>> i'm craig melvin. >> i'm natalie marella's >> this is dateline. >> they told me the guys wer

flying up from florida, th black ops. at that point, it got scary. we are here to do a job. they are going to kill someone this is crazy. >> in a marriage, three is a crowd. >> you're seeing another woman >> right >> what do you think it was? >> chemistry >> chemistry can be explosive. >> this is a marriage from hell >> enter the hitman. >> here is a name. i'm going to bring you picture of the person you would like t have killed. >> he feared for your own life >> yes >> a hit that could not miss >> i want to make sure you'r satisfied. >> a surprise to die for >> he notices a camera insid the co-op. >> it's a huge moment. everything went up real fast >> no fairytale ending for thi life story

it would end either in murde or prison. >> he said my guy stole backed down from a plan >> hello and welcome t dateline when i read bernstein and -- they couldn't know the feature that they would become college sweethearts, mary, start a family, and that is thei family grew so with somethin else - jealousy they certainly could never hav imagined that the life the would build over the years would be torn apart by a murderous scheme here is andrea canning with th target >> in this quiet wealthy neighborhood behind the gate of this lavish estates, a fuse was lit. newfound money lead to explosive fights, torrid affairs, deadly secrets. a wicked plot which disturbe even seasoned detectives >> someone approached him to b

hired as a hitman. >> a scheme with a twist >> this is where this whol story goes hollywood >> yeah. literally. >> the starring characters - an unhappy housewife - >> don't you worry you are done a >> luxury car salesman - >> the only thing i could as is why >> a former amortization and aspiring model - >> it was horrible >> and a prominent doctor. >> we were both scared we both did know what to do. >> our story begins in rocklan county, new york, nestled alon the hudson river about a hour's drive north of new york city, the home of dr. ir bernstein, a well respecte podiatrist >> i've wondered why someone chooses feet as a doctor >> feet are extremely important, yes. >> he took us back to where it all began, penn stat university where he first me his future wife susan. >> here they are smiling i their college yearbook it was the mid 90s when th couple bumped into each othe

at a fraternity party. >> she was so caring and compassionate. she was supportive of me she was there when i had t study long hours >> it sounds like you had great relationship >> it was. >> after college, susan worked toward her masters and eventually her doctorate i education. i wrote went to podiatrist school >> >> not a lot of money? >> we had no money >> a few years after that in 2002, they got married >> when you said your eye dos, was it right >> i did >> the couple moved back t rockland county near ira's hom town it was not long before he an susan were raising three children ira says the work day and nigh and it quickly paid off. he opened multiple foot surger centers and invested in real estate the couple were grateful for their good fortune

>> my house was 13,000 squar feet on 14 acres of land we had tennis courts, a pool, pool house, a lake, a dog, votes. >> other houses? >> i had about 20 differen buildings and houses that would rent out >> ira soon realized all the money came with problems eve with his success he says he was struggling to keep up with the cost of the extravagant lifestyle and he says susan had developed quite the appetite for the finer things >> i overextended myself and then her spending just started amplifying and amplifying to the point where 40,000 a month on her credit card was standar operating procedure. >> what was she buying >> everything from vacations she would plan, clothes, jewelry. >> the way ira saw it, he wa the one doing all the workin well susan, a stay at home mom with a live in any, who is doing most of the plane. >> her days were filled with

lunch dates with friends, sp appointments, manny petty's. she started book clubs and cooking clubs. she would be out literally about four nights a week >> ira claims he was lonely an resentful. >> you and susan hit a major bump in your marriage when she discovers you are seeing another woman. >> right >> he says susan discovered th affair for message as he found on his computer. instead of filing for divorce, they plan to stay together wit unorthodox rules >> we decided to have an ope marriage and she could start dating people. >> he says it was an attempt a saving a marriage in shambles. they thought the open marriage was working but apparently his wife didn't. three months after the new arrangement, ira says he was shocked when police came knocking on his door susan had filed a restrainin order. >> the sheriff gives me 20 minutes to pack my stuff whatever i could grab. i am escorted out of my house.

i wind up in my parents hous living in my old high school bedroom. >> irises susan claimed he was physically and verbally abusiv to her and their children. ira says that wasn't true. >> i am the least abusiv person in the world. i don't even disciplined m children, okay they walk all over me like i'm a teddy bear >> in fact, several months later, ira says, susan withdre the restraining order an wanted to reconcile. he agreed to try but soo enough, he says, the fightin flared up again. that is when a beautiful forme patient reached out to him >> she was calling me out of the blue to say she would like to meet with me and see if w can do business together >> her name was kelly, a woman with an eclectic career, a former morticians now in the business of selling orthotic for shoes. since ira was a podiatrist kelly asked him to be part o her company. he agreed and thei professional relationshi quickly turn personal. >> she completely understood

me i found someone that actuall got me she had a sexy look to her >> were you physically attracted to him as well >> of course >> what do you think it was? >> chemistry >> kelly was a mother of three young boys who had gone throug a traumatic divorce which left her family in tatters, something ira could relate to. >> he started opening up to me about his separation we had shared some intimat things that we were goin through. we were going through very similar things >> as much as she cared for ira, she says she felt that it wa more important to give his marriage another shot. >> i wanted them to do what wa best for their family. i really truly loved him and i thought that whatever woul make him happy is what i wante for him. >> she says she stopped seeing ira and even met with susan to tell her she had bowed out o the relationship >> at the end of the conversation, she said to me if it doesn't work out between me and ira, i want to see hi end up with the. you're good for him. a >> few months later, ira ran

back to kelly. the reconciliation with susa was not going well no one was happy >> you're awful girl third i the bahamas. we can't get in touch with the i have to call your dad, you office manager >> ira started recording susan claiming her anger was escalating into threats. it was taking a big toll o him. >> he was having panic attacks he couldn't sleep at night nightmares >> what's that doing to yo watching the man you love go through that >> devastating >> someone in this heated love triangle was getting desperate >> coming up, the crowde marriage might soon to be little less grams. >> she brought me a picture in a ziplock bag? >> of the target >> a phone number. >> someone is planning a hit and it's all caught on hidde camera >> [inaudible] >> [inaudible] trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪

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love triangle between th podiatrist, his strange wife and his new girlfriend reached a slow burn, a new character entered the scene, a luxury ca salesman, who says he got an unexpected visit from a former customer she came into his office and ask for the unthinkable.

she wanted someone murdered. did she look like the kind o woman who would be coming into hire a hitman? >> no way. not in 1 million years >> his name is mark kenzy. originally from haiti, a fathe of four who had been selling cars for more than 16 years. >> the only thing i could as is why >> he thinks she came to him because of an earlie conversation they had when h offered to help her with her marital problems >> if you need any help, and a kind of situation, we know a few people who could help yo out meaning that i have friend of mine in a police station nearby who i alway call for any reason whatsoever >> do you think she took at th wrong way? >> i think she did she believes that i would harm the guy. >> he says he's no hitman. the woman was just hearing wha she wanted to hear >> she sounded like she was so desperate to get this done i think any little information she would have forced hersel

to believe it. >> he says he played along trying to see if she was serious. >> i told her that it was no something i do i could potentially get her in touch with the people that could do it. >> did you have any background in law enforcement >> no. >> just a regular guy? >> a regular guy who hangs out with cops. you pick up a few things her and there. >> his unofficial police training kicked in to make history more believable. he says he got specific abou the man he would used to do th hit. >> these guys are top black op -- >> washing interested? >> she was >> after she left, h immediately texted his frien on the force he got no response in the meantime, to keep her o the hook, he had arranged second meeting you can see them together on this gassed asian security footage. >> she brought me a picture in a ziplock bag. >> of the target >> along with the phone number for the target i came to realize that i d have something that is

potentially serious in my hand i don't know exactly which way to go. >> finally, this cop frien called him back and directed him to ramapo new york police. detectives robert fitzgerald and peter louisiana were assigned to the case >> we needed to get hi cooperation. >> since the woman trusted mar kenzy, directors wanted him to play the role of the bad guy he didn't hesitate >> that has to be really daunting >> it was kind of cool in a way. that's like 007 type thing >> detectives devised to plan. they rigged his car with cameras and audio recordin devices. >> the microphone was hangin out over here. i had a phone over here. >> they asked him to set u another meeting with the woman >> the location was this large walmart parking lot directly across the street from the police station >> we can literally see th police department. >> yeah, you could throw a roc

and hit the police station >> the newly minted informan alerted police the meeting was a set. a team of detectives raced t the parking lot to get i position >> it's an intense moment. she gets out of the car an gets into -- it's fantastic >> as she got into the car detectives could watch and listen to every word i realtime >> it can't be a robbery it can't be a shooting a can't be anything like that. >> it didn't take long befor she started talking money. how much to have the targe murdered >> [inaudible] >> detectives were watchin when the woman went with him again. >> [inaudible] [inaudible >> over the course of tw

meetings, the woman also managed to negotiate the price down to $100,000 she agreed to pay a 2000 dolla deposit and then asked about his refund policy. who was the woman? well, you have already met her yes, it was ira's girlfriend kelly gribeluk >> susan bernstein >> ira's wife. his girlfriend had cooked up a plan to end his marriage problems for good. detectives fitzgerald and lose in didn't think kelly wa working alone. >> we're thinking of another scenario >> they asked mark nze to push kelly for a meeting with her partner. she agreed it was a good idea. that it happened later that night, they bot showed up. >> who was kelly's partner i

crime? how far will they go to get th de-done? coming up -- >> the money is now th problem. >> they have a new problem for the hitman >> he will feel more comfortable to move ahead with that right away. >> this is a huge moment in ou case >> this is where the whole story goes a little bi hollywood. >> literally >> when dateline continues >> when dateline continues your kids a text. it may be the last time that you do. [announcer] you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. with gold bond... you can age on your own terms. retinol overnight means... the smoothing benefits of retinol. are now for your whole body. plus, fast-working crepe corrector diminishes wrinkled skin in just two days. gold bond. champion your skin. 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.

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>> as ramapo detective continue to investigate th plot to kill susan bernstein they became convinced that kelly gribeluk was not actin alone. someone else was the mastermind investigators had thei suspicions about who that wa but they needed proof and less than a week later they go it at the parking lot across the street from the police station. >> all of a sudden, i thin he's pulling in. he >> finally showed who was the other person >> that was ira bernstein. >> incredibly, this was a ma all the detectives knew well >> he's your police foot surgeon? >> yes >> is that blowing your mind that it's ira? >> we were both patients of hi a long time ago. we have to be concerned. is he going to recognize u when we're doing the surveillance us? >> rockland county executive

assistant da richard moran was on the case from the beginning >> he actually got in the ca with the informant he started talking about how h wanted his wife killed >> we were thinking asap >> the lesser the better >> >> was that enough to arrest him? >> no money had been exchanged you need an overt acts we had some stuff but we didn' want to jump the gun >> they arranged another meeting. ira would show again he did not something big happened - kelly finally handed over mone for the hit. >> how much we talking >> at 2000 dollar deposit. >> nothing until we give you the go ahead be on standby. >> as detectives waited fo iran kelly to give the go ahead, this melodrama took a new turn

kelly added it to new targets. >> kelly shows up to one of th meetings and says, he hasn't committed yet, but he wants yo to take care of to insurance investigators. >> kelly did not ask for the to be killed but to be beate up detectives believe this new jo was a way to test marckenzy to see if he was the real deal. >> kelley asked him, are you a police officer they don't think that someon working with the police woul actually have to innocen people just doing their jo beat up. >> they were willing to pa quickly to get it done kelly handed marckenzy a brown bag filled with cash, 20 $500, half of the 5000 dollar fee. >> he wants to make sure they're out of commission for long time. any possibility it can be done this week? >> detective louisiana reached out to the insurance investigators and discovered why they were the selected targets. >> i called them and i said,

listen, we want to speak to yo in person. i don't want to say it over th phone. we're coming to rockland because we have an investigation into our reverence team >> they were investigating i refer insurance frau suspecting that he had bee illegally padding his insuranc claims >> how did these insurance investigators feel when yo told them there was this plo out to have you been up? >> they couldn't believe it. they were shocked. they were very concerned >> the detective asked the investigators further help >> this is where this full story goes a little bi hollywood. >> yeah, literally >> with the investigator willing to be actress for th day. >> maybe we can get a makeup artist, make it look like they were actually meet up. >> how do they react to this idea >> i have to talk to my wife first. they agreed. >> police set up in this parking lot where they had a few other undercover guys thro some punches >> we took a lot of pictures o

them beating them up we have to tell th investigators not overdo it. fight back a little bit. this is a huge moment in our case if they believe this trues about the beating up, we can probably get to the big thin with where he's trying to kill susan. >> [inaudible] >> the pressure was on the car salesman he texted kelly to meet him in their usual spot he had three photos talked inside a newspaper ready t show her >> we had coach them ahead o time no matter what happens, she' probably going to say she want to take the pictures we want ira to come out. he needs to commit do matter what happens, yo make sure that the picture sta with you >> everyone was in place waiting. kelly was late finally, she showed. >> i am so sorry don't understand >> with his heart pounding marckenzy showed her the

photos >> those are the two guys. >> he wants to make sure they're not just going to come to work with a broken leg. what did they do to them >> the less you know, th better >> she seemed satisfied. just said the detectives predicted, kelly asked to take the photos to show ira >> [inaudible] >> the salesman followed the instructions perfectly he came up with an idea on his own. he knew law enforcement wanted ira so he told kelly to call him. >> he suggested that he coul swing by the office. >> [inaudible]

[inaudible >> it sounded like the perfect blend. is there ever such a thing coming up -- >> [inaudible] >> did the sting just to get stung? >> what's the thing between th seats? >> this is it, we're done. >> when dateline continues >> when dateline continues 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.

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set to visit russian president vladimir putin in moscow o monday the two leaders will work on a peace plan for the war i ukraine. the announcement of the trip comes as the international criminal court issued an arres warrant for putin. new evidence suggests that

coronavirus might have bee transferred from an animal t human at wuhan, china. dna left behind from a raccoon dogs matched the genetic signatures of coronavirus foun in the same location back to dateline >> ira bernstein and kelly gribeluk or in love. it could be jeopardized by his ex-wife. a murder for hire plan was hashed with a catch. the hitmen was secretly workin with police. it looked like the undercove sting operation might be blown was ira on to them here's andrea canning with the target >> the investigation had entered its third week ira had agreed to meet marckenzy the informant outsid of his medical practice.

here are ira and kelly walking to his car >> the doctor comes out of the office he's in his scrubs he gets into the car >> how is it going >> marckenzy showed ira th photos of the insuranc investigators. ira immediately seemed suspicious >> [inaudible] >> why are they wearing regula jackets? i don't know >> you're really having to think on your feet >> marckenzy started talking about keeping the photos >> i don't want to give them t you. >> what do i need them for [laughter] as long as it's done, i just don't want them showing up t work >> it's all foolproof. >> at this point, ira seemed dissatisfied >> he's like, it's a big relief if he thinks they're fake, h

is really going to think something is up here >> detectives had coache marckenzy on what to do afte he showed ira the pictures >> asking what's going on with a wife give him a deadline. it has to be by this time wher we are walking away. it has to be his decision. >> [inaudible] [inaudible >> ira was admitting he was th one pulling the strings, not kelly. it was a critical moment just as they were ready to hig five each other, ira turne around and pointed to somethin in the backseat.

he was looking directly at the hidden camera. >> are you on the edge of your seats when he's pointing to th camera >> oh, yeah. are you kidding me he's looking right at th camera we are done. marckenzy does a great job >> that's something for th kids games they plug into it. >> [inaudible] >> crisis averted. without skipping a beat, moved ira on to the details of how susan should be killed they agree she would be hit by a car. >> [inaudible] >> let's have another top. this is the answer it's going to be yes or no

she shows up again in th walmart parking lot. she doesn't get in the car >> detectives were worried since ira spotted a hidden camera he might have worn kelly t stay out of the car. >> is that game over >> no, not him over. we have audio on marckenzy himself. >> what's up >> there are red flags >> kelly said ira with jacking up on the insuranc investigators to make sure the had been beaten up >> they're not in any hospital up there >> what do you want me to do he's paranoid about what >> [inaudible] >> despite all of he reservations, kelly finall gave an answer about the hit o susan bernstein. >> we don't hear any answe

because she's holding up her phone. she had typed the word yes inside the phone she wasn't verbally going to say. >> it didn't matter. detectives now had confirmatio that ira and kelly were in the date was set they believed susan will be ru over four days later o thursday, may 5th, cinco d mayo the prosecutor was satisfy the had enough to arrest them. >> once kelly says yes and agrees to give him money, th investigation is for the mos part complete. >> the police made plans for kelly's a rest at the walmar parking lot. >> how did this go down? a swathe situation, a couple o officers >> there were several officers in plain clothes around in the area but it was just two officers who approached her. >> she was shocked i went to the door and i said, i believe you know what this i about. >> when they brought kellyanne to the police station there wa another staged hollywood moment they had handcuffed marckens

and put him in a holding room. >> she saw him in there. i saw her eyes meet his eyes she knows that this supposed hit man is arrested. >> [inaudible] >> was that your money was it ira's money >> [inaudible] >> do yourself a favor be honest. >> a few hours later, on his way home from dinner in th city, ira was pulled over near his house and arrested >> he was so nervous he was shaking a lot my life is over. my life is over. i think he said he would jus kill himself >> a little later on tha night. i will never practiced again >> ira and kelly were charge with solicitation to commi murder you heard law enforcement side

of the story the couple has a very differen version. there would be killers say the tale of the tapes has a majo gap because they were victim as well. coming up -- >> things had reached horrible point she was trying to blackmail me in every way >> i saw someone that i love being heard and it was not going to come to an end. >> he made it clear that w were going to be fit if -- >> when dateline continues >> when dateline continues [announcer] you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. ♪ icy hot pro starts working instantly. with two max-strength pain relievers. ♪ so you can rise from pain like a pro. icy hot pro. nicorette knows quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like... just stop. go for a run. go for ten runs.

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murder of ira's life they say the video doesn't tel the whole story. >> did you want susan bernstei dead >> in the beginning, yes at the end, no >> there was no way i was goin to ever be able to go throug with this and hurt susan iran kelly agreed to set out with a line. they shared with us how this whole murder for hire plot got started. for ira, it was out of desperation. >> things had reached horrible point >> ira had a secret. he had been stealing from an insurance company overbillin for medical services and h says his wife knew it. >> did you feel like susan was trying to blackmail you in any way? >> she was trying to blackmail me in every way. she would look at me and say listen, i have broken into you emails i have printed out and recorde all of your business dealings. i'm telling you now, if yo don't give me everything i want,

i am going to the prosecutor and i'm going to expose you fo everything and try to put yo in jail. >> remember that ira recorde susan threatening him. >> don't bother coming back. you're going to jail and court >> ira claimed susan was using that information to pressure him into signing a post nuptia agreement that stated if the divorced he would give her mos of their assets. fearing susan would make goo on her threats, he signed it >> only a moron would have signed this post nuptial agreement if they weren't unde severe coercion and distress >> you are the more on >> i am the more on. >> this is ira's version o what happened. susan and her lawyer never responded to our repeate requests to hear her side. says ira it was during thi volatile time that kelly cam up with the idea of hiring a hit man. >> kelly did this on her own >> yes i had a conversation with he about it it was more fantasy. there was nothing legitimate t it

>> what is hardest at respected doctor was capable o even going down this road. >> i don't understand it either that was not me. that was a different person. >> you both actually crossed over from just thinking abou it to doing something about it >> i put it into motion. >> did you worry about those kids >> i did i saw someone that i loved being her. it was not going to come to an end. it was not going to stop >> did you imagine life withou susan? >> it was peaceful >> despite her fantasy of peaceful life with students ou of the picture, ira and kell had second thoughts.

there was a problem. >> did you say to marckens that we don't want to do this? >> what did he say >> he said there is no backing out. >> in an impromptu meeting where there were no police recordings, kelly claims tha marckensy told her a terrifyin story about another client o us who wanted out. >> he explained that he has to think of a girl and bring he to the men and they're going t be feeding her to alligators >> he made it very clear tha we were going to be fed to the alligators if we do not go through with this. >> you had another option. you could have just pay down the money and walked away. >> we thought about that it was $100,000 that he wanted at that point. i don't think they would hav gone away. we came to the same conclusion >> isn't it easier to just not kill someone and walk away and take the money >> yes at the time, we didn't fee like that was an option. we didn't think they were goin

to stop. >> despite their fears, kell says she and ira decided t back out >> we came to our senses this is crazy. we're not doing this >> i think people are goin part-time, believing that they didn't want to go through afte everything they did to set the plan in motion >> if we wanted to do this, we would have been played >> coming up with $100,000 for me would have been a piece o cake if i wanted it done, it woul have been done >> i ira admitted to paying to have the insurance investigato speed up >> i made the biggest wron decision of my life which wa to put the welfare of myself above the welfare of those investigators and to allow the to be subjected to getting hurt >> what would you say to them? >> i don't even know what could say to them. what i did was disgusting. thank god this was all a sha and nothing happened >> did you ever think you coul

have been part of a stin operation? >> the weird thing is i wa almost hoping it was part of a sting operation at that point. i wanted to get out of this so badly. >> why should people believe you? people could think, yeah, he's just trying to change his stor now because he got caught. >> anyone that knows me know that i am not a violent person i really believe that susa knows me for a 23 years. even she knows there is no way i would have ever let this happen >> the prosecutor thought ir was lying. he wanted kelly self to prov it she refused to cooperate moran spotted a crack in their relationship ira had gotten out of jail i four days well kelly fou months later was still behin bars >> why didn't ira bail her out >> you would have to ask him she might have this in western >> this was his chance t

pounce he knew kelly was angry an hope she would finally agree t roll on ira. he offered her a plea deal and exchange for testifyin against ira, she would get 1 years in prison with a chanc for parole in four her attorney jonathan reps explains why she took the deal >> i am fairly confident the judge would give her close t the max which would be 2 years. that's an awfully long time. >> the pleating felt safe? >> anything involving stat prison, that's years in length it's going to be an ugly number the alternative had there been a conviction would have been much more drastic. with the police in place, kell was set to be the prosecutio star witness against ira in this twisted tale of gree and lies, could anyone b trusted? coming up, answering for the past >> what i did was wrong. >> thinking about the future >> some people call this a twisted love story

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ira bernstein and hi girlfriend kelly were gribeluk caught on tape lauding the contract killing of ira' susan. kelly had agreed to a plea dea requiring her to testify against ira. prosecutor started to wonder where the bonds of love strong enough for thei

agreement? here with the conclusion of th target is andrea canning >> that's the case editorial it looked like the estranged lovers would point fingers a each other kelly was cooperating with the prosecution. ira's defense was to throw his girlfriend under the bus he claimed he never gave the g ahead to have his wife murdered he says that was all kelly >> she came home on that evening and she told me she ha to tell them yes >> she went rogue on you, yo are saying >> pretty much >> rockland county prosecuto richard moran was not buying it the evidence told a real story >> when you look at th meetings and listen to them, kelley could not make on decision ira was the one calling th shots. was she the person who was the conduit? sure, but in the end, ira had goal >> this was all about money? >> yes >> he believes ira had n

intention of honoring the post nuptial agreement when h agreed to give susan most of their assets if they divorced. >> iraq bernstein wanted t keep everything that he worked so hard for. he was going to do what he had to do whether it be have the insurance investigators beat u or having his wife killed. >> the cornerstone of th defenses case is that ira trie to call it off but that ther were threats if you don't go through with this. harm could come to you >> that is simply not the case after they claimed they were - they hire him to do the othe job to beat up the two men >> he says nowhere on the tape or in text messages did ira an kelly say they changed their minds about killing susan. >> even if they did change their minds, they never called the police to tell the police, hey, there is a hit man ou

there. they never called police to sa watch out. they did nothing >> moran says there was anothe indicator that ira and kelly plan to go through with th murder >> on the day she told informing us, she called him a dinner resignations for th entire doctors office for ma 5th. that was the day that susan wa going to be run over >> how may i help you? >> i made reservations las night for cinco de mayo. i wasn't sure if i told you 70 or 8:00. >> it's an alibi kelly and ira wanted everybody from work to see that they wer with them acting normal when susan dog killed >> as the trial date dre closer, moran was feeling good about his case and his sta witness. there was a hitch. after kelly got out of jail, instead of rolling on ira, h moved in with him. >> kelley seems like she has a fierce loyalty to ira. >> she certainly does. >> kelly was too much of a wildcard

instead of going to trial, the prosecutor offered ira a deal. 15 years in prison, eligible for parole in five >> there was a real defens here >> ira's attorney said eve though he believed ira had a strong defense he knew going before a jury could be a gamble you have two people who have been talking about planning murder and then you ar supposed to take their word fo that they were trying to cal it off >> it's one of the obstacles o trial, absolutely. >> there were ira's othe charges -- insurance fraud, ordering th assault on those investigators he accepted the deal and pleaded guilty to a gran larceny and conspiracy involving the plot to kill his wife >> we resolved everything with the plea, all financia investigations, all crimes alleged to have been committed >> as for his estranged wife susan, the intended target, sh didn't find out about the plot until after ira was arrested >> she wasn't surprised. >> susan had the opportunity t

say her piece at ira's sentencing she requested to not be on camera >> the only remorse ira has is that the murder did not occur. he was a scariest type o criminal, smart with n remorse. >> ira says he is remorseful for all the pain he has caused his family especially hi children >> i love my children very much what i did was wrong i will spend every day for the rest of my life making it up t them >> ira and kelly were living through out of miles apart i his in her prisons how would this saga and fo them it depends on who you ask. >> i don't know where this i going to go. i still care about her a lot i'm hoping we can get throug this >> the only good thing tha came out of this was that we'v both come to the realization

that we really love each other >> some people call this a twisted love story >> i think it's true love. >> marckensy the car salesma who play the role of a lifetim said he was happy for th hollywood ending the good guys one. >> the detective in th prosecutor said you're the her in this. do you feel that >> no. not at all that was the right thing to do being a hero, noah, the one ou there every day, not me. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm natalie morales-less thank you for watching >> i'm craig melvin and this i "dateline" >> i got a call saying the house was on fire. the first thing they asked m was who would want to kill you who would want to murder you and i just kind of looked at him like, what