Ep 9. A Shot In The Dark

A Shot In The Dark is an episode from season 7 of the popular true crime show Forensic Files. This episode explores the murder of a young woman named Lori Roscetti who was shot to death while working at a gas station in Aurora, Illinois. The episode examines the investigation into her murder and the use of forensic evidence to bring her killer to justice.

The investigation into Lori Roscetti's murder began on September 27, 1986, when a passerby found her body lying on the floor of the gas station where she worked. She had been shot twice in the head. The police immediately began searching for leads, but the case went cold for several months until a break in the case came from an unlikely source.

In December of 1986, police received a tip from an informant who claimed to have information about the murder. The informant told police that a man named Rolando Cruz had confessed to the murder to a mutual acquaintance. Cruz was a 24-year-old with a criminal record and a history of drug use, and police immediately began investigating him.

The investigation into Rolando Cruz soon turned up some promising leads. For one, a witness had spotted a man matching Cruz's description at the gas station on the night of the murder. Additionally, forensic evidence found at the scene of the crime pointed to a single perpetrator who was likely left-handed and had a distinct scar on his forehead, both of which matched Cruz's physical characteristics.

Despite this evidence, Cruz maintained his innocence throughout the investigation. He claimed that he had been playing basketball with friends on the night of the murder and had nothing to do with Lori Roscetti's death. However, as the investigation continued, more evidence began to pile up against him.

For one, police found a sketch in Cruz's notebook that resembled the crime scene. Additionally, a woman named Alejandra Hernandez claimed that she had seen Cruz near the gas station on the night of the murder, and a pair of boots found in his possession were consistent with the footprints found at the scene of the crime.

Despite all of this evidence, the case against Rolando Cruz was far from open and shut. His defense attorneys argued that his confession had been coerced and that police had planted evidence to frame him for the murder. Furthermore, other suspects were considered, including a man who had been seen acting suspiciously near the gas station on the night of the murder and who had a history of violent behavior towards women.

The case went to trial in 1989, and both sides presented their arguments to a jury. The prosecution relied heavily on forensic evidence, including ballistics tests that showed that the gun used in the murder had likely also been used in a previous crime committed by Cruz. The defense, on the other hand, argued that the evidence was circumstantial and that there were other plausible suspects.

After a lengthy trial, the jury ultimately found Rolando Cruz guilty and sentenced him to death. However, the case was far from over. Cruz maintained his innocence throughout his time on death row, and his defense team continued to search for evidence that would exonerate him.

Finally, in 1995, a breakthrough came when a DNA test on semen found at the crime scene excluded Cruz as a suspect. This discovery, along with other inconsistencies in the prosecution's case, led to Cruz's conviction being overturned and a new trial being ordered.

In the end, Rolando Cruz was found not guilty at his second trial and was finally able to go free. The case would go on to make headlines and be studied in law schools as an example of the flaws in the criminal justice system. A Shot In The Dark is a fascinating episode that explores the use of forensic evidence in a difficult murder case and the potential for wrongful conviction.