Page 12 - Robert Rand News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

I would tell the police, and that i would tell the family. >> reporter: then according to lyle, his father said something that sounded like a threat. >> he said we all make choices in life, son. erik made his, you've made yours. i thought we were in danger. >> reporter: and so the brothers drove down to san diego to buy the shotguns for protection, they said. two days later, said lyle, he and his father had another argument about the abuse after which lyle said his parents went into the den and shut the door and -- >> i thought they were going ahead with their plan to kill us. >> reporter: rem...

Take shape. >> i'm hearing a lot of very negative and at least heavily psychologically abusive things, but it's not answering what's wrong with this kid, cause he's incredibly sweet. how does he walk into a room with a shotgun, this kid? and it doesn't add up. i mean, i'm totally, totally puzzled. and that's when i bring in vicary. >> reporter: dr. william vicary, a forensic psychiatrist and graduate of harvard law school, agreed to meet with the brothers in jail. he knew going in, police believed lyle and erik killed their parents for money. >> but based upon the dozens of parricide cases tha...

Wasn't making kind of decisions in a chaotic situation like that. but, you know, reflecting afterwards, you know, it haunts me. it -- it does haunt me. >> reporter: the other -- comment that would come up was, "well, they-- you know, they coulda just gone out and got in the car and driven away, you know? they-- they didn't have to do this." >> a person like my father is not going to allow you to just take something that will ruin his life that he has so carefully crafted. he's not going to. he's not going to. >> reporter: but-but- but you coulda left. that's the point i'm tryin' to make. >> bu...

Firing. >> in what direction? >> in front of me. >> what was in front of you? >> my parents. >> at some point was your gun empty? >> yes. could see somebody moving, seemed like moving in the direction of where my brother should be. >> reporter: lyle said he returned to the car, re-loaded, and ran back into the house. >> and what did you do after you re-loaded? >> i ran around and shot my mom. >> reporter: so did they act while in the mistaken belief they were defending their own lives? yes, said the defense. a classic case of imperfect self defense. perfect nonsense, said the prosecutor. she g...

Not just physical but sexual. >> he and his dad had been touching each other and he indicated it was in his genital area. >> reporter: and diane told us she observed even more. >> three of them would take showers together. lyle was 15 and erik was 12. >> reporter: prosecutor bozanich was, to say the least, skeptical. >> if my daughter needed me to lie for her, i'd lie for her. if it was a life and death thing, of course, you would. if it's your cousin that you grew up with, of course you would. >> and you're pretty sure that they were doing that? >> i'm positive. >> reporter: one reason why? >...