Everywhere. Everywhere. A mother murdered. But as shock set in, leads poured in. Witnesses reported strangers lurking. A car speeding through the neighborhood. And there were footprints out behind the house. Putting alarms on every door because somebody is out there. But detectives, they decided the killer wasnt out there, but inside the house. Now, with one of their own under arrest, the family was furious. You see these people, this is love. This is belief. This is human being. Please listen to us. Then investigators rush to judgment. Do you have any idea, beyond your own fevered imaginations that happened . You dont have a clue i think i do have a clue. Was the real clear lure still out there . Hello, and welcome to the line. And unexplained death can free even the strongest family of ties. But when tragedy struck the buenos household, grief pulled them closer. The crime scene seemed to tell one story. But as investigators look deeper, they wondered if this loving family had a killer in their mitts. Here is Keith Morrison with a killer in cottonwood. On the afternoon of may 4th, 2012, casey duenas walked out onto the field for the start of his very favorite thing, high school baseball. The double hitter. Spring was in its full glory here in northern california. His senior year was almost done. This was the place he beloved. The game he loved. People sometimes talk about having premonitions of things. Did you have anything like that adult . It was just another day, just another one of my countless baseball games. Countless baseball games. President of course. Though no one knew it, as they wild their we threw a golden afternoon. Reading, california, with its famous sundial bridge, its parks, its Middle America feel. Its a whole different place, a different life, then the california Whose Reputations Blurs Technicolor from the botox and Tmz Narcissism with 600 miles to the south. Drive a few minutes from reading, and you are on the ball diamond in a little place called cottonwood, here in the shadows of the mighty mountain, an anchor. Just like the peaceful peace casey knew would be in the stands. So, were they there. Yes, both. Theyre always there . Always there. Never missed a game. His parents. Mark and karen duenas, side by side by the dugout, as always. They were together since they were, what . 17 years old. Your parents basically lived in each others skin. Exactly. His mother had bought the Chocolate Chip Cookies she passed out to the players after every game. And for which she was justly famous. His father had made sure he finished work in time for the opening pitch. What kind of parents where . They they were the best parents that you could ask for. This is jason their eldest son, and here is a photo of jasons graduation with his proud parents. The day he became a fireman. They would do anything for us and they did. Mark uncaring more from big mormon families, High School Sweethearts. Who married as teenagers. And watch their own brewed quickly as expand. All boyds. Jason, jacob, tyler, troy and casey. Boys bursting with testosterone. It was a rowdy house. We had Football Games inside the house. We were egged on by our parents, they loved it. Karen was a fulltime mom and watched the boys grew old enough, top nearby at shasta college. For decades, mark got about 2 pm 2 am to dry for ups. Just because it freed him to coach his sons teams african afternoons. And mark slip it in a separate bedroom for years. My dad treated her the better than anybody could treat their wife. My mom was the queen. They lived simply. They live paycheck to paycheck, they never had a lot of extra. For them it was all about family . Yes, always. They all state as close as any family could be. When jason got married, he moved into the house right next door. Helps celebrate mark and karens Silver Wedding anniversary as they all did. By 2012, they were grandparents many times over. Had been married in nearly 33 years. One thing i always looked up to and loved about their relationship was that, they still dated. Tylers wife, tina. After that long sometimes you can lose that. And i never saw them lose that. The two but change does come for everyone. And by 2012, in the early fifties, mark and karen were making some changes. Karen went back to school, nursing school. This was a plan that they talked . About it was the perfect situation. She got to stay home with the kids, all growing up. And now she was ready to start her career. If you think about it, a pretty good plan. He worked his whole life. He could start his own business while collecting a pension. And then she would start her career in nursing. Not so easy, of course. Nursing school was a tough thing. And not just for karen either. Her brother joe and wife jackie while her commitments changed. Having grandmother when you need her, or having mom there when you need her, she was going to have to study. As she was studying struggling with classes. She felt like she should be doing better. I remember dad said, i just go back to it from the er, and they got the chance to work with people finally. And i love it. So, she was on her way. She was really on her way. So, that may the 4th, casey joined his parents at home after his ball game. Then, it being friday night, he and a friend went to see a movie via, vendors. It started at 9 15 and i told my parents, i think everything was fine. Do you remember the last thing you said your money . She gave me a 20dollar bill. And i think i hooked her goodbye. It was late when casey returned. And almost immediately fell asleep. What do you remember next . It literally felt like i put my head on the tip pillow and two seconds later the door is open. Dads out the door freaking out. And seconds later 911, your merge and see . The Duenas Family was about to discover that perfectly ordinary evening had ended in tragedy. Coming up. Shes got blood everywhere. Everywhere. A dad devastated. Is one tragedy about to become too . I remember him coming in the door just collapsing. When dateline continues. Your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. Plus, its delicious beef flavor is 1 with dogs. Ask your vet about nexgard. Advanced nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer can change everything. But your first treatment could be a chemofree combination of two immunotherapies that works differently. It could mean a chance to live longer. Opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer that has spread and that tests positive for pdl1 and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. Opdivo plus yervoy is the first and only fdaapproved combination of two Immunotherapies Opdivo plus yervoy equals. A chance for more starry nights. More sparkly days. 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It was 12 30 am, now may 5th 2012, casey duenas came home from a late movie and movies with friends, open the front door, and move quietly down to the hallway towards his bedroom. Had not been so late he might have stopped in his mothers room to say goodnight, but the house was dark, everyone was asleep, so it looked, when Exhausted Casey who fell in bed and almost immediately into a deep sleep. And then, 25 minutes later. Dads out the door freaking out, go next door, go get jason, something has happened to your mom, go get jason, go get jason. Casey did as he was told, running next door to his brothers house. 911 your merchants . While his father beside himself called for an ambulance. Tell me exactly what happened. Shes i just came into the room, and she has blood everywhere. Everywhere. I dont know i have no idea. You have no idea what happened . No. You dont know where shes bleeding from . No, theres blood everywhere. Are you with her . Now yes. Its in her chest. Theres a gash in her chest. And jason woke up to the whole were two ways in ones, fire department, alarm, brother alarm. I was asleep, the pager went off and i could hear casey coming up the stairs, yelling at me in a panic. There is something wrong with mom. You have to come next door right now. Did you have any sense of what it was . I had no idea what i was going to walk into. What he walked into was a nightmare beyond dreaming. There was his father in full blown panic and lying on the floor in a puddle of blood was his mother. And the rookie firefighter for an instant to his internal regret froze. If i wouldve come on in that situation now, i would immediately started cpr. That was a great deal of blood. So for somebody to live through that, that much blood, i didnt think that it was going to happen. I believed i had just missed her couple of press. Minutes later, mps arrived, and karen duenas was pronounced dead. The cause . Multiple stab wounds and a gash in her chest. Not long after that, the young detective arrived. A year under his belt as an investigator, but this would be his first big homicide case as lee detective. And Lo And Behold i did not know when i was walking into until i saw a picture on the wall and realized whose house i was in. You knew these people . I did. I went to high school with the second oldest son, jacob. And here he found himself looking at the bloodied bloody body of his mother. The one who brought cookies to all the games at school. Who could have done this . Detective stone house had been on the force well enough to know that violent crown was up around here, ever since californias overcrowded prisons nearby were forced to reduce population, and had to release some potentially dangerous offenders like drug attics, possibly desperate for money for a fix. So was this a home of asian robbery gone wrong . The detective took a look around the house, he and fellow officers got around the neighborhood. There were some footprints outside the property right . There was, there was a wood fence that surrounds the property and that was a back gate and there was a little trail that led out to a canal area. And the first patrolman on the scene told him that he had seen a car speeding away as he raced towards the duenas house. Neighbors reported seem to strangers nearby that evening. And here, in this Crime Scene Video taking the next day, the screen on the window in karens bedroom that looks suspiciously like it had been cut open. Had intruders entered here . Was anything disturbed around the house . No, actually the bedroom was pretty much intact. There wasnt drawers taking open, like some of the burglarized places. Also, even though the screen appear to be cut, it didnt look like anybody had actually gone in that way. And so, the detective had some questions for the only man known to be in the house all evening, the husband, of course. Mark duenas. What was his story of what happened that night . He told us that he had been up with karen, they were watching a movie, and then once karen went to bed he stayed up a little bit longer to watch a game and he was falling asleep during it so he decided to go to bed. Mark, in his room, karen, already down the hall, he said, in hers. The detective took marked to the Major Crimes Unit where mark, who had been awake more than 24 hours by now, finished the story himself. Im in my room asleep, i hear crazy noise and you know what a cat sounds lacked . It wasnt a cat it was a weird did you hear talking . No i just hear some weird screaming sound. And what did you do . I got up, because i didnt want whatever was going on to wake up my wife, because im sensitive like that, and i went to the door by the kitchen, opened it up and looked out there, i didnt see any cat. I shut it, walk down the hallway, and the lights were on, and i figured she was up. Opened the door, and thats when i found her. The Detective Question Mark for more than three hours, had him change silky they could keep his clothes and then sent him home to his children. I remember him coming into the door and collapsing. We were really worried about him because he kept saying his heart like, we thought that he was having a heart attack. He was a mess. As the duenas plan the family, the extended family, including karens brother joe and jackie, descended on cottonwood. Ive never seen a person more broken. What was your perception of how he took it . He took it incredibly hard. And he still does. Along with unbearable grief for the family came anxiety. I live next door, im worried for my family. Im putting alarms on every door because somebody is out there. But the police did not seem to think that. In fact within a day or two, one of The Detectives announced no need to worry about some unknown killer stalking the town. Now why would he say that . Coming up. Investigators were about to hear a strange tale from none other than karens husband. Its scary when i think about it. What did the story mean, when dateline continues. Ine continues. Wanna help kids get their homework done . Well, an Internet Connections a good start. But kids also need computers. And sometimes the hardest thing about homework is finding a place to do it. So why not Hook Community centers up with wifi . For kids like us, and all the Amazing Things were gonna learn. Over the next 10 years, comcast is committing 1 billion to reach 50 million lowincome americans with the tools and resources they need to be ready for anything. I hope youre ready. cause we are. They measure time in units of pain in little cottonwood, california. During this surreal minutes and hours and days after karen duenas was murdered. The best way i can explain my mom is, she was pure of heart, is the best way to say. The whole big family, karens family as well as marks. Parents, brothers, sisters, gather to support each other and more on. And struggle with the question that hugged in the air who did this . Word on the street was there was no question at all. We immediately heard rumors, outlandish rumors. I dont know where youre getting this . The boys heard them. To rumors the detective knew who the killer was, mark. To which the family said its ridiculous. I know theres no way possible he couldve done it. My parents were best friends from as long as i could remember. But if that was true, then why would detectives be so suspicious of the man married to his High School Sweetheart for almost 33 years. A man without so much as a Traffic Ticket on his record, let alone a violent act . Well, its true that when wives are murdered, husbands are frequently implicated. And mark did discover the body. But there was another reason just minutes after mark sat down to talk to those detectives, he volunteered information that sounded to them like a motive for murder. What was going on in our life and it scares me when i think about it it was an odd little story. One day at work towards the end of 2010, said mark, a ups coworker asked him if hed ever gone on facebook. No, said mark, he hadnt. Well, asked the colleague, havent you ever wondered what happened to people you used to know . Facebook might tell you. And mark thought about it and said well, there was this girl he used to talk to back in high school. It was in a real girlfriend or anything, but he was curious about why ever happened to her. So, sure enough, the colleague found the woman on facebook. And pretty soon she and mark were texting and talking on the phone. Catching up. We talked, we visited, you know. Then we got carried away with a little texting here and there. Carried away . Well, that maybe a little strong in this age of lured electronic dalliances. They did talk and text, yes for several months. Even said i love you a time or two. But was it some kind of affair . Well, judge for yourself. Was there ever any pictures sent . Or anything like that . Or was it always just there is pictures of this, maybe her, innocent you know, were not yet into any of that nasty it was just, what do you look like . And she would send a picture of her, and she would i would return . She would take a picture of her quill, show it to me. It was innocent stuff. She had a picture of her and her grandkids. Stuff like that. And not once did they try to see each other. In fact, when an opportunity came up, they decided it wouldnt be fair to their respective spouses of more than three decades. Or their kids or grandkids. So, they didnt. But as mark told The Detectives, karen found out what hed been doing when he went through if she went through a phone bill and her feelings. So he promised to stop. Except he didnt. Mark when mba secret phone to continue that communication. And karen was unaware of. It was a woman who put a stop to it and she sent here in this letter, postmarked just a little less than three months before the murder. Asking for forgiveness, promising it would never happen again. Karen told a couple of her kids about it. She was pretty upset for a while. How important was . That i definitely say everything together showed that karen was not happy in the relationship. Mark told them otherwise, that it was a happy marriage. The texting thing just a blip. But The Detectives didnt believe it. So they confronted mark. When did you find out that karen was going to leave you, mark . Leave me . She was never going to leave me. Never going to leave me. Honestly. In fact, investigators believed it all backed up what they suspected from that very first night. Here, just hours after the murder, when they first accuse mark of killing her. I didnt do it. I mean its crazy. Just like o. J. We need to go out and find the real killers, right . Lapd didnt have to go find the real killer. I know youre doing your job, but i would never lay a hand on my wife. I did not her, i did not kill her. I walked in and found her in her condition. Marks family, by the way, said he told them all about that taxing relationship. They said, it didnt seem like such a big deal. It sounds to me that it was just them can fading each other about their marriages and their families. You know, just an outlet. For youngest son casey, explained why there had been some tension between his parents a few months before the murder. There was a good span where they didnt get along. But it was a while before. Yes. And they seem to be back together again . They seemed better than ever. And of those key lame Spy Investigators about a pending divorce . Not a chance, said the boys. They never were going to give up. They taught us that. Im sure a little bit of trust was lost. Someone keep something from you. But, it was something they worked on. And they got over it. All of that grief infected summer. A cloud darkened over the Duenas Family. When casey graduated from high school in june i remember walking to where we would be sitting and just seeing, my dad and mom along with other family members. But there was one spot missing. Five months went by that we. As if those early police this patients had faded away. But of course, we know better. Dont we . Coming up. Mark duenas is in for a bitter shock. He was upset. Like, are you kidding me . And what his family did next would surprise everyone. So this is never happened. Yeah, like never when dateline continues. Ore skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. If you take asthma medicines, dont change or stop them without talking to your doctor. So help heal your skin from within, and talk to your Eczema Specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. Welcome back to dateline, im craig melvin. Karen duenas was brutally murdered leaving her loved ones devastated. Adding to their griefs, where investigators suspicion that her husband was involved. Mark told detectives he had a secret Phone Relationship with the former high school crush, and that karen was upset when she found out. Now, another surprise was about to jolt the Duenas Family. Here again is Keith Morrison with the killing in cottonwood. It was evening in cottonwood, california. October 2012, five months till the day after the murder of karen duenas. Her widow were marked and our son casey were watching tv. There was a knock at the door. And when mark saw The Detectives he was upset. He couldnt believe it. Like are you kidding me . They were not. Detectives had suspected mark all along and now they had a warrant for his arrest. Mark duenas was charged with first degree murder, held on a 1 Million Dollar bail. Seeing him in that situation was surreal. And you hope this is dumb works because there is an innocent man up theyre having to go through this. The whole extended clan including karens family told anybody who would listen that the police made a huge mistake. I had never called anybody a name, he is not a kind of guy. I cant think of a time when he raised his voice to anybody. The Family Support is whats persuaded a prosecutor to take the case. Ron powell was his name. At first im thinking, i dont want to go up there, but when i saw her family saying, can you help us, that type of stuff, and they meant mark, thats when i started to think victims family wants the accused represented by you because they believe hes innocent . Correct. That is a once in a while thing . It never happens. But 14 months after the murder when mark went on trial, the family, his karens and theres filled the galleries every day to support him. We were there because we know that person. The judge allowed cameras in court but no audio, so we cant play you the testimony from that woman from idaho who decided to conceal her identity, thats the one that he texted but hadnt seen more than three decades. Still, the state said that mark killed his wife. At some point she said that mark had mentioned that if they were meant to be together something bad would have to happen. The woman didnt seem to know what mark meant but the prosecution claimed that he would have to kill current, not just because he wanted to be with her but because he wouldnt have to share his pension with karen, his wife of 33 years. Karen must of been angry at mark. And might have told him that night that she intended to leave and she wanted to divorce. The facts of the case show that something happened that night between mark and karen whether that be her discussing divorce or whatever the case may be and he became upset and murdered karen. The Prosecution Base thats theory around a story told by some teenager two or three blocks away, who said they heard a screen between 10 and 11 pm. The pathologists testified that karen could have been killed as early as 10 30. Or as late as 2 30, am. The state said that it must of been 10 30. After which, mark must of washed his clothes, slash the screen to make it look like an intruder came in, then went to bed. And waited for sun, casey, to come home from the movies. One of the theories that we did have is that he wanted casey to find karen. And he sleeping peacefully, is that the idea . Correct. And to cover his tracks . Correct. Except of course, casey did not discover the body, so mark had to make the 911 call himself. And when detectives went back and listen to that call, they heard what sounded to them like an incriminating mistake. Not on Wonder Mckenzie . Theres blood everywhere. What did he say . I killed my wife. The state claims. Then the sound they say is a wellknown barnyard expletive, and unintended confession caught on tape. Or so said the prosecution. So he got it all together in all planned and he blew it on the 911 call . I believe so. Im sure if you just killed your wife he would be pretty stressed which would make something come out that you didnt mean to come out. But to the defense, it was quite simply bunked. Ive listened to it i dont know 100 times, i dont hear that. Defensive tierney told the jury, mark found his wife just after someone attacked her and told 911 this, 911 your urgency . I gotta, i killed my wife, there is blood everywhere. I found my wife. And then that sound the state claimed was an accident, was really the word sick. I found my wife sick. Do you think if they herded that clear that this guy said i killed my wife and hes the only one home, you dont think theyre arresting this guy, if that had happened, whether they rating for they no rest im tool for months later . The police failed to follow up on the evidence, and intruders could certainly could have been surprised by karen, children then fled. There was an unidentified car park nearby, another Car Scene Speeding away from the neighborhood as the cops raced into the house. The two Strangers Scene in the neighborhood had a trail of footprints leading away from the Duenas Backyard and, asked for the screams heard by teenagers a couple of blocks away the entire block where mark lives here is nothing, the woman next door, sleeps with her window open here is nothing, the person on the other side of the house is jason duenas, and he hears nothing. Karen told her the rare week of the murder that she and mark were making plans for a Bright Future together. And the idea that mark would kill karen so he could pursue a happily married woman from idaho he hadnt seen in more than 30 years was simply ridiculous, said the defendant. It sounds like a great motive when you look at it from a distance but then when you get to it, it sounds like puppy love. The defense rested its case in a mouths are of ours. When it went to the jury, how did you feel about that . I was pretty confident. You could see in the jurys face that they werent buying. It then something odd happened. The day the jury went out a female juror overslept, and rather than delay the case, the judge replaced her with an alternate. And yes, on such tiny wheels, fates turned. Coming up. Jurors get the case, and are not impressed. I thought the sheriffs to farm and did a terrible job. Terrible . Job terrible job. When dateline continues. Were carvana, the company who invented Car Vending Machines and buying a car 100 online. Now weve created a brandnew way for you to sell your car. Whether its a year old or a few years old. We wanna buy your car. So go to carvana and enter your License Plate answer a few questions. And our Techno Wizardry calculates your cars value and gives you a real offer in seconds. When youre ready, well come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, thats it. So ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. Trelegy for copd. Birds flyin high, you know how i feel. 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By over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. Try claritin cool mint chewabls for powerful allergy relief plus a Cooling Sensation. Live claritin clear. Trusted by pet owners for over 20 years frontline® plus is the 1 name in flea and tick protection. With frontline, you and your pet can go anywhere. No matter how you define it. Frontline®. Here. There. Everywhere. The jury in the duenas murder case. Was a little unusual. Not just because of that lastminute switch endures, big but because several of them had spent careers during dealing with the justice system. And they certainly knew what was at stake. This is something that we all had to take a very serious. Here are three here are three members of the jury. This one is a retired Chief Probation Officer and former cop. He was surprised by the case, he said. And not in a good way. I thought the Sheriffs Department did a terrible job really, terrible job . Terrible job in the investigation. In fact, the jurors we spoke to said that feeling was pervasive in the jury room. And the 911 call prosecutors claim as a confession . The jury couldnt decide what he said. We listen to it, many, many, many times. 20 times at. Lease still couldnt tell . No. The jury took vote after vote, 10 to 2 for acquittal at one point. But one juror in particular was adamant about his guilty vote. Which one . The alternate who replaced the woman who overslept. That juror said, hes guilty and hes going to have to prove that hes not guilty. And im not going to change my mind. Im going to hang this jury. The judge declared a mistrial. What was that like . It was heartbreaking. We thought my dad would be home by. Then afterwards, marking karens extended family publicly pleaded, do not retry. Mark let him go. You see these people, this is love. This is belief, in this human being. This is not question in our hearts. Please listen to us and know that we love this man. So, was it over . Who knew oh no. Not even close. And said shasta the a assigned a new prosecutor to the case. Stephanie brigitte. Something to know about miss brigitte. Up to this moment she had never lost a case. Not one. Her secret, preparation she says. Shes very thorough. By the time you finish reading through it, your preparation, what did you think . I didnt have any doubt that mark was the one that killed his wife. One big change in trial number two, the very first words out of the Prosecutor Mouth were where the states version of that 911 call, i killed my wife. Blood everywhere. No jury she declared could doubt the content of that call. And prosecutors offers offered net yet another damning statement from mark himself during his first of three tape recorded interviews with detectives. Which again, he willingly submitted to without the presence of an attorney. Its the only kai saw. In his very first interview, said the state, mark slipped and made an admission about while describing the wound he said he found on karens chest. Like the guy knew what he was doing or something, because the way he cut her, thats the only cut i saw. And there was tons of blood. But there was none there coming out when i whoever did it. I dont know. What was that again . Listen carefully. But there was none there when, coming out, when i whoever did it. I dont know. When i found her . Or when i did it . No way to know what he might have said. But the state claimed a amounted to another quasiconfession. The second prosecutor also presented evidence the first prosecutor chose not to use. Testimony for example, from a criminal list who examined the close march for that night and found karens blood, though not visible to the naked eye, all over. There is a big area on the front of his shirt that covered all the way down. There was blood on the back of the shirt. There was blood all across the waist band, down the sides, different spots throughout the shorts. Even blood on the inside of the boxer shorts. Which you dont think you couldve gotten he couldve gone there by touching his hands, arent moving, changing, adjusting . Absolutely not. Not in all those locations. The prosecutor claimed mark musthave washed off some, but not all of the blood. After the stabbing. Like a shower in his close or something. Then she claims, she found the murder weapon. Or what could be the murder weapon. A knife found in the wrong slot in the kitchen butcher block. Mind you, there was no blood on it. But its handle was very substance identified as either animal fat or some kind of cleaner. What it tells us is that heed something in the home, available to him, that could have caused that murder. So, means, motive, opportunity. For premeditated murder. But would a second set of jurors agree . Coming up. They would want evidence, but just how much was there . Do you have any idea if thats what happened . You dont have a clue. When dateline continues. Feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. These are real people, not actors, whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. If you take asthma medicines, dont change or stop them without talking to your doctor. So help heal your skin from within, and talk to your Eczema Specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. Its okay that you dont want to be first you arent. Second covid vaccine. Its okay to have questions everyone deserves answers. Im wary that there isnt enough information. Its okay to be excited, or worried, or both. Its alright for it to take whatever it takes for you to be ready. Hi mom, ready for your shot . Yes, ive been waiting for this day. We just got what . Vaccinated. We just got vaccinated lets get you there. November, 2013. Lets get to immunity. A chilly autumn wind played around the corners of the big courthouse in the middle of reading. And inside, defense attorney ron powell fretted that hed been short of a certain advantage. Because now the prosecution knew his case. And besides, it had these new wrinkles. The blood on marks clothes and the knife in the kitchen butcher block. Remember this is a retrial now. They felt this time that they needed to show a possibility of the knife. They never said this was the knife. Theyre just showing this knife couldve done it. In fact, said powell, the new evidence was no more persuasive than the old. No blood, that animal fat found on the knife, how about somebody use the knife to cut a steak and then washed . It could you wipe all the dna off a knife you put good question, ive learned now after this trial that blood will never leave clothes. But it will go right off the knife. As for the blood on marks clothes, of course there was blood, said the defense. He handled her body. And police didnt see the blood at first because, his shirt was read. And his shorts were black. And then there was the new prosecutors insistence that karen was very unhappy in her marriage and wanted a divorce. Was it true. . I know, theres nothing to support. It theres no facts to support it. Theres no evidence to support it. This was the issue that went right to the heart of the prosecutors case. And her contention that the state had developed a cure clear idea of just what happened the night karen was murdered. I believe that most likely karen confronted him with information that she had about the affair he was having with the lady in idaho. She probably said that was it, she wasnt going to have it. She was going to get a divorce. Thats when he decided, im going to get the knife, im going to do you have any idea, begonia on your own fevered and maginnis and, thats what happened . You dont have a clue. Well, you know, all the evidence points to that. So, yes i think i do. It doesnt point to that. We have a person that has been in a relationship with a lady in another state. Let me stop you for a minute. First of all, you said a fear. Now you said being in a relationship. He was doing what millions upon millions of americans have been doing since facebook came along. If they havent seen each other for 30 years. You wouldnt really call that a fair . Heres the big difference, it becomes an affair and crosses the line when you dont tell your spouse about it. You believe that he was obsessed with this woman . I believe he wanted a lot more out of that relationship than she did. Was it was a pure fiction, what was it . What else could it be . I know shes got a law degree. I never saw a psychology degree. From mark and karen sons, the Prosecutor Cycle Analysis of their mother amounted to an insult. The da said things about my mom that were untrue. Did they know my my mom better than i knew my mom . By other than any of us . They act like they do. Theres no evidence. What do you say to people whose reaction is, well, of course you are going to feel that way. This is his family. Theyve just lost their mother, they dont want to lose their father, to. Life is so much harder protecting my dad. We would be moved on. We would know what happened. If we thought that was the truth. But we all know with our hearts thats not what happened. The jury in the first trial had been hopelessly daegu block, came so close to quitting market. And sending him home to his family. The second jury, was back in less than 80. And their verdict . Was wooden on family faces in the gallerys first row. I still hear the sounds of the boys right behind mark, crying. I still hear. That it was very tough. Guilty, a first degree murder. Sick. I felt like throwing up, to be honest. I was sick. I feel bad for the family members, because the family members, theyre not going to be happy with the verdict. But at the end of the day its karen who was killed. And karen who that verdict was for. What would you say to them . The big extended family out there that doesnt think they got justice at all . I would tell them that i confident that the right person was convicted. Mark duenas was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. And his family . Well go on believing what they have always believed. That late a night on may 4th, 2012, unknown intruders, probably drug addicts set on theft, burst in, were surprised by karen, killed her and then realizing what they had done, ran away without taking anything. Jason no longer lives right next door to the home he grew up in. In fact, the family recently and reluctantly sold the home. The place it happened. The memories, upkeep, too much to bear. I mean, it was always in cottonwood, small town. Nothing happens here. And then the worst you can imagine happened. Casey and his brother troye no longer play baseball for the local college. The days when they look towards the bleachers where their parents, always sat side by side, are gone forever. On thats all for this edition of dateline. Im craig melvin. Thank you for watching. Im craig melvin and im natalie morales, and this is dateline. No one is going to get murdered in my family, that is in the movies. Who would want him dead . Someone who came here with the intention to murder him. And then im thinking this person is still on the loose. Are we safe . She was a southern belle. Little lady, very fun, just someon