CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty‘s halfway through a long day. Up early for an appearance on CBS’ Early Show, she may not wrap her day until well after tonight’s 48 Hours Mystery, which airs at 10 p.m. ET. Sure, the show’s on tape, but Moriarty isn’t, and she’ll be watching–and chatting–right along with viewers. “48 Hours is pretty idea for social networking,” Moriarty told Mediaite. “I like the connection with viewers.”

And tonight, via Facebook, she’ll lead a live discussion of the show along with family members of victims of the Long Island serial killer who’s the subject of tonight’s report. The goal is two-fold: not only to create a deeper connection between the show and its viewers, but also, perhaps, to harness the audience in the hopes of finding a clue that will lead to the killer who investigators fear will strike again. “A serial killer, by nature, they continue killing. And that’s the concern. That’s why there’s pressure on the police department to solve this case,” said Suffolk County (New York) Police commissioner Richard Dormer.

Moriarty, who’s led live Facebook chats with viewers before, loves the way social media connects her directly with the folks who watch her work–viewers who get deeply involved in the stories. “People will say ‘did you think about this, what about this evidence, did anyone take fingerprints, did anyone take DNA?’”

Tonight, there will be plenty to talk about. The family of Shannan Gilbert, who vanished near Gilgo Beach, New York, will be joining the Facebook chat. The search for Shannan led to the discovery of four women, each wrapped in burlap and buried near the same Long Island beach. Moriarty will reveal new information in the case on 48 Hours, and discuss details on Facebook. 48 Hours executive producer Susan Zirinsky, meanwhile, will lead an hourlong conversation on Twitter.

“Not only is it good for us, but people have an investment in the story,” said Moriarty. “I find that people feel more connected to the show when they can voice what they think of it–any way they want–and they’re talking to you directly.”

Halderman was, up until this mess broke wide open, an Emmy-winning producer for CBS’ 48 Hours. He was also a guy with a lot of friends at CBS, if his Facebook page is to be believed. They must all be stunned right now — this was their colleague, likely their friend, perhaps their boss or their mentor. And he tried to blackmail David Letterman. For $2 million dollars. What the hell was this guy thinking?

We don’t know that. But this is what we do know:

• Joe Halderman is 51, and lives in Norwalk, CT.
• Halderman has been a CBS News producer for decades, and worked on the old morning show, later “Evening News with Dan Rather,” and was shipped to London where he reported on various hotspots from around the world.
• He produced the Showtime documentary “Beslan: Three Days in September” about the school in the small Russian city of Beslan occupied by Chechen rebels (narrated by Julia Roberts.)
• He lists over 50 CBS staffers, plus friends from other networks including ABC and ESPN as Facebook friends, including many with high-level positions like 48 Hours Executive Producer Susan Zirinsky and former CBS News president Andy Heyward, Executive Editor at CBS News Al Briganti and legal analysts Andrew Cohen.
• He is divorced, some say it got messy (children invovled) and has been dating a woman who had worked at “48 Hours.”
• According to the NY Daily News, Halderman lived with CBS Late Show staffer Stephanie Birkitt citing public records out of New York (pictured below)

Read more:
NY Daily News: David Letterman reveals $2M sex affair

EW.com “David Letterman’s Girl Friday tells all”

Image of Stephanie Burkitt from EW.com

Image of Joe Halderman is from his Facebook page.