Anatomy of Murder – "Remembering Loretta Jones"

Podcast: Anatomy of Murder (audiochuck)
Hosts: Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi & Scott Weinberger
Guest: Heidi Jones
Release Date: November 25, 2025
Episode: Re-release of Episode 1

Overview

This episode revisits the very first Anatomy of Murder case: the brutal murder of Loretta Jones in 1970, as remembered and told by her daughter, Heidi Jones. The hosts, Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (a former homicide prosecutor) and Scott Weinberger (investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff), retrace how a four-year-old's trauma, a family's silence, and a determined cold case detective finally led to justice nearly half a century later.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Victim: Loretta Jones (03:00–08:25)

• Loretta Jones was a 23-year-old single mother, raising her four-year-old daughter Heidi in Price, Utah.
• Loretta juggled motherhood, work, and accounting classes to provide for Heidi.
• Life was simple and loving, but marked by social stigma as a single mother in a conservative community.

“She loved me more than anything. All she wanted to do is to provide and take care of her little girl.”
—Heidi Jones (06:50)

Memorable Moment

• Heidi's childhood memory: "I remember very clearly one day...my mom is ironing clothes and I have my little ironing board and my little fake iron...ironing alongside of her." (05:51)

Discovering the Crime: Trauma and Loss (08:25–13:05)

• On the morning of July 31, 1970, four-year-old Heidi woke to find her mother dead in their living room.
• Loretta had been sexually assaulted and suffered a violent attack: 17 stab wounds to her back, 2 to her chest, and her throat was slit.

“I looked through the keyhole...I saw something lying on the floor. At first I think I thought it was laundry...it was my mom’s body. There was blood everywhere.”
—Heidi Jones (09:10)

• No evidence of forced entry; suggested Loretta knew her killer or let them in.
• The age of the child and the trauma blocked out many details from Heidi’s memory.

The Early Investigation: A Child’s Voice & The Suspect "Tom" (13:14–21:33)

• Heidi, despite her age, kept insisting to police she recognized a voice the night of the murder: “Tom did it. Tom killed my mom.” (13:45, 23:44)
• Investigators found “T” and “O” written in blood at the scene, but had no physical evidence linking any Tom directly.
• Two Toms surfaced in the investigation, both with weak or airtight alibis, or insufficient evidence.

“Everything is pointing to him, but there’s nothing directly inculpating...it has to be proof beyond a reasonable doubt. And we only get one chance.”
—Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (20:48–21:24)

Notable Quote

• On stress of involving child witnesses:

“Prosecutors, law enforcement—we are always so hesitant to involve these young kids any more than we have to. They’ve already been through so much.”
—Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (21:52)

• The most likely suspect, Tom Egley, was arrested for the attempted abduction of another girl the same night but not for Loretta’s murder and ultimately left town.

Years of Silence: Family Coping and Lingering Questions (24:29–29:53)

• Heidi moved in with her grandparents. The family coped by not talking about Loretta or the murder—Heidi felt unable to ask questions without causing pain.
• As a child, Heidi found the newspaper article about her mother’s murder and secretly cherished it for years.

“I carried that newspaper with me my whole entire life because this was what I knew for sure that happened to my mom. This was my mom in this article.”
—Heidi Jones (28:27)

• Heidi struggled into adulthood, rehearsing memories, desperate to recall details.

The Cold Case Awakens: Heidi’s Determination and Detective Brewer (30:10–33:31)

• In 2009, a chance online encounter led Heidi to reconnect with David Brewer, a high school classmate and new cold case investigator at the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.
• Brewer initially doubted the case could be solved, but committed to reopening it—only to find the original files destroyed by a flood.
• All forensic evidence from 1970 was lost; DNA was unattainable due to the era’s limitations.

Unorthodox and Persistent Investigation (33:44–36:21)

• Brewer pursued any trace evidence from Loretta’s belongings kept by the family, but nothing usable surfaced.
• With no physical evidence, Brewer considered exhuming Loretta’s body for potential DNA, but initially lacked family consent.
• After Heidi’s grandmother passed away in 2016, Heidi granted permission for exhumation, motivated by a profound need for closure.

“Give me a shovel, I’ll help dig.”
—Heidi Jones (35:39)

Strategic Breakthrough: Psychological Pressure and the Confession (36:38–41:14)

• Exhumation yielded no DNA; Loretta’s remains had been damaged by water.
• Brewer took a psychological approach: widely publicized the exhumation efforts, hoping to rattle suspect Tom Egley.
• Friends ensured news reached Egley in Colorado—he began telling acquaintances he was under investigation, eventually confessing details of the crime to a neighbor, unaware the second conversation was being recorded for police.

“He admitted to the murder to her, but what he didn’t realize ... she was recording the conversation for police.”
—Scott Weinberger (40:46)

“I just remember bawling my eyes out through the first time, hearing it...there was no remorse.”
—Heidi Jones (40:58)

Justice and Closure: After Nearly Half A Century (41:37–43:55)

• Tom Egley was finally arrested (Aug 18, 2016) and pled guilty to second-degree murder.
• Heidi spoke powerfully at sentencing, feeling at last that justice and peace were restored for her mother.

“All I wanted was for my mom to be able to rest in peace... I finally got to tell the man that killed my mom how he impacted my life, what he took away from me.”
—Heidi Jones (41:49)

“We didn’t have DNA. We didn’t have a whole lot. We had a determined detective and a really pushy little girl that wanted her mother’s murder solved...you’ve got to have hope.”
—Heidi Jones (43:28)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On a mother’s sacrifice:

“My hero that night—she never screamed or made a sound. She did everything she had to prevent me from coming out of my room.”
—Heidi Jones’ victim impact statement, recounted by Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (43:06)

• On closure after decades of pain:

“That’s why I felt like I needed to be her hero. And you were, you are.”
—Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi to Heidi Jones (43:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 – Heidi’s first traumatic memory of the crime
• 07:16 – Context: life in Price, Utah in 1970
• 09:10 – Heidi discovers her mother's body
• 13:14 – Child’s recollection: identifying “Tom”
• 16:43 – Reliability of child witnesses discussion
• 18:05 – Other crime that same night; focus on Tom Egley
• 23:44 – Heidi’s grandmother’s notebook preserves her statements
• 28:27 – Heidi discovers and treasures the newspaper clipping
• 30:10 – Heidi contacts David Brewer/cold case reopens
• 33:44 – Brewer seeks forensic evidence from old belongings
• 35:39 – Heidi consents to exhuming her mother’s body
• 38:16 – Publicity strategy to rattle suspect
• 40:23 – Egley’s confession captured on tape
• 41:49 – Arrest and conviction; Heidi’s emotional reaction

Conclusion

This episode is a powerful example of persistence, love, and the need for justice. Through the heartbreak of a long-cold case, the resilience of a daughter, and the unconventional methods of a committed detective, Loretta Jones finally received justice nearly 50 years after her brutal death. The storytelling, including direct, emotional narration from Heidi, offers a personal, moving insight into the enduring impact of violent crime—and the hope that closure is always possible with determination.