Cold and Missing: The Be-Lo Murders

WEBVTT

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The views and opinions expressed in Cold and

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Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All

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parties mentioned are considered innocent until

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proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing

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also contains adult themes and languages. Listener

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discretion is advised. I'm your host, Allie McLaughlin

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-Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski.

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And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover

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cold cases and missing person cases. Hello everyone

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and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your

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host Ali . And I'm your co -host Eli. Welcome

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back everyone. Thank you as always for your patience

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with us. I know we were off again kind of unexpectedly

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last week. Our dog has been going through some

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health stuff and he had surgery last week but

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he's doing better. He's almost back to his normal

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self so... Thank you all so much for the kind

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wishes and positivity that still came through.

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Like, we still got some great reviews over this

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last week. So thank you all so much for sticking

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with us and coming back for another case. And

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with that, we are on episode 133 this week. And

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we are on a cold case. So should we just go ahead

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and get into it? Let's do it. Today, we are talking

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about the cold cases of Grover Cecil, Joyce Reason,

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and Johnnie Rankins. otherwise known as the Be-Lo

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Murders, and this takes place in June of 1993

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in Windsor, North Carolina. But first, a little

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bit about Johnnie, Joyce, and Grover. Johnnie Rankins,

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he is 48 years old in 1993 and lived in nearby

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Edenton. I could find very little details about

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him, but we do know that he worked on the cleaning

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crew. Joyce Reason is 36 years old in 1993. She

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was a single mother to two young girls. and she

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was also engaged and the wedding was planned

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for later that summer. She worked as a cashier

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at the B -Lo grocery store. And Grover Cecil,

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he went by the family name of Bud. He was 47

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years old in 1993 and was the store manager of

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the B -Lo, a position that was newer to him as

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he had only been the manager for a few months.

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He was married and a father. And now, a timeline

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of events. Sunday, June 6, 1993. It was nearing

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closing time at the B -Lo grocery store. The

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grocery store is located in Windsor, North Carolina.

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It's a small community with a population of around

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2 ,400. The employees are busy trying to get

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closing cleaning done and helping the last few

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customers check out. As it neared the 6 p .m.

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closing time, the overnight cleaning crew was

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starting to show up and gather their supplies.

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Since it was Sunday, there was a plan to clean

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and wax the floors. The cleaning crew consisted

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of four guys, Johnnie Rankins, Thomas Hardy, Jasper

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Hardy, and Sylvester Welch. 6 p .m. came and

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the last customers left. The doors were locked

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and most of the employees had left for the evening.

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Two employees remained, Joyce Reason, a cashier,

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and Grover Cecil, the manager. A few minutes

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after 6, Jasper, a member of the cleaning crew,

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looked up and saw Joyce and Grover walking towards

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them with a strange look on their face. Behind

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them was a man that Jasper had never seen before.

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He's described as a black man in his 20s or 30s,

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around 6 foot tall, slender with medium complexion.

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His nose had a noticeable bump, like he had had

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an injury to it prior. The man had hidden in

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the store and waited until the doors were locked

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before approaching Grover first with a gun. The

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man had the gun to Grover's back. Grover tells

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the cleaning crew, quote, do what he says. He

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means business. The gunman seemed at ease and

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even seemed to anticipate how many men were part

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of the cleaning crew. He asked where one of them

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was when he only encountered three of them, according

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to reports. The gunman is able to get all four

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members of the cleaning crew and Joyce and Grover

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to the back of the store near the meat counter

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very quickly. The man gathers cash and money

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orders from the store. He ordered the hostages

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to bind each other up at the wrists and ankles

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using duct tape and dog leashes that he had found

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in the store. Grover was ordered to bind the

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hands of the rest of the hostages, and then the

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gunman bound Grover's hands. Once everyone was

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tied up, the gunman had the hostages lay down

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and put them into three piles of two so they

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were lying on top of each other. Jasper, one

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of the cleaning crew members, thought everybody

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was going to be okay. Everyone was complying

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with the gunman. Jasper said that the man kept

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saying, quote, I don't want to have to kill anybody.

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He also kept promising that no one would get

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hurt as long as they followed orders. He also

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told the hostages that he used to be a police

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officer and he had been fired from his job. He

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didn't have anything left to lose. Jasper was

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lying on the floor with another person on top

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of him. He was laying with his face turned toward

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the wall and was praying for the ordeal to be

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over. Then, suddenly, the man fired a bullet

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into each pile. Jasper said, quote, I heard the

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shots, pop, pop, pop. Sometimes there would be

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a grunt when someone was hit. It appears that

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when the man went to fire a fourth time, the

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gun jammed or he ran out of ammunition. The gunman

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then rolls each victim onto the stomach and leaves

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them on the floor. He leaves for a couple minutes

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and returns with a knife that he had found. The

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gunman approached Jasper and his brother Thomas.

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He asked them if they would identify him. Thomas

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told him no. To which the man shouted, quote,

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I don't believe you. Jasper was still lying facing

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the wall, so he didn't see the gunman approach

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his brother and stab him. Thomas is violently

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attacked. His throat is slit and the butcher

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knife breaks off in his back. The gunman then

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approached Jasper and asks him as well, quote,

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will you identify me? To which Jasper responds,

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quote, no, man, I don't know you. The man then

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replies, quote, okay, big man. I'll let you live.

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Jasper waited. He didn't believe the man and

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he thought he would be attacked next. But the

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man doesn't attack him. He gathers up the money,

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a little over $3 ,000 in cash and money orders,

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and places them into a grocery bag along with

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keys to the store and heads out the door. Jasper

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was alive and unhurt, but still bound. Sylvester

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Welch and Thomas Hardy were also clinging to

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life. Thomas had been stabbed and Sylvester had

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been shot in the back. Sylvester is able to free

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himself from the binds and drag himself to the

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office and call 911. The phone call comes in

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at 6 .56 p .m. When police enter the B -Lo grocery

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store, they find Sylvester in the front office,

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but everyone else were in bloody piles in the

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back rear corner of the store. A first responder

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said, quote, I remember the smell of blood. There

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was blood everywhere. Sylvester Welch and Thomas

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Hardy are still alive but in critical condition.

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They are rushed to Pitt Memorial Hospital in

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Greenville. Johnnie Rankins, Joyce Reason, and

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Grover Cecil are all dead inside of the Be-Lo.

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Jasper Harding was left unhurt and is able to

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provide police with details from the terrible

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night. Police begin combing the scene. We know

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they find two spent casings from a .45 caliber

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pistol. As more police gather at the B -Lo, neighbors

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start to come out. A man who was visiting his

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girlfriend who lived across the street from the

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B -Lo, and they were both home during the attacks,

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they said they didn't hear anything. Witnesses

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tell police that they saw a white car with Maryland

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license plates speeding north on U .S. 17 after

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the shooting. The next day, Monday, June 7, 1993,

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Thomas, who was stabbed, is still listed in critical

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condition, while Sylvester, who had been shot,

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was in a serious condition, according to the

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hospital. The brutal slaying sent shockwaves

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through the small community. Police say that

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they saw an uptick in applications for concealed

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carry the very next day. Jasper, who walked away

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unhurt, says, quote, and you can believe I plan

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to stick to every one of them. Police are still

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working their way through the crime scene. Sheriff

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Perry believes that the gunman might have piled

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the victims up so that one shot would kill two

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people. Police say, quote, We think he may have

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been low on ammunition. Only in military executions

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have I heard of it. I've never heard of it in

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a robbery. I've heard of the enemy stacking our

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soldiers and killing them this way. Jasper is

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on edge. He says, quote, Local police are able

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to rule out all former officers for their departments,

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so they send out an alert to other departments

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in the state and other states to see if any recently

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fired officers fit the description of the gunman.

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On Tuesday, June 8th, two days after the murder,

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police tell media that there may have been a

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second man involved in the crime. Sheriff Perry

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tells media that the white car that was seen

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speeding north after the murder was also seen

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in the parking lot just before the killings took

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place. A man was seen waiting in the car in the

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parking lot, and then two men were seen in the

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car when it was speeding north. The second person

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is described as a black man with a darker complexion.

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He would have been between 6 foot and 6 foot

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2 in his mid -30s and was described as being

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very muscular. Police are still at the Be-Lo

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combing through the store in search of more evidence.

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Altogether, $3 ,324 was stolen from the store.

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On Wednesday, June 9th, it's been three days

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since the murder, and there is some good news.

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Thomas and Sylvester are doing better. Their

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condition is upgraded to fair and they are healing.

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Investigators are still sorting through officers

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who had been fired from other departments. But

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investigators also wonder if he really was a

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police officer. Sheriff Perry says, quote, At

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this time, most police officers would carry a

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9mm pistol. or older officers would sometimes

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carry a .357 revolver. However, the casings that

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were picked up at the store were from a .45 caliber

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pistol. Police don't think that he knew the victims.

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They believe he was an outsider, and investigators

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alerted Maryland authorities due to the license

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plate seen on the white car. Police continue

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to investigate, but the updates slow down. The

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next one comes in November of 1993, so it's been

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five months since the murders. And the FBI have

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gotten involved along with the State Bureau of

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Investigation. The FBI have created a profile

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of the suspect and they release it to the public.

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They believe that the gunman would be a threat

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to his family and friends because of the stress

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he is under. They believe that this is not the

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first time that he is killed and that he has

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likely served time in the past on felony charges

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of some kind. While in prison, he likely thrived

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and was a model inmate. He could have even found

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religion there. He would be very manipulative.

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They believe that he could convince anyone of

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almost anything. The FBI say, quote, think back

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to Memorial Day. Who came to this area for a

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visit? Who came to this area for a funeral? We

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are asking that anyone who knows this person

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to please give us a call. The reward for information

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has grown to $30 ,000. Over the next year, police

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continue to work on the case, and they even create

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a task force. But still, in June of 1994, so

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a year since the murders, there's no suspect

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in the case, and the B -Lo has closed down. Investigators

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strongly believe that the killer likely has had

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or is in a relationship with a woman who lives

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in the area. Police say, quote, the investigation

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has led us to believe that this woman may also

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be in danger and is possibly afraid to come forward

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with information about the killings. The task

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force is willing to provide complete anonymity

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and a safe haven for her and others she may have

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told about the incident. There's even more of

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a probability that this woman has mentioned the

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murders to friends or other family members, but

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has made them assure secrecy in order to prevent

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her own death. Police believe that the woman

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would have likely been in an abusive relationship

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with the man. Investigators also give more of

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the profile of the murderer. They say, quote,

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He is not an ordinary killer. He would be a neat

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person, but still someone who would rather wear

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jeans than suits. He would be very, very smart.

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They believe he drives a small to medium two

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-door vehicle, which is possibly medium blue

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in color with rust spots. They also believe the

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killer is connected to the drug world and wouldn't

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keep a legal job for long, but he would have

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a strong ability to do detailed work with his

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hands and mathematical skills. He is physically

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fit but not muscular. Smooth skin and light brown

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-green eyes. He also has a large Adam's apple.

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Police say, quote, this is a person who probably

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stays home a lot during the day and comes out

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at night. He may even stay away from home for

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several days but always returns. Investigators

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hope that the woman will come forward and once

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again offer protection to her. But another year

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comes and goes. in June of 1995, so it's been

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two years since the murder, and police say they

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are still actively working the investigation.

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The SBI is still working the case, and agent

00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:48.960
Dwight Ransom says, We have taken countless leads

00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:51.720
into this case. Many of them turned out to be

00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:54.440
dead ends. We've worked every lead we've been

00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.899
given, exhausted every single thing reported

00:14:56.899 --> 00:14:59.320
on this case, no matter how trivial the information

00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:02.269
might have been. but we have not had enough to

00:15:02.269 --> 00:15:05.570
move close enough to an arrest. The suspect or

00:15:05.570 --> 00:15:08.690
suspects may very well be in or around the area,

00:15:08.850 --> 00:15:11.409
and we firmly believe somebody knows something

00:15:11.409 --> 00:15:14.350
that may very well lead us to the suspect or

00:15:14.350 --> 00:15:18.370
suspects in this case. But the case goes cold.

00:15:19.009 --> 00:15:21.649
Years pass without an update, but investigators

00:15:21.649 --> 00:15:24.389
work behind the scenes on any leads that trickle

00:15:24.389 --> 00:15:28.649
in. The next update is in 2018. so it's been

00:15:28.649 --> 00:15:32.070
25 years since the murders. A lot of the original

00:15:32.070 --> 00:15:34.870
investigators have retired at this point, but

00:15:34.870 --> 00:15:38.509
the case continues to puzzle them. Retired investigators

00:15:38.509 --> 00:15:41.669
now theorize that robbery was a secondary motive.

00:15:42.110 --> 00:15:44.809
The man's real intentions was to hurt people.

00:15:45.409 --> 00:15:48.090
They also question his claim that he was a police

00:15:48.090 --> 00:15:50.549
officer, something that they've done since the

00:15:50.549 --> 00:15:53.350
beginning. Quote, it has always puzzled me that

00:15:53.350 --> 00:15:56.740
he had only one magazine for his pistol. A person

00:15:56.740 --> 00:15:59.100
trained in the military or as a police officer

00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:02.200
always carries more than one magazine. That leads

00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.860
me to believe he wasn't military or a police

00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:08.559
officer. All I do know is he is a cold -blooded

00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:13.480
killer. As of 2023, there have been no new updates

00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:16.639
in the case. However, there is still a $30 ,000

00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:20.450
reward for information. So if you know anything

00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:23.769
about the murders of Grover Cecil, Joyce Reason,

00:16:24.009 --> 00:16:26.690
and Johnnie Rankins at the Be-Lo grocery store

00:16:26.690 --> 00:16:30.309
in June of 1993, please call the Windsor Police

00:16:30.309 --> 00:16:36.450
at 252 -794 -3111 or the North Carolina State

00:16:36.450 --> 00:16:40.929
Bureau of Investigation at 1 -800 -334 -3000.

00:16:43.149 --> 00:16:46.389
So that is the unsolved case of the Be-Lo murders.

00:16:48.490 --> 00:16:51.549
I thought that I had known this case or maybe

00:16:51.549 --> 00:16:56.710
heard about it prior to tonight, but I'm just

00:16:56.710 --> 00:17:00.169
glad that you brought it back to me, at least.

00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:05.410
The details of this case are so bizarre and terrifying,

00:17:05.529 --> 00:17:09.869
and I know that this case is actually a little

00:17:09.869 --> 00:17:13.069
different from ones that we've covered prior,

00:17:13.329 --> 00:17:17.759
but I'm really glad to be... to be talking about

00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:21.759
it. And just to jump right into the timeline,

00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:29.359
that closing shift exhaustion, while you provided

00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:35.119
great detail of what those moments were during

00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:39.799
the crime, but as someone who has worked closing

00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:43.359
shifts before in a store setting, this kind of

00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:45.900
scenario is something that I've... played out

00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:48.640
in my own head or just like worst case scenario

00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:53.259
where someone is still in the store. And yeah,

00:17:53.420 --> 00:17:58.460
it's terrifying to think about. I think anyone

00:17:58.460 --> 00:18:03.559
who has worked in a retail or maybe service setting

00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:06.259
where there is a closing, you go and lock the

00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:10.559
doors. I think this kind of thing runs through

00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:12.980
a lot of people's heads. Unfortunately, it's

00:18:13.869 --> 00:18:16.730
It's something that we run into in the true crime

00:18:16.730 --> 00:18:19.630
world where a closing shift is kind of targeted.

00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:23.869
That's actually the next question I had. And

00:18:23.869 --> 00:18:27.670
I have my own answers so far. But why was this

00:18:27.670 --> 00:18:31.650
place targeted? And I'm curious to know your

00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:34.509
thoughts. I think that's a really good question.

00:18:35.309 --> 00:18:41.930
You know, police seem to feel that. the suspect

00:18:41.930 --> 00:18:45.730
is an outsider that this he didn't know any of

00:18:45.730 --> 00:18:47.549
the people there this was not like a personal

00:18:47.549 --> 00:18:53.210
vendetta against anyone um this this was um an

00:18:53.210 --> 00:18:55.809
attack like almost like a random attack but to

00:18:55.809 --> 00:18:59.700
me there are some details that seemed to suggest

00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:04.119
that this person at least studied the store a

00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:06.619
little bit to know to hide what time closing

00:19:06.619 --> 00:19:10.119
was and he seemed to know how many men in the

00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:12.200
cleaning crew would be there like he anticipated

00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:15.900
four of them so it does seem like he planned

00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:21.660
it out but why this store why June why why right

00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:25.740
now I have no idea that was a similar question

00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:30.430
that popped up for me Or something that I just

00:19:30.430 --> 00:19:33.369
believe that maybe he did, which was study the

00:19:33.369 --> 00:19:39.470
store, study the closing and cleaning crew, like

00:19:39.470 --> 00:19:42.430
clock out times, arrival times, just maybe eyes

00:19:42.430 --> 00:19:46.349
on the building. But again, just, you know, begs

00:19:46.349 --> 00:19:50.250
the question, why? And I know that's the crux

00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:53.230
of this case and that it's the reason we're covering

00:19:53.230 --> 00:19:59.029
it now. The randomness of it just really sticks

00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:03.529
out in my head. Well, yeah, and it just doesn't

00:20:03.529 --> 00:20:05.210
really make any sense because it's like, well,

00:20:05.250 --> 00:20:08.809
if this was a robbery, he got all the money really

00:20:08.809 --> 00:20:11.890
quickly. He didn't need to kill anybody. Everybody

00:20:11.890 --> 00:20:14.109
was complying. They were doing exactly what he

00:20:14.109 --> 00:20:17.769
said. So if this was purely a robbery, why turn

00:20:17.769 --> 00:20:21.970
it into a triple murder? I mean, it seemed as

00:20:21.970 --> 00:20:25.390
if he... thought he had killed five people there.

00:20:25.549 --> 00:20:30.049
So why escalate it to there when everyone was

00:20:30.049 --> 00:20:32.369
complying, everyone was listening, you know,

00:20:32.369 --> 00:20:36.509
he got everything he wanted. So why this carnage?

00:20:37.490 --> 00:20:44.009
Yeah, the headspace he seemed to be in was chaotic

00:20:44.009 --> 00:20:49.740
and erratic, which granted, you know, You think

00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:51.759
that maybe most people committing crimes like

00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:54.180
this are in that headspace, but I don't know.

00:20:54.220 --> 00:20:57.039
A lot of people are very methodical and calm

00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.359
when they're committing crimes, especially that

00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:04.460
involve causing physical harm and or murdering

00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:09.420
multiple individuals. That's one person with

00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:12.440
a lot of power over multiple people. Yeah, and

00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:14.839
some of the choices he makes, you know, some

00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:17.920
of them. do lean towards like you know he studied

00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:20.880
the store he knew how many men in the cleaning

00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.079
crew to anticipate but then at the same time

00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:26.440
it seems like he didn't bring enough ammunition

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:28.480
for how many people are going to be there he

00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:30.299
didn't bring the duct tape or the dog leashes

00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:33.019
those were things he found in the store so those

00:21:33.019 --> 00:21:37.000
things kind of seemed spur of the moment or chaotic

00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:40.339
in that sense not thought out but then other

00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:44.380
aspects of it do seem more calculated so Yeah,

00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:52.140
this case is really puzzling, trying to sort

00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:54.559
that out. Just was this planned? Was it random?

00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:57.640
Did he study it or did he just kind of know?

00:21:57.779 --> 00:22:00.140
I don't know. There's so many questions here.

00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:03.900
The FBI profile is also something that brings

00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:07.460
up a lot of questions for me because there is

00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:13.059
such specificity. in their description that it

00:22:13.059 --> 00:22:16.279
almost sounds like they are describing a person

00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:18.619
that they think committed this and they are just

00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:20.799
waiting for somebody to come forward and say

00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.680
like yes he did this you know to the point where

00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:27.500
it's like he you know he drives um you know like

00:22:27.500 --> 00:22:30.579
a a two -door medium blue car with rust spots

00:22:30.579 --> 00:22:34.200
like that is highly specific and seems like they

00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.420
are talking to some to somebody you know directly

00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:40.619
saying we know it's you So that's really interesting

00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:44.339
to me. I would wonder if the FBI would stand

00:22:44.339 --> 00:22:46.799
by that profile today, if they would release

00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:50.880
as much, or if that's still along the lines of

00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:53.660
who they think did it. I think it says a lot

00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:57.380
about even the time period, how seriously they

00:22:57.380 --> 00:23:00.539
took this case. And it kind of surprised me,

00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.200
honestly, to see that the FBI was involved and

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:06.869
came up with a whole... profile at all that they

00:23:06.869 --> 00:23:10.089
were able to. And the way law enforcement responded,

00:23:10.430 --> 00:23:12.710
it's so infrequent in these cases that we cover

00:23:12.710 --> 00:23:15.609
that we see, you know, law enforcement really

00:23:15.609 --> 00:23:19.569
step up. And this was a case that I feel like

00:23:19.569 --> 00:23:24.049
they did. Yeah. You know, the local police were

00:23:24.049 --> 00:23:26.750
really up against like a horrific crime scene

00:23:26.750 --> 00:23:28.930
and something that they did not see in their

00:23:28.930 --> 00:23:31.710
day to day or even their like year to year, something

00:23:31.710 --> 00:23:36.609
as horrific as this murder. So for them to reach

00:23:36.609 --> 00:23:40.269
out quickly to the State Bureau of Investigation

00:23:40.269 --> 00:23:44.029
and the FBI because it did seem likely that this

00:23:44.029 --> 00:23:48.650
person crossed state lines, I think it was a

00:23:48.650 --> 00:23:53.329
really smart move to just bring bigger forces

00:23:53.329 --> 00:23:56.450
with bigger resources into this investigation.

00:23:56.450 --> 00:24:02.150
But even with the FBI, the SBI, we're still covering

00:24:02.150 --> 00:24:06.150
this case today. Even with three survivors who

00:24:06.150 --> 00:24:09.150
were able to give testimony and a really good

00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:11.930
composite sketch, we're still talking about it

00:24:11.930 --> 00:24:14.269
today because this person has not been caught.

00:24:14.750 --> 00:24:17.710
Yeah, the fact that there are, you know, some

00:24:17.710 --> 00:24:23.289
survivors of this, I want justice so badly for

00:24:23.289 --> 00:24:28.549
this case because it's almost like he was like

00:24:28.549 --> 00:24:31.589
slipped out of their fingertips, you know what

00:24:31.589 --> 00:24:34.180
I mean? The fact that they survived and could

00:24:34.180 --> 00:24:36.500
describe this person, it's like it's a ghost.

00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:39.880
I just I would love to see justice for them.

00:24:40.859 --> 00:24:44.440
And, you know, with such a specific description,

00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:47.140
like we know a lot of details. We know he has

00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:49.359
a bump in his nose. We know he has a large Adam's

00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:52.579
apple. You know, the description of him, what

00:24:52.579 --> 00:24:55.019
he would have looked like in 1993. I think somebody

00:24:55.019 --> 00:24:59.180
would recognize him. And, you know, police investigators

00:24:59.180 --> 00:25:03.130
feel very certain that. He told somebody about

00:25:03.130 --> 00:25:06.650
this crime. People know that he committed it.

00:25:06.750 --> 00:25:09.569
So I am hopeful that, you know, so many years

00:25:09.569 --> 00:25:12.970
have passed. Circumstances have changed. You

00:25:12.970 --> 00:25:17.309
know, people die. Conscience gets heavy that

00:25:17.309 --> 00:25:19.789
I am hopeful that somebody comes forward with

00:25:19.789 --> 00:25:24.609
information that they know about this case, maybe

00:25:24.609 --> 00:25:27.670
that they've known since 1993. But I hope that

00:25:27.670 --> 00:25:30.049
they come forward and just say what they know.

00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:34.440
So again, if you know anything about the murders

00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:38.160
of Grover Cecil, Joyce Reason, and Johnnie Rankins

00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:42.140
at the B -Lo grocery store in June of 1993, please

00:25:42.140 --> 00:25:48.400
call the Windsor Police at 252 -794 -3111 or

00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.140
the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:57.940
at 1 -800 -334 -3000. On our Instagram, we will

00:25:57.940 --> 00:26:01.259
have the suspect's sketch and a picture of the

00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:04.380
Be-Lo. This week, we don't have pictures of our

00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:07.400
victims. I was able to find a picture of Grover

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:09.740
and his family, but it seems like the rest of

00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:12.579
the families are really looking for privacy and

00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:16.019
the survivors as well. So out of respect and

00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:19.539
since they were not readily available. I'm not

00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:22.079
including pictures of the victims of the attack,

00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:24.980
but just the suspect and the Be-Lo grocery store,

00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:27.720
which you can see on our Instagram at coldandmissing.

00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:30.039
If you could share that suspect sketch, just

00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:32.619
get it out there. Get people looking at it. That

00:26:32.619 --> 00:26:35.440
would do huge things for this case just to get

00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:38.119
people talking about it. And we would appreciate

00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:41.769
it so much. We also have on our website transcripts

00:26:41.769 --> 00:26:43.730
of all of our episodes. So if you or someone

00:26:43.730 --> 00:26:45.569
you love is hard of hearing, you can follow along

00:26:45.569 --> 00:26:48.329
with the podcast there. It's the official transcript.

00:26:48.529 --> 00:26:51.369
So I go through, I edit, I make sure all the

00:26:51.369 --> 00:26:53.390
names are spelled correctly and everything's

00:26:53.390 --> 00:26:58.009
correct. Podcast players, I know they do. transcripts

00:26:58.009 --> 00:26:59.769
now but they're not always accurate so if you're

00:26:59.769 --> 00:27:01.710
looking for the accurate ones they are on our

00:27:01.710 --> 00:27:05.190
website www .coldandmissing .com and if you could

00:27:05.190 --> 00:27:07.930
take a minute to rate and review us in your podcast

00:27:07.930 --> 00:27:10.630
player five stars goes a long way in getting

00:27:10.630 --> 00:27:13.690
this podcast into the hands of other people into

00:27:13.690 --> 00:27:17.470
the ears of other people so if you could rate

00:27:17.470 --> 00:27:19.789
and review us in your podcast player it would

00:27:19.789 --> 00:27:23.930
mean a lot and share the podcast with Those in

00:27:23.930 --> 00:27:26.029
your community, people who also like true crime,

00:27:26.089 --> 00:27:28.930
like engaging with this content, share our podcast

00:27:28.930 --> 00:27:30.890
with them. We would appreciate it oh so very

00:27:30.890 --> 00:27:33.490
much. But that is all I have for you this week.

00:27:33.869 --> 00:27:35.990
Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing.

00:27:36.230 --> 00:27:38.529
I'm your host, Allie. And I'm your co -host,

00:27:38.650 --> 00:27:40.849
Eli. Have a good week and stay safe, y 'all.

00:27:41.230 --> 00:27:42.150
Stay safe, y 'all.