"48 Hours" team shares their most memorable episodes
Every murder investigation "48 Hours" covers has meaning, but there are some cases we can't shake. They challenge us, haunt us, and appear in our dreams.
To celebrate the show's 35th anniversary, we'd like to share the collection with you.
Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer," reported by Jim Axelrod
When he was 13 years old, he committed an unthinkable crime. 28 years later, Smith is out on parole. What's next for him? | Aired: March 26, 2022 and May 6, 2023
"I started covering this case in 1993 as a young producer," says "48 Hours" executive producer Judy Tygard. "One child, Eric Smith, had killed another, Derrick Robie. It would be years before any of us had any real understanding of why. I think of Derrick often and I have long admired the strength and grace of his family. I think of Eric, too, and wonder if he'd gotten help could both boys have been saved."
"Crosley Green Comes Home," reported by Erin Moriarty
The emotional homecoming of a man imprisoned for nearly 32 years. A judge ruled he was wrongfully convicted of murder, but is he home for good? Questions linger about the witness who blamed him. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty has the latest on the case she's covered for more than two decades. | Aired: April 17, 2021
"I can't sleep at night because of this case," says "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty. "After decades of investigation, it has become apparent that Crosley Green did not get a fair trial. He was convicted of shooting a man in a deserted orange grove, but the case against him is wildly flawed. I am committed to reporting on Crosley's story for as long as it takes. Through it all, Crosley is a man of incredible patience and grace."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Green was granted a provisional release in 2021 after his lawyers cited health concerns during the pandemic. But the state of Florida appealed the decision that led to Green's release and won last year. In April 2023, Green's conviction was reinstated and he was ordered back to prison.
"Death by Text," reported by Erin Moriarty
Inside the groundbreaking case of a crime of the digital age — a young woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter because she used text messages to encourage a friend to take his own life. | Aired: May 28, 2022
"I'd never seen a case like this," says Moriarty. "The verdict stunned legal experts – in effect the jury decided words could be a murder weapon. Conrad's mother granted '48 Hours' a rare interview and our report presented the most complete portrait of a gentle young man who struggled with social anxiety. Would Conrad (Roy) be alive today if he hadn't met Michelle (Carter)?"
"Devil's Island," reported by Peter Van Sant
An ex-Marine with a secret life and a secret wife. A five-year investigation turns up shocking DNA evidence. Is the one-time hero a killer, too? | Aired: Jan. 21, 2017
"Yvonne Baldelli disappeared from a tropical Panamanian island in 2011. The last person to see her alive was her ex-Marine boyfriend, Brian Brimager," "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant explains. "I got involved in this fascinating investigation early on, with Yvonne's family certain she'd been a victim of foul play. We're with the family step-by-step as they discover that emails sent from Yvonne — allegedly from Panama — actually were sent from where Brian Brimager was now living in California. I confront him on camera in a supermarket parking lot."
"Last Seen in Breckenridge," reported by Natalie Morales
In 1982 the bodies of Annette Schnee and Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer were found outside a luxe ski town. A man rescued from a snowdrift the night of the murders turned out to be their killer. | Aired: Nov. 19, 2022.
"The story was remarkable because this was a 40-year cold case that was finally solved thanks to the perseverance of great detectives over decades," says "48 Hours" contributor Natalie Morales. "And the way the case was solved was also an incredible story in and of itself! It's also a story that gives hope to victims' families that even when they believe all hope is lost that with the right people on the case and thanks to technological advancements, justice prevails."
"Gabby Petito: The Untold Story," reported by Jericka Duncan
"48 Hours" explores Gabby Petito's final days and the missed warning signs that might have saved her. | Aired: Sept. 17, 2022 and May 27, 2023
"This broadcast highlighted domestic violence in relationships and also brought awareness to how missing persons cases are not always covered the same, depending on the race, age and sex of the victim," says "48 Hours" contributor Jericka Duncan.
"Katrina Brownlee: The Good Cop," reported by Michelle Miller
Her ex-fiancé — an officer with a badge — nearly killed her. She says police failed to protect her, so she got her own badge. | Aired Feb. 26, 2022 and April 8, 2023
"Katrina Brownlee is woman of reinvention. Her story inspired me on so many levels," says "48 Hours" contributor Michelle Miller. Born into the turmoil of a broken home, coming of age at the height of New York's drug epidemic of the 1980s and 90s, she survived abuse, 11 bullets and a trial that catapulted her from victim to outlier. She hopes that she can inspire women to lead themselves into their own futures no matter what stands in their way!"
"The Strange Death of Professor Shockley," reported by Jonathan Vigliotti
A respected professor dies in a hot tub. Two friends are at the scene. Only one survives to tell the tale. | Aired: Oct. 15, 2022.
"In my years covering crime, the conclusion of "The Strange Death of Professor Shockley" still leaves me wondering what exactly unfolded that night," says "48 Hours" contributor Jonathan Vigliotti. "On its surface, this is the tragic story of a renowned entomologist who died in a hot tub during a night partying with friends. But add in hallucinogenic drugs, one witness's timeline marked by blackouts and another who later took his own life, and you'll discover a murky whodunit that even detectives on the scene described as one of the most chilling investigations of their lives."
"Peter Chadwick: Caught," reported by Tracy Smith
A "48 Hours" report helps trip up a wanted fugitive who spent more than four-and-a-half years on the run for allegedly killing his wife and staging a kidnapping. | Aired July 2, 2022
"Peter Chadwick — who murdered his wife at their home in Newport Beach, California — was on the run when we first told the story of the manhunt for him," says "48 Hours" contributor Tracy Smith. "But he knew authorities were closing in on him because, as we later found out when he was caught, he watched our '48 Hours" from his hiding place!"
"The Betrayal of Linda Slaten," reported by Jim Axelrod
After a young mother is murdered, her son unknowingly hangs the killer's photo on his wall. | Aired: Dec. 3, 2022
"In all my years of reporting for "48 Hours," I've never encountered anything as heartbreaking as a kid having a picture of his football coach on his wall — not knowing that the coach murdered his mother," says "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod. "The coach kept driving the kid to practice after the killing. The sheer, chilling sociopathy of the coach took my breath away."
"The Kidnapping of Schanda Handley," reported by David Begnaud
A daughter watches in horror as her mother is kidnapped from their home by intruders posing as deliverymen. | Aired Oct. 22, 2022 and July 15, 2023
"What was so unique about this story is that it happened in my hometown," "48 Hours" contributor David Begnaud explains. "For me, as a young boy watching '48 Hours,' I dreamt of telling a story in my hometown and this was that. Most often than not '48 Hours' involves tragic endings and deaths, but this was a happy ending for the victim because she survived to tell her story."
