Ep 9. A Confession for Carmen, the Girls

In Cold Case Files season 6 episode 9 titled "A Confession for Carmen, the Girls," viewers are taken on a journey through the investigation of a 1976 case where three teenage girls were murdered in their California home. Carmen, the 16-year-old sister of one of the victims, was left alive to tell the tale of the horrific crime.

The episode begins with a recap of the case and the evidence found at the scene, including cigarette butts, footprints, and a bloody fingerprint. The investigation quickly focused on a man named Ronald Lee Williams, who had a history of sexually assaulting young girls and had been seen in the area around the time of the murders.

As detectives began to build a case against Williams, they couldn't help but notice that one of the cigarette butts found at the scene was a brand that he often smoked. When they brought him in for questioning, he initially denied any involvement but soon confessed to the crime.

However, as the trial approached, things took a surprising turn. Williams recanted his confession, claiming that he had been coerced by police. With no other viable suspects, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Years later, Carmen began to doubt Williams' guilt and reached out to the Innocence Project for help. Through DNA testing, they were able to prove once and for all that Williams was not the killer. So who was?

The remainder of the episode focuses on the reinvestigation of the case, with detectives looking for new leads and evidence. They interview family members and friends of the victims, as well as neighbors and potential suspects.

One potential lead comes in the form of a boot print found at the scene that doesn't match any of the known suspects. Detectives explore the possibility that it could belong to a young man who was working as a gardener in the neighborhood at the time. They track him down and learn that he had been in trouble with the law before for stealing, and that he had had a fascination with the teenage girls in the area.

Another potential suspect is a man who had been seen driving a car similar to one spotted near the scene. However, when detectives confront him, he claims that he was in the area at the time but had nothing to do with the murders.

As the investigation continues, the detectives are forced to confront the fact that many of the potential leads they pursue turn out to be dead ends. It becomes clear that the killer may never be brought to justice, and that the families of the victims may never have closure.

Despite the lack of a satisfying conclusion, the episode is a powerful reminder of the importance of pursuing justice, no matter how long it takes. It also highlights the incredible resilience of the human spirit, as Carmen and others affected by the case continue to seek answers and closure decades after the crime was committed.