Cold Case: Frozen Tundra

In this episode, Dr. Jordan Karsten and Matt Hiskes go off-script to answer questions submitted by listeners about the case, the podcast, and more. 

Since the start of this season of Cold Case: Frozen Tundra, many listeners, community members, and those close to the investigation have provided new and exciting information on the case. In this episode, we cover some of those tips and potential new leads. 

Disappointingly - though, in another very real sense, excitingly - investigators close to the case asked Cold Case: Frozen Tundra, just before the show aired, to help keep a couple of the most interesting leads private…at least for a few weeks. We discuss what this means for the investigation moving forward. 

After this episode, Cold Case: Frozen Tundra will take a brief, 3-4 week break as we work with investigators to follow up on some exciting new possibilities in the case. We will soon return to discuss those in more detail!

In the past weeks, we’ve identified three persons of interest in the investigation into the disappearance of Laurie Depies: Larry DeWayne Hall, David Frank Spanbauer, and “Tim.” Each of these men has a unique link to Laurie. Each could ultimately be guilty of the crime. 

In this week’s episode, we recap the case against each man, reviewing details we’ve already heard - and revealing some that we haven’t - as we consider who could be responsible for abducting Laurie. 

After taking a look at two notorious criminals with links to Laurie Depies - Larry DeWayne Hall and David Frank Spanbauer - we dig into the story of yet another suspect; one who is unlike the others as his criminal history is not nearly as extensive. Yet, in many ways, the story of “Tim” as a suspect in Laurie’s disappearance is as compelling - if not more so - than either that of Larry Hall or David Spanbauer. 

To many members of the public, the mystery of Laurie Depies’ disappearance was resolved in 2010 when convicted kidnapper and suspected serial killer Larry DeWayne Hall admitted to abducting and murdering Laurie. But, for investigators seeking truth in the case, Hall’s confession simply wasn’t enough. He would not - or perhaps could not - provide details that would lead to evidence corroborating his account, a critical step for detectives.

Investigators continued to work the case in search of answers, looking into other suspects who - in many respects - were just as likely to have committed the crime. One of those suspects is David Frank Spanbauer. 

As the Laurie Depies investigation heads into 2010, nearly 18 years since the search first began, there is still remarkably little evidence. Despite the passage of time, the case still feels fresh for many residents of Wisconsin’s Fox Valley - the lack of answers a constant reminder that a killer remains on the loose. 

And then, investigators announce an exciting break in the case….

After Laurie Depies vanishes within minutes of pulling into the parking lot of the apartment where her boyfriend and two of their friends wait for her, the search begins. It’s one that will last decades without answers - one that shakes an entire community’s sense of security. 

On August 19, 1992, twenty-year-old Laurie Jean Depies finishes her shift at the Fox River Mall in Appleton, Wisconsin. She and a colleague close the store and set off in separate directions, with plans to meet up again with friends later that night. Laurie drives 15 minutes to her boyfriend’s apartment, where he and two of their friends await Laurie’s arrival. 

Laurie’s car pulls into the parking lot. She gets out of the vehicle. And then — nothing. 

In this episode, Dr. Jordan Karsten and Matt Hiskes share an update on recent developments in the search for the missing remains of Starkie Swenson. In addition, details of the upcoming second season of Cold Case: Frozen Tundra are revealed. 

In the season 1 finale, Dr. Jordan Karsten and Matt Hiskes share what they’ve learned and believe to be true about the disappearance of Starkie Swenson, what work is still being done in search of answers, and how listeners can ensure they stay up-to-date on the latest news from the search.