Transcripts For KNTV Dateline NBC 20170603

Thrust into a thriller. This is out of a john grisham novel everybody all said the same thing it cant be true. Reporter and behind it all, a doublelife coming undone. He was very smooth. Debonair. He was the perfect man. Guess not. Reporter a violent night, raising alarming questions. Every time we discussed this case, wed always say too ourselves, this is like a dateline. Reporter im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with the intruder. Reporter december 18th, 2014, 2 47 a. M. A desperate call to 911. Ambulance, real quick. Please. Shots fired. People are dead. Im shot. Reporter this quiet street in the sleepy, coastal town of saco, maine was suddenly wide awake. Police raced toward a home as their dashcam video rolled. Shots fired. Okay, so stay on the line with me, okay . Is the shooter still there . I dont know. He walked upstairs, my wife ran into another room. I figure shes dead. He killed her and he killed her friend. Reporter a night of terror, a Home Invasion. Im losing a lot of blood. Hurry up, please. Reporter a mysterious, violent assault that would soon spark a far flung investigation, with pieces of the puzzle to be found in three different states. Why would somebody do this . Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Reporter but none of that was obvious that first night to law enforcement. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the man talking to the 911 operator. It was the owner of the house. Its terrifying, yeah. Reporter special agent pam flick investigated the case for the fbi. When the Police Arrived on scene, they were able to talk the victim home owner out of the house. Reporter he had been wounded by gunshots and said there were two women still inside his wife and their friend from out of town. Was there fear that maybe the intruder was still in the house . There was fear that the intrude every was in the house. Saco p. D. Didnt even know in the man making the 911 call, the victim home owner, was the shooter himself. So they had a serious crime scene with a possible active shooter situation. Reporter inside police didnt find a shooter, just the two women. The homeowners wife was luckily unharmed. But their friend . She had been shot three times. Where was she hit . Once in the shoulder, once in the abdomen and once in the back of the head. She was in serious condition. Reporter her name was rachel owens. She was rushed to the hospital, while the homeowner told the police what he saw. He described the intruder as approximately 59 or so, carried a gun in his right hand. He wore a balaclava. Which is, like a ski mask. A ski mask with with just the eye opening. Reporter as police looked at the crime scene and spoke to the witness, they learned Something Else the intruder had gone upstairs and shot the friend rachel first. They started to wonder if she might have been a target. I was blown away. All these different thoughts running through my head. Reporter wayne owens is rachels son. He couldnt imagine why anyone would want to hurt his mom. Describe your mom for us. Very caring and loving. Shes warm. Shes an extremely optimistic. Shes always able to see the good and the bad. Reporter wayne grew up an army brat, living overseas with his mom and his dad, gregg, who was a decorated veteran from the first iraq war. Did you like traveling the world as a family . I definitely loved that experience cause i was raised an only child. So i definitely it was fun. I mean we always planned trips. Like, we were always going somewhere. Reporter dad later retired from the service, and began working for private military contractors. Thats when the family settled into a slower pace at this home in londonderry, New Hampshire. But now, their quiet life had suddenly been turned upside down. Your mom has been shot multiple times. Yeah, i was shocked. I was like, s for a breakin . I didnt know what to think. Reporter wayne, who lived in rhode island, rushed to the hospital three hours away. We hopped in the car. I talked to my uncle and my aunt. I was, like, what what is goin on . Like can you, like, fill me in . I just couldnt wrap my brain around it. I couldnt really process it. Reporter one piece of good news, hed gotten a message from his dad, who was home in New Hampshire, and hadnt been harmed. Its also really scary to think that that person is still out there. Oh, definitely, yeah. Reporter wayne arrived to find his mom was still alive but in intensive care. And he learned that, for her protection, police had kept her under an alias, with armed guards. They were concerned, cause they didnt know if that person was at large or what the situation was or, was she targeted . So they were just, you know wanted to be safe. Reporter as rachel was fighting for her life, investigators had a Violent Crime to solve, with a shooter still on the loose. Home invasions dont typically happen frequently in maine. It was befuddling from the beginning. Reporter police would have to learn a lot more about rachel owens. When we come back, the investigation begins. I told him your wife was shot at that point mr. Owens said he thought he was having a heart attack. Greg owens was fine, but here was another potential heartstopper. Would you have possibly been a target for any of this . I hadnt even considered that thought. And all the garden fresh salad and breadsticks you want. Have everything you love all on one plate. May you always get just what you want. Create your own tour of italy for a limited time only at olive garden. With my moderate to severe crohns disease,. I kept looking for ways to manage my symptoms. I thought i was doing okay. Then it hit me. Managing was all i was doing. When i told my doctor,. I learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of moderate to severe crohns disease. Even after trying other medications. In clinical studies,. The majority of people on humira. Saw significant symptom relief. And many achieved remission. Humira can lower your ability. To fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened;. As have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where. Certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb,. Hepatitis b, are prone to infections,. Or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Just managing your symptoms . Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, remission is possible. People ask why i switched to sprint. Well, their Network Reliability is within 1 of the big guys. And they have the best price for unlimited among National Carriers and. Wait are you watching this on the awesome iphone 7 . You gotta get iphone 7 from sprint and theyll give you a second one on them what are you doing . Go switch to sprint whos he talking to . I dont know. But i better go to sprint. Wait two iphone 7s. Love you vo get sprint unlimited. And now get iphone 7 on us. For people with hearing loss, visit sprintrelay. Com. Fortunately theres a bedples dwhere you both get what yous . Want every night. Enter sleep number and the semiannual sale going on now. Sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. She likes the bed soft. Hes more hardcore. So your sleep goes from good to great to wow only at a sleep number store. Now its our lowest price ever on our temperature balancing i8 bed, save 700. Ends sunday. Go to sleepnumber. Com for a store near you. Reporter police in saco, maine had a strange, Violent Crime on their hands. A Home Invasion with a shooter at large and a victim in intensive care. She was very pale. She looked horrible. Reporter rachel owens had been shot in the head. Reporter you were told that she might not make it. Yes. Reporter that is very terrifying news. It was definitely challenging to see. I it was emotional. I, to see her like that. Like, i thought i thought that was going to be the last time id see her. Reporter as rachel lay in the icu, police in maine needed to get in touch with her husband gregg. They called their counterparts in londonderry, New Hampshire, ninety miles away. Sergeant nick pinardi is with the Police Department there. We were working a midnight shift. It was me and a couple other officers. Reporter saco Police Wanted him to go break the news to gregg in person. So i simply went over and told him, your wife was shot in in maine. At that point mr. Owens said he thought he was having a heart attack. So the officers helped him to the ground, sat him down. Reporter it turned out it wasnt a heart attack, hed apparently gone into shock. Gregg was eager to go see his wife. But first he went down to the police station, full of questions about her condition. Status of my wife. Yeah. Shes at the hospital right now. Shes alive . Shes alive. Prognosis . Were not sure right now. Shes still in surgery. But she is, you know, still alive right now. Any idea what happened . Were tr were maines trying to get some background information. Theyre investigating it on their side. Reporter gregg explained that his wife had gone up to maine for a few days to stay with friends. He said she had been struggling with her health recently and needed a getaway. What is the issue . Theyre saying that its early its an early on set dementia. He said she had trouble taking care of herself and remembering. He described how he really was the caretaker, had to make sure she ate. Reporter gregg said he thought the visit to maine would do rachel some good. He described a very loving relationship with him and his wife and their family. Reporter now as he talked about her, he could barely contain his emotions. Im sorry, sir. Go ahead. Okay. Do you know anybody that would wanna hurt either your your wife or the not to my knowledge, sir. My no. Thats why when you told me about when the officer told me my wife had been shot i damn near had a heart attack. Theres no nobody up there that would hurt or harm her to the best of my knowledge. Reporter as police spoke to gregg, another theory of the crime occurred to them. How about yourself . With with your line of work. Considering what youve the type of you work on. Reporter gregg described that work he did for military contractors, which often involved counterterrorism and sensitive security issues. Would anybody have thought you may have been up there . And would you have possibly been a target for any of this . I hadnt even considered that thought. But no, sir. I dont think theres anybody associated in my line of work that would wanna target me or my wife. Reporter of course, whether it was a robbery gone bad or a targeted attack, one more theory had to be looked at too. After all, he was the husband. So before taking gregg to see his wounded wife, investigators took him through a timeline of his night. Did you go to maine at all last night at all . No, sir. I did not. Reporter he told them hed worked all night on his computer, writing a proposal. And said he left his house twice. Once at night to go to the local circlek to get some cigarettes, and once in the morning to grab coffee. Mr. Owens was very open and willing to come talk to us and help out with our investigation. Reporter gregg assured police he completely understood why they had to ask him so many questions. Ive done my fair share of on scene battlefield interrogations. We look for the discrepancies. And thats, again thats why people ask, ask, ask. You know. Then you said you did somebody hurt my baby. He was essentially there as a helper on our end to help us build information for this case. Obviously if information comes in regarding the the best thing anybodys the best news was my wifes alive. Reporter and gregg told police he was desperate to see her, so they wrapped up their interview. I understand im being cleared. Reporter and promptly escorted him up to maine to be by his wifes side, along with their son wayne. Doctors had to make a tough call about that bullet still lodged in the back of rachels head. They were making a decision whether to operate or not operate. And then she had to go in for an angiogram to determine, like, the impact of what the bullet was doing, like, on a vein in her in her head. Reporter rachel was in and out of consciousness. Wayne spoke to her hoping she could hear him. Reporter what did you say to her . I just told her i was here. And that i was sorry. And that i would be here until she got better. Reporter that must have been so important, just seeing your face. I think it was. I hope so. Reporter and investigators had their own hopes. If rachel could pull through, maybe she could help identify the shooter. Reporter coming up a step in the right direction. They had discovered a foot print that was left in a flower bed. Reporter who left it . And what were they really after . There was no burglary. Nothing was stolen. No computers, no electronic devices. Reporter when dateline continues. Introducing an allnew crossover, toyota chr. Toyota. Lets go places. Everyday, millions of you walk through our front doors. And you inspired our new flavors. Introducing mcdonalds signature crafted recipes. Sweet barbecue bacon made with crispy onions. Pico guacamole made with real hass avocados. Maple bacon dijon with thickcut applewood smoked bacon. Purchase any signature crafted recipe sandwich and use the mcdonalds app to get a free medium fries and soft drink. You bring your flavor to the world. We bring ours to you. Those who suffer go to Great Lengths frto find relief. Ain finally theres drugfree aleve direct therapy®. A tens device with high intensity power that uses technology once only available in doctors offices for deep penetrating relief at the source. Aleve direct therapy. Shark has added a rotating soft brush. So while deepcleaning carpets, you can also grab large particles, pull in piles, and directly engage floors. Duoclean. Invented by shark. This and its also a story mail aabout people and while we make more ecommerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget. That your business is our business the United States postal service. Priority you are allergies holding you back . Break through your allergies. Try new Flonase Sensimist allergy relief instead of allergy pills. Its more complete allergy relief in a gentle mist experience youll barely feel. Using unique mistpro technology, new Flonase Sensimist delivers a gentle mist to help block six key inflammatory substances that cause your symptoms. Most allergy pills only block one. And six is greater than one. New Flonase Sensimist changes everything. Man lets go man 2 were not coming out man 1 [ sighs ] flo [ amplified ] i got this. Guys, i know being a firsttime homeowner is scary, but you dont have to do this. Man 2 what if a tree falls on our garage . Woman what if a tornado rips off our roof . Flo youre covered. And youve bundled your home and auto insurance, so youre saving a ton. Come on. You dont want to start your new life in a dirty old truck. Man 3 hey. Man 1 whoa, whoa. Flo sorry. Woman oh. Flo youre safe. Youre safe now. Woman i think im gonna pass out. Can you stop using the bullhorn . Flo i dont make the rules. Reporter rachel owens was fighting for her life in the icu after being shot 3 times by a masked intruder. It was touch and go. Doctors couldnt remove the bullet lodged in her head. They made a decision that it was probably the best case to leave it. It would probably cause more damage than good. Reporter wayne and his dad knew it was very possible she wouldnt pull through. I just wanted her to know that that her family was there. We were all there, like, wanting her to get better, and stay with us. Reporter but 36 hours after the shooting, her vitals stabilized. It was like a new day. There was like hope. Reporter rachel was going to make it. That pit just thats in your stomach like just kind of dissolves. I mean, someone should be dead if theyre shot in the head. You would think. Its amazing how lucky she was, and that maybe it wasnt maybe like one centimeter to the left or right, hit just that right angle where it didnt impact too far. Reporter rachel gradually woke up, began to heal, started her long road to recovery, and here is rachel today. Two years after the shooting, she still feels the effects of her injuries, but sat down to tell us her story. This has been an incredible ordeal. Reporter does it surprise even you sometimes that that here you are today, looking as good as you do, feeling as good as you do . It is. It is. Im surprised that im still here. Reporter what is it like having a bullet lodged in your head . I dont feel it. Its just staying still in the back. It just it went all around my brain. It just plopped there, and when the doctors told me that, we couldnt get the bullet out, you know, i said, okay. What am i supposed to do . Reporter she says she got through it with the support of her family. During her rehab, wayne made multiple trips to see her, and shed wake up to see her husband gregg by her side. He says, ill be right here when im done i had to do therapy. Ill be right here, and then hed fix me my food, and then wed eat together. Reporter rachel took us back to her time in maine and the hours leading up to the shooting. Reporter what had you all been doing that day, just while you were at your friends. Yeah, we went out to eat, just you know, having fun, and we went and did a little shopping, and we went back to her house, and then later on at night, thats when everything started. Reporter and once everything started, she says her memory essentially goes blank. Is there anything you remember . I dont. About that night . Cause i was sleeping in my room. Reporter there was only one image she said she could remember about the shooting, the same thing she told police. The intruder seemed to have a hat with a jamaican look. I was sleeping. So i remember a jamaican hat. Thats the only thing i remember. Reporter as she focused on recovering, police kept investigating. They didnt know what to make of that jamaican hat detail from rachel. It didnt match the skimaskwearing description the homeowner had given police. They zeroed in on evidence at the home. What was the crime scene telling you . The crime scene was telling us that they had first discovered a foot print that was left in a flower bed, and that was preserved immediately by the saco Police Department. How did they preserve that . The lead detective actually took off his coat that he was wearing that night, because it was a rainy night, and he actually laid his coat on top of the footprint itself to prevent the rain from destroying it any further. Reporter close to that footprint, they also saw that the window on the door to the garage was broken. They assumed that the intruder gained entry into the house initially by busting open that that door, busting that window. Was there anything left there on that window pane . No, nothing nothing obvious. Any blood on it, anything . No blood. Nothing . Nothing. Reporter at first glance it seemed the intruder had left no trace, but on closer inspection, they saw something. One of the crime scene investigators sees a hair, a tiny piece of hair in between two panes of glass. So they said, lets swab it and find out if we can collect any dna off this. You swab the hair, or they swab the glass . Nope, they swab in between the panes of glass. Maybe itll help, maybe it wont. Reporter by that point the investigators had formed a pretty clear sense of the intruders path through the house, culminating with the shooting upstairs. They found these shell casings in the bedroom, all of them marked wcc 1987. So thats a very old shell casing . 28 years old, yeah. Reporter and along with these pieces of physical evidence, one thing struck investigators. There was no burglary. Nothing was stolen. No computers, no electronic devices, nothing was taken. Reporter that helped bolster their working theory, that this was a targeted shooting, not a random Home Invasion, and that rachel owens was the intended victim. Three days into the investigation, police werent any closer to an arrest, but one tip was about to change everything. Coming up, a phone call with information that would send the case in a whole new direction, more than a thousand miles away. Is this just a wow moment in this investigation . Yes, it is. Its its a very big moment. [burke] and we covered it, november sixth, twothousandnine. Talk to farmers. We know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum but youve never had em quite like this. At red lobsters lobster shrimp summerfest, the lobster and shrimp you love are teaming up in so many new ways. Like new coastal lobster and shrimp, with a lobster tail with butter and herbs, sweet, smoky bbq red shrimp, and shrimp crusted with. Get this. Cape cod kettle chips. Or try lobster and shrimp overboard. A dish this good. Makes you this hungry. Its the highlight of the season, and cant last. So hurry in. E of wow savings. Wow means you save 50 or more. There are three stages of wow. Denial. Is this price right . Acceptance. And boooyah wait for it boooyah has three os. Grocery outlet bargain market its buy one, get one free on snickers and twix miniatures. Livestreat the airport. E sport, its buy one, get one free binge dvrd shows, while painting your toes. On demand laughs, during long bubble baths. Tv on every screen is awesome. The allnew Xfinity Stream app. All your tv at home. The most on demand, your entire dvr, top networks, and live sports on the go. Included with xfinity tv. Xfinity the future of awesome. Francisco. It happened after a verbal altercation turned physical. We just spoke to a witness who there when it happened. That story is updated on our website. Add a water warning in South San Francisco. People lining up for bottled water after crews found a damaged water tank, possibly tampered by vandals. We re tweeting from the scene. Reporter police in saco, maine believed the Home Invasion in their town was a targeted attack. Rachel owens had been shot in the head and detectives were chasing leads. At this time, theyre thinking, what do we have here . Is there a danger to the public . Reporter then they got a phone call. Is this just a wow moment in this investigation . Its yes, it is. Its its a very big moment in this investigation. Reporter the call led them all the way to oshkosh, wisconsin to this woman. Her name is Betsy Wandtke. Put your arms, hands around my neck. Reporter betsy is the founder of the Warrior Princess Training Academy, where she teaches self defense to women. And i will pull, and whenever i pull you thats when youre gonna go. Reporter over the years shes held a number of other jobs. I have been an emt for over 20 years. I was a firefighter. I ran the First Responder team up in ogdensburg, wisconsin, and i was a First Responder for quite awhile in oshkosh. Youre, like, action woman . Well, i like to help people. Reporter she says physical strength and fitness have always been important to her. You were a body builder . Yes. I was always into weight lifting. So i did a body building competition and a fitness competition. And it taught me a lot. Safe to say, you can protect yourself . I think thats safe to say. Reporter but back in 2006, betsy says she was feeling vulnerable. Her marriage of twenty years was falling apart. It was hard cause my husband and i were best friends. We just did everything together. Reporter then, as she boarded a flight home from a business trip one morning, a twist of fate. The stewardess came back and said theres a man thats upgraded you to first class. And that only happens in, like, romance novels . Right. Right. So i walked up there and this man stood up and he said, i think this is your seat. Reporter the two settled in and talked for the entire flight, realizing they had a lot in common, like shared passions for sports, hunting and fishing. We became friends. Did you feel like you really got a sense of this man, just on this one flight . I did. I felt like we were we had been connected for a long time, it happened so fast. But it was so easy. Reporter he and betsy stayed in touch as friends for the next three years. Then betsy got divorced. I thought it was a good time for for us to start seeing each other and maybe see if there was more there. Reporter turned out, there was a lot more. The two embarked on an intense love affair. The name of the new flame none other than gregg owens. He was very romantic. And he will not be happy im telling you this. But he used to love to give me pedicures. He would wow. If we we were gone somewhere, he would draw me a bath and he would pour me a glass of wine. I had never dated anybody w that was that romantic. Reporter gregg told her he was married to a woman named rachel. He said they were separated and getting divorced. But he did check in on her now and again because of her health issues. He wanted to make sure that she was welltaken care of, which i agreed with wholeheartedly. But that he had to kinda keep track of her because she was having some accidents and, you know, he wasnt sure how long he could leave her alone. Reporter at the time he said hed taken a contract job in texas, and would be back and forth to betsys about every two weeks. She was very excited every time he was gonna come home. Reporter joe lemire and his wife becky lived next door. How in love was betsy very with greg . Very in love. Could you just see it . Absolutely. Was it was it in her words, or her actions . Both of them together. They were very affectionate. Wed be sitting on their deck, and, you know, a song would come on, and hed yank her up, and start twirlin her around. They would just dance on the deck, you know. Reporter the two began building a life together traveling on cruises to the carribean and safari trips to africa. Is this your knight in shining armor . Oh, of course. Reporter after theyd been together five years, gregg helped betsy start her business. He even came up with that name the Warrior Princess Training Academy. Turn your body. You feel it . Yeah. Reporter gregg would provide advice and teaching skills based on the special forces training he told betsy he received from the army. But his military background, that betsy admired, also came with a hitch he told her his work as a defense contractor would mean a lot of overseas travel sometimes on Top Secret Missions he couldnt discuss. He would tell me that he was being shipped to afghanistan or pakistan to save other contractors, military contractors. These are dangerous areas . Absolutely. Reporter for one of his trips, gregg told betsy he was going to afghanistan and would be gone for weeks. He said they probably wouldnt talk but just a few days into his trip, betsy got a strange call. I heard h his voice. I started s i started calling his name. Reporter she thought he was calling from afghanistan and worried something had gone wrong on his mission. And i wasnt getting any response. And then i hear him talking to someone. Reporter but as she listened i heard a womans voice. And then i heard him say, wow, that was a good one, rach. And my heart just sunk. Reporter gregg hadnt meant to call her. It was a butt dial. you know hes gregg is in america . I do. Reporter and she knew he was home sounding perfectly happy with his wife. All that talk about getting a divorce seemed to be a lie. Betsy called back to confront him. I said, i know youre in New Hampshire. And i know that youre with rachel. And he said, no, you must have heard a satellite call that i was making to her. And i said, dont lie to me. I was furious. I was wild. I was shaking. And then he said i am here. But rachel had an accident. She almost burned down the house because she left a burner on. And so i had to come back here and get things organized. Did you believe any of it . I really wanted to. But there was that part of me that said, dont be stupid. Somethins goin on. Reporter betsy put her foot down. There was no way she could be with a married man. I said, im done. I cant do this anymore. You have to make a decision. You know, if youre if this divorce is not gonna go through, its because you dont want it to go through. So if you wanna go back to rachel, you need to do that. All of your stuff is in the garage. That was strong. Uhhuh. How did he take that . Because i know this man, from everything youre telling me, was in love with you . He didnt take it well. Coming up he said i think that somebodys targeting the people i love. Was someone trying to frame greg owens . And was betsy the next target . I went home and loaded every gun i have i was ready for war. Bring it on. When dateline continues. Moderate to severe alzheimers disease in patients taking donepezil. Namzaric may improve cognition and overall function, and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. Namzaric does not change the underlying disease progression. Dont take if allergic to memantine, donepezil, piperidine, or any of the ingredients in namzaric. Tell the doctor about any conditions; including heart, lung, bladder, kidney or liver problems, seizures, stomach ulcers, or procedures with anesthesia. Serious side effects may occur, including muscle problems if given anesthesia; slow heartbeat, fainting, more stomach acid which may lead to ulcers and bleeding; nausea, vomiting, difficulty urinating, seizures, and worsening of lung problems. Most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and bruising. woman 2 vo im caring for someone with moderate alzheimers. If you are too, ask about namzaric today. Its the applebees big bold grill combos. Try a chicken combo, combod with a ribs combo. Its the combo of combos. Combod two meats, two sides. The big bold grill combos. Starting at 12. 99. Only at applebees. Starting at 12. 99. Im not a customer, but im calling about that credit scorecard. Give it. Sure its free for everyone. Oh well thats nice and checking your score wont hurt your credit. Oh im so proud of you. Well thank you. Free at at discover. Com creditscorecard, even if youre not a customer. What do you have there . P3 its meat, cheese and nuts. I keep my protein interesting. Oh yea, me too. I have cheese and uh these herbs. P3 snacks. The more interesting way to get your protein. It shouldnt be whateverfleas and ticks. Home. No, no no no no. Seresto® kills and repels fleas and ticks for 8 continuous months for effective protection in an easytouse, nongreasy collar. 8month seresto®. From bayer. I decided to see if there was a way for design to play a. Positive role in what was going on in the world. Theres a jacket thats reflective for visibility. A sleeping bag jacket, jackets that turn into tents. I usually do my fashion sketches on the computer. I love drawing on the screen. Theres no lag time at all. It feels just like my markers. With fashion, you can dress people and help people. Its really cool to see your work come to life. Reporter in december 2014, Betsy Wandtke told her boyfriend gregg owens that after five years together, she was done. After hearing that accidental call, she realized hed been lying to her and wasnt separated from his wife rachel. Where do you go from here . I had to cut it off. I had to stop it before it ruined me. He doesnt seem like the kind of guy who would go down without a fight, to get you back . You have that right. Reporter sure enough, gregg kept calling her, insisting he loved her and that he really was divorcing rachel. Deeply upset, she opened up to her friends becky and joe about that butt dial that changed everything. She said that she had listened for, like, 20 minutes to the conversation and couldnt take it anymore. Reporter then, two weeks after the butt dial, betsy heard the disturbing news from maine. Rachel had been shot in a Home Invasion. I was frantic. I was calling everybody i could think of. Reporter even though shed broken up with him, betsy called gregg out of concern for him and his wife. And he said, yeah, i just found out. I think that somebodys targeting the people i love. Reporter she says gregg was in a panic, with his own suspicions about the shooting. It was someone that wanted to frame him and discredit him and ruin his life. And thats why rachel wasnt killed, just injured. And i might be the next one. You could be a target if what hes saying is true . Right. I went home and loaded every gun i have and i had knives in other rooms. I was ready for war. Bring it on. Wow. This is action betsy at her best . What do you . Im not gonna cower in a corner. I dont do that. Reporter while betsy was on alert, her friend joe heard about the shooting too, and he had a very different reaction. Thats because he wasnt just betsys neighbor. He was the local police chief. I said, in the world i come from, i dont believe in coincidences. I said, ive gotta do something. Reporter joe thought the investigators in maine needed to know what he knew about gregg owens and his relationship with betsy. So the chief in wisconsin called his counterparts to fill them in. Chief lamiere calls and puts a new spin on the whole thing. Gregg owens had been living a double life. Uhhuh. Yeah. Reporter with that news, gregg quickly became investigators main suspect in the shooting. But betsy couldnt believe he would ever harm his wife. cause he loved rachel. He had never spoken ill of rachel. Had he lied to me about being there . Yeah, he did. But that doesnt make somebody a killer. Reporter and the gregg she knew was an experienced marksman, a sniper. And if a sniper wanted someone to die, dont you think they could get that done . As offing as that sounds, im trying to make a point. The point is that if he really wanted to kill her, i think he coulda done it. Reporter and gregg kept insisting that the person who did shoot rachel was really out to get him. He began sending betsy alarming emails, writing the ambush was meant for us. We were blown and setup. Go dark if anyone talks to you. What did he mean by, go dark . Oh. Going dark means dont talk to anybody, dont tell em anything. Law enforcement, friends, family. Reporter so when local police came to question her about her relationship with gregg, she lied and said the two were just friends. Nothing more. What do you say to those people who are going to be like, betsy, come on, whats wrong with you . You seem like this smart lady. Well, the first question i would ask is have you ever been in love, i mean, head over heels in love, to the point where you would do anything to protect that relationship and and the person you love . Reporter but then betsy got a visit from the fbi. Because the case now involved three different states, it was a federal investigation. What were they telling you, the f. B. I. . That she had gotten shot. Shot in the arm, shot in the leg, a bullet grazed her abdomen and and a bullet was lodged in the back of her head. Is that when reality just sets in that, my gosh, someone wanted this woman dead . Right. Reporter thats when betsy decided to come clean about her relationship with gregg, and the lies. She was very critical. She came across very well. Reporter federal prosecutors Darcie Mcelwee and jim chapman took on the case. They believed the key to it all was the double life gregg was leading with betsy. She was the motive. It became clear that he was truly in love with her and that she was the one he wanted to be with, which would explain how someone who never had shown any violence towards his wife, was capable of Something Like this. Reporter but if the prosecutors theory was true, that gregg had tried to kill his wife to be with betsy, his plan had failed. And after three weeks in the hospital, rachel was set to go home with gregg. We believe she was going home with a man who tried to kill her. Rachel was about to be released from this hospital. So we were afraid that she was gonna be finished off. We had the swat team ready. We had surveilled him and we followed him essentially up to this intersection, the swat team overtook him and arrested him. This must have been a dramatic scene outside this hospital. It was pretty crazy. Reporter thats when special agent flick went inside and broke the news to rachel, the fbi believed she was shot by her own husband. And she looked up at me with these beautiful, big eyes and said, gregg shot me . And i said, yes, he did. I just couldnt believe it. cause he was comin to see me. So i had no knowledge that he wouldve done that to me. Did you think that gregg was capable of doing Something Like that. No, i never thought hed do that to me. Reporter wayne couldnt quite fathom it either, his own dad, the hero of his youth. I guess i was more in denial than anything. I didnt want to accept that he really did shoot my mom and try to kill her. Reporter gregg owens was charged in federal court with crossing state lines to commit a crime of Domestic Violence and put in jail. Prosecutors knew their case was mostly circumstantial. Theres not that smoking gun, if you will . Correct. We did not have one piece of evidence that stood out and made it significant. Reporter whats more, gregg had an alibi. He had told police he was working at home that night, 90 miles away from the shooting. Hed sent emails to his coworkers that he said proved it. When the case went to trial, betsy would have to testify against the man she once loved, and he was reaching out from behind bars, to stop her. Coming up gregs emails indicated he was in New Hampshire. How could he have shot his wife 90 miles away in maine . If the jurors didnt believe that he could drive from New Hampshire to saco and back in the timeline laid out they would have some doubt. And greg owens would go free. Since i came to know you baibe ive been telling you how sweet youre. Ive been telling you how good youre. Please tell me how i look. You look so good, fantastic man. With my moderate to severe crohns disease,. I kept looking for ways to manage my symptoms. I thought i was doing okay. Then it hit me. Managing was all i was doing. When i told my doctor,. I learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of moderate to severe crohns disease. Even after trying other medications. In clinical studies,. The majority of people on humira. Saw significant symptom relief. And many achieved remission. Humira can lower your ability. To fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened;. As have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where. Certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb,. Hepatitis b, are prone to infections,. Or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Just managing your symptoms . Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, remission is possible. The best tour of italy is the at olive garden. Create your own tour of italy starting at 12. 99. Choose 3 of 9 of your favorites. Delicious new grilled chicken parmigiana. Always a favorite lasagna classico. And all the garden fresh salad and breadsticks you want. Have everything you love all on one plate. May you always get just what you want. Create your own tour of italy for a limited time only at olive garden. Reporter gregg owens was now in jail. Hed pleaded not guilty in the shooting of his wife. And as he was awaiting trial. You have a collect call from gregg owens. Reporter he continued to reach out to his former girlfriend betsy, still trying to convince her they could be together someday. When the divorce is final, which should be here in the next six to eight weeks, i will send you a copy of it. Just the final copy. Ive heard from so many people that the divorce was never filed. The divorce has been filed. All right . I didnt lie to you about it. I was trying to keep it hidden for a reason. Reporter but betsy wasnt standing for the lies anymore. You told me you were in afghanistan and you werent. You were at home, in New Hampshire. I wasnt. I was not. Thats the whole point. Reporter over and over gregg pledged his love for her. Betsy believes he was desperately trying to keep her on his side before the trial. Betsy, i love you more than life itself. You are my partner, my lover, my life, and im out of time. Reporter youre my partner, my lover and my life. Yep. Reporter is that pulling at you hearing that . Oh, god, yeah. All those memories . Yeah. He knew how much i loved him. And he was willing to play on that. And that really made me more angry. Reporter gregg owens trial began in january 2016, just over a year after the shooting. The prosecutors presented a number of pieces of physical evidence investigators had uncovered against gregg. In his car, a pair of muddy boots. One appeared to match that print at the crime scene. And at his house they found a ski mask that resembled the one the homeowner described. And these shell casings in a cup on his desk. Why were those so critical . They were critical because they were the same 1987 ammunition with the same head stamps as those found at the scene. Reporter and there was one more big piece of the puzzle still remaining. Remember the glass from the garage door that was swabbed for dna . After greggs arrest, the results finally came back. The dna found was in fact gregg owens dna. Reporter this is really sealing your case. We felt so. We thought it did. Reporter and the prosecutors gave the jury their theory of why gregg owens wanted to kill his wife, saying it was all triggered by that butt dial to betsy two weeks earlier. Because it gave us a critical time point. Because that appeared to be when he began making preparations to harm rachel. Reporter was this a man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too . Exactly. Absolutely. Reporter they brought betsy to court to tell the jury about her fiveyear romantic relationship with gregg. When i got in there, i sat down. And he actually winked at me. And i would have crawled across that table and put my hands around his neck. Reporter what was that wink trying to say to you, do you think . It was more manipulation. It was, lets reconcile. Reporter rachel took the stand, too, showing the jury her injuries. And she took her own chance to wink at gregg. What was with that . Were you just being a little mischievous . I dont exactly. You know what . That was my time in court with him, you know . And i could do that to him. I went like that. Reporter then it was the defenses turn, starting with a simple point. No one could i. D. The shooter. Reporter scott dolan covered the trial for the Portland Press herald newspaper. He says greggs attorney carefully tried to poke holes in the prosecutions case beginning with rachels one memory of the intruder. She described him as wearing a jamaican hat. So no one i. D. Ed gregg owens. Reporter and while investigators collected a number of guns from greggs home, none turned out to be the weapon from the shooting. They never recovered the gun. And when police went to gregg owens house in New Hampshire, he was there. He wasnt in maine. Reporter greggs attorney noted that even with all the Traffic Cameras along the route from his house in New Hampshire to maine, police never found an incriminating image. They had to go through all the highway footage looking at car after car after car, and there was no sign of greggs car. Reporter and the one image that was captured of gregg seemed to corroborate his alibi. It was this gregg getting coffee at Dunkin Donuts in New Hampshire at 4 35 a. M. That was 90 miles away from the shooting in maine. His attorney said he couldnt have made the trip that quickly. That was a big piece. If the jurors didnt believe that he could drive from New Hampshire to saco and back in the timeline laid out, they would have some doubt. Reporter as for that dna on the glass, the defense explained it like this. It made sense that owens dna would be there. He had been there for an Anniversary Party in that very garage. Reporter and gregg had his computer alibi. The defense said timestamps on his emails showed hed been working at home that night just as hed told police all along. But prosecutors said not so fast. On closer inspection his computer had another tale to tell. The day before the shooting he conducted a Google Search how to change clock on computer. And then he had a note on the desk in front of the computer, change time, change chrome time. Reporter and lo and behold, forensic investigators determined gregg had tampered with the computers timestamp. He knew the shooting happened around 2 45, and he wanted to make it look like he was at his computer as late as 2 30. So that it would have been incapable for him to have in saco. Reporter after hearing two weeks of testimony, the jury retired to deliberate. Three hours later, they had their verdict. Guilty. Rachel was in the courtroom. What did you think when you heard that guilty verdict . I said, yes. Reporter its amazing that you were there to be able to say, yes, after everything. Yeah, it was a long journey. Let me tell you that. Reporter did you have mixed emotions when you heard that . I mean, thats your father. To be honest, its sad. Its sad that it had to come to all of this. You know, im losing a father. I was grateful that he was found guilty. To say i was happy . No, definitely not. I was happy that my mom was well. And that she could have, you know, some peace. Reporter five months later, the judge sentenced gregg owens to life in prison. Hes now appealing his conviction. I have no doubt that he loved rachel. I do believe he loved me. I think that he was just narcissistic enough to believe that he could have both lives. Reporter today betsy says shes a little embarrassed that the head of the Warrior Princess Training Academy was duped by a man who was no prince at all. Here you are fighting against violence against women. And the man you loved did it right under your nose. It is the ultimate irony. Because he knows i have fought for womens rights, and then he does this . I dont know how you could disrespect somebody even more . Reporter but most of all, she says, she hopes that rachel can move on from this tragedy and heal, physically and mentally. Is there anything you would say to her . Oh, my god, yeah. Im sorry. I wish i could change it. I wish it had never happened. She doesnt deserve it. Shes a great lady, and shes strong. Shes so strong. So yeah, i wish her the best. I want her to get on with her life. I hope that things work out. Reporter even though they both testified at trial, the two women in this nearly deadly love triangle have never met. So we shared with rachel what betsy said about her. Oh, wow. Reporter what do you make of that . Thats something. That means she really thought of me. Thats good. Thats a nice lady there. Reporter today, rachel lives with wayne and her grandchildren, and despite that bullet in her head she remains strong, eager to put her now exhusband far behind her. Have you talked to him at all, heard from him . No. Reporter anything you would say to him . It wouldnt be appropriate. Reporter wed need bleeps . Exactly. Yeah, hes the loser. Thats all for this edition of dateline. Dont miss the premiere of sunday night with megyn kelly, starting this sunday at 7 00, 6 00 central. And of course, ill see you each weeknight for nbc nightly news. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, good night. Bay area citys water supply in doubt. Tonight, a peninsulain a hotel neighborhood put on nic right now at 11 00, dont drink the tap water tonight, a peninsula neighborhood put on notice after someone tampered with the nearby water storage tank. The question now, why . The news at 11 00 starts right now. Good evening. Thank you for joining us. Im janelle wang sitting in for raj and jessica. What was a vandal up to no good . Has the big question tonight in South San Francisco after someone climbed onto a wat