Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

A WIFE AND MOTHER DISAPPEARS, LEAVING BEHIND A MYSTERY THAT WOULD HAUNT FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR 30 YEARS "48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20 As the wife of promising engineer Eugene Zapata and mother to three children, Jean Zapata was not your typical stay-at-home mom. Strong and independent, she was a trailblazer, one of the few female flight instructors of her day. But in 1976 she vanished from her Madison, Wis. home leaving behind friends, family and a mystery that would take 30 years to resolve. After just three weeks, the initial investigation into her disappearance went cold. The Zapatas’ youngest daughter Linda, who was 11 years old at the time, grew up thinking her mother had abandoned them. Linda remained haunted until she received a visit from local authorities 28 years later. Thanks to the persistence of Jean’s lifelong friend Peggy Weekley, the case had been reopened. And with the help of Madison detective Marianne Flynn Statz, these women were unit...

“THERE WASN’T A DAY WHEN I DIDN’T THINK HE WAS JUST GONNA KILL ME. [SOMETIMES] IT SEEMED I WAS BETTER OFF DEAD THAN LIVING THROUGH THAT.” KIDNAP VICTIM SHAWN HORNBECK REVEALS THE DETAILS ABOUT HIS INCREDIBLE STORY OF SURVIVAL IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY” –TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2009 In October 2002, at the age of 11, Shawn Hornbeck, was kidnapped. Over the course of the next 4 ½ years, Hornbeck suffered horrific abuses at the hands of his abductor, Michael Devlin, until he was rescued by FBI agents in January 2007. In an exclusive interview with 48 HOURS MYSTERY correspondent Tory Roberts, Hornbeck speaks about what happened during the time he was missing. “Nobody knows the real story except for me,” Hornbeck tells Roberts in the revealing interview. “There wasn’t a day when I didn’t think he was just gonna kill me…[sometimes] it seemed I was better off dead than living through that.” Hornbeck describes what he endured during the years th...

A MILLIONAIRE’S OUTRAGEOUS SEX LIFE MAY HAVE LED TO HIS GRUESOME MURDER – ON “48 HOURS MYSTERY,” SATURDAY, MAY 30 Charlie White was a larger-than-life Texas millionaire. Ambitious, bold and brash, he lived a lavish lifestyle that included a private jet, luxury vacations, parties and beautiful women. But it all came to a gruesome end in 2005 when police were called to his lakeside mansion. The eccentric millionaire had been murdered, mercilessly beaten, with an extension cord wrapped around his neck several times. By first impression, White was a very likeable person, but as police began investigating his murder, a darker image of White began to emerge, one of a cruel man with a dangerous mean streak sharpened by arrogance, alcohol and women. With an unbridled passion for the fairer sex, White bedded and rated the sexual prowess of over a thousand women, including strippers and prostitutes. And White didn’t stop there, satisfying his sexual appetite with the girlfriends of his...

DID A BROTHER AND SISTER CONSPIRE TO MURDER THEIR STEPFATHER? IN A CASE OF HE SAID SHE SAID, IT IS UP TO TWO JURIES IN ONE COURTROOM TO DECIDE IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THE SIBLINGS DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED ON “48 HOURS MYSTERY,” SATURDAY, MAY 16 On Thursday July 19th, 2007, the day after his 63rd birthday, Timothy MacNeil, a prominent defense attorney, was shot to death in his San Diego, Calif. home. The only witness was his 17-year-old stepdaughter, Brae Hansen, who was found tied up nearby. She told police a masked gunman had broken in and committed the murder, but left her alive. Thinking Brae to be the victim of the crime, authorities looked to Brae as their best witness to help solve the case. But as she recounted the details of the murder to authorities and to her family, puzzling inconsistencies began to emerge, including the fact that she described the masked gunman by name – Nathan. Brae soon went from being a victim to being a suspect. When q...

A FORMER CHILD ACTOR TURNED COLD-BLOODED KILLER COMMITS A CRIME THAT HORRIFIED THE TOUGHEST OF COPS CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY,” SATURDAY, MAY 2 Good met evil in the cold waters off Newport Beach, CA on Nov. 15, 2004, when Tom and Jackie Hawks lay on a bed in the cabin of their yacht, handcuffed and blindfolded by Skylar Deleon and two accomplices. The victims of a vicious plot hatched by Deleon and his wife, Jennifer, the couple signed over the yacht and their life savings in the hopes of being spared. They were not. Tied to an anchor, the Hawkses were yanked into the deep ocean. Tom Hawks was a probation officer and single father of two sons when he fell in love with Jackie. The couple, who married in 1989, shared a love of adventure and upon Tom’s retirement they sold their Arizona home, went to California and purchased the Well Deserved. Life on the 55-foot yacht was an endless fantasy cruise for the couple who would sail up and down the Mexican coast. Skylar De...

AN AIR FORCE COLONEL IS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT, BUT HIS DEATH GIVES RISE TO QUESTIONS AND CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CRASH 48 HOURS MYSTERY – SATURDAY, MARCH 28 In the spring of 2005, two years after losing his life in a violent car crash near San Antonio, Texas, Air Force Col. Philip Michael Shue was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. But while his widow, Tracy, accepted the traditional tri-folded American flag in his honor, the circumstances surrounding Col. Shue’s death were anything but traditional. The cause of death was never in dispute. Col. Shue had suffered fatal brain injuries as a result of the crash. But exactly what led to this accident was beyond curious. Shue’s chest had a large gash, both his nipples had been removed and duct tape was wrapped around both his wrists and his boots. This accident turned into a bizarre case, one that would launch several investigations, by the military, the Texas Range...

A HUSBAND’S OBSESSION MAY HAVE LED TO HIS OWN DEATH, BUT A JURY SHOCKS EVERYONE WITH ITS ASTONISHING DECISION… “48 HOURS MYSTERY,” SATURDAY, MARCH 21 From high school sweethearts to doting parents of three, Traci and Scott Rhode seemed a devoted couple, even after 20 tumultuous years together. Then on October 15, 2003 the life they knew together ended when Scott suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the couples’ Brownsville, Texas home. And for Traci the ordeal was just beginning. Was this a murder made to look like a suicide? After a tireless two-year investigation, Traci was arrested in the death of her husband, dividing the couple’s Brownsville community. With some crying for mercy and others crying for blood, Traci’s fate lay in the hands of the jurors, who were about to deliver a jaw dropping decision. Harold Dow reports on 48 HOURS MYSTERY: "Point Blank," Saturday, March 21 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. This broadcast is...

TWO COLLEGE STUDENTS FAKE DEATH TO CHEAT DEATH IN THE SECOND EPISODE OF “LIVE TO TELL,” A LIMITED-RUN SERIES FROM THE PRODUCERS OF “48 HOURS” SATURDAY, FEB. 21 In January of 2000, two young college students were on a peaceful date until the evening took a horrific turn. Stalked, kidnapped, brutalized and both shot in the face at a river’s edge, these teens outsmarted their would-be killer, playing dead to try to stay alive. Now Danielle Keener tells their story in LIVE TO TELL “River’s Edge,” on Saturday, Feb. 21 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. In the second episode of the limited-run, three-episode series, LIVE TO TELL, Keener describes walking by a river near York, Pa. with Dan Zapp, when they were suddenly ambushed by a gunman and forced into his red pickup truck. The young couple begged for their lives, but to no avail. Keener was sexually assaulted and Dan could do nothing to save her. Holding hands, they were forced at gunpoint down to the riverbank. Keener...

DRAMATIC NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE OF A YOUNG MARINE WHO DIED SUDDENLY – WAS IT NATURAL CAUSES OR POISON? "48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, FEB. 7 Marine Sgt. Todd Sommer, 23, seemed to be in peak physical condition before he suddenly collapsed and died in February of 2002. The official cause of death was listed as cardiac arrhythmia, but to one NCIS agent, something about the case seemed a little too familiar. Prior to that fatal day, Todd had complained of severe stomach pains and nausea, information that led NCIS to order a rarely performed test on some of Todd’s tissue samples. The results, prosecutors said, proved that Todd Sommer was the victim of a lethal dose of arsenic. And only one person had both motive and opportunity – his wife, Cynthia. Although authorities never uncovered direct proof that Cynthia purchased the deadly powder or poisoned her husband, prosecutors believed Cynthia’s questionable behavior in the aftermath of Todd’s d...

NEW DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS POLITICIAN CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY”– SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 0, 2008 Kathy Augustine was an ambitious and sometimes controversial politician who worked her way up the rankings of Nevada’s government. And with a reputation of being ruthless, she developed a lot of enemies along the way. But were these enemies deadly? In 2004, Augustine became the first state official in Nevada's history to be impeached, when she was found guilty of violating state ethics laws during her 2002 re-election campaign. In 2006, unable to seek a third term as state controller, she ran for state treasurer . But on July 8 Augustine was found unconscious in her home. She died four days later. While a preliminary autopsy found no evidence of a heart attack or other obvious cause of death, the medical examiner did find a suspicious puncture mark. Subsequent toxicology reports confirmed the presence of a powerful drug that paraly...

CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY” PRESENTS NEW DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE OF A CHILLING DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN “INVITATION TO A MURDER,” NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A BOOK BY PRODUCER GAIL ABBOTT ZIMMERMAN SATURDAY, DEC. 13 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK When Mark Winger fatally shot an intruder he was hailed as a hero. The nuclear engineer says he was in the basement of his picturesque Springfield, Ill . home when he heard a thump. Racing upstairs, Winger grabbed his gun and was faced with his worst nightmare when he discovered a man beating his wife Donnah with a hammer in a horrific scene that ultimately ended in the death of both his wife and her killer. It seemed like an open and shut case of self defense and Winger was quickly cleared of any wrongdoing. But one rookie investigator believed that there was more to the story. Unable to let go of this hunch, he relentlessly tried to get the case reopened, but to no avail, until four years later, when a new witness helped put ...

A FOOTBALL HERO IS USED TO GETTING EVERYTHING HE WANTS, BUT DID HE WANT THE MURDER OF HIS PREGNANT WIFE? TWO LEGAL TITANS BATTLE IT OUT TO FIND THE TRUTH 48 HOURS MYSTERY ON SATURDAY, DEC. 6             In Texas football is an institution where a gifted athlete is a star. In the town of Katy, David Temple was just that. The celebrated defensive linebacker at his high school, Temple went on to attend college on a football scholarship, where he became known as “The Temple of Doom.” As an athlete Temple got everything he desired and his success on the field was mirrored by his success off the field, when he became a football coach with a beautiful wife Belinda an adorable son and a new baby on the way. But when his pregnant wife was murdered in their home, Temple’s picture perfect life began to unravel. This hometown hero seemed to indeed get what he wanted, including a blond bombshell with whom he was having an affair.  ...

A DOCTOR'S WIFE IS MURDERED, SPELLING TRAGEDY FOR TWO FAMILIES AS A YOUNG MAN’S LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE “48 HOURS MYSTERY” REVEALS NEW DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN A RIVETING LEGAL BATTLE THAT HAS PUT JUSTICE ON TRIAL In March 1999, Karen Tipton, a mother of two and the wife of psychiatrist Dr. David Tipton, was found stabbed 28 times in her Decatur, Ala. home. And for the last nine years Daniel Wade Moore, who was convicted of the crime, has been at the center of an unprecedented legal battle, one that has his life hanging in the balance. Moore, a former drug user, was only 24 when he was arrested for Tipton’s murder after he confessed to his uncle that he had been present at the scene of the crime. While being questioned by police, Moore stabbed himself with a penknife, a move that authorities believe stemmed from his feelings of guilt. Moore, however, says that he is not guilty, explaining that he was getting high on drugs at the time he confessed to his uncle and that he had a...

TWO VEGAS HARD BODIES’ HARD PARTYING WAYS END IN AN UNTHINKABLE MURDER AND THE DOWNFALL OF A FITNESS POWERHOUSE A “48 HOURS MYSTERY” EXCLUSIVE, SATURDAY, NOV. 8 Craig Titus and his wife Kelly Ryan were two of the biggest stars of the body building world. The duo – he, a Mr. Olympia competitor and she, a fitness champion – won numerous competitions and graced magazine covers. Titus even trained Motley Crue lead singer, Vince Neil, who admits to 48 HOURS MYSTERY that Titus used steroids and injected him with them. And steroids were not Titus’ only drug of choice. These Las Vegas hard bodies were also hard partiers, known for using illegal drugs and pain killers. But all that changed on Dec. 14, 2005, when the charred corpse of a young woman was discovered in Ryan’s burned-out car on a Las Vegas desert road. The unrecognizable body was initially thought to be Ryan, but authorities were stunned when they arrived to the couple’s house only to be greeted by her at the door. The body was tha...

INVITATION TO A MURDER THE FOURTH BOOK FROM “48 HOURS MYSTERY” IS AVAILABLE IN STORES TUESDAY, OCT. 28  “48 HOURS MYSTERY” PRODUCER GAIL ABBOTT ZIMMERMAN GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BROADCAST TO EXAMINE A CHILLING DOUBLE HOM I CIDE A violent home invasion took a young mother’s life. But was that what really happened? Invitation to a Murder , available in stores on Tuesday, Oct. 28 is the fourth book from 48 HOURS MYSTERY. In this riveting account of a crime first documented on the broadcast, producer Gail Abbott Zimmerman unravels the lethal secrets inside a seemingly perfect marriage to find out who was behind a chilling double homicide. “My wife is dying on the floor!  Please, please come help!”  The frantic 911 call sent emergency units racing to a tidy brick home in suburban Springfield, Illinois.  Beautiful, vivacious Donnah Winger had been bludgeoned to death by a male intruder. Her attacker was fatally shot by Donnah’s husband, Mark.  In the afterm...

INVITATION TO A MURDER THE FOURTH BOOK FROM “48 HOURS MYSTERY” IS AVAILABLE IN STORES TUESDAY, OCT. 28 “48 HOURS MYSTERY” PRODUCER GAIL ABBOTT ZIMMERMAN GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BROADCAST TO EXAMINE A CHILLING DOUBLE HOMICIDE A violent home invasion took a young mother’s life. But was that what really happened? Invitation to a Murder, available in stores on Tuesday, Oct. 28 is the fourth book from 48 HOURS MYSTERY. In this riveting account of a crime first documented on the broadcast, producer Gail Abbott Zimmerman unravels the lethal secrets inside a seemingly perfect marriage to find out who was behind a chilling double homicide. “My wife is dying on the floor! Please, please come help!” The frantic 911 call sent emergency units racing to a tidy brick home in suburban Springfield, Illinois. Beautiful, vivacious Donnah Winger had been bludgeoned to death by a male intruder. Her attacker was fatally shot by Donnah’s husband, Mark. In the aftermath of t...

“HOW COULD I BE BLAMED FOR SOMETHING AS TERRIBLE AS THIS?” SAYS DR. TIMOTHY STRYKER IN HIS FIRST NETWORK INTERVIEW ABOUT THE MURDER OF HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND A “48 HOURS MYSTERY” EXCLUSIVE ON SATURDAY, OCT. 25 In his first network interview, Dr. Timothy Stryker addresses the accusations of murder that have dogged him for 15 years. “How could I be blamed for something as terrible as this?” he asks in the 48 HOURS MYSTERY exclusive. In 1993, Dr. Linda Goudey’s body was found in the back seat of her car in the parking lot of the Boston-area hospital where she worked. The beloved OB/GYN had been strangled in an attack so brutal it left injuries at 24 separate places on her body. Immediately, authorities turned to her boyfriend, Dr. Stryker, and his attempts to help their investigation further fueled their suspicions of his involvement. But with only circumstantial evidence, the case went cold. While authorities may not have had enough for a criminal case, Goudey’s family pressed on and f...

A WIFE AND MOTHER DISAPPEARS, LEAVING BEHIND A MYSTERY THAT WOULD HAUNT FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR 30 YEARS "48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, OCT. 18 As the wife of promising engineer Eugene Zapata and mother to three children, Jean Zapata was not your typical stay-at-home mom. Strong and independent, she was a trailblazer, one of the few female flight instructors of her day. But in 1976 she vanished from her Madison, Wis. home leaving behind friends, family and a mystery that would take 30 years to resolve. After just three weeks, the initial investigation into her disappearance went cold. The Zapatas’ youngest daughter Linda, who was 11 years old at the time, grew up thinking her mother had abandoned them. Linda remained haunted until she received a visit from local authorities 28 years later. Thanks to the persistence of Jean’s lifelong friend Peggy Weekly, the case had been reopened. And with the help of Madison detective Marianne Flynn Statz, these women were un...

“48 HOURS MYSTERY” LAUNCHES ITS OWN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CASE AGAINST AMANDA KNOX FOR THE MURDER OF HER PERUGIA ROOMMATE MEREDITH KERCHER “THIS IS A RAILROAD JOB FROM HELL. THERE’S NOT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE PUTTING THIS GIRL AT THAT MURDER SCENE…[BUT] THEY’VE GOTTA CONVICT HER NOW OR THEY LOOK LIKE FOOLS,” SAYS PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR ON "48 HOURS MYSTERY" – SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008 Although she has not officially been charged, 20 year-old Amanda Knox sits in a maximum security Italian prison, a suspect at the center of an Italian murder and sex mystery. Knox was enrolled for a year of study at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy, a picturesque town north of Rome. Now, the University of Washington honor student, along with her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, and former student Rudy Guede, is being held for the slaying of her English roommate, Meredith Kercher. But a 48 HOURS MYSTERY investigation raises serious doubts about Knox’s involvement. “This i...

This weekend promises to deliver some interesting must see television shows, including CBS's 48 Hours Mystery which is airing an episode entitled "The Girl Next Door". The case follows the 2003 discovery of a female teenager's body found in a trash bag behind a California restaurant, highlighting how a forensic sculptor helped put a face to the victim, and a tip that lead investigators to Mexico where they discovered the identity of the teenager. On the night of May 1, 2003, a teenage girl’s body was found in a trash bag left behind a restaurant in peaceful Castro Valley, Calif. The gruesome discovery became one detective’s obsession and touched the entire community, which came to call the young girl “Castro Valley’s Jane Doe.” With no identity, the chances of tracking down Jane Doe’s killer were slim. Following countless leads, police eventually turned to forensic sculptor Gloria Nusse who embarked on an incredible effort over several weeks, to recreate Jane Doe’s...