1 00:00:08,245 --> 00:00:18,885 Speaker 1: School of Humans. The initially interviews were so short too, 2 00:00:18,965 --> 00:00:20,885 Speaker 1: That's the thing. It was so short, so it was 3 00:00:20,925 --> 00:00:24,085 Speaker 1: kind of just like she fell, this happened, It wasn't, 4 00:00:25,205 --> 00:00:29,165 Speaker 1: you know. They just weren't in depth. So far this 5 00:00:29,245 --> 00:00:32,765 Speaker 1: season we've been taking a deep dive into the official 6 00:00:32,805 --> 00:00:37,285 Speaker 1: police file. But ask anyone around Marshall about Janie Ward's 7 00:00:37,325 --> 00:00:40,405 Speaker 1: death and you'll hear a lot of stories and rumors 8 00:00:40,525 --> 00:00:43,565 Speaker 1: that aren't noted anywhere in the official report. It was 9 00:00:43,605 --> 00:00:46,925 Speaker 1: getting dark. The cops are busting up the party as 10 00:00:46,925 --> 00:00:49,285 Speaker 1: soon as that announcement was made, and it wasn't clear 11 00:00:49,325 --> 00:00:51,725 Speaker 1: whether it was right before right after during the chaos, 12 00:00:51,765 --> 00:00:54,645 Speaker 1: but like you know, people start running. Everybody's throwing their 13 00:00:54,685 --> 00:00:57,165 Speaker 1: boos and getting their car out of the air, throwing 14 00:00:57,205 --> 00:01:00,085 Speaker 1: their you know, your primary concern at that point, if 15 00:01:00,085 --> 00:01:01,685 Speaker 1: your teenager at a party are not supposed to be, 16 00:01:01,725 --> 00:01:03,685 Speaker 1: is getting rid of your boos, that's it, and getting 17 00:01:03,725 --> 00:01:06,085 Speaker 1: your house out of there. So it's a little more 18 00:01:06,165 --> 00:01:09,565 Speaker 1: understandable that they might not have noticed her or thought 19 00:01:09,605 --> 00:01:13,565 Speaker 1: there was anything too wrong, But still there were people 20 00:01:13,605 --> 00:01:15,325 Speaker 1: who did know what was going on and who saw 21 00:01:15,365 --> 00:01:18,165 Speaker 1: and who saw she and also seeing that she was 22 00:01:18,205 --> 00:01:21,445 Speaker 1: that bad off, and they could hear her gasping for 23 00:01:21,485 --> 00:01:24,965 Speaker 1: air and rattling, and they still threw in the back 24 00:01:25,005 --> 00:01:27,245 Speaker 1: of the truck and left her back through for herself. 25 00:01:28,605 --> 00:01:32,325 Speaker 1: We have interviews in the case file where party goers 26 00:01:32,485 --> 00:01:36,085 Speaker 1: recounted the events that occurred the night Janie died, but 27 00:01:36,205 --> 00:01:40,725 Speaker 1: some people, including Mike and Janie's family, have warned us 28 00:01:40,725 --> 00:01:43,685 Speaker 1: that we can't necessarily trust the information in the case file. 29 00:01:44,765 --> 00:01:47,165 Speaker 1: Some of the party goers were later caught in lies, 30 00:01:47,605 --> 00:01:51,085 Speaker 1: which to some greed is not surprising. Remember this was 31 00:01:51,125 --> 00:01:54,605 Speaker 1: a high school party with booze and weed. But to 32 00:01:54,645 --> 00:01:58,085 Speaker 1: a lot of people in Marshall, Arkansas, US, relying solely 33 00:01:58,125 --> 00:02:00,965 Speaker 1: on what we've learned from the official case file would 34 00:02:01,005 --> 00:02:06,125 Speaker 1: be seen as naive. On September ninth, nineteen eighty nine, 35 00:02:06,245 --> 00:02:10,445 Speaker 1: Janie Ward died under mysterious circumstances after collapsing at a 36 00:02:10,525 --> 00:02:14,285 Speaker 1: high school party at a cabin in the woods near Marshall, Arkansas. 37 00:02:15,365 --> 00:02:19,125 Speaker 1: Thirty years later, her death certificates, cause and manner of 38 00:02:19,165 --> 00:02:23,845 Speaker 1: death are still listed as undetermined. It's been thirty years 39 00:02:24,565 --> 00:02:28,605 Speaker 1: and no one can answer the question what killed Janie Ward. 40 00:02:29,685 --> 00:02:32,885 Speaker 1: We're diving into the theory that a lot of people 41 00:02:32,925 --> 00:02:36,445 Speaker 1: in Marshall still believe that Jane was hid in the 42 00:02:36,445 --> 00:02:40,005 Speaker 1: face with a blunt force object, causing a catastrophic injury 43 00:02:40,045 --> 00:02:42,645 Speaker 1: to her spinal cord, and that her death was covered 44 00:02:42,725 --> 00:02:47,205 Speaker 1: up because it affected powerful families in Marshall, families with 45 00:02:47,245 --> 00:02:50,765 Speaker 1: connections to people in the highest offices of Arkansas government. 46 00:02:51,765 --> 00:03:30,925 Speaker 1: I'm Catherine Townsend and this is Helen Gone. Since Jane's death, 47 00:03:31,365 --> 00:03:35,645 Speaker 1: rumors had been flying in the small town of Marshall, Arkansas, 48 00:03:35,765 --> 00:03:38,485 Speaker 1: including the one that Jane got into a fight with 49 00:03:38,565 --> 00:03:42,285 Speaker 1: a girl at the party. Sarah. Sarah was the polar 50 00:03:42,325 --> 00:03:45,605 Speaker 1: opposite of Janey. Jannie was in the high school band, 51 00:03:45,845 --> 00:03:49,405 Speaker 1: a member of Future Business Leaders of America. She worked 52 00:03:49,405 --> 00:03:54,125 Speaker 1: as a waitress. Sarah was rich, popular, and a cheerleader. 53 00:03:54,805 --> 00:03:58,685 Speaker 1: She won beauty pageants, and her father, Jerry, was a 54 00:03:58,725 --> 00:04:02,205 Speaker 1: prominent judge in town. But a lot of people around 55 00:04:02,245 --> 00:04:06,685 Speaker 1: town claim that Sarah's sweet facade hides a fiery temper. 56 00:04:08,085 --> 00:04:11,405 Speaker 1: After Jannie's death, a news channel talked to two other 57 00:04:11,485 --> 00:04:14,525 Speaker 1: teens who claimed that they had been assaulted by Sarah. 58 00:04:15,165 --> 00:04:18,485 Speaker 1: One had her nose broken. In the week leading up 59 00:04:18,525 --> 00:04:21,765 Speaker 1: to her death. Janie's parents said that she confided in 60 00:04:21,805 --> 00:04:24,645 Speaker 1: them that she was having issues with several girls at school. 61 00:04:25,365 --> 00:04:27,605 Speaker 1: Ron talked with Bill Beach about it. In a phone 62 00:04:27,645 --> 00:04:30,845 Speaker 1: call with him. Ron starts by saying that no one 63 00:04:30,885 --> 00:04:33,725 Speaker 1: at the party seemed to help Jannie. He could not 64 00:04:33,845 --> 00:04:39,405 Speaker 1: one pad the hipper in any way. Yeah, I heard 65 00:04:39,445 --> 00:04:43,565 Speaker 1: it like that. Uh, not a kick of her trend. 66 00:04:44,285 --> 00:04:47,325 Speaker 1: Heir of fact. He would have a cowboy that very week, 67 00:04:47,445 --> 00:04:52,525 Speaker 1: football with two of them, and poor girl up to 68 00:04:52,645 --> 00:04:55,925 Speaker 1: pick her. He that has a coup whip, brought a ball. 69 00:04:56,285 --> 00:05:01,205 Speaker 1: He'd come all juried. The welfare been up head, he 70 00:05:01,365 --> 00:05:03,765 Speaker 1: bet daddy. But if they don't foot bug a man, 71 00:05:04,645 --> 00:05:08,805 Speaker 1: he don't foot call and I her and I thought, 72 00:05:09,285 --> 00:05:16,925 Speaker 1: I you. Ron is saying that Janie told him she 73 00:05:17,085 --> 00:05:20,405 Speaker 1: was having issues with two girls at school. At first, 74 00:05:21,125 --> 00:05:23,845 Speaker 1: Sarah is not the girl Ron suspects Janie was having 75 00:05:23,925 --> 00:05:28,005 Speaker 1: problems with. But Sarah, along with Gary, Dawn and Billy, 76 00:05:28,765 --> 00:05:31,285 Speaker 1: was one of only three people who claim to have 77 00:05:31,405 --> 00:05:34,365 Speaker 1: seen Janie fall, and there was something else that made 78 00:05:34,405 --> 00:05:38,205 Speaker 1: the word suspicious. Sarah changed her story about what happened 79 00:05:38,205 --> 00:05:42,285 Speaker 1: at the party that night. She was interviewed twice. The 80 00:05:42,365 --> 00:05:47,365 Speaker 1: first one was just a very short statement, like the 81 00:05:47,445 --> 00:05:49,525 Speaker 1: rest of the kids, and they were all about sixteen 82 00:05:49,805 --> 00:05:53,005 Speaker 1: at the time, most of them. And she said that 83 00:05:53,125 --> 00:05:54,325 Speaker 1: she had been at the party with a couple of 84 00:05:54,365 --> 00:05:57,125 Speaker 1: girlfriends and then later there was a Q and A 85 00:05:57,285 --> 00:06:00,125 Speaker 1: with Bill Beach, and it was he went very easy 86 00:06:00,165 --> 00:06:04,365 Speaker 1: on her, and it was very short, but basically she 87 00:06:04,485 --> 00:06:06,805 Speaker 1: admitted that she lied that she'd been there with a 88 00:06:06,885 --> 00:06:09,205 Speaker 1: couple guys and a girl. Looked like a sort of 89 00:06:09,285 --> 00:06:15,285 Speaker 1: double date situation. And she said, you know, I said 90 00:06:15,325 --> 00:06:17,245 Speaker 1: I was with those other people because I wasn't supposed 91 00:06:17,285 --> 00:06:18,845 Speaker 1: to be out with the people as we And he 92 00:06:18,965 --> 00:06:20,645 Speaker 1: was like, oh, that's fine, you clear that all up? 93 00:06:20,685 --> 00:06:22,285 Speaker 1: You're fine. I mean he was he was really, really, 94 00:06:22,325 --> 00:06:25,445 Speaker 1: really easy on her. In the interview tape, Beach fills 95 00:06:25,485 --> 00:06:28,165 Speaker 1: in Sarah's sentences and says that the interview is just 96 00:06:28,205 --> 00:06:31,125 Speaker 1: a formality. And at the beginning of the tape you 97 00:06:31,205 --> 00:06:34,365 Speaker 1: can hear Sarah and her dad, Jerry, laughing about the 98 00:06:34,445 --> 00:06:37,445 Speaker 1: rumors going on around the town. Oh yeah, do we 99 00:06:37,565 --> 00:06:49,245 Speaker 1: talk about the daughter of the elected. I'll tell you what, Well, 100 00:06:49,245 --> 00:06:50,925 Speaker 1: all we want to do is just go back over 101 00:06:51,005 --> 00:06:53,565 Speaker 1: a few points and clarify, and that's how we're going 102 00:06:53,605 --> 00:06:56,245 Speaker 1: to try to do. Is that anything you want to do. Okoy, 103 00:06:57,445 --> 00:07:00,885 Speaker 1: just how wait can clarify something, Sarah, The first time 104 00:07:00,925 --> 00:07:03,645 Speaker 1: you and I talk, you talk about being down there 105 00:07:03,725 --> 00:07:08,245 Speaker 1: with concurring name brain and I I wasn't supposed to 106 00:07:08,285 --> 00:07:11,485 Speaker 1: be with the person I was in. Okay, but you 107 00:07:11,685 --> 00:07:15,845 Speaker 1: think you've corrected that now working each other. Beach says 108 00:07:16,205 --> 00:07:19,965 Speaker 1: you've corrected that now, so we're in good shape. Initially, 109 00:07:20,285 --> 00:07:23,325 Speaker 1: it seems troubling that Sarah changed her story, but I've 110 00:07:23,365 --> 00:07:25,605 Speaker 1: also been a teen girl who was afraid of getting 111 00:07:25,645 --> 00:07:28,125 Speaker 1: busted for sneaking out with a guy that my parents hated. 112 00:07:28,885 --> 00:07:32,325 Speaker 1: In the second interview, Sarah gave a few more details 113 00:07:32,365 --> 00:07:36,405 Speaker 1: about a conversation she had with Janie. This time, she 114 00:07:36,485 --> 00:07:39,525 Speaker 1: said that Jane jokingly called her a snob at the party, 115 00:07:39,725 --> 00:07:42,085 Speaker 1: and then I remember sing her getting out the truck 116 00:07:42,405 --> 00:07:44,685 Speaker 1: walking forward to the house. She said hello, she said 117 00:07:44,725 --> 00:07:47,125 Speaker 1: I snob. I thought, I'm sorry, I didn't see it. 118 00:07:47,925 --> 00:07:51,405 Speaker 1: Janie may have been kidding, but to Janie's parents, this 119 00:07:51,565 --> 00:07:54,765 Speaker 1: comment illustrated the difference between the people in power and 120 00:07:54,885 --> 00:07:58,245 Speaker 1: the ones with none. Comparing Sarah's interviews to the ones 121 00:07:58,325 --> 00:08:00,685 Speaker 1: of the other people at the party, I noticed She's 122 00:08:00,725 --> 00:08:02,685 Speaker 1: the only one who says that it was dark when 123 00:08:02,765 --> 00:08:06,245 Speaker 1: Janie fell. Most people say it happened and around dusk. 124 00:08:06,725 --> 00:08:09,605 Speaker 1: She's also the only person who said that Janey appeared 125 00:08:09,645 --> 00:08:13,605 Speaker 1: to be very intoxicated, but according to Jane's autopsy report, 126 00:08:14,405 --> 00:08:17,565 Speaker 1: her blood alcohol level was only point zero five, or 127 00:08:17,605 --> 00:08:20,405 Speaker 1: the equivalent of about one drink. And she said she's 128 00:08:20,845 --> 00:08:25,765 Speaker 1: she was intoxicated when I saw her her she she 129 00:08:25,925 --> 00:08:30,245 Speaker 1: acted in about pat well, that's the way everybody saw 130 00:08:30,325 --> 00:08:32,645 Speaker 1: her as the party. I don't know if she acted 131 00:08:32,725 --> 00:08:36,645 Speaker 1: that where she really was. Another rumor going around town 132 00:08:37,125 --> 00:08:38,965 Speaker 1: was that a girl was heard in the bank parking 133 00:08:39,005 --> 00:08:41,805 Speaker 1: lot on the night Janie died, saying that her daddy 134 00:08:41,805 --> 00:08:44,685 Speaker 1: would get her out of trouble. This quote is cited 135 00:08:44,765 --> 00:08:48,605 Speaker 1: in several newspaper articles, but it's never attributed to anyone 136 00:08:48,645 --> 00:08:51,605 Speaker 1: in particular, and no one can figure out who actually 137 00:08:51,645 --> 00:08:54,885 Speaker 1: said it first, but people start to assume it was Sarah. 138 00:08:55,285 --> 00:08:57,405 Speaker 1: A lot of people it seemed like after everything happened 139 00:08:57,405 --> 00:08:59,525 Speaker 1: at the party. The party, there was a rumor the 140 00:08:59,565 --> 00:09:03,165 Speaker 1: party was getting busted. Everything happened with Jane, there was 141 00:09:03,445 --> 00:09:05,645 Speaker 1: a crowd of people in that parking lot, and a 142 00:09:05,685 --> 00:09:07,525 Speaker 1: lot of people ended up going to the Daisy Queen 143 00:09:07,725 --> 00:09:12,645 Speaker 1: and hanging out, and then Sarah said that she also 144 00:09:12,845 --> 00:09:15,685 Speaker 1: was in that parking lot, and he asked her something 145 00:09:15,725 --> 00:09:17,525 Speaker 1: about did you see her, you know, when she's laying 146 00:09:17,565 --> 00:09:19,125 Speaker 1: there in the back of the truck, and she said, yes, 147 00:09:19,325 --> 00:09:21,045 Speaker 1: but I didn't touch her. And it was just a weird. 148 00:09:21,645 --> 00:09:23,565 Speaker 1: It was just weird. It was it was just it 149 00:09:23,725 --> 00:09:26,365 Speaker 1: just struck me as a lot the way she answered 150 00:09:26,365 --> 00:09:43,005 Speaker 1: that question. We'll be right back. People also talked about 151 00:09:43,045 --> 00:09:46,125 Speaker 1: hearing Sarah and her friends laughing about Jane at school. 152 00:09:46,925 --> 00:09:50,805 Speaker 1: Attempts to find anyone who actually heard this information firsthand 153 00:09:51,205 --> 00:09:55,365 Speaker 1: proved feudal. I experienced this several times in Rebecca's case, 154 00:09:56,005 --> 00:10:00,565 Speaker 1: and it was extremely frustrating. Recently, I was getting some 155 00:10:00,645 --> 00:10:04,085 Speaker 1: photos for Janie's case processed in Mountain View when someone 156 00:10:04,125 --> 00:10:05,925 Speaker 1: pulled me aside and told me they you for a 157 00:10:06,005 --> 00:10:09,285 Speaker 1: fact that a group of people had killed Rebecca. I 158 00:10:09,445 --> 00:10:11,325 Speaker 1: know they did it because they described the whole thing. 159 00:10:11,405 --> 00:10:14,205 Speaker 1: He said. They told me in detail, how they knocked 160 00:10:14,245 --> 00:10:17,245 Speaker 1: every single tooth out of her mouth. I told him 161 00:10:17,245 --> 00:10:20,285 Speaker 1: I'd seen Rebecca's autopsy report and their teeth were intact, 162 00:10:20,885 --> 00:10:23,845 Speaker 1: but he continued to insist that I was wrong. This 163 00:10:24,045 --> 00:10:26,285 Speaker 1: was only one of hundreds of rumors like this that 164 00:10:26,365 --> 00:10:31,925 Speaker 1: I heard throughout the course of the case. Bill Beach 165 00:10:32,085 --> 00:10:35,685 Speaker 1: tried to track down these rumors about Jane. One person 166 00:10:35,805 --> 00:10:38,485 Speaker 1: claimed that a woman who worked at Marshall High School 167 00:10:38,805 --> 00:10:41,245 Speaker 1: told her she heard Sarah talk about pushing Jane out 168 00:10:41,245 --> 00:10:44,605 Speaker 1: of a moving pickup truck. But when Investigator Beach reached 169 00:10:44,645 --> 00:10:47,205 Speaker 1: out to the woman, she said she never heard Sara 170 00:10:47,285 --> 00:10:49,885 Speaker 1: say anything like that, and whoever told him that must 171 00:10:49,925 --> 00:10:53,165 Speaker 1: be confused. But if Jane and Sarah did get into 172 00:10:53,205 --> 00:10:57,125 Speaker 1: a fight, what would they have been fighting about. Janie's 173 00:10:57,165 --> 00:10:59,245 Speaker 1: parents said that she had a problem at school with 174 00:10:59,325 --> 00:11:03,365 Speaker 1: the cheerleaders, but many other witnesses say everyone like Janie. 175 00:11:04,325 --> 00:11:06,725 Speaker 1: There was another rumor going on around that a fight 176 00:11:06,845 --> 00:11:10,725 Speaker 1: broke out over a guy. According to Bill Beach's interview 177 00:11:10,805 --> 00:11:14,125 Speaker 1: with Janie's friend Leslie, Janie had been dating a guy 178 00:11:14,205 --> 00:11:18,085 Speaker 1: named Don shortly before her death. That's the same friend 179 00:11:18,125 --> 00:11:21,085 Speaker 1: who said Janie borrowed her deaf leopard shirt and that 180 00:11:21,205 --> 00:11:23,485 Speaker 1: Jane spent the night with her on Friday before the party. 181 00:11:23,725 --> 00:11:28,965 Speaker 1: Does she have any boyfriends that she know? She liked 182 00:11:29,445 --> 00:11:33,165 Speaker 1: this guy? Leslie said. Janie told her that she and 183 00:11:33,325 --> 00:11:35,885 Speaker 1: Don had broken up a few weeks earlier because he 184 00:11:35,965 --> 00:11:38,365 Speaker 1: thought she was too young for him and because he'd 185 00:11:38,405 --> 00:11:42,005 Speaker 1: started seeing someone else. Jane had also mentioned i Leslie 186 00:11:42,085 --> 00:11:44,485 Speaker 1: that she dated other people in the past, but said 187 00:11:44,525 --> 00:11:46,925 Speaker 1: she wasn't dating anyone in particular at the time of 188 00:11:46,965 --> 00:11:50,005 Speaker 1: the party. Anybody else was school. She talked about night, 189 00:11:50,165 --> 00:12:04,245 Speaker 1: her girl day. She talked about pay in Ron's boxes. 190 00:12:04,845 --> 00:12:07,685 Speaker 1: We find an that Janie passed to her friends at school. 191 00:12:08,525 --> 00:12:13,285 Speaker 1: It reads, Hey girl, I'm so hyper, I can't wait 192 00:12:13,365 --> 00:12:16,725 Speaker 1: until lunch. I'm going to be loud. Come get me 193 00:12:16,805 --> 00:12:20,885 Speaker 1: tonight We'll paint Marshall read Oh. According to Carla and Tiffany, 194 00:12:20,965 --> 00:12:23,845 Speaker 1: I'm in love with James just because I talked to him. Oh. 195 00:12:23,885 --> 00:12:26,125 Speaker 1: I hate that they think you can't talk to a 196 00:12:26,165 --> 00:12:28,565 Speaker 1: guy without having the hots for that guy. It's sickening, 197 00:12:28,845 --> 00:12:33,005 Speaker 1: don't you agree. Like we said earlier, Jane didn't run 198 00:12:33,085 --> 00:12:36,365 Speaker 1: with the popular crowd, and that was made explicitly clear 199 00:12:36,565 --> 00:12:39,885 Speaker 1: in an interview with a woman named Sherry. She was 200 00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:42,965 Speaker 1: at the party and described herself as a friend of Jannie's. 201 00:12:43,805 --> 00:12:46,765 Speaker 1: The investigator asks her if it would be possible that 202 00:12:46,965 --> 00:12:50,645 Speaker 1: Jane and Sarah were fighting over a boy no, ok now, 203 00:12:50,765 --> 00:12:52,805 Speaker 1: quick as the guy that Sarah went to day would 204 00:12:52,805 --> 00:12:55,205 Speaker 1: not look to one for at Alabia at all. You know, 205 00:12:55,685 --> 00:13:00,085 Speaker 1: Sarah was pretty, she was a cheerleader. Wladyan Weaven's you know, 206 00:13:00,245 --> 00:13:04,925 Speaker 1: by all girl, I would glasses. Now, there's no way 207 00:13:05,005 --> 00:13:09,205 Speaker 1: that they be fine on the same way I go clear. 208 00:13:11,405 --> 00:13:15,685 Speaker 1: After the funeral, Janie's dad, ron couldn't escape the whispers 209 00:13:15,725 --> 00:13:18,845 Speaker 1: in town. And that's when he had what he claimed 210 00:13:19,045 --> 00:13:22,205 Speaker 1: was a very strange run in with Sarah. What what'd 211 00:13:22,205 --> 00:13:25,285 Speaker 1: you tell a story about that? So you were coming 212 00:13:25,325 --> 00:13:29,525 Speaker 1: in and buying a baseball bat? Oh? Yes? A few 213 00:13:29,605 --> 00:13:33,925 Speaker 1: days after Jennie's death, Ronnie went into Harps. Harps is 214 00:13:33,965 --> 00:13:37,765 Speaker 1: the grocery store in town, and he went around the 215 00:13:37,805 --> 00:13:42,165 Speaker 1: corner and there was Sarah looking at baseball bats. And 216 00:13:42,245 --> 00:13:46,805 Speaker 1: when she saw Ronnie, it scared her immediately and she 217 00:13:47,085 --> 00:13:49,965 Speaker 1: ran toward the door. I mean he just saw her 218 00:13:50,325 --> 00:13:53,765 Speaker 1: and stopped short, you know, and she ran toward the 219 00:13:53,845 --> 00:13:58,845 Speaker 1: door and backed out the door, looking at him and 220 00:13:59,045 --> 00:14:02,485 Speaker 1: ran And because what are the odds the timing that, 221 00:14:02,845 --> 00:14:05,885 Speaker 1: what are the odds? And I don't I'm I never 222 00:14:05,925 --> 00:14:11,485 Speaker 1: believed to coincidences anyway, you know, But because of the nature, 223 00:14:11,565 --> 00:14:14,765 Speaker 1: you know. He just he's like, you know, you can't 224 00:14:14,805 --> 00:14:16,685 Speaker 1: make that stuff up. But he's like, I ain't even 225 00:14:16,685 --> 00:14:21,165 Speaker 1: gonna tell anybody, you know, because it just sounds preposterous. 226 00:14:22,085 --> 00:14:26,765 Speaker 1: At first, this does sound sinister, but as an investigator, 227 00:14:27,485 --> 00:14:30,405 Speaker 1: I know that there's always a danger of making a 228 00:14:30,525 --> 00:14:33,325 Speaker 1: theory fit the evidence instead of the other way around. 229 00:14:34,085 --> 00:14:36,525 Speaker 1: But at the same time, you have to keep an 230 00:14:36,565 --> 00:14:40,845 Speaker 1: open mind. The smallest detail in an investigation can lead 231 00:14:40,925 --> 00:14:44,285 Speaker 1: to cracking a case, and that's why several instances throw 232 00:14:44,365 --> 00:14:48,205 Speaker 1: me off guard. Bill Beach took a group of people 233 00:14:48,325 --> 00:14:51,485 Speaker 1: to the cabin in the woods to demonstrate how Janie felt. 234 00:14:53,165 --> 00:14:56,685 Speaker 1: Among them were Jay who threw the party, Ron Rose, 235 00:14:56,845 --> 00:14:59,365 Speaker 1: who was driving the truck that took Jannie back to town, 236 00:15:00,205 --> 00:15:02,925 Speaker 1: and Billy and Gary Dawn, who both said that they 237 00:15:03,005 --> 00:15:06,645 Speaker 1: saw Janie fall. This is where marry Don backtracks on 238 00:15:06,725 --> 00:15:11,205 Speaker 1: his statement. Originally he said that he saw Janeye fall. 239 00:15:12,045 --> 00:15:15,925 Speaker 1: Now at the reenactment, he demonstrates what would have happened 240 00:15:15,965 --> 00:15:19,965 Speaker 1: if he saw her fall. It's very odd. It's also 241 00:15:20,085 --> 00:15:23,685 Speaker 1: strange that Sarah was not included in these reenactments, even 242 00:15:23,765 --> 00:15:25,765 Speaker 1: though she's one of the only people who said she 243 00:15:25,845 --> 00:15:31,525 Speaker 1: saw Janie fall. Also, police and prosecutors filed an affidavit 244 00:15:31,605 --> 00:15:34,685 Speaker 1: for a search warrant for the cabin. Initially, it was 245 00:15:34,765 --> 00:15:37,885 Speaker 1: denied by a judge. He approved it a couple of 246 00:15:37,925 --> 00:15:41,525 Speaker 1: hours later. The judge who initially denied the search warrant 247 00:15:41,845 --> 00:15:45,525 Speaker 1: was Sarah's dad, Jerry. It's just another small detail that 248 00:15:45,685 --> 00:15:48,605 Speaker 1: made Ron and the rest of the Ward family distrustful 249 00:15:48,805 --> 00:15:52,245 Speaker 1: of Sarah and Jerry. The Wards also thought that Jerry 250 00:15:52,325 --> 00:15:55,925 Speaker 1: and Sarah were being treated better by police and by prosecutors. 251 00:15:56,805 --> 00:15:59,885 Speaker 1: Jerry was a respected judge in town, and looking at 252 00:15:59,885 --> 00:16:02,805 Speaker 1: the police file, we find a letter where the prosecutor 253 00:16:02,845 --> 00:16:06,765 Speaker 1: on Jane's case, H. G. Foster, gives Jerry a heads 254 00:16:06,845 --> 00:16:12,805 Speaker 1: up on information about Janie's case. It reads, enclosed, please 255 00:16:12,845 --> 00:16:15,245 Speaker 1: find additional material which was furnished to me by the 256 00:16:15,325 --> 00:16:18,165 Speaker 1: Arkansas State Police and appears to have something to do 257 00:16:18,325 --> 00:16:21,685 Speaker 1: with the Jane Ward case. It appears that this will 258 00:16:21,725 --> 00:16:24,765 Speaker 1: be included within the state police file and will become 259 00:16:24,845 --> 00:16:28,605 Speaker 1: freedom of information. At that point, I feel certain that 260 00:16:28,765 --> 00:16:31,885 Speaker 1: Ron Ward will call the newspapers and make everyone aware 261 00:16:31,925 --> 00:16:36,365 Speaker 1: of these clearly unsubstantiated allegations concerning your daughter. I wanted 262 00:16:36,445 --> 00:16:38,925 Speaker 1: you to have this material before any of the press 263 00:16:39,005 --> 00:16:41,445 Speaker 1: got hold of it, and give you an opportunity to 264 00:16:41,485 --> 00:16:43,325 Speaker 1: share your thoughts with me about what I need to do, 265 00:16:43,645 --> 00:16:47,005 Speaker 1: if anything, with it. It is my inclination at this 266 00:16:47,125 --> 00:16:49,285 Speaker 1: point that it would be best to go ahead and 267 00:16:49,365 --> 00:16:52,285 Speaker 1: furnish copies of this material to the press so as 268 00:16:52,325 --> 00:16:55,205 Speaker 1: to diffuse any allegations that will subsequently be made by 269 00:16:55,325 --> 00:16:58,125 Speaker 1: Ronnie Ward of a cover up. On the other hand, 270 00:16:58,725 --> 00:17:01,005 Speaker 1: I'm not going to do anything with it unless and 271 00:17:01,125 --> 00:17:07,005 Speaker 1: until I hear from you. But when talking about ron Ward, H. G. 272 00:17:07,205 --> 00:17:10,565 Speaker 1: Foster finds him more of a nuisance looking at the 273 00:17:10,645 --> 00:17:13,285 Speaker 1: case file, there are a few examples of when the 274 00:17:13,365 --> 00:17:17,085 Speaker 1: police and prosecutors grow exasperated by ron Ward's persistence in 275 00:17:17,165 --> 00:17:21,805 Speaker 1: the case. In one letter, Foster calls ron Ward irate 276 00:17:22,205 --> 00:17:24,965 Speaker 1: when describing him to another prosecutor who he wants to 277 00:17:25,005 --> 00:17:29,005 Speaker 1: look into the case. It reads, I was wondering if 278 00:17:29,045 --> 00:17:31,325 Speaker 1: he would still be interested in fooling around with the 279 00:17:31,405 --> 00:17:36,485 Speaker 1: Janey Ward investigation. Investigation is in quotes. There's continued activity 280 00:17:36,845 --> 00:17:39,285 Speaker 1: and rumbling up here from the father of Jane Ward, 281 00:17:39,605 --> 00:17:42,885 Speaker 1: who is of American Indian extraction six foot six tall, 282 00:17:43,285 --> 00:17:48,325 Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty pounds and very irate. The showdown 283 00:17:48,405 --> 00:17:52,085 Speaker 1: between Jerry and Ron began to spiral after Ron launches 284 00:17:52,165 --> 00:17:55,005 Speaker 1: the Justice for Janey website in the early two thousands. 285 00:17:56,005 --> 00:17:59,725 Speaker 1: The forum quickly became a hotbed for speculation and accusation, 286 00:18:00,765 --> 00:18:04,005 Speaker 1: and Jerry responded to allegations against him and his daughter. 287 00:18:05,085 --> 00:18:07,285 Speaker 1: In one way comment on the forum, he says he 288 00:18:07,405 --> 00:18:10,285 Speaker 1: wants to sue the Wards and the journalist Mike Masterson 289 00:18:10,525 --> 00:18:14,205 Speaker 1: for libel and slander, and at one point he offers 290 00:18:14,285 --> 00:18:16,925 Speaker 1: up ten thousand dollars to cover court expenses for a 291 00:18:16,965 --> 00:18:22,085 Speaker 1: grand jury. In an interview with investigators, Jerry is exasperated 292 00:18:22,125 --> 00:18:24,925 Speaker 1: by all of the Wards allegations. Then they started getching 293 00:18:24,965 --> 00:18:26,765 Speaker 1: about a grand jury. We need a grand jury, and 294 00:18:26,845 --> 00:18:28,685 Speaker 1: nobody has some line for grand heere. I said, hey, 295 00:18:28,685 --> 00:18:30,525 Speaker 1: I'll give you the line for a grandjury. I'll give you. 296 00:18:31,245 --> 00:18:33,885 Speaker 1: I'll give you ten thousand dollars. You match it. I 297 00:18:34,125 --> 00:18:38,285 Speaker 1: all that. Well, they didn't do it. We're not going 298 00:18:38,325 --> 00:18:41,765 Speaker 1: to do it. All right, let's just follow that logic. 299 00:18:43,485 --> 00:18:45,885 Speaker 1: They're not going to assume me when I tell him, 300 00:18:46,245 --> 00:18:48,805 Speaker 1: you know, let's do it. You know, I'm a sarious 301 00:18:49,725 --> 00:18:55,325 Speaker 1: very serious. Uh doue me see my daughter, and let's 302 00:18:55,365 --> 00:18:56,805 Speaker 1: get on with that and we'll see how it. I'll 303 00:18:56,805 --> 00:18:59,845 Speaker 1: say that nantaisi incredit any evidence which comes out in 304 00:18:59,885 --> 00:19:03,405 Speaker 1: a cub case, then pop, you're going to have that information. Hello, 305 00:19:04,405 --> 00:19:06,805 Speaker 1: all right. So they didn't even want to do there, 306 00:19:06,885 --> 00:19:08,765 Speaker 1: and then they start talking about a grand jury, and 307 00:19:08,845 --> 00:19:11,405 Speaker 1: I said, okay, I'll go that way with you too. 308 00:19:11,645 --> 00:19:15,645 Speaker 1: You mass the money? What did they do? Now? Why? Why? 309 00:19:16,125 --> 00:19:20,365 Speaker 1: What's the logical conclusion? The logical conclusion is is that 310 00:19:20,525 --> 00:19:25,005 Speaker 1: I want to why Why don't they want to because 311 00:19:25,045 --> 00:19:28,765 Speaker 1: they want to keep the story going. Why because they 312 00:19:28,845 --> 00:19:31,685 Speaker 1: want to make people feel that hell my daughter and 313 00:19:31,765 --> 00:19:34,125 Speaker 1: I felt that says the damn thing. First sight. You 314 00:19:34,205 --> 00:19:37,125 Speaker 1: can't make me feel any worse. So that's not the reason. 315 00:19:37,645 --> 00:19:40,725 Speaker 1: Jerry suspects that the words don't have any incriminating evidence 316 00:19:40,765 --> 00:19:45,325 Speaker 1: to accuse his daughter of anything. In his interview with investigators, 317 00:19:46,165 --> 00:19:49,605 Speaker 1: Jerry said that Ron was ruining his daughter's life. They 318 00:19:49,685 --> 00:19:53,045 Speaker 1: are so ridiculous that they have done nothing but enhance 319 00:19:53,205 --> 00:19:57,125 Speaker 1: my faster and her. The person that's hurt by this 320 00:19:57,405 --> 00:20:02,365 Speaker 1: is my daughter. I feel so bad for her. He 321 00:20:04,165 --> 00:20:14,885 Speaker 1: quit coming home or not. She felt like people were 322 00:20:15,085 --> 00:20:18,285 Speaker 1: talking about her I knew they were talking on the Wednesday. 323 00:20:21,885 --> 00:20:25,085 Speaker 1: In the last episode, we talked about how Fammy Mallet 324 00:20:25,205 --> 00:20:28,885 Speaker 1: botched autopsies and some people said he deliberately lied to 325 00:20:28,965 --> 00:20:33,525 Speaker 1: cover up cases. Journalist Mike Masterson and the Wards think 326 00:20:33,565 --> 00:20:36,405 Speaker 1: that Janey's death was covered up and that the cover 327 00:20:36,565 --> 00:20:38,445 Speaker 1: up could have gone all the way to the top 328 00:20:38,485 --> 00:20:43,325 Speaker 1: of Arkansas's government. Looking at the case file, Mike and 329 00:20:43,405 --> 00:20:47,445 Speaker 1: the Wards both voiced their suspicions about how many pieces 330 00:20:47,485 --> 00:20:51,405 Speaker 1: of mail were addressed to the Governor's office. They asked, 331 00:20:52,045 --> 00:20:54,445 Speaker 1: why would the governor's office be interested in the death 332 00:20:54,485 --> 00:20:56,565 Speaker 1: of a sixteen year old girl in a small town. 333 00:20:57,445 --> 00:21:00,925 Speaker 1: We did find one peculiar envelope addressed to Ron Ward. 334 00:21:02,125 --> 00:21:05,885 Speaker 1: Inside was a typed letter that offered the Wards of 335 00:21:05,925 --> 00:21:10,925 Speaker 1: dollars to stop investigating. The return address was torn off 336 00:21:11,725 --> 00:21:14,565 Speaker 1: as we try to separate fact from fiction. In Jennie's case, 337 00:21:15,205 --> 00:21:17,565 Speaker 1: what we know for sure is that Marshall had become 338 00:21:17,605 --> 00:21:20,645 Speaker 1: a breeding ground of paranoia and the Wards were under 339 00:21:20,725 --> 00:21:24,445 Speaker 1: huge amounts of stress. You might say something about living 340 00:21:24,525 --> 00:21:28,245 Speaker 1: there in that environment in Marshall, Chersey County. We might 341 00:21:28,325 --> 00:21:31,845 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about why people wouldn't come forward, 342 00:21:33,125 --> 00:21:37,085 Speaker 1: what what would keep them from coming forward to tell 343 00:21:37,125 --> 00:21:41,685 Speaker 1: what they knew to authorities or to whoever it was, 344 00:21:41,805 --> 00:21:44,485 Speaker 1: the law, the powers that be, and it went all 345 00:21:44,605 --> 00:21:47,205 Speaker 1: the way to the governor, went all the way to 346 00:21:47,325 --> 00:21:52,045 Speaker 1: the straight State crime Lab, which the governor ran. I mean, 347 00:21:52,125 --> 00:21:56,725 Speaker 1: they covered all of his bodies. You know, they knew 348 00:21:56,725 --> 00:22:00,645 Speaker 1: where the bodies were buried. Literally, you knew where all 349 00:22:00,685 --> 00:22:05,285 Speaker 1: the bodies were buried. Literally, not only the witnesses. They 350 00:22:05,605 --> 00:22:09,125 Speaker 1: threatened us. They even called our house and told my 351 00:22:09,285 --> 00:22:12,125 Speaker 1: dad if he didn't quit looking into it, he had 352 00:22:12,165 --> 00:22:14,645 Speaker 1: two other kids to worry about. Dad had to pull 353 00:22:14,725 --> 00:22:17,125 Speaker 1: us out of school right after Johnny died. He did, 354 00:22:18,445 --> 00:22:20,605 Speaker 1: and he took me in, Matthew out of school, my 355 00:22:20,645 --> 00:22:22,805 Speaker 1: little brother, and we were out for quite a while. 356 00:22:23,005 --> 00:22:26,005 Speaker 1: But over the years, you know, we all suffered from PTSD. 357 00:22:26,605 --> 00:22:29,565 Speaker 1: But of course we were all paranoied and worried and 358 00:22:30,005 --> 00:22:34,445 Speaker 1: freaking out and stuff. Because you're lose one daughter and 359 00:22:34,685 --> 00:22:37,405 Speaker 1: you have some woman call your house and threaten your 360 00:22:37,445 --> 00:22:40,805 Speaker 1: other two children if you investigate the death of your daughter. Now, 361 00:22:40,845 --> 00:22:43,405 Speaker 1: if that doesn't make it suspicious, I mean, there was 362 00:22:43,485 --> 00:22:47,845 Speaker 1: just death threats, you know, to witnesses, our family, reporters. 363 00:22:47,885 --> 00:22:51,325 Speaker 1: You know it's all little paranoid or a lot of paranoid. 364 00:22:52,005 --> 00:22:54,765 Speaker 1: Not so much meat, not so much Ronnie. But we 365 00:22:55,645 --> 00:22:57,565 Speaker 1: was afraid to let our other two children out of 366 00:22:57,605 --> 00:23:05,485 Speaker 1: our sight. Worried about a fire, about your house being burned. Yeah. Yeah, 367 00:23:05,725 --> 00:23:10,365 Speaker 1: he didn't like to leave the house unattended because of 368 00:23:10,645 --> 00:23:13,925 Speaker 1: his records and things. You know he did. He did 369 00:23:14,045 --> 00:23:16,805 Speaker 1: get with him. It was like moving everywhere we went. 370 00:23:17,365 --> 00:23:19,925 Speaker 1: We also reached out to several journalists who have covered 371 00:23:20,005 --> 00:23:24,325 Speaker 1: Janney's case. One said he never received any threats, another 372 00:23:24,605 --> 00:23:28,965 Speaker 1: stopped responding, and another said they received a voicemail box 373 00:23:29,085 --> 00:23:32,485 Speaker 1: full of death threats for looking into Janie's death. All 374 00:23:32,565 --> 00:23:36,245 Speaker 1: of them declined to give an interview with us. The 375 00:23:36,325 --> 00:23:40,405 Speaker 1: Wards grew suspicious because Sarah's dad, Jerry, was the district judge, 376 00:23:41,165 --> 00:23:43,845 Speaker 1: and they are convinced he called in a favor for 377 00:23:43,925 --> 00:23:48,565 Speaker 1: his daughter. In his interview with police, Jerry calls the 378 00:23:48,805 --> 00:23:53,365 Speaker 1: entire theory nonsense. I know that there are those who 379 00:23:54,805 --> 00:24:00,725 Speaker 1: some kind of the cause of this rule. I can 380 00:24:00,845 --> 00:24:09,605 Speaker 1: tell you now that no fact that supports the theory 381 00:24:09,685 --> 00:24:13,685 Speaker 1: of the cover. What I will here that he is 382 00:24:13,805 --> 00:24:18,325 Speaker 1: my belief, and my belief is that there are those 383 00:24:18,405 --> 00:24:23,005 Speaker 1: individuals in this county who are either ignan are very, 384 00:24:23,205 --> 00:24:28,005 Speaker 1: very envious and much better. And because my daughter were 385 00:24:28,165 --> 00:24:34,765 Speaker 1: present at this particular party, they have created reasons to 386 00:24:35,285 --> 00:24:38,725 Speaker 1: assess and point to her as being a principle as 387 00:24:38,805 --> 00:24:42,125 Speaker 1: far as the build for this real concerned. He says, 388 00:24:42,245 --> 00:24:44,725 Speaker 1: it's a ludicrous that anyone would think he has enough 389 00:24:44,805 --> 00:24:48,205 Speaker 1: power in the state to cover up Janie's deaths. The 390 00:24:48,285 --> 00:24:55,125 Speaker 1: point I have ludicrous this accusation. Our comment is is 391 00:24:55,205 --> 00:24:58,365 Speaker 1: that I am supposed to be so powerful that I 392 00:24:58,525 --> 00:25:02,805 Speaker 1: reach not only into the County Poor of Office and 393 00:25:02,925 --> 00:25:10,045 Speaker 1: the city police department, but into the states as well 394 00:25:10,085 --> 00:25:18,445 Speaker 1: as the governor of Arkansas. Are a very very powerful man, 395 00:25:18,685 --> 00:25:29,845 Speaker 1: if you believe somehow. There's another word that keeps getting 396 00:25:29,885 --> 00:25:33,005 Speaker 1: brought up in connection with Janie's death or any death 397 00:25:33,045 --> 00:25:36,765 Speaker 1: when our Kansas suspect to cover up. It's called arkansis. 398 00:25:37,965 --> 00:25:40,725 Speaker 1: Arkanss is the conspiracy theory that claims that people in 399 00:25:40,805 --> 00:25:43,845 Speaker 1: the Arkansas government would kill their political enemies and have 400 00:25:43,925 --> 00:25:47,765 Speaker 1: the medical examiner rule it a suicide. It's particularly linked 401 00:25:47,765 --> 00:25:50,165 Speaker 1: to Bill Clinton, who is governor of Arkansas at the 402 00:25:50,205 --> 00:25:53,125 Speaker 1: time of Janie's death. To better explain it, we talked 403 00:25:53,125 --> 00:25:57,525 Speaker 1: to an expert in conspiracy theories, writer and researcher Mike Rothschild. 404 00:25:58,045 --> 00:26:01,685 Speaker 1: He's written on tons of conspiracy theories, including Arkansis and 405 00:26:01,765 --> 00:26:04,125 Speaker 1: the Clinton body count, and we wanted to talk to 406 00:26:04,205 --> 00:26:06,965 Speaker 1: him about how these stories get started and how they 407 00:26:07,005 --> 00:26:10,245 Speaker 1: can become ingrained in a small town. Arkanside is the 408 00:26:10,765 --> 00:26:16,525 Speaker 1: mistaken belief that the Clintons have a four decade long 409 00:26:16,765 --> 00:26:20,765 Speaker 1: trail of dead bodies behind them, that all of these 410 00:26:20,845 --> 00:26:24,165 Speaker 1: people in their orbit who have died of natural causes 411 00:26:24,485 --> 00:26:28,245 Speaker 1: or committed suicide, or been killed in accidents, or who 412 00:26:28,365 --> 00:26:31,685 Speaker 1: have actually been killed in some sort of crime have 413 00:26:31,845 --> 00:26:35,445 Speaker 1: all been victims of the Clintons. And this sort of like, oh, 414 00:26:35,565 --> 00:26:38,285 Speaker 1: he died by shooting himself three times in the head 415 00:26:39,085 --> 00:26:41,925 Speaker 1: kind of seeing has been given this nickname of Arkanside, 416 00:26:42,005 --> 00:26:45,725 Speaker 1: that anybody sort of in the Clinton circle is sort 417 00:26:45,765 --> 00:26:48,645 Speaker 1: of bumped off once they're no longer necessary for them. 418 00:26:48,965 --> 00:26:52,045 Speaker 1: I'm in no way endorsing this theory, but in Marshall, 419 00:26:52,645 --> 00:26:54,925 Speaker 1: I can see how a conspiracy theory could take on 420 00:26:55,005 --> 00:26:57,485 Speaker 1: a life of its own. When there's a lack of 421 00:26:57,565 --> 00:27:01,365 Speaker 1: communication and distrust between the police and the public, there's 422 00:27:01,485 --> 00:27:04,485 Speaker 1: always the risk of an investigation turning into an echo chamber. 423 00:27:05,485 --> 00:27:10,605 Speaker 1: The facts aren't straight or available, speculation intensifies, so much 424 00:27:10,605 --> 00:27:13,525 Speaker 1: of what is called a conspiracy can be written off 425 00:27:13,565 --> 00:27:16,965 Speaker 1: as just in competence. You have a lot of people 426 00:27:17,005 --> 00:27:19,285 Speaker 1: who just aren't good at their jobs and a lot 427 00:27:19,365 --> 00:27:24,205 Speaker 1: of people who are lazy. And I think that need 428 00:27:24,365 --> 00:27:27,605 Speaker 1: for answers, I think is very prevalent in conspiracy theories. 429 00:27:27,925 --> 00:27:30,325 Speaker 1: We don't want to believe that things just randomly happen. 430 00:27:30,445 --> 00:27:33,405 Speaker 1: We don't want to believe that the universe is sort 431 00:27:33,405 --> 00:27:37,165 Speaker 1: of cold and indifferent. We want to believe that someone 432 00:27:38,085 --> 00:27:40,485 Speaker 1: has it out for us. I mean, as bizarre as 433 00:27:40,525 --> 00:27:45,445 Speaker 1: that found, it's much more comforting to think that a 434 00:27:45,525 --> 00:27:49,365 Speaker 1: loved one was killed because of a plot, or because 435 00:27:49,405 --> 00:27:53,565 Speaker 1: someone was getting back at us or whatever. Then it 436 00:27:53,725 --> 00:27:56,405 Speaker 1: was just just bad timing. And there are a thousand 437 00:27:56,685 --> 00:27:59,365 Speaker 1: ways it might not have happened, but it did happen 438 00:27:59,445 --> 00:28:03,405 Speaker 1: this one way, and so we need answers, We need explanations, 439 00:28:03,565 --> 00:28:07,725 Speaker 1: and we need things to make sent Mike also explains 440 00:28:08,165 --> 00:28:11,365 Speaker 1: that it's human nature to need someone to blame, and 441 00:28:11,445 --> 00:28:15,245 Speaker 1: in Jamie's case, where the family isn't getting answers, it's 442 00:28:15,325 --> 00:28:18,165 Speaker 1: no wonder there needs to be a villain. There's always 443 00:28:18,245 --> 00:28:20,645 Speaker 1: someone that you want to blame. And it's really easy 444 00:28:20,725 --> 00:28:25,165 Speaker 1: to blame powerful, wealthy people rather than looking inward. And 445 00:28:25,245 --> 00:28:28,045 Speaker 1: most conspiracy theories do have a grain of truth to them, 446 00:28:28,285 --> 00:28:31,285 Speaker 1: you know, they're not just completely made up. There is 447 00:28:32,125 --> 00:28:37,085 Speaker 1: one small thing about them that's true. And then if well, 448 00:28:37,085 --> 00:28:39,605 Speaker 1: if that could be true, what about these other twelve things? 449 00:28:40,245 --> 00:28:43,325 Speaker 1: It sort of grows bigger and bigger and bigger, and 450 00:28:43,485 --> 00:28:46,885 Speaker 1: it's it just becomes harder and harder to contain. And yeah, 451 00:28:47,325 --> 00:28:50,445 Speaker 1: people who are wealthy and powerful have it easier than 452 00:28:50,485 --> 00:28:53,325 Speaker 1: people who are not. I mean, that's just that is 453 00:28:53,645 --> 00:29:00,645 Speaker 1: just the way it is. As Mike said, sometimes there 454 00:29:00,805 --> 00:29:04,285 Speaker 1: is a grain of truth and conspiracy theories. It might 455 00:29:04,365 --> 00:29:07,005 Speaker 1: be as simple as someone doing a favor for someone else. 456 00:29:07,765 --> 00:29:10,445 Speaker 1: When people with money and power are treated differently from 457 00:29:10,485 --> 00:29:13,685 Speaker 1: everyone else, even a situation that didn't start out as 458 00:29:13,725 --> 00:29:18,645 Speaker 1: a conspiracy can become one. And like I said, paranoid 459 00:29:18,725 --> 00:29:39,405 Speaker 1: people aren't always wrong. We'll be right back. The conflict 460 00:29:39,485 --> 00:29:42,725 Speaker 1: between Jerry and Sarah and the Wards split the town 461 00:29:42,805 --> 00:29:46,205 Speaker 1: in two. Some people think that Sarah killed Janne with 462 00:29:46,245 --> 00:29:50,165 Speaker 1: a baseball bat. Other people think this is totally unfounded 463 00:29:50,325 --> 00:29:54,285 Speaker 1: and ridiculous. But Ron and Mona Ward kept her story 464 00:29:54,365 --> 00:29:57,565 Speaker 1: alive and took her case statewide with the help of 465 00:29:57,685 --> 00:30:01,925 Speaker 1: reporter Mike Masterson. Mike uses his platform as a writer 466 00:30:02,445 --> 00:30:06,045 Speaker 1: to tell Janie's story every week in his column. This 467 00:30:06,205 --> 00:30:09,405 Speaker 1: brings more attention to the case and puts more pressure 468 00:30:09,485 --> 00:30:13,565 Speaker 1: on Arkansas officials to do something about it, especially when 469 00:30:13,565 --> 00:30:16,885 Speaker 1: the Wards find a forensic pathologist to exhume Janie's body 470 00:30:17,125 --> 00:30:20,485 Speaker 1: and do another autopsy. They find the pathologists through the 471 00:30:20,565 --> 00:30:25,605 Speaker 1: nonprofit organization Parents of Murdered Children. It has a service 472 00:30:25,645 --> 00:30:30,405 Speaker 1: called Second Opinions where volunteer prosecutors, pathologists, and law enforcement 473 00:30:30,765 --> 00:30:33,685 Speaker 1: review cases that families feel are not completely figured out. 474 00:30:34,885 --> 00:30:38,045 Speaker 1: This is Bev Warnock, the executive director the Parents of 475 00:30:38,125 --> 00:30:40,325 Speaker 1: Murder Children, and what they would do if they would 476 00:30:40,365 --> 00:30:42,325 Speaker 1: call us, We would ask them to get as much 477 00:30:42,405 --> 00:30:45,725 Speaker 1: information as they can, the autopsy, the police reports, anything 478 00:30:45,765 --> 00:30:47,845 Speaker 1: else that you know, they can get their hands on, 479 00:30:48,165 --> 00:30:50,205 Speaker 1: send it to us and then leap forward it to 480 00:30:50,765 --> 00:30:53,685 Speaker 1: our volunteers and they'll look at the case, they'll read it, 481 00:30:54,245 --> 00:30:56,325 Speaker 1: you know, and they'll come back with an opinion. And 482 00:30:56,405 --> 00:30:58,525 Speaker 1: that's really all we can offer. The family. You know, 483 00:30:58,605 --> 00:31:00,885 Speaker 1: it's not like we can go there and have them 484 00:31:00,925 --> 00:31:02,845 Speaker 1: open the case or anything. It's just an opinion that 485 00:31:02,965 --> 00:31:05,165 Speaker 1: might answer some of the questions that they have, and 486 00:31:05,685 --> 00:31:08,525 Speaker 1: it might be you know, it definitely wasn't an accident, 487 00:31:08,565 --> 00:31:12,085 Speaker 1: It definitely wasn't an overdose, or it was, and the 488 00:31:12,165 --> 00:31:14,205 Speaker 1: family has to try to accept that it really was. 489 00:31:14,645 --> 00:31:17,365 Speaker 1: It's just devastating for them to not really know and 490 00:31:17,525 --> 00:31:19,605 Speaker 1: feel that they're you know, they feel in their guts 491 00:31:20,085 --> 00:31:22,845 Speaker 1: that it wasn't what you know, they said and what 492 00:31:22,925 --> 00:31:34,445 Speaker 1: the police are believing. Among all the whispers conspiracy and 493 00:31:34,565 --> 00:31:38,245 Speaker 1: crazy rumors, we have to go back to basics, to 494 00:31:38,365 --> 00:31:42,045 Speaker 1: the one piece of evidence that the parents have, Jane herself. 495 00:31:43,165 --> 00:31:45,965 Speaker 1: In two thousand and two, the Wards took advantage of 496 00:31:46,005 --> 00:31:49,565 Speaker 1: the Second Opinion Service. In their letter, they laid out 497 00:31:49,605 --> 00:31:53,325 Speaker 1: everything they found suspicious, the sand under the clothes, the 498 00:31:53,405 --> 00:31:56,445 Speaker 1: fact that her clothes were wet, the bruising and injuries 499 00:31:56,565 --> 00:31:59,885 Speaker 1: ron saw, the x rays, and the rumors about Sarah, 500 00:32:01,245 --> 00:32:03,605 Speaker 1: and it didn't take long before they received a letter 501 00:32:03,765 --> 00:32:08,085 Speaker 1: from doctor Harry Bannell. Doctor Benel was a forensic pathologist. 502 00:32:08,405 --> 00:32:11,485 Speaker 1: He has performed thousands of autopsies and been involved in 503 00:32:11,605 --> 00:32:15,525 Speaker 1: many high profile cases, including the Green River killer investigation 504 00:32:15,885 --> 00:32:19,285 Speaker 1: and the Challenger's Space shuttle crash. In his letter to 505 00:32:19,325 --> 00:32:23,125 Speaker 1: the Wards, he agreed that the circumstances surrounding Jane's death 506 00:32:23,205 --> 00:32:27,405 Speaker 1: were suspicious. He wrote that he found no objective evidence 507 00:32:27,805 --> 00:32:30,525 Speaker 1: to prove she died from the fall described by witnesses. 508 00:32:31,125 --> 00:32:34,805 Speaker 1: He offered to conduct a second autopsy pro bono. The 509 00:32:34,925 --> 00:32:37,525 Speaker 1: Wards and their lawyer were able to convince a judge 510 00:32:37,605 --> 00:32:41,005 Speaker 1: to order an exhumation of Jane's body. After so many 511 00:32:41,125 --> 00:32:44,405 Speaker 1: years of fighting, the Wards were feeling hopeful that they 512 00:32:44,525 --> 00:32:48,165 Speaker 1: might get answers, even though the last thing they wanted 513 00:32:48,205 --> 00:32:50,725 Speaker 1: to do was pull their daughter out of the ground. 514 00:32:51,685 --> 00:32:55,445 Speaker 1: They believed that to get justice they needed another autopsy. 515 00:32:56,685 --> 00:32:59,845 Speaker 1: Ron and Mona stood beside the cement vault as workers 516 00:32:59,925 --> 00:33:03,725 Speaker 1: pulled Jannye's casket out of the ground. Her body was 517 00:33:03,765 --> 00:33:07,645 Speaker 1: delivered to the University of Arkansas Medical Facility in Little Rock, 518 00:33:08,325 --> 00:33:12,125 Speaker 1: and on October eighth, two thousand and four, fifteen years 519 00:33:12,245 --> 00:33:16,285 Speaker 1: after her death, doctor Burnell performed a second autopsy, and 520 00:33:16,445 --> 00:33:20,565 Speaker 1: he came to a completely different conclusion. Mike Masterson met 521 00:33:20,605 --> 00:33:23,445 Speaker 1: with doctor Burnell and was suspicious of the fact that 522 00:33:23,525 --> 00:33:26,765 Speaker 1: the Arkansas State Crime Lab did not allow Banell to 523 00:33:26,845 --> 00:33:32,445 Speaker 1: use their facilities. Doctor Harry Barnell was a pathologist at 524 00:33:32,485 --> 00:33:35,605 Speaker 1: the Beckoning Call of Parents of Murdered Children because he 525 00:33:35,725 --> 00:33:38,965 Speaker 1: was on their board, so he was involved in cases 526 00:33:39,445 --> 00:33:44,805 Speaker 1: around the country that needed answers. So doctor Burnell showed 527 00:33:44,885 --> 00:33:49,365 Speaker 1: up expecting to be greeted as sybyl as the doctor's 528 00:33:49,645 --> 00:33:54,445 Speaker 1: forensic pathologists. But that's not how Arkansas received him. They 529 00:33:54,525 --> 00:33:56,565 Speaker 1: told him he could not use crime lab to do 530 00:33:56,885 --> 00:34:00,005 Speaker 1: a second autopsy, that he'd have to do it on 531 00:34:00,085 --> 00:34:03,685 Speaker 1: his own somewhere. So he found a private place. And 532 00:34:03,925 --> 00:34:09,125 Speaker 1: this is doctor Burnell was a very respected, confident forensic pathologist. 533 00:34:09,445 --> 00:34:11,405 Speaker 1: He was very credible to me. He had no dog 534 00:34:11,525 --> 00:34:14,525 Speaker 1: in his hunt. Doctor Bernaldus came in to do an 535 00:34:14,565 --> 00:34:16,605 Speaker 1: honest job. He didn't know what he was going to find. 536 00:34:16,925 --> 00:34:20,365 Speaker 1: That's what he found, that's what he announced. Well, you 537 00:34:20,405 --> 00:34:22,565 Speaker 1: know then that really hit the fan in Arkansas because 538 00:34:22,605 --> 00:34:25,885 Speaker 1: now you have a guy coming in who's qualified giving 539 00:34:25,965 --> 00:34:29,125 Speaker 1: a manner of death which had never happened, and so 540 00:34:29,485 --> 00:34:33,445 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the system went into full They 541 00:34:33,525 --> 00:34:36,605 Speaker 1: circled all the wagons pretty quickly. They realized they're going 542 00:34:36,645 --> 00:34:38,565 Speaker 1: to have to do something because it was laying out 543 00:34:38,605 --> 00:34:43,325 Speaker 1: there as homicide. Ron finally heard what he had thought 544 00:34:43,365 --> 00:34:49,325 Speaker 1: to be true all along. Someone killed Janie. Remember that. 545 00:34:49,445 --> 00:34:52,965 Speaker 1: In the first autopsy report, doctor Malleck notes that he 546 00:34:53,045 --> 00:34:56,125 Speaker 1: didn't see any bruising on Janie's body except for a 547 00:34:56,205 --> 00:35:00,045 Speaker 1: small bruise on her lower back. He also said she 548 00:35:00,165 --> 00:35:03,565 Speaker 1: sustained a hyper extension neck injury from falling on the 549 00:35:03,605 --> 00:35:06,925 Speaker 1: back of her head. He didn't note that anything was broken. 550 00:35:08,285 --> 00:35:11,765 Speaker 1: Doctor Burnell also says that Jane has a hyper extension injury, 551 00:35:12,525 --> 00:35:15,245 Speaker 1: but he says it's because something hit her in the face. 552 00:35:16,365 --> 00:35:20,205 Speaker 1: Doctor Burnell writes her head was not too far backwards 553 00:35:20,805 --> 00:35:22,685 Speaker 1: and there's a fracture of the spine in the neck. 554 00:35:23,685 --> 00:35:27,765 Speaker 1: Doctor Burnell also notes extensive damage to Jane's face and neck. 555 00:35:28,285 --> 00:35:31,085 Speaker 1: He notes an abrasion and contusion on the left cheek 556 00:35:31,245 --> 00:35:34,885 Speaker 1: and left forehead, a fracture with hemorrhaging of nasal cartilage, 557 00:35:35,405 --> 00:35:39,725 Speaker 1: and maroon discoloration across the face. He also agrees with 558 00:35:39,845 --> 00:35:44,085 Speaker 1: the two pathologists who were reviewed doctor Malick's autopsy. He 559 00:35:44,285 --> 00:35:47,445 Speaker 1: thinks the lateral X ray of Janey could be a male. 560 00:35:48,685 --> 00:35:51,565 Speaker 1: On the front page of his report, doctor Burnell says 561 00:35:51,605 --> 00:35:54,245 Speaker 1: the cause of death is blunt impact to the face. 562 00:35:55,085 --> 00:36:01,645 Speaker 1: The manner is homicide. ABC did an episode of their 563 00:36:01,685 --> 00:36:07,925 Speaker 1: show Primetime about Janie's case. They interview Sarah. During the interview, 564 00:36:08,605 --> 00:36:11,245 Speaker 1: Sarah was shown playing with her baby and sitting with 565 00:36:11,325 --> 00:36:15,205 Speaker 1: her father on a port swing. She completely denied any 566 00:36:15,285 --> 00:36:20,165 Speaker 1: involvement in Janie's death. I'm Katherine Townsend and this is 567 00:36:20,285 --> 00:36:27,525 Speaker 1: Helen Gone. Helen Gone is a joint production between School 568 00:36:27,605 --> 00:36:31,485 Speaker 1: of Humans and iHeartRadio. It is written and recorded by me. 569 00:36:31,805 --> 00:36:36,125 Speaker 1: Katherine Townsend. Taylor Church and Gabby Watts are our producers 570 00:36:36,205 --> 00:36:41,045 Speaker 1: and story editors. Executive producers are Brandon Barr, Brian Lavin, 571 00:36:41,165 --> 00:36:44,445 Speaker 1: and Elsie Crowley for School of Humans and Connell Byrne 572 00:36:44,525 --> 00:36:48,925 Speaker 1: and Chuck Bryant for iHeart. Our Field producer is Miranda Hawkins. 573 00:36:49,645 --> 00:36:53,565 Speaker 1: Theme and original score are by Ben Sale, available wherever 574 00:36:53,645 --> 00:36:57,245 Speaker 1: you get your music. Please visit us at Helen gonpodcast 575 00:36:57,325 --> 00:37:20,405 Speaker 1: dot com or follow us on social media. School of 576 00:37:20,485 --> 00:37:20,885 Speaker 1: Humans