"You need to hang up and call the police immediately." — Sue's Mom (conveying urgency and dawning realization of tragedy)
"I know when your husband's gone, and you better keep an eye on your son." — Unknown Caller (demonstrating the harassing and threatening nature of subsequent calls)
"She dreams. She had her life all planned out and she was working even in grammar school, towards getting where she wanted to be when she grew up. She was a good friend, a really good friend still untold. She's beautiful soul, beautiful soul, and a loving daughter, loving sister." — Marlene Jerome (describing her daughter Wendy's aspirations and character)
This episode recounts the complex and lengthy investigation into the murder of 14-year-old Wendy Jerome, who was found deceased on November 22, 1984. Initially, the disappearance and subsequent discovery of Wendy's body presented a grim scenario, with investigators piecing together fragmented clues and pursuing various leads, including a note found on Wendy mentioning "Joey" and a man named Craig who discovered the body. The case was marked by the challenges of early investigative techniques, reliance on witness accounts, and the emotional distress of Wendy's family, particularly her mother Marlene.
Over the decades, the investigation saw numerous dead ends and the exploration of various individuals, including Dale and Michael Ross, who were considered persons of interest but ultimately cleared. The narrative highlights the critical role of forensic advancements, particularly the development of DNA technology, in revitalizing the cold case. The initial DNA profile created in 1999 yielded no matches, but persistent efforts by Sergeant Gus Fanosa, starting in 2016, and the advent of familial DNA testing in New York State in 2017, provided new avenues for investigation.
The breakthrough came in 2020 when familial DNA testing identified potential relatives of the suspect. Through meticulous backtracking and surveillance, investigators identified Timothy Williams, a brother of a person of interest, as the prime suspect. The discovery of a preserved sexual assault kit from 1992, linked to Timothy Williams, provided the crucial DNA match. Timothy Williams was eventually arrested, tried, and convicted of Wendy Jerome's murder, bringing closure to her family after nearly 36 years. The episode concludes by emphasizing the emotional impact of the long wait for justice and the dedication of those involved in solving the case.