Forensic Files 1.5
"Planted Evidence"

February 2, 2020 by Avery Faeth

Planted Evidence

Air date: 10/24/1996
Chronology: season 1, episode 5

Victim: Denise Johnson

Date of death: 05/03/1992

Cause of death: Strangulation

Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Perpetrator: Mark Bogan

The crime: After a confrontation, trucker Mark Bogan beat and strangled prostitute Denise Johnson to death with her own clothing. He was connected to the crime via a pager found at the location. Upon search of his vehicle, seed pods were found that resembled those from a tree at the crime scene. A plant geneticisit found that individual trees have unique DNA and that the pods from the truck matched the pods at the crime scene, linking Mark Bogan to the scene and commission of the crime.

Techniques: Fingerprint analysis, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, polymerase chain reaction

Professionals: Tim Helentjaris, PhD (plant geneticist), Philip Keen, MD (medical examiner), Charles Norton (homicide detective), Jordan Barber (homicide sergeant), Susan Bolton (superior court judge), William Clayton (deputy county attorney), Peter Thomas (narrator)