Dateline: Unforgettable- What happened to Katie Sepich?

The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen is all set to dive into the case of Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old woman who was assaulted and murdered in 2003. The brutal case sent shockwaves across the quaint town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The assault and murder also led to some grave changes, including the induction of Katie's Law in most states.

Titled The Woman, the synopsis for the third episode of the ongoing season reads:

"A 911 call reporting an apartment break-in holds the key to solving the mysterious murder of a young graduate student named Katie Sepich; her case contained many twists, and her family's grit still astonishes Josh Mankiewicz."

The episode will premiere on February 1, 2024, at 8.00 PM EST, delving into the details of this very significant case.

Ahead of its release, here is all you need to know about Katie's murder.

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Who was Katie Sepich, and how did she die?

Katie Sepich was a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Having grown up in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Katie, or Kathryn, as her birth certificate states, was the oldest of three siblings.

She was described as "outspoken, vivacious, and intelligent" by her mother and was very well-liked in the community. Many said she could make friends very easily and would light up any room she walked into.

Katie graduated with a business degree from New Mexico State University and was ready to start her MBA the same year. She had been dating a young man, Joe Bischoff, and worked as a waitress at a local Mexican restaurant at the time of the murder.

Over Labor Day weekend in 2003, Katie Sepich and her friends went bar hopping, which ended in a local house party. Joe was also with her that evening. After Katie left the party that night, she never reached the house she shared with he roommate. She left behind her purse, phone, and keys at the party.

Katie's roommate reported her missing the next morning. On August 31, 2003, authorities discovered Katie’s lifeless body near a remote desert landfill in Las Cruces, New Mexico. On investigation, authorities found out that she had been assaulted before she was brutally murdered outside her bedroom window.

Her parents also revealed that Katie had a condition that made her voice very husky and made her unable to scream. This also meant that when she was attacked outside her bedroom window, her roommate's mother, who was sleeping inside, could not hear her.

Katie Sepich's boyfriend became the first suspect in the case despite pleading innocence from the start. It would take many years for authorities to pinpoint the killer, thanks to another unrelated crime, which allowed the police to extract DNA from Gabriel Avila, who was convicted of aggravated burglary with intent to commit aggravated assault.

Gabriel was ultimately charged with Katie's murder after his DNA sample matched that of her killer in the database. He was sentenced to 69 years in prison.

This case also led to a drastic change in DNA collection, with authorities being allowed to take DNA when someone was arrested instead of when someone was convicted. This is known as Katie's law.

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The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable will cover Katie Sepich's case in more detail.