Cold Case Unsealed

These sources recount two high-profile cold cases where long-held secrets and modern technology finally exposed the truth. The first narrative follows the forty-one-year investigation into the murder of Officer Charles Bernoskie, a case eventually cracked when a relative’s confession and a lone fingerprint on an antifreeze can identified the killers. The second account details the harrowing experi...

These sources provide detailed accounts of five cold cases that remained a mystery for decades before reaching resolution. The first case describes the 1986 kidnapping of Jessica Gutierrez, where a witness’s description of a "wizard hat" was eventually linked to a cowboy-hat-wearing suspect convicted through fingerprint analysis. Similarly, the 1972 murder of Debbie Randall and the 1987 double hom...

The episode details Operation Ballistic Backlog, a collaborative law enforcement initiative involving the FBI, ATF, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe to address violent crime on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. By utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, officials aim to process hundreds of firearms to generate leads for unsolved homicides and cold cases. This effort is part of...

In May 2026, authorities finally solved the 1986 cold case involving the brutal murder of Roberta Walls, a young library employee in Virginia Beach. After four decades of mystery, law enforcement arrested Charles Berry, a former Navy sailor, using modern forensic genealogy and advanced DNA testing. The investigation reveals that the victim was randomly attacked and killed while leaving work, a cri...

The episode details the 1980 murder of Helene Pruszynski, a young journalism intern who was abducted, assaulted, and killed in Colorado. For nearly four decades, the case remained unsolved despite a dedicated group of friends and detectives who refused to let the investigation die. The breakthrough finally arrived through forensic genetic genealogy, which allowed investigators to build a family tr...

This episode recounts the successful resolution of a 1987 cold case involving the brutal sexual assault of two young girls in Exeter, Rhode Island. After nearly four decades of uncertainty, investigators utilized forensic genetic genealogy to identify Frank Thies as the assailant through a match with a distant relative’s DNA. The narrative details how Thies, who was a member of the military at the...

This episode provides a comprehensive profile of Rodney Alcala, a notorious serial killer whose ability to blend into society earned him the nickname "The Dating Game Killer." The sources detail his predatory methods, highlighting how he utilized his intelligence and photography skills to lure and manipulate dozens of victims across multiple decades. Despite early warnings and repeated arrests, Al...

The episode details the successful resolution of a thirty-one-year-old homicide investigation involving the death of Joni Marie Grigsby in Oregon. Through the use of investigative genetic genealogy, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office identified Roy C. Gomes as the perpetrator of the 1995 crime. Although the suspect died decades ago in a police confrontation, the discovery offers closure to the victi...

This episode details the brutal 1999 serial murders of four women in and around Yosemite National Park. The narrative begins with the tragic discovery of three sightseers—Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso—who were kidnapped and killed by Cary Stayner, a handyman at a local motel. It explores the intensive investigation that followed, eventually linking Stayner to a fourth victim, natural...

These sources provide a comprehensive overview of the unsolved 1989 murder of Tracey Kirkpatrick, a high-achieving teenager killed while working at a Frederick, Maryland, clothing store. The materials detail the brutal nature of the crime, the discovery of the victim by a security guard, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the lack of a clear motive or forced entry. Key investigative lead...

The episode details a significant breakthrough in a Texas cold case involving skeletal remains found on a remote Llano County ranch in 2018. Through advanced DNA analysis and forensic anthropology, authorities have tentatively identified the deceased as Eric William Wallace, a man who had been missing since 2017. The report examines the scientific methods used to bridge the gap between an anonymou...

The episode details the San Francisco Police Department’s ongoing investigation into the Doodler, an unidentified serial killer who targeted gay men during the mid-1970s. This suspect earned his moniker by sketching portraits of his victims in nightlife venues before luring them to isolated coastal areas to be stabbed to death. The sources highlight the historical challenges of the case, noting ho...

The episode examines the unsolved 1970 homicide of Paula Jean Oberbroeckling, an eighteen-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who disappeared after leaving her apartment barefoot and in a nightgown. Her bound remains were discovered four months later in a culvert, yet the cause of death was never determined and most physical evidence was later destroyed in a 2008 flood. The sources explore various t...

Following the 2022 tragedy in Moscow, Idaho, the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves established a nonprofit organization to transform their personal loss into a national resource for justice. This foundation, operating as "Murder Has a Name," focuses on providing financial support for investigative genetic genealogy and advanced DNA testing to resolve stagnant cold cases. By partnering with special...

The episode examines the pervasive crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons within the harsh landscape of Interior Alaska. It specifically highlights the unresolved 1975 disappearance of Ida Rose Jacomet, using her suspicious case to illustrate the systemic and environmental barriers that hinder justice. These obstacles include extreme weather, vast wilderness, and jurisdictional complexi...

These documents detail the unsolved 1983 double homicide of two teenagers, Shelly Colliflower and Vincent Tijerina Jr., in Weatherford, Texas. The victims were discovered shot execution-style in a parked car at a local hangout, a tragedy that shattered the security of their small community. Despite numerous investigations involving multiple law enforcement agencies and recent advancements in foren...

This episode examines the tragic homicide of Gabby Petito to highlight the inherent dangers and cold cases found within the United States national park system. While Petito’s high-profile disappearance brought intense media focus to domestic violence and wilderness safety, the sources emphasize that many other unsolved mysteries linger in remote terrains due to jurisdictional complexities and hars...

This episode explores the 1981 abduction and murder of Adam Walsh, a case that remained officially unsolved for twenty-seven years. It highlights how Sears’ corporate negligence and the Hollywood Police Department’s inexperience led to the loss of critical evidence and the delayed identification of the killer. Though serial killer Otis Toole was ultimately named the culprit in 2008, the source not...

This transcript details the fifty-two-year investigation into the cold case of Anita Piteau, a young woman murdered in Huntington Beach in 1968. For decades, the victim remained an unidentified Jane Doe after her body was discovered in a remote field with no identification. The narrative follows her family’s long search for answers alongside the persistent efforts of detectives who utilized evolvi...

The episode details the long-term investigation into the Gilgo Beach serial killings, a case that remained unsolved for over a decade after human remains were first discovered on a desolate Long Island parkway. Reporters recount the initial 2010 discovery of the "Gilgo Four," young women whose disappearances eventually exposed a larger graveyard containing ten sets of remains. The narrative emphas...

The episode details the 1993 cold case murder of Jeanie Childs and the revolutionary scientific methods used to identify her killer decades later. After the investigation stalled for twenty-six years, authorities utilized forensic genetic genealogy to narrow their search to a Minnesota man named Jerry Westrom. Investigators surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded napkin at a sporting eve...

This episode review from an A&E documentary provides an in-depth look at two notorious criminal investigations involving the Zodiac Killer and Theresa Knorr. The first section outlines the elusive nature of the Zodiac, highlighting his calculated attacks in California, the complex ciphers sent to newspapers, and the eventual failure of DNA and fingerprint evidence to definitively convict prime...

This episode details the 2026 arrest of Dontaye Montez Carter for the retaliatory homicide of Kenneth Lawson, a case that remained unsolved for four years. Following an alleged armed carjacking in 2022, prosecutors claim Carter used digital tracking and social media to hunt down and execute the young man in Baltimore’s Westport neighborhood. The report highlights the critical role of the city's Co...

This source provides a comprehensive overview of the unsolved disappearance of Helen Munnings, a twenty-year-old mother who vanished from Burnie, Tasmania, in July 2008. The text details the circumstances of her final sightings, specifically her last known interaction with her former partner, Adam Taylor, and the subsequent investigation into her suspected homicide. It explores the tumultuous pers...

The episode details an innovative and controversial move by the Aurora Police Department to solve the 2016 cold-case murder of Chelsea Yasser through a self-produced true-crime podcast titled "The White Whale." By adopting the dramatic storytelling techniques of popular media, law enforcement hopes to generate fresh leads regarding a stabbing death that was partially caught on surveillance video a...