The Monster / A Cousin's Promise

Summary

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

Hosted by Paula Barros

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Transcript

[Narrator]

The following episode contains intensely disturbing accounts of violence. Listener discretion is advised.

[Investigator/Detective]

They were both elderly women living alone. Sexual predators made an attack here. They came, they killed her, they raped her and they left. He was becoming more brazen and more violent each time. The guy's a monster.

[Narrator]

It's 10am on a Sunday morning in June 1993. Fort Smith, Arkansas resident J.W. mcAlpin is a regular at the Phoenix Village Baptist Church where he notices an empty pew, one usually occupied by 58 year old Juanita Wofford.

[Investigator/Detective]

If she can get here, she will hear anytime them church doors open.

[Narrator]

She was here after church, McAlpin and a friend pay Wofford a visit and immediately realize something is wrong.

[Investigator/Detective]

Living room doors were partially open, so we opened the storm door so we could kind of see. All we could see was trail of blood going through the house.

[Narrator]

They call the police and Fort Smith detective Randy Cook is the first to arrive.

[Investigator/Detective]

And when we entered the residence, there was forced entry to the front door. There was obvious signs of violence and Ms. Wofford was in her bed and had been obviously assaulted and murdered.

[Narrator]

Homicide Captain JC Ryder joins Cook at the scene.

[Investigator/Detective]

Sexual predators made an attack here. The perpetrator didn't take anything from the house. They came, they killed her, they raped her and he left.

[Narrator]

Captain Ryder releases the crime scene to technician Luther Lone Tree, who quickly realizes he has his hands full.

[Investigator/Detective]

I knew it was going to be a very difficult scene to process. She was not a tidy housekeeper.

[Narrator]

Using an ultraviolet light, Lone Tree starts in the victim's bedroom, focusing on a nightgown found near the body.

[Investigator/Detective]

We did look at it with UV light and it did appear to be a stain that could have been either a semen stain or a saliva stain or a urine stain.

[Narrator]

The night shirt is sent to the crime lab where a semen stain is detected and a DNA profile developed. Lone Tree also scans the walls of the bedroom and discovers something unusual, perhaps the calling card of a killer.

[Investigator/Detective]

When we were looking with oblique lighting and under UV light, we were able to see where the hands were placed on the walls and you could see what appeared to be urine stains on the walls. We felt at the time that the attacker probably had a fetish called golden showers. He was really, really into golden showers. Fascination with urine.

[Narrator]

Investigators next turn their attention to Wofford's living room where they detect more traces of blood.

[Investigator/Detective]

We were able to see footprints on the furniture where the suspect climbed up on the furniture to walk out of the residence.

[Narrator]

Detectives believe the killer made his escape along railroad Tracks running behind the victim's home in the days that follow. Detective Fran hall works the neighborhood, hoping someone might remember a face.

[Investigator/Detective]

We really didn't glean any useful information. The people we talked to, a lot of them had already moved from the area. There was a lot of rental property, so people were in and out a lot. So we really didn't get any good information.

[Narrator]

The murder of Juanita Wofford seems to be turning cold before it even gets started. Then Detective Cook shares details on a similar assault that took place two months earlier. In this case, the victim, 89 year old Lily Jones, survived. Now this house looks just like Juanita's. Cook begins with a visit to the Jones crime scene.

[Investigator/Detective]

The residence looks almost identical from the road to Ms. Walford's residence. It's got the bushes, it's an older house, probably built in the same era as Ms. Walford's house. The method of entry was the same way. The screen door was cut, front door was kicked open. There was a vicious attack that night. Ms. Jones was here on the couch, sleeping. She was woke up by a knocking at the door. She asked who it is, and the individual at the door asked to come in and use the phone. And she told the individual that he needed to go away. The individual was able to force the door completely open and he attacked her. And as he was trying to drag her back to the bedroom, she began to scream. And prior to reaching the bedroom, there was a small gas heater. And Mrs. Jones tripped over the heater, knocking her to the ground along with him on top of her. And so this is where the assault took place, on the floor of the bedroom. And after he assaulted her, he got up and left the residence through the front door. If it was the same suspect, then he was becoming more brazen and more violent each time. And it would, it was. It was a concern that we were going to have some more problems before we caught anybody.

[Narrator]

Investigators begin to sift through unsolved rape cases and police disturbance reports, looking for similar attacks and any potential leads. What they find is a man who is either an eyewitness to Juanita Wofford's murder or perhaps the killer himself. This man was there, he was there and he knows all about this crime scene.

[Investigator/Detective]

This community is very close. Community. I've lived in this community all my.

[Narrator]

Life, and when something like this happens, a very brutal homicide, it affects the entire community. Detective Fran hall is an investigator with the Fort Smith Police Department. On January 12th, she gets a call from a woman named Marlene who believes her Brother Danny Bennett might be Juanita Wofford's killer.

[Investigator/Detective]

He lived in the neighborhood, which is very close to Juanita Wofford's house. And because of his odd habits, she.

[Narrator]

Felt like he might be a suspect in this. According to Marlene, her brother Danny's odd habits include sexual abuse towards women he was dating.

[Investigator/Detective]

He was very sexually aggressive and he would sodomize them sometimes, and sometimes he would use violence toward them and urinate on them.

[Narrator]

At the Wofford crime scene, investigators discovered urine all over the walls. Detective hall shares the possible connection with homicide captain J.C. ryder, who obtains a warrant to search Bennett's home.

[Investigator/Detective]

We discovered several bottles of urine. Urine was found in empty Dr. Pepper bottles inside the refrigerator. Hey, this has got to be our guy. We've got urine all over the crime scene, all over the walls. What's the chances of somebody with a fascination of urine out in this neighborhood? I mean, just bells went off. We've got our guy.

[Narrator]

On January 27th, detectives sit down with Bennett.

[Investigator/Detective]

In no time at all, he had told us what had happened. He admitted to killing Ms. Walford. He went into some detail. He described the pool of blood in the living room floor.

[Narrator]

He went like this with his hand. And I said, what is that? He says, the drag marks through the blood, and you can really see those in the crime scene photos.

[Investigator/Detective]

And he went on to say what made the drag marks was her buttocks. We asked him how he left the crime scene and he said that he had jumped up on the couch and out of the front door and that fit the crime scene exactly.

[Narrator]

The next day, investigators sit down with Bennett again. This time they want to talk about the rape of 89 year old Lily Jones, a case so similar to Wofford, detectives are sure the two must be linked. Almost immediately, Bennett begins to confess.

[Investigator/Detective]

We're talking about an incident that happened around the area of 30th and Waco around 4-10-93. I've already taken a typewritten statement from Mr. Bennett. I'm going to read that statement and then ask Mr. Bennett if that's the correct statement that he gave me. I then forced my way into the residence and slapped her around. I went room to room and couldn't find anything. So I slapped her around again and put her in the bedroom. I pissed on the bed and on the floor. I then forced sex on her. Okay.

[Narrator]

With the single word okay, Bennett appears to put a seal on the Lily Jones rape investigation. He is charged for that crime as well as the Wofford homicide. Samples of Bennett's hair and blood are sent to the FBI crime lab for DNA analysis and the community was able to breathe again.

[Investigator/Detective]

It was like, thank God that's behind us. The department felt like we had the right guy. I knew we had the right guy. Then the evidence starts coming back. In.

[Narrator]

10 months, before Bennett is set to stand trial, DNA test results are returned from the FBI.

[Investigator/Detective]

They come back and say that our semen sample could be from two different contributors, but Danny Bennett's not one of them. They're also saying that the Lily Jones and the Juanita Wofford case are not related. This just blows everything out of the water.

[Narrator]

Genetic testing appears to exonerate Bennett completely on the Jones rape. But Captain Ryder and prosecuting attorney Ron Fields are not yet ready to let go of the Wofford homicide.

[Investigator/Detective]

Well, we had a confession. The police had done a good job. They had the interview where he'd been in the vicinity. We had the location. Still feeling we've got the right man because the description he gave of the crime scene was so detailed to the point of describing how he had left the crime scene. He had to have been there.

[Narrator]

Theorizing that semen found at the Wofford crime scene might be entirely unrelated to the murder, the prosecutor refuses to drop the charges. And Danny Ray Bennett remains in custody until a year and a half later when a third crime occurs that convinces detectives they've arrested an innocent man.

[Investigator/Detective]

I was notified by Detective Pittman and he asked that we come and assist him with processing their death investigation.

[Narrator]

On August 10, 1995, Sergeant Luther Lone Tree responds to a crime scene in Crawford County, Arkansas. Inside a farmhouse, he finds 74 year old Ruth Henderson laying dead on her bed. Lone Tree worked Juanita Wofford's murder two years earlier and immediately recognizes the pattern of attack.

[Investigator/Detective]

This is a videotape of the inside of the crime scene. The victim once again had defense wounds, was damaged to the head like Juanita Wofford was, and she appeared to have been sexually assaulted also. So in that sense, yes, they were. That's the first thing that struck my mind was they were very similar.

[Narrator]

Prosecuting attorney Ron Fields and Captain JC Ryder are also called to the homicide. They too see the same parallels between Henderson and Wofford.

[Investigator/Detective]

There was a blood trail in both houses back toward the beds. The women were put on the beds. They were laying in virtually the same positions. It was really spooky just to walk into that crime scene. 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.

[Narrator]

Despite his detailed confessions. All charges against Danny Bennett are dropped and the investigation starts over five years later. However, no arrests have been made.

[Investigator/Detective]

You get frustrated sometimes, but you can't get upset because you're not coming up with the right guy. It's a process of elimination. It's 99% hard work. But what really catches the killer is the 1% of luck.

[Narrator]

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[Investigator/Detective]

We had left here and went up to see a neighbor of ours, stayed up there and visited with them for a while and came home and seen his truck in the driveway.

[Narrator]

On March 28, 2000, Bubba quals and his wife Sheila find a truck in their driveway belonging to their neighbor Charles Ray Vines.

[Investigator/Detective]

Thought it was kind of odd why it was in the driveway and I went around him, pulled up here and went in the house and that's when I caught him in the house with my daughter.

[Narrator]

Bubba Qualls catches Vines raping and stabbing his 16 year old daughter. Bubba's wife and daughter call police.

[Investigator/Detective]

911 where's your alleged. He cut her throat. Yes he did. I grab him, start beating on him, then I tell my wife to go get my pistol. When I cocked it to shoot him with, it didn't fire. I cocked again, pulled the trigger and I missed him. So then I pistol whipped him with it and hit him right here with this. Hit him so hard I broke it right there and I beat him for 20 minutes. That pistol. I beat him nonstop.

[Narrator]

Crawford County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Martin responds to the Qualls home When I arrived.

[Investigator/Detective]

Here I could see through a window when I pulled in the driveway and saw what looked to me like a disturbance or a fight going on in the living room. And when I approached the front door I saw two men standing there and one stepped out of the way and the other was the victim's father standing there and he had a pistol in his hand.

[Narrator]

Bubba fills Martin in on what has happened. Martin cuffs Vines, calls for backup and then checks on Bubba's daughter.

[Investigator/Detective]

She was conscious and could Talk to me. She had some injuries, you know where. She had a cut on the side of her head that I saw.

[Narrator]

Crawford County Sheriff's investigator Danny Phillips joins Martin at the scene. Almost immediately, he senses something familiar.

[Investigator/Detective]

Clicked on my mind that we had had a murder back in 95 of an elderly lady who was attacked the same way. She had stabs on her head and around her neck. And then also I knew of another murder which was in Fort Smith of the same manner.

[Narrator]

Danny Phillips remembers the 1995 unsolved murder of 74 year old Ruth Henderson and the 1993 rape and murder of 58 year old Juanita Wofford. These two crimes together with an assault on 89 year old Lily Jones sit in the cold files now. Phillips wonders if Charles Vines might not be the man detectives have been looking for.

[Investigator/Detective]

I told him that I had a subpoena to get blood.

[Narrator]

The next day at the St. Edwards Medical Center, Danny Phillips begins to build a case for murder against Charles Ray Vines.

[Investigator/Detective]

And his response was, you know, is this for DNA? And that they sent up another clue for me that he knew that we were on his trail.

[Narrator]

The samples are sent to Arkansas State crime lab. DNA analyst Kermit Channel compares Vines genetic signature against semen recovered from the Ruth Henderson case.

[Investigator/Detective]

We were able to immediately see that that DNA profile from Charles Ray Vines, you know, was a direct match to the DNA profile from the rectal swabs and also from the oral swabs in that case.

[Narrator]

Channel next moves to the murder of Juanita Wofford and the rape of Lily Jones in 1995. FBI testing seemed to indicate that these two samples came from different donors. Using more sophisticated methods of analysis, Channel discovers the two samples to be identical and in fact a full genetic match to Vines.

[Investigator/Detective]

I think this is really one of the first cases that we saw here in Arkansas that linked a potential serial killer to different crimes. He's facing capital murder charges. He's going to be put to death. He was asked if he wanted to talk and he said no, he wanted to speak to his lawyer first. I told Charlie at that time that eventually, someplace down the road, he was going to have to talk to us or he was going to be put to death. And with that, he was taken back to the jail.

[Narrator]

Captain J.C. ryder has lived with these crimes for the better part of a decade and is willing to wait a bit longer for a full confession. In March of 2001, Vines contacts Ryder and is ready to talk.

[Investigator/Detective]

Today's date is March 14, 2001. Portsmouth Police Department.

[Narrator]

Inside a small interrogation room, Vines sits face to face with investigators. He begins with the rape of a woman he'd known his entire life, 89 year old Lily Jones.

[Investigator/Detective]

With Ms. Jones, he would come and take her to church. He just, you know, all around good guy. Except whenever he started drinking and smoking marijuana, then it was a switch that just flipped. I remember going up to the door. I don't remember whether she let me in or I went and just busted in and then I proceeded to have sex with him. Even though you're sitting there interviewing a monster, you know, he was still being pleasant. That was just the outward appearance of him. That's what had so many people fooled. Charlie, you beat her pretty bad, didn't they? Do you just lose control when you do something like that? I guess I do. I mean, it's like when I get into it, I mean, something just snaps. I don't know when to stop.

[Narrator]

An hour into the interrogation, investigators move to the Wofford crime, Vine's first homicide.

[Investigator/Detective]

He said that he'd been out drinking and he was in the mood for sex. And he knew Ms. Wofford lived by herself. She would represent no problem if he wanted to have sex. I remember walking up to her door. I guess I cut the screen to get entry to there. Been finding the door locked. I don't know. I guess I just busted down the door and went in and I remember her facing me. I mean, I was just. All I remember is hitting her and just kept hitting her. I don't remember dragging her to the bedroom. I remember taking her clothes off. I remember started having sex with her. Was she dead when you had the sex? Yes.

[Narrator]

Investigators then question Vines about the Henderson crime. The story is a familiar one.

[Investigator/Detective]

Knocked on the door. As soon as the door opened, he barged in and the fight was on. Beat her all the way to the bed there. He raped her, killed her, and then raped her and then left. I asked him if he was to compare how good it felt on a scale of 1 to 10, where would the sex be at with you and a dead woman that you just killed? And 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.

[Narrator]

Charles Ray Vines pleads guilty to two counts of murder and a single count of rape and attempted murder. He is sentenced to three consecutive life sentences before being sent to prison. Detectives ask Vines a final question about the man who came perilously close to taking vines place in the defendant's chair an innocent man named Danny Ray Bennett.

[Investigator/Detective]

I asked him, I said, what about when he was put in jail for this crime of murdering Ms. Walford? And Charlie said, I was glad it was him. He said, I felt I was in the clear.

[Narrator]

To this day, investigators remain puzzled by the accurate details Bennett provided in his confession to Juanita Wofford's murder, and are grateful that science helped them spare an innocent man's life. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Every December, I pull out my family's Christmas tree ornaments we've collected over the years. Some of them may be dinged and cracked, but seeing those ornaments means the holidays have arrived. Traditions like that always make me feel grounded, but I've also been learning that some traditions can change, and that's a good thing. This year I started a new one, taking time for myself with therapy during the holidays. It's a way to pause the chaos, check in with my emotions, and end the year with a little clarity instead of burnout. BetterHelp makes that so much easier because it's entirely online. You can chat, message or meet on video wherever you are. They've got over 30,000 licensed therapists who follow a strict code of conduct, and after a quick questionnaire, they'll use their 12 plus years of experience to match you with someone who fits your needs. If it if it's not the right fit, you can switch anytime. No awkwardness required. So whether your holiday tradition is baking, caroling, or curling up on the couch with cocoa this December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% [e-mail] Cold case that's better. H E L P.com Coldcase Homes.com knows that when it comes to home shopping, it's never just about the house or condo. It's about the home. And what makes a home is more than just the house or property. It's the location and neighborhood. If you have kids, it's also schools, nearby, parks and transportation options. That's why homes.com goes above and beyond to bring home shoppers the in depth information they need to find the right home. And when I say in depth, I'm talking deep. Each listing features comprehensive information about the neighborhood, complete with a video guide. They also have details about local schools with test scores, state rankings, and student to teacher ratio. They even have an agent directory with the sales history of each agent. So when it comes to finding a home, not just a house, this is everything you need to know, all in one place. Homes.com, we've done your homework. Is the movie business in peril?

[Investigator/Detective]

We've all heard that before.

[Narrator]

I'm veteran producer Todd Garner, host of.

[Investigator/Detective]

The Producer's Guide podcast. Some of my credits include Con Air, anger Management, Triple X 13, and the Mortal Kombat franchise. I'm here to adjust the big, biggest burning questions facing Hollywood today. Is the next big strike on the horizon? Will studio consolidation affect industry jobs?

[Narrator]

Are we getting closer to AI generated features?

[Investigator/Detective]

Is there a real difference between movies and content anymore? Some of my past guests include Adam Sandler, Rebel Wilson, Jeff Probst, Eli Roth, Ed Helms, and Kevin James. Join me on the front lines every Thursday. Get new audio or video episodes of the Producer's Guide wherever you get your podcasts. I really heard my mom scream, like a scream that I never heard before. And she said, darlene has been murdered. And it was like, no. Oh my God. Oh my God, no. She was in the bathtub with her hands tied behind her back.

[Narrator]

She didn't deserve to die like that.

[Investigator/Detective]

And I felt that I needed to do something. I was very proud of the community. 288 units, garden style apartments.

[Narrator]

It was a nice area. It's October 17, 1978. Rosemary Findlay is the superintendent for an apartment complex in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. At the end of the workday, she takes a call every landlord dreads. The tenant in apartment number nine apparently left the water on and is flooding the neighbors below.

[Investigator/Detective]

So I pounded on the door and yelled maintenance, maintenance.

[Narrator]

And nobody came to the door.

[Investigator/Detective]

So I had a master key and.

[Narrator]

I unlocked the door and pushed it.

[Investigator/Detective]

Open, only to have it be slammed in my face.

[Narrator]

Through the closed door, Rosemary hears a voice. She assumes it belongs to her tenant, 25 year old Darlene Hines.

[Investigator/Detective]

They said, I'm sorry, but I was running the bathtub and the water ran over and I said, well, you're going to have to pay for the damages on this and that. The maintenance man is on his way.

[Narrator]

Minutes later, a maintenance man unlocks the door and catches a glimpse of what he believes to be a woman. He said he had the same difficulty.

[Investigator/Detective]

At first unlocking the door and having it pushed. And then he said, as I pushed harder and got into the apartment, this.

[Narrator]

Person just scooted right into the kitchen.

[Investigator/Detective]

And he said I really didn't look at them.

[Narrator]

The maintenance man walks down a hallway to the sound of running water. Inside the unit's bathroom, however, he finds Darlene Hines laying naked in the bathtub, her head shoved underwater, hands bound, and a telephone Cord tied around her neck. The maintenance man rushes back to the front door and then to the kitchen.

[Investigator/Detective]

He said, when I turned and came back, nobody was in the kitchen. And of course, he didn't know whether.

[Narrator]

To look for me at that point. Detective Jim Krause is the first to arrive to Darlene's apartment. He immediately notes no sign of forced entry.

[Investigator/Detective]

Pretty much someone she had to know because she would not let someone in the apartment that she did not know. According to the mother and her friends, she always walked through the peephole. As I said, the area was in disarray, which was not typical of the way she kept house.

[Narrator]

Crime scene investigator Bill Mark works with Kraus, processing the apartment for evidence. He starts inside the victim's bedroom.

[Investigator/Detective]

I would gather by seeing this that the primary purpose of the suspect's presence was the sexual assault. But then after having done so, he did search the purse for some types of diet infection.

[Narrator]

Seaman recovered from the body confirms Hines was raped before she was killed. Her attacker apparently disguised his voice when the landlord came to the door and then fled the scene. A small amount of water in the lungs indicates Hines was probably unconscious before she went underwater.

[Investigator/Detective]

Most people aren't drowned. You normally use that as a method for killing someone. Strangle them, shoot them, stab them. So my thoughts were attempt to destroy physical evidence that might have been present on her body.

[Narrator]

Mark concludes his crime scene investigation and writes up a report on the case. Meanwhile, a family receives a phone call that will change their lives forever. Around 10pm, Darlene Hines cousin Cheryl Cowens is home in bed when the phone rings.

[Investigator/Detective]

I really heard my mom scream. Like a scream that I never heard before, you know, and it was like, no. Oh my God. Oh my God, no.

[Narrator]

Cheryl makes it to the staircase where she meets her mom.

[Investigator/Detective]

And so she ran up the stairs and she was screaming and screaming. And I came out the room and I said, mom, what's wrong? What's wrong? And she said, darlene has been murdered. And I just couldn't believe what she said. And I screamed at that time and I lost it.

[Narrator]

From the time they were kids, Cheryl and Darlene had been more like sisters than cousins. In the days that follow, the 17 year old must put her grief aside and help detectives figure out who might have wanted Darlene dead. There was a guy following her from work.

[Investigator/Detective]

She met someone that she was a little afraid of at work and he had been calling her.

[Narrator]

Darlene worked as a dental hygienist at the Echo Community Health Center. The man following her is James Hughes. A shuttle driver at the clinic, Kraus runs a check on Hughes and gets back a seven year criminal record, one that includes two convictions for rape.

[Investigator/Detective]

My impression was he was a controlling person, a predator. I knew he was too good not to look into as hard as we could.

[Narrator]

Detective Krause brings Hughes in for questioning.

[Investigator/Detective]

Scared, broke out in a sweat. I mean, noticeably broke out in sweats. It makes you feel like, okay, you're on the right track. He did it.

[Narrator]

Hughes claims he has never been to Reynoldsburg. His girlfriend, however, tells police Hughes had been in town on the day of the murder and visited a transmission repair shop.

[Investigator/Detective]

That transmission shop is at Bryce and Main street in the city of Reynoldsburg. And where Darlene Hines lived was at Bryce in Livingston, which was three quarters of a mile away, but a straight shot.

[Narrator]

Krause feels certain he has found his killer, but has no tangible evidence linking Hughes to the crime. Eight months after Darlene Hines murder, evidence from the case is boxed up and sent to storage, where it stays for more than two decades. 21 years later, in the fall of 1999, it's business as usual inside the Reynoldsburg Police Department until a little after 10am on September 30, when a woman calls in and wants to talk about a murder.

[Investigator/Detective]

I owed it to her.

[Narrator]

I owed that much to her. She didn't deserve to be murdered. She didn't deserve to die like that.

[Investigator/Detective]

You know, I felt that I needed to do something.

[Narrator]

Cheryl Cowins was 17 when her cousin Darlene was raped and killed. Now she's 38 and wants to know why the case remains unsolved.

[Investigator/Detective]

I'm really kind of puzzled here to want to know what's going on. Why haven't they. And that's why. Why haven't they opened it back up? How can we go about opening it back up? I said it's an old case and if it's about the money getting her case open, I know a lot of ways that you can make the money to get it open if you gotta.

[Narrator]

Wash cars or rent a bake sale.

[Investigator/Detective]

And that's what you need to do because I'm not letting it go. Normally for our community, we only have a homicide every five or six years on the average. Since 1958, we've probably only had maybe a dozen homicides total.

[Narrator]

On September 30th, Sergeant Larry Fincus sits down with Cheryl Cowins to talk about the only cold homicide in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, the murder of Cheryl's cousin Darlene hines, more than 20 years earlier.

[Investigator/Detective]

She believed or had information that we should investigate. A person known in Central Ohio as Dr. Jackson who was a serial rapist in the late 70s, early 80s.

[Narrator]

I really thought it could have been him. I really did. Edward Jackson was a cardiologist who doubled as a serial rapist, Sometimes tying up his victims and leaving them in the bathtub. An M.O. similar to the attack on Darlene Hines.

[Investigator/Detective]

I obtained a lot of information on Dr. Jackson and looked at the fact pattern of his crimes versus our crime scene photographs and the notes the original investigators had taken. And the more I read and the more I researched Dr. Jackson, the more I was convinced it probably was him.

[Narrator]

Fincas interest is heightened when he discovers Dr. Jackson actually worked at the same health clinic as Darlene.

[Investigator/Detective]

My own gut feeling that didn't have anything to do with just didn't fit.

[Narrator]

Jim Krause worked the original Hines homicide investigation and believes his first suspect, another co worker of Darlene's and two time convicted rapist named James Hughes committed the murder.

[Investigator/Detective]

The only person we talked to lied to us. The only person that didn't try to help. Then you see what his background was. All that helps you form your opinion and your gut instincts. I think that's the one.

[Narrator]

Investigators now have two suspects, both men with a history of rape who can be connected to Darlene Hines. The science of DNA will determine if either man is the killer. We use what's called an alternate light source. We take it into a dark room and anything, semen, saliva, certain bodily fluids will fluoresce under certain wavelengths of light. On October 25, 1999, forensic scientist Jennifer Duvall begins examining items of evidence from the Darlene Hines homicide. There was a whole box of evidence from stuff that they had collected from her apartment. Mostly bedding, sheets and a bedspread. Some clothing. Semen recovered from the victim's body initially appears too degraded for DNA testing. Other items of evidence also fail to yield any trace of semen. Eventually, Duvall pulls out a scarf owned by the victim and puts it under the microscope. Well, on the scarf specifically there was fairly large stains in the center of the scarf. And then when we mapped them with the chemical test for semen, they were positive. Testing indicates a robust amount of semen still present. Duvall immediately begins a process of DNA extraction. And one week later, the lab has developed a partial genetic profile.

[Investigator/Detective]

That was probably one of the biggest breaks in the case. We were in business at that point.

[Narrator]

The next step for investigators is to compare the unknown profile to blood samples obtained from two suspects. The first is Dr. Edward Jackson. A man serving 282 years for raping 36 women.

[Investigator/Detective]

He said, you can take all the blood you want, I didn't do it. And you know, he said, basically, don't waste my time.

[Narrator]

Denials aside, Detective Finkus remains confident Jackson is his killer. Finkus follows through, however, with the second man on his suspect list, an ex convict named James Hughes. Two decades after Darlene Hines was murdered, James Hughes has changed his name to James Martini. He sits down with Cold Case detectives and repeats the same story he told police over 20 years ago.

[Investigator/Detective]

I met her at her job. I used to work for a company that transported clients to her job for blood tests and stuff like that. You wouldn't have had sexual relations with her or nothing like that? No, I just met him. I knew if we made his DNA in the apartment, then he had problems because then we could put him where he said he wasn't.

[Narrator]

Unlike Jackson, Martini is reluctant to provide a sample of his blood. Sergeant Dave Bachmoyer helps the suspect along.

[Investigator/Detective]

I just told him he could have a seat with a lab technician there and take his blood nice and easy or strap him down, take the good old fashioned way, you know, but we're going to get his blood.

[Narrator]

Investigators send Martini's blood to the crime lab and six months later, Jennifer Duvall's work is complete. We got a match on the scarf to James Martini. The chance that someone else could have that same DNA profile was 1 in more than 7 quintillion. In the African American population, your adrenaline.

[Investigator/Detective]

Shoots way up because you know then you're in the ball game then. I mean, the guy's gonna be picked up and go to jail.

[Narrator]

Larry Fincas swears out a warrant and goes to Martini's apartment.

[Investigator/Detective]

There's no answer. I mean, we know he's inside because we have surveillance and, and we've watched.

[Narrator]

Him come and go for 10 minutes. Cold case detectives wait, then their suspect makes his move.

[Investigator/Detective]

Our surveillance personnel told us that he was just jumped the fence out back, the six foot privacy fence, and was taken off. I think the interesting thing was when we caught him, his comment that he was just leaving to go to work, but yet he worked about 45 miles home way at that time and his car was parked out front. So I guess he was going on a long jog.

[Narrator]

Cold Case detectives handcuff Martini and charge him with murder.

[Investigator/Detective]

You wouldn't have had sexual relations with her or nothing like that? No, I just met him at the.

[Narrator]

Franklin county courthouse in November 2001. According to the state, James Martini's audiotaped statement helps to prove two things. He is a liar as well as a killer.

[Investigator/Detective]

We knew that he was the person that had sex with her. At least we were very confident with that. So our theory, though, had to be obviously that the same person who deposited the semen was the killer.

[Narrator]

DNA testing coupled with two prior rape convictions appear to make the case against against Martini a sure thing. Until one of the original investigators in the case, Bill Mark, is unable to testify.

[Investigator/Detective]

Mr. Mark was the only person who was going to be able to establish a chain of custody. The problem with the chain of custody would have been myself, okay? At that point in time, I was recuperating from an illness and would have been unable to testify.

[Narrator]

At the time of the murder, Mark had taken custody of the scarf on which the defendant's semen was found. Without his testimony, the scarf would most likely be inadmissible at trial.

[Investigator/Detective]

But we suddenly had a real legal flaw. We weren't going to be able to present the relationship between this scarf, these slides, and the deceased murder victim. That would have been a total gap for this jury.

[Narrator]

With a trial date looming, prosecutor Dick Tremeulin believes he's looking at an acquittal. He scrambles to do what he can to make sure that James Martini does not walk out of court a free man.

[Investigator/Detective]

At a bare minimum, he was obstructing justice because he was lying to the police. That carries a maximum sentence of only five years. Getting this fellow in prison again for five years was far better than having him walk free.

[Narrator]

James Martini takes the plea and is sentenced to five years in prison. For Cheryl Cowins, the sentence feels more like an insult. The system has failed her. How could he give five years when he spent 22 years living a productive life? Kill her and get five years?

[Investigator/Detective]

It's not justice. It's not justice whatsoever. That was a slap on the head. You know, if there's another victim out there that would come forward, that would be, be wonderful if we could get him prosecuted on another case, because then that would keep him locked up probably for the rest of his life.

[Narrator]

James Martini is released from prison after serving five years. In 2010, Martini's DNA positively matched evidence from the 1980 murder of Wanda Zellner, another nursing home aide. Martini was unable to be found and is wanted for questioning.