Anne Roderique-Jones grew up amid the case of the Three Lacking Ladies in Springfield, a 30-year-old unsolved disappearance. About two years in the past, Roderique-Jones got down to retell the story that impacted not solely her life however the whole group.
In her podcast, “The Springfield Three: A Small-City Disappearance,” Roderique-Jones explores the disappearance of Stacy McCall, Suzanne “Suzie” Streeter and Sherrill Levitt. The three ladies went lacking in June 1992; what occurred to them stays a thriller.
The podcast, out there on all podcast streaming platforms, had obtained greater than one million downloads, as of April.
“I all the time wished to inform this story,” Roderique-Jones, who was 12 years outdated that summer time, stated. “I simply did not know the best platform for it. Then, I began listening to true crime. A real crime podcast actually lets you inform a narrative totally, and it is type of open-ended.”
As we speak, Roderique-Jones lives between New York and New Orleans together with her husband. She is a journey author and the pinnacle of content material at Sherman’s Journey, a travel-guide publication. True crime and podcasting had been international to her, she stated.
After researching totally different podcasting manufacturing corporations, she landed on editaudio. Preliminary conversations started in late 2019 and by the beginning of 2020, manufacturing was underway.
Previous to the COVID-19 pandemic, Roderique-Jones and the editaudio staff had been in a position to go to Springfield for just a few days to interview of us, together with McCall’s mom Janis McCall and the primary police officer on the scene in ’92, Rick Bookout. Remaining interviews had been performed over cellphone calls and Zoom.
Over eight episodes and three bonus episodes, Roderique-Jones interviewed family and friends of the ladies, extra law enforcement officials and detectives, and journalists who had been on the bottom reporting the case.
Navigating new journalistic territory
Interviewing wasn’t new for Roderique-Jones, a journalist who’s labored within the journal trade for a number of years. However studying create a protected interviewing setting for individuals who could have trauma was. She additionally realized steadiness reporting between those that had been straight impacted by the disappearance, like Janis McCall, and others who labored on the case, like legislation enforcement.
“You need to present them that you’re making one thing, creating one thing for them to inform their story,” Roderique-Jones stated.
As episodes had been launched, Roderique-Jones started to obtain emails and messages on social media from those that claimed they’d details about the case.
Extra:What occurred to Springfield’s Three Lacking Ladies? Upcoming podcast explores the unsolved case
In bonus episode, “Clues Hidden within the Attic,” Roderique-Jones interviewed a girl who intently knew Robert Craig Cox, a possible suspect. This girl’s intimate perspective about Cox was one of many first shared with the general public.
Over the course of 15 years earlier than the disappearance of Stacy, Suzie and Sherill, Cox was a major suspect in a Florida homicide case, in keeping with Florida courtroom paperwork. He was additionally discovered responsible of kidnapping and two counts of assault with a lethal weapon in California. Whereas Cox was sentenced to the dying penalty in Florida for his supposed involvement with a homicide, the Florida Supreme Courtroom ended up reversing his conviction, as there was not sufficient substantial proof
In 1991, Cox returned to Springfield, his hometown, after being launched from jail. In episode 5 of the podcast, “Serial Killers and Potential Suspects,” Roderique-Jones stated it was rumored Cox labored for Stacy’s father at a automobile dealership. Nonetheless, there isn’t any proof Cox interacted with or knew Stacy. He additionally had a potential alibi for the night time the ladies went lacking: the mom of the lady whom Roderique-Jones interviewed in “Clues Hidden within the Attic.”
In one other bonus episode, Roderique-Jones interviewed Bartt Streeter, son of Sherrill and brother of Suzie. In earlier podcast episodes, Roderique-Jones talked about how Bartt typically averted speaking with members of the media, as he, at one time, was a possible suspect. Nonetheless, after a number of months, she was in a position to safe an interview with him — a perspective not many have heard.
“It was good that we had been in a position to earn that belief to talk with (Bartt),” she stated. “He felt susceptible sufficient to spend hours on the cellphone with me and inform his story about his mother and sister.”
In early 2019, Bartt’s identify resurfaced after he was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and tried false imprisonment in Smyrna, Tennessee. Reviews of the arrest led on-line commenters to invest about his involvement within the Three Lacking Ladies case. The Streeter household issued an announcement rebuking the hypothesis and reiterating that Bartt has all the time been cooperative with Springfield police throughout their investigation into the disappearances.
The case of the Three Lacking Ladies
Those that are from Springfield are most definitely accustomed to the story of the Three Lacking Ladies.
Stacy, 18, and Suzie, 19, graduated from Kickapoo Excessive Faculty on June 6, 1992. After attending just a few events that night, the 2 returned to Suzie’s home, the place she lived together with her mom, Sherrill, 47. That is the final place the three ladies had been stated to be seen.
The ladies’s vehicles, clothes and purses had been all seemingly untouched inside the home. The entrance porch gentle was damaged and the entrance door was unlocked, however in any other case, the home seemed to be so as. An investigation together with quite a few legislation enforcement companies, the Missouri State Freeway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was performed with no definitive leads.
For a number of years, the Three Lacking Ladies captivated the entrance web page of newspapers and tv units. Inside the first few days, CBS’ “48 Hours” did an episode concerning the case, bringing nationwide consideration to Springfield.
For the reason that disappearance 30 years in the past, quite a few theories have circulated. Roderique-Jones explores many of those all through the podcast, particularly in episode 4, “Grave Robbers, A Haunted Lady Scout Camp and Different Theories.”
Extra:28 years later, Springfield’s unsolved Three Lacking Ladies case conjures up a brand new thriller novel
Some consider the ladies had been focused by Suzie’s ex-boyfriend, who was arrested for robbing a mausoleum in Springfield. Others suppose the ladies had been killed at Winoka Lodge, recognized for internet hosting Camp Winoka close to Lake Springfield.
One other cussed idea is that the ladies had been buried beneath Cox South Hospital’s parking storage throughout its development. Cox did supply to let police dig up the storage, however this was by no means finished as police did not discover the tip credible.
Extra theories are outlined in episode seven, “The Questions That Stay,” the place Roderique-Jones seemed into Sherrill’s previous and just lately mentioned concepts dropped at native legislation enforcement and journalists.
SPD has labeled the Three Lacking Ladies as a chilly case. Anybody with details about the disappearance is requested to contact SPD at 417-864-1810 or Crime Stoppers at 471-869-8477 or P3tips.com.
Thirty years for the reason that ladies went lacking, the McCall household is internet hosting a vigil at Phelps Grove Park, situated at 950 E. Bennett St., on June 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Exploring Feeney household unsolved murders case in season two
Following the success of “The Springfield Three: A Small-City Disappearance,” Roderique-Jones is engaged on her second true crime podcast with editaudio. The present will discover the case of the Feeney household.
In 1995, Cheryl Feeney and her kids Tyler and Jennifer had been discovered useless at their residence in Springfield. The murders stay a thriller.
Roderique-Jones and the editaudio staff are visiting Springfield in June to start interviews. A reputation and launch dates have but to be decided.
Greta Cross is the trending subjects reporter for the Springfield Information-Chief. Comply with her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story concept? E mail her at gcross@gannett.com
