Episode 35: MURDERED: Debra Sue Vine - Genoa, Ohio

A 19-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. A cherished daughter and sister. A small town left reeling by a crime that still has no justice.

Episode Summary

In February 1980, 19-year-old Debra Sue Vine vanished from her small hometown of Genoa. What followed was one of the most disturbing ransom schemes in Ohio history — a series of cryptic phone calls that sent Debra’s father on a terrifying scavenger hunt across northwest Ohio, demanding $80,000 for his daughter’s safe return.

But the ransom was never collected. And Debra never came home.

Nearly three months later, Debra’s body was discovered in a wooded area behind a rural cemetery. She had been bound, wrapped in bedding, and left far from where she disappeared. Due to the condition of her remains, investigators were unable to determine her exact cause or time of death — leaving behind more questions than answers.

Authorities eventually arrested a former sheriff’s deputy for orchestrating the ransom calls, but despite evidence tying him to the extortion and the kidnapping, Debra’s murder has never been officially solved. To this day, no one has been convicted for taking her life.

This week on True Crime Unwind, we walk through who Debra Sue Vine was, the chilling ransom scavenger hunt that gripped her family, the unanswered questions surrounding her death, and why this case continues to haunt her community more than four decades later.

If you have any information about the murder of Debra Sue Vine — no matter how small or insignificant it may seem — please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency in Ottawa County or Sandusky County, Ohio. Even decades later, one tip can still matter.

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