and dreams. and it s so real, it feels like her. and she just gives me a hug. why did it have to happen to our family? why did it have to happen to michelle? why that they? a young nursing student disappears. she was still dressed in my hospital scrubs. something drew her out to her car. the cousin she grew up with. the brother she raised. desperate to find her. they were able to do what a lot of other families have never been able to do. text messages, security monitors, surveillance videos. were they sons that she was trapped, reaching out for help? one of the things about, this is that didn t make sense. moment by moment dateline was there for every turn. look, there s blood wiped across. was she missing or murdered? was this the key? i will take her life and hers. a threat, a voice seething with hate and rage. you deserve to die for your lies. it s your last and final warning. what s happened to michelle? this case is not going to be over unt
the dna in the car confirmed it the evidence was overwhelming. just know refuting it, sai forward. and so the defense did not eve try. instead, they did somethin wholly unexpected, a big surprise giselle admitted that she di it so you are putting all thes building blocks together, to show that she had to b responsible for this yes then she goes and admits it i could not believe that sh would allow her defense to be, i did it reporter: but there was a reason, said the defense there giselle had been provoked she killed michelle in the hea of passion michelle, she claimed, was a lying schemer who had been bus stealing wet little giselle ha left in life, her family mark class watched from th back of the courtroom. he was disgusted i don t think character i
of passion. michelle, she claimed, was a lying schemer who had been busy stealing wet little giselle had left in life, her family. mark class watched from the back of the courtroom. he was disgusted. i don t think character is as a nation is a defense. if you are going to defend against the indefensible, i think you have to find a better way of doing it then to vilify the victim. reporter: but ford was worried, the defense might just work. if i come in as a defense lawyer, and we are going to tell you, my client did it, even though the prosecution has the burden of proof. but we are going to tell you why it happened. that s the most important thing. and that s something the da cannot tell you. yes. and it has an air of credibility. voluntary manslaughter? yes and then you get out in nine years. there was another problem. even as ford methodically laid
it? yes. i could not believe she would allow her defense to be i did it. reporter: but there was a reason, said the defense giselle had been provoked. she killed michelle in the heat of passion. michelle, she claimed, was a lying schemer who had been busy stealing what little giselle had left in life her family. marc klaas watched from the back of the courtroom and was disgusted. i don t think character assassination is a defense. i think that if you re going to defend against the indefensible, you have to find a better way of doing it than to vilify the victim. reporter: but ford was worried the defense just might work. if i come in as a defense lawyer and i say, we re going to tell you that my client did it, even though the district attorney has the burden of proof. but we re going to tell you why it happens because that s the most important thing. reporter: that s something the d.a. can t tell you.
giselle admitted she did it. so you re putting all of these building blocks together to show that she had to be responsible for this. yes. and then she goes and admits it? yes. i could not believe she would allow her defense to be i did it. reporter: but there was a reason, said the defense giselle had been provoked. she killed michelle in the heat of passion. michelle, she claimed, was a lying schemer who had been busy stealing what little giselle had left in life her family. marc klaas watched from the back of the courtroom and was disgusted. i don t think character assassination is a defense. i think that if you re going to defend against the indefensible, you have to find a better way of doing it than to vilify the victim. reporter: but ford was worried the defense just might work. if i come in as a defense lawyer and i say, we re going to tell you that my client did