Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20240704

Everything you hoped wouldnt be true. I was just thinking this cant be happening. Why would this happen to her . Was it someone she met that night . Someone she knows . There was some blood on some tissues as well as a sweatshirt. Started crying. This is so wrong. There is no way. No way doug could do this. The fit bit was almost like a witness in this case. You knew there was a mystery man out there. Is someone else involved. I couldnt sleep, i couldnt eat. Whose side do you believe . This is getting really scary. Reporter green bay, wisconsin. Home of the legendary packers. A place where folks love their Sunday Football and a good knockdown on lambeau field. But in 2018, after the Football Season had ended, the city became transfixed by a new battle of sorts. One that played out, not on the gridiron, but instead, in a courtroom. A murder case where nothing was as it seemed. A who dun it featuring of all things, a Fitness Tracker as an intriguing clue. With two opposes sides pointing fingers at each other and one gavelrattling twist. At the heart of it all . A beautiful 31yearold mother named Nikki Vanderheyden. I met her at a cookout and i thought this girl, she is definitely my type of person. Reporter when hailey and Katelyn First met the perky single mom, they instantly clicked. It was like the three musketeers. Right away. As soon as we got together, we are like a bunch of little kids playing on the playground. We called ourselves the traveling music group. We would roller blade and sing. Reporter of these bffs , nikki was the oldest. You could count on nikki for anything and everything. She had the biggest heart. Reporter nikki was as active as she was loyal. What did nikki like to do. She was so spontaneous. We would jump on the trampoline, be cooking, planting, making games. Just up for any adventure. Reporter case in point, how nikki celebrated her 29th birthday. She decided to jump off a plane. Reporter that is nikki taking a big leap. Why did she decide to jump out of a plane . That was just nikki. Reporter she also taught High School Science and shared a passion for biology with her students. She loved the discovery of things. Reporter kids meant the world to nikki and she had two of her own. A son and daughter from a previous marriage. She is an amazing mom. Reporter in 2015, the busy mother finally decided to start dating again when she met 33 yearold doug. Everything happened. They just clicked right away. Reporter doug came from a prominent green bay family. He had a reputation around town as an attractive, wealthy bachelor. A catch. Do you think that is part of what attracted nikki to him . Im sure it was. Him and his family having a company. He having his own house in a nice neighborhood. Any woman would be attracted to that. Reporter about a month after they met, nikki was pregnant. I think she was probably surprised but like a good surprise. Reporter in october, 2015, she and doug welcomed a son into their lives. I think she was very excited to to be a mother again. Reporter nikki wasted no time getting back in shape by hitting the gym. That was one thing about nikki. She was very physically fit. Reporter she inspired doug to do the same. The new dad started wearing a fit bit Fitness Tracker. Little did he know, just how valuable that digital device would become. Seven months after their sons birth, nikki was ready for some adult fun. A popular band was playing at a local venue called the Watering Hole so she and doug and a group of his friends planned to make a night of it. She was thrilled just to spend time with doug and you know. Do couple things. Reporter nikkis friend, dallas kennedy, offered to babysit. She never gets an opportunity to stay out all night. And i was available. So why not . Reporter the night started out great as the concert was getting underway, nikki sent dallas a photo of her and doug. She was happy. He was smiling. They looked like there was a great time together out at that moment. Reporter but the moment wouldnt last. After the concert ended, nikki and doug got separated. Doug stayed inside the bar while nikki and dougs friends followed the large crowd as it emptied into the parking lot. I said where is doug . And she just shrugged her shoulders at maine i said welcome with us. Shes like okay. Perfect. Reporter dougs Friend Angela took nikki, new to the group, under her wing as they left doug behind and headed to the next bar. The sardine can. This was just a fun night . Yes. Reporter but around 12 30 a. M. , friends said nikki had enough. So she left the bar and headed home alone. Or so they thought. That was the last time you saw her . It was. Reporter the next day, hailey got a text from nikkis sister. This was on saturday evening. And said hey, have you heard from nikki at all . We are concerned about her. She hasnt returned home from last night. She is still breastfeeding so this isnt like her. Were you worried . I had a hard time sleeping that night to be honest with you. I really didnt know what to think at that time. I knew something wasnt right. Reporter then, a news alert. County officials searching for clues after a body found. Reporter a body found in a farm field on the outskirts of town. Rumors spread the body was that of a male. So im like okay. Well. Chances are, then, we are good. Its not her. She is fine. Reporter but the news only got worse. They later learned the body was in fact a young womans. Your heart must have sank. I dropped to my knees and prayed. And i just remember thinking this cant be happening. Reporter a young mom missing. A young woman found dead in a field. And nikkis friends and Family Holding out hope this was all an unfortunate, horrifying coincidence. Coming up, clues to a mystery. We are looking for trademarks. Footprints. Any type of weapons that might be involved. Reporter who was the woman in that farm field . The only thing she was wearing was socks and a pink bracelet on her left wrist. This was a real who dun it and who is she. Absolutely. When dateline continues. Cetaphil moisturizing Lotion Hydrates for a full 48 hours. Because a lot can happen in 48 hours. Dermatologistrecommended cetaphil. We do skin. You do you. A perfect day for a Family Outing shingles doesnt care. But shingrix protects. Only shingrix is proven over 90 effective. Shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. Shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. An increased risk of guillainbarre syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. Fainting can also happen. The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. 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It was a lot warmer here back in may of 2016 when both boys were helping till an alfalfa field. That is when the two boys made a gruesome discovery. The body of a woman. She was laying on her stomach with her arms folded across her forehead. Reporter and she was naked. Her hair was all bloody. And, it looked red. And, half of her face was showing like maybe this half. And, but it was all bloody. Reporter it was a sight neither teen will ever forget. I was shocked. More shocked than anything. It just felt weird. Like, sudden knowing of that is a dead person. You never think you will see someone dead. Reporter tommys grandfather immediately called 911. We just found a human body. Okay. Is the person beyond help . No. Beyond help. Reporter soon, the detectives got a call and headed to the crime scene. Neither detective had to travel very far. So the body was found right near here . The Sheriffs Department . Yep. You dont see that every day. I mean, it is literally right in your backyard. Yes. Reporter the condition of the victims body disturbed even these two seasoned detectives. I had been in Law Enforcement 18 years but to see this up close and personal on a young lady is very difficult for everyone. Describe her body for us. When i arrived on the scene, she was laying facedown with her head toward the field and her feet toward the road. Her arms were up in front of her face. Crossed. And there was other abrasions and bruising. Really throughout her body. What was the approximate time of death, do you think . It was hard to say up front. But we believed it was, probably from the night before some time. Reporter from all indicaters t woman had been sexually assaulted. The only thing she was wearing was socks and a pink bracelet on her left wrist. And nothing else . Nothing else. This crime sounds very personal. Yeah. It was apparent early on that there was a pretty good fight that must have happened. Reporter initially, the detectives couldnt find a murder weapon. Severe bruises on her neck led them to believe she had been strangled. Identification . There was no identification. So you had no idea who this woman was . No. Not at first. This is sad. And, not only sad, its scary. I mean, to see a woman like that just lying in a field. It is in a Community Like brown county or the greater green bay area. It is not something we deal with normally. Reporter both of them were struck by how little evidence there was to go on. Initially, we didnt really know if it happened here or not. We were careful about how we were approaching the body looking for footprints. Any type of weapons involved. There was no indication of how many people might have been involved or any evidence to point us in a certain direction. At least not right away. This was a real who dun it and who is she. Absolutely. Did you immediately think about the community and if this would start ringing alarm bells for them . Yeah. I think when the news of what was going on started to break, and that we didnt have, you know, Information Up Front of who was involved, i think that is definitely alarming to the community. Reporter while the detectives continued searching the field for clues, they learned a woman by the name of Nikki Vanderheyden had been reported missing. Who filed the Missing Persons report. Douglass detrie who was the boyfriend and father to nicoles child. Reporter a sergeant headed to dougs house to take a Missing Persons report. There was no reason just yet to tell doug they had found a woman in the field. What color are her eyes . Blue. Reporter doug gave a physical description of nikki to the sergeant who then relayed it to slinger in the field. They suspected the victim was Nikki Vanderheyden but couldnt be sure. It was not easy to make a positive identification because of the condition of the body. Reporter then early next morning detectives got a break. Bloody clothing near the crime scene. A large amount of clothing and other items laying along the side of the road here. In between the fog line and the ditch. The person that was responsible was panicking. And probably didnt know what to do at that time. And just discarded them as they were traveling back westbound on 172. The clothing, did it tell you anything about who the victim was . Yes. So i was able to go through the clothing. There was a lanyard with a Green Bay School district photo id on it. Reporter the photo was of nikki. Dental records confirmed what everybody by now already knew. The victim was nicole vanderheyden. Representatives of the Sheriffs Office went to the home of nikkis parents where all of her friends and family had gathered. The chief and another Police Officer came over and had the immediate family in the backyard. We knew, you know, we saw the looks on their faces. And all we could do was just hold them. An awful moment. Did anyone talk or was it just silence . Silence. We hoped it wouldnt be true. Its hard. So why would this happen to such a good person . Of all people, you know. Coming up. I couldnt sleep. I couldnt eat. The Last Night Nikki was seen alive, where was her boyfriend doug . This doesnt make sense. You go out together. And you are not coming home together . When dateline continues. When dateline continues. Home Insurance Options so you can get what you need without overpaying. Yeah, weve spent a lot on this kitchen. Oh, yeah, really highend stuff. Sorry, thats our ghost. Yeah, okay. Hes more annoying than anything. Too bad theres mold behind the backsplash. [ sniffs ] yep, thats mold. Well, then, lets see if we can save you some money with progressive. Guess how much i originally paid for this fireplace . 23 bucks. Materials and labor. Just ignore him. You got bamboozled everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. They want that Hollywood White smile. New sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24 7 sensitivity protection. I think its a great product. Its going to help a lot of patients. Lowes knows you dont just want a low price. I think its a great prodyou want the lowesest price. Did you say lowest, or lowesest price . Its basically the same thing. If you find a better price somewhere else, well match it. Get the lowesest price, with our lowest price guarantee. You got this. We got you. A body in a field with few clues to go on, detectives Brian Slinger and rick loppnow a qubody in a field with fe clues to go on. Detectives Bryan Slinger and rick lautnow began trying to answer the question everyone in green bay was asking. Who murdered Nikki Vanderheyden. The official cause of death ended up being Blunt Force Trauma and ligature strangulation. Reporter they also found a shoe print on nikkis back indicating she had been stomped on. A Zigzag Pattern consistent with the bottom of a shoe. Reporter multiple abrasions and bruises covered nikkis body. That sounds like a monster. It is hard to describe. It is obviously severe. Pretty extreme. Reporter at the Sheriffs Office, detectives continued their investigation by talking with those who saw nikki last including her boyfriend doug. A lot of people saw nikki. Correct. Their first step was to interview doug detrie. Get a good time line from him. What time did the concert end . 11 30. Reporter they also interviewed dougs friends. How did the night start . On all accounts, everyone who saw her said she was having a blast. Reporter slinger learned after the concert at the Watering Hole, doug and a friend stayed behind while everyone else headed to the next bar. Nikki was here at the sardine can. Take us through her night. So nikki came here with dougs friends. Theres a group of four or five of them including nikki. The plan was to come here and hang out and have a couple of extra drinks. Reporter Detective Slinger asked to review the sardine can security video. On it, he could see nikki. There she is on the left. Was she having a good time . She appeared to be having a great time. Dancing, socializing, talking to people. Walking around. Just like any normal night. Reporter but according to dougs Friend Angela, nikkis mood soon changed. Doug was at the other bar and nikki began to feel ignored. I noted her being a little quiet and i said, well, where is doug . And, she just shrugged her shoulders. She starts texting, calling him, asking him where he is. She is with all his friends that she wasnt all that familiar with. So she wanted her boyfriend to come be with her at the new bar. Is she getting a response from doug . Very limited. She was getting annoyed and frustrated that he wasnt responding to her. Reporter angela offered to help doug out by offering to call call. Nikki was upset because he wouldnt answer her calls. But then, he answers your call. Did she have a reaction . Did she say anything . It happened so fast. I just remember her jumping up and running. Reporter Detective Slinger could see nikki leaving on the bar security video. Did anyone follow her . One of the group followed her. He is like come on, nikki, come back to the bar beale well bring you home. And she just started hitting him. And she told him let me be, let me go. And so, he said, okay. Reporter at first, neither angela nor anyone else could figure out what had just happened. Why did she go running . Is it something i said . So she was more upset than she was letting on . In the bar . She must have been. So not too far from here is where the mystery began. The ultimate mystery began as she went out of the camera view here. Just a few feet from where we are standing. Reporter to try to solve the mystery, Detective Slinger reviewed all the Text Messages between doug and nikki on dougs phone. To slinger those messages revealed a relationship more troubled than their friends knew. What kind of things what she writing . Trust issues she had with him. That maybe he was out with other girls. Reporter nikki wrote wow, what are you with . Because none of your friends know. And you hurt me all the time. When angela learned how angry nikki was with doug, she cant help but think she may have contributed to the couples problems by makeing the phone call. I couldnt sleep. I couldnt eat. Because i kept thinking what if . Could i have done Something Different . Should i have not called doug . Because that was her trigger . It seemed. Reporter detectives also asked doug why nikki was so angry with him that night. She was real drunk, not making any sense. He said she didnt know where any of that was coming from. Which to us seems weird. Did you think he was lie something. Wasnt sure if he was lying but it was bizarre he wouldnt have any idea. Reporter they asked doug what he did after finding out nikki had left the second bar. Doug said he immediately drove around the area looking for her, but the bar Security Camera seemed to tell a different story. Was he really out looking for nikki . Based on the surveillance video, it didnt appear he was. He went in the sardine can, started drinking and stayed at pretty much the same spot in the bar the whole time. Seemed like maybe he had exaggerated the amount of looking he was doing for her at the time. Was that suspicious to you . Partially at that point. Yeah. Reporter doug told the detective he couldnt find nikki so he went home. Nikkis Friend Dallas was there babysitting. My first question was where is she . You go out and you are not coming home together . And he had said we are all out together tonight. And she just got mad and stormed away. She wanted to walk home. Reporter then dallas offered up several possibilities where nikki could be including crashing at a friends house. He was coming back to me with a no, no, no. So i had finally said, doug, is she in the trunk of your car . And he looked at me and he smiled and he goes, no. And i was feeling some sort of urgency to get out of the house. Reporter dallas said she finally headed to her car at about 3 00 a. M. There is nobody around. And, i said out loud, like, where are you, nicole . Whats going on . Reporter according to doug, once dallas took off, he checked on the baby and then went to bed. I would say about 3 00, 3 30. We really didnt have an alibi for him because he was home sleeping. Reporter hours after nikkis body was discovered, Detective Slinger and his team decided to search dougs house. What they would find inside would set off alarm bells. Coming up. There was some blood on some tissues as well as a sweatshirt. Reporter bloody evidence in the house. On the road. In a yard. Started crying. Reporter doug detrie. Are police reeling him in or ruling him out . We knew someone out there knew something. Reporter when dateline continues. Line continues. At nice catch. Were still going for that sweet shot. And with higher stroke risk from afib not caused by a heart valve problem, were going for a better treatment than warfarin. Eliquis. Eliquis reduces stroke risk. And has less major bleeding. Over 97 of Eliquis Patients did not experience a stroke. Dont Stop Taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an Artificial Heart Valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking, you may bruise more easily or take longer for bleeding to stop. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, or unusual bruising. It may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. 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We had a lot of communication with Detective Slinger. During that time. And he had asked us first to hang tom flyers for him. Just to get some information on where she could have gone. We hit every bar up and down that street. Why did you two decide were going to be proactive and see if we can get any clues . We needed to find out what happened to our friend. I mean, it is that simple. Reporter meanwhile, sheriff detective Bryan Slinger was about to search the house of her live in boyfriend doug after learning the two had been arguing hours before she disappeared. She accused him of being abusive. One of the Text Messages from that night. That was obviously alarming. Reporter at first, nothing seemed to be amiss. There was not a lot of signs of struggle in the house. There was no broken vases or broken tables or anything like that. Reporter after a closer inspection, they found a trail of intriguing clues. There was some areas in the garage that had concerned us. Reporter specifically, what appeared to be bloodstains on the floor. And down in this area here is what appeared to be drag marks. Reporter and inside nikkis car. Her vehicle had what we thought at the time to be some blood smears throughout the back and throughout the headboard area. This is the red drip consistent in nature of that of a drop of blood. As you can see here, there is some more brownish dried substance that we were concerned about. Reporter backed in the house, more blood. And one of the lower bathrooms, there was some blood on some tissues located on the floor as well as a sweatshirt that had some blood on it. And what appeared to be blood drops near the entrance into the shower. Reporter detectives then discovered a possible source of the shoe imprint found by the Medical Examiner on nikkis back. You can see there are some of the Zigzag Patterns here. Some shoes like that were found in the garage on the shoe rack which had what appeared to be red dots on the bottom of them. Could be blood. Could be blood, but the pattern on the shoe was consistent with what we had seen on nicoles back. Reporter whats more, a member of the search team reported smelling what she thought was Cleaning Solution throughout the house. She thought she smelled a strong odor in the house that caught her attention. Reporter csi sent swabs of all the evidence taken from inside the house to test. But it was what detectives found outside that proved to be the most intriguing evidence yet. A neighbor across the street from doug was mowing his lawn when he saw in the grass a strange object. We responded out to the scene. Found what appeared to be a Phone Charging Cable Cut in two in his front yard he had run over with his lawn mower. Reporter detectives believe that cord was used to strangle nikki. It was full of blood and matched some of the marks on her neck. Reporter there were several bloodstains. Detective slinger felt confident this was the area where nikki was beaten, strangled and ultimately killed. As detectives began looking more closely at doug, they discovered a local Police Report that initially seemed only to strengthen their suspicion. The report cited a past incident involving an Ex Girlfriend who claimed doug had abused her. How bad was it . Sounded like she was in fear. Reporter in the incident report, The Woman Accused doug of choking her and covering her mouth and nose with blankets. Doug was arrested and denied the allegation. He was never charged. As it turned out, the woman had been convicted of battery in a previous relationship. Then, detectives interviewed nikkis own murder. A week before the murder, she revealed doug had abused her. She was crying. They were asking her questions. I asked her did he ever hit you . She wouldnt go into it. Reporter with the blood, the Text Messages, the shoe print, and those allegations of abuse, detectives felt they had enough. Right now i will be taking you into custody. Be cooperative with me. Im a decent guy. Eventually, he was brought out to our vehicle. To transport him to the jail. That is when it really hit him. He started crying. Reporter while they waited for the results of the forensic testing, they wanted to learn all they could about doug detrie. They talked to anyone who knew about his past. Things they had observed from his behavior in past relationships. Did they come in voluntarily or were you digging into his past . Probably a little bit of both. Reporter another Ex Girlfriend of doug spoke to detectives and described doug as controlling and a stalker type. This woman never filed a complaint. So we have all these Ex Girlfriends coming forward. Obviously those relationships didnt work out for a reason. Why do they have a bone to pick . Are they coming forward and saying this because it is their exand they want to see something happen to him . We dont know. And there is also power in numbers, too. The fact you had that many women coming forward. Right. You have that many people, it does take out the whole revenge factor when you have that many people. Absolutely. Theres definitely patterns of behavior from his past that led us to be concerned. Reporter dougs attorney tells dateline the allegations about his past behavior are defamatory. What are you all thinking . At that point, it is definitely looking like doug is the person responsible here. What did you think happened that night . I thought she got a ride home from someone and that he had heard her get dropped off. And went outside to confront her about where she was. And there was some sort of altercation. And then, he used the vehicle in the garage to transport her body to the field. Reporter but why would doug want nikki dead . Detectives felt the answer could be in dougs phone. They discovered more Text Messages about his relationship with nikki. This time, to husband mom. He was contemplating ending the relationship. Reporter doug seemed to be buckling under the pressure of being a family man and he wanted out. Doug wrote, im very seriously thinking about telling nikki and the kids they have to move. Im not cut out for this life one bit. He also wrote when this house sells, we are going separate ways im sure. Dont worry about it. It is what it is. That could be a motive for murder. It could be. Reporter news of dougs arrest quickly spread across green bay and to dougs friend. I was shocked. Reporter angela couldnt believe what she was hearing. She was convinced the police had made a mistake. There is no way. No way doug could do this. He doesnt have a mean bone in him. Did you think he was wrongly accused . Yes. We knew he didnt do it. Reporter nikkis friends, hailey and katelyn, were just as dumbfounded. There were a lot of arrows pointing at doug based on what the police had. Yes. Did you two start thinking that as well . Because Everybody Else was thinking that . Okay. Yeah. You dont know what someone is capable of. So, it didnt put it past me that it could be him. It also didnt deter me away from trying to find out what happened to her. If it was not. You dont want to think it was someone who would love her and share so much with her. Especially a child. Reporter the investigation was only days old. And already, the pieces seemed to be easily fitting into place. But were they fitting too easily . We knew we had a lot of work ahead of us. Reporter and there were vexing questions left to answer. We struggled to find out how nikki got home. We knew there was another person out there that knew something of value. This is a missing piece of the puzzle. A huge piece. Reporter another problem . This one coming from the lab. Text found male dna all over nikkis body but the profile was only partial. The investigation was just getting started. And its direction was far from certain. Coming up, the shoe, the tissues, the blood in the garage, the blood in the car. I still kept thinking no way. And yet the police are sure they have the right guy. Uhhuh. I still knew. There is something in me telling me it was not him. Reporter how solid was this evidence really . Thats a big revelation. A huge revelation. Oh my god. Reporter when dateline continues. Reporter when dateline continues. To make my home smell amazing. On my bed. My couch. My jacket or jeans. In between washes. Even shoes. Febreze doesnt cover up odors with scent, but fights them and freshens over one thousand uses. Febreze fabric refresher. [ ] your skin is everchanging, take care of it with gold bonds healing formulations of 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. For all your skins, gold bond. Perhaps you know me as, the kung fu panda. Formulations of 7 moisturizers and 3 amins. Ah, youre adorable. Huh. Oh, whah police thought they had a strong case against doug detrie. They believed there was motive, opportunity, and Reporter Police thought they had a strong case against doug detrie. They thought there was a motive. An opportunity. Compelling evidence. It didnt make sense that anyone besides doug would be in her front yard killing her. Reporter yet angela remained squarely by dougs side. I kept thinking no way. And yet the police are sure they have the right guy. I still knew. There was something in me telling me it was not him. How good are you feeling about your suspect . I wouldnt have arrested him if i didnt think he was our guy. Reporter but less than two weeks after dougs arrest, tests of the forensic evidence started to trickle back in. And the case against him began to collapse. First, there were dougs shoes that they believed could have left the imprint on his back. It was a very generic Zigzag Pattern. Reporter the lab could not make a definitive match. It could have been any shoe with that pattern. Reporter then came the dna and blood tests. As for the red dots, detectives found on the shoes . No dna on the bottom of the shoes. Another surprise. Reporter but what about the blood on the garage floor . We are learning the blood in the garage was not human blood. Reporter it was in fact animal blood. We found out that doug was into hunting and he had actually killed a turkey a couple of weeks prior. Reporter thats right. It was the blood of a turkey. Thats a big revelation. Huge. Reporter then there was nikkis car. The Car Detectives thought doug used to transport nikkis body out to the field. There was one little drop that turned out to be human blood in the backseat which was determined not to be nicoles. It was likely a daughter of hers. Reporter but that wasnt the only thing calling the car theory into question. Detectives found a device in nikkis car. It indicated the car remained the the garage the entire night of the murder. The vehicle last moved friday the 20th. Reporter and the blood on the tissues and the sweatshirt found inside the house . It was from nikkis sister. A nosebleed. And even more surprises from the forensic evidence in the house. Yes. Have you ever seen anything like this before . One thing after the next that is not what it appeared. Yeah. It was definitely crazy. Reporter then came the biggest blow to their theory. It had to do with that partial profile of male dna found on nikkis body and the bloody cord. They couldnt identify whose it was but they were able to rule out doug. This is a huge mistake. To arrest somebody for murder who it is really appearing did not commit the crime. Yeah. I take full ownership of that myself. And, my supervisor that made the decision based on what we had at the time. We were responsible for the safety of the community. Safety of dougs child that he would have had custody of. So we had to take all of those things into consideration. I would really hesitate to say use the term mistake. Based on the circumstances. We had probable cause to make our arrests. Reporter but detectives had bigger problems on their hands. The unknown male dna on the cord. And, the unknown male dna on her body. Was that a match . The same person. They were all consistent with one another. Yes. With one person. And i add that it was of no ones dna we had already collected. Reporter which led them to one very disturbing conclusion. There is someone else out there involved we had to identify. You knew there was a mystery man out there at this point, the very likely killed nikki . Yeah. Thats the point where we were at trying to figure out who is this person. Reporter without enough evidence left to keep doug in jail, the Sheriffs Office had no choice but to let him go. Doug detrie spent 18 days in jail. His relief left katelyn and hailey more bewildered than anything else. By now, they had come to believe doug was responsible. Doug detrie is released. Its a huge twist to all of this. What are you two thinking . It was definitely surprising and not the news we wanted to hear at that point. Did this start to shift your focus away from doug learning about the dna . We knew that there was someone elses dna so then it became whose dna. And there was different rumors of what could have happened. But we kind of worked around our own scenarios trying to figure out why this could have went bad. It was supposed to be a fun night out for her. Why did it go so wrong. There was a lot of, you know, missing pieces. Reporter as for angela and the rest of dougs supporters, they were elated by the news that doug was now freed. Im like oh my god. Thank god. They had no proof it was doug. No proof. And nor would he have ever done this. Did you feel sort of vindicated because maybe your opinion that he didnt do it wasnt the popular one at the time . Yeah. I didnt care. I didnt care what anybody thought. Reporter but doug wasnt off the hook just yet. Police could not overlook that he seemed to have motivation to kill nikki and they were not impressed with his alibi that he was home sleeping. Did you think that maybe doug paid someone or someone did this for him . That was definitely something we thought about. So the door wasnt completely shut on doug . Correct. Reporter ten frustrating weeks passed with no breaks in the case. And still, no clue whose dna was on nikkis body. I kind of felt we were going to get a full profile and something would break eventually. And it did. It did. Coming up. You got a hit on nikkis sock. Thats where the hit came from. We were excited. It gave us new hope. Reporter a sock, a cell phone. A dark past. Who was this mystery man . It must have set off alarm bells. It did. Reporter when dateline continues. Reporter when dae continues. St like i was. Dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that cant retain moisture. 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Ask your Eczema Specialist you want the lowesest price. Did you say lowest, or lowesest price . Its basically the same thing. If you find a better price somewhere else, well match it. Get the lowesest price, with our lowest price guarantee. You got this. We got you. What can you do with sensitive skin . Cetaphil gentle Skin Cleanser does more than clean. It actually protects skin by keeping it hydrated. So youre always ready for the unexpected. Cetaphil. We do skin. You do you. So yit had been Aneady Fadrenaline rushing start to the case, an arrest just two days after the murder. It had been an adrenaline rushing start to the case. An arrest just two days after the murder. But the investigation came to an abrupt stop with the release of their first suspect. After you released doug, did you feel you were back to square one . In a way. But you have to keep moving. I viewed it as a step back. Reporter ten weeks after dougs release from jail, detectives received startling news from the lab. You got a hit on nikkis sock . Thats where the hit came from. Ultimately, that was the item that got us the dna we needed. We were crazy excited. It gave us new hope. That we were going to be able to get answers for the family. Reporter answers about the origin of the unknown male dna found on nikkis body and on the cord. And this hit is a full dna profile . Enough to put in to be able to be processed against the records nationwide. Reporter which is just what the lab tech did. That is when he got a match. It gives us a name. George steven burch out of the state of virginia. What did that mean to you . It meant nothing to me. Next up was to find out who he was. Reporter detectives discovered 38yearold george burch had moved to green bay. He had been living with an old pal who had an Auto Repair Shop in town. He asked me if he could get a fresh start. He had nowhere to go. George was getting a divorce. They had been friends since they were young adults. Long time friend. 20 plus years. Did you consider him trustworthy . Oh yeah. Would have trusted him with anything back again. Great with kids, great with my family. Never had an issue with him. Never saw him snap too much about anything. You know. Always calm, cool, collected. Reporter and a lot of fun. Both ed and george shared a love of fishing. A lot of male bonding can go on while two men are fishing. Yep. Is that kind of what happened . Yep, pretty much. Spent a lot of time on the boat. Reporter eds wife linda considered george to be a southern gentleman. He called me miss linda all the time. He had the southern accent. Did you take a liking to him . Yeah, he seemed real easy going and we are easy going people. So it was hey. Cool. Reporter george got a job and soon started dating. A young woman named Jordan Skyler became the object of his affection. The way he talked. His mannerisms. So, gentleman like. I guess that was the best thing that drew me toward him. Reporter jordan said the older man with the southern accent swept her off her feet. We ended up hanging out every day. Did your mom worry maybe he was a little too old for you . She honestly didnt know. I didnt know how to tell her because my mom is my best friend and i know she wouldnt approve of the age difference. Was he romantic . Yes. Very much so. Very much so. In what way . Little stupid corny ways i guess. He would make little poems or something or come up to me and Say Something very sweet. Did you feel safe around him . 100 . He made me feel like he would always be there to help me and protect me and be by my side. Reporter george, the gentleman. Thats the man who swept jordan off her feet. But turns out, there was a lot she didnt know about george burch. Coming up, investigators take a deep dive into georges past and make a startling discovery. You are seeing george burch homicide. When dateline continues. Hom when dateline continues. Andrea canning three months after Nikki Vanderheydens badly beaten body was found in a wisconsin field, three months after Nikki Vanderheydens badly beaten body was found in a field, they found dna on her sock matched to a man named george burch. He was staying with an old buddy and his wife. He had friends, a job, a romantic relationship. It seemed like george settled in nicely to green bay. The detective started again into his past. We found that he was involved in another Homicide Case in 1988, in virginia. Remake the information was limited. After all, it was 18 years earlier. Did you learn anything else about that case . We learned it was a shooting between him and another group of people at the time. For whatever reason, and went to a jury trial and he was ultimately acquitted. Were acquitted of all charges. You are seeing george burch, homicide. That must have set off alarm bells. The detective also learned he was suspected of a crime in green bay. The crime, far less serious. A Traffic Accident that occurred about two weeks after Nikki Vanderheydens murder. The blazer happened to belong to , jackson. Was he saying that somebody else hit the truck . He swore he did not do it. He claimed it was stolen. Well make a seemingly minor offense and the police never charged him with the crime. During the investigation of the car crash, the obtained evidence that we become critical of the detectives involved in the Homicide Case. They have gotten consent from george to download his cell phone. Definitely look reporter began pouring over the data, they could not believe what they stumbled upon. There was some Phone Internet searches that we found interesting about him looking up the homicide, looking up the case, looking up things on local news about nikki and the event. The big thing that we found, his gmail address. It was associated to his cell phone. Reporter that gmail address led detectives to his Google Dashboard. A service that enables users to store and manage personal data, including, detailed information as to where and when they travel. Where did it take you . When we prepared the Search Warrant we obviously focused on that met remake what they found was astonishing. The native nikkis murder, george burch was at this ball called, richer craniums. About a halfmile from her last known location. Is showed him going there to his residence briefly and to nikkis residence. From there it tracked him to where her body was found. Within an accuracy of 90. Reporter that was not all. The gps location followed a set of tracks that we saw in the field from the driveway. It almost went with that tracks out of the field, to where her clothes were located along the highway. All way back to his residence. That is incredibly precise. It was very accurate. In the detectives could place them to every known location of nikki or her belongings that night. From the starting can to her house, to the field. Finally to the on way ram. They can answer the question about how she got home from the sardine can . We got it back for the roadmap, it was huge. Reporter this is your moment . Absolute. , coming up, george burch under arrest and unfazed. What was your reaction . His demeanor changed. Shocking, did not believe it. Its a totally different guy, he is so sweet, no way. Were could the police have the wrong guy again . When dateline continues. Ill be honest. By the end of the day, my floors. Yeesh. But who has the time to clean . Thats why i love my swiffer wetjet. Its a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. Wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. Look at that swiffer wetjet. whisper air wick. How far would you go to control the fragrance in your home . Theres an easier way. 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We make money from ads, but they dont follow you aroud join the millions of people taking back their privacy by downloading duckduckgo on all your devices today. Perhaps you know me as, the kung fu panda. Join the millions of people taking back eir privacy ah, youre adorable. Huh. Oh, whah george burke was now the chief suspect in the Nikki Vanderheyden murder investigation. Data from his Google Dashboard had allowed george burch was now the suspect in the Nikki Vanderheyden murder investigation. His Google Dashboard allowed investigators to retrace his movements on the night nikki was killed. It cemented their suspicions. First, the dna im nikkis body matching george burchs. Now, this. What do you think happened . We know that they came into contact with each other most likely near which are craniums where, its a short distance from the sardine can. They drove to nikkis neighborhood, where they were in the car for roughly 45 minutes. In the detective believed thats where george burch sexually assaulted her and strangled her. It was clearly the motive at the time and explained his behavior. There were only two people that wouldve known exactly what happened, mr. Burch and nicole. I believe there was a struggle inside the car and she wouldve try to get out of the car richie likely fell out onto the concrete where he proceeded to stomp on her face and her back against the curb. Is amazing nobody heard anything. You would think she would scream for her life at that point. You would think that if you are being strangled, you really cannot scream. She met the injuries to her neck were very severe. It is likely that she would not have been able to get much of a scream out, if anything. Were they were certain they had their man. Remember, they had been down this road before. This time they waited. We wanted to make sure that we had all of our ducks in a row before he was taken into custody. To make sure there was not anything in the google data that wouldve potentially exonerated him before he was arrested. You were worried about Public Safety, one of the reasons you arrested doug when you do. The wouldve been concerned about Public Safety for him as well. Correct. We maintained good surveillance. Reporter they made their move. We came up with the game plan to come in early one morning, set eyes on his house on the west side of green bay. When he left there, we were going to follow him briefly until we had enough cars. Lawenforcement and i placed to do a traffic stop. Were as he did with doug detrie three months prior, Detective Slinger personally took george burch in the custody of he was handcuffed and placed into the squad car. Remake he sat in the interview room, casually talked to the detective. What was his reaction . His demeanor changed. Is there something you want to talk to me about . Remake he appeared to be calm throughout. You do not want to talk to me . Remake according to Detective Slinger, he was to come. He continued smoking. Less than 30 seconds later he started talking about donald trump. It was like we were buddies from way back and hanging out and catching up. Did not have a care in the road at that time. It is alarming that someone could be that nonchalant after being accused of doing that. We are definitely dealing with somebody with psychological issues. Reporter george burchs supporters were scratching their heads. What was your reaction when the police told you that george burch had been arrested for nikkis murder . Shocking. Did not believe it. Reporter longtime friend, jackson, and his wife linda invited george into their home. Why not . It was not what i knew of him. I was stunned. I was like, really . Remake georges girlfriend felt the same way. Did you tell the police there was no way he did this . The first time i was interview, i kept thinking that it was a totally different guy you are talking about. Reporter that was soon be up to a jury to decide. For george burch, he was about to break his silence and dropped a bombshell no one could predict. Coming up i looked like was a Man Holding A in his hand. Reporter was or someone else there that night . Someone else who killed nikki . Who was it . Reporter when dateline continues. To provide soothing. A nose in need deserves puffs indeed. Americas 1 lotion tissue. feel the power of osteo biflex®. Taken every day, its clinically shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days, with significant improvement over time. icy hot. Ice works fast. Heat makes it last. Feel the power of contrast therapy. So you can rise from pain. Icy hot. So you c all rise. Om pain. Andrea canning on february 19, 2018, almost two years after Nikki Vanderheydens murder, George Burch Sat in a green bay courtroom hoping to convince on february 19, 2018, almost 2 years after Nikki Vanderheydens murder, george burch set in a courtroom hoping to convince a jury he was innocent. She met from the start, he told us he did not commit this crime. Reporter public defenders trying the first murder case. In the shadow of lambeau field, the young attorneys were going to call some unusual place. Please state your full name and spell your last name. In serving with their decision to let the client, george burch, 67, tell the jury exactly where he was the night of the murder. He admitted he was with nikki. I noticed a fairly attractive blonde woman standing next me. Reporter he said he met her around 11 00 p. M. How were you acting toward her . How was she acting toward you . Somewhat the same, pretty much. Were as closing time approached, he asked nikki if she wanted to go home with him . Seam she gave the impression that she agreed . Yes, sir. She went to my car and got in. Remake when they arrived to his house, someone was still up watching tv. They agreed to go to nikkis place instead. As they approached, he said that nikki noticed someone was on there, too. She said there was a light on and she thought that babysitter was there. Reporter is going into the house, he said they stayed inside his car. We started messing around a little bit. Started kissing. Did you guys stay there . No, sir. Gimmick or did you go . How did you get into the backseat . I got out of the driver side and walk around. Reporter he said all side of the blazer with the door open while nikki was in the backseat. By then he claimed she had taken her close up. Gimmick you were having intercourse . Yes. What ended up happening . The next thing i remember was waking up on the ground outside of the truck. Did you see anything . I saw what looked like a man standing there with a firearm. Reporter he said he figured the man must have pistol whipped him, knocking him out of the country the first thing i heard was, do not think about it. The whole time he had the gun in my direction. Reporter he said he spotted her laying outside of his car unconscious and bloodied peers in the next thing i remember was the person behind me saying, look what you made me do. Reporter he said the man forced them at gunpoint to put nikki in the car and drive. It was then that he said he finally got a good look at the mystery man. Two at that point did you know who the individual was . Never saw him before in my life you know who it is now . I do. Who was it . Reporter doug detrie. Quite the twist. The man who was first accused and cleared, now being accused again. According to burch, that night he was forcing him to do his dirty work. Were you given strict directions . Yes. Reporter when they arrived at the field, burch testified that doug ordered him to carry nikkis body from the car and put her down. The whole time i am trying to figure out a way to get out of the situation. Reporter burch said he finally got a chance to get away when doug got momentarily distracted. Thats when i turned and everything i had, i longed at him and pushed him as hard as i could. Did he fall down . I dont know . I went to my car. Remake he testified that as he drove away, he spotted nikkis close in his car, he panicked and threw them out the window. He admitted he never called 911 or told anyone what happened that night. Where im from, you do not talk. You do not tell about things you have seen. You do not tell him people. People get killed all the time where i am from from that. I fear for my own safety. In it was an amazing story, one that certainly seemed to explain the deming evidence against george. Namely why his dna was all over her body. While he was at her house. And why he was in the field that night feet from where her body was discovered. Look at the whole picture. What is his motive in this . Reporter is the fencing called another unusual play. Essentially, they put doug detrie on trial for nikkis murder. Our strategy was to show that he was never truly looking for nicole, he did not care about nicole. Ultimately, when he caught nicole with george, he snapped at that point. Reporter during cross examination, they tried to use doug detrie himself to make their case. Zeroing in on his behavior before, during, and after the night nikki was killed. To show dougs relationship with nikki on the rocks, they asked about the messages he sent his mother. In may of 2016, when he your house sells you were going to go your separate ways. Do not worry about it, it is what it is and you said that to your mother, is that accurate . I do not recall that conversation. How about when he told her you were thinking about telling nikki and the kids i have to move, i am not cut out for this life one bit. Do you remember that . I think i said something along the lines of that. I said that so my directed he looked guilty . Did it come across that way . I wouldve thought almost 2 years after my girlfriends murder, i would have pieced together every part of that night and talked to every person again and again. When im asked questions, i would remember and be able to talk about it. I would not say that i do not know . Reporter the night of the murder, the defense suggested his response to those angry Text Messages nikki sent, showed he did not care about her. When you are receiving those messages, you never thought, my gosh, i should be with nicole and figure out what is going on . I sent her a, lol. What is the deal . Nothing to be upset about. It is funny to you that she was upset . Laugh out loud . I dont know . I overly use that. Is she typically call you and abusive . Does she typically ask you who you are with . It did not cause alarm that you have to get with nicole . I did not know what she was thinking . In what was he thinking the day after nikki was killed . Why did he wait until 4 30, the next afternoon to report her missing . Even though he was up early that morning, 6 30, to be exact. You did not call the police at 6 30 . No. You did not call her sister or mother at 6 30 . No, i did not. I was tired and hung over. I had a crying baby and i took care of him. I fed him and went back to bed right away. Reporter when he got up again at 11 00 a. M. , he never attempted to look for nikki. Did you search for her on foot or by vehicle . I did not. Reporter there was a reason the defense claimed he waited so long to report her missing. You know were her body was and what happened to her. In the defense planned to show he had a history of abuse toward women. They listed several allegations. The judge ruled the evidence as in minnesota. This has to be a huge blow to your defense . It was. We were not able to present a pattern of abuse that we saw from past girlfriends, from people who knew nicole, anybody we could talk to on the case. Specifically for the people that he did it. Were there was Something Else the judge would not allow, he recently was arrested for abuse. Its a wild sword that he gets involved with her sister after her death. I could not believe it. In of all people, nikki sister, had been living with doug, helping him take care of the baby. According to the complaint, he was driving when he touched her leg in a sexual way. She did not want to it. He locked the doors and took off at a speed that her follow him. Reporter he was charged with seconddegree reckless endangerment. False imprisonment. He would plead no contest to those charges. Even without the evidence, the defense felt it made a strong case against doug. He had the motive and opportunity and connection with her murder. Reporter nikkis Friend Caitlin still was not sure what to think. Were holes in his story but things it did not make sense with dogs. Thats how it turned the case into, who done it . Who story or side do you believe . Coming up, o new side of george burch. You are backing down. With nicoles body, right . No. I told you before and i will set One More Time for you a little bit of temper show. Reporter a new witness with revealing information. A witness on doug detries wrist. When dateline continues. When you have moderate to severe eczema, its okay to show off. With dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. Because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. With dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. It helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. Many adults saw 90 clearer skin. Some even achieved long lasting clearer skin and fast itch relief after first dose. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. Show off to the world. Ask your Eczema Specialist about dupixent. Did you know. 80 of women are struggling with hair damage . Just like i was. Dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that cant retain moisture. New pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with firstofitskind melting prov pearls. Locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage in one wash, without weigh down. Guaranteed or your money back for resilient, healthylooking hair. If you know, you know its pantene. Biting kicked off his Campaign Reboot on friday. He went to pennsylvania to reiterate the points he made during thursday speech. Over the next month biden and harris plan to visit every battleground say. Meanwhile, former President Trump hosted viktor orban at maralago on friday. Viktor has close ties with vladimir putin, the leader of russia. He was sought to undermine democracy and turn hungary into a nonliberal state. I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it. Back to dateline. On date eight of the trial, prosecutors finally got their shot at george burch. Their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of george burch a story . It seemed like a fantasy to be, ridiculous and farfetched. Reporter burch declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events. Do you think you use the evidence to fit the narrative of his story . It would make him look good. It certainly seemed as if this was a story that was created after the fact. In the prosecutors had a game plan of their own. Show the jury that his story was nothing more than a hail mary to cover up a vicious crime. They told the jury about his dna found on different points of nikkis body and on the murder weapon. They also show the Tracking Data from his phone that put them in all the locations were nikki wasnt nigh. Including, the place where her body was dumped. One thing that seems hard to explain, george burch is motive. He attempted to sexually assault her, she did not want to have with him. She wouldve fall and struggle. Obviously she got into the wrong car and something horrific happened to her. In the da had an interesting card to play. Jackson, george burchs friends, the couple who had taken him in. They were testifying for the prosecution. Now convinced he was guilty. He was a smooth talker and has a good imagination. Knowing him for as long as i have, i do not by his story. Reporter he was asked about a fishing trip he and burch took the day after nikkis murder. Burch never said a word about what happened the night before. The rescue to show the jury a photo taken at it. Reporter that picture was important because he said he was hit on the head. This picture showed his head. There were no marks. In one burch got on the stand, the prosecution tried to poke holes in a story. For starters, did not believe nikki willingly had with him. He described as fantasy in the back of the vehicle. Reporter how could he explain away earlier testimony from the Medical Examiner that her injuries suggest that she had been sexually assaulted . It was a result of your non gentle Sexual Activity you had with her . It was not gentle. No. It was painful because it was not consensual. That was not true. Reporter the prosecutors one of the jury to get a glimpse of his temper. He kept his composure until the prosecutor asked him about dragging nikkis body to the field. You are backing down the embankment with nicoles body, right . No. I told you before and i will say it One More Time, i was carrying her over to this area. When i got to the final position, i let her legs go and i could barely carry her. At one point he was not going to ask, answer for that. In anger, violence, lies. It was put altogether for the jury with a series of questions that laid out what he believed really happened outside nikkis house. When you get there, it becomes clear that nikki is not going to have with you. She attempts to go into her house and leave the vehicle, thats when your mood changes. No. Thats when things get aggressive . Matter appears in thats when you strangle her, dont you . No. Thats when she gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when shes trying to run toward her house . None of that is true. Reporter not only do prosecutors have to prove george burch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that doug detrie was innocent. That he would not and could not have killed nikki. Did you have any involvement in nikkis disappearance or death . No, i did not. In as for how they got along, they were a family with typical Family Problems for how would you describe your relationship with nikki . It was very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but we had plans for a future and everything like that. Becky told the jury they discussed marriage and the son would be part of the ceremony. Without when he was old enough to walk down the aisle, that would be a possibility when we go to that step. Reporter the prosecutor asked doug about the Text Messages from nikki. He insisted he was not angry with her. I was puzzled. I did not know what she was thinking, i did not know what was going on. Reporter also called a Crime Lab Analyst to testify that doug cna was not found on her body or the murder weapon. The prosecutor had one more ace in the hole, a silent witness. A witness that could corroborate dougs alibi that he was home sleeping. Remember doug started wearing that fitbit to get in shape . Prosecutors say he was wearing it tonight. What did it show . It demonstrated he took a total of 12 to 18 steps during the three hours we know she was killed. Reporter could he have taken it off . The steps that were registering the timeframe, it would not have registered during that timeframe. Reporter is alibi would not have been that strong without the fitbit, to say you are home with a sixmonthold sleeping, thats not the strongest alibi. It helped a lot. The lack of anything in his home once the Crime Lab Reports came in, was helpful. To commit this crime outside your home down the street, you leave the court, the Cord Laying In The Street to be phone, you would have to be ravech after nine days of testimony, the attorneys gave closing arguments. The public defender addressed the jury. Doug had the motive, the opportunity, and the connection to this crime. Reporter he asked the jurors to search their souls for Reasonable Doubt. As we sit here right now, you are literally surrounded by doubt. You are surrounded by Reasonable Doubt. That is why you must return a verdict of, not guilty. In did you have concerns about Reasonable Doubt . Pointing the finger at doug. Giving the jury another person to look at . We were always concerned about that, thats why we have trials and they are challenging. Reporter the da knew what he needed to address as a summed up his case for the jury. Follow the path and the evidence presented to you. That path leads to one place. His guilt. Thats the man who killed Nikki Vanderheyden. Bring justice for nikki and her family. Reporter the case went to the jury and we went to jail for an exclusive interview with george burch. Coming up one thing led to another. Reporter i will put my mother hat on. Nikki has a new baby, she is breastfeeding, her infant child is asleep. Why would she have with you right outside the house . Lets go drive we got to go someones in a hurry. Annnd doodododoooodo one mississippi. Two mississippi. Can we go . Yeah faster oh, no sirree. You see, i get discounts for my safe driving with snapshot from progressive. You should see my savings theyre nuts. You told us he was a skilled wheelman. No, im a wheelman. Its a family name on my mothers side. What . Irish. Perhaps you know me as, the kung fu panda. Its a family name on my mothers side. Ah, youre adorable. Huh. Oh, whah we met george burch at the Brown County Jail for an exclusive interview with dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, George Burgess the Brown County Jail for an interview with dateline. We came with questions about that night. Starting with his claim that his encounter with nikki was consensual. One thing led to another. Reporter i will put my mother hat on. The one thing that does not add up for me, nikki is breast feeding, she has a new baby, her infant child is asleep in the house, why would she have with you right outside the house . He met i cannot tell you what she was thinking. I have no idea why she would do that . Reporter george burch described what happened after he said doug detrie pistol whipped him. Why didnt you fight back with doug . You are six or seven, you are a lot bigger than him. Someone can sue someone, no matter how big they are. Were what kind of gun did he have . Im not sure . Reporter a handgun . I handgun no one was able to find. What you think the gun is . Is the gun something you made up . Why would i make that up . So you understand correctly, i have not made up any single part of this, at all. Not the least bit. Everything i stated is exactly what happened. Mccue said that nikki took her clothes off before doug attacked you. And attack nikki. Yet, her clothes were bloody. How do you explain if she had no clothes on . I am not sure . They couldve gotten bloody from when i put her back into the video vehicle. Reporter did you kill her . No, maam. Reporter did you try to have with her, she wouldnt do it and shes not . It was purely consensual. Reporter 30 believe is nikki is true killer . I saw me and doug. That i seem to . No, i did not. I can tell you, i did not do. Reporter how can you explain the presence of so much of your dna on her body. Connect we had. How hard is that to understand . She is naked and my body is on hers. Reporter if he brutally beat her, why is his dna not on her . I do not know . He couldve had on gloves, i dont know . Reporter how do you explain your dna was found on the court, but not doug detries . I dont know if i was laying on it or touch it . I picked her up and it was not overwhelming dna match. It was barely there. He couldve had gloves on and touched me. I do not know, im not a scientist. In this is a horrific event. Yet, you wake up the next morning, and you go fishing. With your buddy. Like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not going. I kind of went along, thats the way it panned out. Reporter you claimed you were struck from behind with a gun . Jackson says there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun . I dont know . My head was sore. Was there a laceration or cut . There was not. Just because someone hits you does not mean there will be a cut. Reporter george burch never told his friend, jackson, what happened. He only told his attorneys what happened months after the murder. Some people say you had a big advantage when you finally revealed your story, because you know what had happened to doug. You were able to use him and his arrest to help your own story. How would i know what happened with them . It was on the news. The police said he was arrested. They did not tell me what they had on him. They did not say anything, so how would i know . Reporter only asked george burch about the unusual evidence used to help doug detrie how do you feel a fitbit used as an alibi for the man you claimed killed nikki . If they could prove he was supposedly wearing it, great for them. Reporter how do you feel about the fact the fitbit i know its not true. Reporter for those who doubt him and his story many people see your story is really bad fiction. That you created the story that would fit the narrative of the evidence. You already knew about doug detrie, he had been arrested, you just fabricated this whole thing to work in your favor. Everyones entitled to their opinions. Reporter may be so . But the only opinion that matter was the jurys. It was about to speak. Coming up the key component in this case comes down to believability and credibility. In a verdict that would affect two mens lives. It was emotionally hard. I was having tugofwar the whole time. Blistering rash that can last for weeks. 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The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. And upset stomach. As jurors in the Nikki Vanderheyden murder trial began their work behind closed doors, those outside the jury room also deliberated. As jurors in Tin The Murder Trial began the work behind closed doors, those outside the jury room also deliberated for the key component in this case comes down to believability and credibility. Doug detrie versus george burch. Reporter her friend had no doubt who she believed. Did you watch george testify . I did. I did not believe anything that came out of his mouth. Reporter even his girlfriend did not. Her boyfriends behavior on the fishing trip with a jackson one day after the murder kept gnawing at jordan. Reporter any mention of that night at a for jordan, having to accept the man she felt safe with murder nikki, was overwhelming. Did you feel like, how could i trust this guy . That were so many thoughts that went through my head. The biggest questions i have, why her . Why wasnt it me . Why did you do a . Reporter there were nikkis friends, haley and caitlin. Throughout most of the trial, the remained on the fence. They had with both sides. I was on nikki side. Reporter Hearing Birches Testimony was the tipping point. It did not seem to make sense. Having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard, there is no way. It just was not nikki. Reporter from their offices, prosecutors waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe doug did this or had involvement . Theres always concern about that. The thing that kept running through my head, this was a dangerous individual that needs to be off the streets. I hope they get it right. Reporter in under four hours, the 12 jurors went back to the courtroom for the last time. Rachel hillary and eric were two of the 12. How to get was this case for a juror . It was emotionally really hard. I was tugofwar in the whole time on the stateside, defense side, it was tough. In over the course of the nine day trial, these jurors carefully consider the guilt of two men. First there was the defendant himself, george verse. What are you thinking as george is telling his story . The first half was believable. Once he got to the point where he was knocked out, it seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie. Reporter a bad movie . A bad cop movie, yes. Reporter what evidence made you think that doug detrie was the real killer . In the Text Messages. Reporter of all the evidence presented, eric and rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google Dashboard on his phone and dna on nikkis buddy. The dna all over her body was georges. There was nothing for doug on there. Reporter the court that was used as a murder weapon, no doug detrie dna, only georges dna . Correct. The dna does not lie. Reporter were you nervous . You mustve been on pins and needles move waiting . A packed courtroom listened intently while the judge read the jurys decision. We the jury find the defendant, George Stephen burch, guilty of firstdegree intentional homicide. In what was that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case . I felt great for the family. Its not going to make nicole come back or fix anything but it is part of the healing process. In angela and the rest of dougs supporters were elated. Ice cream, hallelujah. I was so happy. Reporter technology played an unprecedented rule in this case. The fitbit was almost a witness. It definitely played a big part. Reporter advancements in dna analysis, Location Tracking data, and the fitbit helped convict george burch and proved doug detrie did not kill nikki. Has anyone apologized to doug detrie from the department . I have spoken with him and his family at length. I understand there were hard feelings for a while and still might be. I get that. Ultimately, we were wanting to get justice for nikki. Reporter george burch came to green bay hoping to start a new life. He might die in prison for having taken one. I am 40 years old. I will never be out of this jail cell again. Reporter as he had from the beginning, he remained defiant. Nikkis friends and family want to see you confessed to her murder. Are you willing to do that today . It will never happen in 1 million years. Im not going to confess to something i did not do. I will go to my deathbed and say that i never hurt her anywhere. Reporter what would you say to doug . I hope the truth comes out and he burns in. Hes an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns. Reporter do you think george burch is the one going to hell . Its not my place essay. Reporter three months after the verdict, george burch set in the courtroom again, this time for his sentencing. The judge approached the matter of d tree. Hes a victim here. Being accused as circular. You took away the mother of his child. That is a terrible crime. Reporter then the judge turned his attention to george burchs fate. This is a crime that i believe would merit the death penalty. For that you would have to die in prison. Thats the order of the court, you, george burch, are sentenced to life with imprisonment. No possibility of parole. For nikki, the family, the dietrich family, good luck and god bless. The court is in recess. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he took away from us. In how is the world different now without nikki in it . What did she leave behind . She left behind three beautiful children. They will grow without having a mother. I feel like shes still there. Shes still here with us. Im constantly reminded of her. I feel like she is still here with us. Hello, im andrea canning, monica peck she was so alive. To hear that news and realizing that its amber, how could that be