Man Arrested For 1980 Murder! DNA and Jailhouse Snitch Finger Suspect in 46 Year Cold Case

In October 1980 Charles Barnes is found stabbed to death in his Tampa, Florida home. Police discover the 39-year-old naked on the floor with a knife lodged in his chest and the scene shows signs of struggle. Detectives find blood soaked bedding and beer cans with fingerprints of an unknown persons. When no suspect is connected to the fingerprints the case goes cold. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack go back through the evidence available at the time, and discuss how the old evidence contained everything needed to arrest a suspect more than 45 years after the murder. 

 

 

 

 

 

Transcript Highlights

00:03.51 Introduction

01:08.12 A towel with DNA

05:10.78 Forensic technology available 1980

10:07.53 Latent prints

15:15.38 Simpson Crime Scene 1994 Dennis Fong

20:30.66 Using X-Ray instead of photo in court

25:06.30 Finger prints didn't hit

30:20.12 2009 Prints came back to Robert Bear

35:23.00 Fingernail clippings from victim

40:00.04 DNA match to suspect

45:12.79 Evidence places Robert Bear at crime scene

47:01.86 Conclusion

 

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