Josh Mankiewicz

Because there certainly wasn't enough to arrest him for her murder at that point. Right, exactly. So he talked himself right into the jailhouse. I think one of the lessons here is you never really know who's living next door. Right. I mean, I know my neighbors to say hello to. I certainly, you know. Sure. Beyond that, I couldn't tell you much. And you've lived there for quite a while. I have.

Because there certainly wasn't enough to arrest him for her murder at that point. Right, exactly. So he talked himself right into the jailhouse. I think one of the lessons here is you never really know who's living next door. Right. I mean, I know my neighbors to say hello to. I certainly, you know. Sure. Beyond that, I couldn't tell you much. And you've lived there for quite a while. I have.

I have. And I don't think anybody's spying on me. I think most people who get spied on don't think anyone's spying on them. What's interesting, you know, something we talk about all the time here is how you need to listen to your instincts. And she had this sense that somebody was stalking her, following her, something was up. She did.

I have. And I don't think anybody's spying on me. I think most people who get spied on don't think anyone's spying on them. What's interesting, you know, something we talk about all the time here is how you need to listen to your instincts. And she had this sense that somebody was stalking her, following her, something was up. She did.

And, you know, her friends just kind of chalked that up to, well, you know. You know, men are always interested in her. You know, this is probably not a big deal.

And, you know, her friends just kind of chalked that up to, well, you know. You know, men are always interested in her. You know, this is probably not a big deal.

Now, let me ask you this. I don't know the answer to this. Yeah. That video that they come up with that closes the case, essentially, that is taken, obviously, by him looking in her window. She's not in that video, right? You don't ever actually see her.

Now, let me ask you this. I don't know the answer to this. Yeah. That video that they come up with that closes the case, essentially, that is taken, obviously, by him looking in her window. She's not in that video, right? You don't ever actually see her.

It's clearly her apartment that he's looking into through the blinds, but he doesn't actually get any video of her, at least not that they recovered.

It's clearly her apartment that he's looking into through the blinds, but he doesn't actually get any video of her, at least not that they recovered.

Steve McDaniel pleaded guilty, but years after confessing the crime, he made a bunch of attempts to appeal his conviction. When we get back, the details revealed during his appeals and the surprising person who reveals them. a couple of interesting things in this story, particularly from a storytelling point of view that I thought you did very well as you always do.

Steve McDaniel pleaded guilty, but years after confessing the crime, he made a bunch of attempts to appeal his conviction. When we get back, the details revealed during his appeals and the surprising person who reveals them. a couple of interesting things in this story, particularly from a storytelling point of view that I thought you did very well as you always do.

One was you just sort of barely mentioned the neighbor. Like he was, we wanted to help and he had some thoughtful things. You just mentioned that there's a neighbor who wants to help, but then clearly you've got it down to Joe, the ex-boyfriend and, and David and the, Yeah. And then David, the current boyfriend. Right. And so you're thinking if you're the audience, OK, it's one of them.

One was you just sort of barely mentioned the neighbor. Like he was, we wanted to help and he had some thoughtful things. You just mentioned that there's a neighbor who wants to help, but then clearly you've got it down to Joe, the ex-boyfriend and, and David and the, Yeah. And then David, the current boyfriend. Right. And so you're thinking if you're the audience, OK, it's one of them.

And then you throw in the maintenance man. And I'm like, OK, well, that's clearly who it is. Like, it's nearly probably the guy. It's neither Joe nor it's the maintenance man, obviously. And then it turns out, of course, it's somebody else entirely. And so from a Dateline storytelling point of view, I thought that was great. Well, that's very kind of you to say, Josh. Thank you.

And then you throw in the maintenance man. And I'm like, OK, well, that's clearly who it is. Like, it's nearly probably the guy. It's neither Joe nor it's the maintenance man, obviously. And then it turns out, of course, it's somebody else entirely. And so from a Dateline storytelling point of view, I thought that was great. Well, that's very kind of you to say, Josh. Thank you.

when we're telling these stories, when we're writing them, is we have to do the storytelling in a way that it's not obvious from the get-go what happened, but we also have to stay completely faithful to the truth. Like, we're not going to say, you know, the maintenance man was a suspect if he wasn't a suspect.

when we're telling these stories, when we're writing them, is we have to do the storytelling in a way that it's not obvious from the get-go what happened, but we also have to stay completely faithful to the truth. Like, we're not going to say, you know, the maintenance man was a suspect if he wasn't a suspect.

We're not going to say the cops were looking at Joe and they were looking at David if they weren't. But they were.

We're not going to say the cops were looking at Joe and they were looking at David if they weren't. But they were.