06x09 - Soft Touch

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: in 1990,

A k*ller of a 22-year-old girl

Left an almost
indistinguishable mark

In a bloodstain
at the crime scene.

But a new computer
forensic technology

Found distinguishing
characteristics in the smear,

Evidence that would lead
directly to the perpetrator.

Richmond, virginia,
is city steeped in history.

As the former capital
of the confederacy,

Richmond keeps close ties
to its past

And a watchful eye
on the future.

With 6 colleges
and universities,

Thousands of young people
move here each fall
to go to school.


Had attended

Virginia commonwealth
university.

Woman: dawn was a musician.

She joined
the v.c.u. Wind symphony

After she was accepted
through auditions.

That's what kept her there
for as long as she was there.

But dawn was anxious to find out
what was out in the real world

And how she could do
and what she could do.

Narrator: after college,

Dawn worked as a phone operator
by day

And a waitress by night.

Despite the long hours,

She enjoyed the freedom
of living on her own.

Jo ann: dawn was a fun-loving
kind of person,

Thought she could do anything
and everything

And didn't care
what other people said

About her trying to do things
that weren't the norm.

Narrator: on december 19, 1990,

Dawn's mother
went to her daughter's apartment

Since she hadn't heard from her
in a few days.

She found dawn
in a pool of blood.

The medical examiner
found evidence.

She had been r*ped, sodomized,
and stabbed in the heart.

Man: the knife was rammed
in her heart.

And the subject held dawn down
until she bled to death,

Which, from what I understand,

Could have been 8-10 minutes
or longer.

And she was defiled
in the process of this.

I don't know
how much vileness is needed,

But that's only my opinion.

I think it was
a very, very bad case.

First impression I had
was what a horrible,
horrible crime

And what somebody
had done to, really,
an innocent young lady

Who absolutely didn't deserve
what happened to her

In any sense of the word.

It was
a young 22-year-old female

Who was working,
minding her own business,

Had a future ahead of her,
had children ahead of her,

Marriage,
everything that we all enjoy,

And she was brutally att*cked
while she was sleeping.

Narrator: investigators
discovered that the k*ller

Entered the apartment
through a window

Which had been pried open.

But there was no evidence
of burglary,

Nothing had been disturbed
or broken.

They found
no foreign fingerprints
inside the apartment.

Man: when I left there,

I didn't have
very good feelings at all

Because I think everything
that I carried out there,

Out of the scene,
was in one large bag,

And that consisted mostly
of the items on the bed:

The bed sheets
and the pill--pillows
and the blankets and so forth.

Narrator: dawn bruce
was last seen

At tommy's restaurant


Where she worked the night shift
as a waitress.

Dawn met many people
through her job,

Which only added
to the large pool
of potential suspects.

Investigators tom tiller
and jim dorton

Interviewed dawn's neighbors
in the apartment complex.

Several neighbors
were suspicious
right from the start.

Dorton: a subject who lived
directly beside the victim
was on active parole,

And he was on parole
for burglary and attempted r*pe
while armed with a knife.

So immediately we felt
that he was a good suspect.

There was
very little evidence,

And it's one of these cases
that, when you left there,

That you just thought
that this is gonna be
a hard one to clear

Because of the lack of evidence.

Narrator: with no m*rder w*apon,

No witnesses, and few leads,

It was going to be
a difficult investigation.

Jo ann: she wanted to be
a firefighter,

And she had past her
firefighter 1 and 2

And was volunteering
as a firefighter.

So dawn was just a happy person.

Dawn wanted
as much out of life

As she could get
into every minute of it.

She, at some point in time,

Would have had a family,
wanted children,

But that was not to be.

Narrator: shortly after

The r*pe and m*rder
of 22-year-old dawn bruce,

John alderman was assigned
to prosecute the case.

Alderman: when you get
a crime like this

That really violates a person,

You get a sense of indignation
that's impossible to escape--

A sense of indignation
that someone being used
and abused like that.

Narrator: investigators
began focusing their attention

On the few bits
of physical evidence they had.

Forensic experts discovered
that the fatal injury

Was a single s*ab wound
in the heart.

In the forensics lab,

Scientists found
on the pillowcase

That were consistent
with the blade of a knife.

The serrated edges
appeared to be those
of a hunting knife.

Also on the pillowcase,

They found what appeared to be
a partial fingerprint
in dawn's blood,

But the fabric was textured,

Which made any kind of
fingerprint analysis impossible.

Man: the print
was almost invisible.

Even to a trained eye,
the ridge detail was very faint.

And we had to really study it

Because as we studied it
under magnification,

You enlarge the fabric weave,

Which had a tendency
to totally eradicate
the ridge detail.

So at that point in time,

I did not have
a whole lot of hope
for that fingerprint.

There was ridge detail
on the print,

But in my opinion at the time,

I didn't think it was very much.

I knew if that's all
that we would ever have

And it could not be enhanced
in any way,

Then we wouldn't have much
of a case

Unless we got
a lot more evidence coming in

That we didn't think
we would get.

Narrator: traces of semen
also were found at the scene.

Serology test indicated
the k*ller had type "a" blood.

This eliminated dawn's boyfriend

As well as dawn's neighbor

Who was on parole
for r*pe and burglary.

Dawn had another neighbor--
robert knight--

Who had some prior arrest
for drug possession.

Dorton: robert knight
had made comments to the victim

As she was outside
washing her car

Or going to and from
her automobile to her apartment.

This subject
would make comments to her

In a sexual suggestive nature,

And he became a suspect.

Narrator: robert knight
had type "a" blood,

Consistent with the semen sample
from the crime scene.

But he had an alibi
for the night of the m*rder.

He said he was with
his girlfriend at the time.

And the fingerprint
on the pillowcase

Did not appear to match
the fingerprints on file
for robert knight.

Norman tiller: we tried
traditional photography,

Everything that we knew
at that point in time,

Also to develop some contrast
between the ridges
and the fabric,

But basically, those techniques
were not satisfactory

At that point in time.

We couldn't get it to a point
where we felt like

We had an identifiable print.

Narrator: scientists tried
various chemical processes

To improve the print
on the pillowcase,

But every time they enhanced it,

They also enhanced
the threads of the pillowcase.

Investigators were no closer
to identifying the print
on the pillowcase

Than they were
the day after the m*rder.

Alderman: the fingerprint was
something that we knew we had.

It clearly was observed.
It clearly was seen.

But no one knew
what to do with it

Because it was
in a medium in blood

On a medium on a pillowcase

Against a pattern
of the pillowcase

That made it unreadable.

And if there were some way
to make that print readable,

It could take on
as vibrant a forensic persuador
as d.n.a. Evidence

And maybe some more.

Narrator: then, investigators
got a break.

Man: every year, we have
a latent print conference

Which encompasses all
the latent print examiners
in virginia.

It's a training seminar,
basically.

And the imaging people there--

One of the vendors brought
their imaging system there.

I was highly skeptical of it,

Had never seen it used
in a forensic case,

But since we had nothing else

Other than this very faint print
on fabric,

We thought it was worth a try.

Narrator: the new system
was called

Image enhancement technology.

Image enhancement
uses a computer
to identify patterns

Like those woven
into the pillowcase.

Once the pattern was identified,

It was subtracted
from the image,

Leaving only the ridge patterns
of the fingerprint behind.

After 10 hours of testing,

The fabric pattern
was subtracted,

And what began to emerge
was a partial thumbprint
of the k*ller.

Narrator: investigators knew
that they had to identify

The fingerprint
on the pillowcase

In order to solve
dawn bruce's m*rder.

The primary suspect in this case

Was one of dawn's neighbors--
robert knight--

Who had a history of drug abuse.

Knight said he had an alibi,

That he was with girlfriend
on the night of the m*rder,

But his girlfriend said
knight wasn't with her
for the entire evening.

Man: the evidence indicated

The crime occurred
about between 3:00 and 4:00,

Roughly that saturday morning.

He claimed to be
with his girlfriend all night,

But his girlfriend said,

"No, he was not with me
for about that period of time,
between 3:00 and 4:00."

Narrator: the fingerprints
on file for robert knight

Did not have enough ridge detail

To determine if they matched
the print on the pillowcase.

Knight voluntarily
gave a second set of prints,

But again,
it was not enough ridge detail

To make a comparison.

Dorton: each time that we would
show our presence around him,

He got
a little bit more standoffish

And not as cooperative
and accused us
of harassing him.

And he just changed entirely
his personality

And his willingness to help.

He did not want us
to come around anymore.

Narrator: now, the prosecution
was in a difficult position.

If they could not identify
the fingerprint as knight's,

The defense attorney
would use that against
the prosecution at a trial.

The defense attorneys
would have said,

"Whose fingerprint is it?

"We don't know.
We'll never know.

"And that fingerprint
is the k*ller,

"And it's not his fingerprint

Or it can't be proved
to be his fingerprint."

So in our line of work,

You really need to answer
all the questions,

And if you don't,

The defense attorney
asks those questions
at closing arguments.

Narrator:
but prosecutors gambled.

They arrested knight
for dawn's m*rder,

Pinning their hopes on the new
fingerprint technology

And the scientists' ability
to match knight's fingerprints.

After knight's arrest,

Norm tiller kept a close eye
on the technique

Police used to fingerprint him,

Making certain that each finger
was carefully rolled
from nail to nail

For the clearest set of prints
possible.

Tiller: as soon as I saw
a good suitable rolled print,

I took that straight back
to my office

And began that examination.

Narrator: but tiller
did not rush the judgment.

He took his time.

After one month
of analysis and retesting,

Norm tiller found
what he was looking for.

The print on the pillowcase
was a left thumbprint.

It matched the outside
of robert knight's left thumb.

Tiller: I spent additional time
doing comparison work

And just analyzing the print
from every angle,
so to so speak,

Before we actually
effected the identification.

And even then,
I had another examiner
go behind me

And take a look
at everything that I had done

To make sure
there were no errors made
in the process.

Narrator: but there was
one more hurdle.

The image enhancement technology
was so new,

It had never been accepted
as evidence in court.

Tiller: I was concerned
at that point in time

That the evidence
may not be accepted

Within the scientific community
as a good science.

This was the first time
that anybody had used it,

Taken it into court--
into a courtroom

Where it was gonna be
actually challenged.

And it was gonna be fought.

Narrator: a hearing was held

To determine
whether forensic evidence

From this new
fingerprinting technology

Should be admitted.

The defense argued that it was
hocus-pocus technology

Which manipulated and changed
the image of the fingerprint.

Pam ringer was the expert

Who testified
for the prosecution,

Explaining that the human eye
can distinguish

Between 16 and 32 shades
of gray,

But a computer
can distinguish 256 shades.

Ringer said
the image enhancement technology

Simply eliminated
the fabric patterns

Then made the dark areas
of the fingerprint darker

And the light areas
between the ridges lighter.

Alderman:
if somebody as dumb as I am
can understand this

When I got done with her
over the course of a day

And doing some studying
afterwards,

I think the explanation
becomes one

That anyone can understand.

This imaging enhancing
doesn't change the data at all.

What we had was a photograph
of the fingerprint.

And pam ringer said,

"I went ahead and did it
that day on march the 27th.

"I could do it again today.
I can show you--

I can replicate it 100 times
if I need to."

She did it stages.

She took the--
first the pattern out.

Then she took the weave out.

And as you watch it, you can see
the print didn't change.

The print didn't move.

The lines of the lands
and grooves of the print
didn't change at all.

And I think that, graphically,
was the best persuador

For judge kulp in the case.

Narrator:
the judge was convinced.

He did not believe
that the computer enhancements

Altered the bloody fingerprint.

A legal precedent had been set.

But prosecutors wanted more
than the fingerprint

Before heading to trial.

Narrator: robert douglas knight
was charged

With the capital m*rder
of 22-year-old dawn bruce,

But police still didn't have
the m*rder w*apon.

A faint fingerprint
left on a flimsy pillowcase

Would be considered
firm evidence in court.

And prosecutors soon had a lead
on the m*rder w*apon.



A maintenance man working
in knight's old apartment

Discovered something
behind an access panel
in knight's old bedroom.

Reid: I don't know
what possessed him to do that.

I think
there was a plumbing problem
had caused him to take it off.

When he did, he looked in
and found a hunting knife
in a sheath.

Narrator: in the forensics lab,

Scientists performed
a simple test

To determine
if this was the w*apon used

In the m*rder.

Using photographic overlays,

The pattern of the knife
was compared

To the knife impressions found
on dawn bruce's pillowcase.

They matched.

The final piece of evidence

Was the d.n.a. Testing
of the semen

Found at the crime scene.

It matched the d.n.a. Profile
of robert knight.

Prosecutors believe
that dawn bruce

Arrived home from work
around 1 a.m.

And went right to bed.

Sometime around 4:00,

Robert knight
went to the front window
of dawn's apartment,

Pried it open,

And crept upstairs.

He stabbed dawn in the heart.

Then, sexually assaulted her
as she bled to death.

But knight made mistakes.

He wiped the knife
on the pillowcase,

Leaving the impression
of the m*rder w*apon

Later matched to the knife
found in knight's apartment.

He also left
a partial bloody fingerprint
on the pillowcase,

Matched with the latest
in computer technology.

Facing an overwhelming amount
of physical evidence

And in an effort to avoid
the death penalty,

Robert douglas knight
pled guilty.

He was sentenced to 4 life terms
in prison.

I'm very disappointed

That robert knight
didn't get the death penalty.

I think he deserved
the death penalty.

I think the forensic science

Played a major part
in solving the case.

Some cases are solved
just by pure interviewing
without any evidence,

And they are solved.

But I think
this is one of those cases

That would not have been solved
had it not been

For the forensic evidence
that was there at the scene.

When we arrested knight, we had
a bare circumstantial case.

That's all we had.

And it went to being
the absolutely strongest
forensic case

I've ever prosecuted
in 24 years.

The only thing that stands out
with me, personally,

Is that I believe
robert knight deserved

And should have received
the death penalty.

I don't believe
he deserves to be breathing,

Eating, sleeping, laughing,

Whatever emotions
he may experience.

I know one of these days
he'll probably be walking
the streets again,

But it will be a long time.

And even though justice
was served,

I think he was deserving
of the death penalty.

I told my other daughter
one day

When we were talking about life

And about her plans for family

When she said
that she didn't think
she was gonna have children

Because she didn't know
that she could go through
what I had gone through,

And I told her
if I knew ahead of time

That dawn
was gonna be m*rder*d,

I would still have had dawn

Because she brought such joy
to us as her family,

Not to ever not have children
for fear of loss