Forensic Tales

The Dardeen Family Murders


Listen Later

On November 18, 1987, the small town of Ina, Illinois, was forever changed when Keith and Elaine Dardeen, their 3-year-old son Peter, and their newborn daughter Casey were found murdered in one of the most horrific crime scenes investigators had ever encountered.

Nearly four decades later, the murders remain officially unsolved.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, I take a closer look at the lives of the Dardeen family, the timeline leading up to the murders, the crime scene investigation, the forensic evidence, and the theories that continue to surround this heartbreaking case. From early rumors and community panic to the controversial confessions of serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, we'll examine what investigators know, what they don't, and whether this mystery may ever be solved.

In this episode:

  • The Dardeen family's life in Ina, Illinois
  • The discovery of the crime scenes
  • Crime scene processing and forensic evidence
  • Autopsy findings and timeline reconstruction
  • How rumors fueled fear throughout southern Illinois
  • The investigation and persons of interest
  • Tommy Lynn Sells' conflicting confessions
  • Why the case remains unsolved today
  • If you enjoy Forensic Tales, consider supporting the show on Patreon for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes updates.

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

    Follow Forensic Tales:

    Website & Episode Sources: https://forensictales.com/the-dardeen-family-murders
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forensictales
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forensictales
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forensictales

    If you enjoyed this episode, I'd truly appreciate it if you left a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps more people discover the show and supports independent creators like me.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Forensic TalesBy Rockefeller Audio

    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3

    4.3

    361 ratings


    More shows like Forensic Tales

    View all
    20/20 by ABC News

    20/20

    12,159 Listeners

    48 Hours by CBS News

    48 Hours

    10,924 Listeners

    Crimelines® True Crime by Crimelines True Crime

    Crimelines® True Crime

    4,212 Listeners

    Already Gone Podcast by Nina Innsted

    Already Gone Podcast

    3,975 Listeners

    Trace Evidence by Steven Pacheco

    Trace Evidence

    4,088 Listeners

    Cold Case Files by A&E / PodcastOne

    Cold Case Files

    8,691 Listeners

    Criminology by Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford

    Criminology

    6,989 Listeners

    MURDERISH by Cloud10

    MURDERISH

    3,448 Listeners

    Forensic Files by HLN

    Forensic Files

    3,782 Listeners

    Dateline NBC by NBC News

    Dateline NBC

    47,733 Listeners

    Anatomy of Murder by Audiochuck

    Anatomy of Murder

    19,075 Listeners

    DNA: ID by AbJack Entertainment

    DNA: ID

    1,007 Listeners

    Forensic Files II by HLN

    Forensic Files II

    972 Listeners

    American Justice by A&E | PodcastOne

    American Justice

    196 Listeners

    City Confidential by A&E | PodcastOne

    City Confidential

    220 Listeners