The Path Went Chilly

March 15, 1989. Frederick, Maryland. 17-year old Tracey Kirkpatrick spends the evening working alone at a shopping center clothing store. Nearly two hours after the store was supposed to have been closed, a security guard discovers Tracey’s body in the rear storage room and she has been stabbed seven times. Three months later, a man calling himself “Don” phones a national confession hotline and claims that he is responsible for Tracey’s murder. Police manage to track down a promising suspect, but find no evidence that he was involved in the crime. However, as the years go on, rumours start to circulate about another suspect being the perpetrator. Was the confession to Tracey Kirkpatrick’s murder genuine or nothing more than a hoax? Was a cover-up orchestrated to protect the real killer? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” we cover a controversial 30-year old cold case which some people believe should have been solved a long time ago.

Patreon:

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold


Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/tracey-kirkpatrick/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2009-03-16-0903150097-story.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/cops_and_crime/who-killed-tracey-kirkpatrick/article_53efa27e-793f-5871-8719-435bd265f58f.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/he-lived-it-he-breathed-it/article_3f5be63f-159a-5fc5-a861-77542b082ea1.html

March 15, 1989. Frederick, Maryland. 17-year old Tracey Kirkpatrick spends the evening working alone at a shopping center clothing store. Nearly two hours after the store was supposed to have been closed, a security guard discovers Tracey’s body in the rear storage room and she has been stabbed seven times. Three months later, a man calling himself “Don” phones a national confession hotline and claims that he is responsible for Tracey’s murder. Police manage to track down a promising suspect, but find no evidence that he was involved in the crime. However, as the years go on, rumours start to circulate about another suspect being the perpetrator. Was the confession to Tracey Kirkpatrick’s murder genuine or nothing more than a hoax? Was a cover-up orchestrated to protect the real killer? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” we cover a controversial 30-year old cold case which some people believe should have been solved a long time ago.

Patreon:

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold


Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/tracey-kirkpatrick/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2009-03-16-0903150097-story.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/cops_and_crime/who-killed-tracey-kirkpatrick/article_53efa27e-793f-5871-8719-435bd265f58f.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/he-lived-it-he-breathed-it/article_3f5be63f-159a-5fc5-a861-77542b082ea1.html

January 25, 1977. Lexington, Kentucky. 24-year old Melanie Flynn leaves her workplace, but fails to show up for an appointment and does not return home for dinner with her family. Two weeks later, Melanie’s abandoned car is discovered in an apartment complex parking lot and her purse is found washed up next to the Kentucky River later that summer. After numerous eyewitnesses claim to have seen Melanie alive in Florida, the police close the investigation, but her family is convinced she was murdered. Over the years, rumours circulate that Melanie worked as an undercover informant for the narcotics squad and was killed by corrupt police officers who were involved in drug trafficking. The story eventually balloons into a mammoth scandal known as the “Bluegrass Conspiracy”, but no trace of Melanie is ever found. This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” explores a convoluted missing persons case which may have been connected to a multi-million-dollar drug smuggling ring & The tie in tragedy that is Cocaine Bear.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:http://charleyproject.org/case/melanie-dee-flynn“The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder” by Sally Dentonhttps://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article232423297.htmlhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/101002756/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110786699/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110800054/

January 25, 1977. Lexington, Kentucky. 24-year old Melanie Flynn leaves her workplace, but fails to show up for an appointment and does not return home for dinner with her family. Two weeks later, Melanie’s abandoned car is discovered in an apartment complex parking lot and her purse is found washed up next to the Kentucky River later that summer. After numerous eyewitnesses claim to have seen Melanie alive in Florida, the police close the investigation, but her family is convinced she was murdered. Over the years, rumours circulate that Melanie worked as an undercover informant for the narcotics squad and was killed by corrupt police officers who were involved in drug trafficking. The story eventually balloons into a mammoth scandal known as the “Bluegrass Conspiracy”, but no trace of Melanie is ever found. This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” explores a convoluted missing persons case which may have been connected to a multi-million-dollar drug smuggling ring & The tie in tragedy that is Cocaine Bear.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:http://charleyproject.org/case/melanie-dee-flynn“The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder” by Sally Dentonhttps://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article232423297.htmlhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/101002756/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110786699/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110800054/

January 25, 1977. Lexington, Kentucky. 24-year old Melanie Flynn leaves her workplace, but fails to show up for an appointment and does not return home for dinner with her family. Two weeks later, Melanie’s abandoned car is discovered in an apartment complex parking lot and her purse is found washed up next to the Kentucky River later that summer. After numerous eyewitnesses claim to have seen Melanie alive in Florida, the police close the investigation, but her family is convinced she was murdered. Over the years, rumours circulate that Melanie worked as an undercover informant for the narcotics squad and was killed by corrupt police officers who were involved in drug trafficking. The story eventually balloons into a mammoth scandal known as the “Bluegrass Conspiracy”, but no trace of Melanie is ever found. This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” explores a convoluted missing persons case which may have been connected to a multi-million-dollar drug smuggling ring & the side story of the tie in case of Cocaine Bear.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold


Additional Reading:http://charleyproject.org/case/melanie-dee-flynn“The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder” by Sally Dentonhttps://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article232423297.htmlhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/101002756/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110786699/https://www.newspapers.com/image/110800054/

December 26, 1985. Fayetteville, North Carolina. 28-year old nurse Debbie Wolfe leaves at the end of her shift at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, but does not show up for work the following morning. When Debbie’s mother checks her cabin, she discovers that Debbie is missing. Six days later, one of Debbie’s friends finds her at the bottom of a nearby pond, but even though he claims her body was inside a barrel, the local sheriff’s department rule that Debbie drowned accidentally and that the barrel never existed. However, Debbie’s loved ones uncover a lot of odd discrepancies to suggest she was a victim of foul play and point the finger at two potential suspects. This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” chronicles a bizarre unexplained death surrounded with controversy which has never been solved.

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Patreon.com/julesandashley


Additional Reading:https://unsolved.com/gallery/debbie-wolfe/http://www.drmauricegodwin.com/murderofdebbiewolfe.html

December 26, 1985. Fayetteville, North Carolina. 28-year old nurse Debbie Wolfe leaves at the end of her shift at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, but does not show up for work the following morning. When Debbie’s mother checks her cabin, she discovers that Debbie is missing. Six days later, one of Debbie’s friends finds her at the bottom of a nearby pond, but even though he claims her body was inside a barrel, the local sheriff’s department rule that Debbie drowned accidentally and that the barrel never existed. However, Debbie’s loved ones uncover a lot of odd discrepancies to suggest she was a victim of foul play and point the finger at two potential suspects. This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” chronicles a bizarre unexplained death surrounded with controversy which has never been solved.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:https://unsolved.com/gallery/debbie-wolfe/http://www.drmauricegodwin.com/murderofdebbiewolfe.html

August 14, 1986. Myrtle Point, Oregon. 14-year old Jeremy Bright attends a county fair with his younger sister, but after promising to meet her at a scheduled time, he does not show up and is never heard from again. After Jeremy is reported missing, it isn’t long before rumours start circulating throughout the community and many of them involve a group of local troublemakers causing Jeremy’s death and disposing of his body. Two years later, one of these alleged suspects would go to prison for an unrelated murder, but it still fails to turn up any answers about Jeremy’s disappearance. On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we cover a frustrating missing persons case which has gone unsolved for three decades, even though there are people out there who might still know the truth about what happened.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

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

https://unsolved.com/gallery/j...

http://charleyproject.org/case...

https://theworldlink.com/news/...

August 14, 1986. Myrtle Point, Oregon. 14-year old Jeremy Bright attends a county fair with his younger sister, but after promising to meet her at a scheduled time, he does not show up and is never heard from again. After Jeremy is reported missing, it isn’t long before rumors start circulating throughout the community and many of them involve a group of local troublemakers causing Jeremy’s death and disposing of his body. Two years later, one of these alleged suspects would go to prison for an unrelated murder, but it still fails to turn up any answers about Jeremy’s disappearance. On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we cover a frustrating missing persons case which has gone unsolved for three decades, even though there are people out there who might still know the truth about what happened.

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

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

https://unsolved.com/gallery/j...

http://charleyproject.org/case...

https://theworldlink.com/news/...

April 13, 1986. Aurora, Missouri. The charred body of 79-year old Pauline Martz is found inside her burning home. Within days, Johnny Lee Wilson, a 20-year old local resident with a mental disability, confesses to the crime and is charged with murder, and after entering an Alford plea, he receives a life sentence. However, Johnny’s supporters argue that his confession was coerced by police and a convicted criminal named Chris Brownfield eventually claims that he and an accomplice were the real perpetrators of the crime. After serving nine years in prison, Johnny receives a pardon from the governor of Missouri and is finally released, but no one else is ever charged with Pauline Martz’s murder. For our next series on “The Path Went Chilly”, Jules and Robin discuss an horrific case of injustice which was featured as a “Final Appeal” segment on “Unsolved Mysteries”.