Ep 44. X Marks the Spot

In episode 44 of season 7 of Forensic Files, entitled "X Marks the Spot," forensic scientists delve into the mysterious case of a woman who was found dead in her apartment. The victim, 40-year-old Angela Samota, was found by her roommate one morning in October 1984. They had both returned home late the night before, and the roommate had gone to sleep while Angela stayed up to finish some work. When the roommate woke up the next morning, she found Angela's lifeless body lying on the living room floor.

The investigators initially suspected that a burglar had broken into the apartment and killed Angela. However, nothing appeared to be missing from the scene, and there were no signs of forced entry. The only clue was a strange symbol that had been spray-painted on one of the apartment walls: an "X" with a circle around it. The symbol was painted in black, which led the investigators to believe that it had been painted by the killer.

The police began investigating the case, but they hit a dead end. They interviewed dozens of people, but nobody had any information on the case. The detectives were frustrated by the lack of leads, and the case eventually went cold.

Several years later, a new detective took an interest in the case and decided to take a fresh look at the evidence. He discovered that Angela's boyfriend at the time had a history of domestic violence, and that he had been the last person to see Angela alive. The detective also discovered that the strange symbol on the wall was actually a common gang symbol used by a group of violent criminals.

With this new information, the detective was able to build a case against Angela's boyfriend. He discovered that the boyfriend had been a member of the violent gang, and that he had been involved in a dispute with a rival gang on the night of the murder. The boyfriend had come home to find Angela still working, and the two had gotten into a heated argument. The boyfriend had become violent, using a beer bottle to bludgeon Angela to death.

The detective was able to use forensic evidence to link the boyfriend to the murder. He compared the paint used to create the symbol on the wall with the paint found on the boyfriend's clothing, and found that they were a match. He also found blood spatter on the boyfriend's shoes that matched Angela's blood.

The boyfriend was arrested and put on trial for the murder of Angela Samota. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The case was finally solved, and Angela's family and friends were able to find closure.

"X Marks the Spot" is a fascinating episode of Forensic Files, showcasing the incredible work of forensic scientists and detectives. Through careful analysis and scientific investigation, they were able to solve a case that had been unsolved for years.