it doesn't happen to your family , to your brother, but it does. >> no one thought it could happen to him. he was a tough guy, prepared for anything. >> he always would say if anyone tries to break in here, ç i will kill them. >> instead he was killed. stabbed in his own home. his son and daughter-in-law stumbled into a terrifying scene. >> that's when i saw the gun. >> they said we have to kill you now. >> a strange story that only got stranger. >> something isn't right here. >> could have killed his own father? what really happened in that house? >> then a witness came forward. in this is our story, the strangest thing of all was the truth. >> he planned for any scenario except the one that happened to him. >> hello, and welcome toúç dateline. kay mortensen was a strong- minded man who built a fortune and a fortress to protect it. then, he was attacked turning his home into a bloody crime scene. how police wondered could someone so vigilant be taken by surprise? it was a riddle that threatened to destroy his family until someone with an explosive secret revealed a horrifying truth. here is keith morrison with mystery and payson canyon. >> there are people on this sun- kissed planet of ours who get up each morning to the miracle of being alive and worried. not that there aren't things to worry about, of course. whether we can do anything about them or not.■ç some people worry a great deal indeed and do try to be prepared for whatever. one of those prepared people was a brilliant university professor named kay mortensen whose sister was named fern. >> i said, kay, what would happen if i'm not prepared and i'm hungry for my kids are hungry, can we come to your house? i will probably just shoot you. he wouldn't have, but he was willing to protect what he had. >> oh, yes, he certainly was. sure enough, one night. >> 911. what's the address of your emergency? >> we are getting ahead of ourselves. what happened that night was a long time coming. it was long before that when kay became ■ça survivalist with attitude. >> he knew exactly what he thought about everything, and even though he knew what he was saying would be outrageous and not accepted, he would say it anyway. >> he had a black belt in karate. he owns scores of firearms. kept guns and just about every room in the house and in all of his cars. a fully stocked concrete bunker outside his home. >> he had food. he had everything. water. magazines and books to read. >> kay was clear about it with his wife, darla. >> he would say this is where you and i will end up because there will be a nuclear war. said i don't want to live if everybody else is dying. he was a■ç true patriot. he worried about things and wanted to be prepared for the civil war that was going to erupt. he was a little over-the-top. >> she wasn't thrilled but she accepted him and his radical views. they were still kind of in their honeymoon phase. >> it was all kind of surreal. i think we felt we were being teenagers again. we both have not really had love for quite a few years. >> they found each other late in life after both raised families. k had three adult children by them. one of whom, his eldest roger, stayed close. >> he was my best friend. we did everything together. >> mind you, roger is not at all like kay. ■ç he suffered a brain injury in an accident years ago, so unlike kay, he could not work much. lived on disability, but he liked to hang out with his dad. >> we lived less than a mile apart because we did enjoy spending time together. if i needed help, he would be there in a minute to help me. >> although said roger's wife pam said it wasn't always easy. >> roger's dad was a very strong-willed person. it was his way or the highway. >> roger learned early to shy away from confrontation with his father. not at all how what was with his new love, darla, when she was around they said, kay's tough hide melted. >> we knew then he really loved her and he was willing to ■ç compromise and do something so he could make her happy. >> did it soft and hidden up a little bit? >> a lot. >> so kay and darla got married. they were as happy as either had ever been. >> he would say widows do we need to do? we are retired and we have plenty of money so we will have fun. >> kay was a rich man. made his money buying gold . >> he had the foresight, he was always, the dollar bill won't be worth anything. >> he put his money in a trust so roger and his other children would inherit everything once he was gone. heaven knows, he was not spending it. worth millions, but? >> he was very frugal. very frugal.■ç i used to say to him, i would say when is it you are going to spend your money? you know? what are you waiting for? >> so kay promised darla she would travel with her and see the world. he made sure his bunker was stocked and kept his guns close to hand just in case. and then it was november 16, 2009. darla was away watching her granddaughters. kay was alone in his house in payson . >> 911. what's the address of your emergency? >> it was evening when the call came in. >> i have help on the way but i just need to get information. >> darla was on her way home. the cell phone chirped. it was a neighbor. >> he said something terrible happened and i think it's ■çat your house. >> darla's mind flashed to kay and his guns. >> i thought oh he probably shot somebody. >> she found a family friend. >> is it something is going on and i'm alone. i need to be with somebody, can you be with me? >> she rushed to meet darla at the foot of the can you. police blocked off the road to their house. now, darla and chris felt the same thing. >> kay probably shot someone. >> coming up. roger makes an agonizing discovery and stumbles directly into a murder scene. >> they said wrong place, wrong time. time. well, with your home, auto, boat and rv all bundled with progressive you've got the peace of mind to really wander. yeah. yeah, i just hope it stays this way. once word gets out about these places they tend to -- -are you done? -aaand there it is. well, at least your vehicles are protected. let's hit the road. hey fam! i'm just at this beautiful lake that i just discovered. practicing gratitude, manifesting abundance. that grimy film on your teeth? dr. g? (♪♪) it's actually the buildup of plaque bacteria which can cause cavities. most toothpastes quit working in minutes. but crest pro-health's antibacterial fluoride protects all day. it stops cavities before they start... crest. hi, i'm jason. i've lost 228 pounds on golo. ♪ it stops cavities before they start... i don't ever want to go back to wearing a 4xl shirt or not being able to climb up stairs without taking a break. so i'm committed to golo for life. keith (voiceover): everyone knew that kay mortensen was always prepared, surrounded himself with a veritable arsenal everyone knew that kay mortensen was always prepared. surrounded himself with a arsenal and firearms. a tough bird who could defend himself from just about anything. >> he always would say, if anyone tried to break in, i will kill them. >> life no matter how well we prepares full of rude surprises. as it was for kay mortensen. it was november 16, 2009, just before thanksgiving. >> hi. we have the police on the way ■ç to help you. are you sure your dad is cold to the touch? >> kay didn't shoot some intruder. no, somebody killed him without firing a shot. >> yes. he's leaned over face forward in the bathtub. >> the man in the phone reporting the crime? roger mortensen. >> they sliced his throat? >> it wasn't long before kay's wife made it to the mouth of the canyon and led to the command post that have been set up down the hill from their home. that is where they gave her the news. >> your life just comes tumbling down. you have it all planned out and you think you know what it's going to be. then everything is gone. >> kay caught off guard? not kay thought ■çdarla. impossible. that seem to be what happened. at least that is what roger and pam told police and later us in a very strange story it was. it began, they said, when pam received a pie at work as a gift. >> we knew how much he loved the pecan pie and we decided to take him that pie. >> they said they went to his house, intending to drop off the pie and then leave. when they got there, they said, there was an unfamiliar car in the driveway. pam said she knocked on the door and a young man answered. >> i said is kay here? he said he's upstairs. i said we are here to drop off a pie, and they said go ahead in. i got to about the landing when i was asked to come back down. iheard the door shut. when i turned around, that's when i saw the gun. >> what was it like to see that? >> it was a shock. when we turned around and i saw gun, another guy started walking down the gun and he had a wad of zip ties. they turned to us and said you were here at the wrong place, wrong time. hold out your hands. >> the zip tied their wrists and force them down on the living room floor. then zip tied the wrinkles. >> after we were tied up, they said you have seen our faces and we will have to kill you now. >> pam quaking in terror she said looked at a picture of jesus hanging on the living room wall. >> i kept thinking, heavenny@■ father, if you really love me and care for me, please make us get through this. it calmed me to keep looking at that picture of christ, and to be able to help roger stay calm. >> that really had an impact on your. >> it did. >> why? >> it brought me comfort and peace to know -- >> even if they killed you? >> to know my heavenly father loves me and he would do the right thing for me. >> both men left the room, they said. roger began praying loud. he was in midsentence he said when the men walked back in and something quite amazing happened. >> my wife nudged me and said be quiet. they are back. one of them says, that's okay. keep praying.■ç go ahead and they both folded their arms about their heads. they listened to me as i continued this prayer. >> how weird is that? >> when we got done with the prayer, we both sat down and their demeanor changed at that point. one of them looked at us and said we decided we are not going to kill you. we have decided we would tell you a story that you need to relate to the police. >> what was that story the intruders told them to say? three black men with ski masks and baited the house. three, not two as they actually were. black and not white as they actually were. then roger said they took his drivers license and said they would know if he or pam told the truth and if that happened, it would hunt him down and kill him. ■ç then, the two men left. roger and pam waited a while. got out of the zip ties and roger ran upstairs while pam dialed 911. was on the phone with the operator when roger found his father in the upstairs bathroom. >> i saw my father kneeling over the bathtub. his feet were tied and his head was down in the bathtub. >> inconceivable. tough, resilient, armed to the teeth with his own kitchen knife? what a story. eric, a sergeant with the utah county sheriff's office was assigned is one of the lee detectives. he was sitting in the office when from about the house, the first officer to talk to pam and roger called him. >>■ç he said, something isn't right here. it seems, from his perception, that maybe things were stage are some things were not what he would think would be normal for a crime as heinous or vicious as this. >> something about the bizarre story didn't sit right. he couldn't put his finger on it. not yet, anyway. >> coming up. problem was the bizarre story got weirder by the minute. bother the bugs, not your family. zevo is made with essential oils which attack bugs' biological systems. it wipes cleanly, plus is safe for use around people and pets. gotcha. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess . they were continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. this charmin ultra soft smooth tear is soooo soft and soo smooth. charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. charmin, enjoy the go. an alternative to pills, voltaren is a clinically proven arthritis pain relief gel, which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement. why choose a sleep number smart bed? 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[ gasps ] [ chuckling ] good job, junior. way to go. [ chuckling ] [ speaking minionese ] keith (voiceover): the death of kay mortensen was horrific, humiliating, helpless to defend himself the death of kay mortensen was horrific, humiliating. helpless to defend himself inside his own secret fortress. the killer penned him over his own bathtub, slashed his throat several times. stabbed his neck. all those guns and not a single one fired. it seemed so personal. the sergeant of the utah county sheriff's office got a briefing from the first officer at the scene who turned on his audio recorder when he met roger and roger's wife pam. roger had found the body and was already suggesting possible killers. >> he told me he had an appointment for lunch at noon with the guy discussing $25,000. >> mike kip? ■ç he was kay's former student. >> roger and pam identify him and say he is involved. he owes my dad money and he did this. >> roger told detectives that kay was holding a collection of mike's weapons. mostly pistols and rifles and some shotguns. he put the guns in his bunker and roger thought there might be a grudge involved. when detectives went to look for the guns, they were gone. >> we pull in mike kipp and we interview him and we can get his alibi. it is quick. >> nothing suspicious turned out. mike had not the thing to do with kay's murder. he simply needed money and kay agreed to buy his guns. by now, tips weze!coming in. >> this female says the baker boys did this. >> they were brothers who fairly or not, developed a reputation as the town's troublemakers. detectives found them. they had solid alibis. then, the next day another tape. a woman who implicated her own husband. >> he came home last night the timeframe before the homicide and grabbed a bunch of stuff including a knife. he has been looking for gun so i know he is involved. >> her husband was at eliminated as a suspect. detectives hoped maybe the stolen guns would lead them to kay's killer. >> we recovered a lot of firearms stolen. >> that highlighted another aspect of the mystery. kay ■çcollected firearms, had close to 100 valuable guns locked in his house. yet, the thieves just all the cheaper ones in the bunker. pretty bizarre robbery to take those and not take the far more valuable collection that kay had? >> agreed. >> in fact, the inside of the house was pristine, untouched. knows sign anybody had stolen anything. if it was a home invasion, but by then, detectives were honing in on the two people who admitted they were there the whole time. kay's son roger and his wife pam . >> you are sure he is dead? >> starting with the 911 call they made, something odd about it. >> it didn't ■çsound how i woul think a phone call should be made to 911 after discovering her father had just been killed . >> roger and pam said the detectives appeared to be an emotional, uncaring, even callous. even though they claimed the gunman stood over them, kept them hostage for almost two hours. at first pam couldn't seem to describe the men. >> the guy that had the gun, what did he look like? was he a white guy, black guy? hispanic? >> she seemed uncertain even about how many there were. >> how many were there? >> listen to what happened next. roger took the phone and changed the story. >> where they white, black, hispanic? >> three white males. two white ■çmales? >> roger explained the reason for the apparent confusion, if they reveal to their captors look like, they would be hunted down and killed. did you buy that? >> not really. they didn't appear fearful. >> why would vicious killers not have killed them too? the night of the murder, he interviewed them. >> my name is eric. , >> did the seemed nervous? >> not really nervous or agitated. unemotional. >> even at times cold toward the victim, roger's father. >> he's a cantankerous old . >> detectives started noticing subtle differences. >> that had blue fuzzy gloves. they looked like■ç women's wint driving gloves. >> i know they had purple gloves on. you know, medical gloves. >> lots of details which they did not agree said the sergeant decided to employ a police -- he got tough, accusing. >> quite frankly, i think this story is something you have come up with. >> am sorry you can't believe me. >> i am trying to. >> doesn't sound too rehearsed? >> i want them to say i had nothing to do with this. detective, you are crazy. that's what i wanted to hear and it never came out. >> listen to what ■çdid,. >> is your husband capable of killing somebody? >> i wouldn't hope -- i mean, i wouldn't think he is. i wouldn't think that he's capable of killing his father. >> the search of their home showed they appeared to be in financial trouble. they found collection notices and unsent mortgage coupons, suggesting they were behind in house payments. >> i know we are in a lot of debt. but, i, personally, would not have my father-in-law killed for his money. >> and yet, as roger told the detective -- >> i get to big share of my dad's millions too. >> within days, they agreed to go back to the house with detectives for iñvideotaped retelling of their intruder story. >> at the front door, my wife was holding a pie right here. >> did that provide useful information? >> from our standpoint as far as more circumstantial evidence that they are not being 100% truthful. >> once again, detectives are foggy memories. should >> i believe she knocked on the door. >> dialogue sounded like a bad crime movie. >> he pointed at us and he said you're here at the wrong time. put out your hands. >> then there was the same lack of emotion when roger describer should have been the worst moment of his life. >> i came back downstairs and my wife was talking at the time to 911 dispatch■ç, and i said, is dead. >> roger and pam took a polygraph test and what do you know? roger was found to be deceptive and pam? was jumpy. the operator could not complete the test. still, roger and pam swore up and down they had nothing to do with the. they were victims themselves. truth be told, the police needed some real evidence. out of the blue, something arrived. >> investigators confronted with new evidence and strange does not begin to describe it. someone saw the killer in a dream. >> i have a photo lineup drawn up and she puts her finger and puts it on roger's face. face. hurricane hurricane beryl strengthening into a category 4 storm. it's the earliest kept for hurricane on record and expected impact the windward islands with heavy rain and winds as soon as this morning. ■ç millions marked the end o pride month with marches across the country. some of the events or distributed by pro-palestinian protesters with 10 being arrested in new york city. i'm craig melvin. police suspected roger and pam mortensen welcome back to dateline. i'm craig melvin. police suspected roger and pam were cold-blooded killers. to investigators, their story about finding kay mortensen dead at the hands of two armed intruders did not add up . and with kay mortensen gone, roger is set to inherit a fortune. soon, an unlikely witness would bolster the case with her ow