1
00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:48,001
Speaker 1: School of Humans.

2
00:00:49,241 --> 00:00:53,000
Speaker 2: Helen Got Murder Line actively investigates cold case murders in

3
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,200
Speaker 2: an effort to raise public awareness invite witnesses to come

4
00:00:56,241 --> 00:01:00,121
Speaker 2: forward and present evidence that could potentially be further investigated

5
00:01:00,121 --> 00:01:03,761
Speaker 2: by law enforcement. While we value insights from family and

6
00:01:03,801 --> 00:01:07,720
Speaker 2: community members, their statements should not be considered evidence and

7
00:01:07,761 --> 00:01:11,520
Speaker 2: point to the challenges of verifying facts inherent in cold cases.

8
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,800
Speaker 2: We remind listeners that everyone is presumed innocent until proven

9
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,080
Speaker 2: guilty in a court of law. Nothing in the podcast

10
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,080
Speaker 2: is intended to state or imply that anyone who has

11
00:01:22,161 --> 00:01:25,601
Speaker 2: not been convicted of a crime is guilty of any wrongdoing.

12
00:01:26,241 --> 00:01:27,121
Speaker 2: Thanks for listening.

13
00:01:30,881 --> 00:01:34,481
Speaker 3: On January seventh, nineteen ninety five, forty three year old

14
00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,481
Speaker 3: Connie Townsend's home burned to the ground in Brockwell, Arkansas,

15
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,200
Speaker 3: in front of over twenty witnesses. Connie was moving out

16
00:01:42,241 --> 00:01:44,841
Speaker 3: of her house that day. He had separated from her

17
00:01:44,961 --> 00:01:46,920
Speaker 3: estranged husband, David Townsend.

18
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:47,761
Speaker 1: Years earlier.

19
00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,520
Speaker 3: David had been staying with his parents, Dale and Ramona,

20
00:01:51,881 --> 00:01:55,161
Speaker 3: and also with his girlfriend of three years, joe Anne Ellis,

21
00:01:56,041 --> 00:01:59,921
Speaker 3: But according to Connie's daughters Stacy and Amber, David was

22
00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:03,760
Speaker 3: angry that day and had threatened Connie. They also said

23
00:02:03,761 --> 00:02:06,641
Speaker 3: that David had threatened to burn the house down in

24
00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,520
Speaker 3: the past. Connie's body was found in a utility room.

25
00:02:11,041 --> 00:02:13,561
Speaker 3: She was lying face down with a pair of sewing

26
00:02:13,601 --> 00:02:18,441
Speaker 3: scissors underneath her body. Investigators said that Connie had died

27
00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,561
Speaker 3: of smoke and soot inhalation, and according to the autopsy report,

28
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,801
Speaker 3: there was basically no tissue left and it seemed like

29
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,441
Speaker 3: after investigators went through the charred remains of her trailer,

30
00:02:30,881 --> 00:02:34,680
Speaker 3: they had a lot more questions. Was Connie's death due

31
00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:39,121
Speaker 3: to an accidental fire or was this a murder an arson?

32
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,120
Speaker 3: Thirty years later, her daughters still have no Joe justice

33
00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,840
Speaker 3: and no answers. And if you ask around Brockwell, Arkansas,

34
00:02:48,361 --> 00:02:51,201
Speaker 3: a lot of people will tell you police know who

35
00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,641
Speaker 3: did it, but that there will never be justice. I

36
00:02:54,761 --> 00:02:58,001
Speaker 3: don't believe that. We've only had this case file for

37
00:02:58,041 --> 00:03:01,201
Speaker 3: about two weeks, and in that time we have managed

38
00:03:01,241 --> 00:03:03,281
Speaker 3: to answer a lot of the questions that we had

39
00:03:03,361 --> 00:03:07,001
Speaker 3: last week, and a lot of people have reached out,

40
00:03:07,801 --> 00:03:11,561
Speaker 3: but there's still more to uncover. Last week we talked

41
00:03:11,601 --> 00:03:15,401
Speaker 3: about someone named Eddie. Eddie was a name mentioned in

42
00:03:15,401 --> 00:03:18,761
Speaker 3: the handwritten note in the case file. We wondered why

43
00:03:19,001 --> 00:03:22,240
Speaker 3: was his name mentioned in connection to joe Anne Ellis.

44
00:03:22,961 --> 00:03:24,441
Speaker 1: We found Eddie.

45
00:03:24,481 --> 00:03:26,681
Speaker 3: He was the coroner at the time of Connie's death,

46
00:03:27,161 --> 00:03:29,960
Speaker 3: so he was the first one to examine Connie's body.

47
00:03:30,721 --> 00:03:33,641
Speaker 3: Obviously it's been thirty years, and he said he doesn't

48
00:03:33,681 --> 00:03:37,281
Speaker 3: remember a lot, but he did have some information that

49
00:03:37,321 --> 00:03:41,481
Speaker 3: we've never heard before. We had heard from Connie's daughters

50
00:03:41,801 --> 00:03:45,161
Speaker 3: and from the case file that Connie's body was found

51
00:03:45,241 --> 00:03:48,241
Speaker 3: in a junk room, a bedroom that the family used

52
00:03:48,281 --> 00:03:52,921
Speaker 3: as an extra utility room. Eddie told us that Connie

53
00:03:53,081 --> 00:03:54,281
Speaker 3: was found in a closet.

54
00:03:55,121 --> 00:03:57,441
Speaker 4: Thirty years later. I can't even remember what they said

55
00:03:57,481 --> 00:04:01,001
Speaker 4: because of death was but I do remember toxicology was

56
00:04:01,161 --> 00:04:04,681
Speaker 4: negative for any Incoxicans. I know she was found in

57
00:04:04,721 --> 00:04:09,281
Speaker 4: a closet. I remember that she was leaving, moving out,

58
00:04:09,601 --> 00:04:11,761
Speaker 4: and had her sister and brother in law coming to

59
00:04:11,801 --> 00:04:14,441
Speaker 4: help her move stuff. What I understood she was making

60
00:04:14,481 --> 00:04:16,761
Speaker 4: trips in now that's carrying stuff out to her car.

61
00:04:17,281 --> 00:04:19,880
Speaker 4: That was the middle of the day, and it just

62
00:04:19,921 --> 00:04:21,641
Speaker 4: struck me there, you know, you're not going to get

63
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,681
Speaker 4: caught up at a house fire if you're going in

64
00:04:23,721 --> 00:04:25,921
Speaker 4: and out and leaving and got somebody coming to help

65
00:04:25,921 --> 00:04:28,601
Speaker 4: you and all that stuff. So I always felt that

66
00:04:28,681 --> 00:04:30,121
Speaker 4: it was really suspicious.

67
00:04:31,001 --> 00:04:34,681
Speaker 3: If there was a fire, why would Connie shut herself

68
00:04:34,721 --> 00:04:37,281
Speaker 3: into a closet in the back of a utility room,

69
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,920
Speaker 3: into a place where there was no escape or could

70
00:04:41,961 --> 00:04:46,641
Speaker 3: someone have put her in that closet it I'm Catherine Townsend.

71
00:04:47,001 --> 00:04:50,001
Speaker 3: Over the past seven years of making my true crime podcast,

72
00:04:50,041 --> 00:04:52,721
Speaker 3: Helen Gone, I've learned that there is no such thing

73
00:04:52,841 --> 00:04:56,400
Speaker 3: as a small town where murder never happens. I have

74
00:04:56,481 --> 00:04:59,921
Speaker 3: received hundreds of messages from people all around the country

75
00:04:59,961 --> 00:05:02,641
Speaker 3: asking for help with an unsolved murder that's affected them,

76
00:05:02,841 --> 00:05:04,921
Speaker 3: their families, and their communities.

77
00:05:05,601 --> 00:05:07,281
Speaker 1: If you have a case you'd like me.

78
00:05:07,161 --> 00:05:09,440
Speaker 3: And my team to look into, you can reach out

79
00:05:09,481 --> 00:05:11,721
Speaker 3: to us at our Helen Gone Murder line at six

80
00:05:11,761 --> 00:05:15,561
Speaker 3: seven eight seven four four six one four five. That's

81
00:05:15,601 --> 00:05:19,321
Speaker 3: six seven eight seven four four six one four five,

82
00:05:20,121 --> 00:05:22,881
Speaker 3: or you can send us a message on Instagram at

83
00:05:23,161 --> 00:06:10,961
Speaker 3: Helen gonepod. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. The Arkansas

84
00:06:10,961 --> 00:06:14,241
Speaker 3: State Police said they're done with this case file. They've

85
00:06:14,321 --> 00:06:19,641
Speaker 3: labeled Connie Townsend's case inactive. Connie's daughter Stacey emailed the

86
00:06:19,721 --> 00:06:22,401
Speaker 3: Arkansas State Police in two thousand and seven and in

87
00:06:22,401 --> 00:06:24,481
Speaker 3: two thousand and nine asking for a copy of the

88
00:06:24,481 --> 00:06:28,361
Speaker 3: case file. She also spoke to Arkansas State Police investigator

89
00:06:28,481 --> 00:06:32,241
Speaker 3: Dennis Simons. Now side note here, if you've listened to

90
00:06:32,241 --> 00:06:35,561
Speaker 3: season one of Helen Gone or followed the Rebecca Gould case,

91
00:06:35,921 --> 00:06:38,801
Speaker 3: you'll know that I have my own history with Dennis Simons.

92
00:06:39,281 --> 00:06:42,001
Speaker 3: So I'm going to refrain on commenting on what he

93
00:06:42,121 --> 00:06:45,440
Speaker 3: did or did not do in conn investigation because I

94
00:06:45,521 --> 00:06:49,041
Speaker 3: truly don't know, And to be fair, he wasn't the

95
00:06:49,081 --> 00:06:52,440
Speaker 3: only investigator saying that they had exhausted all investigative leads.

96
00:06:53,121 --> 00:06:55,201
Speaker 1: As we said last week, TJ.

97
00:06:55,361 --> 00:06:58,601
Speaker 3: Hively and the prosecutor's office had also said there was

98
00:06:58,681 --> 00:07:02,200
Speaker 3: nowhere else that they could go with this investigation. I

99
00:07:02,441 --> 00:07:04,641
Speaker 3: just want to go back and go over the case

100
00:07:04,681 --> 00:07:06,840
Speaker 3: file with a fine tooth comb and see if there

101
00:07:06,881 --> 00:07:09,681
Speaker 3: are any questions that we can answer. Thirty years later,

102
00:07:10,481 --> 00:07:12,961
Speaker 3: I want to go back to the timeline. I want

103
00:07:13,001 --> 00:07:16,121
Speaker 3: to go back in time to January seventh, nineteen ninety five.

104
00:07:17,001 --> 00:07:19,801
Speaker 3: Connie Townshend was moving out of her trailer. She had

105
00:07:19,801 --> 00:07:22,801
Speaker 3: told people that she was afraid of her estranged husband,

106
00:07:22,881 --> 00:07:27,041
Speaker 3: David Townsend, both of Connie's daughters told us that David

107
00:07:27,041 --> 00:07:29,761
Speaker 3: had verbally abused their mother in the past and that

108
00:07:29,841 --> 00:07:34,001
Speaker 3: he had made threats. Though Connie and David had been

109
00:07:34,001 --> 00:07:37,481
Speaker 3: separated for years, there was a lot happening that week.

110
00:07:37,521 --> 00:07:41,641
Speaker 3: Because Connie had just filed for divorce. David would not

111
00:07:41,721 --> 00:07:45,481
Speaker 3: get the divorce paperwork until January eleven, four days after

112
00:07:45,521 --> 00:07:45,961
Speaker 3: the fire.

113
00:07:47,161 --> 00:07:49,161
Speaker 1: This was intentional on Connie's part.

114
00:07:49,841 --> 00:07:52,281
Speaker 3: Connie had hired a lawyer, and she had a conversation

115
00:07:52,401 --> 00:07:56,001
Speaker 3: with her lawyer about serving David after she left home.

116
00:07:56,641 --> 00:07:58,841
Speaker 3: She did not want to escalate the situation.

117
00:07:59,721 --> 00:08:00,801
Speaker 1: The police talked.

118
00:08:00,561 --> 00:08:03,841
Speaker 3: To Connie's attorney on January eighteenth. He said that he

119
00:08:03,921 --> 00:08:07,081
Speaker 3: looked for her case file but was unable to locate it.

120
00:08:07,681 --> 00:08:10,841
Speaker 3: He told police he believed someone may have broken in

121
00:08:11,041 --> 00:08:13,441
Speaker 3: and stolen it, which honestly is a bit of a

122
00:08:13,481 --> 00:08:17,601
Speaker 3: bizarre answer in my opinion. But then there's no follow

123
00:08:17,681 --> 00:08:20,721
Speaker 3: up by police in the case file. But we found

124
00:08:20,721 --> 00:08:24,041
Speaker 3: out something else from the case file. Even though Connie

125
00:08:24,161 --> 00:08:27,441
Speaker 3: had that conversation with her lawyer about serving David after

126
00:08:27,481 --> 00:08:31,681
Speaker 3: she left home, something happened that morning before she died.

127
00:08:32,521 --> 00:08:35,960
Speaker 3: Connie told her sisters that she had let it slip

128
00:08:36,361 --> 00:08:40,280
Speaker 3: to David Townsend's mother, Ramona that she was filing for divorce.

129
00:08:50,441 --> 00:08:53,401
Speaker 3: We went back and tried to piece together everyone's interviews

130
00:08:53,601 --> 00:08:55,721
Speaker 3: to see if there are gaps in the timeline or

131
00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,401
Speaker 3: any conflicting information about the morning of the fire, and

132
00:08:59,521 --> 00:09:03,680
Speaker 3: we have found a lot of inconsistencies, places where facts

133
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,961
Speaker 3: don't match, gaps of time where it seems as though

134
00:09:07,001 --> 00:09:12,081
Speaker 3: either someone is misremembering or someone is lying. As we

135
00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,121
Speaker 3: said last week, Connie called both of her sisters on

136
00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:15,961
Speaker 3: the morning of the move.

137
00:09:16,441 --> 00:09:18,800
Speaker 1: She wanted her brothers in law to come and help.

138
00:09:19,361 --> 00:09:21,921
Speaker 3: This was a point of conflict between Connie and her

139
00:09:22,001 --> 00:09:26,481
Speaker 3: estranged husband David and his parents, Ramona and Dale Townsend.

140
00:09:27,201 --> 00:09:30,401
Speaker 3: We talked to Connie's sister, Dolores Brown about what she

141
00:09:30,481 --> 00:09:32,841
Speaker 3: remembers from the day her sister died.

142
00:09:33,881 --> 00:09:37,841
Speaker 5: Connie called me somewhere around ten or ten thirty on

143
00:09:38,001 --> 00:09:41,641
Speaker 5: Saturday morning and she said that her and David had

144
00:09:41,641 --> 00:09:44,241
Speaker 5: got into it again, and she says that David said

145
00:09:44,321 --> 00:09:46,561
Speaker 5: she had to get out right away, so she said

146
00:09:46,601 --> 00:09:48,921
Speaker 5: I stayed as soon as possible.

147
00:09:50,201 --> 00:09:53,601
Speaker 3: The night before the fire, both of Connie's daughters, Amber

148
00:09:53,641 --> 00:09:57,561
Speaker 3: and Stacy spoke to their mom remember Amber was moving

149
00:09:57,601 --> 00:10:01,361
Speaker 3: with her mother, so her stuff was packed along with Connie's.

150
00:10:01,881 --> 00:10:04,321
Speaker 3: At two am on the morning of the seventh, Amber

151
00:10:04,361 --> 00:10:05,601
Speaker 3: showed up at Connie's trailer.

152
00:10:06,121 --> 00:10:07,721
Speaker 1: Her mom was in the process.

153
00:10:07,361 --> 00:10:10,921
Speaker 3: Of moving out, but Amber said that because of icy roads,

154
00:10:11,561 --> 00:10:14,561
Speaker 3: they decided to stay one last night in the trailer.

155
00:10:15,401 --> 00:10:18,560
Speaker 3: The next morning, Amber loaded her stuff into Connie's car

156
00:10:18,721 --> 00:10:20,921
Speaker 3: and left to go to her grandmother's house. At around

157
00:10:20,961 --> 00:10:24,281
Speaker 3: seven to fifty five am. She clarified to police that

158
00:10:24,321 --> 00:10:26,641
Speaker 3: she was planning to shower at her grandmother's so she

159
00:10:26,641 --> 00:10:29,481
Speaker 3: could get ready for the day because the hot water

160
00:10:29,681 --> 00:10:32,881
Speaker 3: was not working at the trailer. She drove back by

161
00:10:32,881 --> 00:10:35,561
Speaker 3: the trailer at around nine am, and she said that

162
00:10:35,681 --> 00:10:39,521
Speaker 3: at that time she saw David's two tone brown Cadillac

163
00:10:39,601 --> 00:10:43,281
Speaker 3: park there. When she saw that, she just honked and

164
00:10:43,321 --> 00:10:46,801
Speaker 3: drove on one. She said, quote, my mom didn't want

165
00:10:46,801 --> 00:10:50,281
Speaker 3: me there when he was there end quote. This would

166
00:10:50,361 --> 00:10:53,761
Speaker 3: match David's statement he told police, which was that he

167
00:10:53,841 --> 00:10:56,601
Speaker 3: left his parents' house some time after nine am and

168
00:10:56,641 --> 00:10:59,761
Speaker 3: that he drove over to Connie's. David said that he

169
00:10:59,841 --> 00:11:02,401
Speaker 3: and Connie argued about who was going to help her move.

170
00:11:03,321 --> 00:11:06,521
Speaker 3: Connie's daughter, Stacy told police that she called her mom

171
00:11:06,561 --> 00:11:09,201
Speaker 3: at around ten am. She said that by that point

172
00:11:09,361 --> 00:11:13,681
Speaker 3: David was gone. Connie told Stacy that when David was there,

173
00:11:13,721 --> 00:11:16,761
Speaker 3: they had an argument and that at that time David

174
00:11:16,841 --> 00:11:21,201
Speaker 3: had threatened her with bodily harm. Connie had rented an

175
00:11:21,241 --> 00:11:23,921
Speaker 3: apartment with Amber, and she had actually just gotten the

176
00:11:23,961 --> 00:11:26,321
Speaker 3: keys to her new place a couple of days earlier,

177
00:11:26,441 --> 00:11:29,920
Speaker 3: on January fifth. For Connie, this was going to be

178
00:11:29,961 --> 00:11:33,801
Speaker 3: a new start. But after David came by the trailer,

179
00:11:34,001 --> 00:11:37,321
Speaker 3: then his parents went over. His father, Dale, told police

180
00:11:37,601 --> 00:11:39,961
Speaker 3: that he and his wife Ramona, drove over to Connie's

181
00:11:40,001 --> 00:11:43,681
Speaker 3: at around eleven am. At this point, Connie broke down.

182
00:11:44,321 --> 00:11:46,601
Speaker 3: She had talked to her sister Dolores on the phone

183
00:11:46,801 --> 00:11:50,121
Speaker 3: about five times that morning, and this time when she called,

184
00:11:50,601 --> 00:11:51,481
Speaker 3: she was in tears.

185
00:11:52,481 --> 00:11:57,361
Speaker 5: She called and she was crying. She was upset. David's parents,

186
00:11:57,521 --> 00:12:02,361
Speaker 5: Ramona and Dale, were there and they were concerned about

187
00:12:02,361 --> 00:12:06,081
Speaker 5: what she was gonna take, and they were telling her

188
00:12:06,121 --> 00:12:09,361
Speaker 5: she couldn't do this and couldn't do that, and Connie said,

189
00:12:09,441 --> 00:12:10,881
Speaker 5: I guess you've got to get out.

190
00:12:11,121 --> 00:12:11,641
Speaker 4: It's bad.

191
00:12:11,721 --> 00:12:14,601
Speaker 5: And then I've tried to calm her down, and then

192
00:12:14,721 --> 00:12:18,521
Speaker 5: I asked to speak to one of them, and Ramona

193
00:12:18,601 --> 00:12:22,281
Speaker 5: came to the phone. I asked her what we could

194
00:12:22,321 --> 00:12:25,841
Speaker 5: do about that situation that we were coming, if they

195
00:12:25,881 --> 00:12:28,841
Speaker 5: couldn't just go home and just let us get her

196
00:12:28,961 --> 00:12:33,001
Speaker 5: out of there and then everything would calm down. And

197
00:12:33,401 --> 00:12:36,561
Speaker 5: she said they were gonna stay there make sure we

198
00:12:36,601 --> 00:12:39,521
Speaker 5: didn't take anything, and I said that would be fine.

199
00:12:40,081 --> 00:12:42,201
Speaker 5: I asked her if maybe if she could go home,

200
00:12:42,761 --> 00:12:45,961
Speaker 5: and then I would call her whenever we left here

201
00:12:46,361 --> 00:12:48,441
Speaker 5: and they could meet us back over there and let

202
00:12:48,441 --> 00:12:51,721
Speaker 5: Connie have some peace. And I talked to Connie again,

203
00:12:52,361 --> 00:12:55,161
Speaker 5: and she was calming down and explained to her what

204
00:12:55,201 --> 00:12:55,961
Speaker 5: they were going to do.

205
00:12:56,921 --> 00:12:59,641
Speaker 3: Dale's told police that he and Ramona stayed for a

206
00:12:59,641 --> 00:13:02,081
Speaker 3: little while and then left, and that they got back

207
00:13:02,081 --> 00:13:05,441
Speaker 3: to their own home at noon. At some point after

208
00:13:05,481 --> 00:13:09,401
Speaker 3: heated arguments, Dolores said that the situation at Connie's house

209
00:13:09,441 --> 00:13:12,441
Speaker 3: seemed to have calmed down, or so she thought.

210
00:13:13,361 --> 00:13:16,201
Speaker 5: And so she got feeling better about it. We hung

211
00:13:16,241 --> 00:13:20,160
Speaker 5: out that Ramona and Dale did not leave right away.

212
00:13:20,841 --> 00:13:24,161
Speaker 5: I called just to check to see if they're gone.

213
00:13:24,761 --> 00:13:27,361
Speaker 5: I waited not very long because I was nervous about

214
00:13:27,401 --> 00:13:31,081
Speaker 5: it all, and Dale answered the phone, so I asked

215
00:13:31,161 --> 00:13:34,441
Speaker 5: him where Connie was, and he said, well, she's outside.

216
00:13:34,521 --> 00:13:37,401
Speaker 5: I think I think she's putting her purse in the

217
00:13:37,481 --> 00:13:39,961
Speaker 5: car and she's loading the car, you know, and all

218
00:13:40,001 --> 00:13:42,361
Speaker 5: this stuff. And I said, well, I'm just gonna hang

219
00:13:42,401 --> 00:13:44,921
Speaker 5: on until she came back in nan and I want

220
00:13:44,921 --> 00:13:47,481
Speaker 5: to talk to her because I was not quite sure

221
00:13:47,641 --> 00:13:50,641
Speaker 5: he was telling me the truth. So in a little

222
00:13:50,641 --> 00:13:53,401
Speaker 5: bit she came back in though, and I talked to

223
00:13:53,441 --> 00:13:55,521
Speaker 5: her and she said, yeah, she would say little better

224
00:13:55,521 --> 00:13:57,961
Speaker 5: about it, you know. So we hung up again, and

225
00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,321
Speaker 5: I called Connie for about twelve thirty and told her

226
00:14:01,321 --> 00:14:03,721
Speaker 5: we were on our way, and she said, don't be

227
00:14:03,761 --> 00:14:05,761
Speaker 5: in any hurry, eat some lunch if you want to

228
00:14:06,041 --> 00:14:09,761
Speaker 5: or whatever. I'm okay now, I'm okay. And this was

229
00:14:09,801 --> 00:14:13,881
Speaker 5: the last conversation I had with her. And so we

230
00:14:13,881 --> 00:14:18,441
Speaker 5: were there quickly, and when we talked, that hill that

231
00:14:18,601 --> 00:14:22,921
Speaker 5: home was already in plazes. It was already really burning.

232
00:14:23,961 --> 00:14:27,721
Speaker 3: The fire department was dispatched at one eleven PM, which

233
00:14:27,761 --> 00:14:30,481
Speaker 3: means that shortly after Dolores hung up the phone with

234
00:14:30,561 --> 00:14:34,241
Speaker 3: her sister, the fire broke out. Delores said that by

235
00:14:34,281 --> 00:14:37,441
Speaker 3: the time she got to Connie's trailer, she was shocked

236
00:14:37,481 --> 00:14:42,001
Speaker 3: to see the raging fire. Her sister Marlene showed up

237
00:14:42,041 --> 00:14:43,121
Speaker 3: shortly after she did.

238
00:14:44,081 --> 00:14:47,080
Speaker 5: We were trying to figure out how to get inside,

239
00:14:47,201 --> 00:14:50,321
Speaker 5: but then it was already so bad. Everything was hot,

240
00:14:50,401 --> 00:14:52,561
Speaker 5: the door knob was the hutch, couldn't touch it, and

241
00:14:52,681 --> 00:14:55,161
Speaker 5: there just wasn't enough windows. We couldn't get in. We

242
00:14:55,201 --> 00:14:58,001
Speaker 5: couldn't see in even because of the smoke, and of

243
00:14:58,041 --> 00:15:00,481
Speaker 5: course we didn't know for a while whether Connie was

244
00:15:00,521 --> 00:15:04,681
Speaker 5: in there or not. We started searching around outside Marlene

245
00:15:04,681 --> 00:15:08,281
Speaker 5: and I did, hoping that she was outside somewhere, and

246
00:15:08,961 --> 00:15:09,961
Speaker 5: it took off running.

247
00:15:11,361 --> 00:15:15,161
Speaker 3: We asked another question last week, what happened to Connie

248
00:15:15,201 --> 00:15:19,161
Speaker 3: and David's big black dog, Bobo. Connie was an animal

249
00:15:19,201 --> 00:15:22,241
Speaker 3: lover and had several cats that she let into the home,

250
00:15:22,801 --> 00:15:25,921
Speaker 3: and the dog didn't roam free normally. He was either

251
00:15:25,921 --> 00:15:29,041
Speaker 3: tied up by the carport or he was inside the house.

252
00:15:29,801 --> 00:15:33,641
Speaker 3: Dolores believed that the dog might be significant because when

253
00:15:33,681 --> 00:15:37,481
Speaker 3: she called Connie that last time, she heard the dog bark,

254
00:15:38,041 --> 00:15:41,761
Speaker 3: and she said he normally only barked when people came

255
00:15:41,841 --> 00:15:42,441
Speaker 3: to the trailer.

256
00:15:43,841 --> 00:15:47,001
Speaker 5: Org had started barking when we were fixing to hang

257
00:15:47,121 --> 00:15:51,041
Speaker 5: up from that last phone conversation. At that last phone

258
00:15:51,041 --> 00:15:53,281
Speaker 5: conversation when I told her we were on our way

259
00:15:54,001 --> 00:15:56,761
Speaker 5: and we were actually driving when I called her, and

260
00:15:56,841 --> 00:15:59,481
Speaker 5: I thought about that later. It didn't hit me until

261
00:15:59,521 --> 00:16:01,801
Speaker 5: I threw you know, of course, until it was over

262
00:16:01,841 --> 00:16:04,201
Speaker 5: with and I got home and was thinking about that,

263
00:16:04,681 --> 00:16:07,041
Speaker 5: and then I thought I heard that dog start barking

264
00:16:07,081 --> 00:16:10,481
Speaker 5: off the phone. He only barked when someone came in and.

265
00:16:10,601 --> 00:16:15,521
Speaker 3: Drove in the drive, so was someone outside Connie's trailer

266
00:16:15,561 --> 00:16:20,561
Speaker 3: When they hung up, Dolores mentioned seeing something else a witness,

267
00:16:20,601 --> 00:16:24,721
Speaker 3: someone who she said, spoke to David Townsend at the scene.

268
00:16:25,761 --> 00:16:29,561
Speaker 6: David did make a statement at least to one or

269
00:16:29,601 --> 00:16:34,041
Speaker 6: two people that at least he untied that gd dog

270
00:16:34,441 --> 00:16:36,681
Speaker 6: and didn't let it burn up in the fire too.

271
00:16:37,521 --> 00:16:41,201
Speaker 6: I spoke to Billy and she told me that the

272
00:16:41,281 --> 00:16:44,761
Speaker 6: front door was locked, but that the side by the

273
00:16:44,761 --> 00:16:50,081
Speaker 6: carport was not, and to say opened that and several

274
00:16:50,161 --> 00:16:53,441
Speaker 6: cat went running and one cat came out and it

275
00:16:53,481 --> 00:16:54,161
Speaker 6: was on fire.

276
00:16:55,641 --> 00:16:59,281
Speaker 3: We checked the case file and found that reference. Police

277
00:16:59,361 --> 00:17:02,001
Speaker 3: did talk to a witness. It was a witness named

278
00:17:02,081 --> 00:17:05,920
Speaker 3: David Herron, and he told police that David made a

279
00:17:05,961 --> 00:17:09,121
Speaker 3: comment to him about the dog The witness told police

280
00:17:09,120 --> 00:17:11,840
Speaker 3: that on the day of the fire, David said something

281
00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,080
Speaker 3: to the effect of quote, well, at least I turned

282
00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,600
Speaker 3: the goddamn dog loose so he wouldn't burn up.

283
00:17:17,481 --> 00:17:18,561
Speaker 1: Too end quote.

284
00:17:19,281 --> 00:17:21,801
Speaker 3: The witness told police that another friend of his name,

285
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,640
Speaker 3: Scotty Mast, was also there at the time, and that

286
00:17:24,681 --> 00:17:28,200
Speaker 3: Scotty had apparently heard David say the same thing, but

287
00:17:28,241 --> 00:17:30,400
Speaker 3: there's no record of an interview with Scotty in the

288
00:17:30,441 --> 00:17:37,561
Speaker 3: case file. Was the fire arson or not? We said

289
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,120
Speaker 3: last week that an electrician did go in with law

290
00:17:40,161 --> 00:17:42,960
Speaker 3: enforcement and looked at the service box and found that

291
00:17:43,001 --> 00:17:46,281
Speaker 3: the service box had been shorted, So the electrician stated

292
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,721
Speaker 3: the short could have contributed to or caused the fire

293
00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,321
Speaker 3: that destroyed the trailer. But in late February, police brought

294
00:17:54,321 --> 00:17:57,121
Speaker 3: in a specially trained dog named Gallagher from Little Rock.

295
00:17:57,681 --> 00:18:01,360
Speaker 3: This dog could detect accelerants, and the dog alerted for

296
00:18:01,441 --> 00:18:05,801
Speaker 3: accelerants at several different parts of the house, but no

297
00:18:06,001 --> 00:18:08,681
Speaker 3: actual accelerant was found in the samples taken from the

298
00:18:08,681 --> 00:18:11,360
Speaker 3: crime scene or from the samples that were taken from

299
00:18:11,401 --> 00:18:16,041
Speaker 3: Connie's body at the medical Examiner's office, so investigators could.

300
00:18:15,801 --> 00:18:16,481
Speaker 1: Not be sure.

301
00:18:18,041 --> 00:18:20,161
Speaker 3: One of the handwritten notes that we were talking about

302
00:18:20,281 --> 00:18:23,241
Speaker 3: last week referred to the arson theory. The note was

303
00:18:23,321 --> 00:18:26,521
Speaker 3: hard to decipher, but part of it reads quote, they

304
00:18:26,601 --> 00:18:28,801
Speaker 3: started at the living room and went to the kitchen

305
00:18:29,001 --> 00:18:33,281
Speaker 3: throwing diesel gas end quote. Also in the emails from

306
00:18:33,281 --> 00:18:37,481
Speaker 3: the Arkansas State Police to Stacy, Connie's daughter, they referred

307
00:18:37,521 --> 00:18:42,640
Speaker 3: to Connie's investigation as an arson homicide investigation. Connie's daughters

308
00:18:42,681 --> 00:18:46,121
Speaker 3: told us the Arkansas police felt that David was their suspect,

309
00:18:46,601 --> 00:18:49,561
Speaker 3: but that they told them they just didn't have enough

310
00:18:49,601 --> 00:18:53,721
Speaker 3: evidence to prosecute him. David did have an alibi at

311
00:18:53,721 --> 00:18:57,400
Speaker 3: the approximate time of the fire. Remember David's son, David

312
00:18:57,441 --> 00:19:00,481
Speaker 3: Lynn said they drove to Caligo Rock together and went

313
00:19:00,521 --> 00:19:02,840
Speaker 3: fishing after leaving David's parents' house.

314
00:19:03,721 --> 00:19:07,121
Speaker 1: But could there be any holes in this alibi?

315
00:19:17,201 --> 00:19:21,281
Speaker 3: Police did investigate leads other than David Townsend. There are

316
00:19:21,281 --> 00:19:23,881
Speaker 3: two other names in the case file, names I'd never

317
00:19:23,921 --> 00:19:28,721
Speaker 3: heard before, Tony Montgomery and Stanley Montgomery. One handwritten note

318
00:19:28,801 --> 00:19:31,761
Speaker 3: read that Stanley and Tony quote had to leave Little

319
00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,281
Speaker 3: Rock because of arson problems. We tracked down the police

320
00:19:35,281 --> 00:19:39,801
Speaker 3: report regarding Stanley Montgomery. Connie's trailer burned down on Saturday.

321
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,120
Speaker 3: On Monday, Stanley showed up at the hospital with severe

322
00:19:43,201 --> 00:19:46,001
Speaker 3: burns to his arms, and according to the police report,

323
00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,281
Speaker 3: quote told three different stories about how he got the burn.

324
00:19:50,041 --> 00:19:52,681
Speaker 3: Police were apparently suspicious and they did a search of

325
00:19:52,681 --> 00:19:55,721
Speaker 3: Stanley's residence. There's a search warrant for his house in

326
00:19:55,761 --> 00:19:58,840
Speaker 3: the case file, stating they seized several items from his

327
00:19:58,921 --> 00:20:01,801
Speaker 3: residence and that one of the items seized was a

328
00:20:01,881 --> 00:20:05,600
Speaker 3: charred bathrobe. But police tested that bathrobe and found no

329
00:20:05,761 --> 00:20:09,361
Speaker 3: traces of accelerant on it, So it seems as though

330
00:20:09,401 --> 00:20:14,521
Speaker 3: Stanley and anyone connected with him was ruled out. When

331
00:20:14,561 --> 00:20:17,801
Speaker 3: I look through the police interviews with Connie's daughter Amber,

332
00:20:18,321 --> 00:20:22,481
Speaker 3: the timeline, in my opinion, becomes more and more heartbreaking

333
00:20:22,801 --> 00:20:26,440
Speaker 3: because she did everything in her power to make a

334
00:20:26,561 --> 00:20:30,561
Speaker 3: safe plan to cut her ties with an abusive relationship.

335
00:20:31,321 --> 00:20:35,001
Speaker 3: It's obvious that Connie was terrified of David, but on

336
00:20:35,041 --> 00:20:39,840
Speaker 3: that very last day, she seemed to relax. At twelve thirty,

337
00:20:39,961 --> 00:20:42,521
Speaker 3: when Dolores talked to her sister for the last time,

338
00:20:42,881 --> 00:20:44,721
Speaker 3: calling Connie to sa say that she and her husband

339
00:20:44,721 --> 00:20:48,041
Speaker 3: were on their way. She told police that Connie seemed

340
00:20:48,041 --> 00:20:52,640
Speaker 3: calmer and said that there was no Rush. Amber said, quote,

341
00:20:52,921 --> 00:20:55,561
Speaker 3: my mother was in real good spirits and she was

342
00:20:55,601 --> 00:20:57,600
Speaker 3: moving and told me to go ahead and go on

343
00:20:57,681 --> 00:21:00,961
Speaker 3: to work today end quote. One question that we had

344
00:21:00,961 --> 00:21:04,521
Speaker 3: from last week was who was driving the black truck

345
00:21:04,681 --> 00:21:09,721
Speaker 3: with the rainbow stripes. One possibility is David Lynn, David's

346
00:21:09,721 --> 00:21:13,841
Speaker 3: son and Connie's stepson. At the time, David Lynn drove

347
00:21:13,881 --> 00:21:17,201
Speaker 3: a black truck with bright red stripes. Obviously, he's not

348
00:21:17,361 --> 00:21:20,641
Speaker 3: the only person who drove a vehicle somewhat matching this description,

349
00:21:21,321 --> 00:21:24,080
Speaker 3: but it is interesting that there's no real record of

350
00:21:24,121 --> 00:21:28,161
Speaker 3: his location before noon. That's when Dale and Ramona Townsend

351
00:21:28,201 --> 00:21:31,241
Speaker 3: told police he arrived at their place to eat lunch

352
00:21:31,321 --> 00:21:35,481
Speaker 3: with them and his father. David Townsend was at Connie's

353
00:21:35,481 --> 00:21:38,001
Speaker 3: at around nine am in his two tone brown Cadillac.

354
00:21:38,361 --> 00:21:41,601
Speaker 3: Connie confirmed this, and Amber saw his car park there

355
00:21:41,681 --> 00:21:43,360
Speaker 3: when she drove by on her way to work in

356
00:21:43,401 --> 00:21:47,321
Speaker 3: Mountain Home. After that, David left Connie's trailer and told

357
00:21:47,401 --> 00:21:50,321
Speaker 3: police that he drove back to his parents' house. Then

358
00:21:50,521 --> 00:21:53,681
Speaker 3: Dale Townsend told police that he and Ramona went to

359
00:21:53,761 --> 00:21:57,921
Speaker 3: Connie's at around ten am, but this was before David

360
00:21:58,001 --> 00:22:01,241
Speaker 3: Lynn came to their house in his vehicle. Dale was

361
00:22:01,281 --> 00:22:04,521
Speaker 3: driving his own vehicle that day, a maroon truck. Where

362
00:22:04,601 --> 00:22:08,440
Speaker 3: was David Lynn that morning before noon? It's a question

363
00:22:08,721 --> 00:22:11,840
Speaker 3: that's not answered in this case file. And this is

364
00:22:11,881 --> 00:22:16,481
Speaker 3: when we've found even more discrepancies because Ramona also reportedly

365
00:22:16,601 --> 00:22:20,961
Speaker 3: told witnesses a slightly different story. A witness told police

366
00:22:21,001 --> 00:22:23,200
Speaker 3: that they were there when the fire broke out. They

367
00:22:23,241 --> 00:22:26,200
Speaker 3: said they saw David's mother, Ramona, and they were asking

368
00:22:26,281 --> 00:22:29,801
Speaker 3: what happened, who lived there, et cetera. They said that

369
00:22:29,921 --> 00:22:32,801
Speaker 3: Ramona told him that she and her husband had been

370
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,441
Speaker 3: to Connie's trailer earlier that day, but she said she

371
00:22:36,561 --> 00:22:40,401
Speaker 3: brought Connie some wood. This was never mentioned in any

372
00:22:40,441 --> 00:22:48,241
Speaker 3: other report. David told police that he and David Lynn

373
00:22:48,401 --> 00:22:51,640
Speaker 3: stopped at Harp's grocery store when they went fishing. This

374
00:22:51,881 --> 00:22:54,561
Speaker 3: was confirmed by a witness who worked at Harp's grocery store.

375
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,920
Speaker 3: This person said that they saw David Lynne between two

376
00:22:57,961 --> 00:23:01,161
Speaker 3: and two thirty pm. That would have been before David

377
00:23:01,241 --> 00:23:03,561
Speaker 3: and his son said they passed Dale townshend on the

378
00:23:03,641 --> 00:23:06,641
Speaker 3: road after three pm when he supposedly told them about

379
00:23:06,641 --> 00:23:10,201
Speaker 3: the fire. She said that he bought cigarettes and a

380
00:23:10,241 --> 00:23:13,801
Speaker 3: pack of coke at that point. She asked if Connie

381
00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,601
Speaker 3: was heart in the fire, and he said no, that

382
00:23:16,641 --> 00:23:20,080
Speaker 3: someone was bringing Connie back from Mountain Home. This is

383
00:23:20,241 --> 00:23:23,841
Speaker 3: very confusing because if this is true, that would mean

384
00:23:23,881 --> 00:23:28,281
Speaker 3: that David Lynn already knew about the fire before three pm,

385
00:23:28,321 --> 00:23:31,161
Speaker 3: which is when David claims they ran into his father

386
00:23:31,281 --> 00:23:34,201
Speaker 3: on the road and first learned about the fire. But again,

387
00:23:34,241 --> 00:23:37,600
Speaker 3: it's very frustrating because there's no record that police ever

388
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,241
Speaker 3: explained this discrepancy. Joe Anne Ellis also had a different story.

389
00:23:42,881 --> 00:23:45,681
Speaker 3: Joe Anne told she had been living with David Townsend

390
00:23:45,721 --> 00:23:47,840
Speaker 3: for three years, but that he had been married to

391
00:23:47,881 --> 00:23:51,361
Speaker 3: Connie for fifteen years. She said that David told her

392
00:23:51,361 --> 00:23:53,721
Speaker 3: that he loved Connie and that he married her for

393
00:23:53,761 --> 00:23:56,561
Speaker 3: the kids. She said that David did not talk to

394
00:23:56,601 --> 00:24:00,801
Speaker 3: her about his and Connie's problems. She said, quote, someone

395
00:24:00,881 --> 00:24:03,681
Speaker 3: called Dale and told him that the trailer was on fire,

396
00:24:04,201 --> 00:24:07,041
Speaker 3: and David was at Dale's when the call was made.

397
00:24:07,321 --> 00:24:07,881
Speaker 1: End quote.

398
00:24:08,561 --> 00:24:11,160
Speaker 3: Now that's a totally different story than the one that

399
00:24:11,281 --> 00:24:14,241
Speaker 3: David and Dale told police about David and David Lynn

400
00:24:14,321 --> 00:24:16,721
Speaker 3: being out fishing, Dale, finding out about the trailer and

401
00:24:16,801 --> 00:24:18,761
Speaker 3: running into them on the road and breaking the news.

402
00:24:18,761 --> 00:24:23,041
Speaker 3: Then Joanne said she was home alone on January seventh,

403
00:24:23,161 --> 00:24:26,001
Speaker 3: nineteen ninety five. She said she didn't find out about

404
00:24:26,041 --> 00:24:29,640
Speaker 3: Connie's death until later, but then the page after that

405
00:24:29,681 --> 00:24:32,840
Speaker 3: from her interview is missing, like so many of the

406
00:24:32,881 --> 00:24:39,400
Speaker 3: other pages in the Arkansas State Police file. David Townsend

407
00:24:39,401 --> 00:24:43,001
Speaker 3: took a voice stress test, on which, according to police reports,

408
00:24:43,281 --> 00:24:46,881
Speaker 3: invested gators believed that he was being deceptive. He got

409
00:24:46,921 --> 00:24:49,360
Speaker 3: a lawyer and refused to take a light detector test.

410
00:24:49,761 --> 00:24:50,761
Speaker 1: His son, David.

411
00:24:50,601 --> 00:24:53,321
Speaker 3: Lynne, also told police he wasn't going to take a

412
00:24:53,361 --> 00:24:55,721
Speaker 3: polygraph test because his dad failed.

413
00:24:55,361 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 1: One, But in the end, neither.

414
00:24:57,641 --> 00:25:02,041
Speaker 3: Polygraph tests nor stress tests are admissible in court. David

415
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,121
Speaker 3: Townsend hired a lawyer, and police told Connie's daughters they

416
00:25:06,161 --> 00:25:08,561
Speaker 3: did not feel as though they had enough information to

417
00:25:08,641 --> 00:25:13,441
Speaker 3: charge him. We said last week that we were looking

418
00:25:13,481 --> 00:25:17,120
Speaker 3: for a mystery man, a curly haired, reddish blonde haired

419
00:25:17,161 --> 00:25:21,001
Speaker 3: stranger who was driving a blue truck. Monica Jones, one

420
00:25:21,001 --> 00:25:23,001
Speaker 3: of the first people on the scene who tried to

421
00:25:23,001 --> 00:25:25,481
Speaker 3: break into the trailer before the fire got too intense,

422
00:25:26,001 --> 00:25:28,321
Speaker 3: told police that Dale Townsend was at.

423
00:25:28,161 --> 00:25:30,361
Speaker 1: The scene talking to the curly haired man.

424
00:25:31,041 --> 00:25:34,241
Speaker 3: Her note read quote Dale Townsend was standing there and

425
00:25:34,281 --> 00:25:36,561
Speaker 3: he seemed to know this person and spoke his name.

426
00:25:37,241 --> 00:25:40,360
Speaker 3: I don't remember his name, but Dale did say he

427
00:25:40,481 --> 00:25:51,801
Speaker 3: was from Horseshoe Bend End quote. As we said last week,

428
00:25:52,361 --> 00:25:55,121
Speaker 3: most of the people in the case file are now deceased.

429
00:25:55,681 --> 00:25:58,961
Speaker 3: Joe Anne Ellis is dead, and so were David Townsend

430
00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,201
Speaker 3: and his son David Lynne, as well as both of

431
00:26:02,281 --> 00:26:06,761
Speaker 3: David Townsend's parents. But the mystery man, possibly from Horseshoe Ben,

432
00:26:07,281 --> 00:26:10,120
Speaker 3: might still be out there somewhere, and if he is,

433
00:26:10,641 --> 00:26:15,721
Speaker 3: does he know something and could we find him. Connie's daughters,

434
00:26:15,761 --> 00:26:19,160
Speaker 3: Amber and Stacey know that justice will not be served

435
00:26:19,201 --> 00:26:23,400
Speaker 3: in the traditional way, but if David or David Lynn's

436
00:26:23,441 --> 00:26:27,561
Speaker 3: relatives are out there, maybe one of them talked to someone.

437
00:26:27,681 --> 00:26:31,761
Speaker 3: And Connie's daughters said last week that just knowing what

438
00:26:31,921 --> 00:26:34,640
Speaker 3: happened to their mother would help bring them some peace.

439
00:26:35,561 --> 00:26:38,761
Speaker 3: We are also looking for Michael, joe Anne's son, who

440
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,681
Speaker 3: told police that David had told him that he killed

441
00:26:41,721 --> 00:26:45,201
Speaker 3: Connie one night while he was drunk. So far we

442
00:26:45,321 --> 00:26:47,761
Speaker 3: haven't found him, but if he's out there, we would

443
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,600
Speaker 3: love to talk to him, and maybe if David or

444
00:26:51,641 --> 00:26:55,121
Speaker 3: anyone in his family or anyone he talked to over

445
00:26:55,161 --> 00:26:58,921
Speaker 3: the years, heard something about what happened to Connie. Maybe

446
00:26:58,961 --> 00:27:01,721
Speaker 3: someone he encountered talked to someone else over the years.

447
00:27:02,201 --> 00:27:03,441
Speaker 1: I really hope.

448
00:27:03,161 --> 00:27:05,561
Speaker 3: That if there is someone out there, that they will

449
00:27:05,601 --> 00:27:10,041
Speaker 3: reach out, Dolores told us, even after all this time,

450
00:27:10,561 --> 00:27:13,481
Speaker 3: sometimes she catches a glimpse of someone who reminds her

451
00:27:13,481 --> 00:27:18,001
Speaker 3: of Connie. As long as Connie's family is alive, they

452
00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,001
Speaker 3: continue to hope for answers and justice.

453
00:27:22,241 --> 00:27:25,521
Speaker 5: And now she's been gone so long, it's not like

454
00:27:25,641 --> 00:27:28,880
Speaker 5: I think that's her anymore. It's just the fact that

455
00:27:28,921 --> 00:27:31,801
Speaker 5: it reminds me of her. The way someone's got their

456
00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,840
Speaker 5: hair done, or just the back of their head or

457
00:27:34,921 --> 00:27:37,921
Speaker 5: something like that, You know that reminds you of them,

458
00:27:37,921 --> 00:27:42,681
Speaker 5: But everybody goes through that. But it's also brings the

459
00:27:42,761 --> 00:27:46,561
Speaker 5: good memories back, so as you go through life yourself

460
00:27:46,601 --> 00:27:50,841
Speaker 5: and try to live life the best you can.

461
00:27:52,481 --> 00:27:56,281
Speaker 3: In the meantime, I'm going to keep looking for inconsistencies

462
00:27:56,321 --> 00:28:00,361
Speaker 3: in this case file, because killers can make one tiny

463
00:28:00,401 --> 00:28:07,521
Speaker 3: mistake that can break the entire case. Which brings me

464
00:28:07,601 --> 00:28:12,440
Speaker 3: to the final shocking fact. David told police that on

465
00:28:12,481 --> 00:28:14,881
Speaker 3: the day of the fire, while he and David Limb

466
00:28:14,881 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 3: were fishing, that they stopped by Harps and Calico Rock,

467
00:28:18,441 --> 00:28:21,160
Speaker 3: and that David Lynn bought a can of corn. The

468
00:28:21,281 --> 00:28:24,761
Speaker 3: cashier working at Harp's Calico Rock that day, Misty Jones,

469
00:28:25,241 --> 00:28:28,201
Speaker 3: said that she remembered David Lynn. She said he came

470
00:28:28,281 --> 00:28:30,681
Speaker 3: in to buy a can of corn. This would have

471
00:28:30,721 --> 00:28:33,721
Speaker 3: been some time after eleven am when she started her shift.

472
00:28:34,321 --> 00:28:37,600
Speaker 3: During this time, another witness saw David Townsend in the

473
00:28:37,601 --> 00:28:40,681
Speaker 3: parking lot, sitting in the passenger seat of David Lynn's

474
00:28:40,681 --> 00:28:43,281
Speaker 3: black truck with the red stripe. So it does seem

475
00:28:43,321 --> 00:28:47,041
Speaker 3: as though they were at Harps together. But were they

476
00:28:47,201 --> 00:28:50,521
Speaker 3: just there to buy fishing gear and snacks because Misty

477
00:28:50,601 --> 00:28:54,001
Speaker 3: Jones said something else. She said that while David Lynn

478
00:28:54,121 --> 00:28:57,121
Speaker 3: was in the store buying corn, David Lynn asked if

479
00:28:57,161 --> 00:29:00,641
Speaker 3: they had another very particular item and she told him

480
00:29:00,721 --> 00:29:05,041
Speaker 3: they didn't. What David Lynn asked for was lighter fluid.

481
00:29:06,241 --> 00:29:13,481
Speaker 3: I'm Katherine Townsend. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen

482
00:29:13,521 --> 00:29:15,801
Speaker 3: Gone Murder Line is a production of School of Humans

483
00:29:15,801 --> 00:29:19,441
Speaker 3: and iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me Catherine

484
00:29:19,441 --> 00:29:23,481
Speaker 3: Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. Special thanks to Amy

485
00:29:23,521 --> 00:29:27,001
Speaker 3: Tubbs for her Research Assistance and James Wheaton for legal review.

486
00:29:27,601 --> 00:29:30,841
Speaker 3: Noah Kammer mixed and scored this episode. Our theme song

487
00:29:30,961 --> 00:29:35,561
Speaker 3: is by Ben Sale. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr,

488
00:29:35,561 --> 00:29:36,001
Speaker 3: and L. C.

489
00:29:36,161 --> 00:29:37,121
Speaker 1: Crowley.

490
00:29:37,161 --> 00:29:39,681
Speaker 3: Listen to Helen Gone ad free by subscribing to the

491
00:29:39,721 --> 00:29:43,441
Speaker 3: iHeart True Crime Plush channel on Apple Podcasts. If you

492
00:29:43,481 --> 00:29:46,361
Speaker 3: were interested in seeing documents and materials from the case,

493
00:29:46,841 --> 00:29:49,761
Speaker 3: you can follow the show on Instagram at Helen Gonpod.

494
00:29:50,321 --> 00:29:51,921
Speaker 3: If you have a case you'd like me and my

495
00:29:51,961 --> 00:29:54,241
Speaker 3: team to look into, you can reach out to us

496
00:29:54,281 --> 00:29:56,681
Speaker 3: at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight

497
00:29:57,001 --> 00:30:00,441
Speaker 3: seven four four six one four five at six seven

498
00:30:00,481 --> 00:30:03,641
Speaker 3: eight seven four four six one four five

499
00:30:07,601 --> 00:30:09,401
Speaker 2: School of Humans