Digest

This episode of Cold Case Files delves into the murder of David Stevens, a young man found dead in his burning car in San Diego. The investigation begins with the discovery of the car and the body, and the initial investigation by fire inspector Mike Merrican and detective John Taft. The autopsy reveals that Stevens was shot twice in the head before the fire, leading detectives to track down his family and dentist to confirm his identity. Detectives search Stevens' apartment and find evidence suggesting he was not alone the night before his death, including signs of a recent sexual encounter. They try to learn more about Stevens, hoping to find the mystery woman who was with him, but discover he was a nice guy with no known girlfriends. The episode reveals that Stevens worked at a dating service called "The Perfect Match" and had made a videotape shortly after arriving in California. Detectives interview the owner, Carl Withrow, who claims he last saw Stevens the night before his death. After four months, the case goes cold. Two years later, detectives decide to run a crime stoppers spot during the Super Bowl, hoping to generate leads. An anonymous caller identifies a possible suspect, a stripper who had previously claimed to be friends with Stevens. Another call comes in, this time from a woman named Knee Norton, who claims to have information about the murder. She tells detectives that she was Stevens' supervisor and lover, and knows the name of the man who killed him. Norton tells detectives that she went on a date with Stevens the night he died, but left his apartment at 3 a.m. to find her jealous boyfriend, Ron Barker, waiting for her. She claims she told Barker that Stevens had raped her to cover up her infidelity. Detectives ask Norton to call Barker and get the story on tape. During the call, Barker admits to shooting Stevens, but claims that Norton was the one who lured him to Stevens' apartment and wanted him killed. Detectives suspect that Norton may have been involved in the murder, but are not yet ready to charge her. They focus on Barker, who turns himself in, claiming that Norton orchestrated the whole thing. Barker provides detectives with a detailed account of the murder, claiming that he shot Stevens after following him and Norton to a location where he thought her car had broken down. He also admits to setting the car on fire. Detectives charge both Barker and Norton with murder. Barker represents himself in court and is found guilty of first degree murder. Norton's trial follows, and the jury must decide whether she was an innocent bystander or the mastermind behind the murder. The prosecutor believes that Norton was the one who set the events in motion, leading to Stevens' death. Both Barker and Norton are found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Outlines

00:00:00

The Case of David Stevens

This episode of Cold Case Files introduces the case of David Stevens, a young man found dead in his burning car in San Diego. The episode begins with the discovery of the car and the body, and the initial investigation by fire inspector Mike Merrican and detective John Taft. The episode details the investigation into David Stevens' death, including the autopsy revealing he was shot twice in the head before the fire. Detectives track down Stevens' family and dentist to obtain dental records, which confirm the identity of the victim.

00:03:41

The Mystery Woman and the Dating Service

Detectives search Stevens' apartment and find evidence suggesting he was not alone the night before his death. They discover signs of a recent sexual encounter, including a condom wrapper, lipstick, and long black hair. Detectives try to learn more about David Stevens, hoping to find the mystery woman who was with him the night he died. They discover he was a nice guy, well-liked by his co-workers, but had no known girlfriends or romantic interests. The episode reveals that David Stevens worked at a dating service called \"The Perfect Match\" and had made a videotape shortly after arriving in California. Detectives interview the owner, Carl Withrow, who claims he last saw Stevens the night before his death.

00:12:07

The Jealous Boyfriend and the Confession

Another call comes in, this time from a woman named Knee Norton, who claims to have information about the murder. She tells detectives that she was Stevens' supervisor and lover, and knows the name of the man who killed him. Knee Norton tells detectives that she went on a date with Stevens the night he died, but left his apartment at 3 a.m. to find her jealous boyfriend, Ron Barker, waiting for her. She claims she told Barker that Stevens had raped her to cover up her infidelity. Detectives ask Knee Norton to call Barker and get the story on tape. During the call, Barker admits to shooting Stevens, but claims that Norton was the one who lured him to Stevens' apartment and wanted him killed. Detectives suspect that Norton may have been involved in the murder, but are not yet ready to charge her. They focus on Barker, who turns himself in, claiming that Norton orchestrated the whole thing. Barker provides detectives with a detailed account of the murder, claiming that he shot Stevens after following him and Neyorn to a location where he thought her car had broken down. He also admits to setting the car on fire.

00:20:52

The Trials and the Verdict

Detectives charge both Barker and Norton with murder. Barker represents himself in court and is found guilty of first degree murder. Norton's trial follows, and the jury must decide whether she was an innocent bystander or the mastermind behind the murder. The prosecutor believes that Norton was the one who set the events in motion, leading to Stevens' death. Both Barker and Norton are found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Keywords

Q&A

• What was the cause of David Stevens' death?

  David Stevens was shot twice in the head before his car was set on fire.

• Who were the two suspects in the case?

  The two suspects were Ron Barker, Knee Norton's jealous boyfriend, and Knee Norton herself.

• What role did Knee Norton play in the murder?

  Knee Norton initially claimed to be an innocent bystander, but later admitted to being present when Stevens was shot. She claimed that Barker killed Stevens in a jealous rage. However, Barker claimed that Norton had orchestrated the whole thing and lured him to Stevens' apartment.

• What evidence led to the arrest of Ron Barker and Knee Norton?

  Barker confessed to the murder on tape, and Norton's phone call with Barker also implicated him. Barker's confession provided details about the murder that corroborated Norton's story.

• What was the outcome of the trials?

  Both Barker and Norton were found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Show Notes