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At Close Range | FULL EPISODE | The New Detectives

The New Detectives・25 minutes read

A young mother in New York and an elderly couple in Idaho are brutally murdered, leading to investigations relying on forensic evidence and witness testimonies. The killers, Carlos Cahigas and Michael Fernandez, are eventually caught and convicted based on forensic analysis and expert examination of the crime scenes.

Insights

  • Forensic evidence, including bloody footprints, bullet holes, and ballistic analysis, played a pivotal role in identifying suspects and solving the murders of the victims in New York and Idaho.
  • The meticulous work of forensic examiners and investigators, such as Donna Shepherdson Mead and L. Eric Greenwade, alongside the collaboration between law enforcement officers like Sergeant Kim Marshall and Detective Victor Rodriguez, was crucial in bringing the perpetrators to justice in both cases.

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Recent questions

  • Who were the victims in the New York murder case?

    Jim Martin's wife and an elderly couple

  • What led to the arrest of Carlos Cahigas in the murder case?

    Failing a voice stress test

  • How were Leo and Mary Downer murdered?

    Shot multiple times

  • What evidence linked Lanny Buchanan to the Downer murders?

    Shoe prints and crime scene photos

  • How were the suspects in the New York murder case identified?

    Forensic evidence and witness testimonies

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Summary

00:00

Murder cases solved through forensic evidence

  • A young mother is brutally murdered in her kitchen in suburban New York.
  • Police find fragmentary clues at the scene of the murder.
  • An elderly couple is found shot to death in their Idaho home.
  • Eyewitness accounts vary, leading police to rely on forensic science to identify a suspect.
  • The victim in New York had been shot in the face and stabbed, indicating two perpetrators.
  • The victim's husband, Jim Martin, is initially a suspect but is cleared through a voice stress exam.
  • Forensic examiners find bloody footprints and a bullet hole at the crime scene.
  • The victim's body reveals gunshot wounds and defensive injuries.
  • Carlos Cahigas becomes a suspect in the murder after failing a voice stress test.
  • Cahigas and his accomplice, Michael Fernandez, are arrested for the murder based on forensic evidence and witness testimonies.

25:45

"Retired couple murdered, killer caught"

  • Leo and Mary Downer, a retired plant worker and his wife, enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren after their children had married and moved out.
  • On March 24th, neighbors found newspapers on the Downers' lawn and their front door slightly ajar, leading to the discovery of Leo Downer's motionless body in the living room, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
  • Mary Downer was found lifeless in the bedroom, also shot multiple times, with no signs of forced entry or fingerprints left by the intruder.
  • Investigators, including Sergeant Kim Marshall and Detective Victor Rodriguez, collected evidence such as shell casings, blood spatter, and a shoe print near the door.
  • The medical examiner confirmed that Leo and Mary Downer were each shot three times, with bullet fragments collected from their bodies indicating a 22-caliber firearm was used.
  • Ballistic evidence from the Oregon State Police forensic lab linked the bullets and casings to a 22-caliber rifle, suggesting the killer might be a hunter.
  • Initially suspecting Robert Buchanan, a lawn care worker with a history of violence involving a 22-caliber weapon, investigators searched his apartment but found no guns.
  • Further investigation led to Lanny Buchanan, Robert's brother, who had access to a 22-caliber rifle and exhibited suspicious behavior, including visiting older women and making concerning statements.
  • Through meticulous forensic analysis of shoe prints and crime scene photos by experts like Donna Shepherdson Mead and L. Eric Greenwade, Lanny Buchanan was eventually arrested and convicted of the murders of Leo and Mary Downer, receiving two life sentences without parole.
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