Dateline NBC Nancy Pfister murder Beth Krulewitch Aspen Defense Attorney

NEW TENANTS, THE DOCTOR AND HIS WIFE. THE CASE AGAINST THEM CAME TOGETHER PERFECTLY. PERHAPS TOO PERFECTLY. HERE AGAIN, KEITH MORRISON.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A QUICK BUSINESS HERE IN ASPEN, COLORADO. NOT EVEN A WEEK AFTER NANCY PFISTER’S BODY WAS FOUND DEAD IN HER OWN CLOSET, HER RENTERS WERE LED AWAY IN HANDCUFFS. BUT WAS IT TOO QUICK, TOO EASY?
>> IT LOOKED FISHY TO ME.
>> Reporter: FISHY?
>> FISHY.
>> Reporter: NANCY STYLER’S ATTORNEY BETH KRULEWITCH. FISHY, HOW?
>> IN TERMS OF YOU’VE GOT A VERY WELL-RESPECTED PHYSICIAN WHO’S NOW BEING ACCUSED OF MURDER. AND IT DIDN’T — IT WAS INCONCEIVABLE TO ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE KILLED SOMEBODY.
>> Reporter: PLUS, THE ELDERLY MAN THEY LED AWAY WRAPPED IN HIS WIFE’S BLUE BATHROBE LOOKED FAR TOO FRAIL AND WEAK TO BLUDGEON A WOMAN TO DEATH, CARRY HER BODY, WRAP IT UP, FLIP A MATTRESS.
>> AND THEN BEEN STUPID ENOUGH TO TAKE THE MURDER WEAPON, SOME PILL BOTTLES WITH THE VICTIM’S NAME ON THEM, HIS VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND INSURANCE, PACKAGED IT ALL UP IN ONE BAG AND THEN PUT IT IN A DUMPSTER THAT WAS CLOSE TO THE MOTEL HE WAS STAYING AT. MADE ZERO SENSE TO ME.
>> Reporter: IT ALSO MADE ZERO SENSE THAT TREY’S ACCOMPLICE WAS HIS DIMINUTIVE 62-YEAR-OLD WIFE, NANCY. EVEN THOUGH SHE DID ACTUALLY SAY SHE COULD JUST KILL THAT NANCY PFISTER. BUT THEN, LOTS OF PEOPLE AROUND TOWN SAID SIMILAR THINGS ABOUT THE OUTSPOKEN MS. PFISTER AT SOME POINT OR OTHER, NOT MEANING IT LITERALLY.
>> I COULD SEE WHERE SHE COULD BE SITTING AROUND WITH KATHY CARPENTER, AND THEY COULD BE COMMISERATING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT NANCY PFISTER DID OR DIDN’T DO. OR WHAT SHE HAD SAID OR THE WAY THEY HAD BEEN TREATED. AND SHE COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, “GEE — YOU KNOW, I’D LIKE TO KILL HER.” BUT YOU KNOW, LISTEN, THAT’S — THAT’S NOT EVIDENCE OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
>> Reporter: BESIDES, NANCY STYLER WAS MORE THAN OPEN ABOUT IT.
>> WE’VE ALL SAID THAT ABOUT SOMEONE AT SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, “I’D LIKE TO KILL HIM,” OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT NOT — NOT EVER THINKING, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT THAT FAR. YES, I DID SAY THAT. BUT, NO, I DIDN’T KILL HER.
>> Reporter: AND IF IT WASN’T NANCY, COULDN’T HAVE BEEN TREY, EITHER. BECAUSE HE WAS FRAIL, YES, SAID NANCY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE WAS NEVER ALONE TO DO IT. YOU WERE NEVER WITHOUT HIM.
>> YEAH. I SAID WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID MAKE SENSE, SAID ATTORNEY KRULWITCH, IS THAT SOMEONE ELSE KILLED NANCY PFISTER AND PLANTED THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THE STYLERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FRAME THEM.
>> THE FINAL PIECE OF IT WAS THAT THE OWNER’S CLOSET KEY KIND OF MAGICALLY APPEARS ON THE SIDEWALK NEAR THE STYLERS’ MOTEL ROOM THE DAY THEY GET ARRESTED.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A THOUGHT THAT CROSSED INVESTIGATOR’S MINDS AS WELL.
>> WE WOULD’VE BEEN AMISS HAD WE NOT LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOMEONE WAS SETTING THESE PEOPLE UP.
>> Reporter: AND SO, EVEN WITH THE STYLERS IN JAIL, CHARGED WITH MURDER, INVESTIGATORS WERE STILL QUIETLY LOOKING FOR OTHER SUSPECTS — FOR SOMEONE WITH MOTIVE AND MEANS TO KILL NANCY AND THE FORESIGHT TO FRAME THE STYLERS. SOMEONE CLOSE TO NANCY, SOMEONE NANCY TRUSTED, EVEN LOVED. LIKE, THE PERSON WHO POINTED THE FINGER OF BLAME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT 911 CALL.
>> SHE HAD SOME PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND SHE REALLY [ BLEEP ] THEM OFF.
>> Reporter: KATHY CARPENTER. SHE SAID SHE WAS NANCY PFISTER’S DEAR FRIEND. BUT INVESTIGATORS WERE HEARING A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN A ROLLER COASTER. SO, WE KNEW THAT THERE HAD BEEN THIS CYCLE OF THE LADIES HAVING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, AND THEN THINGS WOULD GO SOUTH AND THEY WOULD HAVE A BAD RELATIONSHIP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
>> Reporter: AND SO WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, DEPUTY D.A. ANDREA BRYAN WENT BACK TO THAT HYSTERICAL PHONE CALL FROM KATHY TO 911. WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK BIZARRE IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN CHARACTERIZE THAT 911 CALL. IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFYING SUSPECTS, IT WAS — IT WAS NOT GETTING HELP FOR NANCY PFISTER. IT WAS — “OH, YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THESE TWO PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY.” SO, THAT WAS INTERESTING.
>> Reporter: SO, IT WAS. AND JUST AS INTERESTING? WHAT KATHY TOLD 911 ABOUT SEEING NANCY PFISTER’S BODY.
>> THE FACT THAT IMMEDIATELY THE DECEASED IS IDENTIFIED AS NANCY PFISTER WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.
>> Reporter: IMPOSSIBLE, SAID INVESTIGATOR LISA MILLER, BECAUSE NANCY’S BODY WAS COMPLETELY COVERED HEAD TO TOE WHEN KATHY SAW IT IN THE CLOSET.
>> SHE’S DEAD. SHE’S FULL OF BLOOD!
>> WE’RE LOOKING AT PHOTOS OF THE CRIME SCENE AND WE KNEW THERE’S NO WAY SHE SAW WHAT SHE SAID SHE SAW.
>> Reporter: THERE WAS MORE. KATHY, OF COURSE, HAD KEYS TO NANCY’S HOUSE, INCLUDING A KEY TO THE CLOSET, WAS THE LAST PERSON TO ADMIT SEEING NANCY ALIVE. AND WHEN SHE LEFT, PINNED UP THAT “DO NOT DISTURB” SIGN ON NANCY’S DOOR, SUPPOSEDLY BECAUSE HER FRIEND NEEDED TO GET OVER HER JET LAG.
>> SHE ENDED UP MAKING A STATEMENT TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT NANCY WOULD BE SLEEPING AND RESTING FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.
>> Reporter: AND IT WAS THREE DAYS LATER THE BODY WAS FOUND?
>> CORRECT.
>> Reporter: AND THE DAY THAT CLOSET KEY MAGICALLY APPEARED SO CLOSE TO THE STYLER’S MOTEL ROOM, KATHY CARPENTER WAS KNOWN TO BE IN THE VERY SAME NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME MEETING WITH HER THERAPIST. SO, NEXT QUESTION — WAS KATHY CARPENTER TRULY NANCY’S