Attacking Paul News Today

In the daylight, they found this mother of two young children dead. Michael lane she lived a very courageous life. She was very bold in the things she did. Craig melvin but after the smoke cleared, a mystery lingered. Steve lungen we knew she did not die in that fire. She died before the fire. Who do you look to as the suspect . Obviously, the spouse is the first person you look to. Craig melvin but her husband had a clear alibi, and he passed a lie detector test. Eventually, the case grew cold ...

it felt like "law & order". >> the fire broke out before dawn. in the daylight, they found this mother of two young children dead. >> she lived a very courageous life. she was very bold in the things she did. >> but after the smoke cleared, a mystery lingered. >> we knew she did not die in that fire, she died before the fire. >> who do you look to as the suspect? >> obviously the spouse is the first person you look to. >> but her husband had a clear alibi and he passed a lie detector t...

until this witness came forward. with a tale of love and lust gone wrong. >> he finally just took the sweat shirt and wrapped it around her neck. >> but could she be believed? >> i was sleeping around. i think i slept with half the town. >> was she out for justice or revenge? >> is it a perfect world, no? will she get hers, yes? and she does. >> what was the lie? and what was the truth? >> how could you miss it? he wasnt there! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> hello and welcome t...

Previously because i had ended up getting a second job at new york hospital in queens which was very high paying. >> reporter: and then greenwald called what he said was his most crucial witness, pauls landlord. the defense wanted to use him to undermine a key part of the prosecutions case. remember, scott sherwood said that after the murder he and paul drove home to pauls house. >> do you go straight to pauls house in glen cove when you come back? >> yes. >> reporter: but on the stand pauls lan...

>> paul novak is not guilty. and we ask you to find that. >> reporter: after seven weeks the jury finally began to deliberate. going into the trial, paul was certain they would find him not guilty. >> your lifes on the line. >> yes, my life is on the line. but i think the truth will come out in the end. and hopefully -- hopefully those 12 people will know the true story. >> reporter: his fiancee, kat, told us before the verdict she will stick by him no matter what. >> i believe in him. >> have y...

Sherwood, pauls partner from work, to the stand. they told the jury he had been interrogated by police and showed them the tape. >> lets go from the beginning. paul. you meet paul where? >> i met paul at his house in glen cove. >> reporter: jurors heard him tell police his version of what happened the night of the murder. >> so he gets in your red blazer. whos driving, you or him? >> i was driving. we were driving up toward where his residence was. where catherine still lived. >> reporter: sherw...

Eventually, the case grew cold. until this witness came forward with a tale of love and lust gone wrong. >> he took the sweatshirt and wrapped it around her neck. >> but could she be believed? >> i was sleeping around. i think i slept with half the town. >> was she out for justice or revenge? >> is it a perfect world? no. will she get hers? yes. when she dies. >> what was the lie, and what was the truth? >> how could you miss it? he wasnt there! hello. and welcome to "dateline." paul and kathr...

Defendant used tape to tape up his scrubs, he had a hat and gloves on when he went and came back from the house. >> reporter: and there was more physical evidence to back up sherwoods account. he told police he and paul crossed the george washington bridge on their way back to pauls place the morning of the murder. >> was it a toll you guys went through? >> i would assume so. we went through i guess it was the lower level, but there was no booth -- there was no attendant. >> reporter: no attenda...

Paul went to catherines house to move his things out and paul unlocked the basement doors. >> so that he can go up the next time we had the kids, which would be a week later, and that way he can sneak into the house and she wouldnt know. >> reporter: according to michelle, paul wasnt with her on the night of the murder. that alibi was a lie. instead, she said he was with a fellow paramedic named scott sherwood, who drove paul to narrowsburg. >> as far as i know, scott was left in the car, and pa...

Forward. >> michelle la france has been described as a scorned ex-girlfriend, a woman looking for revenge. did all that go through your mind? >> no. i dont believe that it did because after she leaves paul in january, february of 2011, its 14 months before she gets up the courage to come forward to the police to tell the police what she knows, fully expecting that shes going to be arrested. >> do i need a lawyer? >> reporter: as paul waited for his trial to start, he told us he wasnt worried. >>...