>> reporter: this was very difficult for ruth, as you can imagine. >> she was everything a mother would want in a daughter. she was a good mother. >> reporter: charlotte, the younger democker daughter, was living with steve that summer. was in steve's house the night of the murder when he was unreachable for 5 hours and said his cell phone was dead. >> your father, did he have normally have spare batteries with him? >> sometimes in his car. >> did he carry them in the car and also in his briefcase? >> it's possible. i don't know. >> normally, he was reachable by way of his cell phone, right? >> yes. >> reporter: and when he finally got home that night, she saw those scratches. suspicious, according to the prosecution. >> did you ask him about those scratches? >> i did. >> what did he tell you? >> he explained they were from branches from riding his bike. >> reporter: and then the prosecutor asked charlotte's, by then, former boyfriend jacob about the weird business of the golf club cover.