1 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: For Carol Thompson, losing her entire family and one act 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: of savagery was a crushing enough blow. Not only did 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: she have to deal with the emotional wreckage, but she 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: was also responsible for informing everyone of what happened. So 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: when I got home, I had to make phone calls, 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: and I knew a three that I had to make. 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: So I called my sister first, terrified, you know that 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: I have to break this news to her. Well, I 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: get her on the phone and she's crying her heart out. 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: She's screaming at me, why did you not call me? 11 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: Why did you not call me? Why did you not 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: call me? So she's telling me she's going to be 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: on the first plane. She's on her way. They take 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: a turn, her husband are coming, and I'm like, okay. 15 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: So then I hang the phone up and I'm of 16 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: course not you know, I'm dying now. I gotta call 17 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: my grandmother and I gotta tell her two of her 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: kids are dead. So call my grandmother and I tell 19 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: her there was a buyer at Mom's house last night. 20 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: Somebody broke in. They shot him. All they're dead. Nobody 21 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: made it out. So she's losing her mind, of course, 22 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: and I understood that, so okay, So I got that 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: phone called none. So I knew I had one more 24 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: phone call I needed to make, because come on, Ron 25 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: had been at the house last night, and I know 26 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: the police go don't want to talk down and they're 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,759 Speaker 1: gonna run know what time he left? So I picked 28 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: up phone. I call Ron. I said, hey, Ron, did 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: you hear what happened at mom's house? And he's like, 30 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: oh my god, Carol say sorry, oh my god, oh 31 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: my god, I heard I heard. So you know, I'm 32 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: I'm horribly upset, and I'm talking. I'm talking to to 33 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: Iron and I said, Rona, I you know the police 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: are gonna know what time he left last night, So 35 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: what times you lief? Well, I left eleven thirty. Immediately 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: I thought, what, wait a minute, what I said you 37 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: left eleven thirty? He said, yeah, I left eleven thirty. 38 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: Like oh okay, So we get off the phone and 39 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,959 Speaker 1: then bamn, my head it just I keep hearing that 40 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: in my head eleven thirty. He couldn't I left eleven thirty? 41 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: How how did you leave eleven thirty? My brain is 42 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: losing right, I'm like, wait, what the hell? Why did 43 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: he lie to me. That eleven thirty time frame confused 44 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: Carol because she was certain of two things, One that 45 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: she had spoken to her mom on the phone close 46 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: to midnight, and two she had definitely heard Ron Thomas 47 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:41,119 Speaker 1: in the background. She even remembers her mom playfully pretending 48 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: Carol was Ron's wife Marty calling. I call her and 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: she answers her phone, Hello, and my mom, what's up? 50 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: And she says, no, Marty, Ron's not here. I'm like, what, no, Marty, 51 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: I haven't seen him. I don't know where he is. 52 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: And at this point I can hear Ron London quitted, Londa, stop, 53 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: let's stop it, quit it. And my mom says, no, 54 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: I haven't seen him all day, Marty. I don't. I 55 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: have no idea. And I'm like, Mom, what what are 56 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: you doing? Are you Are you trying to get wrong 57 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: into trouble? And she's like yep. And I said, Mom, 58 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: you need to stop. She's like, okay, I'll talk to 59 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: you later, Marty, see you later. And I'm like, well, 60 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: what can I call back? Oh yeah, yeah, okay. By click. 61 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: I think she was shoking. It sounded like a joke. 62 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: She was definitely messing up from he was there, so 63 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: how am I hearing his voice attend of twelve when 64 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: he's telling me he left eleven and he's sure it 65 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: was eleven thirty? What And I remember I went to 66 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: Pennington immediately and I said, hey, by the way, I 67 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: called Ron because you know, I had already told him 68 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: that Ron and his whoever that guy was with him 69 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: was at the house last night. And uh, I said, 70 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: you know, I just talked to Ron and he told 71 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: me he left eleven thirty. I said, but that's not right. 72 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: Previously on paper ghosts. We started calling and it just 73 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: ring ring ring, no answer. Later that evening, I was 74 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: at home watching the news, and the news flash was 75 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: there was a family that was killed and and burned 76 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: in in the house and the name was the same 77 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: as the name of us. Call it. I walk back 78 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: up this trucks Believe, yes, I know it's Lee know 79 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: in Carl the route just trying to slow down and begins. 80 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: That's thing. Ron showing up unannounced does not surprise me 81 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: at all. He's a friend, a very close friend, but 82 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: the stranger to me, just that just rocked my world 83 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: to the point where I made it a point of 84 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: saying hi to the guy because I wanted him to speak. 85 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: My name is m William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist 86 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: and author of true crime books. This is season two 87 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: of Paper Ghosts Burned Follow the Evidence, that is the 88 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: chant echoing inside the heads of investigators during those critical 89 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: early days of a homicide case. Linda Stevenson's purse had 90 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: been found in Brookville, Indiana, ninety minutes away from the 91 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: crime scene, in the same town where family friend Ron Thomas, 92 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: the last known person to see the Stevenson's alive, lived. 93 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: The Sheriff's department believe that it was Ron, along with 94 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: an unknown male, who were stopped for speeding only minutes 95 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: after the fire was lit. In a detective's mind, this 96 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: type of evidence falls under the everything means something banner. 97 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: You follow it, you run it down, keep pushing until 98 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: well there's nothing left to push. Detective Tom Cooper knew 99 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: these were clues that required attention and definitely more inquiry. 100 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: Yet in the scope of a quadruple homicide, Cooper had 101 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: a problem. In the light of all the seemingly connective 102 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: tissue here, what hard, actual proof did he have that 103 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: any of it led back to finding the person or 104 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: persons responsible. After all, Ron Thomas was good friends with 105 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: Billy and Lynda Stevenson. He lived in Indiana. Where in 106 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: all of that was evidence that he'd had anything to 107 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: do with these murders. Well, at that point, you know, 108 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: here you got the relationship, you got this person found 109 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: just south of Brookville, and then you got Carol Thomas. 110 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas was there that night, and guess where he's 111 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: lives at Brookville. So that sort of says something going 112 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: on here. You know, something could be going on. But 113 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas, under questioning by police a few days after 114 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: the fire, had a very good reason to be at 115 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: the Stevenson's that July five night. During his interview, Ron 116 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,239 Speaker 1: said his visit to see Billy and Linda was solely 117 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: to collect nine thousand dollars they owed him for diamonds 118 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: he had sold to them one month prior. He said 119 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: he arrived alone and noticed an unknown white male who 120 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: was still at the house when he left around eleven 121 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: fifteen or eleven thirty pm. From there, Ron said he 122 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: drove around Bethel for a few hours looking for someone 123 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: else who owed him money, picked up a hitchhiker along 124 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: the way, and then went home. All of this could 125 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: mean that Ron Thomas was just a guy in the 126 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: wrong place at the wrong time. It's not concrete evidence 127 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: that he had anything to do with the murders and fire, 128 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: and Cooper, within his extensive experience as a lawman, he 129 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: knew this. We didn't want to focus our or get 130 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: blinders on, for lack of better words. And you really 131 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,119 Speaker 1: got to be careful on doing a homicide investigation. Yeah, 132 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: if you get a lead, you focus so much. When 133 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: I lead, you forget about other stuff that's happening out 134 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: to the right or left. You still got to keep 135 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: an open mind that, hey, this may not be what 136 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: you're looking for, that the evidence may point you in 137 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: a different direction, and you can't be so blind that's 138 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: not going that direction if that's what happens. And Cooper 139 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: also had the issue of Ron Thomas's wife providing an 140 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: alibi for him. It lined up perfectly with what Ron 141 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: had told police about his night out collecting money from 142 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: his customers. This was just rather arresting coincidence that Ron 143 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: Thomas was there that night. He lives in Brooklyn, Indiana, 144 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: and Stevenson's Linda Stevenson's purse was found in the Whitewater 145 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: River close to his residence. For all intents and purposes, 146 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: Linda and Billy could have said, Hey, Ron, on your 147 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: way home, get rid of this. I think that the 148 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: cops are on tell us with some of this. Get 149 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: rid of this. I'm sure being tosson river there was 150 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 1: who were tossed that there was not planning on being found. 151 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: What Cooper in the Sheriff's department became quite interested in 152 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: was the mysterious man at the Stevenson's house that night 153 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: when we started doing a background on Ron Thomas. Uh. 154 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 1: Talking to the sheriff and the sheriff over there at 155 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: that time, he was he was a wealth of information 156 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: because Brookville was a very rural community. And here again 157 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 1: in the rural community, everybody knows everybody and their business. Uh. 158 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: And when we started looking at Ron, the sky started 159 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: popping up. UH. A guy they knew as Richard Western 160 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: Richard Dick Weston was not a man to mess with. 161 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: By the time he was forty two years old, he 162 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: had committed a multitude of crimes from burglary to petty theft, 163 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: to assault and battery. The guy was a brute, but 164 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: also tried and true follower. Dick was not one of 165 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 1: those act alone kind of guys sporting dark hair or 166 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: receding hairline, a pudgy al capone like face with a large, 167 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: bumpy nose. Dick Weston had the dark, empty eyes of 168 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: a man who could hurt someone badly and forget about 169 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 1: it in the next moment. Lo and behold by here's 170 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: a man that's a two time convicted bank robber, as 171 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: anand federal prole and talking to some of the locals 172 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: up around there, they're all scared to death of us. Man. 173 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: He's thot, he's a he's a he's a very hardcore case. 174 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: And we started asking a round about him, and nobody 175 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: really want to talk to us. They were scared of 176 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: that man. They would not talk to us, which kind 177 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: of makes you want to now know more. Oh yeah, 178 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: if they're that fear, I hadn't much fear of him, 179 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: that makes him a prime person of interest. Dick Weston 180 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: quickly became Detective Cooper's main person of interest in the murders. 181 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: Cooper and his boss began running surveillance on the guy. 182 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: They spent days and nights talking to people in the area, 183 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: including the local police, and the information they were gathering 184 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: painted a rather interesting background on Dick. During his investigation, 185 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: Cooper came across another name, Dick Weston's girlfriend, Drusilla Merita, 186 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: a twenty year old local Brookville woman who, to his surprise, 187 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: did not have a criminal record, but the purchase of 188 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 1: a truck in cash just days after the murders certainly 189 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: piqued law enforcement's interest. I think it was about the 190 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: eighth of July or the ninth of July. Somewhere along there, 191 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: Dick well a pickup truck. Well, we pulled Drusilla in. Uh, 192 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: talked to her. She says, no, no, no, I saved 193 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: the money. She she was a very hard case, very 194 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: hard case. Uh. She had no prior criminal record, but 195 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: she could tell she was very streetwise and she had 196 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: been coached very well not to talk to the police. Yeah. 197 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: It was like, no, I've saved this money over years, 198 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: and I bought the truck and ever was in her name. 199 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: So where would a woman like Drusilla, with no job 200 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: to speak of, get so much money? And what's more, 201 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: Drusilla or Drew as everyone called her, alibi Dick Weston 202 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: on the night of the homicides. At that point, she 203 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: had outlied Dick is as No, we were at a 204 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: bar up in Brookville, I think tool eleven thirty a 205 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: night or something like that, and we came back down 206 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: to my island and stayed there, so she she wouldn't 207 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: tell us nothing. Milan, Indiana, is the name of the 208 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: town where Dick and Drusilla were living at the time, 209 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: about a half hour drive south of Brookville. Drusilla had 210 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: rented a room from a friend named Tanathan Barger, who 211 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: owned the house there. When Cooper spoke to Tanatha, she 212 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: confirmed what Drusilla had said. Dick and Drusilla were home 213 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: by eleven thirty on the night of the murders. Further, 214 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: Tanathan said Dick and Drusilla stayed in the entire night 215 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: until the next morning. Yeah, she would, She basically shored 216 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: up what Drucelle was saying, right right. Drusilla was home, 217 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: Dick was there. We're all a happy family having popcorn, 218 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: watching movies. So he couldn't have possibly done this. Oh no, no, 219 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: And and Drusille was Dick wouldn't do anything like this. 220 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: According to these two women, Drusilla and Tanatha, there was 221 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: no way Dick Weston could have committed the murders because 222 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: he was purportedly ninety minutes away in Milan at Tona 223 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: his home. Cooper believed that either Tanatha, Drusilla or both 224 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: were lying. Because here's the thing about career criminals like 225 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: Dick Weston. They lie more than they tell the truth, 226 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: and by intimidation, are able to get the people around 227 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: them to lie for them. We take it for granted. 228 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: Sometimes within investigations you have to come out a case 229 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: like this, working under the assumption that everyone is lying 230 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: to you out something until that is you can prove otherwise. 231 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: So we started doing some investigation or in Indiana with 232 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: the help of the FBI. At this point, the FBI 233 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: was actively involved. I will say this in this whole case, 234 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: the FBI and n n s A police dar Morn 235 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Department replica Sheriff's Department. I mean, they were 236 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: a mile in police department. They they just put a 237 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: lot of resources into this. Wow, and that's you know, rare. Oh. 238 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: It was a total cooperative effort on all the agency's parts. 239 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: Despite this sort of law enforcement Kumbaya moment, there was 240 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: a problem. Nobody was willing to come forward with any 241 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: tangible information leading any of those agencies in a positive direction. 242 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: The case, one could say, was stalled. Yet, as it 243 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: is in any investigation of this nature, time becomes your friend. 244 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: You put the pressure on those you think we'll crack, 245 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: and you sit back and you wait. With Dick Western 246 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: alibied by two people and Ron Thomas hard to pin down, 247 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: consistently traveling in and out of the state on business. 248 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: For Cooper, it became a chess match. Where do I 249 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: go from here? Which pond do I play next? Her 250 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: house is small, a four room, single level ranch that's 251 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: quite welcoming and homie. She sat in a chair in 252 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: a corner of the living room, close enough to reach 253 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: over and open the front door without every getting up. 254 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: She has long, thick gray hair and this unmistakable southern 255 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: Midwest draw. Give me the name you want me to eat? 256 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: Barger t o n Ton of the Barger is not 257 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: her real name. It's a pseudonym she's asked me to 258 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: use because, to my surprise, after forty years, she's still 259 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: very much afraid of who else is out there and 260 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: involved in the Stevenson homicides. As I began walking Tonatha 261 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: slowly back into her involvement in this case, it was 262 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: hard not to notice a loaded thirty eight caliber pistol 263 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: she had on the end table between her chair and 264 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: the couch where she'd asked me to sit. Also a 265 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: loaded twenty two calibers she had concealed somewhere nearby and 266 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 1: took out at one point in hand it to me 267 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: two guns, which I should know are the same two 268 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: calibers used in the quadruple homicide I was there to 269 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: talk about. It's been four decades and most of those 270 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: who posed a threat in are likely long gone or dead. 271 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: Why in the world is this case still torturing her? Psyche? 272 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 1: She's an interesting person and enigma really who was obviously 273 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: still holding onto secrets. How did you meet Dick Weston? 274 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: I made him through Drew, probably know there about four 275 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,439 Speaker 1: or five year maybe longer. Tell me a little bit 276 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: about Drew. How you met her? I did her brother, 277 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: and she'd always come around with him, or would go 278 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 1: somewhere and go to Ohio or something. She'd go with us. 279 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: And maybe it's just like family get together when we 280 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: are I mean, it's just that family. And what kind 281 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,199 Speaker 1: of person was she? She was easy going, but she 282 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: was a tom boy. And what was your first first 283 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 1: impression of Dick when you met him. I didn't care 284 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: for our mortality. I'll come, I don't know. They're just 285 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: I'm not my grandmother. You so you get that good feeling. Well, 286 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: when I get a good feeling, it say it steaks, 287 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: wait and nonoper sands the time. Tanathan comes across as 288 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: a harmless, elderly countrywoman who I felt was perhaps purposely 289 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: playing up this persona of an old woman who can't 290 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: remember all the details. The past seems slightly vague to 291 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,439 Speaker 1: her as we started talking, but it seemed that she 292 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: was conveniently forgetting the past for our conversation. Within these situations, 293 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,959 Speaker 1: I've learned that when you get a feeling you are 294 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: being played, you go along and never let on what 295 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: you're thinking or what you know. Because full disclosure, I 296 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,400 Speaker 1: knew all there was to know about tomas involvement long 297 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: before stepping into her house. Still, you keep things cordial 298 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 1: in the information gathering stage, and you allow that source 299 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: to speak. Sooner or later I get out of her 300 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: what she was withholding, for the simple reason that there 301 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: was no way she would have agreed to sit for 302 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,719 Speaker 1: an interview unless she was willing to spill it just 303 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: had to be on her terms. I know what she said. 304 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: They've been staying somewhere or around Bruteville, and then she 305 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: come want to know if they could stay at my house. 306 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: So they got apartment and said to take them about 307 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: two weeks. So I went against my better judgment and 308 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: told them to go ahead, that they could stay where 309 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: they got in my place. Well, they didn't stay around 310 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: the house too much. They'd leave and they'd come back 311 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: and leave and come back and stuff like that. Were 312 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: they drinking a lot might of being I don't think 313 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: she did. I mean, I've never seen her do drugs. 314 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: The relationship was it tight? Were they together all day 315 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: every day? About attle time? You very said, I've never 316 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: seen her without him, According to Tanatha, on July three, 317 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: just days be for the fire, Dick convinced her to 318 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: join Drusilla and him for an afternoon drive. He said, 319 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: Will said we're going over into Ohio. I said, I've 320 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: got family over in there, so, I mean, I thought 321 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: it was just some of his family over there there. 322 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: I didn't have no idea, but he said they owned 323 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: firework stands in Batavia. Said, I think he said they 324 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: had five, and I said, they've got money into the glory. Batavia, Ohio, 325 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,199 Speaker 1: the neighboring township to Bethel, was the epicenter of the 326 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: Stevenson's Five Fireworks Stands, where route could a path into 327 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: all the little townships. Unbeknownst to her at the time, 328 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:47,400 Speaker 1: Tanathan claims Dick had taken them to scout a particular location, 329 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: which might help explain part of her trepidation at first 330 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: when we started talking. Maybe Tnathan felt that by telling 331 00:21:55,640 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: her story, she was implicating herself. Maybe she wasn't scared 332 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: of who was still out there more than she was 333 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: her own participation in the case. He went this way 334 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: in that white, different places that I hadn't been, I mean, 335 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: And when down one of them roads down through there's 336 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: whore we past of the house. Since that, have you 337 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: ever seen the house made out of a burn which 338 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: I remember. We could see the big chandelier through it. 339 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: Couldn't tell what it was laughing, but the light tabor 340 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,199 Speaker 1: was real pretty. Hey just said that's the one that 341 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,479 Speaker 1: owns only in for works and said we know him, 342 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: and said I've got all kinds of money. But that's 343 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: always said. He didn't say nothing better. He's gonna go 344 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: back and do away with them. What kind of mental 345 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: seed was Dick planting and Drusilla and Tana's heads or 346 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 1: was he pumping himself up here? It seems like an 347 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: odd thing to do for a guy who had a 348 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: reputation for being some sort of experienced criminal and bully. 349 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: If Dick's plan was to rob the Stevenson family and 350 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: he was staking out the place, why in the hell 351 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: would he take along someone he barely knew in addition 352 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 1: to his girlfriend. Then, on July five, late afternoon, Dick 353 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: Weston left Drusilla at home with Tanatha. He made a 354 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 1: point to say he was going to meet his parole officer. Well, 355 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 1: I thought, there's where he's going and said that he had, 356 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: he said, if I'm not home by in the morning, said, 357 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: turning t V out. That next morning, news of the 358 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: fire at the Stevenson's house was the top story on 359 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: the local news. As Tanathan Barger watched the coverage unfold 360 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: on her screen, she immediately recognized the Stevenson's charred farmhouse 361 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: as the same place Dick was staking out just days earlier. 362 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 1: Dick had returned to Tanatha's home early that July six 363 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: morning after the murders around six am. In one of 364 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: the tapes I've obtained, you can hear a young Tanatha 365 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: explain what happened when Dick walked in through the front door. 366 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: He walked over towards me and I told him drew 367 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: it was in the bedroom, so on the way through 368 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: on his left shol where he had a big splash 369 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: of blood, and he went on in the room where 370 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: there was at The blood on Dick's shirt was, interestingly enough, 371 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: not so much out of the ordinary for Tanatha to see. 372 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: Dick was a bruiser. He liked to get drunk in fight. 373 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: Tanathan just assumed Dick had another night out at the 374 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: bars brawling and did come back in and said she 375 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 1: took the shirts and washer for me to take them 376 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: back out, and she had to have him. I took 377 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: him out of the washer, give him the dry and 378 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: later on I was told she didn't throw him alife. 379 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: Around noon that day, Dick and Drusilla left Tanatha's house 380 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: to go stay the night at a holiday inn in Connorsville, Indiana, 381 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 1: about an hour's drive north. When they returned the following morning, 382 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: Tonathan said Drusilla was visibly upset, and Tanatha now feared 383 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: the worst. They come in and Mary was crying. She 384 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: was really upset, and I as to what was wrong. 385 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: She said she didn't find the clever and after I 386 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: had seen Alice step on the TV, I mean I 387 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: suspected the worst. I thought made he'd come back to 388 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 1: do away with me and Macham because she said just 389 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: before they left, she said, if anything leaves out of 390 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: anything that you see her here, she said that you 391 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 1: can be eliminated. If there was one fact Tonathan knew 392 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: about Dick Weston, it was to take him seriously whenever 393 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: he felt threatened. Because Dick Weston had rarely made a 394 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: threat he did not follow through on. In the next 395 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: episode of Paper Ghosts, we showed him a picture of 396 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: limbus teams of purse and the man liked to swallow 397 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: his tongue, his body language, and how he reacted with 398 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: just this. This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't won't 399 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: know about it to know what I was, what I 400 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,439 Speaker 1: was doing, because if they didn't, I wouldn't lay up 401 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: till next day. Numerous homicides I've investigated, I've probably spoken 402 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: to three cycle paths, and he's one of them. Because 403 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 1: you could just look in his eyes and tell I'll 404 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: pill you if I get a chance. Paper Ghosts is 405 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: written and executive produced by me and William Phelps and 406 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: I Heart executive producer Christina Everett, with script consultant Matthew Riddle, 407 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 1: Audio editing and mixing by a Booze Afar thanks to 408 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: Will Pearson at I Heart Radio. Series theme number four 409 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,679 Speaker 1: four two is written and performed by Thomas Phelps and 410 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: Tom Moone. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit 411 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 412 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. H