The AMW newsroom was broken up into ‘regions.’ Every AMW Producer/Associate Producer/Production Assistant was assigned to different regions. From the day I began in December 2007 through approx. August 2010, I rose up the ranks in the Midwest region.
Chicago. Detroit. Indianapolis. Those were just some of the many major metropolitan areas I helped produce segments in, bringing justice to victims, their families and the law enforcement agencies working their cases.
We filmed this entire episode in Chicago, and I helped coordinate this ‘remote,’ joining together our show’s host, John Walsh, and the leaders of this incredible organization, Purpose Over Pain.
I worked closely with the Sacramento Co. Sheriff’s Office to develop this story, after they requested our help with finding the killer. I conceptualized how the story would play out and conducted numerous pre-interviews before collaborating with a CA-based field producer who shot the interviews. Once I received the tapes, I wrote the script and worked closely with editors to cut the piece.
I pitched this as a much larger story with a full-blown re-enactment, but cops were closing in on the suspect, so we aired this smaller segment in an attempt to get tips. He was caught within 10 days of the broadcast.
I wrote and produced this piece mere days after this publicist’s murder, which occurred in the early morning hours of November 16, 2010. This piece originally aired on AMW on November 20, 2010. The tip that led cops to her killer came in just a few days after airing:
Once the tip came in and the case…resolved itself…I wrote and produced this segment, wrapping it all up:
Justin Lenart 