The Deck

Our card this week is Theresa Dusevitch, the Queen of Diamonds from Florida. 

For 50 years, Theresa Dusevitch’s case was intrinsically tied to Debra Espey’s murder. Both women were 19 years old when they were killed back in 1973, just eight months apart. There were other similarities, too: Both women were found nude from the waist down, their shirts pulled up, hands over their heads, with head wounds as their cause of death. The wooded area where each young woman was found was just three miles apart in and near a town, ironically enough, named Niceville, Florida. But at th...

Our card this week is Debra Espey, the 6 of Clubs from Florida. 

Debra Espey was the 6 of Clubs from Florida. We first reported on her case in 2024, and left you all on the precipice of hope that new DNA testing would finally shed light on what happened to a young girl in Niceville over 50 years ago. Well, the results are in! And Debra’s case is SOLVED. It turns out her killer was hiding in plain sight, the entire time. 

In our original reporting, police told us they thought the man responsible for Debra’s murder...

Our card this week is Donna Ingersoll, the 10 of Clubs from Minnesota. 

On a snowy December night 35 years ago, 25-year-old Donna Ingersoll stormed outside and disappeared into the darkness after a heated argument with her boyfriend, leaving behind several important belongings and a twisted web of mysteries investigators have spent decades trying to untangle. Since 1990, Donna’s disappearance has weighed on the small town of Wabasha, Minnesota, as the passage of time has produced more questions than answers. But some recent developments have present-day investigators questioning everything they thought they knew about the case — and believing they’re clos...

Our card this week is Paris Matthews, the 6 of Hearts from Florida. 

In the spring of 2013, Paris Matthews was enjoying an evening at home when he heard a knock at the door. Someone on the other side called out their name – but Paris knew that was impossible. Seconds later, before he could piece together why someone was lying … Paris was shot, and the years-long search for his killer began. Investigators have had to weed through rumors, finger-pointing, strange text messages, and a CODIS hit that wasn’t what it seemed, but it might take someone out there to come...

In 1971, 21-year-old Karen tried hitching a ride to go and meet her husband after work. She never made it and a week later her body was found floating in a canal nowhere near where she’d left or her destination.Was Karen a victim of a predator passing through? Or was a former Sheriff with a dark side responsible… and maybe that’s why this case has never been solved?

Our card this week is Tyra Garcia, the Queen of Diamonds from California.

It was Memorial Day, 1985, when fifteen-year-old Tyra Garcia slipped out the front door to a neighbors house, saying she’d be gone for only a few minutes. No one expected those minutes to stretch into hours… and then days. And no one could have imagined that 40 years later, the case would still be unsolved. Especially when the answers seem to be right in front of us. 

Because there are two very compelling suspects that were barely investigated by law enforcement back then. Despi...

Charles' bold suits and charismatic personality made him stand out. He was also a man who liked money — earning it, flashing it, and spending it. And trying to untangle Charles' different threads of income – and what may or may not be connected to his death – has kept investigators busy for decades. Especially when some of that income was almost definitely under the table. 

 If you know anything about the murder of Charles McGraw, investigators want to hear from you. Please call Beech Grove Crime Tips to leave an anonymous tip at 317-782-4950 or you can submit a tip by...

When 73-year-old Margaret Reimann was murdered in her garage while getting ready to leave for church in 1986, everyone immediately started pointing fingers at one particular relative. And in the investigation that followed, detectives uncovered a decades-long family feud, grudges that had been festering for years, and questions about just how far someone might go when there’s money on the line.

But almost four decades later, new DNA testing pointed them in a completely different direction. 

And now, the case is hotter than it’s ever been.

If you have any information about the m...

Today we are bringing you stories from a slightly different side of true crime: stories about people who live by deception. Individuals who don't just tell lies but become someone else entirely. 

From Audiochuck and Campside Media, this is Chameleon. Each week, host and journalist Josh Dean unravels a new case that pushes the limits of human deception. Stories of imposters, shapeshifters, and master con artists who have turned illusion into a way of life.

The first episode dives into the unbelievable story of Rafaello Follieri, the charming con artist who fooled everyone from Hollywood t...

In 1975, 27-year-old Norris Evans was found brutally murdered in her Rochester home while her children were upstairs. The crime was shocking, but the decades of silence that followed may be even more haunting. Now, her children are breaking that silence in search of the truth.

If you know anything about the murder of Norris Evans, please call Rochester Police Department’s major crimes unit at 585-428-7157 or email them at MajorCrimes@CityOfRochester.gov. You can also call Crime Stoppers to leave an anonymous tip at 585-423-9300 or submit a tip online. 

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Our card this week is Shelby Wright, the 2 of Clubs from Washington. 

In the Summer of 2004, Shelby Wright, along with his computer, disappeared, never to be seen again. Over two decades later, Shelby’s grandparents and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office are still looking for answers. 

View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/shelby-wright

Let us deal you in… follow Th...

Our card this week is Susie Timmons, the 9 of Diamonds from New York.

In the summer of 1982, Susie Timmons was discovered stabbed and beaten in a vacant lot north of downtown Rochester, NY. Investigators have spent nearly four decades trying to solve her murder.

View so...

Our card this week is Darnell Smith, the 5 of Diamonds from California.

Darnell Smith’s family never expected him – a pastor’s son and an ambitious student – to get killed in a hail of gunfire. For a young man without even a whisper of a criminal record, no one would have expected his life to end in such a violent way at the age of twenty. But Darnell Smith’s death became entangled in a world his family was never a part of — and left investigators scrambling to unravel what would soon become a neighborhood nightmare. For more than a...

Our card this week is Robert Mitchell Jr., the 8 of Clubs from New York. 

When the body of Robert Mitchell Jr., a “gentle giant” and towering presence in Rochester’s bar scene, is discovered burning in a public park, detectives don’t know what to think. As rumors swirl and leads dry up, the case grows cold… until a witness comes forward with details so specific, only someone close to the crime could know them. Now, nearly a decade later, investigators believe they know who killed Robert… But proving it in court is another story. 

Our card this week is Jerene Matta, the Queen of Spades from Washington. 

During the Yakima Police Department’s annual Christmas party, the news of 62-year-old Jerene’s murder shocked every officer and their plus ones. Jerene’s house was known for its security cameras – there were so many that you basically couldn’t enter the property without being filmed. 

Why was Jerene targeted? And who was she watching on her cameras?

Or maybe the better question is, was someone watching Jerene?

Our card this week is Ron Harnish, the 7 of Clubs from California.

Twenty-two-year-old Ron Harnish was murdered on the streets of San Diego in December 2006. Almost 19 years later, the police and Ron’s own mother believe they know who’s responsible. But proving it has been a challenge, and the people they are after are as violent as it gets. 

Our card this week is Jaklyn Baccoli, the 5 of Clubs from New York.

When demolition workers entered a vacant home in Rochester, New York, they expected asbestos—not a crime scene. But hidden inside was the body of 44-year-old Jaklyn Baccoli, a woman whose final moments were marked by unimaginable violence. As detectives dug into her life and the days leading up to her death, they uncovered a tangled web of addiction, survival, and street rumors—and a potential suspect with a story full of holes. But what they don’t have is enough to close the case...

Our card this week is Valaine Briggs, the Ace of Spades from Utah.

When 19-year-old Valaine left her Salt Lake City apartment and walked to class one spring morning in 1977, her carefully planned future was full of promise. And though she was in a time of transition and had recently ended an engagement, Valaine knew even this temporary disappointment just brought her closer to the life she dreamed of…a life full of family and rooted in faith…a life her ex-fiancé couldn’t give her.

What Valaine didn’t know that morning…what she couldn’t ha...

Our card this week is Andrew Moore, the 6 of Clubs from California. 

This week marks the 25th anniversary of Andrew “Andy” Moore's murder.

26-year-old Andy was killed in September 2000 while sleeping in his San Diego, California, apartment. The scene left behind was confounding to detectives; the weapons are missing, odd items displaced but not taken, and the one thing "stolen" from Andy shows up not too far away from the crime scene a month later. So what was the motive? Who would want to kill this fun-loving young man? And did a hidden passage in his a...

Our card this week is Patricia Allen, the Queen of Hearts from Washington.

On October 3, 1995, Patricia Allen was asleep on her couch when she was stabbed once so precisely that it nearly cut her heart in half. So begins one of the most mysterious homicide cases out of Yakima, Washington. With no shortage of suspects – including a woman who some believe wanted to become Patty – this case is truly stranger than fiction. 

Our card this week is Jodine Serrin, the 7 of Diamonds from California.

In 1995, Marisa Patti met David Mabrito on the beach in Oceanside, California – it was love at first sight. Twenty-three years later, he would be found responsible for the brutal murder and desecration of 39-year-old Jodine Serrin in her own bedroom. 

In the wake of the solve, Marisa and her son were left on their own to figure out how this man they loved, trusted, and built a life with could have committed such an unthinkable crime. Today, they’re still trying to make sense...

Our card this week is Maria “Mary Faye” Mendez, the Wild Card from Texas.

Maria “Mary Faye” Mendez walked out of the duplex she shared with her family in Odessa, Texas, on Aug. 2, 1985, and seemingly vanished without a trace. Her sister-in-law watched Mary head in the direction of a local bar after fighting with her husband, who they knew as Arnuldo Mendez. Mary had asked her sister-in-law to watch her 5-year-old daughter, Virginia, while she went out, but she never came home. For nearly 40 years, her family wondered whether she’d walked away from her life and children…o...

Our card this week is Lawrence Riegel, the 5 of Spades from Washington.

When Lawrence was reported missing on January 10th, 2010, he didn’t exactly vanish without a trace. Between mysterious phone records and strange theories from a recluse who lived in an isolated trailer park , police had a good idea what his last movements were and with whom he interreacted – and specifically, they honed in on two people who seemed very suspicious in the wake of his disappearance. But they need more than suspicions to make their case. And detectives are sure that someone out there knows what...

Our card this week is Gregory Fickess, the Jack of Diamonds from New York. 

On a summer night in 1993, 19-year-old Gregory Fickess had just gotten out of his car in downtown Rochester when he was jumped in a seemingly unprovoked, fatal act of violence. A case with no motive and few cooperating witnesses is tough to get very far. But when detectives find out that one of the few cooperating witnesses they did have dies… suddenly… and under strange circumstances… it seems like one more sign that the theory they do have might be right. And they just ne...

Our card this week is Jonathan Garcia-Valladares, the 7 of Diamonds from Arizona.

Being a 13-year-old kid can be tough, to say the least. But it seemed as if Jonathan Garcia-Valladares had it figured out. He was an overachieving student. He was a chess player. And on a crisp fall day in 2010, Jonathan was trying to get in shape for the football team, a sport he’d just joined. But on that day, his short life would come to an end. 

In the 15 years since, law enforcement is still trying to uncover why, and, most importantly… who wo...

Our card this week is Robert Gene Jones, the 10 of Diamonds from Louisiana. 

Robert was known as a quiet man who stayed out of trouble, so when he was found shot to death in his home one morning in the winter of 2002, police were initially stumped when it came to both motive and culprit. That might’ve been because Robert was never the intended target in what’s now become a mystery that investigators hope one of you may hold the key to solving.

If you or anyone you know has information that can help bring...

Maurice – or Melissa, as they sometimes introduced themselves – was 22 when they were shot and killed in Phoenix, Arizona. They were just starting to build a name for themselves as a performer, making it to the regional final for American Idol and acting in dozens of local productions, including The Wiz, Westside Story, and Alice in Wonderland. But the curtain fell too soon…

According to friends and family, gender identity was fluid for Maurice. They sometimes presented as femme and went by Melissa, as they did the night of the shooting. This led both LGBTQ+ activists and local offici...

Our card this week is Roger "Unkle Rog" McCall, the 2 of Spades from New York. 

If you lived in the Rochester area back in the day, you might recognize the smooth voice of “Unkle Rog.” As a late-night radio host and DJ at WCMF for almost 30 years, perhaps he kept you company past midnight, maybe helped you stay awake during a third shift. By 52, Roger had already survived a terminal cancer diagnosis, only to be gunned down on December 12th, 2003, in what, at first, seemed to be a random act of violence. But a potential witness in the c...

Our card this week is Blanca Acevedo, the 7 of Clubs from Arizona. 

In June 2010, 50-year-old Blanca Acevedo was navigating a life of quiet chaos when she was found murdered in a building set aflame. The brutal case of overkill quickly went cold for the detectives on the case… But could a letter found on Blanca’s bedside table have held the key to finding her killer all along? It’s one of several clues new investigators are chasing down to solve this 15-year-old murder.

If you have any information about the murder of Blanca Acevedo, please...

Our card this week is Luther Meshell, the 9 of Hearts from Louisiana. 

On a mild spring night in 1991, Luther’s teenage son found him lying dead on his bedroom floor next to his overturned wheelchair and a knife. With a locked door and no signs of forced entry, police believe his killer could have been someone he knew and trusted… but when they zoom out, investigators notice a series of other crimes with eerie similarities… and they begin to consider whether a serial killer could be to blame.

Our card this week is Carmen "CJ" DeLuca, the Wild Card from Connecticut. 

When a man stopped to get gas in the middle of the night in 1985, he had no idea he was walking into the scene of a murder. The 23-year-old gas station attendant, Carmen “CJ” DeLuca, had been shot to death for seemingly no reason. But with no witnesses and no clear motive, police had no idea who killed him. He was a good guy with no known enemies, engaged to the love of his life, and planning a wedding that would never happen. It wasn’...

Our cards this week are Michael Adams, Lachelle Powell, Michael Royal, and Jennifer Leasure, the 9, 10, Jack, and Queen of Hearts from New York. 

In the dead of winter, a fire consumed a home in Rochester, New York — but what firefighters discovered inside wasn’t an accident. Four bodies, bound, shot, and left in a scene so brutal it stunned even experienced detectives. Nearly a decade later, with no arrests and few answers, the question still haunts everyone left behind: Who could commit such a massacre – and why?

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is...

Our card this week is Sharon Glover, the 6 of Spades from Louisiana. 

Early on November 14, 1993, just two weeks before Thanksgiving, Sharon Glover was found viciously stabbed to death on a rural backroad in northwest Louisiana. Rumors led Sharon’s family to believe the killer was someone close to them. But detectives are now releasing new information in this case for the first time, and they believe there’s been a different prime suspect lurking in the background of this investigation for decades. 

Our card this week is George Jares, the 6 of Clubs from Wisconsin. 

From the outside, 43-year-old George was a family man: a former greeting card salesman turned restaurant owner who loved his kids, the outdoors, and working hard. But after George was shot three times and left for dead in his restaurant’s parking lot, details of his life began to emerge that painted a rather different picture... And the surprising twists that detectives uncovered led them to suspect that George had been targeted by a hitman. For nearly forty years they’ve been looking for the shoot...

Our card this week is Owachige Osceola, the 8 of Diamonds from Oklahoma.

Recently divorced and living on her own in a new city, 27-year-old Owachige Osceola’s life was in a season of transition before she was killed in the bedroom of her Norman, Oklahoma apartment in September 2013. While the medical examiner who performed her autopsy concluded her cause and manner of death were “undetermined,” a detective who remains on the case today insists a killer has been allowed to walk free for nearly a decade.

Please join us in writing a letter to the Oklaho...

Our card this week is Sandra Ann Burris, the 5 of Spades from Louisiana. 

On a hot summer night in 2005, Sandra Burris and her best friend went clubbing in their small Louisiana town. The night started out like any other, but the friends went separate ways later in the evening, and sometime after that, Sandra vanished—and there’s been no trace of her since. 

As the 20th anniversary of Sandra’s disappearance approaches, her oldest daughter, Kelly Melancon, is still looking for answers.

But it turns out, you get the right reporter dusting things o...

Our card this week is Marjorie "Christy" Luna, the 4 of Spades from Florida.

From the outside, Greenacres seemed like a picture-perfect place to grow up, with a park, school, and corner store stocked with sugary sweets and arcade games all within walking distance.

For Christy Luna and her friends, weekends were spent roaming the neighborhood and playing outside barefoot. But this storybook community had darkness lurking just under the surface, and it reared its ugly head one May night in 1984.

More than 40 years later, Christy’s friends are peeling back the layers and pi...

Our card this week is Lisa Staes, the Jack of Diamonds from Wisconsin. 

In the winter of 1976, Lisa Staes was trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to do with her life. Like so many 20-year-olds, she’d just moved out of her parents’ house and started classes at a community college. She was embracing her independence as a young adult. 

But no one ever got to see how Lisa’s life would unfold. Because that same year she disappeared.

It took nearly two years for investigators to figure out that Lisa had been...

Our card this week is Donna Martin, the 8 of Hearts from Florida. 

Donna Martin was stabbed and killed in her own home in south Florida back in 1999. And police believed that the man who may have killed her was the very same man who had turned Boca Raton into a hunting ground. But police have been unable to pin Donna’s murder on him. That suspect even went to prison for other crimes, but now he’s a free man. And police believe solving Donna’s murder could help save other women in Florida. 

Our card this week is Robert "Bob" Christian, the 4 of Spades from Wisconsin. 

In the Fall of 1977, Bob was just weeks into his freshman year at UW-Madison. He was a math whiz with a knack for computers and a big heart. At 18-years-old, there was no telling how far he’d go.

But no one ever expected to be asking the question… Where did he go? Yet here we are almost half a century later, with that burning question and just a string of bizarre clues that leads many to believe an infamous serial killer could...

Our card this week is Gwendell Greenblatt, the 6 of Diamonds from Florida.

If you’ve ever been alone and felt like you might be in trouble, maybe you called someone… made it known you were on the phone… made it clear someone else was listening. But chatting on her cell while walking up to her apartment in sunny South Florida during broad daylight, Gwen couldn’t have sensed her life was in danger. And even the friend on the other end of the line had no way of stopping the evil that was lurking just behind Gwen’s front do...

Our card this week is Kyle Seidel, the 5 of Diamonds from Connecticut. 

Kyle Seidel was a 34-year-old dad to three young kids when he went to pick up Chinese takeout the Friday night before Christmas in 2012. His wife expected him to be gone for only about 20 minutes… but Kyle never came home again. A violent encounter on his way to the restaurant cut his life short. For 12 years, Kyle’s family has been left to wonder why Kyle pulled into a bowling alley parking lot on the way to the restaurant, who he encountered there, and why they...

Our card this week is George Kirkland, Asia Norman, and Lindsay Foster Hurr, the 2 of Clubs from Mississippi.

When George, Asia, and Lindsay were all fatally shot in the same house on a stormy Mississippi night in 2019, nobody in the area heard or saw anything. But in the days after the attack, rumors and conspiracy theories went wild. And more than five years later… detectives are still working to untangle them all.

Our card this week is Sharon Jones, the 10 of Spades from Florida. 

The last known people to see Sharon Jones alive around Thanksgiving weekend in 1987 have something in common. They all attended the same apartment party. And when the young woman showed up dead several days later…stories started swirling about what actually went down that night. More than 37 years later, her family’s still hearing remnants of these rumors…rumors they’re hoping someone out there can help them put to rest once and for all…

Our card this week is Dashaun “Dae Dae” Lawson, the King of Hearts from Connecticut.

Dashaun “Dae Dae” Lawson was 26-years-old when he was fatally shot outside his mother’s apartment in the Hockanum Park apartment complex in East Hartford, Connecticut. Dae Dae was killed  just a few days before Christmas in 2017 and  left behind three children, all under the age of five. His family and the detectives working his case are confident that someone in their neighborhood must have seen or heard something that could help investigators figure out who killed Dae Dae, they just need them to fina...

Our card this week is Susan "Susie" Poupart, the 7 of Spades from Wisconsin. 

When 29-year-old Susie went to a house party on her reservation, surrounded by friends and so close to home, she should’ve been safe. But when the mother of two left the party in a car with some younger men, things took a turn for the worse. 

Susie never made it home, and six months later, her remains were found in a nearby forest. The men Susie was last seen with became immediate suspects, but to this day, there just isn’t enough...

Our card this week is Tessie Temores, the 10 if Diamonds from Mississippi. 

When 37-year-old Tessie went more than a month without contacting any of her six children, her mom had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. Her loved ones never thought over five years would go by without hearing from her. But here they are ... still in the same stagnant spot. Still wondering what really happened... still waiting for Tessie to come home.

Our card this week is Carole Clement, the Ace of Hearts from Florida. 

When a beloved mother and grandmother is found stabbed to death inside her own home in an affluent seaside community, detectives are immediately suspicious of her soon-to-be ex-husband. But when his alibi seemed to check out, they were compelled to look at less obvious alternatives. Was this a murder-for-hire plot, or could the killer be someone much closer to Carole than they’d previously assumed?

Our card this week is Jefferson "Jeff" West, the King of Diamonds from Mississippi. 

On July 2nd 2018, Jeff West, a 46-year-old father of four, got into an argument with his mom in the backyard of her house. In the heat of the moment, he apparently stormed off into the woods surrounding her property… and has never been seen again. 

Our cards this week are Agustin Chacon, the King of Clubs from Texas, and Marshall McCarthy the 5 of Hearts from Texas.

Agustin Chacon, 25, and Marshall McCarthy, 37, were both shot to death in their homes in the same Odessa, Texas, neighborhood on the same winter night in 1982. While Marshall’s case nearly had too many leads for investigators to chase, Agustin’s hardly had any. A language barrier between police and Agustin’s roommates made things even harder. Now, more than 40 years later, one cold case detective is working through the different challenges in each case as she tries...

Our card this week is LaQuandra “Shavonne” Slater, the 4 of Clubs from Michigan.

Thirty-eight-year-old, LaQuandra “Shavonne” Slater was known for being independent. Everyone who knew her said she was outspoken, knew how to take care of herself, and wasn’t one to be pushed around. So, it was all the more shocking when, in December of 2016, she disappeared without a trace.

Our card this week is My-Dung Tran, the 10 of Spades from Mississippi.

On September 27th 2008, 51-year-old My-Dung Tran boarded a bus from her home in Pensacola, Florida to Biloxi, Mississippi for a trip to the casinos. She planned to stay for a couple of weeks to gamble with friends in the area. But on October 4th, 2008, My-Dung got into a cab outside of a casino and was never seen or heard from again. In the 16 years since then, her case has remained a mystery to Biloxi police. 

Our card this week is William Alvarado, the Ace of Spades from Connecticut.

William Alvarado was 73 years old when he was found stabbed to death in his living room in Willimantic, Connecticut in 2016. For years, his case was ice cold. But just recently, it started heating up– all thanks to a tip that came in from a deck of cold case playing cards. Now, detectives are working around the clock to finally solve William’s murder – and they’re the closest they’ve ever been.

Our card this week is Debra Sue Moore, the Jack of Clubs from Texas. 

After a night out with a new love interest in May 1986, 25-year-old Debra Sue Moore was fatally stabbed steps outside her date’s apartment door. Police quickly zeroed in on her estranged husband as a suspect, but a string of attacks on several other women in the same area during the same week forced them to consider whether a serial predator could be to blame for Debra’s death.

Our card this week is Javed Akhtar, the Jack of Diamonds from Connecticut.

When 32-year-old Javed Akhtar was fatally shot outside his convenience store in East Windsor, Connecticut, on a cold winter night in 2007, his wife, their two young children, and a community of loyal customers were desperate for answers. Police soon found the murder weapon, but solving the case wouldn’t be simple, and the investigation stalled for years. Now, after reviewing case files for this episode of The Deck, investigators are pursuing new leads on three suspects, including one man with a direct link to th...

Our card this week is Deborah Perry, the 3 King of Spades from South Carolina. 

Three decades have passed since 29-year-old Deborah Perry was found shot to death on a rural cul-de-sac outside Columbia, South Carolina, and her killer has never been caught. As cold case investigators follow new leads, Deborah’s daughter wonders if a pair of flowered pants and men’s underwear her mother was found holding could be the key to cracking the case.

View source material and p...

Our card this week is Wojciech Fudali, the 3 of Spades from Rhode Island. 

On its face, this missing person’s case might appear to be a tragic tale of a young man experiencing some sort of mental break. But there are a lot of loose ends and strange occurrences that can’t fully be explained away by a young college grad simply taking off on his own.

Our card this week is Dominic Marino, the 2 of Clubs from Connecticut.

There had been many times that Mark Marino hugged his oldest son goodbye and feared he might never see him again. After all, Dominic was an Air Force vet who’d been deployed overseas more than a few times. But this wasn’t one of those moments. 30-year-old Dominic was just heading home after a short visit with his dad, both sure they would see each other again soon. Now that hug is a scene Mark will play on a loop in his mind for the...

Our card this week is John Phillips, the Jack of Diamonds from Rhode Island. 

Nineteen-year-old John Phillips was found dead and surrounded by dozens of weapons in a Rhode Island parking lot on October 28, 1986. His death was ruled a suicide, and for 15 years, the case was considered closed. But in 2001, after taking a closer look at the case files, detectives realized something didn’t quite add up… Today, they’re still working to uncover exactly what… or who… brought John to his death that October day. 

Our card this week is Alfonso McCoy Jr. & Debra Gomez, The Queen of Clubs from Arizona.

It seems like more than just a coincidence that this couple is on that particular face of cards, because by all accounts, Debbie was Alfonso’s queen. They’d only been together a few years or so, but according to both families, Alfonso always took care of his people. When he did choose to settle down, he was loyal to that one person. He was Debbie’s protector. But in the darkness of winter more than twenty years ago… not even he could...

Our card this week is Randa Jawhari, the 10 of Spades from Michigan. 

Randa was last seen on February 10th, 2009 at her apartment complex. By the next morning, she had disappeared without a trace, leaving a close-knit family of ten to unravel the mystery. Fifteen years later, detectives are still trying to find her and figure out what happened that fateful night… and who might be responsible.

Our card this week is Nikole "Niki" Bakoles, the 3 of Hearts from Utah. 

When duck hunters discovered human remains in an area called Saltair near The Great Salt Lake in Utah in the fall of 2000, investigators began the difficult task of trying to learn the real name of the woman they called “Saltair Sally".  It took 12 years for the remains to be identified as those of Nikole “Niki” Bakoles, a 20-year-old mom originally from Washington state. Now, nearly another 12 years have passed, and investigators are still trying to figure out what happened to Niki and who left her by t...

Our card this week is Elisa Gano, the Queen of Diamonds from Arizona.

At just 30 years old, Elisa had already lived a lifetime of ups and downs. She often found herself experiencing homelessness while battling her own personal demons. All the while struggling to be a mother to five children. Despite her difficulties, Elisa’s family felt she would come out on the other side. The problem is she never got that chance.

Our card this week is Anne Paetz, the 7 of Clubs from Michigan. 

When 23-year-old Anne Paetz went out for cigarettes after midnight on July 2nd, 1999, no one in her family thought much of it. But while out, she crossed paths with the wrong person, and never made it back home. The next morning, Anne was found dead on the side of the highway. Nearly 25 years later, her family is still desperate for answers.

Our card this week is Patricia "Patti" Barrett, the 2 of Hearts from Utah.

When Patricia “Patti” Barrett got on a bus from Dallas to Salt Lake City in 1978, her family had no way of knowing they’d never see her again. For over 30 years they were left wondering what happened to Patti, until 2012, when, with the help of Patti’s daughter and DNA testing, Salt Lake County detectives were able to connect her to the remains of a 1978 Jane Doe. Nearly 12 years have passed since that identification, and investigators are still trying to figure out what happened to Patti...

Our card this season is Ada Haradine, the 3 of Clubs from Indiana.

"The Deck Investigates" returns with Season 2, delving deep into the perplexing case of Ada Haradine, a 40-year-old mother of two who vanished without a trace from her Elkhart, Indiana home on a seemingly ordinary Wednesday afternoon in May 1985. 

Over 14 gripping episodes, we'll meticulously reconstruct the events leading up to Ada's disappearance, explore the initial efforts to find her and the myriad of suspects and theories that emerged in the wake of her vanishing. The investigation takes a dramatic turn when Ada's remains are d...

Our card this week is Jay Durnil, the 2 of Hearts from  Nebraska.

Jay Durnil, 11, was last seen on April 29th, 1976 biking to the Elkhorn River in his family’s neighborhood near Waterloo, Nebraska. Jay’s dog Tex returned home that night but Jay was never seen alive again. Jay’s case was handled as an accidental drowning until his body surfaced in a different river 21 days later, with clear signs that he’d been murdered. 

Our card this week is Ralph Salazar and Alice Griego, the Ace of Hearts from Utah.

Back in October of 2023, we were contacted by one of Alice Griego’s son, Frankie, about covering his mother’s case. He was a listener of The Deck and had previously heard us cover cases in Utah. Unknown to him, our reporting team had already flagged his mother’s case as one we needed to take a closer look at. Not just because it was unsolved, but because we felt it had never received the full coverage it deserved. And we are con...

Our card this week is Brianna Vibert, the jack of Hearts from Michigan.

In the summer of 2017, Brianna was at a crossroads in her life. At the young age of 24, she was recently divorced from her husband and now living with an allegedly abusive boyfriend, all while battling some personal demons. 

So, on July 15th, when Brianna mysteriously disappeared, some people might assume she just walked away from it all and left her troubles behind. The Flint Township Police in Michigan are not those people. And seven years on, they’re still looking for Brianna and...

Our card this week is Richard Chadek III, the 3 of Clubs from Nebraska.

When an 11-year-old went missing from a quiet Nebraska suburb in 1986, an entire task force got to work searching for him. But as days passed by, their hopes for a safe return dwindled, and the unimaginable was confirmed a week after the disappearance. It’s been 38 years since Richard Chadek III was taken in broad daylight… but that doesn’t mean the leads have all dried up. 

This is The Deck Investigates Season One, episodes 13-18. 

To view information and photos referenced in these episodes, visit: https://thedeckpodcast.com/the-deck-investigates/.

Find more of The Deck Investigates on social media.

The Deck Investigates is hosted by Ashley Flowers. 

Text As...

This is The Deck Investigates Season One, episodes 7-12. 

To view information and photos referenced in these episodes, visit: https://thedeckpodcast.com/the-deck-investigates/.

Find more of The Deck Investigates on social media.

The Deck Investigates is hosted by Ashley Flowers. 

Text As...

This is The Deck Investigates Season One, episodes 1-6. 

To view information and photos referenced in these episodes, visit: https://thedeckpodcast.com/the-deck-investigates/.

Find more of The Deck Investigates on social media.

The Deck Investigates is hosted by Ashley Flowers. 

Text As...

Our card this week is Jeannette Drzewiecki, the 8 of Diamonds from Texas. 

When 19-year-old Jeannette left the little rented house she shared with her husband Matt in Odessa, Texas on the evening of September 13th, 1982, he had every reason to believe she’d be back in no time. What he couldn’t have known was that a silent countdown started the moment she walked out the door... and that every passing minute brought him one step closer to a life he never planned. One where he would be left to raise their 11-day-old daughter all on his own.<...

Our card this week is Mary Cooper & Susanna Stodden, the Ace of Hearts from Washington.

For 18 years, no one has been able to figure out who killed Mary Cooper and her daughter Susanna Stodden while they were out for a scenic mother-daughter hike in the beautiful mountains of Washington state. No one understands why either. Their deaths and the evidence left behind continue to perplex detectives in Snohomish County. 

Our card this week is Rebecca Williams, the 3 of Clubs from Nebraska.

For 13-year-old Becca, the summer break before her freshman year of high school was supposed to be a time for a fresh start. Gaining some new-found independence… maturing into a young woman…

But because of the brutal actions of a predator, Becca will forever remain a girl, frozen in time… stuck in the summer of 2003.

Our card this week is Eula "Kay" Miller, the 10 of Diamonds from Texas.

26-year-old Eula, who most people knew as Kay, was a strong and independent woman. She lived her life to the fullest – working hard and playing harder. But in the summer of 1970, that would all change when someone took her life,  and that someone is still out there… 

Our card this week is Tina Milford, the 9 of Hearts from South Carolina. 

The stories we cover on this show have made me more aware than ever how even the smallest of choices and chance encounters can change the course of a person’s life. A last-minute decision, or even a shift in schedule, can have a positive impact… or… result in dire consequences.

And in the wee morning hours on June 24th, 1983… something out of Tina Milford’s control placed the young mother on the same path as a predator…

Our card this week is Dana Chisholm, the Jack of Diamonds from Washington, D.C.

I’ve been telling victims’ stories for 6½ years now. I’ve been a consumer of them for even longer. And in all that time, few stories have haunted me the way Dana’s has. Her killer was bold, so confident police would never catch him, that he taunted them. And for nearly 30 years, he’s been able to get away with it. But I think that’s coming to an end. Because even though it seems like he tried to do everything he could to e...

Our card this week is Ana Bell Juarez, the King of Hearts from Texas. 

Almost 30 years ago, Ana Bell Juarez disappeared in January 1997. But the exact details about her vanishing have never been fully divulged with detectives. Even today, as Detective Gonzales gets closer to finding out the truth… there’s still so many questions swirling around Odessa, Texas. 

View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/ana-bell-juarez

Let...

Our second card this week is Maria del Socorro Maldonado Ambriz, the Joker from Indiana.

Maria was spending what seemed like an average day with her two children when a masked intruder burst through the door and changed everyone in that home’s life. In just a matter of minutes, Maria, a single mom, was abducted and left for dead less than a mile from where her children were still hiding. It’s been two years, so the evidence is fresh and the leads are hot. But it’s going to take the right person coming forward to sol...

Our first card this week is Sarah Neal, the 6 of Diamonds from Nebraska. 

16-year-old Sarah was not your typical teen. She was a multisport high school athlete who participated in basketball, softball, and track. She was a pretty darn good chess player, too.

But in June of 2005, somebody took all that Sarah loved away from her. And they took Sarah away from everyone who loved her. 19 years later, the police are still trying to catch her killer, and they need your help.

Our card this week is Domaine Richards, the Queen of Clubs from Connecticut.

If you look at a picture of 25-year-old Domaine Richards, one thing stands out – his smile. A smile that could be infectious, but all the light Domaine had to bring to the world was taken away in November of 2007, and almost 17 years later, while police have at least one suspect they've been circling, they still need help bringing Domaine's case to a close.

Our card this week is Joe Laughlin, the Jack of Diamonds from South Carolina.

54-year-old Joe was a true “country guy",  living a simple life in Anderson, South Carolina in 2012. He was a husband, father, provider, and handyman. It didn’t take much to make him happy. All he needed in life was his family, his work shed, and an ice-cold beer. Why someone would want to gun him down inside his own home remains a mystery, even over a decade after his death. To this day, Joe’s widow has never remarried. She’s still living at their...

Our card this week is Bobby Ray Jones, the 8 of Clubs from Florida.

Bobby Ray Jones had just moved back to Walton County, Florida, in the late summer of 1971. It was a rebirth-of-sorts for this 33-year-old man. After getting caught up in a love affair and running off to Alabama, he had only recently returned to the sunshine state to try and reconcile with his wife. And seemingly, he was on track to do just that. He had already found a new job and a place to stay. Things were starting to turn around. So much so...

Our card this week is Linda "Lulu Ree" Ceasar, the 9 of Spades from Connecticut.

Linda "Lulu Ree" Ceasar's story is not all that different from so many others. She was a victim of her circumstances, and then she was a victim again when, in the summer of 1983, her life was taken in the most brutal of ways. Over 40 years later, the police still need help to close her case.

Since the release of CounterClock Season 1, Delia has received hundreds of requests from families of victims of violent crime. In November 2022, one message in her inbox stood out from the rest. It was from a middle-aged woman asking for Delia's help investigating the mysterious death of her 27-year-old brother from 1991. The message stood out for one big reason. The man's mangled body was found in an all-too familiar place to Delia. Eastern North Carolina.

33 years after Douglas Wagg, Jr. turned up on a lone stretch of railroad tracks in the middle of the night in rural Martin...

Our card this week is Dorothy “Dee" Scofield, the 4 of Hearts from Florida.

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken was just a toddler when 12-year-old Dee Scofield disappeared from a local department store. When he was a teenager, he remembers his parents bringing up the missing little girl from his hometown. Later, as a dad, it would cause him to lie awake at night, worrying about his own daughter. And down the line, as a new detective, it would continue to haunt him when he began investigating the case for himself. And today… even as a Chief of the...

Our card this week is Debra Owens, the 7 of Diamonds from Florida. 

Debra was a woman who deserved better than what she got in the last year of her life. Every day she woke up, she was a survivor of something or someone. Over 20 years after she was brutally murdered, no one has been held accountable.

Our card this week is Anna Hliaras, the 10 of Clubs from Ohio.

Anna Hliaras was a vigilant fixture in her Dayton, Ohio, neighborhood. She was essentially neighborhood watch before it was even a thing. And her mission was to make sure any and all disturbances in her community were called out. But investigators fear her tenacious behavior could’ve led to her demise… 

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Our card this week is JaQuan Atkins, the 10 of Clubs from Virginia. 

30-year-old JaQuan had a lot going for him in the spring of 2021. He had a good job and a tight crew of friends that he performed with as part of a local rap group. But most important to him – his close-knit family: a devoted mom, little nieces and nephews who called him “Uncle Quan,” and a big brother he admired. But police believe that brother is holding a secret…

Our card this week is Alexander WInspeare, the Jack of Clubs from Florida.

At 93, Alexander Winspeare had been through a lot in his long life. He was a veteran of World War I, proudly serving his country. If anyone had earned the right to die with dignity and grace, it was him. But instead, he was murdered in 1987. And 37 years later, police are still on the hunt for his killer.

Vie...

Our card this week is Timothy Zimmerman, the 8 of Spades from Indiana. 

Timothy Zimmerman, an active member of his community and property owner in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was violently murdered at one of his properties in 2007. Despite several clues being left behind at the messy crime scene, Timothy’s homicide has never been solved. 

National DNA Day was Thursday, April 25th, and in honor...

Our card this week is Loni Kai Okaruru, the 5 of Hearts from Oregon.

Loni Kai Okaruru made several stops on the morning of August 26, 2001, and interacted with several people, before she was beaten to death, her body left on a farm in Washington County, Oregon. Loni Kai’s murder was quickly labeled by police as a hate crime, but decades later her killer is still unknown. 

Note: An earlier version of this episode touched on gender fluidity in Filipino culture. As we cannot independently verify this information, we have removed this statement.

A while back, our team at audiochuck received an email from Kirsten Leonard’s family asking us if we would cover her case. Specifically, the email was sent by her nephew, Karsten, who’s named in memory of his aunt… an aunt he never got the chance to meet.

That’s because in June 1986, at just 22 years old, Kirsten was murdered in what can only be described as a senseless and brutal crime.

In the spring of 2000, a 24-year-old woman was found floating in a Citrus County, Florida canal. Though answers have eluded authorities for more than two decades, a present-day sergeant is hoping that putting her story in the spotlight may help reveal the truth.

View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/re...

Our card this week is Twana Smith, the 7 of Clubs from Connecticut. 

When Twana Smith’s body was discovered behind an abandoned building in Hartford in October 1997, she joined a growing list of the city’s vulnerable locals who fell victim to violent predators. And for decades, her case sat unsolved, gathering dust… even as detectives found the keys to unlock mysteries from the same era. But after years of dead ends, investigators now believe they're on the brink of a breakthrough… they just need a final push over the finish line.

Our card this week is Debra Espey, the 6 of Clubs from Florida. 

A college campus in broad daylight in a town literally called “Niceville” might be one of the last places you’d expect a young collegiate to disappear from, but in March 1973, that’s exactly what happened.

Debra Espey’s case spans more than 50 years, includes a primary suspect from the beginning, and has long been thought to have connection to other unsolved cases in the Florida panhandle. But for all the twists and misdirections, detectives are hopeful they can close this case soon.

Our card this week is Lola Katherine “Kathy” Fry, the 3 of Clubs from Indiana. 

28-year-old Lola, AKA Kathy, Kat, or Lolabee, as her family lovingly called her, was excited for a fresh start just before the holidays in 1993. She’d just left her job at an Indianapolis nightclub and was wrapping up the process of moving two hours northeast of Fort Wayne to live with her older sister. Kathy was planning to take her life down a new road and go back to school, maybe start a family.

But before she could ever make good on thos...

Our card this week is Kemberly Ramer, the 6 of Clubs from Florida.

In 1997, 17-year-old Kemberly Ramer had big goals of getting out of her small town. She made great grades, was a star athlete, and was well-liked by her peers. Heading into her senior year, she already had plans to go to college to become a physical therapist, and there was no question, she had the brains and the talent to do just that. It would take a thief, a monster in the middle of the night, to take that away from her. But that’s exactly wh...