Murder in a house he was selling. Was this a deal gone bad . We just had some bizarre things happening in the office. Or maybe bad blood at home . My son texted me that he was scared and wanted me to pick him up. Danger was out there. Soon youre under arrest under arrest under arrest arrest after arrest, and twist after twist. Makes your blood boil. Its beyond my comprehension. She was the flame. She was the ignition. It was a perfect storm. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with secrets at the Sunshine Motel. Its the pulsepounding start to a heart wrenching tale. Police back here. A Police Officer wearing a body camera running to face who knows what. 605, send in medical. A man down. A room awash in blood. Who found him here . I did. That would be the first of many questions, and the starting line of a race for survival. Severe assault, massive head trauma. This was a mystery that more than once would appear to be solved here in this sleepy town. In the end, there were more twists than in the river that runs through. The ripples and eddies that hold the disturbing secrets about family, about friends, about who will betray you and who wont. Just a little more than two hours from soggy seattle sits yakima, in a valley where orchards and vineyards flourish, in the abundant sunshine of South Central washington. And it was just outside yakima on a saturday in may, 2013, that tara rackenfield was meeting her fatherinlaw. I had sent him some messages early in the morning asking if i could borrow his truck because i wanted to go to a nursery. And hes like, well, im going to be out there anyway showing a house. I can just meet you there. Taras fatherinlaw, Vern Holbrook, was one of the best known and bestselling realtors in this part of washington state. The meet time at the nursery was set 11 15 a. M. I sent him a message when i got there. He said, clients running late, just got here. See you in a bit. About 30 minutes later, i sent a message and said that i was done, and i didnt hear anything. How much time goes by . Two hours. Did you think of going to look for him . Yeah, i did. And i thought, well, no, i dont want to interrupt him if hes with a client. Do i regret that every second . Yeah, i do. So tara turned toward home and her husband, verns stepson, andrew. When she got home, she said, you know, its really weird. Your dad never showed up. And i told her, you know, he probably got tied up in a deal. In fact, verns kids were used to this behavior. He worked more than 60 hours a week every week because he enjoyed it and wanted to help people find a home. Vern was not only the founder and owner of the family business, Aspen Real Estate, he was also the patriarch of a large blended family that included stepson andrew, his wife tara, and their children. He was the leader of the family. Everyone looked up to him. Along with stepson chad. I think he worked as long as he did because he enjoyed it, and he was a real social guy. Chad and his wife jill gave vern three grandchildren. Surprise [ applause ] he was a wonderful dad. Wonderful grandpa. I could go on and on about vern. Jill celebrating at verns 75th Birthday Party remembers him as a constant presence. The anchor, ever present for his grandkids and even great grandkids. On Christmas Morning or their birthdays. Hes always been the stability of the family. In fact, when jills marriage to chad ended after nine years, vern was stlil for them. Vern helped out with essentials for the kids, helped jill out with a job, and more. Thats the kind of man he was. He helps anybody out. Doesnt matter who they are. Big heart. Uhhuh. Huge heart. And using that huge heart to help family members or clients was what seemed to keep Vern Holbrook young. After andrews mom died in 2007, vern eventually remarried and kept moving, whether he was catching fish or closing deals. He was a machine. Vern had tried to slow down, even selling his company in 2008 to an ambitious young agent whom vern had trained and taken under his wing, daniel blizzard, who was buying the business with his two brothers. I think that appeal of daniel and his brothers was that it would still be a family and a local business as opposed to becoming a chain. But vern couldnt stop selling. He kept wanting to retire. And it would get pushed back. This wasnt because he was living hand to mouth, he had no money . It was because he loved it . Loved it. He liked being the best at it. So on that saturday in may when vern missed his meeting with tara, she and andrew simply dismissed it as vern being vern until tara got a phone call that night from chad. Hes like, have you heard from vern . Somethings wrong. Hes in the hospital or something. You got to check. Then i like instantly im worried. Tara is a physicians assistant and knew Memorial Hospital well. She was pointed to the e. R. Where a nurse delivered the devastating news. She proceeded to tell me that he had been beaten, and his throat was slashed. And they were getting ready to airlift him to harborview in seattle. And it happened, she soon learned, at that house vern had been showing to clients. Thats why vern hadnt shown up to meet her that morning. I walked up to the head of the bed, and i just he was so swollen and disfigured, and i went down to the foot of the bed, and his feet were sticking out. Thats what looked like him. The rest of him was not is not the vern that i know. What did you think had happened . I i wasnt sure at that point. The phone rings, she was hysterically crying. She told me that my dad had been attacked. And i was in disbelief, too. I didnt think that it was real at first. But it was. Vern holbrooks life was dangling by a thread. He turned out to be the proof that you can be both beloved and still have mortal enemies. Enemies . Who might they be . When we come back my son texted me that he was scared. An entire family frightened. Enter a mystery woman with a secret. And it was a doozy. You ever seen anybody bring their kids to a murder . This was a first for me. Wheres frank . Its league night saved money on motorcycle insurance with geico goin up the country. Bowl without me. Frank. im going to get nachos. Snack bars closed. Gah ah, ah ah. Im goin up the country, baby dont you wanna go . Im goin up the country, baby dont you wanna go . Geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. Got a minute . New aveeno®. R you. Positively radiant® 60 second in shower facial. Works with steam to reveal. Glowing skin in just one minute. Aveeno® naturally beautiful results® windex that you dont even know its there . So clear by sfx slide show smudge it with the new smudge stick even clear glass gets visibly smudged in a snap. Sfx smudge sounds against glass get it now and say no to spotless clear windex glass. Do you think im gonna crack under pressure or conquer the field . Defy expectations any day with always infinity. Made with flexfoam. Absorbs 10x its weight. Rewrite the rules. Always. Mthat stuff only lasts a few hours. Or, take mucinex. One pill fights congestion for 12 hours. Guess i wont be seeing you for a while. Why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours . Lets end this. whispering dad trust me, we are going viral. Ing to work . kids laughing whispering mom lets send in max. kids max max now this, is internet gold going viral . Get scrubbing bubbles clean and disinfect. What . 20,000 views sc johnson. Thats frequent heartburn. Its always lurking around. But im safe. I took my prevacid®24hr today. I didnt. One pill prevents the acid that causes heartburn, all day, all night. Prevacid®24hr. Better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. But. Theyre not all the same. Turns out, theyre really. Different. Who knew . I had no idea. So, she said look for. One thats shaped like a dental tool with a round. Brush head. Go pro with oralb. Oralbs rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to. Gently remove more plaque and. Oralb crossaction is clinically proven to. Remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. My mouth feels so clean. Ill only use an oralb the 1 brand used by dentists worldwide. Oralb. Brush like a pro. What began as a sunny saturday in yakima ended for Vern Holbrooks family in an allnight vigil at this Trauma Center in seattle. They gathered quickly at verns bedside after hearing hed been badly beaten, his throat slashed. Apparently at a house he was showing to real estate clients. What were you told about his condition and his prognosis . They were worried about how much air he was getting to his brain. The vern that we all loved died that day. Verns former daughterinlaw, jill, remembers hearing of the attack and how it frightened the entire family. My son texted me that grandpa was attacked, and that he was scared and wanted me to come pick him up. And the task of quieting the familys fears and finding out who had attacked vern was now in the hands of this man, yakima county sheriffs detective, sam perrault. Did you know Vern Holbrook . I knew of him. He was just known to be one of the big movers and shakers in the Real Estate Industry in the yakima valley. The detective had been called to the house where vern was found that saturday night. Hed heard from the responding officer, the one who wore this body camera and captured these scenes from the moment he arrived just before 8 00 p. M. That a colleague had gone looking for vern when verns wife became worried that he didnt return from the showing. The colleague found him here, lying in a pool of blood at this rural home near the small town of cowiche. The last people talked to vern around 11 15. And so we had surmised that he had likely been attacked sometime around noon. Hed been lying there for, what, maybe seven, eight hours . Yes. Not a whole lot of evidence to go on at the beginning. No. Verns truck still parked outside offered little. His wallet was in there with his i. D. And his credit cards. So presumably not robbery. Right. In fact, as police inventoried the scene, only one thing seemed to be missing only thing theyd taken was his telephone . Thats what it looks like, yes. But verns missing cell phone didnt hinder the investigation. Within hours, the detective had verns phone records in hand. And you go to, what, the last person to call him . I was able to see the last number that connected, yes. Call that number . I did. And i left a message just asking for a return call. Who did that phone number come back to . Adrianna menendez was the name attached to the account. Adrianna menendez was a 23yearold mother of three with a criminal record of assault living with her kids in yakima at the Sunshine Motel. The next day, she called back. We appreciate you coming down here today. And agreed to meet with detectives. I didnt mean to take so long in in trying to give you a call. What kind of vibe are you getting off her . She seemed excited and nervous, talking fast. Adrianna admitted calling vern twice the day of the attack. She said she wanted to talk to him about selling a mobile home, but he couldnt see her. He told me that that he was busy. That he was showing a house. To call him back. Cell records confirmed adriannas calls to vern, but it was Something Else that convinced the detective that adrianna wasnt telling the truth. She insisted shed never left yakima that day. I dont know what to tell you. I did not go out there. But phone records dont lie. People who forget about them do. And the detective had maps showing adrianna had made the last call to vern from the same rural area where the attack took place. She was pretty close to him when that call was made. Yes. You need to tell me the truth. Over the next several hours, adriannas story changed again and again until she gave it up. She admitted meeting with vern, said it was the idea of her boyfriend, louis. She told a story backed up by surveillance tape from the Sunshine Motel of luis picking up adrianna and her three small children that morning at 10 45. She told detective they drove to the house in cowiche, met with vern, and while the kids waited in the car, she and luis went inside with vern to view the house. And in the back bedroom what did luis do to vern . Hit him. Okay. And you saw him hit vern . While i was walking out. Through this eye the corner of my eye. Thats the last i heard. Then all i heard was the thump. You didnt walk back in to see what was going on . No. I should have. Adrianna said luis came out moments later. They tossed verns cell phone out the car window on the way home before luis delivered adrianna and her three kids back to the Sunshine Motel again, confirmed on video by 12 31. P. M. To the detective it was obvious this had been a plot to set up a meeting with vern with the sole purpose of killing him. You ever see anybody bring their kids to a murder . No, this is a first for me. Theres probable cause to think that you are an accomplice, and thats why youre under arrest. I know. Within hours, detectives had adriannas boyfriend in custody, as well. Through an interpreter, luis gomez mangez also initially told a story about adrianna contacting vern to sell a mobile home. Thats bull [ bleep ]. Youre telling me lies. And adriana started off telling me the same lies. She said you hit the guy from behind when he wasnt looking. Translator no. I dont think that your story is going to hold up. You are under arrest for the attempted murder of vernon holbrook. Detectives were convinced they had the two people whod attacked vern that saturday in may. But they also knew or thought they knew there was a lot more to the story. These suspects certainly werent trained, hired assassins. They were so clumsy, theyd even used their own phone. But where would this lead . Why would two people who never met Vern Holbrook want to kill him . Coming up the bells and whistles definitely started going off. A sudden trail of clues, security video, text messages, a secret code. Was vern worth more dead than alive . All of a sudden, i saw this he was fearful of his life. Strummed guitar you cant experience the Canadian Rockies through a screen. You have to be here, with us. Theres only one way to travel through this natural wonder and get a glimpse of amazing. And thats with a glass of wine in one hand, and a camera in the other, aboard rocky mountaineer. Canadas Rocky Mountains await. Call your travel agent or rocky mountaineer for special offers now. In a seattle hospital, Vern Holbrook hovered in that gray area between life and death in the week after he was savagely beaten. His throat slit during a routine real estate showing in may of 2013. Detectives had quickly made two arrests. Charged with attempted murder, 38yearold luis gomez mangez who denied any part in the attack, and his 23yearold girlfriend, Adriana Menendez, who admitted luring vern to the meeting at luis request, and then witnessing luis assault vern. She said she had no idea why luis would do that. Do you believe that . No. And why did perrault not believe adriana . Because in that same interview, she had also unwittingly dropped a bombshell. When asked how out of all the dozens of realtors in yakima she happened to call verns company, Aspen Real Estate i know a couple of people that used to work there. Whos that . Daniel. What goes through your mind when she says that . The bells and whistles definitely started going off. Bells and whistles because after vern had been assaulted, his family had flooded detectives with calls. You sit down and start thinking, whod want to hurt him. One person. His name is daniel blizzard. Daniel blizzard, that ambitious agent to whom vern was going to sell the company. Someone vern had once trusted. Did you think daniel had something to do with it . Well, yeah. I was pretty sure. Why with zero proof would so many believe blizzard was behind the attack . Detective perrault soon heard a story that went like this in the fall of 2008, vern called employees like bookkeeper judy craven to a meeting. He was selling the company. I think he wanted to spend more time with his family and focus on the selling part, not deal with the daytoday managing. No longer a rumor said this email to announce the sale. Vern was selling aspen to daniel blizzard and his two brothers. Vern would stay on as the designated broker for one year. Vern held a barbecue and took this photo with the blizzard family to cement the new relationship. The deal went south quickly. They made the first three payments, and then they just stopped. It was the height of the great recession. Real estate was tanking. Vern was understanding, but then the blizzards approached vern with a request. They asked my dad to take out whats called a key now Life Insurance policy, him being the key person or key man in the organization. Because Aspen Real Estate really was just your dad. It absolutely was my dad. It made good Financial Sense at the time. Verns death would cripple the company, so the Life Insurance policy would pay 1. 58 million upon verns death. Vern knew they were taking the policy out on him. He was comfortable with that. He did i wouldnt say he was comfortable with it. The blizzards never missed a payment on the Life Insurance, but they never made another payment on the business. So in january, 2010, just 16 months after selling the company, vern sent out another email to staff. This time to say, daniel is no longer with Aspen Real Estate. Vern was taking back the company hed built. Its like if you cant make your payments, you cant keep it. And so i think, you know, he had to. There were complaints filed with the real estate board, lawsuits, countersuits, and all the while, that Life Insurance policy seemed to weigh on verns mind. He went to the Life Insurance company and asked them to remove it. No one in that company would remove the policy. Because somebody was paying the premiums. Thats correct. All of a sudden, i saw that he was fearful of of his life. To detective perrault, this all added up to motive. 1. 5 million reasons that daniel blizzard might want Vern Holbrook dead. But what was the link between daniel and adriana and luis . Im getting the holy grail at this point in the investigation would be to find some provable contact between daniel blizzard and Adriana Mendez. Right. It turned out the holy grail was only a few blocks away at the Sunshine Motel. I went to the motel, and they told me that a big white guy would come in occasionally and pay adrianas rent for her. You get the security video right. And who is it . Its daniel blizzard. There he was, a week before the attack. Blizzard paying adrianas bill at the Sunshine Motel. And perrault soon found more. Text messages between adriana and daniel from the day vern was attacked. 9 24 a. M. , daniel texts adriana dont be late for shopping. Whats going on there . It appears to be code to me. What theyre talking about is the real estate appointment with vern. At 12 04 p. M. , presumably right around when the attack happened, adriana texts daniel, we are going shopping. I believe that that is her way of telling daniel that the job is done. And that same afternoon, who pulls up at the Sunshine Motel to pick up adriana . You guessed it daniel blizzard. Possible that they were just talking about shopping . Anything is possible, but its not very likely. Finally in september, 2013, nearly three months after the attack, the detective went to pick up daniel. He didnt seem surprised to see me. He didnt say, gee, detective, what could this possibly be about . No, he didnt ask. Im the detective whos investigating the attack on Vern Holbrook. Uhhuh. I heard about that. It didnt take long for daniel blizzard to tell investigators how he really felt about vern and the business deal that had gone bad. He did a very elaborate, well, good job on screwing us over. How did he screw you over . Just lies, deceit. I have nothing bad against vern at all. I mean, when i use these kinds of words, its not like i have a grudge or anything like that. And why was daniel paying adrianas rent and taking her shopping . Were you involved in a sexual relationship with adriana . No. No . Not at all . No. You were helping her out of the kindness of your heart . Im a good guy. Detective perrault was having none of it. Youre obviously sticking to your story, but i do not believe it. So at this time, im going to tell you that you are under arrest for attempted firstdegree murder of vernon holbrook. For the first time stand up, put your hands behind your back. Daniel blizzards demeanor changed. He was definitely surprised. Looked like he might be ill. What went through your mind when police told you that they had arrested daniel blizzard . Thank god, finally. Relief. It sounded like a case neatly tied up. Two attackers linked to a man with motive and millions to gain. But that wasnt the whole story. There was someone else involved, the detective believed. Someone else who had betrayed verns trust. And to say it was someone close to vern would be an understatement. In fact, its someone youve already met. Coming up, arrest number four. Satisfaction . Huge satisfaction. Is about to split the family in two. Are your allergies holding you back or is it your allergy pills . Break through your allergies. Introducing Flonase Sensimist. More complete allergy relief in a gentle mist you may not even notice. Using unique mistpro technology, new Flonase Sensimist delivers a gentle mist to help block six key inflammatory substances that cause your symptoms. Most allergy pills only block one. And six is greater than one. Break through your allergies. New Flonase Sensimist. Windex that you dont even know its there . So clear by sfx slide show smudge it with the new smudge stick even clear glass gets visibly smudged in a snap. Sfx smudge sounds against glass get it now and say no to spotless clear windex glass. Ltry align probiotic. N your digestive system . For a nonstop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. Get 24 7 digestive support, with align. The 1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. Now in kids chewables. Listerine® kills 99 of bad breath germs. This is 100 useful for a 100 fresh mouth. Just ask listerine® users. The very people we studied in the study of bold. People who are statistically more likely to stand up to a bully. Do a yoga handstand. And be in a magicians act. Listerine® kills 99 of bad breath germs so you can feel 100 in life. Bring out the bold™. Also try listerine® pocketpaks for fresh breath on the go. Mthat stuff only lasts a few hours. Or, take mucinex. One pill fights congestion for 12 hours. Guess i wont be seeing you for a while. Why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours . Lets end this. They carry your fans shpassions, hopes, and dreams. S. And maybe, a chance at greatness because shoulders were made for greatness. Not dandruff. whispering dad trust me, we are going viral. Ing to work . kids laughing whispering mom lets send in max. kids max max now this, is internet gold going viral . Get scrubbing bubbles clean and disinfect. What . 20,000 views sc johnson. You knmegared omega3s. But did you know your eyes, your brain, and your joints really love them too . Introducing megared advanced 4in1. Just one softgel delivers mega support. By the fall of 2013, three months after the attack, Vern Holbrook was in a coma. But somehow still alive. Did either of you hold out any hope for recovery . I think you always want to believe and have hope that someones going to get better. I joked with hospital staff all the time this guy is ornery. If anyone can come out of this, its going to be him. And as the autumn winds rolled into the yakima valley, detective sam perrault already had made three arrests. But there was one more to come. And to say it was a shocker would be an understatement. There was one more name the detective had been hearing from verns family. A lot of people are going to be saying a lot of different things. It turned out that the plots alleged mastermind, daniel blizzard, had for several years dated and helped support financially a woman who had once been as close to Vern Holbrook as a child. This woman, remember her . He helps anybody out. Mother to three of verns grandchildren. His former daughterinlaw, jill taylor. What would her motivation be for sort of taking part in that plot . I suppose the only connection would be her relationship with daniel. And whats good for daniel is good for jill. I would think so. And the detective found that jill taylor was also the common link between daniel blizzard and another of the alleged participants in the plot, Adriana Mendez. What did Adriana Menendez and jill taylor have in common . Methamphetamine. They met through a common friend at a party using drugs. Detective say that friendship forged in meth became so close that jill invited adriana and her three kids to move in with her. And it was at jills apartment where daniel met adriana and luis. Adriana wouldnt know daniel without jill. Correct. The detective was starting to get a clearer picture of how the alleged coconspirators came together. And he soon found another of jills friends who filled in some more blanks for him. Me and jill were really tight. Vicki vargas came forward to say it was no secret what jill and daniel wanted done. Like the she was telling me about how she was trying to kill somebody. Her and her boyfriend. Did she say now is. She tried to poison him a couple times. When that didnt work daniel was trying to pay jill 10,000 kill him. Did you believe her . It was believable that they were going around asking people about a hitman for 10,000. And the proof that jill took part in the plot came from her own lip, if you believe the former family members who pointed fingers at her. Enter once again chad, jills exhusband. He said that six weeks before the attack jill said something strange when discussing supervised visits with their three children. She told me that vern may not be around that much longer to be supervising visits. And i said, well, why would you think that . She told me then, well, he makes a lot of enemies, and hes going to end up making the wrong kind of enemies. All of this eventually landed jill in the Sheriffs Office herself. Is it okay if we talk about this . Well, im i would rather have a lawyer. Okay just because its such a delicate situation, and i need a professional. I understand im not trying to not, you know, cooperate. I dont take that personally. I understand that. I do need to let you know that you are under arrest for attempted murder. Relief, satisfaction . Satisfaction. Huge satisfaction. You saw jill as being sort of, what, a pawn of daniels . I think they used each other. No question she was involved . Not in our minds. Four people were now charged with the attempted murder of Vern Holbrook, and then the case changed again in january of 2014. Eight months after he was attacked, Vern Holbrook died of his injuries. It was a sense of relief for him that he didnt have to suffer anymore, but it was really hard, really hard for the entire family to see him not with us anymore. It turned the attempted murder into a firstdegree murder, premeditated murder. It sort of raised the stakes all around . Right. But once again, what seemed to be and what would be wouldnt quite line up. There was one more twist in that long river of lies. Coming up, the case heads into court with a surprise on the stand. . She said were going to kill vern for for daniel. Jill taylor, the accused, becomes jill taylor, star witness when dateline continues. W do you become ameri start by taking care of families for 70 years. Earn the trust of 32 nfl teams. Be there for americas toughest and help, when help is needed americas 1 isnt a status earned overnight. Its earned in every wash, and reearned every day. Tide, americas 1 detergent new aveeno®. Dont just eat yogurt. Wear it. Daily moisturizing body yogurt. Enriched with the nutrients found in greek yogurt, intensely nourishes skin for 48 hours. Aveeno®. Naturally beautiful results®. Windex that you dont even know its there . So clear by sfx slide show smudge it with the new smudge stick even clear glass gets visibly smudged in a snap. Sfx smudge sounds against glass get it now and say no to spotless clear windex glass. Of being there for my sons winning shot. That was it for me. Thats why im quitting with nicorette. Only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. It starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. Every great why needs a great how. Crsugar is everywherets sugar shield and crest complete has a sugar shield to protect teeth from sugar found in everyday foods. Crest complete. Shield your teeth from sugar. So sugar may visit, but its not sticking around. Larms wheres the car . Itll be here in three. Uh, four minutes. Are you kidding me . No, looks like he took a wrong turn. Dont worry, this guys got like a fourstar rating, were good. His name is randy. Thats like one of the most trustworthy names ordering a getaway car with an app . Are you randy . Thats me awesome surprising. Whats not surprising . How much money erin saved by switching to geico. Everybody comfortable with the air temp . I could go a little cooler. Ok. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. You knmegared omega3s. But did you know your eyes, your brain, and your joints really love them too . Introducing megared advanced 4in1. Just one softgel delivers mega support. So if you have a sink, and the ship is sinking, is it a sinking sink . Scrubbing bubbles toilet gel, freshens and cleans with every flush. Spend less time cleaning, and more time thinking about the important things. Sc johnson is your deodorant leaving white marks or yellow stains on your clothes . Use new degree ultraclear black white. No white marks on black clothes. And no yellow stains on white. So your white clothes stay white. And your black clothes stay black. Choose degree ultraclear black white. It wont let you down. Of the four people now charged with the murder of Vern Holbrook awaited trial in the yakima county jail, verns family and former colleagues felt a special animosity for one of them jill taylor. Jill had been verns daughterinlaw. How could she be part of the plot to kill him . How could you do this to someone who cared for you and took care of you and helped your kids . And you were a part of this family. How could you do Something Like that . Hard to believe that somebody who had been sort of the beneficiary of verns generosity would be involved in any way in a plot like that. I dont know what was going on in jills world that she felt she needed to do that. Jills arrest was especially troubling for her exhusband because chad says he tried to tell vern that jills behavior could be volatile and violent. I had tried to warn him a couple of times after our splitup that shes dangerous and he should be careful. He just kind of oh, what, her . Whatever. You know, he didnt wasnt buying . No, he didnt think much of it. And then as the trials of the four suspects wound their way toward the courthouse, verns family was blind sided yet again. Prosecutors called to say they were offering deals to two of the suspects to make sure their cases were rock solid against accused shotcaller daniel blizzard and the alleged attacker, luis gomez mangez. The state would allow luis girlfriend, Adriana Mendez, and jill taylor to walk out of jail if the two would agree to testify against the men. Did they ask your permission, or were they essentially saying this is the way the cookie crumbles . We didnt have a choice. So we were made aware that this is what they were thinking of doing. Why were those deals necessary . Deputy prosecutor alvin guzman. Trying to pick the lesser of two evils on that. Meaning you get the mastermind, and you get the guy whose hand was actually on the knife and maybe the little fish swim away . Thats essentially what happened in the situation. Do you think you had a strong case against jill taylor . She was probably the weakest case we would have had compared to all four people that we believed were involved. The court is back in session. So in august, 2014, the murder trial of daniel blizzard began with a parade of lawyers, Life Insurance salesmen, and Law Enforcement taking the stand before the star witnesses began to appear. He would say cant wait until the old man is gone. She said blizzard wanted vern dead so he could collect the 1. 58 million life policy and told her that she and luis were going to go through with the attack. Said were going do that. Were going to kill vern for daniel. When it was her turn, Adriana Mendez said daniel showed her a wad of cash to entice her. He told me there was money and he would pay me 10,000 to get this job done. In fact, after the attack was over, adriana claimed daniel gave her the 10,000 plus a 2,000 bonus. That money was never recovered. This is outrageous blizzards defense attorney argued that adriana and jill would have said anything on the stand because of those get out of jail free deals offered by prosecutors. If you testify you will be let out. Yes. And you will be able to reunite with your kids . Yes. The defense argued that jurors had to acquit daniel blizzard because of a lack of evidence. You will not hear of a shred of forensic evidence of any kind linking this man or anybody else to that murder. After three weeks, the jury had the case, but it took less than a full day of deliberation to deliver a verdict. We the jury find the defendant, daniel blizzard, guilty of the crime of firstdegree murder. Yes. You know . What we wanted and what was right happened. It was a huge, huge relief that the jury found the truth. I think his color changed, but he did a pretty good job of maintaining his poker face. This was a guy who thought he was going to get away with it. I think so. The judge sentenced daniel blizzard to more than 34 years in prison. A month later, the trial of luis gomez mangez, he testified that it was not he but Adriana Mendez who had slashed Vern Holbrooks neck and struck him. Guilty of the crime of firstdegree murder. The jury didnt buy it. The judge sentenced luis to more than 26 years behind bars. The two men were going to prison. What would happen to those two women who cut deals to help put them there . And what would jill taylor have to say about it all . Coming up he just set me up for everything. Daniel set you up . Yes. He set me up. Deeply involved or wrongly accused . Were about to hear from jill taylor herself. Youre kind of the victim here, huh . I dont like to call myself a victim. After daniel blizzard and luis gomez mangez were extended sentenced for the murder of realtor Vern Holbrooke, it was time for the two women charged in the case to face the judge. In exchange for her cooperation, Adriana Mendez, the woman who brought her three small children to a murder scene, was allowed to plead guilty to charges of assault and criminal rendering. She was sentenced to time served, about 15 months, and released. And jill taylor Vern Holbrooks former daughterinlaw was set free after spending about a year in the county jail. Charges of firstdegree murder were dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors do have the option of refiling at some point in the future. But at this point, jill has never been convicted of any crime in connection with verns death. Verns family is still bitter about jills deal. If it wasnt for jill putting it all together, helping daniel put the pieces together, this may not have happened. I think thats criminal it shouldnt have happened. You know, she in my opinion, she definitely got away with murder. And when you walk out of this interview, she might be standing on the street. Yeah. You never know. It crosses my mind. We wanted to talk to jill taylor, and it turned out she wanted to talk with us to tell a story of betrayal. But in her telling, shes the one who was betrayed. When we sat down with jill, shed been out of jail for about three months, claiming she was caught in a web of daniel blizzards creation. When you heard that vern had been attacked and left for dead, how did you feel . That maybe you could have headed that off somehow . No, i wouldnt have headed it off anyhow because daniel was determined to do what he wanted to do. I really cared about daniel, and it was just i was really hoping he would pull his head out of his rear. Maybe i have issues with letting people use me. He just set me up for everything. Daniel set you up . Yes. He set me up. It was a winwin for him. But remember, it was only through jill that daniel blizzard met adriana and luis. Jill admits thats true, admits she knew blizzard had paid them, admits she never told police but told us something she never said on the stand that adriana convinced her the attack would never happen. I went to her hotel, it was about in april. I just told her that i dont care how much money hes lent you. You are not obligated to do anything. She said, were not going to do anything. She said, were not going do that. Adriana specifically told you she was not going to go through with the attack on vern. Yes. Yes. You must have surprised when they did it after all. I was surprised. Caught me offguard. We asked jill about the death of a man whod been good to her and her kids. The answer was that the financial help that vern provided for her and her family has been overstated. I make 36,000 a year, okay. I had a good job. I paid my own bills. He only helped me when i first split one my exhusband, and ive paid him back every dime that he had helped me with. Jill blames verns family for making her look bad. Particularly her ex, chad. Your exhusband wasnt the only person who thought you were a suspect. Pretty much everybody in verns family mentioned you and daniel blizzard right away to police. Well, i dont understand why they think that i would do anything to him like that. I mean, what would i be gaining from it . What would you gain . Yeah. If vern dies, daniel blizzard is your boyfriend, gets more than 1 million. Good for him. Well, presumably you that has nothing to do with me. Presumably you might share in that was the thinking. Dont you think if i was going attack somebody that i would go attack somebody worth it . Well a million and a half dollars is a lot of motive. I dont care about money. I dont get it, why people are so shallow when it comes to money. Jills story, she didnt want the money. Her boyfriend lied to her. The couple that lured vern to the home lied to her. But, those claims that daniel blizzard had asked jill to poison vern . Well, those, according to jill, are true. Daniel gave you poison . Uhhuh. I think so. I just dumped it out you didnt know what kind of poison it was . Huhuh. He said, what, put this in verns drink, or uhhuh. And you said what . Im not going to commit murder . No. I just figured whatever you know. Not going do that. Stupid. And you called the police . No. You didnt call the police . No. Why would i . Someone had just asked you to commit murder. It could have been sugar water for all i know. I come from a world that you dont go to the police because someone sneezed wrong, you know . Why did daniel think that you would be willing to poison i dont know. I did love him. And yeah, i would have done a lot of things for him. Youre kind of the victim here, huh . I dont like to call myself a victim. I mean by your definition, yeah. Of course theres one person whos pretty clearly a victim Vern Holbrook. He built a successful business and loved his role at the center of a happy family. Did he trust too much . Should he have known what might be coming . Maybe. Those are tough questions to answer because the truth is no one wants to believe your Business Partner will betray you. After all, the idea is that theyre just like family. Thats all for now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. This sunday the turmoil presidency, President Trump back on the campaign trail, thrilling supporters. People want to take back control of their countries, and they want to take back control of their lives. While at town halls his critics worry. Ever since the election i have felt like a passenger in a car thats being driven by a drunk driver. [ applause ] this after a week in which the president went after the Intel Community for leaking. The leaks are absolutely real. The news is fake. Fired his National Security adviser. Fired him because of what he said to mike pence. Very simple. Lost his labor secretary nominee and called the media the enemy of the american people. This morning, i talk to President Trumps chief of staff, reince priebus. Also, senator john mccain says President Trump needs to learn from history about attacking a free press. Thats how dictators get started. My interview with senator mccain. Plus, spy games. How serious is the rift between President Trump and the intelligence community. The last thing they need is to have a president who questions their patriotism to his country and to him. Stress test, how politics is getting all of us stressed out. But some a lot more than others. Joining me for inside and analysis are david brooks, columnist for the new york times. Amy walter, National Editor of the cook political report. Hugh hewitt host on the Salem Radio Network and former democratic congresswoman Donna Edwards of maryland. Welcome to sunday. Its meet the press. From nbc news in washington, the longestrunning show in television history, celebrating its 70th year, this is meet the press with chuck todd. Good sunday morning. Its only been four weeks, but already we are running out of adjectives to describe the trump presidency, and this past week did nothing to clear things up. Late yesterday President Trump returned to familiar territory, comfort food for politics, essentially, addressing adoring supporters in florida, far away from protesters or reporter questions. Mr. Trump is hardly the first president to seek validation from campaignstyle events. The last three president s, george w. Bush, bill clinton and barack obama all chose to escape washington early in the first months of office but none were dealing with the kind of selfinduced crises that President Trump is facing. This past week he fired his National Security adviser, mike flynn. Saw his labor secretary nominee have to drop out, forced to react to a report that his staff had repeated contact with russian officials during the campaign and realized that Congressional Republicans were becoming more emboldened to distan