. >> when the new jersey state police heard the news of steve fortin's assault in maine, they naturally to find out if fortin was in new jersey on the night melissa padilla was killed. an interview with fortin's former girlfriend provided the answer. >> and she told us that in august of 1994 steven fortin did, in fact, live in avenel, new jersey. in fact, he lived in an apartment with her. and on the very night in question, he assaulted her in the parking lot of a restaurant and she called the police and he ran. >> that restaurant, bud's hut, was a short walk from the gem motel where melissa was living. the police report listed the time of the assault on dawn archer as 10:30 p.m., an hour before melissa was murdered. at last authorities had a suspect. melissa's brother got the word a day after his birthday. >> i didn't consider it a birthday gift, but i was glad that they did find him. and i was praying they would find him before he could ever do that to someone else. >> they found him, but now they had to prove him guilty. prosecutors hoped the dna evidence taken from under melissa's f