Committed this murder. Did this soldier have enemies off the battlefield . Her brotherinlaw had a grudge. Rodney was going around calling her names, vulgar names. Her husband had a girlfriend. Roger was sitting with a young lady. And they were cuddled up. We found out that she was pregnant. Who killed the commander . In a place where loyalty is prized above all, one clue that palm print was a key part of the case. Would reveal a breathtaking betrayal. I dont even have the words. What a monster. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Andrea Canning with deadly devotion. Reporter in the hot and dangerous middle east, she held her own in the company of men. A captain and a commander whose devotion never wavered. She inspired people. And thats maybe why she made such a great commander. She inspired her troops. She inspired those that worked for her to want to do well. Reporter she was captain Lynn Armstrong reister. Army veteran debbie moore was one of her best friends. Lynn was very intelligent. She knew how to bring out the best in people. I just loved her. She was someone to be inspired by. She inspired people. Reporter so she had a big role in the military. Very big role, yeah. Reporter she was in charge of the air Defense Artillery in saudi arabia. When they were in saudi and we had the patriot missiles, she would be the one that would make that decision on what was coming in, if it needed to be taken out of the sky. Reporter captain reister earned medals and promotions and the loyalty of the men and women under her command. That loyalty cut both ways, according to her assistant megan ayers. Did she take good care of her soldiers . Absolutely. She did welfare checks where you would, you know, she would visit with families. She would meet with the different wives and things like that. Reporter was she the perfect candidate for the army . She was, in my opinion. She didnt let stress get to her too much. I think that she was probably one of the best commanders ive ever worked under. Reporter lynn grew up with a brother and two younger sisters in the military town of pensacola, florida. While she was away at school, she sent her sister some advice on tape for her 16th birthday. Dont argue. Avoid arguments. Just be happy. Dont let anyone spoil that for you, and youll be happy and youll find it in your heart. Anyway, i hope that helps. Reporter she graduated with an Officers Commission from Norwich University in vermont, one of the oldest military colleges in the country, and then began the globetrotting life of a soldier. I met lynn over in germany. Reporter debbie and lynn were both stationed over there. They met at a Birthday Party through mutual friends. I snapped a picture of the four of them sitting there at the table. Reporter young women serving their country, savoring life overseas. And being surrounded by guys in uniform, sometimes love entered the picture. It certainly did for lynn. How did lynn and roger meet . They met over in germany at the k club. Reporter is that an army club . That is an army club. Its in ansbach. And we would go there on saturday nights because on saturday nights they had country music. Reporter Sergeant Roger reister and lynn hit it off at once, and the romance blossomed. Lynn was a wonderful person. She had a smile that just lit up the room. Reporter as a military wife, when i heard that roger was enlisted and lynn was an officer, thats a nono in the military. Yeah. Back then it wasnt as critical as it became a couple years later. He was a charmer and she [ laughter ] she fell in love. Reporter and they got married. Debbie liked the fact that he was an elvis fan. And i was, like, amazed. I was like, really . Youre into elvis presley, too . I was kind of surprised by that, yeah. So, yeah. He was a lot of fun. Yeah. Reporter roger admired lynns devotion to her country and her strength. You have to be mentally strong. With the military, especially with the women in the military, you have to be, you know, mentally strong. Be able to go toetotoe with some of the men. Reporter lynn and roger had chosen a soldiers life, and that meant a marriage full of separations. Roger even missed the birth of his son triston. It was unbelievable. As soon as i came back, i stepped off the bus and she held him and she said, this is your son. And that was a really it was really a great moment. It really was. And i just held her and held him at the same time. Reporter was he a good dad . He was. He would bring him up to visit. And, you know, they would play. And he seemed very happy being a dad. Reporter when triston was 4, the family was stationed at ft. Bliss in el paso, texas. And it was lynn who got called away. Lynn found out she had to deploy to saudi arabia. Mmhmm. Reporter you were going with her . Yes, maam. Reporter was she okay with that . I mean, she had to leave triston behind. This is her first deployment without him, correct . To the best of my knowledge, yes. I remember her telling us that it was hard, that she was having a hard time with it. She was sad, and that she just kept telling him that shed come home. It wont be that long. Reporter and it was how long was the deployment . It was about six months. Reporter and then she did get home. But her old life was about to change. About four months after she got back, roger convinced lynn to let his 24yearold brother rodney come live with them. Rodney had gotten into some trouble while his brother was serving his country. Maybe roger and lynn could set him straight. He was on probation in florida, and for him to be able to leave the state, she had to write this letter, you know, saying how she would take on that responsibility. Roger asked her to do that, and so she did. Reporter right about the same time, lynn found out she was pregnant again. The tug of motherhood was getting stronger, so this globetrotting army captain made a decision. She put in for a transfer to teach rotc in minnesota. Good for her career. Good for her family. And no travel. Was she doing it at all to be with triston more . Was that part of it . Yeah. That would be part of it. Yes. She wanted to its more relaxing. She was going to be a teacher. It was something that she was really looking forward to. Reporter just days before moving time, lynn was saying goodbye to ft. Bliss. Lynn was having a Going Away Party . Any time a commander resigns a command, the unit will put together and buy her a going away gift. Usually a plaque or something to commemorate the accomplishments of the unit. Reporter megan didnt go but her husband did. My husband came home. And i asked how it went. You know, did she like the gift . And he said, you know, she never showed. And that was very odd. Reporter Something Else was odd. Roger had been calling lynn at home throughout the day. No answer. Late that afternoon, he came home from work with triston, and it was all too clear why lynn hadnt answered the phone. 911. Oh, oh. I just got home. My wife is dead. Reporter Lynn Armstrong reister, mother, soldier, beloved commander, was in her bedroom, lying dead in a pool of blood. When we return my first instinct was to grab triston and run out of the house. It almost made me sick. I was on the floor. Where will investigators start . It could be a neighbor. It could be a lover. It could be anybody. You had a killer on the loose. Yes. Whos out there . Who did this . Buy one take one is back at olive garden because theres nothing like a great meal with the family except maybe another great meal with the family buy one take one choose one delicious entree at our place and another for yours starting at 12. 99 may all your tomorrows be as delicious as today olive garden it was tough. It was tough seeing that. Reporter lynn, six months pregnant, had been stabbed to death, her throat slashed. My first instinct was to grab triston and run out of the house. And then i knew i was screaming and yelling. I probably looked like a madman out there. But it was i didnt know what to think. Shes pregnant. You need to send somebody there. I cant even take her pulse. He immediately called 911 and brought triston out. Triston in his statement says my daddy took me out fast, and, you know, those kind of things. Reporter gonzolo chavarilla was the lead detective. Did you think about this poor womans last moments in this house . I did, looking at the scene and trying to imagine her maybe fighting for her life or pleading for her life or how scared she might have been. Reporter any signs of robbery . Or things taken . No, we we actually did a scan. We could see valuables. There was no signs that this was a burglary or a robbery, but once we did the walkthrough and looked at and with the help of roger because he was explaining what he had seen when he went in. Reporter with police and neighbors converging on the scene, the news got out quickly. Lynns friend debbie moore couldnt believe it. My husband and i were watching tv, and he was flipping through the channels over the remote control. And the channel flipped by. And it was her house. And i yelled and i said, you know, wait, wait, wait. What is that . Isnt that lynns house . And so he flipped it back. And about that time it came up that a woman had been found murdered in her home. Reporter did you know right away . I knew it was lynn. Yeah, because i knew the house. Then they said it was military. And i remember it almost made me sick. I was on the floor. And then i kind of got myself together. I said, we have to go over there. I have to go over there. Reporter roger was already talking to detectives and clearly shaken. Police were sympathetic, but they knew he had to be carefully scrutinized. Whats your First Impression of roger reister . He was grasping his son, wouldnt let go of him. And i thought that maybe i saw some fear. He was scared about what had occurred, it seemed to me at the time. Reporter are you looking for anything in roger reisters eyes or his mannerisms or what hes saying . Are you immediately sizing him up . Absolutely. Reporter just to see if maybe he did this. Absolutely. It actually took a while for me to calm down at the very beginning because my minds all over the place. And then once i wrap my mind around, okay, let me just go ahead and give them this. Get this knocked out of the way, then they can actually get on with the investigation. Reporter detectives wanted to know where he was all day. Roger had a good alibi. He had a solid alibi. Yes. His son was with him all the time. He had left his house very early and stopped at a Convenience Store where he saw friends and talked to them. And then when he got to work, obviously, his coworkers, his supervisors saw him. Reporter also backing up rogers alibi was his brother rodney. He told detectives he helped roger jump start his truck early that morning and watched him an triston leave. Detective steve munoz. He said that they were able to crank up the truck, get it going. And as he pulled away, he says that he did see roger also pull off from the driveway. Reporter later rodney visited roger at the base. He told police his older brother looked worried when he called lynn and got no answer. Thursday, 9 58 a. M. Hey, you there . 10 25 a. M. Hey, lynn, this is roger. Give me a call as soon as you get in. Im going to need to come pick up triston. And then he leaves work. So we knew that it would have been very difficult for him to have committed this murder. Reporter so who did it . As the investigation got underway, detective chavarilla thought the possibilities were endless. It could be anybody. It could be a neighbor. It could be a lover. She was a captain. She was a supervisor. And we thought about her troops and her subordinates. And maybe somebody that she might have disciplined or sex offenders in the area. Reporter you had a wide net you needed to throw out. It was a wide investigation at the time. Yes. Reporter you had a killer on the loose. Yes. And the neighbors were very scared. Whos out there . Who did this . Reporter in those first few hours the leads would pour in, and police had to move fast. Lynn reister had inspired loyalty in her life. Now in death, the detectives could not let her down. Coming up an Army Commander being murdered was unheard of. On base, a giant military family is hit hard by murder. But in lynns own family, had there been signs of trouble . Rodney was going around calling her names, vulgar names. He had a little bit of animosity towards lynn. Perfect r isnt easy as pie, but finding someone to enjoy it with. Sure is. Marie callenders. Its time to savor. And now theres even more to savor with family size pot pies. In our house, imagination runs wild. But at my table, i keep the food real. Like country crocks recipe made with real simple ingredients. And no artificial flavors or preservatives. Real Country Fresh taste from real ingredients. Welcome to crock country. dog mmm, beneful healthy weand lowcalorie. Keeps me looking good. Hey, i get some looks, i hear the whistles. vo beneful healthy weight, a delicious, lowcalorie meal your dog will love. With wholesome rice, real chicken, and accents of vegetables and apples. So we know how to cover almost alanything. Ything, even a stag pool party. party music splashing destruction splashing destruction burke and we covered it, october twentyseventh, 2014. Talk to farmers. We know a thing or two because weve seen a thing or two. We are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum earning unlimited cash back on purchases. Thats a win. But imagine earning it twice. You can with the citi double cash® card. It lets you earn cash back twice. Once when you buy and again as you pay. Its cash back then cash back again. And thats a cash back winwin. The citi double cash card. The only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1 when you buy and 1 as you pay. With two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem onesided. Did this crime send shock wavesi through ft. Bliss . This crime se . It certainly did. It certa it was heartbreaking. Did. It was heartbreaking. It was harrowing when it first it was harrowing when it first happened. Happened. We had no idea and scary. We had no idea and scary. Reporter the ft. Bliss community packed the memorial l service to say goodbye to the captain and the baby she was carrying who never got a chance. Tell us about the funeral. The wake was extremely. The wake was extremely difficult. Difficult. She was buried in her army dress uniform. Uniform. And in order to do the open n a casket, they had to cover the throat. Had to cover the throat. So they used her air defense e artillery ascot to you know, it connects on the back and so a that they would be able to do a the open casket. T. The open casket. [ taps ] [ taps ] lynns mother asked me to go and buy a baby blanket. It was a little boy. Buy at. It was a little boy. And so i went and bought a a ano little baby blanket. Ught a litt and so for the memorial when a they laid lynn out in her uniform. The point was there that not just one person had died in this just one person had died in this attack, that two had died. Attack, that two had died. Reporter 4yearold triston was there with his family and his mothers friends barely e comprehending the tragic rupture in his life. In his life. Do you remember how you felt do towards him . . Towards him . I do. O. I felt sorrow. W. I do. I felt sorrow. I wanted so bad to fix it for i him. For him. And i understood that this and little 4 1 2yearold boy will never know how great his mom ne was, how much she loved him. Reporter did your heart just go out to this little boy . Yes. O out to this little boy . Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. And still does. And still does. Reporter but the detectives had to put emotion aside and ha drill down to the facts. Drill d. Roger wasnt home at the time of the murder, and neighbors the m werent reporting any suspicious activity. Activity. So detectives wanted to know if anyone held a grudge against lynn. One held a they quickly learned that at least one person may have, rogers brother rodney. T oy hav things started to go south with rodney pretty quickly after he moved in . Yes. Moved in . Yes. There was times where he would just lay around all day long. J. Reporter rodney idolized his big brother, but he was big brother, but he was something of a disappointment te roger and lynn. Hing of a disappe well, he just wasnt he wasnt working. Wasnt working. He was, basically, you know, he just living off of us, stuff ju like that. She would go to get milk outa of the refrigerator for triston, and the milk would be gone rist, because rodney had drank it all and didnt bother to replace itc and yeah, it was becoming not a very good relationship. Very good relationship. Reporter lynn didnt want him to stay . Him to stay . I think lynn was ready to have her house back. Have her ho. You know, its very difficult y when you have another adult wh living in the home. I think they talked and they lv ended up roger ended up telling rodney it was time to go, that you needed to leave. Youve been here long enough. Weve tried to help you. You know, youre not really p y. You know, youre not rea helping yourself, so you need to go. Go. Lynn and i came to that l decision together. Decision together. But it was just one of those bu things that just had to be done. He held that against her. Mine and his relationship continued on. But i could tell he had a little bit of animosity, you know, towards lynn, even after that. Reporter a closer look at rodney showed a young man with a dodgy past. Showed a young man a dodgy past. Hed done time in florida for h crimes like petty theft, crimes forgery, grand theft auto. Forge. Nothing violent. Nothing violent. But still, he was no fan of but lynns. Lynns. And then i remember lynn telling me that roger had told her that rodney was going around calling her names, you know. Cal. Calling her vulgar names that c shes the reason that he got e kicked out, that shes the kick reason that all these things re happened and stuff. Happened and. Reporter did you see that as a motive . A motive . I never thought that that in itself would have been a motive to kill her or that he would have been that angry just because of that to kill her. Reporter why in the world would rodney want lynn dead . I dont think rodney wanted lynn dead. I dont thi here was a person that was l willing to help us in the thati investigation. Help us in the in and he was very cooperative initially and throughout. Ery co reporter the search for suspects continued. Lynns neighborhood turned up nothing. Same with ft. Bliss. Nothing. Same with ft. Bliss. Lynn had no enemies there. Lynn. You couldnt imagine that it couldve happened. Couldve happened. It seemed unreal. It seemed unreal. An Army Commander being murdered was unheard of. Was unheard of. Cropped up. Cropped up. Rodney mentioned it to police. R. We asked him who else would have wanted to do this to lynn. Have want did she have any enemies . Did sh . Rodney tells us t