Original subtitles

Stretching through the Alaskan wilderness, Glen Highway is one of those

that you don't want to get stuck on.

This area is remote. It's very steep, inclined right off the edge of the

roadway. It's a dangerous area.

Today, Detective John Foraker and his team are here following a tip, one he

hopes will help solve the most twisted case he has ever worked.

It was a very complex case. There were a lot of lies, a lot of stories, a lot of

people being...

taken advantage of.

I've got something, detective.

Let me take a look.

No, that's just a deer.

Sir, I've hunted before. I know what a deer looks like.

Nope, not human.

Maybe wolf.

Not human.

False alarm.

Let's keep looking.

There are many, many places in Alaska to hide a body.

It's a vast wilderness.

A crime scene such as this is complicated by the fact that there are

and there are predators.

Hey! Over here!

And I think it was about two hours into the search that another officer came

across skeletal remains.

All right, guys.

What do you think?

That's definitely not a deer.

Mike Dixiano thrives on helping others.

Hey, Mike.

The 56 -year -old therapist counsels clients struggling with addiction and

mental health issues.

When was your last drink?

Could be maybe 15 minutes ago.

Cutting it a little close, right?

I'm done.

Okay, good.

Then you're right where you need to be.

He had previously been a drug and alcohol counselor in the area of Valdez,

Alaska. He was pretty well off and just wanted to spend time helping other

people. He said, that's my mission. I feel good when I do that.

Sometimes this means visiting clients at home.

Hey, Sam.

Good to see you again.

Did you finish the puzzle we started last week?

No. I'm missing two pieces. I can't find them.

43 -year -old Sam Lee is determined to live an independent life.

Developmentally challenged, he's been seeing Mike regularly for a few months.

Look, I wanted to tell you, Sam sort of wandered the country, not really taking

care of himself over a number of years. When Mike Dixiano met him, he saw

somebody that was vulnerable, that needed some help, so Mike stepped in.

Hey, did you know there's over 3 million lakes in Alaska?

I did not know that.

Mike Dixiano would go over to Sam's house and fix things here and there

his trailer. He would take him out to get groceries, and he would drop things

off for Sam. In fact, Sam referred to Mike as his best friend.

So tomorrow's your big interview. Are you ready?

What are they going to ask me?

We could practice.

Hi, I'm Mike. Nice to meet you.

I'm Sam.

That's perfect.

In his free time, Mike enjoys restoring classic cars.

The only piece missing from his life is someone to love.

But that's all about to change.

Life for 40 -year -old Angela Neal hasn't exactly been easy.

Hi, please come on in.

Four times divorced, she's determined to start fresh in Alaska and overcome her

bad habits.

Hi, I'm Mike.

I'm Angela.

Nice to meet you, Angela.

So, tell me a little bit about yourself.

She had abused drugs and alcohol.

She certainly seemed like she had her demons.

She'd been treated for depression for about 20 years.

She'd been on medication off and on.

Been working on a boat down in Dutch Harbor for the past few months. Really?

Well, if you survive life on a crab boat, then we know you're tough.

Maybe.

It wasn't that bad. I mean, I've been through worse.

Like what?

Here, please, have a seat.

Mike makes a plan to help Angela stay sober and manage her depression.

This is a schedule of all the meetings in town. We do ours on Thursday night.

But if you... ever need anyone in between, I can be reached at this number

or night.

Okay. Thanks.

God grant me this serenity to accept the things I cannot do. As their weekly

sessions progress, Angela's well -being improves.

And the wisdom to know the difference and keep coming back.

Good job, Gus.

And for the first time in a long time, She's content.

You know, I've never felt better, thanks to you.

You did all the hard work, and I'm really proud of how far you've come.

So it's no surprise when Angela finds herself falling for her counselor.

Angela was a vulnerable person, and she finally met someone who she could be

happy with.

When do I get to go to one of these car shows you've been talking about?

I thought you were just being nice by listening to me go on about that. No,

I'd really love to go with you sometime.

That's okay.

Mike can't deny he feels strong chemistry, too.

But there's a critical problem.

Counselors are prohibited from forming relationships with patients.

Though he tries to resist, Mike's heart outweighs his mind.

and he asks Angela out to dinner.

There it is.

Here's to six months.

And to new beginnings.

Yeah, and new beginnings.

You know, I've had six months before, but obviously it never

lasted. Well, you didn't have the community you now have, and you didn't

me.

Especially...

The you part.

The relationship takes off with romantic getaways and drives up the coast in

Mike's beloved Corvette.

Angela, she had a hard life. She just needed some companionship, and I think

Mike provided that for her. They just seemed made for each other.

But finding his soulmate comes at a cost.

When word gets to Mike's supervisor, he must face the consequences.

You know the rules.

They are there for a reason, and it's clear.

You do not date your client.

I know.

But this time it's different.

She's different.

I'm sorry.

I'll give you another hour to finish up, and then you gotta get out.

Fortunately, Mike has a hefty savings.

He decides to take some time off to enjoy it with his new love.

He told me that he inherited a lot of money from his uncle and that he had

his business in Hawaii.

I choose you, Angela, to celebrate your greatest joys.

Mike may have lost his job, but he does gain a beautiful bride.

Soon after their first date, Mike and Angela tie the knot.

Will you do me the honor of taking me as your husband?

I will.

It was a small wedding and just a few family and friends.

And that was it. You didn't want anything big, fancy.

One month later, Angela and Mike move into their dream home in an exclusive

of Anchorage.

She had everything she wanted, needed, and I'm sure he spoiled her.

They had a good life. They had a nice home.

They had numerous vehicles. They traveled to Hawaii.

All of a sudden, she's living the high life, and a person could get really used

to that.

Even though Mike is no longer working as a therapist, he and Angela still visit

one of his favorite clients, Sam Lee.

Do you have any forks?

I can go fix.

He was like a family member. They took care of him. They made sure he was

right. Hey, why don't I whip us up some spaghetti for dinner?

With meatballs?

Of course.

But I don't have any parmesan cheese.

I have to have parmesan cheese.

Oh, okay.

Hey, Mike, would you go pick some up while I get dinner started?

Mike?

Mike?

Huh? I'm in the middle of this.

Well, just take a minute. And by the time you get back, I'll have food on the

table.

I said I'm busy.

He's mad.

It's okay.

It's okay.

But soon, the happy couple will begin to grind their gears.

You could see cracks happening. She didn't seem quite as happy.

Behind the scenes, there was a lot of fighting going on.

Mike was reaching out to women on dating websites.

Newlyweds Mike and Angela Dixiano are enjoying a lavish lifestyle in

Alaska.

I don't think Angela was ever spoiled in a relationship like she was with Mike.

One of the couple's favorite pastimes is hanging out with fellow car enthusiasts

Kelly Scheidenhelm and her husband, Eddie.

Hey, you made it!

Hey, nice to see you.

Good. You look great.

Thank you.

Congratulations on the wedding. Let me see that ring.

Oh, my gosh.

Angela is a very caring person. She would always give you a hug.

How are you doing?

Do you need anything?

Making sure everybody was happy around her. She'll have a club soda, but I'll

take a glass.

All right. Fantastic. I'll be back with your order. Thanks.

They were both very outgoing.

And very friendly.

Mike and Angela also enjoy taking their Corvette up the Alaskan coast to visit

Nancy and Craig Haberly.

We're close with Angela and Mike after we met them.

And that was through them buying a puppy from us.

He's so cute, isn't he? So cute.

He's our best friend, but we've had to replace the floor twice.

What can you do? I just love him so much.

He's really helped me a lot lately.

How's Mike?

Well, most people don't know this, but I

used to be one of Mike's clients.

So, you know, I had all the problems that go along with that.

I've got the demons under control, but I still struggle with depression.

The meds aren't really helping, and I want to go off them, but they just seem

spiral down every time I try.

I was shocked.

Angela was always bubbly, always happy. It really surprised me.

So, how's everything now?

It's Mike.

We've been on like an extended honeymoon ever since we met almost a year ago.

But something's changed.

Like, like overnight changed.

Are you cheating on me?

No. What are you talking about?

Stop lying. I saw your computer.

You're clearly looking for women online.

It's a message on my old profile from before we met.

I forgot I was even on the site.

See, I'm shutting it down now.

There's nothing to worry about.

I don't know what to think. Well, honey, did you take your meds this morning?

Oh, don't give me that!

It was a crushing blow.

She was trying to keep up a facade that everything was okay.

But I think down deep it wasn't.

Don't mess with me. I'm not.

I'm not strong enough.

I wish I were.

I'm telling you the truth, honey.

Honey.

Something like that would trigger.

somebody to relapse.

Honey!

Despite Mike's denial, the incident pushes Angela over the edge, and she

the first thing she can get her hands on.

Honey!

And then she left and didn't come back, and Mike was concerned, so he went to

find his wife.

But before Mike can find his wife, The law finds him.

Mike Dixiano was pulled over for suspicion of driving under the

License and registration, please. Is there a problem, officer?

When the officer started talking to him, he said that he was attempting to

follow his wife, Angela.

Have you been drinking?

What?

Look, I'm really worried about my wife. She should have been home hours ago, so

I had to go out and look for her. Something might have happened.

Step out of the vehicle, sir. You can't be serious.

Step out, sir.

You want to tell me what you're planning to do with these?

He explained the reason for the loaded firearms in his car was because he was

following Angela to her drug dealer.

They're just there for protection, officer.

And it's no law against having guns in your car. There is when you're drunk.

Come on, I've got to take you to the station. Please, my wife needs me.

After providing a breath sample, Mike is released.

They had to let him go because his breath alcohol level did not reach the

which is .08.

He was just shy of that.

Mike eventually finds Angela at home.

Angela had her demons and she still was engaging in drug abuse and things that

Mike had hoped that she would give up. Come on, get up.

You can't keep doing this.

I can't live like this anymore.

You married an addict.

What did you think was going to happen?

Honey.

We're going to have to get you into an inpatient program 90 days.

There's nothing more I can do for you.

Come on, let's go.

Whatever. Let's go. Come on.

Over the next couple of years, Angela is in and out of jail for theft and

forgery.

She even attempts to pawn Mike's gold watch to pay for drugs.

In January 2010,

She's sent to the Anchorage Correctional Facility for shoplifting.

Open cell door.

She was sent to just a handful of months for that particular offense.

As her release date approaches, Angela's determined to stay clean and get her

marriage back on track.

I can't wait to get out of here.

Just one more day, sweetheart.

Almost there.

You look good.

Helps to not have a gallon of tequila in your system.

Damn, I miss you.

I miss you too, baby.

I'll be here tomorrow noon on the dot to pick you up. I promise.

Can you bring the vet?

Of course.

Then I'm driving.

We'll see.

Till then.

Okay. Okay.

Mike and Angela soon reconnect with friends Nancy and Craig Haverly.

They have no idea of Angela's time behind bars.

So, any plans for summer?

Well, I'm redoing the kitchen. I'm hoping Mike will take me to Hawaii.

We'll probably get a new dog, and I can't wait to take the yellow Corvette

for a spin.

I could feel tension the minute they came in the house.

Wow, that's a lot.

Well, I don't want you driving that one. It's brand new.

Looks like he told you.

That's not funny, Craig.

Relax, Angela. I was just joking.

You're not joking. I know what you think of me.

He said something really minor that shouldn't have bothered anybody.

And it set her completely off.

Are you okay?

Come on, honey. Craig didn't mean anything. She appeared to be heavily

intoxicated and just...

for lack of better words, completely out of control.

Did you ever think that maybe you're the controlling one, Craig?

That was completely polar opposite from normal Angela.

Let's all just take a deep breath and calm down.

What's supposed to be an enjoyable dinner with friends has quickly turned

hostile. You're such an ass.

44 -year -old Angela Dixiano's outburst is a shock to everyone.

It was like, where did this come from?

I told her, Angela, calm down.

I am cold!

I gotta get out of here.

What is wrong with her?

I think she's having a mental breakdown. I've got to get her to the hospital.

I knew Angela had been off her medication.

So when Mike said she was probably having a breakdown, it didn't surprise

Afraid Angela might hurt herself or someone else, Craig calls the state

for assistance.

Angela.

That shocked me because she wasn't violent.

And out of reaction, I slapped her back.

Thankfully,

law enforcement arrives within minutes.

Where the troopers decide they had to remove her from the home. And she looked

over at her husband, Mike, and gave the most evil look that he had ever seen.

Tell him everything, Mike. You're going down. You're going to prison.

And they took her away, still screaming and ranting and raving about how she was

going to expose everything that Mike was doing. You didn't have to call the

police, Craig. I could have handled this. Sure, Mike.

You really looked like you were doing a good job. I feel so bad. I hope she gets

better. Yeah, thank you.

In a situation like that, often people make crazy statements.

And the focus is to try to get them the mental help that they need.

I didn't know how severe her emotional or mental disorder was, but that

was not Angela I knew.

Angela is taken to the Central Peninsula Hospital for evaluation.

Her blood alcohol result was a .374, so she was extremely intoxicated.

By the next day, Angela has stabilized, and she's released back to Mike.

But their relationship appears to be over.

Mike told us that she'd left. She'd went back down to Oregon.

He said she's out of control.

Hey there, Nancy.

Hey, Mike. Let me talk to Angela.

No, she's not here. She's gone.

What do you mean she's gone?

There was nothing more I could do for her. She wanted her own apartment. I

her some money to get her started.

Where can I reach her?

When I get her number, I'll let you know.

I tried getting a hold of her on her Facebook, and I tried calling her

and she didn't answer.

Because I was concerned about her.

Nancy's right to worry.

Just weeks later, on June 18, 2010, Mike gets word that Angela has died.

Her organs had shut down due to years of drug abuse.

Mike had said that she had passed away from kidney failure. It was just sad,

know.

Mike notifies Angela's family.

Her mom, Kathy, is heartbroken, but not too surprised.

Kathy didn't have the money to pick any kind of funeral services. She posted an

obituary out of Grand Coulee, Washington, for her daughter.

It was hard for Angela's mom. They had been estranged for years, and they

weren't very close.

But she was really sad that her daughter had died.

Weeks later, Angela's friend Kelly Scheidenhelm reaches out to Mike. Hi,

And that's when he told me that, oh, Angela had passed away.

And I thought, oh, God.

And I was just devastated.

What? It was kidney failure.

Why don't you come inside?

Kelly can't help remember the last time she saw Angela.

Damn, that drive today was exhilarating.

What's the horsepower?

Just about 230 with 245 pounds -foot of torque.

Not bad.

Excuse me.

I've got to take this. It'll just be a minute.

Angela, Mike, and I went for a drive.

He took the phone call, and then she told me... Hey, if anything happens to

make sure Mike is taken care of.

Honey, why would you ever even say something like that? Just promise me,

Of course.

Don't worry.

Sorry about that.

How about we take loop trail?

Sounds good to me.

That haunts me to this day.

I just thought it was a really odd thing to say.

And that was, unfortunately, the last time I saw her.

Kelly now wonders if she had misunderstood Angela's plea.

Okay. Was Angela trying to send her a message?

If anything happens to me, make sure Mike is taken care of.

On June 18, 2010, 44 -year -old Angela Dixiano dies from organ failure after

decades of substance abuse.

Mike told Angela's mom that he had had her cremated.

He sent pictures of him spreading these ashes to her.

Angela's friend Kelly holds her own memorial at a car show.

I found a poem. I presented that to Mike.

He cried, and I cried.

We dedicated the car show to Angela.

So I got my closure.

Mike somehow manages to pick up the pieces and starts dating again.

He immediately was reaching out to other people. females on internet dating

sites.

Mike was needy, I guess. I guess he needed a woman in his life, so he

her fast.

Eddie, Kelly, I'd like you to meet someone.

Six months after Angela's death, Mike has some big news.

There was an announcement made that Mike was going to get married.

This is my fiancée, Elena.

Oh, well.

Yes, congratulations are in order. Hi, I'm Kelly.

Yeah, I'm happy for you. Hey, everyone, drinks on Eddie.

We were pretty stunned because it was so soon.

Angela did tell me to look after Mike. Those were her wishes.

I didn't think anything else of it.

Weeks after Mike's engagement, Craig Haverly has his own news.

He calls his now ex -wife Nancy to share.

So, what's so important?

Just hear me out. There's a lot about Mike we don't know.

Sounds like you're being a little paranoid again, Craig.

Knowing my ex -husband the way I did, I thought, well, maybe he's overreacting.

Angela's death never really did make sense to me, so I started asking Mike

about it.

Just a simple question.

How, when, and where Angela passed away.

And there had been some kind of disagreement between them. It was some

altercation over some emails that were sent back and forth. He started going

on me.

Mike was threatening to shoot him. He was threatening to come to the house.

just really belligerent, really aggressive.

So that got me thinking about the last time we saw Angela.

You remember what she said that night?

Yeah, she said something about Mike's going to prison.

I'm going to tell him everything, Mike. You're going down.

You're going to prison.

Maybe she's not crazy after all.

Maybe she's actually trying to tell us something.

Even though Nancy thinks this might be a stretch, Craig takes matters into his

own hands and files a missing persons report.

May I please speak with Angela Dixiano?

Who is this?

This is State Trooper Larry Duran.

Angela passed away.

I'm very sorry to hear that. What happened?

She had pancreatic cancer, and she died down in Washington State with her family

back in April.

Thanks for the information.

Sorry to bother you.

Upon completing that interview with him, the trooper attempted to see if he

could find a record of Angela's death.

I need a copy of the death certificate for Angela Dixiano.

No, no other last names. It would definitely be under Dixiano.

Trooper Duran took the bull by the horns and discovered that there was no death

certificate issued for Angela.

Really? Nothing, huh?

Okay, thanks.

He also was able to Google Angela Dixiano's name and found out that there

been an obituary in a local newspaper in Washington.

Alarmingly, the obituary places Angela's death in Anchorage in June, not in

Washington State in April, like Mike said.

So there were some red flags there for the trooper. At that point in time, he

decided to contact the Anchorage Police Department.

Detectives John Foraker and Walt Gilmore follow up immediately with a visit to

Mike's home.

We'd like to ask you a few questions about your wife, Angela.

Yeah, I know.

Let me guess, Craig called you guys? There's no record of your wife, Taff.

And that's when he just started telling us. He made up the story about Angela

dying.

After the incident at Craig's house, Angela was out of control.

What do you mean out of control?

She wanted out.

Out of my life, out of Alaska.

Mike said that she had demanded money from him.

So his story was he took $10 ,000, gave it to his wife, and Angela just walked

away.

I couldn't bear to tell her family and friends that she had relapsed again and

disappeared.

So I just told everyone that she had died.

I know, it sounds terrible, but I thought it was for the best.

I just wish I knew what happened to her.

Detectives then take a closer look at Angela's past and uncover several jaw

-dropping charges.

Hey, baby.

Want to have some fun tonight?

Sure. Come on in.

She was arrested twice for prostitution.

That's a pretty rough lifestyle.

It's a very dangerous lifestyle.

The new information opens up dark possibilities.

Could she have run off with it, John?

Looks like our case just got a bit more complicated.

What is it?

Well, in addition to her prostitution, theft, and drug charges, Angela's got 26

different aliases.

You've got to be kidding me.

Maybe Dixiana's telling the truth.

I had no idea that there was another whole side of her.

It was a double life.

Complete different person than the person I knew.

It was shocking.

But she had it pretty good with Mike.

I mean, Trips to Hawaii, her own Corvette, nice big house.

Yeah, we need to pull all the bank records.

I'm on it.

Turns out Angela does not have a bank account.

Mike handled all the finances.

He wouldn't even give her a credit card. She was in a strict cash allowance.

If she wanted something, she basically had to beg for it.

He was very manipulative.

He controlled every aspect of her life. He gave her no way out.

She had no phone. She had no bank account.

She had no money.

And it was hard to get away from him.

That's why she was doing tricks.

Just got by.

Detectives wonder if Angela had found a way to escape her dominant husband.

Come in.

Just checking in to see if you'd heard from Angela at all.

No, she hasn't called.

Okay, well, we're going to go ahead and release her picture and information to

the media, see if we can get any tips on her whereabouts.

Immediately after telling Mike that, he visibly began to shake. He was very

scared.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Well, what's wrong, Mike?

I would think a loving husband like you would want her back as soon as possible.

Of course.

I'm just concerned.

I think the Dixiano case just really kept unfolding and unfolding because

twist and turn, there was just a new fact.

It's been eight months since 44 -year -old Angela Dixiano disappeared.

And as investigators dig deeper into her husband's background, they uncover

alarming red flags.

We learned that he had changed his name from Mike Dix to Dixiano. He had a

felony conviction for embezzling money in Valdez back in the early 80s.

They also discovered that Mike had absolutely no certification to work as a

therapist.

Mike was leading a double life, lying to everybody.

I think his lies finally caught up with him.

Everything about this guy is a lie.

Changed his name, forged his diploma.

I can't keep it all straight.

His money comes from a shared account.

You ever hear of a guy named Family?

Hey, Sam.

Good to see you again.

Sam Lee is Mike's former client.

Mike has been known to help Sam with day -to -day chores.

But why would they have shared a bank account?

We realized Sam was being taken advantage of by Mike.

What do we do when things go wrong?

We start over. We start over.

And at some point, he figured out that Sam had a bunch of money.

Hi, Mr. Banker.

Yes, I got your letter.

What's a trust fund?

In fact, Sam's parents had left him $3 million, which Mike Dixiano had been

using as his personal piggy bank for years.

Mike had convinced Sam to sign over a power of attorney.

And through that, he had been able to set up these payments that went from

trust into a joint account that both Mike and Sam had access to.

In 2010 alone, Mike embezzled $100 ,000 from his former client to

purchase sports cars and take luxury vacations, all while Sam lived a simple

life in a small trailer park.

Mike purchased 20 different vehicles between the years 2006 and 2010,

an amount close to $320 ,000.

Thank you.

This is very confusing.

No problem, buddy.

That's what I'm here for.

Sam was a perfect target for somebody like Mike Dixiano. He was vulnerable,

he definitely needed some help.

The scale of this theft was actually kind of staggering.

Mike is charged with seven felony counts, including scheming to defraud,

-degree theft, and multiple counts of forgery against Sam Lee.

You have the right to remain silent.

Friends wonder, could Angela have paid the ultimate price for threatening to

reveal Mike's secrets?

I think we all knew at that point in time that she was no longer with us

and that he might have done something to her.

Detectives have the same hunch.

They get a search warrant for Mike's home.

While our crime scene detectives were inside the house, one of them had opened

up the hatch to the crawl space.

And he observed what appeared to him to be dry blood in a puddle. It's above us.

Master bedroom.

The blood comes back a match to Angela.

Mike is charged with murder.

I think we both know it's only a matter of time before we find the body.

Tell me, what really happened to your wife?

It's not what you think.

It was a few days after her outburst at our friend's place that she really lost

control.

I know you have cash.

Give it to me.

What are you doing? I got to get out of here, and I need that money.

Okay, wait, wait.

Hold on. If you don't give it to me, I'm going to tell everybody what you did.

All right, all right.

Just stay out. I get it. I get it. Just relax.

Just relax. And he said that he basically did everything he could to

himself.

But when you have a person swinging a baseball bat at your head,

And you go down, and they continue striking you.

You don't have a fighting chance.

That's not how self -defense works.

And everybody involved in this saw right through that.

Can you tell me where you took her?

I'll tell you.

But first, let's talk about what kind of prison time I'm looking at.

So Angela's body was one of Mike's main negotiating points because the

prosecutor and the family, they want closure here. They weren't going to be

to do that unless they made some kind of a deal with Mike Dixiano.

In exchange for a lesser sentence, Mike guides investigators to milepost 86 .4

off the Glen Highway, about an hour outside of Anchorage.

Over here!

Two years after Mike beat his wife to death, Angela's remains are recovered.

The tarps were laying next to her. There was obviously no doubt at this point

that the skeleton was that of Angela's.

Mike Dixiano pleads guilty to theft and second -degree murder.

He is sentenced to 20 years in prison with no possibility of parole.

Open cell nine.

In total, Mike stole more than $750 ,000 from Sam Lee's trust fund.

Cell nine, close.

He is ordered to pay over $3 million in restitution.

Everything that Michael Dixiano did was purely for the money, to satisfy

his greed.

and his desire for nice shiny cars and fancy vacations.

That's just wrong.

For friends Kelly and Nancy, accepting the truth about their friends has been

hard. But even learning Angela's darkest secrets hasn't changed their love for

her.

She was just a diamond in the rough.

She was just a truly good soul.

I miss Angela's smile. I miss her getting into mischief at car shows.

I miss her dressing up.

I totally miss my friend, yes.

I'm glad that we finally have closure.