Transcripts For KNTV Dateline NBC 20170325

Shaking, trum trembling. Someone was lying, but who . That security video made a big difference. Absolutely. My whole world was turned upside down. Where is she . she was home with the kids. Her husband out with friends when it happened. He said something about his kids telling him there was a robber. All they told us was there was an intruder. Their home so deep in the woods now shrouded in a mystery even deeper. This is a real whodunit. Very much so. Police had suspects. I remember kelley not wanting to be home alone. They also had a problem. Why would this guy go up and kill this woman, her family had questions of their own. Something is not right here. Something is wrong. And then someone remembered a phone call and a fib. I pulled up my phone and im like thats strange, a killer living two lives reporter a young mother living on borrowed time. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with the house in the woods. Reporter he wasnt exactly sure where the house was or what had happened there. But he knew it was bad. Yeah, these ones are not fun to do. Reporter finally he found it, down a secluded driveway. A man on the front lawn waving him in. Whats going on . Hey. Im the neighbor. Reporter inside the deputy could see signs of a struggle. Blood on the floor. You got blood on the wall. Blood on the steps. Reporter a broken wall. He searched the house. Okay. Kids rooms. This ones clear. Let me check this last room. Clear. Reporter the trail led to this, to someone in a little room just beyond the stairs beyond all hope now. My god yeah. Reporter the house in the woods was home to tom and Kelley Clayton and their two adorable children. Hed been a local star of sorts, a hockey player. And kelley . She was a hometown girl raised right here in the Finger Lakes Region of new york state. You grow up here. It actually took for me to move away and go to college before i came back and really appreciated how pretty it is. Reporter Andrea Spirawk is kelleys best friend. They grew up together near elmira, new york. She says it was as if the land had bred a sweetness into kelley. Maybe a little tartness too. After all, mark twain also lived here. How did you see kelleys sense of humor . She was very goofy, always happy, always trying to have fun. She loved to laugh. She was sarcastic. Witty. She always made things fun. Reporter funny and beautiful. They couldnt keep a girl like that in a small town forever. After college, kelley broke some news to her big sister kim. She was enticed by some bright lights out west. Absolutely. And shes like, im moving to vegas. What did you think when you heard that . I was sad. But i was sad, but i was, oh my god, go youre so brave. Do it now did you see her off . Absolutely. And i remember she had parked, you know, at her moms house. And i just remember running down the street. Did you have any parting words or advice for her when she left . I actually have a photo of us hugging. And it was, like, its such a sad photo to me. It was, like, the saddest day of my life. Reporter kelley came home to visit often enough, including christmas of 2003. By then, elmira had a new attraction, a Minor League Hockey team. My mom, my sister, and i were at a hockey game, an elmira jackals hockey game. And this player gets checked into the boards and his helmet comes off. And all three of us were like wow, hes pretty cute. Reporter kelleys mom liz. We enjoyed watching him skate. He was fun. He was fun. He he really was. Reporter he was tom clayton. He served as the jackals instigator, the guy who starts fights. When he and kelley locked eyes, it was game over. She met him that weekend. She met him that weekend and she met the bad boy. Yes, she did. Was it instant for them . Yes. It was. Reporter they were married about two years later. And a few after that came the kids. Reporter a girl and a boy. Tom traded in his hockey skates for work boots to run a Home Restoration business. Now andrea had her best friend back home, plus tom. What did you love about him . He was very generous. He would shower her with things. We had a mutual friend, who he and his wife passed away in a car accident. And he tom immediately called men me and was like, weve got to do this. Lets do this fundraiser. We did, you know. And he was like a brother. Reporter almost ten years into the marriage, kelley still gushed about her tom. And she was just talking about hes the greatest guy. I hit the jackpot with him. Did that make you happy hearing that . Yeah. It really did. It was like, wow, theres really somebody out there like that. Reporter greg and linda miller got to know the claytons well over the years. They hosted poker games with tom as a frequent guest. They affectionately called the former skater hockey puck. But there was one thing the millers didnt envy about the claytons, where they lived. Because its out in the middle of nowhere. We both said, see, we could never live out in the woods like that. I mean thats what she said. I mean, just being out in the woods is scary enough sometimes. You know what i mean . Reporter no one remembers kelley feeling uncomfortable. Even at night, even alone. Except for one evening in late september 2015. Andrea was chatting on the phone with kelley. She wasnt her usual, happy self. She was like, alright, im tired. Good night. All right, leave me alone, pretty much. Why was it odd that she might want to go to bed early one night . I think she was really stressed out. But she didnt she was a night owl. She stayed up. Her kids stay up late, you know . It wasnt normal. Reporter neither, of course, was what followed. Sir, you need to calm down so i can help you, okay . Yes. Whats your name . My names tom. Reporter tom clayton was on the phone to 911. Something about his wife. She wasnt breathing. How long has she been down . I dont know. I dont know. I just got home. Reporter the clayton home tucked down a pocket of a long dark road. It would never be home again. What had happened . When we come back i felt there was something wrong here. That maybe this isnt medical. There was something more to it. There certainly was. I says, wheres your wife . And he pointed to the kitchen area. And that is when i walked around oh okay. And you can use less. Beautiful view. wiggles butt thanks to charmin. And you, honeybear awwwww we all go. Why not enjoy the go with charmin . Choose your favorite pasta,or piadina or sandwich. It all comes with our neverending soup or salad. And all the breadsticks you want. Starting at just 6. 99 get neverending value for lunch, today at olive garden. [ ominou[ sniffs ] little girl daddy trapped by your unrelenting nasal allergies . [ meow ] [ sneezes ] try clarispray clarispray provides unsurpassed relief. Its 24 hour, nondrowsy and prescription strength. Free yourself with clarispray, from the makers of claritin. Reporter car accidents, drug overdoses. Those are the kinds of emergency calls deputy dean swan of the Steuben County Sheriffs Office responds to. The one he and his partner got after midnight on september 29, 2015, that was a first. How long has she been down . I dont know. I dont know. I just got home. We received a dispatch from our 911 center. Unknown possible medical situation. I responded. To be honest with you, en route i did not feel i felt there was something wrong here. Just reporter why . Cop intuition i guess is reporter that what it was. Reporter that maybe this isnt medical. That yeah, there was something more to it. It just seemed that way. Reporter his instinct proved right. Still, he didnt expect what came next inside the home of tom and Kelley Clayton. This is footage from the body camera swan was wearing that night. He arrived to find a man outside coming towards him. It was a neighbor. Hi, how you doing . Im okay. Whats going on . Tom just came. Im the neighbor. Tom just came over and got me out of bed. Why . Theres hes right in the house. Hes okay, what happened though . His wife is in there. I went in, located mr. Clayton. And he was kind of down on his knees. Kind of bobbing up and down, visibly upset and in the hallway between the hallway and the Transition Area between the hallway and the dining room. Anybody else in the house, tom . Just you . Oh, my god the kids are at the neighbors house. I say, wheres your wife . And he pointed to the kitchen area. And that is when i walked around and i located the victim on the kitchen floor. Oh, oh. Okay. Reporter it was toms wife kelley. Right away the deputy knew shed been murdered. What did you see . The victim. There was blood, blood spatter on walls, ceiling. Victim had blood pooling around her head. Tom, where were you when this all went down . Playing poker with my buddies. Reporter tom said he had just come home from a poker game to find kelley dead on the floor and his 7yearold daughter, charlie, saying something about a breakin. I came home and my daughter said there was a robber in the house and she saw them. Okay. Come on out here, man. Come out here. I want you to have a seat. You dont need to see that any more okay . Reporter his kids were home . Kids were home when this occurred. Reporter where were they . When i got on scene, he had taken them to the neighbor. So i never saw the kids. Reporter what did you think about the person capable of doing this to this mother with her children at home . This it was its theres no way to describe a person like that. Theyre not a person. Reporter the officer led tom to his patrol car. Alright, come on. Can i get that water . Yeah. Well get you a water. Take it easy, bud. Take it easy. Come on over here, tom. Im just going to youre not in trouble. Im just going to have you take a seat so we can talk to you, alright . Take it easy. Youre not in trouble, just sit right down. Im going to leave the door open. Just sit right there and relax. Reporter then the deputy and his partner went back inside the house to make sure the killer wasnt still hiding inside. Ok. Kids room. This ones clear reporter as they searched, guns drawn, it became clear how the crime unfolded. Theres blood all over up here. From what i could see, the attack started in the main bedroom, went out into the main hallway. A fight ensued. Looked like there were pictured knocked off the wall. There was a landing. The stairs go straight down. And then theres a left turn landing. And there was a big hole in the wall, like where a body part of some kind had gone into the wall and broke the wall. I knew that just from my experience, training that, okay, this started up here and worked its way down there. Reporter and she was fighting. She was fighting. Yes, she was fighting. Reporter next they searched the basement and the rest of the house. I dont see any blood down here at all. Nothing there. Reporter were you able to clear the house . Did you find a robber . Did you find nope. Reporter an intruder or any evidence of an intruder . Yeah, we cleared the house. And we found no nobody in the house. Reporter and no sign of forced entry. But when they went into the garage they realized how the killer might have gotten in and out. Side door to the garage was open with the inner door open that goes into a laundry room. That door from the laundry room into the kitchen was also open. Reporter by then, more officers had arrived. And tom clayton, outside by a police car, was still a mess. Come on over here and sit down. I cant, i cant. Im shaking. Well, thats what im saying. You want to sit down somewhere. Sit down. I keep doing it. I keep sitting down and getting back up. I say calm him down and say, calm down. Sit down. Relax. And just tell him, hey we just need you to stick around because we have to talk to you, try to find out what happened here. Reporter but to find out what happened, theyd have to go to another house where one of the countys top lawmen was about to perform one of the most difficult interviews of his career. It took me, personally, a long time to get to work through in my own mind. It stayed with me quite awhile. Coming up a child witness. She observed mommy fighting with what she termed as the robber. Reporter and a chilling suspicion. I just remember corey walking up and down the road the whole time, somethings not right. Something is not right. When dateline continues. Specifically designed to provide advanced cleaning and lasting freshness every time you brush. Introducing new sensodyne deep clean. Used twice daily, the formula with foamboost technology leaves your mouth feeling clean and fresh. 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I see ambulances. All these lights. Oh, god, wheres my sister . I first run to the ambulance, because i think theyre going to be working on my sister. Im like, wheres my sister . Where is she . Reporter police explained the awful truth, kelley was dead. We were screaming, wailing. I mean, i was throwing up on the side of the road. You cant believe shes dead. I mean, its, like, its inconceivable that she could be dead. They wouldnt let you see kelley either, right . No. They just kept saying, kim, you dont want to see her. Was your first instinct that maybe there was some kind of a Home Invasion . Yes, it was. Some stranger. Yes, it was. Reporter kelleys best friend got a call from kims husband corey. And my dad drove me there. And by the time i got there, everyone was there. I just remember corey clenching, keep clenching his fists, and walking up and down the road the whole time. Somethings not right. Somethings is not right. Something doesnt add up. And we were all just so confused. They wouldnt tell us anything. Nothing, you knew nothing. Nothing. Can one of you stay with him . Thats the husband. Reporter one comfort, officers told the family that kelleys children were safe at a neighbors house. They didnt mention what the eldest, charlie, had been through. She saw everything. And she saw it happen. Reporter Steuben County sheriff jim allard interviewed the 7yearold that night. He was astonished by her poise and bravery as she gave him the details of what had happened. Her story begins that she was in her room playing on her tablet, and she said she heard, mommy, yelling run, charlie run, repeatedly screaming it. Run, charlie, run. Mommy got to her door and got the door closed. Then she heard more commotion. She opened, went into the hallway, followed the commotion down the hallway to the steps and to the kitchen and observed mommy fighting with what she termed as the robber. She got up and pantomimed for me of a person standing over another person with an object in their hand, striking that person that was on the ground. And she described the object as a cylinder that the robber, as she kept calling him, used. Reporter she went on to give the sheriff a detailed description of the socalled robbers appearance. She described the person to me as a male wearing jeans and a dark shirt and a mask. And i officially asked her, you keep saying its a man. How do you know its a man . And she told me, because of his eyes. And i said, well, what about his eyes let you know its a man . She said, his eyes are just like daddys. So then i stood up and i said, how tal was the guy . Was he taller than me or was he shorter than me . She said, he was same height as daddy. And i said, okay. And then i said, how much did he weigh . Does he was he heavier than me . Was he thinner than me . He was the same as daddy. And she says, and the mask he had on is just like daddys mask that he wears hunting. Reporter after the robber left charlie said she rushed to hug her mother and then knew there was one more thing to do, she had to go upstairs and take care of her 3yearold brother. Reporter to the sheriff, the 7yearolds story was both chilling and heartbreaking. It was a memory ill have with me the rest of my life. Its one of those that takes a little part of you with them or with it. Heres a little girl who does remind me very much of my own daughter. And shes working through, i just watched mommy brutally attacked. It could be daddy. Where am i . Where does this leave me . Reporter but could it be true . Did she really just see her father kill her mother . This had been a very bloody murder. And deputy dean swan had looked tom clayton over carefully. Did tom have any blood on him . I did not see any on him. No. Nope. I actually checked him for any injuries, or any blood, or anything on him. And he had nothing. Reporter tom had told the deputy hed only just come in the door to find his wife dead. Hed been gone all night at his friends house, the millers, playing poker. So thats where investigators went. I heard the banging on the door and ringing of the doorbell. And i woke him up. Im like, somebodys banging at the door. What time is this . This is, like, 6 00 in the morning. 6 00. Right. Thats pretty early to get a knock on the door. Nothing good happens from answering the door right. At 6 00 in the morning. Reporter when greg realized it was the police at his door, his first thought was that his daughters had been in a car accident. The investigator told me, no, nothing is wrong with your daughters. Did a guy named hockey puck, as you know him, or tom, play poker here last night . Hockey puck is toms nickname . Correct. And i said, yes, he did. He said, well, when he went home he found his wife murdered last night. Wow. And instantly it was, like, were looking at each other and it was like were in a state of shock. And i said, obviously you probably want to come in. Reporter greg gave the officers the details of the previous night. Tom had been in his basement playing poker until around midnight. And normally what time did the game wrap up . Usually the games would go at 1 30. But we kit at 12 00, and by the time everybody got out of there it was about 12 10. Reporter it sounded like tom was telling investigators the truth about where hed been at poker night. They later determined the murder happened before the game wrapped up. This is a real whodunit . Yeah. Very much so. Come on over here, tom. Youre not in trouble, okay . Im just going to have you have a seat so we can talk to you. Reporter so despite what the little girl thought she saw, the investigation was far from over. Authorities were asking, who on earth would want Kelley Clayton dead . Coming up i remember kelley, you know, not wanting to be home alone if he was there. A suspect whos no surprise to some. And a second suspect who is. It doesnt feel like a slam dunk here. No, it does not. Its been prescribed to more than a quarter million people. And is proven to cure up to 99 of patients who have had no prior treatment with 12 weeks. Certain patients can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. Before starting harvoni, your doctor will test to see if youve ever had hepatitis b, which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after harvoni treatment. Tell your doctor if youve ever had hepatitis b, a liver transplant, other liver or kidney problems, hiv or any other medical conditions and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. Taking amiodarone with harvoni can cause a serious slowing of your heart rate. Common side effects of harvoni include tiredness, headache and weakness. Ready to let go of hep c . 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Reporter investigators were trying to figure out what had happened in the murder of Kelley Clayton. They were looking to the family for leads. They were like, listen, like, do you guys know of anyone that possibly, like, could of done this . Reporter kelleys niece molly had an idea. I kind of, like, looked at my mom. And i was like, yeah. Reporter molly, only 16 at the time, told police shed spent the summer working for her uncle at his restoration business, servpro. And there she met one of his employees. A man named michael beard. Tom told her to keep her distance. He never really wanted me around michael beard. He didnt want me, like, working with him. Reporter michael beard was no stranger to the family. He actually had done work at my sisters home. My sister would give his daughter charlies handmedowns, clothes, toys. My sister would make lunch for him when he was there working at her home. Reporter while kelley was kind to beard, she told her sister she didnt always feel comfortable around him. I remember kelley, you know, not wanting to be home alone if he was there. You know, he he was civil. He was nice. But id i dont think she wanted to be left home alone. Reporter now, molly told investigators that her uncle tom had recently fired beard. Michael beard was fired september 17th. And then kelley was murdered the, like, night of the 28th, 29th. So it wasnt long at all. Reporter was it possible that beard was angry about losing his job and that kelleys murder was some kind of revenge . Molly went through her cell phone and her facebook contacts and gave investigators beards address. I gave that to them. And they were just like, okay, thank you. Reporter the Steuben County Sheriffs Office needed all hands on deck and called in the new York State Police for assistance. I was contacted by investigators the day of the homicide. Reporter investigator matt lambert was assigned to run down the michael beard lead. Reporter what did you know about michael beards background . He actually was a pretty wellrespected employee until september 17th, when when tom had fired him. Reporter why did tom fire him . Stealing from jobs and drinking, i think, on the job and that he fired him on the 17th because theres maybe some complaints from other employees at servpro. Reporter so theres some issues there . Right. Reporter but beard was polite and cooperative when the investigator knocked on his door. We said, hey, can you, you know, take a ride with us up to the barracks. And he said, yeah, just let me let my wife know. Reporter and he already knew what it was about . We told him that we want to talk to him about the the homicide of Kelley Clayton. Reporter the investigator asked beard where he was the night of kelleys murder. He said he was home except for a beer run. He actually kind of alibied himself at that point saying that he was at that store the night before, and that same clerk working she could prove that he was in the store the night before. Reporter did did he express that he knew anything about kelleys murder . No, he didnt say that he knew a thing about the murder. Reporter is he telling you anything about tom clayton . No. Just that he had worked for him. Reporter and beard denied any hard feelings toward his former boss, said he and tom were still friends. In fact he told the investigator it was toms partner who fired him, not tom. And tom was even trying to help beard find another job. Reporter are you getting any bad feeling from him . Are you suspicious of him . Not at all. Reporter so youre thinking this is going to be something that were going to cross off the list . Yes. I didnt expect to see him again. Reporter to the investigator and those close to kelley, michael beard didnt seem like a good suspect after all. Reporter did you think it was it was possible that hes a disgruntled employee . He was, you know, taking revenge . I didnt. Because if youre disgruntled, why wouldnt you kill the person that youre disgruntled against . I mean, im im angry at you, so im going to go kill your wife. Reporter but as a matter of procedure, the investigator asked beard for a dna swab and permission to look through his cell phone. He was very, very forthcoming. Very willing, no problems. Just very cooperative. Reporter while the state investigator was checking out the notsopromising michael beard tip, sheriffs investigators had tom down at the station. Detective donnie lewis said they still had questions. Reporter for the most part, it looks pretty good for tom. Correct. Reporter this alibi is pretty strong. Absolutely. I mean, the witnesses that see him at the poker game, we know where he was all night. Reporter thats not the end of the story, though. That is not the end of the story. Reporter not the end of the story because there was something investigators just couldnt get around, the daughters story. Her description of the killer, it was powerful evidence they couldnt ignore. And so just hours after the murder defendant was remanded in Steuben County jail without bail. Reporter they arrested kelleys husband tom clayton and charged him with murder. Reporter how can you arrest him . What are you arresting him based on . There theres a lot of suspicion. Theres a lot of and basically we have to have probable cause to make an arrest. Reporter what was the probable cause . The biggest thing, the oldest child had made comments that it looked like daddy, it had daddys eyes. And as of the end of today reporter Tanner Jubenville covered the story for nbc affiliate wetmtv. I dont know how they charged him honestly. I dont know how they charged him so quickly. Reporter he says the arrest had everyone in the newsroom scratching their heads. Thomas had a great alibi. I mean, he was at a poker game 15 minutes away. Even hours after they arrested him, i dont really know what grounds they had as far as actual evidence connected him to the death. Reporter if tom was killer, then there had to be a hole in that rock solid alibi. Or maybe the authorities, thinking the husband always does it, had acted too fast. It doesnt feel like a slam dunk here, arresting this man. No, it does not. Coming up, the mystery of the missing phone call. I pulled up my phone and im like, see if there was a number there. And there was nothing. And im like, thats strange. Reporter when dateline continues. And rich belgian chocolate. Discover magnum. Tais really quite simple. Est it comes in the mail, you pull out the tube and you spit in it, which is something southern girls are taught youre not supposed to do. You seal it and send it back and then you wait for your results. Its that simple. Its spring, and we cant wait to open our sheds and get working on our yards. Scotts and miraclegro are here to help. We make it easy to grow thick, healthy lawns, spectacular plants, and bountiful flowers. Because when spring starts right, the months that follow stay perfect. Load up your shed with scotts and miraclegro. Its time to get outside. Reporter Steuben County sheriffs investigators had made a quick arrest in Kelley Claytons murder, her husband, tom. To many, including kelleys best friend andrea, it didnt make sense. I loved him. She loved him. He was part of our family. We were part of theirs. Reporter the millers were also confused. They knew tom couldnt have killed kelley because he was at their house when she was murdered. Was this a normal night, just like any other monday . Absolutely, just like any other monday, yes. Reporter but now the millers wondered, had they missed something . They started thinking like detectives. Im, like, going over everything in my head. And im like, what the heck . Why . You know, all this stuff. Who could it be . Whats going on . Reporter then linda miller remembered tom at the poker game, asking a favor. I was doing dishes, and he came into the kitchen and said, hey, can i borrow your phone for a second . He says, i left mine out in my car. I have to call work. I said, oh, okay. Sure. I said, oh, its on charge. Just a second. And he followed me into the bedroom. And i unplugged it, and i handed it to him. And he said, thanks. And it seemed like just a couple of minutes later he was back and like, thank you. And he put it on the table. Reporter it wasnt odd at the time, but now the phone call around 11 00 p. M. Seemed important. Whom had tom called . I pulled up my phone and im, like see if there was a number there. And there was nothing. So there should be a number if should be a number he called he called somebody on the phone. Right, and im like, thats strange. And i said, greg, can you look at my phone . I says, theres theres theres nothing. Is part of you thinking, oh, maybe he just decided not to make the call . No, because i heard him talking. Youd hear the like, the mumbling, just a voice speaking of sorts, but nothing intelligible. Reporter as the millers struggled to make sense of that, they called the other men whod been to their house that night. The poker players recalled the same detail. Toms phone was always with him. He had his phone at the poker table . Thats what poker players are saying. Yes. It was it was there. Yes. Yes. So he has his phone at the poker table, but hes telling you hes left his phone in the car . Uhhuh. Thats what he told me. Reporter more than a little suspicious, the millers kept digging. They went online to check lindas phone records. And there it was, the number tom dialed about an hour before the murder, a number they didnt recognize. Investigator donnie lewis took it from there. So what i did was i got the number and put it into actually facebook on my phone, and as soon as i put that phone number in there the profile that pops up is michael beard. Reporter michael beard, the exemployee whod been so cooperative with investigators. Suddenly, he didnt seem so innocent. Now police had to reconsider their theory of the crime. Maybe it wasnt tom whod beaten kelley to death. Maybe his daughters description of the killer was wrong. Maybe it was michael beard she saw. This phone call, this is, like, the key. This is it. Thats the first real connection that we had that put beard anything to do with the murder. That kind of just alerted us right off the bat as we need to go talk to michael beard again. He denied any type of involvement. He even denied receiving the phone call. They never talked. Did that seem odd to you . That did seem odd. He denied having any type of conversation. He said he didnt even remember receiving it, and he wouldnt have answered a call that wasnt that he didnt know the number. Reporter and when investigators looked at beards phone, there was no sign of a call from linda millers cell. It had been, uh, erased. He explained that away by saying that he, the night before, had to recycle his minutes on his phone. It was a little bit suspicious to me. Did you start to come down really hard on him . Like, i dont were not buying your story . It wasnt hard. It was more like i was trying to say, let the truth out, because he was having physical like, his stomach was rolling. And i was saying, mike, just let the truth come out. Let it come out. It wants to come out. Let the truth come out. Its not adding up. You got to stop. You hear your body right now. Your bodys telling you that youre not telling the truth. Just get it out. Reporter while investigator lambert was speaking with beard, he was interrupted by a colleague who had been grilling beards wife. She mentioned a dramatic piece of information, something about a big payment beard was expecting to get from tom. 10,000. The investigators confronted beard. At that point, he was just defeated. I looked at him and said, 10,000, is that why you killed kelley . And he looked at me and said, yes. This was your big moment . That was the that was the win. Reporter michael beard was arrested for murder. And tom, already in custody, was now accused of orchestrating the crime. But toms newlyhired defense attorney wasnt having it. He wants to be reunited with his children. He frankly is grieving the loss of his wife. Reporter investigators had quickly arrested tom based largely on a childs description, which turned out to be wrong. Now his attorney said they seized on a confession that was anything but true. Who would be believed . This is every innocent persons nightmare. Coming up, a secret revealed. He told me that he was sleeping with other women. Reporter was that enough of a motive for a jury to convict tom of murder . I have never been in a room that was filled with so much anxiety. My doctor and i choose xarelto® xarelto®. To help keep me protected. Xarelto® is a latestgeneration blood thinner. Thats proven to treat and reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots from happening again. In clinical studies, almost 98 of patients on xarelto® did not experience another dvt or pe. Heres how xarelto works. Xarelto® works differently. Warfarin interferes with at least six bloodclotting factors. Xarelto® is selective. Targeting just one critical factor, interacting with less of your bodys natural bloodclotting function. Dont stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor as this may increase risk of blood clots. While taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. 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Im afraid its bad for my teeth. Try crest 3d white. Crest 3d White Diamond strong toothpaste and rinse. Gently whiten. And fortify weak spots. Use together for two times stronger enamel. Crest 3d white. Im 51 years old. M. When i was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia, it was huge for everybody. She just started to decline rapidly. I was rushed to the hospital. My symptoms were devastating. The doctor said, pam if youd have waited two more days, you wouldve died. If id have known that a vaccine could have helped prevent this, i would have asked my doctor or pharmacist about it. Reporter tom clayton stood accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife, and kelleys family and friends who once loved tom like a son and brother were trying to process the idea that he might be a killer. The betrayal and the confusion. You dont know what to think. The fear, just because nothing is making sense and you try to make sense of something thats not logical. This has been such a betrayal of someone thats been in our lives for a number of years. Were you trying to give him the benefit of the doubt at all . I want to say there was no looking back. You know . I believe he was involved. Reporter if kelleys sister had any doubt about toms guilt, it was erased when she saw him in court for the first time. I was there at his bail hearing. He had a bullet proof vest on, shackles, no emotion. He doesnt look. He doesnt cry. And he gets out on 250,000 cash bail. Thats pretty low. And hes been out ever since. Reporter and he seemed determined to profess his innocence to anyone whod listen. He said, id like to tell you my side of the story. I said, i really dont want to hear it. I dont want to get any more involved. And hes, like, partially crying and hes saying, you know, i wouldnt do that. Reporter months went by as the state prepared the case against each man. Michael beard was the first to go to trial. In court, he recanted his confession and changed his account of the murder. But prosecutor Weeden Wetmore said evidence put beard at the crime scene. His dna was found where she had fled after being struck in the head with the murder weapon. Reporter it took jurors only seven hours to convict him. A jury finds michael beard guilty of what the prosecution is calling a murder for hire scheme. Reporter if beards case had been a slamdunk for investigators, tom claytons would be anything but. The prosecutor knew he couldnt use beard to testify against tom. Even if he came forward and said, i want to testify now, he had lied so many times. He had lied at his own trial. Beard had changed his story so much at his own trial that he wouldnt have been a credible witness. Reporter tom and his lawyer pounced on that, telling reporters that beard acted on his own. This is purely mr. Beards doing, what we do know is that mr. Clayton had nothing to do with the death of his wife. Reporter and toms lawyer didnt stop at michael beard. He went after the investigators. He said they had tunnel vision when it came to his client. He said, youll hear it. Youll hear it from the body cam video. Shes beat the [ bleep ] shes beat up. You got a suspect . The husband. The husband . Reporter the lawyer believed everything that followed in the investigation had been poisoned. He was simply just being wrongfully accused and police just rushed to judgment and that therefore led to an incomplete investigation. Reporter and in fact, investigators never found evidence that tom paid beard for a hit. Reporter as far as tom clayton, there was no conversation overheard. There was no money exchanging hands. You couldnt even use the confession from michael beard. So, there were a lot of things you didnt have. Right, but if you look at Thomas Claytons conduct, he never mentioned michael beard. Everybody says, michael beard should be an immediate suspect. He never mentioned michael beard to the police. To me, thats theres a reason for that. Reporter as they prepared for trial, investigators kept digging. They discovered a flurry of calls and texts in the weeks leading up to the crime. Clayton was contacting beard, saying, hey, we have to meet. He was getting him a bicyc bicycle, so he was having these clan december ti clandestine meetings. Reporter investigators also pulled Surveillance Footage from outside toms business. They believed this was video proof of a conspiracy. Thats beard, they say, in a red truck that tom loaned him just hours before the murder. And thats tom following in his green servpro truck. Also know that during that time period beard turned his phone off, turned it on, turned it off again. Why do you think he did that . Well, the inference to be drawn from that is that he has guys are not naive. They know that theres a possibility of being tracked with their phones. Reporter then, after the murder, the video shows what looks like beard returning to toms business to drop off the truck. There are its headlights entering the lot. And investigators believe thats beard getting on the bike tom gave him, pedaling away under the cover of darkness. The trial for Thomas Clayton is now set to begin. Reporter the courtroom was packed as toms trial began i have never been in such a tense, anxious atmosphere. The courtroom was typically tense throughout the entire trial, but as far as anxiety was concerned, i have never been in a room that was filled with so much anxiety. Reporter the only one who didnt seem tense to the reporter was the defendant himself. He saw tom clayton smiling and kidding around with family members. His lawyer, though, was on the attack. He told the jury how investigators had immediately labeled tom a killer on the night of the murder. I think he attacked her. Reporter and the defense said investigators refused to change their minds even after it was clear michael beard was the one who beat kelley to death. The defense had basically alluded to the fact that there was a psychosis in michael beard. And that he out of just hate and revenge against thomas and his other bosses went to the house that night with the intent of stealing and taking money and killed kelley in the process. Reporter the prosecution said that was nonsense. Michael beard had no reason to murder kelley unless he was sent there by the defendant, tom clayton. The state called linda miller to testify. She recounted how tom borrowed her phone and then deleted the number hed dialed, never dreaming shed do her own detective work. You really connected the dots. To get the police to this moment. Yeah. She did good. If you can call it good. Reporter finally, the prosecutor said he knew why tom wanted his wife dead. He called kelleys niece mollie to the stand. He just told me a lot of stuff about their relationship. Reporter molly told the jury about the summer she worked for her uncle tom. She said he talked a lot about his marriage. That he wasnt in love with her anymore, that kelley was very lazy. And he told me about him trying to sleep with other women and that he was sleeping with other women. And he told me that he also was getting close to a divorce. He just wanted to be done. Reporter the prosecutor told the jury this was toms motive. He wanted to get rid of his wife but keep everything else. I think he was concerned that his wife, if they went through a divorce, that she probably would get everything and this was an opportunity just to start anew. Reporter the millers listened and wondered how they could be so wrong about their old friend tom clayton. We didnt obviously know until the trial of the affairs and stuff. You really didnt know tom at all . No. Correct. Correct. Thats the scary part. Reporter after seven weeks the case went to the jury. Kelleys sister and the prosecutor braced themselves. Now we wait. Reporter but not for long. It took jurors just six hours to make their decision. As they filed back into the courtroom, the reporter noticed a change in tom clayton. That was really the first time that i saw on his face that you got the sense of this guy final knew that, oh, god, i could go to frizz fprison for life, depending on what theyre about to say. Reporter and then they said it. Guilty of first degree murder. Outside the courthouse there were tears. Lots of them. Thank you. I believe justice was done here today. I do. Reporter tom clayton is awaiting sentencing. Michael beard has already begun serving a life sentence. It seems so many in town want to honor kelley, even toms old hockey team. The elmira jackals just held a tribute for her and victims of domestic violence. Kelleys children dropped the ceremonial first puck to start the game. Im telling you, kelley is with me. And i have a very strong faith. I hear her days, saying, get up. Lets go. We have got to do this. And i do. I have her beautiful babies and my own. You know, you have to keep on keeping on. And now our second hour of dateline. Cant even explain the emotions and the pain. Our hearts break for this mother. People dont randomly disappear. She was a design original, christina, the fashionista. It was news nationwide when she vanished. We realized this was real. Who was the last to see her . And where was her exmodel boyfriend . He doesnt call when shes missing and he wouldnt say where he was. He thought he was getting away with it. She was fighting for her life. Alls i can do is pray with all that i have. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with frantic. Reporter Christina Morris was afraid of the dark. Up through even, like, you know, grade school. You know, she woke up in the middle of the night. We knew about it because she was in our bed. Yeah, you could hear the feet coming down the hallway. She was scared of the boogeyman. You know, boogeyman was going to get her one day. Reporter it was something she never really got over. 23 years old and she was still sleeping with a night light. Always the bathroom light on. Yeah. Reporter and it wasnt just the dark that scared christina. It was what might happen in the dark. Christina had a fear her whole life that she would be taken. Reporter taken . Abducted . Yes. Reporter whered this come from . I dont know. But her absolute worst fear is exactly what happened to her. How many people actually live their Worst Nightmare . Reporter from early childhood, Christina Morris fears didnt slow her down. Shes not one to sit in front of the tv and watch tv. She always has to be taking pictures or working on the computer. She just always had to be going. Reporter christinas parents divorced when she was a baby. She grew up in suburban dallas with her dad, mark, her stepmom, anna, and a brother and sister. But she remained close to her mom, jonni mcelroy. Shes the love of my life, the apple of my eye, my heartbeat. Shes my everything. Reporter it was almost like christina had two moms, and later when jonni married ronnie, two dads. And lots of friends. Sydney robertson has known christina since they were 3 years old. Her personality was definitely ten times bigger than she was. And shed get so small but she gives the biggest hugs. And she will not let you go. Reporter kelly lange met christina just after high school. She was this animated, smart, beautiful fashionista. She was quirky, and it drew people in no matter who you were. Reporter and all her life, christina was drawn to two boys. She knew these two guys, logan and hunter, since third grade. Reporter Hunter Foster, Logan Prendergast and christina. The three musketeers. You know, and they knew everything about her. Reporter logan and christina went from buddies to high school sweethearts. Moving day. Reporter the relationship continued through college. Christina earned a degree in marketing, and later moved in with logan. When they broke up in 2013, christina rebounded right into the waiting arms of Hunter Foster, the third musketeer. Almost as if, like, what, there were no other guys in the world . Right. Yeah. Reporter hunters always been in love with christina. Always. It was easy and comfortable for her to be with hunter since she knew him and his family growing up. Reporter hunter was a skateboarder and had pursued a modeling career in new york. Successful at first, it hadnt worked out, and he was back in town without a job, but with plenty of free time. Christinas mom could see why her daughter was so connected to hunter. He was a great skater and a dirt bike rider and good looking in her eyes. And he lived life on the edge and took chances. That was her excitement, too. Reporter by the summer of 2014, 23year old christina was living with hunter about an hour away from family and friends. She was working in marketing at a dating service and had just earned a promotion. Christina was moving up. She was very driven. She liked designing things. She loved photography. She was making a business for her boyfriend at the time. Reporter hunter had an idea to start his own clothing line. He had a dream of, you know, starting a business with skater gear and stuff like that. Reporter he may have had the dream, but hunter didnt have the ambition or the money, relying on christina to help him with his business and with the bills. She worked a fulltime job and was a manager. Her boyfriend didnt do anything. She supported him. Reporter so she had a mom and a dad who worked, correct . Uhhuh. Right. Reporter where did she get this idea that its, like, okay to be with a guy who didnt do anything . Well, because thats our world, not her world. Reporter okay. I i know, im the same way. Trust me. It bugged the heck out of me. Reporter on the friday of Labor Day Weekend, hunter decided to drive to dallas and hang out with his friends and not with christina. She went back to her Old Neighborhood to see some high school pals. Steven nickerson, another of her childhood buddies, was surprised to see her. It was good, because i hadnt seen her in probably, like, six to eight months. And we caught up. Reporter the group met up at an apartment. And then around 11 00 or 11 30 we went down to the bars. Reporter the bars were in an upscale Shopping Mall in the town of plano. It was hopping. The group headed to a bar called henrys tavern, then closed down another called scruffy duffys. At about 2 am, christina, steven, and a few others went back to the apartment where theyd started. Reporter how drunk was everybody . I mean, we were all pretty drunk. It was myself, i probably had ten to 12 shots and a couple beers when i was out. Reporter too drunk to drive, steven wanted to crash on the couch and sober up. But christina hadnt had much to drink at all and she just wanted to get home. It was now about 3 30 saturday morning. She wanted me to take her home. Reporter she wanted you to take her home and you say, i cant. Ive had too much to drink. Why dont you stick around . Yeah. Reporter and she says, no, i want to go. Im going to go. Yeah, shes stubborn. Im not going to force her to stay there. Reporter steven says christina decided to drive herself home. I told her if she felt like when she got to her car that she couldnt drive to call me and id walk back and get her and wed walk back and you know sleep there, sleep it off or leave in a few hours and id take her to her place in fort worth. Reporter she left the party, and just like that Christina Morris vanished. The first clue to the mystery. They found christinas car. She never got in it. People dont randomly disappear. That just doesnt happen. Where is she . 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Treat all your clothes better with tide pods plus downy. If its gotta be clean, its gotta be tide. Hos. Whs bn wtinforhisor yes. A reporter it was about 3 30 in the morning on the saturday of Labor Day Weekend 2014. The party was over. Christina morris, who didnt like the dark, was walking to her car. Another guy at the party had offered to walk with her. Her buddy Steven Nickerson called her to be sure she was okay. I said, hey, have you made it to your car yet . And she said, no, almost there. Reporter a few minutes later, steven texted christina, but the messages were coming up green on his screen. Which means her phone is not on . Or out of service, yes. Reporter steven slept it off, and drove home late saturday morning. I shot her a text and say, you know, let me know if when you get home, whenever your phone charges or whatever it is. Reporter three days later on tuesday afternoon, christinas mom, jonni, now living up in tulsa, oklahoma, got a text from one of christinas friends. Asking me have i heard from christina. And i said, no. Why . And she sent me back a message. She goes, her boss called me and said she never showed up for work. Reporter she hadnt shown for her shifts on saturday or tuesday. I immediately got a feeling in my stomach that ive never had before. I knew something was wrong. I sent christina a message on her phone. And i sent hunter a message. Reporter hunter, christinas livein boyfriend. And he never called me back. Reporter jonni called christinas dad. I asked her father if he has heard from her. He said, no. And anna had not heard from her. And i said, somethings wrong. Reporter mark, his wife, anna, and christinas sister sarah all started calling friends including hunter. Reporter so your your oldest daughter ends up getting ahold of sarah . Uhhuh. Reporter and she says to hunter, have you seen christina . And hes like, well no, i havent since since friday. Right. He figured she was with us or with her mom. Reporter hunter, whos living with her, doesnt say anything, doesnt call you . Doesnt sound the alarm and call anybody . Dont get me started. Reporter mark and anna continued to work the phones. Eventually reaching christinas pal, Steven Nickerson. Her dad had asked me if he had seen if i had seen christina or heard from christina. And i said, no, and the last time i talked to her was, you know, saturday morning. And he asked me, like whod she leave with, and i told him it was enrique. And im like, whos enrique . Yeah, because we didnt know enrique. Reporter Enrique Arochi was a guy christina had known in school. He was the one who left the party at the same time and had offered to walk with her. How well did you know enrique . I graduated high school with him but i wasnt i was acquaintances with him. I didnt really ever talk to him. And that was pretty much christinas relationship with him, too, right . Yeah. Reporter steven chased down enriques number from other friends, and anna called him. He told me we did leave together, but we went separate ways. And i said, you telling me you did not see her get into her car . And he said, no. And i told him, i said well, no one has heard from her. I cannot find her. Were about to call the police. Reporter mark couldnt dial fast enough. Communications, how may i help you . Im trying to report a missing person, uh, my daughter. She hasnt shown up from work. Im just finding out about this. Everybodys freaking out. Does she own a vehicle . Yes. A 2001 toyota celica. Silver. Reporter about 30 minutes later, mark got a call back. An officer called me and said they found christinas car. It was still parked in the parking garage. It never left. Reporter just after midnight, mark and anna raced to the garage with a spare set of keys. I opened the door, i looked inside, you know, the car was locked and it was just a mess. And it was a mess, just like she keeps it. Reporter but its always a mess . Its always a mess. Reporter but no bag, no wallet, no cell phone. The car was locked. And she never got in it. Reporter now, police had to play catch up. The Plano Police Department had a disadvantage with the fourday delay start. Reporter Zeke Fortenberry was a prosecutor in the Collin County district attorneys office. Plano Police Department knew that it was four days shed been missing already. And so that kind of raises a red flag that something serious might be going on. There is still no sign of a missing ft. Worth woman who vanished from a plano parking garage. Reporter by this time a lot of people in north texas were hearing about Christina Morris. Lorraine caceras covered the story for telemundo dallas. People dont randomly disappear from Shopping Centers in plano. That just doesnt happen. And the fact that maybe, just maybe this could be a random act. And if it is a random act reporter then its really scary. Its very scary. Am i the next victim . And the unanswered question, where is she . Coming up, questions for the friend who left the party with christina. You dont mind if i look in your car . No, its no problem. Very cooperative. Police were very adamant that this guy was not a suspect. If he werent a suspect, then who was . Thats like wearing a sandwich board saying be suspicious of me. When dateline continues. Life looks great with tampax pearl. You get ultimate protection on your heaviest days and smooth removal for your lightest. Tampax pearl and pocket pearl for on the go. I say we own it. Xperience become something to hide . Lose all that negativity. Just let it go. Its just bad energy. Oh, and lose those terrible black balloons they give you on your 50th. Whats up with that . Hey we hear you. Thats why our members love aarp the magazine. It celebrates you. With fun and provocative content, from lifestyle and entertainment to indepth reporting. And its just one of the great benefits of membership. If you dont think this is right for me when you think aarp, then you dont know aarp. Get to know us at aarp. Org possibilities she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. But once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. I use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. You are free to go. Tide and downy together. Reporter the stars at night were big and bright. But by dawn, deep in the heart of texas there was no trace of Christina Morris. I didnt sleep for 24 hours. I stayed up all night. Reporter by wednesday morning, four days after christina vanished from the fancy Shopping Center, her mom jonni was growing frantic. I called every Police Department. I called every hospital because you never know. Reporter the calls led nowhere, and jonni felt helpless in oklahoma, so she and her husband packed their bags and drove the four hours down to plano. Straight to the parking garage where christinas car had been found. You came straight here. Yes. Even though this was the one place in dallas where you can pretty much guarantee police had searched pretty thoroughly. Yes. But youre searching. Youre walking all over the place. Yes. As a mom, i just couldnt believe that theres no way that theres no evidence that she didnt come out of this parking garage, that she had to still be here. Reporter jonni didnt find anything but she hoped maybe someone in the neighboring apartments heard or saw something. How many doors you knock on total do you think . Oh gosh. 50, 100. Reporter christinas friends were searching the Shopping Center too. We walked to restaurants. We talked to people. We walked the path that she possibly couldve walked that night. Reporter and plano police were also hitting the streets. They began to contact all of the the friends who were at the party that night, who had been at the bars and drinking with christina. Reporter including Enrique Arochi the guy who left the party with christina. The detective reached him at this sprint store, where he worked as a manger. Hello . Hi, enrique, this is detective cathy stamm of Plano Police Department. Reporter enrique was more than willing to help. You said that you were leaving at the same time same time as christina, and you guys walked over to where your vehicles were parked, is that right . Yeah. Yeah, we walked separate ways. We walked until the end of the apartment complex, and after that we just split up because i went to a different parking lot than she was. Reporter that afternoon Enrique Arochi drove down to plano pd for an interview. If you dont mind, im just going to reporter he never asked for an attorney and answered all their questions. And if you dont mind if i look in your car, thats great. And then i can say i did. Yup. And i hope you understand. And thank you for being cooperative. No, its no problem. Whatever i can do to help. Reporter police took photos of enriques black camaro and sent him on his way. Lorraine caceres says reporters got wind of enriques visit to plano pd. The police were very adamant about the fact that this guy was not a suspect, that he was not involved. He was very cooperative, very helpful with the investigation. Reporter police also wanted to learn more about christinas boyfriend, Hunter Foster. Her Parents Told Police that relationship was rocky. She was planning on leaving him. I do know that for sure. She was home alone a lot by herself because hed go out partying with his friends. And she was lonely. She was sad. Reporter and when police talked with christinas friend steven, he told them shed been texting hunter that night asking him to pick her up from the Shopping Center. She had texted him a few times and then he stopped texting her back, and then she tried calling him and he didnt answer. Reporter as a result, steven said, christina became more and more upset as the night wore on. I mean, yeah, they were in a fight. They were definitely fighting that last night . Uhhuh. Reporter police asked hunter to come down to the station. Former prosecutor Zeke Fortenberry. Whats he say about that fight that he and christina were having . Hunter says he wasnt really aware of the fight. He said that he was out drinking, partying. He wasnt paying attention to his phone. And yet its the opinion of all her friends who heard her side of that conversation that they were . Oh, yeah. The friends said she was upset to the point of even crying sometimes. She was so upset with hunter that she was tearful and upset. Reporter hunter told police he was out with friends in Downtown Dallas the night christina disappeared and 20 miles away from that mall in plano. But when cops pressed him for details, he was vague. And there was one more thing. Hunter would not give up his cell phone. Thats like wearing a sandwich board saying, be suspicious of me. So its friday night, but theyre not going out together. And he doesnt call when shes missing. And he wont let you download his phone. Is that about right . Thats all true. Reporter christinas mom also found hunters behavior very odd. And she confronted him about it. I need to know why you didnt call, why you didnt check on her . Yeah. I flipped out. I got little anxiety right now. Reporter jonni kept pressing hunter for details about that night. You kept in touch with him. You stayed in contact. Yes. If he was responsible, im going to keep that enemy closer, so i wasnt going to let him out of my sight. Reporter jonni wasnt giving up. Neither was christinas stepmom anna. Somebodys seen her. Something is somewhere. We just need that little bit of information so we can bring her home. Reporter there were no witnesses and few leads but attention grew. Plano police were leading larger and larger search parties, scouring the countryside. There was a lot of people from the community that didnt know the family, that had no connection to christina, and they were coming to support. And dozens and dozens of people in these searches just trying to find this girl. Reporter days went by with no sign of christina or her belongings. More resources arrived like a mounted search team and drones. Christinas family and friends were a constant presence. We were told to look for her items, for a phone, for a ring, for a hat, for a bando, for anything at all because anything could be something. Reporter however, one person very close to christina never showed, Hunter Foster. The only person missing in this entire process was her boyfriend, her livein boyfriend that she shared a roof with. Not searching . No. Not out there . No. So that was our next question. Who is this guy . Coming up Hunter Foster goes public. So nervous. If i would have been there, none of this would have happened. He gets up, takes off his mike, i cant do this anymore. Pampers. Unlike ordinary diapers with two layers, pampers have three absorbent layers to stay up to three times drier, so babies can sleep soundly all night. Wishing you love, sleep and play. Pampers. School lunch can be difficult. Cafeteria chaos. One little struggle. Can lead to one monumental mishap. Not with ziploc easy open tabs. Because life needs ziploc. Sc johnson. Or how high the pollen count, flonase allergy relief keeps your eyes and nose clear. Flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances that cause nasal congestion and itchy, watery eyes. For relief beyond the nose. Flonase. Its spring, and we cant wait to open our sheds and get working on our yards. Scotts and miraclegro are here to help. We make it easy to grow thick, healthy lawns, spectacular plants, and bountiful flowers. Because when spring starts right, the months that follow stay perfect. Load up your shed with scotts and miraclegro. Its time to get outside. Reporter reporters can smell a story, and soon they were all over this one. Christina morris face was everywhere, including on datelines own missing in america series. Tips were pouring in. Everybody thinks they saw something. I seen this girl at walmart. You start getting these calls all the time. Then you have psychics that call you. Reporter and some of these people are people who genuinely want to help. There are. Right. Reporter and some of them are just crazy. Right. Reporter but no matter how crazy plano police checked out every tip every sighting. And they didnt find anything . No. Reporter reporters wanted to hear from christinas boyfriend hunter, who hadnt shown up for any of the searches. Why cant we ask him just a routine sound byte . How do you feel . What is your hope . And to much insistence, he decides to come down and be interviewed. Reporter but when he sat down with nbc 5 dallas, he was a wreck. Pretty clear that im not emotionally or mentally stable at all. Barely enough to do this right now. I just want her to come home and be alive and safe. His body is trembling in a way ive never seen anybody shake before. His voice breaking up. So nervous. If i would have been there, none of this would have happened. And this this is this is why i didnt want this is i cant do this. I just im done. I dont and maybe two questions into the interview, he gets up and takes off his mike. I cant do this anymore. Reporter was he traumatized because his girlfriend was missing . Or could it be Something Else . So hunter walks out of there basically having done himself probably no good. No favor at all. Reporter at the same time, investigators were pulling security footage to document christinas movements that night. Plano Police Department were able to piece together videos and kind of create a timeline. Reporter cameras captured the group of friends heading to henrys tavern. Thats christina walking in front of the group. Then Early Saturday Morning an atm camera caught christina and enrique heading toward their cars. Remember theyd left the party together. The videos are blurry, but then police found this one. A clear shot of christina and enrique. Neither of them appear to be intoxicated. Theyre walking normally. And it appears to be friendly. Reporter but that video was a big red flag for police. It shows christina and enrique walking into the same parking garage where her car was found. That contradicted what enrique had told Police Previously that they had parted ways long before that. He had also said hed parked in a different garage. So they invited him back down to the plano pd and showed him a frame of that video. Possibly, i could have gone that way and then to the other parking garage. So youre thinking it it might be a possibility that yall could have walked through this garage . Possibly. But, i mean, im i was i wasnt sober at the time. Okay. He says he must have walked through that parking garage, and he just was mistaken. But he continues to insist he didnt park in the same percentaarking garage as christina. Reporter plausible. Except police had another video. Just three minutes after christina and enrique are seen entering that garage, this black car leaves. Is that your car . Yeah. Somethings wrong, enrique. What do you mean . This picture is in that garage. That picture was taken of you walking in that garage with christina. And thats your car coming out of that same garage. Im i guess i parked there. I went to my car and she went her way. I mean, thats all i can tell you. I dont really Pay Attention to where people go usually. Did you stand there and watch where she went . Yeah, i should have done that. Reporter poor manners maybe, but not criminal. Detectives kept pressing. Was she in your car at all that night . Did you uhhuh. Give her a ride like when you guys moved the car to park . Has she ever been in your car . Uhhuh. Not at all . Never. Reporter later police enhanced the video of enriques car. Can you tell if anybodys in it . No. The windows are tinted. Theres reflection on them. You cant tell whos driving the car. And you cant tell if anyones in the passenger seat. Reporter police searched his car again. They used a special forensic light on the inside of the camaro, looking for bodily fluids. But they found nothing and no blood, no hair, fibers or fingerprints. It was very clean. The detectives note they could see vacuum marks in the floorboard. Reporter sometimes a spotless car can seem suspicious. But if the driver is enrique, maybe not. Mr. Arochis one of these guys who spends a lot of time with his car. He was a car guy. Everyone said that he loved his car. He washed his car, cleaned his car. His car was his prized possession. Reporter investigators turned their sights back to christinas boyfriend, hunter. A week after she disappeared, hunter finally brought his phone into plano pd. But when Forensic Experts went through it, the questions for hunter did not fade away. Some things had been erased. Text messages, conversations, things like that have been erased. Reporter could you tell what hed erased . We know he erased part of the conversation with him and christina, that that conversation was gone. Reporter police knew little for sure, but they strongly believed one or maybe both of these men was lying. The question was about what . Coming up, a new piece of evidence, a new piece of video, and a new crime miles away that just might help police crack this case. We didnt know there was something there that might be connected to christina. When dateline continues. Plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis had both. 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Reporter christinas boyfriend hunter told police he was in dallas with friends the night she disappeared but hed been stingy with the details. He had erased conversations on his phone between himself and christina. Investigators were also trying to check enriques story that he was alone when he drove out of the garage early that saturday morning. So you you know what were working on, right . What were trying to is a and youre being very help fful with yeah. Is being able to figure out, you know, the last place shes seen. Because that way we can focus our efforts right. Searching in this area. Reporter though his memory seemed fuzzy, enrique had been cooperative, speaking with detectives down at headquarters without an attorney. And police found no trace of christina inside his car. But since enrique was the last person seen with christina, police kept digging, even digging through the trash outside of enriques home. Whatd they get out of that . They saw several cleaning bottles that were empty, odor removing chemicals, bottles of that were empty. Which couldve been used by him on his car or somebody in the house. Yeah. Theyre normal household cleaners, but the timing might be a bit suspicious. Reporter the trash runs continued. Then in late september more than three weeks after christina disappeared, they found this. A postit note written in spanish thats in the trash can. Whats on the postit note . The postit note is a list of three or four things. It says in spanish, a black shirt, Text Messages from august 29th, and bank and cellphone bills. Reporter august 29th was the night christina went missing. Police thought this might be a list of things to get rid of. Enrique was wearing a black shirt that night . The video clearly shows him wearing a black shirt the whole night. And bank and cellphone records might explain where he was, what he was doing . Right. Reporter plano detectives were already looking at enriques cell phone records. Now they took a close look at his bank records. And they found this transaction at saturday morning, about six hours after christina was last seen on the garage camera. Whatd he buy the morning that she went missing . He got gas at a local Grocery Store with a gas station attached to it. Reporter this video from the gas pumps shows enrique filling up his camaro. Reporter and while he was getting gas, he washes the back of his car where the trunk is at. Okay, hes washing the back of his car. Hes a car guy. Its a bit odd. Its the the squeegee you would use on your windshield. And hes washing the trunk area where the license plates at. Reporter remember, police had already searched the interior of enriques camaro. Now, they thought he might inadvertently be pointing them in a new direction. Police obtained a search warrant, and brought the car down to the crime lab garage. And they showed that gas station video to the csi techs. And one of the c. S. I. Investigators thought to herself where is a likely place that would have d. N. A. , thats hard to clean, and she said that her gut told her to swab the weather stripping, the rubber portion of the trunk at the seal. Reporter its that black rubber gasket that lines the opening of the trunk. They swab it, and send it off to the laboratory for confirmatory tests. Reporter as you can imagine, detectives werent saying much about the case, not even to christin christinas parents. Theyre not giving you a play by play . No, no. Right. And we understand they cant. But you know, we we had to ask questions. We couldnt just sit and wait. Reporter they also had questions for enrique. Maybe he knew more than he was telling. From the beginning, theyd been suspicious of his story. And given christinas fear of being taken, anna and mark thought their daughter would never have let him leave her alone on the walk to the car. She would have because she grabbed ahold of his leg and screamed bloody murder or she would have run back into that apartment. Right back upstairs. And got steven. She would not have walked to her car alone. Never. At 3 00 in the morning . Never, never. Reporter now, christinas family wanted to speak with enrique. He refused, so they began protesting in front of his house. For maximum impact, they gathered in the evenings when most people were home from work. You wanted to be sure the neighbors saw this. Absolutely. I needed his neighbors to know what they were living next to. And it worked. He didnt like it. Reporter enrique started talking, make the interview rounds. This one with telemundo dallas. What do you think about the actions of the family against you and your family . I feel like theyre very wrong. Theyre accusing me of something. Theyre pressuring me to Say Something i dont know personally. Theyve put my name out there so much that people are starting to see me as a monster when im really one of the nicest per people you can ever meet. Are you afraid for your life . I am afraid for my life because of all the threats. Enrique, do you have anything to do with christinas disappearance . No, i do not. I have nothing to do with her disappearance. Did you harm her in any way . No, i didnt. I wouldnt harm anything. Not even an animal, a fly. Nothing. What happened . I have no idea. I wish i knew. Reporter denials from enrique. And no concrete evidence that he, Hunter Foster or anyone else was responsible for christinas disappearance. Her family was losing hope. But in early december, about three months after christina disappeared breaking news, late tonight, we learned that Christina Morris boyfriend is charged as part of a massive drug bust. Reporter officially, Dallas Police said Hunter Fosters arrest was not related to christinas disappearance. Anything concerning the missing person case is obviously a plano case and so we are certainly here to help them in any way we possibly can. Reporter still, reporters wondered if police were telling the whole story. We didnt know if he was being maybe arrested for that federal drug charge and there was something there that might be connected to christina. Just to get him into custody. Just to get him into custody . We had no clue. Reporter by early december 2014, Christina Morris had been missing for three months. Police had arrested her boyfriend, Hunter Foster on drug charges. Investigators had thought he might have something to do with christinas disappearance. But when they looked at cell tower and tollway records they realized hunters alibi was rock solid. His cell phone is down in dallas. His toll tag shows down in dallas. His toll tag shows that he c no, no no no no. 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Which is not anywhere near where she was getting into her car . 20, 25 miles away. Reporter and the reason hunter was so reluctant to give up his phone . Well, it had nothing to do with christina. Hunter was dealing drugs that night. And the proof . One of his customers was a narc. Hunter foster actually dealt to an undercover agent. So on the night christina vanishes, hunter is selling drugs to an undercover officer . Yes, sir. Reporter then, less than a week after hunters arrest, police had Something Else to announce. Enrique arochi was under arrest for kidnapping Christina Morris, though police believed he had murdered her. I cant even explain the emotions and the pain. My whole world was turned upside down. You knew she was gone then . Yeah. Reporter in september of 2016, almost two years to the day since christina had vanished, Enrique Arochi went on trial at the Collin County courthouse charged with aggravated kidnapping. Zeke fortenberry was the lead prosecutor. Why not prosecute him for murder . We thought about that, and i believe he did murder her. The problem is we didnt have a body to show that and we didnt have a crime scene to show murder. Its probably the most difficult case ive ever tried. Im here to give you the facts. And to tell you that on aug. 30th this defendant kidnapped Christina Morris. And thats what the facts say. Reporter the prosecutor showed the jury those interviews enrique gave police and pointed out his changing stories. Why did he lie again and again and again . Reporter he told the jury that even though she cant be seen here, christina was probably in the passenger seat of enriques car. So why did christina get in the car . My guess is he lied to her. Maybe he told her, ill take you home to fort worth. Reporter fortenberry pointed to records from cell phone towers that he said proved she was in the car. He said christinas phone battery was almost drained as she and enrique approached the garage that night. Not surprisingly their phones were pinging near each other. Then, it gets a bit murky. Reporter the prosecutor explained that after the camaro left the garage, it passed through a toll station heading north on the highway. But about ten minutes later, christinas phone pinged off a tower back near the Shopping Mall and then so did enriques, almost as if theyd made a uturn. And i think something changed. I think maybe he put the moves on her and started making sexual advances towards her and she was not okay with that. And then maybe is when the altercation began. Reporter detectives testified theyd seen injuries on enriques arms and hands. Because as detective busby said, there was a fight. It was between enrique and christina and she was fighting for her life. Reporter then, he told the jury, christinas cell phone went completely dead. Enriques phone continued to ping, eventually near his house about 35 minutes later. Finally, the state presented its strongest evidence. Csi techs testified they did find christinas dna, a lot of it, in that rubber gasket lining the trunk of enriques camaro. What they found was probably blood, said experts, but they werent 100 sure. They were sure that it belonged to christina. And thats not all. We also found two other places on the trunk mat that also came back with christinas dna. Where is Christina Morris . I told you at the beginning of this case i wouldnt be able to answer that question. Where was Christina Morris . In the defendants trunk. You think she was alive when she was in the trunk . I think she was dying or dead. Tell the defendant you got your day in court and youre guilty. Reporter but Enrique Arochi had maintained his innocence throughout the investigation. Now his defense attorney keith gore was going to try to pick apart the case against him. The only thing that matters in a criminal case is can the prosecution prove the words in the indictment. Reporter Lorraine Caceres covered the trial. The defense concentrated on the fact there was no body. They concentrated on the fact there was no video of christina getting into the suspects car. Reporter gore told the jury enrique had been cooperative, and as for the injuries on his arms and hands, enrique told detectives hed been working on his car. When the tire landed on me because i took it off. And it was too heavy, so just landed right on oh. Oh, okay, okay. It makes sense it landed where all of this yeah. Okay, that makes sense. Reporter then the defense went after the cell phone data. What do you have . Cell data hits. They brought in their own experts saying that these cell phone towers and these pings are not reliable. Reporter and christinas dna in the trunk . Gore pointed out enriques camaro and christinas toyota were both processed at the same police garage. This is a one bay, one garage and youve got all these cars coming in and out. Nobody needs to tell you this. This is how cross contamination occurs. The evidence is not there beyond a reasonable doubt, and i would ask for your verdict of not guilty. Reporter enrique did not testify, and the jury got the case. Deliberations dragged on for two days. And then a verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of aggravated kidnapping as charged in the indictment. They saw that evidence. The right thing was done that day. Reporter the judge gave enrique the maximum, life in prison. She put her trust in you to walk her to her car. Reporter christinas family finally got to confront enrique in court. How can you sit there and not tell us what happened to our girl . I will make sure till i take my last dying breath that she is remembered with digni dignity, respect, integrity. Everything you are not enrique. Reporter christinas family and friends are not giving up. I just want christina to know that shes so loved, that dibl test. Group of people, an an army behind her. And we wont stop until shes found. We still dont have her. Were still looking every weekend. Were still missing her every day. Thats all for this edition of dateline. Well see you again next friday at 9 00 8 00 central. Of course, ill see you each weeknight for vwh poce y suldakehismaeasy ins the in vinout tigh buthesoreovn right at 11 00 the rain moving out, but there is another storm moving in. Our satellite raider shows another storm headed for the bay area this evening. Good evening, everyone. The calm before the next storm and the core cast is changing. Lets bring in our meteorologist. It looks like a sunny saturday and then what. Yeah, were seeing changes with the storm number one and