The Dateline episode “The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream” investigates the 2003 murder of New Mexico State University graduate student Kathryn “Katie” Sepich. The 22-year-old was last seen leaving a party and walking home. The next day her body was found in a landfill. She had been strangled, sexually assaulted and partially burned.
Three years after her brutal murder, convicted felon Gabriel Avila, then 27, confessed to the crimes after his DNA matched DNA taken from Sepich’s body. (Avila submitted a DNA sample after being sent to prison for aggravated burglary, among other charges.)
From his prison cell, Avila told authorities he almost struck Sepich with his truck the night of her slaying. He said he then followed her home and then he “suddenly lost it” and attacked her. In 2007, Avila pleaded guilty and was given a 69-year prison sentence.
In 2008, Katie’s mother Jayann Sepich started “DNA Saves,” a nonprofit organization that is encouraging lawmakers to require anyone arrested for certain violent crimes including murder, sex crimes and robbery to submit a DNA sample. In 2013, President Obama signed a federal law named after Katie to help fund expanded DNA testing. Today, 31 states that have passed their own version of Katie’s Law.
Dateline airs Saturdays at 10 pm on NBC. [BONUS: Stream any NBC show watch LIVE on any device with NBC UNIVERSAL app available here. Download is FREE.]
