accused donna of lying. so the palombas and asked his office to investigate. as they waited, rumors whirled around donna. are you worried that the neighbors-- it's going to start getting around town, that people are going to start whispering, wondering? this rumor was so contrary to the way i had lived my life and what i do every day. and so i became sensitive to the looks i would get and the little whispers. so even though you were known as jane doe, people were starting to realize, this is donna. some people. and it really hurt me that this vicious lie that i was having an affair and could somehow concoct this horrific crime was out there. andrea canning: in the spring of 1994, more than six months after donna was raped, everything changed. neil o'leary was then, one of waterbury's crack detectives. on the order of the state's attorney, o'leary took over donna's case. neil was a good cop. he was a good cop. he knew right away that this case was mishandled. and he wasn't afraid to tell us that. and he was afraid to say it

donna palomba: right. exactly.rea canning: john regan was charged with unlawful restraint in the incident involving his coworker and was out on bail. those who knew him couldn't believe he'd do such a thing. and nowhere was that feeling stronger than in overlook, the neighborhood where john regan grew up, just streets away from john palomba, where friends were like family and boyhood friends were practically brothers. coming up-- if there's one person john palomba is sure isn't donna's attacker, it's his friend, john. john regan was at my sixth birthday party. i've known him since kindergarten. if i were to name, like, 10 friends that were closest to me, he probably would have made that list. when i was in his company, he acted normal just like all john's other friends. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. sleep more deeply and wake up rejuvenated. purple mattresses exclusive gel flex grid [suspenseful music] draws away heat, relieves pressure and instantly adapts. sleep better. live purple. visit purple.com

because in the end, donna palomba knows it's hope that heals. >> they were a young couple in a hurry to make their fortune. >> 50s, 100s, 20s, piles of money. >> building a life until one life ended all too soon. >> what happened to your husband, man? >> i believe he's -- he's dead. >> he was laying on the floor, and i got scared. i ran out of the house. >> a young father murdered in broad daylight. didn't look like a robbery. lots of valuables left behind. lots of secrets too. >> it kind of just sent chills up my back. >> something was tearing a family apart. >> i don't even know where to start. >> or was it someone? >> the most cold-blooded evil person. >> a family feud and an innocent man caught in the middle. >> you know these shows that poem watch that people see the ghosts of their loved ones? i wanted that so bad. so bad. >> hello and welcome to "dateline." marc despain was a family man, a loving son, devoted husband, father of two boys. he was also a businessman, a real estate appraiser like his parents, and a successful one at that. the money was pouring in, in >> sometimes