Small Town Mysteries

In September of 1999, Ronald Cohen had just finalized the sale of his home in Jericho, New York, where he had lived for the previous nine years. In cleaning out his home for the new owners, he came across something startling in his basement–left behind from the previous owner of the house and weighing about 300 pounds. Its discovery would reopen a 30-year-old cold case.

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho,_New_York
2) https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/reyna-marroquin/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reyna_Marroqu%C3%ADn
4) https://projectpulso.org/2022/11/14/reyna-marroquin/
5) https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Ang%C3%A9lica_Marroqu%C3%ADn
6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215199418/reyna_angelica-marroquin

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On March 25, 2003, Shonda Dee Walter murdered her elderly neighbor, James E. Sementelli, in order to rob him and gain gang initiation in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She stole money from him and his car, and proceeded to return to the crime scene with other people, in order to show them James’ body. 

Sources:
1) https://murderpedia.org/female.W/w/walter-shonda.htm
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_Haven,_Pennsylvania
3) https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local-news/2016/08/victim-s-family-others-resigned-to-walter-life-sentence/
4) https://creative-resistance.org/an-untimely-death-by-shonda-walters/
5) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81062304/james-e-sementelli#:~:text=Sementelli%20was%20a%20murder%20victim,a%20gang%20initiation%20and%20robbery.&text=World%20War%20II-,He%20grew%20up%20in%20Lock%20Haven%20and%20was%20stationed%20at,Harbor%20on%20December%207%2C%201941.

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This case created a lot of room for discussion. It is not a morally black or white case - there's a lot to unpack here!
The clip on social media that made me dig into this can be summed up as: a 15-year-old kid shot dead his parents and 17-year-old sister, citing his dislike for his mother’s loud chewing and his sister’s “annoying” accent, as well as his father’s disapproval of his anti-war views. 

Sources: 
1) http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/wolcott.pdf 
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown,_Texas 
3) https://vocal.media/criminal/the-unforgettable-crime-and-the-remarkable-transformation-of-james-gordon-wolcott
4) https://thecrimemag.com/james-gordon-wolcott/

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No spoilers for this one - the synopsis itself is horrible. Find out why this case is known as "The Windshield Murder" during this episode of Small Town Mysteries!

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-1-1_(TV_series)
2) https://people.com/crime/chante-mallard-2017-movie-about-homeless-man-murder-windshield/
3) https://medium.com/p/6ea6a6217201
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7622278/gregory_glenn-biggs
5) https://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/mallard-chante.htm
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Gregory_Glenn_Biggs

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Between September 1st and 4th, in 2006 Christian Charles Neilsen went on a killing spree at the Black Bear Inn located Newry, ME, which resulted in the death of 4 people: James, “Jimmy”  Whitehurst (age 50), Julie Attebury Newby Bullard (age 65), Selby Bullard (age 30), and Cindy Ellen Cabral Beatson (age 43).
What could his motive have been?

Sources:
1) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/me-supreme-judicial-court/1377622.html
2) https://murderpedia.org/male.N/n/nielsen-christian.htm
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Charles_Nielsen
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105419041/james-william-whitehurst
5) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/julie-bullard-obituary?id=25551786
6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15916100/cynthia_ellen-beatson 

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This case highlights what some men in immense positions of power will do to try and cover their tracks. Anne Marie Fahey was only 27 when she was murdered by Thomas Capano, a prominent lawyer and political consultant who was well-known in Delaware, and who came from a family of rich real-estate developers. Although their relationship was not exclusive by any means, Capano was angered when he thought Fahey was going to end things with him, wanting to keep Fahey all to himself. 

Sources: 
1) https://www.capanomanagement.com/the-capano-family-today/
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Capano
3) https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2017/11/15/20-years-after-capano-arrest-juror-breaks-silence/839587001/ 

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The senseless, and potentially racially-motivated, crime that killed eight-year-old Noah Bush will have you seething.

Sources: 
-https://home.army.mil/stewart/about/Garrison/DPW/environmental/prevention-and-compliance/borrow-pits#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20Borrow%20Pit,for%20fill%20at%20another%20location.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesup,_Georgia
-https://johndrogerslaw.com/the-controversial-debate-of-trying-juveniles-as-adults-in-the-criminal-justice-system/
-https://www.thedailybeast.com/georgia-family-demands-justice-after-drowning-of-8-year-old-black-boy-noah-bush
-https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/sentencing-delayed-for-child-charged-in-noah-bushs-death-in-jesup/PWX6LFWZFFA7NKXKSLBF7BMRJ4/
-https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/29/minors-charged-noah-bush-death-jesup-georgia/74584663007/
-https://www.wjcl.com/article/jesup-residents-protest-death-noah-bush/60865381
-https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-noah-bush-and-his-family-through-this-difficult-time 

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In this episode, Rachael talks about Linda Lee Couch, who murdered her husband, Walter Couch Jr., in their home In Cincinnati, Ohio. The two of them were married for 14 years. As their history is unraveled, the question of self-defense is brought into the mix. 

Sources:
1) https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/W017943
2) I Am A Killer, Season 2, Episode 4 - “Trapped” 
3) https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/linda-couch-convicted-of-murder-in-1985-is-up-for-parole-her-daughter-doesnt-believe-shes-changed

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Dubbed by the media as “The Tube Sock Killings,” these four unsolved murders occurred in 1985 in the remote areas of Lewis and Pierce County, Washington, near the unincorporated community of Mineral, Washington. Tube socks were tied around the necks of the women. 
Was it the same killer? You might think so, but it's not so cut and dry!
Let's talk about it.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral,_Washington_murders
https://unsolved.com/gallery/diana-robertson/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral,_Washington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Stoppers 
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen_Harkins_and_Ruth_Cooper 

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Kate talks about a case that was only recently solved using DNA evidence. The Grim Sleeper was identified after having committed at least 10 murders (that he was convicted of) and at least 4 others he was suspected of carrying out. His crimes spanned decades, and he targeted sex workers who were black women. Would he have been found out sooner if he had targeted wealthy, white women? Would Lonnie Franklin Jr. be a household name if this was the case?
The answer to both questions:
Probably.

Sources:
1) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-29/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-dies-death-row-san-quentin
2) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grim-sleeper-guilty-killings_n_572bb5e3e4b016f37895382f
3) https://web.archive.org/web/20141223085642/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-08-28/news/grim-sleeper/
4)https://web.archive.org/web/20160610190831/http://news.sky.com/story/631629/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-hunted
5) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38133825
6) https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-grim-sleeper-death-verdict-20160606-snap-story.html
7) https://people.com/crime/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-once-gang-raped-a-german-teen/
8) https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/familys-dna-led-police-grim-sleeper-serial-killer/story?id=11116381&page=2
9) https://www.ebony.com/grim-sleeper-case/
10) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-may-have-left-photos-of-more-victims-in-refrigerator-says-lapd/
11) https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-grim-sleeper-victims-20160508-story.html
12) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-16-la-me-0716-grim-sleeper-search-20100716-story.html
13) https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-oct-29-la-me-grim-sleeper-20111029-story.html
Doe Network for information on victims
14) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grim_Sleeper 

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