Experts question case against American in millionaire husband's death in Costa Rica | Forensic Files

see the ridge line that's closest to us that that's the house oh my God 50,000 Square ft of living space it
was once the dream home of an and John Bender a Wall Street whiz who made more than $80 million before he was 30 years
old it was love at first site for both of us he was everything that to me symbolized a future with a capital
f and their future they decided was here in Costa Rica in 1998 they bought 5,000
Acres of rainforest and built a sanctuary for wildlife it was a sanctuary for the Benders as well both
had struggled over the years with depression says John's friend Pete delisi John and an had problems that
money just couldn't fix the sanctuary brought electricity water and jobs to the area but some locals resented both
the Benders and their money in the rainforest they relied completely on one another according to reporter and CBS
News consultant Ned Zeman and their problems grew Depression was an immense bond between them because it's a very
isolating disease and people tend to retreat from it pull away from society by late 2009 they were spiraling down
and stopped eating John was suicidal on on January 8th 2010 Anne says she suddenly awoke to see her
husband pointing a pistol at his head I tried to grab the gun were you able to get it no I was able to get my hands
around his and the gun slipped and it went off investigators found Bender in bed
sheets up eyes closed earplugs in and they became suspicious right away they didn't believe an's story of a
struggle and to her shock charged her with murder you had no role in this whatsoever not I tried to stop him and
Maxine Patton she is being tried before a three judge panel in a case where forensic evidence is key I'm telling the
truth okay what we can do is that we put this thing in front of the camera so key
that 48 hired world famous forensic experts Richard and Selma iin b to review it and reconstruct what happened
that night looking at this investigation how would you grade it very poor they say investigators made a series of
mistakes not even fingerprinting the gun mistakes all based on one preconceived idea pathology report is very straight
from the beginning this is a homicide this is a homicide and let's prove it homicide the prosecutor said if you're
going to shoot yourself everyone knows it's here or it's here or it's here well that's completely unscientific if that's
an example of the logic they used in this case then I'm really very worried there's no evidence that proves Beyond a
reasonable doubt that I killed John the ecoland bombs tend to agree saying their experiments much more
closely support an's story that this was a horrible accident than the prosecutor's theory that she murdered
her husband in his sleep for Anne Bender there could not be more at stake I'm looking at 25 years in prison

The wife of a Wall Street millionaire is tried for murdering him at their extravagant home in Costa Rica. Independent forensic experts investigate the scene and analyze the evidence.

Brief Summary

Anne Bender faces murder charges after her husband John's death, with forensic experts questioning the investigation's validity.

Key points

The Dream Home. The Benders bought a massive 50,000 square foot house, symbolizing their future together.
A Tragic Downward Spiral. By late 2009, the couple faced severe depression, leading to a life-altering incident.
Murder Charges. Anne is charged with murder after a tragic incident involving her husband John.
Forensic Evidence. Experts criticize the investigation, claiming key mistakes were made.
Stakes of the Case. Anne faces 25 years in prison if convicted of murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I tried to grab the gun.

Anne's desperate attempt to save her husband.

1:37WatchAug 22, 2014

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