12x21 - Traffic Violations

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Narrator: up next, a young woman makes a desperate plea for

Help...

She was very shook up.

Narrator: ...before vanishing without a trace.

We knew then that something rotten had happened.

Narrator: police think they've solved the case until it

Takes a turn no one expected.

It was just hard for a lot of people to believe.

I almost got sick.

Narrator: it was the ultimate betrayal.

Oh, my god.

He was a monster in disguise.

She got m*rder*d for obeying the law.

Narrator: customers at the men's club in charlotte,

North carolina, could occasionally get a little

Raucous, but the employees were trained to handle those

Situations.

-Year-old kim medlin worked there as a waitress.

The money was good.

She knew how to handle people.

She could defuse a situation very quickly.

She was beautiful, but she was smart about it.

Narrator: late one night, as kim drove home from work, she

Encountered a road-rage incident with an angry motorist.

They started passing her, driving closely behind her,

Blowing the horn at her, things like that.

Narrator: kim was afraid these men had followed her from

Work, so she went to the police for help.

She was very shook up.

It took a while for the police officer to calm her down.

She also told them that, "hey, I travel this road these

Nights.

And I'm along here about this time."

The captain placed a radio broadcast to the other officers

That were working on his shift to be on the lookout for this

Red jeep and to look out for her if they saw her on the roadway.

Narrator: unfortunately, this didn't help.

Two weeks later, police found kim's abandoned jeep on the side

Of the road.

The engine was running, and the lights were on.

Everything was in working condition.

We knew then that something rotten had happened.

Narrator: kim's purse and her money were still in the jeep.

But, strangely, her driver's license was missing.

There was certainly no logical explanation as to why

Ms. Medlin had left her vehicle.

The first thing we attempted to do was to determine if, in fact,

A crime had occurred.

Narrator: the next day, a search team found kim's body a

Mile and a half from her car, hidden under some debris.

We watched the news, and my wife looked at me and she says,

"I've seen enough. It's her."

So we turned off the tv and unplugged all the phones and

Just went to bed.

This was not a robbery.

Her wedding band, wedding ring, there was a necklace still in

Place around her neck.

Those items that would've had potential value were still

Present on her.

Narrator: the autopsy revealed kim had been beaten,

Kicked, and strangled.

But there were no signs of sexual as*ault.

There were several blows on the back of her head and neck

And her back area that would've been consistent with blunt force

Trauma.

Our theory is that she was knocked down from behind, she

Was stomped on her back, and she had something pressed up against

The front of her neck.

Narrator: and there was evidence that kim's wrists had

Been bound, but the bindings were missing.

Typically if the k*ller takes the time to tie them, restrain

Them, tape them -- I've seen duct tape, different things --

I've never seen it removed.

That was very unusual.

Narrator: and the m*rder took place on a deserted road outside

Of town.

By this time, the k*ller could be long gone.

Narrator: to find kim medlin's k*ller,

Investigators needed to retrace her steps in the hours before

Her m*rder.

Kim left her job at the men's club around : a.m.

Her cellphone records indicated she called her husband, bridger,

At : while driving home.

Which was their custom.

She would call her husband, let him know she was on her way.

Narrator: bridger medlin told police he went to sleep right

After kim called, but a local police officer contradicted his

Story.

He claimed he saw bridger's black pickup truck driving

Through town around the time of his wife's abduction.

A monroe police officer was confident that he observed

Mr. Medlin travel through monroe at : in the morning.

The concern was that perhaps he wasn't being completely truthful

About where he was.

Narrator: bridger was outraged.

I said, "something is rotten here.

Something is wrong."

Narrator: he thought police should spend more time

Investigating themselves.

Kim's street-smart.

The only reason she pulled over was because of some figure of

Authority had demanded her to pull over.

Narrator: was it possible that bridger was correct -- that

A policeman or someone in authority had pulled kim over?

Based upon the position of the jeep, the fact that the

Driver's license appeared to be missing, one of the

Investigators early on believed that this could be a blue-light

Bandit or perhaps even a police officer involved in the stop of

The vehicle.

Narrator: a blue-light bandit is someone who mounts a police

Light on his vehicle and uses it to prey on innocent people.

This theory was bolstered by the fact that kim's driver's-side

Window was down.

If you logically looked at it, it really narrowed down the

Reason she pulled over.

Narrator: and it didn't take long before a witness came

Forward to corroborate this theory.

A motorist said he was driving behind a red jeep, presumably

Kim's, on the night of the m*rder.

He claimed the woman driving the jeep did nothing wrong, but a

Police officer turned his lights on and pulled her over.

He was driving on a revoked driver's license, and, so he, of

Course, was very concerned when he saw the patrol car turn in

Front of him, so he fell back, obviously not wanting to get too

Close and draw attention to himself.

Narrator: this explained the bruises on kim's wrists -- the

Possibility that they were caused by handcuffs.

But police needed to find out the jurisdiction of the police

Car.

So we actually used that same witness, and we did what we

Called a police-car lineup.

Narrator: the witness identified the police car as one

From the city of monroe.

But that police department had a -man force, and it could've

Been any one of them, since they can use their vehicles while off

Duty.

So investigators tried to find some way to narrow it down.

And latent-evidence expert ricky navarro looked for clues

On kim medlin's clothing.

That's when he noticed a print on her sweatshirt.

At that point in time, I could not determine whether I

Was looking at a footwear impression or some other type of

Object that left that impression on the sweatshirt.

Narrator: using alternate light sources and high-speed

Cameras, navarro concluded he was looking at the heel of a

Shoe.

It was a type of shoe that was not flat from toe all the

Way back to the heel.

It had a distinct heel in it, like some of your hard-soled

Shoes would have, not like your athletic shoes would have.

Narrator: and there was a distinct "v" or chevron pattern

Across the print.

At first, navarro's search yielded no results.

The chevron pattern I had not found in any other footwear

Manufacturing companies that I looked at.

Narrator: but with a little more research, navarro

Discovered the shoe was made by the thorogood company in

Wisconsin.

They made quite a few different styles, I believe

Approximately different styles of uniform shoes.

Narrator: many of these shoe styles were worn by police

Officers.

This particular shoe was style-, and that was the

Only shoe that thorogood put that sole design on at that

Time.

All the other shoes had a completely different sole design

From that one.

Narrator: navarro measured the print on kim's sweatshirt

And determined that the k*ller wore a size , /, or

Thorogood shoe.

The question now was to find the monroe police officer wearing

Them.

Narrator: investigators now suspected that kim medlin's

k*ller was a monroe policeman.

And they no longer believed that her husband, bridger medlin,

Had anything to do with her m*rder.

They also discovered that bridger was not driving his

Pickup truck through town after midnight as one of the police

Officers claimed.

That particular intersection was being videotaped through an

Atm machine from a wachovia bank, and it actually picked up

The image of my truck coming through that intersection after

: A.m.

Narrator: this was after bridger was notified by police

And was headed to the scene of kim's abandoned car.

That was the first and the strongest rock-solid evidence

That I was where I said I was.

Narrator: investigators were also sure that the k*ller wore

Size-, /, or thorogood brand shoes.

Police personnel records showed that only three members of the

Monroe police department wore this make and model of shoe in

That shoe-size range.

Of the three, one was working at the fire department on the night

Of kim's m*rder.

He was assigned to sort of a stationary duty that evening

Where he couldn't drive around.

He had to sort of be there at the department.

Narrator: the second officer was on duty responding to a

Burglary that night and was in constant radio contact with

Headquarters.

The third, josh griffin, worked that night until : p.m.,

Then went off duty.

Officer griffin told investigators he had not seen

Kim medlin that night.

He had not stopped the car.

He did not see the jeep in any way, shape, or form.

And he basically said he had gone home and had gone to bed

Before this jeep would've been discovered.

Narrator: officer griffin was years old.

He'd been a member of the police force for just over a

Year.

When investigators searched griffin's police car, they found

Nothing suspicious.

His car was absolutely -- almost spotless, which, if you

Knew josh, he was kind of known around the department for having

The dirtiest car in the fleet.

Narrator: with a warrant, police searched griffin's house,

But they couldn't find his pair of police-issued work shoes.

Mr. Griffin told me that he had thrown those shoes away

Because they were damaged on an accident-scene investigation.

Narrator: police questioned employees of the men's club

Where kim medlin worked to see whether josh griffin was there

On the night of the m*rder and perhaps followed her home.

But no one recalled seeing him.

But a check of griffin's cellphone records contradicted

His alibi that he was home sleeping that night.

Records show that griffin made a cellphone call around : a.m.

To a tow-truck company.

When confronted by his superiors, griffin changed his

Story.

He said he was sitting in his police car, in uniform, at

Bakers intersection in a restaurant parking lot after his

Shift ended, reading a book.

He claimed to be sitting in that parking lot reading his law

Book at that restaurant that was closed.

Narrator: and a motorist asked him to call for a tow

Truck because his car broke down nearby.

This put officer griffin on bakers intersection just a

Half-hour to minutes before kim medlin drove by on

Old charlotte highway.

Josh griffin denied any involvement in kim's m*rder, but

Soon his fellow officers turned against him.

Apparently, everything started when kim told police she feared

Driving home alone at night along the dark country roads

And was concerned that a customer of the men's club was

Following her.

In an effort to help, police broadcast an announcement asking

Officers to keep an eye out for kim's car to make sure nothing

Happened to her.

And we know from the investigation, after the fact,

That mr. Griffin was, in fact, out and listening to that

Broadcast that evening.

Narrator: the evidence shows officer josh griffin took an

Inappropriate interest in kim medlin, and investigators

Learned that griffin told fellow police officers about it.

He saw her jeep running up and down through town and would

Call to other policemen and make comments about the pretty

Blond-haired girl in the jeep, that she's coming through, and

He was trying to figure out a way to meet her.

That was really alarming, too, is I had other officers

That knew about this pattern of behavior but didn't say anything

And didn't come forward where we could address and correct it.

Narrator: and after kim's m*rder, several women came

Forward to say griffin had been harassing them, too.

To tell you how sick this guy actually was -- this came out in

A trial -- there was a girl that was being stalked.

This girl has an unlisted number.

She gets a call that says, "I know that you're at home.

I'm coming to see you."

What does she do in a panic?

She calls the police.

She calls .

Who's working?

Who responds to the call?

Josh griffin.

Narrator: but for a m*rder conviction, prosecutors needed

More than circumstantial evidence.

Could they find anything stronger?

Narrator: prosecutors say that kim medlin's abduction and

m*rder was the ultimate betrayal perpetrated by a police

Officer hired to protect and serve, not abuse and suppress.

I think it was just hard for a lot of people to believe that

A local guy, a nice -- on the surface -- young man who was

An all-american kid, could've committed a violent crime of

This type.

Narrator: on the night of the crime, griffin ended his shift

Around : p.m., But instead of going home, while still in

Uniform, he drove his police car to bakers intersection and

Parked at ron's restaurant, which was closed.

Around : a.m., A motorist stopped and asked for help,

Telling griffin he had some car trouble.

Griffin called for a tow truck using his personal cellphone,

Which placed him near the crime scene.

About to minutes later, prosecutors believe griffin saw

Kim medlin drive by, and, as planned, decided to pull her

Over for a traffic violation as a ruse to introduce himself.

[ Siren wailing ] a witness saw the policeman pull

Kim's red jeep over, and saw that kim had done nothing

Wrong.

Prosecutors believe griffin asked kim for her driver's

License, then asked her to join him in his patrol car while he

Ran her license plate number.

Griffin may have made a sexual advance, and kim objected.

Griffin knew then that he had gone too far.

He panicked, handcuffed her, and drove off.

Griffin turned off old charlotte highway, and kim

Knew it was a dead-end street.

Her injuries suggest she jumped from the moving car.

Griffin caught up with her, struck her on the back of the

Head, stomped on her back, breaking her neck and leaving

The distinctive foot impression.

He then strangled her to death, probably with his police

Flashlight.

Before he left, he removed the handcuffs and covered her body

With debris.

I still can't imagine what happened and what transpired in

Those few minutes, the last few minutes of kim's life.

If I had an officer that was doing this, I didn't care who it

Was, it shouldn't happen.

Nobody should suffer and die the way kim medlin did.

Narrator: but to get a conviction, prosecutors needed

To prove josh griffin was the k*ller.

With not having any dna, they actually had to build their case

Around that footprint.

Narrator: according to personnel records, griffin was

The only officer to wear a size / clorino-style thorogood

Shoe.

So ricky navarro took a new pair of these shoes, made an inked

Impression, and compared it to the shoe print on the back of

Kim medlin's sweatshirt.

Navarro believes it was the only one that could have created

That impression.

My job is not necessarily to positively identify everything

That comes in here.

My job was to just render an opinion, and at that point in

Time, it just had to go where it had to go.

None of us ever want to believe a police officer would

Do something like that, especially one that you work

With every day and every night and your life is dependent on.

Narrator: in february of , officer josh griffin went

On trial for first-degree kidnapping and first-degree

m*rder.

He pled not guilty.

But the evidence was clear, and he was convicted of both charges

And sentenced to life in prison.

Three years later, griffin asked to speak with investigators,

And, on tape, he finally confessed.

I don't know what his motivation was, but I just know

What he said.

He admitted stomping on her back.

He admitted choking her with a flashlight.

He admitted handcuffing her.

He admitted cutting her driver's license up into a million pieces

And flushing it down the toilet.

Of course, he admitted to all the lies.

He told me that he actually disposed of those shoes right

After this happened.

He said he threw them in a dumpster behind the local

Kmart.

Narrator: because of incidents like this, officials

Now caution motorists to be suspicious of any vehicle with

Flashing lights, particularly if driving on a dark, deserted road

At night.

You put a signal on as if you're going to turn, and you

Wait until you get to a well-lit area that's a public place where

There are other people.

I've done that since this case, and I'm married to a police

Officer.

But I don't take my safety for granted, and I hope that no one

Else does either.

Narrator: in a case without much evidence, a partial shoe

Impression on a sweatshirt was all that was needed.

Without the footwear impression, I doubt we would've

Obtained the conviction that we did.

In essence, that footwear impression was the signature of

The m*rder w*apon.

You've got to have something.

Our something in this case, and one of the big somethings in

This case, was her sweatshirt with the evidence of her

m*rder on her back.

And, of course, one of the m*rder weapons, in this case,

Was mr. Griffin's foot, as strange as that may sound.

The real clincher was the shoe print.

That left a piece of evidence that you cannot deny.

It's there in black and white.