The hood pulled up, and sunglasses. Im like no, dude, i cant do this. A sinister plan hatched through a Virtual World turned suddenly violently real. There was a scream. Drop of blood came from her nose. It was like a game. He was a part of this game. We didnt know what we were going to find. Do you believe shes alive . I got to believe shes alive. Xbox live, its a hugely popular feature on one of the worlds top gaming systems. Not only can you annihilate aliens or terrorist cells with other shooters thousands of miles away, you can see and talk to those fellow gamers in real time, no matter where they are. Even, say, in the Amish Country of western michigan, where the Authorities Say xbox live was used to hatch a monstrous crime, one that had detectives seeing double and a father scared to death and loaded for bear. We were sort of prepared for the worst, because i was sleeping with a. 9 millimeter loaded on my night stand. Cold sweats are not the way nights are meant to pass in the small towns of st. Joseph county, michigan. Its definitely the type of place that youd expect people would leave their doors open at night and not really worry about things like this happening. A homicide is not an everyday occurrence. Its country out here, cornfields everywhere, twolane roads, and its where a cheerful kid named venus was growing up with her family, the youngest child of larry and therese, venus, a goddess to them before she was born. A beautiful girl with big, dark eyes i would dream of, and when she came out, i looked theres venus. I cant even tell you how much i loved her. I cant even describe the love. Larry, who spoiled her . You or therese . She did. When she came over our house she sat in our lap like a little girl. 32yearold sit in her moms lab. She sure loved her mom. Was she a little more trusting than she should have been . It was her naivity. He secretly confided he was maffiosos. We laughed, convenient fuss theyre in the mafia they dont tell you. We found out he worked at mcdonalds and didnt want to tell her. She believed him. At 22 venus was ready to go out into the world, a soontobe College Graduate with a degree in criminal justice. She wanted to be an officer of the law, then she found out that she doesnt like guns so that didnt work. What did work and instantly was her attraction to a marine she just met named doug stewart. No sooner than hello, my name is, and they were inseparable. What did you see in her . She was smart. She was articulate. She was beautiful. Some people i guess would call it love at first sight, and four days later we were married. Pretty fast. Pretty fast. A lot of people would go on a second date before getting hitched. I think we made it to our second, thats about it. I think the third date was marriage. Did you go to justice of the peace . We tried going through michigan and they said we needed the blood test and other Different Things and my wife said she didnt want to wait that long so we called indiana and ohio and bryant, ohio, was the closest city on the map we could get to ten there was a woman, a mayor. She thought i was going off to war and it was a lastsecond wedding, she good excited and wanted to marry us at her house. When did you meet venus family . After we were married. To say the parents were surprised by the turn of events is an understatement. She showed up and she was married and we were dumbfound nypd. Ed. This is so out of character for her to do this. This had to be big news for you. By the way im getting hitched, i already am hitched. Dustin jasper, venus older brother got along okay with his new brotherinlaw. We went hunting together, went fishing together and weve always had a pretty good relationship. It was a year after their quickie wedding that doug left the marines to keep his bride happy. I was looking at deployments and other Different Things and she had this fear that i was going, something was going to happen to me so she wanted me to get out of the military in 2003. Were you okay with that . I love my wife very much and i wasnt willing to choose the military over my wife. So in 2003, venus and doug began civilian life together. They moved into this house in schoolcraft, michigan, not far from where they both grew up. Venus worked in a bank and doug at applebees and pizza hut. Year later a daughter came along. Then in 2006 a second baby. The second one was just the same, kind of forgot where i was for a second and Everything Else and venus hoped and prayed for two little girls, i hoped and prayed for two healthy babies and we both got our wish. Did venus like being a mom . She loved being a mom. That was her number one priority priority. But stayathome mom wasnt for venus. She was the familys bigger bread winner. You became mr. Mom. Absolutely, and it was the best years of my life. Changed the diapers, do all the duff stuff . You bet. It truly makes a man a man. If they had a second place passion doug said it was playing games on xbox. Doug likes the blow emup game and venus more into the puzzles. But as doug blasted away day after day and seemed to look for work less and less, the marriage began to crack. No surprise to her parents. He was very immature and venus just, she wanted to be a mom. So a few years along, things werent going so well. There would be screaming inyourface arguments between doug and venus followed by timeouts, trial separations and shared custody arrangements. But venus, according to doug, wasnt ready to throw in the towel. She had an idea, lets start someplace new. She wanted to move to williamsburg, virginia, miami, florida, or houston, texas. Why did she want to go to such farflung places . That was my first question to her. She said well, florida theres disney world and houston there is sea world and six flags and williamsburg, there is u. S. Busch gardens. All right, mom, video, smile. Hi mom. Hi mom. Newport news turned out to be the place. That was it. Newport news put us 30 miles from virginia beach, Everybody Knows thats a resort location and approximately 20 to 25 miles away from Busch Gardens in opposite directions, smack dab in the middle of everything we wanted. Thinking about the kids . Specifically about the kids. She said if i want our kids to grow up dont you think we should give them excitement and fun every day . And you said . I cant argue with that, id love nothing more. Wow, this place is gorgeous, isnt it . Theres the carousel, i told you. If the home videos from 2009 are to be believed the move from michigan to virginia was working. You like Busch Gardens . Yeah. Best place on earth. Doug had found a job as a truck driver and home was an apartment on the ninth floor of this building. She wanted to live in a skyscraper. So things were okay if you look back at may 2009 . Things were better than okay. They were better than it was the best year of our marriage, the best year of our life. But doug and venus problems ran deeper than anything an Amusement Park ride could paper over and before long, there were screaming arguments again, and a year after making the move, venus had had enough and suddenly bolted with the kids to her parents place in coalin township, michigan. Doug was left alone in virginia, more than 700 miles away. Big surprise to you. Very big surprise. Two months later april 26th, 2010, a chilly monday morning started like any day at venus parents house. Her mom went off to work. Her dad was sleeping and venus and the kids were slowly getting up. Then about 8 00 a. M. , venus dad, also a truck driver, was groggy from a late shift on the road. He was startled awake. I heard the girls being really loud out in the front room and i thought why isnt venus quieting them down . She knows im in here asleep. He got up to see what was going on. Venus wasnt in the house but her cell phone, keys and purse were. He immediately called 911. Shes just not there . I mean, yeah, shes not here. Is there a vehicle or anything missing . No. Now im scared, and i go outside and look for her. She went there either. Venus, wearing nothing but her thin pajamas, had vanished. We might have a crime scene here. The search for venus, signs of a struggle, and signs of trouble. A light bulb went off and i knew exactly what happened. F i can go for Something Better than warfarin. I will. Eliquis. Eliquis. Reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin plus it had less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis had both. That really mattered to me. Dont stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. 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Reporter the disappearance of Venus Stewart, the mother of two was the first big story that reporter dani carlson covered for nbcs affiliate in western michigan, wood tv. Left her purse, left her phone, left all her identification, left everything. Reporter venus father larry mccomb made the 911 call that morning. The vehicle that is here, her kids are here and she is gone. Okay. Have you tried calling her or anything . Yeah, we cant get hold of her. Reporter larry also called his wife therese, who was already at her restaurant job. Her coworkers tried to calm her down. And they said, oh, she probably went around the block and i just looked at everybody and said, get a grip. My daughter doesnt do that stuff. And i said, im out of here. And i ran out the door. And i was shaking the whole way home. Reporter by then trooper Aaron Steensma of the Michigan State police was on scene. Whenever a young adult Goes Missing Police customarily ask the family to wait 24 to 48 hours for things to shake out, but right away the officer suspected this might not be someone who had taken a hike of her own volumition. I didnt know exactly what i saw, we might have a crime scene here so thats why we cordonned off and got additional units. Reporter venus dad showed trooper steensma, the patch of his driveway that was scuffed up. There were bare spots down to the dirt in the driveway and it looked like a struggle had taken place. Reporter the father also pointed out a pink hair tie on the ground and Something Else he hadnt spotted earlier. There was a tarp cover a piece of plastic wrapping with a bar code on it. And i didnt realize what it was or anything. I just told him, thats out of place. Reporter crime scene techs so he put a rack on it so the wind wouldnt blow it away, and they had people i guess their crime scene specialists that gather evidence. Reporter crime scene techs were able to lift what they believe was a fingerprint off the plastic wrapper and send it off for analysis. Detectives made notes to check out further. Immediately officer steensma got an earful from venus parents blaming everything on their soninlaw. They were battling over custody of their daughters. A week before venus won custody of the kids at this hearing in michigan. I think the hair on my back stood up after speaking to the mccomb. Reporter larry and Therese Mccomb believed doug abducted venus maybe in a wrongheaded attempt to have more time with the kids. The light bulb went off and i knew exactly what happened. Doug doug got my daughter. Reporter then larry decided to take matters into his own hands. I put a gun in my car and i went looking for doug stewart. Reporter he drove down back country roads but came up empty handed in his oneman search to find doug and venus. So your working theory going in is foul play . Yes. Reporter by this time mike scott, one of western michigans top detectives, had been brought up to speed by officer steensma about the marriage on the rocks. As he put it, it didnt look good. Reporter and there was a history between them, wasnt there . Yes, there was. Reporter Law Enforcement had contact with them. Right. Domestic violence issues. Reporter in fact police had received Domestic Abuse allegations from venus and doug over the years, him on her, her on him. So you certainly want to talk to this husband doug . First thing we want to do is find him. Where was he right now . Reporter you knew he was living in virginia. Yes, newport news. Reporter the day venus went missing, mike scott and venus mother repeatedly dialed dougs cell phone. I was frantic. I just kept calling over and over again saying doug, where is venus. We told ourselves he couldnt control her if he killed her, so hes got her hidden somewhere. Reporter finally detective scott reached him that night. What did he say to you . That hed been in virginia all day. Reporter youre in virginia receiving this call, huh . Yes, 20 minutes away from my apartment. He goes, doug, your wifes missing. And my first reaction is, is my wife pulling something . And i said, whoa, by missing, are you saying that is she just missing from the house or is she missing whats going on . Fill me in. He goes well i cant do that at this time. Where were you today . He gave me a couple locations where he was to support where he was in virginia, one of those being at his Lawyers Office in newport news, virginia. He said okay can you lawyer verify . I said no my lawyer wasnt there, it was just the two secretaries. Reporter detective scott asked the local fbi to run down dougs story and agents did. It checked out. Two women on the lawyers staff confirmed it. They said they saw him come in that day. A bit shocking when they said, well, weve checked it out and he has an alibi. Reporter what were the investigators to do . The parents accusation that doug had come and snatched venus away made some sense after they heard of all the trouble between the two, but eyewitnesses were putting him in newport news, virginia, more than 700 miles away. And there was surveillance camera video in his apartment building, in his garage, in his car, to back up his story. How could doug be in two places at once . He couldnt be. A mysterious man by the lake. Youre getting citizen calls. Yes. Reporter people saying i saw a funny looking guy at the lake. Yes. Reporter had venus gone missing before . I came home, she wasnt there, my kids werent there, i didnt know what to do. Vo with beyond natural dry pet food, you can trust our labels. When we say real meat is the first ingredient, it is number one. When we say theres no corn, wheat or soy its not there. Learn more at purinabeyond. Com the year before Venus Stewart went missing, shed found religion. Every day a brand new day to say jesus you are the only way reporter her brother dustin was the devout one in the family, and he was thrilled when venus was baptized in 2009 at the age of 30. In the first days after her disappearance, dustin would need his faith to believe shed be found soon and alive. Police searched miles of rolling but he also still had hope and his own theory that doug was holding her hostage. I figured it was another desperate attempt of his to try to get her back, since she wasnt having contact with him and stuff and he probably wanted to manipulate her and coax her back to him. I figure he had her somewhere. Reporter she was abducted being held against her will. Thats what i thought. Reporter at some point this would be over and shed show up at the door. Yes, thats what i thought. Just there on the fence. Reporter but Police Feared the worst and began looking for a body. Police searched miles of rolling farm country and thick wooded areas throughout western michigan. Helicopters came out. Yes, the helicopter came out. Dogs. Dogs. A lot of water around here. We live near a river. Reporter that has to be tough when you know theyre looking for your sister. It was really tough. Reporter immediately after her disappearance lead detective mike scott zeroed in on the obvious, the husband. But when fbi agents verified dougs story hed been in Virginia Scott had to start thinking bigger picture. Youre checking a lot of leads because your person of interest has an alibi. You need another theory . Couple theories, either Douglas Stewart enlisted the help of someone to come to michigan, abduct and kill his wife, or we had someone completely unbeknownst to us involved in this with either a stranger abduction or someone that Venus Stewart was having a problem with type of thing. Reporter a woman goes out the front door in her pajamas and never seen again. Someone would be rightfully fearful is there somebody crazy on the loose abducting people absolutely. Reporter and youre getting citizen calls, people saying i saw a funny looking guy at the lake the other day. Yes. Now police are looking to are this man, two witnesses spotted him at nearby adams lake the night before stewart disappeared. He was wet and approached the witnesses for a cigarette. I mean right now with the case we have so few clues to go on, were not going to discount anything. The lead was Strong Enough that Police Conducted an allout search of the lake using sonar equipment. Reporter police dredged that chilly lake after reports of the soaking wet man by the waters edge. They worked around the clock, but found nothing. It was miserable conditions. I didnt hear anybody complain once. I think thats the best place, too, that north side. Reporter doug stewart was not involved in any of the searches. When detective scott reached him that monday night, april 26th, he was in virginia and he remained there. Weekend he gave a reporter from wood tv a telephone interview. Now that the time line has gone so far, i am getting very worried and very concerned. Reporter despite their ceaseless marital battles, doug insisted he still cared about her. I dont know what is next to be honest with you. Ill just keep watching the news and pray and hope for the best. Reporter but he was also still bitter about losing his kids in the custody showdown just two weeks before so his take on her disappearance was a unique one. He wasnt upset, he said, because he believed venus was a runaway mom. My theory, my wife pulled another fast one. She ran off, couldnt handle the commitment of the situation she was in with the children by herself. Reporter the way doug saw it, this was no different than that time two months earlier, when venus had suddenly and surprisingly bolted with the kids. I came home, she wasnt there, my kids werent there, my dog wasnt there. I didnt know what to do. Reporter doug says he thought venus had disappeared that day, too. Started getting dark, i kept calling her cell phone but she didnt respond or pick up the phone. I got very worried, i called the police and said hey, im worried my wife isnt home, this isnt like her, i dont know what to do. Reporter newport news detective todd filer. Doug tried to file a missing persons report. Reporter police said not to bother, venus had been to the station earlier that day to file a complaint against him. When police refused to look into it she decided to take off for michigan with the kids and the dog, effectively ending the marriage the Police Officers informed him she was not missing, we knew where her whereabouts were and she was not coming home. Reporter so venus was out of there immediately. Immediately. Reporter phone call, mom im coming home. I told her id come get her. She said no im going on an airplane. Reporter now it was early may and her parents and michigan authorities were certain venus was really missing this time and in serious danger or worse. And even though doug had an alibi, Michigan Police went down to newport news to talk to him. So we just went down there to investigate the disappearance of Venus Stewart. We didnt know what we were going to find. Reporter Shane Krieger a detective with the Michigan State police met up with todd filer, the detective from newport news. Together they all went to dougs apartment. We did not disclose to him at that time we were from michigan. Reporter Michigan Police didnt want doug to clam up or lawyer up so they let filer the local cop do the talking. He didnt seem overly concerned about the disappearance. He felt like she had simply run away and this was some sort of stunt that she was pulling. Reporter filer said he didnt jump to any conclusions. I hadnt made a decision one way or the other whether she had simply run away or she had been abducted. Reporter with the search warrant in hand, detective filer and the michigan officers listened to dougs story, searched the apartment and seized his computers. He was very cooperative. He told us about all the computers that were in the house. Reporter the michigan cops who knew all about the bad blood between doug and venus were looking for any trace of her, dead or alive. What were you expecting to do and hoping to find there . We knew we wanted to search his apartment for her clothes, because thats the last thing she was seen in, we wanted to try to find her clothes if possible. Reporter any signs of venus being around that apartment . No, nothing. Reporter but the forensic investigators kept looking. Then they went outside to search dougs truck, still hoping to find a sign of venus or any other helpful lead. The truck was an absolute mess. The debris from a disordered life. But there, amidst the french fries, plastic lid and bits of krumpled up paper was an un unexpected clue. Once it was analyzed the investigation would shift into another gear. When he called me, he said, are you sitting down . A tiny piece of paper is about to provide a very big break. Its cash back. Then cash back again. And thats a cash back winwin. 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. The taste of light and fit greek non fat yogurt gives you the power to help make temptation shrink away light and fit greek. With irresistible flavors like strawberry cheesecake never have 80 calories tasted so satisfying light and fit greek. Taste the power of satisfaction. Dannon who does this kinda thing online . Iii clicked on some links, ugh the kids werent even home. Wait, wait, wait, this changes everything. Its cars. 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Detectives were running down its bar code looking for where the tarp came from and who bought it. Looks like it had been recently purchased from walmart, but we didnt know which walmart. Reporter that wrapping ends up awhat you believe is the murder scene. I believe that is the best place that north side. Reporter friends and family meanwhile were searching for venus on their own. They now suspected doug stewart was responsible, despite his alibi. Thats why one of their searches was here in a state Hunting Ground where doug spent time. Shes around this area somewhere. Reporter venus aunt mary organized the certain groups, and even when she wasnt out looking, she kept a shovel in her car so she could rush over to help dig anywhere, any time. You look for anything thats out of place, if the ground has been dug up even a year ago, youre going to be able to tell. Reporter more than 700 miles southeast in newport news, virginia, investigators were also searching. After nothing had jumped out at them in dougs apartment, the special forensic unit began combing through his truck. We had flown our Lab Personnel down from michigan to process the vehicle specifically. Any time we look at homicide for chain of custody and all that stuff, we flew our own personnel down to process the vehicles. Reporter they brought dougs truck inside a forensics facility at the newport news pd. The truck looked like a stye. It was in disarray, not cleaned. Reporter scraps of paper, old french fries and crumpled up receipts. Looked like leftovers from a college road trip but all this dirt was about to become pay dirt. One smudged receipt suddenly got the forensic teams attention. They were able to locate a receipt in there for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and a hat. Reporter they couldnt believe their eyes or their luck. We thought they were skroek ing joking. Who leaves that in their truck . Reporter maybe your biggest piece of evidence the crumpled, tossed away receipt. Yes. Reporter the person that puts his hands on this receipt were they aware what it was . I got a hamburger wrapper, this, i got a receipt. They knew they were coming down there to process a vehicle possibly implicating a homicide so they knew it was important. This is a bury your wife kit . Reporter . Yes. When he called me he said are you sitting down. Reporter in all the garbage theres this receipt, huh . Yes, a hat, some gloves, a shovel, and an 8 x 10 tarp and that was the item that we were looking for, because the wrapper found at the mccomb residence was foreign an 8 x 10 tarp. Reporter where was the receipt from . It was from a walmart. Reporter specifically the walmart in van wert, ohio, two miles southeast where venus disappeared but not one of the walmarts michigan investigators checked out. I doubt we would have found that purchase had we not had the receipt. The date on the tretitself was smudged, we didnt know when the items were purchased. The investigators began contacting the Van Wert Walmart store to try to determine the date. We learned right away the items were purchased the evening before Venus Stewart went missing. Reporter van wert, ohio, is not near michigan and not near newport news. Whats going oen with the walmart in the state of ohio . Its in direct route between newport news and michigan. Reporter but the feds had proof doug had been in virginia when venus disappeared. So how did the ohio receipt get there . Detective scott and prosecutors John Mcdonough and chuck herman met in the war room. They believed one is was involved. Mcdonough the youngest elected prosecutor in michigan was itching to arrest doug right now. I said we got him, lets charge him now. Reporter it didnt happen. Cooler heads prevailed. I had to listen to chuck, and detective scott telling me, calm down. Lets get everything ready to go. Reporter fact was the investigation was still missing key evidence, not least, a body, a major hole, maybe even a casebuster for any wouldbe prosecution. Do you say lets go slow, nobodys going anywhere . Correct. Lets see where this takes us . I felt there was more to be done tie up any loose ends and put this case together better. Reporter mike scott knew the biggest end was discrediting dougs i was in virginia alibi, so he asked the detective from newport news to keep digging. This case became a top priority for me. Reporter todd filer, who had kept an open mind when he first interviewed doug in his apartment, was now skeptical. Its lucky for us that that receipt was not in some landfill somewhere between here and the state of michigan. Reporter so filer went back to the law office where doug had been spotted the day venus disappeared. The local lawman had some followup questions to ask, ones the fbi had left off their list. The individual was wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie, and large mirrored aviation type sunglasses almost disguising their appearance. Reporter doug in disguise to visit his lawyer . Something about that seemed downright strange. When eating healthy and Drinking Water just isnt enough to ease my constipation i trust dulcolax tablets. I take dulcolax for dependable overnight relief and in the morning i am back to myself dulcolax, designed for dependable relief Olive Gardens all new duos are here. But not for long starting at 11. 99. Our most craveable classics like chicken parmigiana, paired with new tastes to explore, all served with unlimited salad and breadsticks. Four all new duos, starting at 11. 99. At olive garden. One month after venus went missing, her father, a truck driver, had a heartbreaking journey to make. By then, doug had moved out of the couples newport news apartment and returned to michigan. So larry mccomb headed south. The people that ran the apartment complex where she lived called us and they said, theres all kinds of stuff like the kids toys, pictures, would you be interested in us sending them to you . I said ill come and get them, and i went down and i got all the girls toys, i got all the pictures that i could find. It was very painful. Reporter he found comfort, though, from venus neighbors. I saw where my daughter lived and everybody in the complex was so supportive. Nobody liked doug, and everybody loved venus and the girls. We believe he is a dangerous man. Reporter doug wasnt winning any popularity contest in his old stomping grounds, st. Joseph county, michigan, either. You know, he knows where she is. Were not stupid. Reporter the rural michigan courthouse wasnt used to this kind of public demonstration for the media. There were signs of support for Venus Stewart, angry outbursts against her estranged husband . Youre a disgrace to the marines, buddy. Reporter this wasnt the Court Proceeding venus family wanted against doug. The preliminary hearing today as doug stewart works to get custody of his two young daughters. Reporter the court is still going ahead with the custody issue. Doug is dragging us into court trying to get his girls back. There was no way he was getting custody of the girls. Reporter his claim hes the father, hes around and the mother isnt so he should have custody of the children, not venus parents. Hanging over the hearing of course was the strong suspicion by the family and protesters that doug was the reason why his children were motherless. Venus father didnt pull any punches. I asked him if hed murder anybody lately, and it was just something that popped out of my mouth. Reporter the judge scheduled another hearing for three weeks later. But in the meantime, denied doug custody and even visitation rights with his young daughters. Relieved, i feel relieved. Thats about all i have to say. Reporter while the court was delaying a final decision on the children, detectives in michigan and virginia were stepping up their investigation. Could they find more evidence against doug, they would make the next custody hearing moot. Are detectives very often play their cards very close to the vest, they dont tell what you they got going. Did they let you look inside their investigation at all in this period . No, they told us they couldnt comment on ongoing investigation. We understood that. We didnt want to botch up the case. But the prosecutor let me know that there was no way doug was going to get those girls. Reporter in newport news, detective todd filer now suspected dougs alibi was part of some ruse. What would the walmart receipt in his truck saying ohio as an area code 419 when doug had been telling everyone virginia. Michigan state police told us doug had gone to his Lawyers Office to make a payment on the pending child custody dispute. They stated that the fbi had gone out to the Lawyers Office and confirmed that he had showed up and made a payment to them the morning that she disappeared. Reporter Shane Krieger, Michigan State police. The fbi did go and speak to them. This was very early in the investigation. They just asked, did this person named doug stewart come in and pay the bill. And they initially did say yes, we think so. They didnt really push it. They didnt ask any other followup. Reporter but detective filer now had his own followups for the secretaries in what he was beginning to think looked like one pretty outlandish scheme. He had two theories. One, that the secretaries could have possibly had some sort of relationship with him, and may have been lying to the fbi to cover his tracks, or that somebody posing as doug had come to the law office and made a payment, and indeed it wasnt doug. Reporter so the women described again the man they had seen that day but this time in greater it he tail. The individual was wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie with the hood pulled up, and large mirrored aviation type sunglasses. Generally people dont come in with, you know, hoods up and large glasses disguising their appearance unless theyre up to, you know, something of questionable activity. Reporter so detective filer asked them if they were positive it was doug stewart, and he got an important admission. Neither one of them said that they were 100 sure it was doug. Reporter as they now recalled it, even though the man in the pulled up hoodie and dark glasses made a payment as doug, he never looked them in the eye, and there was no small talk. Then he rushed off instead of waiting for his receipt. Filer called lead detective scott in michigan with his take. I dont think it was him at the Lawyers Office. He said thats great, now were one step closer, you know, to solving the case. Reporter a complicated, maybe even clever scheme was now come into sharper focus for investigators, centering around doug stewart and some mystery man in virginia. The next step was to figure out who the man was, and what role, if any, did he play in venus disappearance. These points all represent cell phone towers reporter back in michigan detective krieger was checking dougs cell phone records hoping to come up with some answers. What jumped out at you . Three or four days just prior to venus disappearance there were numerous calls between seven and 15 calls per day to and from doug from one particular number. Reporter a constant phone mate but the detectives also noticed a gap, the day before venus went missing the cell phone was turned off, didnt go back on until the next night. And all of a sudden the calls start coming back to and from this same number. Reporter so the question becomes who sat the other end of this phone call. Right. Reporter it was quick work finding out who the phone pal was. The calls were traced to the small town of bear, delaware, to a young man named rickie spencer. Rickie was a college kid living in suburbia with his parents. Youre checking to see if hes got any offense reports, if theres a sheet on him. Coming up clean. Sure. His dad has his own veterinary cling, welltodo, the mother and father are extremely caring. He has siblings. Reporter it didnt make sense. Why would a college kid from delaware have anything to do with an older exmilitary man from virginia . In midjune, eight weeks since venus went missing krieger and henderson decided to find out. They got in the car and headed east, destination, bear, delaware. Would the man on all those phone logs hold the key to what happened to Venus Stewart . Something peculiar about this mystery caller. He looks a lot like doug, he could pass for doug. Reporter a dramatic turn in the case that no one saw coming. 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Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps. So stop hiding and start fighting your acne with new onexton. Talk to your dermatologist today. Two months in, heres where things stood in the investigation into the disappearance of Venus Stewart. The western michigan mother of two had gone out to the mailbox in her pajamas one morning in april 2010 and hadnt been seen again. Investigators suspected her estranged husband, doug, was mind it. His once solid alibi he had been elsewhere was on shaky ground. Cops theorized he may have a standin, in virginia so he could sneak off to michigan. To find out detective Shane Krieger and Chuck Christianson drove to an upscale neighborhood in bear, delaware, to question a college kid named rickie spencer. We have a guy i believe is of interest, making a lot of calls to doug, looks like doug, could pass for doug. Reporter on june 21st, 2010, the detectives made an unannounced visit to this house where rickie lived with his parents. We did not want him to know we were coming. Reporter just knock, knock, knock. Correct. Reporter rickies sister and mother came to the door. I explained to them we needed to talk to ruchie, we thought he might have information to help us out on a case we were working over in michigan. Reporter without any thoughts rickie accompanied the it ektives to a nearby police barracks. What did you see in him . Heres rickie of the phone logs. What did you so he in demeanor, his presentation of himself . Very shy, very quiet. Reporter any talk in the car . Small talk, nothing about the case. Reporter at the barracks in an Interview Room the two cops appraised rickie. 20 years old, polite, cleancut. How do you know doug stewart . Through xbox live. Reporter he told the detectives theyd been friends in the Virtual World playing shoot em ups and talking Long Distance for a year and a half. Then they met face to face for the first time during rickies spring break from college on april 1st, 2010. April fools day. Rickie said he was invited by doug, a man ten years his senior, to stay at his place in newport news. Rickie was there for a week. We went to Busch Gardens one time for like, the day. Umhum. And we were trying to go to the clubs, but im not 21 yet, so. Oh, youre not 21 yet . No. Okay, okay, uhm and when we just played we played xbox, i mean he was a chill guy but it was just awkward, you know . Yes. Cause hes like, close to his 30s and im like when is the last time you saw him . My spring break, it might be in the beginning of april. Okay. Reporter but the detectives suspected that wasnt true. By then theyd stitched together a solid time line of the ricky doug communications based on cell phone logs. On april 25th, the morning before venus disappeared, rickys cell phone pinged in bear, delaware. The last call he made before shutting off his phone was to doug stewart. Reporter then they both turned off their phones except ricky briefly turned his back on, good for the investigation, bad for ricky. His phone hit off a tower just north of dougs apartment later this morning. Reporter so hes not in delaware, all the way down in coastal virginia. Correct. Reporter but doing what . Very interesting, a lot of smoke. Yep. Reporter ricky then told the detectives that hed recently learned from doug that something happened to his wife. He was like ricky, shes missing. Im like, what, dude . Cause he was telling me, like, she does weird stuff, like weird stunts. Did you happen to google his name at all on the internet . Yeah he told me like he was doing some type of business. Umhum. That day, too. Umhum. And im like, well, dude, she has to be faking then. What type of business did he say he was doing . Just doing errands. Okay. Reporter was ricky still could have gone up for doug and christensen played the bad cop. Ill be blunt. Doug stewart abducted and killed his wife. We also know that somebody went into a legal office down there, in newport news, virginia, to pay a legal bill for him. We also know that you were down in that apartment during yeah, i wasnt that time. For what . On the 25th of april, and the 26th. Of april . No. I was only there on spring break. He was reluctant to admit the truth. Reporter but he was starting to distance himself from doug bit by bit. I googled his name again, and i saw some weird [ bleep ] like they found like a receipt or something from a different state close to michigan. Umhum. I was like, what the [ bleep ] . And at that point i was like im not talking to this guy. Thats weird. Reporter so detective krieger put on his good cop hat, soothing, supportive, sympathetic. Youre probable thinking am i gonna get in trouble, i didnt know any of this was going to happen. Thats [ bleep ] some [ bleep ]. It is and i dont think you were voofd in the planning of that. I think it was more him and he just kind of got caught up in something you realized after the fact this is way over my head, i dont want any part of doing this anymore. You got a couple of sisters. What if this happened with your sister, are you close with them . Yeah, im pretty close with them. What if Something Like this happened to your sustr . Id be upset. Youd be upset, would nt you . Yes. Venus family says we need closure for this. You need to help us with that because you are part of this game now, but not our main concern whatsoever. Reporter the detective sensed ricky was ready to come clean. Like shane said if we thought that you were, you were a main player in this, do you really think wed be dealing with you like this . Absolutely not. So my first question to you is, did he tell you he was going to kill her before this happened . Before you went down there . What did he say . He needed to take care of business up in michigan. Reporter finally, ricky sighed and started to unspool his story a spellbinding thriller involving doubles and deception with doug stewart as its mastermind. What was the business he said he needed to take care of . The go see his wife. Did he say why . To hide her. To hide her . To get rid of her. Reporter lieutenant christensen called detective scott back in michigan. Theyd broken it. Hes our guy and mikes reaction was something to the effect of holy cow. Reporter mike scott, who had reached patience with the prosecutors before immediately dispatched officers to arrest doug stewart. Trooper Aaron Steensma was part of the team that tailed him to this store. We walked in, Douglas Stewart youre under arrest. Reporter were you surprised . Absolutely, absolutely. I thought it was a mistake and id get an apology. Reporter doug told police from the beginning he thought venus skipped out on him and the kids. After his arrest he said it again to detective scott. I got very upset. I told them i said i worked for you from day one. I do not know where my wife is. Big developments tonight in the case of a missing west michigan mother. 24hour news 8 learned of an arrest in the Venus Stewart case. Reporter therese, how did you learn doug had been arrested . State police came to the house and told us, the same day they told us venus was deceased. Reporter police had declared her dead even without finding her body, and prosecutors were preparing to file a firstdegree murder charge. But as doug stewart got ready to stand trial for murder, venus family trials were far from other. He was very good at kind of presenting himself as kind of the allamerican guy. Reporter allamerican guy or coldblooded killer . The case begins with some whiteknuckle moments. You could tell that she was just terrified of this guy. Theres a shelf up there. Or maybe like in your garage behind a washing machine where theres a hollowed out part of the wall where you could reach over this way. 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That was the person that i came to know throughout this investigation. Reporter seated at the defense table, doug stewart wearing casual guy sweaters and sweater vests. Courtroom demeanor. He was good at presenting himself as the allamerican guy. It was bizarre. Wed go into chambers he would talk out loud like he was one of the guys and youre on trial for murdering your wife, and none of this seemed to affect him one bit. Reporter as the prosecutor began his case, his opening witnesses focused on april 26th, 2010, the day venus vanished. State trooper Aaron Steensma first on the scene testified that he believed he was looking at a crime as soon as he talked to venus parents. I pulled in the driveway, and i was met by a female who was hysterical and crying. Reporter and what did what did you do next . She told me he tooker, he took her. Reporter he said the father pointed at a plastic wrapper for a tarp that wasnt his and he explained how he inspected the packaging and noticed a smudge that could have been a fingerprint. You see the bar coding, lettering from the wrapper, walmart. Com. And was that piece of evidence sent to the crime lab . Yes. Reporter early on mcdonough wanted the jury to meet venus parents to see them as the stable, decent and loving people they were. Venus wasnt some kind of wild child bad mother. Was it odd that your daughter would have left her children alone . It was more than odd. It was something that would not happen. She was my best friend. When was the last time you saw convenient us . When i kissed her goodbye the day, that day, the 26th. Reporter after sketching out the last day that things might ever be normal for venus parents, the prosecutor turned the clock back 24 hours and moved the scene from michigan to northwest ohio. April 25th had been a chilly night in van wert, ohio, and the man who walked in the front door of the walmart was easy to remember, according to the walmart security officer. Despite the weather, he was wearing a loud shirt and flowery hawaiian shorts. The customer entering right here. There he is right here. What is this a clip of . This is associate rebecca hill with the customer following her. Reporter jurors watched intently as the video showed doug marching through the aisles. At the defendants table, the accused knew what was coming next. An inventory of the items he bought that night. He picked up a shovel, gloves, a tarp, and a hat. Can you tell what this is. This appears to be a shovel and tarp in his left hand. Reporter the clerks at walmart had no trouble remembering the customer. Most people werent wearing shorts at that time. Reporter donna stippler, a cashier in the lawn and garden section remember approaching the customer who looked like he was going to lieuuau. The first thing i think he asked for was lyme. You throw lyme on anything thats decaying it almost acts like baking soda would, absorbs odors. Probably what he was thinking the lyme to cover it up so someone isnt led to the body by the smell. Reporter donna told the shopper sorry they didnt sell lyme. She said he grunted and kept on moving. Minutes later he was back at her register to check out. Do you remember what that person bought . A tarp, shiny shovel, silver. Duct tape and gloves. Do you so he that person in the courtroom today . Yes. What was that . Yes. Could you point him out and describe what hes wearing . Im sorry. Uhm there. What is he wearing . A white vest. I remember his eyes more than anything else. Could you tell that she was just terrified of this guy. My god, i sold this guy these things that helped him kill his would you have. Reporter remember, police learned about the allimportant shopping trip to walmart only because doug had been foolish enough to keep the receipt. He tossed it in his pig pen of a truck rather than throwing it away. Doug stewart thinks that he is the most intelligent person in the world, and i think he honestly thought he was outsmarting everyone. Reporter and there was Something Else that tripped doug up, a credit card blunder. Before he went to michigan, doug bought a throwaway cell phone called a track phone that normally assures anonymity except as you can see doug swiping here he just bought it with a credit card and that made it traceable for detective krieger through dougs electronic records. He didnt think we would find these track phones that he had. Master criminals dont save receipts and buy with credit cards. Absolutely not. Reporter krieger could follow the path of that particular trac phone through Gps Technology just as if it were a personal cell phone. Technologically theyre doing the same thing. Yes. This call right here at 5 48 p. M. Was made just southeast of van wert and the purchase was made in van wert at 6 44, tarp, shovel, hat and gloves. Reporter early the next morning the trac phone had moved 85 miles north and was now located somewhere in western michigan. Using the phones, how close can you get him to his wifes driveway . Pretty close. Within five to seven miles. Reporter but by now Something Else put him even closer, oldfashioned forensics. Remember the smunl ondge on the plastic tarp wrapper found outside the parents house, it was a fingerprint, doug stewarts fingerprint, placing him at the scene of venus disappearance. Prosecutors believed it was damning evidence but to close the deal theyd have to put on the stand the college kid impostwe are a headspinning tale to tell. Would it be too incredible to be believed . He said this is where i want you to come in, ricky. I want you to be my alibi. Reporter Ricky Spencer lays it all out, a plan to murder. It was like a game. He was a part of this game. Eurotransmitters remain too active as you try to sleep, which could be leading to your insomnia. Ohh. Maybe thats whats preventing me from getting the sleep i need talk to your doctor about ways to manage your insomnia. We need coffee. Got it right here. Cups . 12 ounce, 8 ounce, recyclable. Creamers . Sweeteners . Stirrers . Filters . Creamers, sweeteners stirrers, filters, kcups. Hazelnut . French vanilla . French roast . Dark . Light . Medium . Bold . Extra bold. And decaf. Why would you say that . Why would you say that . Why would you say that . No reason. Make onbudget happen. Make caffeinated happen. Staples. Make more happen. Is there an elk in your bed . With sleep number, now theres an adjustment for that. Only at a sleep number store. Save 500 on the memorial day special Edition Mattress with sleepiq technology. Know better sleep with sleep number. Ricky spencer, i believe, is the largest piece of the puzzle. Reporter enter Ricky Spencer. How big a development is this, chuck . Huge. Reporter would you have a case had there not been a Ricky Spencer . No. Reporter chief prosecutor John Mcdonough called on his star witness who, in the course of two days would tell one of the most mindboggling stories ever heard in the st. Joseph county, michigan, courtroom. Call your next witness and well have him sworn in. We call Ricky Spencer. Reporter ricky, now 21 seemed like a young boy in a grownup world. His dress shirt not his customary tee ran big in the sleeves. How do you know mr. Stewart . Met him on xbox live december of 08. How often did you play xbox live with mr. Stewart . Y. In where from six to ten hours. A day . On a daily basis. This was his life. Some people might sit and read, he played xbox. Reporter even though hed never met him, ricky told the jury he felt a strong tie to the former marine. Would you say he was your best friend . Yes. He called us brothers from another mother. Brothers from another mother. Called you that . Yes. This was his idol, probably one of the very few people he had social contact with. He admired doug. Doug had embellished his military career to him, i think he even told him he was a sniper. Reporter they didnt meet in person until april 1st, 2010, nearly four weeks before venus disappeared. Doug, living alone then in newport news, invited ricky down for spring break. Ricky had term papers due but it was an offer he couldnt refuse. We can party and drink and help you with your papers. Reporter the pros krutor asked ricky to look at surveillance cam footage and confirm for the jury he was in virginia during spring break. Thats me with the abercrombie shurt and aviators on highmy head. Reporter he testified they went to the Amusement Park, played xbox live and drank. They hung out like frat brothers. Had you done any of your homework yet . Reporter on day four the prosecution asserts that doug got down to business. Hes like hey, ricky, i want to tell you something and its really important. Uhm, let me funnish before you interrupt me. Reporter ricky testified that doug began to vent on his estranged wife, venus. Ricky, who by all accounts came from a good home with good parents, had never heard the likes of this melodrama. Ricky said doug was portraying venus as an abusive, even dangerous mother to his two girls. That wasnt true but ricky didnt know that. Doug then told ricky he needed to do something desperate. He was telling me that he was going to go kill his wife. When he was telling you this, what were you thinking . I was just shocked. I couldnt believe what i was hearing. Okay. He said this is where i want to you come in, ricky. I want you to be my alibi, just pretend to be me and live in my apartment. Reporter how is that again . Youre going to kill your wife and you want me to stay here and play you . Rickys Immediate Reaction was an emphatic no. I was like no, dude [ bleep ] i dont want to hear anything about this and he didnt talk about it for the rest of the day. Reporter but doug kept at it over the next two days, despite everyone elses portrait of venus as mom of the year, doug pushed negative venus stuff on ricky, telling him how she smacked around their older daughter. How did that make you foo el . I felt bad for him. He was saying if only someone could be my alibi. Im like no, dude, i cant do this. So hes giving him the sob story the wife is tough on the kids in. Hes making her into the demon in rickys eyes. Reporter all lies that prosecutors said. I think he had ricky convinced that if i dont do something, theyre going to end up dead. Reporter doug kept ratcheting up his stories of abuse, concluding with the most graphic one, venus had tried to choke one of the girls. Ricky, if i wasnt there at that moment, the kid might have died. He again asked you to help him kill his wife. Yes. What did you is ai . I said okay, dude, ill be your alibi. Reporter ricky caved and according to the prosecution, doug had a plan ready to go. He took his recruit to a nearby park for a crash course in how to get away with murder. He asked me ricky, if youre trying to kill someone and you dont want any evidence, what do you use . I told him well not a gun because it leaves evidence and he says right, not a gun so what is it, not a knife because that leaves evidence. He says right. Not a knife so what is it . Doug said you choke somebody. Reporter and right there in the park, doug demonstrated on ricky his military chokehold. He gets me in the headlock in two seconds and puts me down and im like out of breath. He says that if you do that to somebody for ten seconds, they pass out, do it for over 30 seconds theyre no longer alive. Reporter but ricky wasnt a perfect double for doug. They were about the same height and coloring but ricky was slimmer so to pull off this double vision ruse here was the plan according to ricky. Doug made sure ricky wore sunglasses and ball cap and pulled dougs hoodie over his head. He gave him his credit card and coached him to be aware of surveillance cams. Everything worked out exactly right doug believed acquaintances would be fooled into thinking theyd just seen doug in newport news. Ricky went back home to delaware and waited for the green light that their mission was a go. The day turned out to be april 15th, 2010. Doug drove up from virginia, ricky from delaware, and they met at a gas station in bethesda, maryland, outside the nations capital. Thats where ricky said doug gave him the things he needed to turn into doug, his clothing, cell phones, keys to his car and apartment and a credit card. Whats that a photograph of . This is the parking space area where i met with doug stewart. Where did you go . I went, i drove to virginia. Where did doug tell you he was going . To michigan. What was he going to do there . He didnt say kill his wife but he said to take care of business up in michigan. I knew what he meant. Reporter sure enough surveillance cam pictures taken april 15th show ricky easing into dougs life in newport news. He parked in dougs granl as instructin garage as instructed and hung out. This is the lobby between 10 00 and 11 00, me with the hoodie, paper sticking out of my pocket, with the bag. Reporter with dougs credit card ricky bought a double cheeseburger and fries at wendys. Why did he want to you use a credit card . To make it look like he was in virginia. Reporter ricky it turned out had a memory for details that flabber fwasted the prosecutors time and again. He had a recollection of what was going on at the time with every photo they showed him. Here he says hes on the cell phone with doug. Was he telling you anything at this point in time . Just kept on over and over telling me where the cameras were, to make sure i keep my head down. Reporter somewhere deep down, prosecutors wondered, did ruchy, a little slow on the uptake, think that this was all pretend . Act like youre me, dont look at the camera, keep your head down, wear this sweatshirt, it was luke a game. He was a part of this game. This was rickys little mission. Reporter but the mission Mortal Mission one in game box speak had gone amiss. Doug had to hit the reset button. On his way to michigan hed been pulled over in the wee hours by a state trooper in ohio who said he was weaving lanes. The traffic stop was irrefutable proof that he wasnt in virginia. I got a phone call from him said the plan is off, you was relieved to hear it. Reporter but doug wasnt ready to call it quits after one bump in the road. He kept on talking. Hey ricky i want to try doing this again. I told him i didnt want to, it was a onetime deal and i didnt want to do it the first time. Reporter then doug upped the pressure. He told ricky if he didnt get on board with the original plan he was going to wipe out everyone, a massacre. Instead of just making it look like she disappeared he was talking about going there and killing anyone that was inside the house besides his kids. Reporter what did you do next . I told him okay, dude, well do it again, ill be your alibi again. Reporter there would be a Mortal Mission two. A drop of blood came from her nose. Reporter a Virtual World turned suddenly violently real. And a spellpound courtroom heerz the most harrowing part of the story. He was going to go to bury her. Hold it come with me. New dannon oikos triple zero is my go to protein snack. Cam, protein from yogurt . Yup, this greek nonfat yogurt packs 15 grams of protein punch. But what else . Unlike some other protein snacks, it has 0 added sugar 0 artificial sweeteners and 0 fat. Mmm. Will it up my game . No man new dannon oikos triple zero official yogurt of the nfl. 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He never made eye contact with me. I think hes too ashamed. Reporter but on the stand shame didnt seem to figure into the bold as brass story about doug that Ricky Spencer was telling the jury, how after the first run to michigan was a bust, doug called ricky again. He said, hey, dude, i killed her. Im thinking what . He said, no, im kidding. I told him that wasnt funny. He said he was kidding and you told him it wasnt funny . Yeah. Reporter rickys second day on the stand as a star witness. Prosecutor mcdonough picked up his questioning with rickys description of Mission Number two, the assault on Venus Stewart. Did you attempt it again . Yes, we did. Reporter it was deja vu all over again. This time sunday april 25th. I went down to virginia. He was hitting up, back up to michigan. Reporter later that day ricky said he made a call to dougs boss pretending to be doug under the weather. I said in a sick voice like, hey, bobby, this is me, doug, im feeling like [ bleep ]. I cant go to work. He said, all right. So doug didnt have to come to work on monday. Reporter monday would be venus last day alive as ricky would explain in his chilling story of duplicity and death. It began, the prosecutor said, with doug in a field across from venus parents house. He parked there with his truck kind of watching things. Say probably 500 yards from venus parents house. Reporter doug called ricky at 7 00 a. M. From a tracfo 234 e and gave him instructions. I want you to leave from 8 00 to 8 15, nothing later. Reporter doug then sneaked up close to the house, police said, hiding behind this wood pile. Back in virginia, ricky was establishing the alibi. Do you recognize that photograph . Its me leaving the apartment. On the 26th. Reporter like a good soldier ricky was following dougs orders out of the apartment by 0800 hours, buying security cam cover for his best buddy on a Deadly Mission in michigan. Thats dougs car. And im in the car, im going to make a left turn. Reporter his next instructions were to wait for dougs call. That came just before 9 00 a. M. What did he say . He said, okay, dude, its done. I was shocked to hear that. I said what happened . He said he called venus parents house in michigan and said that he was the mailman. He had a package for her. And she came outside. Reporter just like that rickys Virtual World had turned real. Game over. He was displaying emotion on the stand for the first time. Doug was showing nothing. And he jumped out and he said that there was a scream, she only screamed once, and that she tried putting up a fight, but he was able to get her in a head lock and a drop of blood came from her nose and that was it. I asked him if it was worth it. And he said it was to protect his kids and give them some type of future. And he told me that he told me that he was going to call me later because he was going to go oh. Ah. Ah. To bury her. Reporter did he understand the consequences, ricky . I dont think so. I know that sounds strange. Ive been doing this over 30 years. I think when it was over, it finally hit him. This really was a homicide. Someone actually died here. Its not on the xbox, not somebody blowing up cartoon figure. This was a real person. Reporter later monday ricky continued in a supporting actor role. He went to dougs Lawyers Office dressed in a hot, hood and sunglasses. Doug told him to make a payment to one particular secretary. He said that shes not all there in the head, and that hand her the envelope, say who you are and tell them that youre in a hurry and tell them to mail you the receipt. Did you do that . Yeah. Reporter later that day, ricky and doug drove to their meeting spot in maryland to exchange clothing, cell phones, keys and the credit cards. They talked briefly. Ricky piped up to express a newfound fear. I was asking him, hey, are you going to kill me . And he said, no, i said, good, because if you did, that would suck. Then he asked why did i ask that. I said because i know what you did. Reporter rickys internal alarm system hadnt gone off when it would have mattered, when he should have called police and brought the outrageous plot to a screeching halt. Now it was blinking fast and something was telling him to be careful of doug from here on out. His usefuls as the alibi had ended. Why in the heck didnt doug kill this kid . Why did he leave this witness out there for somebody to find . This is one of his mistakes, where doug thought my plan is so good, theyre never even going to find ricky. Reporter the prosecutors fully expected their case with the jury would rise or fall on the shoulders of Ricky Spencer. Yet you got to worry on crossexamination whether the defense is going to rattle his kanl and undo him. Thats always a worry. He probably could hold his on but we didnt know. Quite honestly, his testimony was so bizarre. Was his a true tale or a tall one . Ricky spencers story under scrutiny. 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If you think about anything in this case, i want you to think about the word guesswork. Reporter in its opening argument the defense asked jurors to pay close attention to a prosecution case that had no victims body and new eyewitness who saw the defendant in michigan much less killing his wife. I believe at the end of this case, the prosecutors going to ask you to guess. Reporter after Ricky Spencers riveting testimony, anticipation was building. Would the defense be able to rock the wild story from the socalled double. The defense lawyers jeff and kimberly schroeder, married and highly regarded team, were poised to attack more than rickys testimony. They were going after his character, too. And the deal they claim hed made for lenience we the prosecution. My defense, my story had to do with ricky evading life in prison, ricky being an accomplished liar. Reporter crossexamination strategy number one was to muss up the cleancut young man image he projected from the stand. They started with the xrated screen name, the tag he picked for himself when he played xbox live. Ricky your gamer tag is dark blue [ bleep ], isnt it . Yes, thats correct. Whats the [ bleep ] . It means bunch of guys. Reporter ricky explained to the jury the overt and sexually explicit connotations of his online name. The defense wanted the jury to look at ricky as an unsavory man without a moral compass. If you believe his testimony he decided to help commit murder rather than deciding to call the authorities. Reporter of course, you dont want the jury to believe that story but there is a moral issue that hangs over the testimony here. Right. Reporter this guy could have thrown a wrench in the works and stopped it. He could have. Reporter he could have done the right thing. But elected not to. If you believe his testimony. Thats one of the reasons why his testimony is unbelievable. Reporter evidence that ricky could be shifty with the truth . Hed already admitted that he lied to his parents about what he was doing over spring break. Did you want them to know that you were going to visit mr. Stewart . No. Why . Because it seemed kind of strange to go meet up with somebody that you played xbox live with who is a lot older than you. Reporter but the defense took a mostly hands off approach with challenging ricky on all those very detailed recollections of his story. What he did which day in virginia, what he bought with a credit card, which security cams he played to. The defense stance was, jurors, a lot of detail here, but its all a fantasy from a young man trying to save his own skin. Thank you. Thats all i have, your honor. Reporter after only 20 minutes of less than explosive crossexamination, they got him off the stand. Quite honestly, his testimony was just so bizarre. Reporter its a strange story, isnt it . A very strange story. Reporter a story spun, says the defense, so ricky could cut a sweetheart deal with the prosecutor. In return for his testimony, ricky would plead to nothing worse than manslaughter. He would not face murder charges and serve no more than a year in county jail. I think that he was coached many, many times to give the testimony in the way that he gave it. Reporter he was taught to become a good witness, you think . I think so. I think that he had to do a good job. You know if he didnt bring the case home for the prosecutor, its my belief that he thought he would be facing those charges. Reporter the defense called no witnesses. Defense rests. Were ready for closing arguments, your honor. Reporter doug stewart didnt take the stand, but he talked to dateline in an exclusive interview. After hearing everything that ive heard, everything that ive seen, i still havent seen anything showing me that my wife is hurt, shes harmed. Reporter so what did he make of the star witness . The sensational testimony of Ricky Spencer, his young xbox buddy . I dont understand any of his testimony on the stand. I mean, he got locations right as far as he came down, he was on spring break. Reporter why does ricky come down . He mentioned to me, i got spring break coming up from college. And im coming down there to Busch Gardens with some friends. April 1st, i got a phone call, he goes, im almost there. I said almost where. Im almost to your apartment. He just showed up. Reporter the guys in your apartment and youre the host and hes the uninvited guest. Is that whats happening . I felt comfortable with him that yes, you can stay here. Reporter the story that he would tell to authorities and then testify under oath at the court almost like a spy movie plot, none of that is true . The whole idea of hurting my wife or doing any of that stuff is strange and weird, none of that is true. Reporter in his closing statement, Jeff Schroeder hoped he could convince one juror that without a body there was reasonable doubt. What evidence of that time in this case do you have to demonstrate to you that Venus Stewart is dead . Reporter so what about all those purchases at walmart . Doug stewart seen walking the aisles in loud floral shorts. They asked rhetorically, would a man about to commit a murder be so dumb as to call that kind of attention to himself. Is he trying to hide things . Hes wearing hawaiian shorts asking people where things are. Does that sound like somebody who is going to use it in a crime . Reporter and he bought a shovel, the defense attorney noted. So what . What evidence have they shown you that a shovel was used in the killing of Venus Stewart . They havent. Reporter schroeder summed it up for the jury. He claimed the prosecutor had an illusion of evidence, a circumstantial case woven together with Ricky Spencers tall tale. They tried to make you think they have all this evidence, but they dont. And they havent proved their case, and you have a duty to do. And thats to find doug stewart not guilty. Do you believe shes alive or not . I got to believe shes alive. Reporter what would the jury do . The clerk will read the verdict. Reporter the verdict. The first and only car with direct adaptive steering. The 328 horsepower q50 from infiniti. That turkey looks good. Yeah im eating right, im doing the tough dodger. Whats the tough dodger . Oh its a triathalon but with dodgeballs. However youre staying fit, start with a delicious subway fresh fit sub like the proteinpacked turkey breast. Subway. Eat fresh. At intel, they make the fastest processors you know what that means. The noobs get wrecked. haha yeah, or like faster data analytics. Dont leave me hanging. Upgrade to a faster pc with intel inside. Introducing a whole new way to enhance your eyes. Its 1day acuvue® define™ brand contact lenses. The eye enhancement lenses that comfortably accentuate your eyes natural beauty. Ask your doctor today about 1day acuvue® define™ brand. I accept that im not 21. I accept im not the sprinter i was back in college. I even accept that i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. But i wont accept giving it less than my best. So if i can go for Something Better than warfarin. I will. Eliquis. Eliquis. Reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin plus it had less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis had both. That really mattered to me. Dont stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking eliquis you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. I accept that im not as fast, but im still going for my personal best. And for eliquis. Reduced risk of stroke. Plus less major bleeding. Ask your doctor. If eliquis is right for you. March 11, 2011, the jury had been deliberating. Was doug stewart responsible for the murder of his wife venus. I dreamed about her a lot, thinking that shes still alive. And im hugging her, you know . And then i wake up and reality hits me. Reporter you believe shes alive or not . I got to believe shes alive. If shes not, i dont think i can handle it. I dont think my kids can handle it. Reporter if she was alive it would be incredibly cruel what shes doing. I could never forgive her. On the record the people versus stewart the jurors indicated theyve reached a verdict. Reporter the moment had arrived. Venus mother and brother knew a guilty verdict would be small consolation, but they wanted to hear it anyway. A few feet away stood the accused, eyes blinking, face twitching. The clerk will read the verdict. Members of the jury find Douglas Harry stewart as to count one guilty of first degree, premeditated murder. Reporter guilty. Doug stewart would be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a michigan prison without the possibility of parole. Jurors clearly believed the star witness Ricky Spencers story of being the alibi and the double. But they also determined that dougs fingerprint found at the crime scene on the plastic wrapper was powerful evidence. Its a scheme. Its a conspiracy. Only one other person knows whats going on, ricky. Is he lucky to be alive, in your opinion . Yes, he made the case for us. Reporter if doug had killed him . It would be very difficult to prove this case without ricky. Reporter outside the courtroom, the young prosecutor John Mcdonough hugged venus mother. I was so happy to be able to reach out and say to her, you know, we got him. We promised you we would do it and we did it. What difference does it make . My daughters not here. Thats all i can think about venus isnt here. Do we want to split up . Reporter where was she in have a group on this side and have a group on this side . Reporter so where was venus body . They went back to looking for her remains in the expansive countryside of fields, woods and farms. Parentally that morning he went to the initial place where he dug a hole and there were people around. He had to find some other spot. Reporter nobodies knows where he went. No, we have a lot of good information from cell phone towers. The problem is that gave us a pretty broad area, an area thats potentially 50, 60 square miles to search. Reporter they havent found her remains yet. Family and friends vow theyll never stop looking, but without a map, its all needles and haystacks. If we can give her body a proper burial. Reporter dougs mandatory life sentence was a triumph for the prosecution but it also meant the state lost any leverage it had over him. We no incentive to cooperate. Thats his last bit of control of venus. Reporter still venus brother gave it one more shot at the formal sentencing hearing, an appeal to decency. It is not too late for doug to do the right thing. He can repent for his wrongdoing, tell us where my sisters body is. Reporter wetter vest gone, shackled at the legs and hands, doug wasnt giving an inch. Im innocent. I did not do these crimes. Reporter his story rejected out of hand by a jury that needed only three hours to convict him was nothing if not consistent. Dateline found that out in our interview the month after the verdict at the st. Joseph county jail. Youre saying you didnt do it and you dont know where she is. Absolutely not. Reporter if were talking about why youre here, there is the evidence of that fingerprint on that tarp cover, the material seen in the walmart video and prominently that receipt that was found in your truck. Do you have anything to counter that evidence . I believe weve already done everything in court and i dont want to talk about evidence specifically related into court. Reporter the most sensational witness in court, like him or not, was Ricky Spencer. And he was still a divisive figure after trial. Ricky had become a bone of contention between venus family and prosecutor mcdonough. In return for rickys powerful testimony, mcdonough made what some feel was a very lenient deal with rickys attorney david moore. Ricky deeply regrets everything that has happened. And the role he has played in this matter. Reporter ricky got to plead guilty to a lesser charge, conspear spi to commit manslaughter. He served his one year in the st. Joseph county jail, then went back to work with his father, the vet. How come he isnt an accomplice to murder . Why isnt he looking at 20 to 50 years . Ricky is not a killer. Ricky is a tremendously impressionable kid who made a horrible, horrible, horrible mistake. He bought into dougs crap hook, line and sinker. Doug stewart preyed on this boy. This plea agreement reflects the value of rickys testimony, because without it, doug stewart would probably not be convicted. He didnt murder my daughter directly, but i think that ricky should get more than a year in county jail. My daughter is dead, rickys alive. Reporter venus family is pushing for at least a tenyear sentence but prosecutor mcdonough wouldnt budge. Family members ask prosecutors in virginia to file a murder conspiracy charge against ricky but they didnt. He could have saved my sister. He could have let the authorities know. They could have been waiting for him at my parents house and it would have been over. Reporter on april 26th, 2011, a year to the day since venus disappeared from her parents house, the family held a memorial service. They watched a Video Tribute to her spirit and her smile. Played a gospel song she would have liked. And they spoke from the heart. I just want to say how much i miss my sister. I mean, i love her so much. Its going to be tough to not see her around anymore. She just was awesome. Shes a character. She made my life complete. Reporter when do you miss her the most, therese . Every day. Every single day. Reporter venus two girls are being raised by her mom and dad. They say everyones doing as well as can be expected. I talk about venus a lot. I tell them how she was my little girl just like theyre my little girls now and she was their moms little girl. Saul im saul. I have come to remove these blasphemers. Do whatever is necessary. Take what you can i will not be cowed by this man and his threats. This was my land. Im staying. And me. See you in jerusalem. There take him no i will crush you you will try [ indistinct shouting ]
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