Ep 12. A Woman Scorned
- TVPG
- September 26, 2000
- 22 min
-
6.9 (99)
In "A Woman Scorned," the twelfth episode of Forensic Files season 1, viewers are taken through the chilling events surrounding the murder of Robert O'Dubaine, a successful Chicago attorney whose body was found in his car late one night in January of 1994. From the outset, detectives had few leads, and the case went cold for almost a year. However, a crucial piece of evidence would eventually lead investigators to the killer: a single, distinctive fingerprint on O'Dubaine's car window.
As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that O'Dubaine's personal life was incredibly complicated. He had been married for more than a decade, but was having an affair with a woman named Kimberly Allison. Several of O'Dubaine's legal clients were also women, and he was known to be friendly with them outside of the workplace. When detectives first began investigating his death, it seemed possible that a jilted lover may have been responsible; however, with no concrete leads to go on, the case soon went cold.
It wasn't until the discovery of that single, vital fingerprint that the investigation was reignited. The fingerprint was analyzed multiple times over the course of several months by forensic experts, who compared it to samples obtained from more than 2,700 possible suspects. Despite the massive amount of work required, this meticulous process eventually paid off: the fingerprint was eventually identified as belonging to Kimberly Allison, O'Dubaine's mistress.
What followed was a complex legal battle, in which Allison was tried and convicted of first-degree murder. Prosecutors argued that Allison had grown increasingly obsessed with O'Dubaine over time, and that she had become furious when he had tried to break the affair off. Allison had attempted to kill herself after O'Dubaine's death, and the severity of her injuries had caused her absence from work on the day the murder occurred. Despite her attempts to create an alibi, she was eventually found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Throughout the episode, viewers are presented with a careful sequence of details that led investigators to Allison's door. From the painstaking analysis of the fingerprint to the discovery that Allison had been lying about her whereabouts on the night of the murder, this is a story of careful detective work and the tireless pursuit of justice. By presenting the facts of the case in a clear and logical way, Forensic Files succeeds in engaging viewers with a true crime story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.
Ultimately, "A Woman Scorned" is a compelling episode of Forensic Files that will likely appeal to fans of true crime stories. It presents factors that lead to the crime and how they were pieced together afterwards to find the perpetrator. It also offers an engrossing narrative that is full of twists and turns, making it a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a good whodunit.