“48 Hours” revisits the child murder of three decades ago in the season premiere on CBS

Erin Moriarty, correspondent for 48 hoursis on the case as the show investigates the murder of a child in the Season 37 premiere on CBS and Paramount Plus on Saturday, September 21. “The Never-Ending Search for Sara Anne Wood” looks at the case of 12-year-old Wood, who disappeared on her way home from church in Sauquoit, New York, in 1993. Lewis Lent is in prison for murder, but won't say where he buried the girl's body.

Moriarty first investigated the Sara Anne Wood case in 1994. It was still unsolved at the time, and Moriarty interviewed another 12-year-old girl, Becky Savarese. She was driving in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, about 130 miles east of where Wood was abducted, when a man arrived, pulled out a gun and ordered her to get into his truck. Moriarty said Savarese faked an asthma attack and fled. She gave her the license plates of the man's truck, and Lent was arrested within 24 hours.

“The child was so calm,” Moriarty told B+C. “I asked, 'Weren't you scared?' and she said, 'No.'”

Moriarty called the Wood case a “cautionary tale” that touched her personally as a mother of a young child when she was first confronted with the case. “It made me realize how easily and quickly a child can be taken from you,” Moriarty said. “This show reminds us of that. I think it's an important story that needs to be told.”

After confessing to Wood's murder, Lent drew a map of the spot where he allegedly buried her in a remote location in the Adirondack Mountains. Police investigated, but it was never found.

When asked why Lent was not more open about the burial site, Moriarty said: “That's the only power they have. They have information.”

Law enforcement continues to work with Lent, trying to get him to share where the body is buried. “At a time when there are so many questions about police work, it reminds viewers of the truly dedicated investigators who took the case so personally,” Moriarty said, “and are determined to bring closure to the family.”

This includes Sara Anne's brother Dusty, who was almost 17 when his sister was kidnapped. Moriarty pointed out that a child in such a situation not only loses a sibling, but also has to deal with parents who are completely preoccupied with the search for and subsequent loss of their other child.

She added that Dusty currently hosts a bike ride every summer, stopping at schools to give tips on keeping children safe. He also landed a job as a cameraman, inspired by Darrell Barton, who photographed the Wood family for 48 hours over the years.

“He even adopted his own style, the way he shoots,” Moriarty said.

Moriarty is also behind the podcast “Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green,” which launched on CBS Audio on Sept. 18. She said she has never seen such interest in true crime before.

“We are so divided on political issues,” Moriarty said.[True crime] is something we can still discuss, even if we disagree. These are big cases, but we can talk about them politely.”

Three decades after first encountering the Sara Anne Wood case, Moriarty hopes that the new episode of 48 hours takes it a little further. “I hope that someone who knows Lewis Lent's family or someone who is following the hour has more information and can move the story forward,” she said. “I also hope that people look at this case and see it as a cautionary tale and protect their own children. That's what's really important to Sara Anne Wood's parents and family – that no other family has to go through what they went through.”

“48 Hours” revisits the child murder of three decades ago in the season premiere on CBS

You may also like...

Recent Posts

“48 Hours” revisits the child murder of three decades ago in the season premiere on CBS

You may also like...

NFL Week 1 inactive: Uchenna Nwosu and Sautoa Laumea out for Seahawks vs Broncos

Sheriff: Haralson County detention officer arrested for child abuse

“Great loss for all”: Sheriff’s office and community mourn sudden death of Douglas County deputy – WSB-TV Channel 2

Recent Posts