Tag: Evansville
-
Who Killed Jean Cook?
In this episode, we revisit a painful local cold case: the murder of Georgia "Jean" Cook. On October 6, 2005, Jean, a 56-year-old mother of two, was working her shift as a manager at the former Busler's gas station on Highway 41 North in Evansville, Indiana. Three hours before the end of her shift, an armed intruder walked into the store, shot Jean twice, and fled after taking money from the register. Despite being mortally wounded, Jean managed to use her phone to call for help before passing away, leaving behind a family still searching for answers two decades later.
The investigation was plagued by complications right from the start. The store surveillance system was not recording that day, leaving police without video footage of the killer. The primary lead comes from a customer pumping gas outside who reported seeing a white woman with bushy gray hair wearing dark clothing leave the store and drive away north on Highway 41 in a bluish-gray domestic sedan. However, there has been long-standing confusion over whether the shooter was actually a woman or a man wearing a wig or disguise, creating a major obstacle for investigators.
This episode features conversations with two people close to the case. First, Jean's former coworker Andy Hinton shares his memory of the day, including receiving the distressing calls from Jean right after the shooting, and offers his perspective on what might have been happening at the store. Later, Jean's son Fred Cook talks about the toll the unsolved investigation has taken on their family, how quick access to major highways allowed the killer to vanish, and why he holds out hope that advancing technology or a lingering conscience might finally bring the truth to light.
Someone out there knows what happened that morning on Highway 41. Take a listen to the episode, check out the composite sketch materials linked in the show notes, and jump into the Discord server to join the conversation and help keep Jean's memory alive. -
Interview with a Forest Witch
In this episode, I speak with Crystal Folz, who reached out to me as a practicing forest witch from the tri-state area. I had no idea what a forest witch was until we talked, but Crystal cleared things up fast. She has been practicing since the 1990s, and her approach is rooted in animism, Kentucky folklore, and good old-fashioned common sense.
We talk about what it actually means to be a witch today, from the folklore passed down through generations to why she skips the trendy, mass-produced crystals on social media in favor of foraging tools out in the woods. Crystal is also a co-chair of the Three Corners Pagan Circle, which serves people across Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky.
Beyond her witchcraft practice, Crystal is the co-chair of Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators and has done psychic consults on search and rescue missions. We cover some wild stories from her investigations, including a bizarre physical encounter at Community House Number Two in New Harmony, and why she takes a back-porch, down-to-earth approach to the supernatural rather than leaning into dramatic claims.
It was a fascinating conversation that looks at local history, modern paganism, and the ghosts in our own backyard. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. -
Who Killed Elizabeth?
In January 2000, 18-year-old Elizabeth Bannister was tragically stabbed to death in a house full of people in Evansville, Indiana. Strangely, no one claims to have seen or heard anything. This baffling, unsolved case has left investigators and the community searching for answers.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the January 2000 murder of 18-year-old Elizabeth Bannister in Evansville, Indiana. It is a strange, tragic case that plays out like a demented real-life game of Clue. Elizabeth was brutally stabbed inside her Washington Avenue apartment in a house filled with people, yet nobody claimed to see or hear a single thing. Between a housemate watching Matlock reruns, someone passed out on the couch, and another person in the bathroom, the whole situation raises endless red flags.
This episode features a conversation from a live stream with Savannah from the YouTube channel "Don't Hate, Create". We break down the sheer chaos of Elizabeth’s life leading up to the murder, the messy web of potential suspects, and the bizarre details surrounding that night. That includes a friend who lent her change for a payphone at midnight only to find her dead an hour later, a cab that showed up for a caller who never walked out, and an alleged sighting of someone jumping out a window.
We also tackle the massive twists in the case. We discuss Mark, the abusive ex-boyfriend of Elizabeth’s mother who somehow started dating Elizabeth after her mom passed away, and why her family still eyes his alibi. Plus, we dig into the shocking prison confession from serial killer William Clyde Gibson, who claimed on a podcast that he killed Elizabeth, and why both her sister Sarah and the police remain skeptical of his story. Decades later, with the house burned down and police reports still locked away, we look at where things stand and why Elizabeth's family is still pushing for real answers.
If you have any information that could help solve Elizabeth’s murder, please contact the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979. -
Disappearance, Mystery, Unexplained
Where is Zac? Interview with his best friend, Chris
UPDATE 11/3/2025:
14 WFIE NEWS:
WARRICK CO., Ind. (WFIE) - The Warrick County Sheriff says a the body of a missing man was discovered on Friday in the Lynnville area
He says a hunter discovered the remains and called authorities.
Detectives say the remains were taken to the morgue in Vanderburgh County and positively identified as 38-year-old Zachary Carey, of Evansville, who had been missing since May of 2023.
Carey had last been seen in the Lynnville area.
https://www.14news.com/2025/11/03/body-man-missing-since-2023-found-warrick-co/
***********
In this episode, I speak with Chris, the last person to see Zac Carey before he disappeared back on May 30, 2023.
After my previous episode with Zach’s mother Gina and his sister Cecilia aired, Chris reached out to share his side of the story. He addresses some of the claims made about him, sets the record straight on his relationship with the family, and explains what really went down in the hours leading up to Zac's disappearance.
Chris goes through text messages from that early morning, describes driving Zac out toward the Lynnville area, and talks about Zac's state of mind at the time. He also opens up about his own interactions with law enforcement, rumors about untraceable gift cards, and why he believes Zac might simply be laying low off the grid.
At the end of the day, everyone involved just wants answers. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Zachary Cary, please contact the Warrick County Sheriff’s Department at 812-897-6180. -
Disappearance, Mystery, Unexplained
Where is Zac?
***********UPDATE 11/3/2025*********** 14 WFIE NEWS:
WARRICK CO., Ind. (WFIE) - The Warrick County Sheriff says a the body of a missing man was discovered on Friday in the Lynnville area
He says a hunter discovered the remains and called authorities.
Detectives say the remains were taken to the morgue in Vanderburgh County and positively identified as 38-year-old Zachary Carey, of Evansville, who had been missing since May of 2023.
Carey had last been seen in the Lynnville area.
https://www.14news.com/2025/11/03/body-man-missing-since-2023-found-warrick-co
*********************************
In this episode, I sat down with the family of 38-year-old Zachary Carey, who vanished back on May 30th, 2023. I talked with his mother, Gina, and his younger sister, Cecilia, to get a better sense of who Zac is and what really went down around the time he disappeared.
Zac was living in Evansville and working as a welder, but after losing his job and going through the sudden loss of his niece, his mental health took a heavy turn. Zac deals with schizophrenia, and his family noticed he was struggling and likely off his medication. Being an outdoorsman, a survivalist, and proud of his Native American heritage, Zac often retreated into nature when he was stressed. Going off into the woods for a few days to decompress wasn't unusual for him, but he always kept in touch and let them know when he was coming back. This time, he didn't.
The details surrounding his last known whereabouts raise a lot of questions. Zac was last dropped off by his long-time friend at the welcome sign near the woods in Lynnville, Indiana. Days later, after his family reported him missing, police located his cell phone sitting right by that same sign. Things got even more complicated when his friend refused to cooperate with the family or hand over Zac's belongings so search dogs could get a scent.
From unverified sightings in homeless camps across state lines to searches through dense woods and quarry lakes by local authorities, the family has been left in a painful limbo. They just want answers and to bring Zac home. -
The Murder of Troy DeWayne Smith
On May 24, 2020, 50-year-old Troy DeWayne Smith was found dead inside his apartment on South New York Avenue in Evansville, Indiana. Troy was a quiet guy who had studied mechanical engineering at ITT Tech and was working locally at Tri-State Resource Recovery.
Initially, authorities treated his death as an overdose or natural causes. Because of that initial call, weeks went by before an autopsy revealed the truth: Troy had actually been shot in the back of the head while sitting on his couch. By the time the case was reclassified as a homicide, the apartment had already been cleared out by family, contaminating potential evidence. On top of that, the story broke during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning it barely received any media coverage and quickly slipped through the cracks.
In this episode, Troy’s brother, TaRon, steps up to share what happened from his perspective as the person who found Troy that day. TaRon opens up about the suspicious circumstances surrounding how he was called to the apartment, the strange details about the locked door, and the rumors circulating in the community about who might have been in the apartment that night. He also addresses the struggles the family has faced over the years trying to keep investigators focused on finding answers.
Even though Troy fell into the wrong crowd and struggled with substance abuse near the end of his life, his family wants to make sure his story isn't forgotten and that the person responsible is brought to justice.
Troy's family is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in this case. If you know anything about what happened to Troy DeWayne Smith, please contact the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979 or leave an anonymous tip at 800-78-CRIME. -
Disappearance, True Crime, Unexplained
Where is Andi?
In August 2022, 24-year-old Andi Wagner disappeared from Evansville, Indiana. She was last heard from around August 5th or 6th, and her family officially reported her missing a few days later. Ever since, her loved ones have been fighting to keep her name out there so her case doesn't just fade into the background.
In this episode, we focus on the ongoing efforts to bring Andi home. I share a clip from an interview by YouTuber JuJu’s Rabbit Hole featuring Andi’s cousin, Frankie Lee. Frankie opens up about the toll this has taken on the family and addresses some strange details surrounding the case, including a neighbor with a weird interest in ring camera footage from Andi's grandparents' house and a notebook left behind that listed names of people who might be connected to her disappearance.
I also have a conversation with Rick White, the Emergency Management Director in Union County, Kentucky, who also runs the Tik Tok channel Front Porch America. Rick has stepped up to help lead independent search efforts. He breaks down how he got involved, the challenges of navigating private land and old strip mine pits, and his partnership with search teams like Narked Divers and Brothers Underwater Recovery to scan local waterways with sonar.
Andi is 5'6" and around 115 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She has a dreamcatcher tattoo on her left forearm and the name "Joshua Brown" tattooed on her right forearm. She was last seen wearing an orange tank top and jeans, and she frequently spent time in the Newburgh and Oakland City areas.
If you or anyone you know has information about Andi Wagner, even a detail that seems tiny or insignificant, please call the Evansville Police Department adult investigations unit at 812-436-7979. -
Murder, True Crime, Unexplained
The Murder of Doris McDonough
In this episode, I dive into a tragic cold case from right here in Evansville, Indiana: the October 3, 1968 murder of Doris McDonough. Doris was a 36-year-old mother of two who was brutally beaten to death in her own kitchen in the middle of the day. Decades later, her killer has never been named, and the case remains completely unsolved.
The day started like any normal Thursday for the McDonough family. After their car broke down during an early morning paper route, William took their two young sons out on their bikes while Doris stayed behind at their home on Southeast Riverside Drive. Everything seemed fine when the boys left for school, but by early afternoon, Doris stopped answering the phone. Concerned, William asked a neighbor to go knock on the door. Moments later, the neighbor discovered Doris deceased on the kitchen floor. She had suffered severe trauma from a heavy blunt object. Strange details surrounding the scene raised immediate questions: there were no signs of forced entry, nothing of value was taken, and two towels were neatly folded around her head. The only thing missing from the house was a claw hammer.
In the episode, I take a close look at the timeline William provided to local reporters just days after the crime, which leaves a lot of open questions. He claimed he stopped back home around 9:00 AM to drop off a son's clarinet, staying just long enough to chat about making a birthday cake, take out the trash, and agree to leave the back door unlocked for the morning light. However, running a sun path analysis for that exact date and address shows the sun wouldn't have even been shining through that door at 9:00 AM. Other stops on his morning schedule also seem remarkably rushed, including a client meeting at a coffee shop that lasted a total of five minutes.
William eventually took a polygraph test that came back inconclusive. When asked about his wife’s death a year later, he simply remarked, "the less said about it, the better." He eventually remarried, relocated to South Carolina, and lived to be 86. His 2019 obituary detailed his career as a college professor and highlighted his 45-year second marriage, but omitted any mention of Doris or her untimely death.
Doris McDonough deserves to be remembered, and her story shouldn't be swept under the rug. -
The Odon Fire Poltergeist
For this episode, we head up to Daviess County, Indiana, to look into a case from 1940 that the Indiana State Fire Marshal called "the most baffling mystery he had ever seen" before officially closing it as unsolved. People in the area still call it the Odon Fire Poltergeist.
Before we even get to the day the fires started, you have to talk about the history of this piece of ground because it makes you wonder if the place was cursed long before 1940. Back in the mid-1800s, a man named Marshall Ketchum built a house there. In the 1880s, five members of his family died on the property from what was called burning fever, which was likely typhus. Later on, the home was sold to a spiritualist named Andrew Wickle. Tragic bad luck struck again when Wickle’s son was killed in a hunting accident. Devastated by grief, Wickle had his son buried right in the yard in a custom casket with a glass window so he could look down at his face, and he claimed he regularly talked to his deceased son's spirit.
By 1940, a man named William Hackler lived on the farm with his wife Minnie and their five kids. Everything was uneventful until Friday, June 21, 1940.
That morning, wallpaper in an upstairs room suddenly burst into flames. The fire department rushed out, assuming it was a bad chimney. But when they tore down the plaster, there was no chimney anywhere near that wall, no electrical wiring, and no stove fire burning. From 9:00 AM until 11:00 PM that night, 28 separate spontaneous fires broke out all over the house.
The fires were completely unexplainable. Papers inside a closed desk drawer caught fire. Curtains ignited right behind visiting neighbors, but the window shades underneath them were untouched. A calendar burned up on the wall without even scorching the wallpaper behind it. Paper between a bed spring and mattress burst into flames and destroyed the bed. The family was so terrified they slept out in the front yard that night.
The State Fire Marshal investigated thoroughly, but they never found a single trace of arson, chemical reaction, or electrical fault. The story went nationwide and was even featured in a Collier’s Magazine ad for Travelers Insurance in 1941.
I actually got the chance to talk with 90-year-old Daviess County historian, Don Cosby, for this episode. He shared that the Hackler family left the county not long after the fires, and no trace of the family remained in the area. With help from Don's son-in-law, I managed to get the exact location of the old farm and took a drive up there. The old house is long gone now, and the site is just open farmland today.
Was it a genuine poltergeist, a bizarre natural phenomenon, or something else entirely? Listen to the episode and judge for yourself! -
Disappearance, Murder, True Crime, Unexplained
The Disappearance of Theresa Rideout
If you caught the first episode about the Four Seasons Motel, you might remember me briefly mentioning Theresa Rideout. She was the girlfriend of Jack Barnett, the man who ended his life at the motel. But while Jack’s tragic end was documented, Theresa’s story is a mystery.
When I first came across Theresa’s case in an old local newspaper article listing area cold cases, I was struck by how little information was actually out there. Even on official missing persons pages like the Indiana State Police site, her name is spelled wrong, details are minimal, and there isn't even a photo attached to her profile.
Part of the reason her story has been so quiet is that Theresa did not have a huge network of people in her corner. Her mother passed away when she was six, her dad died when she was seventeen, and she had no siblings. She married young, had a son named Matt, but after a divorce in the mid-80s, she mostly kept to herself and moved around. Tragically, both her ex-husband and her son passed away years later, leaving virtually no immediate family left to keep her case in the public eye. When I reached out to a relative of her ex-husband while doing genealogy research, they told me her disappearance was just considered a big family mystery. Some relatives assumed she had simply drowned in the river, but no one really knew.
Here is what we actually know about her final days. On September 2, 1994, Theresa and Jack left the American Legion in Newburgh around 10:30 AM so Jack could drive her to her 11:00 AM shift at the Main Street Burger King in Evansville. She worked her full shift, was in a great mood, and at 7:00 PM her manager trusted her to take the night cash deposit up to the bank. She made the deposit, said "see you tomorrow" to her co-workers, and drove off in Jack's red pickup truck.
That was the last time anyone ever saw her. She left her final paychecks unclaimed, and her beloved dog, River, vanished right along with her.
What really bothers me about the timeline is what happened next. If Theresa was seen leaving work in Jack's truck, Jack was almost certainly in that truck with her. Did they get into a fight on the way home?
Stranger still, four days after she disappeared, Jack walked into Don and Donna's sports bar in Newburgh by himself. The bartender said he acted completely normal, had a drink, and never mentioned anything about Theresa being missing. Then, a few days after that, Jack checked into the Four Seasons Motel and took his own life, leaving a note for his daughter that made zero reference to Theresa.
Most investigators seem to assume the obvious story: Jack killed Theresa, hid her body along with the dog, and then killed himself a week later. But a full week is a really long gap for a murder-suicide scenario where the perpetrator just goes about his normal life, grabbing drinks at local bars in the middle of it all. Were they involved with the wrong crowd? Did something go wrong with shady associates? Or did Jack snap after a week of her being missing?
Theresa Rideout deserves to have her story told just as much as anyone else, even if she did not have a massive family network fighting to keep her name in the headlines.
Give the episode a listen and let me know your take.