A True-Crime Podcast
a true-crime serial podcast investigating under-reported and unsolved cases in the Southeast
UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS FLYERS FOR SEASON 16
The convicted murderer of two unidentified women, “Sheila Cummings” and “Little Bit”; he told LE he was violent with sex workers in the Nashville area in the 1984-1985 time period, and said he fantasized about killing. He attempted to kill a third woman, who escaped. An associate told authorities that Shaffer almost exclusively sought out Black sex workers (both cis and trans women).
Please join us and our friends, Moms and Mysteries, in raising money for our favorite nonprofit! SoJ has funded five awareness campaigns for families who have appeared on our show, and more are on the way. There is no other nonprofit like this.
Donate here: https://givebutter.com/fallmoms
Missing in Michigan: https://missinginmich.com/
Dekalb Missing Persons Day :https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/events/2023-dekalb-county-missing-persons-event
Arkansas Missing Persons Event: https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/events/2023-never-forgotten-arkansas-takes-action-missing-person-event
Colorado Missing Persons Day: https://cbi.colorado.gov/news-article/colorado-missing-persons-day-february-3-2023-ceremony-to-be-held-at-state-capitol
New York (articles cover previous events, but events are ongoing):
https://www.nyc.gov/site/ocme/about/nyc-missing-persons-day-2019.page?ref=agreatbigcity.com
List will be expanded as we receive submissions!
Do you recognize this woman?
In March of 1976, presumed Native American or Hispanic/Latina young woman was discovered, with no obvious trauma, in the Harpeth River in Nashville; she carried on her a picture of a little boy, and a trail that led to witnesses who said she’d hitchhiked with a mysterious friend, all the way from Minnesota—but that trail led nowhere.
Without the possibility of DNA testing, the best shot of identifying “Sherry” Jane Doe is using her extremely accurate forensic art, and the details she shared of her life— including that she also have ties to the St. Paul, Minnesota area.
A woman has also come forward to say that she believes Sherry Jane Doe is her mother, Sherry A Jones (Smith), who has ties to South Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico.
The Fall Line has commissioned new isolated forensic art of her teeth to share with the public in hopes that this information will aid in identification; you can see this image and all others associated with the case on our website. To submit information, please contact Detective Filter at Metro Nashville Police at 615-862-7803.
For details, listen to our our episode on the case now on or wherever you get podcasts.
The Bracero History Archive: https://braceroarchive.org/
UCLA Labor Center: The Bracero Program https://www.labor.ucla.edu/what-we-do/research-tools/the-bracero-program/
Library of Congress: The Bracero Program https://guides.loc.gov/latinx-civil-rights/bracero-program
Birmingham Police Department
Deputy Chief Michael Smith
Crimes Against Persons Unit—Homicide
1710 1st Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Date
Dear Deputy Chief Smith,
I’m writing to express my hope that the Birmingham Police Department will take a second look at the cold-case homicides of Jacky Nguyen and Nhut Phan, who were murdered in their place of busines, Top Perfect Nails, on Bessemer Rd. They were discovered on December 27th, 2010. Jacky and Nhut were much-loved members of the community and their family and friends are still desperate for resolution in their case. I hope that the department might collaborate with their family members to continue interviews of witnesses, gather information, and inform the community of the case and any updates via social media and traditional media.
Thanks so much for your time and attention,
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your address
Introduction to GEDmatch:
https://blog.genomelink.io/posts/how-to-use-gedmatch
Getting info from Ancestry:
http://www.irelanddavis.com/dna/gedmatch/default.aspx
Getting info from 23andMe:
https://blog.genomelink.io/posts/gedmatch-do-more-with-your-23andme-raw-data
You can download English and Spanish versions here
We have completed the flyers for distribution in the cases discussed in the episode “You Don’t Know My Name.” You can download English and Spanish versions here: FLYERS
Ava’s book will be released via Hadassah’s Crown Publishing at the end of May. Check out the image below for more information on the release. The link to her book (above) will be live on the release date.
A few things we’re doing in 2020:
We’ve added ad-free/early episodes to Patreon in order to help earn revenue for the Millbrook twins’ billboard in Augusta, GA. The billboard art needs to be replaced, which is an additional expense (in addition to the monthly rent), and we hope to be able to fund that ourselves!
We have switched our monthly charity/nonprofit donation (as we do every six months). From Jan-Jun 2021, our monthly donation will be going to The Black and Missing Foundation.
Brooke and Laurah have joined the board of Donna Green’s International Outreach of Hope Foundation, which should be getting its nonprofit status any day. Donna is the mother of missing person Raymond Green, and was featured in season 3.
New episodes start 1/20! The Fall Line has resumed status as an independent podcast and is no longer on a network.
The following transcript contains graphic description of rape and other violence. Reader discretion is strongly advised. This transcript represents excerpts from a longer FOIA fulfillment of archival interview tape with an individual who traveled with Samuel Little and Jean Dorsey, and who was questioned in relation to the murders of Patricia Mount and Rosie Hill. This transcript has been cut and condensed for clarity and to remove identifying details.
EXCERPT 1
Speaker 1:
So did she ever she ever, or did Sam ever go to a pawn shop?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 1:
Never went to a pawn shop?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
What did they do with jewelry? On the street?
“Jack”:
Went to the people she knew.
EXCERPT 2
Speaker 1:
Why did Orelia, or Miss Dorsey, go to the hospital while she was in Ocala.
“Jack”:
She said she had to go get some pills for her heart and blood pressure.
Speaker 2:
Did she ever have heart and blood pressure problems as you say?
“Jack”:
No. He tells it that she's lying for that because one day he said to him that hospital ain't got no name to it. And it was right here and her was doing her exercise, you know? He said, Mr. McDowell said he'd like for her to learn it because she had a heart problem.
“Jack”:
Then she told me she couldn't hardly drive because her eye was messed up. So one night, one day, I played like I couldn't park the car right. I kept parking it sideways. She got kind of upset, said I didn't know how to drive. I said "Her. She can do it." She parked the car straight.
EXCERPT 3
Speaker 2:
If you were to describe Sam, would you say him to be smart, dumb, medium?
“Jack”:
Medium.
Speaker 2:
Not real smart, but not real stupid either. What about her?
“Jack”:
She thinks she's smart, but you know ... Dumb.
Speaker 2:
Let me ask you this, can she read and write?
“Jack”:
She says she can't see.
Speaker 2:
She says she can't see. How old is she?
“Jack”:
She'll be 70 in January.
Speaker 2:
What's she doing being Sam's old lady? How old is he?
“Jack”:
42.
Speaker 2:
He ain't never told you why he got 70 year old old lady.
“Jack”:
They first met when, she told me she first met him when he was in jail in Georgia. He was going with this girl named Lucy, this Mexican chick named Lucy in Georgia. And Miss Dorsey was in jail. She said she got out. She done hooked up around her house, around her [inaudible 00:06:02]. She said Lucy tried to get Sam 27 years or something like that, and Miss Dorsey knew, so she go to the jewels, then-
Speaker 2:
What did Sam do to Lucy to try to get 27 years? Assault or something?
“Jack”:
No. She said Sam raped her or something.
Speaker 2:
Oh, okay. And did he escape or just cut out?
“Jack”:
They let him go. She got him off. She got him all off bond.
Speaker 2:
Bond. And he didn't go back?
“Jack”:
He didn't go back.
Speaker 2:
With a rape charge?
“Jack”:
I think so. Something like that. He really didn't want to get too much into because he didn't Miss Dorsey to know the truth.
EXCERPT 4
While you were in Ocala, this is the first time and the second time, did Sam or Dorsey ever mention, well did Sam ever mention the names of any girls that he was dating besides Miss Dorsey?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 1:
Did Miss Dorsey ever tell you any names of some girls that Sam was dating?
“Jack”:
No, sir. Because he wouldn't tell me because he thought I would tell her. And she wouldn't tell me because she thought I'd go back and tell him that she knows something about him.
Speaker 1:
Did Sam tell you that he had dated any girls other than Miss Dorsey while he was in Ocala or Gainesville?
“Jack”:
He said, I know he goes out to date girls because he wouldn't be going out there to be drinking. So I think, yeah he'd go out and date girls.
Speaker 2:
Did he ever say whether he paid them or not?
“Jack”:
He'd never give one of them money. He said he'd rather buy them something than give them some money.
EXCERPT FIVE
Interview Tape 6A Excerpts, Transcript
Speaker 1:
Did Sam ever mention the first names of any of his friends in Ocala?
“Jack”:
No.
Speaker 1:
Okay, just a few more questions and then we'll stop for now. That brown stuff that you said was in the backseat of the car, those two nights that Sam came home, or rather he came home the next morning. Right?
“Jack”:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Where were you staying when he came home those mornings?
“Jack”:
At the motel down the street from the Sheriff's Department.
Speaker 1:
Okay, and who cleaned out the cars?
“Jack”:
Miss Dorsey.
Speaker 1:
And-
“Jack”:
Every morning she would get when he come in, go out, with a bucket with some washing powder or something and then clean out the car.
EXCERPT TWO
Speaker 1:
We'd like to ask you now some questions in reference to some dead girls that have shown up throughout a couple of states
INTERVIEW TAPE 6A
Speaker 2:
In Ocala, in August, we found a body of a nude, black female laying in the woods, right out in here. We have reason to believe that she was picked up at a bar in Ocala and transported out there. Do you know anything about that at all?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Has anybody told you that they had anything to do with that at all? Did you have anything to do with it?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Were you with anybody when they picked up a black female at a bar?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Were you with anybody when they strangled somebody?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Has anybody told you that they strangled or killed somebody?
“Jack”:
No, but if they did I would-
Speaker 2:
If they did would you tell me right now?
“Jack”:
Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:
Okay. Very good. Do you know anything about another girl that was found? This was a white girl. She was found up in Gainesville on September 12th. Okay? She was a white girl. She was found with no clothes on. She was strangled.
“Jack”:
How was she raped?
Speaker 1:
Excuse me?
“Jack”:
Was she raped or anything?
Speaker:
I don't know if she was raped. Why would that matter?
“Jack”:
Because that man who was in the cell with me, they said Mr. McDowell done come in here for his meals, could have passed a little bit. They say he raped about six or seven girls, prostitutes. They say he raped her from behind. They said he left scratches all in their face and on their neck. And he say he had against them for money. And they told him he was from Mobile because the Pinto had Alabama tags.
Speaker 2:
Who told you that? The guy in the cell with you?
“Jack”:
Yes.
“Jack”:
He knew all the girls that did that, that happened to them.
Speaker 2:
Now, do you know anything about this at all personally though?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Were you with anybody when they picked a girl up and carried her out there?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Speaker 2:
Has anybody told you that that went out there?
“Jack”:
No, sir.
Read recent news coverage of The Fall Line in:
CNN’s “These Must-Listen Podcasts Are Raising Marginalized Voices”
Harpers Bazaar’s “17 True-Crime Podcasts for the Genre’s Biggest Fans”
Atlanta Magazine’s “20 Atlanta Podcasts to Add to Your Queue”
Vulture’s “This Week in True-Crime Podcasts”
If you enjoyed hearing from Atlanta Ripper author (and local professor) Jeff Wells on last week's episode, you should check out his blog: http://georgiamysteries.blogspot.com
Bail Funds, Advocacy Groups, and other Citizen Organizations
Article listing 43 bail funds organized by state
Bail Funds and Legal Aid by City (Google Doc created by activists)
National Police Accountability Project
Voices for Racial Justice (MN)
Mothers Against Police Brutality
Covid 19 Support
Immigrant Worker Safety Net Fund
Partnership With Native Americans
You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/millbrook-twins-billboard
