Forensic Files: Collection Season 1 Episode 17 A Cinderella Story

A Cinderella Story is the seventeenth episode in the first season of the popular forensic series, Forensic Files: Collection. The episode revolves around the 1980 murder of Lisa Ziegert, a Massachusetts teacher who was found raped and murdered in her classroom. The case remained unsolved for over two decades until new forensic techniques came into play.

The episode begins with news footage of the discovery of Lisa Ziegert's body inside her classroom. The entire community is shaken by the brutal crime, and the police department immediately launches a full-scale investigation. However, despite their tireless efforts, they fail to find the killer, and the case eventually goes cold.

Years later, a new forensic technique called "touch DNA" is developed. It's a process of analyzing DNA left by individuals through skin cells shed at a crime scene, and it has the potential to solve old cases.

Using this new technique, investigators are able to link Ziegert's murder to a man named Gary Schara. Schara was a suspect in the case back in 1992, but the evidence was not strong enough to charge him. He had since moved out of state and started a new life, but investigators are able to find him and get a DNA sample.

The DNA sample confirms that Schara was indeed the killer, and he is subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted for Ziegert's murder. The episode ends with footage of the victim's family speaking about how they finally have closure after all these years.

Overall, A Cinderella Story is a compelling episode that highlights the importance of forensic science in solving cold cases. It's a testament to how advancements in technology can help bring justice to victims and their families, even years after the crime has occurred.