Lester Holt

So this story really starts at the crime scene, at the fire, this home burning in Goliad, Texas.

It's hard to imagine a little six-year-old boy, but John Michael, the child in the house.

essentially watches his home go up in flames, then hearing his mother died in the fire.

Yeah, and there is obviously an investigation into this fire, its origins.

And ultimately, investigators kind of move on, say, you know, we recommend this case is closed.

Yeah, and as so many of these stories we cover, Andrea, it's the family that ultimately keeps the case out there that continues to demand for justice.

Okay, let's talk a little bit about Allison Salinas.

Among other things, she was a wannabe senator.

This was part of her kind of new life as she was moving on.

What do we know about that?

Yeah, and she tried other things in this new life.

She was raising money, charitable dollars.

She was organizing events.

Things just didn't seem to be working out.

And as I'm watching this part of the story, I'm thinking, okay, is she just a flake?

I mean, there are people who are not good at business and not good with money.

Or was she a fraudster?

Okay, when we get back, we've got a podcast-exclusive clip of Andrea asking Delbert Mills about his biggest regret.

So this story takes yet another twist when Allison reaches out to her former high school boyfriend who she hasn't talked to in about 30 years.

Yeah.