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Hell and Gone Murder Line: Oklahoma State Fair Murders · Hell and Gone: Murder Line

• 0:46
  Speaker 1: School of Humans. Helen Got Murder Line actively investigates cold
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: case murders in an effort to raise public awareness invite
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: witnesses to come forward and present evidence that could potentially
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: be further investigated by law enforcement. While we value insights
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: from family and community members, their statements should not be
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: considered evidence and point to the challenges of verifying facts
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: inherent in cold cases. We remind listeners that everyone has
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: Nothing in the podcast is intended to state or imply
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: that anyone who has not been convicted of a crime
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: is guilty of any wrongdoing. Thanks for listening.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: It was September third, nineteen eighty seven, and in Oklahoma City,
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: two sisters, twenty five year old Cheryl Genzer and sixteen
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: year old Lisa Pennington, were hanging out together at the
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: Oklahoma State Fair. Y recently separated from her husband, Mike, but,
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: according to what her mother Charlotte later told reporters, was
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: taking it in stride. She was staying with a friend
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: of hers and had told her mom just that day
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: when they had coffee together, that she was looking for
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: a job painting houses. Cheryl was petite five foot three
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: and one hundred pounds with long black hair. Lisa was taller,
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: five foot eight and one hundred and forty pounds with
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: blonde hair and green eyes.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: Cheryl was more outgoing.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Lisa was quieter and loved music, especially Motley Crue, her mother,
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Charlotte told The Oklahoma in two thousand and seven. Charlotte
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: indicated that everything seemed fine with both.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: Of her girls that day at the fair.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: That night, Cheryl and Lisa were with their brother Alan
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: and his girlfriend, and according to what he later told
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: The Oklahoma, at some point he left the fair to
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: drop his girlfriend off at home. That night, the girls
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: didn't show up at the spot where their brothers said
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: they were due to meet him, and they never came
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: home that night at all. For a few days, their parents,
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: Rocky and Charlotte, thought they might be staying at a
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: friend's house. That friend's name was Lane Henley the Third,
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: and according to multiple reports, their dad knew that they
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: might be hanging out with him, so Rocky contacted Lane
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: and when Lane said he didn't know where Lisa and
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Cheryl were, and by now it had been several days
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: since Lisa and Cheryl went missing. Rocky called the police
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: to report his daughter's missing. At first, police said they
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: didn't believe there was any foul play involved, but as
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: the days turned into weeks, Rocky and Charlotte became more
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: and more terrified, and then on October twentieth, nineteen eighty seven,
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: so almost a month after Lisa and Cheryl were last
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: seen at the fair, a car salesman was taking a
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: drive with a prospective buyer in North Oklahoma, near the
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: intersection of Northwest one hundred twenty second Street in Santa
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: Fe Avenue. He was showing the buyer how the four
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: wheel drive function worked. So they went off road into
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: a field, and when they did, they stumbled onto two
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: shallow graves.
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: I'm Catherine Townsend.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Over the past eight years of making my true crime podcast,
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Helen Gone, I've learned that there is no such thing
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: as a small town where murder never happens. I have
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: received hundreds of messages from people all around the country
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: asking for help with an unsolved murder that's affected them,
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: their families, and their communities. If you have a case
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: you'd like me and my team to look into, you
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: line at six seven eight seven four four six one
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: four five. That's six seven eight seven four four six'
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: one four, five or you can send us a message
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: On instagram At helen. Gonepod this Is Helen gone murder.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Line after the car salesman and potential buyers stumbled onto
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: two shallow, graves police came to the scene and realized
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: that the bodies were two women and that there was
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: a significant amount of. Decomposition forensic and medical testing showed
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: this Was lisa And cheryl and that the spot where
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: their bodies were found was less than a mile From
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Lane henley's house In North Oklahoma. City police said Both
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: lisa And cheryl had been shot in the. Head as
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: investigators try to track the two sisters last night and
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: figure out what, Happened cheryl And lisa's devastated parents prepared
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: to bury two daughters at the same. Time cheryl was
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: born On may, twentieth nineteen sixty. Two lisa was born
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: On october, sixth nineteen, seventy So lisa disappeared just a
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: couple of weeks away from her seventeenth. Birthday both girls
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Attended Putnam City High. School their, Mother, charlotte Was Native.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: American they had two, Brothers ronald And, allen and were
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: active in their Local baptist. Church this case very quickly made,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: headlines but the facts that emerged in the, beginning and
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: this is not uncommon in murder investigations in early, stages
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: were often. Contradictory since this is still an open, investigation
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: we have to try to put together facts from the
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: little bit of information that police have given publicly and
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: the newspaper articles from back in the. Day On Thursday octoughctober,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: eighth there was the first news story in The Daily.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Oklahoma the headline read two sisters missing after visiting fair
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: and reported That lisa And cheryl had been last seen
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: at a friend's home after visiting The Oklahoma State, fair
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: but the newspaper stated no foul play was. Suspected, then
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: On october twenty, second newspapers reported the discovery of the
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: bodies and the fact that the two women were in
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: side by side. Graves police later revealed that both women
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: had been shot in the head and that they believed
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: that they had been murdered shortly after they left the.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: Fair law enforcement made a public appeal for any. Information
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: they asked anyone who had seen anything unusual in the
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: areas where the bodies were found on the day of
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: the fair to reach out to, them and they did receive.
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: A lot of.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Tips someone told police they had seen a woman blindfolded
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: in a white pickup truck at around the time When
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: lisa And cheryl went. Missing, later a woman called police
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: and claimed that it had been.
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: Her she was the woman who had been.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: Blindfolded she said it was part of a birthday party.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Prank but the weird thing was that she didn't leave her,
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: name and so police publicly appealed for her to call.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: Back it's not clear if she ever did or if
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: they ever really closed that, lead but it seemed as
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: though it turned into a dead. End On october twenty,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: fourth it was reported in multiple sources that the house
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: That lisa And cheryl were supposedly seen at was a
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: house belonging To Lane. Henley the third police executed a
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: search warrant on the. Property now at the, time police
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: said that some tarps had been removed and That lane
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: was not a. Suspect they said this was just part
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: of normal police. Procedure The Daily oklahoma later reported police
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: had seized other items from that, residence including a shovel
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: hoe and dirt. Rake Lieutenant Julie smith Told The Daily
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: oklahoma That lane Said lisa And cheryl had left the
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: house on foot to go to a local convenience, store
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: which was later reported to be a seven to. Eleven,
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: now this was not the first time that two women
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: had vanished into thin air after visiting The Oklahoma State.
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: Fair there was another notorious case of two thirteen year old,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: Girls Charlotte kinsei And Cenda, palette who disappeared in nineteen
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: eighty one from the same state. Fair the two friends
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: went to the fair together On september twenty, sixth nineteen eighty.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: One it was actually the first time they had ever
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: been allowed to go, alone and they were planning to
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: spend the night At senda's. House there were some leads
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: in that. Case at around five pm that, Afternoon charlotte
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: called her mom and said that she And cinda were
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: going to be doing a job helping someone who worked
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: at the. Fair they were supposed to unload a truck
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: that was supposedly filled with stuffed, animals the ones that
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: were used for the booth. Prizes charlotte's mother said that was,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: okay But charlotte had to call her by nine. Pm
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: senda's mother said the same, thing, okay but check in
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: by nine. Pm neither of the girls ever called their
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: mothers back that, night and they never showed up at home.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: Again the last sighting of the girls was reportedly at
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: around five thirty at the. Fairgrounds when they didn't show
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: up back, Home senda And charlotte's families immediately reported them
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: missing to The Oklahoma City Police. Department police got a
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: tip about a suspicious man who claimed to be an
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: employee of the fair and was described as being about
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: thirty five to fifty years, old six' one to sixty,
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: three weighing two hundred to two hundred and fifty, pounds
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: with dark, hair a, mustache and a leather belt with
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: the Name joseph printed on, it as well as a yellow.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: Badge the man supposedly was driving in nineteen eighty to
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: nineteen eighty One Pontiac Grand prix With South dakota. Plates
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: this is a pretty specific, description and they also had
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: statements from other kids at the to say this guy
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: was walking around offering to pay them five dollars an
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: hour to do odd. Jobs two teenage boys told police
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: they took this guy up on the alleged job offer
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: and were in the backseat of his car With charlotte And.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Senda they told police this man told them that the
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: truck loaded with toys was at a truck stop Off
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: Inner state. Forty according to what the Retired District attorney
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: For Oklahoma City Ray, elliott later TOLD Koco News, channel
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: the boys went with this man to the truck, stop
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: but when they got, there the guy told them that
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: the truck wasn't, there and then he gave the boys
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: ten dollars and told them.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: To get out of the car and wait.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: There he said he was going to drive around and
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: look for the, truck and he drove off With charlotte
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: and send it in his. Car the two girls were
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: never seen alive. Again police tracked down the rental, car
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: A Grand, prix and were able to see that it
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: was rented by man Named Royal Russell, long who was
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: described as a carney and long haul truck.
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: Driver russell had a criminal.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: Background his daughter later told police that he had molested
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: her for several.
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: Years he was.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: Never convicted of, that but he did serve time In
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: wyoming for kidnapping a sixteen year old girl and her
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: twelve year old. Friend according to court, Documents russell's daughter
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: told police that while he was traveling around the country with,
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: her he would give her money to play arcade games
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: while he used stuffed animals to lure young girls back
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: to his. Truck Russell long also looked a lot like
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: the composite sketch of.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: The man police were looking for at the.
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: Fair according To, koco the resemblance was so strong That
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: russell's ex wife actually called law enforcement and told them
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: that the poster was her ex. Husband the two teen
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: boys also positively Identified russell as the, driver but he
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: completely denied that he had been involved in theduction Of
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: charlotte And. Senda On may, ninth nineteen eighty, Five Russell
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: long was charged with kidnapping the two. Friends after, that
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: he was extradited From, wyoming where he was, living back
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: To oklahoma And. Ray elliott Told koco that the prosecution
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: and law enforcement continued to build their. Case there were
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: a few issues with the physical, evidence like the fact
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: that the scalp pairs that were found in the truck
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: Of russell's rental car were described as being a match For,
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: cenda but the tests were later described as, inconclusive but
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: Ray elliot still said he believed the case was. Solid
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: he said he got a shock when the judge granted
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: the defense's motion to dismiss the, case which meant that
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: it was thrown out of, court and So russell was
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: never charged in connection with the disappearance of these two.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: Girls years, later Ray elliott told a local news channel
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: that he and the victim's families absolutely believed That russell
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: was the, killer and thatlaw enforcement considers him the prime
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: suspect to this. Day so this was Another Oklahoma State
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: fair kidnapping and another unsolved. CASE i want to be,
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: clear there's no suggestion that the cases Of lisa And
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: cheryl And charlotte And cinda are. Connected Russell long told
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: his own, daughter according to court, documents that he would
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: never be attracted to a young woman over the age of.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: Thirteen so these were completely different mos Than lisa And cheryl's.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: Killer and although the charges Against Russell long were, dismissed
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: he was imprisoned in nineteen eighty seven and stayed there
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: for the rest of his life on unrelated. Charges, still
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: the circumstances frightened a lot of. People four girls disappearing
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: without a trace from the Same state fair six years.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: APART i also wanted to Mention charlotte And senda's case
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: for another. Reason according to What Ray elliott Told, koco
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: When russell was leaving the, courtroom he leaned over to
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: the victim's families and told them quote ONLY i know
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: where the bodies, are And i'm not talking end. QUOTE
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: a former cellmate Of russell's told police while they were
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: doing time together In, Wyoming, russell who had worked as
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: a meat, cutter allegedly told him, quote if you cut
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: the bodies up small enough and stick them in a rat,
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: hole they'll never be.
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: Found end.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: Quote Russell long died in nineteen ninety three while serving
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: time In Wyoming State. Prison so to this, Day charlotte
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: And cinda's remains have never been. Found i'm hoping someone
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: might hear, something even after all this, time something that
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: would help these families bring their remains. Home back To
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: cheryl And lisa's, case police were looking hard At. Lane,
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: henley the guy whose House lisa And cheryl had supposedly
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: been last seen. At, lane had also left town pretty
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: much immediately After cheryl And lisa went, missing but he
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: told police that this had been a pre planned, trip
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: And lane's Friend doug La, lawson who was With lane
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: the night of the, fair gave him an. Alibi for a,
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: while things went, Quiet then in nineteen eighty, nine there
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: was what appeared to be a huge break in this.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Case police Hit Doug lawson with several drug, charges and
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: as part of a plea, deal if the state agreed
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: to drop the charges against, Him doug said he would
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: tell them what he claimed really. Happened On september twenty,
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: third nineteen eighty, seven on the Night Lisa pennington And
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: Cheryl ginzer, Disappeared doug said that he was operating the
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: monorail at The State, fair according to police. Records according
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: to an arrest, Warrant doug told police he And lane
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: Met cheryl And lisa at the. Fair he said the
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: four of them left the fair grounds together and went
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: to a friend's, house where they smoked, pot drank, beer
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: and did some cocaine for a. While, then he, said
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: the four of them left that friend's house and ended
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: up At lane's. House doug said once the four of
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: them got back To lane's, house they kept drinking beer
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: and took some more. Drugs, then at some, Point doug
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: And cheryl left the house to walk to the store
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: and buy some more. Beer according to What doug told,
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: police after they got, back a fight broke out After
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: lane Told cheryl that he had raped her. Sister doug
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: claimed that he passed out for a. While he said
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: when he woke, up he Heard lisa And lane arguing
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: about this alleged sexual. Assault he said he Heard lisa
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: SAY i can't believe you did this and ask for
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: a ride. Home Then doug claimed That lane told her
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: okay that he would take her. Home after, That doug
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: claimed That lisa And cheryl got into the. Car doug
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: said that an argument broke out In lane's car Between
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: lane And, lisa and That cheryl jumped in to try
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: to defend her. Sister at that, Point doug testified he
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: Saw lane Hit cheryl in the face with his, gun
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: a three fifty, seven and Then lisa tried to jump
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: out of the car and run back inside the, house
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: But doug claimed That lane caught her on the way
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: and hit her in the face with a. Shovel doug
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: told police he Saw lane force both women back into
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: the car and That lane drove away with. Them doug
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: stated in court this was the last time that he
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: ever Saw lisa And. Cheryl doug said after he witnessed
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: this alleged attack that he went back to, sleep and
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: six hours, later when he woke up and asked where
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: the girls, Were lane told him that they had.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: Left to go to the local seven.
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: Eleven doug said he later noticed blood Inside lane's car
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: on the passenger side front door and quote a radio
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: broken underneath the dash as if a struggle had taken
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: place end. Quote in nineteen, Ninety Lane henley was living In,
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: dallas So Oklahoma county police went To texas to search for.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: Him they caught, him and On august, thirtieth nineteen, Ninety
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: Lane henley was sent back To. Oklahoma In august of nineteen,
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: ninety prosecutors filed first degree murder charges Against Lane.
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: Henley doug was the key.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: Witness he later testified that he gave police the information
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: after they agreed to drop pending drug charges against.
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: Him doug had spoken.
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: To police in nineteen eighty, seven but according to court,
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: documents he left out key, facts the fact that he
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: witnessed this alleged argument that ended With lane Hitting cheryl
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: And lisa and the alleged sexual assault. Allegations Lane henley
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: completely denied any involvement In cheryl And lisa's. Murders, then
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety, two as the trial date, Loomed lisa
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: And cheryl's family got a. Shock doug recanted his earlier.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Testimony he now said he lied when he claimed to
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: have Witnessed lane Hitting cheryl And lisa and the argument
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: about the alleged sexual. Assault after, that the prosecution dropped
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: all charges Again, lane and after spending nineteen months in
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: The Oklahoma county, Jail Lane henley was. Free as he left,
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: Court lane said that he was going to go out
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: and get a real.
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: Life Ray elliott.
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: Was still Assistant District attorney in nineteen ninety, two and
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: he Told The Daily oklahoma In september of that, year
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: near the fifth anniversary Of lisa And cheryl's, disappearance that
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: they still considered the two, men Meaning lane And, doug
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: the prime suspects and were exploring whether other charges could be.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Filed Doug lawson was sentenced to five years for. Perjury
• 20:21
  Speaker 2: he went away and started serving his. Time lisa And
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: cheryl's family showed up at every one of his parole
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: hearings to try to ensure that he stayed behind.
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: Bars after, that.
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: The case was sent to The Oklahoma City Police Unsolved Homicide. Unit,
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: Meanwhile rocky and the other members of the family did
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: everything they. Could they talked to, Reporters they FORMED homa
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: side survivors. Groups they even appeared On America's Most. Wanted
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: at some, point they met up with a newspaper. Reporter
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: she later became a private investigator and after that became a.
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: Counselor her name Was Dorian.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: Quillen they became friends And dorian started to look into the.
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: Case she was trying to help the family every way
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: that she. Could they continued to pursue unorthodox methods in
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: trying to gather clues and. Evidence in nineteen ninety, eight
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: a treasure hunting club went out to a field Near
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: northwest one twenty two In Santa Fe, avenue near where
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: the bodies were, buried to look for the. Bullet rocky
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: mowed the lawn in preparation for this, hunt but the
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: projectile was never. Found on the twelfth anniversary Of lisa
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: And cheryl's, deaths their parents put white crosses in the
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: same area at some. Point it does seem as Though
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: lisa And cheryl's family's viewpoints might have diverged from law.
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: Enforcement it's interesting because in an article about that in
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: nineteen ninety, Nine The Daily oklahoma reported that the parents
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: no longer thought That Laane henley was the, killer or
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: at least they weren't sure that he acted. Alone in
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: two thousand and, Six Charlotte pennington Told The Daily oklahoma
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: that she went to bed every night and woke up
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: every single morning thinking about who killed her two precious
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: daughters and wondering if.
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: They would ever get.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: Justice in the years following nineteen eighty, seven her health
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: deteriorated and she had two heart.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: Attacks lane moved To, Roswell New.
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: Mexico In january of two, thousand his, girlfriend thirty five
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: year Old Molly, keeley was reported missing by her. Sister
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: two months, Later molly's body was found in a shallow
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: grave by The Pecos.
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: River she had been fatally shot in the.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: HEAD a fatal shooting and a shallow, grave, so at
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: least on the, surface similar circumstances To lisa And cheryl's.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: MURDERS A roswell police officer told The, oklahoma But lane
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: had been investigated in connection With molly's, death but he
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: was never arrested or. Charged and then In february of
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: two thousand and, Eight Lane henley made headlines. Again he
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: was still In New mexico and the trailer he was
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: living in burned to the. Ground Lane henley was living
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: with his longtime, girlfriend thirty eight year Old Amy, mirrable
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: a mother of, four when their trailer caught on.
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: Fire she was trapped inside the home and.
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: DIED a spokesperson for The New Mexico State Medical investigator
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: Told The Daily oklahoma that there were no signs of foul.
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: Play detectives In New mexico said the cause of the
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: fire appeared to be accidental and that the agency knew
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: About lane's. Past lane was fifty one years old at
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: the time he was hospitalized with second and third degree.
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: Burns it's interesting because in two thousand and, Eight The
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: Daily oklahoma quoted The Oklahoma City police cold case Inspector
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: Kyle eastridge as saying That lane was still the main
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: suspect In cheryl And lisa's. Murders Dorian, quillen the journalist
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: and private investigator turned, counselor who became involved sometime in
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: the mid two, thousands never gave up on the. Cases
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: Detective Mike, burke who was one of the homicide detectives
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: on the case back in nineteen eighty, seven told The
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: Alamagordo Daily news in two thousand and eight that he
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: found it very interesting that four women who had associations
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: With Lane henley were all dead at the. Time charlotte
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: told the newspaper she had always Considered lane's, suspect and
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: she suspected That doug or possibly others could have been.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: Involved she also gave another small, detail saying that police
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: had found the bodies near a pond Where lane's friends
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: said he went. Fishing rocky told the newspaper that when
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: he found out That lane was living in Almagai, ordoh
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: the town where the house fire, happened he said he
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: had called law enforcement and told them About lane's suspected
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: involvement in his daughter's. Death this was before the trailer
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: burned down. Again doug was never charged in connection With
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: cheryl And lisa's. Murders lane was, charged but those charges
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: were ultimately, dropped and he continued to deny any. INVOLVEMENT
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: i was looking at old newspaper clippings about the, fire
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: and there's something else that's odd about the circumstances of this.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: FIRE a guy Named Gerald, moore a freelance, photographer told
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: The alan Mcgardo Daily news that he'd witnessed the.
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: Fire he said he was headed home.
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: From work on the morning Of january twenty second when
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: he saw. Smoke once he got to the, scene he
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: and another neighbor Saw, lane in his, words pacing. Around
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: gerald claimed that at that Point lane approached, them and
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: in his, Words gerald said That lane quote did not
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: seem overly distraught end. Quote according to this same news,
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: article the man went in and Saved lane from the,
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: fire but there seemed to be conflicting stories about who
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: went in to try to look For, amy and Whether
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: lane had gone back in to rescue his girlfriend or
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: whether it was this other. Guy Dorian, quillen who was
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: still working on the, case called this man to try
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: and clear up the real. Story but there seemed to
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: be conflicting stories about who went in to try to
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: look For, amy and Whether lane had gone back in
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: to rescue his girlfriend or whether it was this other,
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: Guy Dorian, quillen who was still working on the case
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: called this man to try and clear up the real.
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: Story Then dorian told The Alamagordo Daily news that this
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: guy had been surprised because he Said lane really didn't
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: have any interest in going back to Rescue. Amy dorian
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: also told the paper that While sheryl And lisa's murders
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: were being, Investigated lane's house In North Oklahoma city had
• 26:39
  Speaker 2: also burned to the. Ground is this just an odd
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: coincidence or could it point to something?
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: MORE i want to be careful.
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: Here lane was not charged In Molly keeley's death Or
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: Amy mirraball's, death and the charges In cheryl And lisa's
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: case were ultimately, dropped but these overlaps are one reason why,
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: investigators family, members and advocates continued to ask. Questions so
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: after that fire In New mexico in two thousand and,
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: eight there really aren't many news articles About cheryl And lisa's.
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: Case in twenty, twelve the daughter of a man police
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: once interviewed in connection to the murders told police her
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: father had confessed to her that he Murdered lisa And,
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: cheryl and also said one of the girls was raped
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: and murdered while the other was kept alive for days
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: being raped and, tortured but in the end the police
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: called the confession a dead end. Street Dorian quillan did
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: Tell fox twenty five in twenty seventeen she hoped modern
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: forensic testing could help get. Answers she said she had
• 27:43
  Speaker 2: seen evan its collection reports and from that she had
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: learned police had collected physical, evidence including what she described as, earrings,
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: jewelry fingernails from both, girls clothing from both, girls and
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: hairs from both. Girls then there's another huge gap in
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: coverage until around twenty twenty. Two during those, years Both
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: charlotte And Rocky pennington. Died they were buried next To
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: cheryl And. Lisa in twenty twenty, two The Homicide Victims
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: Family's Rights act was signed into.
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: Law this law is a federal.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: Law it allowed family members of homicide victims and cases
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: that could be prosecuted in federal court the right to
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: request a. Review Dorian quillan said she was working with victims'
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: rights groups to try to create a similar law In.
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: Oklahoma The oklahoma reported in twenty twenty That dorian and
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: her team were focused on someone other Than Lane, henley
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: another person of interest that they said they believe was
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: still living In Oklahoma, city but never was. Charged in
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: the fall of twenty twenty, Three dorian spearheaded an attempt
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: to get this case brought before a grand. JURY a
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: judge signed a petition stating that If dorian and the
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: family could get five hundred or more signatures in forty five,
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: days that.
• 29:01
  Speaker 3: A grand jury could be.
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: Convened but at least according to WHAT i can, find
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: it seems as though that never, happened that it was
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: canceled due to some kind of. TECHNICALITY i want to
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: talk for a minute about What dorian said about why
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: she was advocating for a change in the. Law The
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: Daily oklahoma said she was inspired to try to do
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: this after behavior she had witnessed from law enforcement over
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: the years and the things she claimed police had said
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: to victim's. Families dorian, said, quote they were told so
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: many things that were wrong by people that were supposed
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: to help, them things like we don't have time to
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: look for your. Girls we know who did, it but
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: we can't do. Anything wait fifteen years and someone will.
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: Confess you can't speak like that to these.
• 29:44
  Speaker 3: Families end.
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: Quote on a personal, NOTE i have worked on many unsolved,
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: cases And i've heard so many victims' families talk about
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: their dealings with law enforcement saying that they've heard these same.
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: Phrases SO i do feel passionately that the laws should.
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: CHANGE i should also, mention, though When dorian's talking about forensic,
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: evidence there could be another potential complicating factor in this
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: case involving forensic, testing because the forensic chemist at the
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: time When lisa And cheryl were killed Was Joyce Skill.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: Christ she was later fired after she was accused of forensic.
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: Misconduct at the time she was, Fired joyce had handled
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: over three thousand cases In, oklahoma and her work prompted
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: reviews in over one thousand and two hundred felony. Cases
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: AN fbi investigation found one hundred and sixty five of
• 30:35
  Speaker 2: these cases were flagged for further.
• 30:37
  Speaker 3: Review Lane henley continued to live In New.
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: Mexico he was never charged in connection with any of
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: these women's deaths and continued to completely deny involvement in
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: any of. Them he died in twenty, fifteen But cheryl's
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: surviving family still holds out hope even after almost forty.
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: Years this is the kind of case THAT i believe
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: could really benefit from war stuff being made, public especially
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: since the forensics may not exist or may be. Questionable
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: in twenty twenty, Six Dorian quillan appeared On behalf of
• 31:11
  Speaker 2: The Pennington. Family as legislators In oklahoma continued to debate
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: changing state law to allow families to ask for cold
• 31:19
  Speaker 2: case review after a certain period of, Time Senator Carrie
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: hicks held an interim, study which she said she hoped
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: could help change the. Law the idea is that after
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: a certain time, period families would have a mechanism to
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: allow other outside people to take a look at case. Files,
• 31:37
  Speaker 2: again on a personal, note this is something THAT i
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: think is much needed at the federal, level but doing
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: something at the state level is a great. Start if
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: you listen to season one Of Helen, gone some of
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: you may have heard me With Rebecca gould's father in
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: that cold, case going To Little rock and talking to
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: lawmakers In arkansas about the possibility of changing the law.
• 31:58
  Speaker 2: There and AS i was writing this, episode there was
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: some good news on this. Case On may, seventh twenty twenty,
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: Six Senate bill sixteen thirty six was approved by The.
• 32:10
  Speaker 2: Governor kaotio, reported meaning this will allow families of cold
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: case victims to request a formal review of cases by
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: investigators who were not involved in the original. Investigation, crucially
• 32:23
  Speaker 2: it also mandates response, time including thirty days for written
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: confirmation and a six month review timeline nineteen eighty seven
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: was almost forty years ago, now though a lot of
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: people may have. Died there are a lot of basic
• 32:39
  Speaker 2: questions that presumably the case, file if it was made,
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: public could help, answer such as what was the exact
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: sequence Of cheryl And lisa leaving the, fair who were
• 32:49
  Speaker 2: the independent witnesses who corroborated that they were At lane's
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: house in the seven eleven story where they killed by
• 32:56
  Speaker 2: one or two?
• 32:57
  Speaker 3: Guns and what caliber were?
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: They WHAT dna or biological evidence was, collected and could
• 33:02
  Speaker 2: it be retested, today obviously with a different forensic. Chemist
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: cheryl And lisa's, Brother Allan, pennington spoke to The oklahoma
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: in twenty twenty. Two he said he still thinks about
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: the moment when he left his sisters at the. Fair
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: alan told the newspaper, QUOTE i think about how things
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: could be now If i'd been given the chance to
• 33:23
  Speaker 2: enjoy watching their, kids my nieces and nephews grow into,
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: adults WHERE i would be. Living basically just a lot
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: of what ifs about how things would be.
• 33:32
  Speaker 3: Today where WOULD i be if that hadn't? Happened end.
• 33:36
  Speaker 2: Quote if you know anything about the murders of sixteen
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: year Old Lisa pennington and twenty five year Old Cheryl,
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: ginzer please contact The Oklahoma City Police department at FOUR
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: o five two nine seven one. Thousand I'm Catherine. Townsend
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: this Is Helen Gone Murder. Line Helen Gone Murder line
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: is a production Of school Of humans And iHeart. Podcasts
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: it's written and narrated by Me Catherine townsend and produced
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: By Etily's. Perez special thanks To Amy tubbs for her
• 34:08
  Speaker 2: research assistance And Sarah burns for legal. Review noah camer
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: mixed and scored this. Episode our theme song is By Ben.
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: Sale executive producers Are Virginia, Prescott Brandon, barr and. L. C.
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: Crowley listen To Helen gone ad free by subscribing to
• 34:23
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• 34:27
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• 34:29
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• 34:32
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• 34:35
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• 34:38
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