The Deck

Our card this week is Kemberly Ramer, the 6 of Clubs from Florida. In 1997, 17-year-old Kemberly Ramer had big goals of getting out of her small town. She made great grades, was a star athlete, and was well-liked by her peers. Heading into her senior year, she already had plans to go to college to become a physical therapist, and there was no question, she had the brains and the talent to do just...

Our card this week is Rose Marie Gayhart, the Queen of Diamonds from New York. When 23-year-old Rose Gayhart left Dansville, New York with her boyfriend for Cape Coral, Florida in December of 1984, she was looking for a fresh start. But as Rose hugged her sister goodbye on that cold December day, neither of them could have imagined that it would be the last hug they’d ever share… or that within 3...

Our card this week is Roy Frisch, the 6 of Spades from Nevada. Dubbed “the most famous missing man in Nevada” by local press, Roy Frisch was a bright light during an otherwise dark, lawless time in 1930s Reno. Yes, you read that right… 1930s . This is the oldest case we’ve covered so far on this show. Roy disappeared almost 90 years ago, so while it’s not possible to punish those responsible for h...

Our cards this week are Nicole M. Saylor and Kayla M. Harris, the 7 and 8 of Hearts from Indiana.  When three women are ambushed by a gunman in the early morning hours of a cold November Indiana night, investigators are left to sort through the complicated relationships of one, asking themselves who would want to hurt these women, and why.  If you know anything about the murders of Nicole Saylor a...

Our card this week is Charles and Jennifer Chia, the Jack of Diamonds from Nevada.  Charles and Jennifer Chia could see their apartment complex from their school bus stop – that’s how close to their building it was. Such a small distance for something to go so terribly wrong . But a couple hundred feet is all it took for someone to stop the Chia siblings from making it home safely. That person has...

Our card this week is Andrea Durham, the Ace of Clubs from Florida. Revisiting a place that holds bad memories isn’t for the faint of heart. Just pulling up to a specific location can bring on anxiety about the past trauma that once took place there. Even decades later, that sinking feeling doesn’t go away. Until recently, Ashyea Durham Pugh hadn’t been back to the scene since that mostly blocked-...

Our card this week is Belinda VanLith, the Queen of Hearts from Minnesota. This is part 2 of her story.   Last week we walked through the initial investigation into the nearly 5-decade-old missing person case of 17-year-old Belinda VanLith. Despite her disappearance essentially being considered a runaway case by police initially, they had quickly come around to the possibility that perhaps Belinda...

Our card this week is Belinda VanLith, the Queen of Hearts from Minnesota. This is part 1 of her story. Belinda’s story has held a special place in our hearts for a very long time. Back in August of 2022, her family reached out to the team here at audiochuck requesting we cover her case. We told Belinda’s family we’d try, and for months we did try – we reached out to the investigating agency on mu...

Our card this week is Deshawana Wilkerson, the 3 of Clubs from Ohio.  Deshawna was a bright, recent high-school graduate who was so excited for her future in nursing. She loved helping others, and she wanted to make it her career. But late one night in October 2001, someone saw to it that Deshawna would never have a chance to help anyone ever again. If you know what Sam’s phone number or numbers w...

Nuestra carta esta semana es Manuel Mosqueda Ruiz, el 5 de tréboles de la Florida. Lo que comenzó como una búsqueda del sueño americano terminó siendo una tragedia. Manuel trabajaba en trabajos de construcción en Atlanta, GA, y Freeport, FL, hasta que fue encontrado tirado a lo largo de un camino de tierra en Freeport el 16 de agosto del 2004.  Después de 20 años de preguntas sin respuestas, los d...

Our card this week is Manuel Mozqueda Ruiz, the 5 of Clubs from Florida.  What began as a pursuit of the American dream ended in tragedy on August 16th, 2004. Manuel was working construction jobs in Atlanta, GA, and Freeport, FL – until he was murdered and dumped along a dirt road in Freeport.  After 20 years of only questions and no answers… detectives finally got the tip they’d been waiting on....

Our card this week is Georgia Smith, the 8 of Hearts from Minnesota.  In 1999, 76-year-old Georgia had plans to spend the Fourth of July with her family at her lakeside cabin over in Wisconsin. But a few days before they were all set to leave, Georgia said she needed to go there early… on her own. When her family eventually showed up to celebrate, they quickly realized this holiday wouldn’t be any...

Our card this week is Jacqueline Brown, the King of Spades from Ohio. Jacqueline Brown and her coworkers went out on July 12th, 1985 to cash their paychecks and celebrate payday with some drinks. Instead, the night ended in tragedy when residents in another part of town were awoken to find Jacqueline shot and begging for help. And while first responders may not have been able to save her, detectiv...

Our card this week is Stanley "Stosh" Stowik, Sr., the 2 of Hearts from Rhode Island.  October 9th, 2015, was supposed to be a normal, routine Friday for 80-year-old Stanley. But what unfolded in his home that night was anything but ordinary – and it set in motion a chilling mystery that still stumps detectives all these years later.  If you know anything about the murder of Stanley “Stosh” Stowik...

Our card this week is Ruth Carter, the King of Diamonds from Ohio. When 50-year-old Ruth Carter was found murdered in her home in Dayton, Ohio, suspicions immediately turned to her former roommate. But no physical evidence could tie him to the scene, and years started to tick by without any leads to point investigators to her killer, until 2005, when a young man came forward with information that...

Our card this week is Clarissa Castro, the King of Hearts from California. One fall day in 1991, 14-year-old Clarissa vanished into thin air after a night of hanging out with friends. Years later, the mystery of where she disappeared to would be solved, but that discovery would open up a whole new world of unknowns. If you know anything about the murder of 14-year-old Clarissa Castro in 1991, plea...

Our card this week is Tira Snyder, the Jack of Hearts from Washington.  The afternoon of July 1st, 1985, was supposed to be a mundane Monday for Tira Snyder. The 19-year-old wife and mother was going to run some errands and make dinner before her husband got home from work. Nothing that day went as planned. And Dave Snyder would never get another mundane day with his wife again. If you know anythi...

Our cards this week are Jennifer "Moonbeam" Hammond, the 10 of Hearts from New York, and Christina White, the 3 of Clubs from New York. Jennifer “Moonbeam” Hammond and Christina White,  both young women, disappeared from trailer parks in the quiet town of Milton, New York. Both were ultimately found in nearby remote woodlands. And even though they didn’t know each other, police believe that both l...

Our card this week is Your Honorable Honor, the Queen of clubs from California.    This is a case I’d bet money you haven’t heard of… Because when you google her name, only her cold case card pops up. Nothing else. The story of 62-year-old Your Honorable Honor, better known as Honor, has more than been forgotten… it’s never been told. Until now.   To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant thr...

Our card this week is Eden Young, the 3 of Hearts from Minnesota.  31-year-old Eden and her boyfriend were new to the North Star state. They had only lived there about three months, when, in September 1992, Eden was seen riding away in a mysterious blue van never to be seen again. Now, more than three decades later, present-day detectives are traveling down some winding roads previous investigator...

Our card this week is Sharon Pretorius, the 6 of Diamonds from Ohio.   One September day in 1973, 13-year-old Sharon left her home to run a quick errand, an errand she’s run dozens of times before. But that day would be different. And for the last 50 years her family and investigators have put all their hope and energy into trying to determine what happened in just a 90 second window after she wal...

Our card this week is Kathy Jones-Harmon, the 10 of Hearts from Utah. Kathy was a 22-year-old newlywed living in Salt Lake City in 1976, forging her own path in a town that often seemed to value conformity over individuality. By all accounts Kathy had a reputation for being tough – definitely no shrinking violet. So no one was particularly worried about her fending for herself when her husband Dav...

Our card this week is Brenda Gaddis, the Jack of Spades from Ohio. None of Brenda’s friends or family could’ve guessed that Thanksgiving 1990 would be the last time they’d see the sweet 33-year-old mother of three. For weeks, it seemed like Brenda had vanished into thin air… but eventually finding her just lead to more questions that are still unanswered to this day. If you know anything about the...

Our card this week is Valaine Briggs, the Ace of Spades from Utah.   When 18-year-old Valaine left her Salt Lake City apartment and walked to class one spring morning in 1977, her carefully planned future was full of promise. And though she was in a time of transition and had recently ended an engagement, Valaine knew even this temporary disappointment just brought her closer to the life she dream...

Our card this week is Corey A. Mitchell, the 10 of Spades from Ohio. May 29th, 2010 was supposed to be a normal Saturday for 34-year-old, single dad Corey and his 11-year-old twins, but a brazen masked gunman had other plans. Authorities in Dayton, Ohio, have spent the last 13 years trying to figure out who was behind that mask.    To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com . To ap...