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Into weeks and tom remained free, ashley's parents became convinced that something about the investigation was not right. >> joel and i sat down and said, "look, if for some crazy reason she walked in the house and shot herself and they can show that, we will accept it and support tom." we didn't feel like that was, you know, the case. >> reporter: they weren't alone. remember, on the night it happened, former deputy brian spencer saw tom roaming around freely with blood and other potential evidence all over him. >> police 101, a very basic thing. any scene that you respond to, you wanna treat...

>> reporter: it was important to ashley's parents to remain close to those three kids, so they fought for grandparents' rights and tried, they said, to be civil with tom. but, they also told anyone who would listen that they believed their daughter had been murdered, like a local reporter. >> he said, "do you mind if i start looking into this?" and i said, "j -- joel," and i said, "no, go ahead. start looking into it." and it didn't take him much. >> reporter: the reporter asked around, talked to neighbors, and asked the evans police department to comment on what he heard. and before you knew ...

But her parents were furious. >> when he had that opportunity to speak and share about the woman he so- called loved and called "his eternal wife," all he did was degrade her. >> what was it like to hear that? >> it was shocking. it was unbelievable. >> reporter: as the days turned into weeks and tom remained free, ashley's parents became convinced that something about the investigation was not right. >> joel and i sat down and said, "look, if for some crazy reason she walked in the house and shot herself and they can show that, we will accept it and support tom." we didn't feel like that was,...

With dateline on camera but said this about the allegations against them -- "the investigation we conducted was thorough and complete. a conclusion of suicide was determined after an exhaustive review and analysis of all evidence -- physical, forensic, and testimonial, by all of the five agencies involved." as for ashley's parents, well, there was nothing more either of them could do, apparently. two years went by, during which tom moved to indiana with the kids and enrolled at a local university. >> and i said to him, "tom, murderers always move away." >> reporter: it was important to ashley'...

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