A Heavy Weight

In November 1981, 15-year-old Marie Patrick disappeared after a hitchhiking trip with her friend. 

In 1972, 25-year-old single mother Vickie Lynn Harrell walked out of her Bloomington, Indiana apartment and never returned.

In 1998, Terence Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne of Waverly, Virginia, were sentenced to life for a murder they were acquitted of, exposing systemic flaws like withheld evidence and a judge’s power to override a jury’s verdict. In this episode, we examine the controversial mechanism of acquitted conduct sentencing and the tireless advocacy work aimed at righting this profound injustice.

Join us for our first update episode since the original series aired. You'll hear an update from Joseph's family and we'll share material we didn't include in the original series.  Keep following along as we work towards a call campaign on Tuesday, November 15th. 

Episode ten of A Heavy Weight: Where are we today? In the series finale we’ll go over the facts in Joseph’s case and hear from outside experts as to what could help have Joseph’s case re-opened. We’ll also hear from Joseph’s family about what they want to happen in his case. While this is the series finale, for now, we’ll be posting episode updates as we keep working on justice for Joseph. Thank y...

Episode nine of A Heavy Weight: What is the narrative in Joseph’s story? Who has tried to control it and why? We’re diving into a few strange details in Joseph’s case, starting with the letter found by his roommates. You’ll hear conversations from the time, begging the question, who could’ve written that note? Do law enforcement know something we don’t? We’ll also hear from Joseph’s family in the...

Episode eight of A Heavy Weight: Forensic pathologists Dr. Andrea Zaferes and Dr. Darin Wolfe join us again to talk about the likelihood of suicide by drowning in Joseph’s case. What does the evidence tell us? Should his death have been ruled suicide by drowning?

Episode seven of A Heavy Weight: We begin to unpack Joseph’s autopsy and toxicology reports with the help of experts Andrea Zaferes and Dr. Darin Wolfe. What do the reports tell us about Joseph’s death?

Episode six of A Heavy Weight: The investigation into Joseph’s death takes shape; but does the story being presented make sense? Joseph’s family try to get more answers from law enforcement and begin to form their own theories about what could’ve happened.

Episode five of A Heavy Weight: The body of 20 year old IU sophomore Joseph has been recovered and the investigation into what could’ve happened to him shifts. The prevailing theory around his death is made public leaving those close to him with more questions than answers.

Episode four of A Heavy Weight: 20 year old IU sophomore Joseph has been missing for nearly a week. What clues could the group chat found on his laptop hold? The search for Joseph takes a turn no one could have predicted...

Episode three of A Heavy Weight: 20 year old IU sophomore Joseph hasn’t been heard from in days. What clues do detectives and his sister find as the search continues…

Picking up the night of September 27th, 2015 after Joseph vanished. Where could he have gone? What clues did he leave behind?

Episode 1 of A Heavy Weight; a podcast re-investigating the unexplained disappearance of Joseph Smedley. 20 year old sophomore Joseph vanishes on the night of a blood moon, September 27, 2015.

A Heavy Weight is a series re-investigating the 2015 disappearance of Joseph Smedley, a 20 year old sophomore attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  The series launches this fall; visit www.aheavyweight.com for source materials and to follow Joseph's story.