Narrator: a security camera
Captured images of a 19-year-old
Girl as she was abducted from a
Convenience store.
Forensic scientists needed to
Find some way to improve the
Images for possible leads.
And a scanning electron
Microscope eventually identified
The trail of the missing girl.
Moose lake, minnesota -- one of
The many reasons why the state
Is known as the land of 10,000
Lakes.
This small town outside of
Duluth was home to 19-year-old
Katie poirier.
She was bubbly.
She was always bouncing around.
She was always lively and very
Active in everything.
Narrator: katie's interests
Included her family, several
Sports, and her pet dogs.
She wanted to be either a
Police officer or a game warden.
She was always interested in
Animals.
Narrator: after graduating
From high school in 1998, katie
Studied criminal justice at a
Nearby community college and
Also became engaged to her
Boyfriend, mark.
Katie worked as a clerk at this
Moose lake convenience store, a
Job her mother didn't want her
To take.
I'd ask her about what type
Of deviants that would come in
There.
And she'd just say, "oh, mom,
Don't worry."
And you know, that's how she
Was -- very trusting, trusting
Person.
Narrator: one night around
Midnight when katie was working
The night shift alone, a
Customer called police to say
That the store was open but
There were no employees around.
Are you talking about the
Conoco station there?
Narrator: police went to
Investigate.
There were no signs of v*olence
And no money was missing from
The cash register or the safe.
And katie's car keys were still
There.
On the counter were notes with
Money from customers who had
Purchased items some time after
Katie left the store.
Police wondered whether katie
Might have left the store with a
Friend.
Was there anybody close to
Her in her family that may have
Come and taken her, either as a
Prank or for some other purpose?
I never thought that she left
On her own.
Her car was still there.
And she would have never done
That.
She would have never left on her
Own without calling her
Supervisor or something and
Locking the place up, at least.
Narrator: the store had four
Security cameras focused on
Various areas.
At 11:38 p.m., The security
Cameras revealed a caucasian man
Forcing katie out of the front
Door into the parking lot.
You could actually see his
Hands up near her throat.
You could see her arms clearly
Bent toward her throat.
And he had her from behind.
Narrator: the pictures were
Grainy and showed few details of
The abductor.
There were no security cameras
Outside the store to photograph
The getaway vehicle.
These things happen on tv.
These don't happen for real.
It just was so hard to believe.
Narrator: the store was
Located near a major highway,
Which meant the kidnapper could
Have left the area at high
Speed.
A search of nearby streets and
Parks in moose lake was
Fruitless.
A lot of people here in the
County participated in the
Search for her.
There were hundreds and
Thousands of people that were
Involved and really took it to
Heart and were very concerned
About trying to find katie.
Narrator: neighbors near the
Store told police they saw a
Black pickup truck circling the
Area before katie's abduction.
And an employee at the sandwich
Shop next to the convenience
Store told police she had seen
The same black pickup truck in
The parking lot about three
Hours before katie vanished.
She said the driver was glaring
Inappropriately as female
Customers left the store.
On a hunch, the employee wrote
Down what she could remember of
The license plate.
She said it was a minnesota
License plate and that the
First three digits were 5-5-7.
She also recalled that the last
Letter on the plate was a "y".
Police hoped that if they found
This black pickup truck, they
Would also find katie poirier.
Narrator: minnesota national
Guard helicopters searched the
Area for 19-year-old
Katie poirier.
On the ground, dozens of
Community volunteers joined
Police in the search.
But with each passing day and no
Word from the kidnapper, hope
Started to fade that katie would
Be found alive.
I didn't want to think of
That.
My daughter wasn't gonna be that
Statistic.
Narrator: police searched
Their database for black pickup
Trucks registered in the state
Of minnesota with a license
Plate beginning with 5-5-7 and
Ending with the letter "y".
Surprisingly there were hundreds
Of vehicles matching that
Description.
We believed that we had an
Experienced sexual predator on
Our hands.
This person that came in and
Took katie was not afraid of the
Video camera.
Narrator: surveillance video
Captured images of the man who
Abducted katie from the
Convenience store.
The quality of the pictures was
Poor, and the images too
Distorted to clearly identify
The kidnapper.
To improve the pictures, police
Sent the tapes to nasa, which
Has many years of experience
Trying to improve pictures sent
From space.
Solar physicist
Dr. David hathaway created a
Process to enhance video images
Called visar.
It stabilizes the video so
That you can add images
Together.
And in doing so, you get rid of
A lot of the noise that you see
When you look at a still frame.
Narrator: dr. Hathaway says a
Video picture is really two
Different fields that create one
Picture.
These two fields change so
Rapidly, the human eye can't
Discern it.
Dr. Hathaway combined the even
And odd frames so that both
Could be viewed at the same
Time, creating twice the number
Of lines of resolution.
There are a number of
Individual frames, pairs of
Fields, that we can add together
As well.
Narrator: in one of those
Freeze-frame images,
Dr. Hathaway was able to isolate
The kidnapper.
When he removed some of the
Grain in the picture, he could
See that the man had short
Blond or gray hair, was
Approximately 5 feet, 10 inches
Tall with an average build.
And he wore a dark new york
Yankees baseball jersey with the
Number 23 on the back.
Unfortunately even this new
Technique could not produce a
Clear image of the kidnapper's
Face.
But using what they had, a
Police sketch artist released a
Rough drawing along with a
Physical description including
His clothing to the media.
Hundreds of tips poured in to
Police.
We would have this -- what we
Call the suspect du jour, which
Was like, "bad guy of the day."
These people would pop up.
They seemed promising.
Narrator: one of those tips
Led to donald dean christensen,
Who had a past conviction on a
Sex offense.
Christensen had been free at the
Time of katie's abduction.
There was no doubt about it
That mr. Christensen was a good
Look-alike as far as the video.
But the video was so poor that
Any number of dozens of people
Could have looked like that if
We would have just gotten a
Chance to look at them.
Narrator: donald dean
Christensen had several tattoos,
Including a large one on his
Left forearm.
But the security camera video
Revealed the kidnapper had no
Tattoo on his forearm.
Christensen was cleared.
And your name, please.
Narrator: three weeks after
Katie's abduction, dispatcher
Paula francisco answered a
Telephone call from a citizen
Who had a tip.
It was lead number 1,960.
This was the very first time
That I felt, "we might be onto
Something here."
Narrator: the caller worked
At the minnesota veterans home
In minneapolis and was
Suspicious of a janitor there
Who had just quit.
His name was donald albin blom.
The caller was suspicious
Because blom changed his
Appearance around the time
Katie poirier disappeared.
New haircut, clean shaven
Where there had been facial hair
Before.
He also indicated that he had
Seen the yankees jersey on
Numerous occasions -- that he
Was known to wear that.
And I literally could feel the
Chills up and down my arms
Thinking, "this is it."
Narrator: blom was 50 years
Old, married, and a father of
Four children.
A background check showed that
Blom had prior convictions for
as*ault, r*pe, and kidnapping,
Dating back to the 1970s.
His last conviction was in 1983,
When blom had forced two young
Women into the woods at
Knife point and tied them to a
Tree.
Fortunately the girls escaped
Before they were assaulted.
This one made the hair stand
Up on the back of my neck.
Narrator: but a check of
Motor vehicles revealed blom
Did not own a black pickup truck
As witnesses described.
Police hoped a search of blom's
Home would be far more
Revealing.
Narrator: when police
Descended upon the home of
Donald blom, they found no
Trace of katie poirier.
Blom said he was innocent and
That he had an alibi for the
Night of katie's disappearance.
When investigators learned blom
Owned vacation property near
Moose lake, they searched there,
Too.
I'm thinking, "okay, they've
Got this guy, and he's gonna
Tell where she is, and we can
Just go get her.
And the authorities, the law,
They can do what they have to
Do.
I'm gonna have my baby girl back
Home."
Narrator: once again there
Was no sign of katie.
But investigators noticed a
Large fire pit next to a trailer
On the property.
Technicians sifted the fire pit
For trace evidence and found
Several small items that
Appeared to be bone.
I wasn't going to tell the
Poiriers that I thought their
Daughter was dead.
I wasn't gonna take that hope
Away from them until I had some
Proof.
Narrator: police asked a
Forensic anthropologist,
Dr. Susan thurston-myster, to
Examine the fragments.
She says human bone differs from
Animal bone.
The cross section of human bone
Has a circular pattern.
Animal bone is linear.
So, I began to sort them into
An animal pile, human, and then
An indeterminate pile that the
Pieces were so small, you
Couldn't make the determination
Of human or animal.
Narrator: dr. Myster examined
The human bone fragments to
Determine the age and sex of the
Victim.
This part of the pelvis called
The pubic symphasis was key.
The bone had an obtuse angle,
Greater than 90 degrees,
Indicative of a female.
And the oval surface was heavily
Ridged, characteristic of a
Young adult.
Skull fragments also helped
Determine the victim's age.
The joints, or sutures, of the
Skull bones were open.
Skull sutures typically close
Around age 35.
Dr. Myster concluded the remains
Were those of a young woman.
The age of the individual
Represented in the fire pit was
Between the ages of 17 and 24
Years of age.
Narrator: while the findings
Were consistent with
Katie poirier, it was far from a
Positive identification.
It sent me deeper and deeper
Into this black hole because I
Didn't want to think of the
Possibility of what it could be
Or mean.
Narrator: the bones were too
Badly damaged for dna testing
And collectively represented
Only 25 percent of a human
Skeleton.
Was the body incomplete at
The time she was burned or were
Segments removed during the
Burning process?
And that we don't know.
Narrator: but several tooth
Fragments also were recovered
From blom's fire pit.
Investigators called in forensic
Odontologist dr. Ann norrlander,
Who specializes in making
Identification based on dental
X-rays.
This tooth was the largest and
Most intact of those recovered.
The roots were a little
Narrower, and we were missing
All the enamel, or the
Protective outer covering, on
The crown of this tooth.
Narrator: dr. Norrlander
Identified the tooth as human.
When she compared it to
Katie poirier's dental records,
She saw that the shape and size
Were consistent with katie's
Lower left second molar, known
As tooth number 18.
And she noticed something
Else -- what looked to be
Remnants of a filling in the
Tooth.
Dr. Norrlander asked forensic
Scientists at the minnesota
Bureau of criminal apprehension
To conduct an analysis of the
Filling.
Forensic scientist mark nielsen
Used a scanning electron
Microscope to magnify the
Filling so that it was thousands
Of times larger.
What it, in a sense, allows
Us to do is to actually
Determine what the elemental
Composition is of the particular
Substance that we have within
The sample chamber.
Narrator: the microscope
Bombards an isolated section of
The sample with an electron
Beam.
And different elements will
React to the beam differently.
When this electron falls into
The inner shell, it gives off a
Characteristic energy in the
Form of an x-ray.
And this energy is associative
Of each element.
Narrator: so the type of
X-ray will reveal the elemental
Composition of the sample.
The results showed that the
Filling material in the tooth
Was highly unusual.
It contained zirconium and
Silicon in concentrations that
They had never seen before in
Dental cement.
When scientists contacted
Katie poirier's dentist,
Dr. Melanie meier, she told them
Something interesting.
Her records indicated she had
Replaced a filling in katie's
Tooth number 18 two weeks before
The abduction.
Dr. Meier said she used a
Brand-new material not yet on
The market to fill her tooth.
The material was a sample called
Relyx arc, which had been given
To her at a dental conference.
That material was
Specifically designed to use
With alloy fillings and amalgam
Filling to bond it to the
Tooth.
That procedure hasn't always
Been done, so it was something
New.
Narrator: dr. Meier told
Investigators that relyx was
Manufactured by the 3m company,
Headquartered in minnesota.
When contacted by police,
Chemists at 3m said that relyx
Contained concentrations of two
Elements -- zirconium and
Silicon, the same materials in
The same concentrations that
Were found in the tooth in
Donald blom's fire pit.
That was the positive
Identification of katie poirier.
It doesn't get any easier.
A kleenex would be nice.
Narrator: in a garage on one
Of donald blom's properties was
The black pickup truck with the
Same license plate police were
Looking for.
State records listed blom's
Truck as white, a clerical
Error.
Donald blom was arrested and
Charged with katie poirier's
m*rder.
It is the most heinous crime.
I can't fathom anything worse
Happening to an individual --
Being kidnapped and then
m*rder*d.
Narrator: when confronted
With the scanning electron
Microscope findings, blom
Confessed to katie's m*rder
During a taped conversation with
Special agent phill wagner.
There was a coolness in his
Voice.
This is a bad man.
Bad man.
Narrator: blom admitted to
Kidnapping and k*lling
Katie poirier.
He went into the convenience
Store.
He took katie out.
He put her in the truck.
He drove her to his property.
He led her down to the fire pit.
And then he choked her to death
From behind.
And he burned her.
Narrator: but two weeks
Later, donald blom recanted,
Claiming the confession was
Coerced.
Prosecutors know that blom was
In the vicinity of the
Convenience store that day
Because his credit card receipts
Show he purchased liquor nearby
Around 5:00 p.m.
The sandwich shop employee saw
Blom leering at customers in
The parking lot around
Katie was abducted.
Blom may have seen katie then
And returned at 11:30, entering
The store when she was alone.
Prosecutors explained the
Scientific evidence to the jury,
Especially their smoking g*n --
The dental filling material in
The tooth identified as katie's,
A material which was so limited
In distribution, it wasn't yet
On the market.
The jury understood the scanning
Electron analysis.
Donald blom was convicted of
First-degree m*rder and was
Sentenced to life in prison
Without parole.
The verdict is little solace for
The poiriers.
Our dinner table has one
Empty place setting.
The holidays come around and we
Have to change the routine
Because santa claus can't come
Christmas morning anymore for
Two kids, you know?
He should have never been out
In the first place.
This should've never happened.
Narrator: as a result of this
Case, minnesota law makers
Passed "katie's law," which
Includes stiffer penalties for
Convicted sex offenders and
Mandates better ways for police
To track past offenders.
And the conoco chain that
Employed katie poirier now
Requires that at least two
Workers are on duty each shift.
Science is what put
Donald blom in prison.
Science is what removed that
Threat from our streets.
I wouldn't even want to
Speculate on what could have
Happened if we didn't have the
Forensics.
I'm just thankful that we had
Such good individuals able to
Provide the information that I
Needed for court.
You couldn't have tried this
Case without them.
It's one of those cases.
There are cases that come by in
Your life that you're amazed
By -- that, you know, the little
Things that we do that people
Might be extremely interested in
Are very simple things.
But the fact that there was one
Tooth that happened to be there
That was the one tooth that the
Dentist happened to do his work
On, made the case.
07x30 - Tooth or Consequences
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Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.
Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.