20/20 3/30 on ABC

ABC News’ ‘20/20’ Features New Footage of Trial and Last Week’s Sentencing Hearing in Which Doctor Was Sentenced to Life in Prison, Airing Friday, March 30

March 29, 2018

‘20/20’ FEATURES NEW FOOTAGE OF TRIAL AND LAST WEEK’S SENTENCING HEARING IN WHICH DOCTOR, CONVICTED OF HIRING A HIT MAN WITH VETERINARIAN GIRLFRIEND TO KILL THEIR EXES, WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

Hour Investigates Double Murder-for-Hire Plot and Includes Interview With Doctor From Jail

‘20/20’ Airs on Friday, March 30 (10:01 – 11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC

What caused a doctor and veterinarian couple to hire a hit man to kill their exes? Friday night, “20/20” investigates this double murder-for-hire plot and the elaborate sting operation authorities say they set up to catch Houston-area veterinarian, Valerie McDaniel, and her boyfriend, Leon Jacob, before it was too late. Just last week, Leon was convicted and sentenced to life for two counts of solicitation of capital murder. “20/20” features footage from the trial and sentencing hearing, including Leon’s testimony and impact statements from Leon’s targeted ex-girlfriend and allegedly abused ex-wife. The hour also features an interview with Leon from jail, pre-trial, who tells correspondent Matt Gutman he did nothing wrong. “20/20” airs on Friday, March 30 (10:01–11:00 p.m. EDT). on ABC.

The report includes the audio recording diary Valerie made after she was arrested and shortly before she took her own life. In addition, the hour features the police body camera arrest video of the couple and interviews with Michael Kubosh, the man who alerted authorities to his suspicions about Jacob. Prosecutors and friends close to Valerie and staged crime scene photos from the undercover sting are also included in the broadcast.

After an expensive divorce from Marion “Mack” McDaniel – Valerie’s husband of 17 years and father to their young child – she found love again when she began dating Leon, whose resume and self-confidence belied a troubled past. Although he graduated from medical school, he was kicked out of more than one residency program, including one where a hospital found him to be an “immediate threat to patient safety.” In addition, police arrested and charged him with stalking his ex-girlfriend last year; if convicted of a felony, his chances of ever practicing medicine would be in jeopardy. Both newly single, Leon and Valerie spent about two months dating before police say they plotted to get rid of their exes. Authorities claim that Leon and Valerie hired a man known as “Zach” who told the couple he could take care of their issues. Police say that when “Zach” took Leon’s money and disappeared, Leon reached out to Michael – the local bail bondsman who knew “Zach” – for help in locating him. But as Michael tells “20/20,” he became wary of Leon’s motive to find “Zach” and went to police. Police say they then conducted a sting operation, which involved faking Mac’s death and Leon’s ex-girlfriend’s kidnapping, to stop the plot. The two lovers were arrested and charged. Valerie took her life shortly after being released on bail.

“20/20” is anchored by Elizabeth Vargas and David Muir. David Sloan is senior executive producer.