The Trail Went Cold

…1 historic steam train……9 exceptional true crime podcasts……9 tales woven with the spirit of Women’s Day……Will YOU unravel the mysteries aboard?
This International Women’s Day, join Shane Waters and Wendy Cee on an unprecedented journey through the heart of England to Crimecon UK in London. “Mysteries on the True Crime Express” is not just a podcast episode; it’s an immersive voyage into the depths of true crime, history, and the indomitable spirit of women.
Aboard this old-world locomotive, you’ll encounter the hosts of 9 distinguished true crime podcasts, including Robin Warder of “The Trail Went Cold”. Each host presents a captivating story that not only chills the spine but also illuminates the historical essence of Women’s Day. From the comfort of Shane and Wendy’s compartment to the lively ambiance of the dining car, each tale unfolds in a unique setting on the train, adding layers of intrigue and ambiance to this auditory experience.
So, secure your ticket and settle into your seat……but be forewarned……the journey ahead is filled with twists and turns.
Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance:
Deep Dark Secrets (https://www.deepdarksecretspodcast.com/)
The Trail Went Cold (https://www.trailwentcold.com/)
The Cult Vault (https://www.cultvaultpodcast.com/)
Extinguished (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/extinguished/id1711608332)
Once Upon a Crime (https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/)
True Crime and Wine with Sherrilyn Dale (https://open.spotify.com/show/6zDVtsctjbO1OWeeL3iXXN)
Defense Diaries (https://defensediaries.com/)
Dip in and Out with Lucy (podcasts)
Foul Play: Crime Series (https://www.itsfoulplay.com/)

Since “The Trail Went Cold” originally launched in February 2016, we have featured over 400 cold cases on the podcast, a number of which have wound up being solved or experiencing major developments. As a result, we have released a total of five special “update” episodes, but even though our last one came out just over two months ago, there have been a number of new updates since the start of 2024. On this particular episode, we’ll be discussing major developments in the 1970 disappearance of Donna Lass, the 1985 murder of Dexter Stefonek, the 1988 murder of Byron Carr, and the 1945 disappearance of Mary Jane Vangilder.
Here are the links to our four previous “update” episodes:
https://www.trailwentcold.com/2020/01/01/the-trail-went-cold-episode-155-update/
https://www.trailwentcold.com/2021/12/29/the-trail-went-cold-episode-257-update-part-2/
https://www.trailwentcold.com/2023/01/04/the-trail-went-cold-episode-310-update-part-3/
https://www.trailwentcold.com/2023/12/27/the-trail-went-cold-episode-359-update-part-4/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro

June 9, 1959. Clinton, Ontario. After failing to return home, 12-year old Lynne Harper is reported missing and her body is discovered in a woodlot two days later. She has been sexually assaulted and strangled to death with her own blouse and suspicion turns towards her 14-year old classmate, Steven Truscott, who claims that he gave Lynne a ride to the highway on his bicycle and saw her climb into a passing car. Steven is soon charged, convicted and sentenced to death for Lynne’s murder, but his sentence is commuted to life imprisonment and he is paroled in 1969. Decades later, Steven files a successful appeal to have his conviction overturned, but there is still a lot of debate about who was actually responsible for Lynne Harper’s murder. Last week, we released Part One of our special eight-year anniversary episode of “The Trail Went Cold” about one of the most controversial murder cases in the history of Canada. This week, in Part Two, we will share the rest of the story before breaking down and analyzing all the details about the crime.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Truscott
“Until You Are Dead: The Wrongful Conviction of Steven Truscott”
“Steven Truscott: Decades of Injustice” by Nate Hendley
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/index.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/timeline.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/01/29/can_science_clear_truscott.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/court-acquits-truscott-calling-conviction-miscarriage-of-justice-1.668524
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/victim-s-family-stunned-by-truscott-compensation-1.747261
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/who-killed-lynne-harper-retired-opp-sergeant-says-travelling-salesman-a-suspect-in-string-of-murders
https://web.archive.org/web/20070401115048/http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/ccr/kaufman/exec.html
If you would like to make a donation to “Season of Justice”, please visit our donation page at https://givebutter.com/SOJ_thetrail or text “TRAIL24” to # 53555.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon” in Nashville on May 31-June 2, 2024 and “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

June 9, 1959. Clinton, Ontario. After failing to return home, 12-year old Lynne Harper is reported missing and her body is discovered in a woodlot two days later. She has been sexually assaulted and strangled to death with her own blouse and suspicion turns towards her 14-year old classmate, Steven Truscott, who claims that he gave Lynne a ride to the highway on his bicycle and saw her climb into a passing car. Steven is soon charged, convicted and sentenced to death for Lynne’s murder, but his sentence is commuted to life imprisonment and he is paroled in 1969. Decades later, Steven files a successful appeal to have his conviction overturned, but there is still a lot of debate about who was actually responsible for Lynne Harper’s murder. To commemorate the eight-year anniversary of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be releasing the first part of a special two-part episode about one of the most controversial murder cases in the history of Canada. Special thanks to listener Sarah Browning for narrating the opening of this episode.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Truscott
“Until You Are Dead: The Wrongful Conviction of Steven Truscott”
“Steven Truscott: Decades of Injustice” by Nate Hendley
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/index.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/truscott/timeline.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/01/29/can_science_clear_truscott.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/court-acquits-truscott-calling-conviction-miscarriage-of-justice-1.668524
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/victim-s-family-stunned-by-truscott-compensation-1.747261
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/who-killed-lynne-harper-retired-opp-sergeant-says-travelling-salesman-a-suspect-in-string-of-murders
https://web.archive.org/web/20070401115048/http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/ccr/kaufman/exec.html
If you would like to make a donation to “Season of Justice”, please visit our donation page at https://givebutter.com/SOJ_thetrail or text “TRAIL24” to # 53555.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

February 13, 2001. Bogota, New Jersey. The husband of 42-year old Patricia Viola returns home to discover that she has vanished and left all of her personal belongings behind. Prior to her disappearance, Patricia had been experiencing a lot of stress in her life and hinted to her best friend that she had something very important to get off her chest. One year later, a severed foot is found washed up on a beach 45 miles from Patricia’s residence. While DNA testing eventually confirms that the foot belongs to Patricia, the rest of her remains are never found and there is no explanation for how she died. Was Patricia Viola’s death a suicide or was she the victim of a foul play? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unexplained death of a beloved housewife and mother which still does not have a conclusive resolution.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Bogota Police Department at (201) 487-2400.
Additional Reading:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/499516373/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/499511640/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/499814735/
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/remains-found-in-queens-in-2002-idd-as-missing-new-jersey-woman/
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/bogota/2017/04/19/archive-remains-identified-those-bogota-woman-who-vanished-11-years-ago/100657932/
If you would like to make a donation to “Season of Justice”, please visit our donation page at https://givebutter.com/SOJ_thetrail or text “TRAIL24” to # 53555.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

February 11, 2004. Lake Township, Pennsylvania. After returning home from work, 22-year old Phylicia Thomas goes missing and her boyfriend’s best friend, Steven Allen Martin, soon becomes a person of interest. Two-and-a-half years earlier, an 18-year old friend of Phylicia’s named Jennifer Barziloski had also disappeared and since Steve was the last known person to see Jennifer alive, there is speculation that the cases are connected. Over the years, rumours circulate that Phylicia may have been murdered at a party, but while Jennifer’s skull is found in a wooded area in 2010, there are no conclusive answers about how she died and Phylicia remains a missing person. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore two unsolved cases involving young women who went missing under suspicious circumstances from the same area.
Additional Reading:
https://charleyproject.org/case/phylicia-albina-thomas
https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/04/25/woman-vanishes-while-investigating-dead-friends-disappearance/
https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866402/man-linked-to-missing-women-found-hanged-in-jail-steven-martin-was-a-person-of-interest-in-the-disappearances-of-phylicia-thomas-jennifer-barziloski-police-say
https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/crime/2010/04/12/skull-found-in-luzerne-co/51641470007/
https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866877/family-and-friends-recall-jennifer-barziloski
https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/689665/family-believes-phylicia-thomas-remains-are-on-hunlock-township-property
https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866689/mother-of-missing-woman-wants-authorities-to-search-property
https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/692490/phylicia-thomas-vigil-tonight-as-family-has-new-leads-for-missing-woman
https://www.pahomepage.com/news/renewed-hope-in-18-year-old-cold-case-of-phylicia-thomas/
https://www.pahomepage.com/news/i-team/property-search-gives-missing-girls-family-renewed-hope/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/429553259/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/529928532/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/537498320/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/408007869/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/408007933
https://www.newspapers.com/image/508494203/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

February 2, 2008. Tinley Park, Illinois. Police are summoned to a Lane Bryant clothing store at the Brookside Marketplace Shopping Center and discover that five victims have been fatally shot in the back room: the 42-year old store manager Rhoda McFarland, and four customers, 37-year old Connie Wolfolk, 34-year old Jennifer Bishop, 33-year old Carrie Hudek Chiuso, and 22-year old Sarah Szafranski. Even though another store employee was wounded with a bullet which grazed her neck, she winds up surviving and tells police that the shooting was committed by a black male. While the crime is suspected to be a robbery gone wrong, investigators are unable to find or identify the perpetrator or make much sense of his actions. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the Lane Bryant Shooting, a baffling crime involving five murdered victims which has somehow managed to remain unsolved for 16 years.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_Bryant_shooting
https://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/16/grace.coldcase.lane.bryant/index.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-02-07-0802070622-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-08-02-0808010504-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-lane-bryant-anniversary-st-0202-20180201-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-lane-bryant-suspect-sketch-st-0202-20180201-story.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/tinley-park-lane-bryant-murders/169697/
https://abc7chicago.com/lane-bryant-shooting-murder-murders-tinley-park/11533547/
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/lane-bryant-murders-tinley-park-15th-anniversary/
https://abc7chicago.com/tinley-park-lane-bryant-murders-unsolved-crime-il/12763590/
If you would like to make a donation to “Season of Justice”, please visit our donation page at https://givebutter.com/SOJ_thetrail or text “TRAIL24” to # 53555.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 4, 1990. San Antonio, Texas. While walking home from her friend’s house, eleven-year old Heidi Seeman goes missing after an apparent abduction. Nineteen days later, another San Antonio girl, seven-year old Erica Botello, is abducted from outside her apartment complex. The bodies of each victim are soon found at separate locations one day apart on the same weekend, but investigators are inclined to believe the murders are not connected. Both cases feature a number of compelling suspects, including an individual who was actively involved in the original search effort for Heidi, but there is not enough evidence to conclusively link anyone to either of these crimes. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved murders of two separate girls which traumatized the city of San Antonio.
If you have any information about the murder of Heidi Seeman, please contact the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243 or the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). If you have any information on the murder of Erica Botello, please contact the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-7273.
Additional Reading:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/apps/coldCase/Home/Details/56
https://www.sacurrent.com/news/25-years-later-the-heidi-seeman-murder-case-remains-unsolved-2459807
https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/three-decades-later-1990-heidi-seeman-erica-botello-murders/273-0b1a1b93-2682-4cc6-8832-44b2e80f557f
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/crime/article/Two-San-Antonio-girls-were-abducted-and-killed-30-15461432.php
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/04/august-marks-33-years-since-disappearances-of-heidi-seeman-erica-botello/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/364695644/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/435060934/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/590352539/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/968138763/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/356824573/
San Antonio Express-News (August 20, 1995)
KSAT News Update (February 1996)
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

June 14, 1974. Clearwater, Florida. After borrowing her daughter’s car and leaving her home, 38-year old Margaret Dash never returns and the abandoned vehicle is discovered in St. Petersburg one month later. It turns out that Margaret had been involved in an extramarital affair with a man named Cleveland Hill, who supposedly threatened to kill her. Over the next 15 years, two other Florida women – 43-year old Retha Hiers and 21-year old Donyelle Johnson – also vanish without a trace after conducting an affair with Cleveland and there are allegations that he made threats against them as well. While there is suspicion that Cleveland was responsible for all of these disappearances, there is not enough evidence to implicate him and the three missing women are never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a trio of unsolved missing persons cases which are linked together by the same man.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Margaret Dash, please contact the Clearwater Police Department at (727) 562-4242. If you have any information about the disappearances of Retha Hiers and Donyelle Johnson, please contact the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200
Additional Reading:
https://charleyproject.org/case/margaret-r-dash
https://charleyproject.org/case/retha-lee-hiers
https://charleyproject.org/case/donyelle-chrishum-johnson
https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2022/08/16/where-are-3-missing-tampa-bay-women-the-answer-may-rest-with-the-devil/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/339481582
https://www.newspapers.com/image/339683584
https://www.newspapers.com/image/339674295
https://www.newspapers.com/image/870341879
https://www.newspapers.com/image/331032163
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/largo-excavation-retha-hiers/67-c7c41e55-acd0-4f2e-afbd-37262055cf9c
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

January 11, 1984. Ypsilanti, Michigan. Two armed men enter a real estate and insurance office before one of them fires a shot into the neck of the 47-year old owner, Jack Brown. The assailants then lock the office’s other employees inside the bathroom before fleeing the scene and Jack dies in the hospital several hours later. Prior to his death, Jack had hinted that he might be involved in something which led to him being murdered, but the two perpetrators are not identified and the motive for the crime remains unclear. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a baffling murder which resembled a professional hit and has remained unsolved for 40 years. In addition, we will also be discussing the unsolved murders of 54-year old Elizabeth Shumate, 60-year old Frances Ivey and 46-year old JoAnn Brown, a trio of real estate agents who were shot to death inside their office in Houston, Texas in August 1983.
Additional Reading:
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Brown
https://unsolved.com/gallery/jack-brown/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99060743/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99426108/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99810146/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/30/Priest-denied-access-to-crime-scene-for-last-rites/4372431064000/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/2019/05/29/questions-remain-in-1983-triple-homicide-police-ask-for-publics-help/
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/slideshow/Houston-s-infamous-crimes-in-August-194965.php
https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/missing-pieces/murders-of-3-realtors-still-unsolved-37-years-later/285-3d493018-69d6-447f-bb43-2fc49163dcd9
https://torontosun.com/news/world/crime-hunter-hurricane-and-homicide-a-deadly-cocktail
If you have any information about the murder of Jack Brown, please contact the Ypsilanti Police Department at (734) 483-9510. If you have any information on the murders of Elizabeth Shumate, Frances Ivey & JoAnn Brown please contact the Houston Police Cold Case Unit at (713) 308-3618 or the Crime Stoppers of Houston tip line at (713) 222-TIPS (8477).
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.