By Jennifer Larson

In last season’s finally, a demented stalker took the cold case squad hostage, and we were left to wonder all summer long whether or not Det. Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) would survive the gunshot wound that sent her into surgery. Thankfully for all us COLD CASE fans she did, and as the fifth season begins she heads back to work ready to wipe the dust off yet another long forgotten case file. Of course it takes some doing, since everybody believes she may have returned a little too soon. But our girl, Lilly, is one determined woman and she has set her sights on a case from 1994.

In what can be seen as very topical, this old case centers on – what Lilly suspects – is the wrongful conviction and incarceration of a couple of teens. In 1994 three 10-year-old children were beaten to death, and the outcry to catch who did it may have moved the investigation in the wrong direction. No worries, this group of detectives – who are determined to bring as many cases as possible to a just and correct conclusion – are on the job, and I’ve yet to see an episode where they don’t crack the case. I think that’s why so many people love cop shows, because we see horrific crimes come to a justified end. That’s so rare to see nowadays that it gives us a little bit of satisfaction to see it on TV. Yes, we all know it isn’t real, but one of the best things about TV is the ability to escape the crap we deal with in real life. A show like COLD CASE gives many of us the resolution we so desperately seek in everyday life.


Tonight’s episode of COLD CASE opens with three 10-year-old boys out for some fun on their bikes. In a scene all too terrifying and familiar, they end up being tortured and beaten to death. Adding to the sense of sadness and dread is the backdrop of music by Nirvana. The case gets reopened when the mother of one of the teenage boys - who was put away for the crime - shows up at the police station claiming the cops are to blame for her son committing suicide. Come on, we all know Lilly can’t let that go, especially when the mother informs them all that her son couldn’t have been the one who sent the note that all but confesses to the crime, as he was illiterate. I’d say that was enough for another look see into the investigation, wouldn’t you? Of course the cold case squad has to start off with the other teenager convicted of the crime. Yeah, an uneducated juvenile delinquent who’s spent the past 13 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit is going to be trustful enough to share information with the police department he feels railroaded him into prison. That being said, he does provide them with their first lead, an over zealous cop who coerced them into a confession.

Using the old “I was set up” excuse does get a bit old, but hey, you can’t say it never happens. And when the crack detectives begin to unravel previously undetected facts of the case, it starts to look as if he may be on to something. First there’s the fact that the boys weren’t killed where they were found. Then we have a witness who - as it turns out – is known for being the town crier. Add to that, the remaining suspect turns out to be a bona fide genius that’s just from the wrong side of the tracks. Now we’re really on to something, especially when Lilly and crew find out that the “confession letter” was sent from somebody inside the police department. Hmm, I’m beginning to smell a cover up, and the nose always knows … right?

As it turns out, the real doer was more evil than a couple of crazy teenage boys could ever hope to be … it was one of the little boys father. It’s something most of us could never imagine, but sadly, it happens far too often. An over worked, over stressed and over burdened father who could no longer cope with the responsibilities of raising a little boy took his life, along with the lives of the witnesses that were with him. Like I said, we like these types of shows because we finally get the justice we so desperately need.