1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: It's been forty years since the Stevenson family was murdered. 2 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: I'm in southern Ohio, in the middle of nowhere, scaling 3 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: a crunchy snowbank, walking carefully up a steep hill I 4 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: cannot even see over, working my way toward a grave 5 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: site for the tiny village of Novelle. I'm here to 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: meet Shannon Group, Carol Thompson's forty three year old daughter. Shannon. 7 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: Shannon was only three and a half at the time 8 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: of the fire. It still remembers watching the bodies of 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: family members being carried out of the Stevenson's burning house. 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: How's it going on this day with me? Shannon appears 11 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: poised and very quiet, but also quite calm. I can 12 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: tell she lives with a degree of acceptance, but at 13 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: the same time disbelief at the absence of complete justice. 14 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: Shannon contacted me in two thousand sixteen, desperate to put 15 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: an end to the wondering, all the unanswered questions and 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: suffering of those left behind. She spent the past two 17 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: decades conducting the an investigation herself into what happened. Somewhere 18 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: around the ten year mark, Channing caught a break. The 19 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: local Sheriff's Department handed over thousands of pages of official documents, 20 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: actual evidence from the case, and an old school reel 21 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: to reel recording, along with eighteen cassette tapes filled with 22 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: hours of audio from the investigation as it unfolded in 23 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: real time, some of which you'll hear throughout this podcast. 24 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: Still as close as she's gotten, Shannon hasn't been able 25 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: to find those answers she and her mother need most. 26 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: My mom was very, very paranoid growing um, very moody. 27 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: She's got a lot better, but you know, when I 28 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: was younger, you know, she she she'd snap and go off. 29 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: And Shannon's mom, Carol Thompson, was nineteen at the time 30 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: of the murders. After helping her parents sell fireworks throughout 31 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: the busy July fourth weekend, Carol said goodbye to her 32 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: family on that July night and she headed to her 33 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: own home. But in the early hours of the next morning, 34 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: the fire that ravage the Stevenson house revealed the horror 35 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: inside her stepfather Billy Stevenson, her mother Linda, five year 36 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: old brother Billy Jr. And her thirty year old uncle 37 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: Eddie Dowell. We're all dead, police would quickly learn that 38 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: what was initially considered a terrible accident was actually the 39 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: scene of a quadruple homicide. I think it has serious 40 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: impact on her. It really relationship wise and just people wise, 41 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: and given real trust issues. That's one of the side 42 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: effects of tragedy, a silent simmering pt esteem most people 43 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: don't even realize is impacting their lives as anxiety and 44 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: anger bubble underneath the surface. It creates a chasm where 45 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: life can sometimes become if not dealt with, this toxic 46 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: slide into the past, a seemingly endless cycle of trauma. 47 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: Carol's whereabouts the night of the murders was questioned by 48 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: law enforcement, but dismissed after she was able to prove 49 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: she had been at home all night. In conversations, Carol 50 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: has revealed to me that she often finds herself driving 51 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: by her family's old house, looking for some sort of 52 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: conclusion and antidote to all the pain. She does not 53 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: want to die without knowing who is responsible for murdering 54 00:03:51,760 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: her entire family. M previously on Paper Ghosts, my brother says, Carroll, 55 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: something's up. They're not telling us everything that is not 56 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: a fire. There is too much wood Well. When Depthty 57 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 1: Crayton went in, he observed right down that cher had 58 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 1: bull wounds to the head, so we knew it was homicide. 59 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: The fire was set after the homicide to destroy evidence. 60 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: A lot of people have been telling Mom and Steve, 61 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: you know, hey, you know you need to be carible. Man. 62 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: You know you're flashing all this money, you're wearing all 63 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: these jewels. I wanted to be careful. My name is 64 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: and William Phelps. This is season two of Paper Ghosts Burned. 65 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: The days between Memorial Day and July fourth are considered 66 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: the height of fireworks season. For Billy Stevenson. It was 67 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: the time of the year when he made the bulk 68 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: of his wealth, of which was in cash. I've heard 69 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: stories of Billy often flaunting his success, showing off a 70 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: suitcase or leather bags stuffed with gold, jewelry and banded bills. 71 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: In the days leading up to the fire, an incident 72 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: took place at one of the Stevenson's fireworks stands that 73 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: has me wondering if maybe Billy it's shown off that 74 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: money to the wrong person, and if the executions and 75 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: subsequent fire were set in motion by what had happened. 76 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: I was working at the shop, and I had stocked it, 77 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: restocked it heavy, heavy, heavy stock, much more than I 78 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: should have stocked it. But we all knew it's still 79 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: It's July second, so I knew that we were gonna 80 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: be really busy, So why over stocked. Carol Thompson Billy 81 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: Stevenson's stepdaughter in Linda's eldess ran one of the busy 82 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: or firework stands a trailer about the size of half 83 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: a semi parked along route in Claremont County. So I'm 84 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: at the back of the truck, checking things, making sure 85 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: things okay, making sure the stocks out. The truck is 86 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: packed full of customers, and I take a step and 87 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: I hear behind me, Oh, no, don't do that. What 88 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: are you doing? No, don't do that, And I thought, great, 89 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: somebody's trying to rip you know, somebody's gonna rip me off. 90 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: Somebody's got stick a case of fireworks down their pants 91 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: or something. Right as I turn, I see the guy 92 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: light with with a lighter. I see he's got a 93 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: aerobomb in his hand, a three shot aerial world. As 94 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: he strikes the lighter and I'm probably six ft away 95 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: from him. No, maybe a little more seven ft away 96 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: from him. I take one step back because I want, 97 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: you know, I'm gonna try and grab it before it goes, 98 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: you know, before. And as I take the step, he 99 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: drops the bomb forward, pointing it like a gun to 100 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: the fireworks table, the table that is covered with all 101 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: the restock under the table, and I before I can 102 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: make a move, the first shot goes off, and as 103 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: soon as it hits I see out about a diameter 104 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: of fire, and all I can think is, holy shit, 105 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: We're all going to die. I immediately start screaming, get 106 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: him off the truck. Everybody off the truck. Everybody off, 107 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: and I'm like trying to shove and and I can't 108 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: stop the fire. And Eddie is in the front, my 109 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: uncle Ednie, and I'm screaming at Eddie, Eddie fire standers 110 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: and I got have fire Sanders. Carol's uncle Eddie Dowell 111 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: was in town for the sum helping out at the 112 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: family's fireworks stands. I'm told he came south to avoid 113 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: marriage trouble back home and could have been involved in 114 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: things over his head, dangerous games. Eddie was outside when 115 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: the guy sparked his lighter and ignited that firebomb. And 116 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: he quickly rushed into the trailer as soon as he 117 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: heard Carol yelling. So he shows me how away. He 118 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: runs straight back with fire extinguisher. As he is headed 119 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: back there, I see him kick the kid that had 120 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: done and I see the kid hit before and Eddie 121 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: grabs the guy who's now locked out, he's unconscious, and 122 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: he drags him out by the feet. Literally, he's dragging 123 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: him all the way through you know, the semi and 124 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: off the truck and we get everybody off the truck 125 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: as those fireworks ignite, one after the other, and the 126 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: most awesome fireworks display of the year begins taking place 127 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: along the roadside of route. The entire trailer goes up 128 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: in flames, fire and trucks are coming. But now fireworks 129 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: are going on with him. I'm watching across the street 130 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: as the cars are pulling off the side of the road. 131 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: What's the fireworks display? Okay, they're like wow, free firework display. 132 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: And the fireworks were rickcheen and they're firing off in 133 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: here and there and they're hitting busting windows all open 134 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: down the street. And I mean it was bad. I 135 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: mean fireworks are shooting it sky high. So who would 136 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: light up one of Billy Stevenson's fireworks stands, just days 137 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: before the year's biggest weekend of sales. Was it simply 138 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: some punk as kid messing around or could it have 139 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: been the work of Billy's competition, someone who stood to 140 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: game from Billy's loss. I'm thinking James rant I told 141 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: him immediately he was our competitor. He was the one 142 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: that Seed was always in a competition was against the fireworks. 143 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: On July five, the night before the Stevenson's were murdered, 144 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: Carol was getting ready to close up her fireworks stand 145 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: when she took a call from a business associate named 146 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: Jim Riley. He told Carol he dropped by to settle 147 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: his bill. According to documents I've received, Jim Riley old 148 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: Billy Stevenson thirteen thousand dollars. Jim Riley was a local 149 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: guy many considered Billy Stevenson's business rival. A businessman himself, 150 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: involved in everything from construction to retail. Jim is one 151 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: of those tell it like it is guys, I soon discovered, 152 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: but at the same time also quite careful about what 153 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: he says. Jim followed a similar course to Billy, buying 154 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 1: and selling gold and silver and also retailing fireworks at 155 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: roadside stands near the Stevenson's busy trailers. In fact, Jim 156 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: had been cutting into Billy's business in talking to people 157 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: around town as well as sifting through all the documentation, 158 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: I didn't have a clear picture of who Jim Riley 159 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: actually was. After all, a lot of the information in 160 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: this case was coming from people who had a lot 161 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: to lose, not to mention a lot to gain. So 162 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: I tracked Jim down and have to admit I was 163 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: pleasantly surprised by how willing he was to talk about 164 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: Billy Stevenson. He used to bring He's a truck driver. 165 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: He used to bring in things from Mexico and he 166 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: started bringing in those uh felt paintings. Billy brought most 167 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: of those in, I mean trucks loads of back stuff, 168 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: and he would bring in uh drugs with it. I 169 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: think back then it was mostly marijuana. That's a bold claim, 170 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: but as Jim talks it through, it feels to me 171 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: like he was a guy in the no Oh at 172 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: the time, not just some dude in town hearing rumors 173 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: and conjecture. And if what Jim says is accurate, that 174 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: kind of intel within a case of this magnitude has 175 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: the potential to change the dynamic of my reinvestigation. I 176 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: can talk about now gots gone, but he brought in drugs. 177 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: But y that's how he accumulator and a little bit 178 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: of money. I don't think they checked them trucks or 179 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: whatever he put it in. Early in his career, Billy 180 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: drove a truck between Mexico and the United States hauling 181 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: merchandise for resale. Jim is spot on when he says 182 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: border crossing checks were a bit laxer than Despite his 183 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: fireworks business rivalry with Billy, Jim's wife, Wanda, was good 184 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: friends with the Stevenson's. Jim, on the other hand, says 185 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: he preferred to keep his distance. I didn't really care 186 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: for too much because they made me a little nervous. 187 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: They were very flamboyant people with their well like for instance, 188 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: when we got done when it when the fourth was over. 189 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,559 Speaker 1: The next day, I said, I wanted to see how 190 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: he did. And he said, oh, I did good. I 191 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: did real good. How did you do? And I said, yeah, 192 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: one of my better years. And he says, come on 193 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: out here to the car. And he had a Lincoln 194 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 1: Continental and Uh. I went back there and he opened 195 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: the trunk up and he had one of these whole 196 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: time leather cases are suitcases. He opens it up and 197 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: it's completely full money. And I slepped back and I said, 198 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: what the hell has how much money you got in there? 199 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: He says, over four hundred thousand? And I said, what 200 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: are you doing? Man? He said, I just like I 201 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: cumulated all the winter season, and I'm gonna exchange most 202 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: of it to diamonds. He was in the diamonds and 203 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: his wife was in that jeory and I said, wow, man, 204 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't carry that kind of money around. 205 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: I think you're not listening to Jim makes me think 206 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: there was at the least an elevated level of trust 207 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: and respect between him and Billy Stevenson. Linda's brother Eddie Dowell, 208 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: on the other hand, left a much different impression on Jim. 209 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: He was just a punk as far as I'm concerned, 210 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: and he considered us just outright competitors and that Philly 211 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: shouldn't have nothing to do with us. And and then 212 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: like I said, goddamn brother, hers coming down there. You know, 213 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: real guns around in your face ain't my thing. And uh, 214 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: at one time. There was some pretty bad blood going 215 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: on for a while. I mean when I first started. 216 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: I mean he put a place, I put one in 217 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: front of him and beyond. It was getting out of hand. 218 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: And that that goddamn punk threatening us with guns and ship. 219 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: That that got out of hand really fast. And then 220 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: my dad has gone. Now he's he had balls of 221 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: steel and he went up there right in the lines 222 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: then and uh, you know, and he's the one that said, look, 223 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: and we ain't going away. You ain't going away. Why 224 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: don't we just work together and put the ship beside. 225 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: I mean, this is nonsense. And Billy is one of 226 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: them guys says, hey, it makes sense to me. This 227 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: was when Billy came up with the business smarts to 228 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: go to Jim Riley and say, look, I sell you 229 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: fireworks at wholesale prices. You don't mess around an open 230 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: stands near me. We can both make money. Jim Riley agreed, 231 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: why fight when you can split the immense amount of 232 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: profits selling fireworks offered. According to Jim, the margins then 233 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: were in the thousand percent range. There was enough money 234 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: to go around, and from then on we became friends. 235 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: But not that, not not a brother. He was just 236 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: one of them tough guys, you know, when you know, 237 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: wanting to You look at him and he wants to 238 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: kick your ass more than competitors, which is a strong 239 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: enough motive alone. There was a larger issue, far more personal, 240 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: rattling the framework of all of this, at least from 241 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: where Jim Riley stood, because you see Eddie Dowell, Linda's brother, well, 242 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: he was having an affair with Jim Riley's wife. I 243 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: had also heard and read in some of the FBI 244 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: reports that Eddie was kind of after your wife at 245 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: the time. One that was that true? Yeah, I don't 246 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: like that. Yeah that didn't go too good. What happened 247 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: with that? Well, you know, we argued about it, you know, 248 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: and she she says, there's nothing to it, just trying 249 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: to be friendly. But I never bought it. You thought 250 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: maybe there was something going on between them. Yeah, I 251 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: probably was, you know now, and I look it back. 252 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: Sometimes you try. Yeah, you have two children, I came 253 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: from a divorce family. You sometimes look at what look 254 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: the other way when you don't want to, You don't 255 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: want your kids come from a broken home, you know, 256 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: Well that is true. But then taking out the guy 257 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: sleeping with your wife and your business rival at the 258 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: same time. Is I am thinking a good way to 259 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: end things as well? Jim, did you know that within 260 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,679 Speaker 1: the first twelve hours after they discovered that this is 261 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: a murder, that you're like their prime suspect, did they 262 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: question you or anything? That's because that goddamn daughter hers. 263 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: I'm coming up the hill, you know, the house of 264 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: smold Rain. I don't know exactly what all's left down here. 265 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: As I'm walking up the hill, that game a little 266 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: bit says there he is. He murdered him, He murdered them. 267 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 1: I'll never forget that. And uh, whoa. I put my 268 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: hands up, I said, hey, what the hell? I don't 269 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 1: know where that came from? But you know, I I 270 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't Maybe I didn't. Ever, Jim ultimately never showed 271 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: up that night to settle the bill he called Carol 272 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: about despite one report from Jim Riley's brother in law 273 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: that Jim wasn't home on the night of the murders 274 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: and did not return until the next morning. Jim Riley 275 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: had an alibi. His wife wanted the Toll police he 276 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: was at home with her the entire night. In talking 277 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,719 Speaker 1: to Jim Riley. I get a feeling, a strong feeling 278 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: that this guy has nothing to hide, quite notably when 279 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: it came to how both he and Billy Stevenson obtained 280 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 1: the fireworks they sold. If he owed anybody money, I 281 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 1: don't know about it. I just know who he was 282 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 1: to deal with, because in the fireworks business that I 283 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,919 Speaker 1: was involved in, I dealt with. To call him the 284 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: mob or the mafia, whatever you want to say. Uh, 285 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: I remember talking about him and he's gonna he's gonna 286 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 1: get himself into some ship sail here later. He just 287 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: can't be sloppy like he was. He was a likable 288 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: guy too. I don't know why he just couldn't behave 289 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,719 Speaker 1: himself For several years, I've heard hearsay in innu window 290 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: about an organized crime connection to the murders. But here's 291 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 1: someone who worked with Billy Stevenson directly stating it on 292 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: the record. Yeah. So when you were speaking with your 293 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: organized crime friends, they were, you know, they were well 294 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: aware of Billy. They were aware. And was Billy buying 295 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: his fireworks from them as well? Ah? He was. Would 296 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,239 Speaker 1: he always pay his debts? Yeah? He did, and I 297 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: would know that. I'm gonna tell you. I know that 298 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 1: because I doubt what all forty six locations in Ohio, 299 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: and uh I knew where all the fireworks mostly came from. Yeah, 300 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: he didn't want to not pay pay his bill. That's 301 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: for short, because what those are the kind of guys 302 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 1: you should pay, right, these kind of guys you will pay. 303 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: That's all I can tell you. That part. When you're 304 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: looking into cold cases and your goal is finding answers 305 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: for the victims family, the urge to purposely ignore information 306 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: that has the potential to cast a bad light on 307 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: a murder victim is always there. It's a tough line 308 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: to walk for one. Billy, Linda, Billy Jr. And Eddie 309 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: they never asked for any of this. They are victims, 310 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: despite what kind of lives they might have. Let I 311 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: served surviving family members no purpose if they or I 312 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,959 Speaker 1: are unwilling to accept the truth, whatever it is. If 313 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: Billy Stevenson was allegedly dealing and trafficking and drugs or 314 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: running illegal fireworks for organized crime, that's a tenuous, dangerous 315 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: bed of hot coals to walk across. One wrong move, 316 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: one debt left unpaid in any room for forgiveness by 317 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: those holding the cards disappears like dust. As it turned out, 318 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: the young guy who set off all the fireworks in 319 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 1: the Stevenson's trailer just days before the house fire was 320 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: some punk messing around. He was eventually arrested and charged. Still, 321 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: I asked Jim if he thought the mafia was behind 322 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: the Stevenson homicides. Look, that's as how the mob works say, 323 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: don't leave anybody know. They're not gonna leave a witness. 324 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: They're not gonna leave a nothing, And you forget the 325 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: main thing. They're gonna set an example. You owe his money, 326 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: You focus, You're done. One murder is hard enough to 327 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: solve for including a child occurring in the same location 328 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: at the same time, that's an entirely different investigative beast 329 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: to wrestle. You have to look closely at the individuals, 330 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: each victim separately. The possibility exists of a hidden motive. 331 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: After all, the person or persons who walked into the 332 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: Stevenson's house on July six, because there was no sign 333 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: of fourth Century, could have come to retaliate or settle 334 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: a score with Billy, Linda, or even Linda's brother Eddie Dowell. 335 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: Shortly after the crime scene had been cleared, by the 336 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: Sheriff's department. Carol Thompson was allowed to enter her family's house. 337 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: She talked me through this horrific memory. She was back 338 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: in that space and time, actually feeling once again what 339 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: had happened, a terrible recollection from forty years ago, as 340 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: fresh in her mind today as it ever was. Then 341 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: let me go through the house, relatively sick. As soon 342 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: as I got fired out, the first rum I came 343 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: to would have been the living room Little Billy's couch, 344 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: and the cushion was missing, The middle cushion was missing, 345 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking, who sleeps in the middle of 346 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: the couch? Kids don't sleep in the middle of the couch. 347 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: They sleep on end. Carol's right. People generally tend to 348 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: sleep on the ends of couches, not in the middle. 349 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: And it's those small yet perceptive observations like this one 350 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: that opened up possibilities to look at cold cases in 351 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: a different way. The slightest detail can make the biggest difference. 352 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 1: Could this mean Billy Jr. Was awake, scared for his 353 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: life when he was killed? And then I walked into 354 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: the kitchen. Now the kitchen has been heavily burned. One 355 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: of the primary points of fire is my mother's body. 356 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: Actually it started in several places a little. What they 357 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: did is they portable gas upstairs, third floor, little gas, 358 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: second floor, gas through the first floor. But they stuck 359 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: primarily to the kitchen and my mom's body and how 360 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: you can look down on the floor and you can 361 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: see the outline, but where her body was to the 362 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: point where I could see the she raised a hand. 363 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: I could see it. It was almost like you see 364 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: those chalkoutlines. It literally was like that, but it was 365 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: from the debris that had fallen on top of her, 366 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: because she was in the room that actually took the 367 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: most damage. Eddie was setting with playing food Brooke, and 368 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: my mom was at stove and there was me in 369 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: the skillet and I saw it with my own eyes, 370 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: and I knew her personal sitting there with the gun, 371 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: so she wasn't threatened. From what she's been told by 372 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: a close law enforcement source, along with her own novice 373 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: analysis of the crime scene photos, Carol has remained adamant 374 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: that her mother was tied up and possibly tortured before 375 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: being executed. If true, it spoke to a potential theory 376 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: that Billy and Linda knew their killer or killers very well. 377 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: So to this day, I don't know. I do not know. 378 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,719 Speaker 1: Could she have been. Yeah, if that's the case, they 379 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: held Eddie at Dunpoint. Well, here's the don't about that. 380 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: If she was, it would have been in the reports. 381 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: There's no reason to keep it out. How would how 382 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: would they have not have known? Because right burns she 383 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: was incinerated. I explained to Carol that within my reinvestigation, 384 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 1: I could say affirmatively without any doubt that her mother 385 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 1: was not tied up and beaten before she was murdered. 386 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: Autopsy reports show Lynda Stevenson was shot twice in the head. 387 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: It's clear she was dead before her body was burned. 388 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:44,479 Speaker 1: But for victims families accepting the truth, that can become 389 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: too much to bear sometimes, Carol, as you can hear, 390 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: still wasn't convinced her hands were on her feet, which 391 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,119 Speaker 1: is how I know that it wasn't her foot sticking 392 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: out from it was my uncle's. She had her feet 393 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: like her brother. But yeah, so her feet were burned. 394 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: One of her lives was burnt almost all the way off. 395 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 1: It was up to the Nancy and her hands. All right, 396 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: we're gone. She has about I guess from hairdown's gone 397 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: and her whole body was burned? Was it impuglistic posture? Well, 398 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: meaning like this, more like whole died like that. She 399 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 1: was laying on her stomach. The body goes into puglistic 400 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: posture when it's burned, so it curls up like well, 401 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: she was curled up from the stomach up. But she 402 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: was a heavy woman. So its trying to bend your 403 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 1: back up, your arms back. It's not easy on a 404 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: heavy woman. But yet her hands were what would be 405 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: the reason for them to tie her up? Linda was dangerous, 406 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: I mean she was. She would pull a gun on 407 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:54,679 Speaker 1: you and just shoot you. She did not even need 408 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: to think about it. With her mother and uncle Eddie's 409 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: body's both found in the kitchen, Carol felt the two 410 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: of them were killed around the same time. Police developed 411 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: the same theory. Carol figured five year old Billy Jr. 412 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: Was awakened by the shots in the next room and 413 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,160 Speaker 1: became the next victim, as the killer or killers had 414 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: to walk past him in order to get to the 415 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: master bedroom, where arguably their biggest threat, Billy Sr. Was located. 416 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: Why do you think Billy was in his bedroom? You know, 417 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,439 Speaker 1: that's the biggest question that I've always had. And I 418 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: know Steve slipt naked, So did you have a robe 419 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: on at some point? Or was he getting his robe? 420 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: Or was he in the shower banking? Those things I 421 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:40,479 Speaker 1: can't answer. I don't know the answer. I would love 422 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: to know. Remember that Billy Sr. Often called Steve by 423 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 1: his friends and family, was found dead inside the bathroom. 424 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: He was naked with six gunshot wounds. What Carol recalls 425 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: most about the crime scene is the bloodshed. So the 426 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: first thing I see is blood on the mirror, and 427 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: I can see blood all the way back. You know, 428 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: there's blood spewed here on the mirrors, flash of blood, 429 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: and I can tell that Steve's taken shots from this 430 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: ain't from this point. We know Steve's found in back room. 431 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: So I see the blood here on the mirror, and 432 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: then I can see it looks like he's being forced 433 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: back from the gunshots. And as he hits the bathroom doorway, 434 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: he puts his hand up and there's a hand front 435 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: in blood and then it's street ye down the wall. 436 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: As he's done, you can see it. Going back to 437 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: speculation that the mob could have been involved, organized crime 438 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: murders are generally clean, quick, without any camouflage whatsoever. You 439 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: either never hear about them or on the flip side, 440 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: HiT's very clear who did it so as to send 441 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: direct message. It was obvious to Detective Tom Cooper, the 442 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: lead investigator on the case, that there were surprise and 443 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: chaos involved in the Stevenson murders, and to burn the 444 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: house down that was done purely to cover up the homicides. 445 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: The way they Stevensons were killed there was execution style 446 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: and all of them each one of the vection of 447 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: gunshot wound on the head. So five year old Billy 448 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: Stevenson Jr. Was he shot at close range or was 449 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: it a stray bullet that killed him? I had heard 450 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: the stray bullet theory that durna possible Okay corral styles 451 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: shootout between Billy Sr. Linda, her brother Eddie, and their 452 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: killer or killers. An erratic, unintentional bullet went through a 453 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: wall and struck the child in the head. This could 454 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: be a plausible explanation for a five year old being 455 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: killed during a multiple murder situation. It kind of made 456 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: sense in theory. It won't straight board. I mean, he 457 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: was shot back ahead on the couch. Yeah, I mean 458 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: there's there's no and it was stipling. Stipling is an 459 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: important forensic piece of this case. Think of stipling as 460 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: small dots of black, like perhaps taking a pencil and 461 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: tapping the point of it against a sheet of paper 462 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: in a circle about the size of a half dollar. 463 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: When someone is shot at close range within two feet, 464 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: unburned particles of gunpowder akin to soot, spray onto the skin. 465 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: This is sometimes referred to as strike. Stipling found on 466 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: skin cannot be wiped away. It's very similar to a stain. 467 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: The presence of it indicates the person was shot at 468 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: close range within that two ft. The tighter the stipling 469 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:50,719 Speaker 1: or smaller the circle brings that range even closer. Billy Jr. 470 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 1: Had a small circle of obvious stippling traveling a very 471 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: short distance from the barrel of his killer's weapon to 472 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 1: the skin on his head. I saw the crime scene 473 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: photos myself. That child was executed. No stray bullet accidentally 474 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: hit Billy Jr. The only consolation, if there ever could 475 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: be one, is the hope that Billy was sleeping at 476 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: the time he was murdered. And what's interesting I think 477 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: is there's two different caliber bullets you guys begin finding 478 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: right coincidentally, these are the same caliber weapons I'm told 479 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: Jim Riley often carried and drove around with at all 480 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: times a Smith and Weston featherweight thirty eight or Smith 481 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: and Weston twenty two caliber pistol. But then perhaps probably 482 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: half the county did as well. What does that tell 483 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: you as a cop? Uh? Thank too? Shooters, Two people 484 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 1: walk in brandish weapons begin firing, executing an entire family. 485 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: From there, it becomes a question of why in the 486 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: next episode of Paper Ghosts, so we started calling and 487 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:22,959 Speaker 1: it just ring ring ring, no answer. Later that evening, 488 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:28,479 Speaker 1: I was at home watching the news and the news 489 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: flash was there was a family that was killed and 490 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: and burned in in the house and the name was 491 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: the same as the name I was calling. I was 492 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: so so ashamed of myself really for even thinking that, 493 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: because I really did believe it's him. I would have 494 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: laid down my soul. But it was hell start with, 495 00:33:50,600 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: we had a train that's oh my count you see yeah. 496 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 1: Paper Ghosts is written and executive produced by me Am 497 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: William Phelps and I Heart Executive producer Christina Everett with 498 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: script consultant Matthew Riddle, Audio editing and mixing by a 499 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: booze Afar thanks to Will Pearson at I Heart Radio. 500 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: Series theme number four four two is written and performed 501 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 1: by Thomas Phelps and Tom Mooney. For more podcasts from 502 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 503 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.