Ashley Flowers

I don't know their reasoning.

That's never fully explained, but that's the theory.

Yes and yes.

Even though 1990 is super early for DNA science, the detective who works this case the longest, this guy named Detective Billy Belk,

He knows what a powerful tool DNA is shaping up to be.

So from like day one, he asked the higher ups to have evidence processed at this special lab that has the tech to detect DNA.

Expensive, right.

You're not wrong.

But you know the saying, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

So Detective Belk decides to shoot his and it works.

He gets the okay.

The lab hits rock.

pay dirt, they're able to build a suspect profile from the semen in Cheryl.

But downside of early days DNA, no database.

There's nothing to compare it to.

Right.

No amount of evidence is going to replace the grueling work of boots on the ground investigating.

So detectives start interviewing family and friends and they start working their way out from there.

Now, neither family knows of anyone who would want to hurt Cheryl or Andy.

They're both really good kids.