'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAJvMCF//xAAgEAABAwMFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQFABMiAQcRIVEx/9oACAEBAAE/ACfy8PuHBxsmaBpuTIAbtcUEhUT848KrNvAfg9aV/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARIv/aAAgBAgEBPwBdVP/EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAIv/aAAgBAwEBPwBMDf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover the brutal murder of Cathy Swartz and the impact of the same on everyone involved, including Mike Warner, her fiancee, who never really recovered from the massive blow. The high-profile case was not solved immediately, rather, it took as long as 35 years for the authorities to finally crack it.
The upcoming episode of 20/20, which premieres on Friday, March 7, 2025, will cover this case in more detail. The episode airs at 9 pm EST on ABC, and the synopsis for the episode reads:
"“20/20” co-anchor David Muir reports on the murders of two young women — each unsolved for decades — and how they are linked by cutting-edge forensic DNA technology that cracked open the cases and led to long-awaited justice. This all-new episode of “20/20”"
Trending
One of the people most impacted by Cathy Swartz's murder was Mike Warner, and he himself had many bad years after he saw his fiancee die in a gruesome manner. While he likes to keep his life private, he did discuss some of the challenges he faced in a 2023 interview.
An iconic Seinfeld character in a brand new role RIGHT HERE
Ahead of the episode of 20/20, let us go over what Mike Warner faced after his 19-year-old fiancee was brutally murdered in their home.
Who was Mike Warner, and what happened to him?
Mike Warner was just 18 years old when he met Cathy Swartz. Cathy was a single mother with a six-month-old child, Courteney, but Mike fell in love with her. Their love affair bloomed quickly, and within months, they were engaged and had even moved in together.
They had a joyful relationship, and they visualized a beautiful future together. Mike had also wholeheartedly accepted the role of raising Courteney.
On the night of December 1, 1988, before anything went wrong, the couple enjoyed a hearty meal and played board games. They went to bed at midnight, and though four of his friends knocked on their door that night, he asked them to go away. Mike went to work the next morning.
However, when he returned home, he discovered a shocking sight. Cathy Swartz was lying in a pool of blood. Mike immediately called the authorities. An autopsy revealed that Cathy was beaten, strangled, and stabbed in the neck. The killer had also allegedly tried to assault her.
Mike Warner was quick to be suspected, but he was at work the whole time and was cleared off soon after.
What happened to Mike Warner after Cathy's murder?
Mike Warner went on a downward spiral after the murder. The case was not solved back then, and he turned to alcohol, as revealed by him in a 2023 interview. He revealed that alcoholism became his coping mechanism for a while after the murder.
He did not divulge many details about his personal life, but he revealed that he never married after that. When he heard of Robert Waters getting arrested for the crime decades after the murder and later committing suicide, he said, "Easy way out for him, I guess."
The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in more detail when it premieres tonight. Stay tuned for more updates.
