Transcripts For WCAU Dateline NBC 20170206

He took the sweatshirt and wrapped it around her neck. But could she be believed . I was sleeping around. I think i slept with half the town. Was she out for justice or revenge . Is it a Perfect World . No. Will she get hers . Yes. When she dies. What was the lie, and what was the truth . How could you miss it . He wasnt there im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with secrets lies. Reporter on a frigid december morning in 2008, in a tiny picturesque town along the banks of the delaware, a tragedy unfolded. 911. What is your emergency . The whole house is on fire. Reporter a deadly blaze burned a small Country House to the ground. And left behind in the ashes were secrets. Love gone wrong, illicit affairs, friends turning against each other. It would take years to unravel the mystery of that fire, haunting this town. And those who loved the couple who once lived in that house, paul and Catherine Novak. The novaks had both grown up as city kids. Paul was a new york city paramedic, a job that seemed the perfect fit. I wanted to be that person that would show up that would help my parents, help my sister if she was in a car accident or Something Like that. Reporter but he also saw the dark side of city life. A little too close to home. I would do shootings and stabbings two blocks away from my apartment, and i always thought to myself that i could just never raise a child in this area. Reporter so in 2002 paul and his wife, catherine, went house hunting in narrowsburg, new york, a small hamlet tucked between the catskill and pocono mountains. They didnt need to look for long. It was the big red house as she called it. And she would talk about the big red house all the time. Reporter catherines brother michael and sisterinlaw joanne said she worked hard to make the big red house a home. Growing up, we lived in apartments. You know, this was a space of her own. Yeah, she was thrilled to have five acres or ten acres of property, and she loved it there. Reporter the Perfect Place for the perfectly matched couple. They seemed meant for each other right from the start. I liked her from the first moment i met her. She was very effervescent and very funny and very opinionated, and i really liked that in her. So you really saw into the future the first time you saw her. Yes. I mean, we ended up getting married i think seven months later. Reporter two years after that their first child, natalie, was born. It was very special. Reporter catherines mom, christina, was ever the proud grandmother. Natalie looks so much like her mom. So much like her mom. What was it like the first time you laid eyes on your new daughter . Natalie. It was like falling in love like a thousand times more than you have with any other person. Natalies just you know, shes a part of me. Reporter four years later along came nicholas. She was in her glory. And then you know, to have a boy and a girl, which was good. Things were all coming together. Yep. She got directly engaged in the community, in the church. She taught sunday school. She became a girl scout leader. The school board. She did many, many things. And she did almost all of it by herself. Paul was still working as a paramedic in new york city, more than 100 miles away. Thats a big commitment. This is pretty far from the city. Its a twohour drive. I was making the new york city money but living up here. And the sacrifice was that i couldnt be home every night. And that, they soon discovered, can be tough on a marriage. We went to counciling for about year. And she just felt that she never got a break you know, from being a fulltime mom. Reporter but they were both committed to making their marriage work. On their tenth wedding anniversary, valentines day, paul surprised catherine with a ceremony to renew their vows. Now, im not a churchgoing type. So for me to do that is a big thing. I planned a little, you know, couple of day getaway, and she was really taken by surprise by that. And things were good for a couple of months after that. Reporter it wasnt enough. The glow of that getaway faded and life became routine again. Soon pauls eyes wandered to a much younger woman, someone from work. They had an affair, and paul moved out, leaving catherine and the kids alone in the house. She was beside herself. She was absolutely hysterical. Reporter catherines good friend and neighbor, sue muller, remembered when the marriage ended. She couldnt even get her breath, she was sobbing so hard. Reporter but catherines family, who considered her the eternal optimist, watched her move on with her life, pouring all her love and attention into her children. She was very focused on them. Very engaged in their lives. Did everything with them. Sounds like thats what was important in her life anyway. Absolutely. Reporter she was working at her Childrens School and had even been on a few dates. Catherine was creating a life without paul. Then in december 2008, sometime in the Early Morning hours, somewhere in her house, a fire started. The house is totally on fire. Its on fire. Reporter when firefighters arrived, the big red house was a wall of flames. They had no idea if anyone was still inside. Does anyone live there . Yes, yes, there are kids. Do you know if theyre out of the house . I dont know. Reporter neighbors knew paul wasnt there. He was living in an apartment three hours away with his new girlfriend. That morning he got a call from catherines pastor. Picked it up and it was pastor phyllis and she goes, where are the kids . Where are the kids . And im like theyre with me. Whats going on . She goes, the house is on fire. Reporter firefighters worked for hours dousing the flames. Catherines friend sue muller arrived and the fire was still raging. She stood vigil for hours, waiting to hear news of her friend. All of the sudden the firemen were all concentrated in one area, looking down into the basement, and then the local funeral home was there with the body bag. And i saw them bring the body bag down into the basement. Reporter in the destruction and muck of the basement, under massive pieces of what had been the house, firefighters found the remains of the family dog. And to their horror, the body of 41yearold Catherine Novak. Oh, no. Oh, no. It cant be. And i think it takes a while to grasp that death is forever. What did you think when you heard that news . I was just a blank. A complete blank. What on earth am i going to tell these children . How am i going to tell them . She was a great mom. I didnt know how i was going to be able to even try to fill that void. Reporter the autopsy report said she was killed when heavy debris fell on her. Catherines death was officially ruled accidental. She lived a very courageous life. She knew what she wanted. She went after it. She was very bold in the things she did. Reporter a tragic end to a life that held so much promise. But as youve probably guessed, the story didnt end there. For investigators it was just the beginning. Not everyone believed this was an accident. If it wasnt an accident, was it murder . It certainly didnt look that way, until a second autopsy report came back. We knew she did not die in the fire. She died before the fire. He goes, we want you to take a polygraph test. Different. Who knew . I had no idea. So, she said look for. One thats shaped like a dental tool with a round. Brush head. Go pro with oralb. Oralbs rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to. Gently remove more plaque and. Oralb crossaction is clinically proven to. Remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. My mouth feels so clean. Ill only use an oralb the 1 brand used by dentists worldwide. Oralb. Brush like a pro. whispering dad trust me, we are going viral. 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Great savings. And a whole lot more. 48 hours of protection. I dont have to reapply this. Not once its really soft and almost velvety. As you put it on. Its like reaaally soft. Try dove advance care. For softer, smoother underarms. Imy bargain detergentgh a couldnt keep up. Isaster. So, i switched to tide pods. Theyre super concentrated, so i get a better clean. Tide. Number one rated. Its got to be tide the remains of that old Country House were still smoldering, as investigators dug through the debris looking for clues. They wanted to know what caused the fire and exactly how Catherine Novak died there. Her mothers question was more simple. The big thing for me was why didnt she get out . That was what kept going over in my mind, why didnt she get out . Reporter even her estranged husband paul said he was puzzled. I didnt know what to think about it. Id been surrounded by death and violence my entire life, and now it hits home. Reporter the pathologist ruled catherines death an accident, but investigators werent so sure. They turned to District Attorney steve lungen to take a closer look. So you were contacted despite this talk it was an accident. Yes. We had a fire and we had a death. The question of how the two of those items were going to come together would not play out for a couple days later and actually years later. Reporter the police, as they often do, began by interviewing catherines soon to be exhusband paul novak. What happened in the interview as far as the way they treated you, the questions they were nice. They asked about catherines last known whereabouts, if she had any boyfriends, any utilities in the house that may have had a problem, anything like that. Reporter the interview was all very routine but the investigation at the scene was not. Fire inspectors couldnt figure out what ignited the blaze. They checked the wiring, the appliances, the pellet stove, the propane tanks. Nothing conclusive. But then things changed. The d. A. Brought in a specialist, a forensic pathologist, to do a second autopsy a few days later. And the results this time told a different story. We knew she did not die in that fire, she died before the fire. Reporter the second pathologist discovered there was no Carbon Monoxide in catherines blood or soot in her lungs, which meant catherine had stopped breathing before the fire started. She changed the manner of death from accidental to pending investigation. The question is what else can we gain or learn before we can start to classify this as a homicide . Who do you look to as the suspect . The state police had done some initial interviews. Obviously, the spouse is the first person you look to. The spouse had a clear alibi. Reporter paul and his new girlfriend, michelle la france, said they were far from catherines beloved red house when the fire broke out. A threehour drive away in their apartment on long island. Still, investigators didnt just take the couples word for it. They made a request. He goes, we want you to take a polygraph test. Did you feel like you were almost in a tv show at this point . Yes. It felt like law order, a really bad episode of it. When did you get the results . He came back about 15 minutes later and he said okay, youre all done, you passed. He was driving home from the interrogation, and he was hysterical. Reporter pauls sister, ilona, had never heard him so emotional. He was crying and saying they asked me if i killed her. He just found it so unbelievable that he was being asked these questions. Reporter so if it wasnt paul, investigators needed to look for other suspects. The state police did a complete canvass of the area, anybody who had any connection to Catherine Novak, the state police reviewed, found, interviewed. Reporter but after many months and no leads, investigators hit a dead end. The case turned cold. None of that mattered much to catherines mom. I still miss my daughter the same. I miss her, no matter what happened to her. I miss her. Reporter seven months after catherines death paul and his girlfriend packed up the kids and their apartment on long island and moved 1,000 miles south to florida. I figured with my experience that it would probably be pretty easy for me to get a job somewhere. Kind of a fresh start . A fresh start. I thought it would be good for the kids. Great school, nice neighborhood. Reporter but paul said not long after their move things with michelle started to sour. When they first met, she was a paramedic in training. He was her teacher, her friend. She had confided in him about her history of mental illness, long bouts of depression and alcohol abuse. But now he says her problems were beginning to take a toll on their relationship. His young daughter, a sore spot. She was very jealous of natalie. And her mental issues definitely became more apparent as time went on. At one point she actually threatened to commit suicide inside my own house. Reporter this was no surprise to ilona and her mom, who loved catherine but never approved of michelle. What are your First Impressions of michelle . I didnt like her. Why . She walked into my mothers house and she immediately wanted catherines pictures turned around because she felt like catherine was looking at her. Reporter paul said it took him a bit longer than his family to realize he and michelle were not the best match. They had been together for three years. When he found out she was cheating on him with a married man. He didnt want to stand for that. So he had to ask her to leave. And he did it very nicely. And she didnt want to go. Reporter in what paul described as a bitter breakup, he forced michelle to move out and told her it was over. By that time it had been more than two years since catherines death. Investigators back in new york had moved on to other cases. The years were ticking by with no new leads. But the d. A. Was a patient man. We never put the file away. It was always a matter of when something is going to come forward well be ready to go forward. We never accepted an accidental cause of death, ever. Reporter his patience would be rewarded. A break in this cold case was coming, and it would surprise everyone. Coming up a surprise knock at paul novaks door. My girlfriend comes in, and she goes, theres something fishy going on outside. Theres two Police Detectives outside and they want to talk to you about your car being involved in a hit and run. Is that what they really wanted . Years had passed since Catherine Novaks body had been discovered among the blackened ruins of her big red house. But the passage of time didnt make it any easier for her mother. Its the thing that never happens to you, it always happens to someone else. It doesnt happen to you. You dont lose a child like that, in such a horrible way, a fire. Reporter catherines brother michael and his wife, joanne, had stopped asking questions, choosing instead to accept they might never really know what happened to her. To take catherines perspective, she would look for the positive side, the good things, and she would want us to move on. And you know, thats what we tried to do. We made our peace with it, and we went on living. Reporter but as time went by in the little town of narrowsburg, dark suspicions were whispered from neighbor to neighbor, and one name kept coming up. Catherines estranged husband, paul novak. Her close friend, sue muller. I was angry as time went on, and i thought more and more about it and i thought that paul might somehow be involved. Reporter as she looked back, she was particularly haunted by the way paul acted the day of catherines memorial service. The whole congregation were sobbing so loud. I mean, the pastor couldnt even finish her sermon. And i went up to him, and i hugged him. I kind of was struck by how he really showed no emotion. After 11 years of marriage that she might have meant a little bit more to him, that he might shed a tear. But i didnt see any. Reporter but there was no evidence that paul had anything to do with catherines death. No dna or fingerprints at the crime scene. No witnesses. He had even passed a polygraph test. And he had an alibi for the morning of the fire. He was three hours away with his girlfriend, michel, in their apartment on long island. Paul continued to enjoy his new life in florida with his two children. Working again as a paramedic and now dating a new woman hed fallen for quickly on match. Com, kat del grasso. We started texting and then we made a date, and we went on a date. Really that was it. It was instant . Instant. Instant. What was the attraction . I dont know. Its really hard to put your finger on Something Like that. We just seemed to have an immediate connection. There was zero stress talking. No uncomfortableness. Reporter their romance blossomed, and she eventually moved in with paul and his kids. Do they look up to him . They worship him. They completely worship him. Hes always up with them, checking homework. We do a lot of things as a family. Is it a nice life . Mmhmm. We were really happy. Really, really happy. And then you get a knock at the door. Yep. Yeah. That was a tough day. Reporter it was an Early Morning in september 2012. Four years after catherines death. I was asleep. I just got off of work. I worked 12 hours at the hospital. And i remember my girlfriend comes in and she goes, theres something fishy going on outside. Theres two Police Detectives outside and they want to talk to you about your car being involved in a hit and run. Reporter but when he arrived at the Police Station he saw a familiar face and realized this had nothing to do with a car accident. This is investigator kelly from new york. So im like, okay. So he sits down, he grabs a chair and hes like a foot away from me. And then i remember him. Hes the guy that grilled me, the one that got my face. How are you feeling . Oh, my gosh. These people are back in my life, four years later. At that point i still didnt know what they wanted from me. I knew this guy was yelling at me and then i just looked at him and i said, i would like to speak to a lawyer. Reporter paul had already been interviewed by police several times. He thought this was all behind him. You knew it had to be about catherine. Well, yeah, obviously it had to do something with that. Reporter later that day the police went back to pauls house. And i went outside in the driveway with them, and they said, were sorry to have to break this to you, but paul novaks under arrest. And i said, for what . And they said, its for involvement in his wifes murder four years ago. Reporter what cat and paul didnt know was that a witness had come forward telling police an evil tale. And in that story paul was the villain. They arrested you right there. Did they put you in jail right there then . Yes. Reporter the story the witness told was chilling. Please have a seat there. Reporter revealing dark secrets. But was it true . Coming up pauls alibi becomes his accuser. He was going to chloroform form, leave her and burn the house down around her and she was going to die in the fire. Ag. I will never never wash my hair again now, i fuel it new pantene doesnt just wash your hair, it fuels it. With the first prov nutrient blend, making every. Strand stronger dont just wash your hair fuel it fuel your hair. Because strong is beautiful. Windex that you dont even know its there . So clear by sfx slide show smudge it with the new smudge stick even clear glass gets visibly smudged in a snap. Sfx smudge sounds against glass get it now and say no to spotless clear windex glass. School lunch can be difficult. Cafeteria chaos. One little struggle. 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Not fair you guys waffles are my favorite ah some cough medicines only last 4 hours. But just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. Catherine novaks death had been a cold case for more than three years when out of nowhere a witness came forward, pointing a finger at catherines estranged husband, paul. So who was this mystery witness . A woman from pauls past. His exgirlfriend, michelle. Michelle la france, who was the defendants alibi in 2008, has now come forward and said paul was not home and that paul went to narrowsburg and that paul killed catherine. What was that phone call like . It was now time to get to work. Reporter jim farrell was now the District Attorney. He teamed up with the former d. A. , steve lungen. Didnt it feel good you had a break . Its a break. But again, i needed more information. Reporter investigators sat la france down to hear her story. Lets start back in the beginning. Okay. Reporter during a sixhour interview michelle laid out what she claimed was the true story of how paul killed catherine. She said he started plotting weeks before the murder. He was researching things on the internet. He was going to chloroform her and leave her and then burn the house down around her and she was going to die in the fire. Reporter michelle says one week before the fire she and paul went to catherines house to move his things out and paul unlocked the basement doors. So that he can go up the next time we had the kids, which would be a week later, and that way he can sneak into the house and she wouldnt know. Reporter according to michelle, paul wasnt with her on the night of the murder, that alibi was a lie. Instead, she said he was with a fellow paramedic named Scott Sherwood, who drove paul to narrowsburg. As far as i know, scott was left in the car, and paul walked out of the house. Reporter michelle said paul told her he went inside, set off the basement smoke alarm, hit behind the stairs, and when catherine came down to investigate he tried to knock her out with chloroform. This was supposed to be quick and painless and, you know, she was supposed to be passed out before she knew what happened. But i guess he put it over her mouth and it didnt work. She was screaming and begging him for her life. Reporter through her tears michelle spilled out gruesome details of what paul said were catherines final words. She begged him to think of their children. And he told me that the only thing he said to her the entire time that he was fighting with her was im doing this for the kids. And he said that she had been wearing a hooded sweatshirt and that he finally just took the sweatshirt and wrapped it around her neck and held it until she stopped breathing. Reporter then michelle claims paul took a blow torch from the garage and set the kitchen curtains on fire. He waited for it to catch fire. And i dont think he ever told me how long he i dont think he ever told me exactly how long he sat there and waited and watched. Reporter michelles story was a stunning betrayal of her former boyfriend and if it was true paul had committed a vicious and calculated crime. Michelle said paul told her he did it because catherine was a monster. He had me convinced that catherine was the bad guy and he was the good parent and these kids were abused and these kids were miserable. Pauls sister ilona didnt believe a word of it. From the moment she heard a witness had come forward she believed her brother was being set up. This is michelle. You got rid of here. And now what happened . This is payback . I believe thats what it is. Reporter pauls girlfriend kat who got engaged to him in jail also believed michelles story was suspicious. Hes innocent. Absolutely, positively. Why are you so sure . Hes just not that kind of a person. Hes a caretaker. You know, its like, his job as a paramedic defined him. Reporter and while paul had a squeaky clean record, michelle, his accuser, had issues. A history of depression and alcohol abuse. And shed waited years to come forward. Michelle la france has been described as a scorned exgirlfriend, a woman looking for revenge. Did all that go through your mind . No. I dont believe that it did because after she leaves paul in january, february of 2011 its 14 months before she gets up the courage to come forward to the police to tell the police what she knows, fully expecting that shes going to be arrested. Do i need a lawyer . Reporter as paul waited for his trial to start, he told us he wasnt worried. Theres really nothing that puts you at that crime. No. Theres no eyewitnesses. Do you think thats going to work in your favor . I think its going to go rather well for me. Coming up the prosecution is feeling confident too. Did someone leave digital tracks . State police did a search for the toll records of that vehicle, and we had a hit at 6 39. But what, if anything, does that prove . When dateline continues. Tiki barber running a barber shop . Yes surprising. Yes whats not surprising . How much money david saved by switching to geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. Whos next . School lunch can be difficult. Cafeteria chaos. One little struggle. Can lead to one monumental mishap. Not with ziploc easy open tabs. Because life needs ziploc. Sc johnson. Ltry align probiotic. N your digestive system . For a nonstop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. Get 24 7 digestive support, with align. The 1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. Now in kids chewables. You can pick up cold flu viruses from things in your home for up to 48 hours . Its like having a sick Family Member that you didnt even know was there. And we all know what happens when one Family Member gets sick. 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As paul novak prepared to stand trial for the murder of his wife, he insisted he was innocent. Are you the evil murderer that some people think you are . No. Not at all. Any reason to kill your wife . No. No. Absolutely not. I mean, when i left catherine, i probably wasnt in love with her anymore. But i respected her, and she was shes the mother of my children. Reporter for catherines brother michael the upcoming trial felt like opening an old wound. Part of me wished i didnt get that phone call because i knew how traumatic it would be to the family and especially how traumatic it would be to natalie and nicholas. Reporter catherines mom also knew a trial would mean more heartache for her grandchildren. I know no one could imagine how i feel losing my child. I cant imagine how they feel now with the loss of both parents in essence. All rise. The criminal court is now in session. Reporter in august 2013 the trial of paul novak began at the Sullivan County courthouse. The District Attorney opened the case. The evidence will show that as catherine begged and fought for her life the defendant ended her life. Murdering her in the basement of her own home. Reporter prosecutors set out to prove that paul orchestrated this murder down to the last detail. He was planning this for a period of weeks and maybe more in his own mind, of how to rid himself of catherine. Hes a murderer. Hes a sociopath. He planned. He executed. And he killed Catherine Novak in cold blood. Reporter their star witness was pauls exlover, michelle la france. The jury heard every minute of those Police Interrogation tapes of michelle describing the details of how he killed his wife. He told me that they were fighting and that they were rolling around on the basement stairs floor for like 45 minutes and thats why he was so late. And that she was screaming and begging him for her life. Reporter and the jury didnt have to just take her word for it. Prosecutors called Scott Sherwood, pauls partner from work, to the stand. They told the jury he had been interrogated by police and showed them the tape. Lets go from the beginning. Paul. You meet paul where . I met paul at his house in glen cove. Reporter jurors heard him tell police his version of what happened the night of the murder. So he gets in your red blazer. Whos driving, you or him . I was driving. We were driving up toward where his residence was. Where catherine still lived. Reporter sherwood said paul told him to park about a mile away from catherines house and wait in the car. How long is he gone from the car . Over an hour. And what does he say when he gets in the car . He said its done. He had said that the chloroform didnt work, i had to strangle her, and something about hitting the gas line to ignite. So you knew the house was on fire . Yes. Reporter as Scott Sherwoods story played in the courtroom, the prosecutors pointed out how remarkably similar it was to michelle la frances. Did he say where he strangled her . Where in the house. In the basement. Reporter prosecutors felt these matching stories were powerful but didnt think they would be enough to get a conviction. They wanted physical evidence to prove michelle and scott were telling the truth. They began with sherwoods account of the drive up to narrowsburg. Sherwood had told investigators paul asked him to stop at a walmart. When you get into the middletown area, you said you stopped where . At a walmart. And he went inside . He went inside. You waited outside . Waited outside. And then he came out with a bag . Yes. Do you know what he bought . I believe duct tape. Reporter prosecutors showed jurors what investigators found when they visited that walmart. The state police found a receipt. Only one receipt out of 30 registers that had three things on it duck tape, a hat and gloves. Scott sherwood tells us that the defendant used tapes to tape up his scrubs, he had a hat and gloves on when he went and came back from the house. Reporter and there was more physical evidence to back up sherwoods account. He told police he and paul crossed the George Washington bridge on their way back to pauls place the morning of the murder. Was it a toll you guys went through . I would assume so. We went through i guess it was the lower level, but there was no booth there was no attendant. Reporter no attendant saw them pass, but detectives wondered could digital eyes help place the car at the toll booth . State police immediately did a search for the ez pass records, or toll records of that vehicle, and we had a hit at 6 39 of that vehicle coming across the George Washington bridge lower level. Thats huge. Its huge. It was a highly corroborative piece of evidence to corroborate Scott Sherwood. Reporter whats more, there was a photo snapped of the license plate. It was evidence that almost didnt exist. Prosecutors say paul had planned to pay cash that night. But construction at the toll booth forced him to drive through the ez pass lane. He made some mistakes. And he couldnt have anticipated the bridge was going to be under construction with no toll takers. Reporter and then prosecutors presented what they thought would remove any smudge of doubt from their case. A third person who linked paul to the murder. Elyse hanlon, Scott Sherwoods wife. On the stand she recalled a conversation with paul where he told her that he committed the murder and that he did it alone. Scott had nothing to do with it. Theres no way scotts getting into trouble. Scott had nothing to do with it. And he told her i went up there with him, he drove, i went in, i did everything. Three people in three different rooms, telling us the same thing. You may not be able to say we have a fingerprint or we have dna, but thats pretty damning evidence. Reporter the last piece the prosecution needed was motive. Why would paul want to kill his wife, catherine . Simple, they said. Money. When catherine died, paul cashed in on her Life Insurance policy and Homeowners Insurance. It all totaled around 700,000. The defendant said he would kill catherine and burn up the evidence, and he did just that. Reporter now it was the defenses turn to attack. Jurors would hear more about the checkered pasts of the witnesses at the very heart of the case. Coming up and what a very checkered past some of those witnesses had. I was sleeping around in mattituck. I think i slept with half the town. It was the defenses turn. Paul novak would not take the stand to proclaim his innocence. Its my decision not to testify. Reporter instead his defense attorney, gary greenwald, did the talking. And im going to tell you youre going to have reasonable doubt. Reporter his argument, dont believe everything you hear. Consider the source. Consider the mental states of the key witnesses. Consider their possible motives. He started by attacking pauls exgirlfriend, michelle la france, the woman paul had thrown out of his house. She was a liar. She was manipulative, willing to take whatever steps necessary to hurt paul. Reporter the defense tried to portray her as unstable, offering evidence of everything from suicide attempts to a bizarre drunken incident involving the police. It took six officers to take me down. And i apparently had to be handcuffed to a tree. Topless. I had bruises from fighting the from fighting the tree. Reporter the defense attacked her credibility and used her own words to portray her as a liar who carried on a string of affairs with married men. I was sleeping around in mattituck. I think i slept with half the town. She was probably one of the most promiscuous people who ive ever seen testify in an open court. Reporter and the defense also argued Scott Sherwood suffered from Serious Mental Health issues. Scott sherwood from the time he was 8 years old was being treated for major psychiatric problems. And one of the crucial pieces of evidence was his psychologist, who testified that when he was put into a conflict situation would say whatever was necessary to get out. I think what some people are going to have a hard time wrapping their head around is why three separate people would all lie. The reality is i take elyse out of the picture because she lied to support her husband. Scott had a psychiatric problem. And he was manipulated in my opinion by michelle. Michelle was a woman scorned. Reporter and the defense argued their stories were tainted because michelle had been given full immunity when she agreed to testify against paul and sherwood made a plea deal for a reduced charge and a sentence of 3 to 12 years in prison. Next, the defense went after the evidence that seemed to support sherwoods story, specifically that photo of sherwoods license plate taken the morning of the murder. One piece of evidence that seemed pretty damning was the ez pass record that showed Scott Sherwoods suv crossing the George Washington bridge at the right time for this crime. The answer to that is very simple. It proves nothing. Theres a picture of the license plate. Theres no picture of whos in the vehicle. How do you know as were sitting here now that Scott Sherwood or possibly michelle were not in that vehicle . The answer is you dont. Reporter and greenwald dismissed that receipt from the walmart in middletown. Is it just a coincidence that someone went into walmart around 1 30 in the morning the morning of catherines death and bought a hat, gloves, and duct tape, all the things that were supposedly used in her murder . Okay. First of all, mr. Sherwood admitted under oath to me that he got to middletown at 12 00. He never could have been there at 1 30 or so because he was out by 12 15. Reporter still, there was an ageold motive, money, to explain away. And in our interview paul himself had an answer for that. Are you having any Financial Issues at this point . Actually, at that point i was in a much better financial situation than i had been previously because i had ended up getting a second job at New York Hospital in queens which was very high paying. Reporter and then greenwald called what he said was his most crucial witness, pauls landlord. The defense wanted to use him to undermine a key part of the prosecutions case. Remember, Scott Sherwood said that after the murder he and paul drove home to pauls house. Do you go straight to pauls house in glen cove when you come back . Yes. Reporter but on the stand pauls landlord disputed that. He said hed been outside setting up for a photo shoot starting in the Early Morning and didnt lay eyes on either of them. How could the man be out there and he never sees Scott Sherwood or paul . Theres only one way. It didnt happen. Reporter the landlords testimony was proof, the lawyer argued, that Scott Sherwood had made up his story. The defense closed its case claiming the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that paul was a killer. Paul novak is not guilty. And we ask you to find that. Reporter after seven weeks the jury finally began to deliberate. Going into the trial, paul was certain they would find him not guilty. Your lifes on the line. Yes, my life is on the line. But i think the truth will come out in the end. And hopefully hopefully those 12 people will know the true story. Reporter his fiancee, kat, told us before the verdict she will stick by him no matter what. I believe in him. Have you thought about your wedding and where it will be, when it will happen . I actually already bought my dress. Reporter kats future and so many others would be determined by what the jury decided. For catherines family the waiting was the hardest part. I truthfully did not know what it was going to be. No matter which way you went with it, it was emotional. Theres no winners. Reporter almost five years after Catherine Novaks murder, so many secrets, lies, and betrayals had been revealed. So many questions raised. Would the jury believe pauls exlover and his expartner . Was paul a ruthless killer, or had he been set up . It took the jury two full days of deliberations. On the third day they had made a decision. The verdict was in. We find in the case of the people of the state of new york versus paul novak as to count 1, murder in the first degree. Guilty. Reporter guilty. Convicted of firstdegree murder. Paul showed only a slight head shake as he was convicted of all charges against him, including insurance fraud, grand larceny, and arson. How are you feeling right now . Not very good. Reporter paul was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His lawyers say he is appealing. But michelle, who knew about the murder plan from the beginning, walked away a free woman. A lot of people will be angry and think this woman knew about a murder that was going to happen and didnt do anything. I can think of hundreds of people, thousands of people that know about a crime and dont come forward and say a word. That doesnt make it okay. Is it a Perfect World . No. Will she get hers . Yes. When she dies. Reporter the future for the children will be decided by the people who love them most, paul and catherines families. We will work to get for those kids what catherine wanted for them. Reporter up in narrowsburg, where Catherine Novaks beloved red house once stood, the trees glow orange and gold. Five autumns have come and gone. Her mother still mourns the daughter she lost but remembers the life she lived. What do you miss most about her . Her smile and her hugs. She was a lot of fun, catherine. She enjoyed life a lot. Thats all for now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. This and chaos. The fight over president trumps travel ban. The president vows to get the restrictions reinstated after a judge temporarily blocks them calling the ruling ridiculous and tweeting about this socalled judge. What are travelers supposed to do now . Plus president trumps headspinning week. A Supreme Court pick. Outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan support. Putting iran on notice. Softening his support for new israeli settlements and holding testy talks with allies, mexico and australia. When you hear about the tough phone calls im having, dont worry about. We have an allstar lineup of guests this morning. Mike pence,