>> Searching for answers for
nearly 40 years. Now it’s see
unimaginable reality for the
families. 3 realtors who were
murdered inside a West Houston
Realty Office back in 1973.
And although the cases gone
cold, the family of one of the
victims is hopeful. A state of
the art of Woodlands Lab can
get the answers. At last.
We looked into how this lab is
using innovative technology in
solving crimes around the
country.
>> Construction now covers a
plot of ministry 3 Realtors,
Elizabeth Shumate, JoAnn Brown
in Francis. I ve were murdered
inside Shumate in company
Realty Office that once stood
on this property. The date was
August 19th 1983.
>> One day or Sarah IV Edwards
and Helen IV Maldonado. It was
the darkest day of their lives.
The phone rings. And of course,
I jumped to the phone. And they
asked if this was Fran, I these
residents and I said, yes, it
is that she’s not here.
And they tell me that there’s
been a shooting at Shumate and
company were not sure. But we
think your mother is involved.
I think it was a hat. I don’t
think the person that actually
killed them that that on their
own 40 years have passed.
Do you think?
Someone alive today know
something? Yes, I do.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
>> The case file is among one
of Houston Police department’s
unsolved mysteries. How many
cold cases to as HPD have just
over 6,000 cold cases? Sergeant
Richard Rodriguez heads the
agency’s cold case division
right now. One of the big
things again goes back to DNA.
So what physical evidence do
I have? They did do some
testing in this case back in
2006. Unfortunately, they
didn’t come back with very good
results. Now it’s just matter,
OK, when do we pull the
trigger? Do we do it now or do
we wait?
>> And what the stuff to get
better. I do believe that.
>> Most cases that have DNA
that are sitting in a cold case
can be resolved using this
technology. We have taken the
most advanced genomic
technologies. We’ve adopted
them for forensic. You saw from
is the first live in the world
that was purpose built to
identify. Perpetrators are
picked up some crime scenes,
Christian middle monies chief
development officer of author
room was started by Christian
and her husband David middlemen
in 2018.
>> With a team of just 4
people, author and begin
solving mysteries immediately.
First, it was a few hits a
month. Then several answers
a week. And now the lab is
solving multiple cases a day
with more than 50 people at its
headquarters in The Woodlands.
Most cases that have DNA that
are sitting in a cold case can
be resolved using this
technology, according to it is
processed evidence with Trace
DNA solving cases with just
15 human cells. This is
equivalent to 0.1 nanograms
of DNA to put this into
perspective. If I touch the
back of this chair, I we behind
hundreds of cells. I believe
this technology one day will be
used to bring justice to all
cases.
>> And not just some cases and
it’s hard to use the word
justice. If it only works,
sometimes we often held in our
hands. Someone’s last chance
to justice someone’s last
chance to figure out what
happened to their loved one.
Yeah, there’s a lot of trust
there.
>> Kristen says she does not
take that trust lightly.
It’s similar to the trust
families of murder victims put
into law enforcement agencies
handling their loved ones case.
Even 4 decades later.
>> What does that do to a
family 40 years without
answers? What we do on life
does go on. If this does get
solved.
Will you be there to see
justice is not only yes, but
h*** yes to h***. Yes.
♪
>> has returned investigative
leads in more than 1000 cases.
The Ivy case is not in the
hands of at this time for more