October 31, 1981. New York City. The bodies of 39-year old Ronald Sisman and 20-year old Elizabeth Platzman are discovered inside Ron’s apartment in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan. Both victims have been shot to death, execution-style, and since the apartment was ransacked, there is speculation that the crime might be drug-delated. However, notorious serial killer David Berkowitz, who is serving time in prison for the “Son of Sam” murders, eventually shares information that Ron and Liz were killed by associates of his that were members of a Satanic cult and looking to retrieve a snuff film. Was there any truth to Berkowitz’s claims or were the two victims murdered for entirely different reasons? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we profile an unsolved double murder which took place on Halloween and has often been surrounded by wild conspiracy theories.

Additional Reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/02/nyregion/police-seek-motive-in-deaths-of-student-and-a-photographer.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/713488638/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/486177887/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/437021867/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/833884606/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/713490892/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/720692506/

https://thecinemaholic.com/how-and-why-was-ron-sisman-killed/

“The Ultimate Evil: The Search for the Sons of Sam” by Maury Terry

“The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes” by Michael Newton

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“The Trail Went Cold” is doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.