Cold Case MHS: Monsters and Demons

In front of her two young children, Jillian Miles was ruthlessly gunned down. She was a wonderful mother who unfortunately had a hard time letting go. The father of Jillian's children was not exactly a law-abiding citizen and may have been a bit possessive, but he didn't want to be tied down to one woman, but Jillian was in love and wanted to make things work with him. Being a single mother is difficult and it is very expensive ...

Many people have to make money in different ways. Often, when things get tough they get into things they cannot get out of. Rebecca Lynn Carroll was a young woman trying to provide for her children but fell into a life of danger. As she tried to make ends meet, she met individuals with more deviant things in mind. To survive in that environment, you must become tough and sneaky to get what you need. These acts can then lead you...

A young woman in a Columbus, Ohio apartment seems to be living her best life. She has graduated from The Ohio State University and is moving up in her job. Stacey Colbert was a happy young woman who lit up a room when she entered. She was blessed with many friends and they were more blessed to have her as a friend. Stacey enjoyed going out with her friends and coworkers to have a drink or a good time. One evening someone came ...

On September 1, 1974, a young woman storms out of the front door after a fight with her stepfather and disappears into the darkness. For 44 years the remains of a teenage woman went unidentified until 2018 when the remains were determined to be those of Linda Pagano. After being found on a riverbank near Cleveland, Ohio she went unidentified until one person decided it was time to find out who she was. Using genetic genealogy th...

In a world where addiction is so easy to fall into it is no surprise when it leads to death. Many individuals who fall into this life get there in many different ways. The need to survive is overtaken by the need to escape the world that seems so cruel. The hunger for more is unbearable to the point where anything goes. Joan Palacio was a young woman just trying to survive the highs and lows of Dangerous Living. She was found ...

Some cases do not make sense. Franklin Benedict was a quiet young man who seemed to live a calm life. He was a former student of Kent State University who needed money, so he left school to become a Wal-Mart manager. He moved up the chain quickly because of his hard work and determination. Franklin liked haContactving money in his pocket so he often took on extra shifts at work, only this would be his last shift. On the night ...

On a beautiful spring morning in May of 2008, the calm air of spring was disturbed by the heat and smoke of a house fire in Springfield, OH. The fire department rushed to the scene to put out the fire, but much of the house was engulfed with the flames. After fighting the fire the crew began to clean up the remains of the fire as the fire marshall made his way through the scene. Noticing something strange about the burn pattern t...

Some people just have a good heart. Deanna Perry was one of those people that couldn't say no to anyone in need. If you needed a place to stay, Deanna's house is where you went. If you needed a warm meal or a new set of clothing, Deanna's house was the place to get it. In a community that had many people in need, Deanna and her family were that beacon of light in a dark world. Many people took them up on their generosity and s...

Jennifer Cooke was a kind, loving, mother whose life was moving forward. She was getting a promotion from work and had a new boyfriend who seemed to be a good guy. Unfortunately, finding Mr. Right would prove to be difficult for Jennifer. Her first marriage ended, but she and her ex-husband seemed okay with the mutual split and agreed to co-parent their daughter. Jennifer, feeling lonely quickly got into another relationship th...

On May 4, 2007, a local llama farmer from Delaware, OH, wasn't on the farm helping her workers do their daily duties. This was unlike Eveline Ashbaugh, who normally was the first one out barking orders to those who worked for her. Her right-hand farmhand thought it was strange for her not to be there, so he went to the house to see if she was okay. What he walked into was a horrendous scene. Sometime during the night, someone ent...

On April 27, 2006, nine-year-old MacKenzie Branham was caught in a house fire at the home of her mother and her mother's boyfriend. At first glance, it appeared the fire was the result of an accidental spark, possibly electrical or something of that nature, but it would quickly change to something dark and heinous. The fire was set with an accelerant which appeared to lead a path directly to MacKenzie's room. By the time firefig...

On a warm summer day, a five-year-old Devan Duniver tried to find someone to play with. Her mom was inside preparing for dinner and she thought Devan was playing with her older brother. Time had gotten away from her when she noticed Devan wasn't around. She began to search for Devan by going next door to see if she had made her way inside with another small child she often had played with. Unlike many young children, Devan was ...

In the life of drugs and prostitution, the risks are enormous. The players in this world are lawless and destructive. Angela Hanaway had fallen into the darkness of the underworld never to get out. She was a good person who was pulled under the waters of the addiction pool. Angela saw many things in this world, but one thing was enough to get her killed. A monster who lurked in the shadows of Springfield's underbelly had commit...

Raymond was a good kid in a bad situation. Coming from a broken family, Raymond searched for that positive male role model. Although his father was still around, Raymond didn't see him much for many reasons. His mother was working hard to bring up a teenage boy by herself with help from his older sister. Like many kids that age looking for guidance, they often find it in people with not-so-good intentions. Raymond found someon...

As a young kid, you couldn't wait to ride your bike to the store or a friend's house. It was that moment of freedom. A chance to ride free, away from the watchful eyes of your parents, or in Robin's case to get away from the responsibility of watching her brother. Two girls alone on a mission to get somewhere. One was friendly but a bit timid and another would talk to anyone. The bright sunny day would quickly turn into a very ...

In our lives, we get to meet some tremendous people. Those who intrigue me the most have served this great country of ours in the military. Their training, experiences, and stories always captivate me. Those individuals have sacrificed a portion of their life for the greater good of others and they should always be THANKED for their service to protect us. As these individuals grow old, their stories seem to resonate even more. ...

When young adults are just getting started and working toward their goals they often have to take a step back to relax and just have fun. Brian Shaffer was no different than most "twenty-somethings" trying to blow off a little steam from the grind of college coursework. His grind was pretty hard as a medical student at The Ohio State University Medical School, so going out to have a few drinks was well-earned. Brian was an All-Amer...

We all grew up learning about the long family battles between the Hatfields and McCoys and how they feuded for decades. Unless you spend a great deal of time studying this family feud you probably have no idea what the feud was about. We use the legendary Hatfield and McCoy fights to describe often current battles of today between families or groups that seem never to end. In Springfield, OH this type of battle has seemed to haunt ...

Ohio has nearly 2,500 unsolved murder cases on the State Attorney General's page. This number does not include those cases that have not even been sent to the State's Attorney, so there could be many more we don't know about. The sad part about these numbers is that they are not going down very fast. Many of these cases do not get the attention as the more high-profile cases, yet the families and friends of the victims continue to ...