on this sunday night, sea of blue. thousands turn out for a fallen officer who embodied a fall ep dream in a city where politics clashing. >> lone survivor. the girl that walked away from a plane crash. how did she do it when everything else went so terribly wrong. hacking nightmare. how a cyber attacker hijacked this young woman's compute tore capture her most personal moments. how she fought back. and close encounters as record number of whales converge on california. we're out on the water trying to learn what is driving them from the deep and so close to shore.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. an assassin shot that killed two police officers in new york last week also hurt others. today in new york by the turnout of thousands of police officers from every corner of this country who came to pay their respects at the funeral for nypd wenjin liu. they formed an ocean of led for no other reason than he was a cop. and in the ranks, disdain for a mayor who believes doesn't entirely sit with them. but that could not overcome the profound sadness for wenjin liu's wife. >> while paying final respects to wenjin liu, who in death was

moved to detective, the officers did the same gesture they made of his partner last month, once again exposing a deep rift with no signs of being bridged. >> reporter: in brooklyn today, the many stages of grief over the murder of new york police detective wenjin liu. anger from members of the nypd hundreds of officers outside turn their backs on mayor bill de blasio as he eulogized l of ie. inside of the funeral home despair. from his chinese speaking father who lost his only child and heart break from his wife of just two months.

>> a loving husband and a loyal friend. you are an amazing man. even though you left us early. >> reporter: in the streets, residents wiped away tears and veteran police officers choked on their words. >> it's difficult. in my heart to hear her talk about her husband. >> from new mexico west virginia and california dan burnal is an immigrant. he was born in mexico. >> you may be of different cultures but the same family? >> yes. we're all blue. >> reporter: security was extremely tight. police on route, the bomb squad in the street. a cold sad day brightened momentarily by small acts of kindness. >> i can't say no to that. >> the manager of butchie cakes handing out cakes to the visiting police men. and a promise by the fbi

director to honor l ui's life. >> our obligation is to try to make something good come of tragedy so that evil is not allowed to hold the field. >> reporter: a 32-year-old man killed as his life was beginning. today he was saluted by his fellow public servants and those he swore to protect. the speaker noted what a good son he was. he would call his father after he got off duty and tell him he was safe a call he made after every shift by one. >> amber, thank you. in kentucky federal plane officials arrived at the scene where four members of a family was killed while a 7-year-old girl was able to walk away. and they provided first insight into how she might have survived. gabe guiterrez is on the scene for us tonight. gabe? >> reporter: lester good

evening. the air here is vast. and tonight the crash's sole survivor is safe with other family members and she may end up helping investigators what went wrong. just after dawn today, ntsb officials arrived, combing through the plane for the first time searching for the cause of the horrific crash and clues that helped 7-year-old sailor gutzler survive. >> she is one remarkable young lady. >> reporter: her parents and her cousin were killed after flying home from a vacation in florida. marty gutzler had taught his kids survival skills. sailor trying to use a fiery wing to light a branch in the woods. >> when we are exposed to a

life-threatening situation, we go into the fight-or-flight mode. it charges a cascade in our body to help fight this severe situation. >> this shows the path she took. >> she had to cross over tree dopes, briar patches, weeds and dark ditches and she had to do it in the dark and without moon light. she couldn't see house light and she took the best route she could have took and she did this in socked feet in shorts. >> reporter: kent murphy was the first to spot the downed plane upside down. >> some people don't believe in miracles and they think it is luck but to me it is a miracle. >> reporter: sailor is in the second grate. a dancer her family said. her sister piper was such a good soccer player she played on the boy's team.

sierra also loved to dance. she was my best friend. in the home town of farbville, services. >> i hope the guardian angels stay with them the whole family. >> reporter: tonight federal investigators have moved the debris for closer inspection and one thing they will try to confirm is where sailor was sitting on the plane. they believe she may have been in the back row on the passenger side but it is not clear how only she survived. the official cause of the crash has not yet been determined. the ntsb plans to issue the initial report into the crash in about ten days. lester. >> gabe guiterrez. >> parts of the south recovering from wild weather. this is a scene in georgia after a possible tornado destroyed a store and a mobile home. two people were injured. elsewhere a church steeple was blown down while the service was going on. similar scenes in central mississippi where several tornados touched down late yesterday causing extensive

damage. to the north in omaha, nebraska snow and cold temperatures a sign of what will come this week. for all of it let's turn to weather channel's kim. >> we're going to see a couple of fronts come through. the first one is what caused the severe weather over the weekend. today we've had over 30 records of severe weather across the southeast, including two tornado reports. and check out the temperatures. we're seeing arctic air come southward but after this clipper, this front, this system moves through that we'll see the cold air come in behind it and plus we'll see snow and this will come through quickly. so make sure you are ready for this. 5-8 inches of snow in des moines moines. pittsburgh as well. this fast-moving system may catch you off guard and then the next shot comes in the coldest

air of the season making its way south. temperatures in chicago on wednesday, we'll fight to get above zero degrees and that is early in the morning. and temperatures drop in the day. so lester really cold air even into atlanta. the coldest we've seen this season. >> kim, thanks very much. eight days since the crash of the airasia flight to singapore. three dozen bodies have been recovered but many are still missing as the search continues in challenging conditions. katy tur has the latest. >> reporter: at the search zone today, bad weather and rough seas once again. divers hoping to get a visual on the shadow believed to be the fuselage were forced to surface because of the strong currents under water. the head of operations said our prior ort now is to dive in the area where we found the objects which we suspect are part of the plane. and in jakarta, optimism that

the black boxes would be collected tomorrow. right now five ships are searching for data reporters using specialized acoustic equipment to listen for pings. des light the -- despite the lack of concrete information, they believe weather did trigger the crash. this, as more bodies were rekofrd and identified. >> this is the second largest church in surabaya. they alone lost 41 members of their congregation. on sunday empty seats and prayers for the lost. >> everyone who grieves and is going through traumatic times, we do need to be with them and hold their hands. let them know we are there and provide real support. >> reporter: so far nine have been identified an the funerals have already begun. still a week after the crash, so many others have not been recovered. as their families wait and

grieve. katy tur, nbc news surabaya indonesia. the boston marathon bombing trial begins tomorrow starting with jury selection. the defendant dzokhar tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted. the judges called in a huge group of potential jurors. our justice correspondent pete williams is at the courthouse in boston tonight. hello, pete. >> reporter: lester good evening. beginning tomorrow some of the 3000 people who have been put on notice as potential jurors will begin arriving here at the federal courthouse in boston and it may take a while to select a jury made up of people who have an open mind about the facts and about the death penalty. the trial begins almost two years since the attacks near the finish line at the boston marathon. an act of terrorism that killed 20 people and injured hundreds of others. pressure cookers concealed in backpacks.

one bomb went off here near the finish line. and seconds later another one went off near boylston street. the defendant is charged with that attack and murdering an m.i.t. officer. his older brother also accused in the crimes was killed in a shootout four days after the bombings. the government will seek the death penalty if the younger tsarnaev is convicted so the law requires selecting a death-eligible jury. 12 jurors and six alternates requires a lot of questions to weed out those in favor or against capital punishment. >> we try to produce a jury that can fairly and impartially render a verdict and give a punishment that considers all options, including the death penalty and life without parole. >> reporter: the city pulled together after the bombings a

spirit that became known as boston strong to aid theictims and refuse to be defeated. last year's marathon grew a crowd of 1 million people who watched, twice the usual number. now marty walsh, the boston's mayor since last year said most people in the city just want the bombing trial to be over. >> people just feel that they know what happened on that day and i think a lot of people are already saying let's just move this thing beyond so the families can have some peace. >> reporter: but that will take a while. and despite two requests from defense lawyers to move the trial somewhere else, it will take place in boston in a courthouse just two miles from the scene of the bombings. jury selection itself may take a few weeks and the entire trial may last four months or more. lester. >> pete williams in boston. thank you. when "nbc nightly news" continues, when hackers infiltrate your home computer. a young woman speaks out about her nightmare. and later, if you are alka-seltzer

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take care of your most important parts with centrum. multivitamins expertly designed with nutrients people don't get enough of from food alone. centrum. for the most important parts of you. computer hacking on a big scale has been very much in the news lately especially the attack on sony pictures. but hacking doesn't just happen to large organizations, individuals can be targeted as well. and the way one hacker pursued a teenage girl is a warning for every parent. here is kate snow. >> reporter: cassidy wolf was at a high point in her young life. >> california. >> so with the teen beauty pageant winner and dancer and college student and popular on social media. >> i had a laptop i would keep in my room 24/7.

>> reporter: but she got a notice that someone tried to change her password and a message from a stranger. >> i'm hacking all of your accounts and i have all of your information and at the bottom there was two photos of me changing in my room. >> you must have thought who could take these photos. >> i had no idea. and i took a few seconds. okay that was taken in my room. >> malicious software she clicked on gave him access to her laptop including the webcam and was watching her for months. and now he was threatening extortion. she went to the fbi but many young victims don't. >> many times victims don't want to step forward because they have to reveal that they were, in in essence, sexual assaulted.

>> do you think this crime is unreported. >> it is surprisingly unreported. >> there are online forums where hackers instruct each other. >> there is a lot of conversation on how do i do it? i've got a hundred, how can i sell it? what else can i do. >> reporter: the fbi suspect eded a friend of hers jared abraham, charges with extortion and computer access and last month in march he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. >> and if something happens to some other girl out there getting an e-mail saying i have photos of you, what does she do? >> please talk to somebody. that is my biggest advice is to tell somebody. to tell somebody who can help you. >> reporter: cassidy now speaks publicly about her case hoping awareness will keep it happening from others. kate snow nbc news new york. >> kate will have more of the

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stuart scott has died. he was familiar t sports energy on espn. he helped reinvent the language of sports and punctuating his word as booya. he was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago but didn't let it slow him down. he recently reflected on his illness. >> when you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. you beat cancer by how you live why you live, and in the map-- the manner in which you live. >> in a statement president obama said scott entertained up and inspired us with courage and

love. stuart scott was 49 years old. another story to tell you about tonight. this past year has been like no other in southern california where record numbers of whales have been converging along the coast. it is providing a spectacular view for whale watchers. hallie jackson is one of those getting a close encounter zbrnchs. >> reporter: it is a once in a lifetime sight. whales spotted off the california coast and more of them and more of a variety than ever before. >> it is overwhelming. it is magestic. >> reporter: a pod of more than 50 sperm whales almost unprecedented here. from predator killer whales to the gray whale prey including one so close to shore, swimmers could touch it. and now a record-breaking december close to 400 gray whales seen last month on the way to baja. the most in 31 years.

>> there is one of the gray whales right there and you can see how close it is to land. researchers say that is one of the reason why we may have more sightings this year because the migratory pattern is closer to shores. and that is not the only reason why researchers and tourists are seeing more. >> it could have something to do with their home back up north where they spend the summer feeding. >> we've had an increase in the population of gray whales because we're seeing so many calves. >> reporter: more mothers and newborns like this pair swimming close to the shoreline. >> we and our children get to see it. it is amazing to see these wonderful animals. >> a breathtaking sight, more common now. but ordinary -- never. hallie jackson, nbc news dana point, california. up next perhaps the best deal she inspires you. no question about that. but your erectile dysfunction -

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change on hand. >> reporter: downtown sycamore, illinois, may be the last place you can get something for a penny. 12 minutes of parking. need more time? a nickel gets you an hour. a dime two hours. the rates haven't changed in more than # 60 years. since harry truman was president. but watch out, if your meter runs out, in 2008 the fine quadrupled. to $1. for out-of-towners it can be an eye opener. >> a penny? that is a great bargain. >> reporter: for residents it is part of the charm of small-town life. >> there is not much you can get with a penny now? >> no. but you keep them in your car so you can use it right here. >> reporter: and then there is the sycamore version of validate validated parking. >> some of the merchants keep little fish bowls of pennies on the counter to reimburse. >> sycamore takes in $75,000 a

year in parking feez and fines, but that is all they want just enough to cover costs. sycamore officials don't know of any other place with penny meters. giovanni is one half of the city parking enforcement department and all of the mapt-- maintenance department. his blenge, keeping the more than 300 mechanical meters ticking. they date from the 1950s and parts aren't available so sarah takes them from spares. >> if there are to spares left we are out of luck if you will. >> if the mechanical meters die, city leaders said rates won't change with electronic meters. the city where parking cost only a pretty penny. john yang sycamore illinois. >> that is it for "nbc nightly news," i'm lester holt. brian williams will be here

tomorrow. for all of . a a classic mystery on a college campus, a student murdered. >> he did it and he took off. >> a puzzling crime scene sends police on a frantic search to identify the killer and the victim. >> it was just like wow. >> what happened that night in the dorm? but first, a special hour of "date line," starting over. a new year, a new beginning. think how much you eat or drink depends on how hungry or thirsty you are. >> it's all psychological. >> how you can lose weight by making simple changes. >> you guys ready to eat? >> not in what you eat and drink but how.