A NEW Lead in a 50-Year-Old Cold Case #truecrimestories #coldcase #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

So what if I told you that my podcast helped generate a new lead in a decades-old murder case? For over 50
years, Stephanie Caspers' murder has remained unsolved. Investigators chased suspects, they followed tips, tested
evidence, and still haven't identified the person who killed and dismembered her. But then, last summer, something
unexpected happened. So the lead detective on Stephanie's case, Lieutenant Van Sock, was outside doing
yard work listening to Crime Junkie, and he was specifically listening to our episode about Kristen David, who was a
young woman found dismembered in Idaho back in like 1981. Now at the end of that episode, I had made a call out. I
said that we were looking into a specific man, someone that the FBI had once investigated but never named, in
relation to multiple dismemberment cases across the country. And as we were looking to track this guy and his
movements, I was looking for any other cases that might have been overlooked. Cases with specific calling cards,
surgical-like dismemberment, and a particular part of the body never recovered. Remains found alongside a
river wrapped in newspaper. When Lieutenant Van Sock heard that, he told us that he basically dropped his mower
because it sounded like the case he was working on, Stephanie's case. So he reached out to us, we compared notes,
and it turns out that the man that we had questions about in Kristen's case did have ties to the Midwest, possibly
even Wisconsin, where Stephanie was killed. Now, we're not naming that suspect yet because he is still alive
and this investigation is ongoing. But behind the scenes, connections are being made, and now we have Lieutenant Van
Sock on our side, and together we are trying to see if we can get to the bottom of these cases. So stay tuned.

For more than 50 years, the murder of 17-year-old Stephanie Casberg has remained unsolved.

But last summer, something unexpected happened. The lead detective on the case heard a Crime Junkie episode about a similar case from 1981—and recognized similarities.

Details like surgical-like precision, remains found near a river, and key body parts never recovered raised new questions.

Now, a potential new suspect with ties to multiple states—including the Midwest—has entered the conversation. The investigation is ongoing, and no one has been publicly named.

Watch the full investigation tagged below. -------- Follow Crime Junkie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/ Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers.

Text Ashley to chat this episode and more: https://my.community.com/ashleyflowers?t=Hi%20Ashley%21

About Ashley Flowers Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.

Follow Ashley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie

Purchase Ashley’s highly anticipated second novel, The Missing Half now! | https://ashleyflowers.com/books

Brief Summary

A podcast episode led to a new lead in a decades-old murder case involving Stephanie Caspers.

Key points

A Podcast's Impact on a Cold Case. A podcast episode leads a detective to revisit a decades-old murder case.
Unexpected Connections. Lieutenant Van Sock connects a podcast episode to Stephanie Caspers' unsolved murder.

Episode highlights

Unexpected ConnectionsLieutenant Van Sock connects a podcast episode to Stephanie Caspers' unsolved murder.“He basically dropped his mower because it sounded like the case he was working on.”1:06Apr 26, 2026

Episode quotes

So what if I told you that my podcast helped generate a new lead?

WatchApr 26, 2026

More from Crime Junkie

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.