Ep 3. First Impressions

Forensic Files II season 4 episode 3 titled "First Impressions" follows the investigation into the murder of a young woman named Sheri Fisher. Sheri's body was found in her apartment in July of 2000, strangled to death. The case went cold for over a decade until advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to link Sheri's murder to a man named Bruce Johnson, who had been a suspect from the beginning.

The episode begins by introducing Sheri and her family and friends, all of whom describe her as a kind and compassionate person who loved animals and wanted to become a nurse. We learn that Sheri had moved to Arizona from Illinois, and that she had started dating Bruce Johnson shortly after her arrival in the state.

The investigation into Sheri's death was initially hampered by the fact that there were no signs of forced entry and nothing was taken from her apartment. The only piece of evidence was a single hair found near Sheri's body that did not belong to her. Despite interviewing several suspects, including Johnson, the police were unable to find any concrete leads.

Years went by without any progress in the case, but in 2015, detectives decided to re-examine the evidence using new DNA technology. They were able to extract DNA from the hair found near Sheri's body and use it to create a composite image of the suspect. The image strongly resembled Johnson, who had since moved to Oregon.

When detectives went to Oregon to question Johnson, he denied any involvement in Sheri's murder and claimed that he had only briefly dated her. However, further investigation uncovered evidence that Johnson had been lying. They found letters and emails exchanged between Johnson and Sheri that showed a much deeper and more intimate relationship than Johnson had admitted to.

As the investigation continued, detectives discovered that Johnson had a history of violent behavior towards women, including a previous assault on an ex-girlfriend. They also learned that Johnson had been living in Phoenix at the time of Sheri's murder and that he had been seen near her apartment building around the time of the murder.

With this evidence in hand, detectives were able to obtain a warrant to collect DNA samples from Johnson. The samples matched the DNA found in the hair near Sheri's body, confirming his involvement in her murder. Johnson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

The episode concludes with Sheri's family and friends expressing relief that justice has finally been served. They remember Sheri as a kind and loving person who would have wanted her killer to be brought to justice. The episode serves as a reminder of the importance of forensic evidence and the tireless efforts of detectives in solving cold cases.