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Would explain in his chilling story of duplicity and death. it began, the prosecutor said, with doug in a field across from venus' parents' house. >> he parked there with his truck kind of watching things. i'd say probably 500 yards from venus' parents' house. >> reporter: doug called ricky at 7:00 a.m. from a trac phone and gave him his instructions. >> ricky, i want you to leave anywhere from 8:00 to 8:15. nothing later." >> reporter: doug then sneaked up close to the house, police said, hiding behind this woodpile. back in virginia, ricky was establishing the alibi. >> you recognize that ph...

Despite everyone else's portrait of venus as mom of the year, doug pushed negative venus stuff on ricky, telling him how she smacked around their older daughter. >> how did that make you feel? >> i felt bad for him. he was saying, like, "if only, you know, someone could be my alibi." i'm like, "no, dude, i can't -- i can't do this." >> reporter: doug kept ratcheting up his stories of abuse, concluding with the most graphic one -- venus had tried to choke one of the girls. >> "ricky, if i wasn't there at that moment, the kid might have died." >> he again asked you to help him kill his wife? >> ...

>> reporter: in 2002, venus was 24, and ready to go out into the world, a soon-to-be a college graduate with a degree in criminal justice. >> she wanted to be a officer of the law. then she found out that she doesn't like guns. so that didn't work. >> reporter: what did work, and instantly, was her attraction to a guy named doug stewart. venus had a friend from work, jaime hess, who knew venus had a soft spot for guys in the uniform. and jaime's brother doug was a marine. >> we set up the first date. there was probably three or four of us couples. we went out to a movie. they hit it off really...

You that a shovel was used in the killing of venus stewart? they haven't. >> reporter: schroeder summed it up for the jury. he claimed the prosecutor had an illusion of evidence, a circumstantial case woven together with ricky spencer's tall tale. >> they've tried to make you think they have all this evidence, but they don't. and they haven't proved their case. you have a duty to do. and that's to find doug stewart not guilty. >> coming up -- >> you believe she's alive? >> i've gotta believe she's alive. >> reporter: what would the jury do? >> the clerk will read the verdict. >> a verdict and ...

There? >> yes, there was. >> reporter: so you certainly want to talk to this husband, doug. >> the first thing we want to do is find him. where was he right now? >> reporter: you knew that he was living in virginia? >> yes. newport news. >> reporter: the day venus went missing, mike scott and venus' mother repeatedly dialed doug's cell phone. >> i was frantic. i just kept calling over and over again and said, "doug, where is venus?” >> reporter: finally, detective scott reached him that night. >> reporter: what did he say to you? >> that he'd been in virginia all day. >> you were in virginia...