September 22, 2017 • 27 mins
How was the Wideman case handled? On this episode, we consult with local law enforcement, as well as the one person who may know the case the best. Mixed by: ResonateRecordings.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
You place your left hand on the Bible and raise
your right hand and repeat after me. I do solemnly
swear the jury trying it attended, not scared. The process
continued this weekend at Ferguson and around the country, resisting
your it makes no sense. If it doesn't fit, you
must have quit. Judge, you are the last line of
(00:29):
reason in this case. Every one of us took it
all some office and we're sworn to uphold the Constitution.
From Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta, this is sworn. I'm your host,
Philip Holloway. I haven't went out investigating, and I asked
questions like yall, some people, we all thought, tell me,
(00:49):
some people won't. Some people are scared. When it first happened,
everybody's like they get killed. Last episode, we talked to
the local news outlets that covered the Wideman case. We
also talked to a local family friend. It's been hard
(01:10):
for us to get a lot of the details straight.
We needed to talk with the current Turner County Sheriff,
Andy Hester. I tried sending him a message, and Mason
tried calling twice, but we got no answer. I reached
out to him by phone and my text message, but
I had no love. Finally, I decided to send one
of the sworn producers in person to see if we
(01:31):
could ask him some questions about the Wideman case. Seven
November October September. On our way down to Rebecca, we
stopped at the Turner County E. M. S and Fire station.
I met a group of nice people who are willing
to sit through the fire report documents to find the
(01:52):
one on the Wideman case. So it's filed in the
two thousand one because if this player runs one through June.
They brought out a box of paper files that they
had in storage July August, September, October, November to Sember.
(02:12):
Their fiscal year runs July one thro so even though
the Wyman fire took place in two thousand two, it
would be filed in with the two thousand one reports.
So large is into two thousand one would because we
used to have to do um monthly reports and turn
it into forestry now, so that means it's either burned
or it's that's wise not solved because the wards are gone.
(02:38):
Maybe she's right. They looked for us, but they couldn't
find any of the two thousand one files Apparently the
protocol is to keep files dating back ten years and
after that they're burned. There should be a fire report
from that. All right, we don't know we threw anything away.
We were connected with Brad Calhoun, the husband of one
of the e M T s we've spoken to earlier.
(02:59):
I know he said that Sheriff's office definitely has a
copy of it, but yeah, I don't know if he'll
give it to me. Uh, I call that sho be
a problem. Brad is the county and District commissioner, so
he got us in touch with the Sheriff, Andy Hester. Come, well,
(03:25):
I'm Andy Hester. I'm the sheriff of Turner County. Spent
about twenty five of my years here in this county.
Whether it started out with Ashton Police Department and then
came to the Sheriff's office. We got lucky. Sheriff Hester
was in his office and he was willing to talk
to us. Status of the cases. It's open. It's raw
(03:47):
to all of us that work here, because it is
to me one being. I grew up here and I
knew the family to being. I'm the sheriff of this
county and people expect me to keep things fresh and
and worked on. And that's what my goal is, to
make sure that it's not, let you know, laying down stagnant.
Since I've been sheriff, I know I've called the gb
(04:08):
office and met with their sack at the time that
came down when I first become sheriff, I called him
and asked him to come. And that was the specific
reason as they picked this case back up and please
look at it harder and look at it. If anything
was not turned over, to turn it over. There's a
lot of information. I can't tell you that there's not
(04:29):
something there that could solve the case. I can't tell
you that there is, but I can say that there's
a lot of information that's been gathered. It's very important
that people if they know anything, it don't matter if
they think it's important or not. It might be a
little piece of thread that connects two things together that
we need connected that will solve the case. And uh
(04:51):
to I want to tell people that, yes, it will
be solved. I want to tell them that, and I
want them to be encouraged to anything they here to.
Please call and tell us us what we're here for.
They ain't gonna be bothering us. They ain't gonna cause
us to have any undo work that we don't need
to do. We need to do that work. You know,
(05:12):
if they don't trust the sheriff's office called the g
B office. Those guys, they didn't grow up here, They
don't have any friends, and they involved in either side.
And if there's any question, I hope there's not. I
hope the public that has all the confident and trust
in the world in the sheriff and the Sheriff's office here.
But if they don't, there's an avenue that they can
(05:32):
take to keep us clear of the information. They can
call the GBI and the g B I will work
that case with that information without us even knowing. That's fine.
I want the case solved. I don't care how it solved.
I don't care who it is that did it. We
want them in jail. They murdered three people, and uh,
they need to be brought to justice. That's what our
(05:55):
goal is. And I wish we could release a lot
of information out there to people like you that are
wanting to all you want to do solve the case.
I wish we could, and I don't want it to
seem like that we stonlee walling or putting up barricades
for you or the public. But there's just things that
are detrimental to cases that you don't release. Early on,
(06:16):
in our interview with the sheriff, we were met with
a common roadblock in cases like this. I really can't
tell you that information because it's it would be information
that don't need to be released. You see, with multiple
agencies involved and the fact that they all consider this
technically an ongoing investigation, whatever that means, even though it's
nearly been fifteen years, they still don't want to open
(06:39):
up about the facts of the case, and that would
be something you'd have to talk to the GBI about.
They still don't want to talk about what they're doing
to keep this case moving. I couldn't release any of
that information to you. I wouldn't be able to release
that information. The g b I would have to release
that to you. That's information that the g b I
would have to least if it's released. I can't tell
(07:02):
you that either. Are they doing what Sheriff Kendrick pleaded
with the gb I to do back in two thousand
and five. Are they actually doing something or is it
just simply sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. Any
murder supporting to me. And I've had people say, well,
you know, we have other cases that y'all don't put
as much interest in we did. And some of those
(07:23):
are not murders. They've been a suicide, or they've been
something else. And of course the family is always convinced
that their family members was a victim of somebody else's hand.
That's not always the case. And sometimes you show that
it was what it is and they're not satisfied with it.
And I understand that I would probably be the same
way if it was somebody I loved. But we have
(07:44):
no interest of it in solve crimes. We don't make
my check go up to solve a murder, and it
don't make it go down to not solve the murder.
My interests and my heart is to put bad guys
in jail for committing crimes, going home and laying my
head down, and I know, and I'm doing the right
thing for my family's name and for the public. Is
is my goal. I don't gain anything from covering something
(08:05):
up or uncovering something. It don't gain me anything. What
will gain me is if I do the right thing
and put people in jail at the criminals, that's the goal.
I just want the public to know and we depend
on them as much as we depend on each other
to get his job done. Once that it was determined
that they were someone in the house at some point
that morning, we contact the g b I and let
(08:27):
them come to the scene and started processing the scene.
After the fires extinguished and determined that there were people
in the home, they came and processed it before anything
was moved from the residents at all. They came initially
before and once the fire was out, before anything was
(08:48):
taken from the scene. Gb I was called a make
process the scene, crime scene taped off and there was
uh several days passed before that scene was released. I
do know that the the remains of the home was
sifted through, and I mean sifted. I'm talking about sifted
(09:08):
with a piece of equipment that sifts ashes and things
of that nature. So I know that it was processed thoroughly.
We asked the sheriff about the fire reports. He didn't
have them, and it sounded like he'd never even seen them.
Now Brad told me that they I don't I don't
know if they could find it or whatever. UM there
(09:28):
should be a copy of the fire Department UM report
in the in the case file, and I mean that
would have been all in that. There's a box of
stuff that the gb I has and it's all in
that case file. I know there's a lot of information
out there because people, however, they found out information that
you know, there's been a lot of and some speculation
(09:49):
and some could be truth to some of it. I
couldn't confirm or deny. I know that the contact was
made with their families that morning. I don't know where
they were at reference to where they were when they
were contacted. I do know that some of the family
members came out to the scene that morning. So as
far as who contacted them, where they were at when
(10:10):
they were contacted, I don't I didn't contact them myself,
So whoever done that, I know it's probably in the
case file, but I don't know who did it or
where they were at when they were contacted. Some of
them live in Rebecca and some of them live in Tifton,
and so they were probably notified pretty quickly after it
was determined. You know that that somebody was in the house.
(10:30):
I'm sure they were notified pretty quickly after that. I
know the ones that live in Rebecca, Charles Henry and
Diane Wyman, Chip Wyman, Larry and his wife has been
very adamant and persistent, which they should be about, you know,
the case being worked on and and and I agree
totally with them, but I know that everybody in the
(10:52):
county has their opinion what they think, which at this
time everybody that could be interviewed has been interviewed, whether
they were a suspect or a person of interest. I
know the gbis interviewed and exhausted all those avenues, and
certainly if there's been new ones over the time that
have come up to g BI has responded quickly and
promptly to go and follow up any leads. And so
(11:16):
you know, our hope is through whatever means doing the
news interviews and things like this, that somebody somewhere will
you know, remember something, or maybe I have told somebody
at the time and that person didn't act or whatever
or didn't relay that information on it. We can rehash
it again or visit it again, but I can't tell
(11:36):
you we have a suspect, and I can't tell you
we don't either I do know that every avenue has
been checked on that could be checked on, whether it
led to new information or whether it ruled somebody out
or rule somebody in. I can't tell you that either,
but we have and recent as Sunday got information that's
been given in the case that could be beneficially could
(11:59):
We don't know yet, but it's everything that we can gather.
Someone little something can make the difference, and that's what
we're hoping. And I hope that some little something comes
along that's the piece to the puzzle that we need.
And I feel like somebody out there knows something that
maybe will will help, whether they think they give it
before and then it just didn't work out or not,
or I hope they'll refresh it and say, look Sheriff,
(12:22):
we we've told this before, but we want to tell
it again, and I make sure that it's you know,
goes to who it needs to be and it is
followed up on. I mean, that's my I kind of
feel like the coaching a deal where I want to
make sure everything's done that can be done. I think
that we could have been a lot closer than we
are now do. I think there's some out there somewhere.
(12:43):
I do I think there's something that's just not been reported,
or something that could be picked up on outside that
physical location there, because everything that could be got from
that physical location has been got. A fire destroyers a
lot of things. But I do know that anything it
could have been collected was collected just out of history
(13:04):
of doing this job twenty seven years, that when somebody
acts along, it's a lot harder catch them than it
is if you've got somebody that's helped them. I know
that I don't have a clue. We don't. I can't
tell you if there was one or two or five
in this instance, but I know that people have a
hard time keeping their mouth shut. So I hope that
somebody somewhere knows something and they'll tell I think it
(13:27):
costs some maybe some anger and people that are just
convinced that they know who could have done it and
that that they hadn't been arrested. But it's just not
that easy, and to just say, well, we think they
did it, we got to have stuff to put them
in jail. And so the unfortunate thing is is that
we as law enforcement. Of course, I got a bunch
(13:47):
of people here that's that didn't grow up here. I
know everybody, all of them, they ever part of the
family on both sides, and uh so, you know, there's
always speculations about what sheriff knows this and or knows
that or whatever. But I got investigators and g B
I work in this case that have no clue who
any of these people are. They don't have ties to them,
(14:09):
They ain't connected to them in some form of fashion
because of living here. And so that alone, I hope
it takes the conflict out of people's minds that want
to Shriff can control and do what he wants to
do with cases, and that's not the case. My interest
is solved cases. I don't care who they are. But
if there's anybody that has that kind of a conflict,
I want them to be assured that the people that
(14:31):
work this case, that work at the Sheriff's office, energy
B I have no connection with these families at all
either way. They don't have a dog and if I
either way, so there's no influence. I try to stay
as clear from cases like that. My deputies when they
go out and answer calls, if they know families like that,
I'll try to steer another deputy of that location, just
(14:52):
because of the mere conflict that causes in people's minds.
So I think that's the only thing that's affected the
community is they think that they know who did it,
and they think they should be in jail. And I
agree with him. I want somebody in jail too that
did it. As my personal experience, as you always start
closest you can to the incident, the family and things
(15:12):
of that nature. So now what kind of cooperation you
get out of them, I don't have a clue. Some
of it could be the fact that they are, you know,
wanting to be patient, let the g b I. They
don't want to do anything to interfere with the case either,
And some of it could be other reasons. You know.
I always start inside the house and work out with
missing kids because I have found them leading the close
(15:32):
of a sleep and they think they've been kidnapped and
they're and they're sleeping the pile of clothes. So I
always starting to center the house and work out. I
think that's a good rule of thing for anything. He's
starting the center of the conflict and work out, you
find out a lot of things moving outwards. So there's
a lot of people question and certainly all those that
were closest to the family, which I know they were questioned.
(15:53):
I think they were all interviewed, you know, starting in
the middle of the house, she started out and question everybody.
We were all interviewed about everybody, you know, the families
and stuff like that. We were all interviewed about that stuff.
You know. Everybody's always skeptical about releasing something that runs
the case because then it makes us look bad and
then well the sheriff shouldn't have done that, or he
(16:14):
he let out something that calls him to lose the case.
That's we're scared of. We're we're scared of letting out
one something and then getting the chord and they're throwing
it out because we released it and it's tainted a
jury or something like that. That's what we're scared of.
We're not scared of without have anything to hide. It's
all about integrity of the case and knowing that a
lawyer is gonna look for that little chink and he's
(16:36):
gonna say, well, didn't you tell so and so this,
and and then that's just it runs that piece of evidence.
So we're really skeptical about releasing in depth information. It's
not that we're trying to hide anything from Pope. We
just don't want to lose the case. It's a two
edged sword. We want to get it out where we
can get help. But then if you give it out,
it costs you an end. So then we're like in
(16:57):
a two pronged thing that were like how much what
do you tell? What do you say? I mean, in
that same lack of ding it would help, but then
it runs it at the end. I'm not the best
at at what I do. I strive to be, and
I probably don't know everything I should and shouldn't release,
but I try to be as open to the public
as I can, and they expect me to be knowledgeable
(17:19):
enough to know if I'm gonna cost the case in
the end to lose it, and that loses their respect
to me for that, so then I have to weigh
out all those options. So it's rough sometimes. Since they're
still considering this an open investigation, how will we ever
know if they're doing the things that John Dawes says
(17:40):
that they should be doing. How are we supposed to
know if they're actually looking at things, if they're actually
talking to people Are they reinterviewing witnesses? Are they actually
doing something? I think the case of fallible yes have
(18:02):
a father. I don't know, I can't. I think we
missed our chance. I think the Lord Evin this has
been Disapperiod. Remember the guy whose name has been censored
throughout the podcast here is We got hold of him,
but again he asked us not to use his name.
(18:22):
He told us the story about one of the persons
of interest in this case, Jason. Him and Melissa was
dating at the time, and they tried depinion on him.
But I don't think he done it. Do you know
that was his baby, don't you? To recap Jason Walker
(18:44):
is the supposed father of Melissa's child and immediately a
target of suspicion. But according to the story that this
family member told us, somebody he knew corroborated Jason's alibi.
That night she was at a MC and she went
and knew Jason walked through either history would dating and that,
and she says she was at his house that morning
she felt in his trunk in the hood was cold,
(19:06):
so he didn't drive that truck to night. He trusted
that person enough to believe it couldn't be chasing. After
a while, he began to express the series on who
may be responsible and told us some findings of his own.
We was all set up to have a lot to
text or tests, and the woman's decided they wasn't gonna
(19:27):
have it, and we didn't have it. And that's all
I can tell. I mean, you know, for legality plan
why I can't even they wouldn't know, like giving an
answer to either all my family would have set up
to the wood. How did they said, and then all
of a sudden commoon, we wouldn't. How did that happen?
I mean they said other questions like that that I
(19:47):
could I asked, but I don't. I can't get no evidence.
This thing consuming my life for three years actored happened,
and I decided I had to go on my way,
you know, if faking my whole family, So I haven't
went out and investigating and asked questions like you'll do
some people, well thought to me, some people want some
(20:07):
people are scared. When the first halted, everybody's played, they'n't
get killed. I wasn't going to be the executor of
Debra's the states it's all going to the Violen's anyway.
I mean, there's the money, but they had problems, but
they kept the best and kift get away from us
for three months and the wim has hadn't done all
(20:28):
this stuff, and we didn't know nothing the Paris which
was a corner Perry funeral, and I didn't know nothing
about that because July of the third and when we
met at a lawyer's office, Cyril Bryant's office with Challs
Hendry Wyman, and I find out they had had the
best ticket for three months. And that's when I decided
(20:51):
to be these extra debra states so I could find
out something they's connections wanted them. Paris wife is kin
to the Wilds was in Nicole house. All of the
life insurances were done before anything happened. Before the woman's
He wasn't exaction and I wouldn't e sak of it.
All of a sudden got done and we got one
(21:11):
life insurance to paid debor bills or time to in
dever fields. They wasn't dead heavily. Wine was held back
that they got the life assurance, they sold the car,
they got a car insurance. They got everything before the
legal process started. Does that make sense if you don't
have a will to go back to the paternal grandmother.
You check it out and see if I'm right. Tom
(21:33):
and Joe the ever had ones I love you will
so I leave you, you leave me, and if I
die first, it says, if you know what I'm talking about,
Melissa did. If that baby had been born, that would
have brought the Walkers into the state. The Wiemans wouldn't
have been divided up. If White was in our death
dead anyway, and the Whitemans was in financial trouble or
(21:55):
that point the finger as the man from America most
woman told me, he followed the money, and you get
the criminals full five million dollars two til Nature's land
once you stop house running, ding the beach on the ocean.
From the outside, it may not appear that the Wideman
inheritance was exceptionally large, but according to him, when it
(22:16):
was broken down, it amounted to four or five million dollars.
And I think there's a lot with Kendrick and the
way I was together. They've been seen going through parties
in Ferordo and limousines and things like ball games and
things like that. He stopped everything. I mean, I'm sure
if it's powerful man. He stopped a lot of plans.
He stopped you be, I feel, and that's rain and
(22:38):
I think he's boiling down to the why I was
living Rebucca. They was one of the ones, first ones
out there. And then Randy Kenny was a surer and
he stopped a lot of things, just like investigation or
things like he's the one to give tho Kater, but
it was the house down a friend to whoever done
it is gonna after polk or who listened. And here's often, well,
(23:01):
you know, GB, I am don't tell you much or nothing,
so I can't verify things will say it or told
or nothing. I can't. I don't know when you said
in my opposition, ain't nobody gonna talk to you? In
the enforcement horror, that's where he not got investigated. He
told me that he couldn't tell me. I thank you
that Taylor enforcement but be enforced did let him do nothing.
(23:21):
And he's retired in Jacksonville. For it cost me five
dollars for him to come up here and ride and
thought Randy candidates and go back. And then he said,
you know, if I can't get a piece of information,
let's start on and if he put us out of
the word, don't talk at about it. The ain't nothing
I can do. I'll be wasting your money. So that
(23:42):
mysterious phone call we played last episode, we shared it
with this individual, turns out ten years earlier, he'd heard
a similar story from the same person. He's a good
possibility for he's saying, they said that the truth to
its very possible to have that way, just without all
the details. He and go onto this day tail like
you like you got no he did not. No. I
(24:04):
don't know. We need to learned all this either. All
I know it was all of a sudden at that
he got killed in a call red and again when
them coincidence or whatever. These a lot of things happening
over the years. A lot of people have died a
new times. Not many years after these murders took place.
The key player in the story died in a car wreck,
(24:26):
but according to the story, other even more important players
are still alive. I think they wrote a lot of
things off then. I don't know what they had lives on,
or they had their lives focused on it. To give
the g B. I are they gonna do anything? I
don't know, Uh, they if you for sure it yourself.
(24:50):
I don't know which way he's gonna be the best.
Remember when we played an anonymous call in episode two.
We've decided we want to play you some more, but
we're still keeping the names out of it. Who will
never probably never taught speak of it. They were good
(25:12):
friends with this chick wideman I believe hired the people
that murdered those people that murdered him and burned the house.
It's a hell of a story. Now why am I
interested in it? Who was a drug addict and an
(25:37):
alcoholic and who finally killed himself in a high speed
car accident. He were the alibi that night for the
prime suspect in the murder case. Do you understand what
I'm telling you? They were his only alibi. Our producer
Pain received that phone call a year ago when we
(25:58):
started this warn investigation. Mason reached out to the same
individual to get some input on the story. A half
hour later, he called me some back. Hello is this
Mason Linday? Yes, this is don't ever call me about this.
I don't like your brother, I don't like you, and
I don't know what God damn think about the murdering
(26:21):
case you asked me about, but I do know a
by Joan what a bunch of swine you are, so
don't ever call me. Okay. We decided that this information
was too sensitive to sit on by ourselves, so executive
producer Payne Lindsay and I made an editorial decision and
decided that Payne should contact Jason Shadell of the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation and he passed this information along. Will
(26:53):
continue to follow this case in the future and plan
to come out with more episodes in a few months.
So please, if you have any information at all about
this case, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. You can
also contact us directly at Sworn tips at gmail dot com.
Sworn is produced by Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta. Story and
production by Payne Lindsay, Mason Lindsay and Meredith Steadman and
(27:17):
myself Philip Holloway. Sound designed by Payne Lindsay, executive producers
Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay. Mixed and mastered by Resonate Recordings. Also,
if you haven't yet, please check out our sister podcast,
Up and Vanished that follows the investigation into the disappearance
of Georgia high school teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead.
(27:37):
Up and Vanished is available now on Apple Podcasts. Thanks
for listening. This is Philip Holloway and I'll see you
next time on Sworn
You place your left hand on the Bible and raise
your right hand and repeat after me. I do solemnly
swear the jury trying it attended, not scared. The process
continued this weekend at Ferguson and around the country, resisting
your it makes no sense. If it doesn't fit, you
must have quit. Judge, you are the last line of
(00:29):
reason in this case. Every one of us took it
all some office and we're sworn to uphold the Constitution.
From Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta, this is sworn. I'm your host,
Philip Holloway. I haven't went out investigating, and I asked
questions like yall, some people, we all thought, tell me,
(00:49):
some people won't. Some people are scared. When it first happened,
everybody's like they get killed. Last episode, we talked to
the local news outlets that covered the Wideman case. We
also talked to a local family friend. It's been hard
(01:10):
for us to get a lot of the details straight.
We needed to talk with the current Turner County Sheriff,
Andy Hester. I tried sending him a message, and Mason
tried calling twice, but we got no answer. I reached
out to him by phone and my text message, but
I had no love. Finally, I decided to send one
of the sworn producers in person to see if we
(01:31):
could ask him some questions about the Wideman case. Seven
November October September. On our way down to Rebecca, we
stopped at the Turner County E. M. S and Fire station.
I met a group of nice people who are willing
to sit through the fire report documents to find the
(01:52):
one on the Wideman case. So it's filed in the
two thousand one because if this player runs one through June.
They brought out a box of paper files that they
had in storage July August, September, October, November to Sember.
(02:12):
Their fiscal year runs July one thro so even though
the Wyman fire took place in two thousand two, it
would be filed in with the two thousand one reports.
So large is into two thousand one would because we
used to have to do um monthly reports and turn
it into forestry now, so that means it's either burned
or it's that's wise not solved because the wards are gone.
(02:38):
Maybe she's right. They looked for us, but they couldn't
find any of the two thousand one files Apparently the
protocol is to keep files dating back ten years and
after that they're burned. There should be a fire report
from that. All right, we don't know we threw anything away.
We were connected with Brad Calhoun, the husband of one
of the e M T s we've spoken to earlier.
(02:59):
I know he said that Sheriff's office definitely has a
copy of it, but yeah, I don't know if he'll
give it to me. Uh, I call that sho be
a problem. Brad is the county and District commissioner, so
he got us in touch with the Sheriff, Andy Hester. Come, well,
(03:25):
I'm Andy Hester. I'm the sheriff of Turner County. Spent
about twenty five of my years here in this county.
Whether it started out with Ashton Police Department and then
came to the Sheriff's office. We got lucky. Sheriff Hester
was in his office and he was willing to talk
to us. Status of the cases. It's open. It's raw
(03:47):
to all of us that work here, because it is
to me one being. I grew up here and I
knew the family to being. I'm the sheriff of this
county and people expect me to keep things fresh and
and worked on. And that's what my goal is, to
make sure that it's not, let you know, laying down stagnant.
Since I've been sheriff, I know I've called the gb
(04:08):
office and met with their sack at the time that
came down when I first become sheriff, I called him
and asked him to come. And that was the specific
reason as they picked this case back up and please
look at it harder and look at it. If anything
was not turned over, to turn it over. There's a
lot of information. I can't tell you that there's not
(04:29):
something there that could solve the case. I can't tell
you that there is, but I can say that there's
a lot of information that's been gathered. It's very important
that people if they know anything, it don't matter if
they think it's important or not. It might be a
little piece of thread that connects two things together that
we need connected that will solve the case. And uh
(04:51):
to I want to tell people that, yes, it will
be solved. I want to tell them that, and I
want them to be encouraged to anything they here to.
Please call and tell us us what we're here for.
They ain't gonna be bothering us. They ain't gonna cause
us to have any undo work that we don't need
to do. We need to do that work. You know,
(05:12):
if they don't trust the sheriff's office called the g
B office. Those guys, they didn't grow up here, They
don't have any friends, and they involved in either side.
And if there's any question, I hope there's not. I
hope the public that has all the confident and trust
in the world in the sheriff and the Sheriff's office here.
But if they don't, there's an avenue that they can
(05:32):
take to keep us clear of the information. They can
call the GBI and the g B I will work
that case with that information without us even knowing. That's fine.
I want the case solved. I don't care how it solved.
I don't care who it is that did it. We
want them in jail. They murdered three people, and uh,
they need to be brought to justice. That's what our
(05:55):
goal is. And I wish we could release a lot
of information out there to people like you that are
wanting to all you want to do solve the case.
I wish we could, and I don't want it to
seem like that we stonlee walling or putting up barricades
for you or the public. But there's just things that
are detrimental to cases that you don't release. Early on,
(06:16):
in our interview with the sheriff, we were met with
a common roadblock in cases like this. I really can't
tell you that information because it's it would be information
that don't need to be released. You see, with multiple
agencies involved and the fact that they all consider this
technically an ongoing investigation, whatever that means, even though it's
nearly been fifteen years, they still don't want to open
(06:39):
up about the facts of the case, and that would
be something you'd have to talk to the GBI about.
They still don't want to talk about what they're doing
to keep this case moving. I couldn't release any of
that information to you. I wouldn't be able to release
that information. The g b I would have to release
that to you. That's information that the g b I
would have to least if it's released. I can't tell
(07:02):
you that either. Are they doing what Sheriff Kendrick pleaded
with the gb I to do back in two thousand
and five. Are they actually doing something or is it
just simply sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. Any
murder supporting to me. And I've had people say, well,
you know, we have other cases that y'all don't put
as much interest in we did. And some of those
(07:23):
are not murders. They've been a suicide, or they've been
something else. And of course the family is always convinced
that their family members was a victim of somebody else's hand.
That's not always the case. And sometimes you show that
it was what it is and they're not satisfied with it.
And I understand that I would probably be the same
way if it was somebody I loved. But we have
(07:44):
no interest of it in solve crimes. We don't make
my check go up to solve a murder, and it
don't make it go down to not solve the murder.
My interests and my heart is to put bad guys
in jail for committing crimes, going home and laying my
head down, and I know, and I'm doing the right
thing for my family's name and for the public. Is
is my goal. I don't gain anything from covering something
(08:05):
up or uncovering something. It don't gain me anything. What
will gain me is if I do the right thing
and put people in jail at the criminals, that's the goal.
I just want the public to know and we depend
on them as much as we depend on each other
to get his job done. Once that it was determined
that they were someone in the house at some point
that morning, we contact the g b I and let
(08:27):
them come to the scene and started processing the scene.
After the fires extinguished and determined that there were people
in the home, they came and processed it before anything
was moved from the residents at all. They came initially
before and once the fire was out, before anything was
(08:48):
taken from the scene. Gb I was called a make
process the scene, crime scene taped off and there was
uh several days passed before that scene was released. I
do know that the the remains of the home was
sifted through, and I mean sifted. I'm talking about sifted
(09:08):
with a piece of equipment that sifts ashes and things
of that nature. So I know that it was processed thoroughly.
We asked the sheriff about the fire reports. He didn't
have them, and it sounded like he'd never even seen them.
Now Brad told me that they I don't I don't
know if they could find it or whatever. UM there
(09:28):
should be a copy of the fire Department UM report
in the in the case file, and I mean that
would have been all in that. There's a box of
stuff that the gb I has and it's all in
that case file. I know there's a lot of information
out there because people, however, they found out information that
you know, there's been a lot of and some speculation
(09:49):
and some could be truth to some of it. I
couldn't confirm or deny. I know that the contact was
made with their families that morning. I don't know where
they were at reference to where they were when they
were contacted. I do know that some of the family
members came out to the scene that morning. So as
far as who contacted them, where they were at when
(10:10):
they were contacted, I don't I didn't contact them myself,
So whoever done that, I know it's probably in the
case file, but I don't know who did it or
where they were at when they were contacted. Some of
them live in Rebecca and some of them live in Tifton,
and so they were probably notified pretty quickly after it
was determined. You know that that somebody was in the house.
(10:30):
I'm sure they were notified pretty quickly after that. I
know the ones that live in Rebecca, Charles Henry and
Diane Wyman, Chip Wyman, Larry and his wife has been
very adamant and persistent, which they should be about, you know,
the case being worked on and and and I agree
totally with them, but I know that everybody in the
(10:52):
county has their opinion what they think, which at this
time everybody that could be interviewed has been interviewed, whether
they were a suspect or a person of interest. I
know the gbis interviewed and exhausted all those avenues, and
certainly if there's been new ones over the time that
have come up to g BI has responded quickly and
promptly to go and follow up any leads. And so
(11:16):
you know, our hope is through whatever means doing the
news interviews and things like this, that somebody somewhere will
you know, remember something, or maybe I have told somebody
at the time and that person didn't act or whatever
or didn't relay that information on it. We can rehash
it again or visit it again, but I can't tell
(11:36):
you we have a suspect, and I can't tell you
we don't either I do know that every avenue has
been checked on that could be checked on, whether it
led to new information or whether it ruled somebody out
or rule somebody in. I can't tell you that either,
but we have and recent as Sunday got information that's
been given in the case that could be beneficially could
(11:59):
We don't know yet, but it's everything that we can gather.
Someone little something can make the difference, and that's what
we're hoping. And I hope that some little something comes
along that's the piece to the puzzle that we need.
And I feel like somebody out there knows something that
maybe will will help, whether they think they give it
before and then it just didn't work out or not,
or I hope they'll refresh it and say, look Sheriff,
(12:22):
we we've told this before, but we want to tell
it again, and I make sure that it's you know,
goes to who it needs to be and it is
followed up on. I mean, that's my I kind of
feel like the coaching a deal where I want to
make sure everything's done that can be done. I think
that we could have been a lot closer than we
are now do. I think there's some out there somewhere.
(12:43):
I do I think there's something that's just not been reported,
or something that could be picked up on outside that
physical location there, because everything that could be got from
that physical location has been got. A fire destroyers a
lot of things. But I do know that anything it
could have been collected was collected just out of history
(13:04):
of doing this job twenty seven years, that when somebody
acts along, it's a lot harder catch them than it
is if you've got somebody that's helped them. I know
that I don't have a clue. We don't. I can't
tell you if there was one or two or five
in this instance, but I know that people have a
hard time keeping their mouth shut. So I hope that
somebody somewhere knows something and they'll tell I think it
(13:27):
costs some maybe some anger and people that are just
convinced that they know who could have done it and
that that they hadn't been arrested. But it's just not
that easy, and to just say, well, we think they
did it, we got to have stuff to put them
in jail. And so the unfortunate thing is is that
we as law enforcement. Of course, I got a bunch
(13:47):
of people here that's that didn't grow up here. I
know everybody, all of them, they ever part of the
family on both sides, and uh so, you know, there's
always speculations about what sheriff knows this and or knows
that or whatever. But I got investigators and g B
I work in this case that have no clue who
any of these people are. They don't have ties to them,
(14:09):
They ain't connected to them in some form of fashion
because of living here. And so that alone, I hope
it takes the conflict out of people's minds that want
to Shriff can control and do what he wants to
do with cases, and that's not the case. My interest
is solved cases. I don't care who they are. But
if there's anybody that has that kind of a conflict,
I want them to be assured that the people that
(14:31):
work this case, that work at the Sheriff's office, energy
B I have no connection with these families at all
either way. They don't have a dog and if I
either way, so there's no influence. I try to stay
as clear from cases like that. My deputies when they
go out and answer calls, if they know families like that,
I'll try to steer another deputy of that location, just
(14:52):
because of the mere conflict that causes in people's minds.
So I think that's the only thing that's affected the
community is they think that they know who did it,
and they think they should be in jail. And I
agree with him. I want somebody in jail too that
did it. As my personal experience, as you always start
closest you can to the incident, the family and things
(15:12):
of that nature. So now what kind of cooperation you
get out of them, I don't have a clue. Some
of it could be the fact that they are, you know,
wanting to be patient, let the g b I. They
don't want to do anything to interfere with the case either,
And some of it could be other reasons. You know.
I always start inside the house and work out with
missing kids because I have found them leading the close
(15:32):
of a sleep and they think they've been kidnapped and
they're and they're sleeping the pile of clothes. So I
always starting to center the house and work out. I
think that's a good rule of thing for anything. He's
starting the center of the conflict and work out, you
find out a lot of things moving outwards. So there's
a lot of people question and certainly all those that
were closest to the family, which I know they were questioned.
(15:53):
I think they were all interviewed, you know, starting in
the middle of the house, she started out and question everybody.
We were all interviewed about everybody, you know, the families
and stuff like that. We were all interviewed about that stuff.
You know. Everybody's always skeptical about releasing something that runs
the case because then it makes us look bad and
then well the sheriff shouldn't have done that, or he
(16:14):
he let out something that calls him to lose the case.
That's we're scared of. We're we're scared of letting out
one something and then getting the chord and they're throwing
it out because we released it and it's tainted a
jury or something like that. That's what we're scared of.
We're not scared of without have anything to hide. It's
all about integrity of the case and knowing that a
lawyer is gonna look for that little chink and he's
(16:36):
gonna say, well, didn't you tell so and so this,
and and then that's just it runs that piece of evidence.
So we're really skeptical about releasing in depth information. It's
not that we're trying to hide anything from Pope. We
just don't want to lose the case. It's a two
edged sword. We want to get it out where we
can get help. But then if you give it out,
it costs you an end. So then we're like in
(16:57):
a two pronged thing that were like how much what
do you tell? What do you say? I mean, in
that same lack of ding it would help, but then
it runs it at the end. I'm not the best
at at what I do. I strive to be, and
I probably don't know everything I should and shouldn't release,
but I try to be as open to the public
as I can, and they expect me to be knowledgeable
(17:19):
enough to know if I'm gonna cost the case in
the end to lose it, and that loses their respect
to me for that, so then I have to weigh
out all those options. So it's rough sometimes. Since they're
still considering this an open investigation, how will we ever
know if they're doing the things that John Dawes says
(17:40):
that they should be doing. How are we supposed to
know if they're actually looking at things, if they're actually
talking to people Are they reinterviewing witnesses? Are they actually
doing something? I think the case of fallible yes have
(18:02):
a father. I don't know, I can't. I think we
missed our chance. I think the Lord Evin this has
been Disapperiod. Remember the guy whose name has been censored
throughout the podcast here is We got hold of him,
but again he asked us not to use his name.
(18:22):
He told us the story about one of the persons
of interest in this case, Jason. Him and Melissa was
dating at the time, and they tried depinion on him.
But I don't think he done it. Do you know
that was his baby, don't you? To recap Jason Walker
(18:44):
is the supposed father of Melissa's child and immediately a
target of suspicion. But according to the story that this
family member told us, somebody he knew corroborated Jason's alibi.
That night she was at a MC and she went
and knew Jason walked through either history would dating and that,
and she says she was at his house that morning
she felt in his trunk in the hood was cold,
(19:06):
so he didn't drive that truck to night. He trusted
that person enough to believe it couldn't be chasing. After
a while, he began to express the series on who
may be responsible and told us some findings of his own.
We was all set up to have a lot to
text or tests, and the woman's decided they wasn't gonna
(19:27):
have it, and we didn't have it. And that's all
I can tell. I mean, you know, for legality plan
why I can't even they wouldn't know, like giving an
answer to either all my family would have set up
to the wood. How did they said, and then all
of a sudden commoon, we wouldn't. How did that happen?
I mean they said other questions like that that I
(19:47):
could I asked, but I don't. I can't get no evidence.
This thing consuming my life for three years actored happened,
and I decided I had to go on my way,
you know, if faking my whole family, So I haven't
went out and investigating and asked questions like you'll do
some people, well thought to me, some people want some
(20:07):
people are scared. When the first halted, everybody's played, they'n't
get killed. I wasn't going to be the executor of
Debra's the states it's all going to the Violen's anyway.
I mean, there's the money, but they had problems, but
they kept the best and kift get away from us
for three months and the wim has hadn't done all
(20:28):
this stuff, and we didn't know nothing the Paris which
was a corner Perry funeral, and I didn't know nothing
about that because July of the third and when we
met at a lawyer's office, Cyril Bryant's office with Challs
Hendry Wyman, and I find out they had had the
best ticket for three months. And that's when I decided
(20:51):
to be these extra debra states so I could find
out something they's connections wanted them. Paris wife is kin
to the Wilds was in Nicole house. All of the
life insurances were done before anything happened. Before the woman's
He wasn't exaction and I wouldn't e sak of it.
All of a sudden got done and we got one
(21:11):
life insurance to paid debor bills or time to in
dever fields. They wasn't dead heavily. Wine was held back
that they got the life assurance, they sold the car,
they got a car insurance. They got everything before the
legal process started. Does that make sense if you don't
have a will to go back to the paternal grandmother.
You check it out and see if I'm right. Tom
(21:33):
and Joe the ever had ones I love you will
so I leave you, you leave me, and if I
die first, it says, if you know what I'm talking about,
Melissa did. If that baby had been born, that would
have brought the Walkers into the state. The Wiemans wouldn't
have been divided up. If White was in our death
dead anyway, and the Whitemans was in financial trouble or
(21:55):
that point the finger as the man from America most
woman told me, he followed the money, and you get
the criminals full five million dollars two til Nature's land
once you stop house running, ding the beach on the ocean.
From the outside, it may not appear that the Wideman
inheritance was exceptionally large, but according to him, when it
(22:16):
was broken down, it amounted to four or five million dollars.
And I think there's a lot with Kendrick and the
way I was together. They've been seen going through parties
in Ferordo and limousines and things like ball games and
things like that. He stopped everything. I mean, I'm sure
if it's powerful man. He stopped a lot of plans.
He stopped you be, I feel, and that's rain and
(22:38):
I think he's boiling down to the why I was
living Rebucca. They was one of the ones, first ones
out there. And then Randy Kenny was a surer and
he stopped a lot of things, just like investigation or
things like he's the one to give tho Kater, but
it was the house down a friend to whoever done
it is gonna after polk or who listened. And here's often, well,
(23:01):
you know, GB, I am don't tell you much or nothing,
so I can't verify things will say it or told
or nothing. I can't. I don't know when you said
in my opposition, ain't nobody gonna talk to you? In
the enforcement horror, that's where he not got investigated. He
told me that he couldn't tell me. I thank you
that Taylor enforcement but be enforced did let him do nothing.
(23:21):
And he's retired in Jacksonville. For it cost me five
dollars for him to come up here and ride and
thought Randy candidates and go back. And then he said,
you know, if I can't get a piece of information,
let's start on and if he put us out of
the word, don't talk at about it. The ain't nothing
I can do. I'll be wasting your money. So that
(23:42):
mysterious phone call we played last episode, we shared it
with this individual, turns out ten years earlier, he'd heard
a similar story from the same person. He's a good
possibility for he's saying, they said that the truth to
its very possible to have that way, just without all
the details. He and go onto this day tail like
you like you got no he did not. No. I
(24:04):
don't know. We need to learned all this either. All
I know it was all of a sudden at that
he got killed in a call red and again when
them coincidence or whatever. These a lot of things happening
over the years. A lot of people have died a
new times. Not many years after these murders took place.
The key player in the story died in a car wreck,
(24:26):
but according to the story, other even more important players
are still alive. I think they wrote a lot of
things off then. I don't know what they had lives on,
or they had their lives focused on it. To give
the g B. I are they gonna do anything? I
don't know, Uh, they if you for sure it yourself.
(24:50):
I don't know which way he's gonna be the best.
Remember when we played an anonymous call in episode two.
We've decided we want to play you some more, but
we're still keeping the names out of it. Who will
never probably never taught speak of it. They were good
(25:12):
friends with this chick wideman I believe hired the people
that murdered those people that murdered him and burned the house.
It's a hell of a story. Now why am I
interested in it? Who was a drug addict and an
(25:37):
alcoholic and who finally killed himself in a high speed
car accident. He were the alibi that night for the
prime suspect in the murder case. Do you understand what
I'm telling you? They were his only alibi. Our producer
Pain received that phone call a year ago when we
(25:58):
started this warn investigation. Mason reached out to the same
individual to get some input on the story. A half
hour later, he called me some back. Hello is this
Mason Linday? Yes, this is don't ever call me about this.
I don't like your brother, I don't like you, and
I don't know what God damn think about the murdering
(26:21):
case you asked me about, but I do know a
by Joan what a bunch of swine you are, so
don't ever call me. Okay. We decided that this information
was too sensitive to sit on by ourselves, so executive
producer Payne Lindsay and I made an editorial decision and
decided that Payne should contact Jason Shadell of the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation and he passed this information along. Will
(26:53):
continue to follow this case in the future and plan
to come out with more episodes in a few months.
So please, if you have any information at all about
this case, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. You can
also contact us directly at Sworn tips at gmail dot com.
Sworn is produced by Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta. Story and
production by Payne Lindsay, Mason Lindsay and Meredith Steadman and
(27:17):
myself Philip Holloway. Sound designed by Payne Lindsay, executive producers
Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay. Mixed and mastered by Resonate Recordings. Also,
if you haven't yet, please check out our sister podcast,
Up and Vanished that follows the investigation into the disappearance
of Georgia high school teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead.
(27:37):
Up and Vanished is available now on Apple Podcasts. Thanks
for listening. This is Philip Holloway and I'll see you
next time on Sworn
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