Page 3 - Ic Styles News Today

>> reporter: which gave detective lopez an idea. >> if he is that close to see that she is totally distraught, then she should have a pretty good look at who he was talking to. >> reporter: at the time no one had thought to show jana poletto a photo of c-styles, but now they did. and she said -- >> "thats who derek was talking to in the park." >> reporter: that was the missing link -- a witness who could connect c-styles to derek smyer. then one last piece. the d.a. wanted c-styles interviewed a...

As they had done with c-styles, michelle and monica now tried to find derek. >> i didnt know dereks name. i thought his name was myers. >> and i was spelling derek the wrong way. and looking for him, like, i mean, just forever. >> reporter: if they had managed to tail derek they would have found a guy who didnt seem to fit the profile of a killer. he was doing well, says his sister danielle. >> he had gotten his bachelors degree in business, he had went on to start his own company. he was doing ...

Because he wasnt guilty. during those ten years from 2001 to 2011, whats derek doing and how is he? does he seem like a guy with a cloud over his head? >> no. he seems like a man whos flourishing. >> reporter: dereks sister danielle was shocked by the arrest. she says the way she and derek grew up was a world away from people like c-styles and from crimes like murder. >> we played, we were into sports, we had two extremely active parents that were a part of all of our sports leagues that were ta...

He got away with it. or so it seemed. help was about to come from the last place anyone expected. on the day crystal was murdered when robbie williams first saw derek smyer at anderson park, derek wasnt alone. >> there was a group of men sitting near a cement picnic area talking. >> you hadnt even heard the name c-styles at that point. but months later after c-styles was arrested and detective williams got a good look at him, he thought the gangbanger looked familiar. >> you think the first time...

>> um, after that, i seen him -- not immediately after that. >> reporter: then they called c-styles to testify. but instead of tying a bow on the case, he lobbed a grenade and blew it to pieces. c-styles told the jury, everything he said on that tape was a lie. >> people have false confessions all the time. it happens all the time. >> reporter: derek smyers defense attorney calvin schneider says c-styles made up a story that the cops wanted to hear. he was hoping to get better treatment in priso...

>> reporter: prosecutor danette meyers told jurors crystals murder, and the attacks on dereks other girlfriend traci williamson, were no coincidence. >> he has a motive to do it because he doesnt want to have the kids. he doesnt want to pay child support. >> reporter: the prosecution claimed that while derek may have failed to stop traci from having her two children, he found the right man for the job of stopping crystal. his basketball buddy, c-styles. >> hes a gang member, hes a killer. and mr...

Served. you feeling any better about the beginning of the second trial than you were at the beginning of the first trial? >> i did. i think because we kind of knew what to expect, we knew what they were going to say, we knew what we had. >> and what you didnt have. >> right. and we had hoped that, you know, whatever mistakes were made from the first trial theyd learn from them and prepared for them and do better. >> reporter: two big differences this time around. first, skyler moore, aka c-style...

>> she became so obsessed. it worried me how obsessed she was with -- and she would say, "hes not gonna get away with doing this to my baby sister." >> reporter: tia was afraid her mom and her aunt were putting their own lives in danger. >> i threatened to tell the police. like, "you guys are not supposed to be doing that. like, you guys dont have weapons. what are you going to do if -- what are you looking for, and then what are you gonna do if you find it?" >> reporter: but theres no arguing w...

As well. but there was nothing linking him to c-styles, except possibly the alleged triggerman himself. now detectives were at a prison sitting right across from c-styles. >> remember we had arrested you in that case where that woman was killed? that pregnant woman in hawthorne? later with that other murder preliminary hearing? >> um, just -- i need a little more detail. >> you dont remember when we arrested you? usually people at least remember when i arrested them. >> nothing like that. >> c-s...

Verdict on all counts. thank you very much. >> reporter: crystals family was worried. they could only hope the jury believed c-styles video confession, and not his recantation of it. the wait for a verdict was agonizing. >> that was painful. >> reporter: one day passed. then two. three days in. >> im nervous. i dont want to do this again. i cant do this again. its not easy. >> reporter: then it was a week. then one week turned into two. >> im like im just praying. i just keep praying, no matter ...