Alina Burroughs has dedicated her career to forensic science and law enforcement, witnessing the darkest aspects of human nature. However, she has also emerged as a beacon of hope, both in her pursuit of justice for crime victims and as an inspiration for those seeking to transform their lives through weight loss and fitness.
A Career Rooted in Justice: Crime Scene Confidential
Alina Burroughs is the host of ID's "Crime Scene Confidential." The show takes a unique approach to true crime by examining evidence from the perspective of a crime scene investigator. This differs from traditional true crime documentaries or podcasts that focus on detectives or police officers.
Burroughs's background as a CSI provides a unique lens through which to view these cases. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the evidence from the perspective of those closest to the case. Her experience includes working on the investigation into the death of Caylee Anthony. Burroughs gave testimony in the trial of Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, who was tried and acquitted for her daughter’s death.
Unveiling the Human Side of Tragedy
Burroughs's work extends beyond the technical aspects of crime scene investigation. She also strives to humanize the victims and their families, who are often overlooked in the sensationalism surrounding criminal cases. She emphasizes that the world often only meets these individuals through the trauma of their death, missing the essence of who they were in life.
In the first episode of "Crime Scene Confidential," Burroughs interviews detectives who worked on Caylee’s case as well as the medical examiner who declared her dead. She also speaks to Cindy Anthony, Caylee’s grandmother and Casey’s mother, conducting the interview in the Anthony home and looking at scrapbooks of Caylee.
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Re-examining the Unsolved: The Case of Margie Coffey
Burroughs is also hopeful that a single mother of two young children who was murdered 35 years ago won’t be forgotten. In January 1988, Marjorie "Margie" Coffey’s body was found in an icy Ohio creek. Her winter scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck, leaving no doubt that she was strangled. Most of what could have been evidence at the crime scene, such as hairs and fingerprints, had long washed away.
The series explores how forensic science is used to solve high-profile cases across the country. It features interviews with loved ones, investigators associated with the cases being featured and other key players. In each episode, she uses modern science to re-examine the high-profiled cases.
The Personal Nature of Strangulation
Burroughs highlights the disturbing nature of strangulation as a crime. "You have to be very close to your victim in order to strangle them physically," she shared. "When you put yourself in the suspect’s place, to have your hands physically on somebody, you have to be mentally OK with watching life leave their body. That’s very personal. There’s a connection, some sort of hatred. You have to be OK with that. And that’s the type of human being we have to look for, someone who is going to be physically OK with watching someone’s life end."
Remembering Margie Coffey
Burroughs emphasizes that Margie Coffey was trying her best to provide a better life for her children. She made them her entire life. She had a good relationship with her parents. Her brother was the one who identified Margie’s body.
Burroughs traveled to Mansfield in the dead of winter to revisit the crime scene. She spoke to those associated with the Margie Coffey case. According to the special, Coffey and the married father of three were involved in a sexual relationship. A friend of Coffey’s said that she may have believed the two could have had a long-term relationship but was aware it wouldn’t work out.
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Justice Served, Questions Remain
Charles Oswalt, who appeared on "Crime Scene Confidential," maintain his innocence. Oswalt was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and gross abuse of a corpse, the Mansfield News Journal reported. According to the outlet, he served almost 16 years of a 10- to 25-year sentence. He was paroled in 2004.
Burroughs said it was important to get Oswalt’s side in the special. Today, Coffey’s loved ones want to remember the mother they lost. "We want people to remember that she was someone," Burroughs continued. "She studied hard. She liked getting a cup of coffee late at night in between her studies. And she was studying so hard because her children were so important to her. She was thinking about her future and giving them a better life. We want people to know she was loved. And she’s still missed."
A Personal Transformation: Alina Burroughs's Weight Loss Journey
Beyond her work in forensic science, Alina Burroughs has also inspired many with her personal journey of weight loss and self-discovery. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, self-acceptance, and finding joy in movement.
Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Change
When Alina, now 39, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and told it could make it difficult for her to have kids, she decided it was time to make some health changes. "I had always wanted to be a mom," she says. "I'd been larger my whole life, but I realized my weight wasn't just affecting me but affecting my future."
At 300 pounds, she felt too embarrassed to exercise in public, but her parents had a treadmill in the garage. "I would wait until everybody else went to sleep," she says, before she'd sneak into the garage to walk. Progress was slow, sometimes painfully so. "I was losing 3 or 4 pounds a month and wondering if it was even worth it," she says.
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Discovering the Joy of Movement
About a year later felt comfortable enough to check out aerobics and Jazzercise classes at a local gym. Over 10 years later, she's now a muscular 190 pounds and even became a Jazzercise instructor. She's tried pole dancing, aerial yoga, kickboxing, obstacle races, and more. "I have defined myself as an athlete," she says. "Before, I felt like I wasn't invited to the big fun party that was getting in shape.
Lessons in Perseverance and Self-Acceptance
Alina Burroughs's story is a powerful reminder that personal transformation is possible with dedication and a positive mindset. She encourages others to find activities they enjoy and to celebrate their progress, no matter how small.
Inspiration from Others
Alina Burroughs is not the only one who has gone through a weight loss journey. Jolie Beldini, Darcey Elias, Lareen Strong, Kat Carney, Luz Rodriguez and Suzanne Andrews have also had their own unique experiences.
Jolie Beldini
Gastric bypass surgery helped Jolie cut back from nearly 400 pounds. About 10 years ago, she had plateaued at 200, but she wasn't satisfied. "I had never worked out, but I love to dance," she says. A friend recommended the Vixen Workout, a hip-hop cardio dance class for women, and it was love at first sweat. "I became a total groupie," Jolie says. She started going daily, sometimes twice a day, and limiting her calories, and in 4 months she had dropped 60 pounds. "I feel the best I've ever felt in my life at 42," she says. "I used to think I'd never be successful with exercise until I found dancing. It's about finding what you love and being consistent. I'm living proof.
Darcey Elias
Darcey, now 44, was hovering at about 190 pounds when her mom passed away. "I kind of hit rock bottom both in terms of my weight and with my grief," she says. She also moved to a new town around the same time. "I was approaching 40, profoundly unhappy, and alone in a brand new community." But she also felt like she had been handed a chance for a new start, so she downloaded a beginner 5K app on her phone. "I wasn't a runner prior to using the app," which tells you when to switch between walking and running over a 30-minute workout, she says. "I thought I'd never be able to do a 5K, but you build each day from a small success the day before. You're training your mind at the same time as you're training your body." She found running helped with her grief, too.
Lareen Strong
In April 2013, it dawned on Lareen that her daughter was going to be heading off to college soon. "I had focused all this attention on being a single mom and a great employee and I hadn't spent any time on myself," she says. At 341 pounds, she decided one way to give herself some special attention was to lose weight. Around the same time, she came across a video detailing the benefits of a daily 30-minute walk. It was still chilly outside in her hometown in Utah, so she hopped on a stationary bike instead. "I only wanted to do exercises I could commit to for the rest of my life," she says. Starting out, she was lucky if she could pedal for 12 minutes with zero resistance. But she worked her way up to 30 minutes, and by April 2015 she was down to 150 pounds. Typical weight loss workout: 30 minutes on the stationary bike, 7 days a week.
Kat Carney
The 47-year-old from Atlanta, who blogs at TheWeighWeWere.com used to be almost completely sedentary. "I was what you could call a pure couch potato," she says. "I had no exercise, fitness, or sports background. I thought people who exercised were crazy." But seeing the number on the scale creep up past 240 made her realize it was time to make some changes. She started small, with simple walking on a home treadmill, adding a minute every day until she could walk 30 to 45 minutes at a time. By then, she'd lost enough weight to feel comfortable trying some classes at the gym, and after 14 months she'd lost 90 pounds. But, as she says, "life happens," and 50 pounds eventually crept back on. She started taking note of the fitness habits of a football player who lived in her apartment building, and he introduced her to a trainer. That was about 3 years ago, and today she weighs 155 pounds. "For me, consistency is key," she says. Typical weight loss workout: 30-minute walk, 5 days a week.
Luz Rodriguez
"I've always been active, I just love to eat a lot more," says Luz, a 60-year-old attorney, but when she started feeling sluggish and achy at 57, she knew something was up. At 322 pounds, she cycled through a handful of doctors who didn't take her seriously because of her weight. But when she finally found someone willing to give her the care she deserved, she was shocked by the results: stage 1 ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy led to an 80-pound weight loss, and that's when she decided to join Retro Fitness Gym, conveniently located in the same building as her office. Today, Luz is down 152 pounds and has been chemo-free for a year. She's looking to lose about 20 more pounds to reach her goal weight of 140. "These last 20 pounds have been the hardest to lose," she says. "I keep a picture of what I used to look like to motivate myself.
Suzanne Andrews
The 53-year-old founder and host of Functional Fitness on PBS and president of HealthWiseExercise.com expected her fitness background would come in handy after giving birth in her 30s. "I was 186 pounds, and since I'm only 5'2", I was uncomfortably large," she says. The extra pressure on her joints from those added pounds made every step excruciating; walking to shed pounds was out of the question. "A physical therapist helped me realize that exercise was the one thing I needed to do to get rid of the pain," she says, and she promptly designed herself a routine she could do sitting down. "It wouldn't hurt my joints, and I could gradually progress to a more challenging standing level," she explains. "Little did I know I was designing the context of my future PBS series!" She also credits meditation with her 60-pound loss.