that i don't have to live with. >> reporter: what dale bruner trial of course and whether or not the prosecutor mark hurlbert could persuade the jury without the benefit of physical evidence that dale killed the love of his life in a fit of blind rage. >> i think dale bruner strangles her, believes that she is dead. takes her to the river and dumps her in the river. >> reporter: so what did happen on the night of the murder? the prosecutor called a child to start the story: dale and stephanie's eldest daughter, the girl who walked into her parents' bedroom around 9:00 p.m. >> and at 10 years old, she could say what happened with specifics. >> reporter: out of the view of the media, she told the court she heard her parents arguing. not cuddling, as dale claimed. after which, remember, dale claimed stephanie went for a walk to clear her head. at temperatures well below freezing? you've gotta be kidding, said the prosecutor. >> it's a cold november night, his wife goes for a walk, and he wouldn't call anybody until eight or nine hours later -- ten hours later? that just doesn't make any

dale. social services sent the bruner children to live with stephanie's brother in lifornia. >> i'm in a fight with mike tyson with no gloves. and then they're going to take my kids away, too? >> reporter: dale wasn't completely alone, mind you. some family stayed around and reported back to stephanie's sister, ramona, that dale was truly grieving. >> we kept asking, "what is dale acting like? what is he saying?" unless he is some kind of actor that deserves some kind of oscar performance, this guy really seems distraught. >> reporter: and stephanie's friend, bill, even moved in for two months to help out and console dale. >> reporter: we were just trying he was having a difficult time. >> did you -- did you ever either confront him or say, >> come on, tell us what happened"? >> looked every one of us in the eye and said, "i had nothing to to do -- to do with this. i'm innocent." >> dale, can you talk at all about investigators only focusing on you? >> i hope they're investigating someone else. >> reporter: didn't look like e it. it was summer, 2011, nine months after stephanie's murder, when

dale bruner, a professional photographer, was taking and selling photographs of visiting skiers. a person has to make a living and for dale, skiers were it. >> i love taking wildlife. photos and scenics. people say, "well, why don't you sell more of your work that way?" i said, "well, buffalo don't carry credit cards." >> reporter: anyway, it was up there on the mountain, he spotted this young woman who seemed tbe conducting some sort of forestry service survey. >> i skied up to her and i said, "what are you doing?" "writing parking tickets?" she looked up and smiled. >> reporter: and then she took off her big ski goggles. >> i was stunned and i'm like, "wow, she's beautiful." >> reporter: they moved in together right away, and when they got married a few years later, they eloped, they jetted off to fiji. it was so stephanie, said her friends. >> yeah, they kinda just went off and did it. >> reporter: they made their home in silverthorne where dale's photo business grew and grew. >> when things were really rolling, i had several operations in different states around the country.