Buried Bones - "Till Death" (Dec 17, 2025)

Podcast: Buried Bones
Hosts: Kate Winkler Dawson (journalist) & Paul Holes (retired investigator)
Episode Theme: Examining a mid-20th-century series of suspicious deaths linked to one man, Dale Archer, and questioning whether he was a serial killer motivated by financial gain.

Episode Overview

In this episode, "Till Death," Kate and Paul delve into the chilling case of Dale Archer, a man whose multiple spouses, relatives, and associates died under mysterious circumstances between the 1940s and 1960s. With a background in medical work and a penchant for scams, Archer’s weapon of choice was insulin overdoses, often combined with barbiturates. The hosts explore how outdated forensic techniques failed to catch him earlier, the psychology behind his crimes, and whether he fits the definition of a serial killer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene (Covina, California, 1956)

• [09:17] Kate introduces a 911 call from Dale Archer, reporting an alleged home invasion with two "Mexican men" who assaulted him and his wife, Zella.
• The details immediately seem odd: both Dale and Zella are injected with a hypodermic needle, but valuable items are left untouched except for cash.
• Paul: “The use of hypodermic syringes is interesting... They're just trying to plunge blood glucose levels down in the victim” [13:22].

Death of Zella Archer

• Zella exhibits severe symptoms after the attack—sweating, labored breathing, and convulsions—dying within days.
• Toxicology is inconclusive due to limitations of the era; the cause is listed as bronchopneumonia due to a coma of undetermined origin [16:16].
• Paul: “If her glucose levels are just being absolutely plummeted down to zero because she has such high insulin and then you throw a sedative on top of that...could that induce a coma? I would think that's a possibility.” [16:42]

Dale Becomes a Suspect

• Investigation reveals inconsistencies: Zella only ever saw one masked intruder, and Dale’s account is uncorroborated.
• Sergeant Andre of the LA County Sheriff grows suspicious as it emerges Dale has a pattern of marrying women, draining them financially, and moving swiftly between relationships [21:37].
• Dale's history: multiple marriages, work in hospitals, convictions for drug possession and scams.

A Pattern Emerges: Serial Matrimonialist?

• New wife, Juanita Plum (wealthy), suddenly falls ill during their Vegas honeymoon with symptoms akin to Zella’s and dies. Doctors attribute it to barbiturates and alcohol, but the pattern repeats [28:54].
• Paul: “Now...he’s taken out a guy.” [41:58] Referring to the mysterious death of Frank Stewart, Gladys’ ex-husband, whose symptoms again align with insulin overdose.

Expanding the Victim Profile

• Dale benefits from life insurance policies or inherits from each death.
• Bernie Archer, Dale's nephew, dies after a supposed hit-and-run that is never substantiated. His grandmother and guardian, too, die suddenly; it's suspected Dale has access to their insurance/payouts [46:54].

Medical Knowledge as a Weapon

• During the trial, it's revealed Dale had extensive experience with insulin shock therapy from working in hospitals—a skill set he used to execute his crimes undetected [53:36].
• Paul: “Most certainly what it tells me is Dale is extremely comfortable with...the injection of insulin, but what its response is going to be.” [53:36]

Legal Outcomes

• Dale is eventually charged with three murders (Zella, Bernie, Mary Brinker Post) in 1967.
• Despite pleading not guilty, expert witnesses and patterns in autopsy findings secure his conviction on all counts in 1968.
• Dale dies of pneumonia in prison in 1977 before the death penalty is carried out [59:45].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On forensic limits:
  “No tests at the time that can reliably indicate excessive insulin in the blood or tissues of deceased people...” — Kate [15:16]

• On Dale’s pattern:
  “He’s got this formula that has worked on the women, and now he’s taken out a guy.” — Paul [41:58]

• Defining serial killer:
  “It’s having killed three or more with a cooling off period in between...and this is a type of predator. Now, this is a predator that is financially motivated.” — Paul [42:21]

• On Dale’s mindset:
  “Dale's all about Dale, and he's going to eliminate and financially drain the assets of anybody in his life.” — Paul [40:29]

• On medical expertise:
  “He’s extremely comfortable with...the injection of insulin, but what its response is going to be. He has a skill set, he has an expertise, and that is what he is relying upon in order to commit his crimes.” — Paul [53:36]

• The final tally:
  "So not the traditional sense of a serial killer, but this guy destroyed everyone around him." — Kate [60:53]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 09:17–14:48| The "home invasion" and Zella’s death | | 21:37–25:19| Investigation shifts to Dale as primary suspect | | 25:19–28:54| Swift remarriage to Juanita Plum and suspicious arson | | 28:54–31:32| Juanita’s suspicious illness and death in Las Vegas | | 40:19–44:12| Death of Frank Stewart and discussion of serial killer def. | | 46:54–48:41| Nephew Bernie and family members die under suspicious means | | 53:36–57:31| Testimony about insulin expertise and early suspicious deaths | | 59:45–61:00| Dale’s conviction, death, and episode wrap-up |

Analysis and Reflections

• Financially Motivated Serial Killing: The hosts agree that Dale fits the clinical serial killer definition, though his motives are greed rather than sexual gratification or psychological compulsion.
• Forensic Evolution: The case highlights how the limits of 1950s-60s toxicology—and a killer’s medical knowledge—allowed Archer to avoid detection for years.
• Predatory Charm: Repeated manipulation of partners and authorities shows a high degree of social cunning, with Dale escaping suspicion despite being the common denominator in each incident.

Conclusion

Paul and Kate close by marveling at Dale Archer’s manipulative prowess and fatal greed, noting how many lives he destroyed without ever facing ultimate justice. While not a “traditional” serial killer, his deliberate, repeated, and profitable pattern of lethal exploitation secures his place in the darker annals of American true crime.

For Further Evidence & Visuals

• Visit @buriedbonespod on Instagram for case images, diagrams, and additional sources.

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