Unnerving discoveries, too. He scared a lot of people. He swindled a lot of people. The story of his dirty deeds riveted the nation in a hit podcast. This is dirty john. But dirty was about to turn dark. Hes got duct tape, hes got all the tools ready to kidnap her. Would this mom and her daughters learn the truth in time . She was in a panic. She said, i saw john outside in a car. A story ending in savagery that would stun even police. Theres no way he gets away with this unless he kills her. Hello and welcome to dateline. After a string of failed relationships, debra newell thought she had finally found her mr. Right. John meehan seemed smart, handsome, and kind. But from the getgo debras daughters sensed something felt wrong about him. So the girls started digging into his past. Their harrowing search for answers would reveal a double life and expose a dangerous man. But would the truth be discovered too late . Heres Keith Morrison with the women dirty john. Reporter in the beginning was desire, natural human desire for connection, for love. And so she aimed her arrow at that online ocean of intimate strangers and found him. Newport beach 911. Do you need police fire or paramedics . Hi. I need an ambulance right away and the police. Reporter it was summertime when the awful climax came. A late afternoon, a marmalade sun beating down on the parking lot of a rental apartment complex in Newport Beach, california. Thats when they heard it. And she says this womans just screaming. All right. Reporter whole complex must have heard it. Terrified howling, desperate. Is she okay . Reporter there was a man down there. They could see him. He had a knife. He was stabbing the screaming woman. And nobody was helping her. Its really bad all right. I understand. We have officers on the way. Too late. Too late. Oh, the ambulance is here. Theyre doing cpr on somebody. The bloody ending. But the story, the whole terrible tale, is much deeper than that one thing, dreadful though it was. A story Christopher Goffard of of the Los Angeles Times spent months unraveling. Strand by disturbing strand. Its a story about trust and betrayal, and its a story about family. About a woman, two protective daughters and what those daughters did when the man came into their mothers life. Before the death in the parking lot. Hi. Im Christopher Goffard reporter the story became a podcast produced with the Podcast Network wondery. The number one podcast in the country for a time. Voted by entertainment weekly, usa today and the guardian as one of the best of 2017. Downloaded 28 million times in the first year of its release. The story and the man at the heart of it was called dirty john. He was a very creative, super manipulative, charismatic, handsome, charming. Intelligent. He was a nightmare to everybody. Reporter but not to her. To debra newell, of Orange County, california, the man who presented himself on the dating website, dr. John meehan, anesthesiologist, looked very promising. He was the total package. A doctor. Very intelligent. Family man. Loved his kids. Reporter not that attracting men had ever been difficult for debra, or any of the women in the family, according to her daughter terra. Men kind of flock to them. Really . What is it about the women of your family . Well, they have really great hearts, and theyre pretty decent looking. Reporter good women. Happy. Successful. Attractive. I love those barstools. Reporter debra owned a thriving interior design firm and a moving company, and a silk flowers business. Had dozens of employees. Certainly no money worries. But she was in her 50s, marriages behind her and she was looking. Each potential mate carefully vetted by her watchful daughters. We were very judgmental of all the men that she dated. Reporter a little too judgmental . Maybe. Me and my sister could go over the top sometimes. Just very protective over my mom. Reporter but now debra wanted a romance, just for her, on her terms. I had always done everything for my children. So i felt like it was me time. Reporter and this guy on the website was me time to a t. Hes just back from a year in iraq where hes volunteered with doctors without borders. Reporter he was charming. Kind of oldfashioned. When he asked her out, he didnt just meet her somewhere, or wait in his car. He insisted on coming upstairs to get me. So thats what a gentleman does. Reporter yes. He took her to a fancy place for dinner and, all courtly manners, paid the not inconsiderable bill. On their second date he arrived in medical scrubs. Hed come straight from an operation. And he was handsome and tall and very fit. And very into her. He swept me off my feet, said everything right. Took me everywhere that i wanted to go. Reporter did you have that walking on air feeling that you get when you fall in love . Little bit. I fell in love. She called me one day and told me that she met someone amazing and that she really liked this guy. She wanted me to meet him. Reporter but true to form perhaps, debras daughters reacted just as they often did to a new man in her life, especially terras sister. She didnt like him immediately and i thought, oh, shell eventually like him. Hes a lot of fun. Hell win her over. Reporter debra rented a house, part of her new start in a picturesque part of newport called balboa island. And she ran her business with a new lightness. And at night was loved by this accomplished doctor, this sensitive man. What did he do for you . Everything. From run errands to me to back rub every night. Just would listen to my day. We would take walks every night. He held my hand. I mean, he was everything that you would want. Pinch yourself. Youve got it finally. Yeah. Reporter then, just before thanksgiving, as terra helped her mother move into the balboa house he started moving his stuff in, too. Reporter terra didnt like it. Not a bit. She confronted her mother. I told her it looks fishy. I dont get it. She told me i needed to mind my own business. And he came up behind her. Reporter whatd he say . He was saying that youre just trying to get your mom all to yourself. And i started screaming back at him, no, john. Thats what you are trying to do. Reporter the next day was thanksgiving and debra, quite fed up, told her suspicious daughters not to bother showing up for dinner. Neither one of you . Neither one of us. Reporter what was that like . Really hard. Reporter hard for debra, too, but she needed her own life. She and john asked a counselor for advice. And the counselor suggested that i have rules for the girls. Reporter boundaries. The therapist said, look, you have a right to be happy. This is your relationship. And johns position was this therapist is absolutely right. Reporter so debra weighed the options. Listen to her family . Or embrace what felt like the best thing to come along in years . She chose love, or what certainly felt like it. Whats the old expression . Till death do us part . The bond between mother and daughters already fraying might just break thanks to a startling decision by debra. Coming up i knew my family would be not very happy with me. The daughters fight back by doing some digging into john. She bought these trackers for cars, and she put one on my moms tesla. So she found out where john was going. When dateline continues. Not actors, whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. 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Sweetie hands off the glass. Ugh call geico and see how easy saving on homeowners and condo insurance can be. I love her you have power over pain, so the whole world looks different. The unbeatable strength of advil. What pain . Reporter las vegas, nevada. The great glittering temples to gambling will happily take your money, of course, and perhaps youll leave the city a little poorer, and if you want to bet your heart in las vegas, well, you can put that on the line too if youre in a betting mood, and debra newell was. I felt very adored and very loved, and i thought, well, if hes the love of my life, im ready. Reporter theyd been dating two months when she went to vegas on business in december, 2014. John meehan went along. And we went to a courthouse, and just got married before a judge. Reporter like that . Just like that. Reporter married. Nobody there but them and their secret. They decided, said debra, they wouldnt tell anyone. I knew my family would be not very happy with me. Reporter what did it feel like . Very mixed emotions. A little empty, knowing that theyre not onboard with this. Reporter but thats all on that one side. On the other side, theres this rush of happiness and good feelings, right . Yes. Reporter so debras daughters, protective as usual, had no idea that their mother was a newlywed. The therapist debra had seen recommended she keep her relationship separate from her family. But, of course, christmas was coming, and there were very important family traditions. Like the one where terra would have her own special time with the nieces and nephews of her extended family. So they made a deal. John would stay in a different room, while terra had the kids to herself. She was going to be able to enjoy the kids, and he had to sort of stay away. Reporter didnt work out so well. What actually happened . Well, he walked in with all the presents and, of course, the kids congregate all around him. He went straight up to them. He gave them gifts. Reporter like being santa claus or something. Something like that. Yeah. Reporter yeah. I mean, that kind of sort of role. Yeah. Reporter did he do it on purpose . Of course, thought terra. That made me so upset. Terra was very emotional. I thought, just suck it up. You know . Its christmas. Have fun. Reporter instead she felt that that man had come and usurped something . Yes. Yes. Reporter he had not only stolen their christmas, thought the daughters, but both of them worried he was stealing their too trusting mother. Taking advantage of her. She just let him drive her car. Why would he need to . Wasnt he a prosperous doctor an anesthesiologist . Couldnt he afford a car . Well, there was a reason, debra told them. That while john was in iraq working with doctors without borders, he was robbed. His house, his clothes, his cars. He was working with an Insurance Company of getting the claim. So i let him borrow my car. Reporter john would get all his money back soon enough, said debra. Didnt wash with terra. Sounded like a shaggy dog tale. At that time i had lots of suspicions. Reporter and thats when she and her sister decided to do some snooping. She bought these trackers for cars. And she went and put one on my moms tesla. So she found out where john was going. Reporter where was he going . He was going to multiple doctors offices. Reporter not so unusual, perhaps, for an anesthesiologist. But the sisters noticed something. He was there for not that long of time. Reporter not long enough to conduct any medical procedure, so what were those quick visits all about . Seemed more like a man trying to get access to something. Like maybe drugs. It was just a hunch, but they went to debra with that. Said maybe hes an addict. And debra refused to entertain their wild suspicions. This was more like, stop interfering in my life . Somewhat. Yes. But id fallen in love. Reporter debras daughters were not about to be put off. One of her daughters is particularly suspicious. She doesnt know why he wears surgical scrubs everywhere. It seems to be a costume hes wearing. She thinks his fingernails are dirty, and this does not look to her like the hands of an actual doctor. Reporter and so they started digging. An investigation that would lead halfway across the country. To the depths of evil. To an appointment with death. Coming up troubling revelations about john. They learned that he was not a doctor. Discoveries that were about to go from disturbing to terrifying. I said, hes very, very dangerous. When dateline continues. Bul 5g experience for america. Its 5g ultra wideband for massive capacity and ultrafast speeds. Almost 2 gigs here in minneapolis. Thats 25 times faster than todays network in new york city. So people from midtown manhattan to downtown denver can experience what our 5g can deliver. woman and if verizon 5g can deliver performance like this in these places. Its pretty crazy. Just imagine what it can do for you. Some things are too important to do yourself. Get customized security with 24 7 monitoring from xfinity home. Awarded the best professionally installed system by cnet. Simple. Easy. Awesome. Call, click or visit a store today. Reporter terra newell and cash, her miniature australian shepherd, were inseparable. He has unconditional love. And he wants to be there no matter what. Reporter terra went to cosmetology school, but chose to work with fourlegged clients instead, as a dog groomer. Reporter what do you like about dogs . I really like that theyre innocent. They dont have any evil in them unless they were taught to have evil in them. Reporter sure. And terra was something of a student of evil. She was a fan of the tv show the walking dead. Zombies. She had a feeling that evil was lurking in the life of john meehan. So did her sister. They knew he was hiding something, said reporter Christopher Goffard, and they were determined to find out what it was. They hired a private investigator to look into his past. Reporter debra, meanwhile, was in love. The newlyweds had settled into a simple life on newports balboa island. Debra, convinced shed found the perfect man. Even when sometimes things didnt quite make sense. Like the time she picked up the mail, and saw a strange return address on a letter to her husband. Reporter you opened a letter to him . Yes, i did. I was so curious. And he was irate. Thats fraud. You know, i cant believe you did that. Reporter but what had caught her attention was that letter was from an inmate at the Orange County jail. Did you read the letter . I did. Reporter what was in it . It was talking about how lucky he was that he had found love, and that his life had turned around. And im thinking, life had turned around . Hmm. So i questioned him, and he said that he writes and sends care packages to people in prison. Reporter sounded plausible enough to debra, but not to the sisters. Especially not once their private investigator began reporting his findings on john meehan. They learned that he was not a doctor. He was not an anesthesiologist. Reporter john had worked as a nurse anesthetist, but not recently. And he certainly had not been in iraq with doctors without borders. Instead just before he met debra they learned that one of his recent addresses was the Orange County jail. Reporter john was not a sender of care packages, he had been an inmate. Then in march 2015, four months after john moved in with debra, the sisters snooped around the balboa house and jackpot. They found a stash of paperwork john had left there. Legal documents, Police Reports. Reports that hes stalked other women and that other women had restraining orders on him. Reporter johns papers outlined a long criminal history. Multiple arrests and incarcerations, drug convictions. Alarming stuff. And debra was hesitant to believe the stuff. She believed john. Reporter even after her daughters told her what theyd found, debra went straight to john, and he said they had the wrong guy. He said, theres going to be allegations that other john meehans did. And i thought, well, okay, youve got a point. Reporter john said he was a victim of mistaken identity in some cases and in others he was framed. And he said, i was set up. And i said, but you lied to me. He goes, because i knew you would never date me if you knew the truth. And i said, youre right. I wouldnt have. Reporter thing was, john was so sad. Seemed so sincerely contrite. He started crying and crying and crying. And he said, please forgive me. I love you so much. I can never live without you. Reporter and it was true that he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. And when they were alone together she felt truly loved. And im thinking, okay, 90 of me doesnt believe him, but theres that 10 that maybe hes right, and im going to throw away the person that i fell in love with without trying to work it through . Reporter and so she accepted his explanations and she forgave him. There was always a reason . Yes. Reporter in march 2015, soon after they found that stash of papers, terra and her sister discovered their mother was married to the guy. That was it. They were fed up. Refused after that to speak to her. This was a very big, bad problem in your life. Yeah. Reporter just how big and how bad they didnt know yet. But buried in that stash of johns papers was the name of someone who did. A detective, way off in ohio. One of the sisters picked up the phone. Called him. What did you think when you got her call . I said, hes very, very dangerous. You need to talk to your mother. You need to have her call me. I will tell her everything. Reporter that is, the strange and disturbing tale that begins with her. Coming up thousands of miles away, this woman also had questions about john. I started snooping. And i found everything. And when she spoke up, thats when things got really scary. Tonia, you enjoy your time left on this earth. Okay . Because thats what its going to come down to. When dateline continues. Alkaseltzer plus. Now with 25 more concentrated power. Nothing works faster for powerful cold relief. Oh, what a relief it is so fast [ chuckles ] so, what are some Key Takeaways from this commercial . Did any of you hear the bundle your home and auto part . I like that, just not when it comes out of her mouth. Yeah, as a mother, i wouldnt want my kids to see that. Good mom. To see wait. Im sorry. What . Dont kids see enough violence as it is . Ive seen violence. Maybe we turn the word bundle into a character, like mr. Bundles. Top o the bundle to you. [ laughter ] bundle, bun