Finding Kelli News Today

It was at that moment marshburn was overwhelmed we motion. >> at that time, i said, baby girl, youre going home. youre going home, baby girl. im sorry. i get emotional. >> had you even seen her yet? >> mm-mm. >> you just knew. >> mm-hmm, we just knew. >> but they had to be sure. so, now the grim task of digging began. >> we found a little piece of a jacket. when we pulled that jacket back, thats when we stopped. we said, this is her. i mean, this is it. >> throughout the day, marshburn had been ...

Ground. the soil was loose, like a hole had been dug and filled in. it was at that moment, marshburn was overwhelmed with emotion. >> at that time, i said, baby girl, you going home. you going home, baby girl. so, im sorry. i get emotional. >> had you even seen her, yet? >> uh-uh. >> you just knew? >> uh-huh. we just knew. >> reporter: but they had to be sure. so now, the grim task of digging began. >> we found little piece of the jacket. when we pulled that jacket back, thats when we stopped. w...

>> everybody rise, please. >> just over a year later came a measure of justice. >> are you, in fact, guilty of each of these crimes? >> yes, sir. >> facing the possibility of the death penalty, nick holbert pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing kelli in exchange for a life sentence. >> i wanted my sister. i didnt want her body, i wanted her. and so, i was like, what happens to nicholas holbert isnt going to change what hes done, whether he says hes sorry or whether -- it doesnt matter. >> for...

So, next day comes, we go pick him up, and hes real quiet. >> he, of course, was nick holbert, who was now back in the forest outside fayetteville. it was may 14th, 2014. two years of searching had now come down to this one sweltering spring morning. but holbert still couldnt remember exactly where he had buried kellis body and went off searching in a different direction. >> were standing there, im like, darn it, i cannot figure this out. and all of a sudden, i looked over to my left and theres ...

>> this morning, detectives with the fayetteville homicide, fayetteville police department homicide unit recovered what we believe to be the remains of private first class kelli bordeaux. >> by now, kellis family had gotten the news. >> matt called me -- >> she was at work. >> he was like, "hey, you need to come to moms now. they found kelli." and i remember dropping the phone to the floor, like "ill be right there." >> then its a sense of relief, instead of wondering, what if, what if, what if....

The soil was loose, like a hole had been dug and filled in. it was at that moment marshburn was overwhelmed we motion. >> at that time, i said, baby girl, youre going home. youre going home, baby girl. sorry. im sorry. i get emotional. >> had you even seen her yet? >> mm-mm. >> you just knew. >> just knew. >> but they had to be sure, so now the grim task of digging began. >> we found a little piece of the jacket. when we pulled that jacket back, thats when we stopped. we said, well, this is her....

>> do you think this case ever would have been solved without you? >> no. i dont think that nick would have ever told anyone unless they were his friend, but he did tell me. >> but the family of kelli bordeaux, the loss, the pain, the sorrow never goes away, but david marshburn at least gave them a chance to heal. >> he ended a suffering for my family, where were sitting here agonizing for these last two years, he was the one that was able to come and end that for us and to make it to where you ...

Welcome back. under intense pressure from private investigator david marshburn, nichok holbert had finally confessed to the murder of kelli bordeaux. he even agreed to take david to kellis body. but after hours scouring the forest for her grave, their search was in vain. now the unlikely pair was about to try again. question was, could the admitted killer make good on his promise and give kellis family the peace they deserved? heres andrea canning with the conclusion of "deep in the woods." >> r...

Desist on digging. dont do nothing else. >> police rushed to the scene, and soon, detective jeff locklear was ininterrogating holbert on camera. >> where do you want to start from, the very beginning? >> holbert told the whole, horrible story, how he took kelli to the bar and they hung out. then later, said holbert, someone there told kelli about his prior sex offense. she got upset and swore at him in the empty parking lot. >> and i just snapped and zoned out and hit her, knocked her out. >> ho...