Deadline For Justice

Two Cold Cases, Two Families, On 48 Hours Mystery

(CBS)  It's more than 1,700 miles from the lush mountains of northern Montana to the grassy plains of western Texas, a long way from home for a young girl just out of college. But when Jennifer showed up for work as Abilene's newest television reporter, it was clear that there was no place she'd rather be.

Anchorwoman Jennifer Loren and weatherman Brian Travers, who both worked at KRBC in 2002, quickly discovered that the new kid on the block was a natural. "A lot of people say when you come into the news business you either have it or you don't. She had it. And she hit the ground running from day one," Loren remembers.

There was no doubt Jennifer was good at her job, but when it came to relationships, it seemed she still had a bit to learn.

Ralph, who was 34 when he started dating 22-year-old Jennifer, had moved to Abilene to continue what he thought was a long-term relationship.

But Jennifer had a change of heart after Ralph told her some startling news. It turns out he had left another woman back in Montana - his fiancée. Jennifer later discovered that he had fathered a child during a previous relationship.

They agreed to remain friends and Ralph moved into an apartment nearby. After that, Jennifer seemed to blossom.

"A whole new world was being opened up for her. And a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She was just so exuberant about him being out of there," remembers Brian Travers.

In just eight weeks, Jennifer became a valued member of the KRBC family. So when she didn't respond to a call to cover for a sick colleague, her co-workers began to worry.

"Brian and I drove over to her apartment. Her car was parked there. We knocked on her door. There was no answer," remembers Jennifer Loren.

Hoping she'd soon turn up, no one raised an alarm. But after two days, it was clear that something was terribly wrong.

"I told my news director what had happened; he immediately was concerned and said, 'No, this isn't right. I'm calling her apartment complex,'" Loren remembers. "So I'm standing there talking to the executive producer and the police scanners are right behind her. And all of a sudden I hear her address with the DOA, dead on arrival."

It was in Abilene that Jennifer's dream of reporting the news was finally becoming a reality. But her colleagues never imagined that just weeks after she had been hired, they would have to report that Jennifer had been brutally murdered.

Thousands of miles away, Sherry was chilled by the memory of a dream she had had months earlier - a dream that she had lost her daughter forever. "I tried to call Jen on Sunday and she didn't answer. And I tried calling her on Monday, and still no answer and that’s not like her at all," Sherry explains.

Two days later, an unexpected visitor turned her dream into a terrible reality. "I look out, and there's a sheriff's officer," Sherry remembers. "I get a feeling that I had this dream before."

Abilene police detectives David Atkins and Jeff Bell began their investigation at Jennifer's apartment. "When we first got in we notice that there were obvious signs that an assault had occurred," Bell recalls.

"Medical examiner tells us that she had strangulation and the blunt force trauma. And either or both could have killed her," Atkins explains.

Investigators collected fingerprint, blood and DNA evidence, but their first lead came from what they didn't find - any sign of a break-in. "I personally do feel that she knew who did this to her. I think she had issues with someone. And this person obviously had issues with her," Bell says.

"The first thing, the first person that I thought of was Ralph," Christa remembers.

"I just knew that it has to be him," Sherry adds.

Jeff Bell says Ralph told him he was at his apartment at the time Jennifer was killed, but that there were no witnesses and that investigators couldn't verify his whereabouts.

But Ralph wasn't the only suspect they were looking at.

[carolcape]

I still feel that Ralph is the murderer of Jennifer Servo and I believe the police should charge him and go with what they have. There must be enough circumstantial evidence there to arrest this man. Funny how he all of a sudden took of to Kuwait when all of this was going on. He ran, the sign of a guilty man, get out of the limelight. I hope you get this *** behind bars. He will kill someone else and then the police will be saying, oh, we didn''t have enough. This woman made a very bad judgment on having this man follow her to another city. She did not know him. Young women should be very aware of moving in with someone they do not know anything about. I would tend to think Jennifer was smarter then that, but she saw too much good in a man that was full of evil. I still hope they nail this guy and they do not stop investigating this case. It should be on the front burner, for sure. Those are my views.

[adc1232]

for the other family, i''m glad they caught their killer.true loving parents don''t give up on their child, even if they''re no longer with us.But for Jennifer, i think it was also Ralph who had killed her.

[carolcape]

I believe Ralph is the killer.He couldn''t stand it when he saw how happy Jenn was when she moved out. He saw another man on her arm and I bet anything he was stalking her and knew every move she made. The police should have got a search warrant immediately and searched his apartment for evidence, also they could have searched Brian''s, but did they? And I believe that Jenn dropped her friend off because she could have been secretly scared that Ralph was following her or watching her and did not mention it to anyone. I don''t think that Brian had anything to do with her murder. The police did not do enough to solve this crime. They will never solve this murder unless the murderer talks when he''s drunked up or something along those lines. A bright light taken out and so many bad seeds still roaming around, unfair for sure. Condolences to her family.

[rational717]

Dear Curious51, I did look at the web link you provided and I read about the loss of your son, Joshua. I am so sorry for your pain and sorrier still that you don''t have any closure. I myself don''t have any answers, but I would like you to know that I will be praying for peace, for both you and your family.

[curious51]

WOW!!!
HOw about someone look into the questionable death of my son, Joshua?
www.realcrimes.com/Robinson/Robinson.html

[roscoezzz]

This is a tough one, but Brian and Ralph are still suspects to this day. Jennifer and Ralph agreed to part as friends and he moved out into the next apartment. Remember though what Jennifer told her coworker. It was revealed after the murder that Jennifer confided that when Ralph and her were intimate, he wanted to strangle her. The police said she was either strangled or beaten to death. Ralph must''ve been scared because he suddenly stopped cooperating with the police.
There was no sign of a break in and Jennifer knew the murderer. Hopefully, something will come up with the investigation. Sad, because Jennifer was on her way to such big things.

[rational717]

Dearest, rat206. Although I appreciate your interest in the case, I did want to take a few moments to address some of your questions. Brian and Jen did have a romantic relationship, however it wasn''t a secret. In fact, it was common knowledge among her friends and coworkers. I also have a question for you...have you heard of Ralph exploding into violence? Do share if you have. Any little piece about Ralph could lead to justice for Jennifer. Just one other note, you mentioned that Brian was accompanied to Jen''s apartment with their coworker. I think you have to remember that the show may not report the entire timeline of events. So, even though we saw the same show with a different perspective, I think any discussion is a good discussion if it ultimately leads to justice for Jen.

[rat206]

In the Jennifer Servo case, I believe that Brian Travers would be just as viable a suspect as anyone else in this case. Besides being the last person seen with her and having a secret romantic liason with her as well, he appears to draw attention away from himself and directs it towards Ralph Sepulveda by saying such comments as "how she seemed to blossom after Ralph moved out". If Ralph was as jealous as he was portrayed to be, it would have been harder to move him out of Jennifer''s apartment and it wouldn''t have taken him as long as eight weeks to explode into violence. Have any of the other women in Ralph''s life raised red flags? Also, why didn''t Brian go by himself to Jennifer''s apartment when she turned up missing? Probably because he needed a witness, and in this case, a co-worker and a friend as well was just what was needed to complete the ruse.