alford schmalford. and proclaim his innocence, but he can't. he can play with words but he can't play with the facts. >> reporter: the courtroom was eerily reminiscent of the 2003 trial, packed with tv cameras. >> everybody's a little bit older, but there's so much that's the same. the emotion, the tension, the anger, all of it was still there. >> how does mr. peterson plead to charge of voluntary manslaughter? >> he enters a plea of guilty pursuant to alford. >> mr. peterson you're pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. that's a class d felony. do you understand, sir? >> yes, sir. >> and do you now personally plead guilty pursuant to the alford case? >> yes, sir. that's -- was the most difficult decision i ever made in my life was to take the alford plea. >> and that's gonna give kathleen's family an opportunity for what they call the victim impact statement -- >> right. >> michael peterson you are pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. you will be treated as guilty for murdering my sister kath

she would take an alford plea.elieved the judge would impose a much lighter penalty. and in may, 2018, cindy's attorney appealed to judge stacey lauser for a lenient sentence. ten years. and now, it was the judge's turn. would she believe cindy's explanation? >> you were the one person who could have stopped this nightmare. you were the one person who could have intervened, who could have called law enforcement when richie wilder left your home. you were the one person who could have spared angela wilder's life. you chose not to do so. i am, hereby, remanding you to the north dakota department of corrections and rehabilitation as to count one, conspiracy to commit murder, to a sentence of life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole. >> reporter: life without parole. that was kind of a shocker in the courtroom that day, in fact, wasn't it? >> it was a surprise. but i mean, it's certainly, in my mind, well-deserved. >> reporter: from cindy, not a flinch. from her sister? >> it almost feels like a death of so

he eventually took what's known as an alford plea, which means he agreed to plead guilty conceding audge or jury would probably convict him. even though, he claimed he didn't do it. much of it, anyway. but here was the deal, and this was important, as part of that arrangement, mark was ordered to give up his guns. for most people that might be easy. but for mark? he had dozens of guns. he loved his guns. >> it was a passion for him. he loved his hunting. >> reporter: no guns. no contact with linda. and mark agreed. here's what teresa says mark told her. >> this will make it all stop. >> reporter: in other words, he was telling you, i'm going to let her win? >> he said that was important that she needed to win. >> reporter: was he afraid of her? >> oh, yes. >> reporter: still, after that, things seemed to settle down. mark's business thrived in its new location here in anacortes. he continued to service his clients in seattle. and of course, by then, he had found teresa. but then, in the summer of 2009, two strange 911 calls came into the skagit county sheriff's office. an anonymous m