Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders

Episodios

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  New victims | The Olney House, Part II 20.09.2026 21m

  The investigation into the Olney House has entered its fourth month. Attention surrounding it has exploded, with national news outlets starting to pick up the story and social media updates going viral. The scope of this winding, dark case continues to expand as well. In their latest press briefing, officials revealed that three more women were found on video evidence recovered from the home of the late R.C. Horsch, and his son, Eugene. The women were seemingly dead, bringing the total to five victims who police believe entered 417 Chew Avenue, only to never come out alive. Join KYW Newsradio Crime & Justice Reporter and Gone Cold podcast host Kristen Johanson as she details the latest efforts of law enforcement to figure out exactly what happened inside an inconspicuous brick twin home in North Philadelphia. Johanson also talks with a Villanova University expert in commercial sexual exploitation, who explains how R.C. Horsch may have lured women to his residence. Check back for future installments in this ongoing limited series. Philadelphia police encourage anyone with information about the Olney House, or the men associated with it, Eugene Horsch and Raymond Charles Horsch, to come forward. The department tip line is 215-686-TIPS (8477). The direct line to the homicide unit is 215-686-3334. 125 FBI agents.
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  A "death investigation" | The Olney House, Part I 14.08.2026 18m

  The house was a powder keg of incriminating, suspicious evidence. And there was a lot of it - bizarre items like chemical vats and urns, and tens of thousands of macabre files on hard drives. As one official described the material, "It's dark. Very dark." Months after launching an exhaustive search of a twin brick residence on a quiet block in North Philadelphia shared by a man and his late pornographer father, law enforcement in mid-August was finally ready to share a massive breakthrough - two women missing for years had been identified on video footage found in the home. The connection was strong enough to classify the case as a "death investigation," with officials foreshadowing this latest update was just the beginning. Join KYW Newsradio Crime & Justice Reporter and Gone Cold podcast host Kristen Johanson as she sets the table for this extraordinary case, explaining what investigators know and don't know. Check back for future installments in this ongoing limited series. Philadelphia police encourage anyone with information about the house at 417 West Chew Avenue, or the men associated with it, Eugene Horsch and Raymond Charles Horsch, to come forward. The department tip line is 215-686-TIPS (8477). The direct line to the homicide unit is 215-686-3334.
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  Ricochet, Part 5: The Impact 21.02.2024 32m

  Jhalil Shands, 25 years old, was out on a date with his high school sweetheart in Old City, Philadelphia, when three people jumped out of a car and brutally shot and killed him. He was loved by his family and lived a good life, but still found himself in the middle of a dangerous world. In the final episode of “Ricochet”, we hear from Jhalil’s family and other mothers who have lost their children to gun violence, and two psychologists break down how trauma impacts both parents and children, how race and toxic masculinity are tied into the cycle of violence, and what kids need in order to see a different path. See photos and read more about this episode here. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris
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  Ricochet, Part 4: The Investigation 14.02.2024 26m

  Sixteen-year-old Kahree Simmons was playing basketball on a Thursday evening when a van pulled up and bullets started firing. He was hit in the neck and died. We hear Kahree’s story, ride along on patrol with police officers in the neighborhood where he was killed, and talk with law enforcement and prosecutors about what goes into a shooting investigation and charging. Plus, we talk about what the word “gang” means in Philadelphia and why young people join these violent groups. See photos and read more about this episode here. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris
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  Ricochet, Part 3: The Wound 07.02.2024 27m

  Lou Berrios was coming home from his first Eagles game, about to open his front door, when he was shot in the back in a suspected attempted robbery. He survived, but between surgeries and PTSD, his recovery is a lifelong struggle. In this episode, we focus on the physical impacts of getting shot, how doctors respond, and how guns and ammunition have become more powerful over the years. Medics tell us about how their jobs have changed. And we speak with one advocate who explains how fear is a major factor in gun violence, and how those moments of fear may be the best time for intervention to help stop the bloodshed. Read more about this episode here. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris
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  Ricochet, Part 2: Shooter 31.01.2024 30m

  Jermaine Robinson was bullied as a kid, until his mom, Andrea, taught him how to box and “protect himself.” She says something clicked in her son’s head that day. He began to carry a gun, run with the wrong crowd, and get picked up by police. His friends called him "Shooter". He was in and out of the court system for years, and Andrea says she tried everything, until one day, Jermaine was shot and killed. As Andrea shares her story of grief and anger, we try to understand what drives a person to pick up a gun and shoot, and how trauma is often the trigger. Read more about this episode here. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris
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  Ricochet, Part 1: The Trigger 24.01.2024 25m

  In October of 2019, two children were shot within hours of each other, including two-year-old Nikolette Rivera.  A bullet from an assault rifle struck her head and instantly killed her. It was at the hands of a man named Tayvon Thomas, who grew up abused and neglected, and turned to drugs. We dig into both sides of this tragedy, examine the systemic failures that contributed, and ask why the most vulnerable feel the least protected. See photos and read more about this episode here. Host: Kristen JohansonProducer: Sabrina Boyd-SurkaProduction Assistant: Winston Harris
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  Manhunt: Catching a killer in Chesco 16.09.2023 1h 4m

  For two weeks, convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante turned Chester County in suburban Philadelphia into a fugitive's playground.
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  The Boy in the Box, Part 2 16.01.2023 26m

  His name is Joseph Augustus Zarelli. He was found dead in a cardboard box in February 1957, naked, scratched, bruised and scarred. More than 65 years after the discovery, investigators have answered maybe the most important question in the mystery of the “Boy in the Box.” This is the story of how they found Joseph's name, and what it means to the people who have spent a lifetime searching for his identity.
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  Update: Is this the face of the Fairmount Park Rapist? 21.09.2021 18m

  The Philadelphia Police Department has released a new composite picture of the suspect known as the “Fairmount Park Rapist” based on his genetic profile.
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  9-11 special: The investigators who helped bring victims back to their families 10.09.2021 21m

  While the nation watched in horror 20 years ago, first responders and investigators jumped in, trying to pick up the pieces and give the victims back to their loved ones. Two of those people were from the Philadelphia region.
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  Rebecca Park - Philadelphia, 2003: The hunt for the Fairmount Park rapist 13.08.2021 33m

  In July of 2003, a woman driving through Fairmount Park called 911 after hearing a bloodcurdling scream. Police followed her back to the spot where she first heard the scream and then walked into the woods. There, they found the body of med student Rebecca Park. She had been raped and murdered while out for a jog. It's been nearly two decades since Rebecca Park was murdered. Philadelphia Police have never stopped hunting for the man who killed her, known only as the Fairmount Park rapist.
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  Bonus episode: How genealogy identified Publicker Jane Doe 30.04.2021 38m

  The young woman known only as Publicker Jane Doe for more than three decades was identified as Lisa Todd earlier this year. It was a triumph of investigative work and genealogy, and it was also the first time that we here at Gone Cold worked on a story -- and then saw a major update happen in the story.
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  Update: Naming Publicker Jane Doe 01.04.2021 26m

  Bensalem Police Detective Chris McMullin has spent much of his career trying to identify the remains of a young girl known only as Publicker Jane Doe. This is an update to the episode "What happened to Publicker Jane Doe," from November of 2020. Make sure you listen to that episode before starting this one.
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  What Happened to Shelton Hayes? Philadelphia, PA, 2018 01.03.2021 26m

  On March 15th, 2018, Shelton Hayes was shot and killed in his mother's house in Northwest Philadelphia. Shelton's mother was upstairs.
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  What Happened to Michael Ewer? Lansdale, PA, 2005 31.01.2021 15m

  On the morning of October 20th, 2005, a man was cutting the grass around Memorial Park in Lansdale, PA. After he drove by the baseball dugout a few times, and then looked inside, he knew that something horrible had happened.
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  What Happened to Jeanette Tambe? Buena Vista, New Jersey, 1986 (Publicker Jane Doe: Part 2) 18.12.2020 22m

  A Bensalem, PA police detective went looking for the identify of a young woman known only as Publicker Jane Doe. He ended up helping to unravel another mystery entirely.
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  What Happened to Publicker Jane Doe? Bensalem, PA, 1988 13.11.2020 25m

  In January of 1998 a young girl's remains were found near the old Publicker Distillery in Bucks County, PA
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  What Happened to Melvin Dunn? Philadelphia, 2020 14.10.2020 16m

  On the Thursday after Mother's Day 2020, a group of teenagers on Park Avenue in Philadelphia saw something large, wrapped in blankets in a white Pontiac.
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  Episode 9: The Boy in the Box 09.04.2020 45m

  In February of 1957 the body of a young boy was found in a box in the woods near Susquehanna Road in Philadelphia. More than 60 years later, the identity of The Boy in the Box and the identity of his killer remain unknown.  When the Boy was found, his body was photographed and flyers seeking information were distributed all over Philadelphia. Bill Fleisher and Barb Cohan were kids at the time. They saw the flyers, and the image of the boy's body was permanently etched in their minds. Fleisher became one of the founders of the Vidocq Society, a group of investigators, forensic scientists, and experts who help law enforcement solve crimes. Cohan, a former federal prosecutor, has been a member of the Vidocq Society for more than two decades. Walt Hunter covered the investigation into the Boy in the Box for all of his 30-plus year career as a Philadelphia investigative reporter. Now, he's the public voice and face of the Vidocq Society. Cohan, Fleisher, Hunter, and the rest of the Vidocq Society have remained dedicated to solving the mystery of the Boy in the Box and putting a name on his gravestone.  You can find the Philadelphia Police Department online at https://www.phillypolice.com/ Read more about the Vidocq Society: https://www.vidocq.org/ Stay in touch with Gone Cold by following us online: Twitter: @gonecoldphilly  ( https://twitter.com/gonecoldphilly ) Instagram: @gonecoldphilly ( https://www.instagram.com/gonecoldphilly/ )   Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoneColdPhilly Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders is a true crime podcast about unsolved murders and cold cases in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. The show is made by Kristen Johanson (@KristenJohanson) and Tom Rickert (@teerick) in the KYW Newsradio studios in Philadelphia. Subscribe to Gone Cold wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.