Post Mortem | Tracking the Killer of Mary Catherine Edwards

Summary

48 Hours: Post Mortem | Tracking the Killer of Mary Catherine Edwards

Introduction

In the gripping "Post Mortem" episode of 48 Hours, host Natalie Morales delves deep into the decades-old cold case of Mary Catherine Edwards, a beloved schoolteacher brutally murdered in Beaumont, Texas, in the mid-1990s. With the assistance of award-winning CBS News correspondents Jenna Jackson and Mary Murphy, Morales unpacks the intricate investigation that ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Clayton Foreman, bringing long-awaited justice to Mary Catherine and her community.

Overview of the Case

Mary Catherine Edwards, a 31-year-old schoolteacher, was found murdered, sexually assaulted, and handcuffed in her bathroom in Beaumont, Texas, in 1995. The use of police-grade handcuffs baffled investigators, leading to rampant speculation about a possible connection between the perpetrator and law enforcement. Despite having preserved DNA evidence from the crime scene, advancements in forensic science were not yet sufficient to identify the killer, leaving the case cold for nearly three decades.

Breakthrough with Genetic Genealogy

A significant turning point in the investigation came with the advent of genetic genealogy, a technique that combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research to identify suspects. Detectives Bennett "Erin" Llewellyn and his wife Tina Murphy spearheaded this innovative approach. As Mary Murphy explains, “It’s pretty incredible that back in '95, they preserved the evidence so well that they still had enough DNA… genetic genealogy technology has come so far that they were able to put this DNA in the system and come up with almost 7,500 names” (05:20).

Key Investigators and Their Roles

The relentless pursuit of justice was driven by a dynamic team:

• Detective Erin Llewellyn: The primary investigator whose dedication never wavered despite the case going cold.
• Tina Murphy: An auto crimes detective who brought her expertise in building extensive family trees and utilizing genealogical databases.
• Shira Lapointe: A professional genetic genealogist who played a crucial role in narrowing down the suspect pool.
• Texas Ranger Brandon Best: Provided additional support in field investigations and the eventual arrest.

Jenna Jackson highlights the teamwork: “The relay and the teamwork among the four of them was really very extraordinary to watch” (09:43).

The Breakthrough and Arrest

Utilizing genetic genealogy, Tina and Shira collaborated to build an extensive family tree that ultimately narrowed down the list to two brothers: Michael and Clayton Foreman, both of whom attended the same high school as Mary Catherine. Upon further investigation, Clayton emerged as the prime suspect due to his criminal history involving aggravated assaults.

A pivotal moment occurred when investigators collected Clayton’s trash to retrieve DNA evidence, which matched the DNA from the crime scene (11:17). Ranger Best recounts the meticulous interrogation process that led to Clayton's apprehension: “When we would sense anxiety in someone, Aaron would immediately tell them, hey, who do you want to play you in the movie?” He adds humorously, “I’ve already got Brad Pitt. So, you know, you can't, you can't be Brad because Brad's playing me” (08:58).

Emotional Testimonies

The trial was marked by deeply emotional testimonies, especially from Diana Ko, Clayton’s former wife and Mary Catherine’s childhood friend. Diana revealed her connection to Clayton and the harrowing realization of his violent past, including the rape of a mutual friend during their high school years. Her testimony underscored the profound impact of Clayton's actions on multiple lives.

Alison Botellar, Mary Catherine’s identical twin sister, delivered a heart-wrenching account of her sister’s loss, expressing enduring grief and love: “I didn't know what happened to her. It was just that she was gone, was all I knew” (19:20). The identical twin bond was poignantly portrayed, highlighting the irreplaceable loss experienced by Alison.

Legal Proceedings and Verdict

Clayton Foreman’s trial culminated in a swift verdict, with the jury reaching a guilty decision in less than an hour. Foreman was sentenced to life in prison for capital murder. The investigative team reflected on the outcome with mixed emotions. Jenna Jackson shares, “Erin said, we did it. And it was just very emotional because everything about the case was emotional” (22:05). Despite securing a conviction, the team grappled with the lingering sense of loss and the realization that Foreman had led a double life for years.

Impact and Legacy

The resolution of Mary Catherine Edwards' case not only brought closure to her family and friends but also highlighted the transformative power of genetic genealogy in modern law enforcement. Mary Murphy emphasizes, “If not for technology advancements and this incredible genetic genealogy, this would never have been solved” (22:44). The case serves as a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice and the importance of preserving forensic evidence.

Helenia Adams, one of Mary Catherine’s former students, shared how her teacher’s legacy inspired her to pursue a career in criminal justice, aspiring to continue the fight for justice: “She attended trial every day, except for one. She's getting her master's in criminal justice right now and plans to go to law school” (23:10).

Conclusion

The "Post Mortem" episode of 48 Hours masterfully recounts the intricate investigation and emotional journey to solve Mary Catherine Edwards' murder. Through unwavering dedication, technological advancements, and collaborative teamwork, the case was finally brought to justice, honoring Mary Catherine’s memory and offering hope to other cold case victims. This episode not only chronicles a remarkable police investigation but also underscores the enduring impact of one individual’s quest for truth and justice.

Notable Quotes

• Detective Erin Llewellyn: “By the time it got bigger than my computer screen, my wife had to jump in because he was like, my mind was blown, basically” (05:20).
• Brandon Best: “I’ve already got Brad Pitt. So, you know, you can't, you can't be Brad because Brad's playing me” (08:58).
• Claire Foreman: “It felt so good and that we had done something for Catherine at the moment” (13:37).
• Mary Catherine’s Sister, Alison Botellar: “I didn’t know what happened to her. It was just that she was gone, was all I knew” (19:20).

Final Thoughts

The "Post Mortem" episode not only revisits a harrowing crime but also celebrates the advancements in forensic science and the unwavering spirit of those committed to uncovering the truth. For those seeking a comprehensive and emotionally resonant true crime narrative, this episode of 48 Hours is a must-listen.

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Note: Times in brackets [MM:SS] correspond to the transcript timestamps for reference.

Transcript

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[Natalie Morales]

Welcome back to a new episode of postmortem. I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales. I'm filling in for Ann Marie Green. She is on assignment right now for 48 hours. But I am here with the fabulous producers of this hour, Jenna Jackson and Mary Murphy, to talk about our most recent report on the case of Mary Katherine Edwards, who was murdered in the mid-1990s in Beaumont, Texas. And her case went cold for decades. Mary and Jenna, thanks so much for joining me today to break down the case and all the work that went into putting this together.

[Mary Murphy]

Thanks for having us.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah.

[Natalie Morales]

Now remember, for you who are listening, if you haven't listened to this 48 hours episode yet, you can find the full audio just below this episode in your podcast feed. Just go take a listen, then come right back here for our conversation. Mary and Jenna, we can all agree that this is probably one of the most remarkable cold cases I think that we have worked on, right?

[Jenna Jackson]

Oh, yeah. I mean, and the components between the familial testing and the family tree just growing and growing and growing and what everybody had to do to whittle it down. And then there's just this kind of Astonishing twist that no one could have predicted.

[Mary Murphy]

And you have a husband, wife, detective team, which is always fun. And then you throw a Texas Ranger in the mix. What can we love more than that?

[Natalie Morales]

I'll tell you, I loved interviewing a Texas Ranger. I mean, he walked in with his faux croc embossed cowboy boots with the Texas Ranger seal on it. He had the ring, he had the hat. I mean, it was the full effect and the great storytelling. I mean, Ranger Bess is incredible.

[Jenna Jackson]

Ranger Bess could have his own show.

[Natalie Morales]

Yeah, he really could. I mean, he's the real deal and he's so committed. I mean, he realized when there was a major breakthrough with the Golden State Killer case that there was a possibility of using genetic genealogy perhaps to solve some of these cases. And this one immediately came to mind. Now, just to remind those who are listening, it all started back in 1995 in Beaumont, Texas. 31 year old schoolteacher Mary Katherine Edwards was found murdered, sexually assaulted and handcuffed in her own bathroom. Notably though, the handcuffs that were used on her were police grade, which Detective Llewellyn said it was sort of like a whispered ghost story in the hallways at police headquarters. He described it to us like people were trying to figure out who could it have been, did this person have a connection to the police. But you know, police were never really able to identify the perpetrator at the time. Although they did have DNA samples from the crime scene and those samples were so carefully preserved, which was so key. However, the forensic science was not advanced enough yet. So let's talk about genetic genealogy and how it's become a game changer in cases like this and specifically how it factored into this investigation.

[Mary Murphy]

I mean, I think it's pretty incredible that back in 95, first of all, they preserved the evidence so well that they still had enough DNA, you know, years later to do all of this testing. Not to mention the fact that they had tested multiple people over the years, the detectives wouldn't give up. They kept going back to this case. So the fact that this genetic genealogy technology has come so far that they were able to put this DNA in the system and come up with almost 7,500 names. I love when Detective Erin Llewellyn says, you know, by the time it got bigger than my computer screen, my wife had to jump in because he was like, my mind was blown, basically.

[Jenna Jackson]

And what they did was a very multilayered, complicated process where they were doing the family tree, but they were also researching the birth and death records, googling with certain Things in mind like who's in education, who's near Beaumont, Texas. All things that they thought could lead them to the person who had the DNA at the crime scene. But to build it up and down and sideways and then have it be almost 7,500 people to get to one, to get to the person they became sure was the killer, that was really pretty amazing. And an unbelievable husband and wife team.

[Natalie Morales]

Yeah, I was going to say Tina.

[Jenna Jackson]

Wasn'T even assigned to the case. She's an auto crimes detective. He's the homicide guy. And suddenly she sees him floundering in front of the family tree, and she already knows a little bit about it, and so she just jumps in, and the obsession level just goes off the charts. And she's up all night, you know, and not sleeping. She knows there's a killer out there and she will not stop. She goes into Mary Catherine Diaries. There's nothing that Tina didn't do to try to get to the bottom of it.

[Natalie Morales]

Yeah, because they knew timing was of the essence because this is now more than two decades later. So they don't know, you know, at the time, like, how old is this killer? Is he still alive? So it's sort of a race against time. Right. And so it really came down to the detective work, the incredible two dynamic duos that we saw in this hour, which I love, as you mentioned, there's the men work in the case, and then there's the women as part of sort of the sleuthing team.

[Jenna Jackson]

So Tina's building out the tree, and she keeps running it into this family name, Lapointe. And then she runs into Shira, keeps coming up. Shira lapointe. And she's saying, who is this person? Why is she everywhere? And could she be related to her suspect? So she gets Aaron to do the calling. Erin calls her up, and not only is Shira uploading her family tree, and it turns out there may be some distant connection. She's also a professional genetic genealogist. So suddenly they have this new person who knows how to work these cases, has done at least one with the Texas Killing Fields, where she identified a woman in that case who had been buried along the highway with all those other victims. And they just. Tina and Shira to this day are really great friends. It was a huge connection. And they. And they even described Shira was driving almost through Beaumont. So they met and they said, we sat. We met in a coffee shop, and we were both wearing, like, the same cat eye glasses. I mean, this sort of mind meld was just, it was just incredible.

[Natalie Morales]

These two had to, had to meet and it's a bond forever that they'll have. And as you said, Mary, they're trying to sort of put the pieces together who's still alive, but also who lived in Beaumont around that time, who went to possibly that high school even. And then they passed off their info to Detective Aaron Llewellyn and Texas Ranger Brandon Best to then try to track down any potential leads in person. What I loved is, you know, as we talked to Ranger Beth, how he told me he and Aaron, they would then have to knock on people's doors and say, you know, will you give us a sample of your DNA? Which is, I mean, that's not an easy thing to do in this day and age. People are, you know, very skeptical and probably not going to want to do that, but they had a charming way of going about it. I want to play for you a clip from that hour. Take a listen.

[Brandon Best]

When we would sense anxiety in someone, Aaron would immediately tell them, hey, who do you want to play you in the movie? And they would look at Aaron like he was crazy and say, what are you talking about? Well, this guy's a Texas Ranger. Everything they do turns into a movie. Who do you want to play your role in this movie? That calmed him down every time. And I of course threw out there, hey, I've already got Brad Pitt. So, you know, you can't, you can't be Brad because Brad's playing me.

[Natalie Morales]

You know, I do think there's a movie script in this. Although I told Ranger Best, I think he's more of a Matt Damon type.

[Mary Murphy]

He was fine with that.

[Natalie Morales]

He was fine. It really worked though, how they were able to get people to give their DNA up.

[Jenna Jackson]

And also the relay and the teamwork among the four of them was really very extraordinary to watch. And the way they work together, I mean, at one point Brandon Beth says to you, Natalie, and it doesn't make the show, but he talks about what it's like to be a cold case investigator, how they're just a different breathe, you know, and that many great policemen have already looked at a crime, but the cold case people come in and they look at it sideways. And he called it like looking at it from the 10 mile mark. You just get above it, look, look at everything. And that's what they all did together.

[Mary Murphy]

Yeah. And it was really cool too, how far technology is advanced but you still can't do it without good old fashioned detective work.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah.

[Natalie Morales]

What is so incredible? I mean, this was a cold case for more than two decades. And when it came to they were able to solve the crime and crack the case in a little less than three months. Right. They were working at a fast and furious pace, though.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah. Tina actually said in testimony that had she billed for overtime, it would have amounted to something like $50,000. So that's a lot of hours.

[Natalie Morales]

And then it turns out that Shara hits pay dirt with the DNA, and she is able to build out that family tree and get it to a point where she pared it down to two brothers, Michael and Clayton Foreman. And it turns out they went to the same high school as Katherine Edwards. So what did they find when they looked into Clayton, and how did that eliminate Michael?

[Jenna Jackson]

Well, that's a very dramatic moment. Erin Llewellyn describes just running a check on both of them to see if they have a criminal record. And Michael is completely clean as a whistle. But Clayton Foreman has a conviction for aggravated assaults. There are some similarities to what happened to Mary Catherine. And suddenly they are off to the races. This is our guy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We.

[Jenna Jackson]

We are on the right track.

[Mary Murphy]

At that point, they felt like, okay, this has to be our guy. You know, the mo's the same. This is too close. And so they find Clayton Foreman. He's living in Ohio at the time, and they contacted the police in Ohio and say, will you do us a favor, basically, and go grab his trash from the curb in front of his house? So they did. They brought back the trash to Beaumont, Texas, had it tested in the DPS lab, and it was a match. So then those guys are like, okay, let's go get him.

[Natalie Morales]

Yeah. We saw the remarkable police interrogation. I mean, that was sort of a masterpiece in. In police work. And so fascinating to see how they sort of wove through the interrogation and then kind of cornered Clayton Foreman. So Ranger Bess and Detective Llewellyn, they essentially tag team the whole thing. But then comes the real clincher of the moment there, right, Mary?

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah. I mean, these guys so much heart went into what they were doing. So they finally, after all their hard work and all these years, they've got an arrest warrant for them. And they have one thing, just one more thing they really need to do. And they worked it out with the prosecutors. They brought the very handcuffs that had bound Mary Catherine the night she died, and they slapped him on Clayton Foreman. And that was such a moment. When Ranger Best talks to you about it, he just says it felt so good and that we had done something for Catherine at the moment.

[Natalie Morales]

He said, he was doing that for her, as if he was able to physically take the handcuffs off of her when she was murdered and put them back on the guy who was responsible for killing her. I mean, it was a huge deal and definitely for them, a moment where I think they felt, you know, finally, job done.

[Jenna Jackson]

And so symbolic. It was just this sort of parting thing they had to do.

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[Natalie Morales]

Welcome back. And now to the big twist in this case. We interviewed Catherine's childhood friend, Diana Ko, who had once been married to Clayton Foreman. Clayton Foreman was Katherine's killer. Jen, I think listeners would be really surprised to know. I mean, you were the booking producer. You helped get us all these great people and characters. But Diana took a long time. She only agreed to do this interview with us just days before the broadcast aired. How difficult was it to convince her to do it?

[Mary Murphy]

It took a while. It was difficult. Her brother Scooter, who was wonderful, and her sister were really trying to convince her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about, that she was a victim in this as well, and that, you know, people needed to hear that this guy was hiding in plain sight and that none of them knew it. I mean, they describe him being at Christmases and Easters, Diana and Clayton Foreman had a child together. She had no idea. I mean, there were some signs of that. Maybe he wasn't the most truthful person, that he wasn't the greatest husband, but no signs of violence ever.

[Jenna Jackson]

I just have to say my hat is completely off to Jenna. What she did and the delicacy that you Must have when you're dealing with victims. And Jenna just did a remarkable job with just respect and gained their trust.

[Mary Murphy]

They were a very nice family. I mean, Natalie, your interview with Diana and the siblings was just incredible. It was great that she finally felt comfortable talking. And she told me after it was very cathartic for her.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, and I think she recognizes, and she realizes that if there are other victims of his out there, you know, she was doing this for them as well. She wants them to be able to have a voice and to be able to come forward. And she feels by telling her story, perhaps they will come forward too.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah, I think that was very important to her and one of the deciding factors.

[Natalie Morales]

But she did say she did feel some guilt for being the connection between Clayton and her friends Catherine and Allyson, because they were the bridesmaids at their wedding. She felt like perhaps she introduced Catherine and Allison into his orbit. So there's that heartbreaking moment when Diana said, I think if he wouldn't have married me, she'd still be alive. I mean, that just gutted me when she said that.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah, that was so. It was wrenching, just wrenching.

[Natalie Morales]

And then she had to testify at the trial.

[Mary Murphy]

She was incredibly brave. So were all the women who came in and testified. You have to get up on the stand and look at him while you're up there testifying. And I think it was very emotional for Diana because she hadn't had to face him since she found this out. It was still very surreal to her, but she also found out so many other things that he had done, and he had had so many other victims who had lived to tell what he had done to them.

[Natalie Morales]

Before she married Clayton Foreman, she knew there had been something in his past, but she didn't know really what had happened. Right, Jenna?

[Mary Murphy]

It was a chilling moment for Diana later at trial when she realized before she married Clayton, this woman, who was a fellow classmate of hers at the same high school, had been raped by him. And this woman came forward and testified. You know, she hadn't spoken about this in almost 30 years as well. It was incredibly hard and painful for her to come forward. But for Diana realizing that this had actually happened and that her future husband explained it away as. It's just he said, she said, misunderstanding. And she believed him because she had no reason not to. And just hearing that woman's testimony was very hard for Diana.

[Natalie Morales]

I think the hardest part of watching some of the testimony, I think, was seeing Catherine's identical twin sister Alison, up there on the stand and Decades later, how much she still misses and loves and feels that connection to her sister. And we should say Alison declined an interview with us, but we did hear her on the stand. I want to play a clip from that.

[Jenna Jackson]

I didn't know what happened to her. It was just that she was gone, was all I knew.

[Natalie Morales]

The pain and the loss still so palpable.

[Jenna Jackson]

Four years later, I had a daughter.

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And her name is Katherine. Katherine, after my sister. And she never got to know her.

[Jenna Jackson]

That's the hardest part.

[Natalie Morales]

When I saw the first time that testimony, I mean, I cried. You can't watch this and not get emotional.

[Mary Murphy]

Heartbreaking.

[Jenna Jackson]

I think that the identical twin bond is so sort of deeply ingrained, it's just got to be awful. It was awful to listen to her and see her.

[Natalie Morales]

And we point out, as you're watching her testimony, that it's not just, you know, hearing, but also you see the possibility of what Catherine would have looked like. You know, there she is, Alison at 60, and she is the fitting image of what could have been.

[Mary Murphy]

I mean, they looked exactly alike to the point where they would play pranks and do a little parent trap switch, and they would switch places with each other and no one would know. I mean, we discovered there was a yearbook photo that was mislabeled as Catherine and Allison, and it, in fact, was the reverse.

[Jenna Jackson]

The story went that Catherine Botellar, young school children. If you see me on the street and say hello, and I don't answer, it's because it's my sister out. She didn't want them thinking they were ignored.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, Clayton's defense attorney said in his closing arguments that while he may have done terrible things to all of these women, it didn't make him a murderer. Are authorities, though, looking now into other possible cold cases to see if he may be connected to them? I mean, I think all of them said they believe there's the possibility, right?

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah. They all suspect that there are more victims that. That either have not come forward or that they haven't found. And so there is an ongoing look at all the places he lived to see if they can connect any dots to any unsolved cases.

[Mary Murphy]

Yeah. And I think these detectives, as we saw, you know, once they sink their teeth into something, they don't give up. So they're all pretty committed to making sure his DNA is loaded into all the systems.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, on the case of Mary Katherine Edwards, it only took the jury less than an hour, and they found Clayton Foreman guilty for capital murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, but For Tina, Shara, Brandon, and Aaron, who played such a pivotal role in this investigation, take us back to when they heard the verdict and how they reacted.

[Jenna Jackson]

Erin said, we did it. And it was just very emotional because everything about the case was emotional. And they all said a version of, yes, it's the ending we wanted, and, yes, it's what we worked for, but to call it justice for Mary Catherine is just too difficult for them because this guy got to roam the earth and have a family and get married twice and live a life, and Catherine got none of those things. So. And everybody, I think, had to go back and dwell on the fact that he was just, as Jenna said, hiding in plain sight. He was just there, and nobody thought twice about him.

[Mary Murphy]

And I think, you know, this is one of those cases that everyone said, if not for technology advancements and this incredible genetic genealogy, this would never have been solved. And these guys are continuing to solve cases. OTHRAM Labs, who we spoke to, who is very instrumental in this case. They're continuing to solve cold cases daily, which is incredible.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, I love how we end the hour, and really, it's reflecting on how Catherine lived her life and the impact she had as a schoolteacher. And we have one of her students who sat during the trial and was there when the verdict came in, and she really wanted to be there to see justice. Helenia Adams, tell us about her connection to her teacher and what it meant for her to finally see this story, you know, come to at least a conclusion that she can live with and now move on.

[Mary Murphy]

I think Helenia, I mean, she lost her favorite teacher, who had been such an impactful part of her life when she was seven years old. And when we were talking to her, it was like it was yesterday. She was so moved by Ms. Edwards, as she called her, and, you know, to the point where, like you said, Natalie, she attended trial every day, except for one. She's getting her master's in criminal justice right now and plans to go to law school. She wants to be a part of the Justice League system that finally brought this to a close. She was very inspired by that. So it was incredible to talk to her.

[Natalie Morales]

And I. And I love that Catherine leaves a legacy of, you know, young children who she touched who have now grown into incredible and productive human beings who perhaps could make a difference in the future.

[Mary Murphy]

Exactly.

[Jenna Jackson]

Yeah.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, Jenna and Mary, thank you once again. It was so great working with both of you on this, and thanks for taking the time to talk about the case.

[Jenna Jackson]

It was great to work with you. Natalie, thank you so much.

[Mary Murphy]

Thank you Natalie.

[Natalie Morales]

Ann Marie is going to be back with you next week with a new postmortem. I hope you enjoyed our conversation and remember to rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also listen ad free on Amazon Music, Wondery plus in the Wondery app, or with a 48 hour speaker plus subscription on Apple Podcast. Again, thank you all for listening.

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