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The Path Went Chilly — True Crime
The Path Went Chilly

Welcome to The Path Went Chilly where Robin Warder from The Trail Went Cold will discuss his favorite cases with friends Dr. Jules from Riddle Me That! True Crime and Criminologist Dr. Ashley Wellman. This will be a deep dive and a fresh perspective, join us as we descend deeper down the rabbit hole & examine these unsolved cases with compassionate consideration towards the families left behind.

Copyright: © Copyright Robin Jules Ashley TPWC

Latest Episodes:

Joan Gay Croft Pt. Two Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

April 9, 1947. Woodward, Oklahoma. Four-year old Joan Gay Croft is taken to the local hospital after an F5 tornado devastates her hometown and takes the lives of over 100 people, including her mother. While Joan Gay and her half-sister are recovering from injuries in the basement, two men show up and take her away. They claim that they are taking Joan Gay to another hospital to see her family, but she is never seen again. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of odd developments, including an anonymous E-mailer claiming to be Joan Gay. Did Joan Gay Croft go on living her life under a new identity? If so, who were the two unidentified men who took her? Could she still be alive today? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” explores a truly baffling mystery surrounding one of the worst tornados in history.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Additional Reading:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2557dfok.html
https://newsok.com/article/2468875/dna-test-may-solve-47-year-old-woodward-mystery-woman-believes-shes-joan-gay-croft
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/woodward-mystery-believed-solved/article_0fb79ae6-33a1-5c44-9938-f9559581419e.html
http://newsok.com/where-is-mystery-woman-connected-to-1947-woodward-tornado/article/3666941
https://newsok.com/article/2609396/woman-seeks-cousin-lost-after-tornado
https://www.enidnews.com/opinion/after-years-joan-croft-still-a-mystery/article_9eefe3d7-1ca3-5af8-a438-efe4e2d71ea9.html
http://kfor.com/2016/05/05/search-still-on-for-woodward-5-year-old-who-vanished-after-tornado-69-years-ago/

Joan Gay Croft Pt. One Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

April 9, 1947. Woodward, Oklahoma. Four-year old Joan Gay Croft is taken to the local hospital after an F5 tornado devastates her hometown and takes the lives of over 100 people, including her mother. While Joan Gay and her half-sister are recovering from injuries in the basement, two men show up and take her away. They claim that they are taking Joan Gay to another hospital to see her family, but she is never seen again. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of odd developments, including an anonymous E-mailer claiming to be Joan Gay. Did Joan Gay Croft go on living her life under a new identity? If so, who were the two unidentified men who took her? Could she still be alive today? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” explores a truly baffling mystery surrounding one of the worst tornados in history.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Additional Reading:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2557dfok.html
https://newsok.com/article/2468875/dna-test-may-solve-47-year-old-woodward-mystery-woman-believes-shes-joan-gay-croft
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/woodward-mystery-believed-solved/article_0fb79ae6-33a1-5c44-9938-f9559581419e.html
http://newsok.com/where-is-mystery-woman-connected-to-1947-woodward-tornado/article/3666941
https://newsok.com/article/2609396/woman-seeks-cousin-lost-after-tornado
https://www.enidnews.com/opinion/after-years-joan-croft-still-a-mystery/article_9eefe3d7-1ca3-5af8-a438-efe4e2d71ea9.html
http://kfor.com/2016/05/05/search-still-on-for-woodward-5-year-old-who-vanished-after-tornado-69-years-ago/

Bernd Goericke and Andrea Scherpf Pt. Two Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

October 6, 1983. British Columbia, Canada. 27-year old Bernd Goericke and his 22-year old fiancée, Andrea Scherpf, are found shot to death next to a remote road. The couple hailed from West Germany and had been hitchhiking through Canada and an unidentified man driving a pick-up truck is seen using Andrea’s travellers’ cheques in the days following her death. Nearly six years later, a suspect named Andy Rose is charged with the crime based on testimony from a former friend who claimed she heard him confess to the murders. After two trials and two overturned convictions, the charges against Andy are dropped when DNA testing on a key piece of evidence excludes him as the perpetrator, but no one else is ever charged with killing Bernd and Andrea. On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we travel back to our home country of Canada to explore an unsolved double murder which led to a wrongful conviction.If you have any information about this case, please contact the Chetwynd branch of the RCMP at (250) 788-9221 or the Canadian Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Support the show:
patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_murder_of_Andrea_Scherpf_and_Bernd_Göricke https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2648100646
https://archive.today/20120723055359/
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/someone_got_away_with_murder/timeline.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/newfoundlander-s-ordeal-with-rcmp-sting-subject-of-cbc-documentary-1.834222
https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/police-seek-new-leads-in-1983-murder-of-two-german-tourists-near-chetwynd “The Psychology of Interrogations and Confessions: A Handbook” by Gisli H. Gudjonsson
https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/files/mrbig.pdf https://ucfiles.com/filestatus.php?number=104200082
https://www.newspapers.com/image/501465197/https://www.newspapers.com/image/495935807/https://www.newspapers.com/image/496051750/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495047641/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/494831236/https://www.newspapers.com/image/496376227/

Bernd Goericke and Andrea Scherpf Pt. One Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

October 6, 1983. British Columbia, Canada. 27-year old Bernd Goericke and his 22-year old fiancée, Andrea Scherpf, are found shot to death next to a remote road. The couple hailed from West Germany and had been hitchhiking through Canada and an unidentified man driving a pick-up truck is seen using Andrea’s travellers’ cheques in the days following her death. Nearly six years later, a suspect named Andy Rose is charged with the crime based on testimony from a former friend who claimed she heard him confess to the murders. After two trials and two overturned convictions, the charges against Andy are dropped when DNA testing on a key piece of evidence excludes him as the perpetrator, but no one else is ever charged with killing Bernd and Andrea. On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we travel back to our home country of Canada to explore an unsolved double murder which led to a wrongful conviction.If you have any information about this case, please contact the Chetwynd branch of the RCMP at (250) 788-9221 or the Canadian Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Support the show:
patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_murder_of_Andrea_Scherpf_and_Bernd_Göricke https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2648100646
https://archive.today/20120723055359/
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/someone_got_away_with_murder/timeline.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/newfoundlander-s-ordeal-with-rcmp-sting-subject-of-cbc-documentary-1.834222
https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/police-seek-new-leads-in-1983-murder-of-two-german-tourists-near-chetwynd “The Psychology of Interrogations and Confessions: A Handbook” by Gisli H. Gudjonsson
https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/files/mrbig.pdf https://ucfiles.com/filestatus.php?number=104200082
https://www.newspapers.com/image/501465197/https://www.newspapers.com/image/495935807/https://www.newspapers.com/image/496051750/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495047641/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/494831236/https://www.newspapers.com/image/496376227/

Glen and Bessie Hyde Pt. Two Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

November 15, 1928. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. 29-year old Glen Hyde and his 22- year old wife, Bessie, decide to spend their honeymoon taking a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon down the rapids of the Colorado River and hope to attain a new speed record. Shortly after stopping at the home of a photographer named Emery Kolb, the Hydes vanish without a trace. Their empty boat is eventually discovered on the river nearly 150 miles away with all of the couple’s supplies and possessions onboard, but Glen and Bessie are nowhere to be found. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of surprising twists, including a woman who claimed to be Bessie Hyde and the discovery of an unidentified male skeleton in Emery Kolb’s boathouse. Did Glen and Bessie Hyde drown in the Colorado River, or was something a lot more sinister behind their disappearances? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” chronicles the Grand Canyon’s most famous mystery, which has remained unsolved for nearly a century.
Support the Show:
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Glen_and_Bessie_Hyde http://charleyproject.org/case/glen-rollin-hyde
http://charleyproject.org/case/bessie-louise-haley-hyde “Sunk Without a Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde” by Brad Dimock

Glen and Bessie Hyde Pt. One Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

November 15, 1928. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. 29-year old Glen Hyde and his 22- year old wife, Bessie, decide to spend their honeymoon taking a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon down the rapids of the Colorado River and hope to attain a new speed record. Shortly after stopping at the home of a photographer named Emery Kolb, the Hydes vanish without a trace. Their empty boat is eventually discovered on the river nearly 150 miles away with all of the couple’s supplies and possessions onboard, but Glen and Bessie are nowhere to be found. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of surprising twists, including a woman who claimed to be Bessie Hyde and the discovery of an unidentified male skeleton in Emery Kolb’s boathouse. Did Glen and Bessie Hyde drown in the Colorado River, or was something a lot more sinister behind their disappearances? This week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly” chronicles the Grand Canyon’s most famous mystery, which has remained unsolved for nearly a century.
Support the Show:
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Glen_and_Bessie_Hyde http://charleyproject.org/case/glen-rollin-hyde
http://charleyproject.org/case/bessie-louise-haley-hyde “Sunk Without a Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde” by Brad Dimock

Gary Simmons Pt. Two Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

Wednesday Jun 30, 2021The Trail Went Cold - Episode 232 - Gary Simmons
October 15, 1974. Overland Park, Kansas. 32-year old businessman Gary Simmons leaves his office in order to purchase a horse from a man named Tom Dixon. Later that day, Gary provides authorization for Dixon to cash a $30,000 cheque he paid him, but Gary is never heard from again and Dixon also disappears after collecting the money. Seventeen years later, Gary’s skeletal remains are discovered inside a cave and it turns out he has been shot in the head. While Dixon is believed to be involved, he is never tracked down and investigators suspect that Gary may have been the victim of an elaborate murder plot orchestrated by an unknown third party. Could this person have also killed Tom Dixon? If so, what was the motive for this crime? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore the baffling and convoluted unsolved murder of Gary Simmons.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://unsolved.com/gallery/tom-dixon/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Gary_Simmons
https://apnews.com/article/cf426a208f5d0da2af630c490f93e17e http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1991-10-20/news/9110200207_1_simmons-skeleton-gary-compton The Nevada Daily Mail (October 20, 1991)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676554618/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676554882/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/681960576/https://www.newspapers.com/image/681960638/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/682154238/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676745192/https://www.newspapers.com/image/676745195/

Gary Simmons Pt. One Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Wednesday Jun 30, 2021The Trail Went Cold - Episode 232 - Gary Simmons
October 15, 1974. Overland Park, Kansas. 32-year old businessman Gary Simmons leaves his office in order to purchase a horse from a man named Tom Dixon. Later that day, Gary provides authorization for Dixon to cash a $30,000 cheque he paid him, but Gary is never heard from again and Dixon also disappears after collecting the money. Seventeen years later, Gary’s skeletal remains are discovered inside a cave and it turns out he has been shot in the head. While Dixon is believed to be involved, he is never tracked down and investigators suspect that Gary may have been the victim of an elaborate murder plot orchestrated by an unknown third party. Could this person have also killed Tom Dixon? If so, what was the motive for this crime? On this week’s episode of “The Path Went Chilly”, we explore the baffling and convoluted unsolved murder of Gary Simmons.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://unsolved.com/gallery/tom-dixon/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Gary_Simmons
https://apnews.com/article/cf426a208f5d0da2af630c490f93e17e http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1991-10-20/news/9110200207_1_simmons-skeleton-gary-compton The Nevada Daily Mail (October 20, 1991)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676554618/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676554882/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/681960576/https://www.newspapers.com/image/681960638/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/682154238/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/676745192/https://www.newspapers.com/image/676745195/

Ray Gricar Pt. Three May 29, 2025

Show notes

April 15, 2005. Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. After taking the day off work and leaving on a road trip, 59-year old Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar fails to return home and is reported missing. The following day, Ray’s abandoned car is discovered 60 miles away in the town of Lewisburg, parked across the street from an antiques mall. Over the course of the next several months, Ray’s county-issued work laptop and its hard drive are discovered in the nearby Susquehanna River, but the hard drive is too damaged to recover any data. A number of different theories are pushed forward, which include Ray disappeared voluntarily, completing suicide by jumping into the river, or becoming the victim of foul play, possibly in connection to the infamous Penn State child sex abuse scandal. However, there is no conclusive evidence pointing to any of these theories and Ray Gricar is never found. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at (814) 355-7545.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Gricar https://charleyproject.org/case/ray-frank-gricar
http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/05109/490420-85.stm
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/04/the-hunt-for-ray-gricar-15-years-of-clues-theories-and-the-search-for-answers.html
“The Serial Killer’s Apprentice: And 12 Other Stories of Cleveland’s Most Intriguing Unsolved Crimes” by Ray Gricar
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/utah_detainee_isnt_gricar_but.html
https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/15/us/ray-gricar-missing-prosecutor/index.html
https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/04/ten_years_later_ray_gricars_di.html
https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/jerry-sandusky/article42806712.html
https://www.centredaily.com/news/article42828846.html
https://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/podcast-gives-new-insight-on-district-attorney-ray-gricars-disappearance-16-years-later/
https://www.northcentralpa.com/news/crime/no-answers-16-years-later-in-disappearance-of-centre-county-da-psp-says-case-still/article_8e33cc04-72d1-11eb-ab98-f30bcdaa197b.html

Ray Gricar Pt. Two May 22, 2025

Show notes

April 15, 2005. Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. After taking the day off work and leaving on a road trip, 59-year old Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar fails to return home and is reported missing. The following day, Ray’s abandoned car is discovered 60 miles away in the town of Lewisburg, parked across the street from an antiques mall. Over the course of the next several months, Ray’s county-issued work laptop and its hard drive are discovered in the nearby Susquehanna River, but the hard drive is too damaged to recover any data. A number of different theories are pushed forward, which include Ray disappeared voluntarily, completing suicide by jumping into the river, or becoming the victim of foul play, possibly in connection to the infamous Penn State child sex abuse scandal. However, there is no conclusive evidence pointing to any of these theories and Ray Gricar is never found. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at (814) 355-7545.
Support the show:
Patreon.com/thetrailwentcold
Patreon.com/julesandashley
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Gricar https://charleyproject.org/case/ray-frank-gricar
http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/05109/490420-85.stm
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/04/the-hunt-for-ray-gricar-15-years-of-clues-theories-and-the-search-for-answers.html
“The Serial Killer’s Apprentice: And 12 Other Stories of Cleveland’s Most Intriguing Unsolved Crimes” by Ray Gricar
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/utah_detainee_isnt_gricar_but.html
https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/15/us/ray-gricar-missing-prosecutor/index.html
https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/04/ten_years_later_ray_gricars_di.html
https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/jerry-sandusky/article42806712.html
https://www.centredaily.com/news/article42828846.html
https://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/podcast-gives-new-insight-on-district-attorney-ray-gricars-disappearance-16-years-later/
https://www.northcentralpa.com/news/crime/no-answers-16-years-later-in-disappearance-of-centre-county-da-psp-says-case-still/article_8e33cc04-72d1-11eb-ab98-f30bcdaa197b.html

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