Reality show 'Cold Justice' gets murder confession

TNT's reality series "Cold Justice" has led to a real murder confession and prosecution.

While shooting the series pilot in fall 2012, former Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler and her co-star, a former Las Vegas police detective, found evidence that a suicide 12 years ago wasn't a suicide at all.

The 2001 shooting of Pamela Shelly had been ruled a suicide until Siegler found evidence implicating Shelly's then-boyfriend, Joe Hendrick.

Attention surrounding the show's premiere Sept. 3 prompted a mistrial, but Hendrick, 41, confessed to the killing and changed his plea to guilty Sept. 10, and received a 22-year prison sentence.

"This was definitely a unique situation," said "Cold Justice" executive producer Jane Lipsitz. "Because so much time had passed between filming the pilot and going to trial, it was able to coincide with the airing."

The unscripted series premiered to 2.9 million viewers, putting it in the top 10 unscripted premieres in 2013, a much-needed turnaround for TNT, which recently flopped "72 Hours," "The Hero" and "The Great Escape"

Though "Cold Justice" has not yet been renewed for a second season, producers are scouting cases. Lipsitz says viewers close to unsolved crimes have flooded the show with requests.