Script for True Crime Documentary - The Holly Staker Murder

The Holly Staker Murder - True Crime Script

EXT.APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE HOLLY STAKER WAS KILLED

A woman, Dawn Engelbrecht, was walking home from work toward
her apartment building when she sees her son sitting outside
on the steps.

DAWN
What's the matter? You look upset?

SON
I tried, Mom, but the door is
locked and no one answered when I
knocked.

DAWN
Come on...let's go see what's
wrong.

INT. APARTMENT WHERE HOLLY STAKER WAS BABYSITTING

Dawn has her son by the hand, leading him up the steps to
their apartment door. Dawn tries it, it's locked, she gets
out her key, and walks into the living room.

DAWN
Holly...I'm home...

INT. APARTMENT WHERE HOLLY STAKER WAS BABYSITTING

With no answer, Dawn tells her son to sit on the couch and
begins a search of the apartment. Gets to the bedroom where
her children sleep and though the door is not locked, she
can not open it. Begins to push hard, the door begins to
move, and she sees some of Holly's bloody, partially
unclothes lifeless body.

DAWN
...stay here
(pointing at the couch)
Holly...
(opening on bedroom, looking
in the kitchen, then trying
the children's bedroom door)
Holly...are you in there...
(tries the door again)

DAUGHTER
Mommy...Mommy...

DAWN
I'll be right there, honey...
(Dawn pushes hard on the door,
it starts to open, and she
sees Holly's body come into
view)
OH MY GOD...

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE HOLLY STAKER WAS KILLED

Narrator introduces the unsolved mystery to be covered in
this episode, after he starts talking the scene shifts to
the crime scene and a picture of Holly Staker, then, of Juan
Rivera in chains at the trial, then, 20 years later a free
man and a pic of the newspaper headline.

NARRATOR
In 1992, on August 17th, on the
second floor of this apartment
building, 11-year-old Holly Staker
was viciously raped and murdered.
Weeks passed, public pressure was
growing, and finally ten weeks
later Juan Rivera was arrested,
charged, and convicted of the
crime. It would take some 20 years
and two more retrial guilty
verdicts later before Juan was
exonerated of the wrongful
conviction--Holly's actual killer
has yet to be identified or
apprehended. In reviewing the Holly
Staker Murder this episode will
suggest an alternate prime suspect,
but as important it will review the
missteps, deliberate or accidental,
that led the Lake County Serious
Crime Task Force to set up Juan
Rivera as their patsy for the
horrific crime knowing full well
that the real killer was still out
there. Join me for another
intriguing episode of...