A Shot In The Dark

Who Killed The Surgeon's Wife?

(CBS)  After four long years, it was finally over. Illes was sent back to Williamsport and charged with Miriam's murder.

At Illes' trial, Dinges argued that Illes killed his wife to avoid a messy divorce, in which he might well lose both his fortune and his son.

But Illes says the evidence clearly points to someone else. "The murderer had size 14 shoes. I wear a size 9.5. They found DNA on a cigarette butt that only the killer could have left there," he says. "If you're the murderer, you don't want to leave a silencer behind that has evidence. You don't want to leave evidence in letters that can be traced to you. I'm enough of a scientist to know that."

Illes also says he never saw the gun. However, when police searched Illes' home in Spokane, they found a manuscript on his computer. The title was "Heart Shot: Murder Of The Doctor's Wife." Even the characters had the same names as those in the real murder investigation.

"He thought he got away with a perfect crime, and this was almost his way of venting," says Dinges. "It's a confession."

Why would he write the book from the killer's perspective? "I thought it would generate more interest and more widespread knowledge of the actual facts of the case, which were not being disseminated by the police. That was my motive," says Illes.

Illes never took the stand. And after a five-week trial, the jury began its deliberations. Then, after 2.5 days, the jury found Illes guilty of murder in the first degree. For the investigators, it’s justice five years in the making.

Illes never wrote the final chapter in his book. But in the real world, a judge wrote it for him:– life in prison.

"Dr. Illes was a brilliant guy. There's no doubt about it. He's smarter then me," says Dinges. "He's probably smarter then any of the individual police officers. But he's not smarter than all of us together."

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A week after his conviction, Richard Illes attempted suicide by gouging his wrist with a paper clip.

Illes has exhausted his appeals and is seeking a new trial claiming ineffective counsel.

Illes’ son Richie, now 13, lives with relatives. He hasn’t seen his father in more than two years.