Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline Extra 20200830

And i hear the rumbling, i hear the dog growling. How could you not tell thats your wife . It was dark. He just kept saying it was an accident. He said he didnt do anything wrong. Others disagreed. We never for a second believe that he didnt know who that was standing in front of him. Was it a tragic mistake . He was broken. Or coldblooded murder . These fits of emotion are only done in front of the detective, not when hes alone. A room too dark to see or a story too hard to believe . There was nothing accidental about what he did. A shot in the dark and doubt in the light of day. The love of your life . Yes, sir. The person you know better than anybody else . Yes, sir sfwrk you couldnt tell when you pull that trigger . Hello, and welcome to dateline extra. Debbie kelly had been successful in the business but unlucky in love. Then she hired so it seemed until debbie was gunned down in other own home, leaving investigators to wonder, what was the motive . Heres Andrea Canning. Reporter what happened inside this house would destroy everything the woman who lived there had worked for. She finally had it all the career, the dream home, the marriage shed waited so long for. There was a brightness in her eye. I trusted that she knew her heart. They were in love. Theres no other way around it. Reporter her life now complete, fulfilled, safe. We never worried about her. Reporter but was it all an illusion . Send an ambulance, please reporter what happened that morning in the predawn hours in the dark . Right in the freaking chest oh reporter the women at this san antonio racquet club say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they play tennis. I think tennis in general just really brings out your personality. Tennis either brings out the best or the worst in you. Reporter as for who had the best character at their club, the answer comes as fast as a Serena Williams serve, their friend, debbie kelly. Debbie, for me, was kind of the whole package of a person. Fair, fun, and a great leader. Reporter debbie, fiercely independent, driven. Always wanted to be a career woman. Reporter she climbed the corporate ladder in healthcare. Her mom and dad, jim and anne kelly, marveled at her commitment. She spent many, many hours traveling and many hours working overtime. Reporter but debbie hadnt found as much success in her personal life. She got married in her 20s, but it didnt work out. Now in her 40s, and dedicated to her career, there was little time to look for the right guy. Reporter was it hard to date . It was hard for her to date. Reporter so in 2008, debbie took a new job that allowed her to focus a little more on her personal life. Thats when she got serious about her tennis game. She was a little bit of a tiger. Reporter thats how she met this bunch, bette paese, soeurette shookkelly, and Ellen Mitchell. She was not a big person. But all of her went up, and the hair would fly up, and she would smash that ball. Reporter the ladies clicked off the court, too. Bonning over post match drinks. She had a great laugh. Throws her head back and her whole body laughs. Reporter ive heard that she was very private. Would she talk about dating and guys with you all or . Not with me. Uhuh. She just wasnt one to talk about herself, period, but i was always trying to find her somebody. Reporter how did she receive bette the matchmaker . Well, shed always be like, oh, no. Reporter husband or not, debbie was ready to plant some permanent roots. She bought a house in a gated community and began to remodel it, on her own. She told her friend liz sevilla all about it. Reporter was she like an hgtv type of girl . [ laughter ] yes. Oh, my gosh. Hey, im going to home depot. Shes working on the Sprinkler System or shes deciding on materials for the floor. Reporter but the busy executive couldnt do everything herself, so in 2012, she hired a contractor. His name was lars itzo. But once work got underway, lars seemed in no rush to finish the job. She was getting very frustrated, and shes just like, i wish this person would finish. Reporter but lars siblings ken and kristi said he wasnt dragging things out for the money. He had an ulterior motive. He goes, yeah, she keeps flirting and talking and were laughing and having a good time. Reporter lars liked debbie, and he thought it was mutual. And he goes, can i ask her out . And i went, yeah, why cant you . Reporter so began an unlikely courtship between debbie, the petite powerhouse, and lars, the 62 nordic heman. They were cute. They were goofy. Like teenagers. Reporter debbie got a kick out of lars laidback ways, just a guy into oldschool board games, restoring muscle cars, and drinking texas favorite, homegrown soft drink, dr. Pepper. About a case a day. I mean, he had a lot reporter what . Of dr. Pepper. At least a 12pack, i know. Reporter ive never heard of someone drinking that much dr. Pepper. I thought it would kill him. Doesnt drink a lot of alcohol at all, just dr. Pepper. Reporter and when private debbie brought lars out to meet her friends, they knew it was serious. He arrived with her, handinhand. Reporter sure, they noticed lars was a different sort of match for their friend. Hes very quiet. Hes got the blond hair that would go with being named lars. He seemed like a a surfer big man. Reporter but to debbie, he was the right man. I felt like she was really in love with him. I can understand her thinking, you know, maybe its time to try something just different. Reporter and pretty soon that Something Different was official. After a year of dating, debbie and lars were engaged. Reporter so baby brother finally settled down . He did, and he was happy. Never seen him that happy. Reporter they married soon after at this chapel in arkansas, near her parents homes. Reporter how beautiful did she look on her wedding day . The main thing is she just looked so happy. That was really important to me. Reporter debbie and lars embraced the contented rhythms of married life, spending weekends with family, enjoying the outdoors and her dog cody, but after two years together, things started to change. Debbie got a coveted promotion to vice president. That was going to entail more traveling and a lot more working, too. Reporter big responsibilities, more pay, but less time at home, less time with lars. October 9, 2015, debbie, recently back from a business trip, went to bed early for a morning tennis game. Debbies beloved cody slept on the floor beside her. The shades were down. Lars joined them a little past midnight. Four hours passed, and then san antonio 911. Uh, just had a gun shot. Reporter what had happened in that texas home . Coming up i thought there was a burglar in the house. I thought there were multiple people in the house. Danger in the night. And a confrontation in the dark. Oh, baby. Ja ja and you look amazingly comfortable. 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In the aftermath there would be no debate about who shot her buck what would happen in the critical moments before her death . Here again is Andrea Canning. Reporter 4 13 a. M. Lars itzo called 911. Im a male. Shes a female. Will you send an ambulance, please. Reporter that female was debbie, shot and gravely wounded. I want you to walk over to her and make sure that she is still breathing. Oh, i dont think she is, damn it. Ugh. Reporter the 911 operator guided lars through cpr. Kneel beside her. Ahh stack your hands. [ bleep ] oh, baby oh. Oh, man. Right in the freaking chest oh Reporter Police raced up to the house, dash cams rolling. The audio kept recording as they entered the house. [ dog barking ] reporter they found lars standing over debbies body back by the bedroom. Go ahead and back up, please. Reporter as an officer tended to debbie, lars tried to explain how the shooting happened. I thought there was a burglar in my house. I thought there were multiple people in the house. Okay. What did you hear . I heard voices when i was in bed. And where did you hear the voices at . Up front. Okay, and after you heard the voices, what happened . I got up. I thought my wife was in bed with me. Okay. I grabbed my shotgun. Reporter as emts took over, trying to save debbie, lars went with police down to the station. They urgently needed more details. Reporter where were the intruders . Were they armed . What did lars know . What exactly did he do . Sitting in the interview room, wrapped in codys dog blanket, lars took them through what happened, stepbystep. He said he was awakened around 4 00 a. M. By strange noises in the house. I hear the front door or the door squeaking, and i hear the grumbling, i hear the dog growling. Reporter he said hed never heard cody growl before, so he was instantly on alert. Did you think they were male voices or female voices or i believe they were male. Lars says he moved towards the sound that he heard with his shotgun in hand. He reached this tiny hallway where he says he saw a silhouette standing in front of him about three feet away. He says he made the splitsecond decision to fire his gun, fearing for his life. All of this happening, he says, in the pitch black darkness. About how far away were you from them . Me to you. Okay. Reporter but the person lars shot was not an intruder. It was debbie. Police quickly determined that the only shot fired in the house came from lars gun. He said it was an accident, a case of mistaken identity. Everything happened so fast. Reporter nevertheless any kind of infidelities going on between you or with her, anything like that . No, sir. I trust her completely. Completely. Reporter lars answered each of the investigators questions. Reporter in return, he just wanted to know one thing nobody has told me anything about if shes alright. Reporter so after two hours of talking, they broke the news i dont know how to tell you this, but your wife didnt make it. Okay . She is deceased. Reporter just before 10 00 a. M. , police let lars go. Ken and kristi remember their younger brother that morning, overwhelmed with grief. He was completely hurt. Shattered. He he was broken. In those hours afterwards, what was he talking about . He really wasnt talking. He was just in shock. Yeah. If he opened his mouth, he broke down. Reporter across town debbies tennis friends were out on the court, waiting for her to start that Early Morning match. Reporter one of their husbands came out to tell them about debbie. He called me over and said that lars had shot her. What are you thinking when you hear that . Out of the box for you. It was very surreal. I couldnt even comprehend, how could someone shoot somebody . It didnt even make any sense to me. Reporter in arkansas, jim and anne kelly learned the news from their son. Thats just the worst news that a mother could ever hear. How does your brain process that information . I dont think you do. I couldnt process the shooting part, i guess. Just that she was gone. And a part of me died the day she died. Just kept saying, not debbie, not debbie, not deb. Reporter debbies parents flew to san antonio to spend time with lars, to support him in their shared grief. He could hardly talk. He seemed extremely remorseful. Reporter was he saying everything that you would want to hear . Like, i messed up, i did it, im sorry . He apologized profusely for it and said it was just an accident. It was dark. Some people might be really angry, but you didnt go down that road . We did not go down that road. We supported him. Reporter but that support was about to be put to the test. How strong was that marriage . How dark was that night . Coming up i know that she was frustrated. Thats your wife. Height, weight, shape. How could you not tell thats your wife . Sure. Okay. Okay safe drivers save 40 guys guys check it out. 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Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Whats around the corner could be your moment. Ask your doctor about eliquis. Welcome back. Following the news of their daughters sudden death, debbie kellys grieving parents rushed to san antonio to stand by her husband, lars. In a taped interview with police, lars described how he had mistaken debbie for an intruder. Investigators wondered, was it possible he wasnt telling the truth . They were determined to find out. Here again is Andrea Canning. Lars itzo admitted he fatally shot his wife debbie. But said it was a terrible accident. From the very beginning, he cooperated with police. Answered every question, no lawyer present. Then, about eight hours after that first conversation about the shooting, lars headed back to the station and sat down for a polygraph test. He volunteered to go do it. Hes like, ill take a polygraph. Because he said he didnt do anything wrong. Yeah. Reporter but the polygraph indicated lars was deceptive in some of his answers. His brother and sister said it was perfectly understandable. Well, hes nervous. Hes in shock, you know . He couldnt even get his name right, his birth date, where he was born. Reporter maybe so but his performance on the polygraph was enough for detectives to grill him relentlessly. How could you not see that was a woman . It was dark, sir. Reporter no matter how dark it was, how scared he was, how could lars fail to recognize debbie three feet away . Thats your wife. Height, weight, shape. How could you not tell thats your wife . It was dark. Do you understand how lame that sounds, lars . Its the truth. Youre 36 inches from a human being, and you cant tell its your wife . I dont care if its pitch dark. No room is completely dark. Theres ambient light from every room. It may not be much, but its enough to tell the shape. Otherwise, you wouldnt have fired. You obviously saw something because you fired the gun. I said i seen a shape. Reporter lars insisted he thought there were intruders in the house and he and debbie were in danger. I thought there was somebody else in the house going down the hallway the other direction. I thought there was one coming at me this way. Thats what i thought. What made you think that had happened tonight . Because your dog growled . Yes, sir. He never growls. He barks. Reporter there was no witness or apparent evidence to contradict him. After an hour of questioning, police once again let lars go. Six days later, he said his final goodbye to debbie, her parents by his side. How was lars at the funeral . Very composed, very reserved. Uh, he stood up with me. What did that say, that the family was supporting him . It said a lot. It was great. Reporter debbies friends werent nearly as supportive. Did you say anything to him . Did he say anything to you . No. I did not. Reporter they were furious at lars for doing something so stupid, so careless. Everything he did bothered them. Even his taste in flower arrangements that day. Like the one thats pictured here. There was a wreath up at the front that was a huge flower heart, and in the middle of it, it was broken with these lines. So it was this broken heart. And it actually looked like a heartbeat, and it was in such poor taste. She was actually shot in the heart . Well, it penetrated the lining of her heart, yes. Reporter as family and friends tried to sort out their feelings, police reviewed the case, looking to see if this was a crime or not. Since even an accident can warrant criminal charges. And sure enough, 11 days after lars fatally shot debbie, he was charged with manslaughter. Anything you want to say . Reporter prosecutors Karl Alexander and leo gonzalez caught the case. Why did manslaughter fit . Manslaughter is defined in the texas penal code as causing the death recklessly of an individual. Essentially, thats what it boils down to. It was somehow somewhat of an accident. Reporter lars was released on bail. Debbies parents continued to support him. Manslaughter is still, in our understanding, would be an accident. And so we go forward from there. Reporter but as the days without debbie stretched into weeks, something cooled in their relationship. He starts changing in terms of my conversation, connections with him. And hes not so forthcoming. If i ask him something, he kind of holds back. Reporter lars sister said his behavior could be explained. He had sunk into a deep depression. He just kept saying he wanted debbie back, if he could get her back. It was an accident. He was sorry. Reporter investigators, as they worked through the case, looked into the couples finances. Debbies assets totaled more than a Million Dollars when she died. Her dad was named the beneficiary on most of her investment accounts. So lars, it seemed, had little to gain by killing her. Still, the whispers continued among debbies friends. Who told investigators there was another side to the marriage. I know that she was frustrated. Reporter even simple things caused tension. Liz sevilla volunteered that lars the contractor was slow to finish projects around the house. She did send me a picture of what lars did in the bathroom and the measurements were incorrect. And so it ended up making a hole. She goes, i just want my bathroom fixed. She would express frustrations about lars sitting around on the couch all day and watching tv. Reporter debbies friend Ellen Mitchell noticed a change in debbies behavior when she returned home from business trips. She would come home from some of these trips and say, hey, lets go get a drink, lets have some dinner. And your expectation would be, i want to get home to my husband. She didnt seem to be in any particular hurry anymore. Reporter looking back now, debbies parents wondered if the marriage frayed because debbie, the modern woman, wasnt meeting lars oldfashioned expectations. She was not the kind to stay home and bake cookies or walk in the door and serve you a meal, because shed worked just as hard, too. And all these friends, she goes and spends tennis time, does things maybe just you feel like youre getting shortchanged. He wanted more of debbie . Right. He did want more from debbie. Reporter all marriages have problems. Very few end this badly. So investigators decided to take an even closer look at the husband who pulled the trigger. And it would start with his behavior in the hours after debbie was killed. Remember that video taped interview the grieving husband gave to police just after the shooting . Coming up lars seemed upset. Was he . These fits of emotion are only done in front of the detective. Theyre not done when hes alone. Easier than ever. woman 1 how hot do you think it is . woman 2 a million. Its so hot the bugs cant even sleep. If only we had a c. Im so happy. brad apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Go go go on a real vacation. Visit go rving. Com or your nearest rv dealer. Aso the national eye instituteon did 20 years of clinical studies on a formula only found in preservision. If it were my vision, id ask my doctor about preservision. Its the most studied eye vitamin brand. If it were my vision, id look into preservision. Only preservision areds2 contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the nei to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. I have amd. It is my vision so my plan includes preservision. Heres whats happening. President trump will travel to kenosha, wisconsin, tuesday to meet with local law enforcement. This comes amid protests of the Police Shooting of jacob blake. When ask if hed meet with blakes family, a spokesperson said its not fully ironed out yet. Residents came out for Memorial Services and marches which were scaled back in light of the pandemic. Now back to dateline. Welcome back to dateline extra. There was no question, lars shot and killed his wife, debbie. But now investigators were taking a harder look at the contractor and the crime scene. Just how dark was the hallway where debbie was shot. We went inside their house to find out. Here again is Andrea Canning. As 2015 gave way to 2016, investigators werent so sure debbie kelly had been happy in her marriage to lars itzo and they took a closer look at the circumstances of her death. They pulled all those recordings from the day of the shooting, examined lars behavior, his turns of phrase, even things he didnt do, starting with the 911 call. This is lars in the first moments of that call. Had gun shot. I had thought somebody was in the house uh, my wife. And you did shot somebody . Yes, maam. And what is your name, sir . My name is lars itzo. Ah, man. What do you make of this tone from lars . Hes not really that upset about what hes just done. I thought he was having more of an aw shucks moment, as opposed to an, oh, my god, moment, i just shot my wife. Reporter but within moments, lars became frantic. Oh, baby reporter hyperventilating. Moaning. Oh, my love. Reporter the question was it for real . The way he switched up emotions from when he starts doing cpr, it sounded a lot like mouth breathing. To me, it sounded like overacting. Reporter and investigators also noticed how lars story evolved over just a few hours. On the 911 call he set the scene this way. I seen a light, a flashlight or something. I dont know what it was. I just seen a light and i heard movement. I thought she was right next to me when i got up out of bed. Reporter to responding officers, he changed the order of events, telling them he saw that light after he got out of bed. I got to the door. I seen a flash of light coming from the front of the house. Reporter and lars added various new details to his story. I seen people right here so i told her to wait here. I seen people running. I heard the dog growling. Reporter in his interview down at the station, lars revised his story again. Thats when he said he woke to the front door squeaking and offered, for the first time, this description of how he realized hed shot debbie. I heard this groaning, and i knew it was my wife. Reporter during those interviews, lars appeared heartbroken, at times falling apart. He was described as pacing in the blanket. He was mumbling, he was moaning. At various times, yes. Is that not what a husband should do after Something Like that . It sounds normal. Well, thats the thing, it sounds normal, right . But when the detective looks at him and he doesnt see any tears, okay, that doesnt jive with everything else. These bits of emotion are only done in front of the detective. Theyre not done when hes alone. What was he doing when officers were not watching him . He sat in this manner, sleeping at moments. Reporter and sipping his signature drink, dr. Pepper. Free on bail, lars understood he was still under the microscope. It was difficult. He didnt sleep much. Reporter watching lars suffer was torture for ken and kristi. They knew how much their brother loved debbie and how dark and confusing that house could be at night. You felt it was important that we come to the house now. Yes, i did. Why . Because no one realizes how dark it was. Were here. Its around 4 00 in the morning. Yes, it is. Reporter this was lars and debbies bedroom. The bed was on this wall. Reporter ken itzo walked us through the story lars told him countless times. He wasnt sure what he was seeing. He just thought it was an intruder, maybe two. Theres the thought of, well, debbies only 53, shes blonde. She was wearing a light tshirt. How could he not see his own wife . At 4 00 in the morning, you dont see anything. Its dark. And i dont think size, weight, or complexion matters at 4 00 in the morning when youre awakened by a noise and your dogs growling. Reporter ken wanted us to experience it with the lights off. Lets do it. So lets shut the light off. Okay. Reporter at first it was pitch black, but as my eyes adjusted, i could make out something. I can see a little bit of a silhouette,but i cannot see your face. Going to turn the light back on. I believe i was standing about where lars was standing. You were standing about where debbie was standing. I will say, he would be able to see, probably about the height of the person, if he has similar eyes to me. And that depiction means absolutely nothing at 4 00 in the morning. Whats your reaction to that . Does that change anything . By her size alone, he should have known it was her. A silhouette, i mean, three feet away. He should have known that was his wife. Reporter prosecutors believed it simply was not as dark that morning as lars claimed and said photos from inside the house proved it. This is the big picture windows that are there in the living room. The drapes were never pulled back. And just circle where the shooting happened. It would have been over here. These are the windows the prosecution made such a big deal about. Even the curtains are exactly the way they were the morning of the incident. They believed ambient light would have had to have seeped through these windows from neighborhood streets, from homes, even the night sky. Prosecutors believed that ambient light was enough for lars to see debbies silhouette. They factored in his inconsistent behavior, his shifting story. When you kind of put it all together, there was nothing accidental about what he did. Reporter five months after debbies death, the state made its move. Had you all kind of thought maybe this was going to go away since so much time had passed . I was kind of hoping it would. Reporter instead, on march 3, 2016, lars itzo was rearrested. The charge this time, murder. Coming up here you go, mister. A very thirsty suspect. I enjoy a dr. Pepper every now and again. But i dont want the drink a dr. Pepper when my hands are covered in my wifes blood. 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Thats when you know, its halfwashed. Downy helps prevent stretching by conditioning fibers, so clothes look newer, longer. Downy and its done. Where Everybody Knows someyour name ant to go and theyre always glad you came applebees. Now thats eating good in the neighborhood. Was lars itzo a loving husband who made a deadly mistake . Or a killer trying to cover his tracks . That was the central question as the people vs. Lars itzo began in december 2016. The stakes were high. If lars was convicted of murder, he could face up to 99 years in prison. If he was convicted of manslaughter, as few as two. We never for a second believed that he didnt know who that was standing in front of him. Reporter but the prosecutors knew proving intentional murder wouldnt be easy. Reporter especially in this case though, where you have someone saying, i did it. I confess, but it was an accident. I love my wife. Yeah, we were aware of that and we were willing to accept that challenge. Reporter David Phillips and tamara cochranmay represents lars. They believed their client and thought the jury would, too. This was simply a terrible accident. When i first met lars, i could see his remorse. And after speaking with him, i said, this man didnt do anything on purpose. Reporter the prosecution started off in dramatic fashion. They played lars 911 call for the jury. As the tape rolled, lars shook and sobbed with his entire body. Once again, the prosecution wondered, was it real remorse . I have small children. I have seen that face before. And it usually involves just before a dirty diaper. Reporter now, thats a first on dateline. He had that expression of bearing down, and he was kinda turning red. And you never saw a tear. Reporter next up, the first officer on the scene that night. He testified that lars didnt look like a man whod been doing cpr on his mortally wounded wife. He was clean. What do you mean by clean . He didnt have any blood on his body. Once i saw him doing cpr, then he had blood on his hands. Reporter detectives told the jury lars put on an emotional display. The sobbing noises, you know. Ever see a tear . No. Reporter they played that video of lars at the Police Station to show how he seemed to keep adding details to his story of the shooting. I dont know if i felt her or not, i just reached out and reporter and how in the midst of tragedy, lars still had the presence of mind to ask for his favorite beverage. Here you go, mr. Itzo. I enjoy a dr. Pepper every now and again, but i dont want to drink a dr. Pepper when my hands are covered in my wifes blood. He doesnt even seem to take notice of that. There was one point in the video where he actually sees it and kind of wipes it off on the blanket. No big deal, whatever. Little debbie. Thats cool. Reporter the prosecutions case revolved around this question. Around 4 00 a. M. In a dark house, could lars see well enough to know who he was shooting . Liz sevilla, a frequent house guest of debbie and lars testified she could easily see at night in their home. There was enough light coming through the big windows that i could find my way. Reporter and remember, debbie was only about three feet away when lars shot her. Prosecutor Karl Alexander wanted to show the jury just how close that is. That close. Terrifying. Im a gun owner. One of the absolute cardinal rules of of using a firearm is you do not point the barrel at anything you do not intend to destroy, ever. I knew it was unloaded but in that moment, my pulse skyrocketed. Reporter he wanted the jury to think hard. No matter how dark it was, wouldnt you recognize your own spouse . He knows her scent, he knows her sound, he knows her shape. And he knew who that was in front of him. Reporter after laying out how lars killed debbie, the prosecution thought the jury would want to know why. What was the motive . The couple, they said, had hit a breaking point. Liz sevilla testified that her hard charging, multitasking friend debbie found lars a little too laid back. There was always a project. And it was taking a long time. And who was doing this construction . Lars. So are you trying to say she was frustrated with lars . Yes, sir. Reporter the prosecutors told the jury this marriage of opposites became too lopsided for lars to handle. She took time to play tennis. Work was very important. She took time out to go have dinner with friends and family. He wasnt a factor. Basically, she didnt consider him enough to be a part of her normal, everyday life. Reporter they said lars wanted more from debbie. And when he didnt get it, he got rid of her instead. She was a professional woman and she was very driven. And i think thats part of why she didnt take his name. She kept everything separate. Reporter including her bank accounts. She never put lars name on them. This was not about money. No, it it wasnt. It really has to do with he loved her more than she loved him. Reporter when its turn came, the defense said of course lars loved debbie, which is exactly why he did not murder her. Lars itzo accidentally shot and killed the love of his life. What he is guilty of is making the most horrific mistake of his entire life. Reporter and they called a reluctant surprise witness, debbies own mother, whose early support for lars had waned. She did not want to testify on his behalf. I didnt take it well. I actually started screaming at the attorney. Reporter but anne took the stand. Larss attorney showed her a check she once wrote to debbie. Who is the check made out to . Debbie itzo. Reporter debbie itzo. Proof, the defense argued, that independent debbie sometimes went by her married name. They called lars friends to say the couples marriage was solid. How would you describe his relationship with debbie . Perfect. It was very good. Did you ever notice any sense any marital conflict . No. Reporter kristi itzo explained how her normally stoic brother was overcome with profound grief. He was crying. He was curled up in a ball. He grabbed me. We cried for like 20 minutes. And all he wanted was debbie back. Reporter but the defense knew their case hinged on one thing lars state of mind the moment he pulled the trigger. I need you to raise your right hand. Reporter and there was only one person who could tell that to the jury. Accused killer lars itzo was about to take the witness stand. He was prepared to tell his story, but was he prepared to answer pointed question from the prosecution . Coming up a grieving husband or a lying one . The love of your life. Yes, sir, and person you know better than anybody else. Yes, sir. And you cant tell its her when you pull that trigger . Sur. Was another around the corner . Or could things go a different way . I wanted to help protect myself. My doctor recommended eliquis. Eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. Almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didnt experience another. And eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Eliquis is fdaapproved and has both. Dont stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Whats around the corner could be worth waiting for. Ask your doctor about eliquis. Whats around the corner could be worth waiting for. Gillette proglide and proglide gel. Five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke, while washing away dirt and oil. So youre ready for the day with a clean shave and a clean face. Can it help with snoring . Ive never heard snoring. Exactly. No problem. And done save 50 on the sleep number 360 limited Edition Smart bed. Plus 0 interest for 60 months. Ends monday. Where you can find games, news and highlights. All in one place, right on your tv. The xfinity sports zone. Use your voice to search every stat and score. Follow the teams you love. And, even get notifications with breaking news alerts and more. With the xfinity sports zone everybody wins. Now thats simple, easy, awesome. Say xfinity sports zone into your voice remote today. Welcome back. Its a risky decision for the defendant in any murder trial, but lars itzo was about to testify in his own defense. Only he could explain how in the dark of night he had mistaken his wife for an intruder. His dramatic testimony would captivate the courtroom and the jurys verdict would leave even stunned. Heres Andrea Canning with the conclusion of our story. I heard a moaning. And at that time i knew it was my wife. Reporter lars itzo, up on the stand in his own murder trial to tell the story of what he described as the perfect relationship. It was bliss. The best thing that ever happened to me. Reporter then what everyone in the courtroom was waiting for details about the morning debbie was killed. I heard a grumbling, and as i woke up i got up to see what that was. It was pitch dark. Reporter lars stuck to his story that he couldnt see what he was shooting at. He thought their lives were in danger. I had seen a movement in front of me, and i had pulled the trigger at that time. Reporter he said he was a good man who made a horrible mistake. Did you in any way intend to cause debbie any kind of injury . No, she was the love of my life. Reporter a mistake he said he would regret forever. Still hurts . Every second of the day. She was sent to me from god. If i could have made a list, she would have checked every box. Reporter on cross examination prosecutor Karl Alexander challenged larss key claim that in the dark, he simply couldnt distinguish debbie from an intruder. You know debbies shape. I know her shape, yes, sir. Shes the love of your life . Yes, sir. The person you know better than anybody else . Yes, sir. And you cant tell its her when you pull that trigger . No, sir. Reporter lars testified for twoandahalf hours, but would it be enough to convince the jury he was innocent . They now faced a decision between murder, manslaughter, or not guilty. Please stand. Reporter after more than six hours, a verdict. On count one, the murder charge. We the jury find the defendant lars eric itzo not guilty. Reporter but before anyone in the courtroom had time to react, another verdict. Guilty of manslaughter. Reporter the verdict pleased almost no one. No. This cant be. Reporter for so many on debbies side, it was as if the jury let lars off. Disbelief, anger, beyond words. Reporter but lars family believed prosecutors had it all wrong. It was about them winning. It had nothing to do with justice or the truth. Reporter then came sentencing. In texas, the jury decides, and it soon became clear they wanted to hold lars accountable. For a term of 15 years. Reporter 15 years, just a few years shy of the maximum sentence. I spoke with lars at the state penitentiary in beeville, texas, where he says he carries a photo of debbie in the pocket of his prison uniform. I kiss her picture every morning, every night. Reporter i asked him to describe once again what happened the morning he shot debbie. I was awake, awoken in the middle of the night. Reporter the story sounded familiar at first, but then and i seen the door closing very, very, very slowly. Reporter hed seen the door closing slowly . As he had before, lars just added a new detail to his story. Moments later, he seemed to add another. Believing that there were people in my house reaching for me. Reporter reaching for you . Well, i just seen movement. Reporter so i asked lars about his inconsistencies. Why was your story changing . I dont believe it was. I dont have a script in front of me that im reading. This is exactly what happened step by step by step. Reporter but isnt the truth the truth . Absolutely, but to have an exact answer every single time, thats not me. I will have an answer that is the truth that is going to be said differently each time. Reporter then we talked about the key question what really did he see before he fired the gun . I was in the house. Yes, maam. And it was very dark, but i could make out your brothers silhouette. Would you not clue in that that could be debbie, and maybe i shouldnt pull the trigger . I know assailants come in various forms. I didnt recognize that it was my wife. If it was, i wouldve never pulled the trigger. Reporter did you see her silhouette . No, maam. I seen movement. That was all i seen was like a shadow moving. The first thing was, in my mind, was to protect. Reporter did you stage this death . Absolutely not. Reporter did you murder debbie . No, maam. My wife was everything. She was great in every sense of the word. Reporter that offers the kellys little comfort. The only real satisfaction would be have your daughter come back through the door, and thats never going to happen. Reporter what do you want people to walk away from watching about her and her life . I think debbie was an inspiration. She will always be a part of me and still is. Reporter so ambitious, so hard working, so close to realizing her dreams. Debbies tennis friends say they miss her every day. I think debbie is all around us and supporting us. And we find hints of that constantly in our lives. She was a wonderful presence. And were blessed to have known her as a friend. Thats all for this edition of dateline extras request. Im craig melvin. Thank you for watching. Im craig melvin. And im natalie morales. And this is dateline. Do you have one that got away . Shes just my first love. The guy who disappeared except in her case he really disappeared. Hes going to call me in a couple ofal days. He never called. His family in agony. I wrote letters to oprah winfrey, to americas most wanted. A rookie detective finally broke the case. I said oh, my gosh i think i hit pay dirt. Ai strange phone call revead a secret. David needed to be gotten rid