Niles double homicide to be featured on TV show

Published 9:09 am Friday, February 14, 2014

A high profile double murder that devastated thte Niles community four years ago will be featured this weekend on the television program, “On the Case with Paula Zahn.”

The 60-minute episode, “Footprints and Whispers,” is scheduled to first air on the Investigation Discovery Channel at 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. Replays are set for 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Monday.

The episode will take a look at the double murder of John and Carolyn Tarwacki, a Niles couple found dead in their home in Howard Township in February 2010.

Last year, Keith James Lintz, of Niles, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders.

A description of the episode reads: “A beloved husband and wife are found dead in their own home. Will the killer’s own words bring him to justice?”

Lintz’s conviction was based largely on the testimony of several witnesses who said they heard Lintz admit to the crimes.

Lintz maintained his innocence at the sentencing hearing in October, saying he was sorry for the family’s loss, but he didn’t do it.

Several pieces of evidence were found at or near the crime scene, including a bloody knife and footprints in the snow. However, Lintz was never linked to any piece of physical evidence.

The investigation lasted nearly three years as police received more than 700 tips and interviewed more than 380 people across several states.

No motive was ever uncovered, although prosecutors stated during trial that they believed it was a robbery gone wrong.

Led by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paula Zahn, On the Case features in-depth interviews and original reporting that go beyond the headlines in search of fascinating mysteries from within our nation’s justice system. Each episode is highlighted by Zahn’s exclusive interviews, which draw out different viewpoints from the people personally connected to tragedies that rocked their local community and the investigations that attempted to piece together the truth.

According to the Investigation Discovery website, the program will appear on channel 271 for Comcast Xfinity subscribers and channel 285 for DirectTV subscribers.