**NOTE: I inadvertently mispronounced Vanissa’s name in both episodes. It is pronounced slightly different than the traditional Vanessa name. I am so sorry for this error and it will be corrected with a recorded introduction to both episodes. **

The brutal murder of 17 year old Vanissa Waford on June 25, 1989 shocked the small town of Shelbyville, KY. The investigation quickly produced results when a suspect was indicted just eight months later. All eyes were on William Ray Stark, Jr. as the person who killed Vanissa as a part of a larger crime spree that took place throughout the city of Louisville in the summer of 1989. Stark was convicted in Jefferson County and sentenced to 537 years for 25+ robberies.   As the trial for Vanessa's murder inched forward over the next three years there were dozens of roadblocks and missteps from troublesome witnesses,  withheld evidence, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, allegations of racial bias, resignation of attorneys, change of venue... and so many more factors that all contributed to the delay of justice for the Waford family. Ultimately, these errors came to haunt everyone involved in the case when the charges against Stark were dismissed in March 1993. There has been no re-indictment Of Stark and no new arrest for the crime in the last 30 years. The case is still classified as "open" but there have been no public statements related to the case in nearly three decades. Stark remains in prison for his Louisville convictions and has been denied parole four times. There are so many questions that have never been answered and there is still no justice for Vanissa and her family. 

I wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU to the amazing reporters at the Shelbyville Sentinel-News who did an incredible job covering this case as it happened back in 1989 through 1993. I relied heavily on the details provided in dozens and dozens of articles spanning 1989-1993. The work that local news reporters do is invaluable!