Joyce LePage: A Secret Dorm, an Abandoned Car and a Missing Student

Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley. Flowers. >> And I'm Brett. >> And the story I have for you today. starts almost 55 years ago. But don't. call this a cold case because things, even all these years later, are heating. back up. Everything centers around one. July night on the campus of Washington. State University. A co-ed and a big. swath of carpet go missing from a. residence hall that no one was supposed. to be in. where her car ended up, where. her keys are found, and where her body.

was left are all clues that point to. different people. There have been many. theories over the years, but six strong. ones remain. And maybe our sleuths out. there can help us see what is missing as. we try to figure out who killed Joyce. Leage. I'm about to take you back to a time.

that we and a lot of our audience have. only ever witnessed in the movies. The. early 1970s. Now, what you might know. about the time was that President Nixon. has just declared the war on drugs. Some. of the Pentagon papers are being. released. And many Americans are taking. to the streets to protest the Vietnam. War. For some, these issues were part of. the everyday fabric of July 1971. And. for others, they probably felt a whole. world away. Take for instance Joyce.

Leage, a 21-year-old farmer's daughter. in Eastern Washington whose focus that. summer was on young love, meditating, skydiving, and school. >> I'm sorry, Ashley. When are we going to. take our own advice and like stay out of. Washington for once? Listen, every time. we cover a case there, it leads to. another one, which is actually how we. found Joyce's story. So, [music] back to. the summer in 1971. Joyce is. subleasasing a room in an off-campus. apartment while taking summer courses in.

chemistry and German at WSU in Pullman, which is on the eastern side of the. state. Now, I've always said college. roommates are a coin toss. I found both. of mine on Craigslist. It's a story for. another day, but you're either going to. like be absolute best friends or you'll. want nothing to do with one another. There's not a whole lot of in between. I. actually had both. And for Joyce and her. roommate Bruce Beerbomb, they fall into. that second category, at least as far as. Joyce is concerned. She finds Bruce kind.

of annoying. So much so that she had. actually been avoiding sleeping at her. own place. In a letter scrolled in her. messy handwriting, Joyce explained to a. friend where she had been crashing. instead. [music] Steven's Hall is being. worked on this summer, so I have taken. over the building. [music] I play their. piano, watch TV, sleep, shower, even. bathe in there. It's my private hideaway. for the rest of the summer. It wasn't a. secret among Joyce's friends that she.

was spending time at Steven's Hall, but. concerns had been expressed about her. getting caught. So, she writes in that. same letter that she was taking. precautions. I even used their hidden parking place. that the police can't see from the road. Yesterday morning, a workman stumbled. upon me accidentally. I had spent the. night in the head resident's room. He. thought I was the head resident, I. guess, because he asked me if I knew. where the storm windows were, [music].

then apologized and left. This letter. isn't dated, so we aren't sure when that. worker stumbled upon Joyce's hiding. place, but it's not like she got kicked. out. The arrangement seemed to be. working for her. And on weekends, when. she could, she would try to go back home. to visit her family a few hours away in. Pasco, Washington. In fact, in another. letter written by Joyce in the case file. and dated July 20th, she wrote to her. family telling them that she would be. home that upcoming weekend for a.

doctor's appointment and to attend the. waterfalls, which was this like annual. boat race that the town put on. >> Love it. >> But before she hit the road, she had. skydiving lessons to attend. >> Would you mention skydiving before? And. I was like, >> I am telling you, Joyce was one in a. million. She was into writing, meditation. She played piano, loved. getting her hands dirty, like helping on. the family farm, and before skydiving, she took up flying. Like, she got her. pilot's license at 18 years old. So, she.

is no novice when it comes to aviation. And she was actually taking these. lessons alongside her friend, this guy. named Hal Wood. So, fast forward to. Thursday, July 22nd. This is just 2 days. after she sent her parents that letter. This is when Joyce and Hal had a lesson. planned. >> [music]. >> So Hal and his then girlfriend Patty hop. on their motorcycle. They ride over to. Joyce's apartment. >> Wait, her actual apartment or the dorm. she was like hiding out in. >> They meet her at the apartment. It's. just a few blocks away from campus and.

she's there and everything is good. They. all pile into Joyce's car, drive about 4. miles to the Pullman Moscow Regional. Airport for the lesson. After the three. friends go to Spruce Tavern in Moscow, they share a picture of beer before. heading back. So, it's about 10:00 p.m. when they pull up to her apartment. complex and they say goodbye to Joyce in. like the front yard area of her place. [music]. and that is where she is still standing. when they take off on their bike. And. this would become the last confirmed.

sighting of [music] Joyce Leage alive. and well. We really don't know anything. else about the rest of her Thursday. night after 1000 p.m. But this is what. we know about the next day, Friday, [music] July 23rd. At 8:22 a.m., campus. police get a call from a custodian who. is doing rounds at Stevens Hall where. Joyce had been crashing. And the janitor. says that there is this big piece of. green carpet in the lobby that has been.

cut out from the floor. And we're not. just talking like a little piece. This. is like a 5x5 ft swath. And the. contractors had no reason to remove it. Plus, if they did, they probably would. have used like precision cutting tools. This looks like somebody took a pair of. scissors and just like went to town. Yeah. >> So, they're calling to report this. basically as a burglary. Now, nothing. else besides the carpet is missing, but. they do find things that don't seem like. they belong there. this woven basket. type purse containing a headscarf, a.

German 350 textbook, and several cards. and letters from someone named David. Arthur to another person named Joyce. Leage. And there's even an unmiled. letter from Joyce back to David. Now, David Arthur is Joyce's boyfriend, who. at the time is back home in South Africa. for the summer. Obviously, he didn't. take their carpet, but they figure this. Joyce might know something since clearly. her purse is there in the building. >> So, police locate Joyce's address. They.

head to her apartment to question her. about the missing carpet. [music] But. Joyce isn't there. In fact, she ends up. being MIA to every scheduled thing she. had that day. a German class that was. scheduled from 10:30 to 11:30, another. skydiving lesson with Hal at 4:30, and. she supposedly had been entertaining the. idea of going to a dance in Oakdale, Washington with this guy named Mike. Finch. Mike was a friend of Joyce's that. she had kind of like she dated on and. off at some point. He's a teacher. He.

was like literally chaperoning like a. high school dance and had invited Joyce. as [music] his date. But Joyce was a. no-show to all of it. Her professor said. she didn't come to class. Hal says she. didn't show up for the lesson. Mike says. he waited and waited. Thought Joyce just. blew him off for the dance. Come. Saturday, Joyce also didn't show up to. her childhood home as planned. [music]. She missed the boat race and her eye. doctor appointment. Of course, her. family had no idea of all the things she. had already missed back at school. So,

they just tried calling her, thinking. maybe that her plans had changed, but. there was no answer. And Joyce was one. that didn't really talk on the phone a. lot to her family or really to anyone. very often. I mean, combing through her. letters, it seems like mail was her main. form of communication. So, her family. decided to kind of just wait a beat, see. if she showed up, see if she would call. with an explanation for her absence. But she didn't. And after a few more. days, her parents try calling her. apartment again. And this time, they at. least get a hold of her roommate Bruce.

But he said like they're basically ships. passing in the night. They don't really. see much of each other at all, >> which makes sense if she's been like. dodging him. >> Yeah. And he says that he hasn't seen. Joyce since the weekend before and he. doesn't know where she is. Now, when. Monday, August 2nd, comes and there is. still no word from Joyce. Her dad, Walter, calls campus police bright and. early to report his daughter missing. And first stop police make is again to. Joyce's apartment, but no one is home.

her light green 1966 Dodge Coronet that. her dad told them she had isn't there. either, which at first might seem like a. good sign. But by 1:15 that very. afternoon, after checking the local. hospital, after checking student health. center, and checking their own arrest. records without success, [music] they. locate Joyce's car parked at 1704 Opal. Street, right outside a fraternity. house, about 7ish blocks from her. apartment. People they talked to at the.

frat house say that the car has been out. there for like a week. There's even like. a parking ticket on the windshield dated. July 29th. So, it's for sure been there. at least 4 days, but likely more like. people are saying. But even though. people have seen the car a lot, they. haven't seen anyone around it. Now, the. car is locked up and peering through the. windows, officers only see some books. and papers, a wallet, some women's. shoes, nothing that screams foul play or. anything. But they do at least still.

have some analysts with the Washington. State Crime Lab come and process Joyce's. car right there on Opal Street. But the. report says that they don't find. anything. >> Not even fingerprints. >> That's the thing. So reports don't get. that specific. They just say that. nothing of significance was found. But. Whitman County Sheriff Brett Meyers, who. oversees the case today, he says he. doesn't think they dusted for. fingerprints. Okay, then why have it. processed at all if you're not going to. do that? What What does processing mean?

>> Yeah, like what are you looking for if. not at least fingerprints? >> I don't know. I assume they're like. looking for blood or like in her trunk. They're like looking for obvious signs. that something bad happened, but like. I'm with you. To me, this would be a. huge miss because the car just ends up. getting returned to Joyce's family. And. it's probably because investigators. don't know what they have on their hands. yet. I mean, this is weird for sure. They've got a co-ed who hasn't been seen. for almost 2 weeks, who lives on Oak.

Street, but whose car is parked on Opal. Street, but whose stuff is found inside. Stevens Hall, where a carpet went. missing around the time that Joyce was. last seen. But no one can say what it. means. >> I mean, a crime junkie could tell you. some ideas. >> And listen, it's not like they're. totally writing her off. I mean, they. launch an investigation and they. interview pretty much everyone. Joyce's. friends, her professors, roommates, boyfriends. And I think part of what. confuses them or the situation is that.

they get some one-off sightings of her. maybe being seen after 10 p.m. on. Thursday. So, it's like, you know, this. isn't normal, but is it sinister? Well, the more time that passes without. any word from Joyce and without any real. confirmed sightings of her, the more. they begin to believe that something bad. happened to Joyce at [music] the hands. of someone else. But what? Well, it took. nine full months before everyone got the.

answer that they were dreading. On April. 16th, 1972, a teenage boy and his mom. showed up at a police station in Kfax, Washington with some bones in tow. They. said that they'd been out in Hawaii. Canyon looking for gemstones when they. found what they think are human remains. And it is unbelievable that these were. ever even found. I mean, to recover the. rest, Whitman County deputies have to. tie a rope to the bumper of a patrol car. and like repel down a steep cliff to get.

to the location where the rest of the. bones are. >> Okay. How were the boy and his mom even. down there if the spot was so hard to. get to? >> I don't know if they both were. So, reports say that the teenager was the. one who actually found the remains. His. mom was like a higher up. So, I assume. this kid is just like young and nimble. and like climbed down easily. >> And mom is like on the edge being like, "I'm watching." Yeah, I know. >> But like that's how they got down there. How did this body, how did these remains. get down there, though? >> I wondered the same thing. And we asked.

Sheriff Myers, he actually volunteered. to like go out there with his drone and. shoot some photos and video for us that. kind of like give you a feel for the. area. And if you take a look, you'll see. there's this like canyon road, and. they're thinking that maybe someone. drove up there and then like pushed her. down the canyon to where she landed. And. I actually do like along with this drone. footage, I have some of the original. scene photos that the sheriff gave us as. well. And I know it's like kind of hard. to like know what you're looking at.

because they're in black and white. They're like film. They're pretty close. up, but like they're in the brush. >> Oh, is that is that the the carpet? [music]. >> That's the carpet. Yeah. When they get. down there, deputies do find a partial. mostly skeletal body wrapped in a green. carpet. Now Joyce isn't completely intact. anymore. Like the bundle of carpet that. she's in is found about 3 feet above a. seasonal creek. So between like that and. animal activity, I'm sure like some of.

her remains were found more scattered. >> And how far away is this from Pullman. and WSU? >> Close enough that I mean they know about. Joyce Leage because while this is a very. rural area, it's only like 25 minutes. southwest of campus. [music]. So people in these parts are well aware. that a student has been missing for the. better part of a year at this point. Now. they have to enlist the help of the FBI. and it takes some time but it's. eventually confirmed through dental. records that that was Joyce. What's left.

of her remains can't tell them how she. died definitively. But their best guess. at the time was that she was stabbed. because there were markings on some of. her bones that like look like they could. be knife punctures. But interestingly, if she was stabbed, it wasn't while she. was laying on that carpet [music]. because apparently there's no blood on. it. Her remains were also wrapped in. some blankets, including a military US. Army Medical Corps blanket, and none of.

that has blood on it either. Now, there's a pair of women's floral. underwear that they found too, either. like wrapped up in it or like somewhere. nearby. and the underwear had been like. sliced on either side. And the only. other item of evidence that they find is. this fishing wire like twine that was. like wrapped around the pelvis. Now this. obviously [music] is not the outcome. that the Leage family was hoping for, but in a way it is a relief. [music].

We interviewed Joyce's brother, Bruce. Leage, for this episode. Totally. different than her roommate Bruce. This. is her brother. And he told us by that. time, I mean, this is like nine months. out, like they had accepted [music] the. fact that Joyce was likely gone. And her. remains being found did allow them to. have a funeral and to grieve and to. celebrate who she was. This [music]. daughter, sister, friend. She was a. hardworking farm girl with a freaking. pilot's license who liked skydiving and.

listening to her favorite Stephenwolf. record and who by the way contained. multitudes because she was also studying. English lit and attending summer school. to be able to graduate faster. [music]. Her brother told us that if Joyce had. lived, she would have had a full life. He guessed as a teacher or maybe a. journalist or a pilot even and probably. a mom. Cuz just 2 days before she. vanished, Joyce wrote a letter to her. parents talking about a friend's baby. who had just turned 6 months old. And in. it, she mused that maybe someday she'd.

have a baby of her own. Like, who knows? She said the world felt like her oyster. But someone took all of that away from. her, from her family, from everyone who. loved her. And to this day, they've. gotten away with it, but not for a lack. of trying on the part of investigators. Because Joyce's case file is robust. I. mean, I could spend hours walking you. through every step they took, every.

person they looked at, every lead that. they ran down. Lots of it went nowhere. But after 55 years, there are several. theories that still carry a lot of. weight. And I think that says something. So, I want to walk you through the. different scenarios. and the six different suspects whose. names have endured [music] decades. Before I jump into the six theories that.

have lasted through all these years, let. me get something out of the way because. if I don't bring it up, I know the crime. junkies are going to come for me. The. boyfriend. So Joyce's boyfriend, David. Arthur, was for sure in South Africa. when she was murdered. No funny. business. He isn't even on the table. here. And he didn't hire someone or want. to take her out. Like from Joyce's. letters, it seemed like she was pretty. smitten with David. And actually, some. people even say that they were low-key. engaged to be married. So he had zero.

means, motive, opportunity. But there. was someone in Joyce's recent dating. history who had for sure two of the. three of those. Mike [music]. Finch, and he's the teacher guy who. invited her to chaperone the dance with. him that Friday night. He was supposed. to see her the very night that she was. likely killed. So obviously that's a guy. you got to look at. >> Yeah. But on top of that, police had. gotten a tip that said that Mike had a. habit of hanging around outside Joyce's.

chemistry lab and like disrupting class. so often that the teacher was about to. ban him from coming back. >> Also, he's like a grown man with a. career. Like what's he doing like. hanging around? >> Well, he's like he he's kind of a grown. man. So like he had done a stint in the. army and he had just graduated WSU like. the year before. So he's not like way. older than Joyce or anything. He's 27. Kind of a full grown man. Still, you. know, she's in her 20s, too. Anyways,

police interview Mike, who tells them. that he's known Joyce for 2 years. They. had gone out about 10 times. He says, in. the year or two before, so he knows her. pretty well. And he says that it wasn't. just the dance that they were supposed. to go to together. They were going to. spend the whole weekend together. So, he. says that he last saw Joyce on Thursday, July 22nd. He was on campus for some. reason and he asked Joyce to chaperone. this dance with him and then go to the. waterfalls thing together in Pasco. But.

Joyce didn't outright say yes. She said. like, "How about you call me tomorrow? We can like talk about the plans." But. he says he called the next day between. like 6:30 and 7:00, right? Like it's the. ' 70s. No one has you have to schedule. when to call somebody. [laughter] That's. when she said she would be home from her. skydiving lesson. >> But he couldn't get a hold of her. And. he makes a point that he called her from. a friend's place in Spokane. Except she. didn't answer. So he called her again. [music] and again, but all three times.

he never got in touch with her. And he. tells police that he went to the dance. on Saturday as planned. Chaperon thought. maybe she would like show up at some. point. So he waited, but Joyce never. showed up. So he sucked it up and went. along with weekend plans without her, which was to go to the waterfalls and. then go to Bellingham, Washington for an. a teachers conference where he said he. remained for like almost the whole next. week. But I don't know about this. Like. can I be honest for a second?

>> So [laughter]. in early iterations of like putting this. story together, the Mike Finch section. of this was actually like pretty short. It was like he called her. He went to. Waterfalls, drove to his conference, and. spoiler, even though he wouldn't take a. polygraph in the 1970s, he did take one. in 2013 and he passed. So, police don't. really consider him a suspect anymore. But I am a details gal. >> I mean, always go a little deeper. >> I don't know if you [laughter] know this. about me. Like, and not everywhere in my. life for sure, but like for case details. like. >> a thousand%. >> I don't care what the final line in the.

report says. I want to dissect. everything [music]. and I cannot make this man's timeline. make sense. Now, people before me kind. of chocked it up to the fact that Mike. was a drinker and I'll get more into. that in a minute. And they're also like, well, you know, like he didn't have a. calendar in front of him. Sometimes it's. a little unclear exactly like when he. left for Pasco, like was it Friday? Was. it Saturday? Even the dance, like. sometimes in the reports the dance reads. like it's Friday. Most of the time when. Mike's being explicit, he says the dance.

is Saturday. And determining what is sus. and what is typos in old reports is hard. because there's literally one part where. it says that he left for Pasco Saturday. morning at 1000 p.m. Ironically, not in. the morning, >> which cannot be correct. And on top of. that, I think everyone is like, oh, you. know, whatever. Like everything we're. talking about is Friday, Saturday. Like. Joyce was killed on Thursday, >> right? So like these days don't even. matter. But I think it could matter a. wholeing lot because here's what I've. pieced together. Mike's story changes.

and there's a lot of weird details in. between. [music] His first statement was. given to police on August 3rd, 1971. This is the day after Joyce is reported. missing. And the report [music] states. that in a phone call with police, Mike. says that he visited Joyce on campus on. July 22nd and invited Joyce to the. dance. They made arrangements for him to. call her at her apartment the next. evening to like make solid plans. But. the loose plan, he says, was for them to.

attend the dance and then drive to the. Tri Cities for the boat races. But Mike. says that when he called Joyce on the. evening of the 23rd, she didn't answer. He then waited around until like 1000. p.m. and she didn't show. So he says he. went to the boat races solo. And then. from there he drove to Bellingham, Washington where he attended a. vocational agricultural teachers. convention. When police interviewed Hal. and Patty, they're the ones who saw. Joyce Thursday night. They said that she.

was planning to go to the dance on. Friday. When they interview Joyce's. roommate, Bruce, he too knew about the. dance, which he said Joyce was planning. to go to on Friday. These are all people. who are being interviewed like the day. after she's reported missing. >> And Joyce is the one telling them all. this. Is she just mixed up? >> But why is Mike then saying that too in. his first interview? And someone from. the school ends up telling police that.

dances are always on Saturday, never. Friday. So, the mixup seems even more. strange to me. [music] So, then fast. forward to after Joyce's remains are. found, but before she's been officially. identified. They do a more formal. interview with Mike Finch. And his story. is a little different and has a lot more. details. And pay close attention to the. details. So he makes it sound a little.

more like he just happened to run into. Joyce that Thursday morning and he told. her he's going to the waterfalls and he. asked her if she like wanted to go down. because you know I'm already going. She. says yes. They make plans for him to. call the next day to verify. He does. from Spokane, Washington. He clarifies. this is the first time this comes up. He. says he calls from his buddy's place. there. She didn't answer. He tries her a. few times from Spokane. He wants to make. sure he mentioned that. >> Okay. Okay. And then he drives back to. his place in Oakdale and they go back.

and forth to verify like dates a little. bit. And they get back to the 23rd when. he called Joyce between 6:30 and 7:00. p.m. from. >> from Spokane, I'm sure. Right. Okay, we. get it. >> Then on Saturday, he says he didn't. leave for Pasco to go to the waterfalls. until really late, like 12:30 at night. I mean, technically Sunday, but before. he drove there, he just stopped by. Pullman to drive by Joyce's apartment.

>> What? He He Listen. >> Okay. Why? >> Listen, it's not totally out of the way, but you don't drive through Pullman to. get to Pasco. That's for sure. He said. he just passed, saw that all the lights. were off. It looked like no one was. home, so he didn't stop. I mean, or. everyone was asleep. It's midnight. Well, he's asked if her car was there. when he drove by and he's like, "Oh, I. can't really remember. Like, I wasn't. paying attention.". Anyways, he says from there he left. He. went to Pasco, but they do press him on.

something else that doesn't make sense. They say, [music] "Okay, so she's going. to ride with you to the waterfalls and. then you were going to go to that. teachers conference in Bellingham cuz. that is still part of his story here.". And he's like, "Yep." So they say, "Well, then how was Joyce going to get. back to Pullman for classes on Monday. >> if you were her ride?" Yeah. >> Yeah. And he's like, "Oh, like you know, get back. I guess I would drive her back. to Pullman and then I would drive to. Bellingham.".

>> And the timing and the geography of this. makes zero sense to me because if you're. looking at a map, you have Pullman like. all the way on the right. >> on the eastern part of the state. Pasco. is 2 hours southwest and Bellingham is. >> way up northwest, right? >> Way up northwest. Yeah. It's like. another 5 hours. So, it makes sense to. go from Pasco and the Waterfalls right. to Bellingham. It makes no sense, however, to drive back to Pullman and. then to Bellingham. Now, we do lots of.

things for love, but this wasn't his. girlfriend. I mean, maybe all the more. reason though cuz it feels like he's. like very into her. >> Like, I think there had to have been. something there, right? But like the. thing is he is saying to them that. they're just friends. Like yeah, they'd. gone out a few times before, but they. both decided it was mutual. They were. just friends. But like Mike like come. on. Come on. Like why else are you asking.

her to be your date to like spend the. weekend together. >> and hang around all of her classes all. the time when you no longer go to school. there? >> He Well, he did. He I think he was like. taking a summer class at one point. So, like he had a reason to be on campus, but but like he denied the accusation. about disrupting her chemistry class, but he did admit to hanging around. campus on occasion. For people in. Joyce's life who knew Mike Finch, opinions are mixed. Some say that he's a. big teddy bear. Others say he is crass.

when he drinks, which he does a lot. And. both can be true. >> I think both probably were true. Joyce's. friend Jan, who had also dated Mike, by. the way, is quoted in the case files. saying, "The more you knew Mike Finch, the less you liked him.". >> That's ominous, >> but there's no elaboration. She [music]. just said that when Mike was drunk, he. was very foul-mouthed beyond belief. Now, police [music]. also interviewed the principal at. Oakdale High, where Finch was an.

agriculture teacher. Lost art, by the. way. And the principal says that Finch. does a good job at school, but he said. it's no secret that he is a heavy. drinker. >> And if your boss knows you have a. problem, then sir, you might have a. problem. >> But he says the only time he's seen him. have a violent temper was when he was. sober, [music]. >> which okay, but that's not helping the. situation. But again, no elaboration. where I wish there was one. You know. what else? There is no mention of.

whether or not his alibis check out. And I should be clear like he doesn't. have an alibi for Thursday. Like the. real night in question because Friday. morning is when the carpet goes missing, right? >> She's found in the carpet. So presumably. she's already dead by Friday. For the. life of him, he cannot remember what he. was doing that [music] night. >> But he definitely knows the time he.

called her from Spokane when he left for. Pasco, >> where he stopped for gas. He knows all. the stuff about the following two days, but that particular night, nothing. They. did verify with that friend in Spokane. that Mike was there Friday night and. that he thinks Mike tried calling a. girl, but the guy says that Mike had no. special feelings for [music] Joyce. They. also tried to talk to someone at the. school to verify that Mike had. chaperoned the dance. >> Yeah. They confirm there was a dance on. Saturday, but the person they're talking.

to doesn't know if they kept records on. who was Shaperon because again, they're. not like really looking into this until. like a year out after her body's been. found. The guy says basically he's going. to have to check and get back to. detectives, >> but there's [music] no follow-up in the. file. >> Okay. Was he at the waterfalls? Did he. go to the conference? Like there's other. things. There's only there's mentions of. police like saying they want to find out. about these like a few years down the. line, but I don't see in the case file. where they ever got any answers. I do. see where they looked up his criminal.

history though, they found that he did. have public intoxication and resisting. arrest charges from 5 years before. And. interestingly, a few weeks after Joyce. vanished, Mike got into a rollover. accident while driving and he like. totaled his car. Now, back in the day, police asked Mike to take a polygraph in. Joyce's case. He initially agreed, but. instead he got an attorney and then. declined further participation, which. only makes him more suspicious to some.

investigators. Other things make them. suspicious of him, too. Like, remember. the military blanket that Joyce was. wrapped in? Mike was in the army. This. makes some investigators keep their. sights on him as the primary suspect for. years, though they never seem to be able. to pin anything on him. Now, there is a. moment though when they wonder if. they've got it all wrong. [music] And. that's in 1977.

after a certain Pacific Northwest serial. killer is arrested and begins confessing. to [music] murders of college co-eds. >> Enter one Theodore Bundy. His name is in. Joyce's case file as a person of. interest, but not until after his. arrest. So, he was first arrested in. 1975. And then in 1977, a tip made its. way to police that said Bundy had. supposedly stayed on WSU's campus the. weekend that Joyce was killed. But there.

was no way to prove that 6 years later. Also, people kept saying that there was. like VW bugs around campus, which like. some say lent credence to this series, >> right? Because Ted Bundy drove a VW bug, but so did everyone in 1971, >> literally including Mike Finch. So, >> okay, but isn't Joyce's case a little. early for Ted Bundy, though? >> Maybe. So, Bundy's first confirmed. killing was in 1974, but authorities. have speculated that he may have started. murdering people like in the '60s. So.

that leaves the door open. [music] And. because we're talking about a victim who. was like his profile type in the Pacific. Northwest, which was like a hunting. ground for him, >> his name, I think, will always come up. until they can rule him in [music] or. out. But if you believe the word of a. serial killer, it should be out because. before Bundy was electrocuted in 1989, he was asked about Joyce's murder and he.

denied any involvement. It's still totally possible that he was. involved, but of the few theories that. have survived, I think it's the least. probable, and Sheriff Meyers agrees with. that. Bundy would have had to have just. been like randomly passing through. campus late at night on July 22nd, 1971, >> right? Like it's much more likely it was. someone that Joyce knew. >> or someone who for sure knew where she. was going to be. >> So maybe for that reason, Mike Finch.

stayed on police's radar for a very long. time. They would try to revisit him, but. he pretty much stopped cooperating once. he got that lawyer. [music]. But just in 2013, they finally broke through. Mike agreed. to be reintered. And that time is when. he took a polygraph. And his memory then. as he is interviewed is a little bit. different. So by 2013, he's saying Joyce. asked him if he was going to go to Pasco.

for the boat races. And when he said. yes, she asked if she could hitch a ride. with him. He told her that's fine as. long as she could find her own ride back. because he had to go to that ACT. teachers conference the next day. This. time he doesn't mention calling her on. Friday, but he does say that Saturday he. drove to pick her up. She wasn't home, so he drove to the airport to see if she. was still at her skydiving lesson. >> Wait, what time is this? >> In this version, it's earlier. He says.

that when she wasn't there, he drove. back to his place in Oakdale because he. figured it was too early to go to Pasco. Remember before he said that he drove by. her place, then went like straight. there, like really late at night. >> So he says he drives back to his place, he waits around, has a couple of beers. outside his house with a local farmer. friend, and then he left. And he says he. didn't know he was a prime suspect all. these years. And all that time might. have warped his memories, as time tends.

to [music] do, but he still says he had. nothing to do with her disappearance or. murder. And he finally agrees to take. the polygraph, and he passes. Mike Finch [music] died in 2024, and. investigators today more or less. consider him [music] cleared. They can't. connect him to anything from the scene. and they can't put him with Joyce or. around Stevens Hall on Thursday, July. 22nd, 1971. So maybe it would be better [music] to.

look at someone we know for a fact was. near Stevens Hall that night, [music] a. man who police had on their radar when. Joyce was still just a missing person. The first indication that anything was a. miss on campus wasn't the report that. Joyce was missing. It was that report. that they'd gotten of the missing carpet. in Stevens Hall. [music] And while Joyce.

was an early suspect in the carpet theft. because her belongings were found in the. building, there was one other [music]. suspect, contract worker named Robert. Lauren Johnson, who was laying tile that. summer in what was then Arts Hall, which. is a building just like 100, maybe 200. yards from Stevens Hall. And it turns. out he was working late the night of. July 22nd and actually ended up working. until like 2:30 a.m. [music] and just. stayed the night there. Now, he became a.

suspect in the carpet theft because an. off-campus police officer saw his car. parked outside Stevens Hall in the. middle of the night. And the theory for. Robert in terms [music] of Joyce's. disappearance is that maybe after Joyce. said goodbye to Hal and Patty, she. [music] snuck to Steven's Hall like. she'd been doing on previous nights. We. know from Joyce's own letters that a. worker had stumbled upon her poaching. the head resident's bed. Who was that.

worker? Was it Robert? Was it someone. who maybe told Robert about it? Someone knew that she was there. More. than just the one incident she wrote. about in that letter because police. ended up hearing a rumor that had been. going around that one of the men working. in Arts Hall where Robert was laying. tile had reportedly been messing around. with a girl from Steven's Hall that. summer. >> And Joyce is literally the only one. staying in Steven's Hall. >> Exactly. But they were never able to.

determine where this rumor originated or. who it was about. I mean, yes, presumably Joyce, but who was the man? When police interviewed Robert, he said. he had nothing to do with Joyce's. disappearance. [music] He did admit that. he was working in the dorms that week, mostly by himself. And the only people. he saw was a security guard around 8:00. p.m. the night before. And then the. night of the 22nd, he saw a few. contractor buddies who came by from. another job after midnight and brought.

him a burger. He says they left at like. 1:00 a.m. He kept working until like 2. or 2:30. And because he was anxious to. get the job done, he just like slept on. the floor and then continued working a. few hours later when he woke up. worried. because a chunk of your night was spent. doing something else or. >> Well, Robert, who by the way was married. with kids, took and passed a polygraph. in the early days of the investigation. So, that [music] was pretty much that. There weren't really any red flags in. his background for them to like keep.

pursuing him for any reason. And then he. ended up dying just a few years later. >> Okay. [music] If if he wasn't involved. and he's up like all night working, >> most of them most of the night working. Wouldn't he have heard like screaming or. something? If Joyce had been attacked. like a hundred yards away if there was. screaming maybe. I mean, Robert talked. about hearing a party or like something. that night. So, it seems like sound. traveled there. And Sheriff Myers told.

us that you can like hear parties. happening from across town, especially. in the summer. But, I mean, we don't. know what happened. Maybe Joyce didn't. have a chance to scream. Okay, but she. had to have been attacked in Steven's. Hall, right? Like she's wrapped in the. missing carpet when she's found. I mean, to me, it seems like the most likely. scenario because I really don't know why. else you would go there and take the. carpet if you're not already there. >> I mean, might help to hide and transport. the body. Sure, but like I don't think. you kill her somewhere else, then go to. this hall, cut out a square of carpet.

Like there's no other way. >> And like go to this hall where she was. like kind of secretly known to have been. staying like that she was associated. with. And it was taken from the front. lobby of the building, right? >> No. Um, it was taken from it's they. called it the lounge, like this hangout. area of the [music] building. There's. actually this handdrawn diagram of the. room in the case file. It doesn't give. like precise details, but our producer. licensed some old photos from WSU of the. interior. And one of them shows the room.

with a piano in it. And like we know. from her letters like she would go she. would play piano. So, like I I don't. know. Like it just seems like something. happened in that room where she was. known to hang out. And this room is like. a decent size and it is kind of at the. front entrance on the main floor. [music] But listen, we know Joyce got in. and out of the building through a window. in the head residence room where she was. sleeping. Okay, but like we know she's. staying there. She has a way in and out. kind of. How would Robert have gotten. into Steven's Hall? I mean, like, I.

don't know if he had a key or anything, but like he could have gotten in the. same way she did. Like, she's sneaking. in through a window. Anyone could have. snuck in the same way she's getting in. Or she could have let someone in. But. there are a couple of things that make. sense for a suspect like Robert. Someone. who maybe had opportunity, but not like. a deep motive or history with the. victim. So, like, hear me out. >> So, the place is what would tie him to. Joyce, right? like he can't untangle. himself from the dorms. People know he.

was there. Yeah, he had scheduled work. to get done. >> So, he would have to remove Joyce from. the place. Her body can't be found. there. Her car cannot be found there. You need people looking elsewhere for. her. But maybe you don't know her enough. to know that she told a lot of people. about staying there. Like, you don't. know her enough to know that her books. and letters are still there in the. building. >> Well, and I kind of forgot about her car. being moved. Well, technically we don't. know that it was moved, but if we. believe that she went to Stevens Hall.

herself and then she was killed in. Stevens Hall, then yeah, how did her car. get outside that frat house? >> And what was the parking situation like. back then? Like, was that just a good. spot? So, she didn't like draw attention. to the fact that she was squatting there. like. >> No. No. So, if you like picture a. triangle, her car is like at the top, her apartment is like the bottom left, and Steven's Hall is bottom right. So. [music] it's not like you drive past it. or it's like on your route driving. there. >> Mhm. >> So to me that like that doesn't make. sense for like a place to park.

>> for her to like store it there. >> Even if she's trying to get people not. to see her just like I don't I don't. know. It doesn't make sense. But since. there are no mention of processing. fingerprints when they found the car, we. don't know if someone else drove it. there. >> But there actually is the option that. she did. I mean, she could have because. her car location is actually what leads. us to the next [music] theory, the. meditation group. Because even though. Joyce didn't know anyone at the frat.

house, she did know a group of people. just a couple houses away [music]. actually. And she was planning on moving. into that house right before she died. And the people in that house, one of. them at least, has a dark secret that. Joyce recently learned about. And she. had shared it in a letter to a friend. I discovered that one stayed at a mental. institution for trying to strangle. people.

That's next week in part two of Joyce. Lee's [music] story, but you can listen. to that right now if you are a part of. the Crime Junkie fan club. Just go to. crimejunkie.com. to join. Otherwise, we'll see you next. week.