On Friday night’s Cold Case Files on A&E looks into the tragic case of 27-year-old Stefanie Watson, whose blood-smeared car was discovered in a Maryland parking lot, sparking a missing persons investigation that would eventually turn into a murder inquiry.
The episode, titled “DNA Speaks ‘Fought Like Hell,'” focuses on the brutal murder of Stefanie Watson in 1982, which remained unsolved for three decades. It wasn’t until 2022, 30 years after her death, that DNA evidence from the blood-soaked seat of her 1981 Chevette was analysed and matched to a surprising suspect.
The suspect was identified as John Ernest Walsh, an inmate who had been incarcerated since 1989. Walsh had a disturbing criminal history, having served time for kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder. He had been released on parole in 1989 after serving only 8 years of a 72-year sentence and committed the murder during this brief period of freedom before violating parole and returning to prison.
In a twist of events, 33 years after her death, the case took another turn when Walsh pleaded guilty to Watson’s murder in 2024, finally bringing closure to the decades-old cold case.
Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks ‘Fought Like Hell’ airs on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 9:00 PM on A&E.
