“48 Hours” Investigates in a Saturday Night Double Feature
Was a teenager lured to her death through a smartphone app, and will the nation’s oldest cold case ever be solved? 48 HOURS investigates in a Saturday night double feature to be broadcast Saturday, June 3 (9:00 PM and 10:00 PM) on the CBS Television Network.
At 9:00 PM, Erin Moriarty and 48 HOURS report on the investigation into what authorities say was the oldest cold case ever to be prosecuted in the United States, until a recent stunning turn, in an updated encore of “Cold as Ice.” The case tested the memories of witnesses and forced a family to expose dark secrets as part of getting justice for the family of Maria Ridulph, a 7-year-old girl who, in 1957, was snatched from a quiet street in Sycamore, Ill., and found dead five months later. The story raised questions about the statute of limitations for such cases and how long is too long to rely on old information. The case appeared to be solved after 55 years, when police, working from a tip gained through a deathbed confession from the mother of the alleged killer, were led to Jack McCullough. But, in an interview with Moriarty, McCullough said he’s “not a murderer.”
At 10:00 PM, Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the death of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell and how her killer found the vulnerable teen on the popular chat app Kik in an encore of “Killer App.” Lovell, 13, signed on to Kik looking for a friend. With a few swipes on her smartphone, Lovell became a victim of the occasionally dangerous world of anonymous online friending, where predators hunt for victims by using fake names and profiles. In this case, the killer and the accomplice were the most likely predators: college students. The broadcast also focuses on a Spokane, Wash., family that found their daughter was communicating with a 30-year-old man online and planning to run off that night. What the parents did might shock some – but to them, it was a matter of life or death.
The broadcast examines how parents, thanks to so-called “parent-proof” chat platforms, often don’t know what their kids are doing on their phones, laptops, tablets or computers, until something goes wrong. “We take online safety very seriously, and we’re constantly assessing and improving our trust and safety measures,” Kik officials said in a statement to 48 HOURS. “Nicole Lovell suffered a terrible tragedy, and our sincere condolences continue to go out to her family. Since the time of the incident, Kik has taken a variety of proactive measures to help increase safety on our platform.”
WWW.CBSNEWS.COM/48-HOURS
SOMMELIER HOWARD PRICE - WINE TRENDS
Howard Price joins the show to chat wine trends, upcoming events and his most recent travels!
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.