The Chicken Hawk

In this gripping and deeply disturbing episode, retired homicide detective Sergeant First Class Harry Gavel recounts one of the most haunting cases of his career in Camden County, New Jersey. On September 21, 1990, 12-year-old Paul Fitz vanished from his trailer park home. The very next morning, his body was spotted in Newton Creek by two homeless men living in the woods across the river. He was found nude, brutally assaulted, and wrapped in a blanket covered in white dog hairs.As the investigation unfolds, Gavel navigates a maze of dead ends, overlooked evidence, and bureaucratic missteps. A chance encounter with a homeless man named Harry Hainsworth—once a neighborhood tough guy turned alcoholic—leads to a chilling breakthrough. The trail points to Frederick Ritchie, a trailer park manager with a dark past and a white dog.Through meticulous detective work, Gavel uncovers a horrifying pattern of abuse. Ritchie is eventually linked not only to Paul’s murder but also to the near-fatal assault of another young boy, Johnny P., and a previously unsolved case in Oklahoma. His confessions reveal the mind of a predator shaped by his own traumatic childhood.This episode is a raw, unflinching look at the darkest corners of human behavior, the resilience of survivors, and the relentless pursuit of justice.Listener discretion is strongly advised.