June 5, 1997. San Antonio, Texas. Police receive an anonymous phone call from a man who claims that 44-year old Monika Rizzo has been murdered by her husband, Leonard Rizzo, and that her remains can be found in her backyard. While a search of the property turns up nothing, investigators learn that Monika has not been seen for weeks and there are allegations of abuse in her marriage. One month later, a new search of the Rizzos’ backyard turn up over 200 bone fragments and it is eventually determined that they belong to Monika. While Leonard is suspected of having killed Monika, the authorities do not believe there is enough evidence to file murder charges and there are a number of unanswered questions about how she died. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a gruesome murder which has gone unsolved for nearly 27 years.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-7273.

Join us on Saturday, April 27 at 8:00pm ET for an online streaming marathon where we will be watching classic segments from “Unsolved Mysteries”. You can enter our screening room by clicking on this link.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/monika-rizzo/

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

“The Raw Truth” by Bill McKinney

https://www.newspapers.com/image/366612835/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/357041607/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/356830156/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/356760486/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/356761194/

https://www.ksat.com/news/2019/05/31/more-than-200-bone-fragments-found-nobody-charged-in-monika-rizzo-murder/

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/05/03/the-bone-yard-who-killed-monika-rizzo-south-texas-crime-stories-episode-2/

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-appeals/1205799.html

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

July 17, 1966. Hendersonville, North Carolina. A pair of close friends, 43-year old Vernon Shipman and 36-year old Charles Glass, both go missing and Vernon’s abandoned car is soon found on a dirt road near his residence. Five days later, Vernon and Charles’ bodies are discovered in an isolated area alongside the body of a 61-year old Asheville resident named Louise Davis Shumate and all three victims have been bludgeoned to death. Even though Louise does not appear to have any known connection to Vernon or Charles, multiple witnesses report having seen all three of them inside Vernon’s car with an unidentified man prior to their deaths. Decades later, some investigators express their belief that a deceased criminal named Edward Thompson committed the murders, but there is no conclusive evidence to implicate him. Since Vernon and Charles were both gay men, could the murders have been a hate crime? If not, what was the actual motive and how did Louise become mixed up in the whole situation? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore one of the most bizarre unsolved triple homicides you’ll ever hear about.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office at (828) 697-4596.

Additional Reading:

https://hendersonheritage.com/unsolved-triple-murder/

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2016/07/18/1966-triple-murder-still-sends-shock-waves-through-hendersonville/4570754007/

https://www.boldlife.com/wild-life/

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Vernon_Shipman,_Charles_Glass,_and_Louise_Shumate

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 15, 1988. Greenwood, South Carolina. After spending the evening at a basketball court, eight-year old Malakia “Kia” Logan heads back towards her apartment on her bicycle. Even though she only has to travel 300 yards, Kia never arrives and her abandoned bicycle is found. Two years later, a skull is discovered in a wooded area about 35 miles away and DNA testing eventually identifies it as belonging to Kia. In 2002, a suspect named Charles Wade Hampton is charged with Kia’s murder after he confesses to the crime, but since he recants his confession and there is no other corroborating evidence against him, the charges against him are dropped. Did Hampton actually commit this crime or was someone else responsible? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a frustrating missing children’s case which has remained unsolved for over 35 years.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office at (864) 942-8600 or the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000.

Additional Reading:

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

https://www.wistv.com/story/1002539/indictment-in-14-year-old-disappearance-of-greenwood-girl/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70566881/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70566931/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70566953/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/190491455/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/69766543/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/625941407/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70372837/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70371938/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/194881544/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70707810/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/70707818/

https://www.wistv.com/story/6707932/suspect-in-murder-of-greenwood-county-eight-year-old-may-soon-walk-free/

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

March 18, 1991. Azalea, Oregon. Two-year old Tommy Gibson goes missing from the front yard of his rural home. Tommy’s father, Larry Gibson, who happens to be a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, claims that his son vanished while he was out jogging and later tells the authorities that his daughter witnessed Tommy get abducted by an unidentified couple driving a pick-up truck. However, investigators notice a number of suspicious discrepancies which make them believe that Larry caused Tommy’s death and covered up what he did by disposing of his son’s body. Larry is eventually charged with the crime and convicted of second-degree manslaughter and serves nearly three years in prison, but he continually maintains his innocence and no trace of Tommy is ever found. Was Larry Gibson actually responsible for the disappearance of his son? Or was the boy the victim of a stranger abduction? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a very frustrating missing children’s case which still has a number of unanswered questions. Special thanks to listener Sam Payant for narrating the opening of this episode.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 440-4450.

Additional Reading:

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

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

https://www.deseret.com/1995/1/19/19154476/oregon-town-still-divided-over-boy-s-disappearance/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/statesman-journal/19792315/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/198517497/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/338055000/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/573597925/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/350877751/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/394199591/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/442570299/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/202334607/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/202354511/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/388680042/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/232888668/

https://law.justia.com/cases/oregon/court-of-appeals/1996/144-or-app-523.html

https://charleyproject.org/case/thomas-dean-gibson

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 30, 1995. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 31-year old Anne Barber Dunlap disappears after her husband, Brad Dunlap, claims that she went on a shopping trip. Two days later, Anne’s car is discovered in a K-Mart parking lot with her body inside the trunk and she has been repeatedly stabbed in the head and neck. Since Brad took out a life insurance policy on Anne in the months prior to her death, he becomes the police’s prime suspect. However, Anne’s parents vigorously defend Brad and there is not enough evidence to conclusively implicate him in her death. Was Anne Barber Dunlap actually murdered by her husband or was an unknown third party responsible? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a controversial unsolved homicide which has spawned very divisive opinions.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Minnesota Police Department tip line at (612) 692-TIPS (8477)

Additional Reading:

https://truecrime.fandom.com/wiki/Murder_of_Anne_Barber_Dunlap

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-new-details-revealed-in-dunlap-murder-mystery/89-70f6dc98-9660-4687-a2b4-0458532bccfc

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-police-reopen-anne-dunlap-murder-case/

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/cold-case-anne-barber-dunlap/

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/anne-dunlaps-parents-still-waiting-for-justice-after-24-years/89-0d2283d3-a0f2-4cd0-bcf3-4ebc8f2a6e52

https://www.newspapers.com/image/179964901/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/179965021/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/180279707/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/180280070/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/225806393/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/193922462/

http://www.paulbarber.net/annemiss.html

Brad Dunlap Crime Scene Interview (Jan. 1, 1996)

KARE 11 “From The Archives” New Segment (1996)

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

March 10, 2007. Chocowinity, North Carolina. The mother of 19-year old university student Ginni Wood calls her up on her cell phone, but after their brief conversation ends, Ginni is never heard from again. Ginni told her mother she had travelled to Brownsville, Texas for spring break in order to visit her 19-year old best friend, Kelly Gaskins, and Kelly’s 23-year old boyfriend, Ervin Williams. However, it turns out that Ervin is a fugitive who fled North Carolina after failing to appear in court on numerous felony charges and Kelly is also wanted for a probation violation. This leads to speculation that the couple travelled across the border into Mexico in order to evade the authorities before Ginni joined them there, but Ervin and Kelly are also not heard from again. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the perplexing story of three American citizens who seemingly went missing together in Mexico and have not been seen for the past 17 years.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 946-0101 or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 662-4500.

Additional Reading:

https://charleyproject.org/case/virginia-lynne-wood

https://charleyproject.org/case/kelly-gray-gaskins

https://disappearedblog.com/virginia-wood/

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

January 22, 1989. Temecula, California. The housemate of 30-year old Marine Captain Jeffrey Digman returns to their residence and discovers that Jeffrey has been shot to death inside his bedroom. Since a gun Jeffrey owns is lying next to him, his death is ruled to be a suicide and investigators theorize that he had become despondent over a recent transfer to Puerto Rico. However, Jeffrey’s parents discover some suspicious discrepancies to make them suspect he was murdered and while his cause of death is eventually changed from “suicide” to “undetermined”, there are no conclusive answers about how he was killed.

February 20, 1992. South Korea. 30-year old Army Staff Sergeant Billy Ray Hargrove is found hanging by a parachute cord from a tree outside his residence and his death is ruled to be a suicide. Billy Ray’s best friend, 37-year old Army Sergeant First Class Mike Carmichael becomes convinced that Billy Ray was murdered and vows to perform his own independent investigation. However, six weeks later, Mike is discovered hanging by a parachute cord from a locker handle inside his barracks office. Even though Mike’s death is also ruled to be a suicide, his family believes that he was murdered in order to cover up the truth about Billy Ray’s death.

On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore two suspicious and controversial suicide cases from the military involving three different servicemen whose families believed were the victims of foul play.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/jeffrey-digman/

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

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-21-me-4165-story.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/175934667/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/175934840/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/175934982/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-10-me-80-story.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/179220842/

https://unsolved.com/gallery/michael-carmichael-billy-ray-hargrove-2/

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

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19930518&slug=1701787

https://www.newspapers.com/image/89948176/

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

…1 historic steam train…

This International Women’s Day, join Shane Waters and Wendy Cee on an unprecedented journey through the heart of England to Crimecon UK in London. “Mysteries on the True Crime Express” is not just a podcast episode; it’s an immersive voyage into the depths of true crime, history, and the indomitable spirit of women.

Aboard this old-world locomotive, you’ll encounter the hosts of 9 distinguished true crime podcasts, including Robin Warder of “The Trail Went Cold”. Each host presents a captivating story that not only chills the spine but also illuminates the historical essence of Women’s Day. From the comfort of Shane and Wendy’s compartment to the lively ambiance of the dining car, each tale unfolds in a unique setting on the train, adding layers of intrigue and ambiance to this auditory experience.

So, secure your ticket and settle into your seat…

Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance:

1. Deep Dark Secrets (https://www.deepdarksecretspodcast.com/)

Since “The Trail Went Cold” originally launched in February 2016, we have featured over 400 cold cases on the podcast, a number of which have wound up being solved or experiencing major developments. As a result, we have released a total of five special “update” episodes, but even though our last one came out just over two months ago, there have been a number of new updates since the start of 2024. On this particular episode, we’ll be discussing major developments in the 1970 disappearance of Donna Lass, the 1985 murder of Dexter Stefonek, the 1988 murder of Byron Carr, and the 1945 disappearance of Mary Jane Vangilder.

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

Here are the links to our four previous “update” episodes:

https://www.trailwentcold.com/2020/01/01/the-trail-went-cold-episode-155-update/

https://www.trailwentcold.com/2021/12/29/the-trail-went-cold-episode-257-update-part-2/

https://www.trailwentcold.com/2023/01/04/the-trail-went-cold-episode-310-update-part-3/

https://www.trailwentcold.com/2023/12/27/the-trail-went-cold-episode-359-update-part-4/

June 9, 1959. Clinton, Ontario. After failing to return home, 12-year old Lynne Harper is reported missing and her body is discovered in a woodlot two days later. She has been sexually assaulted and strangled to death with her own blouse and suspicion turns towards her 14-year old classmate, Steven Truscott, who claims that he gave Lynne a ride to the highway on his bicycle and saw her climb into a passing car. Steven is soon charged, convicted and sentenced to death for Lynne’s murder, but his sentence is commuted to life imprisonment and he is paroled in 1969. Decades later, Steven files a successful appeal to have his conviction overturned, but there is still a lot of debate about who was actually responsible for Lynne Harper’s murder. Last week, we released Part One of our special eight-year anniversary episode of “The Trail Went Cold” about one of the most controversial murder cases in the history of Canada. This week, in Part Two, we will share the rest of the story before breaking down and analyzing all the details about the crime.

Additional Reading:

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

“Until You Are Dead: The Wrongful Conviction of Steven Truscott”

“Steven Truscott: Decades of Injustice” by Nate Hendley

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/index.html

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/timeline.html

https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/01/29/can_science_clear_truscott.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/court-acquits-truscott-calling-conviction-miscarriage-of-justice-1.668524

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/victim-s-family-stunned-by-truscott-compensation-1.747261

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/who-killed-lynne-harper-retired-opp-sergeant-says-travelling-salesman-a-suspect-in-string-of-murders

https://web.archive.org/web/20070401115048/http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/ccr/kaufman/exec.html

If you would like to make a donation to “Season of Justice”, please visit our donation page at https://givebutter.com/SOJ_thetrail or text “TRAIL24” to # 53555.

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

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

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.