Trace Evidence
by Steven Pacheco
Trace Evidence is a weekly true crime podcast that focuses on unsolved cases, from chilling murders to missing persons. Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines each case, diving deep into the evidence and exploring the theories which revolve around them. For each unsolved case, there are the victims and their families, who want answers and the abductors and murders who hide the truth.
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Copyright: Copyright Steven Pacheco
Episodes
023 - The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth
1h 14m · Published
Nineteen year old Faith Hedgepeth was a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in September of 2012. Born in Warren County North Carolina, she was a member of the Haliwa-Saponi Native American Tribe and dreamed of becoming a doctor and one day returning home to contribute to her community. On September 6th, she had a busy day of classes followed by rushing for a sorority and going to the library with her best friend and roommate, Karena Rosario. After working on a project, she and Rosario went back to their apartment to change and then went out to a local bar, called the Thrill.
In the early morning hours of September 7th, Faith and Rosario left the bar and went back to their apartment. A strange series of texts and phone calls began, and around 4am, Karena left in the company of another Chapel Hill student, leaving Faith home, allegedly asleep, with the apartment door unlocked. When Karena returned the next morning, she found a grisly scene. Faith had been brutally beaten to death, the room was covered in blood and her half-clothed body was left exposed. Rosario called 911 and when police arrived, they immediately began investigating the homicide, discovering that Faith had also been sexually assaulted.
Over the next five years, many suspects were questioned and had their DNA taken for comparison. Rosario faded from the public eye, refusing to talk or conduct any interviews about the case, leading many to believe she may have more knowledge about the crime than she has stated. In addition to Rosario, her former roommate and ex-boyfriend Eriq Takoy Jones became a prime suspect considering his violent past and threats he had previously made against Faith. No one was above suspicion, and anyone who had spoken with Faith in the days and hours before her murder were considered possibilities. Surveillance cameras from the Thrill showed her interacting with several men that night, all of whom were questioned by investigators. Ultimately, the Chapel Hill Police Department possessed an abundance of evidence but no one they could make it stick to. Recently, a strange accidental voicemail left by Faith the night of her murder and a DNA Phenotype digital composite of the killer have been released, raising more questions than answers.
Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth, and for what reason was this beautiful and brilliant young woman so violently murdered? Was it a total stranger out looking for trouble? Did an ex-boyfriend choose this night to take out his anger? Did Eriq Takoy Jones make good on his threat, or did her best friend and roommate, Karena Rosario, play a more vital role in the crime? Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores the details of this case and attempts to sort through the plethora of suspects in an attempt to answer the haunting question: Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth?
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/faith-hedgepeth
In the early morning hours of September 7th, Faith and Rosario left the bar and went back to their apartment. A strange series of texts and phone calls began, and around 4am, Karena left in the company of another Chapel Hill student, leaving Faith home, allegedly asleep, with the apartment door unlocked. When Karena returned the next morning, she found a grisly scene. Faith had been brutally beaten to death, the room was covered in blood and her half-clothed body was left exposed. Rosario called 911 and when police arrived, they immediately began investigating the homicide, discovering that Faith had also been sexually assaulted.
Over the next five years, many suspects were questioned and had their DNA taken for comparison. Rosario faded from the public eye, refusing to talk or conduct any interviews about the case, leading many to believe she may have more knowledge about the crime than she has stated. In addition to Rosario, her former roommate and ex-boyfriend Eriq Takoy Jones became a prime suspect considering his violent past and threats he had previously made against Faith. No one was above suspicion, and anyone who had spoken with Faith in the days and hours before her murder were considered possibilities. Surveillance cameras from the Thrill showed her interacting with several men that night, all of whom were questioned by investigators. Ultimately, the Chapel Hill Police Department possessed an abundance of evidence but no one they could make it stick to. Recently, a strange accidental voicemail left by Faith the night of her murder and a DNA Phenotype digital composite of the killer have been released, raising more questions than answers.
Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth, and for what reason was this beautiful and brilliant young woman so violently murdered? Was it a total stranger out looking for trouble? Did an ex-boyfriend choose this night to take out his anger? Did Eriq Takoy Jones make good on his threat, or did her best friend and roommate, Karena Rosario, play a more vital role in the crime? Join host Steven Pacheco as he explores the details of this case and attempts to sort through the plethora of suspects in an attempt to answer the haunting question: Who murdered Faith Hedgepeth?
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/faith-hedgepeth
022 - The Suspicious Death of George Reeves
1h 5m · Published
George Reeves exploded into the American mainstream when he donned the red cape and blue tights playing Superman on the 1950's television series The Adventures of Superman. Almost instantly he became synonymous with the superhero as well as his alter ego, mild mannered Clark Kent.
Off the screen, Reeve's life was much more complicated and hardly mild mannered. George had been engaged in a nearly ten year romance with Toni Mannix, wife of MGM executive Eddie Mannix known all around Hollywood was the kind of man whose bad side you didn't want to be on. By all accounts, it was an open secret, with Eddie being well aware and even approving of his wife's extra curricular activities.
All of that changed in 1958, when Reeves left his older lover for the younger Leonore Lemmon, a New York socialite known for her fiery temper and enchanting looks. Their relationship was a tumultuous one, with Lemmon described as a heavy drinker with a mean temper and a controlling personality. She was known for seducing rich and powerful men, and leaving when she'd gotten what she wanted. George's career hit a slump, and while he was frustrated both financially and feeling typecast as Superman, his relationship began to breakdown despite a recent engagement and plans to marry.
Then, in 1959, things seemed to be looking up. George was offered a job directing a sci-fi movie, Superman producers offered him a substantial raise and he had a media tour planned which would carry him to Australia and net him a large sum of money. In the final months of his life, Reeves became the subject of late night phone calls which began as an annoyance and slowly became violent and threatening. Three motor vehicle incidents nearly ended his life, the last of which came as the result of someone draining the break fluid from his Jaguar. Shaken and concerned, Reeves filed a report with the Los Angeles District Attorney and named his ex-girlfriend, Toni Mannix, as a possible suspect.
Then, on the night of June 15th, 1959, George and Lemmon returned home late and went to bed. Several late night visitors came knocking around 1am, and an annoyed George expressed his disinterest in their company. He shared a nightcap with the group before going back upstairs to get some sleep. Moments later, a gunshot rang out and the Superman actor lay dead in his bed of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. For the LAPD, it was an open and shut case of suicide, but the evidence would suggest a much more sinister event had taken place.
Did George Reeves succumb to depression and alcohol and choose to end his own life? Did his fiancee, Leonore Lemmon, follow him to the bedroom that night and shoot him either out of malice or as the result of a drunken argument? Did his ex-girlfriend, Toni Mannix, hire someone to take out the man who had betrayed her love or did her husband, powerful and corrupt film executive Eddie Mannix choose to strike back against the man who had not only scorned his wife, but also damaged his reputation among the Hollywood elite? Join host Steven Pacheco as he digs beneath the glitz and glam of 1950's Hollywood into one of its most controversial and tragic stories: The Suspicious Death of George Reeves.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/george-reeves
Off the screen, Reeve's life was much more complicated and hardly mild mannered. George had been engaged in a nearly ten year romance with Toni Mannix, wife of MGM executive Eddie Mannix known all around Hollywood was the kind of man whose bad side you didn't want to be on. By all accounts, it was an open secret, with Eddie being well aware and even approving of his wife's extra curricular activities.
All of that changed in 1958, when Reeves left his older lover for the younger Leonore Lemmon, a New York socialite known for her fiery temper and enchanting looks. Their relationship was a tumultuous one, with Lemmon described as a heavy drinker with a mean temper and a controlling personality. She was known for seducing rich and powerful men, and leaving when she'd gotten what she wanted. George's career hit a slump, and while he was frustrated both financially and feeling typecast as Superman, his relationship began to breakdown despite a recent engagement and plans to marry.
Then, in 1959, things seemed to be looking up. George was offered a job directing a sci-fi movie, Superman producers offered him a substantial raise and he had a media tour planned which would carry him to Australia and net him a large sum of money. In the final months of his life, Reeves became the subject of late night phone calls which began as an annoyance and slowly became violent and threatening. Three motor vehicle incidents nearly ended his life, the last of which came as the result of someone draining the break fluid from his Jaguar. Shaken and concerned, Reeves filed a report with the Los Angeles District Attorney and named his ex-girlfriend, Toni Mannix, as a possible suspect.
Then, on the night of June 15th, 1959, George and Lemmon returned home late and went to bed. Several late night visitors came knocking around 1am, and an annoyed George expressed his disinterest in their company. He shared a nightcap with the group before going back upstairs to get some sleep. Moments later, a gunshot rang out and the Superman actor lay dead in his bed of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. For the LAPD, it was an open and shut case of suicide, but the evidence would suggest a much more sinister event had taken place.
Did George Reeves succumb to depression and alcohol and choose to end his own life? Did his fiancee, Leonore Lemmon, follow him to the bedroom that night and shoot him either out of malice or as the result of a drunken argument? Did his ex-girlfriend, Toni Mannix, hire someone to take out the man who had betrayed her love or did her husband, powerful and corrupt film executive Eddie Mannix choose to strike back against the man who had not only scorned his wife, but also damaged his reputation among the Hollywood elite? Join host Steven Pacheco as he digs beneath the glitz and glam of 1950's Hollywood into one of its most controversial and tragic stories: The Suspicious Death of George Reeves.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/george-reeves
021 - The Abduction of Pearl Pinson
51m · Published
Fifteen year old Pearl Pinson was a sweet, funny girl who loved skateboarding with her brother. On the morning of May 25th, 2016, she packed her black and turquoise backpack and headed off for her routine walk to school. Shortly after she left her home, around 7am, Police received multiple 911 calls reporting an incident involving an armed man and a young woman taking place on the pedestrian overpass at Interstate 780.
Witnesses reported seeing a latino man in a black hoodie and brandishing a firearm. The woman had dyed green hair, was bleeding from her mouth and was seen being shoved into the trunk of a gold, four door 1997 Saturn. When police arrived on the scene they found blood on the concrete and a cell phone which they were able to match to Pearl Pinson. Due to conflicts in eyewitness statements, an Amber Alert couldn’t be issued for nearly 32 hours, by which time Pearl had completely vanished into thin air.
When authorities caught up to her abductor, nineteen year old Fernando Castro, there was no trace of Pearl and before they could question Castro, he was fatally injured in a shootout with police. Castro died, and with him any information about why he abducted Pearl or where she could possibly be. Over the past year, multiple land and air searches have been conducted, but no sign of Pearl has been discovered. Multiple theories have arisen in that time, and the further investigators probe into her disappearance, the more complex and frustrating it becomes.
Was Pearl abducted due to issues between she and Castro or were they total strangers? Was Castro a violent gangmember with a drug problem or a typically kind man who suffered from a mental illness which overtook him? Or, did Castro abduct Pearl with the intention of selling her as a sex slave from which she is still trying to escape today? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examined the confusing details and chaotic accounts of what happened to Pearl Pinson that fateful Wednesday morning and asks the unanswerable question: Where is Pearl Pinson?
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/pearl-pinson
Witnesses reported seeing a latino man in a black hoodie and brandishing a firearm. The woman had dyed green hair, was bleeding from her mouth and was seen being shoved into the trunk of a gold, four door 1997 Saturn. When police arrived on the scene they found blood on the concrete and a cell phone which they were able to match to Pearl Pinson. Due to conflicts in eyewitness statements, an Amber Alert couldn’t be issued for nearly 32 hours, by which time Pearl had completely vanished into thin air.
When authorities caught up to her abductor, nineteen year old Fernando Castro, there was no trace of Pearl and before they could question Castro, he was fatally injured in a shootout with police. Castro died, and with him any information about why he abducted Pearl or where she could possibly be. Over the past year, multiple land and air searches have been conducted, but no sign of Pearl has been discovered. Multiple theories have arisen in that time, and the further investigators probe into her disappearance, the more complex and frustrating it becomes.
Was Pearl abducted due to issues between she and Castro or were they total strangers? Was Castro a violent gangmember with a drug problem or a typically kind man who suffered from a mental illness which overtook him? Or, did Castro abduct Pearl with the intention of selling her as a sex slave from which she is still trying to escape today? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examined the confusing details and chaotic accounts of what happened to Pearl Pinson that fateful Wednesday morning and asks the unanswerable question: Where is Pearl Pinson?
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/pearl-pinson
020 - The Abduction & Murder of Isabel Celis
1h 20m · Published
Six year old Isabel Celis was tucked into bed shortly after her mother, Becky, braided her hair for her little league game the next day. By 11pm, the light was out and Becky made her way to bed. Isabel's father, Sergio, fell asleep on the couch watching a baseball game, just a few feet from his daughter's bedroom door. When he went to wake her at 8am the next morning, she was nowhere to be found.
After a frantic search of the home, Isabel's brother found that her bedroom window was open and the screen was laying in the backyard. Sergio placed a call to 911 to report his daughter missing, though this call, and Sergio himself, would become targets of great speculation later on. Becky raced home from work to meet the police and a massive search was launched. Forensic examination of the house discovered strange clues, including blood stains. Searches of the neighborhood and surrounding areas came up empty.
Police immediately determined it to be a case of child abduction, though they wouldn't specify if they believed a family member was involved. Despite Sergio's insistence that he did not know where his daughter was, many doubted his statements as well as those of an older cousin, Justin Mastromarino, who hired a lawyer and fled town shortly after Isabel vanished. For five long years, Isabel's case was worked until, sadly, in March of 2017 her remains were discovered in rural Pima County. Police Chief Magnus wouldn't say much, but he did specify that it was not a random discovery. Many began to wonder who had led the police to her remains, and why no suspect had ever been officially listed.
Who abducted and murdered six year old Isabel Celis? Was it a completely random act from a total stranger? Did her family conduct a massive coverup to conceal a fatal accident? Or, was a family member involved in this tragic and horrifying case?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the heartbreaking Abduction and Murder of Isabel Celis, examining over 500 pages of police reports in an attempt to navigate this confusing and complex case.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/isabel-celis
After a frantic search of the home, Isabel's brother found that her bedroom window was open and the screen was laying in the backyard. Sergio placed a call to 911 to report his daughter missing, though this call, and Sergio himself, would become targets of great speculation later on. Becky raced home from work to meet the police and a massive search was launched. Forensic examination of the house discovered strange clues, including blood stains. Searches of the neighborhood and surrounding areas came up empty.
Police immediately determined it to be a case of child abduction, though they wouldn't specify if they believed a family member was involved. Despite Sergio's insistence that he did not know where his daughter was, many doubted his statements as well as those of an older cousin, Justin Mastromarino, who hired a lawyer and fled town shortly after Isabel vanished. For five long years, Isabel's case was worked until, sadly, in March of 2017 her remains were discovered in rural Pima County. Police Chief Magnus wouldn't say much, but he did specify that it was not a random discovery. Many began to wonder who had led the police to her remains, and why no suspect had ever been officially listed.
Who abducted and murdered six year old Isabel Celis? Was it a completely random act from a total stranger? Did her family conduct a massive coverup to conceal a fatal accident? Or, was a family member involved in this tragic and horrifying case?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the heartbreaking Abduction and Murder of Isabel Celis, examining over 500 pages of police reports in an attempt to navigate this confusing and complex case.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/isabel-celis
019 - The Vanishing of Brianna Maitland
1h 10m · Published
Brianna Maitland was a smart, independent seventeen year old woman working two jobs and sharing an apartment with a childhood friend. She had dreams of moving out of rural Vermont and experiencing the exciting life of a big city while pursuing a beautiful future. She had some struggles, but had gotten her life together, acquired her GED and was ready for whatever the world had to throw her way.
Five weeks after the infamous disappearance of Maura Murray, on March 19th, 2004, Brianna would leave her night shift at the Black Lantern Inn and drive off into oblivion, never to be seen nor heard from again. Over the night, several witnesses spot her abandoned car, its headlights shining into the road while its rear bumper was smashed into a vacant farmhouse. There was no sign of Brianna and no one would know she was missing for days.
During the investigation, more questions were raised than answered and even the police themselves come under fire for mistakes made early on in the case. Despite hundreds of volunteers, and police man hours, the mystery of what happened to Brianna Maitland remained unsolved. Then, in 2016, some twelve years after her disappearance, the Vermont State Police revealed that they were in possession of DNA recovered from the car which they believe belongs to the likely abductor and murderer.
Did an old rival murder Brianna to protect herself from an assault charge? Did Brianna’s drug dealing friends decide to eliminate her over a debt? Is there any connection between the fate of Maura Murray and Brianna Maitland? Or does the word of a convicted killer’s sister change all the possibilities? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the mysterious Vanishing of Brianna Maitland and the sordid list of people she once called friends, among whom may be the person responsible for her disappearance.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/brianna-maitland
Five weeks after the infamous disappearance of Maura Murray, on March 19th, 2004, Brianna would leave her night shift at the Black Lantern Inn and drive off into oblivion, never to be seen nor heard from again. Over the night, several witnesses spot her abandoned car, its headlights shining into the road while its rear bumper was smashed into a vacant farmhouse. There was no sign of Brianna and no one would know she was missing for days.
During the investigation, more questions were raised than answered and even the police themselves come under fire for mistakes made early on in the case. Despite hundreds of volunteers, and police man hours, the mystery of what happened to Brianna Maitland remained unsolved. Then, in 2016, some twelve years after her disappearance, the Vermont State Police revealed that they were in possession of DNA recovered from the car which they believe belongs to the likely abductor and murderer.
Did an old rival murder Brianna to protect herself from an assault charge? Did Brianna’s drug dealing friends decide to eliminate her over a debt? Is there any connection between the fate of Maura Murray and Brianna Maitland? Or does the word of a convicted killer’s sister change all the possibilities? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the mysterious Vanishing of Brianna Maitland and the sordid list of people she once called friends, among whom may be the person responsible for her disappearance.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/brianna-maitland
018 - The Murder of Garrett Phillips
1h 7m · Published
Twelve year old Garrett Phillips walked the five blocks home from school during the early evening hours of October 24th, 2011. Shortly after arriving at the second floor apartment where he lived with his mother and half-brother, an unknown assailant attacked and strangled him. Though Garrett survived the initial attack, he would pass away two hours later at Canton-Potsdam Hospital.
Almost immediately, police zeroed in on a single suspect: Oral “Nick” Hillary, Garrett’s mother, Tandy Cyrus’ ex-boyfriend. Despite the possibility of other suspects, and no physical evidence tying Hillary to the crime, he would remain the prime suspect for several years until a new, upstart candidate won the position of St. Lawrence County District Attorney and indicted him on charges of second degree murder. The town became split, with many believing Hillary was guilty, and others standing by his side and arguing that one of Tandy’s other ex-boyfriends may have been responsible: Sheriff’s Deputy John Jones.
Fingerprints and DNA evidence were recovered from the scene of the crime, and police theorize that the killer gained entry to the apartment and escaped via a second floor window, dropping twenty feet down to the pavement. Both Jones and Hillary had previously possessed keys to the apartment, and both had difficult breakups with Tandy. After a two week trial, Hillary was acquitted on all charges in 2016 due to a lack of evidence.
All of these years later, and many still believe Hillary is guilty, regardless of being found innocent, while others feel the police railroaded Hillary to cover-up for one of their own. Five years after this monstrous crime, and there have been no answers nor justice found for Garrett Phillips. Did Nick Hillary murder his ex-girlfriends son, blaming him for the breakup? Did John Jones concoct a plan and kill twelve year old Garrett in order to punish Tandy and frame Hillary? Or did a yet unknown suspect commit this disturbing crime and skate away scot free when police focused their investigation elsewhere?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the very disturbing murder of twelve year old Garrett Phillips and the ensuing storm of political manipulation, evidence contamination and an investigation with tunnel vision.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/garrett-phillips
Almost immediately, police zeroed in on a single suspect: Oral “Nick” Hillary, Garrett’s mother, Tandy Cyrus’ ex-boyfriend. Despite the possibility of other suspects, and no physical evidence tying Hillary to the crime, he would remain the prime suspect for several years until a new, upstart candidate won the position of St. Lawrence County District Attorney and indicted him on charges of second degree murder. The town became split, with many believing Hillary was guilty, and others standing by his side and arguing that one of Tandy’s other ex-boyfriends may have been responsible: Sheriff’s Deputy John Jones.
Fingerprints and DNA evidence were recovered from the scene of the crime, and police theorize that the killer gained entry to the apartment and escaped via a second floor window, dropping twenty feet down to the pavement. Both Jones and Hillary had previously possessed keys to the apartment, and both had difficult breakups with Tandy. After a two week trial, Hillary was acquitted on all charges in 2016 due to a lack of evidence.
All of these years later, and many still believe Hillary is guilty, regardless of being found innocent, while others feel the police railroaded Hillary to cover-up for one of their own. Five years after this monstrous crime, and there have been no answers nor justice found for Garrett Phillips. Did Nick Hillary murder his ex-girlfriends son, blaming him for the breakup? Did John Jones concoct a plan and kill twelve year old Garrett in order to punish Tandy and frame Hillary? Or did a yet unknown suspect commit this disturbing crime and skate away scot free when police focused their investigation elsewhere?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the very disturbing murder of twelve year old Garrett Phillips and the ensuing storm of political manipulation, evidence contamination and an investigation with tunnel vision.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/garrett-phillips
017 - The Disappearance of Brandon Lawson
1h 8m · Published
On August 8th, 2013, twenty-six year old Brandon Lawson got into an argument with his longtime girlfriend, Ladessa Lofton. Frustrated and wanting some time to cool off, he placed a call to his father over three hours away in Crowley, Texas and asked to spend the night. His father tried to talk him out of it, but at 11:54pm,
Brandon began his drive. Forty miles later, he ran out of gas and called his brother Kyle for help. What transpired in the next thirty minutes is unknown, but when his brother arrived, Brandon was nowhere to be found. After searching for hours, there were no traces of Brandon. The family would later learn that shortly after calling his brother, Brandon made a call to 911. In the call, Brandon is clearly frantic and talking fast.
The interpretation of what he said would become hotly debated amongst the family, police and online investigators. The Coke County Sheriff’s Department was hesitant to treat it as a missing person’s case, and instead approached it from the perspective that Brandon has chosen to run off to avoid a warrant that had been issued for his arrest some eight years earlier. While the family searched exhaustively, believing that Brandon would never abandon his four children, authorities wouldn’t begin their first search until a week later.
A controversy of police disinterest or of a possible cover up begins developing. What happened to Brandon Lawson? Did he choose to flee from his warrant? Did he get lost alongside desolate Highway 277 and never find his way back? Did demons from his past come back to haunt him or did Brandon stumble upon something in the early morning hours for which he was murdered?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines one of the most highly requested cases and looks into the details of this strange mystery, the Disappearance of Brandon Lawson.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/brandon-lawson
Brandon began his drive. Forty miles later, he ran out of gas and called his brother Kyle for help. What transpired in the next thirty minutes is unknown, but when his brother arrived, Brandon was nowhere to be found. After searching for hours, there were no traces of Brandon. The family would later learn that shortly after calling his brother, Brandon made a call to 911. In the call, Brandon is clearly frantic and talking fast.
The interpretation of what he said would become hotly debated amongst the family, police and online investigators. The Coke County Sheriff’s Department was hesitant to treat it as a missing person’s case, and instead approached it from the perspective that Brandon has chosen to run off to avoid a warrant that had been issued for his arrest some eight years earlier. While the family searched exhaustively, believing that Brandon would never abandon his four children, authorities wouldn’t begin their first search until a week later.
A controversy of police disinterest or of a possible cover up begins developing. What happened to Brandon Lawson? Did he choose to flee from his warrant? Did he get lost alongside desolate Highway 277 and never find his way back? Did demons from his past come back to haunt him or did Brandon stumble upon something in the early morning hours for which he was murdered?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines one of the most highly requested cases and looks into the details of this strange mystery, the Disappearance of Brandon Lawson.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/brandon-lawson
016 - The Shocking Murder of Candace Hiltz
1h 21m · Published
Candace Hiltz was a seventeen year old single mother, a junior at Brigham Young University and a newly accepted student to be at Stanford Law School. She dreamed of becoming a Supreme Court Justice. She had a brilliant level of intelligence, a ferociously protective personality and a great affinity for the law.
All of that was destroyed when she was brutally murdered. Her family sought answers, but ultimately discovered that the men charged with solving her murder may have in fact been involved in it. On August 10th, 2006, a Deputy from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado arrived at the Hiltz family home. He questioned Dolores Hiltz in regard to the whereabouts of her son, James. Sometime during the questioning, Dolores’ daughter Candace became angry by his demeanor and told him to leave. The Deputy threatened to arrest Candace, who then threatened to expose him for taking bribes from local drug dealers.
Three days later, the Hiltz family dog went missing. It was later found tied to a tree and had been killed with a hatchet or small ax. Two days later, on August 15th, Dolores left the home to run some errands. She arrived home three hours later and found her granddaughter unsupervised and crying in her crib. There were pools of blood on the floor and drag marks. Dolores made the grisly discovery of Candace’s body. She had been shot multiple times, wrapped in a green comforter and shoved beneath a bed.
The investigation was shoddy from the beginning: The crime scene wasn’t protected and sealed, evidence was left behind and the prime suspect was Candace’s brother, James. After he was apprehended, he was charged with for breaking into a home and stealing some items, but not the murder of his sister. Over the next ten years, no new leads were developed nor evidence discovered. The Hiltz family and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department engaged in a rather public exchange of contradictory statements. Candace’s autopsy showed she had been shot by two to three different weapons and at least two assailants as several shots were projected into her front and back simultaneously.
However, there were several errors and contradictions in the report. Then, out of nowhere, a man who purchased an abandoned storage unit discovered vital pieces of evidence related to the murder which had been stolen from evidence and kept there but the Deputy who ran the entire investigation, the very one who had that altercation with Candace. Theories began to build up accusing the Sheriff’s department of a cover up and even of being complicit in the murder itself. The lead investigator retired amid a torrent of accusations, and just months after, was brought up on charges for his mishandling of evidence as well as tampering with official paperwork.
Was Candace Hiltz murdered in a random act of violence? Did the father of her daughter lash out and take her life? Did her brother James lose control and murder his own sister? Or did the lead investigator play a much more vital role in the very murder he was investigating? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the details of this tragic story and tries to follow all of the twists and turns in the Shocking Murder of Candace Hiltz.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/candace-hiltz
All of that was destroyed when she was brutally murdered. Her family sought answers, but ultimately discovered that the men charged with solving her murder may have in fact been involved in it. On August 10th, 2006, a Deputy from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado arrived at the Hiltz family home. He questioned Dolores Hiltz in regard to the whereabouts of her son, James. Sometime during the questioning, Dolores’ daughter Candace became angry by his demeanor and told him to leave. The Deputy threatened to arrest Candace, who then threatened to expose him for taking bribes from local drug dealers.
Three days later, the Hiltz family dog went missing. It was later found tied to a tree and had been killed with a hatchet or small ax. Two days later, on August 15th, Dolores left the home to run some errands. She arrived home three hours later and found her granddaughter unsupervised and crying in her crib. There were pools of blood on the floor and drag marks. Dolores made the grisly discovery of Candace’s body. She had been shot multiple times, wrapped in a green comforter and shoved beneath a bed.
The investigation was shoddy from the beginning: The crime scene wasn’t protected and sealed, evidence was left behind and the prime suspect was Candace’s brother, James. After he was apprehended, he was charged with for breaking into a home and stealing some items, but not the murder of his sister. Over the next ten years, no new leads were developed nor evidence discovered. The Hiltz family and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department engaged in a rather public exchange of contradictory statements. Candace’s autopsy showed she had been shot by two to three different weapons and at least two assailants as several shots were projected into her front and back simultaneously.
However, there were several errors and contradictions in the report. Then, out of nowhere, a man who purchased an abandoned storage unit discovered vital pieces of evidence related to the murder which had been stolen from evidence and kept there but the Deputy who ran the entire investigation, the very one who had that altercation with Candace. Theories began to build up accusing the Sheriff’s department of a cover up and even of being complicit in the murder itself. The lead investigator retired amid a torrent of accusations, and just months after, was brought up on charges for his mishandling of evidence as well as tampering with official paperwork.
Was Candace Hiltz murdered in a random act of violence? Did the father of her daughter lash out and take her life? Did her brother James lose control and murder his own sister? Or did the lead investigator play a much more vital role in the very murder he was investigating? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the details of this tragic story and tries to follow all of the twists and turns in the Shocking Murder of Candace Hiltz.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/candace-hiltz
015 - The Unexplained Death of Andrew Sadek
1h 1m · Published
Twenty year old Andrew Sadek mysteriously vanished six months after becoming a confidential informant for the Richland County Sheriff's Department, in North Dakota. He was last seen on surveillance cameras leaving his dorm room at 2am on May 1st, 2014. While his family approached it as a case of possible abduction and foul play, authorities treated it more as a man fleeing from legal ramifications.
A bitter debate would erupt between Andrew's family and the Sheriff's Department coming to a head when nearly two months later, on June 27th, Andrew's body was recovered from the Red River just across the state line in Minnesota. He had been killed by a small caliber gunshot wound to the head and while Andrew's family believed he was murdered, others have suggested that Andrew may have committed suicide.
Strangely, Andrew was not wearing the same clothing he was last seen in and his backpack was filled with rocks and tied to his body. Was this an attempt by a killer to weigh him down, or did Andrew not want his body to be recovered? Questions abound in this strange case, with several twists and turns. Ultimately, a law would be changed and a wrongful death lawsuit is currently being argued in court.
Was Andrew murdered in a robbery gone wrong? Did someone he informed on find out the truth and kill him for revenge? Or did Andrew become overwhelmed by the intense pressure and choose to end his life? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the details of this tragic story and tries to follow all of the twists and turns in the Unexplained Death of Andrew Sadek.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/andrew-sadek
A bitter debate would erupt between Andrew's family and the Sheriff's Department coming to a head when nearly two months later, on June 27th, Andrew's body was recovered from the Red River just across the state line in Minnesota. He had been killed by a small caliber gunshot wound to the head and while Andrew's family believed he was murdered, others have suggested that Andrew may have committed suicide.
Strangely, Andrew was not wearing the same clothing he was last seen in and his backpack was filled with rocks and tied to his body. Was this an attempt by a killer to weigh him down, or did Andrew not want his body to be recovered? Questions abound in this strange case, with several twists and turns. Ultimately, a law would be changed and a wrongful death lawsuit is currently being argued in court.
Was Andrew murdered in a robbery gone wrong? Did someone he informed on find out the truth and kill him for revenge? Or did Andrew become overwhelmed by the intense pressure and choose to end his life? Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the details of this tragic story and tries to follow all of the twists and turns in the Unexplained Death of Andrew Sadek.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/andrew-sadek
014 - The Disappearance of the Beaumont Children
1h 25m · Published
Nine year old Jane Beaumont was tasked with looking after her siblings, seven year old Arnna and four year old Grant on a day trip to the beach. The children were in the middle of their summer break, and on January 26th, 1966, while much of the country was celebrating Australia Day, Jim Beaumont had a business meeting so his wife Nancy allowed the children to take the five minute bus ride down to Glenegl beach.
They had gone many times before, and had even visited the previous day. On this day, though, while the rest of the country was enjoying the holiday, it would become a nightmare for the Beaumont family. The children failed to return home on the 12pm bus as their mother had told them, and when they weren’t on the 2pm or 3pm buses, Nancy Beaumont was frantic. When Jim arrived home from work, the two began searching, but when they failed to find any trace of their children, they contacted the police who would launch the largest search effort in Australian history to that time.
Witnesses would come forward to report sighting of the children in the company of an unidentified man in the hours and minutes before they vanished. Over the past fifty-one years, multiple theories have developed and a list of suspects has slowly grown. A psychic visited the country to lend his abilities to the search, but his efforts reaped no additional leads and as the case grew cold police found themselves frustrated and confused as to how three children could simply disappear without a single trace of them ever being located.
Among the most popular police theories was that the children had been abducted. What happened to the Beaumont children? Were they abducted by a stranger, or perhaps someone they knew? Were they swept out to sea, never to be found? Is it possible they chose to run away, or did something yet unpredicted happen?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the most infamous child disappearance in the history of Australia and tries to sort through the myths, misinformation and fifty-one years worth of speculation and grief.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/beaumont-children
They had gone many times before, and had even visited the previous day. On this day, though, while the rest of the country was enjoying the holiday, it would become a nightmare for the Beaumont family. The children failed to return home on the 12pm bus as their mother had told them, and when they weren’t on the 2pm or 3pm buses, Nancy Beaumont was frantic. When Jim arrived home from work, the two began searching, but when they failed to find any trace of their children, they contacted the police who would launch the largest search effort in Australian history to that time.
Witnesses would come forward to report sighting of the children in the company of an unidentified man in the hours and minutes before they vanished. Over the past fifty-one years, multiple theories have developed and a list of suspects has slowly grown. A psychic visited the country to lend his abilities to the search, but his efforts reaped no additional leads and as the case grew cold police found themselves frustrated and confused as to how three children could simply disappear without a single trace of them ever being located.
Among the most popular police theories was that the children had been abducted. What happened to the Beaumont children? Were they abducted by a stranger, or perhaps someone they knew? Were they swept out to sea, never to be found? Is it possible they chose to run away, or did something yet unpredicted happen?
Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines the most infamous child disappearance in the history of Australia and tries to sort through the myths, misinformation and fifty-one years worth of speculation and grief.
For more information please visit: https://www.trace-evidence.com
https://www.patreon.com/traceevidence
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/TraceEvPod
https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/traceevidencepod
Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/beaumont-children
Trace Evidence has 263 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 309:39:06. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on November 28th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on June 1st, 2024 01:10.
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