Ep 13. Bump in the Night

In the Forensic Files season 10 episode 13 titled "Bump in the Night," viewers are taken through a harrowing tale of a brutal murder that took place in the quiet town of Burlington, Vermont. The episode starts with the discovery of the victim, a middle-aged woman who was found dead in her house after her neighbors alerted the police of a strange noise they heard in her house.

The victim, Mary Morris, was known to be a reclusive person who kept to herself most of the time. She lived alone and worked as a librarian at a local college. The episode then delves into the forensic investigation that followed the discovery of her body.

The police initially had no clue as to who might have committed the crime. There were no signs of forced entry, and nothing had been taken from the house. But the detective in charge of the case realized that there was a strange bump in the night that Mary's neighbors had heard. He soon discovered that it was the sound of Mary's house door being locked from the inside after her death, pointing to the fact that the killer was still in the house.

As the investigation continued, the police turned their attention to Mary's past. They discovered that she had led a quiet life and had no known enemies. However, they also found out that Mary had filed a police report a few months prior, claiming that someone was breaking into her house and stealing things. The police initially brushed it aside as a case of a forgetful old lady, but it soon became clear that her allegations were true.

The forensic investigation of the crime scene yielded some crucial evidence. Hair found in Mary's hand was found to belong to an unknown person. DNA tests on this hair eventually led the police to a suspect, who had been the main suspect in the previous break-ins at Mary's house.

The suspect, a man named Paul, was a convicted felon who was on parole at the time of the murder. The police dug deeper into his past and found out that he had a history of burglaries and was known to be violent. They also discovered that he had been in the area at the time of the murder and had a motive for the crime. Paul had been involved in a previous burglary at Mary's house and had stolen some money, which he thought he could get away with a second time.

The forensic evidence against Paul built up as the investigation continued. His fingerprints were found on the window near where Mary's body was discovered, and blood found on his shoes matched Mary's blood type. The police were convinced they had their man.

However, Paul denied any involvement in the murder and claimed he had been at home at the time of the crime. The forensic evidence against him was strong, but the defense argued that it was circumstantial and did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Paul was the killer.

Despite the defense's arguments, the jury found Paul guilty of the murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The episode ends on a sobering note as the victims' family members speak about the pain of losing a loved one and the toll that the whole ordeal took on their lives. But it also highlights the importance of forensic science and the tireless work of investigators in bringing the guilty to justice. Overall, "Bump in the Night" is a powerful episode that showcases the power of forensic evidence in solving even the most puzzling of crimes.