Cracking the Case: 1989 Murder With Ties to Eagan to be Featured on TV Show

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The 1989 murder of woman who disappeared from Woodbury is the subject of an upcoming cable TV program.

The Investigation Discovery show Motives & Murders: Cracking the Case will feature the homicide of Sharon Bloom.

She worked at a 3M building in Woodbury and was killed by one of her co-workers, Woodbury police told Patch.

Cmdr. Jay Alberio with the Woodbury PD was working the streets at that time. He said the murder was suspected to have taken place in Eagan. The body was dumped in a cornfield in Rice County, he said. He recalled that she lived in Minneapolis.

Nick Godwin, head of documentaries for Cineflix, said the fact that it was “a real mystery” drew the attention of producers, who are always looking for “real dogged police work” to highlight on the program.

The fact that professional envy led to the murder was also interesting, Goodwin told Patch on the phone from the United Kingdom.

“It was very unusual,” he said.

Producers often talk to police or district attorneys, but also scan old newspaper articles and the internet for compelling stories for the show, Goodwin said. Woodbury police and state BCA officials were helpful in putting the program together, he said.

In the case of Sharon Bloom, it’s a complicated story to compress into 45 minutes, Goodwin said, and police thinking outside the box led to the conviction of the killer. 

According to a release from producers:

In November 1989, Sharon Bloom leaves work for lunch and never returns. Ten days later, her body is found brutally murdered in a cornfield, her skull fractured. Police have a more-than-likely suspect in mind, but with a lack of evidence, it takes 13 years to convict Shannon's (sic) killer.

The episode, titled Dying to Fit In, will air at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, on Investigation Discovery. Check its website for the local channel.

This show includes interviews with:

• David Koefod, Sharon’s Boyfriend
• Norma Bloom Greenberg, Sharon’s Cousin
• Det. David Hines, Woodbury Police Department
• Special Agent Ray Diprima, Minnesota BCA
• Sgt. Barry Cummans, Rice County Sheriff’s Department
• Jeff Thompson, Rice County Attorney
• Joe Friedberg, Defense Attorney

Motives & Murders: Cracking the Case “explores the emotional stories of those attempting to find closure in homicide investigations, from the victims’ families to the dedicated police officers,” according to the release. “Combining the thrill of mystery with the visceral experience of true-crime drama, this series presents competing versions of what may have happened and re-enacts the events from different perspectives as new evidence comes to light. Each episode follows along as those involved relentlessly search for the truth and follow the clues wherever they may lead."