1 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:51,961 Speaker 1: School of Humans. Helen Got Murder Line actively investigates cold 2 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,361 Speaker 1: case murders in an effort to raise public awareness invite 3 00:00:55,401 --> 00:00:58,761 Speaker 1: witnesses to come forward and present evidence that could potentially 4 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,961 Speaker 1: be further investigated by law enforcement. While we value insights 5 00:01:03,001 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: from family and community members, their statements should not be 6 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,961 Speaker 1: considered evidence and point to the challenges of verifying facts 7 00:01:10,041 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: inherent in cold cases. We remind listeners that everyone has 8 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 9 00:01:17,961 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: Nothing in the podcast is intended to state or imply 10 00:01:21,041 --> 00:01:23,601 Speaker 1: that anyone who has not been convicted of a crime 11 00:01:24,121 --> 00:01:27,121 Speaker 1: is guilty of any wrongdoing. Thanks for listening. 12 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: In the early morning hours of July thirtieth, nineteen seventy seven, 13 00:01:34,881 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: Charles Alvin Botwright was hanging out with his cousin Ronnie 14 00:01:38,321 --> 00:01:41,401 Speaker 2: Lewis at the home of another cousin of theirs named 15 00:01:41,441 --> 00:01:46,241 Speaker 2: Lloyd Harryman in Wesley, Arkansas. According to police statements, the 16 00:01:46,321 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: three cousins stayed up all night drinking beer and catching up. 17 00:01:50,321 --> 00:01:52,601 Speaker 2: They were having a good time, and early in the 18 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,841 Speaker 2: morning they decided to go fishing in an area called 19 00:01:55,921 --> 00:01:59,681 Speaker 2: war Eagle, which is about twenty two miles away At 20 00:01:59,721 --> 00:02:03,201 Speaker 2: around five am. They piled into Charles's truck and started driving, 21 00:02:03,641 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: but they needed some food, so on the route they 22 00:02:06,881 --> 00:02:09,321 Speaker 2: decided to stop by the Fredericks seven to eleven to 23 00:02:09,361 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: buy some hot dogs to roast during their fishing trip. 24 00:02:12,561 --> 00:02:15,601 Speaker 2: The Frederick's Grocery and Service station was located at the 25 00:02:15,641 --> 00:02:18,961 Speaker 2: intersection of Highway sixty eight and twenty three in the 26 00:02:19,001 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: northwest portion of Huntsville, Arkansas. In a small town, it's 27 00:02:23,441 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: a popular destination to get early morning gas or late 28 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,801 Speaker 2: night snacks, and back in nineteen seventy seven, it was 29 00:02:29,841 --> 00:02:35,121 Speaker 2: opened twenty four hours a day. As Charles, Lloyd, and 30 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,201 Speaker 2: Ronnie pulled up to the store, two women pulled up 31 00:02:38,281 --> 00:02:41,761 Speaker 2: right behind them. Charles told police they talked to the 32 00:02:41,761 --> 00:02:45,121 Speaker 2: two women briefly. The women were driving a Jeep and 33 00:02:45,201 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 2: had a sick pig in the back of their car 34 00:02:47,041 --> 00:02:50,481 Speaker 2: that was sedated. One of the women made a comment 35 00:02:50,561 --> 00:02:53,321 Speaker 2: about taking the sick pig to the vet, and as 36 00:02:53,321 --> 00:02:56,681 Speaker 2: they were chatting, Lloyd, Charles, and the other woman walked 37 00:02:56,681 --> 00:03:00,361 Speaker 2: into the store together and according to Charles, walked back 38 00:03:00,401 --> 00:03:03,321 Speaker 2: toward the meet counter. The way that the store was 39 00:03:03,401 --> 00:03:06,041 Speaker 2: laid out was that there was a checkout counter located 40 00:03:06,081 --> 00:03:08,601 Speaker 2: in the middle of the store. It's U shaped with 41 00:03:08,681 --> 00:03:12,881 Speaker 2: a cash register in stools inside it. At first, they 42 00:03:12,921 --> 00:03:16,881 Speaker 2: couldn't see anyone inside the store, but then Charles said 43 00:03:16,881 --> 00:03:19,801 Speaker 2: that as he got closer to the checkout area, while 44 00:03:19,841 --> 00:03:23,641 Speaker 2: the other woman and Ronnie were falling behind them, Lois said, 45 00:03:23,881 --> 00:03:27,161 Speaker 2: it looks like someone is heard up there. At that point, 46 00:03:27,561 --> 00:03:29,641 Speaker 2: Charles said that he walked up to the left side 47 00:03:29,681 --> 00:03:33,041 Speaker 2: of the register and saw a man's feet sticking out. 48 00:03:33,761 --> 00:03:36,961 Speaker 2: The man was twenty year old University of Arkansas student 49 00:03:37,041 --> 00:03:40,761 Speaker 2: Rex Terrell, who worked the overnight shift at Frederick's. He 50 00:03:41,041 --> 00:03:44,321 Speaker 2: was lying in a pool of blood and, according to 51 00:03:44,321 --> 00:03:48,281 Speaker 2: the police report, flouncing around trying to get up. He 52 00:03:48,441 --> 00:03:52,001 Speaker 2: was gasping for breath. It looked like Rex had been 53 00:03:52,041 --> 00:03:55,961 Speaker 2: shot multiple times. One of the women tried to give 54 00:03:56,041 --> 00:03:58,881 Speaker 2: him mouth to mouth resuscitation, but it was too late. 55 00:03:59,401 --> 00:04:01,881 Speaker 2: He died there on the floor of that gas station 56 00:04:02,241 --> 00:04:05,481 Speaker 2: in a pool of his own blood. While they were 57 00:04:05,521 --> 00:04:09,001 Speaker 2: trying to save Rex, his coworker, Sally Dobson, showed up 58 00:04:09,001 --> 00:04:11,881 Speaker 2: to start her shift. She told police she got there 59 00:04:11,961 --> 00:04:15,721 Speaker 2: at around five forty or five forty five am. Sally 60 00:04:15,841 --> 00:04:18,161 Speaker 2: told police that one of the women in the jeep 61 00:04:18,241 --> 00:04:20,601 Speaker 2: stopped her as she was coming in and told her 62 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,081 Speaker 2: there was a boy in there hurt really bad, and 63 00:04:23,121 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: that's when she said she saw Rex laying on the 64 00:04:25,801 --> 00:04:29,601 Speaker 2: floor and saw all the blood. The police asked Sally 65 00:04:29,681 --> 00:04:33,521 Speaker 2: if she noticed anything unusual about the register. She said 66 00:04:33,681 --> 00:04:36,201 Speaker 2: that it was fixed like she would fix it if 67 00:04:36,241 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: she had to leave for a short while. She said 68 00:04:39,001 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: there was nothing unusual about that setup. She told police 69 00:04:43,001 --> 00:04:46,281 Speaker 2: afterwards that Rex had set the register up like that before, 70 00:04:47,081 --> 00:04:50,481 Speaker 2: but then there's no more detail about that, so I 71 00:04:50,601 --> 00:04:54,001 Speaker 2: wonder why Rex and Sally would have made the decision 72 00:04:54,041 --> 00:04:56,601 Speaker 2: to leave the register that way. Unfortunately, there's no more 73 00:04:56,681 --> 00:05:00,361 Speaker 2: follow up about this in the police report, and Sally 74 00:05:00,441 --> 00:05:03,361 Speaker 2: told police something else. She said that she believed that 75 00:05:03,361 --> 00:05:06,921 Speaker 2: the store's owner, mister Frederick, had decided that this would 76 00:05:06,961 --> 00:05:09,721 Speaker 2: be the last weekend that the store stayed open all night. 77 00:05:10,561 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: But there's nothing more about that decision either or why 78 00:05:13,361 --> 00:05:16,681 Speaker 2: it was made. Was it just a practical decision or 79 00:05:17,121 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: could it have had something to do with safety? And 80 00:05:19,721 --> 00:05:22,281 Speaker 2: police noted that nothing appeared to have been taken from 81 00:05:22,321 --> 00:05:25,841 Speaker 2: the store, So if robbery wasn't the motive, what was 82 00:05:27,401 --> 00:05:30,161 Speaker 2: Sally and all the rest of Rex's coworkers, as well 83 00:05:30,201 --> 00:05:32,881 Speaker 2: as his family, friends, and the whole community, wanted to 84 00:05:32,881 --> 00:05:36,241 Speaker 2: know who would want to shoot a likable, kind and 85 00:05:36,401 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: hard working young man with seemingly no enemies and leave 86 00:05:40,401 --> 00:05:43,001 Speaker 2: him there to die in a pool of his own blood. 87 00:05:44,961 --> 00:05:48,161 Speaker 2: I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the past seven years of making 88 00:05:48,241 --> 00:05:51,281 Speaker 2: my true crime podcast, Helen Gone, I've learned that there 89 00:05:51,321 --> 00:05:53,921 Speaker 2: is no such thing as a small town where murder 90 00:05:54,081 --> 00:05:57,561 Speaker 2: never happens. I've received hundreds of messages from people all 91 00:05:57,601 --> 00:06:00,801 Speaker 2: around the country asking for help with an unsolved murder 92 00:06:00,841 --> 00:06:04,761 Speaker 2: that's affected them, their families, and their communities. If you 93 00:06:04,881 --> 00:06:06,521 Speaker 2: have a case you'd like me and my team to 94 00:06:06,521 --> 00:06:08,881 Speaker 2: look into, you can reach out to us at our 95 00:06:08,921 --> 00:06:11,601 Speaker 2: Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight seven four 96 00:06:11,681 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: four six one four five. That's six seven eight seven 97 00:06:15,121 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 2: four four six one four five, or you can send 98 00:06:18,921 --> 00:06:23,401 Speaker 2: us a message on Instagram at Helen gonepod. This is 99 00:06:23,481 --> 00:07:10,801 Speaker 2: Helen Gone Murder Line. Police rushed to the scene and 100 00:07:10,841 --> 00:07:13,361 Speaker 2: talked to the witnesses, the women with a sick pig 101 00:07:13,401 --> 00:07:18,161 Speaker 2: and the three cousins Ronnie, Boy and Charles. Ronnie told 102 00:07:18,201 --> 00:07:20,481 Speaker 2: pretty much the same story as the other guys. He 103 00:07:20,681 --> 00:07:23,121 Speaker 2: said that Charles had come running out of the gas 104 00:07:23,161 --> 00:07:25,401 Speaker 2: station and gotten him and said there was a boy 105 00:07:25,441 --> 00:07:29,441 Speaker 2: in the store that had been hurt real bad. Ronnie said, quote, 106 00:07:29,881 --> 00:07:32,041 Speaker 2: I went into the store and saw the boy lying 107 00:07:32,041 --> 00:07:34,201 Speaker 2: in a pool of blood. He kept trying to get up, 108 00:07:34,641 --> 00:07:36,681 Speaker 2: and we had to hold him down as we thought 109 00:07:36,721 --> 00:07:39,481 Speaker 2: that that would be the best thing for him. Charles 110 00:07:39,521 --> 00:07:41,521 Speaker 2: said that one of the women was trying to give 111 00:07:41,561 --> 00:07:44,241 Speaker 2: Rex mouth to mouth, but that he died right there 112 00:07:44,321 --> 00:07:49,201 Speaker 2: before help arrived. End quote. Police reported that Rex was 113 00:07:49,241 --> 00:07:52,321 Speaker 2: wearing a Levi's brown belt with a gold buckle and 114 00:07:52,361 --> 00:07:54,881 Speaker 2: a white and blue and red check shirt, and that 115 00:07:54,961 --> 00:07:57,281 Speaker 2: he was lying on his back about six feet away 116 00:07:57,321 --> 00:08:00,481 Speaker 2: from the checkout counter, with his left arm folded across 117 00:08:00,481 --> 00:08:03,761 Speaker 2: his chest. The report noted that Rex's clothing was not 118 00:08:03,841 --> 00:08:07,361 Speaker 2: in disarray or torn, and that the scene showed quote 119 00:08:07,761 --> 00:08:11,881 Speaker 2: no signs of any physical struggle end quote. In fact, 120 00:08:12,041 --> 00:08:15,481 Speaker 2: other than Rex's body, there were no real signs of 121 00:08:15,521 --> 00:08:18,241 Speaker 2: a physical struggle in the store at all. It didn't 122 00:08:18,241 --> 00:08:20,961 Speaker 2: look like a fight had broken out. Someone had walked 123 00:08:21,001 --> 00:08:24,121 Speaker 2: in and for some reason decided to shoot Rex, and 124 00:08:24,241 --> 00:08:29,161 Speaker 2: police needed to figure out why. They determined that Rex 125 00:08:29,161 --> 00:08:32,361 Speaker 2: had been shot multiple times, once in the left side, 126 00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:35,321 Speaker 2: once in the shoulder, and once in the arm. And 127 00:08:35,401 --> 00:08:38,641 Speaker 2: near the body, they found three expended thirty eight caliber 128 00:08:38,680 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: cartridges with the brand name Remington Peters. When police were 129 00:08:43,321 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 2: talking to the witnesses, all of their stories were basically 130 00:08:46,841 --> 00:08:50,681 Speaker 2: exactly the same. But before they left the scene, Ronnie 131 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 2: told police that Boy and Charles had mentioned seeing a car, 132 00:08:54,641 --> 00:08:58,761 Speaker 2: a black nineteen seventy one Camaro or a Firebird headed 133 00:08:58,761 --> 00:09:01,241 Speaker 2: from the direction of the store, going east on Highway 134 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,561 Speaker 2: sixty eight toward Huntsville. In addition to the Camaro, police 135 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:08,281 Speaker 2: were also exploring leeds on other vehicles in the area 136 00:09:08,841 --> 00:09:11,841 Speaker 2: and looking to talk to anyone who went into or 137 00:09:11,881 --> 00:09:14,401 Speaker 2: came by the store that night, and it didn't take 138 00:09:14,481 --> 00:09:17,361 Speaker 2: long to find them. A lot of people had come 139 00:09:17,401 --> 00:09:19,121 Speaker 2: in and out of the store on the night Rex 140 00:09:19,201 --> 00:09:24,561 Speaker 2: was shot, including some police officers. Carl Richardson Goodman Junior 141 00:09:24,841 --> 00:09:28,081 Speaker 2: told police that he and another officer went into Frederick's 142 00:09:28,121 --> 00:09:31,961 Speaker 2: at approximately three twenty am. Carl said that they went 143 00:09:31,961 --> 00:09:33,841 Speaker 2: to the store to exchange the milk that they had 144 00:09:33,841 --> 00:09:37,241 Speaker 2: bought from Fredericks that was for some reason undrinkable. He 145 00:09:37,361 --> 00:09:39,801 Speaker 2: said they spoke briefly to Rex and noticed that his 146 00:09:39,881 --> 00:09:43,201 Speaker 2: eyes were bloodshot, but he said they only talked about 147 00:09:43,241 --> 00:09:47,361 Speaker 2: exchanging the milk and then the officers left Mike Atwell, 148 00:09:47,481 --> 00:09:50,521 Speaker 2: a Madison County deputy, said that he had also been 149 00:09:50,521 --> 00:09:54,041 Speaker 2: on duty the night of the shooting. According to police records, 150 00:09:54,441 --> 00:09:56,481 Speaker 2: he was one of the officers who responded to a 151 00:09:56,521 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: call about a body earlier that night, which he said 152 00:09:59,881 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 2: ended up just being a drunk person. He said, by 153 00:10:02,481 --> 00:10:04,641 Speaker 2: the time police had dealt with that drama and got 154 00:10:04,641 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 2: the drunk person under control, it was four forty three 155 00:10:07,601 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 2: am according to the police logsheet. This is a small town, 156 00:10:12,321 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 2: so if you wanted to buy early morning gas, Fredericks 157 00:10:15,641 --> 00:10:18,561 Speaker 2: was one of the only stations in town. Mike said 158 00:10:18,561 --> 00:10:21,321 Speaker 2: in his statement he is a gas conscious person, always 159 00:10:21,401 --> 00:10:23,961 Speaker 2: checking the gas levels in his cruiser, so he thought 160 00:10:24,001 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 2: about buying gas from Fredericks and was kind of looking 161 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,601 Speaker 2: in the direction of the seven to eleven store as 162 00:10:28,601 --> 00:10:31,281 Speaker 2: he went past it, but in the end he decided 163 00:10:31,321 --> 00:10:34,841 Speaker 2: against it. He said that he was driving past Fredericks 164 00:10:34,881 --> 00:10:37,441 Speaker 2: at around four or fifty five am, and he said 165 00:10:37,481 --> 00:10:40,601 Speaker 2: that he noticed a van parked there. Mike said he 166 00:10:40,641 --> 00:10:43,841 Speaker 2: didn't notice any movement inside the store, but then at 167 00:10:43,841 --> 00:10:46,481 Speaker 2: around six am, he got the call about the shooting 168 00:10:46,521 --> 00:10:49,601 Speaker 2: at Frederick's and responded to the scene. That's when he 169 00:10:49,681 --> 00:10:53,761 Speaker 2: remembered seeing the van. Police tried to track the van down. 170 00:10:54,161 --> 00:10:57,761 Speaker 2: In police reports, it says that officers tracked two brown 171 00:10:57,881 --> 00:10:59,721 Speaker 2: vans that had been in the area at the time, 172 00:11:00,201 --> 00:11:02,641 Speaker 2: but they figured out that neither of them were connected 173 00:11:02,641 --> 00:11:06,761 Speaker 2: to the crime. A few days later, on Tuesday, August second, 174 00:11:07,081 --> 00:11:10,761 Speaker 2: Sheriff Ralph Baker told a local paper, the Springfield Newsleader, 175 00:11:11,001 --> 00:11:14,681 Speaker 2: that police had no leads. He said, quote, we don't 176 00:11:14,681 --> 00:11:17,881 Speaker 2: have anything good going at all end quote, and he 177 00:11:18,001 --> 00:11:22,201 Speaker 2: stated that they had no suspects when it came to motive. 178 00:11:22,801 --> 00:11:26,161 Speaker 2: Sheriff Baker told a local newspaper that although there was 179 00:11:26,241 --> 00:11:28,841 Speaker 2: no sign that the Frederick's register had been tampered with, 180 00:11:29,441 --> 00:11:32,081 Speaker 2: the police had a theory that the shooter may have 181 00:11:32,121 --> 00:11:35,041 Speaker 2: come in there to rob the store and quote gotten 182 00:11:35,081 --> 00:11:38,601 Speaker 2: scared off. According to the documents we were able to 183 00:11:38,601 --> 00:11:42,801 Speaker 2: obtain via Foya, Rex was shot in the arm, the shoulder, 184 00:11:42,921 --> 00:11:46,441 Speaker 2: and the left side with a high caliber weapon. Whoever 185 00:11:46,561 --> 00:11:49,361 Speaker 2: shot him seemed to have made a decision at some 186 00:11:49,521 --> 00:11:53,641 Speaker 2: point to finish the job. Sheriff Ralph Baker told the 187 00:11:53,681 --> 00:11:56,441 Speaker 2: Madison County Record that the victim was shot with a 188 00:11:56,441 --> 00:12:00,481 Speaker 2: three fifty seven or thirty eight caliber weapon. But what 189 00:12:00,641 --> 00:12:04,281 Speaker 2: if robbery wasn't the motive? Could this have been personal? 190 00:12:08,601 --> 00:12:12,201 Speaker 2: Rex Tarrell was born on January thirteenth, nineteen fifty seven. 191 00:12:12,601 --> 00:12:15,441 Speaker 2: He had three brothers and a sister, and everyone seemed 192 00:12:15,481 --> 00:12:18,521 Speaker 2: to love him. Police interviewed a lot of people who 193 00:12:18,601 --> 00:12:20,841 Speaker 2: knew Rex, and none of them said they could think 194 00:12:20,881 --> 00:12:23,241 Speaker 2: of any reason why anyone would want to hurt him. 195 00:12:23,721 --> 00:12:26,041 Speaker 2: He was a hard working student at the University of 196 00:12:26,121 --> 00:12:30,001 Speaker 2: Arkansas and worked several jobs to make ends meet, including 197 00:12:30,161 --> 00:12:32,881 Speaker 2: at a local poultry plant and the job at Frederick's. 198 00:12:33,601 --> 00:12:36,361 Speaker 2: His family was fairly new to the area. They lived 199 00:12:36,361 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 2: in Florida for years and had all moved to Huntsville 200 00:12:38,961 --> 00:12:47,881 Speaker 2: shortly before Rex was killed. Rex had no local known enemies, 201 00:12:48,481 --> 00:12:51,641 Speaker 2: so police wondered what was Rex doing before he came 202 00:12:51,641 --> 00:12:54,841 Speaker 2: in for his shift. Did something happen earlier that night? 203 00:12:55,321 --> 00:12:57,521 Speaker 2: And they found out that the night he was shot, 204 00:12:57,841 --> 00:13:00,841 Speaker 2: Rex had a double date. Rex went out with his 205 00:13:00,841 --> 00:13:06,041 Speaker 2: friend Jim Patnaud and Jim's girlfriend Susan Gearman, and Jim's 206 00:13:06,081 --> 00:13:10,441 Speaker 2: sister Debbie Pierce. Susan told police that around six thirty 207 00:13:10,481 --> 00:13:12,321 Speaker 2: pm that the four of them went to the seventy 208 00:13:12,361 --> 00:13:15,761 Speaker 2: one drive in in Springdale, Arkansas. She said they only 209 00:13:15,761 --> 00:13:18,201 Speaker 2: caught the last twenty minutes of the first movie and 210 00:13:18,241 --> 00:13:21,881 Speaker 2: then watched a movie called Sugarland Express. She said they 211 00:13:21,881 --> 00:13:24,401 Speaker 2: didn't stay for the last feature. They were just hanging 212 00:13:24,401 --> 00:13:27,481 Speaker 2: out and drinking beers, and then Jim, Debbie, and Susan 213 00:13:27,521 --> 00:13:31,561 Speaker 2: split a joint, but Susan told police that Rex refused 214 00:13:31,601 --> 00:13:35,481 Speaker 2: any marijuana. Then they piled in Rex's car to get 215 00:13:35,481 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: back to Huntsville because Rex had to start his shift 216 00:13:38,161 --> 00:13:41,801 Speaker 2: at Frederick's. He normally worked the twelve thirty am to 217 00:13:41,841 --> 00:13:44,721 Speaker 2: six thirty am shift, but he had spoken to his boss, 218 00:13:44,761 --> 00:13:47,521 Speaker 2: mister Frederick that night and asked if he could come 219 00:13:47,561 --> 00:13:49,921 Speaker 2: to work an hour late because he had a date. 220 00:13:50,721 --> 00:13:53,601 Speaker 2: His boss said that was fine. On the way back 221 00:13:53,601 --> 00:13:57,201 Speaker 2: to Huntsville, Susan said that Rex dropped her and Jim 222 00:13:57,241 --> 00:13:59,921 Speaker 2: off at Jim's house. She said they got into Jim's 223 00:13:59,921 --> 00:14:02,521 Speaker 2: car and went up to Frederick's to get some gas. 224 00:14:02,841 --> 00:14:05,001 Speaker 2: She said they hung around for a few minutes. She 225 00:14:05,041 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 2: said Rex was there too, talking about being early for work. 226 00:14:08,641 --> 00:14:11,201 Speaker 2: She estimated that at that time it was about one 227 00:14:11,321 --> 00:14:14,761 Speaker 2: twenty am. That was the last time she saw Rex. 228 00:14:15,641 --> 00:14:18,481 Speaker 2: Susan said that Jim took her home after that and 229 00:14:18,521 --> 00:14:21,041 Speaker 2: when she talked to him the next day, he told 230 00:14:21,081 --> 00:14:23,561 Speaker 2: her that after dropping her off, he had driven back 231 00:14:23,561 --> 00:14:25,961 Speaker 2: to Fredericks and had a sandwich and talked to Rex 232 00:14:25,961 --> 00:14:30,201 Speaker 2: for a while. Police asked Susan about the various vehicles 233 00:14:30,241 --> 00:14:33,401 Speaker 2: witnessed near the gas station. They asked if she knew 234 00:14:33,401 --> 00:14:37,321 Speaker 2: anyone in town who owned a Buick, Firebird, Camaro or Transam. 235 00:14:38,081 --> 00:14:41,161 Speaker 2: She mentioned a local woman who owned a black Firebird, 236 00:14:41,441 --> 00:14:44,641 Speaker 2: but the description of the vehicle sounded very distinctive, gold 237 00:14:44,681 --> 00:14:47,641 Speaker 2: pinstriping and an eagle on the hood, and neither of 238 00:14:47,681 --> 00:14:56,641 Speaker 2: the witnesses had mentioned those details. Police talked to Jim's sister, 239 00:14:56,761 --> 00:14:59,761 Speaker 2: Debbie Pierce. She said that the date with Rex had 240 00:14:59,761 --> 00:15:02,601 Speaker 2: been a setup by her brother. She said that Rex 241 00:15:02,641 --> 00:15:05,161 Speaker 2: picked her up at around nine oh five pm and 242 00:15:05,201 --> 00:15:07,441 Speaker 2: that at that point they stopped at the Frederick store 243 00:15:07,561 --> 00:15:09,761 Speaker 2: where they bought some beer and had a few drinks. 244 00:15:10,121 --> 00:15:13,361 Speaker 2: This was when, according to Debbie, Rex asked his boss 245 00:15:13,401 --> 00:15:15,161 Speaker 2: if he could come in an hour late, and his 246 00:15:15,241 --> 00:15:18,121 Speaker 2: boss agreed. She said that Rex drove her back home 247 00:15:18,201 --> 00:15:20,601 Speaker 2: at around one fifteen am and walked her to the door. 248 00:15:21,281 --> 00:15:23,841 Speaker 2: At that time, Debbie said he told her he had 249 00:15:23,881 --> 00:15:25,561 Speaker 2: a good time, but that he had to get back 250 00:15:25,561 --> 00:15:29,481 Speaker 2: to work and he left. But there is another detail 251 00:15:29,641 --> 00:15:34,681 Speaker 2: about Debbie Pierce in this police report. Debbie Pierce was married. 252 00:15:46,001 --> 00:15:48,401 Speaker 2: Debbie Pierce, who Rex went out with on a date 253 00:15:48,481 --> 00:15:51,921 Speaker 2: a few hours before he was murdered, was legally married 254 00:15:52,001 --> 00:15:55,441 Speaker 2: but separated from her husband. She told police they had 255 00:15:55,441 --> 00:15:58,721 Speaker 2: a young son and that although they had split, there 256 00:15:58,761 --> 00:16:02,401 Speaker 2: was no animosity between her and her husband. There was 257 00:16:02,521 --> 00:16:05,841 Speaker 2: no reason to believe that he was involved in Rex's killing, 258 00:16:07,201 --> 00:16:12,001 Speaker 2: so was this random or personal? Either way? Once word 259 00:16:12,001 --> 00:16:13,721 Speaker 2: got out that there was a killer on the loose, 260 00:16:14,161 --> 00:16:19,201 Speaker 2: local residents were terrified. Sheriff Ralph Baker told multiple sources 261 00:16:19,481 --> 00:16:22,121 Speaker 2: that he was closing down a local Girl Scouts camp 262 00:16:22,161 --> 00:16:24,881 Speaker 2: that was near the store and sending ninety eight girls 263 00:16:24,921 --> 00:16:29,161 Speaker 2: home as a precautionary measure. The Rex Terror Reward Fund 264 00:16:29,201 --> 00:16:32,441 Speaker 2: was established August tenth, nineteen seventy seven, by the American 265 00:16:32,481 --> 00:16:36,721 Speaker 2: Savings and Loan Association in Huntsville. Local businesses donated money. 266 00:16:36,961 --> 00:16:41,361 Speaker 2: The community came together to support Rex's family. As we 267 00:16:41,401 --> 00:16:44,801 Speaker 2: said earlier, Rex was very well liked in the community, 268 00:16:45,121 --> 00:16:48,281 Speaker 2: but there had been one incident at a nearby softball field, 269 00:16:48,681 --> 00:16:53,401 Speaker 2: Huntsville Softball Park in May of nineteen seventy seven. Rex 270 00:16:53,481 --> 00:16:56,721 Speaker 2: was there when a fight broke out. Rex's friend Jim, 271 00:16:56,841 --> 00:16:58,401 Speaker 2: who was out with him on the double date the 272 00:16:58,481 --> 00:17:01,721 Speaker 2: night Rex was shot, told police that a man named 273 00:17:01,801 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 2: Ronnie Gwinn was drunk at the part and that after 274 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:07,441 Speaker 2: the fight broke out, Ronnie was arrested. A trooper named 275 00:17:07,521 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 2: Tom Brown of the Arkansas State Police arrested Ronnie and 276 00:17:10,521 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 2: took him to the Sheriff's office. Jim told police that 277 00:17:14,001 --> 00:17:17,281 Speaker 2: on July thirty first, the day after Rex's shooting, he 278 00:17:17,441 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 2: was with a friend of his name, George Edgman. They 279 00:17:19,921 --> 00:17:22,801 Speaker 2: were hanging out at Frederick's when Ronnie gwyn came into 280 00:17:22,801 --> 00:17:25,041 Speaker 2: the business and said that his boss had bought him 281 00:17:25,041 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 2: a three fifty seven magnum and he wasn't going to 282 00:17:27,681 --> 00:17:32,201 Speaker 2: take any shit from anybody anymore. At that point, Jim 283 00:17:32,241 --> 00:17:34,441 Speaker 2: said that Ronnie was talking about the incident in May 284 00:17:34,441 --> 00:17:37,561 Speaker 2: at the ballpark, and that Jim said, quote, I heard 285 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,801 Speaker 2: today that a guy had been shot, and that everybody 286 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,041 Speaker 2: on the Frederick softball team was going to get it 287 00:17:42,761 --> 00:17:45,001 Speaker 2: since this thing happened, and the other night at Frederick's 288 00:17:45,001 --> 00:17:48,321 Speaker 2: about Rex, I'm really scared. I was with Rex the 289 00:17:48,401 --> 00:17:51,921 Speaker 2: night before he was killed. End quote. So it seemed 290 00:17:51,921 --> 00:17:54,681 Speaker 2: as though Jim was concerned that maybe Rex's shooting had 291 00:17:54,721 --> 00:17:58,921 Speaker 2: happened in retaliation to the ballpark incident, that maybe Frederick's 292 00:17:58,961 --> 00:18:03,721 Speaker 2: employees were being targeted somehow. Police talked to Jim's friend, 293 00:18:03,761 --> 00:18:07,001 Speaker 2: George Edgemon, who backed up his story and told police 294 00:18:07,041 --> 00:18:09,161 Speaker 2: that he had gone down to Frederick's at around seven 295 00:18:09,201 --> 00:18:12,401 Speaker 2: pm on Sunday, the thirty first of July, the day 296 00:18:12,441 --> 00:18:16,921 Speaker 2: after Rex was killed. George said, quote, Ronnie Gwyn asked 297 00:18:16,961 --> 00:18:19,121 Speaker 2: me about the victim, if he had said anything about 298 00:18:19,121 --> 00:18:21,161 Speaker 2: who shot him, if he was still alive, et cetera, 299 00:18:21,601 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 2: and asked what evidence the police had in the case. 300 00:18:24,441 --> 00:18:26,801 Speaker 2: He also wanted to know where the victim was shot, 301 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 2: if we knew who did it, how many times he 302 00:18:29,161 --> 00:18:32,561 Speaker 2: was shot, Questions of this nature end quote. And he 303 00:18:32,641 --> 00:18:35,401 Speaker 2: repeated what Jim had said that Ronnie was telling them 304 00:18:35,401 --> 00:18:37,921 Speaker 2: that he had three fifty seven magnum now and nobody 305 00:18:37,961 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: was going to touch him again, but then George said 306 00:18:41,201 --> 00:18:44,441 Speaker 2: that Ronnie behaved as though he had no animosity against 307 00:18:44,441 --> 00:18:48,001 Speaker 2: Tom Brown, the trooper who arrested him, and according to 308 00:18:48,041 --> 00:18:51,281 Speaker 2: police reports, it doesn't seem like Ronnie had made any 309 00:18:51,321 --> 00:18:55,801 Speaker 2: threats about Rex specifically. Unfortunately, this is one of just 310 00:18:55,961 --> 00:18:59,601 Speaker 2: many times in the police report where it seems as 311 00:18:59,601 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 2: though investigative leads were just completely dropped because there's no 312 00:19:03,241 --> 00:19:06,201 Speaker 2: more about the ballpark incident or any follow up After this. 313 00:19:08,641 --> 00:19:12,201 Speaker 2: Police knew that Rex had been shot multiple times and 314 00:19:12,241 --> 00:19:15,561 Speaker 2: that the manner of death was homicide. The sheriff made 315 00:19:15,601 --> 00:19:18,001 Speaker 2: a comment in the newspaper about the bullet being from 316 00:19:18,041 --> 00:19:21,201 Speaker 2: a thirty eight caliber or three fifty seven, and police 317 00:19:21,321 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 2: did try to track down the murder weapon. On Sunday, 318 00:19:24,681 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 2: July thirty first, at around one pm, the employee of 319 00:19:28,121 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 2: a tire shop about three hundred yards west of the 320 00:19:30,641 --> 00:19:34,281 Speaker 2: homicide scene called police to tell them they found a 321 00:19:34,321 --> 00:19:38,561 Speaker 2: thirty eight special cartridge case outside their business. Police took 322 00:19:38,601 --> 00:19:41,281 Speaker 2: the casing and for testing, but were unable to find 323 00:19:41,321 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 2: anything of evident cherry value. They pulled two bullets from 324 00:19:46,241 --> 00:19:50,241 Speaker 2: Rex's body, but those bullets were described as mutilated, and 325 00:19:50,401 --> 00:19:54,281 Speaker 2: even though Rex had been shot three times. They could 326 00:19:54,281 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 2: not find that third bullet. Police continued to look for 327 00:20:04,401 --> 00:20:07,321 Speaker 2: anyone in the community who saw anything out of the ordinary. 328 00:20:07,441 --> 00:20:10,241 Speaker 2: On the night of the shooting, a man came forward 329 00:20:10,561 --> 00:20:12,361 Speaker 2: who said he was headed to work in the early 330 00:20:12,401 --> 00:20:15,161 Speaker 2: morning hours of July thirtieth at the Huntsville Ready Mixed 331 00:20:15,161 --> 00:20:18,721 Speaker 2: Cement Company, which was located just across the highway from Fredericks. 332 00:20:19,561 --> 00:20:21,641 Speaker 2: The man said, as he was waiting to make a 333 00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:25,321 Speaker 2: left turn into the driveway of his workplace, he was 334 00:20:25,361 --> 00:20:28,281 Speaker 2: waiting on a slow moving vehicle, and while he was waiting, 335 00:20:28,441 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 2: he glanced over to Fredericks and saw boy at the 336 00:20:31,161 --> 00:20:34,841 Speaker 2: front door of Fredericks looking out of the store. He said, quote, 337 00:20:35,041 --> 00:20:37,561 Speaker 2: he looked like a wild person. He was in his twenties, 338 00:20:37,601 --> 00:20:41,721 Speaker 2: approximately six feet tall, slim, long blonde hair. He acted 339 00:20:41,801 --> 00:20:44,721 Speaker 2: real nervous. He would go back in from the front 340 00:20:44,721 --> 00:20:47,961 Speaker 2: door and then come back again end quote. He said 341 00:20:48,001 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 2: that he noticed vehicles part by the store. One of 342 00:20:50,921 --> 00:20:54,001 Speaker 2: them was a white Chevrolet pickup around a nineteen sixty 343 00:20:54,041 --> 00:20:57,401 Speaker 2: six model. He also noticed a Toyota four wheel drive 344 00:20:57,481 --> 00:21:00,641 Speaker 2: vehicle and a green Nova that he thought was Rex's 345 00:21:00,801 --> 00:21:04,161 Speaker 2: parked in front of Frederick's. This sounded like it could 346 00:21:04,161 --> 00:21:06,801 Speaker 2: be a promising lead, but from the description of the 347 00:21:06,881 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 2: vehicles that we got from the police reports, reading through this, 348 00:21:10,121 --> 00:21:12,721 Speaker 2: it seems likely that he was describing the two women 349 00:21:12,801 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 2: and the three cousins, since they were driving a pickup 350 00:21:15,681 --> 00:21:19,041 Speaker 2: truck and a jeep. Even though this happened in a 351 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,841 Speaker 2: pre surveillance camera era and even in the early morning hours, 352 00:21:23,401 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 2: it struck me reading this there was a lot of 353 00:21:25,401 --> 00:21:29,441 Speaker 2: activity happening in and around this store. There were witnesses, 354 00:21:29,481 --> 00:21:32,681 Speaker 2: including police officers, who came to the store or drove 355 00:21:32,721 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 2: by all the way up until a few minutes before 356 00:21:35,241 --> 00:21:38,321 Speaker 2: five am. All of them said it seemed like Rex 357 00:21:38,441 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 2: was fine. With so much time accounted for, and the 358 00:21:41,921 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 2: fact that Rex was bleeding to death on the floor 359 00:21:44,481 --> 00:21:47,681 Speaker 2: when the three cousins and two women arrived, it seems 360 00:21:47,881 --> 00:21:51,041 Speaker 2: very likely that whatever happened to Rex happened a few 361 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 2: minutes before they got there. Police continued to look for 362 00:21:55,681 --> 00:21:59,241 Speaker 2: the Camaro. They interviewed a man who owned a nineteen 363 00:21:59,361 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 2: seventy seven black Camaro with no pin striping. He said 364 00:22:03,121 --> 00:22:05,241 Speaker 2: that he had been at Frederick's on the twenty ninth, 365 00:22:05,281 --> 00:22:08,001 Speaker 2: at approximately ten thirty pm with a friend of his. 366 00:22:08,681 --> 00:22:11,241 Speaker 2: He said they got a coke, he dropped his friend 367 00:22:11,281 --> 00:22:13,441 Speaker 2: off at home, and then he was home by ten 368 00:22:13,561 --> 00:22:17,801 Speaker 2: forty five pm. The man, David Gaskell, said that after 369 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,161 Speaker 2: that he stayed there and did not go out again. 370 00:22:20,881 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 2: He said he did know Rex Tarrel. He said he 371 00:22:23,481 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 2: did know Rex's sister, but he said he had no 372 00:22:26,721 --> 00:22:30,641 Speaker 2: involvement in anything that happened to Rex. David did give 373 00:22:30,721 --> 00:22:34,161 Speaker 2: police the names of some other people who owned similar cars, 374 00:22:34,201 --> 00:22:37,681 Speaker 2: including two people who owned black transams and a woman 375 00:22:37,801 --> 00:22:42,681 Speaker 2: who owned a blue nineteen seventy six Camaro. Natalie Wilheit 376 00:22:42,961 --> 00:22:45,721 Speaker 2: was another worker at Fredericks who gave an interview about Rex. 377 00:22:46,121 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 2: She said, quote, I'm very upset over Rex being killed 378 00:22:49,641 --> 00:22:52,201 Speaker 2: because I can't understand why someone would want to do 379 00:22:52,241 --> 00:22:54,961 Speaker 2: that to Rex. He was quiet and I thought he 380 00:22:54,961 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 2: didn't have any enemies at all. End quote. Natalie said 381 00:22:58,881 --> 00:23:01,401 Speaker 2: that Rex had invited her to go water skiing with 382 00:23:01,481 --> 00:23:04,401 Speaker 2: him on the Saturday before the murder, but she said 383 00:23:04,441 --> 00:23:07,441 Speaker 2: she ended up not going. She said she never ended 384 00:23:07,481 --> 00:23:10,201 Speaker 2: up going out with him socially. She said that on 385 00:23:10,241 --> 00:23:12,041 Speaker 2: the night of the shooting, she had gone to a 386 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,561 Speaker 2: haunted house with some friends. After she and her friends 387 00:23:15,601 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 2: got back to Huntsville. They went riding around and stopped 388 00:23:18,641 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 2: at Frederick's at around three am. She said that she 389 00:23:22,041 --> 00:23:25,001 Speaker 2: was close to the store owner, mister Frederick and his family. 390 00:23:25,401 --> 00:23:27,241 Speaker 2: She said while she was at the store that night, 391 00:23:27,401 --> 00:23:30,681 Speaker 2: she talked to Rex and then went home. I mentioned 392 00:23:30,681 --> 00:23:33,401 Speaker 2: her interview because police asked her something else. They asked 393 00:23:33,441 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 2: her if she'd ever seen any drug dealing inside the store. 394 00:23:36,681 --> 00:23:39,481 Speaker 2: She said that she had not. That's the only mention 395 00:23:39,601 --> 00:23:42,001 Speaker 2: I can find in the whole case file that indicated 396 00:23:42,041 --> 00:23:45,841 Speaker 2: police were exploring any angle connected to drugs. But there's 397 00:23:45,961 --> 00:23:48,561 Speaker 2: no evidence that there was drug dealing inside the store. 398 00:23:49,361 --> 00:23:53,401 Speaker 2: From the case file, Rex occasionally drank, but did zero drugs. 399 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,681 Speaker 2: He didn't even smoke pot, according to statements given by 400 00:23:56,681 --> 00:24:00,521 Speaker 2: his friends and his father. Police interviewed the owners of 401 00:24:00,561 --> 00:24:03,601 Speaker 2: the various vehicles mentioned and ran the plates, but they 402 00:24:03,641 --> 00:24:07,041 Speaker 2: came back with nothing. It seemed as though the investigation 403 00:24:07,201 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 2: hit a dead end. Rex Terrell's family posted a statement 404 00:24:11,721 --> 00:24:14,201 Speaker 2: in the personal section of the Madison County Record on 405 00:24:14,241 --> 00:24:17,041 Speaker 2: August fourth, just a few days after Rex was killed. 406 00:24:17,721 --> 00:24:21,361 Speaker 2: Their statement read quote, the family of Rex Terrell want 407 00:24:21,361 --> 00:24:24,121 Speaker 2: to thank the people of this area for their wonderful 408 00:24:24,161 --> 00:24:27,681 Speaker 2: expressions of sympathy extended to a family of New Corners. 409 00:24:28,641 --> 00:24:31,841 Speaker 2: We feel proud that we live in such a beautiful 410 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,481 Speaker 2: country among so many nice people. End quote. No one 411 00:24:36,601 --> 00:24:40,241 Speaker 2: was arrested or charged in connection with Rex's murder. There 412 00:24:40,241 --> 00:24:43,281 Speaker 2: were no suspects publicly named, and it seemed as though 413 00:24:43,321 --> 00:24:47,521 Speaker 2: the case went cold, and over the years police gave 414 00:24:47,561 --> 00:24:52,321 Speaker 2: out pretty much zero information. But police did give us 415 00:24:52,361 --> 00:24:55,481 Speaker 2: access to the complete case file after our foyer request, 416 00:24:55,921 --> 00:24:59,601 Speaker 2: and we discovered that back then police had explored another 417 00:24:59,681 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 2: motive other than robbery. In nineteen seventy eight, police found 418 00:25:03,641 --> 00:25:07,201 Speaker 2: out via a confidential source that a man named Roger 419 00:25:07,281 --> 00:25:12,641 Speaker 2: John Harvey might have information related to Rex's shooting. Roger 420 00:25:12,721 --> 00:25:16,001 Speaker 2: worked at the Easterling Wood Products Lumber Company in Huntsville 421 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,241 Speaker 2: at the time of Rex's murder. According to the reports, 422 00:25:19,721 --> 00:25:23,001 Speaker 2: he was interviewed by the Sheriff, Ralph Baker and Sergeant 423 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,961 Speaker 2: Doug Fogley of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division. 424 00:25:27,441 --> 00:25:31,241 Speaker 2: Doug Fogley contacted Roger and said in his report that 425 00:25:31,321 --> 00:25:35,241 Speaker 2: at first, Roger was extremely wary of officers and did 426 00:25:35,241 --> 00:25:37,961 Speaker 2: not want to discuss any potential information that he had. 427 00:25:38,641 --> 00:25:42,641 Speaker 2: But quote after being explained the mechanics of a prosecutor's 428 00:25:42,641 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 2: subpoena UOTE. Basically, after police told him they would compel 429 00:25:46,721 --> 00:25:49,801 Speaker 2: him to give the information one way or another, Roger 430 00:25:49,921 --> 00:25:53,121 Speaker 2: said that he did have crucial information about the shooting. 431 00:25:54,601 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 2: Roger quote reluctantly said that a reliable source in a 432 00:25:58,641 --> 00:26:02,441 Speaker 2: position to have personal knowledge, whose name he didn't specify, 433 00:26:02,481 --> 00:26:06,001 Speaker 2: told him that a man named Joe Dobson murdered Rex. 434 00:26:07,561 --> 00:26:11,561 Speaker 2: Joe lived in Madison County. The reason that Roger gave 435 00:26:11,721 --> 00:26:16,881 Speaker 2: for why Joe killed Rex allegedly, Rex was quote carrying 436 00:26:16,921 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 2: on an affair with Joe's wife, Sally Dobson end quote. 437 00:26:21,321 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 2: Now Sally Dobson with someone police had already talked to, 438 00:26:24,961 --> 00:26:28,481 Speaker 2: because she worked with Rex as a cashier at Frederick's 439 00:26:28,481 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 2: seven to eleven grocery store, and she was one of 440 00:26:31,121 --> 00:26:33,681 Speaker 2: the first people to arrive at the scene as Rex 441 00:26:33,761 --> 00:26:37,801 Speaker 2: was gasping for air. The report ended by stating, quote, 442 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:43,121 Speaker 2: after obtaining this limited information, Sheriff Ralph Baker decided investigation 443 00:26:43,241 --> 00:26:46,961 Speaker 2: should can continue into the allegations made by Harvey end quote. 444 00:26:49,521 --> 00:26:52,641 Speaker 2: But even though the sheriff himself suggested this lead should 445 00:26:52,681 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 2: be investigated, there's nothing else in the case file that 446 00:26:55,921 --> 00:27:00,001 Speaker 2: indicates that happened, and it seems likely that nothing did happen. 447 00:27:00,961 --> 00:27:04,561 Speaker 2: Police did not reveal who the anonymous source was, or 448 00:27:04,641 --> 00:27:07,281 Speaker 2: if they even found out who it was. There's no 449 00:27:07,401 --> 00:27:10,281 Speaker 2: evidence that they ever followed up with this person, or 450 00:27:10,361 --> 00:27:13,481 Speaker 2: talked to Sally Dobson again, or followed up with her husband, 451 00:27:13,561 --> 00:27:16,721 Speaker 2: Joe Dobson. If they did, it's not part of the 452 00:27:16,761 --> 00:27:20,921 Speaker 2: case file, but from what we saw. There's also nothing 453 00:27:20,961 --> 00:27:23,321 Speaker 2: else in the case file that indicates that Sally and 454 00:27:23,401 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: Rex were anything more than coworkers. Then, just three months 455 00:27:28,161 --> 00:27:31,400 Speaker 2: after police got that lead, on August twenty ninth, nineteen 456 00:27:31,441 --> 00:27:35,601 Speaker 2: seventy eight, Sergeant Fogley requested that the investigation be put 457 00:27:35,681 --> 00:27:40,161 Speaker 2: on inactive status, saying that no new investigative leads were forthcoming. 458 00:27:41,001 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 2: In that same typed report, he said that the FBI 459 00:27:44,361 --> 00:27:47,001 Speaker 2: was pursuing a lead in regard to the case, and 460 00:27:47,481 --> 00:27:50,721 Speaker 2: that if that investigation proved fruitful, the case could be 461 00:27:50,761 --> 00:27:58,441 Speaker 2: reopened at any time. The case file does show that 462 00:27:58,481 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 2: before pausing their investigation, police were trying to find the 463 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 2: weapon that was used to kill Rex, the one that 464 00:28:05,281 --> 00:28:08,601 Speaker 2: left behind the three thirty eight caliber bullet cartridge cases. 465 00:28:09,361 --> 00:28:12,321 Speaker 2: In March of nineteen seventy nine, they questioned a man 466 00:28:12,401 --> 00:28:15,481 Speaker 2: named Lee Remington about a Smith and Wesson modelton revolver 467 00:28:15,801 --> 00:28:19,401 Speaker 2: and how he got it into his possession. He told 468 00:28:19,441 --> 00:28:21,161 Speaker 2: the police he had bought the gun from his brother 469 00:28:21,201 --> 00:28:25,241 Speaker 2: in law, thirty one year old Henry otto Kuchen. At first, 470 00:28:25,601 --> 00:28:29,201 Speaker 2: Lee said he got the weapon around two years ago. Later, 471 00:28:29,481 --> 00:28:31,481 Speaker 2: he said it would have had to have been possibly 472 00:28:31,521 --> 00:28:34,241 Speaker 2: the late summer of nineteen seventy eight, because that's when 473 00:28:34,241 --> 00:28:36,681 Speaker 2: he was working over time and had extra money. He 474 00:28:36,801 --> 00:28:39,881 Speaker 2: said he paid his brother in law, Henry, eighty dollars 475 00:28:39,921 --> 00:28:43,721 Speaker 2: for the gun. At the time, Henry lived in Pierce, Missouri, 476 00:28:44,001 --> 00:28:46,681 Speaker 2: and Henry told Lee that he had bought the gun 477 00:28:46,761 --> 00:28:49,321 Speaker 2: from a man named Leroy Finney, a sheet rock hangar 478 00:28:49,361 --> 00:28:54,001 Speaker 2: from Moname, Missouri. Henry Kuchin was listed as a potential 479 00:28:54,041 --> 00:28:58,121 Speaker 2: suspect in police documents. In March of nineteen seventy nine, 480 00:28:58,401 --> 00:29:01,681 Speaker 2: investigators took a thirty eight caliber special Smith and Wesson 481 00:29:01,761 --> 00:29:05,961 Speaker 2: gun from his home. Police also collected spent casings from 482 00:29:06,001 --> 00:29:09,161 Speaker 2: the Wesson Model ten revolver that Lee Remington said he 483 00:29:09,241 --> 00:29:13,801 Speaker 2: bought from Henry. According to a later report, testing showed 484 00:29:13,841 --> 00:29:16,921 Speaker 2: that Lee's weapon was not a match to the evidence 485 00:29:16,921 --> 00:29:19,561 Speaker 2: taken from the crime scene, but the test on the 486 00:29:19,601 --> 00:29:23,681 Speaker 2: gun taken directly from Henry were less conclusive. According to 487 00:29:23,721 --> 00:29:27,521 Speaker 2: the firearms examiner at the State Crime Laboratory, the bullets 488 00:29:27,521 --> 00:29:29,721 Speaker 2: from that gun and from the casings taken from the 489 00:29:29,721 --> 00:29:32,761 Speaker 2: crime scene were tested against each other, and they couldn't 490 00:29:32,801 --> 00:29:36,561 Speaker 2: be sure if they were a match. The report stated, quote, 491 00:29:36,681 --> 00:29:40,121 Speaker 2: there are similarities of individual markings noted on evidence and 492 00:29:40,241 --> 00:29:43,241 Speaker 2: test specimens that indicate that they could have been fired 493 00:29:43,321 --> 00:29:48,241 Speaker 2: in this weapon. However, there are insufficient matching striations for 494 00:29:48,281 --> 00:29:51,521 Speaker 2: a positive identification. This could be due to the lapse 495 00:29:51,561 --> 00:29:53,681 Speaker 2: of time between the commission of the crime and the 496 00:29:53,721 --> 00:30:00,121 Speaker 2: seizing of the suspect weapon end quote. Years went by 497 00:30:00,401 --> 00:30:04,241 Speaker 2: and nothing happened with the case. But then decades later, 498 00:30:04,281 --> 00:30:07,921 Speaker 2: in twenty fifteen, police got what appeared to be a 499 00:30:08,001 --> 00:30:11,841 Speaker 2: huge potential break. A man named Rory Gregory wrote a 500 00:30:11,881 --> 00:30:15,081 Speaker 2: letter from prison in which he said he had information 501 00:30:15,281 --> 00:30:18,241 Speaker 2: about Rex's killing that he had held back for almost 502 00:30:18,281 --> 00:30:23,441 Speaker 2: forty years. Rory was imprisoned on unrelated charges, and Rory 503 00:30:23,521 --> 00:30:27,001 Speaker 2: claimed that back in June of nineteen seventy seven, he 504 00:30:27,081 --> 00:30:37,401 Speaker 2: witnessed Rex's murder. A month after, police received a letter 505 00:30:37,441 --> 00:30:40,121 Speaker 2: from a prisoner that said he had information about Rex 506 00:30:40,161 --> 00:30:44,121 Speaker 2: Terrell's death, they interviewed him. Rory Gregory said back in 507 00:30:44,161 --> 00:30:46,561 Speaker 2: the mid to late seventies, when he was fifteen or 508 00:30:46,601 --> 00:30:49,441 Speaker 2: sixteen years old, he was driving around in his dad's 509 00:30:49,441 --> 00:30:52,201 Speaker 2: truck with a friend of his named Dale. He said 510 00:30:52,281 --> 00:30:54,721 Speaker 2: Dale wanted to go to Fayetteville and score some drugs, 511 00:30:55,121 --> 00:30:57,121 Speaker 2: but he said he knew his dad would be mad 512 00:30:57,121 --> 00:30:59,001 Speaker 2: at him if he drove the car that far away, 513 00:30:59,561 --> 00:31:02,241 Speaker 2: so they pulled over into a shopping center where they 514 00:31:02,241 --> 00:31:05,561 Speaker 2: were talking to a guy named Wayne Starkey. Suddenly a 515 00:31:05,601 --> 00:31:08,361 Speaker 2: cop pulled in. Wayne was concerned that he was about 516 00:31:08,401 --> 00:31:11,321 Speaker 2: to be arrested because he had some outstanding parking tickets. 517 00:31:11,801 --> 00:31:15,081 Speaker 2: So Rory's story is that Wayne asked Dale and Rory 518 00:31:15,161 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 2: to take his car so the police wouldn't have pounded, 519 00:31:17,961 --> 00:31:21,361 Speaker 2: and that car was a dark green nineteen seventy Camaro. 520 00:31:22,241 --> 00:31:25,241 Speaker 2: Rory's story is that he and Dale agreed to take 521 00:31:25,281 --> 00:31:29,801 Speaker 2: the Camaro, and Dale eagerly drove it to Fayetville. According 522 00:31:29,841 --> 00:31:33,601 Speaker 2: to Rory, as they drove through Huntsville, they stopped at 523 00:31:33,641 --> 00:31:37,401 Speaker 2: the Frederick Store Rory said that as he was walking 524 00:31:37,401 --> 00:31:40,041 Speaker 2: into the store planning on getting something to drink, that 525 00:31:40,081 --> 00:31:43,881 Speaker 2: he heard three loud booms and saw Dale's shooting some guy. 526 00:31:44,561 --> 00:31:47,641 Speaker 2: He did not know the man's name. Rory said he 527 00:31:47,681 --> 00:31:50,081 Speaker 2: said to Dale, what the hell is going on? But 528 00:31:50,201 --> 00:31:52,081 Speaker 2: Dale looked at him like he was going to shoot 529 00:31:52,121 --> 00:31:54,681 Speaker 2: Rory and told Rory to get back in the car. 530 00:31:55,561 --> 00:31:59,081 Speaker 2: This detail was apparently enough for investigators to believe they 531 00:31:59,201 --> 00:32:02,841 Speaker 2: needed to take another look at Rex's body, and so 532 00:32:03,081 --> 00:32:06,961 Speaker 2: in March of twenty twenty, Rex Tarrell's body was exhumed 533 00:32:07,001 --> 00:32:11,121 Speaker 2: from Albn Cemetery. KNWA ran a short news item on 534 00:32:11,161 --> 00:32:14,161 Speaker 2: the story, saying the Madison County Sheriff's Office had exhumed 535 00:32:14,161 --> 00:32:17,281 Speaker 2: Rex's body in Huntsville as part of a criminal investigation. 536 00:32:18,081 --> 00:32:21,681 Speaker 2: The article stated at the time, the Sheriff's office website 537 00:32:21,801 --> 00:32:25,601 Speaker 2: list Rex's unknown killer as the most wanted person in 538 00:32:25,641 --> 00:32:30,001 Speaker 2: the county. Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett confirmed that the body 539 00:32:30,041 --> 00:32:31,841 Speaker 2: was being sent to Little Rock as part of an 540 00:32:31,881 --> 00:32:36,561 Speaker 2: ongoing criminal investigation, but police did not reveal what evidence 541 00:32:36,641 --> 00:32:39,001 Speaker 2: led them to order that Rex's body be dug up. 542 00:32:39,801 --> 00:32:43,281 Speaker 2: At the time, Sheriff Rick Evans told the Madison County 543 00:32:43,321 --> 00:32:47,041 Speaker 2: Register that due to a gag order issued by a judge, 544 00:32:47,121 --> 00:32:50,001 Speaker 2: he couldn't tell the newspaper anything about why the body 545 00:32:50,041 --> 00:32:53,441 Speaker 2: was being exhumed or what evidence had led police to 546 00:32:53,481 --> 00:32:58,161 Speaker 2: make that decision. But later documents obtained via FOYA revealed 547 00:32:58,201 --> 00:33:00,441 Speaker 2: that they found something when they dug the body up, 548 00:33:00,761 --> 00:33:03,881 Speaker 2: a third bullet, one that had not been discovered in 549 00:33:03,921 --> 00:33:08,761 Speaker 2: the initial investigation. Remember, Rex had been shot three times, 550 00:33:09,041 --> 00:33:12,361 Speaker 2: but they only found two bullets in his body. But 551 00:33:12,481 --> 00:33:15,841 Speaker 2: police still seemed to be struggling with elements of Rory's story. 552 00:33:16,361 --> 00:33:18,561 Speaker 2: He said that after the shooting, he and Dale drove 553 00:33:18,641 --> 00:33:21,601 Speaker 2: off and that he was in complete shock. He said 554 00:33:21,641 --> 00:33:24,121 Speaker 2: he had no idea why Dale had shot the cashier. 555 00:33:24,561 --> 00:33:26,961 Speaker 2: He said they stopped to siphon some gas in Harrison 556 00:33:27,121 --> 00:33:30,001 Speaker 2: and that eventually Dale dropped him off in Mountain Home 557 00:33:30,121 --> 00:33:32,681 Speaker 2: at his house and threatened to shoot him if he 558 00:33:32,721 --> 00:33:37,041 Speaker 2: ever said anything to any one. But was Rory's letter 559 00:33:37,161 --> 00:33:41,961 Speaker 2: credible According to police records, they did check arrest records 560 00:33:42,201 --> 00:33:46,161 Speaker 2: for Wayne Starkey. They eventually found his arrest record. He 561 00:33:46,241 --> 00:33:50,281 Speaker 2: was booked under a different name. Police confirmed Wayne was 562 00:33:50,401 --> 00:33:53,961 Speaker 2: arrested on that date, July twenty ninth, nineteen seventy seven, 563 00:33:54,441 --> 00:33:57,401 Speaker 2: so it's plausible that he could have given his vehicle 564 00:33:57,401 --> 00:34:01,721 Speaker 2: to someone else. The details about the arrest matches, and 565 00:34:01,801 --> 00:34:06,681 Speaker 2: Wayne Starkey did own a Camaro and Rex was shot 566 00:34:06,761 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 2: three times, but there were also some red flags. First 567 00:34:11,121 --> 00:34:14,281 Speaker 2: of all, when police questioned Rory, he told them he 568 00:34:14,321 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 2: had brought the letter he wrote in with him to 569 00:34:16,601 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 2: refresh his memory, saying he didn't quite remember the details 570 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,761 Speaker 2: he wrote about. He said that it was the mid seventies. 571 00:34:22,841 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 2: Things were wild back then, everything was pretty fair game, 572 00:34:25,881 --> 00:34:29,281 Speaker 2: and he had trouble pinpointing even the year. And he 573 00:34:29,321 --> 00:34:32,681 Speaker 2: had the time wrong because initially he said the shooting 574 00:34:32,721 --> 00:34:35,881 Speaker 2: went down between ten and eleven PM. He said he 575 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 2: was positive that he was back at home at his 576 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 2: dad's trailer in Mountain Home by daybreak, and it wasn't 577 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 2: until after police told him that had been shot at 578 00:34:44,681 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 2: around five am that he said his memory could have 579 00:34:47,601 --> 00:34:50,921 Speaker 2: been wrong. It could have been early morning. Now, this 580 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,881 Speaker 2: still could have potentially matched the evidence, because daylight was 581 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,361 Speaker 2: around six twenty am and Rex was killed around five am, 582 00:34:58,481 --> 00:35:01,121 Speaker 2: so it might have just been later than Rory thought. 583 00:35:01,721 --> 00:35:05,041 Speaker 2: But there were other factors. Because Rory made it clear 584 00:35:05,081 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 2: in his letter that in return for his cooperation, he 585 00:35:08,121 --> 00:35:10,841 Speaker 2: wanted to be let out of prison, so even if 586 00:35:10,881 --> 00:35:15,201 Speaker 2: his information was credible, investigators did have to consider his motives. 587 00:35:15,841 --> 00:35:19,001 Speaker 2: Police also noted in later reports that even if Rory 588 00:35:19,081 --> 00:35:22,841 Speaker 2: was telling the partial truth, they all wondered if there 589 00:35:22,841 --> 00:35:25,361 Speaker 2: had been a second person with him in the car 590 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 2: that night at all, or could he have been alone. 591 00:35:29,601 --> 00:35:32,881 Speaker 2: They stated that Dale, the friend whom Rory said shot Rex, 592 00:35:33,281 --> 00:35:37,081 Speaker 2: had been eliminated as a suspect. In the end, the 593 00:35:37,121 --> 00:35:40,121 Speaker 2: bullet taken from Rex's body was too mutilated to be 594 00:35:40,201 --> 00:35:43,921 Speaker 2: useful for forensic testing, and even after e Zomos being 595 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,441 Speaker 2: a body police were no closer to catching the killer. 596 00:35:49,281 --> 00:35:52,921 Speaker 2: It's been almost fifty years since Rex Tarrell was murdered 597 00:35:52,921 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 2: at Frederick's, and to this day, no one has ever 598 00:35:56,161 --> 00:35:59,801 Speaker 2: been publicly named as a suspect or arrested or charged 599 00:35:59,801 --> 00:36:03,321 Speaker 2: in connection with his death. Not surprisingly, since so much 600 00:36:03,361 --> 00:36:05,921 Speaker 2: time has passed, a lot of the people involved in 601 00:36:05,921 --> 00:36:09,641 Speaker 2: this case are dead. Henry Kochan passed away in two 602 00:36:09,681 --> 00:36:13,081 Speaker 2: thousand and eight in Missouri. Rory Gregory, who wrote the letter, 603 00:36:13,201 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 2: has passed away as well. So it seems as though 604 00:36:16,641 --> 00:36:20,241 Speaker 2: police did find elements of Rory's story credible enough to 605 00:36:20,361 --> 00:36:23,881 Speaker 2: order an exhumation, but the bullet they found was unable 606 00:36:23,921 --> 00:36:27,121 Speaker 2: to help them conclusively identify the murder weapon or to 607 00:36:27,161 --> 00:36:30,761 Speaker 2: get any more definitive proof. I wonder if there's any 608 00:36:30,761 --> 00:36:34,001 Speaker 2: way to go back and find any sort of corroborating evidence. 609 00:36:34,761 --> 00:36:37,561 Speaker 2: I find myself wondering about the other leads, because so 610 00:36:37,721 --> 00:36:41,081 Speaker 2: many appear to have been dropped, Like how the sheriff 611 00:36:41,121 --> 00:36:44,561 Speaker 2: said the information regarding Joe Dobson should be investigated further, 612 00:36:45,081 --> 00:36:48,321 Speaker 2: but then there's no evidence that it ever was. Was 613 00:36:48,401 --> 00:36:51,881 Speaker 2: there a relationship between Sally and Rex that went deeper 614 00:36:51,921 --> 00:36:54,881 Speaker 2: than co workers? There's nothing in the case file that 615 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:58,761 Speaker 2: indicates that there was. But like so many other leads, 616 00:36:59,241 --> 00:37:02,561 Speaker 2: there's a lot we don't know about why police haven't 617 00:37:02,601 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 2: dug deeper. I find myself wondering if there are other 618 00:37:08,601 --> 00:37:11,721 Speaker 2: things missing from the case fault. Is there someone else 619 00:37:11,761 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 2: out there who knows something? Could there be justice for 620 00:37:15,121 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 2: Rex Terrell fifty years later? I'm Catherine Townsend. This is 621 00:37:20,481 --> 00:37:24,801 Speaker 2: Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen Gone Murder Line is a 622 00:37:24,801 --> 00:37:28,041 Speaker 2: production of School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's written 623 00:37:28,041 --> 00:37:31,361 Speaker 2: and narrated by me Catherine Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. 624 00:37:31,921 --> 00:37:34,601 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Amy Tubbs for her research assistance and 625 00:37:34,721 --> 00:37:38,321 Speaker 2: James Wheaton for legal review. Noah camer mixed and scored 626 00:37:38,361 --> 00:37:42,081 Speaker 2: this episode. Our theme song is by Ben Salek, Executive 627 00:37:42,081 --> 00:37:46,241 Speaker 2: producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and LC Crowley. Listen 628 00:37:46,241 --> 00:37:48,921 Speaker 2: to Helen Gone ad free by subscribing to the iHeart 629 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 2: True Crime Plus channel on Apple Podcasts. If you are 630 00:37:52,081 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 2: interested in seeing documents and materials from the case, you 631 00:37:55,121 --> 00:37:58,321 Speaker 2: can follow the show on Instagram at Helen Gone Potty. 632 00:37:58,761 --> 00:38:00,561 Speaker 2: If you have a case you'd like me and my 633 00:38:00,601 --> 00:38:02,761 Speaker 2: team to look into, you can reach out to us 634 00:38:02,801 --> 00:38:05,201 Speaker 2: at our Helen Gone Murder line at six seven eight 635 00:38:05,281 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 2: seven four four six one four five. That's six seven 636 00:38:08,641 --> 00:38:18,641 Speaker 2: eight seven four four six one four five. School of 637 00:38:18,721 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 2: Humans