Ep 15. A Killer Named Korn/The Night Watchman

In season 4 episode 15 of Cold Case Files Classic titled "A Killer Named Korn/The Night Watchman", viewers are taken through two separate cases of murder that had gone unsolved for years until the Cold Case squad came in to reopen them.

The first case involves the murder of 17-year-old Susan Doll in 1979. Susan had been hitchhiking to a friend's house when she was picked up by a man named Robert Korn who offered to give her a ride. Susan was never seen alive again, but her body was found two weeks later in a rural area. For years, the case remained unsolved until DNA evidence led investigators to Korn's doorstep. Though Korn denied any involvement in Susan's murder, the evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The second case involves the murder of Steven Haataja, a night watchman at a construction site in 1973. Steven's body was found badly beaten and shot multiple times, but despite extensive police work, no one was ever arrested for his murder. In 2004, the Cold Case squad was able to use modern forensic techniques to reexamine the evidence from Steven's case, including a bloody handprint at the scene of the crime. The handprint turned out to match that of a man named John Fogle, who had been an initial suspect in the case but had never been charged. With the new evidence, Fogle was arrested and ultimately convicted of Steven's murder.

Through interviews with investigators, family members of the victims, and other individuals connected to the cases, viewers get a sense of the impact these crimes had on their communities as well as the extensive legwork and perseverance that went into finally solving them. The episode also serves as a reminder of the importance of forensic science and continued efforts to bring justice to victims and their loved ones, even after many years have passed.