Ep 7. Frontier Drive

In "Nightmare Next Door" season 1 episode 7, entitled "Frontier Drive," viewers are introduced to a seemingly ordinary neighborhood in Liverpool, New York. It's a place where people feel safe leaving their doors unlocked and children can play outside without fear. But all of that changes on the night of April 3, 2005, when a 911 call comes into the Liverpool police station reporting a stabbing at 7385 Frontier Drive.

When police arrive at the scene, they find 36-year-old Richard Avolese bleeding profusely in his driveway. He's been stabbed numerous times and is barely clinging to life. Avolese is rushed to the hospital, but despite the best efforts of doctors, he doesn't make it. In the days and weeks that follow, detectives work tirelessly to find out who killed Richard and why.

As the investigation begins, detectives quickly discover that there are no obvious suspects. Richard was a well-liked member of the community, with no known enemies. He worked as a transportation planner for the city of Syracuse and was known for his friendly demeanor and willingness to help others. He was married with two children and seemed to have a stable and happy home life.

But as detectives delve deeper into Richard's life, they begin to uncover some troubling details. Richard had been having an affair with a coworker, and his wife Mary Lou had found out about it just weeks before his murder. Mary Lou had confronted Richard about the affair, and the couple had been arguing frequently in the days leading up to the stabbing.

As detectives continue to gather evidence, they receive a tip that leads them to a surprising suspect: Mary Lou's son, 28-year-old Christopher Porco. Christopher had been living with Mary Lou and Richard at the time of the murder, but had left town just days after the stabbing to attend classes at the University of Rochester. When Christopher's name comes up in the investigation, detectives begin to look at him more closely.

What they find is troubling. Christopher had a history of violence, including setting off explosive devices during his high school years and assaulting a fellow student with a metal pipe. He had also been caught stealing from a fraternity house during his time at the University of Rochester. And perhaps most telling, Christopher had been caught lying to police about his whereabouts on the night of the murder.

As the evidence against Christopher piles up, detectives obtain a search warrant for his dorm room and find a wealth of incriminating evidence. They discover that Christopher had taken a trip to the Albany area just hours after the murder, buying a new cell phone and using it to call several people in Liverpool. They also find that he had taken the unusual step of dismantling his car's navigation system, suggesting that he was trying to cover his tracks.

Despite Christopher's denials and his claims of innocence, prosecutors feel confident in their case against him. They believe that Christopher killed Richard in a fit of rage after learning of the affair, and that he did so to protect his mother's feelings and their family's reputation. In 2006, Christopher Porco is found guilty of second-degree murder, and is sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

"Nightmare Next Door" season 1 episode 7 is a gripping look at a case that shocked a small community in upstate New York. It's a reminder that evil can lurk even in the seemingly safest of neighborhoods, and that the people closest to us can sometimes be the most dangerous of all.