Or hate . One shot to the head. What was the motive for a Valentines Day Murder . We had a know she had written she was speaking from the grave. That note was powerful. It happened on the least likely day imaginable. A day devoted to love and affection. Valentines day. And it happened to the last people on earth you would expect. A religious family dedicated to god and making the world a better place. We had a breakin. Is it going on right now . I dont know. The Garage Doors open. There is glass from the Back Door where somebody broke in. My world had just been shattered. Theyre perfect world broken by and act so evil, it tore a family apart. The worst day of my life. And put an entire town on edge. The extra extra cautious, locking doors, locking windows. Pay attention to strangers in the area. They devoted their lives to others. Who would ever want to hurt them . Its just absolutely a despicable act. For a day that ended so tragically, it began in a happy way. With flowers and expressions of love. With Nathan And Dennis leuthold had met earlier, back in the eighties when they were students at a small baptist school in central illinois. Even at that young age, nathan knew there was something to the sparkling little girl. I was in Third Grade and she was in Fourth Grade at the time. And i doubt she even knew a existed. But even then, i thought she was the cutest girl in school. What was it that you liked about her so much . It was the curly here and the bouncy curls, and just the happygolucky smile. In junior high, i began to see her character. And see what kind of person she was that. We it was in High School that Nathan And Denise got to know Each Other better. But they didnt date, as most teams do. Because they both came from religious families. Our parents didnt really believe in dating. So we are just good friends. I went to her church activities, she came to mind. We saw Each Other in school. Thats how it started. She was my first girlfriend, and i only girlfriend. Norm junior gotten no nathan and any swell when his wife taught at the High School. Death nathan was a basketball player, denise was a cheerleader. They were inseparable. They just goof around with Each Other. Just a loving Puppy Love way. And it just grew into something special between the two of them. And we knew they would be together. Whats more, with nathan admired denises parents and was inspired by what he saw as a perfect marriage. I looked at Denises Mom and i saw what she was as a woman, a wife, a mother. And i saw that denise really favored her mother. So i said, thats why. Want for Denises Mom, his diane newton, The Feeling was mutual. Well see over all the time . Yes. He practically lived at our house. When denise went off to college in minnesota, nathan, a year younger, soon followed. To no one surprise, the couple got engaged a year later. Diane knew it was coming. I was surprised when he was the first one that she dated and they ended up getting married. That was in july 1995. I was always very happy being a wife and mother. So, i was happy for her that she had found someone to love. To share her life with. Right before we did our vows, denise had peppered a song talking about everything that she had wanted was in me. And that our marriage was going to be the kind that she had always hope for, and dream for as a little child. And it was a wonderful day. After the young couple settled in their hometown of peoria, illinois, denise went to work at an insurance company. While nathan started a career in jails sales. But he couldnt shake a higher calling. For several years he had big Dreamed Of Becoming A Baptist missionary. In 1998, they finally seize the opportunity when another young couple at their church began their own Missionary Work in lithuania. I approached the fella and said, what would you think about denise and i coming and helping you guys . He said that would be great. They moved in with us for six months. So while their possessions, try to save up money. We didnt know any lithuanian at the time. Didnt know the language, we were studying it. Trying our best. But it was definitely a shock. They returned home after a Year And Sun welcomed a son, seth and a daughter, julia. In 2002, the fan really went back to lithuania, which became their second home On And off for the next eight years. Thats a big undertaking right. I think it was very hard for denise to leave her family, to leave everything she had known. And to go over to a strange country, you know, with a toddler and a baby. It was traumatic experience for her, i think. This is because really, nathan, wanted to do it . Right. She was supporting him. It was a really her calling. She was basically just being a wife and a mother. But denise also became very devoted to the church. There denise was very musical and she played the piano for the children, taught them songs. Talk a little girls especially, bible. Stories they grew particularly close to some of the children at their and their families. We had helped women who had been in abusive relationships. We had brought several List Winnie and Students Tonight it seized over the years. For cultural reasons, musical purposes. Their generosity extended to a young lithuanian they had gone to know well. Aina dobilaite. Who eventually came to the u. S. As a college student. She even lived with them for a while in peoria. Nathan has a very big heart for people. He just loves to help people out. And just wants to do the lords work. By the fall of 2010, Nathan And Denise were living back in the states. By then, they had a third child, jenelle. Their days were filled with shuttling kids to school and daycare, and raising funds for their next overseas mission. Life with three young kids was busy, hectic, normal. But then came Valentines Day, 2013. When nathan pulled into their Driveway Mid Afternoon and discovered something terribly wrong. I could see that the windowpane was broken. A glass was on the ground. At that point, i began to put things together that someone had broken into the home. And at that point i called the police, called 911. 911. Where is the emergency . A, weve got a break. In a Daring Burglary in the middle of the day. That would rob this family of everything. Coming up there would be no more calls, candies or flowers this Valentines Day. No one can find denise. She hadnt entered her Phone Calls. She hadnt answered her Text Messages. And what police find is terrifying. Everything stopped. I just kept looking at my daughter. My world had just been shattered. And i have to tell her at some point. When dateline continues. 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Were living with denise is. Parents nathan says it felt good to be home. We had tremendous friends and family here in the states. And thats always what we miss the most. Being back in the states also made gave nathan an Opportunity Travel to churches where he reported on his and denises Missionary Work and raise more funds so they could soon return to lithuania. In the u. S. , they could also celebrate holidays, american style, as they did on Valentines Day, 2013. As is our tradition on holidays, easter, christmas, or birthdays or, valentines we started off with first thing in the morning. So, the children had their Valentine Sack that denise had prepared sitting at the table for them. And for his wife . Well i gave to her was the roses and the card that i had bought the night before in place on the table. After the early morning celebration, the family was back to their usual routine. Taking the kids to school, shopping, running errands. Denises parents were at work. But that day, something happened that was completely out of character for denise. She failed to pick up julia from school. My parents called me, do you want us to pick up her up . The i said Danny Shouldve been there there. She must of been. Late turns out no one had been able to reach denise for a while. Including nathan. She hadnt answered her Phone Call. She had answered her Text Messages. I said, just wait for minute. Ill get jenelle from daycare and let you know. And when i picture up from daycare. They said she still hasnt come, she hasnt called. I said well, ill run by The House and see if shes there. And as soon as i got to be pulled into the driveway, the Garage Doors open. Was that . Very odd. Theres no car in the garage. But the Garage Door is open. And then as i got were about halfway into the garage, i could see that the windowpane was broken. The glass was on the ground. At that point, i began to understand that someone had broken into the home. Did you fear that the person could still be In The House . I did. And at that point, i just decided the best thing was to not enter The House. I am not a real confrontational type of person. Never been in a fight In My Life. If i had to defend my family, i would. But i dont go looking for. I wasnt going to try stopping somebody who is In The House. The police would get them. Later with his young daughter in the car, nathan backed into the Neighbors Driveway across The Street, so he could watch The House as he called 911. Whats the problem . Weve got a break in. Is it going on right now . I dont know. The gradual is open. There is glass from the Back Door where Somebody Row in. Ive not gone In The House. Yet nathan waited with his daughter at the neighbors house, repeatedly calling Family Members to see if anyone had heard from denise. Then the police arrived. Detectives Jason Lee and Sean Curry were among the first on the scene. By the time we got here, officers were starting to Rope Everything off. Securing the inside of The House. They didnt find an intruder, instead they found something far worse. While searching The House, they discovered a female down. That was obviously deceased, In The House. 39 year old Denise Leuthold lying in a pool of blood, had barely made it inside The House, her coat was still on. On the other side of their door where we saw him found her laying down. Just right in the front door here. They quickly determined she had been killed by a single gunshot to the head. She didnt even have time to take her cool off. Her gloves, anything. So when she entered that door, that shot was immediate. The weapon appear to be a 40 caliber handgun. But no sign of a gun. Didnt seem like had denise possibly startled a burglar . When we got there, it looked like he interrupted a burglary. When she came home the, house had been ransacked like somebody had broken in through the Back Door. Started going through The House. She had maybe startled a burglar when she came in through the front door. Well investigators combed the quick the Crime Scene, nathan anxiously watch the Police Activity from The House across The Street. How did they tell you what they had found . The police were not the first people to tell me. Unfortunately, i found out about it through my father. I was calling my Dad And Dad said well we are on our way. I just heard on the radio. The local News Media just put it on the radio that at your House Somebody was shot. Nathan realized it had to have been denise. When you came to that realization, what is going through your mind . Everything stopped. I went looking at my fouryearold daughter, who is the image of her mother. Curly hair and bouncy step. And i just kept looking at my daughter and i wanted to hug her. I want to just let all of the pain that was associated with knowing. But there she was standing, just smiling. My world had just been shattered. And i had to tell her at some point. Denise deadly valentine 3s had no idea what happened. But she rushed to him when nathan told her they had been a breakin. I drove out there, the roads were all real black. Was that a sick feeling when you see all those . Police yeah. What were you thinking . I didnt know what to think. I try to run up there to go to The House and they were like, no you cant going. Im like well, i just want to know, i just want to know what happened to my daughter. Is she in there . Where is she . They eventually took me downtown and then one of the policeman came in and told me that she had been shot. The worst day of my life. Now she had to tell her husband, denise fathers. Fell apart, cried. I guess its every parents worst nightmare. They have a child taken from them. As denises reeled from their unimaginable loss, this quiet central Illinois Community was just starting to grapple with the fall of a murder on Valentines Day. Did you feel like we have a mystery on our hands . Weve got to solve . This yeah, we knew we had something bad. And we knew that it was going to take a lot of work to get to the point where we knew who done it. Coming up a possible clue. And then pulled into our driveway. Without the Headlights On . Without headlights . Without the headlights. On nathan remember seeing a suspicious car near his house not long before the murder. This is kind of weird. Pulled in the driveway. I immediately go through by the front door and flip the lights on. The car leaves. Was the killer in that car . When dateline continues. Dateline continues. Oooh, thats a low price. Ooh, thats a low price. Huh. That is a low price. Whats a low price . Ahh, thats a low price. Can you let me shop . Hmm, thats a low price. I can get you a new one tomorrow. At amazon, anytime is a good time to save. This past year has felt like a long, long norwegian winter. I can get you a new one tomorrow. But eventually, with spring comes rebirth. Everything begins anew. And many of us realize a fundamental human need to connect with other likeminded people. Welcome back to the world. Viking. Exploring the world in comfort. Once again. Oh man. Lets get you to this moment. Is that it . Yep, thats it. Of relief. [joyfully laughs] protection. I just got vaccinated i just got vaccinated noah just got vaccinated. Hope. So that we can get to all the other moments. Lets get you to the exhale you didnt know you were waiting for. Lets get it. Together. So we can be together. Lets get to immunity. It was hard to believe nows your moment to get vaccinated. Denise leuthold, mother of three young children, had been found shot to death in her home in Peoria County, illinois. Leutholds Friend Couldnt comprehend the news. Who could do this to a great young woman . A family of three children, great husband. Nathan said when he lost denise, he lost his foundation. My wife, my Best Friend from Third Grade, the mother of the three most important children in the world to me. How do i function now without her . With The House now a Crime Scene, nathan went with detectives to the Police Station where they asked him if he could think of any reason his family would be targeted. Do you have any personal problems with anybody . No. Does your wife . No. Was there anything of extreme value . In The House . In your room, in that room in particular. I had to watches. A couple hundred dollar watches. Nothing but about money . No. A laptop, digital camera, and jewelry had been stolen. Two guns had also been taken including a 40 caliber glut, the same caliber used to Kill Denise, had the intruder used that weapon to shooter . Do you know why anybody would want to break into that house . Ive been trying to ask myself the same questions i first pulled in the driveway. Nathan gave it actives a clue, though. He said he remembered seeing a suspicious car in the neighborhood late at night. A couple of weeks before the murder. Pulled in our driver with the Headlights On. Without headlights . Without Headlights On. They were on in the road, but they turned it off. You know, this is kind of weird, pulled in the driveway, i immediately go through into the front door, and itll be outside lights on. The car leaves. Then a few days before the murder, he said it happen again. Similar situation, but this time into the Neighbors Driveway. That time, nathan called police, and spoke with an officer. There were people who were casing the neighborhood. People in peoria, illinois were spooked. Could a burglar going to kill beyond the loose . It caused a lot of stress in the neighborhood. Political School Lock down that day, that step doesnt happen in this neighborhood. If you come down during the day people are riding their bikes. People in the, park walking around. Its not like a high crime area where those gunshots all the time. It was enough to scare everybody. It was a big story in town. Be extra cautious like yours, lock your windows, pay attention, strangers in your area. What was the mood of the neighborhood . Very erie. Beau ebenezer was a reporter in peoria. A lot of people really wanted to know what happened. Theyre going to sleep every night, not really sure who killed their neighbor. One neighbor says with two small kids at home, shes feeling panicked and even a little paranoid. Tips started coming in right away. Diane parish who lived a few houses from Nathan And Denise remembered seeing a strange man on her street right around the time of her murder. Describe the man you saw walking along this road . He had a black Hoodie Sweatshirt on with the hood pulled up, and his hands were in the pocket. I will never forget the look on his face. What was audible to look on his face . He was very agitated. I knew immediately something was wrong with him. Neighbors were anxious, and detectives were puzzled. Denises was normally very quiet. The type of place it expect a burglary, even if she had accidentally stumbled upon an intruder, how hot it turned so vicious so quickly . Why would somebody want to turn it to this particular house . Its not typical us for us Burglary Results in a murder. Maybe it wasnt a burglary at all. Coming up, if it wasnt a burglary, what was it . Was Nathans Life also in danger . Nathans parents told me nathan and three children have been moved to a Safe House just to protect them. When dateline continues. Continues except now you have uncontrollable Body Movements called tardive dyskinesia td. And it can seem like thats all people see. Some meds for Mental Health can cause abnormal Dopamine Signaling in the brain. While how it works is not fully understood, ingrezza is thought to reduce that signaling. 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One Gop Senator broke with leadership falling short of ten boats needed. Its the first bill of the democraticcontrolled congress to be thwarted by a filibuster. President biden formally unveiled his six trillion Dollar Budget friday. He plans to invest in infrastructure, education, health care, and more. The budget would push federal spending to its highest sustained level since World War ii. Now back to dateline. O dateline it looked like a burglary gone bad. Denise leuthold, mother and missionary, brutally shot and killed in her parents home where she and her family had been living. Typical scenario, robberies happening in peoria. This one just happens to be a lot worse. Its not typical as far as a burglary that results in a murder. It doesnt happen very often. This was an odd one. Detectives needed to know more about the needs and begin questioning her family, including nathan, her husband of 17 years. You talk to us and cooperating with us is the best information we can get. We want to talk to the people closest to her first to figure out what makes her, to what so routine like. Did you start to think someone may have targeted denise . We didnt know. I mean, nathan, he is going to be our best witness, you know . Youre living with this lady, married for a long time, you know her routine. Did you think maybe someone had a reason to be in that house, outside of just a random burglary . We didnt know. But we needed to lockdown at that point. We needed to make sure we locked down what she planned on doing that today. And they started at the very beginning. She woke about 6 45. I was already shaving and showering. Where the kids up . What time did they wake up . She gets them up at 6 45. Nathan told police he took the two older children to school and went on a series of arians that day, including going to a spotty by Gift Certificates for denise. Was it for . A massage. Do you remember how much you spend . 74. Police learned the spent the morning at home with four year old jenelle until she Driver Today Gear just afternoon. Nathan said denise had her own list of things to do that day. She had gone to the mall, head of the errands to run. Were going to try and get video of her. We have to figure out where she was at and we have to place the last time we can see her, and we can narrow the window down. Its tedious and we appreciate you cooperating, believe me. By mid afternoon, when they need should have been done shopping and on her way to pick up julia, nathan said he tried reaching her but couldnt. At first, he wasnt concerned. So i called, she didnt answer. No big deal, shes driving. So i center text. He became worried once he got home and saw denises wasnt in the driveway. It looked like The House have been broken into. I dont know what to think. Shes not answering my Phone Calls, shes not answering my moms Phone Calls. She didnt go to The School. She didnt call. Where is she at . If shes late, if she broke down, if she had a flat tire, she wouldve called from herself phone. Im going through all these 101 options and my head. Detectives asked nathan the uncomfortable questions they ask anyone Who Espouse has been murdered this is kind of a personal question, and take no offense because we have to cover every base. At any time has a wife ever done anything behind your back, have you had any issues, any boyfriends, anything like that . No. What about you . No. Did he describe a good marriage . Yes. He described denise as the backbone of the family. If it wasnt for her, people wouldnt be able to do his work. She does everything for the kids. She is the main one that holds it all together. She did everything that made the kids lives spin. Then he sounds like a saint. She probably was. Everyone we talked to had nothing but good things to say about her. Must have really peremptory tension, that this woman is considered to be this amazing mom, does this religious work, why would you have any enemies . I mean, nothing was coming to the forefront. Nathan said he was doing his best to hold it together so he could help them catch the killer. He was anxious to be with his children. We appreciate the cooperation, and as much information we can get from you, the better. Its going to help us. Help me get back to my kids tonight. We hope you will be. I cant leave them all that long. Nathan finally did leave the Police Station late that night. Hours after his wife had been killed. He went to his sisters home, where his children were sound asleep. I was exhausted. I was emotionally spent. I spent the next several hours with my mother, my sister, and at some point i fell asleep. My sister trying to comfort me. The next day, nathan said he was struggling with the fact that his wife was gone. And now how to explain that to his kids. I had been with jenelle when i found out. I hadnt been with south or julia. At that point, i didnt know what they, knew what they found, out what they had seen on the news or whatever else. I didnt want them to find out the way that i had. How did you tell the children, that their mother had been killed . Friday morning,. I believe the children suspected something. After they had eaten, and after i had spent time begging the lord for Wisdom And Strength to know what to say, we come upstairs to one bedrooms, and it was the oldest team at that point, set and julia, and my sister was there with me, and we sat down on the bed, and i said mom went home to be with god. We know she loves us. We know we loved her. At that point, i reached out for them. And we just hugged. And it was quiet. My tears soaked their faces, and their tiers soaked my face. And then we prayed. And we thank god for the most wonderful Mother And Wife to have ever been on this earth. Later, nathan took the children and went to stay at a Church Mission House a nearby town. Nathans parents told me nathan and three children had been moved to a Safe House, just to protect them. They didnt know if they are being targeted for anything. His friend often brought them home cooked meals. Nathan was very quiet, almost in a state of shock, maybe . I noticed him, when we were in the Living Room alone together, and it was complete silence. It felt a little awkward, but i could see him just staring into space, almost. In the meantime, denises parents made the choice to return to their home, the scene of the crime. A few days later, they ask nathan and the kids to come over to be with family. I was with was he with you the first time you saw him after denise was killed . He seemed very emotional. He regionally said he didnt want to come back In The House, that the kids were afraid to come in. It was a lot to taken. Denise was dead. Three young children were without a mother. And nathan said he lost the love of his life. Detectives worked around the clock to solve the crime, and as they did, they began to get the idea that not everything was as it seemed. Coming up, this is strange. Denise had just gotten home when she was killed. So, where was her car . Some plus sales . Shes been shot In The House, okay . I need to figure out how that car got to robinson park. When dateline continues. Hen dateline continues plus an immediate Cooling Sensation for your throat. Feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. [sfx kids laughing] [sfx bikes passing] [sfx fire truck siren] onstar, we see them. Okay. Mother and child in vehicle. Mother is unable to exit the vehicle. Injuries are unknown. Thank you, onstar. My son, is he okay . Your sons fine. Thank you. There was something in the road. Its okay. Youre safe now. [ Suspenseful Music ] its okay. Hey, you wanna get out of here . Ah ha. Weve got you. During expedia travel week, save 20 or more on thousands of hotels. Expedia. It matters who you travel with. In the weeks after denise is death, nathan and his childrens daytoday Church Mission Houses. Friend norm visited. He said nathan seemed quiet, stoic. Ive never seen nathan in unemotional status far is crying, or in panic, or anything like that. I took it as he was just really stressed out, and whats happening . To my family right now . Why did this happen . As denises parents are wondering the same thing, they also began to ask other questions. We kept going over the robbery, like how it wouldve happened, and it didnt really make sense. What was suspicious about what was taken . I work at a store that sold highdef tvs, we had a lot of small ones they couldve just picked up, taken away. You know, electronics, blueberry players, none of those things were touched. I only had probably three rings that were of any value but those three rings were taken. Those are the only three that were valuable . Something seemed off to police as well. The more we start looking at The House, it didnt seem like a real burglary. There was a Junk Drawer that was perfectly lane on the floor. Why would a burglar even go through a jump juror, pans . Things like that, scissors. And then lay it . They idolized things nathan had told him during his interview at the Police Station the night of the murder, like the fact he owned three guns. I got a shotgun. Well do you know what 12 gauge shotgun. What else you got . I have a 22. Silver with pearl handle, little. They have a primary, one which is a glock. Which model . Model i dont know its a 40. A lot of things about mavens guns that didnt Add Up for police. Starting with the fact that he happened to own the same type of gun used in denise murder. How did he explain that . It couldnt. I think he was trying to allude to the fact of the Burglar Musthave got into it and taking it. Nathan told police he kept that gun in a plastic case. You Cant Lock . How hardwood before someone departed open . But you need a Crowbar Something . No. There is no broken case at The House. That said a lot to the detectives. I asked him why Out Of The Box . He didnt know but tried to insinuate burglar target. Burglars arent going to take a busted Lock Box after the kill somebody. Theyre gone. Weve been told him he last fired that gun in oklahoma. A couple weeks ago . I could look at Mike Calendar but yeah, a couple weeks ago. Nothing here lately . I shot the 40 when i was there. There is Something Else troubling police. Even though denise had been killed in her home her car was found in a nearby park. The Police Figure to average over there must have been involved in the nieces murder. This is the problem. Shes been shot In The House, i need to figure out how that car got to robinson park. A key to that car was found tangled in denise is hair, under her head. So, clearly, that key was used to move the car. There had to be another one. Im trying to figure tommy sets of keys are out there because im trying to find a set of keys. I know theres one set of keys, and whenever i have borrowed when ive driven the card to get something fixed on it, oil change, whatnot. I just ask for the keys and she gives me the keys. Or she says, there on the plate. None of that made any sense to the detectives. There had to be a second key somewhere visible In The House in order for an intruder to easily find it and drive the car to The Park. There was no other way, they said. And he shoots are. That guy is getting out of town. Hes not going to wait to try and find a spare set of keys In The House. Hes leaving. Questions about denise is Car Lead to questions about nathans car, and something he said caught the detectives attention. Was your vehicle, every at Robertson Park today . My vehicle was that Robertson Park today, yes. For what . When was this . Early this morning. Not early, but it wouldve been before i came back to The House. But was it down there for . A pulled over to make a Phone Call. It turns out on the day of the murder, nathan was at the same park where denise is car was later found. And thats when one of the detectives got frustrated with nathans whole story, and confronted him. Its not a coincidence that were missing a 40 caliber glock handgun, and theres evidence that leads us to believe your wife was probably shot with a 40 caliber handgun. Okay . And then, furthermore, to have her car The Street at The Park, right, where you failed to tell us that you are there prior to going home earlier that day. It was a short Phone Call. I didnt think i know, but i mean, thing is, were talking about things that once you start piecing things together, were trying to figure things out. I understand. Okay, so if you are at The Park, at the exact same park your Wifes Car was at, i need to figure out how your Wives Car got there. Okay. I dont have the answer. You dont have a key either. Correct. It wasnt just that nathan stop to take a short Phone Call, it was who was on the other end of the line that piqued their interest. He said he received a Phone Call from lithuanian Exchange Student. Thats how she came on your radar . She was 20 year old, the young Exchange Student who had been close to the family for years. She Baby Sat for them in the 20th, and they were sponsoring her as a student in the u. S. What was that call about . It kind of kept snowballing from there, we figured we had to go up and track her down. Coming up, a missionaries an usual close relationship with a young exchange didnt. Did you outright ask her where you having a sexual relationship with nathan . Yes, she denied it. When dateline continues. Ontinues control . Hide my skin . Not me. By Hitting Eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within, keeping you one step ahead of eczema. And that means longlasting clearer skin. And fast Itch Relief for adults. Hide my skin . Not me. 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[ echoing ] some of us were born for this. To protect people. To help them save. With a Home And Auto bundle from progressive. Ahh. I was born for this. And now its prime time. Cut. Jamie, what are you doing . Youre not even in this one. I thought it was thursday. Sorry. It is. I thought i thought it was last thursday. Police found Denise Leuthold, a 39yearold Mother of three, shot to death in her home. At first, it looked like a possible burglary gone bad. After questioning her husband, nathan, and combing the Crime Scene, detective started to see things differently. Things werent adding up. Were not accountants, but we know it doesnt Add Up. Police wanted to look more closely at the Lithuanian Student Nathan had spoken to on the phone the day of the murder. He and denise had met her on their first missionary trip in 1998. There is a church that was their already established, and that church really took us in and did their best to communicate with us and helped us out and there was a particular women in the church we worked with, it was ainas mother. Dobilaite just a child at the time. As she grew, up a relationship with the family grew as well. A teenager, very clear she had given her life to the lord and wanted to serve him. She was always the one volunteering, Helping Out Church alongside her mother. She was very gifted, and music, and as we started branching out the ministry, aina was the one that took care of music. When she was 16, she became a babysitter for Nathan And Denises three children. Aina was the one helping us with children at church. It was natural for denise to want to hire her, and we trusted her 100 with them. And thats how she came to be a part of our family. You ended up bringing her over to america . We were sponsoring, her yes. She came here for education. Her desire from the beginning was to go back to help her own country and the church there. How to use music for the lord. That sponsorship started in the fall of 2010, One Aina came to the u. S. To study at a christian college in florida were nathan would occasionally visitor. But what did denise think about that . I asked for more than once, arent you jealousies traveling around with this young girl . She was like, no. She wasnt jealous. At all. This was a girl they wanted to exactly. And she trusted nathan. During school vacations, aina would stay in peoria with the whole family. She was really good with the kids. She seemed like she was a sweet girl. If your Daughter Elector she was a friend of our daughters. And soninlaw. See accepted her into our home. In december 2011, Aina Leapt that florida school. She was so close with the leuthold family, she moved in with nathan, denise, and denises parents well she attended a Community College in peoria. It wasnt the first time weve done that. So aina was one of many we worked with. It was very natural. We had sponsored other lithuania students before to come here. It didnt really seem strange to us thats what they were doing. They were making a difference in this Girls Life . Theyre giving her a chance to come here, get a College Education here. Six months before denises death, aina transferred to a college in chicago, 160 miles from peoria. Police drove there to talk to her. When we first art of the interview, there was a lot of background information, and we were coming across this concern for denise. He lived for him for years, youve known the family, and she was fine. As we started ramping up the questioning, getting more direct about her relationship with nathan, All Of A Sudden perfectly speaking English Girl starts in, i dont understand that. Or im not going to answer that question. It turned into more of a cold stare, and no emotion whatsoever. You describe it like a Staring Contest . We throughout their Crime Scene pictures of denise laying dead, autopsy pictures to get a reaction. She had no emotion. I called her out on it. I said these people take you into their home, right back from the idea, you live with them. That doesnt bother you . And she just looked at me, stone cold. I cried enough over the weekend. Detectives asked her about something they learned as they traced nathans Movements Today at the murder. Remember, one of the places he said he visited was this day spa, where he body Valentines Day Gift Certificate for denise. When detective stopped there, they discovered nathan had been bringing another woman to the spa. It was not other than aina. It happened so often, the owner said, she thought they were a couple. Hes taking this woman and her early twenties, an Exchange Student, to the spa. To get massages, to get her waxed up. In the front yard, if my wife found up i was boxing a 20 year old. It didnt make sense. I kept on explaining. I asked her what is he waxing up . She didnt answer. They asked her about the bill, Which Nathan paid. She framed it as its his money, and its denises money. If he is spending the money, she should be all right with it. Did you ask, are we having a sexual relationship with nathan . And what was her response . She denied it. Then aina mentioned some of the sparked her curiosity. She studied music her whole life, and had gone to college in florida to play the piano. But she told detectives she left The School because of problems with her hands. It was officially titled academic withdrawal. They subpoenaed Ainas School records. The records we got said her dismissal had something to do with inappropriate relationships with her sponsor, including staying off campus overnight with just them. That sponsor, of course, was nathan. Police learned more about their relationship when they pulled nathan and Ainas Phone records. What did you find on her phone . The communicated a lot more than nathan lead on. It didnt look like a typical sponsor relationship. There was multiple texts and calls every day. Shes denying a sexual relationship with the Text Messages, suggesting otherwise . There was one that mentioned the chin, and he asked her if she was wet. I didnt find that appropriate for their relationship they were leading on. The biggest thing was the sheer volume of contact they had. Youre saying youre just checking on her, making sure shes doing good in school. It had the appearance of a Dating Type of relationship. Coming up, more questions for and about nathan. My husband that hes a missionary, he wouldnt kill anybody. When dateline continues. New workouts. And screening for Colon Cancer. Yep. The american Cancer Society recommends screening starting at age 45, instead of 50, since Colon Cancer is increasing in younger adults. Im cologuard®. Im convenient and find 92 of Colon Cancers. Even in early stages. Im for people 45 plus at average risk for Colon Cancer, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. Ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. Theres interest you accrue, and interests you pursue. Plans for the long term, and plans for a long weekend. At thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. To learn more, text thrive to 444555, or visit thrivent. Com. Had Denise Leuthold been killed by an intruder, part of a burglary gone wrong, or had someone close to her had been involved . Denises parents believed their daughter had been killed by a stranger until their minister came to visit one day. He asked us, well, do you have any suspicions that your soninlaw was involved . Wow. And we both answered no, but as soon as i said no im like, well, wait a minute, you know, then i of course started having suspicions. My husband was kind of shocked that because he just thought, well, hes a missionary. He wouldnt kill anybody. But investigators werent so sure. They began to take a hard look at nathans whereabouts that day. They collected Surveillance Video from the places he said he had been. While he was at this places, chase bank, starbucks, the day spa, a car wash, there was a problem. We were able to account for him up until about 11 30 in the morning and then there was a gap him leaving the starbucks around 11 30 and shows up at the same starbucks about 12 45 p. M. In between there we couldnt account for him. That gap was crucial. Its during that timeframe police believe the murder happened. The detectives traced a route they thought nathan might have taken that day from the starbucks to The Park, a quick walk to his house then back to the starbucks to see if he could have done it in time. Six minutes, 55 seconds. Not only possible, they said, but probable. More likely, they figured, than a stranger breaking into The House during the roughly 20 Minutes Denise was out. Its unconceivable to think Somebody Breaks into The House that exact same time, rummages through The House, finds a glock, pries it open, loads it up, hides behind the door to execute her. It just cant happen. Something else that didnt make sense, they said, was that Denises Car was not in her driveway. After the murder, they found her Silver Ford here in this nearby park. Nathan had told police he only knew of one key, the key that was found at the Crime Scene, but now police had a second key that they found in this trash can in The Park. They believed nathan was lying to them and that he had used that key to move the car. Another suspicious finding, a black hooded sweatshirt on the floor of Nathan And Denises bedroom. Investigators say it appeared to match one that a strange neighborhood was wearing in the neighborhood that day. It appeared to us that somebody was in a hurry, took it off, threw it down. But their was Something Else that was even more troubling. Police had ordered an extensive analysis of nathans laptop, and a couple of weeks after the murder, they received a report. The Computer Expert explained that his browser was set to delete anything he looked up, but as we found out, just because you delete something doesnt mean its gone. And what they found floored them. And it ranged from how to silence a. 40 caliber handgun. Glock specifically, which is the gun he owned. He owned and she was shot with. How to silence that. How to Overdose Somebody on insulin. Bathtub. Drowning. Electrocution. In the bathtub. Things like that. This goes back several months before the murder. So hes potentially thinking up all these different ways to kill his wife. Well, you know, i honestly think he planned it out. Did you straight up ask him, did you have anything to do with your Wifes Death . Yeah. And . He denied it. He said no. Not only did he deny killing his wife, nathan told us there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all the searches the police uncovered. Electrocution in the bathtub, how to silence a gun. We had a started a foundation overseas called hope for tomorrow to combat suicide. And we were doing research and looking at Blog Sites where young people, where desperate people were getting information about what they were thinking. Still, it was obvious from Nathans Interview Video that detectives had questions about his story early on. I would love to think that youre a Godfearing Man and you would never do that, but but you have a preconceived idea in your head. No, no, no, i dont. Trust me, i do not have a preconceived idea in my head, but when im painting the picture and im trying to put the pieces together, okay, as a homicide investigator, i have to either rule you in or rule you out. And you want to rule me in based upon no, no, no, no, no, id rather rule you out so i can move on. Rather rule me out based upon what. Rule you out . I want to rule you out because i hope you didnt do it. Between learning about aina and all the evidence they collected, police had enough to arrest nathan. Three weeks after denise had been killed, they pulled her husband over. He had just dropped his kids off at school. They handcuffed me, and they put me in their car. At that point, i didnt know where we were going. And finally, i asked them, i said, where are we going . Whats going on . Were taking you to jail for the murder of your wife. He seemed scared. He seemed surprised. I think it was disbelief that he was being arrested. It was a shock. Nathan leuthold, missionary and father of three, a native son of peoria, was now on his way to jail to await trail for the murder of his wife. His friend, norm alrick, who had known the couple for decades, was stunned. Theres No Doubt in my mind that nathan was arrested because they needed somebody in jail. Theres no way that i could ever fathom nathan doing this. To his wife. Coming up, hard to imagine anyone doing something this evil, if its true. This was his Valentines Day present to aina, and that is despicable. When dateline continues. On for the maestros of the creamiestever, musthave smoothies. Its irresistibly delicious. More almond breeze, please age before beauty . Why not both . Visibly diminish wrinkled skin in. Crepe corrector lotion. Only from gold bond. [sfx kids laughing] [sfx bikes passing] [sfx fire truck siren] onstar, we see them. Okay. Mother and child in vehicle. Mother is unable to exit the vehicle. Injuries are unknown. Thank you, onstar. My son, is he okay . Your sons fine. Thank you. There was something in the road. Its okay. Youre safe now. Three weeks after Denise Leuthold was shot to death, her Husband Nathan was arrested for her murder. At first Denises Mother Couldnt quite grasp it. He was part of our family for 17 years, and, you know, he was like a son to us. And to think that he could actually, you know, just shoot her in the head and this is a man who has devoted his life to being a good person. Right, exactly. But by the time nathan went on trial, she had changed her mine. Mind. He had been leading a double life. Was this just the bad dream that wouldnt end . Right, it just kept going On And On And on. This Wont End until exactly. Nathan is convicted. Exactly. Here at the Peoria County courthouse the trial was big news in town. After all, the defendant was a missionary accused of killing his wife in their home in an upscale neighborhood. Things like that just dont happen in peoria. Nathan pleaded not guilty. He insisted he would have never done anything to harm his beloved wife. Ever the time there was a difficulty in life, the first person i would talk to would be denise, and there were several times within the first few days after her death, trying to figure out what to do with the children next. I wanted to just grab the phone and call her. She was my support. But denise was not there to support nathan because, the state argued, he killed her. You will have eyewitness identification, dna, Gunshot Residue, motive, and they all point to one person, and hes sitting right across from you. Nathans trial began on july 14th. Exactly 17 months after the murder. Reporter Beau Ebenezer covered the trial for Nbcs Weektv in peoria. Were a lot of people anxious for this trial to start . I think a lot of people were anxious, especially the family. The family wanted to find out exactly what happened. Jodi and jerry were the prosecutors who tried the case. They said what really happened was a Cold Blooded execution. Ladies and gentlemen, burglars commit burglaries, killers execute in a style consistent with what the defendant did. Hiding in that cubical to kill her the moment she walked through the door. The states theory, nathan put his plan into action when denise left The House to take their daughter to daycare. First, he drove his car to The Park down The Street. Parked his car in robinson park, somewhere close to 12 15, 12 20, walked up to The House, went into The House, the burglary was probably already staged. If not, he went ahead. Then he knew that denise would be coming back, stood in the doorway, and as soon the door opened, denise tried to take her coat off and he shot her in the back of the head. Nathan then drove Denises Car to that same park, prosecutors said, and hopped back in his own car and drove to starbucks, arriving at 12 45. 12 45 to 12 50, five minutes only, long enough to be on that camera. Long enough they said for nathan to wash his hands to get the Gun Shot Residue off then leave to start his Afternoon Errands before picking up janelle from daycare. About 3 00, the defendant returns home. Wants you to believe he sees the door open and glass. Thats the extent of his knowledge. But with that he calls the police. He knew fullwell when he called the police what they were going to find. From our perspective, thats what makes this case so disturbing, the cold, calculated manner in which he did this. One of the first officers to testify for the state described the scene at The House just after nathan called 911 that day. I observed some Kitchen Cabinets open, and some Kitchen Drawers on the floor. In my experience as a Police Officer and investigator, when a burglary occurs, the kitchen is not a common place that a burglar would look for items. In a burglary, items are scattered about, drawers dumped on the floor. I felt this was not an ordinary burglary and i described that to my partner. While he find the Crime Scene odd for a burglary, it was nathans behavior that disturbed the officer even more. Describe his demeanor. As im speaking to him, he never showed any sort of emotion or asked any questions of me as to what was going on. Prosecutors said nathan also showed no emotion during his police interview, even when a detective told Him Denise was dead. You cant tell me things about her that im not you cant tell me things about her. I can tell you shes dead. He told me that. Okay. In the elevator. Prosecutors played the interview for the jurors, hoping they would see what they saw. When the police first gave us the case, i watched his videotape statement. Five minutes into, i knew he did it, i knew he was guilty. His demeanor, his attitude, he tried to take over the conversation. Not a single tear was shed. They presented evidence that the Bullet Casing found at the scene was from a glock. 40, the kind of gun that nathan owned. The only firearm that could generate those marks would be a glock. And are you able to say that within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty . Yes. But police never did find the murder weapon. Did you worry that you werent able to find the gun . Was that a factor well, obviously it was a concern. I think any time in a Murder Case when you dont have the handgun or the weapon, whatever it was, its an uphill battle. Thats what The Jury wants, they wanted smoking gun, and we didnt have it. Still, prosecutors thought they had more than enough evidence to prove their case. Remember Diane Parish who said she saw a man in a black hooded sweatshirt walking toward Denises House on the day of the murder, she was the closest thing police had to an eyewitness. The whole thing struck me as wrong. I thought i told my husband to slow down. I wanted to get a good look at him, and i was worried that he saw us pulling out of our driveway, and if he knew we were gone, that hed rob us. She didnt recognize the man that day, but later when she looked at a police Photo Lineup, she quickly pointed to this man, and it turned out to be Nathan Leuthold. Did you think it was possibly when youre looking at this Photo Lineup maybe youd seen nathan in the neighborhood and subconsciously you were choosing that photo because youd already seen him before . No. Why were you so sure . Because of the look on his face. I knew i didnt make a mistake. And i was very careful when i looked at the photos so i would not make a mistake. When she testified, you could hear a Pin Drop in that courtroom. I mean, everybody was glued to her testimony. I dont think there was a person in that courtroom that disbelieved what she was saying. Prosecutors said it must have been nathan the neighbor saw that day because police found a black hooded sweatshirt on his bedroom floor. Whats more, an expert testified it had Gun Shot Residue on the right cuff. Nathan said that he had been at the gun range. Is that feasible that if he was no. Shooting off his gun at the gun range. Whats important about that, too, he said that it was in oklahoma two weeks prior. There is no way there would have been Gun Shot Residue on that sweatshirt still. On the stand, another neighbor who did not want to be videotaped, testified she heard a gun shot that day between 12 30 and 12 40 in the timeframe detectives thought denise was killed. Prosecutors said that gave nathan the opportunity to Kill Denise. Now they had to explain why he did it. So they called this man to the stand, who said he could answer that precise question, because nathan told him everything. Would you state your name. David d. Smith. David smith was a fellow inmate of nathans at the county jail. He said nathan told him he researched ways to Kill Denise on his laptop. Did he talk about how he was planning to kill his Wife Denise . Well, first he told me that he was thinking about some poisoning, with some type of incident or potassium. Something like that. According to the inmate, nathan said he ran a lot of errands on the day of the murder to create an alibi and he told me he had presented some gifts, some Valentines Day gifts and stuff to his wife, and so that everything would look fine. How important was David Smith, the Jailhouse Snitch . David smith said that nathan was worried that a lady might have seen him while he was walking. Well, obviously nobody knows that except nathan, and its consistent with our evidence. Whats more, the inmate also testified why nathan wanted denise out of his life. Well, he said that he said that she was overbearing, and that he had got to the point where he had wanted to move on with his life, and he had met Someone Else and stuff like that. Did he tell you the name of that Someone Else . Somebody some student named ana, alana, something like that. But it was what the inmate told prosecutors about the times of the murder that they found particularly chilling. Smith testified that nathan told him he planned the murder specifically for Valentines Day. It was supposed to be some type of present to this other chick. To the i think you referred to her as ana . Yeah, yeah. And there it was, nathans motive. Prosecutors said he killed his wife so he could be with his true love, aina. This was his Valentines Day present to aina. And that that is despicable. Aina, who prosecutors said was nathans motive for the murder, was about to take the stand. The Star Witness at the biggest trial in town. Please state your name. Aina dobilaite. Coming up nathans note to aina. Theirs nothing more important to me than you and this relationship. And a note to him from the woman hes accused of murdering. She was speaking from the grave in a way. Absolutely. When dateline continues. And tonights winning numbers are 18, 18 55, 39, 71, and 43 we won yes noooo. Noooo. Noooo. Quick, the quicker Picker Upper bounty picks up messes quicker and each sheet is 2x more absorbent, so you can use less. Ill hold onto that. Bounty, the quicker Picker Upper. Youd never wash your dishes in this. Your dishwasher looks clean but, when grease and limescale build up, its not as hygienic as you think. Use Finish Dishwasher Cleaner its Dualaction Formula Tackles Grease and limescale. Finish. Clean dishwasher. Clean dishes. Alright, guys, no Insurance Talk on beach day. Im down. Yes, please. [ chuckles ] dont get me wrong, i love my rv, but insuring it is such a hassle. Same with my boat. The insurance bills are through the roof. [ sighs ] be cool. I wish i could group my insurance stuff. [ coughs ] bundle. The house, the car, the rv. Like a cluster. An insurance cluster. Woosah. [ chuckles ] i doubt that exists. Its a bundle its a bundle, and it saves you money hi. Im flo from progressive, and i couldnt help but overhear. Super fun beach day, everybody. Heres whats happening. The White House announced it will reimpose sanctions against belarus after its leader had a plane rerouted so he could have an Opposition Leader arrested. And the conviction in the death of molly tibbets, a Farm Worker was convicted of murder. Her body was found in an Iowa Cornfield with multiple stab wounds. Riverias sentencing is set for midjuly. Now back to dateline. Nathan leuthold was on trial for murdering his wife on Valentines Day 2013. A scenario impossible to have predicted for a man devoted to god, who appeared to have been happily married to his high School Sweetheart for 17 years. What would make him commit such a crime . The state argued he was in love with another woman. The motive . His real valentine, their 20yearold lithuanian sponsor student. Aina dobilaite, his motive for murder. I think aina was a big bombshell. Aina testified in both english and lithuanian through a translator. Nathan leuthold visited you in hotels off campus on at least five occasions, correct . [ speaking foreign language ] i cant remember how many times. During those visits, you went to a hotel with nathan and just the two of you were present part of the time, correct . [ speaking foreign language ] translator im not sure if every time we were at the hotel we were together alone. Did you spend the night with mr. Leuthold . Aina was called as a witness for the prosecution, which granted her immunity to encourage her to talk, but her testimony made it clear she was not eager to help the state. When mr. Leuthold visited you in chicago, in 2012, did he buy you presents . [ speaking foreign language ] translator im not really sure what presents mean. Despite having studied in the states for four years, aina seemed incapable of Understanding English at times, which frustrated the prosecutors. And, in fact, you are proficient in both written and spoken english, isnt that correct . Translator yes. Still, the prosecution thought she was an important witness. I think it was significant for The Jury to see aina. We could get in the Text Messages, we could get in the emails, we could get in the Phone Calls and The Jurys going to hear all that. The state showed The Jury texts between Nathan And Aina the day of the murder. They started at 6 30 a. M. With mutually hellos. At 8 37 a. M. , nathan texted aina. I know there is a lot to do today. I pray there is enough time to do everything. Have good lectures and meeting. Take care of yourself. Then, after nathan arrived home midafternoon, aina texted him, and he replied, i cant now, police checked. It looks like The House was robbed. Aina responded, interesting, followed by a Smiley Face. You would respond with, oh, my, what happened . Concern for the family. So i suspect based on that response in all likelihood she had some knowledge of what was maybe going to take place. Prosecutors accused nathan of Coaching Aina during jailhouse Phone Calls on how to cover up their relationship. Those calls were in lithuanian. For the trial, English Translations of What Nathan said were Read Aloud. I am your spiritual adviser or clergy here in america because there is Nobody Else who speaks lithuanian. This may be important in the future because just as all of your communication with the attorney is private, communication with your clergy is also private. But, prosecutors said, there was no covering up Letters Nathan had sent aina, including this one read by an interpreter during a deposition. Translator I Love You because you understand me better than anybody else and because i am a better person with you next to me. My life has a deeper Meaning And Purpose because you are my World And Everything and that will never change. With words like that, prosecutors didnt believe ainas denials of an affair. They made her Read Aloud another note. I let you down and im sorry. You deserve someone who who respects you and puts the relationship first, and from now on, i want to do all that i can to be that person. There is nothing more important to me than you and this relationship. Im so blessed to have you In My Life and i know it. I think she presented herself as she was, she was in a relationship with nathan. I think she tried to minimize the relationship. Nathan and aina were making Eye Contact quite a bit throughout the trial. Sometimes when she would answer a question or said something he didnt like, he kind of laughed and threw his hands up in the air in disappointment. And prosecutors had another piece of evidence they said proved an affair, a secret that shook the courtroom. It challenged the very core of nathans defense, that denise was at the center of his life and he would never hurt her. It was a gutwrenching note written by denise discovered tucked in her Day Planner. In a Murder Case, you dont have the victim. You never get to hear the victims story. That person is dead. And here we had a note that she had written that laid the whole thing out. The highly personal, very painful note was obviously aimed at nathan. The Police Investigator read the note in court. I have tried to please you for 17 years, and never succeeded. Ive never been good enough. Never done enough. I know that you want me dead. Im not stupid. Denise seemed to confirm that she believed her husband was having an affair. While she didnt name aina, she mentioned a much younger woman. You want to humiliate me by running around with a 20yearold . Fine. I wont grovel. If i havent pleased you in 17 years, nothing i do now will please you. How long are you going to do this to me . Oh, yeah, until i break. Thats what you said, isnt it . Well, happy waiting. It was very devastating. I was i was shocked that it had gone that far. So, she really was jealous, even though she said that she wasnt. She was speaking from the grave in a way. Absolutely. Absolutely. To The Jury. To everybody, her story. I mean, that note was powerful. Powerful. Powerful but not proof, said nathans attorney. In fact, he argued that there was no evidence that nathan had done anything wrong at all. Premature judgement that this all happened because he was having an affair, and i would submit as i started off with you, there is not a scintilla of evidence that that was the case. Coming up, he was the only person with whom i could talk in lithuanian. He was a friend. Were you and nathan ever lovers . No. When dateline continues. Theres interest you accrue, and interests you pursue. 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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. Nathan leuthold had spent a week listening to prosecutors paint him as a monster who had planned the execution of his wife. Now it was time for the defense to fight back. To say that i killed my wife goes beyond what i ever fathomed hearing from anyone. And to say that i had an affair is absurd. I think nathan was being tested by god about his faith. I just thought, you know, nathan, you got to be strong, man. Well get through this. Nathans lawyer was hugh toner, a former prosecutor turned Defense Attorney, who argued that the investigation was faulty. That there were certain preconceived notions of who did it, for lack of a better term. That never went anywhere. And for that reason, im going to ask you to find nathan not guilty. Toner insisted the cops zeroed in On Nathan right from the start and never pursued any other leads. This was an incomplete investigation. That while the spouse, nathan in this case, would have been the logical place to start, the problem with that is if you follow that gut feeling, thats going to cause you very likely to miss other things, and in this case simply not look for them at all. For instance, what about those Cars Nathan said he has seen in the neighborhood which he thought were suspicious not too long before the murder . His attorney called a neighbor to the stand who had also seen strange activity. I observed a vehicle parked within its Headlights On for some extended period of time, five, ten minutes at least, which i considered to be somewhat unusual. And i felt with the direction of the headlights that whoever was in the vehicle could probably see me in my residence and that would have been uncomfortable. When he crossexamined Diane Parish, who identified nathan as the men in the sweatshirt, she admitted her husband had a different recollection. You and your husband had had a discussion about the race of the person who was walking along the side of the road . Thats correct. And your husband, dr. Parish, thought that it was a Black Man . Thats correct. Another problem with the investigation, the defense pointed out, was that while the state made a big deal about the Gunshot Residue On Nathans sweatshirt, they never tested his hands for the substance. Why not cut to the chase and take a test from nathan . Toner said theres also an issue with the states timeline. Based on court testimony, the murder occurred at around 12 30 p. M. After that, prosecutors said nathan would have had to drive Denises Car to The Park, get in his own car, and then drive to starbucks where he was seen on Surveillance Video at 12 45 p. M. And he would have had to have done all that without leaving any blood smears, getting any blood on him. It was all coming down to that crucial 15minute window. We decided to see for ourselves how long that drive would take. We retraced what investigators said were nathans steps that day. Ive just left denise and Nathans House and im heading to robinson park, which is just a few blocks away. I am now arriving at robinson park. It took me one minute and 15 seconds. This is where police say the cars were switched. So, now we are going to switch cars, take another drive. In this second car, were going to drive to starbucks. Lets see how long that takes. Red lights going to add on a little bit of time. Were now at 4 1 2 minutes. Going just about the Speed Limit right on, which is 45 miles per hour. Pulling into the starbucks parking lot. We are looking at a travel time of seven minutes and 55 seconds. In all, it added up to nine minutes and ten seconds of driving. That would have left him under six minutes to ransack the House And Shoot denise. His lawyer, hugh toner, said that would have been nearly impossible. The timing just really gets to the point where its almost not realistic. And what about the States Witness who claimed that nathan had confessed the whole crime to him . The defense argued David Smith was a Jailhouse Snitch, a convicted felon who had gotten a deal for his testimony. He was not even worth crossexamining. Do you really believe that David Smith is the type of person that nathan is going to confide in . And then seek counsel from . But according to the defense, the main weakness with the States Case was motive, an affair with aina. Toner argued there was absolutely no evidence to support the theory that nathan killed his wife so that he could be with a 20yearold. No matter who asked her, aina insisted her relationship with nathan was platonic. Whats the relationship between you and nathan . Hes my sponsor. I worked for him. I did a lot of translating work and helping with organizing christian conferences in lithuania. And he is also was kind of like my mentor, and here in america, he was the only person with whom i could talk in lithuanian. So it was a friend. The Defense Attorney said the state was making more of those Spa Visits than was really there. Would mr. Leuthold be there with you when you were having a waxing . He was there to drive me and to pay for it. But he wasnt there when that was the procedure was being done . No. Okay. Were you and nathan ever lovers . No. Thats been asked of you many times, correct . Police asked you about that, correct . Thats correct. And that answer has never changed, has it . Thats correct. His Bottom Line was this, the state never even came close to proving a sexual relationship, not even with the hundreds of hours of taped Phone Calls nathan made from jail over his 16 months there. 1,700 hours of recorded Telephone Conversations involving Nathan Leuthold. Do the math. At 40 hours a week, youre approaching Darn Close to almost an entire work year. Listening to Telephone Conversations involving nathan. Where in any one of those things do you have any indication at all that Nathan And Aina are lovers . In fact, for all of the searches through nathans and Ainas Cell phones, toner discovered something he said is particularly telling. How many people, particularly young people, are going to have a relationship with a Significant Other and not have a picture of their Significant Other . Did they find any photos, anything where it would indicate that Nathan And Aina were involved in that way . No. Without a motive and without hard Evidence Nathan pulled the trigger, toner said all the prosecution had were lies, misinterpretations and omissions. Not guilty. Thats What Nathan is, and i would suggest to you respectfully, thats what id ask the verdict that you return. Though Nathan Leuthold did not take the stand, he would have plenty to say about the evidence and his innocence, particularly that chilling note left behind by his wife. She essentially spoke from the grave, saying that you wanted to kill her, that you were humiliating her with a 20yearold. Coming up, nathans answer and The Jurys verdict. I was like 99 sure that they had to come back with a guilty verdict, but there is that 1 . When dateline continues. Esl called tardive dyskinesia td. And it can seem like thats all people see. Some meds for Mental Health can cause abnormal Dopamine Signaling in the brain. While how it works is not fully understood, ingrezza is thought to reduce that signaling. Ingrezza is a Prescription Medicine used to treat adults with Td Movements in the face and body. People taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most Mental Health meds. Dont take ingrezza if youre allergic to any of its ingredients. 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Lighting the way. Nathan Leutholds Murder trial was nearing its end when he had to decide whether to testify. At the last minute, he chose not to. You understand that thats not Something Youll be able to take back . Okay. Why did you decide not to take the stand during the trial . I had chosen to testify prior to trial, but as the state continued to take things out of context, and continued to throw as much mud as they could on the wall hoping that some of it would stick, they had moved beyond what i felt were the facts of the case. I wasnt going to give them any more fuel or any more fodder to use or to miss construe. But he wanted to set the record straight with us, insisting hes innocent. He also wanted to say that the police never looked past him to catch the real intruder in what was a real burglary. The police believe it was staged, that it just looked too kind of perfect, the way that everything was placed, and what was taken. But things were stolen. Insurance claims verified they were stolen and paid the claim on those items. It was a burglary. Did it look like a normal burglary . Im not sure what a normal burglary looks like. But what really upset nathan was how the state depicted his relationship with aina, someone he had known since she was a little girl, someone he had mentored. You can see how it would look bad, going to the spa, getting aina Waxing Treatments, the Text Messages that went back and forth. It seems like there was something going on. Aina had no Drivers License at the time. She had no way of getting around. I was a translator. Take her for Waxing Treatments. Its not as if im in there watching or whatever else, so you check the records, the Waxing Treatment was the same day im getting a haircut. At the same place. Take things out of context, you can make them say whatever you want to make them say. Like ainas text the day of the murder. Why did aina say after the robbery, interesting Smiley Face . Youre asking me what somebody else sent. I just assume that aina hit the wrong prompt. Nor did i give much thought to the word interesting. I understand it to mean thats interesting, as in thats odd. Thats the way ive used the word over and over again throughout the years. One of the harshest accusations that has come out of all of this is that you killed your wife and it was a Valentines Day gift for aina. The harshest statement has been that i killed my wife. It doesnt matter what day it was. I intentionally did it on Valentines Day as a gift . Im not sure what takes a sicker person, the person to actually do that or the person who suggests that. And what about those haunting words written by denise in that note found in her Day Planner clearly aimed at nathan, how would he answer that . She essentially spoke from the grave saying that you wanted to kill her, that you were humiliating her with a 20yearold. The part youre referring to says, i know you want me dead. Im not stupid. Now, to say that that implies that she felt in danger seems to go against the facts. She never shared that with her Best Friend. Her super close sister. Her mother. Her father. She never called police. She never called a counselling hotline. She never did any domestic battery, any restraining order, any anything because there was nothing. Did you want her dead . No. Why would i want her dead . To be with aina, to groom aina as your new wife. That is the accusation. That is the accusation by those who from day one wanted to portray something that fits modern society, fits the culture we live in, fits the cheaters lifestyle, the jerry Springer Show mindset. It fits the profile of making things look salacious. The jurors, of course, never heard any of that because nathan never took the stand. How nervous were you when The Jury went to deliberate . From a purely selfish perspective, its my life. My future. My freedom. It means that i could go back to being the father to the children. The children will be robbed of just one parent, not of both. One was stolen away by someone who was seeking gain. And a guilty verdict would steal from the children their other parent. For denises family, that was exactly what they were hoping for, for the man theyd known since he was a young boy who lived with them, and now they believe lied to them. When they went into deliberations, i was, like, 99 sure that they had to come back with a guilty verdict, but theres that 1 youre thinking, oh, no, what if someone, you know, i really wasnt sure what The Jury was going to come back with. There was a lot of evidence provided by the prosecution. I think they did a great job, but at the same time, it was a lot of circumstantial evidence. There was no evidence that actually pointed to somebody do the crime. So i think it was very hard to tell what The Jury was going to do. It was a highly circumstantial case. No hard proof nathan killed denise and no clearcut evidence Nathan And Aina were lovers. But whatever it was jurors heard and saw in that courtroom, it was enough. In a mere 90 minutes, they reached a verdict. We, The Jury, find the defendant, Nathan Leuthold, guilty of firstdegree murder. What went through your mind when you heard that one word, guilty . It was very close to the same feeling i had when i heard that my wife had been shot. I just remember hearing that the loss just got that much greater. The judge sentenced nathan to 80 years in prison. Saying how shameful it was that nathan had killed denise in her own home. It seems only appropriate that you will likely end your life in a very different type of place, too. Cold and gray isolated in the penitentiary. For the state, it was a satisfying ending to a case they had to painstakingly stitch together. I think he tried to paint this image of a wonderful person, when in reality he was nothing more than a coldblooded killer. As for denises parents, theyre still hurting from such a sudden loss, but at least they have her children close, as they are now raising them. How did you tell them that their father killed their mother . They knew that he had been on trial for murdering their mother, and that a jury had convicted him. And right away, the older boy said, well, everybody makes mistakes. My husband said, no, your dad made bad choices. Everyone has choices in life, and he made some really bad choices. Bad choices that left denises parents coming to terms with the notion that everything they knew to be true wasnt. I felt bad for my husband because he told someone that he always thought that we had the perfect family, the perfect life, and he just you really dont expect something like that to happen to you. When in reality, you know, bad things happen to good people all the time. Im craig melvin. And im natalie morales. And this is dateline. I have a lot of guilt. It makes me sick how i could do something like that. I was the responsible one. A working mom, new at the office. She loved her job, and really loved her handsome young boss. The thing that i never wanted to face was the hurt that i was going to cause. A passionate 9 00 to 5 00 affair. The problem . She was married. And so was he. I grabbed his face and i was like, you know what . I love you