Jessica Servais: They never really said how he killed her or what he did to stage everything. If what they're saying is he staged it and killed her at the same time, the time frame doesn't fit up either. You don't have enough time to do all that stuff. INVESTIGATOR: Yeah, that's fine. As investigators began to question Todd Kendhammer, he appeared confused and forgetful of details. Todd Kendhammer's children stood by him. "He doesn't lie. So when he says he didn't do it, we believe him," Jessica said. But the jury didn't believe him, and Kendhammer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in 30 years. It was like losing a family member,” said Kerri Mallicoat, her friend and co-worker. “She brought the sunshine and roses to the room.” Gruenke also accused Kendhammer of lying about driving around Thursday night after work. Kendhammer said he couldn’t recall his precise movements.

But the jury didn't buy it. A t the conclusion of the trial, Todd Kendhammer was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide . In Wisconsin that carries an automatic life sentence. MARK MESHULAM (showing photo of the windshield): This is the view of the inside of the car looking out.The burden is now on the defense. Jerry Buting starts by calling a forensic pathologist, something Todd's first defense team had elected not to do.

At 8:05 a.m., a distraught Todd made that call to 911. He said there had been a horrible accident. And Barbara was badly hurt.

TODD KENDHAMMER [on the stand]:…just one of those things where you know immediately that's the girl you want. At trial, both sides argued about what caused Barbara's injuries — a tragic accident, or a brutal fight. The windshield was as hotly disputed as the medical evidence. Dueling experts had different theories of what caused the glass fracture patterns. I will respect your opinion, however please watch it again. Evidently, he had no idea he was being taped and recorded, throughout the entire process. There is no question he had lied many times. Lied about her work schedule, where he is going, he never mentioned he was going to work that night. First responders and the state’s key witness, a medical examiner, testified previously. The medical examiner testified she believed the injuries were inconsistent with a pipe strike, but admitted they were similar to the injuries seen before people wore shoulder restraint seatbelts. Hours" reached out to Gerianne and she denies Jessica's claims that she was estranged from Barbara. But her testimony wasn't the only surprise that day. Gruenke had some harsh words for the Kendhammer family, who had to sell Todd and Barbara's home and Jessica's house to pay Todd's legal bills.

A State Crime Laboratory analyst determined the pipe hit the passenger side of the windshield at least once before it broke through. Surveillance video captured a car matching the Kendhammers’ Toyota Camry at 7:57 a.m. traveling north on Hwy. M about one mile south of Bergum Coulee Road in the town of Hamilton. Evidence recovered from the car indicates Barbara was assaulted and the windshield smashed when she was not in the car, prosecutors said in court. Emergency responders arrived and worked to save Barbara Kendhammer, 46, who’d suffered “significant injuries,” Fritz Leinfelder, an investigator with La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, told “Accident, Suicide or Murder,” airing Saturdays at 8/7c on Oxygen . Jerry Butting: They chose to go a different route. And I think that was serious mistake that really damaged Todd's ability to defend himself.A passerby told investigators he saw the Camry half in the ditch, its windshield intact, the passenger door open and no one around the car, according to a sheriff’s department report. The windshield of the car was as hotly disputed as the medical evidence. The defense's expert, Mark Meshulam, with over 30 years of experience working with glass, believes the evidence supports Todd's story. They insist this isn't a murder mystery. It's an old-fashioned love story that ended in a tragic accident. During his trial, Todd told the court that he fell for Barbara, at first sight.