Detectives try to solve two horrific murders in an elaborate DNA sting | Forensic Files

Angela bro's torso was found in a field next to the trail that she had been riding her bike on 21-year-old Angela
braso had been on a bike ride when she was ambushed and stabbed to death detectives hovered over the body of a
young woman she had been decapitated Melanie decides to go on a bike ride by around 10:30 when Melanie
did not return her mother started calling her friends is Melanie there I could tell that it was a puddle
of red that it was a puddle of blood and all of a sudden as I'm looking at it I noticed that there are some drag marks
that went along over here toward that tree towards that tree yes and then went around the tree and was drugged back you
could see the drag marks right here to the canal 17-year-old Melanie bernes a junior in high school school had been
found dead in the canal not far from where Angela braso was found these murders became widely known as the
Phoenix Canal murders along with the stabbing and the dismemberment there was another component to these murders
wasn't there yeah both women were sexually assaulted and that men investigators had a crucial piece of
evidence DNA investigators collected the same male DNA from both the victims but
more than two decades passed and the canal murders went cold on until science finally caught up with the calendar in
2014 Colleen Fitzpatrick and her team identifers International began crunching the data hoping to provide law
enforcement with a name we entered the numbers from the forensic profile into our software and
that's where I came up with six matches to the name Miller you check your files and what do you find I think there were
a total of six Millers that were on what I called my master list and I went down
through the list got to Brian Patrick Miller eventually detective schwarzkoff found his prime suspect on that list and
discovered that the alleged Canal killer had a second identity a man who dressed
up like a comic book superhero and cruised The Valley in a decorated car dripping with fake blood the public knew
this man as the zombie hunter police wanted to get Miller's DNA and see if it was a match to the DNA found on Angela
braso and Melanie Bern his bodies so detective Clark Schwarz cop came up with an elaborate plan to get his DNA
investigators began surveilling Miller who worked at an Amazon warehouse I went up and introduced myself to Miller he
was in his car what did you introduce yourself I introduced myself as a security consultant Schwarz told Miller
that thieves had been stealing goods from a warehouse across the way I said would you be interested in working for
me as a security officer watching the building while you're outside did his eyes light up yeah cuz it was a good
pain J I said look I'll pay you 20 bucks an hour on January 2nd 2015 Schwarz met
Miller at this Chili's restaurant to fill out a job application the Cold Case unit was behind the scenes ready to bag
anything that had Miller's DNA on it such as utensils or a glass he swallows his hamburger in like five bites won't
take a drink of his water and I'm sitting there going you sure you want something else to drink cuz you just got
water no no I'm good I'm good I'm good schwarzkoff started to worry this operation would be a bust what does he
finally do that makes this mission accomplished we finally took a drink from the water
glass that's when I knew that okay now we least got his DNA

Within a 10-month span, two young women were sexually assaulted and viciously murdered after going for bike rides along a canal in Phoenix. Decades later, detectives zeroed in on the alleged killer, and set up an elaborate sting at a Chili's restaurant.

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Brief Summary

The episode covers the Phoenix Canal murders and the investigation leading to Brian Patrick Miller's arrest.

Key points

The Phoenix Canal Murders. Two young women were brutally murdered, leading to a cold case that spanned decades.
DNA Evidence Leads to Suspect. After years, investigators matched DNA from the victims to a prime suspect, Brian Patrick Miller.
The Zombie Hunter. The prime suspect had a bizarre alter ego, known as the 'Zombie Hunter'.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I could tell that it was a puddle of blood.

Witness describing the scene.

0:34WatchOct 21, 2023

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