Cold Case: Frozen Tundra

Neenah, Wisconsin in 1983 was a quiet, upper-middle class town that boasted waterfront properties, a quaint main street lined with restaurants and storefronts, several parks, and a number of local attractions. It was routinely listed among the nicest places to raise a family in the Midwest.

Starkie Swenson was someone who’d done just that. The 67-ye...

Armed with the explosive testimony of Claire Andrews, Suzanne Eggert, and Lois Swenson, including tales of lies, affairs, manipulation, and jealous rages, Prosecutor Joseph Paulus must determine whether these circumstantial accounts, gripping as they may be, are enough to overcome his complete lack of physical evidence in the case.

Starkie Swenson’s...

As the trial against John C. Andrews begins, tales of the events of August 13th once again unfold. The jury hangs on every word of John’s visit to Claire’s Elm Street home, of the argument Suzanne overhears in the alcove at Shattuck Junior High just across the street, and of the sequence of events that follow.

Yet, there are some differences in stor...

John C. Andrews completes his prison sentence in 1995 and the Starkie Swenson case is...essentially over. The police have no leads on a search area for the body, and the case is closed.

And that's the way it stands for nearly 25 years. And then....we hear from Jean.

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As Dr. Karsten and his team prepare for the archaeological search that will hopefully lead to the discovery of Starkie Swenson's missing remains, we take a moment to reset, provide new information we've learned since beginning our search, share our thoughts on the case to this point, and answer questions submitted by listeners. 

As the team led by Dr. Jordan Karsten and members of law enforcement prepare to begin their search for the lost body of Starkie Swenson, experts share insights on what it truly takes to locate, excavate, and identify missing human remains. 

In Episode Six, we hear from a leading expert in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) on the benefits this modern technology can provide and how it will be applied in the search for Starkie Swenson. 

Al...

Following the sudden break in the case involving the land Jean and her family members own in Omro, Wisconsin - land located just a short drive from the bar John C. Andrews noted as his alibi for the night of Starkie Swenson’s murder - Dr. Jordan Karsten, his team of students and technological experts, and detectives from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s office begin their search for Starkie Swenson’s missing body. 

What does the team ...

Dr. Karsten and his team head into the second week of their search for the missing remains of Starkie Swenson in Omro. 

Last week, the field work resulted in a number of interesting targets to excavate, based on readings provided by ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology. Even more exciting, the team uncovered some possible clues at the scene in some scraps of old, canvas tarp-like material, as well as an old piece of metal which...

It’s the third and final week of the scheduled excavation in Omro as the search for Starkie Swenson’s missing remains continues. 

The days are counting down rapidly, yet Dr. Karsten and his team have a significant amount of work to complete, especially given the recent decision to dig every square inch of the property in order to provide a definitive answer on whether Starkie is buried at the site, or if his remains have at any poin...

In the season 1 finale, Dr. Jordan Karsten and Matt Hiskes share what they’ve learned and believe to be true about the disappearance of Starkie Swenson, what work is still being done in search of answers, and how listeners can ensure they stay up-to-date on the latest news from the search.

On August 19, 1992, twenty-year-old Laurie Jean Depies finishes her shift at the Fox River Mall in Appleton, Wisconsin. She and a colleague close the store and set off in separate directions, with plans to meet up again with friends later that night. Laurie drives 15 minutes to her boyfriend’s apartment, where he and two of their friends await Laurie’s arrival. 

Laurie’s car pulls into the parking lot. She gets out of the vehicle. A...

After Laurie Depies vanishes within minutes of pulling into the parking lot of the apartment where her boyfriend and two of their friends wait for her, the search begins. It’s one that will last decades without answers - one that shakes an entire community’s sense of security. 

As the Laurie Depies investigation heads into 2010, nearly 18 years since the search first began, there is still remarkably little evidence. Despite the passage of time, the case still feels fresh for many residents of Wisconsin’s Fox Valley - the lack of answers a constant reminder that a killer remains on the loose. 

And then, investigators announce an exciting break in the case….

To many members of the public, the mystery of Laurie Depies’ disappearance was resolved in 2010 when convicted kidnapper and suspected serial killer Larry DeWayne Hall admitted to abducting and murdering Laurie. But, for investigators seeking truth in the case, Hall’s confession simply wasn’t enough. He would not - or perhaps could not - provide details that would lead to evidence corroborating his account, a critical step for dete...

After taking a look at two notorious criminals with links to Laurie Depies - Larry DeWayne Hall and David Frank Spanbauer - we dig into the story of yet another suspect; one who is unlike the others as his criminal history is not nearly as extensive. Yet, in many ways, the story of “Tim” as a suspect in Laurie’s disappearance is as compelling - if not more so - than either that of Larry Hall or David Spanbauer. 

In the past weeks, we’ve identified three persons of interest in the investigation into the disappearance of Laurie Depies: Larry DeWayne Hall, David Frank Spanbauer, and “Tim.” Each of these men has a unique link to Laurie. Each could ultimately be guilty of the crime. 

In this week’s episode, we recap the case against each man, reviewing details we’ve already heard - and revealing some that we haven’t - as we consider who could be...

Since the start of this season of Cold Case: Frozen Tundra, many listeners, community members, and those close to the investigation have provided new and exciting information on the case. In this episode, we cover some of those tips and potential new leads. 

Disappointingly - though, in another very real sense, excitingly - investigators close to the case asked Cold Case: Frozen Tundra, just before the show aired, to help keep a cou...