The Shape of a Killer | Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] personally I could sort of relate to Kathy Blair and just thinking about what
that would be like as a woman to be home alone that is the Boogeyman story for every woman right
awful an intruder is in your house yeah someone is stabbing you [Music] what's happening my mom is dead
BR my mom this is a case that sticks with you throughout your life my name is Derek
Israel I was working in the homicide unit when this case uh occurred uh my name is Carrie scandin
and I was the lead investigator on the Kathy Blair [Music] murder Kathy was a larger than life
she's my big sister I have always thought everything Kathy did was amazing how would you describe her from a
students's perspective she was so kind um just believed in me wholeheartedly it still makes no
sense who kills a choir director who does that a monster uh I get notified that there's
been another murderer the victims are an elderly couple they were the best parents you could ever
wantong they were just sweet people like anybody's grandmother and grandfather right from the get-go it started
sounding really familiar it's so violent and it's eerily similar to Kathy Blair's and when we saw the connection
we just continue to work the investigations together you know Carrie and I both kind
of came to the conclusion that there was a serial killer working here in Austin I was uh out testing a thermal
scope I needed to get some video of some deer Rob Leaf has this thermal imaging scope it's been night vision rifle scope
so I saw the car pull up and park I zoomed in with the scope and by the time I had zoomed in someone had gotten out
walked over the sidewalk that is just unbelievable CH the last thing they were expecting was
high resolution thermal video this video showed the murderer walking towards Kathy but's house the actual killer the
actual killer [Music] [Music] these days in Texas it seems like all roads lead to
Austin the Sleek skyline of the Lone Star Capital glittering a Boom Town that welcomes
newcomers chasing dreams it's a city charged with life an unlikely place to find tragedy as dark
as the death of a dreamer like Kathy Blair she loved life you loved being around her what were the things that
were important to her she had I think a sense of justice right and wrong Kiren mat is Kathy's younger sister um she was
bossy and even as kids in California it was clear Kathy had a passion she was always singing she had a god-given
talent which was her voice it was music that led Kathy to Austin Kathy went to UT Austin to get
her master's degree in vocal performance she loved Austin but love didn't always
work out for Kathy she divorced twice still her affair with Austin held firm and by 2013 Kathy was renting a
house on a quiet street here on tamarak trail it was home she loved the people here she loved the
vibe in a city known around the world for music Kathy Blair fit right in she had Melody and rhythm in her soul but
you wouldn't find her singing the blues here on Austin's famed Sixth Street instead she chose a more spiritual stage
for her talents Christian Coral Society was a positive social setting the kids were kind to
each other Barbara Sally's daughter was one of hundreds of students touched by Cathy's Talent as a choir director and
teacher I think she lived breathe ate slept music Barbara along with Kathy student Kristen deg Groot met with us to
share their memories of Kathy she was so kind um just believed in me wholeheartedly which uh was something I
really needed and for Kristen Kathy was a role model she and I were the same music needed to be in our lives or we
would die she was their teacher and their Mentor one of her friends called it the Cathy Nation the Cathy Nation the
Cathy Nation it was December 6th 2014 Kathy's son Joe was staying with her while waiting for his assignment
from the Navy after a night out he came home to tamarak Trail what he found was shattering and echoed across that Cathy
Nation think my mom is dead there's a lot of blood broke in and killed my mom Joe what's your mom's name her name is
Cathy [Music] Blair this case was clearly different really right from the right from the get- go starting with
the location oh this is a nice neighborhood this is a place where people I think feel safe a l up until
this case which would frighten and chill Austin and shock veteran detectives scandin and Israel one of the first
things I thought of I'm like why this house why this house there's nothing that uh makes this house stand out from
all the other ones this is the living room right here then in Kathy Blair's bedroom there's a
full-size jewelry case right here large drawers all the drawers have been pulled
out and they're stacked up so it's like someone dumped them out and then put them in a pile right here someone who
had time to do that correct a jewel thief who had time because Kathy Blair was already
dead this martyr started right here on the bed 53-year-old Kathy Blair lay alone
asleep in her own bed she awoke to the Ultimate Nightmare yeah Kathy Blair fought like
hell choked stabbed and finally slashed across the neck the wound is a fatal wound but she still has time you know to
put up that fight she she fought for her life Kathy's here and there's blood all
around her so much blood that it formed the timeline of a Murder there's a light switch and on that light
switch we saw blood like a a blood swipe that told us that the perpetrator had come in here after the murder and and
switch that light on there are more blood swipes on these drawers that tells me the murder of Kathy Blair occurs
before these drawers were removed words soon spread across Austin and across Kathy Nation I just said no that's not
what happened that cannot possibly be what happened was Kathy the kind of woman who might have an enemy who would
do that no she didn't have a malicious bone in her body why does someone come in here and
and murder someone in order to steal a little bit of jewelry you know it doesn't make
sense it would be the first in a hideous series of Senseless events it's just one
of those moments where you're in disbelief you think you're living in a dream this does not
happen but it did happen and the killer left almost no evidence no DNA no fingerprints no fingerprint and no blood
from the killer no Israel and scandin would need all their street smarts and then some because just nine days later I
get notified that there's been another murderer for Austin detectives Israel and
scanland images of Kathy Blair's death were harrowing attacked in the middle of the night and it was a really horrific
scene but there was no physical evidence from a a killer who made virtually no mistakes and that meant there was no
clear suspect then suddenly the search for a suspect changed in a way no one could
imagine it was around 1:30 a.m. on the night that Kathy Blair died and one of her neighbors was out for a late night
walk what he saw and what he did would give the detectives their first big break in the case
I was out testing a thermoscope I needed to get some video of some deer and we've
got some deer up and down the street Rob Leaf lived a few short blocks from Kathy
Blair so this a thermal scope so it picks up a heat signature wow it's like daytime except it was the dead of night
and Rob was only looking for deer I saw the headlights of a car coming up I saw the car pull up and park and on this
street on this street Rob kept recording this is video he recorded that night with a scope like this one I
zoomed in with the scope and by the time I had zoomed in someone had gotten out and walked over to the sidewalk you can
flip the setting to Red to see the image more clearly did you focus in on the card I first focused in on the person
and turns left on tamok Kathy Blair Street the next day Rob flew to Las Vegas on a planned trip with old friends
reading the news on my phone and saw a murder story I clicked on it I saw the address Rob raced back to Austin he
checked the video of that stranger on his street and I called Austin Police how important does the video end up
being in Kathy Blair's case very very important the video was tantalizing but blank on images that did
not give off heat so you couldn't actually identify the man a license plate number or even if there was anyone
else inside the vehicle still there was one important clue it gave us an idea of
what kind of vehicle our murder suspect arrived at the crime scene with and it was a sedan of some
sort these cops needed much more evidence then nine days after Cathy Blair's murder in another peaceful
Austin neighborhood just 15 minutes from Cathy's home they would get it the victims are an elderly couple
murdered overnight viciously viciously Sydney Jr Johnny and Brenda want their parents to be remembered as the
outstanding people they were not the Grim headlines they became Billy and Sydney Shelton were hardworking and
happily married for 64 years we were never rich but not once did daddy ever complain about it not once did Mama ever
complain about it a life well- lived and peacefully slowing down Billy was 83 her husband
Sydney 85 these are sweet people that'll you know send you on the road with some
cookies home nurse Dao catola was making her scheduled visit on December 15th 2014 I knocked nobody answered front
door was splintered it was clearly had been busted open down nerous ly headed to the Shelton's modest bedroom and
their room had been ransacked and then to the left I saw him on the bed and I I ran I just turned around and I ran
Sydney and Billy Shelton had been beaten and stabbed the knife is still present yes in one of the victims that's correct
is it clear that it's also a burglary yeah I was seeing some of the same things the same things found it Kathy
Blair's murder scene starting with an empty jewelry box and again the drawers were pulled out they had been emptied
and stacked three people had been slaughtered in their own beds the crime scenes were eerily similar and
investigators were privately wondering was there a serial killer loose on the streets of
Austin if word gives out that there's a serial killer it kicks it to an entirely
different level so investigators kept their worst fear to themselves but why would any killer Target Kathy or Billy
and Sydney who cops determined didn't even know each other none of these people had any enemies that we could
figure out what is it that connects these people together besides the killer every lead was chased down then almost 3
weeks after Kathy was killed the name of a stranger surfest Tim Parlin he done yard work at Cathy's house and a friend
reported Parlin was weird and rude I go to our computer system it was a simple and easy search Tim Parlin had spent
decades in prison and he sto jewelry and he stole jewelry specifically jewelry at
night are you hopeful at this point yeah I [Music] am so this is the in town suits Tim
Parlin where here is living at the time the murders happened Israel and scandin went to look
up the lifelong convict the detectives snapped these photos of Tim Parlin told him we're
homicide detectives so he asked us a few questions as well about the murder well
yeah like so how'd she die wow you know stuff like that he's susing it out to see what we know cat Mouse it is parand
spoke to the cops in the hotel's parking lot but when they asked to see his room
he refused claiming his his wife was inside and asleep and you drive away and what's the conversation I said this is
our guy you did yeah and Dereck says I don't know yet a return trip to the in town suits
just a few days later pays off Parlin wasn't home but his wife was explain what we were investigating and she knew
the Shelton his wife knew the Shelton Tim parlan's wife knew the Shelton from church and Tim Parlin had worked in
Kathy Blair's yard it was tenuous but it was a connection she gave us permission
to search the apartment did you find anything we did a pawn receipt this is that pawn receipt for a piece of jewelry
a nugget pendant and it turns out that pendant belonged to Kathy Blair it was pawned on the same night that Kathy
Blair was murdered we found out that his sister had a green Toyota harl had been using his sister's
car a green Toyota its outline appeared similar to the car in Rob Leaf's video and one caught on security footage
approaching that Austin pawn shop less than 24 hours after Kathy was murdered we took it we had it towed towed and
tested on the passenger seat traces of dried blood blood belonged to Kathy Blair that
was in that car a Austin was on edge Kathy Blair was found dead inside her home hoping for an
arrest the wait for justice has been troubling for her students family and friends my name is ha Muller and I'm an
anchor at CBS Austin news it was very very shocking in the community and it was really unsettling but now Justice
was closing in on one man Tim Parlin but you're thinking one guy still oh yeah do you believe Rob Leaf's video can
help ID Kathy Blair's killer see more of what Leaf captured that night on Facebook at 48
Hours when Kathy Blair's blood was found in Tim parlan's car detectives Israel and scanland were convinced that he had
killed her at that point we're all jubilant we're super excited we got our gu Parlin fit the bill perfectly he had
done yard work for Kathy Blair and was a career criminal with a long rap sheet of
burglaries now I just need to question him confront him hopefully he'll confess but if he doesn't we have hard physical
evidence to tie this guy to the murder Israel had Parlin arrested for an unrelated parole violation and brought
in for questioning seemed like a pretty short and straight road to charging parl
with murder it turned out it wasn't a short road and it certainly wasn't a straight
road the first step was to get Parlin to corroborate some of the details of Cathy's murder I just straight up told
him that you know we knew that he had killed uh Kathy Blair what's his response I didn't do it and this was the
thing he really liked to say these hands didn't kill anyone so the detectives asked him who
did but Parlin wasn't giving up that information so easily so after hours of this conversation he finally says okay
I'll tell you who it was and that's when he said Sean Gant Ben alkazar who is that that's what I said who is that did
you think he was stalling oh yeah yeah yeah this sounded completely made up and I knew as soon as he said it that he had
screwed us cuz now he had to now we got to go hunt some mystery guy down and prove that he didn't commit a murder
their lead suspect behind bars for now the detectives reluctantly contacted parlan's mystery man sha Gant benel
Kazar had never been in trouble with the law he had a degree in microbiology was
once a high school science teacher and seemed an unlikely acquaintance of a serial jewel thief this guy lived in
galvaston he didn't cause any trouble gamp and elgazar readily agreed to meet with them that night at the galvaston
police department all right we're investigating a murder in Austin and in particular we're
looking at Tim Parlin as the person that we we believe committed the murder I'm completely in the dark on this um who
was murdered he tells the detectives he barely knows Parlin that he just met him
a few months earlier when his sister began dating parlan's nephew so we started talking okay when was the last
time you're in Austin well I've been in Austin a few times the last month he was
in town during the the weekends of both of those murders and on top of it he was staying
with Tim Parlin the thing is honestly I want to help you guys out because this guy wolf and chep's clothing basically
didn't tell me anything about his his past and I'm starting to feel like he set me up like a py or something the
detectives knew from parlan's criminal record that he did have a history of being a master manipulator did Tim ever
approach you about doing burglaries and before long the mystery man who initially said he knew nothing slowly
started to crack Gant velkazar now says he was sitting in the car when Parlin went into Kathy Blair's house so where
are you sitting in the car passenger seat Well if he's sitting in the passenger seat then why is there blood
in the passenger seat but gel Kazar had an explanation he says Parlin came back to the car clutching a bloody pillowcase
came back with the sack had blood on it threw it in the passenger floorboard and I took a peek at it had
jewelry in it and I didn't want anything to do with it when did you figure out that it had something to do with the
murder the fact that it had blood on it was not a good sign then about 4 hours into the
interview no I'm just one rest as he walked down a hallway and he was walking in front of me I looked up and it just I
mean I got to chill because I was like that's the same walk as the guy in the video remember that spooky thermal video
that the cops think accidentally caught Kathy Blair's killer ambling down the sidewalk you know it's just the
broadness the deliberate steps I thought it was him I definitely believed it could be him was it actually
gamp benel Kazar and not Parlin who had gone into Cathy's house we started pursuing you know the line of
questioning along the lines of maybe he was in the house he bully you into going into the
house or I was scared and you know he he was taking a threatening tone he told me
to go in the house and get the stuff and finally he admitted I did go into the house and I did steal the jewelry came
in through where the back door you said yeah it was open okay open unlocked unlocked yeah I looked around and kind
of prowled and snuck through quietly and I turned on a couple lights um in rooms
where I didn't see her and I found the room where she was and she was fast asleep that was the room where jewelry
box was in okay and so I I opened the jewelry box took the stuff out put it in the the thing maybe he went back I don't
know but I didn't kill her I told him that's that's impossible everything you said is true except that
it's not possible she was still alive when you left and I explained that the person who turned on those light
switches you talked about turning on the person who removed that pillowcase you talked about removing the person who
removed those drawers you talked about removing that person had Kathy Blair's blood on his
hands so the person who did all that killed Kathy Blair I kept pushing him for the reason something happened in
that room when you were there what happened and that's when he said I was standing there I was looking at
her with no room left to lie he breaks down she woke up she lunged at me grabbed the knife started trying to
wrestle it out of my hand and then it was a struggle and I stabbed her in the neck
the confession came unexpectedly the witness was now the prime suspect we had gone to clear the
guy and instead he confessed to capital murder gamp and El Kazar kept talking and claimed that after murdering Kathy
Blair he handed off her jewelry to Parlin you get to keep any of it no he didn't give me anything I got nothing
you're going to have to ask him where he fenced it sha gan elazar appears to have gained
absolutely nothing from this senseless murder I've never met anyone who would go into someone's house and sneak in a
night and and murder them in their bed for what reason none for their own gratification that's it we're going to
place you under arrest for capital murder detectives immediately read Gant benel Kazar his rights but they still
wanted to learn what he knew about the murder of the Shelton we started talking again asking about the Shelton
try as they might gamp benel gazar wasn't talking anymore well I wasn't there for that one
I don't know anything about that one by this point everyone is exhausted So eventually he just he terminated the
interview he said I'm done done wish this all had never happened after the arrest detective scandin made
this video of Gant benel Kazar on his cell phone his hunch seemed right that's the
moment that you think that's when I thought it was him two men are in jail in connection with the
murder of a beloved choir teacher 4 days later Austin Police announced that they
had made two arrests 30-year-old sha Gan Ben Al Kazar of Galveston is charged with capital murder 49-year-old Timothy
Parlin is also expected to face charges related to Blair's murder Sean Gant Ben alkazar he was a UT graduate he had no
criminal record of any kind how did he get involved with a crime like this Tim parland had an answer later
while in custody parlan admitted to the cops that he had driven gampa alkazar to
Kathy Blair's house and to the Shelton residents on the nights they were murdered and parlan says he knew all
along that gamp and alkazar had killed all three of them investigators now thought they understood what had
happened Shawn murdered the Shelton Tim parand was a party to that murder and he
planned it he facilitated it he profited from it he assisted in it but you are 100% convinced that it was Shawn who
murdered that couple yes will he ever be brought to trial for it it seems unlikely unlikely because there was no
direct evidence linking gamp and alkazar to the Shelton murders and he would always deny he had killed them
prosecutors would focus instead on building their strongest case using gampa alcazar's confession to convict
him of killing Kathy Blair but when Sean gamp benel Kazar finally gets his day in court no one
could have anticipated what would happen next makes you worry because this guy cannot be out on the streets
[Music] okay good morning ladies and gentlemen we're here to start the trial in state
of Texas versus Sean Gant benar three years after sha Gant benel Kazar confessed to the murder of Kathy Blair
his trial begins did then and there intentionally commit murder By causing the death you never know what a jury's
going to do but it was a very very strong case you're all here today assistant DA's Andrea Austin and David
Livingston present the state's case the man who sits Among Us in this courtroom the defendant Shan Gant P
Alazar is Kathy Blair's killer how hard was it to be there during that trial it was really
hard there were some pictures throughout that that I saw that I can't unsee there was a car that parked while
I was out of my walk Kathy's neighbor Rob Leaf testifies about the video he recorded on the night she was murdered
by the time I zoomed and zoomed back in someone was already out of the car and was crossing onto the sidewalk that
someone the prosecutor tells the jury was Shan Gan elazer on his way to murder Kathy Blair I just kind of looked
through the rooms you know and I I turned on a couple lights um in rooms where I didn't see her the prosecution's
case hinges on Gant benel czar's rambling five-hour confession where he describes breaking into Cathy's
house she woke up she lunged at me he had a knife out they fought over the knife and I stabbed her in the
neck he didn't just kind of confess he straight up confessed to all the details of of killing Kathy Blair sign right
here that confession was vital to the prosecution's case he gave enough details in this confession that were
kept out of the media so we could show the confession was from the actual killer and that he knew enough about
this crime to have either been there or done it himself there is no question that this is a horrible horrible crime
but gampa alcazar's defense lawyer Ariel Pion makes a bold accusation right off the top that damning video she just was
trying to fight the knife away from me and I was it was all a lie a false confession coerced by detectives Israel
and scanland no I'm just wondering AR the defense tells the jury that during that
5-minute bathroom break in the hallway when Gant benel Kazar was not being recorded detectives threatened him law
enforcement went down there we believe the evidence will show with the express idea plan purpose and
intent to try to get him to confess to something he didn't do they have to come up with something they have to argue
that it's a involuntary statement but we obviously knew that wasn't true the exact words were this is important and
we're not you're not going anywhere until we finish gamp benel gazar takes the stand to blame the cops for his
confession that if I I didn't explain a reason for having done it even though I Didn't Do It um would get the death
penalty and he maintains that it was actually Tim parland who killed Kathy Blair on that chilly December evening
back in 2014 were you worried the jury might you always have to worry with juries you don't get blood on your hands
and put it on a jewelry chest at closing arguments prosecutors insist Gat benel cazar voluntarily confessed and offered
details about the crime only the killer could have known I think it comes down to credibility mhm and hopefully are
sitting there thinking this guy confess why are we here the case goes to the jury when the hours started ticking away
2 3 5 6 7 8 nine you feel you feel awful were you worried yes the idea that he would get out it was just Unthinkable I
mean Sean is going to kill somebody else if he got out after 19 hours of jury deliberations this time I'll declare a
mistrial a mistrial the jury cannot reach a verdict if one person held out she didn't want to consider the
confession I mean look that's what the system is about we we're required to get a unanimous verdict we didn't get a
unanimous verdict how hard was it to hear that there was a mistrial and you would have to go through it all over
again really hard yeah that was that was tough with a retrial in the works and Tim parlan's trial less than a month
away prosecutors were worried could they get any jury to convict either of these
men good morning this man Timothy parlon knew that sea Gant would go in and murder
Captain Blair with sha Gant benel cassar's mistrial still fresh in her mind prosecutor Andrea Austin is
determined to put Tim parland away for life he stands trial for both the murders of Kathy Blair and the
Shelton in Texas if you were part of the crime then you were also guil of that crime you can convict him even if you
don't believe he stepped foot inside that house because he was there and he participated correct I'm going to ask
you to find him guilty of capital murder detectives were convinced gamp benel Kazar had killed the Shelton but
had no evidence to charge him with their murders so Tim Parlin would prove to be
an easier Target for prosecutors parlan admitted he drove Gan alkazar to both murder scenes
and the car Parlin was driving had Kathy Blair's blood in it oh he did much more than sit in the
car he's the one who targeted Kathy he's the one for whatever reason said hey you know what this would be a
good person for you to murder morning ladies and gentlemen parlan's lawyer Keith Lowman argues that
despite his client having confessed to driving gamp benel Kazar to both murders there is no evidence placing Parlin
inside the two houses he never set foot in either one of these hes and at the very end you're going to realize that
this man in those hands never participated in any murders after a 9-day trial the jury
doesn't take long to reach a verdict we the jury find the defendant Timothy Pary
guilty of the defense of capital murder guilty Parlin is sent to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of
parole for his role in the murders of Kathy Blair and Sydney and Billy Shelton five months later gamp and
elazar went to trial a second time for the murder of Kathy Blair the nerves were much higher the second round well
there's a lot at stake there's a lot at stake the vehicle parked on the side of the street that it wasn't in front of a
house again Rob Leaf's testimony is critical for the prosecution and uh did at some point did
you see an individual get out of that car yes sir I did want you to watch this it was a
struggle and I stabbed her in the neck I I didn't look what he does with his hands he's retrieving a memory right
involuntarily he's doing this he remembers doing because he's the one who murdered her the police wouldn't let me
go is my once more gampa elazar swears the cops coerced his confession and I come out of the bathroom they keep
saying oh we we know you did it there's no doubt you did it and they keep saying
it keep saying it and I just got worn down this time out the jury deliberates less than three
hours we the jury find the defendant Sean Gant Ben Alazar guilty of the offensive capital
murder we poured our emotions out into this case it was Justice delayed [Music] and yeah but delivered but
delivered like Tim Parlin before him Shan gamp Ben elazar was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility
of parole we're pleased um we miss Kathy this isn't going to bring her back our hearts are never going to completely
heal a few months after the verdict I spoke with gamp benel Kazar via a prison video phone I wanted to ask why why
would a guy who'd never been in trouble with the law suddenly turned into a vicious killer instead with no evidence
of any remorse he repeated what he told the jury that he was innocent the cops had forced him to confess and that Tim
Parlin was the one who had killed Kathy Blair when I went to go see him at 4 4:00 a.m. um
he said well we're going to go get breakfast and uh drove me out to the place and then said that he had killed
her and told me about it Tim Parlin confessed to you that he killed Kathy Blair yeah that's right how could you
have known the movements of the killer anything that um I said was something that either uh you know Tim told me or I
just made up and and not surprisingly when I visited Parlin at a prison in Northeast
Texas hello hello how you doing he pointed the finger at gamp in elazar and claimed he knew absolutely nothing about
the murder of Kathy Blair after sha viciously kills Kathy Blair gets back in your car and drives away and he goes
back to gal he never said a thing never said a thing he never said Stone Cold individual actually right you've been
described as the master manipulator that you talked him into doing it my IQ is very low and I have a big heart I
believe that it is it's very low actually and I have a big heart so I'm Not The Mastermind behind anything
you're just a big teddy Bearer Behind Bars yeah pretty much were Rob Leaf is The Accidental Hero of
this story someone who never knew he'd be called upon to help solve a murder and you ended up leaving the
neighborhood I did needed a change I did absolutely I would not be where I am as
a a professional actor and musician without her influence Kathy Blair's student Christen deut is moving to New
York to pursue her dream of a career in music one of my greatest regrets is that
I never was able to tell her that she did this for me how proud do you think she would be of
you I I hope she'd be really proud of me they're just evil people in the end there's just
two this broken human beings who you know basically put a path of Destruction through you know two
[Music] families two families who will forever share the same tragedy they were the
best parents you could ever want I just miss her and at the end of the day she's gone
and I can't call her [Music] tonight what do you think really happened watch more of marinees
interviews with the two convicts at 48 hours.com this is terrifying this is a senseless murder this is not a minor
point this is really a who done it this is a heavy gun this is hate this is real this is crazy this is the Moment of
Truth this is terrifying this is exactly what I tried to stop CBS News original reporting
[Music]

Three murders in Austin, Texas, and little evidence to go on. Did a man testing a thermal imaging camera inadvertently capture the image of one of the killers? "48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher investigates. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Kathy Blair's murder leads to a complex investigation, revealing a serial killer and two suspects arrested for the crime.

Key points

The Murder of Kathy Blair. Kathy Blair, a beloved choir director, is found murdered in her home, shocking the community.
The Thermal Video Breakthrough. A neighbor captures thermal video of a suspicious figure near Kathy's home the night of her murder.
A Serial Killer in Austin?. Detectives suspect a serial killer after a second brutal murder mirrors Kathy's case.
Tim Parlin's Connection. Detectives discover Tim Parlin, a career criminal, has ties to both murder victims.
The Unexpected Confession. Gant Benel Kazar, initially a witness, confesses to Kathy's murder during interrogation.
Confession Details. Gant Ben Alazar's five-hour confession reveals chilling details of Kathy Blair's murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Who kills a choir director?

Reflecting on the murder of Kathy Blair.

1:17WatchNov 29, 2022

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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