my name is alex perez with abc ing to find julian or jason? can you help us out? >> they don't live here no more. >> reporter: the landlord later told us they left suddenlye and owed money. >> did you hear anything about a named taryn wright? do you know if any of them was sick? >> i know jason was s on oxygen 24/7 -- >> reporter: we're going to call them and see if we can find them. let's try julian first.bscriber you have dialed is not in service. >> voice mail. >> reporter: the silence wouldn't last long. the couple reaching out to us by e-mail, denying they hadng wrong and saying they would talk to us when they were ready. we're still waiting to have that conversation. >> based upon the evidence, this is made up from dayr: taryn sees the takedown of jason and julian's go fund me as another feather in her cap, something that w nancy drew, if real, very proud. for "nightline," i'm alex perez in chicago. >> taryn is aister network fusion and company to develop a tv show centered on her investigations. >>> next, singles looking for love online getmakeovers from ex

here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: it's a heartbreaking saga. >> let's keep looking through their website. >> hey, my name is julian, i'm making this account for my sick husband jason tataor. i've never done this before, he can really use all the help he can get. >> reporter: jason martinez, apparently stricken with a variety of cancers. >> he's been sick all his life with cancer off and on. for the past five years he's had a brain do you mean which is now three, stomach assume, stage 4 bone cancer -- >> reporter: jason's loyal the crowd funding internet site go fund me to make the passionate plea, "help save a life." a story tair rin harper wright knows all too well, the touching tale, the emotional pleas foror help and money. just one problem -- she thinks they're lying. >> my name is taryn harper wright and i am a hoax hunter. >> reporter: the 37-year-old former futures trader from chicago prides herself on beiei called the internet's premier fake illness detective. >> i used to read "nancy drew." something like that, getting to the bottom of a story. >> reporter: she cracked 1

alex perez, abc news, flint, michigan. >> that's a reminder not to go swimming in flint water anytimen. but it is a serious crisis. >> very serious. we hope they figure that one out. >> 100,000 people. ouch. >>> still ahead on this edition of "this happened" you won't want to miss. >> but first, state of the president. eight years later and many things have changed. perhaps he's gotten a bit grayer. actually a lot. some things haven't changed, though. that's next on "world news now." ♪ >>> live picture at capitol hill, where i think many of the politicians have gone right now. but last night there it was the end of an era. the final state of the union address from president obama. >> a lot has changed over the years. here now with the evolution is abc's terry moran. >> the president of the united states! >> reporter: for the last time barack obama heard that famous shouted announcement as he strode into the house chamber to give his state of the union address. it's startling now to think back. >> sorry i'm a couple minutes late. >> reporter: i first met the then senator obama in cleve

alex perez reports. >> reporter: that newly released surveillance footage shows two officers chasing 17-year-old cedrick chatman. an officer darts in the middle of the street and opens fire. chatman, already running out of the frame, but another camera captures the scene. chatman, a carjacking suspect, is struck twice. an officer later can be seen handcuffing the teen and stepping on him. chatman died from his injuries. chatman's family filing a wrongful death lawsuit. >> it's less than ten seconds and he's lying on the street, mortally wounded. >> reporter: in a statement, an attorney for the officers, kevin fry and lou toth, calls the shooting "justified." and argues officer fry opened fire after chatman pointed a "dark object" at them. a black iphone box was recovered on chatman, but no weapon. >> we've had enough. our voices are going to be heard. our young people are going to be on the street. and we want justice. >> reporter: and prosecutors did review the case but determined criminal charges against the officers were not warrant bpd alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> parts of t

alex perez, abc news, flint, michigan. >>> there's still much more ahead on this special edition of "world ns tonight". the dream homsuddenly a nightmare. the dangerous discovery that broughdown this house. >>> and facebooks s steppingng into a hot debate, a new ban users. look, the wolflf was hufng and puffing. like you do sometimes, grandndpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps pride of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the rk of death from asthma problems. symbicort y increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you he a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. symbicort coul

and this water is poison. >> reporter: alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> thank you. >>> there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight." three dangerous fugitives on the run. the question tonight, did they have help? and where are they? >>> new images coming in of the powerful earthquake rocking the united states. the suv rocking in the garage. >>> and the super showdown is set. cam newton and peyton manning. will this be manning's final game? and tom brady, enjoying the postseason. we'll be right back.here's the thing: have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor... ...about viagra. available in

alex perez, abc news, flint, michigan. >>> there's still much more ahead on this special edition of "world news tonight." the dream home suddenly a the dangerous discovery that brought down this house. >>> and facebook is stepping into a hot debate, the new ban going into effect for all of its look, the wolf was huffing and puffing. like you do sometimes, grandpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure befo

here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: embattled michigan governor rick snyder is facing harsh criticism tonight for the latest revelation in flint's ongoing water crisis. e-mails exposed by progress michigan, reveal the state shipped bottled water to its workers in flint, over eight months before residents were officially told the drinking water was unsafe. governor snyder's reply. >> i had no knowledge of that taking place. >> reporter: the e-mails included a department memo, which said coolers will be provided as an option. quote, "as long as the public water does not meet treatment requirements." this city had warned sick and elderly residents of potentially harmful chemicals in the water, but reassured them it was otherwise safe to drink. the state defends their decision, saying they only to employees temporarily until that over. dangerous levels of lead were later found in flint water, and about 200 kids so far have tested positive. >> knowing that someone did this to my kid, it's hard. i can't sleep at night. >> reporter: and tonight, the filters they handed out to residents may n

>> alex perez tonight. thank you, alex. >>> tonight, movie fans are remembering the beloved actor alan rickman. men, women, and a generation of children after "harry potter." here's abc's david wright. >> do you really think you have a chance against us, mr. cowboy? bad guy in "die hard." or in "robin hood: prince of thieves." >> no more merciful beheadings. and call off christmas. >> reporter: nobody could do irritation quite like alan rickman. he won our hearts and broke them in "love actually," as the cheating husband caught. >> classic fool. >> yes, t you've ao de a fool out of .menses. >> reporter: as severus snape, in the "harry potter" saga -- >> mr. potter. >> reporter: -- he could kill with a glance. >> clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, mr. potter? >> reporter: it was the acting challenge of a lifetime, he told "the new york times." >> holding a wand is not the most threatening thing you can do. and pointing it at dame maggie smith. >> reporter: today, j.k. rowling called him, "a magnificent a

alex perez reports on how the investigation into the crisis is heating up. >> reporter: the michigan attorney general announcing an independent team is now leading an investigation into the mishandling of the water crisis in flint. water, he admits, remains unsafe. >> i would certainly not bathe a newborn child or a young infant in this bad water. >> reporter: a warning the family of 2-year-old sincere smith wishes they would have had sooner. that rash on the toddler's face, his mother says, caused by bathing in the lead-contaminated water. these heart breaking images. some children in tears, as they lined up with families to get and the anger here only growing as monthly water bills continue to roll in. >> we're paying for this water. and this water is poison. >> alex perez, abc news, chicagoing. > clean-up is under way in philadelphia after hundreds of gallons of home heating oil spilled in the skuk counsel river. the river runs through the center of philadelphia. more than 4,000 gallons spilled from a tank. about 200 gallons of red dye fuel went into the water. the city says there

alex perez, abc news, flint, michigan. >> back to politics now as the presidential race heats up, one campaign foe is taking a more creative approach. >> want to have you take a look at this photo right now. this crowd in south carolina for donald trump and one detractor's sign, trump likes nickelback. now, if you're not familiar with these guys, they're a canadian rock band that had a few hits but known universally for shall we say being extremely uncool. >> the sign was con fis scaled by a staffer but it's not the first time the reference has been seen on the campaign trail. come on, is nickelback really that bad? >> yeah, they're generally regarded as just not cool. i won't use the term we would use for them. the coolest thing they have done, they tweeted out a few days ago, one of those photos ted cruz likes nickelback. and the caption with it was nickelback employee of the month. january 2016. so they actually kind of have a sense of humor. coming up, an ambitious powerball pool and how much they spent on their tickets and the latest on the search for the reported winners across