From A&E, this is Cold Case Files, the podcast. Southern California in the mother named Cheryl Burnett found raped and strangled inside her apartment by a neighbor.

Cheryl was on the bed. I took her pulse. There was no pulse. She was very cold and I knew she was dead.

Jerry Erp is lead detective at the scene and one of the first to view the body.

I observed her body lying on the bed.

Her face was covered with a black silk slip.

She was nude and quite obviously the cord from the drapery used as a garrot was entwined around her throat.

From a forensic standpoint, 1965 is worlds away from CSI.

There's no DNA to process, no laser lights available to search for evidence.

Detectives remove the body, dust the scene for Prince, and begin their investigation

by learning all they can about the victim.

Neighbors once again provide the starting point.

And she was just recently divorced. She was quite popular and a lovely person, a wonderful personality. Very friendly.

She had been going to the Catholic Church, taking instructions, joined the Church, and she had indicated

a rather close relationship with a priest to some of her friends.

How close a relationship is the question Erp once answered.

His interest in the priest in question, Father John Lowerman, sharpens when religious candles are found near the body.

Erp tracks down the priest who tells police he was giving Burnett private catechism lessons, many times late at night, but denies

any involvement in the 19-year-old's murder.

Over the next few days, Detective Erp becomes convinced that Father Lowerman is not coming entirely clean.

Because of his personal guidance with her and certain statements that he had made to a waitress at a bar that gave

rise to him as being a very strong suspect.

According to the waitress, Lourman was a regular at the bar.

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