Ep 5. Murder on Maiden Lane

In The First 48 season 15 episode 5, titled "Murder on Maiden Lane," viewers are taken to Louisville, Kentucky where a man is found shot to death in front of his home. Detectives must start from scratch on this case, as there are no witnesses and no known motive. The episode starts off with the officers on scene of the crime, with detectives Greg Burns and Leigh Maroni leading the investigation.

The victim is identified as 34-year-old Joshua Ellis, and his body is found near the front porch of his home. The detectives immediately notice that there are no signs of forced entry or any struggle, indicating that Ellis may have known his killer. The victim's wife, Heather, is visibly shaken as detectives question her about her husband's whereabouts leading up to his death. Heather mentions that he had been out with a friend earlier that night and that he returned home alone shortly after.

Detective Burns and Maroni begin their investigation with the friend who had been with Ellis earlier that night. The friend, Marshall, tells detectives that they had gone out to a bar to play pool. He says that Joshua left the bar at around 11 pm, and Marshall stayed a little longer before going home himself. Detectives take Marshall's statement and add his information to their case file.

Next, the detectives review surveillance footage from around the area to see if they can pinpoint a suspect or anyone suspicious in the area around the time of the murder. They find footage that shows a car driving slowly past the scene of the crime around the time of Ellis's death. The detectives run the license plate and find out that it belongs to an ex-girlfriend of the victim.

The detectives bring the ex-girlfriend, Brittany, in for questioning. She tells them that she had been out that night with her current boyfriend and that they had driven past the victim's home on the way home. Brittany denies any involvement in the murder and expresses her condolences to the victim's family. But the detectives are skeptical and they keep Brittany under surveillance.

Meanwhile, the forensic team is busy processing the scene of the crime. They find a bullet casing at the scene that matches the type of gun that Brittany's boyfriend owns. The detectives also find a bloodied handprint on the victim's front door. They collect the evidence and send it off for testing.

As the investigation progresses, the detectives start to focus more on Brittany's boyfriend, Thomas. They obtain a search warrant for their apartment and find a gun that matches the bullet casing found at the scene of the crime. Detectives arrest Thomas and bring him into custody for questioning. As it turns out, Thomas had a history of violence and had served time in prison for an aggravated assault charge.

In conclusion, The First 48 season 15 episode 5, "Murder on Maiden Lane," is a fascinating glimpse into a murder investigation from start to finish. Despite having little to go on in the beginning, the detectives are eventually able to catch the killer thanks to their thorough investigation and the use of forensic evidence. It showcases the importance of hard work and dedication in order to solve a case.