Neil Samson Katz

WHO KILLED KENT LEPPINK?

2008-03-12T00:13:00.006-04:00

In 1996 Kent Leppink was found dead on a small trail 90 miles south of Anchorage. He was shot three times at point blank range, no evidence how he got there or who killed him. But as police looked into his private life they found a tangled web. His fiance, Mechele Hughes, an exotic dancer at the Alaskan Bush Company, seemed to be engaged to two other men, at least the men thought so. At times Mechele lived in the same house with two of them, although not always the same two.

Police soon found a million dollar insurance policy on Kent's life naming Mechele as the beneficiary. And a strange letter written by Mechele and John Carlin, one of her other fiances, appeared to have lured Kent to the small town in which he died.

But with no physical evidence connecting anyone to the crime, it sat unsolved for 11 long years.

Since then Mechele has become a model PTA mom. She got a masters degree, married a doctor in Olympia, Washington, and has an eight-year old daughter. She is active in her school and church. She adamantly maintains her innocence and claims she has done nothing by try to help the investigation.

But Alaska's new cold case division is still gunning for Mechele and with new computer forensics and shocking new testimony they believe they finally have a case.

Love and Death in the Wild.
A 48 Hours Mystery

FRIENDS OF CRAIGSLIST KILLER

2009-04-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

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Childhood and college friends of alleged Craigslist Killer, Philip Markoff, spoke to our team at CBS News.

MARK FISHER

2009-02-24T11:43:00.004-05:00

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In 2003, Mark Fisher, a handsome NJ college student, was gunned down in Brooklyn after attending a house party with a group of people he had met in a Manhattan bar. The host of the party, John Guica, and a friend, Antonio Russo, were convicted and given 25 to life. Prosecutors said Guica and Russo were trying to toughen up their gang, the Ghetto Mafia.

But Guica's mother refused to believe her son was guilty and decided to go undercover to prove it.

Doreen Giuliano became Dee Quinn, a thinner, blonder, sexier version of herself and playing the damsel in distress set out to befriend one of the jurors. After months of secret audio recordings she claims the juror admitted to misconduct that could win a new trial for her son.

Through his lawyer, the juror says he did nothing wrong. Prosecutors will respond to Ms. Giuliano's motion for a new trial for her son on Thursday.

All Access Grammy Special

2009-01-29T17:25:00.003-05:00

My production team at CBS News is producing a prime time Grammy interview show hosted by Katie Couric. Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, Katie Perry, and Taylor Swift all sit down with us. We also shot 14 Grammy-nominated artists including Metallica, Ne-Yo, and Carrie Underwood. A little taste of Ne-Yo below. Catch all our interviews here.

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CBS Inauguration Part II

2009-01-21T12:19:00.004-05:00

Barack Obama was able to energize a new generation of voters. At CBS, we wanted to energize a new generation of reporters. So for the president elect's inauguration, we partnered with American University's graduate journalism program who sent more than a dozen young reporters into the melee. Armed with flip cams and wifi connections, they brought back colorful video reports from the field. Their reporting captured the voices of African Americans, young kids, and musicians who jammed through the night.

Three stories made it onto the CBS Hot Sheet political blog. Not bad for newbies.

In the Crowd: DC Jams for Obama
In the Crowd: Obama's Youngest Supporters
In the Crowd: Emotions Run Deep for African Americans

Producer / CBS News

CBS INAUGURATION COVERAGE

2009-01-21T12:11:00.004-05:00

Barack Obama was elected on the promises of change and hope. CBS News asked Americans in five cities, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis and Chicago about their hopes for the new president and their dreams for the next four years.

WATCH THEIR STORIES

Producer for CBS News

48 HOURS: VEGAS HEAT

2008-11-10T13:25:00.004-05:00

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On an early December morning outside Las Vegas, firefighters responded to a report of a possible brush fire. But what they found instead was a burning car, with the body of a woman inside. Who was this woman and what led to her murder?

Field Produced for CBS News / 48 Hours

POLYGAMY: A WORLD APART

2008-08-25T11:58:00.005-04:00

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April 3, 2008 -- Texas authorities invaded the compound of a polygamous Mormon sect and took more than 400 children into custody on fears of rampant sexual abuse and underage marriage. The Fundamentalist Church of Later Day Saints, or FLDS, struck back, accusing the state of kidnapping their children without cause or due process. They dared Texas prosecutors to present evidence of sexual abuse and fought their case all the way to the Texas Supreme Court, whose decision would hold the future for an entire generation of FLDS children.

Field Produced for CBS News / 48 Hours.

CBS NEWS: PALIN'S PREGNANCY PROBLEM?

2008-09-02T08:32:00.002-04:00

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Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin's daughter is one of 750,000 pregnant teens this year. While many parents and the party faithful are supportive, her own peers may be more judgmental.

Field Produced for CBS News

ON ASSIGNMENT: IRAN FOR PBS

2008-08-25T12:24:00.003-04:00

Friday Prayers in Tehran, July 2008

I have just returned from assignment in Iran for PBS Frontline World Rough Cuts. I am going to be a little mysterious about the story. It's fundamentally about the intersection of faith and science. I guarantee you will be surprised with what we found there. PBS will run our story online sometime in October.

In the meantime, here's a flickr gallery of some of our adventures.

IRAN: VOICES FROM THE STREET

2008-09-02T08:24:00.001-04:00

What does the country that invented "Death to America" really think about Americans and the upcoming presidential election? We took the streets of Tehran to find out. The answers may surprise you.

PBS Frontline World

'INDIA'S MISSING GIRLS' WINS SAJA NEW MEDIA AWARD

2008-08-25T12:15:00.004-04:00

My wife and I were honored to even be considered for a new media award from the South Asian Journalists Association. We were blown over when our little movie, India's Missing Girls, actually won.

2008 SAJA Awards List

VIETNAM CULTURE BY THE GLASS

2008-03-11T23:10:00.014-04:00

Over the last few years Vietnam has exploded as a serious foodie destination. From savory noodle broths to French infused pastries, the national cuisine seems to have it all. But for all good food there must be drink. And for the thirsty traveler, open to a few strange pit stops and the occasional tingling lips, a journey into Vietnam’s heart through its high-octane elixirs will not disappoint. It is this promise that recently drew my wife and me on a two week journey from the nation’s southern canals to its frigid northern mountains.

Most Emailed New York Times Travel Story Week of March 8th.

Read the New York Times Story
View the New York Times Video

VIETNAM PHOTOS

2008-01-28T18:17:00.001-05:00

Not exactly reporting, well not yet. My wife and I recently traveled to Vietnam, mostly for vacation, but partly for an upcoming New York Times travel story.

Here are some of the shots

NYT: ALZHEIMER'S, THE RAREST GENE

2008-01-13T10:12:00.001-05:00

One family's deadly struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's has given scientists a window into the disease and its genetic origins.

When Chuck Jackson was only fourteen he was forced to nurse his 44-year-old mother through Alzheimer's. Now, at 53, he has it too. In fact much of Chuck's family has been struck by the disease. Scientists discovered they carry a rare genetic mutation that almost always triggers early-onset Alzheimer's. But this genetic quirk may also offer clues on how to prevent or delay the disease in others.

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ROLANDA SHOW FEATURES INDIA'S MISSING GIRLS

2007-07-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

Rolanda Watts broadcasts a nationally syndicated radio show from LA. Her show is part of the Greenstone Network, a women's radio network. It's like Oxygen for radio. Rolanda brought Marisa and I on to talk about the documentary.
Listen

SOLSTICE FILM FESTIVAL PLAYS INDIA'S MISSING GIRLS

2007-07-17T15:21:00.000-04:00

We were honored to have India's Missing Girls be part of the Second Annual Solstice Film Festival in St. Paul, Minnesota.

PBS MOVES INDIA'S MISSING GIRLS TO YOUTUBE

2007-07-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

Finally.

INDIA'S MISSING GIRLS PREMIERES ON FRONTLINE/ WORLD ONLINE

2007-05-01T16:47:00.000-04:00

In 2006, when my wife and I traveled to India to live and work, the one issue that kept grabbing our attention was northern India's deep cultural preference for sons over daughters. The desire for sons can be so great, that some families, after having a girl or two, will abort female fetuses until they bear a son. The practice is called female feticide or sex selection. We trekked from the small farming villages of Punjab to the narrow alleys of New Delhi to find out why.

Now PBS Frontline/World is webcasting our documentary film on the topic.
CHECK IT OUT

NY TIMES RUNS SIX REAL ESTATE STORIES

2007-04-30T11:38:00.000-04:00

SEDONA

PALM SPRINGS

ASPEN

VIDEO: INDIA'S MISSING GENERATION

2006-11-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Indian Road Documentary: An exclusive look inside India's growing female feticide epidemic.

NOTE: Some video has not yet been cleared. This video is for demonstration only.
Read the Original Story as Published in the Washington Post and NJ Star Ledger

http://www.neilkatzphoto.com/video/feticide/movieplayer480270.html

NYT: GIFTS FROM UKRAINE

2007-01-16T11:40:00.000-05:00

Programs that allow children available for adoption to visit American families often lead to happily-ever-after, but sometimes end painfully. Produced for the New York Times.

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NYT: JAMES BROWN'S HARLEM FAREWELL

2007-01-01T17:35:00.000-05:00

Thousands of fans and mourners thronged the streets of Harlem to get a last chance to pay respects to the legendary rhythm and blues performer, who died Dec. 25. Geoff McGhee and I produced this piece for the New York Times.

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NYT: BRAIN FITNESS FOR BOOMERS AND BEYOND

2006-12-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

Brain health programs are aimed at baby boomers anxious about entering their golden years and at their parents trying to stave off memory loss or dementia. Produced for the New York Times.

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NYT: FIRST GAY VOWS FOR NEW YORK TIMES BROADBAND

2007-01-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

Peter Vincent and Clifton Taylor decided that their wedding could not wait for New York to legalize gay marriage. Produced for the New York Times.

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