edward locasio's defense attorney, bob amsel, argued that the prosecution got it right in the trial ofspiracy to commit murder -- >> reporter: it was michael who indisputably murdered his brother's wife. the criminally bent, drug-addicted brother claimed the defense with a warped idea about how to help his brother out of a failed marriage. no conspiracy at all. edward locascio was not his brother's keeper. >> so your theory of the crime is, in some crazed manner, he's doing his brother a nice thing? >> right. >> by killing the wife? >> that bloody scene was not a contract-type murder. when mike killed her he did it with such passion and such rage that it defies imagination that he was doing that to help his brother. >> reporter: the defense had to paint jurors a different portrait altogether of edward locascio, senior. that he wasn't the abusive bully of a husband and a father. that there were family snapshots of happy times, when even eddie junior had a smile. and he wanted jurors to think about the son's possible motivation for going after his father --money. with his father behind b