Transcripts For KNTV Dateline NBC 20150228

Discovery, it was thrown into high gear. I hit the ground and just started crying. The dead prosecutors boss and his wife murdered. Someone had declared war on Law Enforcement. I dont think there was any doubt in our mind that this of a psychopath that we were dealing with a serial killer. A frantic nationwide hunt. You but of the but was the killer closer than anyone imagined . Was he lived a double life . I think he was. Behind this locked door the truth behind a plot so diabolical than anyone knew. Youre making him sound like Hannibal Lecter. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with vendetta. Reporter the courthouse. The moral center of every American City and town. The place we go to settle differences, resolve disputes, find justice. Its the place where the story usually ends. But not this time. Not in rural kaufman, texas, where life is leisurely and no one is a stranger. [ siren ] oh my god. Someone just shot someone. Theyre laying on the ground. Just, bam, bam, bam. Reporter this time its where the story begins. Somebody was trying to send a message. It was just so bold. Reporter a story that quickly got too big for this texas town and like a prairie fire, spread across the nation. We have some new information this morning on the manhunt for a killer who gunned down a District Attorney. May have been involved in the brazen murder of the head of colorados prison system good evening, a Rural Community outside of dallas is in shock this Easter Sunday. Reporter in this tale, the hunters became the hunted. Thats what was so scary. Its not just me anymore. I have young kids. My husband, my family. My wife had two guns out, and i said, unless you know its me coming through the door, be ready to use em. Reporter Shannon Hebert never expected to be in danger when she started the career she always wanted, practicing law. Why did you want to be a lawyer . Lawyer . My gosh, in second grade a judge came to my class and i fell in love with that, and i wanted to be a judge or a lawyer. Her dream came true. I was the first one to go to college in my family, and then of course law school. Reporter by 2008, shannon had passed the bar exam and got her first job, as a prosecutor at the Kaufman County District Attorneys office, on the second floor of the courthouse in the center of town. I loved the office. The people around me were so knowledgeable. They were almost all from dallas. Reporter one of those lawyers from dallas was mark hasse. An experienced prosecutor, a guy who lived his job. Did you learn anything from him . Oh, gosh, yes, of course. We would go to mark for almost everything. Reporter thats because mark had prosecuted some of the worst criminals in texas. He was tenacious. He was an intellectual. And he was very quick on his feet. Reporter marcus busch is now a trial lawyer with the department of justice. Back in the 80s, he and mark hasse were young guns working in the organized crime section of the dallas das office. Mark was not afraid of taking on a fight. Some of the defendants on some of the cases were were very bad people. And mark had the personality to stand in the breach and prosecute the worst of the worst. Why did mark move out of dallas . He wanted a place where he had some room, so he bought a house on about eight acres. Built a barn out there. He just loved being around animals and he loved the space. Reporter besides animals and wideopen spaces, mark had another passion flying. Back in 1995, it almost killed him. Mark did have a bad accident. Mark had a terrible accident. A high flying commemoration of world war iis end, 50 years ago this month. Reporter mark was part of this aerial armada of vintage planes when something went terribly wrong. He believed the engine had failed. And he made a forced landing. Ran off the end of the runway. He survived, but he had a very severe brain injury. Did he decide to fly again at any point . He did. Why do you think he wanted to fly again . He almost died. Its like being thrown from a horse. He wanted to be the person that he was before. He did it. He did. He did. But it took a long, long time. Reporter marks colleagues in the das office admired marks strength to fight through adversity. But they also got a kick out of his weakness his love for sugary snacks. He had a sweet tooth, and he would mostly eat everyones stuff. So, like, we would have weekly prosecutor meetings every monday, and we would get doughnuts for them. And he would he would always get there first and steal my blueberry doughnut. We we both loved that. Reporter in 2011, mark and shannon got a new boss who seemed to fit right in with their office family, the newlyelected District Attorney, Mike Mclelland. My names Mike Mclelland. Im the criminal District Attorney for Kaufman County. Reporter mikes stepdaughter, christina foreman, says he loved the job. I think he really did embrace the role as a leader. And he enjoyed the people he worked with. And he would talk about, you know, oh, this person did this. And i was really proud of them and this person did this and i was really proud of them. Everything was new to him. He came in and just took it over. Was he tough . I wouldnt say he was tough on us at all. The greatest thing about him was that he let us do what we do best. Reporter and mike quickly formed a bond with mark hasse, the experienced prosecutor and the head of the felony unit. Mark was his best friend in the office. They were very close. Reporter mikes wife, cynthia, fit right in around the office, too. She was almost like a den mother. She worked as a nurse, but found time to bake cakes and cookies for the staff. Cynthia was also an avid quilter, who loved making gifts for her husbands coworkers, including shannon, now married with two children. She would bring fabrics in to show me, you know, is this going to match the nursery . And then she quilted it for me. It was just stunning. It was very beautiful. Reporter and thats how it was a happy, humming office in a quiet small town. Until january 31st 2013, just before 9 00 a. M. At that moment, the calm, serene morning and the lives of everyone in the das office would be shattered. I heard what i thought to be gunshots. Reporter Police Officer Jason Stastny was a few blocks from the courthouse. He and his partner were investigating a burglary when Something Big caught his attention. It was just a slow and methodical five shots. It was just, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. And and it was a little pause, i guess youd say, and then three more shots after that. Reporter shannon was inside the courthouse when she heard the sound of sirens. Thats not unusual because theres a Police Station just a block away. Theres a hospital a few blocks down the street. Reporter that siren was Jason Stastnys squad car. You know, i i hollered at my partner. I said, hey, you know, those are gunshots. We need to go. We need to go. So, we packed up real quick, hopped in the car reporter the car camera was rolling as he and his partner drove toward the gunshots. About halfway over a dispatcher came across the radio and told us that that a man had been shot and gave us the location. Kaufman county 911. Yes. Weve got a gentleman on grove street and madison that just got shot. Reporter thats just a block from the courthouse. Shannon noticed that her secretary was looking out the window at some commotion on the street. My secretary turned around and she was crying. Initially, i just wanted to comfort her. I couldnt even imagine what she was crying about and when she turned from the window. All she said was, its mark. Reporter mark hasse, her friend and colleague. And my natural instinct was, did he get hit by a car . And she was, like, no, shannon, he was shot. Who is it . Its mark hasse. Oh, my god, its mark hasse. Hes an assistant District Attorney. Reporter mark hasse, dedicated prosecutor, dearlyloved by his colleagues, shot right outside the courthouse. Stunning onlookers and police. Its nothing you could prepare for. Reporter who would even attempt such a brazen attack . Did that tell you these two knew each other . That seemed very personal to me. Knew each other . That seemed very personal to me. Tpb1n. A beloved prosecutor had just been shot outside the courthouse in kaufman, texas, during the morning rush. Officer he was laying on the street. Youre seeing the dramatic images from the officers onboard camera. It was a woman and it looked like she was doing cpr. That woman had witnessed the shooting from her car. Saw the shooter flee and then tried to help mark. Now he was taking over and going on instinct and adrenaline. When you pull up, it is nothing you can prepare for. He knew right away it was bad. He looked at me and then he stopped breathing. Thats when i started cpr. I got him to take seven breaths. I remember that. As his car cam kept rolling, stastnys body mark picked up the pleas for mark to hold on a little longer. The ambulance is coming. I tried my best to tell him, you know, youre doing good. Youre doing good. The ambulance is coming. Officer stastny had been at the scene for five agonizing minutes when the ambulance rolled up. Back at the courthouse, she was getting updates on mark. I dont know how many minutes passed when another officer came in saying how bad it was. About an hour earlier, shannon had walked from the parking lot to the courthouse. Thats the same route her colleague was walking when he was shot. Now too afraid to go anywhere, she stayed inside. Praying for him. We are now waiting to hear if he is going to live. But bad news traveled fast. It didnt take very long for his part 94 walk into the courtroom shaking her head and crying. And i think at that point we knew he was gone. I can only imagine how horrible a moment like that is. It is horrible. It will be in my brain forever. I will never, ever forget that. Theres an day that goes by that i dont think to that day. Exactly what i saw. Mark was dead at 57. Gunned down on his way to work. A block from the courthouse. People in kaufman are shocked. I never in a million years would have expected one of our prosecutors, much less somebody i knew personally, to be laying on the ground dead. With one of their own down, lieutenant stewart from the county Sheriffs Department quickly joined the swarnl of Law Enforcement jumping on the case. We didnt have time to grieve about it. We didnt have time to talk about our feelings. It was time to go to work. Lieutenant stewart and others canvassed the area, but solid information was hard to come by. Witnesses said the shooter hopped into the passenger side of the getaway car as i had sped away. So there had to be at least two people involved. They said the car was silver, or gray or tan. A four door. No license plate. The rest of that day we were looking for, you know, the car. I dont think ive ever noticed how many silver or light colored fourdoor sedans. Witnesses said he covered it up. One of the witnesses described him as wearing a hoodie that was black and cover their face. And then another person who saw him from a distance said, you know, all black, you know, dark clothing. But there was something more a witness in a garage right across the street heard the victims last words. Mark said, no, no, im sorry. And that was after a little bit of kind of a shoving match. Did that tell you that these two knew each other . That seemed very personal to me. No weapon was found at the scene, and no shell casings either. Did that tell you anything that there were no shell casings . Yes, it was going to have to be a revolver. Thats because revolvers keep bullet casings inside the gun after firing. I can only imagine how terrified mark must have in those final moments. Mark was doing what he did every day. He was walking to his office with his little cooler for lunch and his briefcase. Just going to work. Now his fellow prosecutors feared he died for that work, and they could be next. No one felt safe. All of us were scared. We didnt know if there was, you know, a bunch of people waiting to try to shoot us. Reporter the courthouse was locked down in the morning, then closed for the day. Prosecutors and office staff were given extra security. They were walking us to our cars carrying huge rifles and guns. When did it start to sink in for you that this could have been me . You walk into work with mark. Right. Your office is right there. I think that was the immediate fear. It could have been any of us. We lost a really, really good man. District attorney Mike Mcclelland stood tall when he addressed the media about the killing of his good friend. I hope that the people who did this are watching because were very confident that were going to find you. Were going to pull out of whatever hole youre in, were going to bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. How are you doing . Mikes stepdaughter, christina, watched his takenoprevintakeno hief takenoprisoners press conference with immense pride. Thats not an unusual thing for him. He really and truly felt deeply about something, then he was going to make a stand for it. He was going to make a stand with his beliefs and really try do the right thing. Mike was on a mission. Oh, he was on amission. Thats for sure. He was going to find who did this and bring them to justice. But bringing this killer or killers to justice would take a lot more than tough talk. This of just the start of a crime spree that would terrorize the very people who protect us. Now no one was safe. Coming up, that investigation would also present an overwhelming challenge thanks to a suspect list that included the hundreds of defendants mark had put away. Many of those people were starting to parole out. Anyone in particular stick out in your head . When dateline continues. Would you be willing to give up sharing your moments . Sacrifice streaming all night long . Is it okay to drop a connection, when you need it most . If youre not on the largest, most reliable network, what are you giving up . Verizon. Ufferers. One tried the newest allergy spray which could take several days to feel the full effect of relief. The other took claritind which starts to work on allergies with nasal congestion in 30 minutes. The moral . Nothing works faster than claritind. Urn your old glasses into new glasses . Now at lenscrafters. The tradein event. 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This was New Territory for everybody. His colleagues were terrified, and many wanted to carry guns for protection. District attorney Mike Mcclelland made it easier for everyone to get concealed handgun licenses. We could take the course for free and start getting our handgun license in case we needed it. Did you get a gun . No, i didnt. Did you think about it . Oh, yeah, i definitely wanted to get one. I dont think i would have carried one every day. You but i definitely wanted to be able to use one. Its the kind of thing people do when theyre scared and panicked panicked, the Justice System under attack. The murder brought an allstar army of Law Enforcement to the case. The Sheriffs Training Center was turned into a command post. It was soon buzzing with local police, Texas Rangers, and federal agents from the atf and fbi. Thats whats amazing about the case. You had federal, state Law Enforcement all working together in a team. Advising this team, toby shook and bill worski, veteran highprofile attorneys from dallas who were quickly named special prosecutors. Once you get over the initial shock and disbelief that a prosecutor and someone that you know has been murdered, kind of your professional training kicks in. Thats where toby and i stepped up and volunteered to help in that role. The crime seemed to be what every prosecutor fears a revenge hit for putting away a bad guy. That struck a chord that reverberated from kaufman to dallas throughout texas and beyond. Every judge, every defense attorney, every prosecutor has that in the back of your mind. That brought all those fears to the forefront for everyone in the criminal Justice System. Does it send a chill through everyone when one of your own is killed like that . It does. I mean, whoever did this obviously crossed a line that other people just rarely even approach. And it starts making you think of what you do for a living and your family members and your own personal safety. The initial theories were as numerous as the hundreds of cases mark hasse had prosecuted. The first place to look was right in Kaufman County where mark of a felony prosecutor for three years. The Big Questions that we had is whos he prosecuted recently. Sheriffs investigator Jolie Stewart was involved from day one. Was there something marine that hes prosecuted thats got somebody upset. We started delving into his case load. Investigators looked into every local case mark had prosecuted. There were robberies, drug prosecutions, and even a theft that involved an elected official who stole office equipment. They didnt immediately find anything that led them to a suspect. U. S. Marshals pulled in new england pulled in anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant. Nothing there either. The task force widened the scope of the investigation beyond kaufman. We dont have a lot of Violent Crimes in kaufman. I mean, especially murders. So we just kind of naturally assumed it was someone from dallas. Dallas, the big city less than 30 miles but seemingly a lifestyle away. Remember, back in the 1980s, mark and fellow prosecutor marcus bush locked up some pretty tough customers there. I immediately started thinking about the organized crime cases. The murder cases that wed prosecuted, many of those people received life sentences and were starting to parole out. Someone just held his grudge, got out of prison and just wanted him. It was of just a personal vendetta against mark. Even though investigators were convinced he was murdered because of his job as a prosecutor, they didnt stop there. You still have to interview friends, family members, associates. Mark was a teetotaler. He wasnt married and didnt have children. Those extensive checks into his background came up empty. There just wasnt anything there. He loved his mother who lived in dallas. Spent a lot of time taking care of her and taking 30 dinner. All the taking her to dinner. All the personal checks into his life were not panning out. Frustration was setting in because cases get harder to solve after the first 48 hours. Two full days in, marks murder had reached that crossroad. And investigators were searching desperately for a break. Insiders tell us tonight there are simply no promising leads in this case right now. Reporter this murder is turning into a real whodunit. Any assistance that anyone can give in finding the people that did this will be greatly appreciated. Reporter d. A. Mcclelland had it particular tough. He had an office to run while mourning a good friend. How hard was it for mike to come back to the office after the shooting . With marks door closed and his buddy gone, it was very difficult. He talked a lot about the case. Reporter shot at his front door the case was about to get a lot bigger with another brazen murder. Only this one crossed another line. A very sacred line. Coming up, another member of Law Enforcement gunned down. Reporter the colorado head of the department of corrections of shot at his front door had mark hasses killer struck again . We just adopted two new puppies from petsmart. Im going to call the yellow one expressway. We already came up with names for the puppies, mom, theyre. Im gonna call the other one snake finder. Pethoods better with a partner. Thats why petsmart has all you need to take care of your kids. Introducing new flonase allergy relief nasal spray, now available over the counter in full prescription strength. When we breathe in allergens our bodies react by overproducing six key inflammatory substances that cause our symptoms. The leading allergy pill only controls one, flonase controls six. And six is greater than one. 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Mcclelland. She makes cookies about once a month, and he would run out in about 12 minutes. Marks longtime friend, marcus bush, all memorial eyed him. This world is a better place because of mark. And so are we. The world lost a good man. Somebody who was resolute, always knew the difference between right and wrong, and would fieptght for that. Now special prosecutors toby shook and bill worski with a task force were fighting for mark, searching for his killer but not coming up with easy answers. Because he was so close to his friend and employee, d. A. Mike mcclelland had to bow out of the investigation. He and his coworkers were doing what they could, putting their files to investigators. Everything anybody can think of, theyre looking through it. Checks into marks personal background had gone nowhere. So the task force continued to look at his professional cases. From 30 years ago to the week before. But it was slow going. How do you sift out, well, it couldnt have been this person but maybe it was this person . First of all, you see if theyre still locked up. You see their whereabouts, if there was anything unusual or specific about a case that would give someone cause to have a grudge. Four weeks into the investigation, a tip came in to the county Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Line that looked like a big break. The tipster said they amy been in a bar in a small town in kaufman and overheard two white males talking about the hasse killing and taking responsibility for it. The tip lacked the kind of detail that investigators needed to follow up. And using the Crime Stoppers system, the tipster remained anonymous. If this was going to be the game gamechanger, investigators would need lots more information or a little more luck. Youre still hoping for a big break. A lucky track stop, or somebody who knows about this phone will call in. That will be the magic phone call. There was something this might lead them to the killer the way mark had been murdered. The killer had been lying in wait. Mark was shot at pointblank range, execution style. All this led investigators to think this could be an organized crime hit. Reporter rumors are sweeping the town. Talk of mexican drug cartels and prison gangs. Were open to every avenue right now. Reporter nbcs channel 2345 dallas covered the channel 5 in dallas covered the hasse case from the beginning. Ken carltof was there flew it all. Hasse had been involved in drug cases over the years. Reporter and investigators also suspected another group, less publicly known but very dangerous. The aryan brotherhood of texas, a prison gang of white supremacists. Why was the aryan brotherhood a potential group that may have done this . There had been some threats that had come out about that time that the aryan brotherhood had said they might want to get even with people in Law Enforcement. Get even because less than three months before hasses murder federal officials announced that 34 alleged aryan brotherhood gang members had been indicted for racketeering. The feds thanked among others the kaufman coin d. Unty d. A. s office for its role in the investigation. A lot of people were trying to put two and two together with the aryan brotherhood. Its one thing if its one individual who went after mark. Its another if its the aryan brotherhood. Prosecutors across kaufman and the state were terrified if this is the aryan brotherhood, were all targets. And then seven weeks after hasses murder, another assault on Law Enforcement. It looked like it was open season on the criminal Justice System. Reporter the colorado head of the department of corrections was shot here at his front door on tuesday night the mans name was tom clements, the highly regarded head of colorados prison system. And like mark hasse, a Public Servant. Reporter with more than 20,000 inmates in colorados prison system, tom clements may have had a lot of enemies. It was another bold attack. This time inside the front door instead of out the courthouse. Evidence pointed to a former inmate named evan ebol. A member of a white supremacist gang in colorado similar to the aryan brotherhood. Now he was on the run from colorado authorities, armed and dangerous. Two days after the murder, a sheriffs deputy in texas would find out just how dangerous. A violent attack caught on a dashboard camera. The deputy stopped this car because the license plate didnt match the vehicle. He had no idea the driver was evan ebol. As youre about to see, he had no hesitation about using his gun again. [ gunshots ] the unsuspecting deputy shot in the face would survive. Ebol was quickly chased down by Law Enforcement. [ gunfire ] and died in an explosive shootout in wise county, texas. This is cell phone video of thursdays shootout in wise county what grabbed the attention of investigators in the mark hasse murder is this wise county just 100 miles from kaufman. Could evan ebol have killed another Public Servant in texas seven weeks earlier . Reporter the fbi is now investigating this case. They want to see if ebel is connected to mark hasses murder. Two Public Officials gun down in two states. Someone seemed to be targeting Law Enforcement at pointblank range. Coming up, as the investigation grows more urgent, sudden concerns about d. A. Mike mcclelland and his wife cynthia. I tried mom, and she didnt answer. I tried mike, and he didnt answer. And then concern becomes alarm. At that point, somethings really wrong now. When dateline continues. You know, i think about money kind of a lot. Money is freedom. Moneys always on my mind. Car insurance. Credit cards. Preschool. Debt. Cell phone bills. Its complicated. Its not easy. I am not a good budgeter. 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It made people wonder if perhaps there could be some connection with the hasse murder. They did suspects test evan ebels weapon. His bullets were identical to those that killed the prison chief in colorado. But then the Texas Task Force found out ebels gun was not the weapon that killed mark hasse. And whats more ebel was deemed not to have been in kaufman at the time that hasse was killed. So eight weeks in, the hasse case was going nowhere. Fewer and fewer lead were coming in to the investigation. The command post of shut down, leaving just a small group to work full time on the case. Slowly we kind of trickled back to our daily duties. The passage of time was allowing Shannon Ebert to finally get her equilibrium back. I just wasnt checking out my window as constantly or worried about when i pull out of my garage if someone would be waiting there. I think you start letting your guard down again, and life kind of took over. Same thing for hardnosed d. A. Mike mcclelland. According to his stepdaughter, christina did things naturally start getting back to normal . Yeah. I think more a sense of normal. It was still kind of at the forefront of we havent found anything yet, we havent solved this yet. But life moves on. For the mcclellands, moving on men spending meant time spending time with family, something mike enjoyed since marrying cynthia when christina was just 10 years old. He would give big bear hugs even when i was older, he will wrap me and pick me up. Oh, my god, im 22. Did you feel lucky that you got mike as a step dad . I do. Our personalities are similar. Our affiliatefilters are off sometimes. Relying on the support of his wife cynthia was who always doing what she loved quilting, entertaining, and cooking. You know, shes the old school cook who didnt use packages. She bakes everything from scratch. Was he happy that she was this baker cook clearly by his physique, he enjoyed the food very much. What made them a good match . Its funny. She supported him greatly in what he was doing, but hes the the conservative, and shes very liberal. So i think it was just a lot of balance. I think they balanced each other nicely. Cynthia also wanted her daughter to find love and wasnt shy about playing matchmaker with a guy she thought was a good fit. She looked at him and said, do you believe in arranged marriages . Which i had to later apologize for because, you know, thats a weird thing to say embarrassing thats embarrassing. Very weird. Its very weird. At the end of march, easter weekend, the mcclellands were looking for to a big dinner cynthia of making for friends. The perfect time to relax and not dwell on the tragedy of mark hasses murder. At least for a little while. Was there any fear that we need to be on high alert . At that point, i dont think so. Christina spoke to her mom and step dad on that friday night. You know, mom was making the easter baskets, and mike was griping at her about what she was doing. Trying to put the little peeps on sticks. And she wasnt quite getting it and was making a huge mess. Just the normalcy of mike just, you know, cynthia, you need to sit down and take a break. And you know, youre getting tired, and you just give it a minute. And mom, oh, im fine. The next morning, saturday, the sun rose over the mcclelland house. It was cynthias day to prep. She had sent me a text about the menu that we were going to have for easter. Leah phillips and her husband, Close Friends of the mcclellands, were excited about joining them for dinner. She was making easter baskets and would make clues and hide the baskets. Thats elaborate. It was really elaborate. Leah, who was supposed to drop off vegetables for cynthia, texted her. She never answered me back. Did you think that was odd . The only thing i could think is maybe she did go into work where she couldnt either answer the phone or text me back. Leah called mikes phone and the house phone. No response. She wasnt the only one. Christina was also trying to call her mom and step dad. I tried mom, and she didnt answer. I tried mike, and he didnt answer. By now, it was late afternoon. Leah took things into her own hands. I said, okay, ill go over there. She did go over, and nothing would ever be the same again. Coming up, inside the mcclelland house, a heart stopping discovery. I screamed, and then i just my knees buckled, and hit the ground and started crying. To be effective for many people struggling with bipolar depression. Latuda is not for everyone. Call your doctor about unusual mood changes behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. Antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. Elderly dementia patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. Call your doctor about fever stiff muscles and confusion, as these may be signs of a lifethreatening reaction or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements as these may be permanent. 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See your authorized Mercedes Benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedesbenz financial services. Before easter, Leah Phillips hadnt been able to reach her good friends cynthia and Mike Mcclelland. Leah had some groceries to drop off for cynthia and decided to drive over. She thought something of odd when she pulled into the driveway. The newspaper was still in the yard, and cynthias car was there. Very suddenbtle clues . Just subtle, but im thinking maybe they went to the movie with someone. Leah called her son, c. J. Tomlinson, and told him what shed seen. I told her, you stay where youre at. Dont go inside that house. It was c. J. s cop sense kicking in. Hes a dallas Police Officer. The feeling was somethings not right. Its just not right. A few minutes later, c. J. Drove up along with his dad. We went to the door, and c. J. Knocked on the door and yelled for mike three or four times. And there was no answer. They were messing with the key, and they were all standing behind me. I just reached down to see if the door was open. And yeah, it was unlocked. And ill ill never forget how that door opened up. The door just it eeked open like in slow motion. I took a couple steps in, and thats when mom hit the ground and started crying. And i screamed, c. J. , stop theres shell casings my knees buckled, and i hit the ground and started crying because theres not supposed to be shell casings inside somebodys doorway. I looked down, and sure enough, there there are two shell casings right inside that front door. At that point, somethings really wrong now. Something bad happen. So i take a couple more steps inside, and i see cynthia laying there. Cynthia mcclelland was dead. Her body was lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor. C. J. Turned his mom away from the scene and took her back to the carment. Meanwhile, c. J. s father had gone further into the house and found the bulletriddled body of Mike Mcclelland. When they come out theres no blood left in their face. Theyre white. District attorney Mike Mcclelland and his wife cynthia had been shot to death. You never expect to have to see somebody like that that you knew, that you loved, that was so close. And i think that was the most it still is obviously its so difficult. Because she hadnt been able to reach her parents, christina decided to drive to the house, as well. Her moms friend leah met her with the news she was dreading. I just had the feeling that they were dead. And i said, the both of them . And she said, yes. It occurred to me, oh, my god, this is going to hit the news. And my grandmother watch the news every day. And somebody needs to stop her before she turns on the tv. Mike is high profile. He is he was. And i didnt want somebody else to tell her that this had happened. Looking at the scene, c. J. Tomlinsons Police Training told him the killer or killers were long gone. He knew what he had to do. There was no reason to go back in that house. We closed the door, we didnt call 911. There was no need for paramedics to go in there. They called the Kaufman County sheriff. The things that were in that house were very important, and they needed to be preserved until the right people showed up. And they did. They they showed up. I was at my house, and we just finished an Easter Egg Hunt with about 30 kids in the back yard. About 8 00 p. M. , prosecutor toby shook got a call from his partner, bill worsky. He said, the mcclellands were found murdered. Sheriffs want us out there. It scared me to death. When i left the house, bill picked me up. My wife had two guns out. I said, unless you know its me coming through the door, be ready to use them. The prosecutors raced to the scene. It was surreal. I mean, the front yards lit up, and its got the yellow crime scene tape. And theres lots of sheriffs officers and Texas Rangers and fbi there. Shook saw sheriff david burns standing on the lawn. Sheriff burns, pretty legendary guy. Former texas ranger, captain. He was visibly shaken up. And if sheriff burns gets shaken up, that scared the hell out of me. And all Law Enforcement out there its quiet. It was eerily quiet amongst them because they were dealing with something i dont think any of them have seen before. Aside from the obvious two people are dead what was shaking them up so badly . I think the big question is whos next. Because everybodys assumption that was standing outside that yellow crime scene tape was it could have been one of us. Cynthias murder escalated the danger. Not just for Law Enforcement but now for their families. This man had crossed the line and gone into murdering family members. I know my thoughts and prayers were with my wife and children back in dallas. It sure seemed like the hasse and mcclelland murder were connected, and everyone was terrified the killings might not be over. Did you start to think that there was a list . Oh, sure. There was going to be another victim if this person wasnt found. Coming up, just who could pick off Law Enforcement like this . Theres no way cynthia opened that door to just anyone. My thoughts were its muncy aepsits someone we know or someone dressed like a Police Officer. It may seem strange, but people really can love their laxative. Especially when its miralax. It hydrates, eases, and softens, to unblock your system naturally. So you have peace of mind from start to finish. Love your laxative. Miralax. You know, i tried one of those bargain paper towels. But i had to use so many sheets per spill. The roll just disappeared. I knew i shouldve bought bounty. Bounty is 2x more absorbent and strong when wet. Just look how much longer bounty lasts versus one of those bargain brand towels. With bounty, the roll doesnt disappear and thats a good deal. Bounty. The long lasting picker upper. She was surprised by a phone call. The phone kept ringing. It was another prosecutor from her office. I knew at this point somethings going on. I answered, and she proceeded to tell me that the mcclellands were found in their house shot. Must have the biggest bombshell of your life. Biggest. Its so hard to imagine anyone you know being kill. I mean, i was frantic. It was terrifying. Her colleague told her to watch her back. We dont know whos next. We dont know if theres more attacks tonight. Just get home and be safe, shannon. You know, watch out. Are you all feeling now that were all targets now . We all felt that. Including the people she loved most in the world. I think thats what was so scary, was that its not just me anymore. I have young kids, my husband. My family. And i mean, i cant keep putting them at risk. And with mike and cynthia, we were all in danger. As local deputies began roundtheclock watch over shannons house, something kept nagging at her about the mcclelland murders. Theres no way cynthia opened that door to just anyone. I mean, my thoughts were its someone we know or someone dressed like a Police Officer. You know, i was just very concerned of even Police Officers, you know that someone could be dressed in a fake Police Uniform . Right. Right. Investigators also wondered how the killer could have gotten inside the mcclellands front door. Mike, like his entire staff, was still vigilant ever since his chief prosecutor was gunned down. The wary d. A. Kept his own guns on a table near the front door, but never got the chance to use them. Is it just like all bets are off when you hear now theyre going after family members . Even though you dont condone it, you almost understand someone going after a prosecutor for what they do for a living. To go after a prosecutors family of a line we didnt think well ever see crossed. Both hasse and mcclellkillings two months apart mcclelland killings two months apart were bold. One in a Public Square in broad daylight. This one in a private home before dawn. Investigators hoped this latest crime scene would provide more leads than the hasse killing did. They already knew they had shell casings. Would there be other clues inside the house to help catch a killer . A straightup whodunit. We didnt know. Texas ranger eric hasper was part of the team that entered the home. The front door was not kicked in. The door was unlocked. There were shell casings approximately four foot in. Shell casings are two. 23 caliber. That told them the killer used an ar15 or m4 semiautomatic weapon like this one. This started exactly when the door opened. Mismc mismc mrs. Mcclelland mr. Mcclelland were retreating, trying to get away from the gunfire. Cynthia was body of in the middle of the living room. She wasnt expecting anyone. She was not dressed for company. She was trying to get dressed. Mr. Mcclellands the same way. Hes in jogging pants with no shirt on. There were shell indicatesings next to mikes body, indicating casings next to mikes body, basketballing the killer of at close range. The killer was over him shooting at him. To investigators like lieutenant Jolie Stewart of the Sheriffs Department, it looked like carefully planned operation. An ambush just like the hasse murder. Did the scene speak to you at all . I felt like whoever went in there had a mission, and they it quickly and did it efficiently. And they were out. Later, records from the Home Security company would confirm stewarts observation. The killer entered the house at 6 40 a. M. And was gone just two minutes later. 20 shots fired in 120 seconds. That was a pretty brutal way to go. Lieutenant stewart couldnt help but be affected by the sight of cynthia shot in the head at close range. Just looking at her there on the scene, she was targeted, you know. That i mean, she didnt have a dog in this fight. Investigators talked to neighbors. Surely someone had heard the shots. Assault rifles arent quiet. The weapon used in this murder, you should have been able to hear it outside no problem. No one heard or saw anything. By the end of easter weekend, special prosecutor bill worski said they in nothing. Were trying to figure out what to do next and hoping again hope theres going to be a magic clue in that crime scene or in that house that will answer this riddle for us. They were looking for that clue, and all of a sudden it drove by. Coming up, a mysterious tip arrives. But after so many false leads, is this one legit . Would anyone other than the killer have known that . No. Whats in my snuggle scent boosters . Lavender joy a long lasting scent each pac is a big boost of freshness. Little pac, big snifference snuggle scent boosters im home. Toilets fixed. Of all the things that happen on your wooden surfaces disinfecting has to be one of them. Clorox disinfecting wipes. Tips started flooding into the reopened Kaufman County sheriffs command post. Some tips still cited the aryan brotherhood of texas. Special prosecutor bill worski with the added Media Attention after the mclellands were murdered, we got hundreds of tips a day. It was like drinkin out of a fire hose durin this whole thing. Reporter lt. Jolie stewart of the Sheriffs Department was right in the middle of it. Hundreds of investigators from multiple agencies had swooped in. This was all hands on deck. Uhhuh. This became the number one case in the bureau at that time. Reporter fbi special agents Michael Hillman and laurie gibbs were coordinating teams from the task force, each team looking into different aspects of the case. You have to look at everything. So you decided to just divvy it up everyone could focus on their individual tasks . Exactly. Right, and some of these teams had 25, 30 people on them. And there was a team that looked at all of the victims and what they may have in common. Reporter they believed the killing of d. A. Mike mclelland was linked with the shooting of prosecutor mark hasse back in january. But it was all one big collective hunch, until a tip came through that would confirm the connection. Through the Crime Stoppers webbased tip line, we get a tip that claims credit for the mark hasse murders. Reporter the electronic message came in Easter Sunday night. It began, do we have your full attention now . We suggests more than one person. Did you think maybe its a group . In my thought i thought is it how big is this group . What is this group . Is this some sort of antigovernment Militia Group . Is this white supremist . I i had no idea what we were dealing with. Reporter Law Enforcement wrote back, you have our attention. And we wanted him to tell us what he wanted. Reporter while they waited anxiously for an answer, computer experts tried to trace the tip back to the source. No luck. Thats because the system is set up to protect the anonymity of all tipsters. When a message comes in, the sender is identified only by a unique number. After 12 hours of nailbiting, there was finally a response that told investigators this person was the real deal. Mark hasse was killed with. 38caliber ammunition fired from a. 357 fiveshot revolver. Would anyone other than the killer have known that . No. This person knew way more than anybody would have. The killer also wrote your act of good faith will result in no other attacks this week. In return for that pledge, the killer made a demand. They wanted one of the judges in Kaufman County to step down by the end of the week. Or the killings would resume. So, the fact that this tip came in and named these specific judges in kaufman told us it was somebody local. Reporter that all but ruled out the aryan brotherhood, drug cartels and those old cases from dallas. The killers message ended this way, we are not unreasonable, but we will not be stopped. Its almost sounding like a game now. I think in his mind it was a big chess game. I think it was just for fun, to see if he could really exert complete and total control over the criminal Justice System in Kaufman County. Reporter by monday morning the story was topping the national news. Perhaps thats exactly what the killer wanted. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is in kaufman, texas, for us this morning. Gabe, good morning to you. Reporter savannah, good morning. There will be stepped up security here at the county courthouse today. The District Attorneys office will be closed to the public. This entire community is on high alert. This morning when Shannon Hebert came to her office, she had an armed escort. Theres no leader at your office anymore. Theres nothing. No one. When you come into work, how do you go forward . We had to move forward. We couldnt let them win. We couldnt. And we had to fight, and for the honor of mike and mark. Reporter everyone in the office was on edge. My husband. I mean, he stayed up all night with a gun in his hand. I know that i start carrying a gun. Sleep with a gun under my pillow. Reporter even shannon, who wouldnt carry a gun before, now slept with protection nearby. We had big ol shotgun sitting on our dresser, just way ready to go, in case. Reporter the killers threat to unleash more violence in Kaufman County kept the Task Force Working around the clock. A special team scoured the Surveillance Video collected near the mcclelland crime scene, hoping for a new lead. So many people now have surveillance cameras on their house. So, were trained to go in and collect that sort of evidence. Reporter and, finally, the video teams painstaking search seemed to pay off. They found images of a car that didnt belong, a White Ford Crown victoria, cruising near mcclelland home about the time of the murders. No one in the neighborhood owned a car like that. But the crown vic model is popular with Law Enforcement. So the fbi jumped on that angle. Was there ever a thought that maybe this is one of our own . Maybe this is a Police Officer doing this . That was not out of the realm of possibility. Reporter coming up investigators recheck the cases handled by mark hasse, this time to see which ones Mike Mcclelland also worked on. And there was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. Which was . Woman for soft beautiful feet i have a professional secret amope and its premium foot care line. The new amope pedi perfect foot file gives you soft beautiful feet effortlessly. Its microlumina rotating head buffs away hard skin even on those hardtoreach spots. Its amazing. You can see it and feel it. My new musthave for soft, beautiful feet. 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I carry a lot of things from them with me. They taught me very well. They helped a lot of people before they left this world. They really did. They made a large impact on a lot of people. Reporter a beefedup Multiagency Task force vowed to catch whoever killed the mcclellands and mark hasse. Investigators had seen that Ford Crown Victoria on video roaming near the mcclelland home and thought it might be a police car. The terrible possibility it might be one of their own had to be ruled in or out immediately. We checked with every Law Enforcement agency in the area and identified where every police car was in the area. And none of them were even close to where this image was captured. Reporter next, they looked for anyone who for any reason had issues or disputes involving both prosecutors. There didnt seem to be anybody in that group of people that were upset enough that they would wanna commit homicide. Reporter but there was one defendant involved in a felony they couldnt ignore. There was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. Which was . That was Eric Williams. Reporter Eric Williams . Who was Eric Williams . He was a former Deputy Sheriff and longtime attorney with an office right across the street from the courthouse. In 2010, he was elected by the people of kaufman to be justice of the peace. Shannon hebert worked with him and said he had a sharp legal mind. In fact, he was a member of mensa, the organization for people with super highi. Q. S. He was a great judge. I liked having him in there. He would understand the law. I thought he was very fair. I mean, everyone respected him. Williams, married for 15 years with no kids of his own, was a strong advocate for children and specialized in child abuse cases. Lt. Jolie stewart often worked with him on those cases. How do you think he was perceived amongst his fellow colleagues, other attorneys . I think that he had a lot of respect with his peers. He was kind of the goto guy for family law. I know he had a love for children. Reporter tera williamsbellemare knows that better than anyone. Shes erics sister. He was a good uncle to my kids. Never missed their birthdays. I never had to remind him. Reporter she says, growing up, her big brother was her inspiration. He made eagle scout, went to college, law school and became a successful attorney. He also served as a captain in the texas state guard. He was driven, he was ambitious. He wanted to make us feel proud of him. Reporter so tera and the Legal Community were stunned in 2012 when her brother, the newlyelected justice of the peace, got into trouble with the law. Williams was accused of stealing three computer monitors for his personal use from the county i. T. Department. Heres Surveillance Video showing him carrying boxes of computer equipment. It just seems odd that someone like that would bother to steal a few computer monitors. Exactly. It was just kinda shocking that someone would go and do that. Reporter williams found himself on the wrong side of this police interrogation. Okay, judge, before we get started, im gonna read the miranda warning. Youre an attorney, youre a judge, so you know as well as i do. I know you gotta read. I understand. Reporter williams tried to explain he took the monitors because he claimed he needed new equipment for his office but never got it. Thats been an ongoing kind of thing, where id tell the i. T. People that i need to keep improving things. I understand. But you hadnt put any kind of written request in, nothin like thats been documented at all . No. Reporter mark hasse and Mike Mcclelland knew Eric Williams as a colleague in kaufmans small Legal Community. As boss of the d. A. s office, mike rarely tried cases but because williams was an elected public official he made an exception and teamed up with mark to prosecute the case. Christina says her stepdad believed williams had violated the public trust. I think it did offense mike offend mike on a basic level. These people elected you. Youre supposed to be doing good things for the community, not stealing from it. Reporter a jury found williams guilty of theft. He got probation, but lost his job and license to practice law. And now, a year later, both men who prosecuted him were dead, and williams was under suspicion. Did you bear either of those men any kind of grudge . No. Absolutely not. Reporter the media got wind of the interest in williams. And just days after the mcclelland murders, he was interviewed by nbc affiliate kprc. He strangely swept in on his segway. Reporter has anyone connected with this investigation suggested to you that youre a person of interest in the investigation . No. Reporter after the denial, his sympathies. My heartfelt condolences go out to both the mcclelland family and the hasse family because they were in Public Office doing the right thing, and for some reason that were not aware of theyve paid the ultimate price for that. Reporter williams was known to be a bit of an odd duck, but a murder suspect . It seems so farfetched that a justice of the peace, a man who had served his county not only as an attorney, a judge, but also as a as a Deputy Sheriff, would then suddenly turn into this serial killer. Uhhuh. Yeah, no no one wants to think a lawyer would do that, a person who was a Public Servant would do that. Reporter in fact, he was among the many people investigators had already looked at after the hasse murder. What was his alibi at the time . He said he had been at home either caring for his wife or his inlaws down the street. He also had his arm in a sling when Law Enforcement came to talk to him and his excuse was he had frozen shoulder, and wasnt able to use his right arm. Reporter he even took a gunshot residue test at his house and passed. And after the mcclelland murders, investigators checked whether he owned a Ford Crown Victoria, the car captured on video lurking near the mcclelland murder scene. Records showed he did not. The case was still stalled. But soon, the task force would get one of those lucky breaks theyd always hoped for. It came out of the blue and gave the investigation some muchneeded juice. Coming up, a stranger calls with a stunning revelation. I could tell when i listened to his voice, this is it. This is the real thing. Toenail fungus . Dont hide it. Tackle it with fdaapproved Jublia Jublia is a prescription medicine proven to treat toenail fungus. Use jublia as instructed by your doctor. Once applied jublia gets to the site of infection by going under, around and through the nail. Most common side effects include ingrown toenail, applicationsite redness itching, swelling, burning or stinging, blisters, and pain. 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You must be chomping at the bit to talk to Eric Williams. Obviously, we wanted to talk to him. The problem with that was he was still represented by lawyers. Reporter lawyers who kept williams from talking. But then, two weeks after the mclellands were killed in their home, the special prosecutors got a big opening they hadnt seen coming. We get an email back from the lawyers basically saying, we do no longer represent Eric Williams. Reporter they figured this was their one window to talk to him, and they knew they had get it right the first time, before he lawyered up again. So fbi profilers came up with a strategy, send over a toplevel texas ranger so williams would be more likely to let him in. Was the idea that he would fit with his ego . He would view a major with the Texas Rangers as someone equal on his intellect that perhaps he would talk to. If you sent someone of lower rank, then he would just dismiss them. Reporter the ranger and a local cop familiar to williams went to his house carrying a hidden tape recorder. Did it work . It worked great. Reporter williams let them in, without a search warrant. The subject quickly got around to guns. Williams said hed been forced to sell his weapons to raise money since he could no longer practice law. I been in your house. I know you got lots of guns. Yeah. How do you think ive been living . Selling guns . Yeah, for two years. You dont have anymore . You got rid of all of them . I have one gun that im trying to sell, and its just hard as [ bleep ] to sell. He said, i dont have any guns, except one gun. And so, he let them look around. And and they began finding gun parts. Reporter gun parts. Some very specific gun parts that appeared to match the type of automatic weapon used in the mclelland killings. And at the same time, the fbi discovered williams had done computer searches on hasse and mclelland before the murders. Specifically told them that he had not ever searched the two victims before the murders. Now youve got him lying . Yeah. Reporter that lie and those gun parts were enough to get a warrant for a more thorough search of his house. Investigators, including a crack fbi evidence team, were back the next day. They went room to room, then to the garage. And, bingo in a filing cabinet in the garage there was a manual for a ford crown vic. And there was also a title to a crown vic. Reporter the task force, of course, had been looking for a Crown Victoria. This one was registered under a false name. That must have a real big moment, finding that registration. That was huge. Reporter outside, special prosecutor wirskye was on hand to give legal advice. One of the fbi computer techs came out and said, mr. Wirskye, i dont mean to alarm you, but Eric Williams has been searching you and mr. Shook on his computer. Whats the first thing you did when you heard that he had been searching you . Get on the phone with my wife and tell her to make sure she knew where the kids were and to get inside and keep the doors locked and dont answer the door for anyone up to and including a Police Officer. What did she say . I could hear the fear in her voice, and i knew right then we had to put him in jail for something. It became very personal and a matter of life and death for us. Reporter back inside, searchers found something interesting, a scrap of paper with two handwritten numbers. So they collected it because it was near the computer and they thought it might be important. Reporter and it was. A sheriffs deputy recognized the user id for the county crimestoppers anonymous tipline. The first number corresponded to a tip from early in the hasse case. The tipster claimed to have overheard two men in a bar saying theyd killed mark hasse. That meant the tip came from williams computer. A followup computer search also revealed williams had searched several howto websites. One of the websites was how to throw the police off an investigation by sending in fake tips. Reporter the second number on that scrap paper was even more important because it turned out to be the real thing. It matched back to that computer message that gave details about the hasse murder weapon and also threatened more killings. So we knew right then that that tip that had come into the command post was sent by Eric Williams. And we knew right then we were gonna be able to put Eric Williams in jail. Reporter he was arrested, not for murder, but for making a terrorist threat about killing a judge. We just didnt know if we at that moment had enough evidence to convict him. Reporter they just had to figure out where the evidence might be. Did you think that Eric Williams had a hiding place . We began to suspect pretty early on if its Eric Williams and we know what cars were used there may be a storage unit or some secret Storage Place that he may have access to that we havent found. Reporter at least now, 10 weeks after hasses murder, the investigation was finally on a roll. We go home that night to get a good nights sleep and i actually wanted for the first time in weeks to see my son play a Little League game. Reporter but the next morning, his parenting plans were dashed by work again. His phone rang. It was a friend of Eric Williams, whod heard about his arrest. And said, mr. Wirskye, i have something to tell you about Eric Williams. I think i may have rented him a storage unit. Wed been looking for a storage unit and i could tell when i listened to his voice, this is it, this is the real thing. Little league was out for the day . Unfortunately it was. Little league was out. My son went three for three. But you were headed to a storage unit. This is too important. So, i got on the phone with the Texas Rangers. And i said, this is it. I think weve found it. Coming up, found what, exactly . 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You know, everybody wants to be there. So were all just filled with expectations. Were making bets, okay, the white crown vics gonna be there. No, its not. Were gonna find the murder weapon. Reporter ranger kasper did the honors, lifting the heavy, steel door. This is one of those moments that ill never forget because it was just wow. Reporter what did you see . We saw the white crown vic, the car that wed been looking for for all those days and all those man hours, and there it was. And we knew finally we had Eric Williams. Reporter but there was so much more. Police uniforms and bulletproof vests, more than a halfdozen police badges, thousands of rounds of ammo and enough guns to supply a small army. Hes got six or seven weapons of the right caliber that could have been the mclelland murder weapon. We have five or six weapons of the right caliber that couldve been the hasse murder weapon. Reporter did you think that one of those guns had to be the murder weapon . I felt like our chances were pretty good. Because there were just so many in there. Reporter the guns and ammo were sent off to the lab for testing. Inside this treasure trove of bad intentions, there were also pickle jars filled with liquid, later identified as homemade napalm. It was just unbelievable. It was like a Tactical Operators closet. Reporter but theyd soon be dealt a serious blow. The lab results came back on all those weapons. Nothing matched. The murder weapons were still missing. Thats got to be extremely frustrating when you feel like, well, one of these guns im sure has got to be the murder weapon. Oh yeah, deflating. We were positive one of those was going to be the murder weapon. Reporter even without the guns, the prosecutors believed there was enough evidence to finally go forward. On april 18th, 2013, 10 weeks after mark hasse was gunned down and three weeks since the mclellands were killed Eric Williams was charged with three counts of capital murder. Prosecutors said the motive was revenge. One thing i found out about Eric Williams, the first big thing that went wrong in his life, this is how he was going to react with rage and homicidal violence. Reporter it all seemed so senseless to the mclellands daughter, christina. This all started over three computer monitors. And now were talking about three murders. Yeah. I mean, you know, normal people dont do that. God bless the United States and the great state of texas. Reporter Eric Williams went on trial for murder in december. Be seated please, ladies and gentlemen. The court calls state of texas versus Eric Williams. Reporter williams wasnt on trial for the murder of mark hasse or Mike Mclelland. In a surprise tactic, this trial was only for the murder of Cynthia Mclelland. Not guilty, your honor. Reporter why not just try the murders at the same time . What if something went wrong in the first trial . We wanted to have the ability to be able to try him twice and make sure he got justice. Reporter Christina Sat in court and had to relive the deaths of her parents. What gave you strength to go to court every day . I showed up every day for the three people who gave their lives for something good. They stood up. And they did what they were supposed to. And they died for it. This is my chance to tell you story of the murders of mike and Cynthia Mclelland. Reporter prosecutor bill wirskeye thought if he could prove Eric Williams had killed cynthia, that would obviously show he killed mike. Youll hear the story of a massive Law Enforcement investigation state, local, federal agencies working together to build an airtight case. Reporter one of the first witnesses called c. J. Tomlinson, dallas Police Officer and friend of the mclellands. Cj told the jury how he and his parents found the mclellands. I took a couple more steps inside the residence, i was hollerin for mike. Mike, mike reporter for three days, prosecutors brought a blizzard of witnesses. They told the jury williams had been linked to that tip that came in after the mclelland murders. He sent an email into Law Enforcement claiming credit for the murders, thinking Law Enforcement would never figure it out. But he was wrong. Reporter investigators didnt have the murder weapon, but they had something else, a bullet they found inside a bag taken from williams storage unit. You know this is what you and your team recovered. Yes. Reporter a ballistics examiner compared that single unfired bullet to the shell casings found at the murder scene and came up with a match. That live round was ejected from the same weapon that killed the mclellands. So, that was a big moment for us. Reporter and prosecutors thought this security video outside the storage unit nailed the case down. They said it traced the movements of Eric Williams and the crown vic on the morning of the murders. Approximately 6 00 a. M. Real time. Reporter thats when williams in his black suv pulled up to the entrance of the storage unit, according to the prosecution. At 6 12 a. M. The white Crown Victoria pulled out. By 6 42 investigators knew the mclellands were dead or dying on the floor, based on the motion detectors in the home Security System. At 7 00, heres that white crown vic coming back through the entrance. And 17 minutes later, that black suv pulled out. He committed this crime. His acts alone, and his acts alone, condemn him to be found guilty of capital murder. Reporter the prosecutors said they had a lot of circumstantial evidence, including the crown vic and that matching bullet. But the defense was about to tell the jury what the prosecution didnt have. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Eric Williams did not commit these murders. Reporter defense lawyer, matthew seymour, laid into one of the states star witnesses, that ballistics expert. He reminded the jury investigators never found the murder weapon. You didnt actually have access to that firearm . Correct. Reporter he tried to poke holes in the prosecutions matching bullet theory. Someone of different experience could come along and say theyre not a match. Is that true . Yes, potentially that is true. If i could break the chain from the live round recovered from the storage unit and the mclelland shooting scene, i might stand a chance. Reporter the defense didnt see the need to call any witnesses. Our position was the state had not fulfilled their obligation to prove the elements of the indictment. It was just that simple. There is no known murder weapon in this case. Theres no one who can place Eric Williams in that scene at the mclelland home. No one. Reporter finally, this case that had rocked the Justice System was about to be decided by the jurors. They needed only 90 minutes to reach a verdict. We, the jury, unanimously find the defendant Eric Lyle Williams, guilty of capital murder as charged in the indictment. Reporter guilty of capital murder in the death of Cynthia Mclelland. You heard the word, guilty. Its a gift. It was a gift for us. Its probably a gift for everybody else because i dont believe that this wouldve stopped at the end of these killings. Reporter theres a sad postscript to this case that raises a painful question. Could williams have been stopped after the hasse murder and before the mclelland ss . Did they have to die . In a haunting irony, Mike Mclelland always thought williams was likely the killer. He certainly suspected it was Eric Williams after mark hasse was shot. And he made no secret of what his opinion was. And i had numerous conversations where he said, bill, its Eric Williams. Reporter williams was one of a handful of possible suspects, early on in the hasse case, but there was no evidence on him. And even with his conviction for theft, hed had a good reputation. We had several discussions about it. Of course erics name came up in the discussions. But if you cant prove it, then it doesnt matter. It doesnt matter what you think, if you cant prove it. Reporter and now this former justice of the peace was a convicted murderer. How . Why . Was he living a double life . I think he was. Most people were fooled by his exterior. He looked so normal. He looked so average. He had the trappings of success, being a lawyer and a judge. But behind that mask was a homicidal psychopath. Reporter just angry at the world . Yeah, i think he had a very dark, cold heart. Reporter but this case was far from over. Prosecutors had won, but they were saving their best witness for last. Investigators always suspected Eric Williams did not act alone. And he didnt. Youre about to hear from his accomplice, someone who will take you inside the mind of a murderer. Coming up, a momentbymoment account of a plot more chilling than anyone realized. I think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside their hearts. Im louis, and i quit smoking with chantix. I told myself for so long that i needed to quit smoking. I would quit then id go right back to it. Chantix absolutely helped me quit smoking. Along with support, Chantix Varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. Chantix helped reduce my urge to smoke. Some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. Some people had seizures while taking chantix. If you have any of these stop chantix and call your doctor right away. Tell your doctor about any history of Mental Health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix or history of seizures. Dont take chantix if youve had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. 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Tonight, every dish came out of the cupboard. Literally. Can this mess be conquered by a little bit of dawn ultra . Yes one bottle has the grease cleaning power of 2 bottles of this other liquid. A drop of dawn and grease is gone. I discovered a convenient way to moisturize every day. New nivea inshower body lotion. First i wash. Then i apply it to my wet skin. It moisturizes instantly. And lasts for more than 24 hours. Then i quickly rinse off. My skin feels amazingly smooth with no sticky feel. So, i get dressed. And go. Now i enjoy smooth skin every day. New nivea inshower body lotion in the body lotion aisle. We the jury unanimously find the defendant, Eric Lyle Williams reporter theyd won a guilty verdict against Eric Williams, but prosecutors didnt have time to celebrate. The jury would now decide whether he should get the Death Penalty. In a rare legal move, prosecutors had saved some blockbuster evidence and a star witness for just this moment. As investigators figured all along, williams hadnt acted alone he had an accomplice. It was this woman the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth his wife, kim. Theyd been married for fifteen years, but now she was about to testify against her husband. It was a cold day, and there was excitement in the air. Reporter witnesses to the hasse murder, you remember, said the shooter jumped into the passenger side of the getaway car. So, Police Always suspected williams had help. Soon after he was arrested kim williams was brought in for questioning. Investigators spent hours talking to her. Reporter prosecutor wirskeye was watching the interview. She was just not gonna give up any information. She talked about her husband and what a great guy he was and how he wouldnt hurt anyone. Reporter then, an fbi interrogator, growing impatient, got tougher. He raised his voice with her and was telling her that she knew that those people had been killed. Reporter then she broke, and what she told them was startling. She said, not only did she know something about the murders, she helped her husband carry them out. Now, during the penalty phase, prosecutors planned to use her testimony to make sure the jury would give him a death sentence. She led us to a lot of evidence. And i think it was important for the jury to see and have all their questions answered. He came up with the plan to dress like Law Enforcement. Reporter they were a husband and wife murder team. And they went through a dress rehearsal the night before the mclelland murders. He was modeling it for me. Describe to the members of the jury what he was modeling for you the night before. He looked like he was in the army or swat. He had a bulletproof vest with sheriff on the front. More than likely mrs. Mclelland was going to answer the door, and he was going to introduce himself as a policeman. Reporter and the next morning, she said, she was lookout in the crown vic, as her husband went inside to murder the mclellands. If someone came, was this a was there a plan for what you were supposed to do to alert eric . Yes. He told me to honk the horn. Reporter but if these had been revenge killings of Mike Mclelland and mark hasse, why did Cynthia Mclelland have to die . Because she would be there as a witness, and he described it as collateral damage. Reporter and prosecutors wanted the jury to know how callous eric and kim williams were after killing two people in cold blood. We had steaks on the grill and eric cooked those. At your parents house . At my parents house. Were yall celebrating with steaks . Thats correct. Reporter the prosecutors couldnt tell jurors about the hasse case during the Cynthia Mclelland trial, but now they were free to use marks murder to cement their argument for the Death Penalty. We had an airtight circumstantial evidence case on the hasse murder. Kim williams said on that morning outside the courthouse, she drove the getaway car. As youre driving away from the scene of the hasse murder, what is his mood like . Happy. What is your mood like . Happy. I so believed in eric and everything he told me. His anger was my anger. Who was he mad at . He was mad at mark hasse. He was mad at mr. Mclelland. He was angry because he thought that they were trying to set him up. What did that tell you about this incredibly bizarre relationship, that these two were in cahoots with each other . I think it proved beyond any doubt that Eric Williams was a psychopath and this was a horribly toxic, screwed up marriage. I think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside that house, you know, inside their hearts. Yes kim williams also said she helped her husband dispose of key evidence in the case. She recalled driving to this bridge one night and watching eric toss a black bag into the lake. Do you know what was in the bag . I knew that it was guns. Reporter it had taken 12 months of searching the lake before divers found the bag. Fbi agent laurie gibbs was there. Opens this up, and theres two guns. This is it. Reporter inside the bag were two revolvers. Forensics will show one of those guns killed mark hasse. And one more thing that bag those guns were in, it wasnt a bag at all. It was really a terrifying halloween mask. Grim reapertype halloween mask . Exactly. Kim williams said her husband wore it to conceal himself when he shot mark. And you can imagine the terror that was going through mark hasse when he recognized and heard the voice. Reporter she also told jurors that her husband had more mayhem in mind. Judge ashworth. He wanted to kill a judge in a special way with a special weapon. With a cross bow. Thats correct. Reporter kim williams said he also brewed up a concoction just for the judge. You may remember there was homemade napalm in pickle jars inside the storage unit. What was the napalm for . I guess to drive in a kind of extra eff you. He is gonna bore a hole in his stomach, and pour it in. Reporter it avenues one thing to say well, Eric Williams did this, fine. But that his wife was along for the ride . You cant just make this stuff up. You would think this was a hollywood movie, but these people are living every day together and talking about murdering people. My name is christina foreman. Reporter now, christina, in her victims impact statement, would finally get her chance to vent her feelings as she turned to her parents killer. Pretty much the only thing i have to say is [bleep] you, Eric Williams. That was pretty much the only thing i could think of to say to him, that did it feel good . It did. It did feel good. And you know, a nice sock in the face probably wouldve felt a lot better. Reporter the defense countered by calling dozens of character witnesses very smart young man reporter from Williams Scout master to his high school friends, but the jurors werent swayed. It is ordered by this court to carry out the sentence of death he was sentenced to die by lethal injection. Hes appealing his conviction. Given the Death Penalty decision, prosecutors decided not to try him for the murders of mark hasse or Mike Mclelland. Williams pleaded not guilty to both. Mark hasses longtime friend, and federal trial attorney, marcus busch, believes williams will still be dangerous even on death row. Eric williams is a master manipulator, he is a very intelligent human being and hes a very deadly, proficient killer. I think hes gonna be a threat to the Prison Guards and i think hes gonna be a threat to anybody else in prison. Youre making him sound like Hannibal Lecter . This is a man who killed three people in cold blood simply because they prosecuted him for stealing computer monitors. Reporter kim williams pleaded guilty to the murder of cynthia. And for her cooperation, the other charges were disposed of. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison, avoiding the Death Penalty. Ill never forget mike and cynthia or mark. Will you ever be over this . No. Im not over it. I never i know i never will be. I dont think any of us will be ever. Reporter but as tragic as all this was, believe it or not, something good came out of it. During the long ordeal, christina and that cop from dallas, c. J. Tomlinson, fell in love. Their families had been great friends for a long time. Cynthia mclelland had always tried to play matchmaker. At one point, cynthia pretty much told me that that was gonna happen. And she was right. She got me. I can only imagine how happy your mom would be oh, god. If shes looking down, that you two are together. I cant i cant even imagine. She would be just doin some sort of weird dance, that i told you so. And you know, im sure shes thrilled. We got married on her birthday that would have made her ecstatic. Thats all for this edition of dateline. Well see you again sunday and next friday both at 9 00, 8 00 central. Im lowell. For all of us at im lester holt. For all of us at n s. Right now at 11 00, concern over the Technology Used in a sophisticated car burglary and it is all caught on burglary. Im jessica aguirre. Im raj mathai and they are breaking in without breaking a window. Jane