Transcripts For WNBC Dateline NBC 20160410

I was like really freaking out. I was like whats going on, whats going on. Reporter a mother murdered. Looks like two ghosts have just committed the ultimate crime. Reporter he lived to tell police a harrowing story. Was it true . Hes the only one who survived. Hes practically unharmed. They treat you like a suspect or a witness . They are treating me like a suspect. Reporter now an undercover plan to solve the mystery. Who was the real mastermind . We all stopped breathing for about ten seconds. I wanted to belong. Wrong. I really wanted to be wrong. The American Dream. So many of us want it. A loving family. The home you can afford. The idea that you can start over here. And, in this new country, that better life will be yours. This is a story about that dream, about a family that worked for it, won it, and then what happened to them. This wasnt part of anyones dream. Someone just robbed our house they broke in they try tied me and my mom up reporter how could it happen in this safe gated community, in this home they worked so hard to have. Is everybody okay . I dont know where my mom is. Reporter and who deserved it less than this woman . My mom brung the heart into the ham. Reporter ryan was the baby of the family. Spoiled rotten by his mother, we couldnt function without my mom. My mom was like the chef in the household. Counselor. Full service mom. Oh, yeah. She did it all. Yeah, she was really, really nice, sweet lady. Reporter she was one of those mothers who showed her love through food. Her cakes were legendary. Making every birthday that much more special, says her older son, richard. She made this really good upside down pineapple cake. It was phenomenal. I always remember cake and ice cream at the birthdays. Reporter growing up, richard was inseparable from his mom. Was she like the other moms that your friends had . No. I think she was a bit more on the conservative side. Reporter conservative because of where she came from. Ariette was born in egypt, then came to the u. S. When she was 29 years old. Her family settled in Northern California. She led a comfortable allamerican life. And. 1980, ariette was called back to egypt to meet a nice young man named magdi. When my mom went out there and ended up meeting him, she really liked him. Reporter years later she would reminisce about how their romance blossomed. In egypt you really cant just go out like on dates and stuff. So they went together to the Movie Theater and then when it got real dark, my dad reached over and gave her like a kiss on the cheek. Which was a very big deal. Yeah, for her it was. I think it almost sealed the deal. Reporter it wasnt the american way of falling in love, but ariette seemed happy. She and magdi married just two weeks later in egypt and moved together to california. In 1981 richard was born. Five years later came ryan. Richard was delighted to have a brother to play with and to watch over. So you were his protector, big brother. Yeah, i always kind of keep i love my brother with all my heart. How did you and your brother get along . Like best friends. I always looked up to him. Reporter their dad was the classic hardworking immigrant. Magdi earned his license to become a respiratory therapist, then put in endless hours to keep a roof over his familys head and clothes on their backs. He came from really poor country, so for him it was like to come here, he was like working real hard to try to build things up and try to establish a life. Reporter magdi emphasized education, teaching both his sons math at an early age. They felt he would do anything to keep his family safe. He didnt want your family to get pushed around. Not at all. Not at all. Reporter it took many years of hard work, saving and investing, but magdi finally put this home in a gated community in the city of westminster. A quiet town in Orange County, california. The family was well on its way to living out the dream magdi and ariette had worked so lard hard to build. But then on sent ptember 29, 2004, all of it came crashing down. Rir ryan, then 17, was out with friends and stayed out later than he was supposed to. When did you get home . Like 1 00 to 1 30 that night. I slidded back door open and i went upstairs. Reporter his dad was not at home, his brother at work, his mom asleep. I remember i was fixing up my ipod dock and i fell asleep to music that night. Next thing i know i hear a door open and first instinct was that maybe it was my brother. Reporter his older brother, protector, coming home. Or so he thought. But it wasnt richard. Kind of looked back, and thats when i felt like a hand being placed on my mouth. And it was a hand with some type of cotton glove. Can you see who this is . I know this was a black male that was heavy set. I was yelling for my brother and my mom to help me. And i was really scared. Reporter ryan says he fought the intruder. I bit down on the hand and i rolled off the bed, and then i popped up and i was shoved into like the wall. He was telling me to like shut up and calm down. Reporter you man put duct tape over ryans mouth and started taping his hands and feet together. And right after that, a second suspect comes inside and he starts making threats to me dont get your mom killed. Dont get your mom killed. Thatterrifying to hear. Yeah, i i didnt know what was going on. I thought it was like a robbery or something. Reporter a terrifying situation was about to get much worse. Through the hallway i saw my mom yelling take anything you want, take anything you want. And then after that, i just noticed that the guy was taking my mom away like toward her bedroom. Reporter ryans attacker dragged him into the closet. But then noticed the duct tape was slipping around ryans hands. I heard him taking like some shoestring off of one of my shoes. Reporter using the shoelace, the man tied ryans hands behind his back. Through the closet door, ryan pleaded with his attacker. I started telling him please dont kill me, please dont kill me and i started praying. During that time he was like, i know your circumstances, i know what youre going through, im circumstances. Strange as those words sounded, ryan found them somehow comforting. And then of a that like i started feeling a little bit of a sense of relief. Reporter but then ryan heard a sound that would come to haunt him. I heard like a cutting of the sheets. I thought he was like cutting my sheets up. I didnt know like what was going on. Reporter and what was going on was worse than anything he could have imagined. A panicked call from 911, and another to his brother. 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Experience more stories at ryan gurgess had just been through a terrifying ordeal. Two men breaking into his home in a gated community in the middle of the night. Both men were really huge to me. Like their whole persona was just like gangsters and like thugs. Youd never seen them b ore. Never, ever. Reporter they tied him up, threw him in a closet. But not before he saw one of the men drag his mother into her bedroom. He says he thought he heard the men walk out, thought he heard a car drive away. But for a few more moments, ryan thumping, afraid, he says, to come out. It was now or never. Ryan says he managed to untie himself and grabbed his cell phone. I went down the hallway. I looked to the right really quickly. I noticed that the door was in to your mothers bedroom. To my mothers bedroom. Why didnt you check on her . I wanted to get out of the house as fast as possible and then come back with help. You had to be thinking thats my mom in there, i got to go see how she is. The whole time was like i got to get out of this house and come back with someone because i already got overpowered by myself. He ran outside the house and called 911. What happened . People just jumped in my house and they started yelling [ bleep ] at me. They were like dont make me have to kill you. Dont make me have to kill you. Reporter ryan called his dad. He was shocked. And asked two things. If ryan was okay and where ariette was, and ryan didnt know. Ryan also called his older brother, richard, who was working the night shift at the queen mary hotel. What did richard say when you called him . He questioned if i was all right. He also questioned who do you think it is, someone you know, ryan . Why would richard think that you might know the people who broke into the house . Well, he felt like i was the one that got tied up and things like that and they came into my room. Sew just was like questioning like ryan did something having to do with you. Like whats going on . Did they have a personal vendetta on you or anything . Reporter as youll see, thats a question that would come up again. After ryans call, richard left work and drove to the house. But the police tape was already up and they wouldnt let him through. I was like really freaking out, i was like whats going on, whats going on. I was asking them, wheres my mom at, wheres my mom at. Reporter police took richard and ryan to the station. The boys were surprised to find themselves split up and sitting in separate interview rooms. Ryans hands were bagged to preserve any evidence. Too many questions, richard asked one of his own. What happened to my mom, please . So we have a murder investigation. Oh, no shes not. I didnt hear that. I didnt hear that. Reporter ryan says he didnt know what was happening right then but he could tell it was bad. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. I just hear like a scream and im like, what just happened . It sounds like richard, my brother, and he is screaming to the top of his lungs. No, shes not. Shes not. You cant see richard, you can just hear him. I can just hear him in the other room and he was going hysterical. I never heard him scream like that in my whole life. Oh, my god. Does my little brother know . Reporter police soon told ryan the same awful news, that their mother, ariette, had been now the cops started asking questions. That wasnt all they did. Police took your fingerprints . Police took my fingerprints. Cotton swabs. Dna. You name it, they did it. They treating you like a suspect or a witness . They are treating me like a suspect at this point. Did you have a chance to check on your mom before you ran out of the house . No. I didnt want to like trace reporter richard was facing questions that were slightly different but just as skeptical. Cops take your fingerprints . Yeah. And dna . Yeah. Did you think to yourself, theyre looking at me a suspect . Yeah. Een in a situation with the police. Reporter but the detectives focus seemed to linger on his brother, ryan. This wouldnt be like directed against him that you know of . I mean i dont know. I dont know, first reaction i had when he called me, i was like was it one of your friends . Did someone break in . That was your first reaction . My first reaction was that. Reporter as Police Continue their questioning, one question stood out above all. Why would these two thugs come in to your house, basically not hurt you, and then really brutally kill your mother and leave behind a witness . Yeah. This investigation was about to take a turn that no one expected. It was like two ghosts had just walked in and committed the ultimate crime. Zblb what will the evidence reveal . Seen almost everything, so we know how to cover almost anything. Even a stag pool party. party music splashing destruction splashing destruction burke and we covered it, october twentyseventh, 2014. Talk to farmers. We know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum vo when the twists and turns of a busy bone. Meet the bacony yum of beggin, not even mr. Squirrel can tear him away. Introducing new busy with beggin twistd. The new busy bone that makes dogs say. dog not now, im busy. Introducing oikos crunch. Greek nonfat yogurt with delicious crunchy toppings like chocolate and Peanut Butter chips. Crunched it new oikos crunch. Ive been a turkey farmer my whole life. And i raise turkey for shady brook farms. We dont use growthpromoting antibiotics, thats just the way things should be done. Thats important to me. My name is glenn, and im an independent turkey farmer. female announcer shady brook farms. No growthpromoting antibiotics, not that many really. Reporter sonya was a deputy d. A. In Orange County, california. The ariette gurgess case landed on her desk. It was a nightmare. It was the thing most people fear, to be at home in the sanctity of your home asleep in your bed and have intruders come in and do the unthinkable. Reporter police found ariettes body near her bed. Shes been stabbed multiple times. That odd tearing sound ryan said he heard, investigators believed it was the sound of the knife ripping through the mattress as ariettes killer slit her throat. Was that knife found at the scene . It was not. Reporter james wilson as a Patrol Officer at the time of wilson says the details of the crime scene pointed to something other than a Home Invasion robbery, in part, because nothing appeared to have been stolen. This was not a burglary in which she was sort of collateral damage. Definitely not. Reporter cash was in plain sight. Jewelry, too. Even ryans ipod and new dock, all untouched. The house wasnt even rummaged through as if they were looking for something. Reporter whats more, this was a gated community. The killers would have needed a gate code to get in. It starts getting more interesting as to who could have done it. Reporter crime scene investigators collected mounds of evidence, and, surprisingly, with all that blood, not a single trace of unknown dna. All the dna results matched the people who lived in the house, ariette, magdi, richard, and ryan. Was left alive. Two guys came into the house, beat up ryan, tie him up, and then kill ariette in a brutal handson way, and leave no trace . Thats what it looked like. Looked like two ghosted had just walked in and committed the ultimate crime. Reporter it seemed improbable, and it encouraged detectives to look closely at ryan. He claimed to be a victim. But was he really . Police learned the friend he was with the night of the murder had offered ryan a knife for protection just hours before ryans mother was brutally killed with a knife, a knife that had not been found. They also learned ryan smoked marijuana, and not just at the occasional party. He smoked every day, and he wasnt just smoking. Cy was helping out someone with like like narcotic. Marijuana. Reporter police found small amounts of marijuana in ryans room, along with a bong, baggies, and tinfoil. And, there was more. Like the description ryan had given detectives about the two suspects. Both male blacks. They were large. He said that they acted like they were from a gang. But that was something that we still didnt know 100 sure if that was true or not. Reporter claiming two black men committed the murder seemed almost too convenient. And more troubling if ryan had been beaten by gang members much bigger than he was, why didnt he look like it . If ryan had been in a serious duking it out fight with a couple of guys, that he would have ended up much more battered than he was. If those guys wanted to hurt him worse than they did, definitely so. Yes. Reporter and remember, ryan had told police that one suspect circumstances, im not going to kill you. Is that true . And if so, what did it mean . And then there was the issue of ryan claiming to have left the house before he so much as took a peek into his mothers bedroom. That strike anybody as odd . I think so. As a detective, you have to consider why somebody would do that. Reporter soon detectives found out. Ryan had more dark secrets than they realized. Hes the only one who survived, hes practically unharmed. If you questions for ryan, and a new clue. Had he received a warning before the attack . Nd y with cash back twice on purchases. Earn once when you buy, and again as you pay. Thats cash back now, and cash back again later. Its cash back d\j vu. The only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1 when you buy and 1 as you pay. P with two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem one sided. 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Reporter police still have a lot of questions about ryans story, but they hadnt yet found any evidence to suggest hed killed his mom. For now at least, they had to take him at his word. Until you can find a reason not to believe that person, you kind of have to go with what they have to say, unless they and as far as you knew, ryan was not lying. As far as i knew, yes. Reporter but the investigation was just starting. And police could not discount another possibility, that ariette was killed because of ryan. Detectives learned that a year before the murder, ryan had confronted another kid at school who hadnt paid him for some weed. Later, that kids friends jumped ryan. Doesnt seem like the kind of thing that would spark a homicide, but im guessing youve seen homicides that were it is typical, especially for gang related homicides, to be something just as small as that. Reporter remember, ryan described his assailants as sounding like gang members. And then there was this bombshell a message ryan received on his aol instant messenger just weeks before the murder. He brought it to detectives attention during an interview. Popped up, you better watch your back, i know where you live. I never even seen this person. Reporter ryan told police he had chalked it up to a prank. Now it seemed like key evidence, except ryan had not saved the message. No way to tell now who had sent it. Any idea who it was from . No. Aol able to help you with any of that . No. Reporter a frustrating dead end. At other possibilities. They dug deeper into the American Dream the gurgess family seemed to be living and interviewed the man of the house, magdi. How did you feel about your wife wifes death . Devastated. We lived together for 24 years. Shes the mother of my kids. He didnt really have any vices. He didnt spend any money on any hobbies of any sort. He was a guy who went to work and went home. Reporter but their father wasnt just a hard worker, said his sons. He was more like a workaholic. I think my mom felt neglected. He wasnt affectionate towards her. All he would do was just work. I played sports all my life and he never, ever came to watch any of the sports that i played. A lot of the childhood and a lot of me growing up, i can remember a lot about my mom but i dont remember a lot about my its not because i dont want to, it is just because he wasnt th e. He would come, go to sleep, get up, go to work. Come, go to sleep, get up, go to work. Reporter thats because for magdi, they said, the dream was all about the green. He was work, work, work. Money, money, money. Exactly. Reporter after a rare outing to the beach one day, ryan says he and his fare dropped ther dropped by mcdonalds. I asked him if i could borrow 1 for a 99 cent burger, and month only did he ask for the money on it. What kind of father asked his 13yearold son to reimburse him for that kind of money . My father was always trying to hustle somebody for some type of money. Reporter it didnt take the prosecutor long to learn about magdis obsession. This is the united states, everybody goes to work, everybody tries to make money, hes different . Yes, hes very different. Hes in a category of very few people who have an unhealthy relationship with money. It drives everything that they do. Were not talking about thrifty no. Were talking about squeezing every dollar until it bleeds. Yes. Reporter his sons describe magdi as not only obsessed with work and money, but also a strict disciplinarian. Did you love him . Yeah, i did love him. Were you scared of him . Yeah. From when i was a kid, yeah. I felt like there was a line and i didnt want to cross anything. Reporter the brothers say they saw what could happen when they crossed that line one night when ryan was 14 and came home past curfew. They say magdi simply lost it. He threw me on the floor and he started kicking me and my brother had to pull him off of me. Your brother kind of shielded you a little bit, didnt he . He did. Sounds like you were closer to your brother than you were to your father. Very much so. Reporter ryan rebelled, staying out late, smoking weed. Richard was more dutiful, but he, too, felt his fathers wrath. A punch. A kick. You kind of name it, depending. I would find the sooner i would cry, the sooner it would stop. Tough lesson to learn from your dad. Yeah. He was a very harsh person, which made it more fortunate to have my mom in my life because she was like the complete opposite. Reporter as tough as he was on his sons, they say magdi was just as tough on his wife. Ryan and richard say they never saw their father hit their mother, but they say they heard the yelling, and they did see the bruises. We never, ever called 911. It was just like we had that sense of fear that we didnt want to cross the line. Your dad would do to you if you did call 911 than what might happen to your mom if you didnt . Yeah. Yeah. Reporter so the boys stayed quiet. But a storm was brewing. In the end, ariette would give investigators their best lead. I really felt like my mom was empowered. Reporter a transformation and a confrontation. Theres no going back. As to the life you had before was never going to be the same. Do you sell highend champagne . In the back. [beep, beep] [cork pop] have a good night. The new waterresistant galaxy s7 edge. And life s beautiful moments. With flonase allergy relief, they wont. Most allergy pills only control one inflammatory substance. Flonase controls six. And six is greater than one. Flonase changes everything. Ziploc presents cafeteria chaos. School lunch can be difficult. One little struggle. Can lead to one monumental mishap. Not with ziploc easy open tabs. Because life needs ziploc. Sc johnson. Uh, hello geico . 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Reporter as investigators worked the murder of ariette gurgess, had he thaerd dis heard disturbing information from her sons, most disturbing by far was what happened seven months before the murder in february 2004 on the eve of magdi and ariettes 24th wedding anniversary. She starts talking to magdi, can we go out to dinner. Thats what starts this fight. Doesnt sound like it was a very long fight. No. He punches her in the face. Reporter richard remembers arriving home that evening and seeing his mom. She looked very subdued. Her face was swollen. Her nose was still like belizing. So i went up bleeding. So i went upstairs and i confronted my dad. What was his response . He told me to stay out of it. Reporter but richard in concussion, or worse. He rushed her to the emergency room. They had kept their familys secret for so long. But that was about to change. The nurse asked her like what happened . And your mom said . My mom told her that, you know, he punched me in the face. That started the whole cascade. Reporter police went to the gurgess home of and arrested magdi. That was really scary. That was scary. Not thrilling. It was terrifying. Not the moment you had been waiting for . No, no, no, no, no. There was no point of return. Somehow i knew immediately after that that it was like theres no going back. Theres no going back. So the life you had before was never going to be the same. A court issued a protective order and magdi worked out of the house he worked so hard for to an apartment complex he and after more than two decades of marriage, it seemed magi and ariette were headed for divorce. It was a thought that seemed to terrify ariette. I think she was scared and had cold feet. About striking out in the world. Totally. Reporter she was totally dependent on magdi, never written a personal check, didnt even know their mortgage was paid off. She expressed to me, you know, i wish all this would just not be here or i wish everything could go back to the way it was. Reporter magdi, too, seemed frightened, and perhaps chastened. He was definitely trying to get back with my mother. Did it seem like your mom was wavering at all. Yeah, there was a limbo period where my mom was considering taking him back. Richard who had stepped up during his fathers absence as the man of the house overheard a strange conversation between his parents. Had you ever heard your dad say i love you to your mom . I cant really recall that. Until that conversation when he needed something from her. Yeah. Reporter what did magdi need . Turns out he was more worried about himself than anyone else. A Domestic Violence conviction might cost him his respiratory therapist license which would cut off his income, and magdi knew a divorce would force him to split his hardearned money with ariette. He had his back to the wall. Yeah. Reporter so magdi came up with a plan, ariette came up with a letter that said she wasnt sure what happened, her injuries could have resulted from a fall. They werent speaking at the time, but magdi convinced richard, the dutiful son, to transscribe the letter and per situate ariette to sign it thus getting her husband of o the you feel bad at all trying to get your mom to change her story of something that you knew she was telling the truth about . Yeah. Back then i kind of felt like i was just trying to help. And maybe the price of saving your family is convincing your mom to lie about something that you know is true. He really just manipulated me. Reporter he knew his mother had mixed feelings about the breakup of her marriage. Richard told himself he was doing the right thing. I was trying to support my mom. At the same time i still felt that he was my dad, so i felt really pulled. Reporter ariet agreed to sign the letter. Magdi, no doubt, breathed a sigh of relief. But then came his preliminary hearing in which ariet did something quite unexpected. She took the witness stand. And she told the truth. She felt that enough was enough. Everything out. Not just about the night magdi gave her a black eye and bloodied her nose. But about abuse ariet described as stretching over two decades. Did your dad feel betrayed . My dad was like i cant believe what she said up there. Reporter ariet girgis had finally stood up for herself. It might have been the manifestation of her own American Dream. Ariet hired a divorce attorney and began planning a new life. I really felt like my mom was like empowered. She just wanted to be happy. You know . She felt like there was happiness coming. Reporter instead, the next month she was murdered. And to investigators who heard ariets story, it now seems obvious her husband, magdi, was the prime suspect. Everything pointed at magdi. Reporter except for the fact that phone records proved that when ryan called him that night. And, april cording ing witness, two black men committed the murder, and there was still the question of why that witness, ryan, was left alive. And just a few days after his mother was killed, the another anonymous message on his computer. How did you like your gift . Lol, lol. How did you like your gift. Yeah. An ahha m ent for police. A new look at that old interrogation of ryan. You say you bit this guy . Yeah. He had to take off the gloves to put on the tape. Reporter could it lead to the break theyd need . She said its too much work. Lulus hair just floats. Uhh help me doorbell mom, check this out. Wow. Swiffer sweeper, and dusters. This is what im talking about. Look at that. Sticks to this better thats your hair lulu mom, can we have another dog . laughing trap and lock up to 4x more dirt, dust and hair than the store brand stop cleaning. 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Plus, get up to 650 in credits investigators were zeroing in on magdi girgis as the prime suspect in the murder of his wife, ariet. The two had been going through a Domestic Violence case and were divorcing. You know, hes an obvious suspect but that doesnt mean he did it. No matter how noxious he may have been during the marriage, maybe he a he is not the guy youre looking for . Sure. You have to be ready for every possibility. Reporter especially after the son ryan received a taunting message on his computer days after the murder, how did you like your gift . Lol lol. It didnt make any sense to me. Reporter police looked into it, but just as the threat made to ryan weeks before the murder, they werent able to track down the sender. Do you wish some more work had yes. The other son, richard, also came under scrutiny. Richard stuck up for and maybe covered for his father during the Domestic Violence investigation. Did you guys feel he may be doing that again . Initially believed it was a possibility, yes. Reporter soon after the murder, the brothers left westminster and moved to Northern California and they did so without telling magdi. As Police Continued to dig, richard and ryan say they worried. Whoever killed their mom was still at large, and knew ryan was a witness to the crime. I have recollections, i have nightmares. I also get chills. I dont like to be at home by myself. I have trouble sleeping. I mean the list goes on. Reporter ryan and richard say they had a growing suspicion their father was responsible for their mothers murder. They said they were too scared to confront him. The investigation seemed to stall. Seemed like you had a lot of leads that kind of hadnt gone anywhere. We had a lot off paths that we went down. Yes. Reporter remember, there was no physical evidence linking magdi to the murder. Ryan said it was two black men who had broken into the house and killed his mom. Police had never found those men or any trace they ever existed. And those threatening messages to ryan, still no idea who sent them, either. Was there a point where you thought maybe this murder will never be solved . Its lard hard to think that way when you desperately want to solve it. But yes. Reporter and so, the years rolled by. Richard became a Critical Care nurse. Ryan, the selfadmitted stoner, says he stopped smoking. He was working toward a bachelors degree in business and entertainment company. Magdi would have been proud of his boys if he knew how far theyd come. But richard and ryan said they never once got a call from him in all those years, and they made no effort to contact him. The brothers did call the Westminster Police department again and again urging detectives to investigate their father. And each time they heard the same response. You know, were still looking into it but we dont have any new leads, theres nothing depressing. It was. Reporter they made endless calls enlisting family and friends to write americas most wanted. And they raised a 55,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. All of it led to nothing. How many murder caress ses you do over the years . This one stuck with you. Is there something about ariet that made you not want to quit . You dont want to quit on any case, but i think the fact that she came so close to being an independent woman, to standing up for are herself, to being the kind of mother that she wanted to be to those boys, and she did everything right. And she died on her own watch. It was a terrible feeling. Terrible feeling. Reporter it was 2010, nearly six years after the murder when richard made another of his many phone calls to the westminster pd. This time it was james wilson who answered. He had been a Patrol Officer at the time of the murder. But in the intervening years, he had worked his way up to detective. I really didnt have very good answers for him. Whats going on with my moms case . What are you guys doing on my moms case . And i know theres nothing really going on with moms case so i just started looking into it. Out of guilt . I think an obligation really. You become a Police Officer is to help people like that. Reporter and, as detective wilson pored through the mountain of evidence on the case, he came across that interview detectives had with ryan right after the murder. Reading through the transcripts, he saw a key detail that no one had noticed. You say you bit this guy . Yeah. On the hand . On the hand or through a glove or i think it was through a glove but he will to take off the glove to put on the tape. Reporter ryan was telling detectives the intruder took his gloves off before handling the duct tape and also the shoelace used to tie him up. As a detective youre thinking maybe that might have some dna on it. Reporter detective wilson checked to see if the shoelace had ever been tested. It had not. So is he sent it off to the county crime lab. Eight years after ariets murder, detective wilsons phone rang. Crime lab did call me and told me that they got a hit. Reporter and no one could have predicted the name police were given. That had to be our suspect. Wasnt even in our computer. Reporter a whole new suspect. Who was this guy . Did you know where he was . I knew exactly where he was. Since when did experience become something to hide . I say we own it. Lose all that negativity. Just let it go. Its just bad energy. Oh, and lose those terrible black balloons they give you on your 50th. Whats up with that . Hey we hear you. Thats why our members love aarp the magazine. It celebrates you. With fun and provocative content, from lifestyle and entertainment to indepth reporting. And its just one of the great benefits of membership. If you dont think this is right for me when you think aarp, then you dont know aarp. Get to know us at aarp. Org possibilities only twice a year and its here . Kohls lowest prices of the season prices so low, no coupons needed shortsleeved tees for her just 4. 99 just 8. 99 its the lowest prices of the season on infant tops and bottoms performance tops for her just 7. 99 get the lowest prices of the season on fila shoes the big one bath towel only 2. 99 select kitchen electrics just 4. 99 after rebate stock up, save big and get kohls cash its the lowest prices of the season wednesday through sunday it was 2012, eight years after the mushd rder of ariet girgis when dekt tective wilson got his first solid break. The detectives submitted the shoelace ryan had been tied up with to the crime lab hoping for a longshot dna hit. And now the results were in. It had to be our suspect, or at least one of our suspects. And the game the crime lab gives you for the dna hit is . Anthony bridget. Was that name in this he of the case files . No. Not someone who had been talked to at any stage in this investigation . Wasnt even in our Inhouse Computers as a person thats been contacted by the police. Reporter and yet the dna proved anthony bridget was the attacker who had tied up ryan. Detective wilson entered it bridgets information into a so who is he . Hes a member of the crips. Reporter the crips one of the most notorious and violent gangs in the u. S. And his street game, little shotgun, was by any standard a professional criminal. He had numerous violent conduct, including prior conviction for manslaughter. So this was no novice. Long, violent rap sheet. Absolutely. Reporter bridget also had a drug conviction. And remember, ryan girgis admitted he sometimes dealt weed. Did ryan and anthony bridget know each other . Is that why richard immediately wondered if thats why ryan was the target of the attack . Police considered that theory and dismissed it. In fact, for police, anthony bridget and his gang affiliation for one, bridget matched ryans account of the man who tied him up seemed like a gang member. It looked like he was one of those guys that just came out and wants revenge. Reporter and two, the booking photos matched the sketch ryan had given police, and so investigators developed a different theory about bridgets involvement. He had the resume that you would expect the intruders who came to kill ariet to have. The kind of guy youd hire to commit murder. Thats right. Reporter and they suspected the person who hired him was magdi girgis. Of course, there was no proof of any of that. Im guessing one of the things you did pretty early on was subpoena magdis bank records. Oh, yes. Looking for that big chunk of money he took out a few days before his wife was killed. You could hope, but it wasnt there. Maybe hes innocent. Maybe hes just careful. Careful . Perhaps. But in what universe would magdi girgis and anthony bridgets paths cross . One way to find out, they could ask anthony bridget. Did you know where he was . I knew exactly where he was. He was in soledad state prison. A prosecutor and detective wilson decided to pay him an unannounced visit. There you are in a a little room. Yes. Table like this one. Yes. Between you. And you say . I want to talk to you. And hes a little surprised. Right . Hes a little surprised. Yes. But anthony bridget was hard to rattle. He had been involved in gang related homicides in the past. Pretty experienced at prison so saying to him, hey, the guy that hired you, magdi girgis, just rolled over on you, thats not going to work. Right. This is not a virgin. Exactly. But they did get something. You said to him, i have your dna at a murder scene. Yes. And he said, where . He said where . Not i havent committed any murders. Did you ask him whether he knew magdmplt i magdi . No. We never got that far. Heres what bridget didnt know the prosecutor and the detectives didnt really care what he said. Their target was magdi girgis and all they wanted was to prove a connection between him and anthony bridget. Thats why before they left Orange County theyd set up a wiretap on magdis phone. He was back living in the house where his wife was murdered. He even had a new girlfriend. And now investigators listened to see if bridget would tip off magdi. Visit would inspire him in some way. Didnt happen. No. It didnt. Reporter so game over . He stepped out of the car. Reporter no. It was just starting. A return to the scene of the crime. A dramatic confrontation at magdis house. Check it out, man. My moment locked up in the pen right now. Reporter who were these men avo take a break from the expected. Play wheel of fortune or any of the new scratchoff games january 30th, 2013, the home where ariet girgis had met her awful death was suddenly once again the scene of an unexpected confrontation. Whats up [ bleep ]. Reporter two men showed up on magdi girgis lawn. Let me holler at you for two ticks. Let me holler at you for a second. Reporter and it was all caught out on camera. Check out, my home locked up in the pen right now. Police approach him about killing his wife for you in this [ bleep ] house. Reporter interesting, because the prosecutor and detective james wilson had just returned from visiting crips gang member anthony bridget in prison. They suspected magdi had hired bridget and another as yet unknown man to kill ariet. And now apparently here were a pair of gangsters on magdis property. The more talkative of the two called himself d. Money, and money is what he wanted from reporter good question. Who better to answer it than d. Money himself. You are a born actor. Believe i am. Reporter hes not a gangster. Hes an officer from the long beach Police Department who was working undercover which is why we are concealing his identity. You a little nervous going in . Not at all, no. Reporter the role he played at magdis home that day was a war game the prosecutor and detective had set in motion even before they met anthony bridget. Tell me about this scheme. You call it a scheme, i call it a plan. Reporter by any name, it was an attempt to trap magdi. The only way i see bridget or somebody like him commits a crime like this is some kind of game. Financial primarily. Individual and you come up with a way in which they were able to contact magdi and demand more money. Reporter in other words, these two undercover officers posing as gang members would approach magdi and hit him up for some hush money since investigators knew money was magdis particular obsession, they were hoping to about to strike a nerve but they had to be careful. If the killers were working with magdi, it wasnt clear if he knew them directly or hired them through a middleman. So you couldnt have the guides claim that they were the actual guys in the house. Correct. Because possibly he knew them. Possibly he knew them. So you have them pose as friends of the guy in the house. Yes. And hes now in jail. In prison. Which we knew that was true because anthony bridget was in prison. So his friends are, what . Knowledge into some extra money for them. Correct. Reporter operations like this are especially tricky. Theres usually only one shot to get it right. If the phony gangsters threaten magdi, the sting wouldnt hold up in court and magdi could walk free. And, at the same time, one thing had to be crystal clear. You want to make sure that Everybody Knows that were talking about the crime that occurred about his wife being murdered in that particular house. That couldnt be left ambiguous. Reporter a risky plan and no guarantees it would work. True that a lot of d. A. S might not go for an operation like that . Yes. Sonya wanted to win. She wasnt scared to fail. Did you think you were going to fail . I was very nervous, to say the least. Reporter it had taken nine years to get to this moment. A team of cops watched and videotaped as the undercovers approached magdi. Hes stepping out of the car reporter everyone was on edge except for the man cast in the role of d. Money. Do you have going over in your mind if he says this or does this no. Things come out spontaneously, i have to be quick. You say a, i say b. You say c, i say d. You have to have it up here. You cant rehearse or write it down. You can either do it or you cant. Reporter but still there was cause for worry. While these officers guys looked the part were you concerned about their acting ability . I was concerned. Too late now. It was on. A surprise 1 2 foo. Snafu. The cell phone dials the number of the undercover and he didnt answer the phone. Reporter an undercover officer misses the call and that was just the beginning. Magdi girgis didnt know it, but he was the target of a sting operation. He had just arrived home. The undercover officers approach. And the camera was rolling. Check it out, man. My homie locked up in the pen right now. Police approach him about him killing your wife for you. In this [ bleep ] house. Know what im sayin in we dont care about it but we want to get paid for it. Were not going to stay know what i mean . Whats his reaction when you make it clear that you know about his wifes murder . He appeared to be shocked. You could tell there was something he wasnt prepared for, he never thought was going to happen. We want 5,000. Know what im sayin . We aint going to say nothing. Aint going to police or say nothing else. You understand what im saying . All right. Give me a call, man. Take my number. Call me tomorrow about 10 00. Dont worry. Im d. Money. Just give me a call tomorrow by 10 00. 5,000. Hit me up tomorrow. Reporter almost as soon as it began, it was over. Magdi left standing there with d. Moneys phone number with instructions to call the next day. In terms of the oscar winning performance performances, they did a pretty good job. I think so. They did a great job. Reporter now police waited and wondered, what would magdi if he doesnt call, this all is for nothing. Over. Reporter more than eight years after the murder, here was the make or break moment. He was either going to ignore them, he was going to contact them, or he was going to call the police and say, guess what . I think the guys involved in my wifes murder just came to the house. Which is what an innocent person would have done. Reporter but he didnt call the police. And he didnt ignore them. Very true. Reporter the next day the Surveillance Team tracked magdi driving, and just at that time his cell phone dials the number of the undercover. And im notified immediately by the wire room. And they told me he didnt answer the phone. Reporter the undercover officer missed magdis call. So i had to call undercover. The target of the investigation is trying to reach you. Reception so he had to move. So we were hoping he called back. Reporter the undercover, as usual, was confident. Why were you so convinced he would call back . Because he called the first time, to me, in this time of deal, when you call the first time, youre over the nerves and youre going to call back. Reporter and magdi did call back. Surveillance team caught him on camera, this time from a place that doesnt get a lot of traffic in the 21st century. We know hes at a pay phone. That got really interesting for me right there. Im sitting in the car and cell phone went off. Let it ring a few times. Thens the phone answer the phone, you know. This is d. Money. About yesterday. I came back yesterday. Whats the problem, man . Problem is my boys locked down in the pen, like i told you yesterday. We know whats going on, my boy took care little business. You know. Just to keep it hush. You know what i mean . I paid you everything. Once he told me hey, i paid you guys everything, home run. Reporter it is one of those things youve known it all along, then you actually hear it from him. And so i think it was overwhelming feeling of contribution. Reporter and then, just as quickly, it all threatened to blow up in their faces. Listen carefully. There was a middleman. What . There was a middleman. Reporter middleman . The undercover had no idea. Magdi had just asked a question that none of the investigators could answer. When magdi says tell me who the middleman is so i know i can trust you, that was something the undercover officers i think werent ready for. No. I think we all stopped breathing for about ten seconds. Reporter the investigators that magdi might have hired the killers through some third party. And now this conversation seemed like confirmation that he had. But who was it . It seems to me that the middleman for this would have to be somebody that magdi really trusted, somebody he knew well. He would have to trust this person, yes. Somebody who would stick up for him. Yes. Any thoughts on who that might be . I do. I do. Reporter there was no way to tell the undercover that, so d. Money just stayed in character. I dont everybody know hot middleman middleman was. I aint worried about that. People talked how am going to trust him . Because i got the information that i got for you, i can go to the police. But im not. Im just trying to get my money so i can go. About hush money continued. Magdi, true to form, haggled over the price. 5,000 aint that much, man. You can go. Its not a problem. It just goes to show the true character of this man. Heres a guy who will negotiate with thugs ten years later because he feels like he already paid. I mean its just thats what i mean, hes not in the normal range of thrifty. Police probably had in you have to arrest magdi right then and there, but they waited. Now you want to do the Actual Exchange of money. Got to get the money. Reporter that meant a second meeting. But would magdi even show up . With a plan of his own . Nerveracking. And nail biting. One more hidden camera moment. Whats happening . Did you bring me a check . Like the designer smile. Its bolder, brighter and our blogs are buzzing about it. Its the new musthave look. The designer smile by colgate. New optic white high impact white toothpaste. With a professionally recommended whitening ingredient. For four shades visibly whiter teeth. And. A buzzworthy smile get your designer smile from new colgate optic white high impact white. I guarantee, i wont give you a random bag of food that came out of a microwave. I guarantee to give you an actual meal with all the fixins. After you guarantee to give me im runnin a business here magdi girgis had just been caught on tape apparently admit admitting to hiring thugs to kill his wife. I thought you got paid for everything. Reporter he seemed willing to pay even more to keep things quiet, and made a date to do it. The next day officers secretly trailed magdi leaving his home, driving on the freeway, and pulling into this home depot parking lot. The Meeting Point chosen by magdi magdi. Everybodys out of sight. Everybodys out of sight. Plain clothes. Unmarked vehicles. The two of us. Im not a Police Officer but this is starting to sound like fun. It is definitely fun. It is a rush. Id do it all over again. Reporter the prosecutor was nearby watching it all unfold. Tell me what that was like. Nerveracking. Its exhilarating. Not at first. Reporter but soon enough he came into view. The undercovers approached his car. Whats up, [ bleep ] . Whats going on . Whats happening . Did you bring me a check . No. Cash. Thats 1,500 . I took the envelope, basically snatched it from him. 15 100 bills. You wont see us no more. Everything good . So this was not some sort of frightened little mouse who was doing what he told by you guys. This was a guy who was poised and kind of in control of the situation. Yeah. Im going to get it done and this is going to be it. And it be over. Reporter but before it was, the undercover dropped one more line to see if magdi would bite. What the [ bleep ] did your wife do so bad that make you want to kill your ass . He almost did. Reporter magdi probably thought he was home free. But as he drove away, officers swarmed in. You arrest him and you guys are all feeling like wyatt earp. We weres feeling pretty good, yes. Ryan girgis had no idea any of this was happening. He had moved back to Southern California and was completely unprepared for the call he received from detective wilson. You come into the station, cops bring you in and they say your father has been arrested. And i couldnt be more happier. I really felt like my dreams and my prayers have been answered. Reporter richard, once their dads loyal and trusted confidant, was not as thrilled. I was happy that the arrest was made, but then on the other hand of it, i mean i was sad in i knew in my heart he had something to do with it hes still your dad. Hes still my dad, and i always had some deeply wedged fantasy that maybe one day the cops would arrest someone else completely and end up actually telling us like, you know what . Your dad ends up not having anything to do with it. You wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong on that. I really wanted to be wrong. This is detective wilson. Reporter detective wilson brought magdi to the station and sat him down in the interview room. His tactic was an old one in small rooms like this. Reporter but his accounts differ in key ways from what detective wilson already had on tape. Reporter thats lie number one. There are no threats on the tape. How did you get to be with them today . The tape clearly shows magdi taking the number. Then detective wilson asked magdi the Million Dollar question. Why didnt you call it . You had the phone number didnt want to hurt my kids. Are you scared of the police . Is that why . No, its not scared. But my wife problem is not solved yet. And they consider the husband as a suspect. Reporter those tears had no effect on wilson had now had magdi on tape paying hush money. We know you paid them. Okay . Reporter wilson bored in. Im here to find out one thing, what kind of person are you. Because right now we dont know. Is magdi the type of guy thats a hard, cold calculated murderer, that paid someone to kill his wife. What kind of person ar you . Im just innocent person. Just simple person, believe me. Sympathy. Detective wilson was not sympathetic. I lost my wife. But its your fault you hired somebody. I not hired anybody. We recorded it. We recorded the conversations im not lying. Im not lying. I need a lawyer you talk like that. No, you guys are going to trap me and stuff. No, no. Reporter magdi had said the magic word lawyer. He was done talking. There would be no confession. You didnt expect that he was going to admit it . No. The lies were good enough for me. Reporter good enough to make the case. But wilson thought hed try one more time to crack magdi. This time by making him face his own son. Ryan wasnt so sure at first. I called my brother as i normally do. I told him what do you think . He was like do you feel like you want to talk to him . I was like yeah, i want some questions answered. That little room and saw his father for the first time in more than eight years. Whats wrong with you . You forgot that . You dont even look the same. Reporter and ryan had a lot to say. You have hurt me and richard. You hurt your wife. Why did you do it . I didnt hurt anybody. Look at me right now. I am looking at you. I am looking at you. I cant believe you, man. My son. I dont dont call me your son. I dont want to hear that. Youre a horrible person for what you did. I just want to let you know that youre a horrible person. I didnt do anything. Yes, you did. I did not was it hard to tell your dad that you thought he was involved in your moms murder . Yeah. It was definitely very, very hard. Its hard for you to talk about it now. It is. And the person that i have nightmares over was right in front of me and i was scared. Reporter and soon ryan would face his father again, this time in court. The killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery or a drug transaction between ryan and these two suspects. Reporter a fatherson showdown. But exactly who is on trial . The evidence suggests that he was involved with people that introducing the fusion of Exceptional Taste with the benefits of our probiotic yogurt. New activia fruit fusion, with the exclusive probiotic bifidus regularis. Delicious and good for you. New activia fruit fusion. Which ones yours . The one in white. Introducing new all powercore pacs. Just one pac delivers an astonishing clean. And keeps clothes up to 3 shades whiter. Give us your worst,r relay for life. Help the American Cancer Society save lives and celebrate life. Donate now at relayforlife. Org. vo when the twists and turns of a busy bone. Meet the bacony yum of beggin, not even mr. Squirrel can tear him away. Introducing new busy with beggin twistd. The new busy bone that makes dogs say. dog not now, im busy. A number. But not every Insurance Company understands the life behind it. Those who have served our nation. Have earned the very best service in return. Usaa. We know what it means to serve. Get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to march, 2014. Magdi girgis had been sitting in jail for about a year after an undercover sting led to his arrest for the murder of his wife, ariet. It was a case prosecutor Sonia Balleste couldnt wait to try. Nearly a decade in the making, and as it turned out, it would be her last. Sonia had been promoted to management. My swan song, yes. So you wanted to go out with a win. Prosecutors dont like to lose. Ive noticed that. Despite what youve seen, the case still wasnt a slamdunk. There was no moof magdi knew the alleged killer, anthony bridget, no evidence he paid bridget any money. While detectives had their suspicions about the involvement couldnt prove it. And as youll see, even that undercover tape could be seen through a different lens. On the eve of the trial, richard day. Their suits were pressed. They reviewed their prior statements. And they weighed the consequences of what this in a moment meant. Im happy that well get closure, but then its just sad. We lost our mom. In the same light, we lost our dad, too. Their only surviving parent. The one they lived in fear of for years, would be the one they had to face in court. Part of me is scared of him. But also part of me wants to stand up and let my voice be heard after all these years, so i want to be strong. And so the brothers walked into court together that first day of opening statement. Standing strong united in their quest for justice for their mom. Magdi girgis conspired to have his wife murdered. She was an inconvenient woman to and people are disposable to this defendant. Our cameras were not allowed to record witness testimony inside the courtroom where Sonia Balleste stacked up her evidence against magdi. She showed the jury how in the months leading up to the murder magdi slowly drained his joint accounts with ariet, leaving her with almost nothing. And sonia said the crime scene evidence showed this wasnt just some random murder. It was about silencing somebody who defied him. But then on the witness stand, richard, who had once helped his father persuade ariet to back off her story, now defied magdi just as ariet had done. Richard testified about the abuse his mom had suffered at his fathers hands. He testified about coming home and finding his mother battered and bruised. Richard recounted the story to but it seemed he was really speaking to his father. We caught up with richard after court. It was really a good experience for me to be able to finally Say Something face to face, to be able to look him in the eyes and be actually able to confront him for what hes done. But magdi faced an even tougher confrontation from the words of his nowdead wife. Ariets testimony from the preliminary hearing in the Domestic Violence case had been saved. And now the prosecution read it into the court record. How important was ariets testimony from the previous case . It was huge. It was as if for an afternoon she just came back to life and took the stand. Ryan would need to channel that same strength of his mothers for what came next. He took the stand with magdi just feet away. A fathers eyes bored into his son. Me one on one, he would beat me down. He just wanted anything to get me to shut up. This time, ryan refused to keep quiet, telling the jury and his father about that terrible september night when two men broke into his home, beat him up, and repeatedly stabbed his mother in the next room. Then ryan faced crossexamination, and defense attorney Rudy Lowenstein had already told the jury he planned to put ryan on trial. The killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery or a drug transaction or a collection of a debt of some kind between ryan and these two suspects. The defense argument, ariets murder was tied directly to ryans criminal activity. Suggests that he was involved with people that were dealing hardcore drugs. Ryan admitted that he smoked and sold weed. But lowenstein told the jury ryan was doing much more than that. He pointed to the Drug Paraphernalia police found in ryans room tinfoil, and what lowenstein said was a pipe with white residue which he said was consistent with heroin and methamphetamine use. Evidence that police failed to test. He said it showed ryans drug dealing was bigger than he let on. Then the defense directed jurors to the threats ryan had received on his computer just weeks before the murder. You better watch your back. I know where you live. And the taunting message that came after the murder, how did u like u gift . Lololol . Did anybody follow up . No. Did it, magdi did it. Focused on magdi. They never left magdi. Could the threats be the reason ryans friend offered him a knife . The fact that he was offered a knife for his protection by his drugdealing friend just minutes or at the latest hours before the murder of his mother by someone using a knife suggests to me that there was some reason for him to be afraid for his own safety in his own home. The defense also attacked ryans credibility. Remember what ryan told us that one of the intruders said i know your circumstances, i know what youre going through, im not going to kill you. It turns out ryan did not tell that to the 911 operator. Why . The defense argued because those words were never spoken and said ryan made them up later to deflect suspicion from himself and his drug connections. Hard to explain, the defense told the jury. Ryan did not check on ariet before he fled the house. How does a young man whose mother has come to save him not look in and check to see whether or not he could save his mother before running out of the house . What does that say about his character . After two days of brutal crossexamination, ryan says he felt dejected and betrayed. I feel like im getting backstabbed by my own father, that hes claiming that his son is such a troubled youth. Take my number. Of course, the defense also has a huge problem. Those videotapes of magdi taking the phone number from the undercover. Hit me up tomorrow. Calling them the next day. I thought you got paid everything. And then showing up with 1,500. All of it made magdi look i would like him to get up on the stand and try to explain why what he meant when he said, i already paid everything off. It turns out the defense did have an explanation and documents, too, which might prove magdis innocence. Coming up, would that undercover tape convict him or clear him . A defense surprise. Hes playing along with them in order to be able to apprehend them. And the verdict, would that be a surprise, too . This is it. I didnt want to let those boys down. Boys down. I have asthma. One of many pieces in my life. So when my asthma symptoms kept coming back on my longterm control medicine, i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment. Oncedaily breo prevents asthma symptoms. Breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a longterm asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. Breo wont replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. 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One hair color wants to help you keep on being you. Nicen easy. Naturallooking color. That even in sunlight, doesnt look like hair color. It just looks like you. V nicen easy colorv as real as you are. General mills is removing artificial flavors and colors from our cereals. So you can love cereal. Again im savin you five hundred coming soon from progressive, its savin u, the new hit single from the dizzcounts. Cash money the Biggest Discount and understand. The dizzcounts. Safe driver, paperless, paidinfull, multicar and joey fatone. Savin you five hundred im savin you five hundred we have autotune, right . In spite of the damning testimony against magdi by his own sons, defense attorney Rudy Lowenstein tried to show jurors magdi did everything to provide a better life for them and his wife, ariet. His life was dedicated to his family and to making the American Dream work for him. He was an immigrant who came with nothing and made something of himself. Done some bad things, the defense said, but he did not have ariet killed. But then what to make of those undercover tapes and magdis apparent admission . I thought you got paid everything. Would magdi take the stand to explain what he meant on those tapes . No. Apparently he felt hed done enough talking. Instead, the defense attorney showed the jury evidence which he said proved magdi was not guilty. Magdi had written down the serial numbers of the 15 100 bills he had given the undercover officers and he tried to write down the license plate number of their vehicle, which, said the defense, cast that undercover video in a whole new light. Hes playing along with them in order to be able to apprehend them. And so when he says to them, just tell me the name of the middleman so i know i can trust you, hes bluffing. He doesnt really know the name of the middleman, hes just trying to get information out of absolutely. Lowenstein said the only thing magdi was guilty was trying to play detective. Remember, hes been a suspect for ten years. The police have never left their vision of him as being the suspect. And because of that, hes got to essentially solve the case on his own. What would the jury think . On the day of Closing Arguments, richard and ryan walked to court together. They had brought something for prosecutor Sonia Balleste, a religious tile belonging to ariet. Sonia wanted me to bring like an item like from our mom and stuff to have right there that she could hold on to. They learned the evidencedriven prosecutor had a superstitious side. She wanted to have something of ariets to touch during her last Closing Argument to channel ariets spirit and courage. Took the witness stand in a evil. And for the first time in her life stood up to him. She knew exactly what he would do to her for it. Hed done some bad things in his life. But he didnt hire anybody to murder ariet girgis. Hes innocent. There was nothing left to do now but wait. After nearly a decade, these final moments were perhaps the most excruciating. This has been like a lot of anxiety built up right now. Just wondering when the verdicts going to come in. I mean, its going to be like any moment. Sonia, already at her new job, waited for the phone to ring. She had played the waiting game numerous times. It wasnt any easier this last time. I didnt want to let those probably a little bit more nervous than usual. It was definitely agonizing. Every time we heard a ring or buzzer, it really like got us like, okay, did they get a verdict. After two days, they finally heard it. Three buzzes. [ buzzing ] the jury had reached a verdict. Were you worried there was going to be a not guilty verdict . The only thing that worried me was all it takes is one person to not see thing the way everyone else sees it. Going do. You never know what a jurys going do. Im going to bring the jury in. When they filed back into the crowded courtroom, ryan didnt look at his dad. Instead, he held on to his brother. I was just embracing the moment. This is it. This is all riding on this. We, the jury, in the above entitled action find the of the crime of felony conspiracy to commit a murder. It hit us what weve been waiting for for nine and a half years. In the gallery, the brothers cried. And as the hearing continued, richards sobs grew louder and louder until he couldnt contain himself any longer. Why, baba . Why . I couldnt hold myself back. I was trying not to, like, say anything. But it just was pouring out. I told him like why, dad, why . Why, dad, why . Why . I just i still cant fathom the reason of why he would do such a thing. Why he would throw away our family, why he would throw everything away. What was magdi trying to tell his son . Well never know. Magdis thoughts at his sentencing were somewhat clearer. I had nothing to do with the i did do my best ability to work hard, secure future, and advise my kids not to get involved with all of this Gang Activity or anything. Im not a bad father. And maybe im strict, but i love them. They are my kids. Magdi girgis was sentenced to life in prison without parole. If magdi had not taken the bait, if hed gotten the number from your two undercover officers and thrown it away and said, i dont know who you are, i dont know what youre talking about, and if you call me again, im going to call the police, would he be in custody today . Probably not. So he ended up giving you your whole case. His greed gave may my whole case. Magdi girgis had worked tirelessly to build the dream. Destroyed it. Well, perhaps not all of it. These two brothers may have lost both their parents, but they still had each other. Thats my little bro here. The story isnt over yet. Accused hit man anthony bridget pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial. The second intruder has never been identified, and despite investigators suspicions, neither has the mysterious middleman. You never found out who that was. Not yet. Been ten years. Thats true. Took me nine to get magdi. We have to be patient in this line of work. Theres still a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the remaining suspects. Richard and ryan hope someone will come forward. In the meantime, they are keeping their heads down and working hard, just as their father always taught them to do. But they will do some things differently. Someday . I do. What kind of dad are you going to be . Im going to be the opposite of my father. Im going to be there when my kids need me. And thats the beauty of the American Dream. Theres always a new beginning no matter where you came from. No matter where you came from. And now from the oval office, a message from the president of the unitestates. Good evening. This past wednesday night, i laid out the basics of a Health Care Plan that would guarantee every american a comprehensive