Texas Monthly True Crime: The Problem With Erik

“It's kind of strange that your investigator calls this search, and lo and behold, right after he starts the search, a cell phone is found.”

"I'm like, 'What the heck is that?' So, I walk around some shrubs, and as I get closer I can see that it kind of looks like bone."

"The people of the town are calling us and saying, 'Do we have a monster that lives in our community?' I wish I could give them Solace."

"I'm definitely more paranoid wherever I go. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to what's going on around me."

There have finally been a couple of developments in the case. But will they lead to the truth about what happened to Tom?

"I'll never lose that hope. It could be five years from today. The door is always open at our office for anything that will bring resolution to this case."

From the moment Susan Woods was found dead at home in the summer of 1987, everyone in Stephenville, Texas—including the police—was certain she’d been killed by her estranged husband.That left the real culprit free to prey on others. In "Stephenville," best-selling author Bryan Burrough returns to his small-town Texas roots to explore a murder case that went cold for nearly two decades. Only now, after discovering a voice from beyond the grave, can the whole story finally be told—a story about the secrets that got buried, and how some folks in this town helped keep them that way.From the Texas Monthly team behind "Tom Brown’s Body" comes another true story of crime, suspicion, and life in small-town Texas. Coming June 20.

In the summer of 1987, 30-year-old Susan Woods was living alone in her hometown of Stephenville, Texas, piecing her life back together after being abandoned by her husband. Then, one sweltering July evening, Susan’s father came to check on her. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

After Susan Woods was killed, just about everyone in Stephenville—including the police—figured they knew who’d done it. Her estranged husband, Michael Woods, was a long-haired biker who smoked pot and played rock music—a complete misfit in the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Nearly twenty years after Susan Woods's murder, Stephenville Police Lieutenant Don Miller takes up the case. And with Michael Woods's cooperation, and help from new technology, Don finally makes a break in the case. But what he uncovers raises even more questions about why Susan was killed—and how her killer evaded justice for so long.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

In 1988, Shannon Myers survived a brutal attack by Joseph Scott Hatley, the man whose fingerprints were also present at the scene of Susan Woods’s murder. Her statement to police—which included his chilling confession—created an opportunity to put Hatley behind bars for both crimes.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Lt. Don Miller discovers the hand-written life story of the man who killed Susan Woods. The murderer, it turns out, wasn't a stranger or an outsider to Stephenville, but a local boy nobody suspected.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

In the series finale, Scott Hatley’s journal tells the story of how he built a new life on the run from police. And when the truth comes out, people in Stephenville must confront how little they knew about the man who killed Susan Woods.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

On July 4, 1988, 16-year-old Shane Stewart and 18-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in the West Texas town of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again.For 35 years, their murders have haunted their family and friends, and frustrated generations of investigators from the local police to the FBI. Hosts Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs take listeners behind the scenes of the cold case investigation, interviewing witnesses and following the twists and turns that have confounded authorities—including accusations about corruption, occult rituals, and a hunt for one suspect halfway around the world—tracking down new leads in the hope that someone may come forward to finally help solve the case.From the Texas Monthly team behind “Tom Brown’s Body” and “Stephenville” comes another true story of crime, suspicion, and life and death in small-town Texas. Coming March 19.For more Texas Monthly productions, visit texasmonthly.com/podcasts

In the fall of 1987, Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly met through mutual friends and began dating. Shane was tall and confident. Sally loved to be the center of attention and moved easily between groups of friends.  Later that year, the two began spending more time with a group of teenagers who met up to practice occult rituals. Some friends say the group's activities were just games, but by the summer of 1988, something had changed. Sally told one friend that she and Shane were leaving San Angelo to get away from the group. That was just before the two of them disappeared.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME.  Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.