9WTK: Sisters disagree over cause of mother's death

The task force was formed by Pueblo County Sheriff Dan Corsentino after a 9WTK investigation revealed the original medical examiner on the case may have misdiagnosed what could be murder.Pueblo Narcotics Detective Dennis Yaklich's first wife Barbara died on February 14th, 1977. Her death was listed then as natural causes from a potassium imbalance caused by diet drugs. But two forensic pathologists consulted by 9News said the circumstances of the death are "suspicious" most likely caused by a "blow to the stomach."We took our findings to the Pueblo district attorney, sheriff and coroner, all of whom have started investigations. None of them were in office when Barbara Yaklich died. Barbara Yaklich had two daughters when she died. Kim was 12. Vanessa was just 2-years-old. Kim says she remembers abuse by her step-father. "Dennis pounding on the door. My mom saying, please don't you hurt me. You hurt me. My mom crying.."Vanessa doesn't remember her mother but says her father didn't murder her mother. "I will until the day I die be a voice for my father. It's something I want to do." Dennis Yaklich was ambushed in 1985 after his second wife, Donna, hired two teenagers to kill him. Donna Yaklich is still in prison. She claimed domestic abuse. The judge sentenced her to 40 years, even though the jurors and a parole officer recommended leniency.The circumstances of the three current investigations are being kept private until a resolution is reached. Possible resolutions include a coroner's inquest, a grand jury and/or a recommendation that there be no further investigation into Barbara Yaklich's death.Two of the sheriff's task force members are well-known homicide investigators. One is Lt. Jon Priest from Denver Police. The other is former Detective Lou Smit from the El Paso County Sheriff's Department. He who was an investigator on the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.