>> i was shocked. >> it was the last place you would expect to find a gruesome crime scene. a quiet neighborhood, the lovely home, the friendly couple. >> they were very happy. >> it seemed to be a simple case of a robbery gone horribly wrong. but nothing about this case was simple. of the marriage, and not the murders. >> the surprises just kept on coming. >> he said we have to ■çtalk to your father. >> what dark force claimed two lives? itet afternoon at the parker house. tammy and her husband, brett, were both at home. hello, and hello, and welcome tonl datelin it was a quiet afternoon at the parker house. tammy and her husband brett were both home when suddenly gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and police racing to the scene. the sole survivor, which shared a tale involving an unlikely intruder in a desperate fight to survive. what story with the evidence tell? here is -- with mystery at ascot estates.■ç >> life seems to move just a little slower in south carolina. afternoons in columbia can be spent on the river or nearby lake murray. tucked away inside this capital city is ascot estates, were old southern charm mingles with new money. no drama here until friday the 13th, when something sinister happened. >> i turned on the news and saw that there was a double murder. >> there was no way of knowing for sure what is going on. >> it was my husband who called me and said something terrible had happened. and i said, what happened? >> what happened would become the center of a mystery. ■ç a whodunit that began with a frantic 911 call. the call came from a most unusual place -- the gracious home of well-liked husband and wife, brett and tammy parker. the parkers were a golden couple, each with their special gifts. tammy was raised in a small town near columbia, but left to go into sales where she was immediately successful. best friend, angela leon. >> it was hard not to love angie. she was vibrant and outgoing and full of life. always positive. tammy was the kind of person who didn't even notice she was turning heads. >> she met columbia business it was just her personality. everyone liked her. >> and tammy had something else that set her apart -- talent. >> i can't remember exactly the first time i heard her saying, but i was amazed at how great she was. >> tammy saying with a local band. >> voices like that are just gifts. >> friends how she could take her talents big time, but tammy seemed happy to remain in columbia. one of her gigs was at ben staples barbecue. >> tammy was an entertainer. she didn't just stand up there and sing.■ç >> along the way, in 1996, tammy met and married a local boy, brett carl parker. he had been a star athlete in high school. his aunt was saying he was always throwing some kind of ball. >> he played softball and baseball, he was an all- american kid. >> an injury sidelined any thoughts of a career in professional sports, so brett took up amateur softball. >> no doubt, brett was one of the best ballplayers i ever played with. >> went tammy came into the picture, he knew his friend had found ■ >> i will never forget that. i knew they were going to get married. it was just a matter of time. >>■ç they saw a lucky man in lo. >> no doubt in my mind he loved her. >> both tammy's friends and brett's family both agreed -- they just clicked. >> they seemed to do well together. >> did you like tammy? >> i loved her. >> in the spring of 2012, the family in upscale ascot estates appeared to be living a charmed existence. then came the afternoon of april 13, and that call to 911. it was rhett parker. tammy was dead, and there was more. someone else lay dead in that house. ■ç it was a double murder, a cold- blooded crime that would look more chilling with its each new detail. >> coming up. who exactly was the friend who now lay dead inside the parkers house? >> the first question i asked, was what was his relationship to this man? >> when dateline continues. some things should stand the 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ground as he describes what happened. a violent robbery that left his wife dead. and there was more to the story. brett had killed the perpetrator in self-defense. veteran investigator stan smith headed to the scene. >> he was sort of heavy breathing, and at one point in time lays down on his back ■ças if he's suffering and almost in pain. >> inside, stan smith walked into a gruesome scene. the body of brett's wife, tammy, was in the bathroom. and lying nearby, was a man named brian, said in an alcove not far from the safe were brett kept his money. >> it appeared that she was sitting at the desk in the office area, and the shooter shot her from the back. she had half of her legs out into the office area, so she definitely fled. try to flee. 22dwg+ççó on his right side. he was shot multiple times. in the face, in the chest, in the side, in the foot. >> the investigators were surprised ■çwhen the was a fami friend and frequent visitor to the house. in fact, brett said he was in the bathroom when brian arrived for a meeting, and he told them to just go upstairs and wait. suddenly, brett heard shots. >> he ran upstairs and was greeted by brian holding a gun on him and ordering him to the safe, and as he walked by the office, he saw his wife's legs. he was taken to this alcove area . on the way, he realized that he had a gun hidden in the safe area. he said he made a decision as he knelt at gunpoint to grab the gun and try to get him. >> so ■çhe turned around and caught brian off guard? by shooting him? >> he said he ran to check on his wife and realized that she was dead or dying, and then he went and called 911. >> police recovered two guns from the scene. bretz .410 revolver, and in brian's hand, police found a nine millimeter pistol that had been used to kill tammy. an open gym bag with an ammo and empty magazine clip clearly visible on top. to investigators, it looks like brett parker had fought for his life, shot a man in self- defense, and had just lost his beautiful wife. the big question was why? why would such a good friend turn on them?■ç >> what was his relationship with this man? he said, can i talk to you privately? >> brett worked eight day job as a full-time medical salesman, but on the side, he had been a sports bookie for years. >> is a concern you? >> every small town has a bookie. >> and brett was not the sopranos, break your leg styled bookie. >> was brett a gentle bookie? >> mary. he was good. >> brett also told investigators that brian, the man he had just shot and killed, was in the bookie business, too. he worked for brett .■ç he was also an unlikely bookie. a former high school athlete, he was a family man that worked for a county recreation commission and coached kids sports teams. tammy had spoken kindly of him. >> she must've thought a lot, because he was in her home with her children around. and tammy was very protective of her children. >> tammy had always looked out for him. getting an extra lunch for him, taking care of him. >> and guest investigators found out there have been a problem, and it all boiled down to money. $20,000, and he had been slow to pay up. >> look, i've had enough excuses. i want my money. >> smith learned that brian had money problems,■ç so it looked like he went to the parkers to demand money he was owed and take whatever else was in the safe. tammy had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. >> what do you miss most about tammy? >> her laugh. she would always call. we haven't done that since she was killed. >> it was all so sad. the parkers with their children had just returned from a family cruise, tanned and smiling. a relative on the cruise told brett's aunt, sandra hunter, it'd been a wonderful trip. >> she said that that was the happiest she had seen brett and tammy. >> and now they saw a man in pain after losing his wife.■ç >> he would break down crying and he would cry all the time. >> he believed his friend did what he had to do. >> he was either -- him or brian. that's the way he told us over and over again. >> to those grieving for tammy, it seemed there had at least been some terrible justice for brian. >> people that loved tammy so much, you couldn't help but feel that maybe people thought he got what he deserved. >> investigators told reporters the tragic deaths were the result of a robbery gone brad. it seemed like a cut and dry case, but things aren't always what they seem. >> was brett parker the loving husband he appeared to be? investigators were abmu( uncover more. >> there were a series of text messages with a young lady, and they were definitely of a sexual nature. >> when dateline continues. at. for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. new advil targeted relief. sleep more deeply and wake up rejuvenated. purple mattresses exclusive gel flex grid draws away heat, for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. relieves pressure and instantly adapts. sleep better. live purple. right now save up to $800 off mattress sets at purple. visit purple.com or a store near you today. - [narrator] life with ear ringing sounded like a constant train whistle i couldn't escape. then i started taking lipo flavonoid. with 60 years of clinical experience, it's the number one doctor recommended brand for ear ringing. and now i'm finally free. take back control with lipo flavonoid. ♪ ♪ [ grunts ] [ laughs ] andrea canning: police had announced the double murder in gracious ascot estates was a robbery gone very wrong. >> police >> police had announced the double murder was a robbery gone very wrong. the unlikely intruder, the parkers family friend, brian. brett parker told the investigators that his friend, brian, and shot his wife tammy in a botched robbery attempt,■ç then brett, in fear for his own life, killed his friend. it looked like self-defense. but sheriff leon lott knew they couldn't close the case without thoroughly checking out brett's story. >> we have to rely on him to explain to us what happened. we were listening to everything he was saying, then we would go back and check it. >> investigators went over brett's account, starting with the moment brian entered the house. before long, something unusual came to their attention. brett told police he was sitting on the downstairs toilet when he heard the shots rang out. one of the female crime scene investigators noted this -- the toilet seat was up. >> our csi lieutenant was a female and she made mention of that, it particularly bothered her. >> it ■u()qáha woman to notice that. >> as a poured over crime scene photos, another small but important detail jumped out. ryan's gym bag with a magazine clip visible. >> those items were found on top of the clothing and items in the bag. >> unusual because of what they noticed on the home security video that captured ryan arriving at the house. >> if you look at the video, when brian nonchalantly through that item over his shoulder, those items that go to the lowest point of the bag. it was almost like those items had been placed there. >> investigators took a hard look at the timeline of the crime as brett described it. that home security video showed brian arriving at the home at 12:31 p.m. brett caél having shot brian at 12:42. police believe the confrontation should have only taken a couple of minutes. so why, they wonder, had brian taken four more minutes to call 911? police were also curious as to why he had come outside to make that call. >> if it were me, i would have been inside with my wife, trying to administer cpr and first aid to my wife. he didn't appear to have any blood on him at all. >> was it strange that he didn't have blood on him ? >> it was. >> investigators picked through every detail on his account. while he had been up front about his illegal bookie business, he wasn't up front about ■çeverything. >> we asked if you have been involved in any adulterous affairs, he said no. there were a series of text messages that were with a young lady, and they were definitely of a sexual nature, indicative of an affair. >> over a period of time, it just kept getting more red flags coming. >> tammy's best friend, angela leon, didn't know anything about the investigation. but she had a gut feeling something wasn't right. she called up the sheriff's department to say she thought brett was lying. >> i wanted to make sure they knew that there were people that had a different side of the tory. >> brett continue to insist it was self-defense, but within a week of the shooting, he had gotten a lawyer. >> the sheriff had told ■çus he thought it was a little odd that brett retained a defense attorney so quickly when he was saying he was the vic. >> anyone in a situation like that that doesn't retain an attorney immediately needs psychiatric help. >> he says he was just defending himself after he showed up to steal his money. >> he went there specifically to rob the people. tammy was there, he shot her first. we assumed he was going to shoot brett, and brett got the drop on him instead. >> what motive would he had to shoot her?mç■')■ó[ó/cii >> giving the money out of the safe and having no witnesses. >> why carry out a burglary if you know the wife is home ? >> your guess is as good as ■ç mine. >> i'm seeing people just find it hard to believe. >> people find it hard to believe that airplanes fly. it happens. >> he even invited the sheriff to the house to show him the crime scene. >> he wanted to walk me through the house to demonstrate what had happened. after that meeting, we sat at his kitchen table. at that point was the first time i told him i just didn't believe him. >> the sheriff was convinced that brett was no victim. he was the mastermind of a cruel and highly unusual lot to kill his wife and frame his friend. >> he had gotten away with his gambling for so many years. what else? >> three months after the murders, there were startling use. >> they say parker is lying. >> brett parker was charged ■ç with two murders. >> why do you think it took so long? >> because they didn't have a case. >> is a case headed to trial, there was no witnesses, no video of the crime, and little forensic evidence pointing to either brett or brian as the real killer. >> it was a high-profile case. two killings in a small town. >> coming up, the trial opens with a bombshell. not about him, but about her. when dateline continues. all in one delicious, monthly, soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. nexgard® plus: the one you want for one-and-done protection. everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients. smile! you found it. the feeling of finding psoriasis can't filter out the real you. so go ahead, live unfiltered with the one and only sotyktu, a once-daily pill for moderate to severe plaque 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double murder >> welcome >> welcome back to dateline. i am craig melvin. brett parker was heading to trial, charged with the double murder of his wife, tammy, and his friend, brian. brett admitted shooting brian in self-defense, though he admitted it was only after brian killed tammy. but prosecutors were showing that brett had plenty of mode and motive to kill her, back now to andrea canning with mistry at the ascot estates. >> in august ■çin 2012, columbi south carolina, was reeling from the news that brett parker, the only survivor of a tragedy that left two people dead, had himself been charged as a cold-blooded killer who masterminded the whole plan. brett's family and friends believed he was a man wrongly accused. >> i just wanted to know that he was innocent. every time, he said, i did not do it. >> even tammy's close friend had a hard time believing brett was guilty. >> you had no reason to doubt brett, it sounds like. >> i believed him. they called me and wanted me w;ó be a character witness. i did not see him doing this. >> when the trial began in may, it was a courtroom divided. on one side,■ç brett's family a friends, including his and tammy's teenage daughter. on the other side, friends and family of tammy and brian's not together. they wore blue -- tammy's favorite color -- as a show of unity against the man they believe murdered both vic. >> in her own opening statement, the prosecutor minced no words. brett parker had committed a terrible crime and then elaborately covered it up. >> as you listen to the details of this case, you will be firmly convinced that it was brett parker who not only had the motive, but actually did kill tammy parker. and then brian. >> ■çprosecutors wanted the jur to know that the parker marriage wasn't what it seemed. brett had strayed. once with an out-of-town woman and several times with a local bank teller. lindsay mullins testified that they met, they texted, and that he shared some confidences about his marriage. >> he says he slept upstairs and she slept downstairs. >> the parker's had more problems than just the affairs. they called ben staples to the stand, a family friend. >> well, as the years went by, she was unhappy. she had conversations, brett did not believe in god and going to church. >> then been revealed another bit of evidence about the shaky marriage. this one, a bombshell.■ç >> was your relationship intimate? >> yes. about three years ago. >> did that end? >> it did. it did not end our friendship. we remained best friends until her murder. >> the public admission of the affair was a shock, even to those closest to tammy. >> we always felt like ben probably loved tammy. how could you not love tammy? we didn't know ben that well, so we didn't think that that had happened. >> lenny gunter, an old friend and fellow bookie, testified that four months before the murders, rent was talking about a separation. >> my advice to him was, that it was coming up on the holidays, try to go home and work it out ■çwith tammy, and then after the first of the year for them to try to get back together. if separating was their option then, then so be it. >> a bad marriage is one thing. murder is another. so prosecutors turned to a different motive -- money. unbeknownst to tammy, brett was in deep debt. he was the -- and brett wasn't too good at it. gunter told an investigator that brett owed him big money. >> i told him about the debt that brett had individually, his own account. >> this was not the first time his gambling had been a serious issue. >> he had caused a great amount of debt and nearly caused a divorce. his father bail him out. about $100,000. ■ç >> the state tried to convince the court that killing tammy was a way out of his gambling debt. tammy had taken out a life insurance policy. >> was a beneficiary? >> rats. >> tammy also had close to $200,000 in a 401(k). combined with the insurance, nearly 1.1 million, all left to brett. >> what kind of man sets up his friend to take the fall for murdering his wife, and then leaves him with the legacy that he murdered somebody? >> he wanted to perpetuate this lifestyle. he wanted to continue to gamble, and tammy was a hindrance to him. .> in court, the ugly accusations seemed to get to brett, is a medical examiner testified about tammy's fatal injuries. brett said he felt ill and was rushed to the hospital. brett was back, however, to hear the prosecution present evidence they say proved he planned the murders, framed his friend, and covered it up. here's how they say they did it. first, he shot and killed his wife and that upstairs office. the net 12:25 p.m., brett own home security camera catches someone peering through the blinds. prosecutors believe it was brett, waiting for brian to arrive for a meeting that he himself had arranged. gunshot residue was found on those lines, proof, the state said, that brett had already fired a gun before brian even arrived. >> who is that peeking out of the blinds?■ç that was someone that, in our opinion, had just done this heinous thing and was nervously awaiting his patsy or his fall guy to show up. >> after killing brian, prosecutors say brett stage the crime scene and planted that gym bag and ammunition. >> was supposed to be some kind of murder bag. >> and placed the gun he had used to kill his wife and brian's hand. there was no way brian brought that gun to brett's house, a friend testified. >> no, but heck no. he did not have a gun. brian was scared of guns. there was no way on this earth that brian had a pistol. none. zero. it did not happen. >> and there was something elseç brian had suffered a major gunshot wound to his arm, but he was still clutching the gun as he lay dead on the floor. the medical examiner testified it's unlikely the gun would have stayed in his hands. >> in my medical opinion, based on the shots to the arm, to the forearm, i believe that the gun fell out of his hand. >> the gun had been placed in his hand. >> the prosecution had made its case. now it was time for the defense to fight back. >> they had no proof whatsoever that he shot his wife. it was completely circumstantial. >> the defense was about to tell the jury that ryan, not brett parker, was the real villain. >> coming up. ■ç brett's team produces a powerful witness to back up his story. his teenage daughter. >> i was there, and i remember it. >> when dateline continues. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical 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>> i think i'm fairly bright, and i don't think i could have come up with it. >> in court, brett parker's attorney said brian was a desperate man with far more motive for murder. >> a man that was at the end of his rope who had a desire for money and a plan for violence. and the evidence in this case will prove it. >> still, the defense started have an uphill battle. he knew it didn't■ç help his ca that his client was an unfaithful husband and a gambler. >> they show he was a bad man because he gambled. he had an affair, and he said that was another thing that showed he was a murderer. it was just ludicrous. >> from the start, the council wanted mark whitlock to know that the brett was a gambler himself and was deep in debt, but he was in debt to an old friend he had known he was 15. >> i've never been worried about brett. >> if he had called you and said, one having a problem -- >> we would have worked something out. yes, sir. no, sir. >> and that life insurance policy the life insurance ■ç suggested was a smoking gun, they testified brett wasn't even all that interested in a policy on tammy. >> yes. >> was he successful? >> i was not. >> tammy had taken out the insurance on her own. and instead of claiming a dime for himself, brett had already signed the insurance money over to his kids. >> did he tell you directly that he wanted this money to go to the children? >> yes. >> remember those downstairs lines, the one with the residuei prosecution said had been left by brett before brian even arrived? >> proof that he killed tammy ahead of ■çtime and look to the blinds to see brian coming. >> they stated that, but they didn't prove that. >> a defense expert suggested the fine particles had merely drifted to that blind, even days later. >> if you have an air handling system like we have in most buildings and houses, over a period of time, it will be sucked through the intakes and distributed fairly evenly through a place. >> and the curious matter of the toilet seat being up when logically it should have been down -- >> that's the bathroom. >> objection, your honor. >> when the prosecution tried to enter that as evidence in court, the defense successfully objected. brett's attorney told us it was just a family habit to leave the toilet seat up to make things easier for their ■çyoung son. >> he has a six-year-old child. every time the child comes to the bathroom, brett and his wife always put the seat up. >> he hears shots fired in his house and is going to think about putting the toilet seat up? >> it's an automatic reaction if you do it every day. >> it was plain behavior, but the motive was flimsy. now, it attacked the states forensic evidence. they use the amount of gunshot residue found on rents hands to undermine the theory that brett had shot his wife with one gun, and his friend with another, arguing there just wasn't enough gun residue on his hands to fire both weapons. >> if he fired both the nine millimeter and the .410 revolver in combination,■ç i would expect his levels to be very high. his levels are consistent with someone who has fired a firearm , certainly, but they are not extremely high. >> the defense argue that brian did have gunshot residue on his hands, proving he could have killed tammy. >> certainly, that that is not the only way in which gunshot residue can be had, but that is consistent with firing a gun. >> there is a prosecution's theory that the gun in brian's hand has been placed there after his death, that he could never have held onto it after being shot in the health. >> the state claims it would've been impossible for bryant to have that gun in hand, given the severe injury he sustained to his arm. >> that is hogwash.■ç many, many people have a death grip. if you are shot in you something in your hand, you squeeze it tighter. >> and the idea that brian never would have had a gun -- a friend of brett said that is just not true. he wasn't asked to tell the story in court, but says that a month before the killings, he was at the parker home and saw brian handling one of brett's guns with ease. >> he took all the bullets out of the clip and then handed me a revolver, which he had took the bullets out. and then i heard him say he would never touch a gun. >> brett told investigators he had given brian the nine millimeter handgun for protection. and in a dramatic move, the defense brought in a witness to confirm that -- brett and tammq'r 14-year-old daughter, brooke. >> brian and my dad were discussing a gun that my dad had. and they were just talking about how they thought it was good for him to have safety at his house. and to protect brian's family. yes, sir. >> having young brooke parker testified was controversial, but brett's aunt believed brooke thought her father was innocent. >> she had some information that needed to be given, and she did she what she felt like she needed to do. >> she wanted the jury to hear her story, no matter how difficult it is to tell. >> i witnessed them talking about how he was giving a gun to brian.■ç i'm not lying about that. i was there and i remember. >> it was a tragedy that had stirred up the waters of this carolina community, and soon, a jury would have to decide who is to blame. but before they did, the defense wanted them to hear from the only person alive who really knew what happened in the house that day. brett parker himself. >> coming up. >> did you ever have a plan to shoot and kill your wife? >> never. i would never hurt tammy. >> but with the jury believe him? >> we the jury unanimously find the defendant -- >> when dateline continues. shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. ahhh, there's nothing like a day out with friends. that's nice, but shingles doesn't care! 99% of adults 50 years or older already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can reactivate at any time. a perfect day for a family outing! guess what? shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. an alternative to pills, voltaren is a clinically proven arthritis pain relief gel, which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement. 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(♪♪) hi, i'm michael, i've lost 62 pounds on golo and i have kept it off. most of the weight that i gained was strictly in my belly which is a sign of insulin resistance. but since golo, that weight has completely gone away, as you can tell. thanks to golo and release, i've got my life and my health back. welcome back. did a troubled marriage and a mountain of debt drive brett parker to kill his wife tammy, >> >> welcome back. did a troubled marriage and a mountain of debt drive brett parker to kill his wife, tammy, then frame and shoot his friend brian to death? that was the question before the south carolina jury. the defense argued there was no physical evidence tying brett to the crimes. now, brett was about to confront the allegations about his troubled marriage and that they had ended, head on. with the conclusion of mystery in ascot estates, here's andrea canning. >> what really happened inside that ascot estates home■ç? in court, brett parker confidently took the stand, eager to tell his version of events. first, he wanted the jury to know his marriage was hardly the wreck the prosecution made it out to be. >> me and tammy got along fine. we put our kids before everything. i know that's why i could never go to her and ask for separation, because it would just destroy our kids. >> and he explained his initial reticence to tell police about his affairs and reveal his own massive gambling debts had nothing to do with the murders. >> when they asked me about the affair, and i admitted it to them the next day, and as far as the gambling goes -- if you know bookmakers, it's not something you just talk about. >> then, struggling to keep ■çh emotions in check, he recounted the day of the shooting. >> brian was standing there with a gun pointed at me. and he told me to go -- go to the -- safe. i mean, i didn't know what was going on. i was panicked. i kept asking, why? what are you doing? and as we walked by, the office, i could see -- i could see tammy's feet sticking out of the bathroom. and then i knew something was wrong. that he had probably shot her.■ >> when you shot brian, did you have any fear in your mind at that time? >> yeah, i am scared. but i made a decision right then that is going to be me or him. >> ultimately, the defense wanted the jury to see that, while a flawed man, brett parker was not a killer. >> did you shoot in self- defense? >> yes, i did. >> did you ever have a plan -- a premeditated plan -- this to shoot and kill your wife? >> no. >> under cross-examination, brett held firm, sticking to the story he first told investigators. >> i did tell them the truth. i told him what happened to the house, ■çand that is the truth. and i believe, as the evidence shows, it proves it. >> brett insisted his feelings for tammy never wavered. >> used to love her to this day? >> i do. i will. >> despite their troubles, brett said the love for tammy was always there. >> would you ever do anything to hurt her? >> never hurt her. i would never hurt tammy. never have. >> it was time for closing arguments in the case of the people versus rick parker. >> i ask you with all my heart and all the love and faith i have. send brett back to his family. don't let this injustice continue.■ç >> brett parker is no big him. he is a greedy, selfish, entitled -- and yes, well maybe even charming at times -- manipulative killer. >> then the case was in the hands of the jury. >> what's the mood like? >> i said, i don't feel good. unless they take a while. >> in just three hours, they were back. in the divided courtroom, the families of tammy, brian, and brett, repaired to hear brett's fate. >> we the jury unanimously find the defendant guilty. as to the ch we the jury find the defendant guilty. >> ■çwhen you heard the word guilty, what were you thinking? >> my god. it is sad. it's not the outcome any of us wanted. tammy is not back. now brooke has no father. but thank god he didn't get away with it. >> his sentence, read immediately, was like behind bars. >> it was like i had lost a friend, you know? one of my best friends. it was very emotional. >> does that weigh heavy on you, knowing he will be behind bars for life? >> certainly. i'm an irishman. everything weighs heavily on me. but because i defended many people that i knew you were guilty, this is what i thought were not guilty. >> tammy's friends keep her memory alive, in part through her music. in the fall of 2012, and staples held his annual barbecue as a tribute to tammy. >> will it ever be the same without her? >> we will continue, but it won't be the same without tammy. >> things are settling down again here in this quiet southern town. the healing has begun for the families and friends of both the. >> i know tammy is in heaven. she was very strong in her convictions and she's always said that. i don't know about brett, but i will be in heaven. i feel like she is around with her presence. i still feel her with me. i dream about her a lot. ■ç >> that's all for this edition of dateline. i am craig melvin. thank you for watching. >> hello. >> hello.ry i am craig melvin, and this is dateline.

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