Searching For Closure

50 Years

Searching for Closure — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 18:32:33 +0000

It's been 50 years since Tina Davidson was murdered. It's been 3 years since there has been a new episode. This is a brief update on Tina's case and the podcast.

MCM6 - Shirley Stewart

Searching for Closure — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:32:27 +0000

The sixth suspected victim was 17 year old Shirley Stewart. On January 2nd, 1980, she was last seen leaving her job at a at a maid clinic in madison. Almost a year and a half later, on July 16th, 1981, four archaeology students where mapping a state park in the town of westport. Westport is a small town just north of Madison. Not too far from the Waunakee Marsh state wildlife area. As the students were mapping the Indanolo area on the north shore of Lake Medona, they discovered Shirley's body, hidden in a bush about 50 feet into the thick woods.

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MCM5 - Susan Lemahieu

Searching for Closure — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 00:01:58 +0000

The case of Susan Lemahieu is honestly one of the more tragic cases I've looked into since I started to investigate the mad city murders.. Normally when I run a newspaper search of victims names, I get hundreds of articles. When I ran Christine Rothschild name and narrowed the search results to only show articles between 1968 and 1969, I was shown almost 300 articles. But when i searched for Susan with no date restrictions, I only found 9. And the majority of them only linked her to the other women associated with these murders, all of whom had so many more articles. So why does Christine get so much coverage, but Susan barely gets a mention?

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MCM4 - Julie Speerschneider

Searching for Closure — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 01:38:41 +0000

The fourth suspected victim in the Mad City Murders, was 20 year old Julie Speerschneider. She was described as a physically striking free spirit, who never held back when it came to speaking her mind. At the same time, she would never tease or come on to a guy who picked her up hitchhiking, but some agree that it’s possible she could say something to anger someone. On March 27th, 1979, Julie was last seen leaving the 602 club on University Avenue near downtown Madison. She hitchhiked to a friends house, but she would never be seen alive again.

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MCM3 - Julie Ann Hall

Searching for Closure — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 01:16:38 +0000

The third suspected victim in the Mad City Murders, was 18 year old Julie Ann Hall. She had just moved to Madison two months earlier, after studying for a short time at a technical school . For the previous month and a half she worked as a library assistant in the archives section at the Wisconsin historical society of Madison. Friday, June 16th of 1978, was the last time Julie would be seen alive. That night she went on a date with a male friend at a bar just off the east side of Capitol Square in downtown Madison. It wasn't until the first day of summer, June 21st 1978, when a farmer would make a shocking discovery as he was tending to his land.

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MCM2 - Debra Bennett

Searching for Closure — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 21:43:12 +0000

The second suspected victim in the Mad City Murders, was 20 year old Debra Bennett. She was a popular girl, who always had a lot of friends but was not very good at keeping secrets. She was a good hearted person who trusted almost everyone. After she graduated high school, Debra grew restless in the small town of Ridgeway, and moved to Madison. Her sister Sharon described Debra as "sort of a little girl who never really grew up." Unfortunately, after she moved to Madison, she would never have a chance to really grow up. Her burned body was found in a field on July 21, 1976, and her killer has never been identified.

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MCM1 - Christine Rothschild

Searching for Closure — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 00:59:02 +0000

The first suspected victim in the Mad City Murders, was 18 year old Christine Rothschild. She was an intelligent, beautiful, modest, and motivated young woman who was attending the University of Wisconsin Madison to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. On May 25 1968, her bright future would be snuffed out far too soon, and to this day her killer is still unknown.

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Case File 7: Murder in a Mad Town

Searching for Closure — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 23:29:10 +0000

On August 22nd 1972, 17 year old Elizabeth Flannery was attacked as she rode her bike on a pedestrian railroad underpass on highway 51 on the north side of Portage, WI. The unidentified man dragged her about 30 feet away from the sidewalk and up a hill, before he stabbed her over 30 times in the back, neck, chest and face. Luckily for Elizabeth, she survived her attack. So why am I covering this attack? How does it relate to Tina's murder? And how does everything tie into Season 3? It will all make sense in due time.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

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Case File 6: Human Sacrifices

Searching for Closure — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 01:24:22 +0000

Pagans, and witches, and satanists, oh my!

One of the first rumors about Tina's death that I heard, was that she was the victim of a satanic sacrifice. Now I already covered satanic panic on this podcast, but for today's case file I really wanted to answer a question. How common is talk of human sacrifice in the dark seedy world of pagans and satanists?

Well, I got a black robe, turned on Black Sabbath, and dived deep into the world of pagans, witches, and satanists to try to see what each group thought of satanic sacrifice. It lead to me have even more questions about the crime scene and Tina's autopsy.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

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Case File 5 - Stab Wounds

Searching for Closure — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 22:28:58 +0000

Despite all the research and testing I've done to try and understand this murder, the one thing I never considered was the forensic aspect of identifying stab wounds. What tale does a stab wound tell? Can you determine the size or type of instrument involved? One of my forensic classes I was taking helped me understand 61 stab wounds a little bit better. Depending on what type of person you are, this episode will either enthrall you or put you to sleep. Some of it is hard to grasp, but I try to lay it all out in simple terms.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

www.searchingforclosure.com

Case File 4: The Murder of 7 year old Rose Ahnen

Searching for Closure — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 00:42:23 +0000

Seven year old Rose Ahnen was walking to school on Friday, March 2nd 1973, when a car stopped and abducted her. Her body would soon be discovered in a dump in Racine. Since this happened just weeks before Tina's murder, it leaves us to wonder, could her killer have also killed Tina? I give a definitive answer on today's episode.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

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Case File 3: Memories

Searching for Closure — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 01:03:49 +0000

No one should be remembered for the actions of someone else. One of my main goals since I started this podcast, was to find out more on who Tina was as a person. All we've heard so far is the brutal details of her death. I wanted to shed more light on her life, to show her as a person as opposed to a victim. On today's episode I interview one of Tina's childhood friends. She tells me what kind of person Tina was, what she would do for fun, and how she had such a bright future ahead of her.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

Case File 2: Searching for Answers

Searching for Closure — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 18:32:11 +0000

Has there been any update on last years tip regarding a possible suspect? Was there any blood or semen found? Has Tina’s clothing ever been located? What type of stabbing instrument do police believe was used? Do police know the identities of the two boys or the man at the ice cream shop? Are police low on funds and that is why there hasn’t been any DNA tests? Why are police withholding so much evidence from the public? On today’s episode, i gave Deputy Chief of Police, Todd Schulz, and I do my best to get some answers.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com/audio. and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

www.searchingforclosure.com

Case File 1: Inside the mind of a killer

Searching for Closure — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 00:40:51 +0000

Just a little bit of a warning, this episode might get a little uncomfortable, especially if you have been a victim of rape or abuse, or if you are close to someone who has been. I'm going to touch upon scenarios that are downright disgusting. I’m going to explore sexual deviancy. Some of the thoughts and images i'm going to describe can be very disturbing. But in order to hunt a killer, you have to think like a killer. It's not going to be pretty, or polite, but i think it must be done.

My first thought, diving into this psychopaths head, is what does it feel like to stab someone? For a normal person, I can't imagine it would feel good to hurt someone. But for a killer, it has to be an enormous release. All that rage and pent up aggression finally explodes out. But what does it feel like to stab someone 61 times? How long does that even take? Just over a minute? Basically One stab per second? Or do you just do a couple fast stabs in the beginning and then slowly poke them after they are dead? How tired would your arm get if you were stabbing someone 61 times in a row? I’d imagine it might cramp up a little bit eventually. Perhaps you’d have to switch hands? I can’t imagine it would be any easier if you used both hands. Who knows, maybe it's way easier to stab someone then i thought?

For my first case file, I do a test to see how easy it is to stab someone 61 times, and how long it would actually take. Also, I do a test to see how easy it is to pick up and carry someone Tina's size, completely limp and dead weight.

Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. go to www.audibletrial.com/closure and sign up for a free month and get a free book.

This episode is also sponsored by Hunt a killer. Go to www.huntakiller.com and use promo code "closure" at check out to save 20% off your first box.

www.searchingforclosure.com

The way back, is sometimes the way forward

Searching for Closure — Mon, 27 May 2019 19:26:58 +0000

Welcome back, to the Searching for Closure Podcast.

It's been over 9 months since I last released an episode, so forgive me if I'm a little bit rusty. On this episode, I examine two killers who were active near the time of Tina's murder. I investigate Patrick Arrowood, a man convicted of beating and drowning a woman in racine in 1979 and James Multaler, better known as the South Side Killer. He was convicted of murdering 4 women in the Racine and Milwaukee area between 1974 and 1976. Also, I give an update on the future of the podcast. Am I returning for good? Or is this farewell? You'll have to listen to find out.

www.searchingforclosure.com

4 - 900 Balloons

Searching for Closure — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 16:28:09 +0000

Off the top of your head, what's your worst memory from 9 years ago? Chances are, unless it was something catastrophic, you probably don't remember anything of importance. If you try hard enough, I'm sure you'll remember something. But chances are, you've most likely forgotten the bad things that happened almost a decade ago.

But what if you couldn't forget? What if every morning when you woke up, you were reminded of something terrible that happened 9 years ago.

It's been 9 years since 15 year old Kayla Berg went missing. That's 3,285 days. 180 birthday candles that never got to be blown out. An infinite number of unanswered questions. On August 11th, the 9 year anniversary of kayla's disappearance, Hope and her friend Christine held a night of remembrance at the local park in antigo.

I decided I'd make the 4 hour drive, introduce myself in person, and show my support.

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Breaking News Regarding Tina Davidson

Searching for Closure — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 00:52:07 +0000

Originally I had planned on releasing an episode exposing Arnie Anderson as a parasite, but after giving it a lot of thought and talking to a few listeners, I've decided that he's not worth the time or attention. I have rather an incredible amount of information on him, and if need be I can revisit it in the future.

So instead of giving a predator his 15 minutes of fame, I have an update on Tina Davidson. A few weeks ago, A woman, who I will not name, messaged me on Facebook, asking me to call her. She said she could help clear up some details on Times case.

What she told me blew me away. After all the investigating I did, a huge tip came out of nowhere. Could the person she told me about be Tina’s killer?

www.searchingforclosure.com

3 - Muddy Banks Of The Rumor Mill

Searching for Closure — Sun, 29 Jul 2018 23:57:04 +0000

There are a multitude of theories out there. While theories can be beneficial, helping explore avenues not yet thought of, it can also hinder Investigations by creating tunnel and by muddying the water. Kayla's disappearance is one of those mysteries that, once you begin examining it, is the same as chasing a white rabbit down a hole.

It’s exceedingly frustrating to find all of the information available just doesn’t add up. The more questions you try to answer, the more questions you have. Factor in all the rumors, speculation and circumstantial evidence, and it's a mystery wrapped in a mystery.

In today's episode I'll be discussing some rumors and theories that have hindered this Investigation from moving forward. I also speak to Hope's good friend, Christine, about a confusing online rumor that is swirling around and an online parasite who seems to be working hard to make things as confusing as possible.

www.searchingforclosure.com

2 - Afraid Of The Dark

Searching for Closure — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 02:00:45 +0000

“My daughter was extremely afraid of the dark. She had nightmares about people taking her and doing bad things to her. So for her to get out at a vacant house that is completely dark with no one around, that’s not my Kayla.”

That was a quote by Hope, that really stood out to me. It leads me to question, why would a stoned, 15 year old girl, want to be dropped off at an abandoned house in the dark?

On today's episode I detail the police Investigation following Kayla's disapperance, along with offering a few words of caution on which Missing Persons Facebook groups to join.

There are a lot of scam groups out there run by egotistical psychopaths who don't want to help, they just want fame or money.

www.searchingforclosure.com

1 - Missing Kayla May Berg

Searching for Closure — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 01:01:04 +0000

On Tuesday, August 11th 2009, 15 year old Kayla called her mother to let her know that she’s going to be spending the day with a friend. The two hung out at home for awhile before heading out to spend some time at the local park in Antigo, WI. A small, rural town, some 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee. When they got back to her friends house, they were greeted by Kayla's brother and his lifelong friend, Kevin Kielcheski. Kayla made plans to hang out with Kevin later that even. The two just planned on driving around town and maybe smoking a little marijuana.

Kevin claims he dropped Kayla off at a house 35 miles away in Wausau, WI at 10:30pm that night. No one has heard from Kayla or seen her ever since. It's coming up on the 9 year anniversary of Kayla's disappearance, and her friends and family would like answers.

Hopefully this podcast can bring them closure.

www.searchingforclosure.com

Season 2 Teaser: Missing Kayla May Berg

Searching for Closure — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:33:05 +0000

In August of 2009, 15 year old Kayla Berg went for a drive with her 24 year old family friend. They left the small northwest town of Antigo, WI for a night of driving. That night was the last night anyone saw Kayla again. Season 2 of the Searching for Closure podcast is dedicated to investigating and reporting on the unsolved missing persons case, of young Kayla Berg.

New episodes start Monday morning.

www.searchingforclosure.com

10 - Missing and Unsolved

Searching for Closure — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 19:00:52 +0000

Originally I had a much different episode recorded, but in light of recent events, I decided to record something different.

19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche has a great quote that I feel fits in well with my investigation into this case.

He said, “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

The lack of leads and new information, the toll this case has taken on my mind, and the regret of bringing up painful memories of people just living their own lives trying to overcome a tragic event in their past has lead me to this point.

I don't have any business looking into people's person lives. I'm not a cop or a detective. I don't have any business contacting people and making them relive that horrible event. I’m not any closer to finding the truth then when I first started.

Also, for the safety of me, and my family, on the off chance that I actually do get too close or offend the wrong person by asking the wrong question, I am officially ending my investigation into the Tina Davidson Cold case.

So where does this leave the podcast?

www.searchingforclosure.com

9 - A History of Violence Against Women

Searching for Closure — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 23:06:52 +0000

In the last episode I traveled up to Fond Du Lac WI to investigate the 1973 murder of 9 year old Lisa French. She was murdered by Gerald Turner, also known as the halloween killer.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't find anything to really tie the two killings together, besides the fact that they both happened in 1973 and they both happened in Wisconsin. For this episode I look into another suspect that most websleuths point to.

Dennis Brantner was born in 1953. He was a 5’10 and 200 lb long-haul trucker who originally grew up in Mondovi, Wi, about 20 miles from Eau Claire.

He also had a history of violence against women.

On August 22, 1990, the body of Berit Beck was found. Authorities determined she was strangled and suffocated. Her body was discovered in a ditch about 18 miles away from the Forest Mall in Fond du Lac near U.S. 41.

Was Dennis Brantner the mysterious killer of Tina Davidson that has eluded police for 45 years? Or was it one of the two other long haul serial killers, Robert Ben Rhoades or Keith Hunter Jesperson?

www.searchingforclosure.com

8 - The Long Halloween

Searching for Closure — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:40:03 +0000

Our investigation takes us to the night of Halloween 1973, in Fond du lac WI. 9-year-old Lisa French stepped off her front porch for what should have been a fun autumn evening of trick or treating

She was on her way to her friends house, for a night of trick or treat. On her way though, she decided to stop at a few houses to get a little extra candy.

The last door she would knock on would be the home of Gerald Turner.

The front door had been left partially open, and Lisa peaked inside. She called out in her little 9 year old voice, “Trick or treat!” as Turner stepped into the room. He invited Lisa in and lured her into his bedroom.

Besides the location and time period, what similarities does Lisa's case share with Tina's? Could Gerald Turner be Tina's killer?

Please sign the petition to help keep Gerald Turner off the streets.

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/713/926/478/petition-to-keep-the-quotthe-halloween-killer-gerald-m.-turner-incarcerated/

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7 - "I Leave With A Tear And A Smile"

Searching for Closure — Tue, 29 May 2018 00:15:57 +0000

Satanic panic. A phrase that was wide spread during the 1980s. But where did it start? And how did Satanism factor into Tina's case? A number of factors contributed to the increased interest in, and fear of, the occult during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Early in this investigation I found a long and wild blog that was written about Tina. It was from an author by the name of Frater Barrabbas. A self described author, witch, practitioner of ritual magick, past member of the OTO, Gnostic Bishop, founder of Order of the Gnostic Star, musician, artist, ritual ordeal craftmaster.

He claims to have known Tina, and her friends. He makes some other wild claims. Since Frater is an author, a real published author, one has to wonder how much of his work is true and how much he embellished. I wanted to ask him some questions, such as..

What could Frater have done to the killer with his magick skills? Can he use his magick against me for questioning him on this podcast? Did she seek him out for his powerful witch magick? Did she know that evil forces were after her and he was the only one who could protect her? Did Tina give him a description of what the killer looked like? Where was he on the night of March 26th, 1973? Between the hours of 8pm and Midnight?

I reached out to Frater, and the conversation was, well... interesting....

www.searchingforclosure.com

6 - "I'm Just Warning You"

Searching for Closure — Mon, 21 May 2018 01:12:21 +0000

Before I started this podcast, I never would have thought that Racine had many murders.

I knew that sure, there were bad elements. Drug deals gone wrong, gangs, domestic violence that ended tragically, but I never expected so many unsolved homicides. In the last episode I only investigated up to 1983. A listener however, has pointed out three unsolved homicides that really stuck out to her. So I thought I'd spend a little bit of time on this episode detailing those cases to see if I can add to the pattern I already developed. One that I missed from 1983, one from 1987, and one from 1990.

I've had a lot of positive feedback from listeners. Most people have nothing but good things to say. It's all, Very encouraging and supportive. They thank me for trying to bring this cold case back to light. To perhaps get new leads and new tips. They are happy that I am doing this. And wish me the best of luck in a truly sincere way. But i've also had a few people come at me with fairly strong negativity. Listeners have told me that People are suspicious that I am trying to find out who might know something. Who might be willing to talk 45 years later. Or that I’m trying to locate a specific person or persons who knew something but were too afraid to talk.

I've also Received warnings from multiple people. They say i better be careful . The killer(s), yes killers as in plural, more than one, may be looking for me if if i get too close to the truth.

Do I believe there is a band of serial killers in their 60s, hanging out together in Racine, with their earbuds in listening to this podcast, sharpening their blades, and plotting to keep themselves hidden in the shadows?

www.searchingforclosure.com

5 - Developing a Pattern (audio fixed)

Searching for Closure — Mon, 14 May 2018 18:38:08 +0000

Serial killers are often attracted to victims who are very similar.

Maybe they want to kill older women who resemble their mother. They were never able to fight back against an abusive or controlling mother, so they take their rage and frustration out on women of the same age range that look similar. Or they are attracted to beautiful blonde super model looking women, but they themselves are too unattractive or unappealing to land such a person. So they Target what they can't have and strike out. They make their unfulfilled sexual fantasies become reality. Often in violent and forceful ways.

While trying to gather evidence for this podcast, and examine suspects, I started to compile a list of similar murders. One of the simplest and most plausible theories is that Tina fell victim to a serial killer. I started to write down any cases from 1963 to 1983 that bore any resemblance to Tina’s case. I found more cases than I bargained for, but narrowed them down to 10.

But what of these girls? What ties their cases to Tina's? What profile do they fit into?

(There was a problem with the audio originally in this episode, it has been reuploaded and fixed)

www.searchingforclosure.com

4 - "She was my refuge."

Searching for Closure — Mon, 07 May 2018 00:31:41 +0000

What? Who? When? Where? Why? With what? And How?

These are the 7 circumstances. They constitute a formula for getting the complete story on a subject. Principles that I learned getting my diploma in Journalism. Answering each one of these questions just brought more questions. During my investigation, I've found the more that I dig, the more questions I'm left with. Some I've found answers to, but some just lead me either to a dead end, down a rabbit hole, or just in circles. On this episode, I call the Deputy Chief of Police in hopes of getting answers. I also issue a statement to Tina's sister, Bonnie, and I have a childhood friend of Tina reach out to me. She tells me about Tina, and who she thinks committed the murder.

www.searchingforclosure.com

3 - Hit The Bricks

Searching for Closure — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:18:25 +0000

In order to really understand what happened on the night of March 26th, 1973, I needed to... hit the bricks, as they say. I had to get out onto the street and see the actual places where these events actually happened. I wanted to go to all the locations I had read about.
Tina's house on 20th st. Her friend's house on Quincy Ave.. Virginia and Washington avenue. And finally the beach off Main st where Tina's body had been discovered. I wanted to put myself in Tina’s eyes that night. Get a feel for the neighborhood and surrounding areas. What part of town did this all happen in? I grew up in or near Racine my whole life, but I wasn’t too familiar with this section of town.

But the question is.. where to begin?

In this episode I investigate all those areas. I conquer my fears and try to attempt to contact Tina's sister Bonnie in hopes of learning more about Tina. I spend hours going through microfilm news archives at the library and I go to the Racine Police Department to look for answers.

www.searchingforclosure.com

2 - Things Become Real

Searching for Closure — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 20:08:09 +0000

A lot of people have asked me, how did I hear about the Tina Davidson murder, and how did this podcast come to be.

On this episode, I go through my want and drive to produce this podcast. I also break down the locations of the events the night of the murder, along with the distances and times. I make some speculation about what could have happened that night, and end up asking even more questions then when I began.

Also, I go into details regarding some interesting discussions on a the Facebook group. Some sound as wild and crazy as an episode of Sons of Anarchy or Fargo, but some actually seem plausible and worth investigating.

Head over to www.searchingforclosure.com for news articles, photos, and videos regarding this cold case.

1 - March 27th 1973

Searching for Closure — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 14:56:22 +0000

Welcome to the Searching for Closure podcast.

An on going real time investigation dedicated to not only trying to solve the murder of a 15 year old girl from 1973, but also celebrating her life, which was tragically cut short.

In this introductory episode I break down the events leading up to the gruesome discovery of Tina Davidson, who was found nude and stabbed 61 times on the rocky beach of Lake Michigan.