America's Crime Lab

Episode: S1:E7 – "The Mount Everest of Cold Cases Part 2"
Release Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Aylin Lance Lesser
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts & Kaleidoscope

Overview

This episode concludes the two-part series investigating the 1959 abduction, rape, and murder of nine-year-old Candy Rogers in Spokane, Washington, a case that haunted the community for over six decades. The show chronicles the unrelenting hunt for her killer, the breakthroughs enabled by forensic genetic genealogy, the emotional toll on both investigators and the family of the perpetrator, and the seismic impact of finally solving what was once considered an unbreakable case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Where Last We Left Off: The Search for the Killer (02:58–04:05)

• The case had just reached a breakthrough: DNA from Candy’s underwear yielded a profile. Using forensic genetic genealogy, Othram analysts narrowed the pool to three deceased brothers—the Hoff/Rahoff family.
• Investigators searched for children of the brothers, finding potential leads with John Rahoff, who had four children.

2. John Rahoff’s Background and Early Red Flags (04:34–07:34)

• Rahoff grew up in Spokane, led a troubled youth with petty crimes, was sent to the army at 17, and returned to Spokane by age 20—Candy’s age at the time of the crime.
• Potential connections: Rahoff’s younger stepsister, a Campfire Girl like Candy, possibly linked their families socially.
• Additional red flags:
  • Convicted of a near-fatal assault on a female property manager after pretending to rent an apartment (paralleling details from Candy’s murder).
  • Served short jail time, was declared a deserter, and dishonorably discharged from the army.
  • Linked by geography and history to the area of another unsolved child murder (Sherry Edgell) with disturbing similarities.

3. Encounter with Rahoff’s Family & The Emotional Toll (08:34–11:43)

• Sergeant Zach Stormant describes the agonizing moment confronting Kathy, Rahoff’s daughter, and her granddaughter, with the shocking news that their father/grandfather might be Candy’s killer.
• Quote: “You're essentially pulling up their root and tearing it out of the ground and saying, no, your family's not what you think.” – Sgt. Zach Stormant (08:34)
• Kathy, nine when her father died, agrees to provide a DNA sample, feeling the weight and trauma of the moment.

4. The Waiting Game and DNA Breakthrough (11:43–15:56)

• Forensic scientist Brittany Wright rushes Kathy’s DNA for testing, working overnight.
• The DNA match is definitive, linking the child to the semen sample but not yet specifying which of the three brothers is responsible.
• Family complications arise: Rahoff’s wife had an affair with one of his brothers, raising paternity doubts.
• Further interviews confirm Kathy was John Rahoff’s biological daughter, but full certainty awaits testing Rahoff’s own remains.

5. Exhumation and Final Identification (18:02–21:06)

• Investigators secure a warrant to exhume Rahoff’s remains to directly test his DNA.
• The exhumation is wrenching: Rahoff is buried mere yards from Candy in the same cemetery—a cruel irony that devastates both families.
• After initial difficulties, DNA is recovered from his teeth, providing a conclusive match.
• Quote: “The DNA test on the body comes back very definitively... we know it is John and not one of the brothers.” – Sgt. Zach Stormant (20:47)

6. Public Announcement and Ripple Effects (21:52–24:15)

• A press conference in November 2021 draws a packed house, including retired and current law enforcement and family members.
• Unexpected, poignant moments: The original detective who found Candy’s body attends at age 93, emotional after a lifetime awaiting the answer.
• Quote: “I waited every single day my entire life to hear this answer. This can’t come fast enough.” – Retired Detective (24:26)

7. Aftermath for Rahoff’s Family & Community (29:54–31:04)

• Rahoff’s widow and children are adamant: he should not remain buried near Candy. His remains are cremated and reinterred elsewhere, and his headstone is destroyed.
• Kathy and her siblings grapple with shame, disbelief, and a loss of innocence.
• Quote: “He got to die with people thinking he was an upstanding man, and he wasn’t.” – Rahoff family member (31:04)

8. Broader Impact: Science, Policy, and Closure (31:23–36:04)

• The Candy Rogers case became a landmark for the use of forensic DNA in cold cases, proving that even decades-old, degraded evidence can yield answers with the right technology.
• As a direct result, Spokane cleared a backlog of 38 unidentified human remains cases and committed to using DNA and genetic genealogy on all future unidentified remains.
• Quote: “If there’s an unsolved crime and there’s DNA evidence, there’s an answer that’s waiting.” – Gwen Washington (32:06)
• Sgt. Stormant reflects on the immense, generational pain caused by one act of violence:
  • “It's incredible what one person's selfish actions in a small amount of time, the damage and the ripple effect that spread through the decades can have. It's incredible.” (35:51)

9. Lingering Questions and Final Reflections (32:19–35:33)

• The reconstructed timeline and geography of Candy’s abduction reflect possibilities shaped by Rahoff’s military background and access to now-demolished military facilities.
• Candy was held for days, and details from her autopsy and discarded mint boxes suggest a thwarted, desperate act.
• The case’s public files remain open for new insights—the search for full understanding continues.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:46 | Sgt. Zach Stormant | “There’s going to be a moment in time where you as the cold case detective are the only person in the world that knows who killed that person.” | | 08:34 | Sgt. Zach Stormant | “You're essentially pulling up their root and tearing it out of the ground...” | | 10:51 | Sgt. Zach Stormant | “This is the one. This is the case.” (describing his feelings when delivering the DNA sample) | | 20:47 | Sgt. Zach Stormant | “The DNA test on the body comes back very definitively... we know it is John and not one of the brothers.” | | 24:26 | Retired Detective | “I waited every single day my entire life to hear this answer. This can’t come fast enough.” | | 31:04 | Rahoff family member | “He got to die with people thinking he was an upstanding man, and he wasn’t.” | | 32:06 | Gwen Washington | “If there’s an unsolved crime and there’s DNA evidence, there’s an answer that’s waiting.” | | 35:51 | Sgt. Zach Stormant | “It's incredible what one person's selfish actions in a small amount of time, the damage and the ripple effect that spread through the decades can have.” |

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:46] Cold case detective’s burden
• [04:34–07:34] John Rahoff’s background and red flags
• [08:34–10:27] Confronting Rahoff’s family, seeking DNA
• [11:43–15:56] Lab analysis and paternity complexities
• [18:02–21:06] Exhuming Rahoff and final DNA match
• [21:52–24:15] Press conference and community response
• [29:54–31:04] Aftermath for Rahoff’s family
• [31:23–35:33] Scientific, emotional, and societal impact

Conclusion

Episode 7 of America's Crime Lab powerfully demonstrates how persistence, compassion, and new science finally unraveled an infamous cold case. The host and guests blend detective work with deep empathy for victims and families—on both sides—showing how the consequences of one horrific crime radiated across generations. The narrative closes not only with a hard-won answer to Spokane’s longest-running mystery but with a reminder that even the oldest cases can be solved, and that the pursuit of truth matters, for both justice and healing.