Tracy Smith and 48 HOURS investigate the murder of a Colorado mother of three who allegedly went for a walk during a blizzard taking family secrets with her and was later found dead in a nearby river in “The Blue River Murder,” to be broadcast March 8, 2014 (10:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
The police investigation into the death uncovered secrets: a marriage on the brink of collapse, an emotional affair, a woman concerned for her safety and who may have known the name of her killer.
Stephanie Roller was a modern dancer and a loving mother when one night just before Thanksgiving in 2010 she packed up her laptop and headed out for a walk during a blizzard, according to her husband, Dale Bruner. He waited 11 hours to call police to report she was missing. There were no leads, no footprints in the snow, and most of all, no Stephanie.
“We called everybody that we can call that we know of,” Dale Bruner tells Smith. “I’ve got the kids at the house at this point. Mommy didn’t come home. I don’t know what to tell the kids. You can’t tell them anything. You don’t know anything. I’m scared.” Friends of the couple found the story of Stephanie’s walk a bit strange. The police had questions, too. “Each day that we looked into Stephanie’s life we learned many things,” Silverthorne, Colo., Police Det. Theresa Barger says. “We learned that Stephanie had secrets. She was very scared. She was scared for her life.” Barger set out to find Stephanie. But she was never seen alive again. Three days after Roller was reported missing, she was found dead in the Blue River, the victim of a brutal murder. Police believe she was badly beaten and still alive when she was thrown into the frigid river.
The investigation into what happened to Roller revealed that she was having an emotional affair with a local man, who was also married. She also confessed to Dale she wanted out of their marriage. Police soon whittled down the list of suspects to three – the jilted husband, the victim’s married boyfriend and the boyfriend’s jealous wife.
Eight months later, Dale Bruner was indicted for the murder of his wife.
“I asked my best friend and looked him in the eye and said, ‘Did you have anything to do with this,’” Bruner’s friend, Brad Olivanti, tells 48 HOURS. “And he looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘no.’”
Was Dale Bruner telling the truth? Smith and 48 HOURS piece together Stephanie Roller’s story through interviews with Barger, Bruner, the couple’s friends and prosecutors. “The Blue River Murder” is produced by Liza Finley. Sarah Prior is the field producer. Diana Modica and Phil Tangel are the editors. Judy Tygard is the senior producer. Susan Zirinsky is the senior executive producer.
DAVID JOACHIM - COOKING LIGHT: GLOBAL KITCHEN THE WORLD’S MOST DELICIOUS FOOD MADE EASY
Global Kitchen (Oxmoor House; March 4, 2014; $29.95 Hardcover) features 150 out-of-this-world recipes made with everyday ingredients found in local supermarkets, with each getting the Cooking Light stamp of approval. Every recipe is delicious, healthy and reliable. David also shares fascinating stories behind the world’s most loved dishes as well as techniques and ingredient tips from chefs known for their mastery of global cuisines including Rick Bayless, Marc Vetri and Michael Solomonov.
"When Cooking Light invited me to showcase the world’s most iconic dishes, I jumped at the chance,” says David Joachim. “It’s an exciting time to be in the kitchen with so many incredible, flavorful ingredients from around the globe in our local supermarkets. We can thank globalization for stimulating our taste buds – and for making it easier to eat healthy.”
ABOUT DAVID JOACHIM - David Joachim has authored, edited or collaborated on more than 40 cookbooks. He holds a master's degree in English language and literature from Binghamton University, where he taught writing classes for three years. He is the author of The Tailgater's Cookbook, The Spaghetti Sauce Gourmet, and the IACP Award-winning reference books, The Food Substitutions Bible and The Science of Good Food, which was also a James Beard Award finalist and a nominee for Best Food Book in the World Food Media Awards. He wrote A Man, A Can, A Plan, which has more than 500,000 copies in print, and A Man, A Can, A Grill, a New York Times bestseller. Joachim's "A Man, A Can..." series of books has sold more than 1 million copies. Joachim is former food editor at Vegetarian Gourmet magazine, and his writing and tips have appeared in numerous national magazines such as Cook's Illustrated, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Pleasures, Relish, Prevention, Fitness, Self, Men's Health, and Bicycling. As an author and spokesperson, Joachim has made numerous national media appearances on television and radio, including The Food Network, The Cooking Channel, “The View," Discovery Channel, "Talk of the Nation" and "A Chef's Table" on NPR, among others.
STEVE EVANS "THE MOVIE GUY"GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.