Its the worst feeling, thinking youre gonna be blamed for your husbands death. Could she have been the killer . Or, with someone keeping a secret . He said, what did you do. What did you do . I dont know what to tell you. Just of The Truth. Hello, and welcome to dateline. Its the stuff of nightmares. And a traitor creeps into your bedroom in the middle of the night and opens fire. But for Melissa Oxley, the bad dream was all too real. She told investigators shed been startled from her sleep to find her husband, ben, dead from a gunshot blast. It seems streams, they thought, that No One Else In The House was hurt. Including melissa, who was sleeping by his side. Stranger still, was who the killer ultimately turned out to be. Harris Keith Morrison with while they were sleeping. It was cold, the night the full moon rose. February cold. In the Desert Valley that spilled down from reno, nevada. And in that moonlight, all silver, sale, the wind in the dead of night. With ten cried up the dry. Round the corner of the house. Past the unlocked door. Something evil afoot. Something here, inside. When the moon appeared through the window and into the master bedroom. A little after three in the morning. Its really, really bad. Whats really bad . My husband. Strange, the things that happened to people under a full moon. Good people . Not so good people. Under that moon, that night, it was hard to tell, which was which. Who was who. This is a case built on lies and deception and a cat and mouse. Who knew what it was . But the story, when it began back in 2005, was about love. Or what certainly felt like it. In fact, fair to say it was two kinds of love. There was what happened to ben when he met melissa. As soon as he met melissa, he was something ive never seen. Just for no reason hed call her and say, i love you. He was a change man. Absolutely. He was happy. Melissa really made the difference. And if anybody would know, his Best Friends would. Cindy and scott graham. Ben was family. I mean, he was family. And then there was bens mother love. The brightest thing in his life. The one good thing that came from his first marriage. Alyssa. Everybody said that he loved to me more than anything. And i think its true. Quite true, of course. So, there was little joking at first to win one man. Even if one of the woman was just three. Our first Date Alyssa was there. We were eating and i was just trying to talk to ben get to know one. And shes like, dont talk to my dad. I remember meeting her, i didnt really like her. [laughs] many he was talking to my dad. More than talking to him, as it soon turned out. Ben and melissa moved in just segue together just a month later. Assert the sort of thing a three year old finds hard to understand. She said i love you, and i said dont talk to my dad that we. But as we said, it was a Love Story. Then for both of them. As jamie a friend and future bridesmaid put it he was truly her Best Friend and he was the best dad. Thats all he cared about was alyssa. That was his priority. To take Care Of. Her so, it was Melissa And Ben and alyssa. The threesome. He was so involved in every aspect of her life. They were really like two peas in a pod. And one September Day in 2006, as The Sun was setting into the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ben And Melissa got married. The ceremony at nearby lake tahoe. Melissa was a glowing bride. Alyssa, a little flower girl. It wasnt just Melissa And Ben getting married. It was melissa marrying alyssa, to. Seriously. They made a particular ceremony of. It alyssa will you promise to share in the love of this family . Will you please say i will . I got her a little bracelet and had a engraved letting her know that i will always love her as my own. I gave it to her that day. Im from that moment on, alyssa called melissa, mom. How did it make you feel . Happy. Very happy. Awe, what a happy couple they were. A happy family. My being my wife now, its just a blessing. Thats what you wait for all your life. What were your plans . To buy a house and to have babies. Have a family. They eventually moved here. A three Bedroom Ranch in the carson valley, looking up towards the Sierra Nevadas. Alyssa spent half her time with Ben And Melissa. The other time with her birth month, thens exwife dawn. But above all, what ben really wanted was to have his little girl permanently. He never thought that he could have his daughter. I was like, yes you can. You could. And he did. He won custody. It was him and his daughter. And thats what he always wanted. And then the little household grew. Melissas teenage brother, craig, moved in. And then winter came. The wind. And on february 20th, 2008, the moon rose full over the carson valley. I after dinner, ben, melissa, her teenage Brother Craig and little alyssa, settled in the dental watch a movie. Melissa remembers falling asleep on the couch when she woke up with a. Start thinking i was late for work. It was 2 30 in the morning. I was like, oh im not late. So i went and got in the bed. Crawled in with ben, she said. Moonlight on the color covers. Warmth inside. About an hour later is when i was woken up by the smell and then a loud noise. My ears were ringing. But at first i thought i was dreaming. The smell . Yeah, it was the smell of the gunpowder. As she told it, she looked over at ben. Saw by the light of the moon he appeared to have slept through whatever it was. She announced him. He didnt stir. So i was like, ok ill go check it out. So i walked around our bed and got about halfway down the hallway and realized our Front Door was open. But you didnt see anybody . No. Halfway down the hall, she said, Cold Air Rushing in. She knew something was very wrong. So, she ran back to the bedroom. Turned on the light. I went to go wake him up and then, i could see him. Yeah. Hard to get that one out of your head, isnt it . Yeah. And thus, her call to 911. And the detective who rushed over to find out what happened and discovered that he could not tell. Youve got the wife. Youve got a small six year old child. And youve got a 15 year old boy In The House. Have you got everybody saying they dont know what happened. How did everyone else survive that night without a scratch . Coming up the investigation begins and melissa is at the very center. Im asking you to help solve the problems with the questions i have, okay . A dramatic police interrogation. When dateline continues. Dateline continues. More about the moms. They want healthy, affordable options. Moms want to save that dough. Hold onto that green. Enough with the Puns Land ofrost premium. Fresh look. Same great taste. Introducing Aleve X. Its fast, powerful l longlasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. Because with the right pain reliever. Life opens up. 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At carvana, we treat every Customer Talk to your Eczema Specialist about dupixent, like we would treat our own moms, with care and respect. To us, the little things are the big things. Which is why we do everything in our power to make buying a car an unforgettable experience. Happy birthday. Thank you. We treat every customer like we would treat our own moms. Because thats what they deserve. I was just confused and traumatize. Because at this point i still feel like im sleeping. On February 21st, 2008, at 3 00 in the morning, Melissa Oxley called 911. Okay, so that the noise is like a gunshot . Yeah. I turned on the light to wake up my husband and its really, really bad. It certainly was. Ben oxley had been shot Point Blank, in the head. And yet, melissa lying in bed, right beside him was unharmed. She ran then into Alyssas Room to check on her own call 911. And of course alyssa, six years old, and completely unaware of what just happened asked to see her father. I want to go see my dad. I want to go see my dad. And i just older, you cant go see your dad. Ron was the detective who got the call. Do you remember getting that call . Yeah. Because i was sleeping. He woke up, fast. Through a very big problem. A killing. Just didnt make sense. Hearing like a ghost has done this. No evidence. No weapon. Everybody In The House says, i dont know. A ghost . Yeah. Thats what it feels like, because you have no idea. How was it possible Melissa Hadnt seen the person who shot ban . Shes been lying right next to him. Why was she unharmed . Thats kind of a Little Red flags. Start popping up. If you say ok, it just doesnt seem. Right and had craig, melissas teenage brother, truly slept through the whole thing as he claimed . I opened my eyes and right in my face was a bunch of barrels from a machine gun. It was police guns he was looking at. Police would already discovered Shotgun Shells on craigs bedroom dresser. Here comes another red flag. Is this a possibility . Is he faking . Melissa, craig and little alyssa, were taken to the sheriffs department. At 4 am. An hour after the shooting. Melissas Best Friend got a phone call. It was alyssa. And she was just hysterically crying. Im at the police station. Come down here, come down here, my dad has been shot. At the time jamie arrive, melissa was already being grilled by detectives. Today is February 21 third, 2008. Detective elges had questions. Lots of them. So many things about this murder didnt make sense. Why didnt they take you out . I mean thats what i thought. Another thing i dont understand is, why is somebody shoots him, why did you not see anything . I dont know. I honestly dont know. Maybe it was the man who ben warned her about, she said. Her rough customer who wants dated bens exwife, dawn and apparently threatened to kill both Don Dawn and any man she was with. Was the story to . Just be safe, Detective Elges sent officers to dawns house where they walker up. Sleeping, but unharmed. And discovered that the man in question was hundreds of miles away from the when the murder happened. So, again, the questions were formed for melissa. Sometimes people knew more than they want to tell our share. And i really really need. All im telling you, i honestly dont know. Alyssa was six by this time. The only person who remembered seeing anything unusual. She told the detective right away. Well, i was just fast asleep, but i woke up and heard this creek after i saw Somebody Walking in. And then i just, went back. Do you know who they were . I dont know who it was. She saw a shadow in her jewelry looking at her. And then the shuttle left. She went back to sleep and then melissa came in and grabbed her and was talking to 911. The detective discovered the bullet that killed ben was a number eight bird shot. Same ammunition they discovered in craigs room. So, the question quick. I apologize for doing that, if i have to, you know. Did you kill ben . No, i did not. Sure enough, when they tested craig for gunshot ready to do our blood cast off, he was clean. Could not have fired that gun. And so, back to melissa. I know it doesnt make sense to you, but it is any sense to me either. Its not necessarily a huge, bad thing. But its stuff its the worst feeling, thinking that youre gonna be blame for your husbands death. Melissa, understand that im not blaming you. Im asking you to help me solve the problems with the questions i have, okay . Because there was blood on Melissa And Gunshot residue. I dont know what to tell you. Just of The Truth is all im hoping youre giving me. I am. Melissas Friend Jamie was there. When she came out of the interrogation room. Melissa just dropped to the floor. When she saw me. And she had a little bit of blood on her. She just said, i didnt do this. I said i, i know you didnt do it. But jamie knew there were others and not just the police, who were very suspicious of melissa. Shes the prime suspect. Shes the wife. She was laying in bed with him. It is a makes sense that she was a shot. Did melissa do it . Well, i hope not. But i mean, she couldve. Why was it she shot . I thought, if she did commit the murder, shes going to make a mistake. You can only live that life so long. Coming up a new clue. What police believe might be a reason for murder. A 400,000 Dollar Life Issuance policy. She had motivation to want this to happen. When dateline continues. 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. Baaam. Internet that keeps you ahead of the game. Thats cute, but my internet streams to my ride. Yeah, well mines always got my back. Okay chill, cuz mines so fast, No One can catch me. Speed . Well show you speed. Wow thats nothing. Because my internet gives me a flex 4k Streaming Box for free. Impressive thats cuz you all have the same internet. Xfinity xfi so powerful, it keeps oneupping itself. Melissa oxley was just 27 can your internet do that . Years old, and already a widow. Her 36yearold Husband ben, shot dead while he slept in bed right next to her. As far as she could tell, said melissa, the shooter managed to break into the house, walk right into the master bedroom, Shoot Ben without harming her, and leave not a trace of evidence behind. The Case Boggle Detective ron elgess mind. Is there somebody who didnt like him . Is this a far higher crime . What could this . We malicious closest friends believed her when she insisted that she had nothing to do with it. That in fact, she lost the love of her life. And that now she and those around her were probably in terrible danger. Because you dont know who did it. You dont know if theyre going to come back for melissa. If melissa was supposed to be in that. Melissa, meanwhile, try to be a source of comfort for her six year old stepdaughter, alyssa. The little Girls Father had been her world. Leaving her now in a world of chaos. And with her Home And Love nest now a crime scene, Melissa And Alyssa moved in with the woman who had been bridesmaid at the wedding, jamie. And it was at night, when the curtains were drawn, that jamie what she melissa, really with pain. Many nights crying in the middle of the night. I would hear her. I just went and laid in bed with her. Didnt sleep. Couldnt sleep. Just getting into a bed after that happened. I didnt want to. So where would you sleep . On the floor. And if the Pain And Suffering of losing her husband was in hard enough, melissa was the lead suspect. And not just in the eyes of the police. Because nobody, including the public, including families, had any idea why this was to happen. So theyre all grasping astros to figure out if his possibly. Ben sister was certain that Melissa Arranged Bens murder. I was afraid to make it known around town. She had quite a little following of people. Because its always the wife, you know . So did that mean little alyssa, just six years old, so vulnerable, was living with a murder . Alyssa began to spend more time at her mother dawns house. And one day, while she was there. Bens sister warned her about the Stepmom Sheet come to love. She told me that she thought my Step Mom killed my dad. That night. Must be pretty weird for you to hear that. Yeah, i didnt believe it. Didnt believe it at all . No. But if alyssa didnt believe it, others did. And before long, they had more ammunition, because of Something Else Detective Elges discovered. 400,000 Dollar Life Insurance policy. It sounds a lot like she had the motivation to want this thing to happen. And once again, melissa found herself answering difficult questions. I didnt even know there was an insurance policy. I guess i was sort of naive to it. We were looking at it for retirement. But while the investigation went on, the Insurance Company held back any payments. While the whispers went around. It was shocking, really. Had ben been dead, just what . A few months . And melissa was dating, already. It was soon, sort of. But it was like, if i didnt do it then, you almost would get stuck in this route of never doing it. I wouldve just hung up the towel and be done. Put on a black dress and be a widow the rest of your life . Yeah. Detective elges, of course, was keeping track. And try not to be judgmental. She has to do what she needs to do to heal. It is a meat i wasnt paying attention to what was going on. But as months passed, and elges scratch the way a the flu few paltry leads that went anywhere at all, asserting clarity began to emerge. Despite his own early suspicions and those are brothers, hard evidence against melissa just didnt materialize. In fact, said elges he, couldnt help thinking she probably didnt do it. She was so startled, she went into a Flight Or Flight response when she jumped out of bed. And then went to a normal reaction, which is whats going on . And thats why she discovers she discovers hed been shot. But there was another Reason Melissa dropped down the Detectives List of suspects. And that reason was a Surgeon Someone else, who, it became clear, did not like that Love Story we told you about. Not one bit. I said, what did you do . What did you do . And she said, what do you mean . What did i do . Youve known me all these nears years and you would think i would do something like that . I said, absolutely. Coming up a whole new theory of the crime. With a whole new list of suspects to share secret. I said, no. I said, no, no, no, no. When dateline continues. Continues [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. Im dara brown. Heres whats happening. Stand up Comedian Jackie Mason has died at the age of 93. Saturday in manhattan. Heat apparently the sick of some time. He died peacefully. The memorial will be the next few months. Welcome back to dateline, im craig melvin. Melissa oxley could breathe a little easier. While still on the radar, detectives never no longer consider the primaries suspect in bens life. They shifted their focus on another woman invents life. They believe she held a grudge. They brought her in for questioning and the story she would tell whats send the case in the stunning new direction. Here again is Keith Morrison with while they were sleeping lee. If you knew ben, there is no way that you would want him dead. I could not think of anybody that would want him dead, besides don. Don, don oxleys exwife, melissas mother, even though pence Best Friends told each other. Everything in me said that don had something to do with. That of course, just a few years back, that sort of Thing Wouldve been unimaginable to dons Best Friends, scott and we sidney graham. Not don, the don the force of nature, the center of the room. I dont know is manipulating, but everyone agreed with. Don if she was happy, we were all happy. But after five years of marriage, neither benn nor don were happy, and the marriage went up in flames. Ben had cheated on john. I can see that. This probably wasnt something that she was going to get over. Don changed after that, said cindy, didnt seem to want to act like a parent anymore. She met a guy and she would stay the night at his house. When her kids are calling us to tell us that we have no more food In The House, theres no food, theres a problem. So when ben and john went to court to fight for the custody of melissa, sunday had to tell The Truth. I told the judge that don was not taking Care Of her kids anymore. They were not a priority, they were not even number five. When ben won custody of melissa, and more than 200 a month in child support, john was devastated. This is her mother, sherrie washington. A retired deputy sheriff. This was eating her alive . Yes. It was really taking its toll on her. Don started drinking, heavily. Her teenage son devon watched his mother fall apart. She was starting to lose jobs, all hell broke loose. But murder . Remember the police went to see don just a couple of hours after ben was killed and found her fast asleep. I will time do you think you went to sleep . Oh god. I watched the movie, the departed, and dissent. And i dont know, about four . In fact, she had been to be sharing her bedroom with a 21yearold family friend, named James Matlean was. They watched a movie and went to bed . Thats the story. Thats. It not a convincing alibi, anymore than the obvious fiction that james, a new man in her life, was just friend. Even less convincing, when detective We Ron found out about a trip to a 7 11 store. Why are they hiding little pieces that are in significant to what is going on . That was there to do surveillance on them. We were stuck there were starting to get worried because we were watching. Them surveillance photos showed john with james, her daughter alyssa, seven at this. Time a year into this investigation, alyssa was back at home. So there you are still trying to grieve the loss of ben at the same time as alyssa is being pulled back to don. Yes the loss of both of them, truly. And while the police were watching john, don was telling her children, including brandi, that the real suspect was melissa. She was telling you that melissa committed this murder . Brandi was hearing that from her mother, don, who she could see was drinking too much, getting duis, spending a few nights in jail. They started getting arrested, james and john both, we are finding reasons to be taken to jail. And while they had james, they asked him Point Blank about the murder of ben. You think i called Jet Ben . No. Did don kill . Ben. No were you involved in the plotting or murder of ben . No. Im looking you in the eyes. I did not kill him. That was it. Lots of denials, no real evidence. A year and a half had gone by since the murder, it was the summer of 2009. Were in Cold Case territory. Getting there. Then one afternoon, as the detective was recovering from a night in the graveyard shift, his Cell Phone rang. It was don. She said that she can take it anymore. What did you think when she called . That it was. Time he drove her to her house, she was inebriated. Im hurting. But she had quite a story to tell about james. About how he offered to murder been. The Night Ben died, he said, now or never. And i said no. I said not today, dont do it no. I said no. I said no. No, no, no, no, no. Hours later, she, said James Walker up from a Sound Sleep and told heard ben was dead. But that, she said, was all he told her. All she knew. But youre pretty confident that james of something to do with it . I dont know. But was that really all she knew . Don remember had a 16 year old son named devin who, detectives learned, was at home and listening in the hours before Ben Oxley was murdered. So if anyone can confirmed on version of the events, surely it would be wet devin. He wasnt talking yet, anyway. Coming up. The question haunting this whole case. Whats our . Evidence was there anything against anyone . Prosecutors were about to make a deal to get the evidence they need. You want to talk about this case . You know i do. When dateline continues. Hen dateline continues here, you can find your style in every aisle. Got an eye for design . Weve got it designed for your budget. Want endless aisles of more . Weve got more. Way more. When you explore our showrooms of style, youll find whatever youre into. At a Price Youll really get into. 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I can her see her sitting there saying, got i wish she was dead. And i can see james going, you want me to go kill him for you . And her going, whatever. It was more of a disbelief then an affirmation. Thats the Story Dawn told, to. That she did not want james to kill her ex husband. You want to talk about this case . You know, i do. It was now the fall of 2009. Dawn was in jail for a dui. And agreed to talk before for detail on the night of Ben Oxleys murder. He said, do you want me to go do that . Im sitting there going, are you serious . Are you kidding me . All i know is he was on the phone. He was asking me if i wanted him to go take Care Of ben. And i was saying no. And then she went to sleep, she said. The next thing she knew, james was back. He woke me up and he said, its done. And i was totally drunk. And then they turn around and i waking up out of a dead sleep and im like, what are you talking about . He said, the cops are going to be here. Seriously, right now youre telling me the cops are going to show up at my house because my exhusband is dead . And she did not take part, she swore. Not at all. I didnt drive. I didnt. I did not go anywhere i. Did not plan this. I did not want ben dead. So, Truth Or Fiction . There was no solid evidence either way. Nor that James Matlean killed Ben Oxley. Only dawns story. I which point tom gregory, the district attorney, decided he needed her help. You love to get everybody involved in the case, but theres a reality, in many cases, that sometimes you need the help of one of the people involved to get them in person. And so Dawn Oxley was offered a limited Immunity Agreement. Cooperate with the prosecution. Testify truth of truthfully against James Matlean, and you wont be prosecuted. A sort of get out of jail free card. Why go ahead and make that deal with her so soon . You had her statement. Why not hold off for a while and be patient . Try to get them both. Lets say we dont do the deal with her and we go out and arrest him, whats our evidence . Dawn signed the agreement and James Matlean was charged with first degree murder. But the end of the story . Oh, no. Not even close. The truth had been hiding, but it was itching to come out. Young devin. Remember him . Dawns sun . He finally decided to reveal what he overheard the night of the murder. My mom was like, i want them to die. I just want him dead. Yadda yadda. And then james cede james said i would go kill him right now. You just say the word, ill go kill him. She was like a broken record. I want him dead. I want him dead. Sound like a woman who was shocked the murder happened . But there was more. It was after that when James Matlean told his attorney it was time to tell the whole story. I could tell he was telling The Truth. Over the course of 15 months, i was told the same story. So now comes another story. James is story. Not a Love Story this time. Nobody could believe it that i did what i did. Ive never been a violent person. James matlean did not have an easy star in love life. By the time he was a teenager he was drinking, doing drugs, stealing things. I had pretty much given up any hope on continuing successfully in life. Dawn, after her marriage to ben, befriended james. Made him feel rescued. Give him a place to live. He just been paroled from prison after doing time for stealing a truck. Kind of gave me a sense of hope. There was somebody out there who cared. Ats house, james discovered what others had. As long as dawn was happy, everybody was happy. And if she wasnt . Well, then james could not be happy, either. She was very, very upset at the fact that she lost alyssa. And she and she went on rents, he said. About Ben Oxley. A man james didnt know. Had never met. But he listen. You felt like you are in love whether . Yeah, for a while. It gave me a sense of feeling wanted. And then he realized, he said, she never be happy. Unless he fixed what was upsetting her. I just wanted to make don happy. So, what happened . Dawn and jamess stories begin the same way. February 20th, 2008, a night of heavy drinking at dawns house. A heated conversation about Ben Oxley. James asking dawn if she wants to have him killed. Thats where the stories diverge. Dawn says she never told james, no, dont do it. And fellas sleep on the couch. But thats not what James Matleans story. She was expected about what was happening. Shes happy that was going to kill somebody. You know . It was after midnight. Dawn, Drew Him A Diagram of Ben Oxleys, said james. So he could find his way to the bedroom. Then he went to the 7eleven. Drew 40 out of the atm with dawns bank card. And then together they went to the walmart. Don waited in the car while james did the shopping. Shotgun sales, gloves, a flashlight. She was very happy about it. I mean, like imagine a kid going to disneyland. You know . But there was a problem. They forgotten to bring the diagram of Bens House with them. The plan was it for don to go into the house. The plan was for me to go In The House. And i didnt know how to get In The House. Or where the bedroom was. So, don had to go inside. The Front Door was locked. So dawn took him around back, he said. Were a sliding Glass Door was unlocked. And the east their way in and walked down the hall. Then, said james, dawn pointed him towards the master bedroom. And i turned around and she was going into Alyssas Room going into the room . Yeah, half of her body was in the room. She said she was going to take alyssa with her. I said, you cant take alyssa. Was this true . Remember, alyssa alyssa, just six years old at the time told police she remembered seeing someone in her jewelry. I just looked out and i saw someone walking in. And then, said james, he walked into the master bedroom. Saw Ben And Melissa sleeping in the moonlight. And i raise the gun and thats where everything in my mind that shouldve happened, three or four hours ago, happened. I started thinking why am i here . Something i heard to my left a sudden noise . Yeah. And as i turned and jerked to see what it was, i pulled the trigger. He ran, then he said. Left the Front Door right wide open. Caught up to dawn in the truck. Who drove . She did. I started yelling at her. When we got in the truck. The truth, said James Matlean. All of it. Dawn knows The Truth and i know The Truth. And thats all that matters. I take full responsibility for what i did. Dawn, needs to take full responsibility for what she did. Coming up was ben The Only One who is in danger that night . What was it like . I dont know. One revelation still to come. When dateline continues. Dateline continues. Do a ticket check. Paper tickets. Were off to a horrible start. But we can overcome it. Were not gonna point out our houses, landmarks, or major highways during takeoff. 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Available now for Comcast Business Internet customers with no lineactivation fees or Term Contract required. See if you can save by switching today. Right over here Comcast Business. Powering possibilities. Its a rare thing to do to sit in the Jail Room just as this, where a murderer confesses chapter and verse. I pulled the trigger but James Matlean will he murdered then oxley in his sleep and must live with that for the rest of his day with. And suffered 2011, he told his story in court. It was after The Da took the penalty off the table, and james decided to plead guilty. And thats one melissa said sitting in the courtroom, her for the first time about Something Else james was supposed to kill her to. Don asked me if i would kill melissa. I just said yeah. There was a bullet there for you. But was it like to hear that . Unreal. Do you believe that she was In The House that night . I do. Which makes me sick. I have a harder time with don than i do with james because if it wasnt for her none of it wouldve happened. And thats where Melissa Oxley and her attorneys still cant firmly agree. Only half a measure of justice since done is protected by that Immunity Agreement that she signed with The Da. James is not the type of bore who is going to go out and commit a murder in the hopes that dawn will find it acceptable. He didnt do this as a surprise gift. John herself declined that a regressed for the interview. Though her mom, the retired deputy sheriff, has remained in her corner. I know that a lot of people believe that, that there was a blatant conspiracy on her part. But i dont Think John really wanted ben dead. I dont think don was there. Youre trying to hold it all together . All the way along and even now. You have to understand, ben was a good guy. They had their problems, everybody loved him. He didnt deserve to die. So for the time being, it is a he said, she said story. And The Das deal with don . To the dismay of James Matlean attorney, may mean that she may never face a murder job. The prosecutor made a deal with the devil, now hell have to short how far and how she is. Deal with the double . Well, The Da said without johns testimony at the preliminary hearing, a Murder Charge against James Wind of stock. But don wasnt totally off the hook, because there was one possibility still. If The Da could find hard evidence that dom lied when she was given that get out of jail free card for implicating james its still an open book for john on murder. If somebody comes today with credible evidence to show that she did in fact go, we can prosecutor. And 2011, done was sent to prison on another offense. She pleaded guilty for using her we i was driving, yes. Don was released from Prison In March of 2014. But not to be the mother of alyssa, the one judge terminated her parental rights. Both alyssa and were brandy sent to live with melissa. To live a life that they did not know with their biological mom. It was a family, thats a lie that i need. In 2011, having pleaded guilty to murder, james was matlean being prepared for being sentenced. Is there a redemption for person like . You i dont know. I dont expect anybody that ive harmed or heard to forgive me for would have done. He looked in the lenses you said that. Youre talking to them, right . Basically talking to melissa. What im sorry. An exchange for his guilty plea, The Da agreed to recommend that james could be eligible for parole after serving 24 years. All rise final decision, up to the judge. Defense Attorney Stove or then melissa took the stand. Emotionally The Damage you have cost me is almost unbearable. For alyssa, you crumbled her foundation. And everything she knew to be right untrue. And as hard as this is to do or believe, i also want you to know i have found it in my heart to forgive you. And then james got his sentence. The Murder Charge you are sentenced to life in prison. Life without parole, ever. Afterwards, The Little Girl in the middle of the Family Drama turned to melissa with a remarkable request. Alyssa asked to meet with james. And was ushered in to see him before he was whisked way. I told him that i decided to forgive him and that i wanted him to have hope. And she wept then. Tears of forgiveness. Of lingering grief for her father. And as for melissa . After the trial, she told us, she was ready to move on. Where will you keep ben . He will always be in my heart. He will never be forgotten war, but we do have to go on. We still have to be here and live Today Day lives. If hes looking down and watching you, what would he think about his daughter . I think he still loves me and that im doing much better than i was in my other house. He misses . Yes, i miss some allot. Your strong kid, arent you . We are. Thats all for this edition of dateline, im craig melvin, thank you for watching. Im craig melvin. And im natalie morales. And this is dateline. I just cant see someone why we knew would want to hurt her. How could this happen . How could this happen to someone that we knew . Its been very long 13 years. Me