A young widow writes a children’s book to help her boys deal with the grief of losing their father. A short time later, however, she is arrested for murdering their father. This case captivated the public’s attention because of its dark, complex nature. Kouri Richins is accused of poisoning her husband Eric with a fentanyl-laced cocktail in March 2022. The investigation and legal proceedings have revealed a web of deceit, financial crisis, and possible affairs. Any of these could have been enough of a motive for murder. (CBS News, Court TV)
The Tragic Incident
On March 4, 2022, Eric Richins was found unresponsive at the couple’s home near Park City, Utah. Kouri Richins called 911, stating that her husband was unresponsive. Despite efforts to revive him, the 39-year-old father of three, was pronounced dead at the scene. At first they said he died of a brain aneurysm, but an autopsy later revealed that he had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system. (CBS News)
Financial Motives and Alleged Misconduct
Investigations into the couple’s finances uncovered a possible motive. Kouri Richins had opened $2 million worth life insurance policies without her husband’s knowledge. Additionally, she was facing significant financial difficulties, and had been diverting funds from Eric’s accounts. She had her own real estate business, but it was only kept afloat by Eric’s funding. Unfortunately, and unbeknown to him, most of that funding was without his knowledge or approval. (CBS News, The US Sun)
The Grief Author’s Paradox
In a stroke of dark irony, Kouri Richins authored a children’s book titled Are You With Me? She said it was supposed to help her sons grieve the death of their father. The book was dedicated to her late husband and was published shortly after his death. This endeavor has drawn criticism, with some viewing it as an attempt to profit from her husband’s demise. While the morbid little book was supposed to help with grief, it came across disturbing. She used her son’s likeness in the book, and had her husband turned into a cartoon ghost that followed the boy around. It was disturbing to anyone who actually works in grief counseling. (CBS News, Court TV, CBS News)
Alleged Witness Tampering
Further complicating the case, Kouri Richins is accused of attempting to influence potential witnesses. Prosecutors allege that she sent a six-page letter from jail to her brother, instructing him to testify about Eric’s alleged drug use, which could support her defense. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any actual evidence of the alleged drug use. Her husband occasionally took a CBD gummy before bed to relax. It’s hardly a hard-core drug habit. The letter was found folded inside her LSAT prep book, led to disciplinary action within the jail and has been cited as evidence of witness tampering .(The Times, People.com)
Legal Proceedings and Upcoming Trial
Kouri Richins faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, insurance fraud, and witness tampering. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A judge has denied her bail twice, citing the severity of the charges and her potential flight risk . The trial was set to begin in April 2025, but it has been postponed citing a change of venue. As of this writing, an official trial date hasn’t been publicly released. (New York Post, CBS News, ABC13 Houston)
Conclusion
Will Kouri find a way to worm her way out of this one? She had a knack for working her way out of messes, but I don’t think she will get by with this one. She left too many witnesses and too much evidence. I’ll keep you posted as this case progresses.
Watch Synova’s Chasing Justice Video About this Case:
This case is brought to you by Synova’s book “Madhouse Madison County” and Bones Coffee Company
Madhouse Madison County
Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com.
“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.”
I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.
Synova Ink Publishing is now officially sponsored by Bones Coffee Company. You can forget coffee that tastes like burnt dirt and choose from 30 standard flavors.
Don’t forget to use my coupon code to get a discount!
On January 24th, 2002 someone walked into the back door of Carlos O’Kelly’s in Topeka, Kansas and shot the manager Bob Frazier in the chest leaving him paralyzed for the rest of his life. The police called it a botched robbery and considering the fact that three robberies had happened at this location previously, that wasn’t a far fetched conclusion.
Witnesses gave a description of the man they saw running away from the scene. They say that he was a black man running away from the scene
Witnesses say they saw a black man running away from the scene. They also described a getaway car. Most of their statements conflicted with one another but these two points remained the same. Everyone thought it was a black male that shot Frazier. Everyone saw a dark-colored Honda Accord pull away from the sea. Several people also noted that the tint on the Windows was peeling off.
Unfortunately, two black men would be accused of this crime. One brother was named James Griffin and he drove a car similar to the getaway car. However, whose car was well kept, had expensive window tinting and had expensive rims that were very noticeable. Not to mention the fact that Griffin was in a town 2 and 1/2 hours away. And he has phone records to prove it.
The other black man was Maurice Franklin who happened to be Griffin’s brother. They accused him of being the gunman and convicted him of attempted murder. No one took into account the fact that Franklin had a surgical steel rod in his leg and could not run without an obvious limp. No witnesses noticed the man limping away from the crime scene.
In fact, no one’s for sure that a black man was involved in this. Frasier said the person who came in the door said give me all of your money. He said to the cops that he thought the voice sounded like a black man. And no one saw who the getaway driver was. One person thought it may have even been a woman. So how has this man spent 20 years in prison when he has proof that he was in another town 3 hours away? Why can’t he get anyone to listen to him? Why didn’t he have any black jurors on his jury trial?
Synova’s Chasing Justice Episode: (New Episodes Premiere at 7pm Central on Tuesday Nights)
Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com.
“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.”
I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.
BONES Coffee Company:
Synova Ink Publishing is now officially sponsored by Bones Coffee Company. You can forget coffee that tastes like burnt dirt and choose from 30 standard flavors.
Don’t forget to use my coupon code to get a discount!
A black SUV slowly pulled out of a driveway in Spanish Lake, MO. The vehicle is found 25 miles away in the roughest part of St. Louis. The door was slung open, the engine left running, and the driver was missing. What happened to this beautiful young college student? Seven years later her grieving parents still pray for answers.
Phoenix Coldon, 23 had recently moved back into her parent’s home in the Spanish Lake suburb of St. Louis Missouri. The deeply religious family upbringing had sheltered the young woman from the dangers of the world around her. On the outside, the smart, outgoing Phoenix had a bright future ahead of her. She was a fencing champion, a talented pianist, and made friends easily. She was surrounded by love, how could this sweet girl go awry? I wish I knew.
On December 18, 2011, Phoenix and her mother attended morning services at their local church. The pair made a stop on their way home but arrived in the early afternoon. Around 3 pm, her father noticed Phoenix walk out to her black SUV and pull out of the driveway. He didn’t think much about it until she didn’t return. What happened to his lovely daughter? Phoenix had lived away from home for a while, but as long as she lived under their roof, she never stayed out past 2 am. The next morning Phoenix was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, when Goldia Coldon tried to file a missing persons report she was informed her daughter was of age and the report wasn’t taken seriously. Goldia tried to explain that her daughter still lived at home and had always come home on time. Finally, the report was taken, but that wouldn’t be the only obstacle the parents would face. They quickly found that getting media attention was nearly impossible.
Within three hours of the SUV leaving the driveway, the vehicle was found abandoned in one of the roughest places in East St. Louis. The location was only 25 miles from her home, but it was a world away from the quiet life she led. No one could understand why she would go to East St. Louis. The vehicle brought on more questions, a few conspiracy theories, but unfortunately no answers.
For seven years it has been told this way:
The 1998 Chevy Bronco was found parked in the traffic lane on the corner of 9th St & St. Clair Ave, East St. Louis, Illinois. The driver’s door was open, and the engine was running. The initial reports claimed there wasn’t anything left in the vehicle. The 911 call came it at 5:27 pm on December 18, 2011, and the officer arrived on the scene at 5:35 pm. Here is where the problems begin. For seven long years, people were working with this story with these facts. It leads people to believe that poor Phoenix was pulled from her vehicle in a violent way. The Bronco was found next to Interstate 70 which is known as the human trafficking highway. This made investigators immediately think of this possible scenario. I’m not so sure, and I will tell you why.
When conducting interviews for the documentary “The Disappearance of Phoenix Coldon,” the hosts speak with the first officer on the scene. This interview would shake up the entire investigation. The attending officer claimed the vehicle was not running when he came upon it, and the driver’s door was not open. Where did this story come from then? Who knows?
The Double Life of Phoenix:
Investigations tend to kick up all your dirty little secrets and seems Phoenix wasn’t as saintly as initially described. Everyone has their problems, and it appeared the 23-year-old was struggling with her share of difficulties. Phoenix was homeschooled for most of her education and many wonder if she was too sheltered and just decided to break out and try something new. In fact, she did move out of the house when she started college. But, if her home life was so restricting and terrible, then why would she move back into her parents’ home in early 2011. This theory doesn’t hold water with me. There are many other ways to leave the nest.
Phoenix was leading a double life of sorts. After her disappearance, her parents discovered she kept a separate cell phone just to speak with friends she thought her parents wouldn’t approve of. Also when she had rented an apartment earlier, she wasn’t living with a female friend. Going against her religious upbringing, Phoenix was living with her boyfriend; Michael B. Supposedly, she was on the phone with Michael B. on the day she disappeared, but frankly, nothing seems for sure in this case. If Michael B. was the last person to talk to her, then why do investigators adamantly claim he wasn’t involved in her disappearance. It’s strange to hear an investigator say that they are 100% sure someone wasn’t involved. Maybe the guy was in jail, or in the hospital, I don’t know. But everything was so vague, and it’s hard to understand why the police wrote him off as a person of interest.
Continuing with Phoenix’s secrets, we also find out that she had been dating another man from school also named Michael. We will call him Mike#2. It was later determined that Mike #2 had a violent nature with women when his ex-girlfriend came forward to talk to investigators. She would eventually have to file a restraining order against him. Could Mike #2 have anything to do with Phoenix’s disappearance? The ex is unsure. He did seem to be overly interested in the case but said it was just because he had known her.
“Why are you worrying about someone who’s dead?”
Those are the words that fell from the lips of Mike #2 when his ex-girlfriend continued to question him about his interest in this case. How did he know she’s dead? More importantly, what are investigators doing about it?
Phoenix’s Best Friend:
When interviewed by the investigators for the documentary, Phoenix’s next door neighbor and best friend came forward to talk with the hosts. She claimed to know some things about her friend and had been afraid to say anything in the beginning. This friend claims Phoenix had grown paranoid in the last few months before her disappearance. She claimed Phoenix talked about leaving and even said she was afraid something terrible was going to happen to her. She claimed Phoenix was driving around with a large knife tucked in beside the drivers’ seat of her Bronco. Strangely, this knife wasn’t found in the abandoned vehicle.
Honestly, I don’t know what to do with this. Yes, there is evidence to show that Phoenix had gotten mixed up with a rough crowd, but why would the friend just now be showing up to talk? Why would she talk on camera if she were so afraid? She didn’t even ask for them to hide her identity. I don’t know. Maybe she is legit, but I find it funny when someone who’s afraid to come forward suddenly jumps into the limelight of television.
The Fateful Video:
When the hosts spoke with the family, they were given a bunch of evidence and documentation the family had collected over the past seven years. In this pile of evidence was a “selfie video” of Phoenix. In this video, we see the true nature of Phoenix’s mental anguish. She felt like she couldn’t turn to anyone and she just wanted to start over. After watching the film, it is apparent that Phoenix’s life was spiraling out of control. What had she gotten involved with? Why did she say she would have been better off to stay the way she used to be?
Investigators came back to the poor parents and said they believe the runaway theory. Of course, if this is true, she sure did a great job hiding her identity for seven years. I still think if she’s alive she was lured away by someone. I don’t believe she would go through all of this without stashing away some clothes and building an identity for herself ahead of time. Her family still thinks she was forced into the sex trade. They even interviewed local prostitutes and visited the strip clubs hoping someone would recognize their daughter.
Tragedy upon Tragedy:
During the most difficult time of their lives, the Coldon family should be surrounded by loving friends and supportive strangers. Instead, their misfortune has been compounded by grief upon grief. A few days after Phoenix went missing, Goldia received a phone call from a female claiming to be her daughter. Police tracked down the caller to find it was a 14-year-old prankster from California. Who would do such a thing?
If that weren’t bad enough, the Coldons spent every dime they had trying to investigate their daughter’s disappearance. When they had spent their savings and were nearly wiped out they got a tip out of Texas claiming their daughter was in a prostitution ring. This caller needed money to buy her out. Of course, the grief-stricken parents gave them the money only to find out it was another horrid hoax. This one left them nearly homeless. Their family home was behind, and the lender was threatening to foreclose. A stranger stepped in and helped negotiate a quick sale for the family. Although they avoided foreclosure, they still lost their family home.
“It’s just money, and it’s just a house,” Goldia said. “It wasn’t a home when she’s not there.”
Sightings & Rumors:
To make this case even more bizarre, the private investigator says there is evidence that Phoenix had been taking money from her parents’ safe and had found out she had two separate birth certificates. One certificate was with the Coldon name, and the other was with her mother’s maiden name. The parents’ deny this, but why would their own private investigator say this? Also, when tracking down the maiden name theory, investigators found a person by that name living in Alaska. They made the trip up there only to find out the person at the given address had never heard of Phoenix. Could that be a coverup? Could Phoenix really have run away and used a random address? Who knows.
If that’s not enough twists for you, here’s another one. Two years after Phoenix went missing one of her church friends was on an airplane coming home from Vegas when she saw Phoenix in a group of well-dressed women. She called out her name, and strangely the woman looked at her.
“Do I look like someone?” was the woman’s response. Two men were with the group, and the crowd moved past the stunned friend. Was this really Phoenix? The concerned woman immediately reported the incident to airport security. The entire place was searched, but no one found Phoenix or the group of people. Was this really Phoenix? Were the ladies high priced escorts and the men their bouncers, or was this a random group of people?
Through all the chaos, hoaxes, and turmoil Goldia and Lawrence Coldon are still searching for their precious baby girl. Where is Phoenix Coldon? Who took her? Did she go on her own? Is she still alive? These questions and more torment the poor mother causing panic attacks and even a heart attack. If you have any information or if you have seen Phoenix, please contact the St. Louis County Police Department 314-615-5317
Sponsorships:
This case was brought to you by Bones Coffee Company and Synova’s Book, “Madhouse Madison County.” Check them out using the links below. Every purchase helps Synova research more cold cases and raise publicity for more families needing help. Thank you in advance!
Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com.
“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.”
I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.
Bones Coffee Company:
Synova Ink Publishing is Sponsored by Bones Coffee Company!!
You can forget about boring coffee when you get Bones Coffee. Where art and coffee collide!
Say goodbye to boring coffee and Hello to Bones! Follow this link to order and use my coupon code: SYNOVAINK for a discount!
Tracy Pickett vanished after a sleepover in Webb City, Missouri — and 33 years later, justice still hasn’t been served.
On the night of August 11, 1992, 14-year-old Tracy Pickett did something countless teens do — she went to a sleepover with friends. But by the next morning, Tracy had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a grieving mother and a community haunted by unanswered questions.
This unsolved disappearance remains one of Missouri’s most disturbing cold cases, with key suspects, suspicious sightings, and a chilling voicemail, but still no body — and no closure.
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare Begins
Glenda “Kay” Blaser, Tracy’s mother, never imagined she would be living every parent’s worst fear. She agreed to let her daughter spend the night with friends. But someone else showed up that night — two convicted felons. One of them, Ernest “Michael” Hensley, was dating one of the girls. He brought along a man known only as “Al.”
That “Al” was later identified as Lowell Andrew Billy, a convicted $ex offender with a dark past and a disturbing future.
The Chilling Voicemail and Tracy’s Sudden Disappearance
On August 12, 1992, Blaser received a bizarre, possibly pre-recorded voicemail:
“Tracy is on her way home to change her clothes.”
The message came twice. But Tracy never came home.
When Blaser went to the friend’s house, she found Tracy’s shoes in the closet — but no sign of her daughter. Witnesses say “Al” had given Tracy a ride home that morning in a distinctive black van with Oklahoma plates, louvers on the windows, and two sunroofs — a vehicle later tied to multiple sightings.
One witness reported hearing a girl scream, “Leave me alone!” in a nearby alley. Another saw “Al” cleaning out the van near Carthage, Missouri, around noon on the day of Tracy’s disappearance.
A Prime Suspect with a Violent History
Police eventually identified “Al” as Lowell Andrew Billy, a man with a violent record. He told investigators he dropped Tracy off in front of a pawn shop in downtown Joplin, but no witnesses or evidence support that claim.
A year later, Billy was arrested for kidnapping and $exu@l assault of another woman in Oklahoma. He served time but was later re-arrested for failing to register as a $ex offender. Despite being labeled the prime suspect in Tracy Pickett’s disappearance, insufficient evidence has kept authorities from charging him.
Renewed Investigations and Ongoing Search for Justice
In 2005, investigators drained a local mining pit, hoping to uncover evidence. In 2018, the Joplin Police Department searched several ponds linked to the other man who was at the sleepover — Ernest “Michael” Hensley, who has since passed away.
Police believe Hensley and Billy may have both been involved, but decades later, Tracy Pickett remains missing, and her case is still unsolved.
Help Bring Tracy Pickett Home
If you have any information about the disappearance of Tracy Pickett, please contact the Joplin Police Department at
(417) 623-3131.
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This case was brought to you by Bones Coffee Company and Synova’s Shattered Book. Check out the links below to order your coffee and books. Every purchase helps me get more publicity for more obscure cold cases. Thank you!
Shattered: Behind Every Story Is a Shattered Life
Behind every story I write is a life that’s shattered. These aren’t headlines. These are people. Those who try to twist headlines to generate more views are toying with someone’s trauma. I have raised awareness for 500 cases and helped generate leads for law enforcement. That’s my purpose and that’s what keeps me going.
This book has the top 40 cases that I’ve highlighted on my blog throughout the years. Please enjoy the book but remember these are real people with real trauma.
Photo courtesy of St. Charles County Department of Corrections
This blog is an excerpt from my latest book “Madhouse Madison County”
The holiday celebrations had ended, and 2010 was a new landscape of hope. What would this year hold? Well, in Fredericktown, it would hold nightmares. Untold horrors lay ahead as the world would finally see what kind of monster held the title of police captain in this small rural community. (Just to give you some context and a Time frame, This case happened just a few months before Doug Teel’s body was found on the road.)
Kenneth D. Tomlinson II was a behemoth of a man. He stood 6’6″ tall and weighed close to 400 lbs. He had been a patrolman for the area since 1997 before eventually becoming the Police Captain. He was also the local Boy Scout Troop Leader for Troop 27, and most people in town thought he was one of the good guys. They couldn’t be more wrong. Tomlinson gave himself the nickname “Big Dog,” but the teenagers were wary of him and called him “Baby Huey.” This should have been a red flag, but no one noticed.
On January 2, 2010, a concerned mother found sexually explicit text messages on her child’s phone from “Big Dog.” She was horrified. It was the beginning of the end of the pervert police officer. On January 5, Tomlinson was arrested and charged with 16 counts of felony sex charges with underage boys. Sergeant Jason Gordon was appointed as the temporary head of the department. Tomlinson would eventually plead guilty to 22 counts of sexual abuse of minors, 12 counts of 1st-degree statutory sodomy, and deviate sexual intercourse with three underage boys. They were seventeen, fourteen, and twelve at the time.
The investigation revealed his sordid routine to the world. After Boy Scout meetings, the policeman would give young boys pornographic images of girls and then force them to let him perform sexual acts upon them in his truck. He would videotape the encounters and make the boys watch. Later, he would destroy the videos so there wouldn’t be evidence. This hideous routine continued for years. You might ask why he would make them watch it. It was another form of controlling their trauma. They knew he would have evidence to “tell on them.” It was another way to control the boys and keep them from exposing the truth. They didn’t know that he was destroying those videos, so there wouldn’t be evidence against him. All of this would later come out in court, leaving the public horrified. The victims were brave and faced their abuser in court, and no one could dispute their pain. So many victims don’t have the strength to do what those boys did.
After hearing the victim impact statements in court, “Baby Huey” read an apology to the victims & their families, claiming he was sorry and promised to get counseling in prison as if that was going to take away the pain and trauma these poor boys had faced. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus 22 years. This disgusting piece of flesh sits rotting in the Jefferson City Correctional Center to this day.
In September 2013, the victim’s families sued the Boy Scouts organization claiming negligence. There had been more than 60 incidents reported and they went unnoticed. They knew Tomlinson wasn’t following the standard protocol concerning the “Two-Deep” guidelines which prevent one on one contact between troop leaders and scouts. Think about it. Sixty incidents had been reported. How many more weren’t reported? Could more victims be too traumatized to come forward? Maybe we may never know.
According to an article on NPR’s website, over 82,000 people have filed lawsuits against Boy Scout Leaders citing sexual abuse. In 2020, the Boy Scouts of America organization filed bankruptcy and created a $2.4 billion fund for the victims.
Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com.
“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.”
I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.
Synova Ink Publishing is Sponsored by Bones Coffee Company!!
Say goodbye to boring coffee and Hello to Bones! Follow this link to order and use my coupon code: SYNOVAINK for a discount!
On December 4, 1974, the 17-year-old Laurie Partridge left school because she wasn’t feeling well. She couldn’t get a ride home, so she decided to walk the two miles home, but she would vanish without a trace.
Strangely, her concert tickets were used a few days later, but the police didn’t want to inconvenience the concert goers and wouldn’t allow the people to be stopped as they checked into the venue. When the family questioned the venue, they found Laurie’s two tickets had been used. Did Laurie’s kidnapper go to the Beach Boy’s concert with her tickets? Where is Laurie?
Laurie was a senior in high school and already had enough credits to graduate, so when she told them she didn’t feel good and wanted to leave, they let her go. She reportedly left the Joel E. Ferris High School around 12:30 pm. She said she wanted to lay down and rest before she had to go to work that evening. She worked at the Lincoln Heights Theater.
She walked through the first neighborhood on her way home, and a witness noticed her walking by as he shoveled his driveway. Then, she would pass a rural area with fields and woods. No one noticed her walk through the second neighborhood, and police think she may have been kidnapped in the rural area between the houses.
Laurie had two tickets to the Beach Boy’s concert on December 9, 1974. The family tried to get the police to watch for those ticket numbers at the event, but they refused to interrupt the crowd. They also refused to let the family do it. They sent two officers who spent a short time looking around for Laurie in case she showed up to the concert. She did not. Afterward, the venue verified that all the tickets had been turned in. Were the kidnappers at that concert? We will never know.
During the 50 years since this disappearance, people have tried to tie it to Ted Bundy and other various cases. There have been a couple of witnesses and theories, but none of these tips went anywhere. This poor family has been left without answers and is in the same spot as they were on that cold December day in 1974.
At first, the police said this was a runaway, and because of that mentality, they missed the opportunity to develop the one good lead in this case. Laurie was engaged to a 20-year-old man from the area. They were going to pick out rings in a day or two. They were planning a wedding after Laurie’s graduation in the spring. She was, by all accounts, a very stable teenager with big dreams and a life waiting for her after high school.
What can we do now? Share. That’s about it. The more we talk about these cases, the more pressure we can put on those who have information.
Check out my new Chasing Justice Episode about this case:
This episode is brought to you buy my latest book “Madhouse Madison County.” Follow this link to order your copy on Amazon today. Every book you buy helps me make more videos for you!
Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com.
“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.”
I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.
He’s sat behind the bars of Oklahoma State Penitentiary for over two decades without committing the crime that put him there. Richard Glossip has proclaimed his innocence in this witch hunt since the beginning, but no one would listen…until now. He’s been served multiple last meals and given several execution dates. Each time, he barely survives, but he still stands waiting for justice.
On January 7, 1997, Justin Sneed brutally beat a man to death. The victim’s name was Barry Van Treese. He owned the Best Budget Inn located in Oklahoma City. Sneed worked as a part-time maintenance man in exchange for room and board. When interrogated by police, Sneed was pressured into taking a plea deal that would help him avoid the death penalty. If Sneed told law enforcement that the manager hired him to kill Barry, then Sneed could avoid lethal injection. After intense interrogation, Sneed caved and said that the manager of the motel hired him to kill the owner. That manager’s name was Richard Glossip.
In August 2004, a jury convicted Glossip of murder and sentenced him to die. The actual killer got life in prison. Glossip fought hard trying to get someone to listen to him, but he was ignored. It didn’t matter that Sneed’s own family believed in Richard’s innocence. It didn’t matter that there was no evidence against Glossip. No money exchanged hands for the supposed hired hit. Glossip has faced death for decades based on the word of a low-IQ, drug addict who was pressured by police.
It also didn’t matter that the police interrogation techniques of these law officers have been publicly questioned over the years. Nothing seemed to matter in the case of Richard Glossip. Oklahoma had put him away in a cage and was determined to kill him.
Finally, in January of 2024 the Supreme Court agreed to hear Glossip’s case and it was argued infront of the court in October that year. Finally on February 25, 2025 the Supreme Court vacated Richard Glossip’s conviction and ordered a new trial.
What will happen now? Will Richard get a new trial after all of these years? Will he be released? What, if anything, will be done to pay this man retribution after the state took his life from him? We will have to wait and see. I’ll keep you posted as the story unfolds.
A mother of four goes missing after attending a Halloween party. Her car was found abandoned with a flat tire. Inside was a Cat woman costume and a cooler of beer with a few cans missing. A month later the body of Karen Swift was found in a shallow grave a mere three miles from her car.
Karen Swift, 44 was a fitness instructor living in Dyersburg, Tennessee on the night of Halloween 2011. Karen was attending a party at a local country club when she received a call from her child who was spending the night with a friend. The child wanted to go home, so the mother left the party, picked up the child, and returned to her home on Willie Johnson Rd around 1:30 am on Sunday morning. Karen’s soon-to-be ex-husband was the last person to see her. He claimed she left home after putting the child to bed.
Karen and David were going through the divorce process, and Karen had confided in a friend about an affair. During this conversation, she also mentioned an anonymous donor had given her $10,000 for a divorce.
At the party, Karen had gotten into a verbal altercation with another woman. I haven’t found the woman’s name mentioned publicly, nor have we been told what the argument was about. All we know is a few hours later the mother had vanished. Karen’s 2004 Nissan Murano was found on Millsfield Highway near the intersection of Harness Rd. The vehicle had a flat tire and inside the investigators found the Halloween costume, Karen had worn earlier in the evening along with a cooler of beer. Reports state a few cans were missing. The car had been spotted by a hunter around 5 am.
Ten days after the disappearance the country club was robbed. The only thing stolen was the security cameras. This tells me that Karen’s killer was likely on those videos and was trying to cover his or her tracks. Of course, the husband came under scrutiny, but after seven years the investigators still don’t have any real evidence to pin this on him.
Karen’s body would be found a month later dumped at the Bledsoe Cemetery only three miles from where her car was abandoned. Investigators had searched the area previously and aren’t sure if the body in the ditch was somehow missed or if it had been dumped there at a later date.
At first, the local judge sealed the autopsy reports to shield the investigation, so Karen’s manner of death was not released. In November 2018, a reporter filed an FOIA request and was surprised to receive the autopsy report. The media jumped on it and ramped up the media coverage for this case once again. Sadly, some online trolls have bashed the reporter and all media in general for digging up things just for a story. They claim the media has destroyed the investigation.
There will always be haters online ready to pounce on the hating bandwagon, but this time I have to interject. Please forgive me as I digress into a bit of a rant. Let me explain to all of you that don’t realize how an FOIA request works. The request is sent by an American who by law has the right to ask for the documents. The request is then sent to the department in charge of the investigation. It is up to them what will be sent to the requesting party. If the judge wanted something sealed, then those parts of the document would be redacted. The investigators will not send out anything that will hinder their case, so all of you out there screaming at the media need to do your homework.
Update:
David Swift was finally arrested for the murder of his wife and indited in 2022. Unfortunately, the prosecutors in this case have not done a good job establishing his guilt. As of June 20, 2024 there was a hung jury and they could not officially decide. As of the time of this writing, David Swift has been allowed to walk free.
Sadly, the jury wasn’t allowed to see all of the evidence and the statute of limitations for manslaughter has run out. Now, the family is left without answers and Karen still has not justice. What happened to Karen Swift? Did her husband do this to her, or is there someone else out there waiting to kill again?
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A concerned grandmother calls in a triple missing persons report to the local police department. She hadn’t seen her granddaughter in days, and now both parents were missing as well. Since both her daughter and granddaughter lived with her, it was rather unusual.
Lakeia Walker, Ricky Beasley, and 2-year-old Zaela Walker were officially reported missing. Police began their investigation with a strange tale. Over time, it would change, but this was the first wild tale they heard.
The mother, Lakeia, had an interview, so she left the child with the father, Ricky. When she returned, there was an argument, and the father refused to return the child. He demanded $13,000 for her. The mother promised she would raise the money even if she had to strip for it.
Then the mother claimed she camped out in the driveway. Hoping to get her child back. She never once calls the police. Then she claims the father told her the child was in California with his family. Then, instead of demanding to see her child or calling the police, the mother and the father end up going on a strange 4-month long road trip. The child is never found.
When police arrest the couple, Lakeia blames everything on Ricky. Since he is driving his mother’s stolen car, they arrest him and let her go. Lakeia convinces police that he held his daughter for ransom and kidnapped her. But, over time, Lakeia’s stories become more outrageous, and police begin to question the mother’s story. They investigate everyone who could have had the child, and no one has seen Zaela.
Disturbingly, the police discover that neither parent tried to celebrate the child’s 3rd birthday while they were out on this strange road trip. Why would parents not make a fuss over their toddler’s birthday unless they already knew she was dead?
Another strange clue came when the police discovered recorded conversations on Ricky’s phone. Lakeia is heard saying the phrase, “no body- no case.” Who says those sorts of things outside the context of police investigations, legal cases, or true crime groups?
Both parents are now being held on murder charges in the disappearance case of Zaela Walker. Unfortunately, they have been behind bars for five years, and the case still hasn’t made it to trial. Will this baby girl get justice? Where is she? Is she even alive?
Synova’s Chasing Justice Video:
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To say Steve Davis was a creative individual is a massive understatement. Not only did he play music and write songs, but he loved to make videos and one day dreamed of being a musician or even a Hollywood actor. Steve even dabbled in modeling for a while. His older sister was a backup musician for some very famous artists at the time. Unfortunately, Steve would never fulfill his creative goals because he would go missing on the weekend of Halloween 1989.
He left his job in downtown San Francisco that Friday afternoon telling his boss he had a great day. He stopped on the way home and grabbed a few groceries, and then ended up at his apartment in the Richmond District a short time later. He had some vague plans for the weekend, but no one was really sure where he was going.
His mother lived in Corte Madera, California. It was about a 30-minute bus ride away, and he may have had plans to stop by a childhood friend’s house along the way. His friend was named Steve as well. Steve Habernass. Habernass lived in Larkspur, not too far from his mother. He had a home recording studio, and Steve had recorded some music at his house. Steve told friends he was going to stop by and pick up his cassette tape. There were rumors that Habernass was having a Halloween party, and some people remembered Steve saying he was going to go, and others thought he was just going to pick up his tape and go on to his mom’s house. He never showed up at either place.
People started to worry when Steve’s boss called on Monday morning, saying that he had missed work. Steve never missed work. The family visited Steve’s apartment and found that it was in perfect condition. There were no signs of violence in the apartment whatsoever. They did find out that Steve had made it home after work. The receipt where he had bought some groceries was still sitting on the table. They also found the local newspaper sitting inside his apartment. So what happened? Did he open the door for the wrong person? Did he leave on his own accord and then meet foul play somewhere along the bus ride to his mom’s house? Did he ever get on the bus? We simply don’t have any answers.
Although the police did investigate Steve Davis’s disappearance, everyone was kind of hoping that he had run off and would return. When the days turned to weeks, to months, and then to years, that hope slowly faded away.
What happened to Steve Allen Davis?
Theories:
Angry Husband:
This 23-year-old man lived close to his family and kept in regular contact with them. He didn’t do drugs or alcohol. He wasn’t involved in gangs or violence. He didn’t live in what most people would call a dangerous lifestyle, but he was dating a married woman. Now, there is some contention within the family. Some people say they were just friends, and other people say they were dating. But either way, the girlfriend broke it off with Steve a week before her husband was to get out of jail. I contend that if they were just friends, she wouldn’t have anything to break off.
Needless to say, the husband was the first person the police investigated. But they come up with nothing, and they do not believe that he had anything to do with Steve’s disappearance.
A Friend’s Deadly Confession:
There was one more thing that made the police nervous. Steve told someone close to him that a friend of his had confided in him. This mysterious friend had confessed to murdering his wife. Steve never told who it was, and the police still to this day can’t figure out the identity of this mysterious friend. Most of Steve’s friends were in their early twenties and had never been married. So, who did Steve know who had been married and lost their wife? It’s another mystery surrounding this young musician.
Dumped in the Bay:
There is one more theory in this case. A local man named Larry Schwimmer was sitting at a bus stop not far from where Steve lived. Three armed men in a vehicle kidnapped Larry from the bus stop, tied him up, robbed him, and then threw him into the bay. Larry survived, and the story hit the newspapers. Steve’s father called Larry and talked to him for a good long while, hoping to find some kind of connection to his son. could this have been what happened to Steve? Again, we may never know.
Strange Conversations:
Some opportunities were missed at the beginning of this investigation because everyone was hoping Steve had just stepped away. And, there was a good reason for it. After Steve disappeared, conversations were remembered that seemed a little strange. His mother remembered having a conversation with Steve a few months earlier. Steve had asked her nonchalantly, “What would you do if I disappeared?”
His mother thought he was just having an emotional moment and tried to support him the best she could. She told him everyone felt like that every once in a while, and everything would be okay. The conversation turned the other topics, and it was immediately forgotten.
Shortly after Steve’s disappearance, a friend calls and talks to the investigators. He says that he remembers Steve asking him what it would take to get a new social security number. This may have been up to 2 years before he disappeared. Again, he wasn’t really sure when the conversation occurred. And again, at the time it didn’t seem all that serious of a conversation.
Was Steve trying to find a way to walk away from his life? If so, why? He didn’t have a contentious relationship with his family or friends. He had plenty of money and plenty of friends. He was chasing his dreams and fulfilling his goals. He seemed to be the least likely to run away. Was he actually in trouble? Was he fearful for his life? Did he know something bad was going to happen, so he was trying to outrun it? It’s been 36 years, and this poor family still has no answers.
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