the truth, said james matlean. all of it. dawn knows the truth and i know the truth. and that s all that matters. i take full responsibility for what i did. dawn, needs to take full responsibility for what she did. coming up was ben the only one who is in danger that night? what was it like? i don t know. one revelation still to come. when dateline continues.
being pulled back to don. yes the loss of both of them, truly. and while the police were watching, don was telling her children, including brandi, that the real suspect was melissa. she was telling you that melissa committed this murder? brandi was hearing that from her mother, don, who she could see was drinking too much, getting duis, spending a few nights in jail. they started getting arrested, don and james both. , we are finding reasons to be taken to jail. and while they had james, they asked him point blank about the murder of ben. you think i called jet ben? no. did don kill? ben. no. do i know anything about the murder? no. were you involved in the plotting or murder of ben? no. i m looking you in the eyes. i did not kill him. that was it. lots of denials, no real evidence.
james matlean was. they watched a movie and went to bed? that s the story. that s. it. not a convincing alibi, anymore than the obvious fiction that james, a new man in her life, was just friend. even less convincing, when detective we ron found out about a trip to a 7:11 store. middle of the night, about an hour and a half before the murder. why are they hiding little pieces that are in significant to what is going on? then we started to do. surveillance on them. we were stuck there were starting to get worried because we were watching. them. surveillance photos showed john with james, her daughter alyssa, seven at this. time a year into this investigation, alyssa was back at home. with ben dead, the courts had slowly weaned her back there permanently. there you are still trying to grieve the loss of ben at the same time as alyssa is
guilty to murder, james was matlean being prepared for being sentenced. is there a redemption for person like you? i don t know. i don t expect anybody that i ve harmed or heard to forgive me for would have done. he looked in the lenses you said that. you re talking to them, right? basically talking to melissa. i m sorry. an exchange for his guilty plea, the da agreed to recommend that james could be eligible for parole after serving 24 years. all rise final decision, up to the judge. defense attorney stover made the argument. then melissa took the stand. emotionally the damage you have cost me is almost unbearable.
there was no solid evidence either way. nor that james matlean killed ben oxley. only dawn s story. i which point tom gregory, the district attorney, decided he needed her help. you love to get everybody involved in the case, but there s a reality, in many cases, that sometimes you need the help of one of the people involved to get them in person. and so dawn oxley was offered a limited immunity agreement. cooperate with the prosecution. testify truth of truthfully against james matlean, and you won t be prosecuted. a sort of get out of jail free card. why go ahead and make that deal with her so soon? you had her statement. why not hold off for a while and be patient? try to get them both. let s say we don t do the deal with her and we go out and arrest him, what s our evidence? dawn signed the agreement and james matlean was charged with first degree murder. but the end of the story? oh, no.