reporter: investigators had their theories, but did they have a case? fred went home to texas where his family thought would that be the end of it. his entire philosophy through all of this was, it was an accident. i m telling the truth. and he wanted to cooperate. he wanted to help them see that. reporter: but investigators hadn t seen that. not at all. and if fred couldn t answer their questions, they d head back to cottonwood creek and hope that the water could. coming up, fred has always said that water carried leslie away to here, where her body was found. now, investigators put that story to the test. we had to go back and try to duplicate the water flow as it was that evening. they said there was no way her body could have ended up under that log unless it had been placed there.
philippines were working sources on the ground. word was that gerfa and kevin had been taken to one of abu sayyaf s strongholds basilan, a large island about four hours by boat from where they d been kidnapped. to a base camp deep in what was nearly impenetrable jungle. we travelled to basilan to talk with the politicians there, who may have had some influence over this group. reporter: heiko had the fbi to help. but government money? no. they don t pay ransom. the government doesn t pay ransoms. right. any decisions that are made regarding ransoms are really made by the family. but it was actually to me no choice. i know i want to pay something. just to make sure they re safe. reporter: the week after the kidnapping heiko wired a ransom payment, close to $5,000, to a bank account in the philippines. i was thinking, pay them money and it s over. but they started wanting more
well, no. the german police didn t see any blood. the american military didn t see any blood. and then a clash outside the courtroom. pleading guilty actually, we re not you re pleading guilty. here again, dennis murphy. but, if kathleen was bludgeoned to death as prosecutors thought, problem. investigators hadn t found the murder weapon. prosecutors believed it was a hollow fireplace tool called a blow poke, seen here in family photographs. it had been given to kathleen by her sister, candace, as a gift. i d given it to her about ten years prior. that s for sure. and that thanksgiving when i was at her house, the i definitely saw it by the fireplace. reporter:
prosecutors in the murder trial presented an explosive theory of the crime. they claimed michael was secretly by-sexual. and beat his wife to death after she discovered e-mails arranging a meet with the escort. not true said michael. and he wanted to speak with us. to tackle the accusation directly. but, if kathleen was bludgeoned to death as prosecutors thought, problem. investigators hadn t found the murder weapon. prosecutors believed it was a hollow fireplace tool called a blow poke, seen here in family photographs. it had been given to kathleen by her sister, candace, as a gift. i d given it to her about ten years prior. that s for sure. and that thanksgiving when i was at her house, the i definitely saw it by the fireplace. reporter: prosecutors thought peterson had ferreted the blow poke out of the house that night after the
the german police didn t see any blood. the german doctor didn t see any blood. the american military didn t see any blood. why didn t they see any blood? reporter: was the writer of fiction, making up yet another story, covering up murder as an accident? but, if kathleen was bludgeoned to death as prosecutors thought, problem. investigators hadn t found the murder weapon. prosecutors believed it was a hollow fireplace tool called a blow poke, seen here in family photographs. it had been given to kathleen by her sister, candace, as a gift. i d given it to her about ten years prior. that s for sure. and that thanksgiving when i was at her house, the i definitely saw it by the fireplace. reporter: prosecutors thought peterson had ferreted the blow poke out of the house that night after the attack. if he had, that could explain those blood drops on the walkway. blood dropping from the murder weapon, as it was