Our True Crime Podcast

Today, Cam and Jen are thrilled to share a special episode from our friends at The Final Trace, a true crime podcast that digs into chilling disappearances, cold cases, and mysteries that still leave us searching for answers.

You might remember Hopper from when he joined us on Our True Crime Podcast. We absolutely loved having him on, and we know you all did too! Hopper and his co-host, McKenzie, have built a great show together, and we want to make sure you get a chance to listen to it.

The episode you're about to hear covers the tragic story of Lisa McCracken.

Kind, outgoing, and only 19 years old, Lisa McCracken had her entire life ahead of her when she was murdered inside her North 6th Street apartment. For decades, her killer remained in the shadows while the case went cold. Science eventually brought the truth to light years later, but even a name couldn't answer every lingering question about what really happened.

Hopper and McKenzie release new episodes every True Crime Tuesday. Once you've listened, head over to your favorite podcast app, search for The Final Trace Podcast, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Jen and Cam will be back this Wednesday with another brand-new, listener-requested episode!

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In March of 1987, Sheila Washington was walking near East Colfax Avenue, which was once dubbed the “longest, wickedest street in America," when a stranger in a blue Concord offered her a ride. That afternoon turned into a fight for survival when he tried to strangle her, exposing 34-year-old Vincent Darrell Groves: a prolific yet largely unknown Colorado serial killer.

Decades later, dedicated cold case units and modern DNA testing are finally holding him accountable for a long list of cold cases and bringing long-overdue answers to grieving families.

Join Jen and Cam as they piece together the many cold cases and DNA evidence that finally brought Vincent Darrell Groves to light.

Our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Inky Pawprint⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

The Story of Serial Killer Vincent Darrell Groves | They Will Kill You

True Crime: Vincent Darrell Groves, The East Colfax Strangler - Rooster Magazine

People v. Groves :: 1992 :: Colorado Court of Appeals Decisions :: Colorado Case Law :: Colorado Law :: U.S. Law :: Justia

DNA evidence links Colorado woman’s murder to one of state’s most ‘prolific serial killers’ 40 years later | The Independent

The Colfax Serial Killer: Vincent Darrell Groves Colored Red | iHeart

Vincent Groves - Wikipedia

(1) The Denver Body Dump Killer | Unidentified Serial Killer | Free Full Documentary - YouTube

Mar 23, 1989, page 4 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™

Sep 03, 1988, page 10 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™

Article From Aug 02, 1996, page 12 - Pueblo Chieftain at Newspapers.com™

Article From Dec 30, 1988, page 11 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™

Aug 06, 1989, page 14 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™

Article From May 27, 1990, page 14 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™

Jul 11, 1986, page 8 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™ makes appearance at school to talk about staying straight.

Article From Mar 09, 2012, page 5 - Fort Collins Coloradoan at Newspapers.com™

Vincent Darrell Groves | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Colorado cold case linked to one of the state's 'most prolific serial killers' nearly four decades later

Vincent Groves — Grokipedia

Denver - Wikipedia

Colfax Avenue - Wikipedia

Diane Montoya-Mancera (1962-1988) - Find a Grave Memorial

Nearly Four Decades Later, the 1987 Murder of Rhonda Marie Fisher Has Been Solved - Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Deceased serial killer linked to murders of 4 Colorado women – The Denver Post

Melanie Suzanne Cooley. | Another Bundy Blog.

Peggy A Cuff (1959-1979) - Find a Grave Memorial

Chasing A Ghost - 5280

Norma Jean Halford – The Charley Project

Joyce Ellen Ramey (1955-1979) - Find a Grave Memorial

Microsoft Word - 79-521903.Ramey

Jeanette Louise Baca (1960-1978) - Find a Grave Memorial

Baca, Jeannette Louise - Homicide • Jefferson County, CO

Zabra Ann Miller Mason (1968-1987) - Find a Grave Memorial

Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Zabra Mason

Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Cynthia Boyd

Cynthia Mae Boyd (1960-1980) - Find a Grave Memorial

Juanita Becky Lovato (1968-1988) - Find a Grave Memorial

Serial killers worked Denver streets from ’75 to ’95, police say – The Denver Post

Billy Edwin Reid - Wikipedia

DNA links prolific serial killer to 1981 murder of girl, 17, in Aurora – The Denver Post

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In this special episode, Jen and Cam talk with Jackie and Jenna from Stop, Who Does That?! about the tragic and frustrating murder of Joy Hayward.

After checking into a hotel room following an argument with her boyfriend, Joy Hayward was found strangled in her bathroom bathtub.

What seemed like an isolated yet horrifying crime took a dramatic turn when DNA evidence linked her killer to a nearby attempted sexual assault just months later.

Despite composite sketches, a matching DNA profile, and a $25,000 reward, Joy's killer remains unidentified and at large.

Make sure you subscribe to Jenna and Jackie's podcast Stop, Who Does That?! Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you have any information, please call

Chester Police Department at (610)447-7931

Email: publicaffairs@cityofchesterpa.gov

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-joy-hayward-dna-testing-unsolved-murder-investigation

Email: Grace Bowen, Joy's sister JusticeForJoy2022@gmail.com

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It started with two dog bowls.

On the morning of October 15, 2011, in Philadelphia's quiet Tacony neighborhood, 71-year-old landlord Turgut Gozleveli descended into the basement of the brick building he helped maintain. But that morning, something felt wrong.

The basement was darker than usual. Several lightbulbs had been unscrewed, leaving the room in near darkness. Two stainless steel dog dishes sat side by side beneath a small table. Pets weren't allowed in the building. He asked the tenants if anyone was feeding a dog. Everyone said no.

Two days later, the bowls were still there. Uneasy, Gozleveli grabbed a flashlight and returned to the basement. He made his way to the building's long-abandoned furnace room. The door was wrapped in a chain. He unlooped it and pulled the door open.

The smell hit him first. His flashlight revealed a dirt floor littered with scraps of food, filthy blankets, and a bucket overflowing with human waste, and then something moved beneath one of the quilts.

When Gozleveli lifted the blanket, he recoiled. A man and a woman lay curled together, gaunt and wide-eyed.

"Get the hell out of here," he shouted, assuming they were squatters.

They weren't.

Join Cam and Jen on this episode entitled 'Philly House of Horrors: Linda Weston.’

Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS

All music and editing is by @theinkypawprint

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/file/768726/dl?inline=

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/judge-drops-one-lesser-charge-in-tacony-basement-of-horror-kidnap-case/

https://abc7.com/archive/8399941/

https://whyy.org/articles/leaders-daughter-in-tacony-dungeon-case-sentenced/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/self-described-preacher-sentenced-to-27-years-in-prison-in-basement-of-horrors-case/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/2013-in-review-feds-take-over-phila-basement-of-horrors-case/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/federal-charges-announced-in-tacony-basement-of-horrors-case/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/guilty-plea-in-tacony-basement-of-horrors-case-to-avoid-death-penalty/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/former-neighbor-of-linda-weston-searching-for-little-l/

https://news.sky.com/story/mum-who-starved-victims-in-dungeon-gets-life-10340529

https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2015-09-10-audits-and-investigations-investigations-sept9-weston-guilty-plea/

https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/21/justice/pennsylvania-disabled-chained

https://www.courthousenews.com/new-claim-in-philadelphia-horror-case/

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/woman-who-held-disabled-adults-captive-in-subhuman-conditions-sentenced-to-life-plus-80-years-in-prison

https://www.aetv.com/articles/linda-ann-weston-kidnapping

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_basement_kidnapping

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Thank you to Fabi, our fantastic tour guide in Italy, for suggesting this case. I apologize in advance for any mispronunciations.

When 13-year-old Yara Gambirasio vanished on a freezing November night in Brembate di Sopra, it kicked off a heartbreaking search that ended months later in a desolate field.

What started as a devastating local tragedy snowballed into an absolutely unprecedented investigation. Investigators tested the DNA of twenty-two thousand people: a massive undertaking that accidentally blew the lid off decades of deeply buried family secrets across northern Italy. At the same time, authorities hunted down "Unknown 1" and eventually arrested Massimo Bossetti.

Even now, the lingering forensic questions make some wonder if justice was actually served.

Join Jen and Cam as they unravel the twisted genetic mystery of Bloodlines: The Murder of Yara Gambirasio.

Our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Inky Pawprint⁠⁠

Sources:

The murder that has obsessed Italy | Italy | The Guardian (excellent, detailed article)

Murder of Yara Gambirasio - Wikipedia

DNA evidence and family secrets snare Italian child murderer | Italy | The Guardian

A Murder That Shook Italy — Yara Gambirasio | by Sandeep Dahiya | Medium

The Yara Gambirasio case: Combining evidence in a complex DNA mixture case - ScienceDirect

https://youtu.be/dCCCly69C-E?si=qMECDKDyiF0mdotq

Netflix: Beyond Reasonable Doubt (is a five-episode breakdown of the case. It leans very much in the direction that Massimo is innocent.)

Jul 27, 2014, page 6 - The Bulletin at Newspapers.com™

Jan 20, 2015, page 22 - Belfast Telegraph at Newspapers.com™ - Newspapers.com™

Jan 17, 2015, page T8-01 - Irish Independent at Newspapers.com™

https://youtu.be/gUXmoYYMDT8?si=7mWnM9UL0UuOBiMH

Lombardy - Wikipedia

Brembate di Sopra - Wikipedia

Northern Italy Vs Southern Italy Culture Guide 2024 - DID SOMEONE SAY ITALY

The Murder Mystery Solved by DNA From the Back of a Postage Stamp - Newsweek

Yara Gambirasio: Most Expensive Murder Investigation in Italian History - HubPages

The Unyielding Claim of Innocence

Chimera (genetics) - Wikipedia

YARA GAMBIRASIO - A MYSTERIOUS PREDATOR and the SECRET of the church

Yara case, Saviano: "They have never investigated the company of the boss's son, disturbing"

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