20/20

Releases

‘20/20’ Investigates the Murder of a 16-Year-Old Girl Killed by Her Best Friends

ABC News* When 16-year-old Skylar Neese disappeared, authorities initially suspected she was a runaway. The only lead police had was a mysterious security surveillance video showing Skylar getting into the back seat of an unknown vehicle shortly after midnight. After months of searching, the tight-knit West Virginia community was shocked when Skylar’s two best friends confessed to luring Skylar out of her family’s apartment, stabbing her to death, and hiding her body under branches in the woods. In a new “20/20,” ABC News correspondent Ryan Smith investigates the unthinkable crime committed by murderers no one saw coming — teenage girls. The two-hour program features one of the killer’s recent disclosure of an alleged love affair with her co-defendant as the motive for the murder and interviews with Holly Millea, Justine Harman and Jason Hoch, the hosts and executive producer of the podcast based on the story, “Three”; Tom Bloom, a former counselor at University High School, the schoo

Press Release - Series

April 3, 2024

A Wild and Deadly Game of Catfish — ‘20/20’ Investigates Two Murders That Allegedly Lead to the CIA

ABC News* When 36-year-old Bill Payne and 23-year-old Billie Jean Hayworth were found in their Tennessee home shot dead with their 7-month-old son, unharmed in his dead mother’s arms, investigators said the murder looked like it could be a professional hit. Authorities soon learned the young couple had become embroiled in a bitter online feud and uncover a deadly catfishing scheme. In a new “20/20,” ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman investigates an incriminating trail, including hundreds of social media posts, texts and emails, untangling a web of lies and unmasking an unlikely mastermind behind the murder plot. The two-hour program features new interviews with Joe Woodard, the assistant chief of Mountain City Police, and former prosecutor Matthew Roark. Additional interviews include Barbara and Jenelle Potter; the mother-daughter duo accused in the murder plot; TBI Special Agent Scott Lott; Payne’s sister, Tracy Greenwell; Hayworth’s sisters Beverly Morrell and Janie

Press Release - Series

March 27, 2024

‘20/20’ Reports on Twisted Web of Lies and False Identities Surrounding Woman Who Murdered Her Husband

ABC News* “20/20” reports on well-known West Coast lawyer Larry McNabney who disappeared after a horse show. His fifth wife, Elisa McNabney, claimed he broke up with her and left town. Soon after, police found McNabney’s body buried in a California vineyard and discovered that Elisa drained his assets and went on the run with her daughter, Haylei Jordan. The investigation uncovered a twisted web of lies in Elisa’s wake, including how Elisa’s real name was Laren Sims and that she played a shocking role in McNabney’s death. On this episode of “20/20,” Jordan speaks out and reveals insight into her mother’s troubled past, including her allegedly volatile relationship with McNabney. In the interview, Jordan shares stories about life on the run with her mother, before finding out about her role in the murder, and her firsthand interactions with her mother’s accomplice, Sarah Dutra, convicted of manslaughter and of helping cover up McNabney’s death. The program features reporting by ABC New

Press Release - Series

March 25, 2024

ABC News Studios, in Partnership With ‘20/20,’ Announces Innovative New True-Crime Docuseries, ‘The Interrogation Tapes: A Special Edition of 20/20,’ Bringing Viewers Inside Police Investigations

ABC News* ABC News Studios and ABC News’ No. 1 newsmagazine, “20/20,” announced today “The Interrogation Tapes: A Special Edition of 20/20,” a new true-crime docuseries looking at some of the most compelling criminal cases in recent history through the lens of interrogations, unveiling the tricks of the trade detectives use to coax confessions from suspects. As the stories unfold, experts in the science and tactics of interrogations, along with ABC News legal correspondents Ryan Smith, Brian Buckmire and Jami Floyd, go inside this supercharged space, unpacking dynamic, tense and vulnerable moments at the heart of each case. Audiences will gain insights into the special techniques employed by different interrogators, how some use the physical space, methods employed when looking for clues, analysis of a suspect’s speech and body language, and how this all can culminate in the truth — or a false confession. ABC News Studios’ “The Interrogation Tapes: A Special Edition of 20/20” premiere

Press Release - ABC News Studios

March 21, 2024

‘20/20’ Investigates Ruby Franke – The Popular YouTube Vlogger Charged With Child Abuse, Featuring Exclusive Body Camera Footage, Interrogation Tapes, Recorded Phone Calls, and Ruby’s Personal Journal

ABC News* Ruby Franke’s YouTube channel “8 Passengers” was a portrait of social media success. For years, the wife and mother of six, who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, amassed nearly 2.5 million followers documenting the daily life of her children. However, the image of the perfect family began to crack when her controversial videos displayed her strict parenting. In August of 2023, one of Ruby’s children, malnourished with duct tape and wounds on his wrists and ankles, escaped the home of Franke’s friend and business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, and asked a neighbor for help. A new “20/20,” with reporting from “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang, unravels the unimaginable abuse at the hands of Ruby and Jodi, told through never-before-seen body camera video, recorded calls, and Ruby’s own journal detailing the horrific abuse. “20/20” also includes an exclusive interview with Jodi’s niece, Jessi Hildebrandt, and newly unveiled police interviews recounting

Press Release - Series

March 13, 2024

‘20/20’ Documents the Police Search for a Serial Killer Roaming the Interstate After Four Young Women Go Missing and Two Are Found Dead

ABC News* In the spring and summer of 1997, four young women vanish in quick succession. Two of them go missing just off Texas Interstate 45, and the other two disappear just a few hours north. Could a serial killer be roaming the highways between Texas and Oklahoma? ABC News correspondent John Quiñones takes viewers inside the decades-long cold case investigation and four families’ quest for answers. The report features exclusive footage of a hypnosis session with a fifth survivor that helped lead police to the killer and behind-the-scenes details into the killer’s confession. The two-hour episode includes powerful new interviews with the family members of the victims, including Gay Smither, Laura Smither’s mother; Jan Bynum, Kelli Cox’s mother; Alexis Bynum, Kelli Cox’s daughter; Kathy Dobry, Tiffany Johnston’s mother; and C.H. and Suzy Cain, Jessica Cain’s parents. It also features interviews with members of law enforcement who helped solve the cases after two decades. “20/20” airs

Press Release - Series

March 6, 2024

A Teenage Girl Vanishes From a Popular Tourist Destination — A Decade Later, Her Killer Is Brought to Justice

ABC News* When 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel stopped answering text messages mid-conversation during a spring break trip in April 2009, her friends and family instantly knew something was seriously wrong. Drexel — who was last seen on video camera footage leaving a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — had seemingly vanished into thin air, creating a heartbreaking mystery that would haunt her friends and family for more than a decade. Now, “20/20” gives viewers an exclusive inside look at how a new FBI team assigned to the case finally brought justice to Brittanee with the arrest of convicted sex offender Raymond Moody and brings viewers inside the dramatic courtroom confrontation between Brittanee’s mom and her daughter’s killer for the first time. The two-hour program features reporting from ABC News correspondent Ryan Smith and exclusive interviews with the FBI team who painstakingly investigated this case: Special Agent Michael Connelly, Special Agent James Cavanagh and intellige

Press Release - Series

February 28, 2024

‘20/20’ Reports on the Murder of a College Student, the Arrest and Conviction of His Friend, and Years Later, a New Defense Witness That Could Turn the Case Upside Down

ABC News* In September 2012, the disappearance of 18-year-old college student Christian Aguilar shocked the University of Florida community where he went to school. The search for Christian, led by his family and new girlfriend, Erika Friman, ended tragically 22 days later with the discovery of Christian’s body in a remote swamp. In a new “20/20,” ABC News correspondent Victor Oquendo reports on the investigation that unraveled a complex web of lies and obsession, culminating in the arrest of Pedro Bravo, Christian’s close friend and Erika’s former boyfriend. The trial featured surveillance videos, secret diaries and damning testimony from Bravo’s jail cellmate. Now, a decade later, that jailhouse informant recanted his testimony, and a new witness for the defense has come forward with a claim that may verify Bravo’s version of events. Will these new developments lead to the court overturning Pedro Bravo’s conviction? The two-hour program includes an exclusive prison interview with Pe

Press Release - Series

February 23, 2024

Bad Romance – A Special Edition of 20/20: Shattered Love (2/26)

MONDAY, FEB. 26 10:01-11:00 p.m. EST – Bad Romance – A Special Edition of 20/20: “Shattered Love” (106) Logline: A beloved young mother is found murdered in her bedroom closet. Family, friends and neighbors are heartbroken and baffled. The incredible investigation leads to multiple trials and a 24-year search for justice. Watch episodes on demand and on Hulu the day following their premieres.

Press Release - Series

February 21, 2024

‘20/20’ Investigates a Mysterious Brutal Murder and the Bizarre Home Renovation That May Have Been the Motive

ABC News* When Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, a beloved mom and successful businesswoman, is found dead in the Florida home she shared with her husband, David Tronnes, police suspected it was a robbery gone wrong. Why else would her $15,000 diamond ring be missing? When investigators dismiss that theory, they turn their attention to a home renovation that the couple had undertaken, which was to be profiled on the A&E show “Zombie House Flipping.” In a new episode, “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts investigates the brutal murder and the bizarre home renovation that may have been the motive and details what investigators say was a secret that David Tronnes was keeping from everyone. The episode also profiles Shanti Cooper Tronnes’ son, now age 14, who courageously fought for justice for his mother. The two-hour program includes the first post-trial exclusive interviews with Jackson Cooper, Shanti’s son, and Jim Cooper, Shanti’s ex-husband. The episode also includes exclusive interviews with Det

Press Release - Series

20/20

Releases

‘20/20’ Investigates the Murder of a 16-Year-Old Girl Killed by Her Best Friends

A Wild and Deadly Game of Catfish — ‘20/20’ Investigates Two Murders That Allegedly Lead to the CIA

‘20/20’ Reports on Twisted Web of Lies and False Identities Surrounding Woman Who Murdered Her Husband

ABC News Studios, in Partnership With ‘20/20,’ Announces Innovative New True-Crime Docuseries, ‘The Interrogation Tapes: A Special Edition of 20/20,’ Bringing Viewers Inside Police Investigations

‘20/20’ Investigates Ruby Franke – The Popular YouTube Vlogger Charged With Child Abuse, Featuring Exclusive Body Camera Footage, Interrogation Tapes, Recorded Phone Calls, and Ruby’s Personal Journal

‘20/20’ Documents the Police Search for a Serial Killer Roaming the Interstate After Four Young Women Go Missing and Two Are Found Dead

A Teenage Girl Vanishes From a Popular Tourist Destination — A Decade Later, Her Killer Is Brought to Justice

‘20/20’ Reports on the Murder of a College Student, the Arrest and Conviction of His Friend, and Years Later, a New Defense Witness That Could Turn the Case Upside Down

Bad Romance – A Special Edition of 20/20: Shattered Love (2/26)

‘20/20’ Investigates a Mysterious Brutal Murder and the Bizarre Home Renovation That May Have Been the Motive

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