Same Crime, Different Time: A Historical True Crime Podcast With Jen Chambers

The Pacific Northwest has always felt a little different.Maybe it’s the fog rolling through old forests. Maybe it’s the volcanic mountains. Maybe it’s the feeling that something is just beyond the edge of the flashlight beam. Because up here, the strange stories never really go away.A haunted hotel perched above the Columbia River Gorge. A serpent-like creature that is said to move beneath the dark waters of Lake Washington. And a pair of UFO photographs so famous they’re still debated more than seventy years later.Tonight, we’re heading deep into the weird side of the Northwest. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

She wasn’t just one woman. She was many. A widow. A healer. A spiritualist. Over time, they became a legend. The Witch of Victoria Island isn’t just a story to keep people safe. It’s what happens when fear rewrites lives.New episode of Same Crime, Different Time out now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

🚨 UPDATE🚨 “Lost in the Gorge: The Martin Family Disappearance”In December 1958, the Martin family vanished during a holiday outing near Hood River, Oregon. Two daughters’ bodies were found five months later. But the rest of the family, and their station wagon, disappeared into legend. Until now. This week’s episode explores their final journey through the Columbia Gorge, and:* Theories from a tragic accident to possible foul play* New evidence found at the bottom of the river* Update on this case and why this case still grips Oregon’s heartListen now wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Two Girls. Two Parks. One City Changed Forever.In 1986, Tacoma, Washington, was shaken by two devastating crimes.Twelve-year-old Michella Welch went to the park to meet friends.Thirteen-year-old Jennifer Bastian went for a bike ride.Neither came home.Months apart, their murders left a community searching for answers—and fearing something even worse: that a single predator was responsible. For more than thirty years, both cases remained unsolved. But they were never forgotten. In this episode of Same Crime, Different Time, I tell their stories side by side.Sources This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In May of 1935, nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser walked home for lunch from school in Tacoma, Washington.He never made it.Within hours, kidnappers demanded $200,000 for the return of the heir to one of America’s largest timber fortunes. What followed was a terrifying eight-day ordeal involving underground pits, coded newspaper messages, and one of the largest manhunts in the history of the Pacific Northwest.In this episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we explore how the crime happened, how the kidnappers were caught, and what this case reveals about desperation, wealth, and justice in 1930s America. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

The day after Thanksgiving in 1989, eighteen-year-old Mandy Stavik went for a run along a quiet road in rural Washington.Her dog came home.She didn’t.For nearly thirty years, the small community of Acme lived with an unanswered question: who killed Mandy Stavik? In this episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we explore the heartbreaking case that haunted investigators for decades, and the unlikely break that finally solved it. Sometimes the truth waits. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Amusement parks are meant to deliver joy, laughter, thrills, and escape from the ordinary. But where there’s wonder, sometimes there’s tragedy.Today, we’re exploring accidents that turned places built for magic into scenes of heartbreak, with a focus on the West Coast, where early parks like Disneyland and seaside attractions helped define the American amusement experience. Stay with me for a twist on nostalgia you won’t forget. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

A small memorial marks the spot in the tiny unincorporated town of Bly, Oregon where the only fatalities from enemy action in WWII occurred in the continental United States.May 5 was a sunny day in 1945 when Archie Mitchell, a pastor from Bly, his wife, Elsie Mitchell, 26, and five kids who went to Elsie’s Sunday School class decided to go for a picnic on nearby Leonard Creek. They saw a curious thing in the bushes nearby.What happened next was the tragic result of one of the most ingenious and curious war inventions known up to that point: a paper balloon bomb. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

On October 15, 1973, Deborah Lee Tomlinson disappeared from Creswell, Oregon on the evening of her sixteenth birthday. A small town in Lane County, Creswell had few mysteries then and still has few answers now. According to public records and missing-person databases, Deborah left with a teenage female friend and was never seen again.For decades, law enforcement officially classified her disappearance as that of an endangered runaway, which was a status supported by limited information in the public record and sparse news coverage at the time. In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we cover what we know about her disappearance, the cultural context, and hope for a future solve. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In January 2006, actor Joe Pichler left his apartment in Bremerton, Washington. He was never seen again. Joe had grown up in the public eye, appearing in popular films as a child. But by the time he disappeared at just 18 years old, his life looked very different than the one audiences remembered. This episode talks about the potential act of suicide. Help is available. Call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in English and Spanish 24/7. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In boxcars and rail yards, places a lot of us pass without a second glance, men were being murdered. Many were unhoused. Many were transient. Many were dismissed.This week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time examines the case of Robert Joseph Silveria Jr., known as the Boxcar Killer, whose crimes began in Oregon and spread across multiple states. It’s a story about violence, but also about visibility and the cost of indifference. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In November 1988, Deborah Lee Atrops vanished after an ordinary evening in Washington County, Oregon. She was 30 years old. A bookkeeper. A new mother. A woman navigating the complicated end of a marriage and trying to build a future for herself and her daughter.Two days later, her body was found in the trunk of her car on a quiet dead-end road.For decades, Deborah’s case sat unresolved. She was a name in a file, a question without an answer. Law enforcement suspected who was responsible, but the evidence wasn’t there.Until it was. Listen to find out more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In 1975, in a Soviet town defined by factory work and strict silence, Vladimir Sarenpya began a spree of violence that the state tried to hide.This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we’re going behind the Iron Curtain to explore a case of “The Ripper” you’ve likely never heard of, who may have started in tiny Coos Bay, Oregon. We discuss the victims, the chilling “signature” left at the crime scenes, and how a regime that claimed serial killers didn’t exist eventually had to face the truth. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

The Brother Jonathan struck an uncharted reef near Point St. George off Crescent City, California, on July 30, 1865. The wreck is one of the deadliest maritime disasters on the Pacific Coast in the nineteenth century. Today, the story of the Brother Jonathan: the ship, the disaster, the salvage, and the strange afterlife of a shipwreck that has become both legend and litigation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we head deep into Oregon’s Molalla Forest. It’s the site of one of the state’s most chilling serial murder cases. Dayton Leroy Rogers targeted some of Portland’s most vulnerable women, and hid his violence beneath the pines.I revisit this case with new context, including insights from my book Murder & Mayhem in the Willamette Valley. This episode is about truth, justice, and remembering the women the headlines tried to erase.Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

The double life of Robert Lee Yates , the Spokane serial killer who hid behind the façade of family, career, and community honor while murdering at least 13 women throughout the 1970s–1990s. Drawing exclusively from newspapers, court filings, and documented reports, this episode traces his timeline, victims, investigative missteps, and the complex social dynamics that shaped the case. It’s a story of vulnerability, unnoticed danger, and how a man living an “ordinary” life became one of Washington’s most prolific killers.SOURCES:“Robert Lee Yates” — public profile / overview. Wikipedia+1“Spokane Serial Killer’s Guilty Pleas Kept in Place,” Courthouse News, on his 2000 plea and 408-year sentence. Courthouse News“Spokane Serial Kill Lab Results In,” CBS News, April 2000, detailing evidence linking Yates to multiple murders. CBS News“Decades of Killing Yield 408-Year Sentence,” Los Angeles Times, Oct 2000, coverage of sentencing, first confessions. Los Angeles Times, Murderpedia“Death Sentence Upheld for Spokane Serial Killer,” summarizes Pierce County death sentence upheld, legal appeals dismissed. Courthouse News, Washington CourtsRadford University criminal psychology profile; background details, timeline of charges, and military service. Maamodt, Maamodt“The Horrific Crimes Of Robert Lee Yates, The Spokane Serial Killer Who Murdered 16 People,” a recent retrospective summary. All That’s Interesting This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Oregon isn’t just forests and craft beer. It’s also home to whispered rituals, mysterious architecture, and a few cults that slipped under the national radar.This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we explore: A rumored Bigfoot-worshipping group at Cultus Lake The eerie Temple of Oculus Anubis An Oregon-linked Mother God cult La Luz del Mundo’s Oregon branchWhy here? Why these groups? And what turns belief into control? Grab your hiking boots and your boundary-setting skills. This one gets weird. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we’re doing something a little special. We’re stepping back into the pages of my own book, Murder & Mayhem in the Willamette Valley, to revisit one of the most chilling figures in Oregon’s early criminal history: Norman “Snake” Brooks.Brooks earned his nickname not for stealth, but for the venom he left in his wake.In the chapter we read today, we explore the crimes that rattled the Willamette Valley, and the complicated legacy Snake left behind. Whether you’ve read the book or this is your first introduction, Brooks’s story is a haunting reminder that the past isn’t as quiet as we like to think.You can listen to the full episode and hear the chapter in my own voice, right here. Thank you, as always, for supporting Oregon history and the stories that shaped it… even the ones that make us shiver. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In the summer of 2000, 15-year-old Leah Freeman vanished from Coquille, Oregon. Her body was found weeks later. What followed was a decade-long investigation, a controversial conviction, and finally a historic exoneration—but the real killer remains unknown.On this episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we unpack the cold case that shocked a small town, the forensic oversights, and the human cost of injustice.Listen now and join the conversation about truth and the fight for justice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Rain, a quiet street, a glass of wine left half full.On March 6, 2009, Nancy Kareen Moyer vanished from her Tenino, Washington home. For 16 years, the question has lingered: what happened to Nancy?In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, I walk through the case, the evidence, and the heartbreak of a mystery that refuses to rest. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.#TrueCrime #ColdCase #NancyMoyer #PacificNorthwestMystery #SameCrimeDifferentTime This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Ever wondered what it’s like to stand in a place where the laws of physics seem to bend? The Oregon Vortex, nestled in Gold Hill, Oregon, offers just that experience. From brooms standing on end to the eerie sensation of shrinking or growing, this roadside attraction has baffled visitors since 1930.But is it magic, science, or just a clever illusion? Join us as we delve into the history, science, and legends of the Oregon Vortex. Sources & Citations“Oregon Vortex (House of Mystery).” The Oregon Encyclopedia. Oregon Encyclopedia+1“Inside The Baffling Phenomena Surrounding The Oregon Vortex And House Of Mystery.” Kathryn Olvera, All That’s Interesting, August 8 2022. All That’s Interesting“The Oregon Vortex Phenomenon: What’s Really Going On?” IFLScience, December 21 2023. Science Times“The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery — Roadside America.” Roadside America“Scientific Info — The Oregon Vortex and location of the House of Mystery.” The Oregon Vortex official site. Oregon Vortex“History | Gold Hill Oregon.” City of Gold Hill Community history page. cityofgoldhill.gov“The Origins of the Oregon Vortex.” PortlandGhosts.com.Portland Ghosts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

There are places where the walls remember. At the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, history lingers, in the scent of disinfectant, the echo of closing doors, the quiet weight of all that was once forgotten.Built in 1883, this was Oregon’s first asylum. It was a monument to both care and confinement. Here, generations lived and died under the label of “insane.” Many were buried without names, and thousands more left behind no trace at all. That was, until the 2004 discovery of a locked room filled with over 3,500 copper urns.This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we explore:* The hospital’s dark legacy and the lives it contained* The “Room of Cremains” and the scandal it unearthed* Ken Kesey’s time as a night orderly, and how One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest grew from the hospital’s haunted halls* The enduring reports of footsteps, shadows, and whispers that refuse to fadeThis isn’t just a ghost story — it’s an echo of the way we once treated the vulnerable, and a reminder that some spirits don’t rest until they’re seen.Sources:“The Oregon State Hospital, 1883–2008” (American Journal of Psychiatry) Psychiatry Online“Oregon State Hospital: Beyond One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (OregonDiscovery) Oregon Discovery“The Flight Home: The Museum of Mental Health Memorial” (Oregon Historical Society blog) Oregon Historical Society+1“Haunted Salem – Willamette Heritage Center” Willamette Heritage Center“Haunted Story of Oregon State Hospital — Salem” (Medium) Medium“TIL that there’s a room in the basement of Oregon State Hospital …” (Reddit thread) Reddit“Oregon Film Tour: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’” (Travel Oregon) Travel OregonWikipedia: “Oregon State Hospital”Wikipedia+1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Note: I had planned an episode on the infamous killers Jeanace Freeman/Gertrude Jackson. I wrote the episode, recorded it, and realized it was just not what I wanted to amplify. I think deeply about the things I share, and the horror of that one got to me. In replacement, a seasonal ghostly episode for you instead.In Portland’s Oaks Amusement Park, the laughter never really stops—even after closing time.Since 1905, this riverside park has survived fires, floods, and a century of Oregon weather. It’s seen thousands of skaters glide across its century-old rink, and more than a few claim they weren’t alone. Visitors tell of various ghosts, the sound of unseen children playing on the midway, and rides that start on their own.In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we dig into the park’s history, its survival through the 1948 flood, and the legends that refuse to fade. We’ll also explore another couple of Oregon’s amusement parks, and why parks make perfect haunted landscapes. They’re where joy and terror share the same track.Listen to Haunted Midways now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you haunt your favorite shows. Download your own Haunted Midways: Write Your Ghost-y Amusement Park Story here, as a free bonus! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In August 1985, the tiny town of Mineral, Washington, nestled in the shadow of Mount Rainier, was jolted awake by a murder that has never been solved. First one member of the household was found dead. It would take months to find the other half of the couple, who were slain with no obvious motive. Just horror, silence, and a community left in fear.The police searched. No clues bore fruit. Then another couple disappeared while camping. Their daughter was found, days later, forty miles away. Then another case was posssibly linked to the disappearances. Forty years later, the Mineral murders remain one of Washington State’s darkest mysteries.In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, I dive into what happened that winter night, explore the theories investigators considered, and why this case still haunts the foothills of the Cascades.Whether it was a stranger passing through, some weird coincidences, or a seral killer, these people’s loved ones deserve answers. If you have any information about any of these cases, please contact the Lewis Clounty Washington’s Cold Case task force or email me so I can pass it on. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Oregon and Washington are among the top 10 most dangerous states in the U.S. That’s the headline. But the story behind it is even darker.In this week’s Same Crime, Different Time, we look beyond the numbers to ask:* Why did the Pacific Northwest see such a high concentration of serial killers in the ’70s and ’80s?* Did pollution from smelters poison a generation, as Caroline Fraser argues in Murderland?* How did California’s highways and hitchhiking culture create opportunities for predators like the Zodiac, the Golden State Killer, and the Hillside Stranglers?* And what toxins—social, cultural, or chemical—are we still breathing in today?🎧 Listen to the full episode above#TrueCrime #PacificNorthwest #CaliforniaCrime #Podcast #MurderlandSources* “Pacific Northwest States Oregon and Washington Among Top 10 Most Dangerous in U.S.” — 610 KONA News, Aug. 2025.* Caroline Fraser, Murderland: The Toxic Legacy of the Pacific Northwest’s Serial Killer Era (2025).* Washington Post, “Review: Murderland by Caroline Fraser,” June 2025.* Seattle Times, “Women Missing Along the Green River—Police Puzzled,” Aug. 1982.* Oregon Journal, “Police Say Runaways Likely To Return Home Soon,” 1974.* San Francisco Chronicle, multiple issues, 1969–1971 (coverage of Zodiac killings).* Los Angeles Times, coverage of the Hillside Stranglers and William Bonin, 1970s–80s.* Serial Killer Statistics by State, SerialKillersInfo.com.* Case files and FBI archives on Gary Ridgway, Jerry Brudos, and Randall Woodfield. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In the shadows of the West Coast sea ports, men (and women) vanished from saloons and sidewalks…only to wake up halfway across the ocean.This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we uncover the brutal trade of crimping—and the reign of Joseph “Bunco” Kelly, Maxwell Levy, and James Kelly, who all called themselves the King of the Crimpers. We’ll discuss:* What it meant to be “shanghaied”* How sailors were fooled* How reforms finally ended the crimps’ grip* And why echoes of this crime still exist todayStep into the fog, the boardinghouses, and the lawless wharves of the 1890s. History has teeth.🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.Sources* The Oregonian (Portland, OR), multiple issues, 1890s–1910s. Archival coverage of waterfront crime, the Flying Prince scandal, and Portland’s crimping culture.* Morning Oregonian, October 6, 1892. Coverage of Joseph Binco and the Flying Prince case.* San Francisco Chronicle, April 2, 1875. Report on Shanghai Kelly’s “booze cruise” scheme and claims of crewing ships in a single night.* Daily Alta California, August 15, 1873. Articles describing kidnappings and forced labor tied to San Francisco’s waterfront crimps.* The San Francisco Call, 1880s. Accounts of Shanghai Kelly’s operations and public fears of shanghaiing.* Larry Engelmann, Intemperance: The Lost War Against Liquor (1983). Context on saloons, drugs, and social reform tied to crimping culture.* Barney Blalock, Portland’s Lost Waterfront: Tall Ships, Steam Mills and Sailors’ Boardinghouses (2012). Essential history of Portland crimps, the North End, and Levy’s contemporaries.* Barney Blalock, The Oregon Shanghaiers: Columbia River Crimping from the 1870s to the 1930s (2014). Focused study of shanghaiing in Portland and the Pacific Northwest.* National Archives, Records of the U.S. Shipping Commissioner, Portland & San Francisco (1870s–1890s). Legal cases and testimony related to sailor kidnappings. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In the damp woods of Olalla, Washington, a woman named Linda Hazzard built a sanitarium that promised health, purity, and healing. Her method? Fasting. Extreme fasting.By the time newspapers branded her clinic Starvation Heights, it was too late for many of her patients. Wealthy heiresses wasted away to skeletons, wills were altered, and the line between healer and killer blurred.In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we explore:* Why alternative medicine thrived in the early 1900s* How distrust of mainstream doctors made Hazzard’s promises so persuasive* The heartbreaking story of the Williamson sisters* And why her “cures” sound eerily familiar in today’s wellness culture, from detox cleanses to starvation cultsHistory doesn’t just repeat—it resurfaces in new disguises. Listen to the full episode → HERESame Crime, Different Time: haunting true crime and history from the Pacific Northwest.Sources:Smithsonian Magazine – “The Doctor Who Starved Her Patients to Death” by Bess Lovejoy.HistoryLink.org—Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard opens a sanitarium at Olalla, Kitsap County, on February 19, 1911.Washington State Archives – “Linda Burfield Hazzard: Healer or Murderess?” primary sources and court records.MNopedia (Minnesota Historical Society)—“Hazzard, Linda Burfield Perry (1867–1938).”KNKX Public Radio – “Olalla, Washington’s Infamous Starvation Doctor.”https://murderpedia.org/female.H/h/hazzard-linda.htmSeattle Daily Times, 1907–1912 coverage (via digital archives).People Magazine – “British Heiresses Went to Trusted Doctor, Then One Was Starved to Death.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

When people think of terrifying figures in Oregon’s true crime history, Randall Woodfield, once called the Band-aid Bandit, now better known as the I-5 Killer—is near the top of the list.A one-time promising athlete with NFL dreams, Woodfield’s path took a dark and violent turn in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His spree of robberies, assaults, and murders spread across the I-5 corridor, leaving communities shaken and investigators desperate for answers.In this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time, we dig into:* The chilling double life of Randall Woodfield* The string of crimes that paralyzed towns from Portland to Salem and beyond* How law enforcement finally pieced together the caseIt’s a case that continues to haunt the region—not just because of the crimes, but because of how easily Woodfield slipped through the cracks before he was finally caught. Listen to the full episode HERE:👻 Same Crime, Different Time: haunting true crime and history from the Pacific Northwest.Sources for this week’s episode:* Historic newspaper report: Oregon Daily Emerald, March 10, 1981—charging Woodfield with murder of Shari Hull, attempted murder of Lisa Garcia, suspected in 27 I-5 crimes.Oregon Newspapers* Wikipedia entry on Randall Woodfield—overview of early life, convictions, sentencing, and suspected victim totals.Wikipedia* Criminal synthesis from Oxygen.com—background on Woodfield’s athletic past, exhibitionism, parole, crime spree, and DNA-linked cases.Oxygen* Wikipedia’s Arrest and Trials section detailing indictment, evidence from apartment, conviction, sentencing, and lack of further prosecution.Wikipedia* KATU News / other local sources—2012 DNA ties to additional victims including Fix, Altig, Reitz, Eckard, and Jarvis.KATUKGW* French Wikipedia—supplements sentencing details, summary of suspected victims, and trial facts.Wikipedia This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

When you think of Portland’s Roseland Theater, you might picture sweaty concerts, packed crowds, and legendary musicians on stage. But behind the amps and bright lights lies a darker story—one of murder, scandal, and a ghost who refuses to be silenced.In 1990, 21-year-old publicist Tim Moreau uncovered a ticket scam at the venue—then called Starry Night. Days later, he vanished. His boss, owner Larry Hurwitz, eventually confessed to Moreau’s murder. But many believe Tim never left the building.Concertgoers and staff alike claim to hear footsteps in empty halls, see flickers of shadow in the balcony, or feel sudden cold bursts where no draft should be. His ghost, they say, is still seeking justice.This week on Same Crime, Different Time, I dive into the true story behind Portland’s most haunted music venue. Listen HERE This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when a spiritual movement grows into a 95-acre empire and then collapses under scandal?This week on Same Crime, Different Time, we’re diving into a bonus episode! In an encore for some of you, a new tale for others, from the previous incarnation of this show, this is the story of Mary Morrissey and the Living Enrichment Center in Wilsonville, Oregon. Once the largest New Thought church in the state, it promised empowerment, community, and transformation. But behind the glossy exterior lurked whispers of financial fraud, cult-like devotion, and… something even stranger. - A $10.7 million scandal that brought it all crashing down- Haunting tales from its neighbor, the abandoned Dammasch State Hospital- Tunnels, shadows, and chilling encounters in the woods behind the centerWas it a cult? Was it a scam? Or did the grounds themselves hold something darker than money laundering? Tune in for this mix of true crime, controversy, and Pacific Northwest hauntings—only on Same Crime, Different Time.Link in bio to listen.#TrueCrimePodcast #OregonHistory #SameCrimeDifferentTime #MaryMorrissey #PNWParanormal #CultStories #HauntedOregon This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In December 1958, the Martin family vanished during a holiday outing near Hood River, Oregon. Two daughters’ bodies were found five months later. But the rest of the family, and their station wagon—disappeared into legend…Until now.This week’s episode explores: - Their final journey through the Columbia Gorge - Theories from tragic accident to possible foul play - New evidence found at the bottom of the river - And why this case still grips Oregon’s heartListen now wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio.#SameCrimeDifferentTime #MartinFamily #OregonMysteries #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #UnsolvedMystery #ColumbiaRiverGorge #HistoryPodcast #PacificNorthwestTrueCrime This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In 1942, America’s West Coast lived with the very real fear of enemy attack. Pearl Harbor was still fresh in memory, submarines had shelled the Ellwood oil fields near Santa Barbara, and blackouts were part of daily life. People who lived and worked in factories across the country, especially in the PNW, were worried.So the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers turned to an unlikely ally: Hollywood.Boeing’s Plant 2 in Seattle became “Boeing Wonderland,” a 23–26 acre rooftop neighborhood complete with plywood houses, chicken-wire shrubs, and painted streets that matched the real neighborhood across the river. The goal? Convince any bomber pilot or aerial reconnaissance photographer that nothing of importance was below.I love these stories because they sit at the intersection of creativity, fear, and survival. Ordinary people walked those fake streets every day, maintaining an illusion that quite literally helped protect the home front. It doesn't seem like it could be real. But it was.They didn’t just build factories. They built neighborhoods in the sky.Sources & further readingBoeing (Seattle) Plant 2 camouflage & “Boeing Wonderland”: HistoryLink on Boeing & Washington aerospace (notes Plant 2 camouflage); HistoryLink on South Park Bridge entry (Detlie, 26 acres, materials); 99% Invisible feature on the 23-acre fake suburb; Flying Magazine retrospective (Dec 13, 2024); Museum of Flight Plant 2 notice; Wikipedia (Plant 2) for reference trail to Seattle Times coverage. HistoryLink+199% InvisibleFLYING MagazineMuseum of FlightWikipedia Douglas Aircraft, Santa Monica (Clover Field):. Calispherelosangeles.spaceforce.mil Lockheed Burbank “Operation Camouflage”: Lockheed Martin history page; LAist longform on disguise of the airport/factory complex; Airmail feature summarizing Ohmer’s work and the 5,000-ft test. Lockheed MartinLAistAir Mail; Army Air Force official history (Air Defense of the Western Hemisphere) on perceived West Coast danger in 1942; Oregon Secretary of State archive on Japanese attacks (Ellwood shelling, balloon bombs); U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. IbiblioOregon Secretary of StateAir UniversityWillow Run background: Detroit Historical Society encyclopedia entry; The Henry Ford collection set on Willow Run; warfarehistorynetwork overview of Willow Run production. Detroit Historical SocietyThe Henry FordWarfare History Network This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In the misty wine country of Yamhill County, Oregon, lies a town with a curse—if you believe the story. It’s got classic ghost story vibes: a man hanged for murder, a grieving, defiant mother, and a string of deadly fires. Oh also, a ghost said to laugh from behind the headstones. This is the tale of Lafayette, a town once burned by tragedy and perhaps something darker.* The Murder That Sparked the Flame: Who was Richard Marple, and why did this crime matter so deeply to a tiny pioneer town?* Anna Marple’s Curse: Witch, scapegoat, or vengeful mother? What really happened at the hanging?* The Fires That Followed: Three separate infernos scorched the town. How much of the story is documented fact vs. folklore?* The Ghost in the Cemetery: A look at the firsthand accounts of hauntings and their role in local identity.* What Folklore Can Teach Us About Fear: Why we hold onto legends like these and what they reveal about how we process trauma and justice.Want to hear the full story? Listen to this week’s episode of Same Crime, Different Time on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your strange history.Sources: * Richard Marple trial & confession details Amino Apps+1hauntsofamerica.blogspot.com+1Haunted Places+15offbeatoregon.com+15Otherworld Travels+15* Hanging and curses anecdotes Amino Apps+6WikiTree+6ectolog.blogspot.com+6* Fires of 1904, 1946, folklore link* Cemetery hauntings & ghost lore Haunted Places* Anna Marple burial historyFacebook+8Otherworld Travels+8MarionTalk+8 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when faith twists into fanaticism?In this week’s episode, I dive into one of Oregon’s most bizarre and haunting true crime stories—the strange saga of Edmund Creffield, the self-proclaimed messiah who led a fiery cult known as the Brides of Christ in early 1900s Corvallis.* Tar and featherings.* Women abandoning their families.* Tragedy, murder, and madness. This case has it all—prophecy, betrayal, and a shocking ending. Tune in now to uncover the history you weren’t taught in school.#SameCrimeDifferentTime #TrueCrimePodcast #OregonHistory #HolyRollers #EdmundCreffield #CultStories #PNWTrueCrime #WomensVoices #JenChambersPodcast #StrangerThanFiction This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

In January 1924, Edward Nickols, Roy Wilson, and Dewey Morris were living the dangerous life of wilderness trappers near Little Lava Lake in Oregon's high desert. They had guns, they had experience, and they knew an escaped convict named Charles Kimzey was out there somewhere, looking for revenge.But on one winter night, someone convinced these armed, experienced men to leave their weapons behind and follow them out into the snow. What happened next was so brutal that when the ice melted in spring, the bodies told a story of close-range shotgun blasts, execution-style killings, and unimaginable violence.Kimzey was eventually caught 8 years later, but the case remains officially unsolved. Who was his accomplice? How did they lure three suspicious trappers to their deaths? And what secrets still lie buried in the Oregon wilderness? Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!#TrueCrime #PacificNorthwest #UnsolvedMystery #Oregon #1924 #SameCrimeDifferentTime #PodcastLife #TrueCrimePodcast #ColdCase #WildernessMystery #JenniferChambers This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

What if the gold rush started three years earlier… and no one noticed?In 1845, a wagon train lost in the Oregon desert made a discovery that should’ve changed history—pebbles heavy and yellow enough to “fill one of these blue buckets.” But the gold was left behind, the location forgotten… and a 175-year-old legend was born.💰 Greed. Survival. Ghost trails.🔦 Desert treasure hunts and deadly mistakes.🌵 And one massive, possibly mythical, lost gold mine.Tune in now for a wild west mystery that still drives treasure hunters into the Oregon wilderness to this day.🎙️ Link in bio🌲 #SameCrimeDifferentTime#LostTreasure #OregonMysteries #HistoricalTrueCrime #PodcastDrop #BlueBucketMine #JenChambers #WagonTrainWoes #GoldRushBeforeTheGoldRush This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Four young women. Formerly quiet Oregon towns ripped apart by tragedy. A man with a twisted obsession that led to one of the most disturbing serial killer cases in Pacific Northwest history.This week, I’m telling the story of Jerome Brudos, also known as the Lust Killer—but more importantly, I’m sharing the stories of Linda Slawson, Jan Whitney, Karen Sprinker, and Linda Salee. Their lives mattered.🕰️ 1950’s-1960’s 📍 Salem & Portland, Oregon 🎧 22 minutes of true crime history and haunting details that still echo today.🖤 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.#TrueCrimePodcast #SameCrimeDifferentTime #PacificNorthwestHistory #TrueCrimeCommunity #JeromeBrudos #SerialKillers #WomensVoices #TrueCrimeWithHeart #YourVoiceMatters #JenChambersPodcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

🎬 INTRO & OPENING “Welcome back to Same Crime, Different Time. I’m Jen Chambers. Tonight, we remember Patricia ‘Pat’ Lowther—a rising Canadian poet cut down at 40 by the very man she trusted. Her life and voice were powerful; her death sent shockwaves through Canada’s literary world. And it still resonates.”📚 Segment 1: Pat’s Early Life & Poetry “Born July 29, 1935, in Vancouver, Pat published her first poem at age ten in the Vancouver Sun . She later left school at 16 and worked in an office to support herself but continued to write. In 1968, her debut This Difficult Flowering launched her literary career—followed by The Age of the Bird in 1972, and Milk Stone in 1974 prabook.com+8en.wikipedia.org+8encyclopedia.com+8.”The Cacadian Encyclopedia says:Lowther’s first book of poetry, This Difficult Flowering (1968), was critically praised for its precise language and themes. The book explores the tensions between creating art and creating a home life and expands the themes of motherhood and the pain and pleasure of love into universal themes. In “Damn Doom,” for instance, Lowther speaks honestly of the need to create within the chaos of family:Damn doom today after daybreak our bright wisheson this work:to carve a simple beautyout of chaos.“Damn doom to day‑after‑day break our bright wishes on this work…” From This Difficult Flowering thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.In her second poetry collection, the Day of the Bird, she writs of a laundry near where Che Guevara was killed, and contrasts the laundry with hte brutality of his death:A laundry at Vallegrandea windowless shedtiled roofin front two openingsseparated only by a pillar… inside, the bodyits eyes openthe head proppedin a tense posture “She went on to co‑chair the League of Canadian Poets and taught at the University of BC’s writing department—as her feminist voice rose in both poetry and politics. At 40, she’s published her first collection of poetry, and just before she was murdered, had signed with the Oxford University Press to publish a new poetry collection. It was her third book of poetry and her first book to be signed by a major press. poetryfoundation.org+14en.wikipedia.org+14evelazarus.com+14.”🌧️ Segment 2: Domestic Shadows “Married to Roy in 1963, she had four children. Roy was also a poet and left-wing activist—but darker things lurked. Friends noted his increasing jealousy over Pat’s growing acclaim. The University of Toronto Libraries says in a article about her that “Her domestic life, however, was complicated and weighed down by poverty and unhappiness. Friends encouraged her to leave her destructive marriage, a personal revolutionary act which she was unable to complete.” .evelazarus.com.” “In September 1975, Pat vanished. She’d missed a poetry reading at Ironworkers Hall in Vancouver. A week after she was last seen, her daughter Kathy went to the police and reported her missing. When he was questioned, Roy said that she’d been having an affair with another writer who lived in Ontario, Canada, and directed police to find her there. Though police checked all ways of getting out of Vancouver, they didn’t find any evidence of her having left the area. Three weeks later, her body was discovered, badly decomposed, lodged in Furry Creek near Britannia Beach. She had been found face down in the water and submerged underneath a log. She was identified through dental records and fingerprint data.poetryfoundation.org+7evelazarus.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7.”🧱 Segment 4: The Murder & Arrest “Police found 117 blood spots on the East Vancouver home walls and a bloody mattress. Roy first tried to say that he came home and found his wife’s body naked and beaten and was worried that they’d suspect him. So he said that he then wrapped her body up and drove it to the place it was found underneath a railroad bridge, tossing it over a cliff, to get rid of it. I guess he thought it would wash out to sea and he’d be rid of the problem with her entirely.Eventually, confronted with evidence, Roy confessed he struck Pat with a hammer and disposed of her body after wrapping it in the car abcbookworld.com+1evelazarus.com+1.” He had taken both the hammer in questionand the mattress with him to another island, where he attempted to was h the mattress on both sides, and would later tell the police th at the remaining stains wete menstrual blood. “In June 1977, Roy was convicted of second‑degree murder—and sentenced to life. He died in prison in 1985 .”💔 Segment 5: Pat’s Legacy “Pat’s posthumous A Stone Diary was published by Oxford in 1977 poetryinvoice.ca+4en.wikipedia.org+4thecanadianencyclopedia.ca+4. In 1980, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award was established, honoring outstanding Canadian women poets annually montrealserai.com+12en.wikipedia.org+12evelazarus.com+12.”\ BC Studies reflected:“Her death… was a catalyst for that changing consciousness in our country… she still stands in the crucible of conflict.” capitalcurrent.ca+2bcstudies.com+2montrealserai.com+2.Her children are Christine Lowther (also a poet), Beth Lowther, and Kathy Lyons (died in 2015). Her son is Alan Domphousse.The Canadian Poetry Online service from The University of Toronto sais of her legacy that:“The loss to her family and friends is immeasurable, and the loss to Canadian literature was widely acknowledged. In The Dictionary of Canadian Biographies, Hilda Thomas suggests that Pat Lowther's death "robbed Canadian poetry of one of its most vital and visionary poets."An excellent work about Pat Lowther, the Half-Lives of Pat Lowther by Christine Wiesenthal, talks about how her sory is now an iconic one of spousal abuse in Canada. She was also one of the most iconic and catalyst-producing writers of the 1970’s, in that she wrote about feminine desire, feminine rage, and feminine power. She also was emblematic because she chased those things as a high school dropout who gained traction to be one of the most celebrated female poets in Canada.Wisenthal says the real mystery is how she became involved with Roy Lowther in the first place? Roy lowther was a literary emerging giant in the time of Pat’s emergence as well, but he was dismissed from his university and was eclipsed neatly by his wife. It’s hard not to believe that his jealousy didn’t contribute to the murder. In a review of Wisenthal’s book about Pat, Linda Rogers said about the nature of the gender politics of her work:“The third mystery is whether we would still be hearing of Pat Lowther as a poet had her husband not bashed her head in and left her broken and bleeding on a beach where he had once made love to her. The sad poignancy of her death has made Lowther a martyr for women who look, as she did, for a voice to lead them out of the wilderness.”Pat Lowther left an indelible legacy and a vulnerable reminder that women sometimes have to be on guard from the ones they love best. “This wasn’t just personal—it mirrored national shifts around women’s voices, ambitions, and safety.” “Pat Lowther’s life was full—poems, politics, parenting. Her death was brutal, at the hands of someone she loved. But her words endure—and so does her memory. If you’re moved, read her work. Share her story. Support feminist poets. There are links to Pat Lowther’s books in the show notes. I’m excited to get back into poetry. One of my other favoite female poets, is Mary Oliver, who’s transcendent Wild Geese might be the most beautiful poem I’ve ever read. It begins:You do not have to be good.You do not have to walk on your kneesfor a hundred miles through the desert repenting.You only have to let the soft animal of your bodylove what it loves.Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. https://www.best-poems.net/mary_oliver/wild_geese.htmlSo to end each episode, I thought I’d share my wins or the books I’ve been reading, and invite you guys to share your books you’ve been reading, the music or podcasts you’ve been listening to, or your wins lately too so I can spotlight you and give you a listener shout out in the next episode. Gotta close out with wins.Listener Dana Hunter Fradella wrote in with a book recommendation from a speaker she went to see recently, who recommended to her a book by Delores Cannon called Between Life and Death. “I’ve never read anything like it, and I’m here for it 100%. She’s talking to people who are hypnotized, and they’re talking about their past lives and the possibility that we choose our own deaths.” So interesting! Thank you, Dana! Go check out her podcast, Girls Who Recover; that’s Dana Hunter Fradella. And the book she mentioned is Between Life and Death by Delores Cannon.My win is that my book came out early! The Murder of Sheriff W. W. Winters and Other Eugene Cases is out now by Arcadia Press! I went to my local Barnes & Noble just to browse, and I was going to visit my books like I always do. That’s my secret thing: visiting my books at any bookstore I see them in. I saw that not only did they get it out early, they made it the Pick of the Month! So check out my books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite bookstore. I’m going to fill you in on all my book tour stuff this summer; you probably will want me to shut up about it, but it was such a nice surprise. Let me know your wins by DM on Instagram @jennifer_chambers_ or on my Substack or Facebook. I would love to hear them and give you a shout-out too. “I’m Jen Chambers. Thanks for listening to Same Crime, Different Time. Let’s keep Pat’s voice alive.”🔗 SOURCES* Cold Case Canada & Vancouver Sun poetryfoundation.org+11evelazarus.com+11capitalcurrent.ca+11* Wikipedia, Canadian Encyclopedia, ABC BookWorld en.wikipedia.org+1abcbookworld.com+1* Centretown News quotes en.wikipedia.org+3capitalcurrent.ca+3abcbookworld.com+3* Pat Lowther Award details poetryinvoice.ca+4en.wikipedia.org+4patlowther.ca+4* https://canpoetry.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/lowther/index.htm This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Same Crime, Different Time, the podcast where we dig into the eerie echoes of Pacific Northwest history. I’m your host, Jen Chambers—and today, we’re venturing deep into the Siskiyou Mountains for a case that has haunted Oregon for over 50 years. The Cowden family—two parents, two children—vanished without a trace during Labor Day weekend, 1974. Their fate? Unspeakable. Their killer? Still officially unknown.🏕️ PART 1: A Labor Day Getaway It was supposed to be a weekend away. Richard and Belinda Cowden, along with their two kids—5-year-old David and 5-month-old Melissa—headed out to Carberry Creek in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in a 1956 Ford Pickup Truck.Richard Cowden was a log truck driver, and he and his family were from White City Oregon. It was familiar territory for them. Peaceful, quiet.The last time anyone saw them alive was around 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 1st. Richard and David had walked to the Copper General Store to buy a quart of milk. They were calm. Friendly. Nothing seemed out of place. Later that day, Belinda’s mother arrived to join them for dinner. But what she found wasn’t dinner—it was dread. The family was gone. The campsite was eerily untouched—keys on the table, diaper bag and baby food inside the truck, fishing lines in the water. Their pet Basett hound, Droopy, was later found wandering alone.An article on Murderpedia says:"Belinda's mother grew concerned when the family didn't arrive as planned. She headed to their creek-side campsite and found no one there, but all their possessions remained. It was a strange sight: a plastic dishpan of cold water on the ground, truck keys, Belinda's purse, a diaper bag, and a camp stove all clearly visible on a picnic table. A half-full carton of milk bought that morning also sat on the table.Her panic escalated when she noticed Richard's expensive wristwatch and wallet (containing $21) on the ground, along with a pack of cigarettes Belinda smoked. The family truck was still there, parked on the road, with all their clothes except for their swimsuits.She immediately reported it to the police, and law enforcement quickly arrived. Lieutenant Mark Kezar, the lead investigator, later stated that the investigation was 'delayed for maybe a day' due to the initial lack of evidence of any violence. A state trooper, Officer Erickson, famously remarked, 'That camp was spooky; even the milk was still on the table.'"The chronology of hte day they disappearedwas later found to be: Richard and 5 year old son David, left the campsite to go and get some milk for hte family from the store. They apparently came backand went swimming together in a swimming hole, Carberry Creek, that was close by.The detectives thought that later that morning the whole family was kidnapped by a starnger, possibly at gunpoint. They were likely driven away from the scene.🔎 PART 2: The Search Begins Law enforcement launched one of the largest search operations in Oregon history. Volunteers, tracking dogs, helicopters, and even the National Guard combed through the mountainous terrain.Initial Investigation and Public AppealsIn the early stages of the investigation, the Oregon State Police and Jackson County Police interviewed over 150 people regarding the family's disappearance. A $2,000 reward (worth about $12,752 today) was put up for any information. With hunting season approaching, Richard Cowden's sister sent a heartfelt letter to the Medford Mail Tribune, urging hunters to be vigilant for "anything that could be connected to a man, woman, a five-year-old child, or a five-month-old baby." She even asked them to "check freshly turned piles of earth," holding onto hope but also preparing for the worst.Over two hundred citizens wrote to then-Oregon senator Mark Hatfield, pushing for the FBI to get involved. However, this request was denied because there was "no evidence that the Cowdens had been kidnapped or taken across state lines." At the time, law enforcement also tried to link the Cowden case to eight other missing women in Washington and Oregon. It was later discovered that these other disappearances were connected to serial killer Ted Bundy.Let’s hear from Detective Richard Davis, one of the original investigators.He said: “From the moment we saw that campsite, we knew something was wrong. It looked staged, almost too still. Like they’d just stepped away—but hadn’t come back. That’s when your gut tells you—this isn’t a lost person case. This is a crime.” Search teams covered 25 square miles. But it was like the family had vanished into thin air.🪦 PART 3: The Discovery Seven months later, on April 12, 1975, two gold prospectors made a grim discovery. About seven miles from the Cowden campsite, hidden in dense forest near a cave……they found the bodies.Richard’s body was discovered tied to a tree. Belinda, David, and Melissa had been hidden in a small cave, their remains covered with stones. Detective Davissaid: “I’ll never forget it. Belinda and the kids were packed into that cave like someone was trying to bury the truth. And Richard… he was left exposed, like a warning.” Autopsies later revealed that Belinda and David had been shot with a small-caliber rifle. Melissa had died from blunt force trauma. Richard’s remains were too decomposed to determine a cause of death. One intersting fact about finding them in the cave is that one of the local searchers told investigators that he’d searched that cave previously and they weren’t there, and even took them to the cave to shadow them, but his stry was proven to be true.⚖️ PART 4: A Prime Suspect As detectives pieced together the timeline, a name kept surfacing: Dwain Lee Little.A convicted murderer out on parole, Little had been in the area that weekend. He was known to carry a .22-caliber weapon—the same caliber used in the Cowden murders. And, he was senn to have bought gas very nearby on the day of hte murders.Let’s hear what Detective Davis had to say about him. He said: “He’s the kind of man who doesn’t care about people. If he wants something, he’ll take it. If he has to kill you to get it—he’ll do it without a second thought. That’s who we believe did this.”📚 PART 5: Why No Arrest? Despite mounting suspicion, no charges were ever filed against Little in connection with the Cowden case. A lack of physical evidence tied investigators' hands. Little would later return to prison for a separate rape conviction that ocurred in 1980. It was found htat Little had raped and kileld a teenage girl in 1964, and was jailed, but paroled in 1974 which left him free to kill agin. He was Still, the Cowden case remains technically unsolved.One of Little’s forger roomates at the person said that he had confessed to him for the killings, but he has never done so officailly. He remains in prison for life at this time. Some believe Little had help. Others say the forest holds secrets we’ll never uncover. But the trail runs cold… for now.🔔 PART 6: The Legacy It’s been more than fifty years, but the Cowden case continues to echo through Jackson County. A family vanished. A discovery too late. A suspect left untouched. If you know anything—if you heard stories passed down or lived near that area—law enforcement still wants to hear from you.Okay, I wanted to change the tone and bring a little more good energy into this space before we close out. I want to always treat the people we speak about and these cases with respect, and acknowledge that these are often real people with often tragic. Part of learning about these historic cases might be to get the right peropsn to hear it and bring some change to thefamilies involved.So to end each episode, I thought I’d share my wins or the books I’ve been reading, and invite you guys to share your books you’ve been reading, the music or podcasts you’ve been listening to, or your wins lately too so I can spotlight you and give you a listener shout out in the next episode. Gotta close out with wins. I have shared with you on my other show but I read a ton, no surprise. It’s my favorite entertainment. I have been deep into fantasy/romantacy books because they’re the total opposite of the true crime work I do and historical cases i dive into. So, my top three fantasy books I’ve read lately are:Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree- Super fun cozy fantasy that’s like what I imagine living in a game of Dungeons and Dragons might beStrange Practice by Vivian Shaw – a mystery series starring Dr. Greta Helsing, the doctor for the supernatural in a steampunk-y fantasy parallel to the modern worldThe Ex Hex by Erin Sterling- cozy witchy book about a professor trying to deny her witchy lineage and hte man she accidentally hexed when they broke up in their 20’sAnd my huge win is pretty big- I got cataract surgery last week! It’s funny that it’s strange to be able to see so well. I had to take a week off, and that’s why– I don’t always share personal stuff, but I want to make sure I encourage anyone who needs to hear it to take care of themselves and have that annoying surgery or appointment you’ve been putting off. Open doors for yourself by giving yourself the best care. So please, reply on my substack or on my instagram to let me know your wins or what you’ve been reading or listening to.Thank you for joining me on this chilling journey through the past. We’ll be back next week with a new story to share. Follow me at or on Instagram at @jennifer_chambers_ and please share with anyone who you think would like it. I’m Jennifer Chambers, and this is Same Crime, Different Time.Sources: "Killings still haunt Applegate Valley". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. September 3, 1990. p. A5. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2018 – via Google News. Lemon, Sarah (May 4, 2003). "Universally frustrating for police officers, family members and the community are Southern Oregon's ... UNSOLVED MURDERS". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017. Rule 2009, p. 381. "State v. Little: 241 Or. 557 (1965)". Supreme Court of Oregon. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017 – via Justia.https://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/little-dwaine.htm This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

On May 19, 1983, Diane Downs drove her wounded children to a hospital in Springfield, Oregon, claiming they were victims of a carjacking by a mysterious stranger. But as investigators dug deeper, the story twisted into something far more sinister. In this haunting episode of Same Crime, Different Time, host Jennifer Chambers revisits one of Oregon’s most infamous cases: the shocking betrayal of a mother who put her desires ahead of her children’s lives.We’ll unravel the chilling timeline of events, examine Diane’s disturbing psychological profile, and walk through the dramatic trial that captivated the nation. From eyewitness accounts to eerie interviews and deeply personal local ties, this case still sends chills through the Pacific Northwest.🔍 Listener discretion advised. This is not just true crime—it’s history with blood on its hands.Visit: jennifer-chambers.comContact: [email protected]: @scdtpod This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe

Dive into the eerie side of Oregon's past in this episode of Same Crime, Different Time. Host Jennifer Chambers explores the lives—and lingering presences—of figures like Eliza Young, the last of the Kalapuya, and the brave Sheriff W. W. Withers. From pioneering women to unsolved murders, we uncover the haunting stories that shaped the Pacific Northwest.Thanks to writer David Lewis, who has the most incredible book, The Indigenous History of the Willamette Valley, which I very much recommend, and to the researchers at Lane Community College and the University of Oregon. Most importantly, I appreciate the work done by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, who have generously shared their stories and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe