keith morrison (voiceover): and so it was decided. soon after ethan and his mother had their talk, he appeared before the judge and admitted he did participate in the murder of his good friend, kate. he agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. judge: you understand that the court still faces a guilty plea. yes, ma'am. judge: and that your criminal record will reflect it as a guilty plea. yes, ma'am. keith morrison (voiceover): of course, since heather pleaded guilty to murder and forgery and obstruction of justice, they didn't need a trial for her either. guilty, but mentally ill, by the way. at her sentencing, her therapist told the judge that heather developed after a deeply traumatic childhood a whole basket of serious psychological disorders, some of which rendered her virtually incapable of separating truth from her elaborate fictions and which led into her years of failed marriages, abandoned children, and constant grifting. if heather was hoping for a shorter prison term because