Don’t talk to Strangers – The Oakland County Child Murders is a limited run podcast focused on eight child murders that took place in and around south Oakland County between January 1, 1976 and March 16, 1977. Four of these murders appear to be the work of an as yet unidentified serial killer known as the Oakland County Child Killer.
Coming Summer 2018
On November 12, 2013 Chelsea Small was working at the Advance America store in Taylor, Michigan. During a robbery she was shot twice and her killer made off with $200 in cash. Despite video and images of the killer, he remains at large.
If you have information please contact Detective Jones at the Taylor Police Department 734-287-6550 or Crimestoppers at 1-800- SPEAK UP
Advance America is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of her killer.
This week’s promo from the 36 Times Podcast.
On a sunny, summer Saturday in 1990 all hell broke lose inside the Osco Store in South Bend Indiana. The store was robbed, leaving three dead and a mystery that lasted more than a decade before former employee, Charles Allen, was put on trial.
Was Allen responsible for the horrific robbery/murder? Or did South Bend police develop tunnel vision? Families would wait more than 10 years for an arrest and trial.
Additional reading/Sources:
Content warning – murder, sexual assault, harm to animals.
In 1987 Barbara Blackstone was 30 years old, happily married and enjoying a successful career as a high school teacher. Someone snatched her from her home, murdered her and dumped her body in the woods. Also that summer, two other young women were murdered and left in the woods, 18 year old Angela Hackl and 29 year old Linda Nachreiner.
While arrests were made in Hackl and Nachreiner’s cases, no charges were ever brought forward in Blackstone’s case.
Enjoy a preview from the Yours in Murder podcast.
Special thanks to the Juneau Messenger.
Additional reading/research on the case
30 years later and the case is unsolved
Beyond the Mystery: Barbara Blackstone
The Unsolved murder of Barbara Blackstone – this link contains several photos
Kim S Brown – murderpedia
In 1847 Michigan became the first English speaking territory in the world to abolish the death penalty.
In 2002 Marvin Gabrion was sentenced to death for the murder of Rachel Timmerman in Newaygo County, Michigan.
This story starts in the early part of the 1800’s, visits Michigan’s last execution in 1938 and asks the heartbreaking question, where is Rachel Timmerman’s 11 month old daughter?
The morning of May 3, 1992 Ted and Gina Hollman left their 21 year old son, Eddie Hollman, at the house while they attended Sunday services at Sacred Heart Church in Dearborn.
When they return, Gina discovers the body of her son on the floor in the basement. Who murdered Eddie Hollman and why? He had no enemies and no legal troubles.
If you have information about the murder of Eddie Hollman, please contact Detective Sergeant Pawlus of the Dearborn Heights Police Department at 313 277 6770
Special thanks to Roseanne of Killafornia Dreaming and Erica of Southern Fried True Crime.
As the year winds down we perk things up with a True Crime Broad Cast, interviewing Michigan author Karen Dybis about her new book: The Witch of Delray: Rose Veres & Detroit’s Infamous 1930s Murder Mystery.
We also talk history, landmarks and Detroit. I hope you’ll join us.
January 1998, Sudbury Ontario. 23 year old Renee Sweeney is working by herself at the Adults Only Video Store on Walford Road.
Around 11:15 a.m. a man enters the store and attacks Renee, stabbing her repeatedly. He flees the store and is never seen again.
In late 2016 Sudbury police submit his DNA to the Parabon Nanolabs so a “snapshot” of him can be created.
If you have tips or information about the murder of Renee Sweeney please call the tip line at area code 705 675 9171 extension 2320
Join the Justice for Renee Sweeney group on Facebook.
In December of 2002 Marco Pesce was a father of three children and the owner of Italia Jewelers in Livonia Michigan.
The night of December 21 two men attacked and robbed the family, leaving five dead and a community in terror.
22 year old Kelly Nolan would disappear after a night out with friends in Madison, Wisconsin. Her remains would be discovered July 9 in a remote wooded area south of town.
Includes an interview with Joel DeSpain of the Madison Police department.
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May, 1975, two cousins, Scott Hardy and Mark Mellendorf walk from Mellendorf’s home in Lapeer County Michigan to Tody Lake for some fishing.
When the boys don’t return home, their parents raise the alarm and searchers scour the woods for hours trying to find the young boys. The next morning, a tracking dog makes a horrific discovery on the southern end of the lake. Both boys are dead and there is a killer on the loose in this idyllic community.
Days later a second boy, Willie Walters, takes his fishing gear to Kearsley Creek, he too doesn’t return. His battered body is discovered the next morning.
These horrific crimes happened just a few miles north of the hunting grounds favored by the Oakland County Child Killer in 1976-1977.
Hillary Norskog was only 13 years old when she became the first victim of a serial murderer near Chicago Illinois. While his parents attempted to shield Steven Pfiel from his responsibility in her death, they could not stop him from killing again.
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Special thanks to Lanie of the True Crime Fan Club Podcast for her assistance with this episode. https://truecrimefanclub.com/
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Check out the Deliberations podcast. Available on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play
In September 2009, just days before her wedding, graduate student Annie Le vanished from the Yale Campus.
Her brutalized body would be found days later, stuffed inside a mechanical panel near the lab where she worked.
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School violence is an ongoing issue of concern to students, parents and staff. In October 2013 Danvers High School was the scene of a violent and brutal murder, when a 14 year old freshman raped and murdered his 24 year old math teacher at school and dumped her body on school grounds.
What drove Philip Chism to violence and why choose Colleen Ritzer as his victim?
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On the night of August 6, 1993 Army Sgt. Kenneth Junior French entered the Luigi’s restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina armed with two shotguns and a rifle.
When his rampage was over, four people were dead and eight others wounded.
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On June 19, 1982 Vincent Chin was attacked by two men wielding a baseball bat. He would die four days later, on his mother’s birthday.
The men who attacked him never spent a night in jail, they were given probation and a small fine. The Asian American community rose up and demanded justice for Vincent Chin. This was the birth of the Asian American Civil Rights Movement.
In September of 1996, 19 year old Jillian Robbins opened fire on the Penn State Campus. When the smoke cleared, one student was dead, one seriously injured and Jillian was in need of medical attention.
Music courtesy of Luke Superior.
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During a 12 day period in January of 1984 suburban Denver was rocked by a series of attacks by a hammer wielding home intruder. When his work was done, four were dead, Four more grievously injured and the community was shaken to its core.
Aurora Police have worked this case aggressively, taking advantage of scientific updates to generate leads and find a killer.
Music courtesy Luke Superior
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In May of 2004 53 year old Al Kite had a good life. He was in good health, had a nice home and a good job. His relationship with his girlfriend, Linda, was in a good place. He seemed like the last person who would die a violent, gruesome death at the hands of an unknown killer.
But on May 22, 2004 that’s exactly what happened. Days later police discovered his body in the basement of his home. He’d been tied up, endured hours of torture and finally, mercifully, murdered. Why? What reason could anyone have to torture and kill him?
Police are still asking that question and looking for his killer.
I usually post a photo of the victim, but someone, somewhere has to know who this is.
The summer of 1967 brought the first victim. A serial killer would terrorize the college community of University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.
By August of 1969 six women were dead, including a 13 year old girl. This is the story of John Norman Collins.
Contact me: host at already gone podcast dot com
In January of 1971 Kathy Radkte was spending the evening with her boyfriend, Jack Keyes. The teenagers crossed paths with a vicious killer. Their deaths rocked the community.
Contact me: host at already gone podcast dot com
The first broad cast of 2017 features the lovely and talented Amber Hunt of the Cincinnati Enquirer. You may know her as the voice behind Accused: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Andes.
Amber discusses the show, their process and what’s in store for season two. She also answers listener questions and speaks candidly about her time in Michigan.
Contact me: host at already gone podcast dot com
On a warm September night in 1951 the brutal murder of nurse Pauline Campbell stunned the community. The attack was one in an escalating series of assaults on nurses in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The identity of the killers would rock the community to it’s core.
Link to photo of Walter DeDula
Girls crowded the courthouse to see William R. Morey III at his trial.
The evening of August 3, 1989 Lawrence J. DeLisle was out driving around with his wife, Suzanne and their four children: 8-year-old Bryan, 4-year-old Kathryn, 2-year-old Melissa and 8-month-old Emily.
Lawrence lost control of the car and it flew off the road into the Detroit River. The car sank quickly. Lawrence and his wife swam to safety, but all four children drown. What appeared to be a tragic accident evolved into a horrifying story. Had Lawrence done the unthinkable? Had he intentionally driven the car into the murky waters of the Detroit River in an attempt to kill himself and his family?
Thanks to Frank for suggesting this story.
This episode is cohosted and cowritten by Nate Hale of The Conspirators Podcast.
Music courtesy of Luke Superior.
October 25, 1994, 23-year-old Susan Smith ran to a house near John D Long Lake in Union, South Carolina. She pounded on the door, calling for help, crying, nearly hysterical. Her babies, she said, her boys age 3 and 14 months, they’d been taken. A call was placed to 9-1-1 and police mobilized. What law enforcement learned over the next nine days was chilling. Susan Smith would finally confess. She had done the unthinkable.
David Smith wrote a book about his experiences. Find it here.
Linda Russell also wrote a book. My Daughter Susan Smith.
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In the early morning hours of March 2, 1996 Jody LeCornu was shot while sitting in her parked car. Despite video evidence, eye witness testimony, ballistic evidence and fingerprints, no one has ever been arrested or charged in her death.
Case overview and an interview with Jody’s twin sister, Jenny Carrieri.
If you can assist the family with legal fees please visit their Go Fund Me page.
If you have information about Jody’s murder Crime Stoppers is offering a $32k reward.
Music courtesy Luke Superior
Thank you to @Melodile2015 for suggesting this case.
In 1952 Marquette Michigan was rocked by the murder of a barkeep by an airman from KI Sawyer AFB. In 1988 another murder shocked the community.
Join us as we discuss the murder of Maurice Chenoweth and the stabbing death of Paul Girard.
This is the second episode in a series about the Oakland County Child Killer.
Between 1976 and 1977 four children were abducted and murdered. Mark Stebbins, Jill Robinson, Kristine Mihelich and Timothy King. They were held from 3.5 – 19 days. Their deaths were considered the work of a killer or perhaps a team of killers working together.
Forty years later and law enforcement is no closer to closing the case. We look at the victims, the crimes, the investigators and the families left behind.
If you would like to take a closer look at happenings around the periphery of the case:
North Fox Island – When history turns out to be not so nice
Catherine Broad – A blog run by the sister of Timothy King
A father’s story – Written by Barry King, father of Timothy King
Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper holds a press conference in response to $100M lawsuit.
Music: Luke Superior https://soundcloud.com/lukesuperior
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Season 3, episode 1
Oakland County, Michigan. Between 1976 and 1977 four children were abducted and murdered. Mark Stebbins, Jill Robinson, Kristine Mihelich and Timothy King. They were held from 3.5 – 19 days. Their deaths were considered the work of a killer or perhaps a team of killers working together.
Forty years later and law enforcement is no closer to closing the case. We look at the victims, the crimes, the investigators and the families left behind.
On a January afternoon in 1983 Janette Roberson was the victim of a brutal attack at her workplace in Reed City Michigan. Despite being killed while working at a busy store, her body was undiscovered for hours and her killer was never caught.
In this episode I talk with author and Reed City resident Jeni Decker about the Roberson case, the challenges of investigating older cases, and other unsolved murders in the area. You can read more about unsolved crime in Reed City at Decker’s blog: http://jenidecker.blogspot.com/ You can also find her on Twitter @Jeni_Decker
This is the fourth and final installment in this series. Talking with Journalist Jim Friedman, he’s been researching Holly Branagan and the many strange occurrences around her death for 20 years.
In this episode we talk about strychnine, suspects and the Bethlehem PD. Note that while a grand jury was seated in 2011, no one has ever been charged with her murder. Law enforcement has never named a suspect in the crime.
In this episode we interview journalist Jim Friedman who grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
We talk about the suspicious death of Sean Branagan, as well as other suspicious deaths surrounding this case.
In March 1979 Holly Branagan was brutally murdered in her Bethlehem, Pennsylvania home. In September 1979 her brother was fatally injured in an explosion at his workplace. Are their deaths connected? Why wouldn’t Holly’s classmates cooperate with police? Could organized crime be responsible for Holly’s death?
In March 1979 17 year old Holly Branagan was murdered in her family home in Bethlehem, PA. No one was ever arrested or charged with her murder. Part one of a series on this baffling and engaging story.
Special thanks to Marissa of The Vanished Podcast @thevanishedpod for suggesting this case.
In January of 1980 the body of 14 year old Bill Comeans was found at the side of the road a few blocks from his home. He’d been strangled. This wasn’t the first time Bill was assaulted, he’d been attacked twice previously. Also, who was leaving the menacing notes in his school locker? Who was threatening his friends?
Bill lived in New Rome, Ohio. Car and Driver magazine did a story about corruption in their police force and city government.
Bill’s murder was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. Learn about the Supreme Court Case Berkemer vs McCarty.
Two women, women with families, careers and bright futures. They are forever linked by the brutal actions of a violent sexual sadist.
Continuing our look at women who work in the true crime genre. This week I talk with Heidi Galore, a crime analyst and former police officer. We talk serial killers, halloween and what it’s like working among like minded women focused on a dark subject!
In February of 1981 Deanie Peters stepped away from her brother’s wrestling match and vanished forever. Who killed her? Why? Where are her remains?
Starting something new this week. I sat down with Deana, host of the Twisted Philly podcast, to talk about her show, Jon Benet, Lori Erica Ruff, Halloween and more.
These interview episodes are in addition to my usual episodes about the murdered and missing.
I hope you enjoy them!