Cold and Missing: Stella Bolton & JJ Moore

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 --> 00:00:37,400 Hello everyone and welcome back to Cold and Missing. 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,560 I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski. 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:46,240 And my co-host, my wonderful husband, Eli Sulkowski, is again taking a break from the 11 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,100 podcast right now. 12 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:54,080 My mother-in-law, his mom, passed away recently, so he's just taking some time to grieve and 13 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:55,520 to take care of himself. 14 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,640 So thank you so much. 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,460 If you have reached out, we've gotten lots of well wishes and condolences. 16 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:03,800 So thank you so much. 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,840 It really means the world to us. 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,180 And it's so kind and so thoughtful. 19 00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:10,800 So thank you. 20 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,760 And also thank you to everyone who reached out. 21 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,100 I know last week I talked a little bit about my mental health and how it was affecting 22 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:21,360 me specifically in getting a new episode of the podcast out. 23 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,560 And so many people reached out and said, it's totally okay. 24 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,520 I understand where you're coming from. 25 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,000 I suffer with that as well. 26 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,480 I get it. 27 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,440 So just thank you so much for those kind words and your understanding. 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:36,840 It means so much to me. 29 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:43,200 And it helps me not feel as ashamed of my mental health or not feeling like I'm strong 30 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,720 enough or good enough or I just can't muscle through it. 31 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:53,440 I got to release a lot of that guilt that I was feeling just by your kind words. 32 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,040 So thank you so much if you've reached out or even if you've just thought about us or 33 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,040 prayed about us. 34 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,720 It's so appreciative and we definitely feel it. 35 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,000 I also just want to take a quick second at the top. 36 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,500 We got a new review in our Apple podcast. 37 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:08,500 So thank you so much. 38 00:02:08,500 --> 00:02:10,000 It was so kind. 39 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,520 Someone said that they're newer to podcasts and they're really enjoying ours. 40 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,280 So thank you for being here. 41 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,760 I hope you're still with us and enjoying the podcast. 42 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:24,680 Actually if you leave us a review on Apple podcasts, I am 100% going to know about it 43 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,440 and I'm going to glow about it all week. 44 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,800 It just it means so much to me and it helps others find this podcast as well and give 45 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:32,800 it a listen. 46 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,200 So thank you if you've already done that. 47 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,720 And maybe if you have some time while you're listening to the new episode right now, you 48 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:44,360 can just go ahead and leave us a quick review in Apple podcast or whatever platform you're 49 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:45,360 on. 50 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:46,360 It would be so helpful. 51 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:52,520 It just helps this podcast get to more people and therefore these stories get to more people. 52 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,040 So thank you for doing your part. 53 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,880 Means the world to me. 54 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,240 But otherwise, I think we should just go ahead and jump into the case. 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,780 We are on a cold case this week. 56 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:09,560 So today we are talking about the cold case of Stella Bolton and James J.J. Moore. 57 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:15,480 And this takes place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in February of 1991. 58 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,240 But first a little bit about Stella and J.J. 59 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,160 Stella is 68 years old in 1991. 60 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,660 She was born May 6, 1922. 61 00:03:24,660 --> 00:03:31,680 And James, who goes by J.J., is 73 years old and was born December 1, 1917. 62 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,160 The two lived together as roommates. 63 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,440 J.J. had known Stella's husband and when he passed away, Stella and J.J., who was also 64 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,160 a widower, took care of each other. 65 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,080 Even though they lived together, they slept in separate bedrooms in their small rented 66 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,520 bungalow in what was then known as Mariners Village. 67 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,760 They were the best of friends. 68 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,640 Mariners Village was a working class neighborhood where everyone looked out for each other. 69 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:01,200 Stella was originally from Trinidad and acted as a grandmother to all of the children in 70 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,280 the neighborhood. 71 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:07,000 She always welcomed neighbors for a meal and would often pass cookies out to the neighborhood 72 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:08,160 children. 73 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,160 Stella helped care for J.J., who had diabetes and gout in his later years. 74 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:19,200 He was a veteran having served in three wars, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. 75 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,880 J.J. was also known for his love of cars. 76 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,960 Just about every year, he would buy a brand new Buick. 77 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,120 Their neighbors had nothing but glowing remarks about them. 78 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,880 Their neighbor Ray Harris said, quote, They were just people you would love to have for 79 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:33,880 a neighbor. 80 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,480 They had a little front porch 10 feet from the street, so you couldn't go anywhere 81 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:38,920 without seeing them. 82 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,160 You had to know them. 83 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,120 They loved company, and if you didn't sit and visit with them, you stood on the sidewalk 84 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:45,880 and talked as you went by. 85 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:46,880 End quote. 86 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,680 Another neighbor, who also happened to be a city counselor, Linda Pannori, says, quote, 87 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,100 They were the kind of people everybody loved. 88 00:04:54,100 --> 00:04:57,840 It wasn't unusual to see an ice cream truck pull up and they would whip out some money 89 00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:00,440 and buy all the kids in the neighborhood some ice cream. 90 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,440 That's the kind of people they were. 91 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,480 Just loving and wonderful people. 92 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:05,480 End quote. 93 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,040 Now a timeline of events. 94 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:14,220 On Saturday, February 16th, 1991, in the evening hours, Stella went out to play bingo, one 95 00:05:14,220 --> 00:05:18,440 of her favorite things to do, while JJ stayed at their shared home. 96 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:23,960 It was rumored that Stella had been on a big winning streak at her bingo games recently. 97 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,280 We know that Stella did eventually return home to the house she shared with JJ. 98 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:35,400 In the early morning hours of Sunday, February 17th, 1991, at around 1 30 a.m., a fire is 99 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,440 reported at 74 Rockhill Avenue in the Mariners Village complex. 100 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:45,040 This ends up being a two alarm fire, which means that the responding fire department 101 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,860 had to call in additional assistance from other fire departments. 102 00:05:48,860 --> 00:05:51,520 The fire even spread to the house next door. 103 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,840 While fighting the fire, firefighters discovered the remains of two bodies. 104 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:59,680 Officers on the scene assume that the two perished in the house fire. 105 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,560 Police don't have a confirmed ID on the bodies, but the whole neighborhood knew. 106 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:09,200 Neighbor Linda Pinores says, quote, There was such shock because it was so insane. 107 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,160 And they had lived in the same place such a long time you couldn't even say maybe somebody 108 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:14,840 got the wrong house. 109 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:15,840 End quote. 110 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,220 Fire investigators ruled the fire as arson. 111 00:06:18,220 --> 00:06:22,480 The fire was started intentionally in the back left bedroom and spread throughout the 112 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:24,860 home and to the home next door. 113 00:06:24,860 --> 00:06:26,860 On Monday, February 18th. 114 00:06:26,860 --> 00:06:29,800 So this is the next day after the fire. 115 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,940 Medical examiners begin an autopsy to confirm the IDs of the two bodies found in the home. 116 00:06:34,940 --> 00:06:39,160 It is confirmed that the bodies that were found were Stella and JJ. 117 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:44,480 However, the medical examiner also discovers that each of them had been stabbed multiple 118 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,160 times and were murdered before the fire was set. 119 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:53,200 In the following days after the fire, rumors began to spread around the neighborhood about 120 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,440 who would hurt these two beloved figures. 121 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:01,680 Neighbor Ray Harris says, quote, Teenagers looking for money, a robbery gone bad. 122 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,120 There were personal theories and police theories and criminology theories. 123 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,360 She was playing bingo that night and he was home alone. 124 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,400 And there's a theory that she came home and surprised a robber and he set the fire to 125 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:15,000 cover up the evidence. 126 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,280 End quote. 127 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:20,960 Police begin to comb through the neighborhood going door to door asking questions. 128 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:25,760 Police begin to wonder if Stella and JJ's open and welcoming nature was used against 129 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:26,960 them. 130 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:31,480 As police are going through the burned out home, a young boy approaches police and tells 131 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,200 them that he found a knife. 132 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,680 The knife is about eight inches and police do believe that this is the murder weapon. 133 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:45,280 On Thursday, February 21st, 1991, just four days after their murder, Stella and James 134 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,320 are laid to rest. 135 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,360 Hundreds of people attend the funeral. 136 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:54,240 Folks come from all over to pay respects to Stella and JJ, including Pennsylvania, New 137 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,520 York and Trinidad. 138 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:00,100 Stella and JJ are ultimately laid to rest together. 139 00:08:00,100 --> 00:08:04,200 Police are chasing leads, but they're not public about what they're looking for or 140 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,160 who they're looking at. 141 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,240 Police do tell the public that the rumor that Stella had won thousands playing bingo the 142 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,800 night before she died was false. 143 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,300 But people in the neighborhood, along with police, will continue to talk about her bingo 144 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:21,320 winnings as a potential motive over the years. 145 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:28,240 In June of 1994, so this is three years since the murder of Stella and JJ, there is a grand 146 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,760 jury held in regards to this case. 147 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,360 Now police seem to have been working on this case in the background because I couldn't 148 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:40,040 really find any media coverage outside of the initial shock of the crime. 149 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:45,720 But come June of 1994, they do hold a grand jury against a person of interest. 150 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:50,160 However, police don't get an indictment against this person. 151 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:54,160 Because grand juries are held in secrecy, we do not know who the person of interest 152 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:59,480 in this case is or was, if they're still considered a person of interest at all. 153 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:04,600 However, from these proceedings, police will go on to arrest William Schroeder, who is 154 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:10,440 30 years old, for tampering with a witness and hindering a police investigation. 155 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,840 Police believe that William has withheld information about the murder investigation to them the 156 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,840 police and also when he was a witness for the grand jury. 157 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,780 He also told another person to lie to the grand jury. 158 00:09:22,780 --> 00:09:26,400 This other person happened to be a police detective. 159 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:31,000 Police hope that his arrest will generate more leads and tips in the case of Stella 160 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:32,000 and JJ. 161 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:37,600 The chief of the Criminal Justice Bureau at the Attorney General's Office, Mike Ramsdale, 162 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:42,440 says, quote, We certainly believe that he had knowledge about what went on on the night 163 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:46,720 of the murder, and when he wasn't forthcoming, the charges were brought. 164 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:47,800 End quote. 165 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:52,280 Police don't say that they think William was involved in the murder, but they for sure 166 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,480 believe that he has information about the murder. 167 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:00,200 No murder charges are ever brought against him, and ultimately, William will plead guilty 168 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:05,880 to witness tampering in January of 1995, and he's sentenced to three and a half to seven 169 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:06,880 years. 170 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:12,280 And it doesn't seem like William ever provides any more information about what he may or 171 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,080 may not know to police. 172 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:20,960 In May of 1996, so it has been five years since Stella and JJ were murdered, police 173 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:25,160 connect with Dr. Henry Lee, hoping that he will take a look at the evidence to see if 174 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,680 he could help find some suspects. 175 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:33,160 Dr. Henry Lee, as some of our listeners may recognize, is a forensic scientist who has 176 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,040 worked on some of the most famous cases. 177 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:42,480 He's worked on the Jean-Béné Ramsey case, O.J. Simpson, Kathleen Peterson, and Kaylee 178 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,120 Anthony. 179 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:48,960 Several items are sent to Dr. Lee, but the only DNA that he is able to develop matches 180 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,400 the victim's, so there's no suspect DNA developed. 181 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:59,160 The next year, in October of 1997, so now it's been six years since the murder, police 182 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:04,880 offer a $10,000 reward for any information in this cold case. 183 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:11,920 In the year 2000, they double it to $20,000, and this reward is still in place as of 2023 184 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,960 for information leading to an arrest in the murders of Stella and JJ. 185 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:23,660 In 2001, so it's been 10 years since Stella and JJ's murder, there's another double 186 00:11:23,660 --> 00:11:29,840 murder in New Hampshire, a husband and wife who were both professors at Dartmouth College, 187 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,480 half and Suzanne Zantop. 188 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,880 They were both stabbed to death like Stella and JJ. 189 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:41,120 The major difference is that the case received a lot of media attention and resources from 190 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,800 the state to get the case solved. 191 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,320 This didn't sit well with the folks that knew Stella and JJ. 192 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:52,320 They believed that Stella and JJ deserved just as much media attention and resources 193 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,440 from the police to get the case solved. 194 00:11:55,440 --> 00:12:00,240 Executive counselor Ruth Griffin, who was from Portsmouth, says, quote, they were black 195 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:01,240 and poor. 196 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,120 They lived in subsidized housing. 197 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,480 It has bothered me. 198 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,120 Isn't it the attorney generals who direct how the state prosecutes? 199 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:10,340 End quote. 200 00:12:10,340 --> 00:12:14,280 Police counter that they continue to work this case and they have never forgotten about 201 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:15,920 Stella and JJ. 202 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:20,720 Sergeant Michael Ranci says, quote, it is still an active investigation. 203 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,400 We're still going through certain items of evidence collected from the scene, and these 204 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:29,120 items are being retested due to progress made in forensic sciences. 205 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:30,940 End quote. 206 00:12:30,940 --> 00:12:33,800 Police do continue to work behind the scenes on the case. 207 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:40,440 However, it's another 10 years before Stella and JJ are back in the media in 2011, 20 years 208 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,320 since their murder. 209 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,720 And they're back in the media because police firmly believe that other people know about 210 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:52,560 what happened the night that they were murdered and have never come forward with this information. 211 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:57,440 Detective Aaron Goodwin says, quote, we're not looking to charge anyone who just has 212 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:58,700 information. 213 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:04,080 If you were living in the community and you heard something, anything, come forward, let 214 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,480 us know what it is. 215 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:06,480 End quote. 216 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:12,720 In 2011, police are confident that they are close to an arrest in this case. 217 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:19,120 As of 2023, so this is 33 years since Stella and JJ were murdered. 218 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:23,440 The case is now with Detective Rachelle Jones. 219 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,640 Detective Jones used to live near Stella and JJ as a child. 220 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:32,800 And she says, quote, for me, just with JJ and Stella, I look at them and I have a personal 221 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,040 knowledge of how great they were as people. 222 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,120 And it makes me very angry. 223 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,840 End quote. 224 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,400 Detective Jones took over the case in 2021. 225 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,320 And since then, she has developed multiple persons of interest. 226 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,240 She doesn't get specific, but she says that the person of interest used to live in the 227 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:54,800 neighborhood and they were younger than Stella and JJ, who were in their 60s and 70s. 228 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,760 So it's still very wide range for younger. 229 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:04,840 Detective Jones has interviewed around 50 people, including the persons of interest. 230 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,440 Police do believe that the motive for the murder was money. 231 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:13,080 Detective Jones says, quote, we really need the people that are probably still afraid 232 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:18,360 and have that direct knowledge, just one little clue that could help us go forward. 233 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:19,360 End quote. 234 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:23,520 But that is really the last update we have on this case. 235 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:28,440 Police have felt confident in the past 20 years that this case was going to be solved 236 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:29,440 soon. 237 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:35,640 But to date, there has never been anybody charged with the murder of Stella and JJ. 238 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:43,080 If you know anything about the murder of Stella Bolton and James JJ Moore in February of 1991, 239 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:51,560 please contact Detective Rachelle Jones directly at 603-610-7503. 240 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:56,880 And the sources for the timeline to date come from Journal Tribune, Sun Journal, Concord 241 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:04,280 Monitor, Valley News, Morning Centennial, The Boston Globe, Seacoast Online, and WMUR. 242 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:09,760 So that is the cold case of Stella and JJ. 243 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:16,680 My first reaction when I found this case and started researching it was just how sweet 244 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:24,520 Stella and JJ are as people and as friends who were in their later years in life and 245 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,000 were supporting each other and taking care of each other. 246 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:34,200 But there wasn't that romantic aspect involved, which I think is so easy to just place on 247 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,520 a man and a woman's friendship. 248 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:40,600 But for them, they were best of friends and they took care of each other through their 249 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:41,600 golden years. 250 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,560 And I just thought it was such a beautiful story and just a beautiful way to live your 251 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,040 life. 252 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:54,920 For that to be cut short when you're already at the end of your life, it just feels like 253 00:15:54,920 --> 00:16:00,140 so tragic that you've lived your whole life, you've done everything, and then at the end 254 00:16:00,140 --> 00:16:02,120 of it, somebody murders you. 255 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:06,960 You don't even get to live out your final years the way that your maker intends. 256 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:12,800 It just, obviously, at any time, I think a murder is bad. 257 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:18,520 But there's something about murder of the elderly that just seems so unfair in the same 258 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,440 way that it feels so unfair for children to be murdered. 259 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,700 I do have questions around this case, and I'm sure a big one that came up for a lot 260 00:16:26,700 --> 00:16:30,200 of you as well is, who is this person of interest? 261 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,540 Who did they bring against the grand jury? 262 00:16:33,540 --> 00:16:38,880 If I got to sit down with Detective Jones, who is covering the case today, and just ask 263 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,880 and get all the answers I wanted, I would want to know, who is this person of interest 264 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:44,480 that they took to a grand jury? 265 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:49,000 They didn't get the indictment, so the grand jury didn't feel like there was enough evidence 266 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:54,640 to support that murder charge, or I guess in this case, a double murder charge. 267 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,040 But still, I have to just wonder who this person is. 268 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:03,500 And I know I've mentioned this before, but just being somebody who loves true crime and 269 00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:08,640 takes in a lot, I always have to wonder, is this person who they couldn't get the indictment 270 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:15,160 on, are they really a good suspect, or is it somebody that the police just kind of tunnel 271 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,680 visioned in on? 272 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,800 That's something that I would like to know as well, but without really knowing who the 273 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:26,680 person is and the evidence they have against him or her, I guess we really don't even know. 274 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,640 But without those details, all you can do is like wildly speculate, which is what I'm 275 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:33,680 doing right now, so I'll stop. 276 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:39,680 I also am curious, and I couldn't find any additional details on it, but the murder weapon 277 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,480 was found by a young boy in the neighborhood. 278 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:47,620 And from all reports, it seems like it was a child that found the knife. 279 00:17:47,620 --> 00:17:52,240 But I couldn't find an exact detail of where the knife was found. 280 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,040 By all accounts, it just seems like it was found as somebody was fleeing the crime scene. 281 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:58,640 That was kind of how it was described. 282 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,520 It was dropped or thrown while fleeing the crime scene. 283 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,760 So I assume it was a little bit away from the home. 284 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:06,960 But again, I don't know. 285 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:11,160 So that would just be something that I would be curious about today. 286 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:16,280 Where was that found in regards to where the home was, where Stella and JJ's home was? 287 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:22,520 I also wonder who lived in that back left bedroom. 288 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:27,960 From all reports, it does seem like the arson was started in the back left bedroom. 289 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:34,000 So I wonder, was that the target of this attack? 290 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,840 Like whoever's bedroom that was, were they kind of the initial target? 291 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,720 And then the other person was just the collateral damage of everything. 292 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,920 Again, this is all very much speculation. 293 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,040 But I just wonder. 294 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,960 Or maybe that's just where they started, back left, and they just zipped around with some 295 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,440 kind of accelerant and then started the fire. 296 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,080 Maybe it means something, maybe it means nothing. 297 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:04,600 But I couldn't find out whose room that was exactly. 298 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:11,920 And then police, during the initial investigation, they tell media that the rumors that Stella 299 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:17,720 had won thousands at bingo the night before she died was untrue. 300 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,080 But I wonder, did she win at all? 301 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,300 Did it just get inflated to where she had won thousands of dollars when maybe in reality 302 00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:29,400 she had won a couple hundred bucks, you know, or maybe she had been winning throughout the 303 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:30,480 week? 304 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,360 It does seem like bingo is one of her favorite things to go and do. 305 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:37,580 So had she had a winning streak recently? 306 00:19:37,580 --> 00:19:39,400 Had she been talking about it? 307 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:44,600 Did people just assume that maybe she had more money than she did? 308 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,440 There's stories of her and JJ buying ice cream for everyone in the neighborhood or always 309 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:52,480 giving food or cookies out to neighbors who needed it. 310 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:59,800 So I wonder if someone mistook their kindness for a ton of wealth. 311 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:05,000 From everything that the police report from the beginning until 2023, it does seem like 312 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:10,880 money is a major motivator in this murder, which is so sad. 313 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,560 Like money is the root of all evil. 314 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,300 Truly fully unstopped. 315 00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:21,280 I wish we could go back in time and just get rid of the need for money at all. 316 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,280 Like it brings so much negative into this world. 317 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,160 And it's the reason that Stella and JJ lost their lives. 318 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:33,860 I mean, JJ was a 30 year vet who served in three wars. 319 00:20:33,860 --> 00:20:36,760 Like he's a national hero in my eyes. 320 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,840 You serve in three wars? 321 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,520 You're a hero. 322 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:46,840 He deserved to live out his days exactly how he wanted to and not have them end abruptly. 323 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:52,660 And the same for Stella, who was a beautiful person from all accounts, she acted as a mother 324 00:20:52,660 --> 00:20:55,160 or grandmother to everyone in the neighborhood. 325 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,920 If you needed anything, Stella would have given it to you. 326 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:04,320 They were always chatting with neighbors and just a part of that community. 327 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,280 I just really hope that Stella and JJ get justice. 328 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,800 And police do seem to be close. 329 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,620 You know, they keep begging for just that one piece of information, a little clue. 330 00:21:13,620 --> 00:21:19,520 It seems like they just need a little bit more to like get everything to fall in place. 331 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:25,720 And they really do seem convinced that people out there know people in this area, in this 332 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,780 community know what happened to Stella and JJ. 333 00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:35,300 So if you know anything about the death of Stella and JJ in 1991, or if you're from that 334 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:40,480 area and have heard rumors, please call those into police and police will do the work of 335 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:45,880 sorting out who's right, who's wrong, what's true, what's not like that's their job. 336 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,160 But if you've ever heard anything, you never know what wild rumor might actually have like 337 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,700 a little kernel of truth in it. 338 00:21:52,700 --> 00:22:03,120 So if you know anything at all, please call Detective Rochelle Jones directly at 603-610-7503. 339 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:08,440 And again, I mentioned it at the top of our podcast, but if you could just give us a little 340 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:14,480 review, it helps others find this podcast and it'll help others know Stella and JJ story. 341 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:18,680 There's very little media coverage, very little podcasts on them. 342 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,880 So they deserve to have their case covered and heard. 343 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:28,460 And just by sharing it, promoting it, rating it, you help their names get out to others 344 00:22:28,460 --> 00:22:33,680 out there and their stories get known and ultimately, hopefully close, we get their 345 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:34,980 stories closed. 346 00:22:34,980 --> 00:22:40,320 So if you have a minute, please review us if you can, or maybe just share with somebody 347 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,160 in your life that also enjoys true crime. 348 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,480 That's also a win and gets more people knowing about these cases. 349 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:51,760 We'll be posting pictures of Stella and JJ on our Instagram. 350 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:56,040 So if you're not following us, you can go ahead and follow us there at Cold and Missing. 351 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:57,040 We're also on YouTube. 352 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:01,280 We put all of the episodes up on YouTube and there's some lovely conversations happening 353 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:05,320 in the comment sections, just about the cases in general. 354 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,160 Maybe if you like to listen on YouTube, you can find us there too and subscribe. 355 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:10,720 It's a great time. 356 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,160 We also have our website, ColdandMissing.com. 357 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:14,880 So all of our episodes are on there. 358 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:16,780 The YouTube videos are on there. 359 00:23:16,780 --> 00:23:18,160 And we also have transcripts. 360 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:23,100 So if you or someone that you love is hard of hearing or deaf, you can also follow along 361 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:27,380 with the podcast or read it at our website, ColdandMissing.com. 362 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:29,720 But that's all I have for this week. 363 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,160 Thank you so much for listening. 364 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,300 I'm Allie McLaughlin-Sulkowski. 365 00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:35,000 This is Cold and Missing. 366 00:23:35,000 --> 00:24:02,040 Have a great week and stay safe, y'all.