A pool party. A party that hadnt been all fun and games. She was 19, these were men in their 40s. We wanted to talk to them. Did something happen at that party . What was happening around this small town . I hear somebody running behind me, then i noticed he had a knife in his hand. Someone was stalking young women. It was either i try to save myself, or let this guy do whatever he wants to me. His dreams were their nightmares. There were searches on serial killers. There were searches on bondage. Could he be caught before he killed again . In my gut, i knew he had done it, and now, i needed to go out and prove it. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with obsession. Reporter she was a young woman whod devoted her whole life to making music. An accomplished musician who played several instruments, acted. Even wrote her own songs. That was her biggest passion. She saw music as a way to change the world. Thats the only friend i had that sang and did it all like the violin and piano. She had a really unique sound. Yeah. Reporter so who could have predicted that on july 15th, 2013, the music, and a young girls dreams would end so suddenly. We were in shock and disbelief. It was hard to understand and to come to grips with. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Maam, stay on the line with me, were going to get ems out for you. Reporter a small town was faced with a mystery. With police asking, what was real and what was a performance . Hes an actor. Hes two different people. Who is this guy . Who does he think he is that he can go around doing this to women . Reporter ask anyone who knew Jessie Blodgett growing up in hartford, wisconsin, and theyll tell you she was happy, passionate, full of life. Her dad, buck, says she had always been that way. Did she have a happy childhood . Oh, yeah. Ill show ya 600 photos on my computer. Youre going to be able to count on one hand the ones you can find where shes not beaming and smiling. She was a really happy kid. Reporter jessie, an only child was the light of her parents lives. Their miracle baby. Buck and joy blodgett thought they couldnt have children so they cherished their little girl that much more. We bonded from day one when that little purple head came out, and every day since. We talked about drugs, we talked about sex, there was nothin off limits. Reporter and her mom says jessies friends were like part of the family. They always seemed to hang out at our house. Yeah. We did. She would, like, find any reason to throw a party. [ laughter ] yeah. Reporter ian, jackie and amelia were three of jessies closest high school pals. We all just, like, kinda hit it off right away i guess. Its hard not to. I mean, she was a really contagious personality. Reporter but jessie also had a more serious side. One that loved to debate issues and fight for causes she believed in. Jessie sounds a little like an old soul. Is that fair . She liked old people stuff. Yeah, she did. I dont really know much High Schoolers that are super activists about animal rights. She made herself well versed in just a lot of different opinions and viewpoints. Reporter jessie wanted to make a difference. That much was clear. But what made her happiest was sharing her gift. Every time i went over to jessies house, she would always be playing the piano. Even though when i was trying to talk to her, shed be like im like hello, jessie. Reporter jessies passion for music grew Even Stronger in college. In the summer after her freshman year, she teamed up with an old boyfriend and theater pal, dan. And together, they wrote this heartfelt song. We had a music room, he had a music room at his house. So hed bring his guitar and they both sang. Reporter that summer jessie also won the title role in the local production of fiddler on the roof. Jerry becker directed the show. Did she just fully embrace it . She did. She enjoyed being the person who really opens the show, and sets the mood, sets the feeling. Reporter it was july 14th after the sunday matinee. Jessie and the cast gathered for a pool party. We went out to a cast members farm. He had a pool, and some llamas and other animals there. I left early with my family, and i remember her sitting there and i said goodnight, and thanked her for her performance. She came home around what time . It was late. 12 30, i believe. You were still awake . I waited up for her. I couldnt go to sleep until i heard that she was in the house. Reporter they chatted briefly and said good night. The next morning, jesses mom popped into her daughters room before work and saw jesse still fast asleep. Nothing that you would ever think was odd when you left, i would imagine. No, no, and this was her first morning to sleep in, in a very long time. Reporter joy returned home for lunch and saw that jessie wasnt downstairs, ready for her afternoon violin lesson. I went to the top of the stairs. And i was like, jessie . Nothing, so then i went in. I came around the bed. And and then i kind of jiggled her a little bit. And nothing. And then i knew this is not good. This is not good. Reporter joy made a frantic call to 911. Whats the problem . My daughter is blue. I went to wake her up and i just got home from, for lunch and she wont wake up. Is she breathing . I dont think so, no. Okay, youre trying to do cpr . Im trying to just pump her chest. Reporter just hours before, she had seen her daughter sleeping peacefully. Now joy, a chiropractor, was fighting to save jessies life. Your mother instincts were kicking in and your doctor instincts. Yeah. Yeah. I, i just kept thinking she fell asleep and stopped breathing on the pillow or something. Reporter as joy moved jessie to the floor to better perform cpr, First Responders arrived. Did you at that point start to feel her slip away, that hope was dwindling fast . I think i just was thinking theyll do it, theyll take her to the hospital. Oh god, they can do all kinds of stuff, you know. Reporter but they never took jessie to the hospital. It was too late. She was gone. A tragedy. And now a mystery. What happened to Jessie Blodgett . When we return, detectives hear something from jessies mom they find interesting and troubling. When jessie got home that night from the party, she was upset. Whats going on . Oh, the guys, you know. What about the guys . Honey, arent we having friends over . It reeks in here. I know [goat noise] i stole the other teams mascot for good luck. We need to wash this room. Wash it . Yeah, wash it with febreze. For all the things you cant wash, use febreze fabric refresher wow [inhales] it really smells great in here. 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Reporter joy blodgett had come home for lunch and discovered her 19yearold daughter jessie dead in her own bed. Jessies father was at work. You had to call your husband. I wanted to let him know as soon as possible because i knew how much he loved his little girl. And i knew i had to get on the phone and tell him as soon as possible, but i didnt want to get him on the phone until i knew for sure. She said, honey, honey, honey, its jessie. Then she busted out crying and i knew something was really, really wrong. I said, is she gone . And joy no more words came, just tears. So i raced home. Reporter but when buck arrived home, police cars and a crime scene truck were already in the driveway. I went in the door through the yellow tape. And when i saw joys eyes in the living room, then i knew that jess was gone. Did you quickly ask how how did this happen . No. I my whole first thing was i wanted to see her. I wanted to touch her. I wanted to tell her goodbye. But they wouldnt let me. Reporter buck wasnt allowed in jessies room because police were in there, trying to figure out what had happened. Detective richard thickens of the Hartford Police department was one of the first on the scene. He looked around, saw a typical teenagers messy bedroom. Nothing strange there, but when he saw jessies body it was clear to the detective that jessie didnt die of natural causes. The first thing i noticed was there was a very red mark running pretty much all the way across her neck. Did you need an autopsy to tell you what you were seeing . No, it was very apparent that this was a ligature mark at that point. Reporter jessie had been murdered strangled. But inside jessies bedroom, there was no murder weapon. No sign of a struggle. Except one thing did seem odd about jessies bed. The covers were over the bed in a perfect manner. And a kid who had stuff strewn strewn all over the bed, there was nothing on the bed. It was very apparent that the scene had been changed. This is certainly a possibility of somebody trying to ensure that they didnt leave anything of themselves behind. Did they finally let you go upstairs when they finished, to say a proper goodbye . They released her room as a crime scene and brought her down. And after waiting all day to tell her i love her and im sorry, suddenly everybodys around watching me. And i never really had that moment with her alone to say goodbye. That is heartbreaking. Yeah. Reporter having barely digested the news of their daughters death and still in shock, buck and joy sat down with investigators to tell them everything they knew. There was no sign of forced entry to the house but they explained, like most people in this quiet, safe town, they often left a door unlocked. This individual found that one door. The house wasnt ransacked. Um, it looked to us that this person knew right where to go to find her. Reporter to the detective, it didnt seem random. It was clear jessie was targeted. One of bucks first thoughts, a crew of tree cutters that recently worked outside jessies window. It made me wonder if they had had thoughts when they were in the trees, limbing our trees above her bedroom, and she was sleeping in there. Just wondered if they noticed that heres this teenage girl, sleeping, home alone when joy and i are at work while theyre in our yard. Reporter buck also told the detectives about a problem jessie was having at her parttime restaurant job. Trouble with a coworker. She had come home a couple of times and said that he was inappropriate with her. What was he doing that was inappropriate . He would often make sure that she had to rub against him as she passed him. That must make you nuts as a parent when you hear stories like that. When i first heard that i was almost out that door to go over and talk to him about it. Reporter the restaurant was just down the road. It seemed possible that this coworker jessie found creepy knew where she lived, had been watching the house. Certainly we are gonna take any possibility. You dont wanna close any avenues of investigation at that point. Reporter then joy told the detectives something that really caught their attention. Jessie had come home from that fiddler on the roof cast party, clearly upset. I said, whats going on . She said, oh, the guys, you know, theyre always making passes and i dont know why they have to always turn it there. Reporter jessie told her mom two older men from the cast were flirting with her and it made her uncomfortable. One pulled her on his lap. The other told a dirty joke. At the time, joy thought the flirtations seemed harmless and her young daughter simply didnt know how to handle it. She didnt like men taking, you know, privileges on women. Reporter but perhaps the incidents were more serious than her mother thought. Jessie wrote about them in her diary that night, ending her final entry with god be with me. She was 19, and from what joy understood, these were men in their 40s. Is that a bit of a red flag for you . Can be. We wanted to talk to em. Reporter detective thickens could see the pretty, talented teenager could attract unwanted male attention. Now he had to figure out if any of it had to do with jessies murder. Coming up a possible suspect. Someone that was flirting with her less than 24 hours before her death. We thought it was him. I mean, who else could it have been . Reporter it was hard to believe a murder like this could happen in peaceful hartford, wisconsin, let alone to a warm and loving teenager like Jessie Blodgett. Within hours of her death word had spread. Jessies close friends, jackie and amelia raced to the blodgett house. We drove up her driveway and her parents were standing outside. And they said, jessie is no longer with us anymore. Was that when it became real for you . It was i dont know. It was its like really shocking, i guess. It was probably the worst pain that anyone could ever feel. Reporter jessies theater director, jerry becker, was also stunned, having just celebrated with jessie and the cast of fiddler on the roof the night before. The best way to describe it is simply surreal. That kind of thing doesnt happen here. And to someone like jessie. Exactly. Jessie was someone you could not imagine a bad thing happening to. Reporter finding jessies killer became the Police Departments number one priority. This is a girl thats been attacked in her home where she should be safe and i think that it definitely did put people on edge. Reporter detectives talked with cast members from fiddler on the roof and heard again how jessie had been upset after the cast party. In particular, with one man named randy talley. We made contact with him and asked him to come in to speak to us. Are you thinking that this could be the guy . Hes significantly older. Someone that was flirting with her less than 24 hours before her death, so hes certainly a person of interest. Reporter randy came in for questioning and admitted to joking around playfully with jessie at the party and swore there was nothing more to it. But part of randys story didnt sit well with detective thickens. Where had he been during the time of the crime . He was working. Or was scheduled to work through a temp agency. He didnt actually go to work that day. So where was he then . He said he spent most of the day actually at his apartment by himself. Did you just come right out with it . Did you have anything to do with the murder of jessie . I asked him if he had any involvement in her death. He said no. Reporter but the detective wondered, was his story straight out of a script . Hes an actor, and its hard for me at that point to gauge if hes acting or being truthful. Reporter investigators issued a search warrant for his phone records. We were gonna verify where randy was and look at his alibi. Was his cell phone anywhere near that house in this time period . Jessies friends quickly heard the police were looking at a cast member. What was being said about the the cast member . Just that he was kinda creepy. And we thought it was him. I mean, who else could it have been . Reporter but the plays director, jerry becker, didnt believe it. He couldnt imagine randy being responsible for jessies death. Did you pick up the phone and call randy when he was going through this . Yes. He was saddened by all this. How did that conversation leave you feeling . I was exceptionally confident at the end of that phone call that he was not involved in this in any way. Reporter and when the detective got his hands on randys phone records, he began thinking the same thing. Did his phone records tell you anything that was of significance . No. He hadnt been talking to her on the phone that we could see in this time period that we were looking at, and he hadnt been near the house. We havent eliminated him but were having to look at other options. Reporter so, working day and night, they went over the other leads from jessies parents. They interviewed the treetrimmers who might have been peering into jessies window. There was nothing of significance found as far as their possible involvement. Reporter and they tracked down the restaurant coworker jessie had been upset with. He was actually out of the country, is our understanding, was at the time this would have happened. So case closed on that one . Hes not gonna be involved. Reporter and remember, joy mentioned a second man from the cast party who made jessie uncomfortable. The one she claimed told an inappropriate joke. Turns out that guy was none other than jerry becker. I gotta believe it was sort of some misunderstanding that with regard to who jessie was talking about. So it was a surprise to you that she had brought up your name specifically . Absolutely. Did you have anything to hide about that night . No. My daughter and my son were there at the picnic with me. Reporter jerry told us hed had just a brief conversation with jessie that night. There was nothing flirtatious about it. And detectives didnt think it sounded like much of a lead, and jerry never became a suspect. In fact, the investigation was going nowhere, leaving the town on edge. Every time someone would come up behind me, i would jump, even if i knew they were coming up behind me. Reporter then, news of another crime heightened everyones fears. It was an attack so brutal she had to get 15 stitches on her hand. Reporter it happened in a neighboring town, another attack on a young woman close to jessies age, in a park less than 10 miles from her house. Did you think that there was any possible connection to the park attack . They were too similar. They were too violent. They were against young women. They must be connected in some way or another. Reporter what had happened in that park, and could it lead detectives to jessies killer . Coming up a harrowing firstperson account of that vicious attack. You grabbed the knife with your bare hands . It was either i try to save myself or let this guy do whatever he wants to me. Was someone stalking young women around this small town . This is the time the time for harmony let love be the song that everybody sings fill the air with joyful noise ring the bells and raise your voice let there be peace on earth let there be peace on earth s. C. Johnson, a family company. Mshe said i should think of my rteeth like an apple. It could be great on the outside not so great on the inside. Her advice . Use a toothpaste and mouthwash that strengthens both. Go pro with crest prohealth advanced. 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You know . If hes still out there, he could still be plotting, he could still be hunting. I was like, who is this guy . Reporter this is Melissa Richards, the victim of that attack. It happened three days before jessie was killed. Her courageous story of survival is amazing. You arrive at the park. And whats the first thing you see . A blue minivan. Anything out of the ordinary . No. Reporter Melissa Richards and her dog, remy, went for a walk in richfield park. And when they returned the guy was still parked in the car. And what i noticed was him looking out of the drivers side window. Did it seem weird . I just thought he wanted his privacy. And then about here, i hear somebody running behind me. So i look back and go, oh, you scared me. Then i noticed he had a knife in his hand, and he was still coming towards me. Reporter before melissa could run, she was knocked to the ground, and her attacker pinned her down on her stomach. But melissa fought back and did something almost unthinkable. She grabbed the knife by the blade. You grabbed the knife with your bare hands . Right. What what possessed you to do that . Well, it was either i try to save myself, or let this guy do whatever he wants to me. Reporter with melissa resisting, the attacker apparently panicked and seemed to give up. He finally was just kinda got up off me. He was Still Holding onto the knife and he was like, can i just go . And i said no. Reporter a defiant melissa wanted her attacker to stay put and answer for his crime, but instead, he dropped the knife and fled. So he ended up running back to his car. I got in my car, and i got out of here as fast as i could. Reporter wounded and bloody, melissa picked up the knife and got herself to a hospital for stitches. There she was met by detective clausing of the Washington County sheriffs department. This wasnt a robbery. He didnt say, give me your purse. This wasnt a dog knapping. He didnt say, give me your dog. This was a vicious personal attack on a stranger. Reporter melissa had never seen her attacker before, but lucky for investigators, she had an almost photographic memory. He was wearing glasses. He had blond shaggy hair. I said hes about 62, 210 pounds. Did he look like a normal guy . Uhhuh. Yeah, especially with what he was wearing. Just normal clothes from kohls. Reporter melissa could even tell police the make and model of his van. She knew it was a blue dodge caravan, likely around 2000 to 2002. Reporter despite that great description, investigators could not identify melissas attacker, and he was still at large when jessie was murdered. And while some of jessies friends had been speculating about a link, investigators disagreed. Youre not linking the two crimes or or trying to force them no. To fit together . Not at all. Ones in a park with a knife, and the other ones in a private home with strangulation. Reporter so the two investigations remained separate and Hartford Police continued to look for new leads in jessies case. One by one, they called in her heartbroken friends to ask them what they knew. Did you consider any of her friends as possible suspects . Never. Not one friend. Never. Reporter the interviews with Jessie Blodgetts friends revealed nothing new. Then detectives in the park case got a huge break. One that would change the course of both investigations. Melissas description of her attackers van triggered the memory of a deputy who routinely patrolled the park where she was assaulted. Deputy meyer had approached us in the Detective Bureau and said several weeks ago i was in that park. There was a blue van parked in the exact same spot that you had described, parked the exact same way. Reporter at the time, the deputy thought the van seemed suspicious and ran its license plate, but he found nothing alarming and continued his patrol. Now, his intuition was telling him the van was the same one involved in melissas attack. He had no paper record of the plate, but in his squad car, the computer kept a log of old searches. And after hours of backtracking bingo . It wasnt a bingo, but it was very good. Close . Yeah it was close. Reporter the van belonged to a laura and melvin bartelt. Records showed that melvin was too old to be melissas attacker, but detectives learned the bartelts had a 19yearold son who matched melissas description perfectly. And when detective clausing called that sons cell number, it rang somehwere that would surprise everyone. He answered. I introduced myself. I said i needed to speak with him. His name had come up in a incident. I asked him where he was. He told me he was at the blodgett house. And i said, where . Come up was this the break detectives so desperately needed, or just a strange coincidence . We were saying, no, not this kid. Theres no way that he could have killed our friend. 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One pill fights congestion for 12 hours. Guess i wont be seeing you for a while. Why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours . Lets end this. School lunch can be difficult. Cafeteria chaos. One little struggle. Can lead to one monumental mishap. Not with ziploc easy open tabs. Because life needs ziploc. Sc johnson. But now, pantene is making my hair practically unbreakable. Whenever i try to grow out my hair, strands always break off. The prov formula microtargets weak spots, making every inch. Stronger so i can love my hair longer. Pantene. Strong is beautiful. Get even faster results with pantene expert, our most. Intensely concentrated prov formula. Reporter it was a promising lead for investigators searching for the young man who so brazenly attacked Melissa Richards with a knife. They had a suspect who matched her description. A suspect whose parents owned a blue mini van just like the one shed spotted at the scene. He was showing up in 15 minutes, so we were talking about how we were going to talk to him. Reporter their person of interest arrived, friendly and cooperative. My name is joel clausing. Thats aaron walsh. Nice to meet you. Reporter almost immediately, investigators noticed suspicious cuts and bruises on his body. Whats that on your thumb . Got stabbed with a screw at work. How . We have a, like a cart that we move stuff around on. He had a cut on his thumb. He had road rash on his leg. He had injuries which looked consistent with the injury someone might have had with attacking Melissa Richards. Reporter detectives were skeptical about the work injury story. In fact, they werent sure this 19yearold even had a job. If we check with your employer, would they, would you still have your job . No. Okay. Thats what i thought. How long when did you lose your job . A while ago. Its the first time we had him in a lie. I picked up picked up my chair, moved it over next to him. We started a different phase of the interview. No more lies. It just makes things worse. Reporter so after the detectives warning, the suspect tried another story. This time, he claimed hed cut his finger while cooking. Nobody in their right mind would lie about cutting themselves if it happened at home cooking. Okay . Okay. What happened . Just be honest. I have gone to the park before. I have been there. Reporter as the police continued to press the young man, he began to crack, and quickly. And you were in your van, correct, or your moms van or your dads . Yes. And you had you went after that girl, right . Yes. Reporter he admitted to going after Melissa Richards with a knife, and then offered a bizarre explanation for why he did it. I wanted to scare someone else because everyone else is so confident. I dont understand it, and i need someone else to be like me. Reporter detectives placed him under arrest, but were far from finished. The reason . Remember what he told detectives when they reached him by phone. Where were you at again . A house in hartford, Jessie Blodgetts house. Reporter thats right, the confessed attacker was also a friend of jessies. Is that the girl that just passed . Yeah. We were visiting her parents. Reporter his name was Daniel Bartelt, dan to his friends. And he was the same dan jessie had been writing this music with that summer. Detective clausing called Hartford Police right away. They had a suspect for them in custody. Jessies parents refused to believe the news. We were saying, no, not this kid, no. Hes a friend of ours and our daughters. Yeah, hes a little screwed up. He just got back from college. And he doesnt know what hes doing right now, blah, blah, blah. But we dont think its dan. Reporter after all, daniel was more than jessies friend. He was her first love in high school. And had never been in trouble. He had everything going for him. He was a top notch student, straight a student. He got the lead role in most of the musicals. Very talented. I was like, i like this kid, you know, just because, you know, he could make me laugh. And he came from a nice family. We said, its not dan, hes a good kid. Reporter jessies friends agreed. When detectives called daniels cell phone, they were with him at the blodgett house grieving together. We were all crying, and our friend dans his phone rang. And he was like, i got called into the Police Station for questioning. Reporter amelia and jackie were the ones who drove daniel to the Police Station that afternoon. Theyd assumed it was just routine questioning about jessie. I was like, well, you know, dan, like, they might question you as a suspect. Thats what theyve been doing for all of her male friends. And he was like, oh, yeah, i didnt even think about that. Reporter now, even with dan under arrest for the park attack, they couldnt imagine their friend was capable of murder. I was thinking it was a mistake. Like, yes, maybe dan did attack this girl in richfield but theres no way that he could have killed our friend. Reporter but the detective whod just interrogated daniel thought the opposite. Did you believe daniel couldve killed jessie . Yes. It was just a sense you got, a feeling you got. That you were sitting across from a killer . Yes. Reporter detective thickens went to grill dan himself. I was hopeful that we might get more information that would advance our case. When was the last time you saw her . Last week i think. Reporter daniel admitted to having romantic feelings for jessie, but swore through sobs he had nothing to do with the murder. What do you think happened to jessie . I have no idea. Do you think it could have been accidental . I dont know why someone would do that to her. Reporter but detectives didnt believe him. And he fit the profile of the killer they were looking for. Someone who knew jessie and her habits. She usually wouldnt get up before 11 or 12. All right. I would text her in the morning, ask if she wanted to hang out or something, and she wouldnt respond. He knew where she was going to be, knew she didnt have a dog in the house, knew she didnt have siblings, knew where her parents were gonna be. Reporter and as for his emotional denial, they thought it was an act. He was making these noises, gulping and and sobbing noises, as if he was crying. He didnt shed a tear during that entire time i talked to him. In my gut, i knew he had done it and now i needed to go out and prove it. Reporter coming up daniel faces a jury and jessies family. I cant give you the answers that your as a supervisor at pg e, its my job to protect public safety, keeping the power lines clear, while also protecting the environment. The Natural World is a beautiful thing, the work that we do helps us protect it. Public education is definitely a big part of our job, to teach our customers about the best type of trees to plant around the power lines. We want to keep the power on for our customers. We want to keep our community safe. This is our community, this is where we live. We need to make sure that we have a beautiful place for our children to live. Together, were building a better california. Reporter Daniel Bartelt had confessed to a violent attack against a woman in a park. But after police spoke with him, they realized he could also be guilty of something far worse. Did you leave that interview having any doubt that dan was the killer . None whatsoever. Reporter daniel told investigators on the morning jessie was killed, he was in a park, reading a book. And when they checked the security cameras we found video that put him there. Reporter but that didnt mean daniel was innocent. Detectives decided to search the park, combing through more than a dozen garbage bins, hoping to find anything that linked daniel to jessies murder. And in one garbage can this cereal box full of ligatures. Ropes that were very likely the murder weapons used to strangle jessie. Plus a whole lot more. Bloody sanitizing wipes, tape, shoe laces. I guess he didnt believe that we would have made the effort to go through the garbage to find anything. Reporter police sent the evidence for testing and forensics showed that both jessie and daniels dna were on the ropes found in the park. Detectives shared the incriminating discovery with jessies parents. I had trouble getting it, that it was dan. The realist in me knew it was him. The other half of me was like, what happened to dan . Reporter Daniel Bartelt was officially charged with murder. Buck and joy tried to wrap their heads around what happened to the funny teenager and had nothing but empathy for his parents. They didnt do this. They did nothing wrong. They provided a great environment for him, for his sister. Theyre good people. I cant say that hes totally evil. But something went very wrong. I dont know what. Reporter and they also felt sorry for randy talley, the cast member briefly rumored to be involved, now completely cleared. I felt bad. Just more Collateral Damage from one persons evil choices. Reporter and though the dna evidence linking daniel to the murder seemed to give the da a slamdunk case, daniel pleaded not guilty. Gary schmaus was his attorney. Some people might say that there was overwhelming evidence against daniel. Why go to trial . You go to trial when your client and and in this case dan denies having committed the crime. Reporter when daniels trial began, the courtroom was full of conflicted hearts. Supporters on both sides knew or cared for jessie and daniel. What was it like watching one friend being tried for killing another . Its like i was watching a tv show. Youre in the same room as the person that, you know, murdered your friend. Its crazy. It was the strangest mix of emotions. When he walked in from the backroom of the courtroom i wanted to hug him and make him feel better. I felt his humiliation and shame. I wanted to punch him. Reporter prosecutors said from the start, there was no easy explanation for why daniel did what he did. Why did he pick jessie, was he mad at jessie . No, he wasnt mad at jessie. He picked jessie because she was convenient. Reporter but the da did say there was evidence that showed the seemingly sweet young man had been secretly obsessed with murder. On his Computer Police found disturbing internet searches. What does he do in the days and events leading up to this crime . He does a search for serial killers on wiki, a little bit later serial killers by number of victims. Reporter their most alarming find was a violent, pornographic film with a plot eerily similar to how jessie was killed. Prosecutors claim daniel used it as an instructional video. At some point in the movie he pulls out a binding, um, and places it around her neck, um, he then strangles her. There were searches on serial killers. There were searches on bondage did dan, then, who was big into the theater, a straighta student was he also a serial killer in training . I think thats the potential. Reporter prosecutors showed the jury all the physical evidence. The dna, the tape, the wipes, the likely murder weapons that tied daniel to jessies death. Through it all, daniel sat quietly at the defense table, looking at no one, and showing little emotion. Even when the da presented evidence the public had never heard before. Dna that the state argued showed he not only killed jessie but also raped her. Daniels dna was found under jessies fingernails and inside her. That must have been one of the toughest pieces of evidence to combat in front of the jury. Difficult. Difficult. You know didnt have really an alternate explanation for that. And dont have one as i sit here right now. Reporter in any case, daniel was never charged with rape. And for the murder . The defense rested without calling a single witness to the stand. The jury deliberated just three hours. We the jury find the defendant, Daniel Bartelt, guilty of firstdegree intentional homicide as charged in the information. Ladies and gentlemen, is this your verdict . Its not a good day for anybody. Nobody won. Reporter months later, at the sentencing, buck stunned the courtroom when he said this. Dan, i forgive you. As i have every single day since we found out it was you. Reporter and in response to such unbelievable grace, daniel, looked straight at joy and buck and continued to deny his guilt. Buck, joy, i cant give you the answers that youre looking for. I pray for you, for all of you. And i hope that eye believe that someday i will be before a court that will know that my conscience is clear. I love you and im so sorry for your loss. Hes such a liar. He looked right in our face. I mean, with all this evidence that theres just no refuting it, do you know what i mean . And then for him to still be looking at me saying this, im thinking, kid, do you honestly believe that i believe you with this . I think dans a sociopath. He doesnt seem to have the the conscience. Or if he does, he doesnt care. Reporter buck and joy have accepted they may never hear the truth from daniel or know why he turned so violent. But the blodgetts are doing their best to move on. For buck, jessies untouched room is a constant comfort while for joy its a painful reminder. Are you gonna move . Im staying here because thats what he wants. But i would move tomorrow. Do you feel that if if you leave youre leaving jessie . Not exactly. I feel like shes with me everywhere. And maybe we should talk again cause i didnt know you still felt so much that way. Reporter daniel is now 20 years old and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. For the attack on Melissa Richards, he was sentenced to five more years. Melissas our hero. If it wasnt for her, they wouldnt have caught him. We are forever indebted and thankful to her for that. The police and the blodgetts commend you and do feel that other women could have been murdered if it wasnt for you. I tried to help as much as i could. I just wanted to help em out. I dont know. I tried. Reporter jessies parents have started an Educational Campaign in their daughters honor, called, love is greater than hate. Im doing it for the millions of people who will be jessie. If not murdered, sexually assaulted and have their lives changed forever because of it. Reporter those who loved jessie, say her zest for life changed them for the better and still lives on through her music and her spirit. We started thinking differently because of her. We started acting differently because of her. Have the tables turned . You were always the one proud of her. And now, do you feel shes the one proud of you . I feel like now shes the one lifting me up and encouraging me through life, where it used to be the other way around. Theres nothing i wouldnt do ill be here ill be here for you thats all for this edition of dateline. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. This sunday, the death of fidel castro, what it means for the u. S. , cuba and american politics. He destroyed a country. He destroyed practically a culture. Andrea mitchell is in havana. I will talk with senator rubio. Is trump backing away from some campaign rhetoric. Remember this . Now trump says Hillary Clinton has suffered enough. From the border wall to global warming, is there a change in the air . I will talk to trump area former Campaign Manager kellyanne conway. Shades of 2000. The Clinton Campaign joins the effort to recount the vote in three states. Is there any chance it could make a difference . Joining me for insight and analysis are, helene cooper, matt bai, Danielle Pletka and mark murray. Welcome to sunday, its meet the press. From nbc news in washington, this is meet the press with chuck todd. Good sunday morning. We have a lot to discuss this morning on president elect trump, the transition, whether he is backing away from some key Campaign Promises and of course the call for a recount now in three states. All of that in a moment. We will begin with the death of fidel castro. Not surprisingly the news has been greeted with joy and celebration where cubanamericans have been waiting for this for more than five decades. This is a topic that really gets to me. Ive been hearing stories of cruelty and oppression. He destroyed families. He destroyed a country. He destroyed practically a culture. This may be the beginning of the end of the castro regime in cuba. And the beginning of the freedom for the cuban people. Some people may disagree about his legacy, theres no doubt he is one of the monumental figures of the 20th century. A revolutionary turned dictator who frustrated 11 u. S. President s from eisenhower to obama. Andrea mitchell has covered castro, interviewed him, done this for many years. Shes right in havana, cuba, this morning for us. Let me start with this, we know how cubans in miami are reacting. How are cubans in cuba reacting . Reporter somber. Its muted, chuck. In havana, people are going about their daily lives. Its a generational divide. The older generation more emotional about fidel castro. For the younger generation, really, since 2006 when he became ill and 2008 when he