48 Hours - Ryan Poston Murder Part 2: Obsessed - Encore

Episode Date: December 30, 2018

A lawyer shot -- his girlfriend admits she pulled the trigger. It looked like the story was over, but it wasn’t. “48 Hours” is there for a new trial and a new verdict. Correspondent Peter Van Sant investigates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. I don't know why, where in her life, something steered her so wrong to make her become so obsessive. Ryan Poston was trying to end the relationship with Shana.

She was obsessed with him. How did Shana and Ryan meet? They met on Facebook. What was the attraction, do you think? Well, you've seen pictures of them. They're both beautiful people. And in addition to that, they're both very intelligent. He was a young lawyer who had a great

practice that was starting. He was kind and he was compassionate. I think she had a goal in the beginning to make him settle down with her and when she wasn't becoming successful that became a problem. Ryan was the one that initiated

I love you Shana. I really thought that he that initiated, I love you, Shana. I really thought that he meant it. I really thought that he did. She wouldn't stop texting him, obsessively texting him, and he would not respond except to say, if you do not stop, I'm turning off my phone, and in fact, I'm going to padlock my door. She showed up unannounced all the time.

Ryan said that Shana was restraining order crazy. Campbell County 911. Ma'am, I have a school. I killed my boyfriend in South Dakota. Six shots rang out in this condo. Police say it was murder. But Shana Hubers claims she defended herself against a man with a violent temper. Ryan didn't beat on me every day,

but he did put hands on me a handful of times. She said she gave him the nose job that he wanted. I knew he was going to die or have a completely deformed face. He's very vain and wants to get a nose job. Just that kind of person. And I saw him right here. I gave him his nose job he wanted. I don't know what more you can say after that. I don't know if anyone will ever want to marry me

if they know that I killed a boyfriend and helped him. Thank you. okay what was his name the man that i killed him ryan carter poston in april 2015 two and a half years after shana Huber's gunned down her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ryan Poston, her trial is set to begin. Central to both the prosecution and the defense middle of him doing something with his arm or saying something crazy, I shot him. Shana claims she shot Ryan in self-defense during a heated confrontation at his condo. Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass contends that the only person whose life was in danger on October 12, 2012, was Ryan Poston. I think in the midst of that, my love turned to hate. My love turned to hate. I think at that point in time, we knew what Shana Hubers was thinking.

And it certainly wasn't that she needed to act out of fear. She acted out of hate. Prosecutors say trouble had been brewing long before that tragic day. Ryan's cousin, Carissa Carlisle, who was also Shana's friend, testified about the tumultuous relationship. He said to me, this is getting to be restraining order level crazy. I'm not kidding. You need to talk to her. She needs help, and I say that without exaggeration. She just really needs help. What did you learn about Shana's personality?

The word obsessive is a good word for her. An obsession that police chief Bill Birkenhauer says can be seen in the thousands of text messages Shana sent Ryan. We know from text messages back and forth that when Ryan would end it, sometimes Shana would just show back up and not leave. Refuse to leave? Yes, refuse to leave. By the fall of 2012, investigators believe Shana was nearing a breaking point.

Eleven days before the shooting, Shana sent a friend an ominous text. She says when she goes to the shooting range with Ryan tonight, she wants to turn around, shoot and kill him and play like it's an accident. Shana texted similar disturbing comments to another friend and sent a gun-toting picture. She was already making a plan to make sure Ryan did not leave her. The state believes Shana confronted him at his condo because Ryan had told her he didn't want to see her that weekend. Although investigators don't doubt an argument took place,

they saw no evidence of the violent struggle Shana had described. He was throwing me around the room, like picking me up and like had my face in stuff. Shana claimed Ryan had also thrown her against this bookshelf. As you can see, this bookcase is covered with items that would have shifted, that would

have been in a different position. A number of pipes along that shelf, some bullets on this shelf. And if you look at this photograph that shows a little bit of a closer angle, none of them are disturbed. But what really made investigators skeptical about Shana's story... I know what happened. Right. ...was her claim that at one point during their clash, Ryan had locked himself in his bedroom. So what was Ms. Huber's Googling how to do?

She first Googled how to unlock a house door with a bobby pin. That was a Google search. She found a way to unlock his bedroom door and get in there. By now, the argument had moved into the dining room, with Ryan on one side of the table and Shana standing on the other side. Ryan's loaded handgun was on the table. He was screaming at me, telling me I was f***ing held up, that he f***ing hates me, that he hates my speaking voice, I hate everything about you.

The jury would hear Shana's own account of the shooting. And he was, he had his hand on the table and he wasn't completely standing up. He was like this. He was sitting, he was enough that when I shot him he was like this. He was sitting, he was enough that when I shot him, he was like this. Literally. That's when I knew he was dead. Or close to it and twitching.

Despite Shana's description that Ryan was nearly dead after the first shot, she went on to shoot him five more times. But the defense maintains Ryan was still a threat. He was moving when these shots were fired. The prosecution doesn't buy it, and they say they have the science to prove it. All right, have a seat. Forensic expert Howard Ryan testifies that Shana's first shot was to Ryan Poston's head,

a significant fact because there was no blood on the front of his shirt if he was in an upright position the gravity would have brought it down straight down the shirt and through the pants from the bottom of the shirt to the pants using the very blood-stained table taken from ryan poston's condo how do you think this went down? JOHN YANG, Snodgrass demonstrates why investigators are convinced that Ryan was sitting and never stood up after the first shot. RAYNA BROWN, When she shoots him in the right forehead, at that point in time, his head goes down on the table. As you can see, this exposes the upper portion of his right back, which we believe was the second shot.

At that same time as well, his right arm is dangling, which again opens up the area where the third shot occurred, which was under his right arm. And where's his body going? And then at that point in time, Ryan starts to fall out of the chair. He ultimately ends up laying on the floor. While Ryan was down on the floor, Snodgrass says Shana then finished him off. He was helpless. That's not self-defense.

To bolster their case, the prosecution calls three jailhouse informants who befriended Shana behind bars. Are you a convicted felon? Yes. Yes, I am. Yes, I am. The women, who have a history of drug abuse and multiple arrests, say they came forward because Shana had shown no remorse. They deny receiving any special treatment for their testimony.

And what did she say had really happened? What really happened? That she was the aggressor in the fight. She said she was going to plead insanity, but then she said that she was too smart because she has an IQ of Einstein, and so she's going to plead the white batter syndrome. Okay. And say that he beat her. I see no remorse. He has an IQ of Einstein, and so she's going to plead the wife battered syndrome. Okay. And say that he beat her.

I see no remorse. She played more the victim role. According to this last informant, Shana knew that Ryan had a date with this woman. Ohio! Former Miss Ohio USA, Audrey Bolte. We were going to meet at a local bar and grab a few drinks and play pool and just have a low-key fun time. Shana Huber strongly denies she knew about the planned date. As the state's case winds down, Ryan's parents tell the jury of their profound loss. RYAN GARCIA, Ryan was my world. When people would ask me about my child, I wouldn't

say that he was beautiful, even though he was, or he was brilliant, even though he was. I would say my son has a kind heart. I can tell you one thing. I was the luckiest woman on Earth for 30 years. But the defense is about to turn the tables on the prosecution. That child has been a blessing to me. She's my whole life. My life didn't happen until Shana was born. Retired school teacher Sharon Hubers can't comprehend how her daughter stands charged with murder.

Now she's poised to stand by her only child, as the defense puts on its case. Shana Hubers has never said anything to anybody in this case other than I had to do to save my life. I did this in self-defense. Defense attorney David Mejia doesn't deny that Shana Hubers shot and killed Ryan Poston. doesn't deny that Shana Hubers shot and killed Ryan Poston. But he must now convince the jury that Ryan was the aggressor that night. Is the defense ready to proceed?

Defense calls Mr. Sharon Hubers. Sharon Hubers. Sharon is the first to take the stand. It'll be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Yes, sir. She wants everyone to know about her wonderful daughter. She enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University. She decided she wanted to be a school guidance counselor.

In every way, she's been brilliant. Sharon then testifies about the time leading up to Ryan's death, describing that frantic call from her daughter shortly after 3 a.m., some 18 hours before Ryan was shot. Shana was at Ryan's and complained of chest pains. She was sick. She was in pain. There was fear in her voice.

Later that day, clearly feeling better, Shana and her mother went shopping. But much of that time, Shana was furiously texting Ryan, writing in part, I'm being placed on medicine that will help my blood pressure. And later, I am so thankful that my mom came and took me to the doctor. None of it was true? None of it was true.

Why was she saying these things? To get his sympathy. If he felt sorry for her, then maybe she still had a chance. That evening, Sharon left Shana in front of Ryan's condo complex. Hours later, she receives another frantic call. Ryan was dead. She reveals to the jury that Shana called her first before calling 911. She was hysterical, terrified, in shock.

What were your words to Shana? Shana, call 911 and tell them where you are and exactly what happened. Why would Shana call mom instead of the police after this traumatic experience and having to shoot her boyfriend? I have no idea why she would do that. This is the only thing that I can surmise from it, is that she was trying to come up with her defense. He threw me across the room, and I was very startled. I was laying on the floor.

The night of October 12, 2012, the defense argues Ryan Poston had reached his boiling point. And he's got a lawsuit confronting him that he can't take. He was being sued by his former law partner. They point to Facebook messages he sent weeks before he died. Referring to the man who's suing him, Ryan writes, I want this piece of ass destroyed. Bury him neck deep at low tide.

Throw darts at his head. That's a threat. I don't know if it's a threat or if it's a comment about his dislike for the individual that he's talking about. The defense maintains these messages show Ryan had a dangerous temper, fueled by drugs he was prescribed. Eight months before his murder, he wrote to a friend, the stuff they put me on fills me with rage from what I can tell.

He was taken to pretty strong drugs. Ryan's friend, Allie Wagner, says Ryan had turned to the drugs to cope with the stress of the lawsuit. He said, I'm taking Adderall to wake up and I'm taking Xanax to go to bed. But she insists he was still the same guy she met 10 years earlier. He was still normal. I mean, I saw him the day before he died and he was fine. All right, would you call your witness, please?

Dr. Saeed Jortani. Saeed Jortani. Now, a toxicologist takes the stand. Sir, if you would have a seat. Who says the mixing of those prescription drugs could have frightening effects. What these drugs do, they basically cause incidents of behavioral discontrol and hostile outbursts. The defense contends Ryan snapped, attacking Shana. Mejia reminds jurors what he believes happened, that Ryan Poston was standing and moving when Shana shot him six times.

Even Shana's own words do not support the theory that was presented in court. She never said that he was standing. I walked around the table. She never said that he was standing. He fell onto the ground. He was like laying like this. His glasses were still on. He was twitching some more. I shot him a couple more times just to make sure he was dead. Raise your right hand. A former medical examiner for the state of Kentucky, Dr. George Nichols, testifies Ryan could still have been a threat to Shana even after he was shot.

He could move the chest wounds, the front and back wounds, the armpit wounds. They would not cause him to lose the ability to walk at least some or move some. Shana Hubers, the young woman who couldn't stop talking to police, doesn't take the stand. But her attorney will demonstrate... The gun is on the table. ...how he believes the shooting went down.

Her statement was, he reached for the gun. I grabbed it. Self-defense. As closing arguments begin, defense attorney David Mejia mocks the prosecution's claim that Shana Huber's obsession led to Ryan's murder. She keeps calling her boyfriend, and he can't get rid of her. She's a murderer. She keeps hounding him and hounding him with texts and emails,

and so she's a cold-blooded murderer. Are you buying that? Now, in a case that never lacks drama... We're going to take a moment to bring out the table. Mejia reenacts Ryan's shooting, COLE counsel Rachel Nugent playing the role of Shana Hubers. Her statement was, he reached for the gun. And I grabbed it. First shot to the head.

As he's reaching down to her as she's below him. But in a dueling demonstration... Again, the evidence doesn't lie. Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass argues that Mejia's theory is not supported by the forensic evidence. The trajectory was in a downward, downward angle. There is no way that from the ground that that shot occurred. It's just not physically possible. Snodgrass wants jurors to focus on Shana's behavior,

which she likens to a performance. When the cops walk out of the room, watch what the actress does. Do you smoke? I will. I can't. All right, you can sit down and have a seat. I'll get you a cigarette, too. All right. I'm with the judge.

Just a second. You're fine. The minute he walks out of the room, the crying stops. That's the actress. Within hours of putting six bullets into Ryan Poston and watching him die, she danced and sang. I did. Yeah, I did. She's shown us that she's a liar.

She's shown us that she's a manipulator. And most importantly, what she showed us on October 12, 2012, is that she's a murderer. The case goes to the jury shortly before 6.30 p.m. on April 23, 2015. Family and friends anxiously wait as deliberations go late into the night.

Then, just before 11.30, a verdict is reached. It is time for Shana to learn her fate. We, the jury, find the defendant, Shana Hubers, guilty of murder. Guilty. Guilty. 24-year-old Shana Hubers, once a promising graduate student, is now a convicted murderer. For Ryan's family, there is enormous relief that justice has been served. For Shana's mother, there is shock and disbelief.

What was that moment like for you when you heard guilty? that moment like for you when you heard guilty that's difficult to explain peter because it i was terrified and and it was surreal it i didn't see how on earth that that it could have been that that could have been the outcome court reconvenes the next morning as jurors will now hear testimony from both sides to determine Shana's sentence. Her lawyers ask the jury for lenience. KATEY CARTER, Ryan's sisters, takes the stand to share her heartache. He made us complete.

And without him, there is always a chair that's going to be empty. He will never be able to get married. He'll never be able to have kids. He will never be able to have all the things that he deserved to have in his life. It takes the jury only about an hour to make its recommendation. We, the jury, fix the defendant, Shana Huber's punishment for the offense of murder at 40 years confinement in the penitentiary. 40 years. The judge will later decide whether to accept

the jury's suggested sentence. For Ryan's parents, it doesn't ease the pain of their loss. It's a shallow victory. Our son is dead. Never for one second did we ever think that there was any, any physical violence from a young man who had a kind and gentle heart. Three months later, they are back in court for a hearing. We are here on a number of issues, folks.

The defense wants a shorter sentence for Shana, so they're trying to prove that she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Ryan. That would make her eligible for parole after serving eight years. But first, under Kentucky law, the defense must prove the two live together, despite what she told police. I don't live with him. Okay, is that his address? Okay, what's your address with her? Shana had an apartment in Lexington, more than 80 miles away. Now she takes the stand, trying to convince the judge she was Ryan's live-in girlfriend.

By reading texts, the two send each other. Shana says, I'm going to fry boneless chicken breast for dinner. Does that sound good? Ryan says that sounds good. for dinner. Does that sound good? Ryan says that sounds good. But the prosecutor confronts Shana with evidence that she was also seen

other men. Were you with 10 other men during that, during this whole time that we're talking about? 2012, 10 different men. How are you saying, was I with them? Like, are you saying, was I friends with them? Did I sleep with them? You slept with 10 different men during 2012.

In answer to your question, sure, I may have slept with 10 guys in 2012, but I don't see how that's relevant to any of this. The judge finds that Shana and Ryan were not domestic partners. It's now up to the judge to issue his final sentence. And the defense will make one last desperate call for mercy. Watch more of Shana Huber's police interrogation on Facebook at 48 hours.

It has been nearly three years since Shana Huber shot Ryan Poston, including a final bullet as he helplessly twitched on the floor. All right, how many witnesses do each side propose for sentencing? Now, at her sentencing hearing, her defense team wants to make sure the judge hears about Ryan's alleged history of aggressive behavior. Did she ever approach you and discuss with you any acts of violence between her and Ryan? Yes.

In a story not told at trial... They were out there arguing. Ryan's neighbor, Nikki Carnes, says a few months before the murder, Shana came to her in tears. She had came to my door crying, and her arm probably from, like, here to here. She had a big red mark on her arm.

She said that Ryan had slammed her arm in the door and threw her on the floor in the hallway. And when she told you this story, what did you see on her face? She was clearly upset. There were handprints on her arm. But Shana's cellmate, Holly Nivens, testified at trial that Shana made the whole thing up. She would purposely like pull her arms up so She would purposely, like, pull her arms up so the neighbors would see bruises on her arms. Did she say how the bruises got there? She inflicted them.

I'm sorry. She inflicted them on herself. And, sir, I'll remind you, you're still on the road, all right? Defense expert psychologist Ed Connor, who evaluated Shana, diagnosed her with narcissism and low self-esteem. I think Shana was a person who had extreme difficulty with rejection and tolerating it.

Anything else? Let's call Shana Hubers. Ms. Hubers, come forward, please. Now it's up to Shana to convince the judge that somehow she deserves sympathy. It's sad when someone pushes you away and pulls you back in and pushes you away and pulls you back in. There were times when he had my head going ten different directions to where I didn't even know if that was my boyfriend or not or what he was to me. Shana seems filled with resentment.

I feel like I was let on. I feel like I was manipulated, used and abused. And no, Ryan didn't beat on me every day. I'm not going to sit up here and exaggerate and lie and say that he did, but he did put hands on me a handful of times. Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass circles back to what she believes is at the heart of this case, rejection. Isn't it true that you sat here and you heard Dr. Connor say that you do not take rejection well? Dr. Connor did say that I don't take rejection. You were rejected, whether it had been earlier in the day when Ryan told you, I don't want to see you.

Whether it was the other times where he said, you know, we're done. This is it. No more. I need space. You were rejected by him not just once, but many times. If I killed Ryan over rejection, he would have been dead almost two years prior. I didn't ask you if you killed Ryan over. I asked you if you were rejected

by him. Sure, I've been rejected. I've been rejected. Nothing further, Your Honor. But if that were motive, there'd be a graveyard for the men. Did Shana's plan to persuade the court to be lenient backfire?

I've never claimed to be perfect. As court reconvenes, she offers an apology for the first time. I'm sorry to my family and I'm sorry to my friends for letting them down. I am sorry for the money that my parents have had to spend on attorneys.

But the young woman who is diagnosed a narcissist never apologizes to Ryan's family. Instead, she talks about herself. I do want to help people. I do want to be something better. And I do want to continue to grow and learn.

And I just don't think that a 40-year sentence will help me. I don't think it would benefit me any. I don't think that a 40-year sentence will help me. I don't think it would benefit me any. I don't think that it would rehabilitate me any. Now it's Judge Fred Stein's turn to speak. And he has some choice words for Shana. What I think happened in that apartment was little more than cold-blooded murder. It's probably as cold-blooded an act as I've been associated with in the criminal justice system in the 30-plus years I've been in it. He upholds the jury's recommended sentence of 40 years.

That's about all there is to say. As Ryan's family leaves the courthouse, they can barely contain their anger. Is there anything you'd want to say to Shana? Oh, God, no. I got rotten hell. She is going where she deserves to be. Where she's going, her mommy can't help her. Mommy will always be there.

Shana's mother will never accept that her beloved, brilliant daughter is anything but a victim who had to defend herself. I'll draw my last breath helping that baby. She doesn't deserve this. She's done nothing wrong. But this emotional rollercoaster is not over. One year after Shana's conviction, there is a dramatic development no one predicted. A judge orders a new trial today for Shana Hubers. Today she learns she will get a new trial.

Shana is granted a new trial after her lawyer discovers a member of the original jury was a felon. According to Kentucky law, he should have been barred from serving. We will jump through as many hoops as we have to jump through to get justice for my son. If we have to do this a hundred times, we'll do it a hundred times. Ryan Poston's family is braced to endure more painful testimony. And Shana Hubers is about to show just how far she'll go to win back her freedom. He began beating my body with the door over and over and over. The Campbell County Grand Jury charges that... Shana Huber's second trial begins on August 14, 2018,

almost six years after Ryan Poston's death. The defendant committed the offense of murder. A lot has changed. Shana is now 27 and married. In a brief jailhouse ceremony in June, Shana wed a convicted drug trafficker named Richard McBee. The two somehow met at the Campbell County Jail, where they were both locked up.

In yet another twist, McBee sometimes identifies as a transgender woman named Unique Taylor. You may recall after killing Ryan, Shana worried about finding love. I don't know if anyone will ever want to marry me if they know that I killed a boyfriend in the fall. Now, newlywed Shana is back in court. And that same disturbing interview with police remains the strongest evidence against her.

He's very vain and wants to get a nose job. Just that kind of person. And I'm right here. I gave him his nose job. He wanted. Ryan is very aggressive with her. The defense, led this time by attorney David Eldridge, is again claiming Ryan was abusive. What started out that evening as a normal evening ended that night with Mr. Poston being both sexually and physically violent. Eldridge takes the jury on an X-rated journey to prove his case.

She could not reach orgasm when I asked this. It is a constant criticism of Mr. Poston. Okay, your next witness. Call Shana Ewing. It's a risky move. Ma'am, would you raise your right hand? You saw me swear. But Shana takes the stand,

telling graphic tales of rough sex. And I started to bleed, and it was painful. That sometimes turned kinky against her will. Ryan did something I didn't want him to do. How did that experience make you feel? It felt degrading. She claims Ryan often humiliated her.

He told me that it was unattractive, that I couldn't orgasm. Despite the passage of time, Shana easily recalls specific dates. It was May of 2011, maybe November the 12th, January of 2012. And details of alleged unprovoked abuse by Ryan. I was woken up to him just pushing me out of the bed, and he just started screaming at me. Why would Shana stay with Ryan? Borderline personality disorder

is a chronic, long-term condition. Defense psychologist Thomas Schacht says she has a personality disorder and PTSD from childhood sexual abuse. But there are no police reports to support Shana's claims. Ms. Huber's psychological condition was seriously abnormal. Shana admits she did not handle their breakups well. I would often send him countless text messages.

Did you ever show up at his condominium uninvited? Yes. When she showed up at his condo the night of October 12, 2012, Shana claims Ryan exploded in anger and attacked her. He picked me up and threw me from the doorway of his bedroom into the other room. He screamed at me, you're a f***ing person, and you're a f***ing person because you were touched when you were a little girl. After the fight had moved into the dining area,

Sheena says she was left crying on the floor. And he was reaching across the table, and I don't know if he was reaching for the gun or reaching for me, but I was still sitting on the floor at this point in time. And I got up off the floor, and I grabbed the gun, and I shot him. It's not the same story Sheana told when she called 911. Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass pounces. We can make sure we get this right.

Your story was different. After all these years, I really don't remember the 911 call. But you remember every other detail? Every other detail of relationship that started in 2011. Snodgrass confronts Shana with other inconsistencies. And in fact, you oftentimes described Ryan to your friends as being calm, didn't you? Ryan could be calm at times. You told him that he was patient and kind.

Ryan was sometimes patient, kind, and nice, yes. Sometimes he wasn't. You want to tell the jury what you told your friend about the She points out Shana was a willing participant in the kinky sex. participant in the kinky sex. This isn't true that you told multiple friends how it was the best sex of your life. I'm sure I said that. The way he looked at you was unreal.

You said that. I'll take your word for it. I don't remember it, but yes. I shot him probably six times. And Snodgrass reminds Shana of what she told police after pumping six bullets into Ryan. He was twitching some more. I shot him a couple more times just to make sure he was dead, because I didn't want to watch him die. And you told officers that it was too painful for you. I said that.

To sit and watch him twitch. Now, six years later, that story has changed as well. I also, when I first shot him, wasn't sure where the shots had entered or if I had just made him more angry. Ladies and gentlemen, the respective parties have rested their cases.

The jury deliberates for nearly five hours, and then... We, the jury, find the defendant, Shana Hubers, guilty of murder. Shana Hubers, guilty of murder. Shana Hubers is guilty of the murder of Ryan Poston for a second time. The jury reconvenes the next day to decide on a sentence.

Ryan had a heart of gold. He never, ever left me without kissing me on the cheek and telling me he loved me. Once again, Ryan's father and sister have to find the words to describe their loss. This is Ryan Schmidt. That's it. That's all we have. A voicemail. No.

Shana's devastated mother hopes the jury will show mercy. Gina's devastated mother hopes the jury will show mercy. My child's life has also been taken. Her family also grieves. I'm not lessening or taking away from or trying to say that I don't understand the grief of this family because I do. But the defense's bid for leniency fails. We, the jury, fix the defendant, Shauna Hoover's punishment, for the offense of murder at life imprisonment.

A life sentence, more than the 40-year sentence Shana received at her first trial. Ryan's family is relieved. This is justice. This is justice from the system. There is never closure. There will never be closure. He'll never walk through that door again. No.

And they will always wonder about what might have been. I will forever miss the possibilities. We will never know the incredible possibilities that Ryan Poston would have given to this earth. He was a tremendously gifted young man. Judge Dan Zala upheld the jury's life sentence See Shana's life in pictures at 48hours.com If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty?

Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defence attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list.

She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. Did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder. Early and ad-free with a 48-hour plus subscription on Apple Podcasts.