their own laws regarding dna collection, who they can collect it and when. >> it does not make it easy for you folks. >> she decided to do something about that in washington, the governor signed a law, that expanded dna collection and made sure it got into a national registry right away. it is called jennifer and michelle's law. it is one way to honor those two little girls. two innocents riding their bikes through a park on a sunny day. that is all for this edition of dateline. thank you for watching. watchin thhello, i'm andrea canning and this is dateline. did you shoot your parents?

>> no. >> either one of them? >> no. >> you're not a murder? >> not a murder. >> madison holton, high school senior, accused killer. >> i literally got chills. this is a huge deal. >> the father had come home and found a lot of drug paraphernalia. >> they were having issues with him. it was hurting her heart to have this happen. >> distraught parents. a family meeting explodes into violence. >> that situation goes from calm to murder in eleven minutes? i mean, it's homicide. >> i didn't hurt either of my parents. >> i don't think anybody is jumping up and down about having to put a 17-year-old boy in jail. >> this was a lot bigger and a lot deeper than initially we thought. >> they thought i picked out some weak-minded kid. they didn't know who they were playing with.

hello and welcome to dateline. madison holton was a restless teenager itching for independence. his parents were worried he was headed for trouble. they gave him an ultimatum. shape up or suffer the consequences. then in the blink of an eye, two people were dead. police thought it was an open and shut case, but a chance meeting in church would lead to a jaw-dropping conclusion. here's josh with eleven minutes. >> the long road of parenthood, always watching as your kids grasp at life. you cheer from the stands. do your best to keep them safe. hoping they make it through this world in one piece. madison holton was born a

handful. his parents, april and michael, could barely keep up. >> madison was always the helpful kid. >> tonya was madison's mom's best friend. she says madison was always sweet and a little different. >> i remember we had a birdhouse that my mom had brought over and she was going to put it in the backyard. the other kids run, go, play, have fun, you know, oh, mom needs help, whatever. not available. madison is like, do you want me to help you do it? >> school was a battlefield. madison was picked on. the scrawny kid and a bit of a loner. >> he was always doing his own little thing. >> everything changed by madison's senior year of high school. he sprouted to almost 6 feet. and had less time for dad and mom. >> madison was very social. he had a lot of friends. >> hanna trailer and madison grew up in the tiny town of

eclectic, alabama. >> he was always the class clown, goofy, making everybody laugh. you know, he might get in trouble for talking too much in class. >> as madison crossed over into the land of teendom, his parents found themselves without a map. >> they are about to graduate high school. he was like any of the other kids that thought, oh, i'm about to gain freedom and i'm going to push my boundaries a little bit. >> madison had started hanging out with a group of friends, but i feel like that group of friends opened a door to marijuana and partying and all that stuff. >> the door and madison walked through it? >> yeah. >> april worried about where this road might take her son. so she begged her brother, chris, a police officer, to talk some sense into madison. >> i sat down with him and i had a long talk with him. i said this is not the lifestyle you want to choose.

>> at the same time, madison was going through his teenage rebellion. his parents, april and michael, were separating. they were united in their message to madison. mess up again, and you'll go to jail. he had one chance left and on september 11, 2016, he blew it. while his dad was at work, madison threw a house party. >> someone else called michael and said, my kid came home from your house under the influence of something, and i want to know what. michael is embarrassed. michael calls and says, you need to get to my house. >> chris has a twin sister, mike. michael had a reputation to protect in eclectic. >> he was the former mayor, former fire chief. how dare you embarrass me in this community. i would be mad if my child threw a party.

>> when michael holton walked into the house, he found the remnants of a teenage party. homemade bongs were throughout the house. a box that smelled suspicious. and that was it. >> he called the sheriff's office, and we sent a deputy up there. >> bill franklin is sheriff of elmore county, and the deputy sent to the house that day happened to be his son. when deputy franklin arrived, michael had something to say. >> mr. holton greeted him in the yard and told him, hey, when you come in, you're going to see my son is handcuffed. i'm trying to discipline my son. >> sheriff franklin says he has seen parents discipline their kids in all sorts of ways. >> i don't think that his intent was to harm or hurt the kid. he was merely trying to see what he could do to get his attention. >> to me, put the hand in handcuffs says either i'm disciplining you and i'm

serious about this, or, i'm afraid of you. possible that's what was going on? >> could have been. could have been. >> the deputy reported april was in the living room. madison on the couch. his hands cuffed behind his back. michael asked the deputy how, as parents, they could get the juvenile courts involved. >> he was very, i would say, inquisitive about what could he do to paperwork wise, to get his child in front of a judge so he could talk to the judge about the problems that he was experiencing with the child. >> so maybe straighten him out, in his view. >> that's right. that's right. >> call it tough love if you want. to the sheriff, michael and april just seemed to be grasping for a solution. >> they pretty much reached their end. one of those things. >> these were not people in the mist of some huge fight. >> no, not at all. >> the deputy left michael and april with instructions about how to get a copy of the police

report the next day. a monday. >> he leaves and supposedly everything is okay. >> eleven minutes later, there's a 911 call. >> that's correct. >> now, law enforcement was rushing back to michael holton's house. gun shots had been fired. only three people had been in that home. and now one of them was dead. another lay dying. what had happened in just eleven minutes? >> coming up. >> we notice trauma, what appeared to be blood trauma. >> a marriage on the rocks. >> what did you see? >> she would just share little stories. >> and bodies in the bedroom. >> we discovered what appeared an entry wound to the back of his head. >> you go forward with a homicide investigation. you get a piece of paper that says homicide. >> when dateline continues.

oooh! i can't wait for this family getaway! shingles doesn't care. shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. ahhh, there's nothing like a day out with friends. that's nice, but shingles doesn't care! 99% of adults 50 years or older already have the virus that causes shingles inside them, and it can reactivate at any time. a perfect day for a family outing! guess what? shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach.

shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. ♪you're the one that i want!♪ nexgard® plus helps you protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease and more... all in one delicious, monthly soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. nexgard® plus. the one you want for one-and-done protection. if you have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease... put it in check with rinvoq... a once—daily pill.

when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief... and reduced fatigue with rinvoq. check. when flares kept trying to slow me down... i got lasting steroid—free remission... with rinvoq. check. and when my doctor saw damage,... rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. for both uc and crohn's: rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid—free remission... and visibly reduced damage. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc and crohn's in check... and keep them there with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save.

ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq josh mankiewicz: michael holton's front lawn was a disaster scene, with everyone trying to make sense of what had happened. holton's front lawn was a disaster scene with everyone trying to make sense of what had happened. inside, two people lay on the bedroom floor. a pistol between them. all arriving deputies knew for sure was that the situation had escalated in almost no time at all. >> about 4:48, our deputy leaves. 4:59, we receive another 911 call.

>> whatever happens, it happens in eleven minutes? >> that's right. >> captain chris ogden was an investigator on the case. >> madison left his residence and reported to his neighbor that his parents were involved in a physical altercation. >> madison told investigators it all started as soon as the deputy who had been there about the house party left. >> after his parents came back in, after speaking with the deputy, they went into the bedroom and came involved in a physical fight. >> does madison say what the fight is about? >> i believe the assumption was, obviously, it had to do with madison. >> the neighbor said it was an attempted murder-suicide. michael holton was dead by the time deputies arrived. madison's mom was unconscience, but breathing. >> investigators first thought was, mr. holton shot his wife and then himself. >> from what we had been told, you would think that he

actually shot her, mr. holton, and then would have turned the gun and shot himself. that's what one would tend to believe. >> april's injuries suggested she had been shot through her hand first. as if she put it up to protect herself. and then as she turned her face away from the gun, she was shot in the head. michael's injuries appeared self-inflicted. >> we noticed trauma, what appeared to be blood trauma in his mouth. he probably shot himself in the mouth. >> they were two parents on the same page about their teenage son. what happened to this couple in only eleven minutes? april and michael got together in high school. they married after graduation and pretty quickly became the parents of three kids. >> she was all about her kids all the time. always kind of thought she was like, this do it all kind of

mom. >> made it seem effortless. >> she did. she always looked good. she always put her best foot forward. >> michael holton's friend remembers him as a fixture in eclectic. >> you couldn't go around town without him being recognized. >> he worked his way up from paramedic, to fire chief, and then mayor. >> everyone knew him, knew him as a leader. >> he was always very nice, very funny, very easy going. >> he and april seemed happy? >> yeah. yeah. they did seem happy. for a long time. >> and then that changed? >> yeah. >> what did you see? >> she would share little stories. maybe he wasn't as nice to her. he didn't talk to her like he would talk to someone you love. >> tonya says april felt she couldn't do anything right in the marriage. by summer, 2016, she was done. april filed paperwork for a divorce. >> i think she was at peace

with her decision. >> was mike at peace with it? >> no. no, mike was not. >> too late. april had made her decision. and on september 11, 2016, april only answered michael's call because the latest family crisis was about madison. >> obviously, madison had thrown a party and so they had to talk to madison about it. and she was like, i'm going to have to go over there. >> sounds like she didn't want to go over to mike's. >> no, she did not want to go. she did not. but, she was going to. i mean, she needed to go for madison. >> so had michael holton just snapped in a fit of sorrow and rage? that's what it looked like to investigators. at first. >> so when you finally move his body -- >> we discovered what appeared an entry wound to the back of his head. >> so that's the first false note here. >> that changed the dynamics of

the investigation. >> i've been in lawen forcement for 39 years, i have never seen anybody try to commit suicide in such a weird, unique manner. if you argue that mr. holton did shoot his wife and then turned the gun on himself, why such a bizarre way to do that? >> the next morning, a state pathologist confirmed, michael holton had a close contact wound at the base of his head. to investigators, the angle seemed telling. >> the only way we were able to do that is hold a gun upside down and place it upside down and then angle it, because remember, the angle is upward. >> upside down and using his left hand. the thing about that is, michael holton was right- handed. >> normally, when men commit suicide, they use their dominant hand, not their weaker hand. >> that's right.

>> to the sheriff and his investigators, that made suicide improbable. and the pathologist agreed. he classified michael holton's death a homicide. >> he does not believe that man would have killed himself or would have been able to kill himself in that manner. >> and so you go forward with a homicide investigation. >> it's not a head scratcher. you get a piece of paper that says homicide. >> this was now a murder investigation. and if there were three people in that house, and two were victims, that simple arithmetic made madison the prime suspect. >> what happened in those eleven minutes? the interrogation begins. coming up. >> i jumped up. i ran to the master bedroom door. i kicked it open, and my dad was holding her like this. i was like, i need to go help. i sprinted, screaming help, to my neighbor's house. >> madison's dramatic story. will police believe it?

>> he didn't seem that upset. >> no. no. he seemed more concerned about a missing homecoming. >> when dateline continues.

it's a beautiful... ...day to fly. wooooo! josh mankiewicz: april holton's twin brothers chris and mike were keeping vigil in the icu. april holton's twin brothers, chris and mike, were keeping vigil in the icu. their sister had been shot in the head and there was little

doctors could do. >> you see in the movies with the machine breathing for the person. this is far more surreal than what it seems like in the movies. this is good-bye. there is no more hugs. there are no more phone calls. there are no more birthday videos, this is it. >> it was 11:00 on september the 12th when they pronounced april dead. >> worst day of your life? >> to date. >> one person who did not get to say good-bye was april's oldest son, madison. was now a murder suspect. he had been questioned that morning at the sheriff's office. after one round of interrogation, the sheriff asked madison's uncle chris to join them. >> there's a reason he's in here. he has a disinterested heart. >> i didn't know what to think. i didn't know if madison did it. i didn't know if he didn't do it. i did not see any evidence. >> here's what madison says happened after the first deputy left.

>> my dad, like, signaled my mom to go into the room, and she did, and he shut the door. >> after five minutes, you heard your mom? >> scream help. >> what did you do? >> i jumped up. i ran to the master bedroom door, i kicked it open, and my dad was holding her like this. i was like, i need to go get help. i sprinted, screaming help to my neighbor's house. >> he didn't see or hear what happened next, not even the gun shots while he was at his neighbor's house. the sheriff wasn't buying that one bit. >> will you agree with me that there was a gun shot fired? >> i mean, as of what i've been told, yes. >> but you never heard that? >> no, sir. >> investigators thought madison didn't seem like a kid who was sad about what had happened to his mother and father. >> do you feel like any of this is on you? >> i don't know. i didn't hurt either of my parents. >> the doctor down there says

they didn't shoot themselves. >> i don't care what the doctor said. i didn't shoot my parents. >> and madison's own uncle, an officer himself, knew the significance of this moment. >> this will be the only time that if your story is any different than what you told me -- listen to me. if it's any different, okay? now is the time to tell them. let's say you went in and your dad has your mom by the throat. >> maybe madison shot his dad to protect his mom? >> you are offering him a story that you know fits the evidence and is also -- >> i saw my sister. i saw her hand was wrapped in gauze, which tells me something happened to her hand. and at some point, she was shot through the hand, through the head, which is a defensive position. >> back in the interrogation room, madison stuck to his

version of events. >> i already told you all everything that i know. i told you everything that i know. >> as the interrogation was wrapping up and the sheriff and chris were walking out, madison made a gesture in their direction. to the sheriff, that middle finger came out of nowhere. and later investigators reported madison was talking about homecoming on the way to take a blood sample. >> he seemed more concerned about a missing homecoming, school, and things of that nature. >> he didn't seem that upset? >> no. no. >> and here's a call that was recorded from jail a few days later. >> what did all the girls say about it? that's what i wondered. the people that i slept with, what are they thinking about right now? like oh, i'm a murder. >> that kind of talk didn't prove anything, but it did strike investigators as odd.

as they continued gathering evidence. they decided to test some elements of madison's story. madison had said he didn't hear the gun shots. so law enforcement did an experiment. and they recorded it. >> we took the same weapon and the same grain ammo to do these tests. >> madison's story that he ran from his dad's house to a neighbor, 200 feet away. and that he didn't hear the shots on his way or once he arrived. investigators listened closely. here's what that test sounded like standing at the neighbor's front door. to investigators, that made madison a liar. a troubled kid who had exploded into violence. >> you think madison saw his parents getting ready to begin a process that might have resulted in him being locked up and he got angry and he decided

to kill them. >> i don't know what his mind set was there, but could that have triggered him? sure it could have. >> by the end of the week, 17- year-old madison holton was charged with murdering his mom and dad. >> holton's bond is now set -- >> i don't go out here and beat a drum. we were able to put a 17-year- old boy in jail. pretty much, josh, if it looks, walks, talks, feels, and smells like a duck, we're principlety much going to treat it like a duck. >> madison says, he was no one's sitting duck. >> my opinion is they picked a fight. they thought they picked out some weak-minded kid. they don't know who they are playing with. >> you are tougher than they thought you were? >> oh yeah. >> coming up. >> i just want to be set up for a polygraph test, honestly. as soon as you can do it, i want a polygraph test. >> i asked three or four times for a polygraph. >> generally, guilty people do

not ask for polygraphs. >> madison stands by his story and supporters stand by him. >> he didn't do it. it's not possible. >> i knew he wasn't capable of that. >> when dateline continues. all your vehicles here. but hey...nothing wrong with sticking it to the boss. ooooh, flo, you gonna take that? why would that concern me? because you're...the... aren't you the..? huh...we never actually discussed hierarchy. ok, why don't we just stick to letting dave know how much he can save when he bundles his home or auto with his boat or rv. wait, i thought jamie was the boss. [ laughter ] it's funny because i'm not boss material!

ok, ready? one more. 1, 2, and 3... cute! not so fast, the general is coming with you. mom! he gave us a break on our car insurance. and he'll look after you two. yep, with flexible payment options for new drivers. ok, but why is shaq coming too? to show you how it's done. ♪♪ for a great low rate, go with the general.

hi, i'm richard lui. cairo. u.s. and egyptian negotiators signaled there are signs of compromise in recent days despite a looming ground invasion. and more than 70 people have been rescued in harris county, texas. amid catastrophic flooding this week and more rescues are underway. a flood watch was extended into tomorrow with the national weather service saying an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain is still possible. for now, back to dateline. wer, welcome back to dateline. i'm andrea canning.

april and michael holton were dead and their son was charged with murdering them. madison told police he ran to the neighbors for help while his parents argued. investigators were not buying his story, forming their own theory instead. friends and family were choosing sides and we sat down with the teen to hear what he said did and did not happen. here again is josh with, eleven minutes. there is no more high school confidential. when a senior is charged with double murder, that is on every iphone in class. >> i am on snapchat all the time. you see his mug shot pop up. you click through, and he's next to kim kardashian. that was crazy for me, more my classmates. i knew he wasn't capable of that. a lot of people had opposite opinions. oh, they wouldn't have put him

in jail if they didn't have evidence to lead towards him, or he wouldn't be staying in there so long if there wasn't something pointing towards him. >> the sheriff believed that when madison realized his parents were about to take him to juvenile court, he killed them and then lied about it to investigators. the sheriff also believed some time in jail might encourage madison to come clean. >> there's a lot of people that come to jail and there's a lot of people that profess their innocence. and they have been found guilty or later they will pretty much profess their guilt on what they did. >> that, however, did not happen. not as the teenager sat in the county lockup. >> not when he sat down to talk with us. >> did you shoot your parents? >> no. >> either one of them? >> no. >> did you ever have your hands on that gun that day? >> no. >> did you hear any gun shots on your way to the neighbors? >> no, i didn't. >> madison wouldn't talk specifics about the day of the

shootings. he did tell us his story of how his family started to fall apart. >> whenever things started to fall down, it got worse and worse. >> did you tell there was tension in the house? >> yeah. sometimes i could. sometimes i couldn't. sometimes they would be giving each other the silent treatment. sometimes they would be arguing in front of us. most of the time, more behind closed doors. >> he says the holton house became an unpleasant place to live. >> i wanted to go do my own thing, and that included partying, and smoking pot and stuff like that. i couldn't do it at home, so i went other places. >> he was present when his father discovered april had a new boyfriend. >> he freaked out and then he called her and was like, going off on her about it. >> saying what? >> like, i need you. i can't live without you.

stuff like that. and whenever we got back home, i had never seen my dad cry before, but he was bawling. >> madison was remembering all of this sitting in jail. months and months. contemplating the past. >> you wrote people letters? >> yeah. >> apologizing, in some case, for things you've done. >> dear hanna, i know it's weird getting a letter from me right now. >> i opened it up, i literally got chills. it came with a red stamp, and i'm reading the letter and in the letter, he apologizes for something that happened back in 9th grade, because he wanted to apologize to everybody he had wronged. he was reflecting on a lot of stuff. >> i told the exact same thing. i'm not a murder. i don't know if you believe me or not, but i'm not. i couldn't kill anybody. and then in the end, he put a bible verse. that showed me, in the mist of

this situation that you're in, you're trying to encourage other people. so it's just like, really crazy to see that. >> i think about the light at the end of the tunnel. for other plans i have for you, plans to give you hope and the future. >> you still thought you had a future? >> i knew i had a future. >> madison's present was the four walls of a cell. time in jail did not motivate him to confess to crimes he says he didn't commit. his story never changed from the one he told the night his parents were shot. >> i think i asked three or four times for a polygraph. >> i just want to be set up for a polygraph test, honestly. as soon as you can do it, i want a polygraph test. >> generally, guilty people do not ask for polygraphs. >> yeah, i mean, a lie detector test. some people can find a flaw in that. some people can beat it, even

when they are lying. but i mean, i was 17 years old. i didn't know nothing about it. i just knew it was a lie detector test. >> that polygraph never happened and madison remained a teenager facing two murder wraps. law enforcement was lined up against him. his mom's family felt differently. they saw madison behind bars as just another tragedy. >> i told him on day one, the only role he played in this case was the fact he threw a house party. you don't put somebody in prison for life for throwing a house party. >> mike hadn't even known madison well before all of this. >> before everything happened, i never had more than a five minute conversation with him. but whenever i got to the jail, i mean, we just sit there and talk on the phone until the time ran up on the phone. >> and he was pretty solidly in your corner? >> oh yeah. without a doubt. >> and mike was going to make sure his nephew didn't spend

his life locked up. he had worked as a police officer and was now hunting for anything that might prove madison's innocence. >> he didn't do it. it's not possible. coming up. >> no dna, no blood on madison. not on his clothes, not on his hands. >> if madison committed this crime, he shot both of his parents at close range. he would have some blood on him. >> he would have some forensic evidence on him. >> this is the same make and model of gun? >> same make. it's a 38, cobra. >> with some intriguing detective work about the shooting. when dateline continues. which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement.

everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients. [♪♪] looking for a moisturizer that does more than just moisturize? try olay regenerist for 10 benefits in every jar. olay visibly firms, lifts, and smooths wrinkles, by penetrating the skin, to boost regeneration at the surface cellular level. try olay. ♪♪ stay ahead of your moderate—to—severe eczema,

and show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent. the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your eczema specialist about dupixent. ♪you're the one that i want!♪ nexgard® plus helps you protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease and more... all in one delicious, monthly soft chew. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. nexgard® plus. the one you want for one-and-done protection.

choose advil liqui-gels for faster, stronger and longer-lasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels because advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. so for faster pain relief, advil the pain away. it's a beautiful... because advil targets pain at the ...day to fly. mmation. wooooo!

josh mankiewicz: two life sentences is a long time for anyone. when you're 17, it's unthinkable. two life fosentences is a long time for anyone. when you're 17, it's unthinkable. behind bars, madison holton prayed for the light at the end of the tunnel. and in december, 2017 -- >> my wife and i were able to bond him out of jail. >> after a year and three or four months. >> where did you get the money for madison's bond? >> my wife and i took out a loan, and we're still paying for it. >> after 15 months and seven days, today is your lucky day, pack it up. >> madison was out, but far from free. now, he was prepping for a murder trial with the help of his twin uncles.

his uncle, mike, discovered information critical to madison's defense. when he went through madison's dad's autopsy report. >> michael holton was under the influence of heavy narcotics. >> michael had oxycodone and hydrokey done in hydrocodone. >> was everyone aware of his drug problem? >> they were. >> and it's an embarrassment. >> at one point, he was the mayor, the fire chief. he is the best paramedic i knew. his drug problem got away from him, and down the hill he went. >> chris speculated that on the day of the shootings, michael was using the latest problem with their son as a way to win april back. >> it's an opportunity for michael to say, look, the two of us were together. this probably wouldn't have happened. >> she says, it's too late for that conversation. >> that ship has sailed and i

think michael snapped. i think michael killed april and then killed himself. i think michael couldn't face the world knowing he killed his wife and the only option was to end his own life. >> michael learned madison's dad might have thought about suicide in the past. it was right there in the pages of his diary. to april, he wrote, i just can't go on knowing you are with somebody else and it was either me or the both of us. >> you read it and it clearly indicates a person who is not in their right state of mind. >> madison's uncle shared their discoveries with their court appointed attorney and worried the family didn't have money for fancy experts or the things they would need to make a strong case. as his uncle stressed, madison went to church and that's where everything changed. in the form of greg bigs. >> on sunday afternoon, we had a prayer meeting.

so to get your prayer partner, the pastor put our names in a hat. he drew my name and madison's name out. >> did you know madison? >> i had no idea. he was a nice kid. a few days later, his uncle chris tells me, you know he is indicted for murder. i'm going, what? madison? >> greg is a former fbi agent and states attorney. he knew his way around a case file and offered to help. he says the impressions deputies form during the investigation were off base. >> his parents have just been killed. he is what, talking about homecoming? >> i don't think you can get yourself in the mind of a 17- year-old to make him out to be a ted bundy, when he is just a kid. i mean, i did a lot of stupid things when i was 17. i kissed a dead dog on a road on a dare when i was 17.

so, kids are kids. >> this was just madison being a kid? >> just madison being a kid. saying stupid things. >> and if law enforcement didn't catch madison in tears, madison said he had a good reason and said as much in the interrogation. >> i can't even cry because it hurts so bad, because just keeps replaying in my head. >> greg says the physical evidence supports madison's story that his parents have been fighting. april had michael's dna under her fingernails. michael had scratches on his face. and, if madison had shot them during the fight, where was the proof of that? >> no dna, no blood on madison. not on his clothes, not on his hands. all of the evidence points toward exactly what madison said. mom and dad were in the bedroom. >> if madison, committed this crime, he shot both of his parents at close range.

he would have some blood on him. >> he would have some friendic evidence on him. he fired a gun at a close range. >> law enforcement was never able to lift a full print from the gun. and the only dna they found was april's, on the trigger. and what about that head wound? the one a pathologist made michael's death look like a homicide. >> i consulted with a forensic pathologist who said he looked at the wound and he said that it is more probable it is suicide than homicide. >> if investigators thought it was difficult for michael to shoot himself at that odd angle, defense attorney bigs demonstrated for us how easy it could be. using an unloaded gun, identical to the one found at the scene. >> this is the same make and model of gun. >> it's a 380, cobra. not impossible, is it? >> greg said he didn't even

need the forensics to claim madison was innocent. common sense said it all. madison's dad handcuffed him behind his back. after deputies arrived, they found madison still in those handcuffs. >> my hands were like this on my back last night. i couldn't move them. >> the sheriff's theory, madison had been able to take the cuffs off, using a handcuff key investigator found in the living room. >> our primary investigator is in his 30s. they were both able in about 12 to 15 seconds, stand up, slip it below their feet, take a handcuff key that has been placed right in front of them and get out of the handcuffs. >> wait, wait, wait, that's what you think madison did? you think he took his handcuffs

off and shot his parents and put the handcuffs back on? >> yes. i think that's what happened. >> did you slip out of the handcuffs? >> no. >> and commit murder and then put the handcuffs back on? >> no. >> would you know how do that? >> no. that was the first time i had ever been put in handcuffs. >> the state was moving ahead. a date for madison's double murder trial was set. >> they seemed pretty determined. >> yeah, they seemed pretty determined. i was pretty determined myself. coming up. >> this is the start of war, you know? >> everything is at stake. >> it's like, if this goes downhill, i would have two life sentences and be in prison the rest of my life. >> jaw dropping news no one expected. >> did you have your suspicions about what was coming? >> no. >> when dateline continues.

with the freestyle libre 3 system know your glucose levels. no fingersticks needed. all with the world's smallest and thinnest sensor. manage your diabetes with more confidence and lower your a1c. try it for free at freestylelibre.us everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. they want that hollywood white smile. new sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24/7 sensitivity protection. i think it's a great product. it's going to help a lot of patients.

i'm your overly competitive brother. and i'm ready for a rematch. game on. i've been practicing. what the cello? you want me to lower the hoop? foul! what? you going to tell on me again? foul yah? foul bro! here take a free shot go ahead knock yourself out. your about to get served. seriously? get allstate, save money, and be better protected from mayhem, like me. love you mom! wait till your father gets home.

love you mom! welcome back. madison holton was heading to trial for the double murder of his parents. welcome back. madison holton hat was heading trial for the double murder of his parents. investigators were prepared to testify that he slipped out of handcuffs, shot them both, and cuffed himself again before running for help. the defense would argue michael holton distraught over his impending divorce was the real killer, but a startling twist would soon leave both sides stunned. here's josh with the conclusion of, eleven minutes. murder has a way of

splitting a small town in two. that's what happened in eclectic, alabama, after the killing of michael and april holton. each side felt they knew what had happened on that september afternoon in 2016. the county sheriff, bill franklin, it was clear. madison holton killed his parents after their threats to take him to court. >> i hadn't missed a minute sleep at night because we were able to charge that kid. >> just as sheriff investigators said, madison could have gotten out of his handcuffs and committed a double murder. the lack of blood on him was also easy to explain. >> it was a small caliber weapon, and small caliber weapon doesn't cause a lot of initial damage to a person. >> he didn't get any blood on him? >> that's correct. >> even if michael was physically able to shoot

himself, he hardly seemed suicidal to the sheriff's son, who was that first deputy on the scene. >> the conversation he had with the deputy, i don't think anyone would agree that the man, well, is going to go in there and get his wife and kill himself. he was very clear minded. >> did your deputy in that initial encounter describe him being under the influence of any drug? >> none whatsoever. >> he didn't seem excessively angry? >> no. >> the showdown was set for october 22, 2018. the first day of madison's murder trial. >> this is the start of a war, you know? >> madison, who was always convinced he would be found not guilty was worried. he found a new girlfriend while out on band and told her this. >> if this goes downhill, i would have two life sentences and be in prison the rest of my life. i was like, it's okay if you don't want to be with me

anymore. you can go. that was tough to tell her that, you know? >> in court, attorneys were about to start the last phase of jury selection. when suddenly, the mood in the room seemed to shift. >> people running all over the courthouse, back and forth. >> the sheriff was there, too, waiting for proceedings to begin. >> did you have your suspicions about what was coming? >> no. >> what was coming was a stunning announcement from the district attorney. >> we don't have proof beyond a reasonable doubt. >> after two years of investigating, prosecutors had decided they didn't have enough. >> we are ethically obligated to dismiss those charges. >> if this had been a battle, then the da had just retreated. the murder charges were dismissed. just like that. in a press conference, the da explained, the pathologist who had already ruled michael's death a homicide, was not prepared to say on the stand

that he was 100% sure. >> the most they could say was it's more likely than not a homicide, which is not beyond a reasonable doubt. >> so the answers eclectic was waiting for never came. >> the son was released not too long ago. that's all i know about the case. >> tony prefers to think about his friend, michael, in happier times. >> i want to remember michael the way he was, smiling, having a beer, kicking back with the guitarist and playing music. >> tonya thought of april every day throughout madison's ordeal. >> finding out that madison was released and it was done. i feel like she's finally at peace. she can be at peace, because for her babies to be in turmoil, that's not something that would be acceptable for her. >> for the sheriff, the murder case is far from over. >> you think madison is getting

away with murder? >> it's an open case. as long as i'm sheriff, that's an open case. >> you can refile against madison? >> absolutely. >> which is why madison doesn't want to discuss the specifics of the case. he's not cleared. he's just not charged. >> there is no doubt the sheriff will put me back in jail. i don't know why he has such a grudge against me. >> he thinks you are guilty of murder. >> he can think that. >> madison is hoping to live out the rest of his life as a free man. he finished high school, and he joined the army to help pay for college. he even considered becoming a criminal defense attorney. >> you ready to go back in the courtroom? >> oh yeah. >> maybe not wearing handcuffs. >> yeah. i want to find that kid who was put in the odd predicament that i was put in, that doesn't know what to do, doesn't know how to act, and fight for them. it's not about the money for me. yeah, lawyers make good money.

it's not about the money. it's about the one life that could be saved. >> they are dreams madison shares with his mother when he goes to visit her grave. she is buried right next to his dad. >> you are visiting her grave, but he's five feet away or less. >> i have forgiven him for what he's done, i can't come to the point where i will visit his grave like i do my moms. >> what do you say to your mom when you go? >> i'm sorry. i love her. that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning, thank you for watching. good morning and welcome to the sunday edition of morning joe weekend. it was another fast moving news