Crack This Case

*Originally released in 2019. Re-released on 1/1/2020*
This is Episode Two, Part 2, of The Bride To Be Who Never Was, the story of the much loved 27 year old school teacher Cynthia Jane Miller of Beckley, West Virginia, and the one night the devil in the flesh came calling and saw to it that she would never celebrate another birthday nor her wedding the following day. Thirty eight years have now passed and Cynthia's killer still walks amongst us living a life Cynthia was denied. He or she has never been brought to justice. On August 26, 1981, Cynthia was happily and excitedly completing last minute tasks for her wedding the following day to police officer Gary O'Neal when she was brutally gunned down in the living room of her very own home. Who would want to harm and kill this beloved, respected, God-loving, and talented young woman? This episode of the two part story examines those in Cynthia's life who have left us with many unanswered questions and suspicious actions and behavior on the day Cynthia was murdered and the days, weeks, and months following this horrific crime.

Hosted, Written, and Produced by Sharon McHenry Power
[email protected]

SOURCES:
~Beckley West Virginia Police Department - statements and reports of Detective Sergeant Morgan Bragg, the late original Chief Investigator & Chief of Police in 1989 Billy J.Cole, Retired original Investigator and Chief of Detectives Frank Pack, Chief of Police in 1981 now retired Thomas Durrett, Retired Captain Paul Blume, Detective Lieutenant David’s Allard, Captain Jeffrey Shumate
~Raleigh Register Herald staff writers and wire
~Jessica Farrish, Reporter for Raleigh Register-Herald
-David Lieber, Reporter for Register-Herald
~Raleigh County Post
~Bluefield Daily Telegraph
~WVVA Television
~Diana Miller Jones - Cynthia's sister
~Jim Samples - Cynthia's relative
~West Virginia Metro News
~Crime Stoppers of West Virginia
~Washington Post
~Newspaper Archives
~Grave Finder
~Google & Google Maps
MUSIC:
"Just As I Am" from the Band of Hope and Joy, 250 Hymns. Public Domain.
"Delicate Situation" from Lynne Music. Evaluation use permission.

Originally released in 2019. Re-Released 2020.
~ On a warm summer evening in the friendly town of Beckley, West Virginia on August 26, 1981, twenty seven year old school teacher Cynthia Jane Miller was over the moon with excitement for her wedding the following day to police officer Gary O'Neal. The two were very much in love and had been anxiously waiting for Friday, August 27th, to exchange their vows and begin life together as husband and wife. While Gary visited with his father the evening of August 26th to go over wedding details, Cynthia decided to stay at home and tend to last minute work related activities so as not to have it hanging over her on their one weekend of wedded bliss. Suddenly in the very home which she and Gary planned to make a lifetime of beautiful memories together, darkness cloaked its evil upon Cynthia when the devil in the flesh came calling and saw to it she would never celebrate her 28th birthday nor her wedding the following evening. Gunned down in the living room of her very own home which investigators described as a slaughter up close and personal. But who would want to harm and kill this much loved, compassionate, joyful and talented young woman who was respected and well liked by all who knew her? The perpetrator of this heinous crime has never been brought to justice in the 38 years since her life was taken away from her. No sign of forced entry into the home. Nothing was disturbed. No robbery, no struggle, no sexual assault. The only evidence left behind was Cynthia’s blood spattered clothing. It’s as if the killer vanished into thin air. All that remains are the broken hearts and spirits of family, friends, and all who knew her. Law Enforcement has had very little to work on in the 38 years since this cold-blooded monster took the life of this young woman with so much promise and dreams yet to fulfill. The Beckley WV Police Department has never given up on Cynthia’s case. Generations of police investigators have combed through the massive amount of information meticulously collected and maintained throughout the years. There have been persons of interests since the original investigation that still remain on police radar but there is no binding evidence to tie them to the murder....at least not yet. With good old fashion police work and the advancement of forensic science technology to now include genetic genealogy, the criminals days in the sun are running out, and many are now being apprehended in very cold cases that were once deemed hopeless. Investigators believe Cynthia’s case is solvable with the right piece of missing information or piece of evidence. Someone knows something and it’s time to step out from the shadows and do the right thing by coming forward, letting go of the burden and, in doing so, giving Cynthia the peace she so much deserves. As we discuss and examine Cynthia's life and the night of her brutal murder, perhaps you will be the one to help Crack This Case!
Join me, Sharon McHenry Power, the Host of Crack This Crack, to hear Cynthia’s life story of 27 years and to discuss and examine the mystery surrounding her murder. Let’s spread awareness of Cynthia’s relatively unknown case and start shaking things up.

Producer, Writer and Host: Sharon McHenry Power

[email protected]
www/twitter/crackthiscasepodcast
https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/16607598/download.mp3

Sources:
Beckley WV Police Department: statements and reports of Detective Sergeant Morgan Bragg, the late original Chief Investigator & Chief of Police in 1989 Billy J.Cole, Retired original Investigator and Chief of Detectives Frank Pack, Chief of Police in 1981 now retired Thomas Durrett, Retired Captain Paul Blume, Detective Lieutenant David’s Allard, Captain Jeffrey Shumate
Raleigh Register Herald Reporter
Jessica Farrish, Reporter, Register-Herald
David Lieberman, Reporter, Register-Herald
Diana Miller Jones, Cynthia’s sister
Jim Samples, relative of Cynthia
Raleigh County Post
Bluefield Daily Telegraph Archives
Crime Stoppers of Southern WV
West Virginia Metro News
WVVA Television
Newspaper Archives
Washington Post
Grave Finder

🎵Segment of song “Country Roads” by the late John Denver, non-commercial music rights to state of West Virginia.
🎵Tension by David Feslyan, Feslyan Studios
🎵Segment of “I Know You By Heart”, the late Eva Cassidy, non-commercial use.
🎵A Delicate Situation. Neosound. Evaluation only use permission by Lynne Music

CRACK THIS CASE! is a bi-weekly podcast aired every other Tuesday beginning January 1, 2019 where Host Sharon McHenry Power discusses and examines the mysterious and suspicious, the unlawful and unsolved, the missing and the murdered. Dedicated to spreading public awareness, CRACK THIS CASE aims to be a positive force in making sure the victim’s story is told and that the families who have seen no justice and fear their love one is, or will be forgotten, are given an opportunity to tell their story. CRACK THIS CASE! is here to help law enforcement by spreading awareness on very cold cases they continue to investigate, never giving up. Let’s get the monsters off the streets!