Calling For Justice

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Calling For Justice"
"48 Hours" by CBS News
Release Date: June 18, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

"48 Hours" delves into the harrowing murder of Marilyn McIntyre in Columbus, Wisconsin, a crime that remained unsolved for nearly three decades. The case not only fractured Marilyn's family but also sparked deep-seated suspicions and tensions within the community.

Background of Marilyn and Carolyn Rahn

Marilyn McIntyre and Carolyn Rahn were identical twin sisters, born on November 14, 1961. Their lives took a tragic turn when their real mother died in a car accident in 1966, leading Marilyn and Carolyn, along with their older siblings Brenda and Dean, to live with their father and an abusive stepmother. The sisters endured physical, mental, and verbal abuse, which eventually led them to foster care at the age of 13.

At 16, Marilyn sought stability and found it in Lane McIntyre, marrying him on January 19, 1979, when she was just 17. Despite initial reservations from Carolyn's older sister, Brenda, the couple started a family, welcoming their son, Christopher, in December 1979.

The Night of the Murder

On March 10, 1980, the McIntyre household appeared typical, with Lane handling household chores before leaving for work. Marilyn was tragically murdered that night, her body discovered by Lane upon his return from work.

Lane McIntyre recounts the discovery:
"I stood in the doorway for a while. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing... I was looking at my son, Christopher." [03:13]

Chief Lee Erdman of the Columbus Police emphasized the brutality of the crime:
"It was a heinous crime... We're looking for a mean individual, not a stranger." [02:53]

Initial Investigation and Suspicions

The immediate absence of forced entry and robbery suggested that Marilyn knew her killer. Lane provided the first significant lead by naming his close friend, Kurt Forbes, as a suspect. His suspicion was rooted in Kurt's recent breakup and rumored intentions to seek out Marilyn that night.

Lane McIntyre explained his reasoning:
"I believe that Kurt Forbes had a crush on Marilyn and his girlfriend just left him... I believe he had the intention to rape." [13:37]

Despite suspicions, the circumstantial evidence against Kurt was weak, and the case eventually went cold in 1983 without an arrest.

The Case Goes Cold

Wayne Smith, a lieutenant with the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, reflected on the stagnation:
"After 1983, this case went cold... There's nothing new." [03:47]

During the intervening years, Lane remarried, and suspicions began to shift back toward him, especially after he took out a $10,000 life insurance policy on Marilyn just days before her murder.

Carolyn Rahn revealed:
"Lane looked at me and he goes, Brenda, guess what I did. I took a whole life insurance policy from Marilyn." [18:39]

Reopening the Investigation in 2007

In 2007, Tara Doucet, Carolyn Rahn's daughter, inadvertently restarted the investigation by contacting the wrong police department. This error led Detective Lieutenant Wayne Smith to reopen the case.

Wayne Smith stated:
"When I took a look at this case, my question was, why didn't he get arrested in 1980?" [20:10]

Breakthrough with DNA Evidence

A pivotal moment came when a small blood stain from the original crime scene was subjected to DNA testing. The results excluded Lane McIntyre but indicated the presence of additional DNA contributors, including Kurt Forbes.

Wayne Smith explained the significance:
"The report showed that it wasn't her husband... and it wasn't any single other person that had ever been mentioned as a suspect." [21:44]

Intensifying the Case Against Kurt Forbes

As detectives focused on Kurt, inconsistencies in his alibi and growing suspicions heightened the pressure. Despite initial weak evidence, new testimonies emerged, particularly from Debbie Adelson, Kurt's fiancée at the time.

Debbie Adelson recalled the couple's relationship:
"We'd play cards, we'd go fishing, we'd go out to eat. We got to be really close friends." [14:06]

However, conflicting statements about Kurt's whereabouts and the presence of blood on his shirt complicated the case.

The Trial

In November 2010, Curtis (Kurt) Forbes stood trial for Marilyn's murder. The prosecution relied heavily on the circumstantial evidence and testimonies suggesting Kurt's presence at the crime scene.

Assistant Attorney General David Wambach emphasized:
"It's starting to look that way." [28:19]

Key testimonies included:

• Betty Klenz, a neighbor, confirmed hearing unusual noises around 3:15 AM, aligning with Cassidy's dog behavior.
  "I believe it was around 4 o' clock in the morning." [30:26]

• Debbie Adelson initially claimed to have seen blood on Kurt's shirt, a statement she later retracted during testimony.
  "I can't remember saying that and I know I didn't see it." [33:25]

Despite inconsistencies, the prosecution presented the DNA evidence linking Kurt to the crime scene.

Verdict and Aftermath

After six days of testimony and the presentation of over 45 witnesses, the jury deliberated for two and a half hours before finding Curtis Forbes guilty of first-degree murder.

Wayne Smith declared:
"We, the jury, find the defendant Curtis Forbes guilty of first-degree murder." [37:04]

Lane McIntyre expressed relief:
"Justice for Marilyn finally, finally over." [38:25]

However, the conviction left lingering doubts. Debbie Adelson continued to assert her innocence:
"I think that back then it was more they were talking about Lane." [17:39]

Kurt Forbes maintained his innocence, criticizing the reliance on circumstantial evidence:
"If you can convince them to say, I have no doubt that Kurt Forbes had blood on him and that that was Marilyn's blood... Everything else just falls in behind that." [38:54]

Closing Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections from both families and law enforcement officials. While Marilyn's family achieved a sense of closure, questions about the case's integrity and the potential for miscarriage of justice linger.

Carolyn Rahn urged perseverance:
"Don't ever give up. You are the victim's voice. She's still watching us." [41:57]

Wayne Smith credited the family's persistence:
"It's to their credit that they kept this case alive." [41:35]

The murder of Marilyn McIntyre underscores the complexities of cold cases, the evolving nature of forensic evidence, and the profound impact such tragedies have on families and communities.

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Notable Quotes:

• Lane McIntyre on discovering Marilyn's body:
  "I stood in the doorway for a while. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing." [03:13]

• Carolyn Rahn on the personal toll:
  "It was hell. I turned to alcohol, My marriage failed. I wasn't there for my children." [06:06]

• Wayne Smith on the reopened investigation:
  "I made a promise to the victim's family. We will do our best at this." [20:44]

• Debbie Adelson on the trial's outcome:
  "There's never any crying." [33:54]

• Kurt Forbes on his conviction:
  "They found a guy guilty of murder." [38:25]

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This episode of "48 Hours" meticulously chronicles the decades-long pursuit of justice in Marilyn McIntyre's murder, highlighting the challenges of cold case investigations and the enduring quest for truth within fractured families.

Transcript

[Lane McIntyre]

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[Narrator]

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[Lane McIntyre]

You can't imagine the sleepless nights for 30 years trying to hold onto painful memories because one day it might be important to be told in court. I was 23 years old. I worked third shift, 11 o' clock at night until 7 o' clock in the morning. It was March 11th, quarter after seven in the morning. There was still a little bit of snow on the ground as I stepped on the porch. Clyde was usually happy to jump all over me, but he cowered from me and I thought, well, that was unusual. I put the key in the door and once I unlocked the door then he was jumping all over me like, oh, thank God you're here. And I didn't think much of it at the time until I opened up the door. Ah. I stood in the doorway for a while. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. My brain didn't want to accept what I was seeing. I was actually trying to hear her breath and she just wouldn't breathe. Then all of a sudden it was Christopher is my son. OK.

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was around 7:30 in the morning. Phone rang, said somebody killed Marilyn last night. She was dead. And I just started screaming, not Marilyn. Not Marilyn. I am Carolyn Ron. Marilyn McIntyre was my twin sister. Why would somebody do that to an 18 year old?

[Lee Erdman]

It was a heinous crime is what it was. I was there. I seen the body. My name is Lee Erdman and I was the chief of police in Columbus, Wisconsin in 1980. We're looking for a mean individual, not a stranger. It's someone in the immediate family or a close friend.

[Lane McIntyre]

I knew it was coming. A husband, nine times out of 10, usually is the guy that did it.

[Carolyn Rahn]

I just automatically thought, Lane, I'm Brenda Daniels, Marilyn's older sister. Brenda and I did not agree from day one who committed. I couldn't tell you how many trips we made to Columbus Police department, same runaround. We'll get back to you. There's nothing new.

[Lee Erdman]

We never got enough information to secure a warrant for an arrest.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Somewhere along the line, Columbus dropped the ball.

[Wayne Smith]

After 1983, this case went cold. I am Wayne Smith. I'm a lieutenant with the Columbus County Sheriff's Office. We take some personal pride in not having unsolved homicides in this county. And here we find out there is one. And not only is it unsolved, but it's nearly 30 years old.

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was like an explosion. They thought it could be solved.

[Wayne Smith]

It's something that shouldn't have taken this long. There was only gonna be one try at this. Witnesses were dying at this point. Memories certainly aren't improving after 30 years. So this was gonna be it.

[Narrator]

Last chance for.

[Christopher McIntyre]

Growing up in a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It's been difficult, you know, not knowing exactly what happened.

[Narrator]

Growing up In Columbus, Wisconsin, 31 year old Christopher McIntyre thought he had an idyllic small town childhood.

[Christopher McIntyre]

For the most part, I was happy and a normal kid. Growing up just like everybody else.

[Narrator]

Until the day when he learned an awful truth.

[Christopher McIntyre]

I guess I was about 9 or 10. That's when my father decided to let me know the woman I fought was my mother. I found out was not my real mother. He told me, you'll never meet your real mom. She's gone.

[Narrator]

Chris was only three months old and asleep in his crib when his mother, Marilyn was murdered in 1980. His father, Lane, had struggled for years to find the right time to tell him.

[Lane McIntyre]

I was waiting for him to get a little older.

[Narrator]

That had to be really tough to hear. Yeah.

[Christopher McIntyre]

Confusing and tough.

[Lee Erdman]

Yes.

[Carolyn Rahn]

She never got to hear Christopher call her mom. So much was taken away from her.

[Narrator]

Carolyn rahn is Marilyn McIntyre's identical twin. Her world was torn apart when her sister was brutally murdered nearly three decades ago.

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was hell. I turned to alcohol, My marriage failed. I wasn't there for my children.

[Narrator]

I think she feels like when Marilyn died, a big part of her died. Carolyn's daughter, Tara Doucet, was born less than a year after Marilyn's death. My first memories are seeing my mom crying on the phone about Marilyn. As Tara grew up, she witnessed her mother's constant efforts to convince the Columbus Police Department to reopen Marilyn's case.

[Carolyn Rahn]

I couldn't tell you how many detectives we went through. We didn't know where else to turn, where to go.

[Narrator]

In 2007, 27 years after Marilyn's murder, Tara decided to take matters into her own hands. She Made a phone call that would prove to be fateful. Ironically, she called the wrong number. I thought I was calling the Columbus police Department, and instead it was the number to the Columbia County Sheriff's Department.

[Wayne Smith]

I had never heard that there was an unsolved homicide within the county. It wasn't in our record system.

[Narrator]

After reviewing the case, Detective Lieutenant Wayne Smith made a crucial decision. The sheriff's department would reopen the investigation.

[Carolyn Rahn]

You could tell right away that they cared. They seemed shocked that it had went on this lawn.

[Wayne Smith]

That's right in the living room where she was found.

[Narrator]

As Smith and county detectives began digging into the old case files from 1980, their first question was simple. Who was Marilyn McIntyre?

[Carolyn Rahn]

She was my best friend.

[Narrator]

Marilyn and Carolyn Rahn were born on November 14, 1961. Only five years later, tragedy struck.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Our real mother was killed in a car accident in 1966.

[Narrator]

The twins, along with older siblings Brenda and Dean, were soon living with their father and an abusive stepmother.

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was physically abusive, mentally, verbally abusive. And it was mainly on Marilyn and I. And at the age of 13, we finally moved into foster care.

[Narrator]

At age 16, Marilyn was looking for stability in her life, Something she found in 21 year old Lane McEntire.

[Lane McIntyre]

I was just enamored with Marilyn right away.

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was instant.

[Lane McIntyre]

She was so pretty. It's like, just control yourself, you know?

[Carolyn Rahn]

It was love at first sight.

[Lane McIntyre]

I wanted to take care of her, be there for her.

[Narrator]

But while Carolyn approved of the relationship, Marilyn's older sister Brenda was wary.

[Carolyn Rahn]

I just didn't think he was good enough for Marilyn. She had a rough life growing up. Was this guy going to make it any easier? No.

[Narrator]

Despite Brenda's concerns, the couple married on January 19, 1979, when Marilyn was just 17 years old.

[Lane McIntyre]

It was a small party, maybe only a dozen people, but it was one of the happiest days of my life.

[Narrator]

Soon, Lane and Marilyn added a new member to the family. When Christopher was born in December of.

[Lane McIntyre]

That year, that coming summer was going to be the best summer of our lives. Being husband and wife with a brand new baby.

[Narrator]

The evening of March 10, 1980, started like any other night in the home of lane and Marilyn McIntyre.

[Lane McIntyre]

We did laundry and then I left for work.

[Narrator]

Do you remember the last thing you said to Marilyn or what she said to you?

[Lane McIntyre]

She said, I love you. Do you love me? Of course I do.

[Narrator]

The next time Lane saw his wife, she was dead. And what did you see when you walked away?

[Lee Erdman]

A body on the floor with a knife sticking in the side of her Chest and a mutilated head.

[Narrator]

Lee Erman was the Columbus police chief in 1980. He found it significant that there was no sign of forced entry or a robbery, indicating that Marilyn knew her killer.

[Lee Erdman]

Speculation was she might have answered the door and let someone in.

[Narrator]

Betty Clentz, who lived in the apartment above the McIntyres, learned about Marilyn's death from Lane himself.

[Betty Klenz]

I was about 5, 10 after 7, somebody pounded on our door downstairs. It was Lane. And he said, did you hear anything last night? He said, I just found my wife murdered.

[Narrator]

By the time Chief Urban knocked on her door, Betty remembered that she did hear something unusual in the middle of the night.

[Betty Klenz]

About quarter after three in the morning, I woke up and the dog was just barking up a storm. And it was like he was pulling on something.

[Narrator]

Whose dog?

[Betty Klenz]

Lane. In Marilyn's.

[Narrator]

And was it unusual?

[Betty Klenz]

Well, I never heard him bark before like that.

[Narrator]

Based on Betty's statement, police believe the murder occurred around 3:15 in the morning, a time when Marilyn's husband said he was at work.

[Lane McIntyre]

I never left.

[Narrator]

Lane did, however, give police their first big lead. When they asked you who might be a suspect, you gave the name Kurt Forbes.

[Lane McIntyre]

I did, yeah. I don't remember. I probably did.

[Narrator]

Did you consider Kurt Forbes one of.

[Lane McIntyre]

Your best friends at that time? Yes. At that time I didn't know what he was capable of. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer which is apparently a.

[Narrator]

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[Kurt Forbes]

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[Narrator]

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[Lane McIntyre]

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[Lane McIntyre]

I was just mystified. I'M just trying to understand why. Why to Maryland?

[Narrator]

As police were running down lane McIntyre's apparent alibi for the night his wife Marilyn died, he was offering them another suspect, one of his best friends, Curtis Forbes. Why would Kurt Forbes kill your wife?

[Lane McIntyre]

I believe that Kurt Forbes had a crush on Marilyn and his girlfriend just left him and he was on the prowl that night.

[Debbie Adelson]

That's our engagement picture.

[Narrator]

Curtis Forbes was engaged to marry 22 year old Debbie Adelson in March of 1980.

[Debbie Adelson]

You know, I was young back then, in love. He was what I wanted in my world.

[Narrator]

The couple hung out frequently with the McIntyre's.

[Debbie Adelson]

We'd play cards, we'd go fishing, we'd go out to eat. We got to be really close friends.

[Narrator]

But according to Lane, Marilyn soon heard some disturbing news about Kurt.

[Lane McIntyre]

Debbie began to tell Marilyn stories about abuse.

[Narrator]

Lane says Debbie confided in Marilyn that Kurt would occasionally beat her up and that just days before Marilyn's murder, Debbie broke up with Kurt. Had Marilyn encouraged Deborah to leave Kurt? Lane believes the newly single Kurt Forbes was looking for some action on the night Marilyn was killed.

[Lane McIntyre]

And then he goes, aha. I'll go check on Lane's wife. Lane's at work. I believe he had the intention to rape.

[Narrator]

Former police chief Lee Erdman questioned Kurt about his whereabouts on the early morning hours of March 11.

[Lee Erdman]

He said he had went out and proceeded to play pool and have a good time.

[Narrator]

According to witnesses, Kurt tried to pick up a woman at the bar. She rejected him. When the bar closed at 1am, he drove to the house of another woman, Lori Haft.

[Debbie Adelson]

I was home with my then boyfriend.

[Narrator]

According to Laurie, Kurt arrived around 1:15am and stayed just a few minutes. Why do you think Kurt stopped by your house that night?

[Debbie Adelson]

I think that he was going to probably try and make sexual advances towards me.

[Narrator]

After leaving Lori's, Kurt said he drove to Debbie Adelson's house, arriving after 2am but when investigators talked to Debbie Adelson and her parents, what time did they say he arrived?

[Lee Erdman]

Four o' clock.

[Narrator]

So there's two hours.

[Lee Erdman]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Unaccounted for.

[Lee Erdman]

Yeah. Where did he go? What did he do?

[Narrator]

And then just one day after he was grilled by police. Kurt Forbes skip town.

[Lane McIntyre]

Innocent people don't run. Kurt Forbes ran.

[Narrator]

Kurt soon sent letters to Lane and Debbie.

[Lane McIntyre]

Dear Lane, I don't know how to express my sympathy for you at this time. I don't want to go to jail.

[Debbie Adelson]

For something I didn't do. There's too much circumstantial evidence against me. So I have to go.

[Narrator]

But what was the circumstantial evidence against him that he's talking about what people.

[Debbie Adelson]

Were saying that he was violent.

[Narrator]

Debbie initially told police that Kurt had arrived at her parents house at 4am on the night of Marilyn's murder, but later said she might have been mistaken.

[Debbie Adelson]

It was either 10 after 4 or 20 after 2. I just saw the two hands.

[Narrator]

The circumstantial case against Kurt seemed to be weak, and police soon learned that none of the physical evidence taken at the crime scene could be linked to him either. After two months on the lam, Kurt returned to the Columbus area. And just five months later, he and Debbie Adelson were married. Did you have any questions about marrying him?

[Debbie Adelson]

None.

[Narrator]

But you knew other people were talking about him.

[Debbie Adelson]

I think that back then it was more they were talking about Lane.

[Narrator]

And in fact, around Columbus, suspicion had begun to shift away from Kurt and back towards Marilyn's husband.

[Betty Klenz]

I thought maybe Lane did it.

[Narrator]

Betty Klenz had always felt uncomfortable about her neighbor's calm demeanor when he came to her door the morning of the murder.

[Betty Klenz]

If I was him and it was my wife, I probably would have started in like this, you know, my God, I just came home from work and I found my wife murdered. But no, he just said it in a nice calm voice.

[Narrator]

Betty told the police about frequent fights that she heard between Marilyn and Lane. Neighbors say that you guys would argue.

[Lane McIntyre]

That's their speculation. The McEntire family, we're boisterous. We talk loud in our house.

[Narrator]

And Marilyn's older sister Brenda, who had never liked Lane, believed he had a motive for killing his wife.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Lane looked at me and he goes, brenda, guess what I did. I took a whole life insurance policy from Marilyn.

[Narrator]

It turns out Lane had purchased a $10,000 life insurance policy for Marilyn less than a week before her murder.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Three days later, she's dead. I was mortified.

[Narrator]

And that wasn't all. Within months of Marilyn's death, Lane was dating and he soon remarried.

[Carolyn Rahn]

He was just getting on with his life like it was nothing.

[Lane McIntyre]

I'm a young man. I've got a three month old baby. I needed another woman in my life.

[Narrator]

Although there was suspicious circumstantial evidence against both Lane and Kurt, the police did not arrest either man. Instead, their investigation mysteriously ground to a halt. Four years go by. Five years go by.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Our thoughts that it would never be solved.

[Narrator]

For Lane, each passing year brought increased scrutiny.

[Lane McIntyre]

My own son was taught to think I did it.

[Christopher McIntyre]

Things started to go sour between Me and my father.

[Narrator]

Did you ever just say, dad, did you have anything to do with this?

[Christopher McIntyre]

I did not. It'd be such a hard question to ask, dad, did you have something to do with killing mom?

[Narrator]

At age 15, the tension between father and son reached a boiling point and Christopher moved out of the house.

[Christopher McIntyre]

I lost mother, and now I feel like I lost father.

[Narrator]

The toll on Marilyn's family would continue to grow.

[Debbie Adelson]

You know, we've grown up in broken.

[Narrator]

Homes our whole life because they didn't know how to carry on after Marilyn died. Years would turn into decades and still no answers until that fateful call.

[Wayne Smith]

When I took a look at this case, my question was, why didn't he get arrested in 1980? I made a promise to the victim's family. We will do our best at this and I believe when we're done, we'll be able to tell you who I believe did it.

[Narrator]

In 2007, Columbia County Sheriff's detectives reopened the investigation into Marilyn McIntyre's murder. And after digging into the old case files, they found a piece of evidence that would soon blow the case wide open.

[Wayne Smith]

There was this very small stain in a bathroom sink that had the victim's blood in it.

[Narrator]

In 1980, blood and hair samples had been taken from the crime scene. More than two decades later, that blood evidence was sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab for DNA testing.

[Wayne Smith]

When the report came back on that, there was possibly two other contributors. However, one of those contributors was not Lane McIntyre. He was 100% excluded from that.

[Narrator]

And is there any of the suspects a possible contributor?

[Wayne Smith]

There is.

[Narrator]

When the lab compared DNA from a sample of Kurt Forbes hair to the stain in the sink, he was listed.

[Wayne Smith]

As a possible contributor in that stain.

[Narrator]

But Wayne Smith knew there were limits to this DNA evidence.

[Wayne Smith]

You have to remember that this is likely a pinhead sized stain in a sink.

[Narrator]

And being a possible contributor was not conclusive proof. The lab results showed that it wasn't necessarily Kurt. The DNA could also come from one out of every 98 people. But it wasn't her husband.

[Wayne Smith]

But it wasn't her husband. And it wasn't any single other person that had ever been mentioned as a suspect or had been in that house because we tested them.

[Narrator]

So Smith and county investigators focused their attention on Kurt Forbes and began to re interview everyone connected to the crime.

[Debbie Adelson]

I wasn't worried about not remembering.

[Narrator]

Lori Heaft told detectives that on March 11, 1980, Kurt stopped by her house at around 1:15am he was there for five minutes. She also recalled a conversation she had just weeks later with Kurt's girlfriend, Debbie Adelson.

[Debbie Adelson]

She said, well, he showed up at my place around 4 o' clock with blood on his shirt and wanted me to take care of it. I don't even know her.

[Narrator]

Debbie, who was still married to Kurt Forbes in 2007, remembers that time very differently. She says there never was a shirt with blood. So if Laurie says that you talked about the fact that there was blood on a shirt, she's not telling the truth.

[Debbie Adelson]

How can it be?

[Narrator]

And in fact, when Lori gave police a statement back in 1981, she never mentioned a bloody shirt. Why wouldn't you tell the police that she also mentioned blood?

[Debbie Adelson]

I assumed that Deborah had brought that up.

[Narrator]

Detectives heard other rumors. Family and friends of the Adelsons said that Debbie's mom talked about washing Kurt's bloody clothes that night.

[Wayne Smith]

We would love to have talked to her parents because I believe that they had really good information.

[Narrator]

But unfortunately, Debbie's parents were no longer alive. None of the statements could be verified.

[Wayne Smith]

For some reason, this family wasn't interviewed about Kurt's arrival at their home. And that's a critical piece of evidence.

[Narrator]

Detectives spent two years sorting through the evidence and interviewing more than 60 witnesses.

[Wayne Smith]

It got to the point where Kurt was the only one left to talk to at this point.

[Narrator]

Finally, on March 24, 2009, 29 years after Marilyn's murder, Kurt Forbes was served with a search warrant and brought in for questioning. Turn towards me before you sit down.

[Wayne Smith]

What I'd like to do, I guess, is go back to March 10, 1980.

[Narrator]

That night, he was at the tale for a little while, and then I left there. When asked what time he arrived at the Adelsons house, Kurt remained consistent around 2 o' clock.

[Lee Erdman]

So if she had told us that.

[Narrator]

You got there at a little bit after four and she looked at the clock, that would be inaccurate or it.

[Lee Erdman]

Was dropped to the head.

[Narrator]

After nearly an hour of questioning, Wayne Smith tells Kurt that his DNA was found mixed with Marilyn's blood in the bathroom sink.

[Christopher McIntyre]

How do you explain that your DNA isn't her?

[Lee Erdman]

I don't know what you're talking about. Wow.

[Narrator]

As Kurt's interrogation stretched on, two other detectives visited his wife at home.

[Debbie Adelson]

I was in shock. I didn't know what was going on.

[Narrator]

She agreed to answer their questions, but didn't realize the interview was being recorded. I know you know that we've reopened this case. She was asked about Kurt's rumored bloody shirt. Did it have blood on it?

[Debbie Adelson]

I don't remember that No, I can't say.

[Wayne Smith]

You can't say or you can't remember?

[Debbie Adelson]

I can't remember.

[Narrator]

As detectives continued to push Debbie about the bloody shirt, her answers began to change. You showed up at the house bloody clothes and your mom washed them.

[Greenlight Ad]

I know you know that.

[Debbie Adelson]

Yeah, but I just don't remember it right now.

[Carolyn Rahn]

But you just said yeah.

[Narrator]

Finally, after more than four hours of questioning, Debbie's memory of that night seemed to return.

[Carolyn Rahn]

He had a white shirt on and.

[Narrator]

And I saw blood tonight.

[Carolyn Rahn]

He did.

[Narrator]

Now I remember that.

[Betty Klenz]

I know I asked about the blood.

[Lane McIntyre]

And he told me some bull.

[Debbie Adelson]

I can't remember what he told me. And I believed it.

[Narrator]

Tried to stand up. Hours later, armed with Debbie's damning new information, detectives arrested Kurt Forbes for the murder of Marilyn McIntyre.

[Wayne Smith]

I knew 100% Kurt Forbes was the one that was responsible for this murder.

[Narrator]

But making that case to a jury was about to get much tougher after a judge ruled that the crucial DNA evidence that seemed to place Kurt Forbes at the crime scene would not be allowed a trial.

[Wayne Smith]

It was devastating and I thought there was a greater chance that he'd get away with it.

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[Narrator]

Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver. I'm Elspeth Tasioni. I work with the police. It's on the case. I like my outlandish theories with a heavy dose of evidence and ready to go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars.

[Lane McIntyre]

Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Narrator]

It's starting to look that way.

[Lane McIntyre]

Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth.

[Kurt Forbes]

All episodes now streaming on Paramount and return CBS fall.

[Narrator]

That sounds like.

[Wayne Smith]

Obviously murder's not fun.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Looks like we got him. We finally got him.

[Narrator]

29 years after Marilyn McIntyre's murder, her family believed detectives finally had the right man, Curtis Forbes. Even Marilyn's sister Brenda, who had long suspected Lane McIntyre, was convinced. Is there one moment, one piece of evidence that made you change?

[Carolyn Rahn]

Yeah, when the blood stain had Kurt's DNA in it.

[Narrator]

But then a judge threw out that DNA evidence ruling it was not conclusive enough to be used against Forbes.

[Kurt Forbes]

Is our job tougher? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean we can't get it done.

[Narrator]

Assistant Attorney General David Wambach decided to move forward anyway with a completely circumstantial case.

[Kurt Forbes]

We're behind Kurt 100% in this ordeal.

[Narrator]

Kurt's brothers Mike and Dennis believe the charges should have been dropped.

[Kurt Forbes]

Well I am angry, you know, they threw my brother in prison for nothing.

[Narrator]

But on November 9th, 2010, Curtis Forbes goes on trial for murder. It begins with a dispute over when Marilyn died. An important issue since Lane McEntire has an alibi for the hours between 11pm and 7am while Kurt Forbes whereabouts are in question. So what time do you believe that Marilyn McIntyre was murdered?

[Kurt Forbes]

I believe that it's sometime very close to 3:15 and that's why Clyde the dog is acting up the way he is.

[Narrator]

That information came from the McIntyre's upstairs neighbor, Betty Clentz.

[Betty Klenz]

I had to get up around between 3 and 3:30 because the dog was having such a fuss outside.

[Narrator]

And there's a second witness, a friend of the McIntyre's who drove by their house twice on the night of the crime. First at around 12:30am did you notice.

[Kurt Forbes]

Whether or not the lights were on when you went passed to go home?

[Carolyn Rahn]

No, I didn't see no lights.

[Narrator]

Then again at around 3:15 at that time I noticed the porch light was on and the dog was tight outside. That evidence, says the prosecutor, proves that Marilyn had to be alive between midnight and 3:15am on March 11 to turn on the light and let the dog out.

[Kurt Forbes]

A cat can go in the litter box. The dog, you gotta let him out.

[Narrator]

But the defense says Marilyn died earlier before Lane went to work. They point to the testimony of the McIntyre's other neighbor. She lived next door to Lane in Marilyn and heard a noise coming from their apartment. At 10pm on March 10th we went to bed and we could hear voices like they were maybe arguing or something. But that was all the neighbor heard. And Wambach reminds the jury that Marilyn had a three month old baby who needed to be fed every few hours. You're saying somebody would have heard that baby crying?

[Kurt Forbes]

Exactly. And we knew that none of the neighbors had heard any crying.

[Narrator]

Wambach now moves on to the next important point in the timeline. What time did Kurt Forbes arrive at Debbie Adelson's home that night? At 2:00am or 4:00am if he actually.

[Kurt Forbes]

Got there at 2:00 clock then it doesn't look like he's the one to have committed the murder.

[Narrator]

Because Debbie says she could no longer be sure when Kurt turned up. The prosecutor calls witnesses who spoke to Debbie back in 1980 about Kurt's arrival.

[Kurt Forbes]

What time did Debbie say Kurt showed up at her parents?

[Wayne Smith]

I believe it was around 4 o' clock in the morning.

[Debbie Adelson]

She said it was at 4 o' clock.

[Narrator]

About 4 o' clock in the morning. For Kurt Forbes, the case hangs on this one question. Where was Kurt from 1:30 in the morning till 4 in the morning?

[Kurt Forbes]

I have no idea. We never asked him.

[Narrator]

With his case winding down, Wambach knew that his most crucial witness was also the most unpredictable.

[Debbie Adelson]

I didn't ask for any of this.

[Narrator]

On the day of Kurt's arrest in 2009, Debbie Forbes told detectives that she had seen blood on Kurt's shirt on the night of the murder. But on the stand, Debbie now denies she saw anything.

[Kurt Forbes]

Did you see anything on his clothing that you took notice of?

[Debbie Adelson]

No.

[Narrator]

You did tell them that Kurt had blood on his shirt that night?

[Debbie Adelson]

I don't remember saying that and I know I didn't see it. And how they got me to say that, they could have gotten me to say anything at that point.

[Narrator]

Did Kurt show up with blood on his shirt? The prosecutor has one final piece of evidence he believes provides the answer.

[Lane McIntyre]

Debbie, what's going on?

[Narrator]

A prison phone call between Kurt and Debbie Forbes recorded just two days after Kurt's arrest. The facts are. Deborah.

[Wayne Smith]

I did not murder Marilyn McIntyre.

[Debbie Adelson]

Then where'd the bloody shirt come from?

[Lane McIntyre]

I'll explain all that.

[Narrator]

I did not kill Marilyn.

[Debbie Adelson]

Well, explain it to me then.

[Narrator]

I'm not on the phone. I need a lawyer.

[Kurt Forbes]

To me, what's so beautiful about it too is what it doesn't say. He doesn't say what? Blood. What do you mean blood?

[Narrator]

But Curtis Forbes attorneys downplay the call. They point to the fact that there was no physical evidence linking Kurt to the crime scene.

[Betty Klenz]

None of the hairs were consistent with Curtis Forbes.

[Narrator]

And then to create more doubt in the mind of the jurors, the defense calls an un unlikely witness, Lane McIntyre.

[Lane McIntyre]

I knew I was going to be grilled and I didn't care.

[Narrator]

Forbes attorney wastes no time putting Lane in the hot seat.

[Lee Erdman]

Approximately three days before the death of your wife, did you have occasion to talk to an insurance agent?

[Lane McIntyre]

Yes.

[Lee Erdman]

And what did you do with relation to that insurance agent?

[Lane McIntyre]

He showed up on my doorstep unannounced, solicited me. You're a young man starting a young family. You need life insurance.

[Narrator]

Lane is peppered with questions about finding his wife murdered.

[Lane McIntyre]

I stood in the doorway trying to accept what I was seeing about pointing.

[Narrator]

The finger at his best friend.

[Lee Erdman]

Did you tell officers that a person they might want to look at was Kurt Forbes?

[Lane McIntyre]

Yes.

[Narrator]

And about whether he and Marilyn argued before he went to work.

[Lee Erdman]

You do not recall an argument that you had with Marilyn McIntyre on March 10, 1980, between the time you got home and the time you went to work?

[Lane McIntyre]

No. He was trying to accuse me of killing Marilyn and then going to work like nothing happened.

[Narrator]

As the trial comes to a close, the jury must decide, is the right man on trial? Did Kurt forbes kill Marilyn McIntyre or did her husband, Lane?

[Lane McIntyre]

This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two factor authentication, strong passwords and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points as second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for 40% off terms apply.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Hopefully, Marilyn gets the justice that she deserves.

[Narrator]

On November 15, 2010, after six days of testimony and more than 45 witnesses, the fate of Curtis Forbes is in the hands of the jury.

[Carolyn Rahn]

We thought it was going to be an all night thing and we'd be back in the morning.

[Narrator]

Instead the jury is out just two and a half hours thinking, this can't be good. The families of Kurt forbes and Marilyn McIntyre. We got a verdict, scrambled back into the courtroom for the verdict.

[Christopher McIntyre]

It was probably the scariest point in my life.

[Kurt Forbes]

Everything at that point is resting in that moment for the judge to read the verdict.

[Wayne Smith]

We, the jury, find the defendant. Courtesy Forbes. Guilty. First degree murder.

[Lane McIntyre]

It was just like dated this 15th day.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Wow, we just went nuts.

[Lane McIntyre]

All this pain that I had to carry, this baggage I could finally let go of.

[Narrator]

For Marilyn's family, it's the end of three decades of pent up anguish.

[Lane McIntyre]

Justice for Marilyn finally, finally over.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Oh my God, it's finally over.

[Narrator]

But on the other side of the courtroom, where the Forbes family sits, he is innocent. It was just unreal devastation.

[Kurt Forbes]

They found a guy guilty of murder.

[Narrator]

Going to put him in jail for.

[Kurt Forbes]

Life, and only deliberated in two hours on circumstantial evidence.

[Wayne Smith]

Get that out of my face.

[Narrator]

It was a quick verdict in part, says prosecutor David Wambach, because the jury believes there had been a bloody shirt.

[Kurt Forbes]

If you can convince them to Say, I have no doubt that Kurt Forbes had blood on him and that that was Marilyn's blood. Everything else just falls in behind that.

[Debbie Adelson]

There was never any blood.

[Narrator]

But even today, Debbie Forbes insists that she never saw blood on Kurt that night. When you though called Kurt on the phone, you asked him then, where'd the.

[Debbie Adelson]

Bloody shirt come from?

[Narrator]

I'll explain all that.

[Debbie Adelson]

Yeah, I wanted to know about this bloody shirt everybody was talking about. I hadn't seen one.

[Narrator]

Do you believe that Deborah Forbes lied on the stand?

[Kurt Forbes]

Well, yes, she committed perjury. I don't think that the jury found much of anything that she said or did to be believable.

[Narrator]

But Debbie now no longer seems willing to protect the man she married 30 years ago. Do you think you know the truth now?

[Debbie Adelson]

It's in there. Just have to accept.

[Narrator]

Sounds like, Debbie, you do believe your husband killed Marilyn McIntyre. That's tough, isn't it?

[Debbie Adelson]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Three months after the verdict, Kurt Forbes is sentenced to life in prison.

[Christopher McIntyre]

Whatever tiny little bit of doubt I would have had, my mind was clearly pushed out.

[Narrator]

Finally convinced of his father's innocence, Christopher McEntire is looking forward to repairing their relationship. So is Lane.

[Lane McIntyre]

Marilyn would want her son and her husband to be the best of friends. We got a lot of catching up to do.

[Narrator]

Following the sentencing, Marilyn McIntyre's family visits her final resting place.

[Lane McIntyre]

They're beautiful. Yellow is her favorite color.

[Narrator]

Justice for Maryland.

[Lee Erdman]

Justice for Maryland.

[Narrator]

They release balloons, and with them, more than 30 years of pain and frustration.

[Lane McIntyre]

If you can imagine being judged when you're telling the truth for 30 years.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Fight me over.

[Lane McIntyre]

And then finally, after all these years, finally vindication.

[Narrator]

My mom can start a new life. Our family is gonna start a new life now.

[Carolyn Rahn]

Queen.

[Wayne Smith]

This family was persistent.

[Narrator]

Detective Lieutenant Smith and Assistant Attorney General Wambach are quick to acknowledge that without Marilyn's family, her murder would never have been solved.

[Wayne Smith]

It's to their credit that they kept this case alive.

[Carolyn Rahn]

If it took me till the day I died, I was never given up. Don't ever give up.

[Debbie Adelson]

Because eventually somebody does have to listen.

[Carolyn Rahn]

You are the victim's voice. She's still watching us.

[Lane McIntyre]

Marilyn would want us to have closure. There are so many people that love Marilyn. Still do, always will.

[Narrator]

What is dadication?

[Lane McIntyre]

The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him Dae Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge, and there's this huge responsibility and making sure that when he's no longer under my wing, that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job. That's dedication. Find out [e-mail] brought to you by.

[Kurt Forbes]

The U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.

[Greenlight Ad]

Summer is heating up. The chi is back on Paramount. It's the season of the women.

[Debbie Adelson]

This is our chance.

[Lane McIntyre]

It's time to get to work.

[Greenlight Ad]

But the men aren't giving up without a fight. The shy new season now streaming on the Paramount with Showtime plan.