Theyre treating me like a suspect. Under cover plan to solve the mystery. Who was the real master mind . We all stopped breathing for ten seconds. I want it to be ron. The American Dream. So many of us want it. The loving family. The honest job. The home you can afford. The idea that you can start over here. And in this new country, that better life will be yours. This is a story about that dream. About a family that worked for it. And then what happened with that. This wasnt part of anyones dream. How could it happen in this Safe Gated Community . In this home they worked so hard to have. And who deserved it less than this woman. My mom brung the heart to the family. Ryan was the baby of the family. Spoiled rotten by his mother. We couldnt function without her. She was like the chef in the house, counsellor. Full service mom. Oh yes, she did it all. She was a sweet lady. One of the mothers who showed love through food. Her cakes were legendary. Making every birthday that much more special. Says her older son. She made this upside down pineapple cake. I always remember cake and ice cream. Growing up, he was inseparable from his mom. Was she like the other moms your friends had . No. She was a bit more on conservative side. Conservative because of where she came from. She was born in egypt. And came to the u. S. When she was 29 years old. Her family settled in northern california. She led a comfortable all american life. But culture ties are strong. And in 1980, she was called back so egypt to meet a nice young man. My mom went out and met him. She like, she really liked him. Years later she would reminisce about how the romance blossomed. You cant go out on dates and stuff. They went tolgt to the Movie Theater and when it got dark, my dad reached over and kissed her cheek. Which was a big teal. It sealed the deal. She seemed happy. They married just two weeks later in egypt and moved together to california. In 1981, richard was born. Five years later, came ryan. Richard was delighted to have a brother to play with. And to watch over. So you were his protector. Big brother. Keeping an eye on him. Howd you and your brother get along . Like best friends. I looked up to him. Their dad was the classic hard working immigrant. Earning a license to become a respiratory therapist and put in end wills hours to keep a roof over their head and clothes on their back. He came from a poor country. He was working hard to build things up and try to establish a life. He emphasized education. Teaching both his sons math early. He strove and saved to help them out prosper. And they felt he would do anything to keep his family safe. He didnt want your family to get pushed around. Not at all. It took many year of hard work. Saving and investing. He finally put together enough money to buy this home in a gated community in the city of west minister. A quiet town in Orange County california. The family was well on its way to living out the dream they had worked so hard to build. Then, on september 29, 2004, all of it came crashing down. Ryan then 17 was out with friends. And stayed out later than he was supposed to. When did you get home . Like 1 to 1 30 that night. I slid the back door open and i went upstairs. His dad was not home. His brother at work. His mom, asleep. I remember i was fixing up my ipod dock. And i fell asleep to music that night. Next thing i know i hear a door open. And first instinct was maybe it was my brother. His older brother. His best friend and protector coming home. Or so he thought. It wasnt richard. I look back and thats when i felt a hand on my mouth it was a hand with some type of cotton glove. Can you see who it is . A black male. Heavy set. I was going for my brother or mom to help me. And i was really scared. Ryan says he thought the intruder. I bit down on the hand and i rolled off the bed and i popped up. And i was shoved into the wall. Hes telling me to shut up and calm down. The man put duct tape over his mouth and started taping his hands and feet together. Right after that, a second suspect comes in and he starts making threats to me. Like dont get your mom killed. Dont get your mom killed. That had to be terrifying to hear. I was really scared. Whatd you think was going on . I didnt know. I thought it was a robbery or something. A terrifying situation about to get worse. Through the hall way i saw my mom. Yelling take anything you want. Then after that, i just noticed that the guy was taking my mom. Away. Like toward her bedroom. The attacker dragged him into the closet. Then noticed the duct tape was slipping around his hands. I heard him taking shoe string off a shoe. Using the lace, the man tied his hands behind his back. Through the closet door. He pleaded with his attacker. I started telling him please dont kill me. I started praying. And during that time he was like i know your circumstances. I know what youre going through. I wont kill you. I know your circumstances. Strange as those words sound, he found them somehow comforting. After that i started feeling a little bit of are relief. He heard a sound that would come to haunt him. I heard like cutting of sheets. What was going on. Was worse than anything he could have imagined. Coming up. A panicked call to 911. And another to his brother. I was like really freaking out. Whats going on. What really happened inside that house . Oh my god. When dateline continues. Just toss it in the dryer to bounce out wrinkles. We dried these shorts with bounce wrinkle guard, and a pair without. The bounce wrinkle guard shorts have fewer wrinkles and static, and more softness. Its the worlds first mega sheet that does the job of three dryer sheets. It also comes in unscented. If you dont love bounce wrinkle guard, well give you your money back. When you take align, you have the support of a probiotic and the gastroenterologists who developed it. Align naturally helps to soothe your occasional digestive upsets, 24 7. So, where you go, the pro goes. Go with align, the pros in digestive health. Ryan had just been through a terrifying ordeal. Two men breaking into his home in a gate td community in the middle of the night. They were both black guys, really huge. It was just like gangster. And thugs. Youd never seen them before. Never ever. They tied him up. Threw him in the closet. Not before he saw one of the men drag his mother into her bedroom. He says he thought he heard the men walk out and heard a car drive away. But for a few moments, he sat in the dark closet. Heart thumping. Afraid to come out. It was now or never. Ryan managed to untie himself and grab his cell phone. I went down the hall way. I looked to the right really quickly. I noticed that the door was in like a closed position. To your mothers bedroom. Why didnt you check on her . I wanted to get out of the house as fast as possible and come back with help. You had to think thats my mother i have to see how she is. I thought i needed to get out and get someone. I got over powered by myself. He ran outside and called 911. He called his dad. He was shocked. And asked two things. If ryan was okay and where his mother was. Ryan didnt know. He called his older brother working the night shift at the queen mary hotel. What did he say . He questioned if i was all right. Wheres mom and also questioned who do you think it is. Is it someone you know. Why would he think that you might know the people . He felt like i was the one that got tied up and they came into my room. So he just was like questioning is it something having to do with you. Whats going on. Is it personal on you . As youll see thats a question that would come up again. After his call, richard left work and drove to the house. The police tape was already up. And they wouldnt let him through. I was freaking out. Like whats going on. And asking them wheres my mom. Police took them to the station. The boys were surprised to find themselves split up. And sitting in separate interview rooms. Ryans hands were bagged to preserve evidence. Before detectives could ask too many questions, richard asked one of his own. My mom, please. We have a murder investigation. No, shes not. I didnt hear that. Ryan says he didnt know what was happening. Right then. But could tell it was bad. I just hear a scream. And im like what just happened. It sound like richard. My brother. And he was screaming the top of his lungs. No, shes not. Shes not. You cant see him, you can hear him. Hes going hysterical. I never heard him scream like that in my life. Does my little brother know . Police told ryan. The same awful news. Their mother had been murdered. Now the cops started asking questions. That wasnt all they did. Police took your prints. Cotton swabs. Dna. Treating you like a suspect or witness . Treatsing me like a suspect at this point. Did you check on your mom before you left the house. I just ran out of the house. Passed your moms room . I didnt look. I just ran as fast as i can. Richard was facing questions slightly different but just as skeptical. I wish i knew. I dont know. Cops took your prints . Yeah. And dna. Did you think to yourself their looking at me as a suspect . Yeah. It was scary. I had never been in that situation with the police. The focus seemed to linger on his brother. This wouldnt be directed toward him that you know of . I dont know. I dont know. First you ask i was like is it one of your friend. Did someone break in or something. That was your first reaction . As Police Continue their questioning, one question stood out. Above all. Why would these two thugs come into your house, basically not hurt you. And really brutally kill your mother. And leave behind a witness. Yeah. This investigation was about to take a turn that no one expected. Coming up. Two ghosts just walked in. And committed the ultimate crime. Dna and csi. What will the evidence reveal . When dateline continues. Works on that too. And lasts 12 hours. 12 hours . who studies that long . only mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours with 2 medicines in 1 pill. cos i know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams here i go again on my you realize your vows are a whitesnake song . I do. If you ride, you get it. Geico motorcycle. 15 minutes could save you 15 or more. Ryan was attacked in his own home and hours later given the worst news imaginable. While he had managed to escape, his mom had not. She was dead. All of which begged a pressing question. Why would they kill her and leave me . Police and even his own brother were asking the same thing. How many murder to you get in west minister . Not that many, really. A Deputy District Attorney in Orange County, california. The case landed on her desk. Its a nightmare. The thing that most people fear to be home, asleep in bed. And have intruders come in. And do the unthinkable. Police found her body near her bed. She has been stabbed multiple times. That odd tearing sound ryan said he heard. Investigators believe it was the sound of the knife ripping through the mattress. As her killers slit her throat. Was that knife found at the scene . It was not. A Patrol Officer at the time of the murder. The details of the crime scene pointed to something other than a Home Invasion robbery. In part because nothing appeared to have been stolen sfwl this was not a burglary in which she was Collateral Damage . Definitely not. Cash was in plain sight. Jewelry too. Even his ipod and new dock all untouched. The house wasnt even rummaged through. Whats more. This was a gated community. The killers would have needed a gate code. To get in. It starts getting more interesting. As to who could have done it. Crime scene nvlgt tors collected mounds of evidence and surpriseingly with all that blood, not a single trace of unknown dna. All the dna results match the people in the house. The witness for some reason was left alive. Two guys came into the house, beat up ryan. Tie him up and kill his mother in ha brutal way and leave no trace. Thats what it looked like. Two ghosts had walked in. And committed the ultimate crime. It seemed improbable. And encouraged detectives to look closely at ryan. He claimed to be a victim. But was he really . Police learned the friend he was with the night of the murder had offered ryan a knife for protection. Just hours before ryans mother was brout brutally killed with a knife. A knife that hadnt been found. And ryan smoked marijuana and not just at the occasional party. He smoked every day. And he wiasnt just smoking. Police found small amounts of marijuana in his room. Along with a bong. Bags and tinfoil. And there was more. Like the description he had given the detectives about the two suspects. Both male blacks. Large. He said they acted like they were from a gang. That was something that we still didnt know 100 sure. If that was true. Claiming two black men committed the murder seemed almost too convenient. And more troubling, if ryan had been beaten by gang members much bigger than he was, why didnt he look like it. Theres no question if he had been in a serious duking it out fight with a couple of guys, he would have been more battered than he was. If they wanted to hurt him worse. Yes. Remember, he told police that one suspect said, i know your circumstances. I im not going to kill you. Is that true . If so, what did it mean . And then there was the issue of ryan claiming to have left the house before he so much as took a peek into his mothers bedroom. Does that strike anybody as odd . I think so. You have to consider why somebody would do that. Soon detectives found out. Ryan had more dark secrets than they realize. Coming up. Hes the only one who survived. Practically unharmed. New questions for ryan and a new clue. Had he received a warning before the attack . Watch your back. I know where you live. When dateline continues. Great news the no added hormones in land o frost premium sliced meats have moms buying in. In bulk. Boom what a beefsteak. Gotta love it. Land o frost premium. A slice above. At Progressive Park insurance themed fun children yeah announcer ride the totally realistic traffic jam. Beep, beep, beep, beep children traffic jam announcer and the worlds first never bump bumper cars. Children never bump announcer its a real savings hootenanny with options that fit your budget. Thats fun for the whole family. Announcer only at progressive par. Maybe an insurance park was a bad idea. Yeah. Yep. Ok girls, theres an elephant in our bathroom. Nobody talks about feminine hygiene. Summers eve says, give us one week of showers. Phbalanced freshness youll never forget. Now find your fresh. With new summers eve fragrance free. They use stamps. Com all the services of the post office only cheaper get a 4week trial plus postage and a digital scale go to stamps. Com tv and never go to the post office again. Heres whats happening senator sanders discharged from las vegas hospital friday following surgery for a blocked artery. The 78 yearold taken to the hospital tuesday after experiencing chest discomfort which was a heart attack. New york times reporting a Second Intelligence official could file a formal whistleblower complaint against the president. Said to have had more direct information and pressed alarm over trumps dealings with ukraine. Thats whats happening. Back to dateline. Investigators looking into the savage murder took a hard look at the other person in the house when she died. Her 17 yearold son. Ryan. Hes the only one who survived, hes unharmed. He had was selling a small amount of drugs. We had to pursue that. Police still had a lot of questions about his story. They hadnt yet found any evidence to suggest he killed his mom. For now at least, they had to take him at his word. Until you can find a reason not to believe that person. You have to go with what they say unless they start lying. As far as i knew he wasnt lying. The investigation was just starting. Police couldnt discount another possibility. That she was killed because of ryan. Detectives learn that a year before the murder, ryan confronted another kid at school who had hadnt paid him pr for weed. Later that kids friends jumped ryan. Doesnt seem like the kind of thing that would spark a homicide, but, im guessing you have seen homicides sparked by less . Its typical for gang related homicides to be something just as small as that. Remember, ryan described his subpoen subpoe suspects as sounding like gang members. And this message weeks before the murder. A week ago. He brought to the detectives attention. During his interview. Watch your back. I know where you live. I didnt Pay Attention to it. Ryan told police he chalked it up to a prank. Now it seemed like key evidence. Except, ryan had not saved the message. No way to tell now who sent it. Any idea who it was from . No. Aol help you with that . No. A frustrating dead end. By now police were looking at other possibilities. They dug deeper. Into the American Dream the family seemed to be living. And interviewed the man of the house. How did you feel. We lived together for 24 years. Shes the mother of my kids. He really didnt have any vices. He didnt spend any money on any hobbies of any sort. So he was a guy who went to work and went home. Their father wasnt just a hard worker. Said his sons. He was more like a work a holic. My mom felt neglected. He wasnt affectionate. All he would do is work. I played sports all my life. He never ever came to watch any sports i played. A lot of the childhood. Me growing up, i remember my mom. But not a lot about my dad. Not because i dont want to. He just wasnt there. He sleeps, get up go to work. Because the American Dream was all about the green. He was work work work. Money money money. Exactly. After a rare outing to the beach one day, ryan says he and his father dropped by mcdonalds. I asked him to borrow a dollar. To grab a burger. And not only did he ask for the dollar back. He asked for the tax money on it. What kind of father asks his 13 yearold son it reimburse him for a hamburger . My father was always trying to hustle someone for some type of money. It didnt take prosecutors long to learn about his obsession. This is the united states. Everybody works and tries to make money and provide. Hes different . Yes. Very different. Hes in the category of very few people. Who have an unhealthy relationship with money. It drives everything they do. Were not talking about thrifty. No. Were talking about squeezing every dollar. Yes. To the point you have a house paid off but cant run the electricity for more than one room at a time. Even though you have the money sfwl absolutely. He has food that expires. And he horde it. Its about collecting money. Correct. His sons describe him as not only obsessed with work and money. Also a strict disciplinary. Did you love him . I did. Were you scared . I felt like there was a thin line. And i didnt want to cross anything. The brothers say they saw what could happen when they cross that line. One night when he wa