>> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm natalie morales. thanks for watching.

>> hello. i'm ann canning. and this is dateline. -- >> told me he love me. i loved him -- he said he'd be back. >> i'd hear a motion of some sort. and then i remember, hearing gunshots. >> -- one there. >> it's the website where -- to meet and cheat. >> it's someone looking to have an affair. >> but this affair was about so much more defeat. >> -- the affair became a game, a wife and her -- spying on her husband and his lover -- >> you just think, what have they done? >> and that the spy spot turned

deadly, one of the four lovers gunned down. >> it obviously -- was random. waiting at the scene and with a strange story, and where detectives, a strange video. >> how could -- that video. >> it was very creepy. an affair to remember, an affair to forget. and one more script still to be revealed. -- >> -- >> hello and, welcome to dateline. by appearances, sam and daniel drearier had a storied marriage and then one tragic afternoon their world came down, destroyed by a series of bullets -- as investigators began to dig,

they realized not always as it seemed. they had entered authority maze of marital betrayal. it's tangled web. sarasota, florida. the perfect backdrop for -- beautiful beaches for long walks, gorgeous sunsets, and disclosure of a gentle golf tide. the stories of love about in the city by the sea, but not all have ended happy ever after, like the one that -- back here in the summer of 2012, when secrets, lies and fidelity lead to murder. >> 9-1-1. >> hello. >> love story. >> it's so twisted, it's tangled. it's a not. i'm not sure if it will ever come undone. but i do know that there was more to the story than has been told. >> it all began in 1998, when

the 26-year-old local firefighter by the name of sam dreher, met the love of his life, danielle laborovo,. >> they were there just the ideal young couple. they held hands. they looked at each other. seemed crazy about her. >> sam's older sister, cindy lutz, was thrilled when she found out sam had a serious new girlfriend. what was your first impression? >> she was really sweet. she seemed crazy about him. she liked the outdoors. she liked to travel. so, they just have a lot in common. >> so it came as not a price when sam announced he was ready to pop the question. as for how he proposed, the firefighter didn't disappoint. >> he had hired a -- to build a rather large sand -- of a treasure chest. and then he had placed the engagement ring back. so, there were some real pirate

booty there. >> right, he pulled the ring out, got one knee, and propose. >> sam is a romantic. he is, isn't he? >> the lucky in love newly woods would become equally successful at work. sam quickly climb the fire department ladder, rising to the rank of lieutenant, at the young the age of 33. >> he loved the fire service. he absolutely loved it. he loved being paramedic. >> daniel was just as ambitious. finding her stride in the administrative office of a local hospital. >> sam and yet danielle did not have a -- aubrey cake. >> always told me that. >> aubry, who attended college nearby, often -- with the jury years >> what's the best ever. you took me in as family right away. it was just like -- a dad.

folks on school, don't let those boys ruin your life. they are no good. don't let those boys get around you. he's like, you are never allowed to date a fireman. >> a fireman? >> oh, he just worked with them. he knew how they were. >> danielle also -- like you are one of their own. >> yes, yes she was as welcoming -- >> aubrey listen to their tale of romantic trips through exotic lands. >> it traveled the world together. they had so many good times and so many great experiences. >> i would imagine they were almost like role models to you. >> yeah, they were. a perfect life, a perfect life. everything just seemed great. >> that all change in august of 2012 and it was a hot saturday afternoon in sarasota, when registered nurse trish murphy, heard a disturbance coming from the stairwell just --

her apartment. >> sounded like somebody being chased. and then i heard somebody yell, oh god, no. >> the unmistakable sound of gunshots followed. four of them in quick succession. trish immediately called 9-1-1. >> 9-1-1, was the location of emergency? >> i just heard gunshots. and somebody screaming outside and somebody running outside. >> i think my heart was probably going a gazillion miles a minute. >> trish slowly paired out of her apartment door and saw a man lying in the stairwell, believing. she knew he was an a resident of the apartment complex. >> i had no idea who he was. my concern was to get him over on his side, because he was face down and in a really big pool of blood. >> trish wasn't the only one at the scene. her upstairs neighbor, dianne mcknight, also try to aid the victim. >> there is just blood everywhere. and i just didn't know what to do. i ran back into my apartment --

>> as the months fly, trish began to worry the shooter might still be in the area. >> then all of a sudden you think, well, i wonder where the person is that did this. for all i knew, the -- upstairs shut. him >> those questions would have to wait. soon paramedics arrived on the scene and they learned -- firefighter sam giroir. the paramedics immediately airlifted sam to a -- word of the shooting -- and -- >> it's danielle and she's screaming into the phone, you have to come, he's been shot. he's been shot. and i said who's been shot? she screamed out, sam -- >> yet her brother side, thousand questions well to her mind and larson who shot him and why that apartment complex. firefighter gunned down.

with this -- more than just a random shooting. coming up -- >> there's -- going on and there's a reason -- concern. >> when dateline continues. eel. ♪ if you're tired of staring down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, ♪ ♪ it's a new day... ♪ ...stop settling. ♪ ...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,

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hospital, all she knew that was that her brother sam had been shot. >> it was a nightmare. it seemed like we were traveling thousand miles. we just could not get there fast enough. >> cindy finally went to the icu, sam's wife daniel was already there, waiting in the hallway. >> she started crying.

and i said, is your life? just tell me he's alive. >> she said he's alive. >> but the prognosis wasn't good. >> then the doctor said he was shot four times. and i'm thinking, wrong place, wrong time. i didn't know what happened. >> there responsibility of finding out what happened fell to detectives chad mcdonald and jarek mike szalbirak, who began gathering pieces of the puzzle as soon as they were on scene. >> with this case personal? >> firefighters are very close -- part of this larger brotherhood. and it is a tome. >> firstly, interviewed the neighbors who found sam lying in the stairwell. >> whenever we were a crime, that's usually going to start with your 9-1-1 caller. >> murphy told the detectives, this normally quiet, upscale gated community had never experience anything like this before. >> it was a nice quiet place to be. >> but she did remember seeing

something that troubled her one evening, just a month before the shooting. a man standing in the woods across the lake, staring at the building. >> i thought to myself, that that was an odd thing. who would just be standing there? >> it actives then turn to trish is -- diane mcknight. they learned diane was holding on to a secret. >> turns out the witness, diane mcknight, was a lot more than just a witness. she was very important to this case. >> yes, she was. >> dianne revealed that she knew sam, intimately. >> she admitted that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. she had stated that they had only been dating for a few months. and stated that they were enough. >> so sam was having an affair? >> yes. >> which is why sam was at the apartment complex that day. >> there's some infidelity going on and there's cause for concern. >> did you ever think that you would be the kind of person to

have an affair? >> no. >> dianne told the detectives that her affair with sam started as a fair so often do with an innocent encounter at the bar -- told him that i was. i'm like, what about you? he said yes, married. >> in fact, sam had been -- for 13 years. but according to diane it took just 14 months for -- the feelings with mutual. >> why is it about and that made you fall hard? >> he was just a thoughtful person. he was comforting. and i just couldn't -- to always be around him. >> did you still feel a little guilty? >> oh -- >> but i and said there were already issues in her marriage. i just thought, if i'm doing this, my marriage is definitely already over. >> a few months after the

affair began, she decided it was time to tell her husband she wanted to divorce. >> i remember just saying, we need to talk. nobody ever wants to hear that. he looked at me and said, are you having an affair? >> well. >> i said, no. >> why didn't you just -- at that point? >> i didn't want to hurt him. >> what came next? >> you've got very emotional. and he agreed to it. >> then came the shooting. diane tried to think of anyone who could be responsible and that's when she remembered a strange visit -- claiming to be a plumber. he said he was looking for a water leak in the building. >> he needed to check our pipes or something along that line. >> i said, okay. -- strange person in my home -- i did a feeling of, the just isn't right.

>> five minutes later, the poem was done in on his way. >> if you ever check with your super-? >> yes, i called the office and told them about -- they said, there should not have been anybody at my door. >> -- we are feeling -- >> -- >> the following day, the same man appeared again, right below her apartment. >> we standing there on the ground, by a tree, and looking directly up from me. >> that's creepy. >> yes. >> now, are you thinking, i'm being stalked? >> diane then saw him a third time. this time immediately after -- had been shot. >> that's a man -- that gave me chills. >> he came running up the stairs toward me. i looked at him and said, what are you doing here? >> -- recognized him -- and you can hear her on the 9-1-1 call. >> i don't -- i don't know. -- doing here? >> remember him making this

motion, whoa. then he ran off. >> did you start to think in those seconds that this mystery man was really -- >> yeah it was definitely a suspicion. >> it must have been such a puzzle. >> yes. >> i was looking as well for detectives. >> we know what this connection was. >> coming up -- more secrets waiting to be revealed. >> she said, i need you to sit down. i have something to tell you. and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. >> that's when dateline continues. baker tilly. 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.

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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. only from xfinity. the future starts now. bowser is coming. together we will stop... uh, who's he? [ chuckling ] [ gasps ] this place is amazing. [ growling ] the princess has been training him. yipee! i'm not threatened. mario! [ ominous music playing ] you asked for it. [ chuckling ] >> sam sam dreher clung to life

in the icu. dan mcknight remained at crime scene wondering who could've been responsible for his shooting. >> how scared are you knowing that there is a shooter on the loose? >> i was terrified. >> diane told detectives about the strange man she had seen multiple times around her apartment complex. the same man who appeared moments after sam was shot. >> they said, could you describe him? so i described him. >> little did dianne no, a man fitting that very same description had just been -- he had approached sheriff deputies moments after they arrived on scene and confessed to the shooting. >> the deputy had him in the back of the patrol car. -- satan said he was the shooter. >> did you feel like this could

be an easy one? case closed? or did you think there's more to the story? >> it's never an easy one. there's always more to the story. >> the man identified himself as michael minor. detectives mcdonald and szalbirak, immediately brought him down to the sheriff's office for questioning. >> he's very distraught, but he's willing to talk to us. and we were very much ready to listen to him. >> michael outlined for detectives the details of the shooting. he started by insisting it was all an accident. >> i never intended to pull that trigger. >> but detectives weren't so sure. after all, michael shot him not once but four times. one of the shots was to the back of sam's head. so sam is laying here and michael is right on top of him, basically, giving him the final shot? >> he would have had to have been. that's what the evidence indicates. >> one shot, in the back of would've been an accident. not the four shots that he actually fired. --

>> the detectives wanted to know, if this was an accident, why did michael shoot sam? >> we had all these pieces of the puzzle and he's trying to fit them altogether. >> when michael revealed something that would turn the case on his head -- told detectives about an affair. but it wasn't an affair between sam and diane. it was an affair he was having with the victim's wife, danielle dreher. >> he had been having an affair for four years. >> who is a mind spinning moment. -- had just discovered the victim, sam, had been cheating on his wife daniel. now they were learning danielle had also been cheating on sam. >> everybody here is involved with somebody else. it was interesting, to say the least. >> and challenging for detectives, who now had to contend with a second affair. michael minor, the palmer, 13 years younger than daniel, told him the two head madden actually madison, a website for husbands and wives looking to cheat. the website slogan? life is short, have an affair.

>> this was someone looking to have an affair. >> they both were. >> yes. >> but michael insisted this there's no casual flame. after all, the affair had lasted for years. what's more, he told detectives, he had fallen in love with danielle. >> it was like i really found my soulmate, man. it was so wonderful. i really had every intention of marrying this girl. >> he was smitten. i mean, he was totally obsessed with her. and in love with her. >> he went on to say that on the day of the shooting, he decided it was finally time to talk to sam, man to man. he wanted to come clean about his love for danielle. >> he wants to confront sam, basically tell him that he is the other man. >> i -- scheme to go up there and tell them, yeah, i'm seeing you, i'm seeing your wife and that day -- >> -- fountain in the parking lot of diane's apartment complex.

he also said he brought a gun, but had no idea how sam would react. >> -- i brought my firearm. -- up there and scare him. >> according to michael, his mano a mano with sam didn't go as planned, and when samsung michael -- he fled. >> don't run. -- trying to force -- to talk to me. >> michael ran -- sam up the stairs -- he said -- while the two were in the stairwell, sam turned -- >> michael claims that he was in fear, and close his eyes and just fired -- >> then he comes towards me and i just -- close my eyes and just pulled the freaking trigger. i'm so sorry. >> with all the things he's tell you -- relationship with daniel, do you start to think, we need to talk to danielle giroir? >> the next step -- daniel story.

and so -- of michael and headed to the hospital where daniel had been waiting for updates on sam's condition. all daniel have been told us in had been shot. no one told her by whom. >> when i get over there, she was crying, she was very upset. >> detectives recorded interview. >> trying to piece together where it all -- >> at first detective -- revealed what he knew about daniels lover, or that it was michael who shot -- and instead he started by asking daniel about her marriage to sam. he candidly described as troubled. >> we have but not getting long for many months. danielle also explained that she knew sam was having an affair, despite sam's best efforts to conceal it. >> did you know where he went? today? >> sure he went to his girlfriend. >> daniel admitted that she too

was unfaithful. >> she was pretty straightforward telling me about the affair. >> -- i shouldn't have -- nobody should cheat. >> little by little, the detectives led daniel to believe they were focusing their investigation on lover michael. >> kind of shock you -- >> yeah -- >> that's what happened. and we have michael. >> -- >> it wasn't the reaction detective was expecting. he found daniel stone to be strangely flat and -- he was disturbing to me -- i >> can't believe he did this. >> daniel went on to say she had no idea michael plan talk to sand that day. >> so michael -- over there? >> no. >> detectives were skeptical. they wondered if daniel knew more about -- intentions and she was letting on. >> at this point, i told her -- belief or not. >> so you are not done with danielle dreher.

>> no, went down with her. >> for the time being szalbirak, left daniel to be at the hospital to be with sam's family. it was up to daniel to reveal the identity of the shooter and explain the sorted details of how she was connected to him. >> she said, i need you to sit down i have something to tell you. and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. >> first, cindy learns and mcdaniel were getting a divorce. then the baton yell and sam were having affairs. most shocking of all, it was danielle's lover who shot sam. >> did i just hear what i just heard? >> for adults and snared by lies and deceit. one clinging to life. but this tangled story was about to get a whole lot more twisted. >> coming up -- >> danielle was just totally obsessed with what sam was doing. which went beyond anything that i've seen before in investigations. >> when dateline continues with a potent blend of nutrients

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here's our top story. -- which borders ukraine. state department says it's aware and does not see any reason to adjust its own strategic nuclear position at this time. and israel's defense minister is calling for a pause on his country's planned judicial overhaul. he is the first -- to break ranks over the proposal -- discontent toward the plan within israel's military was causing a national security threat. now, back to dateline. >> 24 hours after san dreher had been shot, his condition began to deteriorate, rapidly. sam's sister cindy was there when the family decided to take him off life support. >> i hated it. i thought of him like he was

one of my children. i loved him that much. >> were you able to be with sam? were you able to hold his hand and say goodbye? >> i did. >> what did you say to him? >> i made him a promise that the people responsible for his murder would pay for it. >> the news of sam's passing hit dianne mcknight hard. >> in my mind i'm still thinking, maybe there is still some hope. that he can survive this. but when i heard that, i knew that i was never going to see him again. >> sam's great niece aubrey take [interpreter] make it to the hospital in time, which he may try to be a sin sooner. >> bagpipes, i still remember to this day. >> does it make you really proud in that moment? >> yeah. i'm still proud of him. >> full fire department honors were bestowed on the ad mired

young you lieutenant. >> -- out their respects and it was very humbling, very, very humbling. >> along with the -- sands family and friend had -- leverage shot sam. >> no one could believe that she had -- that it was her boyfriend that killed him. >> didn't even want -- funeral. >> but the drama didn't in there. sitting not far from danielle was the other woman. was that awkward? with daniel being at the funeral. the wife and the mistress? >> yes. it was. but i felt it was more important for me to be there the worry about how awkward i felt. >> to her surprise, sam's family embraced diane. >> they'll received -- >> fees truly a -- person. and -- may have been happy.

and he deserve to be happy. >> come down pretty hard on daniel for here. sam was also having an affair. >> yes. >> do you condemn him for that behavior, as well? >> no. i don't think he intended to meet someone. i don't think he intended to have an affair. he met diane dianne, he had known or three months. that's a far cry and a world apart from danielle seeking a man on ashley madison and having a long term affair with him for four years. >> in the weeks following the funeral, the detectives continue their investigation. to have their shooter. but they also had lingering questions about whether danielle had somehow been involved. >> obviously, first things come to mind is the wife has a hand in this. she's linked and she's got to have something to do. >> and as mcdonald and shell

barack sift through the evidence. they became more confident they were on the right track. with they -- study even these two seasoned investigators. for over a month, danielle had spied on both them and diane. >> -- totally obsessed with what sam was doing. this went beyond anything -- investigations. >> what's more, it appeared to them that daniel had persuaded michael to help her. >> they had basically stalked them. they had a tracker on their vehicles. >> -- >> correct. >> -- discovered in the wheel well of sam's -- police also found evidence that danielle and michael were taking surveillance photos of sam and dianne. this is a photo taken of them on sam's boat. this one there on giants balcony. >> michael would have -- across the lake there that's where he would have been hiding

in the bushes. >> -- >> detectives said the couple only got bolder there. they discovered evidence michael had brazenly broken into diane's apartment and videotaped the inside. >> inside the belly of the beast. >> -- i believe his first words were i'm, in the valley of the beast. it is first thing where he hands over, with the alarm pad, where ways armed unarmed. >> that could have been bad, right? >> as michael documented every aspect of dianne's personal life, poking around her drawers, her refrigerator, even inside her bathroom -- police said danielle played look out. but in this text message to michael, daniel wright, get out of there if you aren't already. getting bad feeling. >> he's doing it at their quest, basically, have danielle. >> but what detectives found most alarming where the text

messages that michael and daniels and each other. >> michael, like, i want to blow his head off and put two on her for good measure. >> it goes on to say, bang, bang, dawn. i won't -- wrong. daniel later -- you would not and could not, because that would be illegal. >> that was definitely disturbing. >> in another text, daniel referred to her handgun, she called daisy. she wrote, i am so close to introducing them both to daisy. michael responded. ha, ha, we can do it together as a date. smiley face. and yet another she wrote, i hate them with every inch of me. revenge -- and it will be very, very sweet. it was very obvious that daniel had some kind of hatred towards -- to hurt him. >> and based on those text messages, it seemed clear to detectives that she persuaded michael to feel this way.

>> i absolutely think she poisoned michael's mind as far as what sam was. >> everything he knew about him was that he was a violent person. >> -- as a drunk, as a -- as a liar. that -- from one person and one person alone, danielle. >> did you have any evidence -- investigating the same was abusive or violent towards daniel? >> there was no evidence that whatsoever. >> daniel, luckily, had control over michael minor. she did manipulated. did you manipulate him to the point of killing sam? i don't know. >> detectives mcdonald and -- realize they need to pay danielle dreher another visit. >> we are going back to further -- what is your intent? what is your involvement in this? >> coming up -- did someone have 1 million

reasons to commit murder? >> there is a substantial amount of money that she would -- and then turn up. -- >> that's when dateline continues 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. ask your specialist about dupixent. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ including steroids, without talk♪ i'm with it ♪tor. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ there's an invisible threat in your backyard that could cause deadly heartworm disease for your dog. but not if you protect him every month with heartgard plus, the #1 choice of dogs. digestive and neurological side effects have been reported. ask your vet for heartgard plus.

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movie. you can write this as a book. it wouldn't be believable. who does this? >> tracking, valence photos, sneaking onto an apartment. sounded more like a couple of

private ice then the -- marketing director. >> -- diane called the -- out of nowhere danielle appeared -- >> up from behind sam and said i'm danielle the soon to be ex. you must be the next. >> so. awkward. >> yeah. i just want to get out of there. >> danielle then left without incident. >> did you think you are being followed? no, i just thought it was a big coincidence, and of all the places. now i know why she was there. >> it seemed like marital espionage. >> >> exactly. it's exactly that. like they were playing spy games -- >> now it was up to and szalbirak to find out if all of those spy games somehow developed into a conspiracy to commit murder. >> i was very suspicious that she had a part in this homicide. >> detectives had sat down with

daniel and -- three separate occasions. from the very first interview, danielle willingly acknowledge that she and michael have been tracking -- and i am. >> would you put the tracking device on vehicle? >> i put it up under the driver 's side rear wheel. >> okay. >> and i've been tracking him for about a month and a half. >> danielle also admitted helping michael take though surveillance photos. >> who took the pictures? >> michael did. >> okay. -- >> mine. >> but daniel denied that all this elaborate -- escalated into a murder plot. instead she said, it was simply preparation for her pending divorce. >> and i told the attorney about it in the attorney said, whoa -- because he said that's good evidence. >> she wanted to be able to just have leverage and be able to embarrass him. >> danielle told detectives another reason was plain

curiosity. >> i had to see for myself that it was a girl. it broke my heart. >> how did you -- >> i don't know why. -- >> that's the question, right? we were doing it for years. and why did break your heart -- >> i think i still love my husband, i have feelings for him. >> what's more, daniel said she and michael had stopped their spying before the shooting. detectives also asked about those text messages, which they found so troubling. daniel said they were all in fun. the first question danielle about the text michael center. >> i want to -- his head off and then put two in her, just for good measure. do you remember him saying that? >> i don't. >> -- >> but he said it before. things like i will kill -- bleep -- >> -- >> they then asked danielle about the messages she sent back to him. >> i'm so close to introducing them -- to daisy. >> i remember that i didn't

have daisy with me, though, at the time. >> nor would i do anything with a gun. i think it was trying to -- michael in a weird way. >> do you think they are joking with each other? what do you think it's real? >> i asked danielle that very question. why are you saying this? and she just, it oh, i'm just trying to sound tough. so -- for real. >> but that's not the way sam's sister saw it, when detectives showed those text to cindy she was dumbstruck. >> i could not believe what i was reading and this was someone who has been in my family for 13 years. when talking about it with you now, i have chills. >> those texts, she said, moved just how much daniel hated sam and wanted him out of the way. and she's convinced that danielle up manipulated michael to feel the same way.

>> -- so that danielle -- other staff. she somehow -- associated. >> i think she is. >> -- dreher -- as much if not -- responsible for the man that shot him. >> cindy told detectives -- hatred -- only motive. but that she was also -- age-old incentive. >> i believe it was the money, to divorce the half of it. -- to get down with it. i think it was money. i think it was always money. >> just over 1 million dollars, and in fact. >> it was a substantial amount of money that she was going to gain if sam turned up dead. and that's exactly what happened. >> we asked daniel to sit down this for an interview. both she and her attorney declined. but during danielle's interview with the detectives, she methodically denied having anything to do with sam's murder. >> i >> would never kill my husband. i would never kill another

human being. >> and then -- pulled the trigger -- supported daniels claim of innocence in no uncertain terms. >> i acted on my own. i did this all on my own. i -- >> so, you are indicating, then, that dangles only involvement was in order to help you, basically, get dirt on her husband, to help with the divorce. nothing to do with -- >> right. >> but michael's response did not sway cindy. >> i didn't believe him. >> i think he was protecting her. like he would have done anything for her. >> cindy believes that includes lying about daniel being involved in sam's murder, and cindy wasn't alone. >> do i believe that she's part of the murder scheme? yes. >> sarasota county lead homicide prosecutor karen fraivillig, believed danielle manipulated michael to kill sam. >> she's very manipulative person. and she was able to manipulate

michael minor. and there is a dead man because of that. >> question now before the prosecutor could prove it in court. >> coming up -- >> with one lover betray another? >> my hope is that he would contact us and say, a, i want to tell you the truth. >> and -- the lever left behind ponders what might have been. >> -- without a doubt. >> -- >> that's when dateline continues. tasty. sweet or savory, ♪ ♪ always satisfying, gimme- ♪ blue diamond almonds. find your beat ♪ alwyour moment of calmme- ♪ 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

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fraivillig has prosecuted, she and the case of sam dreher's murderous specially frustrating. >> it's hard to remain -- unemotional at a martyr. -- except following of with another woman. >> michael minor may have shot sam, but prosecutor -- believed daniel manipulated him to do it. and that her motive it was more than just money. >> -- was a financial motive, certainly. it's probably just the most overarching motive, which just jealousy, despite the fact he was conducting an affair of her own, i think that you just completely enraged that sam started -- on her as well. >> in order to prove that in

court, the prosecutor since she would need something she didn't yet have. it's a statement from michael saying danielle acted as his accomplice. so she waited, thinking time would compel him to come forward and admit danielle was involved. he never did. michael maintain that daniel played no role in -- sam's murder. >> this is possibly a active chivalry? >> i think one of his motivations, if not his -- motivation was trying to protect the women that he loved. >> did you say to him, why are you protecting her? >> yes. he said, i'm not, i'm not protecting her. >> -- contact us through his lawyers and said, hey, i want to tell you the truth. i want to tell you about she had didn't. that's never happened. >> two and a half years -- shooting sam -- michael minor agreed to plead no contest to second-degree murder. >> it will live with me forever and it will haunt me forever.

exchange for his plea, michael received a sentence of 30 years. >> i would not give him anything less than that. i mean, he pulled the trigger. he didn't pull it once. he pulled it four times. i was glad that he was going to jail. >> michael minor didn't just kill our brother. a mortally wounded our entire family. >> michael minor never wavered in a statement that he acted alone. the end, prosecutor fraivillig while she didn't have enough evidence to charge daniels michaels accomplice. >> i cannot just charge someone based on my speculation's, the family's beliefs, and even the ugliness of text messages. it's not enough unless i can show there is a conspiracy. michael never gave me that information. >> what is your gut telling you? that danielle was indirectly involved? directly involved? or -- >> she wasn't -- >> had no part of this whatsoever -- >> she wasn't involved in the

homicide. >> news in the decision not to prosecute danielle for sam's murder, made -- sister cindy furious. >> -- >> absolutely. are you know what they're? job is not to prosecute cases that are easy. their job is to prosecute criminals. >> but just one everyone thought danielle was free and clear, prosecutor fraivillig said not so fast. michael miners videotape break-in of diane mctague's apartment -- the prosecutor believe daniel helped not only planned a break in, but she also instructed michael to steal some of the ions possessions. daniel was charged with burglary and theft. a trial, the defense argued daniel never asked michael to steal anything. the jury didn't degree. she was found guilty as charged and sentenced to three years in prison. >> it was a very satisfying -- to see the woman be punished for her actions. is the murder of sam --

an open case or a close case? >> no, it's a close case. >> but not for sandy, who continues to mourn the loss of her brother. keeps his uniform close by for comfort. and with it, a lifetime of memories. >> he was loving, he was carrying. he was the peacemaker. it was -- for others and he was just sweet. >> suddenly winds felt the same way about her -- and latanya. now there is -- between the two and city fought daniel over benefits from sam's life insurance, ultimately reached a confidential settlement. cindy also keeps a watchful eye on -- according to cindy danielle was with another man before she went to prison. >> she was living with a far side or. as a matter of fact. one of my -- brother's supposed -- >> what's your advice to this guy? this firefighter? >> watch your back. the rest of the guys involved

with danielle. >> as for diane, she's now left to reflect on a life with sam that could have been. >> did you to talk about marriage? with that in the cards? >> absolutely. >> did you ever feel like i'm being punished for having -- >> oh, yes. i might have said those words to myself. >> -- in a club with an innocent conversation. >> -- >> was it worth it? falling in love with sam? i would never change. >> i met sam. we see the one? without a doubt. >> -- >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning. thanks for watching.