Scene Of the Crime

We chose the word “Arcanum” as the title of this series because it has multiple meanings.  

In episode one, we defined Arcanum as a secret; information possessed only be a select inner circle. The goal of this podcast is to widen that circle. And to tell the victims story in a way that levels the playing field, so the focus isn’t just on the crime, but on the real person who was affected by it.

The word Arcanum can also mean a secret and powerful remedy. For Autumn’s family, we believe that remedy will be an investigation that leaves no stone unturned.

Many people have a lot of theories about what happened in this case, which we’ll get to. But first, we want to share how Seattle Homicide Detectives went about their initial investigation.

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In Autumn’s Stone’s young life she had come a long way from the quiet, shy little girl who was bullied in school, to coming into her own, finding love with Tyler and creating the cohesive family unit they both craved so much.

Autumn was more than just a headline, and our mission is to help you get to know the whole person before we get to the tragic and mysterious circumstances of her death.

It’s a clock that some say had been punched 9 days before her death, on August 21, 2019, the night she left her precious baby Derek alone with his father for less than 15 minutes.

While a lot of things are unclear about the investigation that would follow the discovery of Autumn's body at Green Lake, one thing that we do know from the body cameras worn by Seattle Police is that the officers and other first responders did everything they could to save her and to preserve the scene for homicide detectives.

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He could be considered the world's very first cyber sleuth.

In 1998, Todd Matthews first heard the story of the unidentified victim known as "Tent Girl." He became obsessed with the case and ended up becoming instrumental in not only identifying the victim, but the suspected killer as well.

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In our last episode, Silent No More, we focused on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Through our conversations with tribal members and law enforcement, we learned about some of the historical events that have created a wall of distrust between the indigenous community and outside agencies.  But, that’s just one part of this puzzle. 

One of the biggest concerns for the Washington State Patrol’s Chris Loftis is the lack of consistency in law enforcement practices.  But, efforts are being made to correct this. 

In our recent conversation, Chris was joined by the State Patrol’s two tribal liaisons, Patti Gosch and Dawn Pullin, who are spearheading the work to earn back the trust of indigenous individuals throughout the State of Washington. 

If you are a family member of a missing person and would like their photo to be included on the Washington State Patrol Missing Person’s website, please contact:

Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit

[email protected]

(800) 543-5678

Or the WSP Tribal Liaisons

Patti Gosch                                       Dawn Pullin

[email protected]              [email protected]

(360) 280-0567                                (360) 890-0150

 

And, Scene of the Crime will be back in just a few weeks with more fresh episodes and a season-long deep dive into the mysterious death of Autumn Stone. 

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We've been sharing new stories from the Scene of the Crime for more than a year now and we're starting an ambitious new project, a full-season deep dive into one of the most interesting cases we've covered so far: The mysterious death of Autumn Stone. There's been some movement on this case since we first brought it to you last year, and some new evidence has been uncovered that could change everything!

So, while we take a short break from our weekly episodes to focus on this deep dive, we thought we would share with you some of the really impactful discussions that we had as we were preparing our last episode on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

First up - our conversation with Emily Washines. She grew up hearing stories about the tragedies that have occured to people in her tribe and beyond. Now, she's using her voice to speak up for the victims and to try and end the cycle of violence and abuse. And, best of all she shares with us stories of courage and compassion that can help us all understand the struggle of Native women and girls and what we can do to help.

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Earth Feather Sovereign was just 14 years old, and she was an itty bitty thing. Standing just over five feet tall, she barely hit a hundred pounds on the scale. 

Still, when she walked into the party that night, she stuck out her chin and let them know she had arrived. The Portland house belonged to a friend of a friend, she wasn’t really sure who. But, between the bass-heavy beat of the music and the excited energy of the young people milling around, this felt like the place to be. 

Even though she was still in the dawn of her teenage years, Earth Feather already had plenty of experience with booze, and not just to liven-up a party. She’d learned the hard way that liquor could soothe a tortured heart, at least temporarily. 

So, just like so many other nights, she grabbed a bottle. 

There were a lot of familiar faces at this house party, but a lot of strangers, too. And, when Earth-Feather went down to the hall to use the bathroom, she wasn’t alone. 

A group of young men grabbed her and refused to let her go.

She was kidnapped, raped and held as a slave. 

It’s a sickening story that’s all too familiar for so many young Indigenous women all over the nation.

But now, new laws and new efforts are being made to stop the cycle and find justice for the families of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women from the Pacific Northwest and around the country.

If you are a family member of a missing person and would like their photo to be included on the Washington State Patrol Missing Person’s website, please contact:

Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit

[email protected]

(800) 543-5678

Or the WSP Tribal Liaisons

Patti Gosch                                       Dawn Pullin

[email protected]              [email protected]

(360) 280-0567                                (360) 890-0150

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In the fall of 2020, Jason Fox was a 19 year old kid who had grown up in Newport, Washington.  The small city is a gorgeous slice of PNW pie complete with mountains, rivers, and forests. Everything the Evergreen State is famous for.  

But Jason, a creative, loving and kindhearted kid, was harboring a secret. He worried if he revealed it he wouldn’t be accepted, and like most teens, acceptance was the thing he craved more than anything else.

And he was right to be concerned. Newport, a conservative place near the Idaho border, is more red than blue when it comes to its politics.   

Jason came out when he was 18 years old, sort of. In a move to be more accepted, Jason told Newport friends he was bisexual. He thought that would be easier than telling the truth: that he was gay.

When Jason was 19 he started experimenting with drugs. His parents were worried, not only about the drugs but about a new, older crowd he was hanging out with. People he had a troubling history of clashing with.

Even so, a couple friends from that group invited him to party at the Timber River Ranch, about five miles outside of town. By day the ranch was over 50 acres of rustic beauty and tranquility. But the night that Jason rolled down the long, dirt driveway he was never so alone and isolated. Jason’s parents believe that’s exactly why he was lured to this location.

Jason sent a text just after midnight on September 15th, 2020. It was the last text he would ever send.  Three weeks later his body was found in a shallow grave.

Four men have been charged with murder in connection with his murder. But, the motive is unclear. Jason's mom believes it was a hate crime.

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Ashley Pond may have been a pre-teen, but instead of spunk and rebellion, she emanated sweetness and light. Despite the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her father, the 12 year old from Oregon City was known to be a happy child who loved to dance. 

In fact, she was on a dance team with some of her closest friends and neighbors, Miranda and Mallori. The trio lived so close, they all met-up at the same bus stop each morning, before heading to Gardner Middle School, where they were in 7th grade.

On the morning of January 9th, 2002, Ashley was running a little late. She rushed out the door at 8:15, hoping she hadn’t missed the bus. Some neighbors remember seeing Ashley as she hustled out of the apartment complex that morning… the last time anyone would see her alive.

And, Ashley wouldn’t be the last of her friends to be stolen….

We're exploring the question of Nature versus Nurture with a family that includes three generations of killers. But, is this evil being passed along in their genes? Or was it the way they were raised?

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It was a Wednesday, June 11th, 1986. Fifteen year old Hayley Snow was up bright and early to get a jump on the day. It was nearing the end of the school year, and summer was so close she could taste it. It wouldn’t be long before she was sleeping in and staying up late with friends. 

Hayley popped by her parent’s room on the way to the shower, to say good morning to her mom. At 40-years old, Susan Snow had worked her way up the ranks and was an assistant vice president at the Puget Sound National Bank, managing their branch in Auburn. And, she was a married mother of two, with one girl off in college and the other soon to be on her way.

That morning, Susan had a bit of a headache. But, it was nothing this busy working mother wasn’t used to. She popped some Extra-Strength Excedrin.

As was their routine, Hayley got ready for school while Susan got ready for work, before meeting back up for breakfast. A half-hour later, when Hayley was just about ready to head down, she noticed the water was still running in her mom’s bathroom.

Odd, she thought. Mom didn’t usually take that long. So, she popped her head in one more time to see what Susan was up to.

Hayley was horrified to find her mom lying on the floor, barely breathing. Susan's pulse was so faint that even the paramedics had a hard time finding it. They called for a helicopter to rush her to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. But, Susan died just hours later. 

At first, it was a mystery how this seemingly healthy woman suddenly collapsed and died for no apparent reason. But it became clear during the autopsy when the coroner noticed the smell of bitter almonds, a distinct odor known to be caused by cyanide poisoning. Days later, toxicology tests would trace the poison to the bottle of Excedrin found in Susan’s bathroom. 

It was shocking, but not unheard of. Just a few years earlier seven people had died after taking cyanide-tainted Tylenol that had been planted at stores in the Chicago area. 

Could they have a copycat on their hands?

It would take years for investigators to finally answer that question, and the answer would come from the most unlikely of places, when another Auburn woman called police claiming her husband had taken the same poisoned pills.

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How do you define success? And what are you willing to do to achieve it?

Kim and Carolyn mull that over with a little help from James Baysinger, host of the Hide and Seek podcast.

Plus, tips on getting your kids to eat their vegetables!

It's a detour from their usual cases that will leave you shouting, "Kale Yeah!"

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