On the weekend before the marathon courtroom battle was to start, a feeler was extended to the alleged godfather at the heart of the murder plot.
It came to Frank Carson through his attorney, Percy Martinez, who had been picking up evidence from the DA's office.
When he says the prosecutor asked if Carson might be willing to cop a plea, he says Carson was given a big incentive that charges would be dropped against his wife, Georgia, and stepdaughter Christina.
I said, are you crazy?
They go, we could come up with something.
I went and told Frank, I said.
They made you an offer.
They want you to cooperate against the outlaws.
Chrissy and Georgia will get out immediately.
Carson's response was a profane snarl.
No chance.
This was characteristic of Carson, irascible and obstinately determined to fight to the end.
I asked the DA about the overtures described by the defense, and the prosecutor said no formal plea offers were made.
As the preliminary hearing got underway in Modesto in October 2015, Frank Carson sat with his co defendants, his wife and stepdaughter Bobbie Atwall and his brother Dee, who ran the pop and Cork liquor store, and former CHP officer Walter Wells.
Two other accused highway patrolmen would have their cases heard later.
Judge Barbara Zuniga would have to decide whether there was enough evidence to hold the defendants for trial.
The government just had to convince her that there was probable cause, that the defendants had conspired under Carson's influence to murder or cover up the death of a scrap metal thief.
The state's bid to find cooperators among the accused was met with stiff refusals.
Rather than get on board the witness bus.
In exchange for leniency, Carson and his family, the Atwell brothers and Wells, chose to fight as a unified front.