Transcripts For KCRG Nightline 20160220

Power and performance of our intuitive allwheel drive. Now get a 189 per month lease on a 2016 nissan rogue. Seconds. Good evening. Thank you for joining us. Vendetta, revenge. Both make for a good book or movie. Both can have dangerous and reallife consequences. Thats what happened to a pta president in california who found herself targeted and framed by a couple of very angry parents sparked by a single word. She tells abcs Chris Connelly how her life has not been the same ever since. I won my lawsuit. Itss finally all over. Reporter victoria peters can finally smile. After nearly six years of a jury awarding her 5. 7 million in damages from the scheming, vindictive couple once out to destroy this pta moms good name. It was awful. I mean, it just it crushed me. And deep inside i was just i was just dying. You know, dying. What does that money represent to you . Years of hard labor, stress, you know. Changes. Terrible changes. Reporter for kelli peters that stress, those terrible changes, and this relentlessly bizarre sagaga began in 2010 at plaza advice sa stool. Kelli was a parent volunteer supervising afterschool pickup. As this woman, attorney jill easter arrived, to get easters young son, when the first grader wasnt there on time jill easter teed off on kelli. I said, i am so sorry, he didnt line up fast enough, and later her husband kent, whos an attorney as well, that word slow would activate a find of bad parenting nuclear bomb that would exact a spectacular toll. I believe mrs. Peters said youre being slow, like falling behind in line, and i think the easters took it as their son was being mentally slow. Reporter jill easters words to kelli grew increasingly heated. I said, im done. This is crazy. And that made her very angry. She lost her mind over it. I turned my back and she yelled, i will get you reporter the easters waged a campaign against kelli, making wild accusations, handing out flyers, demanding she be fired from her unpaid position. They attempted to have me removed from the school, removed from any irvine school, banished. Completely banishsh. Reporter the schools that was when things started to really get weird. On a school day in 2011, as kent easter made a 1 15 p. M. Call to Irvine Police using an alias and a phoney accent. Just had to go over to the school, i saw a car driving very erratically. Im ccerned one of the parent volunteeee there may be under the influence or using drugs. Whats your last name . Command dravikar. Reporter trying to set uncle uncleli for a bogus bust. The cops discovering these illicit items in her car. A bagf marijuana protruding. They put ittn the police car for everybody to see. Which was really hard. Because i kept thinking, my daughters getting out any minute. And im just thinking the whole world is looking at this right now. And i said, please, theyre not mine, i swear to you theyre not mine. Reporter she was right. Tests showed the easters dna on the marijuana pipe found in peters car. The phone call . Police traced it to this Newport Beach hotel. Not where youd spot erratic driving in irvine. And that man captured on the hotel surveillance video. Kenteaster. Whenn the police were able to determine that the defendants law firm was next door, the pieces started to come together for them. Reporter kelli was cleared. Police gathering evidence indicating the easters had planted the drugs and paraphernalia in kellis car the night before. The case of an irvine lawyer charged with planting reporter the easters were each charged with false imprisonment for trying to set kelli up. Jill copped a plea and was sentenced to 120 days. Kent easter wanted to go to trial, forcing kelli to relive her trauma and anguish on t t stand. Defense attorney painted him as jills hapless stooge. A husband trying to appease a reporter new evidence, this email from jill to kent, a honeydo list from hell. She has legal assignment for kent and wants them done in 24 hours. Exhaust the criminal code against kelli. File suits against the school district, the school, and whomever else we possibly can, tomorrow. Then a bizarre twist. Jill easter appearing as a surprise witness for kentnt appearing, but never actually testifying. Claiming shed gone deaf. Kent was found guilty and sentenced to 180 days. But the toll of the whole ordeal left kelli eager for another kind of justice at a civil trial. You know, that was hard for me to want to do. Why would i go through another trial . But it was the principle. I mean i needed to get out there, get my story told, stick up for myself. Reporter she sued the to endure extreme distress, fear, and public humiliation. Still, kent easter remained defiant as this exclusive deposition video shows. Sir, did you knowingly participate in a scheme with your wife to frame kelli peters . No. You maintain that you are innocent . Of framing kelli peters for drug possession . Yes. Okay. It seems to me dont you think youd feel bettete if you just sasa, you know what, i did it, i screwed up, i regret it, im sorry . Wouldnt that feel good just to say that . This is a therapy session or a deposition . Reporter what would shrink at trial thohoh would be kent easters resolve. As he admitted at last to planting those illicit drugs. How did you respond to the fact that hwas willing to say that he had done what hed always denied doing . Not only that, he also said, son, it was all made up. That made me start crying. That was more important than anything, i think, id heard out of his mouth, ever. He tried to fall on his sword and say, well, i admit it, i did it. And i thihi the j jy saw through that. Reporter the jury sided with kelli, taking just a few hours to reward her 5. 7 million in damage and she w w vicinityndicated. That number is vindication for her. Reporter with the easters divorcing and kent easter file fog bankruptcy, any collection of that judgment might go a little, oh, whats is word slow. But kelli peters is exultant nonetheless. Why was it worth going through the civil trial, even though youre not sure if youll see any money from the easters . 2 i think it was really important to face these people. It was kind of like having a little one on one with them. I feel like they thought they we needed to go in there and prove who the smart ones were. Who the good people were. They just cant get away with stuff like that. Youve got healing still to do . Yeah, but i have to heal fast. I need to get out and work. Fresh ststt . Fresh start, yeah. Reporter for nightline, im Chris Connelly in irvine, california. Next, the Vigilante Groups taking up arms against drug cartels in mexico. A tumultuous tale told in the oscarnominated documentary cartel land. Thats right. Just announced. Ford explorer. Edgege. Escape. And expepetion. Are available with 0 financing for 60 months. Ford suvs. Designed to help you be unstoppable. No wonder ford is americas best selling brand. But hurry, 0 financing for 60 months on ford suvs is a limited time offer. vo whats your dog foods first ingredient . Corn . Wheat . In purina one true instinct grain free, real chicken is always 1. No corn, wheat or soy. Support your active dogs whole body health with purina one. K and choose world. But at bedtime. Why settle for this . Enter sleep number and the ultimate sleep number event going on now. Sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. You like the bed soft. Hes more hardcore. So your sleep goes from good to great to wow only at a sleep number store, all l ds on sale right now save 50 on the ultimate limited edition bed. The Global Market in illicit and ground zero is mexico. Drug cartels battle authorities and each other. Tonight an upclose look at the enormous costs of this war as Vigilante Groups take on the cartels. S. A story told on the oscarnominated documentary cartel land. Heres abcs matt gutman. Reporter brewing in that barrelshe stuff of war. Its meth. Cooked by masked and heavily armed men deep inside the mexican jungle. The cooking process and the shootoutshat ensusu in a war to control the drug trade, just some of the rarely seen images blasted at you in the oscarnominated documentary cartel land. Its a chilling look into mexicos drug war. The pope made an emotional plea to mexicos youth to resist the temptation of the cartels and pray for the victims of this deadly battle. This is war thats happening in the country just south of us. War in which 100,000 people have been killed since 2007. This is a car that were responsible for. Reporter filmmaker Matthew Heineman spent nine months in a mexican state to bring the war home to us. Accordg to the dea mexican cartels supply as much as 80 of all meth sold in the u. S. Thats why theres been this fight for power in this area. Reporter and a large portion of it cooked up by the Knights Templar cartel. Their byproducts are extortion, kidnappings, torture,nd murder. The cartel wielded almost decade. So much grief and injustice, so little government action, that citizens decided to fight back. In 2013, organizing themselves into a Vigilante Group called the alter defenses, or selfdefenders. Led by a larger than life smalltown doctor, jose manuel morales. Heineman washere to capture the heady early days of this movement. Their goal, to take down Cartel Members one by one. As the Movement Grows larger and more powerful, heineman discovers this is not just a story about good against evil i came away thinking thehe is no difference between t t Knights Templar and the defenses. They use the same means, murder, extortion there are definitely members of the group that operate that but not everyone was like that. Everybodys trying to protect their villages or their towns. What unfortunately took place was power corrupted. Reporter that evil whipping up increasing violence from which n even the documentarian was immune. Were you ever a target of the cartel . Theres countless times when i was surrounded by people, threatened. Theres many, many close calls and scary moments. Reporter the government issued an ultimatum to the vigilantes. Pledge allegiance to the government and enjoy immunity, or go to jail. Fearing osecution, most surrendered and were rearmed. But morales holds out because he believes the government itself has been corrupted by the cartels. The very institutions that are there to protect them either werent there, or they were working in collaboration, direct collusion, wh the cartels. S. Say its widespread corruption that makes this the drug war so difficult to fight. Last july the Mexican Government was called into question when narco king man el chapo causeguzman busted out of this prison in mexico city through an underground tunnelluilt into his cell, what many experts believed was pulled off with help from the inside. Months later authorities reportedly tracking him to this secret hideout. Seen here this v veo released by the melks can government. But el chapo outsmarted the Mexican Marines by slipping away through this mirrored wall, designed for this exact moment. Its incredible that right ououof that closet and that mirror is this perfectly constructed secret passageway. Were going to go down the stairs here. It led to a tunnel and then the citys drainage system. Hundreds off yards el chapo and here, you cant even crouch, three feet high, extremely claustrophobic. You can tell why they came out of here looking so feltsdy. He was finally caught and sent back to jail but not without exposing the weaknesses of mexican Law Enforcement in the face of the cartels. And they rely on tunnels, not just as escape routes but also as smuggling routes. This is terrifying. But it only has to be comfortable enough to do one thing smuggle drugs fast. So far, authorities have uncovered more than 180 tunnels along the 2,000milelong border with mexico. The cartels smuggle not just underground but over it too. Brazenly muling across the open border. The cartel scouts keep getting away. In cartel land we meet another armed Vigilante Group fighting on this side of the border. Arizona border recon is led by tim nailer foley. Once i learned how the the human smuggling and the drug smuggling, we shiftedur primaryoal to keep Cartel Activity out of the country. Reporter which is why initially foley appreciated the order of defense 1,000 miles to the south. Theyy taking back what is theirs from the cartel and its nice to see theyre standing up and going back at them. Reporter but cartel land reminds us that power corrupts. The film showing that oveve time, morales made too many enemies. He was ultimately arrested on gun charges and taken to jail where he has languished for over a year and a half without trial. When he heard cartel land was nominated for an oscar, morales sent heineman this audio recording from jail. Translator im grateful for e noble gesture you had in making this documentary movie, that you had to suffer with me daytona in the battles we all endured together. Reporter as those battles continue, the chefs keep cooking northward. At the heart of this is americas voracious appetite for drugs. You know, its basics of supply and demand. As long as theres a demand for drugs up here, there will be a supply of drugs coming from mexico and south america. Until that stops all this violence that comes with it wont stop. Reporter for nightltle im matt gutman in los angeles. You can see if cartel land will win the golden statue at the oscars february 28th right here on abc. Stars share their favorite memories at disneylands 60th the bold nissan rogue, with intuitive allwheel drive. Because winter needs a hero. Now get a 189 per month lease on the 2016 nissan rogog. Nissan. Finally tonight, 60 years ago disneyland was born. Thereso place happier to stay for celebration, stars, singing, dancing, even sharing memories about the magic. The happiest place on earth is turning 60. The most famous entertainment attraction in the world reporter walt disneys very first theme park disneyland opened in anaheim, california in 1955. Now iconic characters and stars are celebrating our Parent Company disneys diamond anniversary. Dancing with the stars derek hough is master of ceremonies. We had this entire parade, hundreds and hundreds of dancers. Its going to be big. Reporter even the years hottest droid bb8 will be in attendance. Along with musical numbers. Walk like you talk like you reporter the song guaranteed to get stuck in your head for another 60 years, frozens let it go. Let it go let it go reporter be sure not to miss the Wonderful World of disney, disneyland 60, this sunday, february 21st, at 8 00 p. M. On abc. We leave you with one final ne about the passing of one of americaa greatest authors, harper lee. Her novel to kill a mockingbird left a lasting legacy. President obama and First Lady Michelle Obama paid their respects today saying, what that one s sry didore powerfully than 100 speeches possibly could was change the way we saw each other, and then the way we saw ourselves. Thank you for watching. Tune into gma tomorrow. And as alwayss were online 24 7 on the Nightline Facebook page and abcnews. Com. Have a good weekend. It seems today that all you see is violence in movies and sex on tv but where are those good oldfashioned values on which we used to rely . Lucky theres a family guy lucky theres a man who positively can do all the things that make us laugh and cry announcer we now return to germanys favorite talk show, das ist gut. Dad, what is this show . I dont know. Its just a german guy listing items and then declaring them good. Wilkommen where are we . Audience das ist gut okay, sunsets. Das ist gut. Audience ja. applause sauerkrkut. Das ist t t. laughter, applause the autobahn. Vroom vroom das ist gut. laughter oompa music. Das ist gut. laughter, applause euththasia for the mentally feeble. Das ist gut. audience murmuring german announcer das ist gut is filmed before an audience of the mentally feeble. rapid gunfire, screaming d, i wish i could gegetickets to thahashow. Announcer we interrupt this program to bring you a channel five news special report. Good evening. Im joyce kinney with this special report. The latest Police Statistics have revealed a significant rise in crime throughout quahog. Thats right, joyce. And just to put it out there, tom tucker is packin