The Trail Went Cold

November 12, 1988. Chandler, Oklahoma. While transporting a shipment to Oklahoma City, 27-year old truck driver Dwayne McCorkendale pulls over at a rest area to phone his wife, but he is fatally shot in the back before he is robbed. During this time period, numerous truck drivers report being harassed by the occupants of a brown Ford Pinto, who allegedly made remarks over their CB radio about having killed a trucker. Three decades later, investigators explore the possibility that a deceased woman known only as the “El Dorado Jane Doe” was involved in Dwayne’s murder, but even though she is eventually identified, this crime is never solved. September 22, 2000. Primm, Nevada. While transporting a shipment from Los Angeles to Alberta, 28-year old Canadian truck driver Trevor Angell stops at Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino, but he vanishes without a trace and his abandoned truck is discovered in the parking lot. Prior to his disappearance, Trevor’s ATM card was used to make nine withdrawals from his bank account

October 7, 2015. La Grange, California. After he fails to return to his home in San Jose from a motorcycle trip to Oroville, 53-year old Robert Kope is found dead by the side of a remote country road. Robert has been strangled to death with a zip tie, but there are no apparent signs of struggle and his motorcycle is located down the road a quarter-mile away from his body. Seven years earlier, Robert had been engaged to be married to a woman who died after being strangled with a zip tie, but her death was ruled to be a suicide and investigators are unable to uncover a connection between the two deaths or a logical motive for Robert’s murder. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a perplexing crime known as “The Zip Tie Murder” which has gone unsolved for over a decade. Special thanks to listener Phoebe Holmes for narrating the opening of this episode. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department at (209) 525-7080. Additional Readin

April 9, 2008. Gastonia, North Carolina. After having spent the previous day suffering from a stomach virus, 22-year old Jamie Fraley speaks to a friend on the phone from her apartment during the early morning hours. She says that someone has shown up to give her a ride to the hospital, but after the call ends, Jamie is never heard from again. Suspicion turns towards her fiancée’s father, Ricky Simonds Sr., who lived at Jamie’s apartment complex and had allegedly displayed inappropriate behavior towards her. Two months later, Ricky Sr. is found dead after trapping himself inside the trunk of his estranged ex-girlfriend’s car and succumbing to heat stroke, but even though he is investigated for potential involvement in Jamie’s disappearance, there is not enough evidence to implicate him and Jamie is never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved disappearance of Jamie Fraley. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Gaston County Police Department a

March 18, 1981. Springfield, Illinois. An unknown assailant walks into the Lauterbach Cottage Hardware Store to commit a robbery and grabs an axe from the shelf to bludgeon three victims: the 48-year old co-owner, Yvonne Lauterbach; a 37-year old sewing machine repair shop owner, Floyd Giddings; and a 64-year old customer, John Ewing. While John is pronounced dead at the scene, Yvonne and Floyd manage to survive, but are left with debilitating injuries. Numerous witnesses describe seeing a light-skinned man leaving the store right before the bodies were discovered, but even though a psychiatric patient and a convicted robber are each looked at as potential suspects, there is not enough evidence to implicate anyone and the Lauterbach Hardware Axe Attacks remain unsolved.  November 10, 1993. Warminster, Pennsylvania. 20-year old Seann Campbell and his 20-year old friend, Bryan Benson, show up to work the closing shift together at a West Coast Video store, but when the owner arrives the following morning, he dis

June 17, 1969. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 12-year-old Patty Chesher leaves her residence in order to go door-to-door and sell some raffle tickets, but after her next-door neighbour purchases a ticket, she vanishes without a trace. While the police initially suspect that Patty ran away voluntarily, her family does not believe this and when she fails to resurface, investigators start exploring the possibility that she was the victim of foul play. Four decades later, it is announced that no less than four persons of interest popped up on the radar after drawing suspicion with some questionable behaviour after Patty went missing, but there is no conclusive evidence to implicate any of them and Patty is never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we travel to Albuquerque in order to explore a missing children’s case which has gone unsolved for over 57 years. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Albuquerque Police Department at (505) 242-2677. Additional Reading: https://c

October 27, 2006. Sacramento County, California. While performing his overnight patrol duty for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, 38-year old Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Mitchell sends a message to dispatch that he has pulled over a white Chevrolet van with no plates in a rural area. Minutes later, a clicking noise is heard on the radio and Jeffrey is soon found dead on the ground behind his patrol car, as it turns out he had gotten into a violent struggle before he was shot in the head with his own service revolver. Twelve hours later, a white Chevrolet van containing the bodies of 43-year old Allan Shubert and 28-year old Nicole Welch is found in the Cosumnes River over 20 miles away and it is determined that they succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Over the years, law enforcement explores the possibility that Allan and Nicole’s deaths are connected to Jeffrey’s murder, but no conclusive answers can be found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the bizarre murder of a police

October 8, 1976. Benton County, Indiana. A farmer discovers a large cardboard shipping box in his cornfield which contains the body of an elderly woman who has been shot through the head. Since the victim cannot be identified, she remains a Jane Doe and is nicknamed “The Box Lady of Benton County”. Nearly 50 years later, genetic genealogy finally identifies the victim as 69-year old Jane Hart, who lived in Chicago around the time of her death, but the identity of her killer and the motive for the crime remain unknown. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved murder of Jane Hart, a former Jane Doe whose recent identification has also brought up more questions than answers. In addition, this episode will also explore the story of a Jane Doe from Benton County, Arkansas who was found murdered in 1990, but was identified three decades later as a 28-year old victim named Donna Sue Nelton. Special thanks to listener Shane Beneke for narrating the opening of this episode. if you have

January 26, 1980. Nantucket, Massachusetts. The brother of 49-year old Margaret Kilcoyne wakes up and discovers that she is missing from her vacation home, even though her car, coat and winter boots have been left behind. Prior to her disappearance, Margaret had completed a scientific research breakthrough at her job in New York City, but was also displaying erratic behaviour to suggest she was suffering from mental health issues. Over one week later, some of Margaret’s personal items, including her wallet and passport, are discovered in a swamp area about a mile from her residence, though the authorities suspect the items may have been planted there following the original search effort for her. While Margaret’s brother believes that she chose to end her own life by walking to a nearby beach and drowning herself in the Atlantic Ocean, other people associated with the case suspect that something else happened, but no trace of Margaret is ever found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we travel to

April 26, 1970. East Pikeland Township, Pennsylvania. While on a weekend camping trip with his Boy Scout troop, eleven-year old Terry Bowers is discovered dead inside his sleeping bag after having been stabbed four times during the early morning hours. Even though Terry was sleeping outside and there were nearly 30 other people at the campsite, no one reported seeing or hearing anything unusual and the murder weapon cannot be found. An extensive investigation turns up some leads, but no solid suspects, so Terry’s murder is never solved and the motive for the crime remains unclear. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the death of Terry Bowers, one of the most perplexing child murders you’ll ever find. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Embreeville station of the Pennsylvania State Police at (610) 486-6280 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (1-800-472-8477). Additional Reading: https://6abc.com/post/47-years-later-boy-scouts-death-remains-a-myst

June 6, 1993. Windsor, North Carolina. After a Be-Lo supermarket closes for the night, a gunman emerges from a hiding spot and forces the two employees - 47-year old manager Grover “Bud” Cecil and 36-year old casher Joyce Coburn Reason - to hand over $3,000 from the safe. The gunman then orders the employees and four members of an after-hours cleaning crew - 48-year old Johnnie Rankins, 40-year old Sylvester “Tony” Welch”, 48-year old Thomas Hardy and his 50-year old brother Jasper Hardy - to the back of the store, where they are bound and stacked on top of each other before they are shot. While Bud, Joyce and Johnnie are killed, the other three victims survive and provide a description of the perpetrator, but he is never tracked down or identified. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore an horrific and baffling crime known as the “Be-Lo Murders”, which has gone unsolved for over 30 years. If you have information about this case, please contact the Windsor Police Department at (252) 794-3

June 24, 1974. Burlington, New Jersey. 14-year old Margaret Ellen Fox boards a bus to travel to the nearby township of Mount Holly in order to meet a man named John Marshall and never returns home. Days earlier, Margaret had placed an ad in the newspaper offering her services as a babysitter and received a phone call from Marshall, who offered her a job babysitting his son, but it seems apparent this was a set-up. Margaret’s family receives a phone call and a pair of letters demanding a $10,000 ransom for her safe return, but the kidnapper eventually ceases all communication and Margaret is never found. October 9, 1984. Mercedes, Texas. 21-year old Kim Leggett disappears while working a shift at her workplace, the Ross Gin Company. Witnesses report having last seen Kim speaking with a pair of unidentified men, so there is fear that she was the victim of an abduction. Kim’s family receives a phone call from an anonymous man demanding money for her safe return and they soon receive a ransom letter for $250,000

August 25, 1973 Adelaide, Australia. While attending a football match at the Adelaide Oval stadium alongside their respective families, 11-year old Joanne Ratcliffe and four-year old Kirste Gordon leave their seats to go to the toilet together, but never return. After Joanne and Kirste are reported missing, numerous eyewitnesses report having seen them in the company of a middle-aged man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and since the two girls appeared to be in distress, they were likely the victims of an abduction. Over the years, a number of known pedophiles are looked at as potential suspects in the case, but there is not enough evidence to implicate any of them, so Joanne and Kirste are never found. On last week’s episode, we presented Part One of our series about the 1966 disappearance of the Beaumont children. This week, we will not only conclude our series about the Beaumont case, but also explore another unsolved Australian mystery known as the “Adelaide Oval Abductions” and look into the possibility that t

January 26, 1966. Adelaide, Australia. Three children from the Beaumont family – nine-year old Jane, seven-year old Arnna and four-year old Grant – leave their residence in order to travel to the beach in the suburb of Glenelg, but they never return home. A number of eyewitnesses report having seen the children in the company of an unidentified man before they went missing and this person is believed to be responsible for their disappearances. Over the years, investigators explore a number of potential suspects and perform excavations at various locations, but no trace of Jane, Arnna or Grant is ever found. This week, “The Trail Went Cold” will be releasing the first part of a special two-part episode about one of the famous mysteries in the history of Australia: the disappearance of the Beaumont children. Special thanks to listener Kristen Rodway for narrating the opening of this episode. Additional Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_the_Beaumont_children https://www.news.com.au/national

May 24, 2012. Dickinson, North Dakota. After making a 100-mile commute to a worksite alongside a construction crew from Cofell’s Plumbing & Heating, 30-year old Eric Haider disappears in the middle of his shift and his crew returns back home without him. Nearly three years later, Eric’s remains are found buried at the former construction site in Dickinson inside a trench where he had last been seen working on a pipeline during his final shift. While it is suspected that Eric’s co-workers buried him alive and orchestrated a cover-up, the authorities do not believe they have the necessary evidence to file charges against anyone, so Eric’s death remains shrouded in mystery. At the direct request of the victim’s family, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” will explore the suspicious death of Eric Haider. Additional Reading: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/family-demands-answers-2012-death-eric-haider-whose-body-was-n1269124 https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Disappearance-of-Eric-Haider-Family-sear

August 1, 1989. Prince George, British Columbia. After meeting an unidentified bearded man at a local pub, 26-year old Ronnie Jack is supposedly offered a temporary job at a remote logging camp located about 40 kilometres away. Later that night, Ronnie, his 26-year old spouse Doreen Jack, and their two children – nine-year old Russell and four-year old Ryan – are seen climbing into this man’s pick-up truck, but after they drive away, the family is never heard from again. Over the years, investigators explore some leads, including an anonymous phone tip about the victims’ remains being buried on a ranch, but no trace of the Jack family is ever found. To commemorate Canada Day, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” explores the unsolved disappearance of an Indigenous family, which is considered to be one of the most baffling mysteries in the history of the country. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Prince George detachment of the RCMP at (250) 561-3300 or Northern B.C. Crime

June 28, 2004. Newberry Springs, California. After experiencing a rough six months living in California, 30-year old April Pitzer makes plans to return to her home state of Arkansas to live with her mother, but before she can make the trip, she vanishes without explanation. Shortly before she went missing, April had crossed paths with the wife of a man who had gone to prison years earlier after she testified as an informant in a federal drug case, leading April to fear that her life might be in danger. A year-and-a-half later, some of April’s personal belongings are found scattered in a remote mining area of the Mojave Desert, but even though a number of abandoned mine shafts are searched and some sketchy local residents are looked at as potential suspects, no trace of April is ever found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the tragic story of April Pitzer, who went missing after finding herself trapped in a dangerous situation. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/apri

May 9, 2013. Bowling Green, Ohio. The body of 66-year old Dawn Glanz, a retired art professor from Bowling Green State University, is discovered inside her bathroom by her husband, Bob Brown, and the authorities initially believe that she suffered a fatal stroke and died of natural causes. However, before Dawn’s body can be cremated, police receive an anonymous tip expressing concern that Bob may have killed Dawn in order to inherit her $2 million estate and a new autopsy reveals that she received a stab wound to the head and the shock caused her to succumb to a heart attack. After Dawn’s death is reclassified as a homicide, investigators uncover some troubling holes in Bob’s original story, but there is not enough evidence to file charges and her murder officially remains unsolved.  November 22, 2009. Bowling Green, Kentucky. 54-year old Bettina Richmond, a mathematics professor at Western Kentucky University, leaves her home to play racquetball at the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation facility. When she fa

March 21, 2008. Cowan, Indiana. After leaving his job at Ball State University, 48-year old Garth Rector returns to his rented farmhouse before he is shot five times inside the kitchen by an intruder who presumably broke into the residence. While there is initial speculation that the crime was a burglary gone wrong, the only item which appears to be stolen is Garth’s wedding ring. At the time of the murder, Garth was separated from his wife and had conducted affairs with some other women who had spouses of their own, but while there are a number of persons of interest, investigators do not have enough evidence to implicate any of them. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved murder of Garth Rector. So if you happen to have any information about this case, please contact the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office at (765) 747-7878. Additional Reading: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Garth_Rector https://unsolved.com/podcasts/silent-witness/ https://cdn.unsolved.com/wp-conte

May 20, 2005. North Charleston, South Carolina. After returning to her apartment from work, 32-year old Brandy Hanna vanishes without a trace and after she fails to answer repeated calls to her cell phone over the course of the weekend, she is officially reported missing. One of Brandy’s neighbours report having seen her climbing into a red truck on the night she vanished and while it happens to match the description of trucks which are owned by two of Brandy’s ex-boyfriends, there is no evidence to implicate either of them. Eleven years later, one of Brandy’s former boyfriends is charged with obstruction of justice for having lied to police during the original investigation, but she continues to remain a missing person. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved disappearance of Brandy Hanna, who went missing after being involved in a love triangle with two men. If you have any information about this cae, please contact the North Charleston Police Department at (843) 740-2800. J

February 26, 2010. Broome, Australia. After spending the night out drinking with friends, 21-year old Josh Warneke starts to walk home, but he is soon found dead by the side of the road with a fatal head injury. Two-and-a-half years later, a young Aboriginal man named Gene Gibson is charged with Josh’s murder after confessing that he bludgeoned him to death with a metal pole, but since his confession is thrown out before trial, Gene winds up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and is sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. However, since the police used a number of questionable tactics, the Western Australia Court of Appeal quashes Gene’s conviction in 2017 and he is released from prison, but there are no conclusive answers about who was responsible for Josh’s death. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we travel down under to Australia to explore one of their most controversial cases in recent memory. Special thanks to listener Kristy Ward for narrating the opening of this