Ep 10. Writer's Block

Forensic Files season 19 episode 10 titled "Writer's Block" examines the case of a deceased writer whose death raises suspicions among her loved ones. The episode opens with the body of Pamela Sweeney being found in her home in Rockford, Illinois on July 4, 2009. She was 59 years old. From the beginning, the police suspected foul play.

Pamela Sweeney was a well-known and much-loved figure in her community. She had worked as a writer for several newspapers and magazines in the area and was a board member of the Rockford Arts Council. In addition, she was a mother of three and grandmother of six. Her sudden death shocked all who knew her, but it was especially hard on her family.

The investigation into Sweeney's death proved to be challenging. There were no signs of forced entry into the house, which suggested that the perpetrator was either someone she knew or someone who had a key. Moreover, there was no sign of a struggle at the crime scene. It seemed like Sweeney had been caught off guard.

The autopsy report revealed that Sweeney had died from a combination of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. The police told the media that her death was being treated as a homicide, but as the days turned into weeks and then months, the case went cold.

Four years later, the investigation was reopened when the detectives received an anonymous tip. The tipster claimed that a man named Michael Swango had killed Sweeney. Swango was a former doctor who had been convicted of poisoning patients under his care. He was currently serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado.

The detectives began to piece together Swango's movements before and after Sweeney's death. They discovered that he had been in Rockford at the time of the murder and that he had visited the hospital where Sweeney was treated before her death. However, they couldn't find any solid evidence linking him to the crime.

This is where forensic science came to the rescue. The police turned to forensic experts to help them find the connection they needed. They discovered that the perpetrator had worn gloves during the crime. The forensic team was able to extract DNA from the gloves, but they couldn't find a match in any of the criminal databases.

However, they did find something else. The DNA on the gloves matched that of a cigarette that had been found in Sweeney's car. The car had been parked outside a local library, which was known to be a spot where Swango would go to smoke.

The experts also examined the marks left on Sweeney's neck and determined that they had been made by the cord of a computer bag. Swango had been seen using a computer bag which matched the one that had left the marks on Sweeney's neck.

Armed with this evidence, the detectives were able to get a conviction against Swango for Sweeney's murder. He was already serving a life sentence for other crimes, so he was given an additional life sentence for killing Pamela Sweeney.

The episode "Writer's Block" is a powerful example of how forensic science has revolutionized investigations into complex and challenging cases. With the help of modern technology and expert analysis, the investigators were able to bring a killer to justice and give closure to the family of Pamela Sweeney.