https://murdershetold.com/, https://linktr.ee/murdershetold

Murder, She Told Podcast, Hartland, VT (2026)

06/23/2026

Remembering: Dorothea Burke

After celebrating her 63rd birthday on June 23rd, 1984, at her favorite local dive bar and spending the day at a family wedding, Dorothea "Dot" Burke went missing. Five days later, her body was found on the side on a country back road—she's been a victim of blunt force trauma.

For years her case sat on Maine's unsolved homicide list with no updates to family or media. And then in September of 2020, Maine State Police announced an arrest had been made: 57-year-old Kirt Damon Sr, a guest and local man who had been at the wedding that night.

Dot’s case is one of the most recent success stories for the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit, and stands as hope to other families still awaiting their day in court.

On February 11th, 2022, Kirt Damon Sr, stood before a judge at the Waldo County Courthouse facing charges for the 1984 murder of Dorothea Burke and plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Kirt Damon Sr. got away with murder for 36 years before he was arrested in 2020.

I yearn for this moment for all cases, no matter how much time has passed. It doesn't bring Dot back to her family or change the horrific crime, but it does give them the relief that this man is no longer walking free and enjoying his life after brutally taking away hers.

Learn more about her story: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/dorothea-burke

06/23/2026

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: 1958, Falmouth, ME

You won’t find the name Dennis Down featured on the Maine Unsolved Homicide List. You also won’t find anything on his murder on the internet except the episode we did in October 2023.

Buried deep in the memories, dusty attics, and archives of 1958, sits a brutal unsolved murder of a man who still hasn’t received justice.

At 63, Dennis and his wife Edith, both of England, had just purchased a new grocery store in Portland, ME’s Munjoy Hill neighborhood. They had recently become grandparents, and they were looking forward to the golden years of life.

But on a cool morning in late June of 1958, somebody took it all away. Dennis was found beaten and stabbed in his home; a crime that left police and everyone who knew him baffled. Despite extensive efforts to find the person responsible, nobody was ever arrested for the crime... and this is where it sits today.

Cold. Unsolved... and closed.

🔸https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/dennis-down

This is The 1958 Cold Case of Dennis Down. Listen now on Murder, She Told wherever you get podcasts. Click the link above to find your platform and to learn more about Dennis and our search to find answers.

PS: This is a long shot given the date of the crime, but if anyone who knew Dennis sees this, we'd love to talk to you. We also don't have any photos of him and would love to see who he was.

06/22/2026

REMEMBERING: Jason DeHahn, and Jeffery and Jesse Ryan

On June 23, 2010, a gruesome discovery in the small town of Amity, Maine, shocked the state and forever changed several families.

Inside a home on U.S. Route 1, authorities found the bodies of 55-year-old Jeffrey Ryan, his 10-year-old son Jesse Ryan, and 30-year-old Jason DeHahn. All three had been stabbed to death in what investigators would later describe as an exceptionally violent attack. Nearby, Jeffery's pickup truck had been driven to Weston and set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

The investigation quickly led Maine State Police to 20-year-old Thayne Ormsby, who had been living in New Hampshire. Detectives traveled there to interview him, and according to court records, Ormsby confessed to the killings. Prosecutors later argued that Ormsby believed Jeffrey Ryan was involved in drug activity and had gone to the home intending to confront him. However, investigators found no evidence that Jeffery was involved in drug trafficking.

Prosecutors alleged that after killing Jeffrey Ryan, Ormsby murdered Jason DeHahn and young Jesse Ryan because they had witnessed the attack. The death of Jesse, a fifth-grade student described by loved ones as a kind and energetic child, particularly devastated the community.

At trial, Ormsby's attorneys did not dispute that he committed the killings. Instead, they argued that he suffered from severe mental illness and should be found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity. Jurors heard testimony from multiple mental health experts during a separate insanity phase of the trial.

In April 2012, after deliberating for several hours, an Aroostook County jury rejected the insanity defense and found Ormsby criminally responsible for all three murders. He was convicted of three counts of murder and one count of arson.

During sentencing, the judge called the crimes "senseless" and noted the extraordinary impact they had on the victims' families and the community. Ormsby received three concurrent life sentences for the murders, along with a consecutive 15-year sentence for arson. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court later upheld both the convictions and the sentence on appeal.

More than 15 years later, the murders of Jeffrey Ryan, Jesse Ryan, and Jason DeHahn remain one of the most heartbreaking crimes in modern Maine history. While the case was solved and a conviction secured, the loss left behind by the murders continues to be felt by those who knew and loved the victims.

Revisit this early 2-part episode of Murder, She Told today.

Part One: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/thayne-ormsby-1

Part 2: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/thayne-ormsby-2

06/22/2026

Remembering: Renee Freer, 1977, Monroe, CT

On June 22, 1977, 8-year-old Renee Freer went outside to play on the eve of her last day of third grade and never came home. Hours later, her body was found in the woods near her Monroe, Connecticut home.

For nearly five decades, investigators pursued answers in Renee's murder. They re-examined evidence, revisited witness statements, conducted new interviews, and utilized advances in forensic technology that didn't exist when the crime occurred. For years, there was hope that modern investigative techniques might finally bring justice to Renee and her family.

Then came a devastating update.

In October 2025, it was revealed that Monroe Police detectives had identified a primary suspect in Renee's homicide and had applied for a juvenile arrest warrant earlier that summer. According to police, investigators believed they had developed sufficient probable cause to support the arrest.

However, the Connecticut State's Attorney's Office declined to approve the warrant.

Police said prosecutors determined that a manslaughter charge was barred by Connecticut's five-year statute of limitations. They also considered whether a murder charge could be pursued, but because of the laws in effect in 1977 and the suspect's age at the time of the crime, prosecutors concluded that a murder prosecution could not move forward.

In a statement, Monroe Police Chief Keith White said detectives had conducted a full-scale re-examination of the case in recent years, using modern technology and re-investigating key aspects of the homicide. Despite those efforts, the State's Attorney's decision left the department with no legal path forward, and Renee's case was officially marked closed.

According to investigators, they believed they had identified the person responsible for her death and had enough evidence to seek an arrest. Yet because of legal limitations tied to the suspect's age and the laws that existed at the time of the crime, that arrest will never happen.

For Renee's family, friends, and the Monroe community, it means there will never be a trial, conviction, or formal accountability for the person investigators believe killed her. He got away with murder.

Renee was only 8 years old. She should have had the chance to grow up, build a life, and grow old. Instead, her life was cut tragically short, and nearly 50 years later, the justice so many hoped for remains out of reach.

Today, Renee Freer is remembered not only as a victim of an unsolved homicide, but as a little girl whose life mattered—and whose story deserves to be told.

Learn more about Renee's case here:

https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/renee-freer

Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/423mEN7

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vrCxdIEtZ0QkuawoBoBYa?si=eot5Va2JRRisBYPeRcUVzg

Special thanks to the Monroe Police Dept for their support with this episode.

06/19/2026

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: 1977, Acadia National Park area in Northeast Harbor, Maine

In June 1977, 27-year-old Leslie Spellman set out for Maine with her beloved dog, Taylor, looking forward to a new chapter in her life. A native of Hingham, Massachusetts, Leslie was an avid hiker, yoga teacher, and free spirit who had recently completed a backpacking trip along Vermont's Long Trail with her sister. She was traveling to Bar Harbor, where she planned to spend the summer at an ashram community and teach yoga.

Leslie never reached her destination.

On the morning of June 19, 1977, Leslie's body was discovered along a walking path in Asticou Azalea Gardens in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Investigators determined she had been killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Her dog, Taylor, was found alive about a mile away after witnesses reported seeing a dog believed to be Taylor thrown from a vehicle shortly before Leslie's body was discovered.

For nearly five decades, Leslie's family has lived without answers. Despite extensive investigations and numerous leads, no one has ever been arrested in connection with her murder. Her case remains one of Maine's oldest unsolved homicides.

Leslie Spellman isn't just a name on a cold case list. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a young woman excited about the future. Those who loved her have never stopped seeking justice, and investigators continue to hope that someone may still come forward with information.

📍If you know anything about the murder of Leslie Spellman, contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–North at (207) 973-3750 or toll-free at 1-800-432-7381.

Someone knows what happened to Leslie. It is never too late to do the right thing.

Info from: Maine State Police, Bangor Daily News
Writing by Murder, She Told

06/18/2026

MISSING: Manitoba, Canada - 2008

Jennifer Catcheway was just shy of her 18th birthday when she disappeared.

She called her parents on June 19th, 2008, to tell her parents she’d be home (to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada) later evening to celebrate her birthday.

When she didn’t arrive home, her family thought maybe she’d lost track of time partying. They reported her missing a few days later. Bernice, Jennifer’s mom, said the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mountain Police) didn’t take her seriously.

Not long after, the family got a shocking news.

They thought Jennifer made the call from Portage, nearby where she lived... but police said the call came from Grand Rapids, Manitoba—6 hours away.

The family believes Jennifer was in Grand Rapids with her uncle, Charles, and older cousin, Shawn. Police confirmed that she was seen at a house party on the Dakota Tipi First Nation.

Charles and Shawn are believed to be the last people to see Jennifer. She was last seen getting into a truck, presumably driven by one of the two men. Charles claimed that he dropped Jennifer off near the Waterhen Junction on Highway 6.

Both men were arrested a few weeks later in connection to her disappearance, but were subsequently released without any charges made.

According to an article by the CBC, “Jennifer was known for valuing family. She grew up on Manitoba's Skownan First Nation, and had three siblings. She was responsible: always leaving notes and, according to her mom, fiercely loyal.”

Jennifer’s disappearance is considered a homicide by police. No charges have been made, and Jennifer remains missing.

Jennifer was 18 when she went missing from Grand Rapids, Manitoba. She is 5’7” and was 165 lbs at the time with dark hair and brown eyes. She is Skownan First Nation.

There is a $20k reward for information that leads to the recovery or location of Jennifer. If you have any information, please contacgt Manitoba Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Info from: CBC

06/17/2026

Join us this Saturday, June 20th for the Kittery Block Party! This will be Murder, She Told's 5th year participating. As always, we will be next to the Kittery Police Dept booth in space 4 at the corner of Jones and Walker Ave.

Our goal is to talk to locals and spread the word about Reeves Johnson as well as other local unsolved cases that need attention. We will have flyers for Reeves at the booth, so if you have places to hang them up and share, come stop by and grab some!

I'll also have free stickers and some limited merch available. Come say hi!

The Block Party runs from 10AM - 4PM in downtown Kittery and is free to attend. There's tons of great food, music, vendors, and activities for kids. It's is a celebration of local art, culture and food in a fun neighborhood atmosphere, enjoyable to all ages.

Get more info here: https://www.kitteryblockparty.org

06/16/2026

Alex James was somebody who always kept to herself. She was 58, and lived on her own in an apartment in Brewer, Maine. She was doing well for herself after being diagnosed with mental health challenges, and just wanted to live in peace. Alex James, who previously went by the name Joy Crafts Earley, never hurt a fly.

On the evening of June 16th, 1995, Alex never came home from an evening stroll. The next day, her body was found near a storage unit, savagely murdered and assaulted.

It was a seemingly random attack, and police had no suspects… until years later, when a 24-year-old man named Douglas Littlefield—who had been terrorizing women in the Bangor area—was finally apprehended for his crimes.

Revisit this episode of Murder, She Told and learn about the case of Alex James, aka Joy Crafts Earley, and how survivors took down a sexual predator, and helped solve a murder.

➡️ Learn more: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/alex-james

🎧Listen Free! Find "DNA Solves: The Case of Alex James (or Joy Crafts)" now on Murder, She Told wherever you get podcasts. (originally published in December 2022)

06/15/2026

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Little Lost Seabrook Doe, NH, 1994

DNA Doe Project is seeking the public's help to identify a little girl whose skull was seized by police in 1994. This case was also worked on by our friends at the UNH F.A.I.R lab. Please share and see below for case details provided by DNA Doe Project.

January 2026 Case Update:

In June of 1994, police in Seabrook, New Hampshire seized a human skull from a local business. The business owner claimed he had purchased the skull in New York, but investigators were unable to determine where it originated. The skull belonged to a girl estimated to be between 7-9 years old. The child is believed to have died 2-10 years prior. A cause of death could not be determined.

Now, thanks to the application of investigative genetic genealogy, new information has been revealed in the cold case of Little Lost Seabrook Doe. Additionally, a new facial reconstruction has been created by renowned forensic artist Carl Koppleman to show what she may have looked like.

The skull had been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time before being cleaned and displayed.

The New Hampshire State Police later brought this case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify Jane and John Does, but efforts to identify this girl have been complicated by a lack of close DNA matches and little information about how her skull ended up in New Hampshire.

We now know that Little Lost Seabrook Doe is of Greek heritage, with strong ties to the island of Chios in particular. It’s possible that she lived and died in Greece before her skull was transported to the US, but it’s also possible that she was born and raised in the US to parents with roots in Chios.

Furthermore, the team on this case has discovered a number of families that this young girl has connections to, all of whom originate in Chios. Surnames that appear in her family tree include Kaitis, Kladia, Fafalios, Mathioudis, Palios, Stamoulis, Menis, Antokas and Sideratos.

In order to uncover her identity, the DNA Doe Project is asking for the public’s assistance, especially from people whose families immigrated from Chios or still live there. Anyone who’s taken a consumer DNA test can upload it to the databases we have access to for our work: GEDmatch, DNA Justice and FamilyTreeDNA. We’ll then be able to see if they share DNA with this girl – if they do, we’ll know that they’re a relative of hers and this could lead us to her identity. Even if they're only a distant relative, this might still help us – a single match is often all it takes to crack a cold case. You can also any tips to [email protected].

This case is in partnership with the New Hampshire State Police and the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery Lab (F.A.I.R. Lab) at UNH.

06/14/2026

UNSOLVED MURDER: Fort Fairfield, ME, 1992

Seeking photos: I am seeking a photo of Anthony Bear so he can be properly remembered, so please reach out to me if he is your loved one. I would love to share his photo, and put a face to his name 🧡

Anthony Bear, a 50-year-old member of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, was last seen on August 22, 1992, leaving the Tobique Indian Reservation in Perth-Andover. Weeks later, on October 3, 1992, a bird hunter discovered his partially decomposed remains in a wooded area of Fort Fairfield, Maine. An autopsy determined that Anthony had died from a head injury, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators worked tirelessly to find the person responsible. In 1994, a fellow resident of the Tobique First Nation was arrested and charged in connection with Anthony's murder. However, the case was later dismissed after key witnesses recanted or refused to testify in the United States, leaving prosecutors without enough evidence to proceed. No one has ever been convicted for Anthony's killing.

Today, Anthony's case remains one of Maine's unsolved homicides. More than 30 years later, investigators continue to hope that someone who knows the truth will come forward. Memories fade, but answers are still possible.

Anthony's life mattered. Native lives matter. His loved ones deserve to know what happened. Say his name. Share his story.

If you have any information about the murder of Anthony Bear, contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–North at (207) 973-3750 or toll-free at 1-800-432-7381. Tips can also be submitted through the Maine State Police cold case reporting system.

Info and screenshots from: WAGM-TV, Maine State Police
MMIP art from Indigenous Wire

Murder, She Told Podcast

06/23/2026

06/23/2026

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

06/14/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category