Issue 64, February 2, 2024

Callahan Walsh Joins His Famous Father in The Reboot of America's Most Wanted, Continuing the Mission to Catch Criminals and Bring Missing Children Home, Looking back: Police Conclusively Link Serial Killer Ottis Toole to the Decapitation of John Walsh's 6-year-old Son, Ending a Haunting Two-decade Case

🕵️Trivia Question

Who is often considered the world's first documented serial killer, active in the 19th century and known as the "Blood Countess"?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

PODCAST: Crime Junkie | The Cassidy Rainwater Murder Case

Missouri authorities receive an FBI tip on a missing woman, leading to shocking discoveries. Yet, the case worsens as social media disseminates misinformation.

The unfolding events reveal unforeseen horrors, challenging investigators' efforts to navigate through the chaos and uncover the truth.

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What’s Happening Now

Callahan Walsh Joins His Famous Father in The Reboot of America's Most Wanted, Continuing the Mission to Catch Criminals and Bring Missing Children Home.

Callahan Walsh, the son of America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, grew up surrounded by the television show's production.

From a young age, he learned the skills needed to work behind the camera and eventually produced re-enactments for the show.

Now, two decades later, Callahan is working in front of the camera as he co-hosts the reboot of America's Most Wanted with his famous dad.

The original show, which ran for 24 seasons, helped catch over 1,100 criminals and bring home 50 missing children.

Callahan's passion for justice stems from the tragic murder of his older brother, Adam Walsh.

With their strong bond, John and Callahan are ready to continue their mission to track down dangerous criminals and reunite families with missing children.

Airing on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET, America's Most Wanted encourages viewers to provide anonymous tips to help catch criminals and make the streets safer.

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LOOKING BACK: Police Conclusively Link Serial Killer Ottis Toole to the Decapitation of John Walsh's 6-year-old Son, Ending a Haunting Two-decade Case

Police in Florida have announced that a serial killer who died over a decade ago was responsible for the decapitation of John Walsh's 6-year-old son in 1981.

Ottis Toole, a partner of notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, twice confessed to the killing but later retracted his statements.

He had claimed responsibility for hundreds of murders, but most of his confessions were found to be lies.

Police have now linked Toole conclusively to the killing of John Walsh's son, with an extensive review of the case file pointing only to Toole.

John Walsh praised the police department for closing the case, which has haunted his family for over two decades.

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 đźŹ˘ Safety Tip of the Day: Tips to Prevent Losing Your Child in Crowded Malls

To prevent losing your child in malls, establish a meeting point in case of separation and teach your child to recognize mall staff for help. Dress them in bright clothing for easy identification and consider using a child locator device or writing your phone number on their backpack, on a wristband, or on a piece of paper or cardboard in their pocket.

Cold Case Highlights

UPDATE: Edward Holley Indicted for Second-Degree Murder in Megan McDonald's 2003 Cold Case, Arraignment Scheduled for February 2

Edward Holley has been indicted by an Orange County grand jury on charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Megan McDonald in 2003.

Megan's body was discovered 21 years ago, and the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

Dateline featured Megan's case in their Cold Case Spotlight series in 2022.

Holley was initially arrested in April 2023 but was later released due to a procedural error.

Special prosecutor Julia Cornachio has taken over the case, and Holley's arraignment is scheduled for February 2.

The McDonald family expresses gratitude for the indictment and hopes for a fair judicial process.

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UPDATE: The Enigmatic Death of Jeannette DePalma: Unraveling a Possible Ritual Sacrifice in New Jersey

In late 1997, a letter was sent to Weird NJ magazine from a fan named Billy Martin.

The letter mentioned a possible ritual sacrifice in the Houdaille Quarry near Springfield, New Jersey.

The editors of Weird NJ struggled to find more information about the incident, so they decided to print the letter in their magazine.

This sparked a reaction from readers, and it was revealed that the victim's name was Jeannette DePalma.

When the editors began investigating Jeannette's death, they faced resistance from the local police.

However, after years of persistence, they were able to obtain Jeannette's case file in 2021.

The photographs from the crime scene do not support the claims of occult activity that were initially reported.

The cause of Jeannette's death and the reason for the theft of her purse and cross necklace remain unanswered.

Weird NJ is committed to continuing their investigation into this case.

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PODCAST: The Trail Went Cold | The Murders of Heidi Seeman and Erica Botello

On August 4, 1990, in San Antonio, Texas, eleven-year-old Heidi Seeman vanishes on her way home, followed by seven-year-old Erica Botello's abduction nineteen days later.

Their bodies are found separately over one weekend. Despite numerous suspects, including a searcher for Heidi, the cases remain unsolved. "The Trail Went Cold" investigates these haunting murders.

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🔍Trivia Answer
Elizabeth Bathory

Often referred to as the "Blood Countess," Elizabeth Bathory was a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman who is considered one of history's first documented serial killers.