Transcripts For MSNBCW Dateline 20200802

They had taken her in, they were helping her out. I was like, im proud of you, youre finding god. Reporter then, one baffling text. And she was gone. I go, i know i probably watch a lot of law and order but i have this really gut feeling. Because i was a mom, i just knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. Reporter two moms at opposite ends of a mystery. Could one get justice for the other . This case for sure was an investigators worst nightmare. Reporter soon, clues to a hidden life. A very amorous romantic, wild relationship. It was lustful. Oh my goodness. Reporter there were secrets here. Deadly ones. It hit me hard. Im like, no, no, no, no, no. A come to jesus moment . It was, yeah. I was scared to death. Hello and welcome to dateline. Bree carlson was a force of nature. Enthusiastic, spirited, beautiful. Behind the radiant glow, she hid a darkness. For awhile marie drifted. Then a pastor and his wife welcomed her into their lives. It was a spiritual awakening, which made maries sudden disappearance all the more mysterious. It would take a detective with a special bond and some divine intervention to find out what happened to marie. Heres Keith Morrison with secrets on the Emerald Coast. Reporter how do you catch a dancing sprite . Do you put her in a bottle . Can you package the joy she brings . Can you keep it when she goes . She was like a gravitational pull. Reporter her name was marie. Marie carlson. She was magnetic. Reporter when she was happy she could make the whole world sing. Live life to the fullest, is what marie would tell me. You know, you might not have tomorrow. Reporter and so she offered herself, her goodness. Gave her vulnerable heart, and stored her secrets. Until, well, what happened. But she was always that way, was marie. From the time of the very first secret in her life. She was born in the philippines to a single mother, then taken in by the family of an american serviceman. And it was years later when she learned that kind serviceman was actually her father. Which meant that esta bridges, the best friend she grew up with, was also her sister. What was that like to find that out, that she was i was happy. Was actually your sister . I was really happy, because i always thought she was, since we were little girls. Reporter when they got older esta and marie moved to florida and lived together. The location ideal. We chose an apartment that was behind a karaoke club, so that we could perfect. Just go there all the time. Like we were stars. Reporter and she wore pink. Always pink. It was her. It was her personality. Its full of life. Reporter and always trying to perk up everyone else up with her favorite word, beautiful. I was, like, oh, shes so beautiful. You know, i want to be like her. But she always used to tell me, no, you are beautiful. She loved that word. Reporter kay barber was like a mother to marie. Hers the second family to take marie in, when she was 18 and struggling. Maries nickname that i gave her was rosy because she was always just, you know, peachy and rosy and happy. Reporter like she was when she met jeff carlson, and he fell hard. And it was like instant. Reporter so they married. And they had a daughter named paris. And thought their life together would be grand. Marie got a College Degree in criminal justice, became a deputy sheriff. Her ultimate goal was to try to get into the fbi. Reporter but then, for all the love between them, there were issues. Jeff learned there were more secrets. That as a girl, marie had been sexually assaulted. And sometimes her love and joy were chased into a darker place. The Biggest Issue was she didnt love herself. Reporter they tried. But the marriage didnt last. And after that, marie drifted a little. Jobs fell through. She had to move frequently. Jeff suggested paris, then 3, would have a more stable life with him. She fought it initially, but she agreed that it was probably for the best. So paris was with me. Reporter though she saw paris often, and called all the time. And then . Marie finally found what her vulnerable loving soul seemed to need. I was actually happy for her because she found god. Reporter marie had found a spiritual home at the calvary Emerald Coast church. It was hardly a fancy cathedral. Place was in a strip mall. But fancy wasnt the point. Salvation was. Here, finally, marie felt right. And jesus is saying you know what youre missing out. Reporter the pastor was a charismatic man named James Flanders who preached the bible, foursquare. Preached in jeans and sneakers. Livestreamed and youtubed his sermons. It was a very happening place. Reporter Jason Anderson was the youth pastor. Didnt fall asleep listening to his sermons. Reporter but more than that, the pastor and his wife, james and Tanya Flanders, were known for their big hearts, their charity. And thats when, for a third time, a family took in marie. Shes saying that she was there until she got on her feet. Reporter but a whole year went by. And then what was coming couldnt be hidden. The story floating around, there had been an abusive boyfriend who abandoned her and left her pregnant. And in july 2011, marie gave birth to a baby girl and named her grace. The pastor and his wife took care of both of them. It was explained to me that they were helping her out. That she was kind of down on her luck. Reporter she was, by all appearances, saved. Spiritually by faith. And practically by the pastor and his wife. So imagine the surprise when a Strange Group text message popped up on the phones of her family and friends. Can you still remember the words of that mass text . She said that yesterday she left Fort Walton Beach to do something that she always wanted to do. She didnt want us to try to stop her. Her last words was, i love and appreciate you all. Reporter but the Biggest Surprise . Marie did not take her 3monthold baby. She left grace behind with the pastor and his wife. And right away her sister esta sensed that something wasnt right. She called her family. I go, i know i probably watch a lot of law and order, but can you find out whats going on . Because i have this really gut feeling. Shes like, oh, you watch too many of those kind of shows. Im like, no, this is different. Reporter it was the fall of 2011, the very same time that a detective named nesli suhimoore became a mother. A fact which, as you will see, may have made all the difference. You get a better understanding of what its like to love somebody to the end of the world and back. Reporter it was almost like fate intended to tie these two together in a mystery of love, and lies, and loss. Where had Marie Carlson gone . The detective who just became a new mom felt a special connection to the case. Coming up the investigator said, were going to open a case. Which surprised me. The antenna must have gone up, huh . The antennas did go up. I just knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. When dateline continues. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. My job is to help new homeowners who have turned into their parents. Im having a big lunch and then just a snack for dinner. So were using a speakerphone in the store. Is that a good idea . One of the ways i do that is to get them out of the home. Youre looking for a grout brush, this is garth, did he ask for your help . No, no. No. We all see it. We all see it. He has blue hair. Okay. Blue. Progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. Keep it coming. You dont know him. Thats why ive got the power of 1,2,3 medicines with trelegy. The only fdaapproved, oncedaily 3 in 1 copd treatment. With trelegy and the power of 1, 2, 3, im breathing better. Trelegy works 3 ways to open airways, keep them open, and reduce inflammation for 24 hours of better breathing. Trelegy wont replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Trelegy is not for asthma. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. Think your copd medicine is doing enough . Maybe you should think again. Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. We know times are hard and were here for you. Find support at trelegy. Com. Marie carlson had notified family and friends she was leaving Fort Walton Beach and nobody could figure out why or where she went. And this was very strange, she left her 3monthold baby in the care of her pastor, James Flanders and his wife tayna, and not her family. Not the woman she looked to as a mother figure, kay barber. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking. Reporter maries exhusband jeff carlson got the text too. It didnt make sense to him that shed leave without calling her 7yearold daughter, paris. Kay called jeff and said he should file a report. And she said, i i dont know whats goin on, but i i think somethin happened. And i said, yeah, i agree with you. Reporter and then jeff called the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office to report marie missing. The investigators said, were going to open a case, an investigation on this. Which surprised me because shes an adult. She couldve just left. Reporter because marie was adventurous. She liked to travel. And when the mood struck her, sometimes she just took off for a few days on some whim. But something seemed different this time. Reporter she wouldve never have left without talking to me about it and talking to paris. Reporter shed been gone a week when the sheriff asked detective keith matz to look into it. That text message. Something off, said her family. This doesnt sound like marie. Reporter huh, so when you got that one the antenna must have gone up, huh . The antennas did go up. Reporter detective nesli suhimoore didnt hear about the case then. Because i was on leave. Reporter on maternity leave. Correct. So and i came back, two weeks after she was initially reported missing. Reporter and thats when nesli heard from other detectives about the case keith was working on. Poor keith had no idea that i was going to come bully my way into that investigation. Reporter and why did you want to bully your way into the investigation . I think the connection of just having a child i just knew that she didnt leave on her own. Reporter so here they were. Partners. The young detective who happened to be a brandnew mother. And the veteran whod seen just about everything. And who soon learned from friends and family that marie was deeply attached to both her daughters. She had a heart of gold and loved her paris more than anything in the world. Reporter but what happened in her life . And how did she end up with another baby . From esta the detectives learned about the divorce and how marie had lost her job, and how the pastor and his wife offered her a place to stay. But the questions about baby grace . Esta said her relationship with marie was always supportive, and not judgmental. And when marie didnt tell her who the father was, she didnt push the subject. Ive never questioned her because marie will tell me in her own time if she wants to tell me. Ive learned with my sister i never pry. Reporter but that was the job of the detectives, nesli and keith, to pry, and hopefully, to find marie. And one of their first calls was on her church pastor, James Flanders, and his wife. Impressive guy, they discovered. James flanders. What was he like . Very charismatic. I would say he would good at his job. Reporter wonder what it would be like to listen to him preach. You can youtube him. Reporter yes, you can we all, at times, forget the promises of gods word. Reporter the pastor grew the calvary Emerald Coast church from scratch, spread it through youtube. And by the time marie began attending, every service filled up. They were a tightknit family, that church. Reporter and now, with marie gone, they were caring for little grace. So did the flanders have any idea what happened to marie . Perhaps they knew who the father was, and where that abusive boyfriend might be found. And, oh yes, there was a story, all right. Coming up questions mount, and leads are running out. Was time running out too . We searched it, but it was there was nothing to search, it was clean. This case for sure was an investigators worst nightmare. When dateline continues. Hey, can i. Hold on one second. Sure. Okay. Okay safe drivers save 40 guys guys check it out. Safe drivers save 40 safe drivers save 40 safe drivers save 40 thats safe drivers save 40 . It is, thats safe drivers save 40 . Hes right there. Its him hes here. Hes right here. Hi hi. Hey thats totally him. Its him thats totally the guy. Safe drivers do save 40 . Click or call for a quote today. The calvary Emerald Coast church of Fort Walton Beach, florida, was far more than just a place to gather on a sunday morning. Led by pastor James Flanders and his wife tanya, this place was a beacon of charity too. The pastor and his church sacrificed their own needs to send money to the victims of katrina. And when Marie Carlson needed help, they took her in too. Its what pastors do for their congregation. Reporter but now . Im left with a missing person whos just vanished off this earth. Reporter a week and a half after marie vanished, or drove away, or whatever she did, the detectives went calling on the flanders. Who said they fully expected marie would return soon. This wasnt the first time she took spur of the moment trips, they said. Never to the point where she had to be reported to Law Enforcement missing, though. She came back. Reporter although the flanders told the detectives they were quite worried about maries state of mind. They noticed a downward spiral. Reporter that she was going into a depression or something . She might be going into a depression state, yes. Reporter thing was, said the pastor and his wife, marie could have wild mood swings, and they knew she had a diagnosed mood disorder. Reporter did they tell you that she was bipolar . Yes, told me she was bipolar. She had been taking medication, and was off of her medication, probably because of her giving birth to the child. Reporter but there was another prescription bottle too. And then they also showed us a bottle that was empty, you know, that maybe alluding to the fact that she had taken medication and was going to use it to hurt herself. Reporter the day she left . James told the detectives he was so worried about her state of mind, he stayed home from work to keep an eye on her. James says that she was acting up. And he didnt want to let marie take the baby. Reporter he was afraid the baby might be harmed or something. Right. Reporter then, late that afternoon, said pastor james, marie said she was tired, went to lie down, tanya took the baby out shopping so marie could rest. The pastor said he waited around for a bit, talked to her briefly when she woke up, and then went out for a run. And when he returned marie and her white mazda pickup truck were gone. Strangely, the flanders said, marie had packed her bags, but didnt take them. Why would she take off and not take her bags with her . Reporter anyway, said the flanders, when she didnt come back that day or the next, they drove around town looking for her. Went to the airport. Maybe shed parked her car there and flown away. Reporter did they find it . They did. James says that he finds it in longterm parking. Reporter at least part of the mystery was solved, said the pastor. She must have flown off to visit someone. They took her pickup home. So the mazda. What did you do about that car when you got your hands on it . We searched it. But it was you know, there was nothing to search. It was clean. Reporter they went to the airport. We checked the airlines. Theres nothing. She didnt fly out. Reporter so why would maries car be at the airport, if she hadnt flown out of there . Of course she could have been trying to hide her tracks from snoopy friends and family. Or, what if someone else took the car to the airport, someone who wanted to make it look like shed left town. Rather fishy. Then the detectives had an idea. You know the machine that spits out tickets when you enter an Airport Parking lot . That very ticket goes back to the tollbooth when you leave. Keith and i went to the little toll booth where you give the your ticket. Reporter maybe, thought the detectives, the parking ticket for maries mazda would tell them not just when it was dropped off but, a more important question, by whom. We were thinking lets get a thumbprint, or a fingerprint and went through every single one of them until we found the one that maries car had received. Reporter and yes, they got a print. But no, it wasnt clear enough to tell whose it was. Then, another thought. Hey, lets go pull surveillance video. And of course reporter you looked at all of it. Well, no. The video didnt wor it wasnt working. Reporter oh. During the time that we needed. This case, for sure, was an investigators worst nightmare. Reporter dead ends everywhere. Yes. Reporter and weeks went by. No sign of marie anywhere. Time to embrace the thought theyd frankly had all along. And it wasnt a good one. Keith and i both no longer believed we had a missing person. We believed we were dealing with a Homicide Investigation. But whats the hardest Homicide Investigation you can be given . One without a body. Reporter yeah. And we didnt have marie. Coming up, the startling secret that marie kept from just about everyone. I went up and i put my hand on her stomach and i said whats going on with this . When dateline continues. In. But we went to work. Building an experience that lets you shop over 17,000 cars from home. Creating a coast to Coast Network to deliver your car as soon as tomorrow. Recruiting an army of customer advocates to make your experience incredible. And putting you in control of the whole thing with powerful technology. Thats why weve become the nations Fastest Growing retailer. Because our customers love it. See for yourself, at carvana. Com. Its very common to havehave sensitivity a gum Health Concern as well. You know, i talk to dentists every day and theyre able to recommend new sensodyne sensitivity gum. Its really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product that can address two conditions. Rudy got older and suddenly stopped eating. T, then we found freshpet. Now rudys 13, and going on 3. Im dara brown. There are more than 4. 6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the u. S. The number of deaths surpassed 155,000. As the pandemic grows, Major League Baseball is reconsidering the rest of its season. So far 29 players and staff with teams across the league have tested positive for the virus. The leagues commissioner says he will shut down the already shortened season if players dont do a better job of following protocol. Now back to date booin. Welcome back to dateline. Marie carlson disappeared without a trace. She hadnt taken extra clothes or her baby. Adding to the mystery, her car was at the airport. But she never got on a plane. Was she depressed . Thats what the pastor and the wife shed been living with told investigators. Short on clues, detectives thought marie didnt just vanish. Now the missing persons case had turned into a murder investigation. Heres Keith Morrison with secrets on the Emerald Coast. What happened to Marie Carlson, where did she go . Or did she go anywhere . What about grace, the baby she left behind . Who, for example, was the father . Churches tend to be beehives of gossip, so the detectives asked around. She had a boyfriend, was involved in an abusive relationship, she was beat up. Reporter this is a member of the cavalry Emerald Coast church. She found out she was pregnant. And she didnt want to go back to the guy, and didnt want to keep the child. Reporter in other words, she was going to have an abortion. But pastor flanders and his wife had strong views about abortion. And when they discovered her situation, they offered to help solve her dilemma. They were gonna adopt the baby. Reporter the flanders had an older daughter, always wanted another child. But one miscarriage after another. And so, as this church elder told the detectives, the pastor and his wife came to an arrangement with marie. She would stay three months to nurse the baby and at the end of three months, the plan all along was she would leave. That was my understanding from before the baby was born. With the baby . No, the baby was a gift for the flanders. Reporter a gift . Maybe. It was just like marie to be generous toward the couple whod been so good to her. But to skeptical detectives, especially this brandnew mother, something about the story didnt sound quite right. The father, for example. In fact, the alleged abusive guy didnt seem to exist. But then they talked to exhusband jeff. And the story he heard . Completely different. And it came directly from marie when she came to visit jeff shortly after she got pregnant. I put my hand on her stomach. And i said, whats whats going on with this . And she wasnt really showing. And her story at that time was, well, im just being a surrogate for james and tanya. So we did basically the a type of artificial insemination. Reporter well, well, well, the pastor was the sperm donor. In this new story, maries gift was to be the pastors artificially inseminated surrogate. But why the conflicting stories . To find out, the detectives consulted three special church ladies, Tanya Flanders closest confidants. Did you have a name for this group . We called them the inner circle. Reporter and the inner circle said yes, tanya told them. But swore them to secrecy. But then tanya gave up a little more. The method was very homemade. I remember them saying, oh, it was with the turkey thingy. It was with, like, a turkey baster . Yes. Now shes got a secret. Yeah, at that point. Reporter wait, at that point . Yes. Because tanya just couldnt leave it there. The next time, she admitted something very, very shocking. And tanya said, well, we did it the oldfashioned way. Reporter james and marie had sex. Which tanya told the ladies was okay with her. And as months passed and marie started showing, there was a baby shower. But oh, no. Not for marie. This baby shower was for tanya. She put a balloon under her shirt for a funny photo with marie. But something here didnt seem quite right. The inner circle had to keep their secret. If the story got out . It could threaten everything she and the pastor had built. And as it got more and more and more into weird stuff, it was just that the stakes got higher. Right . Thats right. Imagine the secrecy that the inner circle, that tanya actually told the truth to, that its james baby. Reporter but no room for secrets in an official investigation. The detectives invited james and tanya to voluntarily come in for a chat. But only tanya showed up. And here in this little room at the Sheriffs Office, she let it all come out. About that night of sake and sex, when grace was conceived. Yeah. Yeah. He had a little bit too. I was the only one that was sober. But yes, i was there. Reporter yes. In the room. But of course she was, said tanya. And almost casually, she revealed the heresy that, should it ever become public, would surely ruin them. Marie was going to move in, and she was going to be number two. A plural wife. Yes. Or whatever you call them. A sister wife, i think. Plural marriage. Reporter it was, in short, polygamy. Or their homegrown version of it. Tanya told detectives she understood the bargain very well. Ive always seen a relationship as its its not sex is not a relationship. A relationship is two people coming together. And sex is just a bonus. Reporter a very secret bonus, of course, kept from almost everyone. But inside the bubble of their relationship, tanya said, they were happy. She goes, you know what . I am so glad that youre going to be raising grace. She said, and i am so glad that im going to be able to be here to do that with you. And i thought, god, you know, how cool is that . Reporter but then, then marie gave birth. And it wasnt cool for marie. Not anymore. And certainly not adoption. Every time we started to broach the subject with her, she did get withdrawn. Reporter so maybe tanya wouldnt get baby grace. Maybe marie wanted it all, the baby and james, all for herself. Thats what this member of the inner circle believed. But i did i hear that from marie, that marie wanted james . Reporter did tanya strike back somehow . Fight for her marriage by getting rid of marie . Listen to how Church Members quoted tanyas words. She basically was like, james would never be able to do that, but i could. And that was shocker . Yeah. I told him, youre not capable of killing her. But tanya leans over and goes, well he couldnt, but i could. So wouldnt that lead you to, like a bloodhound, direct to tanya . She certainly would have a motive. She would. Reporter tanya now the only mother figure in graces life. Did she know more than she was saying . Did she do something . Did someone in the church have a confession to make . Coming up, a confrontation in the congregation. This is a, forgive my saying, a come to jesus moment . It was the hardest thing i ever had to do. And divine intervention . A sudden, earthshaking tip. I can remember getting that tip and thinking no way. When dateline continues. Feel the clarity of nondrowsy claritin. And 24 hour relief from symptoms caused by over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. Like those from buddy. Because nothing should come between two best friends. Feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. Just saying you need to really learn to think different. Reporter an attentive churchgoer might have noticed the intrusion of an odd idea in one of the sermons of pastor James Flanders. What do you think wed experience . Reporter when he mentioned a couple of verses in the Old Testament that seemed to approve, somehow, of polygamy. He wanted to justify his relationship to everybody else through a biblical sense. Reporter so he went to the Old Testament and and pulled up those few lines that suggest polygamy. Thats correct. Reporter a trial balloon . If it was, it quickly imploded. And the very practical polygamy in the home of the pastor stayed carefully under wraps. So if the news got out of the to the rest of the church, did tanya worry about what might happen there . Thats what she was covering up. She had to protect james and protect their that was their world. Reporter did she do something to marie, to protect james . Two months after marie disappeared the detectives got permission to look at the cell phone records of all three of them. Would they prove tanya was with marie when she vanished and thus maybe did something to her . The cell phone tower information put her away from the area. Reporter no. Nowhere near marie. So then they checked the cell towers for james phone, and what do you know. When marie sent that mass text message saying she was leaving town, both her phone and the pastors were pinging off the same cell tower two blocks from his house. And when maries mazda was dropped at the airport . Weve got James Flanders cellphone touching towers near the airport. Why would his phone be near the airport . Reporter well, either james innocently drove marie to the airport, and neglected to reveal that, or he drove her car there to cover up a crime. No way to prove it either way. So they were stuck again. Which is when jason, the youth pastor, remember him . Out of the blue jason came to call. He had something the detectives needed to hear, he said. I mean, that would take a certain amount of courage. Absolutely. We wouldve never known about that if jason wouldnt have come forward. Reporter known what . The secret incident that got junior pastor jason involved. It happened soon after marie disappeared. When a very distraught james asked this church elder for help. He said, he goes, i need you to get me out of the country. I said, whats going on . I said, does this have to do with maria marie . Hes like, i cant tell you. He never once said anything to me else but its bad. Reporter james seemed suicidal, said the elder. So he called a doctor friend. And the doctor committed the preacher to a psychiatric ward for ten days, during which time Jason Andersen took over preacher duties. But then jason heard things. Not about what happened to marie, but about polygamy. With other church leaders, he confronted james and tanya. This is a, forgive my saying, come to jesus moment . It was the hardest thing ive ever had to do, myself, personally, was to confront my pastor. Reporter your mentor, your senior guy. Yeah, right. Sure. Reporter and james admitted it. He had been sleeping with two women, in the same house. But then, youth pastor jason told the detectives, in that cloistered setting, james kept talking, and told a terrible story. Him and marie had had a physical altercation before she went missing. And she had scratched him on his arms. Reporter james insisted marie was still alive the last time he saw her. I was just so in shock of everything. Reporter that was it. He could not continue as pastor. James would have to resign. He announced that he and tanya were leaving town. They were supposed to leave the following morning to say goodbye to some Church Members. And lo and behold, around 12 00 or 12 30 theyd gotten in that truck and they hauled butt. They went to arizona. They fled. Reporter like thieves in the night. With baby grace. It was a few days after they left when jason went to the police to tell his disturbing story. That they had a physical runin the day that she went missing. Reporter then a piece of luck. Before they left, maries friend kay had asked the pastor and his wife for maries belongings. They gave her maries computer. The bad news was it had been erased but i brought it into the Sheriffs Department for them to take a look. We had our forensic tech reanalyze the computer, and it gave us a beautiful copy of her phone download that she had done when she backed her phone up. Reporter wow. But maybe it wasnt so lucky. There were thousands of text messages, but they were an unreadable jumble of symbols and words. This particular coin reporter though look at this. Marie shot this video that did survive. Showing the pastor hawking gold and silver online, apparently while running the church. Valuing this coin at over 500. Lemme tell you, thats exciting stuff. Reporter was james just a pastor . Or part time flimflam man . So this is where things stood when an anonymous tip came in. Crimestoppers. Reporter startling. If true, it would solve the case. And in the tip, it says that james buried her in the backyard. Reporter thats some tip. Yeah. I can remember getting that tip and thinking, no way. Like, who would who would kill somebody and bury them in their own backyard . Reporter could be bogus, of course. Just another false lead. But nesli was hopeful. We brought cadaver dogs and groundpenetrating radar and we didnt find anything. Reporter nothing . Nothing. Reporter no body. So what happened to marie . More months went by. Police kept trying to speak with james but got no response. Then after a whole year, they tried again, and he picked up. I had been asked by our attorney not to talk to anyone without him there. Reporter but he did talk talked for two hours, in fact, from his car. At times sounding like he was the victim. What emotions have i felt over the past year and a month, you know . Anger at marie for going and not letting us know whats going on, and then back to anger at myself for not making a phone call to get her help. And anger at myself for ever letting the relationship became what it became. Reporter the pastor said he knew he was the prime suspect. I am terrified of the prospect of marie taking her own life. And if she did, and i pray she didnt, i hope she did it very, very, very, very, very, very, very far away. Because if they find her one little bone that somehow could be connected with her, there its my fault. Im sure its the way people would look at it, its james. Do you know where marie is . No, i do not. If i did, i would go get her. Did you kill Marie Carlson . No. Reporter and that was that. They were stalled. And the case was getting very cold. Coming up, new revelations from the pastor. They were sending pornographic photos back and forth from the church. And an answer at last to the biggest mystery of all. Where was marie . Nesli passed me a note that said, i missed her. I was pretty devastated. The guilt. The feeling of, i could have found her six months after she was reported missing. When dateline continues. I wanted more from my copd medicine, thats why ive got the power of 1,2,3 medicines with trelegy. The only fdaapproved, oncedaily 3 in 1 copd treatment. With trelegy and the power of 1, 2, 3, im breathing better. Trelegy works 3 ways to open airways, keep them open, and reduce inflammation for 24 hours of better breathing. Trelegy wont replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Trelegy is not for asthma. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. Think your copd medicine is doing enough . Maybe you should think again. Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. We know times are hard and were here for you. Find support at trelegy. Com. Theyre going to be paying for this for a long time. They will, but with accident forgiveness allstate wont raise your rates just because of an accident, even if its your fault. Cut sonny. Was that good . Line the desert never lies. Isnt that what i said . No you were talking about allstate and insurance. I just. When i. Lets try again. Everybody back to one. Accident forgiveness from allstate. Click or call for a quote today. But what if you could startdo better than that . Accident forgiveness from allstate. 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, were committed to helping you do just that with a powerful and reliable internet and voice solution at a great price. Call or go online today. O. A cold case just gets colder. I thought it was a 50 50 chance of it being solved. Anglea mason wasnt optimistic either. I was vulnerable. I did not have a body. I was vulnerable about the tanya element. Thought she be suspect. Marias computer yielded to a new forens ic. Getting graphicic details. Pornographic, to the point, they were sending pornographic photos to each other from the church. We will spare you. And most important, everything stopped the day she disappeared. No credit cards, no phones, strong evidence that she was in fact dead, and not missing. And her last conversation with a Family Member was. She wanted out of the circumstances she was in. She wasnt then, there was this. One of those sermons on youtube a month before maria vanished. Anybody lying about me, trying to turn me down or whatever, my feelings say, choke the life out of them. Is that what the pastor did to maria. The case, circumstantial, difficult, but the prosecutors bought it. James was charged with Second Degree murder. Persistence paid off. We were four and a half years in. Most would have given up by now. As the paster waited in jail for his trial. His attorney was optimistic. What did you think his chances were . I didnt believe the state would have Second Degree murder. They didnt have a body. As the pastor and attorney look at the evidence, just before the trial, they made a deal. The state reduced the charge from Second Degree murder and mononucleosis, and james agreed to tell them what they did to marie, and where he put her. That was the hardest thing. I didnt want to go years and years of not know. As much as i hated to agree to it. I knew it was probably the only way. First, as part of the deal, the pastor told the story of maria. Polyg amy arrangement. She was my wife. Although we never had a ceremony or anything like that. Maria had a name for the relationship. A tluple. And then he said maria erupted after he told her she would be hospitalized for depression. I grabbed her, we hit the floor hard. She wasnt breathing. A fatal bear hug. Not possible. Then she braced for the answer. She waited five years to hear. Did you bury maria in the backyard. I will tell you exactly. Is that where you buried her. Yes. At that point, the detective i was in that backyard in 2012. Not like you didnt look. Humane nature, you have the guilt, the feeling of, i could have found her six months after she was reporting missing. The paster insisted that tanya was shopping. Knew nothing. You wonder whether tanya had more to do with this . I think that will be in the back of our minds. She may have known more than she wants to say. Tanya was never charged. Her defense attorney said she was shocked by james confession. She did not know. Later that afternoon, he marked with flags, the spot where he buried maria five years earlier. Then he fell on the ground, cried and told her, im sorry. What anact, thought nestly. Five foot deep, wrapped in a blanket, they found what was left of maria. I was shaking, crying, i dont think i ever cried so loud. They went too. It is my fault. Back from court that afternoon, James Flanders was sentenced to 15 year, with good behavior, he will be out in 11. Free to join tanya in arizona. And grace, whose mother he killed. He will get to have a life after he is done. Maria is gone forever. She doesnt get a life. Especially with her kids. Which is for most motherings, the world. Jeff carlson, had to tell his daughter her mom wasnt coming back. What do you say . You dont know how to prepare them for the future of living with this. He deprived her of her mother. Later, marias family and many others gathered for a celebration of marias life. They did her favorite thing, sang kareoke. When marias daughter comes to visit, they sit down, make music, like their mothers, years ago. Grace . It is one of those, where i want to show her, your mother did love you. Maybe some day she will know about that uncontainable woman brought joy, maria. That is all for this edition of dateline thanks for watching. First up on mnbcs, isaias. A tropical storm. And the latest on what happened when both sides met on capitol hill. What is next. Troubling signs. Some schools, back in session and already, positive coronavirus cases. The space cappsle headed back to earth at this hour it is expected to do