Ep 31. Garden of Evil

In the season 10 episode 31 of Forensic Files, titled Garden of Evil, the show explores a chilling crime committed in a small town in Idaho. The episode sets the tone with a quaint shot of a picturesque garden in bloom, but the serene setting is quickly shattered when a woman is found buried in the very garden she had tended to so lovingly.

The victim, named Ali Kemp, was a young college student who had returned home for the summer to work as a lifeguard. On the day of her disappearance, Ali had plans to meet up with friends and run some errands, but she never showed up. Her family grew worried when she failed to come home, and her father even spent the night in his car, looking for her in the dark.

The next day, Ali's mother was combing the garden when she noticed a patch of freshly dug earth. Upon closer inspection, she found her daughter's body buried only a few inches below the surface. The shock of the discovery is palpable as the show plays audio of the 911 call made by Ali's frantic parents.

The investigation into Ali's murder is thorough and meticulous, as the authorities strive to find the killer. The autopsy reveals that Ali died from strangulation, and there is evidence of sexual assault. The police gather DNA samples from everyone associated with the garden, and the resulting list is incredibly long. However, the sample collected from Ali's body does not match any of the samples collected.

The case goes cold for a while until two years later, when another young woman is attacked and raped in the same town. This time, the police are able to gather a DNA sample from the scene of the crime, and it matches the sample collected from Ali's body. The police are thrilled at the discovery, but they have a long road ahead of them.

The show delves into a detailed explanation of how the DNA evidence was analyzed and how it linked the two crimes together. Additionally, the authorities interview everyone associated with the new crime in an effort to zero in on the suspect. Finally, they are able to narrow down their list to only one person, a man who worked at a nearby garage.

The evidence against the suspect is overwhelming, and the show plays snippets from his confession. The killer is a man named Benjamin LaGuer, and he is described as a charismatic and intelligent person who had a troubled history with the law. The episode ends with Ali's parents talking about how the verdict brought them some sense of closure, but they will never recover from the loss of their daughter.

Overall, Forensic Files season 10 episode 31, Garden of Evil, is a gripping and emotionally charged exploration of a brutal crime, and the forensic science that helped solve it. The show does an excellent job of balancing the personal stories of the victim and her family with the scientific analysis of the evidence. Viewers are left with a sense of justice being served, while also being reminded of the horrific nature of the crime.