Previously on Unsolved.

At the time of 14-year-old John Zara's death in 1976,

Elaine Samuels was an associate medical examiner for Milwaukee County.

Errors Dr. Samuels made while investigating various crimes

would make it difficult, if not impossible, to bring criminals to justice.

There were two cases involving two rape cases where the Siemens samples were not handled properly,

and the evidence in those cases had to be destroyed or couldn't be used in court.

The Milwaukee County Board would ultimately eliminate Dr. Samuel's position as an associate

medical examiner. But decades later, her errors would become a problem for investigators

on the Zara case. Subsequent interviewing the doctor that did the autopsy, I was looking for something in

2001 and on, I was looking for the swabs used to collect the samples that they no longer

exist.

She claims that the cops from Hale's Corner stole them throw away. Well, I personally don't believe that happened.

In the notes of the autopsy, Detective Schoonover found this just little freeze in Dr. Samuel's handwriting,

and it said, semen in rectum.

And that sounded really strange to him because he had read the entire autopsy report

and there was no mention of semen

or preserving it or testing

biological evidence like that.

We had very, very high hopes

and those were dashed very, very quickly

with the, there's nothing there.

...