Ep 11. Watchful Eye

In the season 15 episode 11 of Forensic Files titled "Watchful Eye," the show explores a case involving the murder of a prominent doctor in his home, and how police used surveillance footage to catch the killer.

On Friday evening, in a wealthy neighborhood in Houston, Texas, the wife of Dr. Richard Kimble returned home to find her husband's lifeless body in the bedroom. Kimble, a well-known cardiologist, had been shot in the head and partially disrobed. While the police initially suspected a burglary gone wrong, the crime scene was too clean. The only things disturbed in the bedroom were the bedspread and the doctor's clothing.

Detectives started their investigation by interviewing Kimble's wife and son, who were both out of town when the murder occurred. They quickly eliminated them as suspects and turned to surveillance cameras in the area.

The Houston police department found a camera mounted on a neighbor's house overlooking the Kimble residence. The camera captured footage of a suspicious car parked outside the Kimble's house for several hours the day before the murder. The police identified the owner of the car, a woman named Yvonne Stern, the wife of a prominent Houston attorney.

Upon questioning Stern, the police discovered that she was having an affair with a man named Jeffrey Stern. Stern admitted to hiring a hitman to kill Kimble because she believed he was harming her husband's career. The hitman was identified as Damian Flores, a former patient of Dr. Kimble. Flores was apprehended, and his DNA was found on the bedspread in Kimble's bedroom.

The prosecutors built their case against Flores by proving he had purchased the gun used to kill Kimble. They also presented evidence that he had taken a cab to and from the scene of the crime, which was caught on surveillance video. In addition to Flores's DNA on the bedspread, they also found a partial footprint from his shoe on the nightstand next to the bed.

The prosecution's case against Yvonne Stern and Jeffrey Stern's involvement in the crime rested largely on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution presented evidence that Jeffrey Stern's law firm was suffering financially and that the doctor's testimony in a medical malpractice case could have caused even more financial harm to the firm.

The jury ultimately found Damian Flores guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Yvonne Stern was also found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jeffrey Stern received a 15-year sentence for solicitation of capital murder.

"Watchful Eye" showcases the importance of surveillance footage in solving crimes. The footage provided a crucial piece of evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. The case also highlights the potential consequences of high-stakes situations in which careers and livelihoods are on the line. The murder of Dr. Kimble serves as a cautionary tale that the crime can never be the solution to such situations.