must ve been. it was hard to go to sleep some nights. reporter: a young woman living on her own. hurt in the middle of the night. she was vulnerable, alone, and in bed. a crime that jolted a sleepy seaside community. killer walking among them. i do not think that it really sets in, that we are all are in a little more danger at that point. reporter: young, fun, and pretty. cory had plenty of admirers. and one of them like to do much. a strange coworker oh my god. i was, i was obsessed. that is scary stuff, right there. exactly. an adoring friend. her statements about how much she loved cory. peaked our interest. and a young man who made some people very uncomfortable. she called him the night creeper. a gallery of potential suspects, piles of evidence, but the truth would only be revealed by a tiny telltale clue. did everyone s jobs drop? my eyes filled with tears. i could not believe it. reporter: welcome to dateline. she was