Cops: Mysterious Murder Makes Little Sense

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Marianne Wilkinson was killed at her Texas home. Cops believe it was a case of mistaken identity.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 9, 2007, police say an unexpected visitor rang Marianne Wilkinson's doorbell in North Richland Hills, Texas.

After answering the front door, they say the unknown assailant shot Marianne several times before running off.

A neighbor of Marianne's heard three or four gunshots and immediately called the police. Upon their arrival, police officers attempted to administer CPR to Marianne, who was struggling to breathe.

Despite authorities' near-immediate response time and their best efforts to resuscitate the victim, Marianne died at the scene of the crime, on her front porch.

Her family says Marianne, 68, had no enemies and nobody would wish her dead. For her family, friends and investigators, the ghastly killing seems unfathomable.

The murder came as a shock to the community. With no leads early in the case, North Richland Hills remained wary. Could it be possible a murderer was going door-to-door, delivering death?

Although it sounded unlikely, cops and townsfolk say they had little else to go on.

Concerned Neighbor Sheds Light on Investigation

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Cops found the murder weapon three months after the crime. They say it's a blue Colt Trooper III .357 magnum revolver.

Questions remained: Why was Marianne the focus of this ghastly attack? Locals originally concluded that the murder was random and could have happened to anyone; one of Marianne's neighbors thought differently.

A concerned neighbor, whose home shares the same number as Marianne's but is one street away, believes she was the intended target.

After speaking with investigators from the North Richland Hills Police Department, new light was shed on the investigation.

Marianne's neighbor reported to police that she had recently gone through a hostile divorce. Furthermore, she and her ex-husband had major complications revolving around the ownership of a trucking company they cooperatively ran during their marriage.

Police say large amounts of money were at stake, and the witness feels that she was the intended target.

Due to the striking similarities between Marianne's house and her neighbor's -- remember, the two houses share remarkably similar addresses and are in the same housing community -- investigators conclude that the murder was not random at all.

Authorities believe this is a murder-for-hire, gone awry when a case of mistaken identity turned deadly.

Easter Sunday Reveals Clues

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North Richland Hills detectives say Dr. John Bond was able to produce a very good fingerprint from these bullet shell casings.

Several months later, on Easter Sunday 2008, a handgun was discovered on the 6500 block of Jerrell Street at the intersection of Blend Street in North Richland Hills.

Ballistics tests conducted at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the handgun was the one used to murder Marianne.

Tracing the handgun's history back 29 years, investigators say they discovered that the gun once belonged to a Mr. Harrison of Elk City, Okla., who had died in a motorcycle accident in 1980.

Further investigation into the history of the handgun reavealed the second owner, Mr. Harrison's roommate, Robert Fannon, also known as "Corvette Bob," who is now deceased.

Neither Mr. Harrison or Bob have any connection to the Wilkinson family.

Authorities suspect the gun has changed hands several times since the death of Bob Fannon, the last registered owner of the gun.

Cops told AMW that any information regarding prior owners of the gun is extremely valuable.

Leads are scarce and police need your help. Remember, this is a suspected murder-for-hire.

Police have the gun and shell casings, but they need your help.

Cops Seek Help From UK Forensics Expert -- And They Get It

Those shell casings led detectives to England, where Texas police sought out the help of groundbreaking forensic scientist Dr. John Bond.

Remarkably, Dr. Bond has discovered an advanced method of fingerprinting which could allow detectives to lift fingerprints from metal surfaces -- even if the metal surfaces had been wiped clean.

In previous investigations, Dr. Bond's methods have proven successful as late as 10 years after the crime.

In this case, cops in North Richland Hills say Dr. Bond was able to produce a very good fingerprint from the shell casings taken from the weapon that was used to kill Marianne Wilkinson.

The only problem is, they haven't yet found a match to the print.

Police believe this revolutionary technology may have put them one step closer to solving the Marianne Wilkinson's murder, but they still need your help.

If you know anything about the murder, call our Hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV right away. Remember: You can remain anonymous.