48 Hours “The Mother I Wish I Knew” January 24 2026 Recap & Preview

This Saturday, 48 Hours brings viewers a deeply personal and emotional true crime story in The Mother I Wish I Knew, airing January 24, 2026, at 10:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Correspondent Natalie Morales investigates the decades-old murder of Debe Atrops and the renewed case that now threatens to upend the life of her only daughter, Rhianna Stephens.

In 1983, Debe Atrops vanished after dropping her baby daughter off at her estranged husband’s home in Washington County, Oregon. Days later, she was found murdered in the trunk of her car. At the time, investigators struggled to find enough evidence to charge a suspect, and the case went cold for over 30 years.

Now, after a fresh look by a dedicated cold case team, prosecutors believe they have finally found the person responsible: Debe’s ex-husband, Bob Atrops. But there’s one person who believes they’ve got it wrong—Rhianna Stephens, the couple’s daughter. Though just eight months old at the time of the crime, Stephens has grown up with a hole in her life where her mother should have been. She’s now confronting the possibility of losing her father too, and she isn’t convinced by the case against him.

The episode features emotional interviews with Rhianna, who shares her inner conflict and the pain of never knowing her mother. Viewers will also hear from Debe’s stepfather Ed Holland, her close friend Darlene Lufkin, and key figures from both sides of the courtroom battle, including Washington County senior deputy district attorney Allison Brown, retired detective Michael O’Connell, and defense attorneys April Yates and Stephanie Pollan.

The Mother I Wish I Knew explores the ripple effects of a decades-old tragedy and the search for justice that may come at a painful personal cost. Tune in Saturday night on CBS or stream anytime on Paramount+.