Dateline NBC - Season 35 - Episode 04: Malice Eng Sub - video Dailymotion

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Dateline NBC - Season 35 - Episode 04: Malice

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00:00:02tonight on dateline he says i'm so sorry but your dad has passed the coroner is telling me

00:00:09this is a suicide this is a suicide there's no freaking way my husband just shot his show i ran

00:00:18down the hallway i thought i was gonna lose my mom she was like don't go back in the bedroom

00:00:24this

00:00:24was your dad's wife yeah you see the handgun right there in his hand i mean it's obvious you didn't

00:00:29think his body needed another look any more testing any more anything no based on the information that

00:00:34i had at that time was that a mistake zero investigation zero autopsy open and shut we

00:00:39have pictures of what exactly happened in that bedroom it was painfully obvious the body had

00:00:45been moved you didn't have to be an expert to see that this crime scene was staged you have to

00:00:50admit

00:00:50that it does look suspicious i don't know what it looks like to other people i know he loved me

00:00:56and

00:00:56i loved him fire shot through my entire body my dad did not take his own life how does your

00:01:01family

00:01:02handle this we get to work it was ruled a suicide but who really pulled the trigger

00:01:08a family fights to uncover the truth i'm lester holt and this is dateline

00:01:22here's blaine alexander with malice

00:01:32time once it's gone it's the one thing you can never get back time with loved ones time spent waiting

00:01:41for answers the clock on this story for this family began on a saturday morning i want to talk about

00:01:48june 28th 2014

00:01:56okay

00:02:03all benny georgia a woman on the line with 9-1-1 she was frantic

00:02:17her name was susan embert she was calling about her husband jake

00:02:21i thought maybe he was cleaning his guns or something because he's always messing with them you know

00:02:33so i i didn't know what happened when you heard the noise did you immediately know it was a gunshot

00:02:39i knew it was a gunshot but i didn't know if it came from back there or where i just

00:02:42heard it was loud

00:02:55she was still on the phone when a truck pulled up to the house

00:02:59it was will embert jake's 17 year old son from a previous marriage

00:03:07he had been there earlier that morning and was coming back to spend the day with his dad

00:03:12turn my truck off

00:03:14and i can hear yelling

00:03:15susan comes out like just comes barreling out the house real fast she's on the phone she's yelling

00:03:20could you hear what she's saying

00:03:22just is discombobulated and i'm like what's going on

00:03:25and she was like don't go back in the bedroom

00:03:28you were trying to keep him away from the house

00:03:30to protect him

00:03:31you know from not seeing that

00:03:33sight

00:03:35don't go back there they said don't go back there don't touch nothing

00:03:37the ambulance is on the way

00:03:39i was like why

00:03:41and she wouldn't tell me why

00:03:42and eventually she just told she told me that

00:03:45my dad shot himself

00:03:47oh god

00:03:49what did you do

00:03:50i fell on the ground

00:03:51i think i blacked out

00:03:53i was very upset i was crying

00:04:05i remember

00:04:06i looked up

00:04:08well i remember susan

00:04:10saying that the police are here

00:04:13i remember i opened my eyes

00:04:15and

00:04:15the daugherty county police car pulling up the driveway

00:04:18will got on the phone with his older sister rachel

00:04:21she was 30 at the time

00:04:22he said calm as can be

00:04:27i'll never ever ever forget it

00:04:30i don't know how to tell you this

00:04:34instantly i'm thinking

00:04:35oh my gosh my little brother's about to tell me

00:04:38that he got his girlfriend pregnant

00:04:40because you could hear in his voice

00:04:41something was

00:04:43yes

00:04:43something was just off

00:04:46and he just paused

00:04:48he didn't say anything

00:04:49and i'm like

00:04:51just spit it out will

00:04:52and he said

00:04:56dad's dead

00:04:57and i

00:05:00have to get there

00:05:01i have to get to him

00:05:03i have to get to my dad's house

00:05:04jump in the vehicle

00:05:05don't stop at any red lights

00:05:07don't stop at any stop signs

00:05:10at the house

00:05:11daugherty county police officers were already inside

00:05:14there's blood on the floor right there

00:05:17as they surveyed the scene in the bedroom

00:05:19their conversation was broadcast over the county-wide police channel

00:05:23there goes the bullet right there too

00:05:27yeah right there in the wall

00:05:29there's a gun

00:05:30i haven't touched anything

00:05:32there's all this matter and stuff on that

00:05:34do we need to retain this

00:05:36the weapon

00:05:37i don't see why

00:05:39the coroner arrived next

00:05:41and had a look at jake's body

00:05:42he was still there

00:05:44when rachel pulled up to the house

00:05:46i get to my dad's house

00:05:48they have a very long

00:05:49dirt driveway

00:05:50so i park at the end of the driveway

00:05:52and i immediately jump out of the vehicle

00:05:54i'm stomping up

00:05:56the driveway

00:05:57my fists are

00:05:58balled by my side

00:05:59and i'm literally just stomping up the driveway

00:06:01i see officers

00:06:02up at the house

00:06:03i see susan standing out there up at the house

00:06:06and instantly

00:06:07i'm like

00:06:08what the f*** happened

00:06:09what the f*** happened

00:06:13it would not be the last time jake's family asked that question

00:06:17nobody ever asked you

00:06:19hey what did you see

00:06:20what happened

00:06:21you didn't think his body needed another look

00:06:23didn't need any more testing

00:06:25any more anything

00:06:25nothing went upstairs on in your head

00:06:28nothing did

00:06:30nothing

00:06:30there's blood splatter

00:06:32floor

00:06:33never cleaned up

00:06:35you basically have a detective's mind at this point

00:06:38no

00:06:39i just watch

00:06:40daylight

00:06:55jake and brooke's sister yvonne lived 600 miles away in north carolina jake's daughter rachel called her

00:07:02she said

00:07:03ain't your mom

00:07:06my dad shot herself

00:07:10and immediately i thought he was cleaning his gun and it must have went off

00:07:14so i started screaming at her and asking her

00:07:18where is he

00:07:19i just kept screaming where is he

00:07:25and she said

00:07:29he's not here anymore

00:07:32i felt like i left my body

00:07:34i said i

00:07:36this can't be

00:07:37it can't be

00:07:41it was a cruel mixture of pain

00:07:43and sheer disbelief

00:07:45that jake was suddenly gone

00:07:46he had always been dedicated to his family

00:07:49did he have a

00:07:51a philosophy or a special way that he lived his life

00:07:53yeah you know

00:07:54he just always put himself full force in

00:07:57in anything

00:07:58if he committed to something

00:08:00he was gonna just see it through

00:08:01and that was just with everything

00:08:04he was also a jokester

00:08:05who loved to make others laugh

00:08:07so he would throw a joke in any situation

00:08:09any situation

00:08:09no matter what

00:08:10yes

00:08:10even if it wasn't really appropriate

00:08:11yes

00:08:12yes

00:08:12that part

00:08:14but what really made jake light up his family says

00:08:17being a dad

00:08:19jake wasn't rachel's biological father

00:08:21he married her mother when rachel was just a baby

00:08:24he was never like a stepfather

00:08:26or an adoptive father

00:08:27he was your daddy

00:08:28he was my dad

00:08:29like through and through and through my dad

00:08:31yeah

00:08:32i love how you describe him

00:08:33because you talk about he was funny

00:08:35but at the same time he had this

00:08:37military like discipline about him

00:08:39oh absolutely

00:08:39yeah definitely authoritative

00:08:41you wanted to always remain on my dad's good side

00:08:45jake was an army veteran

00:08:46and mechanic at a nearby marine base

00:08:48he was a guy's guy

00:08:50who rachel says

00:08:51did his best to relate to his makeup loving daughter

00:08:55and then his son will was born

00:08:57i don't even know if my mom got a hold him that day

00:09:00i'm pretty sure my dad was like

00:09:02my son

00:09:03you know

00:09:03i mean he was just so over the moon

00:09:05immediate bond

00:09:06yeah

00:09:07you guys were

00:09:08instantly best friends

00:09:09right

00:09:10you know like most kids would try and get away from their parents

00:09:13as often as they could

00:09:14but i always

00:09:16wanted to hang out with my dad

00:09:18jake loved taking his son to the racetrack

00:09:21cars had always been his thing

00:09:23since he was a little boy

00:09:24his sister remembers a time jake took the family ford out for a spin

00:09:28when he was six years old

00:09:30he had gotten in the car

00:09:33in the driveway and i guess he knocked it out of gear

00:09:36so this man knocked on the door and told my mom

00:09:38um

00:09:39i believe that's your car across the street

00:09:42it had rolled out of the driveway

00:09:44yes

00:09:44oh gosh

00:09:45but jake acted like it was great

00:09:47he was you know at the steering wheel doing his little thing

00:09:49and had no idea that he had done something wrong

00:09:53jake was the youngest of six

00:09:54and the only boy

00:09:55you all must have doted on him like crazy

00:09:59we used to tease and say that he had six mothers

00:10:02five sisters and his real mother

00:10:05jake went from a childhood surrounded by women

00:10:08to a marriage of 26 years

00:10:10when that marriage ended in divorce

00:10:12jake found himself without a woman in his life

00:10:15for the first time

00:10:17he joined an online dating service

00:10:19and soon met susan

00:10:21she was 48

00:10:22jake 51

00:10:24what was it about jake that caught your eye

00:10:27he was uh

00:10:29well around my age

00:10:30and he was clean cut

00:10:32i mean you know we just clicked

00:10:33we clicked

00:10:33we just had a good time

00:10:35we didn't have to do anything

00:10:36we could just ride somewhere

00:10:37and we had fun

00:10:38she was a nurse

00:10:40um you know she was a good person

00:10:43he was interested in her

00:10:45so he was really going on about her

00:10:47yes

00:10:48just a few months into the relationship

00:10:50jake's health took a sudden turn

00:10:52he had a heart attack

00:10:55susan moved in with jake as he was recovering

00:10:57and she says

00:10:58very soon after

00:10:59he suggested they get married

00:11:01i said are you serious

00:11:02and he's like yes

00:11:03and i was like no

00:11:04i'm not ready to get married

00:11:05were you surprised when he asked you to marry him

00:11:07yes but i know he loved me and i loved him

00:11:12three months later he asked me to marry him again

00:11:15this time the answer was yes

00:11:16they married in a short courthouse ceremony

00:11:19in front of just a few family members

00:11:21to rachel it all seemed too fast

00:11:24but in a way

00:11:25she could understand it

00:11:26sometimes when things happen

00:11:29you know like

00:11:30him having a heart attack

00:11:31um

00:11:32her being a nurse

00:11:35yeah

00:11:36you probably would want that woman's touch

00:11:38you know

00:11:39around

00:11:40that's what i would want

00:11:41you know

00:11:41i would want to be

00:11:42cared for

00:11:43yeah absolutely

00:11:45after recovering from the heart attack

00:11:47jake had a new health problem

00:11:49he started having seizures

00:11:51they checked him out

00:11:52and

00:11:53they couldn't find nothing wrong

00:11:55but he was having seizures

00:11:57i didn't understand

00:11:5816 months after his first heart attack

00:12:01jake had another one

00:12:02and it was massive

00:12:04jake survived

00:12:05but he started to have even more symptoms

00:12:08stomach pain and nausea

00:12:10at this point will

00:12:11were you getting worried

00:12:12yeah

00:12:13he started just getting sick

00:12:15and sicker and sicker

00:12:17and just wasn't getting better

00:12:18he ended up

00:12:19because he was so sick

00:12:20um

00:12:21having to

00:12:22remain out of work

00:12:24um

00:12:25which that was the first in his

00:12:26entire working life

00:12:28that he's ever

00:12:29missed

00:12:30so much work

00:12:31his health problems

00:12:32led to financial problems

00:12:34and then

00:12:34another blow

00:12:35his dog

00:12:36zoe

00:12:37got sick

00:12:37and had to be put down

00:12:39my dad was crying

00:12:40he was upset

00:12:42he said that

00:12:44susan

00:12:45took zoe

00:12:46to the vet

00:12:47the vet

00:12:48said that she had

00:12:48distemper

00:12:49and that she needed

00:12:50to be euthanized

00:12:51it was all too much

00:12:53losing his health

00:12:54his dog

00:12:55and jake's family

00:12:56could tell

00:12:57it was taking a toll

00:12:58soon the normally

00:13:00upbeat persona

00:13:01was largely gone

00:13:04did you get the sense

00:13:05did you get the sense

00:13:05that he was trying

00:13:05to put on a brave face

00:13:06for you

00:13:07i feel like he was

00:13:08trying to put it on

00:13:09for everybody

00:13:10he's a tough guy

00:13:12he was fighting

00:13:14and um

00:13:17i think he knew

00:13:18that i would try

00:13:18to help him

00:13:20just didn't get

00:13:21the chance

00:13:23let me get

00:13:23some gloves

00:13:24and i'll get

00:13:24that gun

00:13:25for you

00:13:26now june 28th

00:13:282014

00:13:29after struggling

00:13:29with his health

00:13:30for a year

00:13:30and a half

00:13:31jake was gone

00:13:33the victim

00:13:34it seemed

00:13:34of his own

00:13:35depression

00:13:35you can see

00:13:36the handgun

00:13:37right there

00:13:37in his hand

00:13:37right there

00:13:38i mean

00:13:38i'm not no

00:13:39csi kind of

00:13:40person

00:13:41or nothing

00:13:41like that

00:13:41but

00:13:42i mean

00:13:43it's obvious

00:13:44you know

00:13:45an obvious

00:13:46suicide

00:13:47to first

00:13:47responders

00:13:48at the scene

00:13:49susan was telling

00:13:50police about

00:13:51jake's health

00:13:51struggles

00:13:52and how sad

00:13:53he had been

00:14:01after assessing

00:14:02the scene

00:14:03the coroner

00:14:04made it official

00:14:04he documented

00:14:05jake's gunshot

00:14:06as self-inflicted

00:14:08open and shut

00:14:09it seemed

00:14:10but not to

00:14:11everyone

00:14:12what are you

00:14:13thinking at this

00:14:13point

00:14:14things are not

00:14:15adding up

00:14:15nothing is

00:14:17adding up

00:14:33susan ember

00:14:33remembers the

00:14:34days following

00:14:35her husband's

00:14:35death

00:14:36as some of

00:14:36the hardest

00:14:37of her life

00:14:38i thought he

00:14:39was going to

00:14:40be

00:14:41the one

00:14:42that

00:14:43you know

00:14:44you grow

00:14:44old together

00:14:46rockin' rockin'

00:14:47chairs

00:14:47front porch

00:14:48kind of thing

00:14:49after that

00:14:50time

00:14:50i uh

00:14:51i wasn't in my

00:14:52right mind

00:14:53for two months

00:14:53i didn't think

00:14:54i was coming back

00:14:55and my mom

00:14:56had to take care

00:14:57of me

00:14:57this is

00:14:58susan's daughter

00:14:59krista

00:14:59were you talking

00:15:00to your mom

00:15:01throughout this time

00:15:02what was her

00:15:03state of mind

00:15:03then

00:15:05she was

00:15:06she was just

00:15:07crying

00:15:07she was hysterical

00:15:08she was devastated

00:15:09that her husband

00:15:10was gone

00:15:11i knew that

00:15:12jake was

00:15:13was sad

00:15:14and stuff

00:15:15like that

00:15:16but like

00:15:18you never think

00:15:19somebody's actually

00:15:20going to do

00:15:20something like

00:15:21that

00:15:22will certainly

00:15:23didn't think

00:15:24his dad was

00:15:24depressed enough

00:15:25to take his

00:15:26own life

00:15:26and not on

00:15:27that day

00:15:28of all days

00:15:29he'd seen his

00:15:30dad just that

00:15:31morning

00:15:31they'd had coffee

00:15:32together

00:15:32and made plans

00:15:33to go to the

00:15:34racetrack

00:15:34in fact

00:15:35jake's old car

00:15:36was set to be

00:15:37raced that

00:15:38very afternoon

00:15:39a 1975

00:15:41firebird

00:15:41it wasn't even

00:15:43a question

00:15:43it was like

00:15:44we're gonna go

00:15:45see it

00:15:45we're going

00:15:46because he loved

00:15:46that car

00:15:47he did

00:15:47i said okay

00:15:48um

00:15:49i'm gonna go

00:15:51pick up my

00:15:52girlfriend and

00:15:52come back

00:15:53and then we can go

00:15:54when you left

00:15:55what was his

00:15:56demeanor like

00:15:57was he excited

00:15:57what was

00:15:58yeah

00:15:58yeah he was

00:15:59i just expected

00:16:00him

00:16:01you know

00:16:01to go

00:16:02shower

00:16:03and get

00:16:03dressed

00:16:03and we

00:16:04by then

00:16:05i'd be back

00:16:06that timing

00:16:07seemed especially

00:16:08puzzling to

00:16:09rachel

00:16:09she just

00:16:10couldn't wrap

00:16:11her mind

00:16:11around her

00:16:12dad ending

00:16:13his life

00:16:13then

00:16:14when will

00:16:14was on his

00:16:15way back

00:16:15to the house

00:16:16and would

00:16:17likely see

00:16:17the aftermath

00:16:18the relationship

00:16:20that my dad

00:16:21and my brother

00:16:21had together

00:16:22was so

00:16:24oh my gosh

00:16:27when i say

00:16:28best that award

00:16:29i mean that

00:16:30in all capital

00:16:30letters

00:16:31he was

00:16:32he never

00:16:33ever ever

00:16:34knowing that

00:16:35will was coming

00:16:36right back

00:16:38never

00:16:38would have done

00:16:40that to

00:16:41my brother

00:16:42confused and

00:16:43looking for

00:16:44answers

00:16:44rachel and will

00:16:45went back to

00:16:46the house that

00:16:46night after the

00:16:47shooting

00:16:47they went into

00:16:48the bedroom

00:16:49where their dad

00:16:50died

00:16:50i went back

00:16:51there

00:16:53saw it

00:16:54the sheets

00:16:54were stripped

00:16:55off

00:16:55the mattress

00:16:56was still

00:16:56there

00:16:57there were

00:16:58two towels

00:16:59laid

00:17:01on top of

00:17:01the blood

00:17:02but the blood

00:17:02was still

00:17:03soaking through

00:17:03the towels

00:17:04and then so

00:17:05my brother

00:17:06and i were

00:17:06just standing

00:17:07in the room

00:17:07and we

00:17:07just started

00:17:08crying

00:17:10rachel tried

00:17:11to imagine

00:17:12what her dad

00:17:12had been

00:17:12thinking

00:17:13it wasn't

00:17:14easy

00:17:14my dad

00:17:15was sick

00:17:17he was

00:17:18experiencing

00:17:18health issues

00:17:19you know

00:17:20i try to put

00:17:21myself in

00:17:22everybody's shoes

00:17:23okay you're

00:17:24sick all of

00:17:25this stuff is

00:17:25transpiring

00:17:26and everything

00:17:27i just kept

00:17:28being right

00:17:29to the back

00:17:30there's no

00:17:30freaking way

00:17:32she wanted

00:17:33more information

00:17:34from susan

00:17:35but susan

00:17:35and her dad

00:17:36hadn't been

00:17:37married that

00:17:37long

00:17:38just over a

00:17:38year

00:17:39rachel didn't

00:17:40know her

00:17:40very well

00:17:40and it was

00:17:42an emotional

00:17:43time for

00:17:43everyone

00:17:44when rachel

00:17:45and will

00:17:45returned to

00:17:46the house

00:17:46the next

00:17:47day

00:17:47the locks

00:17:48were being

00:17:48changed

00:17:49changing

00:17:50the locks

00:17:51on our

00:17:52home

00:17:52why

00:17:53that part

00:17:54why

00:17:55why

00:17:56that is

00:17:58you know

00:17:59i mean

00:17:59the trauma

00:18:00makes you

00:18:01do weird

00:18:01things

00:18:02but that

00:18:03was very

00:18:03bizarre

00:18:05also strange

00:18:06what rachel

00:18:07says happened

00:18:07when family

00:18:08members tried

00:18:08to talk to

00:18:09susan about

00:18:10planning a

00:18:10memorial service

00:18:12well we're

00:18:13not having a

00:18:13memorial service

00:18:14that's what

00:18:14susan says

00:18:15yeah well

00:18:16why are we

00:18:17not having a

00:18:18funeral service

00:18:19well because he

00:18:20doesn't have any

00:18:21family or friends

00:18:21it was just us

00:18:22it was just us

00:18:23he's got a

00:18:23sister

00:18:24yes

00:18:24got tons of

00:18:25family

00:18:26tons of

00:18:26friends

00:18:27tons of

00:18:27co-workers

00:18:28people who

00:18:28would want to

00:18:29remember him

00:18:29absolutely

00:18:31susan says

00:18:32jake's family

00:18:33has it all

00:18:33wrong

00:18:34she was

00:18:35planning a

00:18:35service but

00:18:36they went

00:18:36ahead and

00:18:37organized one

00:18:38without her

00:18:39they took it

00:18:39upon themselves

00:18:40i guess to

00:18:40have it before

00:18:41me i was

00:18:42i was trying

00:18:43to get it

00:18:43together but

00:18:44it was like

00:18:44they wanted

00:18:45it done

00:18:45right then

00:18:45and did

00:18:46you go to

00:18:47that one

00:18:47i did not

00:18:47i wasn't

00:18:48no i did

00:18:49not i

00:18:49wasn't invited

00:18:50over there

00:18:50they didn't

00:18:50want me there

00:18:51did you feel

00:18:52that there was

00:18:52some contention

00:18:54between you

00:18:55and rachel

00:18:55i felt like

00:18:56something was

00:18:56going on

00:18:57yes i didn't

00:18:58know

00:18:58i was not

00:18:59even in my

00:18:59right mind

00:19:00at that time

00:19:00actually i mean

00:19:01i was really

00:19:02devastated

00:19:04as the emberts

00:19:05said goodbye

00:19:05to jake they

00:19:06were still

00:19:07in disbelief

00:19:08maybe even

00:19:09denial about

00:19:10how he died

00:19:11i remember my

00:19:12dad having a

00:19:13conversation with

00:19:13me about that

00:19:14and how strongly

00:19:15my dad was

00:19:17against suicide

00:19:18thinks that

00:19:19it's a permanent

00:19:20solution to a

00:19:21temporary problem

00:19:22so you were very

00:19:23clear on where

00:19:23your dad stood

00:19:24yeah when it

00:19:25came to suicide

00:19:26yeah

00:19:26i asked this

00:19:27devil's advocate

00:19:30there are

00:19:30unfortunately

00:19:31plenty of people

00:19:31who have

00:19:32mental health

00:19:33issues

00:19:34who mask it

00:19:34very well

00:19:35who can appear

00:19:36happy but

00:19:37still go off

00:19:38and take their

00:19:38own life

00:19:39did you think

00:19:40that was a

00:19:40possibility

00:19:40no

00:19:42i didn't think

00:19:43so at all

00:19:44things are not

00:19:44adding up

00:19:45nothing is

00:19:47adding up

00:19:47we were trying

00:19:49to figure out

00:19:50what really took

00:19:52place on june

00:19:5328th

00:19:55jake's family

00:19:56made a decision

00:19:56they needed

00:19:57someone to look

00:19:58at this

00:19:59this is uh

00:20:00yvonne magnus

00:20:01in reference

00:20:02to my uh

00:20:02the death

00:20:03of my brother

00:20:04yes ma'am

00:20:19like jake's kids

00:20:20his sister yvonne

00:20:21just couldn't

00:20:22accept the official

00:20:23narrative of her

00:20:24brother's death

00:20:25did you believe

00:20:26that your brother

00:20:27had hurt himself

00:20:28oh no

00:20:28instantly i was

00:20:30like no

00:20:31not even for a

00:20:31second

00:20:32not even for a

00:20:32second

00:20:33she drove down

00:20:34from north carolina

00:20:35and went to see

00:20:36the police

00:20:37you're thinking

00:20:37someone has to

00:20:38look into this

00:20:39you're trying to

00:20:40rally someone

00:20:41to look into

00:20:42this case

00:20:43right

00:20:44in fact jake's

00:20:45family pleaded

00:20:46their case to

00:20:46officers several

00:20:47times and so

00:20:49two detectives

00:20:50went to the

00:20:50house they spoke

00:20:52briefly with susan

00:20:53until she declined

00:20:54to talk further

00:20:54but nothing

00:20:55changed

00:20:56this is uh

00:20:57yvonne magnus

00:20:58in reference to

00:20:59my uh

00:21:00the death of my

00:21:01brother

00:21:01yes ma'am

00:21:03yvonne recorded

00:21:04one of her

00:21:04follow-up phone

00:21:05calls with the

00:21:06detective

00:21:06the evidence

00:21:07at the scene

00:21:08and the evidence

00:21:08that we have

00:21:09come across

00:21:10since then

00:21:11there's nothing

00:21:11that would lead

00:21:12our agency

00:21:13to believe

00:21:14that it was

00:21:14homicide

00:21:15so if it went

00:21:16wrong then it'll

00:21:17i guess it'll

00:21:17come back on me

00:21:18you know it is

00:21:19what it is

00:21:19and i mean i

00:21:20can't change

00:21:20what happened

00:21:21you know from

00:21:23the investigation

00:21:23that's what we've

00:21:24determined

00:21:25it's closed

00:21:26nothing

00:21:27they can't do

00:21:28anything

00:21:28you know just in

00:21:29my short time

00:21:31of knowing you

00:21:32yvonne

00:21:33i'm very sure

00:21:34that you

00:21:35are not one

00:21:36to be messed

00:21:36with

00:21:39it's very clear

00:21:40that you know

00:21:40you don't take

00:21:41no for an answer

00:21:42i don't take

00:21:42no for an answer

00:21:43when i believe

00:21:44that somebody

00:21:46either isn't

00:21:47telling the truth

00:21:48or something

00:21:49is very wrong

00:21:50and you believe

00:21:51both of those

00:21:52things

00:21:54yes

00:21:54a friend suggested

00:21:55yvonne try a

00:21:56different approach

00:21:57a private eye

00:21:58had you ever

00:21:59thought of that

00:22:00before did you

00:22:00know much about

00:22:01private investigators

00:22:02no

00:22:03i know for a lot

00:22:04of people that

00:22:04sounds like

00:22:05something you hear

00:22:05in a

00:22:06it was like

00:22:06foreign

00:22:06a movie or a

00:22:08tv show

00:22:08yeah i had no

00:22:10idea what to do

00:22:11where to find one

00:22:11where to go

00:22:12so she did what

00:22:13most of us would

00:22:14do

00:22:14i was sitting in

00:22:15front of my

00:22:16computer and i

00:22:17actually typed

00:22:19private investigators

00:22:20albany georgia

00:22:21just googled

00:22:23just googled

00:22:24and i was crying

00:22:25so hard i couldn't

00:22:26see my screen

00:22:27so i pointed to it

00:22:28and touched the

00:22:29screen

00:22:30and when i did

00:22:31i said lee wilson

00:22:33i got the call

00:22:34lee wilson

00:22:36a former police

00:22:37detective with more

00:22:38than 20 years

00:22:38of experience

00:22:40he's handled all

00:22:41kinds of cases

00:22:42including suicides

00:22:44it had been a month

00:22:45since jake died

00:22:46lee met with his

00:22:47family he listened

00:22:48and he agreed

00:22:49the case did

00:22:50deserve a second

00:22:51look

00:22:52you know your

00:22:53son's going to be

00:22:54coming back in an

00:22:55hour with his

00:22:56girlfriend and

00:22:57y'all going to go

00:22:58to a planned event

00:22:59that day and you

00:23:00just walk in the

00:23:01bedroom and take

00:23:01your own life

00:23:02it just didn't

00:23:03sound right

00:23:03it just those

00:23:04details

00:23:05you know it

00:23:06piqued my interest

00:23:07but he says in

00:23:08his experience

00:23:09law enforcement

00:23:10usually makes

00:23:11the correct call

00:23:11so he took the

00:23:13case with no

00:23:14promises

00:23:15you were pretty

00:23:16frank with them

00:23:17you said you

00:23:17know what if my

00:23:18findings

00:23:19determined that

00:23:20he did die

00:23:21by suicide

00:23:21you'll have

00:23:23to accept

00:23:23this

00:23:23yes i tell

00:23:24them that you

00:23:25know i will

00:23:26call it like i

00:23:28see it

00:23:28that's all we

00:23:29wanted

00:23:30investigate it

00:23:31investigate it

00:23:32so lee got

00:23:34started

00:23:35first step

00:23:36collect as

00:23:36many records

00:23:37as he could

00:23:38i wanted to

00:23:39see the

00:23:40photographs

00:23:40i wanted to

00:23:41see any

00:23:42crime

00:23:42any lab

00:23:43reports

00:23:44toxicology

00:23:45reports

00:23:45police report

00:23:46i wanted

00:23:47to see

00:23:47what led

00:23:48law enforcement

00:23:49and ultimately

00:23:51the coroner

00:23:52to put on the

00:23:53death certificate

00:23:53that jake died

00:23:55from the result

00:23:56of a self-inflicted

00:23:57gunshot one

00:23:58but all those

00:23:58things that you

00:23:59mentioned

00:23:59toxicology

00:24:00measurements

00:24:01all sorts of

00:24:02forensics

00:24:02any of that stuff

00:24:03was any of that

00:24:04done

00:24:04no

00:24:05the case

00:24:06file he got

00:24:07from police

00:24:07was thin

00:24:08as far as

00:24:09he could tell

00:24:09no detective

00:24:10had even

00:24:11shown up

00:24:11at the scene

00:24:12the entire

00:24:13investigation

00:24:14took less

00:24:15than an hour

00:24:17from the time

00:24:18the call

00:24:18came in

00:24:19until

00:24:21the last

00:24:22call to the

00:24:22radio operator

00:24:23saying they

00:24:24were clearing

00:24:24the scene

00:24:25and processing

00:24:26a scene

00:24:26like that

00:24:26should typically

00:24:27take

00:24:28hours

00:24:30just zero

00:24:31open and shut

00:24:32called in

00:24:33as a suicide

00:24:33ruled out

00:24:34a suicide

00:24:35with zero

00:24:36investigation

00:24:36boom

00:24:38Lee spoke

00:24:39to one of

00:24:39the first

00:24:40officers on

00:24:40the scene

00:24:41to find out

00:24:41what happened

00:24:42turns out

00:24:43he was brand

00:24:44new to the

00:24:45force

00:24:45that scene

00:24:46had been

00:24:47his first

00:24:47time

00:24:48responding

00:24:48to a death

00:24:49call

00:24:49he explained

00:24:51to me

00:24:51that you

00:24:51know

00:24:52when he

00:24:53got the

00:24:53call

00:24:54he thought

00:24:54in his

00:24:55mind

00:24:55that he

00:24:55was prepared

00:24:56for that

00:24:57scene

00:24:57he admitted

00:24:58that he

00:24:59had watched

00:24:59videos in

00:25:00the police

00:25:00academy

00:25:01he'd never

00:25:02seen a dead

00:25:02body

00:25:02he had not

00:25:03seen a dead

00:25:04body

00:25:05from my

00:25:06understanding

00:25:06before that

00:25:07day

00:25:08so he walks

00:25:09into that

00:25:10having never

00:25:11seen a dead

00:25:11body

00:25:12fresh out

00:25:12of police

00:25:13academy

00:25:13and his

00:25:14comment to me

00:25:15was Mr. Lee

00:25:16I just wanted

00:25:16to get out

00:25:17of there

00:25:18as for the

00:25:19more experienced

00:25:20officers

00:25:21I'm not no

00:25:22CSI kind of

00:25:22person or nothing

00:25:23like that but

00:25:24Lee learned

00:25:24they didn't

00:25:25do much

00:25:26more

00:25:26I mean it's

00:25:27obvious

00:25:27you know

00:25:28here's Lee

00:25:29talking to

00:25:30one of them

00:25:30when you

00:25:31went into

00:25:31the bedroom

00:25:32did you

00:25:33do any

00:25:34kind of

00:25:35investigative

00:25:35work or

00:25:36make any

00:25:37observations

00:25:38to determine

00:25:39whether it

00:25:39was suicide

00:25:40or not

00:25:40I looked

00:25:41at the body

00:25:42and of course

00:25:42I saw

00:25:43the deceased

00:25:44with the gun

00:25:45in his hand

00:25:47laying back

00:25:48on his bed

00:25:49and I just

00:25:49pretty much

00:25:51assumed

00:25:51it was quickly

00:25:53ruled a suicide

00:25:54based on their

00:25:55observations

00:25:56at the scene

00:25:58and the

00:25:59statement

00:26:00of Susan

00:26:00Ember

00:26:01no one

00:26:02ever

00:26:03mentioned

00:26:03or discussed

00:26:04or considered

00:26:05to your

00:26:05knowledge

00:26:05that this

00:26:06could be

00:26:06something

00:26:06other than

00:26:07suicide

00:26:07did that

00:26:08no sir

00:26:08the coroner

00:26:10never ordered

00:26:11an autopsy

00:26:12and Susan

00:26:13had the body

00:26:13cremated

00:26:14within 24

00:26:15hours

00:26:16there was

00:26:17so much

00:26:18that could

00:26:20have been

00:26:20and should

00:26:21have been

00:26:21done

00:26:21before

00:26:22determining

00:26:23cause

00:26:23of manner

00:26:24of death

00:26:24he could

00:26:26have taken

00:26:26it back

00:26:26to the morgue

00:26:28he could

00:26:28have cleaned

00:26:29the wounds

00:26:29there

00:26:30taken measurements

00:26:31checked for

00:26:31gunpowder residue

00:26:32on the hands

00:26:33of Mr. Ember

00:26:35the coroner's role

00:26:37is especially

00:26:37frustrating to

00:26:38Jake's family

00:26:39because Rachel

00:26:40had pleaded

00:26:41with him

00:26:41at the scene

00:26:42I said

00:26:43over and over

00:26:43are you sure

00:26:45my dad did this

00:26:45are you sure

00:26:46my dad did this

00:26:47are you sure

00:26:48my dad did this

00:26:49he could have

00:26:50taken that

00:26:51and said

00:26:52something to

00:26:53somebody

00:26:53are you sure

00:26:54yes

00:26:55and said

00:26:56hey

00:26:56the daughters

00:26:57out there

00:26:57questioning

00:26:58you know

00:26:58if we're

00:26:59sure

00:26:59nothing

00:27:00went upstairs

00:27:01on in your

00:27:02head

00:27:02nothing

00:27:03did

00:27:03nothing

00:27:05reinvestigating

00:27:06the case

00:27:07with so little

00:27:07evidence

00:27:08would be an

00:27:09uphill battle

00:27:09but Lee

00:27:10says the

00:27:11responding

00:27:11officers

00:27:12did manage

00:27:13to do

00:27:13one thing

00:27:14right

00:27:14and it

00:27:15would make

00:27:16all the

00:27:16difference

00:27:17you knew

00:27:18that there

00:27:18was something

00:27:19wrong

00:27:19with those

00:27:20photos

00:27:20yeah

00:27:20I knew

00:27:21that this

00:27:22had been

00:27:22manipulated

00:27:37by somebody

00:27:38in homicides

00:27:39and suicides

00:27:40there's a typical

00:27:40method of processing

00:27:41a scene

00:27:42collect evidence

00:27:43test forensics

00:27:45interview witnesses

00:27:46in the case

00:27:47of Jake Embert

00:27:48almost none

00:27:49of that

00:27:49happened

00:27:50we asked

00:27:51the Doherty

00:27:52County Police

00:27:52Department

00:27:53about that

00:27:53but they

00:27:54declined

00:27:54to answer

00:27:55our questions

00:27:56my job

00:27:57is determined

00:27:57to cause

00:27:58the amount

00:27:58of depth

00:27:58of the individual

00:27:59but Michael

00:28:00Fowler

00:28:00the Doherty

00:28:01County

00:28:01coroner

00:28:02did agree

00:28:03to an interview

00:28:03June 28th

00:28:052014

00:28:05how long

00:28:06had you been

00:28:07the coroner

00:28:07about a year

00:28:08and a half

00:28:09what's your

00:28:10first step

00:28:10once you get

00:28:11there

00:28:11first I have

00:28:11to speak

00:28:11with the MS

00:28:12then I need

00:28:13to go

00:28:13see the individual

00:28:14I saw the gun

00:28:16laying beside him

00:28:17once I see him

00:28:18then I pronounced

00:28:19the time of death

00:28:20then I go back

00:28:21out and see

00:28:22what's going on

00:28:22so to get

00:28:24with the law

00:28:24enforcement

00:28:25then I listened

00:28:26for Ms. Embert

00:28:27talk for a while

00:28:27then I went back

00:28:28into the house

00:28:29trying to see

00:28:29was the story

00:28:30kind of lining up

00:28:31what she was saying

00:28:32Jake Embert's daughter

00:28:33Rachel kept saying

00:28:34over and over again

00:28:35are you sure

00:28:36we're talking

00:28:37less than an hour

00:28:38at that point

00:28:39how could you

00:28:40definitively say

00:28:41at that point

00:28:42that this

00:28:42is a suicide

00:28:44there'd been no autopsy

00:28:45the body hadn't

00:28:45been transported

00:28:46based on the investigation

00:28:48to speak with

00:28:49the law enforcement

00:28:51what they'll find

00:28:52is if

00:28:53in the process

00:28:54of interviewing

00:28:55whoever was there

00:28:56I'll take that fine

00:28:57and come up

00:28:58with that determination

00:28:59on law enforcement

00:29:00and on what

00:29:01Susan Embert

00:29:02told police

00:29:03that's what I was

00:29:03basing it on

00:29:04Jake Embert

00:29:05was cremated

00:29:05the next day

00:29:06yes

00:29:06you didn't think

00:29:07his body needed

00:29:08another look

00:29:09didn't need

00:29:09any more testing

00:29:10any more anything

00:29:10no I was pretty

00:29:11well comfortable

00:29:12at that time

00:29:13based on the

00:29:13information that

00:29:14I had at that time

00:29:15was that a mistake

00:29:17no I don't think

00:29:18it's a mistake

00:29:20based on the

00:29:20information I have

00:29:21at that time

00:29:22I'm basing it on that

00:29:24now a month

00:29:25and a half later

00:29:26private investigator

00:29:27Lee Wilson

00:29:28was at the

00:29:28Doherty County

00:29:29Police Department

00:29:30picking up those

00:29:31photos from the scene

00:29:32I'm waiting on the

00:29:33receipt for my

00:29:35payment

00:29:35and I start

00:29:36flipping through

00:29:37the photographs

00:29:39it wasn't much

00:29:40but Lee was noticing

00:29:42things he thought

00:29:42investigators had

00:29:44missed

00:29:44and I got to like

00:29:45the fourth or fifth

00:29:46photograph in the

00:29:47packet

00:29:47and the police chief

00:29:49was standing

00:29:50in the hallway

00:29:51and I said

00:29:53chief

00:29:53you got a problem

00:29:55you got a problem

00:29:56I knew that scene

00:29:57had been manipulated

00:29:59he took us through

00:30:00those photos on an

00:30:01iPad

00:30:01what immediately

00:30:03stands out to you

00:30:04if you can show me

00:30:05you know here

00:30:06his hand is laid

00:30:07over the gun

00:30:08there's two fingers

00:30:10laid across the

00:30:11handle of the gun

00:30:12but nothing on the

00:30:13trigger

00:30:14the other thing is

00:30:15if you look

00:30:16the gun is tucked

00:30:17up under his right

00:30:18leg

00:30:18so you're thinking

00:30:19how would the gun

00:30:20have gotten under

00:30:21his leg

00:30:22yeah

00:30:24Lee knew that

00:30:25with a self-inflicted

00:30:26gunshot to the head

00:30:27there likely would have

00:30:28been blood

00:30:28on Jake's hand

00:30:29but none was visible

00:30:31Lee also noted

00:30:32the state of the bed

00:30:33around Jake

00:30:34to him

00:30:35it looked like

00:30:35Jake had been moved

00:30:37there's a bath map

00:30:38behind his head

00:30:39look at the sheets

00:30:41the rippling of the sheets

00:30:42look how tight the sheets

00:30:43are over here

00:30:44look at the rippling

00:30:45there

00:30:46what does that say to you

00:30:47somebody's trying to pull

00:30:48that body back up

00:30:49onto the bed

00:30:51to test his theory

00:30:52he asked a couple of

00:30:53colleagues to take a look

00:30:55I had a couple of friends

00:30:56that were still in law

00:30:58enforcement

00:30:58that had done a number

00:31:00of death investigations

00:31:01gave them no background

00:31:02just sent the photographs

00:31:03and both of them came back

00:31:06said that's a staged scene

00:31:07and

00:31:08immediately they said that

00:31:09yeah

00:31:10I just wanted to see

00:31:11if they were seeing

00:31:12what I saw

00:31:12and they did

00:31:13yes

00:31:14if the scene was staged

00:31:16that meant Jake

00:31:17hadn't killed himself

00:31:18he was murdered

00:31:20and the only other person

00:31:22in the house

00:31:23was Susan

00:31:24what had started

00:31:26as an unspoken suspicion

00:31:28in Jake's family

00:31:28was now

00:31:29out in the open

00:31:31we all had our own

00:31:33kind of suspicions

00:31:35but we were not talking

00:31:36about it

00:31:37to each other

00:31:39so all of you had

00:31:40some sort of

00:31:41sneaky suspicion

00:31:42yes

00:31:42somewhere

00:31:43yes

00:31:44in order to dig deeper

00:31:46and get access

00:31:47to Jake's records

00:31:47and property

00:31:48Lee had Rachel

00:31:49petition the court

00:31:50to become

00:31:51executor of his estate

00:31:53after Susan found out

00:31:54she left Albany

00:31:55there was a U-Haul

00:31:57at our house

00:31:58and she was loading

00:31:59up everything

00:31:59and then she booked

00:32:00it right to Florida

00:32:01so when you go back

00:32:02in there

00:32:03I mean the house

00:32:04filthy

00:32:06unrecognizable

00:32:06filthy

00:32:08Rachel's father

00:32:09had been dead

00:32:10two months

00:32:10when she recorded

00:32:11this video

00:32:12of the house

00:32:13today is August

00:32:15the 29th

00:32:16at a

00:32:162014

00:32:18at approximately

00:32:194 p.m

00:32:20never cleaned

00:32:22trash everywhere

00:32:23and there were

00:32:24some things missing too

00:32:25everything

00:32:26everything from

00:32:28washer and dryer

00:32:29were no longer there

00:32:30kitchen table

00:32:31dining room set

00:32:32no longer there

00:32:33she had completely

00:32:34vacated the house

00:32:35we had a plethora

00:32:37of childhood

00:32:38heirlooms

00:32:39no longer there

00:32:40you can blatantly

00:32:41see how it was left

00:32:43just left

00:32:43nothing but her trash

00:32:45this house

00:32:45has never been

00:32:47disturbingly dirty

00:32:48Susan had the

00:32:50bloody mattress

00:32:51moved to the yard

00:32:52but the bedroom

00:32:53still had not

00:32:54been cleaned

00:32:55there's blood

00:32:56splatter

00:32:56on the floor

00:32:58never cleaned up

00:33:03more blood

00:33:05this is

00:33:06where the bullet

00:33:08hit the wall

00:33:09you can see

00:33:11that this

00:33:13dripping on the

00:33:14wall

00:33:15is possibly

00:33:17I'm assuming

00:33:19brain matter

00:33:20the state of things

00:33:22confirmed to Jake's

00:33:23family

00:33:24something was not

00:33:25right

00:33:25and to them

00:33:27that something

00:33:28was Susan

00:33:29well she wasn't

00:33:30who she portrayed

00:33:31herself to be

00:33:46in the weeks and

00:33:47months after Jake

00:33:48Embert's death

00:33:49his family grew

00:33:50more and more

00:33:51suspicious that his

00:33:52wife Susan

00:33:52was hiding something

00:33:54they didn't like

00:33:55how she behaved

00:33:56after the shooting

00:33:56but the truth was

00:33:58they'd had issues

00:33:58with her even

00:33:59before that

00:34:00Will lived with

00:34:01Jake and Susan

00:34:02part time

00:34:03he remembers

00:34:04lots of yelling

00:34:05he says

00:34:05by Susan

00:34:06what would she say

00:34:08to your dad

00:34:08he accused him

00:34:09of cheating

00:34:09all the time

00:34:11sees him

00:34:11drinking

00:34:12pick fights

00:34:13that had to have

00:34:14been a really

00:34:14difficult dynamic

00:34:15I didn't understand

00:34:17it

00:34:17I remember

00:34:18I was there

00:34:18for two occasions

00:34:19that the police

00:34:20showed up

00:34:20both of them

00:34:21were really

00:34:22unfounded

00:34:22nobody got

00:34:23arrested

00:34:24now they thought

00:34:26back to that

00:34:26rushed wedding

00:34:27at the courthouse

00:34:28Will had expected

00:34:29to be the best man

00:34:30but the wedding

00:34:31happened without him

00:34:32or his sister

00:34:33was it surprising

00:34:35to you that he got

00:34:36married without

00:34:37either of his kids

00:34:38there

00:34:38very

00:34:41yes

00:34:43Rachel had long

00:34:44wondered what

00:34:45drew them together

00:34:46now she went

00:34:47looking for clues

00:34:48I hacked into

00:34:50my father's

00:34:51Facebook account

00:34:51I figured out

00:34:53the password

00:34:55all these

00:34:56Facebook messages

00:34:57between my dad

00:34:58and Susan

00:34:58pages upon pages

00:35:00upon pages

00:35:01and then I get

00:35:02to a part

00:35:02in the Facebook

00:35:03message

00:35:03right before

00:35:04they get married

00:35:05where Susan says

00:35:06to my dad

00:35:07she's not feeling

00:35:09well

00:35:10her stomach

00:35:10is hurting

00:35:11she just took

00:35:13a pregnancy test

00:35:14and it came out

00:35:15positive

00:35:17I

00:35:18was floored

00:35:19that is what

00:35:21signified

00:35:21why my dad

00:35:23married her

00:35:24was she in fact

00:35:24pregnant

00:35:25oh absolutely

00:35:26not

00:35:27and once they

00:35:28were married

00:35:29there was something

00:35:30else that bothered

00:35:30the family

00:35:31they had always

00:35:32known Jake

00:35:33to be responsible

00:35:34with his money

00:35:34but Susan

00:35:35took over the bills

00:35:36and soon

00:35:37they had serious

00:35:38financial problems

00:35:39Jake called

00:35:40Yvonne for help

00:35:41and I could hear

00:35:42her telling him

00:35:44to do it

00:35:45this is on the

00:35:45phone

00:35:46what was she

00:35:47saying

00:35:47ask her for

00:35:49money

00:35:50ask her for

00:35:50more money

00:35:51and this is

00:35:52something your

00:35:52brother has

00:35:53never done

00:35:53never

00:35:54in all your

00:35:55years

00:35:56never

00:35:56not ever

00:35:58no

00:35:59and then

00:36:00there was

00:36:00Jake's

00:36:01life insurance

00:36:02they weren't

00:36:03even married

00:36:03six weeks

00:36:04when he said

00:36:05Susan's

00:36:06pressuring me

00:36:07to change

00:36:07my life insurance

00:36:09beneficiary

00:36:10to her

00:36:11to her

00:36:12and I said

00:36:13Jake

00:36:15you have an

00:36:16underage son

00:36:17I think you

00:36:18should think

00:36:18about that

00:36:19he said

00:36:19I heard he

00:36:20did it

00:36:20and he said

00:36:21Yvonne

00:36:22Susan will

00:36:23take care of

00:36:23Will if

00:36:24anything

00:36:24happens to

00:36:24me

00:36:25Yvonne wasn't

00:36:26so sure

00:36:27and she was

00:36:28apparently right

00:36:29to not trust

00:36:29Susan

00:36:30my investigation

00:36:31showed there

00:36:32was it actually

00:36:33a completely

00:36:34different side

00:36:35of this woman

00:36:35that the family

00:36:37didn't know

00:36:38and and

00:36:39they had

00:36:40strong reason

00:36:40believe Jake

00:36:41didn't know

00:36:42a different

00:36:42side

00:36:43meaning what

00:36:43well she

00:36:44wasn't who

00:36:45she portrayed

00:36:46herself to be

00:36:47Susan had been

00:36:48married three

00:36:49times before

00:36:50Lee spoke with

00:36:51two of her

00:36:51ex-husbands

00:36:52she used to

00:36:53drink

00:36:53but I don't

00:36:54know what

00:36:54she does

00:36:55now

00:36:55right but

00:36:56when y'all

00:36:56were married

00:36:56it was the

00:36:57drinking

00:36:57oh god

00:36:58god oh

00:36:58mate

00:36:59was it ever

00:36:59you know

00:37:00she's always

00:37:01been messed

00:37:01up in the

00:37:02head

00:37:02I mean

00:37:02there ain't

00:37:03no two ways

00:37:03about it

00:37:04she also

00:37:05had things

00:37:06in her

00:37:06background

00:37:07about 15

00:37:08years where

00:37:09she had

00:37:09had encounters

00:37:10with law

00:37:10enforcement

00:37:11what were

00:37:12those interactions

00:37:13there was

00:37:14several arrests

00:37:15down in Florida

00:37:15her record

00:37:16includes convictions

00:37:17for trespassing

00:37:18resisting arrest

00:37:19and several

00:37:20DUIs

00:37:21Susan and the

00:37:22kids were no

00:37:23longer speaking

00:37:24but Rachel and

00:37:24Will told Lee

00:37:25everything they

00:37:26could remember

00:37:27about how

00:37:28Susan described

00:37:29the shooting

00:37:29that morning

00:37:30so the first

00:37:31thing is

00:37:31she's just

00:37:32getting out

00:37:33of the shower

00:37:33heard the

00:37:35bang

00:37:35went back

00:37:36there

00:37:36found my

00:37:37father

00:37:37just out

00:37:38of the

00:37:38shower

00:37:39but Will

00:37:40remembered

00:37:40how Susan

00:37:41looked when

00:37:42he pulled up

00:37:42minutes later

00:37:43she looked

00:37:44like she was

00:37:44ready to go

00:37:45I mean

00:37:46she's fully

00:37:46dressed

00:37:47makeup

00:37:48hair

00:37:48everything

00:37:49later that

00:37:50night

00:37:51Rachel recalled

00:37:52Susan telling

00:37:52another version

00:37:53of what happened

00:37:54she said

00:37:55I was by

00:37:57the computer

00:37:57desk

00:37:58heard the

00:37:59bang

00:37:59I went back

00:38:00there and

00:38:01I found your

00:38:01dad

00:38:01and that's

00:38:02different from

00:38:02what she told

00:38:03you that

00:38:03morning

00:38:03so different

00:38:04Susan spoke

00:38:05with Yvonne

00:38:06that same

00:38:06night

00:38:06and added

00:38:07yet another

00:38:08detail

00:38:09and she said

00:38:10well I was

00:38:11blow drying

00:38:11my hair

00:38:12and I went

00:38:14to the computer

00:38:15you know

00:38:15where that is

00:38:16right Yvonne

00:38:16and I yelled

00:38:17back to Jake

00:38:18I'll be right

00:38:18back I have

00:38:19to straighten

00:38:19my hair

00:38:20and boom

00:38:22those small

00:38:22inconsistencies

00:38:23didn't seem

00:38:24like a big deal

00:38:25at the time

00:38:25but now they

00:38:26seemed important

00:38:27to the family

00:38:28at this point

00:38:29what are you

00:38:29thinking happened

00:38:30she killed

00:38:31my brother

00:38:31was the rest

00:38:32of your family

00:38:33thinking the

00:38:33same

00:38:33yes

00:38:35by then

00:38:36Susan had

00:38:37left the state

00:38:37she wanted

00:38:38nothing to do

00:38:39with Jake's

00:38:40family or their

00:38:41search for answers

00:38:41and then

00:38:44the phone rang

00:38:45this is Susan

00:38:46Amber

00:38:47Susan would have

00:38:48her own story

00:38:49to tell

00:38:49you were the only

00:38:50other person there

00:38:51Susan

00:38:52did you shoot

00:38:53your husband

00:38:53no I did not

00:38:54am I really

00:38:55hearing this

00:38:56I could not

00:38:57pick my mouth

00:38:57up off the floor

00:38:58and just when

00:38:59they thought

00:39:00it was over

00:39:00I mean typically

00:39:02that's where

00:39:03the story ends

00:39:04you might think

00:39:19private eye Lee

00:39:20Wilson had been

00:39:21investigating

00:39:21Susan Embert

00:39:22for a couple

00:39:23of months

00:39:23when out of the

00:39:24blue he got a

00:39:25phone call

00:39:28how did she

00:39:29know that you

00:39:30were even

00:39:30looking into her

00:39:31her words were

00:39:32that she heard

00:39:33I'd been asking

00:39:34about her

00:39:35I don't know

00:39:35why I'm being

00:39:37investigated

00:39:37they're asking

00:39:38questions about me

00:39:39and stuff

00:39:39I don't understand

00:39:40why

00:39:41if it's any

00:39:41questions I'd

00:39:42rather not

00:39:43answer any

00:39:43because I haven't

00:39:44done anything

00:39:45I can say that

00:39:46as you talked

00:39:47to her I mean

00:39:47what vibe did

00:39:48you get from her

00:39:48how did she

00:39:49sound over the

00:39:49phone

00:39:50she was fishing

00:39:51trying to figure

00:39:52out what I knew

00:39:53Lee talked to

00:39:54Susan several

00:39:55times

00:39:56each time

00:39:56she insisted

00:39:57she had nothing

00:39:58to do with

00:39:59Jake's death

00:39:59are you doing

00:40:00okay

00:40:00yeah no

00:40:01I'm trying to

00:40:03but uh

00:40:04I don't have

00:40:07I don't know

00:40:08what you're wanting

00:40:08from me

00:40:09all I know

00:40:10my husband's death

00:40:11was June 28

00:40:12it was closed

00:40:14out that day

00:40:15I don't know

00:40:15why he did it

00:40:16she said she

00:40:17was grieving

00:40:17I cry every single

00:40:19night

00:40:19every other day

00:40:21about this stuff

00:40:22and that all

00:40:22she really wanted

00:40:23from Jake's family

00:40:24was to be left

00:40:25alone

00:40:26I'm trying to

00:40:27live all of my

00:40:27life and I'm

00:40:28trying to you know

00:40:29survive out here

00:40:30that's all I'm

00:40:31trying to do

00:40:32in each conversation

00:40:33Lee prodded her

00:40:34for any bit

00:40:35of clarity

00:40:35it would probably

00:40:37be a little bit

00:40:38easier if the

00:40:40family had some

00:40:41answers too

00:40:42you don't seem

00:40:42to feel

00:40:44that's what I'm

00:40:45saying Mr. Wilson

00:40:46I don't have

00:40:46an answer

00:40:47and then

00:40:48she was done

00:40:50440 p.m

00:40:52I'm sure she

00:40:53hung up on me

00:40:54the phone calls

00:40:56didn't yield

00:40:56any new information

00:40:57about that morning

00:40:58but Lee wasn't

00:41:00done digging

00:41:00Jake's family

00:41:02pushed his

00:41:02investigation

00:41:03in an entirely

00:41:04new direction

00:41:05they suspected

00:41:06the shooting

00:41:06was not the

00:41:08first time

00:41:09Susan tried

00:41:09to kill her

00:41:10husband

00:41:10all of us

00:41:12kept coming

00:41:13back to the

00:41:14conclusion

00:41:14because of

00:41:16how sick

00:41:16he was

00:41:17because of

00:41:18the only

00:41:19common

00:41:19denominator

00:41:20was when

00:41:20she entered

00:41:21his life

00:41:22and the

00:41:22rapid decline

00:41:23maybe it

00:41:25was a possibility

00:41:26that she

00:41:27could be

00:41:27in fact

00:41:28poisoning

00:41:28my dad

00:41:29poison

00:41:30well as

00:41:31Jake's family

00:41:32saw it

00:41:32it seemed

00:41:33the more

00:41:33Susan

00:41:34nursed

00:41:34Jake

00:41:34the worse

00:41:35he got

00:41:36there were

00:41:37the two

00:41:37sudden

00:41:37heart

00:41:37attacks

00:41:38his serious

00:41:39GI issues

00:41:40and that

00:41:40onset of

00:41:41unexplained

00:41:42seizures

00:41:43Yvonne

00:41:44Yvonne struggled

00:41:44to understand

00:41:45this new

00:41:45symptom

00:41:46she recalled

00:41:47asking

00:41:47Susan

00:41:48the nurse

00:41:49about

00:41:49Jake's

00:41:50meds

00:41:50I said

00:41:51to her

00:41:51he shouldn't

00:41:52be having

00:41:52seizures

00:41:53there's

00:41:55there's not

00:41:55heart medicine

00:41:56that causes

00:41:57you to have

00:41:57seizures

00:41:57Yvonne says

00:41:59even before

00:41:59her brother

00:42:00died

00:42:00she started

00:42:01to question

00:42:02Susan's

00:42:02medical

00:42:03knowledge

00:42:03I mean

00:42:04you know

00:42:04she said

00:42:05she was a

00:42:05nurse

00:42:05I just

00:42:06didn't

00:42:06take that

00:42:07I got

00:42:08online and

00:42:08researched it

00:42:09did you ever

00:42:10find any

00:42:10evidence that

00:42:11she was a

00:42:11nurse

00:42:11no

00:42:12in fact

00:42:13my investigation

00:42:14showed that

00:42:15she had gone

00:42:16registered to

00:42:17go to a

00:42:18nurse's aid

00:42:19school similar

00:42:19to what they

00:42:20call a CNA

00:42:21in Georgia

00:42:22but she didn't

00:42:23even complete

00:42:24that

00:42:24it was Susan

00:42:26who administered

00:42:26all of Jake's

00:42:27medication

00:42:28and Susan

00:42:29who cooked

00:42:29all of his

00:42:30meals

00:42:30around the

00:42:31same time

00:42:32Jake's dog

00:42:33Zoe started

00:42:34having stomach

00:42:34problems too

00:42:35she started

00:42:36throwing up

00:42:37and going to

00:42:38the bathroom

00:42:38in the house

00:42:38I mean

00:42:39she

00:42:39she was

00:42:40an older

00:42:42dog

00:42:42but it

00:42:42just

00:42:43started

00:42:44happening

00:42:44like

00:42:45older

00:42:45dogs

00:42:45they

00:42:46start

00:42:46to

00:42:46kind

00:42:46of

00:42:46get

00:42:47incontinent

00:42:47was that

00:42:48happening

00:42:48there

00:42:48yeah

00:42:49but it

00:42:49just

00:42:49out of

00:42:50nowhere

00:42:51like it

00:42:51took my

00:42:51dad

00:42:52by surprise

00:42:53it took

00:42:53me by

00:42:53surprise

00:42:54when she

00:42:54started

00:42:54getting

00:42:55real sick

00:42:55it was

00:42:56Susan

00:42:57who took

00:42:57Zoe

00:42:57to the

00:42:58vet

00:42:58to get

00:42:58checked

00:42:59out

00:42:59and returned

00:43:00empty

00:43:00handed

00:43:01telling Jake

00:43:01the vet

00:43:02had ordered

00:43:02she be

00:43:03put down

00:43:04my personal

00:43:05belief is

00:43:05she was

00:43:06poisoning the

00:43:07dog

00:43:08maybe

00:43:08perhaps

00:43:09testing

00:43:09some of her

00:43:10point

00:43:10I don't

00:43:10know whether

00:43:11it was

00:43:11or whether

00:43:12she just

00:43:12wanted to

00:43:13get rid

00:43:13of Zoe

00:43:13but it

00:43:14shows her

00:43:15mindset

00:43:15it doesn't

00:43:16surprise me

00:43:17that she

00:43:17killed Jake

00:43:18if she did

00:43:18that to that

00:43:19man's dog

00:43:20this was

00:43:21just a theory

00:43:22they would

00:43:23need forensic

00:43:23evidence to

00:43:24prove it

00:43:25and at Susan's

00:43:26direction

00:43:26Jake's body

00:43:27had been cremated

00:43:28the day after

00:43:29his death

00:43:30but Yvonne had

00:43:31an idea

00:43:31I said to

00:43:32Rachel

00:43:33you need to

00:43:34go to the

00:43:34house

00:43:35and get

00:43:36Jake's hairbrush

00:43:37and she said

00:43:39what

00:43:40she said

00:43:40why

00:43:41because that's

00:43:42what she always

00:43:42does

00:43:43why

00:43:44I said

00:43:45Rachel

00:43:45just get it

00:43:47get a brown

00:43:48paper bag

00:43:48put the hairbrush

00:43:49in the bag

00:43:50don't tell anybody

00:43:51you have it

00:43:51so you're directing

00:43:52her to take it

00:43:53and bag it

00:43:54for evidence

00:43:55pretty much

00:43:56you basically

00:43:57have a detective's

00:43:58mind at this

00:43:58point

00:43:58no

00:43:59I just watched

00:44:01Dateline

00:44:04Rachel played

00:44:05detective

00:44:05she went back

00:44:06to the now

00:44:07deserted house

00:44:08she found

00:44:09one of her

00:44:09dad's brushes

00:44:10and handed

00:44:10it over to

00:44:11Lee

00:44:12Jake's family

00:44:13saw themselves

00:44:14as investigators

00:44:15uncovering the

00:44:16truth

00:44:16but if you ask

00:44:17Susan Embert

00:44:18they were just

00:44:19reaching for

00:44:19the perfect

00:44:20scapegoat

00:44:21they don't know

00:44:22me

00:44:22I don't know

00:44:23why they're

00:44:23lying

00:44:23I have no

00:44:24idea

00:44:24you're maintaining

00:44:25that all of

00:44:26these people

00:44:26are lying

00:44:42I don't have

00:44:43nothing to hide

00:44:43from nobody

00:44:44and I still

00:44:44don't

00:44:45Susan Embert's

00:44:46story was

00:44:47entirely different

00:44:48than the one

00:44:48being told

00:44:49by her

00:44:49husband's

00:44:50family

00:44:50she says

00:44:51when she

00:44:51and Jake

00:44:52first got

00:44:52married

00:44:53their life

00:44:53was nearly

00:44:54perfect

00:44:54I had a

00:44:56good husband

00:44:57and he had

00:44:59a good wife

00:45:00and I had

00:45:00a stepson

00:45:01that I loved

00:45:01it was nice

00:45:04Susan says

00:45:05she felt

00:45:06accepted

00:45:06by her

00:45:07husband's

00:45:07family

00:45:07and insists

00:45:08they were

00:45:09all invited

00:45:09to the

00:45:10courthouse

00:45:10wedding

00:45:10she remembers

00:45:12Jake even

00:45:12moved up

00:45:13the date

00:45:13to accommodate

00:45:14their schedules

00:45:15Will is saying

00:45:16that he had

00:45:16no idea

00:45:17that he

00:45:17would have

00:45:18been there

00:45:18he wanted

00:45:19to be there

00:45:19and be

00:45:20his father's

00:45:20best man

00:45:21but that he

00:45:22was blindsided

00:45:23when he found

00:45:23out after

00:45:24the fact

00:45:24he knew

00:45:25the date

00:45:26that we

00:45:26were going

00:45:26to get

00:45:26married

00:45:27and he

00:45:27also knew

00:45:27the date

00:45:28was moved

00:45:28up

00:45:29are you

00:45:30saying

00:45:30that Will

00:45:30is mistaken

00:45:31I think

00:45:32so yes

00:45:32there were

00:45:33some Facebook

00:45:34messages

00:45:34between you

00:45:36and Jake

00:45:37where you

00:45:37told him

00:45:38that you

00:45:38were pregnant

00:45:38did that

00:45:39play a role

00:45:40in the timing

00:45:41of your

00:45:41wedding

00:45:42I never

00:45:43told him

00:45:43I was pregnant

00:45:45that I know

00:45:45of

00:45:46you don't

00:45:46remember

00:45:47Facebook

00:45:47messages

00:45:47that you

00:45:48sent to him

00:45:48saying you

00:45:49took a

00:45:49test

00:45:49your stomach

00:45:50was feeling

00:45:51uncomfortable

00:45:52oh yeah

00:45:53when I took

00:45:53a pregnancy

00:45:54test and it

00:45:54said positive

00:45:55but I knew

00:45:55I wasn't

00:45:56I didn't think

00:45:56I was pregnant

00:45:57I didn't know

00:46:00Susan believes

00:46:00Jake's family

00:46:01has been twisting

00:46:02her words

00:46:03she denies

00:46:03ever telling

00:46:04them she was

00:46:05a nurse

00:46:05you did not

00:46:06lead them to

00:46:07believe that

00:46:07no I told

00:46:08I was told

00:46:08I worked

00:46:08in the nursing

00:46:09field

00:46:09and actually

00:46:10I said

00:46:11in the nursing

00:46:12field

00:46:12and the medical

00:46:13field

00:46:13because I have

00:46:14a lot of

00:46:15certificates

00:46:16and stuff

00:46:18like that

00:46:19in the medical

00:46:19field

00:46:20and Susan

00:46:21says Jake

00:46:22had money

00:46:22troubles

00:46:22before they

00:46:23got married

00:46:24it was only

00:46:25when his house

00:46:25went into

00:46:26foreclosure

00:46:27she says

00:46:27that he

00:46:28admitted it

00:46:28he said

00:46:29that he

00:46:31used his

00:46:31money

00:46:34unwisely

00:46:35or you know

00:46:35didn't use it

00:46:36wisely

00:46:37that he would

00:46:37buy like

00:46:38him and his

00:46:39son like

00:46:39real expensive

00:46:40things like

00:46:41bows and

00:46:42arrows and

00:46:43guns and

00:46:44all kind of

00:46:45stuff like that

00:46:45but he raised

00:46:47his hand and

00:46:47took blame for

00:46:48it you're saying

00:46:48yes

00:46:49that it was

00:46:50his fault

00:46:51yes

00:46:51as you learned

00:46:52about this

00:46:52financial situation

00:46:54did it have an

00:46:55impact on your

00:46:56relationship

00:46:56you and Jake

00:46:57well I mean

00:46:59to me I

00:47:00don't I mean

00:47:02I wasn't really

00:47:03I was not really

00:47:04worried about it

00:47:04I mean I was

00:47:05worried to a

00:47:05certain extent

00:47:06but I wasn't

00:47:07because I knew

00:47:08that with me and

00:47:09him together

00:47:10we could work it

00:47:11out we could get

00:47:11it worked out

00:47:12they were

00:47:13inseparable

00:47:14says Susan

00:47:14and she claims

00:47:16it was Jake's

00:47:16idea for her to

00:47:17be the beneficiary

00:47:18on his life

00:47:19insurance policy

00:47:20after all

00:47:21she was his

00:47:22wife

00:47:22he said he had

00:47:23this and that

00:47:24and he needed

00:47:24to change it

00:47:25over to me

00:47:25and I said

00:47:26okay well

00:47:26when you're

00:47:27whenever you

00:47:28want to do

00:47:28it

00:47:28we'll do it

00:47:28his sister

00:47:29Yvonne says

00:47:30that just

00:47:31within weeks

00:47:32of getting

00:47:32married

00:47:33that you

00:47:33were pressuring

00:47:34him to

00:47:35change the

00:47:35policy

00:47:35so that you

00:47:36were the

00:47:37beneficiary

00:47:37that's not

00:47:38true

00:47:40you never

00:47:41asked him

00:47:42no

00:47:42you never

00:47:43said pressured

00:47:45no

00:47:46suggested

00:47:46no

00:47:48and then

00:47:49there was

00:47:50that day

00:47:50in 2014

00:47:51she took us

00:47:52through her

00:47:52version of that

00:47:53morning

00:47:53it was around

00:47:549 or 10 a.m.

00:47:55and she was

00:47:56getting ready

00:47:56for the day

00:47:57she says

00:47:58talking to

00:47:58Jake

00:47:59while he

00:47:59stayed in

00:48:00bed

00:48:00we was just

00:48:01talking

00:48:01I was talking

00:48:02about going

00:48:02to the races

00:48:03matter of fact

00:48:05he was going

00:48:06to the races

00:48:06yeah we were

00:48:06going to the races

00:48:08that day

00:48:08that night

00:48:09what was he

00:48:10saying about it

00:48:11I was asking

00:48:11him if he still

00:48:12wants to go

00:48:15yeah

00:48:16what did he

00:48:16say

00:48:17he said

00:48:18I don't know

00:48:18probably or

00:48:19something like

00:48:19that you know

00:48:20he didn't seem

00:48:20real excited

00:48:22Susan told us

00:48:23she went into

00:48:24another room

00:48:25and what she

00:48:26says happened

00:48:26next is yet

00:48:27another version

00:48:28of what she

00:48:29was doing

00:48:29when the gun

00:48:30went off

00:48:30I was in

00:48:32the living room

00:48:38I went to

00:48:39get my vapor

00:48:40cigarette

00:48:40believe it or

00:48:41not

00:48:41but yeah

00:48:42my vapor

00:48:43cigarette

00:48:43and I heard

00:48:44the gun

00:48:45go off

00:48:45what happened

00:48:46then

00:48:46I ran down

00:48:48the hallway

00:48:49and I fell

00:48:50going down

00:48:51there and the

00:48:52door was cracked

00:48:52open about that

00:48:53much

00:48:53take me back

00:48:54to that moment

00:48:55when you first

00:48:56saw Jake

00:48:59I was ecstatic

00:49:00I was

00:49:03I thought I was

00:49:04going to lose

00:49:05my mind

00:49:05I didn't know

00:49:06what to do

00:49:06so I called

00:49:06911

00:49:07like I was

00:49:07supposed to do

00:49:08I didn't know

00:49:09what to do

00:49:09that's what I

00:49:10did

00:49:10I called 911

00:49:11my husband

00:49:12just shot

00:49:13his

00:49:13you were the

00:49:14only other

00:49:15person there

00:49:15Susan

00:49:16did you shoot

00:49:17your husband

00:49:18and then

00:49:19staged the

00:49:19room to

00:49:20look like

00:49:20a suicide

00:49:21no I

00:49:22did not

00:49:25no

00:49:27did you

00:49:28poison Jake

00:49:28Embert

00:49:29no I

00:49:29did not

00:49:30nope

00:49:30I wouldn't

00:49:32have poisoned

00:49:32somebody I

00:49:33loved

00:49:33no

00:49:34I wouldn't

00:49:35poison anybody

00:49:36did you

00:49:37poison the

00:49:38dog

00:49:38no

00:49:38if people

00:49:40were to

00:49:40look at the

00:49:40situation

00:49:41knowing that

00:49:42it was just

00:49:42you

00:49:42just him

00:49:43you were

00:49:44in charge

00:49:44of his

00:49:45meals

00:49:45you prepared

00:49:46the food

00:49:46people would

00:49:48say that

00:49:48you had

00:49:49plenty of

00:49:49opportunities

00:49:50to put

00:49:51things in

00:49:51there

00:49:52to poison

00:49:52your husband

00:49:53over a

00:49:53period of

00:49:54time

00:49:54how do

00:49:55you explain

00:49:56that

00:49:56I

00:49:57can't

00:49:57explain

00:49:57that

00:49:58because I

00:49:58did not

00:49:59poison my

00:50:00husband

00:50:00I would

00:50:00not have

00:50:01done it

00:50:01we all

00:50:02ate the

00:50:02same food

00:50:03I have to

00:50:04ask Susan

00:50:04in our

00:50:05interview

00:50:05in our

00:50:05conversation

00:50:06you have

00:50:07repeatedly

00:50:07said that

00:50:08a lot

00:50:08of people

00:50:09are lying

00:50:09about you

00:50:10from Jake's

00:50:11family

00:50:12to his

00:50:13sister

00:50:13other people

00:50:14how is it

00:50:16that so

00:50:17many people

00:50:18are lying

00:50:19about you

00:50:20I don't

00:50:21know

00:50:22I don't

00:50:23know

00:50:23I don't

00:50:24know why

00:50:24they're lying

00:50:25about me

00:50:25they don't

00:50:26even know

00:50:26me enough

00:50:26to lie

00:50:27about me

00:50:27but they

00:50:28don't know

00:50:29I mean

00:50:29I don't

00:50:29even talk

00:50:30they don't

00:50:30know me

00:50:31I don't

00:50:31know why

00:50:32they're

00:50:32lying

00:50:32I have

00:50:33no idea

00:50:33you're

00:50:34maintaining

00:50:34that all

00:50:34of these

00:50:34people

00:50:35are lying

00:50:36no matter

00:50:37how much

00:50:38Susan declared

00:50:38her innocence

00:50:39Lee Wilson

00:50:40kept working

00:50:41and finding

00:50:41what he

00:50:42says is

00:50:43proof

00:50:43she murdered

00:50:44her husband

00:50:44he was so

00:50:46confident

00:50:46in his

00:50:46evidence

00:50:47that he

00:50:47presented

00:50:48his findings

00:50:48to the

00:50:49coroner

00:50:49and the

00:50:50district

00:50:50attorney

00:50:50Greg

00:50:51Edwards

00:50:52had his

00:50:53investigators

00:50:53pour over

00:50:54Wilson's

00:50:54work

00:50:55and came

00:50:56to a

00:50:56conclusion

00:50:56and in

00:50:57my

00:50:58immediate

00:50:58opinion

00:50:59you know

00:50:59this was

00:51:00a staged

00:51:01crime scene

00:51:02and a

00:51:03homicide

00:51:04that needed

00:51:04to be

00:51:05prosecuted

00:51:05another

00:51:06major move

00:51:07the coroner

00:51:08changed his

00:51:08findings on

00:51:09Jake's

00:51:09death certificate

00:51:10from suicide

00:51:11to homicide

00:51:13investigators

00:51:14tracked Susan

00:51:14down in Florida

00:51:15the moment

00:51:16Jake's family

00:51:17had long

00:51:17been waiting

00:51:18for

00:51:18she's gonna

00:51:19get arrested

00:51:20in February

00:51:212015

00:51:21a group of

00:51:22investigators

00:51:23swarmed

00:51:24Susan's front

00:51:24door

00:51:25they said

00:51:25Georgia

00:51:26wants you

00:51:26I said

00:51:27for what

00:51:27and they

00:51:28said

00:51:30homicide

00:51:30Susan

00:51:31was arrested

00:51:32on charges

00:51:32of malice

00:51:33murder

00:51:33felony murder

00:51:34and aggravated

00:51:35assault

00:51:37that had

00:51:38to have

00:51:38felt surreal

00:51:39for you

00:51:39it did

00:51:40it was

00:51:41worth

00:51:41every minute

00:51:41to get

00:51:42to that

00:51:42point

00:51:42but there

00:51:43was still

00:51:43a long

00:51:44way to

00:51:44go

00:51:45Susan

00:51:45would go

00:51:46on trial

00:51:46and try

00:51:47to explain

00:51:47herself

00:51:48and her

00:51:48words

00:51:49to a jury

00:51:50and what

00:51:51she would

00:51:51say

00:51:51would leave

00:51:52everyone

00:51:52in the

00:51:53courtroom

00:51:54stunned

00:51:54why did

00:51:55you tell

00:51:56the 911

00:51:57operator

00:51:59that Jake

00:52:00Embert

00:52:00had sexually

00:52:01transmitted

00:52:01disease

00:52:03I didn't

00:52:03say that

00:52:20four months

00:52:21after Susan

00:52:22Embert

00:52:22was arrested

00:52:23the district

00:52:24attorney called

00:52:24Lee Wilson

00:52:25there was news

00:52:26and it was about

00:52:27that hairbrush

00:52:28Rachel collected

00:52:29from her dad's

00:52:30house

00:52:30the DA's office

00:52:32had sent it out

00:52:33for testing

00:52:33and the toxicology

00:52:35results were in

00:52:36what did those

00:52:37results show

00:52:38it showed that

00:52:39Jake had high

00:52:40levels of

00:52:41different

00:52:43pesticides

00:52:44indeed is the

00:52:45common name

00:52:46that we know it by

00:52:47and there was

00:52:47antifreeze

00:52:48when you got

00:52:49those results

00:52:50those lab results

00:52:51what did that

00:52:52tell you about

00:52:53Susan Embert

00:52:53she was a cold

00:52:55blooded murderer

00:52:56it's pretty hard

00:52:57to believe

00:53:00and for a while

00:53:01I blamed

00:53:02myself

00:53:02but you know

00:53:03that wasn't

00:53:03your fault

00:53:09I protected him

00:53:10his whole life

00:53:13this time

00:53:14I didn't

00:53:17but I didn't

00:53:18know I needed

00:53:19to

00:53:20most of the state's

00:53:22case was

00:53:22circumstantial

00:53:23now the lab

00:53:24results gave

00:53:25prosecutors

00:53:25something they

00:53:26could sink

00:53:27their teeth

00:53:27into

00:53:28the DA

00:53:29tacked on

00:53:29another

00:53:30aggravated

00:53:30assault charge

00:53:31related to the

00:53:32poisoning

00:53:32in addition to

00:53:33murder

00:53:34but there

00:53:35there was

00:53:35delay

00:53:36after delay

00:53:37you all have

00:53:38quite a waiting

00:53:39game ahead of

00:53:40you

00:53:40oh gosh

00:53:40so long

00:53:41yes

00:53:42four and a half

00:53:43years

00:53:43yes

00:53:44in December

00:53:452019

00:53:46the trial

00:53:47finally got

00:53:48underway

00:53:48the prosecution

00:53:52laid out

00:53:53its case

00:53:54arguing that

00:53:55Jake was

00:53:55poisoned

00:53:56before he

00:53:56was shot

00:54:15if the state

00:54:16was right

00:54:17and Susan

00:54:18Embert was

00:54:18in fact

00:54:19trying to

00:54:19kill her

00:54:20husband

00:54:20with poison

00:54:21why shoot

00:54:22him

00:54:22Lee Wilson

00:54:23pointed to

00:54:24the timing

00:54:24Jake had

00:54:25an upcoming

00:54:26doctor's

00:54:26appointment

00:54:27where they

00:54:27planned to

00:54:28run some

00:54:28tests

00:54:29and sooner

00:54:30or later

00:54:30some lab

00:54:31report would

00:54:32have shown

00:54:32some sort

00:54:33of level

00:54:33in his blood

00:54:34or some

00:54:35of the

00:54:35tests that

00:54:36was in

00:54:36order and

00:54:37they would

00:54:37have in

00:54:38all likelihood

00:54:38gone to

00:54:39exploring the

00:54:40poisoning aspect

00:54:41of it

00:54:42so you're

00:54:42saying that

00:54:42she felt

00:54:43that she

00:54:43would have

00:54:44soon been

00:54:44exposed

00:54:45it's my

00:54:46belief

00:54:46you know

00:54:47and I

00:54:47think he

00:54:48just wasn't

00:54:48dying

00:54:49quick enough

00:54:50as evidence

00:54:51of her

00:54:51premeditation

00:54:52the state

00:54:53called this

00:54:53man to

00:54:54the stand

00:54:54Douglas

00:54:55Buckner

00:54:56a fellow

00:54:56race car

00:54:57lover

00:54:57about two

00:54:58weeks before

00:54:59Jake was

00:54:59shot

00:55:00Buckner

00:55:00came by

00:55:01the house

00:55:01to buy

00:55:02Jake's

00:55:02firebird

00:55:02and at

00:55:03one point

00:55:03he was

00:55:04alone

00:55:04with

00:55:04Susan

00:55:05I was like

00:55:06well what's

00:55:07going on

00:55:07with Mr.

00:55:08Jake getting

00:55:08rid of his

00:55:08car

00:55:08and she was

00:55:09like well

00:55:09he's not

00:55:09in good

00:55:10shape

00:55:10he's not

00:55:11going to be

00:55:11here much

00:55:11longer

00:55:12and he

00:55:13wasn't

00:55:13around for

00:55:14much longer

00:55:14because

00:55:15prosecutors

00:55:15say

00:55:16Susan

00:55:16shot

00:55:17Jake

00:55:17then she

00:55:18worked hard

00:55:19they argued

00:55:19to redirect

00:55:20investigators

00:55:21the prosecutor

00:55:22played

00:55:22Susan's

00:55:23911

00:55:23call

00:55:24the DA

00:55:27asked the jury

00:55:28to listen

00:55:29carefully

00:55:29to this

00:55:30part

00:55:30we got

00:55:31married

00:55:31about two

00:55:32years ago

00:55:32and he

00:55:34I found out

00:55:35he was gay

00:55:36I didn't know

00:55:36this and I

00:55:37didn't give

00:55:37my heart

00:55:38time

00:55:38I said

00:55:38you know

00:55:39so long

00:55:39he was

00:55:40just tell

00:55:40you what's

00:55:41wrong

00:55:41well he

00:55:41was gay

00:55:42and then he

00:55:43got these

00:55:43diseases

00:55:44and transmitted

00:55:44diseases

00:55:45Jake

00:55:46Embert

00:55:47was gay

00:55:47and had

00:55:48transmitted

00:55:49diseases

00:55:49what was

00:55:50Susan

00:55:51talking

00:55:51about

00:55:52Susan

00:55:52Embert

00:55:53within

00:55:53seconds

00:55:5530 seconds

00:55:56of starting

00:55:57the call

00:55:57begins to

00:55:58lay out

00:55:59why

00:56:01Jake

00:56:01Embert

00:56:02supposedly

00:56:02killed

00:56:02himself

00:56:03unprompted

00:56:04unprompted

00:56:04you know

00:56:05he's gay

00:56:06he has

00:56:07these

00:56:07diseases

00:56:08and it

00:56:09shows

00:56:09premeditation

00:56:10she had

00:56:11thought this

00:56:11out and

00:56:12was going

00:56:12to say

00:56:12that

00:56:13after having

00:56:14done

00:56:14the act

00:56:15on the

00:56:16stand

00:56:16Yvonne

00:56:16testified

00:56:17her brother

00:56:18was not

00:56:18gay

00:56:18and Susan

00:56:19was lying

00:56:20was he

00:56:21holding

00:56:21some

00:56:21secret

00:56:22that you

00:56:23didn't

00:56:24detect

00:56:24all the

00:56:25years

00:56:26you

00:56:26know

00:56:26him

00:56:26no

00:56:28the

00:56:29prosecution

00:56:29brought up

00:56:30another

00:56:30apparent

00:56:31inconsistency

00:56:32in the

00:56:32911

00:56:32call

00:56:33Susan

00:56:34told the

00:56:34dispatcher

00:56:35she didn't

00:56:35touch

00:56:35Jake

00:56:38but Will

00:56:39testified

00:56:40that when

00:56:41he saw

00:56:41her at

00:56:41the scene

00:56:42I remember

00:56:43seeing her

00:56:43on her

00:56:44hand

00:56:45it looked

00:56:46like blood

00:56:47to me

00:56:48Susan's

00:56:49defense team

00:56:49had one

00:56:50clear message

00:56:50the coroner's

00:56:51first determination

00:56:52was the right

00:56:53one

00:56:54this was a

00:56:54suicide

00:56:55the kind

00:56:56of death

00:56:56that can

00:56:57be hard

00:56:57to accept

00:56:58nobody can

00:56:59understand

00:57:00why he did

00:57:00it

00:57:01they planned

00:57:02their counter

00:57:02attack to

00:57:03the state's

00:57:03narrative around

00:57:04Susan

00:57:04they called

00:57:05her to the

00:57:05stand

00:57:06and asked

00:57:06her directly

00:57:07about that

00:57:08911 call

00:57:09were you

00:57:10sincere

00:57:10at the

00:57:11time

00:57:11when you

00:57:12were having

00:57:12that

00:57:14conversation

00:57:15on the

00:57:16911

00:57:16I was very

00:57:17sincere

00:57:20what state

00:57:20of mind

00:57:21would you

00:57:22describe

00:57:22you were

00:57:23being in

00:57:23a bad

00:57:25state

00:57:25of mind

00:57:26I was

00:57:27ecstatic

00:57:28as for

00:57:29telling the

00:57:29dispatcher

00:57:30Jake was

00:57:30gay

00:57:31I don't

00:57:31know why

00:57:32I said

00:57:32that

00:57:33I had

00:57:33no proof

00:57:34that he

00:57:34was gay

00:57:34she did

00:57:36testify

00:57:36that she

00:57:37and Jake

00:57:37were having

00:57:38intimacy

00:57:38issues

00:57:39I asked

00:57:39him

00:57:40I said

00:57:40do you

00:57:40have

00:57:40another

00:57:41girlfriend

00:57:42what prompted

00:57:43all that

00:57:45because

00:57:50our sex

00:57:51life

00:57:51went down

00:57:52and he

00:57:52didn't seem

00:57:53like he

00:57:53was interested

00:57:54in me

00:57:54anymore

00:57:55I'm sorry

00:57:56our sex

00:57:57life went

00:57:57down

00:57:58I didn't

00:57:58think he

00:57:58was interested

00:57:59in me

00:57:59anymore

00:58:00during that

00:58:01call

00:58:01you told

00:58:02the operator

00:58:03that

00:58:04Jake

00:58:04was gay

00:58:05and had

00:58:06transmitted

00:58:07diseases

00:58:08are either

00:58:09of those

00:58:09two things

00:58:10true

00:58:11no

00:58:12the

00:58:12transmitted

00:58:13disease

00:58:14they had

00:58:14that wrong

00:58:14I said

00:58:15he had

00:58:15PTSD

00:58:17they said

00:58:17I said

00:58:18STD

00:58:18no it was

00:58:20PTSD

00:58:20I have

00:58:21the 911

00:58:22call

00:58:22and I want

00:58:23to bring it

00:58:24up so we

00:58:24can listen

00:58:24to it

00:58:25together

00:58:25okay

00:58:30but you said

00:58:31transmitted

00:58:32diseases

00:58:32I said

00:58:33I said

00:58:33no I

00:58:33didn't

00:58:33I didn't

00:58:34hear that

00:58:35I know

00:58:36I said

00:58:36PTSD

00:58:37I thought

00:58:38that's

00:58:38what I

00:58:39said

00:58:39why bring

00:58:41up those

00:58:41two details

00:58:42that he

00:58:42was gay

00:58:43and had

00:58:44transmitted

00:58:44diseases

00:58:45especially if

00:58:46you're saying

00:58:46now that you

00:58:47didn't believe

00:58:48that to be

00:58:49true

00:58:49why say

00:58:50that on the

00:58:50911 call

00:58:51because that's

00:58:52the last

00:58:53thing I said

00:58:53to him

00:58:54before I

00:58:54walked out

00:58:54the room

00:58:55to get

00:58:55my vapor

00:58:55cigarette

00:58:57and I

00:58:58thought

00:58:58maybe it

00:58:59might have

00:58:59had something

00:59:00to do

00:59:00with why

00:59:01he did

00:59:01what he

00:59:01did

00:59:02so you

00:59:03and I've

00:59:04had to

00:59:04live with

00:59:04that

00:59:05last words

00:59:06all these

00:59:07years

00:59:08that's my

00:59:09last words

00:59:09so in the

00:59:10moments before

00:59:11he died

00:59:12you all

00:59:13were

00:59:14arguing

00:59:14I wasn't

00:59:15arguing

00:59:15I asked

00:59:16him a

00:59:16question

00:59:17you asked

00:59:18him are

00:59:18you gay

00:59:18yes

00:59:19what did

00:59:20he say

00:59:20he didn't

00:59:21say

00:59:22anything

00:59:23that

00:59:23conversation

00:59:24was a

00:59:24new

00:59:25detail

00:59:25she

00:59:25never

00:59:26told

00:59:26the

00:59:26family

00:59:27or

00:59:27investigators

00:59:28and I

00:59:29have to

00:59:29ask in a

00:59:29situation

00:59:30like this

00:59:30obviously

00:59:32details

00:59:33granular

00:59:33details

00:59:34are important

00:59:35the story

00:59:36that you

00:59:36told on

00:59:36the stand

00:59:37that you're

00:59:37telling me

00:59:38is different

00:59:39from what

00:59:41Jake's family

00:59:41says that you

00:59:42initially told

00:59:42them both

00:59:43Rachel and

00:59:44Yvonne say

00:59:45that they heard

00:59:45different versions

00:59:46of that story

00:59:48why are there

00:59:49differences in

00:59:50those details

00:59:51maybe they

00:59:51didn't hear

00:59:52the whole

00:59:52story I

00:59:53don't know

00:59:53because that's

00:59:54the deep

00:59:54that's how

00:59:55that's what

00:59:56happened

00:59:56but you're

00:59:57saying all

00:59:57along you've

00:59:58told one

00:59:58story that

00:59:59is the story

01:00:00I told the

01:00:01one I just

01:00:02told you

01:00:03Susan never

01:00:04wavered on

01:00:05her innocence

01:00:05telling the

01:00:06jury what she

01:00:07told us

01:00:08she didn't

01:00:08poison Jake

01:00:09and she

01:00:10definitely

01:00:10didn't shoot

01:00:11him

01:00:11but would

01:00:14this sway

01:00:15the jury

01:00:16we the jury

01:00:17find the

01:00:17defendant

01:00:17Susan

01:00:18Embert

01:00:18I mean

01:00:19typically

01:00:19that's where

01:00:20the story

01:00:21ends

01:00:21you might

01:00:22think

01:00:36it had been

01:00:37more than

01:00:38five years

01:00:38since Will

01:00:39Embert arrived

01:00:39at his father's

01:00:40house on that

01:00:41June morning

01:00:42five years

01:00:43since Susan

01:00:43Embert told

01:00:44him Jake

01:00:45was dead

01:00:45being in

01:00:46that courtroom

01:00:47that brought

01:00:47you again

01:00:48into the

01:00:49same room

01:00:49with Susan

01:00:50for really

01:00:51the first

01:00:51time

01:00:51almost since

01:00:52it happened

01:00:53right

01:00:53that couldn't

01:00:54have been

01:00:55easy

01:00:55yeah it was

01:00:55very uneasy

01:00:56failing

01:00:57and now

01:00:58Susan's fate

01:00:59was in the

01:00:59hands of 12

01:01:00jurors

01:01:01they deliberated

01:01:02for less

01:01:02than an hour

01:01:03we the jury

01:01:04find the

01:01:05defendant

01:01:05Susan Embert

01:01:06count one

01:01:07malice murder

01:01:08guilty

01:01:09guilty of murder

01:01:11and aggravated

01:01:12assault

01:01:13I mean are

01:01:14there words

01:01:15to describe

01:01:15that moment

01:01:15no

01:01:17it was just

01:01:19I can't use

01:01:20the word

01:01:21happy I guess

01:01:22but you're

01:01:24just glad to

01:01:24know that

01:01:24she's going

01:01:25to pay

01:01:25for what

01:01:25she did

01:01:26Susan Embert

01:01:27was sentenced

01:01:28to life

01:01:28in prison

01:01:29with 10

01:01:29years tacked

01:01:30on for

01:01:31the poisoning

01:01:31charge

01:01:32I mean

01:01:33typically

01:01:34that's where

01:01:34the story

01:01:35ends

01:01:36you might

01:01:36think

01:01:37not this

01:01:38time

01:01:38while Jake's

01:01:39family finally

01:01:40tried to move

01:01:41on

01:01:41Susan's daughter

01:01:42Krista

01:01:43could not

01:01:43I felt like

01:01:44my entire

01:01:45being my entire

01:01:46soul was shattered

01:01:47like I just

01:01:48lost my best friend

01:01:49my mom

01:01:50I can't call

01:01:50my mom

01:01:51just to say

01:01:51hey anytime

01:01:52I want to

01:01:53I have to wait

01:01:53on a schedule

01:01:54I have to talk

01:01:55to her on a

01:01:55tablet

01:01:56like I can't

01:01:57hug my mom

01:01:58Susan assured

01:01:59her daughter

01:02:00it wasn't over

01:02:01I knew one day

01:02:02I'd be living

01:02:03because I knew

01:02:04one day the truth

01:02:05would come out

01:02:05I knew I'd be

01:02:06going home

01:02:07I just didn't

01:02:07know when

01:02:09she found a new

01:02:10lawyer to mount

01:02:10an appeal

01:02:11there's been so

01:02:12many errors in

01:02:13this case

01:02:13it was just

01:02:14like one

01:02:15after another

01:02:16defense attorney

01:02:17Jen Hyman

01:02:17was fresh out

01:02:18of law school

01:02:19when she took

01:02:20Susan's case

01:02:20this was actually

01:02:22the first motion

01:02:23for new trial

01:02:24that I worked

01:02:24on

01:02:25Hyman scrutinized

01:02:26every part of

01:02:27the case

01:02:28the investigation

01:02:29the evidence

01:02:30testimony

01:02:30even the jurors

01:02:32so you just ran

01:02:33some of the names

01:02:34through google

01:02:34just to see

01:02:36what popped up

01:02:37yeah

01:02:37she found something

01:02:39and it was big

01:02:42one of the jurors

01:02:43had some criminal

01:02:45history

01:02:45so you see

01:02:46this information

01:02:46and you knew

01:02:47that you had

01:02:48found something

01:02:48major

01:02:49absolutely yes

01:02:50the juror

01:02:51was a felon

01:02:51and while there

01:02:52is a process

01:02:53to restore rights

01:02:54to serve on a jury

01:02:55that had not

01:02:56happened

01:02:56and no one

01:02:58from the court

01:02:58or the district

01:02:59attorney's office

01:03:00caught it

01:03:00that was grounds

01:03:02to overturn

01:03:03Susan's conviction

01:03:04should your office

01:03:05be taking a closer

01:03:07look double checking

01:03:08things like this

01:03:08when you're seating

01:03:09a jury

01:03:10yes we now require

01:03:11documentation

01:03:12indicating they

01:03:13are not disqualified

01:03:15from serving

01:03:15as a juror

01:03:16so we just double

01:03:18down on making

01:03:19sure that that's

01:03:20reviewed

01:03:21an important fix

01:03:22but too late

01:03:23for Jake's family

01:03:25and the mistake

01:03:26was costly

01:03:27thank you lord

01:03:29thank you lord

01:03:29thank you family

01:03:30thank you attorneys

01:03:31I love y'all

01:03:34after more than

01:03:35four years in prison

01:03:36Susan Embert

01:03:37walked out

01:03:38a free woman

01:03:39they called me

01:03:41and they told me

01:03:41that Susan

01:03:42was being released

01:03:43and that is like

01:03:45I was astounded

01:03:46what do you mean

01:03:46she's being released

01:03:47how do you even

01:03:48process this

01:03:49you know I'm angry

01:03:50I'll be honest

01:03:51I'm very angry

01:03:52how did this

01:03:54transpire

01:03:54how

01:03:55Jake's family

01:03:56felt the mistakes

01:03:57and wasted time

01:03:58had plagued the

01:04:00process from day

01:04:01one

01:04:01and now with

01:04:02Susan's release

01:04:03they would have

01:04:04to start again

01:04:05what do you even

01:04:06do with that news

01:04:08question the whole

01:04:09judicial system

01:04:10are you just

01:04:11thinking to yourself

01:04:12there's this pattern

01:04:14of people just

01:04:15missing things

01:04:16folks not doing

01:04:17their jobs

01:04:18exactly

01:04:19Susan would have

01:04:20to stand trial

01:04:21all over again

01:04:22this time with

01:04:23a new jury

01:04:24but her new

01:04:25attorney had a

01:04:26plan

01:04:26we immediately

01:04:27started working

01:04:28on the motion

01:04:28to get the case

01:04:29dismissed

01:04:29on what grounds

01:04:31so it's a

01:04:33speedy trial

01:04:34violation

01:04:34a lot of people

01:04:35are probably

01:04:36familiar with

01:04:37the fact that

01:04:38you have a right

01:04:38to a speedy trial

01:04:39but most probably

01:04:40aren't familiar

01:04:41with how that

01:04:43actually works

01:04:43the defense argued

01:04:45that now too much

01:04:46time had passed

01:04:47since she was

01:04:47first charged

01:04:48a delay that

01:04:49violated her

01:04:50rights

01:04:51and so you're

01:04:52saying that

01:04:52because that

01:04:54felon was on

01:04:55the juror

01:04:56that was thrown

01:04:57out and it's

01:04:58almost like saying

01:04:59a trial never

01:05:00happened in the

01:05:00first place

01:05:01it's exactly like

01:05:02saying that

01:05:02and so now

01:05:03you're starting

01:05:03the clock

01:05:04from back in

01:05:052014 when she

01:05:06was first charged

01:05:07exactly

01:05:07the judge agreed

01:05:09the delay was

01:05:10unfair to

01:05:11Susan

01:05:12it was a

01:05:13critical decision

01:05:13that meant she

01:05:14would not face

01:05:15another trial

01:05:16all charges

01:05:17against her

01:05:17were dropped

01:05:19it was amazing

01:05:21getting a murder

01:05:22case dismissed

01:05:23is you know

01:05:24an amazing feeling

01:05:26it wasn't long

01:05:27after that ruling

01:05:28when we sat down

01:05:29with Susan

01:05:29we've talked about

01:05:31you walking out

01:05:31of prison

01:05:33you're out

01:05:34now

01:05:35on a technicality

01:05:36what would you

01:05:37say

01:05:37to people

01:05:38who look at

01:05:39you

01:05:39and say

01:05:40she got away

01:05:41with murder

01:05:42what would I say

01:05:44what would you say

01:05:45to those people

01:05:46I'd say

01:05:47no I didn't

01:05:48because I didn't

01:05:48do it

01:05:49I got away

01:05:50with telling

01:05:50the truth

01:05:50and that's

01:05:51what set me

01:05:52free

01:05:53I didn't get

01:05:54away with

01:05:54anything

01:05:55I know the

01:05:56truth

01:05:56God knows

01:05:57the truth

01:05:57and people

01:05:58that know

01:05:59me know

01:05:59the truth

01:06:00Susan's family

01:06:01members were

01:06:01not her only

01:06:02supporters

01:06:03her ex-husband

01:06:04Glenn Melton

01:06:04also stood

01:06:05by her

01:06:06did you ever

01:06:07think that

01:06:07Susan is

01:06:08capable of

01:06:09murder

01:06:10no

01:06:12no way

01:06:12no question

01:06:13ain't no question

01:06:15about it

01:06:15ain't no way

01:06:15she could do

01:06:16nothing like that

01:06:17the DA's office

01:06:18wasn't done

01:06:19it appealed

01:06:20the judge's ruling

01:06:20about the speedy

01:06:21trial violation

01:06:22to the Georgia

01:06:23Supreme Court

01:06:24for Jake's family

01:06:25another excruciating

01:06:27wait

01:06:28I knew it wasn't

01:06:29over

01:06:30then

01:06:32I knew

01:06:33we're gonna

01:06:34probably have to

01:06:36start completely

01:06:37over

01:06:37he was right

01:06:39the Supreme Court

01:06:40sided with the

01:06:40prosecution

01:06:41Susan Embert

01:06:42would stand

01:06:43trial again

01:06:44like oh

01:06:46yay

01:06:46we're gonna

01:06:47get her again

01:06:48a retrial

01:06:49but far

01:06:50from a repeat

01:06:51because the

01:06:52prosecution's case

01:06:53was about to

01:06:54take a huge

01:06:55hit

01:06:55and the defense

01:06:56had a new

01:06:57plan of attack

01:06:58it wasn't

01:06:59evidence

01:06:59it was just

01:06:59fantasy

01:07:00and it was

01:07:00just absurd

01:07:01fire shot

01:07:02through my

01:07:03entire body

01:07:04because you

01:07:05knew

01:07:05this wasn't

01:07:06good

01:07:06no

01:07:06not at all

01:07:21Susan Embert

01:07:22was headed to

01:07:23trial for a

01:07:23second time

01:07:24attorney Charles

01:07:25Cullen joined

01:07:26her defense team

01:07:27and examined

01:07:28all the evidence

01:07:29with fresh eyes

01:07:30the whole poisoning

01:07:31theory just needed

01:07:33somebody to step in

01:07:34and say wait a minute

01:07:35is this possible

01:07:36is this reasonable

01:07:37does this make any

01:07:38sense at all

01:07:38he thought the

01:07:39poisoning evidence

01:07:40was weak

01:07:41remember Jake's

01:07:42body had been

01:07:42cremated quickly

01:07:43and there was no

01:07:44autopsy

01:07:45so it was all

01:07:46based on the

01:07:47hairs found in

01:07:47Jake's brush

01:07:48collected by

01:07:50Jake's daughter

01:07:50the first part is

01:07:52you have to ask

01:07:53was there a chain

01:07:54of custody on

01:07:55the hair

01:07:55right

01:07:56and there wasn't

01:07:57it wasn't gathered

01:07:57by the police

01:07:58or anything like that

01:07:59and the lab that

01:08:00detected pesticides

01:08:01and antifreeze

01:08:02had its license

01:08:03suspended after

01:08:04accusations of

01:08:05misconduct

01:08:05you're saying that

01:08:06evidence should have

01:08:07been nowhere near

01:08:08the first trial

01:08:08because it wasn't

01:08:10evidence it was

01:08:10just fantasy

01:08:11and it was just

01:08:11absurd

01:08:12the idea that

01:08:13she's poisoning

01:08:13him with DEET

01:08:14like she's spraying

01:08:15insect repellent

01:08:16on the food

01:08:17for years

01:08:19and you're saying

01:08:19that's just not

01:08:20reasonable

01:08:20that's just not

01:08:21realistic

01:08:21that's not

01:08:22reasonable

01:08:22that's not

01:08:23realistic

01:08:23just weeks before

01:08:25the trial began

01:08:26the defense asked

01:08:27the court to drop

01:08:28the poisoning charge

01:08:29and exclude all

01:08:30evidence of poisoning

01:08:31from the trial

01:08:32the judge agreed

01:08:34a major victory

01:08:35for the defense

01:08:36so this time around

01:08:38poisoning wasn't even

01:08:40supposed to be

01:08:41mentioned

01:08:42yes

01:08:42during the proceedings

01:08:44completely excluded

01:08:45anything suspecting

01:08:46of poisoning

01:08:47mentioning of poisoning

01:08:48when Susan Embert's

01:08:50second trial began

01:08:51in December 2025

01:08:52the prosecution's case

01:08:54was whittled down

01:08:55significantly

01:08:56this case

01:08:57is about

01:08:58the murder

01:09:00of Mr.

01:09:01Jake Embert

01:09:01on the first

01:09:03day of testimony

01:09:04the state called

01:09:05coroner Michael

01:09:05Fowler to the stand

01:09:07this time

01:09:08he sounded

01:09:08defiant

01:09:09does the Michael

01:09:11Fowler of today

01:09:12regret not

01:09:13ordering a medical

01:09:15examination

01:09:15of this body

01:09:17in 2014

01:09:18not certain

01:09:19I was still

01:09:20standing on

01:09:20what I did

01:09:21on that part

01:09:21I shot one

01:09:22in the head

01:09:23okay

01:09:23and I

01:09:24now for the

01:09:25information that

01:09:26I received

01:09:27now about

01:09:27the

01:09:29hearsay

01:09:29the antifreeze

01:09:31no sir

01:09:32it was that word

01:09:33antifreeze

01:09:34hearsay

01:09:35the antifreeze

01:09:37fire shot

01:09:38through my entire

01:09:39body

01:09:39because you knew

01:09:41this wasn't good

01:09:42no not at all

01:09:45and it stopped

01:09:46the proceedings

01:09:46in their tracks

01:09:47yep

01:09:47what happened

01:09:48in the courtroom

01:09:49in that moment

01:09:49well we made a motion

01:09:51for mistrial

01:09:52the judge

01:09:53declared a mistrial

01:09:54so the case

01:09:56is over

01:09:58for now

01:09:58Rachel

01:09:59furious with all

01:10:00the mistakes

01:10:01and delays

01:10:02sent a scathing

01:10:03letter to the

01:10:04DA's office

01:10:04I want to read you

01:10:06just a portion

01:10:07of this

01:10:08yes

01:10:08our father

01:10:09was murdered once

01:10:10the justice system

01:10:12has destroyed us

01:10:13repeatedly ever since

01:10:14this is not delay

01:10:15this is not normal

01:10:17this is not justice

01:10:18it's not

01:10:19those are very

01:10:20strong words

01:10:21and I mean

01:10:22every word of them

01:10:23every single word

01:10:25the ball was

01:10:26dropped on so

01:10:27many different

01:10:29levels

01:10:30whether it be

01:10:31from

01:10:32these government

01:10:33agencies

01:10:33the corner

01:10:34the judicial system

01:10:36you were not

01:10:37supposed to mention

01:10:38poison

01:10:38no one have told me

01:10:39didn't tell me that

01:10:40you had no idea

01:10:41no one told me

01:10:42that I wasn't

01:10:42supposed to mention

01:10:43that

01:10:43I'm standing on this

01:10:44they did not

01:10:45tell me that

01:10:46we asked

01:10:47the district attorney

01:10:48he says

01:10:49that you all

01:10:50left him hanging

01:10:51out to dry

01:10:51on that

01:10:52well I can only

01:10:55anticipate that

01:10:56maybe that

01:10:57that might have

01:10:58happened

01:10:58maybe that did

01:10:59slip through the

01:10:59crack

01:11:00so I can't say

01:11:01that that did

01:11:02not happen

01:11:04one month later

01:11:05both sides

01:11:06were back in court

01:11:07this time

01:11:08for trial number

01:11:09three

01:11:10stay

01:11:11the DA's office

01:11:12knew it was time

01:11:13for a new approach

01:11:14Dowdy White

01:11:15was assigned

01:11:16as lead prosecutor

01:11:17this case

01:11:17touched everybody

01:11:18in the DA's office

01:11:19at some point

01:11:20every single person

01:11:21worked on this case

01:11:22this defendant

01:11:25intended

01:11:26to kill Jake

01:11:28and stage it

01:11:29as a suicide

01:11:30the prosecutors

01:11:32knew they had

01:11:32to do more

01:11:33with a lot

01:11:34less evidence

01:11:35and that included

01:11:36getting the jury

01:11:37to focus on

01:11:37Susan's potential

01:11:38motive

01:11:39Mr. Buckner

01:11:40good morning

01:11:41Jake's friend

01:11:42Douglas Buckner

01:11:43testified again

01:11:44and prosecutor

01:11:45Guy Terry

01:11:45asked him

01:11:46to tell the jury

01:11:47about something new

01:11:48did you receive

01:11:50any late night

01:11:51communication

01:11:52off and on

01:11:53I received a text

01:11:54that had some

01:11:55content in it

01:11:56she in fact

01:11:57sent Buckner

01:11:59semi-nude

01:12:00and new photographs

01:12:01of herself

01:12:01oh

01:12:02and I finally

01:12:03told her that day

01:12:04I was like

01:12:05listen when I see

01:12:05Mr. Jake Saturday

01:12:06I'm going to be

01:12:07showing Mr. Jake

01:12:08all the texts

01:12:09the prosecution

01:12:10said Susan

01:12:11was worried

01:12:11that if he showed

01:12:13Jake the texts

01:12:14Jake would divorce her

01:12:15Jake finds out

01:12:16about what she's

01:12:17doing with

01:12:18with Mr. Buckner

01:12:21he's going to

01:12:22kick me out

01:12:22and the prosecution

01:12:24said Susan

01:12:24didn't want a divorce

01:12:25she wanted Jake's

01:12:27money

01:12:27specifically that

01:12:28life insurance

01:12:29policy Jake

01:12:30had signed over

01:12:30to her

01:12:31after his death

01:12:33Susan received

01:12:34a payout

01:12:34but Jake's

01:12:35children never

01:12:36got a dime

01:12:36however

01:12:38prosecutors

01:12:38Doughty White

01:12:39and Guy Terry

01:12:40say the most

01:12:41important part

01:12:41of the case

01:12:42was the crime

01:12:43scene analysis

01:12:43the whole theme

01:12:45of the case

01:12:45was showing

01:12:46that suicide

01:12:47is not a reasonable

01:12:48option here

01:12:49we had to focus

01:12:50on the crime scene

01:12:53the only solid evidence

01:12:54remaining from the crime

01:12:55scene

01:12:56those photos

01:12:57these pictures

01:12:58are absolutely crucial

01:12:59they were absolutely

01:13:00critical in the

01:13:01entire analysis

01:13:02prosecutors say

01:13:03the photo of the gun

01:13:05in Jake's hand

01:13:06was most telling

01:13:07given the power

01:13:08of a 45 caliber

01:13:10the gunpowder in there

01:13:11you're going to have

01:13:12a gun that kicks

01:13:13or you're saying

01:13:13it's likely

01:13:14that the gun

01:13:14would have had

01:13:15so much kick

01:13:15it would have

01:13:16just flown out

01:13:16it probably would have

01:13:17flown out of his hand

01:13:18and ended up

01:13:18on the ground

01:13:19over here

01:13:20another critical detail

01:13:22the gun was found

01:13:23in Jake's right hand

01:13:25so this is Jake's

01:13:26you know Jake's right hand

01:13:29Jake's left handed

01:13:30that was new information

01:13:32in trial number three

01:13:34if a person is going

01:13:35to commit suicide

01:13:36with a firearm

01:13:37that's arguably

01:13:38the most important shot

01:13:39that person's ever

01:13:40going to make

01:13:41do you make that shot

01:13:42with your non-dominant hand

01:13:43a forensics expert

01:13:45confirmed what

01:13:45private investigator

01:13:47Lee Wilson

01:13:47had noticed about the bed

01:13:49this body appears

01:13:50that it has been moved

01:13:52are you able to conclude

01:13:54that this scene

01:13:55was manipulated

01:13:57staged and altered

01:13:58to appear as if

01:14:00it was a suicide

01:14:02it appears that way

01:14:03yes

01:14:04it all added up

01:14:06the prosecution said

01:14:07to one thing

01:14:08Jake's death

01:14:09death was not

01:14:10a suicide

01:14:11every element

01:14:12of murder is met

01:14:14but Susan's defense team

01:14:16had another explanation

01:14:17something about Jake

01:14:19that even those closest

01:14:21to him

01:14:21didn't know

01:14:22were you aware

01:14:24that he's seeing

01:14:24a psychiatrist

01:14:26no

01:14:41for more than 10 years

01:14:43Jake's family

01:14:43and prosecutors

01:14:44had fixated

01:14:45on the botched

01:14:46police investigation

01:14:47they believed

01:14:48that if the case

01:14:49had been handled differently

01:14:50Susan's guilt

01:14:51would have been clear

01:14:52from the start

01:14:52but defense attorney

01:14:54Charles Cullen

01:14:55didn't see it that way

01:14:56what would have changed

01:14:58for your client

01:14:58had there been

01:14:59a thorough police investigation

01:15:01she would have been exonerated

01:15:02they would have been able

01:15:03to say

01:15:03no

01:15:04we did an autopsy

01:15:06here's what we found

01:15:07they could have said

01:15:09you know

01:15:09we tested her for GSR

01:15:10there's no GSR on her

01:15:12there's only GSR on him

01:15:14and the problem is

01:15:15that you know

01:15:16once you don't do that

01:15:17all that evidence is gone

01:15:18right

01:15:19all that evidence is lost

01:15:20there will be no evidence

01:15:21that rules out suicide

01:15:23as for the left handed

01:15:25Jake being found

01:15:26with the gun

01:15:27in his right

01:15:27Cullen said

01:15:28plenty of people

01:15:29shoot with both hands

01:15:30like

01:15:31many other people

01:15:33who are either

01:15:34ambidextrous

01:15:35or

01:15:36own

01:15:37guns

01:15:38that are not

01:15:38altered

01:15:39to accommodate

01:15:40left handed shooters

01:15:41like Jake Embert

01:15:42he was capable

01:15:43and

01:15:44possibly even preferred

01:15:45shooting with his right hand

01:15:47talking to his family

01:15:48all of them say

01:15:49that they have never

01:15:50seen Jake

01:15:52shoot a gun

01:15:53with his right hand

01:15:54why would he choose

01:15:56to put the gun

01:15:56in his right hand

01:15:58to take his life

01:15:58so

01:15:59I think that

01:16:01it's important

01:16:03to remember

01:16:04that this family

01:16:06believes 100%

01:16:08that Susan Embert

01:16:10murdered him

01:16:11and

01:16:11I think that

01:16:13as the case

01:16:14has gone on

01:16:16sometimes memories

01:16:17can change a little bit

01:16:18to sort of fit

01:16:19what you need them

01:16:21to fit

01:16:22he also said

01:16:23that Susan

01:16:24may have mixed up

01:16:25words and details

01:16:26but

01:16:26it wasn't because

01:16:27she was guilty

01:16:28this is a person

01:16:30who kept saying

01:16:32you know

01:16:32I was ecstatic

01:16:34that day

01:16:35I was ecstatic

01:16:37I was ecstatic

01:16:38and she means

01:16:40hysterical

01:16:40right

01:16:41so this is someone

01:16:42who confuses words

01:16:43mixes things up

01:16:44the defense maintained

01:16:46that the most logical

01:16:47explanation

01:16:47for what happened

01:16:48to Jake

01:16:49was also the simplest

01:16:50he was depressed

01:16:52maybe more

01:16:53than his family knew

01:16:54if you would just

01:16:55stand up and raise

01:16:56Jake had been a patient

01:16:57of Dr. Bruce Houston

01:16:58for more than four years

01:17:00he's also prescribed

01:17:03fluoxetine

01:17:04Prozac

01:17:05that's okay

01:17:06that's also known

01:17:07as Prozac

01:17:08Prozac is also

01:17:09an antidepressant

01:17:10it's similar

01:17:12to Lexapro

01:17:13it's an SSRI

01:17:14were you aware

01:17:15that he's seeing

01:17:16a psychiatrist

01:17:18no

01:17:18were you aware

01:17:20that he was being

01:17:21prescribed

01:17:22Lexapro

01:17:23no

01:17:24Prozac

01:17:24no

01:17:25there is such a stigma

01:17:27on mental health

01:17:29but

01:17:29we all need a little bit

01:17:31of help sometimes

01:17:31and there's absolutely

01:17:32nothing wrong with that

01:17:34hey y'all

01:17:34I know

01:17:35that's exactly the point

01:17:36prosecutor Dowdy White

01:17:37tried to make

01:17:38during closing arguments

01:17:39with a surprising

01:17:40admission of his own

01:17:41ladies and gentlemen

01:17:42I take an antidepressant

01:17:43every day

01:17:43does that mean

01:17:49I'm suicidal

01:17:51no

01:17:52of course not

01:17:53it was a pretty strong

01:17:54way to drive home

01:17:55this point that

01:17:57this medicine

01:17:58that the defense

01:17:59has brought into

01:18:00the equation

01:18:00is a non-issue

01:18:01for Jake

01:18:02Susan did not

01:18:03testify in this trial

01:18:04her defense

01:18:05focused on what

01:18:06they said

01:18:07the prosecution

01:18:07was missing

01:18:09ask

01:18:10did they prove

01:18:12murder

01:18:13they want you

01:18:15to just plug

01:18:17or ignore

01:18:18these holes

01:18:20in their case

01:18:23Susan's fate

01:18:24was once again

01:18:25in the hands

01:18:26of the jury

01:18:26her daughter Krista

01:18:28was confident

01:18:29you're supposed to prove

01:18:30beyond a reasonable doubt

01:18:31that somebody committed

01:18:32a murder

01:18:33or somebody committed

01:18:34a crime

01:18:34and

01:18:36they couldn't do that

01:18:37after a couple of hours

01:18:39the jurors went home

01:18:40for the night

01:18:41and

01:18:42I just asked that God

01:18:43give them the clearest hearts

01:18:45and the clearest minds

01:18:46and the cleanest eyes

01:18:47and when they returned

01:18:49the next morning

01:18:49they have a verdict

01:18:51a decision

01:18:52count one

01:18:53now it's murder

01:18:55guilty

01:18:55as to count two

01:18:57felony murder

01:18:59guilty

01:19:00what did you feel

01:19:02when you heard the jury

01:19:02return that verdict

01:19:04like a weight lifted

01:19:04off my shoulders

01:19:0612 days later

01:19:07Jake's family

01:19:08returned to Albany

01:19:09for one final day

01:19:11in court

01:19:12Susan's sentencing

01:19:13there are no words

01:19:14that could describe

01:19:15the pain

01:19:16that I feel inside

01:19:17the same pain

01:19:18that I've had

01:19:19since June 28th

01:19:202014

01:19:22you remember that day

01:19:23don't you Susan

01:19:24while nothing can undo

01:19:26what's been done

01:19:27accountability

01:19:28matters

01:19:28for my brother

01:19:30for my family

01:19:31for justice

01:19:33so no other family

01:19:35ever has to endure

01:19:36endure what we have

01:19:38at the hands

01:19:39of pure evil

01:19:42Susan was sentenced

01:19:43to life in prison

01:19:44she's already filed a motion

01:19:46for a new trial

01:19:48it was clear that just

01:19:49getting up there

01:19:49and talking was hard

01:19:50well it's hard

01:19:51when she's looking at you

01:19:53and you know what she did

01:19:58and up until this point

01:19:59whenever I looked at her

01:20:00she wouldn't look at me

01:20:01she looked at you today

01:20:02she did

01:20:03what did you see in her eyes

01:20:04nothing

01:20:07nothing

01:20:07after 12 years

01:20:09does this feel

01:20:10like justice

01:20:11from the judicial aspect

01:20:13yes

01:20:14we're forever broken

01:20:15you know

01:20:16the prosecutors have said

01:20:17that this case

01:20:18would never have gotten

01:20:18to this courtroom

01:20:19if it weren't for you

01:20:21well I mean

01:20:23I appreciate

01:20:24the recognition

01:20:26but it was just

01:20:28a lot of

01:20:29trying to undo

01:20:30what was wrongly done

01:20:31in the beginning

01:20:32and it culminated

01:20:33today with this sentence

01:20:36but getting to this day

01:20:37had been a long process

01:20:38through a system

01:20:39that the family says

01:20:40caused years

01:20:41of frustration

01:20:42it's the coroner's fault

01:20:44it's the investigating

01:20:45officer's fault

01:20:46it's the on-call detective

01:20:48that didn't show up's fault

01:20:49it's the court's fault

01:20:51for not vetting

01:20:51their jurors better

01:20:52that's the justice system's fault

01:20:55it's them not doing

01:20:56their job

01:20:58Will was just 17

01:21:00when his father died

01:21:01in the years since

01:21:02he served in the army

01:21:03got married

01:21:04and now he's chosen

01:21:06to be part of that

01:21:07very same justice system

01:21:08as a police officer

01:21:11I'm not going to do

01:21:12my job the way

01:21:13that they did theirs

01:21:15more times than not

01:21:16it is probably

01:21:16somebody's worst day

01:21:18so they need you

01:21:20to be 100%

01:21:21so that's what I

01:21:24that's what I give them

01:21:25when you go to calls

01:21:26like that

01:21:28that's always in the

01:21:29back of your mind

01:21:29always

01:21:30what do you think

01:21:31your dad would say

01:21:32to know that you're

01:21:33a police officer now

01:21:34I think he'd be proud

01:21:35I'm sure he is

01:21:39a final note this evening

01:21:41we cover these kinds

01:21:42of difficult cases

01:21:44every week

01:21:45during our Olympic break

01:21:46one especially hit home

01:21:48for all of us

01:21:50the disappearance

01:21:51of Nancy Guthrie

01:21:52Savannah's mom

01:21:53investigators are still

01:21:55desperately seeking clues

01:21:57a reminder that anyone

01:21:59with any information

01:22:00can call the FBI's tip line

01:22:02at 1-800-CALL-FBI

01:22:05our hearts are with Savannah

01:22:07and the entire Guthrie family

01:22:09that's all for this edition

01:22:11of Dateline

01:22:12we'll see you again

01:22:13next Friday at 9, 8 central

01:22:15I'm Lester Holt

01:22:17for all of us at NBC News

01:22:19goodnight

01:22:21music

01:22:22I'm Lester Holt

01:22:26I'm Lester Holt

01:22:27I'm Lester

01:22:27I'm Lester Holt

Dateline NBC - Season 35 - Episode 04: Malice Eng Sub

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