Getting Away with Murder

Summary

“Getting Away with Murder” — 48 Hours Podcast Summary

Podcast: 48 Hours
Host: CBS News
Episode: Getting Away with Murder
Date: December 10, 2025

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Overview

This episode dives into two emotional and confounding true crime stories where families are haunted by the possibility that killers have never been brought to justice. The first story centers on the 1998 disappearance (and suspected murder) of Christine Kupka in Brooklyn, New York. The second covers the suspicious 1982 car fire deaths of Janet and Stephen Dow in New Hampshire, where official investigations failed to provide closure or accountability. Through moving interviews and dogged investigation, 48 Hours explores the limitations of the justice system, the heartbreak of families left behind, and the relentless pursuit for answers and justice—even when the system falls short.

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Case 1: The Disappearance of Christine Kupka

The Story

Christine Kupka, a vibrant 28-year-old college student and aspiring attorney, went missing in 1998. Her family, led by her determined sister Kathy, firmly believes Christine was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and former chemistry instructor, Rudy (Darshanand) Persaud—Christine was pregnant with his child at the time of her disappearance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Support Group

  • Christine’s sister Kathy formed a support group for families of the missing, reflecting the community's pain and unresolved grief.
    • "When you have someone who's missing in your life, there is no answer." — Unnamed Family Member [01:16]

• Christine's Personality and Relationship with Rudy

  • Christine was described as caring, forthright, and family-oriented with a strong moral center.
  • Friends and family were immediately uneasy about Rudy Persaud.
    • “He’s good looking, but his eyes… his eyes are really cold.” — Uzlam (friend/roommate) [04:18]
  • The relationship became complicated when Christine revealed she was pregnant with Rudy’s baby. Rudy’s response was negative and distant.
    • “He just went crazy and said, ‘No, it’s going to ruin my family. I want nothing more to do with you.’” — Kathy [05:34]
  • Christine learned Rudy was married only after she was pregnant. Rudy pushed for an abortion; Christine refused.

• Warning Signs

  • Christine confided in friends, warning: “If anything happens to me, it was Rudy who did it. Just go to the police, because Rudy did it to me.” — Kathy [06:32]
  • Despite fears, Christine agreed to meet Rudy to help him clean his apartment on October 24, 1998. She was never seen again.

• Immediate Aftermath and Frustrations with Police

  • Kathy reported Christine missing within 24 hours, naming Rudy as the prime suspect.
    • “I mean, hello, is anything getting through?” — Kathy [08:18]
  • Police lacked physical evidence—no body, eyewitnesses, or proof of a crime—and initially made little progress.
    • “They said, ‘I don’t know... Go find the guy. Ask him what happened.’” — Kathy recalls police response [08:34]

• Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands

  • Christine’s circle, desperate for justice, confronted Rudy directly, protested outside his house, and plastered his dental school with posters accusing him of murder.
    • “You have a suspected murderer that lives on your block. I think you should know.” — Nick (friend) [08:49, 17:00]

• Rudy Persaud’s Reaction

  • Rudy retained a lawyer immediately and largely refused to engage with police or the Kupka family. His only alibi was that he dropped Christine at a mall and never saw her again, which police could not confirm nor refute.
    • “He got a lawyer. That was his concern. His concern was with himself after Christine’s disappearance.” — Kathy [13:24]

• Ongoing Search and Private Investigation

  • Kathy and private investigator Gil Alba searched for evidence, contacted Rudy’s acquaintances, and campaigned to keep Christine’s case public.
    • “He got rid of the girl. He got rid of the baby. He got rid of what he wanted to.” — Gil Alba [14:41]
  • Despite their efforts, there was “nothing definitive.” [15:37]

• Kathy’s Testimony and Law Enforcement’s Limits

  • Kathy testified at a public hearing to advocate for more action in missing persons cases.
  • Frustration over police inaction and the inability to prosecute without hard evidence was palpable.
    • “It’s not illegal to be the last person seen with somebody. It’s not illegal to have an affair.” — Police [20:01]

• Unanswered Questions and Lasting Pain

  • Rudy Persaud refused to grant interviews to 48 Hours or any outlet. He ultimately moved on with his life as a dentist in Florida.
  • Christine’s family remains tormented by the lack of justice.

Notable Quotes

• “If he sues us, he’s gonna have to talk and he doesn’t want to talk.” — Kathy [17:54]
• “My sister’s gone and her baby, and you’re telling me that you can’t go talk to Rudy? Wait, that does not make sense.” — Kathy [19:46]
• “Only three people know what happened that night. Two of them are dead and one of them isn’t talking.” [42:04]

Timestamps for Case 1:

• Family Group and Christine’s Background : [01:16]–[03:30]
• Christine & Rudy’s Relationship : [03:38]–[06:04]
• Disappearance and Aftermath : [06:14]–[09:05]
• Family’s Search for Justice : [09:05]–[21:59]

---

Case 2: The Dow Car Fire Deaths

The Story

In 1982, Janet and her 18-year-old son, Stephen Dow, were found dead in a burned car near their home in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The official story: a tragic accident. Yet over a decade later, allegations—backed by forensic doubts—emerged, accusing Janet’s husband and local police chief, Dick Dow, of orchestrating their murders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Family and Background

  • Stephen Dow was a well-liked high schooler; Janet was a beloved mom who remarried local police chief Dick Dow after divorcing Stephen’s father.
  • “She was a very good mother. She loved Stephen and so did his father.” — Wally Medeiros, Stephen’s biological father [24:07]

• The Fatal Car Fire

  • In the early hours of December 10, 1982, Janet and Stephen died in a fiery car crash just 500 feet from home. The response was odd: police didn’t interview witnesses, conduct autopsies, or preserve the car.
    • “There was essentially no meaningful investigation done. People thought of this as an accident, so they didn’t investigate it as a crime.” — Attorney General Philip McLaughlin [39:45]
  • Dick Dow’s reaction and swift dating life afterward raised suspicions for Stephen’s girlfriend, Kelly Sutherland.

• A Shocking Confession Emerges

  • Years later, Dow’s ex-girlfriend Karen Safian revealed Dow had confessed to her: he claimed Stephen shot his mother Janet, and Dow killed Stephen in self-defense, then staged the car accident to cover it up.
    • “If you ever tell anyone what I just told you, then I will—” [Dow pauses] “I’ll just deny it.” — Karen Safian recalling Dow’s words [31:59]

• Forensic Review

  • Accident and fire experts recreated the crash scene and determined it was impossible for the gasoline to ignite as described in the original investigation.
    • “The gasoline did not ignite. There is nothing inside that car that could have set the gasoline off.” — Thomas Bohan, accident specialist [34:19]
    • “When you look at this, based on your experience, do you say this was no accident?” — Interviewer
    • “That’s right. I do say that. I did say that.” — Bohan [35:05]
    • “You say it was what then?”
    • “Murder.” — Bohan [35:16]

• Barriers to Justice

  • Despite the second investigation, New Hampshire’s Attorney General did not believe there was enough hard evidence for charges.
    • “My critics have the right to believe something. I have the obligation to prove something.” — Attorney General McLaughlin [40:17]
  • Efforts by Stephen’s family to sue Dick Dow, or get the case in front of a grand jury, all failed for lack of direct evidence.

• Dow’s Final Years and the Unresolved Case

  • Dick Dow refused interviews, offered only chilling responses—never outright denying the crimes.
    • “He didn’t say, ‘I didn’t do this.’” — Kelly Sutherland [41:59]
  • Dow died in 2012; the murders remain officially unsolved.

Notable Quotes

• “Who engages in an act of self-defense and then burns the bodies?” — Interviewer [41:33]
• “Three people know what happened that night. Two of them are dead. One isn’t talking.” — Kelly Sutherland [42:04]

Timestamps for Case 2:

• Dow Family and Fatal Crash : [22:16]–[27:17]
• Karen Safian’s Account : [29:13]–[32:17]
• Forensic Reenactment & Aftermath : [33:17]–[40:41]
• Attorney General and Final Reflections : [40:54]–[42:09]

---

Memorable Moments & Emotional Testimony

• The Unending Agony:

  • Kathy, on her lost sister:
    • “This is so horrible that… people try to understand, but it’s so horrible that people can’t understand. I think the hardest part is that someone could take someone away from me that meant so much to me and she didn’t mean anything to him.” [02:31]
  • Kelly, on unresolved grief:
    • “The toughest thing for me in all of this is the fact that I was still walking around talking and breathing and eating and sleeping and watching TV and so on and so forth, and two people I love very much… aren’t.” [42:20]

• Community Action:

  • Families refusing to accept inaction, rallying around their own investigations and public protests, driven by raw, consuming need for answers and justice.

---

Conclusion

This episode of "48 Hours" presents a sobering portrait of two families devastated by murder and the failures of the justice system. In both stories, loved ones become investigators, advocates, and public campaigners—fueled by pain, suspicion, and refusal to let their victims’ stories fade away. Authorities cite a lack of hard evidence as their standard; families are left with certainty in their hearts but nowhere to turn. The episode ultimately challenges listeners to contemplate: How many have truly gotten away with murder?

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Key Timestamps

• Christine Kupka’s Story: [01:16]–[22:02]
• Janet and Stephen Dow’s Story: [22:16]–[42:09]

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For those seeking in-depth analysis, poignant testimony, and a real-world look at the complexities—and heartbreak—of unsolved murder cases and imperfect justice, this episode is essential listening.

Transcript

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[C]

When you have someone who's missing in your life, there is no answer.

[D]

They meet in a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York.

[E]

I consider us all part of this.

[C]

Lonely hearts club, these sad souls.

[D]

But no one wants to be here.

[F]

They didn't pay attention to her.

[D]

She didn't count. Everyone here is related to a missing.

[F]

Person, but we know that she did not, could not and would not disappear voluntarily.

[D]

And every story they tell is heartbreaking.

[C]

I still feel that maybe somebody's holding her and that maybe one day they'll let her go or she'll escape.

[D]

But perhaps no story is more mysterious and frightening than this woman's.

[E]

I love Christine. I would choose to be with Christine over anybody.

[D]

Her name is Kathy Kupka, the organizer of the group. Her sister Christine disappeared. And by now Kathy has accepted the sad fact that her missing sister was probably murdered. What she won't accept, she says, is somebody getting away with that murder. And Kathy says she knows exactly who it is.

[E]

Like, this is so horrible that, you know, I know people try to understand, but it's so horrible that people can't understand. I think the hardest part is that someone could take someone away from me that meant so much to me and she didn't mean anything to him. Marshall, who's your favorite auntie?

[A]

Come here.

[D]

In 1998, Kathy's sister Christine was 28 years old.

A college honors student. She worked as a waitress.

[E]

She had such beautiful long red hair.

[D]

And dreamed of becoming a civil rights attorney.

[E]

And a lot of freckles on her nose. Well, she actually tried to scratch them off. She had a scar on her nose.

[D]

Somehow she still found time to call Kathy every day.

[E]

She was such a caller. Christine was really a caller, always calling. I talked to her a million times when she was with my mom. She was little.

[D]

She called her mother back home in Wisconsin at least once a week.

[E]

She was always forthright, honest, and she trusted.

[D]

But in the weeks before her disappearance, the main topic of conversation was always the mysterious new man in Christine's life.

[E]

And he was flirting with her, and she was flirting back.

[D]

His name is Darshanand Persador, known to everyone as Rudy. He was Christine's chemistry instructor at college. Did this sound like a big deal?

[E]

Initially, no. Initially, not a big deal, just that she had a crush on him.

[D]

According to Christine's family, she and Rudy didn't date while he was her teacher. But when the semester ended, the relationship began.

[E]

Oh, well, she thought he was so sweet and nice and, like, clean cut.

[D]

But when Christine brought him home to meet her roommates, not everybody was as taken with Rudy. What was your first impression of Rudy?

[C]

My first.

[E]

Don't like him.

[D]

Uslam Akadad was Christine's close friend and roommate. He's good looking.

[E]

He's good looking, but his eyes. Have you seen his eyes? His eyes are really cold.

[D]

But if that's true, clearly Christine Kupca didn't see it.

[C]

Marshall, come here.

[D]

And in the summer of that year.

Christine told friends and family what she thought was good news.

[E]

And then that's Christine with one of her friend's babies.

[D]

She was pregnant with Rudy Persaud's baby. Did she want that baby?

[E]

Yes, she did. Yeah, she did.

[D]

But apparently Rudy did not. And was he at all interested in being involved with either her or her child?

[C]

Not at all. Not at all.

[D]

In part, Uzum says the reason was cultural.

Rudy Prasad's family are Guyanese immigrants, his father a Hindu priest. Rudy reportedly told Christine he'd be disowned, kicked out of the family's home if anyone found out about the pregnancy.

[E]

He just went crazy and said, no, it's going to ruin my family. I want nothing more to do with you.

[D]

But there was something more, something that took Christine entirely by surprise.

[E]

I still can't believe that he was such a good liar.

[D]

Rudy Persaud, that's him right there, was.

[E]

Married she was so shocked when he told her that he was married. It was shocking. I mean, we were all shocked.

[D]

Did he ask her to get an abortion?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And what was her reaction to that?

[E]

She said no.

[D]

It didn't make any difference how much.

[E]

She ranted and raved.

[D]

She was going to have this baby with or without him. There was one thing Christine did want from Rudy.

[E]

She was very clear that she was going to put Rudy's name on the birth certificate and that he might be responsible at some point when she went to law school for helping with money.

[D]

And that Christine told friends Nick and Susie, made Rudy Persaud absolutely furious.

[E]

She told me, I talked to her four days before she disappeared, and she said, if anything happens to me, it was Rudy who did it. Just go to the police, because Rudy did it to me.

[D]

Why did she bring that up? Was she afraid of Rudy?

[F]

She was afraid. She was afraid.

[D]

But Christine's friends acknowledge that Rudy never specifically threatened her and that some part of Christine was still in love with him. It was a rotten situation. She was in a definitely rotten situation. So despite whatever fears she may have had, on October 24, 1998, Kristin Koepca agreed to meet Rudy Prasad one more time. She told friends Rudy needed her help cleaning his new apartment. She told him to pick her up here at her house in Brooklyn.

[F]

I said, do you want to do that? And she goes, look, if he kills me, he's going to spend the rest of his life in jail.

[D]

Rudy arrived at Christine's house about noon.

[E]

And I looked at him. He was pale. I mean, he was just pale. It's like, rudy, are you okay? He's like, yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay.

[D]

Rudy and Christine, then five months pregnant, left the house together.

[E]

How could I have let her go? Why did I do that?

[D]

Christine simply disappeared.

[E]

I said, he killed her.

[D]

You automatically said he killed her? You didn't think she spent the night with him? She went off somewhere.

[E]

Never even went through my head.

[D]

Why were you so sure? That's.

[A]

I don't know.

[E]

I'm not. I don't know. I just knew it.

[D]

24 hours later, Christine's sister Kathy went to the police.

[E]

I was in such a shock that I didn't know what I was. You know, I was just desperate.

[D]

She told them about Rudy, said he had the motive and opportunity to murder Christine.

[E]

I mean, hello, Is anything getting through?

[D]

But with no physical evidence linking Rudy to Christine's disappearance, no body, no eyewitnesses, no proof a crime had even been committed, the police could do nothing.

[E]

I said, well, what am I supposed to do? They said, I don't know. Go find the guy. Ask him what happened.

That's how we found Rudy. There's his name.

[D]

As it turns out, finding Rudy was the easy part.

[F]

You have a suspected murderer that lives on your block. I think you should know.

[D]

Now Christine's friends and family are taking their accusations.

Right to his doorstep. Next you can't get away with murder.

[F]

You can't get away with murder.

[E]

Can't get away with murder.

[B]

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[A]

Indeed.

Where is Christine? Where is Christine? Where is.

[D]

Christine? One year after Christine Kupka's.

[E]

Disappearance. Where is.

[D]

Christine? Her friends and family are asking the same nagging.

[F]

Question. We want the truth.

[D]

Now. This time outside the house of the man they think has the.

[A]

Rudy. Rudy, you cannot recharge you with.

[D]

Homicide. Rudy Prasad, now a dental student. Rudy lives here with his parents, his wife and their two children.

The protesters know Rudy Persaud was the last person seen with Christine. They say he was the father of her unborn.

[F]

Child. You can't get away with.

[D]

Murder. And they insist that gave him a motive for murder. What about a stranger kidnapping? What about a stranger killing.

[E]

Her?

I don't know. The day that she went with Rudy, finally. I don't know. Too coincidental for.

[D]

Me. Christine's sister Kathy, says she became instantly convinced of Prasad's guilt. What if you're.

[E]

Wrong? No, I'm not wrong. There's no what if I'm wrong? I'm not.

[D]

Wrong. Because she says he has behaved like anything but an innocent man. Did Rudy ever.

[E]

Call?

[D]

No. And ask about your sister? Wonder what happened to her? Show some.

[A]

Concern? Never.

[B]

No. He got a.

[E]

Lawyer. That was his concern. His concern was with himself after Christine's disappearance. And imagine trying to keep the.

[D]

Cat in Rudy Prasad refused to talk to Kathy and for 10 days wouldn't even talk to police.

When Prasad finally did agree to answer police questions with his lawyer present, he reportedly told them that he had driven Christine here to this mall, that he had stayed in his car while she shopped, and that he had later dropped her off near her house. Police have not been able to corroborate his statement, but without hard evidence, they can't disprove it.

[C]

Either.

[E]

Here.

Christine has no rights. And if I weren't here, do you think anything would be going.

[A]

On?

[E]

No. Rudy would just be.

[A]

Fine. Yeah. Where are.

[F]

We? Irving and Hart.

[D]

Corner. So she's Hired her own private investigator, Gil.

[F]

Alba. This is the toughest time of the case right now. This is the hardest part of the case. He's right there. He's the third car. 1, 2, 3, 4. He's the fourth car.

[D]

Up. A former New York City police.

[F]

Detective. I come into the situation and they tell me that Rudy did it. Am I to believe them that Rudy did it? Of course.

[D]

Not. Gil did his own.

[F]

Inquiry. After I do this, I could figure it.

[D]

Out. And now he too believes Christine's friends and family are.

[F]

Right. He got rid of the girl. He got rid of the baby. He got rid of what he wanted to. So he's totally satisfied. Let's go out and look out.

[B]

There.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. Let's.

[F]

Go. See the lights on in the.

[C]

Back.

[F]

Yeah. Now looking for maybe blood on the.

[D]

Wall. He's looking for hard.

[F]

Evidence. We're going to search up here in the back. Over here in the.

[D]

Woods. And Kathy has put her life on hold to help.

[A]

Him. This is an isolated spot. Nobody's been up here in a long.

[E]

Time.

[D]

Yeah. Together they've crisscrossed New York.

[E]

City. There's industrial district and it's all real canals and stuff. And then Rudy doesn't live so far from.

[D]

There. Talking to Rudy's friends and.

[E]

Family. My name's Kathy. I've been here before. They don't want to believe Rudy did it. And at the beginning they were adamant about Rudy not doing it. And now I got to tell you, they're not so adamant.

[F]

Anymore. We searched in here but where was it? I thought it was down.

[A]

Here. All the way down.

[E]

No. Yeah, we were just on the.

[F]

Elm. You think it would have been.

[D]

On that side but so.

[F]

Far. Oh man. It looks closed, isn't.

[D]

It? Uh, there's nothing.

[E]

Definitive. Are they coming back.

[F]

Today.

Because of hard work you get the luck comes in where you get that one call. Nick. Do you remember how to get.

[D]

There until that call comes? Christine's friend Nick along with Kathy's husband.

[F]

Kevin. Yes, Good afternoon. I need to get directions how to get to your school from New.

[D]

York. Are pursuing a different.

[F]

Strategy. I want people in his class to know that he's.

[D]

Murdering. Making their accusations in a very public way like that.

They're hanging up posters complete with Rudy's picture all over the campus where he's enrolled in dental.

[F]

School. Guy in the picture, this student right here. And we believe he murdered my sister in law, this woman right.

[A]

Here. In this.

[D]

Picture. They admit it's less about uncovering.

[F]

Information. This is something small but this does disrupt his life a little.

[D]

Bit. And more about pressuring.

[F]

Rudy. We're out here in the cold putting up flyers and he's there in a nice warm classroom taking notes. So this guy's a second year dental student.

[D]

Here. When they finish handing out flyers at his.

[F]

School. School, this is his.

[D]

Home. Nick and Kevin decide to hit a little closer to home.

[F]

Literally. But we pick the flies up and his relatives take him down and.

[D]

Hang their posters right in front of Rudy's.

[F]

House. You have a suspected murderer that lives on your block. I think you should.

[D]

Know. But by the time they work their way down the block, the guy.

[F]

That passed by is taking him.

[D]

Down. See, someone has already torn down most of the of their.

[F]

Flyers. We got tape. Let's put him back up.

Last time we were there, he called. He called the detective that's on the case and complained that we're bothering.

[E]

Him. Let him sue.

[D]

Us. It's worth noting that despite all.

[F]

Those posters, we're trying to get some information about this guy. We think he murdered my sister in.

[D]

Law. Despite Kathy and Gil's late night visits to his friends and.

[E]

Family. Mr. Kumar. I mean, that's his last.

[D]

Name. Like despite the regular protests outside his.

[E]

Home. Yeah, no, he's in there. His car's there and the doors open and the windows open upstairs. Yeah, I just share their.

[D]

Home. Rudy hasn't sued anybody for slander, so I guess they're not going anywhere today. Mm. Mm. And according to Kathy Kuka, it's not because he's a nice.

[E]

Guy. If he sues us, he's gonna have to talk and he doesn't want to talk. So he's not gonna sue.

[D]

Us. In fact, since his initial statement more than two years years ago, Rudy Prasad won't say anything about Christine's disappearance. Not to the.

[E]

Police. So now. Now we're just gonna hang out all.

[D]

Day. And definitely not to.

[E]

Kathy. Oh my God. They called the freaking.

[D]

Cops. But what will he say to us? 48 hours. Rudy, can I ask you a question? That'.

Christine always dressed in overalls. She didn't have any use for.

[C]

Dresses. I made her a beautiful bonnet.

[D]

And made her put on a dress. She was so unhappy since her daughter Christine.

[B]

Disappeared. Look at that.

[D]

Hair. Just. She had the most beautiful golden auburn hair. All Elaine Beaudel has left her. One favorite day of the year was Halloween. Are photographs and questions. I don't especially want to know how he killed. But there is a body. I mean, where is her body? But the man she believes can answer her Questions? Rudy Prasad isn't talking. 48 hours requested an interview with Rudy repeatedly. When he didn't respond. Rudy, can I ask you a question? We went to his house. If you didn't have anything to do with her disappearance, why won't you talk about it? Did you kill her, Rudy? Did you kill Christine Kupka? Why won't you talk about it? Why not talk about it.

[A]

Sir? Stay out of my.

[C]

Yard. I'm asking you one last.

[D]

Time. Rudy isn't answering anyone's questions, the police.

[E]

Included. I had no idea. You could just say, I don't want to talk to you, and close the door so. But you.

[D]

Can. Christine's sister Kathy is irate. The police can't do.

[E]

More. My sister's gone and her baby, and you're telling me that you can't go talk to Rudy? Wait, that does not make.

[D]

Sense. But since Christine's disappearance, police have said only that Rudy Prasad may be responsible. But as they told Kathy, it's.

[E]

Not illegal to be the last person seen with somebody. It's not illegal to have an affair with.

[D]

Somebody. All police will say now is that their investigation.

[A]

Continues.

[E]

Hi. I'm trying to find out if you guys scheduled the public hearing from Unmissing Persons.

[D]

Yet.

So Kathy is taking her case to the New York City Council, testifying at their hearings about missing.

[E]

Persons. These guys that are going to testify today are like the higher ups, so they don't hear it directly from the.

[F]

People. Good morning.

[D]

Everybody. Speaking first, Inspector Joe Resnik, head of the NYPD Special Investigations.

[F]

Division. I'd like to start out by giving you the definition of a missing person according to the police department's.

[D]

Guidelines. He knows Christine's case. Today, Kathy hopes to persuade him to go after.

[E]

Rudy. 98% of the cases have been.

[D]

Cleared. But by the time it's Kathy's turn to.

[E]

Speak. My name's Kathy.

[D]

Kupka. The inspector has.

[E]

Left. I just want to start. I have, like, a little thing here that I'm going to read from, but I want to start by saying that Inspector Redsnick left, and I think that kind of shows you what kind of priority this.

[D]

Is. Kathy gives her.

[E]

Statement. Anyway, Christine met Rudy at Baruch. He was her professor. His name is Rudy Persaud, a.

[D]

Story she's told hundreds of times.

[E]

Before. Christine then became afraid of Rudy because he seemed so desperate for her to end the.

[D]

Pregnancy. But it never gets any.

[E]

Easier. Oh, my. I'm sorry. I knew I would do this. I'll be okay in a minute.

So thank you for Caring. And you never know who's going to be in this situation because I.

[B]

Certainly never thought that I would.

[D]

Be. Since we first aired this story last January, New York's cold case squad has taken over what they call this high level missing persons investigation. For now, her sister can only go on investigating. Her mother go on wondering. As Rudy Persaud goes on with his life.

Refusing to talk about Christine Kupka's.

[A]

Disappearance.

The people here in Grafton County, New Hampshire are surrounded by beauty.

But they're haunted by the possibility one of their own has gotten away with.

[E]

Murder.

I was. I want the truth to come out.

I always promised Stephen that I would never forget him. If he was gonna break my heart, it should have been by the way, kids break each other's hearts. It shouldn't have been by the fact that I woke up one day and he's.

[A]

Dead. Kelly Sutherland still cannot accept the fact her high school sweetheart, Steven Dow, is.

[E]

Dead. We were.

Seniors in high school. We had our entire lives in front of us. We were starting to put those lives together. He was the first guy that I brought home that my father instantly liked and.

[A]

Trusted. He was a typical teenage boy with a passion for cars and.

[E]

Sports. He worked after school three days a week. He had more energy than three people put.

[A]

Together.

If you believe the official report, Stephen was driving with his mother, Janet, when their car rolled into a ditch and caught fire on this New Hampshire road. They were both.

[F]

Incinerated.

What was that moment like for.

[A]

You?

Wally Medeiros was Steven's father and Janet's ex.

[F]

Husband. I'm not sure I can describe it.

Almost blacked out, quite.

[A]

Frankly. Although they had divorced, Wally still has fond memories of his marriage to.

[F]

Janet. Janet was very pretty girl and not a flamboyant person at all. She was very.

[A]

Shy. Janet always had a special bond with her only child.

[F]

Stephen. She was a very good.

[A]

Mother. She loved Stephen and so did his.

[F]

Father. He liked the things I liked. He liked sports. He liked camping and mountain climbing. Even after Janet and I were divorced and she was.

[A]

Remarried. About a year after Wally and Janet were divorced, Janet remarried a state trooper named Dick Dow, who adopted Stephen. Dow was a respected police officer. Janet was a mail carrier who was friendly with everyone. They all seemed happy.

Then, in the dark morning hours of December 10, 1982, one of Dow's neighbors saw a fire on the side of the.

[F]

Road. As I approached the flames, I could actually see that I had a car in the.

[A]

Ditch. John Spurling, a retired fire chief at the time, was the first to find the Dow's.

[F]

Car. I could see that I had a victim in the driver's seat and also that this victim was beyond anything I could do for.

[A]

Them.

Janet, aged 40 and 18 year old Steven were burned beyond recognition just 500ft from their own home. Could you see the Dow house from the accident.

[F]

Scene? Yes, as I was standing in the ditch, I remember looking up and I could clearly see lights on. And I can even remember feeling a little desperate, sense of, gee, Dick, come on down and help me. He is a police officer. Assuming he must have heard that explosion, he should have been able to see the flames. They were very close by. It was almost a desperate feeling. Please come.

[A]

Help. But Dow never came. The state police knocked on his door to break the news to their friend and.

[F]

Colleague. I felt very badly for Dick, having lost his wife and his.

[A]

Stepson. John Thal, police chief in nearby Dalton, went to the police academy with Dow and was a state trooper at the.

[F]

Time. I believe everybody felt that this was one of those tragic, unfortunate incidents that happened and just God knows.

[A]

Why. The investigation was brief. There were no autopsies, no interviews, and the car was destroyed within.

[F]

Days. I think it was done in a manner that was aimed at being compassionate towards Dick because he lost his.

[A]

Family.

The police concluded it was an accident because of what Dick Dow told them, that Janet might have been distracted because she had been arguing with Stephen as they drove off that morning. When you first heard about this accident, did you have any suspicion whatsoever that foul play may have been.

[F]

Involved? Not at all. Absolutely not. I talked to Dick, asked him what happened, he told me what happened. I accepted.

[E]

It. I was looking at this as an accident that we would never have answers.

[A]

To. The crash never made sense to Kelly Sutherland, especially when she observed Dick Dow's.

[E]

Behavior. He started dating almost immediately after this happened and I was put out by.

[A]

That. Was Dick Dow emotionally devastated by what had.

[F]

Happened? If he was, he didn't show.

[A]

It. Dick Dow moved away and no one heard much about him until someone came forward 11 years after the accident with a far more sinister story of what really happened that.

[C]

Morning. Everybody who has listened to this story has no doubt that these two were murdered and they were murdered by Richard.

[A]

Dow. This woman's accusation.

[B]

Next.

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[C]

Audio.

I was completely horrified when Janet.

[A]

And Stephen Dow died in a car fire near their new Hampshire home 19 years ago. It was declared an accident. The case was quickly closed.

But was it really an.

[D]

Accident.

[A]

Or was it something else? This woman, Karen Safian, claims to.

[C]

Know these two were.

[A]

Murdered. Who do you believe is getting away with.

[C]

Murder? Dick Dow is getting away with.

[A]

Murder. Dick Dow, Karen Safiean's boyfriend of eight years. At the time, he was the police chief of Whitefield, New.

[C]

Hampshire. I thought he was a good man. I thought he was a strong man. I thought he was a pillar of the.

[A]

Community.

When she first met Dick Dow two years after the fire, she felt sorry for.

[C]

Him. I just felt he was probably a very lonely, very sorrowful person who could probably is a.

[A]

Friend.

It was 1984, and Safian was a single mom just out of.

[C]

College. He revealed to me that Janet and Steven, his wife and son, had died in a tragic.

[A]

Accident. Safian says Dick Dow never talked about the accident until one night, five years into their.

[C]

Relationship.

Just out of the blue, he just looked at me and said, how do you think Jan and Steven really died, Karen? My response was, dick, they died in a car accident. Don't you remember? Well, why did it happen so close to the house then? Karen, think. Why did it happen so close to the house? Think. You're not thinking. Think. You're not thinking.

[A]

Think. Karen says Dick Dow then told her what really happened back in December 1982, a story he never told police investigators. Dow said he had gone to the basement of his house to put coal in the.

[C]

Furnace. While he was down There he heard a pop sound and he knew it was a gunshot and grabbed an ax, went up the stairs and went into the.

[A]

Bedroom. Did he say what he.

[C]

Saw? He said he saw a figure standing over Janet and he attacked the figure with the axe. It was.

[A]

Stephen. According to Safian, Dow said Stephen had used one of his police revolvers to kill Janet. Dow told her he then had to kill Stephen. As he told his story, Safian says Dow became enraged and reached for a picture of.

[C]

Stephen. And he picks up the picture of Stephen and he just starts shaking it and saying, because this kid shot his mother. And he takes the picture and he just threw it. I was.

[A]

Shocked. Dick Dow had more shocking details, according to Safian, admitting that the accident was no.

[F]

Accident. What did he tell.

[C]

You? I put them both in the car. I rolled the car down the hill. I went back to the house and I waited for the police to.

[A]

Come. But Safian says the confession abruptly ended.

[C]

There. All of a sudden, he just comes out with, Karen, if you ever tell anyone what I just told you, then I will. And he stops talking. Dick, what will you do? I really want him to answer this. He shrugs and he turns away and says, I'll just deny.

[A]

It. She kept his secret for four years. Why did you stay with this.

[F]

Man who had told you this horrific.

[A]

Story, a man who you knew now had lied to.

[C]

Police? Because if it had been as he had told me, then he was not a killer. He was no danger to.

[A]

Us. She convinced herself it was self.

[C]

Defense. I really wanted that to be the.

[A]

Truth. Safian started to have doubts when she began to see what she describes as self destructive.

[C]

Behavior. He would punch himself, he would hit.

[A]

Himself. Would he hit himself.

[C]

Hard? He would hit himself hard. It was boom, boom, boom. If you were watching it, you would cringe just at every.

[A]

Blow.

Fearing for her own safety, she broke up with Dow and went to the police with her story. In 1993, 11 years after the crash, the state reopened the case.

The state hired Thomas Bohan, an accident specialist, to take a second look at what happened that.

[F]

Morning. They asked me to look at the file, look at the records, look at what evidence there.

[A]

Was. The original police report said that Janet Dow's car veered off this road and ended up right here in this ditch. The impact sent concrete blocks, which had been placed in the back of the vehicle for better traction, flying forward, knocking out both mother and son. According to Dick Dow, Steven had placed a carburetor in a bucket of gasoline, and in the Backseat police believed the gasoline ignited, causing the fatal fire. The engine's been running for about 12 minutes.

[F]

Now. We're just about ready to do.

[A]

This parking test to recreate the accident and fire. Bohan and his team found a 1982 saw just like the Dows.

And rolled it into this.

[F]

Ditch. We had a similar bucket of gasoline in the.

[A]

Back. We sparked it about 25, was it? 25 times. Nothing.

[F]

Happened. There was no.

[A]

Ignition. The gasoline did not.

[F]

Ignite. There is nothing inside that car that could have set the gasoline off. There he goes with the flare. We only got it to ignite.

[A]

When a rag was thrust inside the vehicle and the window was left open.

[F]

For air to feed the.

[A]

Fire. Is it your belief then that the gasoline was ignited by a.

[F]

Person? It was ignited from the.

[A]

Outside. You're convinced of.

[F]

That?

[A]

Yes. The speed in which this car landed in this ditch, what would you estimate that speed to be? A couple of miles an hour. I walk at a couple miles an hour. That. That kind of.

[F]

Speed? That's.

[A]

Right. And the odds of a low speed accident like this, knocking the dhows.

[F]

Unconscious? Well, it's hard to put a numerical figure on it, but I think you've said never. You wouldn't be wrong in your.

[A]

Lifetime. When you look at this, based on your experience, do you say this was no.

[F]

Accident? That's right. I do say that. I did say.

[A]

That. You say it was what.

[F]

Then?

[A]

Murder. The results of Bohan's tests devastated Kelly Sutherland, Steven Dow's.

[E]

Girlfriend. I really had finally put this issue behind me, and I pick up the phone one day and it's like being slammed right into a.

[A]

Rock.

Steven's father and Janet's former husband, Wally Medeiros, vowed to get.

[F]

Justice. Justice for me would be Dick Dahl behind bars for the rest of his.

[A]

Life. But 11 years after the fact, does the state have enough evidence to prosecute Dick Dow? What was overlooked in that initial.

[F]

Investigation?

[A]

Everything. That's next.

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[E]

Yourself.

Dearest Kel, since the first day I saw you in the lecture hall, it was as if I were meant to meet.

[A]

You. Though Stephen Dow died 19 years ago, his memory lives on through love letters to his high school sweetheart, Kelly.

[E]

Sutherland. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I hope that the feeling will never end. And then he signs it, love.

[F]

Steve.

That was a year before he and Janet died. I missed the fact that I never got a chance to see him grow up. Really grow.

[A]

Up. Wally Medeiros is haunted by the deaths of his son and former wife, Janet. The last 18 years. Have you had any real.

[F]

Peace? Absolutely.

[A]

Not.

How often do you think of.

[F]

Stephen? Every.

[A]

Day. Every.

[F]

Day. Every day.

In my.

[A]

Prayers.

Their grief runs deep and is compounded by their.

[F]

Frustration. It's not too late to correct.

[A]

A wrong frustration that no one has been charged with what appears today to be.

[E]

Murder. The only way that Steve and Jan are ever going to be able to be put to rest is if the truth comes.

[A]

Out. Do you believe that Janet and Steven Dow may have been.

[F]

Murdered? Yes, I believe that they may have been.

[A]

Murdered. Despite the results of the second investigation, New Hampshire Attorney General Philip McLaughlin does think he has enough hard evidence to indict Dow for.

[F]

Murder. We just don't have the.

[A]

Proof. The reason the original police investigation was bungled. What was overlooked in that initial investigation.

[F]

Everything. There was essentially no meaningful investigation done. People thought of this as an accident, so they didn't investigate it as a crime.

In this particular case, we have a car torn away, destroyed. The body is cremated. No autopsy is.

[A]

Done. Your critics would say you have a strong circumstantial.

[F]

Case. What about that? Well, my critics are in a different position than I am. My critics have the right to believe something. I have the obligation to prove.

[A]

Something. When the state refused to prosecute, Janet and Stephen Dow's friends and family decided to take matters into their own hands. They sued Dick Dow, claiming he killed his ex wife and stepson and then profited from their deaths by collecting on Janet's federal pension. But the lawsuit was dismissed. So Wally and Kelly turned to the state legislature for one last.

[E]

Appeal. I actually went up to New Hampshire and testified in front of legislative.

[A]

Hearings. That legislative committee asked the attorney General to bring the case to a grand.

[E]

Jury. There's enough evidence to go to a grand.

[A]

Jury. But Attorney General McLaughlin refused, citing again a lack of.

[F]

Evidence. For.

[A]

Now. In this case, is someone getting away with.

[F]

Murder? If you pay careful attention to remarks sometimes imputed to Mr. Dow, someone might be getting away with self defense, which of course is not a.

[A]

Crime. Remember Karen Safian said Dick Dow claimed he had to kill Stephen because Stephen had killed his mother Janet. Even though no one who knew Stephen could imagine.

[C]

Why. I really wanted that to be the truth. That he had killed in self.

[A]

Defense. Who engages in an act of self defense and then burns the.

[F]

Bodies? Well, that's an excellent.

[A]

Question. Dick Dow is living in Maine. He refused to talk about the.

[F]

Case. I said to him, thy will and I were innocent. I'd be down pounding my fist in the Attorney General's office demanding either a public apology or trial. And his response was to laugh and say, why the hell should I do that? They can't prove anything. They don't have any.

[A]

Evidence. He didn't say to you, I didn't do.

[F]

This?

[A]

Exactly. He didn't say I'm.

[F]

Innocent?

[E]

Exactly.

Only three people know what happened that night. Two of them are dead and one of them isn't.

[A]

Talking. For now, both Kelly Sutherland and Wally Medeiros must accept that this case may never be.

[F]

Resolved.

The toughest thing for me in all of this is the fact that I was still walking around talking and breathing and eating and sleeping and watching TV and so on and so forth.

And two people I love very much.

[A]

Aunt.

Dick Dow died in 2012. Rudy Persaud practices dentistry in.

[B]

Florida.

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[D]

Done.

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[A]

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