Summertime. And the saving is easy at Eurospar supermarkets like lions. Original 210 tea bags only five euro 99. Inischela irish chicken filets, 500 grams only three euro 99. Fairy platinum, plus 34 dishwasher tablets, only six euro 99.

And Thorin wine range, only seven euro 99 each. That's great value at Eurospar. Your super easy supermarket offers available until July 31 in participating stores while stocks last. Enjoy alcohol responsibly. She was an amazing mother.

Literally one of the best with heart. Everything that you hoped wouldn't be true. I just remember thinking, this can't be happening.

It was the mystery that gripped Green Bay. A vivacious young mother of three found murdered in a field. It's a lot of sadness that someone would do that, too. A mother. Why would this happen to her?

Was it someone she met that night? Is it someone she knows? Do we know them? Blood in the house, in the car, on the road, and the trail led straight to her boyfriend. Started crying.

There is no way, no way Doug could do this. We knew that there was another person out there. That a tantalizing high tech clue, a Fitbit. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness played a big part.

It showed steps. And then there was nothing again. Investigators will crack this case one step at a time. We're crazy excited. This is getting really scary.

Whose side do you believe? I was tug of warring the whole time. I'm Lester Holt, and this is Dateline. Here's Andrea Canning with justice for Nikki.

Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the legendary Packers, a place where folks love their Sunday football and a good knockdown on Lambeau Field. But in 2018, after the football season had ended, the city became transfixed by a new battle of sorts. One that played out, not on the gridiron. Instead in a courtroom. A murder case where nothing was, down on Hoffman Road. We were clearing out a field so we could plant it.That's when the two boys made a gruesome discovery. The body of a woman. She was lying on her stomach with, like, her arms folded across her forehead, and she was naked. Her hair was all bloody, and it looked red. And half of her face was showing, like, maybe like this half, but it was all bloody.It was a sight neither teen will ever forget. I was shocked. Like, more shocked than anything. It just felt weird, like, the sudden knowing of, like, that that's a dead person. You never really think that you're gonna see someone dead.Tommy's grandfather immediately called 911. We just found a human body laying in suites. Okay. Oh, God. Is the person beyond help, or do I need to give you instructions for CPR?No, it's beyond help. Soon, Brown county sheriff's detectives Brian Slinger and Rick Lopnow got a call and headed to the crime scene. Neither detective had to travel very far. So the body was found right near here. The sheriff's department?Yep. And it's about a half mile away. You don't see that every day. I mean, it's literally right in your backyard. Yes.The condition of the victim's body disturbed even these two seasoned detectives. I had been in law enforcement for 18 years, but to see this up close and personal on a young lady was very difficult for everyone. Describe her body for us. When I arrived on scene, she was laying face down with her head towards the field and her feet towards the road. Her arms were up in front of her, face crossed, and there was other abrasions and bruising, really, throughout her body.What was the approximate time of death, do you think? It was hard to say upfront, but we believed it was probably from the night before sometime. From all indicators, the woman had been sexually assaulted. The only thing she was wearing was socks and then a pink bracelet on her left wrist. And nothing else?Nothing else. This crime sounds very personal. Yeah. It was apparent early on that there was a pretty good fight. That must have happened initially.The detectives couldn't find a murder weapon. Severe bruises on her neck led them to believe she had been strangled. Identification? There was no identification with the body. You had no idea who this woman was?No, not at first. This is sad. And not only sad, it's scary. I mean, to see a woman like that just lying in a field. It is in a community like Brown county or the greater Green Bay area.It's not something we deal with normally. Both slinger and lop now were struck by just how little evidence there was to go on. Initially, we didn't really know if it happened here or not or if she was just dumped here. We're very careful about how we were approaching the body, looking for drag marks, footprints, any type of weapons that might be involved. There was no indication of how many people might have been involved or any evidence to point us in any certain direction, at least not right away.This was a real whodunit. And who is she? Absolutely. Did you also immediately think about the community and if this would start ringing alarm bells for them? Yeah, I think when the news of what was going on started to break and that we didn't have, you know, information upfront of who was involved, I think that's definitely alarming to the community.While the detectives continued searching the field for clues, they learned a woman by the name of Nikki Vanderheiden had been reported missing. Who filed the missing person's report? Douglas Dietri, who was the boyfriend and father to Nicole's child. A sheriff surgeon headed to Doug's house with a video camera to take the missing persons report. I'm here for a missing persons report.There was no reason just yet to tell Doug they had found a woman in the field. What color are her eyes? Blue. Doug gave a physical description of Nikki to the sergeant, who then relayed it to slinger and lop. Now, in the field, they suspected their victim was Nikki Vanderheiden, but they couldn't be sure.Based on the condition of the body, it was not easy to make a positive identification. Then early the next morning, detectives got a break. Bloody clothing near the crime scene. A large amount of clothing and other items laying along the side of the road here in between the fog line and the ditch. The person that was responsible was panicking and probably didn't know what to do at that time and just discarded them as they were traveling back, westbound on 172.The clothing, did it tell you anything about who the victim was? Yeah, so I was able to go through the clothing. There was a lanyard that had a Green Bay school district photo id on it. The photo was of Nikki. Dental records later confirmed what everyone by now already knew.The victim was Nicole Vanderheiden. Representatives of the sheriff's office went to the home of Nikki's parents where all of her friends and family had gathered. Chief and another police officer came over and had the immediate family in the backyard. We knew, you know, we saw the looks on their faces, and all we could do was just hold them. That is an awful moment.Did anyone talk or was it just silence? Just silence? Crying? Just silence? You know, everything that we hoped wouldn't be true.It was hard. So why, you know, why would this happen to such a good person? And of all people, you know? Coming up, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat.The last night Nikki was seen alive, where was her boyfriend Doug? You went to bed. You know, I'd say of all 3330, this doesn't make sense. You go out together and you're not coming home together. When DatelinE continues.Summertime and the saving is easy at Eurospar supermarkets like lion's original 210 teabags only five euro 99, initiala irish chicken filets, 500 grams, only three euro 99 fairy Platinum plus 34 dishwasher tablets, only euro 699. And Thorin wine range, only seven euro 99 each. That's great value at Eurospargesthenne, your super easy supermarket offers available until July 31 and participating stores, while stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly. For true crime fans, nothing is more chilling than watching Dateline. Have you ever seen such a thing before?For podcast fans, nothing is more chilling than listening. What goes through your mind when you make a discovery like that? And when you subscribe to Dateline Premium, it gets even better. Excuse me if I sound a little skeptical. Every episode is ad free.Ooh, wow. So this could be your ace in the hole. And not just ad free. You also get early access to new intriguing mysteries and exclusive bonus content. So what were you afraid of?Dateline premium? Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or datelinepremium.com dot. You ready for what's coming?Never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.A body in a field with few clues to go on, detectives Brian Slinger and Rick Lopnow began trying to answer the question everyone in Green Bay was asking. Who murdered Nikki Vanderheiden? The official cause of death ended up being blunt force trauma and ligature strangulation. The detectives also found what appeared to be a shoe print on Nikki's back, indicating she had been stomped on like a herringbone or zigzag pattern that would be consistent with, like, the bottom of a shoe. Multiple abrasions and bruises covered Nikki's body.That sounds like a monster. Yeah, it's hard to describe, but it's obviously severe. Pretty extreme. At the sheriff's office, detectives continued their investigation by talking with those who saw Nikki last, including her boyfriend, Doug. A lot of people saw Nikki, correct.Our first step was to interview Doug Dietrich, get a good timeline from him from the night prior. What time did the concert end? I'd say 1130, maybe 11, 11 30. They also interviewed Doug's friends. How did the night start?How did you guys all get together? We're all going to steal Panther. Okay, who is watering? Hold on. A big group of our friends.In all accounts, from all the people that saw her. Said she's having a blast. Slinger learned that after the concertlove her and share the so much with her, especially a child.The investigation was only days old, and already the pieces seemed to be easily fitting into place. But were they fitting too easily? See, I knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, and there were still vexing questions left to answer. Sergeant Lapnow and I struggled to find out how. How Niki got home.We knew that there was another person out there that knew something of value. This is a missing piece of the puzzle. A huge piece. Another problem. This one coming from the lab.Techs found male DNA all over Nikki's body, but the profile was only partial, so they couldn't find a match. We need to try and find a match for that. The investigation was just getting started, and its direction was far from certain. Coming up. The shoe.The tissues, the blood. The blood in the car. I still kept thinking, no way. How solid was this evidence? Really?That's a big revelation right there. Huge revelation. I'm like, oh, my God. When dateline continues.Police thought they had a strong case against Doug Dietrich. They believed there was motive, opportunity, and compelling physical evidence. Nikki's friends, Haley Defnet and Caitlin uncles, didn't know what to make of it all. It didn't make sense that, you know, anyone beside Doug would be in her front yard killing her. Yet Angela Delfosse remained squarely by Doug's side.I still kept thinking, no way. And yet the police are sure they have the right guy. Mm hmm. I still knew there was something Amy telling me it was not him. How good are you feeling about your suspect?Do you feel like this is. This is your man you found? You caught the killer? Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't have arrested him if I didn't think that he was our guy.But less than two weeks after Doug Dietry's arrest, tests of the forensic evidence taken from in and around the house started to trickle back from the lab, and the case against him began to collapse. First, there were Doug's shoes that detectives believed could have left the imprint on Nikki's back. The imprint was very generic zigzag pattern. The lab could not make a definitive match. It was inconclusive.Basically, it could be anybody's shoe. Could be any shoe that has that zigzag pattern. Then came the DNA and blood tests. As for those red dots detectives found on shoes, no DNA on the bottom of those shoes. Another surprise.Another surprise. But what about the blood on the garage floor? What are you learning? We're learning that the blood in the garage was not human blood. It was, in fact, animal blood.We had found out earlier that Doug was into hunting and that he had actually killed a turkey a couple weeks prior. That's right. It was the blood of a turkey. That's a big revelation, right? Huge revelation.Then there was Nikki's car. The car detectives thought Doug used to transport Nikki's body out to the field. There was one little drop that turned out to be human blood in the backseat, which was ultimately determined not to be Nicole's, that it was likely a daughter of hers. But that wasn't the only thing calling the car theory into question. Detectives found a device installed in Nikki's car, one that insurance companies used to track driving habits.It indicated the car remained in the garage the entire night of the murder. The vehicle last moved on Friday the 20th. And the blood on the tissues and the sweatshirt found inside the house, it was from Nikki's sister. A nosebleed. And even more surprises from the forensic evidence you found in the house.Yes. Have you ever seen anything like this before? That's just one thing after the next. That's not what it appeared. Yeah, it was definitely crazy.Then came the biggest blow to their theory. It had to do with that partial profile of male DNA found on Nikki's body and the bloody cord. While lab techs couldn't identify whose DNA it was, they were able to definitively rule out Doug. I mean, this is a huge mistake to arrest somebody for murder who it's really appearing now did not commit the crime. Yeah, I mean, I take full ownership of that myself and my supervisor that made the decision based on what we had at the time.I didn't have a crystal ball to know the results of some of the testing that was going on. You know, we're responsible for the safety of the community, safety of Doug's child that hethat kind of what happened? Yeah, pretty much. Spend a lot of time in a boat. Ed's wife Linda considered George to be the typical southern gentleman.He called me Miss Linda all the time, and I always thought that was kind of cool. Cause he had that southern accent. Did you take an instant liking to him? Yeah, he seemed real easygoing, and we're just really easygoing people, so it was, hey, cool. George got a job and soon started dating a young woman named Jordan.Schuyler became the object of George Birch's affection. The way he kind of talked, the way he. His mannerisms were so gentlemanlike. I guess that was Your super easy super market offers available until July 31 in participating stores. While stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly, never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.On day eight of the trial, prosecutors David Lasey and Mary Kerrigan Mares finally got their shot at George Birch, their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of George Burch's story? Seems like utter fantasy to me. Seems a little ridiculous and far fetched. Lase says since Birch had declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events.Do you think he used the evidence to fit the narrative of his story that .Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

down on Hoffman Road. We were clearing out a field so we could plant it.

That's when the two boys made a gruesome discovery. The body of a woman. She was lying on her stomach with, like, her arms folded across her forehead, and she was naked. Her hair was all bloody, and it looked red. And half of her face was showing, like, maybe like this half, but it was all bloody.

It was a sight neither teen will ever forget. I was shocked. Like, more shocked than anything. It just felt weird, like, the sudden knowing of, like, that that's a dead person. You never really think that you're gonna see someone dead.

Tommy's grandfather immediately called 911. We just found a human body laying in suites. Okay. Oh, God. Is the person beyond help, or do I need to give you instructions for CPR?

No, it's beyond help. Soon, Brown county sheriff's detectives Brian Slinger and Rick Lopnow got a call and headed to the crime scene. Neither detective had to travel very far. So the body was found right near here. The sheriff's department?

Yep. And it's about a half mile away. You don't see that every day. I mean, it's literally right in your backyard. Yes.

The condition of the victim's body disturbed even these two seasoned detectives. I had been in law enforcement for 18 years, but to see this up close and personal on a young lady was very difficult for everyone. Describe her body for us. When I arrived on scene, she was laying face down with her head towards the field and her feet towards the road. Her arms were up in front of her, face crossed, and there was other abrasions and bruising, really, throughout her body.

What was the approximate time of death, do you think? It was hard to say upfront, but we believed it was probably from the night before sometime. From all indicators, the woman had been sexually assaulted. The only thing she was wearing was socks and then a pink bracelet on her left wrist. And nothing else?

Nothing else. This crime sounds very personal. Yeah. It was apparent early on that there was a pretty good fight. That must have happened initially.

The detectives couldn't find a murder weapon. Severe bruises on her neck led them to believe she had been strangled. Identification? There was no identification with the body. You had no idea who this woman was?

No, not at first. This is sad. And not only sad, it's scary. I mean, to see a woman like that just lying in a field. It is in a community like Brown county or the greater Green Bay area.

It's not something we deal with normally. Both slinger and lop now were struck by just how little evidence there was to go on. Initially, we didn't really know if it happened here or not or if she was just dumped here. We're very careful about how we were approaching the body, looking for drag marks, footprints, any type of weapons that might be involved. There was no indication of how many people might have been involved or any evidence to point us in any certain direction, at least not right away.

This was a real whodunit. And who is she? Absolutely. Did you also immediately think about the community and if this would start ringing alarm bells for them? Yeah, I think when the news of what was going on started to break and that we didn't have, you know, information upfront of who was involved, I think that's definitely alarming to the community.

While the detectives continued searching the field for clues, they learned a woman by the name of Nikki Vanderheiden had been reported missing. Who filed the missing person's report? Douglas Dietri, who was the boyfriend and father to Nicole's child. A sheriff surgeon headed to Doug's house with a video camera to take the missing persons report. I'm here for a missing persons report.

There was no reason just yet to tell Doug they had found a woman in the field. What color are her eyes? Blue. Doug gave a physical description of Nikki to the sergeant, who then relayed it to slinger and lop. Now, in the field, they suspected their victim was Nikki Vanderheiden, but they couldn't be sure.

Based on the condition of the body, it was not easy to make a positive identification. Then early the next morning, detectives got a break. Bloody clothing near the crime scene. A large amount of clothing and other items laying along the side of the road here in between the fog line and the ditch. The person that was responsible was panicking and probably didn't know what to do at that time and just discarded them as they were traveling back, westbound on 172.

The clothing, did it tell you anything about who the victim was? Yeah, so I was able to go through the clothing. There was a lanyard that had a Green Bay school district photo id on it. The photo was of Nikki. Dental records later confirmed what everyone by now already knew.

The victim was Nicole Vanderheiden. Representatives of the sheriff's office went to the home of Nikki's parents where all of her friends and family had gathered. Chief and another police officer came over and had the immediate family in the backyard. We knew, you know, we saw the looks on their faces, and all we could do was just hold them. That is an awful moment.

Did anyone talk or was it just silence? Just silence? Crying? Just silence? You know, everything that we hoped wouldn't be true.

It was hard. So why, you know, why would this happen to such a good person? And of all people, you know? Coming up, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat.

The last night Nikki was seen alive, where was her boyfriend Doug? You went to bed. You know, I'd say of all 3330, this doesn't make sense. You go out together and you're not coming home together. When DatelinE continues.

Summertime and the saving is easy at Eurospar supermarkets like lion's original 210 teabags only five euro 99, initiala irish chicken filets, 500 grams, only three euro 99 fairy Platinum plus 34 dishwasher tablets, only euro 699. And Thorin wine range, only seven euro 99 each. That's great value at Eurospargesthenne, your super easy supermarket offers available until July 31 and participating stores, while stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly. For true crime fans, nothing is more chilling than watching Dateline. Have you ever seen such a thing before?

For podcast fans, nothing is more chilling than listening. What goes through your mind when you make a discovery like that? And when you subscribe to Dateline Premium, it gets even better. Excuse me if I sound a little skeptical. Every episode is ad free.

Ooh, wow. So this could be your ace in the hole. And not just ad free. You also get early access to new intriguing mysteries and exclusive bonus content. So what were you afraid of?

Dateline premium? Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or datelinepremium.com dot. You ready for what's coming?

Never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.

A body in a field with few clues to go on, detectives Brian Slinger and Rick Lopnow began trying to answer the question everyone in Green Bay was asking. Who murdered Nikki Vanderheiden? The official cause of death ended up being blunt force trauma and ligature strangulation. The detectives also found what appeared to be a shoe print on Nikki's back, indicating she had been stomped on like a herringbone or zigzag pattern that would be consistent with, like, the bottom of a shoe. Multiple abrasions and bruises covered Nikki's body.

That sounds like a monster. Yeah, it's hard to describe, but it's obviously severe. Pretty extreme. At the sheriff's office, detectives continued their investigation by talking with those who saw Nikki last, including her boyfriend, Doug. A lot of people saw Nikki, correct.

Our first step was to interview Doug Dietrich, get a good timeline from him from the night prior. What time did the concert end? I'd say 1130, maybe 11, 11 30. They also interviewed Doug's friends. How did the night start?

How did you guys all get together? We're all going to steal Panther. Okay, who is watering? Hold on. A big group of our friends.

In all accounts, from all the people that saw her. Said she's having a blast. Slinger learned that after the concertlove her and share the so much with her, especially a child.The investigation was only days old, and already the pieces seemed to be easily fitting into place. But were they fitting too easily? See, I knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, and there were still vexing questions left to answer. Sergeant Lapnow and I struggled to find out how. How Niki got home.We knew that there was another person out there that knew something of value. This is a missing piece of the puzzle. A huge piece. Another problem. This one coming from the lab.Techs found male DNA all over Nikki's body, but the profile was only partial, so they couldn't find a match. We need to try and find a match for that. The investigation was just getting started, and its direction was far from certain. Coming up. The shoe.The tissues, the blood. The blood in the car. I still kept thinking, no way. How solid was this evidence? Really?That's a big revelation right there. Huge revelation. I'm like, oh, my God. When dateline continues.Police thought they had a strong case against Doug Dietrich. They believed there was motive, opportunity, and compelling physical evidence. Nikki's friends, Haley Defnet and Caitlin uncles, didn't know what to make of it all. It didn't make sense that, you know, anyone beside Doug would be in her front yard killing her. Yet Angela Delfosse remained squarely by Doug's side.I still kept thinking, no way. And yet the police are sure they have the right guy. Mm hmm. I still knew there was something Amy telling me it was not him. How good are you feeling about your suspect?Do you feel like this is. This is your man you found? You caught the killer? Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't have arrested him if I didn't think that he was our guy.But less than two weeks after Doug Dietry's arrest, tests of the forensic evidence taken from in and around the house started to trickle back from the lab, and the case against him began to collapse. First, there were Doug's shoes that detectives believed could have left the imprint on Nikki's back. The imprint was very generic zigzag pattern. The lab could not make a definitive match. It was inconclusive.Basically, it could be anybody's shoe. Could be any shoe that has that zigzag pattern. Then came the DNA and blood tests. As for those red dots detectives found on shoes, no DNA on the bottom of those shoes. Another surprise.Another surprise. But what about the blood on the garage floor? What are you learning? We're learning that the blood in the garage was not human blood. It was, in fact, animal blood.We had found out earlier that Doug was into hunting and that he had actually killed a turkey a couple weeks prior. That's right. It was the blood of a turkey. That's a big revelation, right? Huge revelation.Then there was Nikki's car. The car detectives thought Doug used to transport Nikki's body out to the field. There was one little drop that turned out to be human blood in the backseat, which was ultimately determined not to be Nicole's, that it was likely a daughter of hers. But that wasn't the only thing calling the car theory into question. Detectives found a device installed in Nikki's car, one that insurance companies used to track driving habits.It indicated the car remained in the garage the entire night of the murder. The vehicle last moved on Friday the 20th. And the blood on the tissues and the sweatshirt found inside the house, it was from Nikki's sister. A nosebleed. And even more surprises from the forensic evidence you found in the house.Yes. Have you ever seen anything like this before? That's just one thing after the next. That's not what it appeared. Yeah, it was definitely crazy.Then came the biggest blow to their theory. It had to do with that partial profile of male DNA found on Nikki's body and the bloody cord. While lab techs couldn't identify whose DNA it was, they were able to definitively rule out Doug. I mean, this is a huge mistake to arrest somebody for murder who it's really appearing now did not commit the crime. Yeah, I mean, I take full ownership of that myself and my supervisor that made the decision based on what we had at the time.I didn't have a crystal ball to know the results of some of the testing that was going on. You know, we're responsible for the safety of the community, safety of Doug's child that hethat kind of what happened? Yeah, pretty much. Spend a lot of time in a boat. Ed's wife Linda considered George to be the typical southern gentleman.He called me Miss Linda all the time, and I always thought that was kind of cool. Cause he had that southern accent. Did you take an instant liking to him? Yeah, he seemed real easygoing, and we're just really easygoing people, so it was, hey, cool. George got a job and soon started dating a young woman named Jordan.Schuyler became the object of George Birch's affection. The way he kind of talked, the way he. His mannerisms were so gentlemanlike. I guess that was Your super easy super market offers available until July 31 in participating stores. While stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly, never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.On day eight of the trial, prosecutors David Lasey and Mary Kerrigan Mares finally got their shot at George Birch, their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of George Burch's story? Seems like utter fantasy to me. Seems a little ridiculous and far fetched. Lase says since Birch had declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events.Do you think he used the evidence to fit the narrative of his story that .Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

love her and share the so much with her, especially a child.

The investigation was only days old, and already the pieces seemed to be easily fitting into place. But were they fitting too easily? See, I knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, and there were still vexing questions left to answer. Sergeant Lapnow and I struggled to find out how. How Niki got home.

We knew that there was another person out there that knew something of value. This is a missing piece of the puzzle. A huge piece. Another problem. This one coming from the lab.

Techs found male DNA all over Nikki's body, but the profile was only partial, so they couldn't find a match. We need to try and find a match for that. The investigation was just getting started, and its direction was far from certain. Coming up. The shoe.

The tissues, the blood. The blood in the car. I still kept thinking, no way. How solid was this evidence? Really?

That's a big revelation right there. Huge revelation. I'm like, oh, my God. When dateline continues.

Police thought they had a strong case against Doug Dietrich. They believed there was motive, opportunity, and compelling physical evidence. Nikki's friends, Haley Defnet and Caitlin uncles, didn't know what to make of it all. It didn't make sense that, you know, anyone beside Doug would be in her front yard killing her. Yet Angela Delfosse remained squarely by Doug's side.

I still kept thinking, no way. And yet the police are sure they have the right guy. Mm hmm. I still knew there was something Amy telling me it was not him. How good are you feeling about your suspect?

Do you feel like this is. This is your man you found? You caught the killer? Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't have arrested him if I didn't think that he was our guy.

But less than two weeks after Doug Dietry's arrest, tests of the forensic evidence taken from in and around the house started to trickle back from the lab, and the case against him began to collapse. First, there were Doug's shoes that detectives believed could have left the imprint on Nikki's back. The imprint was very generic zigzag pattern. The lab could not make a definitive match. It was inconclusive.

Basically, it could be anybody's shoe. Could be any shoe that has that zigzag pattern. Then came the DNA and blood tests. As for those red dots detectives found on shoes, no DNA on the bottom of those shoes. Another surprise.

Another surprise. But what about the blood on the garage floor? What are you learning? We're learning that the blood in the garage was not human blood. It was, in fact, animal blood.

We had found out earlier that Doug was into hunting and that he had actually killed a turkey a couple weeks prior. That's right. It was the blood of a turkey. That's a big revelation, right? Huge revelation.

Then there was Nikki's car. The car detectives thought Doug used to transport Nikki's body out to the field. There was one little drop that turned out to be human blood in the backseat, which was ultimately determined not to be Nicole's, that it was likely a daughter of hers. But that wasn't the only thing calling the car theory into question. Detectives found a device installed in Nikki's car, one that insurance companies used to track driving habits.

It indicated the car remained in the garage the entire night of the murder. The vehicle last moved on Friday the 20th. And the blood on the tissues and the sweatshirt found inside the house, it was from Nikki's sister. A nosebleed. And even more surprises from the forensic evidence you found in the house.

Yes. Have you ever seen anything like this before? That's just one thing after the next. That's not what it appeared. Yeah, it was definitely crazy.

Then came the biggest blow to their theory. It had to do with that partial profile of male DNA found on Nikki's body and the bloody cord. While lab techs couldn't identify whose DNA it was, they were able to definitively rule out Doug. I mean, this is a huge mistake to arrest somebody for murder who it's really appearing now did not commit the crime. Yeah, I mean, I take full ownership of that myself and my supervisor that made the decision based on what we had at the time.

I didn't have a crystal ball to know the results of some of the testing that was going on. You know, we're responsible for the safety of the community, safety of Doug's child that hethat kind of what happened? Yeah, pretty much. Spend a lot of time in a boat. Ed's wife Linda considered George to be the typical southern gentleman.He called me Miss Linda all the time, and I always thought that was kind of cool. Cause he had that southern accent. Did you take an instant liking to him? Yeah, he seemed real easygoing, and we're just really easygoing people, so it was, hey, cool. George got a job and soon started dating a young woman named Jordan.Schuyler became the object of George Birch's affection. The way he kind of talked, the way he. His mannerisms were so gentlemanlike. I guess that was Your super easy super market offers available until July 31 in participating stores. While stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly, never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.On day eight of the trial, prosecutors David Lasey and Mary Kerrigan Mares finally got their shot at George Birch, their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of George Burch's story? Seems like utter fantasy to me. Seems a little ridiculous and far fetched. Lase says since Birch had declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events.Do you think he used the evidence to fit the narrative of his story that .Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

that kind of what happened? Yeah, pretty much. Spend a lot of time in a boat. Ed's wife Linda considered George to be the typical southern gentleman.

He called me Miss Linda all the time, and I always thought that was kind of cool. Cause he had that southern accent. Did you take an instant liking to him? Yeah, he seemed real easygoing, and we're just really easygoing people, so it was, hey, cool. George got a job and soon started dating a young woman named Jordan.

Schuyler became the object of George Birch's affection. The way he kind of talked, the way he. His mannerisms were so gentlemanlike. I guess that was Your super easy super market offers available until July 31 in participating stores. While stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly, never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.On day eight of the trial, prosecutors David Lasey and Mary Kerrigan Mares finally got their shot at George Birch, their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of George Burch's story? Seems like utter fantasy to me. Seems a little ridiculous and far fetched. Lase says since Birch had declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events.Do you think he used the evidence to fit the narrative of his story that .Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

Your super easy super market offers available until July 31 in participating stores. While stocks last, enjoy alcohol responsibly, never miss a moment of the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. For in depth coverage of the athletes events and medal counts, download the NBC News app.

On day eight of the trial, prosecutors David Lasey and Mary Kerrigan Mares finally got their shot at George Birch, their chance to pick apart his story. What did you make of George Burch's story? Seems like utter fantasy to me. Seems a little ridiculous and far fetched. Lase says since Birch had declined to speak to police when he was arrested, he had months to concoct his version of events.

Do you think he used the evidence to fit the narrative of his story that .Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

.

Not at all. That's when Nikki gets slammed on the ground repeatedly when she's trying to run toward her house. None of that is true. Not only did prosecutors have to prove George Birch was guilty, they also had to leave no doubt that Doug Dietree was innocent, that he would not and could not have killed Nikki. Did you have absolutely any involvement in Nikki's disappearance or death?

No, I did not. As for how he and Nikki got along, Doug said they were a family with typical family problems. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki? It was very, very good for a lot of it. We did have little arguments here and there, but always had plans for future and everything like that.

He told the jury they had even discussed marriage and their son would be part of the ceremony. We had talked that when he was old enough to kind of maybe walk down the aisle, that that would be a possibility of when we go to that step. The prosecutor then asked Doug about those text messages from Nikki. So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

So Da Lasay knew what he needed to address as he summed up his case for the jury. We bear the burden of proving this case to you beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond a reasonable doubt.

Follow the path. Follow the evidence that's been presented to you in this case. That path leads to one place, his guilt. That is the man that killed Nicole Vanderheit. Bring justice to Nikki and her family.

The case went to the jury. And we went to a jail for an exclusive interview with George Burch. Coming up. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay?

Nikki is breastfeeding. She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? When DatelIne continues.

We met George Burch at the Brown county jail for an exclusive interview with Dateline. We came with a lot of questions about that night, starting with his claim that his encounter with Nikki was consensual. We ended up getting a little intimate, and then one thing led to another. I'm just gonna put my mother hat on here, okay? The one thing that just doesn't add up for me is Nikki is breastfeeding.

She has a new baby. Her infant child is asleep in the house. Why would she have sex with you right outside the house? I can't tell you what she was thinking there. I have no idea why she would do that.

We didn't get into that. George Birch then described what happened after he said Doug Dietre pistol whipped him. Why didn't you fight back with Doug? I mean, you're six'seven. You're a lot bigger than him.

Bullets? Don't know size. I don't know if you're familiar with firearms, but someone can shoot someone, no matter how big they are. It doesn't matter how big you are. Bullet can still kill you.

What kind of gun did he have? I am not sure. A handgun? Yes, ma'am, a handgun. No one was able to find a.

Where do you think the gun is? I bet I don't know. Is the gun something you made up? Why would I make that up? I'll say this to you straightforward, so you understand it correctly.

I have not made up any single part of this at all. In the least little bit. Everything I have stated is exactly what happened. You said that Nikki took her clothes off before Doug attacked you and attacked Nikki, right? I believe so, yes.

And yet her clothes were bloody, right? How do you explain that if she had no clothes on? That I am not sure. Um, they could have gotten bloody from when I put her back in the vehicle, because blood was coming out of her and her clothes were in the vehicle. Did you kill Nicky Vanderheiden?

No, ma'am. Had no part of it. Had nothing to do with it. Did you try to have sex with her? She rebuffed your advances, and you snapped?

No, ma'am. The sex was purely consensual. Who do you believe is Nikki's true killer? The only person that I physically saw there was me and Douglas Dietrich. Did I see him do that?

No, I didn't. But I can tell you one thing. I didn't do it. How do you explain the presence of so much of your DNA on her body? We had sex.

How hard is that to understand? She's naked. My body is on her body. And if Doug Dietree brutally beat her, why is his DNA not on her? I don't know.

He had on a sweatshirt. I don't recall. He had pants on. He could have had on gloves. I don't know.

How do you explain that your DNA was found on that cord but not Doug Dietrich's?

I don't know if I was laying on the cord. I don't know if I touched the cord when I picked her up. It wasn't an overwhelming DNA match. It was barely there. He could have had gloves on and touched me.

I don't. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. According to your story, this is a horrific event that you've experienced. It is.

And yet you wake up the next morning and you go fishing with your buddy like nothing happened. I thought a lot about not even going. I wasn't sure what to do. I kind of just went along with emotions is the way that ended up panning out. You claim that you were struck from behind with a gun to.

Yes, ma'am. Ed Jackson says that there were no injuries on your head. Where was the injury from the gun? That I don't know. My head was sore.

Was there a laceration or a cut? No, ma'am, there wasn't. Just cause someone hits you doesn't mean there's going to be a cut. George Burch nevers girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

s girlfriend, Jordan Schuyler. Even before the trial started, Jordan had a change of heart. I knew that he didn't.

Her boyfriend's behavior on that fishing trip with Ed Jackson just one day after the murder kept gnawing at Jordan. Any mention of that night at all? No. He sent me a picture of them fishing. He was with his best friend, fishing.

What he loved to do. And he was enjoying every second of it. For Jordan, having to accept that the man she once felt safe with had murdered Nikki was overwhelming. Did you feel like, just. How could I have trusted this guy?

There were so many thoughts that went through my head. Biggest questions I have is, why her? Why wasn quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.She's still here with us. Jellicoe.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.

quorums with both sides. I was on Nikki's side. But hearing Birch's testimony proved to be their tipping point. It didn't seem to make sense, having someone take her home and willingly sleep with him in her front yard.

There's no way. It just wasn't Nikki. From their offices, prosecutors Kerrigan Mares and David Lasea waited and worried. What if one person believed that story and thought maybe Doug did this or had some involvement? There's always concern about that.

The thing that just kept running through my head was, I think this is a very dangerous individual. He needs to be off the streets, and I hope they get it right. Then, in just under 4 hours, the twelve jurors filed back into the courtroom for the last time. Rachel, Hillary and Eric Lardnoys were two of the twelve. How tricky was this case for a juror?

It was emotionally really hard. Yes. I was tug of warring the whole time. On the state side, the defense side, it was tough. Over the.

In the course of the nine day trial, these two jurors carefully considered the guilt of two men. First, there was the defendant himself, George Birch. What are you thinking as George is telling his story? The first half of the story was believable, but once it got to the point where he got knocked out, it almost seemed fabricated. Almost too much like a movie.

Bad movie. Like a bad cop movie. Yes. Then there was Doug Dietree. What evidence made you think that maybe Doug Dietree was the real killer?

The texts. Yeah, the text messages. But of all the evidence presented at trial, Eric and Rachel gave the greatest weight to the Google dashboard data on Birch's phone and his DNA on Nikki's body. The DNA all over Nicole's body was George's. There was nothing for Doug on there.

And the cord that was used as the murder weapon? No Doug Dietrey DNA. Only George Birch DNA. Correct. The DNA doesn't lie.

Were you nervous? Yeah. You must have been on pins and needles waiting. You don't even know. I was such a nerd, Rick.

A packed courtroom listened intently as the judge read the jury's decision. The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury, find the defendant, George Stephen Birchenhouse, guilty of first degree intentional homicide. What's that moment like for you after so much time spent working this case? I just felt great for the family.

It's not gonna make Nicole come back. It's not gonna fix everything. But it's a part of the healing process for him. Angela Delfosse and the rest of Doug Dietre's supporters were elated. I screamed hallelujah.

And I was so happy. Technology played an unprecedented role in this case. The Fitbit was almost like a witness in this case. Not human, but a witness of sorts. It definitely played a big part.

According to detective Slinger, advancements in DNA analysis, location tracking data, and that Fitbit all helped convict George Birch and prove Doug Dietrich did not kill Nikki, has anyone apologized to. To Doug Dietre from the department? I've spoken with Doug and his family at length. I understand there's some hard feelings there for a while. And there may still be.

I get that. But ultimately, we are all one team to get justice for Nikki. George Birch came to Green Bay hoping to start a new life. He may now die in prison for having taken one. I'm 40 years old.

I will never be out of this jail cell again. As he had from the beginning, Birch remained defiant. Nikki's friends and family want to see you confess to her murder. Are you willing to do that? Today never happened in a million years.

I will never in my life confess to something I didn't do. Ever. I will go to my deathbed and tell you to this day that I never did anything to her. Or never hurt her in any way. What would you say.

What do you say to Doug Dietre? That I hope the truth comes out. And I hope he burns in hell. Oh, wow. What's your response to that?

He's an evil person. Evil. We hope he burns in hell. Do you think George Birch is the one who's going to hell? It's not my place to say.

He'll face his judgment day. And we can all speculate. Three months after. After the verdict, George Birch sat in the courtroom again. This time for his sentencing.

The judge first addressed the matter of Doug Dietree. And of course, there's Mister D. Tree. He's certainly a victim here as well. First, being accused as her killer.

You took away the mother of his child, Mister Birch. That's a terrible, terrible crime. And then the judge turned his attention to George Birch's fate. This is a crime that would, I believe, merit the death penalty. And for that, you have to die in prison.

It's the order of this court. The sentence of this court, that you, George Birch, are sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. To Vicki and the family. To the Dietrich family. The prayers and support of this community are with you.

Good luck and God bless. This court is in reduced. I really hope that he understands for a lifetime what he all took away from us. How is the world different now without Nikki in it? What did she leave behind?

I mean, she left behind her three beautiful children that are gonna grow without having a mother to teach them. But I just. I see her in so many things. I'm just constantly reminded of her skating train. I feel like she's still there.

She's still here with us. Jellicoe.

That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt, thanks for joining us.

So many twists and turns. There are more surprises on the way. I'm Andrea Canning. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly, a new podcast covering breaking crime news around the country with the best reporters on the case, NBC News analysts and Dateline producers on the ground prosecution. I'll dive into stories that are catching DATELINe's attention this week.

This is sort of baffling events and get to the bottom of what you need to know. The question is, did you really think that you were going to get away with it? Dateline True crime Weekly listen now and catch new episodes every Thursday.