To Melcher News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

close friends, and, a summer night in the park. >> they had this look out, and you can see the harbor bridge that up. it's really pretty when the stars are out. >> it was the next morning that they found it. >> i could see the two girls laying. there it was horrifying. there was duct tape on their mouse, on their hands. >> a mystifying scene. >> the only thing we have our cigarette beds and suspicion. >> dna would 0.1 way. >> it was like star you gotta take a look at. this >> a bombshell message would point another. >> i read a letter, and immediately knew this was something very imp...

Letter. >> reporter: that is because melcher immediately recognized the photo. plus he said the original photograph was of two people. the missing man, he said, was his former roommate david strickland. if the snapshot was a surprise to melcher, the name david strickland was an even bigger one for detective vellerman. turns out he crossed paths with david strickland before. >> i'd interviewed david strickland in 2012 just days after the murder. >> remember that tip about a white car seen speeding in the park the night of the murder? the tipster was david strickland. >> he came in as a good sam...

Basically, mr. melcher is no longer the focus of this, it's now david strickland? >> chris melcher went on to explain that he and strickland were no longer on good terms. he believes strickland had stolen several of his guns so he had strickland arrested. >> the gun robbery put a damper on their relationship. >> strickland pleaded nat guilty to the gun charge and was released soon after. the charges were still pending and vellerman wondered could writing that letter been payback for having him arrested? >> i knew there was bad blood between them, but to accuse someone of murder. >> you think t...

For her safety. we moved very quickly to make sure she was safe. that she was protected. >> and i'm okay. no one could know where i was at. only my family knew where i was at. >> reporter: with kristene in a safe place, vellerman went straight to layton, utah. he was soon sitting across from his person of interest. >> christobal mulcher said he was on a training exercise. >> not only was he not there, he was not in the country? >> yes. >> we were not able to find a connection between the cha pa family. >> and then he showed melcher the letter. and melcher was stunned but even more surprised wh...