Transcripts For KNTV Dateline NBC 20171202

They were sure that my father had done this reporter then a clue led to her son the poison is in his jeep . Yes. Reporter so why was she in the Interrogation Room . My life is over. Theyre interrogating her for murder. If you could have seen what they put that girl through. Reporter this deadly case of poison would have a toxic twist. So much of this made me feel crazy. People arent waiting for facts to come out. You feel like all of a sudden, somebody dropped you in the middle of hell and you cant find your way out. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with poisoned. Reporter she was the kind of doctor who went above and beyond. The patients loved her. They didnt just see her as a doctor. They saw her as a mentor and as a friend. Reporter and as an example at 60 years old, mary yoder, a popular chiropractor, was the picture of health. She was extremely healthy. Shes fit and beautiful. She ran. Oh, triathlons. Triathlons. Reporter energetic, vibrant, until mary the doctor was suddenly a patient in the icu. Throughout the night, she starts coding. The hospital has to bring her back each time. They had every specialist, they had everybody there, trying to figure out what was happening. Reporter one rare blood test would eventually solve the medical mystery. But it opened the door to a new one the evil kind. The kind of case, where nothing was what it seemed. It was so surreal, i didnt even know how to handle it. Reporter a surprising romance, an anonymous letter and a twisted trail that would lead to the unlikeliest of suspects. We felt that whoever wrote this letter was probably our killer. There are so many twists and turns in this case, someone could write a book and make a lot of money. Reporter mary yoder was the shining light in her family. She grew up in upstate new york with two brothers and five sisters, including sallie, janine and sharon. What was she like as a sister . Loving. A darling. She was always upbeat and full of fun. Reporter they loved mary because she was up for anything, with eclectic hobbies. She was an avid gardener a musician. Here she is singing a duet with sallie. Reporter and sallie also got her sister into this. Oh, belly dancing . We costumed and choreographed a dance for a local hafla, which its a egyptian dance, yeah. Reporter it was in the 70s in college when mary met bill, who would become her husband. They chose to pursue holistic living and you know you know, Healthy Lifestyle and spiritual growth. Reporter the sisters say bill was more introverted than mary, an intellectual. He was seemingly very soulful, which was what mary liked. Right. You know, very deep. Very deep. Deep thinker. Reporter bill earned a phd in philosophy and took courses to become a chiropractor, which got his wife thinking. Mary decided, you know, im smart enough. Im gonna be a chiropractor, too. So at that point, then they, you know, decided theyd go into business together when they graduated. Reporter they opened a chiropractic clinic and started a family. Liana is the oldest, born a year after they married. They had started very young and they were two broke kids at that point and they were trying to figure out life. Reporter tamaryn is her younger sister. Two years later, i came along. And then ten years after me, adam came. We adored him. Yeah. And and he was ours. I mean, we uhhuh. He we cuddled him, we held him. Reporter the yoder family was always close and when adam was older he helped out at the family business. Then his girlfriend katie took his place as office manager. I would schedule patients and greet them. Reporter katie had a particularly strong bond with mary. Considered her a mentor. You couldnt help but to like her. Did you feel inspired by her at all . Yes, i did. She always kept such a positive outlook no matter what was going on or what was happening in her day, and that was really encouraging. Did she do any work on your back . Yes. I got chiropractor adjustments. Sure. Reporter mary was also a big believer in herbal supplements. She took them herself and recommended them to the people she treated. She was always trying to encourage people to live a better life. Reporter by 2015, mary and bill started to slow down, thinking about retirement. They were planning their trip of a lifetime. Where were they going to go . Europe. And that was their plan going up into this trip is lets decide what our next chapter of life is gonna be together. Reporter it was also around that time an afternoon in july that mary came to her sister janines house out of the blue. Mary stopped by to see you . You know, mary and i would get together periodically. But never, in all the 20 years that id been there, did she ever just pop in. I was really surprised. And but i i had the impression she wanted to talk. Reporter but instead mary cut the visit short and left quickly. And she said, no, no, i i gotta go. But she said, theres no reason that we cant make a habit of this. And so i said, okay, great. Reporter it all puzzled janine. She wondered if mary wanted to confide in her about something but got cold feet. Then just a week later, mary got sick. Very sick. And it came on fast. Her day began with a full schedule at the clinic. But holly hilts, a patient, noticed something wasnt right. She just had redness around her eyes, like when youre getting a cold but, you know, we just thought, okay, shes human. She gets sick too. Reporter it turned out she wasnt just sick. Mary was violently ill, with vomiting and diarrhea. Bill rushed her to the hospital. Thats how i woke up, was the phone call from my father. And he just was just on the ph just, moms really sick. Reporter what was wrong with mary . When we come back an illness that was even baffling to doctors. They had everybody there trying to figure out what was happening and no one could do anything. It was completely shocking. It was surreal. In our gut, we felt somethings not right. Give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions and open up a world of possibilities. Save 30 for the holidays at ancestrydna. Com fast like stop staring atcaps help youthe clock fast,st, like stop worrying about your boss fast, like wow, youre already asleep fast. When life keeps you up. Zzzquil helps you fall asleep in as little as 20 minutes. Its the one time of year weekend at kohls Friends Family take an extra 25 off give joy with outerwear for her boots for him and stockings for the family plus get kohls cash and remember Friends Family take an extra 25 off. Give joy, get joy at kohls. So gistarting at 40 a line a gfor four lines. Good as the network its on. Circuits . So the neathats why more people is insideacount on ihere you go. In this home we make breakfast. Sometimes messes but always masterpieces. Together. What matters most is made at home. Gives skin the moisture it needs and keeps it there longer with lockin Moisture Technology skin is petal smooth after all, a cleansers just a cleanser unless its olay. musica . And told you mary was sick . Yeah, she said, marys in the hospital. And she was desperate on the phone. And i was like i was like, well, marys the healthiest woman i know. Exactly. Yeah. Its gotta be i just said, tamaryn, everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. Reporter but when marys sisters got to the hospital, they realized how bad it was. We went to the hospital. And it was just it was crazy. They were they had no idea what was wrong. Reporter marys daughter, tamaryn, was in the room as her mother started to code. Every time her heart would stop and they would revive her, she would come back and she would be responsive again. And she would she was intubated, but she could still mouth, i love you around it. Reporter daughter liana, a physician herself, was racing to the hospital as a team of specialists was brought in. You must have felt so helpless, being the doctor of the family and youre not youre not there. They had everybody there, trying to figure out what was happening, and nobody could do anything. They brought in so many specialists. They had no idea. You know, they just couldnt figure out what was wrong with this woman. Reporter marys sister sharon is a nurse. She was down in florida getting updates. Janine said that she had coded three times. And i i just knew that wasnt good. So i called my husband, who has more experience working in the hospital than i do. And he said, you need to be prepared. This isnt good. This is a medical mystery . Yeah. No one no doctor is coming out and telling you, heres what she has. No. They didnt know. Heres what how were doing about it . They had no idea. Reporter a family vigil was under way in the waiting room. And hours later, the horrible news came. And so it was on july 22nd . Yep. 2015 . Yeah. Janine ended up telling me calling me and saying, sharon, shes gone. And i just remember, like, screaming and banging on the steering wheel. And i said, janine, 60yearold Healthy People dont just drop dead. Reporter katie, the office manager, was there, too. What was the mood like when they when they all finally learned the news . They were devastated. Its unimaginable. Reporter katie, who had always looked up to mary, said she was heartbroken. It was completely shocking. It was surreal because how could this person who was so full of energy and so vibrant just be gone so suddenly . I remember at the time saying i i dont understand this. I if there had been a car accident or something, that, i could understand. But i dont understand. How a healthy this. What happened for her body to just quit shut down. Cause it made no sense at all. Reporter a few days later daughter liana got a call from the medical examiner. And he said, based on the severity of how quickly this illness hit her and the fact that it looks like it was an infectious cause with the high white blood cell count and her gall bladder being inflamed, we think its something called colitis or ascending cholangitis. And this is this is what you told your aunts yeah. This is what i that you believed yeah. Yeah, exactly the most you had to go on . Correct. That was at that point, that was the most we had. Reporter it looked like mary had died from some kind of serious infection. So then were thinking, okay, well, i guess it was natural causes. Reporter sharon, the nurse, was confused. I said, it makes no sense to me. But she told us that. So we accepted it. And it wasnt easy because we didnt understand it. Reporter sharon suggested to liana that the medical examiner should do toxicology tests. Just in case. She did say that they are going to do the toxicology tests that you asked for. And i said, thank you. Reporter a month went by, the toxicology report hadnt come back. Thats when janine happened to run into one of marys doctors. He told her something that surprised her they had already decided it was not an infection. He goes, we have no idea how she died. He said, so many specialists were called in. Wed never seen anything like this in all of our years of practicing. And you had no idea about any of this . No. No. And so we thats just so many things start gelling to make us suspicious. Reporter so the medical mystery was only deepening. We always from the moment mary died, in our gut, we felt somethings not right. Somethings not right in what way . Like, foul play well, how or that something went wrong . Just a feel a sense that, yeah, s somethings not right somethings not right. Coming up, we have to find out how this got in her system. Theres a safe and effective dose, and the a toxic dose we have to find out how it got into her system. Did somebody deliberately give this to mary . And that smell puts the giddy in giddyup ah. The irresistible scent of gain flings laundry detergent. You cant help but smell happy. Wheres your iphone season spirit . Be smart and get the new iphone from sprint youll get the best price for unlimited and Network Reliability within 1 of the other guys. jimmy im going to sprint vo switch to sprint and get the new iphone 8 or ten and save 350, plus upgrade to the latest iphone anytime for people with hearing loss, with iphone forever. Visit sprintrelay. Com. Oh, look. Another antiwrinkle cream in no hurry to make anything happen. Neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair® works in just one week. With the fastest retinol formula available. Its clinically proven to work on fine lines and wrinkles. One week . That definitely works rapid wrinkle repair®. And for dark spots, rapid tone repair. Neutrogena®. See whats possible. A criminal warrant signed by a texas judge has been issued for Jose Ines Garcia zarate s arrest in 2015. This means zarate could go to federal authorities and mayserve prison time, after being released in San Francisco. And on twitter highlights of former president bill clinton s speech in San Francisco today. He delivered the keynote address at a World Aids Day event in the city. Reporter in the wake of mary yoders death, sadness rippled through her upstate new york community. As office manager, katie had the grim task of calling marys patients with the news. Reporter what were the responses you were getting from people . People were shocked. For her to just be gone so suddenly and after such a brief illness that people couldnt believe it. And i didnt have any answers for them. Reporter one of the people katie spoke with was holly hilts, the patient who saw mary the day she fell ill. Im like, what . How can that be . For somebody as that is that healthy . Reporter marys family was devastated. But at the memorial service, her sisters thought bill was handling the loss better than they expected. When i saw bill, we locked in a long hug. I was sobbing. And it felt and sounded like he was sobbing, too. And when we broke from our embrace there were no tears. But there were other people there that day that were saying, oh, yeah, bill oh, he was crying. He was sobbing hard. Reporter and as time passed we assumed that our brotherinlaw was going to completely fall apart without mary. And he really just didnt seem like the grieving partner that, you know, we were expecting. Reporter the grieving sisters had so many questions. And the medical examiner was still working, trying to figure out marys cause of death. It was proving difficult. They really have the ability for one more test. Reporter dr. Jeanna marraffa is an assistant clinical director for the upstate new york poison center. When the m. E. Only had one blood sample left, he contacted her. And that was really what they came to me with, is there anything that you could think of that we could test for . Reporter it was a roll of the dice, but she suggested checking for one particular drug. Her symptoms really led me down the line of thinking that colchicine was very high on my list as potential causes. Reporter colchicine is a drug thats used to treat the disease gout, a form of arthritis. In a high enough dose it becomes toxic. And that toxic dose can result in anything from significant, severe side effects to fatality. Reporter and the final test proved it. The medical examiner called marys daughter, liana, the physician in the family. Hes like okay, we did get a cause of death back, its colchicine. And i said, what . Hes, like he repeated. Its colchicine. Im, like, the gout medication . I was completely confused. I mean, the only capacity that i knew that was as a shortterm acute treatment for gout. I which we knew our mother never had she didnt have. I was like, what . Well, how did she get it . And she she didnt know. So i said, so she was poisoned, then . And she said, well, we we have to find out how it got into her system. Reporter wheres your mind going now . Are you thinking foul play . I was the first one to take that leap. I was the first one. Its i was just getting all these bits and pieces of information, and it was not making sense. Reporter did you feel like you were playing Armchair Detectives trying to sharon and i was. Reporter cut through everything . Yeah. Reporter figure out what really happened . Yeah, yeah. Reporter weeks went by then three months after marys death, sharon decided to call a real detective. We get a phone call. Reporter marys sister spoke to lieutenant Robert Nelson. Hes a detective with the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. She asked if we would get involved in the investigation to determine how mary got this in her system. Reporter do you feel that this is something that would fall under your purview . Yes. At this point, were like, well, we need to get a hold of the m. E. s office to see exactly, you know, what they have. What did they what was the cause of death . Reporter the detective learned there was nothing in marys medical history to explain why shed be taking colchicine. Why would she have this poison, this drug, in her system . That they didnt know. Thats when they started looking at different things. She took all these supplements. They looked at supplement contamination. Reporter marys son adam and katie gathered her supplements to have them sent for testing. Reporter anything there . Never we finally got the test back from there, and nothing from there. Reporter negative . Negative. Reporter but, there was another possibility, too. Colchicine comes from a plant called autumn crocus. And mary was an avid gardener. Autumn crocus can be mistaken for wild garlic. So if she had taken the the leaves off or boiled the bulbs in water, and somehow ingested it that way, that would cause the colchicine toxicity. Reporter this is a deadly plant. Yes. Can be. Reporter did she have autumn crocus in her garden . No. They looked at that. There was none of those plants in the garden. Reporter how much colchicine do you have to ingest for it to be deadly . If youre talking gout medicine, its like you would have to take anywhere from 40 to 60 pills, depending on your size. And it you would have to take it all at once to be to be a lethal dose. Reporter if mary did take that many pills, maybe she did it on purpose. We talked to family, we started talking to people. We dont believe its suicide. Reporter that left one other scenario, a disturbing one. Reporter did you think that she could be poisoned, given never. Reporter just no. Reporter the violent nature of it. No, because the thought of anybody doing that to her reporter but thats exactly what the detective was considering. Did somebody poison mary . Did somebody deliberately give this to mary . We sat down with the m. E. s office and went through everything, all their the autopsy. At that point, we were looking at it as a homicide. Reporter now the hunt for a killer was on. And some of marys sisters thought they knew where investigators should start. Reporter coming up she says i think hes got a girlfriend reporter marys husband bill, and a mysterious other woman. We began to wonder was there a relationship beforehand . That would have been a motive. Then we would a had to say well, bill now has a motive for this. And go have a cigarette . I just knew i had to quit, and chantix was the method that actually worked for me. Along with support, Chantix Varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. Chantix reduced my urge to smoke. When you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. Serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin reactions which can be lifethreatening. Stop chantix and get help right away if you have any of these. Tell your Healthcare Provider if youve had depression or other Mental Health problems. Decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. Use caution when driving or operating machinery. The most common side effect is nausea. Thanks to chantix, i did it. Ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. Many insurance plans cover chantix for a low or 0 copay. That cough doesnt sound so good. Take mucinex dm. Ill text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. One pill lasts 12 hours, so. Looks like im good all night why take 4hour cough medicine . Just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Lets end this. Givegive joy with 25 rioff under armours. And get joy with kohls cash for you take 25 off under armour hoodies, fleece, and shoes under armour presents for them, kohls cash for you give joy, get joy with under armour at kohls. We get a gift for mom and dad. , and every year, we split it equally. Except for one of us. I write them a poem instead and one for each of you too thats actually yours. That, that one. Yeah. Regardless, were stuck with the bill. To many, words are the most valuable currency. Last i checked, stores dont take words. Some do. Not everyone can be the poetic voice of a generation. I know, right . Such a burden. The bank of america mobile banking app. The fast, secure and simple way to send money. Reporter it was four months after mary yoders death, and investigators told the family they were convinced mary had been murdered. What is that moment like, when your mom is now why . A murder victim. There isnt even words for it. Your world flips upside down and nothing makes sense. And up isnt down and down isnt up anymore. So that was terrifying. Reporter and marys daughters believed their mother hadnt just been killed. Shed practically been tortured. Colchicine. One of the hallmarks of it, it stops your heart. It breaks it. And it breaks it over and over and over again. Reporter detective Robert Nelson was trying to figure out who might have used the drug to poison mary. There were actually a couple of t. V. Shows that kind of echoed this case. Yes. There was the tv show house which had colchicine. Colchicine does its damage in a very specific order. But this is real life now. Yes. Did a patient come in that day and do something that we dont know about . Did they give mary you know, something to eat. Reporter any obvious suspects, potential suspects . No, not at first. Reporter but detective nelson had to start somewhere. What about the person closest to mary, her husband . What was it that was leading you in bills direction . At this point, basically just because he was the husband. In these types of cases, it always seems to be the spouse is the one responsible if its a poisoning case. Reporter marys sisters had known bill for decades. If there were problems in the marriage, was mary the type to share with her sisters . She would talk about frustration in certain situations. But she tried very hard never to say anything negative about bill. Yeah, she always put a positive spin on anything if she could. Reporter still, her sisters never forgot a story mary told them. It happened before the time of her wedding thirty eight years earlier. Theyre out in my parents yard and bill says to her, you know this is to be an open marriage, right . And she was taken aback. She said to me, i had the strength to tell him, no, bill, were going to have to not get married, you know, if you cant commit to monogamy. He backed down . Yeah, he came back and said, okay, i thought about it and i can commit. Reporter but did he . It was no secret that in the years that followed bill would often disappear on weekends. Hed take night trips to albany, weekends, to be by himself, he said, to write. Reporter janine kept wondering about that day mary dropped by her house out of the blue. Did she want to tell her something about her marriage . I think she wanted to talk or she wanted to open up the door, you know, for us to start Start Talking about something. Reporter the sisters also thought back to bills behavior. How he seemed so unemotional to them after marys death. Some of the things were that we werent comfortable with was that they didnt know what she died of exactly. But he had her cremated very quickly. He had her phone turned off very quickly. Too quickly . Yeah, too quickly. Reporter still, the sisters say the marriage looked pretty solid in recent years. Our brotherinlaw seemingly became a really good husband. You know he was helpful in ways and letting her do things she wanted to do. I was just thinking, well, gee, bill has really come a long way. Reporter and certainly no one wanted to believe that marys own husband would harm her. When i was interviewed, i was not ready to say that i suspect my brotherinlaw. Because i really had no real evidence and i felt, in all fairness to another human being, im not going to accuse him of something without evidence. Reporter any fairminded detective would need that evidence, too, along with a clear idea of a motive. Did bill stand to inherit everything that was marys, everything in the marriage . They had the business together, but there was no large sums of money that bill would have gotten if of marys death. Reporter still authorities kept tabs on bill, monitoring his behavior. How did you take that, knowing that the police were looking at your dad . Its terrifying. But we didnt understand because there was nothing in their relationship that indicated that there was any trouble. Reporter did you think it was possible that we didnt know if our father was involved. We didnt know if it was a complete stranger. Absolutely no idea. Reporter detectives told the siblings not to talk about the investigation, especially not to their father. Well, we werent letting him in on the fact that we had been talking with the investigators. Reporter they eventually called bill in for an interview. Bills not an emotional person. So he didnt seem very upset. You know, he wasnt very outgoing in his emotions. Reporter hes not shedding any tears or well, were not speaking to bill till five months later, after marys death. Reporter bill spoke to them for five hours. And he gave investigators permission to search the couples chiropractic business, where deputies collected computers, a typewriter and a fax machine. He signed a consent. We went to the office. And he was very helpful. I mean he he was very forthcoming, he gave us everything we asked for. Reporter and they had a lot of questions for bill. At the top of the list . Something theyd learned while they were tracking him. It turns out bill was already dating again. In fact, it was marys mother who first called it. Shortly after mary died, my mother said, why is he always going out of town . And i said, i dont i dont know, mom, maybe he needs some time or whatever. And she says, i think hes got a girlfriend. This is coming from a 92yearold woman 91yearold woman. And she goes, im not feeling right about this. Reporter detective nelson was the one to tell sharon their mom was right. He told me that, um, they had in fact found bill to be with another woman. Did he tell you who the woman was . No. He did not. We begin to wonder was there a relationship beforehand . Why is it important to determine now if this relationship started before marys death . If it was before marys death, obviously, that would have been a motive. Then we would have had to say, well, bill now has a motive for this. Thats kind of a big deal. Yes. And that came up, that was an obvious red flag and we were very concerned about it. Reporter in his interview with detectives, bill said he had not cheated on his wife. The relationship began after mary died. And phone records seemed to confirm it. We were able to verify all the all this information that he wasnt having phone conversation, Text Messages with her, prior to marys death. Reporter so the obvious suspect, the husband with a new romance, didnt seem so obvious after all. But the detective had a new lead. A big one. And it would change everything. Coming up you might have a smoking gun here. Yes. Like a bolt from the blue an anonymous letter lands in their laps. And it would lead to a poison piece of evidence. Thats your big moment in this case. A big moment. When dateline continues. T can actually repair and protect sensitive teeth. And as long as they brush twice a day, everyday, then they can expect to continually have that reparative layer of protection against sensitivity. Sensodyne repair protect has Clinical Evidence showing how effective it works. I absolutely think that dentists are going to want to recommend sensodyne repair protect. Giand get kohls cash for you weekend at kohls give a drone and get 20 kohls cash give a Fitbit Charge 2 and get 30 kohls cash or give a cuisinart airfryer toaster oven and youll get 40 kohls cash presents for them, kohls cash for you give joy, get joy at kohls aswitch to new pantene light as air foam conditioner, full of rich prov nutrients. For 100 conditioning, 0 weight new pantene foam conditioner. [baby crib musical mobile] millions are still exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke. And some of them cant do anything about it. But you can. Protect your family. Visit tobaccofreeca. Com. Reporter detective Robert Nelson was making little headway in solving mary yoders homicide when a bombshell clue landed on his desk. An anonymous letter. I received the letter stating adam did this, he was responsible. He told this person that he did it. Reporter adam was adam yoder, mary and bills 25 year old son. The letter said he was the killer. The person who penned the letter claimed to be close to adam, writing he got a bottle of colchicine off online and put the toxin in one of her vitamins when he was over at his parents house. With a jolt the letter dramatically shifted the focus of the investigation from father to son. You might have a smoking gun here. Yes. There was a lot of detail in that letter. Reporter did adam have any criminal history . No, we didnt have anything on adam. Reporter remember adam dated katie, and her parents, vin and cathy, knew him well. When he was dating our daughter he would come to the house every day. Reporter and how did you feel about the relationship . There was always something off, something we didnt care for with adam. He was kind of off, detached. Wed eat dinner as a family and adam would sit across from me. He wouldnt make eye contact with you talked and he wouldnt really talk to anyone in the family. The communication stopped a little bit between myself and him. Reporter did you at any point feel like maybe i should Say Something . Or did you totally stay out of it . No, we did mention to katie that we didnt think there was Something Different with adam, and we really didnt feel comfortable about it. Her sisters also recognized that fact, too. Reporter shannon and sara conley are katies twin sisters. They werent sad when katie and adam split up. Why did they finally break up . Katie just had enough of him being up, being down, being up, being down, and just some of the things he would say just werent right. Reporter did adam have any issues with his mom that you know of . I know they definitely were not as close as our family was. He would just kind of talk down about his family. It was like, i dont get it. Like, ive met your mother. Shes great. Reporter so why . If there was any truth to the letter, what motive would adam have . The letter seemed to have an answer. Why did it say he did it . He thought hed gain financially if his mother passed away. He thought hed have a financial gain. Also, that there was arguments between him and his parents that he was upset with the with his mother. So it listed that as two of the reasons. Reporter and the letter told authorities something else. The colchicine container is under the front seat passenger side of his jeep until he figures out where to dispose of it next. Whats your strategy going in with adam . We sat down and we talked as to how we want to go about with adam. We said, lets lets bring him up here. If he comes up in his vehicle, the letter says the colchicine in the vehicle. Well talk to adam. See if he comes up with the colchicine. Reporter was this a bit of a test to see if adam would show up in the jeep . Yes. Reporter and when adam arrived to talk to the detectives he was driving the jeep in question. We were trying to get a feel for adam at that point to see, you know is he responsible for his mothers death . So we spoke to him. We then showed him parts of the letter that said where this colchicine would be. And which he was taken aback. Reporter what was his demeanor over that letter . Shocked. Reporter did you feel his reaction was genuine . Yes. But we still had some concerns also about his reactions. Reporter in what way . He was just hesitant to let us go look in his vehicle. Reporter while one detective talked to adam, another called his sister liana. Theyre, like, we actually have a letter. What do you mean you have a letter. Well, the letters actually pointing the finger at your brother and it says he has got this in his car. Reporter the poison i the poison in his car, and i said what do you mean you have a letter that says my brother did it . And then he said, no, its important. We got to look in your brothers car. You got to convince him to let us you know, if you can talk to him, let him know cause if he leaves the station this isnt going to be good. Reporter adam eventually gave investigators permission and they went outside to the parking lot. Moment of truth. You open the vehicle door. And what do you find inside . They go out there and and they search the vehicle right where it says its going to be in the letter. And we pull out a, uh cardboard sleeve with the colchicine inside the sleeve. Reporter and just like that the investigator seemed to have the weapon right in his hand. Thats your big moment in this case. A big moment. Reporter coming up adam yoder, secret killer . It was frustrating. It just wasnt fitting. This deadly puzzle wasnt solved yet. You feel like all of a sudden, somebody dropped you in the middle of hell and every time you get an answer, its worse. I kept looking for ways to manage my symptoms. I thought i was doing okay. Then it hit me. Managing was all i was doing. When i told my doctor, i learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of moderate to severe Crohns Disease even after trying other medications. In clinical studies, the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Just managing your symptoms . Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, remission is possible. [ various sound effects ] it only takes 15 minutes, to bring holiday cheer. Get the Party Started with delicious chex party mix. [burke] abstract accident. Seen videoit. Covered it. C we know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum thereswhatever type ofhe end of eweekender you are,ton. Dont let another weekend pass you by. Get the lowest price when you book at hilton. Com infafrom loreal. Cover full coverage foundation. Super lightweight. Pro formula really lasts. But if forever, doesnt last forever, just cover and conceal infallible total cover from loreal paris. Because it knew an ordinary tissue was near. Ear. The fiery tissue left her nose sore and red. So dad slayed the problem with puffs plus lotion, instead. Puffs have pillowy softness for dakotas tender nose. With lotion to comfort and soothe when she blows. Dont get burned by ordinary tissues. A nose in need deserves puffs, indeed. Of thoughts and dreams that scatter you pull them all together and how, i cant explain oh yeah, well well well youuuu you make my dreams come true well, well, well youuuu topped steak twisted potatoes at applebees. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. Reporter the anonymous letter writer had been right. The colchicine used to kill mary yoder was under the front passenger seat of her son adams jeep. It was a pure form of the drug, far more potent than what doctors prescribe. And adam . Whats his reaction . I think he was shocked at that point when he saw us pull that out. The poison is in his jeep. Yes. Reporter whats more, in the jeep along with the colchicine there was a receipt for the drug. And on the receipt it had an email address. It also had adams name on there. And from there, the mradamyoder1990 Gmail Account, which was very important to us, was listed on there. Reporter adam said hed never seen the colchicene before in his life. Someone must have planted it. In that moment, what are you thinking . At that moment, were thinking would he bring the poison up here with him . I mean it doesnt make sense. If youre if you killed your mother, and you got the colchicine, you wouldnt drive up to the Sheriffs Office with the colchicine in knowingly in your car. You would get rid of it. But again, you have anonymous letter saying he admitted to doing it, and that the colchicine would be in his car. So you kinda have a split reaction as to which way we are looking at it. Reporter could adam really have poisoned his mother . When they looked into his whereabouts on the day mary got sick, they discovered adam was more than 300 miles away visiting his sister. I knew at the time my mom got sick, he was with me and i couldnt understand wait how would he have been involved . My mother was my brothers biggest supporter. He turned to her first for everything. And the thought them trying to say that he did this didnt make sense. Reporter it didnt entirely make sense to detectives either. You let adam go. Yes. But i would imagine youre not crossing adam off your list yet. No. We are comfortable enough to let him go but we didnt say he absolutely had nothing to do with it. Reporter the investigation led them to talk to adams cousin and roommate david king. Hes the son of marys sister, janine. David told them that after mary died, adam was enrolled in college, but his life seemed to be falling apart. He slowly started dropping all of his classes. And he was pretty much staying in bed all day and drinking a lot. Were you really concerned about him . I was. He had expressed to me that he which was very concerning. Reporter it was only when detectives were interviewing david that he realized adam was a person of interest in marys death. Did that just floor you . I was absolutely floored. And at that time they had asked me flatout, do you think adam couldve killed his mother . What did you tell them . At the time i said, no, i dont think he would. At the time . At the time. Reporter david would later wonder if his cousins behavior was the result of grief or guilt. Adams sisters on the other hand had no doubt adam was innocent. They were convinced he was being framed. Who did you think could have framed him . At that point, a possibility was my father. So you actually believed your father mightve we believed it framed your brother couldve been possible. The investigators were leaning very heavy onto it. And pretty much telling us without coming out right out and saying it, that they were sure my father had done this. Reporter it was impossible to wrap their heads around. This cant be real, this cant really be happening. We had to reality check with each other because it yeah. Youre, like, did it happen or did it not yeah, is this a dream . Whats going on . You feel like all of a sudden, somebody dropped you in the middle of hell. And you cant find your way out. And every time you get an answer, its worse. Reporter but detectives didnt have enough evidence to prove any of their theories. It was frustrating. I mean there was a lot of nights we were frustrated by this case. We looked at adam, but yet, nothing else was pointing the finger at adam. It just wasnt fitting. And the same with bill, wed want to say, okay bill did this. But why did bill do it . So there was times we were kind of wondering. Reporter looking for new insight, detectives turned to someone outside the yoder clan katie who dated adam and worked for bill and mary. We just wanted to speak to her to see if she knew anything about bill, about mary, other than, you know, outside of the office. Reporter often employees are the ones who hear and see a lot. Yes. Reporter katie was in the middle of final exams at college but made time to come in for an interview. Did you wonder why . I wondered what had started an investigation and i i wanted to help in whatever way i could. I just didnt know what they were getting at. Reporter detectives thought katie could tell them a lot about mary and bill. They were like night and day. In what way . Mary was very outgoing and very vibrant, and bill was more reserved. And was more about the business and less about being friendly with patients. Reporter she, of course, knew a lot about adam, too. Things werent perfect between adam and katie. No. But but they clearly had something, because they kept going back to each other. Yes. They would talk on and off. They would text each other. They would get back together, and then they would break up again. Did they have a lot of questions . They did. Reporter investigators talked to katie three times over the next few days. By the third interview, she started telling them the same thing adams cousin had said, adam hadnt been himself lately. She makes some comments about, adams acting strangely. And isnt acting right. Is she worried about adam . That maybe adam had something to do with this . Yes. Shes kind of hinting that the way adam is acting, that he may be responsible for his mothers death. Reporter as detectives listened to katie talk about adam, her ex, they wondered where this was going. A light bulb went off for the investigator. He took a shot and said, did you write the letter . And what does she say . She said, yes. Reporter detectives had found the person who wrote that letter pointing the finger at adam. But the discovery was about to point them in a new direction. Thats a twist. Yes. Announcer coming up are you okay . Yeah. Im sorry, im just scared. Announcer a frightened katie conley shares her story with detectives. You cant protect me. Protect you from what, ada . Yeah. Reporter what was she afraid of . When dateline continues. With your support, we provide meals for pet shelters and food banks to feed hungry pets across the country. This holiday season, buy any bag of dog or cat food at petsmart. Any brand, any size and well give a meal to a pet in need. 60 million meals thats so much food. Petsmart for the love of pets. From far away. But they harryonly see his wrinkles. If only harry used some. Bounce, to dry. He would be a less wrinkly, winning guy. speaking hindi speaking spanish hraaerrr wookiee . Campbells new star wars soups. Made for real, real life. The unique formula with nourishing almond oil leaves skin smoother moisturized for 24 hours. Enjoy smoother skin and now try new Oil Infused Lotions moisturize with indulging scents do i use. One thatsthat wgood for my teeth . Now i dont have to choose from crest 3d white comes new whitening therapy. Its our best whitening technology. Plus, it has a fortifying formula to protect your enamel. Crest. Healthy, beautiful smiles for life. That moment when who youre going with is more important than where youre going. Wherever life takes us, we go together. Interwoven. Exclusively at kay, jared and zales. Reporter continuing with our story, chiropractor mary yoders sudden death was a puzzle. No one could do anything. People were shocked. She was so healthy. Healthy people dont just drop dead. Reporter then doctors discovered shed been poisoned with a rare drug. We were looking at it as a homicide. Announcer police looked at her husband, bill. She said, i think hes got a girlfriend. Announcer reporter and, her son adam. Ive always had my concerns about adam. Announcer reporter now, investigators are about to focus on a Surprising New suspect. It was the hardest person to ever wrap your head around. Who would it be . No way. It just doesnt make sense. Never ever in your wildest dreams would you imagine this would happen. Announcer here again, Andrea Canning. Reporter december 2015, five months after mary yoders fatal poisoning, detectives heads were spinning. They couldnt figure out who had written that letter pointing the finger at adam as the killer. Now katie, adams exgirlfriend, admitted it was her. Are you okay . Yeah. Im im sorry. Im scared. What . Im scared. I understand that. Look, im going to be in here with you, okay . And together were going to get through talking about this. Reporter through tears, katie went over the details in the letter. She said adam confessed to her, he poisoned his mother with colchicine. He had it shipped to the office . I think thats what was in the package that i signed for. Reporter in the letter she said adam hid the poison in one of marys vitamin pills. But katie wasnt sure if he really meant to kill his mother. You said it may have been a accident. Did he express that he didnt mean to do this to you . Well, he said he regretted it. He regretted it . Reporter as for how she knew where adam had stashed the poison, katie said he told her when she was literally sitting on top of it. You were in adams jeep . Yeah. Right . He told you that you hed put colchicine under your seat under his seat . Under my seat. Under your seat . He told you that . But i didnt want to look. Reporter katie had known adam for years. But now, she told the detectives she didnt know what he was capable of. You think adams going to do this again . Do i think he could do it again . Like, would it surprise me . No. Reporter she said she didnt report adam sooner for one simple reason she was afraid of him. I know you cant protect me. We can protect you. You cant protect me. Protect you from what . Adam . Yeah. If youre saying adams responsible, why would adam come after you . Why . Yes. Because if he knows that i like, if he knows that i came to you. Reporter katies admission that she was the letter writer seemed like the big break detectives needed. And it was but not in the way you might think. Reporter and you thought that possibly the killer wrote the letter. Yes. Reporter are you thinking katie could be the killer . Absolutely. Reporter really . Yes. Reporter key witness or prime suspect . Which was she . As the interview went on, the detectives pushed her harder. What made you write the letter . You wanted us to know . Yeah. Or did you want to see adam get in trouble . No. Like, its not to see adam get in trouble. Reporter is katie starting to panic . Did you feel that . Yes. I think at this point, shes becoming worried about where things were turning and now its looking for her. Because if we didnt arrest adam when we found the colchicine, now she knows we dont necessarily believe whats in that letter. Im just im afraid because adams really smart. Reporter at one point, katie told the detectives adam had threatened to frame her. At the office, he said that if anyones going to get in trouble, its going to be me. Okay, for what . For being at the office . Yeah. Like im connected to everything, he said. Anything we asked her, she says i know things are pointing at me but its adam. She always tried to point the finger back at adam. Reporter she also said something they thought was just plain weird. She made an observation about who uses poison. Guys also dont use poison. A lot of people do. They say its a ladys weapon. They say its a ladys weapon . Yeah. Reporter of course, that didnt prove katie was marys killer. She was free to go. But she had not done much during that interview to dispel the detectives suspicions either, far from it. We wanted to speak to her again. But at this point now, we also had a lot more police work to do. Reporter they started to dig. And quickly thought they were on the right track. For one thing, katie had opportunity she was with mary at the office that day. Poison experts thought mary had ingested the colchicine around lunchtime. There was a kitchen area in the back where they would sit and have lunch and make their drinks. If mary was out in this other room a couple offices away working on patients, katie would have the time to go back there and do something reporter and that Gmail Account that had been used to buy the poison, digital records showed adams computer had never been used to log into the account. But katies computer had. Katie had accessed the mradamyoder account from not only home, but from the office. Reporter in fact, the entire digital trail seemed to lead detectives right to katies doorstep. On her phone they found several searches for the word colchicine. All this evidence comes in against her. Nothings coming back on bill and nothing came back on adam. Reporter but there was a gaping hole in their theory. If katie really was marys killer, why had she done it . The only person who could answer that was katie herself. It was time for another conversation. And this one was going to get intense. Why did you do it, katie . Help me understand. Oh, my god. Reporter coming up no way. Katie . They cant be looking at katie. Reporter an interrogation, turned marathon. And he says katie will not be going home. Never in your wildest dreams would you think that this would happen. Im here to talk to you about how at t gives you more. And so am i. Like how when you buy the amazing new iphone 8 you get another one on us. See we give you more phones and more spokespeople. Are you guys doing a spokesperson thing right now . Yes. Awesome, can i be in it . Well, its kind of like a twophone deal. So two spokespeople. Got it. K. Thanks. At t its time for more. Its time for more. Buy the amazing iphone 8 at at t and get a second one to gift, on us. Ltry align probiotic. N your digestive system . For a nonstop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. Get 24 7 digestive support, with align. The 1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. Also in kids chewables. Its the one time of year weekend at kohls Friends Family take an extra 25 off give joy with outerwear for her boots for him and stockings for the family plus get kohls cash and remember Friends Family take an extra 25 off. Give joy, get joy at kohls. Reporter katie conley, just 22yearsold, was now a prime suspect in the Poisoning Death of her boss, mary yoder. By all accounts, this seemed like a very nice relationship between a younger woman and an older woman. Yes. A mentor relationship. Yes. So was this very surprising to you then . Absolutely. Once she admitted to writing that letter, it was definitely a turn of events for us. Reporter for two months, detectives followed the digital trail, and it led them to only one conclusion. Surprising as it may have been, it was looking like katie was marys killer. The only thing detectives say they didnt have was her motive. You bring katie in. Is this go time . At that point, we wanted to find out why. We had all the other evidence leading to that point that she purchased it. Shes the one that poisoned mary. We wanted to know why. Reporter the conversation started with pleasantries about katies family farm. Hows the chickens . Good. Yeah . Reporter but the detective quickly got down to business. Heres where were at a crossroad in this case, ok . Weve kind of done a lot of work, okay . And we know that your phone is used quite a lot for items in this case, okay . Mmhmm. Youre the one that purchased the colchicine. No. Help me. I didnt though. I can but youre never going to believe me. Nobody else will believe you. Her story changed so many times. We caught her in a lot of lies now. You lied to me. I didnt mean to lie to you. But you did. Reporter after awhile, they got to the point. Thats the only thing we need at this point is why. You need to tell me whether you wanted to hurt her or did you want her to get sick or what . We need to know. I wouldnt try to hurt her. Okay. I wouldnt hurt her. You wouldnt hurt mary . No. I know killers come in all shapes and sizes. But katie does not look like a killer. No. But again, its poison. And she had made a comment earlier that its a ladys weapon. Reporter the detectives kept at it. They questioned her for more than six hours. She never asked for an attorney. Its not a question anymore of who, katie. Its why. Now, please, just tell me why, katie. Then we can help you. Its the only thing left. My life is over. What drove you to do this, katie . Was it adam . If i go to jail, ill go to jail forever. Reporter at one point, she appeared to get sick. Take some deep breaths, katie. Take some deep breaths. Help me understand. I wouldnt risk my life for this. At the end i had her saying a lot of things about she wouldnt admit to actually why she did this. She would state her life was over. But again, she would try to throw it back on adam. But at this point everything was pointing to her. I have a lot of people who love me. I have a family. Reporter katies family was right there at the Sheriffs Office with her. Her parents had driven her there thinking investigators needed her to sign a quick deposition. An hour at most. And i went to the window and i said, my daughter is with signing papers shes supposed to be out half an hour ago. I want to talk to her. I want to know, i mean, whats going on . Reporter her parents had no idea she was being interviewed as a suspect. But as the afternoon wore on. Theyre not signing sign a deposition a deposition. Theyre interrogating her for murder. Theyre interrogating her. So then the door is locked to get to my daughter. I beat on the door wow and finally a sheriff came in. And i says, my daughters in there. I says, i want her out now or i want to go in there. Somethings wrong here. Reporter it was then when a detective appeared. He comes back out, cathy and i are at the door, katies not with him. And he said, katie will not be going home with you tonight. She is responsible for mary yoders death. She killed we know she did it. We know she did it. Shell be spending the night in jail. My wife passed out. She did everything, but passed out, i caught her. And then he closes the door. Reporter was this the most helpless youd ever felt in your lives as parents . That you cant help your child, that you are not in control, that you have absolutely no way to put your arms around her and tell her everythings going to be okay . Reporter despite what the detective said, they didnt charge katie that night. She came out, badly shaken the conleys helped each other to the car and headed home. Katie was sitting in the back seat. And dont ask me this is the hardest question ive ever asked anybody in my life, okay . I says, katie, did you kill mary . Did you kill mary, katie . And without hesitation she says, dad, i loved her. I loved her. I wouldnt kill anybody. Reporter it was the answer they expected of course. They say the daughter they raised was no killer. As a mother you always think that youre going to get a phone call that your child has been in a car accident or that theres an illness. But never, ever in your wildest dreams would you think that this would happen. At all. Its n its not our daughter. Reporter katies sisters felt the same way. The big sister theyd looked up to, loved animals, would never hurt anyone. Least of all mary. Katie had nothing to gain from her death and everything to lose. She lost a mentor, a best friend. No motive. No gain. Nothing. I know her. I know my sister. Katie did not do this. Reporter in fact, as word travelled that katie was the new target of the investigation, no one could make sense of it. Not marys patient, holly hilts. Did you believe it . No. Not at all. Not at all. From what i know of katie, theres no reason that she would have done Something Like that. Reporter marys own sisters, who had roped the authorities into the investigation, didnt believe it either. No way. Katie . Theyre they cant be looking at katie. So we thats what were thinking. Janine king. Right. Reporter they phoned the Sheriffs Office to say there must be some mistake. We all called them and said, you know, look we hear theres another suspect. If by chance, that other suspect is katie, consider the possibility that she may be being framed. Reporter even marys daughters were at a loss. How could this be . How could she what do you mean . It was just shocking. It was the hardest person to even wrap your head around that could be involved. What did your dad say when he heard katie was being looked at as a suspect . He didnt believe it. Reporter but investigators were convinced. Were you confident you had the killer . Oh, absolutely. We had the right person. And everything we had, we had the right person now. Reporter and a grand jury agreed. Four months later, katie conley was charged with Second Degree murder. The investigation had its surprises, but it would be nothing compared to the drama of the trial. Ladies and gentlemen, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Vengeance thy name is kaitlyn conle conley. Announcer coming up its hard to know that im innocent and still feel like people want me to be guilty. Announcer what could be katies motive for murder . Prosecutors come up with a doozy. Was she helping you through your grief . Yes. Kaitlyn conley wanted adam yoder back. Announcer when dateline continues. You look amazing. And you look amazingly comfortable. When your vneck looks more like a uneck. Thats when you know, its halfwashed. Add downy to keep your collars from stretching. Unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth and. Strengthen fibers. So, next time dont halfwash it. Downy and its done. Americas favorite cookie delicious Chocolate Candy oreo Chocolate Candy bars now also available in mint flavor you need to stay away from it. Downcall 911. Ine, let our First Responders come out and handle it. Police and fire will respond as well as pg e. Pg e will make the scene safe. Jack this ridiculously long table in the middle of nowhere . Jack to invite all my friends in the industry to try this. Jack fast foods first ever ribeye burger. Jack made with 100 ribeye beef, grilled onions, a red wine glaze and creamy havarti cheese. Jack ahh, here comes the competition now. Jack and of course, since they work for my competitors, ive obscured their identities jack except for this guy. Jack he is so screwed. Jack try my new havarti grilled onion and allamerican ribeye burgers. You need to stay away from it. Downcall 911. Ine, let our First Responders come out and handle it. Police and fire will respond as well as pg e. Pg e will make the scene safe. So you can obviously come to the fence . I can come to the fence. Reporter when we met her, katie conley had been living under house arrest for several months, confined to her parents farm, tethered to an ankle monitor. So your home has kind of become your own prison in a way. Yes. Reporter katies lawyer wouldnt let her answer our questions about the evidence in the case. No. No, okay. Reporter but she did tell us how much she missed mary yoder, her boss and friend. Would you ever have any reason to do anything to mary . No. No reason ever. We never had so much as a cross word with each other. Did you poison mary yoder . No. Reporter at times katie seemed overwhelmed by the upcoming trial. Sorry. Reporter its okay. Its okay. Is it sorry. Is your anxiety about just whats coming . Its hard to know that im innocent and still feel like people want me to be guilty. You do feel that way . I feel like people arent waiting for facts to come out, and theyre ready to believe whatever theyre told. Reporter Oneida County assistant d. A. Laurie lisi was confident that the facts would speak for themselves. We knew it was a circumstantial case, which means its always an uphill battle, but we felt like we could connect all the dots. Reporter the courtroom was packed on the first day of katies trial. She sat quietly at the defense table as the prosecution began. The evidence will show katilyn conley reporter lisi told the jury she had overwhelming evidence that would prove katie poisoned mary, starting with the timeline. One by one, marys patients from her last day in the office took the stand. Was dr. Mary appearing to be ill at all in the morning . No, she wasnt. Reporter those who had appointments with mary before lunch said she was her usual vibrant self. But her patients in the afternoon didnt have the big smile on her face. It was very apparent that she was not well and something was wrong. Reporter but all the patients agreed that katie was the only other person at work that day. So the prosecutor suggested she was the only one with the opportunity to poison mary. She couldve done whatever she needed to do to put that poison wherever she ultimately put it. I think she coded, like, six or seven times. Reporter bill yoder, marys husband of 38 years, told the jury about marys agonizing last hours in the hospital. She had a huge tube down her throat and tubes everywhere. And she just looked absolutely terrified. Reporter the prosecutor wanted to quash any lingering rumors that it was bill who killed mary. She said bill was the grieving husband. So immediately after your wife passed away, what did you do . I remember walking out of the hospital door into the sunlight. And the next memory i have after that was i was sitting on my bed in the dark just crying and crying and it hurt so much. Reporter bills daughters were relieved their dad had been cleared by investigators. Liana testified for the prosecution that he was a broken man after her mothers death. I couldnt tell you the last time i saw my father cry. But since then every day pretty much saw him cry. Reporter the prosecutor said it couldnt have been bill. There was so much evidence katie bought the poison. She was the one who searched for colchicine on her phone. And both katies work computer and work typewriter had been forensically linked to the order. Imagine that. Youre purchasing colchicine to kill your employer. And youre doing it while youre at work. That, ladies and gentlemen, is cold. It was for one gram of colchicine; is that correct . Yes. Reporter and this witness, a sales rep for the company that supplied the colchicine, said she spoke on the phone with someone at the yoders practice. Can you describe that individuals voice . It was a females voice. It was soft. It was soft, soft, sweet voice. Did it sound old or young . Young. Reporter soft, sweet, young. Who else could that be, asked the prosecutor. But perhaps the most damning evidence was something katie told detectives. The colchicine was purchased with prepaid credit cards. And in katies police interview, she admitted to buying those cards. You purchased those credit cards, didnt you . Yes, yes. If you purchased them, youre involved in this. Reporter the prosecutor said it had all taken months of painstaking planning. But the question hanging over the courtroom was why . Maybe the email account used to order the poison offered a clue mradamyoder1990 gmail. Com. The name of her exboyfriend. Kaitlyn conley wanted adam yoder back. And i submit to you, she poisoned adam yoders mother, her boss, in hopes of bringing adam yoder back to her. Your honor, the people call adam yoder. Reporter adam told the jury that if katie was trying to woo him back, her plan worked. He called katie on the way to the hospital. Why did you call katie conley . Because i was panicking and katie knew my mother. Reporter adam said after his mother passed away, he and katie got back together. Did you have sexual relations with katlyn conley on july 25, 2015 . I did. Was she helping you through your grief . Yes. Reporter but the prosecutor said the relationship collapsed a couple of months later. And thats when katie came up with a new plan frame adam for the killing. Because, ladies and gentlemen, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Vengeance thy name is kaitlyn conley. Reporter the prosecutor said katie planted the bottle of colchicine in adams car then tipped off authorities. Something she denied in her interview. So if we say, did you place this under adams seat . Your answer to that is going to be what . No. Reporter but a forensic scientist testified adams dna was not on the bottles wrapper. Katies was. The major contributor of the cardboard wrapper matched the dna profile from kaitlyn conley. Reporter it was an outlandish crime, the prosecutor said, so cruel, so cold. Her ultimate revenge was not only to take away his mother, but to make it look like he was the one responsible for it. Do you believe katie conley killed your mother . Absolutely. Yes, yes. There is no doubt. Reporter but katies defense said they were wrong. Far from being a criminal mastermind, it was katie who had been framed and a surprising relationship was about to be exposed. Whats going through your mind when you learn of this relationship . Unbelievable. Announcer coming up he was kissing her and it was very intense. Announcer a bombshell explodes in court. Marys husband. And marys sister . Thats when we really started thinking seriously that bill did it. People would stare. Psoriasis does that. It was tough getting out there on stage. I wanted to be clear. I wanted it to last. So i kept on fighting. I found something that worked. And keeps on working. Now . They see me. See me. See if cosentyx could make a difference for you cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Find clear skin that can last. Dont use if youre allergic to cosentyx. Before starting cosentyx, you should be checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms. Or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. If you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. Serious allergic reactions may occur. Never give up. See me. See me. Clear skin can last. Dont hold back. Ask your dermatologist if cosentyx can help you find clear skin that lasts. Man shh you guys, group surprise avo nothing comes before coffee. Enjoy the perfectly balanced flavor of mccafe coffee at home. Woman ok group surprise woman ah what grandpa did we get ya . Its the one time of year weekend at kohls Friends Family take an extra 25 off give joy with outerwear for her boots for him and stockings for the family plus get kohls cash and remember Friends Family take an extra 25 off. Give joy, get joy at kohls. I had this chest cold, but my medicine kept wearing off. coughsah hey, chad i missed you. Ah i was in the tree watching you, and then i fell. Im not eating pizza from the trash. Then i discovered mucinex. Huge difference. One pill lasts 12 hours, and im good. Oh, here kitty, kitty. Ah not a cat, not a cat why take 4hour medicine . Just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. Ohhhhhh, ou guess what i just got . Uh i used to be spellbound hello again. I used to be spellbound hi. I used to be spellbound thats a big phone. In your arms. [screams] ah, my phone. You built the flame that warms my heart, but lying and cheating has torn us apart and im moving on. Reporter on day 11 of katie conleys trial, the defense began its case. Rooting for her were some unlikely supporters. Three of marys sisters. Shes on trial for murdering your sister, and youre standing behind the defense. The defendant . I know, it is the alleged killer . A very unusual situation. Right. But we just felt like this is the last thing our sister wouldve wanted. Reporter but there was another sister who wasnt sitting on the defenses side, a sister they didnt talk to anymore. Her name is kathy. And it turns out she is the woman bill started dating so quickly and, some said, so suspiciously after marys death. Sharon was the first to figure it out. Kathy had been hard to get ahold of in the weeks after mary died. And bill had been going out of town. And i said, oh, gee, maybe theyre off together, just kind of throwing it out there, flippantly. And janine went, do you think . Whats going through your mind when you learn of this relationship . Unbelievable. I mean, thats when we really started thinking seriously that bill did it. Reporter and thats exactly what the defense wanted the jury to think. You will find motive through the testimony on the part of william yoder. Reporter in court, katies attorney Christopher Pelli told the jury that marys killer wasnt katie. It was bill. He really is the only person that i can in good heart and faith say had motive to to actually kill his wife. Reporter according to the defense, bill was no grieving widower. Do you remember the first time that you had sexual relations with Kathy Richmond . I dont remember the date, no. I dont i wasnt keeping a journal. Reporter bill said in court the same thing his Text Messages seemed to confirm for detectives the romance with his wifes sister only started after mary died. Etectives, the romance with his wifes sister only started after mary died. The romance with his wifes sister only started after mary died. Sister only started after mary diedied. And thats what kathy said, too, when she was asked the same question. The romantic relationship began some time in september. Late september, midseptember. Reporter but this woman, one of kathys neighbors, told a different story. She said shed seen the two kissing on kathys porch a couple of weeks before marys death. Bill was Holding Kathy and he was kissing her and looking in her eyes and it was very intense. Reporter the defense said not only did bill have a new relationship, hed just received a big pile of money, too. I have to ask you how much you inherited in total from your fathers estate . About 400,000. Reporter in the eyes of the defense, that made mary expendable. Mary had been the primary bread winner for quite a long time. Hed gotten an inheritance. Now, he no longer needed mary. Reporter and the defense wanted the jury to know that bill never called for an investigation. Bill is at fault for not going to the police. Reporter so, if bill had motive, did he also have opportunity . Bill denied he was in the office the day mary got sick. Remember, her patients hadnt seen him. But katies defense said that didnt mean he wasnt there. This witness used to work with bill at the office. Do you remember specifically ever being told i dont want anybody to know that im here. Sometimes he might say you know, dont let dont tell the patient im here because they might want to see me. Reporter the defense also suggested bill had a Second Opportunity to harm his wife when he was by her side at the hospital. Toxicologist Jeanna Marraffa told the jury she couldnt rule out that mary got a second dose of poison. If there was a second dose, then theres no possibility no possibility that kaitlyn could have been involved because she didnt have access to to mary at that particular time. Did you feel that this case was just swimming in reasonable doubt . I felt like i was drowning in it. Reporter the defense told the jury there was an innocent explanation for much of the states case against katie. Katies dna had been found on the colchicine bottle. But, as office manager, she handled everything delivered to the practice. As for the sales rep who said shed talked to a woman with a sweet young voice dr. Mary yoder is rather soft spoken and young sounding and very vibrant herself. Reporter and think about this, the defense attorney told the jury bill had access to katies work computer and office typewriter. If bill were to frame katie, you believe it wouldnt be all that hard. No. I mean, katie worked at at at the office. He would have been able to control these very very important circumstances that led to her being charged. Reporter but what about those searches for colchicine on katies phone . How do you get around that . Shes looking at this very rare drug that i had never heard of until i started working on this story. The prosecution couldnt say that, katie searched this particular term prior to marys death. It was, it appeared that it was afterwards. Reporter the defense said the evidence against katie wasnt there and the states motive . Preposterous. The idea that katie killed mary to get back together with adam didnt make any sense, he said. According to her sisters, she was the one who initially dumped him. Finally, she just had enough. She didnt want to be with him anymore. Reporter as for the anonymous letter pointing the finger at adam, the defense never explained why katie wrote it if bill was the real killer. But he wanted the jury to see the lengths katie had gone to help the investigation, enduring hours of intense questioning. You wanted the jury to know how cooperative katie was with the authorities. Yes, i did. She had the opportunity on i believe seven different occasions to say, you know what . I think i want an attorney. But instead, she continued to cooperate and be subjected to some pretty severe interrogation tactics. Then if you didnt do it, you know who did it. I dont know. I wouldnt risk my life for this. Reporter detectives lied to katie about some of the evidence. Thats why the defense said the jury should ignore anything katie said during that interview. Do you think that your 23yearold could give an accurate statement under those conditions . I i i think not. Reporter detectives say their techniques were by the book. But marys sister sharon couldnt believe what katie went through. At that point, i wished that i had never called for an investigation. Reporter sharon was more convinced than ever that katie was innocent and bill guilty. She said as much in open court. It is still my theory that he killed my sister. What if youre wrong . What if she really did do this . Have you thought about that . We just every once in awhile and its just just so not we have tried to true that yeah. Wrap our heads around it a thousand ways to see if theres any way possible that we think she couldve done this. And it just doesnt make sense. We dont believe she did this. Reporter but what would the jury think . There was one more surprise to come. Announcer coming up i actually thought wed have a verdict in 15 or 20 minutes of not guilty. Announcer deliberations defy predictions, the wait for a decision would take far longer than that. We were totally terrified. Announcer when dateline continues. paul hey jimmy, wheres your iphone season spirit . Be smart and get the new iphone from sprint youll get the best price for unlimited and Network Reliability within 1 of the other guys. jimmy im going to sprint vo switch to sprint and get the new iphone 8 or ten and save 350, plus upgrade to the latest iphone anytime for people with hearing loss, with iphone forever. Visit sprintrelay. Com. Its a like, a dagger . A worm a tiny sword . Bread. Breadstick . A matchstick a lamppost coin slot no . Uhhh. 10 seconds. A stick a Walking Stick eiffel tower, Mount Kilimanjaro ding time sorry, its a tandem bicycle. What . What . as long as sloths are slow, you can count on geico saving folks money. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Reporter it was up to a jury to decide if katie conley was marys killer. In the courthouse, marys divided family waited. Her husband and children on one side, three of her sisters on the other, still in katies corner. Janine and i both have daughters in their 20s. We were totally terrified for her. Reporter but defense attorney chris pelli was confident katie would be acquitted. I actually thought that after i gave my closing that wed have a verdict in 15 or 20 minutes of not guilty. Reporter what was it like waiting for the verdict . Oh, well, the first 20 minutes were okay. But then it went on for day one and day two. Reporter two days became three. What were they talking about in there . The detective hoped the jury would see past the pretty, puttogether young woman in court. Was katie really what she seemed . Katie, i believe, has another side to her, other than this side that everybody sees from her, that she presents to everybody. Reporter if this is true, this is a diabolical side. Yes. An evil side. Reporter marys daughters agree. There was another side of katie that we had not known was there. Reporter the jury deliberated all through day four. And on day five, they passed a note to the judge. This will be a hung jury. Reporter there was no verdict. The crowd went silent. Afterwards, katies attorney spoke to some jurors. They told him eight of them wanted to acquit katie, and that the weakest part of the states case was bill. Did you feel that they were believing that he was lying . They told me under no uncertain circumstances that he was full of it. Reporter but bill, of course, was never charged with any crime. He told dateline he did not poison mary and had nothing to do with her death. And no matter what katies defense thinks, he can never be charged. As a witness at katies grand jury hearing, he was given automatic immunity from prosecution. No matter what happens is he protected for life . For life, forever forever. Reporter marys daughters were thankful for that. The accusations against their father had made the trial even more painful. It was just one malicious attack after another. My dad had never attacked anyone no. In his life. He was just a broken, 70yearold man that was barely functioning. Reporter now they prepared to sit through it all again. There was no hesitation. We were going back. We were retrying the case. We needed to get justice for this family and for this woman. Reporter five months later, everyone filed back into the Oneida County courthouse for trial number two. All rise. Reporter the prosecutors case was virtually the same. She said everything investigators unearthed pointed to katie as marys killer. The evidence will show that all roads lead to kaitlyn conley. Reporter but katie had a new defense attorney and a new twist to her strategy. He said, yes, katie was innocent. And yes, katie was framed. But this time her lawyer was pointing the finger not at bill but at someone else. Ladies and gentlemen, it was adam. It was adam. Reporter adam, marys son. Defense attorney Frank Pollicelli argued that the crime happened just the way katie described in that letter. He put the colchicine in her supplements when he was over there either mothers day or fathers day, when he had a falling out. Reporter as for how katies digital fingerprints ended up on everything related to the colchicine transaction, katies attorney suggested that could easily have been adam. How do you know, first of all, that she was the one that was researching the poison, since adam had total control of all of her electronic equipment any time he wanted it . Reporter a key witness this time was adams cousin and former roommate, david king. In the years since marys death, david had come to doubt adam, and defend katie. And defend katie. Do you believe katie had anything to do with the murder of mary yoder . No. Not at all. Reporter on the stand, david told the jury adam was no novice with computers. Are you familiar with adams expertise in computers . I i helped him build a computer in the past. He was going to school for computer science. Reporter the defense said adam could have hacked katies devices. Or maybe he didnt need to. David testified he saw adam with katies laptop. And how do you know he had her laptop . I had asked him about it, since it was in a flowery laptop sleeve and it had a picture of a victorian background. That just didnt suit adams character, so i asked him about it. He said it was katies. Reporter and the defense said adam had access to katies work computer, too. David testified that years earlier, he and adam used to drop by the office when no one else was there. I had helped adam clean the office a number of times. Dont think that adam didnt have free reign of that office, ladies and gentleman. He came and went as he pleased, anytime he wanted to, okay. Reporter and the defense said there was something else. Something important. Remember in her interview with detectives how fearful katie said she was of adam . You cant protect me. Protect you from what, adam . Yeah. Reporter katies attorney said there was a good reason for katie to be afraid. He said adam had abused katie, both physically and sexually. He beat her. He hit her. He raped her. He used her. Why wouldnt she be scared of him . Reporter a year before marys death, katie filed a Police Report accusing adam of rape. The defense read a text message katie wrote to adam. Katies words describing the attack. You grabbed my right wrist and said youd snap my wrist and break every one of my fingers. im going to kill you, im going to kill you katie. the way you said it, the way you looked at me and then i was afraid. Reporter adam denied the allegation, and katie dropped the complaint. But the defense hoped the jury would see katie as a victim, not as a killer. Theres no motive in this case. She loved mary yoder, and theres nothing in this case to indicate she did anything other than loving mary yoder. The people call adam yoder to the stand. Reporter adam yoder had given his side of the story to investigators early on. What would he say now . Announcer coming up the pain kept getting worse. I couldnt even get out of bed. Announcer a son on the stand with a devastating claim. Had katie used poison on him . Do you believe katie gave him something that made him sick . Absolutely. Announcer who would the jury believe . And would there be a verdict this time . Thanks for loading, sweetie. Oh, burnton gravy . Gotta rinse that. Nope. No way. Nada. Really . Dish issues . Throw it all in. Cascade platinum powers through even burnton gravy. Nice. Cascade. In this home we are grateful. For the things we have. For those we love and for making it to the grown up table. What matters most is made at home. Giand get kohls cash for you weekend at kohls give a drone and get 20 kohls cash give a Fitbit Charge 2 and get 30 kohls cash or give a cuisinart airfryer toaster oven and youll get 40 kohls cash presents for them, kohls cash for you give joy, get joy at kohls im never gonna be able ill take a sick day tomorrow. On our daughters birthday . Moms dont take sick days. Moms take nyquil severe. The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep with a cold, medicine. This holiday, the real gift isnt whats inside the box. Its whats inside the person who opens it. Give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions and open up a world of possibilities. Save 30 for the holidays at ancestrydna. Com reporter at the first trial, the defense said katie had been framed by marys husband, bill. But at trial number two, the alternate suspect right from the start was marys son. Ladies and gentlemen, it was adam. It was adam. Did it feel like your brother was on trial . Oh, yes, absolutely. And it just was one allegation after another. Reporter now, in court adam took the stand to respond to the defense firsthand. Good morning. Good morning. Reporter adam told the jury he never ordered the colchicine, and he did not plant evidence on katies computers or phone. A prosecution computer expert said katies devices had never been hacked. And adam told the jury he was hardly the hacker katies side portrayed. Do you have hacking skills . Are you able to break into systems . No, i do not, and no, i am not. Reporter to the defenses claim that adam physically abused katie, he did admit to one incident. I snapped and i slapped her a few times. I regretted it immediately. I left the house. Reporter but as for the alleged rape, no charges were ever filed against adam. And he told the jury he had zero memory of the night it supposedly happened. Hed been drinking heavily. So was this essentially a blackout period . Yes, it was. Reporter he said the next morning things seemed fine between them. It wasnt until about three months later that katie accused him in that graphic text message. I was in shock. I didnt know how to react. I was panicking. Ultimately, i had drank enough to black out that night, so i couldnt defend myself. I didnt have a version of the story to say to her in response. Reporter but adam did have a story about katie, an accusation of his own. And it was a stunner. Adam suggested katie might have poisoned him, too. A couple of months before his mothers death, he said katie handed him a bottle of supplements to help him get through final exams. She told me its to help basically focus, boost memory. She said make sure i take it consecutively and consistently because it works better over time. Reporter after taking the pills, adam said he became so sick, he had to go to the e. R. The vomiting and the pain. I started experiencing severe abdomen pain and eventually severe back pain as well. Reporter thats just how marys illness began. Do you believe that katie gave him absolutely. Something that made him sick . Absolutely. Reporter katies defense said she had nothing to do with adams illness. In fact, the states own lab experts tested the remaining supplements in the bottle and found no poison. But the prosecutions suggestion was clear maybe katie tried out the colchicine on adam first. I asked her if she had poisoned me in a joking way. And what did she say . That, no, she would never hurt me. Reporter like his father, adam had full immunity from prosecution, and he was also cleared by investigators. He maintained his innocence in court. Did you ever cause colchicine in any way, accidentally or intentionally, to be ingested by your mother . No. Reporter and there was one last discovery that pointed away from adam. Right before the second trial, the states computer experts got their hands on a digital backup of katies phone. In the files, they found evidence of more incriminating searches. Before she actually honed in on colchicine, she looked at arsenic, she looked at thallium, she looked at cyanide. I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that the evidence is clear, and that the common denominator is this defendant, kaitlyn conley. Reporter once again, katies fate was in the hands of a jury twelve men and women who would either send her to prison for much of her life. Or home to her family, a free woman. Its inconceivable. No one could ever say that this is what she did. This is not her. Shes the same nice, nurturing, helping person that she was and always has been. Reporter the charge was Second Degree murder. But after all that testimony and over the objections of the defense, the judge allowed the jury to consider a lesser charge of manslaughter. To convict, the jury would only have to find that katie intended to hurt mary, not kill her. A day passed without word. On day two, the judge received a note. The note reads hung jury. Reporter it was looking like another mistrial. The thought was exasperating for marys children. We almost got to the point where were, like, we were is this all ever going to be worth it . Reporter the judge encouraged the jury to keep trying. I urge that each of you make every possible effort. Reporter and just two hours later the record will reflect that the jury has reentered the courtroom indicating that they have reached a verdict. Reporter first, the most serious charge. Murder in the Second Degree, how do you find the defendant . Guilty or not guilty . Not guilty. Reporter not guilty of Second Degree murder. As for manslaughter, a crime that could send her to prison for up to twenty five years guilty or not guilty . Guilty. Reporter as katie absorbed the news, her mom had to be escorted out in tears. Katie tried to reassure her family. But her sisters were distraught. Katie, we love you. We love you. Reporter as were marys sisters. Without them, an investigation may never have happened. Now, someone they thought was innocent was headed to prison. You know there will be an appeal and well be involved in that. And do whatever we can. Youre going to keep fighting for katie . Have to. Yes. Definitely, definitely. Was justice done with the guilty verdict . Theres an accountability. Yes, she did not and get away with it. Reporter marys daughters are relieved the trial is over but they mourn the family they once had. So many lives shattered. This destroyed an entire family. Not just multiple families a death, but not just our family. It destroyed her family. It destroyed so much. Were hoping to finally be able to go back to the good memories and not have to relive the worst one. We want to be able to actually celebrate her life. Reporter marys loved ones may be divided over who killed her, but theres one thing they can agree on. Its not how mary died that should be remembered. Its how she lived. She could light up any room, any situation. I mean, she was there for you no matter what. No matter when you called, no matter what you needed your mom for. The world is not as wonderful a place as it was. Mary loved life more than anyone else i ever knew. And she made a point of loving it. She really did. Announcer thats all for this edition of dateline. Well see you again next friday at 9 00 8 00 central. And of course, ill see you each weeknight for nbc nightly news raj and jessica have the night off. We begin with break good evening and thanks for joining us on this friday night. Raj mathai and Jessica Aguirre have the evening off. We begin with breaking news in the nations capitol hill. A live look at the senate floor where it is 2 00 in the morning just in the past ten minutes a vote has come down. The senate has passed the gop tax reform bill 51 to 49. It came down along party lines with one