the moment i met him i knew he was my soulmate. "soulmates." soulmate! [giggles] why do you need me? [laughs sarcastically] but then we switched to t-mobile 5g home internet. and now his attention is spent elsewhere. but i'm thinking of her the whole time. that's so much worse. why is that thing in bed with you? this is where it gets the best signal from the cell tower! i've tried everywhere else in the house! there's always a new excuse. well if we got xfinity you wouldn't have to mess around with the connection. therapy's tough, huh? -mmm. it's like a lot about me. [laughs] a home router should never be a home wrecker. oo this is a good book title. all good all good things must come to an end and trust the end of year. i'm sam sam. thanks for watching. hello, i'm andrea canning and this is dateline. >> they found each other in their own tropical island. >> we saw a lump in the water and that's it. that will be our spot for the

rest of our lives. >> a perfect life until she disappeared. >> imagine you were calling, leaving messages. >> calling, texting, and we started wondering. why would she just leave? >> i called her best friend and said does she have a man? where would she go? why did someone she know own her slice of paradise? >> he got away with murder? >> he got away with murder. hello and hello and welcome to dateline. it was a tropical hideaway where a group of adventurous americans thought they found paradise. good times, sunshine, and a relaxed lifestyle. a place where people didn't ask a lot of questions about their

neighbors. until some of those neighbors started to disappear. here is kate snow with stealing paradise. >> it's a dream that seems so out of reach. quit the rat race, move to an exotic lapped, and buy your very own private island. >> even when she was young, she wanted to travel. she wanted to see the world. >> she made it come true in the most unlikely place. the tiny faraway islands of panama. >> she would just take a picture of the sunset, send it to me. she's like it's like living in the postcard. >> life was beautiful and simple and an escape from the pressures of modern living. who could have known that evil could find a place in paradise too. beneath all the beauty was a dark secret. >> it still seems very unreal. i don't want to believe it.

>> this is a really, really bad guy. >> it sends chills down my spine. >> but before the nightmare came the dream. boca del toro is the kind of place that people come to escape. where things move more slowly and life is suppose to be easy. cher first visited the island with her boyfriend. it was affordable for the same money she had been saving up, that tiny round island. >> we saw the lump in the water and that's it. >> cher and keith met seven

years before that. i was hooked. she was just so beautiful. cher grew up in st. louis. she was always happy and had a smile for everybody. >> event chewly she moved to st. petersburg, florida, where she became a savvy businesswoman, running her own neon sign company. she made sure she was setting herself up for what she wanted to do was retire. then a friend asked her to vote and cheryl jumped at the chance. >> it just hit it that hard and the people here, it was

phenomenal. and cheryl loves children in panama with a lot of kids. a connection of shiny wooden buildings on their lush green island. she planted tropical gardens and adopted lots of animals including a pet monkey. he adored cheryl and followed her wherever she went. cher loved the local school nights, popcorn, celebrating the holiday with enthusiasm even though her friend, shawn trainer, said the kids didn't get the significance. >> she would do the easter egg hunts for all the kids. they had no idea what this crazy white woman was doing. coloring eggs. they never participated in anything like that before. >> keith and cher's relationship blossomed on the island. in 2005 they married in front of their many friends in the

close community. >> it is a small place. they would go to the grocery store and meet 20 people that you know. >> christa roberts became a part of her group of friends. >> we kind of stuck together and treated each other like family and take care of each other. >> even went by their first names or nicknames. keith and cher were known as ken and barbie. the man who owned one of the local watering holes, another american, was known as wild bill, the viking hat and all. bill and his wife, jane, opened a bar on their secluded property accessible only by boats where they would gather for drinks. >> bill had these saturday parties at his place at the bar or restaurant once or twice a month that draws everybody there. >> it was cher's tropical dream come true. a beautiful backdrop for family reunions like the time her aunt, mary, came to visit. >> her grandmother, my mother came down and visited and got

the tour and they met us at the airport. it was just wonderful. >> there was another big trip in the works. cher's sister, judy, was planning to visit for the very first time. >> she wanted to show you her paradise? >> oh yeah. >> the trip would be a good distraction for cher. her life had recently turnedup side down. her five year marriage to keith had hit a rough spot. he had even moved out. >> when keith had moved off the island, she was pretty devastated. but then again i also thought whose marriage is perfect and hopefully they'll work it out. i knew they still loved each other. >> the sisters were excited about the trip. plans were in full swing. and then what happened? >> and then i don't hear from her. >> one day past, then another, and still nothing. >> too much time has gone by. now i know something has happened.

>> judy was worried and cher was gone. coming up. >> where is cher? i don't know, we're mad at her too. >> but maybe her mysterious disappearance could be solved. a text message from cher to keith with some bad news. >> she just said i met somebody else who is better than you. >> and she was running away with that person? >> so maybe she got on a boat with some new friend you didn't know about and she'd be back in a week? yeah. it wouldn't have surprised me that i went sailing and then my phone fell off the deck. that would be cher. >> but who was this new mystery man and where was cher? when dateline continues. to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd and certain other conditions.

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on on the exotic coast of panama, cheryl hughes had been living out her dream of living on the island, but then she vanished. >> you were calling? center texting, facebooking, and i started reading her facebook. people in panama have not seen you around town. where are you at? give me a call. we started wondering. >> when cher's husband, keith, realized she left town, he was surprised, but he thought she might know why. talking about time spending in

panama city. a place to blend into the scenery more easily and wrap their head around her break up. >> she wanted an apartment in panama city to spend some time in the city. and boca is such a small community. >> she was getting tired of it? >> yeah, you keep bumping into the same people and they tell the same story. she was ready for a break from boca. >> it is not unusual for people to come and go around here. after all the easy going lifestyle is a part of the island's charm. but her friends and family said it wouldn't be like her to leave so abruptly, leave her cherished island with all her belongings still here. cher's aunt, mary, started phoning her friends in panama. >> we immediately started calling her friends and saying what's going on? and everyone was saying, you know cher, she might have gone for a week and she lost her phone. and we are like well, okay, maybe. >> mary logged on to her facebook page and reached out to those friends. >> where is cher? they said we don't know, we're

mad at her too. she calls me every day. where did she go? why wouldn't she call me? we're aggravated with her. like cher, what are you doing? >> and then some good news. cher's friends received a text message from her saying she had gone sailing. >> she is a euphroe spirit, right? she's adventurous. >> she had an opportunity. she would go, you know. so maybe she just got on a boat with some new friend that you didn't know about and she'd be back in a week? >> right, yeah. >> it wouldn't have surprised me oh mary, i went sailing and my phone dropped off the deck. that would be cher for three to four days. >> the messages were reassuring, but not for long. a few days passed and cher didn't return. then another text message, this one from cher to keith. >> and she just said i met somebody else who is better than you. >> she said she met somebody else? she was running away with that person? >> a mystery man? keith wanted to get to the

bottom of it. >> i called her best friend and said did cher meet somebody? does she have a man? she never mentioned a guy to me ever. she's waiting for you. there is no man. she didn't run away. >> but keith noticed something strange about the messages. they weren't written in her usual style. >> and instead of small letters, it's all capitals. and the number would be there rather than to. so it just changed. >> and then the text messages, simply stopped. cher's aunt mary called the u.s. embassy in panama and begged for help. >> the embassy said people disappear all the time. if she wants to be found, she will contact you. i had a hard time shouting into the darkness of the embassy saying help me, help me. >> things got worse. cher didn't call her father on his birthday. it was a huge alarm bell. >> i knew how she felt about her dad. she would never ever miss his

birthday. so something happened to cher. my heart knew then. >> after two months, it was staring everyone's in the face. the unanswered phone calls, the missed birthday. all the clues pointing to a horrible conclusion. >> and did you start to panic? >> yeah. i knew something was wrong. the whole family started to panic. >> the terrible it realization sank in. cher hadn't gone off sailing or run away with a mystery pan. she wasn't hiding out in an apartment in panama city. something had happened to her. friends in boca wrapped their brains for answers and they started thinking about another american from their group who also left abruptly. had anyone heard from him? what if cher wasn't the only person missing? what if there were two? >> i just woke up one morning. one of those weird things and i just knew. coming up, another american who apparently just walked away

leaving his home and a lot of questions behind. >> and some shoes by the door, his cane is next to the front door. just gave me a weird vibe. >> i knew off the bat this was like whoa, hey, what's going on here? >> i couldn't ignore it anybody. somebody had to do something. >> when dateline continues. (♪♪) ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ (♪♪) ♪ to bare my skin yeah that's all me ♪ (♪♪) ♪ nothing is everything ♪ (♪♪) with skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and most people were clearer even at 5 years. skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. ♪ nothing and me go hand-in-hand... ♪

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in in the picturesque island

of boca del toro, panama, a crisis was brewing. cher hughes had been missing for two months. now her family and friends wondered if her disappearance had anything to do with another american who left the island abruptly four months before cher. a man named beau. >> beau was quiet, an introvert. he was really a great guy. >> he kept a low profile since moving to boca from santa fe, new mexico in 2004. he was so quiet that no one noticed when he took off. >> and get in the boat and go, so they don't necessarily e- mail everybody and tell them they're leaving. it's easy not to be missed for a while. >> bo had sold his home to wild bill, another american in their group, famous for throwing lively parties many of them attended including cher's friend, kristin.

>> i few he wanted to sell and move somewhere different. i assumed they came to a lower price and bo had just left. >> but still as keith thought back to the days bo moved out, an image kept returning to his house right after he had left. >> i walked in and looked around and it looked as if bo had gone to the store, not moved out. i went back and told my friends, i can't believe, the house is weird. there's towels on the back of the door and his cane is to the front door. dishes in the sink. it's weird that bo would just walk away. >> two americans missing. rumors began to swirl. could their disappearances be linked? center the more you think about something like that, you know, it didn't add up. >> did it eat at you? >> yes, i kept thinking about it. it wasn't right that cher would leave without departing.

she would not leave town without throwing a huge party. and bo could leave. but the two of them going together and sending their belongings after the fact didn't sound right. >> and then kristin heard something that made the floor drop from under her. bo had abruptly stop paying his bills, something totally unlike him. >> i just woke up one morning like one of those weird things and i just knew. i couldn't ignore it anymore. i just couldn't. somebody had to do something. >> kristin went to the police. >> did they immediately investigate? >> no, they put it on the file and they would say yeah, yeah, yeah, people get lost in panama all the time. >> kristin reached out to someone she thought could help. don winters who ran panama guide, a news website for foreigners living in panama. >> i was contacted by one of her friends that was concerned that she was missing, and they asked for my help. >> don had lived in panama for decades and acted as a

consultant on this story. he had originally come here with u.s. military inel it jen. the case intelligence. >> and i knew that i had to apply a lot of time to it and a lot of attention to it. i knew i had to get it right. >> he hopped on a flight to boca del toro and tapped into the coconut telegraph. >> what is the coconut telegraph? >> that is just the rumor mill as they call it the coconut telegraph. when something happens, the word spreads quickly. >> from what don was hearing, things just weren't adding up. he checked to see if bo and cher might have left the country. >> i knew both of them, their passport high school not gone through the airport. if you look at immigration movements, both overteem you can track. boca they come in and they leave. they never left. all right. so they are still in panama

somewhere. >> but where? there is one more piece of the puzzle falling into place and that would point a finger at suspicion at someone living right among them. >> he was always the loudest voice in the room and text everybody and say your lord commands you to come to my party. >> a pirate looking to make a killing in real estate. >> she loved it. >> bill showed up and said yep, i bought everything. >> when dateline continues. the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your eczema specialist about dupixent. emergen-c crystals pop and fizz when you throw them back. and who doesn't love a good throwback?

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israel's largest labor union calling for a general strike after the military recovered bodies of six hostages from gaza. unless netanyahu agrees to a deal to release the remaining hostages. hotel workers walking off the job, fighting for higher pay and reduced workload.

the strike is expected to last up to three days. for now back to dateline. welcome back to dateline, i'm andrea canning. cher hughes and bo isler living the good life in panama. but neither had left the country. their disappearances seemed similar. something else they shared, raising even more concern. here is kate snow with stealing paradise. >> two americans had vanished from del toro, panama. after months of searching, their friends and family were connivanced their disappearances were linked and that something terrible had happened to both of them. >> and they both disappeared. neither of them contacted

anybody and the same story, both had personal belongings that would be sent to them. >> reporter: american bo isler was the first to leave. no one thought it was unusual especially when he sold his house to wild bill. >> bill had this persona that i have buckets of cash. >> and he pulled documents and found out wild bill had bought more than his home. >> bill had taken over his company and thaw owned the property. and so shortly after he goes missing, bill and his wife are now the president and secretary of this company. >> bill was in a hurry to get the house remodeled. he tried to sell it. wild bill seemed to be on a buying and selling spree

getting his first property in 2007. now he acquired bo's house as well. it was bo's next purchase that grabbed everyone's attention. >> bill showed up and said yep, i bought everything. >> everything? meaning your rental properties? the house that you built together with five buildings? a beautiful estate? >> yeah, exactly. >> he said he bought cher's entire estate, even her beautiful island and that cher had simply taken off. >> my dogs were there and the tools were there ask still on the island. so where is cher and all that stuff? when she gets back, you can deal with her. that's between you and her. >> he said to bring all their stuff back. >> he brought me one of my dogs. here is one dog and a table and two chairs. and here is a tool box. there is a lot more missing here. >> to keith, the whole story just didn't add up.

>> she would have never sold the island. it wouldn't happen. >> did you have any interest? >> we put everything in her name. she had the right to sell it without telling me anything. >> but you don't think she would have done that? >> it was never about the stuff or money, it was our home. you know, we set it up to live there forever. >> it all sounded wrong to aunt mary as well. >> she wasn't selling that. she loved it. she loved it. >> mary wanted answers. she picked up the phone and called wild bill. >> and he told me yeah, i got a great deal on cher's property. i bought everything at 50 cents on the dollar. and i would like to see that receipt. i signed a confidentiality statement. i said well look, i'll take a look at that. i heard she got an apartment in panama city. and i said so where is her stuff and everything? he's like vhrbñyeah she got the jewelry and money air cargo.

so i would like to see the receipt on that. this girl is not going to have you looking through her drawers finding her jewelry. >> and another curious thing was happening over at bill's place. no one could figure out why cher's devoted dog, jack, kept leaping off cher's island and swimming to bill's house over and over again. >> they kept bringing him back up to your old home and he would swim over? >> he would swim right back and stay right there. >> but for bill, it was business as usual. he even threw one of his famous parties at cher's place with all her things still there. it all seemed a little odd to her friend who stopped by that night. >> it wasn't very well attended. >> why didn't people go? >> i think everybody kind of had the same thing like it was really weird that it was at cher's house and he was doing it. >> and bill made a toast at the party to friendship. >> and bill gave a speech? >> yeah. >> it was really something about having good friends. >> and like here is a good

friend? >> yeah, just like that. >> wild bill lived about an hour's boat ride from the main island here in boca del toro. a big guy with a big personality. he was known for throwing parties at his place. even in a place that's full of colorful character, wild bill stood out. >> he was the loudest voice in the room. he would text everybody and say your lord commands you to come to my party. >> your lord commands you? >> yeah, he talked himself in the third party in a royal sense of some sense. i would take it as another one of bill's quirks. >> another quirk, a pirate club bill created called the jolly roger social club. bill joked that only 90% of the members survive. by now an uneasy feeling about wild bill was spreading throughout boca, and normally rowdy party guy was suddenly lying low. >> every time i saw him, he was in a hurry. he was trying to get it done and get out of there and didn't want to answer a whole lot of questions. he was nervous. >> the more don winter tapped

into the legendary coconut telegraph. the more he became convinced that wild bill was the key to finding bo and cher. >> this was the common denominator between the two of them that this guy had apparently, supposedly bought their property for cash and then both people disappeared. >> the flares went off in my head. and they are missing. >> do you remember that moment? >> yeah, the dread came over me like oh my gosh. he could have done something to these people. >> could the brash real estate bartending be hiding a deadly secret? coming up, the dark side of paradise. >> execute a search warrant on his house. find the ak-47, get him in custody. >> then the police went up with shovels and then they came down two hours later and said we need you to come up and take a look. >> when dateline continues. ♪ contr ol of my crohn's means everything to me ♪ ♪ control is everything to me ♪

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welcome back. wild welcome back. wild bill cortez ran the jolly roger social club where americans living on the group of the islands would like to gather. but he has seen just as interested in acquiring some of the local real estate. just how far did bill go to get his hands on these properties? local police were about to find out. continuing with stealing paradise here with kate snow. all eyes were on one of their own and two people who would

vanish. now her husband, keith, was telling anyone who would listen that the disappearances and the property transfers were no coincidence. and i was telling people in boca that this is a small community and bill is still in the area and he was going to come and shut me up. he told three to four people out of that and that i had security. >> keith wasn't the only one that was nervous. >> he urged keith to do the same. >> he said you need to come to panama city and to get to the dij and turn up the heat. >> keith went to panama city and laid out the case to the fbi.

>> from that point on, kudos to the police, they stepped it up. he heard a lot of stories and how he would fire it off to impress his friends. but in panama, it is illegal to own that type of weapon. don made a suggestion to police. >> execute a search warrant on his house, get him in custody. find the gun, lock him down. >> and figure out what role, if any. police drew up the warrant where they descended on his home. they were nowhere to be found. police began the search. >> and so police are looking around. they're here with a search warrant looking for a gun? >> and thaw are executing the search warrant. when they got here, they

encountered cher's dog. >> jack was at bill's place and no one knew how he got there, but the dog was anxious, pacing nervously. >> and he was agitated and kept circling, running up into the jungle. >> the dog would come down and bark at the people and run up the bill and the dog let them out there and went up into the back of the property. >> jack went up and down the hill until police fold him and a pound of disturbed dirt that they began to dig. >> the police went up with shovels and then they came down about two hours later. >> in a shallow grave, the police made a horrible discovery. the body of cher hughes. she had been shot once in the

back of the head. >> that is the hardest day of your life? >> yes. i mean no one should see somebody they care about look like that. >> now he understood why jack kept swimming to bill's place. >> he would stay right there and he was staying true to mommy. >> but the horror wasn't over as plus continued to search his property. they discovered another mound of disturbed dirt. another shallow grave. there buried beneath more rubble, the body of bo, the other missing american. >> when they found the bodies, that is when they realized that it is not just people making accusations. it really happened. >> he says they found evidence of the crime. and her purse and her cell phone used to send those text messages saying cher had simply gone for a sail.

and there was more. nazi memorabilia, strange satanic signs, jewelry that may have belonged to the victim and a dozen gold teeth. >> he lived with these things. he would live with corpses and people's personal affects around him. >> and two of their friends were dead. their bodies found in the backyard of the man they once trusted. wild bill cortez. >> and to know that he lived next to me and we did a social neighbor thing with him and he shot my wife. it is inconceivable. >> authorities launched a search for bill and his wife who they suspected was involved. it was too late. they fled. >> this is a major man hunt? >> yes, he was on the fly. so the most important thing at that point to get his picture out there on every television

screen, on every newspaper cover and it's got to get out there in a big way to get him caught. >> and by then wild bill and his wife, jane, were in costa rica. as the search intensified, bill and jane made a desperate attempt to cross into nicaragua by boat, but they were stopped by soldiers. >> and they got the drop on them with machine guns and said halt or die and he stopped. >> the end of the line? >> that is the first time. >> it is also the first time none on the island heard wild bill's real name. wild bill cortez was william aye son holbert, a 30-year-old on the run from american authorities since 2006. as the islanders absorbed the headlines, they discovered that he had a long path that stretched nearly 2,000 miles

from the white sand beaches all the way to the blue ridge mountains of north carolina and that is where he grew up going by his middle name jason. he married his sweetheart and worked as a landscaper. until he had an affair with one of his employees and who embezzled $25,000 from the gym's accounts. >> i said no, jason, it's not a part of your package. >> that is just the beginning as he left the job and his wife. he ran off with laura michelle reese who would later be known as jane cortez in bocas. he started in on real estate scams. he sold a home that wasn't his for $200,000. police charged him with obtaining property under false pretenses. by the time the owner realized what had happened, jason was on

the run. that landed him on the television program, america's most wanted. somewhere along the line, police said jason sold a stolen car in mississippi. when cops pulled him over for speeding in wyoming, he took off. leading them on the high-speed chase before escaping. it seems it was only after he moved to panama that they took the change. >> he would kill people to take over the property. not only did he steal the property, he would steal everything in the house. cars, boats, right down to the toothbrush and the underwear. >> and he took on their entire lives? >> yes, right down to the change in their pocket. >> four years after fleeing from the state, wild bill was finally in police custody, charged with heinous crimes, the murders of bo and cher hughes. >> and there are dozens, if not a hundred people in this town that all knew cher, that all

knew bo, and they're all thinking wow, pan, this guy fooled us all. he got away with murder. >> yes, for a while. >> little did everyone know wild bill had gotten away with a lot more. after authorities nabbed wild bill in costa rica, what else would they discover when he was brought back to panama? coming up. >> there is a guard in this jail that brings me a cell phone. >> a jail cell interview with wild bill. >> i've never tried to paint myself a good guy. i'm a bad guy. i'm getting what i deserved. >> when dateline continues. to target tough pain at the source. for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. new advil targeted relief. nexgard® plus helps you protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, and more... all in one delicious, monthly, soft chew.

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smart bed is only $999. plus get free delivery when you add any base. shop now at a sleep number store near you. welcome back. welcome back. william holbert and his wife known as wild bill and jane cortez, were arrested for not only stealing the island properties of two americans, but also allegedly murdering them in cold blood. now bill was talking to the police, but they couldn't have been prepared for his stunning confession. here is kate snow with the conclusion of stealing paradise. >> the search for cher hughes and bo islar had ended tragically. both found dead shot in the back of the head and buried in shallow graves. after being caught at the nicaragua border, wild bill and his wife emerged from the

jungle in shackles, charged with the murders. bill's wife was subdued and denied any involvement. bill, however, appeared surprisingly cheerful, saying he was happy to be back in panama. >> those first days when bill was brought back to panama, what was it like? >> he was making a joke and laughing. he wanted people to see him. he was really trying to show up. >> national director of police, gustavo perez interrogated wild bill and says he talked openly about the killings. bill admitted to shooting bo on his boat. for cher, it started with a friendly dinner at bill's place. afterwards bill took her outside to see some animals behind his house. when she turned to look at them, he shot her. did bill say why? >> money.

>> he said money. yeah, i wanted to have nice things. >> but even the most hardened cops were shocked to hear what else bill had done. wild bill drew a map of his home with x's marking where the bodies were buried, but only there were more than two x's on bill's map. there were five. five victims, not just bo and cher, but three more people who died at the hands of wild bill. this time it was a father, mother, and their teenage son, the brown family. they were the original owners of bill's property. cher's neighbors. after the bodies were discovered, wild bill was seen as a monster in panama. a serial killer who kept his victim's personal things right in his own house. we wanted to speak with bill, so we reached out to his attorney. we did get a return call. it was the lawyer with wild bill himself on the phone calling from his jail cell in

panama. he had already confessed to the murders, but he said he wanted to explain himself. >> i'm not denying criminal activity. i'm only saying what is portrayed in the media as this crazy serial killer thing is completely untrue. i am not a serial killer. i have never taken the pleasure of harming millions of human beings in the things i have done. i'm left here to die basically. >> you also have to understand the victims yd their families, they had sparties at their homes. how could you possibly defend that action? >> defend it? i'm not trying to defend my action. i'm a criminal. i'm abode guy. your worst nightmare. i didn't wake up one morning and decide to kill my neighbors. >> shortly after the call, a very different looking bill gave an interview from his jail cell. his wild blonde hair replaced by a brown buzz cut.

>> i planned it, i'm guilty for it. >> and he recounts how her murdered the brown family. >> i separated them. this is gruesome and i mean you're asking me, and i will answer your questions, sir. i separated them and asked mike to show me the well and i shot him from behind to kill him. >> he admits to another victim, number six. american ex-pat, jeffrey klein. and too afraid to go to authorities, he came up with his own solution for getting rid of the body. >> i just panicked, took it home and buried it and built a picnic area over it. it was definitely the wrong thing to do, but i had never been in that situation before. i never tried to paint myself a good guy, but i'm getting what i could deserve. i am sorry, but i can do

nothing to bring them back. >> he is sour for what he has done and he does shed tears, but not for the victims, but his wife. >> i said i'm sorry you ever met me. because she didn't e deserve this. if i could get this free, i would. >> and the man who said he killed six people had time to sit in a cell and think about his own death. william holbert and his wife apparently received threats in prison. >> there is a guard in this jail that brings me a cell phone and gives me death threats. i'm a dead man. i don't even care. that's not important. but my wife don't deserve this.

>> what other options does she have? >> options? what options. give me a second. >> this is a really bad guy. it doesn't get any worse than this guy. he's the worst of the worst. >> do you think the trail of bodies is longer? >> i have no doubt. exactly how many people did this guy kill? nobody knows. >> the prosecutor on the case said he reached out to other countries to see if any of their missing persons may have crossed paths with wild bill. >> once they verify and confirm any persons who has had contact with him, they will take measures to verify where they are. >> if there are other victims out there, they may be hard to find. wild bill mostly targeted loaners, people's whose disappearance might not be noticed. it wasn't until bill killed cher, the woman who had a smile for everyone that he was

caught. >> his mistake of targeting cher is what it was. he couldn't have picked a girl more loved. he picked somebody that stood out everywhere she went and would be missed and loved. >> someone the family cared so much that they would start calling immediately? >> yeah. >> this is our girl. how dare you mess with our girl and think we're not coming for you. >> it would take seven long years for the wheel of justice to turn in panama. during that time, his wife divorced him while they both sat in separate jails. but cher's family finally got the news they had long waited for. in august of 2017, william jason holbert, the man of people of boca del toro knew as wild bill cortez was found guilty of the robbery and homicide of five people according to a tweet from the panama ministry of justice. he was sentenced to 47 years in prison, and the woman once known as jane cortez, she was

sentenced to 26 years for her role in the crime. for cher's sister, judy, there are only good memories and appreciation for the big sister who followed her adventurous spirits all the way to paradise. >> you're not bitter she ever went to panama? >> i'm happy she went because i know what it meant to her. the peace in her heart of being able to live there. i wouldn't have wanted her to ss that. >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning. thanks for watching. go get the bad guys, right? i was not prepared for what happened. [music playing] police will get the bad guy. i was no