Cincinnati's Crime Vault | Beyond the Broadcast

In 2018, an unidentified woman was discovered dead and partially buried near an apartment complex in Avondale, which is a Cincinnati neighborhood.

She became known as the "Avondale Jane Doe" or the "Rose Lady."

Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco and her team at the Hamilton County, Ohio Coroner's Office have never given up on the case. Since the day the woman was found, they've pursued every avenue they can to try to find out her identity.

And now, they're revealing that with help from the FBI and Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, they're closer than ever before.

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Dr. Sammarco about the work they've done on this case and breaks down why it could be solved very soon.

In part two, coming soon, Jessica learns more about the latest technology and the newest tools being used in Jane and John Doe cases.

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

TV Version of This Story

Jessica Schmidt gives an update on season one by explaining where the Pike County Massacre case stands right now, as of August 2024. She touches on George "Billy" Wagner's upcoming trial and George Wagner the 4th's pending appeal. 

According to the FBI, right now, there are multiple serial killers, who could be connected to dozens and dozens of unsolved murders, operating in the United States.  Investigators are actively working to track the murderers down by focusing in on a specific pool of suspects - long haul truckers - through the agency's Highway Serial Killings Initiative. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Frank Figluizzi, a former FBI Assistant Director, about his research on this topic. She also speaks with a truck driver and trucking instructor who offers perspective on the job, the industry, and the HSK initiative. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

Even decades later, a case known as the Easter Sunday Massacre continues to haunt the Hamilton, Ohio community.

In 1975, James "Jim" Ruppert murdered 11 members of his own family.  Journalist Karen Holcomb first became familar with the case in the 1990s, when she was a reporter for the Journal News. She didn't know at the time that her coverage would lead to her marrying the prosecutor's son, and, decades later, taking her late father-in-law's words and crafting them into a book that details the trauma left behind after this tragedy.  Warning: some of the details in this episode may be disturbing to hear. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Holcomb and her husband about the horrific killings, the aftermath, and about how the case is still impacting people today. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

TV Version of This Story

NOTE: We suggest listening to episode 19 before listening to this one.

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt interviews Randy Hubbard, a high school teacher who has investigated Laney Gwinner's case and is writing a book about it. 

Hubbard's students have created a podcast of their own, where they talk about the cases they have been working on: Cold Case MHS: Monsters and Demons.

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

More than 20 years after she disappeared and was later found dead, Laney Gwinner’s murder remains unsolved, and her vehicle is still missing. 

Police believe she vanished after she went to a bowling alley in Fairfield, Ohio with a friend in December 1997. She left sometime around 1 a.m. to go to her boyfriend's house, but she never made it there. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with a retired detective about why he believes Gwinner was abducted, details how a local teacher got involved with the case, and explains how volunteers have helped search for Gwinner's car. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt speaks with clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Toles, who is currently touring the country for her show "The Psychology of Serial Killers and Why They Captivate Us." 

Dr. Toles, who is making a stop in Cincinnati, shares some of her research on serial killers, gives her perspective on whether serial killers still exist today, talks about nine common factors found during her studies, and breaks down why she believes so many people are interested in true crime. She also touches on mass shooters and how she hopes to help teachers. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

The trial for George “Billy” Wagner III has been delayed until 2025. Jessica Schmidt gives an update.

It's been nearly 50 years since a young woman was strangled, stripped naked, and dumped on the side of the road. Even decades later, Cora Durham's sister is dedicated to finding out who is responsible, and now, Warren County, Ohio detectives are taking a new look at the case.  In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Cora's sister about her search for justice and speaks with a detective who calls the case an active investigation. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

Thirteen years later, a deadly home invasion in Fairfield Township, Ohio is considered a cold case. Police believe the victim, Joe Patterson, was shot and killed in his own home, just feet away from his wife and stepchildren. Detectives are still trying to track down the gunmen who are responsible for what's been described as a vicious, targeted attack. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt shares the 911 call made after Patterson was shot, speaks with relatives about how the tragedy has impacted them, and gathers the latest from detectives. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. A team of journalists led by Jessica Schmidt will break down the assignment, the interviews, and the facts discovered as they work on each case.