Lots of secrets, too. It kind of sent chills up my back. Something was tearing a family apart. I dont even know where to start. Or was it someone . The most coldblooded, evil person. A family feud. And an innocent man caught in the middle. It really shows you that people see the ghosts of their loved ones, i wanted that so bad. So bad. Im lester holt and this is dateline. Heres Keith Morrison with the root of all evil. Reporter the hunting is good here in the arkansas delta. Twice a year, a horde of migrating mallards descends on flooded rice fields. Deer stare out through thickets of hardwood. You have to be quiet, surefooted. Your aim true. Thats what marc despains dad taught him. Thats what marc taught his own son. Before the hatred worked its way in. Sometimes its overwhelming that anger, isnt it . It is. It is. Reporter the anger that pitted father against son. It almost got physical. It just it breaks my heart. Reporter and husband against wife. I just wanted to go into protective mode and protect us all. Reporter and brought the hunting to town on a deathly quiet summer afternoon. Can you please hurry . Ok. Im going to get them out there. Please send an ambulance. Reporter what could be left but the bitter taste of recrimination. He is evil. He is not the kind person that hes got the public convinced that he is. Reporter jonesboro is both a college town and a farm town. Tends to the needs of young minds and rice farmers on the vast plain of sticky, fertile clay west of the mississippi river. Its where marc despain breezed through school with his easy charm. Tana is his mother. He was the only freshman that we know of that was chosen by a senior to go to the senior prom. Reporter marc became a High School Football star and his sister jacque watched him bring his trophies home to lay at the feet of his father, jack. He really did look up to to dad. And he you know, he always wanted to, you know, impress him and stuff. Reporter and then . Well, its an old story, really. When i was 18 and he was 19, we just bumped into each other. Reporter pretty michelle. She was sitting on top of a car when marc spotted her one night. Tiny, doeeyed. And, before long, pregnant. The way i was brought up, if you got a girl pregnant, you married her. Thats just what you did. Reporter so there was a shotgun wedding. Two families thrown together. Marc and his parents, jack and tana. Michelle and her long divorced parents, her mom kathy and her dad carl. Michelle also brought along a baby from an earlier relationship. And he never treated her like she was not his. Never. Reporter together they had two boys. He loved his kids. I mean, just anything they ever dreamed of, he would do his damndest to get it. Anything. Reporter the Little Family moved into a trailer marcs parents bought them. And marc studied hard to become a real estate appraiser, like his mom, and went into business with his parents. Which, said michelle, is about when things began to go wrong. Marc didnt like to be pushed around by his dad. He was an independent person. Reporter the growing tension spilled over at the kitchen table. Marc demanded a bigger share of the money. They argued. And then michelle chimed in. Oh, boy. Oh my goodness, when she opened her mouth, dad just flipped off the handle. And, of course, marc just, i dont know, stepped in as as a husband, like a husband should do. Reporter thats how it began. The trouble between father and son. The trouble that was going to get so much worse. Marc split away from the family business. Michelle helped with the bookkeeping. I was just amazed at what they were able to accomplish. Reporter and they were a good team, said michelles mother kathy. They both just had the ability to Work Together and to make money. Reporter marc got into real estate investment. His first, a trailer park no one else would touch. I couldnt believe he bought that. I was just, what are you thinking have you lost your mind . He flipped it made him about 100,000 profit. And so having done it once, he figured hed do it again absolutely. And again and again. Absolutely. Reporter and the money seemed to roll in. Marc moved his family to an upscale neighborhood in the southern part of town. Adrift from his own parents, he spent more and more time with michelle, taking them on family trips. Even hired michelles dad carl to be his rent collector. I remember a lot of times walking in and carl would be sitting at the dining room table. And must be 50s, 100s, 20s. He was counting them like a drug dealer. Just piles of money . Piles of money. Reporter and then, one august afternoon, michelle came home from work early. When i walked in, there werent any lights on, everything was knocked onto the floor. Reporter and then she got to the kitchen. And there he was. And hes laying in the floor and there was blood coming all out from behind him. And i shook his leg and said his name and i looked around and there was stuff in the floor everywhere. And i got scared. Reporter she ran outside, terrified, and called 911. Whats your emergency . My my my husband i just came home and maam, i need you to take a deep breath. Ok . And tell me whats going on. I dont know. Reporter michelle ran across the street to a neighbors house, desperate to hide. Shes not answering the door, ok . Do you want me to stay on the phone with you . No. I need to call my mom. Ok. Call your mom. Im going to get them en route. It was a voice that scared me. You know, you pick up the phone and you hear one of your kids on the phone and you hear crying. Phone and you hear crying. Reporter kathy raced over there, found michelle sobbing on the curb. And shes i gotta get to him. I gotta get to him. I just kind of grabbed my daughter by the shoulder. And im like michelle, hes gone. Hes gone. Reporter so he was. Dead on his own kitchen floor. A young wife is now a widow and the horror of what she witnessed is unforgettable. Is that a sight that lives in your mind a lot . A lot. Her familys good life suddenly gone. Or maybe it hadnt been so good. He was kind of embarrassed to come and get money from me. Money. Is that a clue . You make me wanna say ohhh, ohhh, ohhh, ohhh you make me wanna say oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh once there was a girl who put she always mixed and matched, even in her laundry room. With downy unstopables for long lasting scents and infusions for softness, her mix was like a fine fragrance for her clothes. Mmmmm. discreet i call it scentcessorizing. Transform your clothes, with mix, match, magic. Downy infusions and unstopables. Wash in the wow. We begin in northern italy two newest tours of italy discover winding slopes of velvety fettuccine alfredo with portobello peaks. Overlooking rich chicken lombardy with smoked Italian Cheeses and bacon and indulgent asiago tortelloni or, head south to explore the bold, spicy flavors of the mediterranean coast all served with unlimited salad and fresh baked breadsticks. Hurry in. Only available through the holidays. At olive garden, were all family here. Now order olive garden to go on your smartphone. So we have some special guests today to tell us all about the seasons hottest toys. Who else . Kids. This kj. Kj, how are you enjoying leaptv . Hmm . Jjjust say itits just for kids. Its a. Its educational. And. Melissa . Julia is playing with the go go my walking pup. What do you think, julia . Good puppy. Good puppy. Ok, well there you go. Clearly theyre excited that walmart has the hottest toys. Get special financing when you use your walmart credit card. Reporter they are burned into Michelle Despains brain. The images of that awful afternoon shadows in the hallway her husband. His blood. Him laying on the floor. Is it a sight that lives in your mind a lot . A lot. Oh, yes. Reporter outside, a crowd of police and friends and family and curious neighbors gathered on the street below marcs house. Among them, in an awful state, was marcs sister jackie. You know, everything was wrapped in tape. And police officers, you cant cross here. You cant do this. You cant do that. I dont know, i just wanted to hold his hand or something. Reporter detective vic brooks was on the other side of that police tape. When i first walked in i noticed that were some papers that appeared to be knocked on the ground. And there was some broken glass and stuff like that on the floor. Reporter investigators snapped photos of the chaos. Drawers pulled out in a bedroom. Clothes thrown into the bathtub. A jewelry case toppled over. Like somebody was looking for something . Possibly. Reporter they asked around the neighborhood. Did anyone see any strangers that afternoon . And, yes, someone did. Investigators told prosecutor scott ellington. An africanamerican was seen in the neighborhood wearing a certain colored shirt. Reporter it wasnt just that. Later somebody said they saw an aging and beat up blue mercedes circling the neighborhood. So, thieves casing the house . Maybe. And yet . As detective brooks looked around the house he could see this just didnt have the hallmarks of a robbery the valuable stuff, tv sets, guns, computers, were untouched. And look at this photo sitting next to marcs keys and a cell phone on the kitchen island is a container of ice cream. It appeared that he had just walked in and set these items down and then was caught totally off guard. Reporter all of that seemed to shriek of a planned ambushed, dressed up a little too much like a robbery. The way investigators pieced it together, somebody was waiting for marc to get home, then crept up from behind, shot him twice. He had suffered two gunshot wounds one that appeared to have entered from on his left side. And then another shot that he had sustained to his face. That was a kind of, what is a kill shot or something . Yes, sir. Reporter somebody making sure. It appeared so, yes. Reporter why would someone want to kill marc despain . I was so confused. I just i didnt think marc had any enemies. And i didnt know why anybody would want to kill him. Reporter detective brooks soon discovered a possible reason. Even though theyd been living lavishly, marc had serious money trouble. He was kind of embarrassed to have to come and get money from me. Reporter it was a couple of months before the murder, said michelles mother kathy. Marc asked her for cash to help pay for michelles birthday present. You know, thats very unusual. Because usually they just go out and buy whatever they want. Reporter not anymore. That summer, 2011, jonesboro real estate was far from recovered. Many of marcs rental properties were underwater. The bank was closing in. Tenants were being forced out of their homes. So was anybody set up with marc . Was this any of his tenants . Could this have been somebody like that . Reporter and then an ugly little surprise crawled out of marcs own troubled family. Marc and his parents were lobbing lawsuits at each other over some shared property. The prosecutor heard that marcs dad jack was a hothead. Jack was very, very angry at marc for mishandling this property that they coowned together. Reporter yes. But it went deeper than that. It went to a very dark place, as you will see. And because of it, marc hadnt spoken to his parents in years. So when jack showed up at the crime scene, the suspicion was, well, audible. Michelles dad carl started yelling at him. Cursing very loudly calling him all kinds of names. Reporter but what was he saying . Theres that son of a bitch, jack despain. Reporter did you think that jack was somehow responsible . Oh, yeah. Marc had told multiple people, if anything ever happens to me, yall look at my dad. Reporter so, of course, detective brooks invited jack down to the Police Station. Just maybe this mystery would have a quick, if very disturbing, solution. Coming up a young girl makes a troubling accusation that divides a family. Oh, my god. Could this have possibly happened . But was that the motive for murder . Was it even true . When dateline continues. He counted on merrill edge to streamline his investing and help him plan for the road ahead. Thats the power of streamlined connections. Thats merrill edge and bank of america. Why do i cook for the to share with family to carry on traditions to come together, even when were apart in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more, swanson® makes holiday dishes delicious thanks for protecting us from trash cans chair legs, and helping us appreciate your enthusiasm. This holiday season, give thanks to the pets who inspire you. At petsmart, save up to 30 on dog beds petsmart®. Give a journey. Give a new perspective. Give a little joy. A book is a gift like no other. And barnes noble is like no other book store in the world. With so many books to discover and the new nook by samsung now a full featured tablet. A book is the gift theyll remember long after the holidays are over. Reporter its an unpleasant thing to think about. Parents murdering their own children. But it happens. Its an old story, frankly. Some awful glitch, perhaps, in the human recipe. Had it happened here, in jonesboro . Suspicion fell quickly on marcs dad jack despain. Michelles mom heard about it when she called to tell a relative that marc was dead. Somebodys murdered marc. And he was like, oh, my god. He said, have they found jack despain . He thought right away it was jack. Uhhuh. Reporter because anyone close to jack and his family knew that a poison far more potent than money had come between father and son. I never saw it coming. I dont think marc ever saw it coming. Reporter it began, said michelle, when her 13year old daughter told them an ugly story. That her grandpa jack asked her to take nude photos of herself on his phone. Marc called a family meeting. Marc told his dad theres a problem. We want to help you. You know you know, were not here to point fingers at you or to judge you. Reporter jack swore he did nothing wrong. Marc called in the police. Tana, jacks wife of more than thirty years, left him. Moved in with marc and michelle. Well, how do you prepare for a thing like that . You dont. You dont prepare. Well, what is that like . You just your mind is in overdrive, you know, trying to think, you know, could this have possibly happened . Reporter but after the police interviewed the girl, and then jack, and then the girl again, and heard her story change. It became more elaborate. The investigation was dropped. And tana, driven with guilt for ever suspecting jack abused his granddaughter, went back to him and begged forgiveness. The man ive been married to for over 30 years and went to high school with and then doubting him and knowing i shouldnt have. Reporter but marc and michelle, believing the girl, never spoke to his mom or dad again. Cut them off from their grandkids. Disowned marcs sister when she took jacks side. I believe dad 100 . I dont believe he had anything to do with it. Reporter so that was the ugly backdrop to the murder investigation. And detective brooks would have to figure out if this yearsold unproven allegation had so eaten away at marcs dad that it pushed him over the edge. Time to meet potential suspect number one. Im going to close that door, mr. Despain. Reporter detective brooks sat down with jack in an Interrogation Room. And watched the man fall apart. I cant. [ crying ] reporter was this true grief the detective was witnessing . Or regret . Or guilt over something jack had done . Or hadnt done . I was too late. Reporter too late. What did he mean . Jack didnt shy away from discussing those abuse allegations. Heres how it happened, he said she had taken some nude photos of herself and sent them to her boyfriends. Reporter jack said he found out the girl was sexting, confronted her, said he was going to tell her parents. But she got to her parents before he did, jack said, and invented a story to get out of trouble. So they took her side, i guess. They took her side. And said i was the bad person. Reporter jack told us the same story, eager, he said, to finally set the record straight. You didnt ever ask her to take pictures of herself and give them to you . No. No. Reporter but the accusation, said jack, almost destroyed him i was at home. I could have opened up my own whiskey store, i think with how much whiskey i drunk for two months and typically i dont drink. But that was just to kill the pain. Because everybody assumed that you were abusing your own granddaughter. Yes. Yes. Reporter the detective wondered did jacks pain drive him to seek revenge on his own son . No, said jack. No. He wanted to reconcile with marc, not kill him. I know i aint talked to my son in four, five years but i loved him dearly. Reporter anyway, when marc was murdered, said jack, he was miles away at his own house. I was on the roof trying to put some shingles on. Reporter that alibi would have to be checked out, of course. But even before detective brooks had a chance to do that, other members of the family came down to the Police Station and told him dont be fooled by jacks tears. He was an angry and possibly violent man. He said, i will ruin you and your family. He said, for you all accusing me of this. He said, i will see you ruined. Reporter this is michelles dad, carl. The man whod been cursing jack out on the street right there at the murder scene. If i was gonna point a finger at anybody, if thats what youre asking, id point it at jack despain. Reporter detective brooks could plainly see this was a family with a troubling history. So he made a decision. To attend marc despains visitation. Take a look around. See what his gut would tell him. I saw a note where you in your case file, you wrote this has to be one of the strangest visitations i have ever attended . It was just a cold feeling. It just did not feel right. Reporter was the killer sitting among the mourners. Planning a next move . Coming up a family feud at the funeral. She calls the police on us. And somebody else calls the police with a tip that could crack the case. This is a nice little gift. It was. Finally get in shape. Not to be focusing, again, on my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. So i finally made a decision to talk to my dermatologist about humira. Humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. In clinical trials, most adults with moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis saw 75 skin clearance on humira. And the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. 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. Set a new goal today. Ask your dermatologist about humira. Because with humira clearer skin is possible. Takealready 10 to 50 off. Ys when you shop over 100 early bird specials saturday morning at kohls. Youll earn kohls cash too. Find your yes. Kohls. To make dinner more delicious. With eleven plump tomatoes in every jar, our sauce is richer, thicker and more delectable than ever. And bursting with so much taste, it brings families together. Ragu. Make dinner taste better. Theand the kids always eat sky their vegetables. E. Because the salad there is always served with the original Hidden Valley ranch. All of my holiday shopping. Wow, thats a really good idea. I can get an xbox one for my son, i want one of those. A keurig 2. 0 for my wife. Oh id one. What are you going to get me . Um, the samsung tv. Thank you. Youre welcome. With walmarts unbeatable prices, you can make every day Til Christmas count. For most people, earning cash back ends here, at the purchase. But theres a new card in town. Introducing the citi® double cash card. It lets you earn cash back when you buy and again as you pay. Thats cash back twice. Its cash back with a side of cash back. The citi double cash card. The only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1 when you buy and 1 as you pay. With two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem onesided. Back to our story. A young father has been murdered and the search for his killer is focused on those closest to him, for good reason. His family and his wifes family are divided by a bitter feud. That fight has gotten so ugly that even his funeral is about to be turned into a battleground. Here again is Keith Morrison. Reporter michelle and marc. Just children, really, when they got married. Now marc was dead. Gunned down in the family kitchen. And michelle had to plan his funeral. She was barely functioning, she said. I couldnt even tell you who was at the you know, who was there, it was just a blur. It all still just feels like a blur. Reporter but there was one thing she was clear about. Marcs parents and sister were not welcome at his funeral. What was the funeral like for you . Oh, it was awful. We couldnt sit down on the main level with the family. Reporter why . They michelle wouldnt let us. She barred us. Reporter it was the same at the cemetery. Shes literally trying to get him in the ground before we can even walk up. Reporter you mean get them to fill in the grave . Yes. We just immediately jump out of our car and we start rushing to the graveside. And she calls the police on us. She calls the police at my at my brothers funeral. Reporter yet, for all the chatter about jack, that he might have killed his own son, detective brooks instincts said, no. Jacks alibi checked out. He was fixing his roof in the afternoon of the murder. And those tears in the Interrogation Room i did not feel anything as being fake from mr. Despain. He appeared to be a broken man at that time. Reporter so what to make of the fractured family and all the bad blood now tangled up with so much grief . Detective brooks thought back to his interview with michelles dad, carl. The man who pointed a finger at jack on day one. He told him he didnt want to have nothing to do with him. Reporter carl said hed been in marcs house not too long before the murder. Dropped off some rent money. Why didnt they shoot me instead of him . I had the money in my hand. Reporter interesting timing . Coincidence . Or, as detective brooks wondered, did carl have something to do with the murder . Maybe not. Carls alibi checked out. Surveillance cameras, in fact, caught carl right where he said he was around the time marc was gunned down, meeting his daughter at the bank where she worked. He could not have shot marc. While the investigation continued, marcs parents spent time at the cemetery, finally able to do what they couldnt when their son was still alive. Wed talk to him. Talk to marc. Rainy days were the worst. I didnt like rainy days. Reporter what do you mean rainy days . I didnt like him getting wet. I knew he was in heaven. But i just didnt like the rain on him. Reporter and then . Pure luck, really. Remember how neighbors reported seeing an africanamerican stranger in the neighborhood . Now someone called the cops with a tip. Somebody who matched that description was actually boasting about shooting marc despain. Reporter that was a nice, little gift . It was. Reporter didnt take them long to find the guy. Street name, qualow, real name terrance barker. And he was nervous. I can see your heart beating through that shirt right now. I know youre scared. Reporter he denied everything. I dont know what to tell you, man. I didnt do this. Reporter detective brooks wasnt buying it. Because by then, the police also tracked down the driver of that beat of beatup blue mercedes near the house before the murder. And he told the cops he took qualow to meet a man in a Church Parking lot. And that man wanted a job done. Was that job murder . I didnt do that. I did not do that, sir. Reporter by now detective brooks had been working night and day for a week. His store of patience ran out. This is serious [ bleep ] to me. Ive got three kids that are laying over there crying. Reporter was it that angry speech . Or another long night in his cell . The next day, qualow, came clean for a promise of 7 to 10,000, still unpaid, he said he took the job to shoot and kill marc despain. You fired the first round and that round hits him where . It hits in the chest area. Reporter he didnt know marc from adam, he said. It was the man from the parking lot who took him to marcs house, told him where to lie in wait for marc, gave him a gun. And then qualow said something surprising. Ive been thinking, like man, what the what what in the hell kind of people do [ bleep ] like that . Reporter the shooter who executed a stranger for the mere promise of a few grand, said he was appalled. Not at himself at the man who hired him. People are something else, man. You know, its especially people that you think care about you and love you. Theyre supposed to be these are the same [ bleep ] that be in your face plotting on you. Reporter if the hitman was telling the truth, detective brooks hunch had been right. Someone who claimed to love marc, also plotted his death. But who . Coming up michelle confesses to an affair. And there was another surprise. There were two insurance policies, each for the amount of 500,000. When dateline continues. Co eleven holiday sweaters and five. Shhh its for them. Sign up at gap. Com. Visa checkout. The easier way to pay online. Visa. Everywhere you want to be. Campbells® fiesta chicken sausage and pepper rigatoni. Southwest style bean barley. Tuscany Style Chicken and pasta. If you think campbells® 33 new soups sound good. Imagine how they taste mm mm good ® when hollywoods premiere jewelry designer, neil lane, creates a ring for todays biggest stars. He designs it to look fabulous from every angle. And for his collection at kay jewelers. He does the exact. Same. Thing. Yes neil lane bridal. Uniquely beautiful handcrafted rings at kay, the number one Jewelry Store in america. My collection is vintage inspired. With flowing lines that evoke a sense of timelessness. Because i want every woman to feel like a star. Every kiss begins with kay. On my journey across america, ive learned that when you ask someone in texas if they want big savings on car insurance, its a bit like asking if they want a big hat. scuse me. Or a big steak. Or big hair. I think we have our answer. Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Reporter its shocking what some people will do for the promise of a few thousand dollars. Like lie in wait for marc des pain and then put a bullet in his head. But revealing his paymaster . That the hitman did for free. And the name . Somebody called me and said, have you heard, carls just got arrested. Im like, oh, my god. He did this. Reporter carl kathys exhusband. Michelles dad. But marc gave him a house, and a job and took on family vacations. And once again, said michelle, she was stunned. I thought that he cared for marc, you know, the father of my kids. Reporter but michelles mom kathy was not so surprised. She knew what carl was capable of. She divorced him years earlier, she said, to escape his explosions of temper. He never would hit me. Because he didnt want to leave a mark. What would he do . He would hold a gun to my head. Hold a gun to your head . Yes. Threaten you . Yes. Reporter still, what would make him mad enough to have marc killed . Confronted, carls face turned to stone. Im not going to say anything without my lawyer. Reporter but as investigators discovered, carl had been talking to other people, told them marc had been physically abusing michelle, that he was tired of it. Did you investigate whether or not any abuse actually occurred in that marriage . There was not any abuse ever found to have been to have happened. Reporter so, if the abuse story was an obvious lie, why did carl do it . Marcs parents were certain he didnt come up with the idea on his own. The real mastermind, they believe, was someone else very close to marc, his wife michelle. I could not see carl taking my sons life without michelle being involved. Reporter michelle was far from a loving, doting wife, they said. The woman they knew was pure selfinterests would do anything to get what she wanted. Exhibit a . So what was it that just turned mark against you . Michelles manipulation. Reporter it was michelle who pushed marc to break away from the family business, they said. Michelle who tore the family apart by stoking her own daughters allegation of abuse to drive a permanent wedge between marc and his dad and get marc and his money all to herself. They could easily see her talking her father into a murder. Michelle is a sociopath. She cares absolutely nothing about anyone or anything but michelle. Reporter what an allegation, if true. And, as it happened, directive brooks was pretty sure he saw an effort by the grieving widow to manipulate him. He interviewed her, of course, right after the murder. I touched his leg and he didnt move at all. Reporter all that emotion in her voice. It seemed like an act to him. There were no tears. No tears. Reporter but her voice of desperation captured on the 911 call, surely that was real. Maybe not. One of michelles neighbors said they saw her standing calmly in the middle of the lawn. They see a woman standing out there talking on her phone. It didnt appear to be in a grievous situation for sure. Not like she was calling around the neighborhood for help . No. Reporter and marcs sister remembers how cool she looked at the crime scene. What bothered me the most was her hair was still perfect, her nails were still perfect. Reporter what would you have expected . As brutal as it sounds, some blood on her hands or something. Reporter if she tried to revive him . Something. Reporter she invited marc who was working at home to have lunch with her downtown and then after lunch they went across the street to buy ice cream for dessert. See them here . Marc had literally minutes to live. Phone records show in the hours leading up to marcs death, there were calls and a flurry of Text Messages between michelle and her dad. What the investigator found was that there was an enormous amount of texts missing. There were chunks of texts missing from carls phone and michelles phone. Reporter anything suspicious about the fact that they were missing from both phones . Immediately was suspicious. Reporter direetective brook invited michelle back to the Police Station and asked her point blank did you have anything to do with the murder of your husband . No, i didnt. Reporter but she admitted she was hiding something. Anything at all that you need to get off your chest . Just that i was seeing a guy that my dad didnt know about, marc didnt know. Nobody knew that. Nobody knew that. Reporter seeing a guy . An affair . It all tumbled out. How michelle was dipping into Family Finances to pay for her lovers apartment, for his groceries. I am very ashamed of it. Reporter maybe marc was on to her, about to find out what michelle was doing behind her back. Marcs parents believe that michelle would rather see her husband dead than risk being on the losing end of a messy divorce. It was all going to fall apart. Yeah. From trailer trash to a rich woman so she thought in her mind she would go back to being trailer trash again and she just couldnt stand the thought. Reporter but if marc died we found that there were two insurance policies. Each for the amount of 500,000. Thats a healthy chunk of change. Yes, sir. A whole lot of suspicion by now but none of it actual proof. Months went by. Michelle went on with her life. Jack and tana pushed investigators to keep going. They even posted a billboard asking the public for help. The idea that michelle might get away with murder was eating jack alive. Youve got a whole lot of anger in there for that woman, havent you . If i could take her life and bring my son back, id do it. Id do it in a heartbeat. Sometimes that anger is overwhelming, isnt it . It is. It is. Coming up one more twist. I never dreamed he would do it to me. And justice for marc . Maybe. I kept thinking of the children. I wanted answers for the children. On your new account. Then you can get another 10 when you spend 75 more. Santa loves me how does he feel about me . Eh he thinks youre okay. Walmart. More ways to christmas joy. I was stoked, thats my holiday. We invented it. So im like, pass the stuffing and. Its not stove top, and im like, what . I wait all year, 364 days to enjoy delicious stove top stuffing. Its what makes thanksgiving, thanksgiving i had to get out of there. I faked an attack of scurvy. Uughhhh ughh [ sighs ] scurvy. Works every time. [ jen garner ] what skincare brand is so effective. So trusted. So clinically proven dermatologists recommend it twice as much as any other brand . Neutrogena®. Recommended by dermatologists 2 times more than any other brand. Now thats beautiful. Neutrogena®. Neutrogena®. Please no. For those headaches that just arent bad enough for a lot of medicine, theres new excedrin mild headache. 35 less medicine plus a booster to end everyday headaches fast. Please oh, what a headache actually. My headaches gone. Excedrin mild headache. Wow, that was fast largest fleet of vehicles in the at enterprisworld. Ve the so you can count on us to get you where you need to go. Need to rent a car or truck . Well pick you up. Looking to buy . Enterprise makes it worryfree. And now with enterprise carshare, you can share one of our cars. 24 7. Whether you want to rent, share, or buy. Weve got you covered. Giving you the freedom to go where you want. How you want. Thats the enterprise way. announcer pick enterprise. Well pick you up. Jack and tana despain heard how their sons widow was living with a new boyfriend on her arm, with Life Insurance money in her pocket and they fumed. She was buying stuff, buying clothes and going to restaurants and its very hard for us to take. Detective brooks was determined to see the case through. Just like marcs parents, he believed michelle orchestrated the murder down to the very minute. The shooter himself said as much. Carl was texting with someone, he said, as they made their final plans in the Church Parking lot. Who did he say he was texting . But virtually all those texts had been deleted. Detective brooks labored for months, nights, weekends. You kind of got emotionally wrapped up in this one, huh . I kept thinking of the children. I wanted answers for the children. Reporter and then, a breakthrough. Finally, nine months after the murder, a Police Analyst managed to recover several deleted Text Messages, including this one. Timestamped 8 20 a. M. , five hours before the murder, michelle writes to her dad, has to be today. Cant live like this. Awful this morning. Her dads response he asks if she can get him away for lunch, huh . Yes. She says she can. She says she can. And he replies, okay, ill let you know what time. In my review of the Text Messages, marc really wasnt interested in going to eat lunch that day but she begged him to take her to lunch. Reporter after lunch, remember, she asked marc to linger for an ice cream treat, all the while texting her dad, says the prosecutor, tipping him off to marcs whereabouts as they placed a killer in their home. It sent chills up my back. What kind of person have you got to be to let your husband walk away from you knowing what hes going to walk into when he gets home . Reporter armed with our new evidence, Police Arrested michelle. She was charged with capital murder for planning and orchestrating the crime. She denied it, said she could explain everything. And agreed to tell us. Why people should believe that you had nothing to do with the plot to kill marc . Because i didnt. He was such a good dad. Such a good dad. If anybody who knows me knows that my kids are so important to me. The most important thing. And i would never want them to not have their dad. Reporter but she did want out of the marriage, she said. So those back and forth texts with her dad that day did involve a plot, just not murder. What did you think he was helping you do . Um, leave. How was he going to help you leave . By getting things while we were gone. Reporter so shed keep marc at lunch while hired hands moved her stuff out of the house but she says that her dad changed the plan. She swore to us that when she met her dad at the bank that day what he had just done. You were this close to each other, father and daughter, and youre looking into his eyes, talking to him and he gives no hint that he just killed your husband . Not at all. Reporter and then michelle whats the expression threw her father under the bus. Carl killed marc, she says, not because he thought marc was abusing her but for money, for a piece of the insurance payout. You were going to get the insurance. Right. So even if it was his idea, it makes you look pretty guilty. One thing that he always told me and my sister growing up was that you use people for what you can get out of them, you know. That is what he told you . Uhhuh. I i never dreamed he would do it to me. Use me. Reporter did he . Or was michelle the clever user . In our interview, michelle denied being a master manipulator. She denied she stoked those sex abuse allegations or that she engineered marcs split with her parents. For that, she blamed jack and tana. I never would have walked away from my kid in the first place. I never would have. In the end, they didnt walk away from their kid either because who was pushing them from day one to solve the murder . Who kept pushing . Month after month after month. My opinion on that is their hatred toward me. It wasnt anything to do with marc. It didnt have anything to do with marc. It was all about jack despains hatred towards me. You seriously believe that . I do. Michelle out on bail waited for trial. Her mother kathy defended her around town. Did you ever let yourself think that she was involved . The daughter i know, the daughter i helped raise . No. Reporter meanwhile, michelles attorneys took a closer look at those recovered Text Messages. They filed a motion arguing that investigators didnt obtain them properly. They didnt get a new search warrant every time they searched the phone. Were talking about, i think, 15 searches of michelle and carls phones. Uhhuh. And they didnt have 15 search warrants. Reporter their arguments about improper search warrants may have had some traction. With the trial looming, the prosecutor was worried. Were at the highstakes poker game where its all or nothing when that judge rules the next day on whether to admit the evidence or not to admit it. Reporter the prosecutor agreed to Start Talking about a plea deal. The defense played it tough, said michelle was only willing to admit she learned about her fathers plot after the murder. She is admitting to having knowledge that someone being involved and not disclosing that to the police. Reporter she would agree to plead guilty to a charge of hindering apprehension, said the defense. After some prayer, marcs mother said she could live with that. Im not a gambling person. Even if we had went to trial, it would have only taken one sympathetic juror to have set her free. Reporter in september, more than three years after the death of her husband, Michelle Despain was sentenced. She left the courtroom in handcuffs mouthing, i love you to her mom. Her dad and the shooter got 35 years. But michelle, though sentenced to 30 years, could be out on parole in as little as five. Until then, her mom kathy will raise the kids. Jack and tana hope one day those kids will want to know them, that they will want to know about their dad and their love for him that came before all this hate. Some of marcs friends told us that you were his hero, jack. Yeah. You knew that . Im sorry, jack. Jack and tana set up a charity to help other victims of violent crime. Its called marcs place. Were going to try to move forward with something positive that we think marc would be very proud of. And a few weeks ago, they gathered family and friends together at sunset to remember and finally say goodbye. I tell people all the time, hug the ones you love. Let them know. You never know when they may be gone. Thats all for this edition of dateline. Tune in to dateline saturday night mystery tomorrow night at 8 00, 7 00 central. Well see you here next friday. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news,ood night. Finwhat you are and what you can do very important. And, theresa, tell no one for your sake and theirs. In order for you to help your friend, you need to know what was in the potion. Heres the spell she used. Can you reverse it . I need a place thats untainted by another hexenbiest. We could go to the spice shop. Please, get out of here. Its a treacherous journey. You will need your strength. Eat this. Oh, my god, you have food