"48 Hours" investigates connected Colorado cold cases | Forensic Files

48 hours is investigating two Cold Case murders near a popular Colorado ski resort Annette shinney and Bobby Joe
oberholtzer were both killed on the same night in 1982 just outside Breckenridge
now their cases remained a mystery for almost four decades in her first investigation for 48 hours CBS News
correspondent Natalie Morales reports on what led investigators to the Killer on the night of January 6 1982 an
airline passenger flying above this mountain pass outside of Breckenridge Colorado noticed a series of flashing
lights coming from below that look like an SOS a call for help it came from the driver of a truck stranded in a raging
snowstorm Dave Montoya a local fire chief at the time went to the location after the pilot radioed down the
coordinates what were you thinking as you're driving who does that I thought it was a tourist what Montoya didn't
know then was that he was about to rescue a man who had just murdered these two young women Bobby Joe oberholtzer
and Annette schnee it would take investigators nearly 40 years to make that connection we Muse about whether or
not we were going to die before we solved this case back in January 1982 all investigators knew was that Annette
schnee was last seen around 4 45 in the afternoon Bobby Joe disappeared hours later says
then Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Jim Hartke Bobby Joe oberholtzer was last seen in Breckenridge at about 7
30 in the evening the following morning Bobby Joe's body was found a bloody glove lay in the snow near her
belongings Annette's remains were discovered six months later about 10 miles away but in a strange twist it
would be these orange booty socks that linked the cases one of the socks was found on Annette schnee's left foot and
the other was recovered near Bobby Joe oberholzer's body this is amazing this ties the cases together but it wasn't
until nearly four decades after de Montoya saved that stranded motorist that DNA revealed the identity of the
killer as Alan Lee Phillips everything catches up you know get away with anything for forever
you don't get away with everything for anything forever that's true Natalie Morales joins us now good morning to you
Natalie good morning a lot of little twist in this because the night of the murders we're going to learn the local
Fire Chief unknowingly helped the Killer and then it turns out that they knew each other they explained well they in
fact Dave Montoya went up there thinking as he said I thought it was going to rescue a tourist he gets up there he
realizes huh this guy is the guy I work with in the mines Alan Phillips so he Alan Phillips that day said he had been
drinking too much wanted to avoid the police on the highway so he decided to take the mountain pass and that's where
he got stuck and because he knew him he thought oh I know Alan's okay yeah and he did report though what happened and
you know rescuing him and that actually made local news there so they had a record of him being saved and rescued on
that very night that these two young women disappeared DNA evidence was crucial where'd they get it from yeah
the DNA was found on the belongings of Bobby Joe it was near her belongings love and a bloody tissue some of the DNA
was hers of course but the other DNA they didn't have a match and the database didn't exist back then CODIS
was not around at the time until later in the 90s they ran it through the CODIS database that's the criminal DNA
database there were no matches there it took only in the last two years where they've created this ancestry DNA type
testing genetic genealogy that they were able to run the DNA and they came back with two names and one of the guys was
still living there in Breckenridge or not far from Breckenridge Colorado Natalie Morales it's good to see you and
have you in studio thank you so much you can see Natalie's report last seen in Breckenridge on 48 hours tomorrow night
at 10 9 Central right here on CBS and on Paramount Plus

In 1982, Annette Schnee and Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer were found murdered near the resort ski town of Breckenridge, Colorado. CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales joins "CBS Mornings" with details on the DNA that helped investigators find the killer years later and a preview of her "48 Hours" report: "Last Seen in Breckenridge."

Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.

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Brief Summary

Cold case murders of Annette Schnee and Bobby Joe Oberholtzer solved after 40 years through DNA evidence linking killer Alan Lee Phillips.

Key points

Cold Case Murders in Colorado. Investigators delve into the unsolved murders of Annette Schnee and Bobby Joe Oberholtzer from 1982.

Episode quotes

You don't get away with everything for anything forever.

Natalie Morales reflects on the case's resolution.

2:32WatchNov 18, 2022

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