i'm cutting off everything. >> but then just after thanksgiving, all that seemed to change. russell had recently changed jobs and was close to completing an online master's degree program. as christmas approached, russell reached out to family members and told his brother matt that he wanted to reconcile with his wife. >> he said, you know, i think i need to start doing the right things. brenna wants me back, i want her back, i want to be involved in the kids' life. >> then for reasons they could not fathom, their son, their big brother, was dead. and the family became defensive when detectives suggested that russell's wife brenna may have had something to do with his murder. >> you don't want to believe that anybody that you've known for that long or is the mother of your grandkids would ever be a suspect. >> so gail offered to help her daughter-in-law hire a lawyer. >> one of the detectives seemed a little strong-armed, and i