Gone Cold - Texas True Crime

In August of 1988, twenty-four-year-old Linda Flora was found brutally murdered inside her modest home on Coulson Street in northeast Houston. At first, investigators feared her thirteen-month-old son, Sam McClain Jr., known to family as Baby Sam, had been abducted. But hours into processing the crime scene, officers made a discovery so disturbing it would leave even the most seasoned detectives shaken. Baby Sam’s body was found hidden in the home. What followed was one of the most horrific homicide investigations in Houston history. As detectives dug deeper, they uncovered evidence suggesting Linda may have been attacked in her sleep, and that Baby Sam may have suffered unimaginable torture before his death. Despite exhaustive interviews, polygraphs, forensic testing, and decades of follow-up investigation, no arrests have ever been made. More than thirty years later, the murders of Linda Flora and Baby Sam McClain remain one of Houston’s most haunting unsolved cases. If you have any information about the murders of Linda Flora and Baby Sam McClain, please contact the Houston Police Department Cold Case Squad at (713) 308-3618. You can also leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477). You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #Houston #HTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In the spring of 1997, seven-year-old DaNydia “Nee-Nee” Thompson vanished just steps away from her elementary school in Killeen, Texas. What began as a confusing absence quickly escalated into a full-scale search involving family, volunteers, soldiers from nearby Fort Hood, and law enforcement across Central Texas. Witnesses reported seeing a man call DaNydia by name before carrying her away in broad daylight. Despite thousands of tips and an intensive search effort, no trace of her was found, until eight days later, when her remains were discovered in a rural ditch outside the city. Nearly three decades later, DaNydia’s case remains unsolved. Investigators believe they may know who is responsible, but the key to justice may still lie with someone who has yet to come forward. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of DaNydia Betty-Jacqueline Thompson, please contact Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForDanydiaThompson #ChildAbduction #Killeen #KilleenTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In 1971, 19-year-old Myrtle Anne Etheridge vanished from her Plano apartment complex while doing laundry; barefoot, in the cold, and gone within minutes. Days later, her body was found in a remote drainage area, bound and stabbed, left in a place meant to hide her. Her killer has never been identified. Four years later and a thousand miles away, her cousin, Paula Diane Etheridge, disappeared under eerily similar circumstances. Also last seen doing laundry, Paula was abducted in broad daylight in Okeechobee, Florida. Witnesses later described seeing a violent struggle inside a moving car. Unlike Anne’s, Paula’s case didn’t stay unsolved. Investigators quickly focused on David Ross Delap, a local man with a violent past who moved in the same circles as Paula. After hours of questioning and mounting evidence, Delap led authorities to Paula’s body. He was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death not once, but twice. Two women from the same family and the same generation. Both taken while doing something routine. One case solved and one case forgotten by the public. If you have any information about the murder of Myrtle Anne Etheridge, please contact the Plano Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit at (972) 941-2148. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForMyrtleAnneEtheridge #Plano #Dallas #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

After the murder of Giti Hariri in May 1988, her closest friend, Wendy Aldrich, struggled to move forward. What began as grief quickly turned into something deeper, drawing her back again and again to the cemetery, to the model home, and to the unanswered questions surrounding her friend’s death. But Wendy wasn’t the only one watching. Giti’s husband, Behrooz Juneghani, became convinced Wendy was responsible for the murder. He secretly monitored her visits, planted recording devices at the gravesite, and even hired a private investigator to get close to her, none of it producing evidence, but all of it adding tension to an already fractured story. Then, on July 31, 1988, Wendy disappeared. She was last seen buying flowers and a balloon before heading to Giti’s grave. She never returned home. Days later, her car was found abandoned more than 100 miles away at Lake Livingston State Park, her belongings still inside, but no sign of Wendy. What followed only deepened the mystery. Strange phone calls to her apartment. Accusations without evidence. A growing list of unanswered questions. Nearly two months later, partial remains discovered at Lake Somerville were believed to be Wendy’s. Without a full body, investigators could not determine how she died, leaving her case, like Giti’s, without resolution. Two women. Close friends. Killed within months of each other. And decades later, no clear answers tying their deaths together, or separating them. Their stories remain linked not by proof, but by the same unresolved question: what really happened in the summer of 1988? Part 2 of 2. If you have any information about the murder of Wendy Aldrich, please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForWendy Aldrich #Houston #HarrisCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In the 1980s, Texas was expanding fast, and real estate agents were often left working alone, opening doors for strangers in empty homes. Across the state, a quiet pattern began to form: women in the industry attacked and killed during routine showings, each case treated as isolated, none connected in time. From the brutal 1981 murder of Virginia “Ginger” Freeman in Brazos County to the 1983 execution-style killings at a Houston real estate office, to the 1987 murder of Betty Jo Hudson in Galveston and the stabbing of Esther Darlene Collins in west Harris County, the list of victims continued to grow. By the end of the decade, another name was added. Giti Hariri, a 27-year-old Iranian immigrant and chemical engineering graduate, was working alone in a model home in northwest Harris County when she was stabbed to death on May 11, 1988. The scene showed no forced entry, no clear motive, and only a missing purse. Despite early investigative efforts, her case quickly went cold. At the center of Giti’s life was her closest friend, Wendy Aldrich, a bond that began as college roommates and endured through years of change, relocation, and adulthood. In the aftermath of Giti’s murder, Wendy’s grief became all-consuming, pulling her deeper into the place where her friend had died. What began as loss would soon become something far more unsettling. Because Giti’s story doesn’t end with her death. And neither does Wendy’s. Part 1 of 2. If you have any information about the murder of Giti Harari, please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForGitiHarari #Houston #HarrisCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

As the search for 8-year-old Kim Nguyen continued a week after his disappearance, the Garland Police still coordinated the efforts but had begun concentrating on the investigation. After releasing a lead that likely would have borne better results had it been released the day Kim went missing, the very day the information was made public in fact, the unthinkable happened. The boy’s body was found many miles away in the neighboring city of Mesquite. The cops never got close to making an arrest. Part 2 of 2. If you have any information about the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Kim Nguyen, please call the Garland Police at (972) 485-4840 You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast Dallas Morning News, and WFAA Channel 8 News were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForKimNuyen #Garland #GarlandTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

On July 18th, 1993, 8-year-old Kim Nguyen woke up in a good, particularly playful mood. After wrestling around with his older brother some, Kim entered the living room of the Nguyen Family home in Garland, Texas and flipped on the television. When his father came to check on him at about 7 AM, however, there was no trace of the little boy, not inside the house or outside. They called the police and informed them that Kim was gone and that there was a detail that might make finding him more difficult than a lot of children. Kim was autistic and chose not to verbally communicate the vast majority of the time. Word got around the boy’s working-class neighborhood fast, and lots of folks showed up to help search. But after the first several days, no sign of the boy could be found. Almost no sign. If you have any information about the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Kim Nguyen, please call the Garland Police at (972) 485-4840 Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast Dallas Morning News, and WFAA Channel 8 News were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForKimNguyen #Garland #GarlandTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

The 1994 trial of Michael Nawee Blair for the abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Nicole Estell was fought hard by both sides. Though the prosecution came out victorious, and justice seemed to have been served upon Blair’s conviction, it was stripped away years later, when the decision was overturned. Is Michael Blair truly innocent and one of the other two strong suspects responsible for the heinous and unforgivable act? Or did Blair get away with Ashley’s slaying? Even though justice has yet to be realized, Ashley’s legacy had undoubtedly lived on and helped prevent pother children from falling victim to depraved people who might mean them harm. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, that’s 713-222-8477. You can remain completely anonymous You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast CrimeInCharlotte.com, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, D Magazine, and The Plano Star-Courier were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

While the Plano Police investigated the abduction and death of 7-year-old Ashley Estell, a strange man with a pertinent criminal history made himself a suspect. Unbeknownst to the grieving and angry residents of the suburb city, along with the rest of North Texas, the cops were building a case against 23-year-old Dallas carpet cleaner and convicted child molester Michael Nawee Blair. When the arrest came 6 days after Ashley was slain, residents were shocked – but upon learning of the man’s disturbing criminal past and his early release from prison, the public’s shock turned to outrage and a campaign against the practices of the Texas justice system got underway. Part 2 of 3. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, that’s 713-222-8477. You can remain completely anonymous You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, KXAS TV, and Robert Riggs’ WFAA Channel 8 News Reporting were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

The abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Nicole Estell sent shockwaves through Plano, Texas, a Dallas suburban outlier. Crime in the community in 1993 was extremely rare, particularly crime of such violence against a child as the one against Ashley. It changed everything in Plano, and the shockwaves were felt throughout the North Texas Region if not the entire state. The investigation, at first, was going nowhere and the public feared for the safety of their children. Part 1 of 2. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Ashley Nicole Estell, please contact Texas Crime stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS, or 713-222-8477 You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast The Austin Minnesota Daily Herald, The Dallas Morning News, and Robert Riggs’ WFAA Channel 8 News Reporting were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForAshleyEstell #TrueCrime #Plano #PlanoTX #Dallas #DallasTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

On May 27, 1995, 41-year-old Carolyn Kolas left her Midland home for one of her regular morning walks and never returned. A few hours later, her body was found in an alley off West Ohio Avenue, just blocks from home. She had been brutally attacked in a case that shocked Midland, not only for its violence, but because Carolyn had been taken while doing something so ordinary and so familiar. It left an entire neighborhood unsettled. Carolyn was a wife, a mother of two, a student, and a woman in the middle of changing her life. After serious health concerns, she had quit smoking, lost a significant amount of weight, and committed herself to a strict walking routine while working toward becoming a certified nurse’s aide. But as investigators searched for the person who killed her, the case grew more complicated. Early attention focused on the possibility of a stranger attack. Later, police publicly identified her husband, Daniel Kolas, as their prime suspect. Still, despite reward offers, grand jury review, and years of unanswered questions, no one was ever charged. Three decades later, Carolyn Kolas’s murder remains unsolved, a case shaped by missing evidence, shifting suspicion, and the lingering hope that someone, somewhere, still holds the piece that could finally bring answers. If you have any information about the murder of Carolyn Glynn Kolas, please contact Midland Crime Stoppers at (432)694-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForCarolynKolas #Midland #MidlandCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In January 1989, 43-year-old Thomas Charles Hammerton was found stabbed to death on a quiet street in Houston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, near the city’s Montrose district. Hammerton had moved to Houston from Youngstown, Ohio, seeking a place where he could live more openly and freely in one of the city’s most vibrant LGBTQ+ communities. But his murder came at a time when organized skinhead groups and hate-motivated violence were spreading across the United States. In Houston, reports of harassment and attacks by neo-Nazi skinheads had already begun to surface in Montrose and surrounding neighborhoods. Investigators eventually identified a self-described skinhead as a prime suspect during a narcotics raid that uncovered drugs and multiple knives believed to be consistent with the weapon used in the killing. Despite the discovery, no homicide charges were ever filed. Nearly four decades later, the murder of Thomas Charles Hammerton remains unsolved. If you have any information about the murder of Thomas Charles Hammerton, please call Texas Crime Stoppers at (800) 252-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForThomasHammerton #Houston #HarrisCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In November 1986, 24-year-old June Carpenter Gilkerson left her Midland home to meet a probationer she supervised at the Midland County Restitution Center. She never returned. Her blue Honda Civic was found abandoned at a Best Western near Interstate 20, purse and belongings still inside. Evidence quickly pointed to probationer David Russell Alderink and Midland library custodian Kenneth Wayne Parker, who had discussed abducting women for profit. Alderink later admitted helping set up June’s abduction, claiming Parker carried out the attack. Investigators uncovered physical evidence, contradictory alibis, and recorded conversations between the men. Though June’s body was never recovered, Parker was convicted in federal court of conspiracy to kidnap and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Alderink received 20 years after pleading guilty to aggravated kidnapping. Nearly four decades later, June Gilkerson has never been found. If you have any information about the disappearance of June Gilkerson, please contact the Midland Police Department at (432) 685-7108. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JuneGilkerson #Midland #MidlandCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In February 1999, fifteen-year-old Sonya Christene Wallace left her mother’s home in Rockdale, Texas to walk four blocks to the post office. She left around 5:30 p.m. She never came back. Initially labeled a runaway by local authorities, Sonya’s disappearance received little urgency. Her family insisted that something was wrong. Weeks passed without answers. On March 14, 1999, a rancher discovered the body of a teenage girl beneath a bridge in southeastern Williamson County, close to the Lee County line. The remains were badly decomposed. DNA testing later confirmed it was Sonya Wallace. Her death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators believed Sonya was killed elsewhere and her body transported to the creek bed where she was found, approximately 25 miles from where she disappeared. Evidence collected included her clothing and soda bottles from the scene. Detectives stated early on they believed Sonya likely knew her killer. A previous case involving two young men who had been arrested months earlier in connection with inappropriate contact with Sonya surfaced during the investigation. One was incarcerated at the time of her death. The other had been released from jail just eleven days before she vanished. No arrests were ever made in Sonya’s murder. Over the years, investigators conducted between 150 and 200 interviews. Crime Stoppers rewards were offered. Sonya’s father created a website dedicated to her memory, hoping someone would come forward. In 2017, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office established a Cold Case Unit. Sonya’s case was reopened and reexamined from the beginning. Detectives retested evidence using modern DNA techniques and reinterviewed hundreds of people connected to her life. Investigators now believe she may have been planning to meet someone the night she disappeared, and they have stated there is no evidence she ever reached the post office. More than two and a half decades later, Sonya Wallace’s murder remains unsolved. If you have information about the murder of Sonya Christene Wallace, please call the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at (512) 943-5204. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForSonyaWallace #Rockdale #MilamCounty #WilliamsonCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

On the night of January 28, 2006, 28-year-old Amber Lyn Smith was last seen at her home in the 1300 block of Aldama Street in Seguin, Texas. She was gone, but her purse, identification, and vehicle were still there. Her two young sons, just four years old and one month old, were asleep inside. Amber’s disappearance launched one of the largest searches in Guadalupe County history. Local police, Texas Rangers, DPS Crime Lab personnel, K-9 units, volunteers, and later Texas EquuSearch combed fields and vacant properties in and around Seguin. Helicopters, drones, mounted teams, and sonar-equipped boats were used. No sign of Amber was found. On February 16, 2006, a Texas Department of Transportation worker discovered a badly decomposed body beneath a bridge at FM 725 and Grove Lane, roughly ten miles from Amber’s home. Distinctive tattoos helped confirm the remains were hers. The autopsy listed the cause of death as undetermined due to decomposition, but investigators stated she had not arrived there on her own. In March 2006, a justice of the peace ruled her death a homicide. No one has ever been charged. Nearly two decades later, the case remains open. If you have any information about the murder of Amber Lyn Smith in Seguin, please contact Texas Crime Stoppers at (800) 252-8477. Get your GIRL SCOUT COOKIES here: https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/alice241168 You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForAmberLynSmith #Seguin #GuadalupeCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

On Christmas Eve 2015, 71-year-old Schertz businessman Henry Manuel Gutierrez, Jr. was found shot multiple times inside his home along FM 3009, near the yard of his company, Bexar Waste. His son discovered him seated in a recliner, partially covered by a blanket, in what investigators described as an execution-style killing. Henry was in the midst of negotiating the multimillion-dollar sale of Bexar Waste to Republic Services at the time of his death. His estate was valued at approximately $14.6 million. An active civil lawsuit alleging a handshake agreement over future sale proceeds added financial tension to an already complex landscape. The home appeared rummaged through. Missing items included cash, his wallet, several Christmas gift cards, a distinctive sterling silver ring, and his white Ford Expedition, later recovered in San Marcos without usable forensic evidence. Some of the stolen gift cards surfaced in Houston days later. Investigators collected shell casings, an unknown fingerprint, and DNA, but no public forensic link has tied any suspect to the crime. Questions arose about the early handling of the scene and the delayed involvement of the Texas Rangers. Over the years, police interviewed roughly 100 individuals connected to Henry’s business and personal life. Persons of interest have been identified but not publicly named. In 2022, the case was officially designated a cold case. In 2024, authorities announced a new person of interest developed through renewed investigation efforts. As of the tenth anniversary in 2025, no arrests have been made, and a reward remains active. If you have any information about the murder of Henry Manuel Gutierrez Jr., please call the Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers at (877) 403-8477. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForHenryGutierrezJr #Schertz #GuadalupeCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

On a narrow stretch of School Road in Austin County, Texas, a small turquoise-and-white trailer sat in the middle of the Raccoon Bend oil field, just miles from the Brazos River. It belonged to 86-year-old Will Stetenpohl — a quiet widower known to everyone simply as “Mr. Will.” He lived simply, kept cash in his pockets instead of banks, left his doors unlocked, and trusted the people around him. Almost every day, Mr. Will’s daughter Bernice Schiller and her husband Aldon brought him lunch, washed his dishes, and made sure he ate something better than the canned food he preferred. Often, their neighbor Ray Treat Paine — a fellow cattleman and close friend of more than 40 years — would stop by too. On Thursday morning, November 14, 1996, all four of them were inside that small trailer, doing what they always did. By early afternoon, they would all be dead. When Bernice and Aldon failed to arrive for a doctor’s appointment in Conroe that afternoon, their daughter Sandra grew worried. Calls were made. Family members drove past the trailer and saw the Schillers’ pickup still parked outside. Something wasn’t right. Wendy Lamp, Bernice’s other daughter, called the sheriff’s office for a welfare check — but deputies couldn’t even find the trailer on the winding oil-field back roads. As daylight faded, Wendy sent her husband and brother to look for them themselves. What they found inside the darkened trailer was beyond anything Austin County had ever seen. In the tiny back bedroom, the bodies of Will Stetenpohl, Bernice Schiller, Aldon Schiller, and Ray Paine were piled on top of each other, soaked in blood, shot at close range with a shotgun. Why did someone slaughter an old man, his daughter, his son-in-law, and his best friend in the middle of the day… in a place where nothing like that had ever happened before? If you have any information about the murders of Will Stetenpohl, Bernice and Aldon Schiller, and Ray Paine, contact the Austin County Sheriff’s Office at (979) 865-3111. Get your GIRL SCOUT COOKIES here: https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/alice241168 You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #Justice #RaccoonBend #Bellville #Houston #AustinCounty #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In August 2004, 21-year-old Katara Deboise Johnson finished her shift as an assistant manager at Taco Bell in Taylor, Texas, and drove home to her mobile home on North Dolan Street. By the following evening, her grandmother would discover her shot to death inside her bedroom. Her car was missing. Her cell phone was gone. Hours after her death, someone answered her phone and claimed to be Katara before laughter echoed in the background and the call disconnected. Her maroon Mitsubishi Lancer was later found abandoned at the Thorndale Community Pool in neighboring Milam County, miles from her home. No weapon was recovered. No signs of forced entry were reported. More than 50 people were interviewed. Polygraphs were administered. The Texas Rangers and Department of Public Safety assisted. Still, no arrests have been made. In the months that followed, frustration grew. Family members publicly questioned whether enough resources were being devoted to the case. The NAACP launched its own inquiry. Katara’s sister Kenyatta revealed she had been questioned as a possible suspect, something she strongly denied. Police have never publicly named a suspect. Years passed. Her mother died in 2012 without answers. In 2019, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation. Authorities now believe more than one person may know what happened that night, particularly how Katara’s car ended up in Thorndale. If you have any information about the murder of Katara Debois Johnson, please contact Texas Crime Stoppers at (800) 346-3243. You can support Gone Cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow Gone Cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast #JusticeForKataraJohnson #Taylor #WilliamsonCounty #WilCo #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In the final installment of the Amber Hagerman series: the Amber Hagerman Taskforce disbands. Detective Jim Ford and Sgt. Mark Simpson follow leads out of state, one that has a connection to Berlin, Germany. Amber’s mother Donna Whitson, Brother Ricky. And Father Richard Hagerman struggle to come to terms with the 9-year-old’s senseless and violent death. The legacy left after the tragic death of another little girl, 7-year-old Athen Strand, adds strength to the Amber Alert system in Texas. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Amber Rene Hagerman, please call the Arlington Police at (817)459-5772. You can also submit a tip by texting 847411 and typing ArlingtonPD (no spaces) first, followed by a space and your information. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, please call Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at (817)469-8477 If your child is struggling with the loss of a loved one and you’re in North Texas, The WARM Place provides a safe, compassionate space for grieving children and their families. Go to thewarmplace.org for more information. You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, and court appeal documents were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForAmberHagerman #AmberAlert #AmberHagerman #Arlington #ArlingtonTX #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

In 1999, another abduction rocked North Texas when 6-year-old Opal Jo Jennings was snatched in broad daylight as she played with other children in a field next to her house. The similarities were striking, and police in Arlington thought they had their man. In 2007, in Tacoma Washington, a twisted child rapist was exposed when he murdered one of his victims, and his ties to Fort Worth, Texas put him on the persons of interest list in the Amber Hagerman case. The following year, police in Dickinson, Texas renew an investigation from 1990 in which the victim, left for dead, survived. In 2009, her would-be killer was identified and arrested. It’s unclear if this suspect was ever investigated for the 1996 murder of 9-year-old Amber Rene Hagerman, or if the survivor’s case was even compared at all. Part 6 of 7. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Amber Rene Hagerman, please call the Arlington Police at (817)459-5772. You can also submit a tip by texting 847411 and typing ArlingtonPD (no spaces) first, followed by a space and your information. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, please call Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at (817)469-8477 You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us at https://www.gonecold.com For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, and court appeal documents were used as sources for this episode. #JusticeForAmberHagerman #AmberAlert #AmberHagerman #Arlington #ArlingtonTX #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Kidnapping #Abduction #Unsolved #Murder #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.