Cold Case Talk

Joseph Santi was a leading businessman in Utah in the 1970s. He and his wife were owners of a new hotel, had a beautiful old mansion and numerous other investments. Then one day in 1977 he disappeared. We unravel the rumors and misinformation and say who likely killed Joe Santi.

Joseph Santi was a leading businessman in Utah in the 1970s. He and his wife were owners of a new hotel, had a beautiful old mansion and numerous other investments. Then one day in 1977 he disappeared. We unravel the rumors and misinformation and say who likely killed Joe Santi.

Joseph Santi was a notable businessman in Utah in the 1970s. He and his wife were owners of a new hotel, had a beautiful old mansion and numerous other investments. Then one day in 1977 he disappeared. We unravel the rumors and misinformation and say who likely killed Joe Santi.

Amy Westreicher moved from California to remote eastern Utah to help out a friend. She fell in with a group of people who had some troubles with the law. In 2010, Amy went missing one night from a camper parked in the desolute countryside near Roosevelt, Utah. The "friends" in the camper scattered, the police investigation went nowhere. The case went cold, as cold as it was that wintery night in t...

The 1995 Super Bowl featured the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers. Like millions of others, those confined to the forensic (crime-related) ward at the Utah State Hospital had their own viewing party complete with drinks and snacks. Bahe Davis, an 18-year-old with disabilities being held there after a stabbing, also participated. But the next day, Bahe was dead. Who or what killed Bah...

In 1982 a young, good-looking construction worker, went to a bar with a friend. It was Valentine's Day and maybe that's what led to some flirtatious interactions with a woman that took a  deadly turn. Almost 40 years on, the murder has not been solved and little information has emerged. We talk to Pam Genovesi, a prominent PI in the 1980s, who investigated the Trent Olsen murder and has informatio...

Aletha Jo Williams had some minor run-ins with the law. Then she became pregnant and in 2001 and 2002 seemed to be turning her life around when her Utah family reported her missing. Police did some investigation but had little to go on and her disappearance became a cold case. Acting on new information in 2014, police obtained a search warrant and sent drivers into waterways looking for her body....

In March of 1969, LeRoy Ortiz was taken from his Ogden home and murdered. Ortiz was a young rising boxer but his career was cut short by a bullet to the heart. For years, the Ortiz family said they knew who killed LeRoy and that the killers had even taunted them on the streets of Ogden. Now we know and, even though this was a cold case murder, a certain kind of justice was meted out.

A perhaps surprising number of cold case murders are accompanied by dismemberment of the victim. But why do killers often cut up parts of victims or even entire bodies? We sought answers from one of the world's leading researchers on the phenomenon. Listen to an intriguing interview with Dr. David Holmes, a forensic psychologist in Manchester, England.

Halloween Special: Our encounters with the dead; psychics provide tips in the Susan Cox Powell case; meet psychic medium Judy  Dixon, the real thing; take a ride with us to find the White Lady who searches for her missing child. Warning: You might never hear from us again.  

In this episode, Ed Callison is arrested and details begin to emerge about what really happened in 2014 to his wife, Melanie Callison. Let's just say Melanie did not run off to Salt Lake City or San Francisco or Idaho. And there's a twist about a campfire and missing DNA. A warning: There are gruesome details and a bit of strong language. 

Melanie Callison went missing from Richfield, Utah, in September of 2014, about five months after she married Ed Callison and got a tattoo on her back to celebrate. At first, Ed told family, friends and police that he and Melanie had decided to divorce and she had gone to California. That statement started a trail of lies, one that led in twists and turns to a gruesome crime but one that, at least...

Cami Shepherd's disappearance under suspicious circumstances is the subject of this week's episode.  Our investigation of crime scene photos and other evidence can help us find out what happened to her.  What happened to Cami Shepherd?

In this week's episode, we delve into the strange case of a missing man. His ex-wife was told he was dead until she inquired about Social Security benefits. Then a daughter said he wasn't dead, then said he was. Where is Wayne Burton?

In this week's episode, "Cold Case Talk Live", we go behind the scenes with the Utah Cold Case Coalition to discuss a triple murder, and a runaway … who wasn't.

In 1985 two dismembered legs were found in a river near 24th street in Ogden, Utah.  The legs were later identified as those of 34-year-old mother of five,  Savannah Hoskins .  She had previously been reported missing by her husband Joe, but the body parts weren't confirmed to belong to Savannah until 34 years later.

In 1985 two dismembered legs were found in a river near 24th street in Ogden, Utah.  The legs were later identified as those of 34-year-old mother of five, Savannah Hoskins .  She had previously been reported missing by her husband Joe, but the body parts weren't confirmed to belong to Savannah until 34 years later.

In this episode, we discuss printing victim photos and descriptions on playing cards to help solicit tips from inmates serving time. We interviewed the former Florida special agent who first thought to use playing cards to get tips from jail populations in the U.S. The coalition donated 1,600 packs of cards in recent months and aims to use 100 of their last, first-edition packs to raise enough fun...

In this episode, you'll hear how common desert disappearances are in the continental western U.S.  Dean Shurtz disappeared in the Nevada desert near Valley of Fire over 14 years ago.  His son Raymond's singing is featured as well as our interview where he helps show why the loved ones of missing persons deserve to know what happened and recover the remains of their loved ones.  We discuss what you...

In this episode, you'll hear from the daughters of two mothers who were murdered in 1970.  Loretta Jones was killed in Price, Utah, and Phyllis O'Brien Carson was killed in French Camp, California.  Learn why, despite many similarities, only one case was solved.  Help us develop more leads to solve Phyllis' murder.  Websleuths have a thread about Phyllis here . Contact us on Instagram, Twitter, an...

In August of 1979, the body of an unidentified woman was found in rural Utah.  Although Henry Lee Lucas claimed he killed her, the case of the toothless "Jane Doe" remains open.  Episode guests:  Rick Goroshko, whose mother Dorothy Goroshko went missing in Boston in 1975, and Angela Willoughby, a volunteer from Millard County.  Learn how you can help us solve this and other cold cases on our websi...

This episode contains never-before-heard conversations with "The Confession Killer" Henry Lee Lucas.  We review the evidence that ruled out Lucas and resulted in Provo police reopening the 1978 murder of Marla Scharp.

Henry Lee Lucas confessed in 1984 to the sexual assault and murder of Marla Scharp in Provo, Utah six years earlier.  Based on Lucas' confession, Marla's case was closed without anyone being charged.  This episode contains never before heard conversations with "The Confession Killer" Henry Lee Lucas.