>> it was dark, sir. >> reporter: no matter how dark it was, how scared he was, how could lars fail to recognize debby three feet away? >> that's your wife. height, weight, shape. how could you not tell that's your wife? >> it was dark. >> do you understand how lame that sounds, lars? >> it's the truth. >> you're 36 inches from a human being, and you can't tell it's your wife. i don't care if it's pitch dark. no room is completely dark. there's ambient light from every room. it may not be much but it's enough to tell the shape otherwise, you wouldn't have fired. you obviously saw something 'cause you fired the gun. >> i said i seen a shape. >> reporter: lars insisted he thought there were intruders in the house and he and debbie were in danger. >> i thought there was somebody else in the house going down the hallway the other direction. i thought there was one coming at me this way. that's what i thought. >> what made you think that had happened tonight? cause your dog growled? >> yes sir. he never growls. he barks. >> reporter: there was no witness or apparent evidence to contradict him. after an hour of questioning police once again let lars go. six days later, he said his final goodbye to debby, her parents by his side. >> how was lars at the funeral? >> very composed, very reserved. uh, he stood up with me. >> what did that say, that the family was supporting him?