CONNECTICUT, 1973: On July 16, 1973, an unknown assailant chased down 21-year old Penney Serra in a New Haven, Connecticut parking garage, claiming her life with a single stab wound to the chest. It was a brazen attack in broad daylight and the crime put the city on edge. But investigators had abundant evidence to work with – bloodstains and fingerprints covered Penney’s car and the garage itself – surely the crime would be solved and the perpetrator apprehended quickly. 

Unfortunately, that was not reality. Penney’s case went cold, but not without enormous speculation and rumor while investigators waited for a break in the case. 

Finally, advancements in forensic science and DNA analysis would reveal a new primary suspect in the case of Penney Serra in the mid-1990s. He’d be the fourth suspect publicly named by investigators. Did they really have a handle on the case? Would they be successful securing a conviction at trial?

In Part 2 of Penney Serra’s story, you’ll hear about the new team of investigators assigned to her case and their efforts to understand the events of that July day in 1973 in a new way, plus, the two new suspects they identified and the unsuccessful attempts to arrest one of them before moving on to another.

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