Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Boy heads out to milk cows on dairy farm, found buried dead in shallow grave

Episode Date: April 26, 2019

A heartbreaking end to the search for missing teenager Jonathon Minard. The 14-year-old was found in a shallow grave in rural Ohio. He had gone missing while walking home from helping out a friend.Nancy's expert panel weighs in:Marc Klass: Founder, Klass Kids FoundationJoseph Scott Morgan: Forensics expert, and author of “Blood Beneath My Feet”Randall Kessler: Defense attorney, Emory Law School Trial Professor John Lemley: Crime online investigative reporter Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. It's just something that you never think that would happen in this community. It's something that you never want to do. Joe Heppner made the call to the sheriff's office. He said he walked in the house and went back out and he was gone. And it's not Jonathan to walk away. The last time Jonathan Menard was seen was at a home in New Harrisburg.

And the last thing the family heard was that Jonathan took a break, complaining of a toothache after working on a farm nearby. He didn't call home and he didn't return. I haven't shut my porch light off. It's been nearly a week since Jonathan went missing. Hundreds showed up to search for the teen earlier this week. The sheriff's office launched a criminal investigation, calling the missing case suspicious. They're also talking to a person of interest, but stopped short of releasing details.

Family members don't believe that Jonathan would have run away. He's not one to take off. He's a good kid. He was going around the neighborhood in Delaware asking people if he could mow their yards, and he wouldn't even charge them. The family is still holding on to hope that Jonathan will make it home. I just want to hear his voice say, I'm home, I'm safe. Detectives say they are still actively working on this case, and family and friends say they are searching on the ground level, putting up some flyers like this, as well as doing their own searches.

You're hearing our friend Imani Abraham at WKYC Channel 3. How did a boy go missing in a rural area with a practically zero crime rate? I am talking about this little boy, Jonathan Menard, missing from his home in Carroll County. Last seen in Carrollton, told a friend he would return home afterwards complaining of a toothache. Over 100 volunteers, family, friends out combing the area within a six-mile radius. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. I don't understand how he goes missing.

With me, an all-star panel, Mark Klass, founder of Klass Kids Foundation, Joe Scott Morgan, professor of forensics, Jacksonville State University, author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon, renowned defense attorney, Randy Kessler, professor at Emory Law School, Dr. Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist, and John Lindley, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. John Lindley, where was he supposed to be? I mean, when I look at this kid, he reminds me so much of my son, John David. But Jonathan volunteered to help out a friend, a 29-year-old dairy farmer at a neighboring farm there in New Harrisburg, Ohio at this dairy facility. Okay, wait a minute, wait a minute. So this little boy lives in the middle of dairy farms. Correct, yes, yes. I mean, Mark Klaas, I grew up in the middle of dairy farms and farms in general.

It's not like there are predators sneaking around the cow pasture. All right? That's telling me a lot right there, Mark Klass. He lives on a farm. You know how big a dairy farm is? I have nothing but pasture for the cows and their barns, their milking facilities. That's not a high-traffic area. It's not a, quote, bad area.

It's not a high traffic area. It's not a quote bad area. It's not a high crime area. You know, Nancy, I'm I'm an urban suburban guy. I don't really know much about rural America. I've never lived there. But everything I hear about Jonathan is very positive that he would help absolutely anybody at any time for absolutely any reason. He was loved in his community, and he seemed to love his community. So it just deepens the mystery even more. The thing is, you don't know where the predators are. The vast majority of people are great people, but there's a bad apple probably in every community in America,

and sometimes we never find out who they are. Sometimes we find out who they are through tragic circumstances. Well, you know what? I don't know if you remember this, Mark Klass, but you were the one that told me about looking up sex predators by zip code. And that was years ago.

I didn't even, believe it or not, did not know you could look up predators by zip code. That had to be over 10 years ago you told me that you can find known registered sex offenders in your zip code and in zip codes around you but just because they're this only shows known registered and I mean Joe Scott Morgan you're the forensics. We know that molesters commit molestations about 70, I can't remember how many times before they're caught. Well up toward or over 100 times they've molested before they're caught even once to be a registered sex offender. Yeah, this is something that they're thinking and planning over a period of time. And then they begin to act on it very subtly.

And then at some point in time, they'll get sloppy about what they're doing. And that's how they wound up getting caught. What happened to this little boy, Jonathan Menard? I want to go to Dr. Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist and child psychiatrist. This is really striking a chord with me, this little boy, Jonathan Menard, because he reminds me so much of John David. If I want anything done, I ask John David. No offense to my little Lucy, who's a precious flower, but she'll just sit right there and read her story on her iPad.

If I ask John David, he'll jump up and do anything. He helps everybody. He's all stressed out this week because of his STEAM project. He's in a group, and I read some messages some of the other group members sent saying, I'm not doing it. I know it's a group grade, but if you want it done, John David, you're going to have to do mine too. And you know what? He doesn't want to tell the teachers.

He doesn't want to make a big fuss. He's just stressing out trying to do it all for the whole group. That's just him. He will do anything for anybody. That's just his personality. Dr. Bober, it just hurts me that those are the children that get taken advantage of. Back to John Limley. What more can you tell me about the day he disappeared?

Well, on this Saturday, the day that Jonathan returned to this new Harrisburg dairy farm. During the day, the dairy farmer says that Jonathan began to complain of a toothache. And apparently it just only got worse throughout the day to the point that Jonathan wanted to call his mom to come pick him up. He was 14 years old, of course, not driving yet. And so the two of them, according to the dairy farmer, went into the mother states that she never received a phone call from the teen, and she has not seen or heard from him since he left the house that Saturday morning. This morning at approximately 10.15, the body of Ms. Juvenile was found buried on a farm in Washington, Tennessee. Jonathan's discovery is just the first step in gathering evidence

to answer many unanswered questions that we have that have led us to this moment. Investigations like this take time. In this case, there's no exception. And there are many dedicated law enforcement professionals working hard even as we speak. At this juncture, we are in the early stages of an investigation. The Office of the Prosecutor will not comment or speculate on any evidence or divulge any specifics while the investigation is continuing. Hello, my name is Dr. Huss. I'm the care county coroner. I was at the scene and we removed Jonathan's body and he's been transported to the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office for

complete autopsy including toxicology. I don't anticipate having any more information or results for several weeks. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. We begin tonight with breaking news out of Carroll County where missing teenager Jonathan Menard has been found dead, his body buried in a shallow grave. Amani Abraham has been following this story all week, joins us in Carroll County live tonight. And Amani, this is just such a sad report. Really heartbreaking news from the sheriff today, learning that Menard was found at a farm in Washington Township.

He was reported missing over the weekend. His family expected him to come home. He was reported missing over the weekend. His family expected him to come home. He never showed up. Today it was words the family and friends did not want to hear. This juvenile was found buried on a farm in Washington Township. Carroll County Sheriff Dale Williams broke the news that the 14-year-old, who had hundreds searching and hoping for his return, was found buried in a shallow grave at a farm. But details as to what or where it happened were not released. I'm not going to comment. I'm not going to comment on anything to jeopardize this investigation. Earlier this week, Williams said Menard was last seen in New Harrisburg,

but was working at a farm nearby on Mobile Road in Washington Township. A sheriff's vehicle was spotted leaving the property around 11 this morning, an hour after Menard's body was found. But Williams would not confirm if Menard was found at that farm where he'd been working. Detectives said there was a person of interest in the case, but would not comment on the man's identity or whether they have any suspects. The sheriff was very careful in releasing any details, including whether or not this case has been listed as a homicide.

You're hearing from our friend Amani Abraham at WKYC Channel 3. We are learning that the body of this little boy who helped everybody who wouldn't hurt a fly has been found. With me, Dr. Daniel Bober, forensic psychiatrist. Randy Kessler, defense lawyer. Mark Klass, founder of Klass Kids Foundation. Joseph Scott Morgan, author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon. John Lindley, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. After an extensive, exhaustive search with hundreds of volunteers, tell me how and where

and in what condition was this child's body found? As has been pointed out in some of those reports, police are being very careful not to divulge details in this case for fear of jeopardizing the investigation. However, we do know that it was a neighboring farm where investigators finally found Jonathan Menard's body in a shallow grave. Well, of course, the first place you start to mark class founder Class Kids Foundation is where he last was. It's my understanding this little boy who worked on a dairy farm was at a neighboring farm helping out milking cows. So that's where I get, if you can establish that's where he really was, not just where they thought he was, but where he really was, that's where you'd start, right? Well, absolutely. Absolutely, that's where you start. And as has already been mentioned, the massive disconnect in this story, in this timeline,

is that he went with his 29-year-old friend to the farmhouse to call his mother and report his toothache and ask her to come and pick him up. But that never occurred. She never received that phone call so from that point on this is a complete and total mystery and it seems like the person that has the answer to that mystery might very well be the last person he was seen with the individual the friend on the farm to joseph scott morgan forensics expert author of blood beneath my feet you know i thought long and hard before I gave the twins a phone. And they do not have social profiles. We're not there.

But cases like this made me realize I had to bite the bullet and get them a phone. I want you to listen to this. This is Jonathan Perez at ABC. This morning, the desperate search continues for 14-year-old Jonathan Minard, missing since Saturday. You want to look for any type of evidence or the subject himself. Over 100 volunteers joining the Carroll County Sheriff's Office Tuesday to search for the boy combing through wooded areas and farm fields spanning about six miles. His aunt and uncle, a part of the search efforts, describing what the boy's parents are going through. They're devastated. They're lost.

His mom's ready to have a breakdown. His dad is too. And they can't do it. They feel helpless because they can't do anything. According to police, he was staying with friends staying with friend and working at a nearby f minard complaining of a t going to walk home and ca mother never received tha actually hopeful that he he's like I said, he's a

saying they've interviewe but no charges have been filed at this time. You are hearing the very latest, the search. The search for him resulted in the discovery of his body. But you hear where the mom said she expected him to call, but he never called. That should have been the beginning of the timeline. To John Lindley, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, what do we know now? In that report, we heard about the hundreds of residents that were assisting law enforcement with the search for Jonathan. And very interesting,

on the night of April 15th, he had been missing about 48 hours at this point, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office issued a very specific alert asking residents to pay special attention to the area around Baxter's Ridge Church in Harrison Township. Residents were also advised to check their own garages and any other structures they might have on their property. This being a rural area, there were also lots of abandoned cabins and sheds and other places to search. Locals were asked to meet at Delroy Firehouse for instructions before combing through about six miles of woods and farms as they hunted for the boy. Now, in an unusual move, authorities abruptly called off the search for Jonathan on April 17th, on Wednesday, saying that a criminal investigation had started. And the sheriff, Sheriff Williams, said that

we're not doing any more physical searches. We're working on the case from a completely different angle. Okay, that's never good when they say they're calling off the search. And I want to go to Randy Kessler, renowned defense attorney, professor of trial tactics at Emory Law School. First, I want you to hear this, Randy Kessler. This was the news that many people here in Carroll County feared. Six days after Jonathan Menard disappeared, his body was found in a shallow grave. Devastating news for his parents, several other family members, and the community itself. At a news conference that wrapped up a short time ago, Sheriff J.L. Williams revealed the 14-year-old boy's body was discovered around 10-15 this morning in that grave on a farm in Washington Township here in Carroll County. Investigators say last Friday, Jonathan was picked up by a family friend and taken to a

different farm in New Harrisburg where he did work milking cows. But on Saturday, he vanished, setting off several large searches. This week, over a six-mile area, his family desperately asked for any leads. Today, the sheriff would not say the exact location where the body was found or how they were led to Jonathan. Investigators are also not commenting any further on something they said earlier this week, that there is a person of interest in the case who has been interviewed twice, agreed to a polygraph, but then changed his mind. Jonathan's discovery is just the first step in gathering evidence to answer many unanswered questions that we have that have led us to this moment. Investigations like this take time. In this case, there's no exception. I know there are many dedicated law enforcement professionals working hard even as we speak.

To you, Randy Kessler, you're the defense attorney. When somebody says, yes, I'll take a polygraph, and then they go, you know what, never mind, not so much. That's not good. That's not good that's not good but i wouldn't read that much into it because lawyers tell people all the time not to take a polygraph because it's a subjective test the person administering the test has a decision to make do i think that they're lying or not and that's up to that human being's decision so i've told people not to take a lie detector test that's not the guilt or innocence uh criterion well wait wait wait wait why why would you tell your client, if they're innocent, not to take a poly?

Because I don't trust polygraphic tests, and I've seen them come back positive when they should have been negative and vice versa. It is a subjective test. It is not pure science. There's a reason they're not admissible in a court of law, and that's the reason. Okay, so you've never had a client take a poly? I have. Is that what you're trying to tell me?

Because I know that's not true. No, I have had them, but I've told people that I oppose it because I'm not sure how it's going to come out based on the person administering the test. And then you have people like Nancy Grace who say, you failed the polygraph. You must be guilty. It's not a yes or no, right or wrong. I would not say you must be guilty, but it is, let me just say, a signpost. It's a directional in an investigation. But when somebody goes out on a limb and says, yes, I'll take a polygraph all full of bravado,

and then they go, oh, you know what? I don't think so. I mean, come on, Joe Scott Morgan. Randy Kessler's not fooling anybody. He backed out of it because he was worried about the results. Oh, come on, Nancy. You're talking to a defense attorney. Of course he's going to say that.

You've got to stand and deliver. If you feel certain in your innocence, then there's no problem. Why don't you come forward and do the polygraph? It raises suspicion for me. There is a person of interest in the case who has been interviewed twice, agreed to a polygraph, but then changed his mind. Jonathan's discovery is just the first step in gathering evidence to answer many unanswered questions that have led us to this moment.

Investigations like this take time. In this case, there's no exception. We're talking about a little boy, Jonathan Menard, who goes missing. We now know his body has been found in a shallow grave. You're hearing our friend Bob Jones at WEWS News 5 talking about that POI person of interest who said to take a polygraph and then changed his mind to John Limley. John, I guess the POI person of interest is the 29-year-old neighbor friend? That is what a lot of people are assuming. But as far as officials go, they're remaining tight lipped. We don't know that for a fact. In fact, to quote Sheriff Williams,

when asked by a reporter that very same question, he says, I'm not going to go there. Take a listen to our friend at WKYC, Andrew Horansky. We do not know whether he was found on the farm where he once worked or who even found him, how he even died. While investigators are refusing to answer perhaps the biggest question of all in all of this, was it a murder? The picture that once graced a missing person poster is now part of an obituary. Jonathan Menard, just 14, described today as energetic and outgoing, often making his family the target of good-natured pranks. Gone too soon.

I think the whole community is still in shock of hearing the news. This is something that you don't think would happen in Carroll County. Superintendent David Katroki-Newmanard is a 7th grader in his district, while Brendan Maley knew him as a friend. It would make everyone's day better if he saw someone having a bad day, then he would go talk to them, see how they're feeling. Their heartbreak now only worsened by the mystery. On Wednesday, investigators had a person of interest but never named them. Then Friday, after days of searching, Menard turned up in a shallow grave on a farm in Washington Township.

There were no other details. I'm not going to comment on anything to jeopardize this investigation. An investigation that continues tonight as a concerned community remains in the dark. And that is at the time of little Jonathan's funeral and still nobody knows anything. To John Limley, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter help me out has it advanced any further than saying we don't know anything i mean well wait wait john limley hold on kessler kessler is it a murder what what do you want me to think he had an accident and fell into a shallow grave and put dirt on top of himself yeah a murder what else could it be yeah i mean i think the grave is. Not a murder? What else could it be?

Yeah, I mean, I think the grave is sort of a hard fact to overcome, and it makes it harder to defend it if you say, oh, someone was politely just burying the body because they wanted to do a favor for the soul. That doesn't apply. That's, you're, got to agree with you once today. I mean, John Lindley, I got to have more than just telling me we don't know anything else. Of course they have to know something else. What are they telling the family? Well, as far as the sheriff goes and his department, we're not getting more information. We don't know what information the family is receiving because they are not

speaking with reporters. However, we do have a statement from Carroll County Coroner Mandel Haas. He has told us that he was on the scene when Menard's body was discovered. Haas stated that the boy's remains have been sent to Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner for autopsy. This is just north of the area and toxicology testing. He says all of this information from the autopsy may not be available for several weeks. Did you say toxicology? Let me go to Joe Scott Morgan. What does that mean, Joe Scott? Well, what that means, Nancy, is that at autopsy,

they have taken blood samples and urine samples and other fluids for testing. They're going to see if this kid has anything in his system that could have led to his death. And listen, that doesn't mean that something nefarious still might not have happened, because if that comes back positive for something like fentanyl keep in mind this area of the country in particular even though it's rural they have a horrible opioid pro problem up there if he was exposed to anything given anything that'll turn up in the toxicology that's why

they're being very very careful maybe somebody got scared and buried him after this kid suddenly died. Nancy, let me frame this very quickly. This is a very rural area. John mentioned that the body went to Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County is actually the Cleveland Medical Examiner's Office. This area is so isolated, they can't even do their own autopsies there, if that frames it for you. They're not used to this kind of thing. So they're trying to be very, very careful. It's not like Cleveland. They don't get a lot of these deaths. So they're taking their time with this case. Okay. To Mark Klass, joining me, special guest, founder of Klass Kids Foundation. Here is where the witnesses diverge. And as you know, Mark, I had one of the greatest judges ever that I worked for, Judge Alverson. And one of the charges he would give every jury is about credibility.

And he charged every jury that it is your duty, jurors, to make every witness speak the truth and impugn perjury on no one. In other words, witnesses can see things from different angles or different lighting conditions. They can hear things differently, but they can all be telling the truth. For instance, you see a car crash. One witness says, I didn't see the brake lights. And the other witness says, oh yeah, I saw the brake lights. Why? Because the first witness was in the front of the crash and the second witness was behind the crash. That's how that works. They're both saying something different, but they're both telling the truth.

But I have a problem where the witnesses diverge in this case because this family friend tells investigators he went with Jonathan to make the call to the mom that he had a toothache, and could she come pick him up? But Jonathan's mother never got the call to the mom that he had a toothache and could she come pick him up but Jonathan's mother never got the call that can't both be true or can it well certainly Nancy his mother is not going to be stating this truth at all is it regarding the the whereabouts of her son or the mystery surrounding her son and this kind of stops with this other person, this 29-year-old friend, because one thing we do know with certainty, Jonathan didn't bury himself.

The search for Jonathan was exhaustive. All efforts were made to make sure he had not been hit by a car while walking home. They included hundreds of law enforcement officers volunteers drones aircraft all sorts of equipment the body found in a shallow grave now the man who last saw jonathan has not been named by authorities but there are reports that he has been considered a person of interest simply because he was the last one to see Jonathan that we know of. Okay. He has nothing in his past such as a violent act. But he allegedly has a criminal record, drug-related offenses.

Joe Scott Morgan, weigh in. Listen, you have to consider all of the facts in this case, Nancy. I find it very interesting that there is a grave to begin with. That means that somebody put forth effort in order to not bury the body, but I think conceal the body. This is a concealed event. Now, whether or not drugs are involved or some type of specific violence, we'll have to wait and see, but they're playing it very close to the vest. And hey, I applaud them for that because they need to make sure

that no stone is left unturned. You know, when I think about this little boy, Mark Klaus, he would make silly selfies and put them on his grandfather's work phone. He was spotted all around riding his bicycle through the village of Delroy, where he would stop and visit with friends and neighbors, help out whoever needed him. And everybody called on him.

He loved animals. And in almost every picture, you know, Mark, how Princess Diana would always be looking down and kind of look up. She was very, very shy. That's how he looks. It's just breaking my heart. It just seems like the very, very best, most loving people turn out to be the victims.

Because they let their guard down. He seems like a natural Eagle Scout. He just seems like the best boy possible, a wonderful son, and it just breaks your heart to think that this kind of violence would overcome him and end his short life. And, you know, John Lindley, we're not hearing a lot from the family. They've apparently are just devastated about this turn of

events. The only person that has spoken with reporters is Jonathan's aunt. And we've learned a lot about Jonathan through her, about he was the epitome of an old soul, that when people were around him, they felt comfortable. They felt like they were with a grandparent more than a 14-year-old child. We wait as justice unfolds. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. We heard today from Mr. McCraney's attorney, David Harrison. We also heard from Mr. McCraney's attorney, David Harrison. We also heard from Mr. McCraney's wife, Jeanette. She described her husband as being a family man and multiple times proclaimed his innocence. I would like to say that what he has been accused of is a horrible crime.

However, everyone that knows my man of God knows that this is only a test. This is just a challenge of our faith. I agree for the families of the young ladies. However, I'm here to let you know that the man behind those bars, he's innocent. In our family, Coley has always been our stronghold. We may be broken at this point, but you just know that we're gracefully broken. I proclaim my husband's innocence, and I'm here to be his voice. And I can already tell you that's the expiration date on all of this. For those times when my family feels like the road is rough, I'm going to be there praying them on, not ask you to do the same. I'm not afraid of the enemy. However, the enemy might better be afraid of me. You're hearing from our friend at WDHN, ABC 18, Dothan, Alabama reporter

Tonya Pruitt speaking with the suspect, 54-year-old Colleen McCraney's wife, Jeanette. And you know what? People may be laughing at her for standing up for him, referring to the enemy as if the state, the prosecutor, is Satan. But I feel bad for her. I feel bad for her. Because just like Dr. Bethany Marshall has told us in the past, these people masquerade as normal. They can lead an entire double life, including pulling the wool over the eyes of their family, their children, their neighbors,

people sitting on the pew next to them at their synagogue or their church or their mosque. Nobody knows but them. But I'll tell you something else. DNA doesn't lie. Straight out to Robin Olinsky, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Can we not talk for a moment about the well-respected father who has his wife out there speaking for him and taking the hits with the press? Can we talk for one moment about Tracy Hollett and J.B. Beasley, just 17 years old. What happened?

Well, Nancy, these are two beautiful 17-year-old girls. They were friends, and they were out at a party. As 17-year-old girls go to parties, and they were in Ozark, Alabama. And this is many, many moons ago before you had the little GPS on your phone. And they were on their way home, and they got lost. So back in the day, you got to rewind your mind to the days where you didn't have your phone, and it tells you where to go. And they stopped, as you you would at a gas station the next thing you know they are

shot once in the head and police say one of the girls was raped i mean you know you're at a loss for words did you just say shot in the head i thought i heard you say that. Yep. Each 17-year-old suffered one bullet fatal shot to the head each. Bang, bang. Take a listen to our friend at WDHN ABC 13, Dothan reporter Tonya Pruitt. What was your reaction when you first found out the news? When I first started, I didn't believe it and still don't believe that he's guilty.

We believe that God is going to change all this around. I know everybody looking at it, however, but God has the last say. A preliminary hearing has been set for this case for April 3rd at 2 p.m. And, of course, over the coming days and weeks, we will bring you more details as this case is obviously still developing. A suspect, 54 years old, arrested in the cold case murders of two teen girls found shot dead in the trunk of their car 20 years ago after they get lost on back roads of Alabama. Now, as it turns out, one of this guy, Coley McCraney's relatives submitted DNA to, you know, a genealogy website. And that case wide open. Now, according to police, we learn that traces of DNA were found at the scene.

One of the girls raped. They'd been at a party on their way home, got lost. One of them raped. Both of them shot in the head. Now, remember, they're 17, 20 years ago. This guy, Coley McCraney, now 54, 20 years ago, he was 34 years old. What is he doing out trolling around for two teen girls, precious girls. It's Coley McCraney, arrested for the murders of Tracy Hullet and J.B. Beasley. Found dead in the trunk of J.B.'s car. To you, Dr. Bethany Marshall, renowned California psychoanalyst,

to leave the bodies in the back, in the trunk of a car. I'm just a trial lawyer. You're the shrink. What does that treatment of these dead girls' bodies say to you? Nancy, that he was so callous, cold-blooded, heartless. I mean, you know how beautiful 17-year-old girls are, vulnerable, excited about life, their whole lives ahead of them. He's just 15 years older, puts a bullet in each of their heads, throws them in the trunk of the car, and leaves them there. Now, something even scarier to me as I was learning more about this story. Guess what this perpetrator has done for a number of years? He's been a truck driver, Nancy, a truck driver. That tells me that he chose a profession that may have allowed him to accommodate to his perversions and to his

offending style. I wouldn't be surprised if we find that there are more victims out there. He also has an online ministry, so he's a quote-unquote man of God. As many sociopaths are, they kill and find religion all at the same time. Dr. Bethany, Bethany, Bethany, you know how I feel about that. Please do not drag God into this. I don't think he signed up for this. All right, all right all right but you are right this guy was a truck driver and a preacher he even founded his own church okay

so i i think you have really hit the nail on the head cheryl mccullum regarding the possibility of other victims a truck driver no wait Let me clear something up real quick. My grandfather drove a bus, a bus, a school bus, okay? He was a farmer. He dug wells. He drove a school bus. He drove an ice truck. So this is not about him being a driver of any kind of vehicle, all right?

What this is about is the fact that as a truck driver, particularly a long-haul truck driver, he's all over the country. There could be victims all over the country. He had one of the perfect jobs for driving around and looking for victims, for driving around and knowing where to potentially go when he found victims. And I'll tell you something, Nancy, when my sister Shelly and I were in our late teens, we were coming back from a similar event and we got lost. And not only did we stop and ask for directions, there was a nice man who said, hey, I will lead y'all and follow y'all back, or y'all can follow me to the highway. And we went twists and turns and left and right.

And at one point we joked and said, where is this dude taking us? Like we could be going to the middle of nowhere. I can understand how these girls could be in a situation where they would follow someone. And unfortunately, this is what we see, that he murdered them and raped one of them. But again, a truck driver, we've seen it before. You know, he's got the perfect gig. Speaking of DNA, I want you to take a listen. It's WSFA 12 News, and this is the Ozark Police Chief Marlos Walker and the DA, Kirk Adams.

Last fall, I sought the services of Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company in Virginia, to assist us in the investigation. Law enforcement agencies across the country use the company as the snapshot DNA analysis service to advance investigations when traditional DNA methods fail to produce any results. We implored nearly all of their DNA tests. Fentanyl typing gave us a description of an unknown suspect. Genetic genealogy helped us to identify the family from which he descended, and kinship testing ultimately narrowed the suspect list down to a single individual. We collected a DNA sample from the suspect, and our state crime lab confirmed that it matched the DNA from the crime scene. The genetic genotyping yielded a match to the DNA sample,

again, taken from the crime scene in 1999. Well, there you're hearing the law enforcement speak, but one thing that's really burning me up, in addition to, of course, the murders of the two girls, is that he's putting his wife out there and his family to speak for him, to argue the DNA's not accurate. We also know that this guy, Coley McCraney, lived in the area where the girl's bodies were found. He's now moved to a different city.

He's got them out there doing his dirty work. Nancy Grace, Crime Stories, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart podcast