Murder, She Told

1998 - Portland, Maine.

On the night of April 4th, 1998, 18-year-old Robert Joyal was stabbed to death in front of 50 people in the Denny's parking lot in Portland, Maine. A month after the murder the police made an arrest... but over the course of the next two years, the state's case would slowly unravel, leaving a potential killer to walk free.

How is a case that had up to 100 potential witnesses still unsolved to this day? Dive into the investigation, what went wrong, and why this case, despite having anywhere between 40 and 100 witnesses, still isn't solved.

Hear Rob's story told through his brother, Marc, in the conclusion of this two part special on the life and death of Robert Joyal and a family's 20-year search for answers.

If you know anything about the murder of Robert Joyal, I urge you to call the Portland Police Department's tip line at 207-874-8584.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1998 - Portland, Maine.

Moving to Maine in 1997 was supposed to be 18-year-old Robert Joyal's fresh start. But instead of becoming the football star he was in Texas, he found himself on the outside looking in, unable to carve a path in Gorham High School's social circles.

When his rebellious behavior came to a head at home, it was agreed that he would move out while finishing his senior year. Another fresh start, and one where the family felt a sense of bittersweet hope.

But that hope was short lived. That same night, before he even got a chance to unpack his car and sleep at his new apartment, Robert Joyal was stabbed to death in a Denny's parking lot in Portland, Maine. And to this day, despite the public thinking otherwise, his case remains unsolved.

Hear Rob's story told through his brother, Marc in this two part special on the life and death of Robert Joyal and a family's 20-year search for answers.

If you know anything about the murder of Robert Joyal, I urge you to call the Portland Police Department's tip line at 207-874-8584.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1984 - Stockton Springs, Maine

After celebrating her 63rd birthday at her favorite local dive bar and spending the day at a family wedding, Dorothea Burke went missing. Five days later, her body was found on the side on a country back road—she's been a victim of blunt force trauma.

For years her case sat on Maine's unsolved homicide list with no updates to family or media. And then in September of 2020, Maine State Police announced an arrest had been made: 57-year-old Kirt Damon Sr, a guest and local man who had been at the wedding that night.

I went to the Waldo County Courthouse to dig through public files for this case and learn what I could, which surprisingly, was a lot.

This is everything publicly available (and not yet released by the news) on the upcoming trial of Kirt Damon Sr. for the murder of Dorothea Burke.

UPDATE: Check out the follow up episode on this case released in February 2022.

Detailed sources and photos can be found on murdershetold.com

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1936 - Mount Wantastiquet, New Hampshire.

In May of 1936 firefighters responded to a fire on top of Mount Wantastiquet in New Hampshire, right across the river from Brattleboro, Vermont. The next day, when sifting through the rubble for the source of the fire, they made a horrifying discovery: The broken and burned body of a woman, blunt force trauma to the back of her head, with a gun and an oil can laying nearby.

As police unraveled the mystery to find her identity, they learned of a Grace Hurley who had visited hotels in the NH and VT area. Even more bizarre, Grace Hurley was actually a woman named Elizabeth Freel from Massachusetts, and Grace Hurley had purchased the very oil that had killed her. What happened to Elizabeth Freel on Rattlesnake Hill?

Tune in and hear a tale of bizarre history that's been lost to time, and left investigators in a stalemate over what happened.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1986 - Norwalk, Connecticut.

When Kathleen Marie Flynn left for school the morning of September 23rd, 1986 in Norwalk, Connecticut it was just a normal day. But when 3:30 rolled around and punctual Kathleen still wasn't home from school, her mother started panicking. Later that night Kathleen's body is found in the woods. She'd been killed on her way home from school.

Police quickly add 23-year-old Marc Karun to their suspect list based on a violent assault he'd committed earlier that year. There were similarities between that case and Kathleen's murder, but police don't have enough evidence to charge him.

But this is the 1980's, and DNA evidence is decades away from what we know today. So Marc Karun walked a free man, terrorizing women in the Norwalk community, and spending short stints in jail... until 2013, when Marc Karun moved to a tiny town in the middle of central Maine and made his presence loud and clear...

This is a story of a monster who lived amongst us. The story of innocence stolen, and the story of the rise of DNA evidence and the long, winding road to justice.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual violence or assault and need support, help is available. Reach out to the Rape Abuse incest National Network support hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org for more information.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1991 - Waterville, Maine.

In November of 1991, police in Waterville, Maine arrived on the scene of a suspicious fire that was ablaze at a home in the middle of town. After the fire was controlled, two bodies were found inside, charred beyond recognition.

They were later identified as 25-year-old Lorna Labbe Brackett, and 46-year-old Maynard Vincent White. Tests to the house confirmed that accelerants were present, and the deaths were ruled a homicide.

Rumors start flying about their deaths possibly being linked to cocaine trafficking, and despite over 400 interviews for the case, nobody has been brought to justice for Lorna and Vincent's senseless deaths.

This is the story of Lorna Brackett and Vincent White.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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If you have any information about the murders of Lorna Brackett and Vincent White, please contact Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central at (207) 624-7143 or leave a tip.

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2004 - Downeast, Maine.

When 17-year-old Krystal Lee Higgins went missing after a night with friends in 2004, the entire Downeast, Maine community rallied together to search for her. But the search came to a devastating end when Krystal's car was found in the river. Two days later, Krystal's body was found close to the same spot.

The police ultimately ruled it an unfortunate accident, but for the past sixteen years, friends and family still have questions about what exactly happened that night. Was foul play involved? If it was an accident, why are there so many pieces of the puzzle that don't make sense?

Then, in 2015, this closed case took a dark turn... A mysterious letter surfaced, pointing to an unnamed killer, and saying that Krystal's death wasn't an accident... Krystal Higgins was murdered.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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2000 - Seabrook, New Hampshire.

In 2000, while working the Fourth of July graveyard shift as a security guard in Seabrook, New Hampshire, Curtis Pishon disappeared without a trace.

Earlier that evening Curtis's car has been mysteriously set on fire, and though the insurance company later ruled it an arson, it is still unknown who set the fire, and why it was set. After that, Curtis disappeared.

The Pishon family suspects foul play, and investigator Michael Gallagher does too. And though a person of interest has been named in Curtis's case, no charges have ever been made.

Curtis Pishon is Seabrook's only missing persons case.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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If you know anything about the murder of Curtis Pishon, I urge you to contact to the Seabrook NH Police Department.

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1990 - Pittsfield, Maine.

Shirley McAvoy had been missing for over a month when her estranged husband showed up to winterize her mobile home in Pittsfield, Maine in October of 1990. When he opened the door, he had no idea of the horrifying crime scene awaiting him inside.

Shirley was last seen with a mystery man who called himself "Jerry", and the day she went missing, this mystery man was seen driving her red 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme alone.

When Shirley's body is discovered, police know they have a murder on their hands, and a person of interest to find.

Tune in to this tangled mystery of the murder of Shirley McAvoy, an unsolved case that travels all the way to the bottom of the eastern seaboard.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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If you know anything about the murder of Shirley McAvoy, I urge you to leave a tip with the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central.

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1991 - Pittsfield, Maine.

14-year-old Christopher Rines wasn't a bad kid. He skipped school a lot and snuck out at night, but he wasn't a bad kid.

In April of 1991, after a night out with friends gone wrong, Christopher disappeared. And the local police department in Pittsfield, Maine wrote him off as a teenage runaway.

But the weeks passed with no sign of Christopher... until his jacket showed up in the water of Mill Pond in the center of town, and everyone begins fearing the worst.

This month marks the 30th anniversary since Christopher's murder. His case still remains unsolved.

If you know anything about the murder of Christopher Rines, I urge you to leave a tip to the Maine State Major Crimes Unit Central.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

Connect on Instagram @murdershetoldpodcast

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