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In the ninth season of the popular true crime series Forensic Files, episode 12 titled "The Financial Downfall" delves into the motive behind a double murder that occurred in 1995. The episode focuses on the investigation of the brutal murders of Robert and Kathryn Swartz, who were both found in their home in Preston, Maryland, with multiple gunshot wounds.
The local police department asked for the assistance of forensic experts in solving the case, and the team includes forensic detectives and criminalists from the Maryland State Police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was particularly difficult to solve because the Swartz's home was in a very remote area with no eyewitnesses, no security cameras, and no forced entry – any potential clues were severely lacking.
When the police team arrived at the scene of the crime, they noted that not only were the couple's bodies present in the home, but all of their valuables had been stolen. This leads the investigators to suspect that the motive behind the murders was financial and that the murderer wanted to rob the couple. From this point on, the team begins to unravel the financial dealings of the couple to find a motive and potential suspects.
The investigation specifically focuses on the Swartz's accountant, who they had entrusted their entire life savings to. Detectives suspected that the accountant had stolen the couple's money and that things went south when they discovered the theft. The accountant also had a somewhat checkered past and a motive to cover up his tracks.
The forensic team scoured all financial records related to the couple and their accountant that they could find. They discovered that the accountant had forged checks for himself over a long period, so he could cover his own expenses without the Swartz's ever detecting it. This continued for a long time until the couple became aware of the ongoing embezzlement. The break-in, they realized, was staged by the accountant to make it look like someone else killed the Swartzs and that their money had been stolen.
The investigators were also able to present expert analysis of the bullet casings found at the scene; the suspect's gun was compared with the casings, which enabled the team to match them and match the bullets to the murder weapon, impelling the prosecution to conclude with high confidence that the accountant had committed the murders and fled with the money.
After obtaining enough evidence, the accountant was tried and found guilty of double first-degree murder, embezzlement, and theft. Although the investigation presented without definite evidence that the accountant had committed the murders himself, it did provide critical information that heavily suggested it.
The financial downfall of the Starwz family was indeed a sad event that this documentary does not shy away from. The series is as sharp as ever in this, their ninth season, pulling together a variety of forensic techniques that is well worth watching. As the investigation unfolds, the viewer gets an insight into the intricate detective work involved in solving complex crimes. It is a fascinating and emblematic episode of the hit series.
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Genres
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CastPeter ThomasScott LawrenceSteve Keeney
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Channel
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First AiredNovember 8, 2004
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Content RatingTV14
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Runtime21 min
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LanguageEnglish
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IMDB Rating7.1 (68)
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