Episode 5 Summary:

In this episode of Hazel’s Last Hand, host Kate Colvin examines three distinct, high-profile criminal cases from the Inland Northwest spanning 1991 to 2005. While these cases occurred in close geographic proximity to Potlatch, Idaho, and shared uncanny surface details with Hazel's unsolved abduction, this episode systematically dispels lingering community rumors by establishing that none of these perpetrators were involved in Hazel's death. Clearing these red herrings helps sharpen the investigation's focus on the true, localized facts.

Key Topics

• Intro
• • The illusion of safety and distance in the Inland Northwest.
  • How small-town geography can mask real threats operating along shared highway corridors.
• Clearing the Red Herrings
• • Address to the community regarding local history, rumors, and overlapping names/dates.
  • Explicit confirmation: The three cases featured in this episode are completely unrelated to Hazel’s unsolved case.
• The 1991 Potlatch Murder & The Great Escape
• • Victim: Ronald Boone, a local Potlatch area farmer.
  • Perpetrator: Roger Dale Babb and common-law wife Kathy Spencer.
  • The Event: Boone invited Babb and Spencer back to his farmhouse after drinking at a local tavern; Babb shot Boone in his sleep for cash, a wallet, and his truck.
  • The Escape: In September 1997, after being transferred to Basile Detention Center in Louisiana due to Idaho prison overcrowding, Babb and four felons cut through security fences.
  • Resolution: Babb surrendered at a bus station payphone in Beaumont, Texas, three days later, stating, "I'm tired of running."
• "The Other Mrs. Martin" (Pullman, 1996)
• • Victim: Dorothy Martin, vibrant senior living at Stateside Condominiums in Pullman, WA.
  • The Crime: An intruder stole a master key ring from the manager's office and unlocked unit #1, suffocating Dorothy in her bed and stealing a multi-diamond ring.
  • Addressing the Rumors: Comparison between Dorothy Martin and Hazel Martin.
  • The Breakthrough & Hitman Plot: In 2000, police identified home-invader Bradley Steckman (tipped off by Dorothy's house cleaner, Skye Hanson). In prison, Steckman confessed to a separate 1998 murder-for-hire plot involving Barbara Loesch in Post Falls, ID, orchestrated by Hanson and Tina Loesch.
  • Key Differences: Dorothy’s case was a solved inside-job burglary/murder in an apartment complex; Hazel was abducted from a rural property along Highway 6, her remains discovered a year later off Highway 6.
• Joseph Edward Duncan III & The Shadow Over North Idaho
• • Profile: Serial child predator and fugitive operating across the Pacific Northwest.
  • The 2005 Groene Family Murders: Stalked a rural home near Wolf Lodge Bay (Coeur d'Alene) using night-vision goggles. Bludgeoned Brenda Groene, Mark McKenzie, and Slade Groene; abducted 9-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Shasta.
  • Capture & National Scope: Duncan was spotted by Denny's employees in Coeur d'Alene on July 2, 2005, leading to Shasta's rescue.
  • Confessions: Linked to Seattle cold cases (Sammiejo White, Carmen Cubias) and California murders (Anthony Martinez). Journal entries detailed his calculated travel logs along regional highways.
  • Outcome: Sentenced to federal death row; died in prison on March 28, 2021.
• Conclusion & Reflection
• • A sobering look at how violent offenders pass through rural blacktops and small-town gathering spots.
  • Refocusing the community's effort back onto the distinct truth behind Hazel's disappearance.

Episode Credits

· Written, Produced, and Hosted by: Kate Colvin

· Sound Design: John Boswell and Holly Boswell

· Research Assistance: Andrea Rourick, Bonnie Scoles, Cretia Bunny, Paula Frazier, Whitney Dixon, and Ellie Helbing

· Writing Assistance: Brian Potter

· Production Note: A podcast for the community, by the community.

Disclaimer: Hazel's Last Hand covers an active, unsolved murder investigation. All individuals mentioned in connection with open investigations are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.