Cold and Missing: Levi Frady

WEBVTT

00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.789
The views and opinions expressed in Cold and

00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.710
Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All

00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129
parties mentioned are considered innocent until

00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.969
proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing

00:00:18.969 --> 00:00:22.410
also contains adult themes and languages. Listener

00:00:22.410 --> 00:00:26.269
discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin

00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:28.989
-Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski.

00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:31.289
And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover

00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:34.850
cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone,

00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:37.159
and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your

00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:39.719
host, Ali, and it will just be me coming to

00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:42.979
you this week. I actually have to travel for

00:00:42.979 --> 00:00:46.840
my day job, so I am doing some traveling, some

00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:49.539
work travel this week, and Eli and I are not

00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:52.479
together this week, and I'm terribly sad and

00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.320
I miss him so much, but I just wanted to still

00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:00.659
bring you another episode this week. Right at

00:01:00.659 --> 00:01:02.420
the top, I just wanted to say thank you again

00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:04.620
to everyone who's been able to leave us reviews

00:01:04.620 --> 00:01:09.379
recently or recommend us. I was actually on Reddit

00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:12.040
and it was like somebody asking for a recommendation

00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:14.159
of podcast and somebody on there was like, Cold

00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.120
and Missing is my favorite in the comment section.

00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.659
And I was like really blown away by that. Thank

00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:23.000
you to whoever that was. I'm not going to say

00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.799
their Reddit username here, but thank you for

00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:27.799
mentioning us. Like, it just meant a lot to me.

00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.700
I was like, this is really cool that someone's

00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:32.439
doing that. So thank you if you're recommending

00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:37.359
us, telling your friends, family that enjoy True

00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.180
Crime about our podcast. I just really appreciate

00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:41.819
it. So thank you for reviewing. Thank you for

00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:44.659
recommending us to people. It really helps get

00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:47.239
these cases out there, which is, you know, the

00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.329
whole mission here at Cold and Missing. But with

00:01:50.329 --> 00:01:53.450
that said, I think we should just go ahead and

00:01:53.450 --> 00:01:57.049
get into this week's episode. We are on a cold

00:01:57.049 --> 00:02:02.609
case this week, and this is episode 146. And

00:02:02.609 --> 00:02:04.670
just as a bit of a content warning at the top,

00:02:04.829 --> 00:02:08.650
this case does involve a young person. Today,

00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:12.129
we are talking about the cold case of Levi Frady,

00:02:12.310 --> 00:02:15.909
and this takes place in Forsyth County, Georgia,

00:02:16.050 --> 00:02:21.400
in October of 1997. But first, a little bit about

00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:25.500
Levi. Levi was just 11 years old in October of

00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:29.620
1997. He lived with his mother, Marilyn, and

00:02:29.620 --> 00:02:32.580
his twin sister, Lacey, on Burris Mill Road,

00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:35.939
a quiet rural stretch of Forsyth County, Georgia.

00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.300
Levi loved the country and loved living in such

00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:44.060
a rural environment. He loved spending time outdoors.

00:02:45.180 --> 00:02:48.099
Levi's parents were separated, but Levi and his

00:02:48.099 --> 00:02:50.960
sister still saw their dad quite often and thought

00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.439
the world of him. Levi loved exploring the woods

00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:57.740
near his home, riding his beloved red and black

00:02:57.740 --> 00:03:00.659
bicycle to visit friends, and enjoyed shooting

00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:03.879
his BB gun in the open fields. He was curious,

00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:07.800
adventurous, and full of life. His grandfather,

00:03:08.259 --> 00:03:11.840
Lamar Frady, once said, That bicycle up there

00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:15.840
was his best friend. That's all he had. Levi

00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:19.259
loved pizza, his grandmother's pancakes, fishing,

00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:22.400
roller coasters, and was teaching himself to

00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:25.520
play his grandmother's piano. He was scared of

00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:29.560
the dark. That Halloween, he wanted to be G .I.

00:03:29.580 --> 00:03:33.300
Joe. Those who knew Levi remembered his smile

00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:37.500
and energy. His children's minister, Joseph Hamley,

00:03:37.659 --> 00:03:40.620
described him as, quote, he could bring a smile

00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:45.360
to your heart very easily. And now a timeline

00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:53.099
of events. Wednesday, October 22nd, 1997. This

00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.280
was a pretty notable day. It was the fifth day

00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:00.219
of the World Series. Levi had a regular day at

00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:04.439
school, and after school, at around 4 .15, he

00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:07.699
left home on his bike to go to his friend Roman's

00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:10.580
house. The two of them had planned to do their

00:04:10.580 --> 00:04:14.219
homework together. Levi was expected to be home

00:04:14.219 --> 00:04:17.800
at 6 .30 in time for dinner. According to some

00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:21.379
reports, Levi does call home at one point. His

00:04:21.379 --> 00:04:23.519
mom was in the bathtub, so his twin sister picked

00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:28.139
up. Levi asked his sister to ask their mom if

00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:29.939
it would be okay if he stayed for dinner with

00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:32.100
a different friend. Him and Roman were going

00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:35.319
to go to a third friend's house for dinner. Marilyn

00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:41.160
told Lacey to tell Levi to come home. When 6

00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:45.180
.30 rolled around, Levi's curfew, he didn't walk

00:04:45.180 --> 00:04:48.319
through the front door. At first, his mother

00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.160
and sister weren't worried. He had been late

00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.579
before. He had pushed that 6 .30 time more than

00:04:54.579 --> 00:04:59.279
once. However, by 7, they started to worry a

00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:03.339
little bit. The minutes kept ticking by. Finally...

00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:06.850
A little bit after 7, Marilyn and Lacey decided

00:05:06.850 --> 00:05:09.589
to go out and get Levi and bring him home for

00:05:09.589 --> 00:05:13.649
dinner. While they're out, Lacey was the first

00:05:13.649 --> 00:05:16.889
to spot Levi's bike. It was lying in a ditch

00:05:16.889 --> 00:05:19.589
on Little Mill Road, about a mile from their

00:05:19.589 --> 00:05:23.269
home. The kickstand was folded up, and the tires

00:05:23.269 --> 00:05:25.850
were slightly low, but that was normal for Levi's

00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:28.509
bike. He liked a softer landing when he went

00:05:28.509 --> 00:05:32.009
off of a ramp. According to Lacey, Her mother

00:05:32.009 --> 00:05:33.889
didn't really have a reaction when they found

00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:37.209
the bike. We do know that Marilyn and Lacey go

00:05:37.209 --> 00:05:41.370
to Roman's house at about 7 .15. Roman tells

00:05:41.370 --> 00:05:44.910
them that Levi had left around 7. Roman tells

00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:47.269
them that he had watched his friend pedal off

00:05:47.269 --> 00:05:51.009
down Crow Road. If Levi had taken Crow Road,

00:05:51.189 --> 00:05:54.170
it would have been the longer route home. However,

00:05:54.509 --> 00:05:57.509
Levi usually took the longer route. There were

00:05:57.509 --> 00:06:00.449
some big barking dogs on the shorter way that

00:06:00.449 --> 00:06:03.810
he liked to avoid. Marilyn decides to try the

00:06:03.810 --> 00:06:06.790
third friend's house, the friend that Levi wanted

00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:10.410
to have dinner with. She thought that maybe he

00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:12.529
went to go have dinner anyway, even though she

00:06:12.529 --> 00:06:15.350
had said no. When Marilyn arrives at the house,

00:06:15.410 --> 00:06:17.769
she knocks on the door and waits, but nobody

00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:21.829
comes and answers the door. She assumes that

00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:24.009
the family must have gone out for dinner and

00:06:24.009 --> 00:06:27.560
taken Levi with them. With that thought, she

00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:31.480
turns around and takes her and Lacey home. Marilyn

00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:34.600
stays up waiting, but eventually she does fall

00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:38.040
asleep. In the early hours of Thursday, October

00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:43.360
23rd, Marilyn wakes up around 2 a .m. She realizes

00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:47.740
that Levi has not come home. She went back out.

00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:50.300
She goes back to that third friend's house and

00:06:50.300 --> 00:06:53.600
knocks on the door. But at that early hour, nobody

00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.660
answers. Marilyn thinks that everyone must be

00:06:56.660 --> 00:06:59.980
inside and asleep. She assumes that her son is

00:06:59.980 --> 00:07:04.560
also safe inside the home, sleeping. However,

00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:09.100
the morning didn't bring any signs of Levi. He

00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:11.180
didn't come home, and he didn't show up for school.

00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:15.699
By 8 .30 a .m., Marilyn decides to call the police

00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.040
and report him missing. Very quickly, about 100

00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:22.480
officers and volunteers begin searching the area

00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.180
around Levi's home and where the bike was found.

00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.019
They really focus on where the bike was found

00:07:28.019 --> 00:07:31.360
first, spanning out from that area. For seven

00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.220
hours, they combed thick brush and undergrowth,

00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:38.040
but found no clues of where Levi might be. Until

00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:41.160
around 2 .30 that afternoon. At around 2 .30,

00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:44.910
Three hunters in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management

00:07:44.910 --> 00:07:48.189
Area, which was about 15 miles from where Levi

00:07:48.189 --> 00:07:50.790
was last seen, they make a devastating discovery.

00:07:51.209 --> 00:07:55.550
They find Levi. He is still fully clothed. He's

00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:58.550
laying face up, but a portion of his upper body

00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.170
had been submerged in water that had gathered

00:08:01.170 --> 00:08:05.089
in a pit. About 20 feet away from the body was

00:08:05.089 --> 00:08:08.189
a large pool of blood, and a few feet from there

00:08:08.189 --> 00:08:11.839
was Levi's backpack. The hunters head out of

00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.959
the woods and flag down a police car to report

00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:17.079
the findings as quickly as they can. Police halt

00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.740
the search for Levi and head over to the woods.

00:08:20.699 --> 00:08:23.560
Police at first are not able to determine a cause

00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.379
of death, so they decide to wait on an autopsy

00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:29.600
before announcing anything officially. They start

00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:33.059
searching that wooded area for clues. We do know

00:08:33.059 --> 00:08:34.679
that they are able to collect some evidence.

00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.659
For instance, we do know that they are able to

00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.539
create a cast of tire tracks found in that area.

00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:45.379
The day after finding Levi's body, Friday, October

00:08:45.379 --> 00:08:50.259
24th, his autopsy is conducted. He had been fatally

00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:53.779
shot. But police don't release details at this

00:08:53.779 --> 00:08:56.240
time. They don't say how many times he had been

00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:00.580
shot or where. Preliminary autopsy results showed

00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:04.200
no signs of sexual assault. Ballistic experts

00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:06.820
began working to identify the type of firearm

00:09:06.820 --> 00:09:09.840
that was used, but again, police refused to disclose

00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:14.600
specifics. However, after the autopsy, authorities

00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:18.480
emphasized that Levi's death was not an accident.

00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:23.840
It was a homicide. The rural community was reeling.

00:09:24.659 --> 00:09:27.480
Crimes against children simply did not happen

00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:30.940
in this area. Parents no longer let children

00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:33.440
walk alone from bus stops, and neighbors kept

00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:37.340
a vigilant eye on one another. Marilyn was devastated.

00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:40.879
But this was not the first person she had lost

00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:44.100
in this way. Her father had been shot and killed

00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:47.879
15 years earlier, though police confirmed that

00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.120
there was no connection between these two cases.

00:09:52.009 --> 00:09:56.009
On Saturday, October 25th, police get to work

00:09:56.009 --> 00:09:58.090
interviewing families, friends, and neighbors.

00:09:59.009 --> 00:10:02.210
Police consider everyone a suspect but truly

00:10:02.210 --> 00:10:05.289
believe that Levi's killer was known to him because

00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:08.090
statistically, that is the most likely scenario.

00:10:09.049 --> 00:10:11.789
We know that Marilyn is interviewed for hours

00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:14.250
and she's given a polygraph test at some point.

00:10:14.950 --> 00:10:18.490
In addition, police are also wanting to question

00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:22.240
Levi's dad, Milton. However, Milton was laying

00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.639
low. He had an outstanding warrant for burglary

00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:28.000
charges from a few years before Levi's murder,

00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.559
so he was trying to avoid the police at this

00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:35.419
time. On Sunday, October 26, just three days

00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:38.980
after his body was found, Levi is laid to rest.

00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:43.460
Hundreds show up to pay respects to the little

00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:46.740
boy, so much so that they're spilling out of

00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:50.090
the church and into the lobby and hallways. Police

00:10:50.090 --> 00:10:52.710
are at the funeral, and they're looking for Milton

00:10:52.710 --> 00:10:57.129
to question him. However, Milton skips his son's

00:10:57.129 --> 00:11:00.669
funeral out of fear of the police. On Monday,

00:11:00.730 --> 00:11:03.750
October 27th, this is the day after the funeral,

00:11:03.929 --> 00:11:06.570
and police are still very tight -lipped about

00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:10.350
specifics in this case. It does seem like they

00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:13.330
were able to determine what kind of gun was used,

00:11:13.549 --> 00:11:16.929
but they don't give us any details. No caliber.

00:11:17.929 --> 00:11:20.370
No casings, no bullet type, nothing. We don't

00:11:20.370 --> 00:11:23.570
have any details about what type of gun was used.

00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:26.610
Police continue to interview family, friends,

00:11:26.669 --> 00:11:28.470
and neighbors, but they keep running into dead

00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:31.909
ends. No one is emerging as a suspect at this

00:11:31.909 --> 00:11:36.289
point. On Wednesday, October 29th, just shy of

00:11:36.289 --> 00:11:39.850
a week of Levi's murder, and Milton turns himself

00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:43.240
in to police. Police question him for hours,

00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.460
and ultimately, they rule him out as a suspect

00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:50.700
in his son's murder. However, they do arrest

00:11:50.700 --> 00:11:53.519
him on the outstanding warrant and take him to

00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.899
jail. We also know on this day that police are

00:11:56.899 --> 00:11:59.039
desperate for a lead or a break in the case.

00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.639
They set up roadblocks near where Levi's bike

00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.600
was found and stop every car that passes by.

00:12:06.379 --> 00:12:08.960
They ask every driver where they were on the

00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:11.440
night that Levi was murdered and compare tires

00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.159
to the tire track treads that they were able

00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.379
to get from the crime scene. However, nothing

00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:20.539
comes of this. We do know that police were able

00:12:20.539 --> 00:12:22.820
to get other evidence. They mentioned that all

00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:25.559
of the evidence collected is a priority at the

00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:29.110
state lab. However, we have no details on what

00:12:29.110 --> 00:12:31.610
kind of evidence was collected or if there were

00:12:31.610 --> 00:12:34.570
any results, such as DNA, that was collected

00:12:34.570 --> 00:12:37.909
as a result of the testing. On Halloween that

00:12:37.909 --> 00:12:42.490
year, the mood is somber in Forsyth County. Levi

00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:44.789
was not able to go as the G .I. Joe he wanted

00:12:44.789 --> 00:12:48.090
to, and parents keep an eye on all of the trick

00:12:48.090 --> 00:12:50.629
-or -treaters that evening. Police continued

00:12:50.629 --> 00:12:53.980
the investigation. Police say at about a week

00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:57.039
that they have interviewed over 200 people, but

00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.159
they still don't have any leads or suspects in

00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.519
the case. Investigators explored the possibility

00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:05.559
that Levi's murder was retaliation against his

00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.419
father due to past criminal involvement, but

00:13:08.419 --> 00:13:10.820
there was no strong evidence suggesting this.

00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:15.220
On November 5, 1997, two weeks since the murder,

00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:18.580
police released sketches of two men they hoped

00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:20.759
would come forward so that way they could talk

00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:23.710
to them. One of the men does end up coming forward

00:13:23.710 --> 00:13:26.750
and police question him and he gives some information

00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:29.769
to police and police run it down. Nothing really

00:13:29.769 --> 00:13:32.629
comes out of that. The man is ruled out as, you

00:13:32.629 --> 00:13:34.529
know, any person of interest or suspect in the

00:13:34.529 --> 00:13:36.730
case and he doesn't have anything to add that

00:13:36.730 --> 00:13:41.029
helps Levi's case. The other man, according to

00:13:41.029 --> 00:13:43.950
police, was seen in the Dawson Forest Wildlife

00:13:43.950 --> 00:13:46.710
Management Area around the time of Levi's murder.

00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:50.240
He's described as a white male. He would have

00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:54.259
been around 45 to 55 years old. He was clean

00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:57.899
-shaven and was around 6 foot. Slim build with

00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:02.500
white or gray hair. The man was driving a 1980

00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:07.120
to 1985 medium blue Toyota two -wheel drive pickup

00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:09.519
truck with a white camper shell over the bed

00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.440
of the truck. To date, police have never been

00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.220
able to find this man to talk to him about Levi's

00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:20.629
case. On November 9th, police confirm that they

00:14:20.629 --> 00:14:23.350
believe that Levi was abducted. They believe

00:14:23.350 --> 00:14:25.789
Levi had been taken off of his bike and driven

00:14:25.789 --> 00:14:28.309
to the woods and then he was killed in the woods.

00:14:28.909 --> 00:14:31.750
The family tell media that they had been told

00:14:31.750 --> 00:14:35.309
that Levi was shot in the head. The next update

00:14:35.309 --> 00:14:38.929
comes on December 20th, 1997, so this would be

00:14:38.929 --> 00:14:42.950
nearly two months after Levi's murder. His family

00:14:42.950 --> 00:14:45.330
and friends are faced with the first holiday

00:14:45.330 --> 00:14:49.059
without him. Investigators do believe that Levi

00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:52.539
got into the car voluntarily. They don't think

00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:54.620
that he was forced off of his bike and into the

00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:58.519
car. Therefore, police think that Levi recognized

00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.659
the person driving the car. But beyond that,

00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:05.039
they don't really have a lead. Levi's family

00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.759
thinks this is preposterous. They don't think

00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.299
that anyone in Levi's life would do this to the

00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:14.960
little boy. On January 9th, 1998, So it's been

00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:17.820
over two months since Levi's murder, and police

00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:20.539
release another sketch of another person that

00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.639
they would like to talk to. According to police,

00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:27.139
around 6 .30, a witness saw a man walking along

00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:29.960
Little Mill Road the day that Levi was abducted.

00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:34.039
He was a white male in his late 50s with a scruffy

00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:37.159
gray beard. He was wearing a faded blue baseball

00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:40.740
cap and walked with a stoop. Police believe that

00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:43.860
he could be the key to unlocking the case. They

00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:46.639
think this man must have seen who took Levi,

00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.720
since Levi's bike was found on Little Mill Road.

00:15:50.740 --> 00:15:54.940
In June of 1998, so it's been nine months since

00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:57.919
Levi's murder, and Marilyn talks with the media

00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:01.279
for the first time. She says that everything

00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.059
that she kind of knows about Levi's case, she

00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:06.779
learned through the questions that police gave

00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:10.440
her during the polygraph test. For example, she

00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.830
says the police would ask her, Did you know that

00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:17.690
Levi was shot three times? Because of this, she

00:16:17.690 --> 00:16:21.370
believes that her son was shot three times. She

00:16:21.370 --> 00:16:23.649
tells the media she believes it's twice in the

00:16:23.649 --> 00:16:26.090
chest and once in the head, based off of the

00:16:26.090 --> 00:16:29.450
questions that police had asked her. However,

00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.649
really after this, the case appears to really

00:16:32.649 --> 00:16:36.590
go cold for years. The first anniversary in October

00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:40.070
of 1998 comes and goes without any new information.

00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.360
In October of 1999, so that's the two -year anniversary,

00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:50.259
the GBI is still working on the case. But they

00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:52.940
say that it is one of the rarest cases they've

00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:57.539
ever had. GBI profiler Jim Hallman says, quote,

00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:01.419
We've never had another case in the country where

00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:03.779
a child was taken and murdered for no apparent

00:17:03.779 --> 00:17:07.180
reason. It's as if somebody rode down the road

00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:12.099
and spirited him away. In April of 2000, a task

00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:14.900
force is created following a petition from over

00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:18.700
2 ,000 local residents asking for closure in

00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:21.839
Levi's case. The task force does seem to get

00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.519
together and work on Levi's case. They go over

00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.559
all the information they have, but the GBI isn't

00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:30.680
involved in the task force. They're invited,

00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:33.400
but they decide not to participate. The task

00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.759
force is made up of Forsyth and Dawson County

00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:41.079
police. However, it doesn't appear that the task

00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:45.519
force really finds any new information. In 2002,

00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:49.220
it's been five years since Levi's murder, and

00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:52.440
Georgia implemented an Amber Alert system named

00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:55.940
in Levi's honor. It's called Levi's Call in Georgia.

00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.960
Levi's Call has gone on to recover many abducted

00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:05.740
children in Georgia, which is amazing. In 2017,

00:18:06.589 --> 00:18:09.950
so that's 20 years since Levi was murdered. And

00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:12.950
his mother reflected, quote, There's still nothing

00:18:12.950 --> 00:18:16.450
after all this time. I've heard so many rumors.

00:18:16.609 --> 00:18:20.069
I know that somebody knows. It has to have been

00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:22.890
more than one person that knows. To me, it's

00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:27.869
just mind -boggling. His twin sister, Lacey,

00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:32.589
now has a son older than Levi ever was. But the

00:18:32.589 --> 00:18:35.920
son brings so much joy to the family. But that

00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.500
is truly all we know about Levi's murder. So

00:18:39.500 --> 00:18:41.819
if you know anything about the murder of Levi

00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:47.339
Frady in October of 1997, please call the Georgia

00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:51.680
Bureau of Investigation tip line at 1 -800 -587

00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:59.339
-8471. So that is the case of Levi Frady. When

00:18:59.339 --> 00:19:03.539
I first read about Levi's case, the first thing

00:19:03.539 --> 00:19:07.980
that I... I really took note of was that he was

00:19:07.980 --> 00:19:11.380
a twin. You know, in so many cases that we cover,

00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:15.299
most of them, you know, our victims or the people

00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:18.079
missing, they do have siblings. You know, that's

00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.259
very common, but very few of them have twins.

00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:25.900
And for Levi to have a twin sister, something

00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:32.119
about that bond and this tragedy happening. Like

00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:34.180
that really devastated me in a way that like

00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:37.059
truly I'll never understand. I am not a twin.

00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:40.740
I don't know what that bond is like. But seeing

00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:44.079
that bond, you know, in my friends who are twins

00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:50.119
is always something that is very different than

00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:52.180
any other sibling relationship that I've encountered.

00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.599
And, you know, my heart just really, really goes

00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.670
out to. Of course, Levi's family, but especially

00:19:59.670 --> 00:20:05.049
his twin sister and just the heartache that the

00:20:05.049 --> 00:20:10.950
family must feel, you know, and the juxtaposition

00:20:10.950 --> 00:20:14.089
that must happen around, you know, birthdays.

00:20:14.250 --> 00:20:16.210
Like, of course, it's such a sad day because

00:20:16.210 --> 00:20:19.269
it's a year that Levi's not getting, but then

00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:22.069
you want to celebrate for, you know, the year

00:20:22.069 --> 00:20:25.480
that his sister is getting. I can't even imagine

00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.720
what that family has gone through. And truly,

00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:31.680
my heart goes out to them and their family and

00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.960
their healing. You know, I think ultimately in

00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.500
this case is we need some answers. There's no

00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:43.240
moving on from murder cases. There's no closing

00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:45.059
a door. You know, that's something I've heard

00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:54.960
again and again from families. minds around it

00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.680
help the community this case is mind -boggling

00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.039
I think his mother said that mind -boggling like

00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:08.359
and it is it's why I mean the biggest question

00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.359
the overarching question here is just why was

00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:18.880
Levi killed what happened there you know that

00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:22.519
that quote from the GBI profiler about You know,

00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:24.519
there's no other case where a child has been

00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:27.559
murdered without motive. And, you know, I'm trying

00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:30.220
to think of one to point to differently, but

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.240
it's like I really can't. And, you know, when

00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.740
children are murdered, typically we can kind

00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:36.900
of see a little bit of the motive there. But

00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:41.660
in Levi's case, there's really no motive. You

00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:43.660
know, we know he was not sexually assaulted.

00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:46.660
It doesn't seem like he was robbed. His backpack

00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:48.740
was there, and I don't think he had anything.

00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:52.279
truly of value on him, you know, maybe besides

00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.279
his bike, which was abandoned. You know, when

00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:58.720
I was researching this, I thought, you know,

00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:02.200
maybe was he hit by a car and someone panicked,

00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:06.079
but his bike didn't seem to have any damage to

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:08.519
it. None that's reported. And there are even

00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:10.940
pictures of police, you know, collecting the

00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:13.740
bike as evidence. And, you know, there's no bent

00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:18.240
rims. It's fine. It's a perfectly working bike.

00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:23.019
I don't think that's happening. And then I also

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:26.920
thought, could this have been an accident where,

00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:29.539
you know, we know this is a more rural area,

00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:33.920
maybe with somebody firing their gun off, or

00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.859
we do know that deer hunting season was about

00:22:35.859 --> 00:22:39.700
to start. So, you know, could it have been, could

00:22:39.700 --> 00:22:42.359
he have been riding past woods and somebody just

00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:46.319
shot and accidentally hit him, but then with

00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:50.119
him being shot three times? That's not an accident.

00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:53.380
That's somebody pulling the trigger three times

00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:59.440
on an 11 -year -old. So why? Why get him in a

00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:03.259
car? Why drive him, you know, 15, 20 miles away

00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:08.259
to the woods and then shoot him? What? Like,

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.380
you know, when you just break it down, that's

00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:17.640
simply of just what happened. What? Why? You

00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:20.279
know, there's no world where this 11 -year -old

00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:24.680
boy was, like, a threat to anybody, you know,

00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:29.039
where somebody would fear their life. You know,

00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:32.539
it's just every, like, time I try to wrap my

00:23:32.539 --> 00:23:35.660
mind around why somebody would do this to a little

00:23:35.660 --> 00:23:38.680
boy, I just seem to get, like, further and further

00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:41.220
away from what happened because it's just so

00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:45.069
absurd. Like, what happens? Clearly, I'm... I'm

00:23:45.069 --> 00:23:47.170
flabbergasted by this. I just really, I cannot

00:23:47.170 --> 00:23:50.690
get over the lack of motive and police truly

00:23:50.690 --> 00:23:54.069
don't seem to have a motive here. It leaves me

00:23:54.069 --> 00:23:57.410
with so many questions, just so many questions

00:23:57.410 --> 00:24:03.130
in his case. I do wonder if in, you know, the

00:24:03.130 --> 00:24:06.490
stacks and stacks of files that have been made

00:24:06.490 --> 00:24:08.009
on this case, which is something that's talked

00:24:08.009 --> 00:24:10.190
about again and again is, you know, how many

00:24:10.190 --> 00:24:14.789
filing cabinets full. All of those interviews,

00:24:15.150 --> 00:24:19.890
did police actually talk to the killer? And,

00:24:19.930 --> 00:24:22.329
you know, they just answered the questions correctly

00:24:22.329 --> 00:24:25.970
to not really raise suspicion and were able to

00:24:25.970 --> 00:24:29.509
just walk out of the police department without

00:24:29.509 --> 00:24:33.990
raising an eyebrow? I just have to think that,

00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.750
like, in this small of a community, that if you're

00:24:37.750 --> 00:24:40.630
casting that wide of a net and talking to, you

00:24:40.630 --> 00:24:43.319
know, So many people, I believe it's well over

00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:47.579
200 people they talked to. You would think that

00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.900
they would have crossed paths with the killer.

00:24:51.539 --> 00:24:56.720
So I wonder if you just go back and really get

00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:00.119
into those details and track everything you can.

00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.160
Would there be some discrepancies that could

00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:06.099
maybe give us some clues as to who did this and

00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:10.220
why they would do this? If I could ask one question

00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:13.119
to police, so if I just got one, I think I would

00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.940
just want to know what evidence they collected

00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:18.240
in this case. Like, what were they able to send

00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:21.059
for testing? And I guess it's a two -parter question,

00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:25.140
and were they ever able to get DNA? I'd be really

00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:29.160
interested if we had any DNA in this case. You

00:25:29.160 --> 00:25:32.279
know, 1997, it's just like kind of at that beginning

00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:37.650
of DNA collection and using it to solve... murders

00:25:37.650 --> 00:25:42.309
and cases. But I just feel like there's opportunity

00:25:42.309 --> 00:25:48.609
for DNA. Specifically, my mind keeps going back

00:25:48.609 --> 00:25:50.910
to the backpack that was found at the crime scene.

00:25:51.109 --> 00:25:54.009
I have questions around that. And some of them

00:25:54.009 --> 00:25:56.349
are very mundane, like, you know, just was everything

00:25:56.349 --> 00:25:58.710
accounted for in the backpack? Like, was all

00:25:58.710 --> 00:26:01.049
of the homework there? You know, did they have

00:26:01.049 --> 00:26:03.960
Roman? take a look at the backpack and see if,

00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:06.299
you know, anything was missing. Um, you know,

00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:08.880
was there a trophy taken, you know, even something

00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:11.819
as like that, like was anything missing, even

00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:14.579
if it wasn't something of note, like, you know,

00:26:14.579 --> 00:26:19.519
maybe a book or a homework or a pencil case,

00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:23.000
you know, just was anything taken that the killer

00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.160
might have taken as a trophy, as a personal memento.

00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:29.839
Um, but yeah, my mind keeps coming back to that

00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.220
backpack and just I'm wondering, like, could

00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:35.539
that be a source of DNA? Like, was it handled

00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:37.900
by the killer? Did they throw it out of, you

00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:43.720
know, their car? Did they grab it, you know,

00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:46.680
to grab Levi? I don't know why the backpack comes

00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:49.460
so much into, you know, the front of my mind.

00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:51.779
I think it's because it's one of the few things

00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:54.759
we actually have in this case. I think that's

00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:58.960
why I kind of cling to it. And then another thing

00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:01.730
I would just want to know is, What kind of gun

00:27:01.730 --> 00:27:05.009
was used? And I'm really surprised they didn't

00:27:05.009 --> 00:27:08.930
at least say the caliber at the time. You know,

00:27:08.950 --> 00:27:11.869
in rural communities, people tend to have guns

00:27:11.869 --> 00:27:14.190
and they tend to have more than one gun. But,

00:27:14.210 --> 00:27:17.950
you know, listing out what kind of, you know,

00:27:17.950 --> 00:27:22.250
millimeter maybe was used, that could be information

00:27:22.250 --> 00:27:24.569
that someone might recognize. You know, if it's

00:27:24.569 --> 00:27:28.410
a more unique thing, like a .44 caliber, not

00:27:28.410 --> 00:27:30.799
a... Not every person has those, so maybe that

00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.660
limits it a little bit. Yeah, I just, I really

00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:37.480
wonder just what evidence we have, like what

00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:39.500
are the solid facts we have in this case, just

00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:41.440
because there's so many questions out there.

00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:45.160
For me, personally, I have so many questions

00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:50.119
in this case. But I do hope that in all the evidence

00:27:50.119 --> 00:27:54.259
that was collected, that there was something

00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:56.960
that maybe, if not tested then, we can test now.

00:27:57.630 --> 00:28:00.789
This case does feel solvable. You know, it wasn't

00:28:00.789 --> 00:28:05.549
that long ago. It was in 1997. And it was such

00:28:05.549 --> 00:28:09.029
a unique crime to this area that I think a lot

00:28:09.029 --> 00:28:11.029
of people really remember it. And I think they

00:28:11.029 --> 00:28:14.029
remember details about their life at that time

00:28:14.029 --> 00:28:17.890
and their community at that time. So I really

00:28:17.890 --> 00:28:22.490
hope that we are able to get some answers in

00:28:22.490 --> 00:28:26.259
this case for... first and foremost for Levi's

00:28:26.259 --> 00:28:29.400
family, but also for this community that got

00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:34.400
rocked by a child's murder, a very senseless,

00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:38.160
all child murders are senseless. There's no reason

00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:40.339
a child's life should ever be taken. But like

00:28:40.339 --> 00:28:43.619
in Levi's case, it's like, this is completely

00:28:43.619 --> 00:28:47.700
senseless. We have no sense. You know, we have

00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:50.480
nothing to point to, to even be like, that is

00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:52.819
why they did. Like, it's just, it's mind boggling.

00:28:53.230 --> 00:28:57.349
To quote his mom again, mind -boggling. But yeah,

00:28:57.529 --> 00:29:00.029
I would really love to see justice in this case,

00:29:00.130 --> 00:29:03.549
and I would just love to have someone answer

00:29:03.549 --> 00:29:06.049
for what they did and to be held accountable.

00:29:06.769 --> 00:29:09.710
So again, if you know anything about the murder

00:29:09.710 --> 00:29:15.869
of Levi Frady in October of 1997, please call

00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:19.009
the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line

00:29:19.009 --> 00:29:26.710
at 1 -800 -587 - 8471. We will have pictures

00:29:26.710 --> 00:29:30.130
of Levi up on our Instagram at coldandmissing.

00:29:30.130 --> 00:29:33.869
And we'll also have those suspect, not suspect,

00:29:33.950 --> 00:29:36.029
but the witness sketches. I can't believe I didn't

00:29:36.029 --> 00:29:38.410
talk about this in the wrap -up portion. But

00:29:38.410 --> 00:29:41.250
yeah, the witness sketches. We will have that

00:29:41.250 --> 00:29:44.750
on our Instagram too. These two men who were

00:29:44.750 --> 00:29:49.569
seen in... very important area so near where

00:29:49.569 --> 00:29:53.289
the bike was abandoned and then where near where

00:29:53.289 --> 00:29:56.089
Levi's body was found these two men were seen

00:29:56.089 --> 00:30:00.210
we have some really great sketches of what these

00:30:00.210 --> 00:30:04.230
men would have looked like in 1997 so somebody

00:30:04.230 --> 00:30:06.690
should be able to recognize them one man recognized

00:30:06.690 --> 00:30:08.950
himself from the sketches and like came forward

00:30:08.950 --> 00:30:11.509
with whatever information he had and it wasn't

00:30:11.509 --> 00:30:15.059
a lot but Somebody should be able to recognize

00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:18.640
these people, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances.

00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:22.599
Somebody knows them. So we will have that up

00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:26.559
on our Instagram too. And hopefully somebody

00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:29.000
recognized them and is able to call police and

00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.279
they're able to connect. And we're able to get

00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.039
some information in this case and get answers

00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:38.859
for Levi. But we will have pictures of Levi,

00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:43.670
those witness sketches. was also able to find

00:30:43.670 --> 00:30:45.549
a picture of his bike. So we'll put that up as

00:30:45.549 --> 00:30:48.849
well at our Instagram, at coldandmissing. If

00:30:48.849 --> 00:30:50.569
you're not following us, please do give us a

00:30:50.569 --> 00:30:53.569
follow. We always update if we ever have to miss

00:30:53.569 --> 00:30:55.589
a week. We always put it on our Instagram. So

00:30:55.589 --> 00:30:57.630
follow us there for updates in the case. And

00:30:57.630 --> 00:31:01.630
then we are always posting just other true crime

00:31:01.630 --> 00:31:03.390
things that are happening. So active missing

00:31:03.390 --> 00:31:06.630
person cases or cold cases that are getting solved,

00:31:06.910 --> 00:31:10.650
all that stuff. So it's a great resource if you

00:31:10.650 --> 00:31:13.400
like a little true crime. Also, as I mentioned

00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:16.119
at the top, rating and reviewing us does help

00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:20.579
others find this podcast. It lets people try

00:31:20.579 --> 00:31:22.819
out our podcast. A lot of people won't try a

00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:25.000
podcast that doesn't have a lot of ratings or

00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:27.940
really negative ones. So thank you for leaving

00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:32.039
us five stars, positive reviews, ratings. It

00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:34.180
really does mean so much and it just gets these

00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:37.039
cases out there. And so many of you have mentioned

00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:39.299
in your reviews that these are lesser known cases.

00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:42.119
even more reason for them to get out there. So

00:31:42.119 --> 00:31:43.980
please, if you haven't, if you could rate and

00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:47.460
review us five stars, it really goes a tremendously

00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:51.460
long way in others finding this podcast. And

00:31:51.460 --> 00:31:54.279
that means others finding these cases. So please

00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:57.259
share, share, share, share and rate and review.

00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:00.720
Thank you. Thank you so much. And if you or someone

00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:02.819
you love is hard of hearing, we have official

00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:05.779
transcripts on our website, www .coldandmissing

00:32:05.779 --> 00:32:09.440
.com. But that is all I have for you this week.

00:32:10.029 --> 00:32:12.349
Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing.

00:32:12.849 --> 00:32:15.670
I'm your host, Ali. Have a good week and stay

00:32:15.670 --> 00:32:16.289
safe, y 'all.