John McCabe, Linda Duffey: CBS ’48 Hours’ Airs 40-Year-Old Cold Case And Bugs Bunny Murder Case Tonight
The John McCabe cold case mystery and the Linda Duffey Bugs Bunny defense case will be aired on tonight’s double feature of CBS 48 Hours. CBS 48 Hours is a crime documentary show that develops the most interesting domestic cases from all over America.
During the first hour, CBS viewers will be re-introduced to a case that was featured in 2012, involving teenager John McCabe, the 15-year-old boy who was found dead in a field after going to a school dance. It took investigators more than 40 years to unravel the case and expose a killer. As it turned out, the boy’s classmates had kept the murder a secret for four decades, until a tip lead to an arrest.
The second hour will be dedicated to the bizarre case of Linda Duffey, the woman who killed her husband during a role play of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny. Police believed that the case of Linda Duffey was no accident, but cold blooded murder, according to a report by CBS News.
John McCabe seemed like a nice boy. His only mistake was flirting with Walter Shelley’s girlfriend, and it cost him his life. John McCabe’s mother remembers that day well. She stated that John was so excited to be going to the dance. He made himself look really handsome before he set off on the long walk. She expected him home by midnight, but he never showed. After going out to look for him, they found nothing. The next day, John McCabe’s dead body was found in an open field by three children.
The autopsy report indicated that the boy had been strangled. His grieving family, especially his father, took the news of his death especially hard. He dedicated all of his life to find the killer and bring justice to the family. In 2011, the case broke wide open after a classmate named Edward Brown came forward with a story that he and his friends participated in the murder of little John McCabe. According the statement, the boys saw John McCabe hitchhiking on a dark road as he headed home. That’s when Edward Brown, Walter Shelley, and Michael Ferreira stopped the car and pushed him inside, according to statements made by Edward Brown. From there, they took the scared boy to the field and bound and gagged him, until he suffocated to death. They made a pact to keep the murder a secret for all those years, according to the Lowell Sun.
Through the years, there was some speculation that McCabe’s classmates were involved, but nothing ever came of the allegations — until 2011. Michael Ferreira was acquitted in the case. But Walter Shelley was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Sadly, John McCabe’s father didn’t get to see the resolution of his son’s murder, but they all knew who was involved. To find out even more about this heartbreaking story, you’ll definitely want to see the show tonight at 10/9 central.
Linda Duffey tried to use a cartoon as part of her defense to get off for killing her husband, Patrick Duffey. The case was in the news in 2007, after police arrived at a home where they found a man unconscious. The man, identified as Patrick Duffey, had been shot with a gun. Duffey’s wife tried to explain that it was an accident that happened while they were acting out a scene from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The murder was not solved right away. By the time five years had passed, Linda Duffey moved on with her life, and had relocated to another state. She also found a new love. Eventually, her world came crashing down when police finally arrested her and charged her with murder, according to Broadway World. You’ll be shocked as to how police finally nabbed the killer. Tune in for CBS 48 Hours tonight at 10/9 central.
[Image via CBS 48 Hours/Facebook]
