The Path Went Chilly

February 28, 1983. St. Louis, Missouri. The body of an African-American girl is found in the basement of an abandoned apartment building. She is believed to be between eight-to-eleven years old and has her hands tied behind her back and it turns out she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death before she was beheaded. Since the victim’s head is never recovered and she cannot be identified, she becomes known as the “St. Louis Jane Doe”. Over the years, investigators explore a number of different leads, but they are unable to determine the girl’s identity or figure out who was responsi...

February 28, 1983. St. Louis, Missouri. The body of an African-American girl is found in the basement of an abandoned apartment building. She is believed to be between eight-to-eleven years old and has her hands tied behind her back and it turns out she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death before she was beheaded. Since the victim’s head is never recovered and she cannot be identified, she becomes known as the “St. Louis Jane Doe”. Over the years, investigators explore a number of different leads, but they are unable to determine the girl’s identity or figure out who was responsi...

March 2, 1995. New Orleans, Louisiana. After leaving a restaurant with his date in the French Quarter, 25-year old Michael Gerardi is fatally gunned down by a trio of robbers. Weeks later, 16-year old Shareef Cousin is implicated in the crime and charged with first-degree murder. Even though Shareef seems to have an airtight alibi, Michael’s date identifies him as the shooter at trial. Shareef is found guilty and becomes one of the youngest people to ever be sentenced to death, but the verdict is surrounded with controversy. It turns out the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office committed egregious acts of p...

March 2, 1995. New Orleans, Louisiana. After leaving a restaurant with his date in the French Quarter, 25-year old Michael Gerardi is fatally gunned down by a trio of robbers. Weeks later, 16-year old Shareef Cousin is implicated in the crime and charged with first-degree murder. Even though Shareef seems to have an airtight alibi, Michael’s date identifies him as the shooter at trial. Shareef is found guilty and becomes one of the youngest people to ever be sentenced to death, but the verdict is surrounded with controversy. It turns out the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office committed egregious acts of p...

July 19, 1996. Westwego, Louisiana. After leaving her apartment to walk to a supermarket, 14-year old Crystal Champagne fails to return and is found strangled to death in a wooded area the following evening. When Crystal’s 22-year old step-cousin, Damon Thibodeaux, is interrogated by police, he confesses to her murder and is subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. However, Damon maintains that his confession was coerced and none of the physical evidence from the crime matches him, so after 16 years of incarceration, Damon’s conviction is vacated and he is released from death row. But who was actually responsible for the deat...

July 19, 1996. Westwego, Louisiana. After leaving her apartment to walk to a supermarket, 14-year old Crystal Champagne fails to return and is found strangled to death in a wooded area the following evening. When Crystal’s 22-year old step-cousin, Damon Thibodeaux, is interrogated by police, he confesses to her murder and is subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. However, Damon maintains that his confession was coerced and none of the physical evidence from the crime matches him, so after 16 years of incarceration, Damon’s conviction is vacated and he is released from death row. But who was actually responsible for the deat...

"December 23, 1981. Burke County, North Carolina. After leaving an office Christmas party, 19-year old Rhonda Hinson begins her drive home, but her car is soon discovered in a ditch on Mineral Springs Mountain Road about a half-mile from her residence. Rhonda’s body is lying outside the vehicle and it turns out she was fatally shot by someone who fired a bullet which passed through the car’s trunk and the driver’s seat before it penetrated her heart. An eyewitness reports having seen an unidentified man near the vehicle’s driver’s side door shortly before Rhonda’s body was discovered...

"December 23, 1981. Burke County, North Carolina. After leaving an office Christmas party, 19-year old Rhonda Hinson begins her drive home, but her car is soon discovered in a ditch on Mineral Springs Mountain Road about a half-mile from her residence. Rhonda’s body is lying outside the vehicle and it turns out she was fatally shot by someone who fired a bullet which passed through the car’s trunk and the driver’s seat before it penetrated her heart. An eyewitness reports having seen an unidentified man near the vehicle’s driver’s side door shortly before Rhonda’s body was discovered...

November 21, 1979. Craig, Colorado. After spending the evening at a dance, 15-year old Marie Blee heads to a party at a mobile home park, but never returns home. Two days later, Marie’s parents receive an anonymous phone call demanding a $5,000 ransom for her return. The caller is soon revealed to be 18-year old Monty Doolin, who drove Marie to the party, but he denies any involvement in her disappearance. Over the next few decades, investigators would receive contradictory accounts from several eyewitnesses about what might have happened to Marie on the night she went missing. They eventually name three persons of...

November 21, 1979. Craig, Colorado. After spending the evening at a dance, 15-year old Marie Blee heads to a party at a mobile home park, but never returns home. Two days later, Marie’s parents receive an anonymous phone call demanding a $5,000 ransom for her return. The caller is soon revealed to be 18-year old Monty Doolin, who drove Marie to the party, but he denies any involvement in her disappearance. Over the next few decades, investigators would receive contradictory accounts from several eyewitnesses about what might have happened to Marie on the night she went missing. They eventually name three persons of...

Join Robin and I as we conclude our series on William Bradford Bishop.


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Today it's just Robin and myself, as Ashley is busy with mom life and her new job as a Science Teacher. We will be discussing William Bradford Bishop, the murders of his family and the mystery as to whether he ended his own life or if he is on the run in Europe and still evading capture. 

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June 3, 1995. Oslo, Norway. The body of a young woman is found inside Room 2805 of the Oslo Plaza hotel and since a pistol is in her hand, she appears to be the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three days earlier, she had checked into the hotel under the name, “Jennifer Fairgate”, but the name turns out to be fake and since she has no identification in her possession, the woman remains a Jane Doe. All attempts to identify “Jennifer” are unsuccessful, but there a number of strange details to suggest she may have been a spy or an intelligence student. In fact...

June 3, 1995. Oslo, Norway. The body of a young woman is found inside Room 2805 of the Oslo Plaza hotel and since a pistol is in her hand, she appears to be the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three days earlier, she had checked into the hotel under the name, “Jennifer Fairgate”, but the name turns out to be fake and since she has no identification in her possession, the woman remains a Jane Doe. All attempts to identify “Jennifer” are unsuccessful, but there a number of strange details to suggest she may have been a spy or an intelligence student. In fact...

June 12, 1993. Santa Clara, California. 21-year old U.S. Army Private Justin Burgwinkel leaves his girlfriend’s apartment and never returns. One week earlier, Justin had gone AWOL from Fort Lewis, the post where he was stationed in Washington state, and kept hinting to his girlfriend that he was working on some sort of secret mission. Three months later, Justin’s abandoned car is found at a motel in Monterey with his military dog tags and most of his personal items inside. While the Army denies that Justin was ever involved in any secret operations, no trace of him is ever foun...

June 12, 1993. Santa Clara, California. 21-year old U.S. Army Private Justin Burgwinkel leaves his girlfriend’s apartment and never returns. One week earlier, Justin had gone AWOL from Fort Lewis, the post where he was stationed in Washington state, and kept hinting to his girlfriend that he was working on some sort of secret mission. Three months later, Justin’s abandoned car is found at a motel in Monterey with his military dog tags and most of his personal items inside. While the Army denies that Justin was ever involved in any secret operations, no trace of him is ever foun...

November 27, 1985. St. Augustine, Florida. While attending a neighbourhood social gathering, 12-year old Martha Jean Lambert tells her mother that she will be taking a brief trip back to their mobile home, but Martha never returns and is eventually reported missing. Suspicion starts to fall upon on Martha’s 14-year old brother, David Lambert, after he gives conflicting stories about the last time he saw her. Over the course of the next 24 years, David makes two separate confessions about killing Martha and disposing of her body. Investigators find David’s second confession to be believable enough that they decide to close the...

Here is the statement and part two the case will be revealed. This is a departure from our usual formula with Robin and I, Ash was busy with Christmas stuff. We hope you enjoy:)

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Okay, um, basically… the truth of the matter is… me and ****** went to the old college and we got in a big argument and fight… and it was over money that she wouldn't give back to me. It was some change of a $20 bill. She hauled off and punched me. I t...

November 21, 1985. Littleton, Colorado. A masked gunman enters the home of 51-year old businessman Roger Dean and forces him to tie up and blindfold his wife, D.J.. After an apparent dispute over money, the gunman fatally shoots Roger and flees the scene, but investigators find evidence to suggest that Roger may have hired the intruder himself in a failed attempt at a kidnapping-robbery scheme. Nearly five years later, D.J. receives an anonymous letter from a man claiming to be Roger’s killer, who threatens to murder her daughter unless she pays him $100,000. Even after he instructs D.J. to dr...

November 21, 1985. Littleton, Colorado. A masked gunman enters the home of 51-year old businessman Roger Dean and forces him to tie up and blindfold his wife, D.J.. After an apparent dispute over money, the gunman fatally shoots Roger and flees the scene, but investigators find evidence to suggest that Roger may have hired the intruder himself in a failed attempt at a kidnapping-robbery scheme. Nearly five years later, D.J. receives an anonymous letter from a man claiming to be Roger’s killer, who threatens to murder her daughter unless she pays him $100,000. Even after he instructs D.J. to dr...

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays here is a bonus Patreon episode to help you fill any spare time as you may have noticed we are doing a weekly sampler for the month of December only, to show you what you get monthly over on Patreon:)

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In this episode Robin and I (Jules)discuss the case of Tim Molnar, one that was never discussed in full on the Trail Went Cold since there wasn't enough material. This case is baffling and we go round and round (and dive down a...

Christmas Eve, 1973. New London, Connecticut. While changing a tire, 20-year old Kevin Showalter is struck by a passing vehicle and killed in a hit-and-run. When the local police botch the investigation and make no effort to solve the case, Kevin’s mother is forced to fight for answers on her own. Years later, a grand jury investigation is launched and the town’s former mayor is named as the probable driver of the vehicle. However, further complications ensue when another man comes forward and confesses to the crime, creating debate about who was actually responsible for Kevin’s death. This week’s...

April 20, 1989. Circle, Montana. While driving on the wrong side of a rural highway, 37-year old Patricia Meehan gets into a collision with another car. After staring blankly at the vehicle’s driver, Patricia walks out onto the prairie and disappears. During the next few months, there would be numerous sightings of a disoriented-woman resembling Patricia. This leads to speculation that the trauma of the car crash caused Patricia to develop amnesia and forget who she was, but she is ultimately never found.

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Christmas Eve, 1973. New London, Connecticut. While changing a tire, 20-year old Kevin Showalter is struck by a passing vehicle and killed in a hit-and-run. When the local police botch the investigation and make no effort to solve the case, Kevin’s mother is forced to fight for answers on her own. Years later, a grand jury investigation is launched and the town’s former mayor is named as the probable driver of the vehicle. However, further complications ensue when another man comes forward and confesses to the crime, creating debate about who was actually responsible for Kevin’s death. This week’s...

May 28, 1995. Coconino County, Arizona. 28-year old Devin Williams, a long-haul truck driver from Kansas, recklessly drives semi-trailer truck into Tonto National Forest before it becomes stuck in some mud. After Devin exits the truck, witnesses see him displaying bizarre behaviour before he takes off into the woods and disappears. Devin had been in the midst of transporting a shipment from California to Kansas until he drove over 60 miles off-course for unknown reasons. Two years later, Devin’s skull is discovered near the bottom of a cliff, but no one can figure out his cause of death or why he wound up...

April 16, 2003. Kendall County, Texas. 54-year old Colonel Philip Shue, who works as a staff psychiatrist for the United States Air Force, leaves his residence to drive to work. Two-and-a-half hours later, Colonel Shue’s car is seen driving erratically down the interstate before it crashes into some trees and Shue is found dead in the driver’s seat. Even though his death is ruled to be a staged suicide, there are a number of suspicious discrepancies, as duct tape is wrapped around Shue’s wrists and feet, a large gash is carved into his chest, and both of his nipples have b...

April 16, 2003. Kendall County, Texas. 54-year old Colonel Philip Shue, who works as a staff psychiatrist for the United States Air Force, leaves his residence to drive to work. Two-and-a-half hours later, Colonel Shue’s car is seen driving erratically down the interstate before it crashes into some trees and Shue is found dead in the driver’s seat. Even though his death is ruled to be a staged suicide, there are a number of suspicious discrepancies, as duct tape is wrapped around Shue’s wrists and feet, a large gash is carved into his chest, and both of his nipples have b...

July 10, 1958. Monterey County, California. 26-year old First Lieutenant Paul Whipkey leaves Fort Ord, the Army base where he is stationed. When he fails to return, he is declared AWOL before being declared a “deserter” 30 days later. Five weeks after he went missing, Whipkey’s abandoned car is discovered nearly 500 miles away in a remote section of Death Valley. Since Whipkey’s body cannot be found, the Army believes he suffered a mental breakdown and wandered into the desert and died. However, Whipkey’s family discovers troubling discrepancies to make them suspect the Army staged his disappearance. In 1982, Whipkey’s status is officiall...

July 10, 1958. Monterey County, California. 26-year old First Lieutenant Paul Whipkey leaves Fort Ord, the Army base where he is stationed. When he fails to return, he is declared AWOL before being declared a “deserter” 30 days later. Five weeks after he went missing, Whipkey’s abandoned car is discovered nearly 500 miles away in a remote section of Death Valley. Since Whipkey’s body cannot be found, the Army believes he suffered a mental breakdown and wandered into the desert and died. However, Whipkey’s family discovers troubling discrepancies to make them suspect the Army staged his disappearance. In 1982, Whipkey’s status is officiall...

October 21, 1978. Cape Otway, Australia. After leaving on a seemingly routine training flight in a Cessna 182 aircraft, 20-year old pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes without explanation over Bass Strait. During a radio transmission, Valentich describes seeing an unidentified flying object and his final words are: “It’s hovering and it’s not an aircraft”. When eyewitnesses report seeing strange things in the sky that night, speculation mounts that Valentich’s disappearance might have been the result of an alien encounter. For our final Halloween-themed episode of “The Path Went Chilly” this month, we will be covering our very first story involving potential UFO involvemen...

October 21, 1978. Cape Otway, Australia. After leaving on a seemingly routine training flight in a Cessna 182 aircraft, 20-year old pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes without explanation over Bass Strait. During a radio transmission, Valentich describes seeing an unidentified flying object and his final words are: “It’s hovering and it’s not an aircraft”. When eyewitnesses report seeing strange things in the sky that night, speculation mounts that Valentich’s disappearance might have been the result of an alien encounter. For our final Halloween-themed episode of “The Path Went Chilly” this month, we will be covering our very first story involving potential UFO involvemen...

July 8, 1983. Winter Haven, Florida. 47-year old Nancy Drake is viciously attacked inside her church after being bludgeoned with a claw-toothed hammer during an apparent robbery. Nancy is left comatose, but when she wakes up, she has no memory of the incident. Suspicion turns towards Nancy’s 45-year old husband, Thomas Drake, who took out a life insurance policy on her while conducting a secret affair with another woman. Thomas is charged with attempted murder and found guilty at trial, but shortly thereafter, Nancy claims that her memory has returned and she now recalls being attacked by another man. This leads to...

July 8, 1983. Winter Haven, Florida. 47-year old Nancy Drake is viciously attacked inside her church after being bludgeoned with a claw-toothed hammer during an apparent robbery. Nancy is left comatose, but when she wakes up, she has no memory of the incident. Suspicion turns towards Nancy’s 45-year old husband, Thomas Drake, who took out a life insurance policy on her while conducting a secret affair with another woman. Thomas is charged with attempted murder and found guilty at trial, but shortly thereafter, Nancy claims that her memory has returned and she now recalls being attacked by another man. This leads to...

October 24, 1953. La Crosse, Wisconsin. The father of 15-year old Evelyn Hartley attempts to phone her while she is babysitting an infant child, but there is no answer at the house. After travelling there to check on her, he discovers that Evelyn has disappeared and the evidence suggests she was the victim of a violent abduction by an intruder. Days later, pieces of blood-stained clothing are found outside of town which are believed to belong to Evelyn and her abductor. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of developments, including a possible connection to notorious murderer Ed Gein...

October 24, 1953. La Crosse, Wisconsin. The father of 15-year old Evelyn Hartley attempts to phone her while she is babysitting an infant child, but there is no answer at the house. After travelling there to check on her, he discovers that Evelyn has disappeared and the evidence suggests she was the victim of a violent abduction by an intruder. Days later, pieces of blood-stained clothing are found outside of town which are believed to belong to Evelyn and her abductor. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of developments, including a possible connection to notorious murderer Ed Gein...

In 1958 an entire family goes missing while doing the most wholesome Winter activity: Christmas tree shopping. What became of the Martin family? was it an opportunistic crime or was someone close to them responsible? A gun tied to the older brother would be recovered near the scene, he was alibied out but there are other theories...

In 1958 an entire family goes missing while doing the most wholesome Winter activity: Christmas tree shopping. What became of the Martin family? was it an opportunistic crime or was someone close to them responsible? A gun tied to the older brother would be recovered near the scene, he was alibied out but there are other theories...

October 8, 2009. Latimer County, Oklahoma. 44-year old Bobby Jamison, his 40-year old wife, Sherilynn Jamison, and their six-year old daughter, Madyson Jamison, leave their home to go look at a plot of land in a remote mountainous area, but never return. Eight days later, their abandoned pick-up truck is discovered on a dirt road located thirty miles from their residence, but even though the family’s dog and many of their personal items are locked inside the truck and a bag containing $32,000 is hidden under the driver’s seat, the Jamisons are missing. In November 2013, the skeletal remains of Bobby, Sherilynn and...

October 8, 2009. Latimer County, Oklahoma. 44-year old Bobby Jamison, his 40-year old wife, Sherilynn Jamison, and their six-year old daughter, Madyson Jamison, leave their home to go look at a plot of land in a remote mountainous area, but never return. Eight days later, their abandoned pick-up truck is discovered on a dirt road located thirty miles from their residence, but even though the family’s dog and many of their personal items are locked inside the truck and a bag containing $32,000 is hidden under the driver’s seat, the Jamisons are missing. In November 2013, the skeletal remains of Bobby, Sherilynn and...

December 31, 2010. Wilmington, Delaware. The body of 66-year old Jack Wheeler is discovered in a trash heap at the Cherry Island Landfill and his cause of death is determined to be blunt force trauma. Days earlier, Jack had left his residence in New York City to travel to Delaware and numerous eyewitnesses would report seeing Jack at numerous locations, displaying erratic behaviour which may have been caused by his struggles with bipolar disorder. It is believed that Jack’s body was transported to the landfill after he wound up inside a dumpster which was picked up by a garbage truck, but ev...