Podcast Summary: 48 Hours – "Walking Free"
Host: Richard Schlesinger (CBS News)
Date: January 8, 2026
Episode Theme:
The episode "Walking Free" dives deep into the exoneration of David Cam, a former Indiana State Trooper accused of the 2000 murders of his wife and two young children. Through interviews with Cam, his family, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors, and the man ultimately linked to the crime scene, Charles Bonet, "48 Hours" reconstructs the harrowing 13-year journey through the justice system—three trials, two overturned convictions, a decades-long fight for the truth, and the profound costs of a wrongful conviction.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. David Cam's Release and Emotional Aftermath
- Initial Freedom: The episode opens with David Cam reflecting on what freedom feels like after years behind bars.
"It's amazing. It's hard not to find me with a smile on my face. It's just an overwhelming happiness that I can't and don't want to ever lose." – David Cam (00:41)
- Describing Return Home: Cam shares how, despite years lost, reuniting with loved ones is both joyous and bittersweet, longing for things that can never return.
"I want my family back. I want my babies back. I want my wife back." – David Cam (01:58)
2. The Crime and Immediate Aftermath
- Recounting the Night: Cam vividly describes discovering his family's murder upon arriving home, emphasizing his shock and immediate search for his children.
"I get down in her face and I'm yelling at her, Kim, Kim. In her eyes, I could tell she was gone. And it just hit me: where are the kids? Where are the kids?" – David Cam (02:38)
- Crime Scene Details: Schlesinger recounts the crime—a garage, Kim's body with her shoes set atop the SUV, and the two children shot execution-style in the car (04:53).
3. Prosecution vs. Defense: Theories, Evidence, and Motive
- Prosecution's Case: Built upon alleged motive (extramarital affairs, claims of child molestation), blood spatter evidence, and the idea that Cam slipped out of a basketball game to commit the crime.
"This is from high velocity mist… the person that got this on him would be in close proximity within 4ft of the shots when they were fired." – Prosecution Blood Expert (07:39)
- Defense Response: Eleven basketball witnesses vouched for Cam’s presence, challenging the plausibility of his absence and questioning the blood evidence's interpretation.
- Motivation Claims: Prosecution introduced the possibility of molestation as a motive, though Cam was never charged, and this assertion was ultimately deemed prejudicial by appellate judges (09:17).
4. Family Perspectives and Judicial Frustration
- Victims’ Family Response: Kim's parents remain steadfast in believing Cam’s guilt, viewing his exoneration as legal maneuvering, not exculpation (06:21, 39:42).
- Cam's Family Support: Unwavering advocacy from his relatives, especially his uncle who was also a basketball witness (09:29).
5. Breakdown in the Investigation
- Early Investigation Errors: Only three days after the murders, police charged Cam, who’d recently left the force—showing potential bias and groupthink among investigators who knew him (05:30).
- Unanswered Evidence: A sweatshirt left at the scene, inscribed "Backbone," contained previously untested DNA that would become pivotal (10:52).
6. The Charles Bonet Factor
- Bonet’s Introduction: DNA and a palm print on the sweatshirt eventually identified Charles Bonet, an ex-con, as present at the scene. Prosecutors had overlooked or misrepresented this connection for years (11:28).
- Contradictory Testimonies: Bonet repeatedly lied in his initial interviews, later admitting deceit and shifting stories. The prosecution used him to support their narrative, creating controversy (12:27, 12:39).
7. Repeated Trials and Overturned Convictions
- Three Trials in 13 Years: Each trial brought new strategies, evidence, and legal teams. Two convictions were overturned: one based on inadmissible "bad character" evidence, the next for undue influence regarding molestation claims (23:31).
- DNA Breakthrough: Revolutionary touch DNA techniques uncovered Bonet’s DNA on all victims, under Kim’s fingernails, and throughout the crime scene. The defense argued this pointed to Bonet’s direct involvement (27:30–28:51).
8. Third Trial and Final Acquittal
- Jury Deliberation and Verdict: After 10 hours, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict (33:05).
"That beginning of 'not' with the N, that was extraordinary. The truth is going to prevail. But I had to hear three 'nots…'" – David Cam (33:05)
- Juror Perspectives: Jurors focus more on Cam's alibi—his presence at basketball—than the contested forensic evidence (38:06).
"The main reason that we all came together to acquit him was because of the ballplayers." – Juror (38:18)
9. Reflections on the Justice System
- Flawed Justice: Cam denounces the trial court system in Southern Indiana for systemic failure, bias, and incompetence (04:06).
- Investigator Critique: Jurors and attorneys suggest investigators sought evidence to prove Cam's guilt rather than following leads objectively (36:18, 36:40).
"They're not searching for a murderer. They're searching for evidence that David did it." – Defense Attorney Stacy Uliana (36:43)
10. Aftermath and Lingering Pain
- Therapeutic Closure: Cam symbolically burns his prison uniform, expressing relief and gratitude (34:23–34:51).
- Unresolved Grief: Cam is protective of private memories of his wife and children, hinting at the emotional costs that justice cannot repair (40:04–40:32).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- David Cam, on Exoneration:
"It's amazing. It's hard not to find me with a smile on my face." (00:41)
- Defense Attorney on Investigation Flaws:
"They're not searching for a murderer. They're searching for evidence that David did it." – Stacy Uliana (36:43)
- Juror on Reason for Acquittal:
"The main reason that we all came together to acquit him was because of the ballplayers." (38:18)
- Bonet’s Admission of Lying:
"I lied about not knowing David Cam in the very beginning...I gave Pinocchio a run for the Oscar." – Charles Bonet (12:39)
- Cam on Grief and Privacy:
"They've taken everything else from me. And I'm holding those [memories] for myself." (40:32)
Timestamps for Critical Segments
- David Cam Describes Freedom: 00:41
- Cam Recounts Finding the Bodies: 02:38
- Introduction of Charles Bonet: 03:10, 11:28
- Crime Scene Details: 04:53
- Attacks on Police Investigation: 05:30, 09:49
- Jury Convicts Cam (First Trial): 10:10
- Shock Over Sweatshirt and Breakthrough DNA: 10:52, 27:30
- Bonet’s Contradictions and Background: 12:27, 16:24, 16:51
- New DNA Evidence, Touch DNA: 27:30–28:51
- Cam and Bonet Face Off in Court: 30:20–30:53
- Acquittal and Emotional Aftermath: 33:05, 34:23, 34:51
- Juror Explains Acquittal: 38:18
- David Cam Withholds Personal Memories: 40:20–40:32
Conclusion
"Walking Free" methodically pieces together the David Cam case, using firsthand accounts, courtroom revelations, evolving forensic science, and critical re-examination of police work. The episode underscores how wrongful convictions are propelled by tunnel vision, flawed forensics, and prosecutorial overreach—and how relentless defense, persistent families, and new science can set the record straight, but not without irreversible loss. The justice system's triumph is laced with tragedy, as the episode closes on Cam's guarded grief and a community still divided on what, after all, counts as truth and closure.