The Secrets of Forensic Science: Beauty Shop Bandit/Turnbull
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Robert Lang
Arnold Pinnock
Lilette Wiens
Karen Gibson
Roland Rothchild
Fred Mollin
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
More than a decade ago, women in five beauty shops were robbed and raped. John Willis was charged with assault and robbery after nine witnesses identified him in a line-up. While his blood test was inconclusive, Willis had a previous conviction and was sentenced to 100 years in prison. A few years later, five more beauty shops were attacked in the same way. Police believed it was a copycat crime, perpetrated by a man named Dennis McGruder. Seven years later, public defender Greg O'Reilly re-opened the Willis case after noticing that Willis' blood test didn't match the rest of the evidence in the first case. O'Reilly eventually proved that McGruder had committed all the crimes, and that Willis was innocent of the charges against him. The program also profiles the case of Barbara Turnbull, who was shot during an armed robbery. She reveals how forensic detective work brought her assailants to justice.
