Unusual Suspects

In January of 2008, 19-year-old Brianna Denison goes to sleep on a friend's couch. The next morning, she's gone. A bloody pillow found at the scene suggests the beautiful college sophomore has been abducted, but no ransom note ever comes. When a week long search finally finds her strangled body in an open field, police must determine if she's been killed by an ex-boyfriend or complete stranger. Until the mystery is solved, investigators must consider every citizen a suspect. After months of interviews and separating fact from rumour, detectives use forensic science and persistent police work to zero in on a cold-blooded killer.

In 1989, Indianapolis, IN high school student Amy Weidner is brutally killed while she stays home sick from school. Items from her home are stolen, but police believe Amy wasn't the victim of a burglary-gone-bad. They suspect this was a targeted, vicious murder. But who want this popular, honour student dead?

In 1987, the idyllic Kentucky town of Central City is shocked when the beaten body of Corrinna Mullen is found in the trunk of her car. The brutal crime strikes particularly close to home since the 20-year-old worked at police headquarters. Was the young mother simply in the wrong place at the wrong time or did her job with the police make her a target?

When business traveller Greg Fleniken is found dead in his hotel room, all signs point to a heart attack. Then an autopsy reveals that, despite any obvious bruising, he's been beaten to death. Who inflicted the bizarre injuries that claimed Greg's life? How they committed the deadly attack without being seen or heard has police baffled?

In September of 1997, Topanga, CA is devastated by the brutal murder of local ranch-owner, Jean Schwartz. As a 26-year resident, Jean was a beloved fixture of the close-knit community, making the search for her killer all the more challenging. Could one of her neighbours be capable of such a brutal act, or had the violence of nearby Los Angeles invaded the idyllic, mountain enclave?

Kenny Conrick was just eight years old when he was abducted, brutalised and murdered in Gary, Indiana in 1979. Who would want this innocent, gentle third-grader dead? Police quickly look at his mother's live-in boyfriend but when he passes a polygraph, detectives embark on a decade-long search for Kenny's killer.

On January 17, 1980, in the desert community of Hemet, CA, a local businessman comes home to a nightmare. His new wife, Elizabeth Crossman, has been brutally raped and murdered in their home. The heinous crime speaks to an act of rage, but the scene suggests a robbery gone wrong. Could the culprit be the stranger seen lurking near the Crossman's home or one of the near-by construction workers?

In March of 2000, the body of 28-year-old Alaskan Native Genevieve Tetpon was found wrapped in a sleeping bag and dumped on the side of the road. At first, police believe she's the latest victim of a serial rapist-killer who's been targeting Native women. But there's one piece of evidence that has detectives wondering if there isn't something more to this case.

The evidence at the crime scene suggests that 15-year-old Nanine Grimes fought bravely as her attacker stabbed her to death. Her desperate struggle provides Thorton, CO police with a sample of the killer's blood. But the limits of 1980s forensic science leaves detectives struggling to determine who would want Nanine dead?

On a cool September evening in Lander, WY, 13-year-old Teri Jo Bradish disappears from a group home for at-risk youths. The next morning, her nude, defiled body is found abandoned off the side of a highway. Who took the vibrant Teri Jo on that final, deadly ride? Was it another teen from the home or did she fall victim to a serial sexual predator?

In the summer of 1981, Southern Illinois University student Susan Schumake is discovered murdered on a popular campus trail. The 21-year-old co-ed was last seen leaving her job at the radio station just before someone grabbed, raped and strangled her to death. Did she fall victim to a paroled rapist working on campus or did a fellow student bring her life to a tragic end?

A daring, daytime robbery of a nightclub in Arlington, TX goes terribly wrong when the gunman shoots three club employees. The 21-year-old bookkeeper, Jennifer Burns, is killed while the others are critically wounded. The suspect list swells when police determine it was an inside job.

The summer of 1980 marks the first time a resident of Oswego, OR has been killed. Long-time residents and beloved grandparents, Casper and Otillia Volk have been found stabbed to death in their home. Were these working class retirees the victims of a burglary-gone-bad or were the Volk's targeted by someone they knew?