what did steve strom do? >> well, of course, he denied it. he denied beinginvolved. d nail. >> those investigators remained convinced that their man was steve? >> yes. >> but as the trial approached back at the beginning of the 1980s none of the evidence from that chaotic bedroom murder scene could be tested for dna. the technology just didn't exist then. what they had instead was a circumstantial case, the testimony of friends an family, who would say that steve was sometimes verbally and possibly physically abusive. karen wanted out. >> there was black eyes and bruises that were witnessed by some of their co-workers and friends. >> but it wasn't enough. not much more than hearsay acrding to the assigned trial judge who dismissed the charges and released steve strom to go on about his life. strom lost his friends, his cribility. perhaps oly this friend still believed in him. >> i mean, everybody was just saying, you did it. you did it. you did it. you know? and they chased him. they followed him everywhere he went. >> cops? >> yep. i was with him. and that was that.