March 13, 2024 • 29 mins
Alex, Reiley, and Marlee meet with members of the press, law enforcement, and locals at the Elizabethton County Chamber of Commerce to present their latest findings. A moment they had been working towards for months.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
A group of high school students.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
High school students.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Elizabeth In high school students started a project to research
a string of unsolved murders. Their research led to the
identification of the killer.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Investigators now have an answer to a thirty four year
old question.
Speaker 5 (00:17):
Once you start getting a few tips, or a few leads,
or few identifications, then the cold case isn't so cold anymore.
There's a pretty good chance he's still alive. Everything that
the students predicted through their profile turned out to be accurate.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
Redhead Killer profile mal Caucasian, five nine six, two hundred
and seventy pounds, unstable home, absent father, and a domineering mother,
right handed, a Q above one hundred, most likely heterosexual.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
There is no profile of this killer except for the
ones the students created.
Speaker 7 (00:51):
Just because some of these women no longer have people
to speak for them, it does not mean that they
deserve to not be so anymore.
Speaker 8 (00:57):
What if this guy's still alive?
Speaker 9 (00:58):
Like, what if becomes after user?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You're gonna kill me?
Speaker 10 (01:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (01:05):
This is Murder one oh one, Season one, episode ten,
The Final Exam. I'm Jeff Sheen, a television and podcast
producer at KAT Studios with Stephanie Leidecker, Courtney Armstrong, and
Andrew Arnault. In twenty twenty, I came across a story
about a group of high school students who set out
(01:27):
to investigate a series of unsolved murders in their community.
It was an incredible story that here at KAT Studios
we felt needed to be explored further.
Speaker 12 (01:39):
All right, to thank everybody for coming down, Thank you
for being patient with us. My name is Alex Campbell
and I'm a teacher elizabeth In High school. The reason
we called you all here today is to provide some
updates on the Bible Belt strangler case.
Speaker 11 (01:52):
On February sixth, twenty twenty three, mister Campbell, Riley and
Marley met more than thirty members of the press, law enforcement,
and local at Elizabethan County Chamber of Commerce to present
the latest findings. It was a moment the club had
been working toward for months. First, mister Campbell summarized the
work they had done thus far.
Speaker 12 (02:10):
I was a teacher in twenty eighteen when my sociology
class wanted to do as a project to see if
there was any relationship between.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
These murders that happened.
Speaker 12 (02:21):
So in May of twenty eighteen, that class called a
press conference to announce about the work they had been doing,
and they believe that they had some information that did
show that maybe six of these murders could be related
back to one person, because for thirty years, nothing really
happened with most of those cases.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It was just completely cold from.
Speaker 12 (02:41):
About nineteen eighty five killed twenty eighteen. So there has
been a lot of developments in the last few years,
and there's a lot of things to catch you up on.
And the students think they've found some more evidence they're
going to share with you today.
Speaker 8 (02:55):
So I'm going to turn it over to them.
Speaker 11 (02:56):
You're so girls to tell your next Riley and Marley spoke.
Speaker 13 (03:00):
On September sixth, twenty eighteen, the TBI released of the
Campbell County Jane Doe had been identified as Tina Marie
McKinney Farmer of Indianapolis, and after speaking with family, new
information reveals that she is at the epicenter.
Speaker 8 (03:12):
Of the Bible Bells strangler case. Not long after that, on.
Speaker 13 (03:16):
October first, twenty eighteen, case he announced Innows County Jane
Doe as EBC Regina Black Pilgrim of North Carolina, but
after further research, we determined that she is not a
potential victim of the battle Bellas strangler case. And then lastly,
on November twenty fifth, twenty eighteen, the TBI and New
(03:36):
Hampshire authorities announced him the Green County Jane Doe is
Elizabeth Wilmott of New Hampshire and she is involved.
Speaker 8 (03:42):
In the Bubble Bels strangler case.
Speaker 14 (03:45):
On December twentieth of twenty nineteen, the TBI announced that
Tina Farmer's killer was identified as Jerry Johns because his
DNA was matched with DNA.
Speaker 8 (03:54):
That was left at the crime scene. So John's had
been in prison since nineteen eighty five.
Speaker 7 (03:59):
For charges relating to trying to kill a Tennessee redheaded woman,
but he died in custody in twenty fifteen, so he
did not live to see the conviction of this murder.
Speaker 8 (04:08):
Also, baby girl Jane Doe was identified as Tracy Sue
Walker of Indiana. She was fifteen years old at the
time her.
Speaker 7 (04:14):
Death, so we think that she could be included in
the battle Belt strangling victims because of different evidence in
the crime scene and.
Speaker 8 (04:21):
The m O and signature.
Speaker 11 (04:23):
They pointed to the extensive updates since the original assignment.
Speaker 7 (04:27):
This was our original list developed by the class of
twenty eighteen of potential victims of the Battle Belt strangling,
and you see there are a lot of Jane Doe's,
a lot of unidentified victims. And then next this is
our current list that we think could be tied back
to the Bible Belt strangler. You can see there are
a lot more identifications, a lot less Jane Doe's, which
(04:48):
is something very encouraging for us that law enforcement is
continuing to identify these victims, and I think that's in
part to some of the research.
Speaker 8 (04:55):
In the press conference that was held in twenty eighteen.
Speaker 11 (04:57):
They also spoke about the work they've done since then.
Speaker 7 (05:00):
People were able to work with an FBI behavior analyst,
and that was really cool getting to work.
Speaker 8 (05:05):
With a professional and someone that had done this for
years and then kind of.
Speaker 7 (05:10):
Giving us the green light and telling us that our
work was pretty substantial. So he also said he was
one hundred percent convinced that the person who killed Tina
Farmer is guilty of others based on his admission to
being at the secondary crime scenes.
Speaker 8 (05:24):
The suspect would.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
Also fit the profile by exhibiting these classical serial killer
behaviors such as knowing a lot about serial.
Speaker 8 (05:30):
Killers, even mentioning them by name.
Speaker 7 (05:32):
He studied criminal justice and serial killers in three different colleges.
He felt he was smarter than the police and then
might sing an incriminating statement like he didn't do it,
but would offer how he would have done it, etc.
And then our FBI behavior analyst said, he would be
my number one suspect and the jury would convict him.
Speaker 8 (05:50):
Every single time.
Speaker 7 (05:52):
As well, we presented to a retired detective who had
decades of experience and it also work on many homicides.
And then after seeing the evidence, he was asked if
he would give this to a district attorney to take
to a grand jury, and his answer was, oh, yes,
I would work with it.
Speaker 8 (06:06):
And then lastly, we presented to.
Speaker 7 (06:08):
A district attorney who had decades of experience as well
in legal practices and as a former assistant district attorney.
And then when he was shown the evidence, he was
asked if he had ever taken a case to a
grand jury with less evidence than what we had, and
he said, oh yeah. When asked if he would take
the case to a grand jury, he answered, this is solid.
Speaker 8 (06:25):
There is no question, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 13 (06:28):
David Davenport, retired to y'all special agent, a member of
the Redhead Murders TA Sport said, because of the similarities
in all the cases and how they were dumped along
the side of the interstate, it.
Speaker 8 (06:38):
Was probably done by the same truck driver.
Speaker 13 (06:41):
The former assistant distri attorney that we've presented to believes
that there's enough evidence that it is the same emment
signature of the Tini former killer, and a retired from
a Son detective believes there is enough information that it
once again is the same MN signature of the Tini
former killer.
Speaker 11 (06:56):
To the students, all signs pointed to John's being the killer.
Speaker 13 (06:59):
So all the other victim profound a long travel roads
just like Tina Farmer. They all have the same characteristics
such as being white, petite, in transient. All were killed
from The person who killed Tina Farmer was not incarcerated,
so while he was in prison, all the murders stopped.
The same ligature was used on a surviving victim, the
Chief and County Jane Doe and Tracy Sue Walker, and
(07:21):
a ligature used on De Soto County Jane Doe was
just minutes away from Tina Farmer's killers family member's house,
which he visited several times per year if that was
in qube So here's just.
Speaker 8 (07:31):
Another look at mckinni.
Speaker 10 (07:33):
Farmer's killer's MO and signature, so an extensive criminal record
that dated back at the age of sixteen.
Speaker 14 (07:39):
He spent the better path of his younger life between
nineteen sixty seven and nineteen seventy six incarcerated, with no
murders matching them happening while he was incarcerated, and then
in seven in nineteen seventy six he became a trucker,
and then when the murders matching his MO and signature occurred,
he would be out of jail.
Speaker 7 (07:58):
Until his arrest in nineteen eighty five. So whenever he
was in jail, no murders. Whenever he was out of jail,
while he started a period while he was out of jail,
six murders and an attempted murder would take place with
the same m in the same signature. The first murder
matching this MO would take place in nineteen seventy eight,
the year he begins as a long haul trucker. In
(08:20):
nineteen eighty he would start his own trucking company under
the Motor Carrier Vehicle Act, which lifted a lot of
regulations on trucking, so truckers were able to be their
own bosses pretty much, so.
Speaker 8 (08:32):
There was not a lot of supervision. They were able
to kind of do their own thing.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
And then he would have to admit to law enforcement
that he had been everywhere a victim was found because
of his job.
Speaker 8 (08:42):
As a trucker, and then the murders that fit.
Speaker 7 (08:45):
The samemo and signature would stop after.
Speaker 8 (08:47):
He was arrested in March of nineteen eighty five.
Speaker 13 (08:50):
The next year, the match book which was found near
Elizabeth Latt's body, and it was just a book of
matches from the Skinny Rooster, which was an exotic dancer
from in Houston, Texas. And know, if you know much
about Houston, but it's pretty big, like ten thousand square
miles big. However, the Skinny Rooster was located in an
out of the way location in a small industrial part
of the city, which was less than a two minute
(09:11):
drive from where the suspect was staying. And the matchbook
mysteriously was found a sixteen hour drive and we're one
thousand miles away beside a dead body that matched the
mo and signature of Tina Farmer's killer exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:25):
And what we hope this information will lead to and
what we can get from this is for tips that
can help identify further victims.
Speaker 11 (09:32):
The press was able to ask the girls questions.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Y'all didn't even do this for a grade, you know,
this is just for fun before we come in early,
usually once a week in the mornings before school and
talk about murder.
Speaker 8 (09:44):
What would I mean? Why why did you more bread
in this route? Back up a five.
Speaker 13 (09:49):
Years, Like she said, we are very close in age
with many of these victims, and it just kind of
resonates brought back home for us because it could be
as where it could be like she's a sister, it
could be her so or our moms back in the day,
and so it's just really hard to think that some
of these people had to live with not knowing mm
that and some of them had children and they could
(10:09):
have just left their moms, left them rather than been murdered.
So we just wanted to bring closure to all the
people affected by all these murders.
Speaker 7 (10:16):
When you look at the evidence and you looked the
ways women lived, you know, many of them were transient run.
Speaker 8 (10:20):
Aways, different things like that, but.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
That didn't make them any less human, and they didn't
make them any lesser people.
Speaker 8 (10:26):
And the fact that someone to try to take advantage
of that and did take advantage of that and thought.
Speaker 15 (10:31):
That these people would not be missed knowing I'm just
getting to come look for them, I think that that's
very selfish and that's a very evil person, and I
think that that person needs to Obviously, suspect is gone
passed away, so you can't pay her what he did.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
But these parents and these families and daughters, sisters, children,
they all deserve justice and they all deserve to know that.
You know, my mom didn't run away when I was
little because she didn't want me. She was taken from me.
Speaker 7 (10:57):
And I think that that's something very important and that
there are still families and it is still facing people.
Speaker 8 (11:02):
And also this can bring attention to future instances. You know,
don't get the part with the men you don't know,
And then if I think like that.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Just can help make people more aware that you know,
there are people out there who are you, and that's
very important to be aware and to know that it's real.
Speaker 11 (11:20):
A local police officer commenting on their work.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
So I would say, I don't have any questions, but
I'm very appreciative.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
I mean, you guys are very professional.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I know you're still in my school, but I was
very blown away.
Speaker 8 (11:32):
I guess it's rected. You all are very well put together.
You know you're not You have your knowledge, you can
answer questions off the top of your head.
Speaker 12 (11:39):
You look very professional and that if you're ready to
give your PowerPoint presentation.
Speaker 8 (11:44):
If you all wanna be in law enforcement, we'll be
happy to have you. But I will say, as a
law enforcement officer, if you all came to me and.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Said, hey, when we have this new information, I would
be excited.
Speaker 8 (11:54):
I would be very happy that you off put that.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Work in to say hey, this is what I have
and you take the time to go look.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
So I definitely do would be very pursuasive of.
Speaker 11 (12:04):
The extra health and the extra knowledge, and for.
Speaker 12 (12:06):
You all to do what you all do as well
to work together.
Speaker 7 (12:11):
I think the most important thing right now is getting
all of the people involved on the same page, because,
like mister Campbell said, we've been in contact with some
different agencies and stuff out of state. Because I have no
clue that this happened, and there's been new management, new
people take over, so that don't even know about these cases,
don't know what the files are, the didn't even know
there was a.
Speaker 15 (12:30):
File, you know.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
And I think that it's very important that we get
everybody on the same page and kind of present this
information to everybody and just make sure that what's known
is known.
Speaker 11 (12:48):
Let's stop here for a break. We'll be back in
a moment. Murder one on one. After the press conference,
mister Campbell sat down with Riley and Marley to reflect
on their work.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Had a couple of days to reflect. Yeah, and I
guess the first question might be, how do you think
he did?
Speaker 16 (13:17):
Like during the actual press conference, I did not feel
super confident myself. I was nervous about how like sounded,
the kind of verbage I was using. But then afterward
here and like the response and how they thought we
sounded very professional. I felt a lot more confident in
myself and then felt pretty I felt pretty good about it.
Speaker 13 (13:36):
I agree with Riley. While doing it, I was a
little bit nervous and didn't feel too good about it,
But after hearing like the praise from everybody else, I
felt a lot better. About everything.
Speaker 11 (13:47):
The girls discussed their motivations because I think.
Speaker 16 (13:50):
It's important to identify these killers and find justice for
these women, regardless if we're necessarily right or not.
Speaker 13 (13:56):
Yeah, it's not just about like convicting generally on John's
ball that it's just finding doses for the girls.
Speaker 11 (14:02):
Mister Campbell shared some frustrating news.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
I don't know if you saw it or not, but
there was an article in one of the local newspapers, Yes,
and they followed up with a representative from the TVI,
and the quote was that there's no evidence connecting these
crimes things.
Speaker 16 (14:21):
How do they know though, because they haven't. It's not
like they went out of their way to see if
there's any DNA evidence anything like that. I don't understand
that I can sit there and say there's no evidence
when they haven't even give it really much attention.
Speaker 13 (14:32):
They're so similar that it's insane, Like, I don't see
how there couldn't at least be something like there has
to be some evidence.
Speaker 16 (14:39):
Because anytime we've tried to talk to them or make
contact with them to see if we could help a
new way or give them information if there's any new information,
they've kind of shot US down.
Speaker 11 (14:48):
It wasn't long before the Price picked up the story.
Speaker 17 (14:50):
New research from Tennessee high school students shows a single
person could be responsible for a string of killings.
Speaker 18 (14:57):
New research from a pair of elizabeth In Heist school
students suggests a single person was responsible. The students now
believe is actually responsible for six murders and one attempted murder.
In September, two students started looking into the case again,
and those students presented their findings to the public.
Speaker 17 (15:15):
Today, two elizabeth And high school students are now sharing
the result of their research into a string of cold
case murders.
Speaker 9 (15:24):
Two elizabeth did In High school students believe a serial
killer was on the loose in the South in the
mid eighties.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
This week, two students, Marley Mathada and Riley Whitson joined
with Campbell to present the culmination of five years of
investigation into the Redhead murders.
Speaker 19 (15:39):
Marley Mathena and Riley Whitson explained to reporters and investigators
what they found. The women were strangled with a patternes.
They also identified more likely victims and ruled out others.
Speaker 9 (15:52):
Elizabeth In High school students, Riley Whitson, Marley Methana and
teacher Alex Campbell say their research centers around the murder
of Tina McKenny Farmer. They were able to find similarities
in her killing with others around the same time period.
They hoped to bring some closure to families.
Speaker 20 (16:08):
Back in twenty eighteen, the first group of Elizabethtan High
School students, under the guidance of their teacher, developed a
profile of a serial killer who could be responsible. In September,
more students joined in. The students presented their findings to FBI,
behavioral analysis and other criminal justice experts, who all agreed
(16:29):
the suspect fit the profile of the other killings.
Speaker 9 (16:33):
Woodson and Mathena are both juniors at elizabeth In High School.
They hope to continue working on this investigation in their
senior year.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
It wasn't just the press that felt moved by their work.
Speaker 21 (16:43):
Man that was truly blown away. I mean, I knew,
you know, we would talk about it a little bit,
but not in depth that all the stuff they presented.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
Riley's dad, mister Whitson, who was sitting in the press conference,
shared his thoughts on the assignment with mister Campbell.
Speaker 21 (16:58):
I was so proud of him. I thinking through information,
getting on the internet, digging through stuff, digging through you know,
forty year old documents, finding details, finding information. I think
that's a skill that has helped her Mark. That will
help her Mary in life going forward, in college especially,
you know, to pour over have tons of information and
what's important in this information. I think that's a that's
something really big that'll help them going forward.
Speaker 11 (17:19):
Mister Whitson had a good question for mister Campbell.
Speaker 21 (17:22):
You're not getting paid extra, you know, stipping to do this, correct?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
And that's correct.
Speaker 21 (17:27):
Yeah, And I was telling the guy that, He's like,
are you kidding me? I said, yeah, I said, I said,
the girls go early before school. I said, mister Campbell
comes early. It's they're not They're not doing this for
a letter grade or a number or a dollar amount.
They're just doing it because they want to do it.
They're passionate. But most people are blown away by that
because most teenagers, and let's be honest, most people that
(17:47):
work don't do stuff unless they get compensated. That's just life.
You know, people don't do that in the time. You
all have poured into this, and you especially, you know,
you have life, you have a wife, you've got kids,
you've got a family. You got to like myself, I
don't know if I can find the time that you've
put into this extra as much as we have going on,
and then on top of that to not get compensated.
That's a I'm going to patch you on the back,
(18:08):
really really largely for that. Well.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 11 (18:12):
Carrie Schneider from the EXQ Institute, the company that originally
helped back the project, in twenty eighteen discussed the everlasting
mark a project like this leaves.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
I think one of the most fascinating and compelling pieces
of this entire project is that it just kept going.
Speaker 8 (18:33):
We're years now into this.
Speaker 10 (18:35):
The original kids that were a part of this project
are long gone, they're adults. It's not just a project, right,
It's when you really actually have interest and curiosity in something,
You're going to do it once the bell rings, You're
going to do it once the school day ends, because
you're really invested in it. So I think that's just
a big, a big part of what learning can be.
(18:59):
It can actually be something that exists outside the confines
of time or classrooms or a bell schedule or any
of that. And I think this is just one example
of that being true.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
This class taught me more than general education.
Speaker 13 (19:13):
It was about family togetherness and most importantly, understanding the world.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Students who are now adults reflect on the original project
and the impact it has had on their lives.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
I learned the importance of advocating for those without a voice.
Speaker 15 (19:26):
I often find myself thinking about the woman behind the graves.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
They were somebody's lover, friend or mother. That's the part
that really hurts me the most. Missing for years without
a trace, and no one is even looking. What does
that say about humanity?
Speaker 8 (19:40):
The best time to make a difference is the present.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
How about Heylanda, this is Alex.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
How are you hello? Oh yeah, wonderful.
Speaker 11 (19:58):
Let's stop here for another with Greig Murder one on one.
While mister Campbell received lots of positive feedback from the
press conference, there was one person whose opinion mattered more
(20:19):
than anyone's. Jerry John surviving victim Linda.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
I guess you saw some of the news stories and stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, yeah, I was impressed, very impressed. I couldn't believe
that they were so mature and they talked so well.
And I can't even talk on the phone TV. There's
no way I could speak, so but they were just
(20:47):
they did great, not even getting a grain for it,
you know, and coming in early. It took a lot
to get me to come in school early.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
It takes me a lot to get some kids just
to come to school at all.
Speaker 11 (21:03):
For Linda, the press conference brought up painful memories of
the night Jerry Johns tried to kill her.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
When I first saw Ten Farmer's picture, it reminded a
photo of myself. I'd say Ten and I probably were
the same height and wait, and had the same hair,
you know, I mean hers were shorter than mine. But
I'm I don't all those ones seem to have a
lot a lot in common. Yeah, I mean, you know what,
(21:31):
I think I've got it bad. And then I look
or see all these people and all these tortured and
you know, it just it was the longest ten minutes
of my life. I mean, it seemed it seemed like forever.
But then you know, it's so many have had it worse.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Can I ask you a personal question and you don't
have to answer it if you don't want to. And
I could be wrong, but it seems like I can
tell a big difference in you since the first time
we talked just how you deal, just how you're dealing
with things. Do you feel there's a difference.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
When I first when you first I talk to you,
I just freaked out. I couldn't breathe the first few times.
I mean, honestly, there's one time I had to hang
up because I could not breathe, and I mean I
was it was And the next time I think at
it was the time that you had to wait till
(22:26):
afternoon or something, and I'm like, oh, yes, I have
more coffee before I have done phone. So yeah, it's
I've bently calmed down and I've prayed about it, and
I was excited for you guys to do that. It
was a little overwhelming. I'm glad I didn't have to
be there because it was a little more than I
thought it was going to be, but it was. It
(22:48):
was really exciting. Anything you do to help anybody is
just I can't imagine not knowing what happened to my child.
Speaker 11 (22:56):
Despite connecting with her numerous times over the phone, mister
Campbell and Lynn I had never met something he wanted
to change.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
You had mentioned that you might consider maybe coming for
a visit sometime this summer. Is that really something you
feel like doing.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Yes, once I saw those girls, I have to meet
those girls someway. It's possible. I just felt this chinship
or something with them to them. Okay, I don't know why,
but the minute that song or that I thought I
had to meet these girls.
Speaker 11 (23:27):
Mister Campbell relay the news to Riley and Martley.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
I was able to speak to our surviving victim. She
said that in the last few years she really hadn't
gone many places like I. Basically left her town, she said.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
But she said, after I saw those girls, like I
just wanted to come meet on So she said that
she would like to maybe plan a trip down here
maybe in the next few months.
Speaker 8 (23:54):
No way, that's crazy.
Speaker 17 (23:56):
Well, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 8 (23:57):
That's insane.
Speaker 16 (23:58):
That's gonna be just gonna feel because I mean, we
have really we have not talked to her one on one,
but we've talked.
Speaker 22 (24:04):
We found out about as much as we could about
this without actually meeting her, who was in a creepy way,
we're almost like her stalkers and her fan club because
you know, she is the reason he did get he
did get prosecuted, and so we've kind of been her
biggest fan, and she doesn't even really we've never met her.
Speaker 16 (24:22):
And it kind of feels like she don't know who
we are. She's kind of a celebrity in our minds.
I guess, you know, we can meet it. That's crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Yeah, you guys are smiling, you're pretty excited. You're talking
over each other.
Speaker 16 (24:35):
That's what it's about. It's about these girls. It's not
I mean, obviously we want as much media attention as
possible and much attention to the case as possible. But
if we can do justice on these girls part and
get their stories out there and make it known, I
think that's the most important thing.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
I think we've got more work to do. And yeah,
like new stuff's gonna happen, And so maybe you guys
can just focus on.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Winning the state championship for the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Okay, take a little break from the all the murders,
and let's just go at championship.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And then maybe after all that, maybe we'll see what's
happening and if there's some way we want to continue this,
maybe in the.
Speaker 17 (25:10):
Spring or next year, we'll I'm sure there'll be more
work to do.
Speaker 11 (25:15):
Definitely, it seems that time might come sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
The only question I have is Jerry Johns could not
have murdered us, the victim who was found in Barbaraville, Kentucky,
because he was arrested, which was the very last victim.
He was arrested for the attempted murder of London. He
would have been in jail. But what I know is
(25:46):
that Jerry Johns had a brother.
Speaker 11 (25:50):
Shane Waters, who has been on the case since the beginning,
has a theory that can't be ignored. Shane recalls his
interview with an eyewitness who saw Epsy Pilgrim being abducted.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
He told me what the man looked like, what the
truck looked like. But what's odd and interesting is that
the truck is a red truck, which Jerry Johns' truck
was red, so the description is a perfect description of
what Jerry Johnson's truck was. However, Jerry Johns was a redhead,
and Bruce said that this man had dark hair, and
(26:24):
Jerry Johns's brother had dark hair.
Speaker 11 (26:27):
Shane spoke to Jerry Johns's ex wife about the brother.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
When I talked to his wife, she told me that
him and his brother would drive around to all these
locations together. They you know, they basically were always in
the truck together. They were very close. And she's like,
you know, one of the things that I don't understand
is like, how could he do this with his brother there.
Speaker 17 (26:47):
All the time?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And so I was like, well, do you think they
could have been doing this together? And she's like, well,
he kind of would have to be. Maybe his brother
did it to try to take the heat off of
Jerry John's because I know that they questioned Jerry John's
about these women being murdered when he was arrested. However,
(27:08):
I believe once eSPI was murdered shortly after while he's
in jail, I think that the suspicion gets off of
him because of her body being found. I think that
Jerry was the lead person who was doing all these things,
but I think that his brother was there with him.
They were probably in it together.
Speaker 12 (27:27):
Hey, girls, how y'all doing?
Speaker 5 (27:29):
How not too bad? I hadn't seen you in a
while when y'all been up to.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Not much, just playing basketball?
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Playing basketball?
Speaker 8 (27:36):
Yeah, did y'all win something or something?
Speaker 7 (27:37):
The other night?
Speaker 8 (27:38):
We did?
Speaker 13 (27:39):
We won the district championship.
Speaker 8 (27:41):
Awesome what's next region? Yeah, okay, awesome. Well the bell
just rang. I'm getting ready to go to class.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Did y'all need something?
Speaker 7 (27:49):
I know we haven't met in a while, but I
have some new information that needs to share and I think.
Speaker 8 (27:54):
It changes every week.
Speaker 11 (28:00):
More on that next time. Murder one oh one is
executive produced by Stephanie Leidecker, Alex Campbell, Courtney Armstrong, Andrew Arnout,
and me Jeff Shane. Additional producing by Connor Powell and
Gabriel Castillo. Editing by Jeff Twa and Davey Cooper Wesser,
(28:21):
Music by Vanikor Music. Murder one oh one is a
production of iHeart Radio and Katie Studios. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Speaker 17 (28:36):
This is Alex Campbell, co host of Murder one oh one.
We hope you're enjoying season one. We asked that if
you know anything that could help police solve these cases,
that you contact the appropriate agencies with any information you
feel can help with their work to bring justice to
these women and their families. But we also asked that
if you feel you can help us continue to tell
(28:58):
these stories that you reach out to us with any
of the following information. Number one, if you have any
personal experiences with these victims that could help us tell
their stories as real people. Maybe you grew up with them,
worked with them, or are even related to them. If
you can shed light on the investigations going back to
the nineteen eighties, then maybe you worked with the cases,
(29:19):
such as a police officer, or maybe you were a
witness or even a journalist, that would also be very helpful.
And finally, if you have any information on our suspect,
maybe you grew up with him, you were in the
military with him, incarcerated with him, or maybe involved with
him through law enforcement such as his jailor guard or
parole officer. All those things can be helpful. We would
(29:39):
love to hear from any of you.
Speaker 12 (29:41):
You can reach us at info at ktstudios dot com
or message us through Instagram at kt Underscore Studios.
A group of high school students.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
High school students.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Elizabeth In high school students started a project to research
a string of unsolved murders. Their research led to the
identification of the killer.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Investigators now have an answer to a thirty four year
old question.
Speaker 5 (00:17):
Once you start getting a few tips, or a few leads,
or few identifications, then the cold case isn't so cold anymore.
There's a pretty good chance he's still alive. Everything that
the students predicted through their profile turned out to be accurate.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
Redhead Killer profile mal Caucasian, five nine six, two hundred
and seventy pounds, unstable home, absent father, and a domineering mother,
right handed, a Q above one hundred, most likely heterosexual.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
There is no profile of this killer except for the
ones the students created.
Speaker 7 (00:51):
Just because some of these women no longer have people
to speak for them, it does not mean that they
deserve to not be so anymore.
Speaker 8 (00:57):
What if this guy's still alive?
Speaker 9 (00:58):
Like, what if becomes after user?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You're gonna kill me?
Speaker 10 (01:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (01:05):
This is Murder one oh one, Season one, episode ten,
The Final Exam. I'm Jeff Sheen, a television and podcast
producer at KAT Studios with Stephanie Leidecker, Courtney Armstrong, and
Andrew Arnault. In twenty twenty, I came across a story
about a group of high school students who set out
(01:27):
to investigate a series of unsolved murders in their community.
It was an incredible story that here at KAT Studios
we felt needed to be explored further.
Speaker 12 (01:39):
All right, to thank everybody for coming down, Thank you
for being patient with us. My name is Alex Campbell
and I'm a teacher elizabeth In High school. The reason
we called you all here today is to provide some
updates on the Bible Belt strangler case.
Speaker 11 (01:52):
On February sixth, twenty twenty three, mister Campbell, Riley and
Marley met more than thirty members of the press, law enforcement,
and local at Elizabethan County Chamber of Commerce to present
the latest findings. It was a moment the club had
been working toward for months. First, mister Campbell summarized the
work they had done thus far.
Speaker 12 (02:10):
I was a teacher in twenty eighteen when my sociology
class wanted to do as a project to see if
there was any relationship between.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
These murders that happened.
Speaker 12 (02:21):
So in May of twenty eighteen, that class called a
press conference to announce about the work they had been doing,
and they believe that they had some information that did
show that maybe six of these murders could be related
back to one person, because for thirty years, nothing really
happened with most of those cases.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It was just completely cold from.
Speaker 12 (02:41):
About nineteen eighty five killed twenty eighteen. So there has
been a lot of developments in the last few years,
and there's a lot of things to catch you up on.
And the students think they've found some more evidence they're
going to share with you today.
Speaker 8 (02:55):
So I'm going to turn it over to them.
Speaker 11 (02:56):
You're so girls to tell your next Riley and Marley spoke.
Speaker 13 (03:00):
On September sixth, twenty eighteen, the TBI released of the
Campbell County Jane Doe had been identified as Tina Marie
McKinney Farmer of Indianapolis, and after speaking with family, new
information reveals that she is at the epicenter.
Speaker 8 (03:12):
Of the Bible Bells strangler case. Not long after that, on.
Speaker 13 (03:16):
October first, twenty eighteen, case he announced Innows County Jane
Doe as EBC Regina Black Pilgrim of North Carolina, but
after further research, we determined that she is not a
potential victim of the battle Bellas strangler case. And then lastly,
on November twenty fifth, twenty eighteen, the TBI and New
(03:36):
Hampshire authorities announced him the Green County Jane Doe is
Elizabeth Wilmott of New Hampshire and she is involved.
Speaker 8 (03:42):
In the Bubble Bels strangler case.
Speaker 14 (03:45):
On December twentieth of twenty nineteen, the TBI announced that
Tina Farmer's killer was identified as Jerry Johns because his
DNA was matched with DNA.
Speaker 8 (03:54):
That was left at the crime scene. So John's had
been in prison since nineteen eighty five.
Speaker 7 (03:59):
For charges relating to trying to kill a Tennessee redheaded woman,
but he died in custody in twenty fifteen, so he
did not live to see the conviction of this murder.
Speaker 8 (04:08):
Also, baby girl Jane Doe was identified as Tracy Sue
Walker of Indiana. She was fifteen years old at the
time her.
Speaker 7 (04:14):
Death, so we think that she could be included in
the battle Belt strangling victims because of different evidence in
the crime scene and.
Speaker 8 (04:21):
The m O and signature.
Speaker 11 (04:23):
They pointed to the extensive updates since the original assignment.
Speaker 7 (04:27):
This was our original list developed by the class of
twenty eighteen of potential victims of the Battle Belt strangling,
and you see there are a lot of Jane Doe's,
a lot of unidentified victims. And then next this is
our current list that we think could be tied back
to the Bible Belt strangler. You can see there are
a lot more identifications, a lot less Jane Doe's, which
(04:48):
is something very encouraging for us that law enforcement is
continuing to identify these victims, and I think that's in
part to some of the research.
Speaker 8 (04:55):
In the press conference that was held in twenty eighteen.
Speaker 11 (04:57):
They also spoke about the work they've done since then.
Speaker 7 (05:00):
People were able to work with an FBI behavior analyst,
and that was really cool getting to work.
Speaker 8 (05:05):
With a professional and someone that had done this for
years and then kind of.
Speaker 7 (05:10):
Giving us the green light and telling us that our
work was pretty substantial. So he also said he was
one hundred percent convinced that the person who killed Tina
Farmer is guilty of others based on his admission to
being at the secondary crime scenes.
Speaker 8 (05:24):
The suspect would.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
Also fit the profile by exhibiting these classical serial killer
behaviors such as knowing a lot about serial.
Speaker 8 (05:30):
Killers, even mentioning them by name.
Speaker 7 (05:32):
He studied criminal justice and serial killers in three different colleges.
He felt he was smarter than the police and then
might sing an incriminating statement like he didn't do it,
but would offer how he would have done it, etc.
And then our FBI behavior analyst said, he would be
my number one suspect and the jury would convict him.
Speaker 8 (05:50):
Every single time.
Speaker 7 (05:52):
As well, we presented to a retired detective who had
decades of experience and it also work on many homicides.
And then after seeing the evidence, he was asked if
he would give this to a district attorney to take
to a grand jury, and his answer was, oh, yes,
I would work with it.
Speaker 8 (06:06):
And then lastly, we presented to.
Speaker 7 (06:08):
A district attorney who had decades of experience as well
in legal practices and as a former assistant district attorney.
And then when he was shown the evidence, he was
asked if he had ever taken a case to a
grand jury with less evidence than what we had, and
he said, oh yeah. When asked if he would take
the case to a grand jury, he answered, this is solid.
Speaker 8 (06:25):
There is no question, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 13 (06:28):
David Davenport, retired to y'all special agent, a member of
the Redhead Murders TA Sport said, because of the similarities
in all the cases and how they were dumped along
the side of the interstate, it.
Speaker 8 (06:38):
Was probably done by the same truck driver.
Speaker 13 (06:41):
The former assistant distri attorney that we've presented to believes
that there's enough evidence that it is the same emment
signature of the Tini former killer, and a retired from
a Son detective believes there is enough information that it
once again is the same MN signature of the Tini
former killer.
Speaker 11 (06:56):
To the students, all signs pointed to John's being the killer.
Speaker 13 (06:59):
So all the other victim profound a long travel roads
just like Tina Farmer. They all have the same characteristics
such as being white, petite, in transient. All were killed
from The person who killed Tina Farmer was not incarcerated,
so while he was in prison, all the murders stopped.
The same ligature was used on a surviving victim, the
Chief and County Jane Doe and Tracy Sue Walker, and
(07:21):
a ligature used on De Soto County Jane Doe was
just minutes away from Tina Farmer's killers family member's house,
which he visited several times per year if that was
in qube So here's just.
Speaker 8 (07:31):
Another look at mckinni.
Speaker 10 (07:33):
Farmer's killer's MO and signature, so an extensive criminal record
that dated back at the age of sixteen.
Speaker 14 (07:39):
He spent the better path of his younger life between
nineteen sixty seven and nineteen seventy six incarcerated, with no
murders matching them happening while he was incarcerated, and then
in seven in nineteen seventy six he became a trucker,
and then when the murders matching his MO and signature occurred,
he would be out of jail.
Speaker 7 (07:58):
Until his arrest in nineteen eighty five. So whenever he
was in jail, no murders. Whenever he was out of jail,
while he started a period while he was out of jail,
six murders and an attempted murder would take place with
the same m in the same signature. The first murder
matching this MO would take place in nineteen seventy eight,
the year he begins as a long haul trucker. In
(08:20):
nineteen eighty he would start his own trucking company under
the Motor Carrier Vehicle Act, which lifted a lot of
regulations on trucking, so truckers were able to be their
own bosses pretty much, so.
Speaker 8 (08:32):
There was not a lot of supervision. They were able
to kind of do their own thing.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
And then he would have to admit to law enforcement
that he had been everywhere a victim was found because
of his job.
Speaker 8 (08:42):
As a trucker, and then the murders that fit.
Speaker 7 (08:45):
The samemo and signature would stop after.
Speaker 8 (08:47):
He was arrested in March of nineteen eighty five.
Speaker 13 (08:50):
The next year, the match book which was found near
Elizabeth Latt's body, and it was just a book of
matches from the Skinny Rooster, which was an exotic dancer
from in Houston, Texas. And know, if you know much
about Houston, but it's pretty big, like ten thousand square
miles big. However, the Skinny Rooster was located in an
out of the way location in a small industrial part
of the city, which was less than a two minute
(09:11):
drive from where the suspect was staying. And the matchbook
mysteriously was found a sixteen hour drive and we're one
thousand miles away beside a dead body that matched the
mo and signature of Tina Farmer's killer exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:25):
And what we hope this information will lead to and
what we can get from this is for tips that
can help identify further victims.
Speaker 11 (09:32):
The press was able to ask the girls questions.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Y'all didn't even do this for a grade, you know,
this is just for fun before we come in early,
usually once a week in the mornings before school and
talk about murder.
Speaker 8 (09:44):
What would I mean? Why why did you more bread
in this route? Back up a five.
Speaker 13 (09:49):
Years, Like she said, we are very close in age
with many of these victims, and it just kind of
resonates brought back home for us because it could be
as where it could be like she's a sister, it
could be her so or our moms back in the day,
and so it's just really hard to think that some
of these people had to live with not knowing mm
that and some of them had children and they could
(10:09):
have just left their moms, left them rather than been murdered.
So we just wanted to bring closure to all the
people affected by all these murders.
Speaker 7 (10:16):
When you look at the evidence and you looked the
ways women lived, you know, many of them were transient run.
Speaker 8 (10:20):
Aways, different things like that, but.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
That didn't make them any less human, and they didn't
make them any lesser people.
Speaker 8 (10:26):
And the fact that someone to try to take advantage
of that and did take advantage of that and thought.
Speaker 15 (10:31):
That these people would not be missed knowing I'm just
getting to come look for them, I think that that's
very selfish and that's a very evil person, and I
think that that person needs to Obviously, suspect is gone
passed away, so you can't pay her what he did.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
But these parents and these families and daughters, sisters, children,
they all deserve justice and they all deserve to know that.
You know, my mom didn't run away when I was
little because she didn't want me. She was taken from me.
Speaker 7 (10:57):
And I think that that's something very important and that
there are still families and it is still facing people.
Speaker 8 (11:02):
And also this can bring attention to future instances. You know,
don't get the part with the men you don't know,
And then if I think like that.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Just can help make people more aware that you know,
there are people out there who are you, and that's
very important to be aware and to know that it's real.
Speaker 11 (11:20):
A local police officer commenting on their work.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
So I would say, I don't have any questions, but
I'm very appreciative.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
I mean, you guys are very professional.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I know you're still in my school, but I was
very blown away.
Speaker 8 (11:32):
I guess it's rected. You all are very well put together.
You know you're not You have your knowledge, you can
answer questions off the top of your head.
Speaker 12 (11:39):
You look very professional and that if you're ready to
give your PowerPoint presentation.
Speaker 8 (11:44):
If you all wanna be in law enforcement, we'll be
happy to have you. But I will say, as a
law enforcement officer, if you all came to me and.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Said, hey, when we have this new information, I would
be excited.
Speaker 8 (11:54):
I would be very happy that you off put that.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Work in to say hey, this is what I have
and you take the time to go look.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
So I definitely do would be very pursuasive of.
Speaker 11 (12:04):
The extra health and the extra knowledge, and for.
Speaker 12 (12:06):
You all to do what you all do as well
to work together.
Speaker 7 (12:11):
I think the most important thing right now is getting
all of the people involved on the same page, because,
like mister Campbell said, we've been in contact with some
different agencies and stuff out of state. Because I have no
clue that this happened, and there's been new management, new
people take over, so that don't even know about these cases,
don't know what the files are, the didn't even know
there was a.
Speaker 15 (12:30):
File, you know.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
And I think that it's very important that we get
everybody on the same page and kind of present this
information to everybody and just make sure that what's known
is known.
Speaker 11 (12:48):
Let's stop here for a break. We'll be back in
a moment. Murder one on one. After the press conference,
mister Campbell sat down with Riley and Marley to reflect
on their work.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Had a couple of days to reflect. Yeah, and I
guess the first question might be, how do you think
he did?
Speaker 16 (13:17):
Like during the actual press conference, I did not feel
super confident myself. I was nervous about how like sounded,
the kind of verbage I was using. But then afterward
here and like the response and how they thought we
sounded very professional. I felt a lot more confident in
myself and then felt pretty I felt pretty good about it.
Speaker 13 (13:36):
I agree with Riley. While doing it, I was a
little bit nervous and didn't feel too good about it,
But after hearing like the praise from everybody else, I
felt a lot better. About everything.
Speaker 11 (13:47):
The girls discussed their motivations because I think.
Speaker 16 (13:50):
It's important to identify these killers and find justice for
these women, regardless if we're necessarily right or not.
Speaker 13 (13:56):
Yeah, it's not just about like convicting generally on John's
ball that it's just finding doses for the girls.
Speaker 11 (14:02):
Mister Campbell shared some frustrating news.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
I don't know if you saw it or not, but
there was an article in one of the local newspapers, Yes,
and they followed up with a representative from the TVI,
and the quote was that there's no evidence connecting these
crimes things.
Speaker 16 (14:21):
How do they know though, because they haven't. It's not
like they went out of their way to see if
there's any DNA evidence anything like that. I don't understand
that I can sit there and say there's no evidence
when they haven't even give it really much attention.
Speaker 13 (14:32):
They're so similar that it's insane, Like, I don't see
how there couldn't at least be something like there has
to be some evidence.
Speaker 16 (14:39):
Because anytime we've tried to talk to them or make
contact with them to see if we could help a
new way or give them information if there's any new information,
they've kind of shot US down.
Speaker 11 (14:48):
It wasn't long before the Price picked up the story.
Speaker 17 (14:50):
New research from Tennessee high school students shows a single
person could be responsible for a string of killings.
Speaker 18 (14:57):
New research from a pair of elizabeth In Heist school
students suggests a single person was responsible. The students now
believe is actually responsible for six murders and one attempted murder.
In September, two students started looking into the case again,
and those students presented their findings to the public.
Speaker 17 (15:15):
Today, two elizabeth And high school students are now sharing
the result of their research into a string of cold
case murders.
Speaker 9 (15:24):
Two elizabeth did In High school students believe a serial
killer was on the loose in the South in the
mid eighties.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
This week, two students, Marley Mathada and Riley Whitson joined
with Campbell to present the culmination of five years of
investigation into the Redhead murders.
Speaker 19 (15:39):
Marley Mathena and Riley Whitson explained to reporters and investigators
what they found. The women were strangled with a patternes.
They also identified more likely victims and ruled out others.
Speaker 9 (15:52):
Elizabeth In High school students, Riley Whitson, Marley Methana and
teacher Alex Campbell say their research centers around the murder
of Tina McKenny Farmer. They were able to find similarities
in her killing with others around the same time period.
They hoped to bring some closure to families.
Speaker 20 (16:08):
Back in twenty eighteen, the first group of Elizabethtan High
School students, under the guidance of their teacher, developed a
profile of a serial killer who could be responsible. In September,
more students joined in. The students presented their findings to FBI,
behavioral analysis and other criminal justice experts, who all agreed
(16:29):
the suspect fit the profile of the other killings.
Speaker 9 (16:33):
Woodson and Mathena are both juniors at elizabeth In High School.
They hope to continue working on this investigation in their
senior year.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
It wasn't just the press that felt moved by their work.
Speaker 21 (16:43):
Man that was truly blown away. I mean, I knew,
you know, we would talk about it a little bit,
but not in depth that all the stuff they presented.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
Riley's dad, mister Whitson, who was sitting in the press conference,
shared his thoughts on the assignment with mister Campbell.
Speaker 21 (16:58):
I was so proud of him. I thinking through information,
getting on the internet, digging through stuff, digging through you know,
forty year old documents, finding details, finding information. I think
that's a skill that has helped her Mark. That will
help her Mary in life going forward, in college especially,
you know, to pour over have tons of information and
what's important in this information. I think that's a that's
something really big that'll help them going forward.
Speaker 11 (17:19):
Mister Whitson had a good question for mister Campbell.
Speaker 21 (17:22):
You're not getting paid extra, you know, stipping to do this, correct?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
And that's correct.
Speaker 21 (17:27):
Yeah, And I was telling the guy that, He's like,
are you kidding me? I said, yeah, I said, I said,
the girls go early before school. I said, mister Campbell
comes early. It's they're not They're not doing this for
a letter grade or a number or a dollar amount.
They're just doing it because they want to do it.
They're passionate. But most people are blown away by that
because most teenagers, and let's be honest, most people that
(17:47):
work don't do stuff unless they get compensated. That's just life.
You know, people don't do that in the time. You
all have poured into this, and you especially, you know,
you have life, you have a wife, you've got kids,
you've got a family. You got to like myself, I
don't know if I can find the time that you've
put into this extra as much as we have going on,
and then on top of that to not get compensated.
That's a I'm going to patch you on the back,
(18:08):
really really largely for that. Well.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 11 (18:12):
Carrie Schneider from the EXQ Institute, the company that originally
helped back the project, in twenty eighteen discussed the everlasting
mark a project like this leaves.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
I think one of the most fascinating and compelling pieces
of this entire project is that it just kept going.
Speaker 8 (18:33):
We're years now into this.
Speaker 10 (18:35):
The original kids that were a part of this project
are long gone, they're adults. It's not just a project, right,
It's when you really actually have interest and curiosity in something,
You're going to do it once the bell rings, You're
going to do it once the school day ends, because
you're really invested in it. So I think that's just
a big, a big part of what learning can be.
(18:59):
It can actually be something that exists outside the confines
of time or classrooms or a bell schedule or any
of that. And I think this is just one example
of that being true.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
This class taught me more than general education.
Speaker 13 (19:13):
It was about family togetherness and most importantly, understanding the world.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Students who are now adults reflect on the original project
and the impact it has had on their lives.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
I learned the importance of advocating for those without a voice.
Speaker 15 (19:26):
I often find myself thinking about the woman behind the graves.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
They were somebody's lover, friend or mother. That's the part
that really hurts me the most. Missing for years without
a trace, and no one is even looking. What does
that say about humanity?
Speaker 8 (19:40):
The best time to make a difference is the present.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
How about Heylanda, this is Alex.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
How are you hello? Oh yeah, wonderful.
Speaker 11 (19:58):
Let's stop here for another with Greig Murder one on one.
While mister Campbell received lots of positive feedback from the
press conference, there was one person whose opinion mattered more
(20:19):
than anyone's. Jerry John surviving victim Linda.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
I guess you saw some of the news stories and stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, yeah, I was impressed, very impressed. I couldn't believe
that they were so mature and they talked so well.
And I can't even talk on the phone TV. There's
no way I could speak, so but they were just
(20:47):
they did great, not even getting a grain for it,
you know, and coming in early. It took a lot
to get me to come in school early.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
It takes me a lot to get some kids just
to come to school at all.
Speaker 11 (21:03):
For Linda, the press conference brought up painful memories of
the night Jerry Johns tried to kill her.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
When I first saw Ten Farmer's picture, it reminded a
photo of myself. I'd say Ten and I probably were
the same height and wait, and had the same hair,
you know, I mean hers were shorter than mine. But
I'm I don't all those ones seem to have a
lot a lot in common. Yeah, I mean, you know what,
(21:31):
I think I've got it bad. And then I look
or see all these people and all these tortured and
you know, it just it was the longest ten minutes
of my life. I mean, it seemed it seemed like forever.
But then you know, it's so many have had it worse.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Can I ask you a personal question and you don't
have to answer it if you don't want to. And
I could be wrong, but it seems like I can
tell a big difference in you since the first time
we talked just how you deal, just how you're dealing
with things. Do you feel there's a difference.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
When I first when you first I talk to you,
I just freaked out. I couldn't breathe the first few times.
I mean, honestly, there's one time I had to hang
up because I could not breathe, and I mean I
was it was And the next time I think at
it was the time that you had to wait till
(22:26):
afternoon or something, and I'm like, oh, yes, I have
more coffee before I have done phone. So yeah, it's
I've bently calmed down and I've prayed about it, and
I was excited for you guys to do that. It
was a little overwhelming. I'm glad I didn't have to
be there because it was a little more than I
thought it was going to be, but it was. It
(22:48):
was really exciting. Anything you do to help anybody is
just I can't imagine not knowing what happened to my child.
Speaker 11 (22:56):
Despite connecting with her numerous times over the phone, mister
Campbell and Lynn I had never met something he wanted
to change.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
You had mentioned that you might consider maybe coming for
a visit sometime this summer. Is that really something you
feel like doing.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Yes, once I saw those girls, I have to meet
those girls someway. It's possible. I just felt this chinship
or something with them to them. Okay, I don't know why,
but the minute that song or that I thought I
had to meet these girls.
Speaker 11 (23:27):
Mister Campbell relay the news to Riley and Martley.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
I was able to speak to our surviving victim. She
said that in the last few years she really hadn't
gone many places like I. Basically left her town, she said.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
But she said, after I saw those girls, like I
just wanted to come meet on So she said that
she would like to maybe plan a trip down here
maybe in the next few months.
Speaker 8 (23:54):
No way, that's crazy.
Speaker 17 (23:56):
Well, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 8 (23:57):
That's insane.
Speaker 16 (23:58):
That's gonna be just gonna feel because I mean, we
have really we have not talked to her one on one,
but we've talked.
Speaker 22 (24:04):
We found out about as much as we could about
this without actually meeting her, who was in a creepy way,
we're almost like her stalkers and her fan club because
you know, she is the reason he did get he
did get prosecuted, and so we've kind of been her
biggest fan, and she doesn't even really we've never met her.
Speaker 16 (24:22):
And it kind of feels like she don't know who
we are. She's kind of a celebrity in our minds.
I guess, you know, we can meet it. That's crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Yeah, you guys are smiling, you're pretty excited. You're talking
over each other.
Speaker 16 (24:35):
That's what it's about. It's about these girls. It's not
I mean, obviously we want as much media attention as
possible and much attention to the case as possible. But
if we can do justice on these girls part and
get their stories out there and make it known, I
think that's the most important thing.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
I think we've got more work to do. And yeah,
like new stuff's gonna happen, And so maybe you guys
can just focus on.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Winning the state championship for the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Okay, take a little break from the all the murders,
and let's just go at championship.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And then maybe after all that, maybe we'll see what's
happening and if there's some way we want to continue this,
maybe in the.
Speaker 17 (25:10):
Spring or next year, we'll I'm sure there'll be more
work to do.
Speaker 11 (25:15):
Definitely, it seems that time might come sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
The only question I have is Jerry Johns could not
have murdered us, the victim who was found in Barbaraville, Kentucky,
because he was arrested, which was the very last victim.
He was arrested for the attempted murder of London. He
would have been in jail. But what I know is
(25:46):
that Jerry Johns had a brother.
Speaker 11 (25:50):
Shane Waters, who has been on the case since the beginning,
has a theory that can't be ignored. Shane recalls his
interview with an eyewitness who saw Epsy Pilgrim being abducted.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
He told me what the man looked like, what the
truck looked like. But what's odd and interesting is that
the truck is a red truck, which Jerry Johns' truck
was red, so the description is a perfect description of
what Jerry Johnson's truck was. However, Jerry Johns was a redhead,
and Bruce said that this man had dark hair, and
(26:24):
Jerry Johns's brother had dark hair.
Speaker 11 (26:27):
Shane spoke to Jerry Johns's ex wife about the brother.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
When I talked to his wife, she told me that
him and his brother would drive around to all these
locations together. They you know, they basically were always in
the truck together. They were very close. And she's like,
you know, one of the things that I don't understand
is like, how could he do this with his brother there.
Speaker 17 (26:47):
All the time?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And so I was like, well, do you think they
could have been doing this together? And she's like, well,
he kind of would have to be. Maybe his brother
did it to try to take the heat off of
Jerry John's because I know that they questioned Jerry John's
about these women being murdered when he was arrested. However,
(27:08):
I believe once eSPI was murdered shortly after while he's
in jail, I think that the suspicion gets off of
him because of her body being found. I think that
Jerry was the lead person who was doing all these things,
but I think that his brother was there with him.
They were probably in it together.
Speaker 12 (27:27):
Hey, girls, how y'all doing?
Speaker 5 (27:29):
How not too bad? I hadn't seen you in a
while when y'all been up to.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Not much, just playing basketball?
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Playing basketball?
Speaker 8 (27:36):
Yeah, did y'all win something or something?
Speaker 7 (27:37):
The other night?
Speaker 8 (27:38):
We did?
Speaker 13 (27:39):
We won the district championship.
Speaker 8 (27:41):
Awesome what's next region? Yeah, okay, awesome. Well the bell
just rang. I'm getting ready to go to class.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Did y'all need something?
Speaker 7 (27:49):
I know we haven't met in a while, but I
have some new information that needs to share and I think.
Speaker 8 (27:54):
It changes every week.
Speaker 11 (28:00):
More on that next time. Murder one oh one is
executive produced by Stephanie Leidecker, Alex Campbell, Courtney Armstrong, Andrew Arnout,
and me Jeff Shane. Additional producing by Connor Powell and
Gabriel Castillo. Editing by Jeff Twa and Davey Cooper Wesser,
(28:21):
Music by Vanikor Music. Murder one oh one is a
production of iHeart Radio and Katie Studios. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Speaker 17 (28:36):
This is Alex Campbell, co host of Murder one oh one.
We hope you're enjoying season one. We asked that if
you know anything that could help police solve these cases,
that you contact the appropriate agencies with any information you
feel can help with their work to bring justice to
these women and their families. But we also asked that
if you feel you can help us continue to tell
(28:58):
these stories that you reach out to us with any
of the following information. Number one, if you have any
personal experiences with these victims that could help us tell
their stories as real people. Maybe you grew up with them,
worked with them, or are even related to them. If
you can shed light on the investigations going back to
the nineteen eighties, then maybe you worked with the cases,
(29:19):
such as a police officer, or maybe you were a
witness or even a journalist, that would also be very helpful.
And finally, if you have any information on our suspect,
maybe you grew up with him, you were in the
military with him, incarcerated with him, or maybe involved with
him through law enforcement such as his jailor guard or
parole officer. All those things can be helpful. We would
(29:39):
love to hear from any of you.
Speaker 12 (29:41):
You can reach us at info at ktstudios dot com
or message us through Instagram at kt Underscore Studios.
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