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E077: Nancy Eagleson
1.4k Plays5 years ago
Nancy Eagleson was thrilled about a new pair of shoes, but her excitement was short-lived as the world’s evil soon overpowered her childlike excitement.
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Transcript
Starting a Podcast with Buzzsprout
00:00:00
Speaker
Sleuth Hounds. Have you ever considered creating your own podcast? Have you been inspired by listening to some of your favorites and thought? I'd love to try this out on my own. Whether it's a true crime podcast like ours, a motivational podcast, or maybe one filled with tips and strategies for those interested in the same activities you are,
00:00:20
Speaker
When Maggie and I first decided to start our podcast, we knew absolutely nothing about what podcasting would entail. But when we found that the platform Buzzsprout was one for which we didn't need any special equipment, just a computer microphone, some quiet space, and each other, we knew that this was the way to go. It is intuitive to use, fun to play around with, and so helpful in getting analytical data about our number of downloads to track trends,
00:00:48
Speaker
and from where our listeners hail. Best yet, Buzzsprout is affordable, even by our teacher salary standards. Buzzsprout will get your podcasts listed on every major podcasting platform. So, what are you waiting for?
00:01:03
Speaker
Fulfill that dream of yours and start today. If you use our Coffee and Cases referral code, 709-643, linked on Facebook and in our show notes, not only will you help support our show, but you will receive a $20 Amazon gift card after your second month on a paid plan. It's that easy. Podcasting isn't hard when you have the right partners. Join over 100,000 podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world.
00:01:33
Speaker
Now it's time for the world to hear what you have to say.
Hometown Love and Family Dynamics
00:01:38
Speaker
No matter where I go, home will always be my favorite place to visit. And no, I'm not talking about the house I live in now with my husband, even though that is near the top of my list. I'm talking about home, Eastern Kentucky. If you have been a long time listener of the show, you know that both Allison and I have a deep rooted love for our hometowns.
00:01:59
Speaker
For me, driving up my hauler allows me to let go and release so much tension I bear without even realizing I had such a load on my shoulders. While each visit's special on its own, nothing compares to Eastern Kentucky during a holiday. Rain, sun, sleet, or snow, I will make it home for the holidays. There's nothing like sitting around my mommy's kitchen table laughing.
00:02:22
Speaker
making rolls, and eating with my family. Family is such a strange and beautiful thing. My mom often compares families to quilts. She says that we're sewed together, each piece, or person, connected to the next, and that even though we may unravel some, and some squares might fade after dozens of trips to the washer, we're one unit, strong and united under the love we share for each other, and at the same time, left broken or unraveled as my mom would say,
00:02:52
Speaker
when someone on our quilt fades away. My mammy quilts by hand quilts for each of her grandchildren and her children for special occasions, weddings, babies, graduations, and sometimes just because she can.
00:03:06
Speaker
What is the most devastating is when a new quilt fades quickly. The new pieces start to slip away with each wash and your heart breaks a little each time you have to run it through the washer again. Then finally, you can't take looking at all that love unravel and you put it away for safekeeping.
00:03:22
Speaker
How nice would it be if we could store our loved ones away for safekeeping too? If you noticed them fading, you could just put them in a cedar chest with all your precious things, but our world doesn't work that way. And sometimes, as we have come all too accustomed to, some young pieces in our quilt are unrivaled from the rest too soon.
Introduction to Nancy Eagleson's Tragic Story
00:03:40
Speaker
When a 14-year-old girl is snatched off the sidewalk and found dead hours later, it hurts.
00:03:46
Speaker
The threads that were holding a family together are ripped apart and the patching begins. But as any quilt maker knows, patches never blend like they should and families never heal when death knocks out the door. This is the story of Nancy Eagleson.
00:04:35
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases, where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron.
00:04:45
Speaker
We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the case will take those tips to law enforcement so justice and closure can be brought to these families. With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, and to follow us on Instagram at Coffee Cases podcast and on TikTok
00:05:08
Speaker
at Coffee and Cases podcast, because as these families know, conversation helps to keep their missing family member in the public consciousness, helping to keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.
Emotional Impact of Covering Children's Cases
00:05:24
Speaker
Allison, I know I've said it before, but it seems that we are covering so many children's cases since we started doing these lesser known cases, and it breaks my heart. Yeah, I know we talked about it with the Erica Baker case that you covered too.
00:05:39
Speaker
I know, and like I said, it makes me sad, but at the same time, I am glad that we're covering cases that not many people have heard of, and today's case, if I'm being honest, was one that I had never heard of, and research was really slim on this one. I know you talked about that last week. It was really similar. I could only find
00:06:06
Speaker
I think two articles from around the time it happened, and then some from more recent things that have taken place, but there were really no articles that I found that were like, here's a list of suspects, or here's someone that they thought was involved. This one was difficult to research, but her story was so brutal and upsetting that I felt that it had to be covered.
00:06:33
Speaker
So listeners be warned, we will be discussing rape and some other just like kind of gruesome details in today's episode. So just know going in, we're going to be talking about some sensitive topics. Right. So listener discretion is advised. Yes.
00:06:50
Speaker
Nancy was just like every other 14 year old girl back on November 13th of 1960. And I say that she was like any 14 year old girl, but I guess I could really just say she was like any girl because Nancy had talked her mom into buying her a pair of new high heel shoes. Oh, that's like right up my alley. And she was so excited.
00:07:17
Speaker
And Allison is the sporter of high heels. She wears them every day to work and she's a superhero. I know. There's so many people are like, how are you doing this? And I'm thinking, because I have to. I even have a tape dispenser that looks like a high heel shoe. And she always starts to so cute. And then I'm like, am I
00:07:37
Speaker
kids tennis shoes. So I get Nancy's excitement. Yeah, so she was super excited to like she was getting ready to sport these new high heels to church that day. And she being 14 actually helped in the nursery at her church with which I thought was kind of cool.
00:07:56
Speaker
Yeah. I know, like you said, high heel shoes excites you. Nothing really excites me more than Krispy Kreme donuts and a new pair of shoes. Okay, well I get that excitement too. And I know Allison that you teach kids that are a little older than me, but your little sooth hound is not too much younger than Nancy. And I know kids that age love showing off their new shoes at school.
00:08:22
Speaker
Absolutely. They walk weird so they don't get creases, like they're obsessed. Yes. And I'm sure. I want people to notice. Yes. Oh yeah, they do. And like, they kind of get upset if you don't say something. Right. Yeah. Cause then they'll be like, Mrs. Williams, do you like my new shoes? How have you not noticed? Yeah. Didn't you see my new shoes, Ms. Tamron?
00:08:47
Speaker
So I'm sure Nancy had plans to not only show these shoes off at church on Sunday, but also at school on Monday. But sadly, she would never get the chance to show her friends at school her new shoes.
00:09:01
Speaker
So while the rest of the town was getting ready for Thanksgiving weekend, and I know that we have a lot of international listeners, um, but Thanksgiving is an American holiday and we celebrate, I think it's originally a celebration of like the pilgrims survival through winter, but we basically in my household starve ourselves.
Family Traditions and Thanksgiving Meals
00:09:25
Speaker
approximately 12 hours before dinner so that we are able to eat a huge plate of delicious foods. Yes, when Maggie says huge plate, I know your house is much like mine and I'm telling you I make turkey
00:09:41
Speaker
and ham and there's cranberry sauce and our stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and corn and green beans and sweet potato casserole and rolls and probably a couple more sides that I'm forgetting and then there's dessert. Yes, exactly.
00:10:03
Speaker
You can't leave the dish out. Hence the reason you have to starve yourself so that we can be gluttonous and eat our weight in food. Nancy and her little sister Cheryl were planning not only to enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner that was coming up, but their most immediate plans were they were going to watch a new movie at the local movie theater.
00:10:32
Speaker
Okay. According to a newspaper in Paulding County Progress, Nancy's parents were making her favorite meal, pork chops and hominy for dinner. And Nancy and her sister were planning to go to the movie. And her mom had agreed to let them stop by Johnson's restaurant to grab cokes after the movie like on their way home. And she had those new shoes that she was wearing. So she's having like the best day.
00:10:57
Speaker
Sounds amazing. Yeah, it's like one good thing after another. Exactly. So after dinner, it was just a typical day at Nancy's house. Nancy's dad went into the living room and her mom in this article, recalls her staying in the kitchen just talking with her mom.
00:11:15
Speaker
or she recalls Nancy staying in the kitchen, just talking with her until she decided to go to her room to write letters to her pen pals. Oh, I loved that. I know. Did you write pen pals to pen pals in school? Yes. I remember like particularly in third grade, I don't know how our teacher set it up, but we all got a pen pal. And I actually wrote back and forth with my pen pal for almost the entire year. Oh yeah. A lot longer than all the other kids did.
00:11:45
Speaker
Yeah, we did it in, it was fourth grade and I had two who were from California that I used to write to. I loved that because it was so exciting to like get something in the mail. Yes, exactly. Yes.
00:12:04
Speaker
pre-technology, we looked forward to the pen pal letters that came in the mail. That's right. So, Nancy was scribbling away and Cheryl was preparing to watch that movie, which was called David and Bathsheba, which I have never heard of. No, but apparently it's based on the Bible story. Yes. But that sounds a little scandalous for 14-year-olds.
00:12:24
Speaker
Well, they said that it was a hit at that time, but, and Cheryl is younger than Nancy. I think in some articles I read, she was like five or six. Oh, maybe it's a cartoon. Maybe, maybe it leaves out the fact that, you know, David sent Bathsheba's husband into battle to be killed so he could sleep with her. I mean, maybe it leaves that part out. Yeah.
00:12:47
Speaker
the whole point of the story. So in my mind, I picture all of this taking place much later, but actually Nancy and Cheryl were on their way home from grabbing their soda around 7.20 PM. So I'm guessing that like they had an early Sunday dinner and they caught like a matinee showing. Yeah, like maybe eat at like 4.30 or 5. Go to a movie. Yeah.
00:13:16
Speaker
And from my research, it appears that Nancy's house was not too far from the movie theater or the restaurant because Nancy and her little sister walked, at least I know walked home after drinking their Cokes. And I'm assuming they walked to the movie theater as well.
00:13:34
Speaker
Okay. So basically her mom, she didn't take them. She just said, you can stop by Johnson's restaurant to get the Cokes. Yeah. Okay. Cause they live close. Yeah. And again, we say this all the time. It was a different time. Yeah. It was a lot more like walking, you know, where you need to go. I got a picture, leave it to Beaver. Right. When it's 1960. Yeah. Or like Brady Bunch or something. Yeah.
00:14:01
Speaker
And from a quick Google search, Paulding, Ohio seems like a town like that. It looks like somewhere where everyone knows everyone, which is why I'm sure that her mom felt comfortable letting 14-year-old Nancy and her little sister walk to the movies.
00:14:18
Speaker
I'm sure recalled that as they passed over Flat Rock Creek, a car passed them and the girls took no notice. So I'm assuming they were used to walking. I would be freaking out if a car passed me, but from the sounds of it, they're used to this.
Abduction and Discovery of Nancy Eagleson
00:14:35
Speaker
Right.
00:14:35
Speaker
And plus 14, I mean, that's usually the age. I think I was babysitting other people's kids around that age. Yeah, I know for sure I was babysitting my cousin at that time. So you're a little more independent. Right. And that makes sense that mom would feel comfortable letting Nancy go with her little sister.
00:14:54
Speaker
But when a second car slowed as it approached them and stopped, the girls, I'm sure, began to worry. I'd be freaking out. Yes. And sadly, Allison, Nancy was pulled into that car as Cheryl ran away screaming for help.
00:15:12
Speaker
Oh, and poor Cheryl. I mean, you know, if you're that young, you're not, all you know is fear. Yeah. And which props to her because despite the fact that she was young, and like I said, some newspaper reports said that she was five. I couldn't verify that anywhere though. I just know she was younger than Nancy.
00:15:33
Speaker
She knew to run to an adult's house, so she quickly ran to a neighbor's house and told them that a man with glasses had pulled Nancy into a light colored car. So she even remembers some of what he looked like and the color of the car he was in. That's actually very impressive. I know.
00:15:51
Speaker
Because again, in my head, I would imagine a five-year-old would just be so afraid that they wouldn't even take in those details. So the fact that she remembered that stuff and knew to go to an adult's house, obviously their parents taught them well what to do.
00:16:10
Speaker
And unlike most of our cases where the search for the victim can go on for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, the same cannot be said for sweet Nancy. Sadly, Nancy's body was found only about five and a half hours after she was reported missing by two raccoon hunters in like a secluded wooded area. Oh my gosh. Yeah, and I actually talked with
00:16:36
Speaker
Nancy's younger, younger sister, Meryl, who wasn't, if I'm remembering correctly from our conversation, I don't think that she had been born yet when Nancy had disappeared. And she said that her mom could vividly tell the story to the point that she had felt like she had been there. Her mom just never forgot anything and could vividly remember all those reports.
00:17:07
Speaker
Well, and, you know, I talk all the, no matter what happens to your loved one, I can't imagine the grief that you go through. And for Nancy's mom, it's almost like, you know, for those who have missing and murdered loved ones for whom it's like years before any developments,
00:17:31
Speaker
I feel like they at least eventually get to the point where they allow themselves to consider the fact that maybe their loved one is no longer alive, but five and a half hours, that wouldn't even be something that would cross my
Desire for Justice and Case Limitations
00:17:47
Speaker
mind yet. I would still be thinking, my child is out there somewhere, I just have to find her. Yeah, exactly. I would not even be thinking that she had been murdered. Right.
00:18:01
Speaker
Like, I don't know why Nancy's case, because we've covered a lot of cases, but her case, I'm like, I really like want to know, I want Nancy to have justice. I want her family to have peace. And I know we always want that, but like something about her case just really pulls at me. Nancy had been shot in the face. That's how she got. Oh my gosh.
00:18:28
Speaker
So I can only imagine how terrified she is anyways to be in this situation. And then to literally stare down the barrel of the gun that's going to kill it. Oh, right. And as if that wasn't horrific enough, she had also been raped before she was murdered. Oh my gosh. And from what I read online,
00:18:53
Speaker
It seems that everyone agrees, all the professionals agree that her abductions was a means just to sexually assault her. There was no other reason that they would have abducted her. Nancy was carrying a purse that night with her little high heels and a scarf and things like that, but all of those items,
00:19:22
Speaker
I could not find in the articles from the time period that said if they had done anything with those articles, I could only find an article that had said throughout the years, those items had disappeared. Had disappeared? Yes. Yeah, and I know it's so weird and I will talk more about it because it comes into play, like at least in my mind, it comes into play big time. Yeah, that seems awfully suspicious.
00:19:52
Speaker
Yeah. Um, I agree. And police had other than the things that, like that Cheryl was able to tell them they have little to no evidence to go on. They recovered nothing from the scene of the crime. So, you know, no tire marks, no footprints, nothing. And so all they know is glasses like colored car.
00:20:18
Speaker
Yeah, and if it weren't for Cheryl, I don't even think they would have had that much to go on. Part of me wonders if this case had happened at a later time because this is 1960, would we be further along in the case because we have so many advances today? DNA testing wasn't a thing in 1960, so I'm wondering if the outcome could have been different. Right, or even street cameras.
00:20:46
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Or like people's home security cameras. Right. Something. I think a lot of that.
00:20:54
Speaker
According to area slaying victim to be buried today, Paulding County Sheriff John Keller, who was a sheriff at the time, had a list of possible suspects and they were all criminals in the area. When I talked to Meryl, she actually said that polygraphs were given to several of the suspects and apparently the suspect list was a long list. I never saw
00:21:21
Speaker
anywhere in like a news article where there were named suspects and I find some stuff in blogs and I'm gonna talk about that but like none of the articles that I was able to find listed suspects but she said that there was a long list of suspects. So most people in the town, so this town is around 2500 people so it is tiny
00:21:51
Speaker
Yeah, that's super small. Have their own idea of what they think happened to Nancy, but none of them could figure out who in their town would want to kidnap, rape and murder a 14 year old girl. Right. But I mean, even the act, obviously I know a stranger could sexually assault a girl. And I guess, you know, I think we talked about it with
00:22:19
Speaker
the alphabet killer, you know, um, the one who was strangled from the front. So I don't even, on the one hand, it seems like to be shot, especially in the face seems very personal, but I know that there are times when it's not. So I guess it's hard because you don't even know if this is a local or an outsider.
00:22:42
Speaker
Right. And the sheriff at the time, like I said, had a list of suspects and a list of persons of interest. And he said in that article, I mentioned above, that he would be, quote, questioning those people concerning their whereabouts on the day that Nancy was abducted and murdered. Okay. And if we find out like
00:23:04
Speaker
Where were you? Do you have an alibi? Exactly. Exactly. And in that same article, Keller actually said that he had contacted Chicago police, which this was weird to me, about a similar murder in the Chicago area. And it seems that this victim had been found in a wooded area and had been raped. And I guess he wanted to compare notes with that case to see if maybe we were looking at like a serial killer type thing.
00:23:32
Speaker
But for my research, it appears no connection was ever established between the two of those. Well, the only reason I guess it seems bizarre is I feel like a lot of law enforcement agencies, even now, it takes them a long time to ever get to that point where they're even considering similar cases in other areas because there's not that communication and sharing about cases between law enforcement agencies like there should. But for this case to be in 1960,
00:24:03
Speaker
And he's contacting them. That seems out of the ordinary. And I think some people in the town would agree with you because there are three theories to Nancy's killer.
Theories and Findings in Nancy's Case
00:24:22
Speaker
One is that Nancy's death was due to a traveler who was passing through the area. So she was just like,
00:24:29
Speaker
happen stand top death. Like she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The others think that it was a local man. So maybe someone who knew her or would have at least known the area because of where her body was put. Okay, because again, it's rural. So just like we talked about last week with Clarice's case, the fact that that was a rural road that really only locals would go down
00:24:56
Speaker
Yeah, how would a stranger to the area know that this is a secluded wooded area? I mean, I guess you could drive by and see it, but especially if it's off the beaten path, you wouldn't necessarily. Yeah, and it's not like they had GPS in 1960, and he or she could drive and then put their address to get back home in a GPS. I feel like they would need to know where they're going.
00:25:16
Speaker
Heck, I get lost downtown. I'm like, wait, all these one-way railroads are confusing me. And Anthony will be like, we've driven down here like 50,000 times and I still have to tell you where to turn. I'm like, yes, sir, you do. And there are still others, Allison, that think that this person who did this to Nancy was someone who was very close to the case.
00:25:46
Speaker
Close as in law enforcement? Close as in many believe that a deputy sheriff was who killed, raped, and shot Nancy. And actually when I talked to Meryl, she said, quote, the town believes the sheriff done it, end quote. She even said, Nancy campaigned for him and knew him well. Oh.
00:26:14
Speaker
But everything that I read said that it was a deputy sheriff and not the sheriff that I mentioned above. But like I said, research was really slim on this, so they could be talking about the same people when they say deputy sheriff and the sheriff she was referring to. Well, I know you're probably going to get into it, but the fact that you said that some of the evidence disappeared over the years,
00:26:42
Speaker
I get why some people believe the theory. Just you just wait. So like I said, I was unable to find anything that
00:26:57
Speaker
like talked in detail about this deputy being a suspect. But it is mentioned briefly in a few blogs and articles I read. And so I wanted to go ahead and talk about it. But you know, sleuth, I just know going in that, like I said, I did not find this on any news, like station or reliable, like article. Right. And even I guess her sister Meryl basically said,
00:27:24
Speaker
It's the rumor around town. Right. Okay. So, like I said, there are those who speculate that a deputy was behind Nancy's attack and death. And after reading some recent articles, and like you picked up on Allison, I can see why this theory holds after all of these years. I first stumbled upon this theory in an article in New Centennial by Leo Morris.
00:27:48
Speaker
And he actually mentioned Nancy in the closing, like his article wasn't like devoted to Nancy, but he mentions her in the closing. His article is about like armed police officers in school. And this is what he says about Nancy.
00:28:04
Speaker
quote, we really don't want armed cops in our schools. They have incredibly high divorce rates and an incredibly high rate of child abuse. Am I the only one who remembers little Nancy Eagleson kidnapped and found that night about five miles away by raccoon hunters. The girl was naked with signs of having been raped.
00:28:23
Speaker
Sheriff John Keller said he knew who did it, but he didn't have the evidence to charge him. Of course, one of his deputies was driving a car that matched the description of the kidnappers vehicle. And golly gee, when I saw deputy Scarborough waiting in his parked car about three days later, I complimented him on his attractive new seat covers. He immediately decided he needed to go somewhere, but he moved his car to a different parking space less than a block away, end quote. Oh,
00:28:53
Speaker
My goodness. So there's so much in that quote to unpack like the fact that there's a high rate of child abuse.
00:29:04
Speaker
no idea about that fact. Yeah, I've never heard that fact. And then the fact that this newspaper writer is saying he saw the deputy sheriff, who many believe was involved, who has a car who looks identical to that, that Cheryl noted, and he has new seat covers, which means there could have been something on the seat.
00:29:30
Speaker
Okay. That's what I said. So that's exactly what I was thinking when I read this, because this quote to me makes it appear that days after Nancy's death, this deputy got new seat covers, which is always a bad sign. Like what the heck are you trying to cover up days? Yeah, ever.
00:29:52
Speaker
Yeah, so that's weird. So it's weird that, you know, one, he's got the new seat covers. Two, his car matches the description the sister gave. And it's weird that he was never brought in for questioning. That is weird. So many blame the sheriff saying he did nothing to this deputy despite all of the evidence that he could have potentially had against him.
00:30:18
Speaker
I mean, I do think that I know like I'm sure it's kind of like a brotherhood sisterhood, right? With law enforcement, like feeling the need to protect your own. But at the same time, if there seems to be all this evidence and there are so many similarities, then I agree that he should have been questioned. Yeah, at least brought in for questioning. Yeah.
00:30:44
Speaker
So Allison and Sleuthhounds, as I mentioned before, there are several recent articles about Nancy's case, and I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the events that have transpired since 1960. Okay. By recent, I mean, most of these were published around like 2013. Oh, that is pretty recent though.
00:31:06
Speaker
So apparently this old jail house in Paulding was sold in early 2013 to Jeff and Cassie Hollis. And their plan was to work on restoring the jail and to offer overnight paranormal investigations. Nope, I'm out. Yeah. This is a pass for me. Like, mm-mm.
00:31:25
Speaker
Yeah, that scares me to death. Like the one thing I can always remember my mom saying to me growing up was that if I put good thoughts into my head, good thoughts would come out and that has like stuck with me over the years. So while I love true crime and I love true crime podcasts and a true crime documentary, you will not find me watching anything like demonic scary on TV or going into places that are haunted. Like I just am not about exposing myself to that.
00:31:54
Speaker
Yeah, I am with you 100. Like there's, there's no way I would play within Ouija board. Oh, no. Nope. There's no way like near us in is it Louisville that there's the way really
00:32:10
Speaker
Yes, Waverly Hills. Nope. And they say there's all kinds of paranormal. Nope. Because I honestly think, you know, I feel like I'm right about this. I would think that a demon isn't going to go after somebody who's already evil. A demon is probably going to try to go after somebody who is innocent. And I don't want to be that person. Yeah, no. So I'm just not going to put myself in that situation. So that's right. That's right.
00:32:38
Speaker
But it was reported that several odd and peculiar things have both happened and been found inside this gel house. Okay. One thing that was found was a tiny black high heel shoe. Uh, like Nancy's new shoes? Yes, because what had Nancy been so excited about wearing the day that she was killed?
00:33:07
Speaker
her high heels. Yeah, like her mom had literally just bought her a new pair of high heels. And if you remember from earlier in the episode, I said that many pieces of evidence from Nancy's case had like disappeared or gone missing.
00:33:25
Speaker
See, those things should be, like, logged into evidence, like, files, folders, boxes. That is what I thought, but her purse, her dress, her scarf, and other personal belongings of Nancy had, like, simply disappeared, despite the fact that they should have, like you said, been stored safely in this gel. Hmm. And when I say disappeared, I know, you just wait.
00:33:52
Speaker
Oh my gosh. So when I say disappeared, I literally mean disappeared. Nancy shoe wasn't found in like the back of a filing cabinet or in a drawer and like a discarded desk or dresser. Nancy shoe, a piece of fabric, which I believed to be from her dress, but couldn't verify that. And a license plate. What? Were found according to Tom's bulletin.
00:34:22
Speaker
In the process of this restoration, a crew working in the basement knocked out part of a wall underneath a vent and behind that wall was a narrow passageway between stone walls. Okay. I'm creeped out. Okay. They began leveling the dirt on the floor and uncovered the shoe, the material and the license plate.
00:34:48
Speaker
Okay, this whole theory about the deputy sheriff then is feeling to me more and more accurate. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, like pieces of evidence were taken one by one and like buried so that they would never be found because why the heck else would it be
00:35:15
Speaker
Like you couldn't get to it until you knocked out part of a wall under a vent. Yeah. And like passageway, are we talking like crawl space or are we talking like creeps me out? Me too.
00:35:30
Speaker
Like it's crazy. These items have obviously been placed there. There's no way it goes from being in a box safely filed to in a passageway behind a wall under a vent. These items were placed there by someone. And I would imagine that the only people who have access to the evidence
00:35:54
Speaker
are law enforcement officers. Exactly. We know that whoever placed these items, they were clearly hiding them, right? And we know it had to have been someone who had access to both the evidence and the building. And the only people that would have that access I feel like would be the people that like the officers that worked there. Yeah, that's what I would think. And so either these are Nancy's and that gives us a hint in her case or they're
00:36:23
Speaker
somebody else's. And again, there's another unsolved mystery out there that we don't even know. But I'm telling you right now, those items had to be placed. And I would think it would be the deputy. That's what I think. And Allison, we know for sure that that shoe was Nancy's. Oh, so yep. The Eagleson family was actually contacted and asked what color and size Nancy shoe was.
00:36:52
Speaker
Then they were told that a similar shoe had been found and that it was believed to possibly have been Nancy's. Obviously, in the article that I read, this wasn't them trying to raise any hopes, but they wanted the family to know that something had been discovered.
00:37:16
Speaker
And the Eagleson family then contacted the people that have bought the gel and made an appointment to go and see the evidence. And Nancy's mother was asked before they showed her the shoe by her daughters to describe the shoe. And the shoe was placed in a plastic bag and taken out after the mom had given her description and then her description matched the shoe before she even knew
00:37:43
Speaker
what the shoe that she was getting her ready to see looked like. And she positively identified the shoe as being the one that Nancy was wearing. Wow. Yeah. Now, again, we need a sleuthound out there who's like, I don't know a forensic expert, but I want to know how long fingerprints can last. And if these items were found
00:38:13
Speaker
I wonder if the workers picked them up. Do you know what I mean? Because again, if I see a shoe, okay, I might not touch it if it's under a vent behind a wall in a passageway because I might be like, this is something criminal. But if I'm cleaning out a place and there's a shoe,
00:38:35
Speaker
I'm not thinking, oh, this could be a clue. This could be evidence. Right, and I might pick it up. But I wonder if they hadn't touched it, if fingerprints could be on it from that long ago. Well, I'm not sure, but I do know that they actually contacted the current sheriff, and he actually takes the shoe and the cloth as evidence.
00:39:01
Speaker
and told the people restoring the jail to kind of close it off and not let anyone near the items that had been removed. And they even contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to try to find out what their recommendations would be for handling these fines. The organization actually ended up coming to the county
00:39:26
Speaker
Not long after that, um, just to try to investigate Nancy's case. Many people had hoped, like you said, that this shoe and fabric would finally yield answers to the case. And they did send the shoe out for testing. I didn't read anywhere where they sent the fabric out, but no DNA was found on the shoe. Darn it. So we are still left with more questions and no answers.
00:39:54
Speaker
Oh, that makes me so sad for this family to think like, oh my gosh, like here this was found. I still though, even though there's no DNA on it, and I know obviously that means like there's no solid proof to link.
00:40:12
Speaker
the deputy sheriff to it. And I'm not even saying it was that deputy sheriff necessarily, but I stand behind my belief that it was someone in that law enforcement office who took those items purposefully and hid them.
00:40:32
Speaker
And they may not have even been the people who like abducted, raped and killed Nancy. They could have been people that were trying to protect like a family member or something like that. But it had to have been someone who worked there that hit those items. Yep. I agree.
Reflection on Nancy's Potential and Justice Quest
00:40:51
Speaker
Nancy still had so much to give the world. At 14, she had her life in front of her. I think all of the what ifs in her case are what makes it most sad. What if Nancy had been the scientist to find a cure for cancer? What if Nancy had been a pioneer for women's rights? What if Nancy had been the first female president?
00:41:13
Speaker
What Nancy was destined to be will forever be a mystery. Nancy's mother has now passed away, but both of her sisters still fight for justice for Nancy. They hold regular walks in her memory and are still fighting for the answers they so truly deserve. In 2019, this letter to the editor was published, quote,
00:41:35
Speaker
Dear Editor, Next year will be the 60th year anniversary of the abduction and murder of Nancy Eagleson. Although Nancy's mother passed away in the last year, Nancy's sisters still hope that her murder can be solved with today's technological advances. That hope actually grows stronger.
00:41:53
Speaker
All that's needed is DNA. Can it be obtained? Nothing is impossible. Forensic science may still triumph. It's quite possible that at least one person in the area is becoming more and more alarmed as cold cases, many decades old, are being solved and those responsible are being held accountable. Will there one day be an unwelcome knock on his door?
00:42:16
Speaker
Nancy's remaining family members have decided to move the walk to remember Nancy from November when the crime took place to June, which was Nancy's birth month. Please join friends and family members on Sunday evening, June 30th at 7 p.m. at the former Paulding Theater on Perry Street. From the theater, the walk will proceed approximately five blocks to the abduction site on Flat Rock Drive. In case of rain, please dress appropriately. It's time for answers.
00:42:43
Speaker
Please show support and help celebrate and commemorate a life cut short. Janine Winston. And it is time for answers, Luthounds. We need to do what we can to remember Nancy and bring her family the justice and peace they deserve. Anyone who has information regarding this case is encouraged to call the office at 419-399-3791 or visit
00:43:15
Speaker
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00:43:37
Speaker
Please tell your friends about our podcast so that more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to write our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon. Stay together. Stay safe. We'll see you next week.