Missing in the Carolinas

On April 15, 1973, Virginia "Ginger" Olson left her dorm room on the campus of UNC-Asheville for an afternoon of studying at the nearby botanical gardens. A few hours later, two teenagers walking through the woods came across a horrifying crime scene. Who murdered the 19-year-old in broad daylight on that spring morning? We discuss this open and active case, the list of suspects questioned at the...

Forty years ago, Sharon Beatrice Jones was murdered on the campus of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina over spring break. Despite the police interviewing numerous suspects and administering polygraph tests, the case almost immediately went cold, and what's more perplexing is the small digital footprint involving details of the crime. Is there still a way to find justice in this col...

Brian "Neil" Hooks went missing from Florence, S.C. in 1988 and his family is still hoping for answers. Andy Tench disappeared from Belmont, N.C. in late March of 2024 and while his car has been found, there is still no sign of him. Charlotte, N.C. resident Mary Collins was brutally murdered by two people she called friends in March 2020 and one of the accused is still out on bond. We also provide...

Four-year-old Jeremy Grice went missing from his home in South Carolina in 1984 and his family believes it was a non-custodial kidnapping. Crystal Faye Todd was murdered in Conway, S.C. in 1991, and when DNA evidence pointed out that her killer was someone she trusted, her community was stunned. Ann Fox Smith was a beloved middle school teacher who was killed in her home in 2008, and her killer re...

Fresh out of medical residency, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer joined a rural North Carolina clinic only to find that its previous doctor shared his last name. Dr. Vince Gilmer was loved and respected by the community—right up until he strangled his ailing father and then returned to the clinic for a regular week of work. Vince’s eventual arrest for murder shocked his patients. How could their beloved doctor...

Since 2017, the DNA Doe Project has worked on more than 200 cases of unidentified remains. We take a look at recent success stories in identifying people from South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas. Cover art by Mackintosh Multimedia Show Sponsor: SkinxErin Products: Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10

20 years ago, police in Charlotte, North Carolina finally apprehended a suspect who had been committing a series of brutal rapes and murders across the city. But once they caught him, they realized he was responsible for more violence in the Carolinas than they first suspected. Why did Henry Louis Wallace, who many considered a friend, target the women he did? And how did his crimes affect the chi...

In November 2014, 17-year-old Alec Lansing left a group he was hiking with as part of the wilderness therapy program Trails Carolina. He was later found deceased in the woods after a tragic accident, leaving many to wonder what he was hoping to escape. On Feb. 3 of this year, a 12-year-old boy who had arrived at the program only 24 hours before was found dead early in the morning. His cause of dea...

This episode features the cold cases of Mike O'Boyle and Jack Robinson, as well as the missing persons case of Paula Merchant. We also discuss the story of Shelton Sanders, who is presumed dead although his body has never been found, and two sisters named Candy and Darcel Sanders who disappeared late one rainy night in 2022. Cover art by Mackintosh Multimedia Renee's Course on Podcasting: https://...

Renee Roberson reviews three true crime programs currently streaming on Hulu, Netflix, and Max. Cover art by Mackintosh Multimedia Renee's True Crime Writing Webinar: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/ReneeRoberson_TrueCrimeWriting.php SkinxErin Products-Use code MISSINGCAROLINAS10

High school student Denise Durham was murdered in Hendersonville in 1981 and the man accused of the crime was her vocal instructor. What would lead an older former Broadway actor to commit such a crime? Shelby Wilkie vanished from her Hendersonville home in January 2012, leaving a 3-month-old daughter behind. Her family suspected the worst, and they were right. Twenty-five-year-old Marissa Carmich...

What is a body broker and why is the industry so unregulated? Is it really legal to arrange the sale of human tissue and body parts to be used for medical research? Renee takes a look at four different business owners, including one in North Carolina, who discovered this lucrative industry and took advantage of grieving families in their darkest hours. For a full list of articles related to this e...

Renee Roberson takes a look at three unique cases from North Carolina. While a man confessed to the murder of James Chambers in 2018, his body has never been found. Investigators believe they know what happened to Cole Thomas when he went missing while traveling with co-workers through North Carolina, but a confession has yet to happen. And Chapel Hill resident Sydney West disappeared from a park...

Renee discusses the cases of children who died as a result of controversial parenting techniques, tragic accidents, and provides an update on two South Carolina parents accused of murdering their son in 1989. Learn about true crime writing with Renee Roberson: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/ReneeRoberson_TrueCrimeWriting.php Cover Art by Mackintosh Multimedia

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. In January 2003, Debbie Riddle learned her sister Peggy had been murdered by her ex-boyfriend after years of controlling behavior and incidents of stalking. She shares the story of how her sister's death changed her life and motivated her to begin advocating for change in the way law enforcement and communities handle the crime of stalking. www.stalkin...

On January 13, 2021, 51-year-old Michelle Marlow was murdered by a female co-worker at TCS Designs in Hickory, N.C. After the shooting, the suspect and her husband fled the area until their capture six months later, but what happened upon their return divided the community. Should the company have done more to protect their employee? We take a look at this incident and provide tips for keeping you...

Renee shares the most popular episodes from the year, how the podcast has changed since it first began in 2021, and where she gets her episode ideas. Additional Reading: https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/lose-money-zelle-scam-your-bank-may-now-have-refund-you/KFYZ53AHTBC73LHLX5T64EFRNM/ Show Sponsor: WOW! Women on Writing Take Renee's webinar on true crime writing: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.c...

Lesley Eugene Warren charmed many women but underneath his innocent demeanor was a violent man. He murdered two women in different states before his crimes caught up with him in North Carolina in 1990.

In 1997, a young mother named Rebecca Moses was murdered by her estranged husband Emilio Ramirez Garcia in Eastern North Carolina. He quickly left the country and has never been arrested for the murder. Her family is still hoping to hold this man accountable for his senseless crime. Sponsor: WOW! Women on Writing Podcasting Class with Renee Roberson https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/Ren...

Learn about the 1984 cold case involving Ernestine Wroten from Hendersonville, N.C. and the missing persons cases of Jorden Nebling and Judith Hyder from the Carolinas. Show Notes: Cover art by Mackintosh Multimedia Renee Roberson's True Crime Writing Class: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/ReneeRoberson_TrueCrimeWriting.php College Fraternity Hazing Update: https://www.postandcourier....

Journalist Max Marshall discovered Xanax was a popular drug of choice with students while he was attending college, but he had no idea just how multilayered the drug trafficking on college campuses ran until he learned about the involvement of students and fraternity members tied to the College of Charleston. We discuss this story and how he came to discover it in today's episode. Check out Max's...

Renee discusses the deaths of college students possibly tied to hazing from Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, High Point University, and East Carolina University. https://stophazing.org/ https://justice4roberttipton.com/ Music by Vasyl_Sakal from Freesound.org Sponsors: Tarabusi Creek https://tarabusicreek.com/ WOW! Women on Writing Renee's True Crime Writing Webinar https://ww...

For Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, we offer tips for caregivers on how to keep loved ones safe and share the stories of Heddie Dawkins, Young Chang, and Joe Hall. Show Notes: Sponsor: Tarabusi Creek https://tarabusicreek.com/ WOW! Women on Writing Class on Writing True Crime https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/classroom/ReneeRoberson_TrueCrimeWriting.php https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...

Renee shares her thoughts on journalist Mandy Matney's memoir, "Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty," plus updates on Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction appeal. Show Notes: Sponsor: Tarabusi Creek Cosmetics https://tarabusicreek.com/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Their-Hands-Corruption-Murdaugh-ebook/dp/B0CB4CK8KJ/ https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Doors...

Renee takes a look at cases of missing and murdered women and girls from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She also talks with a board member from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about how tribes can gain access to digital investigative tools to better aid them in these cases. Show Notes: skinxerin.com https://shopxerin.com/collections/fit-rocker-chick-skin https://www.wow...