By Karassa Stinchcomb

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and a University of North Florida Journalism class.

A pony-themed birthday party on May 25, 2002, was the last birthday Mary Futrill Petersen was able to spend with her 5-year-old daughter.

Three days later, her then 8-year-old son awoke around 7:30 a.m. to tell his mom he was hungry but when he went to rouse her, she wasn’t breathing. The frantic boy tried to call 911.

When he found the phone was not working, he dressed himself and his sister and went to a neighbor’s house to beg for help. Read more