Stockton Springs, Maine. 1984.

On February 11th, 2022, Kirt Damon Sr, stood before a judge at the Waldo County Courthouse facing charges for the 1984 murder of Dorothea Burke.

After celebrating her 63rd birthday at her favorite local dive bar, Dorothea Burke went missing. Five days later, her body was found on the side of the road. She'd been bludgeoned to death.

Dot's case sat on the Maine Cold Case list for almost 4 decades waiting for this moment her killer would finally be brought to justice. Her case is the most recent success for the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit, and stands as hope to other families still awaiting their day in court.

This is an important update episode, and the story of the road to justice in the case of Dorothea Burke.

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/dorothea-burke

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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2019 - Asheboro, North Carolina. (part 3)

As Sarah continues to dig into the circumstances surrounding her son's mysterious death, a common denominator keeps popping up around the times when Brandon was sick: his mystery girlfriend, Cassandra.

When Sarah connects with Cassandra's husband and ex, she learns that both men believed they too were being poisoned, and experienced eerily similar symptoms as her son. Brandon's case is closed. If Sarah isn't pushing for the answers she needs, who will?

Through first hand experiences and interviews, this is the final part (of three) of the case of Brandon Embry.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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2019 - Asheboro, North Carolina. (part two)

The medical examiner said that 33-year-old Brandon Embry died of pneumonia. His body was cut and bruised head-to-toe, and his face was covered with blood. His manner of death? Natural Causes.

But nobody can explain the injuries on Brandon, not even the medical examiner. Could he really have done all of this to himself? While the police were conducting their investigation, Brandon's mother, Sarah, was conducting her own. And at the center of it? A woman named Cassandra who claims she was the love of Brandon's life. So why hadn't Sarah heard of her?

The more Sarah digs, the more bizarre things become.... and she can't help but wonder if Cassandra is connected.

This is part two (of three) of the case of Brandon Embry.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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2019 - Asheboro, North Carolina. (part one)

When police responded to a wellness check at Brandon Embry's apartment, they were not expecting what they saw inside. The apartment was a complete disaster: trash and belongings strewn about, water and blood everywhere, and the 33-year-old veteran lying on the floor, nude and unconscious. His entire body was bruised and beaten. He made it to the hospital before he passed away.

The police ultimately closed this case: they say it was an accident and his injuries were self-inflicted. But the details, crime scene, and circumstances simply don't add up, and his mother, Sarah, has devoted her life to finding the answers to what happened to her son.

For this episode of Murder, She Told, we go "away" to North Carolina for a story that has a surprising connection to New England. This is part one of the case of Brandon Embry.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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2019 - Manchester, NH

On December 31st, 2021, as the world was getting ready to ring in the new year, Manchester, NH Police Chief Allen Aldenberg went to the media with an alarming press release: a 7-year-old girl named Harmony Montgomery was missing, and she hadn't been seen in 2 years.

At the time, she was living with her father, Adam Montgomery, who had custody. But Adam claimed that he dropped Harmony off at her mother's in November 2019, and Crystal Sorey (her mom) claims that she hadn't actually seen Harmony since a FaceTime call in April of 2019. So where is Harmony Montgomery?

This case is breaking right now, and the urgency to find this little girl is felt by everyone around the world joining in the fight to bring Harmony home.

This is everything you need to know about the early investigation of the Harmony Montgomery case.

2024 UPDATE: As of 2024, Adam Montgomery has been convicted of the murdering his daughter and sentenced. We released an update on June 18, 2024.

New episode: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/harmony-montgomery-2

If you have any relevant information to the investigation of Harmony Montgomery, please call the Manchester Police Dept tip line at (603) 932-8997.

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1849 - Saco, Maine.

In April of 1850, as the sun shone on Woodbury Brook in Saco, Maine, a boy made a grisly discovery: the body of a young woman tied to a board. It was soon determined that the woman, known as Mary Bean, was killed during a botched abortion from the local botanic doctor, James Smith.

During the course of the trial, it was revealed that Mary Bean was actually Berengera Caswell, a 21-year-old Canadian factory worker who was trying to make a life for herself in New England.

The murder of Mary Bean was written into a fictional, salacious true crime novella, warning young women against the dangers of promiscuity and the inevitable demise of working mill girls. For years, the death of Berengera Caswell remained buried under the moral parable of her infamous pseudonym... until 2007, when the true identity of Mary Bean was unearthed for the modern era.

This episode discusses and describes abortion in the historical context of the 1850's. Please listen with care.

Read The Murder of Mary Bean Book

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Detailed sources can be found at murdershetold.com.

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2011 - Waterville, Maine.

Ayla Reynolds' mother just wanted answers for her little girl. In December of 2011, her disappearance sparked a national media storm, catapulting Trista Reynolds and her missing wispy blonde-haired toddler into the white hot spotlight.

The police declared that they believed 20-month-old Ayla was a victim of foul play, adding that the people who were with her that night—including her father, Justin DiPietro—were not being truthful.

In January of 2013, police showed Trista the evidence they'd found all throughout the home... Ayla's blood. Trista believed more than ever her daughter had been murdered, so she took matters in her own hands to put the pressure on, letting the world know what happened to little Ayla in the DiPietro home that cold December night: she revealed the blood evidence to the public.

The disappearance of little Ayla Bell Reynolds is the largest criminal investigation in Maine State History, and as of 2021, the case remains without justice. This is the latest information on the Ayla Reynolds case.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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Ayla's Go-Fund Me Campaign

If you have any information on Ayla's disappearance, please contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Central and call (207) 624-7143 or toll free 1-800-452-4664. You can also leave a tip online.

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2011 - Waterville, Maine.

Ayla Reynolds was just shy of 2-years-old when her father, Justin DiPietro, called 911 on the morning of December 17th, 2011 in Waterville, Maine to report her missing. His story was that she'd been abducted from her crib in the middle of the night by an unknown intruder while the three adults in the house were sleeping. Ayla Reynolds never came back home.

Ayla's disappearance sparked a national media storm, catapulting a grieving mother into the spotlight. Trista Reynolds, who wasn't there the night her daughter went missing, believed she wasn't getting the full story from Ayla's father. Eventually police believed it too, and announced this was no longer the search for a missing child... but rather, foul play.

What is Justin DiPietro, Elisha DiPietro, and Courtney Roberts hiding?

The search for Ayla Reynolds is the largest criminal investigation in Maine state history and to this day, her case remains unsolved. This past week marked a tragic anniversary for the little girl's disappearance.

This is the latest information on the Ayla Reynolds case.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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If you have any information on Ayla's disappearance, please contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Central and call (207) 624-7143 or toll free 1-800-452-4664. You can also leave a tip online.

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1966 -Andover, New Hampshire.

In September of 1966, 45-year-old Everett Delano was shot in cold blood at the gas station in Andover, New Hampshire where he worked as an attendant. Everett was a husband, a father, and a veteran with so much life left to live, senselessly murdered in a random act of violence.

As 1966 came to a close without an arrest, the family wondered if their case would be solved: There was no DNA, no suspects, and for decades, no prospects of being solved.

But almost 5 decades later, one call set this case on the fast track for justice.... and investigators realize the killer had been sitting, waiting to be "matched" the entire time.

Hear Everett's story with help from his son, Daryl, the strange circumstances of this case, and how this solved New England cold case beat the odds and now stands as a beacon of hope.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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1983 - Kittery, Maine.

Reeves Johnson has been missing since February 1983. 

In the days following his disappearance, 31-year-old Reeves quit his job, drained his bank account past the last dollar, tried to sell his car, and cleaned out his cabin, leaving behind some curious items.

But was it Reeves? His parents thought so… until they showed up at the post office, hoping to catch their son picking up his last paycheck and discovered a man—an unknown man—opening Reeves' mailbox and taking his mail... and his mother captured a mysterious photo that might just be the key to finding out what happened to her son.

For this special edition episode, we are bringing you into the fold of an active Maine cold case investigation, and working with the Kittery Police Department and the family to try to find answers to a decades old mystery. This is everything we know about the disappearance of Reeves K. Johnson III.

WE NEED YOUR HELP: We’re shaking the dust off this case file and trying to dig up any bit of information that can fill in the puzzle. Share this episode. Share the blog. Get Reeves name circulating.

Key info: https://murdershetold.com/reevesjohnson

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If you have any information to share, please contact Det. Brian Cummer at the Kittery Police Dept. at (207) 439-1638.

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