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Speaker 2: On January seventh, nineteen ninety five, at around twelve fifty pm,
Speaker 2: two women, Monica Jones and her girlfriend Cheryl Edwards. We're
Speaker 2: driving down Highway fifty six near Brockwell, Arkansas, when Cheryl
Speaker 2: saw smoke coming from a trailer. It was coming from
Speaker 2: the residence of forty three year old Connie Townsend. The
Speaker 2: two women pulled over and ran up to the trailer
Speaker 2: to try to help. At around that same time, another woman,
Speaker 2: Billy Brownie, arrived. Monica and Cheryl both desperately tried to
Speaker 2: get inside the trailer, but the heat was too intense.
Speaker 2: The trailer was already engulfed in flames. By the time
Speaker 2: the first officer from the Izard County Sheriff's Office and
Speaker 2: personnel from the Calico Rock Fire Department arrived on the scene,
Speaker 2: it was chaos. Monica told the responding officer that she
Speaker 2: and Cheryl were trying to check to see if anyone
Speaker 2: was alive in the trailer, but there was so much
Speaker 2: smoke that Cheryl was having trouble breathing. There was a
Speaker 2: lot of confusion at that scene, but all three women
Speaker 2: told the officer that they had seen a man. They
Speaker 2: said that he had arrived right before them and that
Speaker 2: he was driving a blue Forward Ranger. All three said
Speaker 2: he was a medium billed with blonde, curly hair, and
Speaker 2: that he was wearing a baseball cap. According to the
Speaker 2: police support, Monica said that while she was trying to
Speaker 2: break in, the mystery man was saying there wasn't anyone
Speaker 2: inside the trailer. But this mystery man had left the scene.
Speaker 2: No one saw him again. Monica said that they heard
Speaker 2: something inside the trailer, something that sounded like a baby crying.
Speaker 2: They could hear a high pitched voice someone screaming helped me.
Speaker 2: They were desperately trying to pry the door open, but
Speaker 2: the fire shot out the window and they had to
Speaker 2: back off. Cheryl said in her statement quote black smoke
Speaker 2: was boiling, and I could see a few feet inside
Speaker 2: the door end quote. She said that at some point
Speaker 2: the sound of what she described as the baby crying stopped.
Speaker 3: Cheryl was gasping for.
Speaker 2: Breath, and then Monica saw Dale Townsend, the owner of
Speaker 2: the trailer and the father of Connie's estranged husband, David Townsend, arrive.
Speaker 2: According to the police report, by the time police arrived,
Speaker 2: the officer noted there were about twenty to twenty five people.
Speaker 3: Standing in Connie's yard.
Speaker 2: Connie town burned to death while it seemed like half
Speaker 2: the town stood outside, and multiple people told police about
Speaker 2: threats she had received earlier that day, and yet thirty
Speaker 2: years later, no one has ever been arrested or charged
Speaker 2: in connection with her death.
Speaker 3: I'm Catherine Townsend.
Speaker 2: Over the past seven years of making my true crime
Speaker 2: podcast Helen Gone, I've learned that there is no such
Speaker 2: thing as a small town where murder never happens. I've
Speaker 2: received hundreds of messages from people all around the country
Speaker 2: asking for help with an unsolved murder that's affected them,
Speaker 2: their families, and their communities.
Speaker 3: If you have a.
Speaker 2: Case you'd like me and my team to look into,
Speaker 2: you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone
Speaker 2: Murder Line at six seven eight seven four four six
Speaker 2: one four five. That's six seven eight seven four four six'
Speaker 2: one four, five or you can send us a message
Speaker 2: On instagram At helen. Gonepod this Is Helen Gone Murder.
Speaker 2: Line Connie townshend's murder is very well known In, Brockwell.
Speaker 2: Arkansas even though it's been thirty, years people still talk
Speaker 2: about it all the. Time in, FACT i found out
Speaker 2: About Connie townshend's murder in twenty. EIGHTEEN i was in
Speaker 2: the Guy on area Investigating Rebecca goulds murder for season
Speaker 2: one Of Helen, gone AND i remember it. VI i
Speaker 2: was at The Possum trot gas station AND i was
Speaker 2: talking to the clerk. THERE i asked him About Rebecca gould's.
Speaker 3: CASE i told.
Speaker 2: Him my name Was Catherine townsend and the first thing
Speaker 2: he asked me was IF i was any kin To Connie.
Speaker 2: TOWNSEND i, Said i'm not related to. Her we just
Speaker 2: happened to have the same last. Name it's a complete.
Speaker 2: Coincidence he told me that she had burned to death
Speaker 2: and that everybody knew who did, it but that no
Speaker 2: one had ever been arrested or, charged and he believed
Speaker 2: no one ever would. Be we were able to do
Speaker 2: a foyer request and got some copies of the police
Speaker 2: report from The Arkansas State. Police at the, Scene Billy,
Speaker 2: browning one of the, witnesses told the officer that she
Speaker 2: had Moved connie's red car so the fire department vehicles
Speaker 2: could get in closer to the. Trailer she told the
Speaker 2: officer that when she got into the car to move,
Speaker 2: it she noticed that there was a purse sitting on
Speaker 2: the passenger, seat so the officer took the purse and
Speaker 2: looked through. It police noted in their report that when
Speaker 2: they went inside the, car it was undamaged in the.
Speaker 2: Fire all Of connie's things were inside, it including her
Speaker 2: black purse with black and brown, wallet all of her credit,
Speaker 2: cards some checks made out to her for small amounts of,
Speaker 2: money and two hundred and eleven dollars in. Cash so
Speaker 2: if the fire was not an, accident if it was,
Speaker 2: arson robbery was probably not the motive. Here connie's sister
Speaker 2: and brother in, Law delores And John, brown both later
Speaker 2: told police That Connie townshend was divorcing her estranged, Husband.
Speaker 2: David delores said that she had talked To connie several
Speaker 2: times that day and That connie had said she was
Speaker 2: planning on moving. Out delores said That connie was scared
Speaker 2: of her husband and That david had Threatened connie in the.
Speaker 2: Past david And connie had two, Daughters Stacy lane And amber.
Speaker 2: Want david also had a son from another. Relationship his
Speaker 2: name Was David. Lynn connie was his. Stepmother amber had
Speaker 2: been staying With connie in the residence that burned. Down connie's,
Speaker 2: Daughter stacey lived In, salem which is about eighteen miles
Speaker 2: down the road From. Well stacey told detectives that her
Speaker 2: father had threatened her mother's. Life in, fact she Said
Speaker 2: david had Threatened connie the same day the trailer burned.
Speaker 3: Down we talked To Stacy.
Speaker 2: Namber they said they Remember david verbally abusing their mother
Speaker 2: since they were.
Speaker 4: Young it seemed like all the time when we were,
Speaker 4: little EVEN i remember listening to it from our. Bedroom
Speaker 4: don't you Use Stacy.
Speaker 5: WELL i remember on fighting all the.
Speaker 4: Time frighten all the.
Speaker 1: Time.
Speaker 5: Yeah living with him was like walking on. EGGSHELLS i
Speaker 5: mean he drank from the time he got up he
Speaker 5: hits the vodka bottle until the time he went to,
Speaker 5: bed and we all walked on. Eggshells if the dirty
Speaker 5: dishes were, there he saw at, it or if you
Speaker 5: left your curling iron on too, long he fought in the.
Speaker 4: TRASH i remember the dish has been in the in
Speaker 4: the trash when we got home one day Because mom
Speaker 4: wasn't washing when we left or.
Speaker 5: SOMETHING i don't remember the physical threats as far as that.
Speaker 5: Goes it's because when we were, little we just went
Speaker 5: to our. Bedroom now that, morning WHEN i talked to
Speaker 5: her because me And amber we had to work that,
Speaker 5: morning it backed. You lafeb was the only reason we
Speaker 5: didn't help her. Move and WHEN i called, her she
Speaker 5: said That david had already been, there AND i, said,
Speaker 5: oh and she, said, yeah he's already been here and
Speaker 5: threatened me with bodily. Harm of, course you don't ever
Speaker 5: think it'll happen to.
Speaker 4: YOU i remember him telling, her if you Believe i'm
Speaker 4: going to burn the house and everything in, it he,
Speaker 4: said you had her grandpa that had died in a
Speaker 4: house fire and they never found out, why and he,
Speaker 4: SAID i KNOW i can do this thing to.
Speaker 2: You connie And david's marriage had been rocky for quite some.
Speaker 2: Time according to police, records they had been separated for
Speaker 2: around four, years but from reading through the incident, report
Speaker 2: the timeline is a bit confusing Because david said he
Speaker 2: lived full time in the home With connie until around
Speaker 2: a year before the, fire but he also said he
Speaker 2: And connie had not been intimate on a regular basis
Speaker 2: for around eighteen.
Speaker 3: Months it seems like things were.
Speaker 2: Complicated and that even Though david And connie were, separated
Speaker 2: he had a habit of dropping by whenever he. Wanted
Speaker 2: connie's daughters told Us david would stop by even after
Speaker 2: he And connie were, separated and That connie knew that
Speaker 2: she was on a deadline to move, out because they
Speaker 2: said she had recently found out the home was not
Speaker 2: in their, name hers And, david's but actually owned By david's,
Speaker 2: Father Dale. Townsend, stacy And amber said that money was
Speaker 2: tight and That david had a drinking.
Speaker 5: Problem when me And ambers first moved in with, him
Speaker 5: he had a good, job he worked At Colors, hall
Speaker 5: and he always took a thermos of vodka with. Him
Speaker 5: ever not he finally got, fired and THEN i don't.
Speaker 3: Think he worked after.
Speaker 5: That he just depended on mom's chick from the shirt.
Speaker 2: Factory at the time of the, fire conn had been
Speaker 2: living in the trailer on her, own While david stayed
Speaker 2: with his mother and. Father evidence found at the scene
Speaker 2: seemed to confirm What connie's daughters told police That connie
Speaker 2: had been packing up her stuff and planning to move
Speaker 2: out that. Day the trailer burned all the way to the.
Speaker 2: Ground all that remained were some beams and the bricks
Speaker 2: that were around the. Fireplace we will be sharing parts
Speaker 2: of the case file on Our instagram BECAUSE i do
Speaker 2: need some help and detective work from people who live
Speaker 2: in the. Community i'll explain more about that. Later once
Speaker 2: the fire department put out the smoldering remains of the,
Speaker 2: Trailer connie's body was found lying face down on the
Speaker 2: floor of a bedroom that.
Speaker 3: Was being used as a utility.
Speaker 2: Room connie's daughters questioned that they say that was a
Speaker 2: junk room That connie rarely went, into so they wondered
Speaker 2: why was she in there and why couldn't she get?
Speaker 2: Out and there was something else strange found With. Connie
Speaker 2: there was a pair of scissors found underneath her. Body
Speaker 2: why Was, connie in the words of the Fire marshal's, report.
Speaker 3: Trapped in that.
Speaker 2: Room why couldn't she crawl out a window or get
Speaker 2: out the? Door and why were there scissors found underneath her?
Speaker 2: Body connie's daughters provided us with a copy of her autopsy.
Speaker 2: Report this has never been made. Public in that report
Speaker 2: Were connie's autopsy, photos which are. Heartbreaking her daughters say
Speaker 2: they have not looked at the photos and they don't plan,
Speaker 2: to and looking through, THEM i can definitely understand WHY
Speaker 2: i am studying these photos thoroughly to look for any potential.
Speaker 2: Clues it's especially jarring to see the photos Of connie
Speaker 2: from the crime scene juxtaposed with other pictures that were
Speaker 2: part of the case, file mainly polaroids of her hanging
Speaker 2: out inside her home with her daughters and. Pets according
Speaker 2: to the, Report connie's entire body was burned beyond. Recognition
Speaker 2: her skin was. Black the autopsy described her organs as.
Speaker 2: Cooked i'm not an arson, expert But i've actually never
Speaker 2: seen a.
Speaker 3: Fire victim described like. That those are the words in
Speaker 3: the autopsy, report not.
Speaker 2: Mine whatever happened in there must have happened very, fast
Speaker 2: fast enough to engulf the trailer Before connie was able
Speaker 2: to get. Out the report said there was complete charring
Speaker 2: Of connie's chest and abdominal, walls and that they could
Speaker 2: not find other evidence of injury like blunt force, trauma for.
Speaker 2: Example but after looking at these photos and how completely
Speaker 2: she was, BURNED i wonder if with that much tissue,
Speaker 2: damage if it would even be possible to tell if
Speaker 2: there was evidence of. Trauma the cause of death was
Speaker 2: listed as smoke and soot. Inhalation the manner of death was,
Speaker 2: undetermined and if that was the cause of. Death Was
Speaker 2: connie alive when the fire hit or is it possible
Speaker 2: that she was dead or injured before the fire. Started
Speaker 2: so now we have a woman dead and multiple, people
Speaker 2: including the victim's own, children telling police that her relationship
Speaker 2: with her husband had been volatile and that he had threatened,
Speaker 2: her including threats on the same day when she was
Speaker 2: moving out of their home the day of the. Fire
Speaker 2: police Interviewed David townsend at The Izard County sheriff's office
Speaker 2: On january, thirteenth nineteen ninety. Five david told police that
Speaker 2: on the morning of the, Fire, Saturday january, seventh nineteen ninety,
Speaker 2: five that he woke up at his parents' house around five.
Speaker 3: Am he ate breakfast between.
Speaker 2: Six and, seven and then he was supposed to go
Speaker 2: to the farm with his, father But david said he
Speaker 2: was having a problem with his.
Speaker 3: Car it was iced, up so he de iced the
Speaker 3: car with a portable.
Speaker 2: Heater, then at around eight to nine, am he left
Speaker 2: his parents residence and went over to the trailer Where
Speaker 2: connie was. Living david admitted that he argued With connie
Speaker 2: while he was. There he said that they were were
Speaker 2: arguing over who was supposed to help her move. Out
Speaker 2: david said that he offered to Help, connie but she
Speaker 2: told him she didn't want his. Help she wanted her
Speaker 2: two brothers in, Law John brown And Arnie hutchinson to help,
Speaker 2: her and for some, Reason david didn't want those guys
Speaker 2: to help. Her david said that after having words With,
Speaker 2: connie he. Left he wasn't exactly sure what time he,
Speaker 2: left but he estimated it was around nine thirty. Am
Speaker 2: he said he got back to his parents' residence at
Speaker 2: around ten. Am david said that after that he talked
Speaker 2: to his parents About connie moving out and explained that
Speaker 2: she didn't want him around while she was. Moving david
Speaker 2: said that his Son David lynn arrived at his parents
Speaker 2: house sometime that. Afternoon he said he got the times mixed.
Speaker 2: Up at, first he said he Thought David lynn got
Speaker 2: there at around, eleven but he later told police he
Speaker 2: realized he had been wrong about that. Time david stated
Speaker 2: that he his, son his, mother and father had. Lunch
Speaker 2: they had a, sandwich and that sometime between twelve forty
Speaker 2: and one, pm his Son David lynne suggested they go.
Speaker 2: Fishing david said that he said, Okay David lynn picked
Speaker 2: up some, tackle and they took their rods and reels
Speaker 2: and headed. Out david said their plan was to go
Speaker 2: fishing at The White.
Speaker 3: River.
Speaker 2: Now police asked him at that point if they were
Speaker 2: going to go out there without a, boat And david said.
Speaker 2: Yes he said that before, leaving he went back into
Speaker 2: the house and told his mom and dad where they were.
Speaker 2: Going david said that his mom and dad asked when
Speaker 2: they would be, back And david made a joke and
Speaker 2: said probably in a. Week then he Said he And
Speaker 2: David lynn left the home sometime after one pm and
Speaker 2: they started driving Toward Calico.
Speaker 3: Rock he said that along the way they stopped at a.
Speaker 2: Harps david bought a can of corn and a can
Speaker 2: opener and got a coke from a machine. There from,
Speaker 2: there he, said they went to fish off a river.
Speaker 2: Bank he said he wasn't sure how long they were out,
Speaker 2: there but that it was after THREE pm by the
Speaker 2: time they got back to his parents'. House police Asked
Speaker 2: david if there had been any witnesses who could confirm this.
Speaker 2: Story david did mention seeing a couple of people at
Speaker 2: harps and out in the, field but he said that
Speaker 2: these people couldn't see, him so in the end there
Speaker 2: was no one other Than David lynn who could verify
Speaker 2: the fishing trip all. By David lynn did verify his father's.
Speaker 2: Story he said they were out fishing that. Day david
Speaker 2: said that when he and his son were heading back,
Speaker 2: home and we're in the area Of Spring creek off
Speaker 2: the main, highway they saw his Father dale coming toward.
Speaker 2: Them he said that it was just his father driving the,
Speaker 2: vehicle a nineteen ninety FOUR gmc maroon and.
Speaker 3: Silver four wheel drive pickup.
Speaker 2: TRUCK i mention everyone's vehicle making models here by the,
Speaker 2: way because there are several unidentified vehicles seen At connie's,
Speaker 2: trailer and we're trying to figure out who owned those.
Speaker 2: Vehicles david said he glanced down at a clock in the.
Speaker 2: Truck he believed it read either three fourteen or three SIXTEEN.
Speaker 2: Pm he said his father hit the brakes and signaled
Speaker 2: For david to pull over to the side of the,
Speaker 2: road which he said he. Did at that, Point david
Speaker 2: told police that his Father, dale said he had bad
Speaker 2: news for. Him david said he asked what. Happened his
Speaker 2: dad told him the trailer had burned. Down he had
Speaker 2: said his father was shaking at the time and it
Speaker 2: seemed like he was. Distraught david said that's when his
Speaker 2: father told, him that's not the.
Speaker 3: Worst they think someone's in.
Speaker 2: There, then he said that he And David lynne followed
Speaker 2: his father and all went back to their. Residence after,
Speaker 2: that he said they all went to the trailer Where
Speaker 2: connie had been. Living david said that when they got,
Speaker 2: there a crowd had formed, outside and that while he
Speaker 2: was talking to, police someone called him over to the
Speaker 2: side and told him they had found something in the
Speaker 2: trailer and for him to get out of, there so
Speaker 2: he said he got into his truck and drove back
Speaker 2: to his parents'. House david told police that after getting
Speaker 2: back to his parents', house he never returned to the.
Speaker 2: Scene he said he never left his father's house until
Speaker 2: he got woken up at around eleven. Pm we did
Speaker 2: try to reach out To David, lynne but we learned that,
Speaker 2: he as well As david's, parents have all passed. Away
Speaker 2: police Asked david about his relationship With. Connie he said
Speaker 2: that he And connie had separated around four years. Earlier
Speaker 2: he said he had not lived with her at her
Speaker 2: residence for the past. Year, again he admitted to police
Speaker 2: that he was there on the day of the, fire
Speaker 2: but he said he And connie never had a big.
Speaker 2: Argument he said the only disagreement they had was about
Speaker 2: what he'd already told. Police david said that he found
Speaker 2: Out connie had filed for divorce three days, earlier and
Speaker 2: he found that out after his father told him he
Speaker 2: had a registered letter at the post. Office but he
Speaker 2: said the divorce had not been a total shock Because
Speaker 2: connie had said she was going to file for, Divorce
Speaker 2: david said because he had gotten A. Dwi Apparently connie
Speaker 2: was afraid that because of that charge that her car
Speaker 2: insurance rates could go. Up because of, that she wanted
Speaker 2: to get the divorce paperwork, processed and he knew. That
Speaker 2: connie's Daughter stacy And, amber And connie's mother all told
Speaker 2: police they were very suspicious Of david because he had made.
Speaker 2: Threats connie's mother said in a sworn statement That david
Speaker 2: had been threatening her daughter for a, while but she
Speaker 2: Said connie had not really taken the threat seriously up
Speaker 2: until the months leading up to her. Death david was
Speaker 2: there on the day of the, fire on the day
Speaker 2: When connie was moving, out and shortly after he left the,
Speaker 2: residence her house burned to the. Ground and there were
Speaker 2: other things that were odd at that, scene including the family.
Speaker 2: Dog connie And david had a black dog Named, bobo
Speaker 2: and the dog was normally kept chained On connie's. Property
Speaker 2: when he wasn't, inside he was chained to the carport,
Speaker 2: outside but on the day of the, fire the dog
Speaker 2: was nowhere to be. Found did someone unchain the? Dog if,
Speaker 2: so who did it and? Why when detectives Searched Connie townsend's,
Speaker 2: vehicle they found evidence that she and her daughter had
Speaker 2: been packing to. Leave one thing detectives found was children's
Speaker 2: baby clothing in plastic, bags and there was something, else
Speaker 2: a black overnight bag with clothing as in it and. Condoms,
Speaker 2: now investigating a murder puts you in a weird position
Speaker 2: of feeling like you're invading someone's privacy at the same,
Speaker 2: time it's necessary to ask these types of invasive questions
Speaker 2: in order to help solve.
Speaker 3: Cases so one natural.
Speaker 2: Question that came up for me was Was connie planning
Speaker 2: on going to see?
Speaker 3: Someone was she dating anyone at that? Time but that
Speaker 3: question was quickly.
Speaker 2: Answered connie's, Daughter amber told us, that to her, knowledge
Speaker 2: her mother was not dating. Anyone amber also said the
Speaker 2: condoms and overnight bag were. Hers she said that her
Speaker 2: mom's stuff and her stuff was mixed up because.
Speaker 3: They were moving.
Speaker 2: Together On january, thirteenth nineteen ninety, Five David townshend consented
Speaker 2: to taking a voice stress test at The Baxter County Sheriff's.
Speaker 2: Office voice stress, tests also known as voice stress, analysis
Speaker 2: measure very subtle differences in a person's voice while they're
Speaker 2: being questioned in an attempt to detect, deception but like hoolygraph,
Speaker 2: test they are not admissible in, court and their usefulness
Speaker 2: and effectiveness has been questioned. Extensively in two thousand and,
Speaker 2: eight The National institute Of justice did a study that
Speaker 2: found THAT bsa was only accurate about fifty percent of
Speaker 2: the time in a field, Setting so, basically the study
Speaker 2: found THAT vsa was no more reliable than flipping a. Coin,
Speaker 2: now the investigator notes indicated that the stress test results
Speaker 2: would be part of the case, file but they.
Speaker 3: Weren't there were remarks in.
Speaker 2: The case file that indicated that police believed That david was,
Speaker 2: susceptive but a lot of parts of this case file
Speaker 2: appear to be missing or cut. Off investigators also talked
Speaker 2: To David. Lynn David lynn confirmed that he and his
Speaker 2: father were fishing at the time of the house, Fire
Speaker 2: so if this was, arson and If david was, elsewhere
Speaker 2: who else could have been. Involved there are handwritten notes
Speaker 2: in the police case. File some of them involved Joe Anne,
Speaker 2: ellis a woman Who Davevid townsend was dating at the
Speaker 2: time Of connie's. Death according to the police, report they
Speaker 2: had been together for a. While Joe anne And david
Speaker 2: had actually been dating for around three years. Now it
Speaker 2: would seem as Though david's girlfriend would be a natural
Speaker 2: person to talk, to and yet there's no record of
Speaker 2: any law enforcement interview with her in this case. File
Speaker 2: maybe that part of the case file was. Lost maybe
Speaker 2: she was never. Questioned we just don't know for. Sure
Speaker 2: but one of the most cryptic notes in the case
Speaker 2: file is on the handwritten notes. Page at the, bottom it, reads,
Speaker 2: quote talk To eddie About Joeanne.
Speaker 3: Ellis Was joanne With David townsend at the? Time end.
Speaker 2: Quote we are trying to figure out Who eddie is
Speaker 2: and when we, do hopefully we'll find. Him there's another
Speaker 2: interesting thing about Joe Anne. Ellis back in nineteen ninety
Speaker 2: she was involved in allegations of another. FIRE a trailer
Speaker 2: that she had been living at caught fire and burned
Speaker 2: to the. Ground and then in nineteen ninety, two Both
Speaker 2: joanne and an acquaintance of hers Name, ronnie were charged
Speaker 2: in connection with the. Fire Joe anne was charged with
Speaker 2: solicitation to commit, arson which she pleaded guilty. To ronnie
Speaker 2: was charged with arson and theft of. Property he pleaded
Speaker 2: guilty to the theft of, property but the arson charges
Speaker 2: against him were. Dismissed in the, end both Joe anne
Speaker 2: And ronnie got, probation but there was nothing more About
Speaker 2: joanne's previous charges In Connie townsend's case. File it seemed
Speaker 2: to be just another lead that went. Nowhere Joe Anne
Speaker 2: ellis passed away several years, ago about a year after
Speaker 2: she And David townshend were, married so we can't ask.
Speaker 2: Her Was connie's trailer burning down an accident or a
Speaker 2: homicide and potential arson. Investigation there is a report from
Speaker 2: the fire marshal and an electrician went in with law
Speaker 2: enforcement and looked at the service, box the fuse, box
Speaker 2: and the dryer's electrical. Cord Now i'm going to read
Speaker 2: directly from this because i am not an. Electrician they
Speaker 2: found that the service box had been, shorted and that
Speaker 2: there was arching on the hot wire caused by the,
Speaker 2: short and also that one breaker switch was off and
Speaker 2: one was. On the electrician stated that in their, opinion
Speaker 2: the short could have contributed to or caused the fire
Speaker 2: that destroyed the. Trailer so the trailer fire could have
Speaker 2: been an, accident but a lot of people believed that
Speaker 2: the evidence pointed to. Arson there are other potential clues
Speaker 2: buried in the case, fall including some other handwritten. Notes
Speaker 2: they were written by someone with The Arkansas State, police
Speaker 2: and they indicate that at one point police suspected that
Speaker 2: an accelerant like gasoline had been, used because while the
Speaker 2: fire report said they didn't find any signs of. Accelerant
Speaker 2: one of the handwritten, notes which frustratingly was one of
Speaker 2: the hardest to, Decipher reid's quote they started at the
Speaker 2: living room and went to kitchen throwing diesel gas end.
Speaker 2: Quote just because accelerant is not found to the scene
Speaker 2: doesn't mean that accelerant wasn't. Used it might have all burned.
Speaker 2: Up we need to get more details on that note
Speaker 2: and on other handwritten, notes including one that reads Blue
Speaker 2: chevy later seventies was parked on road Behind connie's. Trailer
Speaker 2: this probably refers to the vehicle that the three women
Speaker 2: who arrived at the scene first said they, saw the
Speaker 2: one that was driven by the curly haired man, who
Speaker 2: to my, knowledge has never been. Identified police were building
Speaker 2: a case Against David, townsend but they had some, roadblocks
Speaker 2: including the fact that the manner of death was still.
Speaker 2: Undetermined the prosecuting attorney at the time WAS. Tj, hovey
Speaker 2: and in nineteen ninety, six his office filed a subpoena
Speaker 2: in order to get a complete copy Of connie.
Speaker 3: And david's divorce case.
Speaker 2: File just a few months After connie's, death On august twenty,
Speaker 2: first nineteen ninety, Five David townshend remarried to Joe Anne.
Speaker 2: Ellis one natural question That i'm sure occurred to investigators was,
Speaker 2: who if, anyone stood to profit From connie's, Death and
Speaker 2: there's evidence in the case file that investigators did try
Speaker 2: to follow the. Money In january of nineteen ninety, Six
Speaker 2: Izard county issued a subpoena for all insurance records pertaining
Speaker 2: To Connie, Townsend and there was something else in the
Speaker 2: case file related To connie's work insurance. Policy connie worked
Speaker 2: At White RIVER T shirts factory for many, years she
Speaker 2: would be eligible for life insurance payouts from her. Job
Speaker 2: there's something called A. CSOP i learned that this is
Speaker 2: a type of work insurance. Policy Since connie had worked
Speaker 2: At White RIVER T shirts factory for many, years she
Speaker 2: was eligible for life insurance payouts from her. Job police
Speaker 2: talked To Arlene. Martz arlene said that sometime In october
Speaker 2: of nineteen ninety, four That connie had come in and
Speaker 2: wanted to talk to. Her arlene told Police connie was
Speaker 2: asking questions about Getting david removed as the primary beneficiary
Speaker 2: of her life insurance. Policy arlene Said connie apparently wanted
Speaker 2: to name her daughters as primary beneficiaries and to Take
Speaker 2: david off the. Policy arlene said that she explained To
Speaker 2: connie that Because connie And david were legally, married that
Speaker 2: making a change like that would Require david's, signature And
Speaker 2: arlene Said connie told Her david would never sign that.
Speaker 2: Form arlene said that she Gave connie a new life
Speaker 2: insurance enrollment, form but That connie never returned that. Form
Speaker 2: police also talked to Joe Anne ellis's, Son Michael Wade.
Speaker 2: Bailey michael told investigators On january sixteenth that he had
Speaker 2: just moved back To arkansas From tennessee and that he
Speaker 2: had been staying With david and his, mother Joe.
Speaker 3: Anne he told.
Speaker 2: Police that once When david was, drunk That david Told
Speaker 2: michael that he Killed, connie But michael Said david didn't
Speaker 2: provide any additional details beyond that one, statement and there's
Speaker 2: no record that police ever Interviewed michael. Again there were
Speaker 2: other leads that were apparently never ruled.
Speaker 3: Out on the.
Speaker 2: Day of the, fire a witness Named Jackie stacy said
Speaker 2: she was driving On highway fifty. Six she said she
Speaker 2: Passed connie's house and noticed a black truck with multicolored
Speaker 2: stripes and chrome rims parked outside at around ten thirty
Speaker 2: or eleven am on the Morning connie. Died who was
Speaker 2: driving this truck and were they ever found or. Questioned
Speaker 2: there was another witness Named Peggy. Would she said that
Speaker 2: on the night after the, fire That David townsend showed
Speaker 2: up at her house in a Black. Chevy she said
Speaker 2: it was approximately eight THIRTY pm and That david was
Speaker 2: with a friend of his and That david quote wanted
Speaker 2: to come in and.
Speaker 3: Let his friend get acquainted with me end.
Speaker 2: Quote she Said david hung out there in her yard
Speaker 2: for about ten to fifteen minutes and said he was
Speaker 2: saying she, burned and then. Left peggy said that she
Speaker 2: assumed That david wasn't her, words drunk or. High peggy,
Speaker 2: said according to the, report Quote connie told me just
Speaker 2: a few days before the fire that she was scared
Speaker 2: Of David. Townsend and that he had told her that
Speaker 2: she was not going to divorce, him and, Said i'll
Speaker 2: kill you or make sure nobody gets you except me
Speaker 2: if you divorce.
Speaker 3: Me end.
Speaker 2: Quote connie's, Daughter, stacey told police that at approximately ten
Speaker 2: am On january, seventh she called her. Mother she said
Speaker 2: that she was planning on helping her move out of
Speaker 2: the house that. Day stacy, said, QUOTE i asked her
Speaker 2: If David townsend had been. There she said, yes and
Speaker 2: then he threatened to call the law if she tried
Speaker 2: to take anything out of the. House she also, said
Speaker 2: repeatedly he threatened her with bodily. Harm she didn't sound.
Speaker 2: Right her voice was shaky and sounded kind of.
Speaker 3: Edgy end.
Speaker 2: Quote stacy, said quote while me and my sister were
Speaker 2: living at the, house on numerous, occasions he had threatened
Speaker 2: to burn the house.
Speaker 3: Down end.
Speaker 2: Quote at some, Point Izard county turned the case over
Speaker 2: to The Arkansas State.
Speaker 3: Police in nineteen ninety.
Speaker 2: Five a status report made by an investigator Named Robert
Speaker 2: hicks indicated that the case was still active at the.
Speaker 2: Time the prosecuting attorney for the Sixteenth Judicial district Of
Speaker 2: arkansas Was Thomas James, hively known AS. Tj but On
Speaker 2: Friday april twenty, sixth nineteen ninety, six INVESTIGATOR. T. H
Speaker 2: brown of The Arkansas State police had a conference With,
Speaker 2: tjhvely and according to the investigator's, report after reviewing the, EVIDENCE.
Speaker 2: Tj hively determined there was not enough evidence at that
Speaker 2: point to charge a suspect and concluded that the case
Speaker 2: file should be carried forward as an inactive. Investigation the
Speaker 2: report read quote all investigative leads have been. Exhausted end.
Speaker 2: Quote there's something. Else one other thing to note ABOUT.
Speaker 5: Tj.
Speaker 3: Hively he was the cousin Of David.
Speaker 2: Townsend if you're not From, arkansas you may not have
Speaker 2: heard the Name, Tjhively but.
Speaker 3: In the state Of, arkansas the name is pretty.
Speaker 2: Notorious tjhively was the prosecuting attorney for the Sixteenth Judicial,
Speaker 2: district which Includes Isra, county until nineteen ninety, eight five
Speaker 2: years After connie's trailer. Fire in two, THOUSAND. Tj and
Speaker 2: his law partner and deputy prosecuting, Attorney Wesley John, kettz
Speaker 2: were convicted of mail, fraud money, laundering and. Racketeering this
Speaker 2: was a huge news. Story they were charged with sixty
Speaker 2: four accounts in, Total many of the charges were related
Speaker 2: to two schemes to obtain federal and state grant. Money
Speaker 2: there were also other. Charges according to court, Documents tjhvely
Speaker 2: and a colleague extorted several people during his time as
Speaker 2: a prosecuting, attorney including a man who was charged with,
Speaker 2: molestation a woman whose husband was charged with, murder and
Speaker 2: another man who was charged with drunk.
Speaker 3: DRIVING.
Speaker 2: Tj hively was accused of extorting all three of these.
Speaker 2: People after a federal jury, Trial tjhvely was eventually acquitted
Speaker 2: of money laundering, charges but he was convicted of mail
Speaker 2: fraud and the deputy prosecutor was convicted of aiding and a.
Speaker 2: Betting they were also both convicted of. Racketeering tjhively was
Speaker 2: sentenced to concurrent five year sentences for each count and
Speaker 2: ordered to repay the almost four hundred and thirty thousand
Speaker 2: dollars he received from the.
Speaker 3: Grants, now nothing ABOUT.
Speaker 2: Tj hively's trial and charges mentioned anything About Connie townsend's.
Speaker 3: Case, HOWEVER. Tj hively was a cousin Of David.
Speaker 2: Townsend And i'm bringing this up because we have a
Speaker 2: situation where the person responsible for deciding whether charges were
Speaker 2: brought against one of his own relatives was convicted of
Speaker 2: serious charges later that related to alleged misuse of his.
Speaker 3: Office did the fact THAT.
Speaker 2: Tj hovey was a cousin Of David townsend's affect the
Speaker 2: investigation in any? WAY i think it's a question that's worth.
Speaker 2: Asking with the, caveat of, course we don't know if
Speaker 2: they were. Close we don't know If david was a distant.
Speaker 2: Cousin these are small, towns and, honestly it often seems
Speaker 2: like everyone.
Speaker 3: Is related in one way or.
Speaker 2: Another after the prosecutors declined to pursue charges Against david
Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety, Six Connie townshend's case went. Cold eleven years,
Speaker 2: later in two thousand and, Seven connie's Daughter stacy reached
Speaker 2: out to The Arkansas State police to try and get
Speaker 2: a copy of her mother's case. File in two thousand and,
Speaker 2: nine she tried. Again both times she was.
Speaker 5: Unsuccessful Ezrad county really didn't say anything The State police.
Speaker 5: Die he told me that he really really felt That
Speaker 5: david done, it but he just did not have enough.
Speaker 5: Proof he was six and a retire he, said and he,
Speaker 5: SAID i would love to solve this case BEFORE i.
Speaker 5: RETIREMENT i just don't have enough proof at. All if
Speaker 5: we took him the court and he set free and
Speaker 5: there's nothing we can do about. It we went to
Speaker 5: the prosecute an attorney to see if he would sussecute,
Speaker 5: him and he said, NO i just do not have enough.
Speaker 5: Evidence there's NOTHING i can do about. It it ended.
Speaker 2: There WHICH i really can't understand because at the, time
Speaker 2: as we, said the case file had been labeled. INACTIVE
Speaker 2: i get that police are in a hard. Position obviously
Speaker 2: they don't want to turn over information that would only
Speaker 2: be known to the. Killer but it does seem Like
Speaker 2: connie's case, was like so many other cases we've, seen
Speaker 2: in an investigative dead, zone not officially, closed so the
Speaker 2: files can't be released a family or the general, public
Speaker 2: but also no one is working on. Them we've seen
Speaker 2: the emails sent by members of The Arkansas State police
Speaker 2: where they're talking About stacy reaching out and about her
Speaker 2: wanting a copy of the case, File and from those,
Speaker 2: emails it's clear that the police's prime suspect Was David.
Speaker 2: Townsend so what really happened To Connie? Townsend is there
Speaker 2: a way of figuring that out?
Speaker 3: Out after? All this. Time in my, opinion if there is.
Speaker 2: Ever going to be justice in this, case it's going
Speaker 2: to come from a piece of information from someone in the,
Speaker 2: community someone who was around at the, time not from physical.
Speaker 2: EVIDENCE i say that partially because we learn. That In
Speaker 2: august of twenty twenty, one another, Officer Jackie, stinnett asked
Speaker 2: about the status of evidence that had been seized by
Speaker 2: The State police investigators and sent to The Arkansas State Crime.
Speaker 2: Lab it turned out that the ORIGINAL asp investigator had
Speaker 2: kept some of the, evidence including some burned photos and
Speaker 2: an electrical, plug but it was noted in the report
Speaker 2: that almost all the other items in this case were,
Speaker 2: missing which means tragically that they are almost certainly lost.
Speaker 2: Forever there were only two pieces of evidence, left the
Speaker 2: frames to a pair of, glasses Which connie's daughters say
Speaker 2: were almost certainly hers because she wore, glasses and the
Speaker 2: pair of scissors that were found Under connie's. Body in
Speaker 2: twenty twenty, two a case master report by The Arkansas
Speaker 2: State police indicates that the arson and homicide investigation Into
Speaker 2: Connie townsend's death was officially. Closed Arkansas State police Investigator
Speaker 2: Dennis simons met With. Stacy he told her he had
Speaker 2: reviewed the initial case file and he did not believe
Speaker 2: that there was enough information to change the manner of
Speaker 2: death from pending to. HOMICIDE i believe that there are
Speaker 2: other potential clues in this case. File next week we're
Speaker 2: going to release never before seen pages of this case.
Speaker 2: File we're going to try to figure out If connie's
Speaker 2: house fire could have been an, accident or if there
Speaker 2: are other clues buried in the file that point to.
Speaker 2: Arson and Was David townshend the police's only suspect or
Speaker 2: could other people have been? Involved who was the curly
Speaker 2: haired mystery man at the crime scene and who was
Speaker 2: driving the black truck with the bright colored. Stripes remember
Speaker 2: WHEN i said back at the, beginning we were going
Speaker 2: to be sharing parts of this case file On, instagram
Speaker 2: and THEN i SAID i needed help and detective work.
Speaker 3: From people who lived in the.
Speaker 2: Community we are going to be posting images of this case.
Speaker 3: File i'm going to post them on My.
Speaker 2: Instagram the handle is At Love detective and also at Helen.
Speaker 2: Gonpod there are a lot of case file notes that
Speaker 2: are kind of these cryptic. Scribblings they have partial names
Speaker 2: and a few, details but a lot of them are cut.
Speaker 2: Off i'm hoping there's someone out there who can help
Speaker 2: fill in some of these. Blanks there were twenty to
Speaker 2: twenty five people Outside Connie townsend's. House i'm asking everyone
Speaker 2: to please look at these notes and if you can
Speaker 2: help solve this, mystery please reach. Out even though most
Speaker 2: of the people who were questioned or who were in
Speaker 2: any way involved in this case are, DEAD i believe
Speaker 2: we can still help get justice For connie's.
Speaker 5: FAMILY i know that justice will never be so AND
Speaker 5: i know no one will ever go to, jail old,
Speaker 5: prison be. Arrested that's. Fine i've accepted. THAT i can
Speaker 5: get by with. That BUT i just WISH i knew
Speaker 5: what happened that day and what happened to. Her they
Speaker 5: done something to her that day that she didn't get
Speaker 5: out of that, House AND i just wish somebody would
Speaker 5: just tell me SO i could just get on with,
Speaker 5: it get on with my life and kind of put
Speaker 5: it to the closure and just get mom a boys
Speaker 5: and so like she really never got a, Voice she
Speaker 5: just got. Forgotten ye pushed under the, rug and somebody knows.
Speaker 3: Something I'm Catherine.
Speaker 2: Townsend this Is Helen Gone Murder. Line Helen Gone Murder
Speaker 2: line is a production Of school Of humans And iHeart.
Speaker 2: Podcasts it's written and narrated by Me Catherine townsend and
Speaker 2: produced By Gabby. Watts special thanks To Amy tubbs for
Speaker 2: her research assistance And.
Speaker 3: James wheaton for legal.
Speaker 2: Review Noah camera mixed and scored this. Episode our theme
Speaker 2: song is By Ben. Salek executive producers Are Virginia, Prescott Brandon,
Speaker 2: barr And Else. Crowley listen To Helen gone ad free
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Speaker 2: Podcasts if you're interested in seeing documents and materials from the,
Speaker 2: case you can follow the show On instagram At helen.
Speaker 2: Gonpod if you have a case you'd like me and
Speaker 2: my team to look, into you can reach out to
Speaker 2: us at Our Helen Gone Murder line at six seven
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Speaker 1: Five school Of humans