Talking Dateline: Take Two

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1:04Hi, everyone. I'm Blaine Alexander, and today we are talking Dateline. I'm here with the one and only Andrea Canning. Hi, Andrea. Hey, Blaine. Good to see you. We are here to talk about your episode, Take Two. This case truly has just about everything, an undercover sting, hidden cameras, a murder-for-hire plot, and a twist that investigators say that they almost never see. So if you haven't listened to this episode yet, it's the one right below this one, or you can go watch it on Peacock. So go there, watch or listen, and then come right back here. And when you come back, we'll play a moment from Andrea's interview with detectives that didn't make it into our broadcast.

1:39All right, Andrea, let's talk Dateline. Let's do it. This one was, I mean, I think we say this at every talking Dateline, but this one truly was, this was wild. This was all over the place. I didn't know what to expect almost from the very first second the episode started. This one was insane. It really was. I mean, yeah, this is like what you call like a wild roller coaster, you know, of a case. And it really felt like a movie. So, Andrea, just in case folks haven't seen it or before we get into our discussion, just kind of summarize this for me. Give me a quick version of what happened in this episode.

2:10Yeah, I mean, this is about a couple, Susan and Ira Bernstein, who had troubles in their marriage for quite a while. They had three kids. And Ira claims he's working like crazy to pay the bills because they have an extravagant lifestyle. Then he is reunited with a patient, Kelly Gribalook. Kelly is eclectic career, mortician, former mortician, model. Now she's like selling shoe orthotics. So she comes to Ira and she says, I want you to help me with this shoe business. They start an affair. Next thing you know, they are plotting to have Susan killed. And they went to the wrong person. They went to Markenzie because Markenzie decided, you know what?

2:54I'm going to bring you two down because this is wrong. So Markenzie was responsible along with the police for stopping the plot to have Susan killed. Ira and Kelly go off to prison. Ira comes out. And what does he do? He starts talking about killing his wife again. Insane. Yeah. And also chooses again someone who does not want to be a part of this, a landscaper. He's like, no. Thankfully, Ira picks badly for assassins. So let's just break down everything that you just said right there. One, this is such a different type of Dateline episode because there is not actually a death, right? Like we're talking about two murder plots, but they never actually come to fruition, thankfully.

3:39And I think a big piece of this is thanks to Markenzie the first time around, right? Oh, yeah. Like the fact that somebody comes to him and says, hey, do you know how to kill somebody? I mean, some people could have just said, no, I don't know how to do that and just gone about their business, right? Not gotten involved with the police to try and bring this person down. It would be scary to, you know, if someone's serious about that. But also, Blaine, would you be like a little offended if someone thought that either you could kill someone or that you have friends who kill people? Who could do that?

4:09I'd be like, wait, is there something about me? Like, why are you picking me to – I know. You know? Well, I thought about that with Markenzie because – and you asked him. You're like, why – did you say something maybe that made her think? And he said something like, oh, if you're not happy, like, we can help or I know someone who can take care of – something like that. But it was a rather large leap to get to. I think so. And, you know, I've gotten to know Markenzie a little bit, you know, through this story because now, you know, I re-interviewed him. And he's such a nice man. Like he's really, I just found him to be really sweet.

4:41He's a father. You know, he's, for me anyway, he's not somebody that I would like first instincts peg to be someone who's going to find me a hit man. Right. Right. Right. He seemed I was really just struck by how much time he spent trying to bring this case down. There were so many meetups. He had to have his car wired. And then you said not only did he go and meet up with her repeated times in these parking lots, he had to go meet with investigators like 45 minutes beforehand. So we're talking about a dad of kids like that's a big chunk of time to kind of devote. It was a lot of work. And not only that, he's really putting himself in danger, too, because if these people are willing to have someone killed, you know, Now you're messing around with people capable of murder, right?

5:26And then there's that moment that everyone, I feel like, talks about with this story. And it's that moment where Ira turns in the car and he sees a camera or something. Was that a camera? And it's like heart pounding, right? Because you're like, oh, my gosh, he's about to figure this out. And Markenzie, thinking on his feet, is like, oh, it's for the kids' games or whatever. And Ira totally buys it. Markenzie was brilliant, by the way. He was the right person for this. I mean, there were multiple times when he really thought on his feet. He did. And also, like, it shows you, like, Ira really doesn't trust his gut.

6:01He sees this thing and he's on the right track that something's amiss, but he ignores his gut. He's like, oh, well, maybe it's fine. It's fine. You know, I have to say, you described this as a movie at the beginning. This is maybe the first one in a while that I can remember that I really felt like I was watching a movie. Like I had that kind of pit in my stomach or like that kind of nervousness or like, oh, my God, what's going to happen next? Is he going to get found out? And that was just I mean, that was present throughout almost the entire thing. Yeah. And I love hearing it from your perspective as someone who's seeing it for the first time, you know, because we get so close to our stories.

6:36And this is the second time I've done it because we had this major update. So for me, I know everything that's coming. So I love hearing it from you, you know, as a first time viewer to really feel those like twists and turns. And, I mean, imagine being Susan. You know, we talk about this like, oh, it could be a movie and, you know, all these twists and turns. But, like, poor Susan. You know, just she had a target on her back twice. And the fear that you would have, you know, looking over your shoulder and going to sleep at night. And it's real, you know. A target on her back from her husband, mind you.

7:11I mean, that's just the worst feeling. I want to – you brought up a good point. I want to kind of like bring in for our viewers who don't necessarily know how we do our stories. I mean, we are always so busy with our stories of our own at many different times that a lot of times we don't know what each of us has going on. Right. So a lot of times it's a big surprise for us, too. And I have to say that when I was watching just the previews in the very beginning, I knew that it took place over some amount of years because I saw your hair change. I watched I saw the difference. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. And I when I had to watch it again, I was like, oh, is that good?

7:52Is that is that bad? I'm like, you know, you just kind of have that like, what was I thinking? I don't know. I mean, it's not the worst, but I think my hair probably looks better now. So they were not bad at all. It's just one of those things that I feel like you and I only have and like the guys don't have to deal with when they do stories over the course of however many years. I don't think their hair has ever changed. So, yeah. Exactly. No one could tell. No one could tell. But in watching it, that was kind of my first tell of like, okay, this took place over an amount of time. Can you just talk a little bit, though, about what it's like to follow a story for that long and then have such a major update as you had in this story?

8:29And Blaine, I've had datelines with multiple pregnancies. That's how many years are passing. We talk about hairstyles, but let's talk about babies, too. It's just interesting how, like, things change. You know what I mean? Like, so many things change, but you're still on the case. And in this case, when our producer, Lynn Keller, told me that Ira was accused of trying to kill Susan again, my jaw dropped. To hear something like that, it's like, what are you thinking? And then when I confronted him at court for the sentencing for the second one, he says to me, like, you know, I asked him if he wanted to stop and talk.

9:14And he says, why would I talk to you? You screwed me over the first time. I'm paraphrasing. I can't remember exactly what he said. But like, really? I screwed you over? How about you screwed yourself over, buddy? You can never get inside the minds of folks, but the interview was very fair. Like he gave him a chance to say everything that he needed to say. He got his side out. I mean, look, you know, we are journalists. We try to stay neutral and, you know, unbiased. But I can honestly sit here and tell you, Ira considers himself like a victim forever. He is always the victim, right? He blames other people for everything.

9:52It's just he, everybody, even what in his sentencing, and by the way, funny story about the sentencing too. I was sitting there in the courtroom and I'm, you know, I'm kind of on my phone waiting and just looking at my phone and someone like passes me or whatever. And I honestly was like really engrossed in like something I was reading. And I look up from my phone and I'm in the front row. And I look up and Ira's sitting right next to me in the courtroom. What? Yeah, he's right beside me. It was just so weird. And we both looked at each other. Did he say anything? No, but he'd already made that comment like outside going in, you know.

10:31And something else as he was actually, we were waiting for him, obviously, at the courthouse, right? We knew his sentencing was at 2 o 'clock. And I see these two men walking, and I'm, like, pretty far away. But I was like, that's not Ira. Like, those are, like, two attorneys or something. Like, there's no way that's Ira. And then I see Logan, our associate producer, running. And I'm like, okay, wait. Logan knows something I don't. Like, what? Wait, guys, go outside now. Like, Logan's running. So we run outside. And then I'm looking, and I'm looking. And I'm like, I actually have pretty good eyesight from far away.

11:09And yet I still didn't know. And it was Ira. And he had gained weight. He had dark glasses on. His toupee was gone. So they were like scrambling. And, you know, he comes up. And then, of course, he made his nice little comment to me. Sorry, I got off track. Oh, yeah. I was talking about him playing the victim. Because even in his statement, during his sentencing, he blamed the landscaper. That it was all the landscaper's fault. And I'm thinking, what? You know, take some responsibility. Yeah, yeah. When we come back, we'll hear a moment from Andrea's interview with detectives that reveals another shocking idea investigators say Ira had for targeting Susan.

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13:24You know, I think what's – you talked about his victim mentality, and that was so apparent. That was so apparent really from the first moment that we heard him speaking because I was just floored at the way that he described Susan. Like, oh, she's lazy. She doesn't do anything. She just takes care of the kids. I'm the one who's out here working. I'm the one who's keeping up our lifestyle. And I'm thinking to myself, like, this man has a very low understanding of just what it takes to raise kids and what it takes to keep a household. You know what I mean? Being a stay-at-home mom. Like the whole thing was just so – he had such a clear contempt for her from the very beginning before we even knew what his role in all of this was.

13:59Absolutely. And you just hear in her – through her words the pain that it caused her, you know, the fear that she lives in, like with 24 hours a day. I mean she just said – she basically said like you destroyed our life, this life that we had. And he did. But divorce is hard enough on children. But not just divorce, but then dad's trying to kill mom. And it also shows that he didn't learn his lesson. So even after he gets out of prison, especially after, it's like, okay, might he come back for a third? He's not somebody who is easily dissuaded from this thing that he wants to do. The judge called it mind-boggling.

14:37The judge said that he was confused how someone could do this. I think we all are. Like, why would you do this again? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. There were a lot of twists in this one. I mean, in addition to just that in and of itself. But let's talk about Markenzie. When you sat down and talked with him, it was clear that you all had such a great rapport, that you really got to know each other well, but that he had this kind of sense of, I just want to do what's right no matter what. Did he ever give any sense? Like, was he nervous during this process? Like, just kind of what were his inner thoughts being part of this?

15:14Yeah, he seemed pretty cool about it. He just has kind of a laid back vibe to him. So there really was none of that where he's like, you know, I thought my life could be over at any moment. He's pretty cool under pressure. I was going to ask if he was still selling cars or there were just so many skills of his that came out that he would be really good at undercover war for so many other things. I know. Maybe he should have like become a private investigator or something. Yeah. Yeah, he's still in the car business. It was good to catch up with him again. Of course. Let's talk about just this notion of an undercover operation, right?

15:52I mean, the wiring of the car, the having to meet up, the realization. I think what was interesting is that he could walk up to the line, but he couldn't do too much because he couldn't, you know, try and convince them to do something. How fascinating are those sting cases to you? I know that you went undercover in an episode yourself, right? Oh, my gosh, yes. Wow, that was a long. Open heartbreak. That was a long time. I'm going to go, oh, my gosh, yes. I was pregnant for real, and it was an adoption story. And it was myself and AP who both pretended to be pregnant to meet with this adoption lady who, you know, worked for an adoption agency.

16:33And I was trying to basically sell my baby. And I was saying, you know, what if I'm using drugs? Do I have to put that on the application? And she's like, no, you can leave it off. Oh, my gosh. So that was – I was nervous, though. You want to talk about heart pounding? My heart was pounding. Like during the adoption undercover, I was like, yeah, like the thump, the thump, the thump. And she knew, though, what was interesting, kind of just like Ira, you know where his instincts were sort of like halfway there? Something's not right. This woman, she was halfway there. She knew something was up. Interesting.

17:18Wow. I'm curious. What happened with that? Well, we ended up telling her we were from Dateline. And she got up and she, like, went away, like, went to her car. And then the crazy thing is, though, she actually came to New York and did a follow-up interview. What a wild story. Yeah. Wow. So I know that for me, just watching undercover operations on TV, in your episode, in movies, I get nervous. So I can't imagine actually doing one of those. I mean, it really was heartbreaking, though, because people were being promised children. And what, Blaine, we're moms. Like, what would be more heartbreaking than you're expecting to get, you know, your child, to bring your child home?

18:04And then this woman. After years of disappointment. Right. And then this woman is saying, oh, sorry, they chose someone else. Meanwhile, it's all a scam. You know, it was really – that's why we called it Hope and Heartbreak. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, this – I mean, people should go back and watch that one as well. Yeah. So let's get back to podiatrists. Let's talk about Ira himself. I mean, we talked about him a little bit, but I think the funniest thing – I actually laughed out loud when you revealed that he was the official foot doctor, official podiatrist for the police department.

18:32I mean – And both of these guys had been patients of his. And the meetings are happening in the parking lot. But like next to the police department, it's so funny because the morning our original show aired. So I was on another dateline where I'd injured my like ankle foot getting out in a snowstorm, getting out of a police car. And it just wouldn't heal. So finally I broke down and made an appointment with the podiatrist. And it happened to be the morning that our show was airing. And so I took a picture with the podiatrist and like put it on Twitter. And I accidentally, this is so bad. I accidentally called him Ira Bernstein in the Twitter post.

19:13Like I just – somebody like quickly corrected me, but I was like, oh, my gosh. Sorry. Like, please don't sue me. I messed up. Just a normal good doctor. Yeah. That's hilarious. What a coincidence for a timing. I know. For your appointment timing. Oh, my goodness. But let's talk about Kelly, the dynamic between Kelly and Ira. But just Kelly herself, right? I'm curious what it was like for you to sit down with her. I don't even know how to explain her. I've never met anyone like her where she did such a bad thing. And then it was almost like it wasn't that bad or something with talking to her. And also her loyalty to Ira where she's like, no, we're in love.

20:06and this is happening and he's like my guy. And, you know, and then he makes her sit in jail for four months. Well, he bails out in like four days or whatever. Right. It was strange to me. I mean, a number of things, but one, just watching her be the one to kind of be this. I mean, she was like his shield, right? Like she acted as his protector, this kind of like, well, we just need to be sure. And, you know, clearly she was the one sticking her neck out and he was kind of, you know, staying in the background. But just this notion of like there's this successful, clearly very well-off doctor. And she's the one doing all of the dirty work, right?

20:43Yeah. It's so wrong. I know. And she was so in love with him. But she, from what I understand, you know, from her attorney is really trying to get her life back together and, you know, her relationship with her children. I think she's hopefully learned her lesson. If Ira hasn't, hopefully Kelly has. Yeah. Yeah. And then let's talk about Susan. I think the thing about the story that just at the very end when we finally heard from Susan, but that she asked even in the courtroom that there were no cameras on her, that just broke my heart because I just thought about, gosh, what this woman has gone through and to just try and hide, right?

21:22Like she hadn't asked for any of this. She really summed it up in her victim impact statement, what her life has been like and how horrible it is for her, for her children. I mean, there are so many pieces and so many different people in all of this. Let's talk about the landscaper. Because he was somebody who, again, kind of going back to this kind of trail of people who just have been wronged in some way by Ira. I mean, this is a gentleman who lost his business, essentially, or the control of his business, right? Right. Right. And Susan actually called not only the landscaper, but Markenzie her angels, you know, for saving her.

21:59And by the way, Susan and Markenzie are friends, which is really cool. Oh, I love that. But the landscaper, yeah. And I said to the detective, I said, like, doesn't he watch Dateline, the landscaper? Like, why would he want to get into business with someone like that? And she said apparently he knew. And Ira told the landscaper that it was all Kelly, that he got sucked into this thing because of Kelly. And so he, again, is a victim. And so the landscaper trusted him and then got burned. Gosh. Yeah. Let's talk about – there is an extra clip of an interview that you did with Detective Peggy Braddock that didn't make it into our broadcast.

22:36But I want to listen to a little bit of it here. She kind of describes this conversation that Ira had with that landscaper we were talking about, sitting around, drinking wine, eating cheese. Yes. And Ira floated this idea. I mean, just the whole thing is just so outside the realm of reality. Yes. Let's listen to it. And as the conversation went on, they started talking about things that weren't involving business. So they were telling some funny stories about their childhood and their past. And the landscaper told a story about a friend of his who was, I believe, in business with somebody and felt he had been done wrong.

23:13So when this person was driving, he called the police and told them that this person had drugs in their car and they were stopped and were ultimately arrested for having the drugs in the car. So Ira said to the landscaper, do you think we can do this to Susan? So as they're talking over wine and cheese, he says, well, my wife drives an Audi. And the landscaper says, well, my cousin, a distant cousin, works for Audi. And he's like, well, you think you can make a key? And the landscaper's like, well, how would you do this? He's like, what does Susan do? And he's like, well, she goes to book club.

23:52She goes to cooking club. And the landscaper's like, what are you crazy? See, who's going to think that a woman who goes to book club and to cooking club is carrying a kilo of drugs in her car? That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. What's wrong with you? And he just like puts a kibosh on the conversation. So plant the drugs in Susan's car. And have her arrested. It only escalated from there. It definitely escalated from there. But it just shows that even back then he was still thinking of ways to. The wheels. To get to his wife. The wheels returning. Yes. Wow. He's like the wily. What is it?

24:23Coyote. You know, that keeps coming back. Like the bad – With weird plots. Yes, exactly. I should say, Blaine, we're laughing because of the absurdity of some of these things that we're talking about and hearing. It's not funny. Susan, this is her life. This is not funny. But it's hard not to laugh at moments of the absurdity of Ira Bernstein. It just defies reality. It defies logic, right? It's outside of the realm of what anyone would ever think that another human being would come up with. Yes. It's like hard to imagine them sitting over wine and cheese and being like, let's plant a kilo of drugs in her car.

25:02Yeah. You know, I think that one thing that really stands out to me about this episode, and I recently, I just a couple of weeks ago did a talking dateline with Keith on his Murder in Magnolias podcast series. And it was the same thing, this plot for hire to kill someone that fortunately never came to fruition. I am just stunned by how easily people can sit around and kind of hatch these ideas or talk about the notion of killing someone. I mean, it comes so easily in these discussions. And it's unbelievable, really. It is unbelievable because, like, number one, you have to be willing to take someone's life, okay?