Ozark Crimewatch

On October 16, 2013, 58-year-old Jeffery “Jeff” Slama was shot and killed inside his own home near Joplin, Missouri. A beloved community volunteer, church leader, and tornado recovery hero, Jeff was on the phone with 911 when the intruder pulled the trigger. Over a decade later, his murder remains unsolved. In this episode of Ozark Crimewatch, we revisit the chilling details of this home invasion...

In April 2001, twenty-year-old Branson Kayne Perry walked out of his home in Skidmore, Missouri and vanished without a trace. More than two decades later, his disappearance remains one of the most haunting unsolved cases in Missouri history. In this Ozark Crimewatch on-location investigation, we explore the places forever connected to Branson’s story. We begin in Skidmore, a small town known for i...

In the Season 2 premiere of Ozark Crimewatch, we return to Joplin, Missouri, to investigate one of the city’s most haunting unsolved mysteries, the disappearance of Sandra Louise “Sandy” Spoon. On the night of August 28, 2005, Sandra, a 57-year-old nurse’s aide, vanished after leaving a gathering at an apartment on Pearl Avenue. She was last seen with Edward G. Monroe, a 44-year-old Joplin man who...

On a summer night in July of 2018, twenty eight year old Sarah Burton was last seen walking in Joplin, Missouri. A mother of two, Sarah never made it home, and her disappearance triggered an extensive investigation involving local police and the FBI. Hundreds of leads have been followed, but Sarah has never been found. Her family continues to search and to keep her memory alive, refusing to let he...

In 1991, thirty seven year old Cindy Adams of Joplin, Missouri, was murdered, leaving behind two young children and a heartbroken family. The details of her killing were disturbing, yet despite a full investigation, the case eventually went cold. Decades later, her murder remains unsolved, a painful reminder of how even horrific crimes can fade from public attention. Cindy’s loved ones still wait...

In August of 2003, private investigator Jim Potts was found dead on a rural highway near Wyandotte, Oklahoma. Authorities quickly ruled his death a suicide, but many who knew him, including his family, believe otherwise. Potts had been investigating corruption and crime in the border town of Galena, Kansas, work that may have made him enemies. Questions about the scene, the evidence, and the hasty...

In February of 1997, the life of forty two year old Socorro Moran Mendoza ended violently in Rogers, Arkansas. Her body was discovered in Benton County under circumstances that pointed clearly to homicide, but investigators were unable to identify her killer. With limited media coverage at the time and few new leads in the years since, Socorro’s case has largely been forgotten outside of her famil...

On May 16, 2022, Kenneth “Jay” Mathews was walking through a Joplin neighborhood with a friend when shots rang out. Jay was struck multiple times and killed in the street, while his friend was wounded but survived. The brazen attack shocked residents of the area and left police with a case that, despite tips and appeals for information, remains unsolved. Authorities have not released many details,...

In June of 1992, three women vanished from a small home in Springfield, Missouri, without leaving a trace. Sherrill Levitt, her daughter Suzie Streeter, and Suzie’s friend Stacy McCall disappeared overnight, leaving behind their cars, purses, and even the family dog. The case quickly became one of the most infamous mysteries in Missouri, drawing media attention and hundreds of tips, but no resolut...

On May 11, 1992, the quiet town of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was rocked by the discovery of twenty year old Jennifer Judd’s body. Her brutal murder devastated her family and stunned the community, leaving behind questions that have never been answered. The investigation took many turns, from rumors of jealous boyfriends to a possible confession by a convicted killer, but nothing ever led to a resolu...

In May of 1950, Joplin was shaken by the brutal murder of Gwendolyn “Gwen” Creekmore, a wealthy but disabled woman often referred to as the “poor little rich girl.” She was discovered in the home she shared with her mother, bludgeoned, poisoned, and set on fire in a shocking crime that made headlines across Missouri. Despite multiple suspects and countless theories, no one was ever charged. For de...

On a cold night in December of 1999, a mobile home in Welch, Oklahoma burned to the ground. Inside were the bodies of Kathy and Danny Freeman, murdered before the fire started. Missing from the scene were sixteen year olds Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman, who had been staying at the home for a sleepover. For years, investigators chased rumors and false leads, while the families refused to give up...

In August of 1992, fourteen year old Tracy Pickett disappeared from Webb City, Missouri after a night spent with friends. Witnesses last saw her leaving an apartment barefoot with an older man, and from that moment forward she was never seen again. Her disappearance sparked a community wide search that turned up few clues and left investigators puzzled. More than three decades later, Tracy’s case...