>> i was shocked. >> it was the last place you would expect to find a gruesome crime scene. a quiet neighborhood, the lovely home, the friendly couple. >> they were very happy. >> it seemed to be a simple case of a robbery gone horribly wrong. but nothing about this case was simple. of the marriage, and not the murders. >> the surprises just kept on coming. >> he said we have to ■çtalk to your father. >> what dark force claimed two lives? itet afternoon at the parker house. tammy and her husband, brett, were both at home. hello, and hello, and welcome tonl datelin it was a quiet afternoon at the parker house. tammy and her husband brett were both home when suddenly gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and police racing to the scene. the sole survivor, which shared a tale involving an unlikely intruder in a desperate fight to survive. what story with the evidence tell? here is -- with mystery at ascot estates.■ç >> life seems to move just a little slower in south carolina. afternoons in columbia can be spent on the river or nearby lake murray. tucked away inside this capital city is ascot estates, were old southern charm mingles with new money. no drama here until friday the 13th, when something sinister happened. >> i turned on the news and saw that there was a double murder. >> there was no way of knowing for sure what is going on. >> it was my husband who called me and said something terrible had happened. and i said, what happened? >> what happened would become the center of a mystery. ■ç a whodunit that began with a frantic 911 call. the call came from a most unusual place -- the gracious home of well-liked husband and wife, brett and tammy parker. the parkers were a golden couple, each with their special gifts. tammy was raised in a small town near columbia, but left to go into sales where she was immediately successful. best friend, angela leon. >> it was hard not to love angie. she was vibrant and outgoing and full of life. always positive. tammy was the kind of person who didn't even notice she was turning heads. >> she met columbia business it was just her personality. everyone liked her. >> and tammy had something else that set her apart -- talent. >> i can't remember exactly the first time i heard her saying, but i was amazed at how great she was. >> tammy saying with a local band. >> voices like that are just gifts. >> friends how she could take her talents big time, but tammy seemed happy to remain in columbia. one of her gigs was at ben staples barbecue. >> tammy was an entertainer. she didn't just stand up there and sing.■ç >> along the way, in 1996, tammy met and married a local boy, brett carl parker. he had been a star athlete in high school. his aunt was saying he was always throwing some kind of ball. >> he played softball and baseball, he was an all- american kid. >> an injury sidelined any thoughts of a career in professional sports, so brett took up amateur softball. >> no doubt, brett was one of the best ballplayers i ever played with. >> went tammy came into the picture, he knew his friend had found ■ >> i will never forget that. i knew they were going to get married. it was just a matter of time. >>■ç they saw a lucky man in lo. >> no doubt in my mind he loved her. >> both tammy's friends and brett's family both agreed -- they just clicked. >> they seemed to do well together. >> did you like tammy? >> i loved her. >> in the spring of 2012, the family in upscale ascot estates appeared to be living a charmed existence. then came the afternoon of april 13, and that call to 911. it was rhett parker. tammy was dead, and there was more. someone else lay dead in that house. ■ç it was a double murder, a cold- blooded crime that would look more chilling with its each new detail. >> coming up. who exactly was the friend who now lay dead inside the parkers house? >> the first question i asked, was what was his relationship to this man? >> when dateline continues. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision and can help you go up to 4 months between treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use. eye injections like eyla hd may cause eye infection, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there's an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury, and eye floaters. and there's still so much to see. if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today, for the potential for fewer injections. billy: one second, grandma. this guy is going to buy my car. okay? 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by shooting him? >> he said he ran to check on his wife and realized that she was dead or dying, and then he went and called 911. >> police recovered two guns from the scene. bretz .410 revolver, and in brian's hand, police found a nine millimeter pistol that had been used to kill tammy. an open gym bag with an ammo and empty magazine clip clearly visible on top. to investigators, it looks like brett parker had fought for his life, shot a man in self- defense, and had just lost his beautiful wife. the big question was why? why would such a good friend turn on them?■ç >> what was his relationship with this man? he said, can i talk to you privately? >> brett worked eight day job as a full-time medical salesman, but on the side, he had been a sports bookie for years. >> is a concern you? >> every small town has a bookie. >> and brett was not the sopranos, break your leg styled bookie. >> was brett a gentle bookie? >> mary. he was good. >> brett also told investigators that brian, the man he had just shot and killed, was in the bookie business, too. he worked for brett .■ç he was also an unlikely bookie. a former high school athlete, he was a family man that worked for a county recreation commission and coached kids sports teams. tammy had spoken kindly of him. >> she must've thought a lot, because he was in her home with her children around. and tammy was very protective of her children. >> tammy had always looked out for him. getting an extra lunch for him, taking care of him. >> and guest investigators found out there have been a problem, and it all boiled down to money. $20,000, and he had been slow to pay up. >> look, i've had enough excuses. i want my money. >> smith learned that brian had money problems,■ç so it looked like he went to the parkers to demand money he was owed and take whatever else was in the safe. tammy had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. >> what do you miss most about tammy? >> her laugh. she would always call. we haven't done that since she was killed. >> it was all so sad. the parkers with their children had just returned from a family cruise, tanned and smiling. a relative on the cruise told brett's aunt, sandra hunter, it'd been a wonderful trip. >> she said that that was the happiest she had seen brett and tammy. >> and now they saw a man in pain after losing his wife.■ç >> he would break down crying and he would cry all the time. >> he believed his friend did what he had to do. >> he was either -- him or brian. that's the way he told us over and over again. >> to those grieving for tammy, it seemed there had at least been some terrible justice for brian. >> people that loved tammy so much, you couldn't help but feel that maybe people thought he got what he deserved. >> investigators told reporters the tragic deaths were the result of a robbery gone brad. it seemed like a cut and dry case, but things aren't always what they seem. >> was brett parker the loving husband he appeared to be? investigators were abmu( uncover more. >> there were a series of text messages with a young lady, and they were definitely of a sexual nature. >> when dateline continues. at. for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. new advil targeted relief. sleep more deeply and wake up rejuvenated. purple mattresses exclusive gel flex grid draws away heat, for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. relieves pressure and instantly adapts. sleep better. live purple. right now save up to $800 off mattress sets at purple. visit purple.com or a store near you today. - [narrator] life with ear ringing sounded like a constant train whistle i couldn't escape. then i started taking lipo flavonoid. with 60 years of clinical experience, it's the number one doctor recommended brand for ear ringing. and now i'm finally free. take back control with lipo flavonoid. ♪ ♪ [ grunts ] [ laughs ] andrea canning: police had announced the double murder in gracious ascot estates was a robbery gone very wrong. >> police >> police had announced the double murder was a robbery gone very wrong. the unlikely intruder, the parkers family friend, brian. brett parker told the investigators that his friend, brian, and shot his wife tammy in a botched robbery attempt,■ç then brett, in fear for his own life, killed his friend. it looked like self-defense. but sheriff leon lott knew they couldn't close the case without thoroughly checking out brett's story. >> we have to rely on him to explain to us what happened. we were listening to everything he was saying, then we would go back and check it. >> investigators went over brett's account, starting with the moment brian entered the house. before long, something unusual came to their attention. brett told police he was sitting on the downstairs toilet when he heard the shots rang out. one of the female crime scene investigators noted this -- the toilet seat was up. >> our csi lieutenant was a female and she made mention of that, it particularly bothered her. >> it ■u()qáha woman to notice that. >> as a poured over crime scene photos, another small but important detail jumped out. ryan's gym bag with a magazine clip visible. >> those items were found on top of the clothing and items in the bag. >> unusual because of what they noticed on the home security video that captured ryan arriving at the house. >> if you look at the video, when brian nonchalantly through that item over his shoulder, those items that go to the lowest point of the bag. it was almost like those items had been placed there. >> investigators took a hard look at the timeline of the crime as brett described it. that home security video showed brian arriving at the home at 12:31 p.m. brett caél having shot brian at 12:42. police believe the confrontation should have only taken a couple of minutes. so why, they wonder, had brian taken four more minutes to call 911? police were also curious as to why he had come outside to make that call. >> if it were me, i would have been inside with my wife, trying to administer cpr and first aid to my wife. he didn't appear to have any blood on him at all. >> was it strange that he didn't have blood on him ? >> it was. >> investigators picked through every detail on his account. while he had been up front about his illegal bookie business, he wasn't up front about ■çeverything. >> we asked if you have been involved in any adulterous affairs, he said no. there were a series of text messages that were with a young lady, and they were definitely of a sexual nature, indicative of an affair. >> over a period of time, it just kept getting more red flags coming. >> tammy's best friend, angela leon, didn't know anything about the investigation. but she had a gut feeling something wasn't right. she called up the sheriff's department to say she thought brett was lying. >> i wanted to make sure they knew that there were people that had a different side of the tory. >> brett continue to insist it was self-defense, but within a week of the shooting, he had gotten a lawyer. >> the sheriff had told ■çus he thought it was a little odd that brett retained a defense attorney so quickly when he was saying he was the vic. >> anyone in a situation like that that doesn't retain an attorney immediately needs psychiatric help. >> he says he was just defending himself after he showed up to steal his money. >> he went there specifically to rob the people. tammy was there, he shot her first. we assumed he was going to shoot brett, and brett got the drop on him instead. >> what motive would he had to shoot her?mç■')■ó[ó/cii >> giving the money out of the safe and having no witnesses. >> why carry out a burglary if you know the wife is home ? >> your guess is as good as ■ç mine. >> i'm seeing people just find it hard to believe. >> people find it hard to believe that airplanes fly. it happens. >> he even invited the sheriff to the house to show him the crime scene. >> he wanted to walk me through the house to demonstrate what had happened. after that meeting, we sat at his kitchen table. at that point was the first time i told him i just didn't believe him. >> the sheriff was convinced that brett was no victim. he was the mastermind of a cruel and highly unusual lot to kill his wife and frame his friend. >> he had gotten away with his gambling for so many years. what else? >> three months after the murders, there were startling use. >> they say parker is lying. >> brett parker was charged ■ç with two murders. >> why do you think it took so long? >> because they didn't have a case. >> is a case headed to trial, there was no witnesses, no video of the crime, and little forensic evidence pointing to either brett or brian as the real killer. >> it was a high-profile case. two killings in a small town. >> coming up, the trial opens with a bombshell. not about him, but about her. when dateline continues. all in one delicious, monthly, soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. nexgard® plus: the one you want for one-and-done protection. everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients. smile! you found it. the feeling of finding psoriasis can't filter out the real you. so go ahead, live unfiltered with the one and only sotyktu, a once-daily pill for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding you're so ready for your close-up. or finding you don't have to hide your skin just your background. once-daily sotyktu was proven better, getting more people clearer skin than the leading pill. don't take if you're allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. sotyktu is a tyk2 inhibitor. tyk2 is part of the jak family. it's not known if sotyktu has the same risks as jak inhibitors. find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding. there's only one sotyktu, so ask for it by name. so clearly you. sotyktu. so clearly you. welcome back to dateline i'm craig melvin brett parker was heading to trial, charged with a double murder >> welcome >> welcome back to dateline. i am craig melvin. brett parker was heading to trial, charged with the double murder of his wife, tammy, and his friend, brian. brett admitted shooting brian in self-defense, though he admitted it was only after brian killed tammy. but prosecutors were showing that brett had plenty of mode and motive to kill her, back now to andrea canning with mistry at the ascot estates. >> in august ■çin 2012, columbi south carolina, was reeling from the news that brett parker, the only survivor of a tragedy that left two people dead, had himself been charged as a cold-blooded killer who masterminded the whole plan. brett's family and friends believed he was a man wrongly accused. >> i just wanted to know that he was innocent. every time, he said, i did not do it. >> even tammy's close friend had a hard time believing brett was guilty. >> you had no reason to doubt brett, it