Ep 23. Cats, Files & Snapshots
- November 22, 2002
In "Cats, Files & Snapshots," the 23rd episode of Forensic Files season 1, viewers are taken on a journey through the investigation of a bizarre crime involving a mistaken identity and murder.
The case begins with the discovery of a body in a dumpster outside a house in a quiet suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The victim is a young woman named Cheryl Cwiklik, who was shot in the head and left to die in the garbage. As the police team begins to investigate, they are faced with the daunting task of identifying the killer, who seems to have left no clues behind.
After weeks of interviewing neighbors, family members, and friends of the victim, detectives finally receive a breakthrough when a neighbor claims to have seen a man carrying a black trash bag from the scene of the crime on the night of the murder. With this new information, the detectives launch an intense search for the killer.
Their hunt leads them to a man named Larry Keith Robison, who has a history of criminal activity and a reputation for being a violent and unpredictable person. Robison denies having anything to do with the murder, but the police team is convinced that he is their man and proceed to build a case against him.
During the course of the investigation, the detectives discover that the victim's boyfriend, Mark, had been involved in a feud with Robison over a dispute involving a cat. In a strange twist of fate, Mark had mistakenly identified Cheryl as Robison's girlfriend and had threatened to kill her if Robison did not return the cat.
As the detectives unravel the complex web of lies and deceit surrounding Cheryl's murder, they come across a piece of evidence that would change the course of the investigation: a snapshot taken by the victim just moments before her death. The photo reveals the profile of Cheryl's killer, providing the police with a vital clue that would help them identify and arrest Robison.
In the end, the justice system prevails as Larry Keith Robison is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The episode concludes with the haunting image of Cheryl's snapshot, a reminder of the valuable role that forensic science plays in solving crimes and bringing criminals to justice.