250 - The Murder of Janet Shirar episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 29, 2025 · 1H 18M

250 - The Murder of Janet Shirar

from Trace Evidence · host Steven Pacheco

Sunday, May 25th, 1980 -- Kokomo, Indiana.  Twenty-nine year old special education teacher Janet Shirar doesn't show up for a pre-planned family gathering and birthday party for her nephew.  After multiple calls to her apartment go unanswered, her mother, stepfather and friend arrive to check on her.  They find her car in the parking lot, the door slightly ajar and her apartment cloaked in darkness.Entering, they notice several concerning details and items out of place.  A small, bloody handprint is clearly visible on the wall beside her bedroom door.  As they approached the bedroom, their eyes were drawn to the open bathroom door and there, lying face down on the cold tile floor, they discovered Janet's lifeless body.  She had been the victim of a vicious knife attack.Over the course of the next sixteen months, investigators commit all of their time and energy to tracking an unidentified woman who has made bizarre statements about the crime and, possibly, her involvement it.  However, when the case becomes a political issue, a debate between the prosecutor's office and detectives leaves the family with neither answers nor justice.  More than forty-five years later, the truth remains obscured and Janet's killer continues to walk free.Follow Trace Evidence on Social MediaTwitter --- Instagram --- TikTok --- YouTube --- Like Facebook Page --- Join Facebook Group --- Threads --- Like MeWe Page --- Join MeWe Group --- BlueskySuppport Trace EvidencePatreon --- Paypal --- Cash App --- Buy Me A CoffeeTrace Evidence Merch ShopsTeePublic --- ShopTEPod --- SpreadshopAll Other LinksOfficial Trace Evidence Website --- LinkTreeMusic Courtesy of:"Lost Time"  Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Echoes of Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Galactic Rap" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#truecrimepodcast #unsolvedmysteries #coldcase #coldcaseinvestigation #murder #murdermystery #missingperson #missingpersons #truecrimecommunity #mysterypodcast #truecrime #coldcasefiles #truecrimestories #crimelovers #truecrimeaddict #truecrimejunkie #crimescene #justiceforall #missing #crimesquad #podcastcommunity #sleuthsunite #darkhistories #criminalmindset #detective #detectivediaries #forensics #forensicfiles #crimestories #crimepodcast #traceevidence #traceevidencepodcast #criminalinvestigation #justiceforvictims #detectivework #truecrimediscussion #podcastfamily #listenandsolve #crimefans #listentotraceevidence #uncoverthetruth #podcastrecommendations #podcastlove #podcastlife #truecrimeobsessed #followtheclues #cluefinders #podcastaddict #unsolvedmurders #unsolveddisappearances #detectiveatheart #jointheinvestigation #disappearance #vanishing #abduction #gonemissing #upandvanished #pacheco #stevenpacheco #podcasting #crimetalk #crimeanalysis #theories #janetshirar #shirar #kokomo #indianaunsolved #realcrimes #disappeared #evidenceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/trace-evidence--3207798/support.

Sunday, May 25th, 1980 -- Kokomo, Indiana.  Twenty-nine year old special education teacher Janet Shirar doesn't show up for a pre-planned family gathering and birthday party for her nephew.  After multiple calls to her apartment go unanswered, her mother, stepfather and friend arrive to check on her.  They find her car in the parking lot, the door slightly ajar and her apartment cloaked in darkness.Entering, they notice several concerning details and items out of place.  A small, bloody handprint is clearly visible on the wall beside her bedroom door.  As they approached the bedroom, their eyes were drawn to the open bathroom door and there, lying face down on the cold tile floor, they discovered Janet's lifeless body.  She had been the victim of a vicious knife attack.Over the course of the next sixteen months, investigators commit all of their time and energy to tracking an unidentified woman who has made bizarre statements about the crime and, possibly, her involvement it.  However, when the case becomes a political issue, a debate between the prosecutor's office and detectives leaves the family with neither answers nor justice.  More than forty-five years later, the truth remains obscured and Janet's killer continues to walk free.Follow Trace Evidence on Social MediaTwitter --- Instagram --- TikTok --- YouTube --- Like Facebook Page --- Join Facebook Group --- Threads --- Like MeWe Page --- Join MeWe Group --- BlueskySuppport Trace EvidencePatreon --- Paypal --- Cash App --- Buy Me A CoffeeTrace Evidence Merch ShopsTeePublic --- ShopTEPod --- SpreadshopAll Other LinksOfficial Trace Evidence Website --- LinkTreeMusic Courtesy of:"Lost Time"  Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Echoes of Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Galactic Rap" Kevin...

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250 - The Murder of Janet Shirar

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This episode is 1 hour and 18 minutes long.

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This episode was published on August 29, 2025.

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Sunday, May 25th, 1980 -- Kokomo, Indiana.  Twenty-nine year old special education teacher Janet Shirar doesn't show up for a pre-planned family gathering and birthday party for her nephew.  After multiple calls to her apartment go unanswered, her...

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