This two-part special introduces the life and death of Arthur Bagenda, an international student at WVU who drowned in a ditch within sight of the Morgantown Police station. In this first episode, we visit the Walnut Street bridge, where a long-time local explains her problems with hard drug users at the site of Arthur's death. We review forensic photographs from the scene, hear from Arthur’s mother about the 19-year-old son she lost, and explain the first 72 hours following the discovery of his body. Over the course of two episodes, Unattended Death will examine police reports, drone footage, forensic photographs, surveillance video, audio of police questioning, and interviews with those involved to craft a previously-untold West Virginia story. ### We have been trying to report this story for a long time. After covid interrupted our interview process, we decided to focus on other work, but three years later we’re finally ready to share the case of Arthur Bagenda.   Unattended Death is the third Morgantown-centered story produced by Appalachian Mysteria (WVU Coed Murders / Cradle Will Rock). The last known sighting of Arthur Bagenda was made by a video surveillance camera mounted in front of the Morgantown police station. He would be found drowned alongside Morgantown’s recreational Rail Trail – within sight of the MPD building – a few hours later. The group of people who appear on camera seconds before Arthur seem to be carrying items found at the scene of his death, but were they involved? A private investigator hired by Arthur’s mother thinks so, but police have ruled out foul play. Like all the stories we cover, a definitive truth seems just out of reach. [00:03:14] A WVU student's death. [00:07:19] Under the Walnut Street Bridge. [00:08:15] Arthur's body found beside pipe. [00:14:01] Homelessness and drug addiction. [00:18:00] A suspicious backpack. [00:21:33] Crime scene photographs. [00:23:28] The pain of losing a son. [00:27:13] Meth-making materials found. [00:32:28] Cause of death was drowning. Thank you to our sponsor Factor75! Use code mysteria50 for 50% off ready to eat fresh meals! Thank you to our sponsor Brilliant Earth! Check out all of their beautiful pieces on their website! Thank you to our sponsor Seeker's Notes! Keep Your Mind Sharp! Download Seekers Notes Now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains detective interviews with three students who headed out on the town with Arthur the night he died. After speaking to each of them, a Morgantown detective feels confident that Arthur’s death was primarily due to his intoxication. Two months later, Arthur’s phone turns on. After tracking the GPS coordinates, police arrive at the home of a bouncer who threw Arthur out of a club just before his death. While the detective tries to figure out whether this was a coincidence, Harriet decides she is unsatisfied with the work being done by police, and hires a private investigator. The investigator has questions about the five people who walk by the police station surveillance camera just before Arthur. One of them appears to be carrying the backpack full of meth-making equipment found under the bridge, but the detective and prosecutor don’t agree. We delve into the details of all these issues in this hour-long episode of Unattended Death. Resources and Links: Appalachian Mysteria Facebook Page -- Here you can find the video and images that accompany this episode, including the backpack comparison photo made by Larry Peters, and the police surveillance camera footage of Arthur (and the group of people with the backpack) the night he died. “Strange Creatures” – The book/zine by Larry Peters about his unusual experiences decades ago. Thank you to our sponsor Factor75! Use code mysteria50 for 50% off ready to eat fresh meals! Thank you to our sponsor Brilliant Earth! Check out all of their beautiful pieces on their website! Thank you to our sponsor Seeker's Notes! Keep Your Mind Sharp! Download Seekers Notes Now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A WVU alum working for the state prosecutor’s office suddenly finds herself on the scene of a very personal tragedy that could be much more sinister. Much to her dismay, her forensic investigation training is not being employed by authorities in the real world. Meanwhile, the victim’s sister is conducting her own investigation, releasing all of her findings to the public. Was the death of Amber Whitelaw a case of accidental fire or murder? Welcome to the first episode of Season 4! The full season launches in April. Justice for Amber Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/justiceforamber2.18.18 1:35 – Highland County & Amber Whitelaw 4:36 – Wearing a Wire? 11:04 – One and One on the Side 13:00 – Night of the Incident 15:17 – The 911 Call 25:02 – 8 Red Flags 41:25 – Not Having Closure Thank you to our sponsor Seeker's Notes! Keep Your Mind Sharp! Download Seekers Notes Now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lesbian couple is found brutally murdered near the Appalachian Trail. As authorities build the first federal hate crime prosecution in the nation's history, a web of horrific crimes creeps down the Blue Ridge mountains into the heart of Virginia. A special agent who has been on the case for twenty five years uncovers details. Season 3 of Appalachian Mysteria explores the terrifying characters and narratives that weave through these stories, culminating in the violent death of a serial killer. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The unsolved murder of a young couple in Shenandoah National Park shakes the gay and lesbian communities. One year later, a bicyclist is assaulted in the same area, and authorities begin to suspect him of serial murder. Resources and Links: "Murder on the Mountain" (1996) — Barry Yeoman's article quoted and discussed in this episode. Trail map of Shenandoah National Park — Julie and Lollie were killed just off the Skyland / Big Meadows Horse Trail, not far from Skyline Drive. Interviewees: Yvonne Malbasha — A Canadian paramedic and cyclist, enjoying a ride along picturesque Skyline Drive in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. Yvonne does not realize she is being stalked by a man named Darrell Rice, who eventually tries to abduct her. Yvonne tells a harrowing story about the man who will soon become a suspect in multiple homicides. Barry Yeoman — A journalist teaching at Duke and Wake Forest universities. Barry wrote the best existing article on the lives of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans, the lesbian couple whose murder this whole season revolves around. Barbara Nordin –– A former reporter for The Hook who covered the Shenandoah murders and their aftermath, as well as Malbasha’s case against Rice. 06:05 – Canadian Bicyclist — Yvonne Malbasha 09:56 – Former Reporter for The Hook— Barbara Nordin 17:46 – Former Special Agent — Tim Alley 26:14 – Journalist Professor — Barry Yeoman Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A massive hunt for Julie & Lollie's killer begins. Some demand a hate crime investigation, drawing parallels to the attack of another lesbian couple hiking the Appalachian Trail. A lesbian defense lawyer finds herself arguing for the prosecution. Resources and links: "Panic Defense" — Podcast episode from Criminal with Phoebe Judge explaining the fascinating history of the gay/trans panic defense. "In the Hollow" — 15-minute documentary/short film featuring Claudia Brenner returning to the scene of Rebecca Wight's murder for the first time in decades. Supplemented with scene reenactments. The Claudia Brenner Papers — Tons of resources on the Brenner/Wight story from the Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Interviewees: Abbe Smith — Director of the Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic, Co-Director of the E. Barrett Prettyman Fellowship Program, and Professor of Law at Georgetown University. (Importantly for our story, she was also the personal lawyer for Claudia Brenner during the prosecution of Stephen Roy Carr.) 3:25 – New evidence on Lollie & Julie case 13:00 – Steven Roy Carr’s arrest 16:30 – Claudia Brenner explains the encounter with Steven Roy Carr 21:00 – Abby Smith: personal lawyer of Claudia Brenner 26:40 – Trial in court Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Someone is pulling over dozens of women on a road just 15 miles from Skyline Drive. Alicia Reynolds disappears. At least three bodies turn up in a small hamlet nearby. The Innocence Project fights to free a man convicted of murder. Resources and links: Rt 29 Stalker — Unsolved Mysteries Wiki Twenty Years Later — Article by Scott Shenk on the 20th anniversary of the murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds. Interviewees: Scott Shenk — Reporter with the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star. Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight Years Earlier: The Navy undertakes “purges” of lesbians from its ranks. The first of Virginia’s Colonial Parkway murders looks eerily familiar. A southern con-man helps find the killer — and defrauds the victims’ families. Resources and links: The Lover’s Lane Murders — Oxygen Network show about the Colonial Parkway murders, for which guest Bill Thomas served as consulting producer.  Mind Over Murder — Entire podcast covering all the details of the Colonial Parkway Murders. Hosted by our guest Bill Thomas and Kristen Dilley. Interviewees: Bill Thomas — Brother of Cathy Thomas, who was killed with her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski in the first of the Colonial Parkway Murders. Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We investigate claims that the Park Service has a history of transferring troubled rangers. An NPS whistleblower explains a coverup culture within the agency, and shares the story of a ranger who investigated both the Shenandoah and Colonial Parkway murders. Resources and Links: The Case of the Indian Trader — The book in which Paul Berkowitz extensively documents his investigation at Hubbell Trading Post. Recommended for fans of police procedurals. Culture of Sexual Harrassment — Washington Post, 2016 Big Problem with Sexual Harrassment — The Atlantic, 2016 Hubbell Trading Post — Official site Bill Malone Trading — Billy Malone’s current site for trading, Gallup, NM Interviewees: Paul Berkowitz — NPS Special Agent who took over the investigation of Clyde Yee at Hubbell Trading Post Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary: As murders and abductions haunt Lignum, Rt 29, and Shenandoah National Park, three children are taken from their front yards less than 30 miles away. The girls are the first known victims of a serial killer who will become an important part of our story. Resources and links: Into the Water — Diane Fanning’s true crime book about the serial killer responsible for the deaths of Sofia Silva and the Lisk sisters Interviewees: Diane Fanning — Author of 15 true crime books and 11 novels Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Attorney General of the United States announces the indictment of Darrell Rice. We review the life story of the serial killer responsible for the deaths of Sofia Silva and the Lisk sisters, and interview his final victim about her abduction. Resources and links: Into the Water — Diane Fanning’s true crime book about the serial killer responsible for the deaths of Sofia Silva and the Lisk sisters Escape From Captivity — Oxygen Network documentary made with the involvement of Kara Robinson Interviewees: Diane Fanning — Author of 15 true crime books and 11 novels Kara Robinson Chamberlain — The survivor who ended the career of serial killer Richard Marc Evonitz Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary: Kara Robinson makes an escape, putting all the information she memorized to good use. Evonitz goes on the run. Kara talks to us about the complex ethics of telling stories like hers in the true crime genre, and explains what “trauma-informed” media looks like. Description / Show Notes: Resources and Links: Escape From Captivity — Oxygen Network documentary made with the involvement of Kara Robinson Interviewees: Kara Robinson Chamberlain — The survivor who ended the career of serial killer Richard Marc Evonitz Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We examine key evidence in the pre-trial hearings of Darrell Rice: jailhouse informants, the audio recording that gave rise to hate crime charges, a shifting timeline, and a phone call that Rice’s defense attorney calls “a bizarre piece of evidence”. Description / Show Notes: Interviewees: Jerry (Gerald) Zerkin: One of Rice’s defense attorneys in the double-homicide of Julie & Lollie Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forensic evidence throws the upcoming trial of Darrell Rice into upheaval, and an unexpected conclusion leads to yet another indictment. Several of our guests openly disagree on the final results. Resources: “Witness Point Out Suspect as Abductor” — Washington Post article on the Shomo trial Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darrell Rice is released from prison, but the publicity of his indictments makes a normal life elusive. The FBI plans a summit to examine other possible murders by Evonitz, but it falls by the wayside. Two decades later, we give it a shot. Description / Show Notes: The Pamela Gould Special — We’re hosting this 24-page special investigation from the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star until it is made available elsewhere. If you want to dive deep on the comparisons of Rice, Evonitz, and forensic evidence, this is where to start. Rt. 29 Sketches — Images of all six sketches, plus photos of Rice and Evonitz “The FBI should use DNA, not posters, to solve a cold-case murder” — Dierdre Enright’s 2021 appeal in the Washington Post to check Evonitz DNA in the slayings of Julie & Lollie Innocence Project says answers to cold-case Shenandoah murders may sit buried in FBI evidence locker — A report by WUSA9, including interviews with Julie’s father, the parents of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, and Dierdre Enright Thank you to our sponsor June's Journey. Download June’s Journey free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Thank you to our sponsor Switchcraft! Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Appalachian Mysteria finished covering the story of Julie and Lollie, author Kathryn Miles completed her own book about the murders. In this episode, Kathryn uses her total access to Dierdre Enright's evidence to bring to light new information — including how we've been wrong about a key piece of evidence. Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders — Purchase Kathryn’s book here.   Interviewees:  Kathryn Miles — Kathryn Miles is an award-winning journalist and science writer. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Saint Louis University and took both her Master of Arts and Doctorate in English from the University of Delaware. Miles is the author of five books: Adventures with Ari, All Standing, Superstorm, Quakeland, and Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications including Audubon, Best American Essays, The Boston Globe, Down East, Ecotone, History, The New York Times, Outside, Pacific Standard, Politico, Popular Mechanics, and Time. Thank you to our sponsor Killer Pysche Podcast! Thank you to our sponsor HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/mysteria60 and use code mysteria60 for 60% off plus free shipping! Thank you to our sponsor Shopify! Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/mysteria. Thank you to our sponsor Love & Pies! Free to download in the App Store or Google Play. Thank you to our sponsor Credit Sage! Go to CreditSage.com/mysteria or call (844) 925-0258 to get $50 off your credit repair service! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a step back in time to the week Cathy Thomas and Becky Dowski were murdered in the first of several Colonial Parkway murders. As the crime scene tape still hangs from Becky Dowski’s doorway at William & Mary College, another headline hits the student paper: Three men are being charged in the campus gang rape of another student.   Our guest for this episode was directly involved in that incident, and she helps us use it as a lens through which we can examine some failures of response to sexual assault -- some of which are still problems today. We also examine an astounding survey of college students published the year before the incidents at William & Mary, which suggested more than 25% of college women have experience rape or attempted rape since the age of 14. Description/Notes: To best understand the context of this episode, be sure to listen to Season 3 Episode 4, Exploring Substantial Similarities.  In that episode, we speak with Bill Thomas, leading authority on the Colonial Parkway murders and brother of Cathy Thomas.  If you decide to go down the Colonial Parkway rabbit hole, make sure to check out Bill's podcast covering every aspect of the cases, Mind Over Murder. You can also check out the Oxygen series titled "The Lover's Lane Murders", for which Bill served as a consulting producer. If you're interested in learning more about sexual assault on campus, you can check out the RAINN statistics page on campus sexual violence. The website also has an anonymous live chat and a help line number if you need to talk with someone. Thank you to our sponsor HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/mysteria60 and use code mysteria60 for 60% off plus free shipping! Thank you to our sponsor Seeker's Notes! Keep Your Mind Sharp! Download Seekers Notes Now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A child's grave explodes after 63 years underground. As Morgantown police and reporters gather around the coffin, they are shocked to find that his corpse is strangely well-preserved. Cradle Will Rock is the story of the life, death, and disinterment of four-year-old Harry Spitz and his family, as uncovered by co-producer Jordan Carter. This stand-alone episode has been missing from our podcast catalog for two years, and we're finally making it available again. [00:00:00] Cradle Will Rock was originally released in 2018 and went missing from our catalog in 2019. It was produced and co-narrated by Jordan Carter. This story begins in 1975, one year before Clawson confessed to the murders. Later this month, we hope to release another standalone Morgantown story. [00:04:06] On July 2, 175, a caretaker noticed broken rumpled earth atop an unmarked grave. Inside the coffin was a second engraved plaque and the remains of Harry E. Spitz. Too many factors in determining what sort of state Harry's body should have been in. [00:16:18] In 1916, four years after his son's death, Henry Spitz died from tuberculosis and was buried. Speculation abounded in the days and months after Harry's vault worked its way out of the earth. Some speculate perhaps the vault had split due to a heat buildup inside. [00:23:44] Mrs. Spitz was still alive when Harry's vault burst open in 1975. Two years earlier, in Ailing health, she had been transferred from the Moninglia General Hospital. Psychic claims Mrs. Spitzer refused to let go and that had held his spirit in the grave. She died in 1978 and was buried next to Harry. [00:30:19] In Roman Catholicism, a body considered incorruptible is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint. But the Spitzes were not Catholic, and for this reason, Harry was never sainted. Thank you to our sponsor Shopify! Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/mysteria. Thank you to our sponsor Love & Pies! Free to download in the App Store or Google Play. Thank you to our sponsor Credit Sage! Go to CreditSage.com/mysteria or call (844) 925-0258 to get $50 off your credit repair service! Thank you to our sponsor Factor75! Use code mysteria50 for 50% off ready to eat fresh meals! Thank you to our sponsor Brilliant Earth! Check out all of their beautiful pieces on their website! Thank you to our sponsor Seeker's Notes! Keep Your Mind Sharp! Download Seekers Notes Now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Stevens is found dead in Savage River State Forest. Evidence of a ritual is discovered. A female companion emerges from the woods naked, injured and hypothermic. A strange and confusing tale begins. Try 5 pairs of glasses at home for free at warbyparker.com/MYSTERIA. Thank you to our sponsor BetterHelp! Get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/mysteria  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We try to find out who Alex & Megan really were. The second case file discovered by reporters makes the whole situation even more confusing. Pretrial hearings set the stage for an unusual prosecution. Try 5 pairs of glasses at home for free at warbyparker.com/MYSTERIA. Thank you to our sponsor BetterHelp! Get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/mysteria Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices