Lfred Atchison News Today

Importantly she had a control over men that just amazed me. she was able to say jump and the men would say how high? >> it certainly seemed true for larry, so said his old friend, fred atchison. >> she was controlling him to the extent that she was keeping him away from his family and his former friends. >> did that include the relationship he had with you? >> no question about it. >> you find yourself shut out. >> yeah. >> so did larrys daughter, tavia. >> elisa completely cut me out of the pic...

Discovered ample reason to stop trusting elisa. >> he couldnt keep his wallet in his pants. >> he told you that? >> yeah. she would steal money out of his wallet. he had to hide his wallet in his own house. >> turned out she was also stealing from the law firm. >> she had ripped him off. >> for how much? any idea? >> over $100,000. >> larry told fred all about his troubles with elisa, and yet he kept her around, not like he hasnt divorced women before, but not this one. tavia didnt get it. >> i ...

Friend fred atchison. >> she was controlling him to the extent that she was keeping him away from his family and his former friends. >> reporter: did that include the relationship he had with you? >> no question about it. >> reporter: found yourself shut out? >> yes. >> reporter: so did larrys daughter davea. >> elisa completely cut me out of the picture and i was devastated. >> reporter: why was elisa keeping larry away from his family and friend? what did chef to hide? >> he called me up once ...

Made buckets of money. loved the big life and loved being in control. >> there was never a hair out of place. there wasnt dust on his desk. his pen was always in the same spot. >> reporter: larrys daughter was crazy about him. in awe of his type a personality, his joy of life, his courtroom presence. >> not an ounce of shyness. he commanded the courtroom. >> reporter: ive been a trial lawyer over 20 years. larry as long time friend, fred atchison. >> he could open 50 files a month in personal in...

>> she was a person out of a 40s film noir movie in that she was a stunner physically, everyone said that, but more importantly she had a control over men that just amazed me. she was able to say jump and the men would say how high? >> it certainly seemed true for larry, so said his old friend, fred atchison. >> she was controlling him to the extent that she was keeping him away from his family and his former friends. >> did that include the relationship he had with you? >> no question about it....

Welcome back to "dateline" extra. detectives looking into the disappearance of larry and elisa mcnabney had made a startling find. a friend of larrys claimed elisa had ripped her husband off for more than 100 grand, and it appeared he wasnt her first mark. the young woman was a felon with a long criminal history of theft and fraud. but was she capable of even darker crimes? here, again, is keith morrison. >> it was february 2002, a remote vineyard up in the northern end of californias central va...

His pen was always in the same spot. >> larrys daughter was crazy about him in awe of his type a personality, his joy of life, his courtroom presence. >> i loved to go to the courtroom and watch my dad. it was mesmerizing to me. >> he commanded the place. >> he was completely confident, not an ounce of shyness. he commanded the courtroom. >> ive been a trial lawyer for over 20 years. >> larrys longtime friend, fred atchison. >> he could open 50 files a month in personal injury litigation, which ...

Thanksgiving. then december he was always with his family on his birthday, but still no sign of larry mcnabney. >> i didnt get a good feeling. and what i worried about was had something gone wrong and dad was scared and he took off? >> had larry offended the wrong person? tavia had a friend in law enforcement who told her -- >> you have to look at it two-way. if hes in hiegsd, hes not going to be happy you found him because obviously hes hiding for a reason. or somethings happened to him. >> mea...

Spouses are deep down. and he said, no, i dont even know if this is who she is, if her name is what she says it is or anything. >> by then, said fred, larry had discovered ample reason to stop trusting elisa. >> he couldnt keep his wallet in his pants. >> he told you that? >> yeah. she would steal money out of his wallet. he had to hide his wallet in his own house. >> turned out she was also stealing from the law firm. >> she had ripped him off. >> for how much? any idea? >> over $100,000. >> la...

>> elisa, 17 years younger than larry, and he was in love. >> and he said shes just fun and vivacious. shes young and its just -- we have a good time. >> tavia didnt stand in the way. she wanted her dad to be happy. >> we welcomed the new person in. its my dad, so i didnt want anything that would inhibit me from spending time with him. >> and he and really cared for this woman? >> he did. >> larry and elisa thrived both personally and professionally. they got married. elisa became his office man...