PORTAGE | It has been nearly 18 years since 8-year-old Sarah Paulsen's body was found in a wooded area near her home here.
The murder, which was solved just a few months later, will be featured Tuesday night during the airing of an episode of the Investigation Discovery channel's "Nightmare Next Door."
Assistant Police Chief Bill Mesich, who was a detective in August 1995 when the young girl was killed, said producers contacted the department last year and spent more than a week in Portage last October filming the program, interviewing him and retired department members Dave Reynolds and Terry Swickard about the case that stunned the city.
Mesich said they also interviewed Paulsen's family, who agreed to participate in the program because they wanted people to remember Sarah and to remind families of what can happen, said Mesich.
Eugene Britt was arrested in November 1995 and pleaded guilty to killing the young girl. He was sentence to life plus 100 years. His arrest in the Paulsen case led to charges against Britt for a string of murders in Lake County.
Mesich said the program is a combination of interviews and re-enacted scenes from the case. He said producers said they found the case interesting.
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