four family members killed, one at a time, as they arrived at their pote potomac home. >> the goff murder, the irma goff who lost almost her entire family talks for the first time. wendy has the story. >> reporter: whether this happened, we told you about the deaths, the funeral. we told you about the trial. but we never told you what it was like for irma goff the wife and mother of that family. how did she ever find her way out of that nightmare? >> i think that people should really focus on what they have in life. not what they don't have. >> there was a time when irma goff had it all, beautiful family, her husband david a poe die -- a doctor. four children, andrea, sherry, scott, and elise, 15. life was good. on the night of july 20th, 1995, she and scott were in ocean city. when the police called. >> all they said was there were five homicides and i said to them, what is a homicide? i didn't have a clue. >> that day a painter hired by their handyman had murdered aldridge, then killed goff's husband and three daughters as each arrived home that afternoon. her family was now essentially

> reporter: the 24-year-old grew up in chevy chase but would spend time with his father at his potomac homeose that remember yeardley love were also overcome by emotion after the guilty verdict of second degree murder came down. >> i think it's deserved. i think the evidence is obvious. and i'm surprise it took a year and a half to get there. >> reporter: one life violently taken. another ruined by a prison sentence. >> i hope that both families can find the peace in their hearts. >> reporter: in case you did not know, george huguely is a graduate of landon school in bethesda. back to you. >> thank you, ken. >>> now on to tonight's other big story. the big republican debate in arizona. the next last one before next tuesday's primary. gary has the latest. >> reporter: it's the last debate with rick santorum a target. no big news here. but some heat as he responded to the new attacks. his opponents tried to question santorum's conservative credential. >> because he's a fake. [ laughing ]. . >> unreal. unreal. >> congratulations. >> reporter: mitt romney tried to argue santorum isn't a real co

> reporter: the 24-year-old grew up in chevy chase but would spend time with his father at his potomac homeardley love were also overcome by emotion aft guilty verdict of second-degree murder came down. >> i think it's deserved. i think the evidence is obvious. i'm surprised it took a year and a half to get there. >> reporter: one life violently taken. another ruined by a

four family members killed in their potomac home. well, now irma goff, the wife and mother who lost nearly her entire family, is talking about that trauma and telling us how she found her way out of that nightmare. >> i think people should really focus on what they have in life not what they don't have. >> reporter: there was a time when irma goff had it all. a beautiful family. her husband, david, a podiatrist the love of her life. four glorious children. 22-year-old andrea and her other children. life was good. on the night of july 20th, 1995, she and scott were in ocean city when the police called. >> all they said was that they were at a homicide. i said, what's a homicide? i didn't have a crew. >> reporter: that day a painter hired by their handyman had murdered the handyman then killed goff's husband and three daughters as each arrived home that afternoon. her family was now essentially gone. in order to survive the early days, goff shut out the details of the murders. >> it was on the front page of every newspaper for so long.

local woman who lost her husband and three daughters, killed one by one by an intruder in their potomac home. for the first time, irma goff is sharing her story. >> i think that people should really focus on what they have in life. not what they don't have. >> reporter: there was a time when irma goff had it all. a beautiful family. her husband, david, a poe i dotivido tryst, the love of her life. three daughters and one son. life was good. on the night of july 20, 1995, she and scott were in ocean city when the police called. >> all they said was that there were five homicides. and i said to them, what's a homicide? i mean, didn't have a clue. >> reporter: that day a painter hired by their handyman had murdered aldridge and systematically killed goff's husband and three daughters as each arrived home that afternoon. her family was now essentially gone. >> much more of irma goff's difficult journey and how she is moving forward with life in our report at news4 at 11:00. >>> the head of the airbus says his company is launching an internal investigation into what caused cracks in the wings of

we talked to the singer in his home in potomac, maryland. >> i just cried like a baby, man. you know it's funny. the thing that got me most was not the friendship. it was that this voice is gone. ♪i want to dance with somebody ♪ >> reporter: radio dee-jay donnie simpson said his friendship with houston began into in her career. >> i remember i had a gold record hanging in my office that said thanks for being the first in the world to play whitney. >> reporter: simpson calls houston one of the best female singers ever. >> whitney was, you know, one of the greatest voices i've ever heard and when i say one of, i mean like one of the two or three maybe. it's like whitney and aretha. >> reporter: in 1994 whitney houston sang at a state dinner at the white house for newly elected south african president nelson mandela. united on had been a long time supporter of mandela's struggle against apart tied but during her long time career she raised millions of dollars for many causes. >> she asked me to emcee for a function for the united negroes college fund and she performed this. thi

she lost her husband and three daughters nearly 17 years ago when someone walked into their potomac, maryland, home and murdered them one by one. for the first time erma is sharing her story with wendy rieger. wendy joins us now with more on the story. >> anyone who has been in this town for any length of time knows the goff murders. these are the potomac, maryland, murders where a house painter hired by their contractor killed her husband, david, and killed her three daughters, elise, 15, sherry, 19, and andrea who was 22. erma and her only remaining son, child, scott, who was 17 at the time were at the beach. that's why they survived. this is a story about how do -- first time she's spoken. this summer will be the 17th anniversary. how do you come back from that? we always, as reporters, do stories of trauma and tragedy in our area. and we cover it and then we leave the people. with her, wondered how did you survive this? what was that journey like? >> i want to know how you were able to talk her into 17 years it has been, how you were able to -- >> i saw her at a restaurant just -- i was with a

murders irma goff's husband david and three daughters alyse, sherry, and andrea all in their potomac area home the wake of this horror irma goff began a remarkable journey. >> i didn't have a choice. in my mind there was only one way and that was to put one foot in front of the other. >> >> part of her survival focused on the killer. when he came to trial goff did not want the death penalty. >> i did not want to be responsible for another life. my in-laws were alive, my father, my son. i didn't want a three-ring circus and the other issue, it was right after o.j. and i saw that and i didn't want any part of that. >> he got six life sentences gu guaranteeing he'll die in prison. % >> he is 20 years old and will sp spend the rest of his life there. i'm living a life. y my son is living a life. what is a five-second lethal injection going to accomplish? >> >> reporter: goff says she didn't do this out of compassion or forgiveness but for self-preservation. vengeance would accomplish nothing. > >> if i could turn the clock back, change, but nothing would change. and when you're avengeful like that

were reporting on the worst mass murder in montgomery history, the goff family of potomac, maryland, murdered in their home, a fer and his three daughters. his wife, erma goff and son, scott, survived because they were out of town, she was faced with something most of us fortunately will never have to endure, rebuilding your life after that, moving on. how did she do it? >> i was lucky to have my son. i was lucky to be functional. i focused on that, what i had, not what i didn't v do i miss my family? absolutely. does a day go by i don't think of them, i don't pick up something or talk to somebody and think about them? doesn't happen. just doesn't happen. silly things, you know that remind me of david and the girls, but you have to -- you have to move forward. you can't -- you can't be a victim. >> tonight on news4 at 11:00, you can see my full interview with erma goff as she describes that journey back to life after those awful deaths. she is a remarkable, gutsy woman who has a story that may surprise you. please join in, tune in tonight at 11:00. >>> when we come back on news4 at 5:00 tonight, the first

home from work. we have more from potomac, maryland. >> we are seeing some small flakes hitting the ground, but as soon do they are melting. here not too bad for this time of the evening just wet. but some people who work in downtown d.c., left early to avoid any possible traffic tieups because of the snow. >> yes it would not take much to jam up the roads. >> salt trucks waited. in montgomery county, they are on call through the night. >> all night tomorrow. >> memories of last year's traffic mess is still fresh in our mind. nobody wants to get stuck on the road for hours and hours again. >> just in case. >> from montana, new jersey, they have seen worse, but are concerned about possible backups. >> it was so warm. now, it is the end of february it is starting to get cold. i do not know. i hope it does not happen again. >> a long 270, what we are seeing is a lot of salt trucks -- along 270. natasha barrett, abc7 news. >> let's take a look at some other top stories. opening arguments in the uva trial involving yeardley love where it was where george huguely sent an email saying "i should have killed yo

yet we hear from a lot people on your side of the potomac you think we are shutting the whole military down and sending everyone home christmas. >> one of the most surprising parts of this budget and one of the most surprising cuts in the defense budget is that the training of the afghan military will be cut in half. that was supposed to be one of the key parts of the have the joy for leaving afghanistan. the heart of the strategy proposed by president obama to transition afghanistan so the u.s. troops could leave. this budget cuts 100,000 soldiers and marines from the force. >> let me be clear: you cannot take half a trillion out the defense budget and not enoccur additional risk. we believe they are acceptable risks. but there are risks. and we will have a smaller force. >> he warned that each of the 50 states will feel the cuts that come from the defense budget. >>shepard: that is the part we will notice the part. it is important for context to remind people the military budget will be larger than the military budget of every other country on the planet combined. what was the reaction on capitol hill today? >>rep

potomac river to falls church, virginia, to fi plenty foreclosures. >> this housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle class in america: our homes. >> woodruff: in fact, he said, the crisis remains "massive in size and scope," and he described his latest attempt to attack the problem-- first, by letting homeowners with private mortgages refinance into government-backed loans at record-low interest rates even if they owe more than the home is worth. the administration says the plan could help 3.5 million borrowers and save families about $3,000 a year. it would cost $5 billion to $10 billion, paid for by a fee on big banks. the president also called for a homeowners' bill of rights and a program to rent out foreclosed properties. congress has already balked at the bank tax idea, but mr. obama insisted it's time to try again. >> it is wrong for anyone to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom. >> woodruff: at the capitol, republican house speaker john boehner dismissed the proposals. >> none of these programs have worked, and i don't know why anyo

home to a new groundhog day tradition. the only difference? d.c.'s newest weatherman isn't quite as lively as punxsutawney. potomac phil, a stuffed groundhog, predicted the weather this morning in the city's first annual groundhog day celebration. just like punxsutawney phil potomac phil predicted six more weeks of winter but added a political twist indicating there would also be nine months of political gridlock. organizers say they hope next year potomac phil won't be quite so stiff. >> we looked around really quick and couldn't find a live -- i think maybe all of them are reserved for other events. they have their schedules. so we have to start earlier next year. >> reporter: the d.c. council also made potomac phil's prediction the official celebration of groundhog day in the nation's capital. >> he is a little stuffed and stiff. you're right. >>> there is mixed bag of predictions about how much winter we actually have left. meanwhile, most of us are still waiting for winter to begin. >> hear ye, hear ye. >> punxsutawney phil advised us to stay bundled up. >> many shadows do i see. six more weeks of winter it m

home game of the season. georgetown fourth place in the big east standings with two games to go. and the potomac nationals have an interesting promotion. on april 15th they'll celebrate their 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic by allowing women and children into the park 15 minutes before the men. kind of like that. >> they should do that for every game. >> you are absolutely right. they should. >> thanks, dan. >> you're welcome. >>> when we come back we'll tell >>> when we come back we'll tell you hi. welcome to carmax.or who hi. i was on carmax dot com and i think i found the one. great car. and i think, it's right over there... (sighes)... finding your perfect car is easy at carmax because we carry only the highest quality used vehicles. and at carmax dot com, you can choose from nearly 30 thousand cars with most available for transfer to the store nearest you. so come find the one for you today... at carmax. busy day! yes it is! one chance to hunt down the right insurance at the right price. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. ready, aim, save! grrr! ooh, i forgot

home to a new groundhog day tradition. the only difference, d.c.'s newest weatherman is not quite as lively. potomac phil. stuffed groundhog predicted the weather this morning in the city's first annual groundhog day celebration here. just like punxsutawney phil, potomac phil predicted there will be six more weeks of win r winter. political twist, saying there would also be nine months of political gridlock. organizers say they hope next year potomac phil won't be so stiff. >> we looked around really quick and couldn't find a live -- all of them are reserved on this day for other events. you know. they all have their schedules. start earlier next year. >> d.c. council also made potomac phil's prediction to be the official celebration much groundhog day here in the nation's capital. >>> and turning to the weather now, rainy but mild morning. storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein joins us with the first 4 forecast. that looks more like a pilgrim's hat than a top hat he was wearing, didn't it? >> anything to help the chamber of commerce. this morning, we have had clouds and rain around but now the cloud cover be

potomac river to falls church, virginia, to find plenty of foreclosures. >> this housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle class in america: our homes. >> woodruff: in fact, he said, the crisis remains "massive in size and scope," and he described his latest attempt to attack the problem-- first, by letting homeowners with private mortgages refinance into government-backed loans at record-low interest rates even if they owe more than the home is worth. the administration says the plan could help 3.5 million borrowers and save families about $3,000 a year. it would cost $5 billion to $10 billion, paid for by a fee on big banks. the president also called for a homeowners' bill of rights and a program to rent out foreclosed properties. congress has already balked at the bank tax idea, but mr. obama insisted it's time to try again. >> it is wrong for anyone to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom. >> woodruff: at the capitol, republican house speaker john boehner dismissed the proposals. >> none of these programs have worked, and i don't know why anyo