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48 HOURS PRESENTS: “Love and Death in Alaska” was Saturday’s #1 broadcast program with adults 25-54 (including ties) and viewers, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Dec. 26, 2015.

48 HOURS PRESENTS (R) from 9:00-11:00 PM delivered 4.25 million viewers and a 0.9/03 in adults 25-54 (tied with ABC). 

Saturday’s broadcast featured Susan Spencer and 48 HOURS’ two-hour investigation into the 1996 murder of Kent Leppink and the case against former exotic dancer Mechele Linehan. It’s a case 48 HOURS has been on since 2008.

At the time of his death, Leppink was dating Linehan, then Mechele Hughes, who was also dating two other men – Scott Hilke and John Carlin. Investigators looked at Hughes and the two others as possible suspects. Indeed, in a letter left behind to his parents to be opened at the time of his death, Leppink wrote if something happened to him, Hughes, Hilke and Carlin “probably killed me.”

There was no physical or DNA evidence tying any of the suspects to the murder and the case went cold. Hughes moved to Washington state, married a doctor and became a mother.  A dozen years later, Linehan and Carlin were arrested and convicted of murder. They were sentenced to 99 years in prison.

The strange case of love and murder still wasn’t over. Carlin, who maintained his innocence throughout, was killed in a prison fight. In a twist, at the time he was killed, Carlin’s case was under appeal, meaning his case was wiped from the system and Linehan’s case was tossed out as well.

48 HOURS PRESENTS: “Love and Death in Alaska” is produced by Josh Yager and Mark Smith. Linda Martin is the update producer. Michael Vele, Michael McHugh, Bob Orozovich, Jud Johnston, George Baluzy, Alan Miller and Mike Mongulla are the editors. Peter Schweitzer is the senior producer. Susan Zirinsky is the senior executive producer.

Follow 48 HOURS on Twitter and Facebook, Instagram and CBSNews.com. Listen to 48HOURS podcasts at Play.it.

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Press Contact:  Richard Huff      212-975-3328    huffr@cbsnews.com