November 22, 2023 • 28 mins
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Looking for a chilling mystery that's yet to be solved? Join us on Crime Connoisseurs as we tell the bone-chilling tales of two unsolved murders. First, we shed light on the brutal Thanksgiving murder of Kristen Wilson that, 27 years later, remains unresolved. We dissect the scant evidence, probe into the lack of suspects, and discuss intriguing theories surrounding the case. Hear about Kristen's life, her dreams, and the heartwrenching impact her loss had on her loved ones, as we share an urgent plea for any information that might finally bring justice to her case.
Hear Kristen's best friend, Sam, voice his deep insights into her complex relationships, and the troubling questions posed by Kristen's young nephew, Tyler. Be prepared as we confront the grim discovery of previously untested evidence, and the puzzling absence of DNA on Kristen's body. In a poignant tribute to Kristen, we underline her family's ceaseless quest for justice and the profound heartache her loss continues to inflict on them. As we uncover these tragic narratives, we encourage listeners to recommend other cold cases that deserve attention. Connect with us on Instagram for more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back crime connoisseurs.
I'm your host, Grace D.
Since tomorrow was Thanksgiving, I found it only fitting to
cover a case that took place onThanksgiving 27 years ago.
And this case is an importantone because sadly, to this day
it remains unsolved.
The detectives with the HoustonPolice Department and the
family have not given up hope offinding the person responsible,
(00:23):
and neither shall we.
A young woman was brutallykilled in her own home by a man
who had broken in and lied inwait.
Now, with the murder goingunsolved for nearly three
decades, investigators inHouston hope an increase in the
reward money could enticesomeone to come forward with the
(00:43):
lead.
This is the case of KristenWilson.
(01:22):
Kristen Lee Wilson was born onJuly 13, 1967, to parents
Barbara and Bob Wilson.
Kristen was the middle of threegirls.
She had an older sister, kim,and a younger sister, kelly.
Kristen was kind and caring andshe always went out of her way
to ensure others were cared for.
So it was no surprise that theday before Thanksgiving she went
(01:46):
to the grocery store to getsome last minute items needed
for the festivities.
The next day.
It was November 27, 1996, and29-year-old Kristen Wilson left
work for the day and headed tothe grocery store.
The next day was Thanksgivingand the family was headed to
Kristen's grandmother's house inKaty to celebrate the holiday.
(02:07):
Kristen wanted to pick up a fewthings for dinner to get a good
start on the trip for thefollowing day.
The next day, on Thursday,november 28, 1996, as the turkey
was nearly done and the sideswere ready to serve, kristen
still had yet to arrive to hergrandmother's for Thanksgiving
(02:28):
dinner.
It wasn't like her to be lateand no one could get a hold of
her.
So Kristen's parents, Barbaraand Bob, drove from Katy to
Kristen's apartment complex insouthwest Houston to check on
her.
As they arrived they noticedKristen's car in the parking lot
.
Barbara knocked on the door andturned the knob, discovering
(02:50):
her front door was unlocked.
They entered the apartment andBarbara called out for Kristen,
but there was no reply.
Her father, bob, made his wayto the bedroom where he was met
with a horrific scene.
He found Kristen deceased onthe floor in her bedroom and he
started screaming.
(03:11):
Barbara Wilson spoke withinvestigative journalist
Courtney Fisher in an exclusiveinterview for Unsolved about the
day they found Kristen.
She said quote he was justhysterical.
End quote.
That day, houston policedetective Richard Rodriguez
spoke about the crime scenequote she's laying down on the
(03:33):
floor on her back, not fullynude but partially nude from the
waist down, and her clotheswere pulled up from her top.
End quote.
When police arrived at thescene, a blanket was over top of
Kristen's body.
When an officer asked who haddone it, Barbara said I did.
She needs some dignity.
(03:53):
Barbara said that she knew itwas wrong and shouldn't have
done that.
But as a mom seeing herdaughter like that, she just
couldn't leave her exposed inthe way that she was.
As more police began to arrive,barbara called the rest of the
family.
As they were about to startThanksgiving dinner, a family
relative, tyler Rosen, who wasonly five at the time, answered
(04:17):
the phone.
He gave the phone to Kim, theoldest Wilson daughter.
In the interview with Unsolved,kim tells Courtney she
remembers her dad saying quote,kim, it's bad, kristen is dead.
End quote.
Tyler vividly remembered thatmoment, kim dropping the phone
(04:37):
and all hell breaking loose.
But Kim doesn't recall droppingthe phone.
Tyler said quote, you couldtell the world would never
really be the same and it wasn't.
After that end quote.
It appeared that Kristen hadjust arrived home.
After putting away thegroceries, she went to her
(04:57):
bedroom to change her clothesand was attacked by an unknown
intruder.
Police determined that29-year-old Kristen Wilson had
been strangled and possiblysexually assaulted.
Investigators say she foughther attacker and although
Kristen fought hard and was leftbruised and with several broken
fingernails, ultimately she wasno match for her attacker and
(05:21):
succumbed to her injuries andher attacker disappeared into
the night.
The killer had either ripped orcut off Kristen's top.
To the police it became clearsomeone had been waiting for
Kristen.
Investigators say the killerhad likely arrived before
Kristen got home from groceryshopping for Thanksgiving dinner
(05:43):
.
Let them self into her firstfloor apartment by reaching
through a cat door in Kristen'sscreen window and removing the
window frame.
Police say that the person cuther phone line in unscrewed
light bulbs, ensuring that theapartment stayed dark, had
Kristen flip the switch.
The way the killer leftKristen's body was bizarre Her
(06:06):
legs were crossed at the anklesand her hands were in her lap,
like she had been positioned.
According to DetectiveRodriguez, the possibility of
Kristen being staged popped intohis mind.
Given his experience he saidquote in all the murders that I
have had where the victim wassexually assaulted the legs were
(06:28):
apart, and in this particularcase they weren't.
End quote An investigationquickly began into who might be
responsible, with detectivesfinding no signs of forced entry
.
There was a significantdevelopment after it emerged
that Kristen was eager to moveto a different neighborhood from
(06:49):
the one that she was currentlyin on Meadow Glen Lane.
Her family revealed she hadn'tfelt safe there lately,
especially after a maintenanceman had let himself into her
apartment unannounced the nightthat Kristen was killed.
No witnesses heard anything andno cameras caught the killer in
(07:11):
or around the complex where shehad lived.
Houston police detective CPAbbey Abbondandolo described the
case as a nightmare scenariodue to the lack of evidence, but
told the Houston Chronicle hestill believes it is solvable.
A rape kit was done, but whenthe results came back there
(07:35):
wasn't a trace of DNA fromanyone else.
During the autopsy, twodifferent medical examiners had
two completely different ideasabout the case.
One believed that Kristen hadbeen raped, the other did not.
The sweater and jeans thatKristen had been wearing and the
phone cord were all tested in1996.
(07:59):
Nothing came of these tests andthe investigation had stalled.
There were three men inKristen's life who each
submitted their DNA weeks afterher murder.
All three men arrived at thepolice station on the same day.
At the same time Herex-boyfriend, with whom things
did not end well, a man she washaving an affair with, and her
(08:24):
best friend, with whom shebriefly had a romantic fling.
Kristen's voice is one of thisinvestigation's most priceless
components Her diary.
It was found packed away withold photographs.
The journal, full of memories,revealed what was going on
during the months and yearsbefore her life was tragically
(08:47):
taken, telling secrets her ownfamily didn't even know.
Kristen's diary had an entrydated October 14, 1993.
She wrote, quote and thatmoment was the very beginning of
the two months of hell that Ihad been going through.
End quote.
(09:09):
Kristen was dating a man namedTed.
At this time they had moved intogether in 1992.
Everything started off well,but by the following year she
had started journaling that Tedwas drinking too much, taking
sleeping pills and acting out ofcontrol.
Her relationship had taken aturn.
In another entry from Octoberof 1993, kristen had returned
(09:35):
home from a trip out of town.
She wrote, quote I couldn'tbelieve that he couldn't even be
sober to pick me up.
We fought a lot the firstcouple of days, then hardly
spoke for weeks.
It was just too much to dealwith.
End quote.
The following month, onNovember 4th 1993, she wrote,
(09:59):
quote Ted and I had another badfight about a week and a half
ago.
It was about the same things,mostly his drinking.
It's not getting any betterRight now.
It seems as though he ispretending everything is okay.
End quote.
Later on in that entry it goeson to say, quote if this does
(10:20):
not work out with Ted, I don'tthink I'll ever live with
another person unless I'mmarried, because it's just too
difficult to get out of arelationship when you live with
someone.
End quote.
Tyler was only five when Kristenwas murdered but as he got
older he would ask his aunt,barbara and Kristen's sisters
(10:41):
about her and difficultquestions about the murder.
Tyler told Courtney Fisher inthe unsolved interview, quote
and this is just what we knowabout.
So I fear for those things thatwe don't know about.
Right, like what else did shehave to endure at his hands that
she never felt comfortable withwriting down or telling someone
(11:03):
and will never know.
End quote.
Well, there was someone who knewmore, kristen's best friend,
sam Udall.
You see, kristen's mom, barbara, was Sam's dad's secretary.
Kristen and Sam had a specialrelationship.
Before she started seeing Ted,kristen had visited Sam overseas
(11:27):
in Switzerland when he livedthere.
Coincidentally, sam is theperson who gave Kristen the
journal where those entries arewritten.
In the unsolved interview, samsaid he didn't care for Ted and
believed that Kristen was betterthan Ted.
However, he didn't really giveKristen any advice about him.
(11:48):
In the journal, kristen wroteabout having feelings for Sam
more than just friends, and atsome point Kristen and Sam had a
brief affair, but she stayedwith Ted.
Sam told Courtney Fisher thatKristen had a tendency to try to
rescue people and believed thatthis was the case with her
relationship with Ted.
(12:09):
Kristen kept her secretsbetween her and her journal, all
but one, that is.
Kristen broke up with Ted andmoved out a year and a half
before she was murdered andit wasn't pretty.
One day Kristen called her momand said that she had locked
herself in the bathroom toescape from Ted.
(12:30):
This was alarming for Barbara.
Kristen told Barbara that Tedwas following her to her car and
asked her mom what to do.
Barbara told her daughter toquote come to the office and
stay as long as you want, Iwon't let the security guard let
him in.
End quote.
Ted's behavior after thebreakup before Kristen's murder
(12:52):
throws some red flags.
He's acting in an aggressive,stalking-like manner when he is
following her and making heruncomfortable.
There's a record of Tedstalking Kristen and Ted's
family knew about it too.
The other man in Kristen's lifewas Alistair, who worked in the
(13:12):
same office building as Kristen.
The two were friendly and weredescribed as being smitten with
each other.
The problem Alistair wasmarried.
He was a wealthy Scottishbusinessman who happened to be
20 years older than Kristen andthere's no mention of him in her
journal.
Kristen started seeing Alistairafter Ted was no longer in the
(13:36):
picture, about a year before hermurder.
Alistair was a very charmingman.
Barbara said that he couldquote charm the horns off of a
billy goat.
End quote.
Kristen kept the affair asecret.
She never told her sistersabout Alistair.
(13:56):
After Kristen's death, alistairoffered to pay for most of
Kristen's funeral.
The family was surprised bythis and accepted the offer.
Alistair was also a pallbearerat Kristen's funeral.
A few months after the funeralhe paid to have a shed built for
Barbara and Bob as a gift forBob's woodworking shop.
(14:17):
The gestures had Kristen'sfamily questioning things.
Why did he pay for the majorityof the funeral?
Did he feel guilty aboutsomething?
Was he trying to make up forsomething?
Kristen's younger sister, kelly, questions why he would pay for
all of that and Kristen'sheadstone unless he's guilty.
(14:38):
She said, quote why not talk toanybody?
If you are not guilty, step upand say I'm not guilty.
End quote.
When the three men were all atthe police station getting
swabbed for DNA testing, samexplained the encounter to
Courtney Fisher.
The three of them all sat outin the waiting room.
(15:00):
No one looked at each other, noone spoke to one another.
Sam thought could it be one ofthese guys?
He says that neither Ted norAlistair had a positive effect
on Kristen's life overall.
He described the energy in theroom as tense and he said that
(15:20):
Ted and Alistair knew who he wasand how they didn't like him.
He says they would question whyhe was still in Kristen's life.
The DNA was collected from allthree men and all three men were
cleared.
None of their DNA was found onKristen or any of the evidence.
In fact, no unknown DNAprofiles were found on Kristen
(15:45):
at all.
When you consider how she waskilled, this is shocking to
think about.
Kristen was strangled and sheput up a hell of a fight.
She broke several fingernailsin the process.
There should be tons of DNA,but, as we know, the DNA testing
process back in the 90s isnothing compared to how it is
(16:07):
now.
Dna testing was just startingout back then.
Thanks to technologicaladvances that we have today,
some of the evidence collectedfrom Kristen's crime scene is
back in the lab for testing.
Detective Rodriguez recentlydiscovered that some of the
evidence collected in 96 wasnever tested.
(16:31):
In the initial investigation,investigators focused on lifting
fingerprints from items such asthe cut phone cord, the screen
window and scissors that mayhave been used to cut off
Kristen's clothing.
These items were only testedfor fingerprints, not DNA.
Tyler told Courtney andUnsolved quote.
(16:53):
I think we owe it to Kristen tokeep pushing for answers.
At the end of the day, no oneelse is going to do it for us.
No one else has the motivation.
There are dozens, hundreds ofcold case files sitting around.
In some way, the squeaky wheelgets the grease right, thank you
(17:13):
.
Quote.
As the years continued to passby, there were still no signs of
this case being solved.
In 2009, kristen's familyparticipated in an event at
Houston City Hall as part of theParents of Murdered Children
Organization.
They, along with a group ofother family members whose loved
(17:37):
ones had never received justice, laid out Kristen's empty shoes
to raise awareness that themurder remained unsolved.
In a 2020 interview with ABC 13Eyewitness News, kristen's
younger sister, kelly, saidThanksgiving was the biggest
(17:58):
event of the year.
We'd all go over there and itwas just a big family
get-together.
It was so much fun.
In the unsolved episode, kellysaid that the shock of the
violent crime left theclose-knit family traumatized.
Quote.
Our whole family's world wasturned upside down.
(18:20):
She's not there to give you ahug, to laugh with, to be with.
Personally, in my heart, Ithink she knew the person, but I
don't know.
End quote.
Kristen's older sister, kim,told the Houston Chronicle she
just wants someone to comeforward with information.
(18:41):
Quote.
I want to know why thishappened.
End quote.
The Houston Police Departmentinvestigated extensively, but
the case remains unsolved.
The Houston Police Departmentand the Texas Rangers are now
jointly investigating the murder.
The Department of PublicSafety's Public Awareness
(19:05):
Program chooses one cold casefrom the Texas Rangers' Unsolved
Crime Investigation Program tofeature on a bimonthly basis.
They do this as a way togenerate new leads and bring
attention to these cold cases.
They normally offer a $3,000reward for information leading
(19:25):
to an arrest on all the murderson the Texas Rangers' cold case
website, but this amount hasbeen doubled to $6,000 in
Kristen's case due to the lengthof time that it's gone unsolved
.
They have asked anyone whobelieves they have information
to call the Crime StoppersHotline at 1-800-252-TIPS.
(19:48):
Call the Crime Stoppers Hotlineat 1-800-252-8477.
Tips can also be submittedthrough the Texas Department of
Public Safety's website.
Ted died in 2014 from pancreaticcancer.
Alistair still resides in theHouston area Unsolved.
(20:12):
Contacted him and his familymembers several times to talk
about Kristen.
Alistair has yet to respond tounsolved inquiries.
While there are persons ofinterest in Kristen's murder,
police say currently there areno suspects.
More than 250,000 murder casesacross the country are
(20:35):
considered cold, which doesn'teven include those of missing
persons, which is why it is soimportant to tell these cases in
hopes that someone comesforward with new information
that can help solve these casesand finally give families
closure.
On the 24th anniversary ofKristen's death, abc 13 did a
(21:00):
brief coverage to keep Kristen'scase in the media.
It's a little more than aminute and a half.
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Kristen Wilson had this smile.
She was just so beautiful.
You know the kind of smile thatmakes other people smile.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
I can't explain how beautiful she was, how
infectious she was with her,with her personality, and that
she loved everybody and would doanything for anybody.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
The middle daughter of three girls, a 29 year old
woman just starting her ownbusiness, the best aunt, like a
second mom to her sister Kelly'skids.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I truly feel that I'm blessed that she was my sister
and she was part of our lives.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Kristen loved the holidays more than anyone in her
family.
Thanksgiving Day 1996, she hadplanned to go to Grandma's house
.
Like every year, it was justone big happy party.
I mean we loved it, but whendinner time rolled around,
kristen never showed.
In fact, no one had heard fromKristen since she went out the
(22:01):
night before for groceries.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Her parents knew something was wrong, so they
drove here to her apartment andfound Kristen brutally murdered
in her own bedroom.
My whole world was our wholefamily's world was turned upside
down, kristen had been rapedand strangled.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Police say the killer was hiding in her room waiting.
Kristen had fought like hell.
She was found bruised and herfingernails broken.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Personally, in my heart, I think she knew the
person, but I don't know 24Thanksgiving's have since passed
.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's hard to celebrate today.
Christmas is just as painful,but Kelly says she won't let
Houston forget what happened.
I hope it's not a wall, becauseher family deserves peace and
closure by next Thanksgiving.
Courtney Fisher, abc 13,.
Eyewitness News.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
In one of Kristen's final journal entries she wrote,
quote I know my life issomewhat stagnant right now, but
in my heart of hearts I feelthere will soon be a change for
the better.
I know that I am capable ofgreat things and that these
great things are just around thecorner.
Everyone wants to leave sometype of legacy behind, to be
(23:17):
remembered for something specialand with a little bit of luck,
I will be remembered for mywriting End quote.
And that's the case of KristenWilson.
If you or someone you know hasinformation on Kristen's case,
please call Crime Stoppers at1-800-252-TIPS that's
(23:42):
1-800-252-8477.
You can even report the tipanonymously or go to the Texas
Department of Public Safety'ssite and you can report the tip
through there.
I will have that linked in thesource material.
It's been nearly three decadessince Kristen was brutally taken
(24:04):
from this world.
Kristen deserves justice andher family deserves peace and
closure.
You can find and subscribe toCrime Connoisseurs wherever you
listen to your podcasts and besure to follow on Instagram at
Crime Connoisseurs.
Click the link in the bio tosuggest a case that you feel
(24:25):
deserves justice and recognition.
As always, thanks for listeningand in the meantime, keep a
classy connoisseurs and I'llcatch you on the next case you.
Welcome back crime connoisseurs.
I'm your host, Grace D.
Since tomorrow was Thanksgiving, I found it only fitting to
cover a case that took place onThanksgiving 27 years ago.
And this case is an importantone because sadly, to this day
it remains unsolved.
The detectives with the HoustonPolice Department and the
family have not given up hope offinding the person responsible,
(00:23):
and neither shall we.
A young woman was brutallykilled in her own home by a man
who had broken in and lied inwait.
Now, with the murder goingunsolved for nearly three
decades, investigators inHouston hope an increase in the
reward money could enticesomeone to come forward with the
(00:43):
lead.
This is the case of KristenWilson.
(01:22):
Kristen Lee Wilson was born onJuly 13, 1967, to parents
Barbara and Bob Wilson.
Kristen was the middle of threegirls.
She had an older sister, kim,and a younger sister, kelly.
Kristen was kind and caring andshe always went out of her way
to ensure others were cared for.
So it was no surprise that theday before Thanksgiving she went
(01:46):
to the grocery store to getsome last minute items needed
for the festivities.
The next day.
It was November 27, 1996, and29-year-old Kristen Wilson left
work for the day and headed tothe grocery store.
The next day was Thanksgivingand the family was headed to
Kristen's grandmother's house inKaty to celebrate the holiday.
(02:07):
Kristen wanted to pick up a fewthings for dinner to get a good
start on the trip for thefollowing day.
The next day, on Thursday,november 28, 1996, as the turkey
was nearly done and the sideswere ready to serve, kristen
still had yet to arrive to hergrandmother's for Thanksgiving
(02:28):
dinner.
It wasn't like her to be lateand no one could get a hold of
her.
So Kristen's parents, Barbaraand Bob, drove from Katy to
Kristen's apartment complex insouthwest Houston to check on
her.
As they arrived they noticedKristen's car in the parking lot
.
Barbara knocked on the door andturned the knob, discovering
(02:50):
her front door was unlocked.
They entered the apartment andBarbara called out for Kristen,
but there was no reply.
Her father, bob, made his wayto the bedroom where he was met
with a horrific scene.
He found Kristen deceased onthe floor in her bedroom and he
started screaming.
(03:11):
Barbara Wilson spoke withinvestigative journalist
Courtney Fisher in an exclusiveinterview for Unsolved about the
day they found Kristen.
She said quote he was justhysterical.
End quote.
That day, houston policedetective Richard Rodriguez
spoke about the crime scenequote she's laying down on the
(03:33):
floor on her back, not fullynude but partially nude from the
waist down, and her clotheswere pulled up from her top.
End quote.
When police arrived at thescene, a blanket was over top of
Kristen's body.
When an officer asked who haddone it, Barbara said I did.
She needs some dignity.
(03:53):
Barbara said that she knew itwas wrong and shouldn't have
done that.
But as a mom seeing herdaughter like that, she just
couldn't leave her exposed inthe way that she was.
As more police began to arrive,barbara called the rest of the
family.
As they were about to startThanksgiving dinner, a family
relative, tyler Rosen, who wasonly five at the time, answered
(04:17):
the phone.
He gave the phone to Kim, theoldest Wilson daughter.
In the interview with Unsolved,kim tells Courtney she
remembers her dad saying quote,kim, it's bad, kristen is dead.
End quote.
Tyler vividly remembered thatmoment, kim dropping the phone
(04:37):
and all hell breaking loose.
But Kim doesn't recall droppingthe phone.
Tyler said quote, you couldtell the world would never
really be the same and it wasn't.
After that end quote.
It appeared that Kristen hadjust arrived home.
After putting away thegroceries, she went to her
(04:57):
bedroom to change her clothesand was attacked by an unknown
intruder.
Police determined that29-year-old Kristen Wilson had
been strangled and possiblysexually assaulted.
Investigators say she foughther attacker and although
Kristen fought hard and was leftbruised and with several broken
fingernails, ultimately she wasno match for her attacker and
(05:21):
succumbed to her injuries andher attacker disappeared into
the night.
The killer had either ripped orcut off Kristen's top.
To the police it became clearsomeone had been waiting for
Kristen.
Investigators say the killerhad likely arrived before
Kristen got home from groceryshopping for Thanksgiving dinner
(05:43):
.
Let them self into her firstfloor apartment by reaching
through a cat door in Kristen'sscreen window and removing the
window frame.
Police say that the person cuther phone line in unscrewed
light bulbs, ensuring that theapartment stayed dark, had
Kristen flip the switch.
The way the killer leftKristen's body was bizarre Her
(06:06):
legs were crossed at the anklesand her hands were in her lap,
like she had been positioned.
According to DetectiveRodriguez, the possibility of
Kristen being staged popped intohis mind.
Given his experience he saidquote in all the murders that I
have had where the victim wassexually assaulted the legs were
(06:28):
apart, and in this particularcase they weren't.
End quote An investigationquickly began into who might be
responsible, with detectivesfinding no signs of forced entry
.
There was a significantdevelopment after it emerged
that Kristen was eager to moveto a different neighborhood from
(06:49):
the one that she was currentlyin on Meadow Glen Lane.
Her family revealed she hadn'tfelt safe there lately,
especially after a maintenanceman had let himself into her
apartment unannounced the nightthat Kristen was killed.
No witnesses heard anything andno cameras caught the killer in
(07:11):
or around the complex where shehad lived.
Houston police detective CPAbbey Abbondandolo described the
case as a nightmare scenariodue to the lack of evidence, but
told the Houston Chronicle hestill believes it is solvable.
A rape kit was done, but whenthe results came back there
(07:35):
wasn't a trace of DNA fromanyone else.
During the autopsy, twodifferent medical examiners had
two completely different ideasabout the case.
One believed that Kristen hadbeen raped, the other did not.
The sweater and jeans thatKristen had been wearing and the
phone cord were all tested in1996.
(07:59):
Nothing came of these tests andthe investigation had stalled.
There were three men inKristen's life who each
submitted their DNA weeks afterher murder.
All three men arrived at thepolice station on the same day.
At the same time Herex-boyfriend, with whom things
did not end well, a man she washaving an affair with, and her
(08:24):
best friend, with whom shebriefly had a romantic fling.
Kristen's voice is one of thisinvestigation's most priceless
components Her diary.
It was found packed away withold photographs.
The journal, full of memories,revealed what was going on
during the months and yearsbefore her life was tragically
(08:47):
taken, telling secrets her ownfamily didn't even know.
Kristen's diary had an entrydated October 14, 1993.
She wrote, quote and thatmoment was the very beginning of
the two months of hell that Ihad been going through.
End quote.
(09:09):
Kristen was dating a man namedTed.
At this time they had moved intogether in 1992.
Everything started off well,but by the following year she
had started journaling that Tedwas drinking too much, taking
sleeping pills and acting out ofcontrol.
Her relationship had taken aturn.
In another entry from Octoberof 1993, kristen had returned
(09:35):
home from a trip out of town.
She wrote, quote I couldn'tbelieve that he couldn't even be
sober to pick me up.
We fought a lot the firstcouple of days, then hardly
spoke for weeks.
It was just too much to dealwith.
End quote.
The following month, onNovember 4th 1993, she wrote,
(09:59):
quote Ted and I had another badfight about a week and a half
ago.
It was about the same things,mostly his drinking.
It's not getting any betterRight now.
It seems as though he ispretending everything is okay.
End quote.
Later on in that entry it goeson to say, quote if this does
(10:20):
not work out with Ted, I don'tthink I'll ever live with
another person unless I'mmarried, because it's just too
difficult to get out of arelationship when you live with
someone.
End quote.
Tyler was only five when Kristenwas murdered but as he got
older he would ask his aunt,barbara and Kristen's sisters
(10:41):
about her and difficultquestions about the murder.
Tyler told Courtney Fisher inthe unsolved interview, quote
and this is just what we knowabout.
So I fear for those things thatwe don't know about.
Right, like what else did shehave to endure at his hands that
she never felt comfortable withwriting down or telling someone
(11:03):
and will never know.
End quote.
Well, there was someone who knewmore, kristen's best friend,
sam Udall.
You see, kristen's mom, barbara, was Sam's dad's secretary.
Kristen and Sam had a specialrelationship.
Before she started seeing Ted,kristen had visited Sam overseas
(11:27):
in Switzerland when he livedthere.
Coincidentally, sam is theperson who gave Kristen the
journal where those entries arewritten.
In the unsolved interview, samsaid he didn't care for Ted and
believed that Kristen was betterthan Ted.
However, he didn't really giveKristen any advice about him.
(11:48):
In the journal, kristen wroteabout having feelings for Sam
more than just friends, and atsome point Kristen and Sam had a
brief affair, but she stayedwith Ted.
Sam told Courtney Fisher thatKristen had a tendency to try to
rescue people and believed thatthis was the case with her
relationship with Ted.
(12:09):
Kristen kept her secretsbetween her and her journal, all
but one, that is.
Kristen broke up with Ted andmoved out a year and a half
before she was murdered andit wasn't pretty.
One day Kristen called her momand said that she had locked
herself in the bathroom toescape from Ted.
(12:30):
This was alarming for Barbara.
Kristen told Barbara that Tedwas following her to her car and
asked her mom what to do.
Barbara told her daughter toquote come to the office and
stay as long as you want, Iwon't let the security guard let
him in.
End quote.
Ted's behavior after thebreakup before Kristen's murder
(12:52):
throws some red flags.
He's acting in an aggressive,stalking-like manner when he is
following her and making heruncomfortable.
There's a record of Tedstalking Kristen and Ted's
family knew about it too.
The other man in Kristen's lifewas Alistair, who worked in the
(13:12):
same office building as Kristen.
The two were friendly and weredescribed as being smitten with
each other.
The problem Alistair wasmarried.
He was a wealthy Scottishbusinessman who happened to be
20 years older than Kristen andthere's no mention of him in her
journal.
Kristen started seeing Alistairafter Ted was no longer in the
(13:36):
picture, about a year before hermurder.
Alistair was a very charmingman.
Barbara said that he couldquote charm the horns off of a
billy goat.
End quote.
Kristen kept the affair asecret.
She never told her sistersabout Alistair.
(13:56):
After Kristen's death, alistairoffered to pay for most of
Kristen's funeral.
The family was surprised bythis and accepted the offer.
Alistair was also a pallbearerat Kristen's funeral.
A few months after the funeralhe paid to have a shed built for
Barbara and Bob as a gift forBob's woodworking shop.
(14:17):
The gestures had Kristen'sfamily questioning things.
Why did he pay for the majorityof the funeral?
Did he feel guilty aboutsomething?
Was he trying to make up forsomething?
Kristen's younger sister, kelly, questions why he would pay for
all of that and Kristen'sheadstone unless he's guilty.
(14:38):
She said, quote why not talk toanybody?
If you are not guilty, step upand say I'm not guilty.
End quote.
When the three men were all atthe police station getting
swabbed for DNA testing, samexplained the encounter to
Courtney Fisher.
The three of them all sat outin the waiting room.
(15:00):
No one looked at each other, noone spoke to one another.
Sam thought could it be one ofthese guys?
He says that neither Ted norAlistair had a positive effect
on Kristen's life overall.
He described the energy in theroom as tense and he said that
(15:20):
Ted and Alistair knew who he wasand how they didn't like him.
He says they would question whyhe was still in Kristen's life.
The DNA was collected from allthree men and all three men were
cleared.
None of their DNA was found onKristen or any of the evidence.
In fact, no unknown DNAprofiles were found on Kristen
(15:45):
at all.
When you consider how she waskilled, this is shocking to
think about.
Kristen was strangled and sheput up a hell of a fight.
She broke several fingernailsin the process.
There should be tons of DNA,but, as we know, the DNA testing
process back in the 90s isnothing compared to how it is
(16:07):
now.
Dna testing was just startingout back then.
Thanks to technologicaladvances that we have today,
some of the evidence collectedfrom Kristen's crime scene is
back in the lab for testing.
Detective Rodriguez recentlydiscovered that some of the
evidence collected in 96 wasnever tested.
(16:31):
In the initial investigation,investigators focused on lifting
fingerprints from items such asthe cut phone cord, the screen
window and scissors that mayhave been used to cut off
Kristen's clothing.
These items were only testedfor fingerprints, not DNA.
Tyler told Courtney andUnsolved quote.
(16:53):
I think we owe it to Kristen tokeep pushing for answers.
At the end of the day, no oneelse is going to do it for us.
No one else has the motivation.
There are dozens, hundreds ofcold case files sitting around.
In some way, the squeaky wheelgets the grease right, thank you
(17:13):
.
Quote.
As the years continued to passby, there were still no signs of
this case being solved.
In 2009, kristen's familyparticipated in an event at
Houston City Hall as part of theParents of Murdered Children
Organization.
They, along with a group ofother family members whose loved
(17:37):
ones had never received justice, laid out Kristen's empty shoes
to raise awareness that themurder remained unsolved.
In a 2020 interview with ABC 13Eyewitness News, kristen's
younger sister, kelly, saidThanksgiving was the biggest
(17:58):
event of the year.
We'd all go over there and itwas just a big family
get-together.
It was so much fun.
In the unsolved episode, kellysaid that the shock of the
violent crime left theclose-knit family traumatized.
Quote.
Our whole family's world wasturned upside down.
(18:20):
She's not there to give you ahug, to laugh with, to be with.
Personally, in my heart, Ithink she knew the person, but I
don't know.
End quote.
Kristen's older sister, kim,told the Houston Chronicle she
just wants someone to comeforward with information.
(18:41):
Quote.
I want to know why thishappened.
End quote.
The Houston Police Departmentinvestigated extensively, but
the case remains unsolved.
The Houston Police Departmentand the Texas Rangers are now
jointly investigating the murder.
The Department of PublicSafety's Public Awareness
(19:05):
Program chooses one cold casefrom the Texas Rangers' Unsolved
Crime Investigation Program tofeature on a bimonthly basis.
They do this as a way togenerate new leads and bring
attention to these cold cases.
They normally offer a $3,000reward for information leading
(19:25):
to an arrest on all the murderson the Texas Rangers' cold case
website, but this amount hasbeen doubled to $6,000 in
Kristen's case due to the lengthof time that it's gone unsolved
.
They have asked anyone whobelieves they have information
to call the Crime StoppersHotline at 1-800-252-TIPS.
(19:48):
Call the Crime Stoppers Hotlineat 1-800-252-8477.
Tips can also be submittedthrough the Texas Department of
Public Safety's website.
Ted died in 2014 from pancreaticcancer.
Alistair still resides in theHouston area Unsolved.
(20:12):
Contacted him and his familymembers several times to talk
about Kristen.
Alistair has yet to respond tounsolved inquiries.
While there are persons ofinterest in Kristen's murder,
police say currently there areno suspects.
More than 250,000 murder casesacross the country are
(20:35):
considered cold, which doesn'teven include those of missing
persons, which is why it is soimportant to tell these cases in
hopes that someone comesforward with new information
that can help solve these casesand finally give families
closure.
On the 24th anniversary ofKristen's death, abc 13 did a
(21:00):
brief coverage to keep Kristen'scase in the media.
It's a little more than aminute and a half.
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Kristen Wilson had this smile.
She was just so beautiful.
You know the kind of smile thatmakes other people smile.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
I can't explain how beautiful she was, how
infectious she was with her,with her personality, and that
she loved everybody and would doanything for anybody.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
The middle daughter of three girls, a 29 year old
woman just starting her ownbusiness, the best aunt, like a
second mom to her sister Kelly'skids.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I truly feel that I'm blessed that she was my sister
and she was part of our lives.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Kristen loved the holidays more than anyone in her
family.
Thanksgiving Day 1996, she hadplanned to go to Grandma's house
.
Like every year, it was justone big happy party.
I mean we loved it, but whendinner time rolled around,
kristen never showed.
In fact, no one had heard fromKristen since she went out the
(22:01):
night before for groceries.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Her parents knew something was wrong, so they
drove here to her apartment andfound Kristen brutally murdered
in her own bedroom.
My whole world was our wholefamily's world was turned upside
down, kristen had been rapedand strangled.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Police say the killer was hiding in her room waiting.
Kristen had fought like hell.
She was found bruised and herfingernails broken.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Personally, in my heart, I think she knew the
person, but I don't know 24Thanksgiving's have since passed
.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's hard to celebrate today.
Christmas is just as painful,but Kelly says she won't let
Houston forget what happened.
I hope it's not a wall, becauseher family deserves peace and
closure by next Thanksgiving.
Courtney Fisher, abc 13,.
Eyewitness News.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
In one of Kristen's final journal entries she wrote,
quote I know my life issomewhat stagnant right now, but
in my heart of hearts I feelthere will soon be a change for
the better.
I know that I am capable ofgreat things and that these
great things are just around thecorner.
Everyone wants to leave sometype of legacy behind, to be
(23:17):
remembered for something specialand with a little bit of luck,
I will be remembered for mywriting End quote.
And that's the case of KristenWilson.
If you or someone you know hasinformation on Kristen's case,
please call Crime Stoppers at1-800-252-TIPS that's
(23:42):
1-800-252-8477.
You can even report the tipanonymously or go to the Texas
Department of Public Safety'ssite and you can report the tip
through there.
I will have that linked in thesource material.
It's been nearly three decadessince Kristen was brutally taken
(24:04):
from this world.
Kristen deserves justice andher family deserves peace and
closure.
You can find and subscribe toCrime Connoisseurs wherever you
listen to your podcasts and besure to follow on Instagram at
Crime Connoisseurs.
Click the link in the bio tosuggest a case that you feel
(24:25):
deserves justice and recognition.
As always, thanks for listeningand in the meantime, keep a
classy connoisseurs and I'llcatch you on the next case you.
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