A decades-long Cold Case Cracks Wide Open: The Tragic Story of Fresno Woman Debbie Dorian
In a shocking turn of events, investigators have finally cracked the case of Debbie Dorian's murder, a crime that went cold in 1996 after the 22-year-old was found dead in her northeast Fresno apartment. The latest evidence, uncovered by ABC News' Juju Chang, reveals new details about the suspect and the chilling events leading up to his capture.
The investigation into Dorian's death had stalled for years, with officials unable to find any leads or suspects. However, a determined Vince Zavala, a former Fresno law enforcement officer, refused to give up on the case. Even after retiring from the force, he continued to follow new leads and remained on unpaid leave, driven by a sense of duty to bring justice to Dorian's family.
On Friday's episode of 20/20, exclusive body-cam footage shows Zavala's tense confrontation with Nickey Stane, who was working at a fast-food restaurant in a mall. The surveillance video reveals the dramatic moment when police arrested Stane after decades of searching for him.
Stane had tried to throw investigators off his trail one last time, but his attempts were futile. As Chang recounted, "It was a fascinating cat and mouse game that was going on from the very moment Vince made contact with him all the way through the interrogations in the interrogation room."
The arrest marked a major breakthrough in the case, but it also brought to light another disturbing truth: Stane had also committed other crimes against women. One of his victims, Jane Doe #1, has now come forward, revealing that she was one of those who survived an assault by Stane years after Dorian's death.
The final episode of 20/20 sheds light on the devastating impact of Dorian's murder on her family and community. Chang noted, "The idea that all these people were affected by the crime and that we get a chance to remember how she lived is really a tribute to all of the storytelling that we do here at 20/20."
Stane is currently serving his life sentence at the California Medical Facility in northern California, where he was deemed unfit for trial due to his age. The case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of unsolved crimes and the power of perseverance and determination in bringing justice to victims' families.
In a shocking turn of events, investigators have finally cracked the case of Debbie Dorian's murder, a crime that went cold in 1996 after the 22-year-old was found dead in her northeast Fresno apartment. The latest evidence, uncovered by ABC News' Juju Chang, reveals new details about the suspect and the chilling events leading up to his capture.
The investigation into Dorian's death had stalled for years, with officials unable to find any leads or suspects. However, a determined Vince Zavala, a former Fresno law enforcement officer, refused to give up on the case. Even after retiring from the force, he continued to follow new leads and remained on unpaid leave, driven by a sense of duty to bring justice to Dorian's family.
On Friday's episode of 20/20, exclusive body-cam footage shows Zavala's tense confrontation with Nickey Stane, who was working at a fast-food restaurant in a mall. The surveillance video reveals the dramatic moment when police arrested Stane after decades of searching for him.
Stane had tried to throw investigators off his trail one last time, but his attempts were futile. As Chang recounted, "It was a fascinating cat and mouse game that was going on from the very moment Vince made contact with him all the way through the interrogations in the interrogation room."
The arrest marked a major breakthrough in the case, but it also brought to light another disturbing truth: Stane had also committed other crimes against women. One of his victims, Jane Doe #1, has now come forward, revealing that she was one of those who survived an assault by Stane years after Dorian's death.
The final episode of 20/20 sheds light on the devastating impact of Dorian's murder on her family and community. Chang noted, "The idea that all these people were affected by the crime and that we get a chance to remember how she lived is really a tribute to all of the storytelling that we do here at 20/20."
Stane is currently serving his life sentence at the California Medical Facility in northern California, where he was deemed unfit for trial due to his age. The case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of unsolved crimes and the power of perseverance and determination in bringing justice to victims' families.
after all those yrs they were left in the dark. I mean Vince Zavala's dedication 2 solving this case is truly inspiring, he didn't give up not even when others thought he would 
and now Nickey Stane is paying 4 his crimes 
it's wild that there's more victims coming forward, Jane Doe #1's bravery 2 speak out is giving me all the feels 
let's keep pushing 4 more cases like this one solved ASAP 
and i feel bad for debbie dorians family who have been living with this unknown for so long 
i hope this brings them some closure, but at the same time its scary to think about all the other crimes he might've committed without getting caught 
vince zavala is a real life hero tho, didnt give up on the case even when everyone else did 
this is literally a dream come true for debbie's family after all these years they finally got some closure it makes me so angry that he was able to live his whole life without being held accountable for what he did but at the same time im just so glad that justice has been served and nickey stane is going to rot in prison
they deserve justice at least now her name wont be forgot about 
like jane doe #1 who came forward 
. The fact that Nickey Stane thought he could throw investigators off his trail one last time and failed is just chilling 
. But what's even more disturbing is that Stane has committed other crimes against women... it's like, how many more victims are out there? 
.