Hours after the victims are taken hostage, a ransom is delivered to the mansion on Woodland Drive. But it doesn’t save the victims -- the calls, text messages and voicemails end, leaving key parts of the timeline unexplained. But after the trial, a new theory emerges explaining how the killer got inside the house.

This episode is written and produced by WTOP reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit http://22hourspodcast.com to meet our hosts, view photos of the crime scene, explore a map of key locations in the case, and ask questions or leave comments in our interactive blog. You can also reach out via email, podcast@wtop.com, or via Twitter, @22hourspod. "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is a production of WTOP News in Washington, D.C.

All music featured in "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is licensed through Creative Commons and/or by permission of the artist. We're grateful to all the artists whose music has helped us tell this story. “Haters Hate” by Ramone Messam, used with permission of the artist; “Call me” and “Rhythmic Pulse” by Daniel Birch, as well as “Weirder” by Drake Stafford, all licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); and "Beyond the Lows" by The Whole Other, available in the YouTube Audio Library.