Under a Full Moon

Summary

Dateline NBC – "Under a Full Moon"

Air Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Lester Holt
Correspondent: Keith Morrison

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Episode Overview

"Under a Full Moon" investigates the harrowing murder of Shawna Tiafe, a beloved Las Vegas cocktail waitress and devoted mother, found beaten to death in her suburban home in 2012. The story unfolds as a classic whodunit shadowed by Las Vegas’s glitz, exploring the trauma of her family and friends, the initial search for a sexual predator, and the extraordinary twists that ultimately reveal a shocking conspiracy involving those she trusted most. Through intimate interviews, painstaking police work, and courtroom drama, the episode lays bare a crime that shattered a family, a community, and the very foundations of trust.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Crime and Initial Shock (01:20–09:05)

• Discovery of Shawna's Murder:
  After working a late shift, Shawna Tiafe was found dead in her quiet family home by her husband, George, upon returning with their daughter.
• Community Impact:
  The horror rattled Shawna’s friends and co-workers, particularly those working similar late hours, sparking fears of a lurking predator.
• Violence and Evidence:
  Shawna was beaten to death and her body showed signs of sexual assault and staging. Her purse, cash, casino chips, and some personal items were missing.

Memorable Quote:
"It was absolutely horrible, and we felt so helpless. It's every woman's worst nightmare. We didn't know if any of us were next."
— [03:31] Shawna's co-worker

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2. Victim and Family Background (03:40–07:11)

• Shawna's Life:
  Shawna, drawn to Las Vegas to be closer to family, was described as vivacious, loving, and deeply committed to her daughter and friends.
• George Tiafe's Persona:
  George was introduced as a model citizen—West Point graduate, firefighter, family man, and community volunteer.

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3. Investigation: Theories and Early Suspects (07:55–15:13)

• Initial Suspects:
  Police first scrutinized George (the husband), but his airtight alibi as an on-duty firefighter eliminated him.
• Pattern of Burglaries:
  Shawna’s home had been burglarized weeks earlier, raising suspicions about a potential stalker or local troublemaker.
• Discovery of Shawna’s Items:
  Personal effects were found scattered on a nearby walking path, strengthening the theory of a sexual predator.

Notable Detective Insight:
"When you realize it's somebody walking away from the scene, discarding things… a stalker. A predator. Sexual predator."
— [14:23] Detective Dan Long

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4. A Break in the Case: The Tipster and Greyhound (18:43–23:59)

• ‘Big Will’ Calls Crime Stoppers:
  An ex-con named Will calls in a tip, claiming a homeless handyman, "Greyhound" (Noel Stevens), bragged about the murder and described using a hammer—a detail only police should know.
• Greyhound’s Background and Evidence:
  Police find Stevens living in the desert. At his campsite, they discover Shawna’s belongings and jeans stained with her blood.

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5. Suspicions Turn Inward: A Family Divided (24:19–29:15)

• Family Tensions Surface:
  Shawna’s sister, Paula, expresses intense distrust of George, alleging past abuse, intimidation, and manipulative tactics during marital strife.
• Funeral Drama:
  Recollections of George’s emotionless behavior at Shawna’s funeral further polarize the two families.

Quote – Family Conflict:
"I just think that he always loved himself more than he loved anyone else, and it was all about him and what he wanted."
— [24:19] Paula, Shawna’s sister

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6. Detectives Zero In on George (28:22–32:34)

• Interview Inconsistencies:
  George initially claims he only knew Stevens as "Neil Smith," but slips and refers to him as "Noel," exposing a possible lie.
• The Suicide Attempt:
  When George hears he may be arrested, he attempts to flee and crashes his car in what police interpret as a failed suicide attempt, heightening suspicions.

Detective's Impression:
"He was driving extremely fast... and then plowed straight into a cement barrier. The officer following said he just committed suicide."
— [29:22] Detective C

• Stevens Confesses:
  In the hospital aftermath, Stevens confesses to the murder and names George as the mastermind—triggering dual arrests for murder and conspiracy.

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7. The Trial: Two Sides of the Story (33:01–38:59)

• Prosecution’s Case:

  • Phone records show 87 calls between George and Stevens in the month before the murder.
  • Evidence of shopping trips for what could be a “murder kit”: gloves, hammers, a knife, dark clothing.
  • Motive: George’s need for control, fear of losing custody in the divorce.

• Defense’s Argument:

  • Insists George was only helping out a down-and-out handyman.
  • Itemizes that purchased items were mostly benign camping gear, and none of the hammers bought matched the murder weapon.
  • Claims the only incrimination comes from Stevens—a proven liar and addict.

Defense Quote:
"Without Noel Stevens' statement to the police, George is an innocent man to report it."
— [37:59] Defense Attorney Robert Langford

• Credibility Crisis:
  Prosecutors debate whether putting Stevens on the stand is worth the risk, given his history of substance abuse and hallucinations.

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8. The Testimony of Noel Stevens (Greyhound) (39:04–41:44)

• On the Stand:
  Stevens describes, with graphic bluntness, how he killed Shawna at George’s alleged urging but testifies he hears voices and suffers hallucinations.

Memorable Quote:
"I think everybody agreed that Noel Stevens is crazy as an outhouse rat."
— [41:12] Prosecutor

• Jury's Dilemma:
  The jury must decide: Was George the manipulator behind the murder, or did a mentally unstable drifter act alone and later seek to blame an innocent man?

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9. Verdict and Aftermath (42:25–44:22)

• Jury Deliberation:
  After three days of tension, George Tiafe is convicted of first-degree murder—primarily on the weight of circumstances, phone records, and Stevens's word.

Paula’s Relief:
"It was just this big weight taken off my shoulders... I've been so worried about representing [Shawna] right."
— [42:37] Paula

• Sentencing:
  Both George and Stevens receive life sentences.

• A Twisting Confession:
  Years later, George admits culpability in a court filing but blames medication-induced hallucinations and alleges divine instruction, never taking full responsibility.

Maria’s (George’s sister) Response:
"Now she feels he's where he belongs, behind bars."
— [44:00]

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10. Lasting Impact on the Family (44:22–44:55)

• Greatest Victim:
  Shawna and George’s young daughter, now estranged from both parents, must grapple with the legacy of violence and betrayal.

Final Reflection:
"I really do feel that my niece is the true victim in all of this. It's so tragic, and I just don't have words for what she's going to have to come to terms with."
— [44:22] Paula

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's every woman's worst nightmare. We didn't know if any of us were next." — [03:31] Shawna's co-worker
• "No one knew that but the two of us." — [15:10] Detective on killer’s unique knowledge of crime scene
• "Driving that large vehicle into a K rail with your seatbelt on is not how an expert tries to commit suicide." — [33:36] Maria, George’s sister
• "I think everybody agreed that Noel Stevens is crazy as an outhouse rat." — [41:12] Prosecutor
• "Guilty of first degree murder." — [42:28] Jury Foreman

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Shawna’s background and discovery: 01:20–09:05
• Crime scene and early investigation: 09:05–15:13
• The Crime Stoppers tip & suspect Greyhound: 18:43–23:59
• Greyhound’s confession and evidence: 23:59–26:42
• Family suspicions and dynamics: 24:19–29:15
• George’s shift from suspect to defendant: 28:22–32:34
• Noel Stevens's confession and arrest: 32:34–33:01
• Trial and legal arguments: 33:01–38:59
• Noel Stevens’s testimony: 39:04–41:44
• Verdict and sentencing: 42:25–44:22

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Conclusion

"Under a Full Moon" masterfully traces the path from brutal crime to courtroom drama, peeling back the glittery surface of Vegas to reveal a story of profound betrayal and loss. The episode subverts simplistic true-crime tropes, exploring the devastating ripples of violence, the failings and biases of the justice system, and the enduring wounds left behind for the survivors—especially the child caught in the crossfire. The final resonance is one of sorrow, caution, and a reminder of the unseen tragedies hidden behind ordinary facades.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Shawna Tiafe. Loving mom by day, Vegas cocktail waitress by night.

[A]

I was at one of the bars and I saw her walk by. Every single head turned.

[B]

It was after her shift that they found her. The victim of a ruthless attack.

[A]

I mean, your heart just drops to your stomach.

[B]

Potential suspects? How about a casino's worth of customers?

[A]

Shawna was very beautiful. Is it someone that saw her at work and followed her home? We didn't know if there was some psycho watching us girls work at the.

[B]

Palms or did the answers lie in the dead woman's past?

[A]

Shawna started thinking, I have got to get out of the situation.

[B]

From out of the blue, a tip.

[A]

He had some information that was connected.

[B]

To our murder that would reveal a diabolical plot.

[A]

I just could not understand how this was reality.

[B]

But was this killer too clever to be caught?

[C]

He is extremely smart. Smarter than we all are.

[B]

I'm Lester Holt and this is Dateline. Here's Keith Morrison with Under a Full Moon. She was finished now. Tired, wrung out. Must have been as she walked away from the incessantly chirping machinery and the bleary eyes of the gamblers on holiday from real life. Who called out for her again. And again and again. Outside in the night, a full moon bathed the great houses of delight and sin in an unaccustomed shade of pale. It was September 29, 2012, at precisely 3 o' clock in the morning in a back room of the Palms Casino. The cocktail waitress named Shawna Tiafe inserted her timecard in the stabbing machine and set out to break a little rule. Shawna had parked her car in the back lot, a practice discouraged because surveillance cameras were unable to track her all the way to her car. Still easier this way, quicker. And after all, would a stalker really be waiting for her here under a full moon?

[A]

It was absolutely horrible and we felt so helpless. It's every woman's worst nightmare. We didn't know if any of us were next.

[B]

It never occurred to Shawna to become a cocktail waitress when she moved to Vegas as a 20 something back in the mid-90s. What she wanted then was to be closer to family, meaning big sister Paula.

[A]

She originally just thought, oh, there's no way I could be a cocktail waitress. I don't even drink.

[B]

But in a casino town, a cocktail waitress could make good money. So now, at 46, she was a veteran.

[A]

She would laugh. Shawna laughed at herself a lot, you know, she giggled a lot and she would laugh at herself and you know, she'd say, well, I still don't know, you know, what these cocktails are. You know, I just order them and they give them to me and I go take them to the people.

[B]

But she was good at it. Everybody could see that.

[A]

All the customers love Shawna so much.

[B]

Why?

[A]

She was a sweet person, beautiful.

[B]

She made close friends, a work family, really, including Kelly Chapman and Stephanie Vargas.

[A]

I remember there was one time I was in the, I was at one of the bars and I saw her walk by. Every single head turned on that bar, watching her walk by and I remember thinking, I'm like, why don't I look like her? Because men, women, they just loved her.

[B]

But no one loved her quite the way he did. A handsome boy scout of a firefighter named George tfa. George was a genuine article, an all American good guy. He'd overcome early obstacles to become a top notch student in high school, a star athlete. This is his sister Maria Magru, and valedictorian and on the football team.

[A]

Yeah, you'd think he'd be just a jerk, right? Just kind of a jock, mean spirited, sort of, who knows, stereotypical.

[B]

But it was quite the contrary, said Maria.

[A]

He was always the calming force amongst family and friends. You know, he was the gentle speaker. He had this outlook in life where I want to go out and make the world a better place. I want to go out and do something with my life.

[B]

So George did. He earned a prestigious appointment to West Point, and after graduation, became a combat engineer, served as a nation builder in Panama. His childhood friend Aaron Solano went down for a visit. The stories he told me about the missions that he accomplished, building schools, clinics, roadways and bridges really had an impact on his life. He finally felt like, hey, I'm getting to do something. When George left the military with the rank of captain, he took a corporate engineering job. But soon realized that life in an office building wasn't for him. He wanted to work for real. Which is why George put aside that fancy degree of his and went to Vegas to train as a firefighter. Emt.

[A]

Focusing on himself was not how he wanted to live his life. He wanted to serve. That was a favorite word of his, to serve.

[B]

So while Shawna served drinks at the Palms, George served as a firefighter and found time to volunteer, do what he could for the down on their luck souls who live on the fringes of so much glitz here. In 2004, they had a baby.

[C]

There's daddy and Mama.

[A]

She loved it. Her daughter was the most important thing to her in this world, and everything she did revolved around her daughter.

[C]

And they're dancing to everybody's favorite.

[B]

And then two years later, a marriage in Hawaii.

[C]

Mama and Dad, I just got married. What do you say?

[B]

Just the three of them.

[A]

See my beautiful fruit?

[B]

Back in Vegas, it was a busy, if complicated life, what with George's 24 hour shifts and Shawna's nighttimes at the casino. And then it was September 29, 3am she walked the empty lot to her car, started it, pointed away from the strip and under that full moon, headed home. No idea what was waiting for her. It was 9am When George arrived with their daughter. She'd spent the night at Grandma's, he at the firehouse, at work. But why was the garage door open? What was that? Inside, George had grown accustomed to trauma and death. But this.

[C]

I think I need to report a break in and a murder.

[B]

When we return, a chilling discovery. Shawna Tiafe found beaten to death inside her home. And then some of Shawna's personal items found outside the house. What might they reveal about the killer? What crosses your mind when you realize it's somebody walking away from the scene, discarding things. Is this something a stranger does or a predator?

[C]

Absolutely. A predator. Sexual predator.

[B]

Part of what made it so incomprehensible was where it happened. Shawna TFA lived in a good, safe neighborhood. Part of town where Vegas does not party. A part of town where the people who work the casinos raise their families and live ordinary, quiet lives. But this is where they found her, George, and their 8 year old daughter. Inside her own house. Not so safe after all.

[C]

I think I need to report a break in. And a murder.

[B]

George would have known even if he hadn't been an emt.

[A]

Hey, what's going on there?

[B]

She'd been dead for hours.

[C]

My wife. My wife is on the floor. Bloody stiff, not moving. We got a call in the morning.

[B]

Detective Dan Long has been in homicide a long time, and God knows Vegas has kept him busy. Him and his partner, Terry Miller.

[A]

When we arrived, there were fire department personnel everywhere.

[B]

It was all too obvious. Shawna had been attacked, probably as she walked into her house. Had been beaten with something blunt and hard.

[C]

And there was things done with the body that made us think that there was possible sexual assault of some type. And there was posing of the body.

[B]

Some kind of predator at work here. A predator who escaped with a good hunk of cash from the looks of it. Shawna's purse was missing.

[C]

Cash and casino chips. They get tipped with casino chips quite a bit. They're known to make 3, 400 to $500 in a night. They make a lot of money, especially if they're good. And we did send detectives over to the Palms. They talked to them. They said Shawna is one of the best employees they had.

[B]

But something happened after she left the Palms. So what?

[A]

Shawna was very beautiful. Is it someone that saw her at work and followed her home?

[C]

There he is.

[B]

Of course, as the husband, George would have to be considered a possible suspect too. So detectives pulled him aside, interviewed him right on the spot.

[C]

George, you understand the statements being recorded? I understand.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And you understand that we want to.

[B]

Talk to you about what happened this morning?

[C]

Yes, sir.

[B]

George told the detectives that when he saw the garage door open, he had their daughter hang back while he went inside.

[C]

I slush on his feet, just laying there, frozen looking. And in my job, I know what that means.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Are you a paramedic?

[C]

I'm an EMTI firefighter.

[B]

Their daughter, thank God, didn't see anything, said George. He rushed her out to the street.

[C]

I didn't know if there was somebody there. I just wanted to get out of there with my daughter.

[B]

He had taken the little girl to Shauna's place, he said, because it was Shauna's turn because we're currently separated and.

[C]

We'Re planning on moving back in together because we started getting long again.

[B]

And meanwhile, they had this complicated arrangement. Shauna worked 7pm to 3am at the casino. George as a firefighter, worked long shifts and got lots of days off.

[C]

And mama will be happy.

[B]

Their daughter shuttled back and forth between them. And when they were both at work, the girls spent nights with George's mother.

[A]

Okay, what shift did you work yesterday?

[C]

A 24 hour shift.

[A]

Uh huh.

[B]

So he was at work when Shawna was killed. Of course, they did some checking just.

[A]

To be sure, you know, if he was there on every run, you know, if he had left for any reason.

[B]

But he was on every run, did not leave work at all. So not the husband this time.

[C]

He had nothing to do with the attack of Shawna.

[B]

But George did offer a possible lead.

[C]

The garage door was open, which was unusual. So we were worried because my wife's house got broken into a week or two ago.

[B]

The thief in that earlier burglary, it appeared, used Shonda's bathroom to take a shower and left with several pairs of Shonda's panties and some jewelry. He left behind a pair of boxer shorts, size small back then. Shauna immediately suspected some neighborhood teens, said George.

[C]

So she had discussed it with several people, including George, and decided that it may be that she left something unlocked. And it could be maybe some kids that live in the neighborhood.

[B]

So is that who killed her? Looking around the crime scene, the detectives realized that Shawna's killer or killers had been into her booze, had taken not just her purse, but, like in that earlier burglary, her underwear. So they set about checking out every one of the neighborhood boys. And they had solid alibis, all of them.

[C]

They were not involved in the break in. They were not involved in Shawna's death. Now things get even more scary because we don't know what we have.

[B]

Once that word got out, it could very quickly spread the terror around like it already had among Shawna's co workers.

[A]

We didn't know if there was some psycho watching, you know, watching us girls work at the Palms. And we didn't know if any of us were next.

[B]

The predator theory got a boost that second day when on a walking path near Shauna's house, someone found bits from her purse, ID makeup kit. Personal things. What crosses your mind when you realize it's somebody walking away from the scene, discarding things.

[C]

A stalker. Stalker, absolutely. A predator. Sexual predator.

[B]

So they spread out, got the rest of homicide involved. Days off were canceled. Everybody out. They looked everywhere.

[C]

There was considerable pressure, pressure from media, pressure from our administration. Everybody wants this thing solved and put away quickly.

[B]

And then, quite suddenly, a break. A tipster on the Crime Stoppers line with a story to tell.

[A]

He had some information that he thought was connected to our murder.

[B]

A wild goose chase? Maybe. And maybe not. Coming up, the tipster mentions a detail about the crime, one that gets everyone's attention.

[A]

No one knew that but the two of us.

[B]

Button. This guy brings it up exactly when DATELINE continues.

[A]

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[B]

Good job. Good singing. It's a terrible thing to bury a young mother in the prime of her life, especially in the shadow of murder. Big sister Paula had felt somehow frozen in a terrible dream that refused to end or make sense ever since her mother called with the news about Shawna. What's it like to hear something like that?

[A]

I don't know that you can describe it, you know, I mean, your heart just drops to your stomach.

[B]

Paula and Shauna's family and friends gathered to mourn and remember how much they cared about her. The funeral itself was standing room only.

[A]

It was a beautiful tribute to Shawna.

[B]

George's big sister, Maria.

[A]

I could see George was heartfelt and did what he could to express himself at a terrible time. It was all about showing that Shawna was loved and cared for.

[B]

Meanwhile, Las Vegas homicide detectives worked diligently to identify and track down whoever killed her.

[A]

Did we have a predator? Did she come home and they were burglarizing the house? Is there an enemy somewhere that she made that we need to find?

[B]

And then they got lucky. A man who called himself Big Will called the Crime Stoppers hotline. Big Will had a story to tell.

[C]

He had spent time in prison and he worked as a maintenance man. But he found satisfaction in helping others coming out of prison and helping them find the right path.

[B]

One such man, said Big Will, was a homeless handyman who lived out in the desert, went by the name Greyhound.

[C]

He did a lot of drugs, drank a lot of alcohol and was volatile.

[B]

According to Big Will, this Greyhound told a lot of tall tales. But Will called police this time because Greyhound bragged about killing someone, a woman, and said he used a hammer to do it.

[A]

And we had just come from autopsy that morning. Marks that were seen on Shawna's body. We thought that it was possibly a hammer. So no one knew that. But the two of us, when this.

[C]

Guy brings it up, that's exactly a.

[B]

Homeless, drug addicted ex con with a volatile temper, said Big Will. Certainly seemed to fit the profile of the potential predator detectives were looking for. But Big Will told them finding Greyhound might not be so easy.

[C]

He told us that Greyhound walks everywhere. He lives out in the desert.

[B]

But Big Will wanted to help, he said, and so he agreed to take them to some of the places where he thought Greyhound liked to hang out. And what do you know, they ran into him in the parking lot of a gas station. Detective Long approached him. Sweet as pie Greyhound was. Said he'd be perfectly willing to go to the station, have a chat. His real name was Noel Stevens.

[C]

What did he Tell you, he knows Shawna. He knew where they lived, that he did yard work and handyman work for George and everybody else in the neighborhood.

[B]

So someone Shauna knew, someone George, the do gooder, had tried to help. A thing not out of character for George. But Greyhound or Noah, was adamant that he had nothing to do with Shauna's murder. Then he agreed to show the detectives his campsite out in the desert. What'd you find?

[A]

Swimsuit bottoms that, in our search of Shawna's house, appeared to me that matched the top that I had seen in her bedroom. There was also a extra small black dress, which, you know, Shauna was very tiny.

[B]

So Greyhound was the burglar poking around Shawna's personal things. And in fact, her friends recalled, Shawna had grown uncomfortable with this particular charity case who'd been doing work around the house.

[A]

She didn't want Noel in the house anymore. And she said, you know, you better get out of this house or I'm calling the police on you.

[B]

So was he the killer out of the campsite? Detectives did not find any evidence linking him to the murder. So they kept looking.

[C]

One of the other things that Big Will told us was that Noel had a campsite number one and a campsite number two.

[B]

A second campsite out there somewhere. But where? And what, if anything, was hidden there?

[C]

Coming up under the bush, he saw a pair of jeans that appeared to have blood on them.

[B]

A dark discovery seems to provide answers. So why are detectives about to confront a series of new and troubling questions? It's not on any sightseeing itinerary. Not this way. But this, too, is Las Vegas. Rugged desert terrain that is a kind of refuge or hiding place for the desperate and troubled.

[A]

Believe it or not, that whole area has homeless people that are up there.

[B]

This is where Greyhound took them. This is where he lived, he said. But out there somewhere, they were convinced there must be a second campsite with possible evidence about the killing of Shana Tiafe. So Detective Miller went up with the police air unit to have a look around.

[A]

Those two pilots decided that they were going to fly that whole area for us, and they actually located the second campsite.

[C]

And we entered and we found a citation in the name of Noel Stevens. So we were at the right place.

[B]

So they spread out, kept looking, and pretty soon one of them called out.

[C]

About 175ft from the tent, he found a bush. And under the bush, he saw a pair of rolled up denim jeans that appeared to him to have blood on them. We put those in for immediate DNA testing.

[B]

How did that come back?

[C]

It was Shawna. TFA's blood. And the pants were worn by Noel Stevens.

[B]

That's kind of your story there, huh?

[C]

That's kind of our story there.

[B]

Proof the homeless handyman George and Shawna tried to help was a murderer. But could the story be that simple, really? Listen to Shawna's sister Paula, for example, and things start to sound a bit more complex.

[A]

Well, I just think that he always loved himself more than he loved anyone else, and it was all about him and what he wanted.

[B]

That was George she was talking about. The selfless firefighter had another side, said Paula.

[A]

The verbal abuse, the intimidation, the control. I mean, George was always a controlling guy.

[C]

Hold the camera in your hand, push.

[A]

It away from us.

[B]

According to Paul, it only got worse when Shawna told George the marriage was over.

[A]

He said, you know, if you don't come back to me and we can't sort this out, you're going to lose custody of your daughter. And that was her number one fear. Oh, absolutely. He used their daughter as a way to manipulate Shawna. Time and time again, Shauna had been.

[B]

Letting her workmates read the text messages George sent as things got worse in the marriage.

[A]

One text, it would be nice, you know, short and sweet, like, I love you. I've been thinking about you all day. And then, you know, we would be working. She wouldn't be able to text him back right away. And 10 minutes later, he's blowing up her phone, cussing her out, calling her names.

[B]

Shawna's supporters remembered her funeral quite differently than George's people did.

[A]

He had no emotion, no emotion at all. He did a eulogy, talking about how much money Shawna liked to spend and that there was one time she was at the gas station and accidentally left the pump in the car.

[B]

In the eulogy. In the eulogy, Paula watched George and his daughter at the cemetery and fumed.

[A]

They hadn't even lowered her in the ground yet. And he said, come on, and took her hand. It's time to go. And I watched him walk off with my little niece, you know, eight years old, just lost her mom. And I watched him walk off with her. And I thought, you know, this is exactly what he wanted.

[B]

Paula told the police her suspicions even before they began chasing down leads on Greyhound. So even though they had their killer, the idea that George was involved somehow was all already in the back of their minds. On the other hand, George's family was just as eager to assure the police that those attacks on George's character from Shawna's side were complete nonsense.

[A]

I never saw Shawna act cowed or afraid of my brother. So that's why I still can't believe the insinuation, the allegations that he was abusive or even controlling.

[B]

George's friend Aaron Solano. Couldn't agree more. No matter where he finds himself, what challenging situation he finds himself in, he has always been consistently kind, consistently caring. So which George was the real one. The detectives decided to pay George a visit at his house.

[C]

Mr. Can I call you George?

[B]

Thank you. George said, sure. He knew Greyhound, but said he'd never heard him called Noel Stevens before.

[C]

You knew him as something else? I knew him as Neil Smith.

[B]

George told detectives how he and Shawna had befriended this Neil Smith, tried to help him get back on his feet.

[C]

Me and the wife, you know, kind of looked at him like our little charity case because he was a nice guy and, you know, he down on his luck.

[B]

By now, the detectives knew Greyhound was an addict and a big drinker. So they asked George, was he a drug user?

[C]

No. Okay. Alcohol. Yes, he would drink alcohol. Not a lot. Just a beer or two. Just a beer or two? Every now and then. Yeah.

[B]

That raised the antenna a bit. In his interview with detectives, Greyhound said he and George were great friends, Worked out together, drank together a lot. But then listen to this. As George kept talking, the man he said he knew as Neil became Noel.

[C]

She said, you know, can Noel help us out with this? If it was something I wasn't good at, you know, said, well, maybe Noel's good at because Noel seemed to be good at everything I wasn't good at.

[B]

Remember, George said he'd never heard the name Noel Stevens before, knew Greyhound only as Neil Smith. Is it possible he was confused about the name that it, you know, Greyhound used several different names.

[C]

When you get nervous, you're going to revert back to whatever's natural. And he reverted back to Noel. He just got done telling us. I've known this man for years as Neil, and then Noel helped me move. So that's a tell.

[B]

But why would George admit to knowing Greyhound and then lie about the name? Detectives left George at home and made a plan they hoped would shake out the truth.

[C]

We decided to amp up the pressure.

[B]

Coming up, a bold calculation by detectives was about to trigger a stunning chain reaction.

[C]

He was driving extremely fast. He was forcing vehicles off the road and then plowed straight into a cement barrier. The officer following said he just committed suicide.

[B]

When DATELINE continues.

[A]

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[B]

Stories of love and betrayal, of secrets.

[A]

Revealed, of of the men and women who stand between evil and justice. Every twist and turn can now be heard in Spanish, with new mysteries arriving every week. Just search Dateline en Espanol wherever you.

[B]

Get your podcasts and start listening. It's an old police tactic to stimulate, maybe upset police, a suspect you haven't quite cornered, hoping for an overreaction. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so. Even though they didn't have a solid case yet, the detectives let word slip that they intended to arrest George, charge him with murder, hoping he'd do something rash and maybe incriminate himself.

[A]

He was told by his former attorney that he was going to be arrested. At the same time, police officers were showing up at my mother's doorstep.

[B]

What did George do? Got into his truck, raced over to his mother's house, dropped off his daughter, roared off again, police watching.

[C]

He was driving extremely fast. He was forcing vehicles out of his way, forcing vehicles off the road, and then plowed straight into a cement barrier. The officer following said he just committed suicide.

[B]

But if suicide was his intent, as the detectives assumed, it didn't work. His injuries were not severe. Still, it looked to detectives like a guilty George would rather kill himself than face a murder charge. And as George lay in a hospital bed recovering, Noel Stevens gave police the final piece they needed he confessed that he killed Shawna and said his good pal George asked him to do it.

[A]

I just knew that George had something to do with it.

[B]

Both George and Noel were booked on murder and conspiracy and burglary charges.

[C]

George is the one that wanted Shawna dead. George is the controlling man that needed that control of Shawna. And he had a tool at his disposal that worshiped him, that loved him, that would do what needed to be done.

[B]

Noel Stephens pleaded guilty and spent the next three years cooperating with the investigation, while George, who pleaded not guilty, set up a ministry in the Clark County Detention Center. He looked his family, including his sister Maria, square in the eyes and swore he did not do this. By the age old conclusion, the husband always does it.

[A]

He was a statistical suspect from day one for sure.

[B]

Why, she asked, should anyone believe an addict, a known liar, over George and a detective's theory that a guilty conscience led to a suicide attempt?

[A]

But let me tell you, he's been on suicide prevention squads. He's an emt. He is quite knowledgeable about what it takes to kill yourself in a vehicle. So driving that large vehicle into a K rail with your seatbelt on is not how an expert tries to commit suicide. He did something stupid. Stupid. But he didn't try to kill himself.

[B]

Fellow firefighters came to his defense too. Fellow West Point grads, childhood friends. I truly believe he's innocent. He gives too much of himself.

[A]

And I think that that is one.

[B]

Of the reasons he finds himself in the situation he's in. Were you surprised at the amount of support that George got?

[A]

No, no. George, he makes lifelong connections. It's part of his generosity.

[B]

And so, on a searing hot summer day in late August 2015.

[C]

Good morning.

[B]

Those lifelong connections sat on one side of a Las Vegas courtroom.

[A]

George was adamant that this go to trial. He would not accept any plea deals, anything.

[B]

And on the other side, a sea of hot pink.

[A]

There were just an outpouring every day, you know, lots of people that showed up wearing pink. And why that Pink was Shawna's favorite color and not pale pink, hot pink.

[B]

Ex workmates were there too.

[A]

I wanted the jury to see that she wasn't just a Vegas cocktail waitress, you know, that she was a good person, a beautiful person, a good human being.

[B]

Prosecutors Mark D. Jacobo and Pam Weckerly told the jury that while no Greyhound Stevens was the admitted killer of Shawna tfa, he never would have done it had George not put him up to it.

[C]

He's got this singular goal of I need to kill my wife. And he has to keep pushing Noel to do it.

[A]

Please be seated.

[B]

Shawna's sister Paula testified that she encouraged her sister to move out.

[A]

I told her that based on things she was telling me that had been going on for quite a while, that I believe that she should separate herself from George and move to a different home.

[B]

So she did. And George increased his contact with Noel. His phone calls to Stevens in the month before the murder proved a conspiracy, said the prosecutors. They showed the jury George's phone records.

[C]

If you looked at how much he called Noel, there's 87 phone calls.

[B]

Three, four calls a day.

[C]

Yes. His mother is about once a day.

[B]

Then they said, look at this. Here are George and Noel shopping together, buying gloves, dark clothing, a knife, and on four different occasions, they bought hammers.

[C]

This ends up at Mr. TFA's house.

[B]

Where he happens to have two other.

[C]

Perfectly good hammers in the garage.

[B]

What else could all of this have been, they asked, but a murder kit?

[C]

Noel Stevens used a hammer. The person who used Noel Stevens is George tfa.

[B]

Ah, Butts, it's a good story.

[C]

It's real interesting, but it's not evidence yet.

[B]

This is Georgia's defense attorney, Robert Langford.

[C]

There's absolute reasonable doubt as to George TFA's involvement in this case. Case.

[B]

Those surveillance videos, for example, that the prosecution found so damning. None of the hammers they bought was the actual murder weapon. And besides, most of what they bought together was simple and innocent camping gear. George helping a man in need.

[C]

As usual, he thought he was helping out Noel Stevens to live out where Noel wanted to live, which was outside of town.

[B]

As for the 87 phone calls the prosecution said proved George and Greyhound conspired to kill Shawna. There was nothing sinister there, said the defense, just a man trying to contact his charity case handyman.

[C]

I live out in that area and cell service is notoriously bad on top of. Have you ever tried to call a handyman in this town?

[B]

In fact, said the defense, the only thing the state had tying George to the murder was Noel Stevens word.

[C]

Without Noel Stevens statement to the police, George is an innocent man to report it.

[B]

And how could the jury believe Stevens? Said the defense. But even his own friend, the tipster, Big Will, said in court that the man was an habitual liar. Honesty, I would put him at a.

[C]

Scale of one to ten. I would put him at a skill of maybe one and a half, ten being very honest. And one and a half meaning not honest at all. That's correct.

[B]

George's attorney was itching to cross examine the habitual liar who condemned his client, which presented the prosecutors with a dilemma. The man at the center of their case against George might just destroy it. It could be a real problem.

[C]

He could be a real problem. And there was a substantial amount of discussion between Pam and I over whether or not we're calling them or not.

[B]

Does that imply you disagreed?

[C]

Oh, yes, we disagreed.

[B]

Coming up, a risky decision. Looks like it might just backfire.

[C]

Do you hear voices?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I think everybody agreed that Noel Stevens is crazy as an outhouse rat.

[B]

And then why is it taking so long for a verdict?

[A]

It was nerve wracking.

[B]

Prosecutors Mark Di Giacomo and Pam Weckerle had a big problem and they knew it. The problem had a name. Noel Stevens. Greyhound.

[C]

Noel is a very important piece of information, but he's also the biggest risk.

[B]

In the credibility sweepstakes. He's way down here somewhere and your defendant is way up there. And so they argued, these two prosecutors, she said, put him on the stand.

[A]

My thought was, you don't understand who George is and how sinister this was. And until you meet Noel and say this is the person that he gave.

[B]

Access to, he said, don't take the chance.

[C]

They could say this crazy, psychotic homeless man did it on his own.

[B]

Who prevailed? She did.

[C]

They called Noel Stevens.

[B]

And so up went Greyhound to the witness stand and offered his grisly story.

[C]

I hit her in the head. When you hit her in the head, what happens?

[B]

She hits the floor.

[C]

And after she hits the floor, what do you do? I jump on top of her. If you jump on top of her.

[B]

What do you do?

[C]

Keep on hitting her. How long do you hit her for? Hit her until she doesn't move anymore.

[B]

Why? Because he said someone told him to.

[C]

Who told you to kill Shawna? George.

[B]

But was it true? Now the defense got to ask Greyhound about, well, for starters, his addictions.

[C]

Wild Turkey 101 and vodka? Yes, vodka.

[B]

Whatever I can get my hands on.

[C]

You drink it every day?

[B]

Every day, yes. And he smoked weed, he admitted, and did speed. But it got worse.

[C]

Do you hear voices?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Do you remember saying to that person that they sounded like monsters?

[B]

Yes. Hallucinations, too.

[C]

What kind of hallucinations?

[B]

I see silence.

[C]

Sometimes.

[B]

Sometimes.

[C]

Do you see other people? Sometimes. Well, I think everybody agreed that Noel Stevens is crazy as an outhouse rat.

[B]

How could you believe a man as crazy as that?

[C]

You were outside of reality.

[B]

At that point, there was the choice for the jury. George used Noel as a murder weapon, or the drunk who heard voices, killed Shawna and blamed an innocent man. The lawyers, the friends, the family from both sides could only sit and wait.

[A]

It was nerve wracking.

[B]

For three days they waited. The prosecutors, once confident, worried the hung jury.

[C]

It's the hung jury situation. And so by day three, you think, is there a holdup?

[A]

Count one.

[B]

And then finally here it was.

[A]

Guilty of first degree murder.

[B]

Guilty. George tfa, his face almost serene, absorbed the verdict.

[A]

It was just this big weight taken off my shoulders, you know, because I felt this entire time that Shawna hasn't had a voice in this. And I've been so worried about representing her right and saying the right things and making sure that I portray her as the wonderful person that she was.

[B]

Both George and Noel were sentenced to life. George was no chance of parole.

[A]

It was so much relief, closure.

[B]

George began serving his life sentence. And then in July 2017, he filed a handwritten petition asking to be released from prison. And it included an explosive admission. He told the court, my wife, whom I truly loved dearly, is dead, brutally murdered, and it's my fault. After denying it for six years, George finally confessed. But he did not take full responsibility for what happened. Instead, he explained that prescription drugs caused him to hallucinate, that God was directing him to perpetrate a crime to protect his child. Protect her from what exactly he did not say. And he blamed his attorney for not bringing up the drug induced hallucinations. At trial, George's family felt blindsided by the confession, said his sister Maria. And now she feels he's where he belongs, behind bars. George's petition was denied. He's filed a new petition in federal court. And the young girl at the heart of the tragedy.

[A]

I really do feel that my niece is the true victim in all of this. It's so tragic and I just don't have words for what she's going to have to come to terms with and understand as she gets older. You know, it's really tough.

[B]

Paula plans to make sure the daughter of Shawna TFA never forgets.

[A]

We talk about her mom and how much she loved her and what we think her mom would want for her now.

[B]

That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us.