Page 3 - Lars Itzo News Today

>> it was dark, sir. >> reporter: no matter how dark it was, how scared he was, how could lars fail to recognize debby 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 en...

>> 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 ...

>> oh. i was kinda hopin it would. >> reporter: instead on march 3, 2016, lars itzo was re-arrested. the charge this time, murder. >> coming up -- a very thirsty suspect. >> i enjoy a dr. pepper every now and again. but i dont wanna drink a dr. pepper when my hands are covered in my wifes blood. >> but does that make lars a murderer? when "dateline" continues. for mild-to-moderate eczema, theres eucrisa. its steroid-free. do not use if you are allergic to eucrisa or its ingredients. allergic rea...

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, b...

And i think thats part of why she didnt take his name. she kept everything separate. >> reporter: including her bank accounts. she never put larss name on them. >> reporter: this was not about money. >> no, it -- 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 ...

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. >> reporter: what was the experience? >> terrifying. >> reporter: why? >> 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 j...

October 9th, 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? when we return -- >> i thought a heard a burglar in the house. >> reporter: danger in the night. and a confrontation in the dark. >> damn it! oh...

Hard charging, multi-tasking 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 ...

>> 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. you wanna turn the light ...

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 wouldve -- it wouldve 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...