Stunning new details about the murder of a local college student.

Chris Jenkins died more than four years ago. His parents have no answers. But they shared exclusive information about the investigation with the I-Team's John Mercure.

Jenkins was from the Burlington area, but the student athlete decided to go to college in Minneapolis - until Halloween night in 2002, when he left the Lone Tree Bar and disappeared.

His body was found a few months later floating in the Mississippi River. Police declared the death an accident.

But his parents knew that was wrong. And for the next four years they went through utter hell to prove that Chris was murdered.

"I couldn't even begin to put into words how heinous it is to continue to go through the death of a son that you absolutely adored," Jan Jenkins tearfully told us.

"It's a revolving nightmare that doesn't improve," Steve Jenkins added.

Finally, six months ago, police changed the explanation. Chris Jenkins' death officially became a murder.

But it was a murder with no suspects.

The police investigation was a nightmare involving untested DNA evidence and unquestioned witnesses.

Is it a botched investigation spiraling out of control? Or could it be something worse?

A private investigator says it's a cover-up.


THE FACTS

The facts: Jenkins, his girlfriend and some buddies spent Halloween evening at the Lone Tree Bar near the University of Minnesota campus.

Shortly before closing time, Jenkins was kicked out. Witnesses say an off duty Minneapolis cop who was flirting with Chris's girlfriend actually booted him from the bar.

That's the last time anyone ever saw him alive.

"We know how he came into the world. We have no idea, or at least not much of one, about when he left. Other than he was the victim of a homicide," Jan Jenkins told us.

Police only know there was a murder. But they don't have any suspects... and no one is in custody. And the Jenkins' hopes are fading again.

"Right now it feels like the same old circle again," Jan told us quietly.

We've uncovered why.

THE EVIDENCE

When Chris' body was pulled from the river he was clutching some DNA material in his hand.

Sources tell us that it has never been tested. No DNA. No forensics.

That bothers Chris' dad, Steve, a lot. "Chris came floating down like he was in a lounge chair. This hand clenched, protecting it. They pried it open and there was foreign matter in it. Why was he protecting it? Because he knew what he had he needed to save."

"What is in that foreign matter is critical to this case," says private investigator Chuck Loesch. He's worked the case since Chris disappeared.

"It's the most destructive case I've ever worked on in my life. There's more twists, turns, lies, cover-ups, non cooperation among different agencies. You can put state, city, federal, all in that category," is his opinion.

On the night of his death, shortly after Chris left the bar, several witnesses saw his girlfriend wearing the uniform and badge of the cop that kicked Chris out. That's a clear violation of police department policy. There are also reports the cop left with Chris' girlfriend.

That Minneapolis police officer was never interviewed about the night Chris was killed. And a source inside the Minneapolis P. D. says when Chris' girlfriend was questioned, she was, "holding back big time."

We tried to ask police and prosecutors many questions that the Jenkins' and we have about the night Chris died. Like the Jenkins, our calls here were never answered.

"I believe that people close to the truth in this case are also involved in the case in one form or another," Loesch said.

"Once again we're hearing things and they don't match what we've learned," Jan said.

THE QUESTIONS

Many questions remain. Why was Chris Jenkins killed? Did his girlfriend have anything to do with it? Are police involved in a possible cover-up? But the toughest question of all may be will all these other questions ever be answered? "

Jan doesn't hold out much hope. "Do I believe that we'll ever know what happened to our son? Frankly, whoever would do something like this; do I think they're going to tell the truth?" That would be no."

Steve Jenkins can't handle it anymore. "Every night for four and a half years we end the night by talking about what happened, where we go next, and this has got to stop.... absolutely has to stop."

For Jan, life is changed forever. "The sun doesn't shine as bright. The joys aren't, and never will be, quite the same. I would think that's enough for any parent to have to deal with."