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20/20 season 47, episode 16 explores the case of Bob Eidman, a Missouri-based insurance salesman, who was fatally shot to death on June 8, 2007. His body was found at his office, and initially, the primary suspicion was directed toward his wife, Diane.
The main reason for that was Diane's mother was accused of murdering her husband years ago. Investigators initially thought that Diane had committed the crime due to relationship troubles or money. However, after years of the 20/20 episode subject Bob Eidman's murder, a DNA test directed the authorities to evidence, which changed the complete direction of the investigation.
20/20 season 47, episode 16 covers the entire investigation to finding the true culprit behind the murder. The episode was released on February 7, 2025, on ABC. All the episodes of 20/20 season 47 are available for streaming on Hulu and the ABC website.
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20/20 season 47 episode 16: What happened to Bob Eidman?
As shown in 20/20 season 47, episode 16, Bob Eidman ran an insurance business, which mainly dealt with customers with poor credit scores, who were mostly rejected by other insurance companies. Most of his transactions mainly took place with cash, and hence, his office stored a large amount of money.
The city of St. Charles, Missouri, was known for very low crime rates, with less than two murders per year. The murder of Bob Eidman became the first murder in the year of 2007, which took a toll on the authorities.
As per the 20/20 season 47 episode 16, the authorities searched for surveillance footage around the crime scene. They eventually found a grocery store camera directed towards Eidman's office.
When investigators retrieved the footage from the surveillance camera, they traced a White Car driving past the doors of Eidman's office. Exactly four minutes later, the car returned at a slower pace.
As per the 20/20 season 47 episode 16, the car was eventually identified to be a Ford Focus model. However, almost 5,000 cars of the same model were registered in the state of Missouri. The investigators eventually managed to track down an abandoned car, inside which they retrieved one of Eidman's business cards.
The car was left by a man named Travis Endsley. Upon interrogation, Endsley stated he had an accident with the car near his apartment, and the next day, it was gone. Investigators were suspicious of his story, as Endsley had a bloodstain on his shirt.
Endsley revealed that the bloodstain came from his bloody nose after the accident. He reported the car being stolen and, the next moment, discovered himself as one of the prime suspects behind Eidman's murder. His story turned out to be true, and without any more evidence against him, Endsley was released from the radar.
Without any more suspects, Eidman's wife Diane was put through rigorous interrogation. As per 20/20 season 47 episode 16, Diane revealed to the investigators that Eidman's insurance business was falling apart, and they were struggling to make ends meet.
When inquired about her insurance policies, she revealed having just one worth $5,000. As per an ABC article published on February 7, 2025, upon thorough investigation, Diane opened up about an old secret. She revealed that just like Bob Eidman, her father was also shot multiple times to death.
As per ABC News, Diane's father, Jerome Boelling, was a police officer for the St. Louis Police Office. He was murdered at his home by shooting multiple times. His wife and the mother of Diane, Lenore Boelling was accused of the murder of Jerome and moved in with Bob and Diane Eidman at their residence while awaiting trial.
One of the family members, Pam Eidman, revealed that Bob Eidman was troubled by the fact that he had a murder accused residing at their place. However, when investigators went to look for Diane's financial accounts, they learned that she received a sum of $300,000 from life insurance after Bob's sudden death.
20/20 subject Bob Eidman was having an affair with a man
As the investigation went on, authorities received very crucial intel, which changed the complete direction of the crime. The police discovered that Eidman was living a double life. He was having an affair with a man who lived three hours away.
Investigators went on to trace Eidman's phone records and found a number that he frequently contacted. The phone number belonged to the same man Eidman was having an affair with. The victim's secret lover was eventually traced, who provided an alibi.
As per 20/20 season 47 episode 16, the man was made to go through a polygraph test, which he passed. He revealed that they had been in a relationship for some time and used to meet in hotels. With no evidence against him, all the charges were dismissed.
Diane revealed to the detectives that she did know about her husband's affair for some time. She found an email exchanged between them. Diane went on to confront Eidman, but he denied the accusations and brushed off the topic.
Daine was eventually made to undergo a polygraph test. Though she failed, she was not charged with Eidman's murder. The case eventually went cold until months later, when a DNA test reinitiated the investigation back again.
20/20 subject Bob Eidman's murderer was revealed with a DNA test result
As per 20/20 season 47 episode 16, while looking into the victim's body, investigators discovered that Eidman's wallet was missing. This could potentially implicate that the culprit had robbed the victim after his murder.
Detectives immediately decided to take DNA samples from Bob Eidman's back pocket and send it for a test. It was three years after the murder when the DNA test results from Eidman's back pocket arrived.
The DNA sample found matched a man named Paul White, who was a convicted criminal serving imprisonment for forgery. A few weeks after Bob Eidman's murder, White's car was fined for a traffic violation. Surprisingly, the car registered was a white Ford Focus, which was caught by the surveillance cameras at the crime scene.
As per the police records, a man named Cleo Hines was driving the car while Paul White was in the passenger seat. Hines was eventually tracked down and put into interrogation. Upon questioning, he accepted his involvement in the murder of Bob Eidman.
Hines revealed that he drove White to Eidman's office, waited for white, and shot and robbed the victim. When Paul White was confronted, he denied all the accusations even though his DNA was retrieved from the crime scene.
Despite his denyings, he was put on trial, which revealed it was an attempted robbery that turned into murder. As per 20/20 season 47 episode 16, it was in August 2012 when Paul White was found guilty of robbery and the first-degree murder of Bob Eidman.
A month later, White was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Clear Hines was also found guilty of his involvement in the crime. He was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery and also received two prison terms, however, with a possibility of parole. With the two culprits behind bars, Diane Eidman was set free from all the charges and proved not guilty.
Check our other episodes to learn details about more cases on ABC's 20/20.
