For years, some law enforcement agencies have replaced the faces of traditional playing card decks with images of missing and murdered people and distributed those cards in prisons hoping inmates would come forward with information needed to crack these cold cases wide open. Now, audiochuck is dealing you in. Each week, we will be working with investigators and family members to bring you the details of some of the coldest cases from around the country in hopes that someone listening can finally bring these victims the justice they deserve.
Christine Tortoro (6 of Clubs, Connecticut)
Our card this week is Christine Tortoro, the 6 of Clubs from Connecticut. In 1988, 21-year-old Christine was found murdered in Hartford, Connecticut. Almost immediately, rumors started swirling about who could be responsible for her death. But most rumors always have a source — and if you look hard enough, sometimes, you can find a thread of truth. Follow that thread, and you might find the killer.If you have any information on the location of Samantha or about the murder of Christine Tortoro in the early morning hours of August 26th, 1988, please call the Connecticut Cold Case Tip Line at 1-866-623-8058, or you can email tips to cold.case@ct.gov. You could be eligible for a $20,000 reward. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Renee McBreen (2 of Spades, Florida)
Our card this week is Renee McBreen, the 2 of Spades from Florida.When Renee was 22 years old, her main goal was to provide a good life for her son Caleb. But in September 1992, Renee was attacked in her Jacksonville, Florida, home after hosting Caleb’s 3rd birthday party. While Renee’s killer spared Caleb’s life, their actions took away the person who loved him most and shattered his sense of safety and belonging for years to come.Today, a cold case detective is renewing the push for answers in Renee’s murder, hoping to finally repair some of the damage that was done over 30 years ago.If you know anything about Caleb’s birthday party or the reported trip to Dunkin Donuts that Renee and Caleb might’ve taken just before Renee’s murder, or anything else about the 1992 murder of Renee McBreen, please call the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 and ask for Detective Ray Reeves. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org. To support Project: Cold Case, visit www.projectcoldcase.org. Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Elizabeth Miller (7 of Hearts, Connecticut)
Our card this week is Elizabeth Miller, the 7 of Hearts from Connecticut. In the summer of 1994, Elizabeth’s body was found outside of an abandoned building in an area rife with crime. As the years went by, investigators never uncovered any solid leads… until a pattern of brutal murders began to emerge in the area, leading them to suspect there’s more to her story than meets the eye.If you have any information about the murder of Elizabeth Miller in June 1994, or the murders of Rosalind Casey and LaDawn Roberts also in Hartford in June of 2000 and 1999 respectively, please contact the Connecticut cold case tip line at 866-623-8058 or email tips to cold.case@ct.gov To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Amber Hoopes (9 of Clubs, Idaho)
Our card this week is Amber Hoopes, the 9 of Clubs from Idaho.Late one night in September 2001, Amber Hoopes walked out to her grandparents’ auto body shop in Idaho Falls, Idaho to use the computer. After sending an email and logging off the computer around 1am, Amber vanished. Police have evidence that shows she was abducted and killed, and while they have two viable suspects, Amber’s body has never been found. If you have any information about Amber’s disappearance, call the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office at 208-529-1200. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Myrtle Cole (Queen of Spades, Minnesota)
Our card this week is Myrtle Cole, the Queen of Spades from Minnesota.In the early morning hours of December 12, 1981,81-year-oldMyrtle Cole was fast asleep in her securely locked, small-town Minnesota home when someone broke in and brutally murdered her. For more than 40 years, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office has dedicated countless man hours to finding out who killed her, and the answer may no longer be far out of reach. If you know anything about the brutal murder of 81-year-old Myrtle Cole in 1981, please reach out to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. You can reach Investigator Kotschevar directly at 320-259-3733, or scan the QR code in the blog post for this episode.To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
James Foster III (4 of Clubs, Virginia)
Our card this week is James Foster III, the 4 of Clubs from Virginia. It was a normal, warm Virginia day in April 2021 for a group of friends mingling outside a convenience store when out of the blue they were shot up by someone driving by, and 18-year-old James was killed. Over the past two years, Richmond police have uncovered evidence they think points toward the killer — but they’re still waiting for the missing piece to prove it.If you know anything about the murder of James Foster III on April 29, 2021, please call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Cody Woodson (10 of Hearts, Virginia)
Our card this week is Cody Woodson, the 10 of Hearts from Virginia. What began as a normal April day in 2021 ended in heartache for the family of 20-year-old Cody Woodson when the college student was gunned down in the streets just outside of his apartment in an attack that police now believe was not meant for him.If you know anything about the murder of Cody Woodson in 2021, please call Crime Stoppers at 804- 780-1000.If you’d like to donate to Virginia Commonwealth University’s scholarship in Cody’s name you can find that HERE. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Tonya Teske (2 of Spades, Idaho)
Our card this week is Tonya Teske, the 2 of Spades from Idaho.Tonya Teske was a free-spirited 18-year-old who chose to live her life on the open road by hitchhiking around the mountain west. On August 13, 1997, she was last seen in Montana at a truck stop before her body was discovered two days later on the side of a highway in Idaho. If you have any information about Tonya’s murder, you’re asked to call the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office at 208-529-1200. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Gregory Goodson (Ace of Clubs, North Carolina)
Our card this week is Gregory Goodson, the Ace of Clubs from North Carolina. When 16-year-old Gregory vanished from a bus stop in September 2005, his family immediately knew something wasn’t right. A few days later, a terrifying discovery would prove that their worst fears were right and send police on a desperate search for answers that now, even 18 years later, has yet to end. If you know anything about the murder of Gregory Goodson in September 2005, you can call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department at 704-336-6614 and ask for Detective Phillip Thompson. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Barbara Dreher (King of Hearts, Washington DC)
Our card this week is Barbara Dreher, the King of Hearts from Washington D.C. It was a warm Saturday evening in 1984 when 39-year-old Barbara disappeared from the streets of Washington, D.C. Almost 40 years later, the blatant missteps in the early days of the investigation still haunt her case… and may be what stands in the way of it being solved. If you know anything about the disappearance or murder of Barbara Dreher in 1984, please call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099 — you can request to remain anonymous. Or you can text 50411 to submit an anonymous tip.If you provide information leading to an arrest and conviction, you could be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000. Barbara is described as 5’2”, 130 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a green shirt and white slacks. She would be in her late 70s today. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Sheree Allen (2 of Hearts, Utah)
Our card this week is Sheree Allen, the 2 of Hearts from Utah. Sheree Allen was last seen alive at the (former) Colonial Motel in downtown Salt Lake City on January 23, 2005. The next night, her body was found in a dumpster in West Valley City, Utah wrapped in trash bags. There have been several viable leads in the case, but none have ever resulted in charges or arrests. If you have any information about Sheree’s murder, you’re asked to reach out to the Utah Cold Case Coalition at 385-258-3313. Or you can call the West Valley City Police Department or the Utah Department of Public Safety’s cold case tip hotline at 833-377-7233. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new!
Ivory Green (Jack of Spades, New York)
Ivory was just 17 years old when she vanished while on her way home in Utica, New York. Despite a slow start to the investigation, investigators have tried to make up for lost time, spending years putting together the pieces that point toward the people responsible — people who refuse to talk, even 19 years later. If you know anything about the disappearance of Ivory Green on March 6, 2004, please call the Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers 866-730-TIPS(8477), or submit an anonymous tip online at p3tips.com. You can also call the Utica Police Department Criminal Investigations Division directly at 315-223-2510. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org. Follow The Deck on social media and join Ashley’s community by texting (317) 733-7485 to stay up to date on what's new! Have you listened to THE DECK INVESTIGATES yet? In this first season, Ashley takes a deep dive into the cold case of Darlene Hulse, the 4 of Hearts from Indiana. Darlene Hulse was forcibly taken from her home in Argos, Indiana on August 17, 1984. Though Darlene’s body would be found a day later, just six miles from her home, her killer has evaded law enforcement for almost four decades and her case has remained cold…until now. Click HERE to sign the petition and demand justice for Darlene Hulse.
Sylvia Baker (3 of Spades, Connecticut)
Our card this week is Sylvia Baker, the 3 of Spades from Connecticut. Sylvia Baker, 28, went downstairs on July 17th, 1982 to take out the trash. Sylvia never returned to her apartment, where her two young kids were watching TV. When she was found the next day, nude and bound with pieces of her own clothing, her family remained in a state of shock as police worked to track down her killers. Over 40 years later, no one’s been held accountable for Sylvia’s murder, but a DNA match and other clues have investigators closer than ever to the truth. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com.
Lawrence O'Connell (Jack of Spades, Washington DC)
Our card this week is Lawrence O'Connell, the Jack of Spades from Washington DC. One Friday afternoon in 1994, 35-year-old Lawrence O’Connell seemingly vanished into thin air after leaving his workplace, and a disturbing discovery the following day left everyone with more questions than answers. If you know anything about the murder of Lawrence O’Connell in February 1994, please call the Metropolitan Police Department’s Synchronized Operations Command Center at 202-727-9099. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com.
Aaron "Peanut" Lamont Smalls (Ace of Spades, Virginia)
Our card this week is Aaron Lamont "Peanut" Smalls, the Ace of Spades from Virginia. Aaron Lamont Smalls, also known as Peanut, was only 25 years old when his body was found in York County, Virginia, in 2001. In the search for his killer, investigators uncovered several key pieces of evidence and received a mountain of tips. But despite their efforts, the case slowly turned cold. Now, 20 years later, investigators and Peanut’s family still have hope that the case will one day be solved. So if you have any information about his murder, please call the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office at 757-890-4999. To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com.