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Teacher Fatally Shot in Her Car and Clues First Point To One Man · Murder Files Unsealed

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  Speaker 1: All right, so get this. We're going deep today on
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  this true crime case that's really going to make you
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  think about forensic science in a whole new way.
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  Speaker 2: It really is fascinating.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. So we're looking at the murder of Jani Coleman.
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  Speaker 2: A school teacher, right, the school.
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  Speaker 1: Teacher and a Navy reservist, and.
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  Speaker 2: She was tragically murdered back in two thousand.
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  Speaker 1: And eight in Gwinnet County, Georgia. And what's so crazy
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  is that, like it starts out seeming like a random carjacking, but.
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  Speaker 2: Then it just yeah, it takes all these twists and turns.
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  Speaker 1: Identical twins get involved, uh huh, And like the limitations
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  of DNA evidence are really put to the test in
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  this one.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, you really start to question what you thought you
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  knew about DNA evidence when you get into.
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  Speaker 1: A case like this, because we always hear it's like
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  the gold standard, right, like, oh, they got the DNA,
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  they got the.
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  Speaker 2: Guy right, right exactly.
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  Speaker 1: But this case is going to really challenge that assumption.
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  Speaker 2: And that's what we're going to unpack today. And we've
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  got a lot of really interesting source material to work with.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we've got witness accounts, forensic reports, Court transcripts the
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  whole shebang.
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  Speaker 2: That's going to be a wild ride.
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  Speaker 1: So let's set the scene. Okay, it's July two thousand
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  and eight. Imagine a mall parking lot at.
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  Speaker 2: Night, after closing time.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, just a few cars here and there, kind
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  of eerie, you know, a little bit creepy. Yeah, not
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  a lot going on, and all of a sudden, shots ring.
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  Speaker 2: Out and our victim, Jania Coleman, is found fatally wounded
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  in her car.
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  Speaker 1: It's just awful. And to make matters even worse, her
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  car is gone, Yeah, adding a whole other layer to
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  the mystery.
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  Speaker 2: Right, But thankfully, there was a witness nearby, good, a
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  bus driver who happened to be passing by right as
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  this all went down, and she described the shooter as
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  a tall, black male, probably in his forties or fifties,
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  wearing a green and white shirt.
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  Speaker 1: So they have at least a little bit to go
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  off of right away.
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  Speaker 2: And between that description and the missing car, investigators are thinking, Okay,
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  this looks like a car jacking.
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  Speaker 1: It just breaks your heart, you know, And as we
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  learn more about Jeni, it just makes it even more tragic.
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  Speaker 2: It really does.
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  Speaker 1: I mean She wasn't just a teacher. She was single
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  mother who had adopted three daughters from foster care.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, talk about a dedicated and loving mom exactly.
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  Speaker 1: And on top of all of that, she was serving
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  our country as a Navy reservist.
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  Speaker 2: She was giving back in so many ways.
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  Speaker 1: So it's just like, this senseless act of violence against
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  somebody who was doing so much good in the world.
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  Speaker 2: It really makes you think about the human cost of
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  these crimes. You know, it's not just about the facts
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  of the case. It's about the real people whose lives
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  are shattered.
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  Speaker 1: So let's shift gears a little bit and talk about
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  the initial investigation.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, let's get into it.
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  Speaker 1: Do they have any leads right away?
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  Speaker 2: Well, initially they looked at her daughter's ex boyfriend. Okay,
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  figured you know, maybe there was some bad blood there,
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  makes sense, But he had a solid alibi. So that
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  lead went nowhere.
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  Speaker 1: So beck to square one, Yeah, pretty much.
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  Speaker 2: But then they caught a break.
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  Speaker 1: Ooh, tell me more.
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  Speaker 2: They got their hands on some surveillance footage from a
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  gas station near the mall.
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  Speaker 1: So they saw the suspect on camera.
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  Speaker 2: Yep, and the footage shows a man matching the witnesses description. Okay,
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  using a payphone, buying some alcohol, and get this, picking
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  up a pack of Bronzen light long cigarettes bronze and
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  light lungs. That little detail is going to be important later.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm intrigued.
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  Speaker 2: So the investigation's moving along, and then they find Janai's car.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow, where was it?
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  Speaker 2: Abandon? About forty miles from the mall.
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  Speaker 1: So they finally locate it, yep, and what.
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  Speaker 2: They find inside turns the whole case on its head.
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  Speaker 1: What was it? Did they find the murder weapon?
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  Speaker 2: Not the weapon itself, but something just as crucial.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, what was it?
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  Speaker 2: A cigarette butt?
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  Speaker 1: A cigarette butt.
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  Speaker 2: Seems insignificant, right, but remember Jani was a non smoker, right,
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  so this immediately raised a red flag for investigators.
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  Speaker 1: So must belong to the killer exactly.
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  Speaker 2: And guess what kind of cigarette it was?
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm on the edge of my seat here, tell.
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  Speaker 2: Me a Bronzen light long.
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  Speaker 1: No way, the same kind of suspect bought at the
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  gas station.
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  Speaker 2: Bingo. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah that's amazing, I know, right, For a whole year
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  they had nothing but dead ends.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and then this cigarette butt appears, and it's
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  like everything starts falling into place.
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  Speaker 1: So they ran the DNA right, yeah, of course.
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  Speaker 2: And it matched a man named Donald Eugene.
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  Speaker 1: Smith, Donald Eugene Smith, who had.
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  Speaker 2: A prior armed robbery charge on his record.
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  Speaker 1: So it seems like finally they've got their guy right.
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  Speaker 2: You would think so, wouldn't you. But here's where things
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  get really interesting.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I knew there had to be another twist.
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  Speaker 2: Oh there's a big one coming right laid on me.
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  When they brought Donald in, he swore up and down
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  that he had nothing to do with it.
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  Speaker 1: Really.
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  Speaker 2: He even looked at the gas station footage and said,
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  that is definitely not me. I don't have a shirt
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  like that. That's not me.
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  Speaker 1: So now they're thinking, wait a minute, is the DNA arong?
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  Speaker 2: It happens very rarely, but it is possible for mistakes
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  to occur with DNA testing.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so is that what happened here? Was it just
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  a fluke?
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  Speaker 2: Well? The truth is even more shocking than that.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, you gotta tell me what's going on.
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  Speaker 2: Field That he had an identical twin brother, hold on twins,
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  Ronald Smith.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, So now we're talking about identical DNA right right,
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  they're basically genetic clones exactly.
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  Speaker 2: They share almost one hundred percent of their genetic makeup.
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  Speaker 1: So how in the world are the investigators supposed to
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  tell them apart?
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  Speaker 2: That is the million dollar question and exactly what we're
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  going to dive into next time.
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  Speaker 1: I can't wait. This is getting good.
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  Speaker 2: So we're left with this huge question mark hanging over
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  the investigation.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, how do you prosecute a case when the DNA
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  could belong to either of two people?
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  Speaker 2: It's almost like having the perfect alibi, right, That's.
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  Speaker 1: What I was thinking. If you've got an identical twin,
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  are you basically untouchable?
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  Speaker 2: Well not quite, because even though identical twins share almost
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  all of their DNA, they're still individuals. Okay, And that's
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  where good old fashioned detective work really comes into play.
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  I like it back to basics exactly. And remember we've
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  got those fingerprints from Janni's car, oh right, right, and
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  they're a perfect match for ron not Donald.
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  Speaker 1: So that's a huge piece of the puzzle right there.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, And then you add in the fact that the
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  parents identified Ronald as the man in the gas station video.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So the evidence is starting to point away from
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  Donald and towards Ronald precisely.
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  Speaker 2: But let's zoom in on the science for a second.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, this is where it gets really interesting.
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  Speaker 2: So how is it possible for identical twins to have
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  the same DNA but different fingerprints?
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  Speaker 1: Right, because you think they're basically the same person genetically.
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  Speaker 2: Speaking, you would think so, But it all comes down
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  to how these treats develop. Okay, so identical twins come
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  from the same fertilized egg, uh huh, which is why
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  their DNA is basically a carbon copy. But fingerprints actually
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  form during fetal development. Interesting, and a lot of different
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  factors play a role, like what things like the position
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  of the fetus in the womb, blood pressure, even the
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  amniotic fluid flow can affect those tiny ridges on our fingers.
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  Speaker 1: So even though they have the same genetic blueprint, their
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  individual experiences in the womb shaped those unique patterns exactly.
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  Speaker 2: It's nature and nurture working together. That's pretty amazing, it is,
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  and it's one of the things that makes this case
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  so fascinating.
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  Speaker 1: So it sounds like they had a lot of evidence
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  pointing towards Ronald, even without a confession.
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  Speaker 2: They did, but the question remained would he admit to the.
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  Speaker 1: Crime and did he Well?
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  Speaker 2: During interrogation, when he was left alone in the room,
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  he was caught on tape muttering something that sounded a
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  lot like an apology.
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  Speaker 1: What did he say?
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  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, baby girl, I'm sorry.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, that's chilling, it is.
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  Speaker 2: And later on, when investigators showed him Jeni's picture and
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  pleaded with him to tell the truth, he broke down
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  and confessed.
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  Speaker 1: So he admitted to killing her.
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  Speaker 2: Well, he confessed to the car jagging, but he claimed
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  the gun went off accidentally.
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  Speaker 1: Accidentally. Come on, that doesn't seem very.
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  Speaker 2: Likely, right, especially when you consider the witness testimony. The
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  bus driver clearly stated that the shooter was cursing at
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  Jeni before firing the gun.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that doesn't sound like an accident at all.
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  Speaker 2: And this is where things start to get a little
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  murky ethically speaking, how so, Well, some people questioned whether
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  the intense interrogation tactics played a role in Ronald's confession.
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  Speaker 1: So they thought maybe he felt pressured into saying what
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  they wanted to.
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  Speaker 2: Hear exactly, and that raises all sorts of questions about
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  the validity of his confession.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so let's talk about the trial. Did the prosecution
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  rely solely on Ronald's confession?
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  Speaker 2: No, they actually had a pretty strong case even without it.
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  Speaker 1: Right, They had the fingerprints, the witness testimony, the parent's identification.
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  Speaker 2: And don't forget the cigarette evidence of course.
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  Speaker 1: Ah, So it sounds like they could have secured a
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  conviction even if he hadn't confessed.
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  Speaker 2: That's definitely a possibility. But it's a question we can't
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  answer for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Right, because we don't know how a jury would have
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  weighed all the evidence without the confession.
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  Speaker 2: On the table exactly. And that brings us to a
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  really crucial point. How much weight should a confession carry,
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  especially in a case like this where there might have
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  been external pressures involved.
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  Speaker 1: It's a really tough question, and it makes you think
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  about the fundamental principles of our justice system.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, we're talking about finding the right balance between seeking
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  justice and protecting individual rights.
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  Speaker 1: And that's a delicate balance, especially when you're dealing with
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  such complex scientific and ethical considerations, right, and.
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  Speaker 2: This case really throws those complexities into sharp relief.
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  Speaker 1: So what happened at the trial? What was the outcome?
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  Speaker 2: Well, despite all the twists and turns we've discussed the
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  prosecution was able to successfully build their case against.
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  Speaker 1: Ronald and he was found guilty.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, in October twenty twelve, he was found guilty of murder, carjacking,
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  and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, so what was a sentence?
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  Speaker 2: He was sentenced to life plus twenty five years in prison.
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  Speaker 1: Life plus twenty five years.
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  Speaker 2: That's a long time, it is, and it's a stark
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  reminder of the gravity of his crimes.
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  Speaker 1: And for Jennai's family, it must have been a long
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  and painful journey to get to that point.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. Her daughter Lakash actually gave a really powerful statement
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  after the verdict. She said, my mom was sitting there
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  minding her own business. The hurt will always be there.
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  Speaker 1: That's heartbreaking. It just shows you the ripple effects of
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  these crimes, how they impact so many.
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  Speaker 2: Lives, and that's something we should never forget.
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  Speaker 1: So, as we wrap up this deep dive, what are
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  the key takeaways you want our listeners to walk away with.
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  Speaker 2: Well, first and foremost, I think this case demonstrates that
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  forensic science, while incredibly valuable, isn't perfect.
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  Speaker 1: Right, It's not a magic bullet exactly.
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  Speaker 2: There are always going to be limitations, gray areas, and
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  the possibility of human error, so it's.
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  Speaker 1: Important to be aware of those limitations and to approach
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  forensic evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism.
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  Speaker 2: I couldn't agree more. And secondly, I think this case
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  shows us that criminal investigations are rarely straightforward.
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  Speaker 1: There's always more to the story that meets.
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  Speaker 2: The eye precisely, and when you add identical twins into
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  the mix, it takes the complexity to a whole new level.
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  Speaker 1: So it requires meticulous detective work, a careful examination of
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  all the evidence, and a willingness to consider different perspectives.
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  Speaker 2: And finally, I think this case reminds us that behind
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  every crime, there are real people whose lives are forever changed.
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  Speaker 1: The victims, the families, the communities. They all bear the
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  scars of these tragedies.
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  Speaker 2: And it's our responsibility to remember that human cost as
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  we grapple with these complex issues.
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  Speaker 1: It's been a fascinating journey exploring this case with you.
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  So much to unpack, from the science, to the legal
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  implications to the human impact.
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  Speaker 2: I agree, it's a case that really makes you think.
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  Speaker 1: And to our listeners, thank you for joining us on
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  this deep dies until next time. Stay curious and remember
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  every story has more than needs the eye. Man, we've
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  really been digging into this case. Huh, it's just so
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  much more complicated than it seemed at first.
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  Speaker 2: It really shows you that you can't just scratch the
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  surface with these things.
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  Speaker 1: There's always more to the story.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, so many layers.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've seen how DNA evidence.
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  Speaker 2: Which we always think of as like the be all
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  and end all, right, like the Ultimate Crew, who's actually
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  be kind of tricky.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, when you throw identical twins into the.
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  Speaker 2: Mix, it throws a real wrench in the work.
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  Speaker 1: So it's both incredibly powerful and yet has these limitations.
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  Speaker 2: Which forces us to really think.
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  Speaker 1: About the ethics of it all, right, like.
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  Speaker 2: How do we make sure justice is served while still
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  protecting everybody's rights.
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  Speaker 1: And then there's the question of the.
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  Speaker 2: Confession, huge question mark there.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, how much weight should it carry, especially if there's
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  a chance it was coerced.
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  Speaker 2: It's a tough one for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So let's get back to the trial. What happened.
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  Speaker 2: Well, the prosecution was able to build a really strong
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  case against Ronald.
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  Speaker 1: They had all that other evidence, right.
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  Speaker 2: Yep, fingerprints, witness testimony, the parents iding him, from the
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  gas station video, the cigarette evidence.
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  Speaker 1: There's like a mountain of evidence pointing at him exactly.
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  Speaker 2: So in October twenty twelve, okay, he was found guilty
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  go murder, carjacking, and possession of a firearm during the
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  commission of a felony.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, so what did he get?
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  Speaker 2: Life plus twenty five years a long time it is.
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  It really shows how seriously the court took his crimes.
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  Speaker 1: And for Jenni's family, it must have been a long
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  road to get to that point.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, And you know her daughter, Lakash, she gave a
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  really powerful statement after the verdict.
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  Speaker 1: What did she say?
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  Speaker 2: She said, my mom was sitting there minding her own business.
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  The hurt will always be there.
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  Speaker 1: That's just it's heartbreaking.
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  Speaker 2: It really highlights the lasting impact of these crimes, not
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  just on the victim, but on their loved ones too.
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  Speaker 1: It's a ripple effect. So as we wrap up this
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  deep dive, what are some of the big things you
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  hope our listeners will take away from this case?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think the biggest one is that forensic science,
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  as amazing as it is, it's not.
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  Speaker 1: Perfect, right, It's not some kind of magic solution.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, and we always have to remember that there are limitations,
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  there's room for error, and there are ethical considerations that
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  we can't ignore.
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  Speaker 1: So it's about being critical, asking questions and not just
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  blindly accepting.
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  Speaker 2: The results absolutely. And I think another takeaway is that
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  criminal investigations are rarely simple.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, They're like these twisted paths with all these unexpected turns.
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  Speaker 2: Right, and this case with the identical twins really highlights
• 14:06
  that complexity.
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  Speaker 1: It shows how important it is to have good detective work,
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  to look at all the evidence carefully, and to be
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  open to different possibilities.
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  Speaker 2: And I think the final takeaway, and this is really important,
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  is that we can't forget about the human side of
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  these cases.
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  Speaker 1: Victims, the families, the community are the ones who.
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  Speaker 2: Are left to pick up the pieces, and their stories
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  deserve to be heard and remembered.
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  Speaker 1: Well said, I think those are some really important points
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  to reflect on, I hope. So it's been an incredible
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  journey going through this case with you. It's really made
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  me think differently about forensic science and the justice system
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  me too.
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  Speaker 2: It's a case that stays with you and.
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  Speaker 1: To our listeners, thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
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  We'll see you next time. Keep those brains curious, because
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  every story has so much more to uncover.