get justice finally? >> it feels. good feels good, but not completely. not complete. lost a guy, the nicest guy i've ever met. >> and for tom dove, he is now retired from the sheriff's department, and is going away party, his fellow detectives give him this. it honors his commitment to the jesse case. >> it means more to me than any other plaque or award i've ever received in my life. >> in retirement, tom planned to set up a shelter for stray dogs. the urge to rescue runs deep. >> that is all for this edition of dateline, i'm craig melvin, thank you for watching. talk about shutters going down in your spine. a crime like this doesn't happen. this was just a lightning bolt.

>> she was found lying face down with a large amount of blood. >> what does the scene tell you? what do your victims tell you? >> you've got a killer loose here who specifically targeting people. >> yeah. >> she was somebody that he really thought was smart on him, he had animosity towards her. >> there was a doctor's house. somebody's after the doctors. four people are dead because of somebody's vengeance. >> revenge, that's their motives. >> revenge. >> it sent shockwaves right away. >> no fingerprints, no bloody footprints >> next thing you know, you are trying to constantly find out what's going on. >> park your car somewhere else, walk to the location. >> the list a killer would make? >> yes, it is. >> he said, they had it coming. >> where is he going? what's he gonna do? >> you're getting real life. >> god, what the hell do we have here?

>> winter on the great plains can be long, bleak, brutal. so, in march, when winter briefly releases its grip for a day or two, even the trees seemed to raise their limbs in celebration. march 13th 2008, was one of those days of cautious jubilation, in omaha nebraska. 61 degrees, and a light velvety breeze. 11-year-old tom hunter wore shorts and a t-shirt to school that tuesday. it was a little after three when tom, seen here on a security camera, got off the

bus in the leafy dundee neighborhood, and headed home to play video games as he did, nearly every day. it would be hours before tom's father returned home, but the house was not empty. 57 year old surely sherman, who scrubbed unpolished the hunter home on thursdays, was still there. >> by sunset, both tom hunter and surely sherman would be dead, murdered by a killer who just got started. who did it, and why? that was questions that would take policeman all over and take five years to answer. >> this one stood out, obviously, because of the brutality. >> detective derek moyes mois was working three to 11 that

day, the 911 call -- >> dr. hunter and come home, found shirlee sherman and her son deceased uncalled. >> there wasn't a lot of emotion shown. he is a doctor. he is a pathologists. >> he has seen a lot of death? >> he has seen a lot of death. it was, to use a word, clinical. >> the detective and his partner were dispatched to the hunters stately home in dundee. >> nice part of town? >> it is. it is an older neighborhood. upper class home, very quiet. not a place where we have a lot of violent crime occur in our city. >> detective mois still remembers the copper assent of blood that hit him when you went across the hundred home. >> a heavy metallic kind of humidity was in the air, almost. your most feel it, its presence. there is a lot of it. there was a lot of it at the hunter household. >> from the left of the throat front door, in the living room off the hallway, lay the body of the boy, tom hunter. >> he was lying on his face. his hands were down at his side, a fair amount of blood around

his head. >> down the hall, the body of the housekeeper, shirlee sherman. he was found face down, a large amount of blood underneath. or stainless steel blood of a kitchen knife protruding from her neck. >> for the victims were killed in the same way. oddly enough, there were no signs of struggle. no fingerprints, no bloody footprints. >> was this person careful, or very lucky? >> could be both. you know, it's not like tv. not every crime scene will yield fingerprints or dna, or trace hairs and those types of things. >> anything stolen? >> didn't appear to be. >> in fact, the only thing out of place where the knife's. >> the knifes came from inside the house? >> they did. >> unusual for a killer to show up planning to do murder, and also planning to find the murder weapon at the crime scene? >> not necessarily. >> by all accounts, dr. hunter

was still in a shape state of shock when police took him downtown for questioning. >> when i came in, shirlee was right there in the hallway between the backdoor. so, the first thing i -- you know, i just said, where is tom? i think i yelled out tom. >> do you have any idea who -- or why, somebody would do something like this? >> honestly, i've just been racking my brain, i mean, we have a peaceful existence, almost ridiculously simple. >> dr. william hunter, known as a bill to friends and colleagues, ran the pathology residency program at nearby creek university. his wife clare, also a doctor at creighton, was in hawaii that day, attending a conference. her husband had to break the awful news, to her, from the police station. >> how was your wife? >> crushed. >> is she going to be okay?

>> she has a workman with her. >> correct. >> the hunters had four boys, two grown, one in college, and tom. jeff, a student of the university of nebraska in lincoln, at the time, lived closest. he said it was about 8:00 that night when he happened to check his phone. >> ahead all these missed calls from friends, family. i knew something was up, and i could not get a hold of my dad or my mom. one of my friends called me,

and he told me to call my brother. >> what did he say happened? >> somebody killed tom, and i need to go find my dad and talk to my dad, get to omaha. >> how far is it? >> about 45 minutes. >> those miles between lincoln and omaha seemed longer than usual that night. it's hard for jeff to remember exactly what happened when he got home. who told him what or when? >> that whole thing is a blur. i didn't sleep at all at night. you are constantly trying to figure out what's going on. >> you lived in that same house where this all happened, right? >> yes, my whole life. >> now, jeff's mind was filled with thoughts of what had happened there, and of his brother tom, who was eight years younger. >> he was kind of a smart aleck, growing up with three older brothers, he was a smart kid. he knew a lot and he just -- i mean, he always had something to say, for everything. >> what we see up to in his life? >> he went to a science magnet middle school, elementary, combined with a middle school. he really likes science. he was always outside playing. that was his big thing. >> he was a big gamer, wasn't he? >> he was. but more times than not, he would be outside with neighbor

hood kids. >> it wasn't the neighbor hood kids that fascinated the cops. tom had a lot of friends he never actually met in real life. they were people he knew from the anonymous world of online gaming. it was those relationships that detectives wanted to know more about. coming up, the investigation begins. >> does he play around on chat rooms, or anything like that that you might be nervous about? >> curious conversations online. >> he interacted with people, all over the u.s. >> tom was 11 years old, did he disclose that in his gaming activities? >> no, in fact, in some instances we would come to find out that he portrayed himself as somebody who is older. >> and you didn't know who any of these people were? >> no. >> a mysterious stranger, and another murder. >> we had knives that were used from her residence in her murder. where would this winding trail of clues lead? >> do you have any patients that are upset with you? >> crime like this doesn't happen in dundee. it sent shockwaves right away. >> when dateline continues. just between us, you know what's better than mopping?

anything! at the end of a long day, it's the last thing i want to do. well, i switched to swiffer wetjet, and it's awesome. it's an all-in-one, so it's ready to go when i am. the cleaning solution actually breaks down dirt and grime. and the pad absorbs it deep inside, so it prevents streaks and haze better than my old mop. plus, it's safe to use on all my floors, even wood. swiffer wetjet? so worth it. best. decision. ever. get $10 off for a limited time. nexgard is the #1 vet-recommended flea and tick protection. it protects for a full 30 days, prevents the infection that causes lyme disease... ...and is safe to start protecting puppies as early as 8 weeks. but your vet doesn't just prescribe it to her patients... ...she trusts nexgard to protect her own dog. and she knows its delicious beef flavor makes it #1 with dogs. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. ask your vet about nexgard, and why it's #1 with pretty much...everyone.

everything's changing so quickly. ask your vet about nexgard, and why it's #1 before the xfinity 10g network, we didn't have internet that let us play all at once. every device? in every room? why are you up here? when i was your age, we couldn't stream a movie when the power went out. you're only a year older than me. you have no idea how good you've got it. huh? what a time to be alive. introducing the next generation 10g network. the hunter house was eerily only from xfinity. the future starts now.

still, when detectives arrived. the only sounded, music, from a video game in the basement. it seemed to add a haunting soundtrack, to the violent and disturbing scene. >> it had appeared that thomas was in the process of playing an online game on his ex box, you could see he had his pop and his chips in front of a chair, right in front of the tv, probably like a lot of kids after school every day. the game itself had timed out, but the music was playing kind of ominously in the background. >> during bill hunter's interview with police investigators, they got straight to the point. >> does he play around on chat rooms or anything like that that you might be nervous about? >> i mean, i don't know.

he's on the only chat rooms i know he, s on is whyville. whyville is a chat room that attracts pre-teens. that was an. all terms xbox was a concern. detectives wondered if tom had inadvertently come in contact with an internet predator. >> we knew he had a number of contacts with friends online, through not only his xbox, but his personal computer. >> most people are essentially anonymous? >> to some extent, yeah, they are. >> they might be kids or just saying their kids. >> correct. that's what we would come to -- to understand, he would interact with people in the u. s. , and outside the u. s. , throughout these interactive sites. >> did you or anyone in your family ever worry if tommy was meeting people online, or talking to people online through the gaming community good but you didn't know about? >> that didn't really happen to

come to our mind until after the fact. >> he did know who those people were, he did neither? >> no. >> detectives determined that tom hunter interacted with nearly 50 people online, on a regular baseness. >> thomas hunter was 11 year old. did he disclose that in his gaming activities? >> no. in some instances, we would come to find out that he portrayed himself as somebody who was older. >> which in turn, could end up playing into this. >> yeah, absolutely. >> it would take months to track down tom's online contact. more pressing was what detectives we're hearing from the neighbors. several said, they had seen a stranger walking near the hunter home late that afternoon. >> tell me about the person neighbors described. >> an olive complex did male, who was heavy set, dressed in a collared shirt, some described a jacket possibly, like an ill fitting suit with a shoulder bag. and that they told us led to someone from a honda crv. the same individuals would describe

the vehicle was missing a front plate, and the back had dark lettering of the license plate and described multiple colored sunsets, a pastel sunset. >> it's not a nebraska? state plate? >> out of state, that's what our feeling was. >> based on neighbors descriptions, police produced this sketch, and forties after the murders, they asked the public for help. >> we received hundreds of phone calls about people knowing somebody that resembled that sketch. each one of those leads had to be given some degree of consideration. >> reporter todd cooper covered the story for the omaha world herald. >> dundee is a nice neighborhood in omaha that's an affluent area. doctors and others, not mansions, but stately homes. crime like this doesn't happen in dundee, and so, it sent shockwaves right away. >> more depth about the computer use -- >> while the murders and dundee dominated the news, investigators were taking a second look at a less

publicized crime. months earlier, there had been another murder not far from dundee in this one, an elderly female had been bludgeoned and stabbed in the neck. >> we had knives that were used from her residence, in her murder. so, we had similarities in that weapons were taken from her home, and used against her and left at the scene. >> you had somebody you liked for that? >> the detectives that investigated that case identified that subject very early. somebody who was a family member of hers, who she had a falling out with. >> and it didn't seem to have any connection with the hunters? >> none, whatsoever. >> that comes a time in every homicide investigation, where detectives have to focus on the victims family and friends. as far as detectives knew, the hunters were well respected family. >> anything about the hunters you didn't know, gambling addiction, family problems?

>> no, there wasn't some gigantic ghost in the closet that made us think while there is our motive there, no, nothing like that. >> since bill and clair hunter were both doctors at creighton, he a pathologists, she a cardiologist, they wondered if somebody at the hospital had motive to harm them. >> did you have any patients were upset with? you >> not me. >> okay. >> now as far as you know, honestly? >> how about your wife?. >> i don't know -- i -- i mean i kid you not. >> everyone handles grief differently. after their youngest son was murdered in their home, the hunters seemed to want nothing more than to be left alone. >> what kind of a private family will -- not too keen on talking with media. >> on the other hand, the family of shirlee sherman the other dundee victim, desperately wanted to keep the case in the public eye. >> we wanted publicity. >> you really wanted this to be

solved? >> yeah. >> hell yeah. >> they had their own ideas about who the killer might be. the more they talked, the more detectives wondered if perhaps, shirlee sherman had actually been the intended target. coming up, and one point in time, she was thinking about getting a restraining order. >> a secret in the sherman family. >> we had an explosive relationship. she hated what he had been doing to me. and then your person in just. >> he immediately had a buzz for him. could it have been him? >> when dateline continues. ♪♪ ready to feel what it's like? when you can du more with less asthma. it's possible with dupixent.

dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. and can help improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... and can even reduce or eliminate oral steroids. are you in? 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. who knows what you can do when you du more with less asthma. ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. ♪♪ i wish that shaq was my real life big brother. what's up, little bro? turns out, some wishes do come true. and it turns out the general is a quality insurance company

that's been saving people money for nearly 60 years. for a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage- go with the general. (tony hawk) skating for over 45 years has taken a toll on my body. and nearly 60 years of quality coverage- i take qunol turmeric because it helps with healthy joints and inflammation support. why qunol? it has superior absorption compared to regular turmeric. qunol. the brand i trust. as a building contractor, brad

waite spent a lot of time in his truck. he's haunted by the possibility that at any moment, his sister shirlee sherman was murdered in 2008. he was driving by, close enough to perhaps have heard her scream. >> i basically almost drove by hunter's house at what would've been 4:00 in the afternoon. i had no idea shirlee was working there that afternoon. >> later the, night brad said he heard about the two murders in dundee and the 10:00 news. even then he said, he didn't know his sister was a victim.

that news came later, in a phone call from his brother dan. >> danny called me an 11:30 that night, and told me what happened. >> dan waite said that from that night, on the word housekeeper, as they used a -- shorthand for shirlee as if her job to find her. >> always calling her the housekeeper. she was only there for a couple hours every couple of weeks, you know. >> to her brother's dan and brad, shirlee was big sis. the family glue after the parents divorced when they were young. >> she was the one that organized everything. she would call you before somebody's birthday and say, you know, it's somebody's birthday on thursday, you know. or, she would get everybody to go in on gifts and she would help with the shopping and that aspect of it, you just don't realize it until it's gone. >> for shirlee's children, kelly and jeff, she was the single mom who worked two jobs and stretch to make every dollar meat. >> we were one of the poorest families in the neighboorhood. my mom worked bartending in the evening, cleaning at night.

>> gardening was her specialty. why did she make? >> eggplant, five varieties. >> feeding me was probably expensive. she would make her own spaghetti sauce. she canned her own cucumber, is made pickles out of them. >> after a lifetime of hard work on her hands and knees, jeff and kelly say their mom had cut back. the hunters were among the few plans she had left. >> she wanted to clean a few houses that allowed her to pick up the grand kids from school in the afternoon's, and spend time with them. >> spending time with the grandkids, it turns out, was relatively easily to do. >> she lived right next door to me. >> you saw her every day? >> every day. >> to talk me into buying this house so she could see her

grandchildren. >> the situation was convenient, but kelly says, it was hard to have any privacy. her mother knew everything. who came, wet, and who stayed the night. and now the plot thickens. >> i was dating a married guy. >> let me guess -- your mom didn't approve? >> no, not at all. we had an explosive relationship. >> meaning? >> meaning things got broke. >> kelly says that relationship became so tempted to us, so difficult, that surely got involved, and actively tried to keep the boyfriend away. >> and one point in time, she was thinking about getting a restraining order, mainly for my daughters sake. she would tell me, he can't come over. i would sneak him in. one time she would come walking around my house with a hammer in her hand and saying, i want

his blood on this hammer? she hated him that bad because what he had been doing to me. >> in spite of that, kelly stuck with the men, got pregnant, and had a baby with him. >> things got uglier from there. she actually started the process of getting my house out of my name. >> so that she could keep him out of the house? >> right. >> after shirlee died, it was an embarrassing private family feud, it came for public speculation. starting on day one, kelly's boyfriend is a person of interest. >> immediately, the name of the boyfriend of shirlee sherman's daughter came up. there was a buzz, could it be him? couldn't have been him? >> coming up. >> we just kept waiting, and waiting. that question was for most of everybody's mind, who could've done this? >> another potential subject.

>> his name came up again and again. >> a doctor under the microscope. >> he had some trouble during his time at creighton university, he was a little bit more boisterous about this received treatment by creighton university, some of the staff there. >> when dateline continues. tinues my mental health was much better, but i struggled with uncontrollable movements called td, tardive dyskinesia. td can be caused by some mental health meds. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements. ingrezza is different. it's the simple, once-daily treatment proven to reduce td that's #1 prescribed. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how

ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com ♪ ingrezza ♪ the innovative new hisense kitchen suite at ingrezza.com is only at lowe's. save up to $750 on select major appliances + free delivery on items over $396. and enjoy a two year warranty.

shop appliances now backed by the lowe's price promise. new vibrant from air wick. our first fragrances infused with 2x more natural essential oil. it's our most amazing, true-to-nature fragrance experience ever. new vibrant. from air wick. i wish that shaq was my real life big brother. what's up, little bro? turns out, some wishes do come true. and it turns out the general is a quality insurance company that's been saving people money for nearly 60 years. for a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage- go with the general. here is what is happening now.

u.s. and our department says covid 19 pandemic likely began as a result of an accidental lead in china. however, that assessment is rated, quote, low confidence. this syndicated card to gilbert has been dropped by newspapers across the country after its creator made racist comments on his youtube show, scott adams said that black people constitute, quote, a hate group against white. and now, back to dateline. >> by late spring 2018, two months after the murders in dundee, detective said powered

through and eliminated nearly all of their early leads in that case. the boyfriend of shirlee's daughter, the man that looked like such a good suspect on paper, seemed to have a solid alibi. according to timesheets, he was working at the time of the murders. >> he was fairly cooperative, and i think we were comfortable putting him aside. we didn't have anything that would lead us to believe that he would know where she was that day, and that he was in that area on the date those crimes occurred. >> the composite sketch generated leads, and exactly zero suspects. >> it wasn't anything that you could correlate to the actual perpetrator, or the crime scene that day. >> as for tom hunters online gaming contacts, detectives deciphered the ip address and anonymous screen names, and tracked down those people. >> and as far as you knew, he had never met any of those people in real life? >> correct. >> it turns out, none of those online contacts was anywhere near omaha, on the day of the murders. >> detectives were making

progress, but reporter todd cooper says, the nervous citizens of omaha had no idea of knowing that. >> all good police departments are pretty good at keeping that information close to the best. we just kept waiting, and waiting, but the question was for most and everybody's mind. who could've done this? >> detectives return to the theory that either dr. bill hunter, or clare hunter could've been the victim -- between the two of them,. bill hunters position and creighton could have made him guilty. >> he was going through a training program at crane university, if there was disciplinary action to be taken, he was the want to have a direct impact on the students life. >> potentially a lot of suspects there? >> potentially, yes. >> so, of the detective went to

the pathology department at creighton, and started asking questions. >> are there any individuals interacting with these folks at the time this occurred, that you believe could be responsible for whatever reason if there is a potential motive, what you think it might be? >> the detective says, one name kept coming up. doctor michael bolanky. >> how much did his name come? of >> it came up again and again. >> he left the pathology department and threatened to sue creighton a day before the murders at dr. hunters home >> had some trouble at creighton university but they weren't unlike other peoples troubles. he was more boisterous about his treatment by creighton university in some of the staff. >> doctor bolanky said he was working in pittsburgh on the dundee murders. >> pittsburgh's like 900 miles from omaha. you are not driving that in a day. >> correct. >> presumably you're not doing it without air travel.

>> right. >> air travel something you can check. >> we knew he was on the schedule. i believe we knew he had logged into his email account at the facility that day. >> but nobody actually saw him at work? >> right. >> but there is nothing to show that he was anywhere near there. >> which is not a iron clad alibi but it's not bad. >> sometimes that's the reality of our work. >> that seems to be the end of the line. doctor bolanky had been the investigators last lead. unwilling to see the case go cold shirlee sherman's family offered a reward. >> a number of contributions, we saw people contributing as well. >> it made it how bad? >> at least 15. >> and counting everybody's contributions? >> yes.

we actually wanted 100, 000, but they wouldn't allow that because they thought it would be a bounty, which it was, in my opinion. >> when the reward failed to produce a break in the case, they hired private investigator. >> part of the motivation in doing that was, we are going to send a signal not let it become a cold case. >> you saw it becoming a cold case? >> we felt it was going that way. >> in the end, the private i found nothing that detectives hadn't already studied and discounted. a year after the murders and then the, the case went cold, and most of the detectives went on to other things. but for the families of shirlee sherman and tom hunter, there could be no moving on. >> had you seen your dad change? >> it wasn't like he was depressed all the time, he was himself, just there was obviously something kind of like you could always see behind someone's eyes that there is something there, traveling them. i think we all had that. >> five dreadful anniversaries came and went. the dead were still inexplicably dead, and the case

was still unsolved. but through it all, the detective said he stayed in touch with the hunter and sherman families. >> you kinda hear the frustrations when they call, and they want update. they want to kind of be kept in the loop, but as investigators, you can't give them what they are looking for, they're looking for answers you can't give them. >> tough for you guystoo, because i'm sure you want to keep you working on this. >> meanwhile, your boss says here is a case, another one, another one. >> that's why it went to the cold case unit. >> that's how it stayed, until may of 2013. the breakthrough moment came in brutal form. yet another double homicide, in omaha. >> for detectives who had been at the hunter home five years

earlier, this one felt uncomfortably familiar. >> it was like, oh my gosh, this could very easily be related to the dundee homicides. >> coming up -- it was a jolt of electricity, and a big hit of deja vu. >> do you can see the female victim lying in the living room? it was very clear there had been a struggle there from all the blood. >> this is just a lightning bolt. >> this is the fight? >> it was a violent struggle, a violent account. >> and the elusive dundee killer stroke again? >> this is the same perpetrator, yes. >> a pretty big moment. >> very. >> there was absolutely no doubt, at that point, who was being targeted. it was chilling. >> when dateline continues. ontinues

the piano movers were suspicious. their work order said they were supposed to make a pick up at this house and west of omaha, on tuesday morning, may 14th 2013. but no one was home. >> when they went to the front door, they observed that the front security door was open,

slightly. and one of the movers noted stainless steel hand where magazine and they thought that was of some concern because they weren't getting any answer from the residents to contact 9-1-1. >> when detective mois and his partner stepped inside, they found the body of an older man on the floor. the victim had multiple gunshot wounds, and a deep stab wound to the left side of his neck. >> off to the left, you can see the female victim lying in the living room, a large area of blood. it was very clear there had been a struggle there from all the blood that was apparent and where it was located on the walls, and so forth. >> her arms and hands were covered with defensive wounds, and there was a deep gash on the right side of her neck. beside her layed twokitchen knives. >> for derrick mois and his partner, it was a jolt of electricity, and a big hit of

deja vu. >> we were like, this is something here. we have -- you know, it would seem, a connection. >> this is the same guy? >> this is the same perpetrator. >> yes. >> a pretty big moment. >> it was, very. >> just as before, nothing was stolen. and the killer left no fingerprints or bloody footprints behind. but these victims had obviously put up a fight. the additional gunpoint found near the front door, and the nine millimeter gun clip with nine bullets remaining seem to be part of that. >> when you make of the gun marks in the doorway? >> it shows that there had been a struggle for the gun. why would the magazine be ejected from the gun? that shouldn't happen in the course of normal firing of a handgun. it made sense if you are struggling over that gun. >> this is not a faulty gun? -- it's a violent fight over the gun. -- the victims looked like they had been dead for a day or two. defective still didn't know who

they were, but as they stepped outside, headquaters called. one of the sergeants called. >> he was saying who the homeowners to the location were. she had mentioned doctor brumback at creighton university from the pathology department. now we have a second victim from the same office, and the same specific pathology training program that we had in the 2008 case. >> doctor brumback would've been a colleague of doctor hunter. >> yes. no question they would've known each other. >> no question. >> it had been more than five years since the killings in dundee, but the creighton connection was lost on no one. least of all the families of the 2008 victims. shirlee sherman and tom hunter. >> he was headed to the pathology department doctor brumback. >> i recognize that name right away. the fact that it was another pathologists from creighton, killed with a knife, i automatically assumed it was related. >> roger brumback wasn't any pathologists.

he was head of the department. he and mary brumback were both 65. in researching their final hours, reporter todd cooper learned the couple had last been heard from, at about 2 pm on mother's day. >> one of the first things we found out about was based on a conversation between both of them, they were roaring with laughter, so much that the daughter took a screenshot of the conversation. that kind of stuff that humanizes this and makes you realize this was just a lightning bolt in the middle of an otherwise normal mother's day. >> carol brumback, roger's sister, also spoke with her brother that afternoon. then two days later, a family member broke the awful news. >> wow. he said roger and mary were murdered. i said, i said -- i said what are you talking about? >> he said they were murdered. >> what goes through your mind? >> i had no idea, i had no idea you know, what had happened. >> carol couldn't imagine who might want to kill her brother, although well off, she said he and mary had lived modestly. >> tell me about his marriage to marry? >> i just kind of knew that was a match made in heaven.

>> they seemed really happy? >> they were absolutely happy. i mean, mary just -- she did everything. i think she did a lot of editing for a lot of roger's publication. >> shortly before the murders, roger announced he would be retiring in june. he and merry plan to move back east. in fact, that is why the piano mover said come to the house that morning. now, a town known for its stakes and insurance companies, was once again buzzing with talk of murder. >> there was absolutely no doubt at that point, who was being targeted. it was chilling. just this sinking feeling of, oh man, he struck again.

>> coming up -- >> he made comments like i'm glad dr.brumback was dead. >> almost like bosting about. >> it could be, yeah. >> when you look at an old suspect. >> he called her office, said you guys are gonna need to talk to me again. >> and a new target? >> we have two crimes, and potentially there would have been another. >> please know this -- law enforcement is doing everything in our power to solve these crimes. >> was another doctor in the crosshairs? >> when dateline continues. nues music (i swear) jaycee tried gain flings for the first time the other day...and forgot where she was. you can always spot a first timer. gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪

♪breeze driftin' on by...♪ ♪...you know how i feel.♪ you don't have to take... [coughing] ...copd sitting down. ♪it's a new dawn,...♪ ♪...it's a new day,♪ it's time to make a stand. ♪and i'm feelin' good.♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd... ...medicine has the power to treat copd... ...in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,... ...trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and 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. no matter what type of dog you have... or, cat you have... frontline® plus lets you take them everywhere...

no matter how you define it. frontline®. the #1 name in flea and tick protection. among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. when you're ready to go, but static says “whoa.” try bounce lasting fresh. more freshness. more softness. less static. less wrinkles. new bounce lasting fresh. yeah! it's the sheet.

and it's easier than ever to■ get your projects done right. inside, outside, big or small, angi helps you find the right so for whatever you need done. with angi, you can connect with and see ratings and reviews. just search or scroll to see upf on hundreds of projects. and when you book and pay throug you're covered by our happiness it's easy to make your home an a check out angi.com today. angi... and done. sometimes detective work is a

lot like shooting pool. you play all the angles, make the easy ones first, then save the money ball for last. in the case in the omaha killings, the basic facts stood out like bright balls on a billiard table. to double homicides, five years apart, both in the homes of high-ranking doctors and creighton universities pathology department. each victim stabbed through the -- artery, with medical precision. the next question, that seemed about as obvious as the ten ball in the side pocket. the last, best, potentials suspect in the 2008 murders,

was now top of mind in the 2013 case. doctor michael bolank y guest this? before they can get around to looking him up, something astonishing happened. >> after the brumback murders, he called our office. he heard about the murder and said the are you guys gonna need to talk to me again? >> he calls you? >> i don't remember exactly what was said, but he made comments that he was glad doctor brumback was dead. >> i'm glad he's dead? >> yeah, he made a comment to that effect. yes. >> it almost looks like it is boasting about this. >> it could be, yeah. >> the same detectives turn back around and started going through the same process. let's find out we're doctor bolanky was on mother's day, 2013. >> turns out, dr. blinken he was living in the northwest, dividing his time between vancouver and washington state, at the time of the brumback murders. investigators wondered if they were missing something, could their primary person of interest to slip in and out of

omaha undetected. >> any indication he was in omaha? >> none. >> none. >> for his part, linking told the cops he had nothing to do with the omaha killings. in fact, he denies ever saying he was glad doctor brumback was dead. in the end, detectives had to scratch doctor blanket off their list. back to the drawing board. if the suspect wasn't michael blink, the detective said it had to be someone else, with creighton connections. >> we knew we had to look through everybody in the pathology department, look at them, all the staff, everybody there. >> that means there are, what? maybe 1000, a couple of thousand persons of interest, all going in different directions? >> yeah. >> four days after the brumback murders, this investigation got one more jolt. another pathology professor from creighton reported that around 2:19 pm on mother's day,

someone had tried to force their way into her house, setting off the burglar alarm. fortunately, doctor -- and her husband were out -- under mother wear out for lunch at the time. >> from her position, we are right back to creighton university, specifically right back to the pathology training program. we believe that incident could be related. it made that theory of ours even stronger that, now we have two crimes, and potentially there would have been another, had they've been home. >> this is what doctor told nbc affiliate wowt tv. >> there was no damage, everything was fine. >> a week after the brumback

murders, the chief schmaderer was dedicated to solving all four murders. >> i understand the unease in our community, i can feel at this morning when i spoke to creighton university and creighton hospital, please know this -- law enforcement is doing everything in our power to solve these crimes. >> the task force consisted of homicide detectives, agents with the fbi from the local only our offices and investigators with the state patrol. >> so this is a full court

press? >> yes, investigators once again went into the personnel files, looking for someone else who might have harbored a grudge against dr. brumback and bewtra. >> the already been down this road before, and you look back a couple years? >> yeah. now, what was different was we were gonna pull the records from, i believe we started in 2000 to 2013. >> how many of you are sitting there reading files? >> there were 21 of us assigned to the task force, and i think at some juncture, almost all the detectives would get assigned files from creighton.

>> in those personnel files for several names that looked promising. those who were nowhere near omaha on mother's day, were eliminated. but a couple of weeks after the brumback killings, detective mois says his boss handed him a three ring binder from 2001. this one was thicker than the rest. >> when i took away after reading that file from front to back, was that, in my mind, there was enough information contained in that file that it made a very real possibility that there was motive to want to harm dr. hunter, dr. brumback or dr. bewtra. by that indivudual >> somebody is going to war against the pathology department? >> it would appear that. >> way the person waging that war? detective mois believes he was a fellow physician. a doctor named anthony garcia. >> he had been a resident in the creighton pathology department? >> he was dismissed. >> terminated. >> and conducted conduct towards someone else. >> against all the other doctors. >> it was signed specifically by doctor hunter, and doctor brumback. >> before arriving at creighton, it seemed anthony garcia had been well on his way to achieving the american dream.

from a working class background in southern california, he finished medical school and embarked on which should have been a long, and lucrative career. but then, for some reason, his life began to be lit in large measure, by the bridges he burned along the way. he had been dismissed from other residency programs, fired from some jobs, and several states had denied him a license. >> i have a time doctor garcia would apply for a place of employment, or license as a doctor and another state, creighton university would get another request to verify doctor garcia's time he had spent their. >> and creighton would respond, usually doctor brumback or dr. hunter, yes, he was here, he was dismissed, he didn't do a good job. that kept coming back to haunt doctor garcia the experience at creighton. >> how many times did that happen? >> i want to say at least, seven or eight times. >> two mois, professional failure and a need for revenge could be a powerful motive. now the detective needed to know if garcia had the means to commit murder. >> coming up. >> we had records of doctor garcia purchasing specifically a -- nine millimeter short of the first brumback murders. >> new investigation and fears, we're more creighton colleagues in jepordy? >> you felt the need to arrest doctor garcia. >> we felt he was a danger to anybody, so yes, anybody he could've perceived wronged him on some level. >> when dateline continues. who says you have to spend more on skincare to get results? i power up my skin with olay. it works. guaranteed. try niacinamide for strength, retinol 24 for smoothness and vitamin c for brightness. i like to use them all! olay. face anything. nexgard is the #1 vet-recommended

flea and tick protection. it protects for a full 30 days, prevents the infection that causes lyme disease... ...and is safe to start protecting puppies as early as 8 weeks. but your vet doesn't just prescribe it to her patients... ...she trusts nexgard to protect her own dog. and she knows its delicious beef flavor makes it #1 with dogs. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. ask your vet about nexgard, and why it's #1 with pretty much...everyone. shingles. the rash can feel like an intense burning sensation and last for weeks. it can make your workday feel impossible. the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside of you. 50 years or older? ask your doctor about shingles.

as a business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable 5g network.

with no line activation fees or term contracts. saving you up to 60% a year. and it's only available to comcast business internet customers. so boost your bottom line by switching today. there is something about the comcast business. powering possibilities. openness of nebraska's

landscape. the fosters, the feeling of a simpler, safer time. in may 2013, a double homicide in the home of an aloha doctor changed all of that. it was the second time in five years that a doctor from creighton university is pathology department had apparently been targeted for murder. in 2008, the victims were dr. william hunter's 11-year-old son tom, and his house cleaner surely sherman. the latest victims were a doctor roger bryan back and his wife mary. and at 2:19 pm on the day the brunt bucks were last known to be a life, someone had tried to break into the home of a third crane pathologist. dr. john doe. now, detective derrick moyes and his team were on the trail of another physician. this one with a possible motive for murder. in 2001, doctor anthony garcia had been let go from the grain university pathology department for unprofessional conduct.

garcia had since moved indiana. so the detective called the indiana state police >> indiana state police came back that day and said, we have records from doctor garcia purchasing specifically a smith and wesson sd nine 9 mm shortly before the brown back murders. well, obviously that's a very significant us.

>> the magazine you found in the run back home would fit? >> yeah. >> now i needed to know whether anthony garcia was in omaha and mother's day 2013. with little to go on, the detective decided to follow the money. >> i wanted to find out where he had active credit cards and or banking checking accounts. >> and once again, the detective found that answer. a credit card issue to anthony garcia had been used twice in the omaha area, on mother's day 2013. the first charge was around 12:30 pm at casey's general store just outside omaha. the sister video of garcia buying beer. the second was two hours later at a chicken joint in was a law called wing stop. the wing's office about a mile from dr. beaches home. >> i was able to get a receipt from that that showed up to 26. i knew that dr. beatrice alarm on our house had gone off, at 2:19. and that was a mile away from the restaurant. >> so your thinking is, he tries to get into the beatrice

house, and you can do it? >> correct. >> he leaves, maybe knowing he's out of the burglar alarm. drives about a mile to this wings restaurant, -- >> and he makes a purchase, and we come to find out that while he was sitting at that location, he was searching for where doctor brian back was. >> based on those factors, investigators became convinced anthony garcia was their man. >> you feel some urgency to ross dr. garcia quickly? >> yes. >> because? >> we knew that he was a very real danger to anybody that he could've perceived that had wronged him on some level. and, we also had learned through the search warrants but indiana state police shortly after he returned to toro after the brand back on the sites that he had purchased another firearm and another handgun. >> in july 2013, investigators were ready to make their move. one team of detectives was sent to indiana to arrest anthony garcia. another flew to california to simultaneously search his parents home. it was all supposed to be a coordinated operation. but on the morning of the planned arrests, the indiana

team suddenly discovered something. their suspect had put them behind the eight ball. coming up, a man hunt -- >> our whole was in the morning he would get up and go home and we could grab him there. but that morning, of course, when the fbi agents got out, he again was on the move. >> they're going 100 miles an hour. >> will the man who eluded investigaters for five years slip away again? when dateline continues. the long-lasting scent of gain flings made it smell like dave was in his happy place... ...the massage chair at the mall. but...he wasn't. gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. -what's he doing? -he's cleaning the trash cans. oh, boy. meeting a new young homeowner for the first time is a unique challenge. -so you think you can help? -i can try. hey, what you doing? oh, just cleaning my trash cans. wow. it's important to build trust. see you put your address and phone number on here. well, you can never be too safe.

with trash? progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto -when you bundle with us. -don't look at the hedges. -they're a mess. -no one's looking at the hedges. truth is... i've never really known how to care for my hardwood floors. -when you bundle with us. -don't look at the hedges. then i found swiffer wetjet wood. these soft microfiber-like pads absorb dirt and grime deep inside. and it prevents streaks and haze better than my old mop. wetjet wood. also try sweeper wood cloths. two months after doctor roger

brumback and his wife mary were murdered in their home, omaha detectives flew to indiana. ready to make an arrest. their target was a former creighton medical resident, doctor anthony garcia. the detectives had arranged to have a swat team and forensic technician on hand in terre haute when they made the arrest

at garcia's home. but once their plane landed, that plan changed. >> after we landed in indianapolis on sunday afternoon and turn their phones back on, we would observe that, all of a sudden, dr. garcia's cell phone was no longer in terre haute. and he was mobile. and he was traveling south through illinois. which gave us, obviously, some concern. >> because you thought it was headed, where? >> we didn't know exactly. it was possible that he would return the next day. so we can to put our plans on hold. hoping that he would return to his residence. and we would affect his arrest as residents. task force were closer togents illinois. they eventually found garcia at a hotel off the interstate. >> our hope was, at the morning,

he would get up and get home. and we would wrap him there. but that morning, of course, when the fbi agents got up. he again was on the move and headed south. >> they messed up. >> they messed up. >> and, now, he is truly in the wind. >> yes. >> reporter todd cooper would later learn that for three hours, all agents had to go on was pings every 30 minutes from garcia cell phone. >> they're going 100 miles an hour, the next pin comes in a half hour later. and he is behind them. >> so, now, we do turn and we speed back. and they are scanning the southbound lanes. and they finally find him tucked in behind the semi. and, you know, the wave of relief that must come over them. >> with the help of illinois state troopers, garcia was finally pulled over. although it was only 8:30 am, he had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. >> the trooper said that his breath smelled of boos and when he went to relieve himself that that's not as booze as well. >> garcia was arrested on the

spot for driving under the influence. from his car, police recovered a cell phone, 45 caliber pistol, 50 bullets, a crowbar and the sledgehammer. >> he told cops, later, he was on a road trip to new orleans but had no luggage. and then, the most chilling thing to me was in that backseat was a lab coat and stethoscope. >> investigators knew garcia had been fired from lsu street port in 2008. was he on his way to confront doctors there? only anthony garcia knows. he climbed up on omaha detectives tried to talk to him. >> we introduced ourselves as detectives from the omaha police department and that we were investigating homicides in our jurisdiction. and, mr. garcia immediately asked for an attorney. >> that's it? >> and that's it. i mean, at that point doesn't investigator i cannot continue questioning. >> later that afternoon, omaha afternoon chief todd steps before the cameras. making the announcement that his city had been desperately waiting to hear.

>> arrested this morning was doctor anthony joseph garcia for four counts of first degree murder. and used a weapon to commit the murders. >> for the families of roger and mary brumback, tom hunter and of shirlee sherman, the arrest was very welcomed news. >> we ought to walmart with my kids and denny calls me and says that they've made an arrest. -- that i forgot about 20 items on my go chalets because i was really happy. i -- the cart and rushed out of the grocery store. i wanted to go home and watch the news. >> with anthony garcia's arrest, jeff hunter says he and his parents felt as if they could finally stop looking over their shoulders. >> i, mean for five years they're super paranoid, for all that we knew, for all that i always thought about was someone was trying to find my that.

because that was always my hunch that someone was after either my mom or dad. >> investigators dispatched to anthony garcia's home in terre haute indiana. they saw the out door signpost of success. the house set on a quiet street with a ferrari in the drive. but in the, house the house was practically empty. bear rooms, bear closets and barely any food. in the living room, detectives found a table stacked with financial documents. mortgage information and insurance policies. anthony garcia was broke. his home facing foreclosure. >> what appeared to us that he had made some deliberate attempt to kind of lay things out so people could get his affairs in order. and we see those things as homicide investigators when you investigate suicide. >> so, wherever he was headed

when you arrested him was maybe going to be a slash journey anywhere. >> that was our thought, that it was going to be the end here >> in addition to the documents take it from garcia's home, investigators had to go through all the data collected from his electronic devices: cell phones, tablets, computers and his icloud account. >> you could see from his financial records that he was regularly going to alcohol stores that he was spending a lot of time at gentlemen clubs in and around tear hole. he was not working regularly, so we look to, us collectively, that his life was falling apart. >> hardly what's garcias france had envisioned for the son when he was growing up in southern california. anthony garcia's father, fred, worked for the postal service. his mother's stella, a nurse, had been born in mexico. it was a proud moment they told the border when in 1999, the eldest of their three children gather --

graduated from medical school. >> there's a great point at the moment where frederick garcia and anthony piled his belongings, what little he had, and in a readily old van and drove across the country from california to upstate new york to start his medical career. how proud he must of been at that moment. >> what's started as the american dream was turning into something unthinkable. if convicted of murdering four people, doctor anthony garcia now 40 years old faced the death penalty. he was alleged motive, revenge for getting bad job recommendations. >> coming up-- >> it was my wife she said, we've got a murder case, we gotta get up to the county and finds to defer the kit. >> a husband and wife defense team, big city lawyers with the few big surprises.

>> there were so many other people with means, motive an opportunity that could've committed this crime. >> when dateline continues. trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪ ♪breeze driftin' on by...♪ ♪...you know how i feel.♪ you don't have to take... [coughing] ...copd sitting down. ♪it's a new dawn,...♪ ♪...it's a new day,♪ it's time to make a stand. ♪and i'm feelin' good.♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd... ...medicine has the power to treat copd... ...in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,... ...trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and 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. she found it. the feeling of finding the psoriasis treatment she's been looking for. sotyktu is the first-of-its-kind, once-daily pill for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding that outfit psoriasis tried to hide from you. or finding your swimsuit is ready for primetime. [dad] once-daily sotyktu is proven to get more people clearer skin than the leading pill. don't take if you're allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections including tb. serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. sotyktu is a tyk2 inhibitor. tyk2 is part of the jak family. it's not known if sotyktu has the same risks as jak inhibitors. find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding. ask your dermatologist about

sotyktu for clearer skin. so clearly you. sotyktu. you could manufacture a whole new way of manufacturing. so clearly you. disrupt buying habits before they disrupt your business. and fuel the search for what comes next. so...what are you waiting for? hello i'm the need mayer and

here's what's happening. new intelligence suggests that china is considering sending artillery and ammunition to russia for the war in ukraine. that's according to u.s. officials familiar with the matter, it's just no weapon transfers would have been yet. israeli and palestinian officials have pledged to reduce tensions after a week of violence in the west bank. two israelis were killed by palestinian -- on sunday, leaving jewish settlers to attack a palestinian town. now, back to dateline. back to dateline. as the father of four, bob matta appreciates a pleasant night of slumber. but on tuesday july 16th 2013,

he woke up at 4 am unable to sleep. the chicago area criminal attorney checked his office voice mail. that's when he saw that someone from california had left a message. >> the guy starts all, well, i'm getting arrested for dui. >> i'm like, dui? i'm not driving down there for a dui. >> within the next minute he says, but it sounds like what they're actually arresting me for a murder. >> so then obviously my interest was piqued. >> it was a stroke of luck. anthony garcia's family had been cold calling lawyers looking for someone to defend that thing. bob matta was the first to call back. it was 2 am california time when you got anthony garcia's

brother on the phone. 30 minutes later, bob matta was going to handle this first murder case. >> i go upstairs wake my wife up who is my wife -- my law partner. we have to find a sitter for the kids. >> when anthony garcia's criminal hearing came up the next day, the matta's, mr., and mrs., were seated at the defense table. >> you are basically consenting to the authorities from nebraska to take you back to that state to deal with these terms, you understand that? >> absolutely. >> i'm not gonna answer any questions in regards to the state of mind at this point. >> they brought in bob's father, robert matta senior to co-counsel. back in the 70s, the senior represented a clown serial killer named john wayne gracie. >> i never tried a case with my dad. he is towards the end of his

career. he always said to me that if you get the juicy murder, give me a call, i'll try with you. and i call him half expecting him to be like, no, i'm too old, but he was on board immediately. >> it didn't end up being that case. >> right. >> doctor anthony garcia insisted he was innocent. but the models were concerned that it was giving potential jurors only one side of the story. >> they needed to hear that there were so many other people with means, motive, an

opportunity that could've committed this crime that makes much more sons than somebody waiting 13 years to murder somebody that they knew for a very short period of time. >> in pretrial hearings, they battled with prosecutors as if they were rival mma fighters. todd cooper remembers being in the judges chambers one day, when bob matta started shouting at prosecutors. >> there was a meeting where bob matta appeared through telephone. he was shouting, screaming. the judge sided pounding on the handset yelling, shut up, shut up, into the microphone. i mean, that is a pre-trial hearing. >> we were seen as the chicago lawyers who came in, stormed in, outlaws. they didn't like us at all.

>> might be easier to just look at the people in omaha that you did not offend? >> you know, feelings, when it comes to death penalty case, just don't come into play at all. any lawyer that says they're worried about hurting people's feelings when another human beings life is at stake is, again, they should probably get out of the business. >> in the beginning, they said anthony garcia was actively involved in his own defense. they say that changed over time as core delay stretched his time in pretrial isolation from months to years. garcia lost a lot of weight, and bob matta says his clients month all of the theory did. >> the fact that he was insulting confinement for three years, 24 hours a day, mentally no one can withstand that. >> prosecutors were also concerned about grassley's mental state, they asked the judge to order a lengthy psychiatric evaluation. in the end, garcias found to be competent to stand trial, and a

date was set for april 2016. then, this story took a most unexpected turn. >> thursday or friday before that monday started jury selection, alison matta says to us and to to local tv stations, we have dna tests that prove that our guy was not a law hunter sherman scene. >> allison matta spoke with tv via skype. >> there's physical evidence and there's dna evidence that the staff was undeniably unmistakably in without doubt, those murders were committed by two people, not anthony garcia. >> the claim was based on what the matta's believed was a potential match with some an identifiable dna found on surely sherman's bandana, and some dna taken from a suspect and another case. >> they are taking illegals from dna, bits and pieces, and coming up with a theory that never made it to trial. and she throws it out there on the eve of the trial. and, prosecutors -- it really chopped the judge. >> the judge took it as a clear attempt to send information to potential jurors that the state 's case was suspect. as a result, the trial was postponed again. and the judge effectively kicked allison matta off the case. >> the judge denies her application to practice in the state of nebraska. very controversial move. >> it was just. i spoke to the public, and that put information that could have been -- information to potential jurors. and that violated the pretrial publicity rule. >> the matta's wanted to fight allison's removal. what's their clients anthony garcia apparently wanted was a

trial. when the matta's appealed for his convention, anthony garcia completely stop talking with his own lawyers. >> he deteriorated mentally coming into the trial, to the extent where he didn't say one with us. his mental state at that point was just gone. >> it was september 2016, eight years after the first four omaha killings when doctor anthony garcia finally got his day in court. on hand to see it, where the victims families who waited the longest. >> my main thing is, i needed to see him determine for myself if he did it. >> coming up, the trial begins with a lucky break. >> all of a sudden you get handed the murder weapon? >> -- >> and a bombshell witness, former stripper with a revealing story.

>> she said only date bad boys. >> and he said, well i'm a bad boy. >> when dateline continues. air mist. febreze's new, finer mist floats longer in the air to fight even your toughest odors. so long stinky smells and hello amazing freshness. discover the new febreze scents today! find your beat your moment of calm find your potential then own it support your immune system with a potent blend of nutrients and emerge your best every day with emergen-c 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. years after the murders of

thomas hunter, shirlee sherman and roger and mary brumback, at the knee garcia finally faced a jury. there to witness it all, friends and families of the victims. thomas hunter's mom, where hunter, who had been staying out of the public eye. and shirlee sherman's brother, dane, two of the first people out of the courtroom. >> it's been -- it's going on for a long time. >> douglas county attorney, donald klein, and brenda beadle had been prepping this case for more than three years. >> you've prosecuted for all of them. did you ever think about, maybe we should just take the last two. that's easier? >> sure. that was a discussion that we had many times. but, the evidence, i think we had coming, in especially more than 2000 and a case it seems

like the most jiggle thing was that if we're gonna do, these we should do them together. >> their theory was whoever killed the brumback also killed thomas hunter and shirlee sherman. prosecutors summed up their case in one word. revenge. and they pointed to something they found on garcias tablet. >> one of the searches was just an interesting quote that had the word revenge in it. so, we were interested in knowing where that came from. and it's easy to find, you need to google it. >> it was a quote similar to one in shakespeare's play, the merchant of venice. >> if you harm me, shall i not revenge? >> not often does the merchant of ben's come up in a murder trial. >> never before in my career. >> but that's your motive. >> thumbs up the case. that's our motive, yeah. >> they argued garcia killed because he was angry about his termination from creighton. and, that it prevented him from being accepted into other programs to which he later applied. >> as he continues to try to have some sort of a career, it follows him. every time he tried to get into a different program or get license somewhere, the

creighton thing pops up. >> and, prosecutors said items found in garcía's home indicated he was trying to destroy traces of his troubled past. >> here this trash bag sitting in the sink, chemical order emanating from that. and there's all these papers. in these papers, they're dried, out there so termination papers from doctor brumback and dr. hunter. handwritten notes -- >> and there's something about putting tape on your fingers? >> tape on your fingers, park your car somewhere else, walk to the location. >> by common shoes. >> i common shoes. >> sort of a list that a killer would make. >> yes, it is.

>> prosecutors said that the two sets of murders, five years apart, coordinated with garcia's career struggles. the first in 2008 came two weeks after he was fired by lsu street port. the second, in 2013 followed another round of unemployment and financial troubles. >> he's trying to get jobs that temporary agencies. he's having financial issues. his home is going for closure. >> but, they argued that garcias original target on mother's day, 2013, was doctor which and abuja, a professor at creighton who had written him bad evaluations. >> he was someone that she thought was too hard on him. and he was the cause of this termination to begin with. he really had some animosity towards her. >> two days before the attempted break, and prosecutor said, anthony garcia used his phone to look up dr. boutrous address. analysis of a scant bit of dna

taken from a door knob at the bucha home show that there was a significant chance that either garcia or a male relative of him have tried to break in. >> when that doesn't work because they are not, home he then goes to wing stop right up the road and goes to plan be where he searches for the brumback address. >> this receipt shows his location that will stop, at around 2:26 pm. at 2:50, 70, said garcia used his cell phone to look up doctor brumback's home address. as for the gun used in the brumback killings, prosecutors argued the gun parts found that the brumback house fit a gun later found alongside the highway about 20 miles from garcia's home. that gun was missing a crucial component, the barrel. meaning a test bullet could not be fired. however, what was left was listened to anthony garcia. >> all of a sudden, you get handed the murder weapon? >> right. now, that was a gift. i think it was divine intervention. yeah. >> the 2008 does the case,

however, had no physical evidence. what it did have was eyewitnesses. several described seeing a silver hunter crp with an out of state plate. this is a picture of the car anthony garcia owned in 2008 when he was living in louisiana. it's a honda crv. >> the thing that was noticeable was that it was silver. people know that stint as a type of suv, crv. >> and they mentioned, out of state plates. >> out of state plates, right. >> there was also that description of the man people saw near the hunter home that day. an olive skinned man wearing a baggy suit. >> when they were all seeing the same person, same vehicle and the location. >> you're convinced that's not somebody who's lost and

eventually finds their way out of it. >> oh, no, if it's-- and that's the person that did this crime. and if it with anthony garcia also. >> tying it all together, prosecutors called a bombshell witness. a former stripper named cecilia hoffman. hoffman told the jury that four years after the dundee murders, garcia made a shocking confession to her. she told the cops about it in this audio recording. >> i remember he said -- he said, it was a long time ago. he said, i killed a young boy an old woman. and i said, why? what would you kill a young boy and a old women? and he said, they had it coming. >> of all the pieces we did not have in the 2008 case, that was a big piece. >> prosecutors said hoffman had nothing to gain, but publicly

talking about her past life. >> she had two children, she had moved on in her life. and did not want to go back in time. but, she did. >> but why would garcia make that confession to her? hoffman said garcia, who was a regular at the strip club where she worked wanted more than just a lap dance. >> he was trying to impress her because she was trying to keep him at arm's length saying, you know what, he was getting to serious. >> and she said, i only date bad boys. or something like that. >> you're right, you're too good for me, your doctor, i only did bad boys. >> and his response to or was, i am a bad boy. an older lady. >> prosecutors thought it was just what they needed to show garcia's guilt and leave all of their evidence together. >> you know, one piece by itself probably is not enough to put all those pieces together and it's a very good case. >> after 12 days, it was not the defense's turn. they would tell a different story, one that attacked the very foundation of the

prosecutor's case. >> coming up, a candid look inside the defense team. >> shut the (bleep) up >> long and real. >> you want real life? you're getting real life. you're all flies on the wall. i am who i am. >> when dateline continues. that causes lyme disease... ...and is safe to start protecting puppies as early as 8 weeks. but your vet doesn't just prescribe it to her patients... ...she trusts nexgard to protect her own dog. and she knows its delicious beef flavor makes it #1 with dogs. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. ask your vet about nexgard, and why it's #1 with pretty much...everyone. sometimes, the lows of bipolar depression ask your vet about nexgard, and why it's #1 feel darkest before dawn. with caplyta, there's a chance to let the light shine through. and light tomorrow, with the hope from today. this is a chance to let in the lyte. caplyta is a once-daily pill that is proven to deliver significant relief across bipolar depression. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta treats both bipolar i and bipolar ii depression.

and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, confusion, stiff or uncontrollable muscle movements which may be life threatening or permanent. these aren't all the serious side effects. in the darkness of bipolar i and ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. ask your doctor about caplyta today. find savings and support at caplyta.com. among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. we used to struggle with greasy messes. now, we just freak, wipe, and we're done! with mr. clean clean freak, conquering messes is that easy. clean freak's mist is three times more powerful, and it works on contact.

clean freak, just freak, wipe, done. for the lawyers defending

anthony garcia, it seemed the best was an all-out offense. >> i'm not trying to ask somebody out of the problem. i'm trying to defend somebody and i'm gonna use everything in my arsenal. >> for lead attorney bob matta junior, that means challenging or debunking everything jurors heard from prosecutors for the past two weeks. >> there were so many inconsistencies with the way they said that it went down, that it just never came together for me that he was guilty. >> in a rare move, the defense team allowed dateline inside their private strategy sessions. >> we need to talk about our strategy. >> it was a rock group with alison matta. serving a special adviser.

robert matta senior, the voice of experience. and local attorney jeremy george insulin, and then assortment of researchers sweating the details. e the team runs at a home out in west omaha not far from the dundee neighborhood. it was there that they plotted strategy. the first order of business, knock down the theory that anthony garcia killed two people in 2008 and two more in 2013 out of revenge. >> we've got to get rid of her stupid quote. >> what? >> the shakespeare quote. >> according to the defense team, anthony garcia had no motive to kill anyone. >> what's wrong with the prosecution theory that anthony garcia blamed the people at

creighton for everything that that happened them since the last grain? and the idea that when people would check out his resume, they would inevitably get back to creighton and then get about a report about him. >> the problem with the states theories anthony garcia would've been unaware of those communications. they don't let people in on those communications. >> on the other hand, they pointed out, dr. hunter has actually handed garcia this short letter of recommendation after garcia was dismissed from creighton. >> we got him's next job, which was a month after, two months after he left creighton. >> for his part, anthony garcia seemed bored by it all. cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom, but if they had

been, they would've shown what jurors saw. anthony garcia napping. >> he slept quite a bit during the trial. >> i'd say half the trial, and how do you think that plays off the jury? >> and the 2008 case of tom hunter and surely sherman was the most straightforward for the defense. >> there's no direct evidence, there is no smoking gun, there is no dna, it's all pieces. and they're trying to put together this puzzle. >> on the stand, none of the prosecutions eyewitnesses could i. d. anthony garcia is the mandate seen eight years earlier. as for the silver honda crv, the defense pointed out that not one of the odd witnesses ever mention the biggest spare tire that was on the back of garcia's car. >> it's enormous. >> and nobody said anything about that? >> never won mention of it, which to me indicated that it was in my klein's vehicle. that's in the more likely answer. >> in 2013, the brim back a swiss more complicated for the defense team. beginning with the fact that

anthony garcia had been in omaha on the day of the murders. >> how do you explain your client being back in omaha and searching for the addresses of one person was killed, and one person whose house was nearly broken into? >> i don't know? that's a tough question. you're dealing with digital forensics. >> ultimately, the defense argued that because an investigator downloaded garcia 's iphone data on his personal phone, the evidence was open to tampering. >> we've got a cop ooze downloading what's seems to be the most critical piece of evidence on to his own iphone. >> so, it might have been a cop wooded that search and not your client? >> i'm not gonna suggest that anybody specifically type the name and, i'm just going to say that the way the state presented the case, and in particular, that piece of evidence, was not exactly

truthful. >> the defense attorney spent a lot of time talking about the gun found on the side of the road. and the animal magazine at the brown back house. >> we have a very damaging magazine evidence that we want to clouded up. >> they're sold on this. >> you want real life, you're getting real life. here flies on the wall none, edited out. i am wham. >> in court, the defense argued prosecutors could not prove a leak between the gun parts and the brown back house on the gun that was licensed anthony garcia. >> the parts found in the house, the parts of a weapon that went through a catastrophic failure. the parts of our clients gun that were found on the side of the road showed no evidence of catastrophic failure. >> and all those the right kind of gun, it's not necessarily the gun. >> one of the right kind of

guns. >> you can fire tests below that gun right? >> no. >> the chicago-based defense team work late into the night while keeping a close eye on their beloved cubs who are in hot pursuit of a world series title. e cubs at first and >> second, one out. >> it was during the sessions over lunch -- >> there's no point in showing cars they don't have to be shown. >> doing breaks, and that the rental home that the defense team planned and prop their expert witnesses. >> this boils down to interpretation, and every single lap can interpret something different. >> but dna evidence linking garcia to the break-in was flawed. and the prosecutors timeline for the run back murders was suspect. >> states window for when this had to occur because of where they had our guy at certain times through cell phone

records, it had a career sometime between 3:15 and 4:00. maybe for 15. >> according to the defense, the brown backs were killed later, maybe around midnight. long after anthony garcia had left omaha and headed for home. >> our pathologists made a very clear, that because of the regal mortise condition of the body, the homicides didn't happen. >> in the done the murders, perhaps the biggest hurdle for the defense was the testimonial former exotic dancer cecilia hoffman. >> cecilia huffman's statement was huge. >> remember, she's the woman who quoted garcia as saying, he said, i killed a young boy, and then old woman. >> but here's the thing. hoffman later said to a private i hired by the defense that she remembered very little from that time. bob matta hammered out hoffman 's credibility at cross-examination. >> the concept of that is so insane to me. this guy who's gotten away from essentially murder is now

getting a confession from a stripper that that was his calm online, i calais old lady and a young boy? i don't know. >> after three weeks, both sides some love their cases for the jury. and hit all the familiar themes. then, they placed anthony garcia's faith in the jury's hands. coming up, a toast from the defense, but that was before the verdict. what will the jury do? >> i see my brother cry, i see my mom crying. i see the district attorney cry. it's difficult. >> when dateline continues.

science proves quality sleep is vital to your mental, emotional, and physical health. and we know 80% of couples sleep too hot or too cold. introducing the new sleep number climate360 smart bed. the only smart bed in the world that actively cools, warms, and effortlessly responds to both of you. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. sometimes, justice is not what proven quality sleep. only from sleep number.

happened in a courtroom but rather what comes out of it. on the day lawyers finished the closing arguments in the anthony garcia murder case, a lot of people showed up to see what kind of justice would come out of courtroom 3:16. among those waiting with the families of tom hunter, shirlee chairman, and yes event they need garcia. it was late afternoon when the jury got the case.

then, the waiting began. huddled on vengeance outside of the courtroom were reporters and spectators. a family and friends of the victims prosecutors retreated to their offices for what they hoped would be a short wait. but, the defense was ready to blow off steam. the models and their entourage settled in at a local bar several miles from the local courthouse. the jury would be out for a while, they thought. so, they feasted and toasted one another. then, as the soundsystem began to play the opening courts of the rolling stones song,

sympathy for the devil, bob motta said something he wanted everyone in the bar to hear. >> so, this is my song and this is -- >> after closing, you guys went up for some drinks and we were there for that. sympathy for the devil comes on the soundsystem and you say -- hey, that's our theme song. that's what we're going for. that's what you wanted, sympathy for the devil? >> when i looked at the state that the case presented, it was where that it was a seeping so not because i think he's the devil but because they thought he was a double -- >> the jury deliberated and all of the next morning ratcheting up with every tick of the clock. >> then, at about one of the afternoon, it began to spread, the jury had a verdict. >> i thought that the verdict would be good. but you don't know until you. here >> lining up alongside the families of shirley sherman and thomas hunter, was the garcia. family >> they were very respectful during the trial. i'll say. that i, mean they never say anything.

but, like some families turned into a war? >> yeah. there was nothing there. >> once everyone had crowded inside, the verdict was announced, guilty on all counts. >> i just breathe a sigh of relief. you just feel that rush of emotion. >> it was a moment a long time coming for shirley sherman's brother, brett and. dane and her son. jeff the reaction of the verdict? >> really. >> big relief. >> lots of relief. >> you guys feel better? >> i think my sister deserved that her killer be brought to justice. >> jeff hunter was sitting with his mother and brothers walked that verdict was read. in that moment of joy and gratitude, he, says i thought of his little brother tom. a kid who never had the chance to grow up. >> gets me thinking where he could be now and what he looked

like now, what's he talk like, what he'd be doing. >> the most emotional moment came later that afternoon behind closed doors. but the victims family met privately, and the people responsible are bringing this case to an end. >> we basically gave a round of applause because they didn't have a job. >> tough to be, there are very glad you are? they're >> my family and i were not ready so seeing my brother cry and my mom cry, it's hard seeing the district attorney cry. it was a tough moment. >> we'll see as defense team faced a gaggle of cameras outside the courtroom. , in terms of what we did. we did, at the knee garcia's parents who spent on their son 's defense spoke briefly with

reporters. >> we were -- >> i know it's difficult for the other families, to but it's very difficult for us to at this time. >> one last said of victims. >> he never wanted to turn around and looked at us. not once. >> i felt sorry first parent. i saw his dad set down a number of times and you kind of, in your, mind you don't know what they're thinking. but, obviously -- >> the mottas had since withdrawn from the case. and -- was withdrawn for violating -- >> the state representative was representing our ceta, one in september 2018, a free judge panel sentenced him to death for the murder of thomas hunter, shirlee sherman, and marion brumback, under that sentences

automatically appealed. as for the families of his victims, they felt the hardest part had been over. >> like a weight lifted off his shoulders. there is not that constant cloud hanging over them. >> everybody wants to talk about things like that. >> this war opened better spirits. >> when they read it -- had taken him away and allison motta was trying to convince the deputy in letting him speak to the parents because, you, know we've never got to speak to them again. what about all the other victims here? they can speak to shirlee or thomas or roger or mary. ♪ this sunday, this sunday, defending democracy. one year after russia invaded ukraine, president biden promises to stand strong against the threat from vladimir putin.