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00:00Do-be-do-be
00:30He had altercations, and he stabbed himself.
00:33I know you first said that you thought he had a heart attack.
00:37So do you think it was a heart attack,
00:38or do you think it was due to the stabbing that he passed away?
00:45Um, probably the stabbing triggered it, I guess.
00:48I don't know.
00:49He would often say,
00:51everything will be okay as long as I hide the steak knives.
00:53Like, oh, my God.
00:55He didn't hide the steak knives.
00:57So I tried to...
01:00He was out of it. I think he was already...
01:02I was trying to give him mouth-to-mouth.
01:06In a weird way,
01:08it's a love story that most people wouldn't approve of,
01:12but it became a love story, a real love story.
01:15That's the biggest mistake Mike made in his life.
01:40And what time do you think you all had this altercation,
01:43and you stabbed himself?
01:45I think it started around 10.30.
01:49He was actually choking me and trying to suffocate me first.
01:51I actually went for the knife,
01:54and he was screaming about,
01:56what are you gonna do?
01:57What are you gonna do?
01:58What are you gonna stab me?
01:59He grabbed it.
02:01And that's when he did it.
02:02He made a motion, and I ran out of the room.
02:04I was scared to death.
02:06So you say around 10.30 p.m.?
02:10I think...
02:11Is there a reason why you didn't call last night?
02:14And I was really afraid,
02:15and I didn't think anybody would believe me.
02:17And I was just trying to get him to wake up,
02:19and then I tried to help him.
02:23And I woke up sitting up next to him.
02:26Uh-huh.
02:27And I've been trying to figure out what to do.
02:29That's the voice of Daniel Redlich calling 911 Dispatch,
02:32describing the shocking death of her husband,
02:35Michael Redlich, in their own kitchen.
02:37The question is, was this a murder?
02:40Was it a suicide?
02:41Is this a case of self-defense?
02:43All of that is very scary.
02:45But it turns out the couple's marriage
02:47actually started out happily.
02:49Redlich was a romanticist and a good guy.
02:53So he'd come to the golf course and say,
02:55I think I'm in love with this woman, Kathleen,
02:59but she's dying of cancer.
03:01I'm like, oh, that's too bad.
03:03Sorry to hear that.
03:04Yeah, but I think I'm gonna marry her.
03:06You're gonna marry her?
03:07Yeah, the benefits that she has are terrible,
03:11and with my benefits, she's gonna have better treatment,
03:15better care, and we might even be able
03:17to extend her life for a little bit.
03:20And that's why he...
03:24That's why he...
03:25Hang on a second.
03:27That's why he married Kathleen.
03:31One of the big reasons, I'm sure they were in love,
03:33but he was all about helping her out.
03:38Sadly, after only a few short years,
03:40Kathleen eventually lost her battle with cancer.
03:43After Kathleen passed away,
03:46Mike was basically providing for two of Kathleen's kids,
03:50Danielle, and her younger brother.
03:53So he wasn't gonna abandon the two of them,
03:56and he was there to provide, and that he did.
04:00But then their relationship begins to deepen.
04:03And if you look at Danielle's background and family,
04:07pretty dysfunctional.
04:09So she sees this guy that basically was there for her mom
04:14because her original father was not provided for,
04:18and, you know, one thing led to another,
04:20and the next thing you know, they're falling in love.
04:23She found him somewhat exciting.
04:25You know, he was 20 years her senior,
04:27certainly had more financial resources,
04:29and it sounds like he was able to take her out
04:32and do different things with her.
04:34He would say things like,
04:35I'm gonna go out of my way to try to keep her happy.
04:41Danielle told everyone that Mike was her best friend
04:45and what a romanticist,
04:48and talked about the love letters
04:49and talked about all the things that he had done for her.
04:55Then the stepdad and stepdaughter
04:58go one step further and tie the knot.
05:01At the time they wed, Danielle was about 30,
05:03and Michael around 50.
05:05One of the most intriguing parts of this case,
05:07the fact that Danielle and Michael
05:09used to be stepdaughter and father,
05:13and that turned into a romantic relationship.
05:16So you don't often see a relationship
05:18go from stepfather to a husband,
05:23but that's what happened here.
05:25We warned them against it.
05:26Like, what are you thinking?
05:28In a weird way, it's a love story
05:31that most people wouldn't approve of,
05:33but it became a love story,
05:36a real love story.
05:38They're married for 15 years,
05:40and even have two children in their unusual union.
05:44So how did this unlikely love story
05:46end with Michael lying dead on the kitchen floor?
05:51Obviously, police have questions.
05:52So they pay a visit to Danielle in the hospital.
05:54This is where she's being treated for cuts and bruises.
05:58We just kind of want to get some type of information
06:01as to what happened.
06:03If you're willing to talk to us, that'd be good.
06:07I'm perfectly willing to say what happened.
06:09I can tell you the Thursday,
06:14my husband was very belligerent and distraught.
06:17We had had some issues,
06:21and last year he basically cheated on me,
06:24and it was a big, long, drownout thing.
06:27Danielle says that Mike's alleged affair was so devastating
06:32that the two separated for a while.
06:35We finally came around to living together again
06:38and possibly trying to work it through,
06:40but I think that really wasn't happening.
06:43And in my mind,
06:46it was inevitably going to probably separate again.
06:52Michael Redlich was an executive for various sports teams,
06:56so he had a prominent job, doing well, making good money.
07:01And it also meant that he traveled quite a bit,
07:05and so that led to allegations of cheating,
07:07and there were also allegations of verbal and physical abuse.
07:12That's where things began to go somewhat awry.
07:15In the marriage, she complained that he was both physically
07:20and emotionally abusive.
07:24She had previously filed a police report against Michael
07:27for domestic abuse,
07:29and because of that, it led Karinas to her claim later
07:32that she was in fear of her life,
07:34and then Michael was at it again.
07:36Danielle describes what happened
07:38the day before her stepfather-turned-husband
07:42allegedly attacked her.
07:44So Thursday, he was following me around the house,
07:48and I was trying not to engage.
07:49I locked myself in the bathroom.
07:51He broke the door open.
07:52He was scaring me.
07:53So I decided to leave, and he was drinking heavily.
07:56My daughter poured out his vodka,
07:58and I said, you know, you may not pour that.
08:00You may not want to pour all that out
08:01because I need him to pass out
08:03so I can come home at some point.
08:04I ended up leaving the home to avoid anything,
08:10you know, any kind of distress in front of the kids.
08:14He was belligerent, but he wasn't being physically harmful to the kids.
08:19But my son had texted me at that point and said, you know, Dad has passed out.
08:26So I came home and I went upstairs to sleep for the night.
08:30When police talk with their children, it's clear their parents' arguments are no secret.
08:34Daughter Jaden is just 15 years old, and even she knows all the ins and outs of their sordid affairs.
08:41My parents used to be separated.
08:43They're obviously not divorced, but as like a family, we've been through a lot this past year.
08:48I know they were kind of in a heated argument this week about something.
08:54You said that it had been like this whole year you guys have been going through a lot.
08:59Yeah.
09:00Last year, my dad met this woman and my parents were separated at that time.
09:05And that was when they were saying, okay, we're going to get a divorce.
09:08And my mom like was really hurt by that.
09:12My dad moved out in April of last year, and he moved back in in, I think, late October.
09:20They have always had like an off and on relationship for like, I think the past five or six years.
09:26It's interesting for someone so young that's getting information from both parties.
09:31Clearly, the father communicated to her that he didn't necessarily get along with his mother,
09:35and the mother was communicating to her that she didn't necessarily get along with her father.
09:39So she was kind of stuck in the middle.
09:42Well, at first, the relationship was fine.
09:45But then over time, there were allegations of controlling behaviors and that he had a drinking problem.
09:51In this complicated relationship, Mike's friend claims Danielle was as fond of alcohol as Mike.
09:57I'm not a rocket scientist, but wait a minute.
10:00There's eight empty bottles of wine in the garbage.
10:04Mike didn't like wine.
10:06So those bottles got empty by somebody other than Mike.
10:11I can tell you for a fact that with Danielle's drinking problems,
10:16he must have been going to some meetings with Al-Anon or something like that
10:20to learn how to cope, you know, with her drinking.
10:24And along the way, he met a woman who was dealing with a similar situation.
10:32They became friends.
10:35Friends.
10:36We would push him to like, Mike, you sure this is only a friendship?
10:40Yes, this is only a friendship.
10:42But Danielle is certain her husband is cheating on her.
10:45And she claims she can prove it.
10:48Big, long shot out thing.
10:50And I found a slew of emails of him carrying on with another woman.
10:54And it just crushed me.
10:56Police have a lot of questions in this, he said, she said, love story gone wrong.
11:02So they interview the couple's neighbors.
11:04Did they see anything suspicious?
11:06Did they overhear something that could maybe explain how things got out of control?
11:12The neighbors don't disappoint.
11:14In fact, they put a whole new spin on the story.
11:17From what I understand, you live directly across the street from the red lights.
11:22Correct.
11:22But we're just asking, like, if you knew them or if you've seen anything or how they were or anything
11:31like that.
11:31The whole neighborhood knows that they fought.
11:33Urbally, at least.
11:35Physically, out in front of the house.
11:37We are very aware of the fickering and fighting and that type of thing.
11:42And that's been going on since they moved in.
11:45So when you say, like, fickering and fighting, can you describe it to me?
11:49I didn't see any altercation with hitting, but my wife has also on occasion.
11:54Okay.
11:55Her hitting him.
11:56Any issues in their marriage over the past couple years?
12:01I think there was infidelity.
12:03Did Michael share that with you?
12:05Daniel?
12:06Mm-hmm.
12:06Okay.
12:07And do you know when she shared that with you?
12:11Probably four or five months ago.
12:13Okay.
12:14Okay.
12:14So have you ever seen them arguing?
12:17I've argued funny a ton.
12:19Okay.
12:20And verbal or physical?
12:22Both.
12:23Okay.
12:23It wasn't on his part.
12:25So she's initiated it or she's been yelling?
12:30Mm-hmm.
12:30Okay.
12:31When it's physical, what have you seen?
12:35They're slapping him around in the face.
12:36Some of us saw some dangers there.
12:41If you would have asked me six years ago, did I have any friends whose spouse were capable
12:50of killing them?
12:51I'd say only one, and that would be Danielle.
12:59When you hear them fighting outside, did you ever hear the nature of what they were arguing
13:03about or just kind of little bits and pieces?
13:06I think a couple of times she'd scream, get out of here or that type of thing.
13:11There are two people that were not getting along.
13:14The relationship started off in a very strange manner.
13:19And they probably should have never been together in the first place.
13:23It seems these arguments were even more serious than the neighbors even knew.
13:28The previous year, Michael actually called 911 on Danielle.
13:34911, do you need police, fire, medical?
13:36We need a car here.
13:37There's a woman at the danger to herself and to others right now.
13:40A gentleman at the danger to our car.
13:42I'm sorry.
13:43My sense on calling 911 was to show her that, look, I'm not going to abuse you.
13:51I'm not going to hit you, but I've had it.
13:55I'm calling 911 on you.
13:58And, you know, if 911 comes to the house, finds out that she's drunk,
14:02then maybe we go to counseling and we get some real work done to improve the situation.
14:30You can see in a domestic situation where someone is looking at their wife, acting crazily, that they would call
14:38police.
14:38And because they didn't know what her intentions were, that they wouldn't ask police to come over right away.
14:45And said he would call them back.
14:46But he never did.
14:48This was not Danielle's first brush with the law.
14:51She actually was previously charged with getting into an altercation with a couple of deputies.
14:59She was even accused of biting one of the deputies.
15:03Police returned to the red-lipped children to learn more about their parents' bizarre behavior.
15:09Eleven-year-old Sawyer is very forthcoming.
15:14Have they ever gotten into arguments that you actually saw them, like, physically fighting?
15:21Yes.
15:21Cratching.
15:22Okay.
15:22Who would scratch who?
15:25Or, I guess my mom and my dad would push away.
15:29The one time that I saw, like, a mark on my dad's face was because, you know, they were arguing
15:34and my mom had a ring on.
15:36Jayden, the entire time, blamed her mom for being the instigator.
15:39That if there was any violence between them, it was her mother, Danielle, who instigated it.
15:45And it's rare for a daughter to point the finger at her mother for being the violent one.
15:50But that's what happened here.
15:52Has he ever, um, hit her or left any marks on her?
15:58Um, I think so.
15:59I remember just my mom saying my dad pushed her.
16:02Do you think the push was in self-defense because she was coming at him or pushed because he was
16:07upset at her?
16:09Maybe both.
16:10Detectives leave no stone unturned, no matter how personal.
16:15Did, um, did they sleep in the same bedroom?
16:18No.
16:19I don't think they did on Thursday.
16:21Okay, but...
16:22They don't usually.
16:23Some nights, they do.
16:25But other nights, they don't.
16:26We started struggling about five years or so.
16:29And we started getting some medical problems and...
16:33ED and then...
16:36Nothing like the mail email.
16:38Now we're this.
16:40It's a mental shock.
16:43When police continue to ask the kids about the night before the stabbing,
16:48suddenly, a whole new story begins to emerge.
16:53When you, when you got home, was mom and dad there?
16:56Was it just mom?
16:57Um, I think they were both there, yes.
16:59They were both there?
17:00Um, anything out of the ordinary between the two?
17:03I mean, I think that, yeah, they were still a little mad at each other.
17:07I think they were, there was some tension between them.
17:11I see the anger.
17:13Um, who appeared angry?
17:16My dad.
17:17Was he drinking on Thursday?
17:19Um, yeah, towards, as the night went on, he was drinking.
17:24Okay.
17:24And your mom stayed there at the house?
17:27Mm-hmm.
17:27I think so.
17:28Okay.
17:28And was there anything that you noticed?
17:31Um, like, could you hear them arguing or...?
17:35Um, well, my family's, we're all pretty loud, so I did hear them arguing.
17:41All right.
17:41Yeah.
17:42Can you tell, like, what they were saying?
17:46My dad was just, like, he was, he was accusing her of, like, talking to, like, several different men.
17:51Okay.
17:51And he was, like, saying, oh, are you gonna go on a date or something?
17:57This is the first time police heard an accusation that Danielle was cheating on Michael.
18:04I really don't want to say this, but okay.
18:07Um, so I don't know if this is true or not, but apparently there's been some text messages between
18:15my mom and another person because they were not at a good state at that point.
18:19Mm-hmm.
18:20And in 2017, my dad had texted, on my birthday, had texted another person.
18:27He, your, oh, wait, your dad had...
18:29So they both had done something, but I don't know if that's true or not.
18:31Okay, so your dad at one point had texted somebody else, meaning, like, another female.
18:35Mm-hmm.
18:35And then, so he was upset because your mom might have been texting another male.
18:41Just this past, he found out a couple days ago.
18:45Did Danielle decide turnabout was fair play, or was she just enjoying the attention of a
18:50secret admirer?
18:52I don't really know how he figured out that someone was texting her.
18:58She had, like, an app on her phone, not a dating app.
19:02She told me it was for, like, work or something, because she's trying to get back into work,
19:06because she hasn't had a job in a while.
19:09And some random guy was, like, flirting with her or something, but she didn't respond,
19:14and my dad saw that, and I think that's what caused, like, an argument.
19:18Do you know what it said, or did your mom show you with that?
19:21She only showed me one, and he just said, it was him texting her, and he just said, like,
19:26oh, like, I'd love to meet you and discuss some stuff.
19:28And he was like, you look great in your profile photo.
19:31So he was just flirting with my mom.
19:33But my mom wouldn't.
19:35She told me, I have a really close relationship with my mom.
19:39She told me that she didn't have anything going on with this guy or anything.
19:43And so there were just other things that had happened that I felt, you know, okay talking to this gentleman.
19:51The texts are hardly in my phone.
19:55Um, anyway, he found a text from another man to me.
20:00That really angered him.
20:03Sounds like he was somewhat jealous, um, and that she also was interested in other men.
20:10She would fear the fact that he would find these messages, no matter whether she sent them or received them.
20:17Obviously, this was a source of tension between her and her husband.
20:21At some point, she, uh, even deleted messages off of her phone.
20:27These messages, uh, certainly did not help her.
20:32You had a verbal and physical abuse being alleged.
20:35You had cheating being alleged.
20:37So you had all this and a combustible mix that led to the tragedy that ensued.
20:48Just a little bit of a call.
20:53Just a little bit.
20:54Just a little bit.
20:55Just a little bit.
20:55So police pushed Danielle to share more about her texting trust that got her husband,
20:59two decades of senior, so riled up.
21:03Do you feel comfortable sharing his name, the other man?
21:08You said there might be text messages?
21:11Yeah, um, Cesar.
21:15And I don't know his last name.
21:17I met him online.
21:18We haven't even met in person.
21:19It was just something that was being complimentary
21:23and basically asked me out.
21:29I'm getting excuses to not go.
21:33Detectives turned Danielle's attention
21:35back to that fateful Friday
21:37and the hours before Michael died.
21:40He continued on his day Friday to work,
21:44and I continued my day.
21:45I got some snide texts from him during the day.
21:49We attended our son's football game together that evening,
21:54and it was after the football game where things,
21:56once again, he came, he poured himself a drink,
21:59and a really heavy, um,
22:03and it just started from there.
22:04So the kids went to stay with friends after the game,
22:08leaving Danielle and Mike together alone.
22:12This is a toxic situation
22:14where you have two angry people
22:16accusing each other of adultery.
22:34Danielle claims Michael attacked her first that night,
22:36furious over the text messages between her and her secret flame.
22:40But what happens next actually doesn't make her look so innocent.
22:45Michael was stabbed once in the shoulder.
22:48It was originally a bloody crime scene,
22:49but when investigators walked into the house,
22:52they smelled disinfectant, bleach.
22:54It was clear that the husband had, uh, bled out.
22:58There was evidence that she even, uh, attempted to clean up.
23:01By the time they arrived and the fact that the wounds had dried,
23:07it led the investigators to believe or know
23:11that this crime had taken place
23:14hours prior to her calling 911.
23:19She also said that she tried to save Michael's life,
23:24giving him CPR and passed out
23:25because of her Herculean efforts.
23:28And then she tried CPR
23:31and couldn't find her phone to call 911.
23:35Hmm.
23:38I think that's somebody dancing.
23:40Dancing and just changing the story
23:43as much as she could.
23:46When police examined Danielle's phone,
23:48turns out she did have it on her when Mike was dying.
23:53You had her surfing the web for new dates
23:56at a dating app when Michael was dying in the other room.
24:00And he said it to me on several occasions,
24:03everything will be okay as long as I hide the steak knives.
24:07I was driving from Charlotte up to Cleveland,
24:11got a call from a good friend of mine
24:13that let me know what happened.
24:16They said he was found dead.
24:18I was in shock,
24:20but at the same time, I wasn't surprised.
24:22Like, oh, my God.
24:26He didn't hide the steak knives.
24:37Danielle may be finished talking with police,
24:39but they're just getting started with her.
24:40Once she's home from the hospital,
24:42they pay her a visit with a search warrant in hand.
24:47Can you get the kids away, Dad?
24:49Please.
24:49Yes, yes.
24:50Just get the kids.
24:51Danielle, I just want to talk to you, okay?
24:53Right now, you're not under arrest,
24:55but we just secured you for our safety.
24:58We do have a search warrant for your house,
25:01and I also have a search warrant for your DNA.
25:04Danielle seems shocked at the reason
25:07that investigators want her DNA.
25:12There is probable cause to believe
25:15that certain evidence
25:16to what two buccal swabs,
25:19saliva standards from Danielle Justine Redlich,
25:22which is believed to be evidence relevant
25:24to proving that a felony crime
25:26has been committed
25:27to what death investigation,
25:30second-degree murder,
25:31are located in the person.
25:33You're saying the saliva,
25:34when I tried to,
25:35when there was resuscitation done,
25:37that that's second-degree murder?
25:39No, I'm collecting saliva standards from you.
25:43Because of the resuscitation?
25:46Because of other evidence
25:47that we have collected.
25:49So you're saying that once this DNA
25:51is confirmed as mine,
25:52I'm being charged with second-degree murder?
25:54Is that what I'm hearing?
25:55That's not what I'm saying.
25:57I'm saying I'm collecting this
26:01to be tested.
26:02From what we collected from the house,
26:03we need to be able to differentiate
26:06your DNA from your husband's.
26:08DNA.
26:10And that's when Danielle
26:11starts getting defiant.
26:14What are you guys looking for?
26:15I don't understand this.
26:18I'll tell you what freaking happened.
26:19I don't understand.
26:20What are you looking for?
26:21Can you tell me what they're looking for?
26:23I might be able to help.
26:28Is that a no?
26:30We also have a search warrant
26:32to collect any other evidence
26:35that we think is necessary.
26:39I'm trying to charge you this.
26:41I did not murder my husband.
26:43Please, I don't understand this.
26:45This is a tragedy.
26:45I can't believe it.
26:48Did Danielle kill Michael in cold blood,
26:51wanting to be free of a husband
26:5420 years her senior?
26:55Was she a woman scorned,
26:57fed up by her husband's cheating?
26:58Or did she stab him in self-defense
27:02as she claims?
27:04Whatever the reason for Michael's death,
27:07about a week later,
27:08police arrest Danielle.
27:19So Danielle was charged
27:21with second-degree murder,
27:22which doesn't require premeditation.
27:25It could just be that
27:27she killed someone
27:29with a depraved mind,
27:31but didn't necessarily plan it in advance.
27:45Danielle is locked up
27:47as she awaits trial,
27:48and this is when the lawyers
27:49start building the case.
27:51So detectives focus on the 11 hours
27:53where Danielle said
27:55that she was hiding in the bathroom
27:56because she was in fear of her life.
27:59Meanwhile, in those 11 hours,
28:00she was cleaning up the crime scene.
28:03Plus, it was especially salacious
28:05that she was on dating sites
28:07while Michael lay dying.
28:09That's the kind of stuff
28:10that makes headlines
28:11and will stick in a juror's mind
28:12to show that someone has a cold
28:14and depraved heart.
28:16The timing of this 911 call
28:19doesn't look very good
28:20for Danielle Redlich.
28:22Did you just find him?
28:24No, actually.
28:26It happened last night.
28:27Did you see him last night?
28:28Was he okay, or was...
28:30He was not okay last night.
28:32We had...
28:32We had altercations.
28:34What is interesting, of course,
28:36is that she waited 11 hours
28:38to, uh, to call, uh, the police.
28:42Is there a reason
28:43why you didn't call last night?
28:45I'm on probation,
28:46and I'm really afraid,
28:47and I didn't think
28:48anybody would believe me.
28:50Her initial story
28:51was that he killed himself.
28:54Okay, so if your husband
28:56kills himself,
28:57why wouldn't you call 911
28:59right away?
29:01Why would you tamper
29:02with evidence?
29:04Why wouldn't you call EMS
29:05and see what you could do
29:07to save him?
29:09Only after he was dead
29:11did she finally call 911.
29:13Of course, it was less about
29:14trying to help Michael
29:16than to try to help herself,
29:18because she had also
29:19given herself some
29:20self-inflicted knife wounds.
29:22She did all types
29:24of odd, uh, behavior.
29:26But it's...
29:26I just want to point out
29:27that it's not
29:28absolutely dispositive,
29:29because we all
29:30react differently.
29:32Uh, taking of a human life
29:34is one of the most
29:35traumatic events
29:36that one can engage in,
29:39and it's very difficult
29:40to know what normal behavior is.
29:42That being said,
29:43of course it would raise eyebrows
29:44that someone would wait,
29:46uh, 11 hours
29:47to call the authorities
29:48and to attempt
29:49to cover the crime,
29:51uh, uh,
29:52in the course
29:53of that time.
29:54So, kind of a mixed bag here.
29:58And when you add
29:59everything together,
29:59prosecutors decided
30:00they had enough.
30:01It was a circumstantial case,
30:03but the circumstantial evidence
30:04seemed pretty strong.
30:06Most of us thought,
30:08you know,
30:08this is an airtight case,
30:11um, and she's gonna
30:12be found guilty.
30:13If anything,
30:15maybe they let her plead out
30:16to a lesser degree.
30:18And they, that offer
30:19was on the table.
30:23I told you that
30:24I had the plea offer, right?
30:26Mm-hmm.
30:27Well, it was,
30:29basically they dropped
30:30the charge to,
30:31to manslaughter
30:3210 years.
30:34According to, you know,
30:35my lawyers,
30:35it was, uh,
30:38a good offer.
30:39But Danielle decides
30:40to throw the dice.
30:42Danielle made the decision
30:43to decline the manslaughter deal
30:45where she would have served
30:4610 years in prison.
30:52There's some evidence
30:53they keep getting,
30:54but it's,
30:54I saw it.
30:55It's just stuff
30:56they took out of his desk
30:57when he was writing down stuff
30:58about when I was,
30:59had filed for divorce.
31:00Michael was so angry,
31:01he was keeping a log of stuff.
31:04Like, you know,
31:04he was just being vindictive.
31:05Like, oh, today,
31:06Danielle did this.
31:08And it's like,
31:09all this stuff
31:10this asshole did to me,
31:12I better not share too much.
31:14But there's something
31:14really bad about him
31:15that he did
31:16when he was younger.
31:17And, um,
31:18they're trying to keep
31:19all that out.
31:21She obviously thought
31:22she could convince a jury
31:24that she believed
31:25she was in fear of her life.
31:26She could use
31:27Michael's past
31:28against him.
31:30Then he got all
31:31these hearsay stuff
31:32about people they were talking,
31:33you know,
31:33he was talking to at work
31:34that don't even know me.
31:35Oh, well,
31:36Danielle had problems.
31:37Meanwhile,
31:37this son of a bitch
31:38is drinking his ass off,
31:40fucking hitting,
31:41smacking me around,
31:42smacking the kids around too.
31:43Talk, you know,
31:44go at it with me.
31:45A lot of people
31:45aren't stepping forward
31:46and they didn't,
31:47because they didn't see anything.
31:47No one sees the abuse.
31:48You know,
31:48I was mentally abused,
31:50like, psychologically.
31:51I'm not kidding you.
31:52Sexually,
31:53I mean,
31:55he,
31:57oh, boy,
31:58he was a fucking mastermind.
31:59Keep in mind
32:00that when,
32:02even when one
32:02pleads self-defense,
32:04they are not claiming
32:05that they did not
32:06kill someone.
32:07They are merely saying
32:09I am not criminally liable
32:10because I had to
32:12kill this person
32:13in order to save my life.
32:15But will a self-defense strategy
32:17even work for Danielle?
32:19If it is self-defense,
32:21you don't wait hours
32:22until you call 911.
32:24You report it right away.
32:25You don't have changing stories
32:27and you don't go on dating sites
32:29while the person
32:31you just stabbed
32:32is slowly dying.
32:33They had another stupid charge
32:34in there for tampering
32:35because there was so much
32:37blood when I was trying to,
32:40anyway,
32:41without saying a lot,
32:43I was slipping on it
32:44so I used a towel
32:45so they were saying,
32:46you know,
32:46that kind of thing
32:47could be tampering.
32:47So that's kind of BS.
32:49The max for that
32:49is five years alone.
32:51When you walk
32:52into a crime scene
32:53and you smell bleach,
32:55generally that's tampering
32:56with the evidence.
32:57The bigger question is
32:58would they get her
32:59for murder?
33:02They did a hell of a job
33:03banging up some evidence.
33:04A lot of the tears say
33:05a neighbor saw me
33:06hit him on the outside
33:07one time.
33:08If I go to trial,
33:09I could definitely lose
33:10or I could win.
33:12To put a mother
33:13of Marques in jail
33:14after her husband died,
33:16it's fabulous.
33:17It's really good
33:17great karma for you guys.
33:21I mean,
33:21I know you're doing your job
33:22but at the same time,
33:25I have had no chance
33:26for defense or anything.
33:30In June 2022,
33:32prosecutors bring
33:33Danielle Redlich's case
33:34before a jury.
33:35She's charged
33:35with second degree murder
33:36and tampering with evidence.
33:38And I will tell you,
33:39up until this point,
33:40we really didn't have
33:42a clear understanding
33:43of what happened
33:45in that house that night.
33:47But at trial,
33:48that is when those details
33:50come to light.
33:51Danielle Redlich maintains
33:55she did not kill
33:57her husband.
34:00Why?
34:01Why does Ms. Redlich say
34:04after 11 hours
34:06in that home
34:08with that dead man
34:09that she thinks
34:11that he died
34:11of a heart attack?
34:12This defendant
34:13did everything she could
34:15to avoid responsibility
34:17for her actions.
34:18The evidence will show
34:20that she engages
34:22in a significant
34:24but failed attempt
34:25to clean up the scene.
34:28Danielle's alibi
34:29never made any sense.
34:30She only claimed
34:32self-defense at the end
34:33after she first said
34:34that Michael had
34:36a heart attack
34:36or that Michael
34:38stabbed himself,
34:39which is really bizarre.
34:41Based on all the information
34:42that you had
34:43from the 911 call,
34:45your conversation
34:46with Ms. Redlich,
34:47did you believe her
34:48to be claiming
34:49that Mr. Redlich
34:50basically brought about
34:51his own death?
34:52Yes.
34:53Did the autopsy
34:56results as shared
34:57to you by the medical examiner
34:59give you reason
34:59to believe that
35:00that was not true?
35:01Yes.
35:02Danielle kept changing
35:04her story.
35:04How can you dispute
35:06the fact that
35:06you had someone
35:07who claimed to be
35:08a victim of domestic violence,
35:09who claimed to be
35:10acting in self-defense,
35:11who then didn't
35:12claim self-defense?
35:14Did you actually
35:15locate some evidence?
35:16Yes, I did.
35:17And what evidence
35:18did you actually locate?
35:20Uh, we located,
35:22uh, there was towels
35:24that were piled up
35:26next to the stair.
35:27There was a mop
35:29that had blood on it
35:30and a bucket
35:31full of, like,
35:32pink liquid
35:32that was on
35:34by the stairs.
35:35There was also knives.
35:37There was a knife
35:38in the doorway,
35:40knives in the kitchen sink,
35:42and there was a shirt
35:45that,
35:48it was like a
35:49black Nike shirt
35:50that had a
35:51cut in it.
35:53I think the prosecution
35:54relied more
35:55on the physical evidence
35:57of her manipulation
35:57of the crime scene
35:58than anything else.
36:00Now, prosecutors
36:01also try to show
36:02evidence of infidelity
36:03in the marriage,
36:04and one of the things
36:04they highlight
36:05is from months before
36:06this email
36:08that was sent
36:08from Danielle
36:09to Michael
36:10that is especially chilling.
36:12I know I'm bitter
36:14at times, I admit,
36:15but you have
36:16a lot of nerve as well.
36:18Although my words
36:19may be cutting,
36:20they are only sounds.
36:21A dull knife
36:22compared to the sharp,
36:24disloyal, deceiving,
36:25phony,
36:26and never-ending,
36:27selfish knife
36:28you continue
36:28to twist in my back,
36:30as if it's a sport
36:31at this point.
36:32Of course,
36:33someone would be
36:34messed up,
36:35traumatized,
36:35and may act out.
36:37She used
36:38a large knife
36:39to stab
36:40Michael to death,
36:41who then slowly
36:42bled out
36:43for the next 11 hours.
36:44It looked like someone
36:45who wanted
36:46Michael dead
36:47and was trying
36:48to hide her tracks.
36:51Then it comes time
36:52for Danielle's lawyers
36:53to convince this jury
36:55that she killed
36:56Michael
36:56in self-defense.
36:58So if I'm
36:59the defense attorney,
37:00I'm going to paint
37:00this story
37:01about this guy
37:02that married
37:02a stepdaughter.
37:04We're going to make him
37:05look like a predator
37:06that was abusive.
37:08Of January 11,
37:102019,
37:11someone was
37:12very, very angry.
37:15This someone
37:16started to physically
37:19attack their spouse.
37:21They had rage.
37:23They were choking
37:25their spouse,
37:26smothering their spouse.
37:29That someone
37:30was Michael Redlich.
37:32And Danielle Redlich
37:34had no choice
37:35but to defend herself
37:37because she was afraid
37:38she was going to die.
37:40The other argument
37:41for self-defense
37:42is that she stabbed
37:44Michael in the shoulder.
37:45It wasn't a kill shot.
37:48What you would normally
37:49think of as an attempt
37:51to murder someone
37:52would be in the heart.
37:53Danielle Redlich
37:54did stab Michael Redlich.
37:57And you're going to hear
37:58how she reacted
37:59in that shock,
38:01in that confusion,
38:02and in that despair.
38:04Danielle Redlich knew
38:05and recognized
38:07that the danger
38:08that she was facing
38:10that night
38:11was different
38:12than the other incidents
38:14of abuse
38:14that had happened
38:16throughout their marriage.
38:17You can see why jurors
38:19could buy the story
38:20that she acted
38:21in self-defense
38:21because she had
38:23a prior complaint
38:24of domestic violence
38:26against Michael.
38:26And then comes
38:27the moment of truth,
38:28or at least Danielle's truth.
38:30She takes the stand
38:31and tells the jury
38:32her version of events
38:33the night that Michael died.
38:35Ms. Redlich,
38:36on January 11th, 2019,
38:38did you stab your husband?
38:40I did.
38:42Yes.
38:43So she got to
38:44take the stand
38:45in her own defense,
38:46and it was no one there
38:48to defend Michael
38:50because Michael's dead.
38:51When you have two people
38:53involved in a crime
38:54and one of them is dead,
38:55the dead man tells no tales.
38:57And the only witness
38:59is the survivor,
39:00and Danielle was
39:01the survivor here.
39:09He was suffocating me.
39:10I couldn't breathe,
39:11and he had me pinned down.
39:12I was scared,
39:14and, um,
39:16you know,
39:16I was just in fear
39:17for my life.
39:18He had thought he snapped,
39:19and I could die.
39:20Did you have any choice
39:21about to use a weapon
39:22to get away?
39:23No.
39:24How many times
39:25did you stab him?
39:26Once.
39:28She is painting a story
39:32that isn't true.
39:34She's using her manipulation
39:37to try to convince the jury
39:39that she's the victim.
39:45Um, I walk,
39:47going to walk through the kitchen,
39:48and I'm turning to throw
39:50the bag of food
39:50onto the, um,
39:51center island,
39:52and that's when he,
39:53he comes up behind me
39:55and grabs me,
39:56just shifts,
39:57and to the left,
39:58and I trip up on my feet,
39:59and I fall to the ground,
40:02and then I hear,
40:04I feel something hit me
40:05in the back of the head.
40:06Yeah.
40:07At that point,
40:08I grab the center island,
40:09and I reach up
40:10to pull myself up
40:11to face him
40:13this way,
40:15and, um,
40:16that's when he takes
40:17his right hand,
40:18so he grabs me here
40:19and slams me down
40:20onto the center island counter.
40:23You know,
40:24there were times
40:25where you say,
40:25Mike, now,
40:26you've never hit her
40:27when she starts
40:28going off the wall.
40:30His response was,
40:31I just put my hands up
40:33for self-defense.
40:35But Danielle
40:36tells a different story.
40:38I remember I made
40:39an offensive comment,
40:40which I wouldn't make today,
40:41and he backhanded me
40:43in the face
40:44and mouth,
40:44and my mouth
40:46started bleeding
40:47and my nose
40:47started bleeding.
40:48So that's
40:48the first time
40:49that there was some
40:50felony?
40:51Yes,
40:51that was the first time
40:52he, yes.
40:53But she claims
40:54there were other times
40:55Michael hit her,
40:56and then, of course,
40:57there was the night
40:58of the stabbing.
40:59He called me a bitch,
41:02and he had my,
41:04he had his hand,
41:04he was holding my head
41:06down on the counter.
41:08I'm just pinned up
41:09against the counter
41:10like this,
41:10and he's straddling
41:12my body here
41:12and has me pinned.
41:14I've got a free arm here,
41:16and the drawer
41:17in front of me
41:18is the only thing
41:19I can do,
41:19use my free arm
41:20to push open the drawer.
41:23I think he was just
41:25trying to hold her back,
41:27talk her down
41:28off the ledge,
41:29and she got
41:30carried away,
41:31and she killed him.
41:32Pulled the knife out,
41:33and I don't know
41:35if he saw it,
41:35but he released my head,
41:37said,
41:37where are you going
41:38to stab me?
41:39And I take the knife,
41:40and I position it
41:41and face it toward him.
41:43What does he do
41:44at that point?
41:45He immediately
41:46just goes to my chin
41:47and puts me back,
41:48and I stabbed him
41:49at that point.
41:50Prior to stabbing him
41:51with the knife,
41:51are you able
41:52to remove yourself?
41:53No.
41:54Are you able
41:54to wiggle free?
41:55No.
41:56Are you able
41:58to get out
41:58without using a weapon?
42:00No, I was trying.
42:01What are you trying
42:02to do?
42:03What is your goal
42:03here in your mind?
42:05To get away from him.
42:07Why?
42:08If you don't do that,
42:10what is your belief
42:11that will happen?
42:12That he might
42:13smother me to death.
42:14I think that Danielle
42:15was the best witness
42:17for the defense
42:17in this case.
42:18She advocated
42:19for herself.
42:20Now,
42:21in cross-examination,
42:22prosecutors go
42:23after Danielle's story.
42:24They contend
42:25she's lying,
42:26and the real goal
42:27here was to get rid
42:29of a cheating husband
42:30that was two decades
42:31her senior.
42:32A life without
42:33Michael Redlich
42:34was a life
42:35that you were
42:36looking forward
42:37to living.
42:41Well, a life
42:42at peace
42:44with Michael Redlich.
42:45But you wanted
42:46a life beyond
42:47Michael, correct?
42:49And especially
42:51if a defendant
42:52can stand up
42:53against cross-examination,
42:54I think it can really
42:55hurt the prosecution's case.
42:57So you stood
42:58in that home
42:59with the power
43:00to call for help,
43:02and you let your husband
43:03bleed to death
43:04on that floor.
43:06He had already
43:06bled to death.
43:07When I was doing
43:08the blowing
43:10into his mouth,
43:11I was wondering
43:11if I could recover
43:12him or something.
43:14I didn't...
43:15Which one is it?
43:16Is he dead,
43:16or you think
43:17it's possible to save him?
43:18Well, if he could
43:19be recovered,
43:19something would have
43:20to be done immediately.
43:21And so, yes,
43:22I thought perhaps
43:23I should do that.
43:26So in these fleeting
43:27moments you think
43:28Mr. Redlich can be saved,
43:29you choose not
43:30to save him.
43:35I wouldn't put it
43:36that way, no.
43:38You have your phone,
43:39yes?
43:40Yes.
43:41You know Mr. Redlich
43:43is dead on the floor,
43:44yes?
43:44Yes.
43:45And you do not
43:46call 911?
43:48No.
43:49She was no longer
43:50in fear
43:51of her safety
43:52when he was lying
43:53on the floor
43:54bleeding to death.
43:55And yet,
43:56she let him die
43:57while she was
43:58surfing the web
43:59looking for dates.
44:01Standing there,
44:03having
44:05mopped up
44:06all that blood,
44:08taking all these towels
44:11that are stuck
44:13in his bag
44:16and soaked them
44:18through
44:18with Michael's blood,
44:21you thought
44:22that it was possible
44:23he had died
44:24of a heart attack.
44:27I thought
44:27there was a possibility.
44:29You did not believe
44:30that your husband
44:31had a heart attack
44:31in this room.
44:33Actually, I did.
44:34Well, I was hoping, too.
44:36You were hoping?
44:36Not in the morbid sense
44:38that I wanted him dead,
44:39but...
44:39Because if you had
44:40a heart attack,
44:41you wouldn't have been
44:42responsible for his death.
44:43Yes.
44:45To an extent.
44:46Ms. Redlich,
44:47you are willing
44:48to make up
44:49specific and detailed lies
44:51when they serve
44:52your interests,
44:52are you not?
44:55Willing?
45:01I guess in this instance,
45:02I did do that, yes.
45:03The juries, I think,
45:05are rather sophisticated,
45:07and I think that she
45:08really helped herself
45:09by getting on the stand
45:10because it gave her,
45:11provided her
45:12with an opportunity
45:13to tell her story
45:15and to talk about
45:16the tumultuous relationship
45:18and to explain
45:20why she took
45:22all the actions
45:22that she did.
45:25Everybody thought
45:26it would be a layup.
45:27My understanding
45:28is that you have
45:29reached a verdict.
45:29Is that correct?
45:31Yes.
45:33Once this case
45:34goes to a jury,
45:35it takes them
45:36just four hours
45:38of deliberation
45:39to reach a verdict.
45:41Verdict as to count one,
45:42we the jury
45:43find the defendant
45:44not guilty.
45:45Verdict as to count two,
45:47we the jury
45:48find the defendant
45:49guilty of tampering
45:50with physical evidence.
45:52I was, um,
45:55I was sad.
45:57And I, in my opinion,
45:59justice wasn't served,
46:00and, um,
46:02I couldn't believe
46:03she got away with it.
46:05You have to respect
46:07jury decisions.
46:08These are 12 men and women
46:09that, uh, give up their time
46:11to do their civic duty.
46:12And I'm not in the habit
46:13of questioning
46:14a jury's decision.
46:16It's a very interesting decision.
46:18Uh, it's very interesting
46:19that all these things
46:20can occur
46:21and someone
46:22can clean up
46:23a crime scene
46:23after killing
46:24another person
46:25and be acquitted
46:27of murder.
46:28It's not something
46:29that we see
46:31often at all.
46:33I mean,
46:34it's a shocking twist,
46:35right?
46:35Danielle Redlich
46:36dodges a conviction
46:37of second-degree murder,
46:39and she's sentenced
46:40to less than a year
46:42in jail
46:42for tampering
46:43with evidence,
46:44but gets credit
46:44for time served.
46:46The jury decided
46:48not necessarily
46:48that she was innocent,
46:49but the jury decided
46:50that they didn't
46:51have enough evidence
46:51that she was a murderer
46:53beyond any reasonable doubt.
46:55So, in the end,
46:56she bet on herself
46:58and she won.
46:59I'm sure the prosecution
47:02is going to be
47:03constantly poring
47:04over this case
47:04and wondering
47:05where they went wrong
47:06because most prosecutors
47:08would assume,
47:09uh, not so much
47:10a slam dunk,
47:11but would assume
47:11that the facts,
47:13the evidence,
47:14uh, everything
47:16was in their favor
47:16and clearly it wasn't.
47:18Mike made one mistake.
47:21Wasn't being a good father,
47:22wasn't being a good husband,
47:24uh, wasn't being good
47:25to Danielle's mother.
47:27He married his stepdaughter,
47:28okay?
47:30Should have never
47:31have done it.
47:32We could go back in time
47:33and talk him out of it.
47:34I wish we had
47:35that opportunity.
47:38And with her jail
47:39sentence complete,
47:40Danielle Redlich
47:41is released from custody
47:43in June, 2022
47:44on 12 months probation.
47:48My focus is
47:49trying to be there
47:50for the kids.
47:51What would Mike
47:52want me to do?
47:53He'd want me to,
47:54you know,
47:55help take care of his kids.
47:57Thinking back
47:58of how much pride
48:00he had in both of them,
48:02he'd be bragging about
48:03the kids got an arm
48:05or how well Jaden
48:06was doing
48:07in school
48:08and, um,
48:10you know,
48:11very proud of his kids.
48:12He would come
48:13to our house
48:15for Thanksgiving
48:15or Christmas.
48:16So he,
48:17and the way
48:18he treated my kids,
48:19oh,
48:20my kids thought
48:21the world of him.
48:23Look,
48:23we'll never know
48:24for sure
48:24what exactly happened
48:25the night
48:26that Michael died.
48:27But what we do know
48:28is you have
48:29two people's
48:30selfish
48:31and salacious
48:32behavior
48:33that destroyed
48:34a family
48:35and you have
48:36the children
48:36who are now
48:37paying the price.
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