"48 HOURS" REPORTS ON A CALIFORNIA TEEN'S MURDER AND THE FIGHT TO KEEP HER KILLERS BEHIND BARS IN "JUSTINE'S VOICE"
Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT
The brutal murder of 17-year-old Justine Vanderschoot in 2003 devastated the community of Auburn, Calif. Twenty-two years later, Vanderschoot's family continues to fight to keep her killers behind bars after a change in state law provided a loophole that could set one of them free. 48 HOURS contributor Natalie Morales reports on the case in "Justine's Voice," airing Saturday, Feb. 15 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.
Vanderschoot was killed by her boyfriend, Danny Bezemer, and his roommate, Brandon Fernandez, and buried in a shallow grave while she was still breathing, according to her autopsy. In 2005, both men pleaded guilty to her murder and were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. However, in 2020, under a change in California's murder law, Fernandez petitioned to have his conviction overturned and to be sentenced instead as an accessory after the fact. If his petition is granted, he would be released on time served.
Vanderschoot's parents, Don and Lynnette, and her sister, Christine, are determined to keep Fernandez behind bars.
"We're fighting for her, that's why we're here. She doesn't have a voice, so we're her voice," Christine Vanderschoot tells Morales.
48 HOURS goes inside the Vanderschoot family's journey as they fight for justice and honor Justine's memory by advocating for victims' rights and teen dating violence education.
And at 9:00 PM, ET/PT, Amie Harwick's roommate speaks out about trying to save her and helping to convict her killer. Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports in an encore of 48 HOURS: "Justice for Amie Harwick."
Judy Tygard is the executive producer of 48 HOURS. Watch 48 HOURS on CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com, Paramount+ and YouTube. The 48 HOURS free, advertiser-supported streaming (FAST) channel is available on Pluto TV, Paramount + and Paramount partner channels. Download the CBS News app on your phone or connected TV. Follow 48 HOURS on X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Listen to the 48 HOURS collection of original podcasts from CBS News.
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