Tonight (Saturday February 25 2023), CBS broadcasts an episode of the series 48 Hours!
The Brighton Ax Murder 2/25/23 Episode Summary
For four decades, the murder of Cathy Krauseneck went unsolved. On February 19, 1982, her husband, Jim Krauseneck, discovered her dead in their bed with an axe in her head. Until now, the Brighton Ax Murder was one of America’s oldest and coldest murder cases. Erin Moriarty, 48 HOURS correspondent, reports on the murder, the case against Jim Krauseneck, and has an exclusive network television interview with his current wife in “The Brighton Ax Murder,” which will air Saturday, Feb. 25 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+.
Something about the crime scene bothered the investigators. Police believe it was staged to look like a burglary in order to conceal the true crime – Cathy’s husband’s intentional murder. Police believe a shoe print at the scene was made by boat shoes Krauseneck was known to wear, though the shoes were never tested.
The case sat for decades until 2019, when Monroe County, New York, authorities hired forensic pathologist Michael Baden to investigate. Baden suspected Cathy was murdered around 3:30 a.m. Prosecutors believed Jim Krauseneck was at home at the time and charged him with Cathy’s murder. Krauseneck, his current wife Sharon, and his attorneys all maintain that he did not murder Cathy.
“Jim… is a decent, loving human being,” Sharon Krauseneck tells Moriarty exclusively. “There is no way, absolutely no way Jim would have done something like that.”
She tells Moriarty that she has never confronted her husband about the murder of his first wife. She claims she was under no obligation to do so.
“No … “When you’re married to a man, you get to know his heart and soul,” Sharon Krauseneck says. “Jim could never, Erin, could never do something so heinous.”
Josh Yager and James Stolz produce “The Brighton Ax Murder” for 48 HOURS. The development producers are Marc Goldbaum and Charlotte Fuller. Associate producers are Michael Loftus and Liz Caholo. The producer-editor is Richard Barber. Atticus Brady is also a writer and editor. The senior producer is Patti Aronofsky. The executive story editor is Nancy Kramer. The executive producer is Judy Tygard.
Click here to read about Sunday’s 60 Minute’s episode.
Click here to read about Friday’s Dateline NBC episode “Before Daylight”.
Click here to read about Sunday’s Dateline NBC episode “The Window“.
Click here to read about Friday’s 20/20 episode “A Model Murder“.
What Time is the “The Brighton Ax Murder” Episode On?
The The Brighton Ax Murder episode of 48 Hours will be broadcast on CBS at 10:00 PM at ET/PT.
Is the “The Brighton Ax Murder” Episode New?
The The Brighton Ax Murder episode of 48 Hours is all new!
The Brighton Ax Murder Episode Videos & Previews
A young mother was killed, and investigators found unusual clues at the crime scene. Decades later, her husband was arrested. Could he really be her killer?
After nearly four decades, prosecutors said they felt confident they knew who committed “The Brighton Ax Murder” of 1982. But will the evidence they have be enough for a conviction?
Watch 48 Hours The Brighton Ax Murder Online
You can find episodes on the CBS website and watch full episodes on Paramount+.
48 Hours Series Information
This newsmagazine investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience. Over its long run, the show has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, driven the reopening — and resolution — of cold cases, and changed numerous lives. CBS News correspondents offer an in-depth look into each story, with the emphasis on solving the mystery at its heart. The program and its team have earned critical acclaim, including multiple Emmy, Peabody and Edward R. Murrow Awards.