investigation, and this investigation involves what we believe to be a homicide of his wife. i was in shock. i was like, oh my gosh. i couldn t believe what he just said to me. i had no idea. reporter: so you believed she had been played by this guy? i believe that she had. reporter: so detective carter wondered, if keith griffith had manipulated and lied to this woman had keith lied to him, too? maybe it was more about what keith hadn t said. rewind to that moment when the detective had dropped what should have been devastating news on keith. the investigation s showing that, that foul play is involved. okay. reporter: did he ask you the questions, what happened? what are you telling me here? she was killed? no. reporter: i mean, you d expect that, right? julie was shot by an intruder? what s going on here? that s right. there was there was no questions to that. reporter: but if keith griffith was somehow involved in his wife s murder, how on earth had
fire, the dogs perished, i had no idea what could have happened. no enemies. i mean, it made no sense. it just who would wanna kill her? reporter: after keith was released the night of his interview with detectives, he headed straight to his friends, the bradleys. they were floored to hear the line of questioning that he recounted. what was up with his marriage, his alibi, the gun he owned? he had been questioned to the point that he almost felt like that they thought he did some that he had done this. reporter: son aaron also got called down to the station that same evening and he, too, was questioned about his parents marriage. noticed anything lately in their relationship as far as any problems or anything like that? no. that you re aware of? no. or anything? no, nothing. was there any money troubles? was there any relationship things that we knew of? reporter: but to a person in the griffith s circle, the very idea that keith might know something about j
everything that came out of his mouth. despite doubts of his own, her husband, the one closest to his father, was still a supporter. whatever issues my mom and dad would have had, i just could not believe that my dad would take my kids away from their nana. a few months before the retrial, detective carver s phone rang. there was news from the jail. an inmate had information about keith and it was as eerie as it was chilling. the detective in the bull s-eye. keith had come forward to him wanting to have me killed. put a hit on me? orchestrating your death? he had drawn a map of what he believed to be my residence, suggested the caliber of weapon to use to kill me. what if his family was present? his response was one word, tragedy. that does make the hair on your neck stand up.
more confident, as well. reporter: deanna says keith now began aggressively courting her. showering her with gifts, flowers, notes of affection. it was all, she said, a bit much. he kept pushing for more. and i kept telling him, you need to back off. you need to slow down, because i m just not there. reporter: deanna says she couldn t put her finger on it, but there was something about keith that was holding her back. maybe it was the fact that he still seemed unusually bound to a woman he called his ex-wife. from the very beginning, deanna says, keith told her that he was divorced. very first conversation. reporter: i m a divorced guy. right. reporter: by the time she was sitting across from detective carter in that interview room, deanna says she and keith had never been intimate but they were dating. and keith was talking long term. house-hunting for them. he said, i don t want to scare you, but i want you to know that i m looking for properties here in mooresvi
and i left again about 4:00 and just went and, and got a doughnut and a coke. like i said, i get up pretty early. reporter: and what about weapons. did keith own a gun? i have a .45 acp in my work truck that i just got, and it s never had any, i mean it s never been loaded. reporter: as part of standard protocol, the detective asked for keith s clothes. they would be tested for gun shot residue. what you re wearing now, is that, was that fresh clothes from this morning whenever you? this is what i wore yesterday. reporter: before wrapping up the interview, the detective took a look at keith s cell phone. while i m reviewing this phone, i see that he obtains a text message, an incoming text message from a lady by the name of deanna jaynes. reporter: ping, up comes a text message? that s correct. reporter: the message read: did you make it home okay? keith was quick to point out, his relationship with deanna was completely platonic. she s more like a guy friend.