shots had been fired it looked like a war zone. i went into a panic. i just froze. >> it was going to be the next big thing. >> that felt great. extreme powder. >> a brand new sport he hoped would make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. >> yes! >> but while he was dreaming, someone else was scheming to steal. his money was gone. he was next. >> the body was laying on the ground. keys were next to it and absolutely no other evidence anywhere.

of potential suspects. some halfway around the world, some much closer to home. >> there were a lot of people who didn't like the victim. >> like the people he owed money to and the people he had threatened. >> he said i will make sure you cannot feed your wife and your baby. >> only two people knew the truth. the killer was one. she was the other. >> you were pretty sure he did this, am i right? >> absolutely. >> she had a secret. >> what were you thinking? >> money. love. and mystery. >> this is where it gets rough. >> i'm lester holt and this is "dateline." here's keith morrison with "family secrets." it's called the secret. it's an international best

on hidden ancient texts so popular it was made into a movie. they think it will lead them to whatever they desire. >> you know this secret gives you everything you want. happiness, health and wealth. >> but as we all know, there are other kinds of secrets that lead to a far darker place. >> his dad has a gun. he heard gunshots. >> in northern california, not far from the famous folsom prison, there's a town called roseville, home to a true believer in the secret. his name? chris northam, 40-something, divorced. a father who just guided two sons to adulthood. this is the younger one, cody. >> he's an extremely supportive father. we've always been extremely close. i always knew that my family was the closest family i've ever known.

chris northam, jr., who brought to the family her. >> we all just kind of became this group. we all just kind of meshed together really well. >> averill easley fell for chris junior right away. >> he enjoyed the things that i enjoyed, which was action sports and being outdoors. >> you must have been a damn good looking couple. >> yes. >> that felt good, too. >> it was fabulous. we could be anywhere and people would strike with us. >> all three of them, averill and the boys, were enthralled with that champion of the secret. chris northam, sr. >> full of energy. he was so charismatic. >> my dad was extremely innovative. constantly brainstorming about new ideas. >> when chris senior saw his boys compete in an event called

he could make a business of this. extreme water parks for skim boards. he called his new company, skim x. this is one of their marketing videos showcasing an early demonstration model. starring, not surprisingly, cody and chris junior. chris senior, that's him in the lower right of your screen sharing a moment with a competitive skier invited to try out the system. >> that feels great. feels like skiing powder. >> yes, yes, it does. >> he thought of a way to flow water over ramps and he patented it. >> what's that like? >> it's fun. it's different. it all the potential in the world. >> chris senior had big plans to expand skim x into a theme park, club scene, mash-up, a place for millennials. >> he wanted live music, he wanted the light show.

he wanted to make it a resort. i saw an entertainment company. >> he would be enthusiastic about these ideas, huh? >> he was passionate about it. >> he could make them happen. >> he knew how to get your emotions involved and how great his idea was. >> oh, my god! that's so sick. >> he was very knowledgeable bookwise. aels read inspirational books. the secret. he made every employee read it. >> really? >> uh-huh. that was their prerequisite to working there. he believed it would lead him to the gilded gates of success. turning empty warehouses like in roseville to a skim x resort empire would require cash and lots of it. >> how did he raise the money for this? couldn't have been cheap. >> no, of course it would be a pretty penny. but he had a lot of connections.

>> friends, neighbors, even a couple of south african investors wanted in. some people he knew all his life. others not so well. but what they all had in common was their belief that chris northam, sr., knew the secret to making them rich. yet, something was wrong said averill. had to be. though the man kept quiet about it. but a year after skim x was launched, she overheard part of a phone call, father to son and got a bad feeling. >> i couldn't hear the talking. all i could hear was crying. >> christopher was crying? >> christopher was crying. >> could you tell what he was crying about? >> no, i couldn't understand. i was asking, is your dad okay? kind of whispering it. he just said yeah. he's having problems with -- i guess he received an e-mail from one of the investors wanting bank statements. >> because the investor

>> the money was not being allocated the right way, i guess. >> so what did chris say about that? >> he just kept saying, yes, dad, okay, dad. i'll get the bank statements. we'll be fine. everything is going to be fine. >> calming him down? >> calming him down. >> remember what we said about secrets. some of them hide in the dark. >> who's the one that heard gunshots, you or him? >> gunshots and questions about missing money. was chris senior keeping secrets of his own. when we return -- >> s.w.a.t. teams, police and caution tape. a helicopter. it looked like a war zone. it looked like a war zone. we would dream about racing each other, in monaco. ?

wish bold in the 2017 camry. toyota. let's go places. get to kohl's - starting thursday... and get $10 off your women's fall fashion purchase of $50 or more! plus - take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more! you'll get kohl's cash too! now that's the good stuff. kohl's. many sleep-aids have pain medicine but zzzquil is different because why would you take a pain medicine zzzquil: a non-habit forming sleep-aid that's not for pain, just for sleep. grade season's here. i got my new iphone 7 from sprint. pete's smart. he upgraded his carrier too. sprint is perfect for the new iphone 7. you can stream, watch, post, chat, tweet, snap. copy that! switch to sprint. get the iphone 7 for zero dollars with eligible trade in. for people with hearing loss, visit sprintrelay.com. buy one take one is back at olive garden

starting at $12.99 may all your tomorrow's be as delicious as today olive garden ?? doing a little cleaning i see. sparkle paper towels are great for wiping up fingerprints without wiping out your savings. just right for cleaning up...jelly... ...water... ...refrigerator doors... ...and look at this... security camera lenses. ll the homeowners how great sparkle works? just right clean. just right price. sparkle. just right. darien: why have the latest smartphone if you can't use it wherever you go?

7 gigs of data per line for only $49. to share more photos at your cabin or video chat at your secret fishing spot... all for just $49. the best part? we put towers in places the other guys don't. because u.s. cellular thinks you deserve a signal that works wherever you are. switch to u.s. cellular and get a whopping 7 gigs of data per line

memorial day 2011 was no day off for chris northam, jr. he was up before daybreak, said averill. told her he was going to the office, help his dad with some worried investors. >> it was really early. it was still dark. i think he had printed the bank statements out and was going to takem >> and a couple of hours later -- >> i got a phone call from him saying they had just lift mimi's calf say and they were heading back to the office but that he had to run because they were still working. but that he would be home soon. >> it was a holiday, remember. and on top of that, averill and chris, now engaged, were supposed to spend the day doing a final walk-through of their wedding venue. so by mid afternoon -- >> i was mad. because it was supposed to be

which was very, very rare. >> and kind of important. >> it was very important. >> and then the phone rang. >> and this is where it gets rough. chris was screaming on the phone, crying, screaming. i couldn't understand a word he was saying. i kept saying calm -- you're screaming at me. what's going on? i can't hear you. but i got from it that shots had been fired. >> what she pieced together through jr.'s panic was he dropped his dad off at the skim x building and was driving home when his dad called him, said he was worried, said someone had broken into the building. next thing junior heard was gunshots. >> i immediately said oh, my god, i'm calling 911.

>> who's the one that heard gunshots, you or him? >> chris did. as he was driving away he heard the gunshots. >> chris said he was too afraid to go back to the building alone. averill agreed to meet him partway and she was still on the phone with 911 when they rendezvoused a few minutes later. >> i need you to calm down. >> did he shoot himself, do you know? >> do you think your dad did it or someone else? i don't know. >> he doesn't know. he said he called his -- his dad called as he was driving away and said someone broke into the building. >> i'm going to pull over if you're going to throw up. >> it was horrible. and he said to me, call my dad. try to call my dad. >> okay. >> so i called his dad twice. it went to voice mail. and chris kind of collapsed in front of the car on the side of

and he was kind of dry-heaving. >> a few minutes later, a patrol officer met them at the roadside and escorted them back to the skim x office. >> when i pulled up, it looked like a war zone. it was like a movie. s.w.a.t. teams suiting up, police and caution tape and a helicopter. and i saw an ambulance drive away without their lights on. and >> averill turned to the cop. >> and i asked him if he was dead. and he says, you know, i can't tell you, but i'm sure you can figure it out. i just froze. >> police found chris sr. on the floor of the skim x shop.

gone through the left cheek. >> then detective kurt leatherman had a look around and this was weird. >> the body was laying on the ground. the keys were next to it and absolutely no other evidence anywhere. >> really? >> no shell casings, no weapons, no footprints. just a body. >> this is more like a sniper got him? >> at that point we had no idea. >> meanwhile, averill and chris jr. went to the roseville police department >> the whole family was there. chris' whole family. >> they must have been -- >> everyone was just -- it was chaos. >> months later, chris jr.'s little brother cody still had a hard time talking about that day. it's got to be the toughest part. >> there's a lot of tough parts. i'll never know anyone or meet

imagine what we'll be able to go from here. >> who wanted him dead and why? >> i mean, stuff like this happens, we have to eliminate people basically. >> everyone in the family was questioned. >> pick up the boyfriend -- >> yeah. >> so was every employee at skim x. >> joey got fired. >> averill and chris jr. told police that in the days just before the murder chris jr. got an ugly text from a former employee who had recently been canned. >> he's messing with the wrong person he told my dad. >> the other part of the next was, i know people. >> what did you think? >> i was blown away. >> who fired those shots? disgruntled employee? angry investor? maybe the woman police learned about, the married woman chris sr. had been seeing? >> there are a whole list of

this was a whodunit from the very beginning. >> coming up -- >> so who did it? >> whatever was on his mind, he would tell you. >> there were some people who maybe had a little trouble with that, you think? >> i think a lot of people. >> when "dateline" continues. n . music: suspenseful ?? if your heartburn medication's not doing its job... the food you eat during the day... music: loud mariachi band can also haunt you at night.

st one pill each day... shuts down your stomach's active... acid pumps to stop the burn of frequent heartburn... all day and night. have we seen them before? ?? banish the burn with nexium 24hr. don't let dust and allergens ful moments. flonase gives you more complete allergy relief. most allergy pills only control one inflammatory substance. flonase controls 6. and six is greater than one. flonase changes everything.

? ? with intuitive all-wheel drive. the nissan rogue, murano and pathfinder. now get 0% apr for 72 months,

very first time. imagine what we'll be able to go from here. >> chris northam sr. was a can of red bull made live.

investors at his will. if some people didn't like what he said, tough. >> whatever was on his mind, he would tell you. >> there were some people who maybe had a little trouble with that, you think? >> i think a lot of people. >> did he make some enemies? >> you know, of course, we all have enemies, but -- >> when it came to enemies, chris sr. seemed to have more than most. >> prosecutor david tellman saw it wasn't going to be quick or easy very beginning. it could have been a disgruntled ex-employee. it could have been a disgruntled investors, a break-in in progress that was interrupted. >> then detective leatherman began hearing before he was a secret inspired businessman, he may have been something very, very different. >> i don't know if he ever

a s.e.a.l. he goes overseas for mission. >> sure enough, police found a navy s.e.a.l. manual on his bedroom floor and heard story after story about chris sr.'s obsession with security. he even kept an ar-15 type assault lively. >> he would actually do training exercises in front of other employees. with junior how they're holding rifles, how they would clear a building and stuff along that line. >> so was this secret to his death buried in a top secret military past? or maybe chris sr. was murdered over money. >> the quick books said the business had $545,000 in the accounts. and they actually had less than $40,000. >> which could only mean that somebody covered up the sudden disappearance of more than half a million dollars. what was going on at skim x?

sr. had in confidence he lacked in competence. he lost his house to foreclosure. he had to declare personal bankruptcy. he owed money all over. 80,000 in means and mortgages. the day he was murdered, he was worth absolutely nothing. he rented the little house he lived in, in this neighborhood but didn't even have furniture. he slept on a mattress on the floor. but chris sr. worked hard to prevent investors from hearing about those secrets. >> he was a pretty good salesman. because he was able to sell this vision of a company that seems a bit preposterous to people. >> where did chris sr. get his money for skim x? >> chris sr. got a large sum of money from south african investors. >> must have been a good salesman, huh? >> must have been because they invested with not even seeing on site the project.

and he was able to sell that to them. >> then there was that eternal motive, love. or love gone wrong. which led the detective to that married woman chris sr. was seeing. could she have been the shooter? leatherman pulled cell phone records, towers may reveal where she was at the time of the shooting. sure enough, she or her phone at least was within 250 yards of the skim x office. asked for an interview. no way she said and hung up. then there was the south african investors who claimed he was bilked out of $800,000. a lot of money. as we all know murders have been committed for a lot less than that. the investor agreed to sit on camera and tell us the story. a couple of hours later he sent us a text backing out. his reason?

but there was someone else on the detective's list of possible suspects. an ex-employee who knew where to find the victim. where he could get a clean shot. the man who was, everybody knew, very angry at chris northam, sr. this man. >> did you threaten him? >> i did. i said i will kill you. >> coming up -- murder? >> i said you might be very careful about the next thing that comes out of your mouth. >> or was the killer much closer to home? >> i didn't want to be the one to point the finger. point the . ?? (jet engine) ?? (heart beat) ??

(engine revving) (tires on wet road) ?? max and i just discovered this dog treat called dentalife. it's really different. see? it's flexible... ...and it has a chewy, porous texture, full of little tiny y down to the gum line.

darien: why have the latest smartphone if you can't use it wherever you go? switch to u.s. cellular for our best plan yet: 7 gigs of data per line for only $49. to share more photos at your cabin or video chat at your secret fishing spot...

we put towers in places the other guys don't. because u.s. cellular thinks you deserve a signal that works wherever you are. switch to u.s. cellular and get a whopping 7 gigs of data per line for only $49. ?? the open road. it takes on many forms. from the scenic highways to the rugged trails. from the sand covered to the well traveled. they lead us to the beauty of nature. the open road is alive and well and waiting to take us to pure michigan.

within a matter of weeks, the chris northam sr. murder investigation had more potential suspects than a game of clue. several swindled investors, the

pretty soon detectives seemed to zero in on that guy, a man who recently had a bitter falling out with chris who made a direct threat on his life. his name was ron khan. he admitted he was no fan of northam. >> we had s.o.p.s and we had situational awareness and we had all these military terms being thrown at us left and right. >> why was that? >> without coming out and saying he was a navy s.e.a.l., he said he was involved in special operations for the government and couldn't talk about these things. >> he's a licensed contractor. chris sr. hired him to build skim x's complicated ramps and jumps. >> when we actually were supposed to start building the park, it was at that time that i realized he had no idea what he was doing construction-wise, businesswise.

>> far, far out of his depth. i told him it may be best that we part ways. it was at that point that he said i'm going after your contractor's license and i will make sure you cannot feed your wife and your baby. >> what did you say to him? >> i said you might want to be very careful about the next thing that comes out of your mouth. if you threaten my wife and child again, i will kill you. and he did attempt to go after my contractor's license. >> is that when you sent him re >> i didn't do the threatening texts. i sent him an e-mail that told him i was going to expose him. >> he found out the truth about one of chris sr.'s most closely held secrets. he never was a navy s.e.a.l. he had never even been in the military. was never a special ops contractor. his stories, his image, his militarized security drills,

>> i was going to expose him to a gentleman who was a navy s.e.a.l. and who exposed -- >> frauds. >> people who were being frauds. >> then weeks after that confrontation, somebody fired two high-powered bullets into chris northam sr. the type of bullets you would use in an ar-15, which just happened to be the kind of rifle owned by chris sr. except his was missing. >> did the police search your house? >> yes. >> and search your car? >> yes. >> and search your phone? >> yes. >> search everything you owned? >> computer, everything. >> how many times did they question you? >> three times. >> what were you afraid of most? >> having something pinned on me that i had nothing to do with and losing my family. >> and then finally, after months, he was cleared.

several members of the family, they all said he had been at the barbecue when this incident would have happened. >> so ron couldn't have done it. but what about chris sr.'s married female friend, the one whose cell phone pinged near skim x around the time of the murder? >> her phone was the only one close to the scene. but at the same time, her phone continued traveling to her residence and was never activating that cell tower for more than 30 seconds to a and within a minute, just didn't seem possible to me. >> not enough time to commit a murder and clean up the crime scene. so it couldn't have been the woman. then, what about the south african investors? did you consider the possibility that maybe one of those people arranged for the killing? >> we did look into that. >> but there was a couple problems with that. number one, is a lack of motive. they want their money back and if they kill the head of this company, they most likely

>> fbi was able to confirm that neither their passports had been entered in the united states during this time. >> the investigation dragged on for months while police worked one false lead after the other. and the family -- >> what's your gut feeling about what happened here? >> my gut feeling has been the same since it happened. >> would it be fair for me to say you believe he was targeted? >> absolutely. >> in september, four months after the murder, detective leatherman phoned chris jr. yet again, just trying to help him remember something he might have missed. averill overheard part of the conversation. >> i couldn't hear it all. but i could hear some of the questions. >> like a question about chris sr.'s missing ar-15. >> chris said he opened the gun case that morning and pulled out

touched the gun. >> which seemed very strange indeed to averill. because on the day of the murder, just minutes after the shooting, chris told her his dad no longer owned a gun. sure enough, here's where he says that during the 911 call. >> is your fiance armed with a weapon? >> no his dad does have one, though. he was in the business? >> yes. >> a gun. >> he got rid of it. >> how do you know that? >> so when averill heard crystal a detective he had handled his dad's gun the day of the murder -- >> it was confirming for me right then, that day. >> confirming? yes, she said. because the awful suspicion had been growing for a while. chris had let things slip, she said. things about the murder that didn't add up. chris must have killed his own father.

suspicion with detective leatherman? no, she did not. because -- >> i didn't want to be the one to point the finger. >> but you wanted the finger pointed? >> i thought justice was taking -- >> you wanted to stay out of the way and let it happen without getting hurt in the process? >> uh-huh. >> which perhaps made a kind of sense to averill. but what she did next made no sense at all. i'd like you to explain it to me. how could you get back with him and like marry him? >> coming up -- maried to a man she's convinced is a killer. >> i didn't know which way was up or down. >> she's about to reveal the biggest secret of all. >> all these months i blocked that phone call out. >> when "dateline" continues. >>. ?

could prevent heart disease? one. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to help prevent another serious disease, pneumococcal pneumonia. if you are 50 or older, one dose of the prevnar 13? vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia, an illness that can cause coughing, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and may even put you in the hospital. even if you've already been vaccinated with another pneumonia vaccine, prevnar 13? may help provide additional protection. prevnar 13? is used in adults 18 and older to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria you should not receive prevnar 13? if you've had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. if you have a weakened immune system, you may have a lower response to the vaccine. common side effects were pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, limited arm movement, fatigue, headache, vomiting, muscle or joint pain, less appetite, chills, or rash. get this one done. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 13? today. what it can't do. your calculus homework. what it can do.

's a whole new kind of joy you get when you bite into a jif bar made with real jif peanut butter. when you bite into a jif bar ?? i don't think that's how they're made. klondike hooks up with tasty flavors... the best ice cream bars ever conceived. get to kohl's - starting thursday... and get $10 off your women's fall fashion purchase of $50 or more! plus - take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more! you'll get kohl's cash too! now that's the good stuff. kohl's. at amope, we know heels can be every woman's fashion secret. but what's no secret

the foot care experts at amope now turn your heels into sneakers. new gelactiv insoles almost invisible, and made of ultra-thin concentrated gel. they even fit into slender shoes. so the only thing you feel is improved comfort. share the secret of looking great, and feeling good. new gelactiv for all kinds of women's shoes. from amope. love every step. from amope. at lexus what we learn on the track, it just finds more street legal form. experience the power and precision of the lexus f sport performance line.

we first heard about the murder of chris northam sr. when an odd letter came in the mail. four pages, single-spaced from someone who said she needed to

about skim x, about the investigation. but most of all, about averill. >> i think she just caught up in something that she did not know how to get out of. >> this is the author of that letter. felicia lund. averill easley's mother. >> she had this life that was promised to her, this marriage. >> she wanted it. >> and she definitely wanted it. >> as felicia saw it, averill had fallen under chris jr.'s spell. >> how i can describe this, this is going to sound -- is brainwashed. because if you knew chris jr., he's very charming, he's very believable. >> which may explain averill's faith in chris early on but doesn't explain why five months after the murder when she suspected chris of killing his father, she went ahead with the

i'd like you to explain it to me. how could you get back with him and, like, marry him? >> you were pretty sure he did this, am i right? >> absolutely. >> so i ask you again, what were >> terrified. >> of what? >> i was terrified of being judged. >> by whom? >> everyone. >> explain this to me. i just don't understand. >> it was just -- i was being flooded. i just didn't know which way was up, which way was down. >> so there was averill, sharing

believed to be a killer. >> that must have been pretty weird. how do you manage that? >> i would just go to bed earlier than him. >> what would you talk about? >> we didn't talk. >> the marriage lasted about six weeks. but because of averill's suspicion or because the money ran out -- >> she got a call from their landlord one day and she said, h or five months and we're going to lock you out of the house tomorrow. and she had no idea whatsoever that this was happening. so i got in my car and i drove to her house and she opened the door and she immediately started crying and we started hugging. >> and that's when we got that letter from felicia, about eight months after chris sr.'s murder. a murder that at the time we taped these interviews was still

so what now? >> well, i don't know. >> chris is still out there. >> i know. >> scared of him? >> yes. yes. we look over our shoulders. >> and it was during this visit averill told us that long suppressed memories were just beginning to surface, like what chris jr. said on the phone the day of the murder. >> i blocked it out. all these months, i've blocked that phone call out. i had a breakdown one night, and it all came flooding. >> and when it came flooding back, what did you remember particularly? >> i shot my dad. >> that's right. sitting here eight months after the murder, averill told us she

confessed to her moments after his dad was shot. >> i blocked it all out. i blocked it all out. >> well now, if that's true, it meant she blocked out that confession instantly. because she made no mention of it when she called 9-1-1. instead, she told a very different story. >> as my fiance was driving away, he heard gunshots. >> and same different story a minute later when she spoke to a second 911 dispatcher. >> who is the one that heard gunshots, you or him? >> chris did. >> so your fiance was at the business and heard gunshots. >> as he was driving away. as he was driving, he heard the gunshots. >> averill? >> averill. >> i'm detective harlan -- >> it's the same story she told police later that day. >> he said i heard gun go off on

the money was gone and the relationship with chris jr. was over. >> hi. >> before averill with her mom by her side told police about chris jr.'s alleged confession. >> what did he tell you? >> he was in a panic. and he said they had been fighting and i shot my dad. >> okay. >> as you look back now, how upsetting is it to you when you look at yourself over those months ago, when you didn't tell them what you knew? >> i regret every moment of it. every moment. i wish i would have been stronger, i guess. >> sitting here now, averill told us she just would like to put chris sr.'s murder behind her.

>> i have to move on with my life. even though this is horrible. i still have to continue to live. and better myself. not fall apart. >> moving on with her life, though, was going to be tough. one week after we taped the interview with averill, chris jr. was arrested and charged and then the police made another arrest. a person they had come to believe was chris jr.'s accessory. averill easley. >> coming up -- investigators say there might have been more than one motive for this killing. >> he was flirtatious towards averill. he made some inappropriate comments in the past about

? take on any road with intuitive all-wheel drive. the nissan rogue, murano and pathfinder. now get 0% apr for 72 months, plus $500 bonus cash. grade season's here. i got my new iphone 7 from sprint. pete's smart. he upgraded his carrier too. you can stream, watch, post, chat, tweet, snap. copy that! switch to sprint. get the iphone 7 for zero dollars with eligible trade in. for people with hearing loss, visit sprintrelay.com. get into olive garden now for our lunch duos! choose your favorite pasta, piadina or sandwich. it all comes with our never-ending soup or salad. and all the breadsticks you want. starting at just $6.99 get never-ending value for lunch, today at olive garden. i was out here smoking instead of being there for my son's

why i'm quitting with nicorette. only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. every great why needs a great how. you get used to sweaty odors in your car, every great why you think it smells fine but your passengers smell this... for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip break out the febreze, and [inhale/exhale mnemonic] breathe happy.

when your pain reliever stops working, your whole day stops. try this. but just one aleve has the strength to stop pain for 12 hours. tylenol and advil can quit after 6. so live your whole day, not part...

??

horrified fascination to the arrest of christopher northam, jr., charged with the first degree murder of his own father. the same day averill easley walked out of her morning exercise class and a very serious looking man. they said are you averill easley. i said yes. he said turn around, averill easley, you're under arrest. everyone i knew at the gym was there. >> they all watched as she was carted off to be booked for being anes fact to murder. then they put her in jail. >> it's filthy. it's somewhat unhumane. it was freezing cold. there was nowhere to sit. >> averill spoke with us a few days after her arrest. she was out on bail. >> i don't want to go back because i told the truth. i'm now in trouble.

to speak for him. >> my brother is not a murderer. i mean, how do you even argue an innocent person's innocence. how do you do that? what else can you say other than they're not that kind of person? they're not that person. >> anyway, why would chris do it? well, very interesting story behind that said prosecutor dave tellman. be well-kept. she was a woman who liked fine things. good food. nice clothes. they lived in a nice place. and chris was the individual to provide her those things. >> to keep averill in a lifestyle to which she had grown accustomed said detective leatherman, chris jr. took to embezzling money from the company.

>> is wasn't hard. chris jr. was in charge of the corporate account. as he bled the business dry, his dad was none the wiser. >> on the day of the homicide they had less than $40,000. >> the only money left millions of dollars in chris sr.'s life insurance policy designated should he die for his sons. by eliminating dad, he was going to get a million dollar life insurance policy, another million for the company, be ceo. >> or could there have been another kind of motive altogether? >> chris sr. was what, 43, 44? >> 44. >> you're 34. chris jr. is like 24, 25. >> 24, 25 at the time, yeah. >> you could just as easily had a relationship with senior because that would be more the regular way things usually are. >> yeah. >> remember the contractor who was once a suspect, he wasn't

averill. >> he was very flirtatious towards averill. he had made some inappropriate comments towards averill in the past about dating him instead of his son. >> a real man? >> exactly. >> yeah. >> all the while, said ron, senior treated jr. like a pathetic little boy, a loser. >> chris jr. was there and was given tasks and when his father he would belittle him and make him write reports on why he did this wrong. >> belittle him in front of other people? >> in front of everybody, yeah. >> the irony, said ron, averill didn't appear to be attracted to either father or son. >> there were comments made by her about wanting the money and that she was with chris for the money. the only reason she was with a

than her was for the money. >> do you want to tell me what you think of her? >> what i think of her? >> yeah. >> i do. but i don't think i can. >> oh, okay. >> for their part, the extended northam family seemed to regard chris jr. as a victim, siding with him over the actual murder victim, chris sr., which put the prosecutor in a strange bind. >> it's a difficult dynamic when the victim's family is firmly behind your suspect and asking that you not only give your suspect a break but let him go. >> anyway, stirk standings evidence on a true whodunit with no forensic evidence is tough. >> then there was the issue of averill. do you think she knew more than she was saying? >> i think she knew more than what she was saying. yes.

averill to get her to reveal all? >> the problem was when someone tells you a number of stories and tells you one more. you might like it the most but do you know it's the truth. >> after four years of back and forth, prosecutor tellman agreed to let chris jr. plead out. >> in the end he pled guilty to manslaughter and using a firearm and he received 13 years in state prois prison? >> fair? i truly bee than what he pled to. but it doesn't matter what i feel. i have to be objective and say what's best for the system, what's best for the county and what's best for the victim's family. >> and averill? >> there was never any concrete evidence. there was a lot of suspicion that she knew about it beforehand, but there was no hard evidence. the most we could prove was that she knew what happened afterwards and had intentionally told lies to the police to try

>> averill also reached a plea deal for being an accessory after the fact. but as a misdemeanor, not a felony. 60 days suspended sentence. after nearly five years, her case was finally behind her. >> it's all over. >> i know. >> it's all over. >> despite the fact, official admission said felicia -- >> she's definitely not guilty and she did a plea or else we were gng of course, trials are scary. you never know what a jury is going to do. so her attorney advised her to take a plea. >> i'm so sorry. >> we wanted to talk to averill again, get her take on the affair? >> averill, is this it for you? >> yeah. >> can we talk to you briefly? >> not right now. >> but she was in a hurry. had a new boyfriend. had plans to get married.

>> do you think you've really ever heard the truth from her? >> no. >> not at all. >> gosh, has she paid her debt to society then or what? >> in my opinion, no. >> two men, one woman. yes, there were secrets all right. which t that's all for now. i'm lester holt. thanks for joining us. thanks for joining us. s new at 10, tonight dozens of cars and homes burglarized in oak creek. police issue a warning to residents to be vigilant. >> this map showing break-ins

now more. >> reporter: george and shannon, police say they have never seen an outbreak of burglaries like this in oak creek. they say thieves are getting bold. they're breaking into cars and homes a lot of times when the garage door is open and residents are home. more than 40 burglaries in oak creek in less than four months. >> we're sort of scared. >> reporter: the first time in 62 years of liv have bob and his wife felt this way. >> suddenly there is a guy outside calling my name. >> he asked my husband to come outside and then he looked in the house and said, and i want you to come outside also. >> reporter: a man told the couple he was doing work on their neighbor's fence in the morning. >> that he had contracted to repair that. >> and he wanted to show us where he might be stepping on