Longrunning mystery. Who killed the veterinarian . I think the perpetrator stood there and watched him die. There were so many different leads and rumors. Jealousy . Rage . Revenge . A crime of passion, investigators said. I felt like if it wasnt for me, it never would have happened. And the unbelievable thing, the killer didnt leave a trace. It was your classic whodunit. Could anyone solve it . You look at what its done to our family. It was hard. I wanted justice for my brother. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Keith Morrison with mystery in big sky country. Reporter there was a broad swath of prairie where the cattle outnumbered the people and a sad Summer Breeze sang around a modest dwelling in the grass. This is Marlene Protsman in geraldine. Reporter they called it the bunkhouse, though it was really just an old singlewide trailer. The veterinarian shot himself. My husband just went down to check to see if he was going to pasture. Reporter a nondescript little place out on the montana prairie. A bit worn around the edges. Do you know where he shot himself . He doesnt know. Is he still alive . A theres blood everywhere. Reporter the sort of place a young vet could live cheap while he built his business. Well, if you can have somebody go check and see if hes still alive. I have paged the ambulance. Reporter when the local sheriffs deputies arrived, they found the body in the middle of the Kitchen Floor lying on its back. Blood had pooled under its head. On one foot was a shoe of the sort people wear in the water. The other was bare. A. 357 magnum was on the floor not far from the dead mans left hand. Marlene protsman saw all this, too, same time as the deputies. But she could tell right away, as apparently they could not, that shed been wrong on the 911 call. The man did not shoot himself. Bryan had a cut on his nose. And the way his shirt was ripped and just the blood on the floor, it just reporter it look like a struggle . Yeah. It wasnt a suicide. Reporter but the deputies went about their work as they saw fit. And thus, on sunday, july 14th, 1996, they clouded a mystery that has come down all the way to us. There were so many different theories, different suspects, and so much conflicting evidence, it was your classic whodunit. Reporter or perhaps your classic nightmare. Id lay awake at night and ask god to give me some insight here. Where do i go now . Reporter the victim, the man on the floor, was bryan rein, veterinarian. Charlene and teresas big brother. He was my brother. He was my best friend. He was my businear reporter they grew up together in scott city, kansas. We shared bedrooms. We shared clothing. Everybody shared. Reporter bryan was the eldest. So what kind of an older brother was he . Protective. Ornery. Reporter ornery . We were always playing pranks on each other and especially teresa, because she didnt take them so well. Reporter bryan was very smart was a given. Maybe a little too smart . I remember turning to him once and saying, i just want to know what time it is. I dont need to know how the clock was made. Reporter heres what they got to do growing up in a small town. They joined 4h, future farmers of america. They raised their special animals, showed them off in fairs and exhibitions. And bryan knew from the very beginning there was one job he was meant to do. I never knew bryan not wanting to be a veterinarian. Bryan always said that being a vet was way more difficult than being a doctor because an animal cant tell you where it hurts or how they feel. You have to figure out how they feel. Reporter after finishing vet school, bryan moved to montana. Big, wide open country. Cattle ranches galore. An outdoorsmans paradise, really, which absolutely suited bryan rein. He took full advantage of what montana had to offer. And often. And so in 1995, a year before the events in our story, dr. Rein set up shop in a speck on the map called geraldine, population 300. Its always a struggle starting a new business. And starting a vet clinic is very expensive, but it was doing very well. Reporter young dr. Rein hired marlene to help him run the office and moved into the unused bunkhouse marlene and her husband owned on their property 11 miles outside of town. So she was both landlady and employee. Bryan had a heart of gold. He was, you know, part of the family. Place . There was interest. Lots of it. I remember asking him, is there anybody there youre dating . And hes like, well theres some girls, but theyre just not the ones. Reporter it was possibly an overly modest answer. The handsome young vets arrival was practically a news event. Heads turned, hearts may have followed. Certainly gossip did. And then, summer of 1996. I was like, again the same question that i ask. So what is going on . Do you have a girlfriend . Well, there is this one girl. She comes over and she does things for me. And i said things like . And he said, well, shell clean up my house and stuff. So i was like, shame on you. You should be over cleaning her house. Reporter it was strange what began to happen after he took up with that young lady. Weird things. Not exactly frightening. More like unsettling. Like the rock that crashed through a window of the clinic. Did he tell you what he thought it was . No. Reporter or who . And he did find a footprint out in the back of the building. But nothing really ever came of it. Reporter not long after, dr. Rein called both sisters with a request. At one point he told me, quit calling and hanging up. I was like, bryan, im not hanging up. He just hahaed it off. He was like, its not a big deal, teresa. Its not a big deal. Reporter but was it . On july 10th, 1996, dr. Bryan rein drove to bozeman, three hours away, to attend a conference. He returned home friday evening, the 12th. No one saw him on saturday. And then on sunday, the 14th. Marlenes husband drove over to bryans bunkhouse. It was about, i dont know, five, ten minutes later, he came back and walked in the door and was very distraught, crying. Reporter such a shock, which is maybe why her husband got the mistaken idea that dr. Rein had committed suicide. But later that sda marlene heard an undersheriff repeat the mistake to bryans grandparents, heres what happened. Verna mae jumped up and she said, no way in hell would my grandson commit suicide. Reporter then, the next day, when state investigators led by agent ken thompson of montanas department of criminal investigation arrived and looked at the ruined crime scene my partner and i would look at each other and think, oh, my lord, you know . Reporter yeah. It certainly makes things very difficult. Reporter difficult . Oh, yes. Difficult was not the half of it. So what did happen to dr. Rein . When we come back we had been told that he had committed suicide. Did you believe that could be true . Absolutely not. Blood on the doorstep. Bullets in the kitchen. How can this happen . Why would somebody do it . The search begins for a killer. I think the perpetrator stood there and watched bryan die. The s you unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you buy. Thats 1. 5 cash back on whatever these billboards are selling. What are they selling . The products not so subtly placed in this movie 1. 5 cash back. Shhhh all the stuff promoted in your social feed 1. 5 cash back. The cash back is unlimited and you can spend it on anything. Like, whatever the next ad is selling. Get the new chase freedom unlimited card. Ugh, celebrity endorsements are the worst. Why have your glasses fit manually. When theres the Lenscrafters Accufit system. Replacing basic handheld measuring tools with a digital system thats five times more precise. This weekend, take an extra 10 dollars off your purchase of 25 dollars or more and save on the summer stuff Everyone Needs like swimwear as low as 15 dollars shorts as low as 15 dollars and tees and tanks as low as 10 dollars now thats the good stuff kohls hey siri, whats at ts latest offer . Oh, i dont think that siri can. Right now, switch to at t for an iphone and get one free. Wow, is that right . Yeah, its basically. Yes. That is the current offer from at t. Okay siri, you dont know everything. Well, i know you asked me to call you the at t hostess with the mostest. Okay, shut her down. Turn it off. Right now, buy an iphone and get another one free when you add a second line. On a summer sunday afternoon outside tiny geraldine, montana, local sheriffs deputies used towels to mop up the blood around what they took to be a suicide. The towns veterinarian, dr. Bryan rein, age 31, was dead. His own. 357 magnum lay near his left hand. And the emissaries of sudden death delivered their message to dr. Reins sister, teresa, back in kansas. I remember saying, mom, i need to talk to you. Reporter i cant imagine what it would be like to tell your mother that her first born son is dead. Yeah. It was hard. And he was that child. That perfect child. Reporter it was evening before the news found younger sister, charlene. I was actually in las vegas. We had been told that he had committed suicide. Reporter did you believe that could be true . Absolutely not. It was a long plane ride home. Reporter do you remember what your mind was doing to you during that plane ride . How can this happen . Why would somebody do it . Reporter those questions because none of them believed bryan capable of suicide. And sure enough, the next morning an autopsy revealed abrasions and contusions on the doctors head. A swollen right eye. Clearly, there had been a struggle. And hed been struck by three gunshots. Two in the lower right forearm, then a fatal shot to the chest. The conclusion . Obvious. It was not sui. It was homicide. How is it possible at first they thought it was a suicide . I cant answer that. I think you have to understand that that county had not had a homicide in, i think it was like 19 years. Reporter it was monday when state department of criminal investigation agent ken thompson was called in. And by the time he got to the doctors bunkhouse, the locals had been gone, the scene left unguarded for more than 24 hours. Montanas a remote state. Sometimes youll drive eight hours to get to the crime scene. So its not like a big city where you can roll in and everythings pristine. Reporter no, not even close. In fact, the deputies and local coroner had spent just a few hours tramping around bryans kitchen, had taken about a dozen photos. And in the process, had done things that couldnt be undone. Like cleaning up blood on the floor under the victims upper body. And tossing into the garbage, a telephone handset un for dna, or dusting for fingerprints. Those discarded materials were beyond recovery by the time investigator thompson arrived. The local deputies did tell him they found a water shoe on the bunkhouse doorstep. It appeared to have been knocked off in the struggle. The other was found on bryans left foot. And then investigator thompson saw the blood drops out on the doorstep. We knew that thats where the shooting had occurred. Blood had dropped straight down and so it was just outside the trailer. Reporter did you find some bullets around there . They found two bullets lodged in the kitchen cupboard. So the two shots that went through the arm, went through the arm and through that wall and came out into Kitchen Cabinets on the other side. Reporter i see. Thompson and his partners used string to simulate the path of the bullets. They even tried to act out what might have happened. And before long, they came to some conclio how far away was the shooter . Pretty close range. Reporter so, if they struggle and the gun went off, it would be, right . Yeah. Some kind of conversation went on and a struggle ensued. Two shots went off, and then the third shot into his chest. I think that bryan then struggle to get in to call for help. That he sat there. I think the perpetrator stood there and watched bryan die. Reporter and as for the location of the gun so close to dr. Reins own hand . So the killer mustve put it there . Correct. Reporter but were there any fingerprints on the gun . No. It looked like it had been wiped off with a solvent. Reporter so investigators now thought they knew how the murder occurred. But when it happened . That wasnt clear at all. Friday night . Saturday . It was an important question, of course. But just how important they might not have fully imagined just then. But there was no clear answer. Conducted the autopsy left the space for time of death blank. Remember, dr. Rein returned home from a conference on friday evening, but his body wasnt found until sunday. Investigators canvassed nearby farms. And . There was a neighbor that lived probably about a mile away, maybe a little less as the crow flies, that had seen an atv go by that night. And then said he heard two loud retorts about that time. Reporter that is, friday night. But it couldve been that night or the next morning or something . At first he wasnt sure, and then he wasnt sure of the date. Reporter phone records showed the last time dr. Rein received a phone call was at 10 15 on friday night. Nobody heard from bryan after that last phone call on friday night. The thought that he would go all day saturday without having any contact with anybody was just really highly unlikely. Reporter on the other hand, dr. Rein could have hung around his bunkhouse alone that saturday morning. Or maybe he intended to go fishing. There were those water shoes, and they found a fishing pole near the door. Of course, all this when and how did nothing to shine a light on who killed dr. Rein. A question that was consuming everyone who knew him. My mind was just spinning trying to think who, you know, any little lead at all. Reporter there was, she knew, this friend of dr. Reins, Larry Hagenbuch, whose behavior had recently been erratic. And she also knew that some people in town said theyd heard larry badmouthing bryan in the local bar. Though larry denied it. But investigators almost immediately had a different lead that seemed worth pursuing, and it was related to that broken window at the vet clinic and those hangup phone calls dr. Rein had asked his sisters if they were making. So he had no idea who was doing it . After he eliminated me, he had an idea. Reporter so he knew, or thought he knew, who the hangup caller was, but he didnt seem very worried about it. Everything was going to be okay. Bryan was not afraid of anything. Reporter maybe he should have been. Coming up a new relationship. I thought he was handsome. I was excited. And a jealous ex. Should i file a restraining order . Should i do something . What would investigators make of him . I was beginning to form an opinion that it was somewhat of a crime of passion. When dateline continues. When. And i would know,because im literally in a stockade. [brad] my friend,look at those renters. [organ grinder] laa laa laaaa [brad] is that the sound of freedom . [organ grinder] la la laaa [man] hes a unique fellow huh . Take a, take a little look at that. Ill see you later. [man] what . [brad whistling] [man] thanks. [brad] change your apartment, change the world in our house, imagination runs wild. But at my table, i keep the food real. Like country crocks recipe made with real simple ingredients. And no artificial flavors or preservatives. Real Country Fresh taste from real ingredients. Welcome to crock country. Veterinarian bryan reins family went into a tailspin at the news of his death. And when they heard that somebody murdered him . You kind of fell apart after that, huh . Yes. It was difficult to figure out where to go, what to do. Reporter bryans mom was grief. And so, much of the dreadful work that demands to be done after such a death fell on teresa. I can remember sitting through the funeral and sitting there thinking to myself, i am so tired. I just want to go to bed. Reporter and maybe that played a role in teresas mood. Because on that july day in 1996 when dr. Rein was buried in his hometown in kansas and a large contingent of montanans made the trip to say goodbye, among them was that young woman from geraldine, the one who had gone over and cleaned his house, the one bryan had recently started seeing. I was almost annoyed she even came. And she was standing in our home and i really thought, why are you here . I was pretty irritated. Reporter and those feelings were not lost on that young lady in the middle of her own grief and confusion. I just felt out of place. Because i felt like, you know, they didnt know who i was. She was 21 then. She had known dr. Rein just two months. Met him at rustys bar in geraldine. I thought he was handsome. I was like, what is this guy doing in geraldine . It was just kind of surprising to me. Reporter they talked all night, she said. And in the morning, how did you feel . I was excited. I felt giddy, just excited that somebody would be interested in me. Reporter ah, but complications. Ann had a livein boyfriend. Guy named Tom Jaraczeski. Her high school sweetheart. Theyd been together 4 1 2 years. And though the relationship had its issues, who know, she might have married him. And then she had that heart to heart with dr. Rein. Hes like, youre too young to be settling down and somebody telling you what to do. Reporter how did that strike you when he said that . I agreed with him. Reporter like, why have i been with that guy all these years . Yep. M better without it. Because it hadnt been a Good Relationship for a while. I had a reason now to move on and let go of that. Reporter and she was going to tell tom as soon as she got up the nerve. But then, oh, boy, dr. Rein left a message on her answering machine at the apartment she share with tom, who, of course, heard the message. He called me up and asked me what the hells going on. Reporter well, a boyfriend would want to know what the hell is going on, right . Yeah. Reporter and when she told him . He started crying and saying he couldnt believe i was doing this and how i was throwing away everything. Reporter but ann was done. She moved back to the family farm outside geraldine. And tom begged her to come back. Promised to do better. He told me that bryan would, you know, when he got tired of me hed dump me. An then id see. Reporter and then the phone calls started. Over and over again. I asked him to leave me alone. I said i needed time, i needed space. Giving you any . No. Reporter one day ann agreed to go for a ride in toms new pickup, so they could have the talk. Big mistake. Tom drove out of town kept on driving. Wouldnt let her get out of the truck. So i was like, okay, i started looking at the ditch thinking, i can land in that grass. Ill be okay. So i opened the door, and i was going to jump out. And he grabbed my arm. Hes like, what the hell are you doing . Reporter how did it eventually end . He finally took me back. Reporter did you go home that night . No. My brother was out of town so i asked bryan if i could stay with him. Because i didnt want to be home alone. Reporter thats a big step. Did you feel safer . Yeah. Reporter but then tom all of 23 years old barged into bryan reins place middle of the night when she was there, demanding to know the 31yearold doctors intentions. What did bryan think of this .