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NOW A LIFETIME MOVIE CHANNEL DOCUMENTARYIt was a shocking true crime that left two families shattered, and became the coldest case in U.S. history.Who really killed little Maria? The question fueled a real-life nightmare in Sycamore, Illinois...1957. Sycamore, Illinois. Christmas was three weeks away, and seven-year-old Maria Ridulph went out to play. Soon after, a figure emerged out of the falling snow. He was very friendly. Minutes later, Maria vanished, leaving behind an abandoned doll and footsteps in the snow.In April, a spring thaw gave up Marias body in a nearby wooded area. The case attracted national attention, including that of the FBI and President Eisenhower. In all, seventy-four men and three women fell under suspicion. But no one was ever charged with the crime.



About the Author

Charles Lachman

Charles Lachman is Executive Producer of the television news magazine show, Inside Edition. Previously he was Managing Editor of the nightly news broadcasts at WNYW-TV in New York City and was a reporter for the New York Post. Lachman is the author of In the Name of the Law, The Last Lincolns: The Rise and Fall of a Great American Family, A Secret Life: The Lies and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland and most recently Footsteps in the Snow.



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