Transcripts For MSNBC Dateline 20240929

I was steeling myself for it already because of the massive police presence. They said that they believed that he had been murdered. Craig melvin Craig Rideout, dad of seven, cared deeply about his kids. Robbyn he was a loving man, provider, warm. Craig melvin so it was puzzling and alarming when he vanished. Pj she said, craigs not here. I said, thats weird. I didnt know what was happening. I know something is wrong. I dont know how wrong. Craig melvin a disturbing discovery in the basement. Blood particles were found on the walls. It appeared that there was some kind of ambush. Craig Melvin Revelations about craigs wife. Robbyn craig didnt want to believe there was a romantic relationship between them. It became painfully obvious that there was. Craig melvin and in the park, two young men acting strangely. They identify Colin Rideout and alexander rideout. The victims two sons . The victims two sons. Craig melvin finally, a string of Security Videos would lay bare the bonechilling truth. A diabolical plan is forming here. It appears that way. Pj i was stunned, absolutely stunned. I remember just holding him, crying. This is a family divided like no other. Yeah. [theme music] hello and welcome to dateline the rideouts appeared to be a tightknit family. So when parents Craig And Laura told their seven kids they were divorcing, it came as quite a surprise. Then craig went missing, and a Police Investigation revealed more surprises. It was a mystery that led police to a horrific discovery and a Family Secret as dark as they come. Heres Andrea Canning with devils bathtub. Andrea canning this is devils bathtub. [eerie piano music] a Deep Dark Pond formed by Glaciers Millennia ago. Its hidden and secluded. But beyond the tangle and the weeds, a secret was about to be discovered. We werent we werent ready for this. The sirens in my head, Red Lights going off in my head. Andrea canning the discovery would tell the tale of an allamerican family torn apart and a twisted loyalty hard to comprehend. It was like hitting a Brick Wall and life just stopped. This is the ultimate story of betrayal. Yes. [music playing] Andrea Canning pittsford, new york, a pretty suburb of rochester. Big houses, big families, and top ranked schools that make the people who move here wanna stick around. In this community, you grow up in a bubble. This is the communitys a bubble. Andrea canning the Rideout Family lived in that happy bubble. Chelsea kneuer dated the oldest rideout boy, colin. I remember one of the first times i went over to his house in high school. He was cooking me dinner. And i was like, oh, man, cooking dinner. Thats pretty cool. Very responsible . Chelsea oh, yeah. That was one of the reasons why i fell in love with him. He loved his family. Andrea canning and it was a Big One, three girls, four boys. The Rideout Household was always bustling, family dinners, holidays. Colins parents, Craig And Laura, embraced the chaos. This is craigs sister, robbyn drew. Clearly, they liked being parents. [laughs] they were enjoying this. Right. Andrea canning seven kids . Seven kids. Andrea Canning Dad Craig worked as a Computer Programmer and spent time mentoring kids at his church. Craig is a outwardly personable person. You meet Craig Rideout, youll like him. Andrea Canning Paul Tucci, better known as pj, was craig ridoouts Best Friend. Pj was there when craig fell in love with laura. Pj laura is compassionate. Shes also really intelligent. I mean, she double majored in physics and english 4. 0. Andrea canning as for the rideout kids, they were smart, like their parents, hardworking, articulate. But while they thrived, Family Life took a toll on Craig And Lauras marriage. Laura had been on Bed Rest for some of her pregnancies and money was tight. It circles back, i believe, to some financial hardships. Its understandable. Seven children, bills. Yeah. Andrea canning you know, these are real life real life issues. Andrea canning problems. Craig and laura separated in 2014. Craig took it really hard. He sent an email to me, saying, well, it looks like im getting divorced. I dont think i can talk about it without crying. Andrea canning pj says he wasnt surprised to see the marriage dissolve. Sometimes you get a gut feel. There are a lot of positives that came out of that relationship. But theres also a lot of negatives. Andrea canning oldest Son Colin was away at maritime college when his parents split. I asked him if he was going to be ok. And his first thought was like, im gonna be ok. I have you. But im more concerned about, you know, making sure my siblings are ok. Andrea canning he decided to put Family First and help out his mother. He moved back to rochester and put aside college and his goal of becoming a Navy Seal. He left his kind of, his dream to put his siblings first. What is going to be the Custody Arrangements . The older kids were free to make their own choice. Custody got sticky with the two youngest kids. Andrea canning the divorce still wasnt final in the summer of 2016. And robbyn says there was tension over the shared custody of the six and 12yearold kids, though craig told her he was trying to make the best of a difficult situation. One of the phrases that he used most recently was that he saw light at the end of the tunnel. But it was stressing him out. Andrea canning and on top of that, something weird happened to craig that summer. Someone broke into the townhouse where he had recently moved. He thought it was no big deal, maybe one of his sons playing a prank. But his sister was worried, and she urged him to report it to police. Andrea Canning Robbyn made a point to talk to her brother every day. July 19th, just a few days after the breakin, was no exception. I said, i call you in the morning, check on you and the kids. Andrea Canning But Morning came and Craig Wasnt returning robbyns calls. If he had been in a meeting and felt his phone go off, he would have sent a response in a meeting, call you later. Andrea canning concerned, robbyn decided to pay a visit to craigs townhouse. And inside that house, the beginning of a dark Family Drama that could never be unwritten. I know something is wrong. I dont know how wrong. What was going on with Craig Rideout . A discovery in the basement was about to provide an ominous clue. Coming up. And found what appeared to be Blood Spatter on the walls. Craig melvin what they found next would change everything. This is a big moment in this case. It is. Craig melvin when dateline continues. [coughing] Copd Hasnt been pretty. Its tough to breathe and tough to keep wondering if this is as good as it gets. But trelegy has shown me that theres still Beauty And Breath to be had. 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Cologuard is a oneofakind way to screen for Colon Cancer thats effective and noninvasive. Its for people 45 at average risk, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. Ask your provider for cologuard. I did it my way. Lets say youre deep in a show ask your provider or a game or the game. On a train, At Home, at work. Okay, maybe not at work. Point is at xfinity. Were constantly engineering new ways to get the entertainment you love to you faster and easier than ever. Thats what i do. Is that Love Island . Andrea Canning Robbyn drew couldnt imagine where her brother craig was. It was a warm summer morning, wednesday, july 20th, 2016. You cant reach him at work. You cant reach him At Home. Right, im getting no response. Andrea canning that breakin was fresh in Robbyns Mind when she decided to leave work at Lunch And Head to craigs townhouse. His Soontobe Exwife Laura was there. She couldnt find him either. She says, oh, i figured it wouldnt be long before someone came looking for him. I dont know where he is. Andrea Canning Laura told robbyn it had been craigs night with the two youngest children. But that morning, laura said the kids texted her to say Dad Wasnt there when they woke up. She sent colin over to get them. Colin was always picking up his siblings. He would drive them places. Andrea Canning Robbyn decided to look around her brothers house. She went upstairs to his bedroom. The door was locked. I thought thats really odd. Did you worry that he might be in the bedroom . I was worried that he might have been in the bedroom. Andrea Canning Something Mightve happened to him . Yes. Andrea canning exactly what, she didnt know. She called 911. Andrea canning deputies from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office arrived at craigs, but they stayed outside. Told Robbyn Theyd need a warrant to search the house. After all, her brother was a grown man and this was his private property. Dave bolton was one of those investigators. He spoke to robbyn briefly. But she had called a number of times. And this made her nervous, not being able to get ahold of him on email or text. Andrea Canning Laura had gone home, but came back to the townhouse with the two young kids to see what was going on. Did she express that she has any idea where craig might be . She didnt. She said that she had no idea where he might be. Andrea Canning Laura told the Deputies Craig was home when the kids were dropped off the night before. Andrea canning then the investigator asked the kids some questions, first, the sixyearold daughter. Andrea canning the 12yearold son told the same story. Andrea canning No One could find craig. Laura texted Pj Tucci. And she said, craigs not here. I said, thats weird. Andrea Canning Colin called chelsea. Were you concerned, just for him . Yeah, i was concerned. You know, nobody wants to hear somebody went missing from their family. And i just assumed he had to step outside or go on a quick trip. Andrea canning late that night, investigators finally had their search warrant. You go inside . We go inside. What do you find . On initial walkthrough, the house is very neat, very well put together. There doesnt appear to be any forced entry. Andrea canning the investigators unlocked the master bedroom. It was undisturbed. No craig. They looked around, found nothing, then headed to the basement. What do you find . Dave theres boxes on the shelves. Theyre all neatly stacked. Everything is kind of in its home, and on the other side, its kind of disheveled. Andrea canning it was messy, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a basement, until they noticed something alarming. Dave we more closely examined the area and found what appeared to be Blood Spatter on the walls and on the shelving unit. Andrea canning Crime Scene Techs sprayed the Basement Floor with luminol and found even more blood, blood that someone tried to wipe away. Then, a discovery inside a garbage bag. Dave we find what appears to be a garrote. Its two handles with some paracord knotted so that you could hold on to both handles and use it as a ligature. Andrea canning a weapon used for strangulation. The evidence was telling them a story, one that wouldnt end well for Craig Rideout. Dave we were pretty sure we had our murder scene. This is a big moment in this case. It is. Craig melvin coming up, a bombshell about Craig Rideouts soontobe exwife. Robbyn craig didnt want to believe that there was a romantic relationship between them. I think over time it became painfully obvious that there was. Craig melvin and then, just off a country road, a passerby sees something that will transform the case. Craig melvin when dateline continues. Ill be honest. By the end of the day, my floors. Yeesh. But who has the time to clean . Thats why i love my swiffer wetjet. Its a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. Wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. Look at that swiffer wetjet. Choose advil liquigels for faster, stronger and longerlasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels. Because advil Targets Pain at the source of inflammation. So for faster pain relief, advil the pain away. Andrea canning it was late aafternoon, july 20th, 2016. N. Craig rideout, father of seven, had been missing since early that morning. Investigators had discovered a horrid scene in craigs basement, a scene that told them he wasnt coming home. Dave were starting to find more and more items with a lot of blood on them. Andrea canning Craigs Sister Robbyn was waiting outside, watching the Police Action unfold in front of her brothers townhouse. And then one of the Monroe County investigators brought somebody over to me, saying this is our violent crime advocate. Did your Heart Sink when it did. And they told me that they believed that he had been murdered. Andrea canning murdered in his own home . Investigators surmised it happened overnight while his young children slept. Who would do such a thing . Craigs sister told Investigator Bolton about that breakin at craigs home a few days earlier. He says he was Upstairs Sleeping in his bed, when, in the middle of night, he was woken by somebody pulling a hair from his arm. The male ran out of the bedroom and ultimately out of the house. Andrea Canning Craig told his sister he thought it was a prank, didnt know what to make of it. Nor did robbyn. But she had some other information for the investigator, details about her brothers marriage. Andrea canning how long had Craig Rideout and Laura Rideout been separated for . About two years. And it hadnt been a good separation. It hadnt been. Andrea canning the reason . Laura had a new man in her life. And it was, well, awkward would be an understatement. Her boyfriend was craigs old buddy, Pj Tucci. Andrea Canning Paul Tucci goes from being Craig Rideouts Best Friend to now being Craig Rideouts estranged wifes boyfriend. Yes. So that doesnt always work out so well for relationships. [laughs] certainly not between the two of them. Andrea canning Craig And Laura had been close friends with pj and his wife jennifer for many years. Robbyn all of the kids, the tucci and the rideout kids, really grew up together. They would go out together. They had parties together. Andrea canning but around the same time that laura and Craigs Marriage was falling apart, Pjs Wife died from liver disease. Pj says he leaned on laura for support, and laura began confiding in pj. Andrea canning his Best Friend. His former Best Friend, yes. Andrea canning in a romantic relationship now . At first, craig didnt want to believe that there was a romantic relationship going on between them. And i think over time it became painfully obvious that there was. I didnt know i was going to fall in love with laura. But that happened over time. Does craig know about this . Yeah, craig sent me an email. What did it say . It said he says, i dont know if you found yourself in a damsel in Distress Situation and youre just helping, or you have romantic feelings towards laura. Either way, im happy. Thats big of him. I thought it was, i thought it was an interesting thing. I dont know what he was trying to elicit. Andrea canning it was certainly interesting to the Homicide Detective. But before Investigator Bolton could run down that juicy lead, he got some news. Two counties over, a shovel had been left by the side of the road. And 50 feet into the woods, a mans body was discovered. Andrea canning could it be craig . The victims Identity Wasnt obvious right away. His killer or killers had used some kind of acid to intentionally disfigure his face. That sounds like someone had a major grudge with this person. It certainly seemed like they werent interested in him being found. Andrea canning but even though the victim was unrecognizable, deputies were able to id him pretty quickly. The answer was found in his pocket. When the body was found, the victims phone was ringing. The person popping up on the Caller Id . It was robbyn drew, craigs sister. As i was trying to reach him, the Cell Phone was ringing in his pocket. Youre calling and the phones ringing in Yates County and your brother is and my brother is dead. Andrea canning deceased. Yeah. Andrea canning it sounds like some really dumb criminals, to leave the Cell Phone in the pocket when they have gone to these great lengths of pouring possibly acid on this man. It does seem that the overlooked a pretty obvious thing. Andrea canning they had a crime scene, a body, and a marriage with a Soap Opera ending. And the next bit of evidence would lead this story to an even darker place, a Place Called Devils bathtub. A million things must be going through your mind. Dave and it gets stranger quick. Craig melvin coming up, a Chance Sighting and a call to police. They saw a couple of males in the parking lot, and they saw what they believed to be Garbage Bags getting thrown out. Craig melvin when dateline continues. Hey, get your head in the game, son. The scout from Football College is up in the stands. Maybe id rather go to school for insurance. I didnt raise no insurance man. But you did, dad. Footballs your passion. But mine is providing Aroundtheclock Protection to progressive customers who bundle home and auto. Jamie, we need you out here for football. Youre giving up on your dream, james. No, dad. Im giving up on yours. No, james, wait oh, thats not the exit. Hey folks, Chris Counahan here with leaffilter, americas largest Gutter And Gutter protection company. Leaffilter has over 150 locations and has been installed on over A Million homes. Weve been protecting homes now for over 20 years. 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You could save up to an incredible 70 on your wireless bill. So you dont have to compromise. Powering smarter savings. Powering possibilities. Switch to comcast Busines Internet and mobile and find out how to get the latest 5g Phone on us with a qualifying tradein. Dont wait call, click or visit an xfinity store today. Welcome back to dateline. Im craig melvin. Detectives were looking into whether Craig Rideout had been murdered. Then a tip called into 911 led them to craigs disfigured body, his Cell Phone still in his pocket. With it, police quickly started connecting dots. And they were about to get another tip, one that would lead to two unlikely suspects. Here again is Andrea Canning with devils bathtub. Andrea canning the case of the missing dad was now a murder investigation. Investigator Dave Bolton had been up for 36 hours, working two critical crime scenes, the basement where craig was likely killed, and the woods where his body was found. And now the investigator was about to be called to another location, that Place Called Devils bathtub. Its a secluded Pond Set deep in a 2,500 acre park. What is going on here . Why are you called to the scene . There were some walkers in the park that Saw Something that they thought was suspicious. They saw a couple of males in the park in a car parked up in the parking lot, and they saw what they believed to be Garbage Bags getting thrown out. Andrea canning and why was a Homicide Detective getting a call about a case of suspicious littering . When deputies on the scene detained the two young men, they recognized their last name, rideout, the same name as the Murder Victim in the case being worked by Investigator Bolton. They identify Colin Rideout and alexander rideout. The victims two sons . The victims two sons. Andrea Canning Colin was in the park with his 19yearold Brother Alex, who had just graduated from high school. Investigator bolton pulled out his iphone, pressed record, and he and another investigator began to ask the brother some questions. Younger Brother Alex was first. Andrea canning Investigator Boltons radar was up. He knew craig thought one of his sons might be behind that weird breakin. And now, here were his sons, acting suspiciously in a secluded park. The investigator decided to ask what they thought happened to their dad, but without telling the boys that craig had already been found brutally murdered. Andrea Canning Colin said he didnt know where his dad was either. Andrea canning the investigator wanted to keep colin talking, and he did. So what is colin opening up to you about . Colin starts to talk about the Family Dynamic and how he believes his father might be having some sort of mental issues or some sort of breakdown. Andrea canning then, the investigator asked him directly what was in the Garbage Bags they were trying to get rid of. Andrea canning investigators didnt think colin was being honest. Andrea canning all that talk about truth worked. The boys admitted something big. Theyd been at their dads house the day before. And listen to this. Andrea canning they just placed themselves at the scene of the crime. And when the investigator opened up those Garbage Bags. Bloody clothing. Theres a bloody sneaker. Theres some some Work Gloves that have some blood on them, what would appear to be evidence of a murder. Andrea Canning Colin, the wouldbe Navy Seal who always put Family First and his book smart Brother Alex with plans to go to college were taken down to the Sheriffs Office and arrested. They werent charged with murder, but with tampering with evidence, something to hold the boys while the investigation continued. How do you process that . To be honest, shellshocked would be the best word for it. Andrea Canning Colin called chelsea from jail. Andrea canning what was his State Of Mind like . Hes confused. He loves his family. It was like hitting a Brick Wall and life just stopped. Was there any part of you that said maybe i dont know colin as well as i think . Hes just the guy that had everything ahead of him. He wouldnt have thrown it away for nothing. So did you wonder then how he ended up with the Garbage Bags, with that evidence . I think it would give anyone just to pause to think about it, and just question. But we also know him and we know the man he is. Andrea canning Investigator Bolton didnt know the rideout kids. But he knew there had to be more to the story than two nice boys deciding to kill their dad. His investigation turned to their mom, Laura Rideout, the woman who had been married to craig for more than 20 years, and who had raised those sons. Robbyn had been telling investigators about the divorce, and it wasnt pretty. Theres a contentious Separation And Custody battle going on, where theyre not really supposed to see each other, even at dropoff. Andrea canning at the same time, laura and her new significant other, craigs former Best Friend Pj Tucci, were preparing for a big change. Their intention was to move as a family down to North Carolina, and that move was supposed to happen within a couple of days. Andrea Canning But Craig had primary custody of the two youngest and wouldnt let laura take them out of state. Andrea canning so then hows Laura Rideout moving to North Carolina . Thats a good question. Andrea Canning Robbyn was suspicious of laura from the moment she arrived at her brothers townhouse. Remember the Day Craig went missing, laura was there. And she was inside, tidying up. When i get in and i open the sliding glass door, its laura, standing in his kitchen, cleaning. Thats kind of that would be odd. It was odd. In my head, im thinking, what are you doing here . Andrea canning cleaning up a crime scene. Thats what Investigator Bolton suspected. In fact, the boys admitted it was their mother who gave them the bags of bloody clothes. Andrea canning just hours after arresting the two sons, Investigator Bolton headed to the home that laura shared with Pj Tucci. I was stunned. I was absolutely stunned. Security video from days before Craig Rideouts murder leads to a sickening revelation. Coming up. A diabolical plan is forming here. It appears that way. Craig melvin when dateline continues. [audience laughing] worried Youll Laugh so hard Youll Leak . Well Always Discreet can hold your biggest gushes with up to zero leaks and odor. So youre not just dry. Youre laugh until you cry dry. Weve got you, always. Always discreet. Andrea Canning Laura Rideout Wasnt expecting sheriffs deputies to show up at the front door that evening, wasnt dressed for a trip to the county jail. But thats where she was going. Pj they told her to get shoes. And laura loves to wear heels. And they said, well, you need a different kind of shoe. So she throws on Pair Nike Golf shoes. And they came down and then i watched them arrest her. Scariest thing ive ever seen. What did they and her kids are there. You know, her kids are sitting there watching their mother get arrested. Did she say anything . She said, what for . The arresting officer said, you had to have been expecting this. And she was like, no, what . She said, if i were expecting this, i would have had makeup on. Andrea Canning Boyfriend pj says he thought there had to be some sort of misunderstanding, a terrible mistake. Had laura ever said i just wish craig was out of our lives . No. She wanted craig to have a relationship with the kids. She didnt have animosity towards craig. Andrea canning but when deputies searched the home where laura lived, there were clues everywhere. Inside the master bedroom, a Key Fob to unlock craigs car. In another bedroom, blue tape identical to the tape used to make that garrote found in craigs basement. Bits of incriminating evidence in the home where pj also lived. When craig was killed, where were you . We were At Home. You were with laura At Home . I was with laura. Andrea canning the investigator believed he was with laura, but not innocently At Home. And six weeks after craigs murder, Pj Tucci was under arrest, too. Pj i can tell you this, ive never been in the guys house. I know where it is, dropped kids off. Ive never been in there. Were you part of the overall plan to cover it up . Theres no plan. Andrea canning four people were under arrest, and all four let out on bail. Reporter colin, alex, do you have any comment . Andrea canning they were only charged with evidence tampering, while investigators tried to figure out exactly who did what. No one was talking anymore. Reporter laura, anything to say . Andrea canning all four lawyered up and presented a United Front. Lawyer no comment. Andrea canning investigators still didnt know if this was a crime of passion or a conspiracy. And if it had been planned, who was the ringleader . Investigator bolton says the answer to some of those questions came after analyzing items found on or around Craigs Body dumped in the woods. Dave we found the bungee cords. And then we also have a tarp. And from backtracking the receipts, we were able to find some video at a number of stores, particularly the walmart. Andrea canning when investigators pulled Security Video from walmart, they saw what appeared to them to be a Murder Plot in the making. July 18th, two days before the murder, laura, colin, and one of the younger kids go shopping to buy Drain Cleaner, Drain Cleaner which investigators believed was used to disfigure Craig Rideouts face. The next day, just a few hours before the murder, Laura And Pj are at a different walmart buying a large tarp, bungee cord, and more Drain Cleaner. Dave the tarp and the bungees matched up to the ones found on Craigs Body. Andrea canning and the day of the murder, heres colin buying a shovel, a shovel identical to the one left by the side of the road near where Craigs Body was found. A diabolical plan is forming here. It appears that way. Over a number of days. Yes. Andrea canning there was laura on tape, looking completely relaxed. A wife, a mother, and, now investigators believed, a killer. Craigs sister saw a woman who had somehow turned two sons against their own father. Robbyn honest to god, i dont know how that happened. What was said that could have turned the kids against him. This is the ultimate story of betrayal. Yes. What do you believe happened that night . My belief is that the two younger children are brought over to Craig Rideouts house that evening. Laura or Paul Go up to Craigs Room to maybe talk about this move to North Carolina. I think lauras the one that gets him to come down into the basement. Andrea canning it was in the basement where investigators believe members of craigs own family, and even his one time Best Friend, were there to do the unthinkable. I think the intent was to murder him with no blood at all. I think that the victim started to fight. And i think one of the suspects hit him in the head during that struggle in order to get control of him. Reporter is there anything youd like to say . Andrea canning when the charges came down, all four, including colin, who had just proposed to his girlfriend chelsea, were charged with murder. Chelsea that was a surprise. Andrea canning you have to have A Million questions. Oh, yeah. Million and one. Andrea canning and as the investigation unfolded, authorities had more questions, too, including a Big One about Pj Tucci. It had to do with his first wife, jennifer, who died from liver disease. Patrick oflynn, then sheriff in Monroe County, thought it was a suspicious coincidence that her death coincided with his new relationship with laura. Patrick we spoke with the District Attorneys office, because we said this needs to be investigated. You learned that it would be possible to poison someone and it could look like cirrhosis of the liver. From talking with different people, that is a potential. Did you think about that . Maybe Paul Tucci poisoned his wife . Without a doubt. Andrea canning both the sheriff and the District Attorney wanted to exhume her body. But the medical examiner was satisfied with the original autopsy. The medical examiner wrote on the Death Certificate what happened. Stop bringing her into this. She had nothing to do with it. Andrea canning the questions about Jennifer Tuccis Death went nowhere. The prosecutor didnt pursue it. Then, as the summer of 2017 approached, the Craig Rideout case was set to go to trial. And that pretty Town Of Pittsford braced to hear the story of the Rideout Family. Chelsea yeah, we lived in a bubble. This doesnt happen in our bubble. We werent, we werent ready for this. Andrea canning and No One was ready for what would happen in court. The families United Front was about to implode. Craig melvin coming up, four Defense Teams about to throw each others clients under the bus. Everyone just started pointing fingers at each other. Craig melvin and then the jury speaks. Chelsea i hear those words and i just blacked out. I had to check the Verdict Sheet to make sure that i had heard it right. Craig melvin when dateline continues. The Darkness Of Bipolar Depression made me feel like life was moving on without me. Then i found a chance to let in the lyte. discover caplyta. Unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta is proven to deliver significant Symptom Relief from both bipolar i ii depression. 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Instead of for where you are most of the time . Xfinity mobile was designed for where you need it most. Xfinity internet customers, ask how to get a free 5g Phone and a second unlimited line free for a year. Welcome back. Just a few years earlier, the Rideout Family seemed happy, but now laura, her Sons Alex and colin, and her boyfriend Pj Tucci were heading to trial accused of murdering lauras estranged husband, craig. To this point, the four of them had stood together, but that United Front was about to be tested. Whatever their verdict, one thing was certain. The Rideout Family would never be the same. With the conclusion of devils bathtub, heres Andrea Canning. Andrea canning they all had big plans. Colin rideout was looking forward to getting married, his younger Brother Alex was planning to go to college, and Laura And Pj were preparing for a fresh start in North Carolina. But instead, in the summer of 2017, they were all going to court to stand trial for second Degree Murder. And in a highly unusual ruling, the judge decided all four would be tried together. Four trials in one. Its just bizarre yeah. That this family would be on trial together. I dont think ive ever seen anything like that. Andrea canning each had his or her own attorney who sat down with us. Colins attorney that there obviously was no motive. Andrea Canning Alexs attorney. This was a lack of evidence case. Andrea canning Pj Tuccis attorney. Theres absolutely no proof whatsoever. Andrea canning and two attorneys for laura. It was a circumstantial case. They showed the quantity of blood. Andrea canning they were all prepared to argue that the prosecution had no idea what really happened in that basement. Does anyone know who the real killer is . The real killer knows. It could have been one of many people. This is a classic whodunit. Andrea canning District Attorney Sandra Doorley and then Assistant Da Tim Prosperi admitted they didnt know who delivered the final blow, but that didnt stop them from saying all four defendants were responsible for Craig Rideouts death. So you can charge them all with second Degree Murder even if one of them didnt actually, you know, provide the final blow to Craig Rideout . Exactly. So an example would be a bank robbery. The driver is just as criminally responsible as the person who goes into the bank. Andrea canning the prosecution showed the jury those walmart Security Videos and told them about the purchase of items like the tarp, acidic Drain Cleaner, and a shovel. And the jury learned about the Garbage Bags full of bloody clothing at devils bathtub. The prosecution said Colin And Lauras jeans had the most amount of blood, putting them squarely in the basement at the time of the murder. But dna from all four defendants was found on items in those bags at devils bathtub. So you had dna from all four defendants on either the gloves or the clothes and Craig Rideouts blood. Exactly. Yes. Andrea canning and the motive behind it all . The prosecution said it was simple and obvious. We believe the motive was to allow the mother to take the younger children out of the state and start off with a new life with her boyfriend Pj Tucci. Andrea canning its just so hard to understand, though, why the sons would want to do this for their mother . Perhaps there was some underlying agreement between the son and the mother that we werent aware of. Andrea canning it was now time for all those Defense Attorneys to have their say. Who killed Craig Rideout . Who did it . Andrea canning the defense said the Walmart Videos didnt reveal a murder conspiracy. The tarp, the bungee cord, the Drain Cleaner all were purchased in preparation for that big move to North Carolina, and thats what pj told us. Pj tucci we got the trucks coming, and weve got the Foosball Table we got to deal with, so im going to need something to strap these wood things on the side of the uhaul, so i said, well, i need something big to cover the floor, because im going to do the ceiling painting. What did you need the Drain Cleaner for . We have girls that have long hair, and they clog up Shower Drains and sinks all over the place. Laura even said this stuff works really, really well, so i said, ok, great. Andrea canning and then the family on trial together sitting around that Defense Table went on the attack against one another. Colins attorney started pointing fingers. Whos getting divorced . Colins not getting divorced. Andrea canning that United Front that held the family together came crashing down. We pointed the finger at that person that was closest to us in terms of items of evidence. Whos moving to North Carolina . Colins not. Colins not moving there. Laura rideout, Paul Tucci, theyre moving to North Carolina. Andrea Canning Lauras attorney fought back. You cant get around the incriminating evidence against Colin Rideout. So youre kind of pointing the finger at laura on behalf of colin. Is anyone else pointing the finger at Anybody Else . Everybody else at me. Yeah. Ok, so youre pointing the finger at colin on behalf of laura . Sure, that certainly affects the Family Dynamics during the trial. Andrea canning so we have Mother And Son . Sure. And then paul. Pj tucci i never said that it was colin. I never said it was laura. I never said it was alex. We just said, listen, theres evidence connecting them to the scene, not my guy. I think you need a football diagram. Yes. Yeah. All the relationships. And we had to. Andrea canning after a month of testimony, the case went to the jury. Colins Fiancee Chelsea remained his biggest supporter to the very end. Do you think that the way youve described him as being this protector of the family, do you think thats ultimately what might have got him in trouble . Chelsea hes a smart guy, so no, i dont think he would ever put himself in a situation. He had a life ahead of him. He had no need. Andrea canning after five days of deliberations, the jury reached a verdict. We said a prayer. Hearts racing, Game Face on. Andrea canning tensions were high for everyone as the crowd filed back into the courtroom. The verdicts were read one by one. Alexander rideout. Andrea canning beginning with the sons. First, younger Son Alex. Youve been found not guilty of murder in the second degree. Andrea Canning Alex was acquitted of the murder charge, but found guilty of tampering with evidence. Colin rideout. Andrea canning then the oldest Son Colin. The jury has found you guilty of murder in the second degree. Chelsea i hear those words, and i was just sent back. I just blacked out. Andrea canning Deputies Led colin away in handcuffs. Chelsea was inconsolable as she left the courtroom surrounded by family. It was the grown ups turn to hear their verdicts. The victims former Best Friend, Pj Tucci. Judge mr. Tucci, youve been found not guilty of murder in the second degree and tampering with physical evidence. Andrea canning Pj Tucci chief was acquitted on all counts. Pj tucci i actually had to check the Verdict Sheet to make sure that i had heard it right. Judge Laura Rideout. Andrea canning but what about the mother at the center of it all . Laura rideout. Judge the jury has convicted you of murder in the second degree. Andrea Canning Laura rideout, guilty of murder. Not surprised at all. Whats that emotion like . Relief and justification. Andrea Canning Laura and her Son Colin were both sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars. Younger Son Alex was sentenced to a maximum of eight years. Alex and colin are appealing their convictions. Pj tucci she walked out of court a free man. Prosecutors had no physical evidence to prove that he was ever in craigs house. Did Paul Tucci get away with murder . I believe he did. Andrea canning there will be people who will say he definitely had something to do with this. Half the people out there are going to think one thing, and you Cant Change peoples beliefs that way, and half the people are going to think the other way. Im not here to change your mind. Its a sad story. A murder did occur, but i dont think that the whole story is out there, and i dont think the jury necessarily got it right. Andrea canning Pj Tucci was free, but now alone. A widower who once planned to make a new life with laura, and now she was behind bars for what could be the rest of her life. Does she want you to find love again . She always wants you to find love. Sure. The question is she set a really high standard. But shes been convicted of murder. But i know in my heart that she didnt do it. Andrea canning Craigs Sister Robbyn is left trying to make sense of it all. The darkness that destroyed that big family, a family that once had so much ambition and promise. Robbyn its just, its heartbreaking. Nobody wins. Nobody wins in this. I mean, this is a family divided like no other. Yeah. And thats all for this edition of dateline. Im craig melvin. Thank you for watching. [music playing] good Morning And Welcome to the Saturday Edition of ch