The Path Went Chilly

April 19, 1988. Suncrest, Washington. 36-year old Doyle Wheeler, a former police officer from the San Diego Police Department, is attacked inside his home by a group of armed intruders. They force Wheeler to write a suicide note at gunpoint, hog-tie him, and fire a shot which grazes the side of his head, but he winds up surviving the attack. Evidence seems to link the intruders to another San Diego police officer named Donovan Jacobs whom Wheeler had testified against at a previous murder trial. While Wheeler suspects Jacobs of orchestrating the attempt on his life, Jacobs believes the incident never even happened and accused Wheeler of fabricating the entire story in order to set him up. Did Donovan Jacobs attempt to have Doyle Wheeler killed? Did Wheeler orchestrate a fake home invasion in order to frame Jacobs? Or could an unknown third party have been behind the entire thing? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore the alleged attempted murder of a police officer in one of the most unique and complex stories we’ve ever covered.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Doyle_Wheeler

https://apnews.com/b7ce295622b630e619207b41e52b55f7

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-21-me-9029-story.html

April 19, 1988. Suncrest, Washington. 36-year old Doyle Wheeler, a former police officer from the San Diego Police Department, is attacked inside his home by a group of armed intruders. They force Wheeler to write a suicide note at gunpoint, hog-tie him, and fire a shot which grazes the side of his head, but he winds up surviving the attack. Evidence seems to link the intruders to another San Diego police officer named Donovan Jacobs whom Wheeler had testified against at a previous murder trial. While Wheeler suspects Jacobs of orchestrating the attempt on his life, Jacobs believes the incident never even happened and accused Wheeler of fabricating the entire story in order to set him up. Did Donovan Jacobs attempt to have Doyle Wheeler killed? Did Wheeler orchestrate a fake home invasion in order to frame Jacobs? Or could an unknown third party have been behind the entire thing? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore the alleged attempted murder of a police officer in one of the most unique and complex stories we’ve ever covered.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Doyle_Wheeler

https://apnews.com/b7ce295622b630e619207b41e52b55f7

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-21-me-9029-story.html

September 13, 1992. Boston, Massachusetts. While working as the ramp supervisor for Northwest Airlines at Logan International Airport, 27-year old Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz leaves in the middle of her shift to purchase food for her crew. She never returns and is not reported missing by her co-workers before she is found murdered inside the trunk of her car the following morning. One year later, Su’s mother finds her diary and is shocked to read that Su was the victim of non-stop sexual harassment at her workplace. In addition, some of her harassers would be indicted in a credit card theft ring. Could any of these revelations have played a role in Su’s death? Our latest episode of “The Trail Went Cold” has been released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Su Taraskiewicz’s unsolved murder. Special thanks to listener Casey James for providing the opening narration for today’s episode. At her request, we will also briefly discuss the unsolved murder of Donna Hart, which took place on August 8, 1968 in Dolgeville, New York.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/su-taraskiewicz/

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/cold_case_murder_of_susan_tara.html

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/14/mother-susan-taraskiewicz-still-seeking-justice-for-daughter-murdered/AJz9ePz8O0ozcxSGlmUR9J/story.html

http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/13/mother_holds_hope_she_can_help_solve_daughters_killing/

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-1st-circuit/1010974.html

September 13, 1992. Boston, Massachusetts. While working as the ramp supervisor for Northwest Airlines at Logan International Airport, 27-year old Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz leaves in the middle of her shift to purchase food for her crew. She never returns and is not reported missing by her co-workers before she is found murdered inside the trunk of her car the following morning. One year later, Su’s mother finds her diary and is shocked to read that Su was the victim of non-stop sexual harassment at her workplace. In addition, some of her harassers would be indicted in a credit card theft ring. Could any of these revelations have played a role in Su’s death? Our latest episode of “The Trail Went Cold” has been released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Su Taraskiewicz’s unsolved murder. Special thanks to listener Casey James for providing the opening narration for today’s episode. At her request, we will also briefly discuss the unsolved murder of Donna Hart, which took place on August 8, 1968 in Dolgeville, New York.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/su-taraskiewicz/

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/cold_case_murder_of_susan_tara.html

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/14/mother-susan-taraskiewicz-still-seeking-justice-for-daughter-murdered/AJz9ePz8O0ozcxSGlmUR9J/story.html

http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/13/mother_holds_hope_she_can_help_solve_daughters_killing/http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-1st-circuit/1010974.html

November 28, 1985. Tarrant County, Texas. The family of 44-year old Joe Blount gathers together for Thanksgiving dinner in their trailer at the Hilltop Mobile Home Park. After making a trip to a convenience store later that night, they return home to discover a briefcase on their front doorstep. When the briefcase is opened, a bomb goes off, claiming the lives of Joe, his 15-year old daughter, Angela, and Joe’s 18-year old nephew, Michael Columbus. Fourteen years later, a suspect named Michael Roy Toney is convicted of the bombing and sentenced to death, but it turns out the prosecution withheld evidence supporting Toney’s innocence at trial. As result, Toney’s conviction is overturned and he is released from prison in 2009. Who was actually responsible for planting the bomb which killed three members of the Blount family and what could their motive have been? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a tragic and baffling unsolved mystery which took place on Thanksgiving.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Roy_Toneyhttps://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3692

https://murderpedia.org/male.T/t/toney-michael-roy.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20100830181454/

http://www.michaeltoney.com/case.htm

https://www.deseret.com/1997/12/6/19349732/12-year-probe-into-briefcase-blast-at-texas-home-finally-yields-an-arrest

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Inmate-on-death-row-for-Fort-Worth-bombing-freed-1737069.php

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article24558250.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/639108561https://www.newspapers.com/image/639108567

https://www.newspapers.com/image/639206571/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/649058179/https://www.newspapers.com/image/648201727/

November 28, 1985. Tarrant County, Texas. The family of 44-year old Joe Blount gathers together for Thanksgiving dinner in their trailer at the Hilltop Mobile Home Park. After making a trip to a convenience store later that night, they return home to discover a briefcase on their front doorstep. When the briefcase is opened, a bomb goes off, claiming the lives of Joe, his 15-year old daughter, Angela, and Joe’s 18-year old nephew, Michael Columbus. Fourteen years later, a suspect named Michael Roy Toney is convicted of the bombing and sentenced to death, but it turns out the prosecution withheld evidence supporting Toney’s innocence at trial. As result, Toney’s conviction is overturned and he is released from prison in 2009. Who was actually responsible for planting the bomb which killed three members of the Blount family and what could their motive have been? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore a tragic and baffling unsolved mystery which took place on Thanksgiving. Special thanks to listener Brooke Bunch for providing the opening narration for our episode.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold



Additional Reading:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Roy_Toney


https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3692


https://murderpedia.org/male.T/t/toney-michael-roy.htm


https://web.archive.org/web/20100830181454/http://www.michaeltoney.com/case.htm


https://www.deseret.com/1997/12/6/19349732/12-year-probe-into-briefcase-blast-at-texas-home-finally-yields-an-arrest


https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Inmate-on-death-row-for-Fort-Worth-bombing-freed-1737069.php


https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article24558250.html


https://www.newspapers.com/image/639108561


https://www.newspapers.com/image/639108567


https://www.newspapers.com/image/639206571/


https://www.newspapers.com/image/649058179/


https://www.newspapers.com/image/648201727/

May 1, 2002. San Francisco, California. After finishing a phone call with one of her sisters, 24-year old Evelyn Hernandez and her five-year old son, Alex Hernandez, vanish without explanation. At the time, Evelyn was only six days away from giving birth to her second child, but when she fails to resurface by her due date, she is officially reported missing. Over three months later, Evelyn’s torso and legs wash up onshore along San Francisco Bay, but neither Alex nor the fetus for Evelyn’s unborn son, Fernando, can be found. It turns out that Fernando’s biological father was a married man whom Evelyn had been having an affair with, but no evidence is found to link him or anyone else to this crime. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a story involving a murdered mother and a missing boy which is often compared to the famous Laci & Scott Peterson case.

Support the Show:

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://charleyproject.org/case/alexis-geraldo-hernandezhttps://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=131949&page=1https://people.com/archive/the-other-laci-peterson-who-killed-evelyn-hernandez-vol-60-no-1/

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Remains-may-be-S-F-woman-who-vanished-Remains-2789331.php

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Torso-in-bay-is-identified-DNA-matches-that-of-2802079.php

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Eerily-similar-case-languishes-in-obscurity-2621215.php

https://www.modbee.com/news/local/crime/scott-peterson-case/peterson-preliminary-trial/article3096894.html

May 1, 2002. San Francisco, California. After finishing a phone call with one of her sisters, 24-year old Evelyn Hernandez and her five-year old son, Alex Hernandez, vanish without explanation. At the time, Evelyn was only six days away from giving birth to her second child, but when she fails to resurface by her due date, she is officially reported missing. Over three months later, Evelyn’s torso and legs wash up onshore along San Francisco Bay, but neither Alex nor the fetus for Evelyn’s unborn son, Fernando, can be found. It turns out that Fernando’s biological father was a married man whom Evelyn had been having an affair with, but no evidence is found to link him or anyone else to this crime. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a story involving a murdered mother and a missing boy which is often compared to the famous Laci & Scott Peterson case.

Support the Show:

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://charleyproject.org/case/alexis-geraldo-hernandezhttps://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=131949&page=1https://people.com/archive/the-other-laci-peterson-who-killed-evelyn-hernandez-vol-60-no-1/

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Remains-may-be-S-F-woman-who-vanished-Remains-2789331.php

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Torso-in-bay-is-identified-DNA-matches-that-of-2802079.php

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Eerily-similar-case-languishes-in-obscurity-2621215.php

https://www.modbee.com/news/local/crime/scott-peterson-case/peterson-preliminary-trial/article3096894.html

August 23, 2009. Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. 29-year old Toni Lee Sharpless attends a party with her friend, Crystal Johns, but when Toni becomes intoxicated and starts displaying erratic behaviour, both she and Crystal are asked to leave. While driving away, the two friends get into an argument which leads to Crystal being kicked out of the car. This is the last time Toni or her vehicle are ever seen and there is concern that her disappearance might be connected to her struggles with bipolar disorder. Two weeks after Toni goes missing, her car’s licence number is flagged in Camden, New Jersey, and years later, an anonymous letter surfaces which claims that Toni was killed after an altercation with a police officer. Did Toni vanish because she accidentally drove her vehicle into the Schuylkill River? Or did something a lot more sinister happen? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we cover a tragic missing persons case and explore all the different potential theories.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/toni-lee-sharpless

http://www.mainlinetoday.com/Main-Line-Today/July-2017/Eight-Years-After-Her-Disappearance-the-Search-for-Toni-Lee-Sharpless-Continues/

https://lancasteronline.com/news/tips-on-whereabouts-of-lgh-nurse-missing-since-give-

August 23, 2009. Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. 29-year old Toni Lee Sharpless attends a party with her friend, Crystal Johns, but when Toni becomes intoxicated and starts displaying erratic behaviour, both she and Crystal are asked to leave. While driving away, the two friends get into an argument which leads to Crystal being kicked out of the car. This is the last time Toni or her vehicle are ever seen and there is concern that her disappearance might be connected to her struggles with bipolar disorder. Two weeks after Toni goes missing, her car’s licence number is flagged in Camden, New Jersey, and years later, an anonymous letter surfaces which claims that Toni was killed after an altercation with a police officer. Did Toni vanish because she accidentally drove her vehicle into the Schuylkill River? Or did something a lot more sinister happen? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we cover a tragic missing persons case and explore all the different potential theories.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/toni-lee-sharpless

http://www.mainlinetoday.com/Main-Line-Today/July-2017/Eight-Years-After-Her-Disappearance-the-Search-for-Toni-Lee-Sharpless-Continues/

https://lancasteronline.com/news/tips-on-whereabouts-of-lgh-nurse-missing-since-give-family/article_332a875a-a5e8-5e9a-963b-520bd2040327.htmlhttps://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/anonymous-letter-offers-clue-case-missing-nurse-article-1.1238873