Keystone Cold Cases

This week on KCC, we’re covering two heartbreaking and unrelated cases with one haunting similarity: both involve mothers who disappeared and were never seen again. We’ll be taking a closer look at the stories of Ada Jane Groomes and Jamie Peterson, and the mysteries that surround their disappearances.

John “Jack” Parsons Wheeler III, was a decorated veteran, Washington power player, and Vietnam Memorial architect whose body turned up in a Wilmington landfill on New Year’s Eve 2010, beaten to death in a way that screamed foul play. His death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma with no suspects, no clear motive, and a trail of erratic behavior that leaves you questioning everything.

Melissa Ortiz-Rodriguez was a 31-year-old mother of two from Collingdale, Pennsylvania, whose sudden disappearance in April 2013 left her family searching for answers. She was last seen preparing for a trip to visit a friend in New Jersey—but she never made it. As the days turned into years, troubling details emerged about her troubled marriage. Despite multiple investigations and public pleas for...

Christmas 1991 should have been joyful — instead, Lancaster was shaken to its core by a senseless murder. Join Chelsea as she unravels the shocking story of Laurie Show and the horrifying events that lead to her death.

On September 10th, 2021, just after midnight, Key West police received an unusual 911 call—not from a local resident, but from a man in Boston watching a live feed. He believed he was witnessing a sexual assault. Other callers also reported a naked woman crying and screaming in the street. When officers located her, the story she told was shocking, chaotic, and infuriating.

On Christmas Day 1986, 79-year-old Ivan Darling was found brutally murdered inside his York Street home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His death — ruled a homicide — resulted from “massive hemorrhaging from numerous puncture wounds,” likely inflicted by a knife, and investigators believed robbery was the motive. In 2022, authorities reopened the case, hoping modern forensic methods will finally brin...

On April 19, 2015, 16-year-old Jericho Scott was murdered in a drive-by shooting just outside his home on Exchange Street in New Haven, Connecticut. A friend nearby was also injured, and the case remains unsolved. Today, Jericho’s case stands as a sobering reminder of unresolved violence, lost potential, and the urgent need for community action. In this episode, we explore his life, the circumstan...

In 1995, 29-year-old Lisa Manderach and her toddler daughter, Devon, vanished after leaving their home in Limerick Township, Pennsylvania for a quick trip to a local children’s clothing store. What began as a routine errand quickly became a nightmare investigation.

This month’s special episode steps outside Pennsylvania to examine two striking disappearances involving suspected domestic violence: Suzanne Simpson from Texas and Nikki Saelee from California. Though not Keystone cases, both stories reflect troubling patterns seen in many unsolved cases across PA. Listener discretion is advised due to themes of abuse and suspected murder.

In September 1997, 26-year-old Sandra L. Morgan was found dead in her Pittsburgh apartment—stabbed multiple times in a brutal attack that stunned the community. Despite the violent nature of her death, the case quickly faded from headlines, leaving more questions than answers. In this episode, we look back at the unsolved murder of Sandra Morgan, the fragments of information that remain, and how s...

In the rush of our daily routines, we rarely stop to consider how quickly life can change. Most of us are simply trying to keep pace with the relentless grind of the clock. So when Joshua Maddux left for a walk one day in May 2008—a normal, everyday habit—no one imagined it would be the last time he was seen. His quiet disappearance left behind no clues, no trail… just questions. And while it migh...

In Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania, the Valley Creek Road Twin Tunnels were long known for eerie local legends and ghost stories. But in 1995, the folklore turned frighteningly real when a body was discovered there. The chilling find linked the tunnels to an actual, gruesome crime—and more than 30 years later, the case remains unsolved.

In 1973, 9-year-old Lisa Ann French of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, went out trick-or-treating on Halloween night but never returned home. Her neighbor, Gerald Turner, lured her into his house, where he assaulted and murdered her. He disposed of her body in a rural area, where it was found the next day. Turner was convicted and sentenced to prison, and the crime had a lasting impact on how communities...

When looking at the Twin Tunnels in Downingtown, PA a feeling of unease appears. Is it because you can’t peer inside the tunnel and see the other end? Or is it because you heard a strange sound and just aren’t quite sure if it was natural or not? Or did you turn too fast and see something out of the corner of your eye? The Twin Tunnels are infamous throughout SEPA. I guarantee you probably know so...

We all love a good horror movie—the kind that gets your heart racing, makes you bury your face behind a blanket, and delivers that perfect jump scare. While many of these films are wild, over-the-top creations born from twisted imaginations, some are rooted in chilling reality. In this episode, we’re diving into one of those eerie tales: the story of Annabelle. And no, we’re not talking about the...

In the coal region of Pennsylvania in 1893, a Hungarian miner stricken with consumption becomes convinced that the spirit of his former boss is squatting on his chest, draining his life. His fear leads him to a desperate, macabre act — exhuming the man’s corpse and cutting out its heart, hoping to free himself. This case reveals how vampire superstition persisted among immigrant communities in Ame...

The Perkasie Train Tunnel is more than a forgotten stretch of railroad—it’s a monument to both ambition and loss. Beneath its rough-hewn stone and cold, dripping walls lingers a tale few are willing to whisper. A tale of tragedy, obsession, and something that still haunts the tracks under the glow of the moon. So lower the lights. Slip on your headphones. And listen carefully. Because once you ste...

It’s officially spooky season, which means we’re bringing you chills, thrills, and maybe even a few things that go bump in the night. So grab your blanket, light a candle, and settle in—because this October, we’re serving up fright with every episode, starting with the Gettysburg Murder House!

Shannon is joined by special guest Chris from the Drunk Phils Fans Facebook community and the podcast DPF on Tap to close out the regular baseball season with a look at the weird and wild side of Major League ballparks. From freak injuries and shocking falls to promotions that went off the rails, we’re diving into the risky side of America’s pastime. Join us as we gear up for Red October (IYKYK).

The tragic and unsolved murder of Donna Barkon Friedman remains a haunting mystery. In this episode, we dig into the chilling details of her case, exploring the events leading up to her death and the unanswered questions that still linger. Who was responsible for this brutal act?

The Murder of Miss Hollywood/ The Murder of Jill Ann Weatherwax - She was beautiful, ambitious, and carried the nickname “Miss Hollywood.” But Jill Ann Weatherwax’s dreams of stardom came to a haunting end in 1998, when she was found brutally murdered in a lonely field. Who was behind the killing of this aspiring starlet—and what secrets followed her into the shadows? Join Melissa and Chelsea as t...

Today, we are joined by the hosts of the Corrupt Podcast, Angela and Paige! We are traveling back to 1993 — to Shenango Township, Lawrence County. It was a quiet area, the kind of place where violent crime seemed unthinkable… until 35-year-old Julie Rae Conway was found dead in a limestone quarry. She had been fatally shot, and her death was quickly ruled a homicide. But more than three decades la...

For our August Monthly Mood, Chelsea is back with another important summer safety topic—this time focusing on low-head dams: what they are, why they exist, and the hidden dangers they create in the water. Join the KCC team as they discuss these important water structures.

Tonee Turner, a 22-year-old artist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, disappeared on December 30, 2019. She was last seen getting off a bus near her home. Later that evening, her belongings—including her backpack, shoes, and a ceramic pot—were found abandoned on the Homestead Grays Bridge. Despite investigations, no evidence of foul play has been found, and her case remains unsolved.

Cleashindra “Clea” Hall was a bright 18-year-old honor student from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with plans to attend college and pursue a medical career. On the evening of May 9, 1994, she called her mother from her part-time job at a local doctor’s home office, saying she’d need a ride soon—but that second call never came. The doctor claimed she left with someone in a car, but no one ever saw or heard...