For decades, the mystery of Michelle Martinko's murder in the mall parking lot in December 1979 haunted her family and the town of Cedar Rapids, IA, as police searched for her killer without success; the case went cold. 39 years later, through creative detective work and modern investigative techniques, the case took a new twist, leading to an arrest and first-degree murder charges in a long awaited, dramatic trial.
When single mom Nicole 'Nikki' Vanderheyden is found naked, beaten and strangled in a Green Bay, WI, farm field, police immediately arrest her live-in boyfriend, Doug Detrie, who waited 18 hours to report her missing and has a history of domestic violence. However, as the investigation unfolded, a man she met at a bar became a prime suspect.
When Richard Smith failed to show up for work, police discovered the murdered bodies of Smith, his mother and brother in their home in Pensacola, FL. Sheriff's deputies told the media they were investigating possible ritual links to the Wiccan religion and the timing of the killings with the "blue moon sky."