In a case that began 5 years ago this month - we return both in coverage and in reality.This year, an appeal was made in April - the same appeal made when the case was originally happening in July of 2025.Monica Hartwell is embroiled in the murder of Michael Walker in her own homeBut did she do it? and were her rights honored during the investigation?Listen in with Julia and Harper.
The story of Anita Price remains unfinished. She disappeared in 1974, and the case went cold until the 2000s. Her car was abandoned, and a cursory investigation left her children unsatisfied and looking for answers to this day. Join Harper and Julia to see how this case remains alive even now.
Some missing people are never found - but others are found too late.The recent case of Christa Merrill, whose body is found at the home of a known sex offender after being missing since August of 2024 - inspires a deep dive into the progression of missing persons cases.This episode, join Julia and Harper as they provide a baseline for understanding the search for the missing everywhere.
A woman named Wanda Palmer - beaten and left inches from death in her mobile home - is left in a coma for two years.Left in a comatose state from 2020 to 2022, she had enough strength to wake up after those years and identify her attacker. This episode, Julia and Harper remember her story.
Three people shot multiple times on a day that was supposed to be full of love. Instead, Valentine's day 1998 ended with a family dead in a mansion on a hill. This is the case of David, Janette Henderson, and Martha Barber - known as the Maybeury Mansion Murders. Did the main suspect Tony Allen commit the crime? and what is the mansion like now, after playing host to such a tragedy? Julia and Harper dive into the details.
A murdered teenager found near a bus route in 1970s Putnam County. Danny Collins' case is sparse, but just an hour away - another case with a similar method was brewing. A connection was drawn to another case of attempted murder. Four boys survived an encounter to help implicate the suspect - but it's unknown if the criminal in question ever met with justice - for what was done to the four boys, or to Danny Collins. Join Julia and Harper in their search for answers.
A strange creature with glowing red eyes and a wingspan to boot. Was it responsible or connected to the tragic deaths of 46 people? Or does folklore color history in the modern world? Returning to the world of cryptozoology again by popular demand, tonight's episode of Crime in the Coalfields focuses on the most well-known Cryptid in the Mountain State. Julia and Harper discuss the history and culture behind the infamous Mothman, as well as his relation to a real-life tragedy.
Leah Hickman had a bright future, cut short by the hands of an assailant never found to this day. When she went missing, the entire community rallied to find her. When she was found dead, her workplace honored her and paid for the funeral. The 21-year-old was a journalism student at Marshall University in Huntington, dreaming of a TV news career. In tonight's episode, Julia and Harper retell the story of her dream - deferred by murder.
The body of Michael Craig Phillips found 16 years ago still leaves a case unresolved - but a similar case - involving a dead woman is closed after 14 years. Both cases have their similarities, and their disparities. Two young people, both bludgeoned to death and covered up in hopes of never being found. In this episode, Julia and Harper cover two cold murder cases in McDowell County. One that remains unsolved to this day, and the other, a 14-year-long cold case that eventually ended in a conviction: one that may help cover the possibilites of the case in progress.
Cassie Sheetz went hiking with two men near Spruce Knob three and a half years ago - and never re-emerged. She was last seen on March 11, 2021. It's taken this long to find her believed remains, and even now the case is at a standstill. Will it be closed with no charges filed? In this episode, 59News Anchor Julia White and Producer Harper Emch detail the case of Cassie Sheetz, and discuss how a daytime hike could turn into a life forever lost in the woods.
A brutal stabbing - one swift strike for every year of the woman's life. This was the untimely demise of 52 year old Irene Wilson. In this episode - Harper and Julia delve into Calhoun County - 1963. In the small town of Broomstick, the grisly murder is discovered by two teen girls - while Irene's husband is on a night watch miles away. How does a murder like this affect a rural West Virginian town?
The murder of both Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers in 1920 - committed in Broad Daylight, with witnesses and family present. This episode sees Julia and Harper visiting another infamous Courthouse. This site is the stage of the notorious double-murder, sometimes known as the McDowell County Courthouse murders - responsible for inciting the historic Battle of Blair Mountain. Listen to how this Crime Ignited the Coalfields - in tonight's Walk Through History.
Seven veterans dead in the same hospital. Seven life sentences waiting for a culprit to take the blame - and the responsibility. Tonight, Julia and Harper delve into the case of the nurse behind seven serial killings in Clarksburg, West Virginia; Reta Mays. What motivated her to do this? What makes a killer?
Courthouses are intended to be places of law at the center of a town or city. But sometimes they draw crime and law together; especially in rural America. In this episode, Julia and Harper discuss some of the notable stories about crime surrounding the Wyoming County Courthouse during the 20th century.
Tonight's episode focuses on the recent history of the death penalty. Julia and Harper take a look at how public and private executions have changed since the beginning of the country's history, both in and outside of the Coalfields. The depth and breadth of cases involving execution is huge, but a historic perspective goes a long way.
In this week's episode, Julia and Harper examine a case of cold-blooded murder- from shocking court outbursts, surprising video evidence, and a disturbing father-daughter relationship that ends with one of them dead. This is a recent case from just this past February 2024, where Carl Cox was officially found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder of his own daughter Rhonda Cox, and her husband, James Neal. Tune is as we explore Cox's unsettling motive and discuss the ins and outs of this unique case.
After nearly a quarter century - the missing persons case of Alex Carter has finally come to a close. Listen as Julia and Harper delve into the efforts that went into closing this cold case in 2024. Although it ends with a terrible truth - that Alex Carter and her mother, Susan Carter, were in fact murdered by a trusted individual over money troubles - her case now at least becomes a shining example of how hope is always important to keep, for both the law enforcement agencies that fight to close cold cases, and for the families of victims searching for answers.
In 2011, more than a decade after she first disappeared from Summers County, the remains of Cathy Jo McCoy eventually led police to her own mother, Mary Bowles. The question that remains even after all this time; Did Mary Bowles kill her daughter? Julia and Harper dive into this Summers County murder case to try to provide answers to that question and to the question of why such a personal crime would be perpetrated on someone's own family.
Two women: Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero were hitchhiking to the Rainbow Gathering in 1980. The Rainbow Gathering was a world-peace festival meant to celebrate love, harmony and freedom held in Pocahontas County. The two women, however, would never make it there alive. Their murders would result in eight different suspects, an admission, a wrongful conviction lawsuit, and even the survivor's guilt of a close friend. Julia and Harper discuss the case of the Pocahontas County Rainbow Murders.
The Appalachian Trail is known for having some of the most scenic views on the East Coast of the United States, if not the entire country. However, the Appalachian Trail can also be a sinister place. The Appalachian Trail has seen a total of 13 murders and many more disappearances. Tonight, Harper and Julia take a look at why this trail is sometimes known across the world as America's most deadly trail.