S1: E16 – Murder on the Parkway, Part 1

Summary

American Homicide: Murder on the Parkway, Part 1 (S1:E16) – Detailed Summary

In Episode 16 of Season 1 of American Homicide, hosted by Sloane Glass, listeners are taken on a gripping journey through the tragic and enigmatic murder of Maria Marshall in New Jersey. This installment, titled "Murder on the Parkway, Part 1," meticulously unpacks the events leading up to the crime, the subsequent investigation, and the web of relationships that may have contributed to the tragedy.

---

Overview

"Murder on the Parkway, Part 1" explores the unsettling murder of Maria Marshall, a beloved mother and wife, and the intricate circumstances surrounding her death. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Atlantic City and the serene suburbs of Toms River, New Jersey, the episode delves into themes of trust, betrayal, and the quest for justice.

---

The Evening of September 6, 1984

A Perfect Family Life

Maria and Robert Marshall epitomized the ideal American family in the 1980s. As Glass describes, "Maria was a stunning blonde... The couple made family time a priority" ([02:06]). Robert, a successful insurance salesman, provided a lavish lifestyle for his family, including expensive cars, a boat, and a luxurious home in Toms River. Their social life primarily revolved around the Thomas River Country Club, where Maria was affectionately known as "the mom of the swim team" due to her active involvement in their children's activities ([03:31]).

An Evening in Atlantic City

On September 6, 1984, the Marshalls enjoyed dinner and gambling at Atlantic City, likened to the East Coast's version of Las Vegas. As they prepared to return home, Robert decided to continue driving despite concerns about their Cadillac's deteriorating rear passenger tire. "Maria slid off her shoes and earrings and laid back in her seat to get a little sleep," while Robert grappled with the car's handling ([04:44]).

---

The Fateful Stop at Oyster Creek Picnic Area

Tire Troubles Escalate

Approximately 45 miles from Atlantic City, Robert's tire issues worsened, prompting him to pull over at the secluded Oyster Creek Picnic Area. Glass notes, "If you're having tire trouble... you would pull off to the side and put your flashers on", highlighting the odd choice of a dark, tree-lined rest area with minimal lighting ([16:32]).

The Attack

As Robert examined the flat tire, a dark-colored sedan approached. "Seconds later, someone hit Robert over the head and he fell to the ground," rendering him unconscious ([06:38]). Upon regaining consciousness, Robert discovered his wife, Maria, had been shot twice in the back, resulting in her immediate death. Her purse and $2,000 in blackjack winnings were missing, though her gold jewelry and wedding ring remained untouched, suggesting the motive was robbery ([07:23]).

---

The Investigation Begins

Immediate Response

Detective Dan Mahoney of the Ocean County Prosecutor's office was assigned to the case. "She wasn't giving any resistance. She wasn't fighting. She probably never knew what happened," Mahoney remarked, emphasizing the mystery surrounding the motive ([07:48]).

Initial Questions

Authorities sought answers from Robert Marshall, probing into the couple's plans, any unusual sightings, potential motives, and missing items. Robert recounted the timeline, explaining the car trouble and the abrupt attack at the picnic area ([09:21]).

---

Unraveling Suspicions

Extramarital Affair Revealed

During the investigation, it emerged that Robert had been having an affair with Saran Crashauer, a vice principal at the local high school and a fellow member of their country club. Maria, suspecting infidelity, had hired a private investigator to surveil Robert. "Maria planned to confront Robert about the affair and seek a divorce," Glass explains ([19:07]).

The Louisiana Connection

Phone records revealed an unusual pattern: over 30 calls from Robert to Bobby Cumber, a hardware store clerk in Bossier City, Louisiana, situated 1400 miles away from New Jersey. This perplexing detail led investigators to explore the significance of these calls ([21:00]).

---

Bobby Cumber: From Acquaintance to Suspect

Meeting at the Summer Party

Bobby Cumber met Robert at a summer party in New Jersey, where Maria also interacted with him. The encounter was brief but significant, as Cumber later assisted Robert in hiring a private investigator, Billy Wayne McKinnon, a former deputy sheriff from Louisiana ([26:15]).

Charges and Arrest

Amid mounting evidence and financial discrepancies, Bobby Cumber was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder two weeks after Maria's death. Cumber maintained his innocence, displaying emotional distress during his interrogation ([30:29]).

---

Billy Wayne McKinnon: The Private Investigator

Robert's Confession

Audible tapes recovered from Robert's motel room revealed his desperate state. He confessed to his affair, financial debts, and suspected Billy Wayne McKinnon of possibly following him to murder Maria due to financial disputes. "I believed he was a suspect in Maria's murder, but claimed he was innocent," Robert stated on the tape ([32:46]).

McKinnon's Role

McKinnon admitted to being in Atlantic City the night Maria was killed but denied involvement in the murder. Instead, he identified Larry Thompson, a short-order cook with a troubled past, as the shooter. Despite cooperation, Thompson remained evasive, complicating the investigation ([34:41]).

---

Larry Thompson: A Reluctant Witness

Larry Thompson, characterized by his aggressive history and missing fingers from dog fighting incidents, was arrested and charged with Maria's murder in December 1984. His refusal to provide substantial information impeded the case's progress, leaving many questions unanswered ([35:04]).

---

The Arrest of Robert Marshall

Charged as an Accomplice

In the wake of Thompson's arrest, Robert Marshall was also charged as an accomplice to his wife's murder. This shocking development strained familial bonds, as his children and extended family vehemently supported his innocence ([35:53]).

"Did Robert Marshall have something to do with killing his wife?... The relationship between the two of them seemed perfect to me." ([36:18])

---

Notable Quotes

• Sloane Glass: "Maria was a stunning blonde... The couple made family time a priority." ([02:06])
• Detective Dan Mahoney: "She wasn't giving any resistance. She wasn't fighting. She probably never knew what happened." ([07:48])
• Sloane Glass: "I believe it was the passenger rear that was flat and it looked like it suffered damage to the wall of the tire, not the tread like a nail would do." ([09:21])
• Robert Marshall (on tape): "I love Maria. I couldn't have done this." ([33:15])

---

Conclusion and Next Steps

The episode concludes on a suspenseful note, with the arrest of both Bobby Cumber and Larry Thompson, followed by Robert Marshall's indictment. Despite arrests, the true motive and identity of the murderer remain obscured, setting the stage for Part 2 where Sloane Glass promises to uncover the remaining truths and deliver justice for Maria Marshall.

"We'll learn who killed Maria Marshall, who didn't kill Maria Marshall, and how justice was ultimately served. That's next time on American Homicide in Part two of Murder on the Parkway." ([36:32])

---

Production and Credits

American Homicide is produced by Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeartPodcasts. The episode was executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz, with additional writing by Ben Fetterman and Andrea Gunning. Audio editing was handled by Nico Aruka, and voice acting was provided by Trae Morgan.

---

How to Listen

To stay updated on the resolution of this case and continue following the Marshall family’s quest for truth, tune into "Murder on the Parkway, Part 2" of American Homicide. Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or your preferred podcast platform.

---

This detailed exploration provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the initial phases of the murder investigation, highlighting the complexities and emotional turmoil faced by those involved. As the narrative unfolds in the subsequent episode, expect deeper insights and revelations that bring listeners closer to unraveling the mystery behind Maria Marshall's untimely death.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Lowe's knows how to help you get the most out of your store run. That's why members save more with Mylo's rewards. Earn points towards Mylow's money on eligible purchases. Get access to member only deals and free member gifts. Plus unlock free standard shipping when you reach Silver Key status. So what are you waiting for? Join for free Today Lowe's we help you save loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Details@lowe's.com terms subject to change. Amazon One Medical presents Painful Thoughts I.

[Sloan Glass]

Could catch anything sitting in this doctor's waiting room.

[Narrator]

A kid just wiped his runny nose.

[Sloan Glass]

On my jacket and the guy next to me sitting in a pool of.

[Narrator]

Perspiration insists on sharing my armrest. Next time, make an appointment with an Amazon One medical provider. There's no waiting and no sweaty guy. Amazon One Medical healthcare just got less painful when it comes to playtime, never let your squad down. Unlock elite gaming [e-mail] Push your gameplay beyond performance with 13th gen Intel Core processors.

[Sloan Glass]

Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with.

[Narrator]

Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game.

[Sloan Glass]

Performance with enhanced overclocking.

[Narrator]

Win the tech search and head to Lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo.

[Sloan Glass]

A wealthy couple spent an evening gambling in Atlantic City but found trouble on their way home.

[Narrator]

There was a problem with his tire. He stopped at a rest stop and then he was knocked out from behind and his wife was shot twice in the back and died almost immediately.

[Sloan Glass]

The mystery over what happened led investigators to a telephone some 1400 miles away.

[Narrator]

They had no motive, they had no opportunity, they had no money trail. They only had those phone calls.

[Sloan Glass]

Today we're in New Jersey for part one of Murder on the Parkway. I'm Sloan Glass and this is American Homicide. And just a warning that what you're about to hear is graphic. Please take care while listening. When New Jersey legalized gambling in the late 70s, Atlantic City came roaring back to life. By the 80s, it was the east coast version of Las Vegas, and for locals like Robert and Maria Marshall, it was where they went for their weekly date night.

[Narrator]

She liked Atlantic City. She liked going out to dinner there. They had friends down there.

[Sloan Glass]

Jim Churchill investigated major crimes for the Ocean County Prosecutor's office.

[Narrator]

They knew the chef down there where they went, and he would come out and make a big fuss over her and him.

[Sloan Glass]

Maria and Robert were a popular couple who many called Barbie and Ken. Maria was a stunning blonde. They were high school sweethearts. The two were a 1980s version of a power couple.

[Narrator]

I suppose it would be an ideal American family.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert was a successful insurance salesman. In 1984, he sold more than $50 million worth of insurance that afforded the Marshals a lavish lifestyle filled with expensive cars, a boat, and a fancy house in the New Jersey suburb of Toms River.

[Narrator]

They were members of the Thomas River Country Club. Most of their social life surrounded that particular place. They had three boys who were very active in swimming and tennis and stuff like that.

[Sloan Glass]

At the country club, Maria was known as the mom of the swim team. At every swim meet, you'd find her and Robert cheering on their kids in the stands. The couple made family time a priority.

[Narrator]

As a matter of fact, they used to take off every Friday to be with the family. And many people at the country club admired him for that and other things.

[Sloan Glass]

On the night of September 6, 1984, Robert, Robert and Maria had dinner and drinks in Atlantic City. Afterwards, they played some blackjack and called it a night. Just before midnight.

[Narrator]

It was a school night, so she said she had to be home early because the kids had to get ready for school the next morning.

[Sloan Glass]

Maria always treated her boys to pancakes for breakfast, and since it was a Thursday night, she had to be up early the next morning. So Robert cashed out his blackjack winnings and the two headed home.

[Narrator]

It was a short drive, maybe an hour or so from Toms river as.

[Sloan Glass]

Their Cadillac headed north on the Garden State Parkway. Maria slid off her shoes and earrings and laid back in her seat to get a little sleep. But Robert was concerned with how his Cadillac was handling the road.

[Narrator]

He was having trouble with the tire almost immediately when he left Atlantic City. But it got progressively worse as he came up the the area.

[Sloan Glass]

It was a 45 mile drive from Atlantic City to Toms river, and Robert tried his best to make it all the way home. But the tire had other plans. The faster he drove, the more it would shimmy and weave.

[Narrator]

He thought it might been a slow leak, but he had to pull off and see what it was.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert's exit was still 15 miles away when he decided to pull over at the Oyster Creek picnic area. Back in the 1980s, these picnic areas along highways were popular for travelers who needed a place to stop, stretch their legs and use the restroom. The only problem with the Oyster Creek picnic area was that it was tucked among a bunch of trees.

[Narrator]

It was very dark, there was no lights. The only thing there is a cinder block building that has restrooms in it. The only light in that area is about 300 yards down where the rest area is. He pulled in there to Check on the tire, went to the back, told his wife to pop the trunk from the glove compartment. Inside the Cadillac, there's a switch you can hit and it pops the trunk in the back.

[Sloan Glass]

The light from the trunk lit up the nearly pitch black picnic area. As Robert bent down to examine the rear passenger tire, he noticed another car pull in behind them. Seconds later, someone hit Robert over the head and he fell to the ground.

[Narrator]

Next thing you knew, he was waking up from being hit on the head.

[Sloan Glass]

Unconscious, Robert felt woozy. His head was pounding, and a warm stream of blood ran from his forehead and down his cheek. He managed to get back on his feet, put his hands into the pockets of his tan khaki pants, and found them empty. His wallet and the two grand he won from playing blackjack were gone. One thing ran through his mind.

[Narrator]

Somebody must have followed him from Atlantic City and did this.

[Sloan Glass]

That's when Robert ran towards the front of his Cadillac to check on Maria.

[Narrator]

Mrs. Marshall was found in the front seat of the car. She died of two gunshot wounds to the back that eventually hit her heart.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert's wife of 20 years was gone. He cried out into the darkness for help, but there was no one around.

[Narrator]

He then ran out to the parkway, flagged down a couple of people who were coming back from Atlantic City, and they got help. My name is Dan Mahoney, and I was an investigator with the Ocean County Prosecutor's office, Major Crime unit.

[Sloan Glass]

In the early morning hours of September 7, 1984, Dan Mahoney responded to the picnic area.

[Narrator]

We got a call that there was a homicide, robbery homicide at that location. And there was one victim. Mrs. Marshall had been shot twice. The two wounds were almost on top of each other. She wasn't giving any resistance. She wasn't fighting. She probably never knew what happened.

[Sloan Glass]

The killer executed Maria with a.45. They took her purse, but her gold jewelry and wedding ring were left untouched, which is odd. So whoever did this seemed to be after their cash. And they picked the perfect place for the crime.

[Narrator]

There was no restaurants, gas stations, or anything like that. It was secluded. It was secluded. It was about, I'd say, two miles from the larger rest area.

[Sloan Glass]

Detectives found a pool of blood at the rear of the car where Robert Marshall fell after being hit on the head. The gash on his head required a handful of stitches at a local hospital. He was released around sunrise and immediately met with the police.

[Narrator]

He wanted to know who killed his wife. He wanted us to get to the bottom of this tragedy.

[Sloan Glass]

The investigation took off from there.

[Narrator]

We had a lot of questions and most of them had to be answered by Mr. Marshall. When did he plan to go to Atlantic City? Did he see anybody down there that he knew? Did he think he was being followed? Were you robbed? Were you missing anything?

[Sloan Glass]

Robert told the police that he left Atlantic city with $2,000 and explained how the tire was acting up on their way home.

[Narrator]

And I guess when he got out to take a look at the tire, he was attacked. He lost consciousness. I believe.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert told police he remembered a dark colored sedan pulled in behind him at the rest stop, but he didn't think anything of it. He thought the driver had either pulled in to take a nap or had stopped to help him with his tire.

[Narrator]

I believe it was the passenger rear that was flat and it looked like it suffered damage to the wall of the tire, not the tread like a nail would do. Or you picked up a piece of debris on the road, cut the tire. This was on the side of the tire.

[Sloan Glass]

By the end of the weekend, Robert had hired a top notch investigator from nearby Philadelphia and offered a $10,000 reward for information related to his wife's murder.

[Narrator]

To me, it's always been about the victim. The victim needs justice. I know you've heard it before, but they can't speak for themselves.

[Sloan Glass]

While Maria Marshall could not talk, the private investigator she had hired that summer would be the first to talk with detectives. Let's be honest, don't we all deserve a little romance, even if it's just in our headphones? Dipsea is an audio app made for romance lovers with short spicy stories that immerse you in the fantasies you've been craving. Dipsea is the female founded app for spicy audiobooks and more for the female gaze. Their app has over 1000 spicy audiobooks all crafted by a team of professional writers and top tier narrators. With their easy to explore app, you can search for your favorite romance genres like contemporary historical, dark sports, Western romantasy and more. Right now listeners of this show can get an extended 30 day free trial. Just go to dipseastories.comhomicide to start your free trial. That's D I p s e-a stories.com homicide for 30 days of free full access. For free visit dipsystories.com homicide this ain't.

[Narrator]

The little itty bitty teeny tiny bowl.

[Sloan Glass]

This is Super Bowl 59. Get in on the action at DraftKings.

[Narrator]

Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of Super Bowl Link. Scoring touchdowns is key to hoisting the.

[Sloan Glass]

Trophy and you have a shot to.

[Narrator]

Score big by betting on them at DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one place to bet touchdowns, new DraftKings customers can bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings SP app and use code Bobby Sports. That's Code Bobby Sports for new customers.

[Sloan Glass]

To get $200 in bonus bets instantly.

[Narrator]

When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings sportsbook, the crown is yours.

[Sloan Glass]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill casino in resort, Kansas. 21 Age by jurisdiction void in Ontario.

[Narrator]

New customers only.

[Sloan Glass]

Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources.

[Narrator]

See DKNG co Audio. He was a Boy Scout leader, a church deacon, a husband, a father. He went to a local church. He was going to the grocery store with us. He was the guy next door. But he was leading a double life. He was certainly a peeping Tom looking through the windows, looking at people, fantasizing about what he could do. He then began entering the houses. He could get into their home, take something and get out and not be caught. He felt very powerful. He was a monster hiding in plain sight. Someone killed four members of a family. It just didn't happen here. Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers, btk, through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Sloan Glass]

The newspaper headline said it all. Woman slain at rest area on New Jersey Parkway. That woman was a 42 year old mother of three named Maria Marshall.

[Narrator]

She was a wonderful, wonderful person that everybody loved. I mean, everybody was shocked.

[Sloan Glass]

Maria's friend Linda Fenwick heard the tragic news from her son.

[Narrator]

I remember standing by the refrigerator and he said, guess what happened, Mom?

[Sloan Glass]

Linda was shocked to hear her friend and carpool partner had been murdered.

[Narrator]

Our children went to swim camp in the middle of Pennsylvania and we would drive back and forth. I would drive one way, she would drive the other way. There were meets several times a week and we always went to their house afterwards because they always entertained the team.

[Sloan Glass]

The Marshals would videotape the swim meets and then host the team for a viewing party where Maria would serve pizza, which is why they called her the mom of the swim team.

[Narrator]

Center of her world were her boys. There was no doubt about it that they were the center of her world. Everything revolved around them and swimming.

[Sloan Glass]

Nearly all of Tom's river showed up at Maria's funeral to support the three Marshall boys and Maria's husband, Robert.

[Narrator]

He had a bandage on the back of his head, and he was crying the whole way down the aisle, and everybody was sympathizing with him. It was very difficult for everybody that knew them well, you know, that this could have happened to Maria because she was such a kind person, you know, nobody quite could get a handle on. Was it for money? Why would you do that?

[Sloan Glass]

A few days after the murder, investigators were still looking for suspects and a motive.

[Narrator]

It just didn't. Didn't make sense.

[Sloan Glass]

Dan Mahoney investigated.

[Narrator]

Well, if you're robbing, why incapacitate Mr. Marshall with a bump on the head and then shoot Mrs. Marshall twice who was not resisting? And so I think the main thing was to speak to Mr. Marshall.

[Sloan Glass]

With Robert Marshall's help, law enforcement recreated the events of that night.

[Narrator]

He told us that it was a celebration to go to Atlantic City. They had a dinner at a certain restaurant that he always went to. He liked. He was driving back, felt that there was something wrong with the way the car was performing, the way he could make it to the rest area. We pulled over just to take a look at it, and he suffered a blow to the head.

[Sloan Glass]

Investigators focused on the marshal's rear tire and the picnic area Robert pulled into.

[Narrator]

It really didn't make sense to me to stop there if you're having tire trouble. Anybody who didn't frequent Atlantic City would know that rest area and know it's dark, and you wouldn't get any light or any help or people that pull off the road to try to help you. If you needed help, you would pull off to the side and put your flashers on.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert said he had a family friend who was struck and killed while changing a tire on the shoulder. So he chose the picnic area because he believed it was the safest place to pull over. But then there was the tire itself.

[Narrator]

The inspection of the tire was sort of a turning point for us.

[Sloan Glass]

In the daylight, detectives noticed that the rear tire of Robert Marshall's Cadillac wasn't just an ordinary flat.

[Narrator]

The tire had been cut. I think it was about an inch, maybe an inch and a half on the tire wall, the side of the tire.

[Sloan Glass]

Investigators believed the tire was intentionally slashed.

[Narrator]

That sort of gave us a direction to go because you could not drive that car with that amount of damage to that tire for any length of time.

[Sloan Glass]

If the tire was intentionally slashed, did it happen before they left the casino, or was something else going on here?

[Narrator]

It was totally dark, so it didn't make sense to me to pull in there. It didn't make sense to me that somebody happened to be in there. A crime of opportunity at that time in the morning in that desolated area. It just didn't make sense.

[Sloan Glass]

And then investigators were surprised when a private detective that Maria Marshall hired came forward.

[Narrator]

I spoke with him about two days after the homicide was discovered.

[Sloan Glass]

Lt. Jim Churchill learned Maria hired a PI to look into her husband's supposed extracurricular activities.

[Narrator]

She hired a private investigator to follow Marshall on two separate occasions. Once in the spring, once during the beginning of the summer of 1984. During the course of the investigation, we found out that he was carrying on an affair with a woman who was in their social circle. And the private investigator reported that he had seen Mr. Marshall and had photographs of he and her together in the motel rooms.

[Sloan Glass]

A vice principal at the local high school named Saran. Crash hour Was the other woman in Robert Marshall's life.

[Narrator]

I'm not sure how she found out, but I know that she hired a private investigator to follow him.

[Sloan Glass]

Maria's friend, Linda Fenwick, was shocked when she heard Robert had been cheating on Maria.

[Narrator]

I mean, nobody would ever have suspected there was a problem in that marriage. The relationship between the two of them seemed perfect to me.

[Sloan Glass]

At the time, Suran was a member of the same country club as the marshals. In fact, they all played tennis together. Surann and her husband were tennis partners with Robert and Maria Marshall.

[Narrator]

I did know Surann. She was at an unhappy marriage, and apparently he was, too.

[Sloan Glass]

The police learned Maria planned to confront Robert about the affair and seek a divorce. But she kept stalling.

[Narrator]

After we heard from the private investigator that brought Ms. Kroshauer into the arena here, we thought possibly maybe she might have had something to do with it. So we stopped her on the way to work.

[Sloan Glass]

Lieutenant Jim Churchill brought Saran in for questioning.

[Narrator]

She wasn't happy about the relationship she had with Marshall, but she didn't apologize to us or give us a feeling she was sorry for. She didn't like the idea that it put herself in the position she was in.

[Sloan Glass]

Saran told the detectives she and Robert had been sleeping together for 14 months. The two had plans to rent a home together and leave their spouses. And the affair was no secret to Maria because she Found a phone bill with a series of calls from Robert to the high school where Saran worked.

[Narrator]

But I think she was most concerned that we thought she had some part in this.

[Sloan Glass]

A look into Robert Marshall's phone records confirmed what Suran told them. But something in those phone records jumped out.

[Narrator]

Certain numbers caught our eye because they were to a hardware store in a place called Bossier City, which is right across the Red river from Shreveport.

[Sloan Glass]

Shreveport, as in Shreveport, Louisiana, the police found more than 30 phone calls from Robert Marshall to that number. So why was Robert calling a hardware store some 1400 miles away?

[Narrator]

I asked that the local police department down there go and interview anybody who could give us information on Robert Marshall. And they came back to me and said that a clerk who worked in the store, retired from the U.S. air Force, said that he met Marshall at a party during the beginning of the summer of 1984.

[Sloan Glass]

Police learned that during that party in May of 1984, the hardware store clerk named Bobby Cumber spent the night talking with Maria and Robert. He was even spotted dancing with Maria. And after that party is when all the phone calls began.

[Narrator]

So we're trying to find out why these calls were made.

[Sloan Glass]

Most suspiciously, the final phone call between Robert Marshall and Bobby Cumber occurred just before Maria's murder. And investigators wanted to know more about the relationship between Bobby Cumber and the marshals.

[Narrator]

So Cumber now became a person of interest.

[Sloan Glass]

Also, that night of dancing with Maria Marshall would forever change the life of Bobby Cumber.

[Narrator]

He was a boy scout leader, a church deacon, a husband, a father. He went to a local church. He was going to the grocery store with us. He was the guy next door. But he was leading a double life. He was certainly a peeping tom, looking.

[Sloan Glass]

Through the windows, looking at people, fantasizing.

[Narrator]

About what he could do. He then began entering the houses. He could get into their home, take something and get out and not be caught. He felt very powerful. He was a monster hiding in plain sight. Someone killed four members of of a family. It just didn't happen here. Journey inside the mind of one of history's most notorious killers. Btk through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Sloan Glass]

It was big news.

[Narrator]

I mean, white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery.

[Sloan Glass]

Big, big news. When a young woman is murdered, a desperate search for an takes investigators to some unexpected places.

[Narrator]

He believed it could be part of a satanic cult. I think there were many individuals present. I don't know who pulled the trigger.

[Sloan Glass]

A long investigation stalls until someone changes their story.

[Narrator]

I like saw whole thing that happened.

[Sloan Glass]

An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow.

[Narrator]

You just saw his body just kind of collapsing.

[Sloan Glass]

Two decades later, a new team of lawyers says their client is innocent. He did not kill her. There's no way is the Real killer rightly behind bars or still walking free. Are you capable of murder?

[Narrator]

I definitely am not. Did you kill her?

[Sloan Glass]

Listen to the Real Killer Season 3 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Criminalia podcast. I'm Maria Tremarki. And I'm Holly Fry.

[Narrator]

Together we invite you into the dark.

[Sloan Glass]

And winding corridors of historical true crime. Each season we explore a new theme. Everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Narrator]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures.

[Sloan Glass]

Including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle.

[Narrator]

Yep, that's a fact.

[Sloan Glass]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective. And be sure to tune in at.

[Narrator]

The end of each episode as we.

[Sloan Glass]

Indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories.

[Narrator]

There's one for every story we tell.

[Sloan Glass]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the early morning hours of September 7, 1984, Maria Marshall was murdered at a rest stop along the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. Police learned her husband Robert was cheating on her. They also found a bunch of phone calls from Robert to a man named Bobby Cumberland. Bobby worked at a hardware store in Louisiana.

[Narrator]

Within two weeks of the murder, the police glommed onto the Louisiana connection by the phone calls.

[Sloan Glass]

Journalist Judy Peet covered the story.

[Narrator]

There were 31 calls between Marshall and Bobby Cumber, which is what the police found.

[Sloan Glass]

Almost immediately, 47 year old Bobby Cumber answered the phone at that small Louisiana hardware store.

[Narrator]

Bobby at the time was living in Louisiana. Even though Bobby was originally from New Jersey.

[Sloan Glass]

The soft spoken Bobby confirmed to investigators that he met Robert Marshall during the summer of 1984.

[Narrator]

Bobby never knew Robert Marshall really. He decided to go visit some family in North Jersey where they still live. And he ran into his high school girlfriend who invited him to her daughter's graduation in Toms River. She happened to be the next door neighbor of Robert Marshall.

[Sloan Glass]

At that party, Bobby Cumber noticed Robert was having a hard time getting a drink, so he flagged down the bartender. It sparked a conversation between Robert and Bobby that soon included Maria Marshall.

[Narrator]

He was stunned about how pretty Maria Marshall was, and he was very flattered that a big shot in his mind like Robert Marshall would pay attention to him at all.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert Marshall was wealthy, well dressed and handsome, whereas Bobby was a simple guy who enjoyed long drives in the country, banana splits and bowling.

[Narrator]

He was very flattered that a tie and jacket kind of guy would pay attention to him because Bobby was not a tie and jacket kind of guy.

[Sloan Glass]

At that party, Bobby Kumer and Robert and Maria Marshall spent that night talking. Bobby even hit the dance floor with.

[Narrator]

Maria, but only fast dances. The marshals danced all the slow dances.

[Sloan Glass]

Together, and that was the extent of his facetime with Robert and Maria. Bobby told investigators he never saw the marshals after that party, but he did talk with Robert by phone over the summer.

[Narrator]

Marshall asked Bobby if he could find him a private detective, somebody to trace his wife. He thought she was cheating on him.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert Marshall, who was cheating on Maria, said Toms river was a small town and people talked. That's why he wanted a PI from out of town to look into Maria.

[Narrator]

There's a series of phone calls.

[Sloan Glass]

Lieutenant Jim Churchill investigated.

[Narrator]

During one of the phone calls, he asked him, is there somebody you know that can do an investigation? I have a very sensitive investigation that I want him done. I don't trust anybody in my area to do it. And Cumber, he tells him, there's a gentleman that comes into the store all the time that he knows is a former sheriff's officer, Billy Wayne McKinnon, and he knows that he does private investigations on the side.

[Sloan Glass]

Billy Wayne was a deputy sheriff in Louisiana who resigned in the late 70s after he was accused of stealing. He then sold used cars and did private detective work on the side.

[Narrator]

So Kumber gets in touch with Billy Wayne and says, there's this guy in New Jersey wants an investigation. We be interested. He said, well, yeah, he said it's going to cost him because I have to go up to New Jersey to do this, all the way from Louisiana.

[Sloan Glass]

Bobby Kummer said that was the extent of his dealings with Billy Wayne and Robert Marshall. Other than passing phone calls between the two and these messages, they were always short and to the point, like, tell him to call me.

[Narrator]

He said at the time he had no idea really what was going on. Judy Peet covered the story while the Police hammered him. They were sure that he had something to do with it. And Bobby mostly cried and apparently shook through the entire 48 hours. Police didn't believe that after 48 hours, they did arrest him for conspiracy.

[Sloan Glass]

Two weeks after Maria Marshall was shot to death along the Garden State Parkway, Bobby Cumber was charged with conspiracy to commit her murder.

[Narrator]

At this time, we still didn't know who the shooter was. We didn't think it was Marshall. We didn't think it was Cumber. So it's either Billy, Winnie Kinnon, or somebody that we didn't know.

[Sloan Glass]

As Bobby Cumber sat in jail awaiting his trial and investigators were questioning Billy Wayne McKinnon, some mysterious news involving Robert.

[Narrator]

Marshall surfaced when we arrested Cumber not too long after that. Marshall then goes to a motel, the same motel, I think, the same room that he and Saran would go to on the rendezvous.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert Marshall turned up at the same hotel room where he carried on his affair with Suran Crashauer. But this time, Robert was alone.

[Narrator]

And while he's there, he takes a tape recorder and makes three separate tapes, and he puts them in an envelope, and on the back of it says, only to be opened in the event of my death.

[Sloan Glass]

These envelopes with the label to be opened in the event of my death concern the hotel staff.

[Narrator]

It's sitting in a outgoing mailbox that people can use as they go around.

[Sloan Glass]

The police responded and went to Robert's hotel room, but he didn't answer the door. They forced entry and found him passed out next to a pile of pills and a can of coke. They woke Robert Marshall up, and he said he put sleeping pills into his drink and planned to take his own life at the exact same time Maria had been murdered.

[Narrator]

He said he put it in a coke and swirled it around with his finger and licked his finger a couple of times. And then he fell immediately asleep. And they took him to a local hospital down there.

[Sloan Glass]

So investigators got a search warrant to play those cassette tapes. They heard Robert freely admit to his affair with Saran. He also admitted to being massively in debt. Robert also said he believed he was a suspect in Maria's murder, but claimed he was innocent.

[Narrator]

He said, I love Maria. I couldn't have done this. That kind of stuff. There was another one in there that basically said that he was dealing with this private investigator from Louisiana. And he mentioned his name on the tape, Billy Wayne McKinnon. And he said he probably followed me and killed Maria because he had ripped me off for a lot of money.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert admitted to paying thousands of dollars to Billy Wayne McKinnon to investigate Maria, including $800 on the night of her murder.

[Narrator]

Early part of October, Billy Wayne McKinnon, he was arrested and we say, we want to play something for you. So we play the Marshall tape.

[Sloan Glass]

You're about to hear a recreation of the tape that Robert Marshall labeled to be opened. In the event of my death, I.

[Narrator]

Felt compelled to hire somebody who I thought had a good reputation. This was a guy who came recommended by a fellow named Bob Cumber, Supposed to be a very good investigator. He made two trips to New Jersey, One in June. After I wired him $2,500, he said he was going to be busy for a while, but if I wired him additional money, he'd come back. I saw him the second time, the evening Maria was killed. I gave him approximately $800. He said he would stay around a while, do a little checking. I found out later that his only purpose was to rip me off.

[Sloan Glass]

Billy Wayne McKinnon had a lot of explaining to do to investigators, and he quickly admitted that, yes, he was in Atlantic City the night of Maria's murder. But he says he didn't kill Maria. He was merely the getaway driver.

[Narrator]

Over a four day period, we talked with him, retraced his steps, and we could not find anything that he told us that was a deliberate lie or a lie.

[Sloan Glass]

Billy Wayne McKinnon cooperated with investigators and identified the shooter as a friend of his, A man named Larry Thompson.

[Narrator]

Thompson's the kind of guy that does this. This is what he does. He kills for money. He won't kill for anything else but money.

[Sloan Glass]

Larry Thompson was a short order cook, and his run ins with the law were well documented.

[Narrator]

Thompson has fingers missing on his hand. Dogs bit it off because he used to do dog fighting, and some dogs bit it off.

[Sloan Glass]

But Larry Thompson was no help to investigators.

[Narrator]

Thompson pretty much refused to talk to us at all.

[Sloan Glass]

In December of 1984, the police arrested and charged Larry Thompson with the murder of Maria Marshall. He was the third person charged, and there would be one more.

[Narrator]

Subsequent to the arrest of Larry Thompson, Robert Marshall was arrested. On December 19, 1984, the police charged.

[Sloan Glass]

Robert Marshall with being an accomplice to his wife's murder. But how and why?

[Narrator]

Sometimes it's a relief this wasn't that way. The family believed in Robert Marshall and kept faith with him.

[Sloan Glass]

Did Robert Marshall have something to do with killing his wife? His family, including his children, emphatically said no.

[Narrator]

It's a tough thing to wrap your head around that your father may have taken the life of your mother. So that's what the tragedy of this thing was. Didn't have to be. Didn't have to be.

[Sloan Glass]

I'm Sloan Glass. We'll learn who killed Maria Marshall, who didn't kill Maria Marshall, and how justice was ultimately served. That's next time on American Homicide in Part two of Murder on the Parkway. You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me, Sloan Glass and is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. 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 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 iHeartrading, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

He was a Boy Scout leader, a husband, a father. But he was leading a double life. He was a monster hiding in plain sight. Journey inside the mine of one of history's most notorious killers, btk through the voices of the people who know him best. Listen to Monster BTK on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Sloan Glass]

Welcome to the Criminalia podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke. And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark.

[Narrator]

And winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Sloan Glass]

Each season we explore a new theme. From poisoners to art thieves, we uncover.

[Narrator]

The secrets of history's most interesting figures.

[Sloan Glass]

From legal injustices to body snatching. And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It was big news.

[Narrator]

I mean, white girl gets murdered, found in a cemetery.

[Sloan Glass]

Big, big news. A long investigation st until someone changes their story.

[Narrator]

I like saw a whole thing that happened.

[Sloan Glass]

An arrest, trial and conviction soon follow. He did not kill her. There's no way is the Real Killer rightly behind bars or still walking free. Did you kill her? Listen to the Real Killer Season 3 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.