MAINE, 1973: Just months into production of a new and exciting project, film director Jon Pownall was found dead at his Monument Square office in Portland, Maine. Why would anyone want to kill him? As the investigation into his murder began, a motive for his death emerged, but the question of who was behind it all is one that still hasn’t been answered with a conviction 50 years later.

Lynda Pownall-Carlson was only 16-years old when her father was killed. She’s on Dark Downeast to share her father’s story – all the complex and layered and shocking pieces of it – but most of all, she’s here to tell you the parts that were left out of the narrative back in 1973, the stories and memories that she holds onto all these years later. 

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/jonpownall

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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A special update to this week’s episode, Murder on Goose Rocks Beach, covering the cases of David J. Nixon and Steven Ray Johnson. 

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/davidjnixon

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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MAINE, 1987: On the night of June 8, 1987, David Nixon had just hung up the phone with his father. He called back home to let his folks know that he was staying over at their family beach house in Kennebunkport, Maine for one more night. That phone call was the last contact David ever had with his family. Sometime after he put the phone back on the hook, David was killed just steps from the house on Goose Rocks Beach.

The investigation into the murder of David J. Nixon would span the entire eastern seaboard and even extend into Canada before the suspect was finally apprehended. His time on the lam would result in a second violent homicide. 

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/davidjnixon

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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CONNECTICUT, 2018: On the night of May 18, 2018, 36-year old James “Jimmy” Stone Jr. was loading up his belongings from the trailer where he once lived on the Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation in Colchester, Connecticut to take them to his new apartment. Somehow, the mundane task of packing and moving became a deadly one. Jimmy never made it off the reservation alive.

The investigation into the murder of Jimmy Stone is ongoing, and though Connecticut State Police continue to work diligently on his case, crucial details that could clear the fog over what happened on that remote stretch of road through a private, rural community still evade them.

Jimmy’s family, including his sister Jenny Stone, are hopeful that somebody will come forward with the critical information that could piece together the events of that fateful night. Jenny is on Dark Downeast to share her big brother’s story. It’s the story of a man who triumphed over so much in his life only to have it end at the hands of a still unknown killer.

• Connecticut State Police have announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the death of Jimmy Stone. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at [email protected], or call 860-465-5456.
   

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/jimmystone

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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MASSACHUSETTS, 1991: On July 20th, 1991, 17-year-old Patricia Moreno sat on the fire escape at her foster family’s apartment building. She often used the fire escape for solace – the apartment was crowded and hot and loud – but in the early morning hours of that scorching summer night, her place of respite became the scene of her murder.

For over three decades, the mystery of Patricia's death persisted. The occupants of the apartment claimed to have heard gunshots but had no knowledge of the shooter's identity. Years later, the death of a family member and the surfacing of an eyewitness shed new light on the case, giving investigators hot leads in the long standing cold case. Now, 32 years later, Patrica Moreno finally has closure with the conviction of her killer.

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/patriciamoreno

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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VERMONT, 2020: On April 15, 2020, 38-year old Ralph “Rizz” Jean-Marie was reported missing from a motel where he was living in Barre, Vermont. The story was that he up and left after an argument, leaving behind his personal belongings, never to be seen again.

But from day one of the investigation, law enforcement had reason to believe the initial narrative of Ralph’s disappearance wasn’t anchored in the whole truth. The early investigation indicated that someone, or multiple someones, had a hand in his disappearance, but getting answers as to what really happened proved a challenge for local authorities.

Family members and activists alike have been critical of law enforcement’s response to Ralph’s disappearance, and they continue to speak out today about the lack of progress in the three year long investigation. This case is layered, but it all stems from the biggest and most important question at the center of the case: Where is Ralph Jean-Marie?

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/ralphjeanmarie

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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NEW YORK CITY, 1990s: On May 28, 2001, after an eight year long investigation spanning three states, New York police officers finally closed in on their target: a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital. Advancements in fingerprinting technology had finally identified a suspect connected to garbage bags containing the remains of four men discarded on the side of the road in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. His name was Richard Westall Rogers Jr. AKA The Last Call Killer.

In this follow-up episode to Frederic Alan Spencer's story, you'll hear the stories of Peter Stickney Anderson, Thomas Mulcahy, Anthony Edward Marrero, and Michael Sakara and how the suspect's past encounters with the law would ultimately play a crucial role in his capture, 28 years later.

• Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green
• Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York on HBO
   

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/lastcallkiller

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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MAINE, 1973: In April of 1973, the vibrant college town of Orono, Maine was shattered by a shocking murder that sent tremors through the University of Maine community. The victim was Frederic Alan Spencer, a promising UMaine graduate student with a bright future ahead. When Frederic's roommate came forward and confessed to the killing, it seemed like an open and shut case.

However, as the trial of Richard Westall Rogers Jr. unfolded, it was clear the case was far from simple. Despite his admission of guilt, the proceedings took a surprising turn. Nobody in that courtroom could have known at the time, but the unexpected decisions made in the case of Frederic Spencer would set in motion a chilling and deadly ripple effect that only grew with intensity and consequence over the next few decades.

• Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green
• Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York on HBO
   

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/fredericspencer

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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PORTSMOUTH, 1981 & 1982: In just over a year span during the early 1980s in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the lives of two young women were ended by an assailant who broke into their apartments, violently attacked and beat them, and somehow managed to escape undetected, remaining anonymous for decades.

Laura Kempton and Tammy Little’s murders have long been intertwined. As you’ll hear, the circumstances of their deaths and their lives are just too similar to ignore a possible connection, but now in 2023, their cases apparently diverge. The New Hampshire State’s Attorney’s Office announced that they have identified the person responsible for one of those homicides. Laura Kempton’s killer has finally been named.

In a 25-page report and press conference, the details of the 40-plus year investigation into the murder of 23-year old Laura Kempton were revealed. Now the question on everyone’s lips: What’s next for the case of 20-year old Tammy Little?

• If you have information regarding this case, contact the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at (603) 271-2663, [email protected], or leave a tip.
   

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/laurakempton

Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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