Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20200620

Now an undercover plan to solve the mystery. Who was the real master mind . We all stopped breathing for about ten seconds. I want it to be wrong. I really wanted to be wrong. 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 who worked for it, won it, and then what happened to them. This wasnt part of anyones dream. Someone just robbed our house. They tied me and my mom up. How could this happen in this Safe Gated Community . In this home they work so hard to have . Is everybody okay . I dont know. They just beat me up. I dont know where my mom is. And who deserved it less than this woman . My mom brought the heart to the family. Ryan girgis was the baby of the family. Spoiled rotten by his mother ariet. We couldnt function without my mom. She was the chef in the household. The counsellor. The full service mom. Oh, yeah. She was really, really nice, a sweet lady. She was one of those mothers who showed her love through food. Her cakes were legendary. Making every birthday that much more special, says her older son richard. She made this really good upside down pineapple cake. I remember cake and ice cream at birthdays. Growing up, richard was inseparable from his mom. Was she like the other moms your friends had . No. I think she was more on the conservative side. Because of where she came from. Ariet girgis was born in egypt and then came to the u. S. When she was 29 years old. Her family settled in Northern California. Ariet led a comfortable all american life. But cultural ties are strong and in 1980, ariet was called back to just a minute, to egypt to meet a nice young man. Magdi. She really liked him. Years later she would reminisce about how their romance blossomed. In egypt you cant just go out on dates and stuff. So they went together to the movie theater. When it got real dark, my dad reached over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Which was a very big deal. Yeah. For her it was. It almost sealed the deal. It was american way of falling in love but she seemed happy. She and magdi married just two weeks later in egypt and moved together to california. Had rich was born and then ryan. Richard was delighted to have a brother to play with and to watch over. So you were his protector, big brother. Yeah. I would keep an eye on him. I love my brother with all my heart. How did you and your brother get along . Like best friends. I always looked up to him. Their dad was the classic hard working immigrant. Magdi earned his license to become a respiratory therapist. Then worked endless hours to keep a roof on his familys head and clothes on their backs. He came from a really poor country. For him, to come here, he was working real hard to build things up and try establish a life. Magdi emphasized education. Teaching both his sons math at an early age. He strove and saved to help them all 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 years of saving and investing but he finally put together enough home to buy this home in a gated community in westminster, a quiet town in california. The girgis family was well on its way to build the life they worked so hard to build. Then in 2004, october 29, all of it came crashing down. Ryan girgis, then 17, was out with friends and stayed out later than he was supposed to. When did you get home . Like 1 00 the 1 30 that night. I slid the back door open and i went upstairs. His dad was not at home. His brother at work. His mom, asleep. I remember he was fixing up my ipod dock and i fell asleep to music night. Next thing he know, i hear a door opening and the first instinct was maybe it was my brother. His older brother richard. His best friend and protect ocoming home. So he thought. But wasnt richard. I looked back and thats when i felt like a hand being placed on my mouth. And it was a hand with some type of cotton glove. Can you see who it is . He know it was a black male, heavy set. I was going for my brother and my mom to help me and i was really scared. Ryan said he fought the intruder. I bit down on the hand and i rolled off the bed. I popped up and i was shoved into the wall. He was telling me to shut up and calm down. The man put duct time over ryans mouth and started taping his hands and feet together. Right after that, a second suspect comes inside. He starts making threats to me like, dont get your mom killed. Dont get your mom killed. That had to be terrifying to hear. Yeah. I was really terrified. What did you think was going on . I didnt know. May be a robbery or something. A terrifying situation was about to get much worse. Through hallway, i saw my mom yelling, take anything you want take. Anything you want. And then after that i noticed the guy was taking my mom away. Toward her bedroom. Ryans attacker dragged her into the closet but then noticed the duct time was slipping around ryans hands. I heard him taking some shoe string off one of my shoes. Using the shoelace, the man tied ryan hands behind his back. Through closet door, ryan pleaded with his attacker. I was saying please dont kill me. Please dont kill me. I started praying. And he said he know your circumstances. I know what youre going through. Im not going on kill you. He know your circumstances. Strange as those words sound, ryan found them somehow comforting. I started feeling a little sense of relief. But then ryan heard a sound that would could that will to haunt hip. I heard cutting the sheets. I thought he was cutting my sheets up. I didnt know what was going on. And what was going on was worse than anything he could have imagined. Coming up i will kill. A panicked call to 911 and another to his brother. I was really freaking out. Whats going on . What really happened inside that house . Oh, my god. Oh, my god. When dateline continues. Atd here, evan whoo dont do it. Dont you dare. I dont think so [ sighs ] its okay, big fella. Were gonna get through this together. [ baseball bat cracks ] nice rip, robbie. Raaah when you bundle home and Auto Insurance through progressive, you get more than just a big discount. Im gonna need you to leave. You get relentless protection. [ baseball bat cracks ] you get relentless protection. I dont have to worry about that, do i . Are irritated. Harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. Crest gum detoxify, voted product of the year. It works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. Gum detoxify, from crest. Im a talking dog. The other issue. Oh. Im scratching like crazy. Youve got some allergic itch with skin inflammation. Apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours, whether its a new or chronic problem. And apoquels treated over 7 million dogs. Nice. And. The talking dog thing . Is it bothering you . No. Itching like a dog is bothering me. Until dogs can speak for themselves, you have to. When allergic itch is a problem, ask for apoquel. Apoquel is for the control of itch associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of Atopic Dermatitis in dogs. Do not use apoquel in dogs less than 12 months old or those with serious infections. Apoquel may increase the chance of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or preexisting cancers to worsen. Do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. Feeling better . Im speechless. Thanks for the apoquel. Awww. Thats what friends are for. Ask your veterinarian for apoquel. Next to you, apoquel is a dogs best friend. Bbut what if you couldg do better than that . Like adapt. Discover. Deliver, in new ways, to new customers. What if you could come back stronger . Faster. Better. At comcast business, we want to help you not just bounce back, but bounce forward. And now, with one of our best offers ever, were committed to helping you do just that. Get a powerful and reliable internet and voice solution for only 29. 95 a month for three months. Call or go online today. Ryan girgis had just been through a terrifying ordeal. Two men breaking into his home in a gated community in the middle of the night. Both black guys, they were really huge to me. Their whole persona was just gangsterism. Like thugs. You had never seen them before. Never, ever. They tied him up. Threw him in a closet. But not before he saw one of the men drag his mother into her bedroom. He said he thought he heard the men walk out. Thought he heard a car drive away. But for a few more moments, ryan sat in that dark closet, heart thumping, afraid, he says, to come out. It was now or never. Ryan says he managed to untie himself and grab his cell phone. I went down the hallway. I looked to the right really quickly. I noticed that the door was in like closed position. To your mothers bedroom. To my mothers bedroom. Why didnt you check on her . I wanted to get out. I thought i need to get out of this house and come back with someone. I already got overpowered by myself. He ran outside the house and called 911. What happened . Two black guys just jump in the my house. Dont make me have to kill you. Dont make me have to kill you. I will kill. Dont get your mom killed. Ryan called his dad magdi. He was shocked and asked two things. If ryan was okay . And where ariet was . And ryan didnt know. He also called his older brother richard who was working the night shift at the queen mary hotel. What did richard say . He questioned if i was all right, he questioned where was mom, and he said who do you think it is . Someone you know . Why would richard think that you might know the people who broke into the house . He felt like i was the one who got tied up and they came into my room. So he was just questioning, is it something having to do with you . Did they have a personal vendetta on you or anything . As youll see, that is a question that would could that up again. After the call, richard left work and drove to the house but the police tape was already up and they wouldnt let him through. I was really freaking out. Whats going on . I was asking him, where is my mom at . Where is my mom at . Police took richard and ryan to the station. The boys were surprised to find themselves split up and sitting in separate interview rooms. Ryans hands were bagged to preserve any evidence. But before detective cosmetic ask too many questions richard asked one of his own. Can i talk to my mom, please . Mom is dead. Oh, no. No, shes not. I didnt hear that. I didnt hear that. Ryan said he didnt know what was happening right then but he could tell it was bad. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. I just heard like a scream. And im like, what just happened . It sounds like richard, my brother, and he is screaming to the top of his lungs. No, shes not. Shes not. You cant see richard. You can just hear him. Could i hear him in the other room and he was going hysterical. I never heard him scream like that in my whole life. Oh, my god. Does my little brother know . Police soon told ryan the same awful news. Their mother ariet had been murdered. Now, the cops started asking questions. That wasnt all they did. The police took my fingerprints, cotton swabs, dna, you name it. They did it. Are they treating you like suspect or a witness . They are treating me like a suspect at this point. Did you have a chance to check on your mom . No. I just ran out. Richard was facing questions that were slightly different but just as skeptical. Why would someone break into your house . I dont know, man. I wish i knew. Did the cops take your finger prints . And your dna . Yes. Did you think they were looking at you as a suspect . Yeah. It was scary. I had never been in that situation with police. But the focus steamed linger on his brother ryan. This wasnt directed against him that you know of. I dont know, dude. The first reaction was, is that one of your friends . Did someone break in . That was your first reaction . As police continued their questioning, one question stood out above all. Why would these two thugs come into your house, basically, not hurt you, and then really brutally kill your mother . And leave behind a witness . Yeah. This investigation was about to take a turn that no one expected. It looked like two ghosts had just talked about this and committed the ultimate crime. Dna and csi. What will the evidence reveal . When dateline continues. Oh, we love our new home. Neighborhoods great. Amazing school district. The hoa has been very involved. These shrubs arent board approved. You need to break down your cardboard. Thank you. Violation. Violation. I see youve met cynthia. At least geico makes bundling our home and Car Insurance easy. And it does help us save a bunch of money. Two inches over regulation. Thanks, cynthia. For bundling made easy, go to geico. Com they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps. Com print discounted postage for any letter any package any time right from your computer all the Amazing Services of the post office only cheaper get our special tv offer a 4week trial plus postage and a digital scale go to stamps. Com tv and never go to the post office again like real bad. We cant wait to get you back so weve added temp checks, face coverings, social distancing and extra sanitizing to get the good times going again. Were finally back. And cant wait until you are too. Ryan girgis was attacked in his own home and hours later, given the worst news imaginable. While he had managed to escape, his mom ariet 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 murders do you get in westminster . Not that many really. She was a deputy d. A. In orange county, california. The ariet girgis case landed on her desk. Its a nightmare. The thing most people would fear, to be home in the sanctity of your home and have intruders come in and do the unthinkable. Police found ariets body near her bed. She had been stabbed multiple times. That odd tearing sound ryan said he heard . Investigators believed it was the sound of the knife ripping through the mattress as ariets killer slit her throat. Was that knife found at the scene . It was not. James wilson was a Patrol Officer at the time of the murder. Wilson said the details of the crime seasonable pointed to something other than a Home Invasion robbery. In part because nothing appeared to have been stolen. This was an burglary in which she was collateral damage. Definitely not. Cash was in plain sight. Jewelry, too. Even ryans ipod and new dock, all untouched. The house wasnt even rummaged through as if they were looking for something. 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 double it. Crime scene investigators collected mounds of evidence and surprisingly, with all that blood, not a single trace of unknown dna. All the results were people in the house. Ariet, richard, magdi and ryan. A witness who for some reason was left alive. Two guys came into the house, beat up ryan, tie him up and kill ariet in a brutal handson way and leave no trace . Thats what it looked like. It looked like two ghosts had just come in and committed the ultimate crime. It seemed improbable and it 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 brutally killed with a knife. A knife that had not been found. They also learned ryan smoked marijuana and not just at the occasional party. He smoked every day. And he wasnt just smoking. Police found small amounts of marijuana in ryans room along with a bong, baggies and tin foil and there was more like the description ryan had given detectives about the two suspects. Both male blacks, he said they were large. He said they acted like they were from a gang but that was something that we still didnt know 100 sure if that was true or not. 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 ryan had been in a serious duking it out fight with a couple of guys, that he would have ended up much more battered than he was. If they wanted to hurt him worse than they did, definitely so. Yes. And remember, ryan had told police that one suspect said, i know your circumstances. Im not going to kill you. Was that true . And if so, what did it mean . And then there was issue of ryan claiming to have left the house before he so much as took a peek into his mothers bedroom. Did that strike anybody as odd . I think so. As a detective, you have to consider why someone would do that. Soon detectives found out. Ryan had more dark secrets than theyd realized. Coming up hes the only one who survived. He is practically unharmed. New questions for ryan. And a new clue. Had he received a warning before the attack . Take in fragrance inspired by nature. 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To learn more, call one eight four four cosentyx or visit cosentyx. Com heres whats happening. W. H. O. Issuing a stark warning coronavirus pandemic is accelerating globally. A single day record of 150,000 cases. U. S. Reopens despite a spike many some states. One of the three Police Officers involved in the death of taylor will be fired. Killed in march asleep in her home when officers executed a no knock warrant and shot her eight times. Back to dateline. Investigators looking into the savage murder of ariet girgis naturally took a hard look at the only other person in the house when she died. Her 17yearold son ryan. Hes the only one who survived. He is practically unharmed. He was selling a small amount of drugs. We had to pursue that. Police still have a lot of questions with ryans story but they havent 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 climbed of have to go with what they say unless theyre lying to you. As far as you knew, he was not lying to you. Yes. But the investigation was just starting and police couldnt discount another possibility. That ariet was killed because of ryan. Detectives learned a year before the murder, ryan had confront another kid at school who had not paid him for some weed. Later, that kids friends jumped ryan. It doesnt seem like the kind of thing that would spark a homicide but im guessing youve seen homicide thats were sparked by a lot less. It is typical for especially gangrelated homicides to be something just as small as that. Remember, ryan described his assailants as sounding like gang members. Then there was this bombshell. A message ryan received on his aol instant messenger just weeks before the murder. About a week ago he brought it to detectives attention during interview. Youd better watch your back. I know where you live. Ive never even seen this person. Thats why i didnt pay attention. He chalked it up to prank. It seemed like key evidence except ryan had not saved the message. No way to tell now who had sent it. Any idea who was from . No. Aol able to help with you that . No. A frustrating dead end but by now police were looking at other possibilities. They dug deep entire the American Dream the girgis family seemed to be living. And enter viewed the man of the house. Magdi. How did you feel about your wife . I am devastated. Weve been together 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. But their father wasnt just a hard worker, said his sons. He was more like a workaholic. I think my mom felt neglected. He wasnt affectionate toward her. It was like all he would do was just work. I played sports all my life and he never, ever came to watch any sports that i played. A lot of childhood growing up, i can remember a lot about my mom but not about my dad. It is not because i dont want to. It is because he wasnt there. He would get up, to go work. Come and go to sleep. That was because for magdi, 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 said he and his father dropped by mcdonalds. I asked hip will if could i borrow a dollar so could i grab a 99 cent burger. Not only did he ask for it back. He asked for the attach will money on it. What kind of father asks a 13yearold to reimburse him for a hamburger . He was always trying to hustle someone for some type of money. It didnt take the prosecutor long to learn about magdis obsession. This is the united states. Everybody goes to work. Everybody tries to make money and provide for themselves and for their family. Hes different . Yes. Hes very different. He is in a category of very few people who have an unhealthy relationship with money. It drives everything that they do. Were not talking about thrifty. No. Were talking about squeezing every dollar until it bleeds. Yes of to the point where you have the house paid off but you cant run the electricity for more than one room at a time. Even though you have the money. Absolutely. He has food that expires and he hoards it. It is about collecting money. And never paying out. Correct. His sons described magdi as not only obsessed with work and money but also a strict disciplinarian. Did you love him . Yes. Were you scared of him . Yes. From when i was a kid. I felt like there was a line and i didnt want to cross anything. The brothers say they saw what could happen when they crossed that line. One night when ryan came home past curfew when he was 13. They say magdi simply lost it. He threw me on the floor and started kicking me. My brother had to pull him off me of the. Your brother kind of shielded you. Did he. It sounds like you were closer to your brother more than your father. Very much so. Ryan rebelled staying out late. Smoking weed. Richard was more dutiful but he, too, felt his fathers wrath. A punch, a kick, kind of name it depending. I would find the sooner i would cry, the sooner would it stop of will. A tough lesson to learn from your dad. Yeah. He was a very harsh person which made it more fortunate to have my mop will in my life. She was the complete opposite. As tough as he was on his sons, they say magdi was just as tough on his wife. Ryan and richard say they never saw their father hit their mother but they say they heard the yelling and they did see the bruises. We never ever called 911. We had the sense of fear that we didnt want to across the lien. You were more afraid of what your dad would do to you if you did call 911 than what might happen to your mom if you didnt . Yeah. We were scared of my dad. We were just like so petrified. Did you know your dad was more than capable of just hitting people . I always felt like you didnt want to mess with that guy. You didnt want to push him to the other level. So the boys stayed quiet of the but a storm was brewing. In the end, ariet would give investigators their best lead. Coming up a transformation i really felt like my mom was empowered. And a confrontation. My mom told him, he punched me in the face. That started the whole cascade. There is no going back. So the life you had before was never going to be the same. When dateline continues. There are times when our need to connect really matters. To keep customers and employees in the know. To keep business moving. Comcast business is prepared for times like these. Powered by the nations largest gigspeed network. To help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. Tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. And a team of experts here for you 24 7. Weve always believed in the power of working together. Thats why, when every connection counts. You can count on us. As investigators worked the murder of ariet girgis, they heard disturbing information from her sons. Most disturbing by far was what happened seven months before the murder in february 2004. On the eve of magdi and ariets 24th wedding anniversary. So she starts talking on magdi. Can we go out to dinner . Thats what starts this fight. Doesnt sound like a very long fight. No. He punches her in the face. Richard remembers arriving home that evening and seeing his mom. She looked very subdued. Her face was swollen. Her nose was still bleeding. So i went upstairs and i confront my dad. What was his response . He told me to stay out of it. But richard in Nursing School at the time worried his mom could have a concussion or worse. He rushed her to the emergency room. They had kept their family secret for so long but that was about to change. The nurse asked her what happened. And your mom said . My mom told her that he punched me in the face. That started the whole cascade. Police went to the girgis home and arrested magdi. That was really scary. That was scary. Not thrilling. It was terrifying. Not the moment youd been waiting for . No, no, no. There was no point of return. Somehow i knew immediately after that that it was there is no going back. No going back of the. So the life you had before was never going to be the same. A court issued a protective order and magdi moved out of the house he worked so hard for to an apartment complex he and his brother owned nearby. After more than two decades of marriage, it seemed magdi and ariet were headed for divorce. It was a thought that seemed to terrify ariet. I think she was scared and had a lot of cold feet. About striking out on her own in the world. Exactly. Ariet was totally dependent on magdi. She had never written a personal check. Didnt even know their mortgage was paid off. She had expressed to me, i wish all this would just not be here. I wish everything could go back to the way it was. Magdi, too, seemed frightened and perhaps chastened. He was definitely trying to get back with my mother. Did it seem like your mom was wavering at all . Yeah. There was a limbo period where my mom was considering taking him back. Richard, who had stepped up during his fathers absence as the man of the house, overheard a strange conversation between his parents. He was like, oh, i love you. Had you ever heard your dad say i love to you your mom . I cant really recall that. Until that conversation when he needed something from her. Yeah. What did magdi need . It turned out he was more worried about himself than anyone else. A Domestic Violence conviction might cost him his respiratory therapy license which would cut off his income. And magdi knew, a divorce would force him to split his hard earned money with ariet. He had his back to the wall. Yeah. So magdi came up with a plan. A letter in which ariet would say she wasnt sure what happened. That her injuries could have resulted from a fall. Magdi and ariet werent speaking at the time so magdi convinced richard, the dutiful older son to transcribe the letter and persuade ariet to sign it. Thus getting her husband off the hook. Do you feel bad at all trying to get your mom to change her story of something that you knew she was telling the truth about . Yeah. Back then, i felt like i was just trying to help. And maybe the price of saving your family is convincing your mom to lie about something you know is true. Is true. He really just manipulated me. He knew his mother had mixed feelings about the breakup of her marriage. Richard told himself, he was doing the right thing. I was trying to support my mom. At the same time, i still felt that he was my dad. I felt really pulled. Ariet agreed to sign the letter. Magdi, no doubt, came relief. But then the preliminary hearing. Ariet did something quite unexpected. She took the witness stand and she told the truth. She felt enough was enough. She went and she really laid everything out. Not just about the night magdi gave her a black eye and bloodied her nose. But about abuse ariet described as stretching over two decades. Did your dad feel betrayed . My dad was, i cant believe what she said up there. Ariet girgis had finally stood up for herself. It might have been the manifestation of her own American Dream. Ariet hired a divorce attorney and began planning a new life. I really felt like my mom was empowered. She just wanted to be happy shelf felt like there was happiness coming. Instead, the next month, she was murdered. And to investigators who heard ariets story, it now seemed obvious her husband magdi was the prime suspect. Everything pointed at magdi. Except for the fact the phone records proved that magdi was at his own apartment when ryan called him that night. And according to the only witness, two black men committed the murder. And there was still the question of why that witness, ryan, was left alive. And just a few days after his mother was killed, the rebellious son, ryan, received another anonymous message on his computer. How did you like your gift . Lol. Lol. How did you like your gift . Yeah. Coming up, an hah moment for police. A new look at that old interrogation of ryan. Could it lead to the break theyd need . You dont have to be a detective to think that might have some d. A. On it. . Im a talking dog. The other issue. Oh. Im scratching like crazy. Youve got some allergic itch with skin inflammation. Apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours, whether its a new or chronic problem. And apoquels treated over 7 million dogs. Nice. And. The talking dog thing . Is it bothering you . No. Itching like a dog is bothering me. Until dogs can speak for themselves, you have to. When allergic itch is a problem, ask for apoquel. Apoquel is for the control of itch associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of Atopic Dermatitis in dogs. Do not use apoquel in dogs less than 12 months old or those with serious infections. Apoquel may increase the chance of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or preexisting cancers to worsen. Do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. Feeling better . Im speechless. Thanks for the apoquel. Awww. Thats what friends are for. Ask your veterinarian for apoquel. Next to you, apoquel is a dogs best friend. Yoohoo, progressive shoppers. We laughed with you. Sprinkles are for winners. We surprised you. On occasion, weve probably even annoyed you. Weve done this all with one thing in mind. To help protect the things you love. And if we cant offer you the best price well help you find a better one. Its not always the lowest even if its not with us. Thats how weve done it for the past 80 years. Not just today, or this month, but always. And your health is key to that. Centrum supports your body with vitamin c and zinc to help maintain your immune system today and into the new tomorrow. Centrum. Unstopables inwash scentrow. Booster. Downy unstopables. Its kind of my quiet, alone time. Audible is a routine for me. Its like a fun night school for adults. I could easily be seduced into locking myself into a place where i do nothing but listen to books. I never was interested in historical fiction before, but im obsessed with it now. There are a lot of like, classic and big titles that i feel like i missed out since i dont have time to read, mean i might as well listen. If i want to catch up on the news or history or learn whats going on in the world, i can download a book and listen to it. Because i listened to her story over and over again, i made the decision to go ahead and follow my own dream, which was to help other veterans. I think theres like 180 books in my, in my library now. It changes your perspective; it makes you a different person. Its true, its so true. To start your free 30day trial, just text listen17 to 500500. Investigators were zeroing in on magdi girgis as the prime suspect in the murder of his wife ariet. The two had been going through a Domestic Violence case and were divorcing. You know, hes an obvious suspect. That doesnt mean he did it. No matter how obnoxious he may have been during the marriage, maybe hes not the guy youre looking for . Sure. You have to explore every possibility. Especially after the can you pleases son reason received a taunting message on his computer days of a the murder. How did you like your gift . Lol lol. It didnt make any sense to me. Police looked into it. But just like the threat hed received the weeks before the murder, they werent able to track down the sender. Do you wish more work had been done on that . Older brother richard its came under scrutiny. Richard had stuck up for him. May be even could have had up for his father during the Domestic Violence investigation. Did you think he might be doing that again . Initially they believed there was a possibility. Yes. Soon after the murder, the brothers left westminster and moved to Northern California and they did so without telling magdi. As police continued to dig, richard and ryan say they worried. Whoever killed their mom was still at large and knew reason was a witness to the crime. I have recollections. I have nightmares. I also get chills. I dont like to be home by myself. I have trouble sleeping. I mean, the list goes on. Ryan and richard say they had a growing suspicion their father was responsibility for their mothers murder. They said they were too scared to confront him. But in the months that followed, the investigation seemed to stall. It seems leak like you had a lot of leads that didnt go anywhere. We had a lot of leads to go down, yes. Remember there was no physical evidence linking magdi to the murder. Ryan said it was two black men who broke into the house and killed his mom. Police never found those mention or any trace existed. And those threatening messages sent to ryan . Still no idea who sent them. It is hard to think that way when you desperately want to solve it but yes. So the years rolled by. Richard became Critical Care nurse. Ryan, the selfadmitted stoner, says he stopped smoking. He was working toward a bachelors degree in business and had started his own events and entertainment company. Magdi would have been proud of his boys if he knew how far theyd come but richard and ryan said they never got a call from him in all those years and they made no effort to contact him. They did call the Westminster Police department again and again urging detectives to investigate their father and each time, they heard the same response. You know, were still looking into it. We dont have any new leads. There is nothing depressing. It was. They made endless cause, enlisting family and friends to write americas most wanted and they raised the 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. All of it led to nothing. How many a cases did you do in those years . A lot of murders. Something about this one stuck with you. Absolutely. There is something about ariet that made you not want to quit . You never want to quit on any case but i think the fact she came so close to being an independent woman, to standing up for herself, to being the kind of mother that she wanted to be to those boys. And she did everything right and she died on our watch. It was a terrible feeling. A terrible feeling. It was 2010, nearly six years after the murder when richard made another of his many phone calls to the westminster pd. This teem it was james wilson who answered. He had been a Patrol Officer at the time of the murder bust in the intervening years, he had worked his way up to detective. I really didnt have very good answers for them. Whats going on with my moms case . What are you doing on my moms case . Andening there is nothing going on in the case so i started looking is thatett. Out of guilt . I think obligation. It is one of the reasons you become a police officer. To help people like that. As they poured over the case, he came across the interview detectives had with reason right after the murder. Reading through transcripts, he saw a key detail that no one had noticed. You say you bit this guy . Yeah. On the hand . Through a glove . I think it was through a glove. He had to take off the glove to put on the tape. Ryan was telling detectives, the intruder took his gloves off before handling the duct tape, and also, the shoelace used to tie him up. You dont have to be a detective to think, maybe that had some dna on it. The detective checked to see if the shoelace had ever been tested. It had not. So he sent it off to the crime lab. And one afternoon, eight years after ariets murder, detective wilsons phone rang. The crime lab did call me and tell me they got a hit. And no one could have predicted the name police were given. Hit to be our suspect, agent least one of our suspects. And the name the crime lab gives you anthony bridget. Was that in any of the case files . No. Not someone who had been talked to at any stage of the investigation. Wasnt even in our Inhouse Computers as person contacted by police. And yet the dna proved anthony bridget was the attack here had tied up ryan. Detective wilson entered the information into the computer. So who is he . A member of the crips. The crips. One of the most notorious and violent gangs in the u. S. And mr. Bridget, street name little shotgun, was by any standard, a professional criminal. Coming up he had the resume you would expect the intruders to have of the kind of guy you would hire to commit murder. Thats right. A whole new suspect. Did you know where he was . I knew exactly where he was investigators paid a surprise visit. When dateline continues. And that protects our customers 24 7. Sorry im late, everybody, and apologies for my appearance. You look fine. We were just talking about yeah, right. I look like a wanted poster. I didnt have time to get my beard routine in this morning, so. What beard routine . Ah. Well, the key is maple nectar. Gives it that sheen. Is there something wrong with my screen . Mnhmnh. Jamie, what are talking about . Youre right, alan. We should be talking about bundling home and auto with progressive, not this luscious mane of mine. [ laughs ] jamie, do you know what a beard is . Unstopables inwash scent booster. Downy unstopables. It was 2012, eight years after the murder of ariet girgis, when detective james wilson got his first solid break. Home invaders had tied up ariets son, ryan, with a shoelace. The detectives submitted that shoelace to a crime lab, hoping for a longshot dna hit, and the results were in. The dna belonged to anthony bridget. He had numerous violent conduct, including prior conviction for manslaughter. So, this was no novice. Long, violent rap sheet. Absolutely. Bridget also had a drug conviction. And remember, ryan girgis admitted he sometimes dealt weed. Could ryan and anthony bridget have known each other . Is that why richard immediately wondered if ryan was the target of the attack . Police considered that theory and dismissed it. In fact, for police, anthony bridget and his gang affiliation confirmed ryans story. For one, bridget matched ryans account that the man who tied him up seemed like a gang member. It looked like he was one of those guys that just came out of the pen and stuff and just, like, wanted revenge on someone. And two bridgets prior booking photos matched the sketch ryan had given police. And so, investigators developed a different theory about bridgets involvement. He had the resume that you would expect the intruders who came to kill ariet to have. The kind of guy youd hire to commit murder. Thats right. And they suspected the person who hired him was magdi girgis. But of course, there was no proof of any of that. Im guessing one of the things you did pretty early on was subpoena magdis bank records. Oh, yes. Looking for that big chunk of money that he took out a few days before his wife was killed. You could hope, but but it wasnt there. It wasnt there. Maybe hes innocent. Maybe hes just careful. Careful . Perhaps. But in what universe would magdi girgis and anthony bridgets paths cross . One way to find out, they could ask anthony bridget. Did you know where he was . I knew exactly where he was. He was in soledad state prison. Prosecutor bieste and wilson paid him an unannounced visit. And there you are in a little room. Yes. A table like this one. Yes. Between you. And you say . I want to talk to you. And hes a little surprised, right . Hes a little surprised, yes. But anthony bridget was hard to rattle. Hes been involved in gangrelated homicides in the past. Pretty experienced at the prison system. So, saying to him, hey, the guy that hired you, magdi girgis, just rolled over on you, thats not going to work. Right. This is not a virgin. Exactly. But they did get something. You said to him, i have your dna at a murder scene. Yes. And he said, where . He said, where . Not, i havent committed any murder. Did you ask him whether he knew magdi . No. We never got that far. Heres what bridget didnt know. The prosecutor and the detective didnt really care what he said. Their target was magdi girgis, and all they wanted was to prove a connection between him and anthony bridget. Thats why before they left orange county, theyd set up a wiretap on magdis phone. He was back living in the house where his wife was murdered. He even had a new girlfriend. And now, investigators listened to see if bridget would tip off magdi. I was hoping that at least my visit would inspire him in some way. Didnt happen. No. It didnt. So, game over . He stepped out of the car right now. No. It was just starting. Coming up, a return to the scene of the crime. Whats up, man . A dramatic confrontation at magdis house. Check it out. Me and my homie locked up in the pen right now. Who were these men . And what did they want . When dateline continues. When dateline continues. Opped. Then we found freshpet. Now rudys 13, and going on 3. Steven could only imaginem 24hr to trenjoying a spicy taco. Burn, now, his world explodes with flavor. 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Com they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps. Com print discounted postage for any letter any package any time right from your computer all the Amazing Services of the post office only cheaper get our special tv offer a 4week trial plus postage and a digital scale go to stamps. Com tv and never go to the post office again january 30th, 2013. The home where ariet girgis had met her awful death was suddenly once again the scene of an unexpected confrontation. Saw my [ bleep ]. Two men showed up on magdi girgis lawn. Let me holler at you for a few ticks. Let me holler at you for a second. And it was all caught on camera. Check it out. Me and my homie locked up in the pen right now. Police approached him about him killing his wife for you in this [ bleep ] house. Interesting, because prosecutor sonia bieste and detective wilson had just returned from visiting crips gang member anthony bridget in prison. They suspected magdi had hired bridget and another asyetunknown man to kill ariet. And now, apparently, here were a pair of gangsters on magdis property. The more talkative of the two called himself dmoney, and money is what he wanted from magdi. You know what im saying . We dont care about it. But the thing is, we want to get paid for it. Were not going to say [ bleep ], you know what i mean . What are you talking about . Good question. And who better to answer it than dmoney himself . Youre a born actor. I believe i am. Hes not a gangster. Hes an officer from the long beach Police Department who was working under cover, which is why we are concealing his identity. Are you a little nervous going in . Not at all, no. The role he played at magdis home that day was part of a war game sonia and detective wilson had set in motion, even before they met anthony bridget. Tell me about this scheme. You call it a scheme. I call it a plan. By any name, it was an attempt to trap magdi. The only way anthony bridget or somebody like him commits a crime like this is some kind of gain, financial, primarily. So you develop that kind of individual and you come up with a way in which they were able to contact magdi and demand more money. Let me holler at you for a few ticks. In other words, these two undercover officers posing as gang members would approach magdi and hit him up for some hush money, since investigators knew that money was magdis particular obsession, they hoped they were about to strike a nerve, but they had to be careful. If the killers were working for magdi, it wasnt clear if he knew them directly or hired them through a middleman. So, you couldnt have these guys claim that they were the actual guys in the house. Correct. Because possibly, he knew them. Possibly he knew them. So, you have them pose as friends of the guy in the house. Yes. And hes now in jail. In prison, which as we knew, that was true, because anthony bridget was in prison. And so, his friends are, what, trying to leverage that knowledge into some extra money for them. Correct. Operations like this are especially tricky. Theres usually only one shot to get it right. If the phony gangsters threaten magdi, the sting wouldnt hold up in court, and magdi could walk free. And at the same time, one thing had to be crystal clear. You want to make sure that Everybody Knows that were talking about the crime that occurred about his wife being murdered in that particular house. That couldnt be left ambiguous. A risky plan, and no guarantees it would work. True that a lot of das might not go for an operation like that . Yes. Sonia wanted a win. She wasnt scared to fail. Did you think you were going to fail . I was very nervous, to say the least. It had taken nine years to get to this moment. A team of cops watched and videotaped as the undercovers approached magdi. Hes stepping out of the car right now. Everyone was on edge, except for the man cast in the role of dmoney. You had to be going over in your mind, like, you know, if he says this, if he does this, im going to no. Things come out spontaneously. Really . You have to be quick. You say a, i say b, you say c, i say d. You have to have something out there. Theres nothing you can rehearse, nothing you can write down. You either can do it or you cant. Still there was cause for worry. While these officers looked the part, they had never done anything like this before. Were you worried at all about sort of their acting ability . I was concerned. Too late now. It was on. Coming up, a surprise snafu. His cell phone dials the number of undercover, and they tell me he didnt answer the phone. An undercover officer misses the call, and that was just the beginning. I think we all stopped breathing for about ten seconds. When dateline continues. In. 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If your financial situation has changed, the last thing you should have is having enough toilet paper. Please know were working around the clock to get you more charmin. Stay safe. Hello, im dara brown. Heres whats happening amidst racial unrest and a pandemic. Thousands of americans took to the streets to commemorate juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in the u. S. Meanwhile, the president is set to hold his First Campaign rally in months saturday in tulsa, oklahoma, where coronavirus cases have spiked. And the u. S. Navy upheld the decision to fire captain brett kro closer, who sounded the alarm of a coronavirus outbreak on the uss theodore roosevelt. Now back to dateline. Magdi girgis didnt know it, but he was the target of a sting operation. He had just arrived home. The undercover officers approached, and the camera was rolling. Check it out. Me and my homie locked up in the pen right now. Police approached him about him killing his wife for you in this [ bleep ] house, you know what im saying . We dont care about it, but the thing is, we want to get paid for it. Were not going to say [ bleep ], you know what i mean . What are you talking about . Whats his reaction when you make it clear that you know about his wifes murder . He appeared to be shocked. You could tell it was something he wasnt prepared for, he never thought was going to happen. We want five racks, 5,000, you know what im saying . We aint gonna say [ bleep ]. We aint going to the police. We aint gonna say nothing else. You understand what im saying . All right. Give me a call, man. Take my number. Thats me. Call me tomorrow by 10 00. Im dmoney. Give me a call by 10 00. 5,000. Hit me up tomorrow. Almost as soon as it began, it was over. Magdi left standing there with dmoneys phone number, with instructions to call the next day. And in terms of oscarwinning performances, they did a pretty good job. I think so. They did a great job. Now police waited and wondered, what would magdi do . If he doesnt call, this all is for nothing. Its a done deal. Case is over. More than eight years after the murder, here was the makeorbreak moment. He was either going to ignore them, he was going to contact them, or he was going to call the police, say, guess what, i think the guys involved in my wifes murder just came to the house. Which is what an innocent person would have done. Yes. But he didnt call the police. He did not. And he didnt ignore them. Very true. The next day, the Surveillance Team tracked magdi driving. And just at that time his cell phone dials the number of undercover. And im notified immediately by the wire room. And they told me he didnt answer the phone. The undercover officer missed magdis call. So, i had to call the undercover and say, the target of the investigation is trying to reach you. He was in a bad area for reception, so he had to move. And then thats like a nightmare. So, we were hoping hed call back. The undercover, as usual, was confident. Why were you so convinced hed call back . Because he called the first time. To me, in this type of deal, when you call the first time, you know, youre over the nervousness and theyre going to call back. And magdi did call back. The Surveillance Team caught him on camera, this time from a place that doesnt get a lot of traffic in the 21st century. We know hes at a pay phone. That got really interesting for me right there. Im sitting in the car, and the cell phone went off. Let it ring a few times, then answered the phone, you know . This is dmoney. Whats going on . From yesterday . Yeah, i came by yesterday. Yeah, i have a problem whats that . Whats up . The problem is my boys locked down in the pen, like i told you yesterday. We know whats going on, you know, my boy took care of a little business, you know . So you know, were just trying to get paid just to keep it hush, you know what i mean . You got paid everything. Once he told me, i thought i paid you guys everything. Its one of those feelings where youve known this all along, and then you actually hear it from him. And so, i think it was overwhelming feeling of confirmation. And then, just as quickly, it all threatened to blow up in their faces. Listen carefully. [ inaudible ] what . Who was the middleman . Middleman . The undercover had no idea. Magdi had just asked a question that none of the investigators could answer. When magdi says, tell me who the middleman is, so i know i can trust you, that was something the undercover officers i think werent ready for. No. I think we all stopped breathing for about ten seconds. Investigators had considered the possibility that magdi might have hired the killers through some third party. And now this conversation seemed like confirmation that he had, but who was it . It seems to me that the middle man for this would have to be somebody that magdi really trusted, somebody he knew well. He would have had to trust this person, yes. Somebody who would stick up for him. Yes. Any thoughts on who that might be . I do. I do. There was no way to tell the undercover that, so dmoney just stayed in character. I dont you know, Everybody Knows who the middleman was. I aint worried about that. People talking how can i trust you . People because the information that i got, player, i can go to the police, but im not. Im just im just trying to get my money so i can go. So, the conversation about hush money continued. Magdi, true to form, haggled over the price. 5,000 aint that much, man, i, you know i dont have it, thats the problem. I have some, but not the whole amount. It just goes to show the true character of this man. I mean, heres a guy who will negotiate with thugs ten years later because he feels like he already paid. I mean, its just thats what i mean, hes not in a normal range of thrifty. 1,500. Whats that . 1,500 i have on me. Police probably had enough to arrest magdi right then and there, but they waited. Now you want to do the Actual Exchange of money . Got to get the money. That meant a second meeting, but would magdi even show up . And if he did, would he come with a plan of his own . Coming up nerveracking. And nailbiting. One more hidden camera moment. You bring me a check . No. When dateline continues. E . No. When dateline continues want to brain better . Unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel five indicators of brain performanc memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. Try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. For people with Heart Failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. Entresto helps improve your hearts ability to pump blood to the body. Dont take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. Dont take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if youve had angioedema with an ace or arb. The most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. Ask your doctor about entresto. They have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps. Com print discounted postage for any letter any package any time right from your computer all the Amazing Services of the post office only cheaper get our special tv offer a 4week trial plus postage and a digital scale go to stamps. Com tv and never go to the post office again magdi girgis had just been caught on tape, apparently admitting to hiring thugs to kill his wife. I thought you got paid everything. He seemed willing to pay even more to keep things quiet and made a date to do it. 1,500. Quhaz that . 1,500 i have on me. The next day, officers secretly trailed magdi leaving his home, driving on the freeway, and pulling into this home depot parking lot, the Meeting Point chosen by magdi. Everybodys out of sight, except you. Everybodys out of sight, plain clothes, unmarked vehicles, except us, the two of us. Im no police officer, but this is starting to feel like fun. Oh, definitely fun. Its a rush. I would do it all over again. Prosecutor Sonia Balleste was nearby, watching it all unfold. Tell me what that was like. Nerveracking. Its exhilarating. Did you see magdi . Not at first. But soon enough, he came into view. The undercovers approached his car. Whats up [ bleep ] . Whats going on . Whats happening . Did you bring me a check . No. Cash. 15 . Yes. So i took the envelope, basically snatched it from him and counted the money right there and put it in the envelope. That was what, 15,000 in 100 bills . 1,500 in 100 bills. Gonna be over, you aint gonna see us no more, man. Everything good . Yes. So, this was not some sort of frightened, little mouse who was doing what he was told by you guys. This was a guy who was poised and kind of in control of the situation. Oh, yeah. Im going to get it done and this is going to be it. And it will be over. But before it was, the undercover dropped one more line to see if magdi would bite. What the [ bleep ] did your wife do so mother [ bleep ] bad to you to make you want to kill her ass . He didnt take the bait. He almost did. Magdi probably thought he was homefree, but as he drove away, officers swarmed in. You arrest him. And you guys are all feeling like wyatt earp. Were feeling pretty good, yes. Very good, actually. Ryan girgis, of course, had no idea any of this was happening. He had moved back to Southern California and was completely unprepared for the call he received from detective wilson. You come to the station. The cops bring you in, and they say . Your father has been arrested. And i couldnt be more happier. I really felt like my dreams and my prayers had been answered. Richard, once their dads loyal and trusted confidante, was not as thrilled. I was happy that the arrest was made, but then on the other end of it, i mean, i was sad in a way, too, because even though i knew in my heart he had something to do with it its still your dad. Its still my dad, and i always had some deeply wedged fantasy that maybe one day the cops would arrest someone else completely and end up actually telling us, like you know what, your dad ended up not having anything to do with it. You wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong on that. I really wanted to be wrong. Have a seat over there for me, magdi. Sure. Im detective wilson. Detective wilson brought magdi to the station and sat him down in the interview room. His tactic was an old one in small rooms like this play dumb and see where magdi took him. Basically, what i need to know is what was going on in long beach there by that Home Depot Center . Looked like there was a money transaction there or something going on . Can you explain that . Two days ago, on wednesday, i was coming from costco. I find two guys approaching me. I never saw them in my life. Mmhmm. They are black guys. This is the truth. But his account differed in key ways from what detective wilson already had on tape. They told me, your lady get killed in this house, and you have to pay us 5,000. Otherwise, were going to hurt you and hurt your kids. Thats lie number one. There are no threats on the tape. Well, how did you get to be with them today . Yeah. They throw telephone number on the lawn. Like on a piece of paper or small piece of paper. They threw it on the lawn . On the lawn. Hit me up tomorrow. Lie number two. The tape clearly shows magdi taking the number. Then, detective wilson asked magdi the milliondollar question. Why didnt you call us . You had a phone number my kids and myself. Are you scared of the police . Is that why, or i mean, i dont understand. No, not scared, but my wife probably was not so and they considered the husband as a suspect. Those tears had no effect on wilson, who now had magdi on tape paying hush money. And we know you paid them, okay . Yes. Wilson bored in. Im here to find out one thing what kind of person are you . Because right now, we dont know. Is magdi the type of guy thats a hard, cold, calculated murderer, that pays someone to kill his wife . What kind of person are you . Im just innocent person, just simple person, believe me. Okay. Magdi pleaded for sympathy. Detective wilson was not sympathetic. I lost my wife. No. But its your fault. You hired somebody. I not hire anybody. We recorded it. Oh. We recorded the conversations with these guys. Im not lying. Im not lying. No, no, i need a lawyer to talk like that. No, you guys are going to trap me and stuff. No, no. Magdi had said the magic word, lawyer. He was done talking. There would be no confession. You didnt expect that he was going to admit it. No. The lies were good enough for me. Good enough to make the case. But wilson thought hed try one more time to crack magdi, this time by making him face his own son. Ryan wasnt so sure at first. I called my brother, as i normally do as a younger one, and i told him, what do you think . He was like, do you feel like you want to talk to them . I was like, yeah, i want some questions answered. So he walked into that little room and saw his father for the first time in more than eight years. Whats wrong with you . You forget dad . You dont even look the same. And ryan had a lot to say. You had a choice not to hurt me and richard. You had a choice not to hurt your wife. Why did you do that . I didnt test anybody. Look at me right now. Im looking at you. Im looking at you. I cant believe you, man. My son. I dont believe dont call me your son. I dont want to hear that. Youre a horrible person for what you did. I just want you to know that youre a horrible person. I didnt do anything. Yes, you did. I did not was it hard to tell your dad that you thought he was involved in your moms murder . Yeah. It was definitely very, very hard. Its hard for you to talk about it now. Yes, it is. It is. And the person that i had nightmares over was right in front of me, and i was scared. And soon, ryan would face his father again, this time in court. Coming up the killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery or a drug transaction between ryan and these two suspects. A fatherson showdown. But exactly whos on trial . The evidence suggests that he was involved with people that were dealing hardcore drugs. When dateline continues. H when dateline continues my gums are irritated. I dont have to worry about that, do i . Harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. Crest gum detoxify, voted product of the year. It works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. Gum detoxify, from crest. Sweetheart, do my forearms look bigger . They look the same. Ive been spinning faster recently. I think theyre getting bigger. Feel them. [ television plays indistinctly ] yeah, they kind of feel bigger. Yeah, cool. [ grunts ] sorry. Switch to progressive and you can save hundreds you know, like the sign says. Switch to progressive and you can save hundreds theand we want to thank times, the Extraordinary People in the healthcare community, working to care for all of us. At novartis, we promise to do our part. As always, were doing everything we can to help keep cosentyx accessible and affordable. If you have any questions at all, call us, email us, visit us online. Were here to help support you when you need us. Take care, and be well. To learn more, call one eight four four cosentyx or visit cosentyx. Com march 2014. Magdi girgis had been sitting in jail for about a year after an undercover sting led to his arrest for the murder of his wife, ariet. It was a case prosecutor Sonia Balleste couldnt wait to try. Nearly a decade in the making. And as it turned out, it would be her last. Sonia had been promoted to management. Its my swan song, yes. So you wanted to go out with a win. Prosecutors dont like to lose. Yeah, ive noticed that. Despite what youve seen, the case still wasnt a slam dunk. There was no proof magdi knew the alleged killer, anthony bridget, no evidence hed paid bridget any money. And while detectives had their suspicions about the involvement of a middleman, they still couldnt prove it. And, as youll see, even that undercover tape could be seen through a different lens. Who was the middleman . On the eve of the trial, richard and ryan got ready for the big day. Their suits were pressed. They reviewed their prior statements. And they weighed the consequences of what this moment meant. Im happy that we will get closure, but then its just sad, because its like, we lost our mom, and then in the same light, its like, we lost our dad, too. Their only surviving parent, the one theyd lived in fear of for years, would be the one they had to face in court. Part of me is scared of him, but also, part of me wants to stand up and let my voice be heard after all these years. So, i want to be strong. And so, the brothers walked into court together that first day of opening statements, standing strong, united in their quest for justice for their mom. Magdi girgis conspired to have his wife murdered. She was an inconvenient woman to him. And people are disposable to this defendant. Our cameras were not allowed to record witness testimony inside the courtroom, where Sonia Balleste stacked up her evidence against magdi. She showed the jury how, in the months leading up to the murder, magdi slowly drained his joint accounts with ariet, leaving her with almost nothing. And, sonia said, the crime scene evidence showed this wasnt just some random murder. It was about silencing somebody who defied him. But then on the witness stand, richard, who had once helped his father persuade ariet to back off her story, now defied magdi just as ariet had done. Richard testified about the abuse his mom had suffered at his fathers hands. He testified about coming home and finding his mother battered and bruised. Richard recounted the story to the jury, but it seemed he was really speaking to his father. We caught up with richard after court. It was really a good experience for me just to be able to actually finally face him, facetoface, and be able to look him in the eyes and actually, like, you know, be able to confront him for what hes done. But magdi faced an even tougher confrontation from the words of his nowdead wife. Ariets testimony from the preliminary hearing in the Domestic Violence case had been saved. And now the prosecution read it into the court record. How important was ariets testimony from the previous case . It was huge. It was as if an afternoon, she came back to life and took the stand. Ryan would need to channel that same strength of his mothers for what came next. He took the stand with magdi just feet away, a fathers eyes boared into his son. I really felt if he had me one on one, he would beat me down. He just wanted anything to get me to shut up. This time, ryan refused to keep quiet, telling the jury and his father about that terrible september night when two men broke into his home, beat him up, and repeatedly stabbed his mother in the next room. Then ryan faced cross examination, and defense attorney Rudy Lowenstein had already told the jury he planned to put ryan on trial. The killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery or a drug transaction or a collection of a debt of some kind between ryan and these two suspects. The defense argument ariets murder was tied directly to ryans criminal activity. I think that the evidence suggests that he was involved with people that were dealing hardcore drugs. Ryan admitted that he smoked and sold weed, but lowenstein told the jury ryan was doing much more than that. Hed pointed to the Drug Paraphernalia police found in ryans room tin foil and what lowenstein said was a pipe with white residue, which he said was consistent with heroin and methamphetamine use, evidence that police had failed to test. The defense said it showed ryans drug dealing was bigger than hed let on. Then, the defense directed jurors to those threats ryan had received on his computer just weeks before the murder. Youd better watch your back. I know where you live. And the taunting message that came after the murder, how did you like your gift . Lol. Lol. Did anybody follow up . Not really. They just said, oh, well, we know who did it, magdi did it. They focused on magdi. They never left magdi. Could the threats be the reason ryans friend offered him a knife . The fact that he was offered a knife for his protection by his drugdealing friend just minutes, or at the latest, hours before the murder of his mother by someone using a knife suggests to me that there was some reason for him to be afraid for his own safety in his own home. The defense also attacked ryans credibility. Remember what ryan told us, that one of the intruders said i know your circumstances. I know what youre going through. Im not going to kill you. It turns out, ryan did not tell that to the 911 operator. Why . The defense argued because those words were never spoken and said later to deflect suspicion from himself and his drug connections. One thing was irrefutable and hard to explain, the defense told the jury ryan did not check on ariet before he fled the house. How does a young man whose mother has come to save him not look in and check to see whether or not he could save his mother before running out of the house . What does that say about his character . After two days of brutal cross examination, ryan says he felt dejected and betrayed. I feel like im getting backstabbed by my own father, that hes claiming that his son is such a troubled youth. Take my number. Reporter of course, the defense also had a huge problem, those videotapes of magdi taking the phone number from the undercover. Hit me up tomorrow. Calling them the next day. I thought you got paid everything. And then showing up with 1,500. All of it made magdi look very, very guilty. I would like him to get up there on the stand and try to explain what he meant when he said, i already paid everything off. It turns out, the defense did have an explanation and documents, too, which might prove magdis innocence. Coming up, would that undercover tape convict him or clear him . A defense surprise. Hes playing along with them in order to be able to apprehend them. And the verdict, would that be a surprise, too . This is it. I didnt want to let those boys down. When dateline continues. When dateline continues businesses are starting to bounce back. But what if you could do better than that . Like adapt. Discover. Deliver, in new ways, to new customers. What if you could come back stronger . Faster. Better. At comcast business, we want to help you not just bounce back, but bounce forward. And now, with one of our best offers ever, were committed to helping you do just that. Get a powerful and reliable internet and voice solution for only 29. 95 a month for three months. Call or go online today. In spite of the damning testimony against magdi by his own sons, defense attorney Rudy Lowenstein tried to show jurors magdi did everything to provide a better life for them and his wife, ariet. His life was dedicated to his family and to making the American Dream work for him. He was an immigrant who came with nothing and made something of himself. Magdi had his flaws, and he had done some bad things, the defense said, but he did not have ariet killed. But then, what to make of those undercover tapes and magdis apparent admission. I thought you got paid everything. Would magdi take the stand to explain what he meant on those tapes . No. Apparently, he felt hed done enough talking. Instead, the defense attorney showed the jury evidence which he said proved magdi was not guilty. Magdi had written down the serial numbers of the 15 100 bills he had given the undercover officers, and he tried to write down the license plate number of their vehicle, which, said the defense, casts that undercover video in a whole new light. Hes playing along with them in order to be able to apprehend them. And so, when he says to them, just tell me the name of the middleman so i know i can trust you, hes bluffing. He doesnt really know the name of the middleman. Hes just trying to get that information out of them. Absolutely. Lowenstein said the only thing magdi was guilty of was trying to play detective. Remember, hes been a suspect for ten years. The police have never left their vision of him as being the suspect. And because of that, hes got to essentially solve the case on his own. What would the jury think . On the day of closing arguments, richard and ryan walked to court together. They had brought something for prosecutor Sonia Balleste, a religious tile belonging to ariet. Sonia wanted me to bring like an item like from our mom and stuff to have right there that she could hold onto. They learned the evidencedriven prosecutor had a superstitious side. She wanted to have something of ariets to touch during her last closing argument, to channel ariets spirit and courage. She took the witness stand in the preliminary hearing and faced evil. And for the first time in her life stood up to him. She knew exactly what he would do to her for it. He had done some bad things in his life, but he didnt hire anybody to murder ariet girgis. Hes innocent. There was nothing left to do now but wait. After nearly a decade, these final moments were perhaps the most excruciating. I dont know. This has been like a lot of anxiety built up right now. Just wondering when the verdicts going to come in. I mean, its going to be like any moment. Sonia, already at her new job, waited for the phone to ring. She had played the waiting game numerous times. It wasnt any easier this last time. I didnt want to let those boys down. So, yes, i was probably a little bit more nervous than usual. It was definitely agonizing. Every time we heard a ring or a buzzer, it really, like, got us like, okay, did they get a vurd . Verdict . After two days, they finally heard it, three buzzes. The jury had reached a verdict. Were you worried there was going to be a not guilty verdict . The only thing that had worried me was, all it takes is one person to not see things the way that everyone else sees it. You never know what a jurys going to do. Never know what a jurys going to do. All right, counselor, im going to bring the jury in. And when they filed back into the crowded courtroom, ryan didnt look at his dad. Instead, he held onto his brother. I was just embracing the mome mome moment, the, this is it, this is all riding on this. We the jury in the aboveentitled action, find the defendant, magdi girgis, guilty of the crime of felony conspiracy to commit a murder. Oh, it hit, it hit us. Its what weve been waiting for, for 9 1 2 years. In the gallery, the brothers cried. And as the hearing continued, richards sobs grew louder and louder, until he couldnt contain himself any longer. Why . Why . I couldnt hold myself back. I was trying not to, like, say anything, but it just was pouring out. I told him in arabic, i was like, why, dad, why, why, dad, why . Like, i just i still cant fathom the reason of why he would do such a thing, why he would throw away our family, why he would throw everything away. What was magdi trying to tell his son . Well never know. Magdis thoughts at his sentencing were somewhat clearer. I have nothing to do with the killing of my wife. I did to my best ability to work hard, secure future and advise my kids not to get involved with all of this Gang Activity or anything. Im not a bad father. And maybe i am strict, but i love them. They are my kids. Magdi girgis was sentenced to life in prison without parole. If magdi had not taken the bait, if he had gotten the phone number from your two undercover officers and thrown it away and just said, i dont know who you are, i dont know what youre talking about, and if you call me again, im going to call the police, would you he be in custody today . Probably not. So, he ended up giving you your whole case. His greed gave me my whole case. Magdi girgis had worked tirelessly to build the dream, and then, by his own hand, destroyed it. Well, perhaps not all of it. These two brothers may have lost both their parents, but they still have each other. Its my little bro. Yeah. In april 2018, accused hit man anthony bridget was found guilty on several charges, including the murder of ariet girgis. He was sentenced to life and is appealing the verdict. The second intruder has never been identified, and despite investigators suspicions, neither has the mysterious middleman. You never found out who that was . Not yet. Been ten years. Thats true. Took me nine to get magdi. You have to be patient in this line of work. Theres still a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the remaining suspects. Richard and ryan hope someone will come forward. In the meantime, theyre keeping their heads down and working hard, just as their father always taught them to do. When we last interviewed ryan, he said he planned to do some things differently. Do you picture yourself as a dad some day . I do. What kind of dad are you going to be . Im going to be the opposite of my father. Im going to be there when my kids need me. And thats the beauty of the American Dream, theres always a new beginning, no matter where you came from. Im craig melvin. Im natalie morales. And this is dateline. It was all surreal. It still is. Things like that dont happen to small town people. I was very scared. I was worried that i was going to be next. He was the friendly former about to make it big on reality tv. He loved being on tv. A success to celebrate after so much loss. His first wife killed in an awful fire. I was devastated. This is my sister. She was just this sweet, wonderful, giving person. They