All language subtitles for A.U.S01E06.1080p.WEB.h264-CASUALTY_track3_[eng]

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] It
is November, 1973,

and life is good for Linda
and Clifford Bernhardt.

They're childhood sweethearts,

married for four years,
who've just built a new home

together a month before.

They work hard, but
they also play hard,

with a large circle of
close-knit friends and family.

They never suspect
that something terrible

is on the horizon.

A tragedy is about to occur.

A tragedy that rips
the Bernhardt family

and their community apart.

This friendly neighborhood
will never be the same.

- A ripple of fear
spreads across Billings.

There is an unknown
killer about,

and no one knows if or
when they will strike next.

- [Narrator] The
stymied detectives

even consult a famous psychic.

The mystery of who killed the
Bernhardts will go unsolved

for almost four decades,

until new technology
finally gives the police

a chance to help
find the killer.

- The unsolved ones,
we have to stand up.

- And approach these cases
in a way outside the box.

- Let the world know is those
out there that did commit

a murder and there are people
that are coming after you.

- There's just a
lot of good people

trying to do the right thing.

- Because it's
something that you have

to be passionate about.

- Solve this, bring some
peace to the family, at least.

Just doing my job.

(tense music)

- [Narrator] On a cold
November morning in 1973,

police are called by June Reich,

who is horrified by the
discovery of the bodies

of her daughter and a son-in-law

lying face down in
adjacent bedrooms.

(tense music)

It's clear the young
couple has been murdered.

Police see that tracks
to and from the home

are already covered by snow,
leaving little evidence.

- This makes it more
difficult for investigators

to find the evidence they need.

- [Narrator] The quiet street
is alerted by the police

that something has gone on.

Inside, however, there
is a scene unimaginable

to the neighbors.

(tense music continues)

Police try to make sense
of what has happened,

as well as gathering
what evidence they can.

They can only assume the couple
has been dead for some time,

and that the killer untied
them before fleeing the scene.

- He is strong and fit.

He was a sergeant
in the US Army.

The killer likely catches
Clifford by surprise,

rendering him unconscious
with a blow to the head.

- [Narrator] Police try to make
sense of what has happened,

as well as gathering
what evidence they can.

- The fact that the
perpetrator ties Clifford up

and also strangles him
after the initial attack,

shows just how much he
didn't want Clifford

to regain consciousness.

(tense music continues)

- [Narrator] Several
of the investigators

believed the killer used
something like a pair of pliers

to give him such strength.

It was never certain what
was used to kill the victim.

- Linda's murder's
particularly brutal.

She's assaulted and raped,

and then strangled
with a leather cord.

- This crime scene reveals
an element of a coverup.

The windows of both
bedrooms are open.

The thermostat is at
its lowest setting,

and there's a bowl of ice cubes
left next to Linda's body.

Perhaps the killer did
this to give himself time

before the body is discovered,

or maybe to conceal
the time of death.

(tense music continues)

- It's critical to
establish the time of death

for eliminating suspects
or evaluating their alibis.

This could provide another
clue for investigators.

Someone who puts this much
time and effort into concealing

the time of death or
slowing decomposition

is trying to distance
himself from the crime

or establish an alibi.

- [Narrator] Investigators
are now faced

with numerous challenges,

and one more is
about to be revealed.

Linda's mother tells police
that when she arrived,

the table had been
set for three.

The three place
settings especially
interest investigators.

With no sign of forced
entry, a struggle,

or anything of value missing,

it's likely the killer is
someone the Bernhardts know.

- The mysterious dinner
guest has to be one

of the last people to see
the young couple alive.

- [Narrator] The location
of the crime scene

is in Billings Heights, which
makes Yellowstone County

responsible for
the investigation.

But from the beginning,
Billings police worked

collaboratively with
the county police

to solve the double murder.

Billings is the largest
city in Montana.

About 100,000 people
live in the community

when Linda and Clifford
built their new home

and settled on the outskirts
in Billings Heights.

Nicknamed the Magic City
because of its rapid growth

and strong economy,

Billings began as a
railroad town in 1882.

Though it's a bustling city,

it also offers a lot to
those who enjoy nature,

wildlife and getting
away from it all.

Billings is a gateway to the
Yellowstone National Park,

and the little Bighorn
Battlefield National Monument.

The Bernhardts spend much
of their time working.

Clifford works at
a concrete company,

while Linda stocks shells
at a grocery warehouse.

Here she has many coworkers
and acquaintances.

- To those who know them,

the Bernhardts are a
very content couple.

They're childhood sweethearts

who are very devoted
to each other.

(light music)

- [Narrator] Linda and Clifford
begin dating in junior high

and married two years after
graduating from high school.

Linda's sister, Kelly Reich,

remembers that once
the couple met,

they were always together.

You never saw Linda
without Cliff.

(tense music)

- Clifford serves in
Cambodia and Vietnam

with the 1st Calvary Division
until he's released in 1971.

During his military service,

he achieves the rank of sergeant

and is awarded a Purple Heart.

- After four years of marriage,

the couple build a home
together in Billings Heights.

- [Narrator] Investigators
canvas the neighborhood.

- The Bernhardt's murder greatly
impacts their neighborhood.

Residents of Billing
Heights aren't accustomed

to violent crime,
especially a double murder.

- The neighborhood
was considered safe,

but now people are starting
to lock their doors.

(tense music)

- [Narrator] Billings
Heights is a quiet community

where neighbors know each other

and people tend to
not lock their doors.

The double murder
of the Bernhardts,

a well-liked young couple,
changes everything.

- A ripple of fear
spreads across Billings.

There is an unknown
killer about,

and no one knows if or
when they'll strike next.

- The killer leaves behind
one crucial piece of evidence.

A stain on Linda's pants
detectives believed to be semen.

- Although DNA testing
wasn't available

in criminal investigations
until the mid 1980s,

police still recognize the
stain as a valuable clue.

Thankfully, they have the
foresight to preserve it.

- [Narrator] The evidence
gathered is not giving any break

or suspects, so they
cast a wider net.

Police take a hard look
at the men in the area

who've been convicted
of sex crimes.

- Without obvious suspects,
the next step for investigators

is establishing a timeframe.

- [Narrator] It now
comes down to the basics

of homicide investigation.

- Who saw the victims last?

Did anyone in the
neighborhood hear

or notice anything unusual?

- [Narrator] Detectives
are frustrated with a game,

no leads of substance.

- What's important
to remember here

is that these men haven't
done anything wrong.

They're only being questioned

because of their past
criminal history.

Nothing else implicates
them in this case.

(tense music)

- Police also question
people who know the victims,

including some of
Linda's coworkers.

- [Narrator] But Linda had many
coworkers and acquaintances.

As the investigation
looks wider,

the investigators are hopeful.

- [Glen] But no obvious
motive or suspect emerges.

- [Narrator] The fact that
the couple is well-liked

makes it even harder to
zero in on a suspect.

Linda's work should present
some detail or information

to the stonewalled detectives.

- By all reports, the couple
is well known and respected.

- [Narrator] No one
seems to have an issue

with committing a murder.

- Someone must know
something about what happened

on the night of November
6th, but no one is talking.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] Based on the
sexual attack against Linda,

investigators believe that she

is the killer's original target.

Her husband just got in the way.

(intense music)

But who would want to kill
the perfect couple, and why?

(light music)

(light music)

(tense music)

On a snowy evening in Montana
on November 6th, 1973,

Linda and Clifford Bernhardt
are brutally murdered

in their own home.

The crime scene is clean

and no motive is
immediately apparent.

Investigators believe
the killer is someone

the couple knows, but they
have no obvious suspects.

The well-liked couple's murderer

has eluded everyone
working on the case.

- Clifford and Linda
are unlikely victims.

Cliff is a physically
strong former soldier

who is proficient with weapons.

Having been struck on
the back of the head,

it's likely he doesn't
see what's coming.

- [Narrator] Adding to the
mystery is the bowl of ice cubes

on the table and
the open windows.

Determining the time
of death is harder.

Although investigators don't
have a strong suspect yet,

they're beginning to
believe they have a motive.

They discover something is
missing from the crime scene.

The killer was clearly
up to something deviate.

- One of Clifford's suitcases,

along with all of Linda's
underwear and some of her shoes,

are missing from
the crime scene.

This combined with
the assault on Linda,

points to a sexual motive.

Clifford is at the wrong
place at the wrong time.

- Police consider the Bernhardts
to be unlikely victims.

Their lifestyle suggests they
wouldn't normally be at risk

of a violent crime.

- Low risk victims
avoid trouble,

do not have criminal
acquaintances,

are aware of their surroundings,

and generally take precautions
not to become victims.

Based on photographs and
the investigator's notes,

the crime scene is
unusually clean.

There are no signs
of a struggle.

This indicates the killer may
be someone the couple knows,

but no one can think of anyone

who has a grudge against them.

- [Narrator] With no
leads or obvious suspects,

police begin questioning
locals with criminal records.

- A young couple
has been murdered,

and it's important for
these men to cooperate

with law enforcement so
they can be eliminated

as suspects as soon as possible.

However, sometimes even innocent
people can become confused

or flustered during
police questioning,

so it's critical that these
men have legal support

during the interviews.

- [Narrator] Despite
numerous interviews,

police come up empty.

(intense music)

All of the men questioned by
the detectives have alibis,

and their crimes don't
match the evidence found

at the Bernhardt home.

Running out of options,

investigators turn
to the FBI for help.

The FBI forms its behavioral
science unit in 1972,

in response to a disturbing rise

in sexual assault
and homicide cases.

(sirens blaring)

By studying crime scenes
and interviewing killers

and other violent criminals,

members of the BSU have shown
they can accurately profile

an unknown suspect.

- By analyzing the
details of a crime,

FBI profilers often identify
important behavioral

and personality traits
of an unknown offender.

Certain crime scenes reveal
patterns that give clues

about an offender's
personality and lifestyle,

which allows investigators
to predict future activity.

The FBI profile of the killer
paints a picture of a man

who is acquainted
with the Bernhardts,

and may be infatuated
with Linda.

(tense music)

- [Narrator] But who
is concealing this
dangerous obsession

and how did he win
the couple's trust?

And where is he now?

- Linda is the
oldest child of four.

She has two brothers
and a sister.

Clifford has four sisters.

Linda's sister, Kelly Reich,

says Linda always wanted
to be a school teacher

and very much wanted
to be a mother.

The couple wants to
have two children.

Linda's friends
describe her as feisty.

One of her close
friends, Kathy Keeper,

said she could be a lot of fun

and she had a good
head on her shoulders.

(tense music)

- [Narrator] Even
though Clifford works

for a concrete company and
is known for his strength,

friend Kathy Keepers says
he is also very gentle,

especially with his wife.

He's also really funny,

and a people person who
enjoys having friends around.

(mysterious music)

Two clues of substance
are the lasagna

and the table setting.

Someone was coming to dinner.

- After a full
day at their jobs,

Linda and Clifford do the
night shift at Linda's parents'

carpet cleaning business.

They also do the
construction work

on their new home themselves.

- In spite of investigations
into locals known to have hurt

women, and after conducting
hundreds of interviews,

investigators still
haven't identified anyone

in the area who'd
committed a similar crime.

- [Narrator] Investigators
build a case file

of over 3,600 pages,

but eventually they have to
admit there are no new leads.

The case goes cold.

(mysterious music continues)

While the case idles,

investigators wonder whether
somewhere in the case files,

with witness interviews
and evidence gathered,

an answer to the question as
to who did this can be found.

Kelly Reich, Linda's sister,

says that the couple
were just good kids.

Young, starting their life out,

they had a future ahead of them.

For whatever reason,
tragedy strikes.

They didn't deserve this.

(intense music)

If only the
investigators had known

that the Bernhardts
killer was among

those grieving for them,

but instead it would take
decades to know his identity.

(light music)

(light music)

Linda Bernhardt and
her husband, Clifford,

plan to have a dinner with
her parents that evening.

But when a snowstorm
hits Billings, Montana,

her parents end up
staying at work late.

Linda's parents then become
concerned when their daughter

and her husband fail
to show up to work

a scheduled night shift.

Unable to reach her
daughter by phone,

Linda's mother drops by
the following morning.

She tries the front door
but gets no response.

Then moves onto the back door.

What she discovers is every
parent's worst nightmare.

- The crime scene
is unusually clean.

There are no signs
of a struggle.

- [Narrator] In spite of
hundreds of interviews,

an FBI profile of the suspect,
and the combined dedication

of both the Billings and
Yellowstone County police,

investigators have
no solid leads

and no witnesses in the murders

of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt.

(dramatic music)

- When a case goes cold,
it's incredibly frustrating.

And crimes don't stop happening

just because you're
currently investigating one.

Eventually you have to turn
your attention to other cases,

but that doesn't
mean you forget.

Some crime scenes
haunt you forever.

- [Narrator] Although all
signs point to the killer

being someone the
Bernhardts know,

police can't find
anyone who wants to hurt

the well-liked couple, or who
has a grudge against them.

But there is something
more to the investigation.

A series of small events
involving the mother

that might have helped
understand what happened.

- Investigators discover
that after Linda's mother

finds the bodies, she's so upset
that she starts cleaning up

the kitchen while waiting
for police to arrive.

- Unfortunately,
both a snow storm

on the night of the murder
and the crime scene tampering

make the investigator's
work a lot more difficult.

- Although detectives suspect
a third person arrived

for dinner with the Bernhardts,

they will never be 100% sure.

Any conclusive
evidence has been lost.

- One of the most
crucial responsibilities

of responding
officers is preserving

the integrity of
the crime scene.

The more people who interfere
with the crime scene

after the fact, the
greater the chance

the valuable evidence
will be compromised.

- [Narrator] As investigators
struggled to piece together

a crime scene and
find a suspect,

Linda and Clifford
Bernhardt's funeral is held

in the same church
where they were married

just four years before.

Linda's sister, Kelly
Reich, says the murders

tear the family apart.

She is a high school student
when she loses her sister,

and her life is never the same.

She says, "It changes
your whole life.

"You don't know how
to deal with it.

"Until it happens, you
can't really understand it."

(tense music)

With no suspects, no
fingerprints or footprints,

and no obvious motive aside
from the sexual attack on Linda,

the case goes cold.

But even so,
investigators never forget

the young married couple
who are brutally slain

in their own home,

the one place they should
have been able to feel safe.

The detectives
never stopped trying

to find the Bernhardt's killer.

Some of the faces and names
change over the years,

but the determination
remains the same.

In 1980, a famous
mentalist called

The Amazing Kreskin
visits Billings.

Investigators appeal
to him for help

with the Bernhardt's case.

Born George Joseph
Kresge in 1935,

The Amazing Kreskin is
an American mentalist

who becomes popular on
television in the 1970s,

though he always presents
himself as an entertainer,

never as a psychic.

Police occasionally
come to him for help

with their toughest cases.

- It's very unusual for
investigators to resort

to asking psychics or mentalists

for assistance with the case.

But when you run out of leads,

you'll get help wherever
you can find it.

- [Narrator] Kreskin
continues to help police

solve cases into the 2000s.

He teaches classes
to law enforcement

that focus on
psychological techniques,

and by 2015, claims to have
helped solve 83 crimes.

(intense music)

- It's unclear what The Amazing
Kreskin tells detectives,

but whatever it is, they're
no closer to solving the case.

- [Narrator] Hopes
by the officers

and The Great Kreskin fade,

and the case resumes being cold.

- There's always value in
reviewing old case files.

No matter how thorough the
investigation is conducted,

there's always something
that's been missed

or deserving of a closer look.

- [Narrator] But
what was missed?

(dramatic music)

The Amazing Kreskin
may not hold the answer

to this tragic case,
but science does.

The killer may not be known,

but there is a new hope given
by advances of forensics.

It takes a few years more,
but eventually technology

will help detectives
catch up with a killer.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

Seven years after junior
high school sweethearts,

Clifford and Linda
Bernhardt, are murdered,

detectives still
refuse to give up hope

of catching their killer.

When The Amazing Kreskin,

a famous TV mentalist,
visits Billings in the 1980s,

investigators appealed
to him for answers.

Unfortunately, even the
help of The Amazing Kreskin

can't bring the detectives
closer to finding this killer.

The case remains cold,

but there is something that
can still break The mystery.

- Police are reasonably certain
the Bernhardts are killed

by someone they know and trust.

Someone they may have
invited over for dinner.

But how is this man able to
hide his dangerous obsession

from those around him?

And how long before
he kills again?

- [Narrator] In 2005,
detectives finally get a break

in the case.

Forensic scientists are
able to analyze a DNA sample

from the stain on the
pants Linda is wearing

the night she is murdered.

- DNA is often used
to solve cold cases.

DNA samples were often
taken and preserved

long before the
technology was available

to properly analyze them.

- We always owe a
huge debt of gratitude

to the original crime
scene investigators,

because even before
they could have known

how powerful DNA would be,

they somehow collected that
evidence for us to work with

almost 50 years in the future.

- [Narrator] Well long after
the original investigation,

the case might just
get a chance to reveal

just who the murderer is.

(tense music)

- Unfortunately, there's
no match for the profile

in the FBI database.

Which means there's no previous
DNA sample from the killer,

or the murderer doesn't
have a criminal record.

- [Narrator] With no match,
there's always that possibility

that the killer's DNA will
be added to the database.

And with such a
violent double murder,

there's a high probability
that he could someday be added.

- Normally, we see an
escalation with criminals

who commit violent
crimes of this sort.

A double murder isn't
usually the first

crime someone commits.

Often they start with
petty thievery, voyeurism,

domestic violence, stalking
or break and enters.

(dramatic music)

For this person to have
no criminal history

at all is highly unusual.

- [Narrator] The murder of
the Bernhardts seems to be

a crime of passion
committed by someone

who's obsessed with Linda,
someone who never kills again.

The same old questions from
the initial investigation

still haunt the case.

- Inviting a guest for
dinner is a fateful decision

for Clifford and Linda.

But who would want
to hurt this couple,

and how did the killer manage
to hide in plain sight?

- [Narrator] In 2012,
Yellowstone County forms

a cold case unit and
the Bernhardt's murders

are one of its top priorities.

- While cold case units
have been effective

in solving long dormant cases,

it's frustrating,
painstaking work.

In the Bernhardt case, thousands
of hours of investigation

lead to a dead end, but
detectives don't give up.

The investigators never
forget the families

or the young couple
whose bright future

is cut devastatingly short.

This case is personal to them.

Linda's sister,
Kelly Reich, says,

"The police put their
personal feelings

"into it and took
ownership of it.

"I think it's become
more than a job to them."

- [Narrator] In 2013, an
anonymous donor offers

a $100,000 reward
for information
leading to the arrest

and conviction of the
Bernhardt's killer.

But this incentive does not
introduce any significant leads.

It looks like the murderer
will have gotten away with it

for now almost 40 years.

But technology catches
up with the killer.

- Four decades, all those
years of wading through cases,

pounding the pavement,
knocking on doors.

Finally, it's about to pay off.

- [Narrator] A crack opens
and the investigators

finally might have what's
needed to solve this case.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

After 42 years with no answers,

investigators are finally
closing in on their killer.

The truth will shock
and horrify everyone

who loves Linda and
Clifford Bernhardt.

The detectives have finally
been led to a possible suspect

that could help solve the case.

One who's alive and being
traced through DNA genealogy,

but they need confirmation.

- Investigators often can tell
a lot how a suspect reacts

to the request for a DNA sample.

Those who refuse to comply
usually have something to hide.

It's worthwhile
to closely observe

a suspect's demeanor
and behavior.

(tense music)

- In 2018, Parabon NanoLabs,

a private genealogy
clinic in Virginia,

produces a composite sketch
with his suspect's skin,

hair, and eye color.

- Parabon had worked
with the department

to predict the suspect's traits,

so they had created
that snapshot phenotype,

and that sometimes is
enough to generate leads.

- Parabon uses GEDmatch,
a public genetic
genealogy database

that compares the
crime scene DNA

with 1.2 million
available profiles.

(dramatic music)

This identifies two
solid leads in the case,

but only one of
them is still alive.

- Two brothers, but only
one of those brothers

had ever lived in Billings.

We couldn't connect
the other brother

to that location at all.

Now, that's not to say he
couldn't have been visiting,

but in the vast
majority of our cases,

we are finding
that these suspects

live very close to
the crime scene.

And so it was quite
apparent to us

which one of those brothers

was a much stronger
candidate than they other.

- With millions of
people voluntarily
undergoing DNA testing

in order to research
their family trees,

more profiles are
available to investigators

than ever before.

- [Narrator] The DNA
genealogy research

brings it down to two brothers,

but basic detective work
quickly brings that down

to just one.

A man known to Linda,
Cecil Stan Caldwell.

Inviting Cecil to dinner is
a fateful decision for Linda,

but she never suspects
that someone they trust

will turn on them.

Inviting her coworker,
Cecil, to dinner

is a fateful decision for Linda,

but she never suspects
that someone they trust

will turn on them.

While the DNA sample eliminates
the man detectives tested,

it incriminates his brother.

A man who once worked at the
grocery warehouse with Linda.

(dramatic music)

At some point, Caldwell
enters the home.

He has not forced his way in.

He is let in by one
of the Bernhardts.

Detectives believe Caldwell
is the man who was invited

over to the Bernhardt home
the night of the murder.

What leads to the
horrific events

and the murder of the
Bernhardts will never be known.

There's no one to
explain what happened

and why Caldwell did what he did

after committing the murder.

Did someone else
know that Caldwell

was at the Bernhardt's
that night,

causing the killer to go
to the length of opening

the windows and
leaving a bowl of ice

to conceal the time of death?

Caldwell died in 2003
at the age of 59.

He'll never stand
trial for the murders

of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt.

- In March, 2019, the
cold case investigators

announced the
resolution of the case.

Caldwell has no criminal record.

He lived in Billings
his whole life,

and he was married twice.

He was the father of
two adopted children,

and two stepchildren.

- Caldwell was listed in the
original investigation files

as someone who worked with Linda

and therefore should
have been interviewed,

but for some reason, the
police never did talk to him.

- [Narrator] Investigators,
family and friends

will never know what goes
through Caldwell's mind

on that terrible night,

or what drives him
to murder a woman

who would always
been kind to him.

- Other than an assumed
sexual obsession for Linda,

no motive for the
crime is found.

- No two people
have the same DNA,

so DNA evidence can
prove a person's guilt

or innocence with
great accuracy.

Studies suggests that
forensic DNA analysis

is roughly 95% accurate.

- Scott Goodwin, a volunteer
with the cold case unit,

says the investigators were
obsessed with this case.

There are two young
people who didn't deserve

what happened to them.

- Sadly, many questions
remain unanswered

for the victim's family.

Many of them leave Billings
and Linda's parents

aren't alive to find out
who murdered their daughter.

- Linda's sister, Kelly Reich,

says that she appreciated
the Sheriff's department

and all their hard work,

taking a case that
wasn't going anywhere

and bringing it back to life.

- Investigators could never
reveal Caldwell's motive.

- Investigators had
spoken to an ex-wife

who said that he had a
suitcase full of panties.

- Which is certainly,
you know, questionable.

And I think the way he
tried to cover his tracks

with the crime scene
definitely implies

somebody more sophisticated.

And so even though we don't know

of any other crimes
he committed,

I would not be at all surprised

if there were other crimes out
there that are tied to him.

We just don't have DNA on them.

If there's DNA that was
left and has been stored

all these years, then
we would potentially

be able to tie him
to other crimes.

But if he got even smarter and
made sure he didn't leave DNA

behind, then we would
probably never know.

- [Narrator] Without the
advent of genealogical DNA

and companies gathering
DNA privately online,

this case may not
have been solved.

(intense music)