Every Town - A TERRIFYING Reality of Active Serial Killers In Our Communities

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

“Many people assume that serial killers are just a thing of the past, but the truth is there are active and prolific murderers living among us.” - Sarah Langan 👁 FREE! Check Out Our Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvtlOlODQ8g&t=5238s 👀 Watch This Episode On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scarymysteries 🎧 Our Other Podcast Scary Mysteries: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZooEZMoZ421WdsOVJhVkT 💀 Exclusive Videos, Podcasts & Perks: https://www.patreon.com/scarymysteries  👁 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrew.fitzg 👁 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewfitzgerald 👁 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarymysteriesofficial 🗣 Business Inquiries, questions and comments hit us up at [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love true crime, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a dose of creepy true crime every single morning with a morning cup of murder. This short daily show is the perfect podcast to incorporate into your morning routine because in less than 15 minutes, you'll hear about a true crime that took place on a day's date in history. Each day's dark history lesson will kickstart your morning with intriguing tales of murder, abduction, serial killers, cults, and everything in between.

With over 20 million downloads, Morning Cup of Murder has something for every true crime lover. One listener describes the show as a small package with a powerful punch of crime. Another writes that the show is an absolute delight in the morning. Support yourself a piping hot cup of murder every single morning with Morning Cup of Murder. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every town has a dark side. serial killers. Why on God's green earth are we so interested in them? Ted Bundy, the Zodiac, John Gacy, the list goes on.

We've put them on a pedestal and made these beasts icons in our culture as they've captured our collective imaginations, making us wonder how someone so cold could actually exist in our world. As a result, they are the subject of numerous movies, series, and novels, and have inspired countless others in the media. But again, the question is why. Maybe part of the truth is because there's a little darkness inside each and every one of us.

And these killers fascinate us so much because right now they could be sitting at our own dinner table or even lying next to us in bed and we have no idea about their true sinister nature. And that right there is a morbid thought. Hey guys, it's Andrew, and thanks for tuning in to this episode of Everytown, but today we're talking about serial killers currently hunting in our communities. Despite some common misconceptions that say serial killers basically don't exist today,

the reality is that they're out there right at this very moment. The numbers are supposedly smaller than from back in the day with the FBI currently believing there's anywhere between 30 to 50 active serial murderers in the U.S. But some say that number could be much higher. And these killers have had to get smarter as technology has increased their chances of getting caught. But technology also allows them access to things that were never possible before. Make no mistake about it, they're out there. So let's head to a couple of towns around the country and see exactly what they're up to at this very moment.

If there ever was a golden age of serial killers, it was in the 1970s and 80s. For those of you who lived through the days when the man called the Nightstocker roamed the street, streets of Southern California. The notorious serial killer Dean Coral. This happened back in the 1970s when Coral and two others went on a killing spree in Houston. If you've lived in the Wabash Valley a while, then you likely know the name Larry Eiler. It was one of the largest serial killer cases ever. This didn't happen randomly either. It had everything to do with the culture and where society was at during this time in the U.S. And there were approximately 770 active serial killers in the U.S. in the 1980s alone.

Back then, was essentially the first time ever that we lived in a world of abundance. Where our basic needs were all met. All sorts of food was available at grocery stores. The economy was doing well, which allowed for people to focus on expanding their minds, so to speak. There was civil unrest in the 60s and 70s due to the Vietnam War protests. This signaled the decline of traditional values, which produced the source. soils in which people could grow, and that included bad people.

It was also a time when it became easier for serial killers to pick up and kidnap their prey through hitchhiking, as well as with the expanded transportation system available to the American public. By the time we entered the 90s and 2000s, that number of active serial killers started to get lower. One reason for the dip was because of stranger danger, being ingrained in all the kids, so people essentially start. stopped hitchhiking and definitely stopped trusting strangers. But an even bigger reason was that law enforcement became much more sophisticated, specifically in technology and forensic science.

This meant that for killers, it became more difficult to evade the police. As a result, the number of active serial killers had dropped to around 100 by the 2010s, a considerably lower figure than it was before the 90s. But just because the numbers are down, it doesn't mean it's over. You can rest assured that there are still active serial killers walking among us, stalking, in our communities. And the ability of these predators to adapt and exploit the vulnerabilities of modern societies should not be underestimated.

And coupled that with the new challenges faced by law enforcement, such as an increased volume of calls overall just because of a larger population, that means the threat of serial killers hasn't completely disappeared. In a country with an average of 272,000 deaths each month, it's really hard to spot a pattern that could help us identify a potential serial killer. And just to give you some perspective, back in 1980, the average number of deaths was around 166,000, almost half what it is today, and that made it easier to narrow down culprits and hone in on suspects.

But no matter where you are, speculation will always arise when a bunch of bodies start popping up in one place. And right now, that's happening in a few different spots all across America. In the Pacific Northwest, more specifically Oregon, there's been a series of deaths that have left the local authorities and people desperate for answers as they wonder whether or not there is a serial killer on the loose. Their story begins in the winter of 2022 when the remains of 22-year-old Kristen Smith were discovered in a wooded area near Portland. During that investigation, and police scoured the area in more detail. Within just a few months, between April and May, the bodies of three other young women were found.

Ashley Reel, 24-year-old Charity Perry, and 31-year-old Bridget Webster were also discovered in the region. The authorities are currently a little hush-hush on all the details, but all these women had connections to the city. They didn't belong out in the middle of nowhere, so it seemed like they were all brought out there with the specific purpose of being killed. The county district attorney's office there began to suspect that these cases were linked. Though the exact causes of death have yet to be released, it's more than likely there is a commonality between them. They were more than likely all killed in the same manner. Strangulation being the most likely and after that, it's being shot. All four of them were close in age range, which again shows they were targeted,

and they were found either in or around bodies of water. On April 8th, 32-year-old Joanna Speaks body was found in Ridgefield, Washington, after she had been reported missing a month prior. That totals up to five bodies found in Clackamas County within six months, which, if it is the work of one individual, would make them a serial killer. And luckily, in this case, looks like they might have actually caught their man, allegedly, for now at least. And his name is Jesse Calhoun, 39-year-old who's been in and out of the first. of prison for less severe crimes like burglary and theft. But investigators honed in on him. Not enough to charge him officially in May of 2024 for second-degree murder in the deaths of

Charity, Bridget, and Joanna. He also faces charges of abuse of a corpse, but what the abuse is exactly is yet to come out. And so now, he's behind bars as the prosecution builds its case, no doubt trying to connect him with Kristen and Ashley Reels murders. It's obviously a tough one for the families of the slain to swallow. Their loved one was killed like this, but at least the wheels of justice are moving in the right direction. In time, the whole truth will come out. Maybe there are more victims still out there.

And the authorities definitely save some additional lives had the killer not been conned. While the investigation in Oregon on the West Coast continues to unfold, another potential serial killer may be lurking on the East Coast. Their main hunting ground is along the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, a place with a whole lot of woods for cover, spotted with dirt roads that lead to various trails and bodies of water. In particular, one winding river seems to be the preferred dumping ground, as it's where many of the bodies have been discovered.

While law enforcement is yet to officially connect these deaths, the people in these communities already have, and they've named whoever is responsible as the Merrimack River Killer. While it's normal for any body of water to every now and again claim a few lives for a variety of reasons, the issue here is that over the past several years a troubling pattern has begun to emerge with an abnormal amount of bodies being recovered from the river and its surrounding waterways. As people thinking that this has to be much more than just a coincidence, and this story starts on December 30th of 2016. Everybody else is getting ready to ring in the new year a man's body.

body was found in the Merrimack River, washed up in Amesbury Mass. This was followed by the discovery of another man in the river in Lowell, Mass, in June of 2017. And then not even a month later, a female body was recovered from the river in Lawrence Mass. All these towns are essentially touching one another, so it's a very small area. And from there, the grim discoveries only continued, with the bodies of both men and women turning up in various rivers and lakes throughout the region. In May of 2019, a female camper went missing, only to be found later on deceased in the Merrimack River. August 13th of that year, a man is recovered from the Mascoma River in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

September 16th, another male body is discovered. October 25th, a female is found in the Merrimack in Lowell, Massachusetts. January 17th, the female body is discovered on the outskirts of the Merrimack River in Manchester, New Hampshire. and the list of the victims just goes on and on and on, with more bodies being pulled out from the rivers than the following years. 2021 in particular was a busy year, with at least eight more cases. For example, on March 12th, the missing woman was found in the Pemmy River in Lincoln, New Hampshire, a week after she was reported missing.

Later that month, another woman and her dog were discovered. On April 23rd of 2021, unidentified, remains were found near a walking trail in Manchester, and the exact same spot as another woman's body that had been found on December 30th of 2020, and 20 bodies, that is, between May of 2019 and April of 2021. To put that into perspective a bit, between 2010 and 22, 32, 31 people drowned in the Merrimack River. So of those 31 people, over the course of 12 years, the 65% of the deaths happened in just 23 months. Again, the authorities have never stated that these are connected, but is it not strange that many have happened in such a short amount of time?

Worse still the circumstances under which many of them died are still unclear. They're labeled as accidental, or even that the person did it to themselves willingly, which I'm sure some of them fall under this category. But all of them doesn't sit right with a lot of people. Tragedies happen, but this many in such a short amount of time, well, it's unusual. Water also washes away a lot of evidence, and so if there is no outwardly signs of trauma like a gunshot wound, very difficult to say how and why they actually died. It's interesting that the court of public opinion has chimed in on this before the authorities. People start to see something that doesn't add up and they get to talking. Although you have to wonder if they're

They are onto something real, with this being a serial killer stalking the waterways, or if it's another example of how our fascination with serial killers can sometimes get the better of us. Shifting over to the Lone Star State, bustling city of Austin is currently facing its own wave of terror. The Rainy Street Ripper, a name that's been coined for a possible serial killer in Texas, but is this real? This creepy nickname was given out because of a series of mysterious deaths and vanishing incidents near the Colorado River in Austin. And just recently, in August of 2024, the public has reached a fever pitch, creating a petition that demands the Austin police investigate these cases more seriously. The first body of what would turn out to be a long list was discovered in July of 2022. was identified as 59-year-old Ricky Parks, who appeared to have drowned, but since he was the first to be found in the area, his death didn't raise any suspicion.

But after that, things get weird because over the next two years, the bodies of 11 men and two women have been recovered from this short stretch of river. Jason John's body was found on February 13th. Jason was last seen on Rainey Street, just a week before his body was discovered. his death was recognized as an accident, he drowned, however, it added to the growing concern among people living in the area. In the same year in April, Jonathan Honie, who was 33, was also found in the lake, and his death was also determined to be an accidental drowning. And then we also have the case of 46-year-old Clifton Axtell, found in March of 2023. His death was classified as undetermined, while the term undetermined.

while the term undetermined may be neutral, in a situation where many deaths are being looked at to see if they were murder or manslaughter, undetermined doesn't sound so great. Then there's Joe Sumerano, who was shot while driving, and his car ended up in the reservoir. Even though this case involved a shooting,

police were quick to say it wasn't connected to the other deaths. Maybe it wasn't. It's hard to say exactly, though, without a thorough investigation. But what has people up in the case, In arms right now is the most recent controversial case that just happened in July of 2024. Initially, the Austin PD announced that the latest victim had died from blunt force trauma. But within just hours, that story changed.

The police corrected their statement, saying the man had actually died of a gunshot wound of the head, one they believe he had done to unalive himself. So why the police changed their story so quickly? It seems like a pretty weird move and... this back and forth that has only fueled the growing unease among residents. The confusion around the cause of death has raised eyebrows and deepened doubts about the official line. Authorities keep saying most of these deaths are just accidental drownings tied to the local nightlife, as there's a lot of bars and restaurants right next to the river. The ongoing inconsistencies in their statements

make it hard not to wonder if there's something more sinister going on. And at the very least, these are accidents. Maybe it's time to put up something to prevent people falling in. And 38-year-old Jeff Jones was on a bachelor party trip to Austin with a group of friends when he woke up two weeks later in the hospital. As it turns out, he survived a terrifying fall off a bridge in downtown Austin. He's convinced he was targeted. Drugged with rohypnal, which doctors found in his system, and then tossed over. Miraculously, he survived. It's a three or four foot wide old stone bridge, so for me to actually have somehow fallen over it would have been almost impossible. I would have either have had to have been pushed out or, you know, I've been climbing on it myself.

Local rumors also stir the pot. Anonymous bartender from Rainey Street shared an unsettling encounter with a patron who made a disturbing comment about targeting people from the area. The bartender's account, though unconfirmed, suggests that some believe there might be a deeper connection between these deaths and a possible serial killer. And such accounts, combined with the frequent and unexplained deaths, only amplifies the idea that someone out there is up to no good, getting more creative with their murderous ways than they had to back in the day in order to avoid getting caught. As more bodies are discovered and the investigation drags on, the community is left to, grapple with their fears. The lack of surveillance around Lady Bird Lake at the edge of the city

leaves a significant gap in the investigation, making it even harder to dismiss the idea of a calculated killer operating in the area. So, with the booming popularity of Austin, are these tragic deaths just a series of unfortunate accidents, or is there a darker force at work here? In the cases of the Oregon murders, the Merrimack River Killer, and the Rainy Street Ripper are but a few of the stories of potential serial killers currently operating right here in the U.S.

They demonstrate, possibly, just how adaptable these predators can be, finding new ways to slip through the cracks in order to avoid getting caught. While the FBI's official stat suggests that there aren't many active serial killers, some experts think the problem is much bigger. Because after all, it's hard to predict something you can't even prove exists. Michael Arntfield, for example, a retired detective and author believes the number of unidentified serial killers could be anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000, way more than the 30 to 50 that the FBI estimates. Nowadays, they just work in silence, silence much deeper than previous decades.

And plus, they have more information at their fingertips. They used to say that a typical trade of these killers was a high IQ. and Ted Gizinski, Edmund Kemper, Jeffrey Dahmer, all these guys are very smart. Now, that might not be as true today, because the How to Get Away with Murder Playbook is way more resources to draw from. That means the ability to become a serial killer is opened up to a broader portion of the population, which would suggest there could be more than ever. The public's obsession with true crime and the explosion of true crime media might have a little bit. also unintentionally given potential killers, a guide on how to slip through the cracks.

So, yeah, as we've seen, the threat of active serial killers is still a harsh reality, and it's really shaking the public's trust in law enforcement's ability to handle it. The way authorities hesitate to even mention the possibility of a serial killer, plus the holes in their investigations only adds to the growing unease and suspicion. Who can we trust now? Maybe there's no one to trust. So, stay on high alert because the next serial killer

could be coming to a neighborhood near you. So that's it for this week's episode of Everytown. Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you want more content, check out our Scary Mysteries podcast, YouTube channel, and Patreon where we have all sorts of other crazy stories

for you guys to check out. Thanks for tuning in today. Remember to come back next week for another episode filled with scary, strange, and mysterious stories. because you never know. Maybe your town will be next.