(MILLER)
For more than 20 years one particular death has baffled police. And in frustration a relative of the victim called in an investigator right out of a mystery novel. He's a factory worker with a reputation as an amateur Sherlock Holmes. Tonight Channel 4's James Lewis brings us the story of a mysterious death, a baffling clue and the unlikely sleuth the family is counting on.

AS CHANNEL FOUR'S JAMES LEWIS REPORTS, A LIVINGSTON FACTORY WORKER IS NOW DRAWN INTO A 23-YEAR-OLD CASE THAT SOME SUSPECT MAY BE MURDER -- AND HE COULD USE YOUR HELP.

Livingston, TN
Deputy Ryan Allred
Victim's Brother

Ann Allred
Victim's Mother

Todd Matthews
Amateur Sleuth

Ann Allred:
"I think she was murdered. I'm sure she didn't fall off that cliff."

VICKIE BERTRAM OF LIVINGSTON WAS 16 WHEN SHE SUDDENLY
DISAPPEARED. FOUR WEEKS LATER, HER DECOMPOSED BODY WAS FOUND AT THIS OLD QUARRY OUTSIDE LIVINGSTON.
A DEATH CERTIFICATE SAYS SHE DIED OF A FALL. BUT THERE WERE NO BROKEN BONES, AFTER FALLING FROM A 112-FOOT CLIFF. HER KID BROTHER RYAN, NOW A COP, DOESN'T BELIEVE IT.

Ryan Allred:
"My opinion is the body was either placed here or she was possibly with friends and it was left here."

ATTEMPTING TO LOOK INTO HIS SISTER'S DEATH, DEPUTY ALLRED HAS CRASHED INTO A WALL OF SILENCE.

Ryan Allred:
"It's been 23 years. I graduated the Academy in '91 and worked on it on and off. People just seem to be reluctant to talk about it, especially close friends."

James Lewis stand-up:
"But the tragedy didn't just end here at the quarry. The Allred family has had to live with this now for 23 years. Vickie's mom remembers it like it was yesterday."

Ann Allred, Mother:
"I have a lot of guilt about things that I thought I should have done and didn't do."

BACK THEN, MOTHER AND DAUGHTER HAD A STORMY RELATIONSHIP.

Ann Allred, Mother:
"I have really stuffed and crammed a lot of stuff and keep it inside. I don't know if I have really ever dealt with it myself or not."

THIS IS WHERE AMATEUR DETECTIVE TODD MATTHEWS COMES INTO THE PICTURE. USING THE INTERNET, HE HAD SOLVED A 30-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY, A BODY FOUND IN KENTUCKY. RYAN ALLRED APPEALED TO HIM FOR HELP TO SOLVE HIS SISTER'S CASE.

Todd Matthews:
"The rumor in town was, a lot of people didn't think she fell, or was pushed."

HE DECIDED TO ONCE AGAIN TRY THE INTERNET.

Todd Matthews:
"I knew the only thing I could do was build her a web page and kind of go from there."

HE HAS GOTTEN A FEW HITS ON THE WEB PAGE AND A FEW CLUES HAVE FILTERED IN, BUT HE'S RUN INTO THE SAME WALL OF SILENCE. TODD HOPES SOMEONE WILL HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED.

Todd Matthews:
"Nobody really wants to give you a direct answer. Even the people that were about her age, they really don't know anything, try to get you to talk to somebody else."

REGARDLESS OF HOW OR WHY HIS SISTER DIED, RYAN ALLRED HOPES HIS FRIEND TODD OR SOMEONE WILL COME UP WITH SOME ANSWERS. BECAUSE, HE SAYS, SOMEBODY KNOWS.

Ryan Allred:
"Someone was bound to notice something and I believe somebody in this
county knows something and I think it's time they come forth and tell what
they know."

IN LIVINGSTON, JAMES LEWIS, CHANNEL FOUR NEWS.