Could someone else be the real killer . Im wondering what was this man capable of . So much tragedy and so much heartbreak. It was very emotional for me. We just kept waiting for them to figure out that they had it wrong. It was the 2nd of july, 2008. Early evening in a fine old town called prescott, arizona. Sun going down, air cooling down to a fine evening warm. Here at the towns historic rodeo grounds, refugees from the summer heat in phoenix two hours and 25 degrees away settled into the stands to enjoy the annual exploits of the cowboys. At the very same time, a few miles away on the edge of town, a woman named Carol Kennedy jogged along a wellworn path at the base of granite mountain. Sometime after 7 00 she turned in at herbig backyard here on a street called bridle path. Trotted past the stone labyrinth shed laid out here years earlier to mark the turn of the millennium. And arrived at the backdoor of the house she intended to inhabit for the rest of her natural days. But of course, Carol Kennedy had no idea that this was going to be her last day. And, no, it would not be natural at all. Its the biggest loss of my life to this day. Its profound. Its piercing. Its constant. Reporter Carol Kennedy was in, as they say, a good place in her life. This is her friend Katherine Morris. Carol was the epitome of kindness and living a life from a perspective of having an open heart and being loving. Reporter before she became a close friend, Katherine Morris was carols student at prescott college. She was very well respected and admired. Her classes were always full. Very difficult to get into. What was she like . She was magnetic. And she was always sort of searching for the truth. And you just were gravitated to her. Charisma that kind of pulled her students in, especially maybe you. Uhhuh, uhhuh. She was soft and inviting. Im Carol Kennedy. I live in prescott, arizona. Reporter you get a sense of her personality in this 2006 interview, in which she was asked about her passion for teaching. Such a gift to feel like you get to give seeds to this first row here and then they turn around and give it to rows behind them. Reporter and in fact she shared those passions with the man who was her husband for 25 years. Love of her life, really, Steve Democker. They were crazy for each other. Reporter sharon democker is steves sister. Carol was really easy to love. She was kind of a natural fit in the family. She was just immediately a sister to all of us. Reporter all of us being the democker family. High achievers, all of them. Sharon is a doctor. Its an accomplished bunch. One of my friends said, theres not a weak link in this group. Reporter carol and steve got married in his parents backyard overlooking lake ontario, near rochester, new york. An outdoor wedding for a couple who loved adventure. Steve was the one that kind of started the adventuring side of things. First there was hiking and skiing and mountain climbing and kayaking. Reporter they moved around a bit, as people do, and wound up eventually in prescott, which proved to be the Perfect Place to raise their two bright, attractive daughters, katie and charlotte. Theyre amazing. I think that its really a testimony to the kind of parents that steve and carol were, that their girls were their first priority. Reporter steve became the dean of prescott college. Carol taught psychology there. But life is a river. Never the same for long. Steve decided to change careers. Left the academic life, became a financial advisor. Very successful too. And there were other changes. More difficult ones. Nobody knows all of what goes on inside a marriage. But i did talk with both of them about it. And they both struggled because their lives were moving in different directions. Reporter and, much as they still cared for each other, there were infidelities. Steve had an affair. They decided to separate. Carol loved steve fiercely. She fought hard for her marriage until the end. Reporter but in 2008, after more than 25 years of marriage, five living apart, steve and carol divorced. It was a long, painful process and after it was final, carol went to a nearby lake where she called katherine. She was sobbing. And at first when she called me it was like, oh, oh no. And then i realized that the that the sobbing and the wailing on the phone was a it was a mixture of things. It was cathartic. Yeah. Absolutely. Reporter time for a fresh start. Carol had left teaching by that time, was focused on a new passion, painting. Her art was developing. She was really doing well with that and taking off with that. Reporter of course she remained close to her daughters, but she also stayed close to steve. And in fact, just a few days before that july morning, the whole family went to the airport together, to see katie off on a study abroad trip to south africa. Charlotte was staying with her dad in prescott. Nothing ahead now but the long, easy days of summer. As she jogged the last few yards to her house, carol passed by the guest cottage shed rented out as a way to help pay her expenses. Its 50 feet away from the main house, and it has all of its own kitchen and bath and shower and rooms. Reporter it was comforting, in a way, to have someone else with her on the property, out here at the edge of things. Mans name was jim knapp. Divorced father. Bit of an odd duck, some people said. But easy to get along with. At least, thats what carol told her friends. The man didnt cause any trouble. Jim knapp was just sort of this freespirited surfer dude from hawaii who hang ten. But she took him in as a boarder . It was my understanding that he was had been diagnosed with cancer. And i think they sort of cosupported each other through a lot of the painful times that they were both experiencing. Reporter once inside her house, carol put together a salad for dinner, answered a few emails. Settled in for an evening alone. She picked up the phone and called her mother ruth who lived way off in nashville, tennessee. She was an amazing daughter who still called her mom every day. Reporter ruth was 83. The call, a nightly ritual. And then at 8 00 p. M. , the oddest thing. The line went dead. But not before ruth heard something rather terrifying. Ruth tried to call back. Nothing. And there she was, so far away, and now worried. So she decided to call the Sheriffs Department, whose headquarters is here in downtown prescott. Sheriffs office, maria. How can i help you . Ah, yes. My name is ruth kennedy and im calling from nashville, tennessee. I was on the phone with my daughter and she screamed and said, oh no and the phones gone dead. And is there anything you can do . Can you go check . Reporter oh no. Those two words played back, again and again, in ruths worried brain. And so began a mystery. And a story too unbelievable even for some of its most intimate participants. What happened to Carol Kennedy . Coming up that question would take years to answer. Not just what happened to carol, but who was behind it. She didnt have any enemies . None, none. We were just stunned. When dateline continues. Yo . Your cells. Trillions of them. Thats why centrum contains 14 key nutrients to help feed your cells, nourishing your body inside and out so you can focus on what matters most. Centrum. Feed your cells. Fuel your life. Frustrated that everyday activities cause wrinkles and theres nothing you can do about it . Downy wrinkleguard is a fabric conditioner that helps protect you from wrinkles all day. Pants washed with downy wrinkleguard and detergent are virtually wrinklefree. Try downy wrinkleguard. Carol kennedy and her mother, ruth, were having their nightly phone call. Suddenly the phone line went dead. Ruth tried back, couldnt reach carol. Then she called the Sheriffs Department. Shes out there and she screamed and said, oh no, and then the phone was dropped, and im just at my wits end. Now, did you call her or did she call you and this occurred . She called me tonight and calls me every night. Im 83, and she worries about me. And so we were just having our conversation, and then all the sudden she just screamed and said, oh no, and then i have not been able to get her to answer the phone back. So im, you know, afraid something bads happened. Okay, ruth, who does your daughter live with . Shes recently divorced, shes alone. Whats your daughters name . Carol kennedy. Reporter did you notice what she said . Recently divorced. Certainly the operator heard it. Do you believe that theres any reason she would be concerned if her husband, exhusband, came back . Oh, i dont think so. Okay. No, i dont think its that kind of a thing, no. Okay. Reporter family and friends all knew that even after their divorce, steve and carol both cared deeply for each other and their two daughters. That connection between the two of them interests me. They took time to nurture their relationship and to spend time together. And to do things that they enjoyed doing and bringing up katie and charlotte. Reporter but this was hardly the time for reminiscing. Carol wasnt answering her phone, and ruth was frantic. All right, well send somebody out to check on her, and well have them give you a call. Reporter you can imagine what that was like for ruth so far away, waiting for a phone call. She knew that carol had a boarder that offbeat guy, jim knapp. She didnt know how to reach him, but steve would know what to do. She called him on the cell phone, and when he didnt pick up, she left him this message. Hey, this is ruth kennedy, in nashville. I was on the phone with carol and screamed and said oh no, and i cant get her to answer me back. I wanted to see if you could see what you can find out and let me know something. Reporter by that time it was dark. Steve and carls daughter charlotte and her then boyfriend jacob were at that moment at steves house waiting for him to come home. Jacob was actually living there while he tried to sort out a few issues with his parents. What was your relationship like with him, and what was charlottes relationship like . Charlotte was very close with steve. He had offered me to stay with him before, you know, try to figure something out, just to make my situation with my parents better. So i had a lot of respect for him. Definitely looked up to him. Reporter but that evening steve, an avid outdoorsman, was overdue from a Mountain Bike ride. And it was getting late, really late, actually. It was very, very odd. And he would usually wed usually have dinner pretty late there. It was, you know, normal to have dinner at 9 00, 9 30. When he hadnt come home around that time, it was when we kind of started to get a little worried. That maybe he had crashed or gotten hurt or something. What did you do . Charlotte called his cell phone, and no answer . No answer. Did it go straight to voicemail or something . Yeah. Reporter anyway, hungry for dinner, they went to the store for groceries. While we were at the store, it was probably around 10 00, 10 15 was when we got a call from steve. And he told us that he got a flat tire and he was at the workout center, he was going to finish up his workout there. And what, his phone had been off or something, or what happened to his phone . He said his phone had died. While he was out there having a flat tire . Correct. Reporter steve was in the shower when charlotte and jake arrived back at the condo. They made a quick dinner, vegetable stirfry. It was late, but then again, it was a mild summer night. Not a care in the world, it seemed. No idea what was happening at the house on bridle path. Coming up im kind of getting worried about you. Panic begins. A daughter rushes to the scene. What would she find . She just immediately broke down. Started crying. Pretty hard. When dateline continues. Dont bring that mess around here, evan whoo dont do it. Dont you dare. I dont think so [ sighs ] its okay, big fella. Were gonna get through this together. [ baseball bat cracks ] nice rip, robbie. Raaah when you bundle home and Auto Insurance through progressive, you get more than just a big discount. Im gonna need you to leave. You get relentless protection. [ baseball bat cracks ] sensitivity its very commonn. To have a gum Health Concern as well. But if you have sensitive teeth, you probably arent going to brush your teeth as effectivity because it causes pain. And if you see blood you should do something about it. 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Because they never quit. And platelet donations and asks all healthy donors to schedule an appointment to give. Now, with the corona virus outbreak, it is important to maintain a sufficient blood supply. Your Blood Donation is critical and can help save lives. Please schedule an appointment today. Download the blood donor app. Visit redcrossblood. Org or call 1 800 red cross today. You can make a difference. July 2nd, 2008, about 11 00 p. M. Steve democker, his daughter charlotte, and charlottes boyfriend jake were eating a very late dinner. He had taken a few more bites of his dinner and then by that point charlotte and i were pretty close to being finished. Reporter thats when steve told them about a strange phone call he received from carols brother. Who told him that apparently carols home phone suddenly cut out when she was talking to her mother ruth, and nobody could reach her. How did charlotte react to that . She was worried. Reporter charlotte said she texted her mom earlier that evening. Everything seemed fine then. But now . She called her mother. Voice mail. Hey mom. Its char. I heard from grandmother that something happened while you guys were on the phone and she was kind of worried about you. So i wanted to text you to see if everything was okay. Now im kind of getting worried about you. So if you want to text me back or call me or something, just let me know that youre okay and that everythings okay. Reporter the beginnings of panic bubbled up in charlottes brain. She and her boyfriend called around to local hospitals. But nobody named Carol Kennedy had been admitted to any of them. So this is night time, was there any thought of going over there . Yeah. We had talked about it. Reporter steve was concerned about carol, of course. But as her now exhusband, he had another concern too. Steve had expressed that he wasnt really comfortable with it because, you know, they had just finalized their divorce and, you know, he didnt feel comfortable invading her privacy if she was with, you know, another guy on a date or Something Like that, so. Mmhm. We had decided that charlotte and i would go out there and check on her. Just kind of see, you know, if anything was out of the ordinary. Reporter it was around midnight when they drove out to carols place on bridle path. Having promised to call steve the minute they got there. Do you remember what it was like driving over there . It was very quiet. I dont really think we spoke very much at all on the way there. Because . Just nervous, you know. Little anxious . Right. Do you remember pulling up to the house . Yes. Very vividly. Reporter at that moment, charlotte was on the phone with her dad. As soon as we got to the top of the hill you could see the police, you know, the sheriffs lights and all the cars and, you know, just the worst thoughts are kind of going through, you know, my mind at that point. You know, the almost kind of thing that hits you here before it hits you here. Right. Yeah. Kind of feel it in your stomach first, for sure. And we got closer to the house, and we saw a caution tape and all of, you know, people running around and everything. We had pulled up and stopped on the side of the road, and two sheriffs walked up on either side of the car, and we rolled the windows down. Did this person know who you were . I think he had asked, you know, were you guys just passing through . And charlotte said, no, this is my moms house. And so, im sorry to tell you but, you know, carol passed away. At that point she just immediately broke down, started crying pretty hard. Reporter charlotte dropped the phone. Fell to pieces. Were you frightened . Scared a little bit. Really more so for charlotte, just you know, not really i mean, even now i dont think i could i could figure it out how to console someone in that situation. Reporter maybe steve would know what to do. I picked up the cell phone and told steve what had happened. He needed to come down and be with charlotte. And steve . He was taken aback. You know, it was almost kind of disbelief, like he didnt really know what to say, really. Kind of hear him choking back some tears a little bit. And that was, you know, was hard. Reporter right away steve rushed over to carols house. A detective had a recorder rolling. You can hear charlotte sobbing. And steve talking. The last time i was out here was i dont know. Im sorry. I dont know. Its been a while. Reporter someone else talked to the detectives, too. A man who showed up just minutes after the deputies got there. Jim knapp, carols boarder. The man who had been living in the guest house. I cant remember the month i moved in. Reporter and jim knapp had a lot to say about carol, but he didnt stop there. Coming up it was certainly a gruesome scene. Blood drops. Shoe prints. The clues tell a story. So that tells you something about how she died . She certainly died a violent death. And the man in the guest cottage has a story too. Its just my take. When date line continues. Ir 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. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Thats a difference you can feel. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious all