Nancy Simpson

The Toll

The Toll focuses on the effects a violent crime or traumatic event has on a family and community. Season 1 focuses on a cold case from Springfield, Missouri; the 1975 murder of 9-year-old Shirley Jane Rose. Our host, award winning journalist Nancy Simpson, interviews investigators and family members, taking the listener on a journey of what ends up being not just one, but many tragedies intertwined.

Author

Nancy Simpson

Category

True Crime

Podcast website

thetollpodcast.com

Latest episode

Jun 16, 2026

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Episodes

Spotlight Series: Unsettled | 01 07.01.2021

A bartender and mom of 3 went missing after closing up after work in Ava, Missouri. A newly elected sheriff picks up the case several years later, looking to find who murdered Rene Williams. What he uncovers is a suspected serial killer. Where was Rene buried? Who helped move her body? How many more victims are connected to Christopher Revak? Join us on our journey into a murder in the Ozarks. Par...

The Path Back Home | Snakeman: Inside the Dealer’s Den | Bonus 04 10.07.2020

Nancy interviews a family member of Jim Sullivan, aka Snakeman, from episode 5. Sullivan was a drug manufacturer and dealer who was murdered in an ambush killing in 1986.

The Path Back Home | Back to the Basement | Bonus 03 01.05.2020

The house Shirley called home intrigues her cousin Kristi, who requests a tour of her own. What does Kristi see in the ghost video? What happens in the basement?

The Path Back Home | A Knock Away | Bonus 02 24.04.2020

With the help of a private investigator, Nancy was able to track down one of two men arrested for the murder of Shirley Jane Rose in 1975. They were both released for lack of evidence. The case remains unsolved. Here's their conversation.

The Path Back Home | Detective Steiger Q&A (New Revelations) | Bonus 01 17.04.2020

The Toll team discusses follow-up questions to "The Path Back Home” with expert murder investigator, Cloyd Steiger. Two new layers of this story are also revealed.

The Path Back Home | Devil's Abacus | 08 17.10.2019

Suspect or source; Nancy speaks with a man who is well-connected to the Shirley Jane Rose murder case and listens to his story about his encounter with the community’s main suspect. Will Springfield PD solve the cold case?

The Path Back Home | Déjà Vu | 07 17.10.2019

In this episode, Nancy Simpson tells the story of another Springfield girl abducted from the same area four decades later. Ten-year-old Hailey Owens was snatched off the street and murdered. Listen to The Toll another child loss has on this community.

The Path Back Home | Mrs. White | 06 17.10.2019

Nancy reaches out to the Springfield, MO community and speaks with the daughter of Shirley’s Jane’s teacher. In her interview the daughter shares stories about the nine-year-old through the eyes of her heart-broken mother.

The Path Back Home | Snakeman | 05 17.10.2019

A continuation of the paranormal investigation asks a critical question concerning Shirley Jane Rose's death. A new theory shifts us to believe the nine-year-old’s murder could be linked to a story surrounding Shirley’s mom and dangerous drug dealers.

The Path Back Home | A Haunting Addition | 04 17.10.2019

The childhood home of Shirley Jane Rose is center stage as many locals believe the home to be haunted by the spirit of the murdered child. Nancy and Jay explore the home and listen to multiple ghostly claims.

The Path Back Home | The Judge's Letter | 03 17.10.2019

A judge writes an open letter to the killer. In it, he outlines what he believes are the nine-year-old’s last moments on Earth and vows to watch the killer as he dies in the gas chamber. Nancy walks the path Shirley Jane Rose took on October 17th, 1975.

The Path Back Home | I Didn't Do It | 02 17.10.2019

Nancy Simpson digs into the theories behind Shirley Jane Rose’s murder. A reporter who covered the case in 1975 recalls a midnight run with police and a satanic gathering; a neighbor is forever haunted by her decisions on that fateful day.

The Path Back Home | Pilot | 01 17.10.2019

It began 44 years ago. October 17th marks the anniversary of the brutal murder of a 9 year-old girl that remains unsolved. The Toll Season 1: The Path Back Home is the story of Shirley Jane Rose told by true crime investigative journalist Nancy Simpson.

The Path Back Home | Trailer 26.06.2019

A brutal murder of a child has gone unsolved for 44 years. Join us in uncovering the untold stories, digging deep into the fullness of this cold case.

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