Just The Tip-Sters: True Crime Podcast

Being bullied as young person by school mates is never going to be enough of a reason to kill 8 women. Convicted of three murders Keith Jesperson is suspected of killing at least 5 more women. Thinking about tying victims to the back of your semi truck with a chain and dragging them behind you to scrape off their faces and finger prints as evidence is a level of evil thats hard to imagine. This is some of the stories of the Happy Face Killer.

Finally arrested in 1990 after an Arizona state trooper approached Robert Ben Rhoads 18 wheel truck on the side of the highway, the Trooper Mike Miller had no idea he was stopping one of the worst serial killers of the 20th Century. With a mobile torture and murder chamber that he also used to make a living, Rhoads was able to traverse the country appearing to be one of the hard working drivers who supply us with all that we need. His route was different. He may have been arrested for three murders but he is suspected in the deaths of upwards of 50 women.

A task force was formed in the mid 2000's to study highway deaths due to murder. It was found like quite a few of the deaths were murders and that they had signatures that could have related them. Most long haul truckers are hard working, conscientious humans who keep us in food, clothing and so many other things our society would grind to halt without. But a small number of bad people have used this career as a way to hide their terrible deeds. The Highway Serial Killer initiative has been profiled in a new book: Long Haul-Hunting the Highway Serial Killers by former Asst Director of Counterintelligence for the FBI. Hear another part of this multi-part series on the murders on our highways.

When a tough,vibrant wife  and mother is attacked  in her own home and she  fights like she  has never  before and still she  loses the battle everyone  wants to know  who could  have done  this to her.

When a vibrant 60 year old very active retiree goes to pick up her mother for an appointment and is never seen alive again by her loved ones we are thankful for security cameras on her mothers property. But they do not show everything. Or do they? Lori's daughter is a vocal force of nature and advocate for her mothers case which is still listed as an open homicide. We need to change that. People know. If they can get past their fear Lori's family may have some semblance of justice. IF YOU know anything about Lori's case PLEASE contact The Liberty Township Police at (330) 539-9830 And I urger you to look at her family and friends website as this has the most complete information as well as maps and videos of the day Lori was murdered. www.whokilledlorilynn.com  

David Clemishaw, 28 and Donna McCracken 22, of Ashville, NC were hard working, fun loving dreamers who were in love with each other and their lives. What happened on the way to the "Unto These Hills" Festival over the Fourth of July weekend in 1978? After Donna's mother reported her and David missing their bodies were found in a drainage ditch on July 11th in Greenville, SC. David's car was found abandoned, stuck in sand next to a creek with the windows open and a lot of rain had come through. It was vandalized and the battery had been removed. There are some intriguing clues left behind, like the type of ligatures used to bind them as well as blindfold and gag them. A unique type of shirt was torn and used for these purposes. Someone or someones DEFINITELY knows something and even all of these years later there has to be someone remaining who has said something or wants/needs to say something. Even with the challenge of time investigators are still looking for answers and hope to educate the community and keep the word out there on this case. IF you or anyone you know has information on the murders of David Clemishaw and Donna McCracken in 1978 PLEASE contact Lt Ryan Flood or Deputy Jeremey Holt from the Greenville County Sheriff's Department at 864-23-CRIME 

Edmund Kemper needs to be denied parole forever. And thank goodness he was again recently. He is a uniquely terrible offender. Research shows the number of reoffenders in the violent crime area was surprisingly low. Join the conversation here.

When Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa headed to a "meeting" in July of 1975 with two leaders of the local underworld he had no idea the betrayal he probably encountered. While this is the 49th year of his disappearance the most likely scenario is that his best friend ended his life in some misguided decision of loyalty. Frank Sheeran's death bed confession in his biography "I Hear You Paint Houses," was startling and is the mostly likely scenario. The biography was the source material for Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." Hear the story in this weeks episode.

1900 Scotland saw three responsible, hard working men hand picked for their strength and explempory records as the caretakers of the Flannan Isle lighthouse. It was a very important stop between many ports but definitely between the east coast of the US and Scotland. When a ships captain sounded the horn, flashed a lantern and attempted to locate the caretakers when the lighthouse had gone dark, he found an eerie scene. The story of three lost souls here. 

Did 3 year old Lachlan Jones die at the hands of others in January of 2019 or was it a tragic accident? Coroners (multiple) have ruled it an accident but others including Paul Jones, Lachlan's father disagrees. 

April 11, 2001, 20 year old Branson Perry disappeared from his back yard - literally. Skidmore, MO has a strange history with disappearances and the most bizarre murders, some solved and one famous one that was witnessed by most of the small town and yet... no one "saw' a thing. Branson's case was not like that at all. A sweet, young man goes missing and is never heard from again? Even though both of Branson's parents have passed away there are many friends and loved ones who will not give up until Branson is home. As recently as two weeks ago with resources from the FBI the sheriffs department conducted a search on an area that had been searched in 2009 because of community tips If you have any information on what happened to Branson Perry please contact the Nodaway County Sheriff's Department at 660-582-7451

In what world would two kind, generous, loving 74 year olds be murdered in their home in particularly brutal ways? What on Earth could be the motive for something so atrocious? On 5/29/2011 Bill and Peggy Stephenson were taken from their family and all of the good works they did together in their lifetime. We know that more than one person knows. And the Boone County Sheriff's Department is still looking for help with those answers. IF you know ANYTHING about this barbaric crime please contact The BCSD at (859) 334-8496 or email: Stephensontip@boonecountyky.org   Consider giving yourself the gift of calm, even keeled magic in your day with www.magicmind.com Promo Code: tipsters20  

There are stories of famous people working on behalf of victims who were fans or friends. But James Hetfield and Metallica went after the predator of Morgan Harrington and other women, with their teeth bared. Morgan and Hannah Graham, a University of Virginia student went missing and their cases were linked by the horror of Jesse Leroy Matthew, Jr.  Morgan, Hannah, Metallica and a Tip-Ster from Texas helped Law Enforcement find and arrest this monster who should have never been allowed on the street after numerous assaults in the past. Hear their stories here.

January of 2010 JoAnn Matouk Romain had a lot on her mind. She was going through a divorce, there were family squabbles and hard feelings. She stopped by her church, St. Clare for a short prayer service which was hoped would bring her peace. Her SUV was found in the church parking lot with the keys in it, her purse and ID were there but JoAnn was gone. There was one set of foot prints found leading from the church parking lot across the street and stopping at Lake Clare. The lake feeds into The Detroit River and JoAnn's body was recovered there 70 days after she disappeared, cause of death "dry drowning." What happened that night to JoAnn?   IF you have any information on JoAnn's case please contact the Grosse Pointe Farms PD at 313-885-2100