For a second, and never entered my mind that we would be in danger. Its hard to even imagine that someone could be so evil. At last, his dream had come true. New wife, stepdaughter, a whole new start. Almost an Instant Family for him. It seemed perfect. Thats what made what happily so baffling. An otherwise healthy 40year old man usually does not drop dead. Could this be murder . There were suspicions from the start, and they came from his wife. You believe theres a possibility that your husband was poisoned. Yes, sir. Who could have wanted him dead . Elise zeroed in on someone at work. He was initially very angry at that. Angry enough to kill him . Was his new wife in danger, too . Brace yourself, because this killer was stone cold evil. This has got me shaking. Sh welcome to dateline. Frank rodriguez was a man of faith and a navy that who dedicated himself to helping needy children. Not exactly the kind of guy who had many enemies. So investigators had a challenge on their hands figuring out who would want frank dead. But how he died was also a mystery, and when they would need to solve to catch his killer. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with the devil in disguise. In this world, we like to think that we can tell the difference between good and evil. But sometimes, evil puts on a mask and comes to lifes party as its opposite a loved one, a friend. Someone we think we can help. And by the time we figure out that we are wrong, it is too late. And so with that in mind, meet Frank Rodriguez. A guy who went looking for troubled souls. He was very drawn toward people who were broken. Even though i dont have a lot, what i have, i want to give. Frank gave a lot and did a lot of good in his life until he ran across another soul who was not just troubled or broken, but pure evil. Reporter Frank Grew Up in rural illinois, one of six kids. He played football, loved baseball. His Sisters Carmen and shirley remembered most that he loved kidding around with his siblings. Dry sense of humor. Youre not sure if he was supposed to laugh at it. Funny jokes and tricks or things. Prankster is a word im going for. After high school, frank joined the navy. It was around that time that he married a local girl. But the line about the sea being a jealous mistress was true. s first wife was tired of him traveling all over. After he got out, he was really kind of a lost soul. And then she ended up leaving him anyway. Reporter after the divorce, frank was at loose ends. Different jobs, different relationships. He felt as if you were floundering until he found first religion. And then a place called angel gate academy. He just loved that job. He loved working with the kids. On californias central coast. It was a medical Military Academy or civilian kids heading in the wrong direction to learn order, discipline, and risk act. Frank was awesome with the kids. Reporter Jack Holloway was his supervisor and friend. If they were acting out, he would kind of say things to get them to do the right thing. Plus, he kind of used me as a bad guy. Frank was always the good cop. Reporter as rewarding as it was for frank to help his mood and slurring skills for a successful life, he also found it thrilling to the city kids kayaking or camping or just to hang out by the ocean, which many of them had never even seen. But it also left him wanting kids of their own. I remember him talking a lot about how he wanted to have kids. He wanted to start a family. Reporter his sisters said franks faith would guide him that way. He was big into believing that god was going to give him signs of what was good for his life. Reporter one day at church, frank ran into a woman that he worked with At Angel Gate. He called mom to tell her that he had met this woman, angelina, and she was his soulmate. She called me up and she was so excited. Frank has met someone. Reporter her name was angelina moralez. She had also been in the military. She was asked about a christian as frank. Their romance was a whirlwind. They met in february and married in april. Angelina had a nineyearold daughter named autumn. So, Instant Family. I liked frank. He seemed very down to earth. And he seemed very good for her. Usually, a guy in your position is not too crazy about the husband. With frank, it was different. Reporter frank vowed to be a good husband, and he made a promise to autumn to be a great stepdad. Then frank, who loved working with kids, was offered a teaching job in los angeles. Franks life seemed to be coming together the way he had always prayed that it would. At least, thats how it seemed. When was the last time you saw frank . I saw frank the tuesday after labor day, 2000. Frank wanted to earn some extra money, and he agreed to chaperone a group of News Evidence on their way To Angel Gate. He rode with them on a bus from l. A. To San Luis Obispo, where he met up with his old friend and boss, chad. Frank looked absolutely terrible. Reporter four days later, Frank Rodriguez was dead. Frank rodriguez was living his dream. Then suddenly, he was dead. Did his wife sense danger . Coming up. Who could possibly want to do him harm . Him harm . Did you know. When dateline continues. Guaranteed or your money back for resilient, healthylooking hair. If you know, you know its pantene. Emergenc crystals pop and fizz when you throw them back. And who doesnt love a good throwback . emergenc crystals. Morikawa on 18. He is really boxed in here. Not a good spot. Off the Comcast Business van. Into the vending area. Oh, not the fries wheres the ball . Anybody see it . Oh wait, there it is back into play and. Aw no, its in the water. Wait a minute. Are you kidding me . You got to be kidding me. Rolling towards the cup, and its in the hole what an impossible shot brought to you by Comcast Business. Po, Destiny Calls for you to take the next step. [ sneezing ] [ flatulence ] what is it youre holding . A cookie. [ groans ] get ready to meet your match. Skadoosh. Stand back. Im gonna kick my butt. It was september of 2000. Rank rodriguez was finally coming into his own. A new bride, a new family, a new job. But then at 3 00 a. M. , after just five months of marriage, franks new bride, angelina, found him unconscious on their Bedroom Floor and called for help. It was too late. Frank rodriguez was dead. His family was stunned. He been a healthy man. My mother called me after angelina called her on the day that he died and mom just said she lost it. She started screaming and slammed the phone. It was horrifying. He was only 41. Frank left behind a window and a nineyearold stepdaughter to whom frank had become very close. She was devastated, but also very confused. Reporter she wasnt the only one confused. The Coroners Office found no obvious cause of death. No heart attack, no trauma, no nothing. Toxicology found a little bit of vicodin in franks system, but not enough to kill anyone. His family was at a loss, especially his wife angelina, who seemed to be groping for answers, trying to make sense of what happened to frank. She called me almost every day to talk about it. She thought he was killed or that he was poisoned. Reporter the idea seemed, on the face of it, crazy. Who would want to kill frank . Homicide detectives were called in. Even though there was zero evidence of a homicide. Any chances is going to turn out to not be a murder, and that frank died of either Natural Causes or Food Poisoning or something . Absolutely. Reporter l. A. County homicide detective brian stein said his job was just to keep moving forward. We were dependent on what the Coroners Office was doing, what they would find or wouldnt find. But in the meantime, you cant stop investigating. Reporter a few days after franks death, they spoke angelina about her suspicions. Reporter angelina had a lot to tell the detectives about franks final days, about what she thought had happened to him and why. Angelina said that after his trip on the bus To Angel Gate, frank got sick with what they both thought at first was stomach flu. But then frank got so sick that angelina took him to the e. R. The doctor said all frank needed was rest and fluids and he would get better. But two days later, frank was dead, and angelina now told detectives she didnt believe it had been the stomach flu at all. She thought that something happened to frank on that trip To Angel Gate. Angelina told detectives she had urged frank not to chaperone those students, and specifically not to go back To Angel Gate. Angel gate. She was worried that frank, who was so trusting, wouldnt be safe. Angelina then said why she was afraid it turned out that when she and frank worked together At Angel Gate, they became involved in something potentially dangerous. Potentially dangerous. Reporter the situation angelina said she and frank became convinced that a person working At Angel Gate was engaged with inappropriate behavior with some of the students. Angelina said she reported the manchu authorities and that he now had a motive to hurt her or frank. Frank. Despite her fears, angelina said that night when frank returned from angel gate, he told her everything seemed fine there. There. But now she wondered was there something in that gatorade . Did that friendly welcome hide something much more sinister . Because the man angelina said had offered Frank Food And Drink was the same man angelina had accused. The same man she said had threatened frank months earlier. Earlier. Sergeant holloway, franks former boss. Franks friend. Coming up. I cant even describe how angry i was. 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It smells amazing and gives my skin over the top moisture from dull to visibly glowing in 14 days see the difference with olay. Reporter 10 days after Frank Rodriguez died, he was honored like a fallen soldier at the Military Cemetery in riverside, cal. It was very hard to come out here for the funeral. Angelinas daughter, autumn, who is in the house when frank died said goodbye the only way a child could. Autumn put a teddy bear in his coffin. She was a sweet little boy. The last goodbye was a struggle for franks family. Mom did go in a very deep depression after that. Reporter as a people who loved him mourned, detectives with the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department were trying to find answers. They drove 200 miles north to the Rolling Hills and smalltime charm of San Luis Obispo to track down angelinas unsettling story, that she had accused franks Friend Chad Holloway of misconduct with students. But chad was furious over that, and it might be the reason behind franks unexplained death. They were asking us our opinion of who had access to frank. Reporter Richard WorkedAt Angel Gate at the time. He told police he hadnt noticed chad talking to frank, but he did remember how upset chad was about angelinas charges. Chad was beside himself. I had never seen him that angry. Chad was pretty angry about that idea and expressed to some people that he would like to deal very harshly with whomever had done that to him. He was initially very angry about it, yes. And we dont know chad holloway very well yet. Thats what we needed to do in this particular case. Reporter what detectives call getting to know you doesnt feel quite so friendly you are a potential murder suspect. I was under the impression before they talked to me that they were so convinced i did this that they had stopped and the Sheriffs Department had basically told them to prepare to book me. Im in the crosshairs. They came up and asked a lot of questions. Reporter before they ever met chad, detectives had already learned something important that the misconduct allegations against him had been thoroughly investigated by local Law Enforcement and found to be completely baseless. But the detectives also knew the false allegation can still be a very good motive for murder. Thats one of the worst things that a teacher or instructor can do to a kid under his or her tutelage or control. Yes. And it is also one of the worst things to be accused of. That was probably the scariest thing that had ever happened to me in my life. Ive been to war. I was in desert storm. I have never in my life and that scared. Scared, and he admitted, angry. I was beyond mad. I cant even describe how angry i was. Did you say you would like to put your gun to the head of the person who is doing this to you and pull the trigger . Something to that effect, i did. Reporter detectives asked him about that. Something about false allegations from the wife of a guy who is now dead, and you were pretty angry at the time that those false allegations were made. I dont remember ruining your life over some phony allegations, thats enough to make people angry enough to do violence. I guess it could be, yes. Reporter chad holloway insisted to detectives and to us that whatever threats he made were out of anger and frustration, and he would never have followed through. When you said you wanted to take a gun and put it to the head of the person that made these accusations against you, you didnt know it was angelina youre talking about at the time . I did not. Once you found out it was angelina who made those accusations, im guessing you probably wouldve gone off with your gun to her head. Absolutely not. Reporter what he had told her about angelinas last up To Angel Gate never really happened. I was working in the office. When you last saw frank, did you offer him a gatorade . No. Clearly, someone was lying. The question was, who . Coming up. Who and what had killed frank . Investigators have a secret mission for sergeant holloway. When dateline continues. Eline. With dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. Because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. With dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. It helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. Many adults saw 90 clearer skin. Some even achieved long lasting clearer skin and fast itch relief after first dose. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. Show off to the world. 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Reporter when her husband died suddenly, Angelina Rodriguez quickly shared her suspicions with detectives, that frank had been poisoned by a former coworker who carried a grudge. But so far, there was no solid evidence against chad, so detectives also looked at everyone who is close to frank, including his new wife. You talk to other people about frank and angelinas marriage . Yes. And . Reporter for one thing, frank was angelinas fourth husband, but not necessarily her first choice. People who worked with angelina and frank At Angel Gate said angelina initially had her eye on a different guy. She was interested in a gentleman that worked there all so that was somewhat of a cowboy. And all of a sudden, she showed up with a cowboy Bumper Sticker on her car and hat in the back seat. And now shes a cowgirl. When he didnt want anything to do with her, she recognized frank was a religious man. Next thing you know, shes got a bible i