The 48 Hours episode “The Shape of a Killer” investigates three murders in Austin, Texas in December 2014. One week after choir director Kathy Blair was stabbed to death in her home by an intruder, elderly married couple Sidney and Billie Shelton were also murdered in their home by an intruder. Police investigators saw a connection and worked together assuming they had a serial killer on their hands.
48 Hours correspondent Maureen Maher interviews Robert Leef, a neighbor of Blair’s who inadvertently captured the image of Kathy Blair’s killer while Leaf was testing a thermal imaging scope (a night vision rifle scope) and trying to get video of deer in the dark. Leef saw a car park and a person get out of the car and walk toward Blair’s house.
In November 2018, Shawn Gant-Benalcazar (the person in Leef’s video), was found guilty of Blair’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Timothy Parlin, who was hired by Blair’s landlord to make repairs to her home, was also found guilty of Blair’s murder. Prosecutors say Parlin planned to burglarize Blair’s home and Gant-Benalcazar carried out the attack. Police say Parlin’s ties to the Sheltons are from his wife who gave in-home massages to the couple. 48 Hours airs Saturdays at 10 pm on CBS.
