Did Alberta O. Jones Uncover Something Dangerous?

Hi Crime Junkies, I'm your host Ashley. Flowers. >> And I'm Britt. And you guys, there is a. case out of Louisville, Kentucky that I. bet you've never heard of. >> About a woman that you've probably never. heard of. But I don't know why. >> [music]. >> Because it's one of the most mysterious. cases I've come across. A call in the. middle of the night lures a woman out of. her home, and hours later, her body is. found floating in a nearby river. The list of suspects is a mile long, and. evidence keeps showing up all over town.

Sometimes in suspiciously planted ways. Yet, for 60 years, this case has. remained unsolved. Our investigation set. out to ask the question, why? And the possibilities will surprise you. Maybe it's because evidence in the case. mysteriously disappeared. It could be. because some investigators on the case. had ulterior motives. Or, it could be. because the very foundation that this. story was built on. might be a lie.

This is the story of a woman you should. know about. A passionate attorney who. made strides at the height of the Civil. Rights Movement. A woman who was. brutally murdered before she could break. even more barriers. This is the story of Alberta O. Jones. Alberta Jones didn't want to go out that. Wednesday night on August 4th, 1965.

The truth is, things had gotten. dangerous for her recently. She'd taken. a new job, and she'd been doing Civil. Rights work that put a target on her. back. So, she was being more cautious. than she had ever been before. That's. why when her friend Gladys Wyckoff first. [music] called at around 11:00 p.m. and. asked her to come over, Alberta said no. But Gladys pushed. She was a hair. stylist, too, and she practically begged. Alberta to come over that night because. the new wig that Alberta wanted was. ready for her. >> Okay, so get it any other time.

>> Well, and maybe the real reason it had. to be right then was that she wanted to. chat about some legal trouble that she. was in. Cuz you see, Alberta is a. lawyer. That new job that she had just. gotten was as a prosecutor. >> Oh, so good friend to have. >> Free legal advice, right? So, this is when Gladys laid it on. really thick. Like gave her a bit of a. guilt trip. She's telling Alberta like, "Oh, well, you've gotten snobby since. getting that new job." And that must. have done it because Alberta was at. Gladys's house by 11:30 p.m. Now, according to Gladys, they hang out at.

her salon that's in her house until. about 12:15 when they decide to go grab. a bite to eat at this local seafood. restaurant called Kingfish. And then on. the way back to Gladys's, they pick up. the local newspaper, the Louisville. Defender, because there was this article. in it that like one of Gladys's. employees was featured and she was. calling out racist double standards in. the hair styling industry. So, once they got back, Gladys [music]. trimmed Alberta's wig, fitted it on her. before Alberta left between 1:30 and.

2:00 a.m. And Gladys said that she. watched Alberta get into her car, and. then [music] Gladys herself went back. inside to go to bed. Now, it wasn't. until the next morning that Alberta's. sister Flora and her mom Sadie realized. that she hadn't made it home the night. before. Like they all lived together and. Flora and Sadie knew something was wrong. pretty quickly. Like they knew about. Alberta's fears, knew that she went out. last night anyway, and if she was going. to stay out, she would have called. So, they phoned Gladys's house looking for.

Alberta, but Gladys's daughter answered. and told them that Alberta wasn't there. By the way, her car wasn't out front, and even when she looked down the street. to the parking lot of Alberta's law. office, she didn't see her car there, either. Now, what her family didn't know was. that [music] by the time they were. making these calls and by the time they. were even beginning to worry, it was. already too late. That same morning, a. group of boys walking along the Ohio. River south of the Sherman Minton Bridge.

had found Alberta floating face down. [music] 15 ft from the shore. A coroner later found lacerations on her. head and her face and scrapes on her. right arm and leg. But the trauma is not what killed her. They determined [music] that after being. beaten, Alberta was put into the river. alive and she actually died of drowning. Sometime, they say, >> [music]. >> between 2:30 in the morning and 4:30 in.

the morning. >> So, pretty shortly after Gladys saw her. leave. >> Yes. Now, when she was found, she was. still in the striped dress that she wore. out that night. But her shoes and her. purse were missing [music] along with. the dentures that she regularly wore. And most glaringly of all, her car. [music]. is still nowhere to be found. But over. the next few days, missing items and. [music] clues begin to surface that. painted a picture of Alberta's final. hours. First were her shoes. Now, the police.

didn't get a call about the shoes until. Friday. That's the day after Alberta was. pulled from the river. But it turns out. they had actually been found an hour. before Alberta's body was. A man who worked at a golf course. located just under the Sherman Minton. Bridge on the bank of the Ohio River. said that he found them kind of like. scattered about, maybe like 10 ft apart, just a few feet from the exit ramp. coming off the bridge. And police. thought that it looked like maybe the. shoes could have been tossed from the.

bridge itself. Now, luckily, this guy at. the course kept them like he did with. anything valuable that he found. So, he. was able to turn them over to police. But there wasn't much notable about. them. No like. >> [music]. >> blood or anything like that. >> And how far were the shoes from where. her body was found? >> Not a huge distance. So, like from this. hand-drawn map in the case file, it. looks like maybe her body was found. about a city block downriver. Which is. interesting because [music] it was.

theorized early on that maybe Alberta. was thrown from the bridge into the. water. So, maybe her and her shoes were. like tossed over at the same time and. like she landed in the water, maybe her. shoes didn't. But, if she's in the. water, she gets carried downstream. [music]. And the Ohio River here separates. Indiana from Kentucky. >> Mhm. >> And like I'm sure you know this, but for. people who don't, the bridge actually. has two levels. So, the top level goes. from Kentucky to Indiana and the bottom. level is from Indiana to Kentucky. So,

the exit ramp where her shoes were. found, that is the ramp if you were. coming into Kentucky. >> From Indiana. >> Right. >> Alberta went missing from Louisville, Kentucky. >> Right. So, if those were thrown from the. bridge or from a moving vehicle, it was. somebody who left and then. >> [music]. >> came back into that state. Now, it's. possible that someone went onto the. bridge from Kentucky to Indiana. Maybe. they dumped Alberta over on that side. She would have floated downriver. All.

the same as it even if she was thrown. from the other side. And then maybe as. they're driving back, they realize like, "Oh my gosh, we her we still have her. shoes. Like let's get rid of them.". But, I think that's unlikely because of. two critical points. Number one, authorities consulted. someone on the current of the river and. they said that if Alberta would have. gone in, whatever side of the bridge, they would have expected her to end up. on [music] the Indiana side of the. river. She was found on the Kentucky. side.

Meaning someone had to have put her in. the water likely from the shore on the. Kentucky side. So, number two is even. more bothersome. Who had her shoes and. why were they on the off-ramp like going. into Kentucky from Indiana? Like forget. the directions for just a second and. let's just like focus on the shoes. themselves. [music]. To me, getting rid of them implies that. there was a reason you didn't want to. leave them in the car. >> Mhm.

>> If this was her car that they were in, like that doesn't make a whole lot of. sense based on what police end up. finding in her car when that surfaces a. day later. [music]. So that happens on Friday, August 6th. This turned out to be a huge [snorts]. curveball because everyone had been. looking for Alberta's car. It was this. distinctive pink. >> [music]. >> Thunderbird. >> Oh. >> Hard to miss. >> Yeah. >> Turns out though, Alberta wasn't driving. her own car that night. She was in a.

rental. Her Thunderbird was in the shop. So that. very evening of the 4th, this is the day. that she would eventually go to Gladys's. that night. That very night she picked. up a white Ford Fairlane. >> So she would have driven that to. Gladys's. Why didn't Gladys tell anyone? Like she would have seen it when she. left, right? >> We don't know for sure if Gladys did or. didn't [music] say anything. Like. from like I'm piecing this together from. old reports. It seems like the first.

time everyone realizes. that she's in this rental is the day. that her body is found. [music]. But if Gladys didn't say anything, I. mean honestly, it could have just been. because she assumed the family already. knew. Like she drove from her house to. Gladys's. So like. >> Right. >> know. Anyways, once they knew it was a white. Ford that they were looking for, police. jumped on a report of a similar. abandoned car that came in that Friday. night. [music] And it was Alberta's, all.

right. Parked on a residential street. just a little over 2 miles from where. she was found. And what was inside let. police know that Alberta's [music] final. moments were brutal. There were blood. spots all over the car, but clearly. Alberta was in the back when she was. bleeding because there was blood over. more than half of the back seat. Now, police found her upper dentures on. the back seat floorboard along with a. ripped piece of the newspaper that she. had picked up that morning with Gladys.

[music]. It looked like the killer had actually. like wiped their bloody hands on it. There were also small pieces of red. brick back [music] there, some with. blood on it. And there were fingerprints. all over the car, inside and out, along. with pieces of short and long hair that. were inside, too. >> I mean, this feels like a goldmine of. evidence. >> Exactly, [music]. which is why it is so puzzling to me. that someone would take the time [music].

to ditch her shoes. She was clearly in. the car. >> Leave them in the car. Like you did her. upper dentures. >> I don't know what it means, but it. stands out to me. [music]. >> And her purse was still missing? >> Yeah, her purse wasn't anywhere in the. car. And her lower denture plate is. still missing, too. Though, I mean, like. that could have been like knocked out. somewhere along the way or maybe even at. the bottom of the river for all they. know at that point. Shoes or no shoes, with what is in the. car alone, that could solve a case.

if it were present day. But in the. mid-60s, all police could do was hone in. on those fingerprints and the hair. samples and compare them to people who. pop up in the investigation. And most of their investigation was. pointing to the idea of some kind of. robbery gone [music] wrong, right? >> Yeah, but where would the robbers have. crossed paths with her? Like, Gladys saw. her get into her car to go home. >> Yes, but it turns out that she did head.

straight home. >> [music]. >> She made at least one stop at a. convenience store a few blocks from. Gladys's house. Apparently, she was a. regular there and according to her. sister Flora, who we spoke to for this. episode, Alberta stopped there that. night for a soda. And an employee said that he saw her. talking to three teenagers. Now, he said. nothing looked threatening, so he didn't. think much of it. It's not like he's. like focusing. He goes back to whatever. he was doing before. But then when he. looks up again, Alberta and the teens. >> [music].

>> were gone. >> And were they in a car or on foot? >> They're on The teens are on foot. >> Okay. >> Now, those teenagers [music] have never. been identified. And if the account is. accurate, it might not even be relevant, right? But if Alberta wasn't grabbed. outside of Gladys's or outside of her. own home, then to me, this has to be the. point at which someone [music] made. contact with her. And putting these. together with what we know about where. her car was found and other tips that. come in, this theory, at least to me,

makes a lot of sense. Cuz when you look. at a map, there is almost this like. >> [music]. >> trail leading west from Gladys's house. to the spot in the river where Alberta. is ultimately found. Like one street. over from Gladys's place is the. convenience store that she stops at. sometime around 2:00 a.m. Another street. over from that, police get a concerning. call from a couple who said they'd been. woken up to screams around like 2:00 or. 2:15 in the morning. They said when they. went to their front door to see what was.

going on, they saw a man dragging a. woman from the middle of the street up. to what they described as a white or. light-colored Ford where there was at. least one other man waiting inside. And. when that man pulled the woman close. enough to the car, the other one like. reached [music] out, pulled her inside, and then the guy outside the car grabbed. what looked like either a purse or they. said maybe a brick from the middle of. the street before jumping into the car. Now, unfortunately, this couple couldn't. make out much about the men, but they.

said that the car sped off west through. a viaduct that heads towards the river. and the bridge. >> has to be Alberta. >> I think so, too. Especially because this. location where the couple saw this. disturbance, [music]. this is only two blocks away from where. Alberta's car ended up being found. Like, again, you just go a couple of. blocks even farther west, there's the. car. Go farther west, there's the. bridge. >> [music]. >> But if this was Alberta, then where they. went in the car is a big mystery.

Because [music]. from Gladys's house to the bridge is. only about 4 miles. From the bridge to where the car is. found, that's about three. Round trip, you're talking. >> [music]. >> seven or eight miles. Add a few miles to. account for Alberta picking up the car. She picked that up at like 6:00 p.m. that day. She picks it up, drives it. home. She drives to Gladys's the same. night. They car to Kingfisher back. Like, fine. All told, say she did 15 to.

20 miles if you want to be like really. generous. >> [music]. >> Interestingly, when police compare the. odometer to the mileage log when Alberta. picked up the car, it said that 51 miles. had been driven. So, where did the car. go? And when? >> And do we have any sense for when the. car got dumped where they eventually. found it? >> We do. So, even though the car wasn't. reported until Friday the 6th, witnesses. seeing the car at that same spot as. early as Thursday morning. So, we have.

somebody who puts it there the 5th at. [music] like 6:00 a.m. at the latest. And police docs say that it hadn't been. moved after that. So, really, that gives us like a 12-hour. window from when she picks up the car on. the 4th at 6:00 p.m. to when it's. abandoned on the 5th at 6:00 a.m. >> [music]. >> In that 12-hour window, 51 miles had to. have been driven. And we know she's last. seen alive at around 2:00 a.m. I really. don't think she drove all those miles. [music] Like I said, unless there is a.

part of her night that's unaccounted. for, I'm looking at like a high end of. 20 for her up until she's seen at 2:00. a.m. >> Yeah. >> Where else did the car go to put on the. additional 20 plus miles? Somewhere. >> [music]. >> in Indiana maybe? That would explain all the weird bridge. stuff. But the thing is like all that's. happening seems to be happening in this. >> [music]. >> concentrated part of downtown. Louisville. So, it's no surprise that.

police really focused in on that area. between where the couple heard screaming. and where her car was found. [music]. And there was actually this pair of. brothers that they latch on to, one of. whom was rumored to rob people by. jumping into their cars and beating. them. Apparently a tip gets called in to. police that led them to these brothers. in the first place. Someone told. investigators that one of the brothers. was seen driving Alberta's rental car. And I think the police like got blinded. by this because like in their mind like.

all the pieces fit like almost too well, right area, right MO, her purse is still. gone, right? Has to be [music] it. And. when police got the brothers hooked up. to a polygraph, they end up failing. And so they're even. more sure that they're on the right. trail. But what it took to get the. failed polygraph, not on the up and up. The brothers denied having anything to. do with Alberta's death, and one of them. said that they [music] failed because. they took the polygraph after being. beaten and interrogated. [music].

He said that he was driving a white car. around the time Alberta died, but it. wasn't Alberta's rental, which police. confirmed to be true. And when they. compare these brothers' prints to all of. the prints from Alberta's rental, neither of theirs match any of them. [music] And when the tipster, who. offered them up in the first place, ends. up getting like really scrutinized, it. came to light that they only gave these. brothers names with some like weird. scheme in mind about police helping a.

relative of theirs like get out of some. legal trouble. Like it was like all. nonsense. >> quid pro quo for the tip? >> I guess. It's very confusing logic. But it meant. that [music] any evidence of the. brothers being involved fell apart. And. then police had no choice but to rule. them out. Problem was there was no one. else to rule in. A look at those closest. to Alberta hadn't revealed a suspect. [music] I mean her boyfriend is ruled. out. They had a good relationship, so. there was like no motive. His prints. [music] didn't match the ones found in.

the Ford, and he was home with his. mother in the early morning hours that. Alberta was killed. Police also looked. into people Alberta prosecuted or who. were unsatisfied clients thinking maybe. someone held some kind of grudge against. her. But that didn't lead anywhere. either. So, the theory that seemed the. most plausible at the time was that this. was a robbery gone wrong. Someone must. have just spotted Alberta, pegged her as. an easy target to take whatever money. she had on her in her purse. And.

>> [music]. >> you know, it's always hard to solve a. stranger attack like that. But maybe one. day the prints on her car would turn up. a match. Or maybe. >> [music]. >> they would find her missing purse. The truth was. both things [music] would end up. happening. But when they did, it didn't confirm. their theories. It actually completely. threw them on their head and introduced. possibilities of conspiracy and. cover-up.

>> 911 emergency. >> For 40 minutes, a man held six women. captive inside a Lane Bryant store in. Tinley Park, Illinois. Five were. executed and the killer escaped. >> The search continues for the gunman. >> Authorities have his face, voice, and. possible DNA, but 18 years later, this. case is still unsolved. [music]. >> There was no doubt in my mind that we. were going to get this guy, and I was. wrong. >> I'm Dilia D'Ambra, and this is [music]. CounterClock season 8. Listen now.

wherever you get your podcasts. Three years passed after Alberta's. murder without [music] an arrest or. really any new updates. But then, on. July 16th, 1968, [music]. a group of boys playing on the lower. level of the Sherman Minton Bridge. [music]. found something that changed this entire. case. When they leaned over the ledge, they. saw this black [music].

leather purse tucked into this like hole. on one of the steel braces. It wasn't. even hard to get to or to grab, so they. did. And inside was a check, [music]. keyrings, lipstick, a lower dental. plate, and the ID for Alberta O. Jones. >> Did they not search the bridge 3 years. ago? >> I don't know how well they did or didn't. search [music] the bridge, but I don't think that matters because.

I actually don't think the purse had. been there for 3 [music]. years. >> What do you mean? >> But where it was, it's not like in this. enclosed area or anything. It's like. >> [music]. >> right out there in the open, exposed to. rain, to snow, every other flavor of. unpredictable Midwest weather that you. can think of. And this thing, the. contents in it, like it did not seem. weather worn, which makes me think. [music] someone put it there. Someone. wanted it to be found.

>> Was it by where her shoes were tossed. off the bridge or where they like think. they were tossed? >> that's the thing, too. Both are placed. or thrown from the lower level. We know. that, the one that goes from Indiana to. Kentucky. But, the purse is placed. closer to the Indiana side. >> beginning of the bridge? >> Like when you're getting on, and then. the shoes were tossed on like as you're. getting off on the Kentucky side. So, >> if it was placed like why [music]. now? >> That's the question I can't answer. Like. I said, there weren't many developments.

in this case, and honestly, it wasn't. even like major news anymore. So, it's. not like they were close to arresting. someone, or like, you know, someone's. trying to like lead them somewhere. So, yeah, why now? Was someone feeling. guilty? Was this a clue? Was it possible. that someone was trying to subtly tell. people that they needed to look back at. the bridge for answers? >> [music]. >> Because there was actually a clue early. on that involved the bridge in this. [music] case. A witness who saw.

something very strange that seemingly. just got overlooked, or maybe tossed. aside as insignificant. But, I have a. hunch of why that was. So, you see, within a week of Alberta's murder, Louisville police had set up roadblocks. on both the Kentucky and Indiana. on-ramps of the bridge. They were. stopping motorists, asking if anyone had. seen anything suspicious the night of. Alberta's murder. They talked to like. 222 motorists in total. >> [music]. >> And one of them, a guy named Peter.

Baker, said that he actually was on the. bridge that morning. He worked super. early because Mr. Baker worked at a. bakery. >> [laughter]. >> So, he was in his truck on the bridge. with a co-worker at like 4:35 a.m. >> [music]. >> And he says that he saw a white car. stopped at the center of the bridge. And. his co-worker, Robert Bostock, remembered it, too. Though, he. remembered it being a little closer to. the exit ramp into Kentucky. Either way, they both remembered that the white car.

wasn't alone out there. Pulled up behind. it was [music] a marked Louisville. police car. Now, they didn't see anyone. outside of the cars, and remember, it's. estimated that Alberta went into the. river between 2:30 and 4:30. So, this. was like. >> [music]. >> just outside of that window. >> Okay, by 5 minutes though. >> I know. But, there were two other people. that they found who say that they were. on the bridge that morning, too, from. like 4:00 to 4:30, and they say that.

they didn't see any cars. So, it seems. to be concluded that Alberta was already. in the river at that point. And if this. was her car, she wasn't in it. >> Okay, well, who's that officer who was. stopped on the bridge? Like, what do. they have to say? >> No one ever cops to it being [music]. them. So, if it's real, right? >> Okay, then then they have something to. hide. >> But, what? Now, the timing is. interesting to me because if she went. into the river before the car was on the. bridge, then why did they go into.

Indiana in the first place? >> And why did they stop on the way back? >> Right. Like, throw the shoes anywhere. Like, surely. there's a more inconspicuous way to get. rid of them. Throw them in Indiana. Exactly. [laughter]. >> And like, two cars wouldn't necessarily need to. stop like for that, right? >> Right. Right. It's not like you can say. like, oh, the white car was like pulled. over and a police officer just like. stopped to see what was going on because. like something it looked suspicious or.

whatever because like, again, why isn't. that officer come forward and be like, "I actually pulled someone over on the. bridge." B, if the officer stopped and. had no idea of the situation, like they. would have like seen the bloody back. seat, and that would have been cause for. concern. >> Yeah. >> Cuz if Alberta is already dead, that. back seat is covered in blood. If that. was Alberta's car, and if there was a. Louisville police car stopped behind it. that morning, the only way this makes. sense is if whoever was in the police. car. knows what happened. >> Or was involved in what happened.

>> And the more you dig into this angle the. more you'll realize that there is. something [music]. that really stinks here. Going all the. way back to the beginning, like this car. tip that was dismissed. Early in the investigation, so before. police spoke to Gladys or anyone in. Alberta's family, there was this senior. Louisville police officer who seemed to. know like more than he should. >> [music]. >> So, the missing person report that her.

family put in, it didn't name Gladys and. it didn't have any details about. Alberta's movements with Gladys that. night. Yet, this guy somehow knows about. Gladys, knows that Gladys called Alberta. to come over, knows that they went out. to eat before he had ever spoken to. Gladys or anyone in Alberta's family. >> How? >> Nobody ever really explains this or even. seems to think it's like as weird as. Alberta's family does. >> I do.

>> Same, but. it's just like glossed over. >> So, he's either involved or. talking to the people who are involved. >> Or option C, someone was following. Alberta that [music] night, whether they. were involved or not. And that is not a. far-fetched idea because people had been. following Alberta in the time leading up. to her death. So, remember I told you. that she had been scared recently. because of her work. Well, there's a lot. that went into that. Alberta had just.

become the first black [music] female. prosecutor in Louisville history. Remember, this is 1965, so I'm sure some. people weren't too happy about that. And. even before that job, Alberta was. heavily involved in the city's civil. rights movement. She [music] was. breaking barrier after barrier and she. was one of the the black students who. attended the University of Louisville, and she was considered the first black. woman to pass the Kentucky bar exam. And. importantly, she was passionate about.

registering black citizens to vote. So, she co-founded the Independent Voters. Association and helped register roughly. 6,000 black voters in Louisville. And she was a major part of the group. that helped oust Louisville's mayor in. 1961 and establish new laws against. racial discrimination. She had such a. great reputation that Muhammad Ali. relied on her to negotiate his first. professional contract. >> Wow. >> But all of that made her a target. [music].

Alberta's family noticed that Alberta. was becoming paranoid in the months. leading up to her death. And I honestly. hate that word because like paranoid. makes it almost sound like this was like. a all in her head or whatever. But like. these were very real things that were. happening to her before her death. Alberta told her family about being. followed and about people hitting her. car, leaving scrapes. [music]. It felt really intentional to her. And. Flora said she knew for a fact herself. that Alberta wasn't just imagining. things because one night in May of 1965,

this is like 3 months before Alberta. died, Flora was actually driving. Alberta's car, remember, distinctive. car, and she saw this car following her, like. making every turn, every stop. And Flora. finally pulled over and confronted this. other driver, and she said, "In the car. were two white men, and they showed her. a police badge.". >> Louisville? >> PD? >> That's what she thought. And she said. the men just laughed before speeding. off. [music] But later, it occurred to.

Flora they weren't following her. They were following the pink. Thunderbird. They thought she was. Alberta. Yes. >> [music]. >> And Flora also remembered one day when. Alberta was talking on the phone to one. of her [music] friends. And then when. they hung up, the phone rang again. And. when Alberta picked it up, it was a. man's voice on the other end joking. about the conversation she had just been. having. Like, he heard the entire thing. >> [music]. >> And so, Alberta was convinced that. someone had tapped her phone. >> Okay, that feels like way bigger than.

the LPD. >> I mean, declassified records show that. the CIA, along with other US agencies, spied on Martin Luther King Jr. There. was a vested government interest in. stopping equality movements that Alberta. was a part of. And listen, the very. night that Alberta went to see Gladys, Alberta was apparently reading about the. Kennedy assassination. And Alberta said, [music] that very. night, she hoped that she wouldn't end. up like him. After Alberta died, Flora said that the.

family learned Alberta had just gotten a. burglar alarm put on her car. And she had apparently bought a gun. >> Put on the car that was in the shop that. one night. [music]. >> Yeah. And it's not lost on me that so. much of this mystery surrounded the. bridge connecting Kentucky to Indiana. Because Indiana had a resurgence of the. KKK in the 1960s. Remember, there's 51. miles on that car. The purse is found on. the Indiana side.

There seems to be some tie to Indiana. I. just don't know what it is. >> Were there any Indiana people that. showed up in the case file at all? >> Not No, not in like a meaningful way. But like, I don't know how much I. actually trust the file. Because. this idea that Alberta could have been. targeted, the glaring reality that this, more than anything else, makes the most. sense for a motive, it seems to have been like totally. ignored. I mean, despite the deceptively.

large case file, I don't think this case. was truly worked. [music] I think a lot. of work was done, but it all feels like. [music] a distraction. They spent so. much time on a robbery, maybe even tried. shady tactics early on to get a. confession. >> [music]. >> I mean, there was a point when they. accused Alberta of being Gladys' lover, but it was like all nonsense. This. running around in circles addressing. anything but the elephant in the room. It did. It led to a lot of work being. done on this case, but for who? Because.

it didn't seem like it was for Alberta. Otherwise, why 2 days after she was found dead, did. some of the prints lifted from her car. >> [music]. >> get thrown away? What? Oh, you heard me. >> [music]. >> And the story of how this even got found. out is wild. So, >> [music]. >> it's August 9th, 1965. We're talking. days after the murder.

>> [music]. >> And this detective, Detective Lancaster, is working really early hours. He's. there at like 4:30 a.m. And he gets this idea about how they can. utilize like the most important physical. evidence that they have in this case, the fingerprints taken from Alberta's. rental car. He's like, "You know what? We should be comparing these to. everyone, not just people in her life, but like every felon who gets brought. in. Honestly, >> [music]. >> even people brought in on lesser. charges. Like, this doesn't have to be a. part of their record, but we should. compare them to these like known suspect.

prints.". >> Not bad ideas. Right. Also, he says, "We. should get prints from her Thunderbird. that was in the shop. See if any of the. prints match. Like, maybe she knew the. guy before. Maybe we can like Or like. rule out people from the rental place.". >> Precisely. So, crack of dawn, Lancaster pops into the. fingerprint lab to talk to the officer. who is in charge over there, >> [music]. >> Officer Elliott. And as far as I know, no one else is in the room when this. happens. So, I'm just left to imagine. the way that the [music] air was sucked.

out of this room. The look on Officer. Elliott's face as he has to tell. Detective Lancaster that they don't have. all the prints anymore. And then he. gives the reason why. >> [music]. >> He says that on the morning of Saturday, August 7th, he was just finishing up his. overnight shift when two people came. into the lab. A Sergeant Miller with the. department and a technician with the. last name Patterson. Now, technician Patterson had pulled the. print cards from Alberta's case and was.

going to go through them. But Sergeant. Miller told him, "You know what? Just. leave the prints alone. I'm going to go. grab coffee and then I want to look at. them." Now, Officer Elliott is leaving. as Sergeant Miller was going to get. coffee. Well, fast forward to that night. Officer Elliott reports back for duty. It's still August [music] 7th, 10:00. p.m. now. And he goes to pull the prints from. Alberta's case. They're actively working this case. [music]. Like now that he is there, Patterson is. literally about to go get Alberta's.

prints so they can rule out whatever. prints are hers. Like that's how fresh. this is. Like that hasn't even happened. yet. So, Elliott goes to the envelope. where the print cards are kept. and they're empty. Like all of them are gone. So, Elliott looks at Patterson and he's. like, "Dude, like where is our. evidence?". Patterson says he doesn't know. He. stopped looking at the prints when. Sergeant Miller told him to. He said. that Miller was the only one who had.

gone through them that night. So, Elliott starts frantically looking. around the lab. I'm sure he's like. rifling through drawers, opening. cabinets. Like preserving prints is. their main job. He cannot lose these. >> [music]. >> And that is when he sees them. In a trash bin between desks. Like. someone threw these prints away. And. because of this, some of them were. completely ruined. And even more. concerning, some of them were still.

missing. The prints that were taken from the left. door window. were never recovered. And the magnitude. of this cannot be understated because. Detective Lancaster said that he was. present when these prints were lifted. He knows they existed. And he states in. his memorandum to Major Robert A. Gregory that those prints were good. [music] prints and possibly the most. important prints of the bunch. Of.

course, there were no photos taken of. the prints, no negatives. And so all. they had left was one slightly smeared. print from the left door window instead. of the actual really good ones that. [music] they know they collected. And. Detective Lancaster ends his letter to. the major saying. >> [music]. >> they need to contact Sergeant Miller and. find out what he did with the prints or. contact the FBI and see if maybe [music]. they have them. And what is nuts here is that there is. nothing in the file about anyone ever.

questioning Miller about the prints, about where the prints are, or why he. may have thrown them in the trash. Instead, he continued working the case. and handling evidence even after [music]. those prints got thrown away. That wouldn't be the only time in this. case [music] that evidence was. destroyed. No one knows exactly when this next. thing happened. >> [music]. >> because no one caught it like Lancaster. did the prints. Or if they did, a.

memorandum about what happened didn't. survive in the file. But in 1988, investigators decided to. take another look at [music] Alberta's. case. They still weren't looking at the. possibility that Alberta was targeted. because of her civil rights work. They. weren't trying to figure out if she was. being followed or who was tapping her. phone. And they weren't taking a good. hard look at their own department to see. if the case was mismanaged. Instead, they were interested to know Alberta's. case could be connected to another.

woman's [music] death. Her name was. Decora White, and she'd also been found. dead in the river a year before Alberta. Except, [music] no autopsy was even done. on her. And they just assumed that she. fell in the river and drowned. So, the theory went that maybe like. Alberta was doing some legal estate work. for Decora, but Alberta's family. basically like shut that down. She's. like, "Not only was Alberta not working. with Decora, they didn't even know each. other personally." [music]. And long story short, police ended up. saying that they couldn't connect the. cases because none of the people in.

Decora's case matched the prints in. Alberta's. >> You mean the prints that were smudged. and missing? >> Yeah, so like I wouldn't be using that. as an excuse to write a theory off, which is probably why they went looking. to see if they could link other evidence. to Decora's case. But here, in 1988, is. when they find out, "Oh, guess what? Almost all of it's gone.". Photos, we know the fingerprints are. gone, the blood samples gone. Police had. sent some of it off for testing, some I. guess went to the FBI, [music].

but detectives were calling around and. they just could not track this stuff. down. Obviously, [music] that 1988. investigation didn't get anywhere. And. knowing that evidence was now mostly. gone, destroyed, missing, whatever, it's not like there was much to go back. and test over the years, like we see. with so many other cold cases. All they had were a couple of okay. fingerprint cards. But Officer Elliott, saving those cards. from the trash, would turn out to be one.

of the most important moves in this. whole case. Because, more than 40 years after he. pulled them out of the bin, thanks to new technology, one of the prints caught a match. >> By 2008, the FBI had an automated system. to quickly match even low-quality prints.

against a national database. electronically. >> [music]. >> And when cold case investigators in. Louisville asked the FBI to run prints. in Alberta's case again, after more than. four decades, they finally got some good news. One of the prints hit [music] on a. match, and it belonged to a man in. California named Arthur Porter III. But Arthur wasn't a California native. [music] Back in 1965, when he would have. been just 17 years old, he was living in.

Louisville, Kentucky. His father owned a prominent black-owned. funeral home, the same one that. Alberta's body went to. The Louisville. detective now working Alberta's case. wasted no time getting on a flight out. to LA. I mean, this was the biggest, best lead his department ever had, and. whatever was done by his department. before he was charged with solving it. now, and he wanted to talk to Arthur, who was now 61. And it's kind of a. strange interview, because. when he sits down with him, Arthur. insists [music] that he had nothing to.

do with what happened to Alberta Jones, while at the same time, like seeming to. kind of have a little more knowledge. about the situation than I would expect. [music] if he was like really in the. dark or hadn't thought about this woman. in 40 years. >> [music]. >> Now, to be fair, when Detective Terry. Jones starts this recording, he. introduced himself as a homicide. detective with the Louisville Police. Department. So, when Arthur is insisting. that he doesn't even know why he's being. talked to, but then in the same breath.

says he didn't kill anybody, like he. could very well be like putting the. pieces together, making an assumption. Why else would a homicide detective fly. across the country to meet with you. unless it was about a homicide? >> Right. >> When Detective Jones finally tells him. >> [music]. >> what homicide he's investigating, Arthur. says that he remembers Alberta even. after 40 years. >> [music]. >> Now, he never met her personally, didn't. hang in the same circle, like why would. he? I mean, he reminds the detective. more than once that he was barely out of. high school then and had no business. hanging around a career woman like. Alberta. But before he knows how his.

name was even brought up in this case, he comments to the detective, "I've. never been with her.". >> [music]. >> And then the detective asks a cleverly. worded question, "Did you work anywhere that summer that. she was killed that might have put you. in contact with her?" And Arthur says, "No, he worked at his dad's funeral. home.". So, the detective pushes again, "Okay, so like no car lots, like you didn't. detail cars, like pumping gas, anything. like that?" And he says no to all of.

this. And in doing the questioning this. way, basically Detective Jones is. backing him into like a firm stance that. there is no reasonable explanation for. his prints to be on or in Alberta's. rental car. But he never mentions prints. [music] He. asks if any of his jobs would have put. him in contact with her, specifically. her. And the answer is no. So, the next. question the detective asks is, "So, leading up to her death, >> [music]. >> what did you know about her?" And this. is where the answer is a little odd to.

me. Arthur said all he knows is that she got. killed and she was a lawyer. >> [music]. >> And if they found his prints, he doesn't. know what they were doing with her. because he was a good kid, a bookworm. straight out of school who didn't get. into any trouble. And Detective Jones. doesn't miss a beat. He's [music] like, "You said prints, like why are you. talking about prints?" And to be fair, Arthur, like he doesn't say it like. this, but he's like, "Listen, I'm not. dumb. You're clearly asking me if. there's any reason for me to have like. touched a car, right?" Like he's putting.

the pieces together. But once the cat is out of the bag, the. interview goes on and on, round and. round. Arthur, at least in text, sounds [music] pretty. convincing to me or reads pretty. convincingly to me as he tells. detectives that he had no idea how his. prints ended up on her car. >> Where on her car? >> Well, so this is the catch. We don't. actually know all these years later. So, in the interview, Detective Jones tells. Arthur they were in Alberta's vehicle. But actually, in the documents we have, police are never able to determine.

exactly what part of the car the prints. are from. Like, they could be from the. inside, [music] sure, but it's been so. long and the original case notes don't. say. So, investigators in 2008 don't. [music] actually know for certain. Either way, Detective Jones is like, "Here, let me just show you the. reports." And Arthur's like, "Listen, I. don't need to see the reports. I don't. care what is written in these reports. I. didn't kill this woman.". >> But you were in her car? >> Right. And Detective Jones isn't super. confrontational as he like pushes back. He's like, "Listen,

this is why I'm here talking to you. I'm. trying to figure this out. I'm not even. saying all of these prints are yours. In. fact, I know they're [music] not all. yours, but some are. >> Mhm. >> Help me help you. How could they have. gotten there? And Arthur says, "Okay, well, maybe if the prints are on the. hood or something, it got there when him. and his buddies were hanging out." So, they start spending some time talking. about where they used to hang out that. summer. And this is where it gets really. interesting again. Because Arthur says.

that they're always on the west side by. where his two buddies live, between Hale. Avenue and River Park Drive. >> [music]. >> Mostly, they would hang out at Elliott. Park, which is really interesting when you. look at the map again. Just to the east. of the park is the convenience store. that Alberta stops at at 2:00 a.m. Just. to the west of the park, like right on. the corner, is where the couple saw a. woman screaming and being pulled into a. car. And then one street west of the. park is where Alberta's car is. ultimately found.

>> [music]. >> Arthur just keeps saying, "I was a good. kid. I didn't hurt anybody. I didn't. hang around with anybody who did." And. he's even willing to take a polygraph to. prove it. So, they're like, "Perfect. Let's get this on the books for the next. day.". And they do. And Arthur shows up as promised for it. And he [music] fails. In fact, the report found, quote, "the. highest level of deception [music]. possible.". I think 2008 detectives probably thought.

they had their man, or at least they. found a man with the answers that they. were looking for. But, they could not get Arthur to talk. [music] after that. I mean, does does he. need to? >> If they've got his prints. >> Yeah, but like not knowing where the. prints are from leaves this door open to. a million explanations. So, even though. they, it seems like when a charge Arthur. with something, the Kentucky. Commonwealth attorney refuses. In a. letter that they sent to the Louisville.

Metro Police Department, it says that. the state would not prosecute Arthur. then or ever because the case wouldn't. hold up in court. >> Okay, so. if Arthur was involved in some way, I guess I have all the questions. Like, why? How? >> Well, I thought it was really interesting that. Arthur mentioned two friends that he was. with a lot that summer. Cuz I was. thinking about that gas station sighting. of Alberta. There were three teens.

>> Mhm. >> What if that was them? Also, come down the rabbit hole with me real. quick. There was another run-in that. Alberta had with teenagers that night, and I didn't mention it yet. So, back when her and Gladys went to. Kingfish to grab a bite, Gladys said. that two white boys were yelling. perverse things at [music] them from. their car. They actually drove off. because of it. Now, she said that she didn't notice. them [music] following the car or. anything, but.

is it possible that those two white boys. met up with Arthur later? Remember, we don't know the race or have. any descriptions for the three boys from. the gas station. >> going to ask. >> But, I do suspect [music] that Arthur's. two friends were white because while. their names are redacted from the. transcript, [music] what's not redacted. is the part where Arthur tells police. that his two friends. their dads worked for Louisville PD.

One was a sergeant and one was a major. I know at the time that Louisville PD. was predominantly white. So, that's what. I'm basing my assumption off of. >> Well, and is that the real reason the. fingerprint cards [music] disappeared? >> Makes you wonder, right? And listen, I. went down a rabbit hole of yearbooks and. obituaries trying to figure out who. these guys could be. I could not pin it. down. >> [music]. >> I will say that the sergeant Miller, the.

one who was last with the print cards. before some magically went missing, I think I found the right Miller. Based. on his obituary, he only had girls, so I. don't think that was like him protecting. his kid. >> Okay, but someone else's? >> I don't know. Because [music] this 2008 investigation. feels a little like the 1965 one. >> [music]. >> Even though there are a lot of documents. and work, the work I want to see is either missing. or wasn't done because I can't find any. records of them going and speaking to.

the friends that Arthur names to figure. out if they know anything or had any. connection to Alberta's case. The. mention of them just kind of like goes. away just like the prints did. >> [music]. >> And listen, maybe Arthur's prints are a. red herring. We couldn't ask Arthur about it. ourselves because. >> [music]. >> he passed away in 2024 maintaining his. innocence. If it. >> was just like a group of teens Arthur or. not. Do you think it really was just like.

some robbery gone wrong? So, no matter. who it was, I really don't think that that was the. motive. >> [music]. >> Because I don't think Alberta just. randomly encountered her killer. Like I. actually think that she was set up from. the beginning. I mean, think about it. She didn't want. to go out. She had been extra cautious. lately. It would have been hard to get her in a. vulnerable position unless she was lured.

out of the house. Maybe by someone she trusted. >> Are you saying Gladys was in on it? >> I don't know for sure, but I can tell. you that Alberta's family always [music]. suspected that. Her sister Flora still. suspects that. Cuz there are some things that just. [music] don't add up. Like for one, over. the years, Gladys's story of what. happened the night Alberta came over. kind of changed. [music] I mean, at.

first she said that she watched Alberta. get into her car before she went inside, right? But in a later interview, she. said that she watched Alberta actually. drive away. This isn't like a huge deal. I think it. could be easy to misremember some things. over years. But what is a huge deal is that in her. original story, it was that Alberta came. over, she fits the wig, they go to. Kingfish, and then they come back, and. Alberta said that she wanted the wig. like trimmed up a little bit more. She. didn't like the way that like the bangs. fell or something. So, they went back. into Gladys's house before Alberta left.

But in one of the later interviews, Gladys said that Alberta didn't [music]. come back inside her house at all after. they went to Kingfish that night. I. mean, that's not like. that huge. It's not saying she didn't. come over at all, right? >> No, but this highlights the thing that I. am obsessed over. Was or wasn't there a wig? >> What do you mean? >> The whole reason Alberta supposedly goes. to Gladys's that night is for this wig,

right? Like Gladys, sure she wanted to. talk legal stuff, too, whatever, whatever, but she wanted Alberta to get. this wig. >> Mhm. >> Alberta gets the wig put on. Alberta is supposedly wearing the wig. when she leaves. Where's the wig, Brit? Cuz guess what? Alberta didn't have a. wig on when she was pulled from the. river. There wasn't a wig in her car or in her. purse when that's found years later. And. listen, admittedly, I don't know a lot. about wearing wigs in general, much less. the techniques of applying wigs back in. 1965.

But I did wear one wig for our Halloween. photo shoot, and that baby was glued to. my head. So, I kept thinking, I doubt her wig. wasn't like secured, right? Like it's. not just like sitting. >> She had her hairdresser like fit it on. her. >> It didn't just float away in the river. So, I did a lot of phoning a friend, talking to women in our office who have. worn wigs, including the reporter for. this case, [music] Shar Adams, and. everyone said that the wig would have. been secured. Likely not glued, though, because it seems that was kind of rare.

back in 1965. So, I think that's important, too, because it's not like the water like. loosened the glue, right? It more than. likely means that the wig was secured on. with pins. So, why wasn't the wig on her head when. she was found? The autopsy said that Alberta had a cut. on her forehead right near her hairline. that looked like she was maybe jabbed. with a stick. Other than that, there was nothing out. of the ordinary about her hair. There.

wasn't a report of any pins or combs to. hold down the wig. >> [music]. >> So, like, I keep going back to, was. there a wig? Gladys did provide a similar wig to. police, so they knew what they they. looking for. Now, to be clear, Flora said that the. family never suspected that Gladys. actually committed the murder. But, they did know that she was in. [music] debt. So, they think that. someone maybe paid her to get Alberta.

out of the house that night, and she. took the job to help pay off her debts. not thinking that anyone was going to. kill Alberta. >> I mean, wouldn't you think she would. just say that though? Like, if that's. what happened? >> I think it depends on who's paying you, right? Like, would Who would you be. pointing the finger at? Are they scary. people? Are [music] they powerful. people? I mean, maybe that's not even. what happened. There is actually one. theory that the family heard about from. a detective that could explain a lot, including the missing wig.

So, in the year after Alberta died, there was supposedly this guy in a. Chicago jail who was planning to confess. to being involved in Alberta's murder. along with two other people. And the man said that they were in. Louisville to rob a bank around the time. Alberta died, but then they got this. better deal to kill an attorney. And according to Flora, the man said. that they killed Alberta and then sold. her wig somewhere in Kentucky. But, the detective who told the family. about this came back later and said that.

the guy had been stabbed [music] to. death in jail before the detective could. even go talk to him personally. >> That seems convenient. >> Right, weird timing. And whether or not. that story was true or connected, this. whole case reeks of something bigger. Bigger than just who killed Alberta. The. question for her family is who was. behind her killing? Who might have helped cover it up? Because it feels like someone in power. had a hand in this.

>> [music]. >> And if that's the case, then it likely. has to do. with one or two places where Alberta was. getting in the way for people. Either it had to do with her civil. rights work or it had to do with her. work involving Muhammad Ali. So, I told you earlier that Alberta. negotiated his first professional. contract. But, she was also managing a. lot of his money. Like, 15% [music]. of all the winnings at the height of his.

career was kept in a trust that he. couldn't touch until he was 35. And if. someone wanted that money, they had to. go through Alberta. Now, this started to get explored a. little in the 1980s investigation. A. detective reported that Ali wanted some. of his money to go to the Nation of. Islam, but Alberta refused. And the. detective said that they even argued. about it. And Ali told Alberta that. members of the NOI really wanted that. money.

But, all lines of inquiry into this. stopped when the detective's wife. started receiving threats. Said that if. her husband didn't back off that they. would put her in the river. >> So, he just backed off? >> Seems like he just backed off. Yeah. But, this avenue is getting renewed. attention now. Thanks to a professor at. Bellarmine University in Louisville. named Lee Remington. She has been. studying this case for a book that she's. writing about Alberta's life and death.

And so far, she says this is the. direction that seems most promising. She. expects to lay out more evidence like a. potential money trail leading back to. Alberta's killer when she publishes. Though, there is no published date quite. yet. Like I mentioned, the book is about. more than just Alberta's death. [music]. Alberta made a huge impact on her. community in the 34 years of life that. she had. And Flora and Lee have made. sure that she won't be lost in history.

In 2017, Louisville honored Alberta as a. hometown hero and hung a banner with her. picture on a massive bank building along. a street named [music] after Muhammad. Ali. The city named a park after. Alberta, and there is an annual Alberta. O. Jones Park Day. Alberta's been gone for over 60 years, but it's never too late for justice. So, if anyone out there has information. about her death, you can contact the. Louisville Metro Police Department's. Cold Case Squad [music].

at 502-574-7055, or you can email us directly. tips@audiochuck.com.