Cold Case Files — “Murder He Wrote / Caught By the Past”
Podcast Date: April 28, 2026
Host/Narrator: Marisa Pinson
Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Episode Overview
This episode dissects two complex cold cases that stumped detectives for years:
- The 1989 murder of Detroit cab company owner Xavier Giller, solved 16 years later through the confessions of an accomplice and the retrieval of long-lost evidence.
- The 1986 rape and murder of Atlanta TV station employee Clydine Dallas, closed 18 years later with a critical DNA match.
The stories highlight the perseverance of law enforcement, the emotional impact on victims’ families, and the crucial role of forensic breakthroughs and witness statements in delivering justice after decades.
Case 1: The Murder of Xavier Giller (Detroit, Michigan, 1989)
The Crime & Initial Stalemate
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Setting the Scene:
- On June 19, 1989, Xavier Giller was found shot next to his garage, with signs of a robbery gone wrong.
- Three guns were reported stolen from the home; a .38 revolver (belonging to Giller) was found by his body (02:18).
- Robbery was suspected as the motive (“They were laying things out on the bed in preparation of taking them.” — [F], 02:45).
- Giller’s wife, Catherine, survived after being knocked unconscious by one of the intruders (03:54).
- No usable fingerprints or solid leads initially; the case quickly grew cold.
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Victim Background:
- Giller owned a cab company in a rough part of Detroit and was rumored to keep substantial cash at home (“Bragging that he had a million dollars in the safe at his house.” — [F], 04:49).
The Breakthrough (15 Years Later)
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The Anonymous Call
- In December 2004, Xavier’s daughter, Bonnie Swoboda, received a mysterious call claiming to have information about her father’s death [05:42–06:26].
- “I have information regarding your dad's death and that you're going to find out by Christmas...” — Bonnie, 05:57
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Tracing the Informant:
- Sgt. Corey Williams traced the call to California; the caller admitted to possessing the killer’s confession (07:16).
- She had fallen in love with Richard Mutica, who’d confessed to Giller’s murder in a detailed letter.
Mutica’s Confession & Lawson’s Arrest
Lawson on Trial
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Lawson’s Incriminations:
- When acting as his own lawyer, Lawson accidentally implicated himself:
- “What time did we arrive at the scene here?” — [D], 22:38
- “The judge kept admonishing him… you’re making admissions on the record.” — [M], 22:36
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Crisis:
- Mutica briefly escaped custody before trial but was quickly recaptured, raising questions about his reliability (23:19–23:52).
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The Verdict:
- Despite the escape, the jury found Mutica’s detailed, corroborated account credible ([M], 24:11–24:41).
- Richard Lawson was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole.
- “He didn't really show any emotion or remorse… He was more concerned with Richard Lawson.” — [I], 24:50
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Aftermath:
- Lawson continued to evade full responsibility, blaming memory loss from a stroke (25:12).
- “In all truthfulness, I cannot say that I had no involvement… The crime fell within that 10 years [I lost to a stroke].” — [D], 25:12
- Giller’s family, though grateful for justice, struggles with forgiveness and grief:
- “The hard part… is knowing that God forgives everybody and he's going to be up there with my dad… My dad's not breathing, so why should he be?” — Bonnie, 25:57
Case 2: The Murder of Clydine Dallas (Atlanta, Georgia, 1986)
The Crime
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Discovery:
- On October 3, 1986, Clydine Dallas failed to show up for work at WSB-TV; her daughter, Tasha, found her murdered in her ransacked home ([27:05], [27:28]).
- “When I walked in, I was like, this is not right… went in her bedroom and that’s where I found her.” — Tasha, 27:28
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Crime Scene:
- Dallas was found naked, bound with bed sheets around her neck; she’d been sexually assaulted ([B], 27:59; [P], 28:12).
- Entry was gained by a window; prints and forensic evidence recovered but yielded no immediate matches ([P], 28:38–28:57).
Years Without Answers
- Failed Leads:
- Stolen car discovered nearby, prints again yielded no suspects ([P], 30:34–30:48).
- Multiple suspects cleared; the case went cold ([P], 31:00–31:12).
- Extended family haunted by lack of closure:
- “Would they ever find out who murdered my sister? …Will it ever happen?” — [S], 31:48
Cold Case Squad & the DNA Breakthrough (2004)
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The Cold Case Team:
- In 2004, Atlanta’s cold case squad revisited files with sexual assault evidence (32:09–32:52).
- DNA from Dallas’s rape kit entered into CODIS yielded a match to Richard Hambrick, a convicted felon (33:10–33:24).
- “The frequency of someone having the exact same info… is well over 1 in 10 billion.” — [Q], 33:29
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Connecting the Dots:
- Hambrick had lived across from where Dallas’s car was abandoned and his brother lived across from Dallas at the time of the murder (34:20).
Interrogation & Confession Attempts
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Detectives’ Approach:
- Detectives visited Hambrick at his home; he initially pretended to be his brother (37:41–38:10).
- Hambrick denied knowing Dallas, but DNA and circumstantial evidence contradicted him ([N], 38:14–38:35).
- “You watch Cold Case Files, right? Well, we work Cold Case Files. That's what we do.” — [N], 39:29
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Hambrick’s Defense:
- He eventually claimed to have had a consensual sexual relationship with Dallas, but couldn't substantiate any details about her life (41:08).
Prosecution & Verdict
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Trial:
- Prosecutor Sheila Ross focused on the DNA’s strength and the impossibility of consensual sex, given evidence of forced entry and bindings (42:18–43:15).
- “You can't say, based on the way she was found, that you had consensual sex with her…” — [T], 43:15
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Verdict & Sentencing:
- Hambrick found guilty; sentenced to life in prison.
- “It helps me, but it doesn’t bring her back… He gets to live every day, and my mother don’t.” — Tasha Dallas, 43:48
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Reflection:
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For investigators, it’s a relentless march: “It’s nonstop… we just hit the rewind button and started over again. We identified over a thousand cases going back to pre-1970.” — [N], 44:17
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For the Dallas family: “We always miss you and we never forget you. She’ll never leave us… always in our hearts.” — [S], 44:34
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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“It's been my experience… that whenever there are two people or more involved [in a crime], sooner or later one of them is going to tell somebody.” — Sgt. Donald Van der Sloot, [05:20]
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“I poured out the information… I just felt like I wanted to break free of this man.” — Richard Mutica, [09:57]
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“Finding these guns is what made our case, made Mutica believable.” — Detective Corey Williams, [21:28]
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“Was kind of amusing in that… Mr. Lawson thinks he’s the smartest man in the courtroom… and he made some terrible mistakes.” — Prosecutor Rob Moran, on Lawson questioning Mutica as his own lawyer, [22:02–22:43]
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“Rich, you know what today is? Today is your past catching up with you.” — Detective Vince Velasquez to Richard Hambrick, [34:54] & [39:21]
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“The answer for 18 years that everybody was looking for was contained in this little packet and was contained on the tip of a Q-tip.” — Prosecutor Sheila Ross on DNA, [42:40–42:49]
Key Timestamps
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[01:22] — Investigators search for evidence in a New Jersey pond
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[05:20] — Van der Sloot’s thoughts on persistent secrets
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[06:40] — Police begin to pursue the anonymous informant lead
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[08:16] — Mutica’s letter and detailed confession
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[11:54] — Mutica granted immunity to testify
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[16:40] — Divers search for the stolen guns in New Jersey
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[21:28] — Guns recovered; credibility established for Mutica
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[22:02–22:43] — Lawson incriminates himself at pretrial
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[23:19] — Mutica escapes, momentarily jeopardizing case
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[24:41] — Verdict: Lawson found guilty
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[25:57] — Giller’s daughter reflects on justice and loss
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[27:15] — Tasha Dallas finds her mother’s body
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[32:52] — DNA pulled from Dallas’s rape kit; entered in CODIS
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[33:29] — Match to Richard Hambrick discovered
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[34:54] — Confrontation of Hambrick
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[41:08] — Hambrick’s implausible defense
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[43:44] — Jury announces “Guilty” verdict
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[44:34] — Tasha Dallas and family memorialize Clydine
Tone & Storytelling Style
The narration maintains a somber, matter-of-fact tone, emphasizing the painstaking, often frustrating process detectives must endure. The interviews with detectives, family members, and even the killers themselves add human depth and emotional weight. The hope for resolution is palpable, but the pain of loss—no matter how delayed or overdue justice may be—never fully dissipates.
Conclusion
This episode showcases how unyielding investigative work, advancements in forensic science, and the willingness of people to finally speak up can bring answers to the most challenging cold cases. Even after decades, justice—though imperfect in the face of irreplaceable loss—can still be served. For the families of Xavier Giller and Clydine Dallas, closure finally arrived, offering a measure of peace and remembrance.