Arizona’s Family Investigates

William Huff’s new neighbors react to the news that a child killer has moved in next door. Meantime, a forensic psychiatrist weighs in on whether someone who committed heinous crimes 50 years ago is still dangerous today. And Huff is caught with a young girl in his apartment.

50 years after the murders of Cindy Clelland and Jennelle Haines, their families work to prevent The Phantom from getting released from prison. When their efforts fail, they alert the media. And the leaders of the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency struggle to justify their decision to let a serial killer out of prison.

Morgan Loew and Kris Pickel break down what has happened so far in the Phantom Killer case. This episode includes insight from behind-the-scenes. It will prepare listeners for the next chapter, which moves forward in time 50 years from the time of the murders.

The Army mobilizes a massive search after another child disappears. Meantime, the Sierra Vista Police chief is certain he knows the identity of the killer. And a spelling error in the Phantom’s letter holds the key to the case.

Investigators race against the clock to identify the Phantom. The police chief zeros in on a troubled teenager, but one big misstep causes investigators to overlook the killer. Meantime, the Phantom’s own letters shed light on what motivated him to kill Cindy Clelland.

The killer sends a letter to the police, threatening to strike again and referring to himself as “The Phantom.” Meantime, an army of investigators hunt for an old man driving sedan. And the police chief senses something familiar about the murder of Cindy Clelland.

The year was 1967 in small town USA. Children were used to the freedom to play in the streets, playgrounds and fields of Sierra Vista, Arizona. But all that changed one spring day, when a blonde-haired, brown-eyed little girl disappeared. What followed was a search involving hundreds of police officers, sheriff’s deputies and soldiers from a nearby Army post. It ended with a gruesome discovery and a mysterious letter from someone who called himself “The Phantom.”

True Crime Arizona: The Phantom Killer is a limited series that examines the gruesome murders that terrified a small town 50 years ago. Investigative reporter Morgan Loew spent four years researching the case, interviewing family members of the victims, investigators, members of the killer’s family – and the killer himself. The podcast takes listeners back to the summer of 1967, when one little girl after another disappeared in Sierra Vista, Arizona and the police received a letter written by someone who called himself “The Phantom.” The story continues today, as the killer sheds new light on why he did what he did – all those years ago.