Did Joyce LePage Leave Behind a Clue to Her Killer?

Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley. Flowers. And I'm [music] Brett. Last. week, I told you the story of Joyce. Leage, a WSU student who went missing. from Stevens Hall on campus in 1971. The same night in 1971 that a swath of. green carpet from the building went. missing, too. And 55 years after that, we still don't know what happened to. Joyce on July 22nd, [music] 1971. Over the years, police have developed a. number of suspects and theories, and I'm.

walking you through six of them. Last. episode, I told you about Mike Finch, who investigators cleared with a past. polygraph in 2013, despite a shaky alibi. and changing timelines. They also. cleared a tile setter who was working. just yards from Steven's Hall the night. Joyce vanished because he too passed a. polygraph. And although Ted Bundy seemed. like a contender in the case of a. brown-haired, missing Pacific Northwest. co-ed in the 1970s, most investigators.

believe that it is much more likely. Joyce was killed by somebody a little. closer to home, maybe even her new. house. Because it turns out Joyce was. planning to move to a new house right. near where her abandoned car was found. And one man inside that house has a. scary past that Joyce talked about in. her letters. So, let's dive back in. I've got three more theories to tell you.

about. Starting with the meditation. group theory. I told you Joyce was one in a million. She was adventurous and curious. She had. her pilot's license by the time she was. 18. And at 21, she was taking skydiving. lessons. And the summer that she was. killed, one of Joyce's focuses was. meditation. And I don't mean in a casual. sense. Joyce was an initiated member of.

Sims, the student international. meditation society. The group practiced. transcendental meditation. They gathered. for group meditations weekly. And Joyce. had even traveled to Spokane for a. week-long course on meditation a month. before she vanished. Joyce was socially. linked to at least three other people. from Sims. This married couple named. Mike and Celeste Lindberg and another. guy named Mark Wadley. I'll just refer.

to them as the meditation group. Well, Mike and Celeste were the leaders of. Sims, and Mark was their roommate, and. they all lived at 400 Howard Street. This matters because their house was. just three or four houses away from. where Joyce's car was found on Opal. Street, and Joyce was planning to move. in with them in the fall. The meditation. group offered her a room that upcoming. semester because Mike and Celeste were. going to be going to Spain. Mark needed. to fill their room to cover rent, and. they all knew that Joyce wasn't happy.

living with Bruce. So, are we thinking. that Joyce drove to their house on the. night of the 22nd and that's just like. the closest parking space she could. find? Anything is a possibility, especially because try as they might, police were finding zero connection. between Joyce and the frat house that. her car was parked closest to. So, if. she is the one who drove her car there. and it wasn't just randomly dumped by. somebody, it would stand to reason that. she may have been there to visit someone. in her meditation group. Wait, did they. not notice her car parked there the.

whole time she was MIA? >> No, they did. Or at least one of them. did. When police went knocking at the. door of 400 Howard in the very early. days of the missing person. investigation, it was the single guy, Mark, who answered. And he says that he. knows Joyce and he had noticed her car. parked down the road, but that he didn't. know where she was, nor did he even. realize that she was missing. According. to what the officer wrote, he said he'd. only just met Joyce the month before.

They had never dated or anything, he. said. And he tells them about the whole. new roommate situation, but very much. like keeps his connection to Joyce like. [music] at an arms length. But the. officer notes that his demeanor is just. like off. I mean, in the case file, the. officer writes that Mark seems nervous. And then something weird happens like. mid conversation. The officer notices. that the other guy who lives at the. house, [music] Mike, he drives by, but.

instead of stopping, he like keeps. driving. And when the officer left, they. like keep surveilling the house just to. see what happens. >> And they noticed that Mike only goes to. the house after they left. >> Uh, that's sus. Don't love it. >> So, the detective made it a point to. follow up with Mike. >> Yeah. Now, it's later in August 1971 by. the time they get with Mike Lindberg. So, Joyce is still just missing at this. point. We're a month out. And he says he. knows Joyce for longer than Mark, about. a year, ever since she was initiated.

into Sims. And all he knew about her. outside of the group was that she wasn't. getting along with her roommate Bruce. But he didn't really know why. He. suspected that it was because Bruce was. quote a little weird and quote involved. in drugs. and he says drug use is. forbidden for members of Sims. He said. the last time he saw Joyce was July 17th. when she came over and joined him, his. wife Celeste, and Mark for dinner. [music] And then after dinner, all four. of them drove out to Eden Valley, which.

is this like scenic area out near the. river. Now, here he drops a little. tidbit. Mike tells police that he thinks. Mark is attracted to Joyce, but he. doesn't think that Joyce is interested. [music] in Mark. Did he just offer up. that info about Mark? >> Unclear. >> Like, okay. >> Unclear. Because the case file I'm. working with, they're all from 1971, many of which are like handwritten. But. if I read between the lines, I get the. sense that they like asked him point. blank about Mark's interest in Joyce.

Because there is one line in the files. that says Mark asked Joyce out on a. date, which Mark denied. Now, Mike also. tells police that unlike Mark, he had. not even noticed that Joyce's car was. parked 100 ft from his front door for. over a week. [music] And both Mike and. Mark agreed to take polygraphs. And I. find the results very interesting. After. Mike's test, the officer concludes that. while he doesn't think Mike was directly. involved, he did seem quite nervous.

throughout the test. and he notes that. he showed concern in answering one. question in particular. Do you think Mark is involved in Joyce's. disappearance? Now, when they pressed. Mike about this after the polygraph, he. said, quote, I don't know why it would. show that, but maybe I am holding back. because I feel a certain responsibility. towards Joyce. Responsibility for what? >> I don't know. But the conclusions from.

Mark's polygraph were a bit different. They said that he seemed calm, but that. there was a couple of spots where they. noted a heart rate spike. Once when he. was asked if he knew if Joyce was still. alive, and then another time when they. asked Mark if he had been inside Joyce's. car. But the report notes when they. asked if he had been in her car, they. asked if he'd been in there July 23rd. and there was not a notable change. So,

the officer summarizes that based on. this test, Mark can't be eliminated as a. suspect. >> I feel like he squeaked by there with. that were you in her car question cuz. like they ask him about the 23rd, not. the 26. >> I know, but I I don't think that was an. oversight. I think that that was based. on what information they had at the. time. So, when officers first went. looking for Joyce, like the day that. she's officially reported missing,

Bruce, remember, wasn't home for them to. talk to, but they actually did catch a. neighbor across the street. This guy. named Dave Parks. Well, he told officers. that he was friends with Joyce, knew. her, and he last saw her leaving her. apartment on July 23rd at 10:00 a.m. with two long-haired guys that he didn't. recognize, and they all got into a car. Now, once this was a homicide. investigation, police became a little. less confident in that sighting, but. it's still worth noting. And it is.

clearly what they were driving home like. here in this polygraph with Mark. >> And did Mike and Mark have long hair? >> Dude, somehow. nobody notes that in the case file, and. I haven't run across any pictures of. these guys from that era, but like for. the record, like I don't think that. sighting could be right. Right. Like. police seem to think that the neighbor. must have been mistaken or gotten the. date wrong because again go back to like. the timeline of this. This carpet is. discovered missing before 8:30 a.m. on.

the 23rd. So like it had to have gone. missing overnight on the 22nd. If Joyce. is wrapped inside the carpet like she's. already dead by then. >> And did they ever talk to Mike's wife. Celeste? >> They did, but she didn't have a whole. lot to add. She just mentioned that the. last time she saw Joyce was that night. that they all liked dinner. they drove. to the Eden Valley. >> So, just kind of confirming all that. >> Yeah. And it's worth noting that. throughout the case file, this night. does get mentioned as like July 16th or. 17th, depending on who you ask. I'm not. sure that that matters, but she didn't.

really offer up anything new. But I. actually found something new that's. actually old hidden in the case file, and it's something written in Joyce's. own words about Mark. I almost miss this piece because it is. written in Joyce's handwriting, which to. be honest is like kind of hard to read. >> Girl after my own heart. >> I know. And it seems to be this letter. that she was writing to her boyfriend.

David Arthur. The one that they found in. her purse at Steven's Hall when they. first discovered the carpet was missing. >> So, I'm going to have a voice actor read. a portion of the letter. I had dinner. with Celeste, Michael, and Mark the. other night. Afterward, we drove around. until dark. [music] Then we stopped in. at a rumage sale in Paloo City and got. ice cream cones. We had a very good. time. I discovered that Mark once stayed. at a mental institution for trying to. strangle people. He also, I suspect, was.

the informer to a narc for this big drug. bus 2 years ago. >> Okay, just a. casual mention of strangulation in a. letter to your boyfriend. There is no. other mention of these allegations about. Mark anywhere in the case file. No. mention of this when they talk to Mark. or anyone in the meditation group. And I. don't see them trying to really nail. down his history like ever. From what we. can tell, no past or present.

investigator has even looked into this. And yes, the history is the most. interesting allegation. But the one. about him being a CI or a narc is just. as big to me. Because if Mark was. involved in some way, as the polygraph. would suggest, maybe someone was more. inclined to look the other way and keep. Mark out of trouble. >> There are a couple of areas in the file. where this idea comes up that maybe.

Joyce knew something before she died, something that made her a liability. So, this woman named Kay Garrison is. interviewed by police in September of. 71. Again, Joyce is still just a missing. person by this point. >> Now, Kay used to live with Joyce, but it. sounds like Joyce moved dorms and then. they kind of just like drifted apart a. little bit like, but they would run into. each other a couple of times over the. summer of 1971 while they were doing. summer classes. And one of the last.

times she saw Joyce was maybe like a. week or less before she disappeared. And. she said Joyce looked like something was. wrong. Like she lost a bunch of weight. She looked pale, thin, and she was. asking Kay to like come up and see her. sometime so they could talk. She had. something to tell her. She just couldn't. tell her then. Prime Dunkey Life. If you. have a secret for the love of God, >> tell someone. Here is exactly what case. says in her transcript, and she's.

explaining to the detectives what it is. that Joyce was saying. Oh, I've been. pretty busy with the other projects. And. I asked her, "Well, where's Dave?" And. she said, "He's at the library." I said, "Is something the matter? Is something. bugging you?" And she said, "Well, I. just don't know. I'm just so afraid that. I'm going to tell people something that. I shouldn't, especially when it's. someone else's coffin I'm sealing." And. I said, "Is some class that's bugging. you?" And she said, "It was chemistry.".

I said, "Well, don't you understand it?". She said, "Well, I understand it too. well. I understand it so well that I. think that I'm going to hurt somebody.". I said, "Why do you say that?" Well, and. this is what really bugs me. I can't. really define in my mind whether she. meant hurting someone in the sense of. knowing this information and telling. like her friends that she was starting. to associate with that she didn't want. to associate with them anymore. and that. she didn't think that drugs were a good. thing or she was going to hurt Mike.

Kay says it wasn't super clear what. Joyce meant, but she had to get going. So, she kind of just like told her, you. know, okay, keep your head up. Things. are going to like be better. And that. was the last they ever spoke. I don't. know who Mike is either because is it. Mike, the leader of the Sims group, Mike. Lindberg? Is it Mike Finch? I mean, she. mentions Mike Finch like his full name. later in the letter and like I don't. think it's Mike Finch, but like. >> I don't know, maybe it's another Mike. altogether.

>> If it's Michael Lindberg who's connected. to Mark, I think it is real interesting. because when they're talking to police, they said that the Sims movement was. very anti-drug. But everyone else is. talking like this meditation group was. caught up in the drug world. >> And I mean, you're not going to tell. cops in the 70s that you're tied up in. the drug world. True. But according to. our research into Mike, he himself had a. drug conviction from 1969. I don't have any more details on that.

drug bust that happened 2 years prior. And I don't see anyone questioning him. about that either. I also wonder like is. drugs what all this like chemistry stuff. is about? Like she knows something that. was going to happen like that's going to. hurt people. Like what' she say like. seal someone's coffin? What does that. mean? When this friend Kay was asked. what she thinks happened, she said this. Well, I think perhaps she was really. hassled about like confidences and she.

was associating with transcendental. meditation group and they did have a. tendency to deal in drugs. So maybe. someone told her something about drugs. or she found out about something and. then someone got scared about it, you. know, and tried to hurt her in some way. But Mike, she was also hassled about. this chemistry thing. And I don't know. how this Mike Finch fits in other than. the fact that he was a teacher in chem. and mentioned in something with her. chemistry and then having the chemistry.

knowledge. And then this Mike, now maybe. this Mike had something to do with. drugs, you know, and he ties in somehow. with this group or he wanted to tie her. down and she didn't want to be tied. down, so she went to her friends who. happened to be on drugs and they tried. to help her out somehow. I mean, there. are so many little possibilities because. she knew so many different people and. she was so open and trusting to these. different types of people. And I warned. that it was dangerous to be that way.

I'm so confused. >> Me, too. Like, I need clarifying. questions, detectives. Follow-ups, past. and present. Just some follow-ups. >> I believe that Mike Lindberg died by. suicide in 1988. That's according to a. death certificate that we found for. someone with his name, middle name, and. date of birth. I know that Mark is still. alive. And though we didn't get him on. the phone, we did reach a woman who. answered a phone number that is listed. for him at a business in Hawaii. Okay?

>> And she told us that she would ask him. to call us and she agreed to forward him. an email from us, but we have not heard. back from him. And by the way, speaking. of Mark, if you were to Google his name, a WSU sexual misconduct thing, it's like. the first thing on Google. >> Oh, it turns out that he had the same. exact name as his dad. And this. particular incident was about his dad, not our [music] mark. But it says that. the complaint was filed against his dad. for sexual misconduct while he was a. professor at WSU in 2003. The incident.

is listed as resolved and his dad has. like long since passed. I definitely. have more questions about Mark Wadlay. So if anyone listening knows more, wants. to reach out, please do. tipsuck.com. or Mark if you're listening. We would. still love to talk to you, but there is still yet another person. [music] that I want to talk to. The. reason Joyce was looking to move in the.

first place was because of the person. everyone seemed to agree she was. actually avoiding that summer, her. roommate, Bruce Beerbomb. >> Finally, the roommate Bruce theory. I. was waiting for this. I knew you were. Now, initially, Bruce is treated like. just a witness. I mean, after Joyce's. dad reports her missing, an officer. tracks Bruce down at work. He agrees to. let police search their apartment, even. helps like check to see if her. belongings are there, which he says like. they all seem to be accounted for.

Which, by the way, I've been like. holding out one little detail on you. One of the things that they found in her. apartment was her car keys. Wait, her car keys were inside the. apartment? >> Yes. The hangup is nobody seems to know if. those were like the primary set of keys. like which would be so incriminating. >> she uses every single day. >> if they were just an extra set that. Joyce had to her car which like I've got. one of those.

>> So have fun spiraling on that for the. rest of the week. >> Yeah. >> But back at the apartment, Baruse tells. police that he and Joyce are just. friends, nothing more. And that the last. time he saw Joyce was early in the. morning of July 23rd when he left for. work. Wait, so he's saying she's alive. and well on Friday morning. >> Well, he's saying that day one, before. many details are known, the story. conveniently changes later. Stay tuned. But in this first chat, he lays out his. schedule. So, he works for the campus.

roads and grounds department. So, that. summer, he would typically leave for. work before like 700 a.m. He says that. the morning of July 23rd, Joyce was. asleep on the couch when he left. And he. says that when he got home from work. that day, she wasn't there, but he knew. that she had plans to go home for the. weekend. So, he didn't really think. anything of it. And when she didn't show. back up after the weekend, he says that, you know, he assumed that she had. extended her stay with her parents. Now, they don't really have much reason to. think twice about this guy at the time.

>> I mean, even though she's telling. everyone she knows she doesn't want to. sleep in the same house as him. >> I know. Like, the context clues feel. like they are jumping off the page now. Back then, I don't know. I guess they. like didn't see much of a motive. But. while they were looking in other. directions, Bruce was doing odd things, like sending this weird letter to. Joyce's dad on August 11th, 1971. This. is a few weeks into her disappearance. Here's a voice actor reading a condensed.

version of this letter. >> Dear Mr. Leage, I really don't know. where to start. Joyce and I had been. friends for quite a while. She came and. went as she pleased, as did I. I would. go to work at 7:00, return at 5:00, make. dinner, and then leave at 7:00 for band. practice. Joyce went to classes. somewhere around 8, so she was always. asleep when I left. We ate dinner at the. same time. In fact, that was about the. only time we ever really talked.

Usually, that time was only about an. hour at the most. I'd help her with her. chemistry, and sometimes we'd give each. other a thumbnail sketch of what our. plans were for the next few days, just. so someone knew what was going on. The. week before she disappeared, she seldom. ate dinner, even here. She slept in. Steven's Hall, had lunch in the. apartment, then went somewhere for the. afternoon, and she was usually going out. to eat. With who, I never knew. In fact, that week we had the least amount of.

communication of all summer. I don't. know where she could be. The last I saw. her was at 6:00 on Thursday night when. she went to her skydiving lesson. The. last she was seen was at 11:30 on Friday. morning. So, the last thing I knew was. that she had planned to go to the Atomic. Cup race in Pasco and that was it. I. wish I knew more, but I don't. The. investigator has probably filled you in. on everything that he knows, which is. everything I know. I've spent about 6.

hours with him so far, and there is. nothing more that I can think of. Every. time I think of something, he chases it. down. But so far, every try has come to. a sickening dead end. I realize that you. are probably pretty busy now, so I don't. know when you will be able to pick up. her possessions. I have packed up. everything she had in the apartment, so. whenever you want to pick it up, it. shouldn't take too much time. I might. add that while I did this, I looked for. possible clues, but there wasn't a thing. that could lead anywhere. I had hoped.

that there might have been, but there. wasn't. If you could get here before. Saturday, but after that, I will be. gone. Her stuff is in the closet by the. door. There is one other problem. She and I. were going to split the cost of the. apartment. I was going to pay for the. first month, June, and she would pay for. July, and the guy we were subleasasing. from was going to pay for August. Well, I have paid for the phone for the. two months, including a couple of her. long-distant phone calls and the water.

and the rent. All of this has thrown me. close to $90 in the hole from what I had. planned to spend. Any of this that you. could make up would be greatly. appreciated because I am living on a bit. of a tight schedule and so $90 is quite. a large sum of money. I'm sorry I. couldn't turn her up anywhere. I tried. as much as I could, but there have been. no breaks coming our way. I wish she. would turn up somewhere. Sincerely, Bruce Beerbomb. P.S. You can have the. land lady let you in. The check can be.

left on the table and I can pick it up. next fall. I really wish she would. surprise me and walk in sometime soon. I. think about half of the world would be. overjoyed to see her. >> Hello, sir. I know your daughter's. missing, but please bring me money. >> And also, can you just like come get her. stuff? Well, and who's the half the. world that wouldn't be overjoyed to see. her? And plus, why is he like half. talking about her in past tense even. though she is just missing? >> And the plot thickens when one of.

Joyce's best friends, Jan, who I've. talked about before, >> she goes to police and says like, "Hey, I went to go have a look around Joyce's. apartment, and there actually are a few. items of Joyce's that are missing." And. one item that wasn't missing, but I. found in the apartment shattered to. pieces. Jan found Joyce's favorite blue vase.

broken on top of the refrigerator when. she went to check out Joyce's apartment. after she'd gone missing. We actually. have a photo of Jan with the vase in the. background before it was broken. And I. guess when Jan asked Bruce about it, he. said that it broke in an argument, but. he didn't explain further. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Did police not notice this when they. searched the apartment? >> I guess not because like this is the. first mention of it, and I don't see.

anywhere in the file where Bruce was. asked about it. Again, I would love a. follow-up question. Yeah. I mean, I see. a follow-up interview with Bruce where. he agrees to take a polygraph, and he. later claims that he took one in 1972, but as far as anyone can tell, he never. actually did. Either that or no record. of it was kept. But in that documented. follow-up interview, he says now that. the last time he saw Joyce was Thursday.

evening before she went skydiving. Oh, but that's not what he said last time. The lieutenant was like, "Well, Cle. clock clocked that. We got a follow-up. here." Finally, >> he's like, "Well, last time we chatted, you told me she's asleep on your couch. Friday morning when you leave for work.". And he's like, "Oh, weird. I just I. don't recall saying that." And I find. this real interesting because remember. the last two people who are confirmed to. have seen Joyce, Hal, and Patty.

>> They went with her to the skydiving. lesson on Thursday. They drop her back. at her apartment Thursday. It's 10:00. p.m. It's late. >> Well, when Patty talked to police, she. said something interesting. She told. them that night Joyce was talking about. how she thought police were going to. figure out that she was staying in the. dorm illegally. She said that she'd been. working to move all of her personal. items out of there, but she still had. some to get. However, she agreed that.

she wasn't going to go back that night. to get them because it was late and it. was dark. She was going to go in the. morning. So, Joyce is telling Patty at 1000 p.m. on Thursday that she's not going to. Steven's Hall. Bruce in his early. stories says he sees her there Friday. morning. So, did Joyce actually go to. Stevens Hall on her own Thursday night, or is it possible she never even made it. there? Bruce eventually stops.

cooperating with the investigation and. they never get anything from him or on. him that furthered the case. And Bruce. is still alive today. He graduated and. he became a veterinarian and he now. lives in Florida. Obviously, we had so. many questions that we were hoping he. would answer for us. >> But when our reporter Emily got in touch. with him, I thought the response was a. little strange. Like, I would think this.

would be a significant time in his life. I mean, according to his letter, he. wanted to do whatever he could to help. >> Mhm. >> But when M asked to interview him, he. said, "No, thank you." and abruptly hung. up. Maybe he's tired of talking about. it. Or more likely, maybe he's gotten. wind of what we learned, which is that. today Bruce Beerbomb has become the. primary focus of the sheriff's office. investigation into Joyce's murder. And.

that is for a few reasons. You see, Bruce has been married and divorced. several times over the years, like. [music] five or six times since the 70s. And almost every time there's a divorce, one of his exes calls the sheriff's. office about this case with some weird. stories. >> Weird like what? >> Well, one of them called to just like. straight up say she thinks that he. killed Joyce and then another mentioned.

this coat rack. So, remember how I said. that Gian noticed that some stuff was. missing? >> One of those things was a coat rack that. was like it was short. It was like 3 ft. high made of like blue metal with cow. horns on the top. It was distinctive. It. was Joyce's, but it was never found. And. one of Bruce's exes told police she was. pretty sure Bruce had it. But this never. got confirmed. And to be fair, even if it were to get. confirmed, stealing from your roommate.

is different than killing your roommate. Like that one might be nothing. But what. feels like something is one of Bruce's. family members who told police they. found a poem that he wrote about a dead. girl looking up at him from the river. Now, this is all very circumstantial. stuff, but it was enough to spark a. whole new modern investigation into. Bruce. And since then, Whitman County. Sheriff Brett Meyers has tried to. interview him and even sent the FBI to.

his door in Florida to approach him. about taking a polygraph, but he won't. have anything to do with it. >> I mean, what about any criminal history. since Joyce's murder? Like, has he done. anything? >> Yes, there are a few interesting things. Actually, when our research team. searched his name, 35 different criminal. filings popped up. Most of them seem to. be traffic related, whatever. But one. was listed as assault. Police reports. revealed that it was a domestic battery. charge against Bruce for a 2014 incident.

with his then brand new wife, who by the. way was 40 years younger than him. And. the victim says that she was hiding from. Bruce at a friend's house. Reports say. that he found where she was staying and. took her purse, pinned her up against. the wall. And Bruce later told officers. that he was just trying to like get back. a credit card that she stole from him. He denied ever touching her. But there. were two other witnesses to the incident. and he was charged with domestic. battery. And there's something else in. Bruce's record that's worth mentioning.

and this is something we really had to. dig for because it didn't pop up in any. public databases. But know how I say. he's like a veterinarian. >> Well, when we looked up his license, we. found some disciplinary actions against. him. One of which was an incident in. 2003 where he was accused of giving. animal medications to his kids. According to court records, the Montana. Board of Veterinary Medicine found that. he committed five violations and he was. disciplined for them. [music].

Are they okay? So, yeah, the kids are. okay, but the reports don't go into. detail as far as like why he did this. They do note though that it happened. regularly and they say that one of them. might have been for an ear infection. So. like maybe this animal medicine was like. the same as like the human medicine that. happens sometimes. He decided to use it. since like he already had access to it. It doesn't matter. Like it's still a. huge no no. >> Yeah. >> And they found out about this because. his ex-wife reported him for it. And.

there are more disciplinary actions. So, like there's a more recent one that. occurred in Florida where he practices. today. I don't know what that is though. We filed records requests for the. reports and as of now they're still. pending. But I don't like any of this. that's on the books for him. Still. though, friendly reminder that none of. these things prove that he's capable of. murder. Yeah, 100%. But if we're. spitballing theories, I'd like to remind. everyone that at least one set of. Joyce's keys were found inside the.

apartment that she shared with Bruce. >> Plus, if he worked at the college, would. he have had access to Steven's Hall? All. we can do now in 2026 is guess because. nobody seems to know for sure. But like, even if he didn't, does that matter? Because like we know Joyce is getting. through an unlocked window. anyone could. have gotten access to Steven's Hall the. same way she did. >> And I hear you on all the things that. are like suspicious, but there are holes.

in the Bruce theory. Like to me, it. makes a lot more sense that if something. happened involving him that it would. happen at the apartment. >> I mean, unless he followed her. >> Yeah. And I mean, to be fair, we still. don't know where she was killed. I just. like I can't get past the carpet being. taken from Steven's Hall, but there was. no blood on the missing carpet. It's. basically clean. And if the FBI is. correct about her being stabbed, like. wouldn't you expect blood? >> Though, even that is an if all these.

years later. I personally think that's. like a wrong determination that they. made. I know that's like a bold. statement, but it is an idea that. Sheriff Myers has already had before I. came along. Now, he doesn't know how. long Joyce was in the canyon before she. was found. what early investigators. called puncture marks or like that. looked like it could have been from a. knife, like stab wounds on the bones, he. thinks could be a sign of animal. activity instead. >> Oh, maybe she was killed in a way that.

didn't involve a messy crime scene. [music]. Like you would think if she had been. stabbed, there would be something on the. carpet. Even if like she wasn't killed. on the carpet, >> she would still be like bleeding out. There would still be like blood on her. that would get on the carpet. >> So, is it possible she died another way? Okay, then where did that happen? Is it. where her clothes ended up? Because they. never found those. They just found the. pair of slashed underwear that they. believed were hers. >> Could they test any of that for DNA?

>> I know the underwear got tested along. with like the blankets over the years, but so far they haven't gotten anything. meaningful from it. But, you know, new. tests are always coming available. And. it's not like they have zero evidence. Joyce's letters and diary pages that. investigators found at Stevens Hall have. always been a major key to this. investigation. They gave detectives a. unique glimpse into Joyce's personal. life in the days leading up to her. murder. And Joyce was detailed in her.

letters. There are names of several. people that I haven't even mentioned. that she was hanging out with that. summer. And one of those names jumps off. the pages at me and someone that I can't. stop thinking about. This is one of the. final theories I'll mention and that's. the Steve Sullie theory. So, you know. the letter where Joyce talks about Mark. strangling people? Yeah. How could I. forget? Well, in the very next. paragraph, she talks about Steve and she. says this. Steve Sullie is here this.

summer and has befriended me. He is. quite unstable sometimes and always. moody. However, he is going to become. initiated into TM this week, so he. shouldn't suffer too long. He is. directing a 4:15 communications class, which involves taping and filming. commercials, advertisements, news, skits, plays, etc. on TV. Because there. are no girls in the class, I have added. it for one credit and do nothing but.

goof off in front of the camera once or. twice a week. So Steve was shooting. Joyce in commercials for like a comm's. class and this made investigators. curious about him also curious if like. those commercials ever aired on TV or. like what happened but they couldn't. ever find commercials even though they. actually this is one of the things they. actually went looking for. Now that. doesn't mean they don't exist just that. it was a class project thing like is. kind of the sense that I get but like. they don't actually say that for sure.

But we dug into the case file and Steve. Sully comes up several other times. On August 10th, 1971, Steve Sully goes. to the police department to tell them. that he has Joyce's typewriter and he. wants to turn it in for safekeeping. Officers ask when he last saw Joyce. He. says July 21st. There's no follow-up. questioning about that last interaction.

Right. >> now, the next time Steve comes up is via. this phone call tip in the spring of. 1972, not long after Joyce's body was. found. The tipster says that they saw. Joyce on campus on July 19th, 1971 at. the student union. So, this is just like. a day or two before she goes missing. And they say that Joyce was talking to. Steve and Steve left. And Joyce and this. tipster walked to the library together. And Joyce quote appeared to be.

distressed. >> And the tipster said that she asked. Joyce like, "What is wrong?" And Joyce. said that she had gotten a letter from a. man that she knew and that he was coming. to visit her, but that Joyce was nervous. because [music] whoever this man was, she didn't trust him. And again, the. tips are saying she's visibly upset, but. she refused to identify this guy. Just. said that he would be around in a few. days. And to me, at least, it kind of. sounds like she's referring to someone.

else, like maybe uh like Mike Finch. It. doesn't sound necessarily like she's. referencing Steve. I think that's a fair. assumption, but I do think it's. interesting and worth mentioning that. one of the only tips in the case file. that says Joyce was distressed in the. days leading up to her disappearance is. one where she had just been with Steve. >> Like, what were they talking about that. made her visibly upset? And was Joyce. trying to make a cover story for like. what had her worked up? Because here's.

another interesting tidbit about Steve. Joyce's roommate, Bruce, tells police. during his interview that Joyce had. dated Steve sophomore year. And Bruce. says that not long before Joyce went. missing, Steve told Joyce that she was. quote the source of all his troubles and. that Steve had been trying to see Joyce. And this information makes police circle. back to Steve, only to find out, guess. what? He just up and quit school and.

moved away. This is April 1972 when. they're finding this out. Basically, the. report says that this guy named Jay. Foster told police that Steve quit. school, returned to his home in New York. like and this was about like 2 weeks. before the end of the fall semester. So, I want to be clear, it's not like he up. and left that summer. It was a few. months later, but that also means that. it's like while school is happening. It's not like at the end of the year, at. the end of a semester, it's in the. middle of the school,

>> right? So why now? It's not until 2. years after that that police sit down. with Steve. By then he has returned to. WSU. He is reenrolled in school. And he. says yes, he was shooting Joyce in. commercials for class, but he denies. that they ever dated. He says he was. dating another girl named Mary and. that's actually how he met Joyce. And he. says that the last interaction they had. on July 21st was at his apartment. And. he says that Joyce had been helping him. with some typing assignments at night. So she would like come over to the.

apartment with her typewriter, >> which explains why he had her. typewriter. >> Sure. >> Is his apartment anywhere near her car? >> His apartment was at 918 Harvey Road, so. it's not too far. It's like less than. half a mile away. It's like an 8minute. walk from. >> It's like basically a college campus, so. everything's like relatively close, but. not super close. >> But they ask Steve the important. question like, "Why did you quit school. back in ' 71? why did you like move. away? And he said that he moved away and.

withdrew because he ran out of money. He. also says like I guess he was thinking. about joining her meditation group but. like didn't do that because he was so. broke as well. Now notably absent from. the questioning of Steve is about that. tipster saying that Joyce was visibly. upset after she's seen talking to him on. campus on the 19th, >> which is frustrating, but at this point. doesn't surprise me. The case file. indicates that Steve then agrees to take. a polygraph that officers believed he. was being truthful and the end, but I.

can't find a copy of the actual. polygraph test in the case [music] file. Like everyone, we tried reaching Steve, but we haven't heard [music] back yet. Emily did reach his college roommate. from back then, Jay. He didn't really. remember Joyce's case, but he did. confirm for us that Steve lived with him. that summer on Harvey Road. He said that. Steve was a good guy, easy to get along. with, and he couldn't remember why Steve. quit school. However, he did not get the. sense that it was money related. Jay.

told us that Steve's girlfriend at the. time spent a lot of time at their. apartment, but he couldn't remember her. name. It was probably Mary. We also. tried to reach her, but no luck. I've. told you Joyce was murdered 55 years. ago. And I want to give credit where. credit is due. Usually when we cover. cases this old, especially when they. start as a disappearance, the theme of. the file is like, oh, you know, she. probably just like left on her own, walked away from her life, she's going. to join a hippie commune or whatever, especially in the 70s.

>> But investigators worked this case. pretty hard from the very beginning, long before her body was found, and long. before any modern technology was there. to help them. Jeriff Meyers told us that. if Joyce had been killed today or even. in like this decade, there is no doubt. in his mind that they would have caught. her killer. But somehow her killer has. gotten away with it. But they're not. giving up. They are constantly looking. for new evidence on old items and giving. new eyes to the stuff that has been.

there all along. There is so much to. this case. So many little pieces of. info, weird details. I could do a. limited series or write a book. I. literally could do another episode on a. whole new suspect that we found in like. the 11th hour in the case file. If you. want to, hit me up in the comments, but. I want to dissect all of it because I. know that the truth is in there. somewhere. I want to know more about. Mark's history. What was the big drug.

bust 2 years before? And I know I. mentioned the fact that Mike is. deceased. We believe Mark wouldn't get. in touch with us. Emily did try to get. in touch with Celeste by email and she. was supposed to call Emily, but as of. this recording, we have not heard from. her. >> I mean, I am extremely curious as to. what she would have to say. >> Same. I mean, other questions I have. like how did Joyce get to Steven's Hall. that night? Did she at all? And who all.

knew that she was going to be there? You. know, they spent a good amount of time. looking at the tile setter in this case, but there were two other contractors on. campus at one point with him. I mean, he. mentions them. And the only reason they. even knew about the tile setter at all. was because of the campus police officer. who just happened to see the tile. setter's car parked in Stevens Hall in. the middle of the night. By the way, there is a tip in the case file about. that guy. >> That guy, the campus cop? >> Yeah. The tip says that he was a suspect.

in a molestation case near Arts Hall. just a few months before Joyce went. missing. And then after Joyce went. missing, he up and quits the force. >> Okay, comments or not, I personally would like. a limited series on this. Do what? >> Do [music] not tempt me. There's also. this one strange detail that I thought. was weird. Like in the early days when. Joyce was a missing person, they. contacted the phone company to pull any. long distance calls from her apartment. >> I don't think they could get like full.

phone records, but they could see. longdistance calls back then. And they. make note that there was one call on. July 15th to a number in Moses Lake, Washington. Now granted, this is like a. week before, but they track this number. to someone named Russell Hansen. When. they call, his wife answers and she's. like, "I don't know Joyce. I don't know. Bruce." Like, "This is the call's coming. from their place. I don't know either. one of them." They never found out who. called that number. Now, it's a. disconnected number now. 5097629234.

We just get a disconnected tone when we. call it. So, I don't know what that. means, but the only other time that. Moses Lake seems to come up in the files. is when they went looking for Mike Finch. in 2013. He lived in Moses Lake. Then, I [music]. think the truth is still out there. And. thanks to Joyce's brother, Bruce Leage, there is still an active cash reward up. for grabs. A pretty hefty one. $100,000.

60,000 for information leading to an. arrest and another 40,000 if it leads to. a conviction. Joyce's parents have since. passed away. And Bruce Leage is now. leading the charge to get justice for. his sister, even doing a lot of his own. investigating. But the sad thing is he. told us that he's kind of given up hope. >> He isn't really expecting to ever find. out who killed his sister. Maybe we can help. So, crime junkies, if.

you know anything about the murder of. Joyce Leage, call the Whitman County. Sheriff's Office at 5093976266. [music]. and ask for Sheriff Brett Meyers. No tip. is too small. Or you can email us. tips@auudiochuck.com. Let's give Joyce's brother something to. hope for.