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Denise’s story ran on the front page of the Clear River Chronicle , and it dominated the digital edition.

It began like this:

The homicide case of two teenage girls—Abby Hall and Erin Eddowes—closed after an executed killer’s last-minute confession to their murders—could be reopened.

“We can’t rule out anything, even reopening the case. New information brought to light warrants serious review,” said Will Young, Clear River County district attorney.

Young had made his comments after assessing revelations about the case uncovered by the Chronicle .

The story continued with the background of the case, then went into an early theory held by investigators, which arose from the fact that certain items—IDs and articles of clothing—were missing from the scene, perhaps taken as trophies. It was because of these facts that investigators first suspected the murders could’ve been staged to look like a serial killer’s work by someone with knowledge of homicide investigations. Carrie was the daughter of Vern Hamilton, Clear River County Sheriff.

The story detailed Carrie’s liking of a Ben Franklin quote and how it had taken on an ominous meaning in the wake of her cafeteria confrontation with Abby and Erin. And the article gave new context to condemned killer Donnie Ray Hyde’s confession, the result of a recent death row visit by Vern Hamilton. Denise questioned the veracity of Hyde’s confession when stood against his mother’s “godsend” financial relief, relayed after Hyde’s execution by a former colleague of Vern Hamilton’s. Hyde’s confession could’ve been a false one, according to Mark Kallin, an expert on the psychology of untrue confessions.

The article noted the lack of a gun and casings at the crime scene, and little physical evidence other than footwear impressions. It pointed to the inconsistency between Hyde’s shoe size and the partial impression found at the scene.

A series of photos accompanied the story. Among them: the Franklin quote alongside Carrie’s sticky note; forensic shoe impressions; TDCJ records confirming Hyde’s shoe size; the letter Hyde’s mother received indicating the discovery of a tax error in her favor; photos of Abby and Erin, showing what they were wearing on the day of the murders; photos of Carrie and Vern; and a photo of Vern and Cecil Pratt.

The article also went into Carrie’s family history and the death of her mother, Doreen Hamilton, at home. It explained how the tragedy gave rise to community rumor about Doreen’s turbulent relationship with her husband, Vern, prior to her death. The cause: a broken neck from falling down the stairs after a brain seizure, according to the report by the medical examiner, who was a friend of Vern’s.

The story drew upon several interviews, including those with Mary-Ellen Hyde, Cecil Pratt, Opal Wells, Vernon Hamilton, Carrie, and relatives of Abby and Erin.

The article ended with a comment from Abby Hall’s aunt, Martha Porter.

“We always believed we knew who killed Abby and Erin. The mystery is, why?” Porter said. “And only one person has the answer.”