ABC’s “20/20” released a special episode on Friday detailing the brutal murder of an elderly farmer and the “divine intervention” which helped solve the case.
On April 11, 2015, 90-year-old Earl Olander was murdered in his home. Police told “20/20” that two thieves had broken into his home, bound his hands and feet with tape, and rummaged through the place in search of valuables.
Chris Wagner, who had led the investigation into Olander’s death, told “20/20” that “the suspects had spent a significant amount of time in the house going through all the drawers and cupboards.”
Olander, a rural farmer who had lived in Carver County, Minnesota, all of his life, was described as living very modestly. But investigators say that Olander actually had millions of dollars to his name, due to inheritance and his lifetime of farming.
“Money has always been in a lot of crimes that you’re looking into,” Wagner explained.
For weeks after Olander’s death, police had no suspects and their sole lead was shoe prints left behind by the suspects.
Forensic scientists with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension discovered three different shoe prints at the scene. Using photos of the prints, they compared them to thousands of others and were able to identify three shoe brands: Crocs, Adidas, and Avia, according to ABC News.
Investigators were hopeful that the killers left behind DNA or fingerprints…#ABC2020 “Divine Intervention” premieres TONIGHT at 9/8c on @ABC. Stream later on hulu. https://t.co/pjStAgZskM pic.twitter.com/t0pEq91gZ3
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) November 11, 2022
Due to the three different prints, police suspected that there may have been a third suspect. However, the Carver County Attorney’s office told “20/20” in a statement:
“After law enforcement exhaustively investigated the murder and followed up on every lead, there was no reliable or credible evidence that a third person was involved in the murder of Earl Olander.”
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