Julie Cordova

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

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

Right.

There was a portion of the questioning where they won't let him finish his sentence. They're belittling him. They're screaming at him. They're threatening him with a death penalty.

And he believed them when they said those things. Yes, very much so.

He takes them very literally and starts to rise up out of his chairs, you know, and... He's going to stand up? He's going to stand up.

If you look and start examining the case in context, how it happened, what took place, it's really a textbook false confession.

Present them with, you know, this is what's being said. Do you know these people?

Not a clue. Not seen them, never spoke to them.

Not a chance.

That phone communication never took place. You know, it simply didn't occur.

First thing he says is, look, I told them I did this, but I didn't do this. And you've got to believe me.

Right, right. You know, I've been lied to a lot as a defense lawyer. So the cynical side of me goes, uh-huh, right.

Oh, no. She fell to the ground. And she was crying and just pacing and trying to be strong for the kids all at the same time.

The second time I saw him, he was cooking in the kitchen, and my parents were going over.

You know, that Rob got hurt at work.

Was I uncomfortable with it? Yes, because that was Robert's place, you know?

I think he just wowed her or whatever with his faith and in his beliefs in God.

Brina is such a positive, amazing person.

He'd show them pictures, naked pictures of the women out in Silver Lakes on his phone.

She was just such an amazing mom. And Robbie and Leanna always came first to her. Always. That's all she cares about.

Rob would even tell my husband things. Like? He'd show him pictures, naked pictures of the women out in Silver Lakes. On his phone.

Yes. Yes. You know, I just thought about this. There was a close friend of theirs that came out to visit. She knew what was going on or saw what was going on. She went to Robert and she said, this needs to stop now. And he said, oh, we're just having fun.

It was him and his sister, Emily. That's Julie Cordova, Sabrina's sister.

These are my friends that I've met at Costco.

That first day, he must have said two or three prayers when we were there, and I thought, well, you know, that's Brina's Christian support or whatever. Her faith is so strong, and him and Emily would pray, and he would keep praying.

And when we got there, Sabrina was beside herself. There were two guys there from the railroad. And I want to say they were at the door. They weren't even inside yet.