Ep 26. Missing and Murdered (#2128)

In Cold Case Files season 2 episode 26, "Missing and Murdered" (#2128), viewers are taken on a journey to solve the disappearance and murder of a young girl, Karen Wilson.

Karen Wilson was a 23-year-old woman who moved to Houston, Texas, in hopes of starting a new life. However, on December 27, 1990, Karen vanished without a trace. Her car was later found abandoned near a busy intersection. For years, authorities searched for any clues or witnesses, but the case went cold.

Nearly a year after Karen's disappearance, a young girl's body was found in a vacant lot close to where Karen's car was found. DNA testing later confirmed that the body was Karen's. Detectives were now not just investigating a missing person case, but also a murder case.

Within weeks of the discovery of Karen's body, another woman named Kimberly Pitchford disappeared. Kimberly's body was later found, and it was revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered. The similarities in the two cases led detectives to believe that the same killer may have been responsible for both crimes.

In "Missing and Murdered," viewers are given an insight into how detectives re-opened Karen's case many years later. With advancements in technology, detectives were able to put together a new timeline of events leading up to Karen's death. They also used her dental records to determine that she had most likely been murdered within hours of her disappearance.

The episode also delves into the journey that detectives took to find the killer. With the help of eyewitnesses, detectives were able to create a composite sketch of the suspect, which was then circulated widely. Eventually, a DNA profile was created that matched all three of the murders - Karen, Kimberly, and another woman who had been murdered around the same time. The killer was identified as the "Masked Rapist" - a man who had terrorized the Houston area in the early 1990s.

Despite being identified, the killer was not apprehended until many years later. It was not until 2013 that the "Masked Rapist" was finally arrested and charged with the murders of Karen Wilson, Kimberly Pitchford, and the other woman. The episode follows the trial and conviction of the killer - bringing closure to the families of the victims.

Overall, "Missing and Murdered" is a gripping and heart-wrenching episode of Cold Case Files. Through interviews with detectives, witnesses, and family members, viewers gain an understanding of the impact that these heinous crimes had on everyone involved. The episode also highlights the importance of perseverance and the use of modern technology in solving cold cases.