Speaker 1: On today's special Update episode, we'll look back on five
Speaker 1: previously covered cases which have had major or important updates
Speaker 1: in the past year, as well as a handful of
Speaker 1: other cases with minor updates that still warrant coverage. We'll
Speaker 1: discuss a case changing discovery made in what is now
Speaker 1: confirmed to be a double homicide, a long awaited discovery
Speaker 1: in one of true crime's most famous cases of the
Speaker 1: last fifteen years, a new theory and potential suspect in
Speaker 1: an unsolved disappearance, a possible person of interest in a
Speaker 1: very strange disappearance out of Michigan, and the results of
Speaker 1: a hotly debated murder trial, and just where exactly law
Speaker 1: enforcement has left to go in the aftermath. This is
Speaker 1: Trace Evidence Major Case Updates. Welcome to Trace Evidence. I'm
Speaker 1: your host, Steven Pacheco. Today we're diving into some major
Speaker 1: case updates, some going back as far as the first
Speaker 1: year of the podcast. Before jumping in, though, just a
Speaker 1: quick reminder to those of you attending Crime Con in
Speaker 1: Colorado that if you haven't purchased your pass yet, you
Speaker 1: can use code trace at crimecon dot com to save
Speaker 1: ten percent. We've also added some new shirt designs in
Speaker 1: two hour shops, which you can visit at shoptepod dot com. Finally,
Speaker 1: if you aren't following Trace Evidence on social media, you
Speaker 1: can visit follow tepod dot com for a link to
Speaker 1: all official social counts. As always, these links are below
Speaker 1: in the show notes. Without further ado, let's get to
Speaker 1: these updates. Episode two hundred and thirty three, The murder
Speaker 1: of Paul Jones and the Disappearance of Melody Jones. On
Speaker 1: Thursday May fifth, nineteen eighty three, Potawatamie County, Oklahoma law
Speaker 1: enforcement began an investigation into the disappearance of nineteen year
Speaker 1: old Melody and Jones after she failed to show up
Speaker 1: for her shift at the local dairy queen. A family
Speaker 1: member went to Melody's home, where she lived with her husband,
Speaker 1: Paul Jones, and found a grizzly scene. Paul was lifeless
Speaker 1: on the bedroom floor, the victim of multiple stab wounds,
Speaker 1: and there was no sign of Melody. Investigators quickly called
Speaker 1: for assistance from the OSBI, but little, if anything, was
Speaker 1: really uncovered. For nearly forty years, that case grew cold
Speaker 1: until this last summer case update. On Wednesday, August seventh,
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, officials from the Patawatami County Sheriff's Office
Speaker 1: publicly announced that they had positively identified human remains as
Speaker 1: those of the missing Melody Anne Jones. However, they noted
Speaker 1: the actual collection and recovery of melodies remains was not
Speaker 1: a recent process, but one which had occurred more than
Speaker 1: twenty years earlier. According to a statement issued on social
Speaker 1: media channels for both the Sheriff's office as well as
Speaker 1: the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, they had been in
Speaker 1: possession of the missing women's remains since approximately October of
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight. At that time, human remains described only
Speaker 1: as a partial skull, were found in a yet undisclosed section.
Speaker 2: Of rural Seminole County.
Speaker 1: After excavation of the site, the remains were transported to
Speaker 1: the office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner to determine
Speaker 1: the cause and manner of death, as well as an
Speaker 1: identity for the unknown victim. According to authorities, multiple attempts
Speaker 1: to obtain an identification of the body were made over
Speaker 1: the passage of nearly twenty six years, but all were unsuccessful. However,
Speaker 1: in the summer of twenty twenty four, staff at the
Speaker 1: Medical Examiner's office obtained the quote unquote necessary resources for
Speaker 1: additional testing on Wednesday, August seventh. These new resources resulted
Speaker 1: in a positive identification of Melody and Jones. Multiple articles
Speaker 1: have noted that the additional testing, which ultimately confirmed her identity,
Speaker 1: was paid for by a grant issued to the OSBI.
Speaker 1: Her body was officially recovered fourteen years after her husband Paul,
Speaker 1: was murdered in their home and she had mysteriously disappeared
Speaker 1: for the next two decades. Her body remained in the
Speaker 1: possession of the Medical Liak Examiner until it was finally identified.
Speaker 1: This revelation came as quite a shock to Melody's siblings,
Speaker 1: who for more than forty years have wondered not just
Speaker 1: what became of their sister, but who was ultimately responsible
Speaker 1: for the crime. In hopes of honoring her memory and
Speaker 1: welcoming her home, the family organized a funeral service, which
Speaker 1: was held on Sunday, August twenty fifth at Dale Baptist Church.
Speaker 1: Asked about the shocking news, Melody's sister, Rebecca Cox, spoke
Speaker 1: to Oklahoma City Fox twenty five, saying, quote, I actually
Speaker 1: got to.
Speaker 2: See her remains.
Speaker 1: I had a long discussion with her telling her she
Speaker 1: was finally here, She's finally home.
Speaker 2: She'll never be lost again.
Speaker 1: Cox, along with her three siblings and their parents, while
Speaker 1: they were still alive, endured so much pain and agony
Speaker 1: in the unknowing of Melody's fate, let alone all of
Speaker 1: the questions about why someone would have done this to
Speaker 1: her and her husband. It was a search they didn't
Speaker 1: believe would end with Cock saying, quote, desperation, miserable, everybody
Speaker 1: and bone you compare to her?
Speaker 2: Is it going to be her?
Speaker 1: While the family were grateful for the discovery and to
Speaker 1: have the opportunity to lay Melody to rest properly, they
Speaker 1: see this as only one half of the story having
Speaker 1: been completed. Melody's brother, Randall Garton, explained saying, quote, you
Speaker 1: walk down the street, you see people and think, man,
Speaker 1: does she look familiar or not? Is she going to
Speaker 1: walk on the doorsteps someday and knock on my door?
Speaker 2: But that's all over. I don't have to worry about
Speaker 2: that anymore.
Speaker 1: We need to find the guy that did this, hold
Speaker 1: them accountable for what they've done. No official information has
Speaker 1: been released about a cause or manner of death. If
Speaker 1: in fact, the medical Examiner's office was able to make
Speaker 1: any determination. The investigation into Paul's death and now melodies
Speaker 1: confirmed homicide remains open and investigators would very much appreciate
Speaker 1: anyone coming forward with additional information. To date, no suspects
Speaker 1: have been named and no arrests have been made. If
Speaker 1: you have any information about this case, please contact the
Speaker 1: OSBI via email at tips at OSBI dot ok dot gov.
Speaker 1: You can also call them at one eight hundred five
Speaker 1: two two eight zero one seven. Just a quick aside,
Speaker 1: I've had several people contact me about this case, encouraging
Speaker 1: me and asking me to do an update on it.
Speaker 1: I held back for a while because I was involved
Speaker 1: in communication with one of the families connected to this case.
Speaker 1: They wanted to talk to me about specific details and
Speaker 1: their own theories of what may have happened and who
Speaker 1: may have been involved. However, just as our back and
Speaker 1: forth to be building towards a fevered pitch, communications stopped
Speaker 1: on their end. I've reached out several times since, but
Speaker 1: have received no reply, so I've decided to move forward
Speaker 1: with this update. If, however, you're still out there and
Speaker 1: you're still interested in talking, you've got my contact information.
Speaker 1: Episode seventeen the disappearance of Brandon Lawson. On Thursday August eighth,
Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, twenty six year old Brandon Lawson got into
Speaker 1: an argument with his longtime girlfriend, Ledessa Lofton.
Speaker 2: Frustrated and wanting some time.
Speaker 1: To cool off, he made a call to his father
Speaker 1: over three hours away in Crowley, Texas and asked if
Speaker 1: he could spend the night. His father tried to talk
Speaker 1: him out of it. It was very late, but Brandon
Speaker 1: would not be deterred. He began his drive. Forty miles later,
Speaker 1: he ran out of gas and called his brother Kyle
Speaker 1: for help. What transpired in the next thirty minutes is unknown,
Speaker 1: but when his brother arrived, Brandon was nowhere to be found.
Speaker 1: After searching for hours, there was no trace of him.
Speaker 1: The family would later learn that shortly after calling his brother,
Speaker 1: Brandon had made a call to nine to one pint one.
Speaker 1: In the call, Brandon is clearly frantic and talking fast
Speaker 1: and upset about something. The interpretation of what he said
Speaker 1: would become hotly debated amongst the family, police and online investigators.
Speaker 1: The Coke County Sheriff's Department was hesitant to treat it
Speaker 1: as a missing person's case and instead approached it from
Speaker 1: the perspective that Brandon had chosen to run off to
Speaker 1: avoid a warrant that had been issued for his arrest
Speaker 1: eight years earlier. While the family searched aga exhaustively, believing
Speaker 1: that Brandon would never abandon his children, authorities would not
Speaker 1: begin their first search until a week later. Over the
Speaker 1: course of the next ten years, Brandon's disappearance would become
Speaker 1: one of the most discussed, covered and debated both by
Speaker 1: traditional media as well as online journalists and investigators, many
Speaker 1: of whom would utilize this disturbing and mysterious case as
Speaker 1: the foundation from which to construct their true crime podcasts.
Speaker 2: All these years.
Speaker 1: Gone by, while many have moved on from Brandon's case, family, friends,
Speaker 1: and law enforcement were still determined to find the truth
Speaker 1: and to bring Brandon home. This year, it appears at
Speaker 1: least one of those goals has been accomplished, as it
Speaker 1: was announced that Brandon will finally be going home.
Speaker 2: Case update.
Speaker 1: In February of twenty twenty two, nearly a decade after
Speaker 1: brandons Its mysterious and haunting disappearance, a small search party
Speaker 1: looking in an area not far from his last known location,
Speaker 1: came upon a pile of clothing which was consistent with
Speaker 1: what he was wearing the night of his disappearance. Those
Speaker 1: clothes would ultimately be confirmed to be those of Brandon,
Speaker 1: and at that point the small search immediately halted their
Speaker 1: progress and contacted law enforcement, including the Texas Rangers. Law
Speaker 1: enforcement took the clothing into their possession for testing, while
Speaker 1: the Rangers organized a large search, focusing in on the
Speaker 1: area near to where the clothes were found and spinning
Speaker 1: out from that central location. Not long into the search,
Speaker 1: rangers came upon human remains in the same general area.
Speaker 1: A post was officially made on the Help Find Brandon
Speaker 1: lass And Facebook page on Friday, February fourth. The post read,
Speaker 1: in part quote, the Texas Rangers conducted a search which
Speaker 1: that ultimately led them to discover human remains in this
Speaker 1: same area. Although DNA tests are needed to confirm identification
Speaker 1: in our hearts, we know that it is branding. Our
Speaker 1: main focus throughout this entire ordeal has been to bring
Speaker 1: Brandon home so that he can finally rest in peace
Speaker 1: and our family can have the answers we have prayed for.
Speaker 1: I know that many of you will have questions, but
Speaker 1: at this time we do not have those answers.
Speaker 2: We will keep.
Speaker 1: Everyone notified of all new developments. Thirty four months later,
Speaker 1: in late December of twenty twenty four, an update about
Speaker 1: the remains was finally posted. This update noted that DNA
Speaker 1: testing had officially confirmed that the remains found that afternoon
Speaker 1: in February of twenty twenty two were in fact those
Speaker 1: of Brandon Lawson. This post, made on Christmas Day, read,
Speaker 1: in part quote, we can, finally, after a seven years,
Speaker 1: bring Brandon home and lay him to rest with his family.
Speaker 1: While the news does bring heartbreak, it also does bring
Speaker 1: a small amount of peace.
Speaker 2: On this day, twenty twenty.
Speaker 1: Four years ago, our Lord and Savior Jesus entered this
Speaker 1: world to save us Luke chapter two, verse ten through eleven,
Speaker 1: and we smile knowing that Brandon is celebrating this day
Speaker 1: watching over us. We want to thank each and every
Speaker 1: single one of you for your love, prayers, and support
Speaker 1: over these past eleven years. You have helped carry us
Speaker 1: through this journey. A lot of people have asked me
Speaker 1: over the years why I've never officially released an update
Speaker 1: on Brandon's case, And there's one really specific reason, a
Speaker 1: lack of information. I've always been waiting to learn a
Speaker 1: little more, to find out a cause and manner of
Speaker 1: death if known, to get a confirmed specific location at
Speaker 1: which his remains were found and the distance from that
Speaker 1: spot to where his truck was the night of his disappearance.
Speaker 1: Waiting for that information, time just kept passing, and eventually
Speaker 1: it came to a point where I was beginning to
Speaker 1: believe that we might never have more answers. As it
Speaker 1: turned out, there was a reason why so little information
Speaker 1: had come out in the aftermath of the discovery. On Tuesday,
Speaker 1: June twenty fourth of this year, the help Find Brandon
Speaker 1: laws In Facebook page made a new post, this time
Speaker 1: addressing some previously unreleased details and asking for assistance from
Speaker 1: the public. The page posted a link to a change
Speaker 1: dot org petition entitled demand da Palmer release Brandon Lawson's remains.
Speaker 1: The post noted that, for unknown reasons, despite being positively
Speaker 1: identified back in December of twenty four, Brandon's body had
Speaker 1: not yet been released to his family. In explaining the situation,
Speaker 1: the petition noted, quote, despite the lengthy and painful process,
Speaker 1: we are left in limbo. The DA in San Angelo,
Speaker 1: Alison Palmer is withholding the release of Brandon's remains. Our
Speaker 1: countless attempts to reach her seeking an explanation or resolution
Speaker 1: have gone unanswered. Not only is this an agony for
Speaker 1: the family who wishes to lay Brandon to rest, but
Speaker 1: it also raises concerns about transparency and fairness in handling
Speaker 1: such sensitive matters. Simultaneously, our private investigator's request under the
Speaker 1: Freedom of Information Act revealed a very short ten pages
Speaker 1: regarding Brandon's case since his disappearance. These actions leave us
Speaker 1: once again questioning the thoroughness and fairness of the investigation
Speaker 1: into his disappearance and death. We acknowledge and depreciate the
Speaker 1: professionalism exhibited by the new sheriff, Billy, who has shown
Speaker 1: understanding and cooperation. However, we demand accountability and action from
Speaker 1: Da Palmer. Just a few days ago, on Saturday, July nineteenth,
Speaker 1: there came a new update the official post credited to
Speaker 1: Ledessa Reid's quote, good.
Speaker 2: Evening, everyone, I just want to give you an update.
Speaker 1: After four three hundred and sixty two days, we finally
Speaker 1: get to bring Brandon home. I just want to thank
Speaker 1: all of you from the bottom of our heart that
Speaker 1: helped with calling and sharing, even praying for us during
Speaker 1: these difficult times. There is so many emotions. We were
Speaker 1: all feeling happy but sad at the same time. Let
Speaker 1: me tell my soul it can finally rest, but there
Speaker 1: will always be pain and questions what happened to him
Speaker 1: that night.
Speaker 2: The most recent posts from.
Speaker 1: Yesterday noted that the process of returning Brandon has begun,
Speaker 1: but the family could use some assistance in covering the
Speaker 1: cost of laying him to rest. They've set up an
Speaker 1: official go fundme, the link to which I'll place in
Speaker 1: the show notes. If you would like to contribute, the
Speaker 1: link is available, and you can always visit the help
Speaker 1: Find Brandon Loss and Facebook page for additional information and
Speaker 1: to keep yourself updated on this case and what is
Speaker 1: planned to be a very public memorial. I'll put a
Speaker 1: link to the page in the show notes as well.
Speaker 1: While Brandon's remains have indeed been found, the question of
Speaker 1: what happened that night still remains. Though the hope is
Speaker 1: that someday all of the puzzle pieces will be located
Speaker 1: and the story will be fully understood. Life doesn't often
Speaker 1: provide such solid and direct answers. The investigation will continue.
Speaker 1: The search for truth never ends. I did want to
Speaker 1: provide one important detail. I haven't seen elsewhere, which was
Speaker 1: given to me directly by Jason Watts, a friend of
Speaker 1: the show and private investigator who was closely involved in
Speaker 1: the searches for Brand. A lot of news programs in
Speaker 1: podcasts that covered this update have stated that the owners
Speaker 1: of the land on which Brandon's body were found were
Speaker 1: difficult to deal with and had fought to not allow
Speaker 1: searches on the land. According to Jason Watts, that is
Speaker 1: entirely false. The owners of the property don't live in
Speaker 1: the county and only use the land for hunting once
Speaker 1: in a great while. They had no knowledge of Brandon's
Speaker 1: case and were not trying to keep anyone out. In fact,
Speaker 1: Jason explained that once he managed to track them down,
Speaker 1: they were extremely gracious and kind. They immediately granted Jason
Speaker 1: permission to search the property and also noted that if
Speaker 1: additional searches would be necessary, they would be more than
Speaker 1: happy to oblige. For whatever reason, people often prefer to
Speaker 1: make up nasty stories instead of simply telling a banal truth.
Speaker 1: My thoughts and prayers are with Brandon's family and friends
Speaker 1: the release of his body and the ability to lay
Speaker 1: him to rest. They've lost an important part of themselves
Speaker 1: and their family, a brother, a son, a father. Should
Speaker 1: there come any additional updates on this case, I will
Speaker 1: of course supply them as soon as all relevant.
Speaker 2: Information can be gathered.
Speaker 1: If you have any information about Brandon Lawson, his disappearance,
Speaker 1: or what happened to him that night, please contact the
Speaker 1: Texas Department of Public Safety at five one two four
Speaker 1: two four five zero seven four where he is Case
Speaker 1: number M one three zero eight zero zero five.
Speaker 2: Episode ninety one, The Disappearance of Dale Dinwiddie, twenty three
Speaker 2: years old. Dale Dinwiddie attended a U two concert in Columbia,
Speaker 2: South Carolina with friends on the night of Wednesday, September
Speaker 2: twenty third, nineteen ninety two. After the show, Dale and
Speaker 2: her friends decided to swing through the Five Points area
Speaker 2: of the city and ultimately stopped at a former nightclub
Speaker 2: then called Jungle Gyms. After getting separated from her friends,
Speaker 2: Dale searched for them, but figured they must have caught
Speaker 2: a ride home without her. She was last seen by
Speaker 2: a bouncer exiting the club and walking north on Hardin
Speaker 2: Street sometime between one point fifteen and one thirty am
Speaker 2: on what had become Thursday September twenty fourth. Her purse
Speaker 2: was left behind at the club, and she has never
Speaker 2: been seen again. Police have pursued multiple angles and theories,
Speaker 2: including one which suggested that perhaps alleged serial killer Raynaldo
Speaker 2: Javier Ray Rivera may have been involved. He is a
Speaker 2: suspect in multiple homicides and at the time of the
Speaker 2: disappearance was attending school at the University of South Carolina,
Speaker 2: not far from the Five Points district. However, this was
Speaker 2: but one of many possibilities, and for the last three
Speaker 2: decades the case has remained actively investigated but growing colder
Speaker 2: until perhaps now case update. More than thirty years later,
Speaker 2: a new theory about what happened to Dale that September
Speaker 2: night is being considered, and it turns the case on
Speaker 2: its head. According to Paul c of Irmo South Carolina,
Speaker 2: the entire alleged abduction and homicide may not have been
Speaker 2: carried out as a targeted attack, but instead the result
Speaker 2: of a bizarre and devious case of mistaken identity. C
Speaker 2: has already been in conversation with the Richland County Sheriff's
Speaker 2: Department as well as the Columbia Police Department. According to him,
Speaker 2: he has had meetings with these agencies. Since coming forward
Speaker 2: with new information dating back more than nine months to
Speaker 2: October of twenty twenty four, See told reporters that at
Speaker 2: each of the two interviews he took part in, there
Speaker 2: was also a member of the South Carolina State Law
Speaker 2: Enforcement Division, also known as SLEDG. According to c his
Speaker 2: theory begins back in nineteen seventy eight when he was
Speaker 2: growing up in Irma. That year, the family of Don
Speaker 2: Michele Adkins moved to town and settled into a home
Speaker 2: just a few doors down from Sea's family. The two
Speaker 2: would become quick friends, and seven years later, in nineteen
Speaker 2: eighty five, when See graduated from Irmo High School, Atkins
Speaker 2: married a man named James Adolph Campbell. Campbell has a
Speaker 2: very colorful history when it comes to breaking the law
Speaker 2: and has served long sentences at different points in time.
Speaker 2: Later winding up on North Carolina's Death Row, Campbell ended
Speaker 2: up being found guilty of assaulting a Richland County school secretary,
Speaker 2: for which he was sentenced to eight years at the
Speaker 2: Broad River Correctional Institution. In nineteen eighty.
Speaker 1: Nine, Atkins filed for divorce and was granted one from Campbell,
Speaker 1: who was behind bars. Two years later, in nineteen ninety one,
Speaker 1: she remarried, this time to a man named Herbert Branham,
Speaker 1: with whom she had a daughter. Campbell was released from
Speaker 1: custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections in nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety two and quickly moved to Rowan County, North Carolina,
Speaker 1: where he had family.
Speaker 2: Over the course of the next four.
Speaker 1: Months, though Campbell committed multiple crimes in what one newspaper
Speaker 1: article described as an.
Speaker 2: Epic crime binge.
Speaker 1: It was during this four month period that Sea claims
Speaker 1: Campbell put into action a plan to get back at
Speaker 1: Don Atkins, his ex wife, which may have ultimately led
Speaker 1: to Dale Dinwiddie being mistakenly.
Speaker 2: Caught in the cross fire.
Speaker 1: According to C, not long after his release, Campbell spoke
Speaker 1: with another ex KHN who had his own complex history
Speaker 1: with law enforcement, a man named Terry Lee Huddo. According
Speaker 1: to C, Campbell hired Huddo to track down his ex wife.
Speaker 1: Huddo was to abduct the woman and return her to Campbell,
Speaker 1: at which time he likely had nefarious plans for her.
Speaker 1: According to C, Campbell gave Huddo a photograph of Atkins
Speaker 1: so he could identify the woman, as well as having
Speaker 1: gone into as much detail as he could about her habits,
Speaker 1: including clubs and bars that she frequented. Of course, by
Speaker 1: that time, Atkins had a child and her days of
Speaker 1: clubbing were behind her, but Campbell didn't know.
Speaker 2: His information was outdated.
Speaker 1: Addressing that particular area, she told Fitnews quote, according to
Speaker 1: the former husband, she used to go clubbing in the
Speaker 1: Five Points region back in the nineteen eighties, and as
Speaker 1: far as he knew, she still did. That's why he
Speaker 1: instructed Terry Lee Huddo to look for her there with
Speaker 1: the picture of Dawn that mister Huddo had been provided.
Speaker 1: Wednesday and Thursday nights were when she usually went to
Speaker 1: the clubs. Campbell had a history of violence against women.
Speaker 1: During a trial in which he was charged with the
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety two murder of Catherine Price, the prosecution pointed
Speaker 1: out that whenever Campbell had a problem with a woman,
Speaker 1: he'd turned violent, saying, quote, he was mad at a
Speaker 1: girlfriend each time.
Speaker 2: That's what compels him to do what he does.
Speaker 1: See went on to theorize that on the night of
Speaker 1: Dale's disappearance, she was mistakenly taken by Huddo, who working
Speaker 1: off only an outdated photograph, may have thought he grabbed
Speaker 1: the right person. Don Atkins, at the time, shared a
Speaker 1: resemblance with Dale, and she was also known to frequent
Speaker 1: the Five Points. Both women were attractive, petite blonds in
Speaker 1: their twenties, and while side by side under the bright
Speaker 1: light of day, one would hardly confuse the two. A
Speaker 1: man who'd never met either and was searching for a
Speaker 1: woman with an old picture in dimly lit clubs may
Speaker 1: not have known the difference until it was too late.
Speaker 2: Then. Of course, there's also the issue of timing.
Speaker 1: Dale was abducted the night of Thursday, September twenty fourth,
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety two. Campbell was arrested for the Wednesday, September
Speaker 1: ninth murderer of Catherine Price one week earlier on September sixteenth. Therefore,
Speaker 1: if Huddo did abduct Dale, he quickly learned that the
Speaker 1: man who had hired him was in no position to
Speaker 1: make good on his offer. See went on to claim
Speaker 1: that once Huddo learned the truth, he murdered Dale and
Speaker 1: concealed her remains in a field not far from Campbell's
Speaker 1: home in North Carolina. This was a common spot Campbell
Speaker 1: would bring women to so could commit atrocities against them.
Speaker 1: Catherine Price, for instance, was left in a field in
Speaker 1: the Millbridge area of Rowan County. Sea claims that Campbell
Speaker 1: told him he'd received that information about the mistake and
Speaker 1: abduction in a letter from Huddo. Whether or not that
Speaker 1: is true is hotly debated, as inmate mail is very
Speaker 1: closely monitored, and while even c himself doubts the veracity
Speaker 1: of that claim, that's what he says Campbell told him
Speaker 1: when it comes to Huddo. He's currently in prison serving
Speaker 1: a life sentence for the murder of Nadine Pool, a
Speaker 1: murder which occurred on Friday, September twenty fourth, nineteen ninety two,
Speaker 1: just one day after Dale vanished.
Speaker 2: Reportedly, several law.
Speaker 1: Enforcement sources, when asked about Sea's information, told FIT News
Speaker 1: that the tip had been run down multiple times and
Speaker 1: always came back to a dead end. But the Richland
Speaker 1: County Sheriff's departm and appears to think there might be
Speaker 1: more meat on the bone, as they have been putting
Speaker 1: resources into the task of tracking it all down again.
Speaker 1: See claims that his conversation with Campbell took place on Friday,
Speaker 1: June twenty third, two thousand and six, while Campbell was
Speaker 1: on death row in North Carolina. See claims that Campbell
Speaker 1: held onto the information about Dale's case as a so
Speaker 1: called backup plan to be deployed in a last ditch
Speaker 1: effort to escape his scheduled appointment with the executioner that, however,
Speaker 1: would become unnecessary as before he could be executed, North
Speaker 1: Carolina placed a moratorium on all executions to date. The
Speaker 1: last execution carried out in the state happened on August eighteenth,
Speaker 1: two thousand and six.
Speaker 2: Campbell does not.
Speaker 1: Appear interested in verifying his part of the story now
Speaker 1: that he doesn't need the assistance, and though don Atkins
Speaker 1: might be able to do so, she sadly passed away
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty. For their part, law enforcement have been
Speaker 1: rather reserved in their approach to addressing C's story, as
Speaker 1: well as their continued investigation into Dale's disappearance. Master Deputy
Speaker 1: Ali Salren of the Richland County Sheriff's Department, when asked
Speaker 1: about the story, replied quote, we have taken the information
Speaker 1: provided seriously and have been actively following up on it.
Speaker 1: Dale Dinwittie's case continues to be an active investigation for
Speaker 1: our cold case unit. At this time, we do not
Speaker 1: have any investigative information available to the public. If you
Speaker 1: have any information about the disappearance of Dale Dinwitdie, you
Speaker 1: can contact the Columbia Police Department at eight zero three
Speaker 1: seven four nine five eight three six. You can also
Speaker 1: contact South Carolina Crime Stoppers at one eight eight eight
Speaker 1: crime sc or by using the P three tips app
Speaker 1: and submitting information anonymously. Episode one hundred and ten, The
Speaker 1: Vanishing of Paige ren Koski. On Thursday May twenty fourth,
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety, thirty year old substitute teacher Paige ren Koski
Speaker 1: dropped her mother off at the passenger terminal of the
Speaker 1: Detroit Metro Airport. She then left the airport and began
Speaker 1: the drive back home, but she would never arrive, and
Speaker 1: more than forty years later, her fate remains a bizarre
Speaker 1: mystery with strange clues that have yet to spell out
Speaker 1: the story. It appears that Page stopped along the westbound
Speaker 1: shoulder of Interstate ninety six, approximately a half mile from
Speaker 1: the exit for Fowlerville, Michigan, around three point thirty that afternoon.
Speaker 1: Passing motorists later told police they saw Page speaking with
Speaker 1: two unidentified African American males standing near a maroon or
Speaker 1: burgundy mini van. Four hours later, one of these witnesses
Speaker 1: became worried when he drove by that spot again and
Speaker 1: saw only Page's car sitting there. The driver called police,
Speaker 1: who arrived and found Page's nineteen eighty six Oldsmobile Cutlass
Speaker 1: Calais abandoned. The headlights and radio were on keys in
Speaker 1: the ignition, the doors were unlocked and the engine was
Speaker 1: idling inside. They quickly located Page's purse, wallet, and shoes,
Speaker 1: as well as an open and partially consumed bottle of beer.
Speaker 1: She herself has never been seen again. Case update. In
Speaker 1: January of this year, prosecutors in Washingtonaw County, Michigan, charged
Speaker 1: sixty nine year old Buster Robin with the nineteen eighty
Speaker 1: nine murder of Beverly Wivel after DNA evidence conclusively linked
Speaker 1: him to the case. According to initial reports, Wivel was
Speaker 1: sleeping in her car in Canton Township's Griffin Park after
Speaker 1: dropping her son off at school. It's believed that she
Speaker 1: was then abducted from her car, sexually assaulted, and shot.
Speaker 1: Her body was later found along the side of a
Speaker 1: road when police found her car. The engine was running,
Speaker 1: the driver's side door was wide open, and her purse
Speaker 1: was still inside. Nine months later, Paige Renankoski was last
Speaker 1: seen alive speaking to an unidentified man on the shoulder
Speaker 1: of I ninety six. According to police, the similarities between
Speaker 1: the two cases are compelling, with it being noted that
Speaker 1: both women's vehicles were found running with their shoes and
Speaker 1: purses inside. Both women are believed to have been forcibly
Speaker 1: abducted from their vehicles and taken elsewhere for crimes to
Speaker 1: be committed against them. Apparently, the DNA which tied Robins
Speaker 1: to Wivel came from a seaman's sample, which defense attorneys
Speaker 1: are arguing shows that their client had sexual contact with Wivell, consensual,
Speaker 1: they claim, but nothing about that makes him a murderer.
Speaker 1: For his part, Washtonaw County District Court Judge Carl Barr
Speaker 1: refused to send the case to trial, citing a lack
Speaker 1: of evidence beyond the DNA. Judge Barr agreed that Robbins
Speaker 1: was a serious threat and flight risk, but more evidence
Speaker 1: would be needed. Robbins is currently being held without bond
Speaker 1: while the state appeals Bar's decision, with the Circuit Court.
Speaker 1: Additional information shows that police later confirmed that Robbins had
Speaker 1: his pilot's license at the time of Page's disappearance, and
Speaker 1: that he served as a mounted reserve officer for the
Speaker 1: Macomb County Sheriff's Office from nineteen eighty eight to nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty nine. As of the current time, Robbins is being
Speaker 1: investigated for two more crimes, one involving child held sexually
Speaker 1: abusive material allegedly found on his phone, and another involving
Speaker 1: assault allegations from his estranged wife. Though they offer little
Speaker 1: insight into their investigation, law enforcement did confirm that Robbins
Speaker 1: is now being looked at as a person of interest
Speaker 1: in Page's disappearance. The Livingston County Sheriff's Office said they
Speaker 1: are working closely with the Washingtonaw County Sheriff to explore
Speaker 1: any possible links. The Livingston County Sheriff's Office Cold Case
Speaker 1: Unit is convinced that there is someone out there who
Speaker 1: has the information they need to solve this case. In fact,
Speaker 1: someone coming forward maybe one of their last best hopes
Speaker 1: at finding the truth. Lieutenant Matt Young told Livingston Daily Quote,
Speaker 1: this case will be solved on somebody who gives a
Speaker 1: deathbed confession, or somebody who is involved in the criminal
Speaker 1: justice system who wants to make things right. It's not
Speaker 1: going to be something that's solved based strictly on the
Speaker 1: the evidence that we still have here today.
Speaker 2: It's going to be.
Speaker 1: Something that someone has to come forward and say they
Speaker 1: did it or knows who did it, or somebody who
Speaker 1: happens across Page's body through construction of a new build
Speaker 1: or a roadway or something like that. Those are really
Speaker 1: the only options we have left. If you have any
Speaker 1: information about the disappearance of Paige Renkoski, please contact the
Speaker 1: Livingston County Sheriff's Office at five one seven five four
Speaker 1: zero seven eight eight zero. You can also email them
Speaker 1: at cold Case tips at livgov dot com. Episode one
Speaker 1: hundred and thirty seven The murder of Anita Kanutz. Eighteen
Speaker 1: year old Anita Kannutzen had just completed her freshman semester
Speaker 1: at Mano State University in North Dakota. Living in an
Speaker 1: apartment with a roommate, Anita was working two jobs and
Speaker 1: excited about summer break. However, over the first weekend in
Speaker 1: June of two thousand and seven, Anita's family couldn't get
Speaker 1: in touch with her, which was extremely out of character.
Speaker 1: After several attempts, her father, Gordon, made the one hour
Speaker 1: drive to check on her. There, he would make a
Speaker 1: horrifying discovery. Anita had been murdered. That much was clear,
Speaker 1: but who could have been responsible was far more complex question,
Speaker 1: involving a sordid cast of characters, from a guy with
Speaker 1: an unrequited crush, a contentious roommate, the maintenance man, a
Speaker 1: group of construction workers, and still others. Despite being in
Speaker 1: possession of both DNA and fingerprints, police have yet to
Speaker 1: name an official suspect, and while the case grows cold,
Speaker 1: a grieving family and frustrated community have begun to wonder
Speaker 1: if justice will ever be served.
Speaker 2: Case update.
Speaker 1: For fifteen years after Anita's murder, investigators continued working it,
Speaker 1: but it seemed to be growing cold. Then out of nowhere,
Speaker 1: there came major moves from law enforcement. In March of
Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, police arrested Anita's former roommate, Nicole Rice
Speaker 1: formerly Nicole Thomas, and charged her with murder. At the time,
Speaker 1: Rice denied allegations that she had killed Anita, and was
Speaker 1: vehement in her arguments that she was not involved in
Speaker 1: the crime whatsoever. It was reported at the time that
Speaker 1: Anita and Rice had clashed many times during the period
Speaker 1: they lived together, and it was alleged by former coworkers
Speaker 1: of the accused that she had a lot of anger
Speaker 1: towards Anita and the two were fighting frequently. The fute
Speaker 1: between the two seemed to revolve around normal roommate clashes,
Speaker 1: specifically when it came to loud noises and pets. It
Speaker 1: was reported by one former co worker that Anita was
Speaker 1: unhappy with how loud Rice's fish tank was and requested
Speaker 1: that she get rid of it, but Rice refused. Allegedly,
Speaker 1: she complained to her coworkers that Anita, in response, would
Speaker 1: turn off the fish tank's filter, resulting in several of
Speaker 1: her fish dying. During testimony, the former coworker stated quote
Speaker 1: that time, when she was upset, it was as if
Speaker 1: Anita had really crossed a line.
Speaker 2: Then this is my interpretation.
Speaker 1: She had moved from being the worst roommate in the
Speaker 1: world to being a bad, evil person.
Speaker 2: That was how Rice acted.
Speaker 1: Police noted that Rice was a person of interest from
Speaker 1: the beginning, but that they did not have enough to
Speaker 1: make an arrest until March of twenty twenty two. According
Speaker 1: to the mie Not North Dakota Police, there were in
Speaker 1: consistencies in Rice's alibi and two so called confessions she
Speaker 1: had allegedly made to third parties while under the influence.
Speaker 1: She was ultimately charged with Class AA felony murder and
Speaker 1: went on to enter a plea if not guilty.
Speaker 2: The trial took place.
Speaker 1: More than three years later, beginning on Tuesday, March eighteenth,
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, in Grand Forks. The two third party witnesses,
Speaker 1: Christina Holler, a former friend, and William May, Rice's ex boyfriend,
Speaker 1: both stated that while in very intoxicated states, she had
Speaker 1: admitted to stabbing Anita in a fit of rage. Interestingly,
Speaker 1: while both witnesses claimed to have told police about these
Speaker 1: incidents previously, there were no record of their statements, and
Speaker 1: the defense hammered away at their coming forward years later
Speaker 1: with stories law enforcement had no record of. The defense
Speaker 1: called only one witness, former FBI.
Speaker 2: Agent James Coons, who.
Speaker 1: Testified the police did not follow up on leads which
Speaker 1: pointed to other credible suspects, While the defense argued that
Speaker 1: police had rushed the investigation and only charged Rice in
Speaker 1: response to public pressure, some brought on by the television
Speaker 1: show Coming to Town. Testimony and presentation of both cases
Speaker 1: came to an end six days later, on Monday, March
Speaker 1: twenty fourth. Though the jury deliberated for two days, it
Speaker 1: took them less than six hours to return a verdict
Speaker 1: of not guilty. The family were devastated by the ruling,
Speaker 1: but the jury felt there had not been enough solid
Speaker 1: evidence presented to link Rice to the crime.
Speaker 2: They were roommates, and they had.
Speaker 1: Disputes, but nothing the prosecution put on display led any
Speaker 1: of the jurors to believe that it escalated anywhere close
Speaker 1: to murder. It was possible, they acknowledged, but there simply
Speaker 1: wasn't enough hard, under liable evidence to vote for guilty.
Speaker 1: Anita's sister Anna later told People magazine quote, I spent
Speaker 1: the last week reliving some of the hardest parts of
Speaker 1: the last eighteen years of my life. And in those
Speaker 1: eighteen years, one thing I've learned is that a not
Speaker 1: guilty verdict does not mean innocence. I cannot say the
Speaker 1: same for many of the people in that room, but
Speaker 1: my conscience is clear. According to the police, a lot
Speaker 1: of the impetus for the arrest came after the Oxygen
Speaker 1: show called Justice covered the story and uncovered.
Speaker 2: Quote unquote new evidence.
Speaker 1: As someone who has directly dealt with that show's producers,
Speaker 1: who lied to me multiple times and still to this
Speaker 1: day refuse to properly credit trace evidence after using my
Speaker 1: audio in two episodes, I might advise law enforcement in
Speaker 1: the future to take a second, third, and fourth look
Speaker 1: at anything they present as solid evidence. But I digress.
Speaker 1: As of now, this is where the case stands. It's
Speaker 1: unclear whether or not there are other persons of interest
Speaker 1: or investigative avenues to explore, or if the state's case
Speaker 1: and the Mi Not Police Department's investigation hinged entirely on
Speaker 1: the arrest of Nicole Rice. I hope, for Anita's sake,
Speaker 1: for her family's sake, and for the sake of justice,
Speaker 1: that there are other avenues to explore. If you have
Speaker 1: any information about the murder of Anita ka Nutsen, please
Speaker 1: contact the Mi Not Police Department at seven zero one
Speaker 1: eight five two zero one one one. You can also
Speaker 1: text the keyword mine not PD that's MITPD to number
Speaker 1: eight four seven for one one, or you could submit
Speaker 1: a tip by downloading the app tip for one one
Speaker 1: This covers all of the major case updates, but there
Speaker 1: are a few we've previously covered in which the rewards
Speaker 1: for additional information have been increased, so we'll move through
Speaker 1: these with a little more rapid fire pace. Episode eleven,
Speaker 1: The Vanishing of Asia Degree. If you've been following this case,
Speaker 1: you're well aware that there's been a lot going on lately.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 1: The most recent update comes as the FBI and Cleveland
Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Office announced an increase to the reward, now
Speaker 1: offering seventy five thousand dollars, plus an additional twenty five
Speaker 1: thousand dollars being offered by the state, bringing the grand
Speaker 1: total to one hundred thousand dollars cash money to anyone
Speaker 1: with information leading to an arrest or the discovery of
Speaker 1: Asha herself. If you have any information about the vanishing
Speaker 1: of Asia Degree, please contact the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office
Speaker 1: at seven zero four four eight four four eight two two.
Speaker 1: You can also contact the FBI at one eight hundred
Speaker 1: two two five five three two four, or by submitting
Speaker 1: information online at tips dot FBI dot gov. Episode sixty six,
Speaker 1: The Mysterious death of my Trees Richardson Los Angeles County
Speaker 1: has increased the reward for information that would help solve
Speaker 1: the mystery surrounding the last moments and death of my
Speaker 1: Trees Richardson. In August of twenty twenty four, the County
Speaker 1: Board of Supervisors established an award of twenty thousand dollars.
Speaker 1: Three months later, on Wednesday, November sixth, the board voted
Speaker 1: to increase that reward to twenty five thousand dollars.
Speaker 2: If you have.
Speaker 1: Any information about the death of my Trees Richardson, you
Speaker 1: can contact the Los Angeles Police Department at two one
Speaker 1: three four eight six six nine zero zero. You can
Speaker 1: also contact the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department at three two
Speaker 1: three eight nine zero five five zero zero. Anonymous tips
Speaker 1: can be submitted to crime Stoppers at LA crimestoppers dot
Speaker 1: org or by calling them at one eight hundred two
Speaker 1: two two eight four seven seven. Finally, episode one hundred
Speaker 1: and fifty five the disappearance of Tracy Pittman Kegley. There
Speaker 1: is now a fifteen thousand dollars reward for information in
Speaker 1: the nineteen ninety eight disappearance of Tracy Kegley. Her nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety three geostorm car was found abandoned on Old Georgia Road,
Speaker 1: Elmore County Road one seventy, with her two year old
Speaker 1: daughter left behind unattended. Personal effects, including Tracy's purse and ID,
Speaker 1: were found at the scene. The fifteen thousand dollars reward
Speaker 1: being offered is composed of ten thousand dollars from the
Speaker 1: Governor of the state of Alabama and crime Stoppers, who
Speaker 1: are offering the additional five thousand. Anyone with information is
Speaker 1: urged to contact Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at three three
Speaker 1: four two one five seven eight six seven or by
Speaker 1: calling one eight three three two five one seven eight
Speaker 1: six seven. You can also text two to one five
Speaker 1: stop to the number seven three eight four seven seven
Speaker 1: to receive a link to an anonymous tip form. There
Speaker 1: is now also a Facebook page for those seeking to
Speaker 1: get involved or who desire to keep up with the information.
Speaker 1: I'll put the link in the show notes, but you
Speaker 1: can also search Facebook for Justice for Tracy Pittman Kegley.
Speaker 1: So there you have it. Five important case updates and
Speaker 1: three in which rewards are being increased in the hope
Speaker 1: that people will come forward with what they know. It's
Speaker 1: always so inspiring when new information comes out, when someone
Speaker 1: is found when new evidence is uncovered, and we can
Speaker 1: only hope that new information will help bring resolutions to
Speaker 1: these and all of the unsolved cases previously covered on
Speaker 1: traces Evidence. As always, i'd love to hear which you
Speaker 1: think about this. Tweet me at Tracevpod, email me at
Speaker 1: trace Evidencepod at gmail dot com, comment in the Facebook group,
Speaker 1: or contact me on any social media by visiting follow
Speaker 1: tepod dot com. Now, I'd like to take a moment
Speaker 1: to thank our amazing Patreon producers, without whose support this
Speaker 1: podcast would not be possible. So a major thank you
Speaker 1: to an Bertram, Christine Greco, Crystal jay Derthy, Denise Stingsdale,
Speaker 1: Dianni Dyson, Jennifer Winkler, Justin Snyder, Karen Morland, Leslie b,
Speaker 1: Lisa Hopson, Nick Moharshers, Roberta Jansen, Stacey Finnegan, Tom Radford
Speaker 1: and Whitney Whelp. Thank you all so much for your
Speaker 1: support of Trace Evidence and for helping keep cold cases alive.
Speaker 1: If you're looking for more information about previously covered cases, updates,
Speaker 1: or anything else related to the show, make sure to
Speaker 1: visit trace dash evidence dot com for all vital information
Speaker 1: and helpful links.
Speaker 2: This concludes this week's special update, I.
Speaker 1: Want to give a special thank you to all of
Speaker 1: you out there who are always emailing me about updates
Speaker 1: and the release of new information on cases. I know
Speaker 1: that you want me to get updates out as fast
Speaker 1: as possible, but sometimes.
Speaker 2: I have to wait for a little bit more.
Speaker 1: I'm currently working on episode two hundred and fifty, which
Speaker 1: I'm excited to release, and I've got some ideas for
Speaker 1: two fifty one as well. As always, you can submit
Speaker 1: your case suggestions on the website or by emailing me
Speaker 1: at Trace Evidencepod at gmail dot com. Take a second,
Speaker 1: grab yourself some merch and where your love for the
Speaker 1: pod on your sleep by visiting shop tepod dot com.
Speaker 1: I want to thank you all for listening, and I
Speaker 1: hope you'll join me next time for another unsolved case
Speaker 1: on the next episode of Trace Evidence