Carolyn DeFord, Part 3: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and People
Release Date: 11/25/2022
Constantine: The Murder of Lavern Chupp
The Fall Line: True Crime
Lavern “Vern” Chupp was a well-known figure in St Joseph County, Michigan, where his Old Order Amish family had deep roots, and his skill at construction and carpentry meant he’d worked with just about everyone in the various townships surrounding his home. A devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Lavern was a popular man--but like anyone else, he had difficult business dealings and personal conflict. He lived alone, and his family sometimes worried that he was on his own; however, they never expected that he’d face violence at the hands of an unknown attacker. Rula...
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Precious Child: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell, Part 3
The Fall Line: True Crime
We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother’s Day 1998. Her daughter, Precious, still has questions--especially about the insurance police taken out on her mother before her death. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at #rulapod Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. ...
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Tuskegee: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother’s Day 1998. This episode, we examine the crime scene, the forensic evidence, and the investigation. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at #rulapod Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Anyone with information regarding...
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Opelika: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell
The Fall Line: True Crime
In 1998, a 38-year-old mother of seven, Sylvia Lou Dowdell, was murdered in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her body was left under a bridge, and her family in her hometown of Opelika waited to hear word of an arrest in her case. After all, a history of violence against Sylvia indicated what might have happened. But nearly 30 years later, her homicide remains unsolved, and two of her adult children, Precious and Steve, are heading up a renewed push for answers. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in...
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Elma, Washington: The Grays Harbor Jane Doe
The Fall Line: True Crime
In October of 1988, the remains of a homicide victim were found in a rural area of Grays Harbor County, just outside Elma, Washington. A dedicated detective worked her case for years—first in his role with the sheriff's office, and then as coroner. Even now, in his retirement, he’s followed the case. Despite thousands of hours of investigation, her identity remained elusive; but then, in 2018, forensic investigative genetic genealogy became a possibility, and The DNA Doe Project took on the case of the Grays Harbor Jane Doe. But her case has proved incredibly difficult, and genealogists...
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A Long Fight: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
We continue our coverage of the disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya. On St. Patrick’s Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law...
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Dulce: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya: New Mexico
The Fall Line: True Crime
On St. Patrick’s Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Ann Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law enforcement is seeking to speak with anyone who was with her on the night...
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Come Home: The Disappearance of Calvin Willie Martinez, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
In today's episode, we continue the story of Calvin Willie Martinez. Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez’s family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence. But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading home, they believed him. But Calvin never arrived. Ever since, his sister Becky Martinez has been advocating for her brother. And as she discovered in late 2023, that persistence was...
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An Aching Heart: The Disappearance of Calvin Willie Martinez
The Fall Line: True Crime
Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez’s family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence. But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading home, they believed him. But Calvin never arrived. Ever since, his sister Becky Martinez has been advocating for her brother. And as she discovered in late 2023, that persistence was vital: otherwise, his case would have remained erroneously closed. ...
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Unsolved Michigan: Cold Cases
The Fall Line: True Crime
We sit down with podcaster and author Nina Innsted to discuss her coverage of and investigation into Michigan’s unsolved missing persons cases and unresolved homicides—many of which are detailed in her new true-crime book. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at #rulapod Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Order Nina’s book now: The Fall Line® is an investigative true...
info_outlineThis week, in honor of National Native American Heritage Day, we are re-releasing one of our most popular series: our three-part interview with Carolyn DeFord.
In the final installment in our series covering the life of MMIW advocate and daughter of a missing person, Carolyn DeFord, we learn how the disappearance of her mother, Leona Kinsey, has shaped her current world--and work--and the crisis she sees in MMIWCR cases; disappearances and murders are undercounted, underreported, misclassified, and rarely addressed outside action groups and specific political campaigns. Carolyn, and advocates like her, are changing that. And they need your help.
Pre order Laurah’s book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Written, researched, and hosted by Laurah Norton, with research assistance from Bryan Worters, Kyana Burgess, and Michaela Morrill/Interviews by Brooke Hargrove/Produced, scored, and engineered by Maura Currie/Content advisors are Brandy C. Williams, Liv Fallon, and Vic Kennedy/ Theme music by RJR/Special thanks to Angie Dodd, Liz Lipka, and Sarah Turney
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
2022 All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast, LLC
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