A Frigid Tip: Tyler Marie Thomas

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: The case of 19-year-old Tyler Marie Thomas, a college student whose night out in December 2010 turned into a terrifying mystery. After a heated argument at a party, Tyler vanished without a trace. The search for answers led investigators into a tangled web of suspicion, dark secrets, disturbing confessions and the man at the center of it all. Anyone with information about Tyler's case should contact the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at 402-274-3139. 

This is the story of Tyler Marie Thomas.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Speaks to the Plannet.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
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(00:22):
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Speaker 1 (00:46):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host, Hunter and today we're
delving into the serving case of a young woman who
mysteriously vanished while walking on her way home. A nineteen
year old student at Peru State College went out for

(01:09):
a night of fun in December twenty ten, but what
began as a simple party night quickly turned into a
mystery that would haunt her family and the community for years.
This is the story of Tyler Marie Thomas. December third,

(01:29):
twenty ten, a night that started like any other for Tyler,
a dancing captain at Perue State College. She went out
to a party seeking a fun night out with friends,
but little did she know her night would soon take
a dark turn. Tyler allegedly got into an argument with
her best friend at the party and was asked to leap.

(01:54):
She was last seen walking toward the water tower near
her dorm, which was just a couple hundred feet away. However,
she never made it back. By three a m Tyler
was reported missing. During that time, she had sent a
disturbing text message to a friend saying she didn't know
where she was. Tyler wasn't wearing a coat, and the

(02:18):
temperatures had dropped below freezing that night, making finding her
all the more urgent. Witnesses reported that Tyler had been
drinking heavily that night, shots of tequila and beers, and
it became clear that something had gone terribly wrong. Suspicion

(02:38):
quickly turned to Joshua Ketel, a student with a troubled path.
Tyler had shared with friends her discomfort with Ketle, expressing
she didn't want anything to do with him after a
date gone bad. But Ketel had a history of alleged
sexual assault and violence, making him a person of interest

(03:00):
in Tyler's case. Just one month before Tyler's disappearance, another
woman came forward with allegations against Ketel. He was charged
with felony rape and false imprisonment. The victim's testimony was harrowing,
but it wasn't the first time Ketele had been accused.
In two thousand and eight, a teenager claimed similar experiences

(03:23):
with Ketel while he was at a different college. His
past was quickly painting a very dark picture. The investigation
into Tyler's case revealed more disturbing details. On December ninth,
just six days after Tyler vanished, Ketel was arrested for

(03:45):
evidence hampering and providing false information. Police discovered evidence near
the Missouri River, including tire tracks from Ketel's vehicle and
drag marks that suggested a body had been moved. Ketel's
story kept changing. First, he said he was just walking
Tyler down the street. Then he claimed she got into

(04:09):
his car and the two drove to a local boat dot.
He then alleged that Tyler agreed to a sexual exchange
for a ride, but later changed her mind and accused
him of assault. What followed, he claimed was a verbal
in physical altercation. In twenty seventeen, Ketle was charged with

(04:31):
first degree murder in Tyler's death. By twenty twenty, he
was convicted of a lesser charge of second degree murder
in the death of Tyler and sentenced to seventy one
years in prison, but the case didn't end there. In
January twenty twenty five, Ketle filed a request for a

(04:51):
new trial, claiming he didn't receive a fair trial in
the first place. His argument his trial counsel was in
a effective fighting a disastrous cross examination that may have
affected the outcome of the trial. His request for a
new trial comes after the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected his

(05:12):
appeal in twenty twenty two. His attorneys now argue that
he was denied his constitutional right to a fair trial.
With court documents showing that the state has conceded some
of his claims, Still, the question remains, will Cato be
granted a new trial, and if so, what does this

(05:33):
mean for the family of Tyler Marie Thomas, who had
been fighting for answers for over a decade. It's reported
that in twenty eleven, while still in prison, Ketel allegedly
boasted to a fellow inmate that Tyler's body would never
be found. This chilling confession only added to the growing

(05:55):
suspicion that he knows exactly where Tyler's locally. However, till
this day, her remains have never been recovered. At the
time she vanished, Tyler Marie Thomas was five feet five
inches tall and weigh one hundred and forty pounds, with
dark brown hair and brown eyes. She had several piercings,

(06:17):
including in her lip, ears and her right eyebrow. She
was known to her friends as Tie and was last
seen wearing a teal long sleeve shirt, dark green sweatpans,
beer muffs, and a black scarf. My thoughts and prayers
go out to the family and friends of Tyler Marie Thomas.

(06:37):
Anyone with information about Tyler's case to contact the Niamaha
County Sheriff's Office. Their contact information can be found in
the description box below. As we wrap up this episode,
don't forget to hit the follow button to stay updated
on this case and others like it. Also, be sure
to subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube and stay

(06:59):
connected with us on Instagram and TikTok. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode Until next time.

(07:19):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
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