>> it is time the truth come out. the call came in the middle of the night it was their friend in a panic. >> he had gone missing off the boat and that is where it started what did you think? >> that was the ticket to the count of three repeat of that let me here on wartime type of thing >> no matter how many times you heard it, it just did not make sense. >> you think of all these things, it rushes through your head. >> except, this was clearly true. >> i just saw disaster happening, in a foreign country. >> you say this can't be, this can't be. >> i knew it. he has to be another explanation. >> there was some other explanation all right, it just was not the one anyone was expecting. >> my instinct said, this is going to go sideways fast, i just did not know which way or how. how we were going to get there. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> maple says a marvelous city, and his beautiful -- >> market wasn't and castigated reporter for the italian newspaper -- >> it is full of life, it is full of colors, and it is a beautiful place to visit, as a tourist. >> one of those tourist was -- an american who arrived in naples in may 2006 on board a cruise ship, the island escape. >> the island escape started from majorca in spain, and then stopped in sicily. >> while he had booked the cruise as a way to rekindle the flame with his longtime love, -- the couple had been married for years, and then divorced. this was a new beginning, a chance to rediscover some love. they spent the day exploring the island of sisterly, they took a bus to see the sites. here is mickey by the fountain. after the excursion, they returned to the island escape, and the crucial began its journey to the next stop, naples. less than 24 hours later, and still in open water, the trip took an awful turn. -- was sound asleep back in florida when the phone rang. >> 3:10 in the morning, i was in the bed with my dog, i picked up the phone, and -- concerned, he said i did not have a problem. i said where are you. he says, i'm in italy. >> i said, okay. he says ricky is missing. i said what do you mean she is missing. he said, we cannot find her. >> when did he tell you he had last seen her. >> he said he went about that night, and they had tungsten a club, he couldn't sleep, so he took some ambien, and he woke up the next morning and she was not there. that is when lonnie sounded the alarm? >> yes. apparently he reported her, could not find her. he asked them to look. >> the crew of the island escape started searching the ship, and the captain made an announcement to passengers to be on the lookout for her. then he checked lonnie and mickey's cabin, and found nothing amiss. >> he recalled a bottle of wine, and this chair on the balcony and an upright position. >> according to the captain, the mediterranean had been calm. >> there was good weather, and it was a quiet night, and the sea was very quiet. >> the crew showed the photo to the other passengers, then as scheduled. >> the island escaped up in naples, -- >> i kept saying, she has to be there somewhere, something has happened. >> it can just disappear. >> the trust anything about whether it felt the crew is doing enough to look. >> he said they claimed they had been over the ship top and bottom. >> i thought she would turn up maybe she was insured, but maybe she was -- almost 12 hours later, the escape prepared to leave port, and continued on with the cruise. there is no sign of her. he backed up as, things and her this and cut off the island escape. reality was setting in. the woman he loved may have gone overboard. >> he got the coast guard to start searching, such a search is very challenging and very difficult, because when a person disappears in open waters, it is very difficult to find the body. he checked into the hotel, where his room he spoke again with bill. >> he said everything and here is an italian. he said i do not speak the language. he said i'm scared. >> he also spoke with his friend susan, who says she could hear fear in his voice. >> he was claiming that he was being treated unjustly, that no one spoke english, and that everyone was just being mean to him and treating him as if he had done something wrong, and he was out of his element and did not know what to do. >> that is when -- made a decision, that would come back to haunt him. coming up, mickey is missing. >> usually bodies are never found when they disappear in open waters. >> and he is desperate. >> he was a disheveled master, and he was acting fearful. it just seemed like he should just go. >> to protect himself? >> yes. >> he says can you get me out of here? >> when dateline continues. of my life... and papa is hungry. and while you're hittin' the trail, i'm hitting your cooler. oh, cheddar! i've got hot dog buns! and your cut-rate car insurance might not pay for all this. so get allstate, and be better protected from mayhem, like me. roar. (sfx: family screams in background) >> when the cruise ship island a mystery! jessie loves playing detective. but the real mystery was her irritated skin. so, we switched to tide pods free & gentle. it cleans better, and doesn't leave behind irritating residues. and it's gentle on her skin tide free & gentle is epa safer choice certified. it's got to be tide escape docked in naples italy in the early hours of may 26 2006, american tourist mickey was no longer among its passengers. soon, her brother got a call from the state department. >> you are the brother of mickey? yes. well, she is missing off the cruise. missing? what do you mean missing. go find her. >> mickey's ex husband, and boyfriend was in a naples hotel, he was waiting to hear from the italian coast guard which was searching the mediterranean for mickey. according to his friend, he sounded frantic. >> he was a mess. he was acting fearful. he was acting very fearful and irrational. >> -- he was a pretty spectacular fireable of an attorney. >> he graduated from law school with honest in 1992 and he -- >> he knew right away when he saw her, he would ask her out, so forth. >> he really pursued her, didn't he? >> yes he. did >> make you a smart, beautiful, had a great sense of humor. >> -- was also a secretary who worked side by side with nikki for several years. >> he worked for a high fired partner in the firm, she had to know what she was doing. >> -- wanda carter also worked with mickey at the law firm. >> when there was a deadline and sometimes i was pressed for time, she would offer, she would just come up and say what should i do? she would step up. >> then he will start working with lana, she started working overtime, and apparently that is when she started to work for -- in the evenings nobody us around, or few people are around. >> i don't something blossomed. they kept that alive at work? >> they definitely did. >> he was charming. she definitely thought that. >> her niece was in college than. >> what did you like about? him >> i think she liked that he had similar interests, that he was a hard, worker and she appreciated that. >> mickey and lonnie brought this home in california, they married in 1995. that bliss did not last. that mueller that he initially, had that initial attraction disappeared with time. >> it did not take long for the two to crumble like a jungle game, when the pieces started to come out and it all toppled over. it did not take long for him to start complaining. >> what was she telling? you >> a lot of it had to do with control. control of money. he was spending a lot of money. then, certain things she wanted, she had to run it by him first. >> even though they were both making money, they were both contributing to the marriage, but i'm in charge, i make the financial decisions here? >> he is in control. guys like to be in control. >> i have noticed that. >> it is kind of a shame. >> so the wall came tumbling down. >> like many relationships, this one was complicated. after six years of marriage, the couple divorced. he got an apartment in downtown l. a. near his office. you still spent time at the home he and she owned together in orange county. somehow, that seemed to work better. they were still close. maybe, they would work things out after all. in early 2006, she booked them both on a romantic cruise. >> it was my understanding, he was trying to repair their marriage, repair their relationship, and go on a cruise together. >> he left her in the corner? >> it sounded like a really big step for him. >> in fact, he had booked two cabins on board the island escape. >> he says we will take a cruise, mickey and i, and we want you and susan to join us. >> then, susan's mother needed an operation, and she and bill had to council at the last minute. now, just two days into that cruise, mickey was missing. if she had in fact fallen overboard, what were the odds of finding her? according to italian journalist marco, not could. >> usually, bodies are never found when they are disappeared in open waters. >> he spoke with both bill and susan several times while he was in naples, they worried what might happen to him in a foreign country with an unfamiliar legal system. >> what he was describing was a hostile environment, and we have seen or heard of people in other countries being arrested and unjust-less or unfairly accused of something at a time being restrained. it seemed like he needed to come back. >> before the spiral out of control in some legal way that you can't get your hands around? >> i don't even think i was thinking that far had, but that time you are just sitting there thinking, okay, she is missing, now they are looking at, when you are not rationalizing or looking forward at all. you are just saying, get yourself out where you can communicate, and get questions answered. it seemed like he should just go. >> to protect himself? >> yes. >> he says, can you get me out of here? >> i said yes, i can do that. >> there is any tally in saying that goes, see naples, and die. the idea is that everyone should visit this memorable place while they are alive, and once you see it, you may not want to leave. well, mickey did not make it to naples. now, he has definitely wanted to leave. he took a cab to the naples airport, he booked him a flight to florida where he lived. all of this while he was still missing. that would not last. coming up, -- >> i could not believe it at all. it is like, how does this happen? >> a sudden discovery at sea. >> i was in shock, disbelief. nothing i would have ever imagined could have prepared me for this. >> when dateline continues. >> i don't even think i was thinking that far had, but that time you are just sitting there thinking, okay, she is missing, now they are looking at, when you are not rationalizing or looking forward at all. you are just saying, get yourself out where you can communicate, and get questions answered. it seemed like he should just go. >> to protect himself? >> yes. >> he says, can you get me out of here? >> i said yes, i can do that. >> there is any tally in saying that goes, see naples, and die. the idea is that everyone should visit this memorable place while they are alive, and once you see it, you may not want to leave. well, mickey did not make it to naples. now, he has definitely wanted to leave. he took a cab to the naples airport, he booked him a flight to florida where he lived. all of this while he was still missing. that would not last. coming up, -- >> i could not believe it at all. it is like, how does this happen? >> a sudden discovery at sea. >> i was in shock, disbelief. nothing i would have ever imagined could have pre>> when . to florida where he lived. all of this while he was still missing. that would not last. coming up, -- >> i could not believe it at all. it is like, how does this happen? >> a sudden discovery at sea. >> i was in shock, disbelief. nothing i w>> when dateline con. >> along the italian peninsula alive the fast mediterranean waters, it is here the -- calls home. it travels the italian coast, doing scientific research, but at 4 pm on may 27th 2006, captain -- made a different kind of discovery. >> [speaking non-english] >> he immediately caught on his radio, earlier that morning he had seen an alert, the coast guard was searching for an american passenger missing from a cruise ship the day before. >> [speaking non-english] >> there seemed no doubt, this was mickey. >> [speaking non-english] >> as they approach her, body the captain said his crew was careful not to touch her. >> [speaking non-english] >> they brought her body on to the boat, and comfort her with a sheet. they then met up with the coast guard, and her body was moved to their boat. >> [speaking non-english] >> journalist marco heard about the grim discovery, -- >> i was very surprised, and that was the moment in which we started following and covering this case. and, the body was taking to the -- >> -- as a small town near the coast in southern italy, that is where italian authorities opened their investigation, and the state department called her niece -- >> i was in shock, disbelief, i just spoke to her a few days before. at first, i was asking are you sure you have the right person? >> when you first hear that she is dead, i mean, what do you think? >> i had no clue how in the heck she would end up overboard. she was not a strong swimmer, so i don't think she would purposefully go near somewhere where she could accidentally fall in. >> the news hit her friends hard. >> i was very sad. you know, i couldn't believe it, i could not believe it at all. it is like, how does this happen? >> i could not believe my ears. devastating. >> he broke the news to his friend bill, -- >> he said he was glad they found the body, and that he can't imagine what happened. >> he was calling long distance, although bill had booked the flight from italy to tampa, he did not go there. he changed his ticket, and flew to california. >> he said i just wanted to go home. >> i said okay. if you are okay, that is fine with me. >> at the same time, in valencia, an italian prosecutor named alfredo is assigned to his case. he knew what his investigation needed to address. >> [speaking non-english] >> he soon discovered there were no obvious answers to those questions. a search of the island escape had not turned up any clues. >> [speaking non-english] >> her death could have been an accident, or suicide, or murder. everyone had questions for him, especially julie. >> nothing i would have ever happened could have prepared me for this. >> coming up, another woman enters the picture. >> his wife missing off a cruise ship, he flies to the home of the other woman. i mean, it is like putting a target on you, and say, please investigate me. >> absolutely. the first thing out of my mouth was, do you know how this looks? >> the initial impression wise, the guy is not quite right. >> when dateline continues. >> he was calling long distance, although bill had booked the flight from italy to tampa, he did not go there. he changed his ticket, and flew to california. >> he said i just wanted to go home. >> i said okay. if you are okay, that is fine with me. >> at the same time, in valencia, an italian prosecutor named alfredo is assigned to his case. he knew what his investigation needed to address. >> [speaking non-english] >> he soon discovered there were no obvious answers to those questions. a search of the island escape had not turned up any clues. >> [speaking non-english] >> her death could have been an accident, or suicide, or murder. everyone had questions for him, especially julie. >> nothing i would have ever happened could have prepared me for this. >> coming up, another woman enters the picture. >> his wife missing off a cruise ship, he flies to the home of the other woman. i mean, it is like putting a target on you, and say, please investigate me. >> absolutely. the first thing out of my mouth was, do you know how this looks? >> the initial impression wise, the guy is not quite right. >> when dateline continues. 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(announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. trying to control my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ enough was enough. i talked to an asthma specialist and found out my severe asthma is driven by eosinophils, a type of asthma nucala can help control. now, fewer asthma attacks and less oral steroids that's my nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. talk to your asthma specialist to see if once-monthly nucala may be right for you. and learn about savings at nucala.com there's more to your life than asthma. find your nunormal with nucala. hey all, so i just downloaded the experian app because i wanted to check my fico® score, but it does so much more. this thing shows you your fico® score, you can get your credit card recommendations, and it shows you ways to save money. do so much more than get your fico® score. download the experian app now. >> when an american citizen dies mysteriously overseas, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the fbi. an ancient arrived at his home in orange county california, within hours of the discovery of the body. he called his friend to tell him the bureau was on the case. >> he said, what do i do know, i said what do you mean what do you do, the fbi is there, talk to them. i said, they are on it. this is good. i'm all happy about this. >> here is something bill was not happy about, learning right then that when he flew from italy to southern california, it wasn't to sleep in his own bed, it was to visit a woman he had been dating, until he decided to patch things up with mickey. >> his wife missing off a cruise ship, he flies home, not to visit his friend, but to the home of the other woman, i mean, if you are lonnie, and it's like putting a target on you, and saying please investigate me. >> absolutely. the first thing out of my mouth was, do you know how this looks? you said i need to consult. i said, it is like i'm talking to a moron. >> as sharp in attorney as he was, he seemed tone deaf to how his actions would play. >> the initial impression was, the guy is not quite right. >> the fbi said he seemed almost too eager to show agents he had no marks on his body. >> he volunteered to disrobe for, them to try and convince the agents that you know, he was not involved in any physical struggle. >> he is answering questions he has not been asked? >> exactly. yes. >> he repeated the story he told his pal bill, they were in the room, had wine, mickey had left to go herbal tea. he took ambien and fell asleep. >> he woke up, 4:30 in the morning, and her light was, on but she was not there, and he was alarmed, so he went looking for her. >> what is this demeanor during this interview. is this a guy frantic out losing the love of his life? >> no. they did not have that impression. >> did the fbi find a suspicious he left italy before her body was found? >> yes. we found a lot of things suspicious, he was in a hurry to get out of there obviously. >> you would have thought that he would stick around till he would have an answer, till he knew what would happen? >> yes. you would want to know what happened to her. right? but, he was just in a hurry to get home. >> mickey's niece julia spoke with the fbi as well, she spoke about her aunts relationship with him, in the months before the cruise. >> he said he was going to change, who would work less, and things were going to be better, she was just so happy. >> happy and excited about her luxury tell in cruise. >> she had said that he is planning everything, and this was such a surprise and they are reconciling, she could not wait to go. >> now, just days after that conversation, her aunt mickey was dead, and actually believed he knew more than he was saying. she soon found out, the feds believed the same thing. >> i was approached by the fbi, if i would be willing to record my conversations with him to get details. >> they gave her a crash course in recording protocol. >> my name is julie, the day's -- >> and told her to let him do the talking. >> maybe she was nauseous? and slightly intoxicated? you know. >> how many drinks do you think she had that night on the ship? >> well, we just drank wine, and she had probably a couple of good sized glasses. >> his theory of what happened was? what >> he thought either she committed suicide and jumped, or there was a foul play and perhaps maybe one in the crew cabinets or all the people from the different countries, someone had murdered her. >> i mean there's only three possibilities, she was murdered, she jumped, or it is an accident. right now i have no information. all i know if they found the body. there's going to be an autopsy. >> he was fixated on the condition of the body, he said multiple times and need to see the, body and the condition of the, body i don't know what is going on with the body instead of referring to, my wife, or mickey, or i can't believe this happened to her. he always referred to her as a body. >> not as this person he loved? >> right. >> julie would continue to learn more from the fbi, and she continued speaking with him. >> i called her frequently and he did not seem suspicious about that? >> not at all. i checked on his well-being, he was more interested also talking to me. i think he found a welcome re-private, someone talking to him from the family. >> julie did think he was acting strangely, even though there was no evidence he had done anything to her, or for that matter any evidence that her death was anything but accidental. however, that was about to change. >> coming up. >> i felt she wasn't alive when she was in that, trying to save herself, i just thought, what a horrible way to die. >> stunning new details from the autopsy. someone on board was a killer. >> there has to be an explanation here. >> that is not her -- this wouldn't be as nature. >> i said if you did not do anything, you need to find out what happened, and give it to them. >> if not him, then who? when dateline continues. when i first learned about my dupuytren's contracture, my physician referred me to a hand specialist. and i'm glad he did, because when i took the tabletop test, i couldn't lay my hand flat anymore. the first hand specialist i saw only offered surgery. so, i went to a second hand specialist who also offered nonsurgical options - which felt more right for me. so, what i'd say to other people with dupuytren's contracture is this: don't wait —find a hand specialist trained in nonsurgical options, today. >> mickey never lift to see her i found mine at findahandspecialist.com. 53rd birthday, she was found floating in the waters of the mediterranean, -- hunted thinking about her friends final moments. >> i thought oh my god, i hope she was not in the live in that water trying to save herself, and i thought what a horrible way to die. >> her body was brought to this hospital in valencia italy, doctor -- performed the autopsy. >> [speaking non-english] >> what he found told a sinister story. he saw her body was badly bruised, especially at the base of her neck, a sign of strangulation. he also noted bruising on her inner thighs, possibly evidence of sexual assault. perhaps most significant, was what the autopsy did not show. >> [speaking non-english] >> meaning she was already that when she hit the water. that told italian prosecutor -- this was a deliberate act of murder. >> [speaking non-english] >> the tenacious attorney seemed to understand that if her death was a homicide, he would be a suspect. and so, he turned to two trusted friends, investigators susan mcqueen, and bill brice. bill, the former cop gave him some blunted vice about dealing with the fbi. >> i said, you need to find out what happened, if you did not do anything, you need to find out what happened, and give it to them. >> susan was confident she and bill could help him do just that. >> when all the bits and pieces came out, about the nature and which they claimed she was killed, it just did not seem possible. so you naturally look for the defense, you say this cannot be, there has to be an explanation here. >> this is not him? >> right. this would not be has nature. >> you might be not the perfect guy, but he is no killer? >> it just did not fit. >> so what do you do in the situation, as his investigators. >> we have to find out what, happened to his, research and the first goal was to get back on that bow and try to interview people, ascertain what happened and into the moments leading up to her death. >> so a couple of months after her death, they traveled to italy, and booked a cabin aboard the island escape. >> we want to take measurements of different places on the ship, where they had low railings, or they had higher rulings. we wanted to meet with the captain, so we got permission to go inside the exact room he went into, the room you and lonnie were staying in? >> yes, they learned with the captain, and did not learn much from him except this. there were almost 1500 passengers and crew on board the island escape at the time she went overboard. meaning, potentially, hundreds of possible suspects, for a wide range of countries. >> those people, those potential suspects they are going to be hard to track down. >> we wanted to manifest who was fighting to give it to us, then run it against list of sex offenders and anybody with a criminal record. >> correct. yes. >> except, they could not get the manifest, so that was a dead and. they had more luck with the autopsy report, he hadn't been able to get a, copy but susan's talents as an investigator and her italian language skills paid off. >> you are good at, this aren't you? >> i was able to get the copy. >> she thought the autopsy report was not definitive, and what was their, pointed away from lonnie. >> indicated that she had been raped, strangled, and obviously thrown overboard. >> that sounds to me more like an assailant that did not know her, then some fight with him. >> possibly. >> susan and bill found out there were no security cameras anywhere on the ship, and according to the crew, no one on board at the time reported hearing anything suspicious. >> nobody saw or heard them fighting? >> no. >> nobody saw them in any struggle? >> not that i could find. >> and nobody saw anybody menacing either one of them? >> not that i could. find >> where was she on the ship when she went underwater, nobody knows? >> no way to know. >> lots of open questions. susan and bill felt the italians had stopped investigating once he left, and never really looked to other suspects. the fbi on the other hand, was just getting started. coming up. >> he had built a good story to bolster his defense. >> the fbi dick's deep, but what would they find? >> he just said c, i told, you i told you i didn't do anything. >> when dateline continues. yeah, everything's taken care of. -hey, jamie. -oh, what am i up to? just visiting a special secret client. i can't say who it is, but let's just say she bundled her dream house and her dream car for round-the-clock protection with progressive. oh. she has another house in malibu. she's been an astronaut, an architect, a ceo. we're in front of her house, dude. i'd love to tell you who her boyfriend is, but i don't think i "ken." i'd love to tell you, but i don't think i -- "barbie" in theaters now. 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we are just completely shocked. >> the fbi was investigating her death and learning more about her relationship with lonnie including the crisis their marriage faced in 1999, a client of the firm said lonnie had done something terrible. -- >> an accusation came up not he had sex with the client's daughter, and the client obviously was upset and what made it worse is she was a minor. he denied it, and swore up and down that nothing happened. >> he was arrested, he insisted that he was innocent, and mickey stood by him. >> she wanted to believe him, of course she loved him. >> that law firm fired him, and he was concerned about possible legal problems. >> his idea was to divorce to protect his assets in the event that he got sued, so everything went under her name temporarily. >> so the idea is they would be legally, divorced were not actually divorced, maybe get together again? >> they stayed as a man and wife, but on paper they were legally divorced. >> to fight the sex charges, she turned to his friend susan mcqueen and bill brice for help. >> we were tracking where he had been, what, time mikey cards and license plates so forth, and apparently we had him work when he was supposed to be where they claimed he was. >> he was never prosecuted, and the charges were later dropped. >> is your work related to why he was never prosecuted for that? >> i would like to think though. >> even, so things were tense between them. bill says she was sometimes call him in mid argument. >> he would put me on, telephone let me listen, to it and she would be in the back yelling and screaming and he would lock the door and you would hear her banging at the door, and yelling at him calling him names, he was tillerson, she's out of control, then he would say, don't you dare hit me, stuff like that and you would hear a crash and things breaking in the background and when he told me she is drinking, she went to a bottle of wine and she is nasty, i think why are you putting up with this. >> mick's friends who never heard about nervy over that, and facts you had no idea mcewen even divorced. >> so she was really hiding a lot of things going on in her life from -- >> hiding big things. >> one more thing fbi special agent rick simpson learned, at the time of her death, the couples assists were worth almost $2 million, including that beautiful home in orange county, when mickey died, all of it went to him. >> that sounds like a motive? >> it does. >> except, no one had seen or heard them fighting on the cruise ship, there is no evidence he had been the one to harm her in any way, let alone kill her and threw her overboard. and his account never changed, he took to a, meehan went to sleep, and she left to go get herbal tea. >> he had built a good story if you will to bolster his defense from the beginning. >> of course, it was possible lonnie was simply telling the truth, while the fbi suspected he was responsible for his death, the bureau did not have much evidence to back up that suspicion. in december 2006, the u.s. attorney brought the case to a federal grand jury, except, the grand jury's role was only to investigate, not to issue an indictment. >> if you had proof that lonnie had killed his ex-wife, you would have taken to a grand jury, and gotten an indictment, and i have to believe you did not do that because you thought there wasn't anything really to prove that beyond your suspicions? >> we in the fbi our investigators, and our role is to find facts, whether a case is presented to a grand jury, that is a prosecutorial decision. >> and a justice department apparently decided there was not enough to go for it at that point. >> at some point to me that the termination. >> so the grand jury met, and no charges were filed against lonnie, he just said, see, i told you. he said i told you head into anything. >> two, lonnie must have felt like vindication. but bill price had a feeling the fbi was not finished investigating his friend yet. so, he wanted to help him prove his innocence, the question was, how? it turns out, the answer was staring him and susan wright in the face. >> there is both proof that you can face yes as they determined investigator, only to have that tough exterior melt away, as easily as your -- can and general. >> dogs bring you love, you can leave for five minutes, come back and their tail is wagging, they act like they haven't seen you in years. >> bill organizes and run stock shows for the american kennel club, susan is a professional handler. >> training a champion requires some significant instinct, doesn't it? >> yes it does. >> and from the beginning, susan's investigative instincts had told her her friend was no killer, bill thought the same. >> i'm thinking, i know these guys for this u.s., i know how he responds to dogs, and animals, he is not winter. >> and to prove it, bill came up with a plan. >> i said i will get him to take a polygraph, let's show the fbi they have nothing to hide, and you are going to take this test. he agreed. he was now living in florida. so bill set up the test with a friend named mike, who was also an expert polygraph examiner, he answered 11 questions, including did you kill mickey? did you cause the death of nicki? were you present when nikki was killed? the examiner asked those questions three times, the results were not what bill had hoped for. >> they came out. he said i have to use the bathroom. and as he walked away, mike said are you in on this? i said, do you want to repeat that again? am i in on? it in on what? >> he says you know he is guilty. >> i said is this a joke? >> he said no. >> i said he is guilty? >> i said this is not funny. i'm not trying to be funny. so i took a deep breath, that's when it flashes before you, the little things, that you want to overlook. >> little things like the height of the railing on the island escape, and the realization of how difficult it would be for the five foot three mickey to go off that balcony by accident, now bill's investigators rain was telling him, along with the polygraph, that lonnie knew more than he was saying, as much as you want to believe he was innocent, the evidence was pointing elsewhere. >> now you're thinking am i being played for a fool here? >> yes. i was not willing to accept it, but i'm thinking about it, yes. >> coming up -- bill talks with the fbi. >> i think he was working hard to kind of navigate his own internal contradictions. and, a secret about the other woman in lonnie's life. >> explain to me how he kept this hidden from everybody. >> crafty. he is a smart man. >> when dateline continues. 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>> she had no idea he was with me. >> bill walked over, and they turn on a recorder. >> do you know you are being recorded? >> yes. >> do you believe the things that he told you about bill? >> how about which is his connections regarding the -- connection that -- bill had questions as well. -- how do you determine whether amy -- -- because after all was said and done, he did not come back to her? >> her fear told me she was telling the truth with us. you cannot create that kind of fear. >> she was afraid of him, she was afraid of bill. >> it was a double whammy, amy said that he had planned the murder, that was bad enough, then she said he implicated bill, before the cruise, remember, he had invited bill and susan to come along they had a chance of the last minute. now it began to look as if his invitation was part of the plan as well. maybe he had asked bill to go with him, so bill could take the fall for her murder. >> that is your friend doing that? >> my friend, yes. >> a guy that was nearly a brother to you? >> yes. >> i got you had been an investigator for? a guy had dinner with? a guy you defended? they got you were trying to exonerate? >> yes. >> i think you are lucky he was not in front of you at that moment. >> i think that is an accurate statement. yes. >> the anger, and a fury that i felt at that moment was incomprehensible. >> he was counting on the two of them to prove he was not involved in her murder, now they had evidence on tape that he was. >> -- when i flew back into tampa, i immediately called him his house, and said i want to see, you i want to see you in person. he stood in my dining room area, and i said, did you tell her that i had anything to do with mike's death? and or, that i had connections to do this? did you make her believe i had anything to do with her death? >> yeah, i did. >> i said, why? >> he said i wanted her to think i had power, i was a big guy. >> you should know i have a tape recorder, and it is going to the fbi. >> what did he say when you said that? >> please do not. i was just trying to impress her. i said okay. i said get out of my house, do not ever come near, me do not come around me, i don't want to hear from you again. then, when he left, i called agents simpson, and i said i have a recording for you. >> he called and said that he and susan had gone to see amy, and that was i think a real turning point for bill. >> he wanted him to be innocent? >> sure. but i think overtime, he came to the conclusion that he wasn't. but i think it took some time for him to come to that conclusion. >> that recording of the new story eventually made its way to orange county assistant the a susan bryce. if bill and susan hadn't recorded her say that, she might to this day be defending him? >> that is absolutely true. >> now it was up to prosecutors, and that would take a few years, because amy and was the key, and it turned out, that was a problem. coming up -- >> we actually did go to northern california and arrived at her doorstep. >> unannounced? >> unannounced. she just said, i do not want to talk to, you have no interest in talking to you. >> a problem indeed. how are they going to solve that? >> i'm tired of it, amy, i'm tired of him. i need your help. >> i said it is time for you to step up to the plate. >> when dateline continues. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements. ingrezza is different. it's the simple, once-daily treatment proven to reduce td that's #1 prescribed. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com ♪ ingrezza ♪ trying to control my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ enough was enough. i talked to an asthma specialist and found out my severe asthma is driven by eosinophils, a type of asthma nucala can help control. now, fewer asthma attacks and less oral steroids that's my nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. talk to your asthma specialist to see if once-monthly nucala may be right for you. and learn about savings at nucala.com there's more to your life than asthma. find your nunormal with nucala. hi, my name's steve. i lost 138 pounds on golo there's more to your life than asthma. and i kept it off. golo's changed my life in so many ways. before, i was over 300 pounds. now, i literally have the ability to take a shirt off and go out in the sun where i would have never done that before. try golo. it works. >> the sour stop, stories the biden administration announced a 345 million dollar weapons package for, taiwan chancellor directly from pecan stockpiles. the military aid is part of the one billion dollar pledge to the strategic partner, despite opposition from china. no republican leader mitch mcconnell founded finishes term after -- his health, the 81 old foes midsentence during a press conference wednesday, his term ends in 2026. now back to dateline. >> as toshiba and karen patiently waited for answer. they would sometimes visit mickey's grave site. and see the name lonnie on the headstone next to hers. that was difficult. >> the first seven years we thought that we knew they were investigating him, but. >> didn't seem to be going anywhere? >> not really. no. we just loved our life. but me, it's always in the back of my mind. it is not going away. >> it keeps going. >> it turns out the assistant da susan price was investigating lonnie. especially after she listen to the recording. where lonnie's ex-wife amy told the investigators that she knew about his plan to murder mickey from the crew ship. >> lonnie told me that bill had a big connection. that he'd have people come and [inaudible] >> the prosecutor knew that she had to meet amy. >> we actually did go to california and arrived at her doorstep. >> unannounced? >> unannounced. >> and what you said to her was i'm pretty sure i heard that interview, somebody has been murdered here. and you have important information. she said i don't or i'm not talking? >> we did not get that far. she just said i do not want to talk to you. i have no interest in talking to you. so, we came back home. >> they weren't giving up. the da asked sergeant from the county department to assist with the case. a top priority. try to talk to amy. >> then i went up to talk to her. and she did not want to cooperate with law enforcement. >> they compel her with a subpoena. and when amy finally came down to orange county, the prosecutors invited someone else to the meeting. bill price. >> bill price, amy, i don't know if you know know each other. so go ahead and have a seat. >> my objective, under their direction, was to get her to talk. >> in that meeting, amy was emotional. and at the time said she didn't know who bill was. even though that was clearly not true. >> i don't know you. >> what do you mean you don't? >> bill told her that law enforcement already know all about their previous conversation. >> they have the tape recording of you and i talking. >> no, i don't know. you >> do you understand that they have a tape recording? that i turned it in. because i'm protecting myself, in my family? do you understand that? >> i don't know. you >> you can't say you don't ow me, you would be lying. if he's telling you to do this. amy this is not good. amy why are you protecting him? >> i did not protect. him i don't know. you >> she was still scared. maybe of bill. remember, lonnie had made him sound like against or. and as he prefaced amy, bill seemed to lean into that role. >> i am not here to kill you. i am here to, i am here to protect my name. and to protect you. and bring you underneath my coat. i'm here to tell them that if they mess with you, they messed with me. i'm here to bring in the best attorneys, if i have to. but i'm not here to do is protect his lies, and, him from hurting me, and everybody else around us. i'm tired of it amy. i major help. i need you to be with me. >> i said, it's time for the truth to come out now. i said, and he has made full out of all of us. i said now it is time for you to step up to the plate. >> the da gave amy immunity for her testimony. and she agreed to cooperate. she told the sheriff's investigators her own version of what happened on that cruise. how lonnie had booked it, planning to kill mickey. and then amy said, lonnie threatened her. forcing her to lie to the federal grand jury. >> bill started this, trying to help outline the, and ended up helping you guys? >> absolutely. he did. >> four days after that interview, the sergeant traveled to safety harbor, florida, where lonnie lived. >> he wasn't in the house. we found him about one other -- operating this new business, these bouncy houses for children. we told him he was arrested for the murder of mickey. and at that point, he claimed to give us a statement. >> he didn't say anything? >> he didn't say anything. >> it was lonnie's right to remain silent as he was under arrest for murder. he was booked into the county jail. >> how did that feel? >> actually it felt pretty good. it felt pretty good. >> for his family, it was welcome news. >> what did you think? >> i go. what a relief. after seven years. because i knew he had something to do with mckee's murder. >> and one thing had not changed, there was still no physical evidence tying lonnie to her death. with this case be enough for a jury? coming up! >> there is no blood in the room, there is no evidence of a struggle. there is nothing. where is the evidence? where is it? >> could make herself help prove this case? >> he never anticipated that her body would never be recovered. >> when dateline continues! >> with woolite, jill feels super confident in her favorite sweater. so much, she marched up to her boss and said 'dan i want a raise'! his name is bob. woolite protects your favorites from fading, pilling, and stretching. so you can wear them as long as you love them. >> attorney david michael had already defended lonnie in civil court. protecting his assets from seizure from the feds. now there was much more than money at stake. >> i was stunned that he had been arrested, actually. i was absolutely stunned. >> this time, the charge was murder. lonnie faced life in prison. >> i've been doing criminal defense for 45 years. i have done some heavy stuff. and i will tell you my belief 100% is that lonnie is innocent of killing mickey. >> he pleaded not guilty. attorney knew that the keys were lighted on amy lyn. the story that he says was one big lie. influenced by none other than bill price. >> he scared the hell out of amy. i have money, i have can protect you, i can save you. come on, he's a rat, he's a scumbag. he said horrible things about you. horrible stuff, i've never heard of it before. and that's when amy turned. >> why is it so hard to believe that she was frightened of lonnie? that she lied for him? and that she eventually stopped lying for him him? and told the truth? >> there is no basis at all for what she is saying to be true. it's fantasy stuff. and the fact that when they investigated the island escape, there is nothing in the room. there's no blood anywhere. there is no evidence of a struggle. there is nothing. where is the evidence? where is it? you know, yes she got killed. but that doesn't mean that lonnie did it. >> as sergeant don worked with the orange county the is to gather evidence against lonnie. one thing became clear, the island escape was not the luxuries crew ship that nikki had looked forward to. i kind of get the feeling that if you grew up watching the love boat, you probably would not recognize the island escape. >> you definitely would not. >> the island escape was a former ferryboat. once he used to transport cars. then later tourists. who were looking to save a buck. >> this was not the type of ship that the american attorney would view as a vacation type of a vessel. it is designed to be cheap, and cheerful. >> it has one peculiar feature that was appealing to lonnie. it is a straight drop into the sea from the balconies that were welded on to the side of this converted ferry. >> and most modern cruiseship bay, if you fall off the aloha deck, you've got a good chance of landing on the lead on deck. not so on the island escape. those balconies guarantee that in a fall, the only thing that you would head is the mediterranean. almost seven story straight down. >> that is a long fall. you're standing there looking over the balcony, that's a long fall in the ocean. definitely. >> a jury would decide if this unusual defendant was guilty of mckee's murder. and attorney himself, lonnie filed a motion after motion and delayed the trial for years. >> lonnie is a bright man. lonnie worked very hard as an attorney, throughout these proceedings who wrote a lot of the briefs that were presented to the court. >> and how did he do? >> he's a good attorney. however, he was blinded by his own narcissism. and he's not as smart as he thinks he is. >> david michael did not represent lonnie for the criminal trial. instead, lonnie had a public defender. opening statements began in february of 2020. >> the defendant believed that the last chapter of mickey's life was overseas. but it is not. the last chapter is here. >> their first witness, the captain of the island escape. he testified about going to mickey and lonnie's cabin hours after her disappearance. and speaking with lonnie. >> he was not upset at all, he was very cold. his conversation, when i asked him those questions. he wasn't talking quickly, or nervously. he was very measured. >> we called julie. >> they team also heard the calls between the east, julie, and lonnie. he had been eager to talk. until julie asked him this question. >> is there any way that you had anything to do with mike's death? >> what do you think? >> i just had to ask. >> i think you know the answer to that already. >> he got really angry at me, and the first thing he said, is what do you think? >> the only reason why i asked you is because the fbi told me she had died before she hit the water. >> i don't know. she might have been robbed. if that's true. >> well i don't, i know that's what they told me. >> i don't know what happened to her, i didn't have anything to do with it. okay? and i don't appreciate the implication. >> julie had done what she could to help investigators. and now she realized that mikey herself was key to proving the case. >> he never anticipated that her brother body would beat it recovered. >> remember make he's drinking? suggesting she had gotten drunk. maybe fallen overboard by accident and drowned? her body told a different story. according to the toxicology report, mickey was not under the influence of alcohol when she died. and the autopsy found no water in her lungs. >> point to the torso. >> however, there were bruises. some around her neck. a tally in pathologist clarified through an interpreter, it was clear evidence that mickey had been strangled. >> mechanical asphyxia. there is strangulation. or by means of strangulation. >> under cross examination, the doctor testified that despite those bruises on her thighs. he did not believe that mickey had been raped. he did see trauma to the back of her head. possibly called by a blunt object. >> could it have been a wine bottle that did not break? >> it could be any object that had a convex surface. it could even be a bottle, yes. >> the question was why lonnie would want her dead? according to prosecutors, the motive was money. lonnie had been the beneficiary of mickey's will. meaning, all that money that he parked with her during the legal troubles, belong to lonnie after she died. when bill price took the witness stand. it was to testify against his former, close friend. >> he looked down. he looked around. he couldn't look me in the eye. but i looked at him. i'm not ashamed of anything that i said it did. >> remember, bill had confronted lonnie about what amy told him. which was that bill helped to arrange the murder. lonnie's response? >> he told me don't worry about it. that she had already testified in a grand jury and therefore the fbi wouldn't believe her. >> and so he told you that she would be not believed anyways right? >> that is correct. >> so here's the moment, amy was called to testify. in court, the judge would not allow us to take pictures of her face. amy testified that lonnie told her that he booked the cruise for himself and mickey. and his supposedly well connected friend. bill price. >> and did he tell you what his plan was? >> he said that bills people will throw people mickey in the water. and his girlfriend will be -- >> in other words, his alibi. but when bill canceled at the last minute. amy says that lonnie told her this. >> he will have to take matters into his own hands. >> remember, if amy was telling the truth on the stand. it meant she had previously lied to a federal grand jury. >> we had assess the reality that she had given up a prior statement under oath. but we also took everything we know to be true about our jobs, and human beings, and evaluated her in person. to see whether we believed her so a little bit of a got checked there for me at least. >> and you believed her? >> absolutely. >> and you thought a jury would? >> absolutely. >> before the jury had a chance to deliberate, this courtroom and the world would have to face a new reality. a global pandemic. coming up! >> we're seeing that there is a travel ban in italy. and i'm thinking, what is happening? >> the trial suddenly at a stop. the case? not over yet. an undercover plan is about to be revealed. >> i actually posed as a hitman. >> and it was a stunner. when dateline continues! went from me being their caregiver to the husband and kids being mine. (announcer) the people you love are worth quitting for. you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. amazon has great deals on everything kids need. instead of spending more, he spent less. seemed obvious. why would a person spend more money? he's eight and he gets it. i'm 10. well, that's less impressive. my mental health was much better, but i struggled with uncontrollable movements called td, tardive dyskinesia. td can be caused by some mental health meds. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements. ingrezza is different. it's the simple, once-daily treatment proven to reduce td that's #1 prescribed. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com ♪ ingrezza ♪ sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand for a better night sleep. ( sfx: ding, ding, ding.) so now, he wakes up feeling like himself. ( sfx: crowd cheering ) the reigning family room middle-weight champion. ( ♪♪ ) get the rest to be your best with zzzquil. it's non-habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. better days start with zzzquil nights. and try zzzquil purezzzs melatonin gummies. the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. >> by march of 2020. the trial of lonnie for the murder of mikey was well underway. in fact, the courtroom was probably one of the last paces left with a lawyer. outside, it was chaos. >> the impact of coronavirus around the world is becoming more dire. >> it is a global battle against the virus spreading fast. >> in italy tonight, infections are spiking. >> all of these witnesses have come from italy. and we literally, within 48 hours of the last one going back to italy? there is news about coronavirus hitting italy. and within a day, we're seeing that there is a travel ban in italy. and i'm thinking, what is happening? >> next, the orange county court calendar was wiped clean. >> were you worried that the trial had to pause because of the pandemic? >> yes i was. >> that delay lasted more than two months. then on may 26, 2020. with covid-19 cases still spreading in orange county. the judge called a hearing. to determine whether lonnie's case could move forward. so she went to court with a heavy heart. it was the 14th anniversary of mckee's death. the hearing was livestreamed to the public. and no surprise, the defense argued for a mistrial. among the reasons, after the long delay, jurors could not possibly remember everything. putting lonnie at a disadvantage. to which the judge said. >> we have to continue. it is so important to have the rule of law. even during a pandemic. >> the judge denied the motion for a mistrial and two days later, all 16 jurors returned. following social distancing guidelines. jurors would spread throughout the courtroom. and everyone would wear masks except for the witnesses. and the first witness to take the stand was lonnie. >> i don't know if my ex-wife was killed. i don't know what happened to my ex-wife. >> lonnie had an explanation for everything. >> why did you book a cabin with a balcony? >> well. i did not want to cheap out. i was trying to impress mckee with the fact that i was trying to change. more vacation, spending more money. >> all of it was to salvage a relationship, that according to lonnie, mckee's hot temper had destroyed. >> she broke cell phone, she threw things. one particular incident in 2001, she broke a fax machine. threw it from the second level down to the living room floor. >> that time, the cops were called. lonnie said that he talked them down from arresting mickey. so when lonnie learned that mckee's niece, julie, was trying to get him arrested for mckee's murder. buy separately taping their conversations. lonnie said that he was really hurt. >> then for her to accuse me. of something that i did not do. after, i thought we were trying to help each other upset me greatly. >> lonnie said julie that wasn't the only one who took advantage of his kindness. there was also bill price. the friend who turned on him. and of course, amy nguyen. lonnie called her a gold digger. said she was lying. and said that bill price put her up to it. >> i don't trust any of them. didn't trust any of them, and don't trust any of them when it comes to a relationship. i did not expect her to make her lies about me again. >> lonnie said that amy wasn't the only person telling lies about him. there was also someone he met behind bars. someone who was prepared to tell the jury quite a story. back in april of 2014, a year after lonnie was arrested for mckee's murder. the orange county, da's office got a call. an inmate named tony. a frequent flyer in the criminal justice system, was requesting an emergency landing. sergeant don set up a meeting. >> so tony had told us that he was approached by lonnie, who asked tony and another inmate if they're willing to have lonnie's third wife recant her statement and then have her killed. >> this is a -- we're talking about? >> correct. >> we created a hit man named greg, who's gonna be a hit man for lonnie. to take care of while his third wife. >> greg was played by an undercover investigator, pete bill. we've disguised him so he can get more work in the future. >> how often when you're asked to pose as a hit man is the person that you're supposedly working for already behind bars? >> in the six cases that i actually pose as a hit man, four of the six were already behind bars. >> how many of those six cases where men wanting you to kill their wives? >> six out of six. >> this has to give you a dim view of men, or at least of husbands. >> well, at least the ones in custody. >> tony, the informants, then introduced dragged the hitman, to lonnie. the inmates. >> i think people maybe from watching tv shows or movies, have this idea that this all happens in one phone call. >> now, he was definitely feeling me out during the first few conversations. but after he got some bad news that court, he opened up much more with me over the phone. >> what kind of money are we talking about here? >> lonnie was offering $100,000 for me to kill amy. >> greg said that the ever so careful lonnie spoke in code. >> he told me it was time to take the property off the market. another call. i said, i just want to make sure that we are good for closing on property d 16. which is his code. and he agreed, it is time. >> when you hear that you know, we can go to court with that. >> yes. he knows that i'm not a realtor. >> then, a surprising thing happened. somebody wanted to call the cops. and it was lonnie! >> coming up! >> how many times have you lied to this jury since yesterday morning? >> none. >> he had an answer for everything. >> lonnie, innocent man? >> well i have been victimized. i'm pretty naive. >> or guilty as charged? >> you have 14 years to come up with a story. 14 years. >> 12 jurors were about to decide his fate. when dateline continues! sleepovers just aren't what they used to be. a house full of screens? basically no hiccups? you guys have no idea how good you've got it. how old are you? like, 80? back in my day, it was scary stories and flashlights. we don't get scared. oh, really? mom can see your search history. that's what i thought. introducing the next generation 10g network. only from xfinity. >> everyone who knew him said that lonnie was a resourceful, howard working attorney. according to prosecutors, in the time leading up to his trial. lonnie had done more than file motions. they said he also tried to hire a hitman to take out the key witness against him. his ex-wife, amy nguyen. lonnie thought the hitman's name was greg, he was wrong. it was bill and bill wasn't a hit man. he was an undercover cop. who followed up on their conversations with a letter to lonnie. >> i asked him to specify some of the terms that we were using during this investigation. to get clarification from him. >> that sounds like it's gonna make someone suspicious. >> and it did. >> lonnie may have realized that he had been the target of a sting operation. and true to form, he went on the offensive. asking his attorney's office to call the police. >> lonnie never said that he wanted amy nguyen killed. it's only that investigator that can try that. >> he cut off communication after that? >> he called me one more time. and he said that tony had misled me about the entire process. he was doing damage control at that point. but unfortunately for lonnie, the damage was already done. >> prosecutors charged lonnie with solicitation to commit murder. he denied it and said that he had been set up. by a jailhouse informant who was looking to cut a deal. the assistant da, susan price, head waited years for the chance to cross examine lonnie. >> how many times have you lied to the story since we have today morning? >> none. >> you've been truthful? >> yes. >> tell me about cross examining lonnie. you are smiling. >> well i've, never cross-examined a defendant quite like lonnie. he had a answer for everything. a very lengthy answer for everything. a very self serving answering for anything. he was the victim of everything. >> can you please tell us how you've been victimized by different people. would you agree with that? >> i have been victimized. but i'm pretty naive. >> that's how he played it anyway. and under cross examination, lonnie did not crack. >> you testified yesterday that mckee, when she drank, she became unpredictable. >> she was unpredictable when she drank. >> when she unpredictable on the night that you saw her alive last? >> she was okay then. >> was she violent towards you on the night to last saw her alive? >> no. >> lonnie insistent that there was no argument, and, no violence. >> i don't know what caused her death, so i don't know if it was a factor or not. >> because you believe she could've strangled herself? >> i believe she was strangled. and of course she could not strangle herself. >> when you finish crimes examining lonnie you think, we've got it? >> no. i never think we've got it. i did think to me, he doesn't seem credible. but i didn't know if any of the jurors felt sorry for him. >> five months after trial started, the case was handed to a jury. what they see an innocent man taken advantage of time and again or a heartless murder? micki's brother told she wondered. >> they are 14 years to come up with a story, 14 years over and over to make everything fit. >> after just an hour of deliberation, it all came undone. the verdict? guilty of first degree murder for financial gain. >> how did lonnie take it? >> he shook his head. >> he just stood there and shook his head, because i watched him. and watching him. he's shaking his head. >> he wouldn't look back at you? >> no. >> micki's niece, julie, had been waiting to. >> as soon as i heard the verdict, it was as big sense of relief. like, my aunt finally got justice. >> lonnie was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. he is appealing his conviction. because of a life sentence, the da's office dropped the murder for hire charge. for bill price, who thought of lonnie as a brother. and then ended up turning him in. it had been a very long road. >> how is your conscience? >> relieved. whether micki was a good or bad person, nobody deserves to die. that way. nobody does. and i suppose, the guilt that i would've had then would be, i believed him. that hurts. >> you are a pro and he fooled you? >> yeah. >> for micki kanesaki, the ocean always carried hope. a coal miner's daughter from japan, she once traveled across the sea for a better life. and the island escape was supposed to carry her and lonnie to calmer shores. >> he didn't know how good he had it? >> yeah, he does not know. he did not know. yeah, to the end. she was always there for him. and look what happened. look what he did to her. she didn't deserve that. she had a lot to live for. >> she was a beautiful person. and i'm talking about her soul. she just had such a beautiful soul. >> a soul, lost at sea. who found her way home. >> i'm craig melville and this is dateline. >> that must be a pit in your stomach when you hear that your inmate is gone. >> yes, he's a very, very dangerous person. >> you said a prisoner had escaped and toby was missing. we assumed that he took her prisoner to be used as a hostage. >> they were concerned for toby 's safety. >> we found out that she had taken a large sum of cash and two firearms were missing from the house. >> you think could she be involved in something like this? >> she had children, a husband, it seemed like it was a white picket fence type life. >> there was absolutely no way toby could be involved in this.