River City Mystery - Investigating mysteries in southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky

The Disappearance of Debra Ann Wilhite On October 14, 1974, 19-year-old Debra Ann "Debbie" (Pfettscher) Wilhite finished her shift as a waitress at the Windmill Restaurant on Highway 41 in Evansville, Indiana. She was supposed to pick up her husband after work, but she never made it. Debbie and her green 1966 Ford Galaxie disappeared without a trace, leaving behind her husband and two young daughters.  This is one of the Tri-State's oldest unsolved missing person cases. In this episode, Matt discusses the case with Debbie's daughter, Misty Lynn Walker, who was just 18 months old when her mother vanished. More than 50 years later, Misty continues her tireless search for answers. We discuss Debbie's final known movements, the mysterious hitchhiker seen talking with her before she disappeared, the controversial "Duck Pond" theory, decades of investigative frustrations, and Misty's ongoing efforts to locate her mother's missing car. We also talk about her website, SearchingForDebra.com, where she's preserving her mother's story and collecting anonymous tips that could finally bring this case closer to being solved. If you know anything, no matter how small it may seem, please come forward. After more than five decades, one piece of information could make all the difference. Links & Resources Mentioned RiverCityMystery.com/23 Website - https://searchingfordebra.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@SearchingforDebra Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/debra.ann.wilhite.missing.1974 Crossroads Media LLC article on Deborah Ann Wilhite - https://www.crossroads-media-llc.com/lost-in-the-crossroads/2762158_debra-ann-wilhite-october-14-1974-evansville-inDebra Ann Wilhite - Lost in the Crossroads Chaos Divers  - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ChaosDivers  https://www.14news.com/2025/09/29/dive-team-searching-woman-who-went-missing-1974/ Editor's Note: During the interview, it is mentioned that Chaos Divers had helped solve five missing-person cases. Chaos Divers has now assisted in solving 22 missing-person cases. We appreciate their continued work helping families find answers. Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit - https://www.in.gov/isp/crime-reporting/cold-case-investigations/cold-cases-by-county/evansville-district-investigations/debra-ann-wilhite-10141974/?SQ_VARIATION_449103=0 If you have information regarding the disappearance of Deborah Ann Wilhite, contact the Indiana State Police at (812) 867-2079, or submit an anonymous tip through SearchingForDebra.com. Join the River City Mystery Discord server to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal. https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

The Timber Lake Murder:  Who Killed Arthur Denton? In this episode, we look into the August 1991 murder of Arthur Denton, a case out of Posey County, Indiana, that has sat cold for decades. Arthur was a respected figure in the local legal community. He was a 78-year-old retired attorney, former state legislator, and three-time deputy prosecutor for Vanderburgh County. For fifty years, he lived a remarkably predictable life, but everything shifted rapidly after his first wife passed away. Within three months, Arthur remarried Wilma "Doodle" Scales, a woman nearly forty years his junior whom he met while she worked as a housekeeper. He sold his longtime home, moved her to a gated property on Timber Lake, and eventually revised his will to leave her his entire estate. Just seven months later, he was dead. The details surrounding that night depend almost entirely on Wilma's account. She told police that while she was in the basement around midnight, a masked intruder bound her to a chair with duct tape while others went upstairs. She claimed she sat in the dark for nearly two hours before freeing one arm to dial 911. When officers arrived, they found Arthur beaten and stabbed to death on the main floor. Wilma reported that $12,000 in cash was missing, though Arthur's closest friends insisted he was a Depression-era saver who never kept large sums of money sitting around the house. As investigators dug in, several strange details began to stack up. Four guard dogs on the property never barked that night. A suspected forged check for $15,000 turned up in Wilma's glove box, though a judge later ruled she could not be forced to provide handwriting samples. To make matters stranger, Wilma's brother died of an overdose less than a month after the murder, and two reported break-ins occurred at the house shortly after Arthur's death. A grand jury was eventually convened, but no one was ever indicted. Wilma eventually inherited the estate, remarried, and passed away in 2014, taking whatever details she had to her grave. Because Arthur had no children to push for answers, the case quietly faded into the background. Listen in as we break down the timeline, unpack the red flags, and try to bring some long-overdue attention to a man who spent his career fighting for justice. If you have thoughts or remember hearing anything about this case back in the day, head over to the Discord server and join the conversation. Join the River City Mystery Discord server to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal. https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

The Burrows Cave Mystery In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most polarizing archaeological claims in the tri-state area: the Burrows Cave mystery. Back in April 1982, a highly decorated Korean War veteran named Russell Burrows was hiking through a quiet valley in southern Illinois near Olney when the ground gave way beneath him. What he fell into, according to his lifelong account, was far more than just a pit. Burrows claimed he had stumbled into a massive, man-made underground system filled with thousands of carved stone tablets, ancient weapons, and gold artifacts that pointed to pre-Columbian visitors from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Mainstream archaeologists have largely dismissed the find as a hoax, largely because the exact location of the cave has never been publicly revealed or independently verified. Critics point to the bizarre hodgepodge of ancient scripts on the tablets, ranging from Egyptian-style hieroglyphs to ancient Greek symbols, as proof of a crude forgery. Believers counter that a mixed group of ancient refugees or traders would naturally leave behind a blend of cultural styles and varying skill levels in their carvings. We also take a close look at the background of Russell Burrows himself. He served as a full colonel, earned two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts, and studied archaeology in college. For over forty years, he never once backed down from his story, even though he made very little money from the claim. Later in the episode, you will hear audio clips from a interview conducted by researcher Brian Nettles, where an elderly Burrows speaks candidly about what he found, addresses accusations of fake artifacts, and reflects on the decades-long controversy. Before jumping into the cave mystery, there is also an important update on the 2023 disappearance of Zachary Carey following the discovery of his remains near Lynnville, Indiana. Links referenced in the episode: GoFundMe for Zachary Carey - https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gina-with-zacharys-burial-costs?attribution_id=sl:20099a5c-2e12-4f18-9038-9efe044288df&lang=en_US&ts=1763859567&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp17_td&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=facebook Brian Nettles' interview with Russell Burrows - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMj8VfDXG5w&t=232s Brian Nettle's Book of Mormon Heartland website - https://bookofmormonheartland.com/ Photos of Burrows Cave stones - https://bookofmormonheartland.com/burrows-cave-stones/ The Mystery Cave of Many Faces - https://burrowscave.io/books/the-mystery-cave-of-many-faces/   Join the River City Mystery Discord server to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal. https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

Wildman Joe Every now and then you run across a piece of local history that feels too wild to be real. In this episode, I look into the wild, unbelievable collision of two totally different lives right here in Evansville back in the late 1800s. First, there's Jeremiah "Doc" Kohler, a former St. Louis saloon keeper with a criminal record who turned to the circus world. He became famous for running a trained flea circus where his performers pulled tiny gold chariots and juggled (he even got dragged into court over a star flea named Prince Henry). Then there's Joe Rettig. Joe was born into slavery in North Carolina, gained his freedom after the Civil War, and worked steamboats on the Ohio River until a brutal boiler explosion left him permanently scarred. Back in Evansville, he was just barely scraping by as a ragman collecting scrap in the alleys to survive. When Doc Kohler arrived in town after his flea circus collapsed, he spotted Joe and saw an opportunity. He offered to turn Joe’s real-life physical scars into a sideshow act, rebranding him as "Wildman Joe," a savage captured in the Philippines. While sideshow acts like that carry a heavy and questionable history, joining the circus completely changed the course of Joe’s life. He went from sifting through garbage in Evansville to traveling the country, earning a steady income, and eventually performing in front of 30,000 people in Canada. Check out the full episode to hear how this strange partnership unfolded and how Joe managed to adapt and survive against all odds. If anyone out there happens to have any old records on what eventually became of Joe Rettig after his circus days, drop a comment. Show notes:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/20 Join the River City Mystery Discord server to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal. https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

Who Killed Jean Cook? In this episode, we revisit a painful local cold case: the murder of Georgia "Jean" Cook. On October 6, 2005, Jean, a 56-year-old mother of two, was working her shift as a manager at the former Busler's gas station on Highway 41 North in Evansville, Indiana. Three hours before the end of her shift, an armed intruder walked into the store, shot Jean twice, and fled after taking money from the register. Despite being mortally wounded, Jean managed to use her phone to call for help before passing away, leaving behind a family still searching for answers two decades later. The investigation was plagued by complications right from the start. The store surveillance system was not recording that day, leaving police without video footage of the killer. The primary lead comes from a customer pumping gas outside who reported seeing a white woman with bushy gray hair wearing dark clothing leave the store and drive away north on Highway 41 in a bluish-gray domestic sedan. However, there has been long-standing confusion over whether the shooter was actually a woman or a man wearing a wig or disguise, creating a major obstacle for investigators. This episode features conversations with two people close to the case. First, Jean's former coworker Andy Hinton shares his memory of the day, including receiving the distressing calls from Jean right after the shooting, and offers his perspective on what might have been happening at the store. Later, Jean's son Fred Cook talks about the toll the unsolved investigation has taken on their family, how quick access to major highways allowed the killer to vanish, and why he holds out hope that advancing technology or a lingering conscience might finally bring the truth to light. Someone out there knows what happened that morning on Highway 41. Take a listen to the episode, check out the composite sketch materials linked in the show notes, and jump into the Discord server to join the conversation and help keep Jean's memory alive. Show notes:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/19 Join the River City Mystery Discord server to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal. https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Other links: https://vanderburghsheriff.org/#send-a-tip-form https://www.14news.com/story/9134480/unsolved-murder-jean-cook/  

Interview with a Forest Witch In this episode, I speak with Crystal Folz, who reached out to me as a practicing forest witch from the tri-state area. I had no idea what a forest witch was until we talked, but Crystal cleared things up fast. She has been practicing since the 1990s, and her approach is rooted in animism, Kentucky folklore, and good old-fashioned common sense. We talk about what it actually means to be a witch today, from the folklore passed down through generations to why she skips the trendy, mass-produced crystals on social media in favor of foraging tools out in the woods. Crystal is also a co-chair of the Three Corners Pagan Circle, which serves people across Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky. Beyond her witchcraft practice, Crystal is the co-chair of Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators and has done psychic consults on search and rescue missions. We cover some wild stories from her investigations, including a bizarre physical encounter at Community House Number Two in New Harmony, and why she takes a back-porch, down-to-earth approach to the supernatural rather than leaning into dramatic claims. It was a fascinating conversation that looks at local history, modern paganism, and the ghosts in our own backyard. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Show Notes:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/18 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Links mentioned in this episode: https://kentuckyconjurer.me/ https://www.threecornerspagancircle.com/ Crystal's email:  [email protected]  

Who Killed Elizabeth? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the January 2000 murder of 18-year-old Elizabeth Bannister in Evansville, Indiana. It is a strange, tragic case that plays out like a demented real-life game of Clue. Elizabeth was brutally stabbed inside her Washington Avenue apartment in a house filled with people, yet nobody claimed to see or hear a single thing. Between a housemate watching Matlock reruns, someone passed out on the couch, and another person in the bathroom, the whole situation raises endless red flags. This episode features a conversation from a live stream with Savannah from the YouTube channel "Don't Hate, Create". We break down the sheer chaos of Elizabeth’s life leading up to the murder, the messy web of potential suspects, and the bizarre details surrounding that night. That includes a friend who lent her change for a payphone at midnight only to find her dead an hour later, a cab that showed up for a caller who never walked out, and an alleged sighting of someone jumping out a window. We also tackle the massive twists in the case. We discuss Mark, the abusive ex-boyfriend of Elizabeth’s mother who somehow started dating Elizabeth after her mom passed away, and why her family still eyes his alibi. Plus, we dig into the shocking prison confession from serial killer William Clyde Gibson, who claimed on a podcast that he killed Elizabeth, and why both her sister Sarah and the police remain skeptical of his story. Decades later, with the house burned down and police reports still locked away, we look at where things stand and why Elizabeth's family is still pushing for real answers. If you have any information that could help solve Elizabeth’s murder, please contact the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979. Show Notes:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/17 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Links mentioned in this episode: "Don't Hate.  CREATE" YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@donthate.create Where The Bodies Are Buried - S1 E1 William "Clyde" Gibson - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VNbbx3u5qa0useqeRaENf?si=b118e30a4bea462e Dealing Justice - Episode 8:  Queen of Diamonds:  Elizabeth Bannister, IN Deck - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YfuNICxTf9nOmTpcLcO2x?si=168b6b2c199c4e31

Where is Zac?  Interview with his best friend, Chris UPDATE 11/3/2025: 14 WFIE NEWS: WARRICK CO., Ind. (WFIE) - The Warrick County Sheriff says a the body of a missing man was discovered on Friday in the Lynnville area He says a hunter discovered the remains and called authorities. Detectives say the remains were taken to the morgue in Vanderburgh County and positively identified as 38-year-old Zachary Carey, of Evansville, who had been missing since May of 2023. Carey had last been seen in the Lynnville area. https://www.14news.com/2025/11/03/body-man-missing-since-2023-found-warrick-co/ *********** In this episode, I speak with Chris, the last person to see Zac Carey before he disappeared back on May 30, 2023. After my previous episode with Zach’s mother Gina and his sister Cecilia aired, Chris reached out to share his side of the story. He addresses some of the claims made about him, sets the record straight on his relationship with the family, and explains what really went down in the hours leading up to Zac's disappearance. Chris goes through text messages from that early morning, describes driving Zac out toward the Lynnville area, and talks about Zac's state of mind at the time. He also opens up about his own interactions with law enforcement, rumors about untraceable gift cards, and why he believes Zac might simply be laying low off the grid. At the end of the day, everyone involved just wants answers. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Zachary Cary, please contact the Warrick County Sheriff’s Department at 812-897-6180. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/16 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

Where is Zac? UPDATE 11/3/2025: 14 WFIE NEWS: WARRICK CO., Ind. (WFIE) - The Warrick County Sheriff says a the body of a missing man was discovered on Friday in the Lynnville area He says a hunter discovered the remains and called authorities. Detectives say the remains were taken to the morgue in Vanderburgh County and positively identified as 38-year-old Zachary Carey, of Evansville, who had been missing since May of 2023. Carey had last been seen in the Lynnville area. https://www.14news.com/2025/11/03/body-man-missing-since-2023-found-warrick-co/ *********** In this episode, I sat down with the family of 38-year-old Zachary Carey, who vanished back on May 30th, 2023. I talked with his mother, Gina, and his younger sister, Cecilia, to get a better sense of who Zac is and what really went down around the time he disappeared. Zac was living in Evansville and working as a welder, but after losing his job and going through the sudden loss of his niece, his mental health took a heavy turn. Zac deals with schizophrenia, and his family noticed he was struggling and likely off his medication. Being an outdoorsman, a survivalist, and proud of his Native American heritage, Zac often retreated into nature when he was stressed. Going off into the woods for a few days to decompress wasn't unusual for him, but he always kept in touch and let them know when he was coming back. This time, he didn't. The details surrounding his last known whereabouts raise a lot of questions. Zac was last dropped off by his long-time friend at the welcome sign near the woods in Lynnville, Indiana. Days later, after his family reported him missing, police located his cell phone sitting right by that same sign. Things got even more complicated when his friend refused to cooperate with the family or hand over Zac's belongings so search dogs could get a scent. From unverified sightings in homeless camps across state lines to searches through dense woods and quarry lakes by local authorities, the family has been left in a painful limbo. They just want answers and to bring Zac home. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/15 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord

Bigfoot Encounters in the Hoosier National Forest Could Bigfoot actually be roaming around southern Indiana? It sounds wild at first given how populated the state is, but anyone who has spent real time out on the trails knows just how vast and isolated some of these woods really are. In this episode, I speak with two local witnesses from Indiana who shared their eyewitness accounts right here in our backyard. First, Angela recalls driving on I-64 near the Turkey Fork area right around dawn when she spotted a massive, solid black figure, at least 8 feet tall with wide shoulders, standing in the median. She watched it freeze before stepping directly into the thick tree line. Then, Bill shares three separate experiences he had along the White River between 2017 and 2019. An experienced outdoorsman who knows the woods inside and out, Bill talks about hearing strange wolf-like howls ending in high-pitched squeals, seeing a massive gorilla-like silhouette watching him from behind saplings while squirrel hunting, and later hearing something extremely heavy crunching through the woods at Flat Rock while everything else went dead silent. We talk about the logic behind these sightings, whether camera traps are missed because of infrared light, and why so many locals stay quiet about what they see out of fear of being ridiculed. Give the episode a listen and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Have you ever experienced anything strange in the Hoosier National Forest? Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/14 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Links mentioned in episode: Bill's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@billthreet1022 Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization:  https://bfro.net/ Washington County BFRO report:  https://bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=65589 Martin County BFRO report:  https://bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=60871 Indiana Bigfoot Researchers Organization Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/IBROrganization/ Map of the Turkey Fork area of Interstate 64 (88 mile marker) where Angela had her encounter:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TurkeyFork.jpg  

The Murder of Troy DeWayne Smith On May 24, 2020, 50-year-old Troy DeWayne Smith was found dead inside his apartment on South New York Avenue in Evansville, Indiana. Troy was a quiet guy who had studied mechanical engineering at ITT Tech and was working locally at Tri-State Resource Recovery. Initially, authorities treated his death as an overdose or natural causes. Because of that initial call, weeks went by before an autopsy revealed the truth: Troy had actually been shot in the back of the head while sitting on his couch. By the time the case was reclassified as a homicide, the apartment had already been cleared out by family, contaminating potential evidence. On top of that, the story broke during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning it barely received any media coverage and quickly slipped through the cracks. In this episode, Troy’s brother, TaRon, steps up to share what happened from his perspective as the person who found Troy that day. TaRon opens up about the suspicious circumstances surrounding how he was called to the apartment, the strange details about the locked door, and the rumors circulating in the community about who might have been in the apartment that night. He also addresses the struggles the family has faced over the years trying to keep investigators focused on finding answers. Even though Troy fell into the wrong crowd and struggled with substance abuse near the end of his life, his family wants to make sure his story isn't forgotten and that the person responsible is brought to justice. Troy's family is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in this case. If you know anything about what happened to Troy DeWayne Smith, please contact the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979 or leave an anonymous tip at 800-78-CRIME. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/13 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Troy's obituary Smith Family Offering Reward to Catch Killer Reward being offered for info in Spring 2020 homicide case

Buried Treasure in the Tri-State? When most people picture buried treasure, they think of pirates on a tropical beach or old West gold prospectors out in California. But buried loot might be a lot closer to home than you think. Before the FDIC came along to insure bank accounts, plenty of folks simply didn't trust banks with their hard-earned cash. It was pretty common to bury savings in a field or hide them somewhere safe. When people passed away without telling anyone where their stash was, those valuables stayed right where they were put. Just look at what happened in July 2023, when over 700 rare Civil War-era gold coins worth millions were unearthed right in a Kentucky cornfield. In this episode, we dig into several local treasure legends scattered across the Tri-State area. Over in Farmersburg, Indiana, a recording from 1987 tells the story of a wagon full of gold buried by soldiers near an old dirt trail. They hid the stash before heading off to confront a group of bandits, but since none of the soldiers survived the fight, the location was lost to time. Moving over to Southern Illinois, the area around Cave-in-Rock has a wild history of river pirates and outlaws. Rumor has it that stagecoach robbers hid around $200,000 in gold and silver coins inside a cave along the Ohio River. Not far down the river in Golconda, local stories talk about hundreds of 1800s silver dollars occasionally washing ashore, possibly coming from an old wrecked riverboat. Down near Dixon, Kentucky, America's first serial killers, the Harpe brothers, built up a massive fortune by robbing their victims over a nine-year spree. After they were tracked down and killed just outside Henderson, rumors spread that their hidden stash of around $300,000 in gold coins remains buried in a cave above a stream near what is now Harpes Head Road. Whether these stories are completely true or just heavily embellished over the generations, there is almost always a grain of truth behind local folklore. Just remember, if you decide to grab a metal detector and go hunting for long-lost gold yourself, always get permission from the property owner first. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/12 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord https://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/folklore/id/3872/rec/10 https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/03/cave-in-rock-and-americas-river-pirates/146392#:~:text=From%20the%20late%201700s%20to,cave%20(although%20there%20is%20no https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/12/millions-rare-gold-coins-unearthed-kentucky-cornfield/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Kentucky_Hoard#:~:text=The%20Great%20Kentucky%20Hoard%20is,the%20hoard%20has%20remained%20anonymous.&text=The%20coins%20found%20are%20U.S.%20Civil%20War%2Dera%20coins. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpe_brothers

Where is Andi? In August 2022, 24-year-old Andi Wagner disappeared from Evansville, Indiana. She was last heard from around August 5th or 6th, and her family officially reported her missing a few days later. Ever since, her loved ones have been fighting to keep her name out there so her case doesn't just fade into the background. In this episode, we focus on the ongoing efforts to bring Andi home. I share a clip from an interview by YouTuber JuJu’s Rabbit Hole featuring Andi’s cousin, Frankie Lee. Frankie opens up about the toll this has taken on the family and addresses some strange details surrounding the case, including a neighbor with a weird interest in ring camera footage from Andi's grandparents' house and a notebook left behind that listed names of people who might be connected to her disappearance. I also have a conversation with Rick White, the Emergency Management Director in Union County, Kentucky, who also runs the Tik Tok channel Front Porch America. Rick has stepped up to help lead independent search efforts. He breaks down how he got involved, the challenges of navigating private land and old strip mine pits, and his partnership with search teams like Narked Divers and Brothers Underwater Recovery to scan local waterways with sonar. Andi is 5'6" and around 115 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She has a dreamcatcher tattoo on her left forearm and the name "Joshua Brown" tattooed on her right forearm. She was last seen wearing an orange tank top and jeans, and she frequently spent time in the Newburgh and Oakland City areas. If you or anyone you know has information about Andi Wagner, even a detail that seems tiny or insignificant, please call the Evansville Police Department Adult Investigations Unit at 812-436-7979. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/11 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Where is Andi - Facebook Group Andi's GoFundMe page ***** In this episode: Interview with Rick White, former Emergency Management Director in Union County, Kentucky. Rick's TikTok:  Front Porch America JuJu's Rabbit Hole - Interview with Franky Lee (Andi's cousin) Narked Divers Brother's Underwater Recovery WEVV-44 - Family searching for missing woman Andi Wagner

Phantom Train In this episode, I dive into a bizarre paranormal phenomenon that I had almost completely forgotten about until a news story brought it all rushing back: phantom trains. It started with a recent report out of England where two police officers heard the deafening roar and whistle of a locomotive rolling right past their station, even though the tracks there had been torn up over 70 years ago. Reading that reminded me of a wild story my sister, Barbie, told our family back in the late 80s or early 90s. I brought Barbie on the show to recount what happened to her as an 11-year-old attending a massive outdoor youth revival near Highway 41 and Boonville New Harmony Road. Thousands of people were gathered in a field right by the railroad tracks. Right at the key moment of the service, when the pastor invited everyone to bow their heads, the loud rumble of a passing train, a blaring horn, and powerful gusts of wind swept through the crowd. Chairs flipped over, kids scattered, and the entire altar call turned into complete chaos. The strangest part? There was no actual train. The crossing lights never flashed, the gate stayed up, and nothing was on the tracks. Yet thousands of witnesses heard it, felt the wind, and watched the chaos unfold. We also touch on a few other famous ghost train legends, including the iconic story of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train that reportedly haunts the rails every year. Did you happen to attend that revival back around 1989 or 1990? Have you ever heard or felt a train that wasn't really there? Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/10 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/terrifying-ghost-train-reported-swadlincote-8218578 https://www.facebook.com/SwadlincoteSNT/posts/pfbid02atTUUMR1XQ6X3fkEdawy7UCADgWDryLRcHgKDet1nDKrWGSzyare8fQnBukYN7PCl https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/british-cops-report-hearing-phantom-train/  

The Kelly-Hopkinsville "Little Green Men" Encounter On August 21, 1955, eleven people at a farmhouse in Kelly, Kentucky, experienced one of the most famous and unsettling close encounters in UAP history. In this episode, I speak with Geraldine Sutton Stith, author and daughter of Elmer "Lucky" Sutton, one of the main witnesses to the events of that wild night. Geraldine shares what it was like growing up in the aftermath of a legendary event, passing down the real details of what her family saw, heard, and survived. We talk about how a quick trip to the outdoor water well turned into a hours-long siege by glowing, floating entities. Geraldine walks us through why the family resorted to firing shotguns through windows and doors, and how the creatures seemed impervious to bullets. We also dive into the wild "invasion of the people" that followed, as a media frenzy and curious locals ultimately forced the family to pack up and sell their home just weeks later. Along the way, we clear up some of the biggest myths surrounding the case, including the real origin of the phrase "Little Green Men," the persistent rumors about alcohol, and why the prank theory just doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Plus, she shares her experiences returning to the property years later and the physical traces left behind on the land. Geraldine is a fantastic storyteller with a perspective you just can't get anywhere else. If you are into local mysteries, UAP lore, or just a solid paranormal story, you will love this episode. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/9 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Check out Geraldine's Etsy page for her books and merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/aliensandgoblins Information on Geraldine's appearance on UFO Witness: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13889478/  

Interview with Joni Mayhan In this episode, I speak with local author, medium, and paranormal investigator Joni Mayhan about the weird and ghostly side of Posey County, Indiana. Joni has written books like Haunted New Harmony and Haunted Posey County, and she has plenty of wild stories to share about investigating hauntings right here in our backyard. We get into what makes New Harmony, Indiana, feel so different from surrounding towns. With its deep history tied to two early 1800s utopian societies, unique energy, and local ghost walks, it turns out to be a hotbed for activity. Joni breaks down how her own primary medium gift works, how she tunes into distinct tones when spirits are nearby, and why ghosts end up lingering in historical buildings, local spots, and even brand-new locations like the town Dollar General. She also opens up about her approach to paranormal investigations. We talk about balancing healthy skepticism against genuine evidence, using gear like spirit boxes, and why animals always seem to pick up on things before we do. Give the episode a listen and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Have you ever had a strange or unexplained experience while visiting New Harmony? Show Notes:  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/8 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Haunted New Harmony | Where History and Hauntings Collide (jonimayhan.com) Joni Mayhan (@jonimayhan933) TikTok | Watch Joni Mayhan's Newest TikTok Videos Amazon.com: Joni Mayhan: books, biography, latest update

The Murder of Doris McDonough In this episode, I dive into a tragic cold case from right here in Evansville, Indiana: the October 3, 1968 murder of Doris McDonough. Doris was a 36-year-old mother of two who was brutally beaten to death in her own kitchen in the middle of the day. Decades later, her killer has never been named, and the case remains completely unsolved. The day started like any normal Thursday for the McDonough family. After their car broke down during an early morning paper route, William took their two young sons out on their bikes while Doris stayed behind at their home on Southeast Riverside Drive. Everything seemed fine when the boys left for school, but by early afternoon, Doris stopped answering the phone. Concerned, William asked a neighbor to go knock on the door. Moments later, the neighbor discovered Doris deceased on the kitchen floor. She had suffered severe trauma from a heavy blunt object. Strange details surrounding the scene raised immediate questions: there were no signs of forced entry, nothing of value was taken, and two towels were neatly folded around her head. The only thing missing from the house was a claw hammer. In the episode, I take a close look at the timeline William provided to local reporters just days after the crime, which leaves a lot of open questions. He claimed he stopped back home around 9:00 AM to drop off a son's clarinet, staying just long enough to chat about making a birthday cake, take out the trash, and agree to leave the back door unlocked for the morning light. However, running a sun path analysis for that exact date and address shows the sun wouldn't have even been shining through that door at 9:00 AM. Other stops on his morning schedule also seem remarkably rushed, including a client meeting at a coffee shop that lasted a total of five minutes. William eventually took a polygraph test that came back inconclusive. When asked about his wife’s death a year later, he simply remarked, "the less said about it, the better." He eventually remarried, relocated to South Carolina, and lived to be 86. His 2019 obituary detailed his career as a college professor and highlighted his 45-year second marriage, but omitted any mention of Doris or her untimely death. Doris McDonough deserves to be remembered, and her story shouldn't be swept under the rug. Give the episode a listen, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/7 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord Unsolved Indiana: Murder Mysteries, Bizarre Deaths, & Unexplained Disappearances by Autumn Bones The Bones of Autumn – Reddit

Interview with Joe Weigant In this episode, I speak with Joe Weigant, a retired Evansville police detective who turned his background in law enforcement into founding Evansville Paranormal Investigations and Consulting (EPIC). He hosted “The World Beyond Radio Show” where he interviewed other paranormal investigators, psychics, tarot readers, and others in the field. Every year, Joe leads tours of Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky. Joe has taught and lectured for numerous groups on topics such as quantum and metaphysics, energy healing, spirit communication, mediumship, the Law of Attraction, Reiki Certification, intuition and psychic ability, working with spirit guides, and more. He’s a 6th degree black belt in Okinawa Kempo & a martial arts instructor at Club Bushido. Joe owns Tri State Holistic Wellness in Evansville, where he uses a combination of energy work (Reiki), tuning forks, and other emotional and physical healing modalities to achieve holistic health and well-being. Rather than just hunting for ghost footage or spooky EVPs, Joe’s main focus is actually helping trapped spirits cross over and bringing resolution to affected homeowners. He breaks down why spirits get stuck in the first place, ranging from sudden trauma and fear of judgment to basic attachments, and clears up the difference between human spirits and negative, non-human entities that feed off fear. Throughout our discussion, Joe shares some wild field stories, including an intense encounter with two bizarre, dog-like entities and a haunting tied to Native American history. He also talks about his experience on Travel Channel’s Paranormal 911, comparing the reality of field work with how the paranormal gets hyped up on TV.  Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/6 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord https://www.tristateholisticwellness.com/ https://www.facebook.com/paranormalpeace/#

The Murder of Blake Crews In this episode, we step away from the supernatural to cover a heartbreaking local case that hits way too close to home. Back on the night of January 16, 2015, 20-year-old Blake Crews was shot and killed inside a house in Henderson, Kentucky. It has been over a decade, and his murder is still officially unsolved. If you read the initial headlines about the case, it would be easy to jump to conclusions. The home where Blake was staying was well known locally for having people coming and going at all hours, and the police investigation quickly pulled in local drug charges. But once you actually learn who Blake was, the "drug deal gone wrong" theory falls completely flat. Blake was a genuinely good kid. He was an avid musician who marched in his high school band, played in local rock groups, and was actually recruited by Kentucky Wesleyan to help revive their college percussion program. He was a state bowling champion, did Science Olympiad, was active in his fraternity, and went on church mission trips where he wrote in his journal about wanting to spend his life helping others. On the day he was killed, he had spent hours trying to print out business cards so he could start giving drum lessons to local kids. That evening, Blake was house-sitting for an acquaintance. Around 7:00 PM, he posted a simple tweet about watching Groundhog Day on VHS. Sometime between then and midnight, absolute tragedy struck. Someone called the police to report a burglary in progress, and when state troopers arrived, they found Blake lying in the open doorway, shot multiple times in the face. Everyone else was gone. What makes this case so infuriating for his family and friends is the sheer lack of answers. Eight people who hung around that house were eventually arrested on minor drug offenses or charges for failing to report a death, but not a single person has ever been charged with Blake's murder. For this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Blake's mother, Donna, and his sister, Amanda. Hearing Donna talk about the toll this has taken on their family is brutal. She described how a part of her died right alongside her son that night. They opened up about their frustration with local law enforcement, feeling like the case got shuffled around between different agencies and caught up in red tape instead of getting solved. We also talked about who Blake was as a person outside of the tragedy. Donna and Amanda shared stories about his quirky style, like how he used to hunt for vintage clothes at Goodwill, insisted on wearing these ridiculous leather shoes he called his "chackas," and cut his own hair in ways his friends ended up copying. His high school buddies Brandon and Kyle also came on to talk about how Blake genuinely had zero enemies. To everyone who knew him, it feels like Blake was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the crossfire of someone else's mess. Toward the end of the episode, I even spoke with the girlfriend of one of the guys who was interrogated early on by police. It sounds like the state police are holding their cards close to their chest, waiting for that one critical tip or for someone to finally break their silence. Someone out there knows what happened in that house on Fairmont Avenue. The Kentucky State Police are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. If you know anything at all, no matter how small it might seem, please reach out to KSP Post 16 or call their anonymous tip line. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/5 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord LordanARTS - BrainScratch: Justice for Blake Crews KSP Cold Cases: Blake Crews Investigation

The Odon Fire Poltergeist For this episode, we head up to Daviess County, Indiana, to look into a case from 1940 that the Indiana State Fire Marshal called "the most baffling mystery he had ever seen" before officially closing it as unsolved. People in the area still call it the Odon Fire Poltergeist. Before we even get to the day the fires started, you have to talk about the history of this piece of ground because it makes you wonder if the place was cursed long before 1940. Back in the mid-1800s, a man named Marshall Ketchum built a house there. In the 1880s, five members of his family died on the property from what was called burning fever, which was likely typhus. Later on, the home was sold to a spiritualist named Andrew Wickle. Tragic bad luck struck again when Wickle’s son was killed in a hunting accident. Devastated by grief, Wickle had his son buried right in the yard in a custom casket with a glass window so he could look down at his face, and he claimed he regularly talked to his deceased son's spirit. By 1940, a man named William Hackler lived on the farm with his wife Minnie and their five kids. Everything was uneventful until Friday, June 21, 1940. That morning, wallpaper in an upstairs room suddenly burst into flames. The fire department rushed out, assuming it was a bad chimney. But when they tore down the plaster, there was no chimney anywhere near that wall, no electrical wiring, and no stove fire burning. From 9:00 AM until 11:00 PM that night, 28 separate spontaneous fires broke out all over the house. The fires were completely unexplainable. Papers inside a closed desk drawer caught fire. Curtains ignited right behind visiting neighbors, but the window shades underneath them were untouched. A calendar burned up on the wall without even scorching the wallpaper behind it. Paper between a bed spring and mattress burst into flames and destroyed the bed. The family was so terrified they slept out in the front yard that night. The State Fire Marshal investigated thoroughly, but they never found a single trace of arson, chemical reaction, or electrical fault. The story went nationwide and was even featured in a Collier’s Magazine ad for Travelers Insurance in 1941. I actually got the chance to talk with 90-year-old Daviess County historian, Don Cosby, for this episode. He shared that the Hackler family left the county not long after the fires, and no trace of the family remained in the area. With help from Don's son-in-law, I managed to get the exact location of the old farm and took a drive up there. The old house is long gone now, and the site is just open farmland today. Was it a genuine poltergeist, a bizarre natural phenomenon, or something else entirely? Listen to the episode and judge for yourself! Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/4 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord ----more---- Check out Don Cosby’s books on Amazon: My Scrap Book: A Living History of The Town of Washington in Daviess County, Indiana Legends, Legacy and Folklore Revisiting the Past Sources: https://www.washtimesherald.com/news/local_news/unusual-events-occurred-in-daviess-county—part-ii/article_fe19e6db-462e-570d-8f45-5a88c5b816b2.html

The Disappearance of Theresa Rideout If you caught the first episode about the Four Seasons Motel, you might remember me briefly mentioning Theresa Rideout. She was the girlfriend of Jack Barnett, the man who ended his life at the motel. But while Jack’s tragic end was documented, Theresa’s story is a mystery. When I first came across Theresa’s case in an old local newspaper article listing area cold cases, I was struck by how little information was actually out there. Even on official missing persons pages like the Indiana State Police site, her name is spelled wrong, details are minimal, and there isn't even a photo attached to her profile. Part of the reason her story has been so quiet is that Theresa did not have a huge network of people in her corner. Her mother passed away when she was six, her dad died when she was seventeen, and she had no siblings. She married young, had a son named Matt, but after a divorce in the mid-80s, she mostly kept to herself and moved around. Tragically, both her ex-husband and her son passed away years later, leaving virtually no immediate family left to keep her case in the public eye. When I reached out to a relative of her ex-husband while doing genealogy research, they told me her disappearance was just considered a big family mystery. Some relatives assumed she had simply drowned in the river, but no one really knew. Here is what we actually know about her final days. On September 2, 1994, Theresa and Jack left the American Legion in Newburgh around 10:30 AM so Jack could drive her to her 11:00 AM shift at the Main Street Burger King in Evansville. She worked her full shift, was in a great mood, and at 7:00 PM her manager trusted her to take the night cash deposit up to the bank. She made the deposit, said "see you tomorrow" to her co-workers, and drove off in Jack's red pickup truck. That was the last time anyone ever saw her. She left her final paychecks unclaimed, and her beloved dog, River, vanished right along with her. What really bothers me about the timeline is what happened next. If Theresa was seen leaving work in Jack's truck, Jack was almost certainly in that truck with her. Did they get into a fight on the way home? Stranger still, four days after she disappeared, Jack walked into Don and Donna's sports bar in Newburgh by himself. The bartender said he acted completely normal, had a drink, and never mentioned anything about Theresa being missing. Then, a few days after that, Jack checked into the Four Seasons Motel and took his own life, leaving a note for his daughter that made zero reference to Theresa. Most investigators seem to assume the obvious story: Jack killed Theresa, hid her body along with the dog, and then killed himself a week later. But a full week is a really long gap for a murder-suicide scenario where the perpetrator just goes about his normal life, grabbing drinks at local bars in the middle of it all. Were they involved with the wrong crowd? Did something go wrong with shady associates? Or did Jack snap after a week of her being missing? Theresa Rideout deserves to have her story told just as much as anyone else, even if she did not have a massive family network fighting to keep her name in the headlines. Give the episode a listen and let me know your take. You can hop onto the Discord server at rivercitymystery.com/discord to share your theories on what might have happened to Theresa and her dog River back in the fall of 1994. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/3 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord ----more---- ISP: Teresa Rideout 09/11/1994 (in.gov)   Theresa A. Rideout – Death Certificate (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 9/14/1994 (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 9/15/1994 (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 12/29/1994 (PDF) Jack W. Barnett – Death Certificate (PDF)

Garvin Lake Creature This one is a little different because it is a personal story that happened in Evansville, Indiana, on Saturday, August 21, 2021. My wife and I had headed over to Bosse Field around 7:00 PM to catch an Evansville Otters game. Our daughter performs with the dance team, so we always go out to support her. But full disclosure, neither of us are big baseball fans. Since the game was delayed by rain, we decided to walk around Garvin Lake to stretch our legs and pass the time before the fourth-inning dance. It was a nice 75-degree evening, and the park was almost completely empty. As we were walking along the northwest corner of the lake path, something caught my eye about 200 feet out in the water. At first, it looked almost like two green ducks floating parallel to the sidewalk. But the more we stared at it, the stranger it got. It didn't look like an animal, but it didn't look like a normal tree branch either. It looked like a clump of leaves or a leafy bush floating on the surface, moving deliberately through the water and leaving distinct ripples behind it. I stopped walking to make sure my eyes weren't just playing tricks on me while we moved. Sure enough, this thing was actively moving across the lake. Just as I turned my head to grab my phone and try to get a photo, Sherry gasped. Whatever it was had just dove straight under the surface, creating a massive splash and wake like someone dropped a huge rock into the water. We figured if it was something air-breathing, it had to pop back up eventually. We stood there watching the water for about ten minutes, and then walked around to the other side of the lake to keep an eye on the spot. It never came back up. It just vanished under the water and stayed down. I am definitely not claiming we saw some kind of legendary lake monster or cryptid living in Garvin Lake. My best practical guess is maybe a huge catfish got snagged on some discarded fishing line that was wrapped around a tree branch, dragging the branch along the surface until it pulled it back under. But honestly, who knows? Have you ever seen anything bizarre out at Garvin Lake, or do you have a theory on what we saw? Give the episode a listen and let me know. Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/2 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord  

Four Seasons Thanks for checking out the very first episode of River City Mystery! If you drive down the highway just outside Mount Vernon, Indiana, you might pass right by the Four Seasons Motel without thinking much of it. It is a quiet, family-run spot owned by Rodney Cox and his mom, Jean. They run it today, and they were running it back in the fall of 1994 when things took a really dark, strange turn. It started with a mystery that still hasn't been solved. On September 2, 1994, a local woman named Terry Rideout finished up her shift at the Main Street Burger King in Evansville, ran the night deposit, and drove off in her boyfriend Jack’s red pickup. She was never seen again. When people went to check on her home, the only thing missing was her dog, River. To this day, Terry is still listed as a missing person in Indiana. A week after Terry vanished, Jack Barnett checked into the Four Seasons Motel alone. He brought two things into the room with him: a VHS copy of the movie Falling Down and a gun. After watching the movie, he wrote a quick note to his daughter and ended his life. The room was locked from the inside with the security chain, and police ruled it a suicide right away. That is tragic enough on its own, but what happened next is where the story gets bizarre. About a month later, Rodney and Jean started getting constant complaints from guests staying in that same room. Night after night, different people who had no idea what had happened in that room kept coming to the front desk with the exact same story: the TV would turn itself on every night right at 10:00 PM. Rodney even swapped out the TV for a completely different one, but it kept happening. Eventually, when standard maintenance couldn't fix it, Rodney and Jean realized they needed a different kind of help. They called up a local preacher to come out, pray over the space, and ask whatever was there to move on. Was it a real ghost, or just a really weird set of coincidences? Give the episode a listen and judge for yourself. Once you finish listening, head over to rivercitymystery.com and let me know what you think happened. If you have any local tips or story ideas for future episodes, I'd love to hear them! Show Notes: https://www.rivercitymystery.com/1 Join the River City Mystery Discord channel to meet others from the tri-state area who are into true crime and the paranormal.  https://www.rivercitymystery.com/discord ----more---- Jack W. Barnett Death Certificate (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 9/14/1994 (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 9/15/1994 (PDF) Evansville Courier & Press article – 12/29/1994 (PDF) Theresa A. Rideout Death Certificate (PDF)