The Land of the Unsolved

In the span of roughly one year, two people fell down the trash chute of Baltimore apartment building and died. Both cases were ruled accidental by police. But an investigation by the Land of the Unsolved team raises questions about that conclusion. New evidence that sheds new light on the horrifying and improbable deaths. Jayne Miller, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis report on the case, breaking down what we know, what actually happened, and most importantly, what's missing from the case files.

As part of our ongoing exploration of how murders are solved and sometimes not, we are delving into the old case files of former Baltimore homicide Lieutenant Stephen Tabeling to explore one of the most bizarre cases he ever worked. A investigation that began with the the death of two young women at the hands of an alleged serial killer, and descended into a chaos when a Baltimore city police claimed to be the murderer. The resulting investigation lead to unexpected twists, a hypnotist, and the beguiling confession of a cop caught in the crosshairs of a major investigation.

Jayne Miller, Stephen Janis, and Taya Graham talk about the critical role disgraced medical examiner Dr. David Fowler played in obfuscating evidence in police involved killings.  They also give a behind the scenes look at how years of odd rulings about suspicious deaths gave clues that Fowler's methods were flawed, and how his scientific theories created a veritable black hole in which suspicious deaths disappeared. 

He was prominent minority contractor and a kingmaker in the city, so why did police quickly rule the death of Robert Clay a suicide?  The Land of the Unsolved team joins investigative reporter Jayne Miller to discuss our upcoming series on the case, and breakdown why Clay's case represents more than just another mysterious death in a city infamous for unsolved murders.  For listeners who want to take advantage of our special offer from Ana Luisa jewelry you can click on the link here for a discount exclusively for Land of the Unsolved fans https://shop.analuisa.com/land

As we continue to explore the psychic toll of unsolved murders and investigate news cases, the Land of the Unsolved team is also exploring the often unseen consequences of living in a city accustomed to suspicious deaths shrouded in mystery.  To fully understand the implications of living in The Land of the Unsolved, Taya Graham will read from This Dream Called Death, a novella by Stephen Janis that seeks to better understand the burden of unchecked murder through the power of a metaphor.  Published in 2009 when Stephen was covering the city for the now defunct Baltimore Examiner Newspaper, the book seeks to grasp the subtle and not to subtle ways that a community beset by violence turns inward.   For more info on the book click here....https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Called-Death-Stephen-Janis/dp/1439264287

The death of Baltimore homicide detective Sean Suiter continues to be the subject of controversy.  Found in a West Baltimore alley with a gunshot wound to the head in November of 2017, police initially said he was the victim of foul play.  But a week later that assertion can under fire when the public learned he was set to testify before a federal grand jury about his involvement with members of the notorious Gun Trace Task Force.  The Land of the Unsolved has obtained a new report detailing a separate investigation by the Maryland State Police into Suiter's death that has until now remain secret.  A analysis of the case which reveals new details on his death, and what homicide investigators actually knew about Suiter's troubled past.  

The hosts of the Land of the Unsolved discuss their five-year odyssey to document the firing of the first black police chief of a small town on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore.  The feature length film delves deeply into how a former homicide detective's efforts to implement community policing lowered crime, but lead to a conflict over race and law enforcement that speaks volumes about the state of policing today. To order please click on the links below: Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-friendliest-town/id1546710958 Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Friendliest-Town-Kelvin-Sewell/dp/B08QNF38QR/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=friendliest+town&qid=1611161831&s=instant-video&sr=1-1 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Friendliest_Town?id=-nLBs3v31kk.P Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RBEXoVDirk

A illustration of Rey Rivera's injuries raise more doubts that he jumped or was pushed from a height. Instead, they point to a growing body of evidence he was the victim of an assault or some other form of blunt force trauma.  Hosts Stephen Janis and Taya Graham continue their investigation into the case that has drawn international attention since was the subject of Netflix's reboot of Unsolved Mysteries. https://www.landoftheunsolved.com/single-post/rey-rivera-illustration-of-injuries-by-medical-illustrator

Investigative reporter Stephen Janis discusses his preliminary take on the homicide case file released by the Baltimore City Police department.  He also answers questions from redditors about other details regarding Rey's death that remain mysterious 

A professor who analyzes car accidents and their impact of the body believes that Rey River, the 32-year old filmmaker whose body was found in a second floor conference room, was more likely hit buy a car or suffered from blunt force trauma.  The analysis comes in the wake fo international, attention brought to the case from the Unsolved Mysteries reboot on Netflix. 

As we continue to explore unsolved murders and mysteries in Baltimore,  we take a look at some of the challenges of covering crime in a city plagued by violence.   To do so, we go back in time and tell the story of the arrest of the editor of the Baltimore Examiner, and what that story says about how difficult but is to uncover the truth in a city that is often shrouded in mystery

The first part of our series on the mysterious serial killer preying upon women in Northwest Baltimore who police initially said didn't exist.  

When controversial stories about a serial killer preying upon women in Northwest Baltimore first emerged, the reaction was swift.   But was it true?  And what was really happening?  An in-depth look at how murder is covered in Baltimore, and the consequences for the community

The murder of Jody LeCornu may have remained unsolved for 23 years, but her sister Jenny isn't giving up.  On this episode we explore why she turned to billboards to put pressure on investigators to release information to the family.  We also learn about a new technology that may lead to fresh clues in the case.

In our third episode exploring the mysterious death of Jody LeCornu, we talked to a journalist, a private detective, and Jody's twin sister Jennifer as the all strive to uncover facts and reveal the truth of how and why Jody was shot in the back on a desolate parking lot more than 20 years ago.