American Justice

- Season 13

(1992)

After a night of partying with a friend, 42 year old Brian Eftenoff of Phoenix, AR comes home to find his 30 year old wife Judi unconscious and near death. She dies minutes later despite efforts to revive her. After an investigation police make Brian their prime suspect, believing that he forced his wife to take a lethal dose of cocaine. American Justice takes and in-depth look at the case, including a telephone interview with Eftenoff from prison.

An examination of the case against Robert Blake, the actor accused of murdering his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, in May 2001. Included: profiles of the victim and the accused. Among those commenting: L.A. Times reporter Jean Guccione; author Dennis McDougal ("Blood Cold"); and the victim's sister, Margerry Bakley.

Through interviews and actual footage of the trial American Justice details the case in which Texas dentist Clara Harris used her Mercedes to run over and kill her husband David Lynn Harris on July 24, 2002.

Between 1990 and 1995 a long haul truck driver named Keith Jesperson was known to have killed eight women in five states, strangling prostitutes that he would pick up while on the road. He became known as "The Happy Face Killer" because he would draw a smiley face on his letters to the media and police.

In 1986 Kenneth Richey is accused of arson and murder when 2 year old Cynthia Collins dies in an apartment fire. It was believed that the ex-girlfriend in the apartment directly below the victims was the intended target. Even though Richey fiercely proclaimed his innocence, he was convicted and sentenced to death. American Justice looks at this case that garnered a lot of public support for Richey.

Recalling the 1999 murder of Girly Chew Hossencofft by her estranged husband, Diazien Hossencofft, and his girlfriend, Linda Henning.

Recalling the case of Stella Nickell, who was convicted in 1988 of murdering her husband and a woman using cyanide-laced Excedrin.

Recalling the 1999 beating death of Pfc. Barry Winchell, a supposedly gay soldier assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky.

The 1995 murders of sisters Martha Parmer Durrett and Lindar Parmer Harrison are recalled.

Recalling the case of priest John Geoghan, who was killed in 2003 while serving a prison sentence.

The case of a lawyer accused of being involved in a murder.

A young couple is murdered while vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland. Investigators soon learn that another young married couple by the name of Benjamin and Erika Sifrit are involved. American Justice chronicles the events of this case in which the Sifrit's were convicted of murder in what was being called a "thrill killing".

On July 3rd, 1990, 18 year old Stacey Lannert shoots and kills her father as he is laying on the couch. She claims that she did it because of years of sexual abuse by her father. Prosecutors disagree, believing it was for financial gain because she stood to inherit almost $500,000 from her father.

Recalling the case of Gerald Hand, who was sentenced to death for the 2002 murders of his fourth wife and a longtime friend. Hand is also suspected in the deaths of his first two wives.

The case of Diane Borchardt, serving a life sentence for hiring three teens to kill her estranged husband in 1994.

On Christmas Eve 1991 while riding her bike on the Big Island of Hawaii, Dana Ireland is run down, kidnapped, brutally beaten, raped, and then left for dead. The evidence, investigation, and convictions of Frank Pauline Jr., Ian and Shawn Schweitzer are examined.

13 year old Lionel Tate is convicted of 1st degree murder in the beating death of 6 year old Tiffany Eunick. Tate claimed that they were wrestling and that he had used professional wrestling moves on her that he had seen on television. The jury agreed with prosecutors that it was murder because her injuries were so severe, she had a lacerated liver, fractured skull and ribs. American Justice looks at this case that some claimed was innocent child's play.

On November 16th, 1995 investigators in Peachtree, Georgia receive a missing persons report for Halima Jones and Ruby Joyner. A couple days later they discover the bodies of these two women in a mini-van that was left at an airport. Their number one suspect is the husband of one of the dead women, and he is now missing. They soon discover that he was having an affair with the other dead woman that was with his wife. When captured he told a bizarre story of the crime that did not match the crime scene evidence. American Justice is there to sort out Lewis Joyner's story.

An investigation into the death of prominent Mississippi cardiologist Dr. David Stephens reveals that the doctor was murdered by his wife Debbie. Investigators learn that Debbie was also a nurse and had access to the drug that may have killed him and that she possibly had a hand in his first wife's death a few years before . American Justice examines this case.

Al Capone's takeover of bootlegging and vice operations, his ordering of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, his conviction for tax evasion in 1931 and subsequent imprisonment.

The case of Curtis Thompson, sentenced to death for killing three people in 2002 during a shooting spree, is examined.

On June 28th, 1998 49 year old Vicki Robinson is murdered in Tampa, FL by her 15 year old daughter Valessa and her 19 year old friends Adam Davis, and Jon Whispel. Robinson and Davis were lovers and Vicki Robinson had been trying to discourage their relationship. After the murder all three teenagers went on the run across country, but they were finally apprehended by authorities in Texas. American Justice examines how a loving mother of two paid the ultimate price for trying to be a good mother to a troubled daughter.

In 1995 Linda Sobek, a young and beautiful former NFL cheerleader with a promising modeling career is sexually assaulted and murdered by a professional photographer while on a shooting location. The case against Charles Rathbun for this crime is examined.

The case of Susan Smith who murdered her two young boys is examined. In 1994 the 23 year old mother from South Carolina claimed that she had been the victim of a carjacking and the perpetrator had taken off with her two young boys still in the car. It is later discovered that there was no carjacking and that she had in fact rolled her car into a lake while her children were still strapped in the car.

An execution-style murder is examined.

Michael Fletcher, an up and coming lawyer in the state of Michigan, is accused of murdering his pregnant wife so that he can be with a beautiful judge that he is having an affair with. American Justice takes and in depth look at this case.

In 1995, Jill Coit is convicted of murdering Gerald Boggs in Steamboat Springs, Co. Coit and Boggs had been married for only seven days when Boggs found out she was still married to someone else and had the marriage annulled. American Justice interviews Jill Coit from prison about the murder.

Linda Jones is convicted of orchestrating the murder of Jack Jones, her husband of 30 years after she discovers that he is having an affair with an 18 year old girl. American Justice interviews Linda Jones from prison about the crime and examines the entire case.

In the tiny town of Exeter, Va. in 1993, Merry Pease claims that her husband Dennis had shot her before he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. However, investigators don't agree with Merry's story and she is charged with murder. American Justice looks at this case and why it spent 10 years in the Virginia legal system before Pease was finally convicted.

The case of Roger Scaggs, a Texas businessman who was convicted in 1998 of murdering his wife.