SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Appears in True Crime Docuseries ‘Me Hereafter’
SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Kelly R. Ficner drew upon her experience as a criminalist to add authenticity to a new true crime show.
Ficner reflected on a case from her past career with the St. Paul Police Video Management Unit in episode three of the ABC docuseries “Me Hereafter,” available on Hulu. She was responsible for video collection and analysis on the well-documented 2013 murder case of Kira Steger, a 30-year-old clothing store employee at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
Steger’s husband, Jeffery Trevino, became the prime suspect in the murder case after her work colleagues noted her absence, and they found her car in the mall parking lot.
“The forensic video gave a timeline of Jeffrey’s movements and gave us an indication of his path,” Ficner said. “We could see him after being at the mall, which corresponded with the other evidence in the case. We also saw video of the car at the mall, freeway footage and neighborhood recordings telling us where he was and when he was there.”
Committee Films produced the portions of Me Hereafter featuring Ficner. The true crime series uses investigative footage, interrogation videos, dramatic reenactments and interviews and provides a voice for victims as detectives investigate their murders.
“Most shows we see are from someone else’s viewpoint; this one is from the victim’s perspective,” Ficner said. “We often know the killers’ names, but we very rarely hear about their victims.”
In 2021, Ficner appeared on Investigation Discovery’s documentary series “See No Evil” related to the same case. The show also cast an actor to portray her during forensic video analysis scenes.
The SUNY Canton faculty member references the Steger case in her classes. She said she would use both television shows to allow students to compare the reenactments while learning more about the case.
Ficner noted that another faculty member from the college’s Center for Criminal Justice may also use this material in an upcoming class. “We will be offering a Media and Crime course as part of the Forensic Criminology program this fall,” she said.
Other cases Ficner worked on have been highlighted in television shows, including “First 48,” “Ice Cold Killers,” “Forensic Files,” and “Gangland.”
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.