Forensic Files - Season 2, Episode 12 - Micro-Clues - (In HD) | Forensic Files

[Music] After a day of fishing in a small, quiet village in Switzerland, a teenage boy
did not return home as planned. The investigation revealed some important microscopic evidence in the water near
where he was last seen. It was the only forensic evidence detectives had. [Music]
Late in the afternoon of August 4th, 1993, in the small Swiss village of Noi Paradis,
13-year-old Dario Chickalia left his home to go fishing in a nearby by Creek. As night fell on the town, Dario had not
returned home and his mother called the police to report her son missing. >> When we found the bike and his clothing,
we concluded that he had last been fishing there. >> Where and with whom he could have left
the place, we had no idea. Two days passed and the search intensified with more than a 100
policemen patrolling the area with search dogs. A missing person poster aired on local television and newspapers
asked, "Where is Dario. As time passed, people feared the worst." >> To us, there were clear indications that
a crime had taken place because of the objects found. his bike and his trunks. >> Search teams meticulously combed the
field next to the creek where Dario's swim trunks and fishing pole had been found. Farther downstream, police found
Dario's t-shirt on the bank. A dam was placed in the creek in order to search the muddy bottom for evidence.
Many items were discovered, but nothing that could be linked to the missing boy.
Let's see if we do the doctor. >> Two nights after Dario was reported missing, two women were walking a dog
along a field path near Switzerland's border with Germany. They saw what appeared to be blood.
[Music] >> Just a few feet away in a nearby corn field lay the naked body of a young man.
When I got the message from these two women, we immediately sent a police officer to check the site. When he
reported that the body was that of a young man, we realized that it might be Dario.
>> The body was positively identified as Dario Chickia. He had been sexually mutilated.
>> I certainly will never forget this all of my life, that terrible sight. It was
quite obvious from the beginning that it was a sex crime. This could be seen from
the injuries. There were cuts and bruises also in the genital area. >> When the medical examiner arrived at the
scene, he concluded that the cuts on the body were consistent with a pocketk knife, but were made sometime after the
boy was dead. I found on the body a lot of long cuts side by side and this helped me to think that the boy did not
move during the cuts were made and on the other hand there were no defensive wounds.
>> Although blood had been found near the body, Dr. Wiler believed it wasn't enough blood to indicate that the boy's
heart was still pumping when the mutilation took place. When there is no heart action and no circulation in the
body, there is no possibility to to bleed very much. >> With no evidence of a struggle, police
suspected that Dario had been murdered somewhere else and the body transported to the cornfield.
Police found Dario's sneakers in the cornfield, but they did not find the knife used in the mutilation.
We were greatly alarmed. Such crimes are frequently repeated if the killer is still at large. We therefore started
immediately with a very thorough search of the environment. >> Police could find no foreign hair,
fibers, or semen. But Dr. Wiler swabbed the inside of Dario's mouth for possible
forensic evidence. When he analyzed that sample, he discovered some microscopic evidence. It was a discovery that would
change the course of the investigation and launch a new era in crime science. After Dario Chicoia's mutilated body was
found lying in a corn field, Dr. Dr. Daniel Wiler analyzed the forensic evidence from Dario's mouth. Something
under the microscope caught his attention. He found what are called datones. Datome are a type of algae, microscopic
organisms that live mostly in the sea, in ponds, lakes, and streams. They can also be found on moist rocks, even in
mud and soil. These tiny organisms are the most diverse of all algae. Globally, they account for approximately 25% of
all photosynthesis. There are about 16,000 different species of datones worldwide, about 3,000
species in Switzerland alone. Datomes can tell scientists about past environmental conditions in freshwater
and marine environments as long ago as tens of thousands of years. And in the case of Dario Chicoia, Dr. Wiler hoped
that the datones found in his body would reveal something about his murder. >> I was absolutely sure that this boy was
drowned in the lungs. I found a lot of mud and this helped me to see that he has
been in water with a lot of mud. So it can't be a very deep lake or something like that. It must be a a creek or a
small river or something like that. Datome were also found on Dario's sneakers which were in the cornfield
near his body. The next step was to see if the datomes in Dario's lungs and on his sneakers could help determine the
exact body of water where Dario had been murdered. To find out, Dr. Wiler called
on the expertise of Dr. Yakim Hurleman, a biologist who specializes in the study
of datones. You can look to the datms in the lung and you see the species and the
species give you information about the the type of river or lake the water quality. Dr. Hurleman was asked to
analyze the datome populations in Dario's lungs and sneakers as well as those found in water samples from the
region. If he could find significant similarities, investigators would know the exact
location of his murder. If you have a a high similarity, you know that two samples must come from the same place.
>> But with as many as 3,000 different species of datomes in Switzerland alone, Dr. Hurleman would have to test water
samples from the nearby bodies of water to make an accurate comparison >> to be very sure that there is no other
pond or river or creek which has the similar or the same datm community. So if you look to other um water bodies and
you won't find the communities then you are quite sure that uh this special place was the place of the of the
drowning. Water samples were collected from the surrounding bodies of water, including the Ryan River, which flows
between the creek and the cornfield where Dario's body had been found. The water samples were treated with acids to
kill any organic matter in the datome, leaving their glass-like skeletal remains, a necessary step in
identification according to species. Under the microscope, Dr. Dr. Hurleman compared the datome populations found in
Dario's lungs and on his sneakers to the thousands of known species in his reference journals. He found one
dominant species. The datomes were identified as fragilaria pinata, a freshwater species usually found
attached to sand grains in slowly moving water. The next step was for Dr. Hurleman to count and identify the
datome populations from the various water samples using an elaborate chart. It was a tedious process, but eventually
he found one body of water which had as its dominant species fragileria panata. The same dominant species found in
Dario's lungs and on his sneakers. It was from a water sample taken from the creek just a few feet away from where
Dario's bicycle was found. This discovery led Dr. Hurleman to one conclusion. >> We can say that the datoms found in the
lungs of Daario must be from the same place we have taken samples in from the creek. Was it possible that the datome
evidence could tell investigators more than simply where Dario was murdered? Could the DAO lead investigators to the
killer? Armed with the datome evidence found inside Dario Chicoia's lungs and on his
sneakers, police concluded that he had been forcefully drowned in the creek where he had been fishing before being
mutilated and dumped in the cornfield. The question now, who murdered Dario? And how was the body transported to the
cornfield a few kilometers away? Police questioned friends and acquaintances of the victim.
>> We questioned about 200 persons both in Switzerland and Germany. Of course, the
family were also investigated as it is always done in such cases. Also, in case no responsible person is found to clear
the family that no suspicions remain with them. With no strong leads or suspects, Swiss police informed Interpol
of the case. Interpol is an international agency headquartered in France that shares information about
criminal investigations with 178 nations who are members of the network. >> As the body was found so close to the
border, it was possible that the murderer might have come from or gone to a foreign country. It was a difficult
case. Interpol was also informed of the case. Three months after the murder of Dario Chicia, Interpol notified Swiss
police of a possible lead. A man had been arrested in France for sexually assaulting a hitchhiker and trying to
kill him. He was identified as 35year-old Roland Keebler, a psychiatric nurse who was divorced and the father of
a 5-year-old girl. What caught Interpol's attention was the fact that Keebler lived in Switzerland, not far
from the village where Dario Chicia was murdered. When Dr. Wiler heard of Roland
Keebler's arrest, he suggested something unusual. He told the Swiss police to examine Keebler's car.
>> Car is still in in Switzerland. So I asked the police whether it's possible to get the pedals of the car and the
carpet in the trunk to bring all that stuff to Dr. Hurleman. >> It was clear that the people who has
done this drowning that um he must have the items on his shoes on his clothes or
uh in his car. Forensic scientists collected microscopic debris from inside Keebler's car, including material from
both the gas and brake pedals, the carpet in the passenger compartment, and the carpet from the trunk. When Dr.
Hurleman analyzed those samples under a microscope, he made a surprising discovery. He found datones.
They were found on both the gas and brake pedals, in the carpet under the pedals, and in the carpet in the trunk.
When he analyzed the datome found in the car, he discovered they were fragilaria
panata, the same dominant species found in Dario's lungs, on his sneakers, and in the creek. With 3,000 different
species of datomes in Switzerland, the similarities in the datome evidence was significant. We know now that the
material found in in the car must come or is similar to to the one of the lung of Daario and to the material found in
the creek. >> Armed with this microscopic evidence, Swiss police confronted Roland Keebler.
He denied he had anything to do with Dario's murder and said he only knew about the crime from what he read in the
newspapers. But during questioning, Keebler revealed details of Dario's wounds, details which had never been
reported in the newspapers. Roland Keebler knew too much. When confronted with the discrepancy, Roland
Keebler confessed to the murder of Dario Chicoia. A picture now emerged of what took place
at the creek the day Dario disappeared and how his killer left behind a microscopic trail of evidence.
During police interrogation, Roland Keebler confessed to both the murder and mutilation of Dario Czechalia
and his long-standing sexual fantasies about young boys. >> He is in simple terms a pedophile and he
has suppressed his homosexual tendencies for years and when he lived his fantasies he had to kill the victim in
order to keep a secret. On August 4th, 1993, Dario rode his bicycle to the creek near
his home for an afternoon of fishing. He left his bike near the main road and headed down to the water.
[Music] Roland Keebler was on vacation and had been drinking heavily when he drove in
the area where Dario was fishing. Keebler spotted Dario's bike and told police just knowing a young boy was in
the area excited him greatly. Keebler parked his car and walked to where Dario was fishing.
>> Ash. >> No, Nick. >> After a brief conversation, Keebler approached Dario again.
He attacked the young boy, pushing him into the water, forced him to undress, and sexually molested him.
Then Keebler forced Dario's head under the water into the mud of the stream bed. With his knee between Dario's
shoulder blades, he kept the voice submerged until the struggling stopped. [Music]
Keebler decided not to leave the body at the scene of the crime. Instead, he placed the boy's body into the trunk of
his car and left for a social engagement with his ex-wife. [Music] Little did Keebler realize he had left
behind a trail of evidence, microscopic single cell evidence which would link him to the scene of the crime.
From the moment Keebler pushed his victim into the creek, microscopic dios in the water attached themselves to the
soles of his shoes, and dat flooded Dario's mouth and lungs when he was forcefully drowned.
Keebler transferred those datomes from his shoes to the pedals of his car when he drove away
and dat from Dario's mouth would later seep onto the carpet in the trunk in which he was transported to the
cornfield. Dr. Wiler's discovery of the datones and Dr. Hurlman's species identification in
the laboratory were essential elements in tracking down a vicious killer. Roland Keebler had silenced his victim,
but the datome evidence spoke volumes. >> I am proud that I found this datoms. It
was a very very good feeling for me to have found a scientific way to prove something what was very important
to find a murder. We know that we didn't make big mistakes or errors in in the determination or in the preparation of
the all the samples. So it was at this moment it was a good feeling. Of course >> this case therefore became sort of a
model case also worldwide and particularly in Switzerland. It had never been done in this way before. We
were pioneers and we certainly hope that it will be possible to solve other cases
in the same way for the future. Roland Keebler confessed not only to the murder of Dario Chicia, but also admitted
killing another boy in the same area of Switzerland 10 years earlier. Keebler was convicted of both crimes and was
sentenced to life in prison. Candles burned near the creek where Dario died. a shrine built by villagers
to keep Dario's memory alive. And in a nearby churchyard where Dario is buried, his sculpture reminds
visitors of the gentle, innocent child who died too soon. >> Whenever children are the victims of
violent crimes, it's much, much worse. And this must be the same all over the world.
[Music] Wonder why? [Music] [Applause] [Music]

After a day of fishing in a small, quiet village in Switzerland, a teenage boy did not return home as planned. The investigation revealed some important microscopic evidence in the water near where he was last seen. Now in HD.

Brief Summary

The murder of Dario Chickalia in Switzerland leads to a groundbreaking forensic investigation and the capture of his killer, Roland Keebler.

Key points

The Disappearance of Dario Chickalia. A teenage boy goes missing after a fishing trip, sparking a frantic search.
The Discovery of a Body. Two women walking a dog stumble upon a gruesome scene in a cornfield.
Microscopic Evidence Changes Everything. Forensic analysis reveals crucial algae evidence that could lead to the killer.
The Arrest of Roland Keebler. A suspect emerges after a violent crime in France connects to Dario's case.
Keebler's Confession. The suspect confesses to the murder, revealing disturbing details about the crime.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I certainly will never forget this all of my life, that terrible sight.

Witness recalling the discovery of Dario's body.

3:24WatchSep 25, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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