An Investigation Discovery True Crime Subject Was in an Episode of 'Law & Order'

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The world is full of tragic cases, but one little-known case has been getting more attention in recent years thanks to the rise of true crime documentaries. The story of actor Alexandra "Zandra" Ducsay has been told in various documentaries over the years and was recently featured on an episode of Investigation Discovery’s A Time to Kill.

But Ducsay isn’t just the subject of a true crime documentary. The 26-year-old was an actor on the up and up after she appeared in an episode of Law & Order. So, who was she in Law & Order and what happened to her?

In May 2006, Ducsay’s mother found her dead in the basement of their Milford, Conn. home. While there was a kitchen knife blade next to Ducsay’s body, it was believed that one of her childhood trophies, which was missing from the collection, was the murder weapon. There was also a small piece of rare black vinyl tape over her mouth, which eventually led police to Ducsay’s ex-boyfriend, Matthew Pugh.

Pugh worked at one of the only three outlet stores to carry that type of tape, and a roll was later found in his house. In 2012, Pugh’s cousins also testified that he intended to kill Ducsay after she reported him for harassment. In 2017, Pugh was finally sentenced to 60 years in prison for Ducsay's murder.

Ducsay was described by her family as a hard-working and passionate young woman. She graduated magna cum laude from Albertus Magnus and ran a charity called Xandra’s Kids, which delivered holiday gifts to children in need.

Ducsay was in the prime of her career at the time of her murder. Not only was she working and spending her weekends dancing, but she was also a member of the Screen Actors Guild. She appeared in a 2006 episode of Law & Order and despite several people’s greatest efforts, it’s nearly impossible to track down which episode she was in and who she played.

With over 485 episodes of Law & Order since 1990, thousands of guest stars have appeared on the show since its inception. Because Ducsay was an up-and-comer, it’s very possible that she just had a background role in one of the 2006 episodes, since she’s neither credited on IMDb nor has NBC kept the record of who she played.

Back in 2019, when Ducsay’s episode of A Time to Kill first aired, Redditors attempted to find the episode she was in without any luck. One alleged that Ducsay was actually in six episodes, but without a source, we can't confirm or deny that it’s true. So for now, we’re ready to binge all the 2006 episodes of Law & Order to see if we can find Ducsay and honor her memory.