The berkeley, california fire department responds to a house fire in the early morning hours of june 25, 1994. Firefighters discover the body of a 59-year-old woman near the fireplace. Her body had been badly burned and investigators speculated her death was accidental, though an autopsy suggested otherwise. Also discovered, was the fact that the deceased’s best friend and personal manager had recently cleaned out her bank account, suggesting investigators now had a homicide on their hands.