and he just fell over. >> reporter: neal cassada never gets his day in court. >> neal cassada died in his home sunday morning. >> those two years, it was very hard on him. he was so worried. that he was going to prison for something he didn't do. >> reporter: even with one of the defendants dead, the state pushes forward with the prosecution of the other, mark carver, who at the time hires local defense attorney brent ratchford. before the trial, carver is offered the deal of a lifetime. plead guilty to second degree eight years in prison. ratchford thought that the deal was a strong statement about the state's weak case. >> i had never gotten such a low offer. he turned it down without batting an eye. >> i'm not going to plead guilty for something i didn't do. >> reporter: you'd rather spend the rest of your life in prison? >> yeah. >> reporter: in march 2011, carver's legal reckoning finally arrives. >> he's upbeat and feeling good. he's innocent, so we're ready for our day. >> reporter: at trial, prosecutors build their case on three key pieces of evidence. the first, carver's prox