What Did the Attacker Leave Behind in Bill and Peggy Stephenson’s Home?

Hi Crime Junkies, I'm your host Ashley. Flowers. >> And I'm Brit. >> And the story I have for you today is a. case that haunts everyone who touches. it. The kind of case that most. detectives only ever see once in their. career. It's become local lore around Boone. County, Kentucky. Once word leaked that. there could be ritualistic elements to. the murder of a retired couple in their. home, you can just imagine the rumors. that spread. Even more so in the void of information.

left by police. [music]. They have been incredibly tight with the. details about this case. But today, [music] for the first time, they're sharing some. never-before-released case information. with us. Including the crime scene evidence that. has recently led them to a man out west. And now, investigators believe that they. may finally be closer than ever to. solving the murder. of Bill and Peggy Stevenson.

May 29th, 2011 is a hot Sunday in. [music] Florence, Kentucky. And that's. also Memorial Day weekend. Many people. have the next day off, so their Sunday. routines [music] are changing a bit. Family get-togethers, a day at the lake, maybe a road trip to get out of town. But not for Beth [music] Victor. Because. even though she plans to take her. daughter to do some shopping to. celebrate her graduation, they're still. going to church first. Sunday [music]. always means church for their family.

That was ingrained in Beth by her own. parents, Bill and Peggy Stevenson. But when Beth and her family take their. [music] seats in the pews, her. 74-year-old parents aren't there. And. she knows that something is [music] up. immediately. Bill's a deacon, and Peggy. plays the organ. They are there every. single Sunday, [music] like clockwork. So when the service starts, it's not. just Beth who is like looking around. trying to see what's going on. The whole. congregation notices their absence. And.

I can imagine Beth just like sneaking. glances at the door expecting them to. sneak in at some point during the. sermon. >> [music]. >> But they never do. And after it wraps up, people are coming. up to Beth asking if she knows anything. [music]. And this is when she learns that it. wasn't just this service that was. missed. So her dad Bill had this. >> [music]. >> like truck stop ministry where he gave. church services inside an old truck. trailer earlier in the morning. And a.

few of his church friends volunteered. there as well. And they said that Bill. didn't show up to that either. Beth spoke to her parents the day before. at her daughter's graduation and they. were fine. But clearly something. happened between now [music] and then. So she asked her husband Claude to stop. by her parents on his way home since. she'd already promised her daughter that. she was going to take her shopping. No. problem, right? So he heads over to their condo complex. Claude lets himself into the building's. main entrance [music] and makes his way.

to the front door of their unit on the. first floor. But when he knocks, no answer. He tries again, still nothing. [music]. So he walks around to the back of the. condo building because there is a. sliding glass door that opens directly. from their unit to the outside. And he. notices [music] that the screen door is. closed, but it looks like the glass door. isn't. So he reaches for the screen. expecting it to be like latched, but. that just slides right open. And there. are these moments [music].

when life splits into the before and the. after. And that sliding screen door. opened up the world of after for him and. their entire family. Because what Claude saw that day was so. brutal that it haunts him in a way he. can't even describe. [music] I mean, literally. Beth told us that even 15. years later, he couldn't bring himself. to tell us about [music] what he saw. He. declined to speak with us for this. episode. But, we know what he went through.

because he would later tell police after. [music] he called them instantly. And he. knew without a doubt when he walked into. that condo that [music] Bill and Peggy. were dead. It was Detective Coy Cox from the Boone. County Sheriff's Office who arrived. [music] at the Stevensons condo just. before 3:00 p.m. that afternoon. And he told us when he walked through. that sliding [music] back door, what he. saw was what he calls a 1% kind of. crime. The kind of case that you get. once in a career if [music] you ever get.

one like this at all. He says Bill and Peggy are in [music]. two separate rooms. One is right by the. sliding door, and the other is in a back. room of the four-bedroom condo. And. there are multiple wounds on both. [music] bodies. So many that the first. word that comes to Detective Cox's mind. is overkill. But the part that's really. haunting is that Detective Cox said they. were posed in strange positions. And.

household [music] objects were arranged. around them in very specific ways. >> Like how? >> That's the thing [music] I can't tell. you because I don't know. Detective Cox couldn't share a lot of. details [music] about the scene because. this is still an open case. He wouldn't. tell us how the things were around them. or what pose they were in or anything. [music] about their exact types of. wounds. Though he did note that there. was at least one. >> [music]. >> that was made postmortem.

But he would talk to us in like a. broader sense about the other things. that he saw in the [music] condo, like. the fact that nothing valuable seemed to. be missing. But in every [music] single room, he. says, things are off. Like household items. were moved or changed in strange ways. [music]. >> And like just as like a hypothetical, he. compared it to like opening the fridge. and like finding a pen among the. condiments. Stuff just like isn't where. it should be. >> Right. Like in a way that stands out. He. also said that some of the items had.

markings on them [music] that may have. been left by the killer. And that the. items seem to be connected to specific. [music] family members or friends. And. that like the way that they were. arranged seemed like the killer was. indicating who they liked and who they. didn't like. And there is [music] something about all. of these markings and items and their. positions that is giving those that are. there at the scene this feeling of. [music] something ritualistic.

Now, whether this was genuinely a ritual. killing or if the purpose of the like. staging and all of that was just to make. it look like one, >> [music]. >> they don't know. But either way, to Detective Cox, it. seems like whoever did this was [music]. trying to leave some kind of message. And to do that, the killer had to. clearly be in the place [music] for a. while. Actually, as they process the scene. further, investigators are able to. confirm a lot about the timeline. [music]. One of the victims, I guess had a.

medical device that recorded the exact. time of death, which Detective Cox told. us was sometime in the early hours of. that Sunday [music] morning. Plus, investigators find a quote timed. device indicating that the killer was. there for as many as 8 hours or they. like left and came back again. >> Like some kind of security system? Like. the time device? >> This is again, he wouldn't get more. specific other than saying it was a. timed [music] device. But Bill and.

Peggy's daughter, Beth, did speak with. us and she said that her parents didn't. have an alarm system installed. So like. I can answer that question. I know it. wasn't an alarm system. Whatever this was, it confirms for. police. >> [music]. >> that the killer was in that condo for a. very long time. >> And there's no way the killer was there. for that long, like. 8 hours and didn't leave some piece of. themself behind. >> Oh, not a chance. And they do find, as. they're processing, like a good amount. of forensic evidence.

>> [music]. >> Actually, DNA and a partial print. The question is, >> [music]. >> what belongs to the killer and what did. their killer just want [music] them to. find? Because Detective Cox told us that. from the very beginning, he doesn't think that he walked into the. [music] original crime scene. He thinks. he walked into the scene that the killer. or killers wanted him to find. So, he's. not completely certain that the evidence.

wasn't [music] planted by the killer. Now, he specifically said that the. partial print was in a very specific. place at the crime scene that Detective. Cox told us only the killer or killers. could have left it. >> [music]. >> But it might not be the print. Like, based on some carefully worded. follow-up, it seems like maybe this. partial print. >> [music]. >> could have been introduced to the crime. scene somehow. Like, maybe on some kind. of like item [music] that the killer.

brought in or something. I don't know. So, we have evidence, and [music] it seems. like it should belong to the killer or. killers, but they won't know for sure. until they can match it to someone. >> Right. >> The DNA is actually good enough for. CODIS, but they put it in there, no. hits. Now, the partial isn't completely enough. for AFIS. It's only usable for direct. comparison. But Detective Cox is not. about to just like sit and like hope. this thing or like the killer just like. comes to him, right? He makes sure that.

they mail out copies of that partial. print to crime labs in all 50 states, [music] and they ask them to compare to. their own databases hoping that someone. somewhere will uncover a match now or in. the future. As you can imagine, that's going to take. some time. And [music] so they had to. focus on other investigative means. >> But I'm waiting for you to bring up like. witnesses because someone. someone had to have seen this guy in the. complex at some point during all of this.

time, right? >> Not not really. They canvassed the condo. like neighbors or whatever. Like one. says that they heard a sound that was. like like a broom hitting the wall and. then another reports a car parked. outside the condo around the time of the. murders and says that they saw the. headlights go off. But Cox says that. they never found the driver. So like. without that without the license plate. like that lead didn't go anywhere. >> [music]. >> I mean I personally think that whatever. happened to them probably happened. quick. I mean just just because it was.

so quiet and like TBD the hour, it could. have been while all of the other. neighbors were sleeping. Then all of that staging stuff, I mean. the stuff that really would have taken. the time, that's quiet, that's happening. inside. [music]. Like that's not going to draw a ton of. attention. So with no helpful witnesses, Detective. Cox looks closer [music]. at the most bizarre piece of evidence. Those arranged household [music]. objects. He wants to know if everything. they found at the crime scene actually. belonged to Bill and Peggy. Is it just.

all moved around or did the killer. actually bring something and introduce. it to the crime scene? [music]. So Beth told us that they actually. described the objects to her and her. siblings asking like, does this belong. to your parents? Have you seen this. before? [music] They asked them about. all kinds of household objects, kitchen. items especially, like things that would. have been sitting in drawers or. cabinets. And at one point she remembers. them asking about a [music] plastic. pitcher, like the kind that you would. make sweet tea in or something like.

that. But here's the problem. Even like the. family doesn't always know the answer to. that. >> Yeah, I was going to say like I don't. know everything in my parents' house. anymore. Like I there's like specific. things I can think of. >> That I know they still have. Like and. yeah, when I was a kid and I lived in. the house, maybe probably I could have. told you every single item, but I have. no idea now what my mom and dad have. And that is basically what Beth has to. tell detectives. >> So, another dead end. >> Yeah, and what's more frustrating than. not being able to tell them what does or. doesn't belong in the house is that none.

of Bill and Peggy's family members can. even suggest [music] a motive for this. crime. Everyone police talked to says. the same [music] thing about them. They're kind, they're generous, they're. active in their church, and they. >> [music]. >> help people. It's kind of as vanilla as. it comes. They're high school. sweethearts, married for over 50 years. [music] Peggy was like pretty shy, mostly stayed at home. Bill was the. social butterfly of the two. He's always. out and about. But the two loved each.

other. There were no big money problems. that the couple was facing, no like. seedy [music] side life that they kept. from their closest friends and family. So, if Bill and Peggy have no obvious. enemies in their day-to-day life, Detective Cox has to look at the part of. Bill's life where he constantly was. interacting. >> [music]. >> with strangers. And that would be at that truck stop. ministry I told you about. It's where. Bill spent the majority of his time. It's basically like this chapel inside a.

trailer, like the kind that would be. pulled by a semi-truck. Apparently, it. still had the wheels on it and. everything, but the inside were like. some pews and a piano. And on Sundays, they would open the doors and do a. service for the truckers there at that. local truck stop, like people who were. in town. But that's the thing, the truckers. themselves were not local. >> Right. >> People come and go constantly. Truckers. from all over the country just making a. pit stop, you know, the day that they.

would be in Kentucky and then like the. next day they would be hundreds of miles. away. And that is exactly what has made. tracking down their very first person of. interest so difficult. Detectives have a face. [music]. They have a video in fact of a mystery. man who seemed to be looking for Bill. outside the chapel just two days before. he and Peggy were found dead. >> In the parks and forests you love, there.

are stories waiting to be told. I'm. Delia D'Ambra, the host of Park. Predators, [music] a true crime podcast. that reminds you sometimes the most. beautiful places hide the darkest. secrets. Listen now wherever you get. your podcasts. >> On Friday, May 27th, witnesses saw a man. walk up to the trailer chapel and start. just banging [music] on the door yelling. for Bill. Now, from what they can gather, Bill was. likely on site when this happened, but.

nobody actually saw Bill open the door. or interact with this guy. >> [music]. >> And there was no security footage from. where this trailer is. But, there is footage from inside the. truck stop from around [music]. the same time frame. And Detective Cox. finds someone on it who matches the. description that witnesses [music] gave. >> So, no one knew this guy? >> No, no one at the truck stop. And when. they show this image to Bill and Peggy's. family, they don't know this guy either.

Which means that he is likely a trucker. >> Right, and now could be anywhere. >> Anywhere, cuz it took them some time to. find this. So, within 24 hours of. collecting [music] this footage, even. though it's later, the Boone County. Sheriff's Office puts out a press. release with a still [music]. image from the video saying that they're. looking for this guy and he is a person. of interest. And soon, [music]. the tips start pouring in from obviously. all over the country. At one point, a. man in Georgia even comes forward saying.

that he thinks that [music] he might be. the guy in the photo. But when. investigators check his truck logs, there's no way that he could have been. in Boone County at the time frame that. they're like looking for. So, he's not. their guy. And Detective Cox ends up. traveling to 18 different states [music]. checking tips out related to this. He's stopping trucks. He is tracking. people down. He is comparing names from. the Chapel logbook. And to this day,

that guy has still never been. identified. [music]. Which it's kind of weird to me that he. hasn't like. come forward on his own. Like the first. like that one guy who was like, "Hey, like could be me. I don't know.". >> also kind of weird that like you. to be to think it might be you and it. not be you is like. >> But also, if it's if you think it's you. and you're like, "Hey, I want to make. sure you know this is a dead end." Like. coming forward right away makes sense, but [music]. But he I just keep thinking like maybe. cuz there right the one option is like, "Oh, there's something shady." Whatever. But the other option is like maybe the. word just hasn't gotten [music] to him.

So, like he's likely not a local. So, like that's a benefit of a show like. ours. Like I know that we have some. long-haul trucker crime junkies. We met. you on tour. >> [laughter]. >> I need them to [music]. start spreading the word. I'm actually. going to post this guy's picture on our. blog post. I'm going to put it up on. social media. So, it's like good and. shareable. >> Yeah, and like I used to work in. transportation. I used to work with. truckers. Like they are a network of. resources and information. They are so. intertwined and like keep each other.

informed about things. Like this could. be huge. >> Yeah, so it would be great if they could. help us find this guy. But here's the truth of it though. He. might not have any relevant information. about this [music] crime even because. it being a random trucker would explain. why we can't find the killer. >> Right. >> But it explains almost nothing else. Like Detective Cox says that he just. cannot square like this idea that like a. random killer would leave this. >> [music]. >> crime scene. The arrangement of the.

items, the comfort that the killer had. spending [music]. time in the condo. To him it feels personal. And there is another problem with the. trucker theory. [music]. Peggy didn't really have much to do with. the Chapel ministry. It was like Bill's. thing. So if someone there had it out. for him, you would think it would be about him. and not Peggy. >> Yeah. >> And if that was the case, Detective Cox. said that there would be like way less. risky ways to just [music] get Bill. I. mean,

the truck stop chapel itself was pretty. private. There was like or or at least. when no service was going on, right? >> Right. I mean, maybe. >> [music]. >> like the killer wouldn't have enough. time to do what he wanted to do, like to. spend with him though. >> I still just don't understand why you. bring Peggy into [music] it at all. though. I mean, I I I guess unless you. it was all about the time and you knew. that she would notice if he didn't come. home or whatever. But like. on the flip side of that, if this were a. stranger who was targeting Peggy for. some reason.

>> Oh, like the other way around. >> Other way around, I think about like. she's in the home all the time alone. without Bill while he's out doing his. mission work. >> So on that side, like why bring Bill. into it? >> Detective Cox keeps coming back to this. idea that. he thinks whoever did this wanted both. Bill and Peggy dead. >> [music]. >> Which brings him back to the people. closest to them. Family. And I know I told you that early on the. family couldn't think of anyone who. would want to kill them. That is true. But grasping at straws, like if they had.

to think of somebody, they did throw out. one name. Bill and Peggy's nephew, [music]. Charles Stevenson, who goes by Stevie. >> And why would they pull out that name? >> If anything, they say. it has to do [music] with money. So, like 5 years before this in 2006, Bill's brother passed away and Bill was. the executor [music] of the will. Stevie got nothing. He wasn't even named. in the will. But, like also it wasn't.

his dad that died, it was his uncle. And. it wasn't like a huge inheritance or. anything. [music]. But, again we're just like grasping. here. They're like, "Maybe Stevie. thought that Bill and Peggy had cut him. out of some money that he felt he like. was owed or like money that he really. needed." Because what was fact is that. Bill and Peggy's kids, [music] they have. three, including Beth, say that Stevie. had some problems with money. Like he'd. borrowed money from family members in. the past. [music]. >> But, in this scenario he like.

his uncle dies, he waits 5 years, and. then. kills Bill and Peggy? >> Like I said, we're grasping here. It is. It is a stretch, but early in the. investigation Detective Cox was open to. >> [music]. >> anything. Like you never know what's. going to be important later. So, he had. interviewed Stevie [music] and he'd. asked him about his money issues. And Stevie admitted that he owed some. people money, but he was insistent. [music] that he didn't kill his aunt and. uncle. He was cooperative. He submitted his.

fingerprints [music] and his DNA. voluntarily. And when they were compared. against the ones found at the crime. scene, no match to either thing. But, remember. >> [music]. >> Cox is not convinced that he can totally. trust the forensics that they found at. the scene. If there is a world where. they were planted by the killer, then. you can't really rule anyone [music] out. completely. So, Detective Cox doesn't fully close. the door on [music] Stevie. Not that. he's actively pursuing him or anything. Just like if something comes up that.

gives him a reason to take another look. at the guy, he [music] would. And. another reason does come up in April of. 2012. That's when Detective Cox gets this call. out of the blue from the [music] Indiana. State Police. They're investigating a. murder and their prime suspect only. wants to talk to Detective Cox. It's. Stevie. He's being looked at in connection to. the killing of a 67-year-old woman named. Lee Jennings. Now, Lee was found beaten to death at.

her house in Aurora, Indiana, which is. only like half hour away from Florence, where Bill and Peggy lived. And the. murder weapons were a pepper grinder and. a skillet. [music]. >> Which are kitchen items. >> Mhm. Indiana police are looking at. Stevie because he was dating Lee and had. been borrowing money from her. But. [music] this time she said no and the. next thing you know, someone kills her. and steals a thousand dollars from her. house. What's so weird is when Stevie is in.

custody, he will not talk about Lee, [music] but he tells the Indiana State. Police that he will talk to Cox about. Bill and Peggy. >> Like. >> [music]. >> he wants a deal? >> No, this isn't about a deal and this is. what is so weird to me. Like he he just. said I'm not going to talk about this. thing, but I'll talk about this other. thing all day. And when Cox goes to him, it [music] seems like he gets no more. information from him than he did when. they first spoke. He's basically like, I. had nothing to do with my aunt and. uncle's murders. I'll answer [music] any. questions you have.

But his answers don't like help their. investigation. He has the same alibi he. always did, which by the way, was never. a great one. Stevie says that he was. home asleep in [music] bed at the time. that Bill and Peggy were killed. And investigators are able to find. people who saw him earlier in the night, [music] people who saw him the next. morning, but during the actual window. when Bill and Peggy were murdered, Stevie is basically his own alibi. So, [music] they don't get any new info, but they do get new DNA and fingerprint.

[music] samples. Not because there was. anything wrong with the original like. 2011 sample he gave. Back then, Stevie. gave like a standard, I guess, 10. [music] fingerprint thing or whatever, and investigators wanted palm prints and. like other parts of the hand, too. [music]. Still, they just want to be safe. They. run it all again against the Stevenson. crime scene just to be extra, extra. sure. Because like. what are the odds that one person that. people name ends up getting charged with. murder, but like not that murder,

but this one. Like but still, it doesn't. matter. Stevie still [music] doesn't. match. in the Stevenson case, that is. But in May 2012, Stevie is charged with. Lee Jennings' murder. And eventually, he. is convicted of that and sentenced to. life [music] in prison. And while Stevie. is behind bars, Detective Cox keeps. interviewing him, pressing on his. supposed alibi, >> [music]. >> but he's not getting anywhere. So, Detective Cox goes back to the. drawing board.

When a case like this goes unsolved for. [music] weeks and then months, every time a promising lead goes. nowhere, I think it's easy to question. yourself a little bit, right? Like. did I make the wrong assumption? It seems like they knew their killer, but like okay, maybe they didn't. This. seemed like a staged crime scene, but. maybe it wasn't. >> [music]. >> No one has like ritual experts just. hanging around by the office water. cooler to ask. So, for the first [music]. year, nothing was off the table. Ritual.

killing included staged to look like. ritual killing, like they were open to. any [music] possibility. But finally, in. the fall of 2012, Detective Cox decides. that he needs some fresh [music] eyes on. this. People who have seen the 1% crime. scene over and over again. Someone who. can like cut through the noise. So, he calls in the Vidocq Society, which is this, you know, professional. club of sorts made up of former like. >> [music]. >> law enforcement forensic specialists, and they volunteer to help with unsolved.

cases. And they're pretty selective. about the cases that they take on. [music]. But when they hear about the Stevenson's. case, they're all in. So, Detective Cox goes to their. headquarters in Philadelphia, which is. like this wooden-paneled room in this. crazy Renaissance building, like right. out of Sherlock Holmes. >> [music]. >> And there's about a hundred people in. the room who Detective Cox and his. partner have to present to. And they. don't just give them the glossy overview. that we got. They share all of the weird. and perplexing details of the crime.

scene. And the Vidocq Society comes back with a. very strong [music] read. They say that. this was not a genuine ritual killing. The ritual elements at the crime scene. were probably staged. And over the. years, as Detective Cox has consulted. with other agencies, like the [music]. FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, he. continues to hear the same thing. Listen, we know so little about this. crime scene that I had to know what.

would lead an expert to even a. conclusion like that. >> do we even get there? >> In general, right. So, we talked to Dr. Don. in ritual violence and symbolic crime. scenes. Now, she can't say whether she. actually consulted on the Stevenson's. case or not, but she did tell us a. little bit about how she looks at any. crime scene that might be ritualistic. What she's looking for mostly, she says, is consistency. >> [music]. >> Like, do the symbols make sense together?

Do the objects match [music] the body. positioning? Does location matter? Does the timing. matter? Is there a coherent pattern? So, there must not have been those. elements for everyone to have come to. the same conclusion. [music]. But interestingly, she did share. something about what is publicly known. about the Stevenson's case already. She said that when you're talking about. a sophisticated double homicide [music]. with a lot of positioning, arranging,

time spent at the scene, that goes beyond what someone needed to. commit the crime. [music] And in her. experience, that means it's usually not someone's. first time. >> And this [music] seems specific enough. that if there were other crime scenes. like these, like. investigators [music] would know about. it right now. Like. That's what would be the evidence. >> Because this case, like the details have. been entered into ViCAP.

Tipsters have tried making connections. over the years. I mean, like to fast. forward in our story a little bit, the. first time I heard about the Stevensons. case was after the Delphi murders. >> [music]. >> Cuz there were rumors about ritualistic, like how the scene was set up there. >> Right. And so, like by then, there were like like certain things had. come out about the Stevensons case that. like again, this idea of ritualistic, the rumors are running wild. Delphi had. rumors like that, too. So, people. started sending Detective Cox tips. He. checked those out. in that case and others, but like it was.

a bust. >> Which. >> [music]. >> really proves that this is like a 1%. case. >> And nothing is making sense. >> Right. Like this doesn't seem like it's. the killer's first time, but also. >> [music]. >> nothing else looks like this. >> And and there's overkill and seemingly a. personal connection, but like no one. with a personal connection like has a. motive to do this. >> And the DNA and the fingerprints seem to. belong to a ghost because we cannot. connect them to. >> [music]. >> literally anyone. >> Well, not so fast.

There was a ton that Detective Cox. couldn't [music] share with us to. protect the investigation. >> Mhm. >> But the thing he did give us. was one huge [snorts]. scoop. A development in this case that. we're breaking for the first time. They recently [music]. got a match on the partial fingerprint. from their crime scene. And you are not. going to believe how this happened or. what has unfolded [music]. since.

In June 2023, 12 years after Bill and. Peggy's murder, a call comes into the Boone County. Sheriff's Office. [music]. Remember those fingerprints that. Detective Cox mailed out to all 50. states looking for a match? A lab technician is on [music] the phone. and she has finally made a match. When Detective Cox sent out those. fingerprint cards to all 50 states back.

in 2011, he asked technicians all over. the country to run them against their. own databases in case there was ever a. match. Now, with a partial like that, you can't just like set it and forget. it, either. [music] Your search is. basically only good like as a one-time. search [music] comparing against the. database as it is in that moment in. time. So, Cox obviously like hoped that they. would all keep the prints, run and rerun. them, but he never got a single call. about them for [music] over a decade.

Honestly, by 2023, he didn't know if any. of the states still hung on to them. But you just [music]. need one. And one day, Cox gets this [music] out. of the blue call from a lab tech out. west. Pretty much everything is west of. Kentucky, but that's all he'll say, a. western state. [music]. And this lab tech said that she had. heard about Bill and Peggy's case from a. podcast [music]. and she wanted to do her part to help.

So, she printed out a copy of the. fingerprint card and kept it at her. station as a reminder to keep rerunning. those. >> [music]. >> every so often. And she put in the work. Every time new. print came into their system, she would. manually check it against the print. [music] from the Stevenson case. Print after print, year after year, >> [music]. >> until one time, in 2023, when everything changed. It was the. print.

I would have given anything to talk to. this woman. Like, what is the moment. that you realize that you have? Like, this is a one-in-a-million shot, and. like, you did it. And Detective Cox says. that this is the exact reason that he. makes it a point to talk to not just. local media, but podcasts like ours that. can spread information far [music] and. wide. He says that you might not get. that big tip the day it airs, but you may get a phone call, >> [music]. >> even years later,

that changes everything. And that's the phone call he got. And. this wasn't just like a, "Hey, we have a. matching print." It was, "Hey, I have a. matching print, >> [music]. >> and I can tell you who it belongs to.". Now, Detective Cox won't share the name. with [music] us. He is since retired, but he's still the. one that knows so much about this. [music] So, we even reached out to the. current detective on this case. Cuz I. wanted to know, like, was the print. Like, was there another crime committed?

Was. >> What can you tell us about this print? >> Yeah, like, don't tell me about him, but. like, what can I know about the print? And all that the current detective would. tell us is that the prints weren't. [music] on file from any previous crime. he committed. They were on file for. other reasons. But Detective Cox did say that. >> [music]. >> this man, once he knows his name, he. obviously looks into him. He has ties to. Boone County. More than that, he knew Bill and [music]. Peggy. He lived in the same area as them.

But, interestingly, [music]. he moved out of Boone County right after. the murder. Now, Detective Cox doesn't sit on this. Like within hours, he is on the phone. with this guy. And he doesn't say. anything about the print, just like, "Hey, I'm investigating this case. I've. been working at like a long time. We just discovered that you might have. been associated with the couple, the. Stevensons from Boone County, Kentucky.". And this guy admits that he knew Bill. and Peggy, said that he loved them. He. will do anything to help solve this.

[music] case. >> Great. >> That's what Detective Cox says. He's. like, "Great. Going to need your DNA and. your prints. We're getting this from. basically everybody who loved them and. wants to help solve the case." And the. guy says, [music] "Yes." He seems super. cooperative, super willing to help. So, they make a plan for him to go to some. place where he lives at 10:00 a.m. the. next day to get the samples that they. need. But at 9:45 the next [music] morning, 15. minutes before he's supposed to be. there,

he calls up Detective Cox. And Cox says that this guy's tone was. totally different. >> [music]. >> He says, "He's not going, and if they. need anything else from him, they should. contact his lawyer.". >> Which like, a lawyer for an interview, I. get. [music]. >> Mhm. >> A lawyer when you just need to provide a. DNA sample and this can be over and done. with? Mhm. >> Same. It's a red flag to Detective Cox, too. He told us that they've gotten DNA from. like 200 different people, [music] and.

only three of them have ever gotten an. attorney. So, he immediately tells the. Boone County Sheriff what happened, and. the Sheriff tells him like, >> [music]. >> "You go out there and you get that. sample." Like, it would have been nice. if he gave it voluntarily. Like, but. they got his print, right? Like, at the. scene. [music]. And I might remind you that Cox said the. location of that fingerprint was inside. the crime scene and in a place that only. should be left by the perpetrator. So, within about a day of hanging up that.

phone. He [music] is boots on the ground. in this mysterious western state where. he goes to the local judge there and. [music] he gets a signed warrant for. this guy's DNA and his prints. But then when he drives to this guy's. house to serve the warrant, >> [music]. >> he won't answer the door. Detective Cox is pretty sure he's in. there, but he won't answer the door, won't answer the phone, won't come out. of the house. So, he has to go back [music] to the. judge for another warrant which lets.

them like forcibly go in and get this. guy's stuff. And they do. >> They literally have to go in by force. >> Yes, and [music] homeboy's in there and. Detective Cox didn't like paint a. picture so I don't know if he's just. like sitting in the middle of his living. room waiting for them to come in. I. don't know if he's like crying in his. bedroom closet. Like my [music]. imagination tends to run wild. But they. get the samples that they need. No surprises here. The fingerprint. matches 100%.

[music]. and the DNA. does not. What? Now, does this mean that there is another. person? Is it still possible that the DNA was. planted which Cox had an early theory. about? >> I've got a idea. How about we ask the. guy whose fingerprints are at the scene? Like, did you put it there or was someone with. you? >> Or. was he ever there at all? [music] Or if. he was, was it before, during, or after.

the killing? And I know that probably. sounds bananas, but without knowing what or where the. fingerprint was located on or where it. was or in or you know, I I don't know if. we can say. that he was there for the murder. >> Cox said it had to be left by the. perpetrator, right? >> Dude, this is like I feel like we went. round and round and round with him with. Detective Cox. He was super careful with. his. >> [music]. >> words.

I'll try to distill what I think the. truth is here. And that is that this is a very. complicated scene. [music]. So far we have a print and we have DNA. that we know do not belong to the same. person. >> [music]. >> We know there are elements of staging. One of those or more of those could be. staged or planted. We also know that the killer was around, maybe even they say left and came back. sometime over an 8-hour period. Did. someone else come into that scene during.

[music] that time? >> have they asked this guy since? >> This is the thing. He still [music]. will not talk to them. Still. So like. right now. >> So no longer willing to do anything to. help the couple he loved so much. >> Exactly. >> I'm sorry, his print being ID'd there, the fact that he knew them, moved right. after, like. >> I listen, I agree with you. >> here? >> I agree with like every Crime Junkie I. know is like screaming at the screen. right now. >> 1,000%. >> This guy.

whoever he is. I think there is more to him. >> Mhm. >> Honestly, it's not like Cox doesn't see. it. He's not closing the door on Western. [music] State guy or anyone else that he. has looked at in the past. Cox says that. investigators have to weigh two kinds of. evidence in this case, physical. and circumstantial. And because of the fingerprint and. because of the circumstantial pieces. [music]. like you're saying, the connection to.

Boone County, the fact that he knew. Billy and Peggy, the fact that he lived. in the same area, the timing of when he. moved. >> Yeah. >> Cox says that this Western State guy is. still in [music] play. By the way, nephew Stevie isn't off the. table either, remember? And investigators have narrowed down. their pool of persons of interest to. about half a dozen people. Again, including Western State [music]. guy. But they need to build a solid case. before they can bring charges against. >> [music]. >> anyone.

And I do get the measured approach. Even. a crap [music] defense attorney could. get someone off as long as there is. unidentified DNA sitting [music]. out there at the crime scene connected. in some way, right? You have to figure out who that belongs. to to close that door or to figure out. if it's connected, not connected, like. >> [music]. >> other like I just I know how this would. go at trial. >> There's too many loose ends. >> So that is the loose end that Detective. Cox is working [music]. to close up. And another exclusive piece of. information he gave us is that a lab has.

gotten another DNA profile from a second. [music] location in the crime scene. and it matches the first profile that. they already have in CODIS. >> So. >> [music]. >> those samples are from the same person. >> Mhm. But investigators think that they'll be. able to do a lot more with this profile. I don't know if that's genealogy, phenotyping, whatever that is. But 15 years after Bill and Peggy. Stevenson were murdered,

what I know is that this case is not. sitting on [music] a shelf. The science is still moving. Investigators are still working at. >> [music]. >> and even though Detective Cox just. retired from the Boone County Sheriff's. Office, he has passed on the case to. detectives [music]. who are just as dedicated as he was. And he believes that this case can and. will be solved. if [music] the right person or people. come forward. So Crime Junkies, that's you. If you have any information,

contact the Boone County Sheriff's. [music] Office. They have a dedicated. tip line for the Stevenson case. The number is 859-334-8496. [music]. You You always email us, tips at. audiochuck.com. Any information is helpful, [music]. small or big. And just a reminder that. investigators are still looking to. identify the man from [music] the truck. stop, who Cox did confirm for me, by the.

way, is not Western State guy. [music]. So, get out there, share this far and. wide, and let's see what our Crime. Junkies can do. Crime Junkie is an AudioChuck. production. I think Chuck would approve.