Narrator: up next...
A young woman is dead, and a
Neighbor says the k*ller is a
Window peeper.
She was uncomfortable about
That.
She did not feel like it was a
Very safe place.
I had no idea how this could
Happen.
Narrator: despite the
Evidence, the case can't be
Solved...
We're working on it, but we
Don't have any viable leads at
This time.
Narrator: ...until police
Find evidence their suspect had
k*lled before.
I don't think he was
Finished.
I don't think he would have
I don't think he would have stopped.
Stopped.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: for
Stephanie bennett, graduating
From roanoke college was only
The start.
Armed with a business degree,
She took a job with ibm and was
Anxious to finally earn some
Money.
This was kind of her first
Foray into the world.
She was really starting her
Life.
She was a young woman with a lot
Of potential.
She was excited about being on
Her own.
Narrator: but after working
There for about a year, one day
She just didn't show up.
She was a very responsible
Young woman.
She was somebody that always
Showed up to work on time.
When nobody could get in touch
With her, everybody got
Concerned.
Narrator: so family members
Asked her apartment manager to
Asked her apartment manager to check up on her.
Check up on her.
Stephanie was found dead on the
Bedroom floor.
She had a very dark indention
Around her neck, which was
Obviously due to strangulation.
Stephanie didn't have an
Enemy in the world.
It just -- I'm flabbergasted.
I had no idea how this could
Happen or why it would have to
Be stephanie.
It just -- there was no
Reasoning for any of this at
All.
Narrator: there was no sign
Of forced entry into her
Ground-floor apartment, although
The k*ller might have come in
Through her bedroom window.
The window screen had been
Removed from that window, which
Would indicate that somebody had
Possibly gone in through that
Window.
Narrator: nothing was stolen,
But some items in the
Apartment -- a phone, a water
Glass, and a box of tissues --
Were found in the closet of the
Second bedroom.
The closet itself almost
Looked like maybe somebody had
Been in that closet and waiting.
Narrator: the k*ller was
Apparently wearing gloves.
They told me there were no
Fingerprints at all at the crime
Scene of anybody other than the
Ones that belonged in the
Apartment.
Narrator: outside in a line
Of bushes near the apartment,
Investigators found items that
Might have been linked to the
m*rder.
There were six pair of women
Thong underwear strowed in those
Bushes.
At that point, it appeared that
This crime may be sexually
Motivated in nature.
Narrator: none of these
Items, however, was stephanie's.
The medical examiner estimated
That stephanie was k*lled
Sometime around midnight.
Investigators learn that
Stephanie was on the phone with
Her boyfriend, walter robinson,
Around : p.m.
So walter was eliminated as a
Suspect since he was a -hour
Drive away from stephanie's
Apartment and had witnesses to
Prove it.
Stephanie -- she was
Certainly a low-risk victim.
She didn't engage in anything
That could be characterized as
Risky behavior -- just a normal
Girl from a very good family.
Narrator: then police learned
Of an e-mail stephanie sent
Several weeks before her m*rder.
She had e-mailed my sister
And said she was afraid, but she
Never conveyed that to me.
Narrator: stephanie was
Afraid because a window peeper
Had been seen around her
Apartment building.
There had been a report of a
Peeping tom, and when she found
Out about that -- the peeping
Tom had been looking into her
Window.
She didn't see it, but a
Neighbor saw it and reported it.
Narrator: this alleged
Window peeper was now the prime
Suspect.
I remember how steph was
Never worried about what others
Thought of her and lived life in
Such a free-spirited way.
She was a dependable friend and
A beautiful person.
Narrator: the m*rder of
-Year-old stephanie bennett
Was difficult to solve because
It appeared there was no
Connection between stephanie and
Her assailant.
You know, I've been in this
Market for years, and I've
Covered a lot of m*rder cases,
And I don't think there was ever
A case that caused so much fear
And concern in the community as
This one.
Every day when I walk into my
Office, I see stephanie's
Picture, and it's a picture that
Was taken of her smiling, of her
Having fun with her friends,
Having no idea that she would be
Dying at the hands of someone I
Believe was truly evil.
Narrator: during stephanie's
Autopsy, the medical examiner
Found signs of sexual as*ault
And recovered a dna sample.
This sample was compared to dna
Samples of all criminal
Offenders in both the state and
National dna databases.
There were no hits.
There was not a lot of other
Evidence that was found at the
Crime scene.
It appeared almost like what the
Suspect brought with him, he
Took away with him.
Narrator: investigators also
Compared the dna to every male
Who had any contact with
Stephanie -- more than
People -- and no one matched.
Police spoke with dozens of
People who lived in the
Apartments near
Stephanie bennett's.
Many reported seeing a tall,
Thin man wearing a sweatshirt
Loitering in the area.
One of stephanie's neighbors saw
This person looking into
Stephanie's window.
A police artist drew a sketch
And released it to newspapers
And local television stations.
Phone calls began pouring in,
Because it was a high-profile
Case here at that time.
Numerous leads came in.
Narrator: but after tracking
Down hundreds of leads, only one
Appeared promising -- a
Convicted sex offender who lived
In the area.
We were able to go out and
Make contact with this
Individual -- it looked very
Promising early on -- and got
A dna sample.
Our hopes were really up at that
Point, and we got the call back
From the state bureau of
Investigation that it was not a
Dna match.
We were very disappointed.
Narrator: with nothing else
To lose, investigators went back
And reinterviewed the people in
Stephanie's neighborhood who
Claimed they saw the
Window peeper in the area.
This time, one neighbor reported
Some new information.
We actually have one that
Reported seeing this peeping tom
Walking a dog that appeared to
Be a large rottweiler-type dog
And that he saw him walking him
From bridgeport apartments over
Into dominion apartments.
Narrator: stephanie bennett
Lived in the bridgeport
Apartments.
So we took our focus from
Bridgeport over to the
Dominion apartments.
Narrator: apartment managers
There remembered a tenant with a
Big, black dog who had since
Moved away.
Their very words to us was,
"We know who you're talking
About.
His name is drew planten, and
He is a strange bird."
Narrator: -year-old
Drew planten had no criminal
History, wasn't married, and
Worked analyzing fertilizer
Ingredients at the
North carolina department of
Agriculture.
Very reclusive individual.
Later we went and interviewed
People who knew him and had
Worked with him, and he was just
Very much to himself.
Very few friends.
Narrator: when police spoke
With planten at his workplace,
He claimed he'd never before
Heard the name
Stephanie bennett.
There wasn't many people
Within a -mile radius that was
Not familiar with this case.
Narrator: planten refused to
Go to the police station, so
Officers made an appointment to
Meet him at his apartment the
Next day.
We told him that we would see
Him at :, and drew planten
Started shaking uncontrollably,
Like he was freezing cold.
And it was so bad that I looked
Back at him and said, "are you
Okay?"
And he said, "I'm fine."
Narrator: at that meeting,
Planten denied any involvement
In stephanie's m*rder and
Refused to provide a dna sample.
We always said, "maybe when
That first person tells us no,
That will be our man."
Narrator: but police had no
Evidence against planten, and he
Bore no resemblance to the
Composite sketch, so they
Couldn't get a court-ordered dna
Sample.
For now, it appeared police had
Hit another dead end.
Narrator: police had no
Probable cause to force
Drew planten to provide his dna
Sample for testing.
But one of their scientific
Experts had a suggestion.
I said, "you need to get a
Sample that was more intimate
From him.
You need to get a sample which
He had touched or used, such as
A cigarette butt or a toothbrush
Or an item of clothing --
Something like that."
Narrator: but that wouldn't
Be easy.
It seemed planten knew he was
Being followed.
Surveillance was conducted on
Drew planten for a week at work
And at home, and we could not
Obtain any dna from that week's
Worth of surveillance.
Narrator: ultimately,
Investigators followed planten
To a restaurant.
But planten was one step ahead
Of them.
He ate nothing but
Finger foods.
When he would get up to go to
The bathroom, he would take his
Straw out of his cup and put his
Straw in his pocket and take it
To the bathroom with him.
He flushed all of his napkins.
Narrator: for dessert,
Planten ordered some banana
Pudding, which he ate with a
Fork.
Finally he picked up his fork
And took two bites of banana
Pudding and then took a napkin
And wiped that fork for about
Five minutes and left that fork.
And, of course, our undercover
Detectives recovered that fork.
Narrator: analyst mark boodee
Performed the analysis.
I got a mixture of dna
Samples, meaning there was one
Strong profile, and there's also
One weak profile on there as
Well.
Narrator: apparently, the
Restaurant hadn't properly
Cleaned the fork.
The strong profile was from an
Unidentified female.
The weaker one, from a male, was
Compared to dna from stephanie's
r*pe kit.
The one weak profile on the
Fork was very similar to the
Profile that was found on the
Vaginal swabs coming from
Stephanie bennett.
Narrator: but this profile
Was so weak, it would be
Inadmissible in court.
It was a partial match, which
Told law enforcement, it told me
That we're on the right track.
We just needed to get a good dna
Sample from drew planten.
Narrator: since planten
Worked for the state,
Investigators got permission to
Search his workplace.
Mark boodee swabbed his computer
Keyboard, his radio, and other
Items he handled.
Dna from those skin cells was
Compared to the biological
Evidence from
Stephanie bennett's r*pe test
Kit.
The dna profile that was
Obtained was an exact match to
The profile of dna which was
Obtained from the sperm sample
From the vaginal swabs.
Narrator: investigators
Believe this dna evidence placed
Planten at the scene on the
Night of stephanie's m*rder.
Based on the evidence,
Investigators believe the k*ller
Broke into stephanie's apartment
Through the bedroom window and
Through the bedroom window and waited for her in the closet.
Waited for her in the closet.
Investigators believe stephanie
Arrived home, then called her
Boyfriend sometime between :
And : pm.
...really early tomorrow, so
I'll give you a call in the
Morning, then, okay?
All right.
Love you, hon. Bye.
[ Beep ]
Narrator: prosecutors think
Her k*ller watched from the
Second bedroom and that
Stephanie was completely unaware
Stephanie was completely unaware anyone was there.
Anyone was there.
Later, after stephanie went to
Bed, he att*cked.
[ Screaming ]
Narrator: the evidence shows
She was sexually assaulted and
Strangled to death.
But the k*ller left valuable dna
Evidence behind.
I think calling mr. Bennett
The day that we arrested
Drew planten was one of the
Highlights of my career.
Narrator: when police
Searched planten's apartment,
They found p*rn,
Lock-picking guides, and knives.
They also found other disturbing
Evidence that opened the
Possibility that planten may
Have k*lled before.
Narrator: when investigators
Searched drew planten's
Apartment, they found several
Pieces of mail addressed to a
Woman in lansing, michigan --
Rebecca huismann.
The postmark was six years old.
A background check revealed
Rebecca huismann was m*rder*d in
Lansing six years earlier, and
The case had never been solved.
Coincidentally, drew planten was
A student at
Michigan state university at the
Time, which was also just a few
Miles from lansing.
Rebecca huismann was working as
A topless dancer at the time of
Her m*rder.
It was something she had not
Planned on, but she needed the
Money.
She was a very beautiful
Young woman, and she was trying
To make some extra money so that
She and her fiancé could get
Married.
Narrator: after rebecca was
Finished work one october night
In , a bouncer took her to
Her car, and she drove away.
See you tomorrow, okay?
Okay.
Safe trip home.
Thank you.
Narrator: as she drove up to
Her apartment, someone, possibly
A customer from the strip club,
May have made an advance.
Whatever happened, the k*ller
Fired with a .-Caliber
Fired with a .-Caliber handgun.
Handgun.
The motive clearly wasn't
Robbery.
Nothing in her vehicle had been
Disturbed.
Rebecca's purse was still there.
Robbery didn't look like to
Be a motive.
It looked like, to me, based on
Some of my experience, that it
Was a personal crime -- just
Because sh**ting somebody in the
Face one time.
Narrator: on the ground near
The car was a .-Caliber shell
Casing.
It was the only evidence at the
Scene.
We didn't have much evidence
To work with at all.
We had no fingerprints, tire
Tracks, footwear -- nothing.
Narrator: everyone who worked
With rebecca said she made a
Point of having no personal
Relationships with any of the
Club's patrons.
She would leave the club and
Not have anything to do with it
Outside of dancing there.
She didn't hang out with
Anybody, she didn't associate
With the patrons, you know,
Outside of what she did there
For her employment.
Narrator: dozens of
Interviews were conducted.
No clear suspects emerged.
We still focused on the
Club -- whether it was a
Customer or not.
We tried to look at some
Tapes -- surveillance tapes and
Things of that nature, but there
Wasn't any altercations between
Her and any of the dancers.
Narrator: when investigators
In raleigh, north carolina,
Found rebecca's mail in
Drew planten's apartment, they
Called lansing investigators
With the news.
I said that "if you have a
.-Caliber handgun, please let
Me know."
He says, "we got two."
I says, "keep them."
Narrator: planten's two
.-Caliber g*ns were
Test-fired.
Analysts were especially
Interested in the marks on the
Shell casings.
Imperfections from the f*ring
Pin are imprinted on the back of
The shell casing when it's
Fired.
And the imperfections on each
f*ring pin are unique to each
One made.
When the shell casing from the
m*rder scene was compared to the
Shell casing from drew planten's
g*n, the results were
Unmistakable.
Some very well-defined linear
Marks, parallel-running linear
Marks, were present across much
Of the primer surfaces of all
The tests and on the evidence
Cartridge that was entered in
The site in michigan.
Narrator: they also compared
The lands and grooves on the
Test b*llet to those on the
Fatal b*llet.
Those also matched.
My opinion -- that it's that
g*n and only that g*n that could
Have fired it.
Narrator: by this time,
Planten was already in custody
In north carolina, and things
Weren't going well.
At his court appearance, he
Refused to walk and had to be
Strapped to a gurney.
When he was wheeled into
Court for his first appearance,
He did not open his eyes.
And I believe in drew planten's
World, as long as his eyes were
Closed and he did not see it, it
May not have been happening.
Narrator: but no one will
Know for certain all the details
In either m*rder.
Shortly before he was to go on
Trial in raleigh,
North carolina, drew planten
Suffocated himself with a
Plastic bag in prison.
I was disappointed that we
Weren't able to have a trial,
That we weren't able to sit in
The courtroom and hear a jury
Come back and say, "you're
Guilty of the first-degree
m*rder of stephanie bennett,
And you have forfeited your
Right to live as a result of
This crime."
I'd like to know why he
Picked stephanie.
Why?
What was his reasoning?
I mean, it just -- just why?
Mr. Planten was obviously a
Predator.
We obtained information and
Evidence inside the apartment
That led us to believe that he
Had looked into doing this
Possibly with other females.
Narrator: investigators are
Certain that the forensic
Evidence would have gained a
Conviction.
But the real satisfaction is
Knowing that the evidence led to
His capture.
After we found out who
Planten was and did the search
Of his house, we did find some
Information on somebody he was
Probably currently watching for
Some time.
It was very eerie to find that
Person and realize that you have
Maybe just saved her life by
Clearing this case.
Well, I know that forensic
Science played a huge role in
This case.
And really, without the forensic
Science, without the ballistics,
Without re-creating this case,
Rebecca huismann's m*rder would
Definitely have gone cold and
Unsolved.
I truly believe that.
Forensic science was
Phenomenal in this case.
It was -- as one person put it,
"It is where old-fashioned
Police work meets modern
13x14 - Calculated Coincidence
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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.