Gone Cold - Texas True Crime

In the 1980s, Texas was expanding fast, and real estate agents were often left working alone, opening doors for strangers in empty homes. Across the state, a quiet pattern began to form: women in the industry attacked and killed during routine showings, each case treated as isolated, none connected in time.

From the brutal 1981 murder of Virginia “Ginger” Freeman in Brazos County to the 1983 execution-style killings at a Houston real estate office, to the 1987 murder of Betty Jo Hudson in Galveston and the stabbing of Esther Darlene Collins in west Harris County, the list of victims continued to grow.

By the end of the decade, another name was added.

Giti Hariri, a 27-year-old Iranian immigrant and chemical engineering graduate, was working alone in a model home in northwest Harris County when she was stabbed to death on May 11, 1988. The scene showed no forced entry, no clear motive, and only a missing purse. Despite early investigative efforts, her case quickly went cold.

At the center of Giti’s life was her closest friend, Wendy Aldrich, a bond that began as college roommates and endured through years of change, relocation, and adulthood. In the aftermath of Giti’s murder, Wendy’s grief became all-consuming, pulling her deeper into the place where her friend had died.

What began as loss would soon become something far more unsettling.

Because Giti’s story doesn’t end with her death. 

And neither does Wendy’s.

Part 1 of 2.

If you have any information about the murder of Giti Harari, please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-8477.

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForGitiHarari

#Houston #HarrisCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast

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As the search for 8-year-old Kim Nguyen continued a week after his disappearance, the Garland Police still coordinated the efforts but had begun concentrating on the investigation. After releasing a lead that likely would have borne better results had it been released the day Kim went missing, the very day the information was made public in fact, the unthinkable happened. The boy’s body was found many miles away in the neighboring city of Mesquite. The cops never got close to making an arrest. Part 2 of 2. 

If you have any information about the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Kim Nguyen, please call the Garland Police at (972) 485-4840 

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast 

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com 

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com 

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast 

Dallas Morning News, and WFAA Channel 8 News were used as sources for this episode. 

#JusticeForKimNuyen #Garland #GarlandTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder 


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On July 18th, 1993, 8-year-old Kim Nguyen woke up in a good, particularly playful mood. After wrestling around with his older brother some, Kim entered the living room of the Nguyen Family home in Garland, Texas and flipped on the television. When his father came to check on him at about 7 AM, however, there was no trace of the little boy, not inside the house or outside. They called the police and informed them that Kim was gone and that there was a detail that might make finding him more difficult than a lot of children. Kim was autistic and chose not to verbally communicate the vast majority of the time. Word got around the boy’s working-class neighborhood fast, and lots of folks showed up to help search. But after the first several days, no sign of the boy could be found. Almost no sign. 

If you have any information about the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Kim Nguyen, please call the Garland Police at (972) 485-4840 

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com 

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com 

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast 

Dallas Morning News, and WFAA Channel 8 News were used as sources for this episode. 

#JusticeForKimNguyen #Garland #GarlandTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder 


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The 1994 trial of Michael Nawee Blair for the abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Nicole Estell was fought hard by both sides. Though the prosecution came out victorious, and justice seemed to have been served upon Blair’s conviction, it was stripped away years later, when the decision was overturned. Is Michael Blair truly innocent and one of the other two strong suspects responsible for the heinous and unforgivable act? Or did Blair get away with Ashley’s slaying? Even though justice has yet to be realized, Ashley’s legacy had undoubtedly lived on and helped prevent pother children from falling victim to depraved people who might mean them harm. 

If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, that’s 713-222-8477. You can remain completely anonymous 

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast 

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com 

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com 

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast 
 
CrimeInCharlotte.com, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, D Magazine, and The Plano Star-Courier were used as sources for this episode. 

#JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder 


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While the Plano Police investigated the abduction and death of 7-year-old Ashley Estell, a strange man with a pertinent criminal history made himself a suspect. Unbeknownst to the grieving and angry residents of the suburb city, along with the rest of North Texas, the cops were building a case against 23-year-old Dallas carpet cleaner and convicted child molester Michael Nawee Blair. When the arrest came 6 days after Ashley was slain, residents were shocked – but upon learning of the man’s disturbing criminal past and his early release from prison, the public’s shock turned to outrage and a campaign against the practices of the Texas justice system got underway. Part 2 of 3. 
 
If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, that’s 713-222-8477. You can remain completely anonymous 

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast 
Find us at https://www.gonecold.com 

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com 

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast 

The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, KXAS TV, and Robert Riggs’ WFAA Channel 8 News Reporting were used as sources for this episode. 

#JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder 

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The abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Nicole Estell sent shockwaves through Plano, Texas, a Dallas suburban outlier. Crime in the community in 1993 was extremely rare, particularly crime of such violence against a child as the one against Ashley. It changed everything in Plano, and the shockwaves were felt throughout the North Texas Region if not the entire state. The investigation, at first, was going nowhere and the public feared for the safety of their children. Part 1 of 2. 

If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, or 713-222-8477
 
You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast
 
The Austin Minnesota Daily Herald, The Dallas Morning News, and Robert Riggs’ WFAA Channel 8 News Reporting were used as sources for this episode. 
 
#JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder 
 

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On May 27, 1995, 41-year-old Carolyn Kolas left her Midland home for one of her regular morning walks and never returned. A few hours later, her body was found in an alley off West Ohio Avenue, just blocks from home. She had been brutally attacked in a case that shocked Midland, not only for its violence, but because Carolyn had been taken while doing something so ordinary and so familiar. It left an entire neighborhood unsettled.

Carolyn was a wife, a mother of two, a student, and a woman in the middle of changing her life. After serious health concerns, she had quit smoking, lost a significant amount of weight, and committed herself to a strict walking routine while working toward becoming a certified nurse’s aide. But as investigators searched for the person who killed her, the case grew more complicated. Early attention focused on the possibility of a stranger attack. Later, police publicly identified her husband, Daniel Kolas, as their prime suspect. Still, despite reward offers, grand jury review, and years of unanswered questions, no one was ever charged.

Three decades later, Carolyn Kolas’s murder remains unsolved, a case shaped by missing evidence, shifting suspicion, and the lingering hope that someone, somewhere, still holds the piece that could finally bring answers.

If you have any information about the murder of Carolyn Glynn Kolas, please contact Midland Crime Stoppers at (432)694-8477.

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

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In January 1989, 43-year-old Thomas Charles Hammerton was found stabbed to death on a quiet street in Houston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, near the city’s Montrose district. Hammerton had moved to Houston from Youngstown, Ohio, seeking a place where he could live more openly and freely in one of the city’s most vibrant LGBTQ+ communities.

But his murder came at a time when organized skinhead groups and hate-motivated violence were spreading across the United States. In Houston, reports of harassment and attacks by neo-Nazi skinheads had already begun to surface in Montrose and surrounding neighborhoods.

Investigators eventually identified a self-described skinhead as a prime suspect during a narcotics raid that uncovered drugs and multiple knives believed to be consistent with the weapon used in the killing. Despite the discovery, no homicide charges were ever filed.

Nearly four decades later, the murder of Thomas Charles Hammerton remains unsolved.

If you have any information about the murder of Thomas Charles Hammerton, please call Texas Crime Stoppers at (800) 252-8477.

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

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#JusticeForThomasHammerton #Houston #HarrisCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast

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In November 1986, 24-year-old June Carpenter Gilkerson left her Midland home to meet a probationer she supervised at the Midland County Restitution Center. She never returned.

Her blue Honda Civic was found abandoned at a Best Western near Interstate 20, purse and belongings still inside. Evidence quickly pointed to probationer David Russell Alderink and Midland library custodian Kenneth Wayne Parker, who had discussed abducting women for profit.

Alderink later admitted helping set up June’s abduction, claiming Parker carried out the attack. Investigators uncovered physical evidence, contradictory alibis, and recorded conversations between the men. Though June’s body was never recovered, Parker was convicted in federal court of conspiracy to kidnap and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Alderink received 20 years after pleading guilty to aggravated kidnapping.

Nearly four decades later, June Gilkerson has never been found.

If you have any information about the disappearance of June Gilkerson, please contact the Midland Police Department at (432) 685-7108.

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

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In February 1999, fifteen-year-old Sonya Christene Wallace left her mother’s home in Rockdale, Texas to walk four blocks to the post office. She left around 5:30 p.m.

She never came back.

Initially labeled a runaway by local authorities, Sonya’s disappearance received little urgency. Her family insisted that something was wrong. Weeks passed without answers.

On March 14, 1999, a rancher discovered the body of a teenage girl beneath a bridge in southeastern Williamson County, close to the Lee County line. The remains were badly decomposed. DNA testing later confirmed it was Sonya Wallace.

Her death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

Investigators believed Sonya was killed elsewhere and her body transported to the creek bed where she was found, approximately 25 miles from where she disappeared. Evidence collected included her clothing and soda bottles from the scene. Detectives stated early on they believed Sonya likely knew her killer.

A previous case involving two young men who had been arrested months earlier in connection with inappropriate contact with Sonya surfaced during the investigation. One was incarcerated at the time of her death. The other had been released from jail just eleven days before she vanished. No arrests were ever made in Sonya’s murder.

Over the years, investigators conducted between 150 and 200 interviews. Crime Stoppers rewards were offered. Sonya’s father created a website dedicated to her memory, hoping someone would come forward.

In 2017, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office established a Cold Case Unit. Sonya’s case was reopened and reexamined from the beginning. Detectives retested evidence using modern DNA techniques and reinterviewed hundreds of people connected to her life. Investigators now believe she may have been planning to meet someone the night she disappeared, and they have stated there is no evidence she ever reached the post office.

More than two and a half decades later, Sonya Wallace’s murder remains unsolved.

If you have information about the murder of Sonya Christene Wallace, please call the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at (512) 943-5204.

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast

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