if renaud' does nothing less than demolish michael george's alibi that he was napping at his mother's house when barb was murdered around 6:00. renaud's call meant george was lying and he was certain he talked to the comic store owner at the shop and that that brief conversation must had taken >> the embarrassing bit about this nugget of a clue is that mike had told the very same story to the police in 1990, the day after the murder. what looked like a case breaker 007 had simply slipped through the cracks back then. they'd had it in the case file all along. in clear handwriting, there it was. a record of renaud's july 14, phone call to the police.d he called comic world around 5:30 and talked with the owner michael george. missing. >> even so, it was a piece that as evidence. there were no existing phone ate renaud ale logs to corroborate renaud ale ' s story or to pin down the exact time he said he placed the call. tective donald steckman doesn't know how that note from renaud went a stray, but he said he was unaware of the comic book collector's story about talking to the owner of

>> without michael renaud we cannot win this case because without michael renaud we cannot place the defendant physically in that store close to the time of barbara's shooting. >> and then came a routine moment that we've all seen in courtroom dramas on tv. the prosecutor in this case, steve kaplan, rose and told the judge. >> your honor, the people rest. >> and the defense response in this michigan courtroom just as predictably was to try to get the case thrown out. not enough evidence. the state hadn't met its burden argued carl marlinga and asked for the judge for what's called a directed verdict. >> when you just don't know you have to -- you have to pull the plug. you have to say that's it. >> and then it got really strange. state has not proved its case. we ask that you dismiss it right now and that it not go to the jury. it happens all of the time. >> right. and almost always you're rebuffed. >> that's right. and almost always you're rebuffed within about 10 to 15 seconds. >> that didn't happen here. >> no. >> this time the judge listened intently for 20 minutes as michael geo

renaud stated he called comic world around 5:30 and talked with the owner michael george. >> that's the one piece that was missing. >> even so, it was a piece that still had flaws as evidence. there were no existing phone logs to corroborate renaud ale logs to corroborate renaud ale ' s story or to pin down the exact time he said he placed the call. to this day, former detective donald steckman doesn't know how that note from renaud went a stray, but he said he was unaware of the comic book collector's story about talking to the owner of the shop minutes before the murder. >> how did you not see it? well, i never saw it. if we had seen it we would not be sitting here today. >> you would have been for an arrest and indictment in 1991. >> no doubt about it. >> now the investigative lead pointed just one way, toward the husband. >> it just kept coming back to mike and it was a funnel effect. we started off looking at a lot of things and a lot of people and it just narrowed down just like a funnel. detectives to take a road trip to pennsylvania. a trip across miles in time. they were going

the stakes couldn't higher. >> michael renaud,hout him would you have a case? >> no. he's the only one that puts the defendant at the scene. he's the only one that alone can deroy deroy thdefendans alibi. >> without him we don't even issue a warrant. >> they kn their client's eedom depend on them chlenging naud'storynd refointhe ans alibi.>>t's wiwir the wt hopedo direct the juo focus was spific that alibi. >>efda's 10 sty waat he'lefton ship shop somee afr 4:00 p.mto go to hisher's hous e lived azel parout a halfour away. it was miceoe's althate waat his mother' use house from 4:30 :30.ttle a le after he rive th said he tooher grandchildren the pand he was ee on e couch some th got back some te after 6:00. ba w murred a little 6:00. if micha geoe'account is true, he was at his mother'st that timand therefe could not be theiller. t according to prosecutors chael georgeast napping on e couch at all.th con th contended he'd turned to micsorld and sneaked io the store with a gun when ba left to order pizza for his birthday party and about what time was that? >>etwe 5:00