To death . Yes. The obvious suspects neighborhood thieves. There were half a dozen house burglaries. Investigators also dug into a favorite theory the husband did it. I was angry. I felt that the detectives were on a manhunt and they were after my dad. And anyway, he was in another state. Hes over 200 miles away. Then, up popped a text that might just be a clue. You could say, well, maybe shes driving events here. Thats correct. The truth beyond twisted. Leaving behind smoking ashes and burning questions. I physically started shaking and i started crying. I want to know why. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Dennis Murphy with consumed. The Canterbury Hills subdivision in paducah, kentucky, is a good place to raise kids. Tidy homes kept up by neighbors living ordered lives. So as the front porch lights winked out on just another day, what happened one cold january night in the wee hours was especially alarming. Orange flames were licking the tree tops, a roaring allconsuming fire was devouring one of the nice homes. It was awful. Half of the house was gone. What would rise from the ashes was far more than a fire marshals investigation into cause. There would be a probe into the deepest roots of a treasury beyond most peoples comprehension. Its not true. No way. What had they all missed . A monster, a liar, a cheater. Hes destroy midentire family. Before it became charred rubble, the house was home to a long time paducah couple, keith and Julie Griffith, churchgoing, golf playing High School Sweethearts 36 years into a marriage that had produced two sons, aaron, the older. They were very supportive parents. They were loving. They loved my kids. Aaron took after his dad athletic, easy going, level headed. Younger brother zach was more of a firecracker like his mom. There was the time, for instance, in the sixth sixth grade zach grabbed a shovel and started digging a hole for a koi respond in the backyard. My parents come home, theyre like what are you doing . Im like were going to have a pond. [ laughter ] were they okay with it . they were fine. They were like this is going to be a nightmare. When aaron and zach flew the nest, the griffiths lives seemed to get busier. They joined a motorcycle class through their church, frequently were a golf foursome with friends craig and temple bradley. Everybody that knew keith loved him. Great guy. Did he become your best friend . One of my very best friends. Temple felt that way about julie, too. She had a heart of gold. She would do anything to you but she wasnt afraid to tell you how it was, either. Did she get peoples feathers ruffled . Oh, yeah, yeah. But everybody loved her. After early retirement from the water company, keith found a second career as a traveling lawn mower salesman which left julie to spend a lot of nights alone in the house. But keith never worried for her wellbeing in a safe neighborhood. Their own door watched over by their beloved great dane cleo. Aarons wife ali. I know for a long time they didnt even lock their door. They would leave and go to din herb er or go to town and leave the door unlocked because cleo was the guard dog. Fulfilled as their life seemed to be, their life was transformed when aaron and ali brought their first child aria. It was the greatest day of her life, i think. Julie lived for my little girl. She wanted to be a part of everything that she did. And julie was there for ali when she went into neighbor with their second daughter, analise, she was nicknamed nascar nana. The flashers were going, she was honking the horn. What did she say . She said, dont have a baby in my car. Keep your legs crossed, dont have a baby in my car. Everything seemed to be going well for the griffiths. Keith had weight loss surgery and had lost 100 pounds, julie was over the moon with two granddaughters. But also that year came the rift. The zach disclosed to his very religious conservative parents that he is gay. It was hard. I went from my mom was my best friend and going from talking to her multiple times a day to just being completely just completely shut off. Julie visited zach that fall. They tiptoed around the elephant in the room but the time together gave zach hope. Was that the step as you look back to patching things up between you and your mom . Yeah. Yeah. There was a way forward . There was definitely a way forward. We just needed more time. Then came that cold night in january. T in january. A deputy drove toward the griffith home, his dash cam recorder catching this quick glimpse of the blaze. Then the fire trucks arrived. Mckracken county sheriffs detective mack carter received a call in the middle of the night. This is a bad fire . Very hot. The whole left end of the house was consumed with fire. It took an hour for firefighters to knock down the flames. Hours more for them to make their way through the blackened wreckage of the house through what seemed to be the heart of the fire, the master bedroom. Ghastly, what they would discover. What they found in the embers would rattle the neighborhood and shatter the family. Everything was just consumed by fire to the point that things were unrecognizable. When we come back, investigators make a pair of discoveries and realize theyre dealing with both a tragedy and a mystery. He had recovered a projectile. A bullet . Yes. When its summer you can just feel it. But it also leaves your feet feeling rough. Amope keeps you sandalready with the pedi perfect. It buffs away hard skin to reveal salon pedicure smoothness. Feel the difference for yourself. Amope. 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They were unsure initially that it was human remains. Even with all their experience. Yes. Everything was just consumed by fire that things were unrecognizable. As for keith, he was away calling on customers in indiana. Word on julies death spread almost as fast as the fire raced through the house. Im getting ready for work, have the tv on in the background. We are live in the Canterbury Hills subdivision on tudor boulevard. Then temple bradleys phone rang. It was a friend who also knew julie. She said you know theres a fire. I saw it on tv. She said its keith and julies house. And i just sat there. Did she know at that point that julie was gone . She knew. She told me. Temples husband immediately tracked down keith as he was making the threehour drive home from indiana. He said im on my way, im probably, you know, two hours away. I said are you all right . He goes yeah, yeah. I could tell he was in shock. The news hit Zach Griffith particularly hard. Since coming out to his mother, his relationship with her had been strained and now this. I guess youre just beating yourself up something terrible that youd been sideways with her. Yeah. And i know that if we were just given more time that we would have been close again. That we would have been you know, that mom and son duo that we were. But we just we didnt have the time. It was ripped away from us. I can never get it back. Aaron the elder son had more of a takecharge reaction. Ive got to take care of my brother. Ive got to take care of my dad. Logistics before the news can get absorbed. For me its the way my brain is wired, i guess. Within hours, the griffiths would head from all directions toward what used to be an anchor in their lives, the family home. I gave my dad a big hug and we were both crying. We were like i cant believe this. What happened . Keiths good friend Craig Bradley was there to lend his support. How was he doing . This was the first chance you had to see him eye to eye. He was shaken. As if the news couldnt get worse, the griffiths great dane cleo along with another pet daisy perished in the fire. They walked the property surveying the damage. We went to the coy pokoi pon goes weve got to get those fish out of there, julie will kill me if something happens to those fish. I was like lets not worry about that right now. Overwhelmed by loss, the griffiths were faced with a question, how could this happen . The first thought was the new heating and air unit, it had just gone in. The unit had been installed days before the fired a jay sent to the master bedroom. That was my first thought that somehow the new heating and air unit wasnt put in properly. Faulty installation . Yeah. As for the cause of julies death, that was left to the county coroners off. Deputy coroner ben bradley what were you working with . A very charred body. I could not very well identify it being a person. The cause of death seemed obvious but just to be sure julies remains were sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy. What he discovered was as deeply troubling as it was unexpected . He recovered a projectile in the remains. Bullet . Yes. Suddenly what was thought to have been death by smoke inhalation was now a homicide. Closer examination reveal lead the bullet holes in julies torso. The coroner immediately called the sheriffs office. I said we need to get people back to the house because this is going to be a homicide. You thought lady in a nice neighborhood, good house, now shes got three bullet wounds. Thats right. On a who did it crime. Back at 107 tudor boulevard Fire Equipment pulled out as sheriffs cruisers pulled in. Would the charred wreckage of the home once filled with joy and laughter now hold clues pointing to a killer. Coming up, could julies murder have been a burglary gone bad . Somebody is looking for the laptop or whatever jewelry . Right. Something goes down. Right. And then this detective spies what could be a critical clue on someones phone. The theory that julie died by accidental fire had collapsed as suddenly as the griffith house itself. For detective matt carter, a. 45caliber slug recovered from Julie Griffiths torso turned the charred rubble into the scene of a homicide. So im guessing your day changed a whole lot. It changed a lot. Despite more than a decade on the job, the detective had his work cut out for him. No hair, fiber, bloody footprints. Right. Youve gotten a arson thats destroyed any chance of obtaining that from the scene. For detective carter, the most obvious theory, this homicide was the work of a home intruder. A burglary gone bad. Somebody looking for the laptop or whatever, jewelry. Right. The thing goes down. Right. We had had some burglaries within a few miles of this area. Within weeks or months or within weeks. Within weeks. As police canvassed the neighborhood for weeds and witnesses the investigator also had to consider the perpetrator may have been someone julie knew. Youre not ruling anyone out or in, youre simply going through the motions, speaking to immediate family first and working your way out. The Sheriffs Department did not tell the Griffiths Julie had been murdered . We were not told anything by the police at that point. But anyone at the scene might have guessed foul play was somehow involved . There was just cops all over the property. So you said why are they here . Exactly. Naturally, the first person detective carter interviewed was julies husband keith. Sband kei. At first, keith talked about what everyone perceived was the cause of the infore know, an accidental fire set off by a newly installed heating unit. You had a new gas pipe put in tuesday . Uhhuh. I mean, it was a whole new system. Keith explained the contractor was a friend of his whod done a work a few days earlier. They put a rush on it, you know, thats kind of what friends do for each other. And i hope to god that this problem is not his. But eventually without giving details the detective revealed julies death was no accident. The investigation has shown that foul play is involved. I do not believe at this point in time that this was any kind of an accident. Im going to ask your cooperation on several things, okay . Okay. One of the first things detective carter asked about was how keith and julie was getting along . Any problems that yall had . Anything like that whatsoever . No, shes my best friend. Okay. I mean i know i mean that woman loved everybody. The investigator also asked keith for details about his business trip to indiana. What hotel . Comfort suites. Comfort suites. Okay. Didnt leave the hotel. I did the hotel about about 11 00 i went and got something to drink and i left again about 4 00 or 5 00 and just went and got a doughnut and a coke. Like i said i get up pretty early. What about wednesday . Did keith own a gun . I have a 45 pcp in my work truck that i just got. Its never had any i mean its never been loaded. As part of standard protocol, the detective asked for keiths clothes. They would be tested for gunshot residue. What youre wearing now, is that was that fresh clothes from this morning whenever you this is what i wore yesterday. Before wrapping up the interview, the detective took a look at keiths cell phone. While im reviewing this phone i see that he obtained a text message, an incoming text message from a lady by the name of deanna jaynes. The ping, up comes a text message . Thats correct. The message read did you make it home okay . Keith was quick to point out his relationship with deanna was completely platonic. Shes more like a guy friend. No big deal, nothing sexual. No big deal, thats right. After that, keith was released to go and grieve with his family. Detective carter, meanwhile, set out to verify keiths story. He had a receipt where he stayed . So that puts him three hours away from this house fire in the death of his wife. It showed his check in time and check out time. A quick check of keiths gun showed he was telling the truth about it as well. The gun looked as though it had never been fired. So maybe hes not the guy. He may not be. So then who was . Coming up, the detective sits down with deanna. Was she really like a guy friend to keith . You could say well, maybe shes driving events here. Maybe she wants to get rid of the wife. Thats correct. When its summer you can just feel it. But it also leaves your feet feeling rough. Amope keeps you sandalready with the pedi perfect. It buffs away hard skin to reveal salon pedicure smoothness. Feel the difference for yourself. Amope. Love every step. Now save 15 at coupons. Com. Sfx crowd cheering sc johnson unlikeso babies can sleeppampers stasoundly all night. S drier, pampers. 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Julie griffiths family had hardly had time to absorb the news of her horrific death in a house fire when investigators started reaching them that investigators thought her death was foul play. The Sheriffs Department kept the idea quiet for days. Daughterinlaw ali. I couldnt imagine anyone who would want to hurt her much less set the house on fire, the dogs perished. I had no idea what could have happened. No enemies. I mean, it made no sense. Just who would want to kill her . After keith was released the night of his interview with detectives, he headed straight to his friends the bradleys. They were floored to hear the line of questioning that he recounted. What was up with his marriage . His alibi . The gun he owned. He had been questioned to the point that he almost felt like that they thought he did that he had done it. Son aaron also got called down to the station that same evening and he, too, was questioned about his parents marriage. Notice anything lately in their relationship as far as any problems or anything like that youre aware of. No. Anything going on nothing. Was there any money troubles . Was there any relationship things that we knew of. But to a person in the griffiths circle, the very idea that keith knew something about her death was crazy. I knew he didnt do. It there wasnt any way keith was involved in this. I remember sitting there and looking at keith and watching him for a while and finally i said you cant even grieve, can you . And he said no, theyve taken it all away. The friends working theory was a botched breakin. Theyd heard about the neighborhoods recent rash of burglaries. Maybe thats what happened to julie. They came in and they startled cleo. Dog started to bark . Caused julie to wake up and they were startled and shot her. But for the detective, the theory of the crime wasnt panning out. Even as they sorted through the rubble detectives at the scene found untouched valuables, two saves, a cache of guns and julies purse sitting in plain sight. You think an intruder would have grabbed. It you would think so. So carter set out to follow the most promising lead he had. Who was this woman deanna, the text messager who wondered if keith made it home okay. He have described her as a guy friend. There was something about that text message that seemed to stick out and it seemed to create that question of, you know, whats missing here . Carter had called ahead to the authorities in the indiana town where deanna lived. Theyd arranged to bring the woman down to an Interview Room and she was waiting. My name is matt carter. Hi, matt. Deanna was about to tell the detective a story that would dramatically reshape this investigation. Was she a guy friend . No, it was more than that. Deanna shared the same story with us. He wanted me to love him. Deanna says she and keith first met years earlier at a vendor fair. She was the cfo of an i. T. Company, keith the road warrior lawn mower salesman had a booth there. Keith was sitting there and i guess i caught his attention right away. You noticed he was eyeing you . I noticed he was staring at me and i smiled. She says he asked her to dinner. They quickly discovered how much they had in common. He talked about both his sons and being a grandpa so i just really connected because i had grown kids, too. After several dates, deanna says, keith expressed interest in a relationship but she wanted to keep it just friends. They stayed in touch but didnt see each other for a while. Then, just a few months back, he sent her a flirty text message. The text just said did you cast a spell on me . And i looked down at my phone, im like what . He said i was at a Party Last Night and this woman was chatting me up and all i could think about was you. Deanna, who was in the throes of a traumatic romantic breakup, agreed to start seeing him again for dinners and, she says, he seemed excited to show off the new postsurgery keith. He goes youre not gonna recognize me. Ive lost over 100 pounds. And i said, you have . Did he look okay . He looked fine. I think he was more confident as well. Deanna says keith now began aggressively courting her, showering her with gifts, flowers, notes of affection. It was all, she said, a bit much. He kept pushing for more. And i kept telling him you need to back off, you need to slow down because im just not there. Deanna says she couldnt put her finger on it but there was something about keith that was holding her back. Maybe it was the fact that he still seemed unusually found with a woman he called his exwife. Very from the very beginning, deanna says, keith told her that he was divorced . Very first conversation. Im a divorced guy . Right. By the time she was sitting across from detective carter in the Interview Room, deanna says she and keith were never intimate but they were dating and keith was talking longterm, house hunting for them. He said i dont want to scare you but i want you to know that im looking for property here in mooresville to buy for us to be together. For the detective, deannas story put a whole new spin on the investigation. Keith griffith now seemed like a man with a very big secret. Or, thinking like a homicide detective, was she the one with the secret . You could spin it another way and say maybe shes driving events here. Maybe she wants to get rid of the wife. Thats correct. We were open for that being an idea or possibility. In fact, the detective had let her tell her story without ever explaining the reason for his visit. Now he laid out his cards. Was he not divorced . No. He says first of all, keiths not divorced. According to him hes been married to his High School Sweetheart for 36 years. And i just broke down because i i couldnt believe it. But, of course, there was more. Were conducting an investigation and this investigation involves what we believe to be a homicide of his wi wife. I was in shock, i was like, oh, my gosh. I couldnt believe what he just said. I had no idea. So you believe she had been played by this guy . I believe she had. So detective carter wondered, if Keith Griffith had manipulated and lied to this woman, had keith lied to him, too . Maybe it was more about what keith hadnt said. Rewind to that moment when the detective had dropped what should have been devastating news on keith. The investigation has shown that foul play is involved. Did he ask you the questions, what happened . What are you telling me, she was killed . No. You would expect that, right . Julie was shot by an intruder . There was no questions to that. But if Keith Griffith was somehow involved in his wifes murder, how on earthed that he pulled it off . After all, he was hundreds of miles away at that hotel the night of the crime. Unless, of course, he wasnt. Coming up, a security video surprise. Youre scrolling through the tape. Going through, going through. And when did your bingo moment come up . Then a twist rocks the entire Griffith Family. We were all frantic, we had no idea how it could have happened. When dateline continues. Hold, because my dentures fit well. Before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. Even well fitting dentures let in food particles. Just a few dabs of super poligrip free is clinically proven to seal out more food particles so youre more comfortable and confident while you eat. So its not about keeping my dentures in, its about keeping the food particles out. Try super poligrip free. Wopen up a lot of dawn. Tough on grease. Yet gentle. Dawn helps open. Something even bigger. Go to facebook. Com, dawn saves wildlife. I dont think thats how theyre made. 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Today you can do everything in just one click, even keep your toilet clean and fresh. Introducing lysol click gel. Click it in to enjoy clean freshness with every flush. Lysol. Start healthing. Yeah, click turns out my curlsthe needed to be stronger. Pantenes prov formula makes my curls so strong they can dry practically frizz free. a because strong is beautiful. Six days after the coldblooded murder of Julie Griffith, family and friends gathered at her church to say goodbye. Between the visitation and the memorial service, son zach was overwhelmed. Just showed like what an amazing woman that my mom was to have that many people come out just to say that, you know, they just wanted to give their condolences. To Close Friends craig and temple bradley, julies husband keith was more emotional that day than theyd ever seen him. Tears. Tears. Sadness. Id never seen him cry, you know, in my life. But even as the Griffith Family mourned, zach and his brother were feeling uneasy about the investigation which seemed to be focused exclusively on their father. I was angry. I felt that the detectives, the Sheriffs Department were on a manhunt and they were after my dad. Because the husbands always do it . Yup, husband always do it and they seemed like they zeroed in on him and were going at it 110 miles an hour and were not respectful to my brother and i about any of the developments going on. But detective matt carter had an Ongoing Investigation and he felt there was ample reason to pursue their dad. After his interview with deanna, hed driven to the hotel that was keiths alibi. There he uncovered a bombshell. Remember keith saying to the detective hed been at the hotel the entire night ducking out just twice to get a drunk and a snack . Unhappily for keiths alibi, when the detective hit play on the hotels security video, it told a vastly different story. Keith is seen leaving, as he claimed, around 11 00 p. M. But i think within 15 to 30 minutes hes going to be returning. That never happened . Youre scrolling through the tape . Going through, going through. And what did your bingo moment come up . He finally arrived back at that hotel six hours and thirtyfour minutes after he left initially. Gone for more than six and a half hours. Was that enough time for keith to drive all the way back to his house in kentucky, commit the crime, and return . So what did you and your partner find . Driving the speed limit to and from it would have allowed approximately 20 minutes at least to have committed the crime. Is that enough time on the ground for him to do this lethal act . Kill his wife and torch the house. I believe it was ample time. 15 to 20minute window . Yes. Keith griffith was arrested and charged with arson and murder. Do you care to answer the allegations, sir . He could face the death penalty. He pleaded not guilty. We were all frantic. We had no idea what was happening, how it could have happened. Because at that point we knew that there was no way that he had anything do with this. So this is nightmare country . Yes. But, again, we thought it would all be explained. They would do their job, they would take him and the truth would come out. I was 100 convinced that he was innocent and that they were taking the wrong person in. Meanwhile, the person who actually did it was getting away. Family and friends were for sure distressed to learn that keith had another woman on the road. But the revelation wasnt enough to shake their support for him. It was a shock, but was something that we accepted as a mistake. But that did not mean that he killed julie. Theres no way he did it. Not to julie, his wife. Kids mother. Theres no way keith did it. But when Keith Griffith went to trial in february, 2015 all rise. Prosecuthe prosecutor lai formidable circumstantial case. In 2014 Keith Griffith decided he could kill his wife. A connrnerstone of the case s the Hotel Security video. Not only was he gone for enough time to commit the crime, it also caught him in a lie. Remember in his interview he told police he hadnt swapped clothes that night. But a look at the security footage showed he had. He left wearing one set of clothes, he was it was one of his work shirts. He came back dressed in all black. The prosecutor also showed security video captured from the residence near the griffith home. It caught a glimpse of an suv pulling into the subdivision shortly before the fire. A little blurry. It was a few seconds long but it sure looked like Keith Griffiths car. And another circumstantial bit. Who else but keith, the prosecutor said, could have gotten by the griffiths aggressive great dane cleo . Certainly not an unknown intruder. The dog and keith were very close but a burglar couldnt have come in. A Family Member could have. As for the why question, how could keith, a man who by all accounts loved his wife, actually do it. The prosecutor turned to two ageold motives. Almost every case involving husband and a wife its lust and greed. One or the other and this had both. The lust part of equation was deanna. She took the stand and told the jury that not only was keith house hunting for them he was also making plans to bring her down to paducah for a concert and introduce her to his family. Id love for you to come for the weekend, stay for the weekend, id really like for you to meety dad. As for the greed part, that was Life Insurance money. Two policies on julies life worth 250,000. One of them, the prosecutor said, had taken effect just eight days before julie died. Keith griffith got to the point in his life he wanted to start something new and he didnt want to give Julie Griffith what she would have needed and been entitled to. Keiths daughterinlaw ali griffith listened to the entirety of the prosecutions case. All she heard were theories. They spun a story and told the story how they wanted it to go and they had facts that supported their story but did not prove it. And thats what keiths defense attorney hammered home for the jury. What does no evidence mean . They didnt have dna. They didnt have any kind of forensics, they didnt have a confession. They had nothing. They had circumstantial evidence. In their haste to arrest keith, the defense argued the police had gotten it wrong. Yes, he conceded, keith wasnt the husband of the year but he said deannas story that keith was pursuing her for a longterm commitment was nonsense. What he wanted was a port in every storm. As for the Life Insurance, 250,000 was far from a financial windfall, he said. Even the bradleys knew that the reason keith and julie bought that new policy was because of a friends recent tragedy. She had been nagging him about getting making sure they had plenty of Life Insurance. And he argued the footage of the suv pulling into the subdivision was far too blurry to i. D. It as keiths ford expedition. Besides if a guy is going to go to this much trouble to kill his wife why would he drive an expedition Everybody Knows he has . But the big question still remained. If keith hadnt driven back to paducah to kill julie, where had he gone the night of the murder . The only person who could answer that was keith himself. He was very adamant about taking the stand. He wanted to talk to the jury. He did. What would he say . And would the jury believe him . It was roll the dice time. Coming up, keiths eyebrowraising alibi. I was embarrassed and ashamed of what i was doing the night my wife died. And then what keith revealed to us. Thats what ive told everybody. When they hear the story theyre not going to believe it. Why even a jury couldnt end this case. E. Keith griffith was about to take the stand and explain the most damning piece of evidence against him Hotel Security footage that put him off the grid for more than six and a half hours the night his wife julie was murdered. But if he wasnt perpetrating the crime during that time then where was he . Tell us your name, please, sir . Keith wayne griffith. Keiths explanation came with an embarrassing secret. His lawyer argued that ever since becoming a traveling salesman keith had struggled with an addiction to sex. When you got on the road several years ago, did enough kind of a sexual addiction . No, sir. And the night julie was murdered he said he spent those hours out prowling for women. After he left the hotel, he changed out of work clothes into his man out looking duds. I didnt like people to put my job with my carousing. With your carousing . Uhhuh. He says he went to a massage parlor, a bar and a couple strip clubs, but try as he might he never found a hookup. I was trying to pick somebody up, there wasnt anybody available or interested or however you want to put it. After last call, he said he went down to the river to watch the boats before returning to the hotel to catch some shut eye. As for why he lied to the police i was embarrassed and ashamed of what i was doing the night my wife died. Did you kill your wife . No, sir i do not. I loved my wife. Did you burn the house down, keith . No, sir. Did you kill those dogs . No, i loved those dogs. When the case went to the jury keiths friend Craig Bradley didnt know which way the jury would fall. I didnt know if hed be acquitted but i didnt think hed get convicted. I really felt like it would be a hung jury. Turns out, he was right. After six hours of deliberation, the jury was deadlocked. Im going to declare a mistrial at this time. Keith would sit in jail for another year as he awaited a second trial. A long time for his family to process the story he told. He left to go to a bar, to go cruising or something and then he goes and sits on the river front . Like, he has never done that before in his entire life. So when he stepped down you thought my father did this thing . Yeah, i wasnt saying it out loud and i wasnt ready to accept it but i definitely was moving in the direction of the only thing that makes sense is they he committed the crime. After months of wrestling with his thoughts, zach decided it was time to send his dad a letter. I put in a letter my opinion was that you did it. You know, you took away the last chance that i had a rebuilding a relationship with my mom. Youre no longer allowed to contact me and i dont want you to ask about me to anyone. Wow. Dear dad, you are dead to me. Exactly. His brothers wife ali had started to feel that way about keith, too. It seemed like he was fabricating everything that came out of his mouth. But there was a split in the family. Despite doubts of his own, her husband aaron, the one closest to his father, was still a supporter. Whatever issues my mod and dad would have had i just could not believe that my dad would take my kids away from their nana. Then a few months before keiths retrial, detective carters phone rang. There was news from the jail. An inmate had some information about keith and it was as eerie as it was chilling. The detective in the bullseye. Keith had come forward to him wanting to have me killed . To put a hit on you . Put a hit on me. Orchestrating your death . Yes, hed drawn a map of what he believed to be my residence, suggested the caliber of weapon to use to kill me and the informant asked him what if my family was present and his response was one word and that was tragedy. Wow. That does make the hair on your neck stand up. It does. That wouldnt look good to a jury. The development brought aaron to a tipping point. Were you no longer waiveri eer had you come down on the side of oh, my god, my father killed my mother . Yeah. Now aaron, too, wrote his father a letter. If he was guilty its time. Time to man up and do what you would have done two years ago. Keiths Defense Attorneys went to the prosecutor to hammer out a plea deal. They agreed on 30 years in prison for the murder and for soliciting the hit. Moments later, keith was standing in a paducah courtroom speaking the words his family and friends never in a million years thought theyd hear him say. Yes, he murdered julie. Theres no execute for what i did and i cant take it back and she was my best friend an i dont know what happened to me. But i did it and theres nothing i can do about. It temple bradley, who works near the courthouse, was there. My heart was breaking that the person i have that put wholeheartedly put my trust in for two years has lied to my face. I just cant believe weve been deceived in that way. We were there for him the whole time. For keiths family and friends, there are so many questions. But one seems to tower above all the others. I want to know why and i want to know how you go from a loving husband and father, grandfather, to driving all the that way, killing your wife and then covering it up and then lying to your family for so long knowing that we had everybody doubting us and we still defended him. Disgusting, hes a monster. All i can tell you that i had a lot of bad thoughts, wrong thought, mistakes. We sat down with keith hoping for answers. But as many times as we asked him why this all happened why did you do it . I i really cant tell you. I mean, i dont know. I mean, just a bad decision. We never did get a satisfying response. So this isnt some kind of delayed midlife crisis here . No. Where youre trying to be with deanna or someone like her to have a final happy chapter in your life . No. Julie and i were happy. You see how perplexing it is to hear this . Its confounding. Thats what i told everybody when they hear the story theyre not going to believe it. I have a hard time believing that i did what i did. And one thing he didnt do how about a divorce . Never crossed my mind. Keith now says the remorse began the moment he pulled out of his driveway. Trying to get out of the the subdivision crying before i ever get out regretting what ive done. I probably drove 100 miles an hour all the way back hoping to get caught. As for the future, keith says he is prepared to die in prison. I dont have anything to live for except maybe forgiveness. From whom . From my boys. And thats why youre talking today . Exactly. Yes. Well, its between you and them but ill tell you my take on it is youve got some distance to make up. I know i do. Ive got a lot to make up. Of the countless things keith stole from his family, resilience was not among them. Aaron and zach are closer than theyve been in years and now that they know what happened to their mother they say they can finally mourn her passing and focus on keeping her spirit alive for those two little granddaughters who were the center of her yuan force. My oldest daughter will remember she talked about her everyday. We have pictures of her up in my room. As my youngest gets older well tell her the nascar nana story about when she was born and never let her memory die. Thats all for now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. This sunday, Hillary Clinton, emails, and the fbi. The fbi interviews clinton for three and a half hours about her email server. This morning, her first interview since that meeting. I was eager to do it and i was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion. Plus bill clintons tarmac meeting with the attorney general. Both the attorney general and my husband have said they would not do it again. The latest examples were voters have trust issues with clinton. Also terror in 2016. As attacks around the world become the new normal. Isis becomes a bigger part of the president ial campaign. They have dreams at night. And their dreams are that Hillary Clinton becomes president of our country, believe me. How will terror impact the election . My interview with a senator who is one of president obamas sharpest critics. Plus our new 2016 battleground map. The big states that have shifted and what it means for november. Finally, is it time to bring back the smokefilled room . Yes, says the author of the atlantic magazines cover story, how american politics went insane. Joining us, andrea mitchell, katy tur, kasie hunt, and kelly odonnell. Welcome to sunday. Its meet the press. Announcer from nbc news in washington, this is meet the press with chuck todd. Good sunday morning and a happy Independence Day weekend to everyone. We may be nearing the final chapter of the Hillary Clinton email saga. Yesterday the fbi interviewed Hillary Clinton for about three and a half hours at its headquarters right here in washington, d. C. About the use of her private email server while she was secretary of state. I spoke with the former secretary late yesterday on msnbc, her only interview since meeting with the fbi, and asked her whether the description of the interview as civil and business like was accurate. Well, it was both. It was something i had offered to do since last august. Ive been eager to do it. And i was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion. How did your private server, where you kept this classified information, some of which was retroactive, understand, after your term as secretary of state, how was that not a violation of this code . I never received nor sent any material that was marked classified. And there is a process