thank you so much for tuning in. i wish you all a good night. my friend, ari melber is next. and remember, you can watch the night cap most fridays and saturdays. 11:00 p.m. eastern. right here on msnbc. but for now, i'm signing off. from all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up late. see you at the end of monday. . r to be home asleep in your bed and have intruders come in and do the unthinkable. i felt like a hand being placed on my mouth.

i started to tell them please, don't kill me, please don't kill me. narrator: an attack in the night. i was really freaking out. i was like, what's going on? what's going on? narrator: a mother murdered. an attack in >> i was freaking out like what's going on? >> a mother, murdered. >> it looked like two ghosts committed the ultimate crime. >> he lived to tell police a harrowing story. was it true? >> he survived, he is practically unharmed. >> they are treating me like a suspect. >> now an undercover plan to solve the mystery. >> step out of the car right now. >> was the real mastermind? >> i wanted to be wrong. i really wanted to be wrong. ♪

>> the american dream so many of us want, a loving family, the honest job, the home you can afford, the idea that you can start over here. and in this new country that better life will be yours. this is a story about that dream , about a family that worked for it, and then what happened to them. this wasn't part of anyone's dream. >> caller: yeah, well, someone just broke into our house, they tied me and my mom up. >> how could this happen in a gated community they worked so hard to have? >> caller: i don't know, they just beat me up. >> who deserved it less than this woman?

>> my mom brought the heart to the family. >> ryan was the baby of the family, spoiled rotten, by his mother, ariette. >> we couldn't function without my mom. >> full-service mom. >> oh yeah, she did it all. she was a very nice, sweet lady. >> she showed her love through food. her cakes were legendary. making every birthday that much more special, says her older son, richard. >> she made this good upside down pineapple cake. it was phenomenal. >> growing up richard was inseparable from his mom. was she like the other moms that your friends had? >> no, i think she was more conservative side. >> conservative, because of where she came from.

ariette was born in egypt and came to the u.s. at 29 years old. her family settled in northern california. ariette let a comfortable come all-american life, but cultural ties are strong, and ariette was called back to egypt to meet a man. >> when my mom went to meet him, she really liked him. >> she would reminisce about how the romance blossomed. >> you can't just go out on dates and stuff, so they went together to the movie theater, and then when it got dark my dad reached over and gave her like a kiss on the cheek. it was a big deal for her, i think that almost sealed the deal. >> it was in the american way of falling in love, but ariet seemed happy. she married two weeks later in egypt and moved to california. richard was born, and five

years later, came ryan. richard was delighted to have a brother to play with and to watch over. you are his protector, big brother? >> i always keep an eye on him. >> we get along like best friends. i always looked up to him. >> their dad was the classic hard-working immigrant, earning his license to become a respiratory therapist, then magdi put in endless hours to keep a roof over their head and close on their backs. >> he came from a poor country, so he was working hard to build things up and try to establish a life. >> magdi emphasized education teaching both his sons math at an early age. he saved to help them all prosper. and they felt he would do anything to keep his family

safe. you didn't want your family to get pushed around? >> not at all. >> it took many years of hard work saving, and investing, but magdi put together enough money to buy this home in a gated community, in the city of westminster, a quiet town in orange county, california. the family was well on its way to living out the dream ariet and magdi worked so hard to build. september 29th, 2004, all of it came crashing down. ryan, then 17, was out with friends and stayed out later than he was supposed to. when did you get home? >> like 1:00 malone: 30 that night. i went through the back door and went upstairs. >> his dad was not at home, his mom, a sleep. >> i was fixing up my ipod, and

i fell asleep to music that night. next thing i know i hear a door open, and first instinct was maybe it was my brother. >> his older brother, richard, his best friend and protector, coming home from work or so he thought. but it was not richard. >> i kind of looked back, that's when i felt like a hand being placed on my mouth. and it was a hand with some type of cotton glove. >> can you see who it is? >> i noticed a black male, heavyset, i was yelling for my mom to help me, and i was really scared. >> ryan says he fought the intruder. >> i bit down on the hand and rolled off the bed, then popped up, and i was shoved into the wall. he's telling me to shut up and calm down. >> the man put duct tape over

ryan's mouth and started taping his hands and feet together. >> right after that a second suspect comes inside, and he starts making threats to me, like don't get your mom killed. >> that had to be terrifying. >> yeah, i was really terrified. >> what did you think was going on? >> i didn't know, i thought maybe a robbery or something. >> a terrifying situation was about to get much worse. specter the hallway i saw my mom yelling take anything you want, take anything you want, and after that, i just noticed i was taking my mom away towards her bedroom. >> ryan's attacked or dragged him into the closet, but then noticed the duct tape was slipping around ryan's hands. >> i heard him taking shoestring from my shoes. >> the man tied ryan's hands behind his back. through the

closet door ryan pleaded with his attacker. >> i told him please don't kill me, and i started praying, and during that time he was like i know your circumstances, i know what you're going through, i'm not going to kill you. >> i know your circumstances. strange as those words sounded ryan found them somehow comforting. >> after that i started to feel a little sense of relief. >> then ryan heard a sound that would come to haunt him. >> i heard like cutting sheets. i didn't know it was going on. >> and what was going on was worse than anything he could have imagined. coming up. >> caller: they will kill you. >> apparent call to 911 and another to his brother. >> i was really freaking out like what's going on? >> what really happened inside that house? >> oh my god.

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ryan girgis had just been through a terrifying ordeal. two men breaking into his home in a gated community ryan girgis had just been through a terrifying ordeal. two men breaking into his home in a gated community in the middle of the night. >> both guys were really huge, like their whole persona was just like gangsters and like thugs. >> you'd never seen them before? >> never. >> they tied him up, threw him in a closet, but not before he saw one of the men drag his mother into her bedroom. he says he thought he heard the men walk out, thought he heard a car drive away. but for a few more moments ryan sat in that dark closet, heart thumping my friend he says, to come out. it was now or never. he managed to untie himself and grabbed his cell phone. >> i went down the hallway, i

looked to the right really quickly, i noticed that the door was like in like a closed position into my mother's bedroom. >> why didn't you check on her? >> i wanted to get out and come out with help. >> you got to be thinking about how your mother is. >> he ran outside the house and called 911. >> caller: what happened? >> caller: two black guys just jumped in my house and started yelling at me [ bleep ] don't make me have to kill you. i will kill you, don't get your moms killed. >> ryan called his dad, magdi. he asked if ryan was okay, and where ariet was . ryan didn't know.

ryan called his older brother richard, who was working the night shift at the queen mary hotel. what did richard say? >> he questioned if i was all right, he questioned "where is mom?" he questioned who he thinks it is. >> why would he think you might know who broken? >> he felt like i was the one who got tied up and things like that, they came into my room, so he just was like questioning like is a something to do with you? do they have a personal vendetta on you or anything? >> as you'll see, that's a question that would come up again. after ryan's call richard left work and drove to the house, but the police tape was already up, and they wouldn't let him through. >> i was really freaking out like what's going on? what's going on? i was asking them, like where is my mom at? >> police took richard and ryan to the station. the boys were surprised to find themselves split up and sitting in separate interview rooms.

ryan's hands were bagged to preserve any evidence, but before detectives could ask too many questions richard asked one of his own. >> what happened to my mom? please. before-- >> your mom is dead. >> oh no. she's not, no she's not. i didn't hear that. i didn't hear that. >> ryan says he didn't know what was happening then, but he could tell it was bad. >> oh my god. oh my god. >> i just hear like a scream, and i am like, what just happened? that sounds like richard, my brother. and he is screaming to the top of his lungs. >> she's not. she's not. >> you can just hear richard? >> i can hear him going hysterical in the other room. i've never heard him scream like that. >> does my little brother now? >> police told ryan the same

news that their mother, ariet, had been murdered. other carps then the cops started asking other questions. >> police took cotton swabs, fingerprints, dna. >> they treating you like a suspect? >> they are treating me like a suspect at this point. >> did you have a chance to check on your mom? >> i just ran out of the house. i have to pass by my mom's room . yeah. i didn't even look i didn't even look at, ran as fast as i can. >> richard was facing questions are slightly different, but just as skeptical. >> why would someone pick your house and break-in-- >> i don't know, i wish i knew. i don't know. >> cops to get fingerprints and

or dna? >> yeah. expected do you think to yourself they are looking at me as a suspect? >> yeah. it was scary. i've never been in that situation. >> the detectives zinged to linger on his brother, ryan. >> this wouldn't be directed against him that you know of? >> i mean i don't know, dude. the first reaction i was like was it one of your friends, did someone break-in or something? >> that was your first reaction? >> as police continued their questioning one question stood out above all. why would these two thugs come into your house, basically not hurt you, and really brutally kill your mother and leave behind a witness? >> yeah. >> this investigation was about to take a turn no one expected. coming up. >> two ghosts just walked in

and committed the ultimate crime. >> dna and csi. what will the evidence reveal? when dateline continues. s. ff. with dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. with dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. many adults saw 90% clearer skin. some even achieved long—lasting clearer skin and fast itch relief after first dose. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ♪♪

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ryan girgis was attacked in his own home and, hours later, ask your eczema specialist given the worst news imaginable. m ryan girgis was attacked his own home and given the worst news imaginable. while he escaped his mom, ariet, had not. she was dead. all of which begged oppressing question. >> why would they kill her and leave me? >> police and his own brother were asking the same thing. how many murders do you get in westminster? >> not many really. >> deputy da in orange county, california, the ariet girgis case landed on her desk. >> it's the most thing people would fear to be home in the

sanctity of your home asleep in your bed and have intruders come in and do the unthinkable. >> police found ariet's body near her bed. she had been stabbed multiple times. the audit tearing sound ryan hurd, investigators believed it was the sound of the knife ripping through the mattress as killers slit her throat. >> was the knife found at the scene? >> it was not. >> james was a patrol officer at the time. the details of the crime scene pointed to something other than a home invasion robbery. in part because nothing appeared to have been stolen. >> this was not a burglary in which there was collateral damage? >> definitely not. >> cash was in plain sight, jewelry, even ryan's ipod and new dock all untouched. >> the house wasn't even rummaged through.

>> what's more is this was gated community, the killers would have needed a gate code to get in. >> this starts getting more interesting. as to who could have done it. >> crime scene investigators collected mounds of evidence, and surprisingly, with all that blood not a single trace of unknown dna. all the dna results matched the people who lived in the house, ariet, magdi, richard, and ryan, the witness who for some reason was left alive. two guys came into the house, beat up ryan, tie him up, then kill ariet in a brutal hands- on way and leave no trace? >> that's what it looked like, and looked like two ghosts walked in and committed the ultimate crime. >> it seemed improbable, and it encouraged detectives to look closely at ryan. he claimed to be a victim, but was he really? police learned the friend he

was with the night of the murder had offered ryan a knife for protection, just hours before ryan's mother was brutally killed with a knife, a knife that had not been found. they also learned ryan smoked marijuana and not just at the occasional party. he smoked every day, and he wasn't just smoking. >> i was helping someone with like, selling like narcotics and stuff. >> what kind of narcotics? >> marijuana. >> small amounts were found in ryan's room along with a set of bags, tinfoil, and a bong. and more, like the description he gave about the suspects. >> both black, male, as if they were from gangs. we weren't sure if that was

true. >> claiming two black men for the murders seemed too convenient. if beaten by gang members bigger than he was, why didn't he look like it? there's no question if ryan had been in a serious duking it out fight with a couple of guys, then he would have ended up more battered. >> if the guys wanted to hurt him worse definitely so, yes. >> and remember, ryan told police one suspect said i know your circumstances, i'm not going to kill you. is that true? if so, what did it mean? and then there was the issue of ryan claiming to have left the house before he so much as took a peek into his mother's bedroom. >> is a detective you have to consider why. >> detectives soon found out ryan had more dark secrets than they realized. coming up.

>> he's the only one who survived, he is practically unharmed. >> new questions for ryan, and a new clue. had he received a warning before the attack? >> it popped up like you better watch your back, i know where you leave. gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs. wow. -incredible, isn't it? -yeah. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. well, with your home, auto, boat and rv all bundled with progressive you've got the peace of mind to really wander. yeah. yeah, i just hope it stays this way. once word gets out about these places they tend to -- -are you done? -aaand there it is. well, at least your vehicles are protected. let's hit the road. hey fam! i'm just at this beautiful lake that i just discovered. practicing gratitude, manifesting abundance.

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hundreds of homes have been flooded in southeast texas in houston area. almost 2 feet of rain has fallen in some areas and an additional 2 inches is expected through sunday. the fbi says three were found dead in baja, california, where two australians and one american went missing. authorities in mexico are questioning individuals and a cell phone may have belonged to one of the men was found. back to dateline. investigators looking into

the savage murder of ariet girgis took a hard look at the only other person known to be in the house when she died, her 17-year-old son, ryan. >> he's the only one who survived, he is practically unharmed, he was selling a small amount of drugs. we had to pursue that. >> police still had a lot of questions about ryan's story, but they had not yet found any evidence to suggest he had killed his mom. for now at least they had to take him at his word. >> until you can find a reason not to believe that person you have to go with what they say until they start lying to you. >> as far as you knew ryan was not lying? >> yes. >> but investigation just had started, and police could not discount another possibility that ariet was killed because

of ryan. detectives learned a year before the murder ryan confronted another kid at school who had not paid him for some weed. later that kid's friends jumped ryan. doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would spark a homicide, but i'm guessing you've seen homicides that were sparked by much less. >> it is typical for gang- related homicides to be something just as small as that. >> remember ryan described his assailants as sounding like gang members. then there was this bombshell, a message ryan received on his aol instant messenger just weeks before the murder. he brought it to detectives' attention during his interview. >> it popped up like, you better watch your back, i know where you live. i was like i'd never seen this person before. that's why didn't pay attention to it. >> ryan told police he had

chalked it up to a prank. now it seemed key evidence, except ryan had not saved the message. no way to tell now who had sent it. >> any idea who it was from? aol able to help you? >> no. >> a frustrating dead-end, but by no police were looking at other possibilities. they dug deeper into the american dream that the girgis family seemed to be living and interviewed the man of the house, magdi. >> sir, i am very devastated. we lived together for 24 years. she's the mother of my kids. >> he really didn't have any vices. he didn't spend any money on any hobbies of any sort. so, he was a guy he went to work and went home. >> but, their father was not just a hard worker, said his sons, he was more like a

workaholic. >> i think my mom felt neglected. he wasn't affectionate towards her. all he would do is just work. >> i played sports all my life. he never came to watch any sports i played. >> a lot of the childhood of me growing up, i remember my mom, i don't member my dad, he wasn't there. he would come home, go to sleep, get up and go to work. >> for magdi the american dream was all about the green. >> he was work, work, work. exactly. >> after rare outing at the beach ryan says he and his father dropped by mcdonald's. >> i asked for a dollar for a burger. he asked for the dollar back and the tax money on it. >> what kind of father asks his 13-year-old son to reimburse him for one dollar hamburger?

>> my father. he was always trying to hustle someone for some type of money. >> it didn't take prosecutor sonja long to learn about magdi obsession . everybody tries to make money and provide for themselves, he's different? >> yes, he's very different. he is in a category of very few people who have an unhealthy relationship with money, it drives everything they do. >> we aren't talking about thrifty, we are talking about squeezing every dime until it bleeds? >> to the point where you have a house paid off but can't run the electricity for more than one room at a time. >> even though you have the money? >> absolutely. he has food that expires, and he hordes it, it's about collecting money.

>> and never paying it out. >> correct. >> his sons describe magdi as obsessed with work, money, and a strict disciplinarian. expected you love him? were you scared of him? >> yeah. yeah from when i wear was a kid i didn't want to cross anything. >> the brothers say they saw what could happen when they crossed that line. when ryan was 14 and came home past curfew they say magdi simply lost it. >> he started kicking me and my brother, i had to pull him off me. >> your brother shielded you? so like you were closer to your brother than your father. >> very much so. >> ryan rebelled, staying out late, smoking weed. richard was more dutiful, but he too felt his father's ref. >> a punch, a kick, you name it, depending.

he was a very harsh person, which made it more fortunate to have my mom in my life. she was the complete opposite. >> they say magdi was just as tough on his wife. ryan and richard say they never saw their father hit their mother, but they did hear yelling, and they did see the bruises. >> we never called 911, we just had a sense of fear that we didn't want to cross the line. >> you were more afraid of what your dad would do to you if you did call 911 than what might happen to your mom if you didn't? >> yeah, i, we were scared of my dad. yeah, we were petrified. >> did you know your dad was capable of more than hitting people? >> i always felt like you

didn't want to mess with that guy, he did want to push them to another level. >> the boys stayed quiet, but a storm was brewing. in the end ariet would give investigators their best lead. coming up. a transformation. >> i felt like my mom was empowered. my mom told her that he punched me in the face, i started the whole cascade. there's no going back. >> the life you have before-- >> it was never going to be the same. >> when dateline continues. co

it's a beautiful... ...day to fly. wooooo! as investigators work the murder of ariet girgis, as investigators worked the murder of ariet girgis, they heard disturbing information from her sons , most disturbing by far, was what happened seven months before the murder. in february, 2004. on the eve of magdi and ariet's wedding anniversary. >> she starts talking to

magdi.can we go to dinner? that's what starts this fight. >> doesn't sound like a very long fight. >> now he punches her in the face. >> richard remembers arriving home that evening and seeing his mom. >> she looked very stub dude, her face was still bleeding, she looked very subdued. i confronted my dad. >> his response? >> he told me stay out of it. >> but richard, in nursing school at the time, worried his mom could have a concussion or worse. he rushed her to the emergency room. they had kept their family secret for so long, but that was about to change. >> the nurse asked her what happened. >> and your mom said? >> my mom told her that he punched me in the face. that started the whole cascade. >> police went to the girgis home and arrested magdi. >> it was really scary. >> scary, not thrilling?

>> it was terrifying. >> not the moment you had been waiting for? >> no. there was no point of return. somehow i knew immediately after that that it was like there's no going back. >> so the life you had before-- >> was never going to be the same. >> magdi moved out of the house he worked so hard for to an apartment complex he and his brother owned. it seemed they were headed for divorce. it was a thought that seemed to terrify ariet. >> i think she was scared about striking out on her own. >> she had never written a personal check, didn't know their mortgage was paid off. >> should express like you know i wish all this would just not

be here. i wish every thing could go back to the way it was. >> magdi also seemed frightened and perhaps chastened. >> he was trying to get back with my mother. >> did it seem like you are mom was wavering? >> there was a limbo period where my mom was considering taking him back. >> richard, who stepped up during his father's absence as the man of the house overheard a strange conversation between his parents. >> he was like you know i love you. >> you ever heard your dad say i love you to your mom? >> i can't really recall. >> until the conversation when he needed something from her? >> yeah. >> what did magdi need? turns out he was more worried about himself than anyone else. a domestic violence conviction might cost him his respiratory therapist license, which would cut off his income. and magdi you a divorce would force him to split his hard-

earned money with ariet. so, magdi came up with a letter in which ariet would say she wasn't sure what happened, that her injuries could have resulted from a fall. magdi and ariet weren't speaking at the time, so magdi convinced richard, the good older son, to transcribe the letter and convince his mom to sign it, getting her husband off the hook. do you feel something? >> yeah, back then i felt like i was just trying to help. >> may be the price of saving your family is convincing your mom to lie about something you know is true? >> he really just manipulated me. >> he knew his mother had mixed feelings about the breakup of her marriage. richard told himself he was doing the right thing.

>> i was trying to support my mom. i still felt he was my dad, so i felt really pulled. >> ariet agreed to sign the letter. magdi no doubt breathed a sigh of relief, but then came his preliminary hearing, in which ariet did something quite unexpected. she took the witness stand, and she told the truth. >> she felt that enough was enough, so she went and really put everything out. >> not just about the night magdi black and her eye and bloodied her nose, but about abuse ariet described as over decades. >> my dad was like i can't believe what she said. >> ariet girgis finally had stood up for herself. it might have been the manifestation of her own american dream . ariet hired a divorce attorney and began

planning a new life. >> i really felt like my mom was empowered. she just wanted to be happy. she felt there was happiness coming. >> instead the next month she was murdered. and to investigators who heard ariet's story it seemed obvious her husband, magdi, was the prime suspect. >> everything pointed at magdi. >> but phone records proved ari melber he was at his apartment that night, and according to the only witness, two black men committed the murder, and there was still the question of why that witness, ryan, was left alive. and just a few days after his mother was killed, the rebellious son, ryan, received another anonymous message on his computer. how did you like your gift? lolol.

coming up, an aha moment for police. could it lead to the break they need? >> maybe that might have dna on it. >> when dateline continues. co shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. ahhh, there's nothing like a day out with friends. that's nice, but shingles doesn't care! 99% of adults 50 years or older already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can reactivate at any time. a perfect day for a family outing! guess what? shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome

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investigators were zeroing in on magdi people-friendly. in on magdi girgis and the murder of his wife, ariet. the two were divorcing. >> he is an obvious suspect, but that doesn't mean he did it. >> maybe he is not the guy you are looking for?

>> sure, yeah, you have to explore every possibility. >> especially after the couple's son ryan received a taunting message on his computer days after the murder. how did you like your gift, lol lol. >> it didn't make any sense. >> police looked into it, but they weren't able to track down the sender of those messages. in hindsight do you wish there was more worked on that? older brother richard also came under scrutiny. richard had stuck up or even covered for his father during the domestic violence investigation. did you guys think he might be doing that again? >> he believed there was possibility, yes. >> soon after the murder the brothers left westminster and moved to northern california. and they did so without telling magdi. as police continued to dig richard and ryan say they worried. whoever killed their mom was still at large, and they knew

ryan was a witness to the crime. >> i have recollections, nightmares. i don't like to be at home by myself, i have trouble sleeping, the list goes on. >> ryan and richard say they had a growing suspicion their father was responsible for their mother's murder. they said they were too scared to confront him, but in the months that followed the investigation seemed had not gone anywhere. >> we had a lot of paths that we went down, yes. >> remember, there was no physical evidence linking magdi to the murder. ryan said was two black men who broke into the house and killed his mom. police never found those men or any trace they ever existed. and those threatening message to ryan, still no idea who sent

them either. was there a point where you thought this would resolve? >> it's hard to think that way when you desperately want to solve it, but yes. >> so the years rolled by. richard became a critical care nurse. ryan, the self-admitted stoner says he stopped smoking. he was working towards a bachelor's degree in business and started his own entertainment company. magdi would have been proud of his boys if he knew how far they had come, but they say they never once got a call from him in all those years, and made no effort to contact him. the brothers did call westminster police department again and again, urging detectives to investigate their father. each time, they heard the same response, >> you know, we are still looking into it, but we don't have new leads.

there's nothing. >> depressing? >> it was. >> they made endless calls, writing to america's most wanted, raising a reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. all of it led to nothing. how many cases did you do in those years? >> a lot of murders. >> something about this one step with you? was it something about ariet? >> you don't ever want to quit on any case, but i think the fact she came so close to being an independent woman, to standing up for herself, to being the kind of mother she wanted to be to those boys, and she did everything right. and she died on our watch. it was a terrible feeling. terrible feeling. >> it was 2010 nearly 6 years after the murder when richard

made another of his many phone calls to the westminster pd. this time it was james wilson who answered. he had been a patrol officer at the time of the murder, but in the intervening years he worked his way up to detective. >> i did not have good answers for him. and i know there's nothing going on with the mom's case, so i started looking into it. sort of a feeling of obligation. it's one of the reasons you become an officer. >> as he poured through the evidence, he came across the interview detectives had with ryan right after the murder. reading through the transcripts, he saw a key detail that no one noticed. >> you say you get this guy? >> yeah. >> on the hand? through a glove? >> i think it was through a glove, but he had to take off

the glove to put on the tape. >> ryan was telling detectives the intruder took his gloves off before handling the duct tape, and also the shoelace used to tie him up. >> you think maybe that will have dna on it. >> detective wilson checked to see if the shoelace had ever been tested, it had not. so he sent it off to the county crime lab, and sure enough, one afternoon, eight years after ariet's murder detective wilson's phone rang. >> they told me they got a hit. >> no one could have predicted the name police were given. >> it had to be at least one of our suspects. >> and the name the crime lab gives you? >> anthony brigid. >> was that name in case files? >> no. >> not someone who had been talked to? >> wasn't even in our database.

>> yet he was the attacker. the tech dave wilson entered the information into computer. >> is a member of the trace 57 crips. >> one of the most notorious and violent gangs in the u.s., and mr. bridget street name little shotgun, was by any standard a professional criminal. coming up. >> the resume that you would inspect the intruders to. >> the kind of guy you would hire to commit murder. >> i knew exactly where he was. >> investigators pay a surprise visit, when dateline continues.

narrator: it was 2012, eight years after the murder it was 2012 eight years after the murder of ariet

girgis. when detective james wilson got his first break home invaders tied up ryan with the shoelace detectives submitted the shoelace to a crime lab hoping for a longshot dna hit, and the results were in. the dna belonged to anthony bridget. >> he had numerous filings of conduct including prior conviction for manslaughter, so this was no novice. >> long violent history? >> exactly. >> bridget had a drug conviction, and ryan admitted he sometimes dealt weed. could ryan and anthony bridget have known each other? is that why richard wondered if ryan was the target of the attack? police considered that theory and dismissed it. in fact for police, anthony bridget and his gang affiliation

confirmed orion's story. for one bridget matched ryan's account the man who tied him up seemed like a gang member. >> he looked like one of those guys that just came out of the pan and stuff and wanted revenge on someone. >> and two rigid's prior booking photos matched the sketch ryan had given police. >> he had the resume you would expect the intruders who came to kill ariet to have. >> the kind of guy you would hire to commit murder? >> that's right. >> they suspected the person who hired him was magdi girgis. i'm guessing you subpoenaed magdi's bank records, looking for the money he took out a few days for his wife was killed?

>> you could hope, but-- it was not there. >> is he innocent? >> maybe he's careful. >> careful, perhaps. but in what universe would magdi girgis , and anthony bridget's paths cross? they could ask anthony. >> did you know he, where he was? >> sola dead state prison. >> they decided to pay him an unannounced visit. >> there you are in a room with a little table and say, >> i want to talk to. >> and he's a surprise? >> is is a little surprised, yes. >> it anthony bridget was hard to rattle. >> he's been related in gang- related homicides in the past. pretty experienced at the

prison system. >> saying hey the guy that hired you, magdi girgis , rolled over on you. >> but they did get something. >> yes, he said where? >> he said where, not i haven't committed murder three did you ask if he knew magdi? >> we never got that far. >> the prosecutor and the detective didn't really care what he said. their target was magdi girgis, and all they wanted was to prove a connection between him and anthony bridget. that's why before they left orange county they set up a wire tap on magdi 's phone. he was back at the house with a new girlfriend, and investigators listened to see

if bridget would tip off magdi. >> i was hoping my visit would inspire him. it didn't. >> so game over? no. it was just starting. coming up, a return to the scene of the crime. dramatic confrontation at magdi's house. who were these men? and what did they want? when dateline continues. caplyta is proven to deliver significant relief across bipolar depression. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta treats both bipolar i and ii depression. and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants may increase these risks in young adults.

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january 30th, 2013, the home where ariet girgis had met january 30th, 2013, the home where ariet girgis met her awful death was suddenly once again the scene of an unexpected confrontation. two men showed up on magdi girgis 's home, and it was all caught up on camera. interesting, because prosecutor sonja, and detective james wilson had just returned from visiting crips gang member anthony bridget, in prison. they suspected magdi hired

bridget and another unknown man to kill ariet. and now apparently here were a pair of gangsters on magdi's property. the more talkative of the two called himself d-money . and money is what you wanted. >> we want to get paid for it. >> good question, and who better to answer it than d- money himself? he's not a gangster, he's an officer from the long beach police department who was working undercover, which is why we are concealing his identity. you nervous going in? >> not at all, no. >> the role he played at magdi home was part of the game sonja and detective wilson set in motion even before they met anthony bridget. tell me about this scheme.

>> you call it a scheme, i call it a plan. >> by any name it was an attempt to trap magdi. >> the only way he could convince him is some sort of gain, financial, so you develop that individual, and you come up with a way in which they were able to contact magdi and demand more money. >> in other words these undercover officers posing as gang members would approach magdi and hit him up for hush money since investigators new money was magdi's obsession, they hoped they were about to strike a nerve. but they had to be careful, if the killers were working for magdi it was not clear if he knew them directly or hired them from a middleman. you couldn't have these guys claim they were the guys in the house, because possibly he knew them?

>> possibly he knew them. >> so, you have them pose as friends of the guy in the house? >> yes. >> he's now in prison. >> which was true, because anthony bridget was in prison. >> so his friends are once, trying to leverage that knowledge into extra money for them? >> correct. >> operations like this are especially tricky, there's usually only one shot to get it right. if the phony gangsters threaten magdi it would not hold up in court and magdi could walk free. at the same time one thing had to be crystal clear. >> you want to make sure everybody knows we are talking about the crime that occurred, about his wife being murdered in that particular house. that could not be left ambiguous. >> a risky plan and no guarantees it would work. true a lot of das might not go for an operation like that.

>> yes. >> sonia wanted to win. >> she was not scared to fail. i was very nervous to say the least. >> it had taken nine years to get to this moment. a team of cops watched and videotaped as the undercover cops approached magdi. everyone was on edge except for the man cast in the role of d- money. you had to be going over in your mind like if he says this, if he does this, i'm-- >> things come out spontaneously, you have to be quick he says a, i say b. he says literacy, i say liturgy. there's no rehearse. >> there was cause for worry. while they looked the part they had never done anything like this before. were you worried? >> i was concerned. >> too late now, it was on.

coming up, a surprise. >> the cell phone dials the number, they told me he didn't answer the phone. >> an undercover officer misses the call, and that was just the beginning. when dateline continues. eline . shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. ahhh, there's nothing like a day out with friends. that's nice, but shingles doesn't care! 99% of adults 50 years or older already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can reactivate at any time. a perfect day for a family outing! guess what? shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix.

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magdi girgis didn't know it, but he was the target but shingrix protects. of a sting operation. ch magdi girgis didn't know

it, but he was the target of a sting operation. he had just arrived home. the undercover officers approached, and the camera rose. >>", man. police approached him about him killing your wife in this house. we want to get paid for it. we are not going to say [ bleep ], know what i mean? >> what's his reaction when you make it clear you know about his wife's murder? >> he appeared to be shocked. it was something he was not prepared for was ever going to happen. >> we want five racks, 5000, you know what i'm saying? we ain't going to the police, we ain't going to say nothing else. all right. give me a call, man. take my number. that's me. call me tomorrow about 10:00. don't worry. i'm d-money. give me a call. hit me up tomorrow. $5000.

>> can i see your id? >> almost as soon as it began it was over. magdi left there standing with d-money's number with instructions to call the next day. in terms of oscar-winning performance, they did a pretty good job. >> i think so. >> now police waited and wondered what would magdi do. if he doesn't call it's over. or than eight years after the murder, he was the make or break moment. >> he was going to ignore them. he was going to contact them. or, he was going to call police and say guess what, i think the guys involved in my wife's murder just came to the house. >> but he didn't call the police. and he didn't ignore them. >> very true. >> the next day the surveillance team tracked magdi

driving, and just at that time- - >> his cell phone dials the number of the undercover, and i am notified immediately. and they told me he didn't answer the phone. >> the undercover officer missed the call. >> so i had to call undercover. >> just trying to reach you? >> he was in a bad area for reception. he had to move. >> that's like a nightmare. >> we were hoping he called back. >> the undercover was confident. why were you so convinced he would call back? >> he calls the first time. to me in this type of deal when you call the first time you get over the nervousness, and they call back. >> and magdi did call back. the surveillance team caught him on camera from a place that doesn't get a lot of traffic in the 21st century. >> we know he's at a payphone,

that got interesting. >> i'm sitting in the car and a cell phone went off. i answered the phone, you know. >> this is d-money, what's going on ? yeah i came by yesterday. >> what is the problem my friend? what is, what's up? >> the problem is my boy is locked up in the pan like i told you, and you know what's going on. my boy took care of a little business, you know, so we are just trying to get paid, to keep it hush, you know? >> i thought you got. paid everything. when he said i thought i paid you guys, that was home run. >> it's one of the things when you know it all along, and you hear it from him, and so i think it was an overwhelming feeling of confirmation. >> and then just as quickly, it all threatened to blow up in their faces. listen carefully. >> who is the middleman?

>> who was the middleman? >> middleman? >> the undercover had no idea. magdi asked the question none of them could answer. when magdi says tell me the middleman, i don't think that was something they counted on. they had not considered the possibility magdi might have hired the killers through a third party, now it seems like confirmation he had, but who was it? it seems to me that the middle man for this would have to be somebody that magdi trusted, that he knew well, somebody would stick up for him. >> yes. >> any thoughts on who that might be? >> i do. i do. >> there was no way to tell the undercover that, so d-money

just stayed in character. >> everybody knows who the middleman was, i ain't worried about that. >> how do i trust you? >> the information that i got, player, i can go to the police, but i'm not. i'm not, i'm just trying to get my money. >> the conversation about hush money continued. magdi haggled over the price, two to form. >> 5000 ain't that much. >> that's the problem, i have some, but not the whole amount. >> it just goes to show that you character of this man. here is a guy who will negotiate with suggs 10 years later, because he feels like he already paid. i mean that's what i mean. he is not in the normal range of thrifty.

>> $1500 i have on me. >> police probably had enough to arrest magdi right then and there, but they waited. they want to do the actual exchange of money? >> got to get the money. >> that meant a second meeting, but would magdi even show up? if he did, would he come with a plan of his own? coming up. nerve-racking and nailbiting, one more hidden camera moment. when dateline continues. y. td felt embarrassing. i felt like disconnecting. i asked my doctor about treating my td, and learned about ingrezza. ♪ ingrezza ♪ ingrezza is clinically proven for reducing td. most people saw results in just two weeks. people taking ingrezza can stay on most mental health meds. only number-one prescribed ingrezza has simple dosing for td: always one pill, once daily.

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longtime trump ada hope hicks took the stand friday at donald trump's criminal hush money trial. she rocked luck only added to the prosecution's narrative about his mood access hollywood tape and alleged affair with karen mcdougal. mip day nypd arresting

students protesting israel's were in gaza that has killed more than 30,000 palestinians so far. now back to dateline. hiring thugs to kill his wife. magdi girgis was caught on tape admitting to hire thugs to kill his wife. he seemed willing to pay even more to keep things quiet and made a date to do it. >> $1500 i have on me. >> officers secretly trailed magdi, on the freeway, and pulling into this home depot parking lot . the meeting point chosen by magdi. >> everybody is out of sight,

plain clothes. >> this is starting to sound like fun. >> it was definitely fun. i would do it all over again. >> sonja was nearby, watching it all unfold. >> tell me what that was like. >> nerve-racking. it is exhilarating. >> did you see magdi? >> not at first. >> soon enough he came into view. the undercover's approached his car. >> what's up, [ bleep ] what's up, did you bring me a check? cash? 15? >> i took the envelope, basically snatched it from him, counted the money. it was $1500. >> all right, man. >> this was not some sort of frightened mouse doing what he

was told. this guy was poised and kind of in control of the situation. >> i'm going to get it done, and this will be it, then it will be over. >> before it was, the undercover dropped one more line to see if magdi would bite. >> what did your wife do that made you want to kill her ass? >> he almost took the bait. but he didn't. >> officers swarmed in. >> we were feeling pretty good actually. >> ryan girgis had no idea any of this was happening. he moved back to southern california and was completely unprepared for the call he received from detective wilson. the cops bring you in and say--

>> your father has been arrested , and i couldn't be more happy. i really felt like my dreams and my prayers had been answered. >> richard was not as thrilled. >> i was happy that the arrest was made, but the other end of it, i mean, i was sad in a way, too. i knew in my heart he had something to do with it. it's still my dad. and i had some deeply wedged fantasy that may be the cops would arrest someone else completely and end up telling us you know what, your dad ended up not having anything to do with it. i wanted to be wrong. >> i am detective wilson. >> detective wilson brought

magdi to the station and sat him down in the interview room. his tactic was an old one, played them, and see where magdi took him. >> what was going on in long beach by that home depot? i looked like a money transaction. >> two days ago on wednesday around 12:30 i was coming from costco, i find two guys approaching me, i never saw them in my life, and they are black guys. >> his account differed in keyways from what detective wilson already had on tape. >> i was stunned when they told me your lady got killed in this house, and you have to pay us five grand.

otherwise we are going to hurt you and your kids. >> that's a lie number one, there are no threats on the tape. >> how did you get to be with them today? >> they throw a california number on the lawn . >> hit me up tomorrow. >> line number two, it clearly shows magdi taking the number. then detective wilson asked magdi the million-dollar question. >> why didn't you call? >> because i was worried. >> he scared of the police? >> i-- >> not scared, but my wife's problem is not solved yet, and they consider the husband as a suspect. >> those tears had no effect on wilson, who now had magdi on tape paying hush money. >> we know you paid them.

yes. >> wilson board in. >> i'm here to find out one thing, what can a person are you? right now we don't know. is trent the type of guy that is a hard, cold, calculated murderer that paid someone to kill his wife? what kind of person are you? >> i'm just innocent person, just simple person, believe me. >> trent pleaded for sympathy. detect wilson was not sympathetic. >> i lost my wife. >> but it's your fault, you hired somebody. >> are not hired anybody. >> recorded the conversations with these guys, i'm not lying. >> you guys are going to trap me and stuff. no. >> magdi said the magic word , lawyer. he was done talking. there would be no confession. didn't expect he was going to admit it. >> the lies were good enough for me.

>> good enough to make the case, but wilson thought he would try one more time, this time, by making him face his own son. ryan wasn't so sure at first. >> i called my brother. like what do you think? i was like yeah i want some questions answered. >> he walked into that room and saw his father for the first time in more than eight years. >> what's wrong with you? you forgot dad? >> and ryan had a lot to say. >> you had a choice not to hurt me and richard. you had a choice not to hurt your wife, why didn't you do that? what are you talking about your looking at me right now. >> i'm looking at you. i'm looking at you. >> i can't believe you, man.

>> my son. i don't believe-- >> don't call me your son, i don't want to hear that. you are are a horrible person for what you do. i just want to let you know that. >> i didn't do anything. i did not. >> was a hard to tell your dad you thought he was involved in your mom's murder? >> it was definitely very, very hard. >> it's good for you to talk about it now? >> yes, it is, and the person i have nightmares over was right in front of me, and i was scared. >> soon ryan would face his father again, this time, in court. coming up. the killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery , or a drug transaction between ryan and these two suspects. >> a father-son showdown, but who is on trial? >> the evidence suggests he was involved with people that were dealing hard-core drugs.

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march, 2014, magdi girgis had been sitting in jail for about march, 2014, magdi girgis had been sitting in jail for about a year after an undercover sting led to his arrest for the murder of his wife, ariet. it was a case prosecutors couldn't wait to try. nearly a decade in the making, and as it turned out, it would be her last. sonya had been promoted to management. >> so you want to to go out

with the win? >> prosecutors don't like to lose. >> i've noticed that. >> despite what you've seen, the case still was not a slamdunk. there was no proof magdi knew the alleged killer, no evidence he paid bridget any money, and while detectives had their suspicions about the involvement of a middle man they still could not prove it. and as you will see even that undercover tape could be seen through a different lens. on the eve of the trial richard and ryan got ready for the big day. their suits were pressed. he reviewed their prior statements, and they weighed the consequences of what this moment meant. >> i am happy we are going to, but it's like we lost our dad too. >> the one they lived in fear

of for years would be the one they would have to face in court. >> part of me wants to stand up and let my voice be heard after all these years. i want to be strong. >> the brothers walked into court together that first day of opening statements, standing strong, united in their quest for justice for their mom. >> magdi girgis conspired to have his wife murdered. she was an inconvenient woman to him. and people are disposable to this defendant. >> our cameras were not allowed to record witness testimony inside the courtroom where sonya stacked up her evidence against magdi. she showed the jury how in the months leading up to the murder magdi drained his accounts with ariet living here with almost nothing. and, sonya said, the crime scene evidence showed this was not just some random murder.

>> it was about silencing someone who defied him. >> on the witness stand richard who once helped his father persuade ariet to back off her story now defied magdi just has as ariet had done, detailing abuse he suffered, testifying about finding his mother battered and bruised. richard recounted the story to the jury, but it seemed he was really speaking to his father. we caught up with richard after court. >> it was really a good experience for me to face him face to face and look him in the eyes and actually, like, confront him for what he's done. >> but magdi faced a tougher confrontation from the words of his now-dead wife. testimony from the preliminary hearing in the domestic violence case was saved and the prosecution read it into the

court record. how important was ariet's testimony from the previous case? >> huge . it was like an afternoon she came back to life and went to the stand. >> he took the stand with magdi just feet away, a father's eyes bored into his son. >> i really felt like if he had me one-on-one he would beat me down. he just wanted anything to get me to shut up. >> this time ryan refused to keep quiet, telling the jury in his father about that terrible september night when two men broke into his home, beat him up and repeatedly stabbed his mother in the next room, then ryan faced cross-examination, and defense attorney rudy had

told the jury he planned to put ryan on trial. >> the killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery , or a drug transaction, or a collection of a debt of some kind between ryan and these two suspects. >> the defense argument, ariet's murder was tied directly to ryan's criminal activity. >> i think the evidence suggests he was involved with people who were dealing hard- core drugs. >> ryan admitted he smoked and sold weed, but the jury was told he was doing more than that. he pointed to the drug paraphernalia found in his room, tinfoil, and what appeared to be a pipe with white residue, consistent with heroin and methamphetamine use, police failed to test that evidence. it showed ryan's drug dealing

was bigger than he led on. then the defense it directed jurors to those threats ryan received weeks before the murder . he better watch your back, i know where you live, and the taunting message that came after the murder, how did you like your gift? lol lol. >> they focused on magdi, they never left magdi. >> could the threats be the reason friends offered ryan a knife? >> the fact he was offered a knife for his protection by his drug dealing friend just minutes or hours before the murder of his mother with a knife suggested there was reason for him to be afraid for his safety

in his own home. >> the defense attacked ryan's credibility, saying one of the intruders said-- >> i know your circumstances, not going to kill you. >> ryan did not tell that to the 911 operator. the defense argued because those words were never spoken and said, ryan made them up later to deflect suspicion from himself and his drug connections. one thing was irrefutable, and hard to explain the defense told the jury. ryan did not check on ariet before he fled the house. >> how does a young man whose mother has come to save him not look in and check to see whether or not he could save his mother before running out of the house? what does that say about his character? >> after two days of brutal cross-examination ryan says he felt dejected and betrayed. >> i feel like i'm getting backstabbed by my own father,

he's claiming his son is such a troubled youth. >> of course the defense also had a huge problem. those videotapes of magdi taking the phone number from the undercover, calling them the next day. and then showing up with $1500. all of it made magdi looks very, very guilty. >> would like him to get up there on the stand and tried to explain why, what he meant when he said he already paid everything off. >> the defense had an explanation and documents which might prove magdi's innocence. coming up, with that undercover tape convict him or clear him? a defense surprise. >> he's playing along in order to be able to apprehend them. >> and the verdict, would that be a surprise too?

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josh mankiewicz (voiceover): in spite of the damning testimony against magdi by his own sons, defense attorney rudy stei in spite of the damning testimony against magdi by his own sons defense attorney rudy lowenstein tried to show jurors

magdi tried everything to provide for his family, and his wife, ariet. >> his life was dedicated to making the american dream work for him. he came to america with nothing and made something of himself. >> magdi had his flaws but did not have ariet, the defense argued. what to make of the undercover tapes and magdi's apparent admission? >> i thought you got paid everything. >> would magdi take the stand to explain what he meant on those tapes? no. apparently he felt he had done enough talking. instead the defense attorney showed the jury evidence, which he said proved magdi was not guilty. magdi wrote down the serial numbers of the 15 $100 bills he had given the undercover officers, and he tried to write down the license plate number of their vehicle, which, said the defense, casted that

undercover video in a whole new light. >> he's playing along in order to be able to apprehend them. >> when he says to them just tell me the name of the middle man so i know i can trust you, he's bluffing and doesn't really know the name of the middle man? he's just trying to get that information? >> absolutely. >> he said the only thing magdi was guilty of was trying to play detective. >> because of that he's got to essentially solve the case on his own. >> what would the jury think? on the day of closing arguments, richard and ryan walked to court together. they brought something for sonja, a religious tile belonging to ariet. >> sonja wanted me to bring an item that she could hold onto. >> the evidence driven prosecutor had a superstitious side, she wanted something of

ariet's to touch during her last closing argument to channel ariet's spirit. >> she took the witness stand in a preliminary hearing and faced evil. and for the first time in her life stood up to him. she knew exactly what he would do to her for it. >> he had done some bad things in his life, but he did not hire anybody to murder ariet girgis . he's innocent. >> there was nothing left to do now but wait. >> it's been a lot of anxiety. >> just wondering when the verdict will come in. it could be any moment. >> sonja, already at her new job, waited for the phone to ring. she had played the waiting game numerous times. it was not any easier this last time.

>> i didn't want to let those boys down, so yes, i was probably more nervous than usual. >> it was agonizing. >> the jury had reached a verdict after two days. are you worried? >> the only thing that worried me was all it takes is one person to not see things the way everyone else sees it. you never know what a jury is going to do. >> when they filed back into the crowded courtroom, ryan didn't look at his dad, instead, he held onto his brother. >> i was just embracing the moment that this was it, it was riding on this. >> we find the defendant, magdi girgis commit guilty of the crime of felony, conspiracy to commit a murder. >> it was what we were waiting

to hear for 9 1/2 years. >> the brothers cried in the gallery, and does the hearing continued, richard's sobs grew letter until he could not contain himself. >> was trying to hold back home i was trying not to say anything, but it just was pouring out. i was like why dad, why? why dad, why? i still can't fathom the reason of why he would do such a thing. why he would throw away our family, why he would throw everything away. >> what was magdi trying to tell his son? we will never know. magdi's thoughts at the sentencing were somewhat clear. >> i had nothing to do with the killing of my wife. i did my best ability to work hard, secure a future, and advise my kids not to get involved with all this gang

activity or anything. i'm not a bad father. maybe i made mistakes, but-- i love them. they are my kids. >> magdi girgis was sentenced to life in prison without parole. if magdi had gotten the phone number and thrown it away, and just said i don't know who you are what you're talking about, and you call me again i'll call the police, would you be having him in custody? he ended up giving you your whole case. >> his greed gave me my whole case. >> magdi girgis worked tirelessly to build the dream, and then by his own hand destroyed it.

well, perhaps not all of it. these two brothers may have lost both their parents, but they still have each other. >> he's my little bro. >> in april, 2018, accused hitmen anthony bridget was found lt on several charges including the murder of ariet girgis. in august, 2020, the two most serious convictions, conspiracy to commit murder and first- degree murder, were upheld on appeal. the court reversed two others, aggravated assault and false imprisonment, because the statute of limitations had run out before bridget was brought to trial. he is serving life without the possibility of parole. the second intruder has never been identified, and despite investigator suspicions, neither has the mysterious middle man. never found out who that was? >> not yet? >> in 10 years? >> took me nine to get magdi. you have to be patient in this

line of work. >> there's still reward for information leading to the conviction of the remaining suspects. richard and ryan hope someone will come forward. in the meantime they are keeping their heads down and working hard just as their father always taught them to do. when we last interviewed ryan he said he planned to do some things differently. you picture yourself as a dad someday? >> i do. >> what kind of dad can mark >> i'm going to be the opposite of my father. i'm going to be there when my kids need me. >> and that's the beauty of the american dream. there is always a new beginning, no matter where you came from. came from. [music playing] hello, i am andrea canning, and this is "dateline." i di