Late one afternoon in the summer of 2014, a pawnshop owner was updating his inventory logs when the bell above the front door jingled. A young couple walked inside and approached the counter. The man said he had a few items to sell, then opened a drawstring bag and dumped the contents onto the counter. A collection of gold chains, rings, and watches spilled out. Many of the pieces were twisted and mangled. And instantly, the hairs on the pawnshop owner’s neck stood up. Because everything about this interaction – from the large quantity of damaged jewelry to the careless way the pieces had been thrown in a bag together – told him that these items were stolen. And this made the owner extremely nervous, because he had cash in the register and didn’t know what the thieves might be capable of. He needed to get them out of the store quickly, without revealing that he was on to them. So, he told the couple he didn’t have enough cash to buy the jewelry now, but would send some pictures to his broker to see if they were interested. The couple agreed and let him take the photos. As soon as they were gone, the owner called the police, and it soon became clear he’d stumbled onto something much bigger than theft. Because this jewelry was linked to a murder case that had rocked a small, suburban community and baffled police.

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