Missing Magnolias

{Part 2} Re-joining us is our full panel from Part 1, here to discuss some updates in 2024 on the drownings in Lady Bird Lake. Particularly, a survivor Jeff Jones, who sustained life threatening injuries after falling off the bridge, just missing the Shoal Creek. The discovery of Rohypnol in his toxicology report fueled speculation about whether he fell or was pushed.

Rather than a targeted serial killer, the group posits that what if these men were not the intended victims. What if there is a conspiracy of drink spiking at the bars? What drug groups should be screened for and how do we better instruct the community to be cautious? Some key issues that were grazed: specialty tests are expensive and are rarely administered in drowning cases. If there is a drugging and/or date rape problem in Austin, there is a need for better toxicology screening and better surveillance for 'hot spots', along with participation from the community and the city on creating more awareness and better safeguards.

{PART 1} The string of Lady Bird Lake drownings have become a significant topic of discussion in Austin, Texas. The victims appear to be all men, mostly middle-aged who have gone out to eat with their families, celebrate promotions, bachelor trips, etc. only to have been found dead in the lake. None of the men showed signs of a struggle or assault and there has been no evidence to suggest robbery as a motive. In 2023, four men (Jason Johns, Clifton Axtell, Jonathan Honey, John Christopher Hays-Clark) were found in a short span between the months between February and April, which created a lot of media attention to suggest that perhaps these deaths were targeted attacks. Martin Gutierrez, another victim in 2018, was last seen on CCTV footage running out of bars, acting erratically. This led to speculation about potential drugging involvement.

*We have assembled a panel to help us center this conversation with different points of views.

Joining us from a past episode "The Cajun Death Investigator", is Toby Savoy, who highlights that drowning deaths are not abnormal in big cities, while explaining how drownings can present in autopsy and what drugs are routinely screened for in a toxicology report. We also have filmmaker, Magda Marcella, from the Facebook group Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer/ Rainey Street Killer, here to share her experience in working with the families of the victims and her map that depicts other suspicious drownings going back as far as 2008. We also have host, Dr. Michelle Jeanis, to weigh-in from the criminology perspective.

In this episode, prize-winning writer and professor, Lisa Nikolidakis, joins us to discuss her memoir, No One Crosses the Wolf: A Memoir, a brave and unflinching account of survival. Growing up in the shadow of a violent and abusive father, Lisa's childhood was abundant with fear and isolation. Her escape from this toxic environment was only the beginning of her journey.  As a young adult, a devastating murder-suicide shatters her world. Lisa as an adult later finds writing as a tool to confront a monstrously complex figure who shaped her life.  Lisa’s path for truth and self-discovery ultimately leads her on a trip to Greece where she finds truth in connecting with her heritage and the other half of her family for the first time.

In this discussion, we are able to graze the surface on some complex subjects like the hallmarks of abuse, the corrosive nature of secret keeping in families, the pain experienced by the secondary victims, the importance of self-healing, and what is needed to break these cycles.

Be sure to buy a copy of No One Crosses the Wolf : A Memoir here.

You can follow Lisa on her website and on Instagram.

If you or someone you know is being abused, you can reach out to advocates in the links below:

Research has shown that homicide is the second-leading cause of pregnancy related-deaths.

This episode sheds light on a troubling rate of homicides involving the pregnant and postpartum population in the United States, with a particular spike in 2020. Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, a board-certified OBGYN, joins the discussion to unpack the findings of her research. Some of those key findings showcase the disproportionate impact on Black women and girls, the prevalence of firearms in these homicides, and the alarming fact that pregnant and postpartum women face a 35% greater risk of homicide than their non-pregnant counterparts. Also touched upon is the potential role of intimate partner violence and why better reporting can result in better outcomes for all.

Guest Expert:

In 1948 in Mississippi, socialite Ruth Dickins is convicted of savagely attacking her mother with gardening shears (150 stab wounds!) but makes an unfounded claim that a Black intruder is to blame. Despite inconsistencies in her story, she's sentenced to life, only to be released after 6 years. Joining us to dissect this case of matricide, race, and privilege is author Beverly Lowry, who explores the crime in her book, Deer Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta. Unpacking the murky details, we'll delve into the role of white privilege, media portrayals of women, and lingering questions that still haunt the South and our justice system.

Be sure to purchase your copy of the book here.

Ever wondered how a simple leaf or a speck of pollen can crack a case? Dr. David Gibson, a forensic botanist, professor, and author of Planting Clues: How Plants Solve Crimes teaches us to how to combat 'plant blindness:' the idea that plants are all just the same thing.

Dr. David Gibson reveals:

The secret language of plants: How seemingly unremarkable botanical evidence can link suspects to crime scenes, pinpoint the location of a crime, and even identify victims.

Real-life detective work: How in the infamous Ted Bundy case plant evidence played a crucial role in bringing him to justice, as well as court cases involving expert testimony like renowned botanist, Dr. Jane Bock, who offered her expertise on the 'leaf litter' from the body dumping site.

Beyond the naked eye: How the microscopic world of plant forensics, where pollen, fungal spores, and diatoms hold hidden clues invisible to the untrained eye.

The science behind the sleuthing: How plant DNA analysis is revolutionizing the field, with applications ranging from identifying illegal plant trafficking to aiding farmers and conservation efforts.

Plants as silent witnesses: We delve into the dark side of botany, exploring the history of plant poisons used in crimes and the challenges of detecting them in toxicology reports.

Be sure to follow David Gibson on his website and Instagram.

You can purchase Planting Clues here.

Ramona Emerson, joins us to discuss Shutter which was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction, whose central character, Rita, works as a crime scene photographer with the unique ability to communicate with the dead, which poses some challenges as a Navajo person. Inspired by Ramona's own experience working with the police department in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 16 years, we learn about the challenges in working crime scenes as a forensic photographer and the imperative to capture and catalogue all of the details for the families. Naturally in talking about death, we discuss what it means be haunted, literally and figuratively, what it means to grieve, and ultimately what determines justice for those who have lost.

Be sure to follow Ramona, author and filmmaker, on her website

And be sure to purchase your copy of Shutter at any major bookseller

Our minisodes are a break from true crime and for this one gather around the campfire! We are joined by special guest and Michelle's dad, John Bedford Jeanis, to discuss the secret but yes, well-documented, family legend of their ancestor, Jean Jeanis, who is believed by the folks of Pointe Noire to shift into a 'mangy dog' at will otherwise known as the Chien de Lune or the Rougarou. Naturally, we also touched upon the feu follet, haunted cemeteries, the lost art of the boucherie, pirates, finding foots in odd places, and John's experience at the ill-fated Louisiana Woodstock of 71' in McCrea, Louisiana. Also in the midst is Michelle's origin story to becoming our country's lead expert in missing persons' cases, which may or may not have started with young Michelle hiding from her family in clothing racks at the mall...

It's a rare privilege and point of pride to speak with our families and to inherit their stories of working from sunup to sundown or their memories of freshly baked cornbread on hot summer days and of course there's always a werewolf story or two if you're lucky.

Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks, a forensic anthropologist, joins us to discuss how studying vultures' scavenging habits can affect crime scenes and solve cases.

Be sure to watch her TED Talk !

Mark Michaud, a retired Slidell police officer, is a search and recovery expert and is the founder of Southeast Louisiana Underwater Search and Recovery, a nonprofit that offers something invaluable to the families of the missing. He shares with us some stories of recovery diving from his earlier years as well as the new advancements made to sonar. We learn some of the complexities of water recovery and how depth, current, temperature, and time of year are all a factor. We also learned a new word, saponification or as we prefer : "soapify."

*Mark frequently teaches classes to Fire and Law Enforcement in body recovery techniques and sonar training. His company is a nonprofit, so please make a donation to the company's PayPal in the link here. ( If you use FRIENDS AND FAMILY no fees are taken out by PayPal.)

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