When Justice Fails: The Case of Kirstin Blaise Lobato

In July 2001, a man was found brutally murdered behind a Nevada State Bank near the Las Vegas Strip. The crime was horrific—gruesome injuries, disturbing forensic evidence, and a scene that stunned even seasoned investigators.

But the tragedy didn’t end with his death. Just days later, an 18-year-old woman named Kirstin Blaise Lobato—who had never met the victim—was arrested for his murder. She had an alibi. She had no known connection to the man. She was 170 miles away from the crime scene. And yet, she would go on to spend more than 16 years in prison.

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In this week’s episode of Sins and Survivors, we take you inside one of the most disturbing wrongful conviction cases in Nevada history. Part 1 of this two-part series explores the events leading up to Blaise’s arrest, the mishandling of key evidence, and the investigation that ignored critical red flags.

This is a story about what happens when the justice system prioritizes closure over truth—when a rumor becomes more powerful than an alibi, and when trauma survivors are treated as suspects instead of human beings.

From Panaca to Las Vegas, from small-town whispers to life-altering consequences, we break down the timeline, the players, and the gaps in logic that led to a devastating miscarriage of justice.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes descriptions of sexual assault and injuries that may be disturbing to some listeners. We include these details only when necessary to understand the gravity and context of the case.