killer also wrote, "your act of good faith will result in no other attacks this week." in return for that pledge, the killer made a demand. >> they wanted one of the judges in kaufman county to step down by the end of the week or the killings would resume. so, the fact that this tip came in and named these specific judges in kaufman told us it was somebody local. >> that all but ruled out the aryan brotherhood, drug cartels

and those old cases from dallas. the killer's message ended this way, "we are not unreasonable, but we will not be stopped." it's almost sounding like a game now. >> i think in his mind it was a big chess game. i think it was just for fun, to see if he could really exert complete and total control over the criminal justice system in kaufman county. >> by monday morning the story was topping the national news. perhaps that's exactly what the killer wanted. >> nbc's gabe guttierez is in kaufman, texas for us this morning. gabe, good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning. there will be stepped up security here at the county courthouse today. the district attorney's office will be closed to the public. this entire community is on high alert. >> that morning when shannon hebert came to her office, she had an armed escort. there's no leader at your office anymore. >> there's nothing. no one. >> when you come into work, how do you go forward? >> we had to move forward. we couldn't let them win. we couldn't. and we had to fight, and -- for the honor of mike and mark.

>> everyone in the office was on edge. >> my husband, i mean, he stayed up all night with a gun in his hand. >> i know that i started carrying a gun. sleep with a gun under my pillow. >> even shannon, who wouldn't carry a gun before, now slept with protection nearby. >> we had a big ol' shotgun sitting on our dresser ready to go just in case. >> the killer's threat to unleash more violence in kaufman county kept the task force working around the clock. a special team scoured the surveillance video collected near the mcclelland crime scene, hoping for a new lead. >> so many people now have surveillance cameras on their house. so, we're trained to go in and collect that sort of evidence. >> and, finally, the video team's painstaking search seemed to pay off. they found images of a car that didn't belong, a white ford crown victoria, cruising near the mcclelland home during the

time of the murders. no one in the neighborhood owned a car like that. but the crown vic model is popular with law enforcement. so the fbi jumped on that angle. was there ever a thought that maybe this is one of our own? maybe this is a police officer doing this? >> that was not out of the realm of possibility. coming up -- investigators recheck the cases handled by mark hasse, this time to see which ones mike mcclelland also worked on. and -- >> there was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. >> which was? >> when "dateline" continues. (coughing) ♪ breeze driftin' on by ♪ ♪ you know how i feel ♪ copd may have gotten you here, but you decide what's next. start a new day with trelegy. ♪ ...feelin' good ♪ no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier

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hello. here is what is happening. employers added 431,000 jobs in march dropping the unemployment rate close to its pre-pandemic level. the economy has now recovered about 90% of the jobs lost. and sarah palin is making a return to politics announcing that she will run for the house

seat left vacant by the late congressman don young. she joins a crowded field vying for the seat. now back to "dateline." to "dat. six days after the murders of mike and cynthia mcclelland, hundreds of mourners packed this church for their funeral. the flag-draped casket contained mike's body and cynthia's ashes, together for eternity. their extended family, united in grief, bid them an emotional farewell. >> i carry a lot of things from them with me. they taught me very well. >> they helped a lot of people

before they left this world. >> they really did. they made a large impact on a lot of people. >> a beefed-up multi-agency task force vowed to catch whoever killed the mcclellands and mark hasse. investigators had seen that ford crown victoria on video roaming near the mcclelland home and thought it might be a police car. the terrible possibility it might be one of their own had to be ruled in or out immediately. >> we checked with every law enforcement agency in the area and identified where every police car was in the area. and none of them were even close to where this image was captured. >> next, they looked for anyone who for any reason had issues or disputes involving both prosecutors. >> there didn't seem to be anybody in that group of people that were upset enough that they would want to commit homicide. >> but there was one defendant involved in a felony they couldn't ignore. >> there was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. >> which was? >> that was eric williams. >> eric williams? who was eric williams?

he was a former deputy sheriff and longtime attorney with an office right across the street from the courthouse. in 2010, he was elected by the people of kaufman to be justice of the peace. shannon hebert worked with him and said he had a sharp legal mind. in fact, he was a member of mensa, the organization for people with superhigh i.q.s. >> he was a great judge. i liked having him in there. i thought he was very fair. i mean, everyone respected him. >> williams, married for 15 years with no kids of his own, was a strong advocate for children and specialized in child abuse cases. lt. jolie stewart often worked with him on those cases. >> how do you think he was perceived amongst his fellow colleagues, other attorneys? >> i think that he had a lot of respect with his peers. he was kind of the go-to guy for family law. >> i know he had a love for children. >> tera williams-bellemare knows

that better than anyone. she's eric's sister. >> he was a good uncle to my kids. never missed their birthdays. i never had to remind him. >> she says, growing up, her big brother was her inspiration. he made eagle scout, went to college, law school, and became a successful attorney. he also served as a captain in the texas state guard. >> he was driven, he was ambitious. he wanted to make us feel proud of him. >> so tera and the legal community were stunned in 2012 when her brother, the newly-elected justice of the peace, got into trouble with the law. williams was accused of stealing three computer monitors for his personal use from the county i.t. department. here's surveillance video showing him carrying boxes of computer equipment. it just seems odd that someone like that would bother to steal a few computer monitors. >> exactly. it was just kind of shocking that someone would go and do

that. >> williams found himself on the wrong side of this police interrogation. >> okay, judge. before we get started, i'm going to read the miranda warning. you're an attorney, you're a judge, so you know as well as i do. >> i know you got to read it. i understand. >> williams tried to explain he took the monitors because he claimed he needed new equipment for his office but never got it. >> that's been an ongoing kind of thing, where i'd tell the i.t. people that i need to keep improving things. >> i understand. but you hadn't put any kind of written request in, nothing like that that's been documented at all. >> no. >> mark hasse and mike mcclelland knew eric williams as a colleague in kaufman's small legal community. as boss of the d.a.'s office, mike rarely tried cases, but because williams was an elected public official, he made an exception and teamed up with mark to prosecute the case. christina says her stepdad believed williams had violated the public trust.

>> i think it did offend mike on a basic level. these people elected you. you're supposed to be doing good things for the community, not stealing from it. >> a jury found williams guilty of theft. he got probation, but lost his job and license to practice law. and now, a year later, both men who prosecuted him were dead, and williams was under suspicion. >> did you bear either of those men any kind of grudge? >> no. absolutely not. >> the media got wind of the interest in williams. and just days after the mcclelland murders, he was interviewed by nbc affiliate kprc. he strangely swept in on his segway. >> has anyone connected with this investigation suggested to you that you're a person of interest in the investigation? >> no. >> after the denial, his sympathies. >> my heartfelt condolences go out to both the mcclelland family and the hasse family because they were in public office doing the right thing, and for some reason that we're

not aware of, they've paid the ultimate price for that. >> williams was known to be a bit of an odd duck, but a murder suspect? it seems so farfetched that a justice of the peace, a man who had served his county not only as an attorney, a judge, but also as a -- as a deputy sheriff, would then suddenly turn into this serial killer. >> uh-huh. yeah, no -- no one wants to think a lawyer would do that, a person who was a public servant would do that. >> in fact, he was among the many people investigators had already looked at after the hasse murder. >> what was his alibi at the time? >> he said he had been at home either caring for his wife or his in-laws down the street. >> he also had his arm in a sling when law enforcement came to talk to him, and his excuse was he had frozen shoulder, and wasn't able to use his right arm. >> he even took a gunshot residue test at his house and passed. and after the mcclelland murders, investigators checked whether he owned a ford crown victoria, the car captured on video lurking near the

mcclelland murder scene. records showed he did not. the case was still stalled. but soon, the task force would get one of those lucky breaks they'd always hoped for. it came out of the blue and gave the investigation some much needed juice. coming up, a special prosecutor goes on high alert. >> i get on the phone and tell my wife to make sure she knew where the kids were, get inside, and keep the doors locked. and a stranger calls with a stunning revelation. >> i could tell when i listened to his voice, "this is it. this is the real thing." >> when "dateline" continues. why burn a candle when you can switch to air wick essential mist? it's the modern way to transform fragrance infused with natural essential oils into a mist.

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i've cooperated with law enforcement. i certainly wish them the best in bringing justice for this just incredibly egregious act. >> eric williams was making the tv interview rounds.

but he hadn't sat down for a formal interview with investigators. because of his connection to both mark hasse and mike mcclelland, investigators had to take a serious look at him. >> on the surface it may seem implausible because he's a lawyer and a judge and successful. the more we learned about him, the more viable in our minds he became as a suspect. >> just the year before, williams had been prosecuted for theft by hasse and mcclelland. >> you must be champing at the bit to talk to eric williams. >> obviously, we wanted to talk to him. the problem with that was he was still represented by lawyers. >> lawyers who kept williams from talking. but then, two weeks after the mcclellands were killed in their home, the special prosecutors got a big opening they hadn't seen coming. >> we get an email back from the lawyers basically saying, we no longer represent eric williams. >> they figured this was their one window to talk to him, and they knew they had get it right

the first time, before he lawyered up again. so fbi profilers came up with a strategy, send over a top-level texas ranger so williams would be more likely to let him in. >> was the idea that that would fit with his ego? >> he would view a major with the texas rangers as someone equal on his intellect that perhaps he would talk to. if you sent someone of lower rank, then he would just dismiss them. >> the ranger and a local cop familiar to williams went to his house carrying a hidden tape recorder. >> did it work? >> it worked great. >> williams let them in, without a search warrant. the subject quickly got around to guns. williams said he'd been forced to sell his weapons to raise money since he could no longer practice law. >> i been in your house. i know you got lots of guns. >> yeah. >> okay. >> how do you think i've been living? >> selling guns? >> yeah, for two years. >> you don't have anymore? you got rid of all of them? >> i have one gun that i'm trying to sell, and it's just

hard as hell to try to sell. >> he said, "i don't have any guns, except one gun." and so, he let them look around. and -- and they began finding gun parts. >> gun parts. some very specific gun parts that appeared to match the type of automatic weapon used in the mcclelland killings. and at the same time, the fbi discovered williams had done computer searches on hasse and mcclelland before the murders. >> he specifically told them that he had not ever searched the two victims before the murders. >> now you've got him lying. >> yeah. >> that lie and those gun parts were enough to get a warrant for a more thorough search of his house. investigators, including a crack fbi evidence team, were back the next day. they went room to room, then to the garage. and, bingo! >> in a filing cabinet in the garage there was a manual for a ford crown vic. and there was also a title to a crown vic. >> the task force, of course,

had been looking for a crown victoria. this one was registered under a false name. that must have been a real big moment, finding that registration. >> that was huge. >> outside, special prosecutor wirskye was on hand to give legal advice. >> one of the fbi computer techs came out and said, "mr. wirskye, i don't mean to alarm you, but eric williams has been searching you and mr. shook on his computer." >> what's the first thing you did when you heard that he had been searching you? >> get on the phone with my wife and tell her to make sure she knew where the kids were and to get inside and keep the doors locked and don't answer the door for anyone up to and including a police officer. >> what did she say? >> i could hear the fear in her voice, and i knew right then we had to put him in jail for something. it became very personal and a matter of life and death for us. >> back inside, searchers found something interesting, a scrap of paper with two handwritten numbers. >> so they collected it because it was near the computer and they thought it might be important. >> and it was.

a sheriff's deputy recognized the user i.d. for the county crimestoppers' anonymous tip line. the first number corresponded to a tip from early in the hasse case. the tipster claimed to have overheard two men in a bar saying they'd killed mark hasse. that meant the tip came from williams' computer. a follow-up computer search also revealed williams had searched several how-to websites. >> one of the websites was how to throw the police off an investigation by sending in fake tips. >> the second number on that scrap of paper was even more important because it turned out to be the real thing. it matched back to that computer message that gave details about the hasse murder weapon and also threatened more killings. >> so we knew right then that that tip that had come into the command post was sent by eric williams. and we knew right then we were going to be able to put eric williams in jail. >> he was arrested, not for murder, but for making a terrorist threat about killing a judge.

>> we just didn't know if we had enough evidence to convict him. >> they just had to figure out where the evidence might be. >> did you think that eric williams had a hiding place? >> we began to suspect pretty early on if it's eric williams and we know what cars were used, there may be a storage unit or some secret storage place that he may have access to that we haven't found. >> at least now, ten weeks after hasse's murder, the investigation was finally on a roll. >> we go home that night to get a good night's sleep, and i actually wanted for the first time in weeks to see my son play a little league game. >> but the next morning, his parenting plans were dashed by work again. his phone rang. it was a friend of eric williams who'd heard about his arrest. >> he said, "mr. wirskye, i have something to tell you about eric williams. i think i may have rented him a storage unit." we'd been looking for a storage unit and i could tell when i listened to his voice, this is it, this is the real thing. >> little league was out for the

day? >> unfortunately it was. little league was out. my son went three for three. >> but you were headed to a storage unit. >> this is too important. so, i got on the phone with the texas rangers. and i said, this is it. i think we've found it." coming up, found what, exactly? even seasoned investigators would be blown away. >> this is one of those moments that i'll never forget because it was just "wow." >> when "dateline" continues. ♪ ♪ i'm getting vaccinated with prevnar 20. so am i. because i'm at risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. i'm asking about prevnar 20. because there's a chance pneumococcal pneumonia could put me in the hospital. if you're 19 or older with certain chronic conditions like copd, asthma, or diabetes, you may be at an increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. prevnar 20 is approved in adults to help prevent infections from 20 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. in just one dose. don't get prevnar 20 if you've had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. adults with weakened immune systems

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the hot spot in the investigation was now a run-of-the-mill storage unit -- number 18 to be precise -- in seagoville, texas, just 14 miles from the mcclelland house. eric kasper of the texas rangers was part of the task force caravan racing to unit 18. >> everybody is running and gunning. you know, everybody wants to be there. >> so we're all just filled with expectations. we're making bets, "okay, the white crown vic's gonna be there."

"no, it's not." "we're gonna find the murder weapon." >> ranger kasper did the honors, lifting the heavy, steel door. >> this is one of those moments that i'll never forget because it was just wow. >> what did you see? >> we saw the white crown vic, the car that we'd been looking for for all those days and all those man hours, and there it was. and we knew finally we had eric williams. >> but there was so much more. police uniforms and bulletproof vests, more than a half dozen police badges, thousands of rounds of ammo, and enough guns to supply a small army. >> he's got six or seven weapons of the right caliber that could have been the mcclelland murder weapon. we have five or six weapons of the right caliber that could've been the hasse murder weapon. >> did you think that one of those guns had to be the murder weapon? >> i felt like our chances were pretty good because there were just so many in there. >> the guns and ammo were sent off to the lab for testing. inside this treasure trove of

bad intentions, there were also pickle jars filled with liquid, later identified as homemade napalm. >> it was just unbelievable. it was like a tactical operator's closet. >> but they'd soon be dealt a serious blow. the lab results came back on all those weapons. nothing matched. the murder weapons were still missing. that's got to be extremely frustrating when you feel like, well, one of these guns i'm sure has got to be the murder weapon. >> oh yeah, deflating. we were positive one of those was going to be the murder weapon. >> even without the guns, the prosecutors believed there was enough evidence to finally go forward. on april 18th, 2013, ten weeks after mark hasse was gunned down and three weeks since the mcclellands were killed, eric williams was charged with three counts of capital murder.

prosecutors said the motive was revenge. >> one thing i found out about eric williams, the first big thing that went wrong in his life, this is how he was going to react, with rage and homicidal violence. >> it all seemed so senseless to the mcclellands' daughter, christina. >> this all started over three computer monitors. and now we're talking about three murders. >> yeah. i mean, you know, normal people don't do that. >> god bless the united states and the great state of texas. >> eric williams went on trial for murder in december. williams wasn't on trial for the murder of mark hasse or mike mcclelland. in a surprise tactic, this trial was only for the murder of cynthia mcclelland. >> not guilty, your honor. >> why not just try the murders at the same time? >> what if something went wrong in the first trial? we wanted to have the ability to be able to try him twice and make sure he got justice. >> christina sat in court and had to relive the deaths of her parents. what gave you the strength to go to the court every day? >> i showed up every day for the three people who gave their

lives for something good. they stood up and they did what they were supposed to, and they died for it. >> this is my chance to tell you the story of the murders of mike and cynthia mcclelland. >> prosecutor bill wirskye thought if he could prove eric williams had killed cynthia, that would obviously show he killed mike. >> you'll hear the story of a massive law enforcement investigation -- state, local, federal agencies working together to build an airtight case. >> one of the first witnesses called -- c.j. tomlinson, dallas police officer and friend of the mcclellands. c.j. told the jury how he and his parents found the mcclellands. >> i took a couple more steps inside the residence, i was hollering for mike. "mike, mike!" >> for three days, prosecutors brought a blizzard of witnesses. they told the jury williams had

been linked to that tip that came in after the mcclelland murders. >> he sent an e-mail in to law enforcement claiming credit for the murders, thinking law enforcement would never figure it out. but he was wrong. >> investigators didn't have the murder weapon, but they had something else, a bullet they found inside a bag taken from williams' storage unit. >> you know this is what you and your team recovered. >> yes. >> a ballistics examiner compared that single unfired bullet to the shell casings found at the murder scene and came up with a match. >> that live round was ejected from the same weapon that killed the mcclellands. so that was a big moment for us. >> and prosecutors thought this security video outside the storage unit nailed the case down. they said it traced the movements of eric williams and the crown vic on the morning of the murders. >> approximately 6:00 a.m. real time. >> that's when williams in his black suv pulled up to the

entrance of the storage unit, according to the prosecution. at 6:12 a.m. the white crown victoria pulled out. by 6:42 investigators knew the mcclellands were dead or dying on the floor based on the motion detectors in the home security system. at 7:00, here's that white crown vic coming back through the entrance. and 17 minutes later, that black suv pulled out. >> he committed this crime. his acts alone and his acts alone condemn him to be found guilty of capital murder. >> the prosecutors said they had a lot of circumstantial evidence, including the crown vic and that matching bullet. >> ladies and gentlemen of the jury -- >> but the defense was about to tell the jury what the prosecution didn't have. >> -- eric williams did not commit these murders. >> defense lawyer matthew seymour laid into one of the state's star witnesses, that ballistics expert. he reminded the jury investigators never found the

murder weapon. >> you didn't actually have access to that firearm? >> correct. >> he tried to poke holes in the prosecution's matching bullet theory. >> someone of different experience could come along and say they're not a match. is that true? >> yes, potentially that is true. if i could break the chain from the live round recovered from the storage unit and the mcclelland shooting scene, i might stand a chance. >> the defense didn't see the need to call any witnesses. >> our position was the state had not fulfilled their obligation to prove the elements of the indictment. it was just that simple. there is no known murder weapon in this case. there's no one who can place eric williams in that scene at the mcclelland home. no one. >> finally, this case that had rocked the justice system was about to be decided by the jurors.

they needed only 90 minutes to reach a verdict. >> we, the jury, unanimously find the defendant, eric lyle williams, guilty of capital murder as charged in the indictment. >> guilty of capital murder in the death of cynthia mcclelland. >> you heard the word "guilty?" >> it was a gift. it was a gift for all of us. it's probably a gift for everybody else because i don't believe that this would've stopped at the end of these killings. >> there's a sad postscript to this case that raises a painful question. could williams have been stopped after the hasse murder and before the mcclellands? did they have to die? in a haunting irony, mike mcclelland always thought williams was likely the killer. >> he certainly suspected it was eric williams after mark hasse was shot. and he made no secret of what his opinion was. and i had numerous conversations where he said, "bill, it's eric williams. >> williams was one of a handful of possible suspects early on in the hasse case, but there was no evidence on him. and even with his conviction for theft, he'd had a good

reputation. >> we had several discussions about it. of course, eric's name came up in the discussions but if you can't prove it, then it doesn't matter. it doesn't matter what you think, if you can't prove it. >> and now this former justice of the peace was a convicted murderer. how? why? was he living a double life? >> i think he was. most people were fooled by his exterior. he looked so normal. he looked so average. he had the trappings of success, being a lawyer and a judge. but behind that mask was a homicidal psychopath. >> just angry at the world? >> yeah. i think he had a very dark, cold heart. >> but this case was far from over. prosecutors had won, but they were saving their best witness for last. investigators always suspected eric williams did not act alone. and he didn't. you're about to hear from his accomplice, someone who will take you inside the mind of a murderer. coming up -- >> you just can't make this stuff up. you would think this was a hollywood movie.

>> a moment-by-moment account of a plot more chilling than anyone realized. >> when you arrived at the scene of the murder, what was his mood? >> happy. >> what was your mood? >> happy. >> i think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside their hearts. >> when "dateline" continues. do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol.

we, the jury, unanimously find the defendant, eric lyle williams -- >> they'd won a guilty verdict against eric williams, but prosecutors didn't have time to celebrate. the jury would now decide whether he should get the death penalty. in a rare legal move, prosecutors had saved some blockbuster evidence and a star witness for just this moment. as investigators figured all along, williams hadn't acted alone. he had an accomplice.

it was this woman. >> the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth -- >> his wife, kim. they'd been married for 15 years, but now she was about to testify against her husband. >> it was a cold day, and there was excitement in the air. >> witnesses to the hasse murder, you remember, said the shooter jumped into the passenger side of the getaway car. so police always suspected williams had help. soon after he was arrested, kim williams was brought in for questioning. >> investigators spent hours talking to her. >> prosecutor wirskye was watching the interview. >> she was just not going to give up any information. she talked about her husband and what a great guy he was and how he wouldn't hurt anyone. >> then, an fbi interrogator, growing impatient, got tougher. >> he raised his voice with her and was telling her that she

knew that those people had been killed. >> then she broke, and what she told them was startling. she said, not only did she know something about the murders, she helped her husband carry them out. now, during the penalty phase, prosecutors planned to use her testimony to make sure the jury would give him a death sentence. >> she led us to a lot of evidence. and i think it was important for the jury to see and have all their questions answered. >> he came up with the plan to dress like law enforcement. >> they were a husband-and-wife murder team, and they went through a dress rehearsal the night before the mcclelland murders. >> he was modeling it for me. >> describe to the members of the jury what he was modeling for you the night before. >> he looked like he was in the army or s.w.a.t. >> he had a bulletproof vest with "sheriff" on the front. more than likely mrs. mcclelland was going to answer the door, and he was going to introduce himself as a policeman.

>> and the next morning, she said, she was lookout in the crown vic, as her husband went inside to murder the mcclellands. >> if someone came, was there a plan for what you were supposed to do to alert eric? >> yes. he told me to honk the horn. >> but if these had been revenge killings of mike mcclelland and mark hasse, why did cynthia mcclelland have to die? >> because she would be there as a witness, and he described it as collateral damage. >> and prosecutors wanted the jury to know how callous eric and kim williams were after killing two people in cold blood. >> we had steaks on the grill, and eric cooked those. >> at your parents' house? >> at my parents' house. >> were y'all celebrating with steaks? >> that's correct. >> the prosecutors couldn't tell jurors about the hasse case during the cynthia mcclelland trial, but now they were free to use mark's murder to cement their argument for the death penalty. >> we had an airtight circumstantial evidence case on the hasse murder.

>> kim williams said on that morning outside the courthouse, she drove the getaway car. >> as you're driving away from the scene of the hasse murder, what is his mood like? >> happy. >> what is your mood like? >> happy. i so believed in eric and everything that he told me. his anger was my anger. >> who was he mad at? >> he was mad at mark hasse. he was mad at mr. mcclelland. he was angry because he thought that they were trying to set him up. >> what did that tell you about this incredibly bizarre relationship, that these two were in cahoots with each other? >> i think it proved beyond any doubt that eric williams was a psychopath and this was a horribly toxic, screwed up marriage. i think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside that house, you know, inside their hearts. >> yes -- >> kim williams also said she helped her husband dispose of key evidence in the case. she recalled driving to this bridge one night and watching eric toss a black bag into the lake. >> do you know what was in the

bag? >> i knew that it was guns. >> it had taken 12 months of searching the lake before divers found the bag. fbi agent laurie gibbs was there. >> open this up, and there's two guns. this is it. >> inside the bag were two revolvers. forensics would show one of those guns killed mark hasse. and one more thing -- that bag those guns were in, it wasn't a bag at all. it was really a terrifying halloween mask. >> grim reaper-type halloween mask? >> exactly. >> kim williams said her husband wore it to conceal himself when he shot mark. >> and you can imagine the terror that was going through mark hasse when he recognized and heard the voice. >> she also told jurors that her husband had more mayhem in mind. >> judge ashworth. >> he wanted to kill a judge in a special way with a special weapon. >> with a crossbow. >> that's correct.

>> kim williams said he also brewed up a concoction just for the judge. you may remember there was homemade napalm in pickle jars inside the storage unit. >> what was the napalm for? >> i guess to drive in an extra kind of [ bleep ] it was going to bore a hole in his stomach and pour it in. >> it's one thing to say, "well, eric williams did this, fine. but that his wife was along for the ride? >> you can't just make this stuff up. you would think this was a hollywood movie, but these people are living every day together and talking about murdering people. >> my name is christina foreman. >> now, christina, in her victim's impact statement, would finally get her chance to vent her feelings as she turned to her parents' killer. >> pretty much the only thing i have to say is -- "[bleep] you, eric williams." that was pretty much the only thing i could think of to say to him. >> did it feel good? >> it did. it did feel good. a nice sock in the face would

probably feel a lot better. >> the defense countered by calling dozens of character witnesses -- >> very smart young man -- >> from williams' scoutmaster to his high school friends, but the jurors weren't swayed. >> it is ordered by this court to carry out the sentence of death -- >> he was sentenced to die by lethal injection. he's appealing his conviction. given the death penalty decision, prosecutors decided not to try him for the murders of mark hasse or mike mcclelland. williams pleaded not guilty to both. mark hasse's longtime friend, and federal trial attorney, marcus busch, believes williams will still be dangerous even on death row. >> eric williams is a master manipulator, he is a very intelligent human being, and he's a very deadly, proficient killer. i think he's going to be a threat to the prison guards and i think he's going to be a threat to anybody else in prison. >> you're making him sound like hannibal lector. >> this is a man who killed three people in cold blood

simply because they prosecuted him for stealing computer monitors. >> kim williams pleaded guilty to the murder of cynthia. and for her cooperation, the other charges were disposed of. she was sentenced to 40 years in prison, avoiding the death penalty. >> i'll never forget mike and cynthia or mark. >> will you ever be over this? >> no. i'm not over it. i never -- i know i never will be. i don't think any of us will be ever. >> but as tragic as all this was, believe it or not, something good came out of it. during the long ordeal, christina and that cop from dallas, c.j. tomlinson, fell in love. their families had been great friends for a long time. cynthia mcclelland had always tried to play matchmaker. >> cynthia pretty much told me that was going to happen, and she was right. she got me. >> i can only imagine how happy

your mom would be -- >> oh, god. >> -- if she's looking down, that you two are together. >> i can't-- i can't even imagine. she would be just doing some sort of weird dance that "i told you so." and you know, i'm sure she's thrilled. we got married on her birthday, so that would have made her ecstatic. . >> i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline." ashley was a wild and funny texan who everyone seemed to love. >> caring, loving, compassionate. >> so why did she have this strange premonition? >> she always felt like she was going to die young. >> the call came on black friday. >> she said she's heart broke. >> when i pulled