S1: E14 – The Disappearance of Danny Burroughs, Part 1

Summary

American Homicide: S1:E14 – The Disappearance of Danny Burroughs, Part 1

Release Date: January 23, 2025
Host: Sloan Glass
Produced by iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts

---

Introduction

In the fourteenth episode of American Homicide, host Sloan Glass delves into the mysterious disappearance of Danny Burroughs, a seemingly ordinary man whose vanishing has left a trail of unanswered questions in the small town of May's Landing, New Jersey. This episode meticulously unpacks the events leading up to Danny's disappearance, the intricate dynamics of his personal life, and the subsequent investigation led by Detective Frank Shaleck.

---

Background: Danny and Loretta’s Relationship

Sloan Glass sets the stage by introducing Danny Burroughs and his long-term relationship with Loretta, his high school sweetheart. Their reunion decades after high school seemed like the rekindling of a lifelong romance, but beneath the surface, cracks were beginning to form.

• Sloan Glass (02:46): "Danny just disappears into thin air."
• Loretta's Friend (02:33): "Danny had a way of just finding something wrong with everybody."

Danny and Loretta had married in 1997 and were considered pillars of their community. Danny was known for his handyman skills and passion for fixing cars and model airplanes, while Loretta was a beloved nurse and devoted grandmother. Despite their seemingly strong bond, tensions arose over lifestyle choices, particularly Danny's desire to retire to Florida—a notion that Loretta vehemently opposed to stay close to her family.

---

The Conflict: Desire to Move to Florida

The crux of their relationship issues centered around Danny's aspiration to relocate to Florida, a plan that Sarasota's icy winters contrasted sharply with May's Landing's serene suburbs.

• Chris Geogan (05:11): "Danny moved to New Jersey, May’s Landing."
• Loretta's Friend (08:30): "Danny wanted to move to Florida. He didn’t like the cold and Loretta was unhappy about it."

Loretta's commitment to her family and her role as a caregiver clashed with Danny's personal desires. This ongoing dispute created a strained environment that ultimately contributed to the unraveling of their marriage.

---

The Disappearance: August 2007

In the summer of 2007, Danny underwent shoulder surgery, leading to a slow recovery during which he was often seen working around his yard despite his injury. Shortly after, Loretta discovered Danny with another woman—a waitress from Florida—reporting that he had left her for this new relationship.

• Ed Dwyer (10:05): "He left her for a waitress in Florida."
• Sloan Glass (10:46): "But apparently, it wasn’t the lobster that Danny was craving. It was the young blonde waitress with the yellow Hummer."

Danny's sudden departure included leaving behind his vehicle, tools, model airplanes, and even basic necessities like his cell phone and toothbrush, raising immediate suspicions among friends and family.

---

Initial Investigation: Police Involvement

As months passed without any sign of Danny, his brother Ray took the initiative to file a missing persons report—a move that set off the official investigation led by Detective Frank Shaleck.

• Detective Frank Shaleck (15:24): "Danny was just, just kind of like your basic all-around guy who could fix anything and, you know, was very handy."

The investigation revealed inconsistencies in Loretta's account, particularly regarding the power of attorney document Danny had allegedly signed before vanishing. Suspicion grew as law enforcement and Ray questioned the legitimacy of the paperwork, with indications that Danny's signature might have been forged.

• Detective Frank Shaleck (31:46): "According to the timestamp, the notarized date on the power of attorney was June 10, two days before it was even created."

These red flags prompted Detective Shaleck to obtain search warrants for Loretta's current residence and her sister's house, aiming to uncover any hidden evidence related to Danny's disappearance.

---

Ray’s Pursuit: Seeking the Truth

Unable to rely solely on the police investigation, Ray Burroughs took matters into his own hands by creating websites and a Facebook page to gather leads and keep Danny's case in the public eye. His distrust of Loretta’s narrative fueled his determination to uncover the truth.

• Ray Burroughs (24:50): "He left without any of his belongings. Nothing. I say BS to her story and many, many lies."

Ray’s relentless pursuit highlighted the fractures within the Burroughs family and the community’s perception of Loretta, casting further doubt on her version of events.

---

Breakthrough: Suspicious Power of Attorney

A critical turning point in the investigation occurred six years after Danny's disappearance when the Atlanta County Cold Case Unit examined the power of attorney document, uncovering signs of forgery. This discovery was instrumental in moving the case forward, allowing Detective Shaleck to seek additional search warrants.

• Sloan Glass (31:28): "In other words, the power of attorney document was created fraudulently."

This revelation hinted at a deeper layer of deceit and manipulation, suggesting that Danny may not have left of his own volition but was possibly coerced or deceived into his disappearance.

---

Climactic Search: Uncovering New Evidence

On May 17, 2013, Detective Shaleck and Investigator Lynn Docherty executed a search warrant at Loretta's sister's house. Their discovery was pivotal, setting the stage for the next phase of the investigation.

• Detective Frank Shaleck (32:37): "Our goal was to locate a copy of the power of attorney so we could compare signatures and the original information on the original paper."

The tension reached its peak as Loretta, unprepared and visibly shaken, was confronted with the search warrants, leading to a dramatic revelation that would be explored in Part 2 of the episode.

---

Conclusion and Teaser for Part 2

The episode concludes on a cliffhanger, with Detective Shaleck receiving a crucial phone call that promises to unveil the truth behind Danny Burroughs' disappearance. Sloan Glass effectively builds anticipation for the ensuing investigation, leaving listeners eager for the continuation of this gripping case.

---

Notable Quotes

• Detective Frank Shaleck (23:55): "I've handled missing person cases for most of my career and it involves hundreds of cases and I've never seen anyone get a divorce after someone went missing, especially when that person was not found at that point."

• Loretta's Friend (20:05): "She got to the point where if he was gonna live his life in Florida, she was getting rid of all his things that made him happy. It's just a hard thing to go through because I've gone through it myself, and I think she felt lonely."

• Ray Burroughs (24:53): "He left without any of his belongings. Nothing. I say BS to her story and many, many lies."

---

Production Notes

American Homicide is meticulously produced by Glass Podcast in partnership with iHeartPodcasts. The episode features in-depth interviews, authentic audio clips, and a compelling narrative crafted by Sloan Glass, supported by a dedicated production team including executive producers Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz.

---

Looking Ahead

As American Homicide continues to unravel the disappearance of Danny Burroughs, listeners can anticipate a deeper exploration of the case in the upcoming second part. The intricate web of relationships, deceit, and unanswered questions promises to keep audiences engaged and invested in uncovering the truth.

---

Connect with American Homicide:
For more information or to share your thoughts, email [e-mail]. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and rate and review to support the show.

Transcript

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent, being there day and night and building a plan for tomorrow today for the ones you'll always look out for. Trust Amica Life Insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons N Safeway. This new year, make sure you take some time to take care of yourself and your family. Stock up on your favorite personal care Items now through January 28th and earn four times the points to use towards discounts on groceries or fuel. Shop in store online or in the app for items like Pantene Shampoo, Old Spice Body Wash, Campers, Swaddler's Diapers, Venus Razors and Crest Complete toothpaste. And earn four times points on your purchase offer ends January 28th. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Sloan Glass]

Where'd you get those shoes? Easy. They're from dsw. Because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you, from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between. Because you do it all in really great shoes. Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store or dsw.com as we start 2025, I wanna take a moment to express gratitude to all of our listeners who have tuned into this show over the next few months. We will be traveling through New Jersey, Louisiana and Alaska to tell you more stories across America. New episodes will continue to launch every Thursday. And I also wanna tell you about an exciting thing we did this week with my former colleague and journalist Brian Entin. Brian joined the show as we reviewed three cases that we think will own the headlines in 2025. We will be releasing more bonus episodes onto the feed as the season goes on. So again, thank you for your continued listenership. High school sweethearts Dani and Loretta reunited decades later and picked up right where they left off.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She had a crush on Daniel her whole life and then eventually they got back together.

[Sloan Glass]

And of course, if it had worked out, we wouldn't be talking today.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He left her for waitress in Florida.

[Sloan Glass]

And we were all in shock.

[Loretta's Friend]

All in shock. Danny had a way of just he found something wrong with everybody.

[Sloan Glass]

But there's plenty more to this story.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Danny just disappears in thin air.

[Loretta's Friend]

This whole thing just didn't feel right.

[Sloan Glass]

And made Everyone question what they knew about Loretta and Danny. I was definitely not expecting to find what we found. Today we're in Mae's Landing, New Jersey for part one of the disappearance of Danny Burroughs. My name is Sloan Glass and this is American Homicide. And just a warning that this episode contains graphic content. Please take care while listening. The generation known as the Baby boomers came of age during the 1960s. And for most of them, it happened in suburban America.

[Chris Geogan]

It's kind of a fun time, easy, not a lot of crime.

[Sloan Glass]

Chris Geogan grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

[Chris Geogan]

Front doors were left open all the time. A lot of the neighborhood, they'd sit out on the front step. The kids would play. So it was nice.

[Sloan Glass]

That was back in an era when kids played outside until the street lights came on.

[Chris Geogan]

We used to go ice skating or dancing all the time because they had these little dances in the Catholic churches. We formed a Beatles group because we were into the Beatles all the time. So we had like a club. It was a very simple life.

[Sloan Glass]

One of her neighborhood friends was a girl named Loretta.

[Chris Geogan]

Loretta lived so close and there was a candy store across the street. So a lot of times we would take a walk down there and sometimes the boys would be there.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny Burrows was one of those boys. Danny was a year older and he was popular with the girls in the neighborhood.

[Chris Geogan]

He was really cute, like, nice eyes. And Loretta really had a thing for Danny. Like she was, you know, infatuated with him. Maybe even more so than infatuated, but I know she really liked him.

[Sloan Glass]

Loretta and Danny dated in high school, but like most young love stories, it was short lived. The two split up after graduation and went their separate ways.

[Chris Geogan]

Danny moved to New Jersey. Maze Landing.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny lived in Maze Landing, a quiet community of about 2,000 people, which sits about 15 minutes from the bright lights, bustling clubs and numerous casinos of Atlantic City. It's also about an hour from Philadelphia.

[Chris Geogan]

He lived down by the shore. And then he met someone else. Danny met a girl who he eventually married. They had two children.

[Sloan Glass]

Loretta also got married, divorced and then married a second time. But her husband passed away in 1993. Fast forward to the mid-90s. Loretta was a widow and Danny was divorced. Loretta had a career in nursing. She took care of the elderly. When the paths of these former high school lovers crossed yet again, they started dating.

[Chris Geogan]

She was very happy to be back.

[Sloan Glass]

With them by that point. They were both in their late 40s, but they picked up right where they left off.

[Chris Geogan]

She always wanted them and she got them and she Kept them.

[Sloan Glass]

When the two got back together, it was big news for Ruth and Tovanni, who also grew up with Loretta and Danny.

[Loretta's Friend]

Loretta liked Danny from the time she was little. This was her lifelong dream. And it finally happened and I thought, you know, he's got it made. He's got somebody who totally adores him.

[Sloan Glass]

Loretta moved into Danny's vintage three bedroom, three bathroom house in May's Landing. And in 1997, she finally became Mrs. Danny Burrows. Now, considering their history, it was the kind of news you'd certainly expect everyone to.

[Loretta's Friend]

That's the thing, we never heard anything about being married. I never knew they got married. It was odd. I said, when did they get married? I had no idea.

[Sloan Glass]

But quietly getting married kind of fit Danny's under the radar personality. He was a guy who liked to spend hours working in his shed. He owned just about every tool he could get his hands on and loved to fix things. Cars, boats, motorcycles. Danny worked on them all. Danny was also happy behind a set of drums. This is actual audio of him performing.

[Loretta's Friend]

He was in his own band for a little while. We used to have a pool party and he would bring the band and they play and we used to laugh at the way he danced. We couldn't stop laughing. Danny left a big impact on your life. His laugh, his manners. He was just not a forgettable person.

[Sloan Glass]

While Danny spent his time working on cars and flying his expensive model airplanes, Loretta was more of a people person. She was a caregiver and worked at a nursing home. Her patients and their families adored her. And after work, it was all about family.

[Loretta's Friend]

She was the doting grandmother. She did everything with the grandkids and her daughter. They were very close.

[Sloan Glass]

Loretta's daughter Nicole and her grandchildren were the light of Loretta's life. She would do anything for them. As for Danny, he had a son and a daughter, but they rarely saw him. Being a father was a role Danny showed struggled with. Loretta urged Danny to spend more time with his kids. But by then, Danny's kids were all grown up and living in Florida. In fact, Florida played into a long running argument between Danny and Loretta.

[Chris Geogan]

Danny wanted to move to Florida. He didn't like the cold and Loretta was unhappy about it.

[Loretta's Friend]

She told me she did not want to go to Florida because her family's here and her daughter and her four grandchildren, they were all here. Loretta needed family. She loved her family.

[Sloan Glass]

But Danny kept telling his friends that he and Loretta were retiring to Florida. And this was usually met with Loretta standing behind him shaking her head no. It became A joke among their friends.

[Chris Geogan]

I'm sure she was really upset and dug her heels in and says, you know, I'm not gonna go. She had a couple grandchildren at home, and, you know, I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to leave either.

[Sloan Glass]

The battle over Florida cooled off during the summer of 2007, when Danny had surgery on his rotator cuff. It was a slow and painful recovery process for Danny, but even with his arm in a sling, there was Danny outside working in his yard.

[Chris Geogan]

He was out mowing a lawn, and the neighbor laughed like, what are you doing mowing the lawn, your arms in a sling? He was anal about stuff like that.

[Sloan Glass]

That was around the time Loretta took a weekend trip with her daughter and grandchildren. But when she returned, she said she found Danny with another woman.

[Ed Dwyer]

There was a yellow Hummer pulling out of their driveway, and there was a woman driving it, and he was in the passenger seat.

[Sloan Glass]

Ed Dwyer was a neighbor who consoled a devastated Loretta.

[Ed Dwyer]

She was just crying uncontrollably. And I asked her what was wrong, and she said that her husband had left her for a waitress that they ran across in Florida when they were down there.

[Sloan Glass]

So not only did Danny get his wish to move to Florida, but according to Loretta, he was going with a waitress he met during their last visit together to the Sunshine State.

[Ed Dwyer]

She said he kept wanting to go back to this same restaurant. They ate lobster every day, and she said, how much lobster can you eat?

[Sloan Glass]

But apparently, it wasn't the lobster that Danny was craving. It was the young blonde waitress with the yellow Hummer.

[Ed Dwyer]

And this was the woman that drove up from Florida to pick him up and bring him back to Florida.

[Chris Geogan]

One thing about Danny, when he sets his mind on something, that's what he does. So he wanted to go.

[Loretta's Friend]

Danny had a way of just. He found something wrong with everybody, you know, it would eventually be never his fault, and he had to move on.

[Sloan Glass]

But still, it was hard to understand, because Danny not only left behind his wife, but also his truck, motorcycle, and shed loaded with his expensive tools and model airplanes. In fact, Danny didn't take his cell phone or even his toothbrush.

[Chris Geogan]

His keys were left in the house. So, you know, why would he just leave his keys?

[Sloan Glass]

The only thing Danny did take was money. Loretta said Danny cleaned out their safe before leaving.

[Loretta's Friend]

Maybe he drops off the face of the earth for a reason. Who knows? I don't know. He wasn't, you know, the most predictable person.

[Sloan Glass]

His friends and family wondered, was Danny having some sort of midlife crisis or leading a Double life.

[Loretta's Friend]

This whole thing just didn't feel right. He was close to his neighbors, even his own brother. He would have told his brother they were close. I had my suspicions. Something. Something went wrong.

[Sloan Glass]

Everything Danny and Loretta's friends and family thought they knew about the couple was about to change.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent, being there day and night and building a plan for tomorrow, today for the ones you'll always look out for. Trust Amica Life Insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. This new year. Make sure you take some time to take care of yourself and your family. Now through January 28th, save up to 25% on all your favorite personal care essentials. Shop in store or online and stock up on all your favorite items like Tresemme shampoo, Axe Deodorant, Dove bar Soap, Dove Men's Body Wash, and Dove Dry Spray. And Save up to 25%. Offer ends January 28th. Restrictions apply. Promotions may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Podcast Host]

This show is brought to you by Corruption Uncovered, a new podcast from Roc Nation and its philanthropic Injustice division, Team Rock. For more than 30 years, there was an open secret in Kansas City, Kansas, about a man who allegedly raped dozens of black women and terrorized them into silence. A detective named Roger Golubski.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He told me to keep my mouth closed. If I did say anything, I would.

[Sloan Glass]

Come up missing like so many others.

[Podcast Host]

But then, right before trial, he was found dead, leaving countless questions behind.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He couldn't have done this alone. I'm not going to say everyone in the department knew, but he's just one of many.

[Podcast Host]

We'll tell you the stories of the women who survived and what happens next in their fight for answers on Corruption Uncovered from Roc Nation and its philanthropic Injustice Division, Team Roc. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

When you think about romance, you might not think of New Jersey.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

People get the impression of New Jersey. They see it on TV as Sopranos North Jersey, you know, cities and smog. And down here, it's not like that.

[Sloan Glass]

Detective Frank Shaleck spent his whole life working and living in South Jersey.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

They're small towns. There's farms, there's woods. To me, South Jersey is a small community, part of the state, you know, where everybody knows each other and, you know, it's more beautiful than people think. We have the beaches, you know, we have the forests. We have The Pinelands and we have the Philly sports teams which we've adopted.

[Sloan Glass]

Detective Shaleck was investigating the disappearance of 61 year old Danny Burroughs.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Danny was just, just kind of like your basic all around guy who could fix anything and, you know, was very handy.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny and his wife Loretta were high school sweethearts.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Everybody knew Loretta. She was in the auxiliary of the local fire department. She was friendly with her grandkids and you know, her neighbors. People knew Loretta and people knew Daniel. Daniel was really well known in the.

[Sloan Glass]

Community and as we said, the two reconnected some 20 years later.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She had a crush on Daniel her whole life. They had split up for a period of time and then eventually they got back together.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny and Loretta married in 1997 and lived in the quiet South Jersey town of May's Landing. But right around their 10 year anniversary, Danny disappeared.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He had left with the girl and went to Florida in a yell hummer. And that was all we had.

[Sloan Glass]

Okay, so husband leaves wife and runs off with the younger woman. It's not exactly something unheard of, but it's where Danny went that played into this story.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Daniel for years had talked about moving to Florida and Loretta had been putting her foot down. She did not want to leave. She said she wanted to stay around her grandkids. Daniel kind of put that off going to Florida because Loretta was not okay with it.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny's ex wife and children in Florida told the police they also hadn't heard anything from him. But they weren't exactly surprised to hear he went missing because Danny had missed most of his children's lives. But Danny did keep in touch with his brother Ray.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He always would be in contact with his brother Ray. Almost every other weekend he would go and visit, play in a band that they had created, even stay overnight sometimes. So phone and personal contact was regular between both of them.

[Sloan Glass]

Nearly a month after Danny went missing, Ray still hadn't heard a word from his brother.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray said it was completely out of the ordinary.

[Sloan Glass]

So Ray went to the police and filed a missing persons report. This put Danny into a database known as the National Crime Information Center.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

That way, if Dan De Burr showed up anywhere in the country, he would show up as a missing person.

[Sloan Glass]

Ray also told detectives he was upset Loretta didn't report Danny missing. But think about it, why would she? Danny left her for another woman. She was not expecting to hear from him.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray hated Loretta. I think that Ray felt that she kind of like was putting a stop to whatever Daniel wanted to do. Daniel had a dream of going to Florida after Retirement. And, you know, she put a stop to anything he wanted to do.

[Sloan Glass]

Much like Danny, Ray had known Loretta since they were kids, and he felt Loretta knew more than she was saying.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray said it was completely out of the ordinary. There's nothing that he would have suspected or that would lead him to believe that Daniel would have left without telling, at least him. And most of all, Daniel would have never left with another woman without him knowing.

[Sloan Glass]

Yeah, brothers share those sorts of things. So Ray didn't buy Loretta's story that he left her for another woman.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Daniel Burrows went missing in August of 2007. We're estimating the date to be around August 5th to August 7th.

[Sloan Glass]

Now, keep in mind that Danny was recovering from shoulder surgery and his arm was in a sling. Just a day or two before Danny went missing, Ray had an unusual call with him.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray called him and said. His words were slurred. He was acting very unusual, which he attributed to the pain medication he was given. Ray did ask Daniel what medication it was, and Daniel replied, whatever she gives me, referring to Loretta.

[Sloan Glass]

A week or so later, Ray called to check in on Danny, but Loretta answered the phone and shared the news. Danny had left her for some waitress from Florida.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray was very suspicious at this point, so he drove down to May's Landing from his home in Pennsylvania and met with Loretta at the house. When he pulled in, he said Loretta looked completely startled, and she also had her niece there, which she ushered into the house very quickly. As Ray was going around the property, he noticed things of Daniel that were missing. Model airplanes, some equipment and tools. As he talked to Loretta, Loretta was doing a itemized list of all the property, and it appeared that she was going to sell it to someone.

[Sloan Glass]

Ray may have been angry seeing his brother's things being sold off, but it's not unusual after a relationship ends to clean house or to be startled by seeing your ex's brother appear at your front steps unannounced. Ed Dwyer was Loretta's neighbor.

[Ed Dwyer]

She sold his pickup truck, the backhoe. She sold all those airplanes. Now, I'm talking great big airplanes that you would take out in the field and fly them. And she sold every one of them.

[Sloan Glass]

But Loretta was hurt. She was grieving and said she wanted to turn the page on Danny.

[Ed Dwyer]

She got to the point where if he was gonna live his life in Florida, she was getting rid of all his things that made him happy. It's just a hard thing to go through because I've gone through it myself, and I think she felt lonely.

[Sloan Glass]

Sure, she felt lonely. And frankly, she felt like a fool.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Loretta was talking to her friends and other people that she worked with, and she would tell her friends that Daniel would come back with the girl to be spiteful to the house.

[Sloan Glass]

There were also a couple calls from a private phone number.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She had said Daniel had called her shortly after he left with the other woman, and he had called the house.

[Sloan Glass]

Loretta said Danny told her he was doing just fine and that moving to Florida was really what he wanted. He also said to give his brother Ray any of his belongings that he left behind. Loretta said she was so hurt and told Danny not to contact her anymore.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Detectives repeatedly visited the house and did follow ups with Loretta. They looked around the house, they looked around the property. They didn't say anything suspicious.

[Sloan Glass]

And Loretta cooperated and answered the detectives questions. But that changed when they explained that it was protocol to perform a polygraph test on her.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

At that point, she obtained a lawyer and stopped speaking with us. And once Loretta lowered up, you know, that made our investigation 10 times harder.

[Sloan Glass]

A few months later, a neighbor noticed a black tarp and something fishy in Loretta's backyard.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

So the neighbor had reported a smell by her back shed. There were mothballs by the back shed. When the officers had responded, they didn't smell anything. And she had claimed that there was a dead animal that she had discarded that was back there.

[Sloan Glass]

Strange, I'd imagine. Police thought that was suspicious, but with no smell and a plausible explanation, there was nothing to do. By then, Loretta had distanced herself from her old life with Danny.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She sold the house and got all the proceeds from that. Sold all his property, which wasn't cheap property, including a boat, model airplanes, tools, and construction equipment.

[Sloan Glass]

After Loretta moved, the police got permission from the new owners to search the house.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

We scanned the property with an X ray machine to see if there's any irregularities in the ground where a body might be. We brought in canine dogs to detect any type of smell related to a body. We did thorough searches of the property for anything such as blood or evidence of any sort. We came up with nothing. There was absolutely no evidence that we could find.

[Sloan Glass]

A year and a half after Danny left, Loretta filed for divorce, claiming abandonment with no hopes for reconciliation.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She had no contact with him, no way to contact him, and she was granted a divorce based on that information.

[Sloan Glass]

So you're probably wondering, how do you divorce someone who's technically missing? Well, all Loretta had to do was simply put a notice in the local newspaper and serve him at his last known address, which was the house he lived in. With Loretta. And when the court date arrived, Danny never showed up and Loretta was granted a divorce.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

I've actually handled missing person cases for most of my career and it involves hundreds of cases and I've never seen anyone get a divorce after someone went missing, especially when that person was not found at that point.

[Sloan Glass]

In addition, Loretta had completely shut out her now ex brother in law, Ray.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

So Ray was very, very upset at times and, you know, understandable. You know, his brother's missing and he's upset.

[Sloan Glass]

Ray was so frustrated that he started his own investigation.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

When it's your family, you want to do everything you can and do whatever it takes to find that person. So Ray did create a couple websites with Daniel's information and information on the case.

[Sloan Glass]

Ray even created a Facebook page to gather leads and share updates on his brother's case.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He wrote, the story of my brother's disappearance is something you'd see on tv, Unsolved Mysteries or Cold Case Files, except now it's happening to me.

[Sloan Glass]

Ray made no secret that he believed Loretta knew more than she admitted.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Out of nowhere, his now ex wife.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Told everybody that he ran off with another woman.

[Ryan Seacrest]

He left without any of his belongings. Nothing. I say BS to her story and many, many lies.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She never even called to tell me.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I found out several days later when I called my brother's home.

[Sloan Glass]

With Loretta not talking, detectives turn to an unlikely source for help.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent, being there day and night, and building a plan for tomorrow today for the ones you'll always look out for. Trust Amica life Insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. This new year, make sure you take some time to take care of yourself and your family. Stock up on your favorite personal care Items now through January 28th and earn four times the points to use towards discounts on groceries or fuel. Shop in store online or in the app for items like Pantene shampoo, Old Spice body wash, Campers, Swaddlers, diapers, Venus razors, and Crest Complete toothpaste. And earn four times points on your purchase offer ends January 28th. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Podcast Host]

This show is brought to you by Corruption Uncovered, a new podcast from Roc Nation and its philanthropic injustice division, Team Rock. For more than 30 years, there was an open secret in Kansas City, Kansas, about a man who allegedly raped dozens of black women. And terrorized them into silence. A detective named Roger Golubski.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He told me to keep my mouth closed. If I did say anything, I would come up missing like so many others.

[Podcast Host]

But then, right before trial, he was found dead, leaving countless Corps questions behind.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

He couldn't have done this alone. I'm not going to say everyone in the department knew, but he's just one of many.

[Podcast Host]

We'll tell you the stories of the women who survived and what happens next in their fight for answers on corruption uncovered from ROC Nation and its Philanthropic Injustice Division. Team Rock, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Danny Burrows was last seen in the summer of 2007. His wife Loretta said he left her for a waitress in Florida. And then the police got involved when Danny's brother Ray reported him missing. Here's Detective Frank Chaleck.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

So, basically, in a missing persons case, we always start where the person went missing from. And obviously, that would be the home where Loretta and Daniel lived. So a search of the property didn't reveal anything. Every couple months during the investigation, we would do a universal check throughout the country. If he had done anything financially, if he had done anything with his name on it, you know, tried to buy a home or try to buy a car. So we would do that on a couple month basis, and nothing would ever show up.

[Sloan Glass]

Even Danny's children in Florida hadn't heard from him.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

It just didn't make sense.

[Sloan Glass]

Short of questioning every blonde waitress in Florida, the police followed their basic protocols for a missing adult. But Danny's brother Ray wanted the police to do more.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Ray wanted everything done, possible. But what we tried to explain to Ray is that, you know, at this point, there's. There's certain way that we have to follow. Like we just can't go in and search a house without a search warrant. We can't speak to Loretta because she has a lawyer. I understand where Ray's coming from, but the problem is there was no evidence that he didn't leave and go away with another woman and just didn't want to be found. There's people in this country that do that all the time.

[Sloan Glass]

If there was more to Danny's disappearance, Detective Shalek knew they were racing the clock.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

I've handled plenty of cases that couple months, couple years, but this was the longest one. And that did make it difficult because as time goes by, you know, the case was slipping away, and we had to find a way to end this.

[Sloan Glass]

So detectives turned to an unlikely person for help. Loretta's daughter, Nicole. But just like Danny's children, Nicole Wasn't at all surprised Danny skipped town.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

She did believe that Daniel might have left and went with another woman.

[Sloan Glass]

Nicole explained that for years, Loretta believed Danny would leave her because he had an affair once before.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

So she knew that there was a possibility that he could have left.

[Sloan Glass]

Not only did she think it was possible, but Nicole said the two had a pattern of this behavior because it.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Happened in the past where, you know, they had split up and gotten back together. So in her mind, you know, it wasn't unfathomable that that could happen.

[Sloan Glass]

Few weeks before Danni went missing, Loretta actually told nicole that Danni was leaving her and moving to Florida. So nicole went to the store and bought Danni a greeting card. Inside, she wrote, good luck on your new life. Danny read the card and asked, what is this for? He said he wasn't moving anywhere. Nicole was caught in the middle and wondered who was telling the truth.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

You know, it put her in a hard position. She loved her mother. She loved her stepdad.

[Sloan Glass]

If you remember, Loretta joined Nicole and her family on a weekend getaway right around the time Danny went missing. It was a trip that Loretta planned and paid for. But according to Nicole, Loretta arrived late. Nicole said she called her mom more than 40 times that morning, But Loretta never answered. When Loretta finally showed up, she was crying, and she said she had had an argument with Danny.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

And I think she became suspicious at that point.

[Sloan Glass]

Six years after Danny's disappearance, A lot has changed. Loretta had divorced him, sold his things and their house in may's landing. In fact, she moved two different times. That's when the atlanta county cold case unit started digging. In the months before he went missing, Danny named Loretta his power of attorney, meaning Loretta could make financial and medical decisions on Danny's behalf.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

We went to the attorney who created the power of attorney for Loretta, and when we spoke with her, she was able to go into her computer and see that the power of attorney was created on June 12, 2007. According to the timestamp, the notarized date on the power of attorney was June 10, two days before it was even created.

[Sloan Glass]

In other words, the power of attorney document was created fraudulently.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Well, it was definitely a red flag that it was done in June and that he went missing shortly thereafter in august. And speaking with Ray, it just wasn't something he would do.

[Sloan Glass]

The notary claimed Danny wasn't there when the document was notarized, which raises suspicion. And Ray believed Danny's signature looked to.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Be forged, and he was adamant that that wasn't a signature on the Power of attorney. So it turned out to be a big red flag for us.

[Sloan Glass]

This allowed Detective Shaleck to get two search warrants. One for Loretta's current home in Ventnor, New Jersey, and a second for Loretta's sister's house, where Loretta had also been staying.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Our goal was to locate a copy of the power of attorney so we could compare signatures and the original information on the original paper.

[Sloan Glass]

This is insane. It's been six years since Danny went missing.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

On May 17, 2013, investigator Lynn Docherty and I went to conduct a search warrant on the home where Loretta was currently staying at her sister's house.

[Sloan Glass]

We had warrants for both houses, so we were executing the warrants at both houses simultaneously. Sergeant Lynn Docherty joined Detective Shaleck when they knocked on the door of Loretta's sister's house in a last ditch attempt to locate anything about Danny's disappearance.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

So this, at this point, was going to tell us either what happened to Daniel or was going to leave the case unanswered and opened. If we found nothing in the search warrant, then there's a possibility we may never find out what happened to Daniel. It was a typical morning in New Jersey. It was cool out, the weather was clear.

[Sloan Glass]

So when we pull up, we knock on the front door.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Loretta's sister came to the door first, and Loretta was right behind her.

[Sloan Glass]

She's in a nightgown. It's early in the morning. She's not expecting us there.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

And the minute we saw Loretta, her face just dropped.

[Sloan Glass]

And we came in and she had to get dressed. So I went into a room with her, and there was no furniture, no bed, no anything. She just had a small suitcase. And we sat her down and we explained that we had a search warrant for the residents.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

And the first question she asked us is, are you searching my house in Ventnor?

[Sloan Glass]

We told her yes.

[Loretta's Friend]

She was just like.

[Sloan Glass]

And just. The life just drained right out of her.

[Detective Frank Shaleck]

Loretta was very quiet. She simply said, are you Detective Shaleck? And I said, yes. And she says, I want to talk to you. So at that point, all her phones lit up on a table.

[Sloan Glass]

Those incoming phone calls were from detectives who were at Loretta's house in Ventnor City, New Jersey. I got a phone call. It was my sergeant. It was a phone call that changed everything. I never imagined that she was going to tell us what she told us. I'm Sloan Glass. We'll get to that phone call and uncover the truth about Danny in part two of the disappearance of Danny Burrows. That's next time on American Homicide. You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me, Sloan Glask and is a production of Glass Podcast, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart podcast. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz. The series is also written and produced by Todd Ganz with additional writing by Ben Fetterman and Andrea Gunning. Our Associate Producer is Kristin Melchuri. Our I Heart team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krynchak. Audio editing, mixing and mastering by Nico Aruka Voice acting in this episode from Trae Morgan. American Homicide's theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Noiser Music Library provided by My Music. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and please rate and review American Homicide. Your five star review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons N Safeway. This new year, make sure you take some time to take care of yourself and your family. Stock up on your favorite personal care Items now through January 28th and earn four times the points to use towards discounts on groceries or fuel. Shop in store online or in the app for items like Pantene Shampoo, Old Spice Body Wash, Pampers, Swaddlers Diapers, Venus Razors and Crest Complete toothpaste and earn four times points on your purchase. Offer ends January 28th. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Podcast Host]

Kroger brand products have the great taste you'll celebrate. That's why over 40 million people choose Kroger brand products, making them a true crowd pleaser and with quality guaranteed. You'll love your choice or get your money back. Score Kroger brand products with savings you can cheer for and great taste you can't resist. Kroger Fresh for everyone.

[Sloan Glass]

This is Jenny Garth from I Do Part two. Did you know that Future Health can help make weight loss resolutions come true? Future Health makes access to qualified doctors that know GLP ones easier than ever and for less than $3 a day. Get started with a quick 3 minute survey at tryfh.com $3 a day and a 3 minute survey. Try fh.com Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health.