In April 1988, eight-year-old April Marie Tinsley disappeared while walking in her Fort Wayne, Indiana neighborhood — and three days later her body was found in a ditch, the victim of a brutal kidnapping, sexual assault, and strangulation. What followed would become one of Indiana’s most haunting cold cases: for more than 30 years, the killer remained at large, taunting investigators and the community with cryptic notes and DNA-linked clues left around town.

Despite extensive local and federal investigation, including leads on threatening messages discovered in the 1990s and 2000s, the case went unresolved — until advances in forensic genealogy finally broke it open. In 2018, investigators used cutting-edge DNA analysis and genealogy databases to identify John D. Miller, a reclusive local man, as the perpetrator.

In this episode, we dive deep into the emotional and investigative journey behind the case — and sit down with Captain Kevin Smith of the Indiana State Police, who leads the newly formed ISP cold case team. Captain Smith shares firsthand insights from years of painstaking work, the challenges of tracking a killer across decades, and how evolving forensic tools finally brought justice for April. It’s a story of loss, persistence, and the relentless pursuit of answers that no case — no matter how old — should be forgotten.

SOURCES:

In August 1987, teenagers Don Henry and Kevin Ives were killed when a freight train struck them as they lay on railroad tracks near Alexander, Arkansas. Authorities initially ruled the deaths an accident, claiming the boys had fallen asleep on the tracks. But their families challenged that conclusion, leading to a second autopsy and a grand jury ruling the case a probable homicide.

As the investigation unfolded, witnesses died under suspicious circumstances, allegations of corruption surfaced, and theories emerged suggesting the teens may have witnessed criminal activity. Despite decades of scrutiny, media attention, and persistent efforts by the victims’ families, the case remains unsolved, leaving lingering questions about what truly happened on the tracks that night.

SOURCES:

Book:

The Boys on the Tracks by Mara Leveritt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives

https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/kevin-ives-and-don-henry-12289/

https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/former-wrestler-claims-he-witnessed-murders-of-don-henry-and-kevin-ives/91-518352443#:~:text=February%2013%2C%202018-,Over%2030%20years%20after%20the%20murder%20of%20Kevin%20Ives%20and,Clinton%20Body%20Count%22%20conspiracy%20theory.

https://www.facebook.com/ARJusticeProject/posts/saline-county%EF%B8%8F-cold-case-%EF%B8%8Fthe-cold-case-of-kevin-ives-and-don-henrysummary-on-au/757755813630339/

https://nymag.com/news/features/conspiracy-theories/clinton-body-count/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOIYPVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBODltRE5WVkw3d1Z4RnNCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MghjYWxsc2l0ZQEyAAEeRaQU1MRZBGiW6KIfohsLx-7VDI9cXurBSIh5qXcyAM8-NDiy5vPxLPbt8b0_aem_NpzIh7Wy7peMSpzXFCm9sQ

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/sep/23/ex-saline-county-prosecutor-dan-harmon-convicted-of-corruption-charges-in-1990s-dies-at-78/

https://unsolved.com/gallery/don-henry-kevin-ives/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB831418392332495500?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfBuAVBvo0b3gGJQT3lsVDSZfj8bKgty9_pqlsNMs6O5bx0TvW5Z2o8pW703ac%3D&gaa_ts=691b8a29&gaa_sig=AtWTm0FnNeO9ikDeAp3GO9PdvM_yLrGn_CDv-ep9r-wZed9xaYH32rZE_uVibr1LDMnJC3tXfkojYW5h8SrSLA%3D%3D

https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1230916177/?match=1&terms=%22kevin%20ives%22

https://katv.com/news/local/fbi-memo-reveals-drug-smuggling-at-mena-airport-in-1980

https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1104211770/?match=1&terms=%22kevin%20ives%22

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2021/jun/05/mom-of-cold-case-victim-dies/

https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1220820691/?match=1&terms=Don%20Henry%20and%20Kevin%20Ives

https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/562539412/?match=1&terms=Don%20Henry%20and%20Kevin%20Ives

Misc.

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F3/255/255.F3d.560.00-1411.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1ji8njx/atrocities_in_arkansas_don_henry_kevin_ives/

Hi everyone! Apologies for the late episode and Megan’s voice. Here is another update episode on cases we’ve previously covered. We are working on some exciting things so stay tuned!

In this episode, Mallory and Megan are bringing you updates on the wrongful conviction of Crosley Green, the alleged Oregon Serial Killer, the disappearance of Brandy Wilson, the unsolved murder of Emily Pike, and the suspicious death of Noah Presgrove.

Keep those case suggestions coming! Happy holidays everyone.

SOURCES:

CG https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/07/17/florida-court-case-parole-crosley-green-murder-innocent/85210635007/#

https://www.crowell.com/en/insights/firm-news/florida-court-rules-state-does-not-need-to-correct-miscalculation-of-crosley-greens-parole-date-that-could-cost-him-40-years-of-his-life

OSK

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna223312

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/08/jesse-lee-calhoun-enters-plea-to-new-indictment-in-serial-killing-case.html?outputType=amp

EP

https://www.azfamily.com/2025/11/10/emily-pikes-murder-prompts-changes-arizona-group-homes/?outputType=amp

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/emily-pike-family-reflects-unsolved-murder-site-where-teen-was-found-dismembered-special-report

NP

https://www.news9.com/oklahoma-city-news/new-developments-in-2023-house-party-death-of-19-year-old-noah-presgrove-in-jefferson-county

https://www.kswo.com/2025/11/20/osbi-challenges-subpoena-noah-presgrove-death-records/#

https://www.kswo.com/2025/12/16/presgrove-family-files-after-osbis-request-block-records-tied-teens-death/

On a day when the world stood still, one New York City murder vanished into the blur of chaos. Just before midnight on September 11, 2001, Henryk Siwiak, a 46-year-old Polish immigrant, was shot to death while on his way to work at a Brooklyn grocery store.

With the NYPD stretched beyond capacity, resources diverted, and a city in chaos, the investigation stalled almost immediately. More than two decades later, Henryk’s death remains the only unsolved homicide recorded in New York City on 9/11.

Soft-spoken, hardworking, and new to America, Siwiak had spent his final year juggling multiple jobs to support his family back home. But on the night he set out in search of honest work, he crossed paths with violence no one has yet been able to explain.

SOURCES:

https://www.ranker.com/list/overlooked-case-connections/patrick-thornton

https://abcnews.go.com/US/asked-evening-murder-911-unsolved-york-city/story?id=57457505

https://abc7ny.com/post/henry-siwak-september-11-murder-bedford-stuyvesant/13781934/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Henryk_Siwiak 

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/10/nyregion/brooklyn-murder-on-sept-11-2001-remains-unsolved.html?_r=0

https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/hrw/2002/en/21884

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/law-enforcement-warning-threat-jewish-israeli-supporters/⁠

On December 9 1988, 29-year-old Victoria Lynn Hamby vanished from South Bend, Indiana, leaving behind more questions than clues. At the time, her four-year-old son and male companion, Dale Kaser, also disappeared, triggering a heartbreaking mystery that has lingered for decades.

In this episode, we trace Victoria’s last known movements, her eventual murder, and the circumstances surrounding all three disappearances. Over 30 years later, questions still remain.

SOURCES:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/ioekuk/29yearold_victoria_hamby_went_missing_from_south/

https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=NAN19890607.1.12&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------

https://www.newspapers.com/image/516443092/?match=1&terms=%22Victoria%20LYNN%20Hamby%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/519455466/?match=1&terms=%22Victoria%20LYNN%20Hamby%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/519455719/?match=1&terms=%22Victoria%20LYNN%20Hamby%22

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591484ddadd7b049344bdbe0

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/59148727add7b049344e0998

Happy Halloween! It’s our last spoooooky episode of the season. We’ll go back to our regular bi-weekly publishing schedule after this one.

In June 1983, a 15-year-old Vatican citizen named Emanuela Orlandi left for a music lesson in Rome—and vanished without a trace. The case that followed is a mix of anonymous phone calls, alleged kidnappings, and puzzling theories ranging from terrorism to organised crime to a cover-up within the Vatican.

Join us as we trace Emanuela’s last known steps, unpack the conflicting investigations, and explore the shadowy webs of power that may lie behind one of Italy’s most haunting cold-cases.

In 1961, small-town Texas became the center of a media frenzy when 17-year-old Betty Williams asked her ex-boyfriend, John Mack Herring, to kill her—and he did. The shocking “Kiss and Kill” case exposed not only the dark side of teen romance but also how the press sensationalized tragedy, painting Betty as a wayward girl and her killer as a golden boy gone astray. Join us as we revisit the headlines, the trial that ended in acquittal, and the troubling story of how public sympathy can be shaped—and twisted—by the media.

SOURCES: TBD!

Spooky season has officially begun—and this one’s straight out of a horror movie. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the Corpsewood Manor Murders: a case that’s equal parts eerie legend, satanic panic, and heartbreaking true crime.

Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom built their dream castle deep in the Georgia woods—a gothic escape complete with gargoyles, stained glass, and a pink “party room.” But when small-town rumors collided with fear, prejudice, and greed, the result was pure tragedy.

We’ll unpack the media frenzy that branded the victims as “gay devil worshippers,” explore the real story behind the Church of Satan, and trace how moral panic and homophobia turned two eccentric men into the villains of their own murder.

SOURCES:

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/castle-in-the-country-zmaz81mazraw/

https://oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-corpsewood-manor-murders

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/the-corpsewood-murders-40-years-later/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/1g8waa3/georgia_folklore_murder_sex_and_satanic_panic_in/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/corpsewood-manor-murders

https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/the-cold-blooded-killing-of-the-gay-satanists-of-corpsewood-mano

https://www.chattanoogan.com/2020/11/10/415776/Jerry-Summers-Corpsewood-Manor-Murders.aspx

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2016/aug/03/chattanoogauthor-releases-new-book-corpsewood/

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/oct/29/true-crime-album-offers-new-perspective-on/

https://churchofsatan.com/faq-fundamental-beliefs/

https://moonspenders.com/2018/10/06/haunted-horror-the-corpsewood-murders/

Archives:

The Times

Atlanta Constitution

The Vicksburg Post

The Atlanta Times

*Disclaimer* We’re talking about politics in this episode. If you don’t want to hear it, totally get it. We’ll see you at our next episode, where we'll return to our regular content.

Freedom of speech has never been simple, and in today’s climate, it’s anything but. In this episode, we look at how the First Amendment plays out in real time, from Jimmy Kimmel’s public clashes to the press’s constitutional protections. As former journalists, the First Amendment is near and dear to our hearts because without freedom of the press, there is no democracy. We revisit landmark Supreme Court decisions that define the limits of free expression, unpack what’s truly protected (and what isn’t), and explore why knowing your rights matters now more than ever.

SOURCES:

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript 

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/ 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/18/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-trump 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/business/media/abc-jimmy-kimmel.html 

https://www.businessinsider.com/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-fragility-late-night-tv-2025-9 

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/26/sinclair-end-boycott-of-jimmy-kimmel-live 

https://www.wired.com/story/right-wing-activists-are-targeting-people-for-allegedly-celebrating-charlie-kirks-death/ 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/tyler-robinson-charlie-kirk-suspect-shooter-utah/story?id=125474359 

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/brendan-carr-abc-fcc-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-1236522406/ 

https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4 

https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/7-things-to-know-about-the-first-amendment/ 

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/24/trump-jimmy-kimmel-return-abc 

https://nypost.com/2025/09/30/media/1-7-million-cancelled-disney-hulu-and-espn-following-jimmy-kimmel-suspension 

https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/6-bln-broadcast-tie-up-adjusts-ma-picture-2025-08-20/ 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/283/697 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/403/713 

https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2025/ap-wins-reinstatement-to-white-house-events-after-judge-rules-government-cant-bar-its-journalists/

In this episode, we cover the harrowing five-year stalking ordeal of Fort Wayne mother Dawn Hillyer, whose case exposed the failures of Indiana law to protect victims. What began as a casual connection quickly spiraled into years of relentless harassment, break-ins, false police reports, and emotional devastation—while the system largely failed her. We’ll trace Dawn’s fight for safety, the long-delayed conviction of her stalker, and her journey from survivor to advocate, founding Hiding Hilda and pushing for stronger protections for victims. Plus, we’ll look at new research linking stalking and restraining orders to long-term health risks for women.

SOURCES:

https://www.wane.com/news/stalking-victim-works-to-change-state-law/

https://www.kpcnews.com/news/latest/newssun/article_dac18ef6-6841-5d78-bafc-40057286d0b1.html

https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2012/02a03-1204-cr-180.html

https://www.pal-item.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/04/15/view-woman-target-stalker-victimized/25818041/

https://www.nrawomen.com/content/hiding-hilda-the-harrowing-story-behind-her-stylish-ccw-purses

https://www.stalkingawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IN-Stalking-Laws-Statutes.pdf

https://www.wrtv.com/news/wrtv-investigates/new-law-criminalizes-using-tracking-device-on-someone-without-their-knowledge

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2021/09/10/restraining-order-domestic-violence-indiana-laws-vicitm-protection-how-to-file/7996715002/

https://www.newser.com/story/373470/women-face-potentially-huge-health-impacts-after-violence.html