But who would kill a devoted that . The unbelievable choice, the unbelievable golden Girl Wife or the graces Family Matriarch . They seem so loving, but was there another side . Its a monster that comes out of a closet. Its very ugly. How dark is that side . Murderous. But which one was the killer . Hello and welcome to dateline. He was a man suddenly confronted with something monstrous, evil at the door. This story is a mystery about a father of two young daughters. One night, he left to pick up one of them and never came back. The question for investigators wasnt what happened, it was who did it. In the home of a god fearing family and one of the smallest american towns, the worst of crimes. Please come and help us. Okay, ill get a hold of an ambulance. All right . Yes. Okay. The crime became a mystery. A who done it. Its a puzzle. Its almost a game of three card monsey. And it made many people in Town Wonder about one particular family, about what had been going on Behind Closed Doors of their home. How well do you really know your neighbors . How well do you really know the people that surround you . Get one . Want me to feed it to him . Our story begins with stephen, who grew up in tiny Chandler Ville in rural central illinois, population 700. He had had the kind of ideal childhood he wanted to recreate on his own. I think that was probably his biggest goal in life, was to have that family that he grew up with. Stevens parents, penny and dale, say even as a kid there boy was always holding his younger Sister Ashley or cousins playing with him, showering them with attention. He loved kids, loved people and he was going to have kids and be around them. He was patient and kind and had a smile for everyone. You could always see the smile in his eyes. I could just Look in him and see the joy of life. Brandi tally ran Cross Country with stephen in High School back in the nineties. Just a really good guy. Genuine, loved his family, i dont think he had an enemy in the world. Just always Looked out for people. In his twenties, steven joined the military. I think he wanted to get out and see a different part of the world. He was raised in a small town and he felt like the military could offer him adventure. Steven signed with the Coast Guard and move to virginia. But not long before he left, a former girlfriend gave birth to a Baby Girl named alexandra. Alex. It was his Baby Girl and he immediately jumped in as her father. Stephen was right there. When she was born, he doubted over her. He was just excited about every little thing. He would sleep right by alex his bed, holding her little hand. I mean, thats just how he was. The former girlfriend regularly took alex to visit steven in virginia and the bond between father and both daughter grew strong. Alex his mother then realized stephen can offer more stability and a better Home Life for their daughter than she could, and she gave him full custody of her. That says a lot about him as a dad. Yes. Stephen was responsible, and that says that he was determined to be part of his childrens life. One alex was too, stephen move terrified to virginia to live with him fulltime. He made sure she was in a good day care. There was always time when he had to make sure he would run out and got hurt the right time. Did he complain that he didnt have freedom . Absolutely not. He was content with that. But stephen also wanted a wife. When his Coast Guard service ended, he returned home, living in a house behind his parents and got a job with the state. About a year later, stephen noticed an attractive woman whose office shared a Parking Lot with his. He was really excited. You know, he felt like i found what ive been Looking for in life. That woman was Jennifer Webster who had grown up around the corner from Stevens Friend brandy. Shes very tall and just angelic i think its so many, ways her smile was contagious as well. Very bright, very modelesque. When she walked into a room, i think people turned their heads because she was very beautiful. She was a very cute girl, long hair. She couldnt be as sweetest can be, you can take her to any crowd you want to go and shell fit in. Jennifers uncle remembers hearing about stephen from jennifer before the two started dating and the summer of 2006. From jennifers description, stephen seems to be infatuated with her from a distance. She said this boy has been watching the in the Parking Lot at work, watch as my every move every time i go to work. Hes there sitting in his car until i get out. Then he follows me. My two boys Looked at Each Other and said stop or steve. Once they found out his name. His mother said stephen wasnt stopping her, but in fact had spoken with jennifer a few times before asking her out and that very same Parking Lot. They became a couple instantly. This happened so quick, i was shocked. She brought him to church two weeks after they had met and introduced him to my father in law. Didnt even know his last name. Ed says this wasnt how things usually want and his agenda for his family, which he says was slow to accept outsiders. Where i kind of family that every single night for probably 15 years, we met for supper someplace. Either at their house or my house or at a local restaurant. We were just a close knit family. The scanners or a religious family, seventh day advantages in the last several years multiple generations live together and a large home. One of the biggest in the neighborhood. They stuck together, kept to themselves, to the point where some people say they seemed almost clan ashish. Brandi says not only where they tightknit but financially successful as well, the result of a Family Business. They always had nicer things. I remember growing up when youre they had a Garage Sale one summer and it was like a gold mine. Jennifer was beautiful, well off, came from a close family like stephen had and youre in for a family as steven did. What could be better . In the end, the Real Question was what could be worse . He didnt know where he was getting into. Coming up. Stevens family starts to wonder exactly what kind of woman hed gotten involved with. It was a disgrace that she would even do something like that. When dateline continues. N dateline continues if you can help heal your skin from within. With dupixent adults saw longlasting, clearer skin and significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur including anaphylaxis, which is severe. 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Available everywhere at carvana, we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms, with care and respect. To us, the little things are the big things. Which is why we do everything in our power to make buying a car an unforgettable experience. Happy birthday. Thank you. We treat every customer like we would treat our own moms. Because thats what they deserve. Welcome back to dateline. Steven and jennifer seemed to have a lot in common. Both came from close families and they were both interested in growing a family. The budding relationship appeared so simple at first, but how well did they really know Each Other . They couldnt know it yet, but the couple was in for rockier times ahead. We continue with the mystery on horseshoe drive. Thats it. There is your horse. There he is. And the heart of an Illinois Farm Belt a new relationship was growing very fast. It seemed steven and jennifer began dating one day and became a committed couple the next. Making it a happy threesome, stevens daughter from a previous relationship, alex. Steven often captured family moments with photos and family videos. His family says he thought jennifer would make the perfect wife and mother. He felt like she wants to cook with us, she loves alex she. Treats alex like shes or mother. The woman to complete his life. Yes. The family he was Looking for. Yes. But if stephen was happy, his mother had her doubts about the girl from that tightknit family. I didnt feel like she really wanted to be part of our family, and that was from the very beginning i felt that way. Stevens dad took a more positive view. I just thought it was going to be a good fit for him. I thought jennifer it would be real good for both of them. They presented a pretty good picture. Was your Son And Love . Yes. Steven began spending much of his time with alex, jennifer, and her family. He was thrilled that the family seem to embrace him and his daughter, as his Sister Ashley remembers. That was number one. He wanted to make sure they enjoyed kids and would get along with alex, too. Not only was she nice and interacting with him and alex and basically the perfect mother, but their family was accepting alex and welcoming both of them with open arms. It was crucial to stephen to have this family accept alex. Exactly. Within weeks of meeting, Stephen And Jennifer got married in august 2006. Stephens family remembers how happy everyone seemed the day of the wedding, especially stephen. He was ecstatic, had a big old smile, eyes shining. It was an outdoors wedding. It was really a nice wedding. They threw petals on the sidewalk. She was smiling ear to ear. Her family made several comments about how they were happy they had such a wonderful soninlaw and he was going to be part of their family. The whole family raved about stephen and alex. The whole family, that is, except Jennifers Uncle ed. He says he didnt approve of the whirlwind romance. He didnt like that Stalker Steve became the one so quickly. He did not attend the wedding. I was told within a month after they started dating they was going to get married. And thats just not the way that our family ever did it. You get to know somebody, you date them a long time before you just commit to something in life. I felt she jumped out of the skillet into the Frying Pan. Did you feel stephen was jumping out of the skillet and into the Frying Pan . Yeah. He didnt know what he was getting into. Their life together unfolded like a storybook marriage. Not long after the wedding they bought a home on horseshoe drive, just down the block from where her parents and grandparents lived in ashland, about a half hour from stephens family. Then, not long after that stephen called his mom with more big news. Jennifer was pregnant. I was excited for him. I kept thinking, you know, maybe i was wrong and being thankful that i had not said anything, imposed my feelings on him. Im thinking theyre going to have a baby, theyre doing good as a family. But soon after the announcement things seemed to change for stephen and alex. His mother says Jennifers Family suddenly wanted nothing to do with stephens daughter. He said Jennifers Family told alex that shes not really part of their family. I dont understand how they can love her and make her a special part and treat her like blood and then all of a sudden just turn and go the other way. She says alex was very upset by the rejection. Stephen was as well. Soon with the spring thaw, about six months after Stephen And Jennifers wedding, their relationship grew ice cold. Now it was stephen himself who was also feeling rejected, kicked out of that family circle. Stephen was hurt and discouraged. I dont know if he thought that was just a stage that she would go through while she was pregnant, a hormonal thing. Somehow he could make things better and get them back on track. It didnt get better. Instead, the relationship flew off the rails after the baby was born in june 2007, a girl named sydney. It was like jennifer wanted her family and her to be part of sydneys life, but didnt want anybody else to be part of it. Stephen said, i barely even get to see sydney. When i get home, jennifer goes down to her Moms House with Grandma Shirley and auld of them. He said she even bathes sydney down there and everything, brings her home at 9 30, 10 00 and time to go to bed and gets up the next morning and starts the routine over again. Stephen told his parents jennifer thought the arrangement made for the perfect marriage, but stephen thought just the opposite. To him it was no marriage at all, and worse, he wasnt able to see his new baby. His mom says he was running out of patience and options. He said, mom, the only way im ever going to get to know sydney or to get time with sydney without jennifer being attached to her is if i file for divorce and get visitation. He needs to divorce his wife to see his daughter . Yes. It was a very hard decision for him to make. He also filed for custody of sydney, and that set off a move from Jennifer Stephen never expected. She fired back a bombshell. The day that she found out that he filed for Divorce And Custody of sydney, the day she found out, she called dcfs and accused him of Molesting Sydney and alex. Molesting sydney and alex. Yes. Did your son molest his daughters . Absolutely not. I thought it was a disgrace that she would even do something like that. Not only did she hurt him and hurt alex, she hurt the whole family. As the state investigated, stephen was allowed visits with sydney. But his family said jennifer continued to keep sydney from him. Knowing the Skinner Family, they were so tightknit, they would let nothing come in between them and their grandchild. The allegations of sexual abuse didnt stick. The department of children and Family Services said they were unfounded, but jennifer still wouldnt allow stephen to see sydney. To force her to share the baby with stephen, the judge in their Divorce Case ordered that stephen get regular visits with sydney. That Court Order helped and stephen was able to see sydney for a few visits. He sometimes invited jennifer to come along as they did to pick pumpkins in october 2008, because despite all that had happened, his family says stephen was still hoping he could show jennifer how good life could be with the four of them together as a family. His efforts were in vain, though. Far more often than not, jennifer and her family denied stephen visits with his baby, frequently saying sydney was sick. Once stephen called a Police Officer to the family to help him. The family still said no. Stephen was becoming more and more frustrated. Then one evening in late november 2008, the whole situation exploded. 911, whats your emergency . My, my, my grandmother needs help. My husband came to pick up my child because were getting a divorce, and he come after her and tried to come after the Baby And I. Coming up, jennifer was calling for her grandmother, but it was stephen who needed help. Looked like somebody decided to shoot him in the back of the head. When dateline continues. They grow from our imagination, but they cant be held back. They want to be set free. To make the world more responsible, and even more incredible. Ideas start the future, just like that. You could take your ulcerative Colitis Treatment in a different direction. Talk to your doctor about xeljanz, a pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe Ulcerative Colitis when a certain medicine did not help enough. Xeljanz is the first and only fdaapproved pill for moderate to severe uc. It can reduce symptoms in as early as two weeks, improve the appearance of the intestinal lining, and provide lasting steroidfree remission. 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Because freedom is delicious. Look, if your Wireless Carrier was a guy youd leave him tomorrow. Not very flexible. Not great at saving. You deserve better. Xfinity mobile. Now they have unlimited for just 30 a month. 30. And theyre number one in customer satisfaction. His number. Delete it. Im deleting it. So, break free from the big three. Xfinity internet customers, switch to Xfinity Mobile and get unlimited with 5g included for 30 on the nations fastest, most reliable network. Welcome back to dateline. Stephen watkins became increasingly frustrated his estranged Wife Jennifer was keeping their daughter away from him. They had been battling in court, but things were about to turn violent. We continue with the mystery on horseshoe drive. Its not just corn that grows quickly in rural illinois. So did the family of Stephen And Jennifer. They met, married and had a baby in about a years time. And just as quickly, their relationship fell apart. They were fighting over Baby Sydney when stephen went to jennifers one November Evening to pick up the child. Within minutes, jennifer was on the phone with 911, hysterical. 911, whats your emergency . My, my, my grandmother needs help. My husband came to pick up my child because were getting a divorce, and he come after her and tried to come after the baby and i, hes on the floor shot. Is she shot . No, hes shot. I need an ambulance for my grandmother. It was a confusing 911 call. Jennifer wanted an ambulance for her grandmother Shirley Skinner. As for her estranged husband stephen, jennifer implied to the dispatcher he had been shot to protect her family. He come after her and pushed her out of the way and then he tried to come after sydney and i. Oh, god. What happened to your grandmother . I think she might shes having heart trouble. Please come and held us. Whats your name . Jennifer watkins. Okay. Ill get a hold of the ambulance, all right . Yes. Ashland Police Chief jim birdsell was called to the scene. About 9 50 i got a Phone Call from 911 advising me there had been a domestic in town at 11 horseshoe drive, saying the husband came to pick up the daughter for visitation, forced into the horse, knocked the elderly woman down and shes having medical problems. When he arrived, he found this was no routine domestic. I walk up, open the door and walk In The House. Directly in front of me was an elderly lady sitting in the chair which turned out to be Shirley Skinner and a person kneeling beside her holding her hand. Shes crying a little bit. Then a first responder motioned over to the other side of the room. I saw the body laying down there. Any sign of life . No. It was Stephen Watkins, dead on the floor. A 9 millimeter Glock Handgun on a box several feet away. Trying to get in my mind what happened, the Ems Personnel told Me Shirley Made A statement to them that she had shot him. They reported to the chief that shirley had said a couple times is he dead . I shot him. He shouldnt have come back here. A stunning story, but this was secondhand information. From First Responders quoting an elderly woman in the midst of a medical and family crisis. Were her statements reliable . Had she really said that . Chief birdsell asked jenner what happened. He said stephen forced his way In The House and knocked her grandmother down and then he was coming after her and the baby and the grandmother shot him. It all seemed hard to believe. Chief birdsell wanted to ask shirley what happened but never got a chance. About the time i was getting ready to, her attorney was on the phone and said he didnt want me to talk to her. She was already lawyered up . Shortly after jennifer also hired an attorney and stopped talking as well. Jennifers grandfather who was In The House at the time stephen was killed wasnt talking either. So what had happened in the Skinner Home . Had Stephen Watkins finally gotten so frustrated over the Child Custody Battle that he completely lost it and barged into the house on a rampage . With shirley, Jennifer And Grandpa silent, the evidence would have to tell the tale. Did you see signs of a breakin . The door didnt have any damage. Any signs of a struggle. Not on the door. There was supposedly something on the wall that was broke, it was hanging down. A sconce on the wall of the house. On the wall of the house. Theres no indication the sconce was broken that way and there was no Skin Tissue or blood found on the sconce. Had Shirley Skinner really been pushed down by stephen . Did you see any injuries consistent with her being knocked to the ground . No, sir. Any black eyes or broken bones . No, sir, didnt see anything like that. Did she seem like her clothes were out of place . No, sir. Didnt Look disheveled . No. Whats more, stephen had been shot once in the back of the head and he did not have a gun or any other weapon on him. The chief didnt think it was selfdefense. So what does it Look like to you . Looks like somebody decided to shoot him in the back of the head. But who was the somebody who shot him . Members of the Skinner Family obviously knew who did it, but none of them were talking, complicating matters, Chief Birdsell had never handled a murder before. Most of his Law Enforcement Career had been spent on Vehicle Code violations. He thought he would be able to handle the case on his own but he couldnt. The case Dragged On for months. People all over the community are saying why hasnt there been an arrest. Yes. I was hearing that a lot. As the case Dragged On, the whodunit became the talk of the town. People are very, very aware of the killing in this community. Bruce rushton covered the case for the springfield register. Any time we write about this in the newspaper, its the most clicked on thing, or close to the most clicked on thing. Its a puzzler. Its almost a game of three card monte. Rushton said No One thought stephen instigated the violence. Everyone the reporter spoke to had only good things to say about stephen including two teachers who taught his daughter alex. Both agreed they had never in their teaching careers seen a father so devoted to his children. When i talked to his coworkers, he would talk about his kids at work. They all knew Alex And Sydney had a pretend bake session. He had Animal Crackers he was putting in the Toy Oven and playing with his kids. How many fathers do that . Everyone thought stephen was such a great guy, such a great dad. Who would kill him . Ultimately mike vujovich, then with the state attorneys appellate Prosecutors Office and sergeant kelly walter, now a colonel with the Illinois State police took over the investigation. They focused on a key question, who pulled the trigger. The forensic evidence was no help. Was the weapon tested for dna . It was. Was anything found . Nothing. No fingerprints on it at all . No fingerprints on it. Were Gun Residue tests performed on the people inside that house at the time of the shooting . They were not. No Blood Spatter was found on any of the familys clothing. Investigators had no physical evidence proving any one person had murdered Stephen Watkins, even though he was clearly shot to death inside the Skinner Home. All they had was statements from First Responders claiming Shirley Skinner, an elderly woman very upset and agitated at the time said she shot stephen. Did she really mean to say that . Did they really hear her right . Who was the shooter . To solve that mystery they would Look into the inner workings of the tightknit Skinner Family, and they say what they found there helped them finally get to the bottom of who pulled the trigger and why. Coming up, investigators have questions about the Golden Girl who held sway over the entire clan. Its a monster that comes out of a closet. Its very, very ugly, very ugly. When dateline continues. Re. Beginners yoga. Namaste. Surprise parties. Aww, you guys. Dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks. For 3 . So i can du more of the things i love. Dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. Its an addontreatment for specific types of Moderatetosevere Asthma that can improve Lung Function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. And can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. And Heres Something important. Dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. Tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, and dont change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. Are you ready to du more with less asthma . Just ask your Asthma Specialist about dupixent. Certified turbocharger, Suspension And Fuel injection. Translation certified goosebumps. Certified from headlamp to tailpipe. Thats certified head turns. And its all backed by our unlimited mileage warranty. That means unlimited peace of mind. Mercedesbenz certified preowned. Translation the mercedes of your dreams is closer than you think. vo the rule in business used to be, location, location, location. Now its, network, network, network. So you need a network thats built right. Verizon business unlimited starts with americas most reliable network. Then we add the speed of verizon 5g. We provide security thats made for Business And Offer plans as low as 30 per line. More businesses choose verizon than any other network. We are open and ready for you. Welcome back to dateline. Im craig melvin. Investigators had more questions than answers in the murder of Stephen Watkins. But one thing they knew for sure, the shooting took place inside the skinner household. How would they finally find out who pulled the trigger . We continue with the mystery on horseshoe drive. We all lost our lives that night. You know, its not something you ever get over. On the Tuesday Evening before thanksgiving 2008, Penny Watkinsson Stephen had gone to pick up his Baby Daughter Sydney for a courtordered visit when she was shot to death. Stephens Wife Jennifer told police he barged into her home, knocked over her grandmother and was heading for her and the baby when her grandmother shot him. But had it really gone down that way . Why would an elderly religious woman shoot the father of her great granddaughter. As investigators focused on Grandma Shirley, they began to Look more closely at jennifer. For one thing, they learned she had been married before. Jennifers Uncle Ed skinner says that relationship was a sign of things to come. That didnt last long. She just had to have her way all the time. There was never his way, so he didnt stick around. He divorced her . Yes, sir. Did you blame him . No, sir, not at all. State police say when they talked to jennifers first husband, he described an usagainstthem mentality in jennifers insular family. They did everything together. You were either a part of their family or you werent. Stephen watkins was clearly no longer part of the family, after the divorce filing, accusations of Child Molesting and the custody dispute. Now jennifer was losing that dispute. Abuse allegations had been found baseless. A Court Hearing about increased visitation for stephen had been scheduled. How concerned is the Skinner Family about this Visitation Ruling . Very concerned, very concerned. In their View Sydney was their property. They were not going to share their property with anyone outside that Skinner Family, even Stephen Watkins. The Skinner Family was circling the wagons for themselves, and he was the enemy. Jennifer and her family feared stephen would be successful in getting overnight visitation at that hearing. He was also continuing his quest for sole custody of sydney. But he never made it to the courthouse. He was killed the night before at his estranged wifes home. According to investigators, the Skinner Family had been so concerned about the hearing, Jennifers Mother hired a private investigator to Witness Stephen picking up the baby the evening he was killed, perhaps to observe something that could be used against him at the hearing the following day. Perhaps some dirt, if she was cries when dad picked her up or maybe he wasnt putting her in the baby car seat. State police learned Jennifers Mother told the private i not to show up, not long before stephen was to arrive. Less than two hours later Stephen Watkins is laying dead on the floor. Suddenly the Child Custody Issue that posed such a problem for jennifer was solved forever. According to ed, his family catered to her. Shes a spoiled rotten brat. I know thats a harsh statement. We didnt do anything if jennifer didnt want to do it. Ed says Shirley Doted on jennifer, the firstborn grandchild. They was very, very close. There was nothing jennifer could ask for that she didnt get. She lived as a princess, treated as a princess. When she went to church, she Looked like a little doll stepped out of a magazine, dressed fit to kill. As she grew up, he says jennifer could be sweet, but her Dark Side was something else. Its a monster that comes out of a closet. Its very, very ugly, very ugly. She just thinks she can control anybody that she comes along with. When jennifer doesnt get her way, what happens . She throws a Fit And Life is miserable for everybody around. Do you believe jennifer was just using stephen to get a child. Now she had what she wanted, she had to get out . I think at the time she was probably hoping that it would work, hoping he would knuckle under and obey her, but i think later on she saw that that wasnt going to work. She knew she had her child and thats what she really wanted. And ed believed jennifer would do anything to keep sydney from stephen. She just said he couldnt have her. Even going so far as pulling the trigger herself, ed says. After all, the Murder Weapon was not shirleys. It was jennifers. Jennifer has every motive to do it. He says even if his mother was the one who Killed Stephen, she was probably driven to it by jennifer. So my Mom And Dad was around jennifer and her mouth 24 hours a day. And she is very annoying when it comes to something that she believes in. And she believed in not giving stephen the daughter. And she talked about it constantly. This goes beyond annoyance. Oh yes, yes. Its not just ed who thinks jennifer might have Killed Stephen and shirley was trying to take the fall to protect her granddaughter, the young mom. Reporter Bruce Rushton went to a vigil for steven nine months after he was killed which included a walk to the Skinner Family home. People there were split over whether it was shirley or jennifer who Killed Stephen. Its a headscratcher. Whats the Grandmothers Motive here . Compare that to jennifer watkinsmotives . Did these folks truly believe sydney was being abused . The prosecution doesnt have you Cant Help but ask yourself. The jury will be asking. You would imagine. The jury would soon get its chance. More than ten months after Stephen Watkins was shot to death, an arrest in florida where Shirley And Jennifer had gone to live with Baby Sydney. Chief birdsell was there. When she saw me there, she appeared to be very surprised. I was happy to be there. But which one was arrested for the murder of Stephen Watkins . Shirley the matriarch or jennifer, the mom embroiled in a Custody Battle . Coming up, it turns out one of them had strange marks on her hand the night of the murder. Two lines . Two lines. Consistent with firing that type of weapon. Consistent with firing this type of weapon. When dateline continues. Feel the Cool Rush of claritin cool mint chewables. Powerful 24hour, nondrowsy, Allergy Relief plus an immediate Cooling Sensation for your throat. Feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. Now, we all know progressive offers 24 7 protection, but we also bundle outdoor vehicles with Home And Auto to help people save more [ laughs ] [ humming ] [ Door Creaks ] oh. [ soft Music Playing ] what are you all doing in my daydream . Its better than that presentation. A lot better. You know, whether its a fraction or a decimal, its still fun, you know . Trelegy for copd. Birds flyin high, you know how i feel. Breeze drifting on by you know how i feel. Its a new dawn. 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Lease the 2021 Nx 300 for 349 a month for 36 months. Experience amazing, at your lexus dealer. At visionworks, we want you to feel safe lease the 2021 Nx 300 for 349 a month for 36 months. And we want you to see yourself in your new glasses and think, ooh but if you get home and your ooh is more of a hmm. You have 100 days to change your mind. Thats the visionworks difference. Visionworks. See the difference. In october 2009, more than ten months after Stephen Watkins was shot to death, his parents finally received the call from police they had been long waiting for. What did they say . We just wanted to let you know weve picked Shirley Skinner up in florida for the murder of stephen. Shirley skinner, the religious matriarch of a closeknit family. Despite what Shirleys Son Ed says and the rumors around town that jennifer might have pulled the trigger, it was the grandmother who was charged. Though jennifer implied her grandmother shot stephen in defense of her and Baby Sydney, investigators believe the older woman had executed him in cold blood. What do you think happened . Stephen was coming over to pick up sydney for his courtordered visitation, came to the door and once again was told that the baby was sick. Perhaps he was frustrated once again by being told that, maybe he said something to the effect of, oh, bs, and may have been lured in, come in and see for yourself. Then hes inside the house and its a distance of approximately 30 feet from the main Entry Door to sydneys bedroom. And weve got to believe that jennifer was holding the baby. As hes walking down the length of that dining room, hes passing shirley, as he walks past her, its our belief that she then shot him. Had he been turned over as though somebody was trying to be cpr . No. He lay where he fell. Shot in the back of the head and fell forward. Pool of blood around his head, his Baseball Cap Underneath him. He died right there where he was shot. Why had shirley been the one charged . Though the forensic evidence collected at the scene was not useful, authorities did have important eyewitness evidence, something First Responders and Chief Birdsell said they had seen that night, two parallel scrapes on Shirley Skinners hand. She has two marks across the webbing of her hand. Whats significant about that . The significance, as you can see, the Slide Part of the weapon is coming back over the webbing of my hand. If shes holding it wrong, something that could catch it would be the hand and the marks could be made from that slide coming back across the hand. Two lines. Two lines consistent with firing this type of weapon. To investigators, those marks conclusively put the gun in shirleys hand. Whats more, they learned shirley had been planning Stephens Murder for a while, by trying to find somebody to kill him. About a month or so before stephens execution, shirley approached two of her employees and offered them 10,000 to cap this guy who they identified as being steve watkins. Cap this guy. This little old grandmother . Yes. The one employee said he thought she was joking. At which point she said no, im serious, im serious. How did an elderly religious woman who once owned a Daycare Center become someone the state was accusing of premeditated murder. To her fellow parishioners, shes a fine gracious christian woman who loves children. Thats one side of shirley. The grandmother who loves kids. Is there another side . Proficient in the use of guns which in and of itself doesnt mean anything. But that put together with the cultish form of that family, where everything is done for the family, within the family, to the exclusion of anybody on the outside, and we will take whatever measures necessary to protect that family unit, that is the other side of the contradiction. How dark is that side . Murderous. That went to the heart of the states theory, that shirley had fired a fatal shot to rid the family of a soninlaw they no longer welcome and didnt want in Baby Sydneys life. Are you convinced Shirley Skinner acted alone . I believe Shirley Skinner pulled the trigger. Do i think she acted alone . No. Its been a family conspiracy, family plan. They were not going to allow him any further contact with that little baby. Yet, no fingerprints, no dna, no gunshot residue, no Blood Spatter, no recorded statements from either shirley, Jennifer Or Anyone else in the family and those supposedly incriminating marks on shirleys hands, it turns out they had never been photographed. A jury would never see them for themselves. Would any jury be able to sort out this case, an alleged family conspiracy, two women at the crime scene, one who appeared to have clear motive. The other, 75 years old, neither with criminal records. It seemed such a confused slim. Case ed says, he in the family never thought they would be guilty. When she was offered a plea deal, she turned it down. And chose to go to trial. I was convinced she had done it. Coming up, jurors had their doubts. Surely skinner did she Look like someone who could commit that type of crime . Honestly, no. As a matter of fact, when i walked in there, i really thought she was one of the attorneys. I had no idea she was actually the one who was on trial. When dateline continues. Dateline continues. Now, Simparica Trio simplifies protection. Ticks and fleas . See ya Heartworm Disease . No way Simparica Trio is the first chewable that delivers all this protection. And Simparica Trio is demonstrated safe for puppies. Its simple go with Simparica Trio. This Drug Class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions, including seizures; use with caution in dogs with a history of these disorders. Protect him with all your heart. Simparica trio. 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In two counts of solicitation emerged, she asked to workers in the Family Business if they knew anyone who would cap someone for ten grand. The deep contend she had for the father and the great grand baby. They had no physical evidence the trial lasted less than four days. Surely Killed Stephen to eliminate a problem. There was no dna, no fingerprints, no Blood Spatter, no photos of the scrapes on shirleys hand. Basically, all they had were descriptions of the hand, and statements from First Responders that surely told him she shot stephen. Now it was time for the defense to make its defense to the jury, mostly young and female from rural illinois. Surely emphasize the fact that there was no physical evidence. They argued surely statements to the First Responders, is he dead . I shot him. They were made when she was Making A the defense also focused on a sloppy napped investigation by the Police Chief. Jennifer, in no window and are ugly Divorce And Custody battle, as the one with the motive to kill stephen. They didnt directly argue if general for the pulled the trigger, only that there was no hard evidence. What did jennifer have to say to the jury . Nothing. She didnt even attend the trial. The defense called no witnesses of its own. So, what did jurors think of the case. We spoke with three. Did surely Look like someone who could commit this crime . Honestly, no. As a matter of fact, when i first walked in, i really thought she was one of the attorneys. I had no idea she was actually the one who was on trial. Why did you think about the Police Investigation . Something to be desired. A lot of holds in it. There was a lot of mistakes made. I would like to have seen pictures of the scrapes on the back of her hand. When it came time to the final vote, how difficult a decision is . It is difficult in the sense youre seeing something as time as it didnt take long. The jury was out a total of 90 minutes, including lunch, before finding Shirley Skinner guilty of murder. Stevens family was jubilant. Persecuted. Surelys son, Ed Skinner, was shocked. I was convinced my mom would get off. Surely serving a 55year Prison Service sentence. She wouldve taken nine with a plea bargain. Its horrible to see mother behind bars. Is she equipped to handle it . Not at all, not at all. Although Ed Skinner had split from his family by publicly blaming jennifer, he still struck a note of us against them. I honestly feel, jennifer made this bed, she needs to sleep. She knew what she was getting into when she got into that family. She had to think, in the back for mind, she is gonna be with this people the rest of her life. Whats wrong with the walkin . Nothing bad. They are just a little different than what we are used to. I mean, we dont believe in drinking. We dont believe in smoking. But you have guns In The House . Yes. And she was shot in the back of the. Head yes . Your family zone. And somebody in your family dead. Thats correct. So, pretty hard for you to be sitting here dodging somebody else. Oh, exactly, exactly. In the end, it was the murder that dead skin or might have thought wouldve been planned in a way to get what jennifer wanted. Leave the skin a family intact and unscathed. Very, very, poorly planned out scheme on my niece, and my sisters side, that ruined the watkins family, room the Skinner Family. I dont think they planned it out as good as what they shouldve, if they were going to do something like that. Despite the accusations of a family conspiracy, neither Jennifer Or Anyone else in the skin a family was charged with any crime related to the shooting. No one in the family had agreed to speak with dateline, except ed. As for stephens parents, they had been raising alex in illinois. They battled jennifer for visitation with sydney, and in 2010 the judge awarded it to them. Then in 2016, a judge determined sydney was a neglected child. She went to live with her paternal on to uncle who granted permanent ownership. Jennifer has supervised visitation rights. Meanwhile, Stevens Parents have spoken to sydney about what happened to her dad. He might have given his life for her. Thats all for this edition of dateline, im craig melvin. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching he was born with a gift. He spoke to the animals. He spoke to the animals. A Dog Trainer to the stars with a beautiful wife. He was totally crazy about her. But an ill wind would blow through paradise. The Kennel Dogs were very, very upset. There was a huge ruckus. They told me, we havent seen mark. And i knew in my Heart Something terrible had happened. Where had the Dog Trainer gone . A trail of sinister clues