>> WE ARE FLOATING ALONG LAKE WYLIE, SOUTH CAROLINA,
WHICH IS A ROUGHLY 20-MILE-LONG LAKE.
>> Reporter: AS WE'VE BEEN CRUISING ALONG HERE,
IT HAS LOOKED LIKE AN EPISODE OF "LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND
A LOT OF WEALTH.
>> IT CERTAINLY IS.
THERE ARE MILLION-DOLLAR HOMES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ONE HERE, THIS IS THE CLAYTON ESTATE.
STEVEN AND LANA MOVED INTO IT IN 2015, AND IT'S ACTUALLY
MODELED AFTER PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOUNT VERNON
ESTATE.
STEVEN CLAYTON WAS A VERY WELL- LIKED PERSON.
HAD LOTS OF FRIENDS, VERY SOCIABLE.
LANA WORKED AS A NURSE IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT VETERANS'
AFFAIRS HOSPITALS.
[ SIREN WAILING] >> STEVEN CLAYTON WAS FOUND DEAD
AT THE BOTTOM OF A STAIRCASE.
>> AT THE OUTSET, THIS APPEARED TO BE A NATURAL DEATH.
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER] >> Reporter: IT LOOKED LIKE A
MAN WHO HAD FALLEN DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS.
>> YES, WHO HAD BEEN ILL, ACCORDING TO HIS WIFE.
AND THEN, SHE FOUND HIM UNRESPONSIVE.
SHE WAS CRYING, AND SHE WAS UPSET.
>> [ CRYING] >> I PULLED IN THE DRIVEWAY
RIGHT OVER HERE.
MY MAIN GOAL AT THAT POINT WAS TO TRY AND HELP LANA, TO
CONSOLE HER.
>> Reporter: WHEN DID YOU START TO SEE THINGS THAT TROUBLED YOU?
>> RIGHT AWAY.
HE DIDN'T SHOW ANY SIGNS OF ANY SORT OF MEDICAL ISSUES.
SHE MADE NO MENTION OF ATTEMPTING TO REVIVE HIM.
>> WE DECIDED TO CALL THE CORONER AND SEE IF WE COULD GET
EITHER AN AUTOPSY OR A TOXCOLOGY REPORT.
>> I AM THE CORONER FOR YORK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.
LUCKILY, FAMILY STARTED PICKING UP ON SOME RED FLAGS.
>> MY NAME IS DEMI GARVIN.
I AM A FORENSIC TOXICOLOGIST.
>> WHEN DEMI'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT CAME ACROSS MY FAX MACHINE, I
WAS LIKE, "HMM, WHAT IS TETRAHYDROZOLINE?"
AND THEN, IMMEDIATELY, DEMI AND I WERE ON THE PHONE TOGETHER.
I WAS LIKE, "WHOA, WAIT."
>> TETRAHYDROZOLINE IS THE COMMON INGREDIENT IN VISINE.
>> Reporter: THE EYE DROP?
>> THE EYE DROP.
>> WHEN IT IS GIVEN ORALLY VIA THE MOUTH, IT IS VERY TOXIC
AND CAN RENDER SOMEONE INTO A COMA WITHIN 15 TO 30 MINUTES.
>> Reporter: CAN IT CREATE A HEART ATTACK?
>> IT CAN.
IT HAS A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON YOUR BODY.
>> CAN'T IMAGINE HIM DOING THAT.
CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE DOING THAT.
>> SO, WHO THEN BECOMES THE SUSPECT?
LANA CLAYTON.
SHE REPORTED ON HER OWN THAT STEVEN CLAYTON LIKED TO PLACE A
FEW DROPS OF VISINE IN HIS COFFEE EACH MORNING.
>> I DID NOT KILL MY HUSBAND.
>> THERE WAS ANOTHER DEATH THAT APPEARED TO BE OF NATURAL
CAUSES, RELATED TO A CARDIAC ARREST OF STACY HUNSUCKER.
THEY FOUND THE HIGH LEVELS OF TETRAHYDROZOLINE IN HER
SYSTEM.
>> IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT WAS A COPYCAT SITUATION.
THE SUSPECT IN THAT CASE HEARD ABOUT OUR CASE DOWN HERE,
SAW IT ON THE NEWS.
>> Reporter: SO, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THIS LITTLE
BOTTLE COULD BE A MURDER WEAPON.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
♪ ♪ >> I'M A VIETNAM VETERAN, SO
I'VE SEEN THINGS, DONE THINGS.
>> Reporter: BUT JAMES BLACKLEDGE WASN'T READY FOR WHAT
WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AS HE RODE BY THE HOME OF STEVE AND LANA
CLAYTON ON THE MORNING OF JULY 21, 2018.
>> I WAS OUT RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE, COMING DOWN THIS
ROAD, AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I SEE A WOMAN RUNNING ACROSS
THIS YARD, AND SHE WAS WAVING ME DOWN.
>> Reporter: IT WAS LANA CLAYTON, WHO APPARENTLY HAD JUST
RUN OUT OF HER HOUSE.
>> SHE FLAGGED ME DOWN, STOPPED ME.
AND FIRST THING SHE SAID WAS, "CALL 911."
>> Reporter: AS BLACKLEDGE STAYED ON THE PHONE WITH THE
DISPATCHER, HE WATCHED LANA RUN ACROSS THE STREET TO A
NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD THIS LOUD KNOCK ON THE SCREEN.
IT ALMOST SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WAS GOING TO BUST THE
GLASS OUT.
IT WAS LANA.
>> Reporter: TERRY FLOYD IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF LANA AND STEVE.
>> AND I ASKED HER, OF COURSE, WHAT WAS WRONG, AND SHE JUST
KEPT SAYING, "IT'S STEVE, IT'S STEVE."
>> Reporter: THE TWO JUMPED INTO TERRY'S GOLF CART AND DASHED
OVER TO THE CLAYTON'S FRONT DOOR.
>> AND I SAID, "WELL, WHERE IS HE?"
AND SHE SAID, "HE'S AT THE BASE OF THE STAIRS THERE IN THE
FOYER."
>> Reporter: AND WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AS ALL OF THIS IS
UNFOLDING?
>> I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, A STRANGE ACCIDENT.
THEN, WHAT I REALLY THOUGHT WAS STRANGE WAS, SHE SAT ON THE
FRONT STEPS.
THE MAN WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE.
>> I TRIED TO GET A PULSE.
I COULDN'T GET A PULSE.
AND, I-- I...AND I-- I JUST, I KNEW HE WAS DEAD.
>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO LANA, STEVE HAD COME DOWN WITH A BOUT
OF VERTIGO THREE DAYS PRIOR.
NEWS REPORTER KRISTI O'CONNOR OF WBTV COVERED THE STORY.
>> HE WAS NAUSEATED AND DIZZY AND BEDRIDDEN.
>> Reporter: THEIR BEDROOM WAS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THIS
HOUSE, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT.
>> Reporter: LANA SAID SHE CHECKED ON HIM AROUND 11:00 THAT
MORNING AND FOUND HIM SOUND ASLEEP, SO SHE WENT OUTSIDE
TO MOW THE LAWN.
>> SHE MADE SURE HE HAD HIS WATER.
SHE HAD HIS MEDICATIONS AND THINGS NEXT TO HIS BED, MADE
SURE HE HAD EVERYTHING HE NEEDED.
>> Reporter: LANA WAS A NURSE, A CALLING THAT MADE STEVE'S
SISTER, ROSIE, VERY HAPPY.
>> I FELT, "WOW, SHE'LL BE THERE FOR HIM, GOD FORBID, SOMETHING
SHOULD HAPPEN, HE SHOULD FALL ILL."
>> Reporter: THE COUPLE MET ONLINE IN 2010.
THREE YEARS LATER, THEY MARRIED IN NEARBY CHARLOTTE, NORTH
CAROLINA.
>> I SENSED THAT MY BROTHER LOVED HER VERY MUCH, THAT SHE
LOVED HIM VERY MUCH.
>> Reporter: IT WAS LANA'S SECOND MARRIAGE.
STEVE'S FAMILY HAD LOST COUNT ON THE NUMBER OF TIMES HE'D BEEN
DOWN THE AISLE.
>> I THINK THE NUMBER'S SOMEWHERE AROUND SIX OR SEVEN.
STEVE LOVED BEING IN LOVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK OUT WELL FOR HIM.
>> Reporter: STEVE'S NEPHEW, KRIS PHAGAN, SAYS HIS UNCLE WAS
AN ACCOUNTANT BY TRADE WHO, IN THE 1980s, CREATED A HIGHLY
SUCCESSFUL PHYSICAL THERAPY BUSINESS TARGETING SPORTS
INJURIES.
AND HE MADE MILLIONS OFF OF THIS, CORRECT?
>> HE DID.
HE THEN FULLY RETIRED AT THE AGE OF 40.
>> Reporter: FROM ALL OUTSIDE APPEARANCES, WHAT WAS THEIR LIFE
LIKE HERE?
>> I WOULD SAY... DARE TO SAY THAT THEY HAD IT ALL.
>> Reporter: BUT ON JULY 21, 2018, WHEN LANA CAME IN AFTER A
COUPLE HOURS OF YARD WORK, SHE DISCOVERED HER 64-YEAR-OLD
HUSBAND WAS DEAD.
>> MYSELF AND A FEW OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORS, WE CONSOLED IN HER.
ALL THE NEIGHBORS WERE BEHIND HER 110%.
>> Reporter: WHEN YORK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES ARRIVED, THEY
FOUND LANA IN DISTRESS OVER HER HUSBAND'S APPARENT FALL DOWN THE
STAIRS.
>> Reporter: THE OFFICER ON THE SCENE AND A FRIEND COMFORTED
HER.
>> Reporter: AS WORD SPREAD ABOUT STEVE'S SUDDEN DEATH, HIS
NEPHEW NICK FRENCH, WHO'S A POLICE OFFICER IN A NEARBY TOWN,
RUSHED TO THE MANSION.
THAT'S NICK INSIDE THE HOUSE.
>> SHE GAVE ME A-- A BIG HUG, STARTED CRYING.
RIGHT AFTER THAT, I WALKED IN WHERE STEVE WAS AND SAW HIM.
IT WAS VERY MUCH A SHOCK.
I LOVED STEVE, AND TO SEE HIM IN A VULNERABLE POSITION LIKE THAT
WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME.
>> Reporter: SHORTLY AFTER 1:00 P.M., CORONER SABRINA GAST
RECEIVED A CALL THAT STEVE HAD DIED.
I HAVE A DEPUTY CORONER, AND SHE RESPONDED TO THE HOME.
>> Reporter: GAST SAYS HER DEPUTY SAW NOTHING SUSPICIOUS
AND BELIEVED THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO A HEART
ATTACK.
>> SHE CONCLUDED AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT IT APPEARED TO BE
A NATURAL DEATH.
>> Reporter: BUT BEING AN EXPERIENCED COP AND
INVESTIGATOR, NICK FRENCH COULDN'T HELP NOTICING SOME RED
FLAGS ABOUT LANA'S ACTIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHE FOUND
STEVE.
>> THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO PHONES IN THAT HOUSE, AND SHE'S
A NURSE.
WHY WOULDN'T SHE HAVE CALLED FROM ONE OF THOSE PHONES?
AND ALSO, WHY WASN'T SHE DOING C.P.R. WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON
SCENE?
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN HE BEGAN TO MAKE MENTAL NOTES.
>> STEVE ALWAYS HAD HIS PHONE ON HIM.
ALWAYS.
IT WAS HIS LIFELINE.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND STEVE'S PHONE ANYWHERE.
I DON'T KNOW.
I'M LOOKING FOR MESSAGES.
>> Reporter: NICK ALSO NOTED LANA'S REACTION WHEN THE DEPUTY
CORONER ASKED ABOUT FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS.
>> LANA SAID, "IT'S JUST TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW."
SHE HAD HER HEAD IN HER HANDS, AND SHE SAID, "I HAVE NO IDEA."
>> Reporter: SO, THE DEPUTY CORONER OFFERED TO TAKE STEVE'S
BODY TO THE MORGUE AND RUN SOME TESTS.
>> AND SHE LOOKED UP FROM HER HANDS AND SAID, "THAT FUNERAL
HOME, THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
LET'S TAKE HIM THERE AND HAVE HIM CREMATED."
AND IT WAS JUST THAT QUICK.
SHE WENT FROM "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GOING TO DO" TO "LET'S
HAVE HIM CREMATED."
>> Reporter: NICK WANTED TO CALL KRIS AND LET HIM KNOW THEIR
BELOVED UNCLE HAD DIED.
HE SAYS LANA INSISTED SHE DIDN'T WANT KRIS TO SEE HIS UNCLE IN
THAT STATE.
>> KRIS IS AN ADULT.
HE'S A BIG BOY.
THAT SHOULD BE KRIS' CHOICE.
>> I STARTED THINKING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S GOING ON.
SO, WHEN SHE TOLD ME NO THE THIRD TIME AND YELLED AT ME, I
WALKED UPSTAIRS AND CALLED KRIS.
>> Reporter: WHY WOULD YOU BE EXCLUDED?
>> THAT I COULDN'T TELL YOU.
IT STILL PUZZLES ME TO THIS DAY.
>> Reporter: KRIS THEN CALLED STEVE'S SISTER, ROSIE, IN
FLORIDA.
>> I STILL HEAR HIM CRYING.
I COULDN'T SPEAK.
IT WASN'T REAL.
IT DIDN'T SEEM REAL.
>> Reporter: FOR THREE DAYS PRIOR TO HIS DEATH, ROSIE HAD
BEEN WORRIED SHE COULDN'T REACH HER BROTHER ON THE PHONE.
>> SUDDENLY, THERE WERE NO REPLIES, AND THAT WAS NOT LIKE
HIM TO JUST COMPLETELY CUT OFF.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ODD.
>> Reporter: ALSO ODD WAS WHAT NICK WOULD LATER DISCOVER IN
STEVE'S UPSTAIRS BEDROOM.
>> THE STATE OF THE BEDROOM INDICATED TO ME THAT STEVE HAD
BEEN IN THAT BED MULTIPLE DAYS AND HE WASN'T ABLE TO GET OUT OF
THE BED.
JUST A CULMINATION OF EVERYTHING WE SAW OUT THERE WAS HIGHLY
SUSPICIOUS.
>> I TRY NOT TO GO INTO THE HOUSE A WHOLE LOT.
THAT'S WHERE THE BAD MEMORIES ARE, REALLY.
>> Reporter: FOR STEVE'S NEPHEW, KRIS PHAGAN, VISITING HIS
UNCLE'S HOME BRINGS BACK MIXED EMOTIONS.
>> BUT OUT HERE IS WHERE WE ENJOYED PARTIES.
>> Reporter: IN THE BEST OF TIMES AT THIS HOUSE, WHAT WAS IT
LIKE?
>> A LOT OF FUN.
YEAH, THE DOGS RUNNING AROUND, THE KIDS CHASING THEM, STEVE
TELLING JOKES, MUSIC GOING.
>> Reporter: ONE FAVORITE MEMORY: THE JULY 4th PARTY LANA
AND STEVE THREW...
>> ♪ 'CAUSE I LOVE YOU. >> Reporter: ...JUST WEEKS
BEFORE HIS DEATH.
>> STEVE WAS ALWAYS BIG ON JULY 4th.
HE HAD HUGE CELEBRATIONS OUT HERE.
WE'D HAVE A DANCE FLOOR RIGHT HERE, FIREWORKS OUT THERE.
>> Reporter: TO MOST OUTSIDERS, THE COUPLE APPEARED HAPPY AND IN
LOVE.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
SHE ALWAYS KISSED STEVE ON THE FOREHEAD THERE AND SAID, "I LOVE
YOU."
[ LAUGHS] >> Reporter: BUT DR. NAN SAYE,
A VETERINARIAN WHO TOOK CARE OF THEIR DOGS AT THE CLAYTON
MANSION...
>> STAY.
>> Reporter: ...CLAIMS IT WAS ALL A FACADE.
WHEN YOU SAW THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER, WERE THEY A LOVING
COUPLE?
>> NO.
NO.
I-- I WONDERED WHY THEY GOT MARRIED.
IT WAS STRANGE.
THE SIMPLEST THING WAS THAT SHE DID NOT SPEAK WHEN HE WAS IN THE
ROOM.
>> Reporter: THEN, THERE WAS A BIZARRE INCIDENT IN THE BEDROOM
JUST TWO YEARS BEFORE STEVE'S DEATH.
LANA SAID SHE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HER HUSBAND IN THE HEAD...
WITH A CROSSBOW, WHILE HE SLEPT.
>> STEVEN HIMSELF SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
LANA SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
>> Reporter: MIRACULOUSLY, STEVE'S INJURY WAS MINOR, AND
POLICE NEVER FILED CHARGES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CROSSBOWS YOU HAVE IN YOUR BEDROOM, BUT
THAT SEEMED KIND OF STRANGE, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: LANA AND STEVE MOVED ON FROM THAT INCIDENT,
BUT TWO MONTHS BEFORE HIS DEATH, STEVE CONFIDED TO KRIS
THAT THEIR MARRIAGE OF FIVE YEARS WAS IN TROUBLE.
>> HE HAD MENTIONED THAT HE WASN'T AS HAPPY AS HE THOUGHT HE
WAS GOING TO BE.
>> Reporter: WHEN KRIS GOT TO THE HOUSE THAT DAY, HE COMFORTED
LANA.
SHE TOLD HIM SHE NEEDED HIS HELP IN ORGANIZING STEVE'S AFFAIRS.
>> AND I SAID, "WELL, THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS FIND THE
WILL, AND THAT'LL TELL US WHAT STEVE'S WISHES WERE IN TERMS OF
WHETHER HE SHOULD BE BURIED OR CREMATED."
>> Reporter: KRIS WAS STARTLED BY LANA'S RESPONSE.
>> SHE SAID, "WELL, THERE IS NO WILL."
AND I SAID, "NO, THERE'S A WILL.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS.
I'VE SEEN IT."
STEVE HAD ASKED ME TO BE HIS EXECUTOR.
AND AT THAT POINT, SHE STOOD UP AND SAID, "I SAID THERE IS NO
WILL," AND SHE WENT INTO THE HOUSE.
>> MY "AH-HA" MOMENT CAME ABOUT THE SAME TIME.
>> Reporter: NICK WAS GOBSMACKED WHEN HE HEARD LANA BADMOUTHING
STEVE.
>> SHE WAS IN THE KITCHEN, AND SHE WAS TELLING THESE LURID
STORIES OF ALL STEVE'S ILLICIT DRUG ABUSE.
>> SHE USED THE WORDS "HE WAS A HARDCORE DRUG ABUSER," AND SHE'S
TELLING THESE STORIES, AND SHE'S LAUGHING.
>> Reporter: AND YOU GUYS HAD KNOWN HIM FOREVER.
>> MY WHOLE LIFE.
>> DID YOU EVER SEE HIM HIGH ON ILLICIT DRUGS?
>> NEVER.
>> MM-MM.
>> NEVER.
SHE BASICALLY SAID THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT AN AUTOPSY DONE
BECAUSE SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE TOXICOLOGY WOULD SHOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT WAS JARRING WHEN I HEARD IT.
>> Reporter: NICK WOULD SOON BE JARRED AGAIN.
HE WENT UPSTAIRS, WHERE LANA HAD SAID STEVE WAS BEDRIDDEN FOR
THREE DAYS.
>> THE BED WAS THE WORST PART OF THE UPSTAIRS, JUST DRENCHED
AND I ASKED LANA, AND SHE SAID, "OH, STEVE DOES THAT WHEN HE HAS
VERTIGO.
THAT HAPPENS."” >> REALLY MADE ME THINK HE WAS
THERE SUFFERING AND-- AND COULD REACH NO ONE FOR HELP.
>> Reporter: A SHORT TIME LATER, KRIS SAYS LANA DEMANDED THAT
EVERYONE LEAVE.
>> WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR, MY WIFE AND I, I SAID, "SOMETHING
IS WRONG."” >> Reporter: NICK WAS HAVING
A SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH HIS WIFE.
>> WE WERE BOTH OF THE OPINION THAT SHE HAD A HAND IN
HIS DEATH.
WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW.
>> Reporter: MEANWHILE, ROSIE WAS TRYING TO RECONCILE HOW
STEVE'S VERTIGO MAY HAVE LED TO A HEART ATTACK.
>> IT SEEMED TOO WEIRD TO ATTRIBUTE WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO
HIM TO WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW WERE HIS VERY BENIGN, LIGHT SYMPTOMS.
>> Reporter: ON SUNDAY, THE DAY AFTER STEVE'S DEATH, KRIS AND
HIS WIFE HAD PLANNED TO HELP LANA FIND HIS WILL.
>> LANA SAID, "DO NOT COME HERE.
THIS IS MY HOUSE.
HE WAS MY HUSBAND.
I WILL HANDLE EVERYTHING."
AND SHE HUNG UP.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN NICK AND HIS WIFE DROVE TO KRIS'
HOUSE.
>> WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER.
WE WENT THROUGH THE SMALL TALK, AND I SAID, "SOMETHING'S WRONG."
>> I SAID, "THANK GOD, BECAUSE WE FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY."”
>> AND WE WENT TO WORK.
AND WE KNEW ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO WAS GET
IN TOUCH WITH THE CORONER'S OFFICE.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK.
LANA HAD SCHEDULED A CREMATION FOR THE VERY NEXT DAY.
>> STEVE WAS AT THE FUNERAL HOME, AND THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD,
SO WE...
>> Reporter: WITH WHATEVER LANA SAYS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Reporter: NICK AND KRIS DEMANDED THE CORONER ORDER AN
AUTOPSY AND A TOXICOLOGY TEST.
SHE AGREED.
>> WE WERE RELIEVED AT THAT POINT, BUT WE ALSO KNEW THAT
LANA DIDN'T KNOW.
>> Reporter: WHEN THE AUTOPSY WAS DONE, THE FAMILY'S
SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED.
STEVE HAD NOT SUCCUMBED TO A HEART ATTACK.
>> THEY LOOKED AT THE CHEST.
THEY LOOKED AT THE HEART, THE LUNGS.
NOTHING REALLY SUSPICIOUS WITH THE AUTOPSY.
>> Reporter: BUT THE TOXICOLOGY RESULTS REVEALED SOMETHING
SINISTER: NOT HARDCORE DRUG USE BUT THE PRESENCE OF POISON, A
CHEMICAL FOUND IN EYE DROPS.
AND IN AN INSTANT, STEVE'S DEATH BECAME HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS.
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGIST DEMI GARVIN.
SO, SUDDENLY, THIS COULD BE A POISONING?
>> YES.
IT WAS, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
>> WAS IT AN ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE?
WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
WAS IT A HOMICIDAL OVERDOSE?
>> HIS MOBILITY IS LIMITED.
HE'S INCAPACITATED.
IT WILL CAUSE RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION, WHICH THEN CAUSES
DEATH.
>> Reporter: WHEN CORONER SABRINA GAST FIRST REVIEWED
STEVE CLAYTON'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT, THERE WAS A CHEMICAL
FOUND IN HIS BLOOD THAT SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE.
>> "HMM, WHAT IS TETRAHYDROZOLINE?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS."
SO I HAD TO LOOK UP WHAT TETRAHYDROZOLINE WAS.
I WAS LIKE, "WHOA, WAIT."” >> Reporter: AND WHAT IS IT?
WHAT IS THIS DRUG?
>> TETRAHYDROZOLINE IS THE COMMON INGREDIENT IN VISINE.
>> Reporter: THE EYE DROP.
>> THE EYE DROP.
>> Reporter: GET THE RED OUT.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Reporter: AND STEVE'S RESULTS REVEALED A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE
CHEMICAL, WHICH IS FOUND IN A NUMBER OF BRANDS OF EYE DROPS.
>> IN FACT, AT A CONCENTRATION OF 68 NANOGRAMS PER MIL IN THE
BLOOD SAMPLE.
>> Reporter: AND, IN ENGLISH, THAT MEANS?
>> IN ENGLISH, THAT MEANS I'M VERY WORRIED.
>> Reporter: IT'S A LOT.
>> IT'S A LOT.
>> Reporter: FORENSIC TOXICOLOGIST DEMI GARVIN WAS
AWARE OF THE MANY WAYS TETRAHYDROZOLINE, ALSO KNOWN AS
T.H.Z., COULD BE ABUSED.
>> WE REFER TO THIS DRUG AS A MODERN-DAY MICKEY FINN, WHERE A
SUBSTANCE IS INTRODUCED INTO A BEVERAGE WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF
THE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S GOING TO CONSUME IT, FOR PURPOSES OF
INCAPACITATING THEM.
THAT COULD BE FOR ROBBERY.
IT COULD BE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT.
IT COULD BE FOR BOTH.
>> Reporter: IN THE MOVIE "WEDDING CRASHERS," A CHARACTER
SQUIRTS EYE DROPS INTO THE DRINK OF HIS RIVAL, CAUSING TROUBLE.
>> OH, NO.
>> NAUSEA, VOMITING, REDUCED HEART RATE, DIZZINESS,
CONFUSION.
>> Reporter: BUT IF A POISONER EMPTIES AN ENTIRE BOTTLE IN
SOMEONE'S DRINK, IT CAN ATTACK THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.
>> AND IF BREATHING SLOWS SUFFICIENTLY, IT WILL CAUSE
RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION, WHICH THEN CAUSES DEATH.
>> Reporter: POISONING WITH EYE DROPS IS ALSO THE PLOTLINE OF AN
EPISODE OF THE CBS DRAMA "C.S.I."
>> THERE WAS TETRAHYDROZOLINE IN THE VICTIM'S DRINK.
>> SHE KILLED HIM WITH EYE DROPS.
>> WELL, IT'S NOT THAT FAR- FETCHED.
>> IT'S COLORLESS, ODORLESS AND TASTELESS.
>> AT ALL.
>> Reporter: SO, LIKE, I HAVE A WATER BOTTLE HERE.
IF IT WAS IN THERE, I WOULDN'T KNOW IT.
>> CORRECT.
>> Reporter: THE RESULTS OF STEVE CLAYTON'S TOXICOLOGY WERE
A POTENTIAL GAME CHANGER.
THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT AT THE SCENE IS, THIS APPEARED TO BE
A NATURAL DEATH.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING NOW?
>> I'M THINKING, "WOW, WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO."
THE NEXT PHONE CALL WAS TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
>> WELL, NOW, OF COURSE, THERE ARE A WHOLE SERIES OF QUESTIONS
THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED.
>> Reporter: SOLICITOR KEVIN BRACKETT ACTS AS THE PROSECUTOR
IN YORK AND UNION COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
>> FIRST AND FOREMOST: HOW DID THE VISINE GET IN HIS SYSTEM?
>> WE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE HAD INTENTIONALLY TAKEN THE
TETRAHYDROZOLINE WITH THE INTENT OF HARMING HIMSELF.
>> Reporter: TO FIND OUT, THE CORONER CALLED LANA IN FOR AN
INTERVIEW.
DESCRIBE THE WOMAN THAT WAS SITTING ACROSS FROM YOU.
>> I WOULD DE-- DESCRIBE HER AS CONFIDENT.
>> Reporter: BY NOW, LANA KNEW THAT AN AUTOPSY HAD BEEN
PERFORMED ON STEVE.
WHAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT INVESTIGATORS FROM THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICE AND THE F.B.I. WERE IN THE NEXT ROOM, LISTENING IN.
>> WE HAD SET UP MICROPHONES IN THE OFFICE SO THAT THEY COULD
HEAR THE QUESTIONS AND HER RESPONSES.
>> WE WERE TRYING TO GET INFORMATION FROM HER ABOUT HOW
HE USED THE PRODUCT, HOW-- HOW OFTEN DID HE USE THE PRODUCT.
>> HE WOULD PUT IT IN HIS COFFEE EVERY MORNING SO THAT HE WOULD
HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT.
>> IT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO DO.
>> WHAT THAT COMMENT DID TELL US PIS THAT SHE WAS AWARE THAT WE
WERE GOING TO FIND VISINE IN HIS SYSTEM BECAUSE SHE PUT IT THERE.
>> IMMEDIATELY, SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TETRAHYDROZOLINE WAS.
>> Reporter: YOU SAW IT ON HER FACE?
>> SHE SAID, "OH, YES, THAT'S VISINE."
THAT WAS WHERE IT CLICKED FOR ME OF, "OH, OKAY, THIS IS KIND OF--
THIS IS REALLY ODD."” >> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN THOSE
INVESTIGATORS NEARBY ENTERED THE ROOM, SURPRISING LANA.
>> Reporter: LANA CLAYTON BEGAN TURNING ON HER HUSBAND.
>> WE NEVER SAW ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT.
>> Reporter: NEVER?
DID YOU EVER SEE IT?
>> I NEVER SAW IT.
AND NOT ONLY DID WE NEVER SEE IT, BUT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: THE TWO INVESTIGATORS PRESSED HER.
>> Reporter: WITH THE TOUGH QUESTIONING, BRACKETT SAYS LANA
GOT DEFENSIVE.
>> Reporter: LANA THEN STOPPED THE INTERVIEW AND RETURNED TO
THE MANSION.
INVESTIGATORS FOLLOWED HER HOME, WHERE SHE CONTINUED TALKING.
THEY RECORDED THE CONVERSATION.
>> AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, THE SITUATION CHANGES SIGNIFICANTLY.
>> Reporter: WHAT LANA CLAYTON TOLD INVESTIGATORS WAS NOTHING
SHORT OF A CONFESSION.
>> Reporter: THAT AMOUNT OF T.H.Z. WOULD HAVE CAUSED STEVE
TO STOP BREATHING.
>> Reporter: WHEN NICK LEARNED OF LANA'S CONFESSION, HE CALLED
KRIS.
>> HE SAID, "SHE DID IT."
AND-- AND I-- I KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND I
HAD A FEW CHOICE WORDS AND SCREAMED.
STARTED CRYING, AS WELL.
>> Reporter: THIS WAS MURDER.
>> CORRECT.
>> Reporter: AFTER ADMITTING SHE EMPTIED A BOTTLE OF EYE DROPS
INTO HER HUSBAND'S WATER, LANA KEPT TALKING TO THE
INVESTIGATORS BACK AT THE MANSION.
>> Reporter: SHE QUICKLY TRANSFORMED FROM A GRIEVING
WIDOW INTO AN EMBITTERED WIFE.
>> Reporter: SUFFER, BECAUSE LANA CLAIMED SHE WAS FED UP WITH
STEVE'S CONSTANT DEMANDS.
>> Reporter: LANA TRIED TO CONVINCE INVESTIGATORS THAT SHE
NEVER WANTED TO KILL STEVE.
>> SHE'S ADMITTED THAT SHE'S POISONED HIM.
>> Reporter: SOLICITOR KEVIN BRACKETT.
>> SHE'S TRYING TO THINK OF HER STORY THAT KEEPS HER OUT OF, YOU
KNOW, THE TRICK BAG.
>> Reporter: AS LANA'S STORY EVOLVED, IT NOW INCLUDED
ALLEGATIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE.
>> Reporter: IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS PHYSICALLY
ABUSING HER?
>> NO, NO.
>> Reporter: STEVE'S SISTER, ROSIE:
>> THE WAY SHE PORTRAYED HIM, I DON'T KNOW THAT PERSON.
NOBODY THAT KNOWS STEVE KNOWS THAT PERSON.
>> Reporter: THE UNFLATTERING PORTRAIT OF STEVE DOES NOT RING
TRUE FOR THOSE WHO LOVED HIM.
ILIANA IVANOVA WAS STEVE'S GIRLFRIEND FOR ALMOST THREE
YEARS BEFORE MEETING LANA.
WAS HE EVER ABUSIVE TOWARD YOU, VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY?
>> NEVER, NEVER.
HE WAS NOTHING CLOSE TO BEING ABUSIVE.
THIS IS COMPLETELY MADE UP.
EVERYBODY WHO KNEW HIM KNEW HOW GENEROUS AND LOVING AND KIND HE
IS.
>> Reporter: HIS FORMER PARTNERS SHARED SIMILAR SENTIMENTS ABOUT
THE ABUSE CLAIMS.
>> THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THEM.
SOME OF THEM STILL CONSIDERED HIM TO BE THE LOVE OF THEIR
LIFE.
>> Reporter: AND WHAT ABOUT THAT BIZARRE CROSSBOW SHOOTING
INCIDENT BACK IN 2016?
LANA CHANGED HER STORY, ADMITTING IT WAS NO ACCIDENT.
>> Reporter: NICK FRENCH AND KRIS PHAGAN DIDN'T LEARN OF THE
CROSSBOW STORY UNTIL AFTER STEVE'S DEATH.
THEY DON'T BELIEVE LANA WAS DEFENDING HERSELF.
NICK, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT STORY?
>> UNOFFICIALLY, HORSE- [ BLEEP].
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK THAT WAS AN ATTEMPTED MURDER?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK IT WAS, YEAH.
>> 100%.
ABSOLUTELY.
WE THINK THAT WAS HER FIRST ATTEMPT AT DOING THIS.
THAT WAS HER FIRST TRY.
>> Reporter: AFTER LANA'S DEVASTATING INTERROGATION,
INVESTIGATORS LEFT HER AT THE MANSION TO PREPARE AN ARREST
WARRANT.
THAT'S WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
>> SHE TOOK SOME PILLS AND TURNED THE GAS ON.
SHE LEFT NOTES INDICATING THAT SHE FELT BAD ABOUT POISONING
HER HUSBAND AND THAT SHE COULDN'T LIVE WITH HERSELF.
>> Reporter: A NEIGHBOR WENT TO THE HOUSE THAT MORNING AND
CALLED FOR HELP.
>> SHE WAS TREATED BRIEFLY AT THE HOSPITAL AND TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY AT THAT POINT.
>> Reporter: BRACKETT HAD DEVELOPED A DRIP-BY-DRIP THEORY
OF THIS EYEDROP CRIME.
>> SHE INCAPACITATED HIM WITH A SMALLER AMOUNT AND THEN
GRADUALLY RAMPED IT UP UNTIL THE FATAL DOSE.
>> Reporter: THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY STEVE WAS BEDRIDDEN FOR
THREE DAYS PRIOR TO HIS DEATH.
BRACKETT THEORIZES THAT STEVE MAY HAVE SOMEHOW ATTEMPTED AN
ESCAPE.
>> HE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A SURGE OF ADRENALINE, REALIZING THAT HE
WAS VERY, VERY SICK AND HE NEEDED HELP.
AND HE TRIED TO GO FOR HELP AND MADE IT AS FAR AS THE BOTTOM
OF THE STAIRS, WHERE HE DIED.
HE COULDN'T CALL FOR HELP.
HIS PHONE COULD NOT BE FOUND AFTER HE DIED.
>> Reporter: ON AUGUST 31, 2018, MORE THAN A MONTH AFTER STEVE'S
DEATH, LANA CLAYTON WAS FORMALLY CHARGED WITH MURDER.
>> I THINK LANA CLAYTON HAD SEVERAL MILLION REASONS WHY SHE
WANTED HER HUSBAND DEAD.
>> Reporter: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS?
>> YES, EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> Reporter: STEVE'S FAMILY SPECULATES LANA STARTED PLANNING
STEVE'S DEATH BACK IN 2016, WHEN LANA CONVINCED HIM TO MOVE FROM
NORTH CAROLINA TO THE MANSION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
>> IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HER TO BE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND I
THINK I WAS ABLE TO PUT SOME PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER AFTER THE
>> SHE WAS MARRIED TO A VERY WEALTHY MAN.
AND IF THAT MAN WERE TO DIE IN THE ABSENCE OF A WILL, THEN HE
WOULD DIE INTESTATE, WHICH, UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA LAW, LEAVES
HER INHERITING THE ENTIRE ESTATE.
>> Reporter: AND REMEMBER, LANA INSISTED THERE WAS NO WILL.
KRIS RECALLS SHE BECAME AGITATED WHEN HE ASKED HER ABOUT IT THE
DAY STEVE DIED.
>> SHE STANDS UP.
SHE TURNS, LOOKS ME RIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAYS, "THERE IS NO
WILL," JUST LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: KRIS IS CERTAIN LANA DESTROYED THE WILL IN A
FIRE THE NEIGHBORS SAW HER START THE DAY AFTER STEVE'S DEATH.
>> MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT SHE BURNED.
THIS IS THE FIRE PIT, PETER.
HIS WHOLE LIFE, IN PAPER, WAS BURNED RIGHT HERE.
>> Reporter: ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER LANA'S ARREST, THERE WAS
ANOTHER SUSPICIOUS DEATH, JUST 12 MILES AWAY IN MOUNT HOLLY,
NORTH CAROLINA.
>> THE METHOD OF KILLING IN THAT CASE WAS THE SAME AS OURS, A
POISONING WITH T.H.Z.
>> Reporter: WITH EYE DROPS?
>> WITH EYE DROPS, YES.
>> Reporter: FOR INVESTIGATORS, IT SEEMED LIKE DEÉJAÀ VU.
>> OUR OFFICE WAS CONSULTED ON THAT BECAUSE IT HAPPENED
IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY.
IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE SUSPECT IN THAT CASE HEARD ABOUT
OUR CASE DOWN HERE, SAW IT ON THE NEWS.
>> Reporter: 32-YEAR-OLD STACY HUNSUCKER, A MOTHER OF TWO YOUNG
CHILDREN, WAS FOUND DEAD BY HER HUSBAND, JOSHUA HUNSUCKER.
JUST LIKE IN THE CLAYTON CASE, HER CAUSE OF DEATH WAS INITIALLY
RULED A HEART ATTACK.
>> SHORTLY AFTER STACY DIED, HE COLLECTED ALMOST $250,000 FROM
TWO LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES TAKEN OUT ON HER BEHALF, AND
THAT APPARENTLY DIDN'T SIT RIGHT WITH STACY'S MOTHER.
>> WE GOT INVOLVED BECAUSE STACY'S MOTHER CONTACTED US WITH
THE POSSIBLE INSURANCE FRAUD.
WHO WOULD EVER GUESS THAT AN INSURANCE FRAUD INVESTIGATION
COULD LEAD TO A FULL-BLOWN MURDER INVESTIGATION?
>> THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS.
THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN TOGETHER.
>> Reporter: STACY AND JOSH HUNSUCKER HAD BEEN MARRIED FOR
EIGHT YEARS BEFORE HER TRAGIC DEATH FROM AN APPARENT HEART
ATTACK.
STACY HAD SUFFERED FROM HEART PROBLEMS AND HAD A PACEMAKER.
>> STACY WAS A PARALEGAL AT ONE TIME, AND THEN WAS A PRESCHOOL
TEACHER.
HE WAS A PARAMEDIC-- A FLIGHT MEDIC, ACTUALLY, AT ATRIUM
HEALTH, THE MAJOR HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA.
>> Reporter: REPORTER KRISTI O'CONNOR SAYS JOSH'S ACTIONS
AFTER STACY'S PASSING RAISED EYEBROWS.
>> I NEVER SAW HIM SAD, EVER.
>> Reporter: IN FACT, BABYSITTER KAILYN MACDONALD, WHO LOOKED
AFTER THE COUPLE'S CHILDREN AFTER STACY'S DEATH, SAYS JOSH
WAS DATING A COWORKER, JENNIFER ELKINS.
>> HE WAS HAPPY WITH HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND, VERY HAPPY.
AND IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT JEN.
>> Reporter: FOR STACY'S MOTHER, SUZIE ROBINSON, THAT WAS A RED
FLAG.
ANOTHER ONE WAS WHEN SHE LEARNED JUST 48 HOURS AFTER STACY'S
DEATH, JOSH STARTED THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING $250,000 IN TWO
LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES.
SUZIE CALLED THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE TO
INVESTIGATE.
>> HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SUZIE, WE MAY NOT HAVE ANY OF THIS MURDER
INVESTIGATION.
>> Reporter: MIKE CAUSEY IS THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.
HIS AGENTS GOT INVOLVED IN STACY'S CASE IN MAY 2019.
>> IT WAS REFERRED TO OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS'
DIVISION.
INITIAL REPORTS FROM THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD IT A
NATURAL DEATH, HEART ATTACK.
>> Reporter: BUT STACY'S BODY HAD BEEN CREMATED AT THE REQUEST
OF HER HUSBAND.
NO AUTOPSY.
>> NO AUTOPSY.
JOSHUA ACTUALLY DID NOT WANT AN AUTOPSY DONE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
WANT HER CUT UP.
>> Reporter: BUT THE AGENTS GOT A HUGE BREAK WHEN THEY
DISCOVERED STACY WAS AN ORGAN DONOR, AND A VIAL OF BLOOD HAD
BEEN COLLECTED AND STORED BEFORE SHE WAS CREMATED.
THAT BLOOD WAS SENT OUT FOR A TOXICOLOGY SCREENING.
>> THERE WAS TRACES OF SOME POISON, SPECIFICALLY T.H.Z., A
COMMON CHEMICAL THAT'S USED IN EYE DROPS TO GET THE RED OUT.
>> Reporter: IN THE HUNSUCKER CASE, HAVE YOU GIVEN AUTHORITIES
THERE SOME ADVICE BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE?
>> YES, THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE TETRAHYDROZOLINE IN THE
CONCENTRATION THAT WAS REPORTED WARRANTED FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
>> THEY ENDED UP ACCUSING HIM OF POISONING HER WITH
TETRAHYDROZOLINE.
>> Reporter: ON DECEMBER 19, 2019, 15 MONTHS AFTER STACY'S
DEATH, HUNSUCKER WAS CHARGED WITH HER MURDER.
HIS ATTORNEY SAYS THE ALLEGATIONS WILL BE STRENUOUSLY
OPPOSED.
>> $500,000 SECURED.
>> Reporter: EXPERTS FEAR HOMICIDAL POISONINGS HAVE BEEN
GOING UNDETECTED BECAUSE THEIR SYMPTOMS CAN MIMIC NATURAL
ILLNESS, AND LABS DON'T ROUTINELY SCREEN FOR THEM.
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS DRUG SHOULD BE PART OF A BASIC SCREEN
IN A TOXICOLOGY TEST?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY?
>> YES, BECAUSE IT IS SO INNOCUOUS.
IT'S ODORLESS.
IT'S TASTELESS.
ANYBODY CAN BUY IT.
>> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT, JOHNSON & JOHNSON, THE MAKERS OF
VISINE, SAID THEY ARE "DEVASTATED THAT ANYONE WOULD
USE OUR PRODUCT FOR SUCH AN ABHORRENT ACT," AND "VISINE IS
CLEARLY LABELED FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY AND SHOULD NEVER BE
SWALLOWED."
IN LANA CLAYTON'S CASE, SHE DECIDED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO
TAMPERING WITH FOOD AND DRUGS AND VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER.
>> Reporter: SHE CONTINUED TO INSIST SHE NEVER MEANT TO KILL
HIM.
>> Reporter: HER DEFENSE TEAM PAINTED LANA AS A VICTIM WHO
SUFFERED FROM P.T.S.D. STEMMING FROM SEXUAL ABUSE IN HER PAST.
>> SO, THEIR CLAIMS WERE THAT SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED
THROUGHOUT HER YOUTH AND THAT WENT UNREPORTED TO AUTHORITIES.
THEN, WHEN SHE WENT INTO THE U.S. AIR FORCE, HER DEFENSE TEAM
SAYS THAT SHE WAS RAPED BY THREE SERVICEMEN.
>> Reporter: BUT THAT ALLEGED ASSAULT ALSO WASN'T REPORTED.
LANA TOLD THE COURT IT WAS STEVE'S TREATMENT OF HER THAT
MADE HER SNAP.
>> I TOLD THE JUDGE, "I KNEW IT HAD TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO
SEE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS SO FRAIL, SO GENTLE, SO QUIET AND MEEK,
AND THINK THAT THAT PERSON COULD BE A COLD-BLOODED MURDERER."
>> WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE.
MISS CLAYTON, YOU SURE HAVE TANGLED THIS ONE UP.
>> Reporter: ON JANUARY 16, 2020, JUDGE BURCH SENTENCED LANA
CLAYTON TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON.
>> I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ENOUGH.
MY BROTHER WAS MY WORLD.
HE WAS THE CENTER OF MY WORLD.
>> SHE STOLE AN AMAZING MAN FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LOVED HIM.
>> THERE'S A HUGE HOLE IN EVERYONE THAT KNEW STEVE, AND I
THINK THAT THAT HOLE WILL BE THERE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.
>> Reporter: LANA CLAYTON DECLINED OUR REQUEST FOR AN
INTERVIEW, WRITING IN AN EMAIL: "IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR
ME, AND IT HASN'T BEEN EASY COMING TO TERMS WITH STEVEN'S
DEATH.
I'M NOW AT PEACE."
AND AS FOR STEVE'S LOVED ONES, THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR
LOSS.
>> NONE OF US CAN EVER BE MADE WHOLE BECAUSE STEVEN IS GONE.
>> Reporter: ROSIE PRAYS THE MOTHER OF STACY HUNSUCKER MAY
FIND PEACE.
>> WE HAVE A SAYING IN SPANISH THAT SAYS "LA SANGRE LLAMA,"
WHICH MEANS "THE BLOOD CRIES OUT FOR JUSTICE."
I WOULD LIKE TO ONE DAY MEET THE MOTHER OF THAT PRECIOUS GIRL
THAT WAS KILLED USING THE SAME METHOD, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE
HER DAUGHTER'S BLOOD WAS CRYING OUT FOR JUSTICE, TOO.
Captioning sponsored by CBS Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org
>> Reporter: I'M ERIN MORIARTY, >> Reporter: I'M ERIN MORIARTY,
"48 HOURS," AND THIS IS "MY LIFE OF CRIME."
>> SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS OR WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR
PODCASTS.
>> ♪ BE A LITTLE BIT BRAVE, DON'T EVER BE AFRAID TO... ♪
>> JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
>> ♪ SAY WHAT YOU GOTTA SAY... >> DO YOU THINK IT'S TIME FOR
SCHOOLS TO REOPEN?
>> ♪ SAY WHAT YOU GOTTA SAY... [ PROTESTERS CHANT IN SPANISH]
>> WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE STORY, AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
>> ♪ SAY WHAT YOU GOTTA SAY.