Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,780
The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts.
2
00:00:13,780 --> 00:00:18,400
All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
3
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,160
Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages.
4
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,560
Listener discretion is advised.
5
00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,280
I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.
6
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,680
And I'm your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.
7
00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,400
And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases and missing person cases.
8
00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,880
Hello everyone and welcome back to Cold and Missing.
9
00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,520
I'm your host, Ali.
10
00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,200
And I'm your co-host, Eli.
11
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,700
I just wanted to take a moment at the top to say thank you to all the people who have
12
00:00:44,700 --> 00:00:50,760
recently rated and reviewed our shows or have sent a kind message through our website.
13
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,360
Thank you so much.
14
00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,320
I was just going to take a moment here to ask you to rate and review the podcast.
15
00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,440
I know we normally do it at the end, but while I got you here and while I'm saying thank
16
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:07,080
you, it really helps others find this podcast and get more traction on stories like the
17
00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:08,940
one we're going to tell today.
18
00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:09,940
Should we get into it?
19
00:01:09,940 --> 00:01:11,920
Yeah, let's just jump right in.
20
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:12,920
Let's do it.
21
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:19,320
So today we're covering a missing person case and we are covering the case of Ella Beth
22
00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:21,000
Mae Lodermeier.
23
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,440
And this takes place in March of 1974 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
24
00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,760
But first a little bit about Ella Beth.
25
00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:34,860
So Ella Beth, or Ellie, you'll hear me refer to her as both throughout the podcast today.
26
00:01:34,860 --> 00:01:38,220
She was 25 years old in 1974.
27
00:01:38,220 --> 00:01:44,380
She was in the process of getting divorced from her soon to be ex-husband, Gene Lodermeier.
28
00:01:44,380 --> 00:01:49,060
Everyone described Gene as her estranged ex-husband at this point in her life.
29
00:01:49,060 --> 00:01:53,160
She had filed for divorce a year earlier in 1973.
30
00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,640
Ella Beth's family never approved of their relationship.
31
00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,920
Gene was controlling of Ellie, even going as far as disabling the brakes in her car
32
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,580
so she couldn't attend college classes.
33
00:02:03,580 --> 00:02:08,300
When she filed for divorce, she said under oath that Gene was abusive to her, something
34
00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:11,300
that he later denied also under oath.
35
00:02:11,300 --> 00:02:13,520
Ella Beth was moving forward with her life.
36
00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:18,860
She had graduated from Augustana University with a degree in social work.
37
00:02:18,860 --> 00:02:23,480
Lodermeier and friends of Ellie said she was so easy to talk to and they thought that she
38
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,640
would excel as a social worker.
39
00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,840
She was living on Indiana Avenue by herself.
40
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,100
She had a new boyfriend that also lived in Sioux Falls.
41
00:02:32,100 --> 00:02:36,960
She met her new boyfriend, Jerry, the night she filed for divorce from Gene, and the two
42
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,440
quickly became enamored with each other.
43
00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,200
Jerry said years later, quote,
44
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,900
She has a personality like you can't believe.
45
00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:44,900
We hit it off.
46
00:02:44,900 --> 00:02:47,300
I mean, we just flat hit it off.
47
00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:50,760
We liked each other immediately, end quote.
48
00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,920
Friends and family said that Ella Beth was a fun and carefree person.
49
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:59,020
She had a caring spirit and a way of making others feel seen.
50
00:02:59,020 --> 00:03:02,320
And now a timeline of events.
51
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:09,800
So on March 6th, 1974, Ella Beth is last seen at her home on Indiana Avenue in the early
52
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,520
evening hours.
53
00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,260
The home I believe was owned by Gene.
54
00:03:15,260 --> 00:03:20,600
At this time in 1974, he owned lots of rental properties around the area.
55
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,320
The home was a two flat house and Ella was staying on the first floor and somebody else
56
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,600
was renting the second floor.
57
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,180
The end of her divorce was finally in sight and she had a court date set in three weeks
58
00:03:32,180 --> 00:03:34,240
for it to be finalized.
59
00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,960
Ella Beth's boyfriend Jerry was out of town that evening, but he agreed to call her between
60
00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,280
nine and 930 p.m.
61
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,900
He called three times between that time frame and each time the phone was picked up by the
62
00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,880
person who was renting the upstairs apartment.
63
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,600
There was a shared phone at the home that both the neighbor and Ella Beth had access
64
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,880
to so it wasn't unusual that the neighbor would pick up the phone.
65
00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:03,760
She was last seen at her house wearing a blue peacoat, blue shirt and blue jeans.
66
00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,960
She was five foot one and 105 pounds with light brown hair and green eyes.
67
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:14,120
The next day, March 7th, Ella Beth was working at the community services office in Sioux
68
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,360
Falls as a social worker when she failed to show up for work and she didn't call in sick,
69
00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,400
which was unusual for her.
70
00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,960
Her coworkers became worried and they called Gene as he was still legally her husband.
71
00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,800
Gene and a few coworkers go over to Ella Beth's home.
72
00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,600
They find the doors locked and her car is still in the driveway.
73
00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,160
gene was able to enter the home.
74
00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:42,680
It's unclear how he did if he had to break in or if he had a spare key or access.
75
00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,040
It's unclear, but he is able to get in.
76
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,640
When he enters the home, he finds a pizza with a single slice missing.
77
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,960
Bread was left rising on the countertop and there was spilled flour on the floor.
78
00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,320
Ella Beth was nowhere in the apartment.
79
00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,280
The only two things missing were her purse and her jacket.
80
00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,440
Gene will report her missing to the police that day.
81
00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,680
One of Ella Beth's friends will get a hold of Jerry to tell him that she was missing.
82
00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,160
Jerry said his first reaction was fear.
83
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:15,280
He says, quote, I got in the car and headed straight to Sioux Falls.
84
00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:19,040
To me, it was obvious that she didn't just leave.
85
00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,320
There's no way it wouldn't happen.
86
00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:22,320
End quote.
87
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:28,120
Years later, after he retired from the force, one of the original investigators of Ellie's
88
00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:33,160
case said, quote, it appears that she didn't disappear of her own volition.
89
00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:34,160
End quote.
90
00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,720
Jerry arrived back in town.
91
00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,140
It's unclear if it was on the seventh or the eighth.
92
00:05:39,140 --> 00:05:43,920
He went straight to the police station where they immediately gave him a polygraph test.
93
00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,080
Police cleared Jerry immediately.
94
00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:51,160
He said, quote, when I walked out of the polygraph test, the guy that administered it said, this
95
00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,960
guy didn't have a damn thing to do with this.
96
00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,160
End quote.
97
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,440
Police continue to search for Ella Beth over the next few days.
98
00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:05,200
And a week after her disappearance on March 14, the police asked the community to check
99
00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:10,560
abandoned farm buildings on their properties or areas where a body could be concealed to
100
00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,880
help assist them in their search for Ella Beth.
101
00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,560
In April of 1974, Ellie's parents write a statement for the local paper begging the
102
00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:24,340
community for information about their daughter and to ask that the community talk to their
103
00:06:24,340 --> 00:06:30,080
public officials and the police so that way Ellie's case continues to get resources for
104
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:31,560
the investigation.
105
00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:36,760
In June of 1974, Ellie has been missing for three months at this point.
106
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,240
Gene is treated for a gunshot wound in his left hand.
107
00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,480
He told police that a man followed him home and pulled out a gun.
108
00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,560
The man put the gun into Gene's stomach and the two started to scuffle.
109
00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,360
During that scuffle, Gene is shot in the hand.
110
00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:57,160
It's unclear, but it doesn't ever seem that anyone is arrested for this incident.
111
00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:03,600
As the months continue to drag on, in September of 1974, Ella Beth has been missing for six
112
00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:04,600
months now.
113
00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:11,560
A woman using the bathroom at the Canadian National Railway in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada,
114
00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:17,040
the woman found three of Ella Beth's credit cards in the restroom.
115
00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,800
Police scurry to try to find any evidence that Ella Beth was ever there, but they come
116
00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,020
up short.
117
00:07:23,020 --> 00:07:27,800
Police have no idea how her credit cards ended up 10 hours away in Canada.
118
00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:33,120
Years later, the current investigator, Detective Pat Martez, says, quote, it appears it was
119
00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,520
probably a red herring to throw investigators off, end quote.
120
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,000
Ellie's family and friends believe that the worst has happened.
121
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,120
From the beginning of her disappearance, they believed that Gene had a hand in it.
122
00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,520
Nobody thinks that she got up and left on her own accord.
123
00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:53,600
It's unclear exactly when it happens, but police ultimately classified this case as a
124
00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:54,800
homicide.
125
00:07:54,800 --> 00:08:01,600
In 1978, so Ella has been missing for around four years now, Gene finally finishes the
126
00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,760
divorce from Ella Beth and it becomes legal.
127
00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:10,320
Gene also during this year files a lawsuit against the city of Sioux Falls, claiming
128
00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,360
that he was harassed and followed by police during their investigation of Ellie's disappearance.
129
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:22,360
Gene claims that in March of 1974, that's when Ellie disappeared, that police held him
130
00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:27,960
for questioning for 21 hours without being allowed to eat, sleep, or use a phone.
131
00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,080
He also claims that he was held in the Minnehaha County Jail for nine days.
132
00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:38,920
It'll take until 1980 for this lawsuit to finally go to trial and be presented in front
133
00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:44,240
of a jury, and in the end, the police were found not guilty of harassment.
134
00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:50,560
I'm unclear exactly when it became official, but by 1986, Ella Beth was officially declared
135
00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:51,840
legally dead.
136
00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,600
She had been missing for 12 years at that point.
137
00:08:54,600 --> 00:09:00,880
In 1992, so it's been 18 years since Ella Beth vanished, a farmer was walking on the
138
00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:05,000
banks of the Big Sioux River, just east of Sioux Falls.
139
00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:10,760
The farmer found Ella Beth's purse, wallet, and checkbook on the banks of the river.
140
00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,880
According to reports, the purse and wallet were found in a hole along the banks of the
141
00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:16,320
river.
142
00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,720
Investigators swarmed the area searching for Ella Beth's body, convinced that she must
143
00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,400
be nearby, but no other sign of her is found.
144
00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:29,800
In October of 2000, so it's been 26 years since Ella Beth vanished, and Gene takes out
145
00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:36,040
an advertisement in the local paper, but he just publishes a long letter asking for a
146
00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,520
fair trial.
147
00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:43,880
At this point in his life, he had been given a 45-year sentence for what he says is possession
148
00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:45,720
of stolen property.
149
00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:51,360
However, local media describes his case as part of a grand theft case.
150
00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:56,880
In this published letter, he also claims that Ella Beth's disappearance, quote, was directly
151
00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:02,180
connected to a police officer she worked with, and the fraudulent investigation that followed
152
00:10:02,180 --> 00:10:08,760
should no longer be kept secret, that a retired Sioux Falls detective supplemented that evidence,
153
00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:14,920
named persons involved, offered to supervise excavation by the police clubhouse where her
154
00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:21,520
purse was found, and pay expenses if her remains are not recovered, end quote.
155
00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:29,000
Now, that statement didn't make a ton of sense to me, for example, he says offered to supervise
156
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:35,200
excavation by the police clubhouse where her purse was found, but we know that her purse
157
00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,760
was found by a river.
158
00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,000
I don't believe it was by a police headquarters.
159
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,360
I thought that maybe there was a typo.
160
00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,540
Since this was an advertisement, the newspaper wasn't proofreading, they just printed what
161
00:10:47,540 --> 00:10:48,800
he wrote.
162
00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,600
But that is his statement.
163
00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:56,680
And then he goes further into describing his mistreatment by police over the years and
164
00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:58,600
his unfair sentence.
165
00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,080
But as of 2002, Gene is paroled from prison.
166
00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:07,320
Ultimately, he'll pass away in April of 2013.
167
00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:13,860
In 2016, police announced that they desperately want to close the case.
168
00:11:13,860 --> 00:11:19,000
Detective Pat Mertes says, quote, the main goal in this is to give the family closure,
169
00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,160
end quote.
170
00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:25,360
Police confirmed that the only person of interest in this case was Elibeth's estranged husband,
171
00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:26,360
Gene.
172
00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:32,040
But as he died in 2013, he can't answer any more questions for police.
173
00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:38,680
Detective Mertes says, quote, he was never able to be 100% cleared, end quote.
174
00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:42,880
Other people of interest were investigated and cleared over the years.
175
00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:47,840
But the renewed energy around Ellie's case brings in 17 new tips.
176
00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,040
However, they all end up fizzling out.
177
00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:58,520
In 2018, so it's been 44 years now since Elibeth disappeared, her niece, Elizabeth Crowe, still
178
00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:05,000
wants to find answers to what happened for herself and for her mother, Elibeth's sister.
179
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,720
She says, quote, it's disappointing.
180
00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,720
Somebody has to know, I feel, but it's just getting them to come forward and say it.
181
00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:13,720
End quote.
182
00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:19,280
Jerry, that's Ellie's boyfriend at the time she disappeared, hopes that Ellie can
183
00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,520
be put to rest by her parents.
184
00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:27,120
He says he goes to visit her parents' graves and leaves flowers and prayers once a year,
185
00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,120
quote, there's no place for Elibeth.
186
00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:31,840
It's like she didn't exist.
187
00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,320
But she did exist, and she was a beautiful person, end quote.
188
00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:42,460
In November of 2019, so it's been 45 years since Ellie disappeared, police bring in two
189
00:12:42,460 --> 00:12:48,600
cadaver dogs to search the area where her wallet was found for around three hours.
190
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:53,600
Police tell the paper that Gene had connection with the area where the wallet was found,
191
00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,740
but they don't elaborate on what that connection is.
192
00:12:56,740 --> 00:13:01,640
But Gene did own a lot of property in Sioux Falls when Ellie disappeared.
193
00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:07,240
The search resulted in some areas of interest for investigators, but as of 2024, it does
194
00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:13,000
not appear that any additional information was uncovered as a result of this search.
195
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:19,800
So March 2024, just this past month at the time of recording, it's been 50 years since
196
00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,680
Elibeth went missing.
197
00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:26,560
Police still want to bring Elibeth home and give answers to her family.
198
00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:31,360
Detective Pat Mertes is still working the case and asked that anyone with information
199
00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:38,280
about Elibeth or about any unusual habits or activity Gene may have had in the past
200
00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:41,000
to please come forward.
201
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:48,720
You can reach Detective Pat Mertes directly at 605-978-6797.
202
00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:54,520
Or if you want to submit a tip anonymously, you can call Crime Stoppers Sioux Empire at
203
00:13:54,520 --> 00:14:04,200
1-877-367-7007 and the sources for the timeline today come from Argus Leader, The Sioux City
204
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:09,480
Journal, SDPB Radio, and The Charlie Project.
205
00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,520
So that is the case of Ellabeth Lodermeier.
206
00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:19,700
When I was listening to you tell Ellie's story and the details started to unfold, my
207
00:14:19,700 --> 00:14:27,000
heart sank a little bit because of the time period that it takes place in.
208
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:32,760
And I think if you have an interest in true crime or have been engaging with true crime
209
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:40,080
stories in the way that maybe Ellie and I have, you know that the 70s was a particularly
210
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:48,280
violent time in, I'm sure, world history, but more locally, American history.
211
00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:52,000
You know, a lot of serial killers came out of that time period.
212
00:14:52,000 --> 00:15:00,780
So my heart just like breaks for that time and including in this case and not to disparage
213
00:15:00,780 --> 00:15:01,780
the dead.
214
00:15:01,780 --> 00:15:05,240
But in these cases, you always look at the husband.
215
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,280
I say that as a husband.
216
00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:14,400
You always look at the husband or the boyfriend and his track record wasn't great.
217
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,440
Then just sounded like a scuzzball.
218
00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:25,040
I guess we know he was abusive, so maybe I don't need to be as eloquent in speaking about
219
00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:26,040
him.
220
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:27,040
The guy was a piece of shit.
221
00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:32,400
I can't even feel myself getting sweaty talking about this because I'm just angry that there's
222
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:41,680
just another case like this of another woman who is just lost to history and time.
223
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,680
It's really, it's just really sad.
224
00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:49,080
I'd love to just hear your thoughts and feelings.
225
00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:55,720
Well, one thing I just kind of wanted to say at the top is I was really conflicted about
226
00:15:55,720 --> 00:16:03,160
using her last name as Lodermeier because at the time of her disappearance, she was
227
00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,600
three weeks away from finalizing her divorce.
228
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:13,040
She was thinking of herself already as a divorced woman, as a single woman.
229
00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:17,600
I really kind of struggled with if I should use that name, but that's what all of her
230
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:18,800
information is linked to.
231
00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:24,260
So if other people want to look into her case or talk about it or submit a tip, it is under
232
00:16:24,260 --> 00:16:27,440
the last name Lodermeier.
233
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,400
That is ultimately why I chose to do that.
234
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:36,800
I did kind of wrestle with that, especially because she says under oath that he was abusive.
235
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,360
I'm not defending Gene at all.
236
00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:40,600
I agree with you.
237
00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:47,160
I definitely think that he is a scumbag and was not a good guy.
238
00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:53,100
But there's also this part of me that wouldn't be surprised as he claims, oh, the police
239
00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:55,920
were involved and they railroaded me.
240
00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,040
That wouldn't surprise me either for that time period.
241
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,180
If it came out in a Netflix documentary, this is what happens.
242
00:17:04,180 --> 00:17:05,180
Can you believe?
243
00:17:05,180 --> 00:17:08,360
It's like, yes, I can.
244
00:17:08,360 --> 00:17:11,000
We've seen it happen in other jurisdictions.
245
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:16,040
But ultimately, I just really feel for her family.
246
00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:21,920
Her parents were writing letters in the newspaper begging for information and her sisters never
247
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:23,920
gave up searching for them.
248
00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:30,920
A lot of them have passed away and now her nieces and nephews have all taken up the mission
249
00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:36,840
of finding out what happened to her and try to bring her home and give answers not just
250
00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:44,320
for themselves, but also to honor all that time spent of their loved ones who have already
251
00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:45,320
passed on.
252
00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:52,780
Yeah, I'd also love an opportunity to change my tone just a little bit and not necessarily
253
00:17:52,780 --> 00:17:54,280
to oppose myself.
254
00:17:54,280 --> 00:18:02,520
But I did have that thought about Gene of, yeah, cops have been known to do that, especially
255
00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:10,200
in that time period when you could get away with more wild behavior that was monitored
256
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,240
or not monitored, but certainly acceptable.
257
00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:17,600
So I did think about that and feel for him.
258
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,400
But I've also heard a lot of cases where, you know, we listen to a lot of true crime
259
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,200
podcasts where people are interviewed, people who have been railroaded.
260
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:35,320
And I would say almost every time those people say, like, yes, this was terrible for me to
261
00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:43,320
go through, especially to be treated like a criminal or like the accused by law enforcement.
262
00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:48,720
But I can't imagine what the family is going through.
263
00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:59,240
And his continued pursuit, even like with the where he took out the thing in the paper,
264
00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:01,680
I just I mean, it was self serving.
265
00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,000
It wasn't about her.
266
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,240
It was about him.
267
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:05,880
Yeah, I totally agree with you.
268
00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,400
The ad was really self serving.
269
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:12,400
It's a really long read with really tiny font.
270
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:17,780
And he does he mentions Ellie's case kind of at the beginning, like basically that quote
271
00:19:17,780 --> 00:19:20,280
that I read is the long and short of it.
272
00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:26,480
And then it gets into, you know, the harassment he says he faced by police, which a jury later
273
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,280
says, you know, the police were not guilty.
274
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:34,640
So it it was self serving.
275
00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:40,480
And I didn't mention this in the timeline because I wanted to stay focused on Ellie.
276
00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:46,160
But, you know, he kind of had a string of things follow him.
277
00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:52,520
For example, he was seen smashing windows at a department store by an officer.
278
00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:56,880
And a year later, that officer had a car bomb placed in his car.
279
00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,920
And Gene was a main suspect in that he was never charged with the car bombing.
280
00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:06,000
And he was never charged in Ellie's case, just to be clear.
281
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,640
But he was heavily suspected in both of them.
282
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:17,760
And you know, the the detective that's on the case currently, Detective Mertes, seems
283
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:22,200
very dedicated to Ellie's case and getting answers.
284
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,960
I can't speak much to like the investigators at the time.
285
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,240
I don't really know what they did and didn't do.
286
00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:37,280
If it was talked about in the paper, I couldn't find them or those.
287
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:42,700
I just didn't have access to them, but I couldn't really find much along the lines of searches
288
00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:44,320
in the neighborhood.
289
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:50,560
Or you know, obviously, they weren't collecting evidence or doing crime scene evidence collection
290
00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:51,560
like they do today.
291
00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:56,560
So, you know, police later talk about DNA and if that had been a thing or something
292
00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:01,260
that they had thought about when collecting evidence, if they could have solved the case
293
00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:02,260
with DNA.
294
00:21:02,260 --> 00:21:09,040
But it's pretty clear that they don't have DNA based off of those comments, I presume.
295
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,760
Some of my like burning questions in this case.
296
00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:18,960
If I could have one thing answered for me, it would be what was the condition of like
297
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:24,800
her wallet, her purse, like those items that were found, I believe it was 19 years later
298
00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,280
after she had disappeared in the hole by the river.
299
00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,600
I wonder what like what condition were those in?
300
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,600
Do police think that those have been there since 1974?
301
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,600
Or were they maybe put there more recently?
302
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:45,640
I just would be so curious as to know the condition of what those items were.
303
00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:56,640
Yeah, the sudden appearance or finding of those items was very interesting to me.
304
00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,460
And you know, it could be a bunch of different things.
305
00:22:00,460 --> 00:22:05,840
But to me, you know, the first like couple things I thought of those discarded items
306
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:14,800
is they they were placed there or discarded there by someone who was on the run or in
307
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,320
a hurry to get rid of stuff.
308
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:25,800
Yeah, because I kind of took those items as like somebody took the time to bury it.
309
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:31,520
So like, not necessarily somebody that was on the run, but like, I do see that as well.
310
00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:36,280
But it's like this is, to me, my first knee jerk was like, Oh, somebody took the time
311
00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,560
to bury this.
312
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,360
But it's not near her body.
313
00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:44,320
We know that like police searched that area and she wasn't there.
314
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,680
So it's like, why that spot?
315
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,720
Why that area?
316
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,080
Why not throw it in the river that's right there?
317
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:53,600
Like, there's so many questions.
318
00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:54,600
Why bury it?
319
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,840
And yeah, there's a lot of questions around that.
320
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:05,880
There is always the I mean, the age old they they walked away and started a new life.
321
00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:14,520
And I would say that I mean that in like, you know, sometimes with these cases, people
322
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:19,240
will say, well, maybe they just ran away and they were never seen from again.
323
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:28,040
And in this case, I do think there is argument for that possibility, except for the boyfriend
324
00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:36,520
that she seemed to be very like, excited about this, you know, nice new man in her life that
325
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,200
was loving her in the way that you should.
326
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:45,100
And that her divorce was done like there she was excited.
327
00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:48,300
And you don't walk away from a life that you are excited about.
328
00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:52,360
So that's I don't know if that ever came up.
329
00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:54,040
I hope that's what happened in this case.
330
00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:59,240
I hope that she just planned it out, figured out a plan.
331
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:04,500
She was going to put her credit cards in Canada and her wallet near a river and walk away
332
00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:08,140
and completely start over, start a new life.
333
00:24:08,140 --> 00:24:09,720
She was 25.
334
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:10,720
Let's go.
335
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,160
I really hope that's what happened.
336
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:18,060
And she's lived a very long and meaningful and purposeful life.
337
00:24:18,060 --> 00:24:24,840
But if that's not what happens, then I really do hope that we can get her home.
338
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:30,720
We may never have satisfactory answers as to what happened to her.
339
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:37,960
But I think that kind of quote that her boyfriend said, you know, years later, he was in his
340
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,240
seventies when he was being interviewed by the paper.
341
00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:43,880
But I've just, you know, she mattered.
342
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:49,420
She was here, you know, just a place for other people to come and leave flowers and prayers
343
00:24:49,420 --> 00:24:50,680
for her.
344
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:57,460
I really hope that the family gets that and they get that closure to this chapter that
345
00:24:57,460 --> 00:24:59,800
it seems like they are seeking.
346
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:04,040
And maybe closure is not the right word, but they just get to bring her home.
347
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:15,920
Yeah, the way that her family has continued to both love and search for her is, I mean,
348
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:20,680
it is, it's so beautiful, but it's also just, it's always so heartbreaking.
349
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:27,680
And I can't help but think about the familial trauma that that is in that family of, you
350
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:33,920
know, you said the nieces and nephews of like, what's born into those people of what I
351
00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:42,440
imagine a natural sorrow that is very much a part of their like family tree now.
352
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:48,600
And it's really sad, like that, that missing part of that family tree, like deserves to
353
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,360
be in full bloom again.
354
00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:58,040
And I think that full bloom means some answers that are very possible in a case like this,
355
00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,360
at least I really hope so.
356
00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:08,520
Again, if you know anything about the disappearance of Ella Beth in March of 1974, or her whereabouts
357
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:18,280
today, you're encouraged to call Detective Pat Mertes directly at 605-978-6797.
358
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:28,600
Or to submit a tip anonymously, please call the Crime Stopper Sue Empire at 1-877-367-7007.
359
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:36,320
My lovely wife hit you guys with this when we started in the beginning, but please, please,
360
00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:45,040
if you could while you are here in whatever your podcast app, rate, review, Apple podcasts,
361
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:49,600
a five star written review is always appreciated.
362
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:56,360
We hope that if you are here and are listening and have been listening that you are one of
363
00:26:56,360 --> 00:27:01,800
the folks who hopefully this week leaves us a written and rated review, we would love
364
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,640
to hear from you.
365
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:11,840
You can also access our show notes and the show transcribed itself at coldandmissing.com.
366
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:16,640
And of course, we'll have photos of Ella Beth posted on our Instagram.
367
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:18,400
So please follow us there.
368
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,920
And we also post in our stories about current cases that are happening, current missing
369
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:23,920
people.
370
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,120
It's a great resource.
371
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:29,240
And I hope you follow us there.
372
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:34,600
Also if there's any updates or changes in the show, kind of last minute, those are all
373
00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,320
announced on our Instagram as well.
374
00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,280
So make sure you're following us to be up to date.
375
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,400
Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing.
376
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:43,960
I'm your host, Allie.
377
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:45,720
And I'm your co-host, Eli.
378
00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,680
Have a good week and stay safe, y'all.
379
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:54,680
Stay safe, y'all.
