Cold Case Files — "The Monster / A Cousin’s Promise" (A&E, Dec 23, 2025)

Hosted by Paula Barros

Overview

This gripping episode of Cold Case Files explores two chilling stories: a serial predator known as “The Monster” operating in Arkansas in the 1990s, and the decades-long pursuit for justice by a woman determined to solve her cousin's murder in Ohio. The episode delves into the harrowing details of these cold cases, the investigative missteps, breakthroughs in forensic technology, and the human toll of delayed justice, all told with the trademark methodical pacing of A&E’s iconic series.

I. “The Monster” — A Serial Predator in Arkansas

Main Theme:
The lengthy and twisted pursuit of a violent predator who sexually assaulted and murdered elderly women, the wrongful accusation and imprisonment of an innocent man, and the eventual triumph of modern forensic science.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Discovery of Juanita Wofford’s Murder

• Setting & Initial Discovery (00:30–01:20):
  • June 1993, Fort Smith, Arkansas: Juanita Wofford, 58, is found dead by church friends after missing Sunday service.
  • Quote [Investigator]: “All we could see was trail of blood going through the house.” (01:04)
• Nature of Crime (01:20–01:41):
  • Violent break-in, sexual assault, and murder.
  • No items stolen; “They came, they killed her, they raped her and he left.” (01:41)
• Processing the Scene (02:00–02:44):
  • Technician finds disarray and evidence of a sexual fetish (urine stains on walls and items).

2. Connecting to Similar Attacks

• Link to Prior Assault (03:58–05:45):
  • Two months before, 89-year-old Lily Jones was attacked in a near-identical fashion—she survived.
  • “The method of entry was the same way. The screen door was cut, front door was kicked open.” (04:21)
• Lack of Immediate Leads (03:41–03:58):
  • High turnover in the neighborhood, little witness cooperation: “We really didn’t glean any useful information.” (03:41)

3. Break in the Case: A Suspect Emerges

• Tip from Family (06:14–07:00):
  • Danny Bennett’s sister Marlene suspects him due to his sexual aggression and “odd habits.”
• Evidence Against Bennett (07:26–07:52):
  • Numerous bottles of urine found in Bennett’s home, matching the unusual crime scene signature.
  • “Hey, this has got to be our guy. We’ve got urine all over the crime scene…just bells went off.” (07:42)
• Bennett’s (False) Confession (07:57–09:33):
  • Bennett details crime scene specifics and confesses to both the Wofford murder and the Jones assault.

4. DNA Testing Brings Doubt

• Exoneration Through Science (10:05–11:03):
  • FBI DNA testing: Semen from both crimes doesn’t match Bennett and links the two attacks to different perpetrators.
  • “They come back and say that our semen sample could be from two different contributors, but Danny Bennett’s not one of them.” (10:12)
• Prosecution Hesitates (10:43–12:27):
  • Prosecutors, swayed by the detailed confession, are reluctant to let Bennett go—until a new, similar crime.

5. The Pattern Repeats — Real Killer Still Out There

• Ruth Henderson’s Murder (11:33–12:48):
  • August 1995: 74-year-old Ruth Henderson murdered in her home, mirroring previous attacks.
  • “It was almost like walking into the Walford house. I think my first statement to Ron was we got the wrong guy. Our killer's still on the loose.” (12:36)
• Bennett Released (12:48–13:21): All charges dropped; case turns ice-cold.

6. Breakthrough: Survivor Leads to Serial Killer

• Caught in the Act (16:23–17:38):
  • March 2000: Neighbors return home to find Charles Ray Vines raping and stabbing a 16-year-old girl. The father subdues Vines after a violent struggle.
  • Quote: “I beat him for 20 minutes. That pistol. I beat him nonstop.” (17:01)
• Investigative Connection (18:29–19:12):
  • Detectives immediately connect Vines to the previous cold case murders due to similar M.O.
• Forensic Confirmation (19:36–20:22):
  • Vines’ DNA matches all three cases, linking him conclusively.
  • “We were able to immediately see that that DNA profile from Charles Ray Vines…was a direct match…” (19:47)
• Full Confession (21:11–24:03):
  • Vines openly describes his crimes: violent, sexually motivated, and escalating in brutality.
  • Quote (on necrophilia): “He said about a 14 would make your eyes roll back in your head. He said it's the greatest outstanding sex he's ever had in his life. The guy's a monster.” (23:53)

7. Wrongful Imprisonment and Systemic Challenges

• Bennett’s Ordeal (24:29–24:46):
  • Vines treacherously admits he was “glad” when Bennett was arrested, feeling “in the clear.”
• Reflections (13:01–13:21):
  • Investigators note the frustrations and chance in solving cold cases: “What really catches the killer is the 1% of luck.” (13:13)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the killer’s calling card:
  “He was really, really into golden showers. Fascination with urine.” — Technician, (02:44)

• On the wrongful accusation:
  “We got the wrong guy. Our killer’s still on the loose.” — Homicide Captain, (12:36)

• On Vines’s confession:
  “All I remember is hitting her and just kept hitting her…I remember started having sex with her. Was she dead when you had the sex? Yes.” — Vines, (22:30–23:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:20–02:44: Crime scene processing and discovery of fetish evidence
• 03:58–05:45: The prior attack on Lily Jones emerges
• 07:00–08:37: Bennett’s confession
• 10:05–11:03: DNA results exonerate Bennett
• 11:55–12:48: Discovery of Henderson crime, officers’ realization
• 16:23–17:38: Attempted rape and arrest of the real killer
• 19:36–20:22: DNA matches Vines to all crimes
• 21:11–24:03: Vines’ confessions and chilling motives
• 24:29–24:46: Bennett’s exoneration, Vines’s reaction

II. “A Cousin’s Promise” — Solving a 21-year-old Ohio Murder

Main Theme:
A determined family member’s decades-long commitment reignites a cold case, bringing justice another step closer.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Murder of Darlene Hines

• Discovery (28:16–29:39):
  • October 1978, Reynoldsburg, Ohio: Darlene, 25, found drowned in her tub with wrists and neck bound.
  • Attacker impersonated her to the landlord to delay discovery.
• Evidence at the Scene (29:39–31:28):
  • Signs of sexual assault, no forced entry suggesting the killer was known to her.
  • The possibility that drowning was used to destroy evidence.

2. Early Suspicion Falls on James Hughes

• Hughes’s Background (32:40–33:10):
  • Dental clinic shuttle driver, fits the profile, previous rape convictions.
  • Alibi falls apart; observed in town that day (33:36).
• Insufficient Evidence (33:51–34:25):
  • Despite suspicions, no tangible link. The case goes cold for 21 years.

3. Cheryl Cowins’s Promise (34:25–35:28)

• Family Perseverance:
  • Cheryl, Darlene’s cousin, refuses to let the case die, advocates to reopen the investigation.
  • Quote: “I owed that much to her. She didn’t deserve to be murdered. She didn’t deserve to die like that.” (34:26)

4. Cold Case Reopened

• Pursuing Suspects (35:43–37:12):
  • Two suspects: Dr. Edward Jackson (serial rapist with similar MO, worked at same clinic) and James Hughes (now James Martini).
• Forensic Testing (37:12–38:41):
  • Forensic scientist Jennifer Duvall discovers viable semen samples on Hines’s scarf.
  • “We were in business at that point.” (38:41)

5. DNA Delivers Justice (39:03–40:51)

• Exclusion and Confirmation:
  • Jackson is excluded. Martini (formerly Hughes) is matched to crime scene DNA.
  • Martini attempts to evade police, but is ultimately captured.

6. Legal and Procedural Challenges

• Prosecution Setback (42:12–42:54):
  • Chain of custody of the key evidence (the scarf) cannot be established; it is thus inadmissible.
  • Martini pleads down to obstruction of justice, receiving only five years.
  • Quote (Cheryl): “Kill her and get five years?...It’s not justice. It’s not justice whatsoever. That was a slap on the head.” (44:09)

7. Aftermath

• Delayed Consequences (44:33):
  • In 2010, Martini’s DNA links him to another cold case, 1980 murder of Wanda Zellner, but he cannot be located.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I owed that much to her. She didn’t deserve to be murdered. She didn’t deserve to die like that.” — Cheryl Cowins, (34:26)
• “At a bare minimum, he was obstructing justice because he was lying to the police…Getting this fellow in prison again for five years was far better than having him walk free.” — Prosecutor, (43:26)
• “It’s not justice. It’s not justice whatsoever. That was a slap on the head.” — Cheryl, (44:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 28:16–29:39: Discovery of Darlene’s body and crime scene details
• 32:40–33:51: Initial focus on suspect James Hughes
• 34:25–35:09: Cheryl’s resolve to reopen the case
• 37:12–38:41: Breakthrough in forensic testing on scarf
• 39:03–40:51: DNA matches Martini; arrest and capture
• 42:12–43:45: Legal issues; plea and sentencing
• 44:09–44:33: Cheryl’s reaction to sentencing

Tone & Speaker Attribution

Throughout, the episode hovers between matter-of-fact procedural storytelling from detectives and shifts into emotional, personal perspectives from families—particularly moving in the moments featuring Cheryl Cowins and the blunt yet haunting admissions of Charles Ray Vines.

Conclusion

"The Monster / A Cousin’s Promise" intricately reveals how breakthroughs in forensic technology and the persistence of loved ones can unearth truths long buried by faulty memories, investigative missteps, and the passage of time. The twin narratives—one of monstrous cruelty and the other of unyielding familial love—underscore that justice for cold case victims, though slow, is not always out of reach.

For listeners interested in true crime, criminal justice reform, and the power of DNA in modern policing, this episode stands out for its depth, detail, and raw humanity.