Forensic Files - Season 7, Episode 14 - A Leg to Stand On - Full Episode

Phoenix police were confronted with a gruesome mystery when a severed leg was found in a dumpster. The discovery was made by a dumpster diver who found a plastic bag containing the limb and a saw. Detectives Rico Fragoso and Joseph Petrosino were on the scene, and their investigation led them to search for more body parts within a five-mile radius. The medical examiner determined the leg belonged to a Caucasian male, aged 30-40, with surgical scars on the knee, indicating a past surgery. Toxicology revealed the presence of methamphetamine, suggesting a possible drug-related incident. The leg was severed post-mortem, leading to a classification of homicidal violence. An anthropologist's measurement of the femur suggested the victim was six feet tall. Despite the methamphetamine connection and the victim's physical characteristics, no matching missing persons report was found.

Forensic tests pointed to a male Caucasian, six feet tall, aged 30-40, which matched the description of a missing person named Norman Klas. Klas, a known methamphetamine dealer, was reported missing by his girlfriend. She identified the surgical scar and clothing as Norman's. DNA testing was initially complicated by the fact that Klas was adopted, but investigators discovered he had donated a kidney to his sister, allowing for DNA comparison using stored cell samples from the hospital. The DNA from the leg muscle matched Norman's, confirming his identity. With the victim identified, the investigation shifted to finding the killer, focusing on Norman's business partner, Graham King, with whom he had a recent dispute.

Detectives, suspecting Graham King's involvement in Norman Klas's murder, executed a search warrant at his highly secured home. They found an arsenal of weapons and evidence of recent painting and disinfecting in the laundry room, suggesting an attempt to cover up a crime scene. Behind a built-in laundry table, investigators discovered tiny blood spots that tested positive for human blood using the Kastle-Meyer test. The DNA from these spots matched the DNA from Norman's amputated leg muscle. Additionally, a call from Troy Killip, a friend of King's, provided crucial information. Killip claimed to have heard screams and the sound of an axe during a dispute between King and Klas, possibly over a woman, and implicated King in the murder.

Troy Killip's statement to the police provided a potential motive for the murder: a dispute over a woman, possibly involving King's girlfriend and Klas. Despite this evidence, Klas's girlfriend, Patricia, believed that Norman faked his own death. As the trial approached, the prosecution faced the challenge of ensuring Killip's testimony. However, fearing for his life, Killip refused to testify. This led to a plea agreement with Graham King, who agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder, carrying a 20-year sentence, avoiding the risk of the death penalty at trial.

The case was solved with a combination of forensic techniques, including anthropology, toxicology, and DNA testing, which were critical in identifying the victim and implicating the killer. Despite the conviction, Norman Klas's girlfriend, Patricia, continued to believe in his staged death and expected his return. The case serves as a reminder of the power of forensic science in solving crimes and the emotional complexities involved in such investigations.