ASHLAND – Ominously named for its violent and unpredictable nature, Lake Erie borders four states and parts of Canada – and is home to some dark and deadly crimes.
In a new programming event for Investigation Discovery, viewers are brought to the edge of the water exploring murder cases in the region, kicking off with a three-hour investigation into the 1989 kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old girl in the special The Lake Erie Murders: Who killed Amy Mihaljevic?
The girl was reported missing from a Bay Village shopping center on Oct. 28, 1989. Her body was found on Feb. 8, 1990 in Ruggles Township in Ashland County.
Still an unsolved murder with an active investigation, Amy Mihaljevic’s story continues to haunt the region and remains a source of intrigue and speculation. The special takes viewers through the facts of the case and painstakingly follows how each lead was exhausted and how suspects were dismissed one by one.
In a chilling revelation, the special also features multiple women with stories similar to Amy’s when they were also young girls, who have chosen to remain anonymous due to the fear that the abductor is still out there. The series explores a series of other child murders in the area to seek potential similarities to Amy’s case, in the hopes that the details will help bring forward new leads and suspects.
The series continues weekly with hour-long episodes that tell four additional haunting murder mysteries which were solved by law enforcement, reminding viewers that when it comes to Lake Erie, there really is something about the water. The Lake Erie Murders premieres with the three-hour special, Who killed Amy Mihaljevic? on Sunday, Dec. 30 from 9 to midnight, then will air for four subsequent weeks of standalone episodes beginning on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m.
“The aptly named Lake Erie is really a character throughout this new series, representing a looming darkness that sets up a stark contrast between the idyllic lakeside towns and the violent dangers of the past,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “In Who killed Amy Mihaljevic? ID takes a deeper exploration into a case that has never truly gone cold in the region, and hopes to bring some resolution to the Mihaljevic family, and sadly many others, who have been suffering for nearly three decades.”
Beginning on Sunday, January 6 at 10pm ET, Investigation Discovery will explore four additional closed cases of young girls and women who were found murdered around the Great Lake with episodes unfolding weekly in THE LAKE ERIE MURDERS. A breakdown of the episodes are as follows:
High School Horror: Premieres Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m.
When the body of high school student Debbie Gama is discovered in a creek wrapped in wire, suddenly anyone close to the 16-year-old victim becomes a suspect in her brutal murder. Ex-boyfriends and then her stepfather all fall under intense police scrutiny and the deeper investigators dig, the more they discover about a secret world of drugs, sadomasochism and bondage, buried just beneath the surface of the tranquil lakeside town. Location: Erie, PA
The Butcher of Buffalo: Premieres Sunday, Jan. 13 at 10 p.m.
Mother of three Joan Giambra is discovered strangled, lying naked under her comatose young daughter, Kat. In a close-knit community, ex-husband Sam rapidly becomes the prime suspect but without hard evidence, the investigation hangs on the testimony of 11-year old Kat. But her memories of the incident are blurry and it becomes a race against time to catch a serial killer before he comes back to silence the only witness to this heinous crime. Location: Buffalo, New York.
Blood in the Water: Premieres Sunday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m.
When a bag containing body parts washes up on the shore of the lake, the search for missing 10-year old Holly Jones becomes a grim murder investigation. While her parents are plunged into a world of unfathomable grief and a whole city is gripped with fear and paranoia, the investigating officers race to find the perpetrator of this terrible and shocking crime before another child is killed. Location: Parkdale, Ontario.
Alley of Death: Premieres Sunday, Jan. 27 at 10 p.m.
When 14-year old Gloria Pointer is found raped and murdered in an alleyway, it is the start of a 30-year quest for answers by her mother who will not give up until she finds justice for her daughter. Her quest for answers will take her on a twisting path from the streets of East Cleveland to death row, pushing the very frontiers of forensic science to reveal the evil killer living in their midst. Location: Cleveland, Ohio.
As additional support to the series, Investigation Discovery will launch the digital companion series Lake Erie’s Coldest Cases, exclusively on ID GO on Sunday, Dec. 24. Just months older than Amy Mihaljevic when she was abducted, Ohio native James Renner was immediately drawn to the case and his determination to find answers followed him into adulthood through his career as an investigative journalist.
In each eight-minute episode, Renner investigates five more of the region’s most notorious unsolved cases in the hopes of bringing justice to families.
