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48 HOURS
Air Date: Saturday, May 04, 2019
Time Slot: 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST on CBS
Episode Title: (#3126) "The Case Against Enrico Forti"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

WAS A FORMER ITALIAN TV PRODUCER AND WINDSURFING CHAMPION WRONGLY CONVICTED FOR A MURDER HE SAYS HE DIDN'T COMMIT NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO?

"48 Hours" Investigates in "The Case Against Enrico Forti"

Enrico Forti, a former windsurfing champion and Italian television producer who had contracts with ESPN, sits in a Florida prison serving out a life sentence for a murder he says he didn't commit. Erin Moriarty and 48 HOURS meet Forti and follow the trail of evidence all the way to Europe to investigate in "The Case Against Enrico Forti," to be broadcast Saturday, May 4 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The report raises serious questions about whether the right man is in prison for a homicide and whether a shooter is still out there.

"People have made comparisons between this case and Amanda Knox," says Forti's attorney Joe Tacopina. "You don't decide that this person's guilty and then look for evidence to back it up."

Forti was convicted in 2000 of killing Dale Pike and leaving his body on a quiet Miami beach. Forti was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Tacopina says there's no forensic evidence linking Forti to the murder, "none whatsoever." There was, however, less than a teaspoon of sand that prosecutors said was from the crime scene and linked to Forti.

At the time of Pike's death, Forti was negotiating to buy a hotel in Ibiza, Spain, owned by the victim's father, Tony. Dale Pike and his brother, Brad, felt Pikes Hotel, a legendary spot that drew a who's who of celebrity clientele, including George Michael, Freddie Mercury, Julio Iglesias and others, was worth millions more than their father was asking. Dale Pike flew to Miami to discuss the deal. Forti met him at the airport.

Pike was later shot twice in the back of the head and left on a Miami beach. Forti was immediately a suspect because he was the last known person to see Pike alive. And Forti lied to police about picking Pike up at the airport.

"Did you ever in your wildest dreams think you'd end up in a place like this?" Moriarty asks Forti.

"Never, never," Forti says.

"Did you ever have anything to do with Dale Pike's death?" Moriarty asks.

"Absolutely not," Forti says.

Forti isn't the first person in prison to maintain his innocence. What makes this case different? Were there other suspects? And will Forti ever be a free man again? Although the name Enrico Forti is not well known in America, he has become a cause cél�bre in Italy and other parts of Europe.

Moriarty and 48 HOURS investigate the death of Dale Pike and the path that led Forti to prison through interviews with Dale Pike's brother Brad, Tacopina, Forti, Forti's friends and others. 48 HOURS also speaks with a juror who does not believe Forti helped or killed Pike even though she helped convict him. Moreover, 48 HOURS also reports on new information that reveals the case against Forti was weak. The 48 HOURS team traveled to Italy and Germany conducting interviews and trying to find the alternate suspect in Pike's murder.

Moriarty and Brad Pike visit the area in Miami where Dale Pike was found. It was the first time Pike, who lives in Australia, had visited the beach where his brother was murdered.

"If only the rocks could talk," Pike tells Moriarty.

48 HOURS: "The Case Against Enrico Forti" is produced by Paul LaRosa, Murray Weiss and Sabina Castelfranco. Dena Goldstein is the field producer. Jud Johnston, Michael McHugh , Gregory McLaughlin and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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