Page 32 - Tom Fallis News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

His defense attorney was very emotional. but ashley's parents, they left the courtroom fairly quickly. >> ashley's parents declined to talk with "dateline" after the verdict. but their legal battles were far from over. they filed a civil lawsuit against several law enforcement officers of the evans police department who they believe falsifi falsified, altered the records to make the death look like a suicide. >> despite the verdict, they pursued the case. >> in 2017, a u.s. district court issued a final judgment dismissing their claims. >> what about ashley's family? can they accept this and g...

I didn't -- i didn't do this. >> it was murder, said her parents. >> i had three grandkids that i dearly, dearly loved that i knew in my heart that tom had just killed her mother. >> the news of ashley's death spread quickly the morning after the party. >> i didn't understand what was happening and why because everything was fine that night. >> so it's confusing? >> very confusing. she was happy. she didn't seem suicidal. >> andrea, drinking buddy at the party, co-worker, friend, couldn't shake a feeling. >> i don't feel like she would have taken her life. tom was the only other person that wa...

'em didn't believe it was murder. >> i believe the story that he gave was consistent with the evidence at the scene. >> he thought it was suicide. what happened in that moment after midnight? how would a jury decide? >> upon reaching a verdict, you will inform the bailiff who will, in turn, notify me. >> settled in for a bit of a wait. >> this is almost a three-week trial, there's a lot of evidence. thought they were looking at coming back the next day to hear the verdict. >> but no. less than four hours later, a verdict. >> we the jury find the defendant not guilty of murder in the second deg...

Uncles. just people from the public were interested in this case. >> the prosecution's allegation s perfectly clear. tom argued with his wife and in a fit of rage shot and killed her. >> at the conclusion of this case after you have received all of the evidence, you will be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that it is him who pulled the trigger. >> prosecution witnesses said ashley was in high spirits under new year's eve party. not at all suicidal. >> she was happy the whole night. laughing. smiling. she was dancing with her children. interacting with all the guests. >> tom, though? ashley'...

>> we have indications of, of, of bleeding, but the type of injury that we're talking about is going to bleed a lot, and that's not the kind of stain i would expect to see if that's what was occurring. something is keeping that blood from reaching that area. >> reporter: and he believed that 'something' was tom fallis. remember, his clothing was drenched with blood. and so priest concluded tom and ashley must have been in close contact when the gun went off. using the prosecutor, he suggested there was a struggle when the shot was fired. >> i can keep blood staining from getting onto the wall,...