Ep 18. Innocence Lost

Innocence Lost, the 18th episode of Forensic Files season 6, is a chilling look at how two innocent teenage girls lost their lives in the most brutal way possible. On May 30, 1987, 17-year-old Rocio Wanninkhof disappeared on her way home from her boyfriend's house in Mijas, Spain. Her body was found two days later, hidden in the bushes near the side of a road. She had been beaten, raped, and strangled.

Detectives in Spain worked tirelessly to identify who was responsible for Rocio's death, but no suspects were found until 18 months later when another young girl was killed in a similar way. Sonia Carabantes was 17 when she went missing on August 14, 2003, after leaving a music festival in Malaga. Her body was found two days later in the hills surrounding the town, where she had been raped, bludgeoned and strangled.

The police suspected that these murders were carried out by the same person, as there were similarities in the manner and motive of both the crimes. A manhunt was launched, and the police started gathering evidence to solve the case. Both the girls had been killed in remote areas, with no witnesses or surveillance footage, making it a herculean task for the investigators to get to the bottom of this.

The investigation included collecting DNA from residents in the area, and a partial DNA match was found with the help of the Spanish police national database, narrowing down to a suspect. The detectives' hunch proved right, and the DNA evidence ultimately led them to Tony King, a former British soldier who had a history of violence against women.

King had fled to Spain in 2001 to escape from the UK, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping and murdering a woman in London. He had initially been imprisoned for his crimes in Winston Green prison in Birmingham but had been released on parole in 2000, which enabled him to flee to Spain.

Innocence Lost delves into how the police hunted down King, arrested him on suspicion of murder, and secured the evidence to prosecute him. The detectives were able to establish that King had committed the two murders on different occasions, but had used a similar modus operandi. The evidence was overwhelming, with DNA matches found in blood samples taken from the victim's fingernails.

The trial that followed was a drawn-out one, with the trial lasting for over a year. Ultimately, King was convicted for both murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for at least 30 years.

Innocence Lost presents a somber and factual account of one of Spain's most notorious murder cases, highlighting how forensics played a crucial role in solving the case. It underlines the persistence of the police department and reminds viewers of the tragic loss of two young lives that could have been saved had the perpetrator been caught sooner.

Forensic Files Season 6 Episode 18: Innocence Lost is a compelling episode that engages viewers throughout its length, shining the light on the importance of DNA evidence and the bravery displayed by law enforcement agencies. The episode has everything one would expect from a true-crime documentary, with investigative reporting, groundbreaking forensic science, and real-life drama that inspires awe.