Ep 5. The Alibi

The Alibi is an episode of Forensic Files season 7 that delves into the investigation of a brutal murder that took place in the small town of Konawa, Oklahoma. In the early morning hours of March 13, 1984, 22-year-old Debra Sue Carter was found dead in her own apartment. She had been raped, beaten, and shot twice in the head.

The initial investigation focussed on a few suspects, including Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, two local men who had been seen near the apartment complex on the night of the murder. However, they both provided alibis for their whereabouts during the time of the killing, which led the police to shift their focus to other potential culprits.

Months went by without any significant leads, until a man named Glen Gore came forward with information about the crime. According to Gore, he and a local businessman named Odell Titsworth had committed the murder together. He claimed that Titsworth had hired him to kill Carter, who he believed was involved in drug trafficking.

Titsworth vehemently denied the accusation, and told police that he had been at home with his wife at the time of the killing. However, his alibi was shaky at best, and investigators began to dig deeper into his background and his potential motives for the crime.

The episode follows the forensic evidence gathered in the case, including DNA analysis and ballistics testing. It also examines the various witness statements and testimonies, and explores the complicated legal proceedings that took place as a result of the investigation.

Ultimately, the evidence displayed led to Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot being convicted of the murder. However, despite the weight of the forensic evidence and other elements presented in the case, the convicted men still insisted their innocence to this day, suggesting the investigation of their alibis was not sufficient enough to address whether they were guilty or not. The episode asks some questions about the reliability of witness statements, the importance of forensic science in criminal investigations, and the challenge of determining the truth in complex cases.