Down & Away Podcast

10/03/2025

This is great news! I covered her case on the podcast. Season 10. I hope law enforcement is able to learn more about her death now that they have a name.

On September 25, 1988, a victim was found deceased 30 feet off the side of CR 474 in Clermont. The victim had been deceased for 2 – 4 weeks in a rural, heavily wooded area. The victim was initially thought to be female until 2015, when DNA testing revealed the victim was biologically male. The victim was wearing a skirt and had breast implants, and there is evidence she may have been taking female hormone injections. It is unknown if the victim had undergone any other gender reassignment surgery.

With the support of Dr. Barbara Wolf, the District Medical Examiner for Districts 5 and 24, the case was evaluated by the DNA Doe Project. The DNA Doe Project is a non-profit organization that utilizes investigative genetic genealogy to identify unidentified remains.

After years of difficult work, the genealogists were able to identify possible relatives of "Julie Doe," who were then contacted by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. After additional information was obtained, the relatives submitted their DNA for comparison. These comparisons identified "Julie Doe" as Pamela Leigh Walton. Pamela was born a biological male in Kentucky and put up for adoption. Once adopted, his name was Lee Allen Walton. At some point in Lee's adult life, he changed his name to Pamela Leigh Walton and was, at the very least, transitioning from male to female.

It's unknown how Pamela came to be in Florida. Pamela's manner of death is undetermined, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office is continuing efforts to gather information regarding the circumstances of the death.

08/03/2025

27/02/2025

Here's a little bit more information related to the homicide of Ruth Haut that I posted newspaper accounts about yesterday. Seems as though police may have had a suspect for some time - and now, maybe not?

For nearly 24 years, Vero Beach High School graduate Curtis Huff Jr. was identified as the “prime suspect” – the only suspect ever publicly named by Osceola County Sheriff’s detectives … Read More »

26/02/2025

The Osceola County Sheriff's office released a quick reminder of this cold case on their page, but there wasn't much information there to jog memories, so I've grabbed some of the early reporting and here are the newspaper articles with more details. RUTH HAUT was murdered in 1992. If you have any information about this crime, please contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at 407-348-2222 or submit an anonymous tip through CrimeLine at 1-800-423-TIPS.

26/02/2025

25/02/2025

I'm currently looking into a story covered way back in the 1990s on Unsolved Mysteries, a case out of Polk County, Florida; one homicide, one missing person, presumed killed. Here's a link to the episode - starting at 11:46-22:19. A lot has happened in the decades since this aired, and there's currently a related perjury case that ended in a mistrial. The State is going to try it again. Danny Cerezo is being charged with multiple counts of perjury in front of a grand jury. It seems as though the state never had a strong enough case to get an indictment for the murder of Larry Costine and presumed murder of Melissa Jo Sermons, so this perjury case is their last Hail Mary pass against who they think is responsible for the murders. I'll be looking into it all, inlcuding jailhouse informants and the defendant's brother, who apparently made deathbed confessions.

This episode includes: Elks Club Murder, Where's Jo?, Smoker Car Baby & UD and Mandy & P***y & UD.

06/02/2025

If you have a friend or family member who is missing, or was the victim of an unsolved homicide, and you would like me to consider their case for the podcast, contact me at [email protected].

I prefer Florida cases, or cases with Florida connections, and I’m looking for stories that have not gotten much or any media attention - so no high profile cases.

~Jeni

29/01/2025

Wow, this misidentifcation affected two cases. Thankfully, now they can work on getting both sorted out. Genetic geneology really is a game changer.

Identified previously as “Judy Doe” the victim’s body was located off a dirt road near Lake Dorr in Altoona on April 18, 1984.

25/01/2025

UNSOLVED: PLYMOUTH-SORRENTO area - On 2/4/1976 Michael Wallen & Ronnie Leake were found deceased beneath a tree in an orange grove in Plymouth, Florida off Shopke-Lester Rd. They had only been in Florida for 2 days.

On 2/4/1976, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s office in Florida responded to an orange grove on the north side of Schopke Road and East of the Plymo...

25/01/2025

23/01/2025

I've started to post some Youtube shorts of cases that I didn't cover on the podcast, for various reasons, often because there wasn't enough material to do a full season. I have a lot of cases like this, so I'll work on these in between podcast seasons while I wait to get docments. As you can see, I have made documentary style content on some of the cases I've covered, but not all of them are easily translated to that format. Here's the newest short. Allegra Andrews - October 20, 1976. I've included police interview audio that was recorded on the side of the highway at the crime scene.

If you have any information about the murder of Allegra Andrews on October 20, 1976, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Team, please call 352-343-9529 or email [email protected]. You can also call Crimeline at 800-423-8477(TIPS) to report any crime tips anonymously.

If you have any information about the murder of Allegra Andrews on October 20, 1976, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Team, please ...

21/01/2025

Today marks 35 years since the tragic loss of Teryl Orcutt, and we continue to feel the profound impact of her absence in our community. On January 21st, 1990, Teryl Orcutt’s 1989 Red Ford Thunderbird was found abandoned on County Road 218 in Middleburg. Later that week, on January 28th, Teryl’s body was discovered on S. Lee Drive in Middleburg.

Though time has passed, this agency’s commitment to seeking justice has not wavered. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under active investigation, and as advancements in forensic science are made, key evidence is reviewed and tested, with the hope that these scientific developments will provide new leads and help us uncover the truth that has remained elusive for far too long.

We encourage anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward. Together, we can help bring closure to those who continue to grieve Teryl's death.

To provide information, you can call us at (904) 264-6512. You can also submit an anonymous tip through our SaferWatch app, or by calling First Coast Crime Stoppers by dialing **TIPS.

18/01/2025

1/19/1983 - Janette’s case remains unsolved.

09/01/2025

If you have any information on the homicide of Patty Smith, or the death of Evelyn Dennis, also known as Evelyn Rogers-Beske – please contact the Seminole County Sheriff's Major Crimes Unit at (407) 665-6600.

CrimeLine is also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to take completely anonymous tips on these unsolved homicide cases. Call 1-800-423-TIPS.

You can also get a hold of me by email at [email protected].

SUMMARIES: On June 26, 1978, the body of Patricia Lucille Smith, w/f 35 years of age, was located in her bedroom at 1206 Gay Street, Apopka, unincorporated Seminole County, Florida. Smith had been strangled and was found partially clothed; however, the exact time/date of death was difficult to establish due to the amount of decomposition.

Also on June 26, 1978, the body of Evelyn Rogers Dennis-Beske, w/f 35 years of age, was found floating face down in her swimming pool, located at 6111 Bear Lake Terrace in the Bear Lake are of Seminole County, Florida.

Both of these deaths remain unsolved.

Podcast Episode · Down & Away · S25 E1 · 25m