the investigation had been moving fast. it s been only a month since the sting back at the motel. then the two arrests. then the search of merriman s house. and then everything just stops. they ve been trying hard, but they re not getting anywhere. and they begin to realize they could wind up just like the lapd before them. stuck. merriman, now the chief suspect, is still out there. the two other suspects are still in jail and still not talking. but every day, bamieh makes sure they re reminded, especially the youngest, larry nicassio, that the only way they can avoid the worst kind of punishment is by talking. and finally, the pressure works. the date is march 30th, 1998. i m senior deputy district attorney, ron bamieh. we think the deal with larry was big-time for me. we were walking on air. in exchange for reducing the charges, nicassio agrees to tell his story. years after the murder, years