Page 4 - Uvern News Today

>> he kept wanting to retire, and it would get pushed back. >> and this wasnt because he was living hand to mouth, he had no money. it was because he loved it. >> he loved it. he liked being the best at it. >> reporter: so on that saturday in may when vern missed his meeting with terra, she and andrew simply dismissed it as vern being vern until terra got a phone call that night from chad. >> hes like, have you heard from vern, somethings wrong. hes in the hospital or something you gotta go chec...

Helped jill out with a job, and more. thats the kind of man he was. >> he helps anybody out, it doesnt matter who they are. >> big heart? >> uh-huh. huge heart. >> reporter: and using that huge heart, to help family members or clients was what seemed to keep vern holbrook young. after andrews mom died in 2007, vern eventually remarried and kept moving whether he was catching fish or closing deals. >> he was a machine. >> reporter: vern had tried to slow down even selling his company in 2008 to a...

He was just known to be one of the big movers and shakers in the real estate industry in the yakima valley. >> reporter: the detective had been called to the house where vern was found that saturday night. hed heard from the responding officer, the one who wore this body camera and captured these scenes from the moment he arrived just before 8 p.m. that a colleague had gone looking for vern when verns wife had become worried that he didnt return from the showing. the colleague had found him here...

Jill took part in the plot, came from her own lips. if you believe the former family members who pointed fingers at her. enter, once again, chad, jills ex-husband. he said that six weeks before the attack, jill said something strange when discussing supervised visits with their 3 children. >> she told me that, um, vern may not be around that much longer to be supervising visits. and i said, well why would you think that? and she told me then that, well yknow he makes a lotta enemies. and hes gon...

Do have the option of refiling at some in the future. but at this point, jill has never convicted of any crime in connection to verns death. >> if it wasnt for jill putting it all together, helping daniel put the pieces together, this may not have happened. >> i think thats, uh, criminal. its yknow, shouldnt have happened. she, in my opinion, definitely got away with murder. >> and when you walk out of this interview, she might be standing on the street. >> yeah. yknow never know. it crosses my ...

>> he helps anybody out. >> reporter: mother to three of verns grandchildren. his former daughter-in-law. jill taylor. >> what would her motivation be for, sort of, taking part in that plot? >> i suppose the only connection would be her relationship with daniel. >> and whats good for daniel is good for jill? >> i would think so. >> reporter: and, the detective found, that jill taylor was also the common link between daniel blizzard and another of the alleged participants in the plot, adriana men...

Theres probable cause to think that you are an accomplice and thats why youre under arrest. within hours, detectives had adrianas boyfriend in custody as well. through an interpreter, luis gomez-monges too initially told a story about adriana contacting vern to sell a mobile home. >> thats bull -- youre -- youre telling me lies. and adriana started off tellin me the same lies. she said that you hit the guy from behind when he wasnt even looking. no. >> i dont think that your story is gonna hold ...

Thats why vern hadnt shown up to meet her that morning. >> i walked up to the head of the bed and i just -- he was so swollen, and disfigured and i went down to the foot of the bed and his feet were sticking out. thats what looked like him. the rest of him was not -- was not the vern that i know. >> what did you think had happened? >> i wasnt sure at that point. >> the phone rings? >> she was hysterically crying. and she told me that my dad had been attacked. and i was in disbelief too. i didnt ...

Was having none of it. >> youre obviously sticking to your story, but i do not believe it. so at this time im going to tell you that you are under arrest for the attempted first degree murder of vernon holbrook. >> reporter: and for the first time -- >> and stand up. put your hands behind your back. --daniel blizzards demeanor changed. >> he was definitely surprised and he looked like he might be ill. >> what went through your mind when police told you that they had arrested daniel blizzard? >> ...

>> reporter: in a seattle hospital, vern holbrook hovered in that gray area between life and death in the week after he was savagely beaten, his throat slit, during a routine real estate showing in may of 2013, detectives had quickly made 2 arrests. charged with attempted murder 38-year old luis gomez-monges, who denied any part in the attack. and his 23 year old girlfriend adriana mendez. who admitted luring vern to the meeting at luiss request and then witnessing luis assault vern. >> she said...