Digest

The episode delves into the chilling case of the Miami Burnings, a series of unsolved murders that plagued the city in the mid-1990s. The story begins with the discovery of Vita Hicks' body, burned from the waist up, in the Alapata neighborhood. Despite the gruesome nature of the crime, the case went cold due to a lack of witnesses or suspects. Two months later, another victim, Diane Nelms, was found beaten and burned just 30 feet from where Vita's body was discovered, confirming the presence of a serial killer. Three months after the murders of Vita and Diane, the Miami Cold Crimes Unit took over the investigation. Detectives Nelson Andrew and Jack Calvarr began reviewing the files and soon received a call about a third victim, Cheryl Ray, who had been found beaten and burned in a cemetery. While investigating Cheryl's murder, detectives discovered a crucial piece of evidence: a footprint left on her body. This gave them a lead to find the killer, but the pressure from the community and media made the investigation even more challenging. On March 27, 1996, a fourth victim, Janice Cox, was found in an abandoned gas station, partially dressed and lying near a pool of transmission fluid. The investigators made a video documenting their efforts, and the coroner confirmed that the M.O. was the same as the previous murders. The ceiling tile at the gas station had footwear impressions in a red substance, possibly blood or transmission fluid, providing a lead to track down the killer. Detective Andrew believed the footprints were freshly made and belonged to the killer. The detectives started to study serial murder investigations, specifically looking into the investigations of Ted Bundy, the Green River Killer, and the Atlanta Child Murders. They decided to be proactive in their investigation and sent undercover officers to the area where they suspected the killer lived. On his first day canvassing the neighborhood, Detective Cayezas was approached by a young woman named Yalanda, a sex worker in the area. She had information about a man who had attacked her a year ago, and she was able to identify him when she saw him riding a bicycle down the street. The detectives stopped the man on the bicycle and asked him a few questions. His name was Francisco del Junco, a Cuban-American man living in Miami's Little Havana. He had a juice bottle wrapped in a plastic bag hanging from his handlebars, which he claimed contained gasoline for cleaning grease off his hands. After a day of interrogation, the police didn't have enough information to make an arrest, but they felt uncomfortable releasing the suspect. They offered to take him to a job and then accompany him back home, essentially becoming his 24-hour chaperones. By the third day of interrogation, Detective Andrew decided to try an unusual approach. Detective Andrew mentioned "Santeria" during the interrogation, and Francisco del Junco's demeanor changed. He asked to go somewhere else to talk, and Andrew realized he was ready to confess. Del Junco claimed that a Santeria priestess had him under a spell, causing him to become sexually aroused without provocation. He told Andrew that he would kill women to try to get even with the voices that were telling him to become sexually aroused. He believed that the priestess and her followers were responsible for his uncontrollable urges, and he wanted to get revenge. To determine if Del Junco's confession was true, the detectives tested it by asking him details only the killer would know. He led them to the places where he picked up his first two victims, the crime scenes where the bodies were discovered, and the cemetery where Cheryl's body was found. Francisco del Junco was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder. His boots were consistent with the prints on the white tiles, and the DNA found on Cheryl's body was a match to him. After a seven-year pre-trial process, he was found guilty on four counts of murder and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences.

Outlines

00:00:00

The Miami Burnings: A Series of Unsolved Murders

The episode begins with the discovery of Vita Hicks' body in Miami's Alapata neighborhood. She was found burned from the waist up and had been hit in the head. Despite the gruesome nature of the crime, no witnesses or suspects were identified, and the case quickly went cold. Two months later, another victim, Diane Nelms, was found beaten and burned, leading detectives to believe they were dealing with a serial killer.

00:04:46

The Investigation Begins: The Miami Cold Crimes Unit Takes Over

Three months after the murders of Vita Hicks and Diane Nelms, the Miami Cold Crimes Unit took an interest in the unsolved cases. Detectives Nelson Andrew and Jack Calvarr began reviewing the files and soon received a call about a third victim, Cheryl Ray, who had been found beaten and burned in a cemetery. While investigating Cheryl's murder, detectives discovered a piece of evidence that set it apart from the other two victims: a footprint left on Cheryl's body. This gave them a lead to find the killer, but the pressure from the community and media made the investigation even more challenging. On March 27, 1996, a fourth victim, Janice Cox, was found in an abandoned gas station. She had been partially dressed and lying near a pool of transmission fluid. The investigators made a video documenting their efforts, and the coroner confirmed that the M.O. was the same as the previous murders.

00:10:44

Hunting the Killer: A Proactive Approach

The detectives started to study serial murder investigations, specifically looking into the investigations of Ted Bundy, the Green River Killer, and the Atlanta Child Murders. They decided to be proactive in their investigation and sent undercover officers to the area where they suspected the killer lived. On his first day canvassing the neighborhood, Detective Cayezas was approached by a young woman named Yalanda, a sex worker in the area. She had information about a man who had attacked her a year ago, and she was able to identify him when she saw him riding a bicycle down the street. The detectives stopped the man on the bicycle and asked him a few questions. His name was Francisco del Junco, a Cuban-American man living in Miami's Little Havana. He had a juice bottle wrapped in a plastic bag hanging from his handlebars, which he claimed contained gasoline for cleaning grease off his hands. After a day of interrogation, the police didn't have enough information to make an arrest, but they felt uncomfortable releasing the suspect. They offered to take him to a job and then accompany him back home, essentially becoming his 24-hour chaperones. By the third day of interrogation, Detective Andrew decided to try an unusual approach.

00:17:20

The Confession and the Verdict

Detective Andrew mentioned "Santeria" during the interrogation, and Francisco del Junco's demeanor changed. He asked to go somewhere else to talk, and Andrew realized he was ready to confess. Del Junco claimed that a Santeria priestess had him under a spell, causing him to become sexually aroused without provocation. He told Andrew that he would kill women to try to get even with the voices that were telling him to become sexually aroused. He believed that the priestess and her followers were responsible for his uncontrollable urges, and he wanted to get revenge. To determine if Del Junco's confession was true, the detectives tested it by asking him details only the killer would know. He led them to the places where he picked up his first two victims, the crime scenes where the bodies were discovered, and the cemetery where Cheryl's body was found. Francisco del Junco was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder. His boots were consistent with the prints on the white tiles, and the DNA found on Cheryl's body was a match to him. After a seven-year pre-trial process, he was found guilty on four counts of murder and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences.

Keywords

Q&A

• What was the motive behind Francisco del Junco's murders?

  Del Junco claimed that he was under a spell by a Santeria priestess, causing him to become sexually aroused without provocation. He believed that the priestess and her followers were responsible for his uncontrollable urges, and he wanted to get revenge by killing women.

• How did the detectives finally catch Francisco del Junco?

  The detectives were able to catch Del Junco after a witness, Yalanda, identified him as the man who had attacked her a year ago. They then found a match between his boots and the footprints left at the crime scene, and DNA evidence confirmed his involvement in the murders.

• What was the significance of the footprint found on Cheryl Ray's body?

  The footprint was a crucial piece of evidence that gave the detectives a lead to find the killer. It allowed them to narrow down their search and eventually identify Francisco del Junco as the suspect.

• How did the detectives use their knowledge of serial murder investigations to catch the killer?

  The detectives studied the investigations of other serial killers, such as Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, to learn how to catch a serial killer. They decided to be proactive in their investigation and sent undercover officers to the area where they suspected the killer lived.

• What was the role of Santeria in the case?

  Santeria played a significant role in the case because it was the motive behind Francisco del Junco's murders. He believed that a Santeria priestess had him under a spell, and he wanted to get revenge by killing women.

Show Notes