To use. It would stretch from Coast To coast. Was it some sort of antigovernment Militia Group . I no idea what we are dealing. With before leading investigators back home. My thoughts where, its someone we know. Was he living a double life . I think he. Was here making him sound like kind of elector. It was just, wow. The courthouse the moral center of every. American city in town. The place we go to settle differences. Resolve disputes, find justice. What its the place where the story usually ends, but not this time. Were not in kaufman texas, where life is legally and No Ones a stranger. Oh my gosh, someone just saw shot someone. It was just bam, bam, bam. This time, its where the story begins. Someone was trying to send a message. Its just so bold. A story that quickly got too big for this texas town. And like a prairie fire, spread across the nation. We have some new information this morning involved in the brazen murder of a. The in this town, the hunters became the hunted. I have kids. My husband. What my family. My wife had two guns out, i said, unless she knows its me coming through the, door shall be ready to use them. Shannon hebert never expected to be in danger when she started the career she wanted. Practicing law. Why did you want to be a . Lawyer and second grade, a judge came to my class and i fell in love with that, i wanted to be a judge or a lawyer. Her dream came true. By 2008, shannon had passed the Bar Exam and got her first job as a prosecutor at the kaufman, at the courthouse at the center of town. I love the office, the people around me were all knowledgeable. One of those lawyers from dallas was mark, a man who did his job. Did you know . Him yes of course. We would go to him for almost everything. That was because he prosecuted some of the worst criminals in texas. He was an intellectual, he was tenacious, he was quick on his feet. Marcus bush is with the department of justice. In the eighties, he and Mark Hasse were in the Crime Section of the Das Office. Mark was not afraid of taking on a fight. Some of the defendants, some of the cases were very bad people. And mark had the personality to stand in the breach and prosecute the worst of the worst. Why did mark move out of dallas . He wanted a place where you get some room, so he bought a house with eight acres, he just loved being around animals, and he left the space. Besides animals and wide open spaces, mark had another passion, flying. Back in 1995, he almost killed him. Mark did have a bad accident. Mark had a terrible accident. Of highflying commemoration of World War ii ends this month. Mark was part of this Monroe Model of vintage planes when something went terribly wrong. I believe the engine had failed and he made a forced landing, ran off The End of the runway, he survived, but he had a very severe brain injury. Did he decide to fly again at any point . He did. Why do you think you want to fly again, humans . Died its like being thrown from a horse. He wanted to be the person he was before. And he did. He did. But it took a long, long. Time marks colleagues in the Das Office admired his strength to fight through adversity, but they also got a kick out of his weakness. His love for sugarys next. He had a sweet tooth and he would mostly eat everyone stuff. So we would have weekly meetings every monday and we would get donuts for them, and he would always get their first and steal them. In 2011, Mark And Shannon Got A New Boss who seem to fit right in with their office family, the newly elected District Attorney Mark mclelland. I am Mark Mclelland i am the District Attorney for Kaufman County. His daughter said he loved the job. I think he enjoyed the people he worked with. He would talk about, oh this person did this and i was really proud of them, and this person did this and i was very proud of them. Everything was new to him, he just took it over. Was he tough . I wouldnt say he was tough on us at all. The greatest thing about him was he let us do what we do best. And mike quickly formed a bond with Mark Hasse, the experience prosecutor. He was his Best Friend in the office. Marks wife Cynthia Fit in the office to. She was almost like a mother, she worked as a nurse but found time to bake cakes and cookies for the staff. Sylvia was also a quilter we. And raising two young children. Should bring fabrics and show me, is this going to match the nursery . And then she quilted it for me. It was stunning, very beautiful. At and thats how it was, a happy, Humming Office in a quite small town. Until january 31st, 2013, just before 9 am. At that moment, the calm serene morning, and the lives of everyone in the Das Office, would be shattered. I heard what i thought to be gunshots. Police Officer Jason were outside of the courthouse, he and his partner were investigating a burglary when something caught is attention. There were still mythical shots it was just, bam, bam, bam, bam. And there was a little pause, i guess youd say. And then three more shots after that. Shannon was inside the courthouse when she heard the sound of sirens. Thats not unusual because theres a Police Station just a block away, theres a hospital a few blocks down street. That siren was jason squad car. I called my partner and i said, those are gunshots, so we packed up really quickly and hopped in the car. The Car Camera was rolling as he and his partner drove toward the gunshots. About halfway over, we got a radio that a man had been shot. 911 . There is a gentleman on Grove Street and he just got shot. Thats just a block away from the courthouse. Shannon notice that her secretary was looking at the window at some commotion on The Street. My secretary turned around and she was crying. Initially i just wanted to comfort her, i can even imagine which was crying about. But when she turned from the window all, she said was its mark. Mark hasse, her friend and colleague. My natural instinct was to think that he got hit by a car. But she said no, he was shot. Who is . Its Mark Hasse. Coming up, get another breath. Ms is almost here. The ambulance. Coming a dedicated prosecutor, shot right outside the courthouse. Stunning onlookers, and the police. It is something you could prepare for. Who would even attempt such a brazen attack . That could tell you that those two new Each Other. It seemed very personal to me. When dateline continues. Ne continues 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. Two out of three Guys Experience Hair loss by The Age 35. Kind of scary. Thats why i use keeps. Keeps offers clinically proven treatment, and the sooner you start the more hair you can keep. Get started for 1 a day at keeps. Com. A beloved prosecutor, mark had been shot outside of the courthouse in the kaufman, texas. We run our. Way Officer Jason was one of the first on the scene. When i pulled, up i saw mine he was lying in The Street. You see the dramatic images from the officers camera. There was a woman who was over him looking like she was doing cpr. That woman had notice the shooting from her car, saw the shooter flee, then try to help mark. Now he was taking over, going off instinct and adrenaline. Its one of those things that when you pull, up its nothing you can prepare for. He knew right away, it was bad. He got shot in his face. He looked at me, and then he stopped breathing. But thats when i started cpr. There you go, there you go, he breathing. I got him to take seveN Breaths, i remember that. As his Car Cam kept rolling, the mike got his pleas to get mark to hold on a little longer. Ems is almost the hair, The Ambulance is coming. I tried my best to tell him, youre doing good, youre doing good. Key breathing, The Ambulance is coming. Officer was there with for ten minutes before The Ambulance came up. Back in the courthouse, sharon was getting updates on. Mark i did know how much time went by once the prosecutor came back to the courtroom saying about it was. About an hour earlier, shannon how walked from the Wall Parking Lot to the courthouse. That was the distance that mark would walk before he got shot. Now too afraid to go out, she stayed inside praying for him. Now were just waiting to hear if hes going to live. That news travels fast. It didnt take long before someone came back into the courtroom shaking their head and crying, at the timing. You i can imagine how horrible it is. It was horrible, i will always remember that. There is not a day that goes by that i dont go buy here and think back to that day and exactly what happened and exactly what i saw. Mark hasse was dead at 57. Gunned down on his way to work, just beside the courthouse. People in kaufman are shocked by the deadly attack. It was just nothing that we couldve expected. One of our prosecutors, let alone someone who was new, to be lying down on the dead. With one of their own dead, she came we didnt have time to breaThe About it, we did not have time to talk about our feelings. It was time to go to work. Lieutenant steward and others canvassed The Area Buts Information was hard to come by. Witnesses say that the shooter helped hopped into a Passenger Side of the car and sped away. There were two people involved. That the car was also reported to be silver, maybe a four torres, but with no License Plate. We were just going around looking for the car. I dont think ive ever noticed how many silver four door sedans there are. And even though The Killer had brazenly attack during the morning rush, witnesses say he covered up. One of the witness described him as wearing a hoodie that was black and covered their face. Another person who saw him from a distance said all black, dark clothing. But there was something more, a witness in the garage right across The Street heard the victims last words. Mark said no, no, im sorry. And that was after a shoving match. Did that tell you that these two knew Each Other . That seemed very personal to me. No weapon was found at the scene, and no Shell Casings either. Did that tell you anything that there are no Shell Casings . Yes it told us that it was gonna have to be a revolver. Thats because revolvers keep Bullet Casings inside the gun after firing. I can only imagine how terrified mark might have been in those final moments. Mark was doing what he did every day, just going to work. Now his fellow prosecutors feared that he died for that work and they could be next. No one felt safe. All of us were scared. We didnt know if there was a bunch of people waiting just trying to shoot us. The courthouse was locked down in the morning, then closed for the day. Prosecutors and Office Staff were given extra security. They were working us to our cars, carrying guns. When it did start to sink in for you that you you walked into work with mark, youre offices were there. I think that was the immediate fear, we were lost a very good man. District attorney will Mark One i hope because we are very confident that were gonna find you, were gonna pull you out of whatever hole you are in, we will bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County calm prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Mark stepdaughter watched the Press Conference with immense pride. Thats not an unusual thing for him. He truly felt deeply about people, then he was gonna make a stand for it. He was gonna make a stand for his beliefs and really try to do the right thing. But bringing this killer, or killers, to justice, it would take a lot more than tough talk. This was just the start of a Crime Spree that would terrorize the very people who protect us. Now, No One was safe. Coming up, that investigation would also present an overwhelming challenge, thanks to a Suspect List including the hundreds of defendants marked had put away. I immediately started thinking about the Murder Cases that wed all prosecuted, many of those people were starting to come out. Any one particular came in your . Head when dateline continues. Elin continues. Youve got the brawn ive got the brains lets make lots of uh uh uh oohhh theres a lot of opportunities with allstate, drivers who switched saved over 700. Saving is easy when youre in good hands. Allstate click or call to switch today. Nexgard is the Flea And Tick protection thats 1 with vets. It even prevents the infection that causes lyme disease. Your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. Plus, its delicious Beef Flavor is 1 with dogs. Ask your vet about nexgard. I mean we really did love him. It was devastating when he was gone. Monday morning, four days after the murder of Mark Hasse, fellow persecutor Shannon Hebert return to work with a heavy heart. Of course it was a difficult for our Morning Meeting without. Mark we the whole office was devastated. His door was closed. Security remained tight in and around the courthouse where people inside took on a bunker mentality. Forks are trying to deal with whatever that No One has ever deal with this before. This is new territory for everyone. His colleagues were terrified, and many wanted to carry guns for protection. District Attorney Mark Mclelland we made it easier to get gun licenses. We did you get a . Gun no i didnt. Did you think about . It oh yes. Its a kind of thing that people do when theyre scared and panicked but, the Justice System under attack. The murder brought an allstar army to the case. The trick we Shares Center was full of police, Texas Rangers, and federal agents from the f. D. F and the fbi. Thats whats most amazing from this case was federal officers and we advising this team we jason shook and toby williams. Your professional training kicks. And thats what tobin and i stepped up. The crime seem to be wet every prosecutor feel, a revenge hit for putting away a bad guy. That struck a chord that reverberated from Kaufman To Dallas and beyond. I think every judge, every prosecutor, every Defense Attorney has that in the back of their mind. Does that send a chill whenever you look see someone like that guy killed . Yes. What makes you think of what you do for a living and your Family Members, and your own personal safety. The initial theories whereas numerous as the hundreds of cases Mark Hasse had one done. The first one was right in Kaufman County where mark was a prosecutor for three years. The question that we had were, who has he prosecuted presently . For Investigator Stewart was involved from day one. It couldve been someone who got upset, so we started delving into his cases. Investigators started looking into every local Case Market prosecuted. There are robberies, drug prosecutions, and even a theft that it was involved a week they didnt find anything that led to a suspect. U. S. Marshals pulled in anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant, nothing there either. So the Task Force widened the scope of the investigation beyond kaufman. We had we had not had a lot of violent crimes in kaufman so we naturally assumed it was someone from dallas. Dallas, The Big City less than 30 miles away, weve had a big lifestyle away. Remember, back in the 19 eighties, Mark And Marcus busch locked up some tough customers there. I was starting to think about the Murder Cases that we prosecuted, people who had life sentences, who are starting their pearl out. Someone who got out of jail, had its grudge where youve been though investigators were convinced that he was murdered because of his job as a prosecutor, they didnt stop there. You still have to interview friends, Family Members, associates. He wasnt married, he didnt have any children. Those extensive checks came out empty and his background. There was nothing there. He loved his mother, he spent a lot of time with her in dallas, to go out to dinner. All of these checks into marks personal life were not planning out. Frustration was sitting in, we because cases become harder to solve after 48 hours. Two full days in, Marks Murder had reached that crossword road. One insiders tell us there is simply no promising leads in this case right now. With this is turning into a real whodunnit . Will anyone who can give us information on who did this, will be greatly appreciated. We mclelland had an office to run while looking for good friend. How hard was it to get back to the office after the shooting . With his buddy gone, it was hard to go back and. And the case was about to get a lot bigger with another brazen murder. Only this one crossed another line. A very sacred line. Coming up. Another member of Law Enforcement Gunned Down. The Colorado Head of corrections was shot here at his Front Door. Had marks struck again . When dateline continues. When dateline continues. Teamwork. Long walks. Thats how you du more, with dupixent, which helps prevent asthma attacks. 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. Im Dara Brown heres whats happening, president biden signed the wideranging order covers everything from federal agencies to crack down on big tech, to making Hearing Aids more accessible and drug prices more competitive. And the cdc is calling for schools to reopen in the fall that it by local health data. Even if theyre unable to take all the necessary measures to avoid the spread of covid19. They recommend masks to avoid the spread towards students, staff, and teachers. Back to dateline. Marshall afternoon in Kaufman County where hundreds attended the funeral of Mark Hasses makes cookies for the office about once a month and. He would run out and about 12 minutes. Marks longtime friend, marcus busch, also memorialized him. This world is a better place because of mark, and so are we. The world lost a bit van. Someone who was resolute, always knew the difference between right and wrong, and would fight for that. Now, special prosecutors, we toby shook and we Williams Wirskye would fight for mark. Searching for his killer, but not Coming Up with easy answers. Because he was so close to his friend an employee, we d. A. Mclelland had to bow out of the investigation. Investigators had to do what they could. Anything that anyone can think of there are going to do it. Marks checks in his personal background dont go anywhere. So they looked in his professional cases, from 30 years ago, to a few weeks ago. How did you go from it could be this person . Or this . Person you see if theyre locked out up, you see where they are, their whereabouts. Theres usually something specific about Someones Case that could give them cost to have a grudge. Four weeks into the investigation, a tip came into the crime Stoppers Tip Line which looked like a big break. The tipster said that they had been in a bar in a small Town And Kaufman and overheard to white men talking about the Hasse Killing and talking about how they did it. So they use the crime stopper system, the tipster remained anonymous, this was gonna be a gamechanger. Investigators would need more invent mission or luck. Youre still looking for the big break or lucky traffic stop. Someone who knows about the murder will know about it and that will be the magic Phone Call. There was something that could lead them to The Killer. The killer had been lying in wait. Mark was shot at point blank range, execution style. All this lead investigators to believe these were we mexican Drug Cartels, prison gangs. We are open to every avenue right now. Nbcs Channel Five covered the has Sea Case from the beginning. He was there for it all. Drug cartels were suspected immediately because hasse have been involved in drug cases over the years. Investigators also suspected another group, most publicly known, most dangerous, the ferry iN Brotherhood, a group of white supremacists. There was some thing that their weve heard about The AryaN Brotherhood that they want to get even with on forsman. Federal of fischels had announced that alleged aryaN Brotherhood had been indicted for racketeering. Among others the Kaufman County s for its role in the investigation. So people are putting too into together. Its one thing who if its one individual goes for mark, its another if its a group. Were terrified that if this is The AryaN Brotherhood we, are all targets. And then, seven weeks after hasses, another assault on Law Enforcement. It looked like it was open season on the criminal Justice System. The head of correct he was shot on. The Mans Name was Tom Clements he was the head of colorados prison system. And like Mark Hasse, a publicist servant. Well it seems like clements had a lot of. Enemies it was an attack and in front of the Front Door. What evidence pointed to toured a foreign, one to a former inmates ebel, he was part of a group that was similar to The AryaN Brotherhood. Now he was On The Run from colorado authorities, he was armed and dangerous. With texas deputies would find out just how dangerous. The deputies stopped this car because the License Plate didnt match the vehicle. They had no idea that the driver was Evan Ebel. As you will see, ebel had no hesitation of what using his gun again. The unsuspecting deputy was he died in an explosive shoot out in Wise County. Investigations Wise County is just 100 miles away from kaufman. Could Evan Ebel Kill Another Public Servant in texas seven weeks earlier . The Invest Fbi is now investigating this case. They want to see if ebel its connected to hasses murder. Someone seemed to be targeting Law Enforcement at point blank range. Coming up, as the investigation grows more urgent, some concerns about The A Mark Mclelland and his wife. So i tried my dad, and then i try my mom and i didnt answer. So i said i would go over. There and then concern becomes alarm. At that point, somethings really wrong now. When dateline continues. N dateline continues digestive and neurological Side Effects have rarely been reported. Ask your vet for heartgard plus. Do you have a Life Insurance Policy you no longer need . Now you can sell your policy, even a term policy, for an immediate cash payment. Call Coventry Direct to learn more. We thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. But we quickly realized that we needed a way to supplement our income. Our friends sold their policy to help pay for their medical bills and that got me thinking. Maybe selling our policy could help with our retirement. Im skeptical, so i did some research and called Coventry Direct. They explained Life Insurance is a valuable asset that can be sold. We learned that we can sell all of our policy or keep part of it with no future payments, who knew . We sold our policy. Now we can relax and enjoy our retirement as we had planned. If you have One Hundred Thousand dollars or more of Life Insurance you may qualify to sell your policy. Dont cancel or let your Policy Lapse without Finding Out what its worth. Visit conventrydirect. Com to find out if you policy qualifies. Or call the number on your screen. Coventry direct, redefining insurance. Every day in business brings something new. So get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. Introducing Comcast Business mobile. You get the fastest, most reliable network with Nationwide 5g included. And you can get unlimited data for just 30 Dollars per line per month when you get four lines or Mix And Match data options. Available now for Comcast Business Internet customers with no lineactivation fees or Term Contract required. See if you can save by switching today. The shooting of colorados Comcast Business. Powering possibilities. President chief at his home allegedly by a white supremacist had given texas investigators a fresh angle on the murder of prosecutor Mark Hasse. Its another strange attack on Law Enforcement in a small town. Nbc fives can we kalthoff suspected that this murder in texas was especially intriguing to investigators. It made people wonder if there could be some connection with the Hasse Murder. They did tests on ebels weapon. But then the texas Task Force found out that Ebel Wass not the gun that killed Mark Hasse. What is more than ebel was not said to be in kaufman the week that hasse was killed. It weeks in, the hasse was not going anywhere. The Command Post was shut down, leaving just a small group to the work fulltime on the case. Slowly, we trickle back to our daily duties. The passage of time was a allowing Shannon Hebert to get her coliberty and back. I wasnt checking my windows all the time, i wasnt worried about someone pulling into my garage. You let your guard down. Same thing for hardnosed The A, mclelland one. Did you feel like something was coming back to normal . Yes i thought that it was a something along the lines of, we havent found anything yet. Life moves on. For the mclelland family, it meant spending time with family. It was something that he enjoyed since he married cynthia when his daughter was just ten years old. We he would pick me up and say, oh he but im 22. Are you happy you have mark as a stepdad . Yes are filters are quite often sometimes. What mark relied on the support of his wife cynthia who is always doing something that she loved, quilting and cooking. Shes the old school cook, she doesnt use back edges. She because if she makes everything from scratch. Clearly by his physique he was enjoying the food very much. What made them a good match . Its funny, she supported him very greatly in what he was doing. But he was the conservative, and she was very liberal. I think was a lot of balance. The balanced Each Other very nicely. Cynthia also wanted her daughter to find Love And Wasnt shy about playing matchmaker. With a Guy She Thought was a good fit. She looked at him and as, do you believe in a range marriages . And i had to believe i felt embarrassed. Its very weird. At The End of march, Easter Weekend, the mclellands were looking for Trebek Dinner that cynthia was making for friends. A time to relax and not dwell on the tragedy of Mark Hasses murder. Was there any fear that yet to be on high . Alert i dont think so. Christina spoke to her Mom And Stepdad on that night. My mom was making easter baskets, i heard what she was doing, putting the little peeps on sticks and she wasnt quite getting them and making a huge mess. Just the normalcy of one, cynthia you need to take a break, youre getting tired and you need to just give it a minute. And mom saying, oh im fine. The next morning, saturday, The Sun Rose over the mclelland house. It was cynthias day to prep. She was Liu Phillips and her husband, close friends of the mclelland wars, was going to join them for dinner. She made these baskets and then made Easter Clothes and hit the baskets. Thats elaborate. It was very elaborate. Leah, who was meant to drop sums vegetables to cynthia texted her. And she never answered back. Did you think that was . Odd the only thing i could think of was that she did go to work, or that she can answer the Phone And Text me back. Leah called Marks Phone and the house phone, No One responded. But she wasnt the only one. Christine by now, it was late afternoon. So liu took matters into her own hands. So i said, okay, ill go on over. There she did go over, and now, nothing would ever be the same again. Coming up, the door just opened in slow motion. Inside the mclelland house, a heart stopping discovery. I screamed and my knees buckled, and i just heard crying. When dateline continues. Ontinues once in a while. [brad makes a snoring sound] and cockadoodledooskie wakeywakey. That should clear out the digital cobwebs for a few months or so. Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort . Taking align can help. Align contains a Quality Probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24 7. Try align, the pros in digestive health. This past year has felt like a long, long norwegian winter. 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. On the Saturday Morning before easter, Leah Phillips was unable to reach a good friends, cynthia and Mark Mclelland you. She had refused to drop over to cynthia, but she thought something was odd when she pulled into the driveway. The newspaper was still in the yard, and Cynthias Car was still there. So subtle clues. Subtle, but i was thinking that they went to the movie with someone. She called her son and told him which hed seen. And i said, you stay where the youre at. Dont go inside that house. It was one c. J. s cops ends kicking in, hes a Dallas Police Officer. My feeling was something wasnt right. It just wasnt right. A few minutes later, we c. J. Drove up along with his dad. We went to the door and c. J. Knocked on the door, three or four times, there was no answer. They were messing with the key and they were all standing behind me, and i just reach down to save the door was open. And, yeah, it was unlocked. And ill never forget how the door opened. The door just opened like in slow motion. I took a couple of steps in and, thats when Mom Hit the ground. And started crying. And i screamed, c. J. We my niece buckled and i had the ground, i just started crying. Because there is a meant to be Shell Casings in someones doorway. I looked down and sure enough, they wish to Shell Casings right inside the Front Door. At that point, somethings really wrong now. Something is bad. So i try to take a couple of steps more inside, and i see cynthia living there. Cynthia mclelland was dead. Her body was lying in a pool of blood in the Living Room floor. Leah went back to her car. Meanwhile, c. J. Wents further into the house and found the bullet riddled body of Mark Mclelland. The coffman District Attorney and his wife cynthia had been shot to death. You never expect to see someone like that that she knew, that she loved, to whom you are close, and i think that was the most, and still is, obviously, its difficult. Because she hadnt been able to reach her parents one, christina decided to drive to the house as well. Her Moms Friend leah met her with the news she was dreading. I just had the feeling there were dead. And i said both of them . And she said yes. And it occurred to me that, oh my god, this is going to hit the news and my grandmother watched the news every day. Somebody needs to stop her before she turns on the tv. Mike was a highprofile . Yes he was. And i didnt want somebody else to tell her that some this at happened. Looking at the scene, c. J. s Police Training told him that The Killer, or killers, or along on. He knew what he had to do. There was no reason to go back into the house. We close the door, we didnt call 911. There was no need for paramedics to go in there. They called the Kaufman County sheriff. The things and that house were important and they needed to be preserved until the right people showed up. And they. Did they showed up. I was at my house and we had just finished at about 8 pm, prosecutor to be shook got a call from wirskye. He said hey the mclellands were found murdered. It scared me to death. I left the House And Bill came to pick me up, my wife had to guns out and thats it, unless she knows its me coming through the door, shell be ready to use. That the Prosecutors Race to the scene. It was surreal, the Front Yard Slip up and at the yellow Crime Scene tape, theres a lot of sheriffs officers, Texas Rangers, and fbi. Sheriff kevin burn withstanding on the lawn. Hes a pretty legendary guy. He was a famous Texas Ranger. And he was shaking up, and if hes shaking, up that scared the hell out of me. It was eerily quiet amongst them because they were dealing with something i dont think anyone had ever seen before. Aside from the obvious, two people are dead, what was shaking them up so badly . I think the big question is, whos next . Because Everyones Assumption was standing outside of that yellow tape is that it couldve been any one of us. Cynthias murder escalated the danger not just for Law Enforcement but now for families. That man had crossed the line with by what murdering a family member. It sure seemed like the Hasse And Mclelland were connected. And everyone was afraid that the killings were not over. Did you think it was a list . Oh sure, there was going to be another victim. Saturday night, Shannon Hebert was shopping for Easter Dinner when she was surprised by Phone Call from her office. And i thought, who was there on a saturday on Easter Weekend . But her phone kept ringing. It was another prosecutor from her office. And i knew then at that point that something is going on. And i answered, and she proceeded to tell me that the mclellands were found in their house, shot. It must have been the biggest shock in your life . It was. Its hard to imagine anyone you know being killed. I was frank tick, it was terrifying. Her colleague told her to watch her back. We dont know whos next, we dont know if theyre more just get home and be safe. She met, watch out. Are you all feeling now that were targets . We all felt that. Including, the people she loved most in the world. I think thats what was so scary, its not just me anymore, i have kids. My husband. My family. And, i mean, I Cant keep putting them at risk. We were all in danger. As local deputies began around the clock around shannons house, something kept nagging her about the mclelland murder. There was no way that cynthia could open her door to anyone. It was someone we know or someone just up as the Police Officer. It was really concerning. Yeah that someone would be just up in a fake Police Uniform . It was mark, like his entire staff, was still vigilant ever since his chief Prosecutor Was Gunned Down. The wary d. A. Kept guns at near the Front Door but never have the chance to use them. Did it feel like all bets were against you because they were going after Family Members . To go after Prosecutors Family was a line that we didnt think we would see crossed. Coming up, just to could pick up Law Enforcement just like this . It was a straightup whodunnit. We were hoping there would be a Magic Clue in that Crime Scene or that house that would solve this riddle for us. When dateline continues. N dateline continues plus, its delicious Beef Flavor is 1 with dogs. Ask your vet about nexgard. [swords clashing] had enough . No. Arthritis. Here. New aspercreme arthritis. Full prescriptionstrength . Reduces inflammation . Thank the gods. Dont thank them too soon. Kick pain in The Aspercreme. Did you know diarrhea is often caused by bad bacteria in food . Dont thank them too soon. Try pepto® diarrhea. Its concentrated formula coats and kills bacteria to relieve diarrhea. See, pepto® diarrhea gets to the source, killing the bad bacteria. So, make sure to have pepto® diarrhea on hand. [ Me And You by barry Louis Polisar ] Me And You just singing on the train Me And You listening to the rain Me And You we are the same Me And You have all the fame we need indeed, you and me are we Me And You singing in the park Me And You, were waiting for the dark the murders in kaufman, texas, were bold. First, prosecutor Mark Hasse Gunned Down in a public square iN Broad daylight. Two months later, District Attorney Mike Mcclel Land and his wife cynthia killed before dawn in their home. Investigators hoped this latest Crime Scene would provide more leads than the Hasse Killing did. They already knew they had Shell Casings. Would there be other clues inside the house to help catch The Killer . Texas ranger eric has per was part of the team who entered the home. The Front Door was not kicked in. The door was unlocked Shell Casings are 223 caliber. That told them The Killer used an Ar15 Or Mrtype semiautomatic like this one. It started when the door opened. Mr. Mcclel Land And Mrs. Mcclel land were retreating, trying to get away from the gunfire. Sin Theys Body was clearly in the middle of the Living Room. She was trying to get dressed. There were Shell Casings next to Mikes Body, indicating The Killer had finished him off at close range. He finished him off, stood right over him. It was an ambush like the Hasse Murder. Did the scene speak to you at all . I felt like whoever went in there had a mission, and they did it quickly and did it efficiently and they were out. Later, records from the Home Security Company would confirm stewarts observation. The killer entered the house at 6 40 a. M. And was gone just two minutes later. 20 shots fired in 120 seconds. That was a pretty brutal way to go. Lieutenant Stewart Couldnt help but be affected by the sight of cynthia shot in the head at close range. Just looking at her there on the scene, she was targeted, you know. That i mean, she didnt have a dog in this fight. Investigators talked to neighbors. Surely someone had heard the shots. Assault rifles arent quiet. The weapon used in this murder, you should have been able to hear it outside no problem. No one heard or saw anything. By The End of Easter Weekend, special Prosecutor Bill Worski said they in nothing. We were just trying to figure out what to do next, and were hoping against hope theres going to be a Magic Clue in that Crime Scene or in that house that will answer this riddle for us. They were looking for that clue, and all of a sudden it drove by. Coming up, a mysterious tip arrives. But after so many false leads, is this one legit . Would anyone other than The Killer have known that . No. When dateline continues. Els more. Beginners yoga. U 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. Hey, i just got a text from my sister. You remember rick, her neighbor . Sure, hes the 6yearold-guy'>76yearold Guy who still runs marathons, right . Sadly, not anymore. Wow. So sudden. Um, were not about to have the we need Life Insurance conversation again, are we . No, were having the were getting coverage so we dont have to worry about it conversation. So youre calling about the 9. 95 a Month Plan from Colonial Penn . I am. We put it off long enough. We are getting that 9. 95 plan, today. jonathan is it time for you to call about the 9. 95 plan . Im jonathan from Colonial Penn Life Insurance company. Sometimes we just need a reminder not to take today for granted. If youre age 50 to 85, you can get guaranteed acceptance whole Life Insurance starting at just 9. 95 a month. There are no Health Questions so you cant be turned down for any health reason. The 9. 95 plan is colonial Penns Number one most popular whole life plan. Options start at just 9. 95 a month. Thats less than 35 cents a day. Your rate can never go up. Its locked in for life. Call today for free information. And youll also get this free beneficiary planner, so call now. Soft Music hello, Colonial Penn . What should have been a slow Easter News day in dallas, now had a Lead Story that didnt involve Chocolate Bunnies or egg hunts. Were following some Breaking News right now in Kaufman County, where county District Attorney Mike Mclelland and his wife cynthia have been found shot to death. The news touched off a firestorm of public concern. Tips started flooding into the reopened Kaufman County sheriffs Command Post. Some tips still cited The AryaN Brotherhood of texas. Special Prosecutor Bill Worski with The Added Media Attention after the mclellands were murdered, we got hundreds of tips a day. It was like drinking out of a Fire Hose during this whole thing. Lt. Jolie stewart of the Sheriffs Department was right in the middle of it. Hundreds of investigators from multiple agencies had swooped in. This was all hands on deck. Uhhuh. This became the Number One case in the bureau at that time. Fbi special agents Michael Hillman and Laurie Gibbs were coordinating teams from the Task Force, each team looking into different aspects of the case. You have to look at everything. So you decided to just divvy it up. Everyone could focus on their individual tasks. Exactly. Right, and some of these teams had 25, 30 people on them. And there was a team that looked at all of the victims and what they may have in common. They believed the killing of d. A. Mike mclelland was linked with the shooting of prosecutor Mark Hasse back in january. But it was all one big collective hunch, until a tip came through that would confirm the connection. Through the Crime Stoppers webbased tip line, we get a tip that claims credit for the Mark Hasse murders. The electronic message came in easter sunday night. It began, do we have your full attention now . We suggests more than one person. Did you think maybe its a group . In my thought i thought is it how big is this group . What is this group . Is this some sort of antigovernment Militia Group . Is this white supremist . I i had no idea what we were dealing with. Law enforcement wrote back, you have our attention. And we wanted him to tell us what he wanted. While they waited anxiously for an answer, Computer Experts tried to trace the tip back to the source. No luck. Thats because the system is set up to protect The Anonymity of all tipsters. When a message comes in, the sender is identified only by a unique number. After 12 hours of nailbiting, there was finally a response that told investigators this person was the real deal. Mark hasse was killed with. 38caliber Ammunition fired from a. 357 fiveshot revolver. Would anyone other than The Killer have known that . No. This person knew way more than anybody would have. The killer also wrote, your act of good faith will result in no other attacks this week. In return for that pledge, The Killer made a demand. They wanted one of the judges in Kaufman County to step down by The End of the week. Or the killings would resume. So, the fact that this tip came in and named these specific judges in kaufman told us it was somebody local. That all but ruled out The AryaN Brotherhood, Drug Cartels and those old cases from dallas. The Killers Message ended this way, we are not unreasonable, but we will not be stopped. Its almost sounding like a game now. I think in his mind it was a big chess game. I think it was just for fun, to see if he could really exert complete and total control over the criminal Justice System in Kaufman County. By Monday Morning the story was topping the national news. Perhaps thats exactly what The Killer wanted. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is in kaufman, texas, for us this morning. Gabe, good morning to you. Savannah, good morning. There will be stepped up security here at the county courthouse today. The District Attorneys office will be closed to the public. This entire community is on high alert. That morning when Shannon Hebert came to her office, she had an armed escort. Theres no leader at your office anymore. Theres nothing. No one. When you come into work, how do you go forward . We had to move forward. We couldnt let them win. We couldnt. And we had to fight, and for the Honor Of Mike and mark. Everyone in the office was on edge. My husband. I mean, he stayed up all night with a gun in his hand. I know that i start carrying a gun. Sleep with a gun under my pillow. Even shannon, who wouldnt carry a gun before, now slept with protection nearby. We had a big Ol Shotgun sitting on our dresser ready to go just in case. The Killers Threat to unleash more violence in Kaufman County kept the Task Force working around the clock. A special team scoured the Surveillance Video collected near the mcclelland Crime Scene, hoping for a new lead. So many people now have Surveillance Cameras on their house. So, were trained to go in and collect that sort of evidence. And, finally, the video teams Painstaking Search seemed to pay off. They found images of a car that didnt belong, a white Ford Crown Victoria, cruising near the Mcletland Clel Land home during the time of if murders. No one in the neighborhood owned a car like that. But the Crown Vic Model is popular with Law Enforcement. So the fbi jumped on that angle. Was there ever a thought that maybe this is one of our own . Maybe this is a Police Officer doing this . That was not out of the realm of possibility. Coming up investigators recheck the cases handled by Mark Hasse, this time to see which ones Mike Mcclelland also worked on. And there was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. Which was . When dateline continues. When dateline continues N Br young homeowners turning into their parents. You ever think about the Storage Operation a place like this must rely on . No. They just sell candles, and theyre making overhead . You know what kind of fish those are . No. Eh, dont be coy. [ laughs ] [ sniffs, clears throat ] koi fish. It can be overwhelming. Think a second. Have we seen this shirt before . Progressive cant save you from becoming your parents. But we can save you money when you bundle Home And Auto with us. But you know what . Im still gonna get it. Home to great appliance brands like lg. And great values like saving up to 750 now on select major appliance purchases. Lowes. Home to any budget. Home to any possibility. Only 6 of us Retail Businesses have a black owner. That needs to change. So, i did something. I created a black Business Accelerator at amazon. And now we have a program thats dedicated to making tomorrow a better day for black businesses. I am tiffany. And this is just the beginning. Im Dara Brown. Heres whats happening. President trump said there would be action taken. In a Phone Call with vladimir putin, biden reiterated the u. S. Will work on its infrastructure if russia fails to act. The Companys Founder Richard Branson among them. Passengers are expected to feel a few minutes of weightlessness some 55 miles above the surface before descending back to earth. Now back to dateline. Six days after the murders of mike and sin thee a mcclelland, hundreds of mourners packed this church for their funeral. The flagdraped casket contained Mikes Body and cynthias ashes, together for eternity. Their extended family, united in grief, bid them an emotional farewell. I carry a lot of things from them with me. They taught me very well. They helped a lot of people before they left this world. They really did. They made a large impact on a lot of people. A beefedup multiagency Task Force vowed to catch whoever killed the mcclellands and Mark Hasse. Investigators had seen that Ford Crown Victoria on Video Roaming near the Mcclelland Home and thought it might be a Police Car. The terrible possibility it might be one of their own had to be ruled in or out immediately. We checked with every Law Enforcement agency in The Area and identified where every Police Car was in The Area. And none of them were even close to where this image was captured. Next, they looked for anyone who for any reason had issues or disputes involving both prosecutors. There didnt seem to be anybody in that group of people that were upset enough that they would want to commit homicide. But there was one defendant involved in a felony they couldnt ignore. There was only one common denominator for those two prosecutors. Which was . That was Eric Williams. Eric williams . Who was Eric Williams . He was a former Deputy Sheriff and longtime attorney with an office right across The Street from the courthouse. In 2010, he was elected by the people of kaufman to be justice of the peace. Shannon hebert worked with him and said he had a sharp legal mind. In fact, he was a member of mensa, the organization for people with Superhigh I. Q. S. He was a great judge. I liked having him in there. He would understand the law. I thought he was very fair. I mean, everyone respected him. Williams, married for 15 years with no kids of his own, was a strong advocate for children and specialized in Child Abuse cases. Lt. Jolie stewart often worked with him on those cases. How do you think he was perceived amongst his fellow colleagues, other attorneys . I think that he had a lot of respect with his peers. He was kind of the Goto Guy for family law. I know he had a love for children. Tera williamsbellemare knows that better than anyone. Shes erics sister. He was a good uncle to my kids. Never missed their birthdays. I never had to remind him. She says, growing up, her Big Brother was her inspiration. He made eagle scout, went to college, law school, and became a successful attorney. He also served as a captain in the texas state guard. He was driven, he was ambitious. He wanted to make us feel proud of him. So tera and the legal community were stunned in 2012 when her brother, the newlyelected justice of the peace, got into trouble with the law. Williams was accused of stealing three Computer Monitors for his personal use from the County I. T. Department. Heres Surveillance Video showing him carrying boxes of computer equipment. It just seems odd that someone like that would bother to steal a few Computer Monitors. Exactly. It was just kind of shocking that someone would go and do that. Williams found himself on the wrong side of this police interrogation. Okay, judge. Before we get started, im going to read the miranda warning. Youre an attorney, youre a judge, so you know as well as i do. I know you got to read it. I understand. Williams tried to explain he took the monitors because he claimed he needed new equipment for his office but never got it. Thats been an ongoing kind of thing, where id tell the i. T. People that i need to keep improving things. I understand. But you hadnt put any kind of written request in, nothing like that thats been documented at all. No. Mark hasse and Mike Mcclelland knew Eric Williams as a colleague in kaufmans small legal community. As boss of the d. A. s office, mike rarely tried cases, but because williams was an elected public official, he made an exception and teamed up with mark to prosecute the case. Christina says her stepdad believed williams had violated the public trust. I think it did offend Mike On A basic level. These people elected you. Youre supposed to be doing good things for the community, not stealing from it. A jury found williams guilty of theft. He got probation, but lost his Job And License to practice law. And now, a year later, both men who prosecuted him were dead, and williams was under suspicion. Did you bear either of those men any kind of grudge . No. Absolutely not. The media got wind of the interest in williams. And just days after the Mcclelland Murders, he was interviewed by nbc affiliate kprc. He strangely swept in on his segway. Has anyone connected with this investigation suggested to you that youre a Person Of Interest in the investigation . No. After the denial, his sympathies. My heartfelt condolences go out to both the Mcclelland Family and the Hasse Family because they were in public office doing the right thing, and for some reason that were not aware of, theyve paid the ultimate price for that. Williams was known to be a bit of an odd duck, but a Murder Suspect . It seems so farfetched that a justice of the peace, a man who had served his county not only as an attorney, a judge, but also as a as a Deputy Sheriff, would then suddenly turn into this serial killer. Uhhuh. Yeah, no No One wants to think a lawyer would do that, a person who was a public servant would do that. In fact, he was among the many people investigators had already looked at after the Hasse Murder. What was his alibi at the time . He said he had been at Home Either Caring for his wife or his inlaws down The Street. He also had his arm in a sling when Law Enforcement came to talk to him, and his excuse was he had frozen shoulder, and wasnt able to use his right arm. He even took a Gunshot Residue Test at his house and passed. And after the Mcclelland Murders, investigators checked whether he owned a Ford Crown Victoria, the car captured on video lurking near the Mcclelland Murder scene. Records showed he did not. The case was still stalled. But soon, the Task Force would get one of those lucky breaks theyd always hoped for. It came Out Of The Blue and gave the investigation some much needed juice. Coming up, a special prosecutor goes on high alert. I get on the phone and tell my wife to make sure she knew where the kids were, Get Inside, and keep the doors locked. And a stranger calls with a stunning revelation. I could tell when i listened to his voice, this is it. This is the real thing,. When dateline continues. T when dateline continues its air care, redefined. Air wick essential mist. Connect to nature. This past year has felt like a long, long norwegian winter. 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. Ive cooperated with Law Enforcement. I certainly wish them the best iN Bringing justice for this just incredibly egregious act. Eric williams was making the Tv Interview rounds. But he hadnt sat down for a formal interview with investigators. Because of his connection to both Mark Hasse and Mike Mcclelland, investigators had to take a serious look at him. On the surface it may seem implausible because hes a lawyer and a judge and successful. The more we learned about him, the more viable in our minds he became as a suspect. Just the year before, williams had been prosecuted for theft by hasse and mcclelland. You must be champing at the bit to talk to Eric Williams. Obviously, we wanted to talk to him. The problem with that was he was still represented by lawyers. Lawyers who kept williams from talking. But then, two weeks after the Mcclel Lands were killed in their home, the special prosecutors got a big opening they hadnt seen coming. We get an email back from the lawyers basically saying, we do no longer represent Eric Williams. They figured this was their one window to talk to him, and they knew they had get it right the first time, before he lawyered up again. So Fbi Profilers came up with a strategy, send over a toplevel Texas Ranger so williams would be more likely to let him in. Was the idea that that would fit with his ego . He would view a major with the Texas Rangers as someone equal on his intellect that perhaps he would talk to. If you sent someone of lower rank, then he would just dismiss them. The ranger and a local cop familiar To Williams went to his house carrying a hidden tape recorder. Did it work . It worked great. Williams let them in, without a search warrant. The subject quickly got around to guns. Williams said hed been forced to sell his weapons to raise money since he could no longer practice law. I been in your house. I know you got lots of guns. Yeah. Okay. How do you think ive been living . Selling guns . Yeah, for two years. You dont have anymore . You got rid of all of them . I have one gun that im trying to sell, and its just hard as hell to try to sell. He said, i dont have any guns, except one gun. And so, he let them look around. And and they began finding Gun Parts. Gun parts. Some very specific Gun Parts that appeared to match the type of Automatic Weapon used in the mcclelland killings. And at the same time, the fbi discovered williams had done computer searches on hasse and mcclelland before the murders. He specifically told them that he had not ever searched the two victims before the murders. Now youve got him lying. Yeah. That lie and those Gun Parts were enough to get a warrant for a more thorough search of his house. Investigators, including a Crack Fbi Evidence team were back the next day. They went room to room, then to the garage. And, bingo in a Filing Cabinet in the garage there was a manual for a ford Crown Vic. And there was also a title to a Crown Vic. The Task Force, of course, had been looking for a Crown Victoria. This one was registered under a false name. That must have been a real big moment, finding that registration. That was huge. Outside, special Prosecutor W irs ky was on hand to give legal advice. One of the Fbi Computer techs came out and said, mr. Wirskye, i dont mean to alarm you, but Eric Williams has been searching you and mr. Shook on his computer. Whats the first thing you did when you heard that he had been searching you . Get on the phone with my wife and tell her to make sure she knew where the kids were and to Get Inside and keep the doors locked and dont answer the door for anyone up to and including a Police Officer. What did she say . I could hear the fear in her voice, and i knew right then we had to put him in jail for something. It became very personal and a matter of Life And Death for us. Back inside, searchers found something interesting, a scrap of paper with two handwritten numbers. So they collected it because it was near the computer and they thought it might be important. And it was. A Sheriffs Deputy recognized the user i. D. For the County Crimestoppers anonymous tip line. The first number corresponded to a tip from early in the Hasse Case. The tipster claimed to have overheard two men in a bar saying theyd killed Mark Hasse. That meant the tip came from williams computer. A Followup Computer Search also revealed williams had searched several howto websites. One of the websites was how to throw the police off an investigation by sending in fake tips. The second number on that scrap of paper was even more important because it turned out to be the real thing. It matched back to that Computer Message that gave details about the Hasse Murder weapon and also threatened more killings. So we knew right then that that tip that had come into the Command Post was sent by Eric Williams. And we knew right then we were going to be able to put Eric Williams in jail. He was arrested, not for murder, but for making a Terrorist Threat about killing a judge. We just didnt know if we had enough evidence to convict him. They just had to figure out where the evidence might be. Did you think that Eric Williams had a Hiding Place . We began to suspect pretty early on if its Eric Williams and we know what cars were used, there may be a Storage Unit or some secret Storage Place that he may have access to that we havent found. At least now, 10 weeks after hasses murder, the investigation was finally on a roll. We go home that night to get a good nights sleep, and i actually wanted for the first time in weeks to see my son play a Little League game. But the next morning, his parenting plans were dashed by work again. His phone rang. It was a friend of Eric Williams whod heard about his arrest. He said, mr. W irs kye, i have something to tell you about Eric Williams. I think i may have rented him a Storage Unit. Wed been looking for a Storage Unit and i could tell when i listened to his voice, this is it, this is the real thing. Little league was out for the day . Unfortunately it was. Little league was out. My son went three for three. But you were headed to a Storage Unit. This is too important. So, i got on the phone with the Texas Rangers. And i said, this is it. I think weve found it. Coming up, found what, exactly . Even seasoned investigators would be blown away this is one of those moments that ill never forget because it was just wow. When dateline continues. Es are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, gas or abdominal discomfort . Taking align every day can help. Align contains a Quality Probiotic developed by gastroenterologists. It adds more good bacteria to your gut to naturally help soothe your occasional bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. Support your digestive health with align, the 1 doctor recommended probiotic. Try align today. And try new align fast acting biotic gummies. Helps soothe occasional digestive upsets in as little as 7 days. Ugh, these balls are moist. Or is that the damp weight of selfawareness you now hold in your hands . Yeah laugh keep your downstairs dry with Gold Bond Body powder. Theres an invisible threat in your backyard that could cause deadly Heartworm Disease for your dog. But not if you protect him every month with heartgard plus, the 1 choice of dogs. Digestive and neurological Side Effects have rarely been reported. Ask your vet for heartgard plus. Investigation was now a runofthemill Storage Unit number 18 to be precise in seagoville, texas, just 14 miles from the Mcclel Land house. Eric kasper of the Texas Rangers was part of the Task Force Caravan Racing to unit 18. Everybody is running and gunning. You know, everybody wants to be there. So were all just filled with expectations. Were making bets, okay, the white Crown Vics gonna be there. No, its not. Were gonna find the Murder Weapon. Ranger kasper did the honors, lifting the heavy, steel door. This is one of those moments that ill never forget because it was just wow. What did you see . We saw the white Crown Vic, the car that wed been looking for for all those days and all those man hours, and there it was. And we knew finally we had Eric Williams. But there was so much more. Police uniforms and bulletproof vests, more than a Half Dozen police badges, thousands of rounds of ammo, and enough guns to supply a small army. The guns and ammo were sent off to the lab for testing. Inside this Treasure Trove of bad intentions, there were also pickle jars filled with liquid, later identified as Homemade Napalm. It was just unbelievable. It was like a tactical operators closet. But theyd soon be dealt a serious blow. The Lab Results came back on all those weapons. Nothing matched. The Murder Weapons were still missing. Thats got to be extremely frustrating when you feel like, well, one of these guns im sure has got to be the Murder Weapon. Oh yeah, deflating. We were positive one of those was going to be the Murder Weapon. Even without the guns, the prosecutors believed there was enough evidence to finally go forward. On april 18th, 2013, ten weeks after Mark Hasse was Gunned Down and three weeks since the mcclellands were killed, Eric Williams was charged with three counts of Capital Murder. Prosecutors said the motive was revenge. One thing i found out about Eric Williams, the first big thing that went wrong in his life, this is how he was going to react, with rage and homicidal violence. It all seemed so senseless to the mcclellands daughter, christina. This all started over three Computer Monitors. And now were talking about three murders. Yeah. I mean, you know, normal people dont do that. God bless the united states and the great state of texas. Eric williams went on trial for murder in december. Be seated please, ladies and gentlemen. The court calls state of texas versus Eric Williams. Williams wasnt on trial for the murder of Mark Hasse or Mike Mcclelland. In a surprise tactic, this trial was only for the murder of Cynthia Mcclelland. Not guilty, your honor. Why not just try the murders at the same time . What if something went wrong in the first trial . We wanted to have The Ability to be able to try him twice and make sure he got justice. Christina sat in court and had to relive the deaths of her parents. What gave you the strength to go to the court every day . I showed up every day for the three people who gave their lives for something good. They stood up and they did what they were supposed to, and they died for it. This is my chance to tell you the story of the murders of mike and Cynthia Mcclelland. Prosecutor Bill Wirskeye thought if he could prove Eric Williams had killed cynthia, that would obviously show he killed mike. Youll hear the story of a massive Law Enforcement investigation state, local, federal agencies working together to build an airtight case. One of the first witnesses called c. J. Tomlinson, Dallas Police Officer and friend of the mcclellands. C. J. Told the jury how he and his parents found the mcclellands. I took a couple more steps inside the residence, i was hollering for mike. Mike, mike for three days, prosecutors brought a blizzard of witnesses. They told the Jury Williams had been linked to that tip that came in after the Mcclelland Murders. He sent an email in to Law Enforcement claiming credit for the murders, thinking Law Enforcement would never figure it out. But he was wrong. Investigators didnt have the Murder Weapon, but they had something else, a bullet they found inside a bag taken from williams Storage Unit. You know this is what you and your team recovered. Yes. A Ballistics Examiner compared that single unfired bullet to the Shell Casings found at the Murder Scene and came up with a match. That live round was ejected from the same weapon that killed the mcclellands. So that was a big moment for us. And prosecutors thought this Security Video outside the Storage Unit nailed the case down. They said it traced the movements of Eric Williams and the Crown Vic on the morning of the murders. Approximately 6 00 a. M. Real time. Thats when williams in his black suv pulled up to the entrance of the Storage Unit, according to the prosecution. At 6 12 a. M. The white Crown Victoria pulled out. By 6 42 investigators knew the mcclellands were dead or dying on the floor based on the Motion Detectors in the home security system. At 7 00, heres that white Crown Vic coming back through the entrance. And 17 minutes later, that black suv pulled out. He committed this crime. His acts alone and his acts alone condemn him to be found guilty of Capital Murder. The prosecutors said they had a lot of circumstantial evidence, including the Crown Vic and that matching bullet. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury but the defense was about to tell the jury what the prosecution didnt have. Eric williams did not commit these murders. Defense Lawyer Matthew Seymour laid into one of the States Star witnesses, that ballistics expert. He reminded the Jury Investigators never found the Murder Weapon. You didnt actually have access to that firearm . Correct. He tried to poke holes in the prosecutions matching bullet theory. Someone of different experience could come along and say theyre not a match. Is that true . Yes, potentially that is true. If i could break the chain from the live round recovered from the Storage Unit and the Mcclelland Shooting scene, i might stand a chance. The defense didnt see the need to call any witnesses. Our position was the state had not fulfilled their obligation to prove the elements of the indictment. It was just that simple. There is no known Murder Weapon in this case. Theres No One who can place Eric Williams in that scene at the Mcclelland Home. No one. Finally, this case that had rocked the Justice System was about to be decided by the jurors. They needed only 90 minutes to reach a verdict. We, the jury, unanimously find the defendant, Eric Lyle Williams, guilty of Capital Murder as charged in the indictment. Guilty of Capital Murder in the death of Cynthia Mcclelland. You heard the word guilty . It was a gift. It was a gift for all of us. Its probably a gift for everybody else because i dont believe that this wouldve stopped at The End of these killings. Theres a sad postscript to this case that raises a painful question. Could williams have been stopped after the Hasse Murder and before the mcclellandings . Did they have to die . In a haunting irony, Mike Mcclelland always Thought Williams was likely The Killer. He certainly suspected it was Eric Williams after Mark Hasse was shot. And he made no secret of what his opinion was. And i had numerous conversations where he said, bill, its Eric Williams. Williams was one of a handful of possible suspects early on in the Hasse Case, but there was no evidence on him. And even with his conviction for theft, hed had a good reputation. We had several discussions about it. Of course, Erics Name came up in the discussions burkes if you cant prove it, then it doesnt matter. It doesnt matter what you think, if you cant prove it. And now this former justice of the peace was a convicted murderer. How . Why . Was he living a double life . I think he was. Most people were fooled by his exterior. He looked so normal. He looked so average. He had the trappings of success, being a lawyer and a judge. But behind that mask was a homicidal psychopath. Just angry at the world . Yeah. I think he had a very dark, cold heart. But this case was far from over. Prosecutors had won, but they were saving their best witness for last. Investigators always suspected Eric Williams did not act alone. And he didnt. Youre about to hear from his accomplice, someone who will take you inside the mind of a murderer. Coming up you just cant make this stuff up. You would think this was a hollywood movie. A Momentbymoment Account of a plot more chilling than anyone realized. When you arrived at the scene of the murder, what was his mood . Happy. What was your mood . Happy. I think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside their hearts. When dateline continues. H. When dateline continues we, the jury, unanimously find the defendant, Eric Lyle Williams theyd won a guilty verdict against Eric Williams, but prosecutors didnt have time to celebrate. The jury would now decide whether he should get the Death Penalty. In a rare legal move, prosecutors had saved some Blockbuster Evidence and a Star Witness for just this moment. As investigators figured all along, Williams Hadnt acted alone. He had an accomplice. It was this woman. The truth, the whole truth, and Nothing But The Truth his wife, kim. Theyd been married for fifteen years, but now she was about to testify against her husband. It was a cold day, and there was excitement in The Air. Witnesses to the Hasse Murder, you remember, said the shooter jumped into the Passenger Side of the getaway car. So police always suspected williams had help. Soon after he was arrested, Kim Williams was brought in for questioning. Investigators spent hours talking to her. Prosecutor wirskye was watching the interview. She was just not going to give up any information. She talked about her husband and what a great guy he was and how he wouldnt hurt anyone. Then, an fbi interrogator, growing impatient, got tougher. He raised his voice with her and was telling her that she knew that those people had been killed. Then she broke, and what she told them was startling. She said, not only did she know something about the murders, she helped her husband carry them out. Now, during the penalty phase, prosecutors planned to use her testimony to make sure the jury would give him a death sentence. She led us to a lot of evidence. And i think it was important for the jury to see and have all their questions answered. He came up with the plan to dress like Law Enforcement. They were a husbandandwife murder team, and they went through a Dress Rehearsal the night before the Mcclelland Murders. He was modeling it for me. Describe to the members of the jury what he was modeling for you the night before. He looked like he was in the Army Or S. W. A. T. He had a Bullet Proof Vest with sheriff on the front. More than likely mrs. Mcclelland was going to answer the door, and he was going to introduce himself as a policeman. And the next morning, she said, she was lookout in the Crown Vic, as her husband went inside to murder the mcclellands. If someone came, was this was there a plan for what you were supposed to do to alert eric . Yes. He told me to honk the horn. But if these had been Revenge Killings of Mike Mcclelland and Mark Hasse, why did Cynthia Mcclelland have to die . Because she would be there as a witness, and he described it as collateral damage. And prosecutors wanted the jury to know how Callous Eric and Kim Williams were after killing two people in Cold Blood. We had steaks on the grill, and eric cooked those. At my parents house. Were yall celebrating with steaks . Thats correct. The prosecutors couldnt tell jurors about the Hasse Case during the Cynthia Mcclelland trial, but now they were free to use Marks Murder to cement their argument for the Death Penalty. We had an airtight circumstantial Evidence Case on the Hasse Murder. Kim williams said on that morning outside the courthouse, she drove the getaway car. As youre driving away from the scene of the Hasse Murder, what is his mood like . Happy. What is your mood like . Happy. I so believed in eric and everything that he told me. His anger was my anger. Who was he mad at . He was mad at Mark Hasse. He was mad at mr. Mcclelland. He was angry because he thought that they were trying to set him up. What did that tell you about this incredibly bizarre relationship, that these two were in cahoots with Each Other . I think it proved beyond any doubt that Eric Williams was a psychopath and this was a horribly toxic, screwed up marriage. I think it lets you know what type of darkness was going on inside that house, you know, inside their hearts. Yes Kim Williams also said she helped her husband dispose of key evidence in the case. She recalled driving to this bridge one night and watching eric toss a black bag into the lake. Do you know what was in the bag . I knew that it was guns. It had taken 12 months of searching the lake before divers found the bag. Fbi agent Laurie Gibbs was there. Opens this up, and theres two guns. This is it. Inside the bag were two revolvers. Forensics would show one of those guns killed Mark Hasse. And one more thing that bag those guns were in, it wasnt a bag at all. It was really a terrifying Halloween Mask. Grim reapertype Halloween Mask . Exactly. Kim williams said her husband wore it to conceal himself when he shot mark. And you can imagine the terror that was going through Mark Hasse when he recognized and heard the voice. She also told jurors that her husband had more mayhem in mind. Judge ashworth. He wanted to kill a judge in a special way with a special weapon. With a crossbow. Thats correct. Kim williams said he also brewed up a concoction just for the judge. You may remember there was Homemade Napalm in pickle jars inside the Storage Unit. What was the napalm for . I guess to drive in an extra kind of [ bleep ] it was going to bore a hole in his stomach and pour it in. Its one thing to say, well, Eric Williams did this, fine. But that his wife was along for the ride . You cant just make this stuff up. You would think this was a hollywood movie, but these people are living every day together and talking about murdering people. My name is christina foreman. Now, christina, in her victims impact statement, would finally get her chance to vent her feelings as she turned to her parents killer. Pretty much the only thing i have to say is [bleep] you, Eric Williams. That was pretty much the only thing i could think of to say to him. Did it Feel Good . It did. It did Feel Good. A nice sock in the face would probably feel a lot better. The defense countered by calling dozens of Character Witnesses very smart young man from Williams Scoutmaster to his high school friends, but the jurors werent swayed. It is ordered by this court to carry out the sentence of death he was sentenced to die by lethal injection. Hes appealing his conviction. Given the Death Penalty decision, prosecutors decided not to try him for the murders of Mark Hasse or Mike Mcclelland. Williams pleaded not guilty to both. Mark hasses longtime friend, and federal trial attorney, marcus busch, believes williams will still be dangerous even on death row. Eric williams is a master manipulator, he is a very intelligent human being, and hes a very deadly, proficient killer. I think hes going to be a threat to the Prison Guards and i think hes going to be a threat to anybody else in prison. Youre making him sound like hannibal lector. This is a man who killed three people in Cold Blood simply because they prosecuted him for stealing Computer Monitors. Kim williams pleaded guilty to the murder of cynthia. And for her cooperation, the other charges were disposed of. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison, avoiding the Death Penalty. Ill never forget mike and cynthia or mark. Will you ever be over this . No. Im not over it. I never i know i never will be. I dont think any of us will be ever. But as tragic as all this was, believe it or not, something good came out of it. During the long ordeal, christina and that cop from dallas, c. J. Tomlinson, fell in love. Their families had been great friends for a long time. Cynthia mcclelland had always tried to play matchmaker. Cynthia pretty much told me that was going to happen, and she was right. She got me. I can only imagine how happy your mom would be oh, god. If shes looking down, that you two are together. I Cant I Cant even imagine. She would be just doing some sort of weird dance that i told you so. And you know, im sure shes thrilled. We got married on her birthday, so that would have made her ecstatic. This is dateline. My mother called and said michelle is dead, how is it possible what happened . A young mother found brutally murdered, her little girl left to wander in her mothers blood. Police had a suspect, and they say, he had a motive. We had an intimate relationship. Inad h ended up having sex. Could they prove he was The Killer . It was a circumstantial casel except for that witness, the girl who left thosfo