Tonight on 20/20 ` All I was focused on was how I was going to end it. Surviving suicide. And I had to fight, and I haven't stopped since. A powerful story of two brave people... A roller-coaster from Hell. ...that could help save someone you love. I grabbed him. I lay him on the ground, and there was no response. Plus, when celebrities attack. Leave children alone, <BLEEP>! A picture of a celebrity that's acting out that nobody else has ` suddenly you're talking six figures. Come on. Everyone deserves a 24th chance. Come on, man. What the hell is your problem, man? And what happens when people go crazy in court? YELLING, SCREAMING But the scales of justice can produce a tinderbox of emotion. YELLING www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012 Kia ora. I'm Sonia Wilson. You're about to hear a story that is very rarely told. It's the story of two people who very nearly became part of a very grim NZ statistic. They are survivors, and they're here to tell their story ` a deeply personal record of their painful, yet ultimately uplifting journey. For so long, suicide has been a taboo subject. But tonight reporter Erin Conroy looks at the issue through the eyes of two people who made it through. Their story one of survival and hope. SOLEMN PIANO MUSIC I'd describe myself as crazy. There was this bubble inside me, like I was just going to explode. (LAUGHS) Anyone would find it hard watching someone they love get to a point like that. CHILDREN CHATTER En garde! This is Kevin Brooke the family man. Get Mummy. (CHUCKLES) Boys, let's go. Smoko's up. This is Kevin the businessman. So just go for gold. It's from here right the way down. MUTED DANCE MUSIC LAUGHTER Oh, it's gotta be done, doesn't it? But this is also Kevin. (SOBS) OMINOUS MUSIC (SOBS) CHEERING It was the best of times; they were the best of mates. We were like brothers, really. Kevin and Matt at age 15. I perceived him as this bubbly, energetic, awesome dude. But what the photos don't show is that Kevin's mate Matt was struggling with depression. CONTEMPLATIVE PIANO MUSIC I was his support person at 3am, 4am, 6am. I'd wake up and see he wasn't there. And I would have to spend hours and hours talking to him... pull him out of it, snap him out, hopefully. Kevin would try to intervene, but Matt was intent on taking his own life. I could count a dozen times where that happened, easy. What did you say to try stop him? The only thing that I found that got him out of it was to promise him that if he did it, I'd be directly behind him. I'd put my life... for his... as a promise, to stop him. And it worked. One day I wasn't there, and he obviously had forgotten. What happened? He finally did it. The bugger did it. GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC Tee Kimiia buries herself in books. Study. I just study and work on assignment after assignment, and classes. And then I come home, and I pull out the books again, and I study till at least 1 or 2 in the morning. # I wish I could believe in something bigger. # Focusing on study, because her school days weren't the best. I don't even remember much of my childhood. It's just so blurry. OMINOUS MUSIC Tee was six when her parents divorced. Life changed with a new stepdad. The reality was... really abusive. Lots of raised voices and crying and... shouting and the sound of glass smashing, you know. All of that stuff. What did it do to you as a kid? I had to keep it inside. Um, so it became like a job, just trying to pretend that everything was OK, even though I knew it wasn't. It was a roller-coaster from hell. All I wanted to do was escape. Tee was just 11 years old the first time she tried to commit suicide. She was hospitalised at Princess Margaret Hospital child unit. Over the next few years she would come here many times. I-I didn't notice anything around me, because all I was focused on was how I was going to end it. By the time Tee was 16, after the help she'd received at hospital, life was beginning to get back on track. She was home. Her mum had left her stepdad. We were really happy about that. We just wanted a fresh start. But soon after, news that would devastate Tee. Her stepdad was back. I knew that if he was coming back into the picture, that I was going out. She took herself off to the park and took an overdose. It would be the closest Tee came to dying. Stumbled home. It gets blurry from there. I woke up really scared. OMINOUS MUSIC When I came out of consciousness, I blacked out again. Tee's body was shutting down. I no longer wanted to do it. And I felt like I couldn't take it back. I thought I was gonna die. But her stepdad waited three days before taking her to hospital. After I'd been admitted, I found out that my mum was in the next wing for the same thing. QUIET MUSIC Matt Fawcett... launching into Huka Falls. The promise Kevin made to try and keep Matt alive became the obsession that would change Kevin's life forever. I had a war on my hands. And I had to fight, and I haven't stopped since. Suicidal thoughts and deep depression started to consume him. I was going to keep my promise, basically, and every day I had to force myself to live. Every night I had to force myself to sleep... to breathe... It was a challenge. Were there times that you tried to take your own life? There was many occasions. Having Matt gone ` for me it was an attraction to go join him. So, what do you do when you're at rock bottom? Well, for these two, life was about to take a dramatic turn. That's after the break. OMINOUS MUSIC She's the person that saved my life. I'm not going to let that bloody thing win. ENGINE RATTLES SONIC CRACKLING, ZAPPING Debt comes in all shapes and sizes. SONIC CRACKLING, ZAPPING Sometimes borrowing is a smart thing to do,... SONIC ZAPPING INTENSIFIES ...and sometimes it isn't. SONIC ZAPPING SOARS Shrink your dumb debt. It's all part of being sorted. a Welcome back. Well, Kevin and Tee have shared their story, described as a roller-coaster from hell. But, for these two, life is about to take a whole new direction. QUIET MUSIC She's gorgeous. (CHUCKLES) She's the person that saved my life. SIREN BLARES Tee was 16 when she woke up in hospital after her most severe suicide attempt. She found out her mum had also tried to end her life. They both survived. A couple of days later my mum came and seen me, and she told me that she` when I did that, it was her eye-opener. And she knew that if she didn't do something about it, she was going to lose either myself or herself. A decision her mum would make marked a turning point for Tee. She made a choice to really leave him. And it was the best decision she ever made. For all of us, and for her. Yeah. (PLAYS PIANO QUIETLY) 10 years have passed. Today, 20/20 has brought Tee back to a place she knew well. So, what's it like coming back here? It's... really surreal. We've brought her back for a very special reason. Oh, wow. It's a bit like a prison cell. It still has the same smell in here. What helped you the most when you were here? What helped me the most was my nurse. She just never gave up. Um, I tested her, and I pushed her, and I wanted to see if she was for real, or if she would just let me down like everybody else ` like all the other adults in my life. And she never did. What is she to you? She is... my light. She is` To me, she is the reason I'm still alive. So we've arranged a reunion... Hi, Erin. Hi, Erin. Lovely to meet you. ...with Carmen, the nurse Tee never forgot. We have someone who's very excited to see you after so long. How are you feeling? Very excited as well, but a bit nervous. Well, she's waiting outside to see you, so if you wanna head on out. For their meeting, Carmen asked that we turn our cameras off ` a moment too personal to film. GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC But 10 minutes later... What's VO? Oh, I'm so proud of you. ...we're invited to join two old friends catching up. I wanted to show you photos of my daughter. I wanted to show you photos of my daughter. Aw. So, how old is she? So, how old is she? She's 2� now. Aw. And you always thought you'd never have children. I always thought I'd make a terrible mother. > I always thought I'd make a terrible mother. > BOTH LAUGH What was Tee like when you first met her? She was... a really sad wee poppet, yeah. Really, she was not in a good way. I remember her hating talking and absolutely just not talking. And we'd have these long, kind of, Mexican standoffs of her being silent and me just sitting there saying, 'I know that you've got something you want to say, 'and it'll come eventually.' Um, but it took a while, yeah. Tee calls you her light. Was there something about her that made you think she was going to get better? She never realised what a strong person she was, but it shone through. I just always knew that she'd` she'd come right and that she would get there because she is so strong. Every day he chooses to live, he chooses to get up, and he chooses that for us. He chooses that for our family. After his friend Matt died, depression had taken over Kevin's life. But having battle suicide for years, he found hope in the most unexpected place. It was lying in bed, and I heard a song on the radio that was played at Matt's funeral. And that was 'Nothing Else Matters' by Metallica. I used to play that song and cry, cos I carried Matt down... to his last resting place with that song. Um, and I heard the lyrics, and it's about love. It's about passion. It's... It was about honesty. And I thought, 'Well, shit, I want that, and I'm gonna find it.' I wasn't going to die without it. I didn't want to die empty. So you got out of bed that day. I did. And I slowly put my plans and my goals and attacked them one by one. TRANQUIL MUSIC Today the Brooke family is on a day trip. How are ya, mate? How are ya, mate? How are ya, mate. Kevin is introducing his kids to a very important man ` This is Caleb. This is Caleb. Caleb, how are ya? ...his friend Matt's dad. It's hard on him. I've got that connection with his son in life ` like where his son would be, if he was still here. everything I do, it's everything Matt's missing out on. Come here. (LAUGHS) Yay! And they're visiting a very special place. A place of hell, but a place of beauty. # Sit down beside me and stay a while. It was in this field that Matt died. I could see him leaning against the tree and sorta yelled out to him, 'Hey, Matty, need to talk to you.' And there was no response, so I ran up to him, and, uh, his face was white. I grabbed him. I lay him on the ground. I tried mouth-to-mouth and rung the ambulance straight away. They arrived and, uh, took some pulses. And, uh, said, 'No, no, he's too far.' Yeah. TRANQUIL MUSIC It still hurts. You know, even after all this time. First drink I've ever had with him. Garth's regrets will never go away. Take them seriously. Even though they'll laugh and they'll joke about it, deep down, it's hurting. It's hurting them a lot more than you realise, yeah. Kevin says that you had a huge part in his turnaround. Well, I was really worried about him, maybe following the same sort of footsteps and going down the same path, so I just sorta said to him one day, I said, 'Hey, mate,' I says, 'You just watch it. I'll` I'm older than you are, 'and I'm gonna get there to kick his arse before you. So don't you take any shortcuts, mate.' (LAUGHS) Those words from Garth helped Kevin make a fresh start. Made me want to live. 13 years on from Matt's death, this place still holds sad memories, but there's another special meaning too. It does have another significance. Um, that's where we got engaged. Kevin took a whole bunch of flowers down, and I just presumed they were for Matt. And then we went down, and he went to a big circle of oak trees, which was just... a little way from the place where Matt actually took his life. And then he laid the roses out in a circle, got me to stand in there and proposed. So it was great. Love you. Love you. Love you too. QUIET PIANO MUSIC This is Kevin and Tee today. I have been that young person who is in a dark space and never ever thought that I would get out of it. I love my life now. I mean, it's not perfect, and I have ups and downs all the time. But I love it because I'm in control of it. And I'm no longer defined by the stuff that happened back then. I'm so proud of her. I'm just immensely proud of her. He chooses to live. He chooses life. So he's a survivor. Fight. I struggle every day, but I win every day. I'm not going to let that bloody thing win. There is hope on the other side. You've just gotta have faith. Kevin is actually writing a book about his experiences. He also hopes to set up a support group for young people suffering from depression. Tee is continuing her criminology studies and wants to go into a government advisory role. Now, something that might be useful for you if you or someone you know is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, we've asked all the people in our story tonight to write down some tips for dealing with depression. We'll put that on our Facebook page, along with some other useful sites and numbers if you think you need help. Now, if you need to talk to someone right now, you can call Lifeline... Coming up next on 20/20 ` what happens when celebs reach breaking point? RAP MUSIC It's a delicate dance that can benefit both sides, but sometimes toes get stepped on. Hey, man, back off. A picture of a celebrity might go for $10,000-$25,000. A picture of a celebrity that's acting out, that nobody else has ` suddenly you're talking six figures. a Welcome back. The life of an A-list celebrity is documented for all to see. They live their lives under a microscope ` every move caught on camera. So what happens when it all gets too much and they lash out? Tonight we look back at some high-profile meltdowns and ask who's at fault? Halle Berry, Britney Spears, Charlie 'Tiger Blood' Sheen and repeat offender Alec Baldwin have all gone rogue in the public eye. But is all as it seems? And are there times that a bit of trouble with the media is actually good news for ticket sales? MAN: Beautiful, Jen! MAN: Jennifer! Let's face it, it comes with the territory ` a celebrity's every move captured by a hoard of hungry paparazzi. <BLEEP> off! # Coming at you like a snapshot. Everything I got... # It's a delicate dance that can benefit both sides. But sometimes, toes get stepped on. MEN: Hey, man! Back up. Hey, man! A picture of a celebrity might go for $10,000 to $25,000. A picture of a celebrity that's acting out that nobody else has ` suddenly you're talking six figures. And few celebrities pay off as much as Alec Baldwin,... who stepped out on the red carpet for the premiere of his new movie To Rome With Love. But lately, he's feeling no love for the New York paparazzi. The paparazzi are never there to make you look good, ever. Earlier this week, the actor lost it when he got into a scuffle with a photographer, earning him the nickname Alec Brawl-win. It all began with what should have been a happy moment for Baldwin ` getting a marriage licence in New York City with his fiance. We're talking about someone walking outside after having a personal moment and hearing someone yell at him, 'Over here! Over here!' I imagine that he felt that his space was invaded, and he pushed back. # Fight, fight, fight... But photographer Marco Santos said, 'Wait a minute ` Baldwin was the aggressor.' # The fight's on. # And we started taking his picture. The next thing I saw, his` He looks at me and coming straight to me. And I have time to react. Baldwin blasted back on Twitter... Adding... What is it about these blow-ups, these tirades that fascinates us? We think this is funny and ridiculous. 'Look at the famous people acting out.' And we feel better about ourselves. 'I don't act like that. I'm not that privileged.' But on some deeper level, we look at this and we think, 'I wish.' The next day, Baldwin upped the ante, appearing with a blanket over his head, denying photographers their coveted celebrity shots of him. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Alec Baldwin. Alec, come on... That evening, Baldwin was in better humour, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote his film and make light of his photographer smackdown. I think you can see I'm forming the letter F with my mouth. I think you can see I'm forming the letter F with my mouth. Yeah. Yeah. I said, 'What f-stop are you on with the camera' (?) I said, 'What f-stop are you on with the camera' (?) Oh, that's what it is (!) At one point, he even dropped his pants, deflecting all the attention. You see I'll go to any lengths to change the subject from current events, if you will. I'll go to any lengths to change the subject. The Daily News shot back ` Real Fighters Wear Boxers, questioning Baldwin's choice of tighty-whities. Baldwin's no stranger to losing it. Remember that recent plane incident, when Baldwin was tossed off after refusing to turn off his cellphone? There's a part of people who go, 'That's Alec Baldwin,' and they shrug their shoulders. Battle speech, right? May I? In fact, Baldwin's a pro at turning a losing moment into a winning brand, here making fun of himself in this commercial. Can you play games on that? Can you play games on that? Not on the runway. Can you play games on that? Not on the runway. Oh. But some actors aren't laughing. Check out Halle Berry when photographers swarmed her daughter's school recently. She pounces like a lioness protecting her cub. You have to leave children alone! They're <BLEEP>ing kids! Ain't nobody... 20 years ago, the understanding was that kids were off-limits. Everything has changed. The line has moved, and if you are a celebrity, the line has moved from out here to up here, in your face. And that can be uncomfortable. And that can be uncomfortable. It can be very uncomfortable. Then, last month, actor Will Smith went off when a reporter tried to plant one on him. He lost it, delivering a backhanded slap. He's Will Smith. I mean, again, the guy who's supposed to be perfect, Mr Clean Cut or Fresh Prince. What the hell is your problem? Wow. Gee, he's human and he doesn't like strangers kissing him. What a shock (!) But sometimes it's the stars themselves who crank up the crazy. <BLEEP>! <BLEEP>! Remember the bald Britney Spears breakdown as she attacked a photographer with an umbrella? Or how about Mel Gibson's meltdown during that secretly recorded angry phone call to his girlfriend? GIBSON: You need a <BLEEP>ing bat to the side of the head. I'll put you in a <BLEEP>ing rose garden. Cos I'm capable of it. The worms of freedom have all gone insane... You judge and condemn, you discard me. There has been global speak regarding my tiger blood. And who could forget Charlie Sheen's shenanigans? And yes, it's real. I am on a drug called Charlie Sheen. All those wacky on-camera moments. He may go down as the most outrageous celebrity of them all. Why did that captivate us so much? I mean, it's amazing. It was a human train wreck. And how do you keep your eyes off of that, when he's willing to do it so publically? You'd think losing it in public would kill a career. But happily for celebrities, their fans love a comeback. BOOM! Sheen's about to star in a new comedy, appropriately called Anger Management. Come on. Everyone deserves a 24th chance. Britney Spears, with a full head of hair now, has been named the newest judge on The X Factor. <BLEEP>. (LAUGHS) REPORTERS: Alec! And as for Alec Baldwin's new movie, that brawl just might lead to a few more ticket sales this weekend. Oh, well, next on 20/20 ` the courtroom can be a pressure-cooker of tension at the best of times. But what happens when that tension boils over? We've seen defendants punch their lawyers,... SMASH! He has the black eyes to prove it. ...lawyers shot at outside of court... Hey! and judges losing their cool in court... I'll yell all I want. This is my court and I'll do what I want! Do you understand me? ...and plenty of victims taking the law into their own hands. YELLING Oh, my throat. If your sore throat needs warming comfort, try Strepsils Warm. It has a special formulation, with proven antibacterial and a gentle warming sensation. Ah! Mm. Mm. (GIGGLES) Wrap up with Strepsils Warm. And if you can buy NZ's trusted brands, you can make sure that colds, flu and sore throats will be kept at bay so you don't lose a day. a Welcome back. Order in the court? Well, not always. As we've seen recently in the news, courtrooms are places of high emotion. So what happens when a judge loses control? When victims and the accused take the law into their own hands? The marble-lined halls of justice are supposed to be a study in decorum, a place for serious situations and serious people, a place where judges insist on order in the court. PEOPLE YELL But the scales of justice can produce a tinderbox of emotions. PEOPLE YELL You better not be doing it without me! You better not be doing it without me! In Georgia, the brother of a murder victim attacks the defendant with a chair before the trial even starts. This Kentucky woman seeks a strange way to avoid jail time. And a Nevada man didn't like being told he should have locked his guns up. I'm getting screwed, and I'm supposed to take it? You're not gonna disrupt my decision. PEOPLE YELL It took the pleading of his parents and at least seven courtroom deputies to subdue this ex-Marine. It could be the lack of control or a feeling against authority, but for individuals who are violent anyway. When in a situation where the outcome's not what they want, then they may be more likely to be violent or to lose it. We've seen defendants punch their lawyers ` he has the black eyes prove it ` lawyers shot at outside of court,... Hey! ...and judges losing their cool in court... I'll yell all I want. This is my court, and I'll do what I want! Do you understand me? ...and plenty of victims taking the law into their own hands,... PEOPLE EXCLAIM ...like this Florida family, when a technicality resulted in a mistrial. You know you did it! You did! You know it! Everybody clear the courtroom. Clear the courtroom! Clear the courtroom! When you feel you don't have a voice, um, you are on the edge and you're looking for a way to express yourself, if you're given none, then, you know, it may come in the form of, sort of, erupting like a volcano. He ruined my <BLEEP>ing life! I'd like him to go to hell and rot there forever! Sandy Fonzo confronted disgraced judge Mark Ciavarella outside a Scranton, Pennsylvania courthouse, where he was just convicted on charges of taking bribes from private juvenile jails. Do you remember me? Once I got there is when they came out and said, 'He's... He's not going to be taken. 'Yeah, they're allowing him out free until sentencing.' So just the fact that he was free is what set you off? Yeah. I wanted to see him shackled and cuffed and taken into, um, the system. Fonzo's 17-year-old son, Edward, was aggressively sentenced by the judge after he was found with drug paraphernalia at a party ` a charge usually dealt with by probation. For a marijuana pipe, your son got what? Um, over six months, and he came out of there, and he was just never ever the same. Fonzo says her son had changed after his exposure to the criminal element. With his bright future decimated, he ended his own life. She blames the judge. His lawyer was claiming, like, yelling loud about this victory, and then I just lost it. So we hope someone starts to get the message! No! Because my kid's not here any more! My kid's not here! He's dead! Because of him! > He ruined my <BLEEP>ing life! I'd like him to go to hell and rot there forever! No! You know what he said in court? 'They need to be held accountable for their actions.' You need to be! Do you remember me? Do you remember me? Do you remember my son, an all-star wrestler? And I do remember that he wouldn't look at me. He just had his head, his back to me the whole time. You scumbag! Somebody's gotta do something with him! He's stolen all your trust! Did you get to stand up in court and speak? No. And that was a slap in the face. That would have been wonderful. I wanted to stand up and look right in his face before he was sentenced. In a Seattle courtroom, Christine Henthorn doesn't just yell; she physically confronts the defendant during his sentencing. I remember being hauled out of court and I wasn't shaking any more; I just felt fine, and that was closure for me. I felt like a whole new woman after that. I think it's probably very difficult for a family member to sit in the audience and listen to a trial and try to remain calm and not want to get themselves involved. Yes! No! And when people lose control and violence erupts, it's the court officers who are there to protect the innocent, the accused and the guilty. OFFICERS: Pepper! Get down! Here in New York State, they train for it. MAN: Eight! Nine! Once we get the situation under control, yes, you might be able to see the sympathetic side to why someone acted out. He killed my son! In the back of the...! I think there are certain circumstances when people are gonna lose it and should lose it. And when you express yourself, when you use your words, you know, even if you curse, if you're loud ` that's to be expected. You're human and not perfect ` you don't wanna keep everything in. As for Sandy Fonzo, she's unapologetic for losing it. In the end, what felt best? Was it when he was convicted and sent away? It was good for me to yell at him and tell him what he did to my son. Do you regret it at all? Do you regret it at all? No, not at all. Absolutely not at all. He received 28 years, and I have a feeling that if I didn't cause a ruckus and he walked out of there, maybe he would have gotten 10 years. All right, coming up on 20/20 ` she's either risen from the dead, or someone is pulling off a pretty elaborate scam. This photo of Irene was taken by her attorney April, 2009. It was later that year when security cameras recorded that video of her renewing her licence at the DMV. But for the past six years there was something about Irene that was a hidden mystery. Her real home was not the townhouse in Brooklyn, but here. Irene Prusik had been dead and buried since 2003. Is it crispy? Is it crispy? It's crispy. Looks crispy. It's crispy. It's crispy. Wow, that looks crispy. It's crispy. It's crispy. It looks crispy. VOICEOVER: Introducing new Maggi So Crispy, delicious crispy chicken baked in the oven without the oil. Try them for yourself. a Welcome back. For six years, Thomas Parkin acted out a bizarre scheme that involved him impersonating his dead mother ` fooling the federal and state governments, banks and the court system to collect on her social security payments. Authorities say he was even caught on tape wearing a wig and a dress at the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to renew her driver's licence. It's your average ho-hum afternoon at the DMV. As security cameras roll, a 77-year-old woman named Irene Prusik ` dressed in red, her favourite colour ` steps up to the counter for the utterly routine task of renewing her licence. Not much to see, right? But in fact this seemingly innocuous video holds the key to a tantalising mystery ` a twisted tale of cross-dressing and crime. How bizarre was this case? In all my years, I've never seen anything like this before. Irene Prusik was a former actress and model who made her home in this neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York. Irene spent her entire life in this elegant brownstone and was a well-known figure to neighbours like John Coffey. How would you describe Irene? She was a woman who had` She had elegance. She had poise. She knew how to carry herself. Irene shared her home with her son Tom, who was known around the neighbourhood as a quiet, enigmatic man. He didn't have too many friends in the neighbourhood that I know of. Had had none that I know of. By 2003 Irene and her family had hit hard times. Unable to keep up on payments on the family brownstone, the property was sold under foreclosure. Staring eviction in the face, Irene was getting desperate. Fighting to keep her home, she filed lawsuit after lawsuit to avoid eviction. This photo of Irene was taken by her attorney April of 2009. It was later that year when security cameras recorded that video of her renewing her licence at the DMV. But for the past six years, there was something about Irene that was a hidden mystery. Her real home was not the townhouse in Brooklyn but here. Irene Prusik has been dead and buried since 2003. 'Our beloved mother,' reads Irene's headstone. 'Everyone's talking about the lady in red.' Also a note from her son ` 'Love, Tom.' But Thomas Parkin, shown here at the funeral home in front of his mother's casket, had much more sinister matters in mind that bereavement. Parkin was a conman and a thief who hatched the big lie ` an elaborate scheme to impersonate his dead mother from criminal gain. He became her. That's exactly what he did. Because in his own mind, in his own plan, she needed to still be alive. Parkin's incredible rouse started the very day of his mother's funeral. For her death certificate, he provided the funeral director with a fake date of birth and social security number, which means her death was never officially recorded. So the government continued to issue Irene's monthly social security cheques, and Parkin, seen here on a bank surveillance camera, cashed them for himself. Parkin was also able to dupe various banks into issuing him credit cards in his dead mother's name. Even the court system fell for Parkin's scheme. He failed lawsuits in his dead mother's name in order to hang on to the Brooklyn townhouse, and no one was the wiser. Why didn't the court system catch him? The agencies he was dealing with are set up to take things at face value. He was exploiting that reliance on honesty. But in the most bizarre twist, Parkin would actually dress up as his dead mother to further his scheme. That DMV video of 'Irene' renewing her licence? Authorities say that's really Parkin dressed in drag, assisted by an accomplice. What was your reaction to that? What was your reaction to that? The thing that jumped out at me was he's doing a pretty good job, except that person walking across the DMV floor is walking like a 45-year-old man, not like a debilitated 73-year-old. Parkin might never have been found out if it wasn't for a stunning development in the case in March of 2009. Believe it or not, Parkin himself walked into the Brooklyn district attorney's office complaining that he and his mother were being defrauded over their townhouse. Thomas Parkin came into this office and repeatedly told them, 'Irene Prusik is alive, Irene Prusik is alive, Irene Prusik is alive.' It doesn't take long for investigators to discover that Irene is actually dead, dead, dead. While pretending to look into his fraud claim, investigators pressed Parkin on the phone to set up a face-to-face meeting with his mother. It would aid our case if we could actually sit down and speak to your mother. OK. OK, so I` OK, so I` Now, the thing is that she doesn't know. We haven't kept her up to date or informed or what has been going on. Most of the time, she's in Jersey, like she is now. Most of the time, she's in Jersey, like she is now. Right. Friday was her birthday, so she wanted to be there with the rest of the family. God bless her. God bless her. (CHUCKLES) God bless her. (CHUCKLES) God bless her. Did you have a party? (CHUCKLES) Well, we had a little bit of a celebration over here. Finally, Parkin agrees to arrange a meeting with his mother at the Brooklyn townhouse. A hidden camera is rolling as investigators enter the building and Parkin's accomplice leads them to a darkened room. And they walk in, and there is Mr Parkin wearing dark glasses. He's got a scarf around his neck. Doesn't say a word. It's hard to tell exactly who's behind this get-up, but there is an obvious clue to one of the investigators. He didn't know for sure who that was, but he does remember the hands. He remembered them being man-hands. Authorities had nailed the cross-dressing crook dead to rights. He was arrested and charged with grand larceny and mortgage fraud. He didn't want to talk to 20/20 on camera. But during our interview with his attorney, he unexpectedly called in and agreed to answer some of our questions over the phone. Just explain and tell us from your point of view why you impersonated your mother. What was your motivation? What was your motivation? That's completely erroneous. I always maintained that. So you say you've never dressed up as your mother? Never. And there was never any indication or any witnesses that said I did. Do you know who dressed up as your mother, who impersonated her? Do you know who dressed up as your mother, who impersonated her? No. The judge was unmoved by Parkin's denials. Last month he threw the book at the transvestite thief, sentencing him to 13 to 41 years in prison. It's a very harsh sentence that was meant to send a message. Tom Parkin pulled off complex frauds for years. Mr Parkin is on a level all of his own. I don't think we'll see his like any time real soon. Yeah, only in America, eh? Next week ` a young mum-to-be, the medical staff who refused to let her die and the husband that never gave up. Her lips were blue, and she was cold, and she was breathing really shallow. I was seven months pregnant and so sick. How could he not check the baby? SIREN WAILS The last thing I remember is them putting the oxygen mask on me. As I walked through the door, they were just delivering the baby through the Caesarean section and quite literally had just started chest compressions. And there's two doctors sort of up to their elbows inside Nicky's stomach. Any idea was going to be a good idea that night. She was arrested. She was, um, needing CPR and, um, she was... dying. I thought, 'My whole family is here and they're dead.' You know? 'They're not... They're not alive, 'and I'm not gonna` you know, I'm not gonna see them any more.' Probably the biggest miracle of my whole career. POIGNANT MUSIC