Anatomy of Murder: From The Deck – Jerene Mata (Queen of Spades, Washington)

Episode Date: January 27, 2026
Podcast: Anatomy of Murder (Audiochuck)
Hosted by: Ashley Flowers
Featured Guest/Detective: Detective Drew Shaw, Yakima Police Department

Episode Overview

This episode explores the baffling and brutal murder of 62-year-old Jerene Mata in Yakima, Washington. As told through the “From The Deck” series (highlighting cold cases through playing cards), host Ashley Flowers and Yakima Detective Drew Shaw detail the complicated investigation into Jerene’s death. Found murdered in her home—known for an almost fortress-like array of security cameras—Jerene’s case unspools into a layered puzzle of arson, theft, and potential suspects, while the killer(s) remain unidentified.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime

• The Crime Scene Notification
  • During the Yakima Police Department's annual Christmas party on December 7, 2013, Detective Shaw is alerted to a homicide (03:07).
  • The initial call was for a house fire, only later determined to be a murder scene (04:23).
• The Scene
  • Jerene was found in the hallway, throat slashed, wrists and ankles bound with a full roll of duct tape, lying twisted on her back. Her cat was dead nearby (05:06).
  • Detective Shaw: “Duct tape. Way more than you would ever need to accomplish restraining a 62 or 63 year old woman. They used the entire roll.” (05:37)

2. Timeline and Possible Motive

• Alarms and Response Delays
  • Jerene’s house alarm went off at 3:09 pm and 5:12 pm. Policy prevented police dispatch unless the resident confirmed danger (06:07).
  • Fire department arrived at 5:35 pm, suggesting a window of hours where Jerene could have been assaulted (06:07).
• Robbery as a Motive
  • Jerene’s extensive home surveillance system was targeted; several large monitors and more critically, all the video hard drives were stolen (07:25).
  • Detective Shaw suspects robbery: “We believed that not only was she murdered and that they set the house on fire, but they’d also taken electronics from the residence.” (07:25)
  • Evidence of arson, likely to destroy evidence and Jerene’s body, found in a spare room (06:07).

3. Strange Evidence at the Scene

• Odd Items Found
  • Three afghan blankets, from Jerene’s house, were found flat in the street, covered in vomit (09:32).
    • Detective Shaw: “The blankets were potentially used to cover either themselves or items that were being taken from the home. The vomit was obviously interesting. We speculated on whether that would possibly be from Jerine during the ... assault, that maybe she ... became so upset that she vomited.” (09:32)

4. Witness Sightings and Community Intel

• Suspicious Activity Outside the House
  • Neighbor Denise Lynn Mendez saw a young man (18-19 years old) “sweating and wearing no coat” under streetlights—odd for the freezing night. Another man, running toward him, yelled “Keep running.” (10:49)
  • Another neighbor, Krista Hoptwit, saw a green or teal Grand Prix parked outside at 11 am and 4:30 pm, which was gone by 5 pm (10:49).

5. Financial Motive & Bank Activity

• Theory Formation
  • Noticing significant facial beating, Detective Shaw theorized Jerene was “tortured” for financial information (12:59).
    • Detective Shaw: “It indicated to me that for some reason, they had to, for lack of a better term, torture her. And so I believed ... they had beaten her in order to attempt to get her financial information.” (12:59)
• Bank Investigation
  • Detective Shaw learns someone accessed Jerene’s bank account the night of her murder; surveillance later shows a masked, unidentified person withdrawing cash (under $1,000) from her account (20:21, 20:47).

6. Suspect Development

• Stolen Truck Discovery
  • Jerene’s pickup truck is found just four blocks from her home, parked near an apartment of Lloyd Calvert, a man with a history of 35 arrests (15:56).
  • Calvert distances himself but reports that two known prolific thieves/drug users asked for a ride the night of the murder (17:37). He claims to have not seen Jerene’s truck until after he returned from giving them a ride.
• Suspects Named
  • Det. Shaw and the police consider Lloyd (now deceased) and the two individuals he picked up as key suspects (19:48, 25:48).

7. Forensic Results

• DNA Sampling
  • Vomit and other items (e.g., truck steering wheel, tape) collected for DNA evidence (21:40).
  • Mixed results: no useful DNA from the vomit or truck. Under Jerene’s fingernails, female DNA (not Jerene’s) is retrieved and entered in CODIS, but no hits yet (22:28).
    • Detective Shaw: “It is a good sample. It’s a CODIS-worthy sample, and it is spinning around in CODIS as we sit here today. We’ve never had a hit...” (22:28)
  • Male DNA found on tape did not match any prime suspects, including Lloyd and the two individuals (23:05, 23:57).
• Family Cleared
  • A male DNA profile from a screwdriver in the truck belonged to Jerene’s son, Chris, but his alibi checks out and no motive is found (24:35).
    • “Chris was... living a better life with her here and actually went downhill fast after that.” (24:35)

8. Current State and Detective’s Reflections

• The Case Today
  • Detective Shaw suspects a “robbery gone wrong” by multiple people seeking valuables for drug money; does not believe Jerene was personally targeted (26:21).
    • Detective Shaw: “My gut tells me that it’s not really personal, that it was. The motivation is robbery, and she appeared to either be in possession of something that was worth the risk or felt that because she was older and alone that she’d be an easy mark.” (26:21)
• Status:
  • Officially inactive, but still open and pursued as new information arrives.
    • Detective Shaw: “It’s a cold case. It’s inactive, pending new information, but it will always be active to me. ... I won’t stop working on it until the day I can’t do this job anymore.” (27:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the magnitude of the crime:
  • “Her ankles and wrists were bound ... lying almost twisted up on her back.” – Ashley Flowers (05:23)
  • “They used the entire [roll of duct tape].” – Detective Shaw (05:37)
• On the personal toll:
  • “It will always be active to me. ... I won’t stop working on it until the day I can’t do this job anymore.” – Detective Shaw (27:55)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 03:07 | Notification at Christmas party/Scene description | | 05:06 | Crime scene details (Jerene’s injuries, binding) | | 07:25 | Missing surveillance equipment and motive insight | | 09:32 | Discovery of the vomit-covered blankets | | 10:49 | Witness sightings on day of incident | | 12:59 | Theory of financial motive & torture | | 15:19 | Stolen pickup truck found near Lloyd’s residence | | 18:55 | Interview with Lloyd Calvert | | 20:21 | Bank account access and security footage | | 22:28 | Forensic DNA findings | | 24:35 | Scrutiny and clearing of Jerene’s son Chris | | 26:21 | Detective's conclusions on the motivation | | 27:55 | Detective’s personal commitment to the case |

Summary & Call to Action

The killing of Jerene Mata remains one of Yakima’s most haunting unsolved cases—marked by extreme violence, evidence manipulation, and a robbery motive gone fatally wrong. Despite DNA collected and several strong leads, no suspect has ever been definitively tied to her murder. Jerene’s meticulous security did not prevent the crime, and ironically, the loss of surveillance footage remains the biggest investigative setback. Detective Shaw’s conviction ensures the case is far from forgotten.

If you have information about Jerene Mata’s murder, contact the Yakima Police Department (509-575-6200) or Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477). Detective Shaw can also be reached directly at 509-576-6791.

The Deck continues to spotlight stories like Jerene’s in hopes that public attention will finally bring long-awaited answers.