And the Burns body continues today. This is the third effort for the national crew, led by a North Carolina missing persons expert, and the hope remains as strong as ever. So Marshall students and man at the Burns went missing in 2002. Chad Bolz and Brandon Bashan were convicted of killing Burns, and a South Carolina woman named Alistha Donovan, all after a multi-state crime spree.
10 folks in random fashion have both think of you as a mean construction and murder and are now sitting on death row in Indiana. It never goes away. You never stop thinking, what if, maybe the here, maybe they're just something that you always think about. Now this all started six years ago when Burns was kidnapped.
When he was in charge of the death, recently sent a map to the people organizing research. So now family and friends are standing by and hoping for closure. Hey guys, welcome back to another serial snippet. Here we are in beautiful Huntington, West Virginia.
And with me as always, is my beautiful, lovely co-host. Annie Weems, what's up, JB? What do we got today? We are going to talk about a case that we discussed last year.
We did a whole series on it, and I'll just let you go ahead and tell everybody what we're going to talk about today. So if anyone has listened to the first season of serial series, we did a series entitled Missing Samantha Burns. Samantha Burns was my college mate in 2002. When she was reported missing.
We later learned that two men, Chad Folks and Brandon Basham, confessed to abducting her and murdering her. The same's remains have never been found. And so when we did this series, our purpose behind all of this and all of the people that we spoke with was to simply help bring Samantha home. I talked with Chad Folks three letters.
If you haven't listened to this, you can go back and listen to the episodes. It's been a journey and our purpose in all of this was just to help Samantha's family help bring Sam home, help find some closure in this case. So what we promised you at the end of that series last year was that if there were any updates, we would bring them to you as they became available. Two weeks ago, that happened.
We posted the first episode of the series Missing Samantha Burns again with an update stating that just two weeks ago, human remains were found in the area where Samantha's burned out car was found the morning after she disappeared. I've become close with someone in Sam's family who has kind of kept us in the loop of what's going on. And what we were told was that a partial human skull was found and was sent to the Charleston West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office. And they were told it would take a week or two for results.
We're still waiting for those results now. But Shea, you did something last week that I did a year ago and got no response from. There's someone in this case that I think is the key to solving where Samantha's remains are located, someone that if you read through trial transcripts, if you read any news media, so information about this person has already been brought to the public eye. But Shea, you sent her a message last week asking her if she had any comment about this story now.
And to our surprise, she responded to you. You know, when we did this series last year, one of the key people that we wanted to talk to, you had a message. Her name is Beth McGuffin. And she was the one who was with Brandon Basham.
And Chad Fox, the whole time they were in Huntington, they stayed at her place. They did basically were on this huge drug binge the whole time. But she was a key player to knowing what the mentality of these guys were. It's public record.
I messaged her. I found her on Facebook. She had five profiles. The only reason I knew it was hers because we had a mutual friend.
And I messaged her and she responded. And I basically just asked her. The first thing I said to her was, do you think the human remains that were found were Samantha Burns? And she responded to that probably about maybe two hours later.
And I was actually shocked. But we asked her to be on the podcast. We wanted her to give her side of the story because we wanted to hear from her own mouth, from her own words, not through court transcripts, not from, you know, he said she said stuff. We wanted to hear from Beth McGuffin.
And she said that she wanted to do the show. I was completely shocked when you read the message that said she wanted to come on. Because like I said, I messaged her a year ago and never received any response. But what little information I've been able together about Beth McGuffin during the time of this crime spree is she wrote a letter to a blog and it's posted online.
And she basically goes through the story of what happened from the time that Chad and Brandon showed up at her house after abducting and murdering Samantha Burns in Alisthen and they show up in Alisthen of his car. Like you said, they go on this huge drug binge for a couple of days. She admits to Brandon Bashing giving her this heart-shaped ring that we now know was Samantha's ring, that the ring disappeared on the day that Chad Folks vanished again right before he was arrested by the FBI at his brother's house in Indiana. And she talks about all of these details.
She also talks about a letter that Brandon wrote to her. And as we know, Brandon has never really spoken out about any of these crimes. Chad has been the very vocal person in all of this. And so she wrote to this blog, she told her story, but she's never actually gone on the news.
She's never gone out in public to tell her story. And so when she said she would speak with us, my heart dropped because I had no idea what to expect. So immediately I texted Samantha's cousin who I'm good friends with and said, you won't believe this. Beth McGuffin said she wants to record the podcast.
And his reaction was, oh my God, you've got to get some answers. This is like what we've been waiting for because they are also convinced that Beth knows far more than she has ever said about what happened during those days that they were on this crime spree and what happened to Samantha after she was gone. And so her whole family knew that Beth had agreed to give us this interview. And so when it didn't happen, we were also let down.
And we've been talking about it since, but what we want to do, what I feel is right, is to bring these messages to you guys. So let you hear them to kind of formulate your own thoughts about them, about what Beth could have been involved in this case. And he said the Chad Fox story changed a bunch. And it did change a bunch.
He is the one who eventually led authorities to Alisthen in this. And we always say somebody knows something. And I think the key player in all of this who really does know something is Beth McGuffin. And after we got these messages and just the run around of, yeah, I want to do the show, but never responding again to messages.
And then the next day coming back saying, oh, I'm so sorry. Unconvinced she knows something that she's just not telling us. And these messages, we're just going to read them to you. And you come up with that conclusion yourself.
Beth is the missing link in this. Her family members, at least the one that I'm really close with, are convinced that she is the missing link in finding Samantha's remains. And so we'll get on with the messages, but it's just so disheartening the way that this has all played out. When it comes down to you, if you really want to help the family bring their daughter home, then you come out and do it.
Chad Fox has said the same thing for years. All I want to do is help this family. Bullshit. If that's the truth, you would have no problem doing it.
There wouldn't be a run around. So on March 14th, I sent a message saying, I wrote, hi, I'm actively working on doing research about Samantha Burns case. I was curious if you want to go on record about anything you may know about it. Do you think that the remains they found last week in Wayne County are hers?
Beth replies, I hope the remains was hers. March 15th, 1223 p.m. Would you want to interview for a podcast about anything you may know? I already told FBI and everyone for that matter, I know nothing about where her remains are.
Only the letters that I gave to West Virginia State Police from Brandon Basham and in those letters, I truly believe that was where Chad and Brandon put Samantha Burns. I have spoken to Brandon, Chad refused. Brandon gave Todd FBI agent a map slash videos to help, but Brandon wasn't for sure because he was not from Huntington. However, the very first few letters Brandon wrote to me, he explained where Samantha Burns was because his memory was fresh.
So there is a lot that was looked over in the beginning. Brandon's letters to me was never public to the internet or Facebook. Would you mind telling me what Brandon said and where she was placed? Brandon's letters to me has never been public and never was they released to the internet for the world to see.
I was praying and hoping that the remains that has been found by the homeowner are Samantha Burns because the letter Brandon wrote to me is similar to where Brandon was trying to help the FBI find Samantha Burns. What would the podcast be about? Explain that to me, please. I would like to do this because, to be honest, it's been held for the Burns family.
I will always want to help the FBI find Samantha Burns because the family deserves to put their daughter to rest on a long dirt road and he remembers a dear sign. Can we talk on the phone and I can explain to you what we were doing? If you want to do too much to type, then you can decide if you want to be recorded. Then she goes, basically, what Annie's about to read.
She goes to explain what Brandon actually told her to answer my earlier question about where he said she was placed. A place where you can pull over and dump someone. Those are Brandon's words. Yes, I don't mind.
When did you want to do the podcast? Do you want to talk first or just do the show? I'm a little busy today, but around seven, I'll be free. Yes, I want to talk and do the show.
I'd be honored. Thank you. My cell number is 7PM, call me. Okay, I'll call you at seven.
Thank you. So at seven o' o'clock PM, on March 15th, I called Beth MacGothan with no response. So then I messaged her back on Facebook instead of sending her a text. I said, that's me calling from a 614 area code, no response the rest of the night.
So on March 16th at 2.29 AM in the morning, she replied this. Okay, sorry. I am having a hard time with my soon-to-be ex. And just for the record, we're gonna keep the rest of it out because it has to do with a personal matter.
And I don't think it's really relevant to the case. So then after she explains her personal matter, her reason for not responding to us, she follows up with this, quote, okay, today around six would be great to do the podcast, sorry for the inconvenience. My response to her was, we worked during the week, both of us. We record on the weekends, it's the only time we have to do it.
We are serious about Samantha Burns case because we feel justice has not been rightly served until she's brought home. So if you really wanna help, then we hope we can record with you either Saturday or Sunday, whichever day is better for you. But we won't ask again if we can't get ahold of you. I'm truly sorry.
I am very nervous because there is a lot of judgmental people out there. And this case of Samantha Burns and Alison Aunaben, I have helped authorities from South Carolina to Huntington since day one. I did five years in prison for for forgery of a credit card and did not ask no time off my sentence because I knew I was just doing the right thing. I want her to be home and for her family to lay their daughter to rest because that's the right thing to do.
And I'll be honest, Brandon Basham has tried from day one. He has not changed his story from day one, but Chad, he's gave them a wild goose chase. But yes, Saturday, just give me a time and I apologize about the inconvenience. I've been really busy.
I'm in the process of trying to buy a car right now. Yes, I'll do the podcast Saturday or Sunday, which I would rather do it Saturday and you pick the time and I will be ready. And I will try to download Skype, but I don't know how to do it. I'm dumbfounded when it comes to these things.
But my boyfriend said he would download it for me and thank you for asking me to do the podcast. It would be an honor to do it. I'm more than willing to answer these questions anybody has. I'm willing to tell my story and I'm willing to be honest and upfront.
And that's just me. There's a lot of judgment of people out there, but their opinion of me is none of my business. However, I thank you for asking me and involving me because it's usually everybody ganging up on me. But I'm used to that.
I can take criticism just as well, just as you know that if you have any questions or if I have any questions, may I call you, I really don't know much about a podcast. Cool, I will get with you on a time. Thanks for your time. We want to hear your story.
Welcome, God bless. So Friday, 724pm. We still good for tomorrow, no response. Crickets.
All day. So then I also sent her a text to her phone. Are we still good to do the podcast interview today? I messaged you on Facebook and never heard back.
That was at 850am. Then I sent a question mark at 1244pm. I didn't receive a reply till 659pm. I had an emergency.
I apologize sincerely. I really want to do the podcast. But the murder emergencies come up today and the family members, my kids, can I do it tomorrow and I will be ready, I promise. I think she's probably doing talk to text on that.
I have no idea where the word murder comes in there. Well, she said in one of the messages that she was doing talk to text. But the weird thing is that murder showed up. But the murder emergencies?
I have no idea. It's also confusing and so freaking frustrating. So the whole point of us reading this is that we were given the runaround. When it came to crunch time to do it, it was no response.
Then it was an excuse of why it couldn't be done. So when I received that message at 659pm yesterday afternoon, we had recorded a full episode and we were going to do it and we just decided we're going to wait. And I kind of debated, do I give her another shot because all the stuff that's going on in the world. But the more I thought about it, the more frustrating it got.
Because if you know something, why? If you want to do the right thing, then just do the right thing. Why is it so hard? Your reputation is already ruined.
Shay, this reminds me 100% of the letters that I got from Chad. Everybody that we talked to, especially his former attorney Matt said, Chad's not a terrible guy. He's been given a rough life and all this kind of stuff. But the letters that I received from him said something totally different to me.
He was a con man. He was trying to get every ounce of something that he could from somebody else. And Beth and Chad are childhood friends. They've known each other for decades.
That was why Chad came back to her when they went on this crime spree. Well, number one, because of drugs, because they went on this crazy rampage for the couple of days that they were together. But also because Beth was a friend and he knew that's where he could get drugs. So what she's saying in these letters, so closely mirrors what Chad wrote to me.
It just sounds like the same rhetoric. Like they're just trying to get attention. They just want your attention. They want you to think that they know what happened.
And I'm sure that they do, but you're never gonna get a straight answer from them. And that's what makes me so upset. And you don't want to sit here and be the one calling them out for this crap. And I don't know if I kind of do.
Well, but I don't want people to think that we're just trying to berate them because they could be having things going on. She may have personal problems. And some of the messages we got talk about personal issues. But that's not my business.
My business is, I want to talk to you about this case that you inserted yourself in, that you are part of. And I know, I know we were given a piece of information. I don't even know if we should broadcast that piece of information again on here in case she hears it. But it's already been out there.
It's on the last episode of the podcast we did when we talked to Bruce LeMaster. And we were told a piece of information that her brother who passed away on his deathbed gave a confession saying that they did help move her body after the police searched an area. They know where she's buried. They know where she's buried.
That was an anonymous tip. That was an anonymous tip that came in from someone who I know their family. I don't have any reason to believe that that person would lie about this tip because it's so random. But the timing of all of it makes sense.
And so that's why we wanted so desperately to talk to Beth. And it's just so frustrating. You know, like I said, we've made these connections with the family. The family just wants to put her to rest.
But here we are still getting the run around from someone who even says on this letter that she wrote to another podcast that when she did her prison time for forgery, she was offered immunity if she would give more information about what happened in this case. And she told him she didn't need immunity because she didn't know what happened. I think that's a lie. But in message she wrote me, she said, I didn't ask for immunity because I thought it was the right thing to give them all the information.
No, in this other one she said, it's because she doesn't have any information. I just don't believe it. I believe there's something more to this story and whether or not we're ever gonna find out the truth. I don't know.
But the only thing I can hope is that these remains that they found end up being Samantha Burns because it would be very, very amazing to finally to give the family that final closure and be able to lay their child to rest because it's gotta be, I'm sure it's hard. It's a hard thing to really get down to and it's frustrating. But Beth McGuffin, if you hear this, I told you, I wasn't gonna be given the run around. I gave you one attempt after you ignored me and then you came back around and said, I wanna do it on this day.
It's not on your time anymore. It's on our time. And we told you when we wanted to do it and you still flaked out on us. You may have problems going on, that's fine, but I'm talking directly to you now.
I don't know if I'm gonna give you another shot. I'm still debating. But at this point right now, I had your opportunity to tell your story. We told it for you through the messages you sent us.
And that's it. I mean, I think that's it. If you wanna talk to me, you can call me, but we're not gonna go on record. Beth, you gave me the run around just like Chad, gave me the run around in those letters.
I had hope that you would both live up to your promises in those messages of being decent people and helping Sam's family find where she is, but so far both of you have failed. And so I have no faith in this anymore. The only faith that I have is in science and hopefully the remains that they found were Sam's. What you know about this case, you may take to your grave.
And if so, I'll tell you the same thing that I told Chad, that's your piece to make with somebody else. We attempted, it's on you now. Thank you for listening to another episode of Serial Spirits The Podcast. Find us weekly on all your podcast and platforms.
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