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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When Mike Williams vanishes on a hunting trip, the authorities suspect he was eaten by alligators but the true predators who took Mike may lurk much closer to home. The mystery of Mike’s disappearance might have faded from memory, if it wasn’t for one woman’s tireless crusade. From Wondery, comes a new season of Over My Dead Body; a story about an obsessive love affair, a scandalous secret and a mother’s battle for the truth.Follow Over My Dead Body: Gone Hunting on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. Listen to Over My Dead Body: http://wondery.fm/OMDB4_DD

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.

• Follow @darkdowneast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
• To suggest a case visit darkdowneast.com/submit-case

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CONNECTICUT, 1973: On July 16, 1973, an unknown assailant chased down 21-year old Penney Serra in a New Haven, Connecticut parking garage, claiming her life with a single stab wound to the chest. It was a brazen attack in broad daylight and the crime put the city on edge. But investigators had abundant evidence to work with – bloodstains and fingerprints covered Penney’s car and the garage itself – surely the crime would be solved and the perpetrator apprehended quickly. Unfortunately, that was not reality. Penney’s case went cold, but not without enormous speculation and rumor while investigators waited for a break in the case. Finally, advancements in forensic science and DNA analysis would reveal a new primary suspect in the case of Penney Serra in the mid-1990s. He’d be the fourth suspect publicly named by investigators. Did they really have a handle on the case? Would they be successful securing a conviction at trial? In Part 2 of Penney Serra’s story, you’ll hear about the new team of investigators assigned to her case and their efforts to understand the events of that July day in 1973 in a new way, plus, the two new suspects they identified and the unsuccessful attempts to arrest one of them before moving on to another.

Leon Benson spent 24 years in an Indiana state prison for the 1998 murder of a young man named Kasey Schoen. His conviction hinged on the testimony of two eyewitnesses – but what if their memories turned out to be wrong? And what if the people who knew what really happened had never been allowed to speak? Suspect Season 3: Five Shots in the Dark is the story of two victims: one murdered, one sentenced to life. Follow host Matt Shaer and attorney Lara Bazelon as they investigate how the justice system failed both Leon and Kasey, and who the real killer might be. Join this unprecedented look inside the attempt to overturn a wrongful conviction and find out if justice will finally be served. Listen to Suspect wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge Suspect ad-free on Wondery Plus. Find Wondery Plus in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts: Wondery.fm/SuspectS3_DDE