The Trail Went Cold

Latest Episodes:

The Trail Went Cold – Episode 67 – Steve Sandlin Apr 11, 2018

Show notes

May 7, 1988. Mountainair, New Mexico. Steve Sandlin, a 21-year old rookie with the local police department, is found dead inside the station. He has been shot in the head and since the police chief pushes forward the theory that Steve’s death was either suicide or an accident, it is officially classified as “undetermined”. However, Steve’s family becomes suspicious when they discover several bags of marijuana planted inside his house and learn that Steve had recently arrested a local resident who was involved in drug dealing. Information is uncovered to suggest that Steve may have been the victim of a conspiracy involving other police officers and it would be several years before his death is reclassified as a homicide. This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” covers our first unsolved cold case involving the death of a police officer. “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing on podcast row at CrimeCon 2018 from May 4th-6th at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville. Listeners can receive a 10% discount on their ticket purchase by using the code “TTWC”. "The Trail Went Cold" is now on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. We would like to thank our sponsor, Winc, for supporting this week’s episode. To receive a $20 credit and free shipping on 4 bottles of wine on your first order, go to trywinc.com/cold. Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Click here to listen to the podcast on Stitcher. Click here to subscribe to the podcast on Google Play Music. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 66 - Valerie Percy Apr 04, 2018

Show notes

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/steve-sandlin/

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Steve_Sandlin

https://www.abqjournal.com/201338/officers-death-still-a-mystery-after-25-years-2.html

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing on podcast row at CrimeCon 2018 from May 4th-6th at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville. Listeners can receive a 10% discount on their ticket purchase by using the code “TTWC”.

“The Trail Went Cold” is now on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

We would like to thank our sponsor, Winc, for supporting this week’s episode. To receive a $20 credit and free shipping on 4 bottles of wine on your first order, go to trywinc.com/cold.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 65 - Kristen Tomlin Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

November 13, 1981. Stinson Beach, California. 44-year old John Paul Russell and 34-year old Bob Dozier emerge from the Pacific Ocean, claiming that their yacht, the Freedom II, sank after a large freighter crashed into them. John’s 30-year old wife, Suzanne Russell, and their 20-year old friend, Kristen Tomlin, were also on the boat and presumed drowned. However, when no trace of the Freedom II can be found, investigators begin to suspect that the whole incident is an elaborate scam orchestrated by the two men. Evidence also suggests that Suzanne Russell may have been in on the scam and faked her own death. After hiding out as fugitives for over a decade, John Paul Russell and Bob Dozier are captured and serve time in prison for fraud, but no trace of Kristen Tomlin is ever found. Was Kristen also a part of the scam and did she stage her own disappearance? Or was she an innocent victim who fell prey to some con artists? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” covers an incredibly bizarre fraud scheme involving a missing boat which eventually turned into an unsolved missing persons case.

Additional Reading:

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Kristin_Tomlin_and_Suzanne_Russell

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/11/17/Ketch-mystery-deepens/7430788022132/

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/06/us/san-franciscans-puzzled-over-missing-ketch.html

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-01/local/me-766_1_theft-suspect

We would like to thank our sponsor, Winc, for supporting this week’s episode. To receive a $20 credit and free shipping on 4 bottles of wine on your first order, go to trywinc.com/cold.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 64 - Reet Jurvetson Mar 21, 2018

Show notes

November 16, 1969. Los Angeles, California. The murdered body of a young white female is discovered on a ravine overlooking Mulholland Canyon. She has been stabbed 157 times, but since she cannot be identified, the victim simply becomes known as “Jane Doe 59”. 46 years later, DNA testing officially identifies her as 19-year old Reet Jurvetson, a Swedish-born Canadian citizen who had travelled to California before she went missing. Numerous theories surround the crime: was Reet an unconfirmed victim of the Manson Family? Or could her death be connected to an unidentified boyfriend named “Jean”, whom she was visiting before she was killed? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we chronicle the brutal unsolved murder of a woman who regained her identity after four decades.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reet_Jurvetson

http://reetjurvetson.com

http://people.com/crime/lapd-seeks-to-identify-two-men-in-connection-with-murder-of-reet-jurvetson/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/reet-jurvetson-other-cases-1.3857691

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 63 - Andre Bryant, Christopher Dansby, and Shane Walker Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

March 29, 1989. Brooklyn, New York. A 22-year old African-American woman named Monique Rivera and her six-week old son, Andre Bryant, leave on a shopping trip with two unidentified women, but never return. The following day, Monique’s murdered body is discovered in a wooded area, but Andre is nowhere to be found. Within the next four-and-a-half months, two more African-American infants from the New York City area, two-year old Christopher Dansby and 20-month old Shane Walker, are abducted under strikingly similar circumstances from the same playground and never seen again. Could there have been a connection between the disappearances of Andre, Christopher and Shane? We will be examining all three of these unsolved cases on this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”. Special thanks to listener Cecily Cooper for narrating the opening of this episode.

Also, please check out the Charley Project pages for all three of these missing infants:
http://charleyproject.org/case/andre-terrence-bryant
http://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-milton-dansby
http://charleyproject.org/case/shane-anthony-walker

Additional Reading:

http://crimefeed.com/2017/05/baby-snatching-case/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/30/grace.coldcase.walker/index.html

http://abc7ny.com/chilling-cold-case-mom-faces-park-where-son-disappeared/3127138/

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 62 - Dottie Caylor Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

June 12, 1985. Concord, California. Dottie Caylor, a 41-year old woman with a history of struggles with agoraphobia, is allegedly dropped off at a train station by her husband, Jule Caylor, before she leaves on a trip. The following day, Jule finds Dottie’s car in another train station’s parking lot with her purse inside, but Dottie does not return from her trip and is never heard from again. Over the next few years, suspicion would fall upon Jule after some surprise revelations, including a secret engagement to another woman at the time Dottie went missing and an anonymous letter accusing him of murder. Was Jule responsible for Dottie’s disappearance or did she disappear voluntarily to start a new life? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” examines one of our most highly requested missing persons cases.

Thanks to HelloFresh for supporting our podcast. Go to www.HelloFresh.com and use the code cold30 to get $30 off your first week of deliveries.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/dorothy-may-caylor

https://unsolved.com/gallery/dottie-caylor/

http://www.thesungazette.com/article/news/2006/06/21/dotties-story-focus-on-husband-in-revived-cold-case/?print=1

The Contra Costa Times (May 7, 2006)

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 61 - Trevor Deely Feb 28, 2018

Show notes

December 8, 2000. Dublin, Ireland. After spending a rainy evening at a staff Christmas party, 22-year old Trevor Deely walks from a nightclub to his place of employment, the Bank of Ireland Asset Management headquarters. Trevor chats with a co-worker and grabs an umbrella, but after leaving the building to walk home and passing by an ATM camera over ten minutes later, he vanishes without a trace. CCTV footage would show an unidentified man standing outside Trevor’s workplace and interacting him with that night. Was this man involved in Trevor’s disappearance? For the first time, “The Trail Went Cold” will be travelling to Ireland to cover one of their most famous unsolved missing persons cases.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Trevor_Deely

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-disappearance-of-trevor-deely-part-1-1.2120358

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-disappearance-of-trevor-deely-part-2-the-search-1.2119911

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-disappearance-of-trevor-deely-part-3-living-with-loss-1.2119923

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/trevor-deely-the-search-ends-and-continues-1.3230396

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 60 - The Circleville Letters Case Feb 21, 2018

Show notes

August 19, 1977. Circleville, Ohio. After receiving a phone call, an angry Ron Gillispie frantically drives away from his home and dies after crashing into a tree. For the past several months, Ron’s wife, Mary Gillispie, had been receiving anonymous threatening letters expressing anger about her alleged affair with another man. In total, over a thousand anonymous letters would be sent to residents of the area during this time period. Five-and-a-half years later, Mary would find a homemade booby trap containing a gun belonging to Ron’s former brother-in-law, Paul Freshour. Paul is accused of being the author of the anonymous letters and spends ten years in prison for Mary’s attempted murder, but the threatening letters continue to be sent while Paul is incarcerated. Was Paul Freshour the mysterious “Circleville Writer” or was he framed and wrongly imprisoned? For our special two-year anniversary show of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be chronicling a case which was voted on by our listeners: the bizarre saga of “The Circleville Letters”. Special thanks to listener Jamie Sciullo for narrating the opening of this episode, and Tyler from “The Minds of Madness” podcast for providing the voice of the Circleville Writer.

Also, a big thanks to Esther Gamez for providing us with another terrific piece of cover art for this episode. Be sure to check out Esther’s Facebook and Tumblr pages to see more of her artwork.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/poison-pen-murder/

https://circlevilleletters.wordpress.com/

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Circleville_Writer

We would like to thank our sponsor, Winc, for supporting this week’s episode. To receive a $20 credit and free shipping on 4 bottles of wine on your first order, go to trywinc.com/cold.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 59 - Maureen Fields and Jodine Serrin Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

February 14, 2006. Pahrump, Nevada. While working her shift at a bank, 41-year old Maureen Fields expresses concern that something is going to happen to her. The following day, Maureen fails to show up for work and her husband, Paul Fields, claims he last saw her when she left the house that morning. Maureen’s abandoned car is discovered in the desert, but she is nowhere to be found and her husband immediately comes under suspicion. Years later, DNA evidence from the scene is matched to a convicted sex offender named Keith Wayne Holmes, but since he is suffering from dementia, Holmes is unable to provide answers about what happened before he passes away.

February 14, 2007. Carlsbad, California. After not hearing from her, the concerned parents of 39-year old Jodine Serrin, who suffers from a mental disability, arrive at her condo. Jodine’s father enters her bedroom and sees what appears to be a man engaged in sexual activity with his daughter. While the Serrins wait in the living room, the man sneaks out and Jodine’s parents are horrified to discover their daughter has been murdered and that they unknowingly came face-to-face with her killer, who assaulted Jodine after she was already dead! To learn more information about this case, including a composite sketch of the suspect, please visit the website, jodineserrin.net.

This week’s edition of “The Trail Went Cold” is a special double feature episode which will be chronicling two unsolved cold cases which took place on Valentine’s Day.

We would like to thank our sponsor for this episode: BarkBox. For a free extra month of BarkBox, go to barkbox.com/cold when you subscribe to a 6 or 12 month plan.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/maureen-erin-fields

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/the_lady_vanishes_nj_natives_cold_case_lead_ends_in_death_valley.html

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/father-of-missing-woman-still-has-questions/

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Jodi-Serrin-Murder-Case-Valentines-Day-139215154.html

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-carlsbad-police-seek-clues-in-valentines-day-2011feb13-story.html

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-work-continues-to-id-jodine-serrin-killer-2015feb13-story.html

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 58 - The Mathis Family Murders Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

September 8, 1981. Mount Vernon, South Dakota. 30-year old John Mathis contacts police to inform them that he has been shot in the arm after a struggle with a masked attacker on his farm. When police arrive, they discover that John’s wife, LaDonna Mathis, and their two children, four-year old Brian and two-year old Patrick, have been shot to death. While John claims the masked attacker was responsible, investigators find a number of discrepancies in his story. John is eventually charged with murdering his wife and two sons, but when he goes on trial, the jury acquits him. Were LaDonna, Brian and Patrick actually killed by an unknown assailant? Or did John Mathis get away with the murder of his family? We examine both sides of this harrowing and controversial case on this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”.

Additional Reading:

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/crime-and-courts/1538088-mathis-murders-30-years-later-some-authorities-remain-convinced-john

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/crime-and-courts/1538125-surviving-mathis-child-says-father-innocent-murders

http://rapidcityjournal.com/twenty-years-later-mathis-case-still-unsolved/article_299e6074-bda0-5dc0-aa19-1eb0ab8f0728.html

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/09/09/Survivor-of-multiple-slaying-making-sense-sheriff-says/8257368856000/

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.