Cold Case Files: "A Killer's Skin – Where's Peggy"

Episode Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Paula Barros (A&E / PodcastOne)

Overview

This episode of Cold Case Files presents two haunting cases—a series of brutal crimes committed in Albany, New York, where advanced forensic DNA analysis finally identified a serial offender, and the tragic disappearance and eventual discovery of Margaret “Peggy” Riome, whose fate remained a mystery for over a decade. The episode explores the persistence of detectives, the role of forensic breakthroughs, and the devastating impact on families left behind.

Case 1: Serial Attacks and Murders in Albany, NY

[01:40] Revisiting the Evidence

• Detectives open decades-old evidence from past crimes (bedspread, jeans, steel bar), explaining their forensic significance.
  • "The killer actually would have wiped his hands on this comforter as he left." (A, 01:48)
  • "You can actually see there is blood all over her jeans." (A, 01:55)
  • "Someone had stood over him and repeatedly thrust down and beat him, beat him repeatedly with this." (A, 02:00)
• Sergeant PJ McKenna recounts the difficulty of solving these cases.

[02:20] The First Attack: January 20, 2000

• 85-year-old woman found wandering, suffering from dementia; evidence inside points to assault and attempted rape.
  • "Nothing was taken but the phone cords were pulled out." (A, 02:56)
• A DNA profile is developed but with no immediate suspect, the case goes cold.

[03:25] The Murder of Martha Montalvo: March 6, 2000

• 50-year-old Martha is found stabbed to death, partially naked, scene suggests a forensic rather than witness-led case.
  • "She was decomposed. Advanced stages decomposition. Her buttocks was propped up on some pillows. She was partially naked. There was a towel draped on her face." (A, 04:09)
  • No semen found; focus shifts to blood evidence.

[05:05] First Suspect: Adam Scope

• Adam Scope, a mentally ill acquaintance with a history of sexual violence, contacts police offering help.
  • "They were like playing good cop, bad cop with me..." (A, 05:36)
  • Scope later goes to the press, appearing erratic and inconsistent.
  • "At one point he did tell us that he didn’t know Martha very well. However, in the next breath he told us that he loved her." (B, 07:20)
• Despite odd behavior, Scope is eventually ruled out by DNA.

[09:00] Two Cases, One DNA Link

• Forensic analyst Dr. Allison Eastman notes an anomalous blood drop on Martha’s jeans—not hers.
  • "What I thought what might have happened is that someone leaned over her body and the blood fell from that individual." (A, 08:40)
• No match is found at first, but two years later, it’s linked to the rape of the elderly woman six weeks earlier, five blocks away.
  • "In the first case it was someone who was clearly stalking an individual for the purpose of sex. And six weeks later he sees some more prey..." (A, 09:57)

[10:32] Third Crime: The Murder of George Young (January 26, 2004)

• 69-year-old George Young is found beaten and shot, likely by more than one assailant.
  • "He had to stand up to open the door. And he was laying here almost like in a fetal position." (A, 10:51)
• No forced entry; robbery suspected.
• Safe left behind, bloody steel rebar used as weapon.
• A handyman known to the victim arouses suspicion but refuses polygraph, wants his mother present during questioning.

[13:45] Breakthrough with "Killer's Skin"

• Forensics investigate the steel rebar for skin or sweat cells.
  • Nicole Zavotech: "That’s the swab, DNA-wise, that ended up yielding a mixture profile." (A, 14:22)
• DNA produces a partial profile, matching both previous crimes (rape and Martha’s murder).
  • "DNA has connected the dots for detectives. Three crimes, one person." (B, 15:20)

[19:05] Identifying Ramon Magill

• Forensics matches the DNA to Ramon Magill, a young man in state prison for an unrelated robbery.
  • "We had no idea who he was...never come up in any crimes." (A, 19:11)
• Magill has only petty crimes in his history, no direct connections to the victims.

[20:23] The Interrogation & Confession

• Detectives confront Magill in prison; initially he denies everything.
  • "His shoulders just seemed to...they went down like, you know, now it's time. You know, it’s time to tell us what actually happened." (A, 20:55)
• Confesses to beating George Young, states an accomplice (the handyman) shot him.
• Confesses to Martha Montalvo’s murder and the assault on Myrtle Avenue.
  • "He told us that he had followed her into the house...he stabbed her 16 times in the chest." (A, 22:28)
• Eventually admits to all three crimes.

[23:35] Sentencing & Victims’ Families

• Families express loss and tentative relief in court.
  • "Perhaps now we can begin to heal, knowing that this, his rampage of lawlessness, his campaign of death, has come to an end." (Virginia Young, 23:35)
  • "Her light was put out when Ramon...came into our lives." (Wanda Flores, Martha's daughter, 23:55)
• Magill shows neither remorse nor accountability.
  • "Justice is not served here today because the killer madman still runs free, and I'm being punished for it." (Ramon Magill in court, 24:27)
• Accomplice remains at large; police continue the investigation.

[25:14] Reflection on DNA Laws

• Detectives argue, had DNA been required for misdemeanor convictions, the killer may have been caught much sooner.
  • "If you look at the facts of this case, it just cries out to...include all offenders." (A, 25:29)

Case 2: The Disappearance and Murder of Peggy Reom

[26:44] The Case Reopens

• Det. Keith Hall reexamines the 12-year-old missing persons case of Margaret "Peggy" Riome.
  • "Spring of 2002, I was assigned the Peggy Reom case. At that time, it was classified as a missing person investigation." (A, 26:50)
• Peggy vanished in 1990 after her daughter Jerilyn reported sexual abuse by Peggy’s boyfriend, George Geddes.
  • "George was sexually abusing me repeatedly..." (A, 27:33)

[28:15] Initial Investigation and Red Flags

• Peggy never turns up after the report; landlord suspects something but discards key evidence (mattress with bloodstains).

  • "It almost looked like that time of the month for a woman. So I just didn't. I never gave it another thought." (A, 30:03)

• Neighbor describes seeing Geddes struggling to get a heavy trunk down the stairs soon after Peggy disappears.

  • "He had a steamer trunk, like a blue steamer trunk...and put into the back of his truck." (A, 30:36)

[31:17] The Trunk and Cold Trail

• Geddes says trunk was full of tools, claims he sold it in a bar, but can't provide details.

[31:41] Aftermath

• Geddes is convicted of raping Jerilyn but Peggy’s disappearance remains unsolved.
• Family is left in anguish, hoping for answers.

[32:29] Breakthrough via Storage Shed

• Investigator Hall learns Geddes maintained a storage unit since Peggy’s disappearance in 1990—a red flag.
  • "George has been running a storage shed since 1990. At some point, I'm going to need to obtain a statement from her." (A, 38:04)
• Federal probation agent discovers Geddes lied about renting the shed—a violation used for probable cause and to secure a search warrant.

[39:19] Discovery of Peggy Reom’s Body

• Detectives open the unit in 2004, discover the trunk, and inside, Peggy’s remains.
  • "I could see a stained blanket with two decomposed feet sticking out from underneath." (A, 39:35)
• Geddes breaks down in interrogation and admits to hiding the body, claims her death was accidental.

[41:14] Medical and Legal Proceedings

• Medical examiner refutes "accidental death," noting a forceful, instrument-induced skull fracture.
  • "This is a forceful blow probably with an instrument to the skull to cause this type of type of damage." (A, 42:03)
• Geddes is found guilty of second-degree murder.

[43:53] Family’s Relief and Lingering Pain

• Jerilyn, finally able to bury her mother, describes the complex emotions and gratitude toward Detective Hall.
  • "He did find my mother. He gave his 110% and you know, always have a place for him in my heart. I love him." (A, 43:53)
• Case is remembered as deeply personal for the investigators.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We were informed that she was in the early stages, at the very least, of dementia and really couldn't provide much, only to say that he had hurt her." (A, 02:40)
• "His comments were at times very unpredictable, borderline strange and bizarre." (A, 07:25) — On suspect Adam Scope
• "It was an unbelievable revelation when it came back from the lab. Scary. These people just they had no connection to each other. They had none." (A, 15:11)
• "If the only proof we had was that we found his DNA at the scene, I mean, that's really compelling proof. But...without a statement from him, we wouldn't be able to fill in those blanks." (A, 19:45) — ADA Michael McDermott on the importance of confession.
• "She was a very beautiful light, like at sunrise. Her light was put out when Ramon Miguel came into our lives." (B/A, 23:53)
• "There's been an odor in this courtroom all week and it's the smell of death. And it's Margaret Riom. And I pointed to him and said and he brought her in here." (A, 43:02)
• "I would best describe George Geddes as a waste of humanity. I think there were dregs left over that God had nothing to do with and he dumped them in George Geddes body." (A, 43:30)
• "This is a case I'll never forget. I took this case personal because I like a challenge. And this type of case certainly was a challenge." (A, 43:53)

Key Timestamps

• [01:40] Evidence review and intro to the first case
• [03:25] Discovery of Martha Montalvo’s body
• [07:25] Adam Scope's inconsistent interviews
• [09:00] Forensic breakthrough and DNA profile linking
• [10:32] George Young’s murder: forensic and behavioral investigation
• [15:11] DNA links all three crimes
• [19:05] DNA match to Ramon Magill
• [20:23] Magill’s confession and statements on each crime
• [23:35] Victims’ families respond at sentencing
• [25:29] Discussion on expanding DNA law to misdemeanors
• [26:50] Reopening Peggy Reom's cold case
• [30:36] Witness sees Geddes with a trunk
• [38:04] Discovery of Geddes’s long-term storage unit
• [39:35] Finding Peggy’s remains in the trunk
• [41:14] Medical examiner refutes accidental death claim
• [43:02] The murder trial and conviction
• [43:53] Family reactions and case closure

Tone and Language

The tone of the episode is deeply empathetic but methodical, emphasizing both emotional responses (victim families, detectives) and the technical detail of investigations. Speakers maintain candid, at times graphic, honesty about the realities of violent crime, with occasionally raw language from victims' families and detectives.

The episode stands as a testament to the perseverance of investigators, the power of forensic science, and the enduring impact of violence—reminding listeners that cold cases are not truly forgotten until they're solved.