1 00:00:02,544 --> 00:00:03,420 [Narrator] An unusual confession 2 00:00:04,713 --> 00:00:07,882 leads to a once-in-a-lifetime investigation. 3 00:00:08,425 --> 00:00:11,177 [Patrick] A man called 911 4 00:00:11,219 --> 00:00:13,888 and he said he wanted to report a murder. 5 00:00:14,431 --> 00:00:16,349 But it hadn't happened yet. 6 00:00:17,475 --> 00:00:19,144 [Martin] We hadn't talked in 20-something years 7 00:00:19,185 --> 00:00:21,271 and she's trying to get me to kill somebody. 8 00:00:21,980 --> 00:00:26,151 I realized right then and there I had to go to the authorities. 9 00:00:27,110 --> 00:00:28,653 [Narrator] To prevent a murder, 10 00:00:28,695 --> 00:00:32,365 police will have to catch the mastermind in the act. 11 00:00:32,991 --> 00:00:35,702 [Patrick] In the law, a crime like attempted murder 12 00:00:35,744 --> 00:00:39,497 isn't completed until there's a substantial step taken. 13 00:00:40,081 --> 00:00:41,791 She's already talked about getting a gun. 14 00:00:42,459 --> 00:00:45,211 What if we provide that opportunity? 15 00:00:45,754 --> 00:00:48,381 [Narrator] A daring sting operation gives police 16 00:00:48,423 --> 00:00:51,092 more than they bargained for. 17 00:00:55,764 --> 00:00:57,098 [John] Just unbelievable. 18 00:00:57,140 --> 00:00:59,559 The more you dig, the more the rabbit hole goes. 19 00:01:00,393 --> 00:01:04,022 [Narrator] And detectives uncover a history of fraud, 20 00:01:04,064 --> 00:01:06,191 violence, and greed. 21 00:01:07,525 --> 00:01:10,236 The fire and the murder for hire plot, 22 00:01:10,278 --> 00:01:13,031 right, it's the same playbook. 23 00:01:13,656 --> 00:01:14,949 [Jessica] You borrow money from her 24 00:01:14,991 --> 00:01:16,826 and it was like selling your soul to the devil. 25 00:01:17,452 --> 00:01:21,331 Psychopath is the best way to describe her. 26 00:01:41,309 --> 00:01:43,603 [Narrator] In Spokane County, Washington, 27 00:01:44,646 --> 00:01:47,315 911 calls aren't a rare occurrence. 28 00:01:48,149 --> 00:01:50,110 Spokane's a mid-size city 29 00:01:50,151 --> 00:01:52,070 in Eastern Washington state, 30 00:01:52,570 --> 00:01:54,364 500,000 people in the county, 31 00:01:54,406 --> 00:01:56,658 about 200,000 in city limits. 32 00:01:56,700 --> 00:01:59,285 So we have a lot of property crimes 33 00:01:59,327 --> 00:02:01,996 like a lot of cities in the western United States. 34 00:02:02,664 --> 00:02:05,417 [Narrator] On October 11th, 2016, 35 00:02:05,458 --> 00:02:08,670 sheriffs receive the most bizarre call 36 00:02:08,712 --> 00:02:10,463 they've ever heard. 37 00:02:11,381 --> 00:02:13,133 [Patrick] A man named Martin Drake 38 00:02:13,174 --> 00:02:15,135 walked into a Walmart store 39 00:02:15,176 --> 00:02:17,387 in the city of Spokane Valley. 40 00:02:17,637 --> 00:02:19,806 He asked to use the phone. 41 00:02:19,848 --> 00:02:21,474 He called 911. 42 00:02:21,516 --> 00:02:24,477 And he said he wanted to report a murder. 43 00:02:25,020 --> 00:02:26,896 But it hadn't happened yet. 44 00:02:30,191 --> 00:02:32,277 [John] And he sounded frazzled. 45 00:02:32,318 --> 00:02:34,362 Drake didn't wanna go into much detail on the phone 46 00:02:34,404 --> 00:02:35,989 during his 911 call. 47 00:02:36,031 --> 00:02:37,907 He wanted to meet with someone, 48 00:02:37,949 --> 00:02:41,202 specifically, as soon as possible, an officer. 49 00:02:41,870 --> 00:02:44,539 [Marc] He said that a former friend from high school 50 00:02:44,581 --> 00:02:49,336 had essentially solicited him to help her kill somebody. 51 00:02:51,463 --> 00:02:54,007 Frankly, it was just somewhat unbelievable. 52 00:02:54,716 --> 00:02:56,926 Is this someone just trying to get somebody in trouble? 53 00:02:56,968 --> 00:02:59,596 Or is this somebody that's trying to relate 54 00:02:59,637 --> 00:03:02,432 a true threat on somebody's life? 55 00:03:03,516 --> 00:03:05,894 [Narrator] Police take Drake's claims seriously 56 00:03:05,935 --> 00:03:09,397 and immediately open an investigation. 57 00:03:10,774 --> 00:03:13,360 He told us where he was gonna meet us 58 00:03:13,401 --> 00:03:15,528 and patrol was dispatched. 59 00:03:15,945 --> 00:03:17,322 They met with him 60 00:03:17,364 --> 00:03:19,407 and took his initial statement. 61 00:03:19,908 --> 00:03:21,368 He's pretty nervous, 62 00:03:21,409 --> 00:03:23,578 but he relayed the information as best he could. 63 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:25,663 [Martin] I told that first officer 64 00:03:25,705 --> 00:03:29,751 that a person I hadn't seen in quite a few years 65 00:03:29,793 --> 00:03:31,211 has approached me. 66 00:03:31,252 --> 00:03:35,340 She's talking about trying to get me to kill somebody. 67 00:03:38,551 --> 00:03:40,887 At first, I was just taken aback. 68 00:03:41,262 --> 00:03:42,722 Why the hell would she think 69 00:03:42,764 --> 00:03:44,766 that I would do something like that? 70 00:03:44,808 --> 00:03:47,060 When I realized that she was serious, 71 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:50,355 I had to go to the authorities. 72 00:03:51,022 --> 00:03:52,399 I was sick to my stomach 73 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,109 after the conversation I had with her. 74 00:03:54,776 --> 00:03:56,611 [John] He didn't even know the guy, 75 00:03:56,653 --> 00:03:58,822 but he was concerned for this guy's welfare. 76 00:03:59,531 --> 00:04:02,742 He tells us the intended victim was Russell Soderberg. 77 00:04:08,581 --> 00:04:11,501 [Narrator] Russell Soderberg was a life-long resident 78 00:04:11,543 --> 00:04:13,795 of the Spokane Valley area. 79 00:04:14,462 --> 00:04:16,423 [Jessica] Russ was a good guy. 80 00:04:16,464 --> 00:04:19,050 He was definitely a family man. 81 00:04:19,759 --> 00:04:22,721 [Caroline] He was born in 1965. 82 00:04:22,762 --> 00:04:25,724 Had a pretty standard childhood, went to high school, 83 00:04:25,765 --> 00:04:28,560 and then quickly joined the workforce after that. 84 00:04:29,602 --> 00:04:31,521 [Narrator] Russell joined the family business 85 00:04:31,563 --> 00:04:35,066 working as a glazier in his parents' glass shop. 86 00:04:38,528 --> 00:04:40,280 By the time he was 20, 87 00:04:40,321 --> 00:04:41,781 Russell was already married 88 00:04:41,823 --> 00:04:44,492 and starting a family of his own. 89 00:04:45,285 --> 00:04:47,454 He had two children with his first wife, 90 00:04:47,495 --> 00:04:50,498 a son and a daughter, Scott and Stacey. 91 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:54,461 [Narrator] Russell worked hard to provide for his children, 92 00:04:54,502 --> 00:04:57,047 but after 13 years of marriage, 93 00:04:57,088 --> 00:05:00,342 he and his wife decided to get a divorce. 94 00:05:04,512 --> 00:05:05,847 Within a year, 95 00:05:05,889 --> 00:05:08,266 a new woman caught Russell's eye, 96 00:05:08,558 --> 00:05:10,352 Martie Maxwell. 97 00:05:10,810 --> 00:05:12,562 He was playing on a softball league 98 00:05:12,604 --> 00:05:14,481 with my mom's brothers. 99 00:05:14,522 --> 00:05:17,817 And he asked her out and she said, "Yes." 100 00:05:18,735 --> 00:05:21,613 [Narrator] Martie was over 10 years younger than Russell. 101 00:05:21,654 --> 00:05:24,407 But she'd experienced more than many do 102 00:05:24,449 --> 00:05:26,117 in a lifetime. 103 00:05:26,534 --> 00:05:28,536 [Jessica] She grew up in the Seattle area. 104 00:05:28,578 --> 00:05:30,330 She was a wild child. 105 00:05:30,372 --> 00:05:31,790 She's a twin. 106 00:05:31,831 --> 00:05:34,751 She didn't graduate past the eighth grade. 107 00:05:34,793 --> 00:05:38,171 She was just running around the town, 108 00:05:38,213 --> 00:05:39,923 hanging with the older crowds. 109 00:05:41,132 --> 00:05:44,135 My mom had me at 15 years old. 110 00:05:44,177 --> 00:05:46,471 My dad was twice her age. 111 00:05:46,513 --> 00:05:47,847 And so I lived with my grandparents 112 00:05:47,889 --> 00:05:50,141 while my mom was out doing her thing. 113 00:05:50,725 --> 00:05:54,020 And then, three years later, she had my sister, Ashley, 114 00:05:54,062 --> 00:05:56,064 and went on to live her life 115 00:05:56,106 --> 00:05:59,567 until she got pregnant with my other sister. 116 00:06:03,071 --> 00:06:04,572 [Narrator] At 22, 117 00:06:04,614 --> 00:06:07,867 Martie decided it was time to turn her life around. 118 00:06:08,201 --> 00:06:10,203 My mom had matured and grown up. 119 00:06:10,912 --> 00:06:13,248 She kind of settled down here in Spokane 120 00:06:13,289 --> 00:06:16,042 and was working retail for a store, 121 00:06:16,084 --> 00:06:18,545 and that's about the time she met Russell. 122 00:06:19,421 --> 00:06:22,424 And we thought, "Well, maybe this is the turnaround for her" 123 00:06:22,757 --> 00:06:24,968 'cause he was a good guy. 124 00:06:27,762 --> 00:06:31,516 [Narrator] Russell asked Martie to marry him in 2002, 125 00:06:31,558 --> 00:06:33,435 three years after they met. 126 00:06:33,977 --> 00:06:37,022 In 2007, they had a child together. 127 00:06:37,063 --> 00:06:40,775 And Martie quit her job to become a stay-at-home mother. 128 00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:43,528 Over the next decade, 129 00:06:43,570 --> 00:06:46,448 Russell also helped her mend her relationship 130 00:06:46,489 --> 00:06:48,450 with her older daughters. 131 00:06:48,491 --> 00:06:52,370 The good times, for me, with my mom 132 00:06:52,412 --> 00:06:54,956 didn't happen until later in life. 133 00:06:55,331 --> 00:06:57,459 I was probably 18. 134 00:06:57,500 --> 00:07:00,420 And we started doing family trips together. 135 00:07:01,129 --> 00:07:03,631 One of the first memories I remember doing 136 00:07:03,673 --> 00:07:06,926 with my stepdad and his kids 137 00:07:06,968 --> 00:07:10,430 was going to a Seattle Mariners baseball game. 138 00:07:10,472 --> 00:07:12,974 It seemed like we were a normal family 139 00:07:13,016 --> 00:07:14,267 that was blended. 140 00:07:14,768 --> 00:07:17,645 I knew he was a positive influence around her 141 00:07:17,687 --> 00:07:19,481 and he had a stable job. 142 00:07:19,898 --> 00:07:22,150 They came around in the holidays. 143 00:07:22,192 --> 00:07:25,153 I've looked to him more as a dad than a stepdad. 144 00:07:25,653 --> 00:07:28,281 He's always provided when we've needed. 145 00:07:28,323 --> 00:07:30,617 He's been there when we need him. 146 00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:32,786 [Narrator] After 15 years, 147 00:07:32,827 --> 00:07:36,122 the extended family has grown closer than ever. 148 00:07:36,998 --> 00:07:40,669 But it now appears Russell has made a dangerous enemy 149 00:07:40,710 --> 00:07:42,504 along the way. 150 00:07:45,757 --> 00:07:47,801 Martin Drake has confessed 151 00:07:47,842 --> 00:07:50,011 that a woman tried to hire him 152 00:07:50,053 --> 00:07:51,513 to murder Russell. 153 00:07:51,888 --> 00:07:55,141 And Spokane police want to know why. 154 00:07:56,267 --> 00:07:58,061 Mr. Drake was so specific 155 00:07:58,103 --> 00:08:01,272 that we knew that we needed to take it serious. 156 00:08:01,981 --> 00:08:04,693 And that required that full and complete investigation. 157 00:08:05,151 --> 00:08:06,986 [Martin] Deputies proceeded to give me 158 00:08:07,028 --> 00:08:10,824 a ride over to the substation out there in the Valley 159 00:08:10,865 --> 00:08:12,701 and I met a couple detectives 160 00:08:12,742 --> 00:08:15,120 and explained to them what was going on. 161 00:08:18,707 --> 00:08:20,291 [Narrator] According to Drake, 162 00:08:20,333 --> 00:08:22,377 it all began when an old friend 163 00:08:22,419 --> 00:08:24,713 reached out to him on social media. 164 00:08:25,130 --> 00:08:27,674 [Martin] I hadn't even thought of this person 165 00:08:27,716 --> 00:08:30,885 since we were 15, 16 years old. 166 00:08:32,345 --> 00:08:33,930 She contacts me on Facebook. 167 00:08:33,972 --> 00:08:37,225 And the next day, we met up. 168 00:08:37,976 --> 00:08:41,354 I really don't recall the whole conversation. 169 00:08:41,396 --> 00:08:43,440 Just asked what I've been up to. 170 00:08:44,357 --> 00:08:47,485 [Narrator] Over lunch, Drake shared some of the hardships 171 00:08:47,527 --> 00:08:48,570 he'd been through 172 00:08:48,611 --> 00:08:50,822 and his friend offered to help. 173 00:08:50,864 --> 00:08:53,742 At the time, I was homeless. 174 00:08:53,783 --> 00:08:56,995 I had a drug addiction. 175 00:08:58,038 --> 00:09:00,123 He told her he was living in some field 176 00:09:00,165 --> 00:09:02,751 under a park bench or a picnic table. 177 00:09:06,713 --> 00:09:09,549 [Narrator] The two met up again the following day. 178 00:09:09,591 --> 00:09:12,302 But this time she asked Drake 179 00:09:12,344 --> 00:09:14,179 for something in exchange. 180 00:09:14,220 --> 00:09:16,848 [Martin] We hadn't talked in 20-something years 181 00:09:16,890 --> 00:09:19,601 and that's when she dropped the bomb 182 00:09:19,642 --> 00:09:22,187 that she's trying to get me to kill her husband. 183 00:09:24,689 --> 00:09:26,399 [John] At that point, Drake told us 184 00:09:26,441 --> 00:09:28,109 his friend that he just met up with 185 00:09:28,151 --> 00:09:29,319 was Martie Soderberg. 186 00:09:31,613 --> 00:09:33,406 So the more we talked to him about it, 187 00:09:33,448 --> 00:09:35,158 we finally figured out her husband 188 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:36,743 was Russell Soderberg. 189 00:09:37,952 --> 00:09:39,746 [Patrick] Martie told Drake 190 00:09:39,788 --> 00:09:41,915 that she was unhappy in her marriage, 191 00:09:41,956 --> 00:09:43,416 but she couldn't just get a divorce 192 00:09:43,458 --> 00:09:47,212 because she didn't work. She'd be left with nothing. 193 00:09:48,588 --> 00:09:50,924 So she had just taken out 194 00:09:50,965 --> 00:09:54,719 a $300,000 life insurance policy on her husband. 195 00:09:59,516 --> 00:10:01,059 [Narrator] Drake says Martie appeared 196 00:10:01,101 --> 00:10:03,520 to have thought the whole thing out already. 197 00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:06,856 She even knew when she wanted it done. 198 00:10:08,149 --> 00:10:11,820 She wanted me to shoot him on Halloween night 199 00:10:11,861 --> 00:10:14,364 in front of their kids while they were trick-or-treating 200 00:10:14,406 --> 00:10:16,241 so she would have an alibi. 201 00:10:18,159 --> 00:10:21,454 Drake said Martie was pretty calm, 202 00:10:21,496 --> 00:10:23,123 cool, and collected. 203 00:10:23,998 --> 00:10:26,292 It was like normal conversation. 204 00:10:26,334 --> 00:10:30,839 And it just... Drake was uncomfortable with that. 205 00:10:32,799 --> 00:10:34,342 [Martin] I literally got sick, 206 00:10:34,384 --> 00:10:38,471 thinking that the things people do to other people 207 00:10:38,513 --> 00:10:40,807 is just unbelievable. 208 00:10:40,849 --> 00:10:44,436 And I can't wrap my mind around it. 209 00:10:45,812 --> 00:10:47,939 [John] This was October 11th, 210 00:10:47,981 --> 00:10:50,108 so we're figuring Halloween night, 211 00:10:50,150 --> 00:10:52,610 man, we're only two-and-a-half, three weeks out. 212 00:10:52,652 --> 00:10:55,030 So we knew time was of the essence here. 213 00:10:58,408 --> 00:11:01,953 [Narrator] Coming up, to catch a would-be killer, 214 00:11:01,995 --> 00:11:04,914 detectives set a dangerous trap. 215 00:11:04,956 --> 00:11:06,791 They asked me if I'd be willing 216 00:11:06,833 --> 00:11:08,418 to wear a wire. 217 00:11:08,460 --> 00:11:11,880 [Narrator] But they get even more than they expected. 218 00:11:27,771 --> 00:11:30,732 [music] 219 00:11:32,484 --> 00:11:35,111 Police in Spokane County, Washington, 220 00:11:35,153 --> 00:11:38,490 have just heard about an alleged murder for hire 221 00:11:38,531 --> 00:11:41,159 from the man who claims he was hired 222 00:11:41,201 --> 00:11:42,911 to carry it out. 223 00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:44,746 But they can't make an arrest 224 00:11:44,788 --> 00:11:47,540 without knowing if any of it is true. 225 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:50,418 [Marc] The credibility of any witness 226 00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:53,171 is something that we always have to be concerned about. 227 00:11:53,213 --> 00:11:55,548 It's the, are they believable? 228 00:11:56,007 --> 00:11:58,301 Is the information that they have credible? 229 00:11:58,343 --> 00:12:00,679 What type of history do they have? 230 00:12:02,430 --> 00:12:05,809 [Patrick] Martin Drake had a lengthy criminal history, 231 00:12:05,850 --> 00:12:10,021 mostly involving drugs, felony, property crimes. 232 00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:13,566 [Narrator] Given Drake's checkered past, 233 00:12:13,608 --> 00:12:14,901 investigators question 234 00:12:14,943 --> 00:12:18,321 if taking immediate action is wise. 235 00:12:19,239 --> 00:12:21,408 [John] When we get the initial information, 236 00:12:21,449 --> 00:12:25,036 we need to verify and lend credence to 237 00:12:25,078 --> 00:12:26,579 what Drake was saying. 238 00:12:26,621 --> 00:12:29,040 [Narrator] Even if Drake is telling the truth, 239 00:12:29,082 --> 00:12:31,459 they can't charge Martie Soderberg 240 00:12:31,501 --> 00:12:33,128 with much of anything. 241 00:12:33,169 --> 00:12:36,006 [Patrick] They could have, at that point, arrested Martie 242 00:12:36,047 --> 00:12:37,507 for harassment. 243 00:12:37,549 --> 00:12:39,175 It's a very low-level felony 244 00:12:39,217 --> 00:12:41,720 and it involves threatening to kill somebody. 245 00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:44,973 But had we stopped right there, 246 00:12:45,015 --> 00:12:47,350 arrested her for this lesser charge, 247 00:12:47,392 --> 00:12:48,893 we could've wound up with a situation 248 00:12:48,935 --> 00:12:50,895 where the charge didn't stick. 249 00:12:51,646 --> 00:12:53,690 [Narrator] Detectives also can't risk 250 00:12:53,732 --> 00:12:55,817 warning Martie's husband, Russell. 251 00:12:56,234 --> 00:12:57,527 [Marc] If we were to talk to Russell, 252 00:12:57,569 --> 00:12:58,737 there's a potential 253 00:12:58,778 --> 00:13:00,280 that he would've confronted her about it. 254 00:13:00,321 --> 00:13:02,282 She could've ran him over in the driveway, 255 00:13:02,323 --> 00:13:04,284 for all we know, at that point. 256 00:13:04,993 --> 00:13:08,038 So, given the threat she posed to him, 257 00:13:08,079 --> 00:13:10,999 building a solid strong case on her 258 00:13:11,041 --> 00:13:14,085 was the appropriate action for law enforcement. 259 00:13:17,589 --> 00:13:19,049 [Narrator] To solve their dilemma, 260 00:13:19,090 --> 00:13:22,385 investigators come up with a daring plan. 261 00:13:23,219 --> 00:13:25,305 We got a person who's cooperating with law enforcement 262 00:13:25,347 --> 00:13:28,099 and it allowed us to start gathering the information 263 00:13:28,141 --> 00:13:29,851 that we needed to ensure his safety 264 00:13:29,893 --> 00:13:31,895 and hold person accountable for it. 265 00:13:32,771 --> 00:13:35,273 They decided to set up a sting. 266 00:13:36,483 --> 00:13:37,776 Drake, he had a cellphone, 267 00:13:37,817 --> 00:13:40,028 but it only operated off of wi-fi. 268 00:13:40,070 --> 00:13:43,281 So he contacted us about noon that next day. 269 00:13:43,948 --> 00:13:47,077 They asked me if I'd be willing 270 00:13:47,118 --> 00:13:50,288 to wear a wire and get the information they needed 271 00:13:50,330 --> 00:13:52,457 to get to stop this. 272 00:13:52,499 --> 00:13:54,125 And I agreed. 273 00:13:57,629 --> 00:13:59,798 [Narrator] With officers listening in, 274 00:13:59,839 --> 00:14:02,884 Drake calls Martie to arrange a meeting. 275 00:14:03,593 --> 00:14:05,470 Ultimately, the plan they came up with 276 00:14:05,512 --> 00:14:08,306 involved really putting a lot on Drake 277 00:14:08,348 --> 00:14:10,558 to use this recording device, 278 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,145 to play it cool, to not tip off Martie. 279 00:14:15,146 --> 00:14:16,439 [John] We were pretty anxious about it. 280 00:14:16,481 --> 00:14:18,441 We said, "Just speak to her. 281 00:14:18,483 --> 00:14:20,610 Just converse with her. 282 00:14:20,652 --> 00:14:22,987 Talk to her. Just act normal." 283 00:14:23,238 --> 00:14:24,698 That's it. 284 00:14:28,326 --> 00:14:31,663 [Narrator] At approximately 10:00 am the following day, 285 00:14:31,705 --> 00:14:34,332 the sting operation begins. 286 00:14:35,041 --> 00:14:36,501 [Marc] The recording device, 287 00:14:36,543 --> 00:14:38,545 it's actually able to be monitored live 288 00:14:38,586 --> 00:14:39,963 while things are going on, 289 00:14:40,005 --> 00:14:42,382 and we have multiple surveillance units. 290 00:14:43,508 --> 00:14:45,260 [Martin] I was nervous. 291 00:14:45,677 --> 00:14:47,637 I didn't wanna do or say anything 292 00:14:47,679 --> 00:14:50,724 that would jeopardize anything. 293 00:14:52,142 --> 00:14:54,978 We didn't know whether or not Martie Soderberg had 294 00:14:55,020 --> 00:14:58,064 any access to any firearms or anything like that 295 00:14:58,106 --> 00:15:01,985 and if something tipped her off too far. 296 00:15:02,027 --> 00:15:04,195 There's a potential that she could've taken action 297 00:15:04,237 --> 00:15:05,780 against Mr. Drake 298 00:15:05,822 --> 00:15:08,241 to include harming him while he's in the car. 299 00:15:12,037 --> 00:15:13,872 [Patrick] As soon as Drake and Soderberg met up 300 00:15:13,913 --> 00:15:15,081 and got in the same car, 301 00:15:15,123 --> 00:15:17,334 the conversation about the plans 302 00:15:17,375 --> 00:15:18,835 to kill her husband 303 00:15:18,877 --> 00:15:20,879 was almost instantaneous. 304 00:15:35,226 --> 00:15:39,397 She portrays him to be this evil person 305 00:15:39,439 --> 00:15:42,650 that she couldn't bear to be with him anymore, 306 00:15:43,318 --> 00:15:48,281 that she wanted to know if I would kill him for her. 307 00:16:05,507 --> 00:16:09,177 [Narrator] If killing her husband on Halloween won't work, 308 00:16:09,219 --> 00:16:12,347 Martie says there are other options. 309 00:16:26,319 --> 00:16:29,364 Another scenario that she ran through 310 00:16:29,406 --> 00:16:33,451 was that if Russell were to die while he was at work, 311 00:16:33,493 --> 00:16:35,829 then there would be an additional payout 312 00:16:35,870 --> 00:16:37,997 through his employer. 313 00:16:39,582 --> 00:16:42,377 [Narrator] Martie implies that she will cut Drake in 314 00:16:42,419 --> 00:16:46,256 on Russell's $300,000 insurance policy. 315 00:16:46,715 --> 00:16:49,134 When he asks for more details, 316 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:53,138 Martie reveals how deep her planning goes. 317 00:16:57,267 --> 00:16:59,561 [Patrick] He knew enough about life insurance 318 00:16:59,602 --> 00:17:01,187 and that sort of thing to say, 319 00:17:01,229 --> 00:17:03,273 "Well, is there an exception 320 00:17:03,314 --> 00:17:06,317 for certain circumstances under which he dies?" 321 00:17:24,669 --> 00:17:28,131 [Narrator] She also lays out exactly what Drake should do 322 00:17:28,173 --> 00:17:31,926 to cover his tracks once Russell is dead. 323 00:17:52,322 --> 00:17:54,991 She told me that she would get me 324 00:17:55,033 --> 00:18:00,663 coveralls, a five-gallon bucket, some concrete mix, 325 00:18:00,705 --> 00:18:04,834 water, and a vehicle 326 00:18:04,876 --> 00:18:06,461 to go and do this. 327 00:18:07,212 --> 00:18:09,673 The five-gallon bucket and concrete and water 328 00:18:09,714 --> 00:18:12,092 was to mix up some cement 329 00:18:12,133 --> 00:18:15,261 so I could put the gun and the coveralls and the bucket 330 00:18:15,303 --> 00:18:18,306 and then get rid of that a later time. 331 00:18:37,575 --> 00:18:39,953 [Narrator] The information collected on the wire 332 00:18:39,994 --> 00:18:41,454 is more than enough 333 00:18:41,496 --> 00:18:44,624 to prove Drake was telling investigators the truth. 334 00:18:46,251 --> 00:18:50,672 But the conversation soon takes an unexpected turn. 335 00:18:51,381 --> 00:18:54,384 She was talking that she was gonna buy this place, 336 00:18:54,426 --> 00:18:56,011 and me and her could move in there, 337 00:18:56,052 --> 00:18:57,470 and we could get together. 338 00:18:57,512 --> 00:19:01,224 And then it turned like she was trying to romance me. 339 00:19:30,337 --> 00:19:33,631 [Narrator] Martie's not done with startling confessions. 340 00:19:33,673 --> 00:19:37,093 She also admits Drake wasn't her first choice 341 00:19:37,135 --> 00:19:38,803 as the hitman. 342 00:19:39,804 --> 00:19:42,599 She'd originally asked a different friend, 343 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,476 Dennis Bjerke. 344 00:19:45,101 --> 00:19:47,854 [Patrick] Martie said Dennis declined. 345 00:19:47,896 --> 00:19:51,441 So this plot had been rolling around 346 00:19:51,483 --> 00:19:54,361 in her mind for at least a few months. 347 00:19:55,195 --> 00:19:57,113 [Marc] Mr. Drake is like, 348 00:19:57,155 --> 00:19:59,115 "Time out here, hold on a second. 349 00:19:59,741 --> 00:20:01,951 What do you mean you've talked to him about this too? 350 00:20:01,993 --> 00:20:04,621 What happens if I go and whack this guy 351 00:20:04,662 --> 00:20:08,083 and now he sees that your husband just was killed? 352 00:20:08,124 --> 00:20:09,668 Isn't he gonna know?" 353 00:20:38,697 --> 00:20:41,991 [John] And then she also said, "He's on the line for a fire," 354 00:20:42,534 --> 00:20:45,495 that Dennis was probably involved somehow. 355 00:20:45,537 --> 00:20:47,872 So, Detective Melville and I, we're like, 356 00:20:47,914 --> 00:20:50,333 "Hmm? What's this about? 357 00:20:50,375 --> 00:20:52,711 We'll make a note of that for later 358 00:20:52,752 --> 00:20:54,587 to see what this is all about." 359 00:20:55,463 --> 00:20:58,717 [Narrator] After three hours, the meeting comes to an end. 360 00:20:58,758 --> 00:21:02,595 And Drake has one last question for Martie. 361 00:21:03,388 --> 00:21:04,806 [Patrick] Drake asks Martie 362 00:21:04,848 --> 00:21:07,017 about how she'll feel after the incident. 363 00:21:07,767 --> 00:21:10,562 If she'll, for lack of a better term, freak out 364 00:21:10,603 --> 00:21:12,230 once her husband's dead. 365 00:21:22,741 --> 00:21:27,495 It all boils down to she was gonna kill this man for money. 366 00:21:28,288 --> 00:21:32,667 "Psychopath" is the best way to describe her. 367 00:21:33,752 --> 00:21:37,547 Just unbelievable that she could just be so callous about it. 368 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:39,049 And the more you dig, the deeper 369 00:21:39,090 --> 00:21:40,800 the rabbit hole goes with this one. 370 00:21:55,231 --> 00:21:57,692 [music] 371 00:21:59,611 --> 00:22:02,989 [Narrator] Investigators have Martie Soderberg on tape, 372 00:22:03,031 --> 00:22:05,700 planning to kill her husband, Russell. 373 00:22:06,326 --> 00:22:09,704 But they find themselves facing another problem. 374 00:22:10,705 --> 00:22:13,917 [Patrick] In Washington law, a crime like attempted murder 375 00:22:13,958 --> 00:22:18,254 isn't completed until there is a substantial step taken. 376 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,007 So it's one thing to say, 377 00:22:21,049 --> 00:22:23,176 "Hey, we should go rob a bank." 378 00:22:23,218 --> 00:22:25,679 It's another thing to buy ski masks 379 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,181 or buy guns to do so. 380 00:22:32,060 --> 00:22:34,562 [Narrator] To arrest her for attempted murder, 381 00:22:34,604 --> 00:22:36,856 they need Martie to take action 382 00:22:36,898 --> 00:22:39,693 without letting her plan go through. 383 00:22:40,110 --> 00:22:42,362 There's some expediency that has to happen here, right, 384 00:22:42,404 --> 00:22:44,739 'cause we don't want anything to happen to Russ. 385 00:22:45,573 --> 00:22:47,534 We're trying to discuss, "Well, what is it that we need 386 00:22:47,575 --> 00:22:49,119 for this substantial step? 387 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,329 She's already talked about getting a gun. 388 00:22:51,746 --> 00:22:54,582 What if we provide that opportunity?" 389 00:22:55,375 --> 00:22:57,836 [Narrator] Five days after the initial wire tap, 390 00:22:57,877 --> 00:23:01,506 investigators pursue another sting operation. 391 00:23:04,217 --> 00:23:06,886 We briefed Mr. Drake and we said, 392 00:23:06,928 --> 00:23:08,263 "This is what we wanna do. 393 00:23:08,304 --> 00:23:10,598 We want you to get in touch with her, 394 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,726 see if she's able to meet with you. 395 00:23:12,767 --> 00:23:15,562 And we want you to let her know 396 00:23:15,603 --> 00:23:16,813 that you found somebody 397 00:23:16,855 --> 00:23:19,774 that will sell a firearm for 50 bucks." 398 00:23:20,525 --> 00:23:22,152 I never bought a gun in my life, 399 00:23:22,193 --> 00:23:24,779 but I imagine that that's pretty cheap. 400 00:23:30,118 --> 00:23:33,246 [Narrator] Martie takes the bait and agrees to the meeting. 401 00:23:34,414 --> 00:23:37,042 When she shows up on October 17th, 402 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,545 detectives are once again listening in. 403 00:23:41,087 --> 00:23:43,465 Martie arrives in the pickup truck 404 00:23:43,506 --> 00:23:46,092 and Mr. Drake gets into the car. 405 00:23:46,134 --> 00:23:48,011 I told her a buddy of mine knew this guy. 406 00:23:48,053 --> 00:23:49,679 He was gonna meet us at Walmart. 407 00:23:49,721 --> 00:23:51,389 He's gonna bring the pistol. 408 00:24:02,609 --> 00:24:06,196 I don't know where he comes up with these things so quick. 409 00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,491 That man flew by the seat of his pants. 410 00:24:09,532 --> 00:24:12,077 And everything that he said, 411 00:24:12,118 --> 00:24:14,287 it was so natural. 412 00:24:14,329 --> 00:24:17,957 I don't know that an undercover officer 413 00:24:17,999 --> 00:24:20,168 could've done a better job than he did. 414 00:24:25,882 --> 00:24:28,510 [Narrator] Drake continues his improvisation, 415 00:24:28,551 --> 00:24:30,095 leading Martie to the spot 416 00:24:30,136 --> 00:24:32,931 where the deal is supposed to take place. 417 00:24:50,281 --> 00:24:51,616 [Marc] He points to the car 418 00:24:51,658 --> 00:24:53,785 that Detective Oliphant and I are sitting in. 419 00:24:53,827 --> 00:24:56,538 And we're parked about 70 yards away 420 00:24:56,579 --> 00:24:58,415 from where she pulls to a stop. 421 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,502 She gave me the money and I was supposed to have 422 00:25:02,544 --> 00:25:05,255 then gone over to buy the gun and then come back. 423 00:25:06,089 --> 00:25:07,757 [Marc] And as he's walking towards us, 424 00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:11,845 I could see he's got his hands held out in front of him. 425 00:25:11,886 --> 00:25:14,014 He's got what appears to be currency 426 00:25:14,055 --> 00:25:15,932 fanned out in his hand like a poker hand. 427 00:25:16,599 --> 00:25:18,810 [Patrick] Drake jumps in the backseat of the car, 428 00:25:18,852 --> 00:25:20,353 says,. "Here you go." 429 00:25:20,395 --> 00:25:23,690 He hands over 50 bucks and he said, "Yep. 430 00:25:23,732 --> 00:25:25,025 That came from her. 431 00:25:25,066 --> 00:25:27,444 We're just like, "Unbelievable" 432 00:25:33,158 --> 00:25:36,286 [Patrick] If the case hadn't been across the line 433 00:25:36,327 --> 00:25:38,580 of definitely being a crime 434 00:25:38,621 --> 00:25:41,207 and definitely being solicitation to commit murder 435 00:25:41,249 --> 00:25:43,960 before this, this put it over the line. 436 00:25:45,211 --> 00:25:48,214 [Narrator] Officers swiftly move in to make the arrest. 437 00:25:48,798 --> 00:25:53,219 They weren't sure if Martie already had her own weapon, 438 00:25:53,261 --> 00:25:55,597 if there were other parties involved. 439 00:25:56,306 --> 00:25:58,224 So it was very important for them 440 00:25:58,266 --> 00:26:00,894 to proceed with caution, 441 00:26:00,935 --> 00:26:03,188 proceed with weapons at ready. 442 00:26:04,606 --> 00:26:07,484 And they made sure that she can't drive away. 443 00:26:08,568 --> 00:26:11,071 They get out, they have Martie exit the vehicle. 444 00:26:11,112 --> 00:26:13,365 They take her into custody. 445 00:26:16,409 --> 00:26:19,371 [John] There was a big sigh of relief from us 446 00:26:19,412 --> 00:26:21,247 'cause we knew Russ was gonna be safe. 447 00:26:22,248 --> 00:26:24,959 [Narrator] Martie is taken in for questioning. 448 00:26:28,254 --> 00:26:32,092 She tries to tell investigators there was no murder plot 449 00:26:32,133 --> 00:26:35,303 and this is all a big misunderstanding. 450 00:26:35,970 --> 00:26:37,639 [Patrick] She claimed that Russell 451 00:26:37,681 --> 00:26:40,892 was physically and emotionally abusive to her. 452 00:26:41,309 --> 00:26:45,230 But she also stated that she had no intention 453 00:26:45,271 --> 00:26:47,399 of hurting Russell. 454 00:26:48,233 --> 00:26:49,734 She stated that she has a big mouth 455 00:26:49,776 --> 00:26:52,821 and she sometimes says things she doesn't mean. 456 00:26:53,780 --> 00:26:57,325 It was apparent that she didn't know she had been recorded. 457 00:27:22,017 --> 00:27:24,019 She just snapped at that point. 458 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,631 [Narrator] Realizing she's been caught red-handed, 459 00:27:53,673 --> 00:27:57,385 Martie stops talking and asks for a lawyer. 460 00:27:58,636 --> 00:28:00,805 We charge her with, initially, at that point, 461 00:28:00,847 --> 00:28:03,224 criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder. 462 00:28:03,933 --> 00:28:07,645 So the next step was, "Man, how do I break this to Russ?" 463 00:28:10,065 --> 00:28:11,483 [Narrator] Coming up, 464 00:28:11,524 --> 00:28:14,486 investigators hear Russell's side of the story. 465 00:28:15,528 --> 00:28:19,866 And I'm thinking, "How's something this stupid 466 00:28:19,908 --> 00:28:21,409 going on?" 467 00:28:21,826 --> 00:28:23,453 [Narrator] And a new confession 468 00:28:23,495 --> 00:28:26,247 draws a link to a previous crime. 469 00:28:26,664 --> 00:28:29,376 If last time, she got tens of thousands of dollars, 470 00:28:29,417 --> 00:28:31,795 well, she gets hundreds of thousands of dollars this time. 471 00:28:42,722 --> 00:28:44,808 [music] 472 00:28:46,851 --> 00:28:50,063 [Narrator] With Martie Soderberg safely behind bars, 473 00:28:50,105 --> 00:28:54,317 detectives turn their attention to her intended target. 474 00:28:54,859 --> 00:28:57,028 I called his business, said, "Hey, 475 00:28:57,445 --> 00:29:01,950 I need to talk to Russell now, pronto, immediately." 476 00:29:02,992 --> 00:29:05,078 I said, "Russ, I'm sorry to call you like this. 477 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:08,081 But I want you to know everybody's safe. 478 00:29:08,123 --> 00:29:09,457 Nobody's hurt. 479 00:29:09,916 --> 00:29:11,835 Your wife is in custody. 480 00:29:11,876 --> 00:29:13,420 I will explain everything to you, 481 00:29:13,461 --> 00:29:16,840 but this is not a conversation to have over the phone, right? 482 00:29:16,881 --> 00:29:18,216 I gotta talk to you in person." 483 00:29:21,261 --> 00:29:24,180 [Narrator] That afternoon, detectives meet with Russell 484 00:29:24,222 --> 00:29:26,057 at the Soderberg's home. 485 00:29:26,099 --> 00:29:28,977 [Russell] They just said they had a search warrant, 486 00:29:29,019 --> 00:29:30,854 wanted to search the house. 487 00:29:31,271 --> 00:29:33,064 I'm thinking, "Okay, what did she do? 488 00:29:33,106 --> 00:29:35,567 Did she do something that she wasn't supposed to? 489 00:29:35,608 --> 00:29:37,777 Is she writing checks to somebody? 490 00:29:38,903 --> 00:29:40,488 [John] I felt the best way to do it 491 00:29:40,530 --> 00:29:43,033 was just be sincere and direct, 492 00:29:43,491 --> 00:29:44,951 and let him know. 493 00:29:45,618 --> 00:29:47,579 And he was shocked. 494 00:29:48,455 --> 00:29:51,541 They were like, "Okay, we have Martie arrested 495 00:29:51,583 --> 00:29:53,710 for attempted murder 496 00:29:53,752 --> 00:29:55,920 to have a hit taken out on you. 497 00:29:57,464 --> 00:30:00,091 We put a bug on the guy twice 498 00:30:00,133 --> 00:30:03,053 and we have her on surveillance twice." 499 00:30:04,179 --> 00:30:06,348 They were telling me all the stuff that was going on. 500 00:30:07,307 --> 00:30:08,600 And I'm thinking, 501 00:30:09,142 --> 00:30:12,645 "No, how's something this stupid going on?" 502 00:30:14,522 --> 00:30:18,401 [Narrator] When they ask Russell about the alleged abuse, 503 00:30:18,443 --> 00:30:20,945 he says there's nothing to it. 504 00:30:21,738 --> 00:30:23,114 [Russell] It was a typical marriage. 505 00:30:23,156 --> 00:30:26,534 There was ups and downs, good times, bad times. 506 00:30:26,993 --> 00:30:32,499 Back, wow, that would've been 2003, somewhere in there. 507 00:30:32,540 --> 00:30:34,459 I wanted to watch something on TV 508 00:30:34,501 --> 00:30:36,252 and she got in my face. 509 00:30:36,878 --> 00:30:41,216 And she was pretty much just face-to-face 510 00:30:41,257 --> 00:30:42,592 and I put my hand up. 511 00:30:43,343 --> 00:30:46,471 And somehow her dentures cut her gums, 512 00:30:46,513 --> 00:30:47,764 so she called the cops on me. 513 00:30:47,806 --> 00:30:49,182 Had me arrested. 514 00:30:50,058 --> 00:30:52,185 That's about the end of that story. 515 00:30:53,228 --> 00:30:56,439 Russ thought everything was okay, right? 516 00:30:56,481 --> 00:31:00,527 He described their weekend prior to her arrest 517 00:31:00,568 --> 00:31:02,320 that they went and picked apples, 518 00:31:02,362 --> 00:31:04,698 and did chores around the house, and went to dinner, 519 00:31:04,739 --> 00:31:06,908 and normal, normal stuff. 520 00:31:08,284 --> 00:31:10,995 [Narrator] Investigators wrap up with Russell, 521 00:31:11,037 --> 00:31:12,997 saying they will keep him informed 522 00:31:13,039 --> 00:31:15,291 as the investigation progressed. 523 00:31:19,129 --> 00:31:22,007 During follow-up interviews with family members, 524 00:31:22,048 --> 00:31:25,635 they suggest the marriage was even more volatile 525 00:31:25,677 --> 00:31:27,554 than Russell described. 526 00:31:28,388 --> 00:31:31,641 [Jessica] The relationship between my mom and Russ, 527 00:31:31,683 --> 00:31:34,436 after years, was toxic. 528 00:31:35,061 --> 00:31:38,356 She would fight with him. He would fight with her. 529 00:31:38,398 --> 00:31:41,151 She would kick him out of the house and he would leave. 530 00:31:46,865 --> 00:31:48,366 [Narrator] Family members recount 531 00:31:48,408 --> 00:31:51,202 the majority of the fights between Martie and Russell 532 00:31:51,244 --> 00:31:55,081 revolved around one thing, money. 533 00:31:55,957 --> 00:31:59,210 Time after time, fighting over finances, 534 00:31:59,252 --> 00:32:01,921 fighting because he would spend money on golf clubs 535 00:32:01,963 --> 00:32:04,341 and she didn't get to spend it on something else. 536 00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:07,886 Money was always a big thing with her. 537 00:32:07,927 --> 00:32:09,220 You borrow money from her 538 00:32:09,262 --> 00:32:11,431 and it was like selling your soul to the devil. 539 00:32:11,765 --> 00:32:13,266 She's greedy. 540 00:32:13,641 --> 00:32:15,018 She wanted money. 541 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:18,772 And that's why she sought out a life insurance policy 542 00:32:18,813 --> 00:32:21,066 that three weeks after it goes into effect, 543 00:32:21,107 --> 00:32:22,984 she's planning on having him murdered. 544 00:32:26,071 --> 00:32:28,365 [Narrator] Talk of Russell's life insurance policy 545 00:32:28,406 --> 00:32:30,700 reminds detectives of something else 546 00:32:30,742 --> 00:32:33,370 Martie said during their surveillance. 547 00:32:34,245 --> 00:32:35,997 [John] During the course of the investigation, 548 00:32:36,039 --> 00:32:37,791 information came out from Martie 549 00:32:37,832 --> 00:32:41,628 about this fire back at a mobile home. 550 00:32:42,379 --> 00:32:44,923 She mentioned it to Drake when Drake was worried 551 00:32:45,674 --> 00:32:47,258 that Dennis would say somethin. 552 00:32:48,093 --> 00:32:50,387 We started digging into the past a little bit, 553 00:32:50,428 --> 00:32:52,305 and lo and behold, 554 00:32:52,347 --> 00:32:54,391 in September of 2013, 555 00:32:55,183 --> 00:32:56,935 their mobile home burned down. 556 00:32:58,478 --> 00:33:00,814 [Marc] It burned to the ground. They lost all of their stuff. 557 00:33:00,855 --> 00:33:02,315 They were out of town at the time. 558 00:33:02,357 --> 00:33:05,527 Detective Oliphant found insurance payouts 559 00:33:05,568 --> 00:33:07,987 to the tune of around $58,000. 560 00:33:12,117 --> 00:33:14,994 A neighbor actually came out and was trying 561 00:33:15,036 --> 00:33:16,788 to hose the trailer down. 562 00:33:16,830 --> 00:33:18,540 They called the firefighters 563 00:33:18,581 --> 00:33:21,835 and the neighbor had said, "Hey, the window AC unit 564 00:33:21,876 --> 00:33:23,837 was flaming." 565 00:33:24,337 --> 00:33:26,256 [John] Even though the insurance company said 566 00:33:26,297 --> 00:33:28,800 they settled on the AC unit being the cause, 567 00:33:28,842 --> 00:33:31,177 there was never any determination 568 00:33:31,219 --> 00:33:33,179 of what was wrong with it, 569 00:33:33,513 --> 00:33:34,723 which I found odd. 570 00:33:36,474 --> 00:33:38,643 [Patrick] I believe there was some suspicion on their part, 571 00:33:38,685 --> 00:33:41,479 but, ultimately, there wasn't enough 572 00:33:41,521 --> 00:33:43,064 for them to deny payment. 573 00:33:43,106 --> 00:33:46,192 So the Soderbergs received a large check. 574 00:33:53,033 --> 00:33:55,118 [Narrator] But in light of recent events, 575 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:57,620 police wonder if foul play 576 00:33:57,662 --> 00:33:59,164 might have been involved. 577 00:33:59,622 --> 00:34:02,584 There's only one man who knows for sure, 578 00:34:02,917 --> 00:34:05,712 Martie's friend, Dennis Bjerke. 579 00:34:06,838 --> 00:34:10,258 Detective Keene and I found his place of business. 580 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:12,552 And we told him why we were there. 581 00:34:12,594 --> 00:34:14,637 And he agreed to talk to us. 582 00:34:14,679 --> 00:34:18,433 And you could tell that there was a great deal of anxiety 583 00:34:18,475 --> 00:34:19,642 on his part. 584 00:34:21,019 --> 00:34:24,272 But he's as forthcoming as you could ever hope for 585 00:34:24,314 --> 00:34:26,274 in a situation such as this. 586 00:34:28,318 --> 00:34:30,612 Dennis basically spills his guts. 587 00:34:30,653 --> 00:34:35,241 And he says, "Yeah, I committed this fire in 2013." 588 00:34:36,201 --> 00:34:38,703 Dennis said, "Martie had me set her house on fire 589 00:34:38,745 --> 00:34:40,121 and burn it 590 00:34:40,163 --> 00:34:41,873 because she wanted the insurance money 591 00:34:41,915 --> 00:34:43,917 to move and leave Russell." 592 00:34:44,668 --> 00:34:47,170 Dennis said it was all her plan. 593 00:34:48,129 --> 00:34:49,381 He agreed to do it 594 00:34:49,422 --> 00:34:51,591 because she promised they would be together 595 00:34:51,633 --> 00:34:53,009 in the future. 596 00:34:53,051 --> 00:34:55,428 Same thing, same pattern here that we're seeing. 597 00:34:56,012 --> 00:34:59,182 The similarities between the fire 598 00:34:59,224 --> 00:35:03,978 and the murder-for-hire plot, right, it's the same playbook. 599 00:35:05,021 --> 00:35:06,439 We collected the evidence we needed 600 00:35:06,481 --> 00:35:08,566 and we charged her with first-degree arson 601 00:35:08,608 --> 00:35:10,068 and first-degree theft. 602 00:35:10,777 --> 00:35:13,530 [Narrator] The success of Martie's previous fraud 603 00:35:13,571 --> 00:35:17,450 appears to have inspired her attempt on Russell's life. 604 00:35:18,118 --> 00:35:20,245 [Patrick] I think Martie really enjoyed 605 00:35:20,286 --> 00:35:22,914 getting that large check for the fire, 606 00:35:22,956 --> 00:35:24,874 but that money went really fast. 607 00:35:24,916 --> 00:35:28,336 And at some point in 2016, 608 00:35:28,378 --> 00:35:30,672 something inside Martie just clicked 609 00:35:30,714 --> 00:35:34,592 where she could get this larger payout. 610 00:35:36,469 --> 00:35:39,264 If last time she got tens of thousands of dollars, 611 00:35:39,305 --> 00:35:42,058 well, she gets hundreds of thousands of dollars this time. 612 00:35:44,769 --> 00:35:48,106 [Narrator] Dennis confirms Martie asked him months ago 613 00:35:48,148 --> 00:35:49,691 to shoot Russell, 614 00:35:49,733 --> 00:35:50,984 but he turned her down. 615 00:35:52,402 --> 00:35:54,112 [Marc] He comes up with the exact same story 616 00:35:54,154 --> 00:35:57,782 that Martie requested him this to Drake. 617 00:35:57,824 --> 00:35:59,284 It was further confirmation 618 00:35:59,325 --> 00:36:01,786 that this plan was something that she had had in effect 619 00:36:01,828 --> 00:36:02,912 for a while. 620 00:36:04,247 --> 00:36:06,207 [Caroline] She asked not one but two people 621 00:36:06,249 --> 00:36:08,251 to murder her husband for the money. 622 00:36:08,793 --> 00:36:11,796 Puts a pretty big roadblock on any argument 623 00:36:11,838 --> 00:36:14,007 that she was just running her mouth. 624 00:36:14,841 --> 00:36:16,551 [Patrick] I'm not a psychologist, 625 00:36:16,593 --> 00:36:19,804 but there are certain things about the fact 626 00:36:19,846 --> 00:36:21,264 that she's willing to lie, 627 00:36:21,306 --> 00:36:23,391 she's not concerned about harming people. 628 00:36:23,767 --> 00:36:25,935 She believes she can get away with this 629 00:36:25,977 --> 00:36:28,563 and she can take this to the next level. 630 00:36:40,033 --> 00:36:42,243 [music] 631 00:36:44,829 --> 00:36:47,123 [Narrator] After a week-long investigation 632 00:36:47,165 --> 00:36:50,168 involving multiple sting operations, 633 00:36:50,210 --> 00:36:52,379 39-year-old Martie Soderberg 634 00:36:52,420 --> 00:36:54,214 is in jail, awaiting trial 635 00:36:54,255 --> 00:36:57,842 for the attempted murder of her husband, Russell. 636 00:36:59,344 --> 00:37:00,762 She has also been charged 637 00:37:00,804 --> 00:37:02,681 with arson and insurance fraud 638 00:37:02,722 --> 00:37:05,100 in connection with the burning of her home 639 00:37:05,141 --> 00:37:07,018 in 2013. 640 00:37:08,812 --> 00:37:10,313 [John] It was news around here, yeah. 641 00:37:10,355 --> 00:37:11,856 It made the headlines. 642 00:37:12,565 --> 00:37:14,234 You don't hear stuff like this 643 00:37:14,275 --> 00:37:15,568 that happens all the time. 644 00:37:15,610 --> 00:37:18,571 So, for me, it shocked the conscience. 645 00:37:22,534 --> 00:37:24,327 [Russell] She actually called me 646 00:37:24,369 --> 00:37:27,747 from the jail as soon as they got her in booking. 647 00:37:28,832 --> 00:37:31,793 And I just hung up the phone since I heard it was her. 648 00:37:33,294 --> 00:37:35,839 She's like, "Don't believe what they're telling you." 649 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:39,009 And then it's like, click, "Nope, not talking to you. 650 00:37:39,050 --> 00:37:40,802 Not doing it." 651 00:37:43,722 --> 00:37:46,016 [Narrator] However, not everyone is convinced 652 00:37:46,057 --> 00:37:50,061 Martie deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison. 653 00:37:50,562 --> 00:37:52,605 I remember thinking to myself, 654 00:37:52,647 --> 00:37:54,357 "If this has made the news, 655 00:37:54,399 --> 00:37:56,067 she's not gonna get a fair trial." 656 00:37:57,736 --> 00:37:59,821 So my uncles and I rallied together 657 00:37:59,863 --> 00:38:01,614 and came up with the money to hire her 658 00:38:01,656 --> 00:38:03,199 a private attorney. 659 00:38:03,241 --> 00:38:07,579 And the private attorney worked on getting her plea deals. 660 00:38:08,747 --> 00:38:10,874 [Patrick] We had offered to resolve 661 00:38:10,915 --> 00:38:13,752 both the murder-for-hire case and the arson case 662 00:38:13,793 --> 00:38:15,920 with a plea deal. 663 00:38:16,546 --> 00:38:18,673 With good time, she would have been out 664 00:38:18,715 --> 00:38:20,717 in maybe seven or eight years. 665 00:38:21,885 --> 00:38:23,762 [Jessica] I thought, "She's gonna think about her kids, 666 00:38:23,803 --> 00:38:25,722 and her grandkids." 667 00:38:25,764 --> 00:38:27,932 And she's gonna wanna see us grow up." 668 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,685 And she said she was taking it to trial, 669 00:38:30,727 --> 00:38:33,104 that she had a better chance against her peers. 670 00:38:33,146 --> 00:38:35,899 I thought my mom was stupid for not taking a plea deal. 671 00:38:35,940 --> 00:38:38,276 And I just, I wanted to cry. 672 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,031 She really thought she was still above and beyond 673 00:38:43,073 --> 00:38:45,950 and smarter than the prosecutors, the cops. 674 00:38:49,412 --> 00:38:50,789 [Narrator] Martie's first trial 675 00:38:50,830 --> 00:38:53,458 for solicitation to commit first-degree murder 676 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:55,418 and attempted first-degree murder 677 00:38:55,460 --> 00:38:58,296 begins in March, 2018. 678 00:38:58,922 --> 00:39:01,091 [Patrick] From my standpoint as a prosecutor, 679 00:39:01,132 --> 00:39:04,010 it was pretty well teed up for me. 680 00:39:04,052 --> 00:39:06,388 There was this great recording. 681 00:39:07,055 --> 00:39:11,059 In some ways, it was about just pressing play 682 00:39:11,101 --> 00:39:13,311 and letting the jury hear what Martie said. 683 00:39:13,645 --> 00:39:16,690 But, also, it was about strengthening that 684 00:39:16,731 --> 00:39:20,276 with Drake's testimony and Dennis' testimony. 685 00:39:23,988 --> 00:39:25,782 [Narrator] The recordings turn 686 00:39:25,824 --> 00:39:29,828 even Martie's most loyal supporters against her. 687 00:39:30,787 --> 00:39:33,289 I stood by my mom's side 688 00:39:33,331 --> 00:39:34,708 through all of it. 689 00:39:34,749 --> 00:39:37,836 I thought there's no way this is true. 690 00:39:38,503 --> 00:39:40,714 Then we hear the audio. 691 00:39:40,755 --> 00:39:42,507 And the audio was bad. 692 00:39:42,549 --> 00:39:46,720 The audio sealed what I feared the most, 693 00:39:46,761 --> 00:39:48,346 that she was guilty. 694 00:39:59,065 --> 00:40:00,692 [Narrator] Martie's attorneys 695 00:40:00,734 --> 00:40:03,653 seem to have only one card they can play. 696 00:40:04,195 --> 00:40:05,864 [Patrick] The defense was essentially one 697 00:40:05,905 --> 00:40:07,157 of entrapment, 698 00:40:07,198 --> 00:40:10,744 that Drake had put this idea in Martie's head 699 00:40:10,785 --> 00:40:12,537 or he had come up with this. 700 00:40:13,413 --> 00:40:15,582 [Marc] During the trial, Martie took the stand. 701 00:40:15,623 --> 00:40:17,292 She believed in her heart of hearts 702 00:40:17,334 --> 00:40:19,419 that she would be able to talk her way out of it. 703 00:40:20,545 --> 00:40:22,922 She was very combative with me 704 00:40:22,964 --> 00:40:25,050 on cross-examination. 705 00:40:25,925 --> 00:40:28,011 She wouldn't answer questions directly. 706 00:40:28,053 --> 00:40:30,930 She would essentially accuse the police 707 00:40:30,972 --> 00:40:32,807 of setting her up. 708 00:40:34,309 --> 00:40:38,146 That's why Dennis' testimony was so key for me 709 00:40:38,188 --> 00:40:40,690 because that showed that she had been talking 710 00:40:40,732 --> 00:40:43,026 about this months before talking to Drake, 711 00:40:43,068 --> 00:40:44,194 before law enforcement, 712 00:40:44,235 --> 00:40:46,237 before anybody else got involved. 713 00:40:46,863 --> 00:40:48,698 We ended up getting a verdict 714 00:40:48,740 --> 00:40:51,242 of guilty for the attempted murder. 715 00:40:52,994 --> 00:40:55,622 She received 15 years for that. 716 00:40:56,539 --> 00:41:00,627 [Patrick] The murder had not actually ultimately taken place. 717 00:41:00,669 --> 00:41:03,004 But it was very much my office's belief 718 00:41:03,046 --> 00:41:05,340 that she would've gone through with it. 719 00:41:05,632 --> 00:41:07,801 She had just dug herself too deep. 720 00:41:11,846 --> 00:41:13,682 [Narrator] Following her conviction, 721 00:41:13,723 --> 00:41:15,558 Martie stands trial again 722 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:19,104 for arson and fraud in 2021. 723 00:41:19,437 --> 00:41:20,897 She is found guilty 724 00:41:20,939 --> 00:41:24,317 and sentenced to an additional three years. 725 00:41:25,652 --> 00:41:27,946 She essentially went double or nothing 726 00:41:27,987 --> 00:41:29,823 and she lost on both. 727 00:41:34,577 --> 00:41:38,248 [Jessica] When she was sentenced to the women's corrections, 728 00:41:38,289 --> 00:41:40,750 the first letter I ever got from her 729 00:41:40,792 --> 00:41:41,960 when she arrived there 730 00:41:42,002 --> 00:41:45,171 was the prison's catalogue. 731 00:41:45,213 --> 00:41:48,258 And she had marked everything she wanted 732 00:41:48,508 --> 00:41:50,010 and needed. 733 00:41:50,051 --> 00:41:51,761 And in the letter, she says, 734 00:41:51,803 --> 00:41:55,098 "All you have to do is put in your credit card information." 735 00:41:56,808 --> 00:41:59,019 I had to take a step back 736 00:41:59,060 --> 00:42:03,273 and I sent her an email that I was done with her. 737 00:42:04,149 --> 00:42:07,110 There's something in her that's never satisfied. 738 00:42:07,777 --> 00:42:10,280 When I'm in the area, I always think, 739 00:42:10,321 --> 00:42:13,450 "Well, I should plan, schedule a visit," 740 00:42:13,491 --> 00:42:14,951 and I don't. 741 00:42:14,993 --> 00:42:18,830 I don't know if I'm ready to see her in person. 742 00:42:22,083 --> 00:42:24,711 [Russell] I waited until she was sent off to prison 743 00:42:24,753 --> 00:42:26,588 to divorce her, five years, 744 00:42:27,005 --> 00:42:29,841 because Washington State's a common law state. 745 00:42:29,883 --> 00:42:32,761 If she's still sitting here in jail, 746 00:42:32,802 --> 00:42:35,305 she's entitled to half the house, possibly. 747 00:42:35,347 --> 00:42:37,974 I'm thinking, "I'm gonna wait to divorce her 748 00:42:38,016 --> 00:42:39,267 until she's sent to prison 749 00:42:39,309 --> 00:42:41,519 where now she has no rights." 750 00:42:42,395 --> 00:42:45,648 I've had close to seven years now 751 00:42:45,690 --> 00:42:47,150 to stew over this 752 00:42:47,192 --> 00:42:49,152 and to think of what she did. 753 00:42:49,652 --> 00:42:51,863 I want nothing to do with her. 754 00:42:52,489 --> 00:42:53,573 I really don't. 755 00:42:54,115 --> 00:42:55,784 I'm glad it didn't happen. 756 00:42:55,825 --> 00:42:57,327 Nothing good would've came out of it, 757 00:42:57,369 --> 00:43:01,247 as far as for my kids, let alone for her kids. 758 00:43:01,873 --> 00:43:05,043 I believe she gets out in 2032. 759 00:43:05,418 --> 00:43:08,129 I'm not waiting. I'll be 65 then, at least, 760 00:43:08,171 --> 00:43:11,841 and, yeah, I don't want even a chance 761 00:43:11,883 --> 00:43:13,885 for her to be able to talk to me. 762 00:43:15,428 --> 00:43:16,846 Life goes on. It does. 763 00:43:17,138 --> 00:43:19,140 I'm living a good life. 764 00:43:21,726 --> 00:43:27,899 [music]