In the late summer of 1953, 19-year-old Cynthia Phiel was searching for a fresh start. In just 27 days, her life would end in tragedy. But before that, she lived with courage, hope, and heartbreak. The Real Story of Cynthia Pheil, Episode III traces her final month through letters, lies, and longing: from her red shoes and a new job at Cleveland’s famed Higbee’s Department Store to the quiet decision to leave everything behind for love. With haunting precision, we follow Cynthia’s path…the postcards home, the secret pregnancy, the manipulative letters from Roy. This episode brings Cynthia’s story to life, one bus ticket, one letter, one heartbeat at a time.

The Real Story of Cynthia Pfeil, Part II, The Red Slippers is back with a chilling dive into the 1953 "Red Slipper Murder" case that rattled Ohio and ultimately the entire Midwest. Join us as we recount the horrific discovery of a brutally murdered, pregnant woman in Ellen Matteson's woods and follow Sheriff Dean McCallister's determined investigation to uncover the slain woman's identity and ultimately track down her killer.

Cynthia Pfeil was born in 1934, and grew up in a quiet suburban neighborhood of White Plains, New York. Productive and independent, she swam, rode horseback, and sewed her own clothes with professional polish. Cynthia was an obedient daughter, decent student, and a reliable babysitter. Her father, a German immigrant and hardworking auto shop owner, instilled a strong work ethic, while her mother, Rose, maintained their home. Cynthia followed in her older brother’s footsteps to Ohio Wesleyan University in 1952, where she studied Home Economics and met Roy “Skip” Schinagle Jr., a charismatic, well dressed, god fearing momma’s boy from Mayfield Heights, Ohio. Their intense relationship would upend both of their lives and ultimately end in a Real Story followed in real time around the United States. This is Part 1 of our 3-part series exploring the Real Story of Cynthia Pfeil.