and then the third shot into his chest. >> three gunshots that had a long running mystery. who killed the veterinarian? >> i think the perpetrator stood there and watch him die. >> there were so many different leads and rumours. >> i felt like it wasn't for me. >> jealousy? rage? revenge? >> it was a classic who done it. >> could anyone solve it? >> look at what it's done to our family. >> it was hard. >> i wanted justice for my brother. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> there was a broad swath of prairie. where the cattle outnumbered the people. and the sad summer breeze sang around the modest dwelling in the grass. >> this is marlene protsman. >> they called it the bunk house. though it was really just a single wide trailer. >> he shot himself. my husband just went down. richard. to see if he wanted to go to pasture. >> an honest little place out on the montana prairie. along the edges. >> do you know where he shot himself? >> okay. is he still alive? >> there's blood everywhere. >> i place a young vet could achieve while he built his business. >> well, if you can have somebody go check and see if he's still alive. i have paged the ambulance. >> the local sheriff's deputies arrived and they found the body lying on its back. blood had pulled under his head. under one foot was the shoe that some people wear in the water. the other was bare. a. 357 magnum was on the floor not far from his left hand. marlene protsman saw all of this too, the same time as the deputies. but she could tell right away, as apparently they could not, that she had been wrong on the 9-1-1 call, the man did not shoot himself. >> brian had a cut on his nose and the way that his shirt was ripped and there was some blood on the floor. >> it looks like a struggle? >> yeah. it was not a suicide >> but? the deputies went about their work as they saw fit and thus, on sunday july 14th 1996. they caught a mystery. that has come down all the way to us. >> there were so many different theories, different suspects. and, so much conflicting evidence. it was your classic whodunnit. >> or perhaps a classic nightmare. >> i lie awake at night and i asked god to give me some insight here, where do i go now? >> the victim. the man on the floor was bryan pine a veterinarian. charlie and teresa's big brother. >> he was my brother, my best friend, my business partner. >> they grew up together in scott city, kansas. >> we shared bedrooms, we shared clothing, everybody shared. >> brian was the eldest. >> what kind of an older brother was he? >> protective. ornery. >> ornery? >> we were always playing pranks on each other. especially theresa because he didn't take them so well. >> brian was very smart, it was a given. maybe a little too smart. >> i remember turning it to him once and saying, i just want to know what time it is. i don't need to know how the clock was made. >> here's what they got to do growing up in a small town. they joined an organization. a future farmers of america. they raise their special animals, show them up at fairs, and exhibitions. bryan knew from the very beginning that there was one job that he was meant to do. >> i never knew brian not wanting to be a veterinarian. he always said that being a vet was way more difficult than being a doctor. because an animal can't tell you where it hurts, or how they feel. you have to figure out how they feel. >> after finishing that school, brian moved to montana. a big wide open country. cattle ranches galore. an outdoorsman's paradise really. which absolutely suited brian. he took full advantage of what montana had to offer. and often. so in 1995, a year before the events in our story. doctor ryan set up shop in a speck on the map called geraldine. population, 300. >> it's always a struggle starting a new business. and starting a vet clinic is very expensive. but it was doing very well. >> young doctor ryan hired marlene to help run the office. and moved into the unused bug house. marlene and the husband built on the property miles out of town. so she was both landlady and employee. >> brian had a heart of gold. he was part of the family. >> brian a good-looking young vet, in a tiny place. there was interest, lots of it. >> i remember asking, is there anyone they're your dating? and he said well there are some girls, but they're just not the ones. >> it was possibly an overly modest answer. the handsome young vets arrival was practically a news event. heads turn, hearts may have followed certainly gossip did. and then summer of 1996. >> again, the same question that i ask so what is going on? do you have a girlfriend? well. there is this one girl she comes over and does things for me. >> and i said things like? >> he said while she'll clean up my house and stuff. so i said shame on you. you should be over there cleaning her house. >> it was strange, what began to happen after he took up with that young lady. weird things. not exactly frightening, more like unsettling. like the rock that crashed through a window. >> he didn't tell you what he thought it was? >> no >> or who? >> knows. he did find out footprints out in the back of the building. but nothing really ever came of it. >> not long after, dr. ryan called both sisters with a request. >> at one point he told me, quit calling and hanging up. >> and i was like, brian i'm not hanging up. >> he just paused it often said it's not a big deal. it's not a big deal. >> but was it? on july 10th of 1996, doctor brian ryan drove three hours away to attend the conference he returned home on friday evening, at 12. no one saw him on saturday. and then on sunday, the 14th. marlene's husband drove over to bryant's house. >> it was about, i don't know, five or ten minutes later. he came back and walked in the door and was very distraught, crying. >> such a shock! which is maybe why her husband got the mistaken idea that doctor ryan committed suicide but later that same day, when marlene heard him repeat the mistake to bryant's grandparents. here is what happened. >> grandma made jumped up and she said, no way and how would my grandson commit suicide! >> then the next day. the state investigators, led by agent kent thompson of the department of criminal investigation arrived and looked at the ruined crime scene. >> my partner and i looked at each other and said, oh my lord you know, it certainly makes things very difficult. >> difficult? oh yes. difficult was not the half of it. >> coming up! what did happen to doctor ryan? >> we had been told that he had committed suicide. >> did you believe that could be true? >> absolutely not! >> blood on the doorstep. bullets in the kitchen! >> how could this happen? why would somebody do it? >> the search begins for a killer! >> i think the perpetrator stood there and watched him die. >> when dateline continues! less asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as 2 weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ including steroids, without talk♪ i'm with it ♪tor. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ shingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation or an unbearable itch. this painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks. it could make your workday feel impossible. the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside of you. if you're 50 years or older, ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles. ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it all. with up to 13 camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? 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[sfx: video game sound] new emergen-c crystals. throw it back. she found it. the feeling of finding the psoriasis treatment she's been looking for. sotyktu is the first-of-its-kind, once-daily pill for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding your back... is back. or finding psoriasis can't deny the splendor of these thighs. once-daily sotyktu is proven to get more people clearer skin than the leading pill. don't take if you're allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections including tb. serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. sotyktu is a tyk2 inhibitor. tyk2 is part of the jak family. it's not known if sotyktu has the same risks as jak inhibitors. find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding. ask your dermatologist about sotyktu for clearer skin. so clearly you. sotyktu. >> on a summer sunday afternoon outside of tiny, geraldine, montana. local sheriff's deputies used towels to mop up blood about what they appeared to be a suicide. the towns vendor in area and, dr. brian ryan age 31 was dead. his own 50 37 magnum. and the emissary of summer and death, they delivered the message to doctor ryan's sister teresa back in kansas. >> i remember saying mom i need to talk to you. >> i can't imagine what it would be like to tell your mom that her son is dead. >> yeah. it was hard. and he was, he was that child, that perfect child. >> it was evening, before the news found younger sister charlene. >> i was actually in las vegas. we have been told that he had committed suicide. >> did you believe that could be true? >> absolutely not. it was a long plane ride home >> do you remember what your mind was doing to you? >> how can this happen? why would somebody do it? >> those questions because none of them believed that ryan was capable of suicide. and sure enough, the autopsy revealed the bridge and's and contusions on the doctor's head. the swollen right i. clearly, there had been a struggle and he had been struck by three gunshots. two in the lower right forearm. and then a fatal shot to the chest. the conclusion? obvious. it was not suicide. it was homicide. >> how is it possible at first they thought it was a suicide? >> i can't answer that. i think you have to understand that, that county had not had a homicide and i think 19 years. >> it was monday when state department of criminal investigation, agent can thompson was called in. and by the time it got to the doctors bunk house, the locals had been gone. a scene left unguarded. for more than 48 hours. >> montana is a remote state. sometimes you have over eight hours to get to the crime scene. so it's not like a big city where you can roll in and everything is pristine. >> no, not even close. in fact, the deputies had spent just a few hours trumping around the kitchen. and taking about a dozen photos. and in the process, had done things that could be undone. like cleaning up blood on the floor under the victims upper body and tossing it into the garbage a telephone handset found under doctor ryan's head without swapping for dna, or dusting for fingerprints. those discarded materials were beyond recovery. by the time investigator thompson arrived the local deputies did tell him that they found a water shoe on the bunk house doorstep it appeared to have been knocofle. the other one was found on bryan's left foot. and then investigator thompson saw the blood drops. out on the doorstep. >> we knew that that is where the shooting had occurred. blood had dropped straight down. so it was just outside >> do you find some bullets around there? >> they found two bullets lodged in the kitchen cupboard. so the two shots that went through the arm, went through the arm and through that wall and came out into caption cabinets on the other side. >> thompson and his partner used the string to simulate the path of the bullets they even tried to act out what might have happened. and before long, they came to some conclusions. how far away was the shooter? >> played a close range. >> so, a struggle when the gun went off. it would be? >> some type of conversation went on and a struggle ensued. two shots went off. and then the third shot into his chest. i think that brian struggled to get in to call for help. that he sat there. i think the perpetrator stood there and watched brian die. >> and as for the location of the gun so close to doctor ryan 's own hand? >> the killer must have put it there? >> correct. >> were there any fingerprints on the gun? >> no. it looked like it had been wiped off with a solvent. >> so investigators now thought they knew how the murder occurred but when it happened? that wasn't clear at all. friday night? saturday? it was an important question of course. but just how important, they might not have fully imagined it just then. but there was no clear answer, in fact the pathologist who conducted the autopsy left a space for a time of death blank. remember, dr. brian returned home from a conference on friday evening. but his body wasn't found until sunday. investigators canvas nearby farms and? >> there was a neighbor that lived probably about a mile away. maybe a little less. crowed lives that had seen an atv go by that night and then said he heard two loud shots around that time. >> that is, friday night. but? >> could've been that night. or next morning? >> at first he wasn't sure. and then he wasn't sure of the dates. >> phone records show that the last time doctor bryan receive the phone call was at 10:15 on friday night. >> nobody heard from brian after that last phone call on friday night. the thought that he would go all day saturday without having any contact with anybody was really, highly unlikely. >> on the other hand, doctor bryan could've hung around his bunk house that saturday morning. or maybe had intended to go fishing? there were those water shoes and they found a fishing pole near the door. of course all this when and how did nothing to shine a light on who killed dr. ryan. the question that was consuming everyone who knew him. >> my mind was just, spinning. trying to think, who? any little lead at all? >> there was, she knew, this friend of dr. ryan's. larry who had recently erratic behavior. and she also knew some people in town that said larry was brad mouthing brian at a local bar. but he denied it. but investigators, almost immediately had a different lead that they were pursuing. and it was related to that broken window at the vet clinic. and the hang-up phone calls that doctor ryan had asked his sisters if they were making. so he had no idea who did it? >> after he eliminated me, he had an idea. >> oh he knew, or thought he knew who the hang-up caller was. but he didn't seem very worried about it. >> everything was gonna be okay. bryan was not afraid of anything. >> maybe, he should've been? coming up! a new relationship. >> i thought he was handsome. i was excited. >> and the jealous ex? >> should i file a restraining order? should i do something? >> what would investigators make of him? >> i was beginning to form an opinion that it was a crime of passion. >> when dateline continues! i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. how can you sleep on such a firm setting? gab, mine is almost the same as yours. next scene might take a while. almost is just another word for not as good as mine. save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, 36 month financing on select smart beds. shop now only at sleep number. [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. so, you've got the power of xfinity at home. now take it outside with xfinity mobile. next scene might take a while. like speed? it's the fastest mobile service around. with the best price for two lines of unlimited. only $30 bucks a line per month. that's hundreds in savings a year when you wave bye to the other guys. all on the most reliable 5g network nationwide. you really shouldn't walk out the front door without it. >> veterinarian brian's family switch today at xfinitymobile.com. went into a tailspin, the the news of his death. and when they heard that somebody murdered him? you kind fell apart after that? >> yes. it was difficult to figure out what to go, and what to do. >> his mom was practically paralyzed in grief. and so much of the dreadful work that demands to be done after such a death, fell on teresa. >> i remember going to the future and sitting there and thinking, i am so tired i want to go to bed. >> and maybe that played a role in teresa's mood. because on that july day, 1996. when he was buried in his hometown in kansas, and a large contingent of montanans made the trip to say goodbye. among them was that young woman from geraldine. the one who had gone over in cleaned this house. the one that brian had recently started seeing. >> i was almost annoyed that she even came. and she was standing in our home, and i really thought, why are you here? i was pretty irritated. >> and those feelings were not lost on that young lady in the middle of her own grief and confusion. >> i felt out of place. because i felt, you know, they did not know who i was. >> her name was anne. she was 21 then. she had known doctor ryan just two months. madam at rusty's bar in geraldine. >> he was so handsome, i was like what is this guy doing in geraldine? it was surprising to me. >> they talked all night, she said. and in the morning. how did you feel? >> i was excited. i felt giddy just excited that somebody would be interested in me. >> but complications, anne had a live in boyfriend. tom. her high school sweetheart. they had been together four and a half years and though the relationship had its issues, who knows? she may have married him and then she had that hard to heart with doctor ryan. >> he said, you are too young to be settling down and -- somebody telling you what to do. >> and how did that strike it when he said that? >> i agreed with him. >> like why have i been with that guy all these years? >> yeah. he made me see that i would be better without it. it hadn't been a good relationship for a while. i had a reason to move on and let go and that. >> and she was going to tell tom. as soon as she got up the nerve but then, oh boy, dr. ryan left a message on her answering machine at the apartment she shared with tom. who, of course, heard the message. >> he called me up and ask me what the hell is going on >> well a boyfriend would want to know what the hell is going on right? >> yeah. >> and when she told him? >> he started crying. and said, i can't believe that i was doing this. and how i was throwing away everything. >> but anne was done, she moved out to the family farm outside of geraldine and tom begged her to come back. promised to do better. >> he told me that, brian, when he got tired of me, he would dump me. >> and then the phone calls started. over and over again. >> i asked him to leave me alone. i said i needed time, i need space. >> he wasn't giving you any? >> no. >> one day, she agreed to go for a ride in tom's new pick up truck. so they could have the car. big mistake. he drove out of town and kept on driving. wouldn't let her get out of the truck. >> so i said okay. i started looking at a ditch. thinking that i could land in the grass, i would be okay. so i opened the door, i was gonna jump out. and he grabbed my arm and said what the hell are you doing? >> how did it eventually end? >> he finally took me back. >> did you go home that night? >> no. my brother was out of town. so i asked brian if i could stay with him. because i did not want to be home alone. >> it's a big step. did you feel safer? >> yes. >> but then tom, all of 20 for three years old barged into bryan's place in the middle of the night. when she was there. demanding to know the 31 -year-old doctor's intention. >> he thought he was a super kid. >> he was being a stupid kid. you have to agree with that. >> yeah. i asked them should i follow a restraining order, should i do something? and he said no he'll get over it. just give him time to get out of its system. >> but he didn't get over it. and one night when nobody was home. he went into anne's house. into her bedroom. >> and, he said he found my journal and read it. >> what did it mean like to have your personal journal read by him? >> it felt like i had been violated. >> how did anne learn about it? tom told her. and quoted from her journal. >> at the end i said, and it was in a sarcastic way. that it was, like here i can't believe i am thinking i met the man of my dreams. he'll probably get killed in a car wreck and probably kill himself just thinking of -- >> all the negative responsibility? >> thinking something is gonna happen. >> and it turned out to be a prophecy did knit? >> yeah. it plays back like a bad dream now. how she told brian what tom had been doing. and then discovered, it was even worse than she thought. >> there was one night, he came over here last night. saying he had car trouble. and ask to the phone. he said he lent me his phone, and went back to bed. >> had to be a ruse, brian figured. decide solely to see if anne was sleeping there. it must have confirmed that you made it the right decision breaking up with him? >> yeah. the more it solidified i'm not going back with him. >> all of that was just before that conference bryan attended out of town. the one that he returned from on friday night. that last phone call he was on? 10:15 pm? he was talking to anne? >> he said i gotta go and before i got to say goodbye, he hung up. >> really? >> i thought it was really weird but i didn't want to read too much into it at the time. but i kind of wondered. >> and now that brian was dead. and wondered a lot about something that she remembered tom said years earlier. >> if you ever cheated on me i will kill him, and i will kill you. >> so, it will not surprise you to know that when he heard all this. investigator thompson made a call. >> you don't know the kind of person you're going to encounter. and with my limited knowledge of what had happened here. i was beginning to form an opinion that it was somewhat a crime of passion. so, i thought, let's see where this goes. you know? maybe if this is heavy on his heart. it was just a tragic situation. maybe we will get to the truth tonight. >> if only the life had been investigator was that simple. >> coming up! >> everybody is gonna suspect me. >> police have questions for the envious ex. when dateline continues! sprays take hours. with astepro's unbeatably fast allergy relief you can astepro and go! some luxury creams just sit on top of skin. but olay goes 10 surface layers deep. our clinically proven hydration beats the $500 cream. to strengthen my skin for smoother, brighter results. your best skin yet. olay. 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>> i think his demeanor was to be helpful. he was welcoming, very polite. >> when my mom told me about brian, the first thing that i thought was oh they're gonna suspect me. the ex-boyfriend. that is not the case at all. >> tom admitted loving and being upset when he heard another man, dr. ryan, leave a phone message for his live in girlfriend. >> so what i did is, i called and said right away. oh you got a call here from brian. she didn't say anything. and i said, so tell me what's going on. she said nothing. so i said, you tramp. >> tom did not deny that he behaved badly. he freely admitted that he found, and family and her friends. he even called some of bryan's former girlfriends. >> what did that say to you? that behavior? >> he was literally doing his own investigation on brian. he was calling and friends. trying to get all the dirt that he could get on brian so he could turn around and give it to an and say, you need to end this relationship. this is a bad day. he is using you and you need to come back and be with me. >> in fact, tom admitted nearly all of those strange behaviors that and described the constant hang-up calls, showing up at bryan's police in the middle of the night. sneaking into ends empty house at 3:00 in the morning. snooping around in her bedroom. reading her diary. >> after reading it, i knew that, you know, brian is a big reason why she dumped me. >> he was aggressively pursuing her for her to change her mind. to end that relationship with brian and come back and start over. it was just a continual spiral. the things that he was doing. the more obsessed he got with her. >> it was, by his own admission, purse pathetic. like when he drove an atv and hid over in her family's farmhouse. just hoping for a glimpse of her. and was then chased off by her brothers. >> i just apologize to them and said i'm so stupid. i can't believe i did this. and i told them you know, i am lower than life. i don't deserve to live. and he said don't say that >> but tom had an alibi and a pretty solid one. for most of the weekend when doctor ryan was murdered except for friday night. and yes, he did admit that he phoned dr. ryan that night. >> so my intentions were to call him, and just tell them that, you know i didn't have any grudges against him. and i wasn't gonna interfere with him and anne's relationship. because you know, she's a really special person. he answered the phone and i just couldn't do it. i chickened out. >> and when was that? >> this was last friday. about quarter to ten. >> investigators have been thinking that though the medical example couldn't tell them, friday night was possibly when doctor ryan was murdered and after they heard tom story, how he didn't have an alibi for that friday night? that seemed to them to clinch it. >> you called him up at 10:00. on friday night to say, i don't hold any grudges against you? >> that's right. >> within hours the guy's dead? >> and then tom dug a deeper hole for himself. remember, it appeared that dr. ryan scuffled with somebody before he was shot dead well guess who told the agents that he hurt his back that very friday night, falling out of the pickup truck? >> so anyway. i hurt my back. >> did you get any bruises or anything? >> no i didn't. >> no bruises on your chest or anything? >> no. >> but the next day tom went to a hospital, and was treated for back pain. the only thing that tom denied in that interview? faking a vehicle breakdown ten days before the murder. and knocking on doctor ryan's door to use the phone in the middle of the night. >> that didn't happen? >> no. >> but investigators weren't buying tom story. >> all the facts are pointing to you tom. everything we've got has pointed to you. >> what evidence at his place do you have against me? >> tom it's all being worked on. >> okay good. >> there is stuff. >> cause there's. >> there's gonna be a bunch of stuff going to the crime lab. >> well good. >> when you left at the end of the first interview what did you think? did you think this is our guy? >> i thought that clearly he was a suspect he clearly had done some things that were very troubling. >> sure. >> but did that mean that he was the killer? what would tom say? if we asked him? >> coming up! >> he started accusing me of killing brian. i was scared to death. i was worried they were gonna charge me that night >> an arrest? hang on could there be another person of interest in this? >> we looked at them very >> when dateline continues! against certain hpv-related cancers, can start then too. for most, hpv clears on its own. but for others, it can cause certain cancers later in life. you're welcome! now, as the “dad cab”, it's my cue to help protect them. embrace this phase. help protect them in the next. ask their doctor today about hpv vaccination. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ embrace this phase. help pr♪ i'm with it ♪he next. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ [music playing] subject 1: cancer is a long journey. it's overwhelming, but you just have to put your mind to it and fight. subject 2: it doesn't feel good because you can't play outside with other children. subject 3: as a parent, it is your job to protect your family. but here is something that i cannot do. i cannot fix this. i don't know if my daughter is going to be able to walk. i don't know if she's going to make it till tomorrow. 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[bell dings] for a great low rate, go with the general. >> the planes of montana are no stranger to sudden, violent death. history is littered with it. but for the people living that history, in july of 1996 after the murder of the town veterinarian brian ryan, it was all very, very hard. >> mom, for probably the next five years, crawled in the hole and did not come out. >> and anne? the young woman in the middle? >> i was devastated. i thought, i met somebody who treats me nice. treats me like an equal. >> someone you felt special with? >> yeah. and have that ripped away and no nothing came of it. i didn't even get the chance to find out. >> but what was worse? anne felt an overpowering sense of guilt. >> you felt responsible? >> i felt like if it wasn't for me, it never would've happened. >> because, of course, she broke up with him. >> it's just unbelievable >> and here he is tom. an ex. otherwise known as the prime suspect. >> it seems like a bad dream that i cannot wake up from. >> how did you found out that he was killed? >> from my mom. she just got a phone call that the veterinarian had been killed. >> and of course tom knew perfectly well who his mother was talking about. his rival. the man who had taken his girlfriend. and made his life so miserable. and so? you had to be sort of, a little bit ok with that. >> no, not at all. i had no ill feelings towards bryan. >> oh really? come on. you might have had real feelings towards brian. he took your girl away! >> not enough to for him to lose his life. >> he said he knew immediately that he would be high on the list of suspects, as of course he was. so, he wasn't surprised when agent kenthompson and the local other sheriff showed up at the family farmhouse. >> i was nervous i mean both guys had guns on their hips and were coming into my house. and i proceeded to tell them all these things that i was doing. as far as the phone calls, and the stalking. and when i told them all about that. they totally change their tune and started accusing me of killing brian. and i was scared to death. i was worried that they were gonna charge me that night. >> but they didn't. while it was true, as we said, that the crime scene was compromised. there were hairs and fibers and fingerprints. and blood samples. yet untested. so the investigators said their goodbyes. and told tom that they would be back. >> all these years later? sitting here now two decades later. tom told us that yes he did love anne. he thought they had a future together. >> i felt like she was the one and we would be together forever. >> but when he heard that phone message left by doctor ryan at the apartment that he shared with and? what did it feel like? >> like my heart was torn in half. >> you did some things that, which, and what respect you thought were not the brightest in the world. >> yes. >> what bothers you to think about it? >> well i didn't know anything about him so i called up some of her family and some of her friends to see what they knew about him. i was concerned because he was a veterinarian and, he had access to drugs. i thought maybe he was giving anne something. >> because why would she leave you for another guy? must be drugs involved for something like that. something other than wanting to make a switch. >> yeah that was my initial impression. >> and all the other stuff? the hang-up phone calls. the stalking. the going into her bedroom to read her diary? not great behavior? >> no. it was wrong of me to do that. i wanted to see her thoughts, what she wanted to say about me. what she wanted to say about brian. >> some trouble? >> yes there's no manual on how to get over a relationship. and for me it took a while. >> but he swore to us, here, as he did when he stop to the investigators way back when. that he had nothing to do with the murder of dr. ryan even though it looked pretty bad for him. >> they told me right away that this happened on a friday night. and, i was home alone on a friday night. i had no alibi. and, so, i was kind of stuck. >> although remember, the medical examiner was unable to settle on the time of death. so despite what the detectives told tom. the murder could've happened on saturday. when tom did have an alibi. which meant another of the detectives interviews particularly interesting because, yes in fact there were other persons of interest. and another man they went to visit did have an alibi for friday. but not saturday. that man happened to be a close friend of the victim. his name was larry hagan bush. how seriously did you look at larry? >> we looked at him very seriously. >> he was the one who encouraged bryant to move from kansas to montana. but larry was not a stable man just then. his wife was leaving him, he had been drinking a lot, he tried to commit suicide a month before the murder. using animal medication that he had gotten from brian. in fact, it was doctor ryan who intervene to help save larry. and here's the thing, detectives had heard that larry seem to know intimate details of the crime scene which had not been made public. as if he was right there when it happened. the problem? >> his story never stay the same when he's even revealing it. at one point he said there was bullet holes everywhere. later he would say that there was only two holes. at one point he indicated that it was a rifle. and then it was a pistol >> this is agent thompson from montana. >> still from the sound from this 20 year old recording agent thompson wasn't accusing him of murdering his friend in cold blood more like, things got out of hand somehow. >> i could just see this happening. i could see larry thinking, well, he's got to drinking again. whether he's depressed. whether he's mad. i don't know whether it's just going out to talk to somebody, and just ending up in a stupid shouting match. oh, there is the gun that's always laying around. i'll take care of this myself. i'll get out of here in shoot myself. and know you ain't gonna do that, it's spite with a gun. i can see all that happening. and then we got an accident. you know? we have a tragic accident. is that what happened? >> no. wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. and it's all right here. streaming was never this easy, you know. this is the way. you really went all out didn't you? um, it's called commitment. could you turn down the volume? here, you can try. get way more into what your into when you stream on the xfinity 10g network. existed. goli, taste your goals. and in an instant, charlene's discovery change the whole theory of how the murder happened. >> they had found the gun beside him. and, i said well where is the gun case? the gun case was missing. it was a grand gun case that ryan had made. >> and so, the gun was always in the gun case? >> the gun was either in it or beside it. >> a perimeter search of the property was organized. and lo and behold the gun holster, a leather case inscribed with brian's initials was found lying in tall grass. 84 feet from doctor ryan store. how did they get way out there? as he's thought about it, the whole seem seemed to gel in ken thompson's mind. the way it happened that is. the killer must have stolen brown's own gun in his case, while he was away at the conference. then brought it back that night expressly to kill brian. discarding the holster on the way out the door. >> if it hadn't been for that holster out there, it could've been someone came at the door, brian came to the door with a gun. to maybe threaten him. and a tussle. changed hands. >> could've been. absolutely. but the holster being out there? there's just no other reason why the holster would be out there. >> that was agent thompson's theory, anyway. as tom capable of such a thing? well, he already admitted that he sneaked into and south with it was healthy. and, they thought he was perfectly capable of walking into ryan's place and get the gun. >> he had many time to get the gun. it was never locked. >> but why would he get the gun anyway? in montana everyone has a gun. >> he certainly had the ability to go over there, undetected and walk into that trailer. ample time to look around. to grab the gun. >> so that became the leading theory. larry hagan bush, the doctor's troubled friend, if that's truly what he was, remained a person of interest. but the primary suspect, without a question. was still tom. but, how to prove it? well? as luck would have it. a bloodhound was at the crime scene that day. owned by a local guy. a dog named calamity jane. they let the dogs sniff the baseball cap. and? >> the dog went into the trailer. went right to, right out the back door, went right to where the holster had been found. right to the bushes where there was an indication that somebody had been standing there. >> what do you think? >> well we believe that that was a connection. that was the closest thing that we had to a link. from tom, to the holster. to a possible hiding spot. >> so you must of thought, we got him? >> it was the best that we had. we had no physical evidence. >> of course they kept trying to find some of that too, at tom's place. what did they want from you? >> they took everything imaginable. shoes, was the biggest thing. at least ten pairs of shoes. and they took other items like a sleeping bag, binoculars. the inside lining of a winter coat. >> but, not one thing from those searches could link tom to the crime. months passed. a year! and more! back in kansas, brian's sisters watched their mother suffer. >> it got very difficult to talk to her on a daily basis because she was so down. and she wanted answers. >> she also frequently called agent thompson. and this was curious. so did thompson's prime suspect, tom. >> he was always wanting to know where we were in the investigation. >> turns out, tom also had something to share with investigators. coming up! >> and he says okay i'm going to tell you something i did not tell you before. >> tom changed his story. and investigators pounce! >> it was just devastating. >> another family distraught! >> i felt angry. you want to do anything you can to help them. >> help would arrive for tom in the most unusual way. when dateline continues! for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ including steroids, without talk♪ i'm with it ♪tor. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ shingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation or an unbearable itch. this painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks. it could make your workday feel impossible. the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside of you. if you're 50 years or older, ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles. ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it all. with up to 13 camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? 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[sfx: video game sound] new emergen-c crystals. throw it back. she found it. the feeling of finding the psoriasis treatment she's been looking for. sotyktu is the first-of-its-kind, once-daily pill for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding your back... is back. or finding psoriasis can't deny the splendor of these thighs. once-daily sotyktu is proven to get more people clearer skin than the leading pill. don't take if you're allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections including tb. serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. sotyktu is a tyk2 inhibitor. tyk2 is part of the jak family. it's not known if sotyktu has the same risks as jak inhibitors. find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding. ask your dermatologist about sotyktu for clearer skin. so clearly you. sotyktu. >> to lay and wait for his opportunity to conduct his business at the store. a full 10 days after the bottom was found. what they think of that. >> i made a motion to the judge to decide whether or not it should go before a jury. >> he admitted he was around there earlier. me that is what calamity jane get off. calamity jane sandler on the witness stand, here the courthouse. and what you know. neither dog nor handler were certified. >> when i asked him for his paperwork, he told me about how he put the paperwork about the dog and himself on the top of his suburban and it unfortunately had blown away. so we cannot provide it. >> not quite the dog ate my homework excuse, but close. agent thompson was also in the room that day. >> what hurt us was when i asked him on the stand, that is happening, and two months earlier. where is your training documents. >> he said he didn't have any. >> it just, i said oh my god. >> what did the judge do? he throughout the evidence. and just like that. the state dismiss the case against tom. because, without calamity jane, the prosecution decided it was not a provable case. >> tom was a free man. >> a weight was lifted off my shoulders. done and over with. no more interrogations. no more search warrants. i can go on with my life. >> the family felt like they lost him all over again. >> i was very disappointed. >> did you forget that point it's all over? >> you know, i think maybe one day. >> there was a reason she kept it in the back of her mind, like most. the judge that day in 1998 dismissing the charges without prejudice. >> meaning that the state can bring it back up if they so choose to. >> on much of worry was that? >> they always have the nagging thing on the back of your mind of the defense attorney, when something is dismissed about prejudice. you know something could happen in the future. >> agent ken thompson rotted away, as a lost cause. a tough case that did not work out. >> you talk about a case where it seems like everything was stacked against you. this was that days. >>, he did not let it go. just could not. they were new assignments, mind you. lots of other cases. years went by. but, he kept on. >> he kept those binders, i moved them one office to another office to a third office. >> it was always on your mind. >> you know, and that is solvent . >> there were times that he would call us and say we are working on it, we just don't have anything it just lay there. >> two years, and 13, the file stared down from its shelf like an invasion. but of course we would not be telling this story is something didn't happen. now would we? but, what? find it out, it's quite a surprise. coming up, -- >> we owe it to the family to go forward. >> another chance to solve the case. when a dateline continues. elin. ♪ [ tires screeching ] director: cut! jordana, easy on the gas. force of habit. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break when you need it. yeah, we let you pick your own due date so you can pay your car insurance when it's best for you. well that's good to know, because this next scene might take a while. [ helicopter and wind noises ] for a great low rate, go with the general. some people think you can only have one favorite team. [ helicopter and wind noises ] well i beg to differ. that's why i got xfinity. so, i can catch all my favorite teams' out-of-market sunday afternoon games. and for the first time ever, no dish needed. in a word—it's fitz-credible... no. i got it, fitz-sational. i should trademark that. eligible xfinity rewards members can get up to $100 off nfl sunday ticket from youtube. sign up for xfinity rewards now. activation, like the one that is here, can be gross of things to a person. souring the joy of the sunrise. all with a look with the local store. after prosecutors decided to dismiss the murder charges against him. tom could not live here anymore. >> i need to move away. i set up a new life there. i got married, had a couple of kids. life was good. if that was truly over, i really did. i never thought i would come back again. >> she currently believe that it was the man she was asking for. she went to visit a sister in arkansas. never found out she moved away. >> tom was there. i thought if he was willing to kill somebody, to be with me. i would know what to do. >> corrosive is what it was. but then, 13 years after dr. ryan's order, this man got a new job. in 2009, he became the top prosecutor. one of his duties was to help particularly difficult cases. >> we do not get the slam dunks turned over to us. it's uncharacteristically serendipitous. >> like the one like ken thompson, never giving up on solving. >> would you just review this? see what you think? >> is review the information, something that is worth it. >> we had work to do. i wanted him to go back out and make sure everyone is still back around, trying to see what kind of shape the evidence was in. >> evidences was interviewed. more year past. >> is there ever a case to be made to let it go? >> i will let it go if we do not have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. i'm not going to roll the dice. this is a homicide. in my bureau, that's what we do. >> in february 2014, 18 years after the murder, agent thompson traveled to south dakota with an arrest warrant for the murderer, who heard his name called out one day at work. he ushered him to the back of the police car. >> i was wondering what the heck is going on here. a minute went by and then ken thompson popped his head through the door, and said, tom, do you remember me? i told you i would be back for you. >> tom, he called his family and asked him to track down the attorney who has helped them so much all of those years before. while peterson, who, for some reason have been listening to a little voice in his head all of those years. i told him, health amount. >> usually i display and destroy my files up to 10 years. but fred ever reason i maintain this file. >> when he was charged with murder, peterson got busy. first i got tom out on bond. and then he read through his old files. >> my position was see what they think they have. >> it was almost verbatim style the same affidavit. no new evidence. none. i cannot believe they would bring the charges back up again and not have one piece of new evidence to justify them doing that. >> it may be mad. >> i know that i am not being very outraged about it. the defense attorneys have to control her emotions. >> who was the defense attorney agree with? >> we had a prosecutor with a big ego, a cold case expert. and, investigator who is having this case, since the beginning of it in 1996. all he wanted to do was get the case squared away before he retired. >> are you suggesting a detective would persuade a prosecutor to go ahead with a case to favor case of his is because he was retiring? >> yes, i am. >> it was justice, they had in mind, not retirement. and when attorney peterson asked the judge to throw out the murder charge, the answer was, no way. it wasn't going to go away. not this time. coming up, -- >> it was murder, it was planned, it was heinous, premeditated. >> after almost 20 years, the state legislature in court. >> if you ever cheat on me, i will kill him and kill you. >> i think he had made up his mind, and i don't think he had any problem going to the trailer and located the gun and killed his wife. >> to fight for his life, when dateline continues. dateline continues. astepro allergy, steroid free allergy relief that starts working in 30 minutes, while other allergy sprays take hours. with astepro's unbeatably fast allergy relief you can astepro and go! some luxury creams just sit on top of skin. but olay goes 10 surface layers deep. our clinically proven hydration beats the $500 cream. to strengthen my skin for smoother, brighter results. your best skin yet. olay. 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[sfx: video game sound] new emergen-c crystals. throw it back. >> officials in maui have a number of wildfire deaths in likely increasing after the death toll rose to at least 89. the fire is 85% contained, but other fires are burning in maui. the big island. 10,000 troops will move to poland bro order to belarus. fueled nato tensions. the gremlins deal to end russia's ordinary rebellion as destabilizing the element between moscow and the west. back to dateline. ♪ ♪ the veterinarian fun house is long gone. burned, the young woman phonecard to a happily married mother of three. the young man accused of killing a doctor is growing. but, two decades artificial time to the law and the historic courthouse. in september 2015, six years after the case was reopened, 19 years after the murder, tom's sister and the rest of the judges assembled on one side of the courtroom. >> is was hard seeing the people sitting on the other side of the courtroom. >> the number of local people along with dr. ryan's family. his attitude was unlike that of his family. >> i remember having a sinking feeling in my heart. can we not just let this go. be done with it. >> it helps to be sure, since the prosecutor. >> throw up your hands and say this is too tough. i don't want to lose a case. >> mind you, the prosecutors could not be in the courtroom. he had a fight on his hands against lung cancer. he handed the child to two trusted deputies. >> it was murder. it was murder that was planned, it was a murder that was premeditated. it was a motor where no evidence would be left. >> the evidence would be his bizarre behavior in the week after they broke up with him. >> this was incentivized. >> runyan should watch his back. >> telling the jury about the hangup calls about the time that he snuck into her house and read her diary about his middle of the night visits in her trailer. >> i'm scared. i didn't know what was going to happen after he was acting so weird. >> he was unbelievable. he was overwhelmed by the fact that he had lost and wish men. he had done everything he possibly could to try to break them up. i think it's variant when he understood that wasn't going to happen, the only thing left was to take brian out of the picture. >> remember this, they testified about the time that tom wants threatened to do just that. should she ever cheat on him, with any other man. >> if you're cheating on me, i will kill him and i will kill you. why will want to kill you. >> he has a strong denied saying that. but, even after the murder, tom kept pursuing the letter, and the phone call. speak. >> you know, you go into details , living together. >> there was a strange story, one of his next girlfriends told the jury. >> that he ever mentioned to you the ex-girlfriend named ann. >> that was the love of his life. he said he wished she was dead so that he and and can get back together because that was what was keeping them apart. >> he was already long dead. by tom's own hand, the prosecutors argue, nobody else have the upper opportunity and nobody else had the means and the tiny community to kill brian as tom did. >> so, how did he do it? he put his plan into action, when dr. ryan was away at the conference before returning home on friday, july 12. >> tom had made up his mind and i don't think he had any problem going in the trailer. he located the gun. tom stole the phone. >> that friday night, he placed the hangup call at 945 p.m. the second call, for the second location. >> he calls, and answers. he hangs up. he knows, 36 miles away. so, you knew he could go over there and not find anybody there. besides brian. >> then he got into his atv, headed over to the house, and is that was neighbor saw? >> later towards the evening, i did see it go by. the atv was creating motion. >> within 19 years, nobody has ever stepped forward to determine who else in that small community had a green and black atv. nobody did. >> when tom arrived at the bunkhouse, he visited in the bushes. you can see his door. >> he has the weapon there. and i think it's the appropriate time, that he is going to decide to walk up to the back door. >> tom through the holster in the ground, where he had the prosecutor. >> he makes the call to brian. even talking about getting a restraining order against him in. and then he says, brian almost abruptly gets off the phone as if somebody is there. >> according to him, that was 10:40 p.m. >> went to the back door, and at that point, as a gun, i think immediately he knew he was going on in the fight was on. and i think it was a struggle, i think that he shot him twice in the arm and i think brian struggled back to try to get the phone and thomas just shot in the chest, left the weapon, get on the atv, and took off. he hurt his back, so the next day, he had to go to the hospital, and bob's your uncle. >> that was the prosecutions case. all circumstantial, no physical evidence was found to link into the murder scene. but the pieces fit together to tell quite a story. but, only a story that we are about to say, the tall can, if you will. which, they added, a good montana skate would coming up. >> the state has been for the time of that was friday night. why? >> a new series of cry. >> it was not a plausible time of death. >> dr. ryan's last meal tells a tale of its own. when dateline continues. en dat. it's... the side hug. tween milestones like this may start at age 9. hpv vaccination—a type of cancer prevention against certain hpv-related cancers, can start then too. for most, hpv clears on its own. but for others, it can cause certain cancers later in life. you're welcome! now, as the “dad cab”, it's my cue to help protect them. embrace this phase. help protect them in the next. ask their doctor today about hpv vaccination. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ embrace this phase. help pr♪ i'm with it ♪he next. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ [music playing] subject 1: cancer is a long journey. it's overwhelming, but you just have to put your mind to it and fight. subject 2: it doesn't feel good because you can't play outside with other children. subject 3: as a parent, it is your job to protect your family. but here is something that i cannot do. i cannot fix this. i don't know if my daughter is going to be able to walk. i don't know if she's going to make it till tomorrow. 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[music playing] your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- it really works. a harrowing thing happened to brian's sister, at the murder trial. they re-held all of the serious anger, loss, grief, they have tried to put behind them. >> i can distinctly remember they almost felt great, we are going to have to relive this all over again. >> attending a nightmare reversion of a funeral. >> we are not seeing anything nice about it. >> why is that? because the sisters knew the defense attorney was out of there. but not only attacking the cases, they bring up all of the old forgotten gossip. about what a lady he was reported to be. he was having multiple affairs. >> throughout the trial, you will have the urge to want to solve this and that is only natural. the case is not solvable. >> you want to close the chapter, give his family the relief but, you cannot change it. tom had never been a violent person, and not a shred of physical evidence on the murder scene. >> you never found anything in front in front of the item, on any of the items. >> i did not. >> he had all of his creepy behavior. but beyond that they had nothing. then nothing inside the house that connected him to this event , no hair, fiber or blood or anything like that found inside the trailer, found on himself, found outside the trailer. and, trust me, they lucked out. >> the first responders all of those years ago certainly gave the defense, given how they treated it dr. ryan's murder. >> you did not take any blood swabs that day, right? you did not take any figure prints that day. right? >> what about taking away any potential evidence like the telephone found on his head? >> we looked at it and i'm sure they said there was nothing on it. or you wouldn't have thrown it out. >> defense called it to the stand one by one to admit their mistakes. >> looking back, is a good balance. we probably shouldn't have done that. >> we shouldn't have. >> if they could make such a messy thing to the crime scene, confusing the manner of death, said the defense, maybe it is serious about the time of death was wrong. >> the state has concluded, that the time of death was on friday night. and, our question to them always has been why? why did they choose that time other than it is the only time that tom does not have an alibi? >> what is the state wrong? in fact, tom's defendant, the state was wrong. how did they know? well, for one thing, there was cody, dr. ryan's dog. >> it was the state, they were correct. cody would have been been left in the trailer, with no exit. for friday, saturday night, saturday through sunday morning. without going to the bathroom, at all. there is no evidence that he had gone to the bathroom at all in the house. >> dr. ryan's sister, cody could not have found some way in and out of the trailer. but the defense said it had even more dramatic evidence that the murder did not happen until at the earliest saturday morning. when tom had an alibi. remember, dr. ryan return home from a conference on friday night. but, at about 7:00 p.m. that evening, two local men testified, ryan stopped for dinner at a place called the square butte country club. >> we ate with him. >> what he had for dinner, it destroyed the state theory of time of death. it was this graduate who testify in person, who delivered the haymaker. by remembering, clearly, he said, what brian has on his plate. >> can you recall what he was doing when you sat down with him? >> i couldn't really remember, -- but -- >> a steak, why was that? because, the autopsy, the one in which time of death was left blank, did not reveal any stake in his digestive tract. why could that be if you died friday night? the defense called a forensic pathologist. >> if he ate a steak at 7:00 at night, and, was shot and killed at 11:00 at night, would there be steak still in his content? >> yes. my view is that it does not seem like it's a possible time of death. >> so, what was in a dr. ryan's ? according to a doctor who did the autopsy, -- >> it could be scrambled eggs, green peppers. tunic and shells from the garbage, 30 dishes in the sink. as if he made breakfast. >> it was his habit to stay up late and make eggs and work late into the night. the defense said the evidence points that dr. ryan chose not to be killed friday night but sometime saturday. and, there was a certain somebody who had no alibi, for saturday. somebody that you've already met. remember him? larry hagan was, he was about to take a bit to witness and stand. >> it is your statement that he then just went home. is that right? in your home alone at night. >> no question. the defense was about to apply that the killer could have been in. coming up, -- >> he told this woman that mr. ryan was shot with his own gun. >> a 19-year-old mystery takes a son and dark twist. >> he started taking and describing things that you would normally she been there. >> reporter: dateline continues . . your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- it really works. [sneeze] (♪♪) astepro allergy, steroid free allergy relief that starts working in 30 minutes, while other allergy sprays take hours. with astepro's unbeatably fast allergy relief you can astepro and go! 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. on a day 8 of the trial, tom's defense team attempted to flip the playfield. not only did they challenge the prosecution series of dr. ryan's murderer occurred on a friday night, they also pointed their suspicion that a man who had no alibi for saturday. hagan bush, that friend whose wife was leaving. dr. ryan was trying to commit suicide one month before the murder. >> he took this combination of pills so that he could check out. you want to kill yourself? >> it was time. i was done with all of the bull ship. >> to me, it was very possible, he goes to mr. ryan's trailer, he's upset, he was drinking. he wants either more pills from that mr. ryan, mr. ryan refuses. and larry goes for the gun. >> reporter: the thing is, the day his body was discovered, larry admitted he gone into the other house and in the morning after, larry broke down crying in the waiting room of the counselor's office and well people around and listened, he describes things only with intimate knowledge of the crime scene would know about. >> he started describing things that you would not know unless you had been there. that mr. ryan was laying on his back, with his feet cross, blood all over. but, the one fact that i think is the most important that stood out to me, was that he told this woman on monday morning, that mr. ryan was shot with his own gun. >> reporter: effect, this woman who worked in the office, overheard larry. >> this man made any statements about who gun the was? >> he said it was ryan's. >> sunday, during the investigation, these officers did not know that this was mr. ryan's own firearm. so, to me, that stood out as a major red flag. >> how did you know he was shot with his own gun? >> i said a gun. at that time, i was in shock. make you recall telling her that ryan was shot saturday night. >> no. >> you recall telling her that you were going to go out and have a sixpack of beer with them. >> no. >> so, she knows all of that information, monday morning, you know wish you would've gone that information? >> i guess, but i don't remember any of that. but i do remember telling the counselor, my best friend got shot. >> so, nobody saw you from saturday morning, 7:00 in the morning, until -- off saturday night. is that correct? and, sunday, you come out to brian straley. right waxy so, that's the first time anybody sees you. from saturday morning until sunday morning. >> reporter: he denied any role in the shooting, and remember, detectives do not charge him with anything but, the defense has made its form. >> it comes back, they made a decision that he died on friday night. and so, larry was around some people friday night. but all day saturday, and saturday night, sunday morning, he wasn't around anyone. >> finally, the defense brought up one more thing. the thing that still upsets dr. ryan's sisters. the fact that dr. ryan was wearing underwear at the time of his death, and they would be something that wasn't identified. >> the question is, as to when that would've gotten there and how and more portly, though. >> the implication of course, and he was seen having with someone in addition to anna. another potential suspect adding to the pot. >> we are just saying that he may not be the only ex- boyfriend out there that would have been upset with mr. ryan. >> that was the defense. but they would not bite. >> did you kill him? >> i didn't. >> you think larry did? >> i don't know. i have no idea what larry did. i don't know who killed brian. but, i know what it's like to be an innocent person. at least, wrongly accused. and, i'm not going to sit here and accuse somebody else. >> it was coming. very soon. coming up, -- >> tom was the only person with the opportunity, the only person with the motive to take brian's life out of this world. he committed this crime masterfully. >> did he or didn't he? >> this was incredibly tough >> the jury went crazy. how did they rule? when dateline continues. e cont. ♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪ [ tires screeching ] director: cut! jordana, easy on the gas. force of habit. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break when you need it. yeah, we let you pick your own due date so you can pay your car insurance when it's best for you. well that's good to know, because this next scene might take a while. [ helicopter and wind noises ] for a great low rate, go with the general. imagine the dreadful loss of a young man with a bright future. 19 years, old generation ago, the suspicious behavior by the defendant, but no physical evidence. but they did have the answer the questions. did tom pull the trigger? for prosecutors, the question for the jury was, who else could have done it? >> tom was the only human being with the opportunity, the only person with the motive to take brian out of this world. and he did it. and he committed this heinous crime masterfully. >> the defense and its motion took a swipe at ken thompson, the agent for who two decades would not let the case go. >> you do not bad people, because the lead investigator is retiring, and, once this case resolved. just so we can close the book. >> agent thompson was not even the courtroom. he carried around so long. >> i had to get out of there. i didn't want to listen to it anymore. i needed to reflect and be alone. think about it. >> the jury went out the first thing the next day. they did not determine as quickly as they wanted to. >> when you have a jury out, every hour, the went by, it happens. >> and then, minutes before the 5:00 whistle, -- >> thank you, ladies and gentlemen. have you reached a verdict? >> i keep thinking, if they said guilty, i thought, i'm going to fall down. >> my heart beating so hard, so fast either i was going to have a life where i wasn't going to have a life. >> the jury, we have penitents want to try the issues in the above entitled cause. enter the following unanimous verdict: to the charge of deliberate homicide, not guilty. >> not guilty! >> i tried. i put my head down on the table and i tried. it's finally over! >> the defendant is free. thank you. >> [ applause ] >>'s family, overjoyed. watching him cut off the gps monitor. did you realize it? >> yes. it was a sense of relief. and, seeing jurors and happiness from my family, it was the best feeling in the world. my boy is up in south dakota. tell them i am coming home. that was, and more difficult to make. >> that was a great story line. across the courtroom. do remember that moment? >> i do. >> yeah. almost like you lost them all over again. >> i remember walking out of there thinking "it would turn out exactly the way i thought it would". and it did. >> kenneth thompson did not think so, of course. >> of course i was disappointed. my heart fell, but of course, people got to hear it all. because the jury said he was not guilty, i don't think that changed anything. not for most people. either you believe he did or you believe he did it. >> i think you got away with murder. >> that's not what the jury believes. we asked the judge, who spoke to the jurors after the trial. >> this was incredible tough case. it was a tough case to prove in 1998. it became an incredibly tough case. especially 2015. what did the jury think were the weaknesses in the case? timing. they wanted to know the case was come to trial after 19. i think juries are motivated after what they see on tv. and, when they see an old case on tv, they expected that there was some new scientific technological advancement. >> dna or something. >> dna, that's only cracks open to this cold case after 19 years, and brings it forward. and, that is not this case. >> a few months after the verdict, he went to arkansas to spend some quality time with the woman of the center of the love triangle. discovered that she is still tormented by a guild that will not go away. she wondered, if it had not been for her, but dr. ryan be alive? whether or not tom killed dr. ryan and especially if he did, and could have had nothing to feel guilty about. and yet, he does. that's what everybody says. >> that's right. it really isn't fair. not even for a moment. >> i was hoping that it would go away when he was convicted. i wanted to him to say he was guilty. that i can quit. and they didn't. >> no, they did. >> i don't know what i would do. >> so do they all. the prosecutor believing he had the right guy all along. closing the case, but the judge? >> i need it, i told the jurors, when they wanted to find out, when they wanted to solve the crime, literally, if they believe there is another world that they go to someday, look up brian ryan when you get there. and ask them who killed him. because that's the only way we are ever going to know. >> i'm craig melvin.ow. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is dateline. >> my question is why. i didn't need who. my only question was why? >> they were beautiful people, in miami's sizzling south beach. singles who became lovers, and then newlyweds. >> you may kiss the bride. >> congratulations. >> they were still on their honeymoon, only married four days, when this young bride was murdered. >> i get a phone call, screaming, crying. >> no murder weapon, no dna, but no shortage of suspects. >> you gotta prove it.