Ep 24. Bodies In The Bay/Cold Hit

In "Bodies In The Bay/Cold Hit," the season one finale of Cold Case Files, we follow the investigation into the brutal murders of two women whose bodies were found in San Francisco Bay. The first victim, Valerie McDonald, was discovered in 1982, and the second, Cynthia Moreland, was found in 1986. Both women had been strangled, and their cases had long gone cold until new DNA technology allowed investigators to make a breakthrough.

The episode begins with the discovery of McDonald's body, and we see how the police initially struggled to identify her. With no obvious signs of trauma, investigators were unable to determine the cause of death, but they suspected foul play. The case languished for years, until a chance encounter between a detective and a woman who had a disturbing dream about a body in the bay led to a break in the case. DNA evidence eventually linked McDonald's murder to a man who had been convicted of raping and killing another woman just a few years later.

The investigation into Moreland's murder was even more complex. Her body was found in a different part of the bay, and there was no immediate way to identify her. It wasn't until a few months later that her family reported her missing, and even then, it took years for investigators to connect her case with McDonald's. One of the key breakthroughs came from a cold hit - a match between DNA found on one of Moreland's belongings and a sample in the national database. This led detectives to a suspect who had been linked to several other unsolved murders in the Bay Area.

Throughout the episode, we see how painstakingly the detectives worked to piece together the evidence and identify the killers. We also get a sense of the toll the investigations took on the victims' families, who waited years for closure. There are emotional interviews with McDonald's sister and Moreland's daughter, who talk about their loved ones and the impact their deaths had on their lives.

The episode also touches on the limitations of the justice system in the 1980s, when DNA testing was still in its infancy. We see how investigators had to rely on old-fashioned detective work to make connections between seemingly disparate cases, and how lucky breaks - like the chance encounter between the detective and the dreamer - played a crucial role in solving the crimes.

Overall, "Bodies In The Bay/Cold Hit" is a gripping and thought-provoking finale to the first season of Cold Case Files. It highlights the importance of perseverance, both for the detectives who worked these cases and for the families who never gave up hope for justice. It also raises important questions about how technology is changing the way we solve crimes, and how we can best balance the need for justice with respect for individual rights.