Cold Case Files - Dead West: The Death of Lavender Doe

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

When a mystery woman's burning body is found in an oil field in 2006, the rural community of Kilgore and a determined Texas lawman show why you don't mess with the Lone Star State. It takes 13 years to ID this Lavender Doe and nab her callous killer.This Episode is sponsored by BetterHelpBetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/COLDCASE to get 10% off your first month.Greenlight: Start your risk free trial today at Greenlight.com/coldcaseRosetta Stone: Cold Case Files listeners can get Rosetta Stone’s lifetime membership for 50% off when you go to RosettaStone.com/coldcaseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hi, cold case listeners. I'm Marisa Pinson. And before we get into this week's episode, I just wanted to remind you that episodes of Cold Case Files, as well as the A&E Classic Podcast, I Survived, American Justice, and City Confidential are all available ad free on the new A&E Crime and Investigation channel on Apple Podcasts and Apple+,

for just $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. And now on onto the show. The following episode contains intensely disturbing accounts of violence. Listener discretion is advised. She was my best friend in high school. She was always happy even if she didn't have a good home life. Brick County has its share of murders. Bad things happen, but it was nothing like this.

Nobody knew who she was. She was wearing a lavender sweater. Tell me about that burning room. So I laid her out on top of the wood after I soaked the wood in the diesel. And then I poured diesel over her. It's pure evil. As an investigator, you have to know who the victim is, what her age is, who her family is.

Deep down, I knew she was gone, but I wanted to believe that she was still alive. This is my baby sister. I wanted to be able to protect her. I never realized how hard it was going to be. There are over 100,000 cold cases in America. Only about 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. Eddie Hope is a lieutenant with the Grey County Sheriff's Office. Grey County is a county located in northeastern Texas.

I like the pine trees. I like the people. And most of all, I've enjoyed working my whole career for the Sheriff's Office here. This area is known as the world's richest acre. It's known for the two and a half million barrels of oil that it produced during the 1930s. But there's still plenty of oil here.

These oilfield roads attract illegal activity. People back in here out of sight from the police doing narcotics or prostitution or a little bit of everything. I think we're going to go down there. She was found right around in here. When I first heard about the crime, I was shocked. Gregg County has its share of murders and bad things happen, but it was nothing like this. It's October 29th, 2006, a hot morning in Gregg County, Texas.

Oil wells spit fire into the warm autumn air. 29th, 2006, a hot morning in Gregg County, Texas. Oil wells spit fire into the warm autumn air. Two locals head down a dirt road to target shoot. When the target shooters came down, they had smelt smoke and they saw a fire. They noticed what one of them thought was a mannequin burning. Of course, it was a couple days prior to Halloween, but upon closer inspection they saw it was a human body. Tanya Reed is an assistant district attorney at the Gregg County DA's office. As they were walking to the area, the body was still smoldering.

At that point, they called the sheriff's department. 98% of her body was burned. There was no form of ID or purse on the victim. It was not possible at that time to put an identity to the body. They proceeded to, of course, take photographs of the area, took photographs of the two target shooters, their shoes. She had been placed on some wood and had some more wood placed on top of her. A gas can was found at the location,

which indicated to the investigators that somebody had tried to burn this body intentionally to cover up a crime. Etched in the mud by the entrance are a telling set of tire tracks. With the investigators finding the tire tracks at the gate, it told them that somebody had tried to exit that way and may not be familiar with this area. Hoping for more clues, investigators send the body to a forensics lab for an autopsy.

They determined that her age was anywhere from late teens to early 20s. She was 5'4", she was fairly petite. Believed to be white, possibly Hispanic, with the sandy blonde and reddish hair, she had bruising around her throat, which could be consistent with strangulation. There was a lack of carbon found in her lungs.

It told investigators that she might have been killed somewhere else and brought to this location. Technicians at the lab checked the victim for signs of assault and find a semen sample. The condition of her teeth showed investigators that she came from a good background. She still had two baby teeth. The report stated that was highly unusual for somebody 19 to 24 years old. They recovered partial articles of clothing. Her pants said one tough babe on them. Also a piece of lavender clothing, a sweater,

and she had some burned cash on her. The one thing that stuck out in my mind was the money that was left in Jane Doe's pocket. Because if there's money there, then the person obviously did not want money from her. Whoever did this had murdered this individual, went to the trouble of getting gasoline, pouring it on them, lotting a match, and leaving the person

there. It gets pure evil. Now the biggest question the investigators were thinking is who is she? You know, where did she come from? Who put her here? And why? As an investigator, you have to know who the victim is, what her age is, who her family is. Does she have a husband? Law enforcement did many different things to try to identify Jane Doe. They went to the media, they went to TV, local newspapers, putting up flyers, things of that nature. Several names came up of missing people in our area.

And the investigators at that time were running these people down, putting eyes on them, being able to rule them out. It's frustrating because you kind of get your hopes up and they're dashed again. As a police look for new leads, her pale purple sweater inspires a nickname, Lavender Doe. Kevin Lord and Missy Koski work for the DNA Doe Project.

I think the name Lavender Doe really helped the case stand out from all of the other thousands and thousands of Jane and John Doe's out there. The lavender sweater being a pretty color made me think that this is a girl who cared about her appearance. Knowing the brand of jeans that she was wearing, one tough babe, really made me think this was a girl who wasn't going to put up with anything. But then I thought, how could she be in this horrible situation, this confident, pretty girl. It didn't make sense that a girl that would dress that way would be found out in the woods.

She wasn't wearing hiking boots or things like that. It seemed that she was not in her normal environment. She could just be like anyone, girl next door. It didn't necessarily seem like she was experiencing homelessness or living kind of a transient lifestyle. Did Lavender Doe have a family? Did they report her missing? It's all kind of really a mystery and heartbreaking.

Police wade through the steady drip of missing person reports until one case catches their attention. Brandi Wells was a young woman. She was about to begin school and she had been staying with her mother, who lived in Tyler, and she was planning on going out that particular night to a bar or a club. This was like her last hurrah before she started school again. Brandi Wells drove to Longview to what is now the Electric Cowboy, but at the time was called Graham Central Station, just a country and Western dance bar.

She didn't stay, but maybe an hour to hour and a half. She was last seen leaving the nightclub through surveillance video, and also it appears that there's an individual who leaves the bar about the same time that Brandy does, appears to be walking to his truck almost in the opposite direction of Miss Wells, and then something stops him,

and then he turns and goes to a different direction. Brandy and the man vanish into the Texas night. then stops him and then he turns and goes to a different direction. Brandy and the man vanish into the Texas night. Her car was found approximately seven miles from the location where Lavender Doe was found. Brandy's purse was still in the car. Her ID was in her purse. The driver's seat had been pushed back to where it appeared that someone else had been driving. Law enforcement believed that Brandy Wells could be Lavender Doe. It was important to us to identify Lavender Doe,

and Brandy Wells was brought up as a lead in the case. Two weeks after Lavender Doe was murdered, police tracked down Brandy's dental records, hoping for a break in the case. Brandy Wells' dental records were compared to Lavender Doe's, and it was determined not to be a match. I can only imagine what it feels like for investigators whenever they have a lead and then it's determined not to be a match, almost deflating. Undeterred, police turned to a forensic artist for help. Undeterred, police turned to a forensic artist for help. On December the 7th, 2006, a clay construction of Lavender Doe's head was put out to the

media. The hope was for somebody to recognize this person, but nobody around here really knew who she was. Does she not have someone out there that loves her and is looking for her? And if she does, then why are we not hearing from them? Amanda Gad is Dana Dodd's half-sister. The first time that I seen Dana, she was in the pool swimming. She was in the water smiling, her big old dimples.

It was like a warmth washed over me. This is my baby sister. I wanted to be able to protect her. I never realized how hard it was going to be. Bobby Hodges is Dana Dodd's best friend. She was my best friend in high school. Dana was a very friendly person. She was always happy, even if she didn't have a good home

wife. I wanted to save her, and I couldn't save her. And she told me that she would be dead in a year if she left my house. And then we didn't hear from her again. And that's when we started looking for a Jane Doe. Lavender Doe was buried December 23, 2006, in White Cemetery in Longview, Texas.

So many times when a person isn't known, they're buried in what's called a popper's grave or an unmarked grave. This community cared about Lavender Doe. This community wanted to keep her memory alive in hopes that her case was solved someday. The community kind of took her in and carried for her as one of her own. They would place flowers on her graveside. Way before I ever knew that I would end up with this case, I just felt a draw to go out there. I did see the plot. I felt sadness, and she's still unidentified.

When nobody claimed her within the first few days, that's when personally I was thinking that she's not from around here, because somebody would be missing her. You know, I also thought, well, maybe she was a child that grew up in a wooded area, didn't go to public schools. Maybe parents kept them pretty much hid from the world. You know, maybe they got tired of dealing with a child.

Maybe she had a hot shot of dope. But whoever took her back there had to know where they were going. Four months after Lavender Doe is murdered, police catch a break. The DNA profile from the semen sample collected at the crime scene gets a hit in CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System. The suspect's name is Joseph Wayne Burnett. Joseph Burnett's occupation was painting oil wells. Burnett was a local sex offender.

Mr. Burnett was living in Upshur County but had not registered there. So law enforcement began at that point to get an arrest warrant for failure to register. When investigators interview Burnett, he tells them that obviously he was with Lavender Doe due to his semen being in her, but the advice that he did not kill her. Investigators listen as Burnett recounts meeting Lavender Doe. He begins by saying he never got her name. He stated that he was at Walmart in Longview,

and as he's sitting in his truck, he sees a group of individuals. They had brochures in their hand. Lavender Doe then goes to his vehicle. There's conversation. He claims that she gets in his vehicle. They drive somewhere. They have sex and drops her off at a house.

And after that, he went to meet a friend of his by the name of Heart Attack at a convenience store. He used Heart Attack as an alibi. Heart Attack was just a acquaintance of his that he knew from South Longview, where Joseph was known to pick up prostitutes. When law enforcement did attempt to locate heart attack, they were told that he was no longer living in the area. That part of his story was not able to be verified.

Joseph Burnett did consent to having a polygraph. It was set up with a polygrapher, and the results of that in the polygrapher's opinion was that Joseph Burnett was deceptive in his answers. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Mental health is something we all need to care for just like our physical health. Over the years, I've seen a real shift. People are talking more openly about therapy and mental wellness. But even as awareness grows, there's still work to do.

Did you know that 26% of Americans have avoided seeking mental health support because they're afraid of being judged? When people hold back from getting help, it doesn't just affect them. It ripples out to families, workplaces, and entire communities. This Mental Health Awareness Month, let's encourage each other to take care of our well-being and break the stigma. The world is a better place when people are healthy and happy. Therapy isn't just for those facing big life challenges. It can help anyone learn positive coping skills, set boundaries, and grow into the best version of themselves. It's about empowerment and support, no matter where you're starting from. BetterHelp makes it easier than ever to begin. With over 10 years of experience and a network of more than 30,000 licensed therapists, they match you with someone

who fits your needs. It's fully online, affordable, and serves over 5 million people worldwide. Plus, you can switch therapists anytime at no extra cost. We're all better with help. Visit betterhelp.com slash cold case to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P, dot com slash cold case. This message is sponsored by Greenlight. Growing up, did your parents ever throw out that classic line, money doesn't grow on trees? Mine did. And while they weren't wrong, I'm sure it could've used more than just a cliché to learn real money skills. That's where Greenlight comes in. It's the debit card and money app designed to help parents like you teach kids how to save,

spend wisely, and even invest, all while building lifelong confidence. With Greenlight, you're in the driver's seat. Send money to your kids, set spending limits, and block unsafe stores with a tap. Meanwhile, your kids get hands-on practice managing their own debit card, setting savings goals, and even leveling up their financial know-how through fun, game-like lessons. Here's the part I wish I had as a kid. The chores feature. Assign tasks like walking the dog or unloading the dishwasher, then automate allowance payments when they're done. No more

nagging, no more forgotten handouts, just real-world lessons in earning and responsibility. Millions of parents and kids are already using Greenlight, the number one family finance app to turn money stress into teamwork. Ready to raise financially smart kids? Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com slash cold case. That's Greenlight.com slash cold case to get started. Greenlight.com slash cold case. Investigators asked Burnett to polygraph. He agreed and he showed deception during his polygraph.

Investigators were certain that he had something to do with Lavender's death, but polygraphs aren't admissible in court, and they were going to need more physical evidence or a confession. Investigators searched Burnett's truck. They wanted to be able to match a plaster cast of the tire tracks to the tires on his vehicle. But none seemed to match the impressions that they took at the crime scene. Unable to place Burnett at the crime scene, the investigation comes to a halt.

Well, it was frustrating to the investigators to have the information they have as far as the DNA and actually being able to locate Burnett and interview him and him not confess. He called a charge on a fail to comply as a sex offender and he went away for 10 years. But we were still no closer to identifying who Lavender Doe was.

With every lead a dead end, the case of Lavender Doe goes. With every lead a dead end, the case of Lavender Doe goes cold, until 11 years later, when investigator Eddie Hope turns to DNA to identify the victim. On a personal level, it was just a case that I thought about a lot with hopes of solving it. At the time, DNA technology was changing daily and weekly.

I had been looking into the DNA Doe Project, and I felt doing the DNA was a good avenue to go down to identify who our victim was. The DNA Doe Project is a nonprofit humanitarian initiative that helps identify Jane and John Doe's using investigative genetic genealogy to solve these cases. Identifying these Jane and John Doe's, it's really important to me, and I think it's just human dignity that each person should be able to have their name

when they die and when they're buried. I first heard about the Lavender Doe case in the summer of 2018. The case really stuck out to me because she was found in Texas. And I live in Texas. And I thought this would be really cool to be able to help solve a case in Texas. The first step in identifying Lavender Doe was to get her DNA.

Thankfully, the University of North Texas had already done some DNA testing for CODIS, and so we were able to utilize the DNA extract that they already had. The next step, so that we could get the file we needed, was to actually have the DNA sequenced. That, of course, costs money, and so we ended up fundraising the costs for the DNA sequencing. And that was put out as a kind of a fundraiser online to try to help raise these costs. And within four days, people interested in the case from all over the internet actually helped fund that case. Results are expected in two months. Yet only days later, the case takes an unexpected turn. July 19th of 2018, I was contacted by the Longview Police Department in reference to a missing female named Felicia Pearson.

And the boyfriend listed was Joseph Wayne Burnett. Joseph Burnett remains the prime suspect in Lavender Doe's murder. After serving his 10-year sentence, he's been a free man for over a year. Felicia Pearson's mother reported her missing. She had been told by Joseph Burnett that Felicia had been with Mr. Burnett at a motel in Longview, and he left to go get cigarettes. And when he came back, she was gone. Longview PD looked at 30 hours of surveillance video from the motel and they saw Joseph Burnett a lot, but never once did they see Felicia Pearson. Felicia previously had told her mother about a wooded area in South Longview that Joseph had taken her when he was upset with her

and had put hands on her. Five days after Felicia disappears, police make a grisly discovery in those same woods. I called Longview. I said, hey, I got a body here and this person is badly decomped. So their crime scene came out. We marked it off and they went in and rolled prints and came out and told me that he was Felicia. Police arrest Burnett.

He denies having any hand in the death of yet another female companion. But a month later, Burnett changes his tune. Why are we here today? I guess I'm gonna say I really wanna come clean. I did do it. Okay, did do what? I did murder Felicia. She was sitting on the bed with my wallet.

I had a little bit over $1,500 in that wallet. I said, Felicia, I said, give me my money that was in the wallet. And she said, that's not your money. That's our money. That's when he proceeded to argue with her, at some point go out to his truck, retrieve a rope from his toolbox. When I put it over her head, we both froze. When I pulled that rope, she said, but Joseph, I don't want to die.

I got them two, girl. And I cut that rope. I got it off of her. And I didn't feel no heartbeat or no pulse. He confesses to killing Felicia, and then he starts speaking with them about burning a female several years ago. Longview PD calls me. and I started to hear the police officers and the police officers start speaking with them about burning a female several years ago.

Longview PD calls me. I thought then that today's the day he wants to come clean. I went into the interview room with the Longview detectives, then we start going into Lavender Doe. Brunette describes events from 12 years ago as if they happened yesterday. It was Saturday, I had met Heart Attack over by that store and singing him and that really did happen. That's my, in my story, that was my alibi. I talked to Heart Attack and then I went to Walmart. Where was the girl at this point?

At Walmart somewhere, walking around. She's talked to a big kind of hack, Senator. No. She talked to East Texas. She talked to a little big country. Joseph wanted to be in control. It was more like he was speaking to an audience. Y'all really don't know who she was, her name,

or where she was from. I told her, hello, hey, you need some help? And she's like, no, I'm trying to sell some. I said, yeah, I'll help you. Do you want to go somewhere? You want to go park somewhere? And she said, yeah, we can go wherever. She said, but it's up to you. She said, I'm I'll help you. Do you want to go somewhere? You want to go park somewhere? And she said, yeah, we can go wherever. She said, but it's up to you.

She said, I'm really not from here. We went parked down by the lake. We're under the Cherokee Bayou Bridge. This was the location that Joseph Burnett brought our Jane Doe. He said that his grandfather used to take him fishing under this bridge all the time. Well, we were parked down there at the bayou. And I don't remember if it was $40 or $50, but I gave her that money and she put it in her pocket.

And then we ended up having sex. Investigators keep Burnett talking. His two murder confessions begin to sound suspiciously the same. But a little bit later, I got my wallet. And I went in my wallet and all my money was gone. the same. And we ended up getting to it. We started cussing and fighting. And then... What happened? I went around to the driver's side of my truck.

I opened up my toolbox, and I got a rope out. And I grabbed the rope, and I put it around her neck, and I tightened it up. Maybe 20, 30 seconds, and she was dead, and then quit. She just quit moving. I really started getting nervous, because now I don't let things go too far. No.

Yes, I got my money back, but I done took somebody's life. Know what I'm saying? Now I'm fixing to go to prison. And he sits under the bridge in his truck for about 45 minutes to an hour trying to figure out what he's going to do with her body. And that's when he took her on back off of Fred Swanson in the woods that he had been to once before

and decided he was going to dispose of her body by burning her. It makes me feel sad that somebody's last breath was taken under this desolate bridge. I don't think anybody should have to die that way. Burnett is indicted on two counts of murder, but the mystery remains. Who is Lavender Doe? We uploaded Lavender Doe's DNA to GEDmatch in October of 2018. The top match was around a second cousin once removed.

And so that was pretty exciting for us. There's a fever that takes hold. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I just want to solve the case. So when we first started exploring Lavender Doe's DNA matches, we noticed that there were a lot of Czech ancestors that she had. And these ancestors all seemed to come over and settle

in the Chicago area. We found one branch of the family that moved to Arkansas. That was really interesting to us because it wasn't quite Texas, but it was at least closer. After a few weeks of researching this family, I found something that just blew my mind. I found a descendant in East Texas. Her name was Valerie, and she lived only about 30 minutes

from where Lavender Doe was found. I thought to myself this is it we solved the case we found Lavender's mother. We arrived at Valerie's house I told her we were working with the DNA Doe project on a chain doe that we had in Longview. Valerie didn't have any idea of who it could be in her family. We were really, like, completely shocked that she didn't have any idea who Lavender Doe was. I didn't believe her. I thought, there's something she's holding back.

I was a little bit in disbelief, like we couldn't imagine that it was just a coincidence. I wondered if maybe Valerie didn't want to say the truth. I wondered if maybe she had given up a child for adoption. But we had to find the truth. Lavender Doe needed her name back. While Valerie might not know Lavender Doe's identity, her DNA could provide the answer. I started talking with Valerie directly.

She had taken a DNA test, and she was willing to provide those results to us. We saw that she was indeed a first cousin once removed. That meant that one of her cousins was most likely Lavender Doe's parent. We found there were over 25 first cousins in that generation. As we were building down the family tree, we came upon Robin Novotny. cousins in that generation. As we were building down the family tree,

we came upon Robin Novotny. She was the right age to be a parent of Lavender Doze. She also looked like she had some trouble in her life. She was married to a man named John Dodd. There wasn't a lot of stability in this family, and that sparked our interest. There was also a younger of stability in this family, and that sparked our interest. There was also a younger woman, Dana Dodd.

We could see that she was exactly the same age as what we believed Lavender Doe to be. And so we could see that her social security number hadn't been used. We didn't find any Facebook accounts, any Instagram accounts, anything like that. I'm at the coffee shop, and pretty much all of the hairs on the back of my neck are just standing up because everything seems to fit.

Like I'm kind of getting the chills again as I think about it. We found Lavender Doe. We knew we found her, but we needed the DNA to confirm who she was. I reached out to Lieutenant Hope and gave him all of the information that we had on Dana. The mother was deceased and John Dodd was a transient down in Jacksonville, Florida.

I spoke to his daughter, Amanda. Amanda was a half-sister to Dana. Dana Lynn Dodd was my baby's half-sister. Dana did not have a chance to even start her life, both parents being addicted to drugs and alcohol. Dana's mother left right around, I think, it was her second birthday. She just walked out on her. Our father, he would leave Dana with anyone

who was able to take her in. She always had a backpack with her. She learned that from an early age to always be prepared. It was hard for her. It was 1999, we got a call from our father's ex saying that we needed to go to Orlando to pick up Dana, or else she would be in foster care. We picked up Dana the next she would be in foster care. We picked up Dana the next morning and she came home with us.

Once you started talking, there was no time passed in between there. Just normal conversations every day like, you know, sisters would. She started to become a normal teenager, to let that breath out and say, okay, I can do this. I can be who I need to be. Dana Lynn Dodau was my best friend in high school. We were freaking frack. She looked out for me and I looked out for her. She was very bubbly, sunshine. Dana had a lot of dreams. She wanted to travel. We were young

and we partied, of course, and that's when I started noticing that she was getting a little bit more into the partying than I was. And that started her down that road of more drugs, more problems, that addiction coming out. She was 18, and she's already pretty much lived her whole life on her own. Nothing I said or did could get through to her. I just felt like Dana was losing herself at that point. I said, we're going to try and get you clean.

Instead, Dana decided to go with a friend of ours to a company selling magazines. I felt like it was a front for other things. We tried to talk her out of it. Dana being the free spirit she was, being out on her own, getting to travel and making money. When Dana left it was really hard for me to handle that and I held that burden for a very long time. Initially Dana started up north towards like Ohio, Iowa, and Indiana. At first Dana was calling, you know, every week. And then, you know, it seemed like the phone calls were getting further and further apart. The family has no idea that Dana has gone west to Texas oil country.

I would beg her to come back home. Dana would say, we're traveling and making a lot of money. This is going to work. We started looking for Dana about nine months after our last contact with her, which would have been around 2004. And we were looking all over the United States at that point. As the years went on, I convinced myself that, you know, she was out there and doing her thing.

I didn't want to think that something may have happened to her even though I knew something did, I just denied it. I did hold out a lot of hope. Whether Dana was strung out or not, I didn't care how broken she was, I was still ready to have my best friend in back. When Lieutenant Hope reached out to me, I looked at the picture.

I lost it. I did. You know, I started crying. I knew Lavender Doe was Dana. We started to hear more and more about Dana's actual life. Some of it was very hard to hear. She wasn't who I imagined. Part of it was kind of heartbreaking, but on the other hand, I could really relate to Dana. It kind of really allows you to see

the whole story from different angles. Investigators still need to confirm that Dana and Lavender are one in the same. They send a DNA test to Amanda. We're all really just kind of sitting on pins and needles waiting for those DNA results to come back. Two months later, the DNA dough project completes the DNA comparison. Lieutenant Holt, he said he got the results back and that Lavender dough was Dana, that it was my sister. It was just like everything around me just stopped.

It was like a relief that I found her, but not the way I wanted to find her. Lieutenant Holt, when he explained to me the individual who did this, he told me the whole story of what happened. Now we know who did this. Now we expect punishment. He's not a person. He's a monster. Spring is all about fresh starts and growth. So what better time to start learning a new

language? With Rosetta Stone, you can make real progress in a way that feels natural and engaging, whether you're investing in yourself, planning a trip, or just looking for a new challenge. Rosetta Stone has been the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years, helping millions of people absorb and retain new languages with a truly immersive approach. You learn by seeing, hearing, and speaking with no English translations, so you're immersed in your new language from day one. One of my favorite features is the True Accent speech recognition technology.

It gives you real-time feedback on your pronunciation, so you sound more like a native speaker with every lesson. And with lessons available on desktop and mobile, you can learn anytime, anywhere, whether you have five minutes or an hour. Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages from Spanish and French to Japanese, Korean, and more. With a lifetime membership, you get access to all of them so you can learn as many as you want whenever you

want. If you're ready to travel smarter, connect deeper, or simply grow in a new direction, Rosetta Stone is the perfect companion for your language journey. Don't wait! Unlock your language learning potential now. Cold Case Files listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit rosettastone.com slash coldcase to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to rosettastone.com slash coldcase and start learning today. This is a story that begins with a dying wish.

One thing I would like you to do. My mother's last request that my sister and I finish writing the memoir she'd started about her German childhood. When her father designed a secret super weapon for Adolf Hitler. Deutschland Sieg Heil! My grandfather, Robert Lusser, headed the Nazi project to build the world's first cruise missile, which terrorized millions and left a legacy that dogged my mother like a curse. She had some secrets. Mom had some secrets. I'm Suzanne Rico. Join my sister and me as we search for the truth behind our grandfather's work

and for the first time face the ghosts of our past. Jeez, who is he? Listen to the man who calculated death. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Joseph Burnett was charged with two homicides, one being Dana Dodd and the other being Felicia Pearson. On December 15, 2020, Burnett is finally brought before the court to face justice. Joseph Burnett pled not guilty at his arraignment. Even though there was a confession, yes, we did go ahead and start working towards trial.

I wanted to go to court. I wanted to hear his story. I need to know why he did it. And then he took a plea agreement. Burnett is sentenced to 50 years at each case. For the families, it is small comfort for their loss. Justice hasn't been served here. And it won't be served until the day that you are dragged to your hell, to your hell, where I hope every waking minute is ten folds, the pain that

you have enforced on me, on to Felicia's family, and everybody else. The judge asked, did he have anything to say, and he just said he wanted to get it over with. No emotions, no asking forgiveness, no nothing. Didn't care. I wanted him to suffer more. You know, I want him to be there forever. He's eligible for parole. Once he comes up for that, I plan to be there every step of the way, no matter what. How old I am, I'ma be there. Though the case of Lavender Doe is solved,

there's still one outstanding question. We were really wondering how she ended up in Kilgore, where she was found. What goes through my mind is that she got involved in some human trafficking. A lot of the magazine-selling crews will promise people the world they end up putting them in sleazy motels. They're around the drunks, prostitutes, the narcotic

users. They don't have any way to really get home. The magazine company, I believe, was trafficking Dana. She just didn't want people to know, but it just, it was all there in black and white. Dana didn't want to be a burden to anybody, and she knew that she kind of burned some bridges with some people, and she didn't want to hurt anybody anymore. So Dana made it a point to carry that load, that heavy load on herself,

and I believe that she felt that she couldn't get out of that situation. Once we went back to Longview and to give Dana the proper headstone, that's when it really hit me that, okay, this is where she's at. This is, you know, okay, you found her. I do plan on going out there for her birthday again. I wanna bring her some pictures of her nephews

and her nieces, but mainly I just want to bring her love. I think that's all that needs to be done, is, you know, stand by her gravesite and let her know I'm there. Without the volunteers working, the detectives, there's nothing I can say or do to show how much we appreciate what they did. I feel like her soul is finally put to rest. I'm just glad that she was finally found

and somebody actually kept looking for her family. There are still kind people out there in the world. I feel like Dana is in the right spot. There is an owl there on her grave site and I wrote on the owl, Dana Bob, and I did leave her a present, a photo of me and her. We chose to leave Dana buried in Longview because that's what I felt like that's where she belonged because they did take care of her. They, you forget about her, and that meant a lot to us. I feel Dana was searching for some place, somewhere like that, and she found it.

She's home. That's where she's at, in a community that loves her. And laughter is free with gut-busting comedies like Pee and Peel, The Neighborhood, Everybody Hates Chris and Boomerang. Watch all the hits, all for free, from all your favorite devices. Oh my god, I love it! Feel the free Pluto TV. Stream now, pay never.