On a fateful day in April 2018, a grisly discovery was made in Eastpoint, a town on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Aileen Seiden’s brutally beaten body was found discarded near a highway, sparking a murder investigation. The case took an intriguing turn when, less than 24 hours later, authorities received a report of another crime scene at the nearby Sportsman’s Lodge Motel, Room 15.
Lt. Ronnie Jones of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office faced a perplexing mystery: identifying Seiden’s killer and understanding the circumstances that led to her death. He expressed concern about the perpetrator potentially being at large in the community and the unknown nature of the crime.
The investigation led by Jones soon uncovered a connection between Seiden and the motel room through DNA evidence. Surveillance footage provided a crucial piece of the puzzle, revealing that Seiden had been with two individuals on the day of her murder. It also exposed the nature of their relationship—a throuple, a less conventional romantic dynamic involving three people.
However, as Assistant Prosecutor Jarred Patterson noted, the key question remained: “What happened inside that hotel room that led to only two individuals exiting, carrying Seiden’s body?”
48 Hours: Who Killed Aileen Seiden? Airs on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 10:00 PM ET/PT on CBS.
