start of the trial. for five days the prosecutors researched case law, marshaled their arguments and worried about yet more relays in the trial. but then, good news. the defense attorney decided he would not request a mistrial. back in court prosecutors played the crime scene tape. the public s first chance to see what investigators did the day of the murder. i recalled prior to playing the tape my dread on, boy, what s the family going to feel? reporter: it was trooper beatty who took the stand when the video rolled. this was the first time they ve seen their daughter in this horrible position. dead floating in the water. unbelievable. unbelievable. i couldn t stop crying, but i made myself watch everything.
alaska state trooper s office found the crime scene tape. good news? well, you think. but my concern was that it threatened the trial itself. we immediately took a recess. a five-day break in trial. reporter: the amazing discovery of the long lost videotape could very well be grounds for a mistrial because the defense got it after the start of the trial. for five days the prosecutors researched case law, marshaled their arguments and worried about yet more delays in the trial. but then, good news. the defense attorney decided he would not request a mistrial. back in court prosecutors played the crime scene tape. the public s first chance to see what investigators did the day of the murder. i recalled prior to playing the tape my dread on, boy, what s the family going to feel? reporter: it was trooper beatty who took the stand when the video rolled. this was the first time
the public s first chance to see what investigators did the day of the murder. i recalled prior to playing the tape my dread on, boy, what s the family going to feel? reporter: it was trooper beatty who took the stand when the video rolled. this was the first time they ve seen their daughter in this horrible position. dead floating in the water. unbelievable. unbelievable. i couldn t stop crying, but i made myself watch everything. reporter: and as she did, the most amazing thing happened. you would think that for a mother to watch something like that would just be horrifying. reporter: you would. it was healing. reporter: healing? healing to me. because i knew then that for 17 years that i hadn t known that they did do the investigation. they did take care and were very confident at the scene.
reporter: the amazing discovery of the long lost videotape could very well be grounds for a mistrial because the defense got it after the start of the trial. for five days the prosecutors researched case law, marshaled their arguments and worried about yet more relays in the trial. but then, good news. the defense attorney decided he would not request a mistrial. back in court prosecutors played the crime scene tape. the public s first chance to see what investigators did the day of the murder. i recalled prior to playing the tape my dread on, boy, what s the family going to feel? reporter: it was trooper beatty who took the stand when the video rolled. this was the first time they ve seen their daughter in this horrible position. dead floating in the water. unbelievable. unbelievable. i couldn t stop crying, but i made myself watch everything. reporter: and as she did, the most amazing thing happened.
discovery of the long lost videotape could very well be grounds for a mistrial because the defense got it after the start of the trial. for five days the prosecutors researched case law, marshaled their arguments and worried about yet more delays in the trial. but then, good news. the defense attorney decided he would not request a mistrial. back in court prosecutors played the crime scene tape. the public s first chance to see what investigators did the day of the murder. i recalled prior to playing the tape my dread on, boy, what s the family going to feel? reporter: it was trooper beatty who took the stand when the video rolled. this was the first time they ve seen their daughter in this horrible position. dead floating in the water. unbelievable. unbelievable. i couldn t stop crying, but i made myself watch everything. reporter: and as she did, the most amazing thing happened.