233 - The Murder of Paul Jones & The Disappearance of Melody Jones

Use promo code "Trace" to save 10% on your pass today at CrimeCon.comOn a warm spring night in March of 1975, thirty-two year old John Harden completed an emergency call for a client and returned home.  Less than an hour later, he'd be shot dead in his driveway.After finishing his shower, John glanced out the window and saw his work truck engulfed in flames.  Running outside to try and snuff out the blaze, his killer got his opening and fired a single blast from his gun.  John fell to the pavement and died from his wounds less than twenty minutes later.Investigators would later determine that the fire had been purposefully set to lure the father of five outside and into the kill zone.  They recovered the murder weapon, though they could never identify it or the owner.  As years wore on, the case grew increasingly cold.In October of 1991 an episode of Unsolved Mysteries revitalized interest in the yet solved homicide.  Not by focusing on the murder and investigating the case, but by chasing alleged ghosts around the house in which John had been killed.Was John Harden the victim of a random act of violence, had he been targeted by someone he knew and trusted or was his murder arranged by local union members who grew furious watching John take contracts they felt belonged to them.Sponsored by:  ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE and download the ZocDoc app for FREE today! | Shopify! Visit Shopify.com/trace and sign up for a $1 per month trial period.Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #homicide #detective #coldcase #creepy #truecrimestory #truecrimestories #JohnHarden #JohnHardin #floridaunsolved #floridacrime #floridamurder #homicide #assassination #ambush #clermont #clermontfla #unsolvedmysteries #prenticetyndalBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

Use promo code "Trace" to save 10% at CrimeCon.comOn November 13th, 1993, twenty-eight year old Lola Katherine Fry attended a party at a northeastside Indianapolis apartment owned by a friend.  She has never been seen again and more than thirty years later the mystery of her disappearance haunts family and friends.Reported missing, the Indiana State Police began their investigation by interviewing everyone who had been at the party.  They all told the same story, that Kathy left with her former boyfriend, John Ryker.  Ryker would tell authorities that, the next morning he ran out on a job call and when he returned Kathy and her car were gone.For seven long years the case grew cold until a new investigator took up the casefile and began unraveling years worth of lies and deception.  Two men who had been present at the party finally confessed; they had lied in 1993.  Kathy hadn't left voluntarily with John Ryker - she'd been taken out, wrapped in a blanket and unconscious.Did Kathy Fry accidentally overdose leading her alleged friends to dispose of her body or was the twenty-eight year old murdered as the party goers made a pact to take the truth with them to their graves?Family WebsiteUnfound - The Disappearance of Lola Katherine Fry:  A Matter of TimingSocial Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #homicide #detective #coldcase #creepy #truecrimestory #truecrimestories #LolaFry #LolaKatherineFry #indianacrime #indianatruecrime #missingwoman #abduction #indianapolis #greenwood #lawrenceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

Use promo code TRACE to save 10% on your pass at CrimeCon.comOn Friday, September 24th, 1971, sixteen year old Cathy Moulton disappeared while walking home in downtown Portland, Maine. Despite the desperate pleas of her family, local law enforcement treated the case as that of a runaway and did almost no investigation whatsoever.For more than twenty years, the Moulton family did their best to investigate the case themselves. They followed leads, interviewed witnesses and hired private investigators but could get no closer to the truth. Finally, in 1995, a new detective looked at the case and was determined to find answers.Detective Kevin Cady would quickly uncover a series of eyewitnesses who were able to track the missing teen's movements out of Portland and to the northern tip of the state before she disappeared across the Canadian border. Perhaps what was most disturbing was the realization that, had investigators in 1971 taken the case seriously, they might have been able to bring Cathy home alive. Sponsored by: Shopify! Visit Shopify.com/trace and sign up for a $1 per month trial period.Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #homicide #detective #coldcase #creepy #truecrimestory #truecrimestories #CathyMoulton #MaineTrueCrime #MaineUnsolved #Portlandcrime #presqueisle #abduction #disappearance #Moulton #canadacrime #newbrunswick #tobique Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

Use promo code TRACE to save 10% on your pass at CrimeCon.comForty-seven year old Bill Dwayne Shipley was making final preparations for a multi-state trip for work. Operating as a contract painter, Bill would leave his home in Goldsby, Oklahoma, heading east into Arkansas, north into Missouri, west into Kansas and finally back home. It was set to be a fun and lucrative trip, but Bill never made it. In fact, no one can say with any certainty what exactly happened to him after July 19th, 2011.When Bill failed to contact his family or return calls, his parents decided to stop by his home and check in on him. Instead of answers they found an empty home, with the doors left unlocked and clear indications that Bill had never actually left. Both of his trucks were gone, but his work clothes and computer had been left behind while a packed suitcase lie on the bed. When the McClain County Sheriff's Office was notified, they quickly found themselves ten steps behind in a case already growing cold.Soon they would discover that Bill's disappearance was not the only mystery. His trucks couldn't be located, his cell phone was powered off and someone had been using his credit cards right up to the day police began investigation. Nearly thirteen years later, and both Bill's fate and the identity of the man using his cards has never been uncovered. What became of the missing brother and son and who might be responsible?Person of Interest ImagesSponsored by: ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE and download the ZocDoc app for FREE today!Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #OSBI #oklahoma #oklahomacrime #unsolved #homicide #murder #abduction #goldsby #norman #noble #riverwind #shipley #billshipley #billdwayneshipley #mcclaincounty #oklahomacityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

In today's special update episode we cover breaking news revolving around two infamous cases.First we look into the announcement that the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office has officially charged Victor Lee Turner and Megan Turner with the 1989 murder of five year old Justin Turner whose body was found inside of a camper on his father and stepmother's property.WCBD News 2 Archival FootageIn addition to this, we tackle breaking news regarding the closing of a case which had drawn national interest. Dexter Stefonek was murdered and his car burned at a rest area in Montana in November of 1985. Now investigators believe they know the man who committed this odious crime.Sponsored by June's Journey! Download and play today!Use promo code "TRACE" to save 10% on your CrimeCon pass at CrimeCon.comSocial Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Wounded" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #murder #homicide #solved #DNA #newevidence #JustinTurner #VictorTurner #PamelaTurner #MeganTurner #Berkeley #MoncksCorner #southcarolina #southcarolinatruecrime #stefonek #dexterstefonek #charlessullivan #charlesgarysullivan #serialkiller #serial #reno #nevada #juliawoodwardBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

Use promo code "TRACE" to save 10% on your pass at CrimeCon.comTwenty-five year old Sigrid Stevenson left her home in California to attend one of the country's most prestigious and respected music programs at Trenton State College in Ewing Township, New Jersey. Tragically, at the beginning of her second year pursuing her master's degree, she would become the victim of a brutal and violent murder. Nearly fifty years later, and her case remains unsolved.On the night of Sunday, September 4th, 1977, campus police found Sigrid's body lying in a pool of blood on the stage of Kendall Hall. It was a grisly and bloody scene and ultimately it was determined that the pianist had been beaten to death while playing, her nude body discovered just a few feet from her blood stained sheet music. While investigators believed they'd crack the case quickly, they soon discovered that there was little if any evidence to suggest who her killer may have been.Some suggested a jealous lover, others considered another musician with a vendetta. However, what little evidence there was, seemed to suggest something far more sinister -- that Sigrid may have been targeted by a member of the Campus Police Department.Sponsored by: Shopify! Visit Shopify.com/trace and sign up for a $1 per month trial period.Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #newjersey #newjerseycrime #njunsolved #trentonstate #collegeofnewjersey #tcnj #Sigrid #SigridStevenson #Livermore #homicide #detective #coldcase #campuscrime #campusmurder #campuskilling #student #creepy #truecrimestory #truecrimestoriesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

On the morning of Monday, December 13, 2004, twenty-six year old Stephan Adams mysteriously vanished while driving south from Tahlequah to Keys in eastern Oklahoma. The divorced, father of one, spoke to his girlfriend on the phone and informed her that he was giving an unnamed individual a ride to the area. He has never been heard from again nor has his truck ever been found.Stephan's disappearance came at a turning point in his life. For the previous four years he had been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife and had been accused of crimes against his daughter. After charges were dismissed, Stephan returned to fighting for custody and a new hearing was scheduled to address the arrangement. Stephan disappeared just eight days before this court date.For nearly twenty years rumors have spread about what may or may not have been the missing man's fate. While some believe he had an accident and crashed into a body of water, others theorize he was the victim of foul play. His family and investigators believe he was killed, the victim of a planned hit he was lured into. Was this a random act of violence, or was it somehow connected to that heated custody battle?Sponsored by: ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE to download the ZocDoc app FREE! // Babbel! Visit Babbel.com/TRACE for 55% off your subscription!Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #OSBI #oklahoma #oklahomacrime #unsolved #homicide #murder #abduction #MMIP #StephanAdams #StevenAdams #StephenAdams #Tahlequah #Burris #homicideBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

On December 21st, 1988, in rural Ware County, Georgia, investigators were called to a disturbing scene. Down a dirt road, in a dusty turn around utilized as a makeshift, illegal dump, a truck driver found the remains of an unidentified child. The child, a black female, had been wrapped in a blanket, placed inside a duffle bag and covered over with concrete. That bag was then put inside a footlocker or trunk, which was also then filled with concrete. The trunk was then wrapped in tape, sealed in thick plastic and shoved inside an old, broken television console.For more than thirty years investigators with multiple departments, including the GBI, have worked to uncover the child's identity. Now, it appears, they have broken the case open.Just yesterday, the GBI held a press conference to announce the child has been positively identified as Kenyatta Odom of Albany, GA. In addition to her identification, her biological mother, Evelyn Odom has been arrested alongside her former live-in boyfriend, Ulyster Sanders, Senior. Both have been charged with murder.Sponsored by: ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE to download the ZocDoc app FREE! // Babbel! Visit Babbel.com/TRACE for 55% off your subscription!Social Media and Subscription Link Tree"Lay Them to Rest" by Laurah Norton on AmazonMusic Courtesy of: "Wounded" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #doe #christmasdoe #kenyattaodom #odom #evelynodom #warecounty #georgiaunsolved #gbi #genetic #othram #geneticgenealogyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

On the morning of May 5th, 1983, a horrified mother entered the home shared by her daughter and son-in-law and came upon a grisly scene. Her son-in-law, twenty year old Paul Jones, lay dead on the bedroom floor the victim of a stabbing. Despite her desperate search she could find no trace of her nineteen year old daughter, Melody.Investigators with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office and the OSBI theorized that intruders had entered the couples' home during the night, murdered Paul and abducted Melody. Working with a severe lack of evidence, they struggled to put the pieces together and a lack of tips left them devoid of suspect.More than forty years later, Paul's killer has never been identified and Melody has never been located. While some believe it to be a random crime, perpetrated by a sick and desperate criminal, others wonder if the truth might be found closer to home.Sponsored by: ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE to download the ZocDoc app FREE! Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Wounded" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #pauljones #melodyjones #OSBI #oklahoma #oklahomacrime #unsolved #homicide #murder #abductionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

On Wednesday, December 21st, 1988, a timber truck driver making his way through rural Georgia made a horrifying discovery. Just off US Route 82, down at the end of a long dirt road, in a dusty turn out which doubled as an illegal dumping ground, he found the remains of an unidentified toddler wedged inside of an old television console.Investigators would later reveal that the child, described as a young black girl, was estimated to be between the ages of 3 and 4 and had likely been dead for thirty to sixty days. Whoever had dumped her in that spot had first wrapped her in a blanket, placed her inside of a duffel bag, filled that bag with concrete, and then put it inside of a metal foot locker which was also filled with concrete. It was a scene so bizarre, so disturbing, it continues to haunt the investigators who worked it.Despite their sincerest efforts, the case grew cold and the child's true identity remained illusive. Twenty-one years later, in 2009, an anonymous tipster claimed that the child might have been named Bridget, could have been from the city of Albany and might have family living in Tifton. All these years later and both little Christmas Doe's identity and that of her killer remain unknown.Sponsored by: ZocDoc! Visit ZocDoc.com/TRACE to download the ZocDoc app FREE! | Babbel! Visit Babbel.com/TRACE for 55% off your subscription!UPDATE: On Monday, November 13, 2023, the GBI held a press conference to announce the child has been positively identified as Kenyatta Odom of Albany, GA. In addition to her identification, her biological mother, Evelyn Odom has been arrested alongside her former live-in boyfriend, Ulyster Sanders, Senior. Both have been charged with murder.Social Media and Subscription Link TreeMusic Courtesy of: "Wounded" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #realcrimes #disappearance #disappeared #missing #unsolved #unsolvedmysteries #evidence #investigation #missingperson #traceevidence #JaneDoe #ChristmasDoe #LittleChristmasDoe #unidentified #UID #WareCounty #GeorgiaTrueCrime #GBI #MillwoodBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.