Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - From Protector to Predator - full transcript

WHEN RICKIELEE BENECKE
FIRST MET POLICEMAN JEFF PELO,

SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD FOUND
HER LIFELONG PROTECTOR.

MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS,

"MY GOSH. HE IS SO HOT."

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS

SAID THAT MY PARENTS HAD, LIKE,
THE "PERFECT" MARRIAGE.

THEY WERE VERY MUCH IN LOVE.

BUT THE POLICE MOTTO
"TO PROTECT AND SERVE"

WASN'T EXACTLY WHAT RICKIELEE'S
HUSBAND HAD IN MIND.

HE BETRAYED EVERYBODY HERE.

HE BETRAYED
THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY.



AND WHEN HE CROSSED
THE THIN BLUE LINE,

RICKIELEE HAD NO IDEA
WHAT TO BELIEVE.

THEY'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN.

WHO AM I GONNA BELIEVE?

NONE OF IT MADE SENSE.

WHEN IT COMES
TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE,

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS
AS THEY SEEM.

GROWING UP IN RURAL ILLINOIS,

RICKIELEE BENECKE WAS RAISED

TO ALWAYS STAND BY
THE PEOPLE SHE LOVES.

I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT I WAS
A VERY FAITHFUL PERSON,

NEVER SAW THE BAD IN PEOPLE.

I ALWAYS TRIED TO FIND THE GOOD.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1987,
WHEN SHE WAS JUST 17,



RICKIELEE SAW PLENTY OF GOOD
IN 22-YEAR-OLD JEFF PELO.

HE WAS IN THE SERVICE
IN THE NAVY.

HE HAD A GREAT SMILE.

IT JUST LIT UP HIS WHOLE FACE.

WE STARTED GOING OUT
TO MOVIES AND DINNER

AND REALIZED...

WE JUST COULDN'T BE APART.

A FEW MONTHS LATER,
JEFF GOT OUT OF THE NAVY,

AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP
BEGAN TO TAKE OFF.

WITHIN A YEAR, THEY WERE MARRIED
IN A SIMPLE CHURCH CEREMONY.

IT WAS A CHURCH THAT I WENT TO
GROWING UP.

WE HAD WANTED TO HAVE A NICE,
PERFECT LITTLE WEDDING,

BUT MY DAD HAD SOME SERIOUS
HEALTH PROBLEMS AT THE TIME,

SO IT WAS JUST FIVE PEOPLE
THERE, BUT WE WERE BOTH HAPPY.

I TRUSTED JEFF IMPLICITLY.

THEY WERE A TOTAL COUPLE.

I MEAN, IT SEEMED LIKE
THEY'D BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

MONEY WAS TIGHT
FOR THE NEWLYWEDS

UNTIL JUNE OF 1989,

WHEN JEFF FOUND A NEW WAY
TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY...

BY JOINING THE POLICE FORCE
IN BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

HE ALWAYS KNEW

HE WANTED TO GET INTO
LAW ENFORCEMENT,

AND I ALWAYS LIKED
THAT HE HAD A PLAN.

HE SET OUT TO MAKE THE STREETS
A SAFER PLACE.

THE WORK WAS HARD,
AND THE HOURS WERE LONG,

BUT SIX YEARS
AND THREE CHILDREN LATER,

JEFF AND RICKIELEE STILL MANAGED
TO KEEP THE SPARK ALIVE.

WE WOULD HAVE
THREE NIGHTS A MONTH

WHERE IT WOULD BE
JUST THE TWO OF US.

I'D PLAN A NIGHT.
HE'D PLAN A NIGHT.

HE'D BRING ME FLOWERS...
THAT SORT OF THING.

IT WAS A GREAT CHILDHOOD.

HE'D ALWAYS SPEND TIME WITH US.

WE ALWAYS THRIVED
ON OUR DADDY TIME.

BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS EASY.

AS JEFF CLIMBED THE LADDER
AT WORK,

THE NIGHT SHIFTS
AND EMERGENCY CALLS

BECAME MORE FREQUENT.

THE UNUSUAL HOURS
BEGAN TO TAKE A TOLL.

HE WANTED TO WORK, WORK, WORK,
WORK, WORK AS MUCH AS HE COULD.

BUT IT WAS JUST HARD,
AS A POLICE WIFE,

TO GET USED TO FEELING

LIKE THE JOB WAS MORE IMPORTANT
SOMETIMES.

BUT THE EFFORT PAID OFF

WHEN JEFF WAS HONORED
BY A LOCAL ORGANIZATION

AS POLICEMAN OF THE YEAR.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2000,
JEFF WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT,

AND RICKIELEE WAS THRILLED.

I THREW A PROMOTION PARTY
FOR HIM...

HAD CAKE, GIFTS.

I HAD A LITTLE COFFEE MUG

ENGRAVED WITH "SERGEANT PELO"
ON IT FOR HIM.

I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM.

HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!

THE FUTURE LOOKED
BRIGHT FOR THE PELO FAMILY.

BUT SIX YEARS LATER,

ALL OF THAT PROMISE
WOULD SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR.

ON THE AFTERNOON
OF JUNE 10, 2006,

RICKIELEE AND THE KIDS WERE
DRIVING HOME FROM THE MOVIES.

JEFF WAS AT THE STATION
AND HAD JUST TAKEN AN EXAM

FOR ANOTHER BIG PROMOTION.

WE TURNED
DOWN THE ROAD OUR HOUSE WAS ON,

AND I NOTICED
A COUPLE OF VEHICLES THERE.

I RECOGNIZED THEM
AS BEING POLICE VEHICLES,

BUT NOT MARKED.

MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS,

"JEFF HAD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE OVER
AFTER THE TEST

"TO RELAX AND UNWIND
FROM THE TEST.

OKAY."

BUT THE POLICE
WEREN'T THERE FOR A PARTY.

I HAD SEEN THE ASSISTANT CHIEF
OF POLICE.

I WAS LIKE, "THERE'S NO WAY
HE'D BE HERE AFTER A TEST

FOR ANY TYPE OF GATHERING."

MY HEART JUST, LIKE, DROPPED,

BECAUSE YOU'RE TAUGHT
YOUR ENTIRE LIFE,

"IF YOU EVER SEE ANOTHER COP
AT YOUR HOUSE,

YOUR DAD'S PROBABLY DEAD."

I GOT OUT, WENT UP
STRAIGHT TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF.

HE GOES, "I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
THINKING, BUT JEFF'S OKAY."

SO I WAS LIKE, "OH."
HUGE RELIEF.

"ALL RIGHT.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

THE POLICEMAN OF THE YEAR

WAS ABOUT TO BE STRIPPED
OF HIS TITLE, HIS BADGE,

AND ULTIMATELY HIS FREEDOM.

IT'S THE STUFF THAT YOU SEE
IN HOLLYWOOD.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T SEE THIS
EVERY DAY.

I WAS ASTOUNDED.

I WAS... "ARE YOU KIDDING?
THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT?"

IN THE FALL OF 2002,

FOUR YEARS BEFORE RICKIELEE PELO
ARRIVED HOME

TO A HOUSE FULL OF POLICEMEN,

HER HUSBAND, JEFF,
WAS HARD AT WORK,

TRYING TO ADVANCE
HIS POLICE CAREER.

JEFF'S JUST NOT
A LAID-BACK TYPE OF PERSON

WHEN IT COMES TO WORK.

WHEN HE WORKS,
HE PUTS EVERYTHING INTO IT.

I WORKED WITH HIM
ALMOST AS CLOSELY AS A PARTNER.

HE SEEMED TO BE A GOOD FRIEND
TO PEOPLE.

HE WOULD GO OUT OF HIS WAY
TO HELP THEM.

BUT AT HOME,
THE PELOS' ONCE-SOLID MARRIAGE

WAS ON SHAKY GROUND.

JEFF'S CAREER,
ALWAYS A SOURCE OF PRIDE,

WAS NOW PULLING THEM APART.

I REALLY STARTED GETTING
VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE JOB,

WITH THE AMOUNT OF HOURS
HE WAS PUTTING IN,

NEVER BEING ABLE TO SEE HIM.

I DON'T THINK THAT HE REALLY
KNEW WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE.

AS THE STRESS BUILT,

JEFF STARTED TO TAKE IT OUT
ON RICKIELEE.

WHAT'S THIS?!

HE WOULD COME HOME FROM WORK...

"WHEN'S THE LAST TIME
THIS HOUSE HAS BEEN CLEANED?

THIS HOUSE IS A MESS!"

AT TIMES,
HE COULD EVEN BE CRUEL,

MAKING FUN OF A HEARING DEFECT
SHE WAS BORN WITH.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

I WAS AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS,

YELLING FOR YOU
FOR THE LAST 10 MINUTES!

HE WOULD GET FRUSTRATED
ABOUT HER HEARING.

AND IT WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE STUPID
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HEAR ME."

AND I WOULD GET SO ANGRY.

I SAID, "JEFF, YOU KNEW
ABOUT HER HEARING

WHEN YOU MARRIED HER."

SOMETIMES I FELT
LIKE I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH

OR THAT I DIDN'T DO THINGS
WELL ENOUGH.

BY THE SPRING OF 2004,
LIFE AT HOME SEEMED TO IMPROVE

WHEN JEFF GAVE UP
THE GRAVEYARD SHIFTS FOR GOOD.

BUT HE WAS STILL OUT
AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT,

AND HIS FAMILY
DIDN'T ALWAYS KNOW WHY.

HE LIKED TO GO ON WALKS
AT NIGHT.

IT SEEMS LIKE CRAZY HOURS,
AT LIKE 1:30 IN THE MORNING.

JEFF WOULD TELL ME

THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF TIMES
HE JUST COULDN'T SLEEP,

SO HE WOULD GET UP
AND USE THE COMPUTER,

TAKE THE DOG FOR A WALK...
WHATEVER...

AS A WAY OF TRYING TO RELAX.

WHILE JEFF WAS RELEASING
HIS TENSION FROM THE DAY,

BLOOMINGTON POLICE HAD
GOOD REASON FOR STRESS AT NIGHT.

A TROUBLING NEW CASE
WAS KEEPING THEM ON EDGE.

A SERIAL RAPIST
WAS ON THE LOOSE,

THE FIRST IN THE TOWN'S HISTORY.

IN THE PAST THREE YEARS,
THERE HAD BEEN FOUR ATTACKS,

AND THE DETAILS
WERE USUALLY THE SAME.

WHEN THE SUSPECT
WAS COMMITTING THIS ASSAULT,

HE WAS EITHER WEARING A SKI MASK
OR A SCARF OVER HIS FACE.

HE WOULD USE DUCT TAPE
TO BIND THEIR WRISTS.

AND IT SEEMED THAT THE RAPIST

KNEW HOW TO COVER HIS TRACKS.

IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING

BECAUSE WE HAD
VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE.

THE SUSPECT IS TAKING THINGS
WITH HIM.

HE'S MAKING THE VICTIMS BATHE.

HE'S DOING ABSOLUTELY
EVERYTHING HE CAN

TO PREVENT LEAVING ANYTHING
LIKE DNA BEHIND.

INVESTIGATORS HAD NO SOLID LEADS

AND NO IDEA WHEN THE ATTACKER
WOULD STRIKE AGAIN.

MEANWHILE, RICKIELEE
STARTED TO SPECULATE

ABOUT WHY HER HUSBAND WAS REALLY
LEAVING THE HOUSE AT NIGHT.

SOME SIGNS SEEMED TO POINT
TO ANOTHER WOMAN.

THERE WERE TIMES WHERE I JUST
HAD SUSPICIONS, YOU KNOW?

I JUST HAD THOUGHTS THAT, YOU
KNOW, "HE'S HAVING AN AFFAIR."

FINALLY, RICKIELEE DECIDED
TO VOICE HER SUSPICIONS.

I ACTUALLY CONFRONTED JEFF
ABOUT IT.

HE COMPLETELY DENIED IT.

HE WAS ANGRY.

"HOW COULD YOU THINK
I WAS DOING THAT?"

I HAVE BEEN WORKING.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE
YOU WOULD EVEN THINK THAT."

AN AFFAIR
WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING,

BUT THE REAL REASON
BEHIND JEFF'S LATE-NIGHT FORAYS

WOULD BE FAR WORSE.

I WASN'T PROWLING AROUND
ANYONE'S WINDOWS.

I WASN'T PROWLING AROUND AT ALL.

IN JUNE 2006,

JEFF PELO WAS UP FOR A PROMOTION
FROM SERGEANT TO LIEUTENANT

IN THE BLOOMINGTON,
ILLINOIS, P.D.

BUT FIRST,
HE HAD TO PASS A BIG EXAM.

ON THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TEST,

RICKIELEE URGED JEFF
TO GET SOME REST.

I GOT IN BED
AND STARTED READING.

HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO TAKE
A SHOWER,

JOKED AROUND
ABOUT SOME STRESS RELIEF.

TOLD ME, "DON'T FALL ASLEEP."

WELL, I FELL ASLEEP
BEFORE HE GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER.

AND I REMEMBER WAKING UP
VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING,

AND HE WAS LAYING IN BED
NEXT TO ME, ASLEEP.

MEANWHILE, THAT SAME NIGHT,

THE BLOOMINGTON POLICE
WERE ABOUT TO GET

AN UNEXPECTED BREAK
IN THEIR SERIAL RAPE CASE.

SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT,

A 911 CALL CAME IN
FROM THE EDGE OF TOWN.

ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 10, 2006,

AN OFFICER GETS A CALL
OF A SUSPICIOUS PERSON

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR,

AND THE VICTIM
WOULD GO TO THE DOOR,

AND THERE WOULD BE NOBODY THERE.

WHEN THE OFFICER ARRIVES,

HE SEES A FIGURE WITH HIS BACK
PRESSED UP AGAINST THE HOUSE,

JUST TRYING TO BE AS STILL
AS HE POSSIBLY CAN.

HE CALLS OUT TO THE PERSON...
"HEY, YOU, COME HERE.

POLICE.
I NEED TO TALK TO YOU."

I CAN SEE YOU THERE.

AND THE PERSON TURNED AROUND
AND WALKED AWAY.

AS HE'S WALKING AWAY,

HE'S STUFFING SOMETHING
IN THE FRONT OF HIS PANTS.

SO THE OFFICER DREW HIS GUN
AND SAID, "STOP... POLICE."

STAY RIGHT THERE.

BUT WHEN THE OFFICER
SAW THE MAN'S FACE,

HE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHO IT WAS.

EVENTUALLY,
THE SUSPECT TURNED AROUND,

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IT'S, "WAIT A MINUTE.

THIS IS MY SERGEANT."

LATER THAT DAY,
AROUND 3:00 P.M.,

RICKIELEE WAS RETURNING HOME
FROM THE MOVIES WITH THE KIDS.

AS SOON AS THEY REACHED
THE DRIVEWAY,

SHE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING
WAS TERRIBLY WRONG.

MY DAUGHTER STARTS TO PULL IN,

AND I TOLD HER TO STOP
BECAUSE I HAD SEEN

THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE.

I TOLD THE KIDS
TO STAY IN THE CAR.

I GOT OUT, WENT UP
STRAIGHT TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF.

HE GOES, "I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
THINKING, BUT JEFF'S OKAY."

SO I WAS LIKE, "ALL RIGHT.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

HE SAID,
"WELL, HE HAS BEEN ARRESTED,

AND WE DO HAVE A SEARCH WARRANT
FOR YOUR HOUSE."

THE CHIEF EXPLAINED
THAT JEFF HAD BEEN CAUGHT

ATTEMPTING TO BREAK INTO
A WOMAN'S HOUSE

JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.

HE WAS BRIEFLY DETAINED
AND THEN LET GO.

TO ME, THAT MADE NO SENSE

BECAUSE I NEVER NOTICED HIM GONE
LAST NIGHT.

WHEN I WENT TO BED,
HE WAS IN THE SHOWER.

I WOKE UP.
HE WAS IN BED NEXT TO ME.

"YOU'RE LYING."

BUT LATER THAT MORNING,
AFTER JEFF TOOK HIS TEST,

OFFICERS ARRESTED HIM FOR
STALKING AND ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

I STARTED YELLING
AT THE ASSISTANT CHIEF

AND YELLING AT ALL
THE OTHER OFFICERS THERE

AND REALLY MAKING A SCENE,

BECAUSE IT WAS
JUST BEYOND BELIEF.

BUT RICKIELEE WOULD SOON LEARN

THAT THE BURGLARY ARREST
WAS ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

THE POLICE WERE SURE THEY HAD
CAUGHT THEIR SERIAL RAPIST.

WAY BACK IN 2003,
WE FOUND RECORDS

THAT OUR SECOND VICTIM HAD
HAD HER LICENSE PLATE RUN

AT A CERTAIN TIME AND PLACE
THAT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.

WELL, THE LICENSE PLATE
HAD BEEN RUN AT THAT TIME

BY AN IN-CAR COMPUTER

THAT WAS LOGGED IN
UNDER JEFF PELO'S LOG-IN.

THREE YEARS LATER,
ALL OF A SUDDEN,

JEFF PELO IS FOUND
OUTSIDE A WOMAN'S HOUSE

AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING,
TRYING TO BREAK IN.

CONVINCED OF A LINK,

DETECTIVES PULL JEFF IN
FOR QUESTIONING

RIGHT AFTER HIS EXAM.

DURING THE INTERROGATION,
JEFF'S BEHAVIOR WAS BIZARRE.

TO ME, THAT EXCUSE OF

"OUT LOOKING FOR A HOUSE
FOR MY MOTHER-IN-LAW"

JUST HAD A LOT OF HOLES.

IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.

I MEAN, ANY POLICE OFFICER KNOWS
THAT YOU DON'T GO UP

ONTO SOMEBODY'S PRIVATE PROPERTY
AT THAT TIME OF THE MORNING.

LATER ON, WHEN INVESTIGATORS

PUT JEFF IN A LINEUP,
THINGS ONLY GOT WORSE FOR HIM.

HIS STRIKING BLUE EYES
AND DISTINCTIVE VOICE

WOULD BECOME THE KEY
TO PUTTING HIM AWAY.

THE MAIN PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS

THAT ALL OF THE VICTIMS
DESCRIBED WAS HIS EYES...

HOW DISTINCTIVE HIS EYES WERE,

THOSE BRIGHT,
PIERCING BLUE EYES.

THE ONE I'LL NEVER FORGET

IS WHEN WE PLAYED THE VOICE
FOR OUR THIRD VICTIM.

SHE LITERALLY CURLED UP
INTO A FETAL POSITION,

PULLED INTO THE WALL
AS SOON AS SHE HEARD HIS VOICE,

AND SAID, "THAT'S IT.
THAT'S HIM."

AS THE CASE BUILT
AROUND JEFF PELO,

ONE PERSON
STILL COULDN'T BELIEVE

HE WAS CAPABLE
OF SUCH TERRIBLE CRIMES.

I KNOW,
WITHOUT ANY DOUBT IN MY HEART,

THAT MY HUSBAND IS COMPLETELY
INNOCENT OF ALL THESE CHARGES.

RICKIELEE STOOD BY HER HUSBAND,

DENYING THE CHARGES
TO ANYONE WHO ASKED.

BUT POLICE HAD SEARCHED HER HOME
AND FOUND SOMETHING SO DAMNING

THAT IT WOULD SHAKE
EVEN RICKIELEE'S FAITH IN JEFF.

JEFF SAYS HE'S INNOCENT.

I'VE ALWAYS STOOD BY HIM.

IT WAS DRIVING ME INSANE.

EVERYTHING FELL RIGHT IN LINE.

ALL THE PIECES TO
THE JIGSAW PUZZLE FELL TOGETHER.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2006,

POLICE SERGEANT JEFF PELO
STOOD ACCUSED

OF FOUR SHOCKING RAPES.

BUT HIS WIFE, RICKIELEE,

WAS DETERMINED
TO STAND BY HER MAN.

I SAID, "WE'RE GONNA FIGHT THIS.

"THEY CANNOT PROVE
THAT HE'S GUILTY.

"JEFF SAYS HE'S INNOCENT.

WE'LL GET THROUGH A TRIAL
AND BE FINE."

BUT WHEN POLICE
EXAMINE THE DUCT TAPE

USED TO BIND THE VICTIMS,

THEY FOUND THE EVIDENCE
THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THEIR CASE.

A SCIENTIST AT THE FBI LAB

FOUND FIBERS ALONG THE EDGE
OF THE DUCT TAPE,

AND HE WAS ABLE TO MATCH
THOSE FIBERS TO TWO SEPARATE

ARTICLES OF CLOTHING THAT WE
FOUND IN JEFF PELO'S HOUSE.

ONE WAS A NYLON JACKET
THAT ZIPPERED UP,

AND THEN ALSO A SKI MASK.

THAT JACKET AND THAT SKI MASK

LOOK EXACTLY LIKE WHAT
THE VICTIM DESCRIBED THEM AS.

THEN, ON JEFF'S HARD DRIVE,

INVESTIGATORS MADE
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY

THAT CONVINCED THEM
THEY HAD THEIR MAN.

WE WERE ABLE TO FIND
PORNOGRAPHY ON HIS COMPUTER.

IT WASN'T JUST
RUN-OF-THE-MILL PORN.

IT WAS SEARCHES FOR BRUTAL RAPE.

THERE WERE IMAGES OF UNIFORMED
PEOPLE COMMITTING RAPES.

EVERYTHING FELL RIGHT IN LINE.

ALL THE PIECES TO
THE JIGSAW PUZZLE FELL TOGETHER.

DETECTIVES LEARNED
THAT JEFF'S ATTACKS

HAD FOLLOWED THE SAME PATTERN.

HE STALKED HIS VICTIMS
FOR MONTHS,

USING POLICE RESOURCES TO ACCESS
PERSONAL INFORMATION.

THEN HE WAITED UNTIL THE WOMEN
WERE HOME ALONE AT NIGHT

AND BROKE IN.

THE ATTACKS LASTED FOR HOURS.

AND WHEN JEFF
WAS FINALLY FINISHED,

HE CAREFULLY TOOK
THE EVIDENCE WITH HIM.

CAN'T EXPLAIN
TO ANYBODY WHAT IT'S LIKE

TO SIT IN ONE OF THOSE SMALL
INTERVIEW ROOMS WITH THE VICTIM

AND GO OVER FOUR HOURS
OF THEIR LIFE

WHEN HE WAS DOING THESE THINGS
TO THEM.

STILL, RICKIELEE'S
FAITH IN HER HUSBAND

WAS UNSHAKABLE.

WITHOUT ANY DNA EVIDENCE,
SHE CLUNG TO THE HOPE

THAT INVESTIGATORS
HAD GOTTEN IT ALL WRONG.

AS FAR AS THE SKI MASK

AND THE GLOVES AND THE COAT...
WE HAD A HOUSE FULL OF KIDS.

EVERY HOUSE, I'M SURE, YOU CAN
GO FIND THE SAME EXACT ITEMS IN.

JEFF WAS THE MOST SWEETEST,
LOVING PERSON.

HE NEVER LAID A HAND
ON THE KIDS OR I

IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.

IT'S LIKE,
"THIS IS JUST A BAD DREAM."

ON MAY 12, 2008,
JEFF'S TRIAL BEGAN,

AND RICKIELEE SACRIFICED
EVERYTHING SHE HAD

TO DEFEND HIM.

WE HAD NOTHING.

MY RETIREMENT WAS GONE.

OUR SAVINGS... GONE.

CREDIT CARDS... ALL MAXED OUT.

SOLD THE HOUSE, ALL FOR LAWYERS.

BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH
TO SET JEFF FREE.

A MONTH LATER, A JURY FOUND
THE FORMER POLICEMAN OF THE YEAR

GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.

THE JURY CAME BACK
AND STARTED SAYING "GUILTY."

I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

IT FELT LIKE...

I FELT LIKE I DIED, LIKE THAT
WAS THE END OF MY LIFE.

DESPITE A LETTER FROM RICKIELEE

APPEALING FOR LENIENCY,

THE JUDGE THREW THE BOOK
AT SERGEANT JEFF PELO.

HE WAS SENTENCED TO 440 YEARS
IN PRISON.

THE COMMUNITY LOOKS TOWARDS
THEIR POLICE OFFICERS

TO HELP PROTECT THEM.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE PUT EVERYBODY
HERE IN A BAD LIGHT.

WITHOUT A DOUBT,
HE BETRAYED EVERYBODY HERE.

HE BETRAYED
THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY.

I WAS JUST AN EMOTIONAL WRECK.

BECAUSE THIS NICE, PERFECT,
LITTLE WONDERFUL FAMILY AND LIFE

THAT WE HAD ALL HAD
WAS NOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED.

AND I JUST COULD NOT MAKE
ANY SENSE OUT OF ANYTHING.

TODAY RICKIELEE
HAS A NEW APARTMENT,

A NEW JOB,
AND A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

I'VE MADE
A LOT OF CHANGES IN MY LIFE.

AND, REALLY, I'M HAPPY.

I'M... AT PEACE, IF NOTHING ELSE.

AFTER YEARS OF QUESTIONING,

RICKIELEE HAS FINALLY ADMITTED
THAT JEFF MAY NOT BE INNOCENT,

BUT SHE'S STILL NOT ABSOLUTELY
SURE THAT HE'S GUILTY.

I GAVE UP
ON TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

IT WAS DRIVING ME INSANE.

JEFF SAYS HE'S INNOCENT.

I'VE ALWAYS STOOD BY HIM.

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT,

BUT NOW I'VE STOPPED TRYING
TO FIGURE IT OUT,

AND I AM JUST DOING WHAT I CAN
FOR ME TO SURVIVE AND GO ON.

I LOVE HIM.

THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY
THAT I DON'T THINK ABOUT HIM.

BUT I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

IF THIS REALLY DID HAPPEN,
COME OUT AND SAY EVERYTHING.

COME CLEAN.

I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE
TO KNOW SOMETHING.

ALTHOUGH RICKIELEE
AND JEFF REMAIN LEGALLY MARRIED,

SHE CONSIDERS THEIR UNION OVER.

WHILE I'M SAD ON ONE HAND

BECAUSE I ALWAYS DREAMED
THAT MARRIAGE IS FOREVER,

I ALSO KNOW THAT,
WHILE I LOVE JEFF...

I ALWAYS HAVE, I ALWAYS WILL...

BUT WE DON'T HAVE A MARRIAGE.