The Perfect Family
48 Hours
CBS News
4.1 • 7.8K Ratings
🗓️ 20 May 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
From the outside, the family of Ruth and Bernie Pyne and their two children may have seemed perfect. It’s an illusion that was shattered, when Ruth was found murdered at their Michigan home, and suspicion focused on the family. "48 Hours" correspondent Tracy Smith reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 6/21/2014.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From the trusted team behind 48 hours, welcome to case-by-case. |
| 0:04.1 | Your weekly update on the biggest true crime stories unfolding right now. |
| 0:08.7 | Nick Ryder remains in custody without bail. |
| 0:11.0 | Luigi Mangione accused of stalking and gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. |
| 0:16.0 | From high-profile trials and stunning evidence to major breaks in cold cases. |
| 0:22.2 | We'll follow it all case by case. |
| 0:24.8 | Follow and listen to 48 hours case by case wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:42.3 | And that's Ruth, one of the most beautiful women to ever live. She wasn't just beautiful on the outside. |
| 0:45.3 | She was beautiful on the inside too. |
| 0:48.3 | She was very down to earth, very real, fun. |
| 0:53.3 | She loved being a mom. |
| 0:55.8 | And it was the perfect family. |
| 0:57.9 | My wife Ruth, my son, Jeffrey, and my daughter, Julia. |
| 1:03.5 | Jeffrey was a great student. |
| 1:05.2 | He was the valedictorian. |
| 1:07.3 | I'm lucky to have a son like him, and I'm lucky to have a daughter like Little Miss America. |
| 1:12.2 | And then one day, something went horribly wrong. |
| 1:16.3 | 29-1-1-horse emergency. |
| 1:18.3 | On May 27, 2011, my sister, Ruth, was found murdered in her garage. |
| 1:21.6 | On May 27, 2011, my sister Ruth was found murdered in her garage. |
| 1:26.8 | She was struck with a board somewhere |
| 1:28.6 | between 12 and 14 times and then she was stabbed in the neck 16 times. I never looked |
... |
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