by Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

Residents of Polk and Henderson counties know the story all too well but the rest of the country will see the murder of Vanessa Mintz on CBS’s 48 Hours Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 p.m. in an episode called “The Ulimatum.”

“Two daughters are determined to find their mother’s killer,” states 48 Hours’ website. “Will the investigation expose hidden secrets? Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. “

The sneak peak of Saturday’s program begins on the sheep farm of retired N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) special agent Steve Modlin, of Polk County, who narrates how the discovery of Modlin’s body unfolded.

Van Sant and Modlin are shown at the Saluda Mountain Lodge, where the murder occurred on Feb. 19, 2011.

The sneak peak then turns to interviews with Mintz’ two daughters, Jessica Freeman, who discovered her mother, and Andrea Little Gray.

As Gray speaks of her mother being hilarious, quick witted, motherly and the life of the party, video of Mintz with a grandbaby is shown.

“Feb. 19, 2011 never leaves my mind,” Freeman said in the interview. “

She said that morning she found it really strange that her mom had not texted or called.

Modlin then explained that Freeman came to the lodge into the guest quarters and immediately saw her mother in the bed.

“It’s very dark,” Freeman said, “and the only illumination in the room is coming from the TV.”

She called her sister Gray, a nurse, who asked if their mother was breathing. She asked if Freeman had checked for a pulse.

“And she just screamed blood curdling screams,” Gray said of Freeman.

Modlin continues back at the lodge describing that Mintz had been shot once in the face and once in the forearm area.

“This was certainly a very violent death,” Modlin said. “There was no forced entry. The cash drawer in the front office was open and was empty. There’s nothing out of place except for her shoes on the bedroom floor and a shotgun shell. The fact that she is in bed in her night clothing it is my opinion she was ambushed.”

Van Sant asked Modlin if that suggested Mintz knew her killer and Modlin answered “yes.”

“My heart has been ripped out and it’s laying in there dead with her,” said Freeman.

The clip ends with Gray saying what her mother’s murder was about.

“This was money and sex driven,” Gray said, “and how disgusting is that? To murder someone for?”

Mintz’ husband, Travis Lee McGraw, of Hendersonville stood trial in late May/early June 2014 and was found guilty of the murder of his wife. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole and has appealed the conviction. 48 Hours was the only video camera allowed at the trial at the Polk County Courthouse in Columbus.

To see the sneak peak of “The Ultimatum,” go to www.cbsnews.com/48-hours.