The Dark Oak

April 17, 2016, was a very rainy day in Midlothian, Texas and 45-year-old Missy Bevers was scheduled to teach a fitness class outside of Creekside Church at five the next morning. That evening Missy posted on her FB page” If it’s raining, we’re still training!” giving the time and location of the class with instructions to meet inside the church building instead of their usual spot in the parking lot. 

Around 5:00 am the next morning, students arrived at the church, but instead of being met with the expected smile and encouragement that Missy was known for giving, they found Missy lying unresponsive on the floor surrounded by blood and broken glass. 

Later that day, Missy would be pronounced deceased.

When authorities reviewed the church's surveillance footage, nobody was prepared for what they would see. This video catapulted Missy’s case into the public eye and despite having very clear pictures of Missy's killer, more than 8 years later, her case remains unsolved. 

Sources:

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/crime/missy-bevers-murder-investigation-midlothian-texas-police-suspects-leads/287-9de8d7d7-6684-4cb0-9f5f-57bc10847b26

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/husband-of-missy-bevers-discusses-unsolved-case-nearly-8-years-after-her-murder/3464935/

Tom Webster. (n.d.). Missy Bevers - My Research [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESI68Z6Qo-o

MURDER: Missy Bevers. (n.d.). [Video]. YouTube.

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

It seemed like a typical day for 37-year-old Dr. Cherryl Lamont Pearson on January 4, 2002. She attended a Memphis Grizzlies game then she headed home to hang with two of her friends. When her friends left at 1am, she told her friends she was heading to be because she needed to be up early to babysit her nieces and nephews the next morning. After taking a 5 second phone call at 1:58am on Saturday, Cherryl disappeared into thin air. What happened to Cherryl Pearson?

Sources:

Four years later, grief continues. (2006, May 15). NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12756112

Missing: Cherryl Lamont Pearson | Bartlett, TN | Uncovered. (n.d.). https://uncovered.com/cases/cherryl-pearson

JR Erickson. (2021, December 19). The Vanishing of Cherryl Lamont Pearson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ga7k3mjP0Y

Action News 5. (2012, February 17). Missing doctor Bartlett’s only cold case. https://www.actionnews5.com. https://www.actionnews5.com/story/16953495/missing-doctor-bartletts-only-cold-case/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

On April 27, 2024, 30-year-old South Carolina woman, Mica Miller, placed a disturbing 911 call. She was found later that evening having been killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

At first glance, Mica’s death sounds like a tragic suicide; however, in the days, weeks and months since, many dark secrets have surfaced including allegations of abuse by her estranged husband, Pastor John Paul Miller, leaving many of us asking…. 'Who is actually responsible for Mica Miller’s death?' 

Sources: 

Keller, E. (2024, August 1). Major update in Mica Miller case three months after her death. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/mica-miller-case-update-jp-pastor-1933518

Mica Miller did not kill herself. (n.d.). WILD. https://www.wildernesstowild.com/blog/mica-miller-did-not-kill-herself

Caplan, A. L., & Kantor, W. G. (2024, July 31). Mica Miller's Family Ends Legal Battle with Her Pastor Husband After Her Suicide: 'Put This Behind Us' People.com. https://people.com/mica-miller-family-ends-legal-battle-pastor-husband-after-her-suicide-8686996

Benson, A., & Moody, E. (2024, May 29). WBTW. WBTW. https://www.wbtw.com/news/news13-investigates/news13-exclusive-john-paul-millers-former-associate-says-hes-not-the-man-i-thought-he-was/

Rowles, C. (2024, May 20). TIMELINE: Everything we know about the Mica Miller case. WCIV. https://abcnews4.com/newsletter-daily/mica-miller-timeline-what-we-know-john-paul-jp-pastor-solid-rock-church-market-common-myrtle-beach-south-carolina-suicide-mental-health-lumber-river-state-park-robeson-county-fbi-us-attorneys-office

Facebook. (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/therobbieharvey/posts/heres-the-full-text-exchange-between-charlotte-mica-miller-and-john-paul-miller-/484282057505382/

Benson, A. (2024, June 4). WBTW. WBTW. https://www.wbtw.com/news/news13-investigates/news13-investigates-solid-rock-pastor-millers-ex-wife-alleges-infidelity-lust-for-power-in-custody-filing/

Crane, E. (2024, June 5). Ex-wife of widowed pastor John Paul Miller accuses him of having sex with prostitutes and underage girls. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/pastor-john-paul-millers-ex-wife-alleges-he-was-sexually-inappropriate-with-underage-girls/

https://www.fitsnews.com/2024/05/17/mica-miller-saga-the-pastors-paramours-and-another-suspicious-death/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.

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The father of mystery and the American horror story, Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and terrifying short stories.  You would be hard pressed to find a reader who didn't get shivers up their spine at the very thought of the Raven's "Nevermore." 

Fittingly, mystery and the macabre not only surrounded Poe in life but also his death, as one election day he was discovered incoherent and disheveled outside of a voting place. Did he have a bad reaction to consuming alcohol? Was he the victim of kidnapping and forced voter fraud? Was he robbed and beaten? 

Cynthia and Stefanie discuss these theories and more in this special Oaktoberfest edition of The Dark Oak! 

Sources:

Natale, M. (2023, November 13). A breakthrough clue may untangle the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe. Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a45782209/edgar-allan-poe-death-mystery/

(The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death (U.S. National Park Service), n.d.)

Geiling, N. (2014, October 3). The (Still) mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/

The Poe Museum. (2024b, August 12). https://poemuseum.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4DTW4B3Sjs. (n.d.). [Video].

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On April 18, 1943, local boys Robert Hart, Thomas Willetts, Bob Farmer and Fred Payne wandered into Hagley Wood, part of the estate belonging to Lord Cobham near Wychbury Hill, when they came across a large wych elm.

The wych elm before them was ancient with a gnarled base and long stretched out branches growing in every direction. To the boys, this tree looked like the perfect place to look for their treasure. Young Bob Farmer climbed into the creepy limbs of an elm tree, and reached into the hollow of a tree to retrieve what he thought was a beautiful egg. But he was mistaken, and terror crossed his face when he realized he had discovered a woman's head.

The mystery of the woman in the wych elm takes us through a trail of WWII spies, espionage, witchcraft, the cult, domestic violence and savagery. All to answer the ultimate question of Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?

Sources:

Armitage, R., & Stein, L. (2023, April 6). Unravelling the 80-year-old mystery of the woman found in a wych elm in Hagley Wood. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844

Warburton_Warrior. (n.d.). Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? - Revisited, and new information? : r/UnresolvedMysteries. https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/nxgdb1/who_put_bella_in_the_wych_elm_revisited_and_new/

Lockley, M. (2018, February 25). Revealed after 75 years: The face of Bella in the Wych Elm. Birmingham Live. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/revealed-after-75-years-face-14329271

Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? (2019, February 21). CrimeReads. https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/

Trust, W. (n.d.). English Elm (Ulmus procera) - British Trees - Woodland Trust. Woodland Trust. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/english-elm/

Fenton, N., Neil, M., Risk and Information Management Research Group, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, & Queen Mary University of London. (2014). Who put Bella in the wych-elm? A Bayesian analysis of a 70 year-old mystery (pp. 2–4). https://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~norman/projects/bella/Bella.pdf

Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm? | ag-website. (n.d.). Ag-website. https://www.adamgerber.co.uk/bella

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the Halloween of 1981, Ron Sisman and his girlfriend Elizabeth Platzman were found brutally executed in Ron's ransacked Manhattan apartment. Detectives originally believed the murders to be drug related, however, a prison informant came forward saying he had information about the case. The informants source? None other than David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam.

Come with us as we explore the underbelly of the satanic cult in which David Berkowitz claimed to be operating. Did he commit all of his heinous crimes alone? Was he led by a demonic spirit? How was he connected to Charles Manson? Are other killers still at large? And, as it pertains to this case, how did Ron Sisman find himself in the crossfires in the world of evil?

Sources:

Vanapalli, V. (2021, May 5). How and Why Was Ron Sisman Killed? The Cinemaholic. https://thecinemaholic.com/how-and-why-was-ron-sisman-killed/

Fuqua, L. M. (2021, December 12). Son of Sam’s connection to a Halloween massacre - True crime addiction - medium. Medium. https://medium.com/true-crime-addiction/son-of-sams-connection-to-a-halloween-massacre-76f0ce92b6c1

LetsRead_YouTube. (n.d.). It is Halloween night 1981 : r/LetsReadOfficial. https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsReadOfficial/comments/cwe2xf/it_is_halloween_night_1981/

The Son of Sam: A Timeline of the Killings that Terrorized New York City. (2021, May 4). Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/son-of-sam-murder-timeline

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the rest of the world was feeling the chaos of the Covid 19 global pandemic, 54-year-old Sandra Hughes decided to spend time in the place she felt most at home...the great outdoors. 

What began as a simple solo camping trip turned into one of the most mysterious missing person cases in recent years. 

Chaotic abandoned campsites, unusual behavior, and several eyewitness sightings has left the Sierra National Forest Community questioning what exactly happened to the confident outdoorswoman.

The case took an eerie turn when a two-year-old little boy claimed to be able to see and speak to the spirit of Sandra, who was asking for his help from somewhere deep within the woods. 

Sources:

Franco, M. (2023, October 3). Special Report: The latest on the search for a woman who went missing 3 years ago. KMPH. https://kmph.com/news/local/special-report-the-latest-on-the-search-for-a-woman-who-went-missing-3-years-ago

Flanagan, B. K., & Writer, S. (2023, August 3). Three years missing. Mariposa Gazette -. https://www.mariposagazette.com/articles/three-years-missing/

Admin. (2022, March 20). Sandra Hughes - disappeared. Disappeared. https://disappearedblog.com/sandra-hughes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFm2pRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHS3xOGEy9KIXrhOZiJULjAMU7AUVdErt5lnBB56niRExO2XYss2AMjC7mw_aem_UX9AwiTXWOscVYG4Wf7W2w

Evans, R. (2020, September 21). Mummy, I see dead people! These children all have invisible friends who really existed. NZ Herald. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/mummy-i-see-dead-people-these-children-all-have-invisible-friends-who-really-existed/RAQJ7KQRLIU4FTGNZ4RS3EUVMI/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.

This week Stefanie shares the tales of two spectral dogs, steeped in history, active to this day, and sure to haunt your dreams.

Sources:

Clyne, P. E. (1977). Ghostly Animals of America. Dodd Mead.

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

32-year-old Robert Eric Wone could never have imagined that spending the night at an old college friend's house would result in his bizarre murder, yet that is exactly what happened on August 2, 2006. A little over an hour after arriving at the DC home that Joe Price's shares with two other men, Robert was dead and a bizarre 911 call was placed. When first responders arrive to find Robert stabbed to death, but very little blood and no signs of a struggle, suspicions quickly turn to the housemates. 

This episode is full of twists and turns and at the end we are left asking, Who Killed Robert Wone? 

Sources:

Robert Wone (episode 240). (n.d.). https://prosecutorspodcast.com/2024/03/26/240-the-murder-of-robert-wone-part-1-of-6-backstabber/

Who Killed Robert Wone. (n.d.). https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/who-killed-robert-wone/8330027078016478112/seasons/1

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

An up-and-coming Hollywood actor best known for his role in "The Masked Marvel,” crashed his sports car in a bean field in Los Angeles, California. The actor, christened David Bacon by the famous Hollywood film producer Howard Hughes exited the vehicle and stumble only a few feet before collapsing. In his back was a single stab wound to the back made by a six-inch-long "stiletto-like blade.” Some say it was the result of a love triangle and some say he was cursed from the start. What is known is that how came to meet this fate is still a mystery today.

Sources:

Kantor, W. G. (2019, June 27). Who killed the Masked Marvel? EW.com. https://ew.com/celebrity/2019/06/27/who-killed-the-masked-marvel-true-crime/

The Love Triangle that Killed David Bacon. (n.d.). Criminal. https://vocal.media/criminal/the-love-triangle-that-killed-david-bacon

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep