carl mueller: and he said, "i will help that foundation." he says, "you won't know, it'll be an anonymous donation but i will." i'm still waiting. brian ross: there hasn't been such a donation? carl mueller: donation, mr. president.// and you see the flat at my driveway. it's not something i take liour president that way. but that's what he said. tun in to brian ross' special 20-20 report of the "girl left behind" right here on 13 action news at 10....before 13 action federal police are stepping in to help find those responsible for murdering 2 mississippi nuns.... now investigators are trying to determine if their religious work had anything to do with their killings.... also.. the woman accused of murdering her boyfriend... is getting a new trial.... the reason for the sudden decision..... breaking news this midday. i've been thinking... this might be the one thing in the world you pull apart to come together. new papa john's cinnamon pull-aparts covered with cinnamon crumble and sweet cream cheese icing. try our new cinnamon pull-aparts f

>>reporter: he also told me about the first meeting with carl mueller how they stayed in touch. coming up the muller is also asking president obama about the donation he promised to kayla's playground opening tomorrow. i will have the white house answer again at 6:00. >>> keep it right here on 12 news tonight at 10:00 you will father. the only local station speaking with the family tonight. >>> community activist gathering in maryvale calling more attention to the massive hunt for the serial killer. phoenix police say the man in this sketch, who may be driving that black bmw is responsible for the murders of seven people in the valley and a string of shootings from maryvale to east phoenix. the silent witnessar $75,000. you can remain anonymous by calling 480 witness. >>> after scheduling a special rally for next wednesday to deliver an important immigration speech in phoenix, donald trump is canceling. we were expecting them to take the podium at the hyatt wednesday afternoon but a campaign spokesperson announced the cancellation a few hours a ghost. the campaign is looking for

carl mueller: "no. i'm still waiting for that donation, mr. president. for 17-months.. the muellers say they fought for their daughter's release and even tried to raise ransom money. but.. they say a white house official threatened them with criminal prosecution if they continued. a disease that hasn't been seen in the valley in more than a decade has suddenly re-appeared. find out what local health i'm catherine cortez masto and i approve this message. as a doctor, i see how decisions in washington impact my patients here in nevada. so even though i'm a republican, i won't be voting for joe heck. joe heck's voted ten times to defund planned parenthood, which thousands of women depend on for cancer screenings. and heck opposes a woman's right to choose even when her health is at risk. for me and my patients, david coil made his first court appearance today. if he does make bail.. the judge has ordered him to be under house arrest and surrender his passport. police say coil lured young girls with ads on craigslist. one alleged victim told police the girls performed explic

." >> reporter: marsha and carl mueller soon learned from kayla herself that there was plenty to worry about. >> my name is kayla mueller. i need your help. it's very terrifying here. >> and then it went blank. >> reporter: kayla had been captured by one of the most brut has ever known. isis. >> you just go into almost a catatonic state, i think. you just can't even stand up. >> reporter: carl owned an auto repair shop. marsha, a former nurse. nothing prepared the muellers for what was about to happen -- the scary, secret world they were about to enter. >> this kind of thing tears people apart. >> reporter: as the world would by isis of three young american men. >> i'm back, obama. >> reporter: the plight of a fourth american hostage, kayla, was kept a closely held secret. >> obviously the white house doesn't want this to all come out. >> reporter: tonight, on "20/20," the muellers are coming forward to tell the story of how they fought for kayla's freedom. >> kayla is not your enemy. >> reporter: the messages and e-mails with isis in syria and the muellers in arizona never seen or hea

. >> reporter: marsha and carl mueller cut the ribbon on a playground built in their daughter's memory. prescott says to kayla jean we'll always love you. >> reporter: kayla mueller was taken hostage while working as an aides worker at a hospital in syria. she was killed in 5 26 years old. >> kayla would be proud to bring so much joy to so many families. we can feel her here. >> are senator john mccain, who spent years as prisoner of war, spent of her time as a captive. >> brave and defiant when she was abuzzed and threatened, consoleing and selfless to ing. carl and marsha, people tried to take your sunshine away but they didn't. she is here and is going to shine bright on beautiful and innocent children. are the president of the kiwanis club recall add convery occasion with carl. we have no body, no grave and no marker. i could not get that out of m mind. >> reporter: the playground will serve as the lasting memorial the mueller family has never had. >> she loved life. she was happy, joyful and she was on a mission. >> now i can sit back and enjoy it, spend time here and watch the ki

carl mueller: "no. i'm still waiting for that donation, mr. president. for 17-months.. the muellers say they fought for their daughter's release and even tried to raise ransom money they say a white house official threatened them with criminal prosecution if they continued. a bizarre incident at a nebraska airport started as a security scare... and ended with a man in the hospital facing felony charges. screaming :03 police say the man seen here is dealario koonce . he initially screamed that people were trying to kill him. when officers tried to approach him-- he ran. off his pants -- hopped a barbed wire fence -- and landed on one of the most secure parts of the airport -- the airfield. police say he then found an airline pickup truck with keys inside -- and crashed into a southwest airlines plane -- as passengers were boarding. 044 (bi nguyen/witness): "never in my life would i thought, pull up to my gate and looked over and there is just this white truck rammed into the southwest plane police say koonce tested positive for meth. rainfall is still possible as we go in

carl mueller said board room, they decided to leave our daughter there to be raped and ultimately murdered. a director of the organization says they have no obligation to help the young woman because she was not their employee. she was 26 years old when she was killed. she would have turned 28 this month. >>> glendale police arrest a man dennis moody to the crimes. he admitted to committing the assaults along with an additional burglary in 2014. >>> deputies make a shocking discovery in buckeye. more than a dozen dogs are seized from a home after deputies say the conditions inside were bad. >> the homeowner would not let the deputies inside so they returned with a warrant and what they found was stunning. 11 dogs living in the conditions, whicher and two other found outside. one man says he believes some of the dogs attacked his dog. >> i hate to see an animal mistreated, period. i hate to see them, i don't like to see them haul them off but there is no choice. >> a 65-year-old woman lives in the home but it is not clear and she will face charges. called megabyte is shut down. police say i

carl mueller: "no. i'm still waiting for that donation, mr. president. for 17-months.. the muellers say they fought for their daughter's release and even tried to raise ransom money. but.. they say a white house official threatened them with criminal prosecution if they continued. security scare... and ended with a man in the hospital facing felony charges. screaming :03 police say the man seen here is dealario koonce . he initially screamed that people were trying to kill him. when officers tried to approach him-- he ran. airport police say koonce took off his pants -- hopped a barbed wire fence -- and landed of the airport -- the airfield. police say he then found an airline pickup truck with keys inside -- and crashed into a southwest airlines plane -- as passengers were boarding. 044 (bi nguyen/witness): "never in my life would i thought, pull up to my gate and looked over and there is just this white truck rammed into the southwest plane police say koonce tested positive for meth. rainfall is still possible as temperatures. highs today will remain below the normal w

. >>> that's his message to the president, and that was carl mueller. mueller, the young arizona woman from prescott who was being held prisoner by i.s.i.s. but was eventually killed. the mueller family upset the president failed to make good to donate to a nonprofit organization honoring their daughter. she was working in the middle east where she was tortured, raped, and killed. her father tells the president personally promised them 17 months ago that he would make a donation to the foundation, but the mueller family says the organization has yet to see a penny from the president. today, white house officials could not explain the delay but promised a donation was forthcoming. >> the president is aware of the foundation, kayla's hands, that's been formed to honor her memory and to honor her life's work. it certainly is consistent with the kind of charitable and the first lady have supported in the past, and i do anticipate that the president would make a commitment to support this organization. >> kayla ueller grew up in prescott. her parents still l

. >> reporter: that is carl mueller, crest fallen that the president of the united states had failed to make good on a personal promise to donate to a nonprofit group honoring his daughter, kala, the young american held hostage by isis for more than a year and a half before it's believed she was killed by the terror group. >> hasn't been such a donation? >> no. i'm still waiting for that donation, mr. president. >> mueller telling abc news, it was a promise the president made more than 17 months ago, which makes the lack of timely follow-through all the more puzzling. after all, the president's 2015 tax records show he and mrs. obama gave to 34 charities last year. over $9,000 to fisher house. $1,500 for habitat for humanity. even $1,000 to the university of hawaii foundation. in all, about $64,000 to charity. but not a single penny to kala's hands, the foundation established in the memory of an aid worker who was kidnapped from a doctors without borders hospital in aleppo, syria. white house officials today say they couldn't explain the delay but promised a donation was forthcoming.

. >> reporter: that is carl mueller, crest fallen that the president of the united states had failed to make good on a personal promise to donate to a nonprofit group honoring his daughter, kala, the young american held hostage by isis for more than a year and a half before it's believed she was killed by the terror group. >> hasn't been such a donation? >> no. i'm still waiting for that donation, mr. president. >> mueller telling abc news, it was a promise the president made more than 17 months ago, which makes the lack of timely follow-through all the more puzzling. after all, the president's 2015 tax records show he and mrs. obama gave to 34 charities last year. over $9,000 to fisher house. $1,500 for habitat for humanity. even $1,000 to the university of hawaii foundation. in all, about $64,000 to charity. but not a single penny to kala's hands, the foundation established in the memory of an aid worker who was kidnapped from a doctors without borders hospital in aleppo, syria. white house officials today say they couldn't explain the delay but promised a donation was forthcoming.

amounts or the efforts that were taken to free kayla before she was murdered were inadequate, what carl mueller said that the president could have been a hero but he chose not to. >> this is a father who is grieving over the loss of his daughter. i think the grief and saddens that he feels about the fact that his daughter was not successfully rescued, i think, is an entirely human response and one that's entirebly understandable. at the direction of president obama himself, a variety of national security agencies and the federal government expend significant resources and dedicate significant time to go into great lengths to try and rescue americans who have been unjustly held around the world and you will also recall, john, there were some weaknesses in that approach that were identified by the administration and there has been important reforms that have been made over that process in 18 to 24 months that have resulted more effective use of those resources and more effective use of the expertise within the federal government to sharpen our efforts to secure the return or to rescue american ci

mueller was first taken hostage by isis. >> very terrifying here. >> reporter: her parents marcia and carl learned of her death 18 months later when isis sent pictures of her body. president obama said he was heart broken and traveled to arizona to meet the muellers for him. >> and i said mr. president i'd be remiss if i didn't give you the opportunity to support her foundation, and he said i will help that foundation, and i'm still waiting. >> there hasn't been such a donation? >> no. i'm still waiting for that donation mr. president. >> reporter: at the white house friday, an abc news correspondent pressed for an explanation. >> can the family expect pr donation in the name of kayla mueller soon? >> as i mentioned, i can't speak to any previous conversations with they've had -- >> but is a donation coming? >> but the foundation that's been established in kayla mueller's memory, is certainly the kind of foundation the president and first lady have supported in the past, and i anticipate they would make a financial contribution to were continue supporting it. >> reporter: the foundation is because they say it helps keep the m

mueller was first taken hostage by isis. >> it's very terrifying here. >> reporter: her parents, marcia and carl, learned ofer pictures of kayla's body. president obama said he was heartbroken, and traveled to arizona to meet the muellers and asked what he could do for them. >> i said, mr. president, i'd be remiss if i didn't give you the opportunity to support kayla's foundation, and he said i will help that foundation. i'm still waiting. >> there hasn't been such a donation? >> no. >> reporter: at the white house friday, abc news correspondent jon karl pressed for an explains. >> can the mueller family expect that the president and the obamas will make a donation to their foundation in the name of kayla mueller soon? >> as i mentioned, i can't speak to any previous conversations that they've had but i can tell you that -- >> but is a donation coming? >> the foundation, kayla's hands, that's been established in her memory, is certainly the kind of foundation that the president and first supported in the past, and i would anticipate that they would make a financial contribution to continue supporting it. >> reporter: the foundat

mueller was first taken hostage by isis. >> very terrifying here. >> reporter: her parents, marcia and carl learned of her death 18 months later, when isis sent pictures of their daughter's body. president obama said he was heart broken, and traveled to arizona to meet the mueller's and asked what he could do them. >> i said i'd be remiss if i didn't give i the opportunity to help her foundation, and he said i will. i'm still waiting. >> there hasn't been such a donation? >> no. i'm still waiting for that donation mr. president. >> reporter: at the white house friday, an abc news correspondent pressed for a comment. >> can the mueller family expect him to make a donation soon? >> as i mentioned, i can't speak to any previous conversations that they've had, but i can tell you -- >> but is a donation coming? >> the foundation kayla's hands that's been accomplished in her memory is certainly the were kind of foundation the president and first lady have supported in the past, and i expect them to make a financial contribution to continue supporting it. >> reporter: the foundation is so important to the mueller's because they say i

mueller had been taken hostage by isis. and for the next 17 months, her parents, carl and marsha, would fight for her freedom. sending their own video pleas to isis. >> please show mercy and use >> reporter: and exchanging some 27 e-mails from their kitchen in prescott, arizona, to her daughter's captors in syria, who at one point set a 30-day deadline for a $6 million cash demand. >> this kind of thing just tears people apart. >> reporter: kayla had been kidnapped in syria from a doctors without borders vehicle, but in a phone call to the muellers, the organization refused to help get kayla back because they said she was not for kayla? >> no. >> reporter: and after a failed u.s. rescue mission, the muellers say a white house official threatened them and their friends with criminal prosecution if they tried to raise ransom money. >> our government slammed that door. >> reporter: of kayla was killed, the president came to visit them. the muellers say he made a promise to help the foundation they set up in kayla's name, and then broke it. there hasn't been such a donation? >> no. i'm still waiting for that dona

memory of kayla mueller, an aid captured and killed by isis, trisha hendricks brings us the details from prescott. >> reporter: at the special and emotional grand opening, dalea's father, carl, said kayla would be so proud to know she is bringing so much joy to so many families. ? ? >> reporter: a time of song and prayer, and a beautiful balloon release, in honor of kayla the grand opening of kayla's playground. >> it is an amazing day, something we worked for for a long, long time. >> reporter: kayla's parents know this is exactly what she would want in the community, a zip line, and climbing equipment. >> for me, it is like closing a really big book that you just read. you know? and now i can just sit back and enjoy it, spend some time here, watch the kids. >> strength. >> reporter: a place for people to come together and learn about human kindness, what kayla's life was about. senator mccain spoke powerful words. >> a way of love, to love and be loved in moments of joy and sorrow, in happiness and suffering, to always, always love. >> reporter: those who helped make this new playground possible, emotional at times.