WHEN
WHEN HE
WHEN HE IS RELEASED FROM PRISON. IN THE ALERT CENTER, RYAN CODY,
12 NEWS AT 10.
>>> ONLY ON 12 NEWS, A COLD
CASE MURDER AND A CHANCE FOR
ONE LAST GROUNDBREAKING CLUE.
THAT CHANCE COMES WITH A BIG
RISK.
RISK.
RISK. 31
RISK. 31 YEARS AGO LORETTA LYNN, A
MESA MOTHER WHO WAS PREGNANT
WITH HER SECOND CHILD WAS
STABBED TO DEATH IN HER BEDROOM.
THE MURDER SHATTERED A FAMILY,
STUMPED POLICE AND SUNDA
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. AS JOE DANA EXPLAINS ALL THESE
YEARS LATER, THE VICTIMS FAMILY
HAS A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION
TO MAKE.
TO MAKE.
TO MAKE. >> Reporter: WHO COULD HAVE
POSSIBLY WANTED TO HURT LORETTA
LYNN.
LYNN.
LYNN. IT
LYNN. IT MADE NO SENSE TO THOSE WHO
LOVED HER.
LOVED HER. A COUSIN OF HERS HAS NEVER LET
IT GO.
IT GO.
IT GO. STILL HUNTING LORETTA'S KILLER.
>> THE YOUNG MOTHER MURDERED IN
HER NEW HOME YESTERDAY.
>> Reporter: A VICIOUS ATTACK
THREE DECADES AGO.
IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT WAS
LOST
LOST
LOST >>
LOST >> I
LOST >> I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND
THE FACT THAT SHE IS GONE.
>> WE USED TO WRITE LETTERS TO
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. >> I STILL HAVE THAT PUPPY.
>> Reporter: AND EVIDENCE.
>> HE MET THE VICTIM ON SUNDAY
THE 13th.
THE 13th.
THE 13th. >> Reporter: 31 YEARS LATER,
THE REDIS COUSIN HAS NEVER
STOPPED AND ARISING, ARISING,
PORING OVER HUNDREDS OF PAGES
OF CLUES FROM THE CRIME SCENE.
I CAN'T ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE
WILL NEVER SOLVE IT.
AFTER ALL, KAREN NEVER THOUGHT
OF LORETTA AS JUST A COUSIN.
>> SHE WAS ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO
BE THERE.
BE THERE.
BE THERE. >> Reporter: THOSE LETTERS
REFLECT THEIR BOND.
>> FRIENDS ALWAYS LOVED LORETTA.
DEVILS GOALS ON THE REDIS
WEDDING DAY SHE BEAMS WHEN
KAREN ENTERS THE ROOM.
>> VERY SWEET, VERY NAOVE.
BEAUTIFUL, HAD NO IDEA HOW
BEAUTIFUL SHE WAS.
>> Reporter: OTHERS FAMILIES
BEGAN THE COUSINS DISCUSSED
BEING NEIGHBORS.
BEING NEIGHBORS. THEY BOUGHT THIS MESA DUPLEX
MOVING IN WITH THEIR BABY AND
ANOTHER ON THE WAY.
>> OUR DUE DATES WERE FOUR DAYS
APART.
APART.
APART. >>
APART. >> Reporter: ON THEIR SECOND
NIGHT LIVING THERE, THE
FAMILIES FUTURE CRUSHED.
>> A SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE.
>> Reporter: ALLEN WAS GONE
THAT NIGHT ON THE GRAVEYARD
SHIFT.
SHIFT.
SHIFT. >>
SHIFT. >> LORETTA'S HUSBAND FOUND HER
WHEN HE COME CAME HOME FROM
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. >>>
WORK. >>> A BIBLE SET ABOVE THE
COUPLE'S BED AND THE BABY
ASLEEP IN HER ROOM.
POLICE COLLECTED FOOTPRINTS AND
PALM PRINTS AND GREASE RESIDUE
ON A BED SHEET.
>> FROM THE BEGINNING WE DIDN'T
HAVE A STRONG LEAD OR A CLEAR
MOTIVE.
MOTIVE.
MOTIVE. >> Reporter: TO THIS DAY
INVESTIGATORS HAVE LITTLE TO GO
ON BUT KAREN HAS NEVER STOPPED
HUNTING LORETTA'S KILLER.
RETRACING HIS STEPS, PERSONALLY
VISITING DETECTIVES OVER THE
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> I HAVE BEEN BOTHERING THEM
THAT LONG.
THAT LONG. WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT?
>> Reporter: WAS A CRIME OF
PASSION?
PASSION?
PASSION? THAT DIDN'T ADD UP.
A BURGLARY INTERRUPTED?
SOMEONE STRUNG OUT ON DRUGS?
MESA POLICE SAY THOSE ARE
POSSIBILITIES.
POSSIBILITIES. >> WE SUSPECT IT WAS A MALE OF
SMALLER STATURE OR POSSIBLY A
JUVENILE.
JUVENILE.
JUVENILE. >> Reporter: THE MOST PROMISING
EVIDENCE WAS GATHERED BY
LORETTA HERSELF. A SKIN SAMPLE
UNDERNEATH THE FINGERNAIL WITH
DNA DETECTIVES BELIEVED TO LOOK
BELONGED TO THE SUSPECT.
ASSIGN THE REDIS FOUGHT BACK
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MATCH.
STILL LIKE LETTERS AND PHOTOS,
HOPE REMAINS.
HOPE REMAINS. >> THIS IS CHRISTINA.
>> Reporter: THE NEXT STEP
DEPENDS ON LORETTA'S DAUGHTER,
RACHELLE.
RACHELLE.
RACHELLE. THE BABY IN THE VIDEOS WHO SAT
ON HER DAD'S LAP WHILE HE
PLEADED FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP.
SHE IS NOW A MOTHER HERSELF.
>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO COME
FORWARD WITH ANY INFORMATION
EVEN IF IT IS SMALL.
>> Reporter: RACHELLE SAID IT
WAS ONLY AFTER SHE STARTED HER
OWN FAMILY THAT SHE SOUGHT OUT
MORE DETAILS ABOUT LORETTA.
>> SHE IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
THIS IS HER WEDDING RING THAT I
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. >>
HAVE. >> Reporter: IT IS UP TO
RACHELLE AND OTHER FAMILY
MEMBERS TO GIVE THE GO AHEAD OR
NOT ON A FINAL ATTEMPT AT DNA
EXTRACTION.
EXTRACTION. THE SAMPLE WOULD BE PROCESSED
WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT HELP
SOLVE HIGH-PROFILE CASES LIKE
THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER.
>> PROSECUTORS CONFIRMED THEY
USED GENEALOGIES.
USED GENEALOGIES. >> Reporter: THE TESTING CAN
CREATE APPROXIMATE PHYSICAL
APPEARANCES OF SUSPECTS.
MESA POLICE STRUCK OUT ON ONE
ATTEMPT.
ATTEMPT.
ATTEMPT. THE SAMPLE WASN'T RELIABLE
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. ONE FINAL SAMPLE ON THE
FINGERNAIL MAY STILL REMAIN.
>> LAST CASE WE GO TO THE
ORIGINAL SOURCE AND SEE IF WE
RE-EXTRACT WHAT WE CAN FROM
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> Reporter: IN DOING SO THEY
WOULD DESTROY WHAT IS LEFT.
>> IT WOULD BE GONE AT THAT
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> Reporter: WAITING A FEW MORE
YEARS COULD MEAN MORE RELIABLE
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. >> SHOULD BE TESTED NOW? OR
WAIT UNTIL THE SIDES GETS
BETTER?
BETTER?
BETTER? >> THAT IS REALLY HARD BECAUSE
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IF IT IS
USED AND IT COMES TO NOTHING,
KIND OF SUCKS BECAUSE THEN
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN
DO.
DO.
DO. >>
DO. >> Reporter: ONE LAST DNA TEST
OR NOT, THIS DEVOTED COUSIN
VOWS TO REMAIN VIGILANT IN HER
PURSUIT OF LORETTA'S KILLER.
>> WHEN I PASS, I WANT TO LOOK
AT HER AND SAY I NEVER STOPPED.
I NEVER COULD.
I JUST CAN'T.
THE LOVE THAT I HAVE FOR HER, I
CAN'T.
CAN'T.
CAN'T. I
CAN'T. I CAN'T STOP.
>> Reporter: KAREN AND RACHELLE
SAID THEY WILL DECIDE TOGETHER
WITH FAMILY WHAT TO DO NEXT.
MESA POLICE STILL ASK ANYONE
WITH ANY INFORMATION ABOUT
LORETTA'S MURDER NEAR
UNIVERSITY AND GREENFIELD IN
THE SUMMER OF 1988 TO COME
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. YOU CAN CALL SILENT WITNESS