Trace Evidence

Thirty-three year old Jeramy Burt was putting his life back together.  After an affair with his lawyer, his wife, Kim, filed for divorce and the two went their separate ways, though they were forever bonded through their young daughter.  Jeramy regretted his mistakes and worked hard to make amends and regain Kim's trust.  After his lawyer tried to coerce him into lying under oath in an attempt to frame her assistant, Jeramy recorded their conversations and testified against her in front of the grand jury.

While his ex-lawyer, and former girlfriend, served a year in prison, Jeramy and Kim reconnected and began to repair the damage to their relationship.  In February of 2007, they were living together and talking about future possibilities.  Unfortunately, his old girlfriend had gotten out of prison and was pressuring Jeramy to come back to her.  While Kim was in Las Vegas, for a work seminar, Jeramy spent the weekend with family back in his hometown of American Falls, Idaho.  Upon returning, on Sunday evening, Jeramy spoke with Kim and then told his father he was going to meet a friend.  He never came back.

A series of bizarre texts were sent to Kim's cell phone, from Jeramy's phone.  They alleged that he was moving on with his life, leaving town and planning to start a new life under a new identity.  It made no sense, and Jeramy might leave Kim, but he would never leave his family, or his beloved daughter.  Unfortunately, since the texts were from Jeramy's phone, and he was an adult, there was little police could do.  However, when Kim reported that he'd left in her car, they did file reports about her missing vehicle.After several strange events, Kim's car was discovered three months later.  It had been abandoned in the desolate Bruneau desert, one hundred miles south of Boise and it had been set ablaze.  Little evidence could be recovered from the scene, but this disturbing find finally caused the Boise Police Department to launch an official investigation.

What happened to Jeramy Burt and how could his disappearance possibly be connected to that of another Idaho man, with whom he was acquainted, three years earlier?  Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines this disturbing disappearance and highly complicated case in the first of this two-part episode.

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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/jeramy-burt

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Twenty-two year old Jamie Fraley was working hard to put her life on track.  After a life wrought with health issues as the result of complications are birth, she had gotten a slow start.  Unable to complete high school, or obtain a driver's license, she struggled to strike out on her own and put a future together.

In 2006, everything changed when she moved out on her own, met the man of her dreams and entered a GED program.  She had recently tried to help a friend overcome a drug addiction, and this awoke in her a desire to help others.  She wanted to attend college and pursue a career in drug counseling.  Her life took a heavy blow when her fiancee was sentenced to fifteen months in prison for larceny, but Jamie remained devoted and determined to marry him when he was released.  In the meantime, she developed a close bond with her soon to be father-in-law who lived in an apartment just two doors down from her.  Unfortunately, as time moved on, her future in-law became obsessive about her and began making inappropriate comments and advances.

Jamie thought she had the situation under control, but friends were growing concerned.  In April of 2008, just a few weeks before her fiancee was to be released from prison, Jamie came down with a nasty flu.  On April 8th, she visited the hospital two times in search of assistance.  Then, at midnight, she arranged for someone to give her a ride back to the emergency room.  She was never seen again.

Accusations flew, and her future father-in-law became the prime suspect but a chaotic series of events would unfold involving the discovery of items in the woods, a body in the trunk of a car and the sudden dead end of the investigation.  What happened to Jamie Fraley and who was responsible for this mysterious disappearance?

Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines this heartbreaking and frustrating case.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/jamie-fraley

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On July 6th, 2001, ten year old Tionda Bradley was looking after her three year old sister, Diamond while their mother, Tracey went to work.  The children were reportedly last seen by their mother at 6:30am, and when she returned home at 12:30 they were nowhere to be found.  All that was discovered was a note, allegedly written by Tionda, saying that the girls were going to walk to the store and then a nearby school.

Tracey searched for the girls, and didn't call the police until 6:30 that evening, at which point they had been missing for at least six hours.  Investigators launched one of the largest searches in Chicago history, but the wider their radius grew, the more they felt the answers may reside closer to home. 

There were suspicions early on of Tracey and the man she was seeing, George Washington, Diamond's father.  The note didn't make sense, and a voice mail discovered later, left by Tionda the day they vanished, stated that a man named George was at the door. The family was divided about what they believed happened, and to this day, some seventeen years later, the answers have never been found.  Tracey stopped cooperating with authorities, and George Washington elected to never participate in the search. 

What happened to Tionda and Diamond?  Who wrote the note?  Why was the voice mail deleted and how much does their mother know about the story, if anything, that she hasn't shared?Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines this deeply disturbing and utterly perplexing case.If you have any information about the disappearance of Tionda and Diamond Bradley, you may call a Private Investigator's Tip Line at:  847-579-9771

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/bradley-sisters

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Dorothy Kilgallen was one of the most well known and prominent reporters in American history.  Her tenacious personality and intense columns examines major stories of her time, including the murder trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  While her readers loved her dynamic style, powerful figures in Hollywood and Intelligence Agencies were not fans of her work.

After the assassination of President, and her close friend, John Kennedy in November of 1963, Dorothy dedicated her work to uncovering what she believed to have been a massive conspiracy and cover-up.  She had a contact in the Warren Commission who leaked information to her, which she in turn published.  The FBI began keeping a file on her, and tapping her phone after Dorothy refused to reveal her sources. Dorothy became the only journalist to get a private, one on one interview with Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald.  In the days and weeks leading up to her death, Dorothy told friends she was going to break the case open and she had plans to travel to New Orleans to meet with an informant.  Sadly, Dorothy would be found dead in her home just days before this trip, and what information she had gathered would never be revealed as her research files were never found.

The official ruling in Dorothy's death was that she died from an accidental overdose, a lethal combination of alcohol and sleeping pills.  While this was the official story, many believe that Dorothy was murdered to halt her investigation.What happened to Dorothy Kilgallen and why, today, is her name so rarely recalled?  Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores the intriguing and vibrant life of the woman once dubbed "The Most Powerful Voice in America."

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/dorothy-kilgallen

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On February 7th, 1999, in Westminster, Colorado, thirty-nine year old Paul Skiba brought his nine year old daughter, Sarah, to work at his moving company while covering a shift for an employee.  They were met by Lorenzo Chivers, one of Paul's employees, to go out on a job.  The three drove off in a moving truck and were never seen again.

Police initially believed the disappearance was related to a custody battle between Paul and his ex-wife, Michelle.  Despite friends and family urging them to investigate, authorities delayed for days.  Finally, when Paul's mother, and two friends found bullet holes, blood and hair at the company parking lot, Police launched an investigation.

No suspects were named, though many have made links between the triple murder and Paul's then girlfriend, Teresa Donovan.  Paul was looking to split up and wanted Teresa out of his home by the very day he disappeared.  Teresa's sister was living with Lorenzo and her brother, Tom, had a vendetta against Paul.Blood found at the scene belonged to Paul and Sarah, as well as hair and fragments of flesh.  Police indicated that the quantity of blood signified fatal wounds.  No trace of Lorenzo was ever found.  Over the next nineteen years, many theories would rise to the surface including possible links to drug trafficking, insurance money or the Donovan family seeking revenge.

What happened to Paul, Sarah and Lorenzo and why has it remained unsolved for nearly twenty years? Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores this deeply baffling and disturbing case.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/colorado-triple

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Twenty year old Irina "Ira" Yarmolenko was finishing up her sophomore semester at UNC Charlotte in May of 2008.  She planned to begin her junior year at UNC Chapel Hill where she would pursue a career in Public Health, an area near and dear to her kind and compassionate sensibility.  Tragically, Ira would never begin her junior year.

On May 5th, 2008, just days after her twentieth birthday, Ira began her day by taking a final exam.  She had another scheduled for 5pm, and so she ran some errands.  Surveillance footage tracks much of her travels that day, but when she drove down to the banks of the Catawba river, no one was aware.  Two jet skiiers discovered Ira's lifeless body on the bank of the river, beside her car.

She had died as the result of asphyxia secondary to ligature strangulation.  There were three ligatures around her neck.Investigators were baffled, and for many months, they failed to determine a motive or drum up a suspect.  On the day of the crime, they spoke with Mark Carver, who had been fishing a hundred yards away from the crime scene.  Suspicious of his report that he hadn't heard anything, investigators focused in and seven months later, both Carver and his cousin, Neal Cassada, were charged with conspiracy and murder. 

The evidence?  Touch DNA found in three places on the victims car contained mixtures which included their DNA. It took authorities nearly two years to proceed on to trial, during which time they tested eight other individuals against the DNA.  None were a match.  Neal Cassada passed away due to a heart attack the day before his trial was to begin, and so the prosecution focused solely on Mark Carver. 

Ultimately, Carver would be found guilty of first degree murder, and sentenced to life.  While the Yarmolenko family felt vindicated, and as though justice had been served, many have questioned this verdict.In the years since, evidence has been revealed which shows inaccurate testimony was given at trial, the DNA evidence is not up to the current standard necessary for litigation and Carver's public defender mounted no defense.  The North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence has taken up Carver's case, and currently, a new trial or the outright dismissal of charges is being fought for in court. 

This raises many questions:  Did Mark Carver murder Ira Yarmolenko, was someone else responsible for this heinous crime or is it possible that this may have been the result of suicide?Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores this tragic, complicated and controversial case.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/irina-yarmolenko

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Logan Schiendelman had just finished his first year of college as Washington State University.  He had spent a little too much time having fun, and not as much attending classes, and so he wasn’t able to return and instead planned to get a job, put some money in his pocket and see where the world would take him.  He was on a journey of self discovery, hoping to find his place in life, and within his own community.               

On May 19th, 2016, he told his grandmother that he’d had an epiphany but before they could discuss it further, she had to go to work.  They made plans to talk that evening, but when she returned home, Logan was gone and as the days passed, she filed a missing person’s report, which would lead to bizarre eye witness accounts and the discovery of Logan’s car abandoned along Instate Five, just five miles from his home.  According to witness accounts, the car had drifted across multiple lanes before crashing into the center divider.  One witness reported seeing a man leap from the passenger side, fleeing into the woods.  Another told the story of Logan in the company of two men, standing at the rear of the vehicle.               

When examined, in the car were Logan’s wallet, ID, money and his cell phone.  There didn’t appear to be any signs of a struggle, but for his family and investigators, the items left behind seemed to suggest that Logan’s disappearance might be the result of foul play.  In the two years since, multiple searches have been launched, media coverage has shared his story nationwide and the strange stories about two figures seen in his presence in the hours before he vanished depict a confusing situation no one has yet been able to figure out.                 

What happened to Logan Schiendelman and why, two years later, has so little been discovered in connection with this utterly baffling disappearance?

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Social Media:
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/logan-schiendelman

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Case Update: 
Episode 10 - The Bizarre Murder of Arlis Perry has been SOLVED

On June 26th, 2018, Deputies of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department moved to execute a search warrant on suspect Steve Blake Crawford, the security guard who originally found Arlis Perry's body.  During the execution of that warrant, Crawford committed suicide with a self inflicted gunshot wound.

This is a short episode discussing the events of the day and the news about how this case was solved and the state of further investigations to come.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Social Media:
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Twenty-three year old Brandi Wells was beginning to put her life back on track.  After a failed marriage and traveling throughout Texas, she moved to Brownsboro, just twenty minutes away from her hometown of Tyler.  She re-enrolled in college, to pursue a degree in education, and had just gotten a new job.  Things were looking up.  

On August 2nd, 2006, Brandi decided to go out for one last night of fun before she had to focus on her studies and job.  This night, she would decide to go to Longview, TX, to a club known as Graham Central Station.  Only a few people knew her destination, and no one knew why.  Brandi was seen entering and exiting the club, but after that, she vanished.  Her car was found the next day, abandoned along Interstate 20.  Sadly, the connection between the car, and her disappearance wouldn't be made for days. 

By the time investigators knew what they were dealing with, they were a week behind.  The investigation was flawed, involving mis-identifications, tracking the wrong cell phone and questions about the crime scene which have never been answered.  Twelve years later, her family still wonders what became of their daughter, sister and niece.   

What happened to Brandi Wells?  Was she tricked by someone she knew and trusted?  Could a total stranger, posing as a good samaritan have taken advantage of her kind nature or was Brandi dragged into the dark world of human trafficking?  Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores this baffling and heartbreaking case.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/brandi-wells

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Fifteen year old Kayla Berg was excited to move back to her hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin after spending the previous two months in Texas with her mother, Hope.  While Texas hadn't worked out for the pair, Kayla was looking forward to seeing her father and brother, as well as all the friends she had left behind.Kayla returned on August 2nd, 2009, and immediately took advantage of the dwindling weeks of summer before she'd be returning to High School as a Junior. 

Living with her grandparents, while her mother attempted to find more permanent housing, wasn't ideal, but Kayla was just happy to be home. Just a little over a week after coming back, on August 11th, Kayla makes arrangements to hang out with twenty-four year old Kevin Kielcheski, a friend of her brother's who she has known since she was young.  Kevin picks her up around 9pm, and is home by midnight, but Kayla never makes it back. 

The next day, when Kayla is noted as missing, Kevin states that he dropped her off at a friends house.  The problem with his story is that the house in question had been condemned a month earlier, and belonged to Kayla's ex-boyfriend, Miguel.  Kevin claims Kayla directed him to the location, while her friends protest that she knew no one lived there anymore.Over the course of the next eight years, Kevin and Miguel would become the prime people of interest.  The stories about Kayla's activities would stir up rumors and speculation while investigators had the difficult task of attempting to determine what happened to a fifteen year old girl, with a fear of the dark, who is alleged to have been dropped off at an abandoned house in the middle of the night.

What happened to Kayla Berg?  Did she run into someone at the abandoned home who had dark intentions?  Was her ex-boyfriend Miguel involved in her mysterious disappearance?  Or, did her brother's close friend, Kevin, tell an elaborate story about dropping her off when something more sinister took place?Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines this convoluted and tragic case in hopes of differentiating between rumor and fact in Episode 49 - The Disappearance of Kayla Berg.

For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/kayla-berg

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