Narrator: sometime after
Midnight, in july of 1986,
Stephanie brown took some
Friends home who lived in an
Unfamiliar part of town.
Make sure you go i-5 north.
Don't go south, or you'll get
Lost.
Narrator: to get back to her
Apartment, brown was told to
Take interstate 5 north -- a
Major thoroughfare in
California.
I-5 north?
Narrator: despite the
Directions, stephanie brown made
The wrong turn.
It took both science and
Psychology to discover what
Happened next.
A fisherman walking down this
Trail in a remote mountain area
Outside of sacramento,
California, discovered the
Semi-nude body of a young woman
Lying facedown in a flooded
Irrigation ditch.
Around her neck, a band of
Purple discoloration -- the sign
Of ligature strangulation.
It was a very isolated,
Desolate area next to a
Cornfield.
There were no houses or lights
Or civilization anywhere around.
It was a very lonely spot to
Have been driven to.
And certainly, she was conscious
During the drive.
We don't know how long he toyed
With her.
We don't know how long he
Assaulted her -- how long it was
Before she was k*lled.
Narrator: the autopsy found
Traces of semen, but the samples
Were too badly degraded for dna
Testing.
The victim was identified as
Worked as a teller in a
Sacramento bank.
Stephanie was a very
Sensitive, loving, caring
Daughter, who wouldn't hurt
Anybody.
Monday, after work, she came by
And did laundry, she called a
Couple of friends on the phone,
And then, when she was through,
She came over and gave us a kiss
Goodbye.
And I just remember her walking
Out the family room -- out the
Door -- waving.
You know, her hair in a
Ponytail, waving.
"Bye, mom. I love you."
Narrator: when police learned
That stephanie's hair was long
And in a ponytail the day before
She died, they realized that her
k*ller had cut it.
Ray biondi headed sacramento's
Homicide unit.
The first thought is that
We're dealing with somebody with
A very perverse fetish --
Cutting hair.
And I had never seen this before
In hundreds of other m*rder
Investigations.
Did this person cut the hair and
Take it away as a trophy or a
Souvenir?
We didn't really know.
Narrator: brown's car was
Found 20 miles away on
Interstate 5 and was headed in
The opposite direction from her
Apartment.
The car was full of gas and
Operational.
Brown was probably lost and may
Have stopped to ask someone for
Directions.
Just one month later, there was
Another incident along
Interstate 5.
Her mother had been out to
Dinner and were heading home
When their car broke down along
A deserted stretch of
Interstate 5.
A man in a dark sports car
Stopped and offered help.
Having trouble with your car?
Yeah, I heard a noise, so I
Pulled over, and now the car
Won't start.
I'll be happy to give you a
Ride, but I can only take one.
This is only a two-seater.
I'll be back as soon as I
Can.
Narrator: that was the last
Time her mother saw her.
Narrator: in the foothills of
The sierra nevada mountains,
Outside of sacramento,
California, a hunter discovered
The badly decomposed remains of
A white female.
The remains had been scattered
By animals, but investigators
Recovered the skull, torso, and
Some clothing, which included a
Purple skirt, dark blouse, and a
Pair of alligator-heel shoes.
The clothes were similar to
Those worn by charmaine sobre,
Who disappeared without a trace
After accepting a ride three
Months earlier on interstate 5.
Dental x-rays confirmed that the
Remains were those of
Charmaine sobre.
The cause of death was
Strangulation.
The side seam from charmaine's
Blouse was cut and used as a
Ligature around her neck, along
With a piece of yellow nylon
Cord.
Her pantyhose had been cut in
Two places and tied around her
Wrists.
There were cuts made to the
Victim's slip and the shoulder
Straps of her bra.
Criminalist jim streeter
Analyzed the clothing from the
Crime scene.
I'd never seen
Clothes-cutting like that.
I've never seen any cutting like
That.
Talking with other
Investigators -- they've never
Seen cutting like this.
Cuttings would be for some
Function in any other cases we
Had seen.
But in this particular case, it
Was so unusual that it became
His calling card.
The initial cutting is what
He uses to arouse himself,
Initially -- sexually -- and
Then enables him to complete and
Perform the rest of the offense.
Narrator: like
Stephanie brown,
Charmaine sobre's body was found
Over 50 miles away from where
Her car broke down on
Interstate 5.
Charmaine's mother was not able
To provide a detailed
Description of the driver since
She did not see him clearly.
All she could say was that he
Was a white male in his 40s with
A large nose and pale skin.
It's hard to imagine that he
Would take charmaine -- planning
To k*ll her -- knowing that he
Left her mother as a witness
Behind.
That makes no sense to me.
Narrator: bruce henderson
Described the sophistication of
This serial k*ller in his book
"Trace evidence."
He was very good at
Confounding the police.
This k*ller didn't leave behind
Easy clues, and he took his
Victims great distances, and he
Left clean crime scenes --
Meaning no fingerprints or
Anything that could connect him
To the crime or to the victim.
Narrator: two weeks later,
Police were called to another
Homicide, 35 miles southeast of
Sacramento.
She was hog-tied with her own
t*nk top -- a victim of ligature
Strangulation, wherein her arms
Were bent up behind her back and
Then the t*nk top was looped
Over her neck.
Narrator: her halter top and
Socks had been cut in the same
Nonfunctional way as the other
Victims.
Dental records identified the
Remains as 20-year-old
Laura hedick.
The last time anyone saw her was
In an area frequented by
Prostitutes.
Why don't you go with this
Guy for a little while.
Narrator: laura was with her
Boyfriend, james driggers.
Okay.
Narrator: they needed money
For dr*gs, and driggers told
Police that laura agreed to
Prostitution.
Yeah, I know a place to go.
Hop in.
Narrator: laura left with a
Customer in a white car.
Driggers said he never saw her
Again.
But driggers took a lie-detector
Test and failed.
Is it the boyfriend, or is it
Not the boyfriend?
The first people you must
Eliminate are those all around
The victim.
Narrator: police were
Convinced that the murders were
All related.
But if driggers had a hand in
His girlfriend's m*rder, what
Was his connection to the other
Victims?
Narrator: a serial m*rder*r
Was on the loose in central
California, at first abducting
Women along interstate 5 and
Later prowling for prostitutes
In downtown sacramento.
Police decoys dressed as
Prostitutes in an attempt to
Lure the k*ller into their trap.
And they also posed as motorists
In distress along interstate 5.
Despite these efforts, the
Murders continued.
On sunday, june 21, 1987, in the
Remote woods of deer creek,
Amador county, a family on a
Hiking trip found blood on the
Trail.
The victim was identified as
She was divorced and the mother
Of a 2-year-old daughter.
Her car was found near
Interstate 5 fully operational.
Her sandals were still in the
Car.
If she walked barefoot, she
Hadn't planned to walk far.
There was a fragment of
Duct tape in her hair.
The light bulbs went on at the
Time, thinking this is what
Happened in the stephanie brown
Case.
That's why her hair was cut.
Narrator: the k*ller used
Duct tape to gag his victims and
Always cut it off before leaving
The scene.
He may have known that the
Sticky side of tape is a rich
Source of fingerprints.
But this time, something went
Wrong.
Karen finch probably fought
Back.
And when she did, the k*ller
Used what he had in his hand,
The scissors, to s*ab her.
The k*ller left the scene
Without removing all of the
Tape.
Unfortunately, there were no
Fingerprints on the piece of
Tape he left behind.
The bodies were found some
Distance from where he would
Have been able to park his
Vehicle.
Some of these distances were too
Far that he would've carried
Them, so we're certain that they
Were made to walk.
They may have had their hands
Bound at that time.
Narrator: a few weeks later,
Police had yet another victim.
The nude decomposed body of
Was found in a deserted area off
Highway 50 near lake tahoe.
The cause of death was
Strangulation.
Her blouse was tied around her
Neck with a wood garrote.
Two pieces of rope were found
Near her clothing.
The rope was made of nylon.
And after checking with several
Rope suppliers, police
Discovered that it was the type
Of rope used in parachute cords.
Cutting the victim's clothing
Was important to the k*ller, for
Some reason -- so important
That he did this in all of his
Murders.
So important, he would carry a
Pair of scissors to every crime
To carry out the ritual.
I cried for all the victims.
It was just so emotional.
After a year and a half of
Working on all this physical
Evidence, trying to link
Everyone together, and trying to
Find the person that did this so
That it wouldn't happen again
Can just be overwhelming at
Times.
Narrator: the k*ller was
Experienced.
He knew exactly what he was
Doing.
And he perfected his technique
With every case.
Narrator: the only lead
Police had in their search for
The serial k*ller was the way in
Which he carried out the
Murders.
His signature characteristics
Included the rope and the
Clothes-cutting.
A few months later, an unrelated
Incident caught homicide's
Attention.
Deborah guffey was a street
prost*tute in downtown
Sacramento who told police an
Interesting story.
Hey, you working tonight?
Been here waiting for you.
Get in.
We'll go for a ride.
Narrator: when he parked the
Car, he turned violent, smashing
Guffey's head into the
Dashboard, and tried to handcuff
Her.
Guffey managed to escape.
A policeman was driving nearby,
Saw the altercation, and stopped
To investigate.
Charged with the as*ault.
He was the manager of a public
Storage facility, married, and
Had a daughter from an earlier
Marriage.
A background check on
Roger kibbe revealed an arrest
Underwear off their clotheslines
And cutting it in a random,
Nonfunctional way with a pair of
His mother's scissors.
Kibbe told police, at the time,
He had a terrible relationship
With his mother.
Roger kibbe was also a
Parachutist -- another
Coincidence, since parachute
Rope had been found at one of
The m*rder sites.
Kibbe's brother was a homicide
Detective in nevada -- another
Coincidence, since police
Suspected that the k*ller knew
Homicide investigative
Techniques.
Roger kibbe owned two different
Cars.
One was similar to the car which
Picked up charmaine sobre.
In the other, police found some
Rope with a garrote tied to the
Ends, a set of handcuffs, and
Scissors.
We knew who our k*ller was --
It was roger kibbe -- but we
Lacked the evidence to actually
File m*rder charges against him.
Narrator: criminalist
Faye springer is an expert in
Exchange, or trace evidence,
That can link a suspect or
Victim to a crime scene.
Springer pored over the
Thousands of hairs, fibers, and
Other materials found on the
Victims' clothing.
She found two carpet fibers on
Darcy frackenpohl's dress.
They were blue, triangular in
Shape, made of nylon, and were
Manufactured by the dupont
Company.
When she compared the fibers to
The carpet in roger kibbe's
Automobile, she discovered that
They were the same color, size,
Shape, made of the same polymer,
And dyed with the same
Chemicals.
And when springer looked closer,
She saw something else on the
Fibers.
I noticed, when I was looking
At the fibers microscopically,
That there were some
Contaminants on the surface.
It was a football-shaped
Particle that turned out, later,
To be identified as a fungal
Spore.
Narrator: the same fungal
Spores were on the fibers from
The floor mat of kibbe's car.
The human hair found on one of
The victims' dress was
Microscopically similar to hair
Taken from roger kibbe's inner
Thigh.
When springer turned her
Attention to the pantyhose used
To tie charmaine sobre's wrists,
She noticed something which had
Previously been overlooked.
The benefit of being a woman
Criminalist and working
Sexual-as*ault homicides is
That we know that pantyhose
Come off inside out.
Men wouldn't know that unless
They actually had pantyhose on.
Narrator: with the pantyhose
Turned the proper way, springer
Discovered several small fibers
On the back of the leg area.
When springer compared those
Fibers to the fibers on the seat
Of one of roger kibbe's
Automobiles, they were
Microscopically similar.
Finally, springer analyzed the
Pieces of rope found in kibbe's
Car and in his storage shed.
At first glance, it appeared to
Be identical to the rope found
Near darcy frackenpohl's body.
Both were made of white nylon
With six fibers running through
The cord and 32 threads per
Cord.
But faye springer noticed
Something peculiar when she
Looked at the rope under the
Microscope.
I noticed that there was red
Paint on the cordage and some
Black particles.
Later, kay maulsby said that
She had some cordage from an
as*ault case that kibbe was
Involved in.
She brought that out, and I
Noticed the same particles were
On that cordage.
This was a very strong link to
Roger kibbe and
Darcy frackenpohl.
Narrator: but the size of the
Paint particles was tiny --
About six microns -- which is
Six millionths of a meter.
With the scanning electron
Microscope, scientists performed
An elemental analysis of the
Inorganic compounds of the
Paint.
They found 10 different elements
In the paint mixture common in
The chemical formulation of red
Acrylic paint, but they found
Two additional elements in the
Paint which were not -- sodium
And chlorine.
These were contaminants in the
Air when the paint was sprayed
Near the rope.
All three pieces of rope had the
Same red paint and the same
Contaminants.
The rope found near
Darcy frackenpohl's body, the
Rope found in roger kibbe's car
And in kibbe's storage shed, all
Were in the same area when
Someone was using a can of red
Acrylic spray paint.
The cordage was basically the
Coup de grâce of the people's
Case -- it was extremely unique.
Commonality was the red paint
Stains on each one of these
Cords at those three scenes,
Which meant roger kibbe was at
The scenes.
I said, "he's boxed in, ladies
And gentlemen -- we're going to
Bury him -- he's guilty."
Narrator: roger kibbe was
Charged with the m*rder of
Darcy frackenpohl.
Oh march 18, 1991, he was found
Guilty of m*rder in the first
Degree and was sentenced to 25
Years to life.
Kibbe still faces the
Possibility of m*rder charges in
The other deaths.
Roger is in prison for only
One m*rder.
There has to be another trial.
These other families need to see
Some kind of reconciliation in
Court.
Narrator: the police and
Prosecution were unaware that
Kibbe confessed to his wife
Shortly after his arrest.
And I didn't know that he had
m*rder*d anybody until that
Night the police arranged for me
To get in the backseat of a
Cruiser with him.
And he told me that he had
k*lled five people -- excuse me,
Four.
I cried.
He cried.
I asked him why.
But when you're sobbing --
I mean, we were sobbing --
He said he didn't know.
[ Sniffles ]
I came away from there just
Feeling and overcoming with the
Thought that this is not enough.
This just is not enough.
My daughter is laying there, and
So are many, many other girls --
Laying there.
And this man -- all he can
Say -- "what is the big fuss
About?
I k*lled a few girls."
The horror and the fear that
Darcy frackenpohl must have felt
Before going...
Stephanie brown...
How frightened she must have
Been.
[ Sniffles ]
I am so sorry.
03x02 - Knot for Everyone
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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.