Plot Synopsis

Hosted by Maria Elena Salinas, THE REAL STORY WITH MARIA ELENA SALINAS is a one-hour series that tackles the issues that come along with a national story. By pushing aside the clutter that surrounds a sensationalized case, Maria brings to light what the media originally missed. In the series opener, "Confessions of an Innocent Man," tackles the heartbreaking story of Long Island resident Martin Tankleff, who as a teenager was convicted of murdering his mother and father. Tankleff's conviction was overturned in 2008 -- 17 years into a double-life sentence -- after a witness came forward with new information that flipped the case on its head. This vital witness, Karlene Kovacs, publically reveals her identity for the first time to discuss what compelled her to deliver a testimony that ultimately contributed to Tankleff's exoneration. And, in an emotional interview, Tankleff reveals to Salinas his side of the story from the moment he discovered his parents dead to the moment he was released from prison. Today, Tankleff is free and working hard to help other people who claim they've been wrongfully convicted by advocating for a new law that forces detectives to record confessions. Other high-profile stories re-investigated this season by Salinas include: a mother's decades-long quest for justice to discover the answers about Felix Vail, the oldest serial killer case in American history; the Deltona Massacre, in which a woman and five friends were beaten and murdered by squatters, who she had recently evicted from her grandmother's winter home; a Detroit shooting to which a 14-year old confessed -- then recanted -- causing Salinas to examine the skewed view of justice when dealing with life on the streets; and the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where Salinas uncovers groundbreaking information about the shooter's deepest secrets. Season 2 of THE REAL STORY WITH MARIA ELENA SALINAS premiered on Monday, June 4, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. In the season opener, "Jekyll & Hyde," Gary Bardwell's premonition about his daughter Jessie will turn into a waking nightmare when she goes missing and police investigate her disappearance as a homicide.
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On Monday, August 13, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT, Investigation Discovery premiered "Fatal Love Triangle," the Season 2 finale of THE REAL STORY WITH MARIA ELENA SALINAS. When a young mother turns up dead, and evidence of a volatile love triangle surfaces, the culprit seems obvious. But, as investigators learn, the truth isn't always what it seems.