Our True Crime Podcast

In this month's special, Melissa from Just The Tip-Sters shares a case close to her heart with Cam & Jen. It's a head-scratcher.

In May 2011, Bill and Peggy Stephenson, a kind, generous, and deeply loved couple from Florence, Kentucky, were brutally murdered inside their own home. Both were 74 years old. Their deaths sent shockwaves through Northern Kentucky and left family, friends, and an entire community searching for answers.

More than a decade later, this horrific double homicide remains unsolved.

There was no obvious motive, no clear suspects, and no explanation that made sense. Even seasoned detectives and the FBI have described the case as complex, haunting, and deeply baffling.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department continues to pursue leads and believes that more than one person may have information about what happened that night. Investigators have vowed to leave no stone unturned, but they still need public help.

If you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please get in touch with law enforcement.

Boone County Sheriff’s Department

Phone: 859-334-8496

Toll-Free Tip Line: 844-210-1111

Email: [email protected]

If you know anything about the murders of Bill and Peggy Stephenson, please speak up. One detail could be the key to ending this long nightmare and bringing justice to a family that has waited far too long.

You can also send your tips to Melissa

Phone: 832-842-7837

Email: [email protected]

Make sure you follow Melissa's podcast Just the Tip-Sters. We know you'll love it. You can find her podcast on the same app you use to listen to OTCP.

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In the quiet, unassuming town of Ina, Illinois—where life moved slowly and danger felt distant—Keith and Elaine Dardeen were building a modest, faith-centered future with their young son, Peter, and a baby on the way. Their trailer sat tucked into the woods near the highway, close enough to hear passing traffic yet isolated enough to disappear into the darkness. When Keith failed to report for his night shift on November 18, 1987, concern quickly turned to dread as calls to the home went unanswered. What investigators would soon discover was beyond comprehension: the entire family had been brutally massacred.

Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Dardeen Family Massacre.’

Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS

Music by our EP @theinkypawprint

Sources:

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/141094349/

https://books.google.com/books?id=PEDSSsFlDOcC&pg=PA46

http://www.nwherald.com/2014/04/12/unsolved-1987-slaying-of-illinois-family-haunting/auj00b/

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/pat-gauen/gauen-gruesome-illinois-mystery-appears-to-end-with-texas-execution/article_b5a3da6c-c649-5725-8a7e-23f96873f514.html

http://www.14news.com/story/7372700/unsolved-murder-still-haunts-tri-state-family-two-decades-later

https://thesouthern.com/news/article_51b2456d-80ff-5def-9511-6292e669c94e.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/03/13/13-year-vigil-of-fear-eases-in-illinois-town/

https://www.firstalert4.com/2022/01/21/gruesome-murder-an-illinois-family-remains-unsolved-main-suspect-is-executed/

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1fzq8zj/on_the_evening_of_november_18_1987_police_went_to/

https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/11/05/heartland-unsolved-never-forget/

https://www.10minutemurder.com/blog/keith-and-elaine-dardeen-a-family-trying-to-escape-death/

https://medium.com/@tonyakpan45/the-dardeen-family-massacre-de3b9fdb5bb6

https://people.com/dardeen-murders-unsolved-who-killed-illinois-family-8649561

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In November 1998, Wayne Ford was troubled and scared. He called his brother Rodney and said he had “hurt some people.” Rodney could hear the worry in his voice, so he drove six hours through the night to be with him. When he arrived, Wayne was upset and emotional. The next day, the brothers tried to have a normal day. They visited places from their childhood in Humboldt County, had breakfast together, drove past streets they knew, and even went to the zoo. But all day, there was a quiet tension between them, as if they both knew something big was coming. That evening, Wayne finally went to the sheriff’s office and made a confession. Then, looking at the officers, Wayne said, “That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Join Cam and Jen as they discuss "Just the Tip of the Iceberg: Wayne Adam Ford.

A huge Thank You to our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

1)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egffR6XTjZs

2)  https://humboldtgov.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/5210

3)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Adam_Ford

4)  https://www.newspapers.com/image/158344788/?match=1&terms=%22Ryan%20Slough%22 LA Times Nov 7 1998

5)  https://www.newspapers.com/image/1232837295/?match=1&terms=%22Ryan%20Slough%22 LA Times Nov 10 1998

6)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcata,_California#:~:text=While%20Arcata%2C%20Eureka%2C%20Fortuna%20and,the%20continental%20US%20west%20coast.

7)  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231248800/tina_renee-gibbs

8)  https://murderpedia.org/male.F/f/ford-wayne-adam.htm 

9)  https://www.newspapers.com/image/747919834/?terms=%22Tina%20Renee%20Gibbs%22

10) https://www.montereyherald.com/2007/03/17/serial-killer-given-the-death-penalty/#:~:text=SAN%20BERNARDINO%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,their%20mutilated%20bodies%20across%20California.

11) World's Most Evil Killers Season 8 Episode 9 https://youtu.be/egffR6XTjZs?si=Y9rqS8au-ISN-8d2

12) https://www.newspapers.com/image/708178662/?match=1&terms=%22Tina%20Gibbs%22 Aug 8 1998 Fresno Bee

13) https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2001/dec/19/judge-unseals-documents-in-suspected-serial-killer/

14) https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Ford,%20Wayne%20Adam.pdf

15) https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/wayne_adam_ford/index.html

16) https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Kerry_Cummings

17) https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1713ufca.html

18) https://lakeconews.com/news/75870-humboldt-county-homicide-victim-identified-after-25-years

19) https://krcrtv.com/news/local/eureka-cold-case-solved-homicide-victim-identified-after-25-years

20) https://www.newspapers.com/image/628149383/?match=1&terms=%22Tina%20Gibbs%22 Sacramento Bee Nov 7 1998

21) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1233197380/?match=1&terms=%22Tina%20Gibbs%22 San Francisco Chronicle Nov 11 1998

22) Evil Lives Here: Season 9, Episode 4 https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0FNXBVFJT/ref=atv_dp_sign_suc_3P

23) I Lived With a Killer: Season 1 Episode 14 "Wayward Wayne."

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It was supposed to be an ordinary night in a quiet Missoula neighborhood, the kind where doors stayed unlocked because nothing bad ever happened. But just after 10 p.m., Doug and Kris Wells pulled into their driveway and found something that didn’t belong: a pickup truck abandoned on their lawn and a man slumped inside.

What followed wasn’t a burglary gone wrong. It wasn’t a random act of violence. It was the moment a hidden obsession finally broke loose.

Within minutes, a familiar face stepped out of the darkness. A coworker. A trusted local. A man who had been watching Kris for months. What began as small talk turned into a brutal ambush, a home invasion, and a fight for survival. Bound, beaten, and bleeding, Doug Wells would make one impossible decision and unknowingly come face to face with one of Montana’s most elusive killers. Because the man in their home wasn’t just a stalker, he was a predator tied to years of unsolved murders.

Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Missoula Mauler: Wayne Nance.’

Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS

Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint

Sources:

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/in-search-of-christy-s-true-identity/article_a9a3d103-7e15-5bf2-a6e3-47b677fdb61d.html

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/cold-case-research-yields-id-of-1984-murder-victim/article_a01dbe0d-5c2d-5181-9927-460950a1ddd1.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/media/news130.html

https://archive.today/20210518141950/https://apnews.com/article/2108bbfab6c8b76782d6940ba7bb4512

https://web.archive.org/web/20150713223046/http://www.hsc.unt.edu/departments/pathology_anatomy/dna/Forensics/Initiative/Bachman.cfm

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114718350/girls-skeleton-found/

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

https://dnasolves.com/articles/christy_crystal_creek/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114719513/bonner-county-police-blotter/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114720045/hunter-finds-human-skeleton/

https://billingsgazette.com/wayne-nance-the-missoula-mauler/article_af33b419-ca33-50b8-b5e6-c592d4b23373.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20160410184907/https://sites.google.com/site/ianwithrow71/home/archive/christycrystalcreekandthemissoulamauler

https://www.montanarightnow.com/all_abc_fox/montana-murder-mysteries-the-gruesome-world-of-missoula-mauler-wayne-nance/article_5dc7d3b8-5cd8-11ea-859a-e38169e49727.html

http://www.crimezzz.net/serialkillers/N/NANCE_wayne_nathan.php

https://www.forensicmag.com/575873-Remains-of-Suspected-Third-Victim-of-Wayne-Nance-ID-ed-after-36-Years/

To Kill and Kill Again: the Terrifying True Story of Montana's Baby-Faced Serial Sex Murderer.   Coston, John  2016

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Today, Cam and Jen are excited to share a special episode from our friends at Fresh Hell, a historical true-crime podcast hosted by Annie in the United States and Johanna in Austria. The two are close friends who, despite years of collaboration, have never met in real life!

We think you will really enjoy Fresh Hell, especially since its thoughtful storytelling is compelling. Annie and Johanna take time to explore the historical context behind each case, looking at the social, cultural, and psychological factors that shaped the events and the people involved. Their episodes are deeply researched and engaging, often focusing on lesser-known stories you might not hear elsewhere.
Every Friday, Fresh Hell releases a new episode diving into stories of murder, mystery, and the macabre from throughout history.

The episode you're about to hear is Part One of their series on Lizzie Halliday.

Lizzie Halliday was a 19th-century American serial killer, sometimes referred to as America’s first female serial killer. Her crimes stunned people at the time, in part because she challenged many of the assumptions society held about women and violence. Her story brings up complex topics like mental illness, domestic abuse, and how institutions responded to dangerous individuals in the late 1800s.

In this episode, Annie and Johanna introduce Lizzie’s background and the events that led up to the crimes that would make her infamous. It’s a fascinating and unsettling case, and a great example of the careful, human-centered storytelling Fresh Hell is known for.

Be sure to go to your favorite podcast app and listen to Part 2 of Lizzie Halliday, and while you're there, make sure to subscribe to Fresh Hell Podcast.

Jen and Cam will be back soon with more brand-new episodes for 2026!

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