48 Hours: Stunning Trials - Relle Murder Case & Irene Garza Cold Case

The Relle Murder Case

• 💡 Michael Relle was accused of attempting to murder his wife, Susan, by staging a home invasion robbery.
• ⚠️ Susan Relle, after recovering from severe injuries, told investigators that Michael was her assailant, not an intruder.
• 💰 The prosecution argued that Michael Relle's motive was financial, stemming from his unwillingness to give up half his fortune in a divorce.
• ⚖️ Despite Michael's defense claiming self-defense and Sue's alleged aggression, a jury found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder and other charges, sentencing him to 30 years.

The Irene Garza Cold Case

• 🔍 The case of Irene Garza, a young woman murdered in 1960 after going to confession, remained unsolved for nearly 60 years.
• ⛪ Father John Fe was identified as a suspect, but the investigation was allegedly hampered by the Catholic Church's hierarchy and political concerns.
• 🗣️ Key testimony came from former monk Dale Tashnney and Father Joseph O'Brien, who claimed Fe confessed to the murder.
• ⚖️ After a lengthy investigation and trial, John Fe was convicted of murder with malice of forethought and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Michelle Martino Murder Case

• 💔 The 1979 murder of Michelle Martino, an 18-year-old found stabbed 29 times in a mall parking lot, haunted Cedar Rapids for decades.
• 🧬 Advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy eventually led investigators to Jerry Burns, a man with no apparent connection to Martino.
• 🚗 DNA evidence found on Martino's dress and in her car was matched to Burns, leading to his arrest and conviction for first-degree murder.
• 🤔 Questions remain about Burns's potential involvement in other unsolved cases, particularly the disappearance of Jodie Huusen Troop.