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>> because he's a massive dork. >> reporter: billy says ross was a lot of fun to be around. he remembers one beach holiday in particular. >> ross took his guitar and, like, walked up to people on the beach and started conversations because that's who he is. >> reporter: was he playing for them, too? >> he was. they didn't ask him to. but he was playing. settle down when he met his wife, leanna. she encouraged him to get his college degree. his cousin katie, who quickly became leanna's best friend too, says leanna made ross want to be a better man. >> we've said that without leanna, ross would'...

Tuscaloosa, alabama, and that's where his close friend billy kirkpatrick met him. >> you called him a massive dork. >> a massive dork, yes. >> why did you call him that? >> because he is a massive dork. >> billy says ross was a lot of fun to be around. he remembers one beach holiday in particular. >> we were all, we walked up to people on the beach with his guitar and started conversations. that's who he is. >> ross started to settle down when he met his wife lee anna and she encouraged him to get his college degree and his cousin who quickly became her best friend said ross made him a better ...

In tuscaloosa, alabama, and that's where his close friend, billy kirkpatrick, met him. you called him a massive dork? >> massive dork, yes. >> reporter: why did you call him that? >> because he's a massive dork. >> reporter: billy says ross was a lot of fun to be around. he remembers one beach holiday in particular. >> ross took his guitar and, like, walked up to people on the beach and started conversations because that's who he is. >> reporter: was he playing for them, too? >> he was. they didn't ask him to. but he was playing. >> reporter: but ross seemed to settle down when he met his wife...

Ago. >> what was it like for you when you first saw cooper? >> he was so beautiful. blonde hair, blue eyes. tiny little perfection. >> i have this vision of ross and cooper on the couch and ross is just goofing around with him and getting in the floor with him. it was hilarious. >> any extra thing that cooper could do, any milestone that he hit, he would share it with everyone. one of the conversations i had with ross, he said that it was so cool that cooper knew his name. and he said, and he loves to yell it at me. so instead of saying dad he would st , ross, and he would yell ross at him all...

If he had to kill people to cover his escape, then he would. >> the killer seemed to be within reach. but then the trail went cold. ♪ on july 30th, 1983, almost two months after the brutal murders, the u.s. coast guard responded to a distress call near santa barbara. they arrived at a sailboat moored in a small marina, the scene of an alleged rape. >> when we got in the sheriff's station, the victim of the rape was walking by the wanted posters and saw cooper's wanted picture. and said oh, my god, i've been raped by kevin cooper. >> kevin cooper escaped an almost two-month-long murder manhun...