Sneak peek: Murder on Prom Night | Forensic Files

[Music] here we are so we're at olive branch the church that I grew up in for three years
this is the house that I lived in this is probably not a door I want to open I just I don't I don't know if I could
handle being in there knowing what happened my name is Jesse my hair is pink I decided to change my hair I also
changed my name to Jesse Jessica I no longer wanted that name because she was a very sad lonely angry little girl and
I just didn't want that anymore [Music] when I was a young child I lived with my
mom and my dad and then there was me the oldest my middle sister Janelle and then
there was my little sister Jolene my dad died when I was five years old after my
dad had died my mom married Bob Pelle and Bob had become a minister because my stepdad was the minister of the church
we lived in the parsonage Bob's kids were older than me and my sisters my first impression of Jeff was he was very
tall skinny crazy big hair and Jackie she was a little more quiet reserved my sister Janelle and I had a best friend
Stephanie Fagan she was like one of the family we played in the backyard we ran through the
cornfields it was typical country girl stuff the Pelle family through my eyes seemed
normal for the most part [Music] in April 1989 I was nine years old my whole world was shattered
Jeff was planning to go to the prom that weekend Jackie was at a church camp I had planned to go to a friend's house so
I ended up going to the sleepover by myself for the whole weekend my Sunday routine was we would usually arrive at
church between 9:00 and 9:15 I would go over to the Pelley's because dawn usually had breakfast made eggs bacon
whatever we wanted so I ran over there when the door was locked that was confused the doors were never
locked and I went running back to the church and I said I don't know they must all be sleeping at this point in time I
think the whole congregation was there they had a master key they went in scoped it out themselves and they came
back and said everybody needs to run to the altar and pray I was super confused we drove up and I saw lots of people in
the parking lot and there were cop cars everywhere there was yellow crime tape a
police officer came up to the van and asked my friend's mom to get out and I could see them talking and I could see
the tears just start streaming down her face so she came around and told me that
my whole family was gone you

"48 Hours Live to Tell:" A survivor deals with the trauma after her stepbrother is convicted of killing her family in order to go to the prom. CBS News' Jim Axelrod reports for "48 Hours" Saturday, July 3 at 10/9c on CBS.

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Brief Summary

Jesse recounts her childhood trauma and family tragedy after her father's death and her journey of personal transformation.

Key points

A New Identity. Jesse shares her journey of changing her name and hair color to escape her past.
A Shattered World. At nine years old, Jesse's life changes forever when she learns her family is gone.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just didn't want that anymore.

Jesse talks about changing her name and identity.

1:07WatchJan 24, 2020

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