the focus, and know that there is still a killer out there who, right now, is walking on the streets. >> custody of janet in raven sun, caden was granted to ravens mother. janet's mom is left with the memories of the daughter that she loved and lost. how often do you think about janet? >> constantly. the only way i can handle it is i know she's happy. i know she is. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. 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 courthouse. 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. i'm down with rybelsus®.

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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!

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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.

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! my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. the holidays were lonely for the yeti. but after saving big with early black friday at amazon... yeti became more... social. ♪

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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. ness, because knowing that your chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes could progress to dialysis is important. b is for belief that there may be more you can do. just remember that k is for kidneys and kerendia. for adults living with ckd in type 2 diabetes, kerendia is proven to reduce the risk of kidney failure, which can lead to dialysis. kerendia is a once-daily tablet that treats ckd differently than type 2 diabetes medications

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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 eeked 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.

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folks, it looks like we're gonna have to land this big old bird evs earlier than expectedere. because it's the xfinity black friday sale. get the fastest mobile service with xfinity mobile. yeah, we'll be cruising in to get the best price for 2 lines of unlimited for just $30 each per month. oh my! plus, for a limited time, get 500 dollars off an eligible 5g phone. even you in 22c. flight attendants, prepare for big savings. drop everything and get to the xfinity black friday sale. >> on the saturday morning click, call or visit a store today. before 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! c is down with rybelsus®. i'm down with rybelsus®. my a1c is down with rybelsus®.

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texas where bold. first, prosecutor mark kathy gunned down in a public square in broad daylight. two months later, district attorney mike mclelland and his wife, cynthia. killed before done in their home. investigators hope that this latest crime scene would provide more leads than the hasse killer dead. they already knew that they had shell casings. would there be other clues inside the house to help catch the killer? >> it was just a straight-up, whodunnit. we did not know. >> texas ranger, eric, was part of the team that entered the home. >> the front door was not kicked in. the door was unlocked. their shell casings are from forefoot in. shell casings are 2:23 caliber. >> that told them that the killer used an ar-15. or am for type semi automatic weapon like this one. >> it started exactly when the door opened. miss mclendon and mr. mclelland where we're treating, trying to

get away from them. >> cynthia's body was in the middle of the living room, and she clearly was not expecting anyone. >> she is not dressed for company. she's trying to get dressed. mr., say way. he isn't jogging pants, with no shirt on. >> there were shell casings next to mike's body, indicating that the killer had finished him off at close range. >> the suspect was standing up, right on top of him. over him, shooting him. >> to investigators, like lieutenant joly stewart of the sheriff's department. it looked like a carefully planned operation. an ambush. just like the hasse murder. >> did the same speak to you at all? >> i felt like whoever went in there, had hey mission. and they did it quickly, and they 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 am. and what's 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 same. she was targeted. you know. she didn't have a dog in this fight. >> investigators talk to neighbors. surely, someone had heard the shots. assault rifles are not quiet. >> the weapon used in this murder, you should have been able to hear it outside. no problem. >> no one heard or saw anything. when the end of easter weekend, special prosecutor bill said they had nothing. >> we're just trying to figure out what to do next. they were hoping against hope that there is going to be a magic clue in that crime scene. in the house. that would 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 >> now. >> when dateline continues! when dateline continues

>> what should have been a slow, eastern newsday and dallas. now had a lead story that didn't involve chocolate bunnies are egg hunts. >> we're following some breaking news and kaufman county. where county, district attorney mike leclerc lynn and his wife has been found shot to death. >> the news touched off a firestorm of public concern. tip started flooding into the sheriff's command post. some tape still cited the aerial brotherhood of texas. special prosecutor, bill. >> -- after the mclelland's were murdered, we got hundreds of tips the day. >> it was like drinking out of a fire hose during this whole thing. >> lieutenant julie 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? >> this became the number one case in the bureau at that time. >> fbi special agent michael and his partner, lori gibbs, who has since retired. we're coordinating teams from that task force. each team looking into different aspects of the case. >> we have to look at everything. >> so you decided to just divvy it up, everyone focus on their individual tasks. >> right. and some of these teams had 25 to 30 people on them. and there was a team that looked at all of the victims and what they may have had in common. they believe the killing of the da was linked with the shooting of prosecutor mark hasse he back in january. but it was all one big collective hunch. until a tip came through that would confirm the connection. >> the crime stoppers web based tip line. we get a tip that claims credit for the marchesi murders. >> it came in eastern sunday night. it began, do we have your full attention now?

>> we suggest more than one person. do you think, if maybe it's a group? >> my thought is how big is this group. what is this group? is this an anti government militia group? is this white supremacist? i had no idea what we're dealing with. >> law enforcement won't back. you have our intention. >> we want to get him to tell us what he wanted. >> while they waited anxiously for an answer, computer experts tried to treat 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, that center is a 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 has he was killed with 38 caliber and munition. fired but from a 3:57, 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 also result in no other texas's. 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. but the killings would resume. the fact that this killings would come in, and the judges in kaufman, told us he was someone local. >> that all but ruled out the aryan brotherhood, drug cartels, and the old cases from dallas. the killer's message and in 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 gutierrez is in kaufman, texas for us this morning. and 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 close to the public. this entire community is on high alert. >> that morning, when chad and came to her office, she had an armed escort. >> there is no leader at your office anymore? >> no one. 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 for the honor of mike and mark. >> everyone in the office was on edge. >> my husband, he stayed up all night with a gun in his hands. >> 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 slapped with protection nearby. >> we had a big old shark and sitting on our dresser. waiting to go. just in case. >> the killers threat to unleash more violence in kaufman county. kept the task force working around the clock. a special teams scoured this surveillance video get collected near the mclelland

crime scene. hoping for a new lead. >> so many people now have surveillance cameras on their house. so we're trying to go in and collect that sort of evidence. >> and finally, the video teams painstaking search seemed to pay off. they found images of a car that did not belong. a white, for crown victoria. cruising near the mclelland home, about 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 marchesi. this time to see what ones mike mclelland worked on. >> and there was only one common denominator from those two prosecutors. >> which ones? >> when dateline continues! hen dateline continues ♪ ♪

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here's what's happening. twitter ceo elon musk just reinstated the count of former president donald trump. the 22 month man, is a direct result to the january 6th attack on the capitol. he remained suspended from other platforms including facebook, instagram, and youtube. the tesla recalls over 20,000 vehicles because taillights field to illuminate. the country's recall on friday, after 30,000 model x calls. for an passenger airbag deployment issue. now back to dateline! ck to dateline >> six days after the murders of mike and cynthia mclelland, hundreds of mourners packed the church for the funeral. the flagged casket contained mike's body, and cynthia's

ashes together for eternity. their extended family united in grief, bid them an emotional farewell. >> they 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 made a large impact on a lot of people. >> -- multi agency task force vowed to catch whoever killed the mclelland, and mark hasse he. investigators have seen that for crown pictorial on video roaming the 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 we're gonna find where every police car was in the area. and none of them were even close to where this image was captured. >> next, they look 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 the homicide. >> but there was one defendant involved in a felony that they could not 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 worked with him. and said that he had a sharp legal mind. in fact, he was a member of mensa. the organization for people with super high iqs. >> he was a great judge. i like having him in there. i thought he was very fair. 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. lieutenant joly 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. >> tara williams loans that better than anyone. she's erik's sister. >> he was a good uncle to my kids, never miss their birthdays. and never had to remind him. >> she said 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 is driven, he was ambitious. he wanted to make us feel proud of him. >> so tara, and the legal community were stunned in 2011, when her brother, the newly

elected does this of the piece 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 is surveillance video of 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 want to read the miranda warning. you're an attorney, your judge, so you know this as well as i do. >> and i gotta read. i understand. >> williams tried to explain, he took the monitors because he claimed he needed new equipment for his office. but never got it. >> it's been an ongoing kind of thing, where i tell the ip people, i need to keep improving things. >> but you didn't put into any kind of written that request? nothing like that? >> no.

nothing like that. >> mark cassie and mike mclelland knew eric williams as a colleague in kaufman small legal community. as boss of the da'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 that 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 do good things from the community. not steal things from it. >> a jury found him 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 -- any kind of grudge? >> no. absolutely not. >> the media that went, and just days after the mclelland murders, he was interviewed by nbc affiliate kprc.

he's strangely swept in on his segway. >> is anyone suggested to you that you are a person of interest in the investigation? >> no. >> after the denial, his sympathies. >> my heartfelt condolences go out to both the mclelland family, and the hasse family. because, they were in public office. doing the right thing. and, for some reason, they were not aware of. it made the ultimate price for that. >> williams was known to be a bit of an are duct. 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. and a judge. but also as a deputy sheriff, would then suddenly turn into the serial killer? >> yeah, 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 carrying barr's wife, or his in law down the street. >> he also had his arm in the sling when we came to talk to him. and his excuse was that he had a frozen shoulder, and couldn't use his right arm. >> he even took a gunshot residue test at his house, and passed. and after the mclelland murders, investigators tracked whether he owned a fork around victoria. the car captured on video lurking near the crime scene. records show that he did not. the case was still stalled. but soon, the task force would get one of those lucky breaks that they had always hoped for. it came out of the blue. and gave the investigation some much lead it juice. coming up! a special prosecutor goes on high alert. >> i get on the phone with my wife, and tell her to make sure that she knew where the kids were. and to go inside. keep the doors locked. >> and a stranger calls with us running laterally shun. >> i could tell when i listen to this voice, this is, at this

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enforcement. i certainly wish them the best. and, 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 mclelland, investigators had to take a serious look at him. >> on the surface it made seem impossible 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 a year before, williams had been prosecuted for theft by hassle and mclelland. >> you must be chomping at the bit to talk to eric williams. >> obviously, we wanted to talk to him. the problem was he was still

represented by lawyers. >> lawyers who kept williams from talking. but then, two weeks after the mclelland's were killed in their home. the special prosecutor's got a big opening that they had not seen coming. >> we get an email back from the lawyers, basically saying, we no longer represent eric williams. >> they figured that this was their one window to talk to him. and they knew that they had together right the first time. before he lawyered up again. so fbi profiler's came up with a strategy. send over a top level texas rangers, so williams would be more likely to let him in. >> this idea that that would fit with his ego? >> yeah, he would view a major texas ranger is someone equal on his intellect that perhaps that he would talk to. if he sent someone of a lower rank he would dismiss them. >> the ranger, and a local cup 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 -- william said he had been forced to sell his weapons to raise money since he could no longer practice roy. >> i've been in your house. i know you have lots of guns. >> yeah. >> how do you think i've been living? >>. with guns? >> you have for two years. >> i don't have any more. i have one gone i'm trying to sell, it's hard to sell to sell. >> he said i don't have any, guns except for one guy. and so he let them look around, 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 mclelland killings. and at the same time, the fbi discovered that williams had done computer searches on hasse e and mclelland. 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 an more thorough search of his house. the investigators, including a crack fbi evidence team were back the next day. they went room to room, then to the garage. and? bingo. >> and the filing cabinet in the garage, there was a manual for afford 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 moments? finding that registration. >> that was huge. >> outside, special prosecutor was on hand to give legal advice. >> one of the fbi computer techs came out and said, mr., i don't mean to alarm you. but eric williams has been searching you and mr. -- union's computer. >> what was the first thing that you did when he heard that he had been searching? you >> i got on the phone with my wife, and make sure that she knew where the kids were. and keep the doors locked. and go inside. 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 that we had to put him in jail for something. it became very personal, in a matter of life and death for us. >> back inside, researchers found something interesting. a scrap of paper with two hand ridden numbers. >> so they selected it. because it was near the computer, and they thought that it might be important. >> and it was, a sheriff's deputy recognize the user i.d. for the county crime stoppers anonymous pipeline. the first number corresponded to a tip from earlier in the hasse eke case. the tipster seems to have overheard two men in the bars said they kill mark hasse. see that main the tip came from williams computer. a follow-up computer search also revealed that williams had searched several how to websites. >> one of the websites was, how to throw the police officer 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 threatens more killings. >> so we knew right then that that tape that have come in at the command post was spent by eric williams. and we know right then that we were able to put him 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 an hiding place? >> we began to suspect early on that if it's eric williams, and we know what cars we reuse. there may be a storage unit, or some secret storage place that he may have had access to. that we may have found. >> at least now, ten weeks after hasse's murder, the investigation was finally on a roll. >> we are home that night to get a good night sleep, and i actually wanted for the first time in weeks to see my son

play out little league game. >> but the next morning, his parenting plans were dashed by work again. his phone rang, it was a friend of aric williams. who had heard about his arrest. >> he said, mr., i have something to tell you about eric williams. i think i may have rented him a storage unit. we were looking for storage unit, and i could tell when i listen to his voice. this is a. this is the real game. >> so little league without? >> unfortunately, was little league without. my son went three for three. >> but you are headed to a storage unit? >> this was too important. so i got on phone with the texas rangers, and i said this is it. a mayor found it. >> coming up! found what exactly? even seasoned investigators would be blown away. >> this is one of those moments that i will never forget. because it was just wow! >> when dateline continues! when dateline continues

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investigation was now our run-of-the-mill soared unit. number 18 to be precise. in -- texas. just 14 miles from the mclelland house. eric kasper of the texas rangers was part of the task force caravan racing to unit 18. >> everybody is running and gunning down. everybody wants to be there. >> so we're all just filled with expectations. we're making bets. the white crown is gonna be there? no it's not. we're gonna find the murder up. in >> major casper did the honors lifting the heavy steel door. >> this is one of those moments that i will never forget. because it was just wow. >> what did you see? >> we saw the right crown vic. the car that we have were looking for. all those days, all those man hours. there it was. 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've been the mclelland murder weapon. we had five or six weapons of the right caliber that could've been the housing 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 set off to the lab for texting. and inside this trevor trove of bad intentions, they were also pickle jars filled with liquid. later identified as homemade napalm. >> unbelievable, it was like a tactical operator's closet. >> but they would soon be dealt a serious blow. thou lab results came back on all of those weapons, nothing matched. the murder weapons were still missing. >> that is gotta be extremely frustrating when you feel like, well one of these guns i'm, sure has gotta be the murder

weapon. >> we were positive that one of those guns were gonna be the murder weapon. >> even without the guns, the prosecutors believe that there was enough evidence to finally go forward. >> on april 18th, 2013, 11 weeks after mark hasse he was gunned down. and three weeks since the mclelland's were killed, eric williams was charged with three counts of capital murder. prosecutor said the murder was revenge. >> one of the things that i found out about eric williams, the first big thing that went wrong in his life. this was how he was gonna react, with rage and homicide and violence. >> it all seemed so senseless to the macallan and sauter, christina. >> this all started over three computer monitors. and now we're talking about three murders? >> yeah. normal people don't do that. >> god bless these united states, in the great state of texas. >> eric williams went on trial for murder, in december 2014. >> the state of texas versus eric williams. >> williams was on trial for the murder of mark hasse, he or

mike mclelland. in a surprise tactic, this trial was only for the murder of cynthia mclelland. >> why not just tried the murders at the same time? >> what if something went wrong on the first trial. we wouldn't have the idea to try him twice. and make sure that he got justice. >> christina sat in court. and had to relive the deaths of her parents. >> what gave you the strength to go to court every day? >> he 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 city mclelland. >> prosecutor, bill, thought if he could prove that eric williams had killed cynthia. that would obviously show that he killed mike. >> this is the story of the massive law enforcement state and federal agencies working together for the airtight case. >> one of the people called

with c.j. tomlinson, friend of the mclelland. he told the jury that he and his friends had found the mclelland's. >> took a few more steps inside the residence and i learned from mike. mike mike. >> the bullet -- >> for three days. prosecutors brought a blizzard of witnesses. they told the jury that williams had been lying to that tip that came in after the mclelland murders. >> he sent an email to law enforcement >> claiming credit for the murders. thinking that law enforcement would never figure it out. but he was wrong. >> when investigators didn't have the murder weapon, but they had something we else. a bullet that they found inside a bag taken from william storage unit. >> you know this is what your storage -- >> a ballistics examiner can teared that single, and fired bullet to the casings found of the murder scene. and came up with a match. >> that live rounds was ejected

from the same weapon that killed the mclelland. so that was the big moment for us. >> and prosecutors thought that this security video outside of the security unit nail the case down. they said it trace the movements of eric williams in the crown bake on the mornings of the murders. >> approximately 6 am realtime. >> and that's when the williams, and the black suv, pulled up to the storage unit according to the prosecution. at 6:12 am, the white crown victoria pulled out. by 6:42, investigators knew the mclelland's were dead. or dying on the far. based on the motion detectors on the home security system. at 7:00, here is that white crown vic coming back to 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 prosecutor said that they had a lot of circumstantial evidence including the crown vic. and that matching bullets. >> ladies and gentlemen of the jury. . >> what the defense was allowed to tell the jury about what the prosecutor didn't have. >> eric did not commit the murder. >> defense lawyer, matthew seymour, lead into one of the state star witnesses. that ballistics expert. he reminded the jury that investigators never found the murder weapon. >> did you actually have access to the firearm? >> correct. >> he tried to poke holes in the prosecutors matching bullet theory. >> so with different experience, you would say they were not identical. >> is that true? >> yes potentially that's true. >> if i can break the train from the live rounds recovered from the storage unit. and mclelland's tooting the scene. i might stand a chance. >> the defense didn't seem the need to call any witnesses. >> our position was that the state had not fulfilled their

obligation to prove the elements, it was just that simple. >> there is no known murder weapon in this case. there is no one, who can place eric williams in that scene at the mclelland 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, guilty of capital murder as charged. >> guilty, of capital murder and the soon the mclelland. >> we heard guilty. it was a gift. for everyone else because i don't believe that this would've stopped at the end of these killings. >> there is a sad postscript to this case that raises a painful question. could williams have been stopped after the hasse murder and before the mclelland's? did they have to die? >> we're gonna find you. >> in a haunting irony, mccall

and always thought williams was likely the killer. >> we certainly suspected he was airlines after my cassie was shot. we made no secret what his name was. i had numerous conversations where jordy said, look, 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. even with his conviction for that, he had a good reputation. >> we had several discussions about hank. we but it doesn't matter if you can't prove it. >> 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 the exterior. he looked so normal, so average. he had the trappings of success, lawyer and judge. behind that mask was a homicidal psychopath. >> just angry at the world? >> yeah. i think he had a very dark,

cold hard. this case was far from over. >> prosecutors had what they were saving their best witness for last. investigators always suspected eric will instead 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 the stuff that. think this was a hollywood movie. >> a moment by moment account of plot more chilling than anyone realized. >> as you're driving away from the scene of the murder, [inaudible] >> happy. >> what is your mood like? >> happy. >> i think it lets you know what kind of darkness was going on inside their hearts. >> when dateline continues. hen dateline continues

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defendant, allow williams, guilty. >> they won a guilty verdict against williams. prosecutors didn't have time to celebrate. the jury would now decide further he should get the death penalty. in a rude legal move, prosecutors had some say blockbuster evidence. 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. his wife. kim. they had been married for 15 years. now, she was about to testify against her husband. >> there is a cold day. there is excitement in the air. >> one misses to the hasse murder, if you remember, say the shooter jumped into the passenger side of the getaway car. so, please always suspected william's, soon after he was

arrested, as white was brought in for questioning. >> investigators spent hours talking to her. >> prosecutor 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. 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. what she told him 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 plan to use her testimony to make sure what the jury would give him a death sentence. >> she let us to a lot of evidence. i think it was important for the jury to see and have all their questions answered. >> he came up with a plan to address like law enforcement. >> they were husband and wife murder team. they went through address

rehearsal the night before the mclelland murders. >> he was [inaudible] >> described for the jury what he was modeling for the night before? >> us suit from the army, or swat. yet a bulletproof vest that had sheriff on the side. more than likely, mrs. mccollum was going to answer the door. he was going to introduce himself as a policeman. >> and the next morning, she said, she acted as a lookout in the crowd back as her husband went inside to murder the mclelland's. >> someone came, was there a plan? >> yes, he told me to honk the horn. >> if these were revenge killings of mark mccollum and mark hasse, why did cynthia mclelland have to die? >> she would be there is a witness and he described it as collateral damage. >> prosecutors wanted the jury to know how callous eric kim williams were after killing two

people and cold blood. >> we had stakes on the grill and erik cooked those. >> at your parents house? >> at my parents house. >> were you all celebrating what stakes? >> that's correct. >> the prosecutors didn't tell jurors about the hasse case during both cynthia mccaul in trial. now, they planned to use marc's murder to cement their argument for the death penalty. >> we had an airtight circumstantial case on the hasse murder. >> can sit on that morning outside the courthouse that she drove the getaway car. >> as you're driving away from the scene of the hasse murder, what is this mood like? >> happy. >> what is your mood? like >> happy. >> i so believe generic and everything that he told me. his anchor was my anger. >> who is a madam? >> he was mad at more cassie. he was mad at mr. mclelland. who is 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 appears beyond any doubt that air killings was a psychopath and this was a horribly toxic scrimmage. i think it lets you know what kind of darkness was going on inside that house, inside their hearts. >> yes. >> kim williams also said she helps her husband dispose of key evidence in the case. she recalled driving to this bridge one night and watching air toss a black bag into the lake. >> do you know what was in the back? >> i knew it was guns. >> it had taken seven months of searching the late before divers found the big. fbi agent, lori gibbs, was there. >> open this up. there's two guns. this is it. >> inside the bag were two revolvers. forensics which show one of those guns killed mark cassie. and one more thing. that back those guns were in? it wasn't a bag at all. it was really a terrifying halloween mask. >> grim reaper heavenly tech

mask. >> exactly. >> kim williams said that her husband wore to conceal himself and shot mark. >> you can imagine the terror going through marchesi when he recognize the voice. >> she also told forgeries that her husband had more mayhem in mine. he wanted to kill a judge and a special way, with a special weapon. >> across the? >> that's correct. >> king william said she also brought up a concoction just for the judge. you may remember there was homemade napalm and pickle jars inside the storage unit. >> what was the napalm for? >> i guess to drive in and extra, kind of -- for a hole in his stomach imported. >> it's one thing to say, well, airlines did this. fine. well, his wife was one for the right? >> you can't make the stuff up. you think this is a hollywood movie. these people are living every day together and talking about murdering people.

>> a name is christina foreign. >> now, christina and her victim impact statement would finally get her chance to fend her feelings. she turned to her parents killer. >> pretty much anything i have to say is -- you eric lawrence. >> that was the only thing i could think of to say to him. >> they feel good? >> it did. they felt good. a nice sock in the face would have probably felt a lot better. >> the defense countered by calling dozens of character witnesses. >> your smart man. >> from william scoutmaster to his high school friends. but the jurors weren't swayed. >> we [inaudible] care the sentence of death. >> he was sentenced to die by had lethal injection. he is appealing his conviction. given the death penalty decision, prosecutors decided not to try him for the murders of my cassie or mike mclelland. williams pleaded not guilty to both. mark hasse's longtime friend and federal trial attorney,

bush, believes williams will still be dangerous even on death row. >> eric williams is a master manipulator. he is a very intelligent human being. he's a very deadly, profession killer. i think he's going to be a threat to the present, guards a threat to anybody else in prison. >> you're making him seem like hannibal lecter. >> 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 mark cassie. the two other charges are still pending. she was sentenced to 40 years in prison, avoiding the death penalty. >> i'll never forget cynthia remark. >> will you ever be over? this >> are not over this. i know we 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 mclelland had always try to play matchmaker. >> cynthia pretty much told me that that was going to happen. she was right. she got me. who >> i only imagine how happy your mom would be. she's looking. doubt that he too are together. >> i can't even imagine. she would be just doing something, a weird dance. i told you so. i'm sure she's thrilled. we got married on her birthday, that would make her static. >> i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline. " >> how far w