122: Wanda Kirkum and the Case of “Valentine Doe”

On Valentine’s Day in 1991, a young woman was seen hitchhiking along U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys. The next morning, her body was discovered in a wooded area near mile marker 35. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled. For nearly three decades, she was known only as “Valentine Doe.” In June 2020, she was finally identified as On Valentine’s Day in 1991, a young woman was seen hitchhiking along U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys. The next morning, her body was discovered in a wooded area near mile marker 35. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled. For nearly three decades, she was known only as “Valentine Doe.” In June 2020, she was finally identified as Wanda Deann Kirkum. Wanda had run away from home as a teenager amid alleged abuse. She was never reported missing. Her parents both died before her identification. Through forensic DNA comparison, investigators also identified her suspected killer: Robert Lynn Bradley, whose DNA matched evidence collected in 1991. Bradley was found murdered in Texas in 1992. Wanda’s case is now considered closed. In this rereleased episode, we revisit Wanda’s story including her life, her long path to identification, and the reality of how some victims are forgotten until science brings their names back. 📍 Florida Keys | February 14, 1991 📖 Featuring an original poem written in her honor, read by actress Patricia Rae ➡️ Help bring attention to missing teens cases like Wanda’s—subscribe and share this episode. 📍 Find us on Instagram & Facebook. 📚 Get Aimee’s book, Doe, now available via University of Akron Press, Bookshop.org, and Amazon. 📰 For more women-centered true crime content, subscribe to Aimee’s newsletter, GIRLHUNT.More about Patricia Rae:PATRICIA RAE is a dynamic Latin American actress and producer born and raised in New York City, currently based in LA. She got her “big break” in John Polson’s cult classic “Swimfan” and starred in a major supporting role in the Academy Award nominated film, “Maria Full of Grace”. The bilingual talent recurred on “All Rise” on OWN for three seasons, as the powerful and sassy Judge Delgado. Her long list of television credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, Blue Bloods, The Mentalist, and Chuck. Another notable performance was her hilarious portrayal of the character Madonna in the 2013, star-studded “The Big Wedding”. She is currently co-hosting the entertaining, and controversial podcast “Believe This” on Spotify with Chris Crimy, from the Scientology survivors podcast “Come Get Sum”. Patricia also produces the cooking segments “Cooking With Patty” that can be viewed on instagram and her youtube channel @cookinguppatty. You can also find her on X and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices