America's Crime Lab: "One River, Two Bodies" (November 12, 2025)
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
Host: Aelin Lance Lesser
Producer: Catherine Fenollosa, Emily Forman

Overview

This gripping episode of "America’s Crime Lab" examines the chilling unsolved case of two unidentified bodies—one a toddler, the other a young man—discovered just days apart in the same river near Moss Point, Mississippi in December 1982. The story unfolds across forty years of dead-ends and renewed hope, as advances in forensic science and the persistent efforts of detectives and a DNA lab (Othram) ultimately bring long-awaited answers to two devastated families. This episode explores the investigations, the struggle for justice and dignity for forgotten victims, and the power of modern genetic genealogy to name the nameless.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of Two Bodies in Moss Point, 1982

[03:28 – 06:59]

• Initial Discovery: A truck driver spots what he believes is a woman's body floating in a river off I-10, Mississippi ([04:50]).
• First Body Found: Police find not a woman, but the body of a little girl, approximately 18 months old, blonde, later determined to have drowned. No local missing child reports are found.
  • Quote: "He thought he saw a baby doll in the water. But looking more closely, it's actually the body of a little girl... she was alive when she entered the water and that she died from drowning." – Emily Forman ([05:47])
• Second Body Discovered: Divers searching downstream find the skeletal remains of a young Black man, clothed, believed to have been dead longer than the girl.
  • Quote: "They were searching the river for a female and come across the skeletal remains of what was identified later on as a black male." – Catherine Fenollosa ([06:59])

2. The Case of "Baby Jane"/"Delta Dawn"

[07:51 – 15:14]

• Outpouring of Interest: The public is captivated by the mystery of the unidentified toddler, nicknamed "Baby Jane" and "Delta Dawn".
• Suspicions & Theories: Witnesses report a distraught woman with a toddler seen walking barefoot on I-10; theories develop about a possible murder-suicide.
  • Quote: "I don't know if she's so distraught, like a murder suicide... or maybe there's some other murderer who followed her there." – Aelin Lance Lesser ([09:00])
• Case Goes Cold: Despite media coverage, no leads about the child's identity or that of the possible woman seen.
• Attempts at ID: Body exhumed for DNA, facial reconstruction circulated, but years pass without answers.

3. Parallel Path: The Forgotten Young Man (Moss Point John Doe)

[17:31 – 24:18, 29:20 – 41:02]

• Neglected Victim: The young Black man's case receives little public attention or resources; remains go untested in Oklahoma due to Mississippi's lack of a forensic anthropologist.
  • Quote: "It took on the life of its own. It was almost like a cold case investigation inside of a cold case investigation." – Darren Forsagea ([03:17], [19:47])
• Personal Testimony: Detective recounts efforts to publicize the case, especially in African American communities, only to be told, "Yes, you can. You know exactly why. ...because he was Black." ([21:56])
• Technical Challenges: DNA extraction is complicated by prior chemical/heat treatment of the remains; Othram lab develops new techniques to overcome this.

4. Breakthroughs: The DNA Revolution

[11:33 – 15:14, 23:46 – 30:36, 34:26 – 40:57]

• The Power of Othram: A stranger in New York offers to fund DNA testing for Baby Jane; her remains are driven to Othram’s lab in Texas ([17:31]).
• Genealogy in Action: Othram identifies family trees from the baby’s DNA, leading to a living relative.
  • Quote: "One day he goes and knocks on her door... As soon as they showed up at the door, she was like, please tell me you found my sister." – Catherine Fenollosa ([24:58])
• Parallel Efforts for John Doe: Persistent detective work plus new Othram methods lead to the identification of Moss Point John Doe as Gary Simpson from New Orleans.

5. The Families: Grief, Denial, and Resolution

[29:20 – 43:51]

Alicia Heinrich and Gwendolyn Clemmons ("Baby Jane" and Her Mother)

• Identities Revealed: The little girl is Alicia Heinrich, missing alongside her mother Gwendolyn since Thanksgiving 1982; their family had searched for decades.
  • Quote: "Her sister said that Gwendolyn was a good mom and that she loved her little girl." – Emily Forman ([31:07])
• Suspect Theories: Gwendolyn’s boyfriend, former law enforcement, returns alone and gives false stories; Gwendolyn's remains are never found; no official missing persons report was ever filed.
  • Quote: "She was never reported missing, her or the baby, to local authorities. So there would have been no way they'd have been found without the help of Othram." – Sgt. Eddie Clark ([34:01])
• Ongoing Mystery: Gwendolyn Clemmons is still an active missing persons case.

Gary Simpson ("Moss Point John Doe")

• Gary’s Background: From a tight-knit New Orleans family, Gary disappeared at age 20 under suspicious circumstances. Family reported him missing and searched for years.
  • Quote: "He was a mama’s boy... My mom went to the police station and filled out a missing report... we just never had a conversation [about him]." – Tanya Taylor ([37:09], [38:04])
• Family’s Grief: Gary’s mother died never knowing his fate.
• Final Homecoming: Detective and police friends fund Gary’s cremation so his ashes can rest with his mother in New Orleans.
  • Quote: "He was with us while we drank coffee and we ate breakfast. We talked about Gary, and each one of them put their hand on the urn... It was almost like I’m bringing my brother home." – Lt. Forsagea ([41:58])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the disparity of attention for victims:
  "She got so much more attention. Unfortunately, I think that happens too often in our society." – Aelin Lance Lesser ([18:04])

• On pain of not knowing:
  "You at the point that you can feel much better saying, you know, that he was kidnapped and killed and body found." – Tanya Taylor ([42:52])

• On the power of identification:
  "It's incredible how for these families, there is peace in knowing what happened to their loved one, even if that answer comes decades later. And for victims, there's a dignity in getting their identity back." – Aelin Lance Lesser ([43:25])

Important Timestamps

• [03:17] Darren Forsagea introduces the mystery: "A cold case inside a cold case."
• [05:47] Emily Forman describes the discovery of Baby Jane in the water.
• [07:08] Second body (Moss Point John Doe) is found.
• [11:33] Detective revisits the case; the role of modern DNA testing is considered.
• [17:31] New York stranger funds Baby Jane’s sample testing at Othram.
• [21:56] Discussion of racial disparity in media attention.
• [24:46] Detectives locate a possible relative for Baby Jane via Othram’s genealogy leads.
• [30:42] Alicia Heinrich’s identity is revealed.
• [31:41] Suspicious disappearance of Gwendolyn and the boyfriend’s stories.
• [37:19] Tanya describes her family’s futile search for Gary Simpson.
• [41:58] The moving tale of returning Gary’s remains home to New Orleans.
• [43:25] Reflection on the power and dignity of naming the nameless.

Conclusion & Reflections

"One River, Two Bodies" powerfully underscores the pain of decades-long uncertainty for loved ones of the missing, and the redemptive impact of technological breakthroughs in forensic genealogy. It honestly examines the disparities in attention and justice for victims of different backgrounds, and honors the detectives, scientists, and citizens who push for answers. In an era when more and more John and Jane Does are getting their names back, this episode is both a eulogy and a call to continue the search for dignity, closure, and truth.