Favorite Forensic Files episode?

[funky-rat]

Someone upthread mentioned the murder of Joan Rogers and her daughters while on vacation (by Oba Chandler). I first saw that case on Unsolved Mysteries when I was in college. I'd not heard of it before because in the pre-internet days, the murder of a family in Florida (who was from Ohio) just didn't make national news - especially if they thought the killer was local). I was in college in Ohio, and my roommate was from Ohio, so she wanted to watch it because she remembered it. It grabbed me because I'm from a rural area like the Rogers women, and they looked like a family I knew that lived nearby an went to our church. It was spooky, except for the family I knew had a boy and girl, not two girls, but the father owned his own business and I could see him think he was too busy to leave it like Hal Rogers did, and I could see them being too trusting - thinking a friendly stranger wouldn't harm them. Christe was a year or two younger than me, and Michele was a year or two older than me. Joan was close to my mom's age. It stuck with me and I often wondered what happened to them.

Then I saw the Forensics Files ep, and I was glad to see it had been solved. Then it popped up on several other shows over the years. I found a really good article online that had been written for the newspaper down there that won a Pulitzer. It shed a lot more light on the story:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100301...s/default.html

It touched on why they were on vacation in the first place (truly sad), how screwed up small-town family dynamics are (I know families just like Hal's parents and his brother), on Oba's dark history, on how they believe the Rogers women encountered him in the first place - it's very well written.

But it wasn't until I read the book about the case called "Death Cruise" that one thing that never sat quite right with me finally made sense. The women encountered Chandler fairly early in the day. They checked in to their hotel and then went back out. They were seen later in the day/early evening having dinner at the hotel, then they left again - for good. There was no record of them going anywhere in the afternoon where they could be traced (credit card charges, eyewitnesses, etc). Those who worked the case are 99.9% sure that Chandler took them out on the boat during the day to gain their trust - after all, they went out with him once before, and everything was fine, so why couldn't they trust him again? I know a few people who would be trusting enough to go with a friendly stranger (and this was the late 80's as well), but her being a mother with two teens, one of whom had recently gone through something horrible, I would have thought Joan would have been even a bit leery, but then it makes more sense. Chandler did that with the Canadian Tourist that he assaulted about a year before killing the Rogers women. He invited her out during the day, then took her back out at night. But for reasons only he knows, he let her go.

Lastly, while working back through the CODIS system and cold cases, they found out (after he was executed) that Oba Chandler was linked to at least one other murder - a woman murdered after leaving a Florida shopping center. It was less than 5 miles from where he lived at the time. Sadly, they're confident they'll find him linked to more as they go.

A few years ago, I saw an article about Hal Rogers and how he is now. The first few years, he refused to sleep in the bedroom he shared with Joan. At first, he wouldn't sleep in the house at all (crashing with friends), but eventually, he'd just sleep on the floor on newspaper. Ultimately, he had the house torn down because he just couldn't take it anymore, and had a new one put up. After a good long while, he began dating, and eventually remarried. He seems happy, and I am happy for him. I always felt so badly for him - he felt responsible for what happened because he didn't trust leaving the family business to someone else, that he lost his wife and daughters in one fell swoop, and I always felt horrible that people thought he could actually do it.

Wow that was a really informative post and I'll be sure to check out that news article on it. That was a very emotional episode and was also unique since the way he was caught was quite fortunate. I'm not sure his name would've come up had it not been for his unique handwriting and that lady's sharp eye. If i recall correctly he was arrested numerous years after the murders so I don't think the investigation was leading anywhere.

The cause of death was particularly cruel - throwing them into the sea to drown whilst weighed down was inhumane. You're right about him possibly being linked to more crimes. It was very premeditated so it's likely he had many prior victims; where he used his boat to his advantage.

[funky-rat]

Originally Posted by parypv17

Wow that was a really informative post and I'll be sure to check out that news article on it. That was a very emotional episode and was also unique since the way he was caught was quite fortunate. I'm not sure his name would've come up had it not been for his unique handwriting and that lady's sharp eye. If i recall correctly he was arrested numerous years after the murders so I don't think the investigation was leading anywhere.

The cause of death was particularly cruel - throwing them into the sea to drown whilst weighed down was inhumane. You're right about him possibly being linked to more crimes. It was very premeditated so it's likely he had many prior victims; where he used his boat to his advantage.

The whole thing was extremely convoluted, and it took some time to solve. JoAnn Steffey's tip sat on officer's desks for some time before she called back, and demanded they look in to it when she noticed that Chandler moved away very abruptly (he knew it was his handwriting on the billboards). Chandler himself was an informant for the DEA (he had an arrest record a mile long) and I think that partially helped him move around undetected. They believe that he flattened the tires on the car of the woman that he murdered that they discovered after he was executed, and he showed up offering to help her, and that's how he got her. He also had a habit of using ship-to-shore radio, so there would be a record of him calling so he could use it as an alibi if needed. He thought this out well in advance. That may be one reason he let the Canadian tourist go after assaulting her - she said he was very agitated that she didn't bring her friend along. A theory is that he wanted to kill more than one person at once. I hope that wherever he is, it's very hot. And that he's being kicked overboard repeatedly with his hands bound.

The Rogers' camera was never found. They know they killed off a roll of film before leaving for the evening cruise. It's believed he kept it as a souvenir. He took the camera of the Canadian tourist, after he encouraged her to take a photo of him, and then took photos of her.

[DazzlerSparkler]

I.distinctly remember the Jesse Valencia case because it was shocking to hear that a married cop was taking advantage of a young YOUNG college student. Like it horrified me.

[DazzlerSparkler]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

Some of my favorites:

The Dorothy Donovan case, which was profiled on UM.

Lisa Manderach - She was out shopping with her baby daughter and went into a store and the clerk, Caleb Fairley, decided to rape her because she looked like a woman on his sweatshirt. He was a vampire fanatic and apparently tried to re-enact the scene on his shirt. She fought him so he killed her, her daughter, raped her and dumped their bodies.

Joann Katrinak - She and her baby were kidnapped by Patricia Rorrer, her husband's ex-girlfriend, who wanted him back. Joann was shot and her son died of exposure. This was also profiled on On the Case with Paula Zahn.

Paul Nichols - He was murdered by his wife Barbara because she wanted insurance money and was having affairs. Thanks to detectives and his determined ex-wife, she was caught and convicted.

Then there was the one where the wife was being poisoned by her husband and he was cheating on her with a woman who wore cheerleading outfits for him, because that's what he liked.

The gay love triangle that led to murder, with the killer faking a suicide note.

I also liked "The Cheater" episode.

What's interesting about the love triangle case is that the murderer, Joseph Marino, served only 2 and 1/2 years of a 7 year manslaughter conviction.

He later somehow KEPT working as a nurse until 2010!! He was found out and lost his degrees/license. Scary stuff!

[funky-rat]

Joann Katrinak (killed by husband's ex girlfriend) and Bobby Curley (poisoned by his wife) were both from not too far away from me. (Katrinak about 2 hours and Curley about an hour). I remember both vividly. Joann Curley just got out of jail and has disappeared to parts unknown. Patricia Rorrer is still in jail.

I can't remember if Forensic Files did the case of Lori Aucker (several shows did). She was from almost my backyard - just a few miles from where I grew up. I remember when she disappeared. She worked at our mall in the pet store and she had waited on me - she was a really nice person. The case made national news when they figured out they could use the ATM that used to be on the outside of the mall to scan the parking lot, and turned the footage over to NASA for help. They determined her ex, and father of their child, either called her at the mall or had someone call her and tell her there was an emergency with her child, and she left in a hurry. They could see her getting in to his car on the footage. They managed to track the car down (it had been sold) and were able to make the case. His family was involved - it was just horrible all the way around. She was fighting him for custody...and winning, and they wanted the child all to themselves. Disgusting. As for the link, there's one error - she disappeared from Snyder County, but otherwise a good synopsis.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-h...-a-parking-lot

[Kane]

Originally Posted by funky-rat

I can't remember if Forensic Files did the case of Lori Aucker (several shows did). She was from almost my backyard - just a few miles from where I grew up. I remember when she disappeared. She worked at our mall in the pet store and she had waited on me - she was a really nice person. The case made national news when they figured out they could use the ATM that used to be on the outside of the mall to scan the parking lot, and turned the footage over to NASA for help. They determined her ex, and father of their child, either called her at the mall or had someone call her and tell her there was an emergency with her child, and she left in a hurry. They could see her getting in to his car on the footage. They managed to track the car down (it had been sold) and were able to make the case. His family was involved - it was just horrible all the way around. She was fighting him for custody...and winning, and they wanted the child all to themselves. Disgusting. As for the link, there's one error - she disappeared from Snyder County, but otherwise a good synopsis.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-h...-a-parking-lot

The Lori Auker case was documented on Forensic Files. The name of the episode is "Cats, Flies and Snapshots."

[funky-rat]

Originally Posted by Kane

The Lori Auker case was documented on Forensic Files. The name of the episode is "Cats, Flies and Snapshots."

I couldn't remember anymore - a number of shows profiled her case.

We seem to have a lot of weirdos in my general vicinity, lol. I had forgotten about Paula Nawrocki and Joanne Chambers until I saw the rerun a few days ago. Yeesh.

[5353]

I don't know the exact number, but Forensic Files profiled cases from Pennsylvania more than any other state. It might have something to do with their production headquarters in Allentown.

[MegtheEgg86]

The Rajneeshee bio-terror attack covered on Season 7 is the subject of an absolutely outstanding new documentary on Netflix:

https://www.netflix.com/title/80145240

It's in six parts and Ma Anand Sheela is interviewed at length. Les Zaitz also makes an appearance, as well as some of the law enforcement agents on the FF episode.

[5353]

I was stoked to watch "Wild Wild Country" as "Bio-Attack" is easily in the top 10 Forensic Files episodes for me. I heard it mentioned in another discussion thread, and it's a really good perspective on the documentary, but it's a great example of the unreliable narrator. You have Sheila (who I can't believe they were able to track down) detailing her role in the cult, as well as the lawyer who came across as very intelligent but still believed the Bhagwan was the greatest man alive, both giving the cult high praise, yet a few townspeople believed they were some anti-Christian sex hippie cult.

But what perhaps bothered me the most about the documentary was how the poisonings were just kind of glossed over. I kept waiting for that part to come up in the documentary, and when it did, it seemed to barely have gotten a mention. Like, there was a plot to make the townfolk so sick that they couldn't vote in the election, and the Rajneesh would vote 100% for their candidate to win. Ultimately the plot failed, but I think that might have garnered more attention than it did.

I still really enjoyed it though. Crazy about the blended beavers story if it's true. lol

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by 5353

I was stoked to watch "Wild Wild Country" as "Bio-Attack" is easily in the top 10 Forensic Files episodes for me. I heard it mentioned in another discussion thread, and it's a really good perspective on the documentary, but it's a great example of the unreliable narrator. You have Sheila (who I can't believe they were able to track down) detailing her role in the cult, as well as the lawyer who came across as very intelligent but still believed the Bhagwan was the greatest man alive, both giving the cult high praise, yet a few townspeople believed they were some anti-Christian sex hippie cult.

But what perhaps bothered me the most about the documentary was how the poisonings were just kind of glossed over. I kept waiting for that part to come up in the documentary, and when it did, it seemed to barely have gotten a mention. Like, there was a plot to make the townfolk so sick that they couldn't vote in the election, and the Rajneesh would vote 100% for their candidate to win. Ultimately the plot failed, but I think that might have garnered more attention than it did.

I still really enjoyed it though. Crazy about the blended beavers story if it's true. lol

I agree with you all around!

I too was a little surprised the poisonings were given as little attention, relatively, as they were--I mean, it's still the largest bioterror attack in U.S. history. I did appreciate the attention given to the other crimes perpetuated by the group, though--like the marriage fraud scheme and the wiretapping. They really made quite a name for themselves in such enterprises.

My mouth dropped over the blended beavers. It dropped and stayed open concerning the plot to murder the Bhagwan's physician.

[borglaw00]

My favorite FF episodes are the Routier case, the Brenda Andrew case and one where the guy claims a hitchhiker, to whom he refused to give a ride, killed his mother. If I were a cop, I'd think he was lying too!! lol... man, glad the truth came out.

Help me ID this episode please, I don't know much. A police officer murders a woman, I believe he shoots her while she's in her car, after a traffic stop, just to take her money. i believe she may have been old / almost elderly and a businessperson. The cops only defense was, "Why would I do that?" And I remember the prosecuting attorney calling the cop a 'bully.'

[funky-rat]

Originally Posted by borglaw00

Help me ID this episode please, I don't know much. A police officer murders a woman, I believe he shoots her while she's in her car, after a traffic stop, just to take her money. i believe she may have been old / almost elderly and a businessperson. The cops only defense was, "Why would I do that?" And I remember the prosecuting attorney calling the cop a 'bully.'

Possibly (some of it fits your description):

**SCRATCH MY SUGGESTION - not the right ep. I'll keep looking.

[borglaw00]

Thanks! You're right, that's not it. Thanks for looking.