It starts with a handshake. A word becomes an agreement. An agreement becomes a contract. A contract becomes bound by law. Today, Harvey, the AI platform designed specifically for legal work, is powering that next step.
More than 200,000 lawyers and 80% of the Amlaw 100 are building with Harvey, accelerating review, sharpening negotiations, and more. Harvey, learn more at harvey.ai. Harvey does not provide legal advice. Users should always independently review and verify any output from Harvey. Off the coast of Newfoundland, something lurks beneath the surface.
Below is a new six-episode thriller series. Fisherman Calvin Penny, played by Josh Hartnett, is already burdened by his father's mysterious death when a sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown. Putting his son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton, and the rest of his family in danger, partnering with a visiting marine researcher, Mackenzie Davis. Calvin must protect what's left of his family and uncover the area's long-buried secrets. Watch below, streaming only on Netflix.
Tonight on the season premiere, a date live. I tried to get them to not get married. I said, don't do this. Kate was telling us how she was scared to death of Matt. Kate took the kids and went to Utah to get away from Matt.
Yes. I heard that Matt came in with the knife. She told me that he seemed agitated. My mom heard shots. Nastling face down.
She says, Matt is dead. We mean Matt's dead. We just tried to ask questions. What happened? During that entire conversation, Mom is whispering the answers to the daughter.
Like telling her what to say? Yes. All moms have influence over their children. This seems to be something more. Yeah, she called all the shots.
What's going on? The knife and Matt's hand. It looked like it was backwards. He's not a violent person, not an aggressive person. This did not make sense.
We see a bunch of text messages about an air attack. Somebody wanted to know where Matt was, leading up to his killing, for sure. I knew they liked me. I tell my mom, we're at war. I'm deadly shooting.
Two families divided and a mother of a revelation. I'm Lester Holt and this is Stateline. Here's Josh Mankiewicz with The Family Plot. It's easy to miss American Fork, one of many tidy, scrubbed communities that dot the Utah landscape outside of the Great Salt Lake. One of the roughly 11,000 households in American Fork is this one, an unassuming home on a quiet street close to good schools, four bedrooms with a finished basement and a community pool in a safe neighborhood.
You could raise a family here. You could teach your kids the difference between right and wrong and how doing the right thing isn't always easy. This story is about the lessons children learn as they grow up and what they do with that knowledge. 9-1, what's the address of the emergency? July 12th, 2024, 10-15 p.m.
Tracy Grist was on with 9-1-1. I need an ambulance. Tracy, a very involved mother to seven adult children, told the operator of family dispute, had turned violent. My daughter's husband came here, and they're going through a separation. And he got a knife.
The he in that scenario was Tracy's son-in-law Matt Rastelli, who was at that moment, faced down in Tracy's downstairs all the way. Tracy said Matt and her daughter Kate were having marital troubles, and somehow Tracy's son Kevin got involved. And my son tried him. If he caught just a breathing. I think he's breathing.
Are you comfortable having to see if he's breathing? Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, he's breathing. Police arrived within minutes. Can I come in? What's going on?
What's going on? What's going on? Care. The officer went to Matt. He had been shot multiple times and was no longer moving.
In his right hand was a knife. Can you step outside, please? Wait a minute. Okay, 46, we have a man down. He's possibly Echo.
Possibly Echo, meaning Matt might be beyond help. Outside an officer questioned Kevin, Alice, and his mom, Tracy. So who is this in there? That is my daughter's husband. Okay, where's daughter?
My daughter's upstairs. Does she stop a firearm, Honor? My daughter? No. Okay, who had the firearm?
I already said where it was. Okay. It's inside. Officers worked to secure the rest of the house. Are you okay?
I'm going to pour a please. If there's anyone else inside the house, make it known. Matt's wife, Kate Rastelli, was upstairs with their two children. Ages three and six. Hands up.
So come down slowly. The officer's body cam caught Kate's glimpse of her husband on the floor at the foot of the stairs. Come down. Come down. Okay.
We're going to step over to the left, okay? Is anyone else in the house? I don't know. I'm coming out here. I'm coming out here.
Okay. Okay. Okay. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened.
I don't know anything. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. I don't know.
I don't know what happened. Inside first responders fought to save Matt's life. So can we come to home? I have no idea. All the same.
It was too late. 42-year-old Matt Rastelli was pronounced dead. This Utah home was now a crime scene. How does call come in? So it was reported as a shooting at home.
Detective Joseph Nordine was on the homicide beat that night. I was probably on scene within 30 minutes. He searched the home while officers spoke with neighbors. They worked on gathering security video from the home across the street and noted a neighbor had heard some noises that night and called 911 around the time of the shooting. The house was sealed and everyone inside taken to the station for questioning.
Matt and Kate's kids who seemed to have slept through all of it went along too. By night's end, detectives knew this much. One man was dead on the floor and another had admitted to shooting him. You think this is the end of it? No.
I think we all pretty much thought it was the beginning of it. What they had no idea of was just how complicated this was about to get. You have to be careful because the breakup is where the danger is. I remember seeing a look on her face that I could tell something was very wrong. It's pure evil.
I tell my mom we're at war. Do you understand that that makes it look as if you're complicit? There are cold cases older than he is. At age 28, the untimely passing of Matt Rastelli was exactly Detective Joan Nordine's third homicide case since he joined the American Fork Police Department. I was going to ask you if this was your first homicide, but I'm thinking that the audience might want to know whether this was your first day on the job, right?
Because you look like the oldest son of all homicide detectives that I know. It is what it is. We're a relatively small agency. So our homicides are kind of few and far between. Now the youthful detective became lead investigator in Matt's death.
He suspected that whatever happened that night centered around Matt and Kate's relationship. Their story began back in 2008 in Temecula, California when Matt walked into a local grocery store. Kate stood behind the counter and fixed his sandwich. Soon, Small Talk turned to something more. Kate's sister, Terrell and Fisher.
She was just in love with him. She was head over Hills for him. There was something kinetic about the relationship. After seven years together, a beaming Kate announced their engagement on Facebook. Kate's dad's stand was happy for his daughter and his soon-to-be son-in-law.
He was a salt to the earth. He was one of the neatest men I ever met. And I thought this was a chance for Katie to have a good life. The two wed in 2016. Kate's brother Kevin was one of the groomsmen.
I love Matt. He is an awesome guy. Kate's mom, Tracy, felt the same. You are a ten-dollar mom. I love you.
Matt's speech was about his choice of Kate. I never did exactly the perfect amount of decisions but this is the best decision I've ever been in my life. Kate lived with Matt and his son from a previous relationship on a remote lot in Temecula. Soon, the couple had two children of their own. Kate became a stay-at-home mom.
Matt delivered hay to nearby farms and ranches. They had a property out there and they always called it the ranch. I'm like, that's not a ranch. That is a dirt lot with trackers. And she just thought it was the great ranch life dream.
It was a dream that did not last. The marriage seemed to have more downs than ups. Then Matt's business took a hit during the pandemic, adding even more tension. Alcohol seems to have lubricated the anger on both sides. Kate told Terrellin she was increasingly miserable as Mrs. Matt Rustelli.
She complained about her husband's verbal abuse and quick temper. She would send me videos of him just going off and yelling at her, yelling at the kids. Like this one of Matt yelling at Kate for putting wet tortilla chips on his food. I had a plate right here and you actually grabbed and put a plate of tortilla chips directly in the bottom. That's okay?
That's okay? Nobody asked for you to put tortilla chips on my plate. It was a different plate because I said we were going to play Kate. Oh, ow. Like, look at this.
I can't do this anymore. This sucks. I want out. I really want out. I'm done.
She would say those words. Yeah. I'm leaving and staying. A lot of times with Kate, if you told her the relationship was bad, she would just get angry. She would fight harder for it.
Terrellin says that was true until it wasn't. Kate, she held her on pretty well. But the last few months, she would cry and break down a lot more. About seven years into the marriage, Kate seemed completely overwhelmed. She texted her mother, Tracy, I hate my life, Mom.
And this is so bad right now. I told my mom, hey, we've got to figure out some of her shelter for Kate. Your mom says, come to Utah. I'll rent you a car and we'll get you to Utah and I told Kate, is it whatever you do? Don't tell him to his face that you are leaving with the kids to go to moms.
He will hurt you. Terrellin knew Matt owned guns and knew how to use them. I didn't hold him in very high regard as a person. And it showed up a lot. There were lots of circumstances where I've seen over the years that my initial instinct on him was correct.
So Terrellin held hatch and escape plan for her sister. And telling Matt, they rented a storage unit and secretly moved some of Kate's things. Then they loaded up a rental car and Kate and the kids headed for Utah and Tracy's home. You see this as you helping Kate make a getaway. Yeah.
She'll be safe. Yes. Kate texted Matt saying she needed some time apart and was going to her mom's in Utah for a breather. Matt was definitely not happy about that but eventually seemed to accept it. What happens during those couple of weeks that she's in Utah?
She was happy. She was relieved? All three weeks later when Matt showed up at her mom Tracy's house. Eight gunshots later, he was dead. Kate's dad Stan who had carried such high hopes for that marriage was devastated.
The day Matthew died my heart broke because I lost a son over this. You lost a son of the law who to you was like a son. He was a son. He was a son to me. Now this private family drama was about to be put under the bright light of a police investigation.
What can you tell me about tonight? It starts with a handshake. A word becomes an agreement. An agreement becomes a contract. A contract becomes bound by law.
Today, Harvey, the AI platform designed specifically for legal work, is powering that next step. More than 200,000 lawyers and 80% of the Amlaw 100 are building with Harvey, accelerating review, sharpening negotiations and more. Harvey, learn more at harvey.ai. Harvey does not provide legal advice. Users should always independently review and verify any output from Harvey.
Off the coast of Newfoundland, something lurks beneath the surface. Below is a new six episode thriller series. Fisherman Calvin Penny, played by Josh Hartnett, is already burdened by his father's mysterious death when a sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown. Putting his son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton and the rest of his family in danger. Sharing with a visiting marine researcher, Mackenzie Davis, Calvin must protect what's left of his family and uncover the area's long buried secrets.
Watch below, streaming only on Netflix. Every child deserves to splash, to laugh, to share adventures with friends, to feel like they belong. But for some, that joy comes with a price tag that's beyond their reach. Help the YMCA bring its transformative programs to those who can't afford them, because connections, cannonballs and confidence should never be out of reach. Don't meet today, dear local YMCA.
At police headquarters in American Fork, Utah, detectives questioned all of the adults in the house the night Matt Rastali was killed. His wife Kate told them about her unhappy marriage. I came out here to get away from it, because he's been verbally upset lately. I needed a breather because I was hating on the sleep, and I was hating on the heat. Kate was telling us how she and Matt were going through marital issues, and she was just scared to death of Matt.
I was just terrified of him, but she didn't know he was coming out until Utah. She said they decided that morning that Matt would make the roughly 10 hour drive to American Fork so they could talk. I was scared. I didn't want him to come out, but I really just got to come out. She described Matt as already seething when they spoke by phone just hours before.
I guess the drive made him angry, but he was mad that he was coming out. He was having to make the drive. A little after 10 p.m., Kate said she heard noises. I heard some commotion downstairs, like yelling. I couldn't tell whose voice was what.
And then I heard my mom came outside and she said, she's in a situation. She had a search of the babies, and I'm a client and what. That said Kate was all she knew. Tracy also spoke with police. And what were you doing when you heard the gunshots?
You know who this is? This is a family of me. By then Tracy had asked a lawyer, who was also a family friend, to come to the station. So could you take me to Kevin's? Yes.
She told him to join Kevin in the interrogation room. What can you tell me about tonight? I was afraid for my life and I shot in the self-defense. Apparently Kate never told him Matt was coming that night. Kevin pretty much all he told us was, hey someone showed up unannounced uninvited and I acted in self-defense.
Tell me more about that. Under the advice of counsel I had a client answer. It all came through his lawyer. The victim was an armed intruder wielding a knife. After the house with our permission, took him and Tracy by surprise, was clearly agitated.
And that's the point at which he was, to the wall he sent, was afraid for his life and shot in self-defense. According to Kevin's attorney, Matt had come in aggressively, backed Kevin up against a wall, and threatened him with a knife. He was there to bring his wife home. His intent was to take her back. Her guide.
News of the shooting reached Kate's sister, Terrellin, back in California. It was surreal, it was sad. Like there were so many factors. Not only had Terrellin's fear of a violent encounter come true, but her younger brother was seriously tangled up in it. And I'm thinking poor Kevin, he had to do this to protect Kate.
I'm so, I'm glad he was there and I'm glad he was able to do it, but that sucks. And Terrellin says she felt for Kate and Matt's kids, who had just lost their dad. Now they're going to know the kind of person their dad was and not respect. Like, how sad is that? Because that angry confrontation is essentially what you were hoping to avoid by helping Kate go to Utah.
Yes, exactly. Because that's what happens in domestic situations. Whether it's physical or verbal, whatever you have to be careful. Because the breakup is where the danger is. Hours after the shooting, police released Kate and her mom, Tracy.
Not Kevin. Kevin stays in custody. Mm-hmm. That surprised you? It did.
I remember being very angry at the police department and thinking how dare you have someone under arrest who just went through this traumatic experience and was trying to protect his sister. Would your mom say during that time? She was just devastated. She was so sad that Kevin was in there. Still, Terrell and her faith detectives would quickly close the case.
They're going to do their investigation. They're going to figure it out. We just have to be patient. And this is going to go down a self-defense or defensive another. Yes.
For Terrell and the picture was simple. An enraged husband. A cowering wife. A brother who came to the rescue. Compelling?
Well, like a lot of pictures. It can change depending on who's looking at it. I immediately thought at that point in time something was off. The morning after the shooting, Tracy Grist called Matt's mother Diane Rastelli to deliver the news. Are you sitting down?
Are you with your husband? Real calm? And she says, OK. Matt is dead. And my mute thought was like, you know, my heart sank.
Like, was he in a car accident? You know, did something happen where he went off the road? No, Tracy said, Matt had been shot by her son Kevin in self-defense. And I immediately like, I couldn't really handle it to tell you the truth. And I said, we'll have to call you back.
Diane hung up and called her youngest son, Mark Rastelli. She's very hysterical and just says, ass dead. And on an immediate like, whoa, what? And I just say, because she lives across the street, I said, I will be over immediately. Diane and Mark were both in shock.
They called Tracy back and not wanting to miss any details. They recorded that call. Tracy, this is Mark. I'm here with the mom. Like, can you just tell us from the beginning what you know?
Yes. Tracy told them what she told police. Matt showed up around 10 the night before. I was alone in the kitchen. And I did not hear the doorbell ring.
I didn't hear a door knock. And Matt was in my dining room. He was really, really mad. And I very agitated for lack of a better term. I said, Kate's upstairs, but she's going to come downstairs.
And I stayed in the corner of my kitchen because I was feeling uncomfortable at that moment. He went around the corner. And then I heard Ben shot. Jesus. And Matt was on the ground.
And he had a knife in his hand. I told Katie to stay upstairs while I called 911 because I didn't want her to see it. I didn't want to make this call, by the way. So I'm sorry. Nobody wants to make a call like this.
To Matt's family, none of it made any sense, especially the part about Matt furiously barging into the home on the attack and ready for a fight. How would you describe him as somebody who didn't know him well? He was loyal, extremely friendly. Like one of the friendliest guys, the guy who's going to come up to you and just talk to your off. And you'd come away from that conversation and think like, that's a good guy.
Absolutely. He was never abrasive. Never. Matt was a real gem in the world. What is this?
It's a transport. They say Matt loved mountain biking and the outdoors, but that most of all he was a family man. The mat that I knew was some of that loved his family. He loved his children. Matt's older brother Paul Rastelli was at his son's little league game in Colorado when Mark called to break the news.
I was almost my heart starts. And then it turns out that we find out that it was Kevin, the brother in the law. I immediately thought at that point in time, like something was off. He wasn't alone. Matt's mom Diane knew Matt and Kate had fallen on hard times, but she also knew Matt had recently made a business deal that promised to ease their financial troubles.
While Kate and the kids were away, Matt told family he also worked on himself. He had told me that he wasn't going to drink anything anymore. He said, I'm done. I'm done with all this. We have to change.
Matt called his mom every night and the night he drove to Utah was no different. Diane says he was about two hours away from Tracy's when they last spoke and Matt was in good spirits. Matt just said, you know what? I'm going to go pick up my family and he was happy about it. So there's no fury in his tone.
There's no anger. None. This is not a guy who's heading for some kind of battle or confrontation. No, not at all. And believe me, I would listen to all those little undertones as I've had conversations every night with him.
You'd know. I would know. I know my son. She also knew her daughter-in-law and that Kate, she says, was a far cry from the distraught woman's sobbing over her late husband's body. It was Jay.
Matt Rastelli's family knew his marriage had been difficult. But unlike Kate's family, they did not see Matt as the issue. So when you hear him described as volatile, violent, unpredictable, abusive, that's not the guy you knew. Absolutely not. No, not one chance.
And the interesting thing is it almost seems like a projection because anytime I hear that, I'm literally hearing the description of his wife. To the Rastelli's, it was Kate, not Matt, who was volatile and abusive. They said Kate had a drinking problem, often becoming belligerent at family gatherings. How many times you see her drunk at family functions? Many times.
Tomato count? Oh my gosh. Well, whenever there was a function early on, the answer was yes to all of them. To the point where we'd make a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and she'd be too drunk to come down and join us for dinner. Other times they say Kate would lash out and whoever she felt had crossed her.
I mean, you could see it in her eyes whenever this would happen. It was instantaneously like I'm coming after you. And there was no stopping it. And most times it was verbal. It was almost always verbal.
Just nasty stuff, directed other people. She was never wrong. She would make these comments that were just off the wall and just how she would convey herself to the rest of the family. It was embarrassing. You're making her sound absolutely toxic.
Toxic. Totally toxic. Even Terrellan, who helped her sister escape that marriage, admits Kate could be a lot. I love her immensely, but also she's the one who would cause the issue at the family gathering. She would cause a scene, get upset, quick to anger.
I was just Kate. She's difficult. She says the drama only intensified when Kate met Matt. Terrellan knew they weren't right for each other and says she was pretty honest about that. I tried to get them to not get married.
She was so mad at me because right before they were getting married, I told Matt not to marry her. I said, don't do this. The couple married anyway. At the reception, Kate and Terrellan's dad stand caution for the new bride. You said to Kate, in the presence of witnesses, you're marrying into a good family.
Don't screw it up. Yes. I said that at her wedding because I knew that she'd somehow make a mistake of that. It doesn't sound like Kate took your advice. No, she didn't.
No, she didn't. Diane also says Kate was not doing her part to make the marriage work. She was not helping at all in any financial things that they needed. And she kind of had the attitude that Matt was her stud and she doesn't need to work. And yet they needed things.
They needed things. They had a lot of repairs with the equipment, the tractors and the diesels. And they had a lot of repairs. And I would say little glimmers of, hey, she's learning how to cook. She's learning how to bake.
Little glimmers. But it just was only a glimmer. It just didn't last. One of those glimmers was when Kate quit drinking. Though it soon became clear she had exchanged one vice for another.
She was using marijuana, Deb. I don't know what that is. There basically is kind of a jelly type of concentrated marijuana that's in little jars. And I think they use a water pipe to put it in. So it's a stronger way.
It's I think it's much stronger. Yeah. According to friends and family, Kate dabbed so much during the day. She had this designated smoking camper at home. Things became so heated that Kate got physical with Matt.
And she was arrested for domestic violence. Her case was dismissed once Kate completed anger management classes. Those did not seem to help. By March of 2022, the Rustelli family had seen enough. We were not going to involve Kate anymore because of how volatile she was as human being.
That father's day, they told Matt as much. Then that rubbed Matt the wrong way. Yes. Matt was. He was pissed.
I mean, literally he just grabbed stuff and he left. Last time I saw him, last time I spoke to him. At the time, Matt was killed. Paul and Mark had not spoken with their brother in more than two years. The issue was Kate.
I said, explicitly to my mom, she escalated him. I need to call. And that's the step that I to this day will regret not doing. You didn't call him. I didn't want to get dragged back in to their nonsense to their drama.
And I had no thought that this was my only opportunity to call my brother. So if I'm giving the opportunity to call someone in need, I will call him in a split second moment's notice because I'm not going to miss out on what I missed out the first time. You want to stop a second? No, I'm good. I cannot tear up thinking about that.
The Rastelli family wrestled with grief along with growing doubt about what really took place in the living room that night. What happened next turned suspicion into outright anger. I tell my mom we're at war. It starts with a handshake. A word becomes an agreement.
An agreement becomes a contract. A contract becomes bound by law. Today, Harvey, the AI platform designed specifically for legal work, is powering that next step. More than 200,000 lawyers and 80% of the Amlaw 100 are building with Harvey, accelerating review, sharpening negotiations and more. Harvey, learn more at harvey.ai.
Harvey does not provide legal advice. Users should always independently review and verify any output from Harvey. Off the coast of Newfoundland, something lurks beneath the surface. Below is a new six episode thriller series. Fisherman Calvin Penny, played by Josh Hartnett, is already burdened by his father's mysterious death when a sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, putting his son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton and the rest of his family in danger.
Partnering with a visiting marine researcher, Mackenzie Davis, Calvin must protect what's left of his family and uncover the area's long buried secrets. Watch below, streaming only on Netflix. Every child deserves the splash to laugh to share adventures with friends. They get to feel like they belong, but for some, that joy comes with a price tag that's beyond their reach. Help the YMCA bring its transformative programs to those who can't afford them, because connections, cannonballs and confidence should never be out of reach.
Don't need today to hear local YMCA. Two days after Matt Rastelli was killed, his mom received a message. Kate wanted to talk. By now, both Diane and Mark were suspicious of her. So once again, they recorded the call.
So tell me what's on your mind. I want proper memorial for me and the kids I might be concerned with. Yes, I'm just so sad. So when Kate says we need to have a good funeral, that's asking for money. Yes.
As far as a memorial service from Matt, you have all the cards in your hand for that event. So you know, you will have to do what you wish to do. Okay, I have no money or any of that, so I won't figure out how I would do that then. It seemed Kate had dealt with the grief phase and moved straight to the go-fund me part. Her husband is dead and you're ready to just instantaneously talk about funerals and move on when we still don't know at all what happened.
Diane pressed Kate for answers. And do you believe that this particular shooting was justified? That's when she heard another voice in the background. Diane, I can't answer that question. I hear your mom in the background.
She's giving you answers. And during that entire conversation, mom is whispering the answers. Like whispering? What, telling her what to say? Yes.
Wait, I understand. When you hear Tracy coaching Kate, what do you think? Diane wanted to know more about the gun, which Tracy said she bought for protection during the pandemic and how it got out of its lock box in the garage. To me, somebody brought that gun out of the garage. I'm downstairs.
I do not know what happened. Okay. I cannot give you any answers, Diane. Kate told Diane Tracy he tried to help Matt after he was shot but couldn't say how. Getting nowhere with Kate.
Diane asked to speak with Tracy. Mom to Mom. Hi, you know, Tracy, when were you able to give life-saving measures to Matt? I'm in so much shock and I can't have the conversation going over the experience again because I am so sad. I just need some time.
Did you really try to save him, Tracy? Did you really try to save him? I was on the phone. I did Kevin try to save him. Yes.
And what did he do? I don't know. The moment the phone call ends, I tell my mom they did this and we're at war. The restellies were so disturbed by the call they handed it over to investigators working the case. The detectives had also discovered some interesting information in the days after the shooting.
It had to do with Matt's trip to his mother-in-law's house on the day he was killed. Matt encates home in California to American Fork, Utah is a drive of roughly ten hours. Matt made this drive in his truck alone, except Matt was not really alone. Someone was following his every move. Police learned there was an air tag in Matt's truck.
I mean, the conclusion is inescapable that somebody wanted to know where Matt was, leading up to his killing. Yeah, that's what it seemed like for sure. They needed to find out who investigators had asked Kate for her phone the night of the shooting. Now, Detective Nordine searched it for any mention of an air tag. And that's where we see a bunch of text messages about an air tag.
He discovered the air tag could be accessed by most of Kate's family, including her sisters, Terrill and Rachel, and her brother Kevin. I was able to find a picture that was sent to Catherine from one of her sisters that had the air tag location and it was labeled truck. And just in case you have any lingering doubts about how Kate's family felt about Matt, this was the emoji they assigned to his air tag. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, the family members texted each other about Matt's location. Kevin wrote to Kate, the tag is still active.
And just five minutes before Matt arrived at the house, this from sister Rachel to Kevin, saying Matt was in the neighboring town of Orum. Kate's sisters were helping her track Matt. Yes. You questioned Rachel and Terrill about their involvement in this. No, we attempted to, at least Rachel told us that she was advised by Council.
We did not to talk to us. Terrill says she never spoke with police either. If she had, she says she would have explained the air tag was perfectly innocent. It was your idea to put the air tag in the truck. It was my idea.
But Kate actually did it. Kate did it. Yeah. I have air tag PTSD. So it was my daughter's air tag.
We've had it on her tied it to her shoe at Disneyland. Terrill says that's what gave her the idea. On the day Terrill and helped her sister leave California and Matt behind, she says she coaxed a hesitant Kate into placing the air tag inside Matt's truck before leaving. I told Kate I said, we should put an air tag in the truck because that way, you know if he starts to follow you. We were trying to keep her safe.
She was terrified that night that he would follow her to my mom's. Do you understand that that makes it look as if you're complicit in a plot to track Matt? Oh, I'm very aware that that makes me look complicit. I've never regretted something more than the stupid emoji I made on that air tag or putting it, giving her the air tag to put in the truck. Two families.
Two very different stories. Detectives would have to do some more digging. So where do you start? The evidence, just like every investigation, we started with the physical evidence. That evidence was about to reveal a lot more about the night Matt Rastelli was killed.
Detective Nordine had the difficult job of sorting through the tangled knot that was Matt and Kate's relationship. He began the way all good detectives do by following the evidence. First, what was found at the crime scene? Right off the bat was an ice in Matt's hand. So the way it was in his hand, it looked like it was backwards.
Meaning the knife's finger grip was facing Matt's palm. The backside of the handle was pressed against his fingers. The way he was holding it, it didn't look like he was holding it in a manner to hurt people, to like slash or stab anyone. Now look at Matt's flip flops. They're not on his feet.
In the body cam video, you can see them placed neatly by the front door. Who storms in for a home invasion? But first, politely takes off their shoes. Matt Rastelli was not some hard and criminal. No, I don't think so.
And from Matt's mom, Diane, Nordine learned something truly fascinating. Nice phone on his right hand, but he's left handed. Correct. And the truth, Matt Rastelli literally brought a knife to a gunfight, right? And he's also holding it the wrong way and in his non-dominant hand.
Correct. So from early on, this is sort of feeling like not self-defense. Correct. Police found the gun Kevin used to kill Matt on the kitchen counter when they arrived. And they also searched Kevin.
So I'm happy to stand up. I'm just going to tell you down real quick, okay? Kevin told them he had a holster on him. I'm not even aware of. I've only got four of those holes.
That's what I'm talking about. You can ask any gun owner any cop that they wear a holster at a time, at night, in their home, sitting around with the family. And the answer is no, he just don't do that. But you would wear one if you were expecting to use it. Correct.
From Matt's autopsy, the location of one of his gunshot wounds raised another question. In his right hand, his non-dominant hand that he was holding the knife in, there was a gunshot wound that went through his wrist. And that's significant because being shot through the wrist would cause you to drop a knife. That's what I would've seen, yeah. That's one more piece of evidence that says somebody staged this by putting the knife in Matt's hand.
Correct. So had Kevin been too eager to defend Kate that night, and then maybe tried to cover it up, Terrellan says Kevin had long considered himself, the family's protector. Kevin will always say I'll be here for you. If you need anything, I'm here for you. Terrellan says that remained true even as Kevin battled his own demons.
The night of the shooting, detectives found a rolled up dollar bill in Kevin's bedroom that tested positive for cocaine. That's something we need to investigate to see if that is what led to the homicide or not or if that influenced it in any way. Or whether he's given himself sort of a shot of courage before doing the shooting. Yeah, that's definitely a possibility as well. Terrellan says Kevin was always sweet, but struggled.
After his fiance ended their engagement three years before. After that breakup, he was really, really depressed in a dark spot and he'd talked about suicide. That's when Kevin moved back home in every sense of that term. My mom would still make his bed for him. She'd still give him 20 bucks every night to go to the pool hall.
She would pay for his drinks, bought him a car, told him to get a job numerous times, but she'd say it's my baby. I want to take care of him. He's sad. Sounds like he was completely dependent on your mom. He was.
Kevin has detected Nordine learned more about his family. He continued to focus on the crime scene. To establish a timeline for the evening, he paid close attention to that security video from the house across the street. That did capture Matt's truck pulling up to the house. What time was that?
1006. The next door neighbor says she hears gunshots at 1007. Correct. Yeah, I believe she said she waited about a minute or two before she called 911. Meaning, Matt was only in the house for about 60 seconds before he was shot.
The neighbor's 911 call was logged at 1009pm. Icy doesn't call until 1015. Correct. So about eight minutes passed from when the shots were fired to when Tracy called police. What do you have under those minutes?
So that's something we're trying to find out. It starts with a handshake. A word becomes an agreement. An agreement becomes a contract. A contract becomes bound by law.
Today, Harvey, the AI platform designed specifically for legal work, is powering that next step. More than 200,000 lawyers and 80% of the Amlaw 100 are building with Harvey, accelerating review, sharpening negotiations, and more. Harvey. Learn more at harvey.ai. Harvey does not provide legal advice.
Users should always independently review and verify any output from Harvey. Off the coast of Newfoundland, something lurks beneath the surface. Below is a new six-episode thriller series. Fisherman Calvin Penny, played by Josh Hartnett, is already burdened by his father's mysterious death when a sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, putting his son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton, and the rest of his family in danger. Partnering with the visiting marine researcher, Mackenzie Davis, Calvin must protect what's left of his family and uncover the area's long-barried secrets.
Watch below, streaming only on Netflix. We can have hundreds of followers, thousands of likes, and yet still feel alone. Why is that? It's because humans are meant to be together to make real connections that make each other better. At the YMCA, people play, learn, and overcome their challenges together.
There's really no substitute for a smiling face and feeling a sense of belonging. Together, we're stronger, we're braver, and bolder. When we're together, amazing things happen. Feel what it means to be greater together at your local YMCA. Investigators had questions about Kate's mom, Tracy Grist, and about why she waited so long to call 911 when the night mat was shot.
They learned. She had a complicated past. What was it like growing up with Tracy as a mom? In a lot of ways, it was magical. My mom was the mom that all my friends wished they had.
Carolyn says there was a little less magic than she got older. I feel like she had a couple more kids than she could really handle. There are seven total? Yes, there are seven of us. So I'm the oldest.
My dad and my mom had four kids. How many marriages? Four. Those were followed by four contentious divorces. Stan, husband number one, says his split with Tracy was terrible.
In the custody fight between the two of you, she accused you of abusing the children. I'm going to say this, as God is my witness, that is a bunch of bull because I never touched my children. I never hurt them. Terry Bishop was best friends with Tracy for three decades. She says Tracy invented stories about all her exes.
After she would marry one of them and it didn't work out, then what all of a sudden she was saying things that were not true. Exactly. She always got custody. She always got custody. And she did and said whatever she had to say or do to get custody.
She says that's because Tracy lived for her children. When Tracy heard from her daughter Kate, things weren't going well with Matt, she got involved. Investigators dug up a text thread from January of that year. In the minute, Tracy told Kate, I just told your husband don't mess with my child. I want you to know I meant that.
He should not mess with you. He asked if it was a threat. Even years earlier, Tracy had confided in Terry just how much she disliked Matt. Tracy said, well, I hate Terrelline's husband and I hate Katie's husband, but I hate Katie's husband the most. And then she said, I could kill him.
Terrelline describes her mom as charismatic, but troubled. And there's this, Tracy had a rap sheet, mostly for stealing. A lot has been made of Tracy being a thief, stealing money from people, like literally like going into the purses and wallets of people, who's house she's in or who come to her house or people she encountered. You see that? So that's true.
It started when I was little. We were super broke. We were super broke. And I think my mom shop lifted here and there. The Rustellies say that Matt and Kate's wedding.
Tracy actually stole money meant for the happy couple. Zero question in my brother's mind and also zero question in Katie's mind. She knew about to, to the point where they would hide things when her mom came over. Then there was Terry. One day in 2022, Tracy came over for a visit while Terry was going through chemo treatment.
A few days later, Terry noticed some things were missing, $13,000 in cash and a handgun. And silver and gold coins. And you think that was Tracy? It was the maid or Tracy. And when I called her and confronted her and said I'd called the police, she begged me not to call the police.
And I said, Tracy, it's a gun. I mean, I have to call the police, but they took a gun. Terry did file a report. Police said they could not make an arrest without proof. And so Terry set a boundary with her longtime bestie.
And so I said, we can no longer be friends. Tracy denied stealing from Terry but seemed fine with that long friendship being over, as long as she didn't get into trouble. She has a way of talking her way out of things that blows my mind. Close my mind. Terrill and struggled to accept her mom's intentions as anything but good.
Loving? Yes. Intense? I call her eccentric. Very.
But I think that's why she's so charming. She's so charming. And a chronic liar? Yeah. Yeah.
I feel like it was always laced with good intention. Or also never wanting to get caught with anything. Those are two different things. I feel like I have blinders long because she's my mom in a lot of respects. Investigators did not have blinders.
And as they dug through Tracy's cell phone, Detective Nordine noticed multiple searches of a name Dateline viewers will know quite well. The Adolsom case. Yeah. I honestly didn't know about the case when I was looking into this. In case you need a refresher, Donna Adelson is a Florida grandmother who was arrested and found guilty of conspiring with her son and others to murder her former son-in-law, Dan Markow.
It all happened against the backdrop of a bitter divorce and a custody battle. Less than two weeks before Matt was killed, Tracy looked up Adelson Donna, Adelson Donna movies and TV shows, and New Dateline episode January 19th, Donna Adelson arrested at the airport. To Terrill, those searches did not sound all that suspicious. My mom looking at the Adelson case suggests that she's looking for plots like this one, in which a family member is killed by other family members for reasons of relationships and not money.
Mm-hmm. That makes sense. That was an actual trial. I'm a Dateline fanatic or a true crime fanatic like she is too. So that could have been one of the cases we were looking up.
Well, that wasn't all investigators found on Tracy's phone. There was also an audio recording of a conversation Kate had with a divorce attorney one day before Matt drove to Utah. What's that attorney teller? So that attorney pretty much told her like, hey, you're a so well. He could file something and he asked you back really quick, or at least if you want to get a divorce from him, you have to go back to California.
If you want to stay in Utah with the kids, you need to establish residency, which Catherine knows will take a long time. So Kate would be at a disadvantage in any potential custody battle, something Tracy knew all about from her own experiences. This was looking more and more like that famous Adelson case, a controlling mother, an obliging son, a looming battle for custody of the children and questions about what others in the family knew about a murder.
Investigators had a long list of questions for Tracy, her son Kevin and her daughter, Matt's wife Kate. Some of those were answered when the phone rang and it was this woman calling. Tell me how you make it. I met her online through Instagram. You guys had a pretty good connection right away.
We did. Her name is Stephanie Slocco. Her friendship with Kate developed exclusively online where they chatted daily on Instagram and in video group chats on Discord. Stephanie says that at least through a webcam, Kate's life looked great. She baked cookies, you know, she did all the stuff for her husband while he had his own work and I was like, wow, what a perfect woman.
I'd love to be like her. It wasn't long before Stephanie felt Kate's online persona was not grounded in reality. The happy marriage that Kate was sort of describing might be more what she wanted than what was really happening. Yes, yes. According to Stephanie, most of Matt and Kate's arguments stand from Kate's admitted infidelity.
She cheated on Matt. Yes. Numerous times? Yes. Then came the morning of July 12th.
That's when Kate found out Matt would be driving to Utah. She left a message for her friends online that could be read different ways. Kate sends a message to your group chat which says, wish me luck. I have to do big girl things today. Anybody say to her what do you mean?
What big girl things? Yeah, I think somebody did and she never responded. The day after Matt was killed, Stephanie saw Kate in the video group chat. I remember seeing a look on her face that I could tell something was very wrong and she just told me that she needed to talk to me. They jumped off the chat and onto FaceTime.
And she got right on the screen and was like, Matt's dead. And I was just kind of in shock and I told her that I'm sorry and she told me it's okay, I'm happy and she hung up the phone and went back to Discord. It's okay, I'm happy. Her words exactly. Stephanie says that wasn't the end of Kate's odd behavior.
She wanted to talk to me later that afternoon and she was getting, I think this was when she was getting ready for a date. A date? Yes. Her husband is dead, what, not even 24 hours at that point. 24 hours.
Yes. Yes. And she was getting ready doing hair and makeup and everything. Within days of Matt's death, investigators learned Kate had searched online for how soon is too soon to tell somebody, love them, and five ways to get rid of Hickeys. It sounds like Kate did not waste a moment after her husband was killed, resuming a very active social life with other men.
It was like it never happened. It was like Matt never even existed. After that, Stephanie called police and eventually cut off contact with Kate. She told Detective Nordine all about Kate's disturbing behavior. He added it to his growing case file, which now included this, the provenance of that knife found in Matt's hand.
After weeks of investigating, Nordine learned that exact type of knife had been sent to a house Tracy was visiting. So you think the Tracy got her hands on that knife that way? Correct. Investigators now believed Tracy and Kate lured Matt to Utah that day, where Kevin was waiting to kill him. Once it was done, police said they planted the knife in Matt's hand to make him look like the attacker.
Three and a half months after Matt was shot, police arrested Tracy. And then Kate, when she arrived to pick up one of her children from school. Kate made any statements at that time? She was very volatile, very upset. Detective Nordine met Tracy back at the station.
I walked in there, advised her for rights, and she had like a thousand yards stare almost. She just looked like she wasn't quite all there, trying to wrap her head around what that was going on. For Matt's family, the arrests cemented what they had suspected all along. I just shook inside. Absolutely just shook inside.
We see now that you did betray me. You betrayed our family and what you've done. Terrell and found out about the arrests when her mom called from behind bars. And I remember saying, I'm so confused. I'm so confused.
And so this went exactly the opposite of the way you thought it was going to. Yes, I did. Terrell and remained convinced of their innocence. It made me frustrated and sad when people would try to say no, I think they did this. I'm like, then you don't know them that well, because they wouldn't do this.
Well, that was before she heard these recordings made during the last hours. I was of Matt Rastelli's life. What did you want? What do you want? I want you to be comfortable.
I want to be honest. I want to have a family. Okay, well, good. It starts with a handshake. A word becomes an agreement.
An agreement becomes a contract. A contract becomes bound by law. Today, Harvey, the AI platform designed specifically for legal work, is powering that next step. More than 200,000 lawyers and 80% of the AMLAW 100 are building with Harvey, accelerating review, sharpening negotiations and more. Harvey, learn more at harvey.ai.
Harvey does not provide legal advice. Users should always independently review and verify any output from Harvey. Off the coast of Newfoundland, something lurks beneath the surface. Below is a new six-episode thriller series. Fisherman Calvin Penny, played by Josh Hartnett, is already burdened by his father's mysterious death when a sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, putting his son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton and the rest of his family in danger, partnering with a visiting marine researcher, Mackenzie Davis.
Calvin must protect what's left of his family and uncover the area's long-buried secrets. Watch below, streaming only on Netflix. We can have hundreds of followers, thousands of likes, and yet still feel alone. Why is that? It's because humans are meant to be together to make real connections that make each other better.
At the YMCA, people play, learn and overcome their challenges together. There's really no substitute for a smiling face and feeling a sense of belonging. Together, we're stronger, we're braver and bolder. When we're together, amazing things happen. Feel what it means to be greater together at your local YMCA.
Kevin, Tracy and Kate were together, charged with the murder of Matt Rastelli. All three pleaded not guilty. Terrell and watched Kevin's preliminary hearing, online, from her home. I was sitting there probably folding laundry. She heard Detective Nordine testify about texts between Kate and Tracy.
Texts that revealed, Matt never wanted to come to Utah in the first place. But he did want, was for Kate to come to California instead. Here's Kate texting her mom. Matt doesn't want to drive out. He's depositing money from Rita Redicar.
And Tracy's reply, nope. Tracy told Kate to say she'd hurt her ankle. Saying, I have a brain ankle, I can't drive. Yes. So in other words, Matt, you have to come here.
Correct. Still on the stand, the detective revealed this. Kate had recorded six separate phone calls with her husband on the day he was killed. First Kate told Matt, she was unable to make the drive home. Hey, I'm at a loss right now, Matt.
OK, just chill out. They won't rent me the car. Kate said she didn't have a credit card. Matt suggested she rent the car in her mom's name. You need to go at 9 o'clock, I got more money in your account.
Kate pushed back. If there's any problem on the way home, I'm f***ing. If there's any sort of pickup on the way home, I'm f***ing. Well, I'm just trying to deal with what we're telling. I understand that.
Matt was hesitant to make the 10-hour drive in his old truck, the one with the air tag in it. I don't think our two teachers are driving up that far. Really? Well, I mean, I guess I could have it. Kate insisted.
You can't just roll the dice with the truck, it's f***ing sketchy. In the end, Matt agreed to drive the truck, but worried about it dying on them. But I think when I get there, I don't think I want to turn the truck off. OK. So I just want to get the car seats and load up and just kind of take off.
Is that a good deal? Yeah. Tracy's house was inside a gated community. Kate texted Matt the gate code. She asked him many times, are you going to come inside?
Are you going to come inside? Are you going to come inside and help me load up? Yeah. OK. Yeah.
The front door's always unlocked, OK? You just walk right in the door, the door's always unlocked. I mean, it's like she's baiting a trap. Yes, that's what it looks like. Matt does not sound angry or confrontational.
Nothing in those phone calls suggests he was upset, or that Kate was terrified of him, as she told police. Yeah, that's fine. Good. How are you? Pretty good.
It's fine. I'm just going to see how your driver's going. I'm just passing that van on the water part. Oh, fine. Cool.
You hear Matt acting aggressive or threatening in any way? No, no, he's super calm and cool, collected, nice. You're going to come in though, right? Yeah, but it's going to be like easy. You're like, OK, huh?
Yeah, no, it's going to be easy. He's going to take her just eager for him to come inside, just come inside. I mean, it's just it's awful to be honest. Matt's family was in court that day and heard those recordings. I was saddened by that.
You know, just the luring, just like, oh my god, this is so horrible. Bodycam footage shows Matt left his truck running with his flashers on while he went inside, for what he apparently thought would be a quick trip. She was supposed to be packed and ready to go that evening. She didn't pack a thing. And the fact that we even say, well, Matt came in aggressively was going to kill everybody.
He's like, no, he wasn't. Matt loved those kids. Matt wanted his family. For Tareline, her family's staunch defender. It was an eye-opening moment.
I remember hearing those calls and just, what the f? What is happening? Because those are not the calls of a furious Matt who's coming over there to have a confrontation. No, not at all. And it wasn't until I heard those calls that I knew they liked me.
I mean, just to theorize, if Kate had not recorded her conversation with Matt or if she had deleted it, this might have gone differently. They might not have been charged. You would still believe everything your mom and Kate told you. Probably. I probably would have been their defender till the very end.
People probably would have called me a fool. You feel like a fool? I do. I feel embarrassed for how much I defended them. Two questions.
Why would Kate record such incriminating evidence? And second, why would she hang on to it? I have no idea. But, you know, this might not be what she did. That's because not long after those calls came to light, prosecutors received a different call.
Kate had something she wanted to tell them. You believed her. To some extent, I mean, clearly, you know, she's been at for her best interest. Kate will be eligible for parole in 2036. At her sentencing, she apologized.
I'm so very deeply sorry for the pain that I've caused. I understand that my apology will never be enough to get hurt that Matt's death is caused and continues to cause.
At this point, the least I could do is speak the truth on what happened to give Matt and his family the justice they deserve. It meant Kate would testify against her own brother and her mother. First up, Kevin. Kate admitted she and her mom prepared the house that night for both Matt's visit and his murder. We were getting ready for his arrival by putting toys away, putting blankets over the couch to avoid blood spatter.
Any other preparations? The screen was removed from the front door. Why was the screen door removed? To make it easier for him to come in and have it not be a deterrent. Kate remained evasive when it came to her brother's involvement in the murder, prosecutor David Brown.
She was still protecting Kevin. In the days leading up to Matt coming out, did you talk to him about Matt? I don't recall if I did or not. On the night of the murder, Kate said she was upstairs when she heard gunshots. I heard Matt say, oh, oh, oh.
And then after that, I wouldn't say, be careful. He might still be kicking, like, like to be careful. Kevin's defense attorney Scott Williams never denied his client pulled the trigger. He insisted Kevin was just a sucker, easily roped into murder. You said there was a conspiracy here.
It just didn't involve Kevin. There were two peas in it, in the pod, not three. Tracy and Kate. Absolutely. And they sort of dragged Kevin in by saying, Matt's coming over.
He's violent. He's going to hurt your sister or if Kate's talking, he's going to hurt me. There's some cocaine. There's a gun. If you don't do it, I guess I'll have to pull the trigger.
Then cross-examination, Kate seemed to get over her initial hesitancy about turning on her brother. She stunned everyone by admitting that Kevin was in on the conspiracy to kill Matt. Kate testified she, Kevin, and their mom, Tracy, spoke about the plot the day Matt was driving out. We had a little bit of a discussion and that was it. And that's the first time she had ever said that.
After being pressed by prosecutors who wanted desperately for her to say that. The jury took six hours to reach a verdict. It has to count one murder as charged in the information guilty. Guilty of murder. Then came the verdict on the conspiracy charge.
It has to count two conspiracy to commit murder as charged in the information, not guilty. Why do you think Kevin was acquitted of conspiracy? I'm not sure. I think the defense did a great job and I think the jury felt sorry for him. I felt like maybe that was a bone they were throwing in.
The jury might not have felt so much sympathy for him. Had they known what would be revealed at Kevin's sentencing hearing just two months later. Thank you, please be seated. The prosecutor played a post verdict phone call between Terrell and Kevin who talked from inside the lock up about what he had told his mother before the shooting. I don't even wonder.
I said this will change so many lives. You will know how many lives will change. Oh my God. You said that. Wow.
Yes. This is the thing you can't think about. I said that to her. But the time you heard that recorded phone call of Kevin, he already been acquitted of conspiracy. That's correct.
If you reverse those two things, he gets connected. Correct. I'm not aware that phone calls from jail are recorded in monitors. So I'm guessing you might. Welcome to my profession.
The judge imposed the maximum sentence. Kevin will spend 15 years to life in prison. You clearly could have backed out and said no and stopped in this incident when it occurred. Stan Ellis struggled to take it all in. A dead son-in-law, someone he loved.
Two of his kids in jail. And all of it prosecutors believed because of his ex-wife, Tracy. You being the investigative reporter. And you've seen stuff like this all the time. How am I supposed to move on from this?
Does that make sense when I'm asking you? There's a myth out there that some legal proceeding can somehow turn the clock back to when your kids were not convicted murderers and Matt was still alive. You will because you have other children figure out a way to go forward from this. One trial remained. You tell me without Tracy's involvement, Matt's still alive.
Absolutely. Kate wouldn't have done this on her own. Kevin wouldn't have done this on his own. No. This is Tracy's hand over all of this.
This is. This trial began in April 2026 with prosecutors painting a portrait of a spiteful woman who killed not for money or passion, but because she couldn't stand not being in control. You'll wipe her hate for Matthew, inspired by her interest in true crime. Tracy planned and executed a knockoff of the Donna Adelson conspiracy. Wendy Adelson was Donna Adelson's daughter.
Detective Nordine testified about Tracy's searches for that one particular case. So she searches Adelson Donna, Adelson Donna movies and TV shows, new Dateline episode. Tracy missed the part where Donna Adelson is arrested. You know, that was one of her last searches when was Donna Adelson arrested. So I think she thought she needed to do it better.
Unlike Donna Adelson, Tracy took a stand in her own defense. Could she talk her way out of trouble one last time? You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was shocked. A courtroom was the stage.
For a stark look inside what might be Utah's most dysfunctional family. Right, Mr. Stella, I know you've testified before. Kate took the stand again and said Tracy hated Matt so much she was more than willing to sacrifice her own son Kevin to see Matt dead. She said Kevin's feeling suicidal.
She told him that if he was going to do it, go off Matt first and then he can finish himself off. Wow, that's mother talking to son. Yeah, exactly. Tracy's attorney urged the jury to sweep away the mess and recognize there was no big conspiracy here. I think you'll find this is just a messy deal that just got out of hand and one guy, perfect guy.
That was innocent, he said. Whatever happened had to do with the rest of the family's chaos. He gave the jury a glimpse of Matt and Kate's home life with that video of Matt complaining about his tacos. He's ****ing right now. I said, don't do it.
What'd you do? You ****ing not do it. Not the best look acknowledged the prosecutor but not frightening either. It doesn't show him his violence. No one still didn't show him his violence.
Next on the stand, the woman at the center of it all. Gated left her home. In a soft voice, Tracy denied preparing the house for a killing. Tracy said all she wanted was for the place to look tidy for her son-in-law. Well, Matt was coming and I wanted it to look nice when he came.
Tracy said she thought Matt and Kate were on the brink of divorce and couldn't believe it when she heard those lovey-dovey calls between them. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was shocked. Why? Because that's not what she said to me.
That's what not what Kate represented me in any way, shape, or form. Tracy insisted no one was lying and wait for Matt. And then, maybe by that point, predictably, under the bus, went another of her children. Tracy said Terrellin was the one who came up with the lie about Kate's ankle. It was Terrellin's idea to pretend like she has a sprained ankle so she couldn't drive her into the car back.
Terrellin denies that. As for Tracy's searches about the Adelson case. So is this a hobby of yours? Yeah. True crime?
Yes. Tracy told the jury the true crime that unfolded in front of her sofa was one she did not witness. She said she was in the kitchen when Matt arrived. Moments later, she heard gunshots. I went to the foot of the stairs and that's where I saw Matt laying down where he had fallen down.
And I saw Kevin and I said, Kevin, what happened? What happened? What happened? He said he had a knife. She said she went to find her phone to call 911, which she later learned was several minutes after her neighbor called.
What were you doing during those six or seven minutes? Upgrading slowly because on the fight, flight or freeze spectrum, I freeze, but I was so stunned by everything that happened. I was not moving fast at all. With that knife in Matt's hand, Tracy said she'd never seen it before that night. Did you ever plan and conspire with Kate to shoot Matt?
No. Did you ever ask Kevin to kill Matt? No. Did you ever ask Kate to kill Matt? No.
Did you ever make a plan to kill Matt? Never. No further questions. No. Matt's brother Mark was not swayed by Tracy's testimony.
The way she talks very softly to weights, kind of what she's always done to me. It's a total facade. Didn't buy it for a second. Now came the cross examination. Prosecutors insisted Tracy was the mastermind.
That's why Kevin was angry with her after his arrest. To support that, they read a text Tracy sent to Terrellan. You tell Terrellan, please tell Kevin that if he's mad at me and doesn't want to talk to me, he doesn't have to. And later you say, I am mad at me too. Yes.
Both sides rested. Tracy's jury took a little less time than Kevin's. About five hours. We either jury and paneled in the about entitled cause. If I not defend it, ask to count one murder.
Ask charge and information. Guilty. Guilty of murder and conspiracy. She'll spend 20 to life behind bars. Locked up like Kate and Kevin before her.
It was an emotional relief where my tears sort of stopped to where it was like, it's over, you know, that made it happen. Back home in California, Terrellan today has a different way of looking at the mother who raised her and the wreckage that same mother spawned. I was surprised at a few of the lives she told, but also not surprised at all. Terrellan says she has decided to cut ties with her mom. I've heard moms over the years in this job.
I've heard them apologize for their kids. I've heard them flat out lie for their kids to get them off a hook. I've never heard a mom before try to implicate one of her children. As I was sitting there and especially in the thought process afterwards, I don't know if she actually believes what she's saying. Terrellan never faced any charges.
She admits it was her idea to place that air tag in that truck. But there is zero proof she was involved in the family plot. I've spoken with police and prosecutors. I don't think they 100% believe that you had nothing to do with this. I get that.
And I can't prove, I can't prove a negative. And I see how again, just being close to my mom and how close we were, it makes sense that that's cloudy. Do you anticipate further charges being brought in this murder? I can't really speculate on that at this point, but I don't, I'm not aware of any. Diane Rastelli says now that the trials are over.
She can finally grieve. When I think about the loss of Matt, who he was to me, it makes me break down. But I have to be strong for what Matt needs to be done. That his children and our family needs to be free from that family. Rastelli is not counting on time to help him heal.
He's now raising Matt's kids, along with his own. He has found a way to use time to help them remember an engraved watch for each of Matt's brothers and sons. On the back I got it engraved. MCR, MCR forever. Matthew Clark Rastelli.
You always want to think about this, don't you? Good. I mean, I have Matt and his children. So, you know, there won't be a time ever in my life where I don't think about it. That's all for this edition of Dateline.
And don't forget to check out our Talking Dateline Podcast, which will go behind the scenes of tonight's episode, available Wednesday in the Dateline feed wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you again next Friday at 9, 8 central. I'm Lester Holt, for all of us at NBC News. Good night. I'm Craig Malth, cheers.
Cheers. I've always been a glass half-boke kind of guy. And now I'm talking to some people who look at the world that way too. Some really fascinating folks who shared their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges, their stories are funny and my candy. So I hope you'll join me each week.
Who knows? I just come away with your own glass half-boke. Search Glass Half-Ole with Craig Malth and from today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.