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00:00A
00:08husband who's skilled at philandering until he isn't
00:12Finding the evidence of the affair in his phone is so blatantly suspicious
00:17the police just don't know what to think
00:20A killer who stalls until he can't
00:25By this point he has to be wondering, is Billy even really trying very hard?
00:31Who wouldn't want to keep that going for as long as possible?
00:35And a hitman who plays it cool
00:38Until he doesn't
00:40The kid has never seen that much money in his life
00:44And he doesn't know how to shut up about it
00:55Nancy Shore and John Franklin Howard meet at church in San Marcos, Texas
01:04And Mary in 1983
01:07They settle in Carrollton
01:11Just outside of Dallas
01:13Where they raise their three children
01:16Nancy and John Franklin, known as Frank
01:19Have a strong traditional marriage
01:22They are very involved in their church
01:25They sing in the church choir
01:27And host youth group Bible studies on a regular basis
01:32Nancy describes herself as a domestic engineer
01:36A slang term for her homemaker
01:38Popular in the 1980s and 1990s
01:41While she's raising her children
01:43She takes care of the house
01:46And is very involved in the kids' schooling
01:49Nancy is an active member of the PTA
01:55And regularly supervises school field trips
01:58When she has time for herself
02:00She enjoys scrapbooking
02:02She even belongs to a scrapbooking club
02:05In the nearby city of Allen
02:07Frank is also an involved father
02:10And enjoys coaching his kids' soccer teams
02:13He works as a CPA
02:18And owns his own small firm
02:20Where he has had upwards of 500 clients
02:24He's a diligent accountant
02:26With a good reputation
02:28The family is frugal with their money
02:34But Frank isn't above the occasional splurge
02:38Frank loves to surprise Nancy with gifts
02:44For her 40th birthday
02:46He gives her two concert tickets
02:49To see her favourite artist, Barry Manilow
02:52He even agrees to go with her
02:55Even though he's not a fan
02:57In 2008, he takes his entire family
03:00Wife and three grown children
03:02On a surprise trip to attend the Beijing Olympics
03:05In May 2009, Frank takes on a wealthy new client
03:12A defence contractor
03:14Who had made millions in Iraq during the war
03:17Hires Frank to help them repatriate
03:1936 million dollars from the Middle East
03:22Frank's job is to bring the money into the country
03:26A little bit at a time
03:28In a tax-efficient way
03:30Frank warns Nancy
03:32That the new gig will mean he has to travel much more for work
03:36Being separated more often is challenging for them
03:39But it's an incredible opportunity
03:42The job goes so well
03:44That Frank is hired on as the company's chief financial officer
03:48He has a huge amount of autonomy
03:51And use of the company's private jet
03:53But it's a demanding position
03:55And it keeps him very busy
03:57Frank was definitely not exaggerating
04:01About the extra travel required
04:03He's gone a lot more now
04:05Than he used to be
04:06But Nancy finds ways to keep herself busy
04:19That summer, she and their daughter
04:22Go on an extended mission trip to Africa
04:25With a group from their church
04:27Nancy finds this outreach work with orphan children
04:31Extremely fulfilling
04:33But when she returns
04:35Nancy notices a real shift in her marriage
04:39She and Frank find it difficult to reconnect
04:43Eventually, the Howards agree to try counseling
04:47To learn how to bridge the growing distance in their marriage
04:50With Frank gone so often
04:54Nancy has to deal with issues she's never faced before
04:58One day in 2011, Nancy leaves the church
05:02To find that two of her tires have been slashed
05:04It's an odd incident
05:06Who would do that?
05:08Especially at a church
05:10Car troubles are usually something her husband would take care of
05:14Nancy would be left stranded
05:16Nancy would be left stranded
05:17If not for a friend at the church
05:19Who offers a lift home
05:21Nancy fills the time while Frank is away
05:25With her favorite hobbies
05:27She keeps up with her scrapbooking club
05:30And regularly attends events at the church
05:33On August 18th, 2012
05:38While Frank is on a business trip to California
05:40Nancy spends the afternoon with friends
05:43She then heads to the church
05:45For the baptism of one of the congregation's children
05:48After the ceremony
05:51Nancy leaves the church parking lot
05:53Headed home
05:54It's just before 7.30pm
05:56On the way home
05:59She stops at a drive-thru
06:01To pick up a taco for dinner
06:03Nancy pulls her car into the garage
06:06Where she usually parks
06:08When she gets out of the car
06:11A man grabs her from behind
06:15He puts an arm around her neck
06:17And points a gun at her head
06:19The assailant yells at Nancy
06:21Demanding her purse
06:22Nancy is shocked
06:24But she manages to free herself
06:26And turn around
06:27To face her attacker
06:28He's a white male
06:30He's a white male
06:31Wearing a dark ball cap
06:32And dark glasses
06:33Nancy doesn't recognize him
06:36Nancy is so flustered
06:38She accidentally hands the man
06:40Her fast food bag
06:41When he once again demands her purse
06:44She shoves it at his chest
06:47And prays
06:48Jesus save me
06:50The attacker then shoots Nancy in the face
06:55And flees with her purse
06:57And flees with her purse
06:59It's a shocking and brutal crime
07:02As her attacker disappears
07:05Nancy is left for dead
07:07Lying on the floor of her garage
07:10On the floor of her garage
07:16In Carrollton, Texas
07:18Nancy and Frank Howard
07:20Share a close marriage
07:21Based on their strong Christian faith
07:26Until Frank's new CFO responsibilities
07:29Pull him away on frequent business trips
07:32Adding strain
07:34Adding strain
07:35To their once solid union
07:39In August 2012
07:41Nancy attends an event
07:43At their church
07:44On her own
07:45While Frank is out of town
07:46On business
07:47When she returns home
07:52She's attacked in her garage
07:54By an unknown assailant
07:56He's a white male
07:57He's a white male
07:59Wearing a dark ball cap
08:00And dark glasses
08:01Nancy doesn't recognize him
08:04The attacker then shoots Nancy in the face
08:07And flees with her purse
08:09It's a shocking
08:11And brutal crime
08:13Nancy is left for dead
08:15On the floor of her garage
08:17But a few minutes later
08:19She miraculously regains consciousness
08:23The bullet has gone through Nancy's left eye
08:27And sinus cavity
08:29Down her throat
08:30And into her lung
08:31Making it difficult for her to breathe
08:33But she's alive
08:35And conscious
08:36And she's fighting
08:41Nancy knows she needs to call for help
08:43But her phone was in her purse
08:45And that's gone
08:48Nancy manages to open her car door
08:53And tries to use the vehicle's emergency assistance system
08:57To summon help
08:58But she can't get it to activate
09:03When the first plan doesn't work
09:05Nancy somehow manages to get herself into the house
09:08Where she calls 911
09:10She then makes her way to the front door
09:19Where she waits for emergency responders to arrive
09:22It's a superhuman feat of strength
09:25As far as Nancy's concerned
09:27Her prayers really were answered
09:29When Detective Wall
09:35From the Denton Police Department arrives
09:37He finds a messy crime scene
09:41Carrollton is a safe area
09:44With very little violent crime
09:46There have been burglaries
09:47But no other gunpoint robberies
09:48The way Nancy described
09:50Have been reported
09:52robberies the way Nancy described have been reported it appears to be a crime
09:57of opportunity an offender surprising Nancy and robbing her but to throw in a
10:03gunshot to the face is a shocking amount of overkill but when Nancy's purse is
10:10found in a dumpster nearby it raises questions Nancy's purse is found with
10:16her phone her wallet and all her cash and credit cards intact the only thing that
10:24appears to have been touched is her driver's license oddly it's been removed
10:29from her wallet and set aside the fact that nothing from Nancy's purse has
10:35actually been stolen suggests that robbery may not have been the motive for
10:39the attack after all but the fact that her ID has been accessed is telling it
10:45implies that someone wanted to verify Nancy's identity that her attack may
10:50have been targeted rather than random the next day a fellow police officer from
10:56Nancy's church confirms detective walls suspicions the IT director at Frank and
11:04Nancy's church is a former police officer when he hears about Nancy's shooting he
11:09immediately checks the church's security cameras from around the time of the
11:13shooting and he spots a car that appears to be following her the footage shows a car
11:19follow Nancy into the church parking lot when she arrives for the baptism when she
11:25gets out of her car and goes into the church the other car drives away
11:29approximately half an hour later the car returns and parks in the same spot the driver
11:38gets out and goes into the church to use the restroom when the man comes back
11:46outside he gets back into his car and waits when Nancy comes out and drives away the car follows her
11:54for detective wall the evidence is unmistakable Nancy Howard was targeted and what's more from the footage
12:12there appeared to be two men in the car rather than just one at the hospital Nancy fights for her life
12:20Nancy suffers the complete loss of the use of her right arm and hand doctors need to rebuild her
12:28face due to the extensive damage caused by the bullet
12:31Frank returns from California as soon as he learns of Nancy's shooting from their daughter
12:40Frank is in shock he has no idea who could possibly want to hurt Nancy he tells detective wall that he
12:51and Nancy were in regular contact during his trip with the last time being just before she left for the
12:58church the detective asks if Frank is willing to hand over his cell phone and he agrees
13:05the detective is being detailed and thorough in an attempted murder investigation you never know
13:17where information will come from so you want to turn over every rock the fact that Frank was in regular
13:23contact with his wife and in particular so close to the time of her shooting means that Frank's phone
13:30might hold vital information that helps move the investigation forward it doesn't mean
13:35they think there is anything suspicious about Frank himself but what the police find in Frank's phone is
13:43nothing but suspicious when Nancy Howard was fighting for her life on the floor of her garage Frank was not in
13:52California as he claimed he was in South Lake Tahoe with his mistress on July 24th 2009 while Nancy and
14:02their daughter are in Africa on the mission trip Frank visits Lake Tahoe on business at the casino he
14:10meets a woman named Suzanne who's in town attending her daughter's volleyball tournament it's a chance
14:15encounter but the two hit it off Frank and Suzanne decide to meet in Reno the following weekend Suzanne is
14:26in her early 50s and is separated from her husband the two of them bond over their unhappy marriages Frank
14:34tells her that his marriage isn't going well and that he's considering divorce after that they start seeing each
14:41other every month Frank is even more generous with his new paramour than he is with his family in January
14:532010 Frank buys a house in Santa Cruz California for $900,000 paid for in cash through a holding company he
15:03sets up called SLH for Suzanne Lynn Howard Suzanne moves into the house while Frank continues to live
15:12with Nancy in Texas but Suzanne isn't happy being the other woman she wants Frank to divorce his wife
15:20the way he said he intended to Frank lavishes Suzanne with gifts he pays for trips for her and her
15:31daughters to the Bahamas to the Super Bowl he helps pay for her daughter's tuition when Suzanne loses her
15:39health insurance after her divorce is finalized he puts her on the payroll at his employer's company and
15:45how does Frank afford all this without tipping off Nancy good old-fashioned embezzlement as CFO Frank has
15:57access to his employer's vast wealth Frank's new employer had made a fortune selling supplies to
16:05US troops in the Middle East Frank is given carte blanche to set up companies in the US to move the
16:12overseas capital stateside for tax efficiency Frank sets up for management companies each with its own bank
16:20bank account at the same bank to handle the funds but unbeknownst to his employer Frank opened separate
16:29bank accounts for the four companies at a different bank accounts on which he is the only signatory
16:35Frank starts moving money into these other accounts in order to fund his lavish lifestyle with
16:43his mistress he also writes fake checks to himself booking the costs as a reimbursement for office
16:51supplies Frank realizes that he needs to tell Nancy the truth before the police do finding the evidence of
17:02the affair in his phone is so blatantly suspicious the police just don't know what to think why wasn't he
17:09just up front with them about the affair what else could he be hiding out of an abundance of caution
17:17police warn the hospital to restrict Frank's access to Nancy Frank has to phone his wife in the ICU to
17:26tell her the most devastating news she's ever received that he's been having an affair for three years
17:33detectives wonder if another shoe is going to drop and six days after Nancy's attack it does
17:41an inmate in the Denton County jail reaches out to police looking to make a deal
17:48he and his girlfriend were both arrested back in June on drug charges and have been held in custody
17:56ever since he wants to get them released and in exchange he's willing to tell them everything he
18:04knows about John Howard Frank and Nancy Howard seem to have the perfect marriage in Carrollton Texas until Nancy is
18:21viciously targeted by a shooter in her garage and the investigation accidentally brings Frank's three
18:31year affair in California to light detectives wonder if another shoe is going to drop and six days after
18:39Nancy's attack it does when an inmate who's in the county jail on drug charges contacts police wanting to
18:48make a deal he tells them he has damaging information to share about someone named John
18:57Billy Johnson has spent half his life in jail drugs are his vice of choice but he's no stranger to
19:07weapon and assault charges either he had recently been released from prison after serving five years for
19:14aggravated assault against his daughter on February 15th 2010 Billy is just hanging out minding his own
19:25business when he gets a call out of the blue from a man he doesn't know the man says his name is John
19:36and that he's looking for someone to kill his wife he's got Billy's name from a mutual contact and thought he
19:43might be a good fit for the job I guess maybe for someone like Billy that's flattering
19:49Billy doesn't know whether to trust that this job is real or not so he quotes big money $60,000 and this John
19:58character agrees a few days later Billy and his girlfriend Stacy meet John in a parking lot John
20:16reiterates that he wants Billy to kill his wife and make it look like an accident John hands Billy a manila
20:26envelope containing a photo of Nancy a copy of John's driver's license for security and $60,000 in cash
20:36for Billy it's like he just won the lottery it's a huge score he can't imagine his luck
20:49he and Stacy buy a lot of meth rent a motel room and party all night they also use their windfall to
21:02buy a new car a new truck not exactly the street but a month later Billy is arrested and charged with drug
21:12possession all of the cash he has left is confiscated during the arrest when Billy is released
21:22on bond a few days later he calls John and tells him that he needs more money so John meets him again
21:29and hands over another $35,000 in cash Billy quickly realizes that he stumbled onto the best gig of his life
21:38it's like a weird ATM that he can keep going back to an ATM that never runs out of cash
21:44because John needs Billy more than Billy needs John
21:49the situation Frank found himself in falling out of love with a decades-long marriage and meeting someone
21:59new and exciting isn't new but keeping a mistress on the west coast hidden from his wife in Texas
22:05isn't something that he could keep up forever and Suzanne really wanted him to divorce Nancy
22:11but for some reason divorce just wasn't for Frank it might have been that he didn't want his friends
22:18and family to find out about his double life he and Nancy had three kids and a prominent place
22:23at their church after all or that he didn't want the inevitable messiness that comes with divorce
22:29including the likely discovery of his ongoing embezzlement scheme
22:34and then there was also the life insurance to think about
22:38if Nancy died Frank would get a payout double if it was an accident
22:44but he couldn't tell any of that to Suzanne
22:47so he promised her that he would get a divorce
22:50and instead he got a hitman
22:53as the months go by
22:56John and Billy continue to meet or talk regularly
22:59to discuss possible ways to kill Nancy
23:03John feeds Billy information about Nancy's hobbies
23:07her routines
23:08and where she'll be at any given time
23:10he suggests a robbery gone wrong
23:14or even burning the house down
23:16he's not particularly concerned about anyone else getting hurt in the fallout
23:21Billy's full-time job becomes following Nancy around
23:24trying to come up with a way to kill her
23:27and make it look like an accident
23:29Nancy attends a regular scrapbooking club in Allen
23:32so Billy follows her there
23:34he knows the exact time and place that she'll be coming and going
23:38Nancy's mother lives in San Marcos
23:42nearly four hours away
23:43when Nancy goes for a visit in June 2010
23:47Billy goes too
23:49sometimes a good job requires you to travel
23:53Billy also stocks up on various tools of the trade
23:57so he'll be ready for any scenario
23:59weapons, duct tape, gloves, masks, tasers, jogging suits
24:04but every time Billy comes up short
24:09at one point Billy slashes the tires on Nancy's car
24:14while she's at church
24:15so that she'll be stranded
24:17instead she manages to get a ride home with somebody else
24:22this cycle of Billy promising to kill Nancy
24:32John giving Billy more money
24:34and Billy ultimately failing to deliver
24:37continues throughout 2010
24:39whenever Billy would get arrested
24:44he would call John to bail him out
24:47if Billy's in jail
24:48how can he kill Nancy?
24:50John pays Billy's attorney fees
24:53and his bail bondsman
24:54through the management companies
24:57he's set up to funnel the money from his employer
25:00eventually
25:01John tires of all the cash drops and money grams
25:05John, the accountant
25:08wants to switch to wire transfers for the payments
25:11but there's a problem
25:13Billy doesn't have a bank account
25:15you can't receive a wire transfer
25:18if you don't have a bank account
25:20Billy comes up with an innovative solution
25:23he enlists the help of his various extended family members
25:27to accept the wire transfers for him
25:29Billy offers a great deal
25:31for every $10,000 transfer
25:34that a family member accepts
25:36they get to keep $2,000 of it
25:39a 20% profit margin
25:41just for accepting some questionable funds
25:45and looking the other way
25:46John ultimately transfers money
25:49to Billy's entire family
25:50his son, his girlfriend Stacy
25:53his cousin, his nephew
25:55Stacy's son, his daughter
25:57his daughter-in-law
25:58his other son, Stacy's mother
26:01it's a family business
26:03and everybody's getting rich
26:05by 2011
26:07with his family business fully established
26:11Billy starts bringing various family members
26:14in on the operation
26:15Stacy's oldest son, Dustin
26:19accompanies Billy to one of the cash drops
26:21and he's hooked
26:23$30,000 in cash
26:25just sitting there
26:26behind a dumpster
26:27such easy money
26:29and Dustin is excited
26:30to be part of it
26:31but at just 18 years old
26:36the kid has never seen
26:37that much money in his life
26:39and he doesn't know
26:40how to shut up about it
26:42Dustin starts showing off cash
26:46to people he knows
26:47and tells them
26:48he's a hitman
26:49Dustin's friend
26:53sees an opportunity
26:54to make some cash of his own
26:56and starts blackmailing John
26:58John is paying huge sums of money
27:01to keep up his lifestyle
27:02with his mistress
27:03huge sums of money
27:05to his hitman
27:06who continuously fails
27:08to kill his wife
27:09now he's paying a blackmailer
27:12to keep quiet
27:12about the whole thing
27:14by this point
27:15he has to be wondering
27:16is Billy even really trying very hard
27:20and he'd be right to wonder
27:22because Billy isn't
27:24Billy never had any intention
27:27of killing Nancy Howard
27:29but he's kept John on the hook
27:32for more than two years
27:34over which time
27:35he's been paid
27:36three quarters of a million dollars
27:39who wouldn't want to keep that going
27:42for as long as possible
27:43but by the summer of 2012
27:46Frank has grown impatient
27:49he needs Nancy dead
27:52now
27:53unfortunately
27:57his whole house of cards
27:59is about to blow over
28:00when Billy and Stacy
28:02are arrested
28:04on federal drug charges
28:06Carrollton Texas accountant
28:11Frank Howard
28:12has a loving wife
28:14Nancy
28:15and a loving mistress
28:17in California
28:18when he chooses death
28:21over divorce
28:22Frank hires a hitman
28:24named Billy Johnson
28:25to get rid of his wife
28:27and make it look like an accident
28:29but Billy pockets the cash
28:32and keeps on pocketing it
28:35without pulling off the job
28:37Billy never had any intention
28:42of killing Nancy Howard
28:44but he's kept John on the hook
28:46for more than two years
28:48over which time
28:49he's been paid
28:50three quarters of a million dollars
28:53who wouldn't want to keep that going
28:55for as long as possible
28:56but when Billy and his girlfriend
28:59are caught up
29:00in a federal drug sweep
29:02Billy finds his gravy train
29:04coming to its final stop
29:06on June 2nd 2012
29:09Billy and Stacy
29:10are arrested by a joint
29:11local and federal task force
29:13and charged with possession
29:15with intent
29:16to distribute methamphetamine
29:18these are serious charges
29:20not something that John
29:22can bail them out of this time
29:23with Billy out of the picture
29:26Dustin calls John
29:28to offer his services
29:29as the replacement hitman
29:31and John happily accepts
29:33John shows Dustin his house
29:38photos of Nancy
29:39and gives Dustin Nancy's
29:41full schedule
29:42the same way he did with Billy
29:44Dustin gets $40,000
29:47John tells Dustin
29:51about a specific hotel
29:52where Nancy will be staying
29:54John wants Dustin
29:56to kill Nancy
29:57at the hotel
29:58but specifically
30:00not with a gun
30:01as that could cause
30:02too much attention
30:03he suggests
30:05a knife
30:06or a baseball bat
30:07Dustin wants to do it
30:08all at the house
30:09where there's less chance
30:11of being seen
30:12on July 13th
30:16Dustin is driving around
30:18Frank and Nancy's
30:19neighborhood in Carrollton
30:20with his friend
30:21the blackmailer
30:22he's there to pick up
30:24a cash drop
30:24from outside
30:25John's house
30:26but he's high
30:27as a kite
30:28and can't remember
30:29where the house is
30:30a police officer
30:35who has seen
30:36Dustin's car
30:37driving around
30:38the neighborhood
30:38in circles
30:39for the last few hours
30:40pulls him over
30:42for a routine
30:43traffic stop
30:44the officer can tell
30:48that Dustin
30:48is clearly
30:49under the influence
30:50of something
30:51he claims
30:52he's picking up
30:53cash from his uncle
30:54then he claims
30:55it's an investor
30:56ultimately
30:57Dustin tells the officer
30:59that he's a hitman
31:00and he's looking
31:01for Nancy
31:02Dustin's ridiculous story
31:09isn't taken seriously
31:10but he is placed
31:12under arrest
31:13for the traffic violation
31:14now
31:16John has lost
31:17another hitman
31:19Dustin is released
31:21a few days later
31:22but after that
31:23John stops
31:24returning his calls
31:26John still needs
31:27the job done
31:28but he needs
31:29someone
31:29reliable
31:30The next family member
31:32who reaches out
31:33is Michael Speck
31:35Speck is Billy's nephew
31:37he recently moved
31:39to East Texas
31:40from California
31:41after reconnecting
31:42with his uncle
31:43at a family funeral
31:44Billy had brought him
31:46into the family business
31:48back in May
31:49Speck had accompanied
31:54Billy on some
31:55of his surveillance
31:55missions
31:56at one point
31:57they had trailed
31:58Nancy to a hobby store
31:59but decided
32:01there were
32:01too many people
32:02around to take action
32:03ditto to the
32:05fast food restaurant
32:06she went to next
32:07John agrees
32:10to hire Speck
32:11to be the hitman
32:12he's more mature
32:13in his mid-30s
32:14with a solid
32:15criminal history
32:16he seems like
32:19someone who will
32:19reliably get
32:20the job done
32:21Speck
32:24gets
32:25$24,000
32:26but Billy
32:29hasn't given up
32:30Billy reaches out
32:32to John
32:33from jail
32:33saying he
32:34still wants
32:35to do the job
32:36but John
32:37isn't interested
32:38he tells Billy
32:39he's all in
32:41on Speck
32:41a week before
32:46Nancy's attack
32:47Speck calls
32:50an old prison
32:51buddy from
32:51California
32:52named Michael
32:53Lawrence
32:54Speck and Lawrence
32:57had done time
32:58together back in
32:59California
33:00and they kept
33:01in touch
33:01Speck asked Lawrence
33:03to come out to
33:04Texas and send
33:05$1,000 to Lawrence's
33:07girlfriend to cover
33:08travel expenses
33:09Speck asked his
33:10friend to help
33:11him kill Nancy
33:12and offers half
33:13the $20,000
33:14that John promised
33:15him to do the job
33:17Speck had originally
33:19planned to hire
33:20Dustin to help
33:21him
33:21but now
33:22that didn't seem
33:23like such a good
33:24idea
33:24according to Speck
33:27Lawrence volunteers
33:29to be the shooter
33:30instead of the
33:31getaway driver
33:32out of consideration
33:33for the fact
33:34that Speck
33:35has a newborn
33:36on August 18th
33:40Speck and Lawrence
33:41leave Speck's home
33:42in East Texas
33:43in a rental car
33:45and drive to
33:46Carrollton
33:46according to Speck
33:48when they arrive
33:49in Carrollton
33:50they buy
33:51hitman wardrobe
33:53to get ready
33:54for the job
33:55hoodies
33:56hats
33:57and dark glasses
33:58as they're getting
33:59dressed
34:00they randomly
34:01spot Nancy
34:02so they follow
34:03her to the church
34:04after watching
34:17Nancy go
34:17into the church
34:18they leave
34:19the parking lot
34:20to get a drink
34:20at a nearby restaurant
34:22Speck knows
34:24from the information
34:25John has given him
34:26about Nancy's
34:27itinerary
34:28that the baptism
34:29is due to finish
34:30at 7pm
34:31so they head back
34:32to the church
34:33and wait
34:33when Nancy
34:39pulls out
34:40of the parking lot
34:41they follow her
34:42according to Speck
34:51he pulls ahead
34:52of Nancy
34:53so that he can
34:54drop Lawrence
34:55off in the garage
34:56before Nancy
34:56comes home
34:57when Nancy
35:02gets out
35:03of her car
35:03her attacker
35:04grabs her
35:05from behind
35:06he shoots her
35:12in the face
35:13and takes her purse
35:14to make it look
35:14like a robbery
35:15just like he'd been
35:17instructed to
35:18Speck and Lawrence
35:21then ditch the purse
35:22nearby
35:22before driving back
35:23to Speck's home
35:24in East Texas
35:25after the shooting
35:28Billy decides
35:29that it's high time
35:30he was out of jail
35:31Billy contacts
35:34John
35:34demanding
35:35that John
35:36bails him out
35:36if not
35:37he'll go
35:38to the authorities
35:39with everything
35:41he knows
35:42this time
35:43John doesn't bite
35:44so Billy makes a call
35:46to the Denton Police Department
35:48looking to make a deal
35:50Billy is able
35:51to provide
35:52personal details
35:53about Frank Howard
35:54the man he knows
35:55as John
35:56such as
35:58that he is
35:58an accountant
35:59and has a girlfriend
36:00in California
36:01but he's not able
36:04to recall
36:04the first name
36:05of John's wife
36:06the woman
36:07he apparently
36:08followed around
36:09for more than
36:09two years
36:10trying to kill
36:11Billy doesn't get
36:13his deal
36:13but in trying
36:15to prove
36:15how much he knows
36:16he does spill
36:17everything to the police
36:19giving them
36:20the details
36:21they need
36:21to solve the case
36:22by the end
36:25of August
36:25authorities arrest
36:27everyone involved
36:28including Dustin
36:29Speck
36:31Lawrence
36:32and the mastermind
36:34behind it all
36:35John Franklin Howard
36:37but when the case
36:41goes to trial
36:41a few years later
36:43there are so many
36:46people involved
36:47that it puts the
36:48convictions
36:49in jeopardy
36:50after the attempted
36:54murder of Nancy Howard
36:56authorities in Texas
36:59charge everyone
37:00and their brother
37:01literally
37:02for involvement
37:04in the plot
37:05including
37:06Billy Johnson
37:07his son
37:08his nephew
37:09his girlfriend's
37:10son Dustin
37:11his other nephew
37:12Michael Speck
37:13the blackmailer
37:14and his wife
37:15and Speck's buddy
37:17Michael Lawrence
37:17ultimately
37:20the prosecutor
37:21doesn't pursue
37:22indictments
37:23against most
37:23of the group
37:24including
37:25Billy Johnson
37:26who pleads guilty
37:27to drug charges
37:28in federal court
37:29and is sentenced
37:30to 15 years
37:31in prison
37:32after that
37:33there's no point
37:35in the state
37:35pursuing charges
37:36against him
37:37as well
37:37Frank's employer
37:39files a civil
37:40lawsuit against him
37:41for the embezzlement
37:42in all
37:43Frank siphoned off
37:446.7 million dollars
37:46for his own use
37:47nearly 2 million
37:50of that
37:50was spent on Suzanne
37:51and 1 million dollars
37:54on the murder
37:54for hire plot
37:55he even donated
37:57200,000 dollars
37:58of it
37:59to his church
38:00Frank is indicted
38:02for attempted
38:03capital murder
38:04on March 22nd
38:052013
38:06and goes to trial
38:08a year later
38:09with all of the
38:11players involved
38:12the case is so
38:14complicated
38:14that the prosecutor
38:16has to produce
38:17a flow chart
38:18for the jury
38:19so they can keep
38:20everyone straight
38:21at the trial
38:23everyone takes
38:24the stand
38:25including Suzanne
38:26and to the media
38:28Nancy doesn't
38:29hold back
38:30for years now
38:31you've watched
38:32their story unfold
38:33here on channel 8
38:34a Carrollton family
38:35torn apart
38:35by a murder
38:36for hire plot
38:37Nancy Howard
38:38survived the 2012
38:40attack
38:40only to face
38:41her now ex-husband
38:42and his lover
38:43in the courtroom
38:44what was it like
38:45to face
38:47your husband's mistress
38:49in court
38:49when you saw her
38:50in court
38:50everything
38:52doesn't sound pretty
38:55but everything
38:56from the bottom
38:56of my guts
38:58wanted to just
38:59throw up
38:59on August 19th
39:012014
39:02almost two years
39:04to the day
39:05after Nancy's
39:05shooting
39:06Frank is convicted
39:07and sentenced
39:08to life in prison
39:10after Frank's
39:11conviction
39:12prosecutors turn
39:13their attention
39:14to the hitmen
39:15in March 2015
39:18Michael Speck
39:19is indicted
39:20for aggravated
39:21assault
39:22for his
39:22participation
39:23in the attack
39:24he makes a deal
39:25with prosecutors
39:26to testify
39:27against Michael Lawrence
39:28and agrees
39:29to a 12-year sentence
39:31prosecutors take
39:33Lawrence to trial
39:34for aggravated assault
39:35with a deadly weapon
39:36in August 2015
39:38but they have
39:40their work
39:41cut out for them
39:42prosecutors say
39:44Howard's now
39:44ex-husband Frank
39:45hired various people
39:46to kill Nancy
39:47but claim Lawrence
39:49is the man
39:49who pulled the trigger
39:50something defense
39:51attorneys deny
39:52they told the jury
39:53this is a clear
39:54and simple case
39:55Michael Lawrence
39:57did not shoot
39:57Nancy Howard
39:58he was not even there
40:00keep your eye
40:01on the ball
40:01they say there is
40:02no physical evidence
40:04linking Lawrence
40:04to the crime
40:05and say he was
40:06never identified
40:06in a photo lineup
40:08Lawrence is convicted
40:10and sentenced
40:11to 60 years
40:12in prison
40:12but an appeals court
40:15overturns the conviction
40:16and sends the case
40:18back for another trial
40:19in the appeal
40:21Lawrence's attorneys
40:23argued that
40:23at his 2015 trial
40:25there were
40:2634 witnesses called
40:2711,000 pages
40:29of documents introduced
40:31three bankers boxes
40:32of financial records
40:33presented
40:34and 115 exhibits
40:36included
40:36that all relate
40:38to the complicated
40:38murder for hire scheme
40:40going back three years
40:41but almost none of them
40:43are actually about
40:44Michael Lawrence
40:44Lawrence didn't get involved
40:46in the plot
40:47until a week
40:48before the shooting
40:49he didn't even know
40:50any of the other people
40:51and ironically
40:53he's the only one
40:54who never got paid
40:55to kill Nancy
40:56the appeals court agrees
40:59and much of the evidence
41:00presented at the first trial
41:02is excluded
41:03Nancy is philosophical
41:05about the turn of events
41:06you know everybody's entitled
41:09to justice
41:11and I don't want them
41:13to get the wrong man
41:14if they don't think
41:15if they don't think
41:17it's the right man
41:18I don't want them
41:19to get the wrong man
41:19but I am ready
41:21for it to be over with
41:22at the retrial
41:24Lawrence's attorneys
41:25point to the fact
41:26that Nancy
41:27could not identify
41:28her shooter
41:29even though
41:31Michael Speck
41:32testifies
41:33that the man
41:33he took with him
41:34to kill Nancy Howard
41:35was Michael Lawrence
41:36the defense leans heavily
41:38into the idea
41:39that it might have been
41:40Dustin instead
41:41it's the defense attorney's job
41:44to defend their client
41:45to the best of their ability
41:47one of their strategies
41:48may be to present
41:50alternative theories
41:51about the crime
41:52or point to possible
41:53alternate suspects
41:55the strategy proves
41:58effective
41:58in January 2019
42:02Lawrence is acquitted
42:04the jury finds
42:06that he was not
42:07the man who shot
42:08Nancy Howard
42:09the state continues
42:11to pursue their case
42:12against Lawrence
42:13for conspiracy
42:14to commit capital murder
42:15and in 2021
42:17he pleads guilty
42:19and receives
42:19a 10 year sentence
42:21we may never know
42:23who actually
42:24pulled the trigger
42:25in the attempted
42:26murder for hire
42:27of Nancy Howard
42:28but whoever it was
42:30they failed
42:31Nancy's long road
42:34to recovery
42:34isn't always smooth
42:36but her faith
42:37helps her find meaning
42:38in her ordeal
42:39I still feel
42:41some very deep hurt
42:43but if I
42:45if I wasn't able
42:46to forgive
42:47bitterness
42:48would just take over
42:50and my life
42:51would be controlled
42:52by that bitterness
42:53by that anger
42:55by that rage
42:56she says God
42:59didn't spare her life
43:00to be angry
43:01but to turn her pain
43:02into purpose
43:03to tell her story
43:04of survival
43:05to help other
43:06hurting women
43:06in the end
43:11Frank Howard
43:12dug himself
43:12into a hole
43:13and then
43:14for three long years
43:16just kept on digging
43:18there's always a better way
43:20to solve your problems
43:21a hitman
43:22is never the answer
43:23even if you have
43:25one million dollars
43:26of someone else's money
43:27to spend
43:28time
43:28time
43:28he's not
43:30in a hole
43:32but he's not
43:33no
43:34she's not
43:35at the end
43:36so
43:36she doesn't
43:37have
43:38to give
43:38her
43:39other
43:40she doesn't
43:41know
43:42and
43:42she doesn't
43:43have
43:43to be
43:44another
43:44she doesn't
43:44have
43:44to be
43:45never
43:46but
43:46she doesn't
43:47know
43:47help
43:48she doesn't
43:49have
43:50have
43:50but
43:51she doesn't
43:51have
43:52to be
43:53her
43:53can
43:54you
43:55I
43:56can
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