connie hoagland: i think he just still thought that i didn't think he did it. josh mankiewicz: i -- i sort of get the feeling that maybe larry thought that you were the kind of person who wouldn't have the strength to testify again him. connie hoagland: i think you're right. i think he just didn't know me as well as he thought he did. josh mankiewicz: boy, was he wrong. connie hoagland: he was. he didn't know me at all. craig melvin: that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. . i'm craig melvin. and i'm natalie morales. and this is "dateline." s beautiful. i thought he was the love of my life. we wanted them to find the real killer. i wanted all of this to be behind us. and go on happily ever after. craig melvin: single mom meets single dad.

and in a single moment, it was love. britney romito: he was a very handsome. he was fun. randy pond: all smiles, very outgoing, charming. vanessa pond: everything he did just melted my heart. craig melvin: but there was something else about this dreamy single dad. something about his past. something deadly. raven abaroa (911 recording): my wife-- shes dead. i just came in the house. i saw janet on the floor. karyn bolton: he was crying, he was in shock. (exterior of residence at night) misty foxley: his whole life was shattered. (photos of raven and janet abaroa) vanessa pond: he said, i should probably let you know that my wife was actually murdered. craig melvin: killed in a crime that had never been solved. charlene franks: she was almost the perfect victim. craig melvin: and what about him? hed become the focus in his first wifes mysterious death. was he a victim, too? raven abaroa: im a father, i have a family. i didnt kill janet. vanessa pond: i felt horrible for him. josh mankiewicz: you didnt want to believe it? vanessa pond: who would want to believe that?

craig melvin: hello and welcome to dateline. vanessa pond was a single parent looking for a second chance at love and in raven abaroa she thought she found her soul mate. the pair started dating then came a chilling admission raven told vanessa he was carrying some heavy baggage. more than 2,000 miles away, he was a suspect in his wife's unsolved murder. still, vanessa clung to the dream that they could live happily ever after. here's josh mankiewicz with "deadly denial." josh mankiewicz: she'd found plenty of the wrong guys. now, here in front of her was someone different. vanessa pond: we met at a daycare, where both of our children went to daycare. josh mankiewicz: vanessa pond of salt lake city was twenty-five

and a single parent when, back in 2007, she met raven abaroa. like vanessa, he was single and raising a child alone. vanessa pond: he was very charming. vanessa pond: he would always come up with such fascinating dates. josh mankiewicz: he seemed different? vanessa pond: he seemed very different. josh mankiewicz: a good guy? vanessa pond: very good guy. josh mankiewicz: and you fell for him. vanessa pond: hard. josh mankiewicz: but along with the charm and the lavish dates, raven also had a storya horrible, awful storythat had changed his lifeand would also change vanessa pond's. the story raven told wasn't just about himself. it was about his first wife janet. vanessa pond: he said, "well, i should probably let you know that my wife was actually murdered." josh mankiewicz: the murder, raven said, happened three years earlier, when he and janet were living in durham north carolina. vanessa pond: it happened in a home invasion, and he came home and found her, and that he didn't want to talk about it any further.

josh mankiewicz: it was not the kind of thing vanessa expected to hear from the man who had just stolen her heart. vanessa pond: i was beside myself. josh mankiewicz: vanessa retreated to her laptop and began searching online... looking for exactly the details raven abaroa had not provided. vanessa pond: i had started researching. and i stayed up 'till 4:00, 4:30 in the morning. josh mankiewicz: the homicide, vanessa learned, occurred in april of 2005. raven had just come home from playing in a nighttime soccer game when he found his wife on the floor of their tiny, second floor office. janet had been stabbed three times. raven talked to us about that dreadful discovery. raven abaroa: when i initially look at her, i'm talking to her. like, "hey, janet. what's wrong?" and then it clicks on me that she's-- her eyes are open, looking at me, but she's not blinking her eyes. something was terribly wrong.

raven's 911 call: my wife, she's dead! operator: ok. you're gonna have to calm down. ok? what's the address? josh mankiewicz: for janet's parents, val and janet christiansen, it was the worst day of their lives. val christiansen: i pick up the phone and there's raven screaming into the phone: "she's gone." that's all he-- that's what he was saying. "she's gone." janet christiansen: of course, i can't breathe. i thought for sure i was having a heart attack. josh mankiewicz: the christiansens raced to durham to be by raven's side. val christiansen: he immediately broke down into bawling tears. i remember putting my arms around him, giving him a hug, and saying, "we'll get through this together." josh mankiewicz: everyone was left to wonder: why janet?... a woman as gentle as she was pretty. raven abaroa: she's extremely l-- loyal i guess is the word. like, with all of her friends, i mean, she-- when she has close friends, she's--

she's really good to them. she was really good to me. janet christiansen: she always wanted everyone to be happy. val christiansen: she's very supportive of people, and loved to help other people. josh mankiewicz: that came in handy growing up in a mormon household... with no fewer than nine siblings. janet christiansen: she was a peacemaker. josh mankiewicz: she didn't like confrontation? janet christiansen: absolutely not. josh mankiewicz: in college, janet excelled... in the classroom and especially on the soccer field. josh mankiewicz: but from a very early age, janet had her sites set on something more. janet christiansen: her goal in life was to be married, and have children and-- and be a mom. having a, well, a perfect home. josh mankiewicz: enter janet's college sweetheart... raven abaroa. raven abaroa: with her, you know, i wanna say i knew right away. i mean, her and i started talking about a long-term relationship three weeks into bein' together. josh mankiewicz: britney romito was janet's best friend in college.

britney romito: he was very handsome and i said all the time, you're the all-american couple. josh mankiewicz: it was a forgone conclusion that this young couple was destined for marriage... josh mankiewicz: it rained the night of the wedding... but no one seemed to care. josh mankiewicz: and then, the perfect, all american couple completed the perfect picture... welcoming into their world a son kaiden. britney romito: she said, "this is so phenomenal." janet christiansen: oh she loved -- absolutely loved being a mother. josh mankiewicz: but just six months later... that perfect picture went dark... when janet was discovered lying in a pool of her own blood. josh mankiewicz: and was there anyone who disliked her? janet christiansen: not that i know of... britney romito: she was a good person. josh mankiewicz: three years later, in salt lake city, the news of janet's homicide was also shocking to vanessa pond. vanessa had learned the killing had never been solved. she wanted more details --from raven--

about his terrible loss. vanessa pond: we sat down and had a conversation. i had my questions written out. and so we addressed every single one. josh mankiewicz: how long did that take? vanessa pond: we took an entire evening just to go over everything. josh mankiewicz: when the evening was over, vanessa was convinced that the horrific crime back in 2005 had claimed two victims: one, of course, was janet... but the other was raven. vanessa pond: i felt so, so, so, so sorry for him. um, i couldn't imagine possibly going through that. craig melvin: coming up... why had this killing never been solved? we delve into the clues: a bloody shoe print, mystery dna, and a coin in the yard. when dateline continues. dry eyes still feel gritty, rough, or tired? with miebo, eyes can feel ♪ miebo ♪ ♪ ohh yeah ♪

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the past seemed to haunt raven, as he shared with vanessa just how much janet had meant to him. vanessa pond: he laid kind of in a fetal position next to me. and then he just started talking -- how mad he was after janet died. josh mankiewicz: he said i loved my wife. vanessa pond: "i loved my wife" josh mankiewicz: for everyone who loved janet, the days following the homicide back in 2005 were agonizing. raven says he found himself asking the same question over and over again. raven abaroa: why we could have this beautiful child, why we can have this beautiful relationship and then to have her die? josh mankiewicz: misty foxley, a friend of both janet and raven, attended janet's memorial service. josh mankiewicz: how did raven look? misty foxley: he looked crushed. but he was trying to hold up. josh mankiewicz: soon, attention turned to finding her killer.

misty foxley: we didn't know exactly what happened. all we could think was that somebody broke into the house for what reason, didn't expect her there, and killed her. josh mankiewicz: charles sole, now retired, was a cop with the durham police department in 2005 when he was called to the scene of janet's homicide. charles sole: it was a two-story family residence josh mankiewicz: nice part of town? charles sole: quiet, for sure. josh mankiewicz: first responders discovered janet lying on the floor of the upstairs office. charles sole: she was on her back, her shirt was raised up exposing a wound to the center of her chest. josh mankiewicz: janet also had a stab wound to her hand, suggesting she tried to protect herself. the fatal wound was to her neck. and the weapon was nowhere in sight. charles sole: there was literally no disturbance on the desk. josh mankiewicz: suggesting that it was not some violent struggle? charles sole: no. not at all. which is kind of odd, based on it being a stabbing.

josh mankiewicz: crime scene investigators began the task of swabbing the entire house. it was no surprise that most of the blood and fingerprints tested came back as either raven's or janet's. but there were some things the techs had a harder time explaining. the first was a fingerprint found on the upstairs office closet door, not far from janet's body. josh mankiewicz: that print didn't come back to anybody? charles sole: no. josh mankiewicz: then there was a shoe print, left in blood next to janet. josh mankiewicz: could you tell anything about this bloody footprint? charles sole: it was right there by janet. but nothing definitive about the type of shoe, the make, or anything. josh mankiewicz: finally, analysts found unidentified dna, mixed with janet's blood, on a storm door leading to the side entrance. none of that forensic evidence could be traced to raven, janet, or anyone connected to the investigation. charles sole: those are things as an investigator you absolutely want to try and figure out.

josh mankiewicz: while technicians processed the house, detectives began interviewing raven, hoping he could help point them in the direction of janet's killer. charles sole: raven was visibly crying he looked like he was distraught and upset charles sole: he himself said that he knew of no enemy that she had. josh mankiewicz: he realized that some items from the house were missing. raven abaroa: then they asked me, "well, where was the last time you had the computer?" josh mankiewicz: so this was in-- later that night or the next day? raven abaroa: it was later that night. it was in that initial-- initial meeting with them. josh mankiewicz: his computer was gone. robbery? it was possible. charles sole: he also talked about some knives being missing. josh mankiewicz: had there been burglaries in that neighborhood? charles sole: yes. josh mankiewicz: lisa sealy was one of the abaroas' neighbors who had been burglarized. josh mankiewicz: your car was broken into, right? lisa sealy: well yes. it was unlocked and someone went into it and took out some change. josh mankiewicz: a seemingly petty, relatively insignificant theft...

until a k9 dog was called to search the grounds of the abaroa home where janet had been killed. when the dog got to the front of the house it stopped unexpectedly. charles sole: "it was in the proximity of where the bottle was..." charles sole: the dog made his alert that there was something in that area. josh mankiewicz: there... amongst the weeds... the dog had found... a coin. josh mankiewicz: one of the neighbors reported that her car had been broken into. and some change had been stolen. charles sole: you're correct. josh mankiewicz: and i guess, at least one theory was that maybe this coin was from that? charles sole: it certainly could have been. josh mankiewicz: a homicide... a burglary down the road... and a coin that could link the two. detectives needed to find out more about that coin. craig melvin: coming up secrets from the past revealed. britney romito: you never knew when the coin would flip and all of a sudden everything that was wrong in the world was her fault. craig melvin: when dateline continues.

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vegetable laxative ingredient. gentle. dependable. seneca. also available in delicious gummies here at home tonight. >> news of every imaginable shape and size. a lot of the big news in the country and in the world right now is still developing tonight. now is the time. so we're going to do it. settle in. i have a story to tell you. watch this space. >> get the latest updates on future msnbc live events. thought provoking conversations, and insider perspectives while building your msnbc community. building your msnbc community. scan the qr code on your josh mankiewicz: the theory that janet abaroa's death may have been collateral damage from a burglary gone bad was not getting much traction. josh mankiewicz: generally, when you surprise a burglar, they don't fight you or try and kill you. they run away. charles sole: that's correct. charles sole: and there was no rummaging. none of the drawers were gone through. none of the-- none of the ransacking that you would see in a-- in a break in

charles sole: it just didn't add up. josh mankiewicz: as for the coin found in front of the abaroa home...the police dog was unable to track a scent from it back to the house or anywhere else. detectives were having a hard time finding a link between the burglary down the road and janet's killing. josh mankiewicz: the next step was the obvious one detectives took a look at janet's husband raven. josh mankiewicz: it's pretty common to look at the spouse in situations like this. charles sole: that's correct. that's you know part of the process. josh mankiewicz: according to raven, the day of the murder was like any other for the abaroas. charles sole: raven told investigators that a member of the church had come over the evening of the incident. josh mankiewicz: later that night is when raven said he left janet and his son at home to go play in a nighttime soccer game a half hour away. josh mankiewicz: jason small was one of raven's teammates. jason small: it was business as usual, you know. a bunch of guys playing soccer together,

trying to beat the other team. nothing out of the ordinary. josh mankiewicz: raven seemed normal to you that night? jason small: completely normal. josh mankiewicz: after the game, raven told police he drove to a gas station to grab a sports drink. nat video how ya doing? good. how are you? just to be sure, detectives checked the station's security video. and there was raven. raven said he then headed home... to find kaiden undisturbed in his crib... but janet lying in a pool of blood. natsot 911 call: raven: my wife, she's dead! op: ok. you're gonna have to calm down. ok? what's the address? josh mankiewicz: detectives also talked to raven's family and friends. by all accounts he was outgoing, friendly, charming... and broke. charles sole: they don't have any money. charles sole: they can't rub two nickels together. josh mankiewicz: money, or the lack of it, may have been behind something that had happened five months earlier. raven had been caught stealing sporting equipment from his employer and re-selling it on e-bay.

raven's mother karyn was stunned. karyn bolton: i just couldn't believe it. i was like, 'how could you be so stupid?' karyn: but at least he admitted it. he didn't try and get out of it. i was proud of him for that. josh mankiewicz: for owning up. karyn: for owning up. josh mankiewicz: along with the young couple's financial stress, friends told detectives raven and janet had also had a brush with infidelity. according to janet's friend britney... within just months of the wedding, raven had cheated on janet. josh mankiewicz: how did she sound when that happened? britney romito: devastated. josh mankiewicz: and then she went back to him after that? britney romito: she forgave him. she made promises to love him for good, for bad, for ugly, and to support him. josh mankiewicz: but britney noticed other problems in the marriage. janet, she said, was struggling with what appeared to be raven's increasingly dramatic mood swings. britney romito: she told me that sometimes things were, like, perfect and it was like holding your breath,

because you never knew when the coin would flip and all of a sudden everything that was wrong in the world was her fault. josh mankiewicz: things got so bad that a year before the homicide, janet and raven briefly separated. josh mankiewicz: but by itself, a marriage on the rocks did not mean raven was in any way responsible for janet's death. josh mankiewicz: despite police suspicion... many refused to believe raven could or would kill janet... including janet's own parents. josh mankiewicz: when you heard the police thought raven was a suspect, what did you think? mother: i defended him. josh mankiewicz: you stuck up for him. mother: i did. i couldn't bear the fact that someone whom i entrusted my child's life with would turn on her like that. i could not go there. josh mankiewicz: neither could raven and janet's friend misty foxley. misty foxley: raven could not have killed janet. he loved her. he loved her.

he wouldn't have done that. josh mankiewicz: detectives had an equally difficult time convincing the district attorney, who, after reviewing the evidence, felt there wasn't nearly enough to get an indictment. charles sole: they're the ones who make the decision if it goes in court. why they didn't do it? i don't know. josh mankiewicz: with no other strong leads, the investigation into janet's homicide began to cool. raven had relocated to utah to be closer to his family. which is where, two years later, he met vanessa pond. vanessa pond: he wanted to move things very, very, very quickly. josh mankiewicz: with you? vanessa pond: yes. josh mankiewicz: despite all the things vanessa had learned about raven, she stood by him... in part because raven was very up front about how police were investigating him. vanessa pond: he said that they didn't have anybody else to look at, which is why he was the only person of interest. josh mankiewicz: ok, wait a minute. you find out that a guy you're going out with was a suspect in a murder, is still a suspect in a murder.

vanessa pond: yeah. josh mankiewicz: and he gets another date? vanessa pond: he talked me into that. vanessa pond: everything he did just melted my heart because i felt-- i felt so bad for him. josh mankiewicz: and that's how vanessa decided raven, the person of interest, remained the only person she was interested in spending the rest of her life with. after a four-month long courtship, raven proposed and vanessa said yes. josh mankiewicz: but before vanessa walked down the aisle, she sought the counsel of her father randy. josh mankiewicz: randy pond wasn't just vanessa's father... he was also a retired cop, with 23 years on the force. randy decided he needed a "man to man" with raven. randy pond: he just came in and was all smiles and very-- very fun to be around, very talkative, very outgoing. josh mankiewicz: and you and your wife thought, "good"?

randy pond: oh yeah. i was very impressed with raven. yeah. josh mankiewicz: so impressed, randy gave the two his blessing. josh mankiewicz: how was the wedding? vanessa pond: the wedding was beautiful. it was great. josh mankiewicz: and you thought what, "we're gonna be ok"? vanessa pond: absolutely. craig melvin: coming up. josh mankiewicz: you think, at last, justice? janet christiansen: yes. craig melvin: an arrest in the case, craig melvin: when dateline continues. [coughing] —sounds like you need to vaporize that cold. nyquil vapocool? it's nyquil plus a rush of vicks vapors. ♪vapocooooool♪ nyquil vapocool. the vaporizing night time, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, best sleep with a cold, medicine. big wireless, so you get the same coverage. >> wow. >> for unlimited talk and text

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1-800-290-7477 now or visit us at mso fund.com. >> hi, i'm richard lui with the news update. >> at least 24 people are now confirmed dead due to the california wildfires. so far, the blazes have swept through at least 40,000 acres. containment progress is expected to be hindered this week by the strengthening santa ana winds, and confirmation hearings are set to begin this week for several members of president elect trump's cabinet. marco rubio, pam bondi and pete hegseth are among the names appearing before the senate. the

hearings begin on tuesday. for hearings begin on tuesday. for now, back i'm craig melvin. vanessa pond thought the raven abaroa she just married was honest and true. but that was a far cry from what investigators in north carolina had uncovered. a trail of circumstantial evidence led them to believe raven was a killer. yet, he remained a free man and janet's family was desperate for answers. here again is josh mankiewicz with "deadly denial." josh mankiewicz: the christiansen family never gave up their quest to pursue their daughter's killer. they made phone call after phone call to police in durham. janet christiansen: we just weren't sure that they would be able to ever solve the case. josh mankiewicz: but detectives felt they already had. they shared with janet's family the evidence of raven's stealing and cheating.

eventually, janet's parents agreed that raven was responsible for killing janet. janet christiansen: i just knew in my heart that he had done it. and it was a horrible realization. josh mankiewicz: and in 2009, new, more aggressive prosecutors reached the same conclusion... after taking a fresh look at the old evidence and concluding there was, after all, enough to seek an indictment. josh mankiewicz: five years after janet's killing, raven abaroa was arrested and extradited back to durham to stand trial for first degree murder. josh mankiewicz: when raven was finally arrested, did you think, "at last, justice."? janet christiansen: yes. val christiansen: finally. josh mankiewicz: in april 2013, assistant district attorney charlene franks was tapped to prosecute the case. josh mankiewicz: you felt in pretty good shape heading for trial? charlene franks: yes, i did. josh mankiewicz: prosecutor franks

first went after raven's character by calling women from his past... she hoped the jury would start to see the defendant as an amoral, controlling man who cared little about his marriage. josh mankiewicz: charlotte ravel (rah-vel) testified that one afternoon she went over to the abaroa's house and raven showed her a sex tape. and then janet came home. ravel: he was like, "you have to go hide, you have to go hide." so he honestly physically pushed me. he pushed me into the closet. ravel: so i stayed until she left and then i left. josh mankiewicz: next to testify was raven's co worker, anabel havazia's. she said raven flirted with her and they eventually had sex. havazia: i did say to him, "what if your wife finds out?" and he said, "she won't ever know." josh mankiewicz: prosecutor franks then got to the heart of her case, hoping to prove that janet was trapped in an emotionally abusive marriage. charlene franks: now did janet ever talk to you about any problems she had in her marriage?

britney romito: yes. josh mankiewicz: best friend britney romito said she heard first hand just how destructive janet's marriage had become. britney romito: i overheard him talking to janet. in a way that you wouldn't want your dog talked to. josh mankiewicz: what did he say? britney romito: he told her that she was good for nothing. that she couldn't do anything right. josh mankiewicz: britney said raven had taken control over every aspect of janet's life... including her phone calls. britney romito: she said, "he doesn't like me talking to you." britney romito: she said, "i have to walk to the pay phone to talk to you." and i'm like, my heart just.. britney romito: i said, "how long you been walking to a pay phone and and how far away is this payphone? does any of this make sense to my friend who's so smart?" charelene franks: she was almost the perfect victim of a domestic violence situation. she did exactly what she was told when she was told. josh mankiewicz: you feel sorry for janet dont you. charelene franks: yes. i felt sorry she didn't have an outlet to get help with. josh mankiewicz: if janet was the perfect victim,

who was raven? charelene franks: he's a predator. josh mankiewicz: a predator who, according to charlene franks, lied repeatedly to police. for proof, she turned to janet's contact lenses. charelene franks: one of the biggest things were the contacts. josh mankiewicz: in his interview with police, raven said janet was in bed, watching tv, and about to go to sleep when he left her to go play soccer. charelene franks: and all the sisters, mom, dad, they were adamant that before going to bed janet always took out her contact lenses. so, on a hunch, detectives exhumed janet's body and, according to the prosecution, unearthed the truth when they discovered she was still wearing her contacts. josh mankiewicz: suggesting that she wasn't about to go to bed as her husband had suggested. charelene franks: correct. charelene franks: she was not in that bed sleeping. when he left, she was dead. josh mankiewicz: then, prosecutor franks turned to raven's 911 call. (play 911 call) operator: is your wife conscious? raven: no, she's like blue.

operator: she's blue? raven: her eyes are open. charlene franks: he said she was dead. her lips were blue and her eyes were open. josh mankiewicz: but mike guzman, the abaroas' church counselor, testified raven told him something completely different about finding janet. mike guzman: i believe he said to me that she had asked him, 'why do i hurt so bad?'. charelene franks: that statement he made to mike is extremely important because that shows she was not dead at the time he originally was with her. josh mankiewicz: one of those is a lie. charelene franks: exactly. josh mankiewicz: one item... conspicuously absent from the growing pile of state's evidence... was the weapon... but franks had something she felt was almost as good: the evidence that raven was a collector of knives. josh mankiewicz: raven had told detectives his collection was missing, along with his laptop. then there was the issue of motive. prosecutors don't need to prove it.

but jurors have come to expect it. so charlene franks called sandy gareton, raven's boss at the time of janet's death. gareton told the jury raven knew he was about to lose his job. sandy gareton: he looked at me with a little smile on his face and said, "got my pink slip boss?" "no, we can wait till the end of the month for that to come." josh mankiewicz: charlene franks' point was that looming unemployment and mounting debt could have driven raven to kill. she then showed the jury janet's life insurance policy. the payout was 500-thousand dollars. the beneficiary was raven abaroa. charelene franks: the only way he could afford to live his lifestyle was to get that insurance policy. josh mankiewicz: but another piece of this puzzle was about to be presented in court... and it had to do with raven's second wife, vanessa pond. josh mankiewicz: it turns out, vanessa and raven were not a match made in heaven. vanessa pond: i was way too naive.

way too naive. josh mankiewicz: vanessa travelled from salt lake city to durham to testify... not for the defense... but for the prosecution. nat sound - vanessa sworn in clerk: do you solemnly swear that the testimony... josh mankiewicz: ...she told the jury how her storybook romance with raven ended almost as quickly as it began. (in court) atty baum: did you all argue a lot? vanessa pond: yeah. josh mankiewicz: at one point, vanessa said raven became physical. vanessa pond: he had me by the arms. and he threw me up against the wall. pw162 (in court) vanessa: he told me how much he hated me. and how much he didn't care if i died. vanessa pond: right after that he calmed down: 'i'm so sorry. i'm so sorry. i'm so sorry.' josh mankiewicz: according to vanessa, raven displayed that same moody, unpredictable behavior again and again. vanessa pond: the moment he got fired up about anything, he flew off the handle with, "(expletive deleted) you."

"you're an (expletive deleted) whore." josh mankiewicz:that quick? vanessa pond: instant. (she snaps her finger) josh mankiewicz: their marriage lasted only three months. josh mankiewicz: you think you escaped something worse than just a bad three-month marriage? vanessa pond: absolutely. josh mankiewicz: charlene franks rested her case with confidence, even as she admitted there were some things she didn't have. josh mankiewicz: no murder weapon? charlene franks: no. josh mankiewicz: no witnesses? charlene franks: no. josh mankiewicz: no blood in his car? charlene franks: no. his advantage was trying to say that, "i'm just a bad husband, i'm a criminal as far as money goes, but there's no evidence i killed my wife." josh mankiewicz: now it was the defense's turn to fire back.... craig melvin: coming up... and fire back they did. among their targets raven's second wife. raven abaroa: vanessa has her motives for saying what shes going to say. josh mankiewicz: which would be? craig melvin: when dateline continues. speak now or forever hold your-

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>> the second inauguration of donald trump morning joe kicks off coverage. then at 10 a.m, rachel maddow and team will bring you key moments of the day, followed by analysis from our prime time anchors as the new term begins monday, january 20th, beginning at six on msnbc. msnbc premium gives you early access and ad free listening to rachel maddow chart topping series, msnbc original podcasts, exclusive bonus content, and all of your favorite msnbc shows now of your favorite msnbc shows now ad free. at the defense table as the prosecutor wrapped up her case. trial nat sound franks: at this time the state would rest. josh mankiewicz: but inside, raven says he was fuming. raven abaroa: there's no evidence that says that i did it. they're coming up with circumstantial stuff that are quite frankly, they're lies. josh mankiewicz: raven has always maintained his innocence. josh mankiewicz: did you love her? raven abaroa: i did love her. josh mankiewicz: did you kill her. raven abaroa: i did not kill her. josh mankiewicz: and raven says he did not

emotionally abuse janet either. josh mankiewicz: you were accused of, like, dominating her. raven abaroa: yes. josh mankiewicz: bullying her. keeping her down. truth to that? raven abaroa: no truth to that. no truth to that at all. i have a strong personality. but i've never been dominating. nat sound - swearing in witness clerk: do you solemnly swear that the testimony... josh mankiewicz: just as the state had done, raven's defense attorneys called character witnesses of their own, offering the jury a completely different image of both raven... and raven's relationship with janet. misty foxley: they were a close couple. they really seemed to have a genuine concern and love for each other. josh mankiewicz: misty foxley also couldn't recognize the man the state was describing. misty foxley: i didn't know what the heck they were talking about. i was shocked. i was very shocked. what are they saying, not only about raven but about janet. josh mankiewicz: when you heard janet described in court as kind of this like meek little mouse who you were pushing around, sound familiar to you at all?

raven: no. no. she's quiet and reserved but when she did talk, you know, people listened. josh mankiewicz: but what about the testimony that janet would walk a mile to a pay phone so raven wouldn't find out she was taking to her best friend britney? josh mankiewicz: that doesn't make you look like a good guy. raven abaroa: that didn't happen, never happened. totally fabricated story. josh mankiewicz: more evidence that janet was an independent spouse with a will of her own came from - of all places the prosecution, after it made a stunning announcement: a computer hard drive had suddenly been found in an evidence locker. misty foxley: it was an inconvenient piece of evidence. josh mankiewicz: it was the hard drive from janet's work computer containing emails she sent right around the time of her death. misty foxley: the hard drive, to me, was janet's voice. and it was the truth about who janet really was. josh mankiewicz: some of the emails selected by the defense exposed a flirtation janet was having with an old flame...

raven's side said those emails made it clear janet was making decisions on her own. raven abaroa: it showed that people were taking the stand and saying things that just weren't true. misty foxley: if the hard drive had been part of the evidence from the very beginning, we would've seen the whole picture of janet and janet and raven's relationship. josh mankiewicz: the defense immediately made a motion for a mistrial... arguing that without this new evidence, they were unable to properly cross examine the state's witnesses. the judge did not agree. judge: the motion for mistrial in the court's discretion is denied. josh mankiewicz: the defense decided to hit head on what were by now raven's undeniable misdeeds. raven abaroa: i've done a lot of bad things in my life. i admit that. josh mankiewicz: most damaging was raven's history of infidelity. janet knew of at least one affair. and when janet confided in her mother-in-law, karen says she was furious with raven.

karyn bolton: i said, "he doesn't deserve you. leave him." josh mankiewicz: you told her to go? karyn bolton: yeah. they did separate. janet called me just a few months later and she said we have been through counseling and we love each other. i'm not leaving and neither is he. josh mankiewicz: did you think their troubles were behind them at this point? karyn bolton: oh i knew the troubles were behind them. they were stronger than ever. josh mankiewicz: then came that horrible night in 2005... almost as soon as karyn arrived in durham, she says she got a very uneasy feeling about the investigation and the way police were looking at raven. karyn bolton: i think they immediately decided, 'oh this guy's not perfect. he's embezzled. husband always does it.... they wanted it to be raven. josh mankiewicz: defense attorneys hammered crime scene analysts about the possibly exculpatory evidence they claimed was being ignored. the bloody footprint near janet's body,

the fingerprint on the office closet door, and the dna on the storm door to the side entrance... all of which were never identified and any of which, the defense said, could have been left by an unknown killer. raven abaroa: there was a lot of things they didn't do. forensic evidence that wasn't pursued. josh mankiewicz: but defense attorneys felt jurors wouldn't have to look any further than raven's alibi to be convinced of his innocence. mike guzman, the abaroas' church counselor, was the last person to see the couple on the night of the killing. defense att. tyndell: on that particular night, did there seem to be any stress in their relationship? mike guzman: no. defense att. tyndell: did they seem to be getting along just fine? mike guzman: yes. josh mankiewicz: guzman says he left the abaroas' at 7pm. mike guzman: it seemed like any other time that i was there. josh mankiewicz: both the prosecution and defense agreed it would have taken raven about thirty minutes to drive to the sports arena where he played soccer that night. the defense called raven's teammate, jason small,

who testified raven got to the game right before it started at 9pm. defense att. tyndell: was raven there when you got there? jason small: yes. defense att. tyndell: and what was he doing when you got there? jason small: he was already warming up on the field. josh mankiewicz: add it all up, the defense says, and raven would have had to kill janet, clean up, and compose himself enough to appear normal on the soccer field... all within less than ninety minutes. karyn bolton: there wasn't the time for him to get it all done: change clothes, you know, get to the game. and it just didn't make sense. josh mankiewicz: the defense was about to rest... but first it needed to address the damaging testimony of vanessa pond, raven's second wife. josh mankiewicz: she says you put your hands on her one time, shoved her, pushed her up against the wall. raven abaroa: yeah, and i think i pointed my finger at her chest. josh mankiewicz: poking her. raven abaroa: yeah, didn't leave bruises though but i poked her. josh mankiewicz: you want the key to the city for that? raven: it wasn't rage. and actually, vanessa's story has been totally twisted.

vanessa has her motives for saying what she's gonna say. josh mankiewicz: which would be? raven abaroa: she's bitter obviously. josh mankiewicz: you didn't believe anything vanessa pond said. karyn bolton: no. josh mankiewicz: karyn suggested vanessa's testimony was "payback" for a bitter break up back in 2008. karyn bolton: hard to believe someone would do that. but she's doing it. josh mankiewicz: karyn said she once overheard raven on the phone with vanessa soon after they broke up. karyn bolton: he happened to have it on speaker phone. she was screaming at him, how dare he leave her she flat out said, "all it takes is one phone call from me. it doesn't matter what i say. people will believe me. josh mankiewicz: you heard her say that? karyn bolton: i heard her say that. josh mankiewicz: you ever threaten him like that? vanessa pond: no. he-- he threatened me. josh mankiewicz: a courtroom battle between two bitterly divided families was about to come to an end. now it was up to the jury. but just after 24-hours.... word began to spread throughout the courthouse...

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a five-week long trial with more than eighty witnesses... all building to this one moment. raven abaroa: it was painful. it didn't feel like-- it was going good, didn't feel like it was going bad. it was just-- i mean, it was painful, painful three or four weeks. josh mankiewicz: janet's parents ... felt optimistic. josh mankiewicz: were you hopeful? val christiansen: yes, in one word, yes. josh mankiewicz: but after just ten hours, word came out of the deliberation room that the jury was irrevocably deadlocked. judge: the court is under the opinion that with further deliberations this jury would not likely reach a verdict. the court in its discretion will declare a mistrial. josh mankiewicz: the split came down eleven to one... in favor of conviction. josh mankiewicz: and then they come back and they can't reach a verdict. raven abaroa: yes. josh mankiewicz: what'd you think? raven abaroa: i had prepared to either walk out

of court that day or spend life behind bars. never even crossed my mind that a mistrial could be declared. the one thing that i wasn't prepared for is to sit in durham county and do this all over again. josh mankiewicz: it was an outcome no one seemed to want. britney romito: for all but one person to say that he was guilty and one of them undecided. i was thinking, "really?!" "send them back." josh mankiewicz: vanessa pond was back in salt lake city when she heard. josh mankiewicz: how did you feel when the jury couldn't come to a verdict? vanessa ponds: heartbroken, shocked, stunned. josh mankiewicz: scared? vanessa: terrified. josh mankiewicz: prosecutor franks immediately announced she would try raven again. but almost one year after the judge declared a mistrial... and less than one week before round two of jury selection was scheduled to begin... the state made a stunning announcement. prosecutor franks: late last week the district attorney's office extended a plea to the defendant

and that has been accepted. josh mankiewicz: the da's office made raven abaroa an offer he couldn't refuse: plead guilty to manslaughter, not murder, and serve less than four more years in prison. judge: mr. abaroa, do you now personally accept this plea bargain? raven: yes. josh mankiewicz: you were ok with that deal? val christiansen: given the alternatives. josh mankiewicz: because if he gets tried again and it's an acquittal? val christiansen: he walks free. janet christiansen: immediately. josh mankiewicz: but this wasn't just any plea... raven was offered an alford plea, meaning he would -not- be required to admit to killing janet... that didn't sit well with prosecutor franks. franks: it wasn't my decision to make. i try the cases. i'm not the administrator. that was up to my boss and my supervisor. josh mankiewicz: why'd you take the plea? raven abaroa: i took the plea to-- to get out, to-- to get out, to-- have a guaranteed date to get out and be with my son.

i felt that there was so much corruption, so much lying that was going into that trial that i-- i just knew i wasn't gonna get a fair trial the second time around. val christiansen: he denied any responsibility for the-- for this crime and we were very disappointed in that. britney: i wanted to throw up. that was like stabbing janet all over again. vanessa ponds: he didn't mention i'm sorry. he admitted nothing, apologized for nothing. and it was so cold. joshkiewicz: in trials like this, there are no winners. just two sides, bitterly divided. raven abaroa: the person who killed my wife right now thinks he's home free. but i'm trying to clear my name so that we can shift the focus and-- and know that there is still a killer out there who right now is walking on the streets.

josh mankiewicz: custody of janet and raven's son kaiden was granted to raven's mother. janet's mom is left with the memories of the daughter she loved and lost. josh mankiewicz: how often do you think about janet. janet christiansen: constantly. the only way i can handle it is i know she's happy. i know she is. craig melvin: that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm craig melvin. thank you for watching. and i'm natalie morales. and this is "dateline." my only question was why. craig melvin (voiceover): they were beautiful people. in miami's sizzling south beach. singles who became lovers. unidentified man (home video): you may kiss the bride. craig melvin (voiceover): and then newlyweds. unidentified man (home video): congratulations.