When Halloween turned into a nightmare for Oil City | Forensic Files

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today's episode deals with a crime committed against the child it won't be suitable for all listeners
eleven-year-old Shauna hair looked forward to Halloween every year she was enthralled by the spooky decorations
scary stories and costume parties that started a full-weight before the holiday culminating in the most exciting event
of all trick-or-treating on the night of October 31st in late October 1992 like every other town in America Oil City in
northern Pennsylvania's Venango County was preparing for Halloween Oil City sits on a band of the Allegheny River at
the mouth of oil creek about an hour and a half north of Pittsburgh as its name suggests the city was founded on the
nearby oil fields and to the wealth that came with the oil boom and later the steel industry at its peak the town
boasted a population of 22,000 residents with the job seekers attracted by the thriving employment prospects but after
being hit hard by the collapse of the steel industry oil city became the poster child for the Rust Belt locals
calculated the decline in oil city's population by reference to which closing gas station the town offered a cheap
cost of living but gainful employment became scarce as factories moved and entire industries were shifted offshore
jobs and people followed the town had a little to offer young people many of whom dropped out of
school and became trapped in a cycle of poverty those who grew up and moved away
often never came back on the morning of Tuesday October 27 1992 Lucy listened as
her young daughter Shana chattered about her upcoming plans as she prepared herself for the day ahead that afternoon
Shana intended to go straight from 7th Street school to the local nursing home where she would join her Girl Scout
Troop in singing to the elderly residents Shana sang in the children's choir at church so she was looking
forward to performing for the senior citizens as she was most excited about what was to follow after the performance
she planned to head to the first Free Methodist Church for a Halloween party the hell family didn't have the money
for Shana to spend on an elaborate fancy dress costume so the eleven-year-old improvised she decided to dress up as a
gymnast wearing a turquoise bodysuit with black stripes tights sneakers and soft satiny gloves that stretched up
above her elbows as she would not have time to come home after school to change outfits she wore the leotard underneath
her regular clothes the 400 block of West first Street where Shana lived with her mother stepfather 12 year old
brother and five-year-old sister was in one of the poorer areas of the town nevertheless it was regarded as safe by
residents who rarely worried about locking their houses or cars and - Lucy had a no hesitation in letting her
daughter make her own way to and from school navigating the familiar streets at night time was different as Shana was
afraid of the dark so her mother would arrange to have someone pick her up after the Halloween party that evening
[Music] later that night Lucy was working her regular shift that have pizza shop in
the nearby town of Franklin when she called home to check in on her family her de-facto partner John Brian told her
Shana still hadn't arrived home from the Halloween party Lucy realized the she'd
forgotten to arrange someone to pick her daughter up from the event but was reassured by the fact the church was
only a short half-mile walk away from their block along familiar streets that Shana had traveled to many times before
by 8:30 p.m. long past the time she was expected to return Shana still hadn't arrived home John
didn't have the phone numbers of the friends she may have walked home with and unable to contact anyone he jumped
into his car and drove the route she would have most likely taken expecting to spot her along the way
although there were a couple of different routes from the church to their home John was certain Shana would
have stuck to the main roads failing to find her walking the streets John progressed to the first Free
Methodist Church where the Halloween celebrations were taking place only to realize the party had long since
finished and all the other Girl Scouts had already gone home although Shana could be headstrong she
was otherwise obedient and not the type to take off to her friend's house without letting someone know so John
continued to scout the nearby streets expecting to find her after exhausting the search of the neighborhood John
returned home to find Shana hadn't returned during his absence at 9:30 p.m. Lucy found home again and
suggested her daughter may be at the home of her former husband Shawna's father Robert how
although the ex husband and wife had a tumultuous relationship their four children remained close to their father
with Shawna's nine-year-old sister living with him in a neighboring town Lucy contacted Robert who swore Shana
was not with him unsure whether to believe him Lucy finished her shift and rushed home upon her arrival she called
the parents of Shauna's best friend joy you who was a member of the same Girl Scout Group joy you'll confirmed Shana
had been at the church Halloween party and explained that when it ended the two girls set off together in the same
direction at around 8 p.m. when they reached the point where they needed to part ways to head towards their
respective homes Shana expressed that though she was afraid to walk in that dark and asked joy heel to walk with her
joy or suggested that they instead go back to her place and from there her father would walk Shawn her safely home
Shana declined the offer saying no that's all right before heading off alone on the 10 minute walk towards her
home by 10 p.m. Shana had not been heard from for two hours prompting her mother to call the
police and to report the 11 year old as missing at the tone of Lucy's core oil city
police were in the midst of investigating an odd occurrence that had been reported earlier that night at 8:06
p.m. local resident Dean Palin had been walking along Reed Street her leafy suburban neighborhood lined with
residential houses when he sighted a young girl dressed in a top and shorts walking alone down West first Street she
was approaching the Reed Street intersection in front of a Medical Center across the road from the
Presbyterian Church a tall thin scruffy looking man wearing an army jacket and a
baseball cap was walking in the same direction on the opposite side walk smoking a cigarette Dan observed the man
crossed to the other side of the road before appearing to scoop the girl up and run around the corner seconds later
he heard a muffled scream Dan ran towards the intersection and witnessed the small boxy dark red sedan vehicles
fade away it looked to be an Oldsmobile with Pennsylvania state license plates but it moved too quickly for den to
catch the plate number although he hadn't seen the man put the girl in the car both hey in the girl we're now gone Dean
immediately began banging on the doors of nearby houses until the woman answered before frantically telling her
I've just seen a little girl kidnapped and I need to call the police as no one had reported a missing child at the time
police were unsure whether Dan had witnessed an abduction or simply a father picking up his errant child but
the phone call from Malusi later that night confirmed to the worst case scenario the Reid and West first
intersection was a couple of blocks from Shauna house home and if Dan Peyton's recollections were factual it appeared
the child had been snatched whilst walking home the oil city police set up a roadblock
on the road or leading out of town and informed every police station within a ninety nine mile radius of the situation
unfolding local officers came to the area by patrol car and on foot and paid a visit to the home of Shauna's father
Robert hare to confirm the girl wasn't there seeing the unusual police activity around the typically quiet streets
locals soon joined in on the search for Shauna but late morning word had spread throughout town that Shauna Hale was
missing prompting hundreds of volunteers to comb the streets into nearby forests
looking for any signs of the child with police considering the possibility that Shauna may have been kidnapped for
ransom her mother remained housebound in case the perpetrators made contact helplessly pacing back and forth
awaiting any news state troopers door knocked along the route that was believed to Shawna had taken the night
prior asking residents whether they had seen anything suspicious but other than Dan Payton no one heard detectives were
not convinced - Dan was a particularly reliable witness as there were elements of his story that didn't quite add up if
he had seen the girl being taken the question remained as to why he didn't try to intervene or stop the perpetrator
from getting away a suspicious eye was cast on Dan himself who was questioned several times by
police but remained steadfast about his version of events the next day October 29 a search party
led by Shauna's uncle Keith decided to take their efforts into the wooded area bordering Oil City they headed in a
southerly direction along big age of - road towards Cranberry Township before moving into the sixty acres of woodland
of wall Tony and park they then ventured seven and a half mile south of Oil City to the Rockland
Township heading out to Coulter's hole a secluded swimming and camping spot popular with fishermen hunters and
picnickers at night the area was frequented by teens participating in underage drinking and drug taking while
the oil city chapter of the Kingsmen biker club was also known to use the location as a party spot upon reaching
Cultus hole Keith and his search party split up to cover more ground but it wasn't long before he was being caught
to check something here a searcher was crossing a long desert at a railway bridge that overlooked the forest when
he peered over the rail and spotted a flash of color that looked like a piece of children's clothing when Katie joined
to the men on the bridge he felt sick the item that lay far below matched the description of the turquoise bodysuit
Shauna had worn as part of her gymnast costume on the night she vanished police brought Shauna's stepfather John Brown
to the same who confirmed the item of clothing belonged to his stepdaughter a large scale police search of the area
commenced with assistance from a mass of volunteers including members of Shauna's
extended family despite their efforts nothing else of significance was found fliers featuring
Shauna's pitcher were distributed throughout town describing her as five foot tall weighing 78 pounds with
straight brown hair blue eyes one cigar behind her right ear and another in the middle of her forehead her mother Lucy
appeared on local television pleading for the safe release of her daughter while her stepfather fronted
the press saying it's hard holding on but you've got to do it because that's the only thing we have at approximately
9:00 a.m. the following morning of October 30 just 500 yards from the location where Shauna's body suit was
found a man who had been camping at Coulter's Hole was walking in a desolate area underneath an abandoned trestle
railway bridge as he navigated alongside the dry rocky creek bed he saw the body
of a young girl lying face down between a rock and a log she was dressed in shorts knee-high socks and a
short-sleeved t-shirt which was inside out and back to front she wasn't wearing any shoes and her feet were partially
submerged in a shallow stream Shauna house uncle's Keith and Claire were on hand to identify the body confirming
their niece had been found police immediately cordoned off the area and initiated a search discovering a
lollipop wrapper and an abandoned campsite near where Shauna was found they found - Shauna's sneakers on the
trestle bridge high above the dry creek bed police believed the child had either
been running along the bridge when she tripped into fell the 33 foot drop into the creek bed below or that someone had
staged her shoes to suggest that this outcome police were confounded as they had
searched the area the day before and two A+ they would have found Shawn his body
if it was there at the time when given the devastating news that her daughter had been found Lucy was inconsolable she
later confirmed that the shirt and shorts Shauna was wearing were indeed her daughters but she didn't know who
the socks belong to - as Shauna's disappearance shifted into a homicide investigation
Boyle City authorities announced that Halloween was officially canceled with police urging all parents to keep a
watchful eye on their children and to not let them out alone after dark on October 31 instead of celebrating
Halloween hundreds of Oil City townsfolk participated in a silent candlelit procession - one us Shauna's memory they
prayed and comforted one another as they walked what they believed to be Shauna's
final route starting from the first Free Methodist Church to the Reed and West first Street intersection less than two
blocks from her home meanwhile results of forensic testing revealed Shauna's death had been caused by severe
blunt-force trauma to the head and chest caused by the fall from the trestle bridge to the ground below she was alive
at the time of descent and - may have survived for up to 30 minutes before succumbing to her injuries
there was evidence of sexual assault with stains present on her bodysuit testing positive for seminal fluid her
knees were scuffed and scraped from a rough flooring surface with investigators presuming it arose from
the area she was held captive in the previous 15 months there had been three homicides in Oil City and in each case
the victim was killed by a member of their family based on this information investigators fronting inquiries into
Shauna house murder requested that various males in her family provide DNA samples to rule them out as suspects
her stepfather John Brown was the first to be tested followed by her uncle's Keith and Claire Shauna's mother
accepted this intrusion on her family but drew the line when police wanted to test her twelve-year-old son
wanting to do anything he could to help find the person who harmed his youngest sister the boy agreed to participate but
none of these tests resulted in a positive match to the DNA sample found on Shauna's bodysuit investigators
expanded their search for a suspect to every adult male known to Shauna and her family they questioned neighbors
teachers family friends school workers shop owners and to the fathers of Shauna's classmates and fellow Girl
Scouts men who fit the description provided by Dan Payton were given priority such as
Eldred Walker better known as Ted a tall lanky pizza shop worker known to request
hugs from young female customers Shauna and her friends described Walker as creepy and went out of their way to
avoid him he was a smoker who was known to drive a small red car in the past although he current drove a Chevrolet
Monte Carlo of a different color when questioned Walker claimed to know nothing about Shauna's murder and
willingly submitted a DNA sample which did not match her killer two doors down from the Reid and two
West first intersection there lived a man with an unsavory past named Michael Q so it's the day after Shauna's body
was found q so it's boarded a bus out of town and had not returned since his unexplained and abrupt absence led him
to become a suspect in the murder but detectives were unable to track him down on November 2 3 days after Shauna's body
was found 150 people gathered to pay their respects in a memorial service during which the 11 year olds favorite
country song achy-breaky heart by Billy Ray Cyrus was played over the loudspeaker mourners reminisced over
fond memories of the young girl who was described by her mother as sassy tension
was palpable as mourners eyed each other with suspicion wondering whether the child's killer was standing amongst them
two weeks later the lack of news surrounding Shauna house murder only served to fuel rumors and speculation
some locals considered Shauna's uncle Keith to be a suspect believing it was too coincidental that he had led this
search party to the site where his niece's body suit was discovered with the killer at large paranoia
gripped the town as parents forbade their children from roaming the streets and waited with them until they were
safely on board the school bus graffiti appeared on a wall in his seventh street
school ominously warning students that they could be next the police concluded this to be the work
of a sick of vandal desperate for leads police rummaged through Shauna's school desk and questioned her classmates one
of her fellow Girl Scouts recounted an interaction she had with Shana prior to her death in which Shana presented two
volley pops explaining she was saving one for herself and two the other for her mother local mothers established a
child safety group called Operation kid watch with their first meeting attracting 100 townspeople Venango
County Sheriff Jim Price attended the event advising the crowd that police were sifting through hundreds of pieces
of information provided by the public and to urge the concerned parents to be patient some attendees admitted to
arming their young daughters with mace whilst one parent advised that cans of hair spray could be used as a low-tech
substitute the sheriff strongly warned against this behavior explaining that an attacker could easily turn such items
against the girls until police had answers he recommended the young girls travel in groups of three or more and
their parents should know when to expect their children home and to always have them call once they reached their
destinations on November 16 the Oil City Rotary Club put forward a 500 dollar reward for any information that led to
the arrest of Shauna's killer meanwhile posters featuring an image of an early 1980s dark red Oldsmobile Omega appeared
around town requesting anyone who had seen this type of vehicle to contact police
hundreds of calls came through leading police to investigate hundreds of similar model cars
none of which seemed to belong to the perpetrator as the investigation languished for two years the oil city
council pfennig go counting Crimestoppers and an anonymous donor provided funds to increase the reward
money currently on offer to eleven and a half thousand dollars although this was
a substantial amount for local residents nobody came forward with information the
case continued to impact a daily life in oil city with the streets quiet at night
and people now locking their doors Halloween would remain synonymous with Shauna house murder with the council
voting to ban trick-or-treating after dark until her killer was found as far as residents were concerned little
seemed to have been done to solve the case newspapers continued to report that police were investigating links between
other crimes in the area but none seemed to ever lead anywhere according to a profile released by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation Shauna's killer was likely a Caucasian male of average size possibly aged in his 20s who worked a
menial job and had his own form of transportation his personality or behavior may have undergone a noticeable
shift since committing the murder wherein he may have suddenly taken time off work increased consumption of
alcohol or drugs and to become obsessed with news reports on the investigation citizens were asked to recall anyone who
may have been fired skipped social gatherings altered his meals or sleep fought with friends taken a sudden
vacation or appeared to be nervous or preoccupied around at the time of Shawna's murder although the profile
said it was unlikely the killer had struck before FBI agents could not rule out the possibility he would strike
again in July 1995 police received a report of an attempted abduction on East second
Street not far from where Shawna Hale was snatched two years and eight months earlier the 22 year old woman had been
followed out of a bar by a man who grabbed her and tried to force her into the trunk of his vehicle when she
resisted he slammed her head against the sidewalk realizing he was unable to get
the injured woman swiftly into the trunk the man climbed into his car and sped away upon hearing the survivors
description of her attacker police knew exactly where to look the O'Brien brothers Timothy and James also known as
Tim and Jim were well-known to police having lived in Oil City all of their lives when they weren't in prison the
pair worked factory and gardening jobs where co-workers described being in a permanent state of anxiety around them
unsure when an uncomfortable encounter or violent explosion was coming the brothers both aged in their 20s had
clocked up a string of criminal charges over the years including sexual offences
against both adults and children in some instances the two would team up to commit their crimes with James O
Brien generally considered to be the more dominant of the two due to his older brothers learning difficulties and
mental health problems at the time of the botched abduction eldest brother Timothy O'Bryan was
serving a prison sentence for plying a 16 year old girl with alcohol and taking pornographic images of her therefore his
brother James was identified as the assailant and who was convicted of first-degree felony attempted kidnapping
assault and unlawful restraint when handing down a lengthy jail sentence the judge declared a James O Brien to be a
menace to society many had suspected the O'Brien brothers of being involved in Shauna house murder
but there were several factors that excluded them as spec's firstly Shauna's kidnapper had
been described as a tall and slender man but Timothy and James were heavyset secondly they had both been in prison at
the time Shauna was killed securing them airtight alibis a telephone pole bearing
Shauna's photograph marked the street corner where she was abducted serving as a constant reminder to locals about the
unsolved case and every year on October 27 Oil City residents held a candlelight
vigil to walk Shauna's incomplete final route home police provided an annual update on the status of their
investigation reminding the public of the details released in the FBI's criminal profile despite following leads
to California Ohio New York and Kansas they retained the belief that the child's killer was an oil city local on
October 29 1997 almost five years to the day since Shauna how was kidnapped four-year-old Sinead Freeman was playing
with her friends Christian and patife aney in a grassy area near the phone court council housing estate in Oil City
Christian had cut himself and ran inside his house to seek help from his mother when he returned
Shinae was gone and the Tiffany reported that a man dressed in black had taken her into the woods word of the abduction
spread quickly enter due to its occurrence right before Halloween many feared Shauna House killer had struck
again with police questioning whether the month or holiday held some sort of significance to the perpetrator a
hundred volunteers searched fish an a who was wearing a long-sleeved white cotton dress adorned with love hearts
bright blue socks white sneakers and had her hair tied in pigtails using one red
and one purple ribbon as the day progressed and temperatures dropped worries fish and they increased as she
was not wearing a coat and her light dress would not be enough to keep her warm through
at the NOI amongst the search party was local teenager 17-year old Nicholas Bowen police suspicions were narrowed in
on Belen as he was dressed in black and witnesses had seen him playing with the children earlier that day after being
suspended from school early in the search he had offered a hug to shanae's distraught mother telling her not to
worry but he soon became agitated and wanted to go home after very little questioning
by the police Bowen broke down leading them into the woods and to shanae's body the four year old had been assaulted
before being thrown into a ravine where she suffered a head injury the bled profusely panicking Bowen kicked some
dirt sticks and leaves over her before fleeing the scene uncertain whether she was dead or alive 12 hours after she was
reported missing police charged Nicholas Bowen with Shanae Freeman's murder given
the similarities to Shauna house murder five years earlier Nicholas Bowen seemed
a likely suspect but there was one problem he was only 12 years old at the time Shauna was killed any other
possible connection was subsequently ruled out with the similarities between the two crimes merely deemed a chilling
coincidence later in 1997 in Armstrong County a little over an hour south of Oil City 32
year-old Richard Jobs and his 30 year old wife Diane were charged with over 200 counts of sexual offences against
the three nurses who were hired to look after their sick children a toddler with
cerebral palsy and an infant with a breathing disorder the nurses alleged the husband and wife subjected them to
numerous incidents of assault and indecent exposure with one nurse claiming Diane hold her down whilst her
husband attempted to rape her most of the charges were dropped in return for a play with Richard Jobs convicted on 15
counts of indecent assault and to Diane job's convicted of simple assault terroristic threats and harassment in
sentencing the judge stated the depravity that went on is hard to comprehend even as a judge surely after
her husband's sentencing Diane Jobs told police she had lied about his alibi for
the night of Shauna house murder at the time the couple lived about eight miles from Shauna's family home following this
revelation police questioned Richard Jobes about his whereabouts on the night of October 27 1992 but he denied having
any involvement in Shauna's abduction his DNA was tested but failed to reveal a match to Sean as killer and as there
was no other evidence linking him to the crime jobs became just one more name in
the list of over 2000 men who had been questioned in relation to the murder in the neighboring state of New Jersey the
1994 rape and murder of seven year old Megan Kanka by a repeat sexual offender resulted in the creation of Megan's Law
the passing of this new federal bill meant the names and addresses of known sex offenders were entered into a
database enabling law enforcement to supervise their movements following their early
from prison in cases of high-risk offenders the law allowed for limited community notification as well meaning
citizens were made aware when serious sexual offenders moved into their neighborhoods during this time Shauna's
mother Lucy learned how to search the oil city sex offender registry and was shocked to discover that 20 registered
sexual offenders were living within blocks of her house alone in mid-1999 police searched a 2 and a half story
yellow brick home on Reed Street near the intersection where Shawna was taken almost seven years prior concentrating
on the basement and space under the back porch stairs at the time of Shawna's murder the house had been rented by
Michael ku so it's the man of questionable character who suddenly left town on a bus and disappeared the day
after the 11 year olds body was discovered he had been a person of interest since the early stages of the
investigation has he vaguely fit the description of the tall thin male suspect although police refused to
comment on what they were looking for in this latest search of the property local
media speculated whether they were determining if the scuffs on Shawna's knees may have been caused by the
flooring in Kusa witters former home but once again their efforts led nowhere police eventually tracked Marko Keisha
Waites down to a Connecticut prison where he was serving time for drug related charges he was questioned
multiple times in relation to Shawna's murder and despite having no evidence to link him to the crime he remained a
strong person of interest upon learning of the search of his former residence Hewitt's made the unusual move of
writing a letter from prison to oil cities the local newspaper the derrick in which he wrote well god rest her soul
and with all due respect for the how family her death has been a misery to me misery to the point of seven years worth
of questions blood tests polygraph tests and more done to me because I'm told being a male
with a minor criminal record I am a major suspect later that year on the seventh anniversary of Shauna's
abduction children were once again reminded to stay off the streets and warned to observe the long-running ban
on trick-or-treating after dark police made their annual statement to the press claiming they had obtained evidence they
believed could help in presenting a prosecutable case the evidence was currently being analyzed by the FBI with
the oil city police stating we are feeling very good about the case as it stands today
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[Music] detective Richard Graham had served on the Pennsylvania State Police Force
since 1970 at the time of Shauna house disappearance he was working as a patrolman and assisted in the search but
beyond that he had little involvement with the case then in 1995 the lead investigator in Shawna's murder retired
and six months later the cold-case was assigned to detective Graham like many struggling working-class towns Oriole
city law enforcement had of limited resources which meant they had to prioritize their cases according to a
variety of factors cold cases or those where little new information was coming in were often given the lowest priority
complicating matters were the many problems that inevitably arise over lengthy criminal investigations
including misplaced evidence poor record-keeping and two lost pleads although detective Graham's workload
consisted of up to 70 open files at any given time Seana house motor continued to haunt him
and he often spent his own spare time revisiting the case he sought the services of a noted a criminal profiler
Colonel Robert Rustler who helped catch the Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz and whose techniques inspired the crime
thriller Silence of the Lambs when added to the investigation Colonel Ressler presented the
possibility that Shana how had been abducted by more than one perpetrator a theory that had not previously been
considered by police he referenced the den Payton's witness account of the abduction during which he hadn't seen
Sean are being forced into the vehicle nor had he seen the perpetrator jump behind to the wheel of the vehicle
despite arriving at the site of her abduction just seconds after she was snatched sir Colonel Ressler Dan's
account made much more sense if the perpetrator had handed Shana to an accomplice before running away on foot
this theory made sense to detective Graham as when he had initially revisited Shauna's cold-case photographs
he noticed the new detail at the time her body was discovered there was a shoe print on her cheek this suggested
Shauna's attack had been violent but as there were no ligature marks around her wrists or ankles she was likely held
captive without restraint a task requiring more than one perpetrator when DNA samples were first collected from
Shauna's bodysuit some detectives had considered the possibility the DNA could have been transferred independently of
her murder as the home she lived in was not particularly well kept and many people came and went with recent
advancements in DNA testing detective Graham ordered a test on a swab that had been taken from Shauna's mouth with the
swab returning a positive match for the seminal DNA that was on her clothing the lab technician told the detective if
you find the DNA match you'll have your killer thus detective Graham focused his
efforts on collecting and testing DNA from as many potential suspects as possible
in late 2001 detective Graham's investigation into an unsolved violent robbery brought him to the Venango
County Jail to question a possible suspect Timothy O'Bryan the eldest of the o'brien brothers was serving time
for an unrelated burglary whilst his younger sibling James was completing his sentence for the 1995 attempted
kidnapping of the 22 year old woman this had become a habit when questioning any male criminal in oil city after
questioning Timothy O'Bryan about the robbery detective Graham requested he provide a DNA sample to rule him out of
the shona hell murder investigation Timothy was startled but agreed before saying he had to check with his lawyer
first something about the way he said this made the hairs on the back of the detective's neck prickle Timothy
O'Brien's DNA sample came back a negative for a match to Sean his killer but detective Graham couldn't shake the
feeling that something wasn't right then in early December 2001 he met with state
parole agent Edie flake to discuss an unrelated matter when the conversation turned to Shawna's murder
Edie remarked he always felt the O'Brien brothers could be involved despite the fact that were both in prison at the
time of the crime and two therefore had solid alibis it suddenly occurred to detective Graham that when he inherited
Shauna's case he had simply relied on notes in the file that said the O'Brien brothers had been in prison at the time
of Shauna's abduction but had never confirmed these details for himself to satisfy his curiosity he decided to
double-check the official records and what he discovered brought him to the core
the records showed that while the O'Brien brothers had indeed been arrested around at the time of Shauna's
abduction they had made bail and were not in police custody on the night she went missing
later that month detective Graham was transferred to a new unit effectively removing him from Shauna's case before
the transfer he put in a final request for one of his fellow officers to visit James O Brien in the Mercer State
Correctional Facility to obtain his DNA sample his request was obliged in early January 2002 and whilst awaiting the
results the case took another surprising turn On January 9 2002 a former cellmate
of Timothy O'Brien told police they had been playing cards together when the prison went into lockdown during the
September 11th terror attacks the previous year according to the inmate Timothy confessed to Shawna's murder
during the game saying he forced the young girl into the trunk of a vehicle before throwing her off a bridge then in
early February 2002 detective Graham received a phone call from the forensic technician who had worked on Shauna
house case for years wanting him to be the first to hear the news the results of James O'Brien's DNA test had returned
a match for the DNA found on Shauna following these breakthroughs a team of law enforcement officers made up of
State Police and FBI agents met to strategize their next steps James O'Brien's DNA indicated he had
contact with Shauna but didn't prove he was responsible for her death and all they had linking Timothy O'Bryan to the
crime was the story provided by an unreliable jailhouse snitch law enforcement had to tread carefully
before making an arrest as any decent lawyer could tear the case to shreds there were still elements of the crime
that didn't add up neither Timothy nor James O'Brien match to Dan Payton's witness description of
the men who snatched Sean our nor did either of them drive a small red sedan at the time of the attack investigators
speculated as to whether a third accomplice may have also been involved and to their suspicions returned to Ted
Walker the tall lanky local pizza shop worker who was known to act inappropriately around a young female
customers not only was he known to Shawna but one of the o'brien brothers had been staying at his residence around
at the time of her abduction assisting him with maintenance jobs during the early stages of their investigation
police had questioned Ted Walker about a red car parked behind his house which shared similarities to the description
provided by Dan Payton although Walker had explained to the vehicle was a project he was working on and who was
currently inoperable original investigators never confirmed whether the car was capable of being
driven and it had long since been sent to the scrap heap Ted Walker had been questioned to
numerous times over the years but had a habit of changing details every time lost giving answers that were noticeably
well thought out and wordy as the investigative spotlight narrowed in on Walker he was brought in for questioning
once again during which he was informed that police had DNA evidence and witness
statements linking the O'Brien brothers to Shawna's murder this information prompted Walker to change his story yet
again telling investigators he may have taken in some real bad people who may have done a disgusting thing he then
admitted he into the O'Brien brothers had been joking about the incompetence of oil city police when they came up
with what they thought was a funny prank they would snatch a child in front of a
witness on Halloween and watch as being napped cops made fools of themselves running around looking for the child
they aimed to grab someone they knew so their victim wouldn't be too scared and once their actions had caused a bit of
chaos they would return the child safely as investigators continued to mount their case against Ted Walker into the
O'Brien brothers they were alerted to a call made to the local fire department the night after Walker had told them
about the abduction plot he concocted with the O'Briens a neighbor of Walker's caught sight of the men burning
something behind his house believed to have been a mattress investigators obtained a search warrant for Walker's
residence and on the evening of March 14 2002 they converged on Laurel Avenue a quiet unsealed Road on the edge of town
lined with ramshackle derelict houses with overgrown neglected yards with no evidence uncovered during the search of
Ted Walker's property investigators remained at a loss as to the location where Shauna had been held captive
before she was killed Ted Walker was at work at the time the warrant was enacted and police refused
to make an official statement to reporters regardless word soon spread that the search was related to Shauna how into
local news ran the story alongside a picture of Walker when Dan Payton saw the story he placed the call to the
police telling them he was 90% certain that Walker was the tall thin man he had seen smoking a cigarette
neither Reid and West first Street intersection almost 10 years prior when Walker was next interviewed by police he
admitted that on the night of October 27 1992 he approached Shauna howl and asked
her about her Girl Scout cookies before giving her a hug and handing her over to
Timothy O'Brien as part of their abduction prank Wacka claimed he returned home and a few
minutes later Timothy and James O'Brien arrived at his house with Shauna before taking her upstairs Walker
claimed he hadn't said anything about this to police earlier because he feared for his son's life on March 19 2002
detectives approached to James O Brien with the news that his DNA had been linked to Shauna James reportedly
dropped his head to his lap and said all right I'm not going to sit here and deny
what you already know however when reporters arrived to interview James he remained defiant telling local newspaper
that Derrick I didn't do it soil wasn't going to admit to it but I have a clear conscience I don't know how you would go
on living knowing you were responsible for a child's death like that I understand why they want it solved it's
a horrific crime despite all the information and evidence that police now had pointing to the three culprits the
District Attorney needed a watertight case before proceeding with an arrest with each defendant entitled to two
lawyers Venango County needed to procure the budget to go to trial and wanted time to ensure the prosecution's case
would result in a conviction the O'Brien brothers didn't present a threat to the
public as James was still in prison and Timothy was currently under house arrest
over the following months investigators worked to solidify their case as the district attorney awaited the funds to
proceed to trial meanwhile in 2003 Timothy O'Bryan was convicted of two child sex offenses
against a six-year-old girl and an 11-year old boy that occurred in 1999 and 2000
he was sentenced to 33 months to five years in prison at a subsequent hearing to determine the threat he presented to
the public under Megan's Law he was diagnosed with both antisocial personality disorder and pedophilic
tendencies and labeled a sexually violent predator the most severe classification of sex offender two more
years passed before authorities were ready to take Shaun a house case the trial on July 3 2004 Timothy and James O
Brien were arrested and charged with first and second degree murder rape involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
and kidnapping it was the biggest news story in oil city's recent history journalists obtained the affidavit for
the O'Briens arrest which included details about Ted Walker's role in the abduction and a news crews converged on
his house for comment he expressed relief that police had finally caught the culprits saying good for them
I hope they cut their heads off I thought there were friends of mine they tried to say I was part of this and
destroyed my life Walker maintained that the only reason had been interviewed about the case in
the past was that he matched the description of Shauna's abductor he denied involvement in the crime
asserting I never met the little girl I don't even know who her mother is he maintained any admission of guilty
made was coerced by police threatening to take his son away he also alleged police planted evidence when they
searched his home adding that he had no respect for anyone that would hurt a child the next day of July for state
police officers sat outside Ted Walker's multi-story derelict house on Laurel Avenue documenting all the
comings and goings before placing him under arrest without incident at approximately 11:45 a.m. under
questioning Walker quickly realized his lies had caught up with him the next day
he accepted a plea deal agreeing to plead guilty to kidnapping and third degree murder which carried a prison
term of 20 to 40 years in return for his testimony against the two o'brien brothers he would avoid the more serious
charges for first or second degree murder which carried a possible death sentence and a life in prison
respectively following his arrest Ted Walker was interviewed by state trooper Vernon Brown during which he
provided a more detailed account of his version of the events of October 1992 according to Walker the initial plan he
concocted with the O'Brien brothers were supposed to be a prank to upset the Oil City Police Department
by making them look incompetent they intended to grab a child in plain sight on Halloween night making it obvious
enough that the police would be called the trio would then keep the child for 10 to 15 minutes before dropping them
off safely at home they originally planned on taking the male friend of Walker's son but decided a girl was a
more worthwhile target as she might cause more of a sensation once this plan was formed the O'Brien brothers
discussed the abduction with increasing frequency and intensity then on the night of October 27 1992 Walker drove to
the a-plus convenience store to purchase coffee and cigarettes when he saw the O'Briens drive-by in one of his
fixer-upper cars a red Chevrolet Chevette which the pair had taken without his permission
Walker followed them to the West first underage Street intersection where both cars pulled over when he approached the
red Chevette Timothy O'Bryan told him we've bumped up the plan do Brian's explained today wanted to snatch a child
that night until they didn't care who it was at that moment the men saw 11 year-old Shauna hair walking alone down
the dark industry Walker approached her asking if she was selling girl-scout cookies and
requesting she give him a hug he then scooped her up and shoved her toward Timothy O'Bryan who was standing
at the open passenger side door of the two-door Chevette where his brother sat at the wheel the front passenger seat
had already been pulled forward enabling the men to quickly shove Shawn her into
the backseat once the brothers had shown her in the car Walker jumped in his own vehicle and
circled the block when he returned the red Chevette had gone he stopped for more coffee and a loaf of bread before
heading home and two minutes later the O'Brien brothers arrived with Shana under their arms they carried her
upstairs while Walker started to prepare dinner for his son in the kitchen he claimed that at this point he still
believed the situation unfolding was just part of the original prank the trio had planned whilst he was cooking
spaghetti Walker heard a female voice crying from above he stormed upstairs to the room where Shawna was being held and
called through the door ordering the brothers to get the hell out of his house Timothy O'Bryan appeared telling
him to mind his own business and worry about his own son Walker grabbed his son and left the residence for a short time
and when he returned the brothers and Shawna were no longer there furious the O'Briens had taken Shana to his home
Walker later kicked the Perry out when they returned without the girl later that night
detectives didn't fully trust Ted Walker's version of events believing he spun his tail to make
himself out to be an innocent party but as they relied on his testimony to secure a conviction for the crime that
had hung over Royal City for nearly 13 years they continued to work with him and for the first time since Shana Hal
was abducted things moved quickly due to the high-profile nature of the case the trial was moved out of Venango
County after it was determined the accused were unlikely to receive a fair local trial the court ruled the 39
year-old Timothy O'Bryan and 33 year-old James O Brien be tried together followed
by a separate trial for 46 year-old Ted Walker when the o'brien brother's trial commenced members of Sean his family sat
quietly in the courtroom tent Walker took the stand to testify against the brothers but once again parts of his
story changed in his initial confession he told police he was at home when he saw the O'Brien brothers carry Sean her
upstairs but he now claimed that when he returned home from buying coffee and bread his son informed him that the
O'Briens had taken someone upstairs he didn't ask his son any questions but assumed to the person he was referring
to was Shawna the defense argued that Walker was the salt culprit of the rape and murder and was lying in order to
save himself they claimed he was not out buying coffee on October 27 1992 but lying in
wait for Sean O'Haire to leave the church Halloween party Walker testified to not knowing Shawna
personally but the defense presented two witnesses who argued otherwise one was a
former coworker at the pizza shop who claimed Walker had met Shaw now whilst working there while another witness
testified that Shawna had previously played with Walker's son James O'Brien's attorney told the court
Ted Walker is evil he's every parent's every neighbor's worst nightmare he's a child molester and he's a liar he's
hoping he gets less time because he's a weasel and he turned other people win in an attempt to explain why James
O'Brien's semen was found on Shauna's clothing and body the defense claimed his client had sex in the bed at
Walker's house earlier that day with a woman named Heather who he picked up in a bar when Walker took Shawn her into
bed that night the semen transferred onto her clothing which was then stuffed into her mouth to silence her the
defense could offer no explanation as to why if this was the case there was no DNA found on Shawna from tent Walker or
the mysterious Heather who they were unable to produce for trial Timothy O'Brien's lawyer James Goodwin
claimed there was not a single piece of credible evidence to link his client to the crime arguing he was only on trial
because of his brother's DNA and the O'Briens history of committing crimes together most of the evidence against
Timothy O'Bryan came from his alleged a jailhouse confession to a fellow inmate in 2001 however the credibility of the
inmate making these assertions was thrown into doubt when it was established he had fabricated some of
the details of Timothy's alleged confession during the trial members of the jury were escorted to Oil City where
they walked the route that Shawna had taken on the night of her abduction and visited the abandoned railway bridge in
koltes Hall where her body was found the fact that the brothers were currently serving jail time for unrelated charges
was withheld from the jury in case of prejudice to their opinion of them each day our avid jurors left the courtroom
Timothy and James O Brien were shackled and a let out of the building after two weeks of court proceedings and
in nearly 17 hours of deliberations the jury reached its verdict just one day before the 13th anniversary of Shauna's
abduction her family sat quietly in the courtroom holding each other's hands as they nervously awaited the decision
across the room the two accused casually chatted and chuckled with one another as
they awaited their fate both Timothy and James O Brien were found to guilty of second-degree murder
third-degree murder involuntary deviate sexual intercourse kidnapping and criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping
they were found not guilty of first-degree murder and rape the brothers showed no emotion with James
passively chewing gum as the verdict was delivered Shauna's family celebrated quietly
hugging one another with tears in their eyes when it came time for judge Oliver lobar to hinder down prison sentences he
made certain the O'Brien brothers would never be released telling the pair the world was a better
place because of Shauna and to the world will be a much better place without you
walking free ever again when reading the sentencing remarks the judge said the conduct of the defendants far exceeded
the means necessary to commit these crimes the victim did not have to be killed and - this was done in an attempt
to cover up the terrible things that had been done to her and to prevent her from
identifying her captors the throwing of this young victim from a railroad trestle inflicted upon this
young child a terror and horror that went far beyond the typical violation of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
and criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping what extreme cruelty it was to throw a child who was alive off the
trestle onto the rocks below what a horrific way for anyone to die especially a young child the evidence in
the form of photographic autopsy evidence clearly shows a cruelty that is not necessarily a typical part of these
crimes these crimes had a devastating effect upon the victim's family the citizens of Oil City and all the members
of our surrounding communities following Shauna's abduction and to the finding of
her battered and broken body fear gripped our community citizens changed the way they went about their
day-to-day activities youth activities were restricted and even eliminated and to this effect continued for more than a
decade we find that both defendants have demonstrated absolutely no remorse for their despicable conduct we find that
both defendants are extremely dangerous predators and we need to protect society
from both of them as long as possible therefore we have imposed the consecutive sentences in this case in
the event there would be some change in the law which would make them eligible for parole on the charge of
second-degree murder we certainly believe that any lesser sentence would depreciate the seriousness of these
crimes and to their disastrous effects as news spread that the verdicts had been delivered
Shauna's supporters drove past the courthouse beeping their horns and shouting derisive remarks about the
defendants the next day the third accused Ted Walker filed a motion to withdraw his
plea to third-degree murder and the kidnapping he believed the jury might find him not guilty due to the
prosecution's argument during the O'Brien trial that he had not participated in Shauna's sexual assault
or murder his request to withdraw was denied and for his involvement in the crime he was sentenced to a maximum of
20 to 40 years in prison Shauna's mother Lucy expressed relief at the result saying I needed this to be solved these
people will never hurt anyone again they took a little girl's life on October 27 2005 13 years after Shauna
how embarked on her last walk home the final candlelight vigil in her honor took place a representative for the
family said this will be more of a celebration we're just going to remember Shauna it'll be a glorious day crowds of
supporters walked alongside the 11 year olds family holding posters with the words justice for Shauna as they traced
the route from the first Free Methodist Church to the Reed and West first Street
intersection those who were unable to attend but still wanted to wanna sureness memory were asked to turn their
porch lights on at the time of the procession three years later oil city took the final step in healing from the
devastating crime that had defined their town in August 2008 a local school girl
named Elizabeth stood before the oil city council at the monthly council meeting holding a petition containing
175 of her classmates signatures Elizabeth lived on the same street that Shauna once did but wasn't alive to
experience the terror that gripped her hometown after the young girl's death on behalf of the town's children the
ten-year-old requested that the nightly Halloween celebrations that had been outlawed since Shauna house murder be
reinstated Elizabeth presented the city with her list of reasons why the council should
restore after dark trick-or-treating pointing out that Halloween decorations are best appreciated at night and that
many people aren't home during the day to hand out candy teachers from Shauna's former school seventh straight school
encouraged Elizabeth than supported her petition the council vote was unanimous by October 31 2008 the ban on nighttime
trick-or-treating was lifted and for the first time in 16 years oil city's children took to the streets
in costume as spooky celebrations were in full swing albeit with twice the number of police on duty
boy your city police chief or Robert when our who was a patrolman at the time of Shawna's murder said no one will
forget Shawna and nor should they [Music] [Music] you

Case 111: Shauna Howe

At the time of Lucy’s call, Oil City police were in the midst of investigating an odd occurrence that had been reported earlier that night...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Eileen Ormsby Production, scoring – Mike Migas

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-111-shauna-howe

Brief Summary

The episode covers the abduction and murder of Shauna Hale, the investigation, and the eventual convictions of her killers.

Key points

ZipRecruiter Simplifies Hiring. ZipRecruiter connects businesses with qualified candidates quickly and efficiently.
A Child Goes Missing. On October 27, 1992, 11-year-old Shauna Hale disappears after a Halloween party.
Community in Mourning. The town holds a candlelit procession in memory of Shauna Hale after her tragic death.
The O'Brien Brothers' Criminal History. Timothy and James O'Brien had a long history of criminal offenses, raising suspicions in the community.
A New Lead in Shauna's Case. Detective Graham revisits the case and considers the possibility of multiple perpetrators.
DNA Testing Advances the Investigation. Detective Graham orders DNA testing on evidence from Shauna's case, hoping for a breakthrough.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Today’s episode deals with a crime committed against a child.

1:44WatchMay 18, 2019

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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