In the Bedroom

Josh Mankiewicz Correspondent • Profile

They call it the “world's largest cul-de-sac.” A place with nice homes, good schools, friendly neighbors. Ahwatukee is an affluent oasis south of Phoenix, but geographically isolated from the rest of the city. 

Local newspaper reporter Doug Murphy:

Doug Murphy: Ahwatukee's-- really a kind of a close-knit little neighborhood. It's like a small town in a bigger city.

But do the neighbors, behind their desert landscaping, ever really know what is going on behind the doors of those perfect little homes? It's a story of suburban passion, of desperate housewives, and of secrets that come with a terrible price.

911 call:

Caller: Oh my God. Oh my God.

For Polish immigrants Grace Pianka and Adam Kostewicz, settling here represented their grasp, at last, of the American dream. With two suitcases and $250 to his name, Adam came to Detroit at the age of 20.  There he met Grace, who'd also left Poland behind, yearning for a better life for herself and her three-year-old son, victor.

Adam was seven years younger than Grace. But their quick friendship soon developed into a romance.  They spent nine years together before marrying in 1996. The following year, this new family settled into a successful, all-American life in the Arizona foothills, with Adam helping to raise Grace's son as his own.

Grace sold real estate. Adam worked as a computer engineer. They spent their free time traveling and hiking.

Grace Pianka: I met Adam at the gym that we both attended and we developed a friendship.

Randy Thompson, Adam's workout partner and close friend for nearly a decade.

Randy Thompson: One of the best friends I've ever had. A wonderful guy. Very intelligent-- quick-witted. always willing to help.

As a new resident of the American West, Adam did not take his right to keep and bear arms for granted. He had a large gun collection.

Randy Thompson: I know Adam, from his-- background in-- Poland, communist background-- really enjoyed the freedom and the Second Amendment rights here in the United States

And, fittingly, one of Grace's closest friends -- Cynthia Levario -- met the couple on the most patriotic of days: at a 4th of July celebration.

Cynthia Levario: She's a private person, but great sense of humor also. A wonderful mother, loving wife.  A very nice person.

Josh Mankiewicz, Dateline NBC: Was she happily married?

Cynthia Levario: Very.

Josh Mankiewicz: What was Adam to Grace?

Cynthia Levario: Everything. He was her world.

Video   McIntyre 'was like a small tornado' Doug Murphy of the Ahwatukee Foothills News talks with Dateline NBC's Josh Mankiewicz about meeting Virginia McIntyre and her role in the case. Dateline NBC

So all the more disturbing when, in early 2006, Grace said Adam had started acting a little... different.  Distant.  He left their home and began spending nights in a nearby hotel.

Cynthia Levario: She was wondering, "Is he depressed?  Is he having a midlife crisis?" We really couldn't understand what was going on.

Josh Mankiewicz: You knew he was-- you knew he was not living at home for a week, even though he was in town?

Cynthia Levario: Right.  I thought it just had something to do with the fact that they were having problems with their son.

Grace's son, Victor, had drug issues and had also been in trouble with the law. 

Josh Mankiewicz: Were Adam and Grace on the same page, in terms of how to deal with Victor?

Cynthia Levario: No. A mother forgives everything.

Josh Mankiewicz: Adam didn't wanna forgive?

Cynthia Levario: No, he was tired of it.

Was Adam's behavior a disagreement over how to deal with their son? Or some kind of mid-life crisis? No one quite knew. But no one expected the events that would unfold on Easter weekend 2006. It all began with an early morning phone call to the couple's home. 

Cynthia Levario: She called me hysterical.

A frantic Grace relayed that morning's events to her friend Cynthia.

Cynthia Levario: Her home phone rang.  And she picked it up.  And it was a woman.  And she wanted to speak to Adam.  So, she gave him the phone.  And she asked, you know, who it was.  And he said, "It's just a friend." And he said, "I'll be right back." 

With that, without brushing his teeth or washing his face, Adam raced out of the house. He sped off in his car, and Grace followed in hers.  She saw Adam pull into this McDonald's parking lot and jump into a red sports car... driven by a woman.

Cynthia Levario: And all she saw was blonde hair. (laugh) And they sped off.  She was wondering what's going on.

Grace was beside herself with worry and agony. Cynthia had a suggestion:

Cynthia Levario: Protect yourself.

Josh Mankiewicz: You want to make sure he doesn't leave you with no money.

Cynthia Levario: Right.  And we didn't know who this other person was, or what she was capable of.  You know?  So, I told her, "Get your money out of the bank."

What happens next is not really disputed. Grace drives to the bank where she withdraws the couple's entire savings, which is more than $20,000 in cash and a cashier's check. She tries to deposit that money into another bank under her own name, but it's Saturday and the banks have closed early. So Grace returns home and calls Adam a number of times on her cell phone. Adam doesn't pick up. She leaves some voicemail messages. She's sad and crushed, according to her friend Cynthia Levario. And at some point during that afternoon, Grace Pianka begins drinking.

Cynthia Levario: I basically try to calm her down.  You can't really speak-- have a conversation with someone who's that intoxicated.

Josh Mankiewicz: So, she's like what?  Falling down drunk?

Cynthia Levario: She was barely walking, right. 

Josh Mankiewicz: Had you ever seen Grace in that state of mind before?

Cynthia Levario: No.  No I hadn't.  Which is very, very painful.

Grace continued to drink wine and tequila throughout the afternoon. Finally, around 7 p.m., Adam returned home.  Cynthia decided to leave and let the couple talk. But later that evening she called to check in on her friend.

Cynthia Levario: There was no answer.  So, I just assumed they went to sleep.  Everything was fine.

Josh Mankiewicz: Everything was not fine.

Cynthia Levario: No.  Unfortunately not.

And shortly, a day that began with a startling phone call would end with another one.

911 call:

911: 911. What is your emergency?

Caller: There's a body, there's a body in the house.

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