say focus on the here and now. find the good enough of what you see around you. as what she would do. >> that is all for this edition of dateline, i'm craig melvin, thank you for watching. u for watching >> i'm a human being. i'm sorry more than i can express. every day and runs through me. >> what happened? >> well. >> it felt like there was something going on. the multiple red flags. >> keep an eye on him. he's got a firearm on him. >> he is armed with more than one handgun. >> an ar-15 with him. a shotgun. >> to see a cold blood is not really what captured there and that driveway. >> josh and amber were there. i was like oh my god no. >> sounds like it was premeditated. >> they had no idea it was

coming their way. >> there were experiences in the door. they blocked the door. >> it sounds like a commando operation. >> straight out of the military. >> it still feels like -- >> i blame myself for everything. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the story about young couples and their children, their tangled relationships is so disturbing you might question what kind of creatures we humans are. you've been forewarned. >> we have a lot of strange cases in the course of day one. but this one has a chilliness to it that is just unmatched. >> it's something you don't usually hear about. >> the trip into the darkness actually begins on a sunny fall day. october 27th, 2018. and the sleepy town of sodus, and way upstate new york.

tiffany fare was headed out to the grocery when her two years old got fussy about what they were eating. >> we went to the kitchen to grab gummy bears. some neighbor talking with a gentleman outside. didn't think any of it thing of it. >> her neighbor josh, leaving against his truck seemed in deep conversation with someone she did not recognize. josh's girlfriend, amber, pulled into the driveway. tiffany reached for the gummy bears. and that's what he heard it. a gunshot. >> i turned back out my kitchen window and josh grabbed his chest. and amber at that point had the car in reverse. and right as she was going past the shooter, he turned and shot a right in the head. >> tiffany threw herself on top

of her child, carl, to her front door and bolted the lock. more shots followed. pop pop pop. too many to count. >> shots just kept ringing out. it was crazy. she called 9-1-1. >> as it turned out, the county surgeon sheriff matt car was supervising just a few hours away. he was dispatched to the scene. >> immediately, i had people coming at me. >> and these are neighbors. these are not? >> at that time, i'm hoping their neighbors. i'm not really sure who people are. >> it took the sergeant a moment to get his bearings. but for him, those images would be seared in forever. there was the homeowner, the victim, josh. half under the truck where he tried to take cover. he had been shot multiple times. amber, his girlfriend, was dead, draped over the center console of her car. which had come to rest in the driveway across the street. >> this is a gruesome thing you've come upon? >> absolutely. >> you have two dead and a pretty quiet neighborhood. >> absolutely. one of the worst things i've ever seen. >> as the sergeant approached

the car, he found something as unexpected as it was cruel. poised in a car seat, right behind the murder mom was a child. very much alive. josh and embers four year old son. >> i can honestly say i still see the child in the backseat, rubbing his four-piece chicken mcnuggets. i can see it vividly. >> academy in the streets don't really prepare you for that kind of a thing? >> no, it does not. >> to sergeant did the best to comfort the boy as he waited for his fellow officers to respond. the neighbors, witnesses now, we're telling the officers that they had seen the shooter. black sweatshirt, green hat. stripping away through backyards. >> police officer, anyone in there. come out now. open up. >> a manhunt was underway for an apparently, stone cold killer. >> police officer, anyone here. >> robert was aside as the lead detective on the case. >> we had no idea, immediately, where that person had gone. we had a general direction. when the calls first coming out and i parts of the operation was to shut down the school, which was nearby. so the central school district was immediately put into

lockdown. >> so you're hoping this is all there is. you don't want it, but who knows? >> right. >> do you look down the neighborhood? is that possible? >> we had made some phone calls to the neighborhood, to reverse 9-1-1. or the -- alert and neighborhood calls are made to the prize people, to shelter in their homes. >> here comes the canine. anybody inside should be coming out. you will get a bit. >> canines who are brought in for the street to street search. police set up a helicopter. >> we were checking houses, barns, sheds. houses that people alerted us to. they wanted them checked. >> you didn't see anyone run through here at all? >> in the command center, early on. what was the theory that they had here? >> we thought we had still somebody contained inside the perimeter as it was expanded. >> you thought the shooter was on the ground there?

>> yes. maybe hold up in a building or a car. or outbuilding. something like that. >> anybody running through here? >> meanwhile, news of the shooting was already out there on social media. josh's sister, nicole, first learned about it on facebook. her spirits slumped when she saw the name of the street where it happened. >> i called 9-1-1 and said, that's near my brother's house! and the operators said, well what your brother's name? i said josh. but she said that i have no information for you, but a cop will get a hold of you. >> no good? >> now my head sank. >> the police did call, but they reach josh's parents first. his mom, barb.

>> she goes, there's been a shooting and it involves your son. i think she said he passed away or something. and i just broke down. i kept saying no, not my josh. can't be my josh! what about amber? and she said, she is gone too. and i was like, oh my god no! and i lost it. >> she then had to tell her or other children. josh's two brothers, and his younger sister amanda. >> my mom was calling me. and instantly i knew something was not right. just from her cry. it was almost like a scream. and i kept yelling at her, mom, what? what? and she was like josh, it was josh. and she was like, amber too. josh and amber. they are dead. so, i wanted to do something. i tried to leave, i ran out of the house. i want to go save them. but i can't. >> as josh and ambers families wrestled with grief, the town of sodus hunkered down. somewhere out there was a killer, still on the loose. but where? coming up! >> did you guys see anything at all? >> the search was urgent. the fear, instant. why did this killer target josh and amber? >> i had no clue whatsoever. >> it didn't appear to be a home invasion gone on or anything like that? >> no. no. but it sounded like it was premeditated.

>> and later. >> what happened? >> the midnight right in the middle of nowhere. that will break the case wide open. >> what the hell are you doing here? >> there's something going on. and it just did not fit right. >> when dateline continues! ing] ♪ ...by, you know how i feel. ♪ if you're tired of staring down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, ♪ ♪ it's a new day... ♪ ...stop settling. ♪ ...and i'm feelin' good. ♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. 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. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy, and save at trelegy.com [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. hey all, so i just downloaded the experian app because i wanted to check my fico® score, but it does so much more. this thing shows you your fico® score, you can get your credit card recommendations, and it shows you ways to save money. do so much more than get your fico® score. download the experian app now. >> sodus, new york was in

lockdown. a stone cold killing had settled on the town. and left a young couple dead. josh, and his longtime girlfriend amber. gunned down in the driveway. ambers sister, angel lynn, got the voice mail from their dad. >> he said, call me. i have some really hard news. and the urgency, and the pain in his voice. was just, it was just the most difficult thing to hear. i know at that point what had happened.

and i'm still thinking, i'm like, you know. maybe she still alive. maybe they are still alive. and, my brains going. but there was two people dead. you know. >> amber's parents, chris and marcia, had not only lost their daughter, but we're now worried about. just bruner. their grandson who had witnessed the shooting. >> obviously the first thing is where is my grandson? where was he? because he knew the time. around 2:00 we knew that was when she would be getting home with him from school. you know, they told us that he was in the backseat of the car. but he was okay. >> okay physically, but presumably in shock. and otherwise unable to shed light on the crime. four year old josh junior had been diagnosed with autism in is nonverbal. >> he's right in the backseat in his kid seat, right? >> yes. he's done everything we know he did. >> there's a gun coming through the window. >> see anything at all? >> as the manhunt continued in sodas, they puzzled over the killings. they could not figure out who would want to harm josh and the innocent amber.

>> i had no clue whatsoever. no thoughts. no suspicions. i was completely clueless. >> it didn't appear to be a home invasion gone wrong or anything like that? >> no. no. but it sounded like it was premeditated. from the little bits and pieces that we could gather for the first couple of days. >> 24 year old amber, with her love of gardening and professional bakery job, seemed an unlikely target. >> she was as such a sweet, old soul. she was kind, she was easy to get along with. everyone liked her. >> josh's parents, jane and barb. thought the same thing about their son. josh had no enemies that they knew of. his family says that he was just a hardworking guy with a player for cooking. he picked up a few things at his dad's restaurant growing up. >> we brought him under our wing and he became a right-hand man. >> and he was around the kitchen by the end of things? >> he was great. >> in fact, josh had been putting a nice life together for himself. and her business was taking off. and just that week, he told his

mom that he and amber were thinking about making it official. >> he says, yeah, we're thinking about finally getting married. and i'm like, joshua? >> they were doing pretty well there. >> wonderful. brought a new house. getting their lives started. he had a long care business that he was starting up. >> they were on their own. >> everything is going up? >> everything is going up. >> josh and amber were especially devoted parents too. his mom remembers with affection, the lighthearted way that he had told her that josh junior was on the way. >> i got up to make my coffee. like i always do. and there's an envelope right in front of my coffee. and it says mom, dad. so i take it down, and i open it up and there is an ultrasound picture and a baby bib and some, boys are from heaven. or something. and i went, what? >> meet your grandson?

>> yeah. yeah. so i texted him, do you have something to tell me? >> maybe it came with some difficulties. would've been a challenge for some parents. >> he was probably a year and a half, two years old before we realized. >> he was on the spectrum. >> autistic? >> yeah. >> how did they deal with it? it >> made the doubt very well. >> i didn't know how my brother would react to having a special needs. it didn't faze him. he is a normal kid to him. and amber was wonderful with him. carefree with him. he could have a fit, and she would just giggle and go about her business like it didn't upset her or anything. >> but josh junior wasn't the only child in their lives. josh and amber were also loving parents to two children from josh's previous relationship. because of the agreement had given josh an amber the summer months to care for them. >> did it matter to your sister that the new boyfriend, josh, came with kids already? that he had a long term relationship? >> no. amber always loved kids.

she did fantastic with mike kids. and she wore it well. >> josh's ex girlfriend, and mother to the children. is a woman named charlene childers. she gave amber the stamp of approval for being such a loving second mom. >> were you okay with her being around your children? >> yeah. i was actually pretty, i was fine with amber being around my kids because she took them in as they were her own. and she loved my children. >> charlene lived in texas, some 1600 miles away. >> how do you find out? >> i got home from work on monday the 22nd of october. and i start looking at facebook, and i saw the news articles of shootings in sodus. she wanted news of her children. >> in that moment, they were in new york with josh and amber. luckily, they were in school. out of harm's way. she called josh's mom. >> charlenes on the phone? >> yeah. she called me. she said she heard. and, i just told her. somebody killed josh! ♪ ♪ ♪

>> charlene hit the road from texas, as the detective was trying to get a handle on the crime scene. he was shocked by the sheer awfulness of it. with a wounded, but still alive josh having to witness his girlfriend's execution. >> so even though josh is shot, he is aware that his girlfriend is in peril here? >> yes. >> probably sees her get shot? >> yes he does. i had witness accounts tell us he was yelling for her. >> and then multiple shots as he tries to crowd recover under vehicle and doesn't make it? >> correct. >> this is a horrible crime? >> yes. it was perhaps the one of the worst i've ever seen. >> when you say cold blood, it doesn't really capture what happened in their driveway? >> no. >> from everything the detective was saying, it was a very personal crime. >> there was several casings on the ground that told us that whoever wanted him dead was to make sure there was no chance that he was going to win. >> josh had been shot ten times.

a message killing, but one delivered by whom? coming up. >> we were afraid for our families. we don't know the reason. we don't know who did this. >> a mysterious figure. >> there's a couple of different videos of a person, matching the description of what the witnesses had seen. walking down the sidewalk towards josh and amber's home. >> a mask on the ground. >> did you worry then, we've got a hoodie wearing gunman in the neighborhood killing people? >> i was terrified to just be home. just me and the kids. it was scary. >> when dateline continues! an all-in-one cleaning tool that gives you a mop and bucket clean in half the time. our new cleaning pad has hundreds of scrubbing strips- that absorb and lock dirt away, ( ♪♪ ) and it has a 360-degree swivel head- that goes places a regular mop just can't.

so, you can clean your home faster than ever. don't mop harder, mop smarter, with the new swiffer powermop. with a majority of my patience with sensitivity, i see irritated gums and weak enamel. sensodyne sensitivity gum & enamel relieves sensitivity, helps restore gum health, and rehardens enamel. i'm a big advocate of recommending things that i know work. join me in the finish 24 hour challenge. start by cooking a lasagna. skip the rinse and load your dishes. 24 hours later when your dishwasher is full, let finish quantum clean your dishes. if the stains aren't gone, your lasagna is on finish.

imagine you're doing something you love. rsv could cut it short. ♪ rsv is a contagious virus that usually causes mild symptoms but can cause more severe infections that may lead to hospitalizations... ...in adults 60 and older... ...and adults with certain underlying conditions, like copd, asthma, or congestive heart failure. talk to your doctor and visit cutshortrsv.com.

what are you working on? like copd, asthma, or congestive heart failure. a bomb. it's happening, isn't it? this is the most important thing to every happen in the history of the world! >> police searched through the

night. and they missed their gunmen. that is canines never ran out of scent a short ways from the scene. >> we tracked into a parking lot. >> that makes sense right? this is probably where the shooter shot the car? >> ice himself. yes. >> schools -- residents were told it was safe to go outside again. nonetheless, caution embers loved ones remained paralyzed with fear. >> we were afraid for our families. because we don't know the reason. we don't know who did this. we are just constantly being vigilant. looking around. >> the tentacles of this go out in some way that we have no idea? >> right. who knows. >> a slower paced, more tedious

shoe investigation became the order of the day. >> knocked on every door. knocked on every neighbor's door. we. >> did you get any nuggets? anything? >> a little bit. with certain, home surveillance systems. that other people out have their. we are able to get people of interest on video. >> so a person appears before the time of the shooting i believe right? >> that's correct. there's a couple different videos of a person, matching the description of what the witnesses had seen, walking down the sidewalk. towards josh and ambers home. >> here's one of them. a person in a black hoodie walks through the frame at 1:57 pm. about ten minutes before the murder. you can't see the face. at 1:58 pm, the figure appears on camera again. >> so the victims are being surveilled? >> we have come to find out that that is exactly what happened. >> and another critical piece of evidence had been bagged and sent to the lab for analysis. >> we have a black mask. approximately 30 yards east of north street and elmwood.

>> a ski mask, lost or dropped by the shooter apparently. as he ran from the scene. one of the canine sniffed it out. >> did it look to you freshly tossed or dropped? >> had been trump done in the mud? >> it was an underarmor ski mask. so that's not something people just drop, or discard. so i mean, it was $34. >> pretty pricey pair. >> yes, it's not something that -- if i dropped it i would've walked back for it. >> would it come up with dna? meanwhile, investigators reveal the statement the neighbor had given them about what she had seen at the kitchen window. she said that based on body language, josh seem to know his killer. >> the gentleman was standing at a picnic table. and josh, for some reason, had pulled his truck up next to the picnic table. and he was leading up against the tail end of his truck. just nonchalantly, sitting there talking. >> detectives needed to do a little bit more digging into the life of josh niles. they conducted an interview

with his family. >> we were at nichole's, the police came to see as personally there. >> did you have anything for them? >> i had no idea at first. i couldn't even imagine who would want to do this to him? >> josh's sister amanda thought, it must be a burglary. >> maybe someone did try to rob him or, wrong time. >> did you worry then, we have got a hoodie wearing gunman in the neighborhood killing everyone? >> yes. i was terrified to be home. with me in the kids. watch out the window. it was little scary. >> is that wondered if it was a case of mistaken identity. >> we thought maybe, he is a new homeowner. maybe someone thought, this guy that was bad. that lived there before josh. let's go do something. >> nothing -- >> no. not at all. >> i couldn't think of anyone who would have wanted to kill my son. and his beautiful girlfriend. it just didn't even seem real. >> detectives also wanted to speak to josh's ex, charlene childers. they first reached the mother of two of the children as she had been driving in from texas

into the city. >> this is just a voice on the phone. what did you hear on the phone. >> what do you think? >> i think i've got a quiet little southern belle is while she put herself on the phone. >> to mirror? >> very dim air. very cooperative. >> but she had an unladylike venting to do for josh. >> she had given us a little bit of information that she had had a problem with josh in the past. that there were several police reports. >> charlene told us some of what she shared with the police. she said that despite charges sunny demeanor, and covert here could be a terror. he masked his anger issues with drugs. >> he was fine as long as he had as part, as long as he had as mayor wanted to smoke. other than that?

>> he was tranquil. >> yeah. if he didn't, things got bad. if things didn't go his way, the things he wanted them to. things got bad. and when i said bad, i mean for me. >> she claims that judge that violence on more than one occasion. >> he threw a bar stool past arm nine month old daughter's head. >> this is like thrown a switch? all of a sudden he's a different guy? >> yeah. and you don't know what's gonna trigger him. and, it just, it went on. that entire day. he beat the crap out of me. and, the cops came. >> and you stayed? >> yes. >> is there a point where you're saying this isn't working out? i like you, but it's not working out for the two of us. we're not meant to be together. >> there was. and i had left. and then, for some reason, i fell back into it. and, we ended up having another child. and then, about a year after that is when i just said i can't do it. >> according to police, charlene called the cops on josh several times. in one incident, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment after charlene said that he tried to choke her. she said she was fired by the

relationship, she went so far as to warn amber, his current girlfriend. >> unfortunately, i had to warn her about what he was like. >> did you take her side and say look after this guy? >> yeah. i said be careful. >> about what? >> be very careful. he does have a temper, and i want you to get hurt like i did. >> anger, drugs, and a warning from the ex. if what darlene was saying was true. it casts josh and his relationship with women in a whole new light. coming up! >> what role does he play in this? >> he plays a pivotal role. >> a possible suspect, and get this. he is loud and proud. >> he saw himself as celebrity status. he was quite taken with the fact that he was, what he called, a suspect. we were just trying to put pieces of a case together. he calls himself a suspect. >> i'm guessing this guy is talking himself into a jam. >> he's talking himself into getting questioned, pressure. >> and that did happen? >> oh, yes it did. >> when dateline continues!

hey hon. hey dad...(sniffs) that smell could be 8,000,000 odor causing bacteria. good thing adding lysol laundry sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria

that detergents leave behind. clean is good, sanitized is better. ♪ ♪ are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh waaaay longer than detergent alone. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks, make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. (christine) what you're doing is not just hurting you. if you can't make up your mind to quit for yourself, do it for those who love you. (announcer) you can quit. for free help call 1-800-quit-now. [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date.

good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. >> i'm just killing with our mr. senna's into nature. professor kot's into science. but together, we work! like our senokot laxatives. to relieve occasional constipation, senokot's made from the senna plant. refined by science to be reliable. perfect match! just like us! hmph! senokot.

top story. carlos alcaraz won his first wimbledon title, defeating the overwhelming favorite djokovic after five hours play. djokovic was denied his 24th straight grand slam title. as a brutal wave continues, phoenix and another daily record of 118 degrees. heat warnings have been issued for more than 100 million americans. officials warning of [inaudible] stretching from california to florida. back to dateline. fro >> two days after the murders. mourners gathered outside josh an amber's home for a vigil. amber's sister, angela, still on high alert. >> i remember just having a sense of, is somebody watching me? >> did you ask law enforcement. do we have reason to be nervous here? >> yeah. and they told us we didn't. but still, it doesn't always settle your mind. >> her parents, chris and marcia, where struggling with how close they had come to losing their grandson too. josh junior, who had been right

behind amber in the car. >> there might have been three victims that day? >> there could've been. right. thank god it wasn't. >> shoulder to shoulder with a distraught family and friends, was charlie. josh's ex, demanding justice as the news cameras rolled. >> whoever did it. has now made it to where my kids were all affected. and that's nothing that a kid should ever have to do. that's not something you ever want to find out. the most i have to say to you all is that justice needs to be served. my kids need that closure. >> josh's family haven't seen much of charlene since the breakup. and truth be told, they hadn't missed her much. his sister amanda. >> what did you think of her amanda? >> at first i like her. she was nice and always smiley. seemed to make him happy. but as the years went on, you could see it was a very unhealthy relationship. >> when you say that, what are you talking about? >> they would always fight and

back. are not getting along. >> the truth was told that sometimes she would call the cops on him? >> all the time. and she would call me and say charlene called the cops on me again. >> josh's sister said that charlene, not the brother, was the hothead in the relationship. an instigator with 9-1-1 on speed dial. >> did anyone pull him aside? >> we've always pulled him aside and said, this is in a relationship. this is not how our relationship is supposed to be. you need to break it off. >> those two were like fire and water. they just couldn't be together. >> who got in his face? >> they were both good at it. but she like to pick up him. it was almost like she wasn't happy unless he was mad. >> doesn't sound like any way to get out a bed and go to work? >> no. >> everyone agreed that josh and charlene where better apart. and in recent years, with more than 1000 miles between them, the agreed on co-parenting apology into work. >> i have them during the school year, and he got it -- and every other christmas.

>> still, the history of tension between them put charlene in the investigators crosshairs. >> while, we were very interested in charlene. and i had asked her to calm in once she got settled. to come in, and help us figure it out who had done this to her ex, the father of her children. >> and very quickly, they were able to conclude one thing for sure. >> detective, were you able to rule out right away that she was not anywhere near the driveway that day? >> i believe, because of phone conversations that i had had with her that she was in fact, in texas on the day of the murders. >> so charlene wasn't the shooter. wasn't in new york on the day of the murder. but it turns out, she did have close ties to sodus, new york. close ties there to a local guy. >> she also mentioned during one of the phone calls, that she wanted her current boyfriend to come pick up the children. >> his name was casey. he lived in the town near sodus. josh and embers family members even remember him consoling charlene after the murders.

all this though, an official mourner. >> he was there the whole time we were doing vigils for my brother. and having getting togethers at our house. >> so here is a theory. if charlene did in fact have this explosive relationship with josh. maybe her current boyfriend, this casey, had evened the score by killing josh as a demented lovers gift. >> what role does he play in this? >> he plays a pretty pivotal role. >> police say that casey was a person of interest. he also had a scrape with the law. he and charlene dated when she was just 14 and he 19. >> they had known each other in the past. casey had actually been arrested in the past for having a relationship with charlene when she was under age. >> casey was on the list. someone detectives wanted to speak to and right away. >> we reached out to him, and brought him in for an interview. which he complied, 100%. and told us that he was just the boyfriend of charlie. and he didn't know anything about the shooting. >> but this was weird. after he left the sheriff's

department. why was he bragging to his buddies about being investigated in a double homicide? >> we found out through some other people that he saw himself as celebrity status. >> he was quite taken with the fact that he was what he called a suspect. we were just trying to put pieces of the case together. he called himself a suspect, and started to reach out to people who he hadn't talked to in years to tell them that he was being a suspect. >> also unsettling. detective learned that casey was trying to off-load again. >> i'm guessing this guy is talking himself into a jam? >> he's talking himself into getting questioned again. that's for sure. >> and that happened? >> oh yes it did. >> coming up! >> police uncover new information about casey miller. >> he was actually trying to get rid of a gun. >> and they have a new question

for charlene. how many men's too many men? >> well, there's casey miller. and then we find out, there is a husband, tim dean. >> and who is tim dean? >> tim dean is a former chief of police of sun ray, texas. >> tim is your husband? casey is your boyfriend? you've got a complicated life. >> i know i do. >> when dateline continues! it has long-lasting light scent, no heavy perfumes, and no dyes. finally, a light scent that lasts all day. downy light! (rebecca) i would try and encourage anyone to quit smoking. i can't tell you what to do. but what i can tell you, is that this can happen to you. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now.

[ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. >> >> amber and josh had been

gunned down in their driveway, and laid to rest. now detectives working the murders were talking to a local guy who lived not far from the scene. casey, charlene's boyfriend. detectives learned something sketchy about him. >> he was actually trying to get rid of a gun. >> the gun in question was a glock nine millimeter, semiautomatic pistol. pink in color. and cops knew it was the same caliber gun that killed josh and amber. and when detectives called casey back for more details about the handgun. he explained the weapons back story. his girlfriend, shortly, and who had been so quick to bad mouth josh. he owned the pink glock. >> and charlene worked and private security? is that right? >> correct. she brought a handgun to new york. >> but casey said it was all totally incident. she had a permit to kill the permit in texas, but not in new york state. and i hate to get up to sodus after the murders, she said she

forgot to leave the gun at home. >> casey reached out to some of the people that he knew. and tried to get those who had permits to take care of that weapon for her. >> did the story of the pink gun sound a little fishy? maybe. but a ballistics test ruled out that glock as the one who killed the couple. and casey had an alibi that checked out. he was at work when the shooting happened. >> he had a arrived to work on time. he was at work on the day of the shooting. >> but detectives weren't quite done with poking around in the life of josh's ex girlfriend, charlene. and they found out something quite curious. casey was her local boyfriend, but not the only man in her life. there was tim down in texas. >> well, there is casey miller. but then we find out there is the husband. tim dean. >> who's tim dean? >> tim dean is the former chief of police of summer, in texas. >> tim is your husband? >> yes. >> casey's or boyfriend? >> yes. >> you don't need me to tell you of a complicated life, charlene?

>> no, i know i do. >> a complicated life that was of keen in stressed to investigators. it went like this. long after charlene broke up with josh, she met husband, tim. this was when they both worked for the texas police department. charlene was the animal control officer there. and tim, a sergeant. charlene says she foul for terms are shots demeanor. >> he was a cowboy. he wore the cowboy hat. he had the cowboy boots. he had the old-school manners. >> why did that work for you? why at that point in your life? >> because that's how i was raised. he reminded me of my dad. he played the guitar, just like my dad did. >> but not long after they got married. it all took a turn for the worst. tim dean had a three year old daughter from a previous marriage. he got in serious trouble after he was videoed slapping the child across the face. >> so what was the incident? >> he was accused of abusing his three year old daughter. >> his own daughter? >> his own daughter.

>> and charlene is recording it on the phone or something? >> charlene recorded the incident on the phone. and that ends of getting out to show of her friends. and that is forwarded to the authorities. and they conduct an investigation in texas. >> as a result, police chief dean lost custody of the young girl. and because he was living in the same house was darlene's two kids, with josh. child protective services in texas alerted josh. turns out, he was already on his way to texas to pick up his kids for the summer. >> they got a call from cps. >> child protective services? >> the agency in texas. >> you have to go get your kids. they said, i'm on the way to get my kids. what's going on? they said i'll tell you when you get here.

>> what was he thinking? >> i think he was scared for his children because he did not know what was going on. >> so josh took to get to the summer as planned. and decides to file for for custody. before the summer was over, a judge in new york ruled in his favor. that the kid should stay with him. and not go back to charlene and him in texas. this was just a few months before the murders. charlene had lost her kids, and it hit her hard. >> this is a huge setback for you though, charlene? you've lost the kids. >> yes, it is. it angers me. and frustrates me. >> is it angered of directed at the state? is it aimed at josh? is it aimed at him? who in a way got you into all of this? >> honestly. it is aimed at everybody. >> but she had a plan, convince the family courts that she was done with her husband, tim dean, divorce him. and he would no longer be an issue. problem solved. >> in august, we had our last custody hearing. we were--i told him, look, i'll divorce my husband to get my kids back. and they said, well, we're gonna leave the kids with josh for right now. when you get the divorce settled, then we'll come back and we'll look at it.

>> that's what was going on in the weeks leading up to the murders. josh and charlene at odds over custody of their kids. all because of charline's husband, tim dean. to find out if this in training bed of drama had anything to do with the crime. that investigation was now headed to the great state of texas. coming up! >> what happened? >> well. trying to turn around. >> a road trip to nowhere is about to shift this case into high gear. >> is there anything in there and need to know about? >> no. >> i've got a shotgun in their, but nothing illegal. >> no drugs or. >> no. >> stolen guns, or anything? right. >> no. >> keep an eye on him. he's got a firearm on him. >> at that point i saw that there is more than meets the eye here. but i did not know what. >> when dateline continues! my mental health was much better, but i struggled with uncontrollable movements

called td, tardive dyskinesia. td can be caused by some mental health meds. and it's unlikely to improve without treatment. i felt like my movements were in the spotlight. ingrezza is a prescription medicine to treat adults with td movements. ingrezza is different. it's the simple, once-daily treatment proven to reduce td that's #1 prescribed. people taking ingrezza can stay on their current dose of most mental health meds. ingrezza 80 mg is proven to reduce td movements in 7 out of 10 people. don't take ingrezza if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including sleepiness. don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ingrezza affects you. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. it's nice people focus more on me. ask your doctor about #1 prescribed, once-daily ingrezza. learn how you could pay as little as zero dollars at ingrezza.com ♪ ingrezza ♪ trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪

♪breeze driftin' on by...♪ ♪...you know how i feel.♪ you don't have to take... [coughing] ...copd sitting down. ♪it's a new dawn,...♪ ♪...it's a new day,♪ it's time to make a stand. ♪and i'm feelin' good.♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd... ...medicine has the power to treat copd... ...in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,... ...trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler... ...for sudden breathing problems. 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. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy... ...and save at trelegy.com. that's some bad luck brian. and i think i'm late on my car insurance. good thing the general

gives you a break when you need it. yeah, with flexible payment options to keep you covered. so today is your lucky...day [crash] so today is your lucky...day for a great low rate, go with the general. >> now the investigation of a

double homicide in small town upstate new york had moved 1600 miles southwest to small town texas. through the texas panhandle. to farming country. energy. drive north from amarillo, and you'll come upon a place that's not much more of a shadow under the refinery. tiny sun ray, texas. population, 1900. it's in the county where lieutenant flood works investigation for the fbi, and the police. he showed me around. >> so tell me about sounds like this in the panhandle. who lives here? what goes on here? >> small town america. farming is predominantly. except for up here, they have the oil refinery. >> i saw refineries. i saw a lot of pump jacks coming in. >> pump jacks.

>> and wind farm? >> wind farms are taking over. >> the reason we went four to sun ray's because it's the town where charlene's husband served as the chief of police. the department had just three officers. >> what's the mission of being a small police of this are in a town like this? >> narcotics are a haven for small town america. >> really? >> so that's your chronic pain problem? >> theft. and narcotics. >> wow. he knew charlene's husband quite well. he'd hired him years earlier, and was happy to talk when new york police called asking about his history. >> tell me about his guy. who did you meet? >> tim came in. he appeared to be a train-able individual. that's what we were looking for. >> did you have a fire in his belly for law enforcement? thinking about it since he was a kid? >> he was working at amarillo police update department with the academy. did not work out for him. so he applied to do miss. >> a few years later, dean got the top job. but that uniform job ended as

quickly as a slap to the face of his three year old daughter. the races looked at that smartphone incident taken by his wife, and promptly arrested him. tim resigned his position with the police. >> goodbye police chief job? >> for him. yes. >> that's gotta be a shocker right away. police chief is arrested, is out of office, because of child abuse allegations? >> yes. yes. at that point, things start going south for mr.dean. >> with his job gone. the state taking away his daughter. and charlene's two kids as well. tim dean's life was in a tailspin. >> he actually had to move out and move to a house in dumas. >> he's out of his job, away from his kid. out of the house? >> yes. >> and now, new york investigators were wondering if that tailspin had led to a very dark act. a double homicide. >> it was kind of a shock. what is going on, why are we thinking? this why are we thinking tim? >> here is why it is just a theory. if losing custody was the

reason that charlene was divorcing him. maybe tim dean had a reason to what and josh and amber dead. maybe he could save his marriage, if he helped charlene get his kids back. one way to do that? kill their dad, josh. courts would have no choice but to return the kids to the mom in texas. >> their question, is this guy, timothy dean, our guy in the driver with a gun? >> exactly. >> is this it? >> exactly. so we try to piece it together. >> they obtained a warrant for the cell phone records. squirrel through, it found something intriguing. two days before the murders. tim dean wasn't at home in texas. he was 400 miles away in kansas. and he placed a call to 9-1-1. deputy, cory nicholette, of the line county sheriff's office. where the officer who responded to the call. >> he had called it in. that he had had a wreck. and was reporting a wreck. >> it was 4 am when the deputy came upon tim dean by the side of a dark highway.

the deputy turned on his body cam. >> what happened? >> well. i was trying to turn around. >> he was sitting in a ditch. about two feet off the roadway. and he got out, and told me that he was making a u-turn. and, hit something. >> okay. got your license and paperwork for this thing? >> this is gonna be fun. it's a damn, rental car. >> you got your rental agreement? >> yeah. >> go ahead and jump in here with me real quick. >> okay, jump into the front passenger seat. >> tim explained that he was lost and looking for a gas station. >> and you try to turn around? >> yeah. try to turn around out here. >> you just made a big flip around? >> yeah. we don't really do that around here. as you see why. >> yeah. >> the deputy requested a tow. then asked him where he was headed. >> honestly man, i was just driving. my whole life is kind of gone to -- lately. more or less living out of my car. >> but you had money to get a rental? >> yeah. i still work. just off this weekend.

>> you don't want to take your car? >> my car, the starter is acting up on it. >> oh. >> cops like asking questions. and tim dean apparently liked answering them. >> so you're just driving around kansas from texas, huh? >> yeah. >> the body cam was still rolling as they chatted in the patrol car. it started to sound like dr. phil. >> so where is your wife? >> she's at home. >> thought you said you didn't have a home. >> well, when you have a pending divorce and all that fun stuff. yeah, that's mine. >> pending divorce? is that why you are out driving around instead of at home? >> yes, sir. >> that bad? >> yeah. like i said, it's all gone to -- >> he told the officer about losing not just his wife. but also his job. >> i work for frito-lay now. used to be a cop.

>> where were you a cop at? >> dumas first. and then sun ray. >> what happened. >> well it has not the da. >> that can happen. >> i was, tackling some pretty big public corruption cases. ended up with a target on my back. and, got arrested by the texas rangers on a -- charge. >> the officer did not know that this conversation would be looked at again later. he just knew that he was getting a weird vibe. >> that point that i was like, okay. this guy just said he had recently been arrested. after being a cop for ten years. why is he in kansas? what is going on? >> all right. if you would stay here. i've gotta take some pictures of the vehicle and stuff. especially since it's insurance. they want more pictures than normal. is there anything in there i need to know about? >> no. i've got a shotgun in there, but nothing illegal. >> no drugs? or-- >> no. no.

>> stolen guns or anything? >> no. >> we'll hang tight here. i'll be right back. >> tim dean story was making the deputy twitch. he passed on his concerns to the backup officer, ron. >> keep an eye on him. he's got a firearm on him. he's got a concealed carry. getting a divorce from texas. just out driving around. >> from texas? >> yeah. >> the heck is he doing here? >> well. that's what a -- round the vehicle a little bit. >> at that point, i was like there was more than meets the eye here. but, i did not know what. >> this is my personal. >> soon they would learn a lot more about this disgraced police chief in the roadside ditch in kansas. in the middle of the night. >> coming up! >> come in the shop. >> we should have videos in the shop. >> they had video of timothy dean showing up to pick up a tote. and, i could see in the video that he walked out with a concealable ballistic vest. and the 12 gauge shotgun. >> timothy dean's long, strange trip. exactly what was he up to?

>> i am glad you guys are following up on this guy. i even told him i had weird vibes about all of this. >> and later? to. three. and interrogation room. >> who? why? what i want to know. >> does double murder would have a triple twist. when dateline continues! >> [coughing] ♪ ...by, you know how i feel. ♪ if you're tired of staring down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, ♪ ♪ it's a new day... ♪ ...stop settling. ♪ ...and i'm feelin' good. ♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. 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. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy, and save at trelegy.com [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general.

sleepovers just aren't what they used to be. next scene might take a while. a house full of screens? basically no hiccups? you guys have no idea how good you've got it. how old are you? like, 80? back in my day, it was scary stories and flashlights. we don't get scared. oh, really? mom can see your search history. that's what i thought. introducing the next generation 10g network. only from xfinity. >> i got a license of paper for

this thing? >> the sheriff's deputy in kansas has resulted to a guy from texas putting his rental car in a ditch in the middle the night. no big deal. but something about a story was off, somehow. >> my whole life is kind of gone to -- lately. >> it felt like there's something going on. it just didn't fit right. >> he'd have a better day had been normal. >> the strange encountered all

but that is my win a few days later the deputy got a surprise call from the fbi. asking about that traffic accident. the kansas 9-1-1 call had popped up during the search of tim dean's cell phone records. and the fbi was trying to create a timeline for tim dean and a murder investigation. >> i thought, wow, okay, i don't know what i have to offer for this but here's everything i've got. to try to help. >> so now, deputy nikolette from cline county's sheriff's department in kansas found himself called into a growing multi state multi agency investigation. they want to hear everything. >> he is asking me if i worked this wreck and who was there, and where was he going. >> without of state investigators eager to hear more of the deputies decided to backtrack and try to figure out where dean had gone after the accident. the deputy visited the garage where the car had been towed. he, again, turn his body come on to report. >> thanks for coming your day off.

we appreciate it. >> the garage mechanics remember helping him -- a tote bag full of ammo. >> the bag, when i opened up, it was a magazine for the memo. and -- >> big magazine or little magazine? >> big. once i ar style like miniature rifle. >> also into his car, was a long gun. >> that is when i saw the shotgun under the tote. i grabbed the shotgun and i saw a sports fest, i wouldn't say it was bulletproof but it was a sport shooting vest. >> with patrice or something? >> i don't remember there's patches. but it is all black. and it was probably 58 pounds. it had some weight to it. >> did you come in the shop? >> but yeah. >> you have video in the shop? >> yes, we do. >> they had video of timothy dean showing up to pick up a tow. i could see the video you walked out with a concealable

listed vest. and a 12 gauge shotgun. >> the garage crew wondered among themselves what the sky was doing with an arsenal in his car. >> i'm glad you guys are following up on this. because i even told him i had weird vibes about all of this. >> where did tim dean go next. the deputy learned he had an uber waiting and tracked on the driver at her office. she said before trump got into a car he warned her about the goods he was carrying. >> you know, he won't, he goes to shock. and as it is loaded? >> he said no, i said that's fine. i'm not scared of guns. >> she dropped him off at a local hotel. >> that's last you saw him? >> tim dean had left the hotel and got out of town. but how? the deputy assume tim read to a new car after a wreck dispersed. and so he went over to the main car rental company in town, enterprise. >> you see what i'm talking about? >> sure enough, the rental

associate on duty said tim dean had been there. he was the walk-in from texas who didn't have a credit card on him. >> he walked in and then i told them i can cut him because he just had cash on him. i was really upset about, that he just left. >> left, but for where? back into texas? or somewhere else? this is about 48 hours before joshua and amber would be executed in new york. back in the station, deputy nicolette thought back on that long chat he had with tim dean. and there, on that body cam video, was a back and forth that stopped him cold. >> so where are you gonna go? >> well i got a family friend those gonna see but. >> where is that at? >> all the way up in new york. >> new york, the scene of the crime. deputy nicolette relay the information to the fbi. >> when i said that he was

going to new york, everything changed, at that point. >> tim dean admits he is going to come to new york. he's armed with more than one handgun. he's also got an ar-15 with him. a shotgun. >> how does explain all that's the deputy on the side of the road? >> i guess it's not uncommon for people to be in possession of weapons in kansas. but, it becomes instrumental when he admits that he's going to new york. as far as you know, tim dean did not have relatives in new york. >> but he did, they learned, have a fresh renntal picked up. and law enforcement would later have the make, model, cover, and license plate of the vehicle passing surveillance cameras on its way to upstate new york. timothy dean was a heat seeking missile on his way. >> coming up. >> we've always got that the sky has killed two people. we're not getting a chance on him. >> inside the all-out blowout to capture attendees. >> we've got as in the house. we know we saw. >> they've got explosives in the door. the back. out the back out, nobody is clear.

>> could they take him alive? when dateline continues. e continues. yeah, everything's taken care of. -hey, jamie. -oh, what am i up to? just visiting a special secret client. i can't say who it is, but let's just say she bundled her dream house and her dream car for round-the-clock protection with progressive. oh. she has another house in malibu. she's been an astronaut, an architect, a ceo. we're in front of her house, dude. i'd love to tell you who her boyfriend is, but i don't think i "ken." i'd love to tell you, but i don't think i -- "barbie" only in theaters july 21st. nexium 24hr prevents heartburn acid before it begins. get all-day and all-night heartburn acid prevention with just one pill a day. choose acid prevention. choose nexium. join me in the finish 24 hour challenge. start by cooking a lasagna. skip the rinse and load your dishes. 24 hours later when your dishwasher is full,

let finish quantum clean your dishes. if the stains aren't gone, your lasagna is on finish. i have lots of monthly subscriptions. streaming, music, news sites. then i went to experian. now i can see them in one place. and the ones i forgot about? experian can cancel them for me. see all you can do at experian.com/save now.

is anyone ever going to tell the truth... experian can about what's happening here. 3... -are we saying there's a chance...

2... -we destroy the world? 1... >> as a rule, cops don't show -- no matter how badly they need to know. >> we were cooperating with police, trying to get as much information from the place as we could, following that news stories. the best that we. cut just trying to piece things together. >> the police keep, saying be patient. things come out, be patient. so, i was patient. i didn't want to interfere, to stop them from finding who killed my son. >> the families didn't know that on october 29th 2018, one week after the murders, five

detectives from new york were headed to the texas panhandle. they want to talk with tim dean, charlene says been. >> you take a road trip? >> yes we do, never do it again. that's 24 solid hours of driving. >> they'd come up with a plan to bring him into custody. >> texas decided that they had still had some charges for him on the child abuse complaint. >> this is really a holding action. you can put him on ice while you can put the case. or try to talk to him. >> tim dean lived in a 50s one story house on the edge of town. the cops had surveil the home and you he was there. they were treating him as the suspect in a double homicide, not a child abuser. so they went and strong. after dark. swat teams, uniforms, weapons drawn. a take down right out of seal team six. texas investigator, tom flood, was there. >> how commit could be a knock, knock, knock, you know who we are. we have paper for you. we're gonna serve you.

>> we know the case that this guy has killed two people were not to take the chance of him shooting an officer. >> we know he's there they put explosives on the door they back out. every square every situated, the bulk door. >> this iphone footage was taken by a neighbor across the street. as explosions blew out the front door. >> what a show. it is like a commando operation. >> straight out of military. eventually, does come out, they actually comes about right here in raises his hand. >> and, if he had surrendered -- >> that made a poor decision to resist he was gonna go to a shot at that point. >> no. he would've been shot. >> with the suspect in custody. dean, the one-time police chief, was transported to an interrogation room to be questioned by an fbi agent and a texas ranger. but of course, the reason department had nothing to do with causing injury to a child. the charge on the arrest warrant. they want to talk to him about amber and josh.

>> had you ever met him in person? >> i've been there when you come to get the kids. >> houses the meter. what is the line of the question? >> he's very quite. he doesn't say a whole lot. >> they asked him by the soon to be ex-wife, charlene. the trouble he caused with her kids. >> i did try to lose in custody? >> obviously not well. >> like anybody else, yeah? >> i mean she's never not had the kids. >> does she blame you? >> probably. >> of course one of the theories was that tim had killed him or josh to when his wife back. >> do you think it get her kids -- help you get her back? >> i know there's no getting back. there hasn't been. >> i mean, in your mind, that is a possibility. and you're the state and stuff? >> it's done. it's been done. there's no getting her back. i've accepted that. that's why i've been in a -- state of mind.

>> is it true you hated josh? >> never even met the man. >> investigators told him they knew he traveled to new york state around the time of the murders. but, why did he drive all the way there? >> i was originally going to see her uncle. that's if i could talk to him and get him to talk some sense of her and maybe -- maybe get her to ride this thing out with me. >> maybe tim did think he could win her back. but, and he had, he admitted he never did see her uncle. just drove, slept, and drank. for a while, the investigators played good cop with him. and seemed to speak to him with a sense of compassion. >> i mean, i got a life is hard. but my version of hard and original hard this different things. i can't say my life has been that hard. goodness, i can sympathize with you. >> tim told them, yes, he had hit a low point.

and offered an explanation as to why he was driving so far from home. >> i left home with the intention of putting a bullet in my head. so that no one knows me will have to find me and work it. >> okay. >> what changed? >> i turn my phone off, so nobody could call me and figure it out and try to talk me out of it. >> okay. >> the interrogators ever so gently turn the conversation back to the murders. >> what changed? what made change to what happened on that day? >> if you think you're gonna sit here and say that i did that, you're crazy. >> i think you're crazy if you don't, quite honestly. >> tim, it's not a question if you did it -- >> it is a question of why, and are you sorry? do you think these five different detectives from new york drove down here for no reason?

>> i don't know why the fbi is here. >> what happens when you drive. >> i didn't commit the perfect crime. unless suicide is on the fbi's radar. >> the interrogators weren't buying it. and urged him to come clean. >> you're not a monster, man. you have -- up. there is no doubt about it. but there can be a redemption in life. there couldn't really can. >> what you're showing me right now is that you are a real person. and, not only that. you are a good cop. at some times, right. we all screw up in life. there is a path to redemption, and everything else tim. >> when that approach failed, investigators try to rattle him by talking about the victims. >> are you sorry amber and josh got killed? do you hear what i'm saying? >> i hear what you're saying. >> are you sorry that they got killed? i'm not saying you kill them. are you sorry they got killed? >> yes. >> can you say their names?

>> josh and amber. >> say, i'm sorry josh and amber got killed. >> i said it. >> no you didn't. >> you said it imparts. >> you know because you can't. you realize you're talking about being in sodus and we know that. and you're saying that you didn't do, it but you know presumably that. >> i take my chances i guess. >> the investigators worked hard to break him. but they never did get a confession. >> i've never been in the presence of a bigger coward. >> fortunately, tim dean wasn't the only person they wanted to talk to. there was, can you believe it, another local cop on a list of persons of interest. coming up! >> you like police work? >> yes ma'am. >> two cops. but in the middle of a murder plot? >> they have a decision to make. whether he wants to be a good witness, or he wants to be charged in conspiracy to commit two murders. >> definitely don't want that. >> so he is way in the slime at this point? >> yeah. he was hit with all the truth.

>> soon, he would have a killer secret to reveal. >> you overheard scene say what? >> when dateline continues! es [ music playing ] when we first arrived at st. jude, it was just claire and i. she was still recovering from her brain surgery. and side effects of that surgery meant that she had to relearn how to walk and how to speak. ♪♪ [ male announcer ] you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. jude children's research hospital. two months after we arrived, my three-year-old came to visit, and claire lit up. she was quiet before. and i thought it was just because cancer's hard, but she was really missing her siblings, and i didn't realize how much. all right, young lady. we're going to see how much you weigh, and how tall you are real quick. ♪♪

mama. hey, claire. [ laughter ] ♪♪ [ male announcer ] families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. when you call or go online with your credit or debit card right now, we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt you can wear to show your support to help st. jude save the lives of these children. i experienced life at st. jude. every dollar that goes to st. jude goes to a good place. it's keeping families together during the hardest thing they'll ever face. ♪♪ the first thing i'm going to do when i get home is pet my dog. ♪♪ [ woman ] st. jude saved my daughter's life. [ claire ] i love st. jude.

[ male announcer ] please call or go online right now and become a st. jude partner in hope today. [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. i need it cool at night. you trying to ice me out of the bed? next scene might take a while. baby, only on game nights. you know you are retired right? am i? ya! save $1200 on our most popular sleep number 360 smart bed. >> i'm jessica layton with our plus save up to an additional $500 when you add select adjustable bases.

top stories. brutal who wave continues, phoenix set another daily record of 118 degrees. excessive heat warnings have been issued for more than 100 million americans. officials are warning about deadly conditions stretching from california to florida. police in georgia say mashing suspect was shot and killed by police as they tried to take him into custody. andre longmore is accused of killing people in a city near atlanta. now, back to dateline. >> tim dean stuck to his story. he had driven to new york with suicide in mind. >> unless suicide is on the fbi 's radar.

>> his interrogators did not believe him for an instant. but they had another lead to pursue. another cop, in fact. a man named bron. >> so bron how do you see his last name? >> bowler. >> bowler? never heard it say it out loud. >> he is a police officer. >> yes he is. >> he had served 11 years as a texas cop. he had worked for the cactus police department and saw most recently at sun ray after tim lost his job there. and he was a family man, a husband, a father, and a friend to tim dean. so how did officer braun come on to the police radar? >> okay. got your license and paperwork for this thing? >> well, it goes back to that rental car that tim dean put in a ditch in kansas. it was bron's name on the rental papers, not tim's.

the kansas deputy picked up on that right away. >> this is bowler brown. >> he's a buddy of mine. >> that's gonna cause you more problems than anything. >> i know. >> so he rented the car for you? >> yeah. i was like at work. i wasn't going to make it in time. i'm not looking forward to that phone call. that'll bite him in the ass pretty big. >> exactly. >> when bron was interview ended those ten fallen back to his house while the authorities prepared an arrest warrant. >> he got home, we arrest him. >> your career law enforcement, tom? doesn't embarrass it ever talked about two guys were sworn officers here? >> it is embarrassing to think that they felt like they could do this and get away with it. it is a shame that i want to this point. they knew there was other options. but they want to take it the way that is going to get somebody killed. that is just not. they know that. >> that the majority of sunrays three men for, past and present, under arrest. but the investigation was far from over. someone else they had i'd all along was still in the crosshairs. >> i took it off at face value.

hey, are you okay? that is the main thing. he, goes yeah. i'm good. the cars pretty bat. i was like, okay. i have insurance. look at effects. >> dean never mentioned he was going on a road trip? he was going to go anywhere? she's going to use that, car rental car? >> yes, sir. >> it never ask, you are you lie at new york, what would you say? >> i would say that. >> that's true, right? >> yes, sir. >> brown agreed to take a polygraph. he failed miserably. >> you failed that. the >> investigators now approached him cop to cop. >> i'm really sad. >> we are brothers. >> it was fish or cut bait time. >> ron has a decision to make. if he wants to be a witness where he wants to be charged in conspiracy. >> you definitely don't want that. >> he is way in the slime's point? >> he was hit with all of the

truth. >> broncos to cooperate. he told a startling story. how a murder plot came. >> you are saying you overheard dean say, what? >> he's going to die. >> he's going to die? >> yeah. >> he said the goal had never been suicide. he had gone to new york, he said, to murder josh, plain and simple. >> he's going up there to kill him. >> he said he's going to get there and kill him. >> yes, sir. >> and the chilling details. he said the murder had been planned at a meeting at tim's house inside his garage. that same houseless one team but later blow their way into to make that arrest on dean. >> the plan was to -- that you run the car, not in his name, so he wouldn't get caught? >> i'll be down. >> you're very important witness, bron. >> a witness that could describe her two cops could come to plot murder. >> and this is the garage.

this is where the meetings took place. at least one of those meetings, bron was here longevity. there was a marked units sitting up front. >> i can't help thinking, your 1500 miles away, again upstate new york, who is a dead man walking. he has no idea what is coming down in this garage. the panhandle of texas. >> he knew what it. >> what is his dog in the fight? >> other than the fact that he worked as a police officer, tim was his friend and he was going to do whatever he needed to do to help them up. >> including? >> catching a bunch of cars we can drive across the country? >> exactly. exactly. >> when bron's interview ended, the lieutenant told him back to his house while the authorities prepared an arrest warrant. >> when he got home, we arrested him. >> your career law enforcement, tom. does it embarrass you that we are talking about two guys who were sworn officers here? >> it is embarrassing to think that they felt they could do this and get away with it. it is a shame that it came to

this point. they knew there were other options, but they want to take the way it is going to get somebody killed. that is just not at. they know better. >> and that put the majority of sun rays pressed and present under arrest. but the investigation was far from over. someone else they had i'd all along was still in their crosshairs. they were back to where they started, with a certain embittered young woman from texas. coming up -- >> i called his mom. and she's like, charlene, what's going on? >> josh's death. >> i hit the floor. >> really? >> what the heck is going on? like, it's all feels like a horrible, that dream. >> josh's ex, charlene -- >> you need to look at charlene. >> did you say, no, that can be done. >> i said, i pray it is not. >> what story would she tell? >> did you have anything to do

with him shooting josh and amber? >> when dateline continues. dateline continues [ tires screeching ] jordana, easy on the gas. i gotta wrap this commercial, i think i'm late on my payment. it's okay, the general gives you a break. yeah, we let you pick your own due date. good to know, because this next scene might take a while. for a great low rate, go with the general. >> what happened?

t happened >> well. i was trying to turn around. >> that accident in kansas proved the undoing attendee in. found with a car full of guns and ammo on his way to new york state. the very place where the murders word occur. >> where was that at? >> way up in new york. >> but here's a question about the theory of the crime. was tim a desperate, depressed man on the wish it to went back on his wife? or, was his wife in on it all along the detectives consider the possibility that they not only knew about the plan to murder charge, but maybe had talked him into doing it as play back for his blunder in losing the kids. >> so you owe me tim dean, you owe me a big one here. >> yes. >> it was a theory that came to resonate for some of josh and

ambers loved ones. >> he had a couple of friends that they were like you need to look at charlene. >> did you say oh no that can't be done? >> i did say. oh no it couldn't be. i said, oh no i pray it's not. >> in fact, josh's sister nicole had given police an earful about charlene early on. >> cops came into my house and told me what happened and ask me if my brother had enemies. and i said he does not have enemies but he does have charlene. >> nicole right away says it's her. >> her and josh's best friend keithe. they both said i don't think she should be her, i think it might have been her. and i said that's crazy. >> by the time of the funerals, even ambers sister who had never met charlie thought that she might be involved. >> i saw her for the first time in my life at the funeral. and, i just got cold chills. and i remember speaking at the funeral, giving my sister's eulogy. seeking her out. and in the crowd. just to make eye contact with her.

when i was talking about how good of a mother my sister was to children. >> and you had -- >> yes. >> big and the bad-mouthing of josh depicting as a violent, that guy. there was a case against charlene and it was a big factor. in her early phone calls, she claimed she learned of josh's death on facebook. that she had seen a picture of the house and the street addressed with that in fact did not happen. the street was made public, but not the house or number. >> that was a lie because that was not photographed. >> she couldn't? >> she couldn't have seen it. >> so how did she know unless she was part of the plot? eight days after the murders, detectives picked up charlene at her boyfriend, casey's house. >> we knocked on the door, and asked charlene to come with us. she didn't seem fazed by the whole thing. she didn't seem shocked. >> she didn't say i got a lawyer? we're done here? >> no. >> so she came down? >> she did. she willingly talk to us for quite awhile. >> hello. nice to meet you. >> conversation was cordial as they walk through her back

story. charlene told them how surprised she had been when she found out that her ex boyfriend was dead. >> so i called his mom. and she says, charlene, yes what's going on? josh is dead. i hit the floor. >> really. >> what the hell is going on? >> yeah. >> it still feels like a horrible, bad dream. >> right. >> how could, who, why? that's what i want to know. >> could tim have been the shooter, they asked her? did heh arbor ill will against josh. >> he knew the stuff that josh had done to me. >> what do you mean? >> josh used to be the hell out of me. >> oh really? >> but. you know. tim had never really spoke to -- about him. you know.

it was more of if i could ever get into a fight with him i would fight him. >> do you think that tim is capable of this? >> i can't see it. unless it was on the job, protection. >> right. >> i can't see him. he is not that type of person. >> right. >> charlene denied knowledge of tim's murderous plans. but detectives had learned something else about her. and it went back to that rental car that he ended up crashing. charlene had driven bron to pick it up at the start of the road trip. >> did you take somebody to go around and get your vehicle? >> i took my friend to go get the vehicle. >> who is that? >> bron bow-. i can't say his last name. bron. >> bron? >> bron. >> she said she was simply doing a friend of favor. never asked him who or what it was for. >> he did it think it was

unusual? this guy didn't talk among the way? getting a vehicle? >> what? >> isn't that kind of unusual? >> i just keep people's privacy. we talked with just about that. >> but there was so much more to the saga of the wrecked rental car. remember how he had trouble renting a replacement because he only had cash? >> he was really upset about that many just left. >> detectives now learned that it was charlene herself, who drove in at least 500 miles. credit card in hand. to get tim dean back on the road. >> did you help him? >> i drove up there. to come to the rental car. >> did he tell you where he was going? what he was doing? >> nope. i don't ask questions. i don't care. >> honestly, i assumed it was for work. >> okay. >> he works for frito-lay now. so he travels all the damn time. >> the more she talked, the more radioactive she became as a suspect. >> i got around saturday night, i think. >> how long, how long is that? >> about five hours for me. >> holy cow. >> that's awful nice. >> he filled up my gas tank. >> better have. >> so i was like, last resort, i was like ask anybody else that you can because i don't feel like coming america after work. i don't feel like -- for you. i don't feel. what if i get stranded.

but i kind of feel like, you know what -- you. >> no, i understand. >> karma, it comes around. >> but charlene didn't seem like somebody who would do a big favor for the man who had essentially ruined her life, by costing her custody of the kids. they cut to the chase. >> did you have anything to do with tim shooting josh and amber? >> no. >> did you put tim up to it? >> no. >> i'm seeing a woman in her twenties, who is actually trying to convince a police officer. an experienced police officer. much like a teenager would, that her story is real. and watching her interview. it does not believable. >> all right, i got a couple things, that are not driving that i want to talk to you about specifically. >> they were about to turn up the heat. >> before i do that, we're gonna read miranda rights. >> coming up! >> i had just lost my kids. i said, you know what, i can't

deal with. it's i can't deal with a depression, and the sadness anymore. i need my kids. my kids in my life. and, he looked at me and he was like. what do we do? >> a desperate mom. how deep did this plot go? >> i didn't think it was going to happen. i blame myself for everything. >> when dateline continues! g cancer. they put this in me to drain the fluid. every day i prayed that they would remove it. my tip is be careful what you wish for. that chest tube hurt a lot more coming out... then it did going in. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪ ♪breeze driftin' on by...♪ ♪...you know how i feel.♪ you don't have to take... [coughing] ...copd sitting down. ♪it's a new dawn,...♪ ♪...it's a new day,♪ it's time to make a stand. ♪and i'm feelin' good.♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd... ...medicine has the power to treat copd... ...in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,... ...trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function,

and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler... ...for sudden breathing problems. 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. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy... ...and save at trelegy.com. - this is our premium platinum coverage map and this is consumer cellular's map. - i don't see the difference, do you? - well, that one's purple. - [announcer] get the exact same coverage as the nation's leading carrier. starting at $20. consumer cellular. when it comes to your hair, ingredients matter. that's why herbal essences is packed with naturally derived plant ingredients you love, and none of the stuff you don't. our sulfate-free collections smell incredible...

♪ and leave your hair touchably soft and smooth. ♪ herbal essences >> charlene had done her best

to bat it all away. those investigative details that seem to tie her to josh and ambers murders. >> where did he go after that? >> but the detectives grilled her deep into the night. >> it was 1:30 in the morning. i had about two hours of sleep in two days. and, all i could think about was getting home to my children. >> did you ever get back to them? >> no. >> that was it wasn't it? >> yes. >> never saw them again, because charlene started to

spill. >> watch and listen now as she gives it up. the story that she told us is much the same as the story she would eventually tell the authorities. how she became a killer. >> i blame myself for everything. >> charlene says it started after that august court hearing in new york state where she lost custody of her kids. she and tim were on a long drive back to texas when she came undone. >> i had just lost my kids, at least for the school year. and i said, you know what, i can't deal with this. i can't deal with the depression and the sadness anymore. i need my kids. my kids are my life. and, he looked at me and he's like, what we do? >> charlene had the answer. >> i was like, he's gotta go. he's gotta go. >> so you say to tim we've got to do something and what does he say back to you? >> okay. >> okay? i will kill him. is that what you understood him to say? >> he said, okay. >> did you realize that you had crossed the line there? >> not at the time, because it was just talk.

>> this is the moment that you became the architect of a murder. >> yeah. but at the time i didn't think it was going to happen. >> maybe not right then and there. but after visiting her children in new york. two months later. the wheels in her head were still turning. >> my son is balling his eyes out to me saying how he hated up here, he wants to come home with me, he wants me to steal him away and that hit me. because anyone who knows my son knows that he doesn't just bawl his eyes out like that. >> did this put you back in that place where you had that conversation back when? >> yes. >> she says when she returned home to texas, as she told her husband him that it was showtime. >> i'm telling him that, you know, now it needs to be done. >> and what needs to be done is josh needs to be killed? >> yes. >> and tim is gonna be the agent of bringing that off? >> yes. >> he's gonna be the killer? >> yes.

>> that missile is off and going at this point isn't it? >> yes. >> you've lit the fuse? >> yes. >> so they planned it in that garage. yes, charlene was there too. she, tim, and his friend bron were working out the logistics of the murder plot. bron agreed to rent the car, tim would drive it to new york. >> what was his understanding of what was going on and what he, you are asking him to do? >> to go out to new york to handle business. >> so he says, i'm good for that? >> yes. >> what is the understanding between you and tim about what is afoot at this point? >> i thought he was gonna drive up, kill josh, and come back. >> charlene, that makes you a murderer. do you realize that? you have commissioned this. the gun is in your hand, every bit as much as it is his when you say go do this thing.

we are in it together. do you get that? >> yes, i do. >> so what are, your what are your words to tim when he heads out? >> that i love him. >> she still loved him, their broken marriage wasn't so broken, the divorce talk was just part of a plan to win the children back. and so her husband, former chief of police of sun ray, texas. began the journey north. with his bag full of guns. then came the hiccup that car accident in kansas. >> he calls me up at 4 in the morning. says, i wrecked the rental car. >> and what are you supposed to do? get him a fresh set of wheels? >> i tried. >> you guys both know how law enforcement works. >> yes. >> you're on the record, this would be a great thing to called this off? maybe a sign this wasn't meant to be? we try to go to new york, ended up in a ditch in kansas? but you go up there.

what do you do? >> i picked him up from the motel and i drove him to an airport. so he could rent a vehicle. >> on you go. part two. plan is on. did you give him encouragement? >> not really encouragement. but i gave him the debit card and credit cards if he needs them. >> here's your new ride. go to new york and kill the father of my children? >> yes. >> for charlene, there was no turning back. she drove back home to texas and waited. >> how do you find out? >> i got home from work on monday the 22nd of october. i saw the news articles of shootings in sodus. >> so according to her own words, charlene talked her husband into murder. a skillful manipulation. now that she had been caught, which she tried to manipulate the system as well? coming up. >> she is a master manipulator. >> that made me sick to my stomach.

>> taking us for a bunch of patsies. >> could charlene strike one more deal? >> you realize how much misery you've caused, charlie. to so many human beings? how many families are destroyed? because you wanted to have what you wanted to have? do you have any remorse for that? >> tons. >> i gotta say, it doesn't really show. i don't know how it was a look, but i don't think i'm seeing it. >> when dateline continues!

[bell dings] are you good? no, i think i'm late on my car insurance. good thing the general gives you a break when you need it. yeah, with flexible payment options to keep you covered. just tag us in. ouaaaahhhh! [bell dings] for a great low rate, go with the general.

i know there's ouaaaahhhh! [bell dings] about dupuytren's contracture. i thought i couldn't get treatment yet? well, people may think that their contracture has to be severe to be treated, but it doesn't. if you can't lay your hand flat on the table, talk to a hand specialist. but what if i don't want surgery? well, then you should find a hand specialist certified to offer nonsurgical treatments. what's the next step? >> on november 5th, 2018, two visit findahandspecialist.com today to get started.

weeks after josh and amber were gunned down in their driveway, charlene and her husband, tim dean, were charged in their murders. josh and amber's parents weren't exactly surprised by that news, but that didn't make it any easier to take. >> it made me sick to my stomach. that she sat with us the whole

week, with the grieving family -- >> taking us for a bunch of patsy's. >> yeah, going to josh and amber's that shull. going to their phone services. >> saying all the right things people say no situations? >> right. to find out that she was the one. that participated in killing can. it made me sick. it's like, who could even do that? >> it's almost like compounding that crime itself. >> yes. >> she has me and tells me she so sorry for everything. you know? >> knowing what you know now? >> yeah, i can't wash that off of me. >> not to mention the show she put on at the vigil. >> my kids grow up without a doubt. that's nothing like it should ever have to do. >> and she said, i hope there is justice. justice will be served. >> when you think about conduct? >> i think she is a narcissist. i think she made herself believe she had nothing to do with that to have a straight face during the whole thing. like, she was part of us.

she was not. >> that's really monstrous behavior. there is the crime in itself setting it on motion, what you do. then there's other thing coming right into these people's homes to say, i'm so sorry for your loss and you are responsible for the loss. that is a horrible. think how could you do that? >> it was hard. >> the families were also disgusted by tim dean. how could a police chief suddenly become a stone cold killer. >> he didn't even know my son. and to come up here, dropped thousands of miles and shoot him? for what? >> assistant district attorney christine says not for what, for home. >> you described her as a mascot -- master manipulator. special manipulative skills? >> absolutely. she always utilized men in her life. she utilized him to kill josh.

she was in two active relationships throughout the case. she was still writing letters to timothy dean, professing he was the love of her life. then, also, casey miller was called 60 times at the jail. >> charlie and tampa were potentially facing life in prison as their trials approached. the de-wondered if they would turn on one another at trial. >> her statements to police and it up being admissible and at that point the tourney reaches out and wants to talk about her coming to the table to cooperate. >> could she be trusted? >> i didn't think should be able to tell the truth. she is a master manipulator. so, i came into that thinking it wasn't going to work out. that she would do the one thing that she has always done throughout the case and that is protect herself and do what is best for her. >> so, the dea was skeptical as a cut charlene a deal, pleading guilty to manslaughter and exchange for telling the truth and nothing but the truth to a

jury. >> so, she is a wild card going into trial. >> absolutely. at this point, i don't know if she's going to stick to the agreement and come through and testify at actually sit on a stand in public and admit to what she had done. >> even without shelling, the case against him dean was strong. dean was found in that ski mask the dog sniffed out? although police never tracked down the gun, they think it came from, where else? the department where tim used to work. >> what is believed is that it was taken from sun ray placed putman. >> property room? >> yes. >> when she took the stand, charles did lay it all out for the jury. how she dispatched her husband on a mission to kill josh. it played out more less how she got, except one important detail, she said she never wanted amber to die. >> she was not supposed to be involved at all. >> it would be okay josh is dead, because that was the plan?

>> it was the plan, yes. okay, no. i mean, it is still was a shocked that it actually happened. yes, it was planned to happen. >> it was planned by you. >> yes. >> you liked the skull. >> i did. >> you thought she was a good, surrogate mom three kids. i think she is, with a gun right up against her ear, blew her brains out. your guy on your orders. >> no. those were not my orders. she was never in the plants, ever. >> at trial, charlotte's credibility was an easy target for tense defense attorney. >> she is a walking, talking contradiction of herself. i don't know if she is capable of telling the truth. >> with the defendant please stand? >> in the end, her story was too evil, too cold to dismiss. it took the jury just four

hours to convict timothy dean up double murder. >> we the jury find that and it guilty. >> we all knew what it was going to be. still, we were so relieved to hear that first strong guilty verdict. >> tim was sentenced to life in prison. brown buller had three years for second-degree conspiracy. and charlotte is serving 28 years. wayne county district attorney -- >> the final analysis, tim dean is the one that pulled the trigger. we built the proper and resolution to charlene was appropriate under the circumstances. >> 20 years this plenty of time for shirley, if she chooses, to think about all of the carnage she unleashed. >> do you realize how much misery you've caused, shall, and to so many human beings during the course of this? >> yes. >> how many families are

destroyed? we because you wanted to have what you wanted to have. do you have any remorse for that? >> tons. >> after the, it doesn't really show. i don't know how morsels look. i don't think i've seen it. you seem to be okay with what has happened. >> on the outside, maybe. >> what happened to you? >> i'm a batch oysters and i regret them every single day. >> if the end of our interview, shall it stepped way and spoke to her attorney. >> i need a break. >> she returned to her chair more emotional this time. >> what do you tell people who quickly call you a monster, just flat out even? >> i'm a human being. i make mistakes. this was, ultimately, the biggest mistake i have ever done. i'm sorry more than i can

express. every day it rests through me. >> you protect him and now, that's like a baloney sandwich. >> i know what i did was wrong. i know sorry is not good enough. it will never be good enough. >> both amber and josh's families are trying to put this all behind them. if not for their own sake, for the children involved. >> well, they are the light of our lives. >> joe's sister, nicole, get custody of josh and chalets to kids. >> they're your babies now. >> they're my babies. a piece of josh. i wouldn't know what to do without them. >> amber's parents made of that little boy who witnessed it all, the boy in that backseat, josh junior. >> this guy has been our godsend. without him, i don't know how we would have made it there. josh is the glue that holds this family together right now. >> how are you keeping embers

memory alive virginia? >> we have pictures all of the house. every night, for he goes to bed and every morning, i will say good but night to, him ahmed levy more. -tel > -tel s day, stronger, more energizing, more united ever in its history biden warns russia about trying to outlast ukraine on the battlefield. but hopes continue to go unfulfilled as they run low on ammunition. has the west done enough to help ukraine win the war in i'll talk to national security adviser jake sullivan. plus military readiness. pentagon officials warn a single republican senator's block on top military promotions is now impacting national security. >> this is a national security