New Edition of "20/20" Takes Deep Dive Into Case of Amanda Plasse

A new edition of 20/20 is set to look at the case of Amanda Plasse, whose murder was solved largely by a simple clue left in her apartment. 

What’s Happening: 

• When 20-year-old Amanda Plasse was discovered violently stabbed to death in the kitchen of her apartment in the quiet New England town of Chicopee, Massachusetts, the community was left reeling. 
• A beloved waitress at the local Friendly’s restaurant, Amanda was known for her outgoing, bubbly personality, making her sudden and brutal murder all the more shocking. 

• As investigators began their search for answers, the crime appeared senseless and random; and despite early efforts, no suspect stuck. Years passed with no arrest, but Amanda’s mother, Michelle, refused to give up. 
• Relentlessly pursuing the truth in hopes that someone would come forward with information, Michelle hosted events and passed out flyers, and justice paid off as investigators kept looking at the case and discovered a clue on a whiteboard that ultimately led them to a killer hiding in plain sight. 
• 20/20 correspondent Ryan Smith reports in the all-new episode, What The Killer Left Behind, on Friday, January, 30 (9:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

A Bit About The Case: 

• Amanda Lynn Plasse worked as a waitress and was known for her artistic interests, journaling, poetry, music, and making jewelry. 
• In 2011, she was found dead in her kitchen in a scene that suggested a violent struggle, with blood everywhere and other forensic evidence like bloody shoe prints and a broken window - broken from the inside. 
• The case also made headlines when two police officers improperly took and shared cellphone photos of Plasse’s body from the crime scene, circulating them to others and showing them off at social events. 
• This led to legislation in Massachusetts, often called “Amanda’s Law,” making it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized photographs of victims or crime scenes in the hopes of protecting the dignity and privacy of victims and their families.