they would soften the focus on the boogeyman of the first two trials -- brian tate. >> our conclusion was after listening to the tapes of mr. tate, that he wasn't the deranged person that they tried to portray him as being. >> the way he was speaking to law enforcement that afternoon would not seem like the person that would have walked into a trailer home at 5:00 in the morning and murdered his neighbor. >> reporter: the defense attorneys made a tactical decision. make him look like a dangerous killer, they would not show tapes of him to the jury. and they'd roll the dice, hoping the prosecutors wouldn't either. >> the caldwells and techels had been put through the wringer for more than two years, their once close relationship had frayed. and now the third trial was pushing everyone to the brink. it was an impossible situation, but somehow todd caldwell and moment of grace. >> i went over to him and i just said, "doug, i want you to know that i think you're a great guy. i think you're a good person." >> reporter: did you really? >> "no matter how this turns out, i just want you to kn

i'll make sure nobody else is." incident was what turned todd against brian tate in the first place, fixing the idea in his mind that his kids' neighbor was a deranged, maybe dangerous crank. >> i'm goin' by what seth had told me about him. >> reporter: as for tate's complaint-calls with deputies, as captured on dashcam video, it became evidence for the prosecution. >> we feed the squirrels, birds and deer. >> we were hopeful that the jury would see brian tate as we saw him. >> reporter: and they saw him as an eccentric, but harmless man. certainly not a killer. then, at last, it was time for the state's star witness, rachel mcfarland -- the other woman -- to show up and tell her story. did you need the jury to like her? >> we needed the jury to believe her. >> reporter: rachel testified her relationship with seth started heating up in december, 2011, which was two months after seth got married. >> it became more sexual, asking or, i don't know just showing off my body i guess. >> reporter: on may 20th, 2012, seth and rachel met at a nature preserve, where they took this selfie to rem

brian tate. >> i just remember saying, "go get him. go get him now," and i thought, "they better get to him before i do." embroiled in an escalating feud with his neighbors lisa and seth. todd knew all about it, and was certain his daughter was now dead because of it. this is this culmination of bad blood's been goin' on for a month's time or more now? >> right. uh-huh. >> reporter: it started about two months before the murder. seth pulled a dead deer off the road along the property line. brian tate later tossed the hide onto seth's property. seth tossed it back, and the battle was on. tate made several calls to the county, complaining about nasty acts of vandalism. todd caldwell responded to one in april. and tate pointed the finger at his young neighbor. >> i can't remember names. >> seth, seth techel. >> seth techel? >> yup. >> torkel? >> techel. >> techel. >> yeah, his dad owns champion bowl. okay. >> and i'll tell -- i just -- they're good people. they really are. >> reporter: now this guy,

"we gotta talk to brian tate." >> yes. of interest that we need to go talk to. >> reporter: did you put your body armor on? >> yes, i did. >> reporter: marty wonderlin did, too.or anything, even a shootout. >> we got strapped up. we're all ready. ready for business.as in the backup car, while deputy phillips and a partner drew line-of-fire detail -- approaching brian tate for an interview. ect. it's very possible in all of our minds that he just shot and killed lisa.phillips team walked slowly up to the deputy provided cover in the driveway. locked and loaded. had the red dot turned on. if things popped off, we were ready.ter: nerves screaming, everyone was poised for battle, everyone but, it turned out, brian tate. he wasn't armed, or belligerent.e. >> as we walked up there, he was accommodating, got some chairs out for us. >> reporter: this is brian tate, huh? >> brian -- brian did. and we sat down in his front yard. reporter: in the front yard in lawn chairs, his mother and brother by his side. no shotgun in sight. so t

sethulled dead dr off the ad alohe propey line brian tate lat tossed hide to seth'er.sethd it bac a the bale w made severas to the county, coining about nay acts of vandalism. todd caldwell responded to one in april.and tate pointed the finger at his young ighb. >> can't remembemes. seth, seth techel. >> sh techel? y. kel? techel. >> techel. >>eah, his dad owns ampion bowl. ok >> andl lljust -- they're good people. they really are.>>te n thiy,an fathern- law of the ne? >> no, and i don wanna tell m thatse i'tant that tfect m what dor don'do. >> reporter: a he thinks th's the s h ouble?>>ig. >> reporter: those pple ov in the trailer property across the y? >> yea well, if you can, let us deal th it. >>ha -what whaif i'the o's tta tch hi epter:rianate told toddhat dog feces d rocks habeenurleat his home. theowed todd the evidence. hecribedhe of his ho in ark term >> he sa tt thinks ese are actsf terrorisan you know, ki of - - a bell goes off like, "terrism'sin weird wo ird wo t" d whlfhe time, i guess, he's sitting ther he's -- i noti a stgun lagrnd, you know? d i'm li g " makes me feele -

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