WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:04.960 Hello Gules, and welcome to episode forty one of the 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.359 Shrouded in Darkness podcast, where we shine a light on 3 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.560 the cases that the world forgot. This is your true 4 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.960 crime obsess host Marlina and I hope you're having the 5 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:20.160 best day. Today's case takes us to Springfield, Missouri and 6 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:26.440 another mysterious unsolved case's book, The Up Gules. Before we 7 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.760 dive in, let's look at our sources for the case. 8 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:34.200 We have ky three dot com, springfieldmo dot gov and 9 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:41.000 then they were gone, podcast, Morbid podcast, and Crime Weekly podcast. Now, 10 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.280 the reason I usually listen a lot of podcasts is 11 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.719 because that's where most of my research comes from. It 12 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:49.280 I'm able to listen to this kind of stuff when 13 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:53.200 I'm working my normal job. My real job flotations, so 14 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:55.679 I'm able to listen to podcasts during today and I 15 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:59.039 take notes as I'm listening. So that's why you'll see 16 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:04.000 me mention a lot to podcasts during my sources. So 17 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:08.560 now allow me to introduce you to our Springfield three. 18 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:12.519 Cheryl Levitt is forty seven years old. She's been married 19 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:17.280 and divorced twice. With her first husband, she has Bart 20 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:22.079 and Susie. In the eighties, she marries her second husband, 21 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:26.319 but this only lasts a few years. After this, Cheryl 22 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:31.040 chooses to focus on her cosmetology career, her kids, and 23 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:34.879 her home. According to her friends and family, she is 24 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:40.680 described as independent and very hard working. So I mentioned Susie. 25 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:43.719 This is Cheryl's daughter. She is nineteen and graduating from 26 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:47.799 high school. Susie and her mom, Cheryl, are super close 27 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:52.560 and they're very protective of one another. When people describe Susie, 28 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:56.159 they say she's sensitive, and I think more part of 29 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:58.560 this might be because she actually has a learning disorder. 30 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:01.040 This caused her to struggle, so I'm in high school, 31 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.480 she wasn't super social. She does plan to follow in 32 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.159 her mother's footsteps, so she wants to attend cosmetology school. 33 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:14.919 We also meet Susie's friend, Stacy McCall. She is eighteen 34 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.280 and also a recent high school grad. Stacy is your 35 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:24.080 typical teenager. She loves fashion, tanning, and metallica. She is 36 00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:27.840 described as bubbly and outgoing, and she is the youngest 37 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:32.080 of three daughters and plans to attend Southwest Missouri State 38 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:37.199 University after high school. A little more background on the girls. 39 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.599 So Susie and Stacy, they met in grade school quickly 40 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:45.159 became best friends. When Stacy is eleven, her family moves 41 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:47.759 out of state, So this kind of causes a little 42 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:50.919 bit of Stacy and Susie to drift apart. Now they 43 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:55.080 do eventually move back to Springfield, so Stacy and Susie 44 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:59.319 kind of restart their friendship. Another part of this friend 45 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:02.400 group is just Nelle Kirby. Now, she'll be mentioned later on, 46 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:06.000 so I wanted to make sure I mentioned her name now. Now, 47 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.800 Janelle is friends with both Susie and Stacy, and I believe, 48 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.319 based on the information I have found, Janelle and Susie 49 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:17.240 are the closest between the three. Now, a few other 50 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:21.520 notes in case it's relevant to the case. At one point, 51 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:25.280 Susie lives with her brother Bart. They do have some 52 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:28.759 kind of falling out. I'm unaware of what the circumstances are, 53 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:32.319 but she does move back in with Cheryl. Then in 54 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.759 nineteen ninety two, Cheryl purchases a new home. This is 55 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.960 on Delmore Avenue, which I will use as a reference point, 56 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.039 and she has plans of remodeling it. That's actually part 57 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.479 of what she does. She does a lot of fixing 58 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:50.159 up the place, furniture, walls, etc. And it's not that 59 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:53.120 she has necessary experience your skills in this, It's just 60 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:56.680 something she enjoys and she kind of teaches herself as 61 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:00.560 she does it. Now let's jump into the day of 62 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:06.879 the case. It's Saturday, June sixth, nineteen ninety two. It's 63 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:10.039 officially summertime, and the girls are wrapping up their high 64 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.280 school careers. The plan is to attend a couple graduation 65 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.319 parties and then road trip it to Branson for an 66 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.360 overnight stay and then a fun day at the water 67 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:25.279 park that's there. And added fyi, Branson is about an 68 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:30.240 hour away from Springfield, where the girls live. Now, let's 69 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:35.759 review a few things. At graduation, Stacy's parents invites Cheryl 70 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.279 and Susie to join them for dinner at a local steakhouse, 71 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:43.000 but they decline. They instead pick up a pizza and 72 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.600 take it home to eat. The girls would meet later 73 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.800 on to start their night's festivities to remember the graduation 74 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:53.879 parties and stuff. So from what I can tell, the 75 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:58.720 night starts at Janelle's house. The three of the girls, Susie, 76 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.600 Stacy and Janelle. They they walk to the first party. 77 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:05.560 It's not far from Dannelle's and It's at Brian Joy's 78 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:10.439 house on Coach Drive, the second party that they attend. 79 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.800 It's about a ten to fifteen minute drive and this 80 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:20.120 house belonged to Michelle Elder and is on East Hanover Street. Now, 81 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:23.480 sometime between the two parties, so around ten or ten 82 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:27.160 thirty pm, the girls decide to make a slight change 83 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:31.480 in their plans and Stacy actually calls her mom, Janice 84 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.680 McCall during this time and you know, she confirms all this. 85 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:36.959 So the plan is that they would hang out a 86 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:39.360 little longer with the friends that night at the parties, 87 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:42.480 and then they would drive to Branson the water park 88 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.720 in the morning. So instead of road tripping that night, 89 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:48.240 they were just gonna, you know, hang out in the parties. 90 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:52.560 So meanwhile, during all this, Cheryl is at home. She 91 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:56.079 is actually revarnishing an old chair. It's also possible she 92 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.480 was hanging wallpaper, so she's working on things in the house. 93 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.920 She speaks to a friend on the phone between nine 94 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:07.480 thirty pm and eleven fifteen pm, so this is verified. 95 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:11.680 So now we move on to one. For five am, 96 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:15.560 the girls return to Janelle's with plans to stay there 97 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:19.759 for the night. Only the house Janelle's house is a 98 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:21.839 little overcrowded because they have a lot of out of 99 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.639 town guests that came for the graduation. So again we 100 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:30.199 see the plans change. It's overcrowded, So Susie and Stacy 101 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:33.120 decide to drive to Susie's house on del Mar and 102 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:36.279 stay there and then the group would reconvene in the 103 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:39.279 morning and you know, head for their trip to Branson. 104 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:45.360 So at this point, it's two fifteen AM. Susie and 105 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:49.240 Stacy both have their vehicles at Janelle's, so they each 106 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:52.800 drive the fifteen to twenty minute route to the del 107 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:58.319 Mar house. Okay, now we fast forward to the normal 108 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:02.759 morning hours of eight AM. Now this is when the 109 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.519 group is supposed to like connect and meet up and 110 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:10.439 head for the water park, but Susie and Stacy are mia. 111 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.279 Janelle's not able to get a hold of either one 112 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:17.439 of them. So at nine AM, about an hour later, 113 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:22.120 Janelle and her boyfriend Mike drive to the house on Delmore. 114 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.079 This is where Susie, Stacey You're supposed to be. Now, 115 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:29.120 when they first arrive, they see all three vehicles, so 116 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:33.040 that's Sheryl's, Susie's, and Stacy's cars. They're all part of 117 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:37.720 the house. They also noticed that the porch light's glass 118 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:42.800 globe is shattered along the steps, so there's like glass pieces. 119 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.680 The bulb itself was still intact, and some things some 120 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:50.680 reports show that it was slightly loose, like if you 121 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.759 flip the switch to turn it on, it may not 122 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:55.959 come on. Now, gene on Mike. They don't think much 123 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.680 of this. They sweep it away get rid of the mess. 124 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:02.360 The front doors online, which is also not unusual, so 125 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:06.199 the couple lets themselves in. Only they find no one 126 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:11.839 home except the family dog, Cinnamon, and Cinnamon is kind 127 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:15.720 of going a little crazy, pretty anxiously barking, but Cinnamon 128 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:20.399 recognizes Janelle, so she calms down. Now, something that I 129 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:24.879 feel is really important. I learned that about the parking situation. Now. 130 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:27.639 I mention this because I felt like this could be 131 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:31.519 relevant to the case. And this comes from a close 132 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:37.039 friend of Susie's. According to the friend, Susie would only 133 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:42.000 park in one of two places at home. In most 134 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:47.279 everyday situations, Susie would park behind her mother's car in 135 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:51.279 the carport area. Now, if her mother was gone or 136 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:55.600 someone else was there, Susie would park in their circle drive. 137 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:59.879 On this particular day this is when Janelle and might 138 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.360 show up at the house. We know that Cheryl's car 139 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.000 is parked where it always is, in the car port. 140 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:12.799 Susie and Stacy's vehicles, though, are parked in a circle drive. Now, 141 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.240 I'm pretty sure we can assume that this wasn't because 142 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:18.039 Cheryl wasn't home. I mean, it's two am in the morning, 143 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.519 so most likely her help or she's at home, so 144 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.519 there's no reason for her car to be gone. But 145 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:28.279 there is the possibility that maybe someone else was there 146 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:31.360 at the house. And I mean it wouldn't have been 147 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.279 enough to alert Susie because you know, she didn't call anybody, 148 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:40.600 nothing's it seems out of place. So there is one 149 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:44.600 other possibility that's a little more innocent. Whereas, since Cheryl was, 150 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:47.759 you know, working on projects like burnishing the chair, it's 151 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.240 possible she was using the car port to work on 152 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.799 the chair, and so her car band in parts somewhere differently, 153 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:58.759 and then maybe after the girls get home, she moves 154 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.519 it back into the car port. I'm not really sure. 155 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:04.759 There's a lot of possibilities I feel like here, but again, 156 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:07.840 I felt like this was really important. I mean, if 157 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:10.879 Susie has this whole routine of where she parks her car, 158 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:14.240 and for some reason she parked in the circle drive 159 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:17.320 that night. Then there's a reason behind that. We just 160 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:21.840 don't know what the reason is. Now, let's look back 161 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:24.279 at the scene with Janelle and Mike, so we know 162 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.200 there was glass on the front steps and the door 163 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:30.240 was unlocked. Cinnamon was alone. We find the TV is on, 164 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:35.200 but it's at that static screen towards Susie's bedroom, which 165 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.440 I believe is kind of towards the back of the house. 166 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:42.720 We find all three persons almost lined up along these 167 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:47.519 short steps that lead into Susie's bedroom. It's possible it 168 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:50.720 even looks stage because this was not a normal place 169 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:55.039 that they put stuff. We see Stacy's shorts, jewelry, and 170 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:58.679 flip flops. She also has her migraine medication there, which 171 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:02.240 she never leaves without. I believe there are also a 172 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:07.120 couple packs of cigarettes. I believe Cheryl and Susie smoked, 173 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.559 but that was something else that was strange to be 174 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:12.360 there if the girls weren't there, because they always took 175 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:16.159 those with them wherever they were. Now, Cheryl's purse again, 176 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.919 it's there, and it has nine hundred dollars cash in it. 177 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:22.919 All three car keys are also sitting there. There are 178 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:26.240 bathing suits sitting out, which confirms the plan for the 179 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:30.600 water park. There are makeup covered washcloths in the laundry. 180 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:35.120 The beds appeared to be slept in. Cheryl's glasses are 181 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:38.200 on her bed or on the nightstand. There's an overturned book. 182 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:40.919 So all of these things indicate that the girls made 183 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:43.639 it home safely, and they were in the process of 184 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:48.320 getting ready for bed and possibly already in bed. So 185 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.679 this is what we're seeing. Nothing else is out of 186 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.679 place at the same So at some point during this day, Janice, 187 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.799 Stacy's mom, she connects with Janelle, you know, they find 188 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:02.519 out that no one has seen or heard from Cheryl, Susie, 189 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:06.720 or Stacy. So Janis is concerned and she decides to 190 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:10.559 actually go to Cheryl's house the Tewson Delmore to kind 191 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:12.919 of see for herself, to see if she notices anything 192 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:18.080 and more. Friends and family do actually show up kind 193 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.799 of off and on all day. We also learn that 194 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.399 there are some strange phone calls coming in. Janelle actually 195 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:27.559 answered one of them and it was a Mel's voice 196 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:30.240 on the other end, and it was just he was 197 00:12:30.360 --> 00:12:33.840 creepy and perverted and lewde And as soon as this 198 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.919 happened a few times, it may have even happened on 199 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:41.399 previous occasions to Cheryl and Susie. I couldn't find anything 200 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:45.240 definitive on that, but that is a possibility. Unfortunately, though 201 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:50.120 there's little information on these calls. The person left messages, 202 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.279 but somehow those messages got deleted before they could be 203 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.279 like processed or investigator or anything. So it kind of 204 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:01.240 goes to show you kind of how unworried people were 205 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.559 at this time. You know, they probably thought this was 206 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.320 a prank, that the girls were fine, nothing was wrong, 207 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:12.399 but the calls could have very well been something some 208 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:16.720 part of the case we may never know. So while 209 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:19.720 at the Delmar residence again people are in and outs 210 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:21.480 and they don't know what's due. They just know their 211 00:13:21.480 --> 00:13:24.000 friends are missing, that they're not there, they're not home, 212 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:28.440 so for some reason they start cleaning and straightening up things. 213 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:34.000 Of course, this greatly interferes with what later becomes an investigation, 214 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:38.120 because again no one realized how serious the situation was 215 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:42.120 now between eight and nine that evening. So this is 216 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:45.720 a full, you know, full end of the day Janie 217 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:50.200 doesy for herself that her daughter, Stacy, Cheryl, Susie, all 218 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.240 of them are missing. None of them have come home, 219 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.000 none of them have contacted anyone, no friends and family. 220 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:01.159 So Janie contacts the Springfield Police Department. They arrive at 221 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:06.120 seeing shortly after, and they are kind of immediately concerned 222 00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:08.960 with what they're saying, or rather what they're not saying, 223 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:12.480 so they ask everyone to leave so they can start 224 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:16.039 a proper investigation. And they find all the things they've 225 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:19.480 already discussed, the purses, the keys, the cars. There are 226 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.600 no signs of forced entry, the vehicles all of them 227 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:27.919 are locked. There are no viable fingerprints, no DNA swabs, etc. 228 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:32.600 But again, the community of friends and family to the 229 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.279 girls like they had already been in and out of 230 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:37.200 the house, so and we know that they cleaned and 231 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.279 straightened up, so anything that could have been there may 232 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:45.360 have very well been erased basically, and from what I read, 233 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:48.120 it could have been somewhere between ten and twenty people 234 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:51.279 in and out of that house before the police were 235 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:55.559 ever called. Again, this is the early nineties, so none 236 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:59.320 of that is really that unusual now. When police leave 237 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.960 the scene put a note on the front door, asking 238 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.080 the girls to call them. You know that there's a 239 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:09.879 possible missing person's report being made, so you know, when 240 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:11.679 they get home, they need to call and let everyone 241 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:14.639 know they're safe. Now, I feel like everyone really thought 242 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:18.039 very lightly of this whole scenario because, think about it, 243 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:21.559 from what they're seeing, these three women vanished without a trace, 244 00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:26.720 and that's not that's not normal. So everyone leaves notice 245 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:31.879 on the door, a call never comes, nobody ever hears 246 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:36.840 from them. So flyers are eventually hung around town, surrounding areas, 247 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:41.480 rivers are searched, hospitals are called, tips were followed, the 248 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:46.679 neighborhood is canvassed. There is still nothing, and not only 249 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.240 were the local police department involved, but so were the 250 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:53.759 Missouri State Police and even the FBI. So on Wednesday, 251 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:57.600 June tenth, this is, you know, a few days after 252 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:02.559 they're scene is missing, the Cheryl's parents, they finally arrived 253 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:05.440 to Springfield. There's not really any more details on that. 254 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:08.120 I just feel like that's important that they do travel 255 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:11.080 to Springfield to be there to hopefully find out what's 256 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:17.200 going on. On Thursday, June eleventh, Bart, who is Susie's 257 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.679 brother in Cheryl's son, he undergoes a polygraph exam, he passes. 258 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.919 It seems he was kind of a big person of 259 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:27.879 interest for them, maybe because of the whole falling out thing, 260 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:31.000 but he admits that he hadn't actually seen or spoken 261 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:36.320 to his mother or sister in months, but there's nothing 262 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:40.080 linking him to the crime. We also know that some 263 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:44.080 of Susie's ex boyfriends are questioned. One of them actually 264 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:47.399 was known to be violent, but again they take polygraph 265 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:51.039 test and they pass. We have both of Cheryl's ex 266 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:54.279 husbands are interviewed. Both of them are quickly ruled out. 267 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:59.919 So throughout the years, there have been many speculations, many rumors. 268 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.240 Of course, nothing has been proven. No one has been 269 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:07.839 officially linked or arrested, and the case still remains unsolved. 270 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:12.279 Now Here are a few of the theories and possibilities 271 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:16.960 that are in reports. A convicted felon was in the 272 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:21.319 area at that same time of the disappearance. He was 273 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.119 interviewed in nineteen ninety six, so that would have been 274 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:28.079 four years later. Apparently he had worked with Stacy's father 275 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.400 and claimed to know where the women, or claim to 276 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:35.319 know the women were already dead, but there was nothing 277 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:40.799 substantial for detectives to go on a concrete company that 278 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.960 was tied to a possible vehicle from the case. The 279 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.480 grounds of the company that was researched in two thousand 280 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:51.079 and two and again nothing. Then in two thousand and three, 281 00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:55.599 tips took the investigators to a piece of farmland. There 282 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.079 was blood found in something that can link to that 283 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:04.759 same respect a concrete company vehicle, but we find inconclusive results. 284 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:10.079 Speculations about a hospital parking lot came up in two 285 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:14.240 thousand and seven. A local writer took it upon himself 286 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:17.559 to hire someone to scan the area with radar. That 287 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:22.400 scan picked up three distinctive objects, but the police didn't 288 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:25.359 think it was credible because the construction for the building 289 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:29.400 hadn't began until like a year after the case opened. 290 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:32.279 So the girls went missing in ninety two, so the 291 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:36.680 construction would have began in ninety three. The tip also 292 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.000 came from a psychic, and it kind of looks like 293 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:45.680 no other investigation was done. We should also consider the 294 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:48.880 one main piece of evidence that was at the scene, 295 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.640 the broken porch light globe. You know, could this have 296 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.440 been part of the perpetrator's plans, Like I said, maybe 297 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:57.119 the light was switched or when the light was switched, 298 00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:59.000 the light didn't come on, so maybe he was hiding 299 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.799 in the darkness. Maybe the globe was broken in a struggle. 300 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:06.920 Maybe it's absolutely meaningless. But this is something else we'll 301 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:12.559 never know because the kids unknowingly throughout the evidence. Some 302 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:16.559 question who the target was. Was it the older woman, Cheryl, 303 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:20.000 the mom of two? Was it the teenagers freshly out 304 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.119 of high school? Did one of them have a stalker? 305 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.960 Did something happen that calls one of them to intentionally disappear? 306 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:29.559 Did something happen at graduation? Is it someone they went 307 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:33.559 to school with, someone that they worked with. There's so 308 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:39.440 many possibilities because there's so much that's unknown. It's possible 309 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.240 someone you know, pose as a utility worker or a neighbor, 310 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:46.599 someone that would give the girls an excuse to willingly 311 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:49.759 step outside. Because remember, there were no signs of foul play, 312 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:54.599 nothing at a place, no overturned furniture, no valuable stolen. 313 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:57.200 Remember there was nine hundred dollars in one of the purses. 314 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:00.440 The only thing we have is the broken globe and 315 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:05.680 an unlocked door. Speaking of theories, I think it's important 316 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:08.920 to cover a couple of rumors. I found There had 317 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:12.440 been reports that satanic items were found in Cecy's bedroom, 318 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:16.759 but there's nothing supporting this. There was also a rumor 319 00:20:16.839 --> 00:20:20.119 that Cheryl was renting one of the rooms to or 320 00:20:20.119 --> 00:20:23.400 an extra income, But what I've been able to find 321 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:26.359 is the home only had two bedrooms, so that wouldn't 322 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.200 really make sense to rent out a bedroom that was 323 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:32.240 already occupied. So this goes to show you that not 324 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:36.400 all information that you hear or information you read is factual, 325 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:40.839 and you have to be mindful of that always. Looking 326 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:44.160 back at other details on the night of the party's 327 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.640 friends say that the girls weren't acting any differently, that 328 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:53.359 they were happy, enjoying themselves. No one recalled seeing anyone 329 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:57.319 looking around, and there's even no talk about alcohol drugs, 330 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:00.440 which some look at as a common thing for this 331 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:05.079 time period, I mean recent graduates, graduation parties. You expect 332 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:08.519 there to be alcohol and drugs involved, but it all 333 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:10.400 kind of just shows that nothing was out of the 334 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:15.799 normal that night. A few witnesses report seeing a nineteen 335 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:21.079 seventies green colored van near the residence on Delmore on 336 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:25.119 that June day. Some of those same witnesses believed that 337 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.640 it was Susie in the driver's seat, that it was 338 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:29.920 someone that looked just like her, and she looked stressed, 339 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.400 and those same witnesses said they could hear a man's 340 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:38.880 voice saying, don't do anything stupid. Now, police do attempt 341 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:43.440 to follow this tip. Remember I mentioned that, hey, there 342 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:47.400 was a vehicle that led them to inspecting a concrete company. Well, 343 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:52.440 this is that vehicle. And honestly, they searched thousands of vans, 344 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:58.960 but nothing substantial. Once again, it's believed that whatever happened 345 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:02.039 to those girls had been between the hours of two 346 00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:06.319 thirty am and seven thirty am. That's a five hour 347 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:11.039 time span, and despite the close quarters of neighboring homes, 348 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:18.400 nothing unusual was heard or seen. No screams, no commotion. Now, 349 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:21.559 before we wrap things up, let's look at our persons 350 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:27.160 of interest. Robert Craig Cox. He is a convicted kidnapper, 351 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:31.799 Robert and former military man. He lived in Springfield at 352 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:35.920 the time the disappearances. His girlfriend at the time confirmed 353 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:41.160 his alibi, but she's since then recanted. Even though Robert 354 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:45.599 has taunted police for years in claims he knows where 355 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:50.079 the bodies are, there has been nothing verifying him or 356 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:53.640 linking him to the case. Another person of interest is 357 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:58.480 Larry de Wayne Hall, another convicted person, this time sillery 358 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:02.119 killer from the Midwest. He could possibly tie the case 359 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:06.599 the casey targets young women. We also have Stephen Garrison, 360 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:10.599 another local criminal with a violent history of sexual assaults. 361 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:14.480 A tip came in stating that Stephen had been heard 362 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:21.480 bragging about his involvement in the case. Yet again nothing definitive. Lastly, 363 00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:26.359 we have Gerald Carnahan, also from the Springfield area and 364 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:30.559 known as a wealthy businessman. Now, he was actually convicted 365 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:33.319 in two thousand and seven for the murder of a 366 00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:36.920 young woman from nineteen eighty five. Her name was Jackie Johns, 367 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:40.039 by the way, so this obviously puts him in the 368 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:42.759 lineup for being a possible suspect to what happened to 369 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:48.240 the girls. But where does where does the case stand? Today? 370 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:53.720 We know that police have compiled somewhere around twenty seven 371 00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:59.279 thousand pages of information, They've received more than five thousand tips, 372 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:05.200 and they've conducted countless holographs and chase leads over twenty 373 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:10.319 one states. The case is still active and we still 374 00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:14.559 know very little about what happened that day, even thirty 375 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.119 four years later, And added Fyi, there is still a 376 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:23.519 reward of forty three thousand dollars for information in this case. 377 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:29.880 Despite everything and all the unknowns, we still have hope. 378 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:34.519 The families of those girls still have hope that answers 379 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:38.079 will come one day. Like I always ask, if you 380 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:40.359 have any details worth sharing, or maybe you have your 381 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:44.319 own theory, anything at all, please reach out. You can 382 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:48.480 connect with us on Instagram, WordPress, Patreon, and all the 383 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:52.559 listening platforms. Just search for the Shouted and Darkness podcast 384 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:56.640 and you'll find us. Thank you for tuning in today 385 00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:58.960 and there. If there's a case from your hometown that 386 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.079 deserves attention, send it to us. We want you to 387 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:06.440 reach out. Tune in next week as we dive into 388 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:12.880 the case of the Cleveland Torso murders. Until next time, Gules, 389 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:17.519 remember the truth is always hiding in the darkness.