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00:00:10,777 --> 00:00:15,914
[Neil] I always thought that Stephanie
could have the world at her feet.
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00:00:15,916 --> 00:00:19,618
She had the, the ability to be
in front of the camera
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00:00:19,620 --> 00:00:21,286
and to be in front
of an audience.
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00:00:24,491 --> 00:00:26,525
Whatever
she gravitated towards, she...
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00:00:26,527 --> 00:00:29,228
she did 100 percent always.
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00:00:29,896 --> 00:00:33,499
She was on track with her job,
with her career,
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00:00:33,501 --> 00:00:35,267
she had a really strong
friendship group.
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00:00:35,902 --> 00:00:38,337
I thought it was perfect.
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00:00:39,939 --> 00:00:41,206
I guess I was wrong.
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00:00:41,775 --> 00:00:45,044
[woman 1 speaking]
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00:00:45,046 --> 00:00:49,148
It's not so much what's in
the 911 call as much as it is,
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00:00:49,150 --> 00:00:51,917
uh, what is not
in that 911 call.
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No one ever saw
any signs of somebody
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even remotely having the
capability to do these things.
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How could you foretell
something like that?
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00:01:05,165 --> 00:01:08,267
[dramatic music playing]
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00:01:28,321 --> 00:01:32,024
[narrator]
It's 1988 in Corsicana, Texas.
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00:01:32,026 --> 00:01:37,796
Today's a special occasion for young
parents Neil and Cindy Kirkpatrick...
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00:01:37,798 --> 00:01:40,933
the baptism of their
two-month-old son Dean.
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Dean was baptized
on January the 17th of 1988...
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00:01:46,774 --> 00:01:51,310
uh, at Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church in Corsicana.
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00:01:52,579 --> 00:01:59,818
Baptism is a, a big event in most
families and it certainly was in ours.
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[narrator] Neil stands behind
his son's proud godparents,
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00:02:02,857 --> 00:02:06,959
Neil's brother Steve
and his wife Peggy.
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00:02:06,961 --> 00:02:10,996
Neil's wife Cindy holds the couple's
three-year-old daughter Stephanie.
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When Stephanie was born,
well, my first thought was,
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"What in the world am I going
to do with a daughter?"
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I've only got two brothers.
I have no sisters.
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And then they handed her to me
and none of it mattered.
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It was a an amazing thing
for me.
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[indistinct chatter]
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00:02:35,522 --> 00:02:37,689
[cries]
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00:02:37,691 --> 00:02:41,593
[Neil] During the baptism,
Stephanie asked her mother
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what was going to happen
and Cindy told Stephanie
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00:02:45,533 --> 00:02:49,201
that the priest was going
to pour water on Dean's head.
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00:02:49,203 --> 00:02:53,105
And... that just terrified
Stephanie.
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[indistinct chatter]
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00:02:58,211 --> 00:03:00,212
[cries]
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00:03:00,214 --> 00:03:02,281
[Neil]
You know, I had forgotten...
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00:03:02,982 --> 00:03:07,019
how genuinely upset she was.
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00:03:07,820 --> 00:03:10,122
She did not want anybody
to do anything
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00:03:10,124 --> 00:03:12,491
that she thought was going
to hurt her little brother.
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00:03:12,926 --> 00:03:15,327
[crying]
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00:03:15,329 --> 00:03:18,263
[Neil] Let me tell you, Dean was
not concerned about it one bit.
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00:03:18,998 --> 00:03:21,266
He, he was just fine.
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00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:30,943
[indistinct chatter]
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00:03:33,980 --> 00:03:38,650
[Neil] After the baptism,
everybody came over to our house,
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um, and we celebrated
Stephanie's third birthday.
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00:03:41,655 --> 00:03:44,389
She had turned
three the day before.
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[narrator] Stephanie and
her two-year-old cousin Brian
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00:03:47,728 --> 00:03:49,895
sing Baby Dean a lullaby
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00:03:49,897 --> 00:03:51,830
before Stephanie receives
her presents.
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[singing]
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00:03:54,634 --> 00:04:01,707
♪ Like a diamond in the sky ♪
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00:04:01,709 --> 00:04:03,775
[Brian] Stephanie and I
were nine months apart,
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00:04:03,777 --> 00:04:06,245
so we spent a lot of time
together.
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00:04:06,247 --> 00:04:09,848
We were quite the unit
when we were kids.
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00:04:09,850 --> 00:04:12,417
We, we, we played all the time.
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00:04:17,323 --> 00:04:21,226
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
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00:04:23,997 --> 00:04:26,331
[cheering]
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- You can't take that.
- [woman 2] You gonna help?
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00:04:39,513 --> 00:04:42,347
[Neil] Birthdays for the
children were always a big deal.
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00:04:47,887 --> 00:04:50,789
[indistinct chatter]
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00:04:50,791 --> 00:04:56,128
Stephanie developed the
ability to talk very clearly early on.
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00:05:01,267 --> 00:05:05,103
[Neil] When she was about 18
months old, I counted 100 words.
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00:05:05,105 --> 00:05:08,006
And by the time she was two...
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00:05:08,008 --> 00:05:11,043
uh, Stephanie talked
in full sentences.
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00:05:11,045 --> 00:05:12,844
And by the time she was three,
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00:05:12,846 --> 00:05:17,049
she could conduct a conversation
with pretty much anybody
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00:05:17,051 --> 00:05:19,084
and would be happy to do that.
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00:05:23,690 --> 00:05:25,524
[soft music playing]
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[narrator]
Fast forward to 1991.
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00:05:30,830 --> 00:05:33,065
[narrator]
Stephanie is six years old.
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00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,136
[Neil]
Stephanie and Dean loved pets.
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00:05:38,138 --> 00:05:40,839
And so for them to have puppies
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00:05:40,841 --> 00:05:43,975
was just a huge thing for them.
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00:05:47,914 --> 00:05:50,849
I don't really remember
how it started...
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00:05:50,851 --> 00:05:56,054
but the puppies became the
subject of Puppy Newsbreak.
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00:05:56,322 --> 00:05:57,889
I'd get out the video camera
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00:05:57,891 --> 00:06:01,326
and Stephanie would give
an interview.
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00:06:16,309 --> 00:06:20,946
[Neil] She would conduct a little
news interview about the, the dogs
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00:06:20,948 --> 00:06:25,016
telling us about each one,
about what their name was.
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00:06:27,954 --> 00:06:32,924
When it came to performing, I
don't think Stephanie really cared
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00:06:32,926 --> 00:06:35,494
whether it was a camera
or an audience.
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00:06:37,296 --> 00:06:39,231
She just, she loved doing it.
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00:06:45,371 --> 00:06:47,506
[Neil]
When Stephanie was six,
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00:06:47,508 --> 00:06:49,975
she portrayed
Little Red Riding Hood
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00:06:49,977 --> 00:06:54,413
in a production in a community
theater there in Corsicana.
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00:06:59,552 --> 00:07:03,488
She knew her lines
and everyone else's.
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00:07:14,033 --> 00:07:15,534
[Neil] She knew exactly
what was going on
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00:07:15,536 --> 00:07:19,938
and, and who needed to say what and
when and where they should be and...
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00:07:21,207 --> 00:07:22,741
She, she was not afraid to help.
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00:07:22,743 --> 00:07:23,942
[laughs]
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00:07:29,315 --> 00:07:32,117
She just moved around that
stage like she belonged there.
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00:07:32,119 --> 00:07:33,485
Okay, get it on tape.
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00:07:33,487 --> 00:07:34,819
- Get it on tape.
- Here we go.
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00:07:36,122 --> 00:07:38,723
[narrator] Stephanie loves
to put on a show at home too.
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00:07:38,725 --> 00:07:41,126
[playful music playing]
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00:07:42,228 --> 00:07:43,995
The seven-year-old
plays keyboard
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00:07:43,997 --> 00:07:47,499
and her six-year-old cousin
Brian dances for the camera.
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00:07:51,037 --> 00:07:55,874
[Neil] Stephanie had a
way of roping everybody
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00:07:55,876 --> 00:07:59,211
into what she was doing.
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00:07:59,213 --> 00:08:01,012
And she did that a lot
with Brian.
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00:08:01,014 --> 00:08:03,315
With them being so close in age,
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00:08:03,317 --> 00:08:06,218
they were,
they were big buddies.
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00:08:06,220 --> 00:08:11,122
Entertaining is something that both
her and I have always enjoyed doing,
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00:08:11,124 --> 00:08:12,691
especially at a young age.
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00:08:12,693 --> 00:08:15,727
[indistinct chatter]
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00:08:15,729 --> 00:08:19,464
And that's about as good of
dancing skills that I still have.
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[narrator] Fun family
gatherings like this one
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00:08:24,171 --> 00:08:26,538
will soon become a thing
of the past.
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00:08:30,243 --> 00:08:36,081
In July of 1998,
we loaded everybody up
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00:08:36,083 --> 00:08:38,316
and moved to Sugar Land, Texas.
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00:08:38,318 --> 00:08:41,319
It's about 250 miles
from Corsicana.
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00:08:42,154 --> 00:08:44,456
Stephanie was 13...
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00:08:45,791 --> 00:08:48,226
and Dean was ten.
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00:08:50,630 --> 00:08:54,032
I was sworn in to the Fort
Bend County Sheriff's Office
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00:08:54,034 --> 00:09:00,805
as a deputy in March of 1999
on a volunteer basis.
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00:09:00,807 --> 00:09:02,007
You know, it allowed me
to do something
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00:09:02,009 --> 00:09:05,310
that was very meaningful for me.
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00:09:08,180 --> 00:09:11,149
Stephanie started
her ninth grade
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00:09:11,151 --> 00:09:13,051
or freshman year at Saint Agnes
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00:09:13,053 --> 00:09:16,488
in, in the fall of 1999.
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00:09:18,524 --> 00:09:21,226
I think over the four years
that she was there,
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00:09:21,228 --> 00:09:27,065
she did a lot to improve her, her
vocal ability and her confidence.
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00:09:27,567 --> 00:09:30,135
[vocalizing]
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00:09:39,145 --> 00:09:44,015
She joined the choir immediately
when she got to Saint Agnes.
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00:09:44,017 --> 00:09:49,187
Uh, and that became
a huge focal point for her.
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00:09:49,189 --> 00:09:56,761
Her best friends were people
that she met... in choir.
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00:09:56,763 --> 00:09:59,698
[Nicola] I remember walking
in that first day of school
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and seeing a girl
sitting by herself,
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00:10:02,903 --> 00:10:06,938
and I thought, "Well, she's
alone and I tend to be alone,
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00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:08,740
maybe we could be
alone together."
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00:10:08,742 --> 00:10:10,742
So I walked up
and introduced myself
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00:10:10,744 --> 00:10:16,615
and that was the first day
of being best friends
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00:10:16,617 --> 00:10:19,784
with somebody
for the first time.
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00:10:19,786 --> 00:10:23,989
[narrator] Stephanie wins a place in
Saint Agnes High School's elite choir,
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00:10:23,991 --> 00:10:25,357
the Triple Trio.
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00:10:26,826 --> 00:10:31,863
The Triple Trio
was a group of singers.
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00:10:31,865 --> 00:10:34,499
So it was nine women singers.
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It was very, very, very
difficult to get into.
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00:10:37,571 --> 00:10:38,970
Everyone wanted to join.
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00:10:41,707 --> 00:10:47,145
[Neil] She auditioned and she
got it and was absolutely thrilled.
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00:10:47,147 --> 00:10:49,114
It was a very big deal for her.
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00:10:49,116 --> 00:10:52,884
She had literally wanted it
for several years by that point.
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00:10:52,886 --> 00:10:55,420
So, she was, she was very happy.
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00:10:56,656 --> 00:10:59,424
[Nicola] Saint Agnes
is an all-girls school
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00:10:59,426 --> 00:11:05,530
and it is just across the parking
lot from an all-boys school,
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00:11:05,532 --> 00:11:07,999
uh, Strake Jesuit College
Preparatory.
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00:11:08,001 --> 00:11:13,071
So we actually would join
forces for things like the choir.
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00:11:14,140 --> 00:11:18,109
One of the boys at Strake,
a boy named David Brueggen,
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00:11:18,111 --> 00:11:21,046
he and Stephanie
were like best buddies.
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00:11:22,081 --> 00:11:25,884
David was actually Stephanie's
date to homecoming,
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00:11:25,886 --> 00:11:28,119
I think it was
their sophomore year.
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00:11:28,121 --> 00:11:30,155
He was a good friend
to Stephanie.
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00:11:30,157 --> 00:11:34,059
He turned out to play
a significant role
157
00:11:34,061 --> 00:11:36,494
in a number of things
in Stephanie's life.
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00:11:42,768 --> 00:11:44,269
[dramatic music playing]
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00:11:45,938 --> 00:11:48,707
[Neil]
In the fall of 2003,
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00:11:48,709 --> 00:11:52,310
Stephanie graduated eighth
in her class at Saint Agnes.
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00:11:52,312 --> 00:11:56,247
Her academic record gave her
the opportunity
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00:11:56,249 --> 00:11:59,951
to go to just about
any college she wanted to.
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00:11:59,953 --> 00:12:03,521
She had made up her mind that
she wanted to go to Notre Dame.
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00:12:04,590 --> 00:12:08,760
[Nicola] Notre Dame
is a fantastic university.
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00:12:08,762 --> 00:12:12,931
Stephanie went off to study
psychology and PLS at Notre Dame.
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00:12:12,933 --> 00:12:15,867
PLS is the Program
for Liberal Studies.
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00:12:15,869 --> 00:12:19,037
She would always want to work
with autistic children.
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00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:26,811
[Neil] She had gotten
into this research project
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00:12:26,813 --> 00:12:29,180
and she had to take a camera
with her
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00:12:29,182 --> 00:12:31,816
and videotape
these learning sessions
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00:12:31,818 --> 00:12:34,285
because that was part
of the research.
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00:12:35,588 --> 00:12:41,226
Stephanie exhibited the
patience of job with this boy.
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00:12:41,228 --> 00:12:44,996
She was very gentle with him
and, and very, very patient.
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00:12:53,739 --> 00:12:57,308
Stephanie wanted to be
the very best she could be
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00:12:57,310 --> 00:13:02,180
and to do the very best she
could in anything that she did.
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00:13:08,554 --> 00:13:12,757
[narrator] Behind the scenes,
Stephanie faces her own challenges.
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00:13:12,759 --> 00:13:18,563
I know she was nervous about going
to school out of state away from home.
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00:13:18,565 --> 00:13:20,932
She'd never lived that far
away from home before.
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00:13:20,934 --> 00:13:24,002
She was doing so much work
with the double major.
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00:13:24,004 --> 00:13:27,539
There's a lot of pressure
that she put herself under.
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00:13:30,509 --> 00:13:34,445
[narrator] Stephanie returns
to Texas for Thanksgiving 2006.
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00:13:35,114 --> 00:13:38,783
To say that we were worried
about Stephanie
183
00:13:38,785 --> 00:13:41,052
and her eating's
a bit of an understatement.
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00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,022
We were extremely concerned.
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00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:47,692
You know, when we
first approached her about it,
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00:13:47,694 --> 00:13:50,361
she denied
that anything was wrong.
187
00:13:52,131 --> 00:13:57,669
She eventually recognized
that she had an eating disorder.
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00:13:57,671 --> 00:14:00,104
She was very sick at one point.
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00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:06,010
[Nicola] It was very hard at university
to see her going through that...
190
00:14:06,012 --> 00:14:10,415
and not be there to help,
not be there to support.
191
00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:15,053
[Neil] She came to
acknowledge her, her problem
192
00:14:15,055 --> 00:14:19,524
and she addressed it and sought
counseling and, and did the work.
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00:14:21,227 --> 00:14:24,762
And I think it speaks very much
to her strength of character...
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00:14:24,764 --> 00:14:28,900
how well she handled everything
195
00:14:28,902 --> 00:14:32,170
and that she did all the
right things, she did get help.
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00:14:34,673 --> 00:14:37,041
[soft music playing]
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00:14:40,246 --> 00:14:44,616
[Neil] Stephanie graduated
from Notre Dame in May of 2007
198
00:14:44,618 --> 00:14:52,257
with a bachelor of arts in two majors,
Psychology and Liberal Studies.
199
00:14:52,259 --> 00:14:57,929
She moved back to Sugar Land
and actually lived with me for a while.
200
00:14:57,931 --> 00:15:03,501
She immediately
started trying to get a job
201
00:15:03,503 --> 00:15:06,504
with the Monarch
School in Houston.
202
00:15:06,506 --> 00:15:09,374
It's a school for children
with neurological disorders
203
00:15:09,376 --> 00:15:14,312
and it's the place that Stephanie had
decided early on that she wanted to work.
204
00:15:15,848 --> 00:15:22,086
She enrolled in the University of Houston
to get a master's in special education.
205
00:15:22,088 --> 00:15:25,990
And that's what allowed her to
get her teaching credentials
206
00:15:25,992 --> 00:15:30,094
and to become a teacher
at the Monarch School.
207
00:15:33,499 --> 00:15:37,235
Within a very short period of
time of moving home after college,
208
00:15:37,237 --> 00:15:43,441
Stephanie began performing in
a number of community theaters.
209
00:15:51,083 --> 00:15:56,087
[narrator] Here she plays Dorothy in
the Wizard of Oz for a local drama group.
210
00:16:03,696 --> 00:16:06,130
[Neil] I think over
the next few years
211
00:16:06,132 --> 00:16:11,502
she performed in at least five or
six different community theaters
212
00:16:11,504 --> 00:16:13,938
around the, the Houston area.
213
00:16:13,940 --> 00:16:16,808
She had done really, really
well from the start
214
00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:21,045
with her teaching career
at the Monarch School.
215
00:16:21,047 --> 00:16:24,515
She was always working or always
rehearsing or always performing.
216
00:16:24,517 --> 00:16:26,351
She was busy, busy, busy.
217
00:16:26,353 --> 00:16:30,388
She was very happy with, with what
she had chosen to do with her life.
218
00:16:31,056 --> 00:16:32,790
I think at that point
219
00:16:32,792 --> 00:16:39,464
all that she felt was missing
was a partner, romance.
220
00:16:39,466 --> 00:16:44,268
I know she always wanted to
find the right, the right guy
221
00:16:44,270 --> 00:16:47,205
because she wanted her own
family, she wanted to get married,
222
00:16:47,207 --> 00:16:48,472
she wanted to have children.
223
00:16:50,075 --> 00:16:53,544
[Neil] When Stephanie moved
home, she of course got a chance
224
00:16:53,546 --> 00:16:56,414
to, to be around some of
her friends from high school
225
00:16:56,416 --> 00:16:58,783
and to do some things with them.
226
00:16:58,785 --> 00:17:04,655
That included David Brueggen and some
of his friends from Texas A&M Galveston
227
00:17:04,657 --> 00:17:06,958
where he had attended school.
228
00:17:07,893 --> 00:17:09,961
[Nicola] I think they'd
been hanging out one night
229
00:17:09,963 --> 00:17:15,900
and she asked if maybe he knew
somebody that she'd be interested in.
230
00:17:15,902 --> 00:17:19,971
And he thought, "Oh, I know
this guy that I can call for you."
231
00:17:19,973 --> 00:17:25,710
David Brueggen was the one that
introduced Stephanie to Daniel Politte.
232
00:17:25,712 --> 00:17:29,514
[Nicola] I think David imagined
that they would be a good match.
233
00:17:29,516 --> 00:17:33,885
Daniel had been his college
roommate, they had the same major
234
00:17:33,887 --> 00:17:37,922
and they ended up working together
at the Houston Shipping Channel...
235
00:17:37,924 --> 00:17:40,758
and it only made sense,
you know,
236
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,561
two of his best friends,
why wouldn't they hit it off.
237
00:17:45,130 --> 00:17:49,067
He dialed his friend Daniel...
238
00:17:50,069 --> 00:17:52,737
he stuffed the phone
into Stephanie's hand
239
00:17:52,739 --> 00:17:54,105
and made her
start talking to him.
240
00:17:55,774 --> 00:17:59,477
And they really, really got
on well from the get-go.
241
00:18:05,851 --> 00:18:07,952
[Neil]
When I first met Dan,
242
00:18:07,954 --> 00:18:12,023
he had come to the house to
pick Stephanie up to go to dinner.
243
00:18:13,225 --> 00:18:14,892
You know, he seemed
like a nice enough guy,
244
00:18:14,894 --> 00:18:19,831
just a little skinny kind
of nerdy guy.
245
00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:25,336
Stephanie sure seemed to like him
and that's all that really mattered to me.
246
00:18:26,038 --> 00:18:30,141
I think what made Daniel
so appealing to Stephanie
247
00:18:30,143 --> 00:18:34,078
is that he did genuinely
seem to care about her.
248
00:18:34,746 --> 00:18:35,980
They got into each
other's worlds.
249
00:18:35,982 --> 00:18:38,749
Daniel was really into gaming
250
00:18:38,751 --> 00:18:43,020
and so Stephanie played video
games with him, online games with him.
251
00:18:43,022 --> 00:18:47,325
And Daniel would man the
ticket booth at some of her shows.
252
00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:51,095
They became pretty
much inseparable.
253
00:18:58,070 --> 00:19:01,072
In 2010,
254
00:19:01,074 --> 00:19:05,476
Daniel asked if I would go
ring shopping with him
255
00:19:05,478 --> 00:19:07,712
because he wanted to propose
to Stephanie.
256
00:19:07,714 --> 00:19:10,615
We went to a bunch of
different stores all over Houston.
257
00:19:10,617 --> 00:19:15,453
He really had a good idea of
what he thought she would like.
258
00:19:16,355 --> 00:19:18,523
And I was thrilled.
I was so happy for her
259
00:19:18,525 --> 00:19:20,291
because this is what
she'd wanted.
260
00:19:21,693 --> 00:19:28,099
[Neil] Dan actually came to me to ask
me for permission to marry Stephanie.
261
00:19:28,101 --> 00:19:33,971
And I told him that the only thing that
mattered to me was that he took care of her.
262
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,843
[Nicola] Obviously I knew
that the proposal was coming.
263
00:19:38,845 --> 00:19:41,179
But when Stephanie told me
she was engaged,
264
00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:45,483
she was happy in a way
that I hadn't seen before.
265
00:19:46,852 --> 00:19:52,957
Stephanie and Dan were married
in December of 2011.
266
00:19:52,959 --> 00:19:55,126
A daughter's wedding
is one of those things
267
00:19:55,128 --> 00:20:00,431
that I'm not sure that any
father could quite describe it.
268
00:20:01,133 --> 00:20:02,533
You know, it's,
it's a combination
269
00:20:02,535 --> 00:20:04,101
of an extraordinarily
difficult thing
270
00:20:04,103 --> 00:20:07,572
and a very proud day
as a father.
271
00:20:07,574 --> 00:20:10,841
I mean tears were just
running down my face.
272
00:20:10,843 --> 00:20:16,047
[Nicola] David was the best man,
which was, of course, very fitting,
273
00:20:16,049 --> 00:20:20,785
and he gave a wedding toast and he
had talked about how he got them together.
274
00:20:20,787 --> 00:20:25,823
And it was lovely to see
how proud and happy he was
275
00:20:25,825 --> 00:20:28,326
to have two of his friends
end up together.
276
00:20:29,828 --> 00:20:35,066
And it was beautiful.
It was a beautiful wedding.
277
00:20:39,671 --> 00:20:42,773
Not too long after Stephanie
and Dan married,
278
00:20:42,775 --> 00:20:46,711
they bought a house
in Missouri City.
279
00:20:46,713 --> 00:20:50,781
Missouri City and Sugar Land
are right next to each other.
280
00:20:50,783 --> 00:20:56,454
It was a nice little neighborhood of
these very quaint cottage style houses.
281
00:20:57,856 --> 00:20:59,924
[Brian] I remember having a
conversation with Stephanie
282
00:20:59,926 --> 00:21:02,026
uh, shortly after
they were married
283
00:21:02,028 --> 00:21:06,063
that they were going to start
trying to have children.
284
00:21:06,065 --> 00:21:08,532
I could tell
she was excited about that.
285
00:21:09,668 --> 00:21:12,803
[Neil]
By the fall term of 2013,
286
00:21:12,805 --> 00:21:16,140
she had really started to
come into her own as a teacher.
287
00:21:16,142 --> 00:21:19,644
The administration and her
fellow teachers at the school,
288
00:21:19,646 --> 00:21:23,047
I think had started
to recognize her ability.
289
00:21:23,582 --> 00:21:26,784
[Nicola] She was
happy. She's fulfilled.
290
00:21:26,786 --> 00:21:33,024
And she's doing very, very well and
she just kept progressing with her career.
291
00:21:34,660 --> 00:21:38,996
[narrator] Daniel takes the opportunity
to develop his work prospects too.
292
00:21:39,965 --> 00:21:44,035
Dan went back to school
in August of 2013.
293
00:21:44,037 --> 00:21:46,570
So, that's when he quit his job
294
00:21:46,572 --> 00:21:52,109
and they were living just off of
Stephanie's salary as a teacher.
295
00:21:52,944 --> 00:21:56,247
Daniel had thought engineering
would have a bit more usefulness
296
00:21:56,249 --> 00:21:59,717
and a bit more earning
potential for the future.
297
00:21:59,719 --> 00:22:04,455
[Neil] Going back to, to school
to get a degree in engineering,
298
00:22:04,457 --> 00:22:08,225
he clearly was not cut out
for it.
299
00:22:08,227 --> 00:22:13,097
He was struggling in class, he,
his grades were, were not good,
300
00:22:13,099 --> 00:22:15,633
he was failing
at least one of his classes,
301
00:22:15,635 --> 00:22:18,002
I think,
maybe perhaps all of them.
302
00:22:23,975 --> 00:22:26,744
[Nicola] At one point
Stephanie and I were talking...
303
00:22:26,746 --> 00:22:30,414
she told me
that she had come home one day
304
00:22:30,416 --> 00:22:35,853
and found him passed out on
the sofa and he'd been drinking.
305
00:22:35,855 --> 00:22:39,857
And he was supposed to have been in class,
but he'd been just playing video games.
306
00:22:39,859 --> 00:22:42,760
And she was so disappointed
and so upset
307
00:22:42,762 --> 00:22:49,500
because she told me, you know,
"I'm doing everything right now
308
00:22:49,502 --> 00:22:51,902
to keep us afloat
and he can't even be bothered
309
00:22:51,904 --> 00:22:54,472
to, to take this one
class he's failing."
310
00:22:57,776 --> 00:22:59,777
[Neil]
By the beginning of 2014,
311
00:22:59,779 --> 00:23:02,012
their finances were not
in the greatest shape.
312
00:23:02,014 --> 00:23:05,950
I, I know that they, there
were a couple of bills
313
00:23:05,952 --> 00:23:09,153
that they just hadn't been able
to pay on for several months.
314
00:23:09,155 --> 00:23:12,556
[Nicola] I think Stephanie wished
he had just cashed in with school
315
00:23:12,558 --> 00:23:14,692
and gone back to get a job.
316
00:23:14,694 --> 00:23:16,994
There was obviously no point
in his being at university
317
00:23:16,996 --> 00:23:18,796
if he wasn't going to take it
seriously.
318
00:23:18,798 --> 00:23:20,364
There's no point in their
spending their money
319
00:23:20,366 --> 00:23:25,669
on tuition payments for
classes that he wasn't attending.
320
00:23:25,671 --> 00:23:31,041
[Neil] I think that perhaps one of
the things that created some friction
321
00:23:31,043 --> 00:23:33,043
between the two of them
was the fact
322
00:23:33,045 --> 00:23:38,983
that she was doing better,
she was doing well.
323
00:23:38,985 --> 00:23:42,153
[Nicola] Daniel I think
was floundering a little bit.
324
00:23:42,155 --> 00:23:46,924
I think he felt ashamed that he
wasn't bringing in household income.
325
00:23:46,926 --> 00:23:49,794
So I think he felt
frustrated there.
326
00:23:49,796 --> 00:23:53,531
And I think maybe that's when
they started to drift apart.
327
00:23:57,569 --> 00:24:03,240
In February of 2014, my husband
and I had a party in Houston.
328
00:24:03,909 --> 00:24:07,311
And at one point Stephanie
had quite a bit to drink
329
00:24:07,313 --> 00:24:11,148
and so, we went into
another room to sit down
330
00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:13,451
and, and just chat,
the two of us.
331
00:24:13,453 --> 00:24:15,186
And she started crying.
332
00:24:16,521 --> 00:24:19,523
And it was at that point that she
started talking about leaving him.
333
00:24:28,867 --> 00:24:31,435
[woman 1 speaking]
334
00:24:32,637 --> 00:24:36,740
[Amanda] On Tuesday,
March 11th at 11:26 pm,
335
00:24:36,742 --> 00:24:40,444
a 911 call came in
to the Missouri City Police.
336
00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:45,149
The caller identified himself
as Daniel Politte.
337
00:24:45,151 --> 00:24:46,550
[woman 1 speaking]
338
00:24:52,524 --> 00:24:55,292
[woman 1 speaking]
339
00:25:09,975 --> 00:25:11,775
[siren wailing]
340
00:25:11,777 --> 00:25:15,212
[Amanda] At the beginning
of the 911 call, EMS
341
00:25:15,214 --> 00:25:18,182
and the fire department
is dispatched immediately
342
00:25:18,184 --> 00:25:20,050
because
of the medical emergency.
343
00:25:20,052 --> 00:25:21,919
[woman 1 speaking]
344
00:25:21,921 --> 00:25:24,288
[Daniel speaking]
345
00:25:29,327 --> 00:25:32,029
[Amanda] So at this point
the dispatcher instructs him
346
00:25:32,031 --> 00:25:36,700
to get her off of the bed onto
the floor onto a flat surface
347
00:25:36,702 --> 00:25:39,370
so she can then give
instructions for CPR.
348
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,474
- [woman 1 speaking]
- [Daniel speaking]
349
00:25:43,476 --> 00:25:46,210
[woman 1 speaking]
350
00:25:47,579 --> 00:25:50,681
[Amanda] The fire department
and emergency medical technicians
351
00:25:50,683 --> 00:25:54,518
arrived at the Politte home
pretty much simultaneously
352
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,121
with the first police officer,
which was Officer Sanye
353
00:25:57,123 --> 00:25:59,523
from the Missouri City
Police Department.
354
00:26:02,460 --> 00:26:06,196
EMS were quite shocked
by what they discovered.
355
00:26:06,198 --> 00:26:11,435
They found Stephanie laying on
the floor in a pool of her own blood.
356
00:26:12,103 --> 00:26:17,007
The bed, the pillows
were covered in blood
357
00:26:17,009 --> 00:26:19,510
and there was also
significant blood spatter
358
00:26:19,512 --> 00:26:22,513
all over the wall
of the bedroom.
359
00:26:22,515 --> 00:26:26,750
The first responders determined that
she clearly had a wound to her head
360
00:26:26,752 --> 00:26:31,755
and they saw a revolver
laying on the floor nearby her.
361
00:26:31,757 --> 00:26:37,728
In 15 and a half minutes of conversation
between Daniel and the dispatcher,
362
00:26:37,730 --> 00:26:44,201
there is never, not once, a
mention of anything related to a gun.
363
00:26:59,050 --> 00:27:03,354
[Amanda] Officer Sanye walks Daniel
out of the house down the sidewalk
364
00:27:03,356 --> 00:27:06,256
and then places him
in front of his patrol vehicle
365
00:27:06,258 --> 00:27:11,462
so that the camera from his patrol
vehicle will pick up what is taking place.
366
00:27:18,003 --> 00:27:18,836
[Daniel]
Okay.
367
00:27:18,838 --> 00:27:19,803
[policeman speaking]
368
00:27:19,805 --> 00:27:21,338
[Daniel speaking]
369
00:27:24,743 --> 00:27:28,078
[policeman speaking]
370
00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,180
But for now
I need you to slide back.
371
00:27:30,949 --> 00:27:31,982
[Daniel speaking]
372
00:27:33,718 --> 00:27:35,352
[policeman speaking]
373
00:27:38,490 --> 00:27:43,227
Daniel's in the back
of the patrol car by himself.
374
00:27:43,229 --> 00:27:48,298
And within seconds of that patrol car
door closing, you hear some mumbling.
375
00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:49,700
[Daniel speaking]
376
00:27:49,702 --> 00:27:52,036
[indistinct chatter]
377
00:27:52,038 --> 00:27:54,271
[Paul] While Daniel's
back in the patrol car,
378
00:27:54,273 --> 00:27:59,476
Daniel goes from
being rational to irrational.
379
00:28:00,211 --> 00:28:03,080
[Daniel speaking]
380
00:28:11,489 --> 00:28:14,858
His demeanor
was constantly changing.
381
00:28:14,860 --> 00:28:20,431
It would go from pure silence
to what appeared to be crying.
382
00:28:23,101 --> 00:28:24,368
[Daniel crying]
383
00:28:29,674 --> 00:28:33,010
At another point he shouts out
another expletive
384
00:28:33,012 --> 00:28:36,947
that is clearly something that
is derogatory towards women.
385
00:28:37,014 --> 00:28:38,348
[Daniel speaking]
386
00:28:46,991 --> 00:28:50,694
[Paul] Once EMS discovered that
Stephanie had actually been shot,
387
00:28:50,696 --> 00:28:54,565
they quickly realized
that this was a fatal shot
388
00:28:54,567 --> 00:28:59,069
and there was not really anything
they could do for Stephanie.
389
00:28:59,071 --> 00:29:03,373
And that's when our crime scene investigators
were also notified to come to the scene.
390
00:29:04,509 --> 00:29:06,543
[indistinct chatter over PA]
391
00:29:06,545 --> 00:29:10,514
[Paul] I went to the patrol car
and opened the back door and...
392
00:29:12,083 --> 00:29:17,788
briefly spoke with Daniel and he
actually asked me how his wife was.
393
00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:22,459
And I told him, I had no
other way to tell him, but..
394
00:29:29,067 --> 00:29:30,300
- [Daniel speaking]
- [Paul speaking]
395
00:29:30,302 --> 00:29:32,035
As a heart attack.
396
00:29:40,145 --> 00:29:41,345
[Daniel speaking]
397
00:29:41,347 --> 00:29:43,347
[Paul speaking]
398
00:29:46,985 --> 00:29:53,991
He didn't really show any emotion as
to being, you know, sad or distraught.
399
00:29:55,994 --> 00:29:59,363
That's when we took Daniel
down to the police station.
400
00:30:00,765 --> 00:30:03,901
Daniel insisted
that he wanted an attorney.
401
00:30:03,903 --> 00:30:09,173
And so, the detectives did not attempt to
take any kind of formal statement from him.
402
00:30:14,712 --> 00:30:17,881
At around 4:30 in the morning
403
00:30:17,883 --> 00:30:22,419
on March the 12th of 2014,
our doorbell rang.
404
00:30:23,822 --> 00:30:29,960
I have made death notifications
before as a police officer,
405
00:30:29,962 --> 00:30:36,900
so I knew what this was before
I ever went to answer the door.
406
00:30:36,902 --> 00:30:41,305
And he said to me that
Stephanie is no longer with us.
407
00:30:41,307 --> 00:30:43,540
Those were his exact words.
408
00:30:44,809 --> 00:30:47,044
The physical effect...
409
00:30:47,879 --> 00:30:51,548
of hearing the words
that your child is dead...
410
00:30:53,151 --> 00:30:54,918
are very real.
411
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:56,720
I, and I had seen these before.
412
00:30:56,722 --> 00:31:00,958
I had seen the physical
reaction in other people.
413
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:06,430
And, and unfortunately I hadn't,
I didn't really fully understand it...
414
00:31:07,365 --> 00:31:09,833
until it happened to me.
415
00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:13,337
It is an effect
that I will never forget.
416
00:31:18,943 --> 00:31:22,646
[Paul] In the early
morning of March 12th,
417
00:31:22,648 --> 00:31:28,051
Daniel Politte was charged with the
murder of his wife Stephanie Politte.
418
00:31:29,888 --> 00:31:33,357
Daniel is permitted to make
a phone call to his parents.
419
00:31:34,859 --> 00:31:36,059
[phone line rings]
420
00:31:36,327 --> 00:31:37,995
[Mark speaking]
421
00:31:41,032 --> 00:31:42,966
[Mark speaking]
422
00:31:48,206 --> 00:31:49,473
[Mark speaking]
Yeah.
423
00:31:59,751 --> 00:32:04,221
His father pretty quickly passes
the phone off to his mother.
424
00:32:04,223 --> 00:32:06,723
Daniel then starts launching
into all these reasons
425
00:32:06,725 --> 00:32:09,593
why she might have
been trying to hurt herself.
426
00:32:09,595 --> 00:32:13,664
You know, she was so depressed and,
you know, she took that medication, mom,
427
00:32:13,666 --> 00:32:17,801
and there was this award
she was trying to win at school
428
00:32:17,803 --> 00:32:20,070
and she'd learned
that she didn't win.
429
00:32:20,072 --> 00:32:22,306
[Daniel's Mother speaking]
430
00:32:27,679 --> 00:32:29,112
[Daniel's Mother speaking]
431
00:32:31,082 --> 00:32:35,585
Daniel tells them between her
depression and her level of intoxication
432
00:32:35,587 --> 00:32:37,955
she attempted
to take her own life
433
00:32:37,957 --> 00:32:42,960
and that Daniel attempted
to intervene and save her life.
434
00:32:50,902 --> 00:32:53,870
[Paul] When toxicology
report came back,
435
00:32:53,872 --> 00:33:00,344
it somewhat supported Daniel's
story of Stephanie had been drinking.
436
00:33:02,613 --> 00:33:08,352
[Amanda] Daniel was seen by a
judge and his bond was set at $125,000.
437
00:33:08,354 --> 00:33:11,922
Daniel was released the following
day on what we call an attorney bond.
438
00:33:11,924 --> 00:33:17,060
So really all the way up until the
trial Daniel was free and out on bond.
439
00:33:18,730 --> 00:33:23,900
[Paul] Once Daniel was released
from jail, we still had to work on the case
440
00:33:23,902 --> 00:33:26,636
so there would be no doubt
441
00:33:26,638 --> 00:33:29,473
as to what actually happened
in the house that night.
442
00:33:30,742 --> 00:33:32,876
[Amanda] You certainly
have to give consideration
443
00:33:32,878 --> 00:33:38,915
as to whether this could have been a
suicide or even an attempt at a suicide
444
00:33:38,917 --> 00:33:41,518
that Daniel attempted
to break up
445
00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:45,822
and, you know, some
sort of accidental discharge.
446
00:33:45,824 --> 00:33:49,192
And that's where the forensic
evidence became very important.
447
00:33:53,097 --> 00:33:55,732
Memorial Day weekend of 2014.
448
00:33:55,734 --> 00:33:57,501
[phone rings]
449
00:33:58,870 --> 00:34:01,338
My cell phone rings
and it's Dan.
450
00:34:02,807 --> 00:34:05,275
But I just couldn't, I just
couldn't answer the phone.
451
00:34:08,813 --> 00:34:14,751
He sent me a text message explaining
that he just wanted to talk to me.
452
00:34:14,753 --> 00:34:18,889
And I thought about it
for, for about a half hour...
453
00:34:18,891 --> 00:34:21,224
because frankly, I didn't know
if I could do it.
454
00:34:22,894 --> 00:34:24,928
I finally decided to call him.
455
00:34:24,930 --> 00:34:29,099
And I talked to him for about
an hour and 20 minutes...
456
00:34:30,134 --> 00:34:33,203
and I recorded the entire
conversation.
457
00:34:39,544 --> 00:34:40,977
[Daniel speaking]
458
00:34:44,315 --> 00:34:45,449
[Daniel speaking]
459
00:34:54,959 --> 00:34:56,193
[Neil speaking]
460
00:35:01,132 --> 00:35:04,101
[Daniel speaking]
461
00:35:46,244 --> 00:35:48,211
[Neil speaking]
462
00:35:50,982 --> 00:35:52,449
[Daniel speaking]
463
00:36:12,770 --> 00:36:17,007
The conversation that Daniel
had with Neil was quite different
464
00:36:17,009 --> 00:36:21,444
from the comments he initially
made as to what occurred that night.
465
00:36:21,446 --> 00:36:26,049
He's changed his story now
from trying to prevent Stephanie
466
00:36:26,051 --> 00:36:31,254
from committing suicide to now
it's just some sort of tragic accident.
467
00:36:34,258 --> 00:36:37,394
Once we received the autopsy
results back,
468
00:36:37,396 --> 00:36:40,530
we discovered that the gunshot
469
00:36:40,532 --> 00:36:45,702
had been inflicted to the top of
Stephanie's right side of her head
470
00:36:45,704 --> 00:36:51,007
near the rear and the bullet
had actually lodged
471
00:36:51,009 --> 00:36:55,345
just under her left eye
in her cheek.
472
00:36:56,714 --> 00:36:58,715
[Amanda] The medical
examiner was of the opinion
473
00:36:58,717 --> 00:37:02,118
that her cheek was in contact
with something at the time
474
00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:06,022
that she was shot, which is
why we developed the theory
475
00:37:06,024 --> 00:37:10,126
that she was lying on
her left side in the bed
476
00:37:10,128 --> 00:37:12,562
with her cheek up
against the pillow.
477
00:37:14,232 --> 00:37:18,802
That's not at all consistent with
some sort of struggle taking place.
478
00:37:18,804 --> 00:37:22,772
No one would be in the course
of a struggle with another person
479
00:37:22,774 --> 00:37:24,774
and then at the same
time have their, their cheek
480
00:37:24,776 --> 00:37:29,479
pressed down onto a pillow
or some other surface.
481
00:37:31,716 --> 00:37:39,456
We also removed cell phones from
the scene as part of the investigation.
482
00:37:39,458 --> 00:37:44,728
Police discovered that at
11:04 pm a photo had been taken
483
00:37:44,730 --> 00:37:50,900
using Stephanie's phone, but a
picture of Stephanie asleep in the bed
484
00:37:50,902 --> 00:37:56,840
and that was approximately 22 minutes
before Daniel made the phone call to 911.
485
00:37:56,842 --> 00:38:02,512
[Paul] The photo showed
Stephanie lying in the exact position
486
00:38:02,514 --> 00:38:06,883
that we believed her to be
when she was shot.
487
00:38:06,885 --> 00:38:10,787
We immediately realized that
this was a crucial piece of evidence
488
00:38:10,789 --> 00:38:15,458
that Stephanie did not shoot herself,
that she was actually shot by Daniel.
489
00:38:20,298 --> 00:38:26,403
Stephanie was not happy with
what was going on in the marriage.
490
00:38:26,405 --> 00:38:32,042
There was certainly some strain involved
with Stephanie being the sole breadwinner...
491
00:38:32,044 --> 00:38:36,246
with him being at home, you know, spending
money, playing games but not working.
492
00:38:36,981 --> 00:38:40,250
That night Daniel,
for whatever reason,
493
00:38:40,252 --> 00:38:42,952
whether it was something
that caused him to snap...
494
00:38:42,954 --> 00:38:48,258
he comes in while she is asleep
in that bed, turned away from him
495
00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:52,529
with her cheek against the
pillow, takes a picture of Stephanie.
496
00:38:56,334 --> 00:39:00,370
Daniel pulls the trigger one time,
shooting her in the back of the head.
497
00:39:00,372 --> 00:39:02,005
[gunshot]
498
00:39:04,809 --> 00:39:08,978
He then determines that he's
got to at least call 911
499
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:13,183
and come up with some reason for an
ambulance to come there and not police.
500
00:39:14,585 --> 00:39:16,252
[woman 1 speaking]
501
00:39:28,532 --> 00:39:33,770
The trial in this case began
on October 25th 2016.
502
00:39:33,772 --> 00:39:35,772
The jury deliberated
for just 90 minutes
503
00:39:35,774 --> 00:39:39,442
before Daniel Politte
was found guilty of murder.
504
00:39:39,444 --> 00:39:45,048
After that guilty verdict, we learned that
Daniel had had a visitor over at the jail...
505
00:39:45,050 --> 00:39:49,886
and it was a woman who he had
been having romantic conversations
506
00:39:49,888 --> 00:39:51,888
with on the night of the murder
507
00:39:51,890 --> 00:39:56,793
and that he had sort of a secret
hidden photo folder on his phone
508
00:39:56,795 --> 00:40:00,663
with illicit
photographs of this woman.
509
00:40:00,665 --> 00:40:04,768
We actually called back to
the stand a cell phone expert
510
00:40:04,770 --> 00:40:07,904
who could testify about
the contents of his phone.
511
00:40:07,906 --> 00:40:12,575
Not only is there potentially this other
woman at the time Stephanie was alive,
512
00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:14,944
but now this other woman
is visiting him at the jail
513
00:40:14,946 --> 00:40:19,716
right after he's convicted
of Stephanie's murder.
514
00:40:19,718 --> 00:40:22,352
[narrator] There's no evidence
that the mystery woman knew about
515
00:40:22,354 --> 00:40:25,054
or was involved in the murder.
516
00:40:25,056 --> 00:40:29,726
On November 10th, 2016,
the jury returned a verdict
517
00:40:29,728 --> 00:40:34,030
sentencing Daniel Politte
to 85 years in prison.
518
00:40:35,699 --> 00:40:39,068
[Neil] Hearing the
jury's verdict being read,
519
00:40:39,070 --> 00:40:45,708
it was as if a huge weight
had been lifted off of me.
520
00:40:45,710 --> 00:40:48,111
He's where he needs to be.
521
00:40:49,613 --> 00:40:54,017
And it, and he needs to be
there for the rest of his life.
522
00:41:00,825 --> 00:41:07,330
David Brueggen was the one
who introduced Stephanie to Dan.
523
00:41:07,332 --> 00:41:12,235
For Dan to have murdered
Stephanie devastated David,
524
00:41:12,237 --> 00:41:18,408
not only because he lost a good
friend but he, he himself felt responsible.
525
00:41:18,410 --> 00:41:20,009
And he wasn't.
526
00:41:20,011 --> 00:41:24,948
There's only one person responsible
for Stephanie's death and it's not David.
527
00:41:26,217 --> 00:41:28,818
[Nicola] It still doesn't
feel like a fair trade.
528
00:41:28,820 --> 00:41:31,387
He may get 85 years
in prison but...
529
00:41:34,692 --> 00:41:39,295
you know... I would still
rather have her back.
530
00:41:42,066 --> 00:41:45,168
We're glad you're watching
with us today.
531
00:41:45,669 --> 00:41:46,936
And...
532
00:41:48,806 --> 00:41:52,308
[Neil] I tried to
watch this once, um...
533
00:41:54,812 --> 00:41:58,548
not too long after she was
killed and I couldn't do it.
534
00:41:58,550 --> 00:42:01,351
I mean, if I could turn
the clock back...
535
00:42:06,023 --> 00:42:10,026
not only do I get my daughter
back but I get that little girl.
536
00:42:12,062 --> 00:42:13,463
And...
537
00:42:19,770 --> 00:42:22,305
yeah, I think I'd
give anything for that.
538
00:42:24,441 --> 00:42:26,943
We'll be back after this
commercial break.