by 2011, for the taylor family, crystal s murder was an ugly scar that was never going to heal. we had almost stopped being as obsessed with it. but you still wanted answers. but we still wanted answer. reporter: then the phone rang. detectives shared the big news about their prison interview with c-styles. they said, well, the shooter confessed. reporter: and told them it was derek smyer who put him up to it. reporter: in his confession, mr. styles said he saw another woman on the stairs and thought maybe that was crystie. that was you. uh-huh. and he said he considered killing me. that was devastating. reporter: you were that close to getting killed. getting killed. uh-huh. yeah. reporter: the detectives still had to figure out how to use c-styles off the record confession to make an on the record case against derek. in the meantime, sisters
relocated out of state to a place where nobody knows him. reporter: she says the cops simply took the path of least resistance. they had it out for derek from the start. because? because he seemed like the probable person. my brother is not a perfect man, but him being pulled in, harassed by the police, his children being taken from him, that s not my brother s fault. my brother s an innocent man. reporter: and maybe she was right. just days after derek was arrested, the d.a. said there was not enough evidence to prosecute him. we had to let him go. we had to let him go and yeah, it was tough letting him go. reporter: derek smyer was once again a free man. i bet he thought he was clear. i betcha he thought he was done, is he was never going to see us again. reporter: if that s true, he was wrong. coming up someone steps forward with a stunning new lead.
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 that s 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 again. how are you? fine, and you? good, good. i m danette meyers, i m the d.a. reporter: this time they made sure what he said could be used in court. you have the right to remain silent. do you understand? yes. reporter: c-styles told the same story with the same details. how he met derek and how derek wanted help with crystal taylor. do you talk about when you re going to kill her? i told him i was going to do
this to my family. he did this to crystie. he did this to momo. he did this to my mom and michelle, to javonte, to all of us, and and he got away with it. and he got away with it. reporter: even detective robbie williams saw derek one day at the airport. my wife and i were on our way to a vacation. and i look up and i see derek walk right past us. reporter: williams had never forgotten crystal taylor. he d had taken her case file with him as he moved up the promotional ladder from detective to lieutenant. he d always shared the family s suspicions that derek was somehow behind crystal s murder. but he also knew he didn t have enough evidence to arrest him. i whispered to my wife, that s the guy. that s the guy who had crystal taylor killed. that s got to be like a knife in you. i mean, if that s what you think, if you think that s the guy who had crystal taylor killed, well here he is, out free, breathing the same air you are. maybe going on vacation just like you are
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