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  • The Photo on Her Desk: Why Judge Pruitt Died Holding It

    The Photo on Her Desk: Why Judge Pruitt Died Holding It
    2026/07/26
    The Photo on Her Desk: Why Judge Pruitt Died Holding It

    A photograph left on a judge’s desk became the only visible mystery in a death ruled natural: a cheap aluminum frame, a palm print matching Judge Megan Pruitt, and a wooden trellis that may link to a decades-old trust dispute - so why did she press her hand over it and never let go? Who brought the picture into her office between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., and what did it show that made a careful 61-year-old judge stay at her desk until she died?

    In this episode, we walk through the timeline, the official findings, and the overlooked clues that lingered for twenty years before a graduate student reopened the trail. We cover the recorded late-night entries, the phone calls from her office, and the photograph’s chain of custody to ask the question that drove the renewed inquiry: what was inside that frame?

    Person: Megan Pruitt
    Date: April 9, 2001 (time of discovery at 5:15 a.m.)
    Location: Judge Pruitt’s office, Kellner Boulevard, Harwick County courthouse annex
    Cause: Acute cardiac arrest (time of death between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.)
    Discovery: Photograph returned to estate and stored unopened for twenty years

    - Judge Pruitt was 61 years old and had served 35 years in law, including 11 years as a Harwick County circuit court judge.
    - The photograph was not present when her clerk left at 4:45 p.m. the previous afternoon but was found under her right hand when she was discovered at 5:15 a.m.
    - The medical examiner estimated she had been dead at her desk for 4 to 6 hours, with no signs of forced entry or struggle and only mild undiagnosed arterial narrowing.
    - The courthouse pass log recorded Pruitt re-entering the annex at 10:47 p.m. on April 8, and internal phone logs show a call from her office to the same outside number between 11 p.m. and midnight on three nights in six weeks.
    - The photograph’s partial palm print matched Pruitt’s; a second degraded set of prints could not be identified, and the frame was held in evidence for 90 days before being returned to her sister.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Upright Shoe: How a Coin-Sized Bloodstain Broke 40 Years of Silence

    The Upright Shoe: How a Coin-Sized Bloodstain Broke 40 Years of Silence
    2026/07/25
    The Upright Shoe: How a Coin-Sized Bloodstain Broke 40 Years of Silence

    A single tan leather shoe stood upright 312 feet from a dead woman on March 9, 1971 - clean in the gravel while her body lay in a drainage ditch with a close-range gunshot wound. How did a coin-sized bloodstain hidden beneath a van floor mat finally unravel four decades of missed leads and a lost file?

    In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning the shoe was found through the decades-long lapse in the investigation, following lost case files, a dismissed suspect with an alibi, and a photograph that quietly captured a man of interest. Which overlooked detail proved decisive after forty years?

    Person: Kelly Watson
    Date: March 9, 1971
    Location: Meridian Trace Road, Aldercroft Township, Fenwick County, Wisconsin
    Person: Vincent Adler
    Period: 1971-2011

    - One shoe was found upright in the gravel exactly 312 feet east of where Kelly Watson’s body lay.
    - Kelly Watson was 24 years old and had been dead between 8 and 14 hours when found.
    - The van partner, Vincent Adler, was found zip-tied in the idling van about two miles west and hospitalized for 11 days.
    - Lead detective Howard Birch worked the case for six years before retiring in 1977 and took the file with him.
    - Howard Birch’s personal file was mailed to the sheriff’s office in 2001 and then sat logged in the basement for 28 years.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Ledger, the Bottle, and the Pharmacy Technician's Secret

    The Ledger, the Bottle, and the Pharmacy Technician's Secret
    2026/07/24
    The Ledger, the Bottle, and the Pharmacy Technician's Secret

    A pharmacist's custom-labeled bottle, wiped of prints, was found upright on wax paper in a crawlspace beneath a dead man's house - and a hidden ledger would later link that bottle to another man buried four years earlier. What did a pharmacy technician think she was collecting, and how did six ledger entries from 1971-1974 become a sentence measured in lives?

    In this episode, we tell how a utility lineman's photograph reached a seasoned investigator and opened a trail from a brown ribbed bottle to a secret hidden under a false-bottomed document tray. Follow the discoveries that tie Howard Reynolds's death, Raymond Stills's burial, and Alice Cole's deliveries to a decades-old ledger - and ask whether the ledger contained proof or motive.

    Person: Howard Reynolds
    Date: October 3, 2018
    Location: Mercer Avenue, Halverton
    Person: Raymond Stills
    Person: Alice Cole

    - Bottle found on February 11, 2019, in a crawlspace under Howard Reynolds's house.
    - Label on bottle read "COMPOUNDED - H. REYNOLDS - DO NOT TRANSFER."
    - Howard Reynolds died of hypertensive heart disease and was cremated; no autopsy was performed.
    - Raymond Stills died in February 2015 of cardiac arrhythmia and was buried in Halverton Municipal Cemetery; no autopsy was performed.
    - Ledger contained six entries dated 1971 through 1974 hidden inside a composition notebook under a false bottom of a wooden document tray.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    24 分
  • The Boy Who Watched: How a Nine-Year-Old Broke a 20-Year Murder Secret

    The Boy Who Watched: How a Nine-Year-Old Broke a 20-Year Murder Secret
    2026/07/23
    The Boy Who Watched: How a Nine-Year-Old Broke a 20-Year Murder Secret

    A frozen morning, a single size seven white canvas sneaker tied in a perfect bow, and a body placed above the waterline - a scene that went cold for twenty years until a child's memory cracked it open. What could keep a nine-year-old from telling the one thing that would have changed everything?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from the discovery on January 9, 2003, through the early investigation and the secret that stayed buried for two decades, asking how an obituary ultimately became the key that reopened the case.

    Person: Megan Thompson
    Date: January 9, 2003
    Location: Harwick Road overpass culvert, Aldine County
    Witness: Cindy Marsh, age nine at time of sighting
    Investigator: Detective Sergeant Tom Haas

    - Temperature at 6:40 AM on January 9, 2003: eleven degrees
    - Shoe description: women's size seven white canvas sneaker, lace tied in a perfect bow
    - Distance from witness window to culvert: sixty feet
    - Last confirmed sighting of Megan alive: afternoon of January 8, 2003 (neighbor Howard Vance saw her in the garden)
    - Time Patrice Dunham called police reporting Megan missing: 9:15 PM on January 8, 2003

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分
  • The Wallet by the Meter: How a 40-Year Lie Began

    The Wallet by the Meter: How a 40-Year Lie Began
    2026/07/23
    The Wallet by the Meter: How a 40-Year Lie Began

    A meter reader found a burgundy passport wallet wedged beside a gas meter on December 11, 1983, containing a Mexican tourist visa that expired two days later and a Chihuahua City phone number - but no passport. Who left that wallet tucked into the stucco wall, and why would a traveler abandon the one document that would legally let her cross the border?

    In this episode, we walk through the timeline from the missing Thursday visit that started the case to the archival memo that contradicted four decades of assumptions. The episode follows the evidence left at the scene, the initial conclusions by law enforcement, and the discovery that the visa’s expiry date and a missing work-order closure don’t add up - so what actually happened to Jessica Zimmerman?

    Person: Jessica Ann Zimmerman
    Date: December 8-11, 1983
    Location: Cordero Lane, Reyes Bluff, New Mexico
    Case: Missing person / cold case reopened in 2023
    Investigator: Amanda Andrews

    - Wallet found wedged between the gas meter housing and stucco wall on December 11, 1983
    - Mexican tourist visa inside issued September 14, 1983 with 90-day validity expiring December 13, 1983
    - Jessica Zimmerman missed a weekly Thursday visit on December 8, 1983 after 11 years of never missing
    - Work order for exterior gas line inspection dated December 7, 1983 bears Raymond Larsen’s signature but has no completion stamp or invoice
    - Wallet remained in an evidence box for nearly 40 years until reviewed by cold-case contractor Amanda Andrews in March 2023

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • A Firefighter Burns Down His Own Town: The Emily Sullivan Case

    A Firefighter Burns Down His Own Town: The Emily Sullivan Case
    2026/07/23
    A Firefighter Burns Down His Own Town: The Emily Sullivan Case

    A small town's routine was shattered by smoke and a pair of wire-framed glasses left on the top step - the only intact thing after a blaze that killed a 44-year-old county assessor. For fourteen years the case stopped at a single conclusion despite a gas receipt, a clean electrical permit, and a witness who saw a dark pickup; how did those three discrepancies go unanswered for so long?

    In this episode, we tell what the record shows about the night of November 14-15, 2003, the scene investigators documented, and the three items that later unraveled the original ruling. What really connects the receipt, the electrician's permit, and the pickup on Holloway Street?

    Person: Emily Sullivan
    Date: November 14-15, 2003
    Location: Holloway Street and Depot Road, Marvell, Indiana
    Age: 44
    Cause: Smoke inhalation with thermal injury contributing

    - Glasses found intact on the top step with one temple folded, logged and bagged by investigators.
    - Receipt for unleaded fuel, $11.40, dated November 13, 2003, charged to Emily Sullivan's card and recovered from a kitchen cash box.
    - Electrician Vincent Acker inspected and certified the building's electrical panel eight months before the fire, noting modern wiring and proper grounding.
    - Witness Pat Elmore reported a dark pickup idling near the building around 1:00 a.m. on November 15, noting a cracked passenger-side running board.
    - Original investigation concluded accidental electrical ignition within six weeks and the file remained unchallenged for fourteen years.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • The Watch That Kept Time for Her Killer - Found 26 Years Later

    The Watch That Kept Time for Her Killer - Found 26 Years Later
    2026/07/23
    The Watch That Kept Time for Her Killer - Found 26 Years Later

    A single watch kept running for 26 years and was found ticking in two inches of water at Weller Reservoir; its battery had been replaced at least twice and someone returned it there on purpose. Who maintained that watch for decades and why did they keep bringing it back to the same shore?

    In this episode, we present the facts of Amanda Rice’s disappearance, the 1993 recovery of her body, and the 2019 discovery of her engraved Seiko watch that reopened the case - could the pattern of returns point to the person who could not let her go?

    Person: Amanda Rice
    Date: October 8, 1993 (last seen) and October 14, 2019 (watch found)
    Location: Weller Reservoir, eastern shore
    Status: Originally ruled accidental drowning; case reopened after 2019 evidence
    Investigator: Marcia Zimmerman

    - Amanda was born circa 1965 and turned 28 seven months before her disappearance.
    - Amanda volunteered at the Morel Food Pantry for 22 consecutive months with perfect attendance.
    - Amanda’s Seiko watch had an engraving reading "A.R. - age twenty-eight - from Connie, always."
    - The watch was found on October 14, 2019, in roughly two inches of water with its second hand sweeping.
    - Manufacturer assessment showed the watch battery was replaced within 1-2 years before the 2019 discovery and the battery compartment had been opened at least twice.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • The Sneaker, The Bone, and the Neighbor Who Watched Her Walk

    The Sneaker, The Bone, and the Neighbor Who Watched Her Walk
    2026/07/23
    The Sneaker, The Bone, and the Neighbor Who Watched Her Walk

    A white canvas sneaker with a blue stripe surfaced on a fishing line in September 2019, sealed in plastic and containing one small bone - a shoe that belonged to eight-year-old Janet Osborne, missing since 1984. The factory logo on the sheeting traced back to a plant four minutes from Janet’s home and to a neighbor who once watched her walk to school; how did two files, kept in separate counties for 35 years, finally collide to send a 71-year-old woman from a care facility to a courtroom?

    In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and overlooked records that connected a childhood notebook, a factory seam, and decades-old search logs, and we ask how routine searches and separate filings allowed a trail to go cold for more than three decades.

    Person: Janet Osborne
    Date: September 11, 1984
    Location: Orchard Creek Road
    Event: Sneaker found on a fishing line in September 2019
    Location: Pendleton Fabrications southeast warehouse

    - The sneaker was white canvas with a blue stripe and laces tied in a double knot, sealed inside factory-stamped plastic sheeting.
    - Janet Osborne was born July 4, 1976 and was eight years old when she disappeared on September 11, 1984.
    - Pendleton Fabrications’ southeast warehouse search log in 1984 was signed by deputies Carl Minter and Roy Pell and noted "checked visually and cleared."
    - The factory on the plastic sheeting was four minutes from where Janet had lived and had employed Linda Armstrong in summer 1982.
    - In spring 2017, demolition uncovered a patched seam in the southeast corner concrete floor lined with river gravel and a roughly two-foot-deep cavity.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分