ballpark, a billion billion and a half dollars. and then, halloween eve, 2009. more than a year had passed since melissa s murder. and tony villegas still waiting in jail, awaiting trial. and, another twist to the story. scott rothstein has disappeared. unlike, melissa scott was not a murder victim, but he was a fugitive. a burning he made off figure on the run. he had left the country in a private jet for morocco, with $60 million in cash and his collections of watches and jewelry, fleeing after learning on happy investors had gone to the fbi. one month later, he was back in florida, but not under arrest. what no one knew was that scott had cut a deal with the fbi to act as an informant. this is scott rothstein november 16th, monday, 1:43 pm. he wore a wire and helped convict 26 people involved in his ponzi scheme. and despite his cooperation, in
finally, in the summer of 2016, eight years after the murder, tony went on trial. tony villegas, the defendant in this, case prosecutors sherrie tate argue that tony, feels bad jealous rage, waited in the bushes for melissa come home, followed her into the garage, and then watched a brutal attack on his wife s best friend. is it hands on, personal murder. it takes time, it takes free meditation, and why? because she was a friend. but the residue of pepper spray all over the garage was evidence that melissa had fought back and some had apparently gotten on the killer. tony s housemate testified the night of the murder, he saw his roomy scrubbing his arms. he said that he got pepper spray on him and that his hands were burning and itching. then, an expert on cell phone tracking told the jury that joni had both melissa s
reduced to four years. meanwhile, years have gone by and diverse ex-husband, tony, had not gone to trial for murder. he sat in jail all but mute. his lawyer claiming that might prevent him from ever seeing a judge and jury. coming up, eight years after melissa lewis s death, tony villegas would stand trial, but what would a jury make of such a strange murder? you have these domestic homicides all the time. but this one had a twist to it. when dateline continues. when dateline continues when dateline continues breeze drifting on by you know how i feel [man: coughing] it s a new dawn, it s a new day. no matter how you got copd it s time to make a stand. .and i m feelin good start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,
villegas. before the defense rested, the judge asked tony villegas if you wanted to testify. but to testify or remain silent? we , silence. or in closing arguments, said that all evidence pointed toward. tony the pepper spray, cell phone records, and the dna. there is not one other person on the planet earth that could leave the dna on this jacket. the defense remind the jurors that the pepper spray evidence was weak and that both phone records and dna results could be manipulated. if pieces of the puzzle do not fall into place because reasonable doubt prevents them from falling into place. the jury now had the case. outside the courtroom, deborah villegas some ulises family for the first time in eight years. all these years later, and it just washed over me like it just happened, you know, that i
had caused these people the kind of pain that is unimaginable. later that afternoon, the jury sent out a note. verdict. as a vertical is, red never sat with melissa s family, consoling her niece. tony villegas is guilty of murder in the first degree. tony s face was blank. before sentencing, melissa, and lynn april, address the court and said directly to tony, we forgive you. because we must and release you into god s hands for all eternity. sentencing was immediate. spend the rest of your natural life in a forest state prison. after tony was let out of the courtroom, melissa s family went to his people and hugged them. then all cried together. my heart broke for them, it s a legacy for their family. melissa s own legacy is something called the garden of reflection. before her murder, she worked for victims rights and raised money to build it. now, her name is inscribed