The Trail Went Cold - Episode 488 - April Pitzer

June 28, 2004. Newberry Springs, California. After experiencing a rough six months living in California, 30-year old April Pitzer makes plans to return to her home state of Arkansas to live with her mother, but before she can make the trip, she vanishes without explanation. Shortly before she went missing, April had crossed paths with the wife of a man who had gone to prison years earlier after she testified as an informant in a federal drug case, leading April to fear that her life might be in danger. A year-and-a-half later, some of April’s personal belongings are found scattered in a remote mining area of the Mojave Desert, but even though a number of abandoned mine shafts are searched and some sketchy local residents are looked at as potential suspects, no trace of April is ever found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the tragic story of April Pitzer, who went missing after finding herself trapped in a dangerous situation. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/april-beth-pitzer https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/april-beth-pitzer https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/family-still-struggles-10-years-after-disappearance-of-daughter/91-287109683 https://www.4029tv.com/article/clarksville-april-pitzer-missing/28234648 https://disappearedblog.com/april-pitzer/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/749698824/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/750159395/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1234363678/ https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/unfoundpodcast/episodes/2017-07-21T10_43_21-07_00 “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 9, 2013. Bowling Green, Ohio. The body of 66-year old Dawn Glanz, a retired art professor from Bowling Green State University, is discovered inside her bathroom by her husband, Bob Brown, and the authorities initially believe that she suffered a fatal stroke and died of natural causes. However, before Dawn’s body can be cremated, police receive an anonymous tip expressing concern that Bob may have killed Dawn in order to inherit her $2 million estate and a new autopsy reveals that she received a stab wound to the head and the shock caused her to succumb to a heart attack. After Dawn’s death is reclassified as a homicide, investigators uncover some troubling holes in Bob’s original story, but there is not enough evidence to file charges and her murder officially remains unsolved.  November 22, 2009. Bowling Green, Kentucky. 54-year old Bettina Richmond, a mathematics professor at Western Kentucky University, leaves her home to play racquetball at the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation facility. When she fails to return home, Bettina’s husband goes to check the facility’s parking lot and discovers that Bettina has been fatally stabbed in the driver’s seat of her van. Bettina’s university identification badge is later found in a mailbox over two miles away and it is suspected that she was the victim of a robbery gone wrong, but no potential suspects are found for her murder.  On this week’s episode of the “Trail Went Cold”, we explore a pair of unsolved murders involving female university professors from Bowling Green in both Ohio and Kentucky. Special thanks to listener Rachel Adams for narrating the opening of this episode. Additional Reading: https://www.wtol.com/article/news/bowling-green-cold-case-gets-national-attention/512-a2b34840-1737-45af-b2d3-0e9b77b9d12b https://bgindependentmedia.org/investigation-into-dawn-glanzs-murder-continues/ https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Who-Murdered-Dawn-Glanz-A-Cold-Case-Murder--561465061.html https://www.13abc.com/2022/02/15/case-files-murder-dawn-glanz/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1193897273/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettina_Richmond https://www.kentuckynewera.com/web/news/article_6f58493e-1577-11e1-9853-001cc4c03286.html https://bgdailynews.com/2011/11/22/richmonds-death-remains-mystery/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/664533225/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/663825900/ “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

March 21, 2008. Cowan, Indiana. After leaving his job at Ball State University, 48-year old Garth Rector returns to his rented farmhouse before he is shot five times inside the kitchen by an intruder who presumably broke into the residence. While there is initial speculation that the crime was a burglary gone wrong, the only item which appears to be stolen is Garth’s wedding ring. At the time of the murder, Garth was separated from his wife and had conducted affairs with some other women who had spouses of their own, but while there are a number of persons of interest, investigators do not have enough evidence to implicate any of them. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved murder of Garth Rector. So if you happen to have any information about this case, please contact the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office at (765) 747-7878. Additional Reading: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Garth_Rector https://unsolved.com/podcasts/silent-witness/ https://cdn.unsolved.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/122-Silent-Witness.pdf?x36184 "Cold Case Muncie" by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-q-spades-garth-rector-in-deck/id1504742935?i=1000485156322 https://www.wishtv.com/news/who-killed-garth-rector/ https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/local_news/victim-s-family-organizes-walk/article_7ac14a43-f260-56ee-931d-62acb979f0fb.html https://truecrimenews.com/2017/02/09/unsolved-beloved-high-school-wrestling-coach-killed-in-kitchen/ https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2016/05/21/cold-case-muncie-who-killed-garth-rector/84132360/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/254346620/ “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 20, 2005. North Charleston, South Carolina. After returning to her apartment from work, 32-year old Brandy Hanna vanishes without a trace and after she fails to answer repeated calls to her cell phone over the course of the weekend, she is officially reported missing. One of Brandy’s neighbours report having seen her climbing into a red truck on the night she vanished and while it happens to match the description of trucks which are owned by two of Brandy’s ex-boyfriends, there is no evidence to implicate either of them. Eleven years later, one of Brandy’s former boyfriends is charged with obstruction of justice for having lied to police during the original investigation, but she continues to remain a missing person. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved disappearance of Brandy Hanna, who went missing after being involved in a love triangle with two men. If you have any information about this cae, please contact the North Charleston Police Department at (843) 740-2800. Join us on Saturday, June 6 at 8:00pm ET for an online streaming marathon where we will be watching classic segments from “Unsolved Mysteries”. You can enter our screening room by clicking on this link. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/brandy-renee-hanna https://disappearedblog.com/brandy-hanna/ https://abcnews4.com/news/crime-news/brandy-hannas-ex-boyfriend-arrested-charged-in-connection-with-her-disappearance https://www.wyff4.com/article/police-new-developments-in-womans-2005-disappearance/8525078 https://abcnews4.com/news/crime-news/man-charged-in-hanna-disappearance-also-charged-with-sexual-abuse-of-minor https://www.live5news.com/story/34107069/police-investigating-tip-missing-woman-was-sold-to-pay-drug-debt/ “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

February 26, 2010. Broome, Australia. After spending the night out drinking with friends, 21-year old Josh Warneke starts to walk home, but he is soon found dead by the side of the road with a fatal head injury. Two-and-a-half years later, a young Aboriginal man named Gene Gibson is charged with Josh’s murder after confessing that he bludgeoned him to death with a metal pole, but since his confession is thrown out before trial, Gene winds up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and is sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. However, since the police used a number of questionable tactics, the Western Australia Court of Appeal quashes Gene’s conviction in 2017 and he is released from prison, but there are no conclusive answers about who was responsible for Josh’s death. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we travel down under to Australia to explore one of their most controversial cases in recent memory. Special thanks to listener Kristy Ward for narrating the opening of this episode. Additional Reading: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/man-charged-over-josh-warneke-murder-in-wa/news-story/dc8a3f18b1a52a5bee11377b7cdaad82 https://ausit.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CCC-Report-on-Operation-AvieMore.pdf https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/josh-warneke-murder-charge-dropped-after-police-bungle-20140709-zt195.html https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/12/gene-gibson-indigenous-man-jailed-over-josh-warnekes-death-has-conviction-overturned https://www.perthnow.com.au/wa/josh-warneke-murder-wrong-man-claims-in-botched-broome-probe-ng-768a62bb2b7fae75f05716b616861c0f https://www.perthnow.com.au/wa/john-warneke-case-gene-gibson-awarded-15m-over-wrongful-josh-warneke-conviction-ng-b88810298z https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/review-uncovers-crucial-error-in-josh-warneke-case-20200220-p542vt.html https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-29/josh-warneke-inquest-broome-tradie-death-explainer-wrap/104374868 https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/they-never-met-but-their-lives-are-now-intertwined-aboriginal-man-cleared-of-killing/rgzxutodr https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-30/warneke-inquest-end-aboriginal-interpreters-want-more-engagement/104409326 https://www.9news.com.au/national/josh-warneke-inquest-hearings-begin-in-broome-almost-15-years-after-wa-tradies-death/c8aa9ee0-ea02-4827-9567-d0f94ef744b7 https://thewest.com.au/news/regional/josh-warneke-inquest-broome-ambulance-officer-says-injuries-scene-not-consistent-with-hit-and-run-c-16080660 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-19/highly-unlikely-josh-warneke-hit-by-car-coronial-inquest-told/104367098 https://www.smh.com.au/national/coroner-s-initial-findings-at-josh-warneke-inquest-20240927-p5ke5m.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQx80Typfs “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

March 14, 1988. Union Township, Ohio. 18-year old Scott Hilbert leaves a note on his parents’ refrigerator to say that he is borrowing the family car to go visit a friend at Ohio State University, but he never returns and vanishes without a trace. Three-and-a-half weeks later, the abandoned car is discovered 1,700 miles away on the slope of a remote canyon in Mohave County, Arizona and while some of Scott’s belongings are missing, others are scattered outside the vehicle. The odometer shows an additional 2,000 miles which cannot be accounted for and while it seems apparent that someone made a failed attempt to dispose of the car, no one knows why it wound up at this location and Scott is never found.  February 13, 1998. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. 20-year old Steven Mylan drives away from his family’s residence and never returns, but while there is a record of his car crossing the border into New York state the following day, no one can be certain if Steven was actually driving it. Nearly four months later, the stripped-down car is found over 3,400 kilometres away by the side of a road in Coconino County, Arizona, but there is no trace of Steven anywhere. The evidence seems to indicate that the car was abandoned at an overlook at the Grand Canyon shortly after Steven missing until some local residents stole it and drove it around for a few months, but there is no explanation for why the vehicle wound up there to begin with. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a pair of baffling unsolved missing persons cases in which the victim’s car was inexplicably found over a great distance away from their home in a remote section of Arizona. If you have any information about the disappearance of Scott Hilbert, please contact the Union Township Police Department at (513) 752-1230. If you have any information on the disappearance of Steven Mylan, please contact the Peel Regional Police in Ontario at (905) 453-2121. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/scott-allen-hilbert https://www.cincinnati.com/story/accused/2020/05/10/morehead-state-student-scott-hilbert-vanished-1988-murder-suspected/3046938001/?gca-cat=p&gnt-cfr=1 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/where-was-scott-hilbert-when-someone-pushed-his-car-cliff-n390281 https://www.fox19.com/2024/03/13/union-township-police-ask-help-solving-36-year-old-cold-case/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/285799751/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1068971343/ https://charleyproject.org/case/steven-vincent-mylan https://www.newspapers.com/image/1179136035/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1180198295/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1244679682/ https://azdailysun.com/file-steven-mylan-1998/article_ddd44460-1799-59e3-9522-cb9fe3014dbc.html “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

June 4, 2019. Fairview Park, Ohio. 40-year old Carnell Sledge and his 33-year old friend, Kate Brown, agree to meet up at the Rocky River Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks and they each drive there in their respective vehicles. Within 15 minutes of their arrival, Carnell and Kate are both fatally shot in the head near a park bench and the perpetrator manages to flee the scene without anyone seeing or hearing anything. Investigators look into the backgrounds of both victims to see if anyone had a motive to harm them, but are unable to turn up any evidence to implicate anyone and the crime remains unsolved. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a baffling double homicide known as the “Park Bench Murders”. If you have information about this case, please contact Cleveland Metroparks Police Department at (440) 331-5219, the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office at (216) 622-6842, or the Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County at (216) 252-7463. Additional Reading: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Kate_Brown_and_Nell_Sledge https://unsolved.com/gallery/park-bench-murders/ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/06/parents-of-homicide-victim-carnell-sledge-did-not-know-woman-killed-with-him.html https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/06/parents-of-homicide-victim-carnell-sledge-did-not-know-woman-killed-with-him.html https://www.clevescene.com/news/four-years-later-officials-report-no-progress-in-metroparks-double-homicide-cold-case-but-fresh-hope-comes-with-national-coverage-42872823/ https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/they-didnt-deserve-to-die-this-way-sister-hopes-unsolved-mysteries-episode-can-help-find-sisters-killer https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/10/03/murder-metroparks-new-dark-side-podcast-goes-inside-unsolved-fairview-park-killings/ https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/06/04/trace-dna-found-metroparks-double-murder-scene-could-lead-suspect/ https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/05/30/possible-connection-between-5-year-old-double-murder-west-park-murder-suicide-metroparks/ https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/cold-cases/families-kate-brown-carnell-sledge-statement-cleveland-metroparks-police-update-double-homicide-investigation/95-16545e66-98a0-4e17-9220-4c69d5b7b12e https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/1fweqc9/ama_im_jeff_a_friend_of_carnell_sledge_here_to/ “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

July 11, 2006. Snohomish County, Washington. 56-year old Mary Cooper and her 27-year old daughter, Susanna Stodden, leave their homes in Seattle in order to go hiking on the Pinnacle Lake Trail over 60 miles away. Later that day, Mary and Susanna’s bodies are found alongside the trail after they have both been shot in the head and even though some of their clothing was removed, neither of them were sexually assaulted. For years, Mary’s husband is looked at as a potential suspect before he is officially ruled out, but even though a partial male DNA profile is eventually found under Susanna’s fingernails, it has not been matched to anyone. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a double homicide known as the “Pinnacle Lake Murders” which has gone unsolved for nearly 20 years. In addition, we’ll also discuss the unsolved murders of 25-year old Patricia Dixon and her five-year old daughter, Amanda Dixon, who also lived in the Seattle area and were both shot to death inside their motel room in Anaheim, California during a vacation to Disneyland in March 1984. If you have have any information about the murders of Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden, please contact the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at (425) 388-3845. If you have any information about the murders of Patricia and Amanda Dixon, please contact the Anaheim Police Department at (714) 765-1900. Additional Reading: https://www.newspapers.com/image/1031381492/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1031411442/ https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Slain-hikers-were-avid-about-outdoors-1208909.php https://www.heraldnet.com/2016/07/10/murder-case-is-cold-but-memory-still-burns/ https://www.heraldnet.com/2007/07/10/a-year-later-no-suspects-in-slaying-of-2-hikers/ https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/one-mans-relentless-search-for-killer-in-its-18th-year/281-5d26dcb4-a3e5-4bcf-b8e4-dba203f30a2e https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/man-cleared-as-suspect-more-than-10-years-after-wife-daughter-murdered-on-hiking-trail https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20061013/hikerdeath13m/trail-killings-hundreds-of-tips-leading-nowhere https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/unsolved/19-years-snohomish-county-trail-murders-unsolved-northwest-mary-cooper-susanna-stodden/281-358cebaf-b8d9-48b1-ae7c-7b1893eaa107 https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/mary-cooper-susanna-stodden-unsolved-snohomish-county-murder/281-cf04d027-bb9e-4332-8572-f528fdff87b3 https://podcasts.happyscribe.com/the-deck/mary-cooper-susanna-stodden-ace-of-hearts-washington https://www.wta.org/news/magazine/magazine/1207.pdf https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/03/29/Suspect-sought-in-mother-and-daughter-murders-near-Disneyland/5791449384400/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/401262837/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/808583079/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1076995204/ “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

July 26, 1988. Jackson, Mississippi. After getting into an argument with her mother, seven-year old Daffany Tullos leaves her grandparents’ residence and is last seen walking down the street by neighbours before she disappears. Suspicion turns towards Ernest Lee Epps, the boyfriend of Daffany’s mother, who was charged with sexual battery for allegedly molesting Daffany and released from jail on bond the same day she went missing. However, there is no evidence to implicate Ernest and even though a shirt belonging to Daffany is found in a neighbour’s yard a year-and-a-half later, no trace of her is ever found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a missing children’s case which has gone unsolved for nearly 38 years. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Jackson Police Department at (601) 960-1234. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/daffany-sherika-tullos https://www.newspapers.com/image/184041774/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/184088100/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/181320487/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1039872199/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/183694584/ https://www.wlbt.com/story/11276708/jackson-police-re-open-cold-case-from-1988/ https://www.wlbt.com/story/36360572/3-on-your-side-investigates-the-disappearance-of-daffany-tullos/ https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2018/07/26/30-years-later-daffany-tullos-family-still-believes-she-found/807547002/ https://www.wjtv.com/news/in-depth-reports/missing-daffany-tullos-last-seen-in-jackson-in-1988/ “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 13, 1976. Fairfield, Maine. The daughter of 31-year old Pauline Rourke kisses her sleeping mother goodbye before leaving for school, but when she returns home later that day, Pauline has vanished without a trace. Suspicion turns towards Pauline’s live-in friend, Albert Pat Cochran, who frequently fought with her and had developed an odd obsession with the recent murder of another woman from the area named Janet Baxter. Two decades later, Pat is charged and convicted of Janet’s murder, but even though he is suspected of being responsible for Pauline’s disappearance, there is not enough evidence to implicate him and Pauline is never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore an unsolved missing persons case involving a victim who has not been seen in nearly 50 years. If you happen to have any information about this case, please contact the Maine State Police at (207) 624-7143. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/pauline-rourke https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/investigation-traffic/major-crime-units/unsolved/missing-persons/rourke-pauline https://www.newspapers.com/image/849371494/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/856346628/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/665025806/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/855868439/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/856276259/ https://www.centralmaine.com/2017/06/28/man-serving-life-sentence-for-oakland-womans-murder-dies-at-hospital/ https://www.fosters.com/story/news/2017/06/29/police-link-recently-deceased-killer-to-1976-disappearance/20405251007/ https://www.pressherald.com/2017/07/30/a-daughters-enduring-lament-her-remains-are-out-there/ https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/State-Police-Searching-Smithfield-Area-Wells-For-Remains-Of-Missing-Woman-444463513.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/1147332553/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/309356419/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/829806532/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/830077499/ “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.