6 - The Final Dominoes Fall

Summary

Murder in the Moonlight: Episode 6 - The Final Dominoes Fall

Introduction to the Case

In the pivotal sixth episode of Murder in the Moonlight, hosted by Keith Morrison, the investigation into the tragic Easter night murders of Sharmon and Wayne Stock unfolds with intense scrutiny and emotional depth. The episode delves into the complexities of the case, highlighting the tangled web of confessions, releases, and subsequent legal battles that have left the Stock family seeking closure.

Matt Livers’ Confession and Release

The episode begins by addressing Matt Livers’ initial confession to the murders of his aunt and uncle, Wayne and Sharmon Stock. Morrison narrates the turmoil surrounding Matt’s admission of guilt and his subsequent release after authorities deemed his confession unreliable.

• Notable Quote:

  Matt Livers (02:12): “I mean, I've been making answers up.”

By February 2006, over seven months after the murders, prosecutors concurred with defense lawyers that Matt’s confession lacked credibility. This realization led to Matt’s release, a moment marked by emotional reunions and conflicting sentiments within the community.

• Notable Quote:

  Jessica Reed (02:59): “I went over to the jail, and Matt was in the cell, and we told him, you know, this is. It’s over. You know, you’re going home. And, you know, I probably had the biggest hug from a man that I’ve ever had in my life.” (02:59)

Impact on Relationships

Matt’s release created rifts, particularly between him and his cousin, Nick Sampson, who remained free despite initial suspicions. Additionally, Jessica Reed’s refusal to testify against Matt and Nick strained her relationship with Matt, leaving deep scars within the family.

• Notable Quotes:

  Andy Stock (03:22): “It’s not my intention to try and convict somebody that is not guilty. That’s not why I’m in this business. The winning isn’t the issue. The issue is whether justice is being done.” (03:24)

  Jessica Reed (06:36): “Ruined it completely. It hurts knowing that he couldn’t even be man enough after all this happened that apologize.” (06:36)

The Second Arrest and Sentencing of Jessica Reed and Greg Fester

As the initial accusations unfolded, Jessica Reed and her boyfriend, Greg Fester, became primary suspects. Despite Jessica’s cooperation, including her refusal to falsely implicate Matt and Nick, both she and Greg were eventually charged and sentenced for the murders. The legal proceedings were fraught with procedural missteps, including a critical missed deadline for seeking the death penalty against Greg, which ultimately limited the prosecution's sentencing options.

• Notable Quotes:

  Greg Fester (10:56): “It was to me, yeah.” (10:56)

  Andy Stock (11:00): “I hope they live a miserable life because it’s turned our lives upside down and so many other people’s lives.” (11:00)

The courtroom scene in March 2007 was a culmination of years of grief and frustration for the Stock family, witnessing Jessica and Greg face the consequences of their actions. The judge handed down two consecutive life terms to both Jessica and Greg, reflecting the gravity of their crimes despite the earlier procedural setbacks.

• Notable Quote:

  Andy Stock (12:14): “And I thought, you know, triggered by... the sight of them.” (12:14)

The Stock Family’s Perspective

Andy Stock and his siblings grappled with the emotional aftermath of their parents' murders. While the sentencing of Jessica and Greg provided some sense of justice, it did not erase the pain or the lingering questions about the true events of that night.

• Notable Quote:

  Andy Stock (15:53): “The thing that I guess still gets to me is they were put in prison for life, but they can still receive letters from their family. They can still pick up the phone and call their parents. They can still live life to some degree. It’s not a free life, but kind of life. They’re still. They can still talk for their family.” (15:53)

Unanswered Questions and Continued Investigation

Despite the convictions, lingering doubts about the integrity of the investigation persisted. The episode highlights the conviction of David Coford, the CSI chief initially accused of planting evidence, who was eventually found guilty of evidence tampering during his second trial. This revelation fueled ongoing mistrust and conspiracy theories within the community.

• Notable Quotes:

  Andy Stock (29:49): “Of this case for me.” (29:49)

  Jessica Reed (30:40): “Had they not been able to trace that ring to its owner in Wisconsin, I'm really afraid we'd have two guys sitting on death row or locked up for the rest of their own lives for something they didn't do.” (30:40)

Final Outcomes for the Key Individuals

The episode wraps up by detailing the long-term impacts on all parties involved. Jessica Reed remains incarcerated, grappling with lifelong remorse, while Greg Fester serves his sentence without parole. Matt Livers and Nick Sampson successfully cleared their names, receiving substantial settlements for wrongful imprisonment. Andy Stock, seeking to move forward, rebuilt his life through his business, yet continues to harbor unresolved feelings about the case.

• Notable Quotes:

  Jessica Reed (28:10): “Behind prison walls, what if my real purpose is to never get out of prison, but change the way imprisoned women come in broken and leave mended?” (28:10)

  Andy Stock (27:23): “I hope someday we can all sit down and look at each other and say, were these two involved? Yes or no? Definitely.” (27:23)

Jessica Reed’s Reflections

In a poignant reflection, Jessica Reed expresses her enduring guilt and the irreversible nature of her actions. Her interview reveals a woman deeply affected by her past, striving to find meaning within the confines of prison while acknowledging the lives she destroyed.

• Notable Quotes:

  Jessica Reed (20:57): “Two people are dead because of me, you know, and I'm. I have a very hard time with that still.” (20:56)

  Jessica Reed (26:24): “Because when I wake up in the morning, I can look at myself and be okay. They're where they should be, on the streets because they didn't do anything. And I'm where I should be. You know, a lot of the members.” (26:24)

Conclusion

The Final Dominoes Fall offers a comprehensive exploration of a deeply troubling case, weaving together personal testimonies, legal intricacies, and the enduring quest for justice by the Stock family. Through Morrison’s diligent narration and the inclusion of heartfelt quotes, the episode paints a vivid picture of loss, redemption, and the elusive nature of true closure.

Key Takeaways:

• Justice and Its Complexities: The episode underscores the challenges within the legal system, highlighting how procedural errors can prolong pain and uncertainty.

• Impact of Confessions: Matt Livers’ false confession and subsequent release reveal the profound implications of coerced admissions of guilt.

• Enduring Grief: The Stock family's ongoing struggle exemplifies the lasting effects of violent loss and the difficulty of moving forward.

• Personal Accountability and Remorse: Jessica Reed’s reflections provide a window into the personal consequences of her actions, emphasizing the theme of eternal regret.

Murder in the Moonlight masterfully captures the essence of a tragic event, ensuring listeners gain a deep understanding of the multifaceted repercussions that extend far beyond the initial act of violence.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Every day, our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.

[Keith Morrison]

Thank you for calling Amica Insurance. Hey, I was just in an accident. Don't worry.

[Jessica Reed]

We'll get you taken care of.

[Narrator]

At Ameca, we understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Keith Morrison]

This message is brought to you by Apple Pay. We all know our credit card numbers can be stolen. But you know what's harder to steal your face with Apple Pay, your purchases are authenticated by you thanks to face id. Just double click and smile and tap. With each tap your card number and your purchases stay secured. Pay the Apple way with your compatible device anywhere contactless payment is accepted. Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services, llc, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer. It's a funny old expression, isn't it? Fish or cut bait. But everybody knows. Everybody knows what it means. Time to make a decision. Charge ahead or walk away sort of thing keeps a prosecutor up at night. There was Matt Livers, who had confessed to killing his aunt and uncle, Wayne and Charman Stock. And then unconfessed convict. Maybe confessions speak loud in court. But then they had to release Nick Sampson, the cousin who obviously didn't take part. And Jessica Reed, who most certainly was in on the murders with her boyfriend, Greg Fester, refused a sweet deal to testify against either Nick or Matt. And now the CSI chief who'd overseen the crime scene, David Coford, had been accused of planting evidence. Oh, and yes, there was that awkward business about the sheriff's office failing for months to tell Matt's attorneys that he had recanted his confession.

[Matt Livers]

I mean, I've been making answers up.

[Keith Morrison]

Left and right, and now it truly was time to act one way or the other. Fisher cut bait. I'm Keith Morrison, and this is Murder in the Moonlight, a podcast from Dateline. Episode six, the final Domino's fall. By the end of 2006, more than seven months after the Stock murders, the problems with their case multiplying, prosecutors finally agreed with the defense lawyers. Matt Lyra's confessions were, as they say, unreliable. His attorney, Julie Baer.

[Jessica Reed]

I went over to the jail, and Matt was in the cell, and we told him, you know, this is. It's over. You know, you're going home. And, you know, I probably had the biggest hug from a man that I've ever had in my life.

[Keith Morrison]

Cass county prosecutor Nathan Cox was once again left to call in the press and make the announcement.

[Andy Stock]

It's not my intention to try and.

[Keith Morrison]

Convict somebody that is not guilty. That's not why I'm in this business. The winning isn't the issue. The issue is whether justice is being done. And with that, after more than seven months in jail, Matt Lyra's was free.

[Greg Fester]

We did it.

[Jessica Reed]

Nice.

[Keith Morrison]

Free to speak to the press for the first time since his arrest.

[Matt Livers]

I'm innocent. I had absolutely nothing to do with.

[Keith Morrison]

This, at least for him. The doubters in the town, all around him seemed to vanish in the joy of it all.

[Matt Livers]

I just went crazy. Praise the Lord. Praise. You know, thank you. Thank you. Praise the Lord type thing.

[Keith Morrison]

His girlfriend Sarah was there, of course, to take him home. And not long after, they became Mr. And Mrs. Lives and we had a talk.

[Matt Livers]

Best day of my life. Best day besides marrying my wife here. Sorry.

[Keith Morrison]

Was it like watching him come out of there?

[Jessica Reed]

Oh, it was awesome. It was awesome. He's like, I'm free. I'm free. You know, and praise the Lord. It was just great to be able to touch him and feel him and be with him again, you know, and everything.

[Matt Livers]

It was a wonderful day.

[Keith Morrison]

But why in heaven's name had Matt confessed in the first place? Finally, now that he was free, we could ask him. This was back in 2010. A lot of the audience will say, well, come on, nobody's gonna confess to something they didn't do, especially something so horrible as the murder of your own relatives.

[Matt Livers]

Well, they changed their tactics on me. My rear end was gonna be in the frying pan. They were gonna be going for the death penalty.

[Keith Morrison]

You were scared?

[Matt Livers]

Yeah, tremendously. I'd been in there with them for a long time. So, yeah, I started. I believe that they. I mean, they're police, you know, on the side of their car, you know, it says to serve and protect, you know, And I just thought I was serving them. I thought if I'd tell them what they wanted to hear, that I could get to go home.

[Keith Morrison]

How did Nick's name come up?

[Matt Livers]

They asked me who else was involved, and I started just throwing out names. Finally, when I said Nick's name, then that's when they seemed. They were happy and believed me.

[Keith Morrison]

So you just pull it out of your hat like a bunch of names, and his was the only one that. That stuck, as it were?

[Matt Livers]

Yeah, yeah, pretty much.

[Keith Morrison]

Why would you have mentioned him particular?

[Matt Livers]

You know, I've been asked this question before, and the only answer I could give you is Because I think it was. I talked to him on the cell phone a few days before and his name was just fresh in my memory. You know, I'm terribly sorry for him. I hated. Hated it for him. But when I said his name, that's who it stuck. And they ran with it more. Ran with it more or less, yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

But the damage was done. The whole thing left Matt and his cousin Nick at a loss for words to each other. What has this done to your relationship with Matt?

[Jessica Reed]

Ruined it completely. It hurts knowing that he couldn't even be man enough after all this happened that apologize.

[Keith Morrison]

And what's he chosen to do? Forget all about it. Forget all about you.

[Jessica Reed]

I think he just most forget it ever happened. People give me about it all the time. You know, I try and let make a joke out of it, but it.

[Keith Morrison]

Hurts every once in a while. We wanted to know if their relationship has been mended. We reached out. They did not respond. What will it take to convince them.

[Andy Stock]

That you're an innocent man?

[Jessica Reed]

I don't think anything will.

[Keith Morrison]

You mean you're going to have to live under these. Under this cloud for the rest of your life? How do you do?

[Jessica Reed]

Unless I move.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah.

[Jessica Reed]

But I don't want to move. I love Murdoch. It's my home.

[Keith Morrison]

Nick and Matt, although at odds, were finally free. As for Jessica Reed and Greg Fester, well, it was time for judgment.

[Narrator]

Every day our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.

[Keith Morrison]

Thank you for calling Amica Insurance. Hey, I was just in an accident.

[Jessica Reed]

Don't worry, we'll get you taken care of.

[Narrator]

At Ameca, we understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human. Ameca, empathy is our best policy.

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[Keith Morrison]

Friday night on an all new Dateline. You're the most hated mom in America. I heard that Lori Valo Daybell. Also known as Mommy Doomsday. Did you watch your children die? The exclusive jailhouse interview. You've heard a lot of stuff, Keith.

[Jessica Reed]

What I tell you will be the truth.

[Keith Morrison]

An all new Dateline, Friday night at 9, 8 Central, only on NBC. Jessica Reed had given up the deal that could have given her a lighter sentence. Now, almost a year after the Stock murders, the prosecutors offered her one more chance. Not a get out of jail free card. Oh, no, no. But a deal just the same. And this one she took. Jessica said she would plead guilty to second degree murder in exchange for her testimony at trial against her accomplice, Greg Fester. Which meant, given she was still only 18 by then, she might get out of prison someday, have some sort of life. Second degree murder by law carried a sentence of 20 years to life with a chance for parole. So, all set? Apparently. But then, well, in this case, would you expect anything to go according to plan? Because to all the mystifying moves by investigators and prosecutors in Cass County, Nebraska. Add one more, and this time, it was a big one. A judge ruled the county attorney had missed a deadline to announce his intention to seek the death penalty against Greg Fester. And so first degree murder was off the table. There would be no chance to send Greg Fester to death row. Another blow to the Stark children, Tammy, Steve and Andy. Is that a disappointment to you?

[Greg Fester]

It was to me, yeah.

[Andy Stock]

Yeah.

[Jessica Reed]

Yeah.

[Greg Fester]

So then we just asked, well, what's. What's the guaranteed way to get them the worst possible thing that they can get for punishment? Well, we think if we do it this way, that they're going to end up in prison for the rest of their life. We're like, well, that's what you think is going to happen? That's. Let's go to that. Because that's what they need to get, is the worst thing they could get to them.

[Andy Stock]

I. I told the attorney, all I ask is make them stand up and take responsibility and go for the most that you can get.

[Keith Morrison]

So before long, a new deal was reached. Both Fester and Reed would plead guilty to murder in the second degree. And in March 2007, not yet a year since the killings, they entered a courtroom to come face to face for the first time with the Stocks family. You went to the sentencing?

[Jessica Reed]

We did. It's the first time we saw him.

[Andy Stock]

And as three sat in the front.

[Jessica Reed]

Row, we watched them both walk in one at a time. I didn't think I could feel so much anger and sorrow and sadness.

[Andy Stock]

And I thought, you know, triggered by.

[Keith Morrison]

The sight of them.

[Jessica Reed]

Yeah, kind of shocked me. I didn't.

[Greg Fester]

So I remember just thinking, I didn't know I could be this mad in the courtroom.

[Keith Morrison]

The Judge read the victim impact statements, which had been written by Wayne and Charman's family members, as if such an impact could be measured in words. Jessica Reed and Greg Fester each apologized to the Stock family, and then the family held its breath. Steve Stock.

[Greg Fester]

The whole thing itself was just kind of a blur. It was so nerve wracking and hard to sit through. But then when I got to the end and, you know, the judge went through the whole thing when he was actually talking, there's a little part of me saying he's gonna let these guys off easy.

[Keith Morrison]

But, no, that was not to be. For Fester, the judge handed down two. Two consecutive life terms, plus another 10 to 20 years for using a weapon. For Jessica Reed, the first of the courthouse to make a deal. Remember, there was, in fact, no break at all. She got the same sentence for murder as Fester, Two life terms to be served back to back, if you could do such a thing. Her attorney, Tom Olson. Was that justice?

[Tom Olson]

I didn't think so. I thought that there was no question. I think everyone believed in the case that the individual most culpable was Fester. No question about it. That the only person who had cooperated was Jessica. That the only person who really did the right thing by exonerating lives and Sampson was Jessica. That she did show true remorse, that she had to. She had done some constructive things while she was incarcerated, and that you would have thought that something would have been given to her, she might have had.

[Keith Morrison]

A date far in the future, 40 years away, maybe, where she might get a chance in front of a parole.

[Matt Livers]

Well, that's what you're hoping.

[Tom Olson]

That's what we were hoping for. I mean, she was only 17. She really had no record to speak of, of anything prior to this. That the circumstances by which she came here, along with Fester, he's older, you know, she loves him. They're going across country and that this occurrence, the murders, was not a planned thing. They didn't go in there with the intent to go and shoot up the place. At least she didn't. That she would have gotten something for that. And I was hoping, at least for some type of term of years where she had a date. And so we were disappointed. I know Jessica was disappointed that she didn't. She got the life sentence, but at least she can go away with knowing that she did the right thing. Faced with the opportunity to probably write her ticket out of jail at some point in time, she did the right thing. She told the truth, and she didn't take the bait. Or fall into the trap of saying that these boys were there when they were not. To save her own neck.

[Keith Morrison]

For the Stock family, ever graceful people, the sentences were a relief. But later, when we sat down with Andy Stock and his siblings in 2010, a rare flash of anger directed toward the two who took his parents lives.

[Andy Stock]

I hope they live a miserable life because it's turned our lives upside down and so many other people's lives. They made the choice to go into that house. They made the choice to take guns in the house. They made the choice to go upstairs when they knew someone was home. They made the choice to go in the bedroom. And mom and dad had no choice. Our kids don't have a choice. My son, who will never know his grandma and grandpa doesn't have a choice. The thing that I guess still gets to me is they were put in prison for life, but they can still receive letters from their family. They can still pick up the phone and call their parents. They can still live life to some degree. It's not a free life, but kind of life. They're still. They can still talk for their family.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah.

[Andy Stock]

And they can still talk to their parents and we can't. And I think that's what still gets me. They were put away for life, but they still have life. We don't.

[Keith Morrison]

There was another unresolved question, of course, the big one still not fully answered. What really happened that night on the Stock farm? What led two Wisconsin teenagers to throw away their lives by so callously killing a Nebraska farm couple whom everyone loved? Perhaps only two people in the world know what happened inside that farmhouse and why. So we gathered up our recording gear and checked ourselves into the Nebraska Correctional center for Women where a convicted killer was waiting to talk to us.

[Narrator]

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[Keith Morrison]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with Emmy and Golden Globe winner the legend Angela Bassett to talk about playing the President of the United States in the buzzed about new Robert De Niro series Zero Day, and starring as the queen in the blockbuster Black Panther movies. You can hear our conversation now for free, wherever you download your podcasts. How close they seem to each other. Given the vast expanse of the Nebraska prairie, it was perhaps an irrational thought, but somehow affecting. There she was, year after year, housed in a prison just an hour's drive from the scene of her crime. It was here, on a cool, windy day, that we were given one hour, no more, to talk to Jessica Reed, fresh off a shift working in west what the inmates there call the dish.

[Jessica Reed]

Room, meaning I would do the dishes, run all the dishes through the washing machine and all. That sucks.

[Keith Morrison]

How long you had that job?

[Jessica Reed]

I've had it for a few months now.

[Keith Morrison]

Jessica Reed, at the time of this interview, was 21 years old. She looked and carried herself and spoke more like some kindergarten teacher than a convicted killer. Makes no difference. She will very likely die in prison, and she told us she will spend her life haunted by what happened in that farmhouse.

[Jessica Reed]

Two people are dead because of me, you know, and I'm. I have a very hard time with that still.

[Keith Morrison]

What was it like to watch those people die? Hell, and when you see it in.

[Jessica Reed]

Your head, it makes my heart drop. It makes me very just like really exhausted because I can't change that. That's one thing in this world that I can't go back and fix.

[Keith Morrison]

The truth about that night. After so many lies, so many versions, here it is, said Jessica. She and Greg fester, days without sleep or real food, had been driving aimlessly through Wisconsin and Iowa and Nebraska, breaking into homes along the way. In one, she grabbed a shotgun, a.410. So on Easter night, there they were, armed, drugged and wired, bumping along a random country road. And Greg said, stop. Turned out to be the stock farmhouse, though they had no idea who lived there. But in they went through that unlocked window Fester found.

[Jessica Reed]

Greg was like, you know, follow me real quick. So I followed him. And I was wearing this coat that was making a lot of noise.

[Keith Morrison]

One of those puffy coats, right.

[Jessica Reed]

Like a windbreaker type deal. It was making me nervous, so I, like took it off and set it down on the floor. Yeah, in the kitchen. And he went straight upstairs. And so I Followed him up the stairs.

[Keith Morrison]

Why'd he go upstairs?

[Jessica Reed]

I don't know.

[Keith Morrison]

Didn't tell you?

[Jessica Reed]

He just told me to follow him, so I did.

[Keith Morrison]

Okay.

[Jessica Reed]

And we went upstairs, and when I turned around, Greg had turned on the light in the room, and I seen this guy laying in the bed, and I said, come on, let's go. Let's do something, you know, because there was people there.

[Keith Morrison]

What was the feeling you had as you said?

[Jessica Reed]

That like panic? It was like craziness. Like, God, what if they wake up? You know what? He just turned and went into that room. The guy had rolled out of bed, and they were wrestling with the gun, and I just was, like, startled, and my gun went off. And I have no idea where that shot went.

[Keith Morrison]

Sources close to the investigation told Dateline there is reason to believe that whether Jessica knows it or not, her shot might have been the fatal one, that it may have struck Wayne Stock in the head, with evidence of the shot obliterated by another shot from Greg Fester's 12 gauge.

[Jessica Reed]

And then Greg shot the guy in the back of the head, and he went back in that room and shot that lady. He ran down the stairs, and I ran after him. And I picked up my coat on the way out. And that ring that they found. Yeah, it flew off then.

[Keith Morrison]

When you picked up your coat?

[Jessica Reed]

Yes. I didn't know until, like, way, way later when they showed me a picture of it, because I knew I lost that ring, but I had no idea where.

[Keith Morrison]

What was it like in that truck on the way away?

[Jessica Reed]

We didn't say anything. I mean, I started crying at one point, and Greg just looked at me, and he was like, don't do that. You know?

[Keith Morrison]

But what about all those letters? The words found later in that house with Jessica's belongings, with that cigarette box? Words she wrote, boldly admitting to her crimes. I killed someone. He was older. I loved it. I wish I could do it all the time. If Greg doesn't watch it, I'm going to just leave one day and do it myself. I don't understand it.

[Jessica Reed]

I hate hearing him because it's just kind of like how everything was portrayed. I hate hearing it because it was how everything was portrayed, because I'm not like that.

[Keith Morrison]

Were you like that at the time?

[Jessica Reed]

No. That was my way of showing Greg that I was okay with it, too. Because when he told me not to cry, it was like, what? I'm not supposed to feel bad about this? I mean, how can you have no remorse for this at all?

[Keith Morrison]

To them, it meant that you were a cold hearted killer and that you enjoyed the process. And people saw you. Probably still see you as some kind of monster.

[Jessica Reed]

Yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

You ever wonder about Greg Fester and whatever happened to him?

[Jessica Reed]

I hope he's okay, you know, because I don't wish anything bad on him. I hope he's all right.

[Keith Morrison]

You still feel like he's a friend? A love?

[Jessica Reed]

I have love for him. But as far as any of that other stuff, not really.

[Keith Morrison]

It's all a black hole of regret now, of course. Except she said for one good thing she did. She refused to implicate two men who had nothing to do with the murders. Turned down a golden chance to cut herself a better deal with prosecutors by lying and nailing Nick Sampson and Matt Livers. Do you kick yourself about that sometimes?

[Jessica Reed]

No.

[Keith Morrison]

Why not?

[Jessica Reed]

Because when I wake up in the morning, I can look at myself and be okay. They're where they should be, on the streets because they didn't do anything. And I'm where I should be. You know, a lot of the members.

[Keith Morrison]

Of their family believe that they got away with it, that they were involved and that somehow, I don't know, you protected them, but that they. They're. They're guilty. What would you say to those suspicions? Those people with their suspicions, to stop.

[Jessica Reed]

Being suspicious because they weren't there. They had nothing to do with this.

[Keith Morrison]

But for the Stock family, it wasn't that simple. Can you believe Jessica? They asked. They were driven, they told us, by a common sense instilled at an early age by their murdered parents. And so they still were asking who and why? Who did this?

[Andy Stock]

I'd like to know the honest truth about everything. You know, I hope someday we can all sit down and look at each other and say, were these two involved? Yes or no? Definitely. Was the blood planted? Yes or no? Definitely. I don't know we'll ever know those answers. I don't know if there's any way to prove those answers, but I hope someday we'll know.

[Keith Morrison]

We wanted to know how the Stock family feels about Matt and Nick today, but they did not respond. As for Jessica Reed, since that day we spoke to her in prison, she's had a bit of an epiphany. She explained in a TED Talk taped.

[Jessica Reed]

Behind prison walls, what if my real purpose is to never get out of prison, but change the way imprisoned women come in broken and leave mended? All I ever wanted to do was just get out of here, leave all this behind and never look back. That one thought changed my whole paradigm. I stopped living solely for my own outcome. And I started living for those around me.

[Keith Morrison]

What if, indeed, at this point, Jessica has served 18 years behind bars. She is not eligible for parole. Her accomplice, Greg Fester, did not respond to our interview requests. He, too, has served 18 years. No parole for him either. Ever. A postscript Andy Stock now runs Stock Hay and Grain. He knocked down the home where the murders occurred and built a new house where he made some better memories. Matt Livers and Nick Sampson have gone through many struggles to get back their good names. They settled lawsuits against state and local authorities, as well as CSI chief David Coford for something north of $7.5 million. As for Cofode, he was acquitted of federal evidence tampering charges. But then the state of Nebraska took up the case, and at his second trial, Coford was found guilty of evidence tampering. You understand what you were convicted of? Yes, you, Honor. At his sentencing, the career law enforcement man again denied planting evidence and told the judge the truth would come out eventually. I don't believe this is the last.

[Andy Stock]

Of this case for me.

[Keith Morrison]

I want to continue on, and that's.

[Andy Stock]

Nothing personal with you.

[Keith Morrison]

But the judge had a somewhat different perspective. He told the court he'd been moved by letters from Livers and Sampson asking him to throw the book at Coford. And that is just what he did. The defendant has not acknowledged any wrongdoing. He's not appearing to be particularly remorseful. The sentence up to four years in prison. Covid served two. In the end, two defense lawyers still marvel that poor police work almost did their clients in, even as investigators on the same case brilliantly tracked the one piece of evidence that saved lives and Sampson and finally identified the real murderers. A simple gold ring.

[Jessica Reed]

Had they not been able to trace that ring to its owner in Wisconsin, I'm really afraid we'd have two guys sitting on death row or locked up for the rest of their own lives for something they didn't do.

[Keith Morrison]

As for that citizen who went way beyond the call to find the critical evidence that saved Matt Lyvers and Nick Sampson, that gold ring with the inscription on it. She shrugs as if Mary Martino still believes it was no big deal.

[Jessica Reed]

I heard homicide.

[Keith Morrison]

If it was somebody in my family, I would have wanted the assistance. Murder in the moonlight is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Shane Bishop is the producer. Brian Drew, Kelly Laudeen, Bruce Berger, Marshall Housefeld and Candace Goldman are audio editors. Brittany Morris is field producer. Leslie Grossman is program coordinator. Adam Gorfin is co executive producer. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer From NBC News, Audio sound mixing by Bob Mallory and Katie Lau. Bryson Barnes is head of audio production.

[Narrator]

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