Justice Delayed: The Science and Psychology of the Teresa Ann Houck Cold Case

Teresa Ann Houck, 23, left her job at a Baltimore club in October 1986 and was found shot to death in Druid Hill Park hours later, leaving investigators with evidence but no suspect. For nearly 40 years, the case sat unsolved until a routine DNA database search produced the match prosecutors say identified her killer. This episode examines what that breakthrough shows about the staying power of forensic evidence and how long-dormant cases can reopen. We also consider what a decades-long wait means for investigators, for the justice system, and for those left without answers.