They were waiting for the smoking gun.

They were waiting to find the gun and they never found the gun.

And it was at a point where it's either we try it and we lose or we never try it,

but there's never justice in that.

It needed to be tried. I'm Scott Weinberger, investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff.

I'm Anasiga Nikolazi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of investigation discoveries true conviction.

And this is Anatomy of Merck.

How long is too long to wait for justice?

Four months, four years, four decades, for victims' families balancing the demand

for accountability and the deeper need for healing can be a long and traumatic process.

Some survivors see a guilty verdict as a necessary step for closure, but for others, a long investigation or stalled prosecution can be painful roadblocks to moving forward with lives already forever changed by the loss of a loved one.

When is it okay to stop searching for someone's killer?

Our answer is never, but sadly it's a question many survivors have to ask.

And their answer is personal and unique to

each family or individual. But for many investigators and prosecutors, there's really no question at all.

As long as there is enough evidence and enough hope, the pursuit of justice never stops.

My name is Holly Wood Webster. I am an assistant district attorney, and I work with the

Polk County District Attorney's Office. In 2020, Holly Wood Webster was a new prosecutor

suddenly thrust into a very old homicide investigation, the 1985 murder of Yvonne

Menke in St. Croix, Wisconsin. St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. St. Croix Falls is your average

small town America. It's largely a farming community. St. Croix Falls is right on the border with

Minnesota, right on the border of the city. It's a town where most everybody knows most everybody else.

...