FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Arizona Crime Uncovered is an expansion of ABC15's series working to bring awareness to victims who are still awaiting justice and providing an in-depth look at cases still unfolding.
Each episode of Arizona Crime Uncovered breaks down a timeline of the case, where it stands now, and if any help is needed from the community.
Our latest episode examines the murder of 16-year-old Eric Kane in 1986. The teen was killed by his camp roommate, Jacob Wideman, at a Flagstaff hotel. It was a murder without motive and a story that made national headlines. The decades-old case is back in the spotlight as Eric's killer pushes to be released on home arrest. With a hearing just weeks away, ABC15's Ashley Holden spoke with the teen victim's dad in his first-ever sit-down interview.
ABC15 started following Wideman's case in 2016 when Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing reported that the convicted murderer had married two of his prison psychologists. Eight years ago, his wife, Dr. Marta DeSoto, had a lucrative contract with the Arizona Department of Child Safety to evaluate parents. After ABC15's story, her contract was cut.
A controversial vote by the Board of Executive Clemency, also in 2016, released Wideman on home arrest. But less than a year later, he was sent back behind bars after failing to make an appointment with a psychologist by a set date. Since then, Wideman and his legal team have filed multiple special actions, also saying the revocation process that followed didn't follow due process. That battle has taken Wideman and his attorney before the board and multiple Superior Court judges.
In the fall of 2024, a new possible path forward for Wideman was revealed.
Eric's dad, Sandy Kane, was sent a settlement agreement the board will consider on December 3. If the board agrees, the State Attorney General's office told ABC15 a judge would still have to approve it.
The agreement would place the convicted killer, now in his 50's, back on home arrest.
"So, I'm horrified about that possibility," said Eric's dad Sandy Kane. "I take solace in the fact that the board has the right to turn them down, and I'm hoping that they will do that. But I'll be anxious. I'll be honest, and say I'm anxious about December 3."
RELATED: Victim's family questions legitimacy, circumstances of convicted murderer's release
ABC15 spent weeks reaching out to the Department of Corrections, the State Attorney General's Office, the Board of Executive Clemency, and those who have played a role in this case.
Watch part one of this Arizona Crime Uncovered episode in the player above. Watch the full episode on your ABC15 TV streaming app at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and throughout the weekend.
Watch recent episodes of our crime series in the player below:
