20/20 True Crime Vault: "Divine Intervention"

Podcast: 20/20
Host: ABC News
Episode Air Date: January 20, 2026

Overview

This riveting episode of 20/20 True Crime Vault unravels the brutal 2015 murder of Earl Olander, a beloved 90-year-old Minnesota farmer. The story weaves through the complexities of small-town suspicion, the painstaking investigative process, and a dramatic break that investigators, and Earl’s family, see as “divine intervention.” The episode spotlights not just the whodunit, but questions of trust, community, and moral reckoning.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Crime Scene & Earl’s Legacy

• Discovery of the Body

  • Earl, a lifelong farmer, is found murdered in his rural Carver County home (01:00).
  • Details: Bound hands and feet with duct tape, house in total disarray, clear signs of a violent struggle (01:18, 03:33).
  • A poignant detail: a “freshly baked blueberry pie” left uneaten on the counter (01:30, 05:04).

• Community Impact

  • Earl is described as humble, kind, and devout, living simply despite accumulating considerable wealth through prudent farming and inheritance (05:04, 10:00–11:52).
  • His murder sends shockwaves in a tight-knit, trusting rural area with few homicides (06:45, 24:42).

Motive & Early Suspects

• Motivation: Money & Local Fear

  • Many suspect robbery due to the ransacking and knowledge that Earl was worth "several million dollars," though he lived simply (10:41, 11:08, 11:16).
  • The community draws chilling parallels to previous rural murders, notably the Wondra brothers (12:46–13:48).

• First Investigative Steps

  • Investigators collect about 90 pieces of evidence: duct tape, gloves, Gatorade bottles, bloody tissue, shoe prints (05:04, 07:35, 14:15).
  • Early hopes are pinned on DNA and footage, but these avenues come up empty—no fingerprints, no DNA (19:31–19:37, 19:45).

• The Role of Neighbors & Friends

  • Earl’s close friends, the Bokers, are both subjects of suspicion and emotionally invested in the quest for justice (09:49, 25:06–26:33).
  • A previous unsolved burglary at the Bokers’ home ($30,000 stolen) becomes an ancillary lead (26:02).

Forensic Breakthrough: The Shoe Prints

• Shoe Impression Analysis
  • With no DNA, the investigation hinges on shoe prints found at the scene—Adidas, Crocs, and Avia brands (22:05–24:42).
  • Police begin discreetly photographing shoes of potential suspects, generating community unease (25:04).

Community Fear & More Leads

• Neighborhood on Edge

  • Reports emerge of suspicious activity—strangers walking at night, possible stalking of neighboring homes weeks before the murder (28:35–31:10).

• Barroom Suspicion

  • Two unfamiliar, cash-flashing men in a local bar stir suspicion, but this lead fizzles (31:18–33:59).

• Undercover Operation at Earl’s Funeral

  • Detectives attend Earl's funeral covertly, recording conversations with potential suspects as part of an undercover sting (34:14–38:10).

Breakthrough: The Bible That “Solved” the Murder

• Divine Intervention

  • Weeks later, a janitor cleaning out an apartment in St. Paul finds an ornate Norwegian Bible with Earl’s name and $1,000 bonds tucked inside (41:00–44:01).
  • This is immediately identified as a crucial break—“the Bible gave us the leads that we needed to solve this case” (41:58, 45:12).

• Tracing the Bible

  • The Bible leads investigators to Edson Benitez and his wife, who admit the Bible was brought home by Edson from a friend; Benitez’s wife found it creepy and left it behind (46:18–46:46).
  • Edson works at Chili’s as a cook. When detectives talk to him, he’s wearing Croc-style shoes—matching a print at the murder scene (47:07–48:49).

The Confessions & Arrests

• Benitez’s Interrogation

  • When confronted, Benitez first blames a friend named “Hugo,” but under pressure, he changes his story (52:13, 52:21).
  • He implicates Renal “Henry” Vergara, a trusted painter who had worked at both Earl’s and the Bokers’ homes (54:39–55:25).

• Vergara’s Arrest & Shoes

  • Vergara denies involvement until forensic evidence—Adidas shoes matching prints at the scene—is produced (61:00–61:20, 61:30).
  • Both men point fingers at each other; the question of a possible third accomplice remains, focused on an unidentified Avia shoe print (62:20–63:18).

Trial, Community Fallout & Political Spotlight

• Legal Resolution

  • Benitez and Vergara are charged with four counts of murder each; the judge finds them equally culpable, though their stories conflict (63:39–64:06).
  • Both plead guilty to second-degree murder, receive 37.5-year sentences, and express remorse in court (72:36–73:17).

• Lingering Suspicion & Allegations

  • Rumors swirl about possible involvement of the Bokers, fueled by Benitez’s late-stage and post-sentencing claims (74:11–76:44).
  • Despite extensive investigation—including family hiring a private detective—no evidence is ever found against the Bokers (77:33–77:40).

• The Political Narrative

  • The case gains national attention when Donald Trump references Earl’s murder in a campaign speech on immigration (77:41).
  • Investigators push back: “Some of the statements were inconsistent. They didn’t have very much of a criminal history prior...” (78:55).

Aftermath & Reflections

• Divine Intervention and Community Healing
  • Investigators, community members, and family reflect on the “miracle” of the Bible discovery, interpreting it as divine intervention (80:56–82:08).
  • Earl is remembered fondly, with community traditions enduring on his farm, his tractor on his headstone, and family gathering around furniture crafted from his barn’s wood (81:16–82:57).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “I absolutely believe in divine intervention.” – Detective Chris Wagner (02:14)
• “There was a freshly baked blueberry pie on the counter that sticks with you. He was gonna eat this pie and he’ll never do that.” – Detective Chris Wagner (05:04)
• “Finding out Earl had millions, that was a bombshell.” – Community member (10:50)
• “We didn’t find one positive connection to DNA or fingerprints or forensic value.” – Detective Chris Wagner (19:37)
• “The impression in the drawer, that one was the Crocs. The impressions from the chair were Adidas. And the shoe print impression from the step was the aviation.” – Investigator (24:26)
• “He acknowledges that he had possession of the Bible, but he said that he had gotten it from his friend Hugo.” – Investigator (49:24)
• “For that Bible to end up being the way that crime was solved is...so clearly, to me, a way that God intervened in the story...” – Investigator (80:56)
• “There are no coincidences. There's only God incidences. And...that was, I'm going to close this chapter for earliest.” – Detective Chris Wagner (82:08)
• “The offer was plead guilty to secondary intentional murder and served 37 and a half years in prison.” – Detective Chris Wagner (72:36)
• “What I learned in this case is that Earl should and will never be forgotten...his senseless murder was solved with what those who knew Earl best say is divine intervention.” – Narrator (81:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Crime Discovery & Scene: 01:00–06:45
• Earl’s Background & Motive: 10:00–13:02
• Forensic Evidence/Shoe Prints: 22:05–24:42
• Bible Discovery & Break in Case: 41:00–44:24
• Benitez Interrogation & Confession: 54:11–58:31
• Vergara's Arrest & Shoe Match: 61:00–61:30
• Trials, Sentencing & Aftermath: 72:36–77:40
• Reflections/Divine Intervention: 80:56–82:08

Tone & Language

The episode blends the reserved, steadfast professionalism of investigators with heartfelt reminiscences of Earl and the emotional turmoil of a community shaken by evil in its midst. Moments of dry rural humor, candid reflection, and faith infuse the narrative. The investigative narration is direct, detailed, and transparent about both triumphs and setbacks.

Conclusion

The case of Earl Olander—unsolved for weeks and overwhelming in its lack of typical forensic evidence—was ultimately cracked through extraordinary persistence, community tips, and the serendipitous discovery of a family bible. The investigators and family perceive the Bible’s emergence as an act of “divine intervention.” Two trusted workers, not strangers but familiar faces, were revealed as the perpetrators, shattering the illusions of neighborly trust but ending the uncertainty that haunted Earl’s community.

For those interested in true crime with emotional resonance, deep mystery, and extraordinary investigation, this episode exemplifies the genre at its best.