The Tree that Helped Solve a Murder | Sneak peek | Forensic Files

foreign [Applause] hey it's officer Joseph so you said uh took your purse with her
right yeah um phone the headphones do you want it it's here police officers first made
contact with Joe ellidge on October 10 2019. Joe ellich said that on October 8th he'd gone to sleep with monkey at
about 11 11 30 or so and then he woke up the next morning and then he noticed that monk she was gone vanished
her phone and her her wedding ring were both um we're both just left on that table I
can't unlock her phone it's locked and I don't know password at the time that munchie G disappeared
she was a young married mother she had a child who was one years old I think it's easy to see that Joe would
have been attracted to munchie for her personality in terms of how caring she was we all know that she's a very
successful young engineer and she's really good at being a mom and she had hopes for a brighter future and this
marriage in Joseph Village to First blush Facebook postings you know Instagram you would see what
appeared to be a happy family these young people got married had a child and circumstances changed then arguments
happened I talk too much you need to know you don't listen enough you so there was a total of 14 hours of
audio recorded between the couple right now what's happening this is more of what I don't want communication
lack of it he actually discovered that she was involved in an online relationship and he knew that there were
some of these sexually explicit photos being sent back correct I actually found this earlier
The Secret Love I think he's in China right now did she ever express an interest in a future
with this man that perhaps she'd move back to China there were discussions about a future we checked into whether
or not there was maybe any contact with Uber cab companies had she bought an airline ticket we were looking for any
evidence of an electronic footprint I know she was talking to somebody else on the side and whatever she's doing I just
hope she's safe I would have loved nothing more for her to just appear out of nowhere alive so she could take care
of her daughter but I knew that wasn't going to be the case we have these boots that were found and
then we have five Juniper needles that are caked into the boots and these needles where did they come
from we had three needles that came from that tree right there [Music] who would have ever thought it DNA from
these juniper trees helped solve this crime I've never heard of anything like this before in my entire career at 48
hours [Music]

When Mengqi Ji, a young mother disappears, DNA from a tree helps lead to her killer. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports Saturday, December 10 at 10:01/9:01c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

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

Munchie G disappeared in 2019, leading to an investigation revealing her troubled marriage and online relationships.

Key points

The Disappearance of Munchie. Munchie, a young mother, vanished overnight, leaving behind her phone and wedding ring.
Secrets Unveiled. Joe discovers Munchie's online relationship and explicit photos, revealing hidden tensions.
DNA Evidence. Juniper needles found in boots provide unexpected evidence in the case.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just hope she's safe.

A worried partner expressing hope for her safety.

3:09WatchDec 8, 2022

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