The Path Went Chilly

September 12, 1943. Los Angeles, California. David Bacon, a 29-year old actor who has just played the title character in the serial drama “The Masked Marvel”, tells his wife he is planning to go swimming and leaves their home. Later that afternoon, Bacon’s car is seen driving erratically before it jumps a curb and crashes into a bean field. After Bacon stumbles out of the car and dies, a fatal knife wound is discovered in his back. The investigation would uncover numerous clues to suggest Bacon was leading a secret double life, such as a coded diary, a rented apartment and unexplained trips to Venice Beach. However, there would be no answers about who actually murdered him.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bacon_(actor)

http://www.tomchristopher.com/miscellaneous2/who-killed-the-masked-marvel/

October 7, 1949. Los Angeles, California. 26-year old actress Jean Spangler leaves her home and asks her sister-in-law to watch over her daughter. Jean says she is planning to meet with her ex-husband and spend the night working on a film shoot, but she soon vanishes without a trace. Two days later, Jean’s purse is discovered in Griffith Park, containing a cryptic note addressed to someone named “Kirk”. Since Jean had recently worked on a film starring actor Kirk Douglas, there is speculation that the note might be addressed to him, but he denies any knowledge of what happened. There are numerous theories surrounding Jean’s disappearance, including speculation about a botched abortion, rumours about her becoming involved with organized crime figures, and even a potential connection to the “Black Dahlia” murder. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we shall cover an unsolved missing persons case which has remained one of Hollywood’s most baffling mysteries.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

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

http://charleyproject.org/case/jean-elizabeth-spangler

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-20-me-then20-story.html

https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-jean-spangler/

https://welkerlots.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/the-jean-spangler-premonition/“Hard Boiled Hollywood: Crime and Punishment in Postwar Los Angeles” by Jon Lewis“Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story” by Steve Hodel

October 7, 1949. Los Angeles, California. 26-year old actress Jean Spangler leaves her home and asks her sister-in-law to watch over her daughter. Jean says she is planning to meet with her ex-husband and spend the night working on a film shoot, but she soon vanishes without a trace. Two days later, Jean’s purse is discovered in Griffith Park, containing a cryptic note addressed to someone named “Kirk”. Since Jean had recently worked on a film starring actor Kirk Douglas, there is speculation that the note might be addressed to him, but he denies any knowledge of what happened. There are numerous theories surrounding Jean’s disappearance, including speculation about a botched abortion, rumours about her becoming involved with organized crime figures, and even a potential connection to the “Black Dahlia” murder. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we shall cover an unsolved missing persons case which has remained one of Hollywood’s most baffling mysteries.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

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

http://charleyproject.org/case/jean-elizabeth-spangler

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-20-me-then20-story.html

https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-jean-spangler/

https://welkerlots.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/the-jean-spangler-premonition/“Hard Boiled Hollywood: Crime and Punishment in Postwar Los Angeles” by Jon Lewis“Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story” by Steve Hodel

May 31, 1995. Goderich, Ontario. After leaving her school, 16-year old Mistie Murray fails to return home and is subsequently reported missing. Even though there are several eyewitness sightings placing Mistie at numerous locations in the weeks following her disappearance, police focus their attention on her adoptive father, Steve Murray. Over three months later, Steve is arrested for Mistie’s murder after he is accused using his boat to dump her body in Lake Huron. However, since there is virtually no evidence against Steve, he winds up being acquitted when he goes on trial. Did Steve suffer the dubious distinction of being prosecuted for a nonexistent murder? If Mistie was not a victim of foul play and ran away of her own accord, what ultimately happened to her? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore one of the most bizarre and controversial missing persons cases in Canadian history.If you have any information about this case, please contact ChildFind at 1-800-387-7962.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Additional Reading:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1221dfon.html

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/lfp-archives-the-enduring-mistie-murray-mystery

https://everything2.com/title/Mistie+Murrayhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/514104024/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/505921065/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/504440201/

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/dad-once-accused-in-teen-daughter-mistie-murrays-vanishing-dies-at-68

http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0006/np000606.htm“Damaged Angels” by Bonnie Buxton

https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=56bc805a8f94ac2b21c4fe0e

May 31, 1995. Goderich, Ontario. After leaving her school, 16-year old Mistie Murray fails to return home and is subsequently reported missing. Even though there are several eyewitness sightings placing Mistie at numerous locations in the weeks following her disappearance, police focus their attention on her adoptive father, Steve Murray. Over three months later, Steve is arrested for Mistie’s murder after he is accused using his boat to dump her body in Lake Huron. However, since there is virtually no evidence against Steve, he winds up being acquitted when he goes on trial. Did Steve suffer the dubious distinction of being prosecuted for a nonexistent murder? If Mistie was not a victim of foul play and ran away of her own accord, what ultimately happened to her? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore one of the most bizarre and controversial missing persons cases in Canadian history.If you have any information about this case, please contact ChildFind at 1-800-387-7962.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Additional Reading:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1221dfon.html

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/lfp-archives-the-enduring-mistie-murray-mystery

https://everything2.com/title/Mistie+Murrayhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/514104024/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/505921065/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/504440201/

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/dad-once-accused-in-teen-daughter-mistie-murrays-vanishing-dies-at-68

http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0006/np000606.htm“Damaged Angels” by Bonnie Buxton

https://www.opp.ca/index.php?id=115&entryid=56bc805a8f94ac2b21c4fe0e

January 27, 2013. Bradenton, Florida. After taking his boat out onto the Braden River, 52-year old Patrick Mullins fails to return home and the abandoned boat is discovered several miles away in Egmont Channel the following day. Nine days after he vanished, Pat is found floating in Tampa Bay and it turns out he was fatally shot through the head and weighed down in the water with an anchor tied to a rope wrapped around his body. His official cause of death is listed as “undetermined”, but while law enforcement leans towards suicide, Pat’s loved ones notice some odd discrepancies to make them believe he was murdered. A family friend displays some suspicious behavior to suggest he might have knowledge of what happened, but there is not enough evidence to implicate him. Was Patrick Mullins the victim of foul play or was his death actually an elaborate suicide? Today on 'The Path Went Chilly', we shall explore a controversial case which was featured on the Netflix reboot of “Unsolved Mysteries”.If you have any information about the death of Patrick Mullins, please contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011 or Manatee County Crimestoppers at (866) 634-TIPS (8477).

Support the show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Pat_Mullinshttps://unsolved.com/gallery/body-in-the-bay/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/01/in-boaters-death-a-river-keeps-its-secrets-close/64255908007/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317870/https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317973/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/25/pat-mullins-death-investigation-under-review/29201496007/

https://www.bradenton.com/living/article129187884.htmlhttps://www.yourobserver.com/news/2018/feb/07/manatee-county-murder-patrick-mullins-reward/

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/01/14/cold-case-family-still-searching-answers-patrick-mullins-homicide/https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article267853552.html

January 27, 2013. Bradenton, Florida. After taking his boat out onto the Braden River, 52-year old Patrick Mullins fails to return home and the abandoned boat is discovered several miles away in Egmont Channel the following day. Nine days after he vanished, Pat is found floating in Tampa Bay and it turns out he was fatally shot through the head and weighed down in the water with an anchor tied to a rope wrapped around his body. His official cause of death is listed as “undetermined”, but while law enforcement leans towards suicide, Pat’s loved ones notice some odd discrepancies to make them believe he was murdered. A family friend displays some suspicious behavior to suggest he might have knowledge of what happened, but there is not enough evidence to implicate him. Was Patrick Mullins the victim of foul play or was his death actually an elaborate suicide? Today on 'The Path Went Chilly', we shall explore a controversial case which was featured on the Netflix reboot of “Unsolved Mysteries”.If you have any information about the death of Patrick Mullins, please contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011 or Manatee County Crimestoppers at (866) 634-TIPS (8477).

Support the show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Pat_Mullinshttps://unsolved.com/gallery/body-in-the-bay/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/01/in-boaters-death-a-river-keeps-its-secrets-close/64255908007/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317870/https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317973/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/25/pat-mullins-death-investigation-under-review/29201496007/

https://www.bradenton.com/living/article129187884.htmlhttps://www.yourobserver.com/news/2018/feb/07/manatee-county-murder-patrick-mullins-reward/

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/01/14/cold-case-family-still-searching-answers-patrick-mullins-homicide/https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article267853552.html

August 3, 1980. AuSable Township, Michigan. 20-year old Cherita Thomas borrows her friend’s car in order to pick up her daughter from a babysitter, but the vehicle breaks down before she arrives. Witnesses see Cherita climbing into a blue pick-up truck driven by a white male, but she is never heard from again. Jimmie Allen Nelson, the babysitter’s brother-in-law, is suspected of harming Cherita in a racially motivated hate crime, and even though Cherita’s body is not found, Nelson is charged and convicted of her murder three decades later. However, Nelson’s conviction is overturned when newly discovered evidence surfaces which reportedly implicates another suspect, so the murder charge against him is dismissed in 2014. Was Jimmie Allen Nelson actually responsible for Cherita Thomas’ disappearance? If not, then what actually happened to her? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” chronicles a convoluted missing persons case which has had a number of surprising twists and turns over the past 40 years.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/cherita-janice-thomas

http://www.iosconews.com/news/article_165d5202-3706-5394-8298-92de7a5a7925.html

https://www.macombdaily.com/news/nation-world-news/michigan-court-strikes-murder-conviction-in-case/article_d03714a2-e37b-5665-8ca4-00f7e736789c.html

https://abc7news.com/archive/7771114/

http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2012/082312/52533.pdfhttp://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2014/022514/56526.pdf

https://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2008/20081223-c271768-41-271768-opn.html

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4394“True Police Stories of the Strange & Unexplained” by Ingrid P. Dean

August 3, 1980. AuSable Township, Michigan. 20-year old Cherita Thomas borrows her friend’s car in order to pick up her daughter from a babysitter, but the vehicle breaks down before she arrives. Witnesses see Cherita climbing into a blue pick-up truck driven by a white male, but she is never heard from again. Jimmie Allen Nelson, the babysitter’s brother-in-law, is suspected of harming Cherita in a racially motivated hate crime, and even though Cherita’s body is not found, Nelson is charged and convicted of her murder three decades later. However, Nelson’s conviction is overturned when newly discovered evidence surfaces which reportedly implicates another suspect, so the murder charge against him is dismissed in 2014. Was Jimmie Allen Nelson actually responsible for Cherita Thomas’ disappearance? If not, then what actually happened to her? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” chronicles a convoluted missing persons case which has had a number of surprising twists and turns over the past 40 years.

Support the Show: 

Patreon.com/julesandashley

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/cherita-janice-thomas

http://www.iosconews.com/news/article_165d5202-3706-5394-8298-92de7a5a7925.html

https://www.macombdaily.com/news/nation-world-news/michigan-court-strikes-murder-conviction-in-case/article_d03714a2-e37b-5665-8ca4-00f7e736789c.html

https://abc7news.com/archive/7771114/

http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2012/082312/52533.pdfhttp://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2014/022514/56526.pdf

https://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2008/20081223-c271768-41-271768-opn.html

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4394“True Police Stories of the Strange & Unexplained” by Ingrid P. Dean

September 30, 1987. Northumberland County, Virginia. The body of 45-year old Kay Hall is discovered on a back road underneath her pick-up truck. She has been run over and her husband, Bob Hall, immediately becomes the prime suspect. Even though Bob stood to collect on an inheritance Kay had just received and there are issues with his alibi, there is some question about whether he would have been able to track down Kay and commit the crime during a very narrow timeframe. Years later, Bob is charged and convicted of Kay’s murder, but has his conviction overturned and after agreeing to enter an Alford plea, he is released from prison. Was Bob Hall really responsible for the murder of his wife, or was she simply the victim of a tragic accident? These episodes chronicle an “Unsolved Mysteries” segment in which there is debate about the ultimate resolution.

support the show: 

Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold

Patreon.com/julesandashley