Looking for a chilling mystery that's yet to be solved? Join us on Crime Connoisseurs as we tell the bone-chilling tales of two unsolved murders. First, we shed light on the brutal Thanksgiving murder of Kristen Wilson that, 27 years later, remains unresolved. We dissect the scant evidence, probe into the lack of suspects, and discuss intriguing theories surrounding the case. Hear about Kristen's life, her dreams, and the heartwrenching impact her loss had on her loved ones, as we share an urgent plea for any information that might finally bring justice to her case.
Hear Kristen's best friend, Sam, voice his deep insights into her complex relationships, and the troubling questions posed by Kristen's young nephew, Tyler. Be prepared as we confront the grim discovery of previously untested evidence, and the puzzling absence of DNA on Kristen's body. In a poignant tribute to Kristen, we underline her family's ceaseless quest for justice and the profound heartache her loss continues to inflict on them. As we uncover these tragic narratives, we encourage listeners to recommend other cold cases that deserve attention. Connect with us on Instagram for more.
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
Looking for a chilling mystery that's yet to be solved? Join us on Crime Connoisseurs as we tell the bone-chilling tales of two unsolved murders. First, we shed light on the brutal Thanksgiving murder of Kristen Wilson that, 27 years later, remains unresolved. We dissect the scant evidence, probe into the lack of suspects, and discuss intriguing theories surrounding the case. Hear about Kristen's life, her dreams, and the heartwrenching impact her loss had on her loved ones, as we share an urgent plea for any information that might finally bring justice to her case.
Hear Kristen's best friend, Sam, voice his deep insights into her complex relationships, and the troubling questions posed by Kristen's young nephew, Tyler. Be prepared as we confront the grim discovery of previously untested evidence, and the puzzling absence of DNA on Kristen's body. In a poignant tribute to Kristen, we underline her family's ceaseless quest for justice and the profound heartache her loss continues to inflict on them. As we uncover these tragic narratives, we encourage listeners to recommend other cold cases that deserve attention. Connect with us on Instagram for more.
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
Welcome back crime connoisseurs. I'm your host, Grace D. Since tomorrow was Thanksgiving, I found it only fitting to cover a case that took place on Thanksgiving 27 years ago. And this case is an important one because sadly, to this day it remains unsolved. The detectives with the Houston Police Department and the family have not given up hope of finding the person responsible, and neither shall we. A young woman was brutally killed in her own home by a man who had broken in and lied in wait. Now, with the murder going unsolved for nearly three decades, investigators in Houston hope an increase in the reward money could entice someone to come forward with the lead. This is the case of Kristen Wilson.
Speaker 1:
Kristen Lee Wilson was born on July 13, 1967, to parents Barbara and Bob Wilson. Kristen was the middle of three girls. She had an older sister, kim, and a younger sister, kelly. Kristen was kind and caring and she always went out of her way to ensure others were cared for. So it was no surprise that the day before Thanksgiving she went to the grocery store to get some last minute items needed for the festivities. The next day.
Speaker 1:
It was November 27, 1996, and 29-year-old Kristen Wilson left work for the day and headed to the grocery store. The next day was Thanksgiving and the family was headed to Kristen's grandmother's house in Katy to celebrate the holiday. Kristen wanted to pick up a few things for dinner to get a good start on the trip for the following day. The next day, on Thursday, november 28, 1996, as the turkey was nearly done and the sides were ready to serve, kristen still had yet to arrive to her grandmother's for Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't like her to be late and no one could get a hold of her. So Kristen's parents, Barbara and Bob, drove from Katy to Kristen's apartment complex in southwest Houston to check on her. As they arrived they noticed Kristen's car in the parking lot. Barbara knocked on the door and turned the knob, discovering her front door was unlocked. They entered the apartment and Barbara called out for Kristen, but there was no reply. Her father, bob, made his way to the bedroom where he was met with a horrific scene. He found Kristen deceased on the floor in her bedroom and he started screaming.
Speaker 1:
Barbara Wilson spoke with investigative journalist Courtney Fisher in an exclusive interview for Unsolved about the day they found Kristen. She said quote he was just hysterical. End quote. That day, houston police detective Richard Rodriguez spoke about the crime scene quote she's laying down on the floor on her back, not fully nude but partially nude from the waist down, and her clothes were pulled up from her top. End quote. When police arrived at the scene, a blanket was over top of Kristen's body. When an officer asked who had done it, Barbara said I did. She needs some dignity. Barbara said that she knew it was wrong and shouldn't have done that. But as a mom seeing her daughter like that, she just couldn't leave her exposed in the way that she was.
Speaker 1:
As more police began to arrive, barbara called the rest of the family. As they were about to start Thanksgiving dinner, a family relative, tyler Rosen, who was only five at the time, answered the phone. He gave the phone to Kim, the oldest Wilson daughter. In the interview with Unsolved, kim tells Courtney she remembers her dad saying quote, kim, it's bad, kristen is dead. End quote. Tyler vividly remembered that moment, kim dropping the phone and all hell breaking loose. But Kim doesn't recall dropping the phone. Tyler said quote, you could tell the world would never really be the same and it wasn't. After that end quote.
Speaker 1:
It appeared that Kristen had just arrived home. After putting away the groceries, she went to her bedroom to change her clothes and was attacked by an unknown intruder. Police determined that 29-year-old Kristen Wilson had been strangled and possibly sexually assaulted. Investigators say she fought her attacker and although Kristen fought hard and was left bruised and with several broken fingernails, ultimately she was no match for her attacker and succumbed to her injuries and her attacker disappeared into the night. The killer had either ripped or cut off Kristen's top.
Speaker 1:
To the police it became clear someone had been waiting for Kristen. Investigators say the killer had likely arrived before Kristen got home from grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Let them self into her first floor apartment by reaching through a cat door in Kristen's screen window and removing the window frame. Police say that the person cut her phone line in unscrewed light bulbs, ensuring that the apartment stayed dark, had Kristen flip the switch. The way the killer left Kristen's body was bizarre Her legs were crossed at the ankles and her hands were in her lap, like she had been positioned. According to Detective Rodriguez, the possibility of Kristen being staged popped into his mind. Given his experience he said quote in all the murders that I have had where the victim was sexually assaulted the legs were apart, and in this particular case they weren't. End quote An investigation quickly began into who might be responsible, with detectives finding no signs of forced entry.
Speaker 1:
There was a significant development after it emerged that Kristen was eager to move to a different neighborhood from the one that she was currently in on Meadow Glen Lane. Her family revealed she hadn't felt safe there lately, especially after a maintenance man had let himself into her apartment unannounced the night that Kristen was killed. No witnesses heard anything and no cameras caught the killer in or around the complex where she had lived. Houston police detective CP Abbey Abbondandolo described the case as a nightmare scenario due to the lack of evidence, but told the Houston Chronicle he still believes it is solvable. A rape kit was done, but when the results came back there wasn't a trace of DNA from anyone else. During the autopsy, two different medical examiners had two completely different ideas about the case. One believed that Kristen had been raped, the other did not. The sweater and jeans that Kristen had been wearing and the phone cord were all tested in 1996. Nothing came of these tests and the investigation had stalled.
Speaker 1:
There were three men in Kristen's life who each submitted their DNA weeks after her murder. All three men arrived at the police station on the same day. At the same time Her ex-boyfriend, with whom things did not end well, a man she was having an affair with, and her best friend, with whom she briefly had a romantic fling. Kristen's voice is one of this investigation's most priceless components Her diary. It was found packed away with old photographs. The journal, full of memories, revealed what was going on during the months and years before her life was tragically taken, telling secrets her own family didn't even know. Kristen's diary had an entry dated October 14, 1993. She wrote, quote and that moment was the very beginning of the two months of hell that I had been going through. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Kristen was dating a man named Ted. At this time they had moved in together in 1992. Everything started off well, but by the following year she had started journaling that Ted was drinking too much, taking sleeping pills and acting out of control. Her relationship had taken a turn. In another entry from October of 1993, kristen had returned home from a trip out of town. She wrote, quote I couldn't believe that he couldn't even be sober to pick me up. We fought a lot the first couple of days, then hardly spoke for weeks. It was just too much to deal with. End quote. The following month, on November 4th 1993, she wrote, quote Ted and I had another bad fight about a week and a half ago. It was about the same things, mostly his drinking. It's not getting any better Right now. It seems as though he is pretending everything is okay. End quote. Later on in that entry it goes on to say, quote if this does not work out with Ted, I don't think I'll ever live with another person unless I'm married, because it's just too difficult to get out of a relationship when you live with someone. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Tyler was only five when Kristen was murdered but as he got older he would ask his aunt, barbara and Kristen's sisters about her and difficult questions about the murder. Tyler told Courtney Fisher in the unsolved interview, quote and this is just what we know about. So I fear for those things that we don't know about. Right, like what else did she have to endure at his hands that she never felt comfortable with writing down or telling someone and will never know. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Well, there was someone who knew more, kristen's best friend, sam Udall. You see, kristen's mom, barbara, was Sam's dad's secretary. Kristen and Sam had a special relationship. Before she started seeing Ted, kristen had visited Sam overseas in Switzerland when he lived there. Coincidentally, sam is the person who gave Kristen the journal where those entries are written. In the unsolved interview, sam said he didn't care for Ted and believed that Kristen was better than Ted. However, he didn't really give Kristen any advice about him. In the journal, kristen wrote about having feelings for Sam more than just friends, and at some point Kristen and Sam had a brief affair, but she stayed with Ted. Sam told Courtney Fisher that Kristen had a tendency to try to rescue people and believed that this was the case with her relationship with Ted. Kristen kept her secrets between her and her journal, all but one, that is. Kristen broke up with Ted and moved out a year and a half before she was murdered and
Speaker 1:
it wasn't pretty. One day Kristen called her mom and said that she had locked herself in the bathroom to escape from Ted. This was alarming for Barbara. Kristen told Barbara that Ted was following her to her car and asked her mom what to do. Barbara told her daughter to quote come to the office and stay as long as you want, I won't let the security guard let him in. End quote. Ted's behavior after the breakup before Kristen's murder throws some red flags. He's acting in an aggressive, stalking-like manner when he is following her and making her uncomfortable. There's a record of Ted stalking Kristen and Ted's family knew about it too.
Speaker 1:
The other man in Kristen's life was Alistair, who worked in the same office building as Kristen. The two were friendly and were described as being smitten with each other. The problem Alistair was married. He was a wealthy Scottish businessman who happened to be 20 years older than Kristen and there's no mention of him in her journal. Kristen started seeing Alistair after Ted was no longer in the picture, about a year before her murder. Alistair was a very charming man. Barbara said that he could quote charm the horns off of a billy goat. End quote. Kristen kept the affair a secret. She never told her sisters about Alistair.
Speaker 1:
After Kristen's death, alistair offered to pay for most of Kristen's funeral. The family was surprised by this and accepted the offer. Alistair was also a pallbearer at Kristen's funeral. A few months after the funeral he paid to have a shed built for Barbara and Bob as a gift for Bob's woodworking shop. The gestures had Kristen's family questioning things. Why did he pay for the majority of the funeral? Did he feel guilty about something? Was he trying to make up for something? Kristen's younger sister, kelly, questions why he would pay for all of that and Kristen's headstone unless he's guilty. She said, quote why not talk to anybody? If you are not guilty, step up and say I'm not guilty. End quote.
Speaker 1:
When the three men were all at the police station getting swabbed for DNA testing, sam explained the encounter to Courtney Fisher. The three of them all sat out in the waiting room. No one looked at each other, no one spoke to one another. Sam thought could it be one of these guys? He says that neither Ted nor Alistair had a positive effect on Kristen's life overall. He described the energy in the room as tense and he said that Ted and Alistair knew who he was and how they didn't like him. He says they would question why he was still in Kristen's life.
Speaker 1:
The DNA was collected from all three men and all three men were cleared. None of their DNA was found on Kristen or any of the evidence. In fact, no unknown DNA profiles were found on Kristen at all. When you consider how she was killed, this is shocking to think about. Kristen was strangled and she put up a hell of a fight. She broke several fingernails in the process. There should be tons of DNA, but, as we know, the DNA testing process back in the 90s is nothing compared to how it is now. Dna testing was just starting out back then. Thanks to technological advances that we have today, some of the evidence collected from Kristen's crime scene is back in the lab for testing. Detective Rodriguez recently discovered that some of the evidence collected in 96 was never tested.
Speaker 1:
In the initial investigation, investigators focused on lifting fingerprints from items such as the cut phone cord, the screen window and scissors that may have been used to cut off Kristen's clothing. These items were only tested for fingerprints, not DNA. Tyler told Courtney and Unsolved quote. I think we owe it to Kristen to keep pushing for answers. At the end of the day, no one else is going to do it for us. No one else has the motivation. There are dozens, hundreds of cold case files sitting around. In some way, the squeaky wheel gets the grease right, thank you. Quote.
Speaker 1:
As the years continued to pass by, there were still no signs of this case being solved. In 2009, kristen's family participated in an event at Houston City Hall as part of the Parents of Murdered Children Organization. They, along with a group of other family members whose loved ones had never received justice, laid out Kristen's empty shoes to raise awareness that the murder remained unsolved. In a 2020 interview with ABC 13 Eyewitness News, kristen's younger sister, kelly, said Thanksgiving was the biggest event of the year. We'd all go over there and it was just a big family get-together. It was so much fun. In the unsolved episode, kelly said that the shock of the violent crime left the close-knit family traumatized. Quote. Our whole family's world was turned upside down. She's not there to give you a hug, to laugh with, to be with. Personally, in my heart, I think she knew the person, but I don't know. End quote. Kristen's older sister, kim, told the Houston Chronicle she just wants someone to come forward with information. Quote. I want to know why this happened. End quote.
Speaker 1:
The Houston Police Department investigated extensively, but the case remains unsolved. The Houston Police Department and the Texas Rangers are now jointly investigating the murder. The Department of Public Safety's Public Awareness Program chooses one cold case from the Texas Rangers' Unsolved Crime Investigation Program to feature on a bimonthly basis. They do this as a way to generate new leads and bring attention to these cold cases. They normally offer a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest on all the murders on the Texas Rangers' cold case website, but this amount has been doubled to $6,000 in Kristen's case due to the length of time that it's gone unsolved. They have asked anyone who believes they have information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS. Call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-252-8477. Tips can also be submitted through the Texas Department of Public Safety's website.
Speaker 1:
Ted died in 2014 from pancreatic cancer. Alistair still resides in the Houston area Unsolved. Contacted him and his family members several times to talk about Kristen. Alistair has yet to respond to unsolved inquiries. While there are persons of interest in Kristen's murder, police say currently there are no suspects. More than 250,000 murder cases across the country are considered cold, which doesn't even include those of missing persons, which is why it is so important to tell these cases in hopes that someone comes forward with new information that can help solve these cases and finally give families closure. On the 24th anniversary of Kristen's death, abc 13 did a brief coverage to keep Kristen's case in the media. It's a little more than a minute and a half. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 3:
Kristen Wilson had this smile. She was just so beautiful. You know the kind of smile that makes other people smile.
Speaker 2:
I can't explain how beautiful she was, how infectious she was with her, with her personality, and that she loved everybody and would do anything for anybody.
Speaker 3:
The middle daughter of three girls, a 29 year old woman just starting her own business, the best aunt, like a second mom to her sister Kelly's kids.
Speaker 2:
I truly feel that I'm blessed that she was my sister and she was part of our lives.
Speaker 3:
Kristen loved the holidays more than anyone in her family. Thanksgiving Day 1996, she had planned to go to Grandma's house. Like every year, it was just one big happy party. I mean we loved it, but when dinner time rolled around, kristen never showed. In fact, no one had heard from Kristen since she went out the night before for groceries.
Speaker 2:
Her parents knew something was wrong, so they drove here to her apartment and found Kristen brutally murdered in her own bedroom. My whole world was our whole family's world was turned upside down, kristen had been raped and strangled.
Speaker 3:
Police say the killer was hiding in her room waiting. Kristen had fought like hell. She was found bruised and her fingernails broken.
Speaker 2:
Personally, in my heart, I think she knew the person, but I don't know 24 Thanksgiving's have since passed.
Speaker 3:
It's hard to celebrate today. Christmas is just as painful, but Kelly says she won't let Houston forget what happened. I hope it's not a wall, because her family deserves peace and closure by next Thanksgiving. Courtney Fisher, abc 13,. Eyewitness News.
Speaker 1:
In one of Kristen's final journal entries she wrote, quote I know my life is somewhat stagnant right now, but in my heart of hearts I feel there will soon be a change for the better. I know that I am capable of great things and that these great things are just around the corner. Everyone wants to leave some type of legacy behind, to be remembered for something special and with a little bit of luck, I will be remembered for my writing End quote. And that's the case of Kristen Wilson. If you or someone you know has information on Kristen's case, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS that's 1-800-252-8477. You can even report the tip anonymously or go to the Texas Department of Public Safety's site and you can report the tip through there. I will have that linked in the source material.
Speaker 1:
It's been nearly three decades since Kristen was brutally taken from this world. Kristen deserves justice and her family deserves peace and closure. You can find and subscribe to Crime Connoisseurs wherever you listen to your podcasts and be sure to follow on Instagram at Crime Connoisseurs. Click the link in the bio to suggest a case that you feel deserves justice and recognition. As always, thanks for listening and in the meantime, keep a classy connoisseurs and I'll catch you on the next case you.