Forensic Files - Season 12, Episode 20 - Jean Pool - Full Episode

In 1984, the body of college co-ed Laura Salmon was found on a Middle Tennessee farm, covered with her own denim jeans as well as the jeans of the killer.
Forensic Files is the longest-running true crime series in television history. Evidence and interviews with experts help solve real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world.
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• Forensic Files - Seaso...

[@holdsteadfast]

He knocked out her two front teeth?? And it took them how long to figure out who the murderer is?!?

[@GlamRockCowboy]

Kyle Gilley lost his final appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court in February of 2009. He continues to serve his life sentence.

[@59Alaskan]

Thnx for that..I like looking into that stuff as well.

[@Ze_Moose]

Forensicfilesnow is a great place to see more information

[@endless3cho]

@@Ze_Moose thx for the heads up.

[@Ze_Moose]

@@endless3cho You're welcome 👍

[@douglassmith4004]

Thanks for letting me know that it makes me feel good that Piece of Shi@ is still in jail and soon He'll where he belongs

[@LilyRose8959]

I love when the cops in these say things like "This guy was just a piece of shit." I was watching another one the other day where a detective referred to the killer as something similar. It's so accurate and blunt.

[@chrissyellem7397]

My father was a homicide detective in the 80's and this is how he would refer to these murderers.

[@SomethingSomethingg]

My favorite is from one of the earlier episodes where this nerdy, conservative, bespectacled officer or attorney says, "Let's go get that bitch" in such a deadpan way lol

[@bakalito4601]

now police are being called “chicken shit”

[@angeesteiner8493]

@@SomethingSomethingg yes, I about died when he said that. There was one w/Barbara Stager, accused of shooting her husband, Russ. The detective said, "She's a lying ass bitch.' Haha, love it. ❤️

[@nastybigJim]

@@SomethingSomethingg damn I need to see that episode

[@jamesl9371]

Motive? Sometimes there’s really no motive. The murderer is just a sick evil murderer

[@muffs55mercury61]

Gilley was obviously a bully and that included hitting (assaulting) girls. He likely wanted to control her all the time. He never changed in adulthood either.

[@muffs55mercury61]

He was a control freak and a violent one at that.

[@bq-9238]

In other words he was just hungry for blood. He just wanted to kill.

[@FischerFan]

He's a bastard in every sense of the word.

[@ladyyuna2000]

💐💐RIP Laura Lee Salmon (6 Oct 1965- 31 May 1984) (aged 18) you will truly be missed and my prayers go out to you and your family.💐💐

[@danialtanvir]

very sad story about how an innocent girl is killed. i like watching forensic files.

[@endoraismygma]

I'd like to see more of this case and why the ex bf was dismissed so quickly. Especially when the mom and others explained how violent he was to her. Really shoddy policework and I feel so bad for the mom.

[@AshleySpeaks4U]

DNA?????

[@muffs55mercury61]

@@AshleySpeaks4U DNA was not around in the US in 1984 during the original investigation. Their huge mistake was not checking further into Gilley's original alibi.

[@mohammaddavoudian7897]

A young girl is murdered. The stepfather of the boyfriend provides an alibi and the police leave it at that??? Her mother tells everybody that the boyfriend is the killer, they found a pair of jeans fit for a guy about his height and nothing happened? It beggars belief. What that poor mother must have gone though and how much she suffered is beyond me. Such a lovely young girl is murdered and the police make a total mess of it all. Shameful.

[@Glum1964]

Oh, I am just DISGUSTED. Add to all that, it takes them SIXTEEN years to find a note that says “Oh, BTW, the boyfriend was seen driving Laura’s car away from the crime scene about the time of the murder.” Good Christ I have lost so much respect for cops over the last 20 years. I realize this is older, I’m saying my respect has diminished since all of their incompetence and malfeasance is exposed, as recent laws evoke more transparency from them. ….. now, if they’d just release the bodycams of Paul Pelosi’s attack.

[@0warami_7oo]

the witness was not believed!?!

[@91rummy]

Absolutely horrific right? So lame.. And some witness also broke his alibi.. The police ignored it. This neglect is not because of lack of DNA testing technology..nit only that because of their neglect, two more girls got assaulted

[@quest4knowledge768]

Right something seems a little fishy with the first investigation but at least they didn't give up.

[@marilyzu1340]

@@Glum1964 hahaha Pelosi =😈💩

[@maburwanejohannes4647]

A mother's instincts must never be undermined

[@muffs55mercury61]

Instincts usually never lie. Always listen to them.

[@youngdkout]

Muff parents instinct are correct 99% of the time

[@wendythompson6323]

Leaving a boyfriend like that doesn't always solve anything, unfortunately.

[@toffeerado]

wow those cops should be put in jail. He told us he was at home so we believed him. 16 years later oh it waaas him.

[@addisonhinson6290]

Yeah you do that than good luck having cops. Id never investigate anything bc if i mess up people like you, you would want me in jail even though you wouldnt do the dirty work.

[@dianebutler5096]

Laura was in an abusive relationship with kyle. When she went off to college she made new friends. Her boyfriend was jealous. Her mother tried to get laura to take out a restraining order but she was terrified. It took her mother 16 years to finally get justice for her daughters murder. Its painful to lose a child. I lost my youngest daughter over 20 years ago to cancer. The only way i accept my loss is that i know brooke was a gift from god and was lent me for a short while. Justice was served.

[@ericvansteenlandt7888]

Let's face it, the original investigators were not only incompetent but also terribly lazy. There was, even without DNA, sufficient evidence to question this monster properly. His step-father should also be prosecuted !!

[@rob5249]

Dirty cops for sure. The knew it was gilly

[@StanCat4]

So true. Ugh

[@gagejernigan5277]

Step father should not be prosecuted for saying words. Y’all want to throw as many people behind bars as possible for no reason

[@annwilliams6438]

@@gagejernigan5277o no-one should be charged with defeating the ends of justice, getting in the way of an investigation, hiding a murderer? Interesting. Are you a member of a gang, or has your child murdered or raped someone recently? So it is a-okay helping really nasty pieces of work to get away with their crimes and do the same things again??? Wow do you need some lessons in morality.

[@mdowling4827]

@@gagejernigan5277for no reason????? He perverted the course of justice and helped a murder roam free! What planet are you on??

[@kevinhealey6540]

What bothers me about this case is 1) They did not follow up on Giley although there was evidence against him. 2) The step father lied for him and helped out a murderer. I'd like to know if the step father was prosecuted.

[@chrisjames3087]

Plus, how many of the suspects could wear 30x36 jeans?

[@sakhilemathumo-mhodi2901]

You are right there should be some liability for someone who delays or influenced an investigation away from catching a suspect

[@ralph4527]

So dummy stuck out eh

[@itoo3654]

​@@sakhilemathumo-mhodi2901There IS. It's called obstruction of justice, harboring a murderer, concealment, etc., .

[@dragonknightofamiraka3636]

@@itoo3654 It’s called, being white 😆

[@cathybassett6432]

So Gilley's stepdad had friends on the force or knew a judge or what?!!

[@rs52594]

David Kyle Gilley is still in a Tennessee prison serving his life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2042 when he will be 76 years old.

[@Benjaminleo815]

Why did it take 16 yrs with the eyewitness who chose Gilley and the car from the line up?

[@Benjaminleo815]

And the mom's insistence Gilley was guilty??????

[@DemnRaig80]

Evidence dingus.

[@Benjaminleo815]

@@DemnRaig80 You didn't answer the question, but you did show your class.

[@Benjaminleo815]

@Meaty Babcock lmao you are rude. Get a life.

[@annwilliams6438]

@@DemnRaig80You really have NOT ‘got’ the story, have you? The policemen are supposed to GET evidenced based on telling factors that direct them in a certain direction: and there were LOADS of those factors - Gilley’s extreme violence (even in school!!!) towards her previously; a witness that saw HIM driving HER car; the size of the jeans left behind; what her mother had to say about how her daughter was terrified of him - BUT YOU are happy that the cops just stopped investigating him because his step-father said something? So, we would like to know if YOU are a relative of the cops who did nothing??

[@Tenamf]

So sad it took so long to put him in jail Praying for the family and friends

[@TysMommy609]

I would not be surprised if Gilley's relative/alibi was friends with the investigating officers at the time and that's likely why nothing ever came of it.

[@Dovietail]

The answer to why the police didn't look into going more certainly lies with his family. Who is his family? Who do they know? That's how it works in that part of the world.

[@itoo3654]

Exactly 💯

[@jewels964]

This guy's a real piece of work! No parent should have to bury a child! I'm so glad that karma , science and medicine have made it possible to put this pos behind bars!

[@nicholasshade]

😁

[@seanmcclure]

Folks, when the police don’t look deeper into someone it is because someone who knows somebody who knows somebody.

[@DemnRaig80]

Proof? Or you just like spouting speculation out of your ass?

[@beahbotch]

Totally agree

[@robertwarren5225]

That's so true

[@nurahfosu9731]

Right

[@alial4122]

You are absolutely right.

[@alileder8481]

‘…a case that’s ever been worked this hard, that so many hours were put into this case…’ It probably wouldn’t have taken so many hours if the investigators and the DA did their jobs the first time.

[@flej01]

R.I.P Laura, I feel for the women he assaulted that should never have suffered through that. What a horrid person. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.

[@meganschannel7111]

Can't believe they didn't listen to the mother she knew all along

[@nicholasshade]

I just got out of the morning live show I frequent. It's called The Stoner Van Houten Show. I'm now here near our furnace trying to keep warm. 🔥 My brother brought me and my dad some breakfast. Now, I'm watching Forensic Files. Getting my mind off all my troubles.💛

[@yotetoob]

Cool story

[@bartholomewesperanza3442]

Ok

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

What did you have for breakfast?

[@nicholasshade]

@@dr.barrycohn5461 eggs and polished sausages.🖤

[@byfaroffthebest]

@@nicholasshade what are polished sausages?

[@Joelswinger34]

I bet Kyle's father had a friend in the police force at the time of the murder.

[@FSMonster]

That’s exactly my thought. Somebody on the force covered it up! Investigate the police!

[@DemnRaig80]

Speculation based on? Absolutely nothing. You're reaching. Big time.

[@DemnRaig80]

@@FSMonster based on what evidence? Your feelings? You're feeling don't mean shit. You need evidence of else it's libel

[@markstevens1729]

@@DemnRaig80 this is KZbin, home of useless, wild speculation. Have you heard of it before now? Libel is pretty far away from this.

[@wastednoodle8408]

@@DemnRaig80 bro are you a serial killer ? the way you’re acting .. they had to have had friends in the polic department because of the outrageous amount of evidence against the ex boyfriend and the father LYING for his son and just being left at that. if it were anyone else i’m sure they would have been on that ass

[@sarahpomerantz2201]

If only all detectives worked this hard so many other cases would be solved

[@pathfinder8607]

Your the man sir,and i salute you,you never broke your promise👊👊✊✊

[@karenstyles2623]

Always be careful who you choose to go out with. Id rather be alone than choose the wrong person. I hope the perpetrator gets what he deserved in the end.

[@douglassmith4004]

Smart Woman!!

[@kennedypaul4332]

This case made my stomach turn.

[@ashishjosh2000]

This is shockingly incompetent ..... there were ample material for suspicion against the criminal , but they ignored, just because of an alibi confirmed only by a family memeber .... USA police/investigators are too privileged to do the hard work .

[@Glum1964]

They need to investigate the finances of the original investigators. This is outrageous.

[@Passions]

Giley's step father should be arrested and jailed for lying to the police.

[@brandi6993]

If someone beat my daughter to where she lost her front teeth he wouldn’t have any hands to kill her later on

[@michaelbonello7795]

It is obvious that the original police officers weren't willing enough to find the culprit! with all that evidence, they did not question his alibi which was his father in law's word. Nothing to do with Scientific advancement! It makes you think that there might have been an officer who taught she got what she deserved!...there were plenty of them at the time! Three cheers for the officers who worked so hard to find the killer!

[@carterzealand5423]

murfreesboro sadly has a long history of police corruption- it’s no coincidence that they didn’t investigate him further in the beginning

[@johnnythewalrus]

It's a shame that even WITH a restraining order, there's not much that police will do until something actually happens, which many times is too late. I understand there's legalities and such, but I've seen so many cases where there's a jealous boyfriend and there's so many red flags, but police won't do anything and then the girl ends up dead. So sad.

[@Glum1964]

11:45- HOW in the FUKC did they overlook that tidbit, originally? Good lord. And then they missed it for SIXTEEN YEARS?? WTF???

[@marilyzu1340]

Exactly wtf😡😡😡

[@paulforsell5197]

😡

[@drewizkoollikeicecre]

Really lazy police work or the family had ties to the police. Nothing else explains why they didn’t look at him from the start.

[@Madridme3]

I was going to say the exact same thing. Lazy cops or some connection somehow. No other explanation.

[@jknephew]

Lazy or totally inept. Either way a total embarrassment to the force. I hope those originally involved are no longer involved in any type of police work.

[@saskia9805]

The murder took place in 1984. In 1986 DNA had it's start in forensics. This was a perfect case to investigate the DNA. Two years after the crime the case must have been fresh in those detectives mind. What took them sooooo long before making use of this wonderful technology? He could have easily killed someone else in all those years.

[@Nirual]

Because DNA forensics was still in its infancy.

[@uthpalachandrarathna4408]

We can't blame police for not using DNA forensics just after developing the method. These places are small towns and small police stations. The high tech forensics takes a quite a bit time to come down to cold cases in small towns. Not to mention high prices and need of elaborate laboratories at the start of DNA forensics.

[@beteavila2529]

I blame ignorance for taking 20 years

[@newtonphillips8888]

The law officers didn't want to do their job, just as some still don't even now, so sad. Rhonda

[@TNT-km2eg]

Doughnut feeded ? Corrupt ? 16 long years of free life ...

[@veckym9805]

Thankfully he’s not get away with murder as he tough , for some years . Rip beautiful lady hopefully now you’re in better place 🙏🏻🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@ghostinthenetworks662]

This is what you call a karmic relationship. He will have to meet her again in the afterlife and explain

[@WaningGibbous]

Im surprised that police accept an alibi from a family member.... and to disregard the woman who was an eyewitnesses to seeing gilly drive by in her Laura's car. 🤔 Young women shouldnt be so quick to think they need a boyfriend.

[@Beefer-e4j]

That’s police for you. So many times they are lazy, gullible or let things slide when it’s a friend of a friend.

[@DemnRaig80]

Eyewitnesses are unreliable. Fact.

[@59Alaskan]

@@Beefer-e4j police only arrest, detectives research, DA decides...

[@l.5832]

On this program it stated his step father gave the alibi but reading the court papers about his failed attempts at appeals, it stated his step brother provided the alibi......

[@admiralgeneralaladeen9056]

Wish the Kid had walked out on him forever & not met Kyle ever again. 1st sign of abuse (Physical, mental or emotional) in any relationship, Move away to avoid any unforeseen incidents!

[@justinwallace390]

Shame on the original investigators. Damn.

[@burmesepython393]

She was abused by him and she agreed to go with him to a secluded area? She didn’t deserve to die, but her decision led her to that.

[@muffs55mercury61]

The original investigators botched it when they took their focus off Kyle Gilley. Not having DNA yet didn't help matters either. So glad that Dan Goodwin was able to keep his promise to Laura's mom. Laura's car is a 1974 to 1977 Olds Cutlass which are fairly sought after on the collector's market today. The one used in the re-enactment is a 1978 or later (downsized) version. Big hugs to her mom if she's still with us.

[@rupakgbikas4477]

Good episode. Glad the killer was caught. Killer had earlier knocked out two of victim's front teeth. Condolences to her family and friends.

[@jamesl9371]

An alibi that is the word of a friend or relatives is not a really solid alibi

[@nicholasshade]

I love her name Laura Lee Salmon.💛

[@DemnRaig80]

Why?

[@jamesl9371]

@@DemnRaig80 well as sometimes happens the friends or relatives lie to cover up for their friend. I think this kind of alibi should be checked carefully and not be considered a solid alibi

[@BidenSUCKSS]

If a man raises a hand on you - leave him. It will continue and escalates, it never stops after the first punch.

[@jamesl9371]

Alibi that is the word of a friend or relatives is not a solid alibi

[@YBGMALL]

This is crazy I’m from Jackson Mississippi and I moved to Murfreesboro Tennessee I love it crime rate was very low move place to love and I also attended MTSU💙 god bless TN

[@lilacDaisy111]

Did the stepfather get "what he deserved," TOO

[@PumaLyn]

Why would she still want to go out with him after all that he had done to her.. I bet his father and the then police were buddies.

[@mrsyoungdolph3755]

Terrible police work ignoring the mom's opinion of the suspect

[@LotusStitchandSketch]

What's honestly sad is that this is a case that happened 7 years BEFORE I was BORN and I would be willing to tell the parole board for this case to PLEASE DO NOT release this man, because he'll kill again. If he was willing to kill her like this think of how many other young women would be put in serious danger if they would ever release him. The blood of anymore women killed by him would be just as much on their hands as it would be on his because they released him and allowed him to be able to kill again.

[@francisvincentcabalatungan3232]

16 years expands and hurt many lives making that criminal unapprehended

[@degenReflow]

They found car, they found Wheels.

[@Kanooodledoodle]

1. How the hell did an alibi *by a family member* take precedence over known abusive behavior, AND an eyewitness? 2. How & why is a friend of the victim, who furthermore was out with them days before the attack, allowed to go anywhere near the case? I would think that’s a huge conflict of interest. Pretty sure a decent lawyer would have a field day with that one.

[@LynetteTheRogue]

It didn't sound like he was involved in the case until after it had been cold for years and he did submit his DNA to eliminate himself as a suspect so maybe it was enough CYA that they couldn't challenge it

[@paulsonj72]

HE had been a newspaper reporter on the justice beat and after a few years he went back to school to become a law enforcement officer. Due to the time that had passed since the crime and the time he became a LEO they felt there was no conflict of interest. And as stated they were looking for ANYONE who had been with her(in any way) to do DNA testing. HE freely admitted he had a social date and as a result voluntarily submitted to a DNA test and of course was cleared.

[@monicalarkin4616]

Why did they wait 16 years to investigate this pos murderer 😅

[@Donstaa]

His promise hits deep

[@JuniorEduVentures]

High school and college students are supposed to focus on studies…. 🤷🏻

[@jakeowen3390]

If he was in the jeans, he was at the scene…

[@nicholasshade]

👖

[@ambramarrs7325]

Awesome job 👍

[@tarawehry7105]

She was so pretty, she could have had anyone

[@tonnemiessek5193]

😢. So sad. For the record I am not responsible for what happens to people in Tennessee.

[@l.5832]

In 2009 and again in 2013 Gilley tried to appeal his sentence and failed.

[@darttoyou1398]

Incompetent police force period.

[@cellom.9227]

They knew it was him all along... just didn't have the evidence.

[@ullgeologist]

Poor Laura. She picked a loser boyfriend, stayed with him, and paid the ultimate price! Ladies, TAKE NOTE!

[@brendapatterson7123]

Way to blame the victim.

[@pamelaleigh4225]

@@brendapatterson7123 people are responsible for the choices they make, though.

[@trunks2705]

@@pamelaleigh4225 did you not watch the whole thing? She said she was scared for her life if she left. Don't blame the victim it's not that easy to leave relationships for alot of people.

[@59Alaskan]

@@brendapatterson7123 I don't see blame, I see warning...

[@TheOneAndOnlyroAE]

19:37 that cop is awesome

[@lashany2626]

yay justice served.

[@111danish111]

1:05 Sergio Valente jeans reminded me of a Friends episode.

[@cshaffer8258]

There are so many stories about police looking the other way when there’s evidence directly under their nose! Why? Are they that incompetent or are they just lazy and don’t give a crap? I hope the investigators that originally investigated this case were held responsible? Of course it was 20 years later. But still it just doesn’t make sense!

[@thewillofabeast9079]

“20 years is a long time to wait for justice. The evidence in the case never changed, it just took that long for forensic technology to catch up with the killer.” There’s something about the way he said that that makes it sound so true. Many cases, particularly those from the 20th century, have gone unsolved with one of the reasons being that technology isn’t nearly as advanced as it is today. Hopefully, in the future many of those unsolved cases will be solved.

[@eddieserrato34]

Nobody should stay in a relationship if you're afraid of the other person that's b******* they're just holding you hostage hell no

[@Scorpio_Rose1980]

19:36. The absolute best description of this killer. 😂

[@englishwithviviana]

Sounds like the testimony of 2 women (the victim's mom, the driver) against a man didn't have enough weight in the mid eighties. Good that they kept evidence and waited for science to progress. But at least they should have investigated the guy more thoroughly. He probably didnt kill again but he continued hurting a lot of people in the following 16 years.

[@curassavica]

Damn, Laura’s college friend spent 16 years solving her murder and yet I can’t even get my friends to text me back 😭

[@Ledognatripus]

I don’t think it’s fair to say that this Kyle guy “is what his parents made him” nobody has ever proven nurture over nature because there are a lot of ppl who grow up in perfectly normal homes that go on to kill ppl just the same as there are a lot of ppl that grow up in bad homes that go on to kill ppl, ultimately it is the responsibility of the person who murders someone, it was their choice to take someone’s life and their choice alone We all no right from wrong no matter how we have grown up

[@muffs55mercury61]

A couple of my classmates were like Kyle Gilley but after graduation they eventually grew out of it. One had an alcohol problem for a while but later kicked it and worked steadily the next 40 years. You're right it was Kyle's choice to do what he did.

[@S34Nsean]

There were similar events of physical attacked on the girl and they disregarded it, took two decades to examined again

[@maryannanderson2213]

I would never accept the word of a corroborating witness who is a family member of the accused OVER the word of someone who is NOT a family member. Obviously, family members would be much more inclined to lie than someone who is not a family member of the accused. This case had someone who was a family member who said, "he was with me" and someone who was NOT a family member who said, "I saw him somewhere else" and they chose to believe the family member. I frankly don't understand that.

[@janeillepitter]

Can’t believe he got away before they could’ve caught up to him . Smh

[@YusufYusuf-ti2rz]

For those of you who are in an abusive relationship please leave losing your life is not worth it

[@annabelle.a]

as someone who goes to the high school (oakland high school) in 2023, i can understand why. kids at our school are WILD and shit like that would definitely come from an oakland kid😭😂. okay anyways RIP LAURA❤️

[@user-vg6yn4bb4s]

So he got to live outside all those years and may get out in 20. JUSTICE????

[@joestephani7959]

I think the Comet Tavern sign they showed a few times is from Seattle. It’s not a disco tech

[@milescorporosus4058]

"Keep your genes in your jeans."

[@Hamad-Almass]

It's open and shut case but because unqualified investigators it took 16 years!! The liar of murder's alibi should be jelled also.

[@billquinn6224]

Remember the old saying: Follow the money.

[@SkodFugl]

Just because there are no signs of FORCIBLE rape doesn't mean people aren't raped

[@Highheels4ever]

Sgt Dan Goodwin seems to be a great investigator and person. Lucky is the woman who is married to him IF he is married. He kept his promise to Laura’s mother to solve this crime and he did along with his other fellow investigator. Kudos to him. 👍 I am happy that Kyle Gillis was found guilty of murdering Laura Salmon and he is still in prison. He wasn’t a good guy after all being predisposed to violence. Rest in Peace always, Laura 🙏🌹

[@beteavila2529]

Innded those dumb investigators should have been charged for incompetence

[@yeenstr8620]

The boyfriend all those years later. Good job Sherlock... 🤦‍♂️

[@KillaKRS1988]

Can we not spoil the episode in the comments?

[@yeenstr8620]

@@KillaKRS1988 We can do whatevs we like... Maybe you should watch the episode b4 reading the comments.🖕🤪

[@paulmoss4378]

Thanks for ruining the end for me

[@yeenstr8620]

@@paulmoss4378 Thank yourself. I can't see thru your slow @$$ eyes... 🤨

[@leetraviusmckay314]

"cold cases are difficult" 💯

[@SirNic4180]

Great police work. The police actually took his alibi as legit. Lol. His alibi was his cousin's cousin's nephew's nephew.