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00:00A teenage mom finds love in the arms of a much older man.
00:07I felt like he was the love of my life.
00:09I like that.
00:10But when playing house gets to be too much for her,
00:13this young bride goes off the deep end.
00:16I told her, I'm tired of you messing up.
00:20I didn't want to hear his mouth anymore.
00:22You think you are ever going to leave me?
00:25Till Death Do Us Part takes on a whole new meaning.
00:29She sees no alternatives, no options.
00:32It was either me wound up taking my life or taking his.
00:39Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
00:45When love goes wrong, a woman can do the unthinkable.
00:50It's a chilly December night in 2003 in Farmville, North Carolina.
01:00Nineteen-year-old single mom Sarah Saunders is out partying with her pals.
01:05Sarah and her four-year-old daughter Kayla live with Sarah's mother in a tiny apartment.
01:11One more because you're loving it so much.
01:14A night of clubbing helps Sarah shake off the demands of teenage motherhood.
01:18I was one of those stubborn teenagers at one point where I didn't want to listen to mama.
01:24I wanted to make my own mistakes and live humble.
01:28Sarah?
01:29Sarah?
01:30Sarah?
01:31Kayla needs her breakfast.
01:32I gotta go to work.
01:33Sarah?
01:34Now?
01:35The next morning, hungover and tired, Sarah takes a hard look at her life.
01:46She knows she can't keep partying while raising a child.
01:50She makes a pledge to herself to become a responsible parent.
01:55And what better way to achieve that than to snag a husband?
01:59I thought about all the past relationships and I was like, you know, well, I've been going
02:03after looks, people around my age.
02:06Well, maybe I need to look for something different.
02:10Sarah wastes no time hunting down Mr. Right.
02:14There are like no babes here tonight.
02:19What about the bouncer?
02:21Have a good night.
02:22One night at a local pool hall, she lays eyes on 33-year-old Tommy Shackleford and turns on the flirt.
02:31Hi.
02:32Hi.
02:33I'm Sarah.
02:34Tommy.
02:35Tommy, nice to meet you.
02:36Yeah, she was the one that approached me.
02:38She said, if I like you, can we go out, can we date?
02:42And I agreed and that's how it started.
02:45There you go.
02:46He wasn't the best looking man in the world, but he was by catching.
02:49Oh, I like that.
02:53Keep smiling.
02:56Every time he walked around and saw me, he would smile.
03:00I would smile back.
03:01She seemed so sweet, innocent.
03:04She was beautiful to me.
03:05I can't believe I've never seen you around.
03:08For the past 11 years, Tommy's had a steady job as a corrections officer at a nearby prison.
03:16He also works as a bouncer on the weekends for extra cash.
03:20To Sarah, he looks like prime husband material.
03:24The way he talked, it was like he had it all there.
03:28You know, his ducks in a row.
03:30Want him raised?
03:31You know him.
03:32Me too.
03:33But to Sarah's mom, Tommy's age is an issue.
03:36He's 13 years older than Sarah.
03:39I didn't like it that he was so much older, but maybe it'll be good for her, you know,
03:44to have somebody that's at least decent.
03:47Should we get out of here?
03:48Yeah.
03:49Got a good job, and maybe she can be happy with somebody older.
03:54Dr. Casey Jordan studies criminal behavior.
03:58By the time she's 19, Sarah is at a crossroads.
04:02She's a high school dropout without a real job and basically no impending future to look forward to.
04:08So when she meets Tommy, he's a real adult.
04:11This gives her a newfound hope.
04:14Over the next few months, their romance blooms.
04:18Hi.
04:19Hi.
04:20Tommy fawns over Sarah.
04:23Woo!
04:24He fills a void that's been missing all her life.
04:27Did you have any relationship with your father in your early childhood years?
04:32I did.
04:33It was kind of when he picked and choose them.
04:35I actually even called myself a daddy's girl because I just, I don't know, I loved his attention.
04:43And then it just started backing off.
04:46As a young teen, Sarah replaces her father with any guy she can attract.
04:53She doesn't have to try too hard.
04:56When all eyes were on her, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
05:00But she didn't feel in any other area of her life.
05:03And it would lead to a chronic behavior that was always looking for attention.
05:09I even liked if they told me what to do because it made me feel like I had some sort of man figure in my life.
05:17I haven't been feeling too good.
05:22And?
05:23At 15, Sarah winds up pregnant by a guy who has no interest in being a dad.
05:29I'm not getting an abortion.
05:31Then you're on your own.
05:34I really want ready to have a child.
05:37And I don't believe in abortions.
05:40Sarah struggles with the burden of being a teen mom.
05:45Where the hell have you been?
05:47Sarah had a child very young and decided she wanted to be a teenager and not a mom.
05:53So I told her it's not a part-time position.
05:57Damn it, Sarah.
05:58Sarah's mom takes custody of baby Kayla.
06:03Two years later, Sarah gets pregnant again by a different guy.
06:08This time she asks her sister to adopt the baby.
06:11Hi.
06:13After having the second child and making the very wise decision to give that boy up for adoption to her sister,
06:20she seemed to be on the right path.
06:23Now at 19, Sarah's found a real man in Tommy who showers her with gifts and affection.
06:31We were going to go out to a lake and we were just going to relax and drink some champagne
06:37and listen to the radio.
06:40And a rainstorm come up.
06:42And my favorite song is The Dance by Garth Brooks.
06:45Well, I had that CD in my truck so it was raining.
06:48And I put in a song, stopped at a stop sign, and I walked around, got her out of the truck.
06:52No!
06:53Ah!
06:54What are you doing?
06:56And we danced in the middle of the road.
06:59And she just thought that was the best thing.
07:02He's a man and he has a job and an income, and she is a girl with no future.
07:08He likes the idea that he can rescue her.
07:10And it actually makes him extremely proud to do things for her which elevate her to his standards.
07:17Eight months into the relationship, Sarah discovers she's pregnant yet again.
07:23But this time, it's different.
07:26Tommy is fired up by the news of the baby.
07:29The couple move in together and create their dream home.
07:33They complete their family portrait by having Sarah's daughter Kayla and Tommy's nine-year-old daughter Amy stay with them on weekends.
07:42What do you think?
07:43I love it.
07:44Feeling like her life is finally coming together, Sarah's in heaven.
07:48I want to put plants all on me.
07:50I ate it up.
07:51I loved it.
07:52I did.
07:53And in a way, I was actually scared, you know, because I'm not used to it.
07:58And I didn't know how to take it, but I didn't want it to go nowhere.
08:02Almost too good to be true?
08:04Very much so.
08:05I even said that quite a few times I said that.
08:08You're so nice.
08:10Sure enough, it doesn't take long for Sarah's bubble to burst.
08:16Coming up, Sarah discovers something sinister about Tommy's past that could destroy her perfect new family.
08:24What is he doing in that photo with Murr?
08:4020-year-old single mom Sarah Saunders thinks 33-year-old Tommy Shackelford is the man of her dreams.
08:50Eight months after meeting, she's pregnant and moving in.
08:54It's the start of what she thinks is her happily ever after.
09:00But just two weeks later, while visiting family in Virginia, Sarah makes a shocking discovery.
09:06Tommy has been hiding some disturbing details about his past.
09:11Mama, that's Tommy.
09:13I was at a family member's house going through pictures, and I came across a picture of Tommy and one of my aunts.
09:23Sarah's mom, Amelia, hasn't met Tommy yet, but she recognizes the man in the photo.
09:28What is he doing in that photo with Murr?
09:31The picture we were looking at was her daddy's sister.
09:36And I'm like, oh my gosh, Sarah.
09:39That is your aunt's ex-husband.
09:43Well, that's your Aunt Kathleen, her ex.
09:46Sarah's stunned to find out that Tommy was married to her aunt.
09:50Even worse, Amelia tells her that Tommy has been married three times and is known for being a womanizer.
09:57They warned me, trying to tell me that he was a very controlling man.
10:03Her? She's so gross.
10:07When she gets back to North Carolina, Sarah calls Tommy out on his secrets.
10:12When I was back there, I found this.
10:18That's my ex-wife.
10:19That's my Aunt Kathleen.
10:21After I confronted him, he said, I thought I recognized you.
10:25Like, I don't know if he really didn't know or if he just tried to play it off.
10:30But it was kind of crazy.
10:32Now, with Tommy's past out in the open, Sarah wants him out of her life.
10:38With this, I'm going to be at my mother's.
10:41Tommy is heartbroken, but he's determined to win her back.
10:49Sarah!
10:50Sarah!
10:51Come on, Sarah.
10:52Open the door.
10:53Sarah, I'm sorry.
10:54My baby is going to need a mommy and a daddy.
10:55Come home with me.
10:56The more we talked and the more he convinced me that it shouldn't matter.
11:00I actually thought for some reason I would be the one to kind of straighten up Tommy.
11:06I missed you.
11:07I missed you.
11:08I missed you.
11:09To Sarah, it was her naivete blinding her from the signs that this man is being covert and secretive and keeping very important information that other girls would like to know before they go whole hog into a relationship.
11:16Sarah moves back in and the couple return to setting up house, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their baby.
11:23Do you want some hell?
11:24I would love some hell.
11:25Sarah fantasizes that it'll be the happiest time of her life.
11:26I would love some hell.
11:27I would love some hell.
11:28Sarah fantasizes that it'll be the happiest time of her life.
11:29Were you thinking he could be a good dad?
11:30Seems a little wobbly.
11:31I did.
11:32I did.
11:33I really did.
11:34Okay.
11:36before they go whole hog into a relationship.
11:39Sarah moves back in, and the couple
11:42return to setting up house, eagerly awaiting
11:44the arrival of their baby.
11:46Do you want some help?
11:48I'd love some help.
11:49Sarah fantasizes that it'll be the happiest time of her life.
11:53Were you thinking he could be a good dad?
11:56Seems a little wobbly.
11:57I did.
11:59I really did.
12:00OK.
12:01Thank you, baby.
12:04Oh, you're kicking.
12:05Yes.
12:06For the first time in her life, Sarah
12:08feels ready to be a mom.
12:12And in April 2005, she gives birth to a healthy baby boy
12:16they named Mason.
12:18But instead of the joy she expected,
12:23she feels drained and depressed.
12:27She can barely get out of bed, let alone care for the baby.
12:33After I had my son, I had the postpartum depression.
12:38Yeah.
12:39A psychiatrist prescribes medication
12:42to help her cope with her symptoms.
12:44I was on anxiety medicine.
12:47When I was sad, it would put me in a little bit of a better mood.
12:51But when Sarah starts popping pills several times a day,
12:55she quickly gets addicted.
12:57I found out that it helped numb emotional pain also.
13:02I got addicted really bad.
13:05Sarah tries to hide her addiction from Tommy.
13:08But pretty soon, he catches on.
13:12She couldn't function properly.
13:14There was just things that she did.
13:16Like, she stumbled, almost fell with our son.
13:21And that's when I drew the line.
13:25Tommy confides in Sarah's mom.
13:27And together, they stage an intervention.
13:30Hi, sweetie.
13:30Hi, mama.
13:32What are you doing here?
13:35There should be about 40 pills in here.
13:38And there ain't.
13:40I had dropped a lot of them, and I had to throw them out,
13:45so I couldn't even know what's going on.
13:46He gave them to me to help me help the baby.
13:50We need to get some help or Mason's coming to stay with me.
13:54What?
13:55Yeah.
13:56It's a tough ultimatum.
13:58What do you want me to do?
13:59We want you to get some help.
14:02When Sarah finds herself dependent on drugs
14:05following the birth of her son, it's
14:07Tommy, who orchestrates an intervention and tells her
14:10she needs to clean up her act.
14:12And she understands that he has her best interests in mind.
14:15But this leaves her feeling disempowered and perhaps
14:18in his debt.
14:19Let go of this crap.
14:21You don't need it.
14:22I wanted me and her to make it.
14:25And for us to make it, she couldn't be addicted to pills.
14:29She had to be able to be a good mother and a wife.
14:32OK.
14:34OK.
14:34You got to get some help.
14:35Finally, Sarah relents and agrees to get help.
14:42For the next three years, she manages to stay clean
14:45and focused on being a good mom.
14:50It seems like Sarah and Tommy are back on track.
14:53And in November 2008, after five years together,
14:57Tommy decides he wants to make their relationship legit.
15:00Yes.
15:01Will you marry me, Sarah?
15:02Yes.
15:03Yes.
15:03Yes.
15:04Oh, my God.
15:07Oh, my God.
15:08Oh my God.
15:08Oh, my God.
15:10Oh.
15:12Come on, my ass.
15:13Run my bouquet.
15:13All right.
15:14All right.
15:14All right.
15:15You guys ready?
15:15Get ready now.
15:16Just three months after Tommy proposes, the couple ties the knot.
15:20Woo hoo.
15:21Yeah.
15:21They seemed very happy and content
15:25and ready to make a life together.
15:28I was OK with welcoming him as a son-in-law
15:32and being married to her.
15:35At first, the newlyweds seem happy and in love.
15:39But what Tommy doesn't know is that his new wife
15:42is harboring a secret that could crush their marriage.
15:47Sarah's drug habit is back.
15:50She's secretly seeing psychiatrists
15:52and getting multiple prescriptions
15:54for depression, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder.
15:59Before long, she lapses back into hardcore addiction.
16:03She was addicted to pills.
16:05And I didn't see it the second go around
16:08because I wouldn't tolerate it.
16:10And she knew that.
16:14Sarah's addiction consumes her.
16:17And she begins to unravel.
16:19To make matters worse, money is tight,
16:22even with Tommy working full time.
16:25It went downhill.
16:26Our bills started getting behind.
16:30Tommy tells Sarah she needs to get a job to make ends meet.
16:34But the drugs make it impossible to hold on to steady work.
16:38Tommy reaches his breaking point.
16:40Seriously?
16:41Seriously?
16:42What the hell, Sarah?
16:43You're just sitting around watching TV all day, huh?
16:47Kick your feet up.
16:49She wouldn't keep a job long.
16:51And it got frustrating.
16:53We still made it, but it got frustrating.
16:54You need to get out and get a job.
16:57A real job.
16:59Or you're just going to walk away from me, huh?
17:03Sarah, come back here.
17:04Sarah, come back here.
17:05The financial strain takes yet another toll on the couple's
17:11fragile relationship.
17:12Sarah, open the door.
17:14According to Sarah, each fight with Tommy
17:17leaves another emotional scar.
17:20He would say things to tear you down.
17:22Yeah.
17:23And then, actually, he acted like he got off on it.
17:26At this stage in their marriage, Tommy and Sarah had racked up quite a bit of debt.
17:33And so he started to actually displace the blame onto Sarah.
17:36After all, if she had a full-time job, they wouldn't be in this terrible conundrum.
17:43Sarah accepts all of this blame and tries to figure out a way that she can, again, elevate
17:47herself to a position where Tommy will love her and stop berating her for being a failure.
17:53With her mother's help, Sarah gets odd jobs cleaning houses.
17:57I just wanted a little peace.
18:00No worrying about bills.
18:01No worrying about having to ask my mama for money.
18:04But her meager pay can't make a dent in their debt.
18:08She's now so desperate, she's about to cross a line she's never crossed before.
18:15Coming up, to what lengths is this young wife willing to go to end her nightmare?
18:20I was like, if he would just sleep, I wouldn't have to hear his mouth.
18:26Tommy and Sarah Shackelford's two-year marriage is suffering, thanks to a mountain of debt and
18:44Sarah's secret drug addiction.
18:46Sarah's habit makes it impossible to hold down a good-paying job.
18:51The best she can manage is bringing in a few dollars cleaning houses.
18:56One day, Sarah decides to take the easy way out and pockets a $50,000 ring from one of her wealthy clients.
19:06Did you truly think, Sarah, that you could get away with it?
19:09Deep down, I knew I wasn't going to get away with it, but I was desperate, ashamed, but desperate.
19:17She looks at the ring, impulsively takes it, more as an implosion, more as just kind of, I have nothing to lose here.
19:25Things are so bad at home that I'm going to take this ring and it's going to either solve things or push us over the edge in a different direction.
19:31But something's got to break.
19:34Later that day, Sarah takes the ring to a local pawn shop.
19:39She's got no idea how valuable it is and accepts just $300.
19:46Sarah hopes the extra cash will get Tommy off her back.
19:49I didn't want to hear his mouth anymore, just for one day.
19:54There you go.
19:55Great, thanks.
19:57But a couple of days later, the wealthy client calls Sarah to ask if she's seen the missing ring.
20:03Oh, no, ma'am, I haven't seen a ring.
20:06Sarah denies knowing anything about it, but guilt eats away at her.
20:11I had actually got off the phone with her and I called her back, and I just knew I couldn't do it anymore because it's not me.
20:18So I confessed to her.
20:20Hi, it's Megan.
20:22I do know where that ring is.
20:25She wanted to press charges.
20:28There's really nothing I can do, but tell her I understand.
20:32The client reports her to the police, and Sarah has no choice but to call Tommy.
20:39Hello.
20:40Hi.
20:41I'm going to need you to pick me up from the police station.
20:44She was my house cleaner.
20:46You have to be missing some jewelry.
20:47What are you talking about?
20:49The news does not go over well.
20:51$50,000?
20:53Are you out of your damn mind?
20:55I told her, I'm tired of you messing up.
20:58Every time we get our life going good, you do something so stupid to screw it up.
21:06This is not happening.
21:07You just kept yelling at me.
21:09What have you done?
21:11I can't believe you.
21:13You're so sorry.
21:14You would screw up.
21:16What are you doing to us?
21:20After she spends a night in jail, Tommy bails Sarah out.
21:24She's ordered to appear in court in two months.
21:27If convicted, she could face four to six months behind bars.
21:32You stole a damn ring.
21:34A $50,000 ring.
21:36You have to get us a lawyer.
21:38Find yourself a way out of this.
21:40I thought that if she went to jail, maybe that would make her see that she can't keep doing
21:45things and getting away with it.
21:46Sarah was stealing a ring to pawn it to bring enough money home to buy peace in the household.
21:51The inference of this was more than he could handle.
21:54If he wasn't a good provider or a good husband, that was his Achilles heel.
21:59You are going to learn your damn lesson.
22:01Take me home.
22:04Sarah is devastated by Tommy's lack of support.
22:08All right, little man, lay it on me.
22:11School starts at...
22:13He rubs it in her face by openly talking about how he and Mason will get by without her when she's in prison.
22:19Why can't mom just pick me up?
22:23Your mom's going to go away for a little while.
22:26We'll make it work out.
22:28We got football.
22:29When is that?
22:30He attacked Sarah at her point of weakness, which was, of course, their son.
22:35Sarah's life was so void that her love for her son, her status as a mother was all she had.
22:41She loved her son more than life itself.
22:44Hearing Tommy planning for life without her is more than Sarah can take.
22:48What she really wants is to run away with her son.
22:52I tried to leave.
22:54I would try to get me and my son out of there, and he would find where I was.
22:59And first thing he would threaten is taking you to court for her son.
23:03So no matter what, he was going to get you back?
23:05He always made me think so.
23:07Between the thought of prison, her drug habit, and Tommy's threats, she fears losing her son forever.
23:15No, you don't.
23:16No, you don't.
23:17You see this?
23:18No more drugs, Sarah.
23:19You better hear me, and you better hear me good.
23:20You think you are ever going to leave me?
23:21You junkie.
23:22You don't get my son.
23:23You are never taking him away from me.
23:24Never.
23:25It was worth putting up with Tommy just to make sure you didn't lose your son.
23:30Yeah.
23:31My kid.
23:32My son.
23:33And you are not taking him from me.
23:34My son.
23:35He's my son.
23:36He's not going to live with a dope addict.
23:37It became a daily thing.
23:38You just go ahead and try and see what happens.
23:40Sarah feels more trapped than ever.
23:41You're going to leave me?
23:42You're going to leave me?
23:43You're going to leave me?
23:44You junkie.
23:45You don't get my son.
23:46You are never taking him away from me.
23:47Never.
23:48It was worth putting up with Tommy just to make sure you didn't lose your son.
23:49Yeah.
23:50My kid.
23:51My son.
23:52And you are not taking him from me.
23:53My son.
23:54He's my son.
23:55He's not going to live with a dope addict.
23:56You just go ahead and try and see what happens.
23:59Sarah feels more trapped than ever.
24:02Never forget that Sarah really had no life, no identity outside of her motherhood.
24:07And when Tommy threatens her and says you will never see your child again, this destroys her.
24:14Hits her at her very core because it's all she has to live for.
24:19To her, there's only one path to freedom.
24:22She will do anything to make sure she doesn't lose that child.
24:27And she's desperate enough to take it.
24:31I made up my mind what I was going to do.
24:35On the evening of Friday, May 13th, 2011, Sarah fixes dinner for Tommy as usual.
24:42But this time with a dash of something deadly.
24:46She crushes up sedatives and slips them in his food.
24:50I was like, if he would just sleep, you know, I wouldn't have to worry about if I said something wrong.
24:55Or if he had a bad phone call or anything.
24:58I wouldn't have to hear his mouth.
25:00He would be asleep.
25:02And maybe I would get a little bit of that peace.
25:05Then, she adds an even more lethal ingredient.
25:09I also added the little tablets of rat poison.
25:16That's different.
25:18One thing to make your husband sleep so you could have some peace.
25:21I think I wanted more.
25:22But I was sitting there, I think, telling myself that I just wanted him to sleep.
25:26But deep down, I felt like I wanted more, too.
25:28When you say you wanted more, you wanted him dead.
25:35When Tommy comes home from work, Sarah's ready to serve up her delicious revenge.
25:40You are never leaving me!
25:56After eight turbulent years with Tommy Shackelford, Sarah wants out of her marriage.
26:02And she'll do anything it takes to break free.
26:09Her husband Tommy comes home to a special dinner waiting for him.
26:13It's a meal lethal enough to send him to his grave.
26:17Good day? You all right?
26:19That little jerk still picking on you?
26:21She had made me a couple of sandwiches.
26:24Sausage, egg, and cheese, and brought me some orange juice.
26:28I am beat.
26:29Here you go.
26:30Have you breakfast for dinner?
26:32Mm-hmm.
26:33All right.
26:36I started drinking the orange juice, and it tasted really bitter.
26:41This orange juice tastes funny.
26:43Oh.
26:44What?
26:45I don't know.
26:46It just tastes weird.
26:49You got something else back there?
26:51Uh, yeah.
26:52I got some cola.
26:53Want that?
26:54Yeah.
26:55Give me soda.
26:56All right.
26:57When I got to the first sandwich, I noticed something green on it.
27:01There's something green in here.
27:03Oh, it looks like mold.
27:05Those are pepper flakes.
27:06I have never seen a pepper flakes that looked like that.
27:09Well, then eat the other one.
27:10Ours was just fine.
27:11She brought me a glass of drink, and it tasted the same way.
27:15That tastes bad, too.
27:17Give me the bottle.
27:20It's the same one I always get, see?
27:23Yeah, you find this cheap crap.
27:25It's not.
27:26I took the bottle and turned it upside down, and you could see a thick dark green substance running down the sides of the bottle.
27:34Take it back.
27:36Sarah agrees to take the soda back and tells Tommy she's taking Mason to see his grandmother.
27:43She can only hope he ate enough of the poison to kill him.
27:47All right.
27:48And none of that diet stuff, either.
27:49I thought you might appreciate it.
27:51Oh, yeah.
27:52We talking about that now?
27:54Yeah.
27:56A few hours later, it looks like she may get her wish.
28:00Tommy becomes violently ill.
28:04In desperation, he calls Sarah.
28:08Sarah, can you come home?
28:10I don't feel so good.
28:12I didn't know at that time that it was rat poison.
28:15I was assuming that it was just bad food.
28:20As waves of guilt wash over her, Sarah rushes home to find Tommy doubled over on the floor.
28:26Are you all right?
28:27Oh, my God.
28:28Oh, my God.
28:29Oh, God.
28:30Oh, my God.
28:31She immediately takes him to the hospital.
28:33I couldn't do it.
28:34It was like, I don't know.
28:36My brain was so wishy-washy, and he was scaring me just seeing him like that.
28:43Tell me what all you had to eat.
28:45Sausage.
28:46At the hospital, Tommy's treated for what appears to be a bad case of food poisoning.
28:52Doctor, could I speak to you for just a moment?
28:54Sure.
28:57Sarah's not ready for Tommy to come home, so she comes up with a lie to buy some time.
29:03He was screaming and crying about how he wanted to kill himself.
29:07She hopes it will be enough to get Tommy sent to the psych ward.
29:11We may need to keep him over the weekend.
29:14Well, Tommy, if you decide we like you so much, we're going to let you stay a few extra days.
29:20When they tell Tommy they're admitting him for observation, he's outraged.
29:25You're going to transfer me where?
29:27What the hell's wrong with you people?
29:29There's nothing wrong with my head.
29:31I looked at the doctor, I was like, are you kidding me?
29:34Really?
29:35I said, because I'm not crazy.
29:37I'm not trying to kill myself.
29:39But the doctors ignore Tommy's protests.
29:41Nurse!
29:42And insist on committing him to the psych ward for the weekend.
29:48Meanwhile, Sarah finally resolves to leave Tommy for good.
29:52She calls him to break the news.
29:55I need to tell you that when you get home, Mason and I will not be here.
30:02No, not like this.
30:04His reaction isn't at all what she expected.
30:07I'll get better. I will.
30:10He told me that we could go to marriage counseling and that he couldn't do it by himself.
30:17I need you.
30:19And I even asked him, how can I believe you?
30:22How do I know that you're really going to do this?
30:25And he was just like, I will, I will, I promise.
30:28All right.
30:33But as soon as Tommy gets home, Sarah realizes he's turned the tables on her.
30:38She's home.
30:39We got home and his daughter was there waiting.
30:43And of course he had to make a big scene explaining to her, you know, can you believe she had me admitted?
30:49Trying to get rid of me.
30:51She's trying to leave me.
30:52She's trying to leave us.
30:53Do you believe that?
30:54Sitting there telling his 15-year-old daughter this.
30:57Hey, let me take that.
31:00I'm glad you're back.
31:01Yeah, me too.
31:02Tommy's comments just reinforce Sarah's desire to get rid of him once and for all.
31:09That very evening, she serves him a heaping plate of his favorite food, creamed potatoes.
31:16Only this recipe has enough sedatives to put him to sleep forever.
31:21How were your days?
31:22Fine.
31:23Fine.
31:24Fine.
31:25It's always fine with me too.
31:26Come on.
31:27She never thinks through her life choices very carefully before she makes them.
31:31And this is just another snap decision.
31:34She just doesn't care anymore.
31:36Whether she sedates him, whether he sleeps, whether she kills him, she just wants the merry-go-round of emotions and drama to stop.
31:46Tommy immediately notices an unusual aftertaste.
31:49These taters, they taste funny.
31:52Why do my creamed potatoes taste like what I ate Friday?
31:57They shouldn't.
31:58There's no connection.
31:59I said, are you trying to kill me?
32:02And then we just played it off.
32:03And then we just played it off.
32:05They taste like potatoes.
32:07Yeah, it's probably on my head.
32:12All right, so back to this boy, Keith.
32:17Her name is Keith anyway.
32:19After dinner, the sedatives kick in.
32:22All right.
32:23Hit makes fine.
32:24You put that down.
32:25Get your stuff.
32:26I laid on the couch, and I got really tired, and I couldn't explain it.
32:30I just got really drowsy, really sleepy.
32:33All right, guys.
32:34Get in the car.
32:35Let's go.
32:36Hey, baby.
32:37I'm gonna go drop her off, okay?
32:39Bye.
32:40Bye.
32:41Sarah's devious plot is in motion.
32:47But as she drives her stepdaughter home, Sarah starts to worry that the drugs aren't potent enough to kill Tommy.
32:56Did the thoughts start to flood her brain?
32:59Well, a sedative, it's only going to wear off after a few hours.
33:03I may have peace now, but what I really want is to have peace in my household always,
33:08so that I can just be a proper mother to my child and not have Tommy always telling me what a failure I am.
33:14If he never woke up, wouldn't that be the best solution?
33:19So Sarah comes up with a plan to finish the job.
33:23After dropping Tommy's daughter off, she races back to the house.
33:27You get this idea in your head that you could get rid of Tommy.
33:31I feel like there won't no other way.
33:34I couldn't get away.
33:37And it was either me wound up taking my life or...
33:42Taking his.
33:43Taking his.
33:44Stay right here. I'll be back, okay?
33:49The thought of being free of Tommy for good supercharges Sarah's focus.
33:54Nothing can stop her.
33:56I went into the back door, the door we always use.
34:01And Tommy's asleep on our couch.
34:04I could see him from the back door as I walk in.
34:07We have a little junk drawer that's in our kitchen.
34:12So I go to the junk drawer and he has gloves.
34:18I put on the gloves and he also has a very sharp pocket knife that he uses a lot for fishing.
34:27I grab the knife.
34:29I open the knife.
34:31And I walk and I stand right by his head.
34:36But as she hovers over her sleeping husband, Sarah has second thoughts.
34:49I start feeling myself breaking down and I keep telling myself that I gotta stay strong because this is the only way.
35:10She's too close to freedom to back down now.
35:33For the last three days Sarah Saunders has been trying desperately to kill her husband.
35:39After two failed attempts to poison him, she decides only brute force can finish him off.
35:59So I grab the knife.
36:04And I stabbed him in his temple.
36:08And as soon as I felt it hit, I panicked.
36:16Sarah bolts out of the house.
36:23I forgot something.
36:25She speeds to her neighbor's house.
36:35Help! Help!
36:37What's going on?
36:38You mind if I use your phone for a minute please?
36:40Here it is.
36:42When she calls 911, she's armed with an elaborate lie.
36:45I'd like to report a possible homicide.
36:47He was a tall black man.
36:48He was standing over my husband with a knife.
36:50You couldn't have seen this coming.
36:52She's not a cold blooded killer.
36:54She didn't even snap so much as she collapsed.
36:57She couldn't take it anymore.
37:00Little does Sarah know, Tommy Shackelford is not dead.
37:06In fact, he woke up seconds after she drove the knife into his temple.
37:12I could hear it.
37:14It was like a loud pop.
37:16And it felt like somebody had thrown a brick and hit me in the head.
37:22I knew something was wrong with my head.
37:25I could feel it.
37:26It was a lot of pressure.
37:27So I touched it.
37:29And there was a knife there.
37:33It was the weirdest feeling.
37:36I don't know how to explain it.
37:38But at that point, I realized that, you know, somebody's trying to kill me.
37:45Sarah?
37:46I remember standing up and thinking, what's going on?
37:49Sarah?
37:50I didn't see anybody in the house.
37:53Tommy's phone is missing, and the house doesn't have a landline.
37:57Sarah?
37:58So I walked out the back door, and I see Sarah.
38:01Sarah?
38:03Sarah?
38:04And I hollered for her.
38:06Tommy stumbles over to the neighbor's house to get help.
38:09It's only 200 yards, but it feels like miles.
38:14I don't know if I'm going to make it there, but I take off across the field.
38:17And I told God, I said, God, what about my children?
38:22My daughter has a mother who she stays with.
38:25I said, but what's going to happen to my son?
38:27And that's all I could think about was my son.
38:30Sarah is still on the 911 call, describing the imaginary intruder.
38:36My husband walks around the corner with the knife still in his head, and blood is streaming, and I freeze.
38:49Dad, what happened?
38:51What happened?
38:52In spite of the blade sticking out of his head, Tommy takes control.
38:57You get him in the house!
38:58Get him in the house!
38:59Now don't let him see me like this!
39:03Hello?
39:04Yeah, this is the husband.
39:07That's right.
39:08I've got a knife.
39:09I've got a knife.
39:10In my head.
39:11Yeah, it's still there.
39:12Yeah, I know exactly who did it.
39:15She is right here in front of me.
39:17I got it!
39:18Where is my mom?
39:19With my wife!
39:20I'm sorry!
39:21I'm sorry!
39:22Don't you say a word to me!
39:23I'm sorry!
39:24I just looked at her, like, I can't believe you did this to me.
39:30Sarah is hysterical, trapped in her own lie.
39:37When paramedics arrive at the scene, they're amazed to find Tommy still alive.
39:43They carefully load him into the ambulance and rush to the hospital.
39:49We got to the emergency room, and we went through a couple little doors.
39:52They put me in this room right inside the door, and everybody was taking pictures.
39:58What are you doing with them cameras?
39:59And I'm just laying there.
40:05Coming down.
40:06Go still, Tommy.
40:10Then they snatched the knife out.
40:13Bring your knife.
40:15They showed me the knife, and I told them, yes, that's mine.
40:19Well, that's my knife.
40:22Tommy is sent for emergency surgery.
40:26Meanwhile, officers question Sarah about the attack.
40:30At this point, you're still saying it was an intruder.
40:32Yeah.
40:34I did lie, and I did say that there was a man in our house.
40:38Sarah sticks to her story that an intruder stabbed Tommy.
40:41But detectives at the Pitt County Sheriff's Office aren't buying it.
40:46I may have a few more questions for you in the morning.
40:50They let her go home for the night, but ask her to come back the next day for further questioning.
40:54We did not have prior history with her ever doing anything like this before.
40:59And so, of course, we wanted to do a thorough investigation.
41:03This was a male victim who did not see who did it, but who did know who he saw immediately afterwards.
41:10That night, detectives also questioned six-year-old Mason, the only witness.
41:17This child says that when they got home...
41:20She said to wait in the car.
41:22He stayed in the vehicle.
41:24When mom went in the house, she had nothing in her hand.
41:27A little while later, she came out with a brown glove on.
41:31Brown glove on.
41:32Okay.
41:33A brown glove.
41:34A brown glove in her hand.
41:36And she ran to the vehicle, jumped in, and then mom took off.
41:42You mind if I talk to the patient for a second?
41:44How about this item?
41:45Have you seen this before?
41:47Tommy confirms that both the gloves and the knife came from the same drawer in the house.
41:54The next day at the police station, Sarah finally cracks.
41:57She admits to stabbing her husband and is immediately arrested.
42:03When she was confronted with the fact that her son told an entirely different story,
42:08she pretty much knew at that point that it was over.
42:10The game was over.
42:12In a way, I actually had some kind of relief.
42:16I actually made the comment after I confessed that I was finally free.
42:27Tommy is not surprised to hear that his wife confessed.
42:32But it's still a huge blow.
42:35She wanted me dead.
42:37She tried with everything she had, and it didn't work.
42:42Sarah takes a plea, and in November 2011,
42:46she's sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder
42:51and for the theft of her client's ring.
42:53Tommy is awarded full custody of Mason.
42:58By going to prison for stabbing Tommy, she did lose the son that she was so desperately trying to save.
43:06The son that she thought she was about to lose forever, and ironically, did.
43:12You're free from Tommy, but you lost your son.
43:17Was it worth it?
43:19No.
43:21I wish I could take it back every day.
43:23And it's something I have to live with.
43:26Every day.
43:28It was not worth it.
43:30Not even a little bit.
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