Bear Brook – S2E7: The Middle Child

Podcast: Bear Brook (NHPR)
Host: Jason Moon
Episode: The Middle Child
Date: September 9, 2025

Overview

This episode of Bear Brook delves into the climactic identification of the last remaining unknown victim in the infamous Bear Brook murders: the so-called “middle child,” the third of four victims whose identity was a mystery for over forty years. Host Jason Moon recounts how a combination of amateur sleuthing, new investigative techniques, and old-fashioned persistence finally gave closure to a decades-old tragedy, revealing the identity of Terry Rasmussen’s daughter and reshaping the landscape of cold case investigations.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reexamining the Past: Diane’s Search for Truth (01:23–05:50)

• Diane Kloepfer’s Investigation: Diane records an interview with her mother, Fleta Zadikas, in an effort to unravel memories surrounding her estranged father, Terry Rasmussen—a serial killer whose crimes continue to reverberate through her family.

  • Memorable exchange:
    • E: “Was he really smart, though? Did he appear that he was very smart?”
      F: “He was very smart.” (02:21)
    • E: “So remember we were at the police department and they told you about Terry and what all he did?... What’s the first thing that came to mind?”
      F: “I don’t believe it.” (04:13)
  • Diane’s emotional journey is central—she wrestles with grief, disbelief, and persistent questions, especially regarding her unknown half-sister, the middle child in the Bear Brook barrels.

• Reversal of Crime Solving: In this case, investigators knew the killer’s identity before all the victims—a profound inversion of typical murder investigations.

2. Case Background and Recap (08:24–12:08)

• Timeline Recap: Jason provides a concise summary of the Bear Brook case’s twists:
  • 1985: First barrel with human remains found.
  • 2000: Second barrel found nearby with more bodies.
  • Years of uncertainty, until genetic genealogy links “Lisa,” a girl in California, to the case.
  • Through aliases (Bob Evans, Curtis Kimball, Larry Vanner), authorities tie Terry Rasmussen to multiple murders.
  • By 2019, three Bear Brook victims’ identities (Marlise Honeychurch, Marie Vaughan, Sarah McWaters) are known; only the “middle child”—Rasmussen’s biological daughter—remains unidentified.

3. Unofficial Investigators: Websleuths and Breakthroughs (12:08–20:50)

• Rhonda Randall & Becky Heath: Two volunteer sleuths drive parallel, civilian investigations using public records and genealogy.

  • Dedicated years to building family trees, searching online forums, and feeding leads to police.
  • Becky: “We never stopped. Never. Nope.” (12:22)

• The Tip from Texas (14:29–16:50): Rhonda receives a tip about Pepper Reed, a missing woman last seen with Rasmussen, possibly pregnant at the time—a scenario eerily reminiscent of other victims.

  • They discover a California birth record: a child named Rasmussen, mother’s maiden name Reed, born 1976.
  • Becky acquires the redacted birth certificate, confirming the father’s name as Terry Peter Rasmussen.

• Emotional Response to the Discovery:

  • Becky: “Oh my God. This is it. This is it. This is her. This is the baby that we have been looking to name. And we had her name all along.” (20:50)

4. Controversy & Reflection: Was it All There Already? (21:24–25:41)

• Could It Have Been Found Sooner?

  • Becky expresses bittersweet frustration that the birth certificate, which carried the answer, was always accessible with the right query.
    • “The only way it’s going to crack it is genetic genealogy. When that wasn’t true at all...if someone had done their job and just requested his name be put through the system...” (22:42)
  • Jason investigates bureaucratic obstacles and learns that law enforcement could have accessed the record earlier via court order, spurring reflection on past missed investigative opportunities.

• Diane’s Mixed Emotions:

  • Diane: “I've been wanting to vomit since Becky sent me the birth certificate. Like, all day. I just want to puke.” (25:41)
  • She’s torn between the hope for answers and the anticipation of further tragedy.

5. The Official Side: Genetic Genealogy and Identification (31:07–41:02)

• Detective Chris Elphick (NH State Police): Officially announces identification of the middle child as Rhea Rasmussen.

  • “So the information is that the middle child is no longer only known as the middle child. We've identified her.” (31:58)

• Matthew Waterfield & the DNA Doe Project:

  • Lead the genetic genealogy investigation after 2024, reconstructing massive family trees and identifying Pepper Reed as Rhea’s mother through her mother’s obituary and absence from records.
  • On the process: “The lack of evidence is evidence.” (38:48)
  • Waterfield describes the solemnity and significance of being the first to know the victim’s real name.
  • The team follows the same path as the web sleuths, finding Rhea’s birth certificate, confirming Terry as the father, and collaborating with law enforcement for DNA confirmation.

• Procedural Discrepancies:

  • Debate over whether a courtroom order could have accessed the birth certificate sooner.
  • Ultimately, the genetic genealogy work and public records converge to deliver the long-sought answer.

6. Press Conference & Aftermath: Impact and Unanswered Questions (41:02–45:19)

• Emotional Press Conference:

  • Attorney General John Farmella and prosecutor Ben Agade announce Rhea’s identification.
    • Agade: “But today, I and everybody... are sharing the most beautiful and rare of days. Because today we’re no longer frustrated... Because today we have that name of Rhea.” (42:59)
  • Tearful statements from Rhea’s and Pepper’s families are read.

• Formal Closure with Continuing Mystery:

  • All Bear Brook victims are now identified: Marlise Honeychurch, Marie Vaughan, Sarah McWaters, and Rhea Rasmussen.
  • But the fate of Pepper Reed (Rhea’s mother) and Denise Bowden remains unknown—and large blanks remain in Terry Rasmussen’s movements in the 1970s and 1980s.
  • Official comment: “Before we close today, we want to be very clear this investigation is not over...there are still unanswered questions.” (43:58)

7. Broader Meaning: Why Name the Lost? (45:19–48:07)

• Limits of Science; The Call for Tips: With DNA identification exhausted, future answers depend on public information and further tips.
• Deeper Significance:
  • Jason and Matthew Waterfield reflect on the human drive to seek these names—not only for the sake of solving puzzles, but for the closure and respect it brings to families and society.
  • Waterfield: “Because she had a life. She had a life.” (47:52)
  • A name restores humanity to the lost.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fleda Zadikas (about Rasmussen): “He was always trying to hand me a line of shit.” (02:16)
• Becky Heath (upon seeing the birth certificate): “This is it. This is it. This is her. This is the baby that we have been looking to name. And we had her name all along.” (20:50)
• Diane Kloepfer: “I've been wanting to vomit since Becky sent me the birth certificate. Like, all day. I just want to puke.” (25:41)
• Matthew Waterfield: “The lack of evidence is evidence.” (38:48)
• Ben Agade (prosecutor): “But today...we can find ourselves, for once, just today, fulfilled. Because today we have that name of Rhea.” (42:59)
• Statement from Pepper and Rhea's family: “Your relentless determination has brought our family together and we cannot thank you all enough for keeping Rhea close in your hearts when our family could not.” (43:10)
• Matthew Waterfield: “Because she had a life. She had a life.” (47:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:23–05:50: Diane’s interview with her mother; personal legacy of Rasmussen’s crimes.
• 08:24–12:08: Bear Brook case background and interwoven mystery recap.
• 12:08–20:50: Websleuths Rhonda and Becky’s investigation, the Texas tip, discovery of Rhea’s birth certificate.
• 21:24–25:41: Reflections on whether the case could have been solved years sooner.
• 31:07–41:02: Interview with Detective Chris Elphick, Matthew Waterfield details the official search, convergence of investigations.
• 41:02–45:19: Press conference announcement, family statements, emotional closure.
• 45:19–48:07: Philosophical reflection on the power and purpose of victim identification.

Conclusion

In “The Middle Child,” Bear Brook delivers the emotional and investigative climax of a multi-decade hunt for the identity of the last Bear Brook victim. Through the intertwining efforts of self-taught genealogists and official investigators, Rhea Rasmussen is finally named. Yet the resolution brings new, painful mysteries: what became of her mother, Pepper Reed, and other possible victims of Terry Rasmussen? Ultimately, the episode meditates on the meaning of closure, the resilience of those left behind, and the vital human urge to know the names—and honor the stories—of the lost.