Two years after his divorce from Cassandra Smith, Bill Flint survived a murder attempt, having been beaten and shot. And then Cassandra’s second husband tried to kill Bill with a hitman. In May 2002, Bill died of an apparent heart attack, but Professor James Starrs, a forensic scientist, believed he was murdered. At his own expense, he had Bill's body exhumed. “48 Hours" Correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 8/19/2006. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Full Episode
There are those people who think that it's rather ghoulish or indeed sacrilegious to dig up the graves of people. I don't look at it that way as long as there is a substantial justifiable reason for doing so. It is the difference between being a grave robber and being a grave digger. I'm a grave digger.
My name is James E. Starrs and I am a professor of forensic sciences at the George Washington University. I knew nothing about Bill Flint or his death or his family until I received a phone call. It was quite clear from the records that Bill Flint was a marked man. Two different people connected to his former wife, with whom he had been in a custody dispute over their child.
We used to tell him he was like a cat with nine lives.
He was shot twice. He survived it. He was bludgeoned his head and survived that.
When that didn't work, they called a hitman.
He and his brother-in-law wanted a professional to do it. He was dead serious and very determined. I mean, he'd come to do business, and that's what he wanted done.
Bill Flint was a unique person. He was kind. He was loving.
I loved my father very much.
Loved his family very deeply, particularly his daughter.
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