Cold Case: Frozen Tundra

It’s the third and final week of the scheduled excavation in Omro as the search for Starkie Swenson’s missing remains continues. 

The days are counting down rapidly, yet Dr. Karsten and his team have a significant amount of work to complete, especially given the recent decision to dig every square inch of the property in order to provide a definitive answer on whether Starkie is buried at the site, or if his remains have at any point been hidden there. 

Dr. Karsten and Matt Hiskes provide updates heading into the week, during the search, and a recap of the final week of the excavation.

Dr. Karsten and his team head into the second week of their search for the missing remains of Starkie Swenson in Omro. 

Last week, the field work resulted in a number of interesting targets to excavate, based on readings provided by ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology. Even more exciting, the team uncovered some possible clues at the scene in some scraps of old, canvas tarp-like material, as well as an old piece of metal which is potentially a match for the pedal dust cover from a 1950’s-era Raleigh bicycle - the same manufacturer and time period as the bike owned by Starkie Swenson. 

In this week’s update, we provide details of new information we’ve learned on the case, more on the items we’ve found to this point, and additional items that were found at the site during the second week of the search. 

Following the sudden break in the case involving the land Jean and her family members own in Omro, Wisconsin - land located just a short drive from the bar John C. Andrews noted as his alibi for the night of Starkie Swenson’s murder - Dr. Jordan Karsten, his team of students and technological experts, and detectives from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s office begin their search for Starkie Swenson’s missing body. 

What does the team find during their first week of excavation?

As the team led by Dr. Jordan Karsten and members of law enforcement prepare to begin their search for the lost body of Starkie Swenson, experts share insights on what it truly takes to locate, excavate, and identify missing human remains. 

In Episode Six, we hear from a leading expert in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) on the benefits this modern technology can provide and how it will be applied in the search for Starkie Swenson. 

Also, Dr. Jordan Karsten gives a behind-the-scenes look into forensic investigation of human remains. 

As Dr. Karsten and his team prepare for the archaeological search that will hopefully lead to the discovery of Starkie Swenson's missing remains, we take a moment to reset, provide new information we've learned since beginning our search, share our thoughts on the case to this point, and answer questions submitted by listeners. 

John C. Andrews completes his prison sentence in 1995 and the Starkie Swenson case is...essentially over. The police have no leads on a search area for the body, and the case is closed.

And that's the way it stands for nearly 25 years. And then....we hear from Jean.

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As the trial against John C. Andrews begins, tales of the events of August 13th once again unfold. The jury hangs on every word of John’s visit to Claire’s Elm Street home, of the argument Suzanne overhears in the alcove at Shattuck Junior High just across the street, and of the sequence of events that follow.

Yet, there are some differences in stories this time around.

Are they enough to confuse the jury - or maybe cause them to question the credibility of the ladies’ stories? John Andrews and his defense team bet on it. They don’t present a case of their own and let their future rest on the details shared by the prosecution.

Then, something unexpected happens.

Armed with the explosive testimony of Claire Andrews, Suzanne Eggert, and Lois Swenson, including tales of lies, affairs, manipulation, and jealous rages, Prosecutor Joseph Paulus must determine whether these circumstantial accounts, gripping as they may be, are enough to overcome his complete lack of physical evidence in the case.

Starkie Swenson’s body has never been found. There are no physical clues proving he was murdered, as the ladies’ stories indicate. Will the intrigue of their testimony be enough to sway the jury?

In Episode Three, we hear the case supporting, and hurting, the charge that John Andrews murdered Starkie Swenson, as well as some last-minute developments in the impending trial

John C. Andrews and a charge of murder. What changed? In Episode 2, we take a look at the information that led to John Andrews' arrest.

Neenah, Wisconsin in 1983 was a quiet, upper-middle class town that boasted waterfront properties, a quaint main street lined with restaurants and storefronts, several parks, and a number of local attractions. It was routinely listed among the nicest places to raise a family in the Midwest.

Starkie Swenson was someone who’d done just that. The 67-year-old local businessman, community service board member, and father of four adult daughters spent the day of August 13th on a picnic at a nearby lake with Lois, his wife of 44 years.

After returning home late that evening, Starkie Swenson hopped on his rust-red Raleigh bicycle and pedaled off into the setting sun.

He was never seen again.

Chronicling the events of the ensuing police investigation, we begin our look into Starkie’s disappearance with the hope of identifying clues that might lead to his missing body - and with it - answers.