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Its summer of 1990, a thirteen-year-old Texas girl named Deanna is doing her best, living in a difficult situation but also trying to just be a regular teenage girl. One night, she sneaks out of the house to visit her twin sister, who is staying with a relative. They chat for a bit before the relative wakes up and tells her to head back home. But Deanna would never make it back home that night. Her case has a lot of problems – including that its had various times where it hasn’t been investigated at all. Its also had a lot of red herrings – distractions that remain prevalent in the narrative that the public hears. In this episode, I’m joined by Deanna’s younger sister Melissa, the person who is working so hard to push her case forward – and she wants to set the record straight so that people are focusing on the right things moving forward. The pieces that could help bring her and her family long awaited answers.

A HUGE thank you to Melissa for joining me for this episode and sharing her sister's story.

TIPS: 254-501-8885 or nholtzclaw@killeentexas.gov

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Podcast to check out: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unsolved-couple/id1765628508

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353559/#:~:text=That%20is%2C%20the%20rate%20of,)%20%3D%204.32%2C%20p%20%3D%20.

https://gould.usc.edu/news/law-school-study-finds-abused-children-often-recant-claims/

https://charleyproject.org/case/deanna-michelle-merryfield

https://www.kcentv.com/video/news/crime/500-33d492bb-4029-4bf0-b4c2-cdf403901137

https://www.instagram.com/simplertimecrimepod/?hl=en

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July 1986 - Silver Spring, Maryland. – A nineteen-year-old black man named Keith Warren heads out for an evening and never returns home. Two days later, he is found hanging from a tree in a wooded area behind an apartment complex. From the moment law enforcement arrived at the scene, everything was egregiously mishandled, and Keith’s case was abruptly ruled as a suicide and closed. As time went on more and more things surfaced that made Keith’s loved ones suspicious of those he was hanging around as well as with and the people in uniform in Montgomery County. Everything came to a head nearly six years after Keith’s death, on what would have been his 25th birthday. An envelope was left on Keith’s mother’s doorstep, and its contents would shake up everything in the case. In it were photos of Keith on that tree and nothing matched the narrative that had been shared by law enforcement. Paired with the photos was an ominous warning about another local man tied to the case, who would die in suspicious fashion not long after. Keith’s mother spent the rest of her life searching for answers and accountability in Keith’s case, and after her death, Keith’s sister Sherri picked up the torch and has carried it ever since. Sherri graciously joined me for an interview in today’s episode to discuss where things stand today and what she still hopes to be done.

A huge thank you to Sherri Warren!! I couldn't have done this episode without your interview and your availability for my follow-up questions. I still want to grab that drink next time I'm in town!

Uprooted Docuseries: https://www.discoveryplus.com/shows/uprooted/b97b3b66-cad3-4af0-9760-3a84e1ed6063?reason=anonymous&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.discoveryplus.com%2Fshow%2Fb97b3b66-cad3-4af0-9760-3a84e1ed6063

Sherri's Book: https://a.co/d/fXCVqma

The Keith Warren Justice Foundation: https://thekeithwarrenjusticefoundation.org/

The Keith Warren Justice Site: https://www.thekeithwarrenjusticesite.com/

Sherri's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justice4keith?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

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In January of 1981, an Oklahoma woman is celebrating her 21st birthday. She kisses her husband goodbye that morning as he heads to school, and she tells him that she plans to run errands, have lunch with a friend, and have a quiet dinner in with him that evening. She talks to friends and family that morning who call to wish her a Happy Birthday, but she stops responding in the early afternoon. When her husband comes home, he walks into a nightmare. Despite the brutality of her murder, motive could not be established and the case seemed to be a random and senseless act of violence. At the time of this recording, 44 years have gone by since that fateful day and two very random clues could hold the key to solving the case.

TIPS: 800-522-8017 or write to tips@osbi.ok.gov with any information you may have

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Sources (more on newspapers.com - limited by character allowance in show notes - check out username asimplertimetruecrime for more)

https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/mystery-remains-over-four-decades-after-the-murder-of-oklahoma-college-student
https://oklahoma.gov/osbi/services/investigative-services-division/cold-case-files/cold-cases/cold-case-files-n-o.html
https://people.com/crime/tracey-neilson-cold-case-murder-husband/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65142250/tracey_diane-neilson
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/06/us/oklahoma-cold-case/index.html
https://www.krmg.com/news/local/100-000-reward-offered-for-cold-case-murder-student/GrTM9gfNeTsOUxJDLuZ9jP/
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/could-missing-key-chain-be-key-solving-travey-neilsons-murder-n394676
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-new-evidence-2015/169667869/
https://www.normantranscript.com/news/osbi-seeking-help-in-moore-cold-case/article_a8376f1c-9541-11e4-9b06-c3abc8b293c6.html
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sapulpa-daily-herald-osbi-eyes-ou-death/169693884/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sapulpa-daily-herald-type-of-knife-known/169693974/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/abilene-reporter-news-baf

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On an ordinary winter day in January of 2001, a sixty-eight year old woman set off on a hike with three others. Shortly into the trail, she decided she wasn’t up for the hike and turned around to go back to the park’s lodge area while the other’s carried on to the destination. When the others returned, there was no sign of her, and there hasn’t been ever since. Besides her hiking partners, nobody can confirm she was actually in the park that day. The mysterious nature of her disappearance has led to multiple theories, but to this day none of them have produced any answers.

TIPS: Polk County Sheriff's Office 501-394-2511

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Sources:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-star-plane-crash/168928893/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/batesville-guard-search-called-off-tuesd/168881008/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-initial-search/168880971/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/paragould-daily-press-ross-perot-article/168880513/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-billionaire-involved-in-search/168880462/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-mysterious-disappearance/168880348/

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/tag/Gloria+White+Moore+McDonald+missing

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arkansas/lovers-leap-trail

https://www.instagram.com/simplertimecrimepod/?hl=en

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TW: Mention of sexual abuse towards a minor

If you walked around the Jordan Heights Neighborhood of Allentown, PA in early 1984, you might bump into a cute little seven-year-old boy. If you did, the 44 lb elementary school student with light brown hair and sweet blue eyes would likely say to you something like this: “Hi, I’m Louis. Let’s be friends!” A stranger to nobody, Louis was a free spirit who walked around his neighborhood like the mayor, often chatting up adults instead of playing with his peers.
While Louis should have been safe to do so in his busy urban neighborhood, things took a dark turn when Louis reported that he had been sexually abused by a couple, who he only knew by their first names. According to Louis, they threatened to make him disappear if he ever told anybody. And then, sure enough, months later he was gone.

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Sources (more on newspapers.com - limited by character allowance in show notes - check out username asimplertimetruecrime for more)

A Huge Thank You to local paper The Morning Call for the bulk of this research

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-25-years-page-2/168565689/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-25-years-missing/168565424/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-20-years-page-2/168565316/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-6-year-mark-with-refere/168562687/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-18th-bday/168562474/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-the-daily-news-detailed-missing-p/168562059/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-drugs-plague-neighborho/168561928/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-billboards/168561576/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-foreclosure/168561522/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-enterprise-photo-cartons/168561291/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-louis-stockholm-syndr/168561112/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-thurston-trucks/168561009/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-more-on-riggs-scandal-p/168559371/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-riggs-strange-search/168559332/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-second-1988-riggs-artic/168558805/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-riggs-article-1988/168558645/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-birthday/168539548/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-detailed-article-about/168389450/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-page-1-of-detailed-loui/168389582/

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In January of 2002, a group of four land surveyors were working in a lightly wooded area in Harris County Georgia. According to the crew, they were all walking in the same direction about 50 feet apart and carrying on conversation. A 20 year old named Christopher was last in the vertical line and the third person in line asked Christopher a question and got no answer. When he turned around he was gone. The search for Christopher provided confusing and concerning clues, but despite the direction those clues pointed in, law enforcement theories were – well, interesting, I’ll say.
The GBI is investigating this case, and with a never-ending push from his family as well as civil-rights groups and activists, its time his case get answers.

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Sources (more on newspapers.com under username asimplertimecrimepod)

https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article28986784.html

https://www.wrbl.com/news/vigil-for-man-missing-since-2002/

https://medium.com/bizarre-unsolved-cases/the-strange-disappearance-of-christopher-thompkins-f6320543033b

https://discover.hubpages.com/politics/The-Mysterious-Disappearance-of-Christopher-Thompkins

https://gbi.georgia.gov/cases/missing-persons/christopher-thompkins

https://southernstrange.com/2024/09/30/christopher-thompkins-gone-without-a-sound/

https://www.wtvm.com/2023/07/19/20-years-later-family-officials-continue-search-answers-disappearance-harris-co-man/

https://web.archive.org/web/20201111232151/http://exit9.news/2019/03/14/christopher-thompkins-part-ii-following-the-clues/

https://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-carlton-thompkins

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-christopher-carlton-thom/168095865/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-protest-for-thompson/168096832/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-no-longer-housekeeper/168096942/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-part-2-protest-article/168097086/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-2004-protest/168097176/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-2009-possible-john-doe/168097813/

https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/fa

https://www.instagram.com/simplertimecrimepod/?hl=en

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On an early Wednesday morning in 1992, a husband and father called home to check in on his family. His wife was typically on her own in the morning, managing the routine of caring for their preschooler while getting their elementary-aged son up and moving and out the door while he was at work. Appreciating that she had her hands full, he liked to call to make sure the older boy was getting out of bed and on the bus okay. His first call went unanswered, which he found odd but he dismissed his worry. But the feeling just nagged at him, so a little while later he called back. This time someone did answer, but the voice on the other end wasn’t his wife. It was the voice of a three year old who simply said “Mommy’s bleeding.”
Those two words would jumpstart an investigation into one of the most gruesome and senseless murders the area has ever seen. Despite the circumstances, the case is hugely underreported on. Luckily, the DNA evidence means this case could soon be solved.

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It was an ordinary October day in 1978, and a utility worker named Steve was laying cable on a remote highway in Lyon County, Iowa. Just a short distance off the road he spotted what he thought was a mannequin. But as he got closer, he soon realized that he had come across something far worse. It was the partially clothed body of a dead woman, and it appeared she had been there for a while. It would take 27 years for this woman to get her name back: Wilma June Nissen. Identifying her would open the pages to Wilma’s story – chapters upon chapters of more tragedy and hardship than most people face in a whole long life. But Wilma experienced it all before she ended up dead in that ditch at just 23 years old. There are pages still missing from her book – and her daughter is now trying to find them, to learn her mother’s full story, and to fight for justice for a woman she never got the chance to know.

TIPS: Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-472-8300. Or The Cold Case Coalition tip line (385) 258-3313.

Contact Krissi: Justice4Wilma@aol.com

Krissi is also searching for a Michael Hart born in 1974.

Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com
IG: @simplertimecrimepod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1
Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/

Sources (All cannot be listed due to character limitations, please visit full list of newspapers.com articles under public username asimplertimetruecrime)

https://seasonofjustice.org/featured/wilma-june-nissen/

https://www.keloland.com/cold-cases/iowa-cold-case-waiting-on-technology-to-be-solved/

https://www.nwestiowa.com/news/new-lead-for-lyon-county-cold-case/article_31e9c062-1961-11e6-a014-53443c67e206.html
https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/wilma-june-nissen/

https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/suspect-photo-released-in-1978-murder-case/?fbclid=IwY2xjawItgSNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHeiVUHVD3cEgJV0nK_Ca3JX3Hshi_7A2YLRGbygObGptnnRIFSI91kIDNg_aem_zVades0xFSx45FtPB8G2CA

https://www.dglobe.com/news/nissens-daughter-named

https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2021/02/14/the-murder-of-wilma-june-nissen/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213424001030#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20Abuse%20(aOR%205.38,with%20greater%20sexual%20risk%2Dtaking.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014521342030123X

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal-exhumation/166959074/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-

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