May 22, 2024 • 20 mins
The Dardeen Family Murders remain one of the most chilling and unsolved cases in American history. Join me as I dive into the merciless killings of the Dardeen family, with no motive and no other suspects. This is a true crime mystery that will leave you stunned and searching for answers. #UnsolvedMurder #DardeenMurders #truecrimestories #truecrime #TommySells #oddmysteriesstories #murdermystery #unsolvedcase
Follow me on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OddMysteriesPage
Twitter https://twitter.com/Odd_Mysteries
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/OddMysteries/
Members
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/OddMysteries
For creators we use:
VidIQ - https://vidiq.com/oddmysteries/
#MurderMystery #TrueCrime #UnsolvedCase #oddmysteriesstories
All negative comments about victims or the story will immediately be deleted. If negative comments become a pattern, then you will be blocked from my channel. Please be kind and respectful.
All source information is available upon written request detailing the reason for requesting.
In my productions, I do my very best to research mostly from what I find online or from available articles. If I personally speak to anyone directly involved in the case, I will mention that in the story.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
located in a tiny, unassuming, mobile home on Illinois Route 37, an unspeakable tragedy will unfold,
(00:08):
one that would shake the entire community to its core. This is the story of the Dardin family murders.
This is one of the most merciless murders I have ever covered, and there are conflicting opinions
about whether or not the case was really resolved, and if the true killer was ever revealed,
stay with me to the end of this story, and let me know if you agree that this is still an unsolved
(00:31):
murder, or if you have a strong opinion about who the real killer may be. Come with me for a ride
with odd mystery stories. It was November 1987 in the little town of Aina, the southernmost village
located in Jefferson County, Illinois. Snuggled among woodland, stood a mobile home on a piece of land
(00:52):
rented from a nearby farm. The mobile home at the time was for sale, not only because the family
living within it were expecting their second child and could use some more space, but also because
they grew very uncomfortable staying in the area. It seems the area had been becoming increasingly
violent. Jefferson County, Illinois had seen 15 homicide cases in the two years prior to 1987.
(01:16):
So, Russell Keith Dardin aged 29, and his wife Ruby Elaine Dardin aged 30. Along with their
two-year-old son Peter had bought their trailer in 1986. Shortly after Russell had completed the
training required for his job as a treatment plant operator. Now for clarity, both Russell and Ruby
(01:38):
went by their middle names. He was commonly known as Keith and her as Elaine. Keith got a job at a
local treatment plant and Elaine at an office supply store in nearby Mount Vernon. In their spare time,
the couple focused their attention playing in a musical ensemble at a local Baptist church.
They were also looking forward to welcoming their second child and had decided on either Ian or Casey
(02:00):
for a name, depending on whether it was a boy or a girl. Being quite unnerved by the growing crime
in their area, Keith had become more protective of his family. There was an incident when one night,
a young woman knocked on the door of their home asking to make a phone call. Keith refused to
let her in, later relaying the experience to a good friend. On November 18th, a supervisor at the
(02:24):
treatment plant where Keith worked became increasingly worried when Keith, who had always been a reliable
worker, didn't show up for his shift. Keith had also not informed anyone of his absence and calls
to the Dardin home went unanswered all day. Keith's supervisor decided to call Keith's parents about
his unplanned absence, but neither of them knew what had happened to their son. Concerned by the
(02:46):
supervisor's phone call, Keith's parents contacted the local sheriff's office and agreed to drive to
IEENA with their house key to meet the deputies for a wellness visit. What they found within the
Dardin's mobile home was far worse than anyone had been expected and would scar them mentally for
years to come. Lying together in the mobile home's bed were the badly beaten bodies of Elaine,
(03:08):
little Peter, and the newborn baby Casey. Elaine and Peter had been bound and gagged with duct tape,
both beaten so severely that it was apparent that Elaine had gone into labor and had given
birth to a little baby girl. Their killer or killers had shown no mercy and had also beaten
the newborn to death as well. Both Elaine and Peter's skulls had been crushed. They were beaten
(03:31):
with a baseball bat that had been a birthday gift that his dad Keith had given to Peter earlier that
year. Keith, it seems, was nowhere to be found inside the trailer home. Missing also was the
family's car. No clues of his whereabouts were found in the early hours of the investigation
and the police assumed that Keith had killed his family and took off. A search team of law
(03:54):
enforcement officers was quickly assigned to search for Keith, but as quickly as they had been
assigned. So quickly had they disbanded when the following day Keith's body was discovered by some
hunters located in a wheat field not far from the family's home. He had been shot three times
in his head an obvious assassination. The strangest revelation was that his genital appendage had
(04:17):
also been cut off. Some accounts of this part mentioned that it was stuffed in his mouth.
Other accounts make no mention of this. Either way, if this is true, it was a message within
the killing, in my opinion. The family's car was located shortly after parked outside of a police
station some 11 miles away from the family home. The inside of the car was splattered with blood.
(04:39):
Police concluded that Keith had been killed inside the car. Autopsies were not conclusively able to
determine the order in which the family had been murdered. However, one thing was certain. They were
all murdered within the same two hour time span. Ultimately, the murder of this family was incredibly
brutal and without a doubt in my mind, very personal in its brutality. I'm not a psychiatrist or
(05:03):
psychologist in any sense, but the way that this murder happened surely leaves many questions about
the mental state of the killer or killers. Residents of Jefferson and Franklin counties who were
already living in fear after more than 10 murders had taken place locally in the preceding two years
became even more fearful. Many locals armed themselves with gun sales skyrocketing. Some
(05:28):
suffered adverse psychological effects. Rumors were rampant that the killings were the work of
Satanists. If you remember, the 1980s were famous for a phase referred to as satanic panic. Police
soon ruled that out after discussing the methods of satanic killings with authorities on that subject,
along with other motives, most from illicit behaviors such as drug dealing, marital infidelity, or gambling.
(05:52):
But the crime scene also ruled out rape or robbery as associated incident crimes and in the absence
of any clear cause or leads the crime became unsolved. Despite interviewing over 100 potential
suspects and not finding any other leads, investigators became focused on finding the motive behind the
gruesome murders. One by one, investigators eliminated possible motives. There was no sign
(06:18):
of forced entry and not just a vcr and portable camera had been in plain sight cash and Elaine's
jewelry was openly available in the next room. As far as the investigators could determine,
nothing had been taken from the home. Police turned to a possible sexual motive because of Keith's
mutilation but that too was dismissed. No one has ever been able to find any evidence of an
(06:40):
extramarital affair involving either of the couple nor could they find anyone who had a grudge against
them. Investigators also ruled out debts, any financial problems or recent disagreements the
couple might have had and slowly the source of possible motives began to dry up. Investigators
did find a small bag of marijuana in the trailer too small to indicate that either of the couple
(07:02):
had been dealing so that angle two was discarded. Additionally, post-mortem toxicology results
indicated that none of them had drugs or alcohol in their systems even in small trace amounts.
A man taken into custody early on was released after being questioned. Likewise, a co-worker of
Keith's with whom he reportedly had been having a dispute was cleared. A most perplexing question
(07:25):
for investigators was the murders within the trailer. The killer or killers had apparently taken
the time to not only tuck Elaine's body into a bed along with her children's bodies but also to
seemingly clean up the scene suggesting whoever perpetrated the crime did not feel an urgency
to leave. The amount of effort involved in this cleanup led police to theorize that the crime
may have taken place at night. The trailer was on Route 37, a busy state highway but could be seen
(07:50):
at the time from Interstate 57 almost 2,000 feet to the west. There also remains the question as to
whether there was one killer or multiple killers. Here again is where I have an opinion on this
and while it may not help I believe I have some curious questions. First, if Keith was killed by
being shot and also the killer obviously used a knife to maim his body why would the same killer
(08:14):
change the instrument he used to kill the family in the trailer or vice versa? I guess what seems
curious to me is that whoever killed Keith exerted very little physical effort in his murder. Whereas
Elaine and the children were murdered through a great deal of physical effort and violence plus
the killer or killers felt a need to try and clean up what they had done in the trailer. What?
(08:37):
Depraved enough to kill a newborn but meticulous enough to clean up after themselves? No matter
if this is either one very sick individual or a multiple of mentally sick people that's crazy right?
Eventually the state and local police exhausted all leads and had to start working on other cases.
(08:59):
Two FBI profilers came to the area to review the evidence. They were able to make some suggestions
but generally found that the crime defied their typical analytic methods. Joanne Dardin,
Keith's mother worked to keep the public from completely losing interest. Throughout the 1990s
she regularly called the one detective still assigned to the case offering possible leads
(09:23):
she had learned of or asking for any new information he could share. She gathered 3,000 signatures
from area residents on a petition to the Oprah Winfrey Show asking producers to do a segment
on the killings of her son and his family. They turned her down saying the crime was too brutal
for daytime television. America's most wanted had a similar reaction at first but then changed
(09:46):
its mind and ran a segment in 1998. The show did not generate any new lead. Police were briefly
interested in serial killer Engel Machurino-Resendiz then known by his alias Rafael Resendiz Ramirez
after he surrendered to authorities in Texas in 1999. He often traveled around the country by
(10:07):
hopping freight trains choosing his victims near the tracks they traveled and often beating them
to death. While those elements were suggested the Dardin murder, authorities in Illinois were never
able to connect him to the crime. No suspects were ever identified in the quadruple homicide
until the 2000s after a serial killer in Texas would bring himself to the attention of the
(10:31):
investigators in Illinois. On the last day of 1999 Tommy Lynn Sells cut the throats of two
girls near Del Rio, Texas. One survived and helped police identify him. He was eventually convicted
and sentenced to death for that murder and another one earlier in 1999 where he had killed a girl
in San Antonio. While he was awaiting trial on the first murder charge he began confessing to
(10:56):
other murders he had committed while drifting around the country sometimes by hopping freight
trains as well. While Sells could be conclusively linked to another 22 murders he could not be
conclusively linked to the Dardin family murders. Not only were there several details of his
statements wrong like Elaine's position on the bed his supposed story of running into Keith in a
(11:17):
pool hall and being invited back to their home for a three-way with Elaine did not at all fit the
very protective Keith that everybody knew. Sells said he did not remember the details of all the
crimes he confessed to which he described was a coping strategy from the sexual abuse he endured
as a child in the Missouri Booth Eel but he did remember the Dardin murders. In the mid 1980s
(11:41):
Sells was living primarily near St. Louis roughly 90 miles northwest of Jefferson County and making
money from working at traveling carnivals and fares as a day laborer or through that when it
came to thievery he often hitched rides with truckers or hop freight trains without any particular
destination in mind. He said quote anywhere a ride was going I was heading that way might be in
(12:04):
Illinois today in Oklahoma tomorrow Sells explained. It was through that type of transportation that
Sells became familiar with the specific area on one trip through Jefferson County in November 1987
one of his stories in 2010 he claimed to have met Keith at a truck stop near Mount Vernon or in a
different reciting at a local pool hall. In both versions he said Keith invited Sells home for dinner.
(12:31):
After the meal Sells was simply planning to move on but then Keith allegedly triggered his anger
by sexually propositioning him on one account to a threesome with Elaine. He claimed that he
forced Keith at gunpoint to drive to where his body was found, killed and mutilated him
then returned to the trailer to kill Elaine and Peter who were witnesses although he says it was
(12:52):
the result of uncontrollable rage that Keith's alleged sexual offer had set off in him. He said
quote I was just so pissed off that I took it to the maximum limit rage don't have a stop button.
He implied that also explained why he had killed the infant Elaine had delivered during the crime
as well. In a third version Sells dispensed entirely with the encounter with Keith and the
(13:15):
sexual proposition. According to that account he got off a freight he had been riding near the town.
When he saw the Dardin trailer with its for sale sign he saw an opportunity for a killing.
After drinking beers and waiting for the right time he knocked on the door and told a wary Keith
he was interested in buying the trailer. He then overpowered Keith made him bind and gag his wife
(13:38):
and son with duct tape and forced him to drive his car to the nearby field at gunpoint where he
sliced Keith's penis off telling him he was going to take it back to Elaine then shot him and left
it there. At the trailer he raped Elaine then beat Peter Elaine and then newborn to death.
After cleaning up he drove Keith's car to Benton. When asked about information that has been with
(14:01):
held from media accounts of the killing he seemed less reliable. His claim as to which
seed of Keith's Plymouth he was shot in when he was shot is contradicted by the evidence
and when asked how Elaine's body was positioned he at first answered incorrectly then correctly
which may merely have been a lucky guess. I know people got their doubts Sells said in his 2010
(14:23):
interviews with the Southern Illinoisans. He responded to some of them they say there's no
physical evidence tying me to the Dardines but there wasn't for any of them because they wasn't
looking for me. I was always transient he said. For some investigators Sells 2014 execution by
the state of Texas was justice for the Dardines as well. Although was never charged with their
(14:45):
murders he remains the number one suspect Jefferson County State's Attorney Douglas Hoffman said
just a week after the execution Sheriff Roger Mulch agreed. The county deputy sheriff who
interviewed Sells in his Texas jail cell says he knew details of the crime that had been kept
confidential. However even they agree that Sells may have added details to his story as he was
(15:09):
known to do something that has left considerable doubt about many of the killings he confessed to.
Other investigators are less sure. While Sells account is consistent with the general facts
of the case they say most of what he told them had previously been reported publicly. Joanne
Dardines opinion on Sells guilt has evolved. In 2000 when his confession was first reported
(15:34):
she told the Chicago Tribune that she was as certain as the police that he was the suspect.
She believed only talking to him could clear up any lingering doubts. I have always wanted to know
every detail she said. Some people may think that's gory but when someone does something to my family
I want to know why. Seven years later on the 20th anniversary of the killings a year after Sells
(15:57):
initial execution date had been stayed so a federal appeals court could consider a question
about his mental state. She said she was 99% sure and expressed again her interest in possibly
talking to Sells. There's just a little bit of doubt there not that he didn't do it I'm wondering
if maybe somebody helped him. In his 2010 interview Sells was skeptical of what such a conversation
(16:20):
might accomplish. Joanne wants to talk to me. If she wants to come here and talk to me scream at me
yell kick me hit me she should have that right he said but he said that no apology he could make
could possibly give her closure. Sorry ain't gonna cut it so what is there to say I could tell her
(16:40):
sorry every day for the rest of my life it's not going to stop her pain and one thing I do
know about his pain and it don't go away. The two never did talk. By the time of Sells 2014
execution Joanne had come to believe he was not the man who killed her son daughter-in-law
and grandchildren. I wanted him to stay alive until I knew positively he didn't do it she told the
(17:03):
Associated Press shortly afterward. The things he said do not match up with what I know about
Keith she told Petgallon the post dispatch reporter who had originally covered the case in 1987.
A lot of people think it's done and over with but to me it's not she said. So there you have it all
these years later the case is still unsolved and any shred of a motive is still missing. Keith's
(17:27):
mother Joanne has suggested several possible motives over the years ranging from the idea
that someone was forcing Keith to sell drugs to Elaine having a possible stalker or it being someone
from her past or perhaps even someone she rejected. Keith's friend the one who he had told about the
young woman knocking on his door looking to make a phone call wondered if perhaps that woman could
(17:50):
somehow be involved. Police appear to either still be puzzled about a motive or haven't publicly
shared it if they do have something but either way it seems unlikely that this case will be solved
soon. I couldn't confirm the status of Joanne Dardin if she is still alive I suppose she would be
well into her 80s. I'm not sure of this so if you know more about her let me know in the comment.
(18:14):
It's a truly strange case in so many ways in my opinion the viciousness with which Elaine and her
children were murdered is almost too crazy to even believe. Then when it comes to Keith wow
shooting him in the head wasn't enough the mutilation in my opinion is symbolic of someone's
true anger towards him. It's my belief that listeners like you have questions and maybe even
(18:37):
details I may not have been able to locate on this case. I welcome you to share your thoughts
and comments with me. Last and most important of all I want you to know that listeners like you
are the most important people to odd mystery stories. Thank you so much for listening to this
story. If you know of a story that is unsolved strange odd and of course mysterious I invite you
(19:03):
to share the known details of that story with me. You can either go to one of my social media
accounts like Facebook or Twitter or you can simply email me at the following email account
with no spaces odd mysteries the number four and the letter you at gmail.com. One more time my email
is with no spaces odd mysteries the number four and the letter you at gmail.com. I will do my very
(19:26):
best to answer all messages so don't hesitate to reach out to me. In the next episode I'll share
one of the most chilling cases involving the Salomon family's disappearance. Is it possible for
an entire family to simply disappear without a trace? This unsolved mystery has captivated
true crime enthusiasts for decades. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. If you did please leave
(19:51):
me a review download and share this story with your friends. Lastly if you enjoyed this podcast and
want to help it grow head over to my Patreon page buy me a cup of coffee and donate to the show in
exchange for future premium content.
located in a tiny, unassuming, mobile home on Illinois Route 37, an unspeakable tragedy will unfold,
(00:08):
one that would shake the entire community to its core. This is the story of the Dardin family murders.
This is one of the most merciless murders I have ever covered, and there are conflicting opinions
about whether or not the case was really resolved, and if the true killer was ever revealed,
stay with me to the end of this story, and let me know if you agree that this is still an unsolved
(00:31):
murder, or if you have a strong opinion about who the real killer may be. Come with me for a ride
with odd mystery stories. It was November 1987 in the little town of Aina, the southernmost village
located in Jefferson County, Illinois. Snuggled among woodland, stood a mobile home on a piece of land
(00:52):
rented from a nearby farm. The mobile home at the time was for sale, not only because the family
living within it were expecting their second child and could use some more space, but also because
they grew very uncomfortable staying in the area. It seems the area had been becoming increasingly
violent. Jefferson County, Illinois had seen 15 homicide cases in the two years prior to 1987.
(01:16):
So, Russell Keith Dardin aged 29, and his wife Ruby Elaine Dardin aged 30. Along with their
two-year-old son Peter had bought their trailer in 1986. Shortly after Russell had completed the
training required for his job as a treatment plant operator. Now for clarity, both Russell and Ruby
(01:38):
went by their middle names. He was commonly known as Keith and her as Elaine. Keith got a job at a
local treatment plant and Elaine at an office supply store in nearby Mount Vernon. In their spare time,
the couple focused their attention playing in a musical ensemble at a local Baptist church.
They were also looking forward to welcoming their second child and had decided on either Ian or Casey
(02:00):
for a name, depending on whether it was a boy or a girl. Being quite unnerved by the growing crime
in their area, Keith had become more protective of his family. There was an incident when one night,
a young woman knocked on the door of their home asking to make a phone call. Keith refused to
let her in, later relaying the experience to a good friend. On November 18th, a supervisor at the
(02:24):
treatment plant where Keith worked became increasingly worried when Keith, who had always been a reliable
worker, didn't show up for his shift. Keith had also not informed anyone of his absence and calls
to the Dardin home went unanswered all day. Keith's supervisor decided to call Keith's parents about
his unplanned absence, but neither of them knew what had happened to their son. Concerned by the
(02:46):
supervisor's phone call, Keith's parents contacted the local sheriff's office and agreed to drive to
IEENA with their house key to meet the deputies for a wellness visit. What they found within the
Dardin's mobile home was far worse than anyone had been expected and would scar them mentally for
years to come. Lying together in the mobile home's bed were the badly beaten bodies of Elaine,
(03:08):
little Peter, and the newborn baby Casey. Elaine and Peter had been bound and gagged with duct tape,
both beaten so severely that it was apparent that Elaine had gone into labor and had given
birth to a little baby girl. Their killer or killers had shown no mercy and had also beaten
the newborn to death as well. Both Elaine and Peter's skulls had been crushed. They were beaten
(03:31):
with a baseball bat that had been a birthday gift that his dad Keith had given to Peter earlier that
year. Keith, it seems, was nowhere to be found inside the trailer home. Missing also was the
family's car. No clues of his whereabouts were found in the early hours of the investigation
and the police assumed that Keith had killed his family and took off. A search team of law
(03:54):
enforcement officers was quickly assigned to search for Keith, but as quickly as they had been
assigned. So quickly had they disbanded when the following day Keith's body was discovered by some
hunters located in a wheat field not far from the family's home. He had been shot three times
in his head an obvious assassination. The strangest revelation was that his genital appendage had
(04:17):
also been cut off. Some accounts of this part mentioned that it was stuffed in his mouth.
Other accounts make no mention of this. Either way, if this is true, it was a message within
the killing, in my opinion. The family's car was located shortly after parked outside of a police
station some 11 miles away from the family home. The inside of the car was splattered with blood.
(04:39):
Police concluded that Keith had been killed inside the car. Autopsies were not conclusively able to
determine the order in which the family had been murdered. However, one thing was certain. They were
all murdered within the same two hour time span. Ultimately, the murder of this family was incredibly
brutal and without a doubt in my mind, very personal in its brutality. I'm not a psychiatrist or
(05:03):
psychologist in any sense, but the way that this murder happened surely leaves many questions about
the mental state of the killer or killers. Residents of Jefferson and Franklin counties who were
already living in fear after more than 10 murders had taken place locally in the preceding two years
became even more fearful. Many locals armed themselves with gun sales skyrocketing. Some
(05:28):
suffered adverse psychological effects. Rumors were rampant that the killings were the work of
Satanists. If you remember, the 1980s were famous for a phase referred to as satanic panic. Police
soon ruled that out after discussing the methods of satanic killings with authorities on that subject,
along with other motives, most from illicit behaviors such as drug dealing, marital infidelity, or gambling.
(05:52):
But the crime scene also ruled out rape or robbery as associated incident crimes and in the absence
of any clear cause or leads the crime became unsolved. Despite interviewing over 100 potential
suspects and not finding any other leads, investigators became focused on finding the motive behind the
gruesome murders. One by one, investigators eliminated possible motives. There was no sign
(06:18):
of forced entry and not just a vcr and portable camera had been in plain sight cash and Elaine's
jewelry was openly available in the next room. As far as the investigators could determine,
nothing had been taken from the home. Police turned to a possible sexual motive because of Keith's
mutilation but that too was dismissed. No one has ever been able to find any evidence of an
(06:40):
extramarital affair involving either of the couple nor could they find anyone who had a grudge against
them. Investigators also ruled out debts, any financial problems or recent disagreements the
couple might have had and slowly the source of possible motives began to dry up. Investigators
did find a small bag of marijuana in the trailer too small to indicate that either of the couple
(07:02):
had been dealing so that angle two was discarded. Additionally, post-mortem toxicology results
indicated that none of them had drugs or alcohol in their systems even in small trace amounts.
A man taken into custody early on was released after being questioned. Likewise, a co-worker of
Keith's with whom he reportedly had been having a dispute was cleared. A most perplexing question
(07:25):
for investigators was the murders within the trailer. The killer or killers had apparently taken
the time to not only tuck Elaine's body into a bed along with her children's bodies but also to
seemingly clean up the scene suggesting whoever perpetrated the crime did not feel an urgency
to leave. The amount of effort involved in this cleanup led police to theorize that the crime
may have taken place at night. The trailer was on Route 37, a busy state highway but could be seen
(07:50):
at the time from Interstate 57 almost 2,000 feet to the west. There also remains the question as to
whether there was one killer or multiple killers. Here again is where I have an opinion on this
and while it may not help I believe I have some curious questions. First, if Keith was killed by
being shot and also the killer obviously used a knife to maim his body why would the same killer
(08:14):
change the instrument he used to kill the family in the trailer or vice versa? I guess what seems
curious to me is that whoever killed Keith exerted very little physical effort in his murder. Whereas
Elaine and the children were murdered through a great deal of physical effort and violence plus
the killer or killers felt a need to try and clean up what they had done in the trailer. What?
(08:37):
Depraved enough to kill a newborn but meticulous enough to clean up after themselves? No matter
if this is either one very sick individual or a multiple of mentally sick people that's crazy right?
Eventually the state and local police exhausted all leads and had to start working on other cases.
(08:59):
Two FBI profilers came to the area to review the evidence. They were able to make some suggestions
but generally found that the crime defied their typical analytic methods. Joanne Dardin,
Keith's mother worked to keep the public from completely losing interest. Throughout the 1990s
she regularly called the one detective still assigned to the case offering possible leads
(09:23):
she had learned of or asking for any new information he could share. She gathered 3,000 signatures
from area residents on a petition to the Oprah Winfrey Show asking producers to do a segment
on the killings of her son and his family. They turned her down saying the crime was too brutal
for daytime television. America's most wanted had a similar reaction at first but then changed
(09:46):
its mind and ran a segment in 1998. The show did not generate any new lead. Police were briefly
interested in serial killer Engel Machurino-Resendiz then known by his alias Rafael Resendiz Ramirez
after he surrendered to authorities in Texas in 1999. He often traveled around the country by
(10:07):
hopping freight trains choosing his victims near the tracks they traveled and often beating them
to death. While those elements were suggested the Dardin murder, authorities in Illinois were never
able to connect him to the crime. No suspects were ever identified in the quadruple homicide
until the 2000s after a serial killer in Texas would bring himself to the attention of the
(10:31):
investigators in Illinois. On the last day of 1999 Tommy Lynn Sells cut the throats of two
girls near Del Rio, Texas. One survived and helped police identify him. He was eventually convicted
and sentenced to death for that murder and another one earlier in 1999 where he had killed a girl
in San Antonio. While he was awaiting trial on the first murder charge he began confessing to
(10:56):
other murders he had committed while drifting around the country sometimes by hopping freight
trains as well. While Sells could be conclusively linked to another 22 murders he could not be
conclusively linked to the Dardin family murders. Not only were there several details of his
statements wrong like Elaine's position on the bed his supposed story of running into Keith in a
(11:17):
pool hall and being invited back to their home for a three-way with Elaine did not at all fit the
very protective Keith that everybody knew. Sells said he did not remember the details of all the
crimes he confessed to which he described was a coping strategy from the sexual abuse he endured
as a child in the Missouri Booth Eel but he did remember the Dardin murders. In the mid 1980s
(11:41):
Sells was living primarily near St. Louis roughly 90 miles northwest of Jefferson County and making
money from working at traveling carnivals and fares as a day laborer or through that when it
came to thievery he often hitched rides with truckers or hop freight trains without any particular
destination in mind. He said quote anywhere a ride was going I was heading that way might be in
(12:04):
Illinois today in Oklahoma tomorrow Sells explained. It was through that type of transportation that
Sells became familiar with the specific area on one trip through Jefferson County in November 1987
one of his stories in 2010 he claimed to have met Keith at a truck stop near Mount Vernon or in a
different reciting at a local pool hall. In both versions he said Keith invited Sells home for dinner.
(12:31):
After the meal Sells was simply planning to move on but then Keith allegedly triggered his anger
by sexually propositioning him on one account to a threesome with Elaine. He claimed that he
forced Keith at gunpoint to drive to where his body was found, killed and mutilated him
then returned to the trailer to kill Elaine and Peter who were witnesses although he says it was
(12:52):
the result of uncontrollable rage that Keith's alleged sexual offer had set off in him. He said
quote I was just so pissed off that I took it to the maximum limit rage don't have a stop button.
He implied that also explained why he had killed the infant Elaine had delivered during the crime
as well. In a third version Sells dispensed entirely with the encounter with Keith and the
(13:15):
sexual proposition. According to that account he got off a freight he had been riding near the town.
When he saw the Dardin trailer with its for sale sign he saw an opportunity for a killing.
After drinking beers and waiting for the right time he knocked on the door and told a wary Keith
he was interested in buying the trailer. He then overpowered Keith made him bind and gag his wife
(13:38):
and son with duct tape and forced him to drive his car to the nearby field at gunpoint where he
sliced Keith's penis off telling him he was going to take it back to Elaine then shot him and left
it there. At the trailer he raped Elaine then beat Peter Elaine and then newborn to death.
After cleaning up he drove Keith's car to Benton. When asked about information that has been with
(14:01):
held from media accounts of the killing he seemed less reliable. His claim as to which
seed of Keith's Plymouth he was shot in when he was shot is contradicted by the evidence
and when asked how Elaine's body was positioned he at first answered incorrectly then correctly
which may merely have been a lucky guess. I know people got their doubts Sells said in his 2010
(14:23):
interviews with the Southern Illinoisans. He responded to some of them they say there's no
physical evidence tying me to the Dardines but there wasn't for any of them because they wasn't
looking for me. I was always transient he said. For some investigators Sells 2014 execution by
the state of Texas was justice for the Dardines as well. Although was never charged with their
(14:45):
murders he remains the number one suspect Jefferson County State's Attorney Douglas Hoffman said
just a week after the execution Sheriff Roger Mulch agreed. The county deputy sheriff who
interviewed Sells in his Texas jail cell says he knew details of the crime that had been kept
confidential. However even they agree that Sells may have added details to his story as he was
(15:09):
known to do something that has left considerable doubt about many of the killings he confessed to.
Other investigators are less sure. While Sells account is consistent with the general facts
of the case they say most of what he told them had previously been reported publicly. Joanne
Dardines opinion on Sells guilt has evolved. In 2000 when his confession was first reported
(15:34):
she told the Chicago Tribune that she was as certain as the police that he was the suspect.
She believed only talking to him could clear up any lingering doubts. I have always wanted to know
every detail she said. Some people may think that's gory but when someone does something to my family
I want to know why. Seven years later on the 20th anniversary of the killings a year after Sells
(15:57):
initial execution date had been stayed so a federal appeals court could consider a question
about his mental state. She said she was 99% sure and expressed again her interest in possibly
talking to Sells. There's just a little bit of doubt there not that he didn't do it I'm wondering
if maybe somebody helped him. In his 2010 interview Sells was skeptical of what such a conversation
(16:20):
might accomplish. Joanne wants to talk to me. If she wants to come here and talk to me scream at me
yell kick me hit me she should have that right he said but he said that no apology he could make
could possibly give her closure. Sorry ain't gonna cut it so what is there to say I could tell her
(16:40):
sorry every day for the rest of my life it's not going to stop her pain and one thing I do
know about his pain and it don't go away. The two never did talk. By the time of Sells 2014
execution Joanne had come to believe he was not the man who killed her son daughter-in-law
and grandchildren. I wanted him to stay alive until I knew positively he didn't do it she told the
(17:03):
Associated Press shortly afterward. The things he said do not match up with what I know about
Keith she told Petgallon the post dispatch reporter who had originally covered the case in 1987.
A lot of people think it's done and over with but to me it's not she said. So there you have it all
these years later the case is still unsolved and any shred of a motive is still missing. Keith's
(17:27):
mother Joanne has suggested several possible motives over the years ranging from the idea
that someone was forcing Keith to sell drugs to Elaine having a possible stalker or it being someone
from her past or perhaps even someone she rejected. Keith's friend the one who he had told about the
young woman knocking on his door looking to make a phone call wondered if perhaps that woman could
(17:50):
somehow be involved. Police appear to either still be puzzled about a motive or haven't publicly
shared it if they do have something but either way it seems unlikely that this case will be solved
soon. I couldn't confirm the status of Joanne Dardin if she is still alive I suppose she would be
well into her 80s. I'm not sure of this so if you know more about her let me know in the comment.
(18:14):
It's a truly strange case in so many ways in my opinion the viciousness with which Elaine and her
children were murdered is almost too crazy to even believe. Then when it comes to Keith wow
shooting him in the head wasn't enough the mutilation in my opinion is symbolic of someone's
true anger towards him. It's my belief that listeners like you have questions and maybe even
(18:37):
details I may not have been able to locate on this case. I welcome you to share your thoughts
and comments with me. Last and most important of all I want you to know that listeners like you
are the most important people to odd mystery stories. Thank you so much for listening to this
story. If you know of a story that is unsolved strange odd and of course mysterious I invite you
(19:03):
to share the known details of that story with me. You can either go to one of my social media
accounts like Facebook or Twitter or you can simply email me at the following email account
with no spaces odd mysteries the number four and the letter you at gmail.com. One more time my email
is with no spaces odd mysteries the number four and the letter you at gmail.com. I will do my very
(19:26):
best to answer all messages so don't hesitate to reach out to me. In the next episode I'll share
one of the most chilling cases involving the Salomon family's disappearance. Is it possible for
an entire family to simply disappear without a trace? This unsolved mystery has captivated
true crime enthusiasts for decades. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. If you did please leave
(19:51):
me a review download and share this story with your friends. Lastly if you enjoyed this podcast and
want to help it grow head over to my Patreon page buy me a cup of coffee and donate to the show in
exchange for future premium content.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!