Rockford Register Star, Rockford, IL

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Rice murder case to be featured on Court TV

ROCKFORD — A film crew for the Court TV television series “Forensic Files” is in Rockford this week gathering footage for an episode on the Kevin Rice murder case.

Rice, 38, was a Rockford Police Department detective who was shot to death in the early morning of Aug. 3, 2001. Police arrested then-19-year-old William “Tankey” Buck on first-degree murder charges. Buck took his case to trial and was found guilty in March 2003.

Freelance writer/producer Tracy Johnson said “Forensic Files” was drawn to the case because it dealt with the use of forensic science and with the death of a police officer.

“We wanted to look at how the death of an officer impacts the people investigating the case. It brings a level of intensity to the case,” Johnson said. “There’s an emotional impact there that goes beyond just finding facts. In this case, the police were key to solving the case and also were, in a way, victims of the crime.”

While in Rockford, the crew took about 15 hours of footage that will be edited to a half-hour episode. They interviewed the trial’s lead prosecutor Mark Karner, forensic scientist Skip Palenik, members of the Rockford Police Department, Rice’s family and friends and staff at the Rockford Register Star.

The crew also filmed general scenes of Rockford and visited locations that were important to the case, such as Hoban Avenue, the scene of the crime; Auburn Manor Apartments, the complex where police said Buck was living at the time of the shooting; and Concord Commons, where police arrested Buck. They also filmed key pieces of evidence that were used at the trial including a blue hooded sweatshirt, an inhaler and a key, which were found near the crime scene.

The episode is expected to air this fall.

“Forensic Files” is a half-hour documentary series shown on the Court TV network. Each episode focuses on a crime or investigation and how forensic science applied to physical evidence — such as hairs and fibers or gunshot residue found at the crime scene — is used to help resolve cases.

Johnson said Palenik, who was an expert witness in the Kevin Rice murder case, has been featured on the show in the past and brought the case to the attention of the show’s producers.

Buck, now 24, is serving a 60-year prison sentence.

Original News Link