Murder, She Told

1984. Providence, Rhode Island.

Just before Thanksgiving in 1984, a popular Providence nightclub owner, 58-year-old John “Tillie King” Gomes, went missing. He would never be seen alive again.

A witness came forward saying she saw him being forced into a car at gunpoint by two men, and rumors of mob involvement quickly swirled.

Tillie was a community icon and a smart businessman who had built a successful nightclub and knew how to navigate the streets around him. But somebody wanted him dead. The question was why.

Sifting through rumors to find the truth, in a world where loyalties run deep and people are afraid to talk, left more questions than answers.

What happened during those final months of Tillie King’s life? And why, after more than four decades, has no one been held accountable for his murder?

If you have any information that can bring John "Tillie King" Gomes justice, please contact the Bristol County Massachusetts Cold Case Unit at (508) 961-1914.

You can also reach out to the Providence Police Dept at (401) 272-3121.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/john-tillie-king-gomes

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Happy Halloween! This week I wanted to bring you a fun and fascinating Halloween season bonus from my friend, Laurah Norton of The Fall Line.

This is One Strange Thing: a podcast that brings you witty true stories of ghost sightings, strange disappearances, supernatural events and famous cryptids, creatures, UFOs and lore from small town America.

This episode is The Cure: "Mercy Brown, Rhode Island vampire—or, allegedly so—is considered to be the last of the state’s unfortunate focal points in its 19th century vampire panics; but like so many other supernatural superstitions we dig into, there’s much more beneath the surface. The Exeter Vampire panic is more complex, and perhaps distorted, than we’ve been led to believe. . . all through the haze and horror of the plague of tuberculosis."

Hosted and written by Laurah Norton

Researched Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder

Sources for OST: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Support Murder, She Told: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@murdershetold⁠⁠⁠⁠

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2003. Wilton, Maine.

For Raymond “Butch” Weed, the days leading up to Christmas in 2003 were supposed to be an ordinary time spent with friends and family. But on December 23, the holiday season took a devastating turn when friends stopped by his home to deliver gifts and discovered that Butch had been murdered.

Butch was a fixture in the Wilton, Maine, community. That evening, he had made the short trip home from one of his favorite local spots. Sometime in the 90 minutes that followed, his life was taken inside his own home.

More than two decades later, rumors and speculation still surround Butch’s murder, but what actually happened that night remains unknown. His family is still waiting for the truth, and while theories have circulated over the years, the answers can only come from facts—and from someone who knows more than they’ve shared.

If you have any information on the murder of Butch Weed, please contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South at ⁠⁠(207) 624-7076⁠⁠ x9.

Episode sources and photos: ⁠⁠⁠https://murdershetold.com/episodes/raymond-butch-weed

Support Murder, She Told: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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1952. Burlington, Vermont.

In November 1952, 19-year-old Rosamond Burrington was simply making her way home after running errands in Brattleboro, Vermont, expecting nothing more than an ordinary walk on a November evening. But somewhere along that route, she encountered a man she didn't know, and her life was brutally cut short.

With few answers, no clear suspect, and little to go on, police struggled to make sense of the horrific crime. The investigation appeared to have reached a standstill until a nurse came forward with an unexpected tip about a young man whose strange story caught the attention of investigators, cracking the case wide open.

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/rosamond-burrington

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠murdershetold.com⁠⁠

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1991. Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

On a bitter February night in 1991, the quiet of a Portsmouth neighborhood was shattered when flames erupted from a neighbor’s home. By the time the fire was under control, two beloved members of the community were dead.

Stella Bolton, 68, and James "JJ" Moore, 73, were familiar and well-loved faces around the Seacoast area. They were longtime friends who shared a simple, quiet life.

But investigators soon discovered that the fire was only part of the story.

Stella and JJ had been killed before the flames consumed their home. What initially appeared to be a devastating house fire was now a double homicide—and someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to hide what they had done.

As investigators began piecing together those final hours, questions piled up. Who would want Stella and JJ dead? Why were they targeted? And could the person responsible have been someone they knew?

But Portsmouth detectives have never given up hope. They believe the answers may still be out there, held by someone who remembers what happened-and they remain determined to uncover the truth and bring justice to Stella and JJ.

Seacoast Crime Stoppers is offering at $20,000.00 reward for any information about this case that leads to an indictment or an arrest. If you have any information, please contact Detective Rochelle Jones (603) 610-7503 or Seacoast Crimestoppers at (603) 431-1199 to remain anonymous.

You can also submit a tip online to Seacoast Crimestoppers.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/stella-bolton-james-moore

Support the show: ⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠

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Facebook: ⁠⁠/mstpodcast⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠murdershetold.com⁠

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