this is "nightline." >> tonight -- self defense or murder? >> i know i am innocent. >> a married father of two, beloved youth pastor and a killer? >> i believe wholeheartedly my husband is innocent. >> he said his youth group was attacked and he stepped in to save them from this man. who is dead. >> nancy grace's take on the pastor charged with murder may surprise you. >> plus minutes to save a life. they come to him on the brink and he brings them back. the clock ticking in the trauma room. >> keep it up. >> and this top surgeon has seen it all. lessons learned at war now saving lives on the home front. >> living on the edge, your home is supposed to be your haven.

so what happens when it drops off a cliff? but first, the "nightline" 5 -- ♪ ♪ ♪ don't stop now ♪ come on money ♪ i say yeah yea yeah ♪ ♪ you make me feel like like a pony ♪ ♪ so good ♪ the sentra, spread your joy. innovation that excites.

good evening. tonight a gripping crime story that involves a church youth group on a cross-country trip and ends up it one man dead and

another a pastor now about to be tried for murder. exactly what happened and how remains in dispute. but even prosecutors appear to have changed their minds about the evidence. it's part of our series "crime & punishment." >> everything i did that night was in self defense. >> reporter: he is a california youth pastor. a beloved community leader. a married father of two. now, charged with murder. but, was itself defense? >> oh, i was protecting. >> reporter: for 35-year-old, a brief stop in las vegas, on a mission trip cross-country turned his life upside down. >> i just scant believe thcan't happening. >> it was one year ago that they stopped at this sports bar for dinner. they were in the parking lot when links ellington, a stranger approached the group and began

to aggressively harass them. >> he said, hey, girlfriend, you want to f with me? and rob immediately was like, oh, my gosh, no. backed up. i have kids here. no. and the man said well i am coming to f with you. >> we came in contact with him. i felt all of us were in danger. >> cox intervened to protect them and push ellington away. other witnesses who were there back up cox's account including intern kelly lane. >> rob could even get his arms around him to push him back. unfortunately when he was pushing him back, they tripped and fell. >> reporter: his head hit the pavement. the police arrived on the scene. and cox says it was then he found out ellingson was injured. >> we came around him and parade for him. >> he eventually fell into a coma. >> he couldn't swallow anymore or tell me he loved him. >> reporter: initially it seemed the police believe the accounts.

the local d.a. wrote a letter at that time informing cox and his parishioners that no charges would be filed. then, six months later, in december of last year, ellingson died and everything changed. >> i have never had such heartbreak that i had that day. >> it was at that point that authorities took a new look at the case. and last week, nearly a year after the incident, the police showed up at cox's church doorstep with an arrest warrant for murder. >> and three police officers came in, we need to talk to you. and they arrested me. and i said what is going on? they said you have a warrant for murder. >> the coroner ruled the death a homicide. finding that blunt head trauma from assault was a significant cause of eliellingson's death. and in court record, there was premeditation, deliberation and that he punched ellingson in the

face. why was he suddenly being charged now. prosecutors focus on what day allege was a diskreps acrepancy. he said he punched ellingson. in written testimony that followed. cox claimed that he grabbed him by the waist and they both fell to the ground. he was released on bail this week and emerged holding a bible. >> i could just explode right now. i want to help my children and my wife. [ applause ] that's all i was doing was protecting and -- >> i love you. >> i just can't wait to see them. >> how many witnesses do i have? >> today cox appeared in court and pled not guilty. i am focused on my case, my innocence, my strength is my family. >> reporter: former prosecutor nancy grace says the initial letter from the d.a. will be crucial. >> the elected district attorney

writes the family, there are no charges, you're fro to go. >> reporter: but the d.a. did say in that letter that they retain the right to file these charges at a later time if facts and circumstances warranted it. a camera did capture much of the altercation. according to the police report, the fight went out of view for the crucial moment when the police believe cox hit ellingson. >> how do you get a conviction against a youth pastor with his youth group? traveling around, the witnesses are saying was, was, not the aggressor. >> the only way i think there could be a conviction if the medical examiner report shows that there was blunt trauma on more than one side of the head. if they can show that there are enough traumatic injuries to ellingson, the victim's head that could not have come from a fall alone, they may have a

shot. >> reporter: member of pastor cox's youth group are expected to testify in his defense. >> he has a slew of eyewitnesses. it will be the eyewitnesses versus the prosecutor in this case. i think the youth pastor is going to carry the day. >> reporter: abc news reached out to the clark county district attorney's office, but they would not comment. the entire incident has left the ellingson family devastated. >> there are definitely pictures that -- that i don't want to keep in my head. >> i really do believe this is a very weak case. >> reporter: nancy grace thinks this is a very weak prosecution case. >> it is going to bile dooil do this, when did ellingson, by all accounts, the initial aggressor, when did he turn into the victim in this scenario, or did he? >> i am innocent. i acted to pro tkt tect myself, family and my students. and never intended to hurt anybody. >> reporter: cox is scheduled

back in court july 2nd. next, we are in the trauma room with a top surgeon. how do you make every second count when minutes can mean the difference between life and death? i'm the proud dad of three beautiful, awesome, messy kids. they get stains like you wouldn't believe. this new tide ultra stain release and zap! cap helps me get out pretty much any stain. can i help? aww. just kidding. [ female announcer ] new tide ultra stain release helps remove 99% of everyday stains. ♪ music plays [male announcer] from the tide factory in lima, ohio to a walmart near you, join walmart and tide in supporting american jobs. avo: withbook any flightways get the lowest price or hotel and if you find it for less, we'll match it and give you 50 dollars off your next trip expedia, find yours

so i tried depend and it made the difference between hearing about my daughter's gym meet, and being there. yeah! nailed it! unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you new fit-flex®, our best protection. it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. hi sweetie! get your free sample at depend.com. i quit smoking with chantix. before chantix, i tried to quit... probably about five times. it was different than the other times i tried to quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it's a non-nicotine pill. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. that helped me quit smoking. some people had changes in behavior,

thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. my quit date was my son's birthday. and that was my gift for him and me. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

thing your job is stressful? for the trauma surgeon you are about to meet, some times every day, every hour can be life and death. he is applying lessons he learned at war, bringing them home. we followed him through a nerve-racking 24-hour shift. here is abc's david wright.

>> reporter: it is 6:00 a.m. and a trauma red is about to come through the door. >> you have no idea -- >> red means just what you think. the patient's life is in immediate danger, minutes will make all the difference. >> laceration, 7 -- >> dr. peter rhee leads the trauma team. the injury, a deep slash in the patient's arm. rhee's first priority to stop the bleeding. [ indiscernible ] >> the nurses rush to get more blood. dr. rhee calmly sutures the wound. by 6:30, 30 minutes later, the patient is out of danger. so how is he looking? >> he looks okay. he looks fine. he camen with a tourniquet, he

had a cut in the arm. we stopped the bleeding. and sewing it up there. >> reporter: one of the nation's top trauma surgeons, rhee invited "nightline" to follow along for a 24-hour shift at the trauma center at the university arizona medical center. what is this here? >> a trauma bay. we have seven bays. a luxury. a lot of places have one or two. >> reporter: inside his locker, a hint of what's to come. >> you didn't have to be as fastidious about cleaning it when it is red. a shift is more a marathon than a sprint. 8:00 a.m., in the middle of the first surgery of the day. a general case, repairing a hernia. >> next. >> reporter: then the daily handoff meeting with the trauma team from the previous night. >> you have a -- >> reporter: on round with his team, he gets called to another surgical case. >> keep it up.

>> reporter: he is scrubbing in for the second time. >> i am on trauma call. on trauma twice this week. i will do 96 hours by tomorrow. >> maybe. >> i am going golfing. >> reporter: while he is in there he gets updates on two trauma case that have come in since the morning. >> i see traumas. rhee began his medical career in the navy, one of seven trauma surgeons. a stunning number when you think about it. when you joined, it was peacetime. >> it was peacetime. >> reporter: when 9/11 hit and the country want to war, many military doctors had never seen a gunshot wound. rhee who was working at a trauma unit in los angeles ran a special program to bring military doctors up to speed. >> shot in the neck. comes out his cheek. >> reporter: exposing them to the types of injuries they would encounter in afghanistan and later iraq. >> the message that we always

learned in military medicine is the only winner in war is medicine. >> one of the most -- what are the most important innovations, medically that have come out of iraq and afghanistan? >> oh, i think there has been a lot. the way we treat and resuscitate a bleeding patient. another difference in our war was the use of tourniquets. >> reporter: even for this seasoned veteran, some of the lessons came at a terrible cost. >> we were in iraq, when the first six patients that came in were marines, six, six marines, 12 legs, and every one of those guys had a tourniquet on at the thigh. so, you know, it was harder -- >> it's okay. it's okay. >> reporter: that was 10 years ago. but it still gets to him. >> one out of 12, not a good number. >> saved one leg out of 12 legs.

six guys. >> this was a roadside bomb. >> this was a roadside bochlt. >> the war taught surgeons to intervene even in the worst of cases. wound that might well have been considered fatal before. >> the survival rate from being shot in the brain was only about 10%. but now in, at least in our institution, we are up to 46%. the war that we had in iraq showed us that when we operate more often on these people shot in the brain the survival rate is higher. >> reporter: no better example than that than what unfolded at this trauma center three years ago. >> we continue to follow breaking news out of arizona. >> on a sunny saturday morning a lone gunman stopped ate congress on your corner, injuring people and gabrielle giffords was shot in the head. >> neurosurgeons have finished operating on her. i can tell you at the current time -- >> reporter: as trauma chief rhee not only oversaw her care,

he became the voice of hope. you were emphatic from the beginning she was not going to die. >> there was no doubt in my mind at that time she wasn't going to die. no. >> reporter: you could tell? >> i could tell. i do this for a living. >> reporter: rhee writes about that case and others in a new memoir "trauma red." it is now halfway through rhee's friday night shift. rush hour is under way. a child nearly drowns. falls and accidents lead to broken arms and legs. two men arrive with stab wounds. and through the chaos, then, 3:00 a.m. a patient with a possible severed artery in the arm. >> have you got blood? >> need five minutes. >> control the bleeding with a tourniquet. >> yeah. [ indiscernible ]

>> reporter: within minutes. rhee has the the patient on the way to the or. and on the table the bleeding is quickly brought under control. >> i had one of the rare jobs where i get paid to come here and take care of people, whether you in an unfortunate accident or your wife that accidentally went through the glass. it doesn't matter if you are hurt i am there to help you. >> reporter: bringing a lifetime of experience to the battlefield back home. i'm david wright for "nightline" in tucson. >> dr. rhee's book "trauma red" is on sale now. next, talk about a cliffhanger. what happened to this dream home hanging by a thread?

if you suffer from constipation, you will likely also suffer from gas. introducing new dulcogas, which starts working to eliminate gas bubbles in minutes for effective relief. dulcogas, from the makers of dulcolax- nothing relieves gas faster. dulcogas, from the makers of dulcolax- but we're not in the business of spokespenaming names.kswagen passat is heads above the competition, the fact is, it comes standard with an engine that's been called the benchmark of its class. really, guys, i thought... it also has more rear legroom than other midsize sedans.

and the volkswagen passat has a lower starting price than... much better. vo: hurry in and get 0% apr for 60 months on 2014 passat gasoline models plus a $1000 contract bonus. it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. unlike the bargain brand, depend gives you new fit-flex®, our best protection. it's a smooth and comfortable fit with more lycra strands. get your free sample at depend.com.

imagine watching your dream home burn live on television. but not by accident. the family you are about to meet

actually planned the building's bonfire. with the kids even making signs. why? here is abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: what do you do if your stately mansion on a bluff starts to fall? piece by piece into the lake below. set it on fire? >> i was surprised when heard, burn it down. >> when he mentioned burning it, it was a shock to the system. you know it was almost a relief because-up are watching bits and pieces fall. you are thinking, somebody could be down there and get hurt. what gravity started month as go this inferno finished today. they watched their dream home scorched on purpose. >> horrible. it really is horrible. >> reporter: with cameras all around it burned and burned. for nearly two hours. how surreal was that? >> very surreal. our friend are going this is

horrifying. it's gut wrenching. >> reporter: they bought their retirement home in 2012 hoping to stay there for the rest of their lives. >> i would pass it on to the grand kids. all said and done. >> reporter: little did they know, last appraised at $700,000 was constructed on limestone. everyone said the ground was solid. >> go for it. yeah. look ate. solid rock. looked like it was solid. you build your house on a rock you think it is okay. >> reporter: then cracks appeared in the walls and in the foundation and so they called in the geologists. >> the whole time the ge o was calling in, sending a message. please leave the furniture in there. get out. condemning it. going to happen. >> reporter: telling you to run for your lives. >> right. >> reporter: that was in february. in april parts began plopping into lake whitney. friday when the fire department intentionally torched their

home, retirement plans went up in smoke. the one thing their insurance approximately see didn policy didn't cover landslide. the earth moves in mysterious way. especially here in florida, where they had a condo. a sinkhole devoured this resort. and in tampa, another sinkhole did much worse. swallowing a man sleeping in his bed. the webs were grateful no one was hurt. the bright side of watching their house burn on tv, their grand kids had made a sign. >> in front of the firetruck third was. we love you, nana and papa. >> reporter: for "nightline," matt gutman, in miami. >> thank you for joining us. tune in to "good morning america" tomorrow. and as always we are online at abcnews.com. good night. have a great weekend.

[dramatic music] ♪ >> oh, hey. what up, baby? what's up? what's up? what's up? what's up? what's going on? what's happening? what's poppin'? ahh. hello. >> nice to meet you. >> how are you? it's a pleasure. come on. [cheers and applause] hello, and welcome to

millionaire. with me today is a retired new york city bus driver whose love for driving started at a young age when she was a stock car race driver, a racer. what's up? from washingtonville, new york, say hello to joann hutson-deliz. what's up? >> how are you? >> how are you? >> it's nice to meet you. >> pleasure meeting you. >> thank you. >> so you've got to tell us now, you've been driving a long time, but you started young. >> i started young. my dad and my grandfather used to take us to the races, and one thing led to another, and i've always loved driving and eventually got into racing, and i had my license, and i got to be a bus driver, and here i am. >> but you were out there racing cars at one time. >> yeah, i was. >> yeah, we've got a picture of you. we've got--yeah, look at you. look at you. [cheers and applause] yeah. i mean, joann, the car is a little dented up. >> yeah, it is. >> you know-- >> short tracks, but that one wasn't mine. >> you never did that with the