REOPENED: Death of A Hero

Summary

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Cold Case Files: REOPENED – "Death of a Hero"

Release Date: July 2, 2026
Host: Marisa Pinson
Case: The 2007 murder of Benny Angelo, an 87-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor from Canton, Ohio

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode of Cold Case Files follows the harrowing journey of Becky Angelo and her family after her father's brutal murder in 2007. Benny Angelo was not just a beloved community member—he was a decorated WWII and Pearl Harbor veteran. The case went cold for years despite desperate efforts from family and police, only to be rekindled through dogged determination, community engagement, and breakthroughs in witness testimony. The episode explores the emotional toll of unsolved crime, intricacies of forensic investigation, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Timeline

Remembering Benny Angelo

• [01:40] Becky Angelo shares heartfelt memories of her father:
  • Active at 87, still volunteered for veterans, worked on his house.
  • "He just had a good heart. Everything changed that day. ... The only type of person that could do something like this had to just be pure evil."
• [03:44] Recollections of a loving, humorous, and spirited father, survivor of Pearl Harbor.
• [04:41] Becky recounts Benny's war stories and community status.
  • "He would tell stories where he could see the eyes of the Japanese pilots coming down. ... He just wanted to keep that memory alive." – Becky Angelo

The Crime Scene: Fire and Foul Play

• [05:34] Benny's house is found in flames. The fire is suspicious.
• [05:50] Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli describes search and rescue:
  • "You're coming into something where possibly you have someone deceased in there, ... but quite possibly you may be able to save him."
• [06:46] First responders find no soot in Benny’s mouth—he was dead before the fire.
• [07:07] Carofelli:
  • The house was ransacked; safe open; liquor splashed as accelerant.
  • "It looked like stuff had been rummaged through and thrown aside, ... strange burn patterns."
• [08:00] Signs point to home invasion robbery and murder before arson.

The Investigation Begins

• [08:25] Detective Victor George
  • No forced entry; Benny likely knew his killer.
  • Benny’s own .32 caliber revolver is missing—used in the murder.
• [09:45] Medical examiner finds Benny was shot four times.
  • "I remember just kind of collapsing to the floor. ... What do you mean? He was shot four times?" – Becky Angelo [10:10]

Forensic Hurdles

• [15:14] Coroner confirms Benny shot with his own revolver.
• [16:06] Fire and water damage destroy most DNA evidence.
  • "It's one of the only crimes that your evidence decreases as the crime progresses." – Joe Carofelli
• [16:42] Single blonde hair found in door mechanism—later revealed to be from a dog.

Community Suspicion and Dead Ends

• [18:01] Family scrutinizes mourners at vigil, including a mysterious woman with a pink cowboy hat (later cleared).
• [19:45] Discovery: Benny had $20,000 saved for his children, missing after the crime.
• [20:36] Previous burglary two weeks before murder—possible connection explored.
• [21:13] Detective George considers neighborhood suspects but no solid leads.

The Case Goes Cold

• [23:00] Clue: Benny’s leather holster and ID found 1,500 feet from his home—no DNA.
• [24:20] Becky starts own investigation, even wearing a “Who Killed Benny?” sandwich board.
• [25:09] Detective George:
  • Concern for Becky’s safety: “Having a civilian attempt their own investigation is always a concern.”
• [26:21] Case slows, becomes an agonizing ordeal for the family.

A Daughter’s Relentless Search for Justice

• [27:46] Becky:
  • Sends flyers to every county jail in Ohio and neighboring states.
  • "I just kept thinking, somebody's gotta know something."
• [28:27] Breakthrough: Inmate tips police—overhears Regina Crank talk about cousin Chester Crank’s confession.
• [29:58] Multiple inmate testimonies mention Chester Crank.
• [30:43] Investigation refocuses; Crank’s home is near Benny’s and the dumped wallet.

Closing In: Undercover Operation

• [31:11] Regina Crank, wired by police, meets Chester who confesses on tape:
  • Chester: "I killed somebody."
  • Regina: "No, you didn't."
    Chester: "Yes, I did. Took his life. Took him like a—. Yep. I let my homies watch it." [31:21]

Justice at Last

• [32:02] Prosecutor John Ferrero:
  • "We finally had him on tape. He was charged with arson, murder, robbery, and burglary."
• [33:45] Becky:
  • "To sit in the courtroom probably four to six feet away from the person that killed our father... The things we had to hear. It was tough. My dad fought to the end."
• [34:21] Jury finds Chester Crank guilty of all charges; sentenced to life without parole.
• [35:11] Detective George:
  • Evidence suggests three others involved; investigation ongoing.

Emotional Resolution

• [35:47] Becky:
  • "It was almost like you could breathe again. ... I think I finally felt joy for the first time in about seven years."
• [36:34] Grief remains, but justice brings closure—holidays and life changed forever.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He did not give up. ... She wanted this solved, and she got it.” — Detective Victor George on Becky’s persistence [35:47]
• "You talk about a celebration. I mean, it's almost like you could breathe again. ... I'm not living this nightmare anymore." — Becky Angelo [35:47]
• "That's when I started sending out posters to the jails. People in jail talk. ... I just kept thinking, somebody's gotta know something." — Becky Angelo [26:54]
• "Having a civilian attempt their own investigation is always a concern.” — Detective Victor George [25:09]
• “To be killed with your own gun in your own home, you know, that's a hard pill to swallow.” — Becky Angelo [15:28]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] Introduction to Benny Angelo and his legacy
• [05:34] Discovery of the fire and early investigation
• [08:25] Detective George's walkthrough of the crime scene
• [13:18] Family's emotional reaction and crime scene aftermath
• [16:42] Discovery of the (ultimately false) “blonde hair” clue
• [22:38] Major clue found: holster and wallet
• [25:42] Becky’s activism and “sandwich board” protest
• [27:46] Becky mails jailhouse posters, leading to breakthrough
• [30:43] Focus turns to Chester Crank
• [31:21] Undercover confession (Regina and Chester tape)
• [34:21] Guilty verdict and sentencing
• [35:47] Family and investigator reactions to justice

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode maintains a somber but hopeful tone, propelled by Becky Angelo's ferocious determination. Listeners get a vivid sense of loss, but also the fierce, practical steps family and law enforcement must take to keep a cold case alive. Advances in witness cooperation and persistent community outreach are shown as critical to resolving even seemingly impossible crimes. Despite victory in court, the episode ends with a realistic depiction of lingering grief and the incomplete nature of justice.

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Summary Prepared for: Those who want a comprehensive understanding of the investigation, emotional journey, and resolution of the Benny Angelo murder case without listening to the full episode.

Transcript

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[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

At 87 years old, dad took good care of himself. He was still active. He was always tinkering or working on a car or adding on our house. He was involved with sons and daughters of Pearl harbor survivors. He would take veterans to appointments. Even in his 80s, he did that. He just had a good heart. Everything changed that day. It didn't seem real. It just didn't seem like that could even happen. The only type of person that could do something like this had to just be pure evil. I was just in this dark, determined space. I didn't care about anything but finding out who did this the killed our dad.

[Investigator/Host]

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. It's shortly before midnight on January 7, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. Becky Angelo is doing some DIY projects with a neighbor when the phone rings.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

When I got the call that night. I had had a neighbor over and he and I were putting together an entertainment center I had just bought and everything was fine. And then the phone rang and it was my brother and he said, I just want to let you know Dad's house is on fire and it doesn't look good. And he said, I'll call you back when I have more information. And I kept trying to call him and he didn't answer. I just didn't know what to do.

[Investigator/Host]

Becky is terrified for the safety of her 87 year old father, Benny, who lives alone in the old family home two hours north in Canton.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

We grew up in a middle class neighborhood. We had the type of home where everybody would kind of hang out. My parents threw really big Christmas parties. Mom would start baking cookies in like October. My dad worked a lot at the steel mill, but when he was available, he'd like to have people over and entertain. He had a great sense of humor. Sundays at our house were fun because there used to be a radio station out of Alliance, Ohio that played polka music on Sundays. And he loved polka music and we all polka danced. I mean, it was just a big deal. He was kind of feisty, he was opinionated. And I believe that he was entitled to be. Cause, you know, going through what he went through in his life. Dad was in the military, he was in the army and he actually, you know, he was at Pearl Harbor.

[Investigator/Host]

Benny is one of the few people still living at the time that witnessed the lethal attack that pushed the US into, into joining the Second World War.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

He would tell stories where he could see the eyes of the Japanese pilots coming down. That's how low they were when they were coming in. They were in the chow line for breakfast. And then the person in front of him, his mess kit, got hit with a bullet or something and shrapnel flew. And my dad got some shrapnel in his ankle. Every year he would go to a couple junior high schools and, you know, and talk about it. He just wanted to keep that memory alive.

[Investigator/Host]

Benny is well known in his hometown. TV reporter Tracy Carlos spoke to many people who admire him.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Benny was a local celebrity. Everybody knew Benny. Everybody loved Benny. He had deep, deep roots to veterans organizations. A World War II Pearl harbor veteran. They're the toughest of the tough, right?

[Investigator/Host]

Back in Canton, the fire department surrounds Benny's burning home and attempts to extinguish the blaze. Canton fire investigator Joe Carofelli wastes no time in getting inside of the building. He knows it's Likely that lives are at stake.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

Anytime a fire comes in in the middle of the night like that, and it's in what would normally be an occupied structure, it kind of ramps things up for the firefighters. You know, you're coming into something where possibly you have someone deceased in there, just. But quite possibly you may be able to save him. You might be able to get him out.

[Investigator/Host]

Carofelli's firefighting colleagues are already inside.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

They didn't want to waste any time with getting in and trying to get him out of there. Minutes, seconds. There was pretty much zero visibility because it was very smoky. He was basically just going by feel as he crawled through there, found the bedroom. Of course, that's one of the first places you look felt up on the bed, felt Mr. Angelo, and immediately pulled him out and tried to get him outside. He didn't notice any signs of life. Couldn't hear him breathing. There was no. No coughing or response from him once he got him out. That's when the paramedic was trying to resuscitate him.

[Investigator/Host]

But it's too late. Benny Angelo is dead. The first responders look inside of Benny's mouth to see if there was any soot and see that there is none. This indicates that Benny died before smoke engulfed his house. Carofeli carefully enters the smoldering house to investigate.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

We had to determine every possible competent heat source that could start a fire and then rule those out one by one. The stove was ruled out. We rule out the hot water tank. We look at the electrical system of the house in the front room. It was basically just cluttered there. You know, you had some chairs and furniture and boxes, pictures of him as a proud soldier, pictures of him with his family. It looked like stuff had been rummaged through and thrown aside, and the tables were upended, and there were chairs piled up on it. There were several liquor bottles laying around, and there were strange burn patterns. You could see what appeared to have been liquor that was splashed around and then lit.

[Investigator/Host]

The suspicious burn patterns tell fire investigator Cara Feli that the fire was almost certainly started deliberately. And there are more signs of something sinister.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

We went into the bedroom. You could see where Mr. Angelo took his last breaths. And there was some blood and stuff on it. There was a safe open right there at the foot of the bed. And it just kind of telltale, you know, it looked like we had a crime scene here.

[Investigator/Host]

Canton police Detective Victor George remembers that tragic night when he got the call to attend Benny's house.

[Detective Victor George]

I came immediately out to the scene and started Scouring the house for any evidence that could be found. Of course, with the water damage and the condition of the house, physical evidence was kind of few and far between. From what we've seen in the bedroom, we were able to deduct that this was a home invasion or a burglary. We could not find any sign of forced entry. There was no breaching of the door jambs or the locks or anything of that nature. I felt that somebody knocked on his door, got inside his house, allowed somebody else or some other people to come in. So with that, he possibly knew the person who was trying to get into the house. There was no pry marks on to safe. There was no tooling marks, nothing that indicated that there was force applied to the safe. Inside the safe, we were able to find a handgun that belonged to Benny. I spoke to the family in reference to this handgun and asked, did he have any other firearms? And they told me that he kept a revolver next to his bed always. And it was a.32 caliber revolver. It was missing.

[Investigator/Host]

Benny Angelo's remains are transported from the scene, and the medical examiner finds a number of puncture wounds on his body. They are believed to be bullet holes. At this point, the investigators believe that someone forced Benny to open the safe and then killed him before setting the fire to cover it up. It's a shocking revelation that is hard for Benny's family to come to terms with.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

My brother finally called me back and he said, are you sitting down? I'm like, what's going on? And he said, dad, Dad's gone. He was shot four times. And I remember. I remember just kind of collapsing to the floor. There was confusion, there was sadness, there was questions. There were so many things. I mean, my mind was just flying all over the place, you know, like, how can. What do you mean? He was shot four times.

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[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Meet Juan Naula. When his son was hospitalized for a

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

pay for medical expenses.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

It was 5k to pay the bill for my son, and I need only 22 hours. It was amazing. People really trust on GoFundMe.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

How did Juan raise $5,000 in less than a day? He posted a short video on GoFundMe

[Narrator/Advertiser]

telling his story in 30 seconds.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

30 seconds.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

Be specific. Be quick and tell what are you gonna be using the funds for? I was nervous to do it because it doesn't feel okay to ask money. But you shouldn't be nervous. Sometimes you just have to do it

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

and see the results.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

We were able to save my son's life thanks to gofundme that we still have my son with us.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Start your GoFundMe today at gofundme.com that's gofundme.com gofundme.com this message reflects one person's experience.

[Investigator/Host]

It's the morning after the fire was reported and Benny Angelo's body was discovered.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

It just seems so surreal. Like, who gets a phone call and you know, hey, your dad's been. Dad's been shot four times. I mean, that never in my life ever did I ever expect to live through anything like that. I got in the car that next morning and drove. I knew that I had to get up there. So it was a long drive. It was probably the longest drive I've ever taken in my life. And it was only two hours. When I got to Dad's house. It was bizarre. It was boarded up. There was black soot on things. There was crime scene tape. We couldn't even get into the house at that point, because, you know, there was an investigation going on, but just the feeling of standing out there and wanting to go in but not being able to. But then when all that stuff was taken down and we were able to go in and just to see the struggle and things, it was hard. It was hard to see that, you know, it was hard to see a puddle of blood on his chair. It was hard to see hand blood, you know, streaks down the hallway. I think I was more angry than anything. I think at that point is when it clicked. I just remember the family being there and detectives being there and news people being there, and it just didn't seem like there was any time to even process anything, you know?

[Investigator/Host]

There is a small comfort for Becky as she spots a familiar face among the investigators at the scene. Lead detective Victor George.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Victor and I went to high school together. Now, he was an athlete. I was an athlete.

[Detective Victor George]

You always want to run into your old acquaintances, you know, your high school classmates, but you don't want to have to tell them, I'm investigating your father's murder.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Just having him around somebody familiar was comforting in a way. He was just really reassuring that he was going to solve this case.

[Investigator/Host]

The coroner's report confirms that Benny has been shot with a.32 caliber gun four times. Once in the head and three times in the chest. The revolver was believed to be the one belonging to Benny Angelo.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

To be killed with your own gun in your own home, you know, that's a hard pill to swallow. You know,

[Investigator/Host]

even though Benny was 87 years old, he was in good health. He wouldn't have gone down without a fight.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

That's why I believe there was more than one person, because I don't. I think it had to be because it would have taken more than one person to take my dad out. You know, that's the type. Since he had such a strong spirit,

[Investigator/Host]

the fire and the damage caused by the water used to put it out have made the investigator's job much harder. There is little chance of finding any forensic evidence.

[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

You have to go in and put a bunch of water into a place to put it out. There was active fire in there, and water did need to be put on it to put it out. Otherwise it all burns up. This is something that's kind of unique to fire investigations. You know, it's one of the only crimes that your evidence decreases as the crime progresses.

[Detective Victor George]

If there was any deep DNA that we wanted to try to retrieve from somewhere in the house, it would have destroyed that

[Investigator/Host]

against all odds. One potentially valuable Clue survives the blaze.

[Detective Victor George]

Our identification bureau was able to find a hair in the front door mechanism. One single hair. That hair appeared to be blonde. I know the family of Benny Angelo, and they're all dark haired. Benny had white hair, but he had very short hair. Why is there a blonde hair in the mechanism of the door? That was a huge lead for us. I believe that belonged to the person who entered the residence and ultimately assaulted him.

[Investigator/Host]

Detective George sends the hair to the lab for DNA analysis. The family and the town of Canton mourn the loss of their local hero.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

We had a vigil on the front lawn of Dad's house, and we had the military there. We had the 21 gun salute. People were laying like, teddy bears, flowers and things. And then the bugle player showed up.

[Investigator/Host]

Benny's friend Carol Parker park had mixed emotions at the service.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

It was so hard, but it was

[Detective Victor George]

a proud moment for me to see

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

how many people cared.

[Investigator/Host]

Despite the solemn affair, Becky can't help but think of her father's killer.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

I was just amazed by how many people were out. I mean, it was bitter cold. I remember being there and looking at everybody and just watching people, how they were reacting, thinking maybe I could see somebody behaving strangely or like, who is this person? Why, you know, why are they here? Everybody is suspect at that point because, you know, nobody knows anything.

[Investigator/Host]

A young blond woman wearing a cowboy hat stands out among the mourners.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

We just thought she was acting a little suspicious or just different, and she had this pink cowboy hat. So she put this hat on the pile for the memorial. And I thought, okay, we got to get this hat, and they're going to get DNA off of it, and we're going to figure out who this person is and why she's here.

[Investigator/Host]

In the days after the murder, the family wonders about one of the people seen at their father's vigil. The young woman in a pink cowboy hat that none of them had seen before. Detective George is told about the stranger and brings her in for questioning.

[Detective Victor George]

So when I interviewed this female of interest, she answered all of our questions. She cooperated with us. She didn't appear to be stammering around, looking for answers.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Turned out to be nothing. It was just some woman who, from the neighborhood, just wanted to leave her hat there. But, you know, when you're that desperate and you're grasping, you know, any little thing you see because nothing is too small, any little thing off kilter, you automatically say, okay, that could be the person you know, or maybe this person's involved, or maybe this person knows something until you drive yourself half nuts.

[Investigator/Host]

Looking for a lead, Detective George interviews Benny's family.

[Detective Victor George]

Becky Angelo told me that when her mother passed away, her father put four envelopes in that safe, and it had $5,000 a piece in it. That money was for each of the children when he passed away. And I believe in speaking with Becky Angelou, she was the only one that knew that. So there was $20,000 in the safe that was not there. After speaking with Mr. Angelo's four children, it was very clear that none of them had anything to do with his death. He didn't have life insurance. He didn't even have homeowner's insurance. So the house was, when it got destroyed, was a loss to the family.

[Investigator/Host]

Detective George checks police records connected to Benny's address and discovers a troubling incident.

[Detective Victor George]

Two weeks prior to Mr. Angelo's murder, he had a burglary to his residence. He wasn't home at the time, but somebody had broke in, and they had stole envelopes that had cash in it for Christmas presents. Now, a patrol officer went out, took a report. He looked around, didn't see any sign of forced entry. Now you go two weeks ahead, and he's broken into again.

[Investigator/Host]

Investigators think that the pattern of repeated burglaries could be significant. And Becky wonders if it's someone from the neighborhood behind it all.

[Detective Victor George]

There was actually two brothers that lived down the street. Both of them were drug addicts, and they've had issues with burglaries and the drug trafficking and, you know, minor violence stuff. We thought maybe that they broke into the house to get money to buy drugs. So being that they were on probation, their parole officer did a home visit. And we didn't find anything that would link that young man or his brother to Ben. At that time, we developed another female suspect of somebody that would come over and do work for Mr. Angelo. The family felt she took advantage of their father for monies. And she had blonde hair. I went and interviewed this young girl. I asked her if she'd voluntarily give me some DNA sample. And she said, sure. And I said, I just want to get a couple of your hairs out of your head.

[Investigator/Host]

Before he can run the test, the lab results come in on the blonde hair found at Benny's house. It was a non human hair. It came from a dog. Investigators widen the search and follow every possible lead until an accidental discovery offers new hope. It's July 1, 2007, seven months after Benny Angelo was found dead.

[Detective Victor George]

An elderly gentleman who is just cleaning up his Debris underneath a bush. He rakes out the. The old dead leaves, and he finds a brown leather holster and a wallet with Benny Angelo's ID in it. I would say the way the crow flies, it was probably 1500ft from Mr. Angelo's house.

[Investigator/Host]

The find is their best lead yet.

[Detective Victor George]

What the discovery of those items did for us was show us a path that one of the persons that left Mr. Angelo's house was walking and discarded those items under some bushes so nobody would ever find them. It revived me with a new sense of energy on the case, and I was excited to hopefully come up with a resolution to this murder.

[Investigator/Host]

The holster and wallet containing Benny's ID are sent to the crime lab for analysis. But the items had been exposed to the elements for months, and there are no fingerprints or DNA evidence found. The lack of any developments frustrates Benny's family.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Victor took some phone calls from me at all hours of the night that probably I wasn't my best self. I was like, are we ever going to solve this case? I said some terrible things because things weren't happening maybe as quickly as I thought they should.

[Detective Victor George]

I would get another homicide case and able to solve it right away. And that's when her anger would come. And she says, you know, you can solve everybody else's murder, but not my father's. You know, you take it with a grain of salt. I understand what she's going through.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

It was frustrating, just not knowing nothing's happening fast enough. He allowed me to just get it out, and then we just move. We would move forward. I just kept thinking, what else can I do? I started investigating stuff on my own. Knocked on doors, approached people to ask them questions. You know, I wasn't afraid to ask anybody anything. I got a little determined, I think is a good word, determined to find out who did this. I knew where there were a couple bad spots, spots in the neighborhood. So I would casually, kind of incognito, wear a lot of clothing and go hang in, you know, go walk. Walk around these people and be amongst them. I knew I had to be careful because I was all over the news at that point, and I didn't want to be identified.

[Investigator/Host]

Becky's determination is admirable, but it worries the investigators.

[Detective Victor George]

Having a civilian attempt their own investigation is. Is always a concern. You know, leave it to the detectives. We know the do's, the don'ts, what we can do. There's always that potential that you're gonna scare somebody off.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

She would sometimes put herself in situations that maybe were not the Best situations that she should have been in.

[Investigator/Host]

Determined to solve this case, Becky and the FBI offer a reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for Benny Angelo's murder.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

I walked around with a sandwich board on me for a long time with who killed Benny, With a reborn. And it was like a three year old put this thing together, but I didn't have any shame in wearing it, you know, And I went with whatever I could just to let. Keep people talking, don't let people forget. We learned some things, but nothing really ever amounted to anything. Another year goes by. Still nothing. It was just like everything was stacked in against us. It was frustrating to go on that long not knowing. Your mind goes places and you think about, what am I missing? What you know, this person's probably right under our nose. They have to be close.

[Investigator/Host]

It's now June 2008. 18 months have passed by with no new leads, and the case has gone cold.

[Detective Victor George]

I felt like I did everything I could and there was just nothing left to do. At the point when you're out of leads, it's kind of out of your control. This case going unsolved played a lot more on my emotions than any of the other cases. Just based on the fact that I had a personal friendship with the daughter of Mr. Angelo.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

I never lost hope. Even if it was just a teeny, tiny bit, I hung onto it. I mean, I hung onto it. It was just so tiny. I was afraid if I'd let that go, you know, I don't know that I'd even be sitting here today. Really. That's how dark it was. I'm like, if somebody could do this to dad, 87 years old, we gotta stop him. We gotta get these people off the streets. The only thing I cared about was bringing justice. That's when I started sending out posters to the jails. People in jail talk. I just kept thinking, somebody's gotta know something.

[Investigator/Host]

Years pass without any new information. And it's now the summer of 2011, four and a half years since Benny's murder. Becky Angelo does not give up her fight for justice. She continues doing anything she can to keep her father's case alive.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Just one night, I thought, okay, I think we've put flyers on every telephone pole and business and wasn't really doing anything. And I just figured people in jail brag and talk, so let's go there. I thought, okay. Ohio has 88 counties, which probably means there's 88 county jails. And I thought then maybe I should branch out to pa, Michigan, you know, Indiana, all the surrounding states. I just attached a little 8 by 10 poster with a note to the sheriff, please post this in your jail.

[Investigator/Host]

The unorthodox method pays off when an inmate reads the poster. In May 2012, they were hung up

[Detective Victor George]

right in the receiving area where you bring a prisoner in. And In May of 2012, I received what they call a kite. And it is a message that a person in our county jail passes on to a corrections officer, and their request is to speak with a detective. We get requests from inmates a lot that they have information in reference to a certain case we're investigating really doesn't spark an interest to us unless they could tell us something that has not been released for the public to see or hear. So I went out there to meet with this young lady, and she told me that she's in a pod cell with a young girl whose name was Regina Crank, talking about the murder of Ben d' Angelo and that her cousin was involved. Now, I was able to interview Regina on the same day. Regina told me that she was at a party and her cousin was there, Chester Crank. Apparently, she was raised with Chester like brother and sister. They were very close growing up. So he trusted her. He had been drinking. He had mentioned to her and other people that he is going to go to prison for the rest of his life for shooting and killing somebody. And that somebody was Benny Angelo. Chester Crank was somebody that wasn't even on our radar. This is something fresh, something new. I mean, I was enthused.

[Investigator/Host]

The name Chester Crank is unfamiliar to Benny's relatives, but it's mentioned twice more by other inmates who tell police similar stories about Crank's involvement in Benny Angelo's murder.

[Detective Victor George]

You hear it once, you take it with a grain of salt. You hear it twice, your ears perk up. You hear it three times now, you've got something there. I did my due diligence on Chester Crank. He had a handful of felonies. I found out that Mr. Crank lived on 19th street and Harrisburg Road.

[Investigator/Host]

Crank's address aligns with the details of Benny's case. It's close to Benny's house, and the spot where the holster and wallet were found is between both of them locations.

[Detective Victor George]

So the pieces to me were starting to come together on this case. I asked Regina if I was able to get her released from here, would she be willing to wear a recording device and go out with Chester Crank? You know, I told her there's a reward put out by the family if you get an arrest and a conviction out of it. But if you mess up, you're going right back in. She was more than willing to do it.

[Investigator/Host]

On August 16, 2013, Regina meets with her cousin Chester Crank, and talk quickly turns to his claims of being a murderer.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

Chester, what is wrong? You got me scared. I killed somebody. No, you didn't. You saw me beside me. I promise you, dude, my heart's racing. No, you did not. They can never prove it. You did not kill Don. No, you didn't. Yes, I did. Took his life. You did. Took him like a. Yep. Yep. I let my homies watch it. Why are you going around saying that? Why would you even say I'm to him? Dude, I'm your family. That's.

[Investigator/Host]

The recordings are brought to prosecutor John Ferrero at the Stark County Prosecuting Attorney's office.

[Prosecutor John Ferrero]

When our office heard the tape conversation, we were confident that we had enough to present this to the jury. We finally had him on tape. He was charged with arson, murder, robbery, and burglary.

[Investigator/Host]

Under interrogation at Canton Police Department, Crank denies everything.

[Prosecutor John Ferrero]

Mr. Crank named three other suspects, but he said he was not involved in this case at all.

[Detective Victor George]

I probably spoke to him for over two hours, tried everything I knew to try to get him to break, to tell me the truth, to tell me what happened. And it did not come to fruition.

[Investigator/Host]

The audio tapes covertly recorded by Regina tell a very different story, providing damning evidence against Crank, evidence he can't ignore.

[Detective Victor George]

He made an admission that he was the one that shot and killed Benny and explain why. There was four gunshots on his body. When the other three, they're inside ransacking the house. A gunshot goes off. They run into the back bedroom where the gunshot was. Benny Angelo was in there. And Crank had told the other three that they had to shoot him, too, because they were all as culpable or responsible as he was.

[Investigator/Host]

After months of delays, Chester Crank's trial finally gets underway in July 2014. Crank's attorneys claim that he was drunk when he made the alleged confession and there was no evidence to support the ramblings.

[Prosecutor John Ferrero]

Mr. Crank was sort of nonchalant, you know, that I didn't do this, you know, you got the wrong person kind of attitude.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

I have to say, that was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to go through, was to sit in the courtroom probably four to six feet away from the person that killed our father. And he was just smirking and like he didn't care about anything. The things we had to hear. It was tough. My dad fought to the end he had defensive wounds on his arms, and I believe one of the bullets even went through his hand and then went through his head. And I wanted to inflict as much pain on Chester Crank as I could physically. But we knew we couldn't do anything to jeopardize a mistrial or anything.

[Investigator/Host]

The defense offers no witnesses, and after just five days, the trial concludes. The jury returns with a verdict, finding Crank guilty of aggravated murder, aggravated arson, robbery, and burglary. At the family's request, the judge passes the sentence immediately, ordering Crank to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[Prosecutor John Ferrero]

The guilty verdict was very satisfying to me because I knew how his family was so involved in making sure justice was served here, and I know how Detective George just worked very hard on this case. So I was satisfied that Chester Crank definitely received what he deserved.

[Investigator/Host]

While Crank is securely behind, there are unresolved elements of the case.

[Detective Victor George]

There was evidence to show that there was approximately three other people that was involved in this whole incident.

[Prosecutor John Ferrero]

If any evidence comes forward, I'm sure they. They will proceed to present it to a grand jury. But at this point in time, that's all they are at this time is suspects.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

And that's why that chapter might be closed. But this book isn't done, because I know that there's other people that. That need to be held accountable. Chester Crank took the only father that we ever had.

[Investigator/Host]

Becky's determination to not let her father's case turn cold pays off.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

I was truly happy for the family that they finally were getting justice for the murder of their father. This had been a case that had gone cold for a lot of years. Becky is among the strongest people that I've ever met. She did not give up. She did not waver. She wanted this solved, and she got it. You talk about a celebration. I mean, it's almost like you could breathe again. Like you could just get air in your lungs and be like, wow, this. Okay, this. This is happening. You know, it's not. I'm not living this nightmare anymore. And it was worth it. All the struggles, all the tears, all. You know, I mean, to finally get somebody, it was a great feeling. I think I finally felt joy for the first.

[Investigator/Host]

Yeah.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

First time in about seven years. I felt like finally the holidays aren't the same. I mean, not having dad in the way he was taken from us. Yeah. I don't even put a Christmas tree up. I know. It's. It's tough. I'm working on that. You know, I'm just trying to get get better about it every day. I miss him. There's certain things somebody will do something or say something and you know, that reminds me of dad. You know, I miss them a lot.

[Investigator/Host]

Cold Case Files is hosted by Paula Barros. It's produced by the Law and Crime Network and written by Eileen McFarlane and Emily G. Thompson. Our composer is Blake Maples for A and E. Our senior producer is John Thrasher and our supervising producer is McKamey Lin. Our executive producers are Jesse Katz, Maite Cueva and Peter Tarshis. This podcast is based on AE's Emmy winning TV series, Cold Case Files. For more Cold case files, visit aetv.com.

[Becky Angelo (Daughter of Benny Angelo)]

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[Fire Investigator Joe Carofelli]

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