i'm craig melvin, i'm natalie morales, and this is dateline. the plot was hatched. this dreadful plot. and it was like a movie script. it was a family revival wary and betrayal and murder. >> it was a horrific. over the last hours on earth like for her? >> it looked here on this storied family estate. a mysterious tangled enrolled as the trees that reach for the sky. >> i think she's dead.

>> i can't sleep most of the time. >> a crime, like a storm everyone could see it coming. >> i want to ten had a dispositions. >> she was missing, matriarch with the grip on her power family fortune. did someone have a powerful motive to do her harm? >> i saw bruisers on bonnie's arm like somebody had grabbed her. >> so the image that you tried to kill me. >> who was behind this? a search in the dark. a secret in the family. and they jailhouse interview to make your jaw drop. this is a twisted tale, deep in the heart of texas,. >> people who are desperate, we'll do desperate things. >> hello and welcome to

dateline, san saba city in texas hill country though tiny in size it was huge in the cloud growing business. even called the pecan capital of the world. the name kharkiv was synonymous with pecan harvesting. so when the matriarch of the family bonnie harkey went missing it sent shockwaves through the community. where was bonnie harkey? harris josh make-a-wish with queen of the county. >> and this country was love stories about money, and the struggle to get our hands on both. dallas was the saga of a private texas family. rich and ruthless. the story are about to hear is like that. maybe less glitz and less glamour. but then, jr ewing was never as coldhearted as some of the people you are about to meet. this epic tale of greed and

betrayal is set, not in dallas, but insensitive. a tiny town in the texas hill country. it stars a family that learned how to make money grow on trees. but countries. at the heart of the matter a field fueled by a loss for land. stoked by a battle of generations. and front in center, the life in times of the matriarch. bonnie harkey. who controlled a family fortune a century in the making. >> i wish was queen of the county, because she really was the big fish in the small pond. >> this is teresa koch, bonnie harkey's niece. >> they were well off and they were property owners. >> by the coast and is very wealthy. >> by local standards sure. >> they were so proud in fact, that the harkey name is carved on monuments. even on road signs in san saba.

>> of the sixth generation of my family here in the county. >> dwight harkey says all of the harkey's descended from two brothers who came to the hill country in the 1850s. >> well there's two boys. they came and they were scouts. they found this country and nobody loved her. >> a proud family history to be sure. but on march 25th 2012, a new and bloody chapter was added. >> i remember that sunny morning because of what happened the rest of the day. >> the events that would forever fixed that day in the reverend san crosby's memory. centered on 85-year-old bonnie quirky. an active member of the first baptist church of san saba. >> you set your watch by bonnie harkey for the day. >> you could. >> should be right here? >> should be right here, even after she had 24-hour care her

caretaker bring her hair. >> >> the trump began a few hours after church. a few miles west of town. >> i don't with some urgency? >> it's about 5:30 in the sense of a sheriff's department dispatched her received this call. >> i found my mom on the floor. i think she's dead. i'm at the harkey residents. >> turn out the 11-year-old mother was karen johnson, bobby harkey's caretaker. >> you don't know the address out there? >> no ma'am, i'm just really really worried. >> well for using? >> i'm using bond his house fund. i can't find bonnie anywhere. within minutes the sense of a sheriff's department had deputies on the way. >> all right when a bunny harkey's -- >> yes or do you have an eta? >> five minutes. >> in a rural area where locals listen closely to police scanners. some worry deputies might be

chasing some dangerous desperado. >> somebody loose -- . okay just wondering because of setting up there near miss harkey's place. >> the harkey place was a local landmark were john wilkinson a san saba sheriff's deputy 2012 was one of the first investigators to arrive. >> i want to course and karen johnson's body was lifeless found in the doorway. the traits of suppression. >> no sign of struggle? >> there was no clear signs of struggle. there are some questionable issues that were a play. >> like what? >> the fact that she was dead right at the store that did make any sense. the fact i found a broken fingernail on her hand. >> carol johnson, the personal call 9-1-1 told investigators been calling playing a game to spare bedroom all afternoon had not heard or seen anything unusual. strange. but also concern the lawman is

the fact that bonnie harkey was not there. >> so you're thinking by the harkey is either someone they. orchards >> that was about which are proud. >> bonnie had serious health problems. she was frail suffered, from dementia. in short, she had to be found and fast. >> cher browne had called the president's dogs inside the helicopter out. >> she could've gone very. far >> correct. >> by nightfall word bonnie hurt's disappearance had spread far and wide. her stepson, bruce harkey who had been visiting his brother in fort worth that weekend. called the sheriff's office wanting to know some details. >> this is bruce harkening's office earned phone calls and try to figure out what the heck is going on. >> but it is causing reference to? >> they said they found some lady dead and bodies missing and something about how and having a roadblocked often

everything? >> even bodies needs to reset and memphis heard the news within a few hours of that first 9-1-1 call. >> my mother and iowa speak on sunday nights and she had called me and said bonnie is missing. and we both kind of went, oh no. >> teresa koch may have been hundreds of miles from where searchers were looking for bonnie harkey. but she says she knew right away her hunts disappearance was connected to the decades long battle over the remains of the harkey fortune. >> not home invasion? >> know her family. >> coming up, the search for the missing matriarch. >> i saw bruises on bodies arms. like somebody had grabbed her. >> family sure seemed to know something. >> i might have some information about where bonnie harkey is. >> i was definitely concerned. >> when the queen of the county consume news.

when the queen of the consume news crowd control- have a nice day alex (thanks ms. ellen) ...taking the stairs. that's how you du more with dupixent, wh ich helps prevent asthma attacks. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? just ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. ♪ ♪ fight fleas and ticks with seresto.

eight months continuous protection against fleas and ticks. it's effective and vet recommended. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ learn more at seresto.com. it's spring! claritin provides non-drowsy symptom relief from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity— and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. big game today! everybody ready? alexa, ask buick to start my enclave. starting your buick enclave. i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. getting directions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful. the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.” this is what people with eczema said

about how their skin feels... ...when it comes to our skin, what if it could feel differently? say hello to opzelura for the treatment of mild to moderate eczema. opzelura is a steroid-free cream proven to help clear skin and significantly reduce itch. do not start opzelura if you have any infection as it may lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you are being treated for an infection;... ...have tb or have been in close contact with someone with tb; have had hepatitis b or c. serious lung infections, skin cancer, blood clots, and low blood cell counts have been reported with opzelura. in patients taking jak inhibitors, serious infections, increased risk of death, lymphoma, other cancers, immune system problems, and major cardiovascular events have occured. the most common side effect is pain and swelling in the nose or throat. it's a one-of-a-kind cream. so, what could that mean for your skin? ask your dermatologist about opzelura. if the huskies of san saba were

ever made into a television drama it would be chock full of character actors. there would be a gentleman farmer. a pair of impatience airs in waiting. a near dwell grandson. his enabling girlfriend. and the rock of the family

would be a whiteout major, named bonnie harkey. >> she had book club. she was brett had society. she was just clear constantly socializing. >> there are roughly 200 acres to the harkey spread. with variable waterbirds along the san saba reverse. a rambling farmhouse. and nearly 3000 pecan trees. >> when people hear the harken in that part of the country, what do they think? >> the huskies where the somebody's. you know, i know bonnie enjoy that. and maybe that was just the way she pictured it. back in 1963 when bonnie met and married, riley harkey. at the time, riley was a recently divorced father with two boys. bonnie a single mom of a teenage daughter of her own. >> he was a coup, you know. especially for a single mom who was really looking at how to find a husband or work for the rest for life in the early 60s it was tough to be a divorcee.

it will have to be a single mother. >> now, nearly 50 years later, the queen of the county was missing. searchers were still on the orchards looking for bonnie harkey. when a resident who had been listening to the police scanner called with a vital clue. >> i know things are crazy going on right now. but i might have some information about where bonnie harkey is. >> the caller said she knew that pony harkey's 28-year-old grandson, carl, had visited her that very afternoon. >> i'm 99% sure karl pressley is involved. >> who is called pressley? >> carl pressley is the adopted grandson of bonnie harkey. bunny harkey had a daughter, connie, but -- county adopted carl press at a very young age. >> when you heard those calls come and you think this is what? >> i was definitely concerned.

>> why so much concern over a grandsons visitors elderly grandmother? that is a tangle tale really. it begins with the way carl pressley came to join the harkey clan the first place. >> connie said that she adopted him from a homeless woman. a homeless couple who are living in a car. >> for homeless couple? >> that they couldn't take care of him. so they were willing to give him up for adoption. that's what i know. >> theresa says there's always something a little bit off about carl. something that tended to make other people uncomfortable. >> it was very odd. very sad at the same time. as he seems to be a very lonely needy child. very clean a child. nobody really seemed to want him to cling to him. but terry said there was nothing bonnie wouldn't do for carl. >> she bought carla truck, and he wrecked the truck. >> then she'd by many other one. he'd get a job, he does a job.

she'd how some. he was stealing pecans from the harvest and selling them. she was constantly bailing out of one situation or another. giving him money. >> it's part of that, car who had a harder shell than anything that came out of these trees, was no to be verbally abusive to his grandmother and if he didn't get what he wanted. three says that once when she dropped by the visit bonnie she had an unsettling encounter with car who was also there. >> everything i said he would argue against. he just followed, me had fought with me. it's a key couldn't get along with anybody. and i saw bruises on bonnie's arms. like somebody had grabbed her. and little old ladies bruise so easily. that i said to my mother on the phone, i said, i would not be surprised if carl pushed her down the basement stairs. >> given that history, is

understandable that white investigators ears perked up once they learned that the last person they have seen bonnie harkey the day she went missing was karl pressley. >> we are pretty sure that if able to find car we are going to be up to find body harkey. >> according to the tipster, carl was with his girlfriend, lilian king. they were riding in her car. >> we have the information for vehicle? >> all i know she's run 2004 mustang. soon just but every la niña texas was on the lookout for that 2004 mustang. but in the meantime deputy wilkerson says the san saba sheriff took a more personal approach. >> trying to close up, on sending in multiple text messages. [inaudible] absolutely, absolutely. >> want to be great if police could just text suspects and get them to come in? the world doesn't work like that. except, perhaps, in san saba. just after midnight karl pressley responded.

he was in normandy texas, he told the sheriff. where hadas griffin lived in a trailer ivan the campground. the normangee is more than three hours from san saba. called promised a sheriff he would be back by daybreak. >> i think maybe about the time polls close the phone rang. it was about 7:00 in the morning. and the special made that call pressley had showed up to the sheriff's office. and cher browne need me up there asap. >> so little or no sleep. the deputy went back to the office. we have a face to face encounter with the man most likely to know where connie harkey was. >> a devoted caretaker dead. and the family matriarch missing. now another life in danger. coming up, we had three knives on him. so i had to do what he said.

but >> and a dark secret down by the creek. but >> right there, right there. but >> when the queen of the county continues. queen of the queen of the county it's innovative. my go to toothpaste is going to be pronamel repair. ♪ ♪ continues we believe there's an innovator in all of us. that's why we build technology that helps everyone come to the table and do more incredible things. ♪ ♪

doesn't your family deserve the best? eggland's best eggs. classic, cage free, and organic. more delicious, farm-fresh taste. plus, superior nutrition. because the way we care is anything but ordinary. ♪♪ allergies don't have to be scary.

spraying flonase daily stops your body fromut ordinary. overreacting to allergens all season long. here's the thing about lawmen psst! psst! flonase all good.

frugal texas. they don't have all the gadgets and gizmos that come with working in a big city. >> it's a different world, we work with limited budgets. >> we have to improvise?

>> yes, you have to improvise. >> that's what sense of deputy, john wilkerson did, when carl pressley the chief suspect of the disappearance of monarchy and the death of her caretaker came in for questioning. wilkerson used a video recorder embedded in his car. >> that's for interrogation? >> that's my entire, geisha northern sally port. [inaudible] >> he was not under arrest. but carl pressley were prison stripes for his interview. because investigators had taken his clothes so they can run test on the. >> not making any accusation at this point, i'm just trying to get him locked down into his original story. >> from the beginning, progress admitted he and his girlfriend, lilian king had gone out since grandmother's house for a visit that sunday. but >> cartels how long you

stay there? >> no sir, i really don't. >> during the interview he started to try to pretend like you can remember certain things. >> eventually, house memory improved. he remembered how he took his grandmother out of the house to protect her from some tough guys he owed money to. >> the store is, to protect his grandmother, he picks up in the evening. then he drives her to brittani's crossing. and he drops off in the bushes. >> an 85-year-old woman? >> correct. wilkerson was in by, but officers desert at location that carl told them another story. the city of taken bonnie back to his trailer home in normandy. >> he misses his gun with anyone to see. michigan did mykolaiv sense. >> that was because investigators knew nothing to suggest that carl pressley had ever missed anyone. during his 28 years on planet earth. >> we're trying to forget where is your grandmother at? look at me.

where is she at? but >> i think she's up there. >> okay where up there? >> norman g. >> where did you put up? there >> and hilltop like. i >> in short order, texas rangers and local lawmen and their normangee were combing carl's trailer and the surrounding campground for clues. but they found nothing. until carl was flown to normangee. >> out of that one to show a fishing hole, down by the greek. and we went down there. and stuff happened >> tunnel kind of stuff happen car? a >> it's hard, sir. is going to be her? >> right there, right there. >> all right carl, it's all right. it's all right. i didn't mean to. i didn't mean to.

i didn't mean to. i didn't mean to. >> bonnie harkey was dead. her body lying in a creek bed near carles trailer. very between a pile of sticks and leaves. >> so carl admits that he pushed her on the back of her head. hold her face underwater. until she no longer moved. >> it was the same story lillian king had already given two law men back and san saba. she had been there, she said. when the caretaker was killed. and she had stood idly by while carl killed his grandmother. but in the league some of the story she could very well have been pressley's third murder victim that day. >> he had three knives on him. . three. so i had to do what he said. >> what had driven karl pressley to kill one of the few people on earth who had ever loved him? that was a question to which no

one can supply an answer. >> she doted on karl? >> she did vote on him. no could quite understand why. >> i bet you couldn't in the last four or five hours of her life? >> yeah. >> investigators didn't know why karl pressley killed his grandmother but they were pretty sure there was more to this murder than met the eye. and that there could be clues in the kharkiv family history. >> coming up 1 million dollar inheritance. a neighbor from hollywood. and a harkey with a handful of ex wives. >> it is a solid jerk. >> just constant drama. >> when the queen of the county continues. the queen of the count it's effe and vet recommended. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪ continues.

♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year. ♪ claritin provides non-drowsy symptom relief from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. ♪ ♪ fight fleas and ticks with seresto. eight months continuous protection against fleas and ticks. it's effective and vet recommended. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪ doesn't your family deserve the best? eggland's best eggs. classic, cage free, and organic. more delicious, farm-fresh taste. plus, superior nutrition. which is now more important than ever. ♪♪

right now, we're all feelin' a little strapped. but weekends are still all about grilling. and walmart always keeps prices low on our fresh ingredients. so you can save money and live better. fanduel and draftkings, so you can save money two out of state corporations making big promises to californians. what's the real math behind their ballot measure for online sports betting? 90% of profits go to the out of state corporations permanently. only eight and a half cents

is left for the homeless. and in virginia, arizona, and other states, fanduel and draftkings use loopholes to pay far less than was promised. sound familiar? it should. hello i'm dara brown. it's another bad scheme for california. here's what's happening. president biden and the first lady met with first responders and families of the victims at uvalde elementary school shooting.

left 19 students and two teachers. at the first couple also laid flowers to honor the victims at a memorial site. and the justice department is conducting a review of law enforcement response to the shooting after a request was made by the mayor of uvalde. local police has been vetted to a number of failures and responding to the mass shooting. now, back to dateline. >> the matriarch of a prominent and growing family had been brutally murdered by a member of that family. but why? the more investigators pondered that, the more they came to believe the answer might be found in a long running family feud. >> the first time i met the family, i was bailiff in court, we were shorthanded. i got the set through have a little hearing where they were

trying to gain control of the property. you could tell that it was a very heated situation. very heated. >> that pot had been at a slow boil ever since that day in 1963 when bonnie harkey became stepmother to her husband riley's two boys, bruce and john. >> bruce and johnny just didn't like bonnie. they didn't like her at all. and so, almost from the beginning, it was acrimonious. >> how was formed that acrimony take? >> they were just rude to bonnie, openly insulting her. >> reilly put up with? it >> let it go. he just let it go. >> a lot of blended families have rough starts. but this newly-grafted branch of the harkey tree never had a chance. >> and i don't think that reilly made a real effort with his boys to say, this is a wonderful woman. i want you to grow to love her like i love her. i think he just said, here you go.

>> reilly seems to have been better with pecans than with people. >> yeah. yeah. soon enough, john was off to college. bruce was shuttled off to live with his mother in nevada for a while. that left only bonnie's teenage daughter, connie, at home. >> riley never adopted connie. she was an afterthought. she was just never brought into the family. >> this is something less like the brady bunch and more like the earrings. >> the earrings without the culture, you know? it was really just constant drama. >> the boys took a different career paths. john became a businessman. bruce had a number of different jobs. at various times, he was a cop at reno, a medicaid fraud investigator for the texas attorney generals office, and a nursing home administrator. along the way, he married and divorced eight, account of eight, women.

still, as the years rolled by, the brothers feelings for bonnie seemed to fester. there were a lot of reasons for that. maybe the biggest one was a will their father, riley, had drawn up. shortly before he died in 1997. >> riley's will specifically said that bonnie could live on that property as long as she was alive. and then, when she died, the land would go to the boys. and then there was a small inheritance for connie. and if connie died, there would be a trust for carl. but the majority of the inheritance went to bruce and johnny. >> although the property alone was worth more than 1 million dollars, for the harkey brothers, it wasn't worth a dime because they could neither farm it nor sell it. until bonnie died. bruce, especially, seemed shaped at the thought of that.

>> he said he was the poorest military and the county. >> sean oliver said that bruce harkey was down and out in late 2007, when he resettled insensitive after being away for many years. >> he had no income coming in and every time he drove by that property, all he could see was the millions that, what he thought was millions, that he was missing out on. >> by then, bonnie harkey was becoming increasingly frail. hurt dementia made it difficult to -- she was unable to manage her daily affairs so her daughter, connie, became her guardian. after conte died in 2011, bruce harkey thought that carl pressley should be bonnie's guardian. a judge tried to point someone else, bruce and john challenge that in court. >> bonnie asked the judge if she could speak. and the judge said, yes. and she said, i don't want them to be my guardians. i'm afraid of them.

>> her stepsons? >> yeah. >> that had to be the last thing bruce and john wanted to hear. >> it delayed any inheritance, certainly. >> a lawyer named general daryl sphinx was -- business affairs. bonnie's longtime there -- was asked to make sure that bonnie's daily needs were met. it was betty and who had hired karen johnson, a known relation. the in-home caretaker that was killed the day bonnie was kidnapped. >> you felt safe with can take care bonding. >> i did. but bruce wanted me to do is take her into a nursing home. >> he told you? that >> yes. i said, as long as we can have help, 24/7, she is not going anywhere. >> bonnie's financial guardian, gerald spanx, said he also butted heads with bruce harkey. >> the best way i can explain bruce harkey is greedy and, for lack of a better word, a jerk. he's just a solid turk. >> according to sphinx, bruce

not only accused him of mismanaging the harkey state, but also tried to bully him into accepting the sale of a chunk of land to their neighbor. the actor, tommy lee jones, for half 1 million dollars. it was good for bruce, but sphinx says, not for bonnie. so, he killed it. >> he wanted bonnie to get virtually nothing. less than $50,000 in what he wanted her to get. >> and the rest of the money would've gone to bruce? >> the rest would've gone to bruce and john. yes. >> so, you said to bruce, i'm not for this. >> and that sent him in orbit. he just became irate. he cuts me out and said, i'm gonna do everything i can to get you. >> investigators were getting a pretty good taste of the river of bad blood that ran through the harkey family. bonnie harkey family -- were in the county jail. and now, men with badges

decided to take a harder look at bruce harkey. >> coming up, are we gonna? >> we had some questions for bruce harkey, to. >> you didn't put carl up to? >> you really ask forrest gump to commit murder? >> forrest gump? then, this in-house interview was like a box of chocolates. we didn't know what we were going to get. >> because you said he she wish she was dead. and then she became. that >> when the queen count continues. that >> when the queen count continues. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ learn more at seresto.com. it's spring! claritin provides non-drowsy symptom relief from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity— and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. i didn't win the lawsuit, but everybody knows i wrote that song. flo? gosh, it's been forever.

you look fantastic. it's jon. hamm, from the blind date we went on years ago. ah, the struggling actor who didn't believe he could save with snapshot based on how and how much he drives. i'd love to talk about it over dinner sometime. well, i usually don't talk on the phone during dinner, but for potential customer tom hamm, i will make an exception. oh, boy. ♪ ♪ fight fleas and ticks with seresto. eight months continuous protection against fleas and ticks. it's effective and vet recommended. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪

why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema 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 your skin

from within, you can change how your skin looks and feels. and that's the kind of change you notice. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, a breakthrough eczema treatment. ♪ ♪ fight fleas and ticks with seresto. eight months continuous protection against fleas and ticks. it's effective and vet recommended. seresto. learn more at seresto.com. ♪ ♪ >> the final decision to kill

bonnie harkey was made on a friday. two days before the murder. as carl pressley laid it out for investigators, his uncle bruce was broke and couldn't wait any longer for his inheritance. >> he sent me down on the bed and says, we gotta get rid of bonnie. we gotta get rid of her quick. we're running out of money. >> texans are generally thought to be pretty hard knows when it comes to business. but carl pressley? not so much. >> upper says, i'll give you $500 if this happens right now. this weekend. if bonnie does. i said, you're broke, man. and i threw a number out there, like 250. he said, no.

no. >> they argued -- he was adamant that he was going to pay $500 and karl was adamant he was only to pay him to 50. >> in the end, carl says bruce agreed to pay him $200 down and another 150 once the job was done. >> we find out he stopped by the bank and made a withdrawal for $200, which was great because that is date and time stamp. now i have you on video. then he leads there and about 30 minutes later, he shows back up in front of lillian king's house. carl runs out the door. to collect the hundred dollars down. from bruce harkey. >> the idea that he was in cahoots with harkey was odd to some. >> evidently, first test of the fact that carl was referring to bruce as uncle bruce, but carl was always seemingly seeking approval and acceptance from

bruce. >> jeff schoumacher, one of the best gators on the case believed spurs may have used that bit of psychology to his advantage when he decided it was long past time for bonnie harkey to meet her maker. >> that's on bruce as, hey, i want you went on my murder plot. happiest of karl's life? >> you know, carl thought he was finally going to receive that acceptance he'd been seeking. >> a theory? perhaps. but then, investigators also knew that bruce harkey had never made any secret about how he felt about his stepmother, bonnie. >> excuse my language, but this is exactly what he said. he said, that all -- doesn't have the decency to die. >> investigators didn't know if bruce paid karl or just manipulated him into killing bonnie harkey. but they were sure he was involved. so, two days after carl led investigators to bonnie's body,

bruce harkey was arrested and charged with murder. one mom and came to question bruce in jail, he did not mince words. >> bonnie was a poor, miserable wretch of a human being. okay? she didn't have to work in brussels to rub together anymore. i don't go out there and say, somebody needs to kill her. i said she needs to go. she just needs to go. >> according to press, carl pressley had his own motives for killing bonnie harkey. that is because a year earlier, carl had sold his interest to the harkey brothers for a fraction of what it was worth. here is the thing, the brothers only gave him a fraction of the money they owed him. bruce says that he told karl that the brothers would pay him the rest around $55, 000, once they inherited the orchards. this is why bruce says carl

responded. >> how long after my grandmother's death jacob money? >> carl, it has to go through the probate first. hell, that could take years. i don't know. >> according to bruce, the money that he gave carl shortly before bonnie's death was gas money. nothing more. then, bruce harkey turned the tables on the lawn and asked them a question that would become central to his defense. why would i plan on bonnie's demise or offered to pay somebody to do what's numb nuts did when i'm thinking, this is just around the corner anyway. why, guys? >> when we spoke with bruce harkey, he -- threw a thick pane of glass, he insisted he was an innocent man. >> i had nothing to do with. it >> you can put carl up to? >> absolutely not. that's exactly the first question my attorney asked me. he said, i have to ask you.

would you really ask forrest gump to commit murder? i wouldn't hire anybody to commit murder. >> so, your argument is contrary to what carl told investigators. he did this on his own. >> i don't know if he did it on his own. i know at least two people involved in it. that would be carl in lillian, his girlfriend. other than that, i'm not going to test anything because i don't know. >> how many times in your life did you say you wish bonnie harkey were dead? >> i don't know. several. >> i mean ... that is one of the reasons you're in here. >> i understand the. okay? >> because you said she wished she was dead. and later, she became dead. >> but i didn't have anything to do with it. you can't wish someone dead and have it happen and then get blamed for it. it's not against the law to have wish his. it's not against a lot to make comments. >> maybe not. but when bruce harkey's murder

trial rolled around, he would have to answer for all of them and more. >> coming up. >> i will simply say that that is a devastating bit of evidence. >> the past comes back to haunt bruce harkey when the queen of the county continues. the county continues if you've been playing down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, it's a new day,... ♪ ...it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy. ♪...and i'm 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 and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy 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. take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy, and save at trelegy.com. big game today! everybody ready? alexa, ask buick to start my enclave. starting your buick enclave. i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. getting directions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful. the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.”

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. ♪ ♪ when it comes to tech, teveryone wants thee and do next best thing.things. now with xfi complete from xfinity, you can get updated wifi technology with the new tech upgrade program. plus, protection from cyber threats at home and now on the go. so staying up to date is easier than ever.

you look great by the way. right? unbeatable internet. made to do anything so you can do anything. only xfinity will upgrade your tech after 3 years for a more reliable connection. get that and more with xfi complete. and now, with the conclusion of upgrade today. i've lived in san francisco for 20 years. i'm raising my kids here. this city is now less safe for all of us. chesa boudin is failing to hold repeat offenders accountable. he prosecuted zero fentanyl drug dealing cases, even though nearly 500 people have died of overdoses. i'm voting yes on h to recall chesa boudin now. we can't wait one more day when people are dying on our streets. queen of the county. here is josh michael it's.

>> and there's after bonnie harkey took her place alongside the other harkey's in the san saba cemetery, life got back to normal. most people can only speculate over what really happened on the day bonnie harkey and her caretaker, karen johnson, were killed. >> but jacques schoumacher says, he knows. >> this is where karen johnson lay when he was murdered. right here. >> how is she killed? >> choked, smothered. just bulldogs down by carl. >> jack schoumacher says he knows that because carl pressley told him how it all went down that we can't. he also knows that bruce harkey wanted everyone and sound sad but to know he was going out of town. >> jack vaughan, a local businessman, says he had only a nodding acquaintance with bruce harkey, and yet ... >> brew started telling me how he was going to be out of town all weekend long.

stressed back, all weekend long. early on saturday morning, i won't be in until late sunday. pack, it might be monday before make it. i'm gonna be got all weekend long. >> by the time bruce harkey went on trial in april 2014, his nephew, karl pressley, had confessed to his part in killing bonnie harkey and her caretaker. carl's girlfriend, lilian king, had admitted her involvement. with the two of them set to testify against bruce harkey, in exchange for lighter sentences, prosecutors sonny mcatee felt confident that he had a solid case against spurs. >> the facts of the crime or so horrendous that i didn't think once the jury believed that he was party to the crime that i'd have any difficult at all finding to -- >> talk about killing bonnie

harkey many times. what's she told us, she didn't learn the plot had been set in motion until the friday before the murder. that is when the land says she heard a phone conversation between bruce harkey and karl pressley. >> because after she he got off the phone with bruce, he said that bruce was going to kill him to pit kill his grandmother. >> she testified that while bonnie and her caretaker were insured sunday morning, carl slipped into the house and hid. once bonnie returned home, lilian says, carl sent her a text telling her to go to -- while he smothered his grandmother. >> so, i rang the doorbell because the door was open but the storm door was closed. miss johnson came in entered the door. i was about to step in the door when i saw this. flash >> inside the house? >> coming from the down. >> so, coming up behind was johnson? >> yes.

yes. i saw that it was carl. he was yelling at me to close the door, get in here. go in there with his grandmother. >> once karen johnson was dead, lilian says, carl let to her bedroom, where, she says, carl asked her to pray. >> i see the pillow. while they're praying, he starts pushing her down on that. she thought him. she did. but the doorbell ring. and it scared carl. so, he jumped up and told me to go see who was. >> well inside whoever was left after about five minutes. it was then, lilian told the jury, that carl decided to drive his grandmother to normangee. >> in your mind, was it clear that probably try to kill her than? >> yes. >> she looked at him and said, you tried to kill me. across, had no. grandma. i was trying to do that. >> willis has the last time she

saw bonnie harkey alive was later that night when she says, she saw carl leading bonnie to her death. >> i went to the back too -- when i was coming out, i saw him and her walking into the trees. >> you knew it was coming. how did you let that happen? >> it's hard for me. you know, if he did it to her, he's gonna do it to me to. >> the prosecutor knew a jury would not vote to convict bruce harkey on the testimony of lillian king and karl pressley alone. so, he is bruce harkey's own words against him. >> he talked about how he couldn't get his land until she was dead and that she just doesn't have the decency to die. and he said all of these in the weeks leading up to the murder. >> richard davis was bruce harkey's attorney. he told the jury carl pressley wanted to kill bonnie harkey because he wanted the

inheritance. and needed no prompting from his uncle. davis reminded jurors of how many times carl had changed his story before telling police bruce was part of the pot. >> my theory is that it's all carl. that was essentially our testimony. and the testimony of carl in the trial makes it clear that this guy was an erratic personality. he gave numerous different descriptions of what the events were, how he did, it why he did it. and it was -- >> originally, that he didn't do it. >> right. i didn't do it. i did it. if i didn't do, it was because of this. >> finally, he numbers. >> exactly. >> sort of at the point where prosecutors and police are starting to talk about the death penalty. >> my question, in any case, where there is a statement from a witness who has a lot to lose, what's the most likely to be

the truth? >> jurors might question karl pressley's credibility, but the prosecutor had a bombshell in his arsenal. turns out, this was not bruce harkey's first rodeo. mcatee told the jurors that ten years earlier, bruce had done present time for his role in another murder plot, unsuccessful one that targeted one of his many ex-wives. >> i think there's a lot of things that are extremely similar in it. the main one is that he get somebody else to do what he wants done. and he does it through influence. >> i will simply say that that is a devastating bit of evidence. >> yeah, that makes me think, they probably have the right guy. >> just, hypothetically speaking, let's say the case is truly circumstantial, it looks kind of bad. and then, there's proof in front of the jury that says, by the way, he did it before. that makes all the other evidence seem much more

important. >> if your prosecutor -- >> that's great stuff. it seemed to the story whether it should be or shouldn't. >> it took the jury only one hour to reach a guilty verdict. bruce harkey received a light sentence, as to carl pressley. len king was sentenced to four years for her role in the murders. >> i'm not a violent person. i'm not. i loved miss harkey lakeshores my own grandmother. >> and yet? >> i know. i keep kicking myself. you know. hoping i can do something different. but it's not gonna change. it eats at me. i can't sleep most of the time. >> as for the estate, bruce

harkey hope to inherit, that seems to be gone with the texas wind. in the wake of bonnie's death, the orchards faded and there were no longer any harkey's living in the harkey home. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm natalie morales. thanks for watching. les. thanks for watching. >> you were looking for love and decided to try a dating site. >> i did. >> what was his description? >> he was a military, navy seal. >> he would show up have flowers, give me cards for no reason, he was a charm. >> my oldest daughter said to me either he is the perfect guy, or you will end up on dateline some ten. >> i googled derek alldred and i see all his old mug shots. >> when i saw the uniform i knew that there was something really wrong because he had a fake batch on. >> every minute he is with you, he is stealing all of your